Thomas Paines, Company K*

This soldier died in service in June 1864. His widow received benefits but was later dropped from the rolls because authorities believed she had re-married. Upon appeal, her benefits were re-instated. Documents written in pencil were extremely difficult to read; several individuals’ names could not be captured.

Today’s post includes research notes from documents dated September 1865-February 1879. Future posts will include research notes from documents dated February 1881-November 1887 and November 1887-December 1887.

Widow — 105,242 / 102,602, Judy Paines

Memo from F.W. Taggart, Assistant Adjutant General, Adjutant General’s Office, 4 September 1865
“On the Muster Roll of Co. K of that Regiment, for the months of May and June 1864, he is reported Died of Disease June 3rd 1864 in Hospt’l at Bermuda Hundred, Va.”

Memo from J.J. Woodward, Record and Pension Bureau, Surgeon General’s Office, 23 December 1865
“Tom Paine, Co. K, 1st Regiment U.S.C. Cavy, is reported to this Office by Surgeon B.S. Manley as having died June 10, 1864 at Petersburg of Erysipelas.”

Memo from F.W. Taggart, Assistant Adjutant General, Adjutant General’s Office, War Department, 23 August 1866
“Thomas Pain … has died June 9, 1864 in Hospital at Bermuda Hundred of Erysipelas.”

Letter from C.W. Foster, Assistant Adjutant General, Adjutant General’s Office, War Department to Leopold C.P. Cowpers, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Portsmouth, Virginia, 24 May 1867
“Referring to your letter of the 21st instant … Sampson J.S. Whiteman, late Captain who is supposed to be a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio is the only officer … whose probable address is known at this office.
“The late Surgeon Bradford S. Manly, entered the service at Madrid, N.Y., and the late Assistant Surgeon William H. Gray, at Acton, Mass., but both were mustered out of service in Texas, to remain in the South, and their present addresses are not known at this office.”

Sworn Statement, Louisa Cook, 23 April 1875
“lived near neighbor to said Judy Paine in the City of Portsmouth, Va., seen her every day and visited her nearly every day living for the last six years within a few yds. of her.”

Sworn Statement, Scott Reddick, 23 April 1875
“for fifteen years he has well known Judy Paine … living near neighbor to said Judy Paine, seeing her almost daily and having visited often at her house”

Exhibit A, Judy Paine, 4 February 1879
about 55 years old; residence, corner of Crab & Effingham Sts., Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“That for several years preceding the late war she was a slave to Robert Darden who bought her from John Nelms estate; while she was a slave of said John Nelms, she was married by mutual consent and consent of owners to Thomas Norfleet, a slave of Nathaniel Norfleet who lived near Suffolk, Va. She continued to cohabit with said Thomas Norfleet as husband and wife after she became a slave of Robert Darden and until the enlistment of her said husband in the U.S. Service … he changed his name to Thomas Paine upon his enlistment … he had taken the name of Paine or Paines after his father who was a free negro named James Paine or Paines, affiants’ master & mistress are dead …
“[H]e left his master before his enlistment and was working on the Batteries near Getty Station, affiant had also left her owner and was living with the soldier as his wife at Portsmouth, Va. at time of his enlistment, he came to see her several times after enlistment, before he went away … learned of his death from Mrs. Colden whose husband was in same Regiment … [the Regiment moved to Hampton for a short time] … visited the soldier at that point several times and remained a day or two on each occasion, had no child by deceased husband, but had five children by former husband, all of whom are dead …
“[affiant and John Johnson] have lived in their present residence 9 or 10 years.
[Note: Johnson built a house with money they shared in a bank account. They continued to occupy separate rooms — Leslie]
“The house she occupies is a small double tenement, one end is rented to Daniel Watkins, the rent is sometimes paid to affiant and sometimes to Johnson but the tenement to Watkins by said Johnson.”

Exhibit B, Richard Colden, 5 February 1879
about 48 years old; residence, Crabb bet Effingham & Chestnut Sts., Portsmouth, Norfolk County, Virginia
“well acquainted with the claimant and was acquainted with her dec’d husband … Affiant was a comrade with deceased soldier… Claimant belonged to the estate of Nancy Nelms, widow of John Nelms”

Exhibit C, Robert Noel, 5 February 1879
51 years old; residence, Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“acquainted with claimant … never heard her called anything but Judy, never heard her called Judy Paines or Judy Johnson“

Exhibit D, John Johnson, 6 February 1879
about 50 years old; residence, Crab & Effingham sts., Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“acquainted with claimant, has known her at least twelve years … she has kept house for him but they have not occupied the same bed or room … They do own some property but there is [sic] separate deeds … the deed was made to him by E. Mahoney & Wife, in 1871 he (affiant) made a deed to claimant for one half the lot, gave her the part of the lot that contained the tenement … since then they have built a tenement on the other end of the lot, the part retained by affiant, his deed covers the said tenement … they are not known in church or society as husband and wife.”

Exhibit E, E.G. Corprew, 6 February 1879
50 years old; residence, Effingham St., Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“he is a regularly ordained minister of the Gospel and Pastor of Zion Baptist Church (col), he is acquainted with claimant who is a member of said church … claimant’s connection with Johnson was investigated before she was taken into the church, and she and Johnson satisfied the committee that she was simply Johnson’s housekeeper, and occupied no closer relation … she would not be allowed to retain her membership were she known to occupy closer relations with Johnson.”