Alexander Wilson, Company I

The soldier joined the Grand Army of the Republic, Ellsworth Post in Baltimore. Two members of his post described him as “a man of good habits, stood well in his community and everybody spoke well of him” and said that his ailments were the result of “exposure, hardships and lying upon the damp battlefield during his service in US Army during the Civil War.” After the war he and his wife had several children including some whose births were not entered into a public record. These claims included statements from a doctor, midwives, neighbors, and fellow soldiers.

Invalid — 860,966 / 929,774
Widow — 576,605 / 400, 207, Sarah Wilson

Declaration for Invalid Pension, Eleck Wilson, 30 August 1890
51 years old; residence, 206 Cross St., Baltimore, MD; post-office address, 206 Cross St., Baltimore, MD
“He hereby appoints, with full power of substitution and revocation Geo. W.F. Vernon, 108 St. Paul St., of Baltimore, state of Maryland”
“Also personally appeared Edward Wilson, residing at 206 Cross St., Balto., Md. and Robert Thomas, residing at 206 W. Hamburg St., Balto., Md. … acquaintance with [Eleck Wilson] for 23 years and 25 years, respectively”

Declaration for Original Invalid Pension, Alexander Wilson, 5 July 1892
52 years old; residence, residence, Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland; post-office address, 206 Cross St., Baltimore, MD
“in the service and in the line of his duty, at turnpike between Petersburg & Richmond in the State of Va., on or about the 10th to 15th day of May 1864 … my horse fell down and I fell on my sword which struck me on the small in my back, causing pain in the same which has troubled me ever since…. did not go to the hospital but was treated by Dr. Warner [?] … since leaving the service … resided in Norfolk, Va. since Sept 10, 1869, then moved to Baltimore, Md. where I have since resided … when enrolled, a farmer”

“Also personally appeared George Palmer, residing at Balto City, Md., and E.L. Holmes, residing at Balto City,

Declaration for Widow’s Pension, Sarah Frances A. Wilson, 6 May 1893
46 years old; residence, 134 W. York St., Baltimore, Md.
“That she was married under the name of Frances Ann Harris to said Alexander Wilson on the 16th day of July 1868, by Rev. E.G. Corprew, at Portsmouth, Va.”
“Names and dates of birth of all the children now living under sixteen years of age of the soldier are as follows:

Frances born ….. June 26, 1878	Florence born ….. Sept 15, 1883
John born ….. Feby 8, 1880	Maggie born ….. March 27, 1886
Addie born ….. Feby 17, 1882	Joshua born ….. Feby 4, 1889
	Joseph born ….. Sept 5, 1891

“[her attorney] Geo. W.F. Vernon, 225 Courtland St., of Baltimore, State of Maryland”
“Also personally appeared Sarah Wilson, residing at Balto, Md, and Sharon Reed, residing at Balto, Md. … acquaintance with her of 15 years and 18 years, respectively …. Although I was not personally present at the birth, I was sent for.”

General Affidavit, Mary E. Coates, 8 May 1893
66 years old; residence, 6 E. Church St., Baltimore, Md.
“That I am a midwife … I delivered the claimant Frances Wilson wife of Alexander Wilson of a female child subsequently called Maggie Wilson… I was also God Mother to the said child and by reference to my bible I find the date to be 27 March 1886.”

General Affidavit, Rachael Miles, 8 May 1893
44 years old; residence, 229 W. Hill Street, Baltimore, Md.
“That I was a nurse to Mrs. Frances Wilson when she gave birth to a male child on the 4th February 1889, owing to a delay in the arrival of the midwife who had been engaged…. I personally delivered on the 4th Feby 1889 child subsequently called Joshua known and recognized as a legitimate child of Frances and Alexander Wilson. I remember the date as it was just a month before President Harrison was inaugurated. … I was an intimate friend and associate of the claimant and her deceased husband prior to the marriage … she has no property whatever, possesses only a few chairs, table, beds etc of no value, she is entirely dependent upon those not legally bound for her support and her own daily labor such as washing etc. for her support and that of her minor children all of whom are now living and have not been abandoned.”

General Affidavit, Nellie Gross, 10 May 1893
83 years old; residence 17 Winder St. Baltimore, Maryland
“That I am by occupation a midwife to Mrs. Frances Harris ... and delivered said wife of a female child, 15 Sept 1883 subsequently known and called Frances Wilson, the legitimate child of Frances and Alexander Wilson”

General Affidavit, Charles H. Fowler, MD, 10 May 1893
30 years old; residence, 712 S. Sharp Street, Baltimore, Maryland
“That he well knew Alexander Wilson … that he well knows Frances Nelson … That there was born to the said Alexander Wilson and Frances Wilson on the 5th day of September 1891 a male child … named Joseph Wilson. That the said affiant was the attending physician during the illness of the aforesaid Frances Wilson while pregnant with the aforesaid child though he did not deliver the same.”

General Affidavit, Rachael Mills, 12 May 1893
44 years old; residence, 229. W. Hill St., Baltimore, Maryland
“That I was a neighbor and intimate friend of the claimant Frances Wilson. That I Iived in the same neighborhood with the claimant for more than four years, that is from 1877 to 1891, I was sent for and saw the mother and child shortly after the Birth.”

General Affidavit, Sarah Frances Ann Wilson, 16 May 1893
46 years old; residence, 134 W. York Street, Baltimore, Maryland
“prior to the Rebellion I was a slave, that at the time of my birth my mother was owned by Rueben Culpeper of Virginia, now dead, whose wife was named Ann Culpeper. My mother gave me the name of Sarah Frances Harris but my mistress desiring me to have a portion of her name called me Sarah Frances Ann Harris. In 1868 I was married under the name of Frances Ann Harris, but since my marriage I have dropped the Ann almost entirely, sometimes giving my name as Sarah Frances, then again simply as Frances; that I am called by most of my friends simply Frances Wilson.”

General Affidavit, Sarah Frances A. Wilson, 13 October 1893
46 years old; residence, 134 W. York Street, Baltimore, Maryland
“I cannot furnish the dates of birth of our children viz. Addie born Feby 17, 1882; Maggie born March 27, 1886; Joshua born Feby 4, 1889; and Joseph born Sept 5, 1891; by the public record by the fact that the midwife (Millie Gross) who delivered one of the children Addie failed to report the birth of said child, therefore, no record of said child’s Birth; that owing to a delay in the arrival of my midwife at the birth of my child Joshua, I was delivered of said child by my nurse (Rachel Miles) who made no report to the Health Dept. … that my last child Joseph was born before the arrival of my doctor (Chas. H. Fowler) who attended me at the time, but I find also he has failed to report Birth to the Public Record. I have filed the affidavits of the midwife, nurse, and doctor as to the dates of Births of children herein mentioned … and through no fault or carelessness on my part.
“I hereby swear that the following named children are still living and have not been abandoned; viz. Frances; John; Addie; Florence; Maggie; Joshua; and Joseph.”

General Affidavit, Benjamin Green, 2 March 1897
51 years old; residence, 811 S. Eutaw Street, Baltimore, MD
“That I was personally well acquainted with the deceased soldier Alexander Wilson for two years prior to his death in April 1893, we were members of the same Grand Army Post, and was well associated … said soldier was a man of good habits, stood well in his community and everybody spoke well of him”

General Affidavit, Alfred Fields, 16 March 1897
51 years old; residence, 1010 S. Fremont, Baltimore, Md
“That I was personally well acquainted with the deceased soldier Alexander Wilson for 20 years prior to his death, that we were members of the same Grand Army Post (Elsworth Post No. 19) and that we lived neighbors for several years … he contracted [his ailments] from exposure, hardships and lying upon the damp battlefield during his service in US Army during the Civil War … Alexander Wilson was a man possessed of no vicious habits, and well respected”