The soldier, born in present-day West Virginia, settled in Paschalville, a neighborhood in southwest Philadelphia. Like many veterans, he couldn’t afford medical care and resorted to “patent medicines, linaments [sic] and plasters.”
Invalid — 925,312 / 1,134,438
C – 2,485,131
General Affidavit, Leonard Lindsay and Robert W. Anderson, 4 October 1894
[Lindsay] 55 years old; residence, Paschallville, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania; post-office address, 70th and Chester Ave, Paschalville, Pennsylvania
[Anderson] 34 years old; residence, Paschallville, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania; post-office address, 70th and Chester Ave, Paschallville, Pennsylvania
“They have known claimant for 30 and 25 years, respectively”
Questionnaire, John Brinkley, 7 February 1898
[married] Catherine E. Brinkley, C. Eliztha Price
[when, where, by whom] “January near the Darby Square, David Maul”
[record of marriage] “We do not understand this question”
[previously married] “Catharine E. Brinkley“
[living children] “My first child is a boy. Lincoln Brinkley born 1865 July 9 day. My second is a girl Emma A. Brinkley born 1875 December 6 day”
General Affidavit, Benjamin Grabes and Charles A. Underhill, 12 July 1898
[Grabes] 53 years old; residence, Darby, Delaware Co., Pennsylvania; post-office address, Collingdale, Delaware Co., Pennsylvania
[Underhill] 37 years old; residence, Paschalville, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania; post-office address, Paschalville, Phila., Pa.
“They have been well and intimately acquainted with the claimant for the past 30 and 10 years, respectively.”
General Affidavit, John Brynkley, 19 March 1900
57 years old;
“Affiant states that he is unable to furnish medical evidence … as he has been too poor to employ a physician … that he has used patent medicines, linaments [sic] and plasters and at the present time has a plaster on his back. That these remedies that he employs help him for the time but the relief is only temporary … that he submits the affidavits of Jas. Gordon and Sherman G. Dade to show his physical condition in lieu of the medical testimony”
General Affidavit, James Gordon and Sherman G. Dade, 19 March 1900
[Gordon] 45 years old; post-office address, 72nd & Hooper St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
[Dade] 29 years old; post-office address, 7113 Gray’s Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“That they have been well and intimately acquainted with the above named soldier for 20 years each; that they see and associate with him every day; that from May 9, 1899 to the present time, claimant has been totally incapacitated for the performance of manual labor by reason of rheumatism … that they have seen affiant stoop over and be unable to straighten up on account of the stiffness in his back until he could catch hold of something to assist him”
General Affidavit, John Brinkley, 29 May 1900
57 years old; residence, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co., Pa.; post-office address, Church Lane, Paschallville, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“That the correct way to spell his name as far as he knows is Brinkley: that he did make some attempts to sign his name in times gone by, but he could not make some of the letters perfectly and having suffered something like paralysis in the right hand he has abandoned that. In view of these difficulties he prefers to make his mark.”
Questionnaire (Form 3-389), John Brinkley, 23 July 1902
[married] Catherine Brinkley, Catherine Price
[when, where, by whom] Jan 10th, 1865; Darby, Delaware Co., Pa.; Squire Maul
[record of marriage] “do not no what you mean”
[previously married] “never married but once”
[living children] “Lincoln Brinkley born 9 day of July 1865; Emma Brinkley born Dec 6th 1875″
Questionnaire, John Brinkley, 23 July 1902
[date and place of birth] Kanamon [sp?] County
[place of enlistment] New York
[residence before enlistment] Philadelphia & Darby
[occupation] laborer
[former owner] Hardy Cross
[where discharged] City Point
[residence since discharge] “Paschalville Church Lane”
[physical description including permanent marks] 5′ 7-1/4″ tall; skin color, black; “one under left eye, one under right eye & left side were [sic] a tumor was taken out”
[current residence and post-office address] Paschalville Church Lane; Paschalville Between 63 & [illegible]
Declaration for a Pension, John Brinkley, 9 March 1907
“That he is 63 years of age … honorably discharged in Santiago, Texas, on 4 day of February, 1866 … that his occupation was sailor; that he was born July 15, 1844 at West Virginia. That his several places of residence since leaving the service has been as follows: Phila., Pa. “
1st U.S. Colored Cavalry 
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