Alexander Foreman, Company E**

**Today’s post includes research notes for documents dated 1899-1911. Last week’s post included research notes for documents dated 1889-1894.

The soldier suffered frostbitten feet while patrolling telegraph wires from City Point, Prince George County, Virginia to Swan Point, Surry County, Virginia. The cause of his damaged eyesight is unclear. After discharge, he was unable to work and couldn’t afford proper medical treatment. He, his wife, and child lived in Norfolk, Virginia.

Invalid — 773,440 / 576,126
Widow — 881,045 / —–, Emma Foreman

Deposition, Alexander Foreman, 20 March 1899
about 52 years old; occupation, farm laborer; post-office address, Hickory, Norfolk Co., Va.
Q: Where did you execute your pension claim under Act of June 27th 1890?
A. W.R. Drury swore me to it but I have forgotten who were my witnesses. No sir, I do not know a man named Willis Kelly nor do I know Frank Cornick although the name appeared familiar to me. Yes I think I have met a man in W.R. Drury’s office named Addison Holly. I do know James Wilkins of Norfolk, Va. and he was with me in Mr. Drury’s office. … No sir there was no white men in in Mr. Drury’s office when my said application was signed and executed but the room was well filled with colored people, most of whom were strangers to me. No sir I have never known a white man named B.A. Richardson, Jr.“
Q; When ordered before a Board of Examining Surgeons why did you not respond to the order?
A: I did not go because I did not have money with which to defray my expenses.”

Deposition, Charles Griffin, 20 March 1899
51 years old; post-office address, Indian Creek, Norfolk Co., Va.
“I know Alexander Foreman the pensioner. He is my neighbor … We were in the same regiment. He in Co. E and I in Co. A. “

Deposition, Addison Holly, 23 March 1899
54 years old; post-office address, 149 James St., Norfolk, Va.
“[Holly said he knew Foreman and testified as a witness for him.] I think James WIlkins was the other witness. Wilkins and John Portlock were there at the time… I do not know where Wilkins is. I have not seen him for 6 months or more….
Q. Were you sworn to said papers?
A. Yes sir.
Q. By whom were you sworn?
A. By W.R. Drury, who was there a Notary Public. He swore all three of us at the same time.”

Deposition, Frank Cornick, 23 March 1899
50 years old; post-office address, 17 Liberty St., Norfolk, Va.
“I have known [Foreman] here in Norfolk but I have not seen him for the past five years. … I lost my right arm in 1864 and have to write with my left hand and it is somewhat awkward for me to write. I sometimes sign my name by crossmark. … I used to see [B.A. Richardson] in W.R. Drury’s office at No. 16 Bank St this City. I think he and W.R. Drury were in business together. “

Deposition, John Bell, 24 March 1899
59 years old; post-office address, 567 Main St., Norfolk, Va.
“I know the pensioner… He used to work for me here in Norfolk but I understand that he now lives in the County somewhere so that I have not seen him for some time…. About eight years ago I made an affidavit for use in his claim. I testified to a knowledge of him from the time he came out of the army. … I have no recollection that I ever knew him to suffer from any disability….There was a tall slender black man signed affidavit with me but I am not sure that I remember his name but I think it was Johnson. …
Q. Where were you living when you signed and executed said affidavit?
A. I was living at 25 Smith St., this City at that time.”

Deposition, Hilliard Johnson, 27 March 1899
57 years old; post-office address 625 Bart St., Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“I resided at No. 13 Suffolk St., Norfolk, Va. [during January 1891]
Q. How were you employed during said month?
A. I was helping W.R. Drury then a pension claim agent and Notary Public doing business at No. 16 Bank St. Norfolk, Va. I was a sort of assessor for him and as such employee was in W.R. Drury’s office more or less every day.”

Sworn Statement, Alexander Foreman, 19 March 1907
64years old; residence, Norfolk County, Va.; post-office address, Berkley, Norfolk County, Va.; occupation, farmer;
“born at Newsom [or is it Newman’s] Creek, Norfolk County, Virginia, 15th day of March 18 … Don’t know exact year. That he has resided since discharge in Princess Anne County, Norfolk County, and Norfolk City, Virginia….”
“Also personally appeared … John Sivils, a resident of Norfolk County, Virginia and Thomas Jefferson, a resident of Norfolk County, Virginia {acquainted with him] 20 years and 20 years, respectively”

Deposition, Emma J. Foreman, 1 March 1910
“I am 50 years old, was 50 the 2d of this month; post-office address, Berkley, Va…. [My husband and I] lived in Norfolk Co., Va., first at Indian Creek then near Berkley, Va. … I did not know Solomon Burke lived nearly ten years after I married the soldier. I had heard from his mother that he died before I married Foreman. I never got a divorce from Solomon Brock, never was notified that he had applied for a divorce from me. He certainly was not divorced from me.”

General Affidavit, Emma J. Foreman, 22 February 1911
“That she resides near the limits of Berkley Ward, City of Norfolk, in a section known as Campostella, her house being on what is known as Pine Street; that she is out side the free delivery limits, has no Street number, and consequently gets her mail from Berkley Station, Norfolk, Va. which is a sub-station of the Norfolk Post Office.”

Application for Re-Imbursement, Emma J. Foreman, 8 Feburary 1911
51 years old; residence, Norfolk Co., Va.
[1 – deceased’s full name] Alexander Foreman
[2 – type of pension] invalid
[3 a – married] yes
[3b – # marriages, to whom] once, Emma J. Etheridge
[3c – survived by wife] yes
[3d – still living] yes
[3e – if not … ] [blank]
[3f – his divorced] no
[3g – is she living] [blank]
[3h – if not, full name, date of death] [blank]
[4 – child under 16] yes, Jackson McK D. Foreman
[5 – child alive] yes
[6 – life, accident, or health insurance on deceased] no
[7 – name of company] [blank]
[8 – beneficary] [blank]
[9 – relationship of beneficiary to deceased] [blank]
[10 – who paid premiums] [blank]
[11 – if not deceased, the amount paid by each person] [blank]
[12 – deceased member of society with sick or death benefits] no
[13 – administrator or executor?] no
[14 – money, real estate, personal property?] no
[15 – character and value of property] [blank]
[16 – last assessed value] [blank]
[17 – disposition of property] [blank]
[18 – unindorsed pension check] no
[19 – relationship to deceased] wife
[20 – married] [blank]
[21 – cause of death] typhoid fever
[22 – when did last sickness begin] about November 8, 1907
[23 – when did pensioner become sick enough to acquire constant attention] three [or is it nine?] weeks
[24 – name and post-office address of physicians] Dr. W.R. Mapp
[25 – those who nursed the patiend] claimant
[26 – residence during last sickness] Norfolk County, near Berkley
[27 – location of death] ” ” ” ” “
[28 – date of death] November 29, 1907
[29 – burial] Indian Creek, St. Brides, Norfolk County
[30 – is someone else covering expenses] no
[31 – list of expenses]

Name	Expense	Amount
Dr. W.R. Mapp	Physician	24.00
Emma J. Foreman	Medicine	3.00
J.M. Brown	Undertaker	70.00
Total		97.00

[32 – post-office address] Berkley Station, Norfolk, Norfolk Co., Va.
“Also personally appeared, Stephen Riddick, and James [or Jordan?] Wilson” also Berkley, Norfolk, Va.
Also personally appeared, Stephen Riddick, Berkley, Norfolk, Va. and Jordan Willson, Berkley, Norfolk, Va.

[Note: The following are my notes from the next section of this form, “Statement of Attending Physician” — Leslie]:
The pensioner died November 29, 1907 or typhoid fever. He required “regular and daily attendance” for about three weeks. He was attended by his wife Emma J. Foreman. Dr. William R. Mapp treated the pensioner from November 15, 1907 until the date of death.