Adam S. Cobb, Company E

The Clerk of the Court said that the mother’s paperwork was destroyed in a North Carolina county courthouse fire in March 1876. However, she eventually received a pension. The soldier’s father then filed an application but his claim was denied “on the ground that the soldier was not the legitimate son of the claimant, being the offspring of a slave marriage.”

Mother — 384,713 / 281,984, Jemima Cobb now Hill
Father — 605,045 / —–, Isaac Murphy

General Affidavit, Mrs. Jemima Cobb, December 1888
residence, Green Co., N.C. … “Lived on Rev. Thomas Moore‘s farm in Greene County, North Carolina — post-office, Snow Hill, year 1865 and have lived on different farms in Greene County ever since except one year spent in the adjoining county of Lenoir. Ages of family [in 1865]; James, 11; Martin, 13; Maria, 15; Grace, 21; Charlotte, 25; Charity, 27; Jacob, 29. All of these are dead but five — and 10 more children died previous to the year 1865. No person is legally bound to take care of me since the death of my son Adam, after the surrender. As I am old and my memory is deficient, the facts about my children’s ages are not exact, but are approximated as nearly as possible.”

War Department, Adjutant General’s Office, 21 January 1889|
“… Adam Cobb … died of tuberculosis … Co. Descriptive Book shows Nov. 10, 1865, date, and Brazos Santiago, Tex., place of death. The following is his personal description as shown by Co. Descriptive Book: Born, Norfolk, Va.; Age at enrollment, 21 years; Occupation, waiter; Eyes, hair & complexion, black; Height, 5 feet, 10 inches …”

General Affidavit, Jno. [illegible], 28 July 1890
about 41 years; residence, Snow Hill, Greene Co., N.C.; post-office, Snow Hill, Green Co., N.C. … “has been well and personally acquainted with Adam Cobb for five years prior to 1861 … and that said Adam Cobb lived in his neighborhood with Mrs. Cynthia Cobb as a slave before he left home and entered the Union Army … I was clerk of the Superior Court of Greene County and aided Jemima Cobb in filing papers to collect, the amount due Adam her son at his death, that during the preparation of the papers in her claim, she Jemima Cobb left with me as clerk of the Superior Court all of her papers furnishing dates and information concerning her son Adam, for safe-keeping, which papers of all description were subsequently destroyed in the Clerk’s office by fire which burned the courthouse in the year 1876 during the month of March …”
[Note: An entry at the Greene County, North Carolina USGenWeb site mentions the 1876 courthouse fire.– Leslie]

Sworn Statement, Isaac Murphy, 11 August 1894
74 years old; residence, Vanceboro, Craven Co., N.C.;   “… father of Adam Cobb who was born & raised at near Snow Hill, Green [sic] Co., N.C. & belonged to Samuel Cobb & Miss Sinthy Cobb of Green Co., N.C. … “

Sworn Statement, Needham Borrow, 18 March 1895
45 years old; residence, Vanceboro, N.C. … “I have known claimant for thirty years more or less and he is at the present not able to do manual labor. He is about seventy five years old and is dependent upon people … soldier’s mother died about three years ago. I live within 1/2 mile of claimant and see him often …”

Sworn Statement, James J. Murphy, 18 March 1895
63 years old; residence, near Vanceboro, Craven Co., N.C.; occupation, farmer … “I have known claimant since boyhood up to the present date. I also know his wife Mima Cobb. They both was slaves. She belong [sic] to the Cobbs of Green Co., N.C. & Isaac Murphy claimant belong [sic] to the Murphys of Green [sic] Co. Also I belong [sic] to Murphys of Green Co., N.C. Claimant was married to Mima Cobb long before late war under slave custom. I was present and by said union & cohabitation one child viz Adam Cobb was born. And when the late war of 1861-5. Adam Cobb enlisted as a soldier & I have not seen him since I heard he died in the war and Mima Cobb died at Snow Hill, Green [sic] Co., N.C. I don’t know direct date but I think she died about three years ago. I know this by reason of & rec’d a letter from my mother of Snow Hill saying that Mima Cobb was dead. I am living a neighbor to claimant. He is not able to support himself. He is about seventy-five years of age. He is dependent on hands of charity & people who are not legal bound to his support.”

Sworn Statement, Isaac Murphy, 25 March 1895
75 years old; near residence, Vanceboro, N.C.; occupation, nothing … “… The soldier’s mother died on or about the 8th day of July 1890 at Snow Hill, N.C. Edward Haper & Charity Payton was at her funeral or burial …”

Sworn Statement, Isaac Murphy, 27 November 1897 
78 years old; residence, near Vanceboro, Craven Co., N.C. …”I cannot remember the date of my marriage to the soldier’s mother. I know it was long before the war of 1861-5 and I do not remember the date of the soldier’s birth. … my occupation is that of a farmer … My old clothes & horse and old cart and old buggie is worth about fifty dollars ($50.00) … I live near to Vanceboro, N.C. then [sic] I go to Washington, N.C. is why I ask for my mail to go there to Vanceboro, N.C. …”

Sworn Statement, Junier [?] Murphy, 27 November 1897 
68 years old; resident, Washington, N.C. … “I have known old man Isaac Murphy all my life. He is about 75 or 78 years of age. He was a man when I was a boy. I knew his son Adam Cobb who was a young man when he enlisted in the Union Army. I knew about when he was born but I do not know the date of his birth. The claimant is not worth anything that he can obtain any revenue from. He owns an old horse cash & an old worn out buggie and a few old clothes. I know by reason of we were all rais [sic] together in Green [sic] Co.,N.C.”

Sworn Statement, William Galloway, 27 November 1897 
42 years old; residence near Vanceboro, Craven Co., N.C.; post-office address, Vanceboro, N.C. … “I have known the claimant Isaac Murphy about nine (9) years. He is a neighbor to me. He is in my opinion about seventy-five or eight (75 or 8) years of age. He has not got any property that he can get any income from. He has old clothes & an old horse & buggie worth about fifteen or twenty dollars. His occupation is now nothing. He is helpless, old and feeble. I visit him, see him weekly. He has to be nursed best part of his time. All he owns is worth in all about twenty-five dollars. He is an honest old man and is now blind. He is total blind in one eye” ….”

Letter from Acting Commissioner, Department of Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Washington, DC to W.H. Pender, Washington, NC, 17 September 1898
 “Sir: The above cited claim for dependent father’s pension, under the act of June 27th, 1890, is rejected on the ground that the soldier was not the legitimate son of the claimant, being the offspring of a slave marriage.”

Appeal to the Secretary of the Interior, Isaac Murphy, 22 March 1899
70 years old; residence and post-office address, Vanceboro, Craven Co., N.C. … “My claim for a father’s pension … was rejected by the Com. of Pensions … upon the grounds that I am not the legitimate father of Adam Cobb decd … being the offspring of a slave marriage…. [I appeal] upon the grounds that the slave marriage was the only legal marriage for col. slaves prior to 1866 and,  further I am the soldier’s father who depended on him as a slave father would a slave son, further his mother received a pension from the Bureau of Pensions on account of him. She is now dec’d and I applied for a Dept. father pension and I have furnished all the testimony called for by the Bureau of Pensions. I am old and very feeble and fast passing away. Therefore, I beg for reconsiteration [sic] of my pension claim …”

Sworn Statement, Isaac Murphy, 9 February 1904
83 years old; residence, Vanceboro, Craven Co., N.C. … “well known to be reputable and entitled to credit … I was born and reared in Green [sic] County near Snow Hill, N.C. on Willis Murphy‘s plantation. I belong to him before the war of 1861. I grew up on his plantation. Mima Cobb, my former wife, belong to one Samuel Cobb of Green County. Her owners and my owners were about four miles aparedt [sic]. I and Mima were married by consent of owners. My owner Willis Murphy consent for me to live with Mima Cobb and her owner consented for her to live with me under slavery custom and we lived together as husband and wife continuously for about sixteen years before the war of 1861. Our owners recognized us as husband and wife and so did all the community of people who knew us and during said co-habitation we had ten head of children. Three of them died in infancy. Those that lived and were named are as follows James, Amanda, Maria, Martin and Fanny were twins. Adam, Gracy, all of the children were separated and gone away. I only know where one of the children is and that is Gracy who lives in Snow Hill, Green [sic] County, N.C. That after I and my wife were seperated [sic]. I never return to her anymore. As to our continued cohabitation as husband and wife under slavery custom you will find here enclosed and affidavit of my young mistress Mrs. Nanny Murphy of Green County, N.C. and Lewis Harper and Leah Harper all of whom have testified that I was the identical husband of Mima Cobb.”