Dennis Peebles, Company K

This soldier enrolled at Albany, New York and suffered illness and injury during his service. He settled in Wisconsin after his discharge and died there almost 50 years later.

Invalid — 664,155 / 833,262

Declaration for Original Invalid Pension, Dennis R. Peebles, 10 July 1888
61 years old
“[on or about] July 1865 I contracted fever and at City Point, State of Virginia about November 1864, I contracted gravel. At City Point, State of Virginia on or about … October 1864 sprained my ankle while jumping the breastworks”

General Affidavit, Dennis R. Peebles, 18 July 1892
65 years old; residence, [illegible], Winnebago Co., Wisconsin; post-office address, [illegible], Wisconsin
“On or about the month of November 1864 while at or near Newport News, State of Virginia while marching (the regiment not being mounted) we came upon an old breastwork and was forced to jump the ditch and in doing so I fractured the fibula of the leg from which I suffered a long time and have been materially disabled ever since”

Declaration for Invalid Pension, Dennis R. Peebles, 25 February 1907
80 years old; post-office address, RFD 5, Stevens Point, Portage Co., Wisconsin
“enrolled at Albany, NY … on the 19th day of September 1864 … honorably discharged at Brazos Santiago Texas on the 21st day of November 1865 … occupation as farmer … born Jan 15th 1827 at Bristol, Vt … his several places of residence since leaving the service have been as follows at [illegible] NY, until 1867 then at Monroe Co., Wisc until 1876 then moved to [illegible] untill 1902 to Plover where I have since lived”
“Also personally appeared L.C. Clark, residing at Plover, Wis and L.M. Kilmer, residing at Plover, Wis … their acquaintance with him of 5 years and 4 years respectively”

Application for Reimbursement, Charles W. Parkhill, 15 July 1912
72 years old; residence, Plover, Portage County, Wisconsin; post-office address, RFD 5, Stevens Point, Portage County, Wisconsin
[deceased pensioner] Dennis Peebles
[capacity] invalid
[married] yes, twice: Maria Peebles; Betsey Peebles
[wife living] no
[children under 16 years of age] no
[life, health, or accident insurance] no
[money, real estate, or personal property] no
[cause of pensioner’s death] dropsy and heart trouble
[beginning of last sickness] about year prior to death
[date when illness required daily medical attention] about June 12, 1912
[names and post-office addresses of physicians] Dr. F.A. Southwick, Stevens Point, Wisconsin; Dr. G.D. Whiteside, Plover, Wisconsin
[those who nursed pensioner during final illness] Charles W. Parkhill, Rosalia A. Parkhill, Grace E. Allen and William E. Allen, from about June 1, 1912 to June 10, 1912
[pensioner’s residence during final illness] residence of Charles W. Parkhill
[pensioner’s place of death] residence of Charles W. Parkhill
[pensioner’s death date] June 19, 1912
[pensioner’s burial place] Plover, Portage County, Wisconsin
[payments paid] $50.00 by Plover, Portage County, Wisconsin
“Also personally appeared Ed. E. Johnson and Ella Mullen [both of Stevens Point, Wisconsin]
[Note: Payments totalling $105.50 were made: Dr. Southwick, $6.00; Dr. Whiteside, $4.50; Undertaker, $90.00; digging grave, $5.00 — Leslie]

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Alexander Patterson, Company K

This individual wasn’t a soldier but a civilian working at Fort Monroe as a teamster. He considered his employment as “having served” and an unscrupulous attorney convinced the man to file for a pension as an invalid. The witnesses were shady. The man changed his testimony during the application process and his application, rightly so, was rejected.

Invalid — 1,121,446 / —–

Deposition, Alexander Patterson, 22 June 1893
63 years old; occupation, wood-sawyer; residence, 820 South Street, Portsmouth, Virginia
“I served in USC Cavly. I was a driver of a team at $25 per month. I do not remember the company. I was with Q.M. Bowers at Williamsburg, Va. I was a teamster three months. Then the next 8 months I was to get $10 per month but I never got a cent. At Fortress Monore I was examined for a soldier but I was not fit for one so I stopped there in hospital. No sir I was never a soldier properly.

“I went to W.R. Drury of Norfolk, Va. last year sometime and he wrote out a claim for me under both the old and new laws. Yes I had witnessess: Mr. Barnes wrote the sealing part and swore me. He is in the court house at Portsmouth and does all the ‘swearing’ there.

Q. “When Drury wrote those claims out for you did you have any witnesses?
A. “No sir, I did not have any withnesses then…. [Barnes] got two witnesses here in the clerk’s office. Their names I do not know. They are the only witnesses I ever had.
“I know David Segany — it is not Sigine. I salso know Burrell Fains. I think he belongs to my church. Drury asked me for names of two men who knew me. I named George Brown and Nick White. They were not present. I never paid Drury anything. I was to pay ten dollars when I got my pension.

“I told Mr. Drury I was not in the Colord Cavalry but in the white Cavalry and he said he was going to change it but he never did.
“Drury put the letters A & K there so both rolls might be searched for my name but I was never in either one of those companies. I was a teamster in the 1 US Cavly. I got a discharge but it has been so long since that it got burnt.”

Deposition, David Segine, 27 June 1893
67 years old; ocupation, laborer; residence,6th St extended S, Portsmouth, Norfolk County, Va.
“I went to Mr. W.R. Drury in Norfolk, Va. sometimes last year to testify that I knew Alexander Patterson for use in an application for pension. … Patterson was with me at the time I went to Drury’s office but I was not there when he put the claim in as that was afterwards. I just told Drury that I knew Patterson and had known him for probably twenty years …. No sir, Burrell Fains was not there at the time I was. I cannot say that I know B.A Richardson Jr. but the name seems familiar. I never identified Patterson before Richardson or any other man.”

Deposition, Burrell Fains, 28 June 1893
63 or 64 years old; residence, 407 Crawford St., Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“I have known Alexander Patterson some ten or twelve years.”
“I was a witness for him about two years ago. I suppose I went over to Norfolk, Va with Patterson to a man whose name I do not know but who had an office on Bank Street of that city to identify Alexander Patterson. …. Patterson was trying to get a pension was the reason he wanted me to identify him. … The man we went to see on Bank St was a spare, old man, and I think he was a lawyer. I do not know B.A. Richardson Jr. Notary Public.”

Declaration for an Original Pension Application, Alexander Patterson, 29 June 1893
about 69 years old; residence, 820 South St., Portsmouth, Va.
“enrolled as a Private on the day of June 18__, in Company A or K of the 1st Regiment of the USC Cavy commanded by Captain Smith and was honorably discharged at Yorktown, Va. on the 4 day of February 1866 …. and in the line of duty, at Williamsburg, in the State of Virginia … July 1863, he contracted hernia while lifting heavy bags of grains (right side) … was not taken to hospital but was treated in his tent by Regt Surgeon Manly [sic] for three weeks … [he has been employed] only at Hampton Va at hospital as nurse & laborer … since leaving the service this applicant has resided in Portsmouth in the State of Virginia, and that his occupation has been that of a laborer … prior to his entry into the service above named he was a man of good, sound physical health, being when enrolled a slave. That he is now nearly totally disabled”

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Charles Pardue, Company L

The soldier enlisted when he was 40 years old. He was living in Suffolk County, New York when he applied for pension based on his invalid status. The application was approved but he died before he received his first payment. This is why “Cancelled” is on his pension index card.

Invalid — 905,769 / —–

Declaration of Soldier for Pension, Charles Pardue, 11 September 1890
69 years old; residence and post-office address, East Moriches, Suffolk Co., New York
“honorably discharged at New Orleans on the 22 day of December 1865; That his personal description at time of enrollment was as follows: Age, 40 years; height 5 feet 6 inches; complexion, blk; hair, blk … that he was born on or about the 4 day of Oct, 1820, and is now 69 years of age … that he has a wife and 3 children now living”

Proof of Present Disability of Soldier, Charles Pardue, 8 October 1890
“His ability to perform hard and continuous manual labor, … is not over three quarters as much as that as an able-bodied man … that his present occupation is laborer on a farm – could do many things on a farm that I now cannot do on account of said disabilities – have to lose many days work on account of said disabilities – lose nearly half my time on account of said disabilities – sometimes better, sometimes worse”
“Also at the same time personally appeared before me Jehiel B. Keen aged 60 years, whose post-office address is East Moriches, Suffolk Co., New York and Henry T. Osborn aged 64 years whose post-office address is East Moriches, Suffolk Co., NY”

General Affidavit, Charles Pardue, 25 November 1891
70 years old; residence and post-office address, E. Moriches, Suffolk Co., New York

Letter from Department of Interior to Bureau of Pensions, 11 May 1892
“Sir — Your letter of the 4th inst., has been been received … in the case of Charles Pardue and recommending its cancellation for the reason that the claimant died without receiving payment thereon.”

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Benjamin Powell alias Benjamin F. Powers, Company K

During his service, this soldier sustained a gunshot wound and a sabre cut. His surname was mangled upon enlistment and he blamed himself for not pronouncing it clearly. His parents were enslaved but it’s not known whether they were enslaved by the same person. There’s no indication that he’s related to Frederick Powell alias Frederick Powers also of Company K. Research notes from Frederick’s pension application will be available soon.

Invalid — 773,647 / 996,421

General Affidavit, Benjamin Powers, 9 March 1891
52 years old
“When he filed his claim he tried to tell his writer that his name was Benjamin F. Powers but that he was misunderstood by said writer and it was made to appear as Benjamin F. Powell that he makes this Declaration for the purpose of setting his proper name before the Pension Bureau and requests that the roles [sic] … be searched to find the same. That he is unable to spell his name and thinks the mistake is due to his not being able to pronounce the word Powers properly and his pronunciation sounded like Powell.”

General Affidavit, Benjamin F. Powers, 21 March 1891
52 years old; 392 Market St., Norfolk, Va.
“That while at what is known as Ballahack Virginia, shortly after his enlistment from exposure he was taken with rheumatism … also while in Texas his eyes became affected that he was attended by Dr. Manly, his Reg Surgeon, that he has been quite poor since his discharge often unable to to do any manual labor and unable to employ any medical attention and has depended on usual remedies found in drug stores; that he is an unlettered and ignorant man and cannot remember dates and cannot tell even the present year whether it is 1891, 1871, or 1861. All he knows is the above and that he is now afflicted and suffering and unable to provide support from manual labor”

General Affidavit, Samuel B, Humphries and Peter Fentress, 16 July 1892
[Humphries] 48 years old;
[Fentress]
“That they knew Benjamin Powers and said Benjamin Powers served … that he was honorably discharged in Brazos Texas and paid off at City Point, Virginia

Deposition, Benjamin F. Powell, 11 January 1893
52 years old; occupation, farmer, post-office address, 39 East Market Square, Norfolk, Va.
“W.R. Drury, my attorney swore me and my witnesses Jerry Wilkins & Peter Fentress“

Deposition, Jerry Wilkins, 11 January 1893
70 years old; occupation, laborer; residence and post-office address, 101 Charles St., Norfolk, Va.
“I have known the claimant … since about August 1864 … we served together from that time on until the company was mustered out of service in Feby 1864 and we have been associates ever since”

General Affidavit, Armistead Goodwin and John Elliott, 21 March 1896
[Goodwin] 49 years old; residence, Broad Creek, Princess Anne Co., Va.; post-office address, Broad Creek, Va.
[Elliott] 57 years old; residence, Princess Anne Co., Va.; post-office address, Broad Creek, Va.
“That they have known claimant for 28 and 6 years, respectively; that they see him almost every day… that they all live very near to each other”

Questionnaire (Form 3-173), Benjamin Powers, 12 December 1898
[married] Mary Powers; Mary Cook
[when, where, by whom] about 25 or 30 years ago; in Norfolk County, Va.; Rev. Mr. Jackson
[record] marriage register, Norfolk County, Va. clerk’s office
[previously married] no
[living children? birth dates?]
Peter Powers, Jr. born Jany 4th, 1880
Rosa Powers, born May 12th, 1881
Fannie Powers, born Mch 8th, 1884

Questionnaire (Form 3-493), Benjamin Powers, 9 September 1899
[residence, closest post-office] 302 Effingham St., Portsmouth, Va.; same
[residence after discharge] Wise Farm, Princess Anne Co, Va.; various farms in Princess Anne Co., until moved to Portsmouth, Va., January 1899
[post-office nearest to each residence] Kempsville, Va. about nearest in Princess Anne Co. but always got mail at King & Mosley’s [?], Norfolk, Va.
[occupation since discharge] farm laborer
[known by any other name?] none
[military or naval service under another name] none

General Affidavit, Samuel B. Humphries and Elijah Simmons, 3 October 1899
[Humphries] 56 years old; residence, Norfolk, Va.; post-office address, 72 Mosely St.
[Simmons] 77 years old; residence, Norfolk, Va.; post-office address, 169 St. Paul’s St.
“That they have been well and intimately acquainted with the claimant for about 35 and 13 years, respectively; that during that period they have lived for the greater portion of the time in the same community and have been thrown much in each other’s company’ that during the last three or four years they have seen him very often”

Physician’s Affidavit, W.L. French, MD, 22 December 1898
post-office address, 694 Church St., Norfolk, Va.
“I have attended him several times for the named diseases below during that period … for several years when I practiced in Princess Anne County, Va.. in the year of 1884 up until the present time … he has also been shot in the left wrist and has also a sabre cut on the left thumb which has more or less caused him much inconvenience in using the same”

Deposition, Benjamin F. Powers, 6 May 1902
about 56 years old; occupation, farmer; residence and post-office address, 85 Johnson Avenue, Norfolk, Va.
“I was born in Surry Co., Va. so I was told but I can’t tell you near what town I was born as I was too young to know anything when I left Surry Co. I was born a slave to Nelson Hall of Surry Co. My father’s name was Dick Powell and he was a slave to some man but I can’t tell you anything about that. My mother’s name was Lucy Powell and she was a slave to somebody but I can’t tell the name. I just go by whatever folks told me as both of my parents died when I was quite young. My full and correct name is Benjamin Powell and the only way I can account for the Benjamin F. Powers being added to the name is that Drewry apparently had trouble in understanding the name as I pronounced it and he put the F in the middle too. In the army too there was a Fred Powells or maybe Powers and I was a Benjamin they had me put the F in there also. I was born 50 or 60 years ago but can’t possibly tell you the exact year of m birth. My correct name is Benjamin Powell and I go under under my name generally.”
“Immediately after my discharge I came to Norfolk and have resided in this vicinity ever since. I have not had my original discharge certificate as it was in my trousers when I had them washed one day and all the writing on the discharge and in fact the whole paper was destroyed after it came out of the wash.”
“I was in the battle of Deep Bottom, Va. but can’t give date. One man out of our company was killed there also but I can’t think of his name. There were no officers killed.”

Marriage License [copy], Benjamin Powell and Margaret Williams, 25 September 1902
license issued on 25 September 1902; couple married 25 September 1902 at Norfolk Co., Va.; Benjamin was 56 years old, Margaret was 55 years old. Benjamin was widowed; Margaret was single. Both were born in Surrey Co., Va.; both resided in Norfolk Co., Va. Benjamin worked as a laborer. His parents were Dick and Lucy Powell, Margaret’s parents were James Weaver and Mary. The officiant was George Washington of Ebenezer Baptist Church.

General Affidavit, Benj F. Powers, 23 June 1905
residence, Princess Anne County, Va.; post-office address, Waterway, Va.
“That he is unable to furnish any public or church record evidence of his birth as there is no such record that he knows of; that if there is any family bible or plantation record he knows nothing of it”

Declaration for Pension, Benjamin Powers, 2 March 1907
65 years old; residence, Waterway, Princess Anne County, Virginia; post-office address, Waterway, Norfolk County, Virginia …. occupation was farming … born 1841 at Surry County, Va.
“Also personally appeared Hillard Johnson, residing in Norfolk, Va. and John White, residing in Norfolk, Va. … their acquaintance with him of 40 years and 40 years, respectively”

National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Southern Branch, 27 February 1912
Post Office Address: National Soldiers’ Home, Virginia
“Benjamin F. Powers alias Powell … died at Southern Branch on the 23 day of February 1912; cause of death , acute cardiac dilatation; social condition, widower … The name, address and degree of relationship of his next of kin, so far as indicated by the records of the Home, are as follows: Daughter, Maggie Powers, Portsmouth, Va.”

Application for Accrued Pension, Margaret Powell, 27 March 1912
residence and post-office address, 604 Church St., Huntersville, Norfolk, Va.
“She was married to the said Benj Powell on the 25 day of September 1902 at Norfolk Co., Va.; that her name before said marriage was Margaret Williams.
“Also personally appeared Rachel Mahone residing at 604 Church St., Norfolk, Va. and J.S.C. Furness residing at Phoebus, Virginia …. that they know her to be the lawful widow of Benj Powell who died on the 23 day of Febry 1912″

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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 November 1887-December 1887. Earlier posts included research notes from documents dated September 1865-February 1879 and research notes from documents dated February 1881-November 1887.

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

Deposition, Samuel Fisher, 22 November 1887
36 years old; occupation, hack driver; residence and post-office address, 312 Effingham St., Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“[I have known the claimant] for the past twenty years. When I first knew her she was living in the basement of a house on the Corner of King & Middle Sts, Portsmouth, Va. A white family by the name of Oast lived over her in the same building. She had a kind of cook shop where she lived. This must have been about the time Richmond fell, or was captured. I think old lady Oast and her son John, from the clt rented, are now living in Portsmouth. … I was only a boy at the time.”



Deposition, Scott Ridick, 22 November 1887
46 years old; occupation, grocer; residence and post-office address, cor Pearl & County St., Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“I have known the pensioner … for the past twenty-eight or thirty years.”
“I enlisted in Co. A, 2d U.S.C.C. and was discharged therefrom at or near City Pt., Va. in I think the fall of 1864 but I did not return to Portsmouth, Va. until in the early winter of 1865 at which time the clt was keeping an eating house on Crawford st., Portsmouth in connection with a man by the name of John Johnson. The same man who lives in the house with her now. … I have been intimately acquainted with both the clt and Jack Johnson since prior to the late war … I have never visited their house at night”



Deposition, Priscilla Moore, 23 November 1887
40 years old; occupation, housekeeper; residence and post-office address, cor Crabb and Effingham St., Portsmouth, Va.
“I have known [the claimant] for about twenty years just past and for the past eight years I have resided next door to her in a part of the house that is owned by the clt and Jack Johnson.”
“Q. How does the claimant earn support
A. By working in the fields in summertime and in picking up rags and bits of coal from the streets in winter time.”



Deposition, John Johnson, 2 December 1887
about 60 years old; occupation, laborer; residence and post-office address, cor Crabb & Effingham St., Portsmouth, Va.
“I have known Judy Paines the pensioner since late spring or early summer of 1865. She was then living in the basement of a house on King St., Portsmouth, Va. owned by a Mr. Oast. I became acquainted with her through my brother Isaac Johnson (now dead). … I hired her to attend to and superintend a cook shop for me which I had opened on Crawford St., Portsmouth, in the basement of a house which was occupied by a Mr. Noel from whom I rented (Mr. Noel is dead). I have no receipts or other memoranda … I hired the pensioner … When [Judy Paines] came to work for me in the cook shop on Crawford St. the weather was warm and she went home at night to sleep until the weather became cold when she complained of the discomfort of going home through the cold late at night and asked if she could move her bed into a room adjoining the cook room and I granted her that privilege, and she availed her self of it, and occupied a little backroom. The igress and exit to this room was through a door leading into & from the backyard and through a door into & from the general eating room…. While in said business I had saved some money which I put in bank, and when the clt rec’d her pension money, she brought it to me saying that she was afraid someone would steal it, and that when he had accumulated a sufficient amount … she asked me to take her money and put it in bank for safe-keeping, which I did…. Entering or depositing it in a joint account… I put the money in Bains Bank of Portsmouth, Va. now out of existence … The pension money was the only money she gave me. She did not give me the money she worked for: and I never asked her for it.”



Deposition, Judy Paines, 2 December 1887
“I do not recollect [Jack Johnson] calling to see me and my brother Wilson Warden while I lived in Mr. Oast’s house on King st. … we came to the agreement that he was to board me and pay me three dollars per month for my services. … I cooked until the weather became bad and I never paid any rent for that room nor did Jack Johnson make any deductions for that account.”



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