Thomas Reddick, Company K

Though the soldier sustained a serious injury when his horse fell on him, he lived for many years. The chaos of these times is evident in witness testimony. The widow stated “I left my owner during the war, early part, don’t know the date and came to Suffolk, Va. which was then in the hands of the U.S. Army. I was there about a year and then Suffolk was evacuated and I came to Portsmouth, Va. and I have lived in and near Portsmouth, Va. ever since.” She later said “I drew rations from the government while the soldier was in the army. He got a paper from his captain and I carried that to the Warehouse near the Forty Wharf in Norfolk and got rations until just before he returned from Texas.”

Invalid — 737,873 / 549,035
Widow — 756,491 / 544,264, Martha Reddick

General Affidavit, Willis Murdaugh, 22 February 1890
60 years old; residence, Pearl Street, Norfolk Co., Va.
“That I have known the claimant … since his discharge from the service … near neighbors and seeing him very often.”

General Affidavit, Miles Carey, 22 February 1890
56 years old; residence, Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“I am well acquainted with the claimant having known him for 30 years … [and] by seeing him several times each week.”

General Affidavit, David Coleman, 19 March 1890
49 years old; Norfolk Co., Va.
“I have known the claimant ever since he got out of service, have worked with him on the material train”

General Affidavit, Charles Pierce, 19 March 1890
55 years old; Norfolk Co., Va.
“I have known the said Thomas Riddick from his discharge to the present time… ever since he came out of the service have seen him as often as 3 or 4 times per week and have worked with him”

General Affidavit, Thomas Reddick, 4 April 1890
50 years old; Norfolk County, Virginia
“It is impossible for me to get the testimony of the surgeons who treated me in the service for my disabilities and those who have treated me since my discharge because they have died, moved away so I cannot find them.”

For Officer’s or Comrade’s Testimony, Ives Smith and Nelson Elliott, 24 October 1891
“Reddick was a strong healthy man. … June or July 1864 in front of Petersburg, Va. [Riddick] was injured by having a horse fall on him and severely injured him on the left knee and left side … was injured very badly, was relieved from duty and finally sent to Newport News, Regimentl Hospital.”

Deposition, Maria Shepheard, 2 February 1902
60 years old; residence, Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“We was raised together with claimant, hence have known her from childhood to present time … That she knowed [sic] soldier since 1865 … that she attended the funeral of soldier”

General Affidavit, W.H. Fisher, 12 February 1902
25 years old; residence, Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“That he is a funeral director and furnished coffin, hearse, and 4 carriages on the 11th day of December 1901 and interred the remains of Thomas Reddick in Mt. Olive Cemetery situated near the city of Portsmouth … Reddick died on the 9th of December 1901, at his residence 1437 King Street, that there is no City ordinance existing in the County nor no health officer’s certificate of death etc unless the body is carried in or through the City.”

General Affidavit, Ann Reed, 12 February 1902
56 years old; residence, Portsmouth, Norfolk County, Virginia; post-office address, Chestnut St. near Griffin, Portsmouth, Va.
“That she knowed [sic] claimant and soldier before they were married, that she lived in the same house with her before her marriage to soldier also at the time of and a short while afterwards. That they were married on or about the 16th of July 1865, the ceremony was performed by one Rev. Thos. Barrett… that she was present and saw the ceremony performed”

General Affidavit, W.H. Fisher and Charles Sugar, 8 March 1902
[Fisher] 25 years old; Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
[Sygar] 50 years old; residence, Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“That they are well acquainted with claimant and deceased soldier, that they live near the claimant, and the said W.H. Fisher is the undertaker who conducted the funeral exercises and buried the deceased soldier….[Syger] visited and waited on deceased soldier during his sufferings from the paralytic stroke from which he died.”

