Civil War Pension Index, It's Not All Civil War

Copyright 2021, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

So, you have a Civil War Pension Index card, but, the dates of service are not those of someone serving during the Civil War??

I accessed this set from Fold3 (as part of my Ancestry dot com subscription).  

It's called:  Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900.  Found here.    Part of the description page tells us:

"This publication contains index cards for pension applications of veterans who served in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1900, including wars other than the Civil War."

I have seen a similar card for Arthur, yep, I have 2.  This one shows a stamp indicating "War with Spain".  The other card does not show that stamp.  

It never hurts to look at a data set even if you think the time frame is off kilter.  In this case I thought something was amiss.  Nope, it was just fine and yep, it was the ancestor I was researching. I came away with a new understanding of the data set.  Good stuff.

* Refer to my Disclaimers page here at Reflections.  Fold3 is part of my subscription at Ancestry dot com.

**No guarantees are made by this blogger that any links will remain active.  

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The Fifth American Civil War Blogpost Challenge :: William M. Lashbrook, Iowa

Copyright 2015, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Bill West of the blog, West in New England, has issued the Fifth American Civil War Blogpost Challenge.  Read all about it here.

I have participated in several of Bill's prior challenges, so I had to do a bit of digging before I could come up with another "ancestor" to write about.  This time, I decided to write about one of Man's distant cousins, William M. Lashbrook (exact relationship:  William is Man's first cousin 3 times removed.)

William M. Lashbrook was born about 1843 possibly in New York state to Richard Lashbrook Jr. and his bride, Betsy (possibe maiden name of Mitchell).  Census reports support the birth state of New York, but, his death certificate states he was born in Illinois. From studying other family members in the census and other records, it is my opinion that William was born in New York State.

William is found enumerated with his parents in McHenry County Illinois on the 1850 and the 1860 census. Sometime after the 1860 U.S. census enumerations, Richard and Betsy moved the family to Iowa, where Richard disappears from available records.  Research and affidavits found in other research tell us Richard Jr. died about 1862.

William is enumerated with his mother on the 1870 (Bremer County Iowa) and 1880 (Floyd County Iowa) U.S. census reports.  (By 1880 his mother had remarried and was now  known as Betsey Leamon. She would marry at least one more time after Mr. Leamon, whew, I have been chasing marriages all over Iowa and Illinois.)

On August 16, 1870 William married Lucy Wright at Butler County Iowa.  William and Lucy had two daughters, Rosa Isabella and Hattie M.  Rosa died at the age of 9, cause: accidental drowning.  Hattie married twice, had three sons that I am aware of and died in 1954 in Cook County Illinois, being laid to rest at the Naperville Cemetery, Naperville, DuPage County, Illinois.

A sad note I found in a newspaper, and no, I have no idea why the girls were at the poor house. According to the January 21, 1876 issue of the Cedar Falls Gazette, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa, William's daughters were admitted to the Black Hawk County Poor House:

"Rosa and Hattie Lashbrook admitted Oct. 29; discharged Nov. 28, 1875."

Rosa would have been about 4 years old, and Hattie a very small infant.  

Sometime between 1870 and 1880 Lucy and William were probably divorced.  Lucy married again, a man by the name of William E. Cook.  No divorce or marriage records have been found - - yet.  Lucy is enumerated on the 1880 U.S. Census of Black Hawk County Iowa as the wife of William E. Cook.

Perhaps the most life changing activities William partook of between 1860 and 1880 were those of his participation in the 8th Iowa Calvary. Examination of records available to us we find that William enlisted in Company G, Iowa 8th Cavalry Regiment on 20 Jul 1863. Mustered out on 31 Mar 1864. Transferred to on 31 Mar 1864 .Mustered out on 05 Dec 1864. Transferred to Company G, Iowa 8th Cavalry Regiment on 05 Dec 1864. Mustered out on 01 Jun 1865 at Louisville, KY.

William applied for a pension as an invalid.  The packet I received from the National Archives was about 30 pages. Several years ago, I "extracted" some of what I deemed to be the most important facts from those 30 pages.  Here is the "boiled down" version.

William made several sworn statements in attempts to receive pensions (which he did receive, see certificate # 99683, above,  awarded for "injury to abodomen"), they read:

Dated January 20, 1867, his place of residence is Waverly, Bremer County, Iowa..  That while in said service, and in the line of his duty at Johnsonville, in the State of Tennessee, on the 15th of January 1864, he incurred the following wound or disability, to wit: his company was ordered on a forced reconnoitre from Johnsonville Tenn. To Big Sandy district about 20 miles this was made between 9 A.M. and 2 P.M. of same day and while on this march I was ruptured on right groin by being thrown forward on my saddle.  I remained with company doing duty on part of this time till middle of October 1864 when I went to Hospital (Cumberland Hospital) at Washville, Tenn. And Browns Hospital at Louisville, KY from which I was discharged.

Dated April 28, 1879, his place of residence is Waverly, Bremer County, Iowa.

Dated December 8, 1887, his place of residence was Lake View, Cook County, Illinois.

