John Tuttle, Company UNA

Items in this pension application are inconsistent with facts pertaining to service in the 1st U.S. Colored Cavalry. The officers’ names don’t appear on the regiment’s roster and this soldier was discharged far from the regiment’s field assignments. This person’s application was incorrectly catalogued — possibly years ago — and interested parties might never locate the file. When this has happened, I’ve reported the discrepancy to National Archives staff and continue to hope the situation can be rectified.

Invalid — 1,254,215 / ——

Declaration for Invalid or Additional Pension, 3 September 1900
75 years old; residence, Johnson County, Kansas
“commanded by Captain Purfur [sp?] and Captain Hucklebone and served at least 90 days in the war of The Rebellion, and was honorably discharged at Pulaski, state of Tennessee … Close of War, 1865 … unable to earn a support by manual labor by reason of entire blindness of left eye, hernia of right side, and general disability including weakness of mind.”
“Does not remember date of discharge. His discharge was lossed [sic] at Lawrence, Kansas when he was sick”
“Also personally appeared W.D. Morrison residing at Olathe, Kansas and James Hammond residing at Olathe, Kansas”

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John Thompson, Company K

“John Thompson” or “John Thomas” or “John Tompkins”? Company K or Company L? Infantry, Cavalry, or Artillery? Conflicting facts call for additional research and careful analysis.

Invalid — 793, 596 / —–

Letter from Andrew Davidson, Acting Commissioner, Bureau of Pensions to J.F. Kearney, Esq. 13 East Thrid St., Cincinnati, Ohio, 14 August 1890
“It will be necessary for you to state whether the regiment referred to was Infantry, Cavalry, or Artillery.”

General Affidavit, John Thompson, 26 September 1891
“citizen of the town of Cincinnati, County of Hamilton, State of Ohio
“I am the identical person who enlisted in Co K 1st Regt US Cold Cavalry. My name may appear on the rolls of said Company as John Thomas as I was called by that name sometimes. I enlisted in Cincinnati, Ohio with Henry Triplett & reported to Provost Marshall Jones who assigned us to the aforesaid Company & Regiment. Triplett & I joined our company at Gallatin, Tennessee. Triplett was killed at the Battle of Nashville. I was discharged at Louisville, Kentucky. I lost my discharge right after I was discharged by having my valise stolen from me at Sycammore [sic] Indiana. This is the best identification I can give of myself.”
[Note: The endorsement on the back reads “John Tompkins was a private in Company K, 1st Regt, USC Cavalry, Respectfully returned with the information called for J.F. Kearney. Aug 18, 1890″ — Leslie]

War Departement, Record and Pension Division, 23 October 1891
“The rolls show that John Thompson Co L 1 USC Cav mentioned in the preceding endorsement, was enrolled Dec 28, 1864, and deserted as pvt Oct 20, 1865.
“Henry Trip, Co A said Regt killed in action at Jones Ford, Va.
“There is a John Thomas in Co K 1 USC Inf enrolled in Va.
“No other John Thompson or Thomas in either Regt.”

[Note: according to C.R. Gibbs’s Black, Copper, & Bright: The District of Columbia’s Black Civil War Regiment, there was a John Thomas, born in Prince George’s County, Maryland, who enlisted at Mason’s Island, Virginia on June 30, 1863. Thomas was 23 years old. — Leslie]

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Osborne Taylor, Company K

The soldier died of consumption in 1877; his wife died three years later. The researcher would do well to see if the wife’s death appears in the 1880 Mortality Schedule.

Minor — 554,851 / —–, Marthy Taylor

Application of Guardian of Minor Children, Marthy Taylor, 30 June 1892
20 years old; residence, Norfolk, Norfolk County, Virginia
“child of Osborne Taylor … Osborne Taylor died at Warrick [sic] County, Virginia … May in the year A.D. 1877, that his death was caused by consumption and heart disease and affliction of lungs; [the child’s mother died 1880], and that the date of birth claimant was, as follows: March 1872.
“She further declares that the parents of said child were married at Isle of Wight Co., Va by slave laws … by masters consent.
“She also declares that she empowers [illegible] Rothert & Co of Washington, DC
“Also personally appeared Joseph Carey and Jacob Crocker, residents of Norfolk County … knew the family well for many years before the death of Osborne Taylor and knew they lived and cohabited as husband and wife and that claimant aforesaid is their child.”

Deposition, Joseph Carey, 12 June 1893
29 years old; occupation, oyster opener; residence, 41 Howard Street, Norfolk, Virginia
“I never heard of Osborne Taylor. I know W.R. Drury, pension agent, when I see him here in jail. I never appeared before W.R. Drury for any purpose and was never sworn to him to anything.”

Deposition, William R. Drury, 15 August 1893
55 years old; occupation, lawyer; residence, London Turnpike, Norfolk, Virginia
“All the recollection I have of the case is the name of Martha and Osborn Taylor.
“Yes I have recollection of the fact that Martha Taylor appeared before me for the execution of that application. I cannot remember how she looked. I know she appeared before me because I would never have sent in the application if she had not.
“I remember Joseph Carey. He is about 5 ft six inches and is a yellow man. I do not remember Jacob Crocker…. I am certain that Joseph Carey did live in Norfolk, Va. and that he staid [sic] here all that time.”
“I do not know where any of these three people now live. I have no record of the case as it was executed after I am disbarred from practice before the Department of Interior.”

