William Smith, Company K

Before enlistment, this man worked as a cooper and his income supported his widowed mother. He died of consumption in a camp hospital the same day his regiment arrived in New Orleans from Texas.

Mother –165,874 / 194,210, Binah Smith

Letterhead, Adjutant General’s Office, Washington, DC, October 12, 1868
“He died Feby 15, 1866 on the way from Camp to Corps d’Afrique Gen’l Hospital, New Orleans, La. … cause of death unknown”

Notarized Statement, George Allen, 3 June 1872
“of Portsmouth, Va. … Wm Smith worked as a cooper for Scott Reddick in Portsmouth, Va. receiving about $1.25 per day and that he worked for said Scott Reddick about three months to deponent’s knowledge when he deponent left the shop of Reddick in which he and Smith had been working leaving Smith still at work for Reddick: that this employment of Smith and deponent was in the winter and spring of 1863: that out of the wages which said Smith received he paid his mother five dollars per week on every Saturday night: deponent further swears that Jas. Griffin the husband of claimant died about the first of May 1872: [Allen having been] overseer of the plantation on which Jas. Griffin worked prior to the war and knew his condition and the amount of labor which he performed having reported to Jas B. Norfleet the person who employed the hands the amount of his Jas. Griffin labor and that he has no interest in this claim.”

Notarized Statement, Scott Riddick, 5 June 1872
“for twenty years he has personally known Binah Smith … that in the latter part of 1862 and part of the year 1863, he hired Wm Smith and paid him five dollars per week paying him every week his wages …: that Binah came over to his shop and Wm paid her some of the money in his presence on two or three occasions.”

Notarized Statement, James Bellfield and Alonzo Hodges, Norfolk, Va., 6 July 1872
“well acquainted with William Smith … that on or about the 10th day of February 1866, the soldier William Smith died in camp hospital at New Orleans, La. of consumption. He died the same day that their regiment arrived at New Orleans from Texas. That they were present when the said William Smith died and saw his remains after he was dead, that they were well acquainted with said William Smith two years before he died.”

Notarized Statement, Richard Colding, Norfolk, Va. 6 July 1872
“well acquainted with William Smith…was present at his death…”

Notarized Statement, Binah Smith, 10 December 1872
“her husband’s name was James Griffin, being named after his master Miles Griffin of Nansemond Co, Va., now dead, and this affiant & her son William, belonged to Robert Smith, of Gates Co., N.C. and so were named Smith after her master according to the custom among slaves”

Notarized Statement, Binah Smith, 10 December 1872
“Mary Jane Moore and Martha Reddick of Portsmouth, Va… say for twelve years they have been personally acquainted with Binah Smith…[who] escaped from her owners in slavery and came to Portsmouth, Va. and while her son was in the U.S. service he sent her money on several occasions: at one time he sent her ten dollars, another eight dollars and at another time forty dollars….deponents’ knowledge of these facts is derived from having  been at claimant’s (Smith’s) house and seen the money handed to her once the eight dollars by John Moore, husband of Mary Jane Moore who was a member of Co K 1st USCC and was home on a furlough and brought they money from Wm Smith and the forty dollars was handed claimant by Stephen Reddick also Co K 1st USC.C. and was sent to her by her son Wm Smith; and the ten dollars was sent in a letter; deponents lived in the same house with claimant on King St. in Portsmouth, Va. when the money was paid to her and their husbands were in the same Co and Regiment with Claimant’s son”

Notarized Statement, Scott Reddick, Portsmouth, Va., and Cornelia Brooks, Norfolk, Va., 9 May 1873
“they each have been intimately acquainted with the family of Binah Smith for more than twenty years last past & well acquainted with James Griffin and Binah Smith who were the parents of William
Smith.
“James Griffin was almost entirely disabled from a rupture, which for about fifteen years previous to his death prevented him from performing manual labor though he was able to walk about at times. He did nothing for support of his family for all that time. The family being supported by William & his mother”
“Henry Hopkins … resides in Norfolk County, Va. and is 40 years of age … Wm Smith was never able to go out on duty after his first attack but grew worse until he died en route to N. Orleans.”
.“Albert Jones…5 June 1872…says he resides at Portsmouth, Va. in London St.”

Notarized Statement, Cornelia Brooks, 16 January 1875
about 23 years old; residence, 28 Dodd’s Lane, Norfolk
“She is a niece of James Griffin, the late husband of Binah Smith … James Griffin some eight years before the war was ruptured by an accident of heavy lifting the swamp where he was working and often that up to his death, nearly three years ago was almost wholly disabled, being often for months at a time, entirely confined to his bed in a helpless condition and during the whole of the last fifteen years of his life, he was not able for any consecutive three months at a time to earn his own support … Affiant lived in Suffolk, Nansemond Co., all of her life up to the war and until Suffolk was evacuated and so had most intimate acquaintance with the facts in the case”
“Chery Smith who being sworn says she’s about 53 years of age and now lives in Portsmouth on Chestnut St. between Crabbe & South streets, but for fifteen years before the war & until its evacuation she lived in Suffolk, Va. and was a near neighbor of James Griffin the late husband of Binah Smith.”