Dated September 9, 1889, aged 49 years, of #1904 Ashland Ave., Chicago. Illinois, William states and swears to the following:

"I am the claimant in the case above described and make this affidavit to state that I am unable to furnish the testimony of a Commissioned Officer or Surgeon, to show origin or treatment of deafness in the service, for the reason that I am unable to find any of the officers who have any recollection of the circumstance of my case.  I was over a year in corresponding around the country for this very evidence and the best I could do was to get the testimony of three enlisted men now on file. Immediately upon our arrival at Madison, Ind, I was taken to the General Hospital at that place and was under treatment there, my deafness came on as soon as I began to get over the small pox.  At first in fact for a long time, I felt that I would recover my hearing, but I never have, and it has been growing worse on me right along, so that at present I am almost totally deaf. I have had no regular physician treatment for my hearing since discharge for the reason that I have been too poor to employ a doctor, am out of work the greater part of my time nobody seems to want me they call me stupid and all owing to the loss of my hearing.  I have med home remedies, but it doesn't appear to help me.   I haven't done any work for a long time, and all that I have had to live on was my small pension and the charity of my friends.  I pray that this claim may receive early consideration.  And that I may receive that which is justly my due."

I studied all the names I found in those 30 pages.  I knew some of these names from researching this clan. In fact, these names are what convinced me I had the right man to go with this pension file. Among the affidavits in this pension file I found:

William E. Cook made an affidavit on William's behalf on December 8, 1887, place of residence #1044 Diversey Ave., Lake View, Cook County, Illinois, in which he states, in part, " He worked for me on my farm in Iowa, and also he assisted me at Carpenter jobs, I know that during all these years he has been troubled with impaired hearing of both ears, in fact, he cannot hear any thing, unless spoken to in a loud tone of voice.  This makes it very disagreeable and he finds it difficult to get employments.  Besides he is disabled with a rupture in the right side which gives him lot of trouble and prevents him from doing any kind of laborious work.  I did not employ him on account of his working qualities, but more out of sympathy."  (William E. Cook is the second husband of William's wife, err, ex-wife, Lucy Wright Lashbrook.)

I also found affidavits signed by: I. Leamon, resident of Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa, age 78, who states he has known William for the past 26 years, signed on March 15, 1888.  Another affidavit is signed by W. H. Muffley, resident of Osage, Mitchell County, Iowa, age 50, who states that he has known William since at least June of 1865, and that William had worked for Muffley for a time, signed on February 24, 1888.   W. H. Muffley also states that William had  "trouble to get work at all on account of his deafness and for the past year he knows claimant hasn't been able to perform any manual labor of any account; part of the time not being able to do the chores about the house and a good deal of the time he has been confined to his bed."  Note:  I. Leamon is William's step-father and W. H. Muffley is a brother-in-law.  It is interesting to note that neither one of these affidavits states any relationship such as step-father or brother-in-law.

William Lashbrook appears on the 1885 census of Buncomb Township, Sioux County, Iowa in the household of William E. Cook and Anne L. Cook.  William Lashbrook is shown as 41 years old, laborer, born New York, widowed. (Love the widowed statement, he was not a widower.)  The rest of the household, starting with the head of household is: William E. Cook, age 54, married, carpenter, born Mass., Anne L., age 31, keeping house, born Harden County, Iowa; Hattie M. Cook, (should be Hattie M. Lashbrook), age 10, born Bremer County, Iowa.

William is enumerated on the 1895 census of 9th Ward, 2nd Precinct, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota as follows: Wm. M., 2313 Monroe St. N. E., age 52, born NY, lived in the State for 5 years, lived at this enumeration district 1 years, no occupation, soldier in War of Rebellion, father not of foreign birth, mother not of foreign birth.

William died June 2, 1896 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  The death record shows that he was 59 years of age, single,  born Illinois, died at 1108 Wash N.E., of pulmonary consumption.  Death record states he had lived in the city of 5 years.  Name of parents left blank.  Interment at Hillside Cemetery.  1108 Wash NE is the address of his sister, Cora Lashbrook Chance, for the years 1896, 1897 and 1898, according to the directories for Minneapolis for those years.

Burial records from Hillside Memorium, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota tell us that William is buried with his mother, Betsey Young (Yong on the burial record, sighhh). As far as I know, their graves remain unmarked.

Note:  this is only a portion of the burial record the cemetery shared with me.  There was data from another family that I removed in preparation for this post.  You will note, also interred in this plot is one Jasper N. Chance, a brother-in-law, and Harry N. Chase (sic), who is actually Harry N. Chance, a nephew.

While researching/reviewing William and what I have collected on his story, I discovered that it was shown on his compiled service record to "See also V.R.C."  With the help of Bill West, I now know that stands for Veteran Reserve Corps.  Of course, I went off on a little research binge.  One of the coolest things I found was this page on uniforms of the VRS.  Do click through, it is very informative, and yes, there are some images.

Below, the only compiled service record card I have found for William, so far.  Note the indication to "See also V. R. C."  Also, note, that his middle initial was not recorded or indicated.

William's pension papers provided me with a deep insight into his life during and after the Civil War.  I was fascinated by the fact that so many people that "testified" for him were indeed related, even his ex-wife's second husband testified.  Further research revealed he lived with his ex-wife, her second husband and his children with Lucy for a while.  He also lived with his brother-in-law and his sister.

Reading through the pension papers, it is easily evident that he suffered the affects of his service for the rest of his life.  In my mind's eye I see a sad, beaten man, depending on the kindness of family and friends, even on the kindness of his ex-wife and her second husband.

As a side note, I can tell you that William had two other brothers that served in the Civil War, Royal Lashbrook and Edgar Lashbrook.  Their stories also are somewhat sad and disturbing.  

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150 Years Ago Today, The Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse :: Solomon Was There.

Copyright 2015, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Today, April 9, 2015 marks 150 years since the surrender at the Appomattox Courthouse, ending the horrific war between the North and the South.  Called the "Civil War" by many, this savage and sad event has also been called the War Between the States, War of the Rebellion, Great Rebellion, War for Southern Independence, War of Northern Aggression, Freedom War,  and War of Secession.

Here on Reflections, I have written about Solomon B. Eley and his family several times.  I have addressed his participation in the war effort.  I have several other veterans and Man does as well.  But, Solomon holds a special place in my researching heart.  Probably because I have been unable to locate his place of burial.  And, because, frankly, of the truth behind the family stories passed down and the reality.  The family stories were "enhanced", but, I found they held some basis in reality.

So, today, I am going to post a combination of my prior posts, with editing and new information, discussing Solomon and his participation in the events from April 22,1861 to April 9, 1865.

On Friday, September 11, 2009, I first posted Ancestor Military Battles, Solomon B. Eley.  I also published "April 9, 1865, the Day of Surrender, Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia" on at least two occasions, April 9, 2010, and again on April 9, 2014.  The disclaimer, I do not profess to understand all the documents surrounding war. So, I may have made some errors in my presentation.

To the left, is a "photo" of Solomon B. Eley, Captain of the 16th Virginia Infantry, Company D.

Solomon is my second great grandfather.  He was born around 1836 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Solomon was the son of Exum Eley and his second wife, Martha (Darden) Marshall Eley (she was a widow when she married Exum). Exum and Martha had 3 children, Solomon being the last born.

The uniform Solomon is wearing is not necessarily the same as he wore during the Civil War. Can we say, "pre-computer era enhanced image"?  The hat is not true to era, nor are those epaulets on his shoulders.  In a color version of this photo, those shoulder epaulets are painted "gold".  My belief is that a descendant "edited" the original.  As, in, painted the epaulets in!  LOL

Solomon enlisted in the 16th Virginia Infantry during April of 1861. He was "signed up" by M. H. Watkins. M. H. Watkins would marry Solomon's widowed sister after the war.

Solomon served with the 16th Virginia Infantry, Company D.  He entered the war as a Second Lieutenant, eventually was promoted to a Captain (per his compiled record cards, that promotion was March 13, 1862).  For a number of months he actually was the top commanding officer of Company D while his superior officers were indisposed.

During my research on Solomon, I was fortunate to be able to chat with some reinactors from the 16th Virginia Infantry. They do remarkable research and shared willingly. They provided me with transcripts of some war records that told of Solomon taking command of the 16th Virginia. There were at least 3 dates provided, October 31, 1864, November 28, 1864 and February 28, 1865. The following is a direct copy/paste of the worked shared with me, thanks to the 16th Virginia Reinactors.

"With this report we can see the effect of battle on the regiment; four days before this inspection the brigade was engaged at the Battle of Burgess Mill, October 27, 1864. At Wilderness Colonel Joseph Ham’s 2nd Manassas wound flares up, causing him to leave the regiment until early-October. He is again wounded at Burgess Mill. Days before Burgess Mill, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Whitehead was also wounded, and Major John Woodhouse was still recovering from a wound received at the Crater; leaving command of the regiment to Captain Solomon B. Eley of Company D."

Was Solomon in charge of the unit during the actual battles of October 31, and November 28, 1864? From the discussion with the reinactors, it appears he was.

Solomon was listed as the Commanding Officer on this Compiled Service record card (number 33 of at least 93 cards that I have copies of).  This is the February 28, 1865 date referred to by the reinactors.  In reviewing the compiled service record cards, I do not find another that states he was in "command" as does this specific card.

However, when I think of Solomon, (and I DO understand this), what I remember is that he signed the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. On April 9, 1865 he was at Appomattox Courthouse, and signed the surrender papers.  Each officer of the unit had to sign the surrender papers, Solomon signed on page 2 of this document. And, I have a copy of the document! Here are two parts of the 4 legal sized pages document:

The printed portion of this graphic reads:

We, the undersigned Prisoners of War, belonging to the Army of Northern Virginia, having been this day surrendered by General Robert E. Lee, C.S. A., Commanding said Army, to Lieut. Genl. U.S. Grant, Commanding Armies of the United States, do hereby give our solemn parole of honor that we will not hereafter serve in the armies of the Confederate States, or in any military capacity whatever, against the United States of America, or render aid to the enemies of the latter, until properly exchanged, in such manner as shall be mutually approved by the respective authorities.

Done at Appomattox Court House, Va., