John Williams, Company K**

Five soldiers in this regiment have the same name and all five are associated with pension applications. One of them was a witness in this application.

Today’s post is about a soldier was born enslaved in northeastern North Carolina. He settled in Norfolk, Virginia after discharge and worked as a house carpenter. For three years veterans, neighbors, and friends provided testimony — and some repeatedly. Names and locations of close to 40 people have been identified. Though the applications were rejected, the interviews provide detailed information nowhere else recorded e.g. name changes, half-siblings, aunts and uncles, a fiancee, a disreputable attorney and notary public, occupations and trades, living conditions, customs, and so on.

**This might be the longest pension application I’ve examined. Today’s post includes research notes for documents dated 1894-June 1895. Last week’s post covered 1892-1893 and next week’s post will include July 1895-1896.

Invalid — 918,580 / —–
Mother — 567,311 / —– , Juda Williams

Names and P.O. addresses of officers and comrades of Co. I, 1st Reg’t USC Cav for use in above case (Form 3-514), 17 December 1894

Name	Rank	Present P.O. Address
Richd. Webb	Sgt.	209 Bank St., Norfolk, Va.
Wm. Reed	Corp’l.	78 Jefferson St., Norfolk, Va.
Chas. Pierce	Pvt.	Near corner High & Garden St., Portsmouth, Va.
Wm. Young	“	Norfolk, Va.
Chas. Jones	“	243 Queen St., Norfolk, Va.
Mattison Knight	“	Portsmouth, Va.
Chas. Holmes	“	1529-4th St., NE, Washington, DC
Henry Stone	“	18 St. Paul St., Norfolk, Va.
Thos. Williams	“	Wilcox Wharf, Charles City Co., Va.
Henry Smith	“	Land of Promise, Princess Anne Co., Va.
Andrew Madre	“	Hertford, Perquimans Co., NC
Alex Cherry	“	Portsmouth, Va.

Deposition, Judy Williams, 7 May 1895
68 years old; occupation, servant; post-office address, Churchland, Norfolk Co., Va.
“My name is Judy (not Juda) Williams … I am the mother of John Williams … I saw the soldier in the army, he came home to see me a time or two before he went to Texas with his Regt. … before he was discharged he went to Washington, DC and stayed but a short time, could not tell whether he stayed a year or not.
“I don’t know how long he had been discharged when I first saw him on his return from the army. It might have been about a year…. Samuel Humphrey told me he complained a good deal in the army, I don’t know of what. … I reckon the soldier lived in Norfolk, Va. from his discharge until his death. I never lived in the same house with him after the war. I used to come and see him. I could not tell who he worked for when he first came out of the army, did not do much work at first. He was a carpenter and worked on houses.
“Q. Where did he live here in Norfolk immediately on his return from the army?
He lived in the same house with Moses Massenburg on Liberty St. a good while. He had not Dr. attending him. Got medicine from different sources.
“About 10 years before his father died, that is about 25 years ago he had a bad attack of rheumatism so that he could not turn himself. We took him to the Western Branch and I and his father nursed him … he had another attack here in Norfolk … The soldier died suddenly on Scott St. on June 20, 1892 from asthma.”
“John Williams, the soldier was never married, nor lived or cohabited with any woman as her husband…. No sir, he left no child or children surviving him. … Decatur Williams, the soldier’s father.”

“My son could write his name. Learned that in the army. Could also write a lettler…. Henry Judkins, Sam Humphries, Moses Massenburg, Mrs. Poole and Mrs. Price were present when he died.
“I have no property at all except clothing and a bed.
“John Hardy and Sam Humphrey know that Decatur Williams is dead. Emmaline Williams also knows he dead. Was at his funeral.
“Q. Where was the soldier living when he had the first attack of rheumatism?
I don’t known on what street he lived. Yes, sir. I came to town to take him out. I don’t know who waited on him. I have forgotten.”

Deposition, John Williams 2d, 31 May 1895
56 years old; occupation, laborer; residence, Baltimore Ave near Ocean View R.R., Norfolk County, Virginia; post-office address, c/o Mr. Smith‘s Co., Princess Anne and Kelly Ave’s., Norfolk, Va.
“I served as Pvt in Company I, 1st USC Cav … under the name John Williams 2d… I was born in Hampton city, Va. … There was another John Williams in said Company I … he was known as John Williams first and was right smart older than I. He died here in or about Norfolk about 18 years ago. I do not know who his parents were…. I did not know any man named John Williams in Co. K … Our company was most of the time detached off. I never could write my own name.
“I do not know Emma Allen… I have ‘put in’ for pension before W.R. Drury … I afterwards ‘put in’ for pension through R. Bagnall, Jr. once or twice.”

Deposition, Peter Fentress, 3 June 1895
56 years old; occupation, farmer; post-office address, c/o W.H Miles, Broad Creek Road & Park Ave., Norfolk, Va.
“I remember the soldier John Williams very well. … Did not know him before enlistment but saw him quite often in Norfolk He died 2 or 3 years ago I heard. … I heard him talk about his mother but don’t know her.”

Deposition, Samuel B. Humphries, 8 June 1895
51 years old; occupation, truckman; post-office address, 46 Mosley St., Norfolk, Va.
“I was on detached service at Genl. Weitzel‘s, no, Genl. Wheeler‘s Hdqtrs….[John Williams] and I were tentmates at Fort Monroe, in front of Petersburg and in Texas. I know him some years before enlistment, met him in this county. I was also acquainted with his father and mother. His father was named Kader Williams and his mother is named Judy. She lives on the Western Branch in this county.”

Letter from Azriah Griffin to Bureau of Pensions, 10 June 1895
“I am Azriah Griffin, I am farming on my own [illegible] I can stop and see you upon notice any hour of day. I am farming 1/2 mile east from Bell Cross, Camden, NC.
“Respectly,
Azriah Griffin
Late Co K, 1st USC Cal

P.S. Direct to Azriah Griffin
in care of O.D. Cartwright
Box 27
Camden, NC

Deposition, Squire Bright, 18 June 1895
56 years old; occupation, fishing and crabbing; post-office address, 313 Dinwiddie St., Portsmouth,, Va.
“I knew the soldier John Williams well…. I do not know the clmt Judy Williams, do not know that she was the soldier’s mother. I saw him at times in Norfolk, Va. every year or two from discharge until his death. … I never was his tentmate.”

Deposition, Moses Massenburg, 19 June 1895
64 years old; occupation, carpenter; post-office address, 120 St. Paul St., Norfolk, Va.
“I was well acquainted with the soldier… I became acquainted with him the same year he came out of the army and I knew him intimately until he died. We worked together often as carpenters…. He died suddenly. I heard he dropped dead. I did not know the soldier’s father. I know his mother. Her name is Judy Williams. She lives toward the Western Branch. While I and the soldier lived together she came over many Saturdays and stayed over til Monday morning, generally cooking for us. My former affidavit is correct except that I did not know soldier’s father, do not know whether he is dead or not….The soldier used to give clmt money regularly. She looked to him to help support her.”

Deposition, Henry Judkins, 25 June 1895
59 years old; occupation, carpenter; post-office address, 86 Scott Ave., Norfolk, Va.
“I served as corpl in Co. A… I was well acquainted with John Williams. He was a member of Capt. Whiteman‘s Co K of the same Regt. … From his discharge until death I lived not more than about 200 yards from him in this City and he worked with me right smart. He was a carpenter.”

Deposition, Charles Murden, 25 June 1895
64 years old; occupation, whitewasher and plasterer; post-office address, 6 Fifth St., Norfolk, Va.
“I became acquainted with the soldier John Williams about 22 years prior to his death and knew him intimately until his death which occurred about 3 years ago. … I would go to his shop and ask him how he was and he would tell me that he would do alright if it was not for the pain in his knees or back.”

Deposition, Emma Poole, 25 June 1895
52 years old; occupation, housekeeper; post-office address, 83 Liberty St., Norfolk, Va.
“I became acquainted with John Williams .. about 15 years before his death. He was a carpenter. In Sept 1890 I and my husband and children moved into this house where he was then living in a room that he rented. … He died on June 20, 1892 at Mrs. Price’s house on Scott St. He roomed here. She washed for him and cooked for him sometime. He went around to see her and was taken with an attack of asthma and pain in breast. She sent for me and he died with his head in my hands between 3 and 4 o’clock in the morning.”
“I am also acquainted with the clmt Judy Williams. She used to come here to see him .. and he told me she was his mother. … He used to give her provisions and shoes and things.”

Deposition, Emma Harrison, 25 June 1895
40 years old; occupation, housekeeper; post-office address, 38 Willoughby St., Norfolk, Va.
“I became acquainted with the soldier John Williams about 1880 … I knew him very well. I washed for him about 5 years and boarded him three years. … He died in my house on Scott St. on June 20 or 21, 1892 from shortness of breath, asthma and rheumatism…. He was going to marry me in Nov. but died in June. I filed a claim for reimbursement of expenses of his last sickness and burial under the name Emma Allen.. I have since married a Mr. Harrison. I was also sometimes called Emma Price but that was never my name.”

Deposition, Stephen Reddick, 26 June 1895
67 years old; occupation, laborer; post-office address, Berkley, Va.
“I served as corpl and sgt in Co. K … I remember the soldier John Williams … I did not know him prior to enlistment but saw him several times here in Norfolk after the war. He told me he was a house carpenter…. I do not know the clmt Judy Williams.”

Deposition, Isaac Manning, 29 June 1895
61 years old; occupation, farmer; post-office address, c/o W.H. Miles, Park Avenue, Norfolk, Va.
“I served as Pvt in Co K … I remember John Williams very well. He was a small man, had dark hair and complexion.
“I first met him after enlistment about the time the company was organized at Ft. Monroe … I was not his tentmate…. I do not know the clmt Juda Williams.”