General Affidavit, Martha Reddick, 26 March 1902
54 years old; residence, Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.; post-office address, 1437 King St., Portsmouth, Va.
“That she owns no stocks or bonds, nor no personal property worth mentioning, only a one half interest in the old house and lot owned jointly by deed to her and her late husband … The lot is worth about one hundred and fifty dollars it being situated in a locality where land is not worth much … [the house] was built about 22 years ago and no repairs except what was necessary for immediate comfort. “

Deposition, Martha Reddick, 15 November 1902
54 years old; occupation, housework; residence, 1437 King St., Portsmouth, Va.
“[I am] the legal widow of Tom Reddick … [who] died at 1437 King Street, Portsmouth, Va. on Dec 9th of last year (1901) of paralysis … [he] was born near Suffolk, Nansemond Co., Va. son of Rhody Reddick, don’t know the name of his father. His owner was Willis Reddick.
“I was born in Edenton, NC. My mother’s name was Judy Wilson, don’t know name of my father, he was sold away when a child. My owner was Tom Hoskins.
“I left my owner during the war, early part, don’t know the date and came to Suffolk, Va. which was then in the hands of the U.S. Army. I was there about a year and then Suffolk was evacuated and I came to Portsmouth, Va. and I have lived in and near Portsmouth, Va. ever since.
“I became acquainted with Tom Reddick in Suffolk after I had been there about two months. He was then still with his mother. He commenced to court me there, but I did not live with him and I was not his wife. I was known as Martha Wilson while there.
“I did not come to Portsmouth with the soldier. He came down about two weeks after I did.
“I had been in Portsmouth, Va. about two months when I was married to said Thomas Reddick, by Rev. Tom Burnett, a white preacher, in Newtown, a part of Portsmouth, Va. on Court Street extended. We were married by a regular ceremony, in a house rented by Reuben Reddick and two other families, the home was very large.”

“We were married in July on the 16th but I don’t know the year but it was 5 months before the said Tom Reddick enlisted in Dec.
“Q. The soldier alleged that he was married to Martha WIlson in Nansemond Co., Va. in 1861.
[The widow maintained that the correct date was the date she’d given — Leslie]”

“Q. Who was present when you were married or alleged.
Some 7 or 8 people, Scott Riddick, Mary Brinkley, that’s all who I know are living.”

“I drew rations from the government while the soldier was in the army. He got a paper from his captain and I carried that to the Warehouse near the Forty Wharf in Norfolk and got rations until just before he returned from Texas.
“I have my papers to show that I drew rations. The soldier sent me money, the last by Stephen Reddick, a Sgt in his company from Texas.

“I was his wife near 40 years. I had 9 children by him. I live with my children. Mr. Barrett who married us. came from Suffolk, Va., don’t know that he was pastor of any church, but he was a preacher.
“I have no property at all except a house and lot near Portsmouth in mine and soldier’s names. I don’t know the worth of the property. The house and worth much, about $25.00, the lot is worth and $100.00, I reckon….No income at all except from my labor and what my children give me.”

“Annie Reed was present and saw us married…Scott Reddick and Mary Brinkley knew him long before he married me, and know that he was never married before he married me.”
“J.M. Rutter, Portsmouth, Va. has attended to all the writing in my case. …. Mr. Rutter told me that Mr. D. Preston in Wash, DC. was my atty. … The soldier’s captain was Whiting. I went to see the soldier at Fort Monroe and Newport News, while with his company.”

Deposition, Stephen Reddick, 21 November 1902
74 years old; occupation, laborer; post-office address, Berkley, Va.
“I served as Corpl and Sgt in Co. K …. We always call him Tom. We were related, but we both belonged to the same man, Willis T. Reddick, of Suffolk, Va. now dead.
“Tom and I were raised together, enlisted together, and were discharged together…. I lived in Portsmouth, Va. for a while after the war and I went to see them at times.”

“I brought a prisoner here to Norfolk from Brazos Santiago, Tex., in 1865 and Tom sent some money by me to her, and I gave it to her, and I gave it to her in Newtown, Portsmouth, Va. where she then lived.”