Henry Copeland, Company I

The soldier’s daughter received death benefit payments from a life insurance company and a burial association. Her application for re-imbursement from the Bureau of Pensions contained a lot of genealogical information. Another document in the pension application folder mentions a nephew who served in World War I.

Invalid — 1,077,352 / 1,133,999
C – 2,487,333

Application of Discharged Soldier, Colored, Henry Copeland, 25 January 1868
23 years old; residence, Gates Co., N.C. … “and that his post-office address is Norfolk, Box 452, County of Norfolk, State of Virginia… Also personally appeared … Samuel Freeman and Isaac King of the County of Norfolk, and State of Virginia who being duly sworn according to law, declare that they have been for four years acquainted with Henry Copland …”

General Affidavit, James T. Reid and J.O. White, 22 December 1894
“That they have known the claimant since his youth over thirty years; that to the best of their knowledge and belief he is a great sufferer of an affliction of the heart, that he suffers from shortness of breath, and affliction of the head, that he has been so suffering since December 1891, that he is a near neighbor of both of them and they have seen him almost daily since that date …”

Application of Discharge Soldier for Arrears of Pay and Bounty, Henry Copeland, 16 November 1895 
55 years old; residence, Somerton, Nansemond Co., Va. “… his discharge is lost … he has not bartered, sold, assigned, transferred, loan, exchanged, or given away his final discharge papers … he has only received $150 bounty from the United States … Also at the same time and place personally appeared before me I.O. White — and James T. Reed — of the County of Nansemond and State of Virginia … that they have been for 35 years acquainted with the said Henry Copeland …”

General Affidavit, Dempsey Reed and Henry White, 28 February 1896
[Reed] 53 years old; residence, Nansemond Co., Va.; post-office address, Savages Crossing, Va.
[White] [illegible] years old; residence, Savages Crossing, Va.; post-office address, Savages Crossing, Va. … “We are well acquainted with the applicant Henry White … We have repeatedly given him food, clothing, money and firewood …”

General Affidavit, James O. White and James T. Reid, 28 March 1896
[White] 47 years old
[Reid] 40 years old, post-office address, Whaleyville, Va. … “That we have known the above named Henry Copeland from our boyhood down to the present time … we [are[ neighbors of his …”

General Affidavit, Henry White and Dempsey Reed, 6 October 1896
[White] 53 years old; post-office address, Whaleyville, Va.
[Reed] 51 years old; post-office address, Savages Crossing, Va.
“We have known [Henry Copeland] ever since he was a boy. We live in the same neighborhood with him … he has been in this condition for about six months …”

General Affidavit, Dempsey Reid and Henry White, 26 February 1898
[Reid] 53 years old; residence, Nansemond Co., Va.; post-office address, Savages Crossing, Va.
[White] [illegible] years old; residence, Savages Crossing, Nansemond Co., Va.; post-office address, Savages Crossing, Va.
“We are well acquainted with the applicant … We have repeatedly given him food, clothing, money and firewood … he is very destitute and were it not for the assistance of others, he would suffer more than he does….”

Application for Pay and Bounty, Henry Copeland, 10 April 1906
69 years old; residence, Nansemond Co., Va…. “also personally appeared William Wright, residing at Portsmouth, Va. and Dennis Battle, residing at Portsmouth, Va. … claimant’s Post Office Address is 716 Green St., Portsmouth, Va. …”

Questionnaire (Form 3-389), Henry Copeland, 9 June 1906
address, 716 Green St., Portsmouth, Va
[married?] Frances Copeland, Frances Williams
[when, where, by whom] Rev. Frank Jordan
[record] courthouse, Nansemond Co., Va.
[previously married] “yes, Martha Ann Copeland who was Martha Ann Jordan. I cannot tell the date of her death. She died in Nansemond County, Va.”
[living children] two; James Lenwood Copeland born 1886; Julia Ann Copeland born 188[?]

Questionnaire (Form 3-389), Henry Copeland, 24 May 1915 
[birthplace/birthdate] “April 1842, Nancymond [sic] Co., Va.”
[post-office enlistment] “Whaleyville, Nancymond [sic] Co., Va.”
[wife’s name] “Maiden name Francies Williams now Copeland”
[when, where, by whom] “December the 1st, 1876 at Suffolk, Va., Rev. Francis Jerden, Nancymond [sic] County, State of Va. … They are in my wife [sic] care in Suffolk, Va.”
[record] “Yes, I have the State License”
[previously married] “Yes, but my wife of then are [sic] dead as she died on are about May the middle 1872 and her name were [sic] Martha Ann Jerden and she died at our home just outside of Whaleyville, Va.”
[wife’s previous marriage] Neither was married previously; Francis Copeland lives on Main St., Suffolk, Va.
[living with wife] “Yes, I am with my wife at times only when I am here in the National Soldiers Home, Va.”
[living children] “I have but one now living out of three and her name is Julia Ann Ralls of whom are about 44 years old and the other two are dead of which I cannot just remember thire [sic] ages and they didn’t live long enuff [sic] to be giveing [sic] names and they died within six months after being born.”

Sworn Statement, Henry Copeland, 9 June 1921
76 years old; residence, 2910 South St., Portsmouth, Va. … “has one nephew, McKinley Copeland, in the Army of the United States in the late World War, that said claimant has not applied to the War Risk Insurance Bureau for compensation since the service of such soldier or in any way received benefits as a result of his service; that said nephew McKinley Copeland does not render any assistance to the support and assistance of said claimant.”

Application for Re-imbursement, Julia Rawls, 22 March 1929
47 years old; residence, Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va. … [applies for re-imbursement for the last sickness and burial of] Henry Copeland … who died January 30, 1926 at Portsmouth, Virginia and was buried at Portsmouth, Va. ….
1 – [name of the deceased] Henry Copeland
2 – [status] soldier
3a – [ever married?] yes
3b – [number of marriages, to whom] twice; first to Martha Copeland and second to Frances Copeland
3c – [survived by wife] no
3d – [still living] no
3e – [names and death dates of wives] Martha Copeland, affiant’s mother died more than 40 years ago; Frances Copeland died March 1916
3f – [ever divorced] no
3g – [divorced wife still living]
3h – [name and death date of divorced wife] never divorced
4 – [children under 16] no
5 – [children living?] no
6 – [sick or death benefits paid out and the amount] Home Beneficial Ass’n., amount, $30.00; Burial Ass’n., amount $100.00
7 – [life, accident, or health insurance on pensioner at time of death] yes
8 – [name of insurance company and amount] Home Beneficial Ass’n, amount $30.00
9 – [beneficiary] Julia Rawls; and $100.00 paid on burial of soldier and was paid of his estate
10 – [beneficiary’s relationship to pensioner] daughter
11 – [did pensioner pay premium] no
12 – [amount of premium] All premiums were paid by Julia Rawls, his daughter
13 – [executor or administrator] no
14 – [property] no
15 – [nature of property] had no property
16 – [assessed value] no real estate
17 – [disposed of property] had none
18 – [unendorsed pension check] no
19 – [relation to deceased] daughter
20 – [married] yes
21 – [cause of pensioner’s death] old age
22 – [date illness began] “He was lingering from 1920 until his death.”
23 – [date decedent required daily care] “From 1920 until his death.”
24 – [name/address of physician] Dr. W.E. Reid, 845 Glasgow St., Portsmouth, Va.
25 – [person who nursed the decedent] Julia Rawls
26 – [pensioner’s last residence] 2910 South St., Portsmouth, Va.
27 – [payments due] no

“Also appeared Addie Wiggins, 900 Deep Creek Blvd. and Dora Williams, 2542 Graham St., Portsmouth, Va. who knew the claimant 5 years and 25 years, respectively and were “neighbors of his.”

[Note: There was a handwritten note on the application: “Claimant paid $150.00 on funeral (and doctor bill and medicine for which she files no claim). She claims $150.00.”]
[Note: A 1911 map of Virginia counties showed “Savage Cross” in Nansemond County.– Leslie]