Letter from Chas. W. Cannon, Special Examiner to Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, DC, 31 August 1893
“The Joseph Carey whose deposition I have taken is evidently not the Carey whose name appears as an identifying witness.
“W.R. Drury has no recollection of the case besides that his testimony would not be worth anything if he did although his deposition appears herewith.”
“P.S. This Joseph Carey I found in jail here.”

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Anderson Toyan, Company D

The soldier was born in Norfolk, Virginia, enlisted in that city in December 1863, and died of cerebo-spinal meningitis in Portsmouth, Virginia on January 31, 1865. He was buried at Hampton National Cemetery.

— Compiled military service records of volunteer Union soldiers who served with the United States Colored Troops [microform]: 1st through 5th United States Colored Cavalry, 5th Massachusetts Cavalry (Colored), 6th United States Colored Cavalry (1997). Reel 0014 – 1st United States Colored Cavalry: Tines, Archer – Wheldon, Charles M. (online at  https://archive.org/details/compiledmili0014akesunit/mode/2up). Anderson Toyan’s CMSR can viewed at (n112 – n116).

 

Mother — 454,805 / 463,669, Lucinda Toyan

 

Declaration for Mother’s Pension, Lucinda Loyan, 18 July 1890
60 years old; residence, Perquimans Co., North Carolina; post-office address, Belvidere, Perquimans Co., N.C.
“He left neither widow, child nor children, but a dependent mother — Lucinda Loyan who received his bounty under Certificate 289,351 on August 5, 1873 at Fort Monroe, Va.”

 

Claimant’s Affidavit, Lucinda Loyan alias Twine, 17 April 1896
“The claimant states that her correct name is Lucinda Twine & that her son’s name should be Anderson Twine. She states that she cannot read or write herself. [When she received Certificate 289,351 and her son’s bounty at Fort Monroe] and when her application for pension was wrote, she did give that certificate to the man who wrote it …. said that the man who enrolled her son must have made a mistake and put his name Loyan instead of Twine for the name on the certificate was Lucinda Loyan so he made out her application for pension by that name”

 

General Affidavit, Josephus Riddick, 18 July 1896
post-office address, Nicanor, Perquimans Co., N.C.
“I was not in the same company but I was in the same Reg’t and in Co E.
“We were raised near together and I knew him well.”

 

General Affidavit, Benjamin Hurdle, 13 April 1897
54 years old; post-office address, Belvidere, Perquimans Co., NC
“I was acquainted with Anderson Twine …”

 

General Affidavit, Dempsey Elliott, 26 May 1897
post-office address, Suffolk, Nansemond Co., Va.
“I was a Sergnt. in Company D, 1st Reg USCC  and I knew Anderson Twine who was a member of said company and Reg. I knew that he was sick and died in Portsmouth, Va. in the winter time of 1864.”

 

General Affidavit, Lucinda Twine, 12 June 1897
“To the Hon. Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, DC — Sir, I beg to state that I, Lucinda Twine, the above named claimant has from this day changed my post-office address from Belvidere, Perquimans, North Carolina to Dewight, Perqs Co., N.C. hoping if there should be any mail matter sent to me at any time from the department that it may be sent to that office & oblige your humble servant.”
[The scribe wrote “Dewight” but it’s “Dwight, Perquimans County, North Carolina” — Leslie]

 

General Affidavit, Acwell Jones, 22 March 1897
post-office address, 723 Blunt Street, Portsmouth, Norfolk Co., Va.
“I was acquainted with Anderson Twine and was in the same Company and Regiment …. I waited upon him during the sickness that brought on his death. I was 3d duty sergeant at the time of his death … and saw his body after death and recognized it.”

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Samuel Tiffy, Company K

This soldier’s pension application index card reported that he also served in Company G, 124th U.S. Colored Troops.

 

Widow — 235,575 / 194,701, Harriett Tiffy

 

Sworn Statement, Harriett Tiffy, 28 May 1881
“State of Kentucky, County of Bourbon — The affiant Harriett Tiffy states that when she made an application for Pension in 1878 she aimed to give the births of her children in general way, as near as she could and with no desire to claim pension for those that were dead which her subsequent affidavit showed, and that she had no data to guide her except such as was furnished here by B.F. Moore and S.E. Moore, her former master and mistress. She further states that she stated the fact of their death when she made the application to her attorney H.E. Hastings, who omitted to state it in drawing up the application, she states that she can only give the year her children were born in as she kept no family record, and that this data is furnished by B.F. Moore her former master. The name and birth of her children [sic] is as follows.

Violet	1829
Sarah	1832
Samuel	1834
William	1835
Harry [or Fanny?]	1836
Rossann	1837
Solomon	1839
John	1840
Elizabeth	1842
Kate	1844
Pusley	1845
Milly	1846
Lutitia	1848
Nathaniel	May 15, 1851
one born dead	1853
Esau & Ephraim (twins)	1855

“She further states that Esau died in June 1855, and that Ephraim died in July of the same year, and that she stated in her [former] affidavit when Nathan died which she thinks is correct. She further states that Pusley, John, Sally, & Lutitia are also dead but does not remember the year they died in, and has stated as near as she can the facts in regard to her children. She further states that she has been paid bounty and back pay as the widow of Samuel Tiffy nearly two years ago and hopes and prays that she may get something before she dies.”

 

Form 3-321, Harriett Tiffy widow of Samuel Tiffy, 9 March 1882
” … Additional sum of $2 per Month for each of the following children, until arriving at the age of 16 years, commencing July-25-1866. Nathaniel -April-14-1867 …”

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