Five men — including the soldier and his two brothers Harrison Sykes alias Harrison Williams and Henry Sykes alias Henry Williams — liberated themselves from a Southampton County, Virginia plantation and “joined the Union Army at the same time and place.”
Today’s post includes research notes from documents dated 1891-1898. Future posts will include research notes from documents dated 1898-1900 and 1900-1928.
Widow — 681,670 / 513,343, Margaret Sykes
General Affidavit, R.S. Lewis, 14 November 1891
“have been personally acquainted with the aforesaid soldier Jos. Williams for 20 years ever since 1871. I live within half of a mile of him … I know he has been frequently confined to his house from the time I first knew him to this time and not able to labor at all. He has been down with it for a long time this year”
General Affidavit, Nathan Worrell, 14 November 1891
Courtland, Southampton County, Virginia
“I knew the aforesaid soldier before the war and never knew him to complain of rheumatism before he went in the war. I have lived without two miles of him ever since he returned home from the war .. he is often confined to the house and not able to get out because of rheumatism”
General Affidavit, Hugh Darden, 7 December 1891
“I was well quainted [sic] and lived near to Joseph Williams … I never knew him to suffer or complain of rheumatism before he went in the army. I was still at home when the said soldier returned from the army to his home … I have lived near him ever since … I am no relation nor family connected in no way to the said soldier”
General Affidavit, T.H. Cloyd and Hugh Darden, 25 March 1895
[Cloyd] 54 years old
[Darden] 42 years old
Southampton Co., Va.
“We the undersigned have known Joseph Williams for thirty years”
General Affidavit, Joseph Williams, 30 April 1895
54 years old; Southampton County, Virginia
“The rheumatism was contracted in the Army & the first I knew that I had heart disease was about July 15, 1890.”
General Affidavit, Joseph Williams, 2 November 1895
residence and post-office address, Courtland, Southampton County, Virginia
“I write a very bad hand — can scarcely write my name. For that reason, I sometimes sign by mark and occasionally sign my name myself. This is the only reason why my papers are signed sometimes by my own hand and at other times by mark.”
General Affidavit, George W. Cloud, 23 November 1898
65 years old; residence, Southampton County, Virginia; post-office address, Courtland, Southampton Co., Va.
“I knew him from a boy. We were raised joining plantations. His old master was named Jaccobb Williams. His mother was named Louisa Williams, her husband was named Solmon Sykes. Before the Civil War the mother and children all went by the name of Williams and after the war when the people became free they claimed their own names but we were all play children together — eat, played and sleep together. I do not not know what regiment he belonged to but I know the night he left here for the northern army.”
General Affidavit, Henry Charity, 23 November 1898
52 years old; residence, Southampton Co., Va.; post-office address, Boykins, Va.
“That I have been acquainted with Margt. and Jos. Williams since 1862, and I have been acquainted with her every since she was a little girl by the name of Margarett Whitehead. She grew up and married Joseph Sykes who went by the name of Joseph Williams before the war. Her mother was named Martha J. Whitehead & her father was named Calkit [sp?] Whitehead & Joseph Sykes his old master was named Jachob Williams. His mother was named Lucy Williams & father was Solomon Sykes. They all went by the name of their former master until after the surrender of Gen. Lee. They come out of servis [sic] and went by the name of Sykes father. I, Henry Charity, Joseph Williams, Parison [sp?] Williams, we enlisted the year of 1864. … and I have known Joseph Sykes every since he was a boy & all raised in [adjoining] plantations.”
General Affidavit, J.S. Gilliam and J.W. Williams, 9 December 1898
[Gilliam] 54 years old; residence, Southampton County, Virginia
“That I have been acquainted with said parties since 1869 … that as Commissioner of Revenue to District No. 2 of Southampton County do certify that the said Joseph Sykes, in the year 1896, listed personal property amounting to $166.00, that said property is now listed in the name of Margaret _____ Sykes, who is the widow of John Sykes: That I do not know positively that Joseph Sykes and Joseph Williams are one and the same person, yet I believe them to be one and the same person.”
[Williams] 51 years old; residence, Southampton Co., Va.
“That I have known the claimant Margaret Williams or Sykes since 1876 … I have known the soldier Joseph Williams or Sykes since 1865 till the time of his death and I know that Joseph Williams and Joseph Sykes were one and the same person”
1st U.S. Colored Cavalry 
What was the purpose of these affidavits? Were they takeso that the window could receive her deceased husband’s death benefits?
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The article “Anatomy of a Union Civil War Pension File” by Claire Prechtel-Kluskens of the National Archives describes the process. She wrote “laws related to widow’s pensions changed over time, but in all cases the widow would have to prove her legal marriage to the veteran.” To view the article go to my blog and click on the tab ‘Resources.” Scroll down and click on the link you’ll find there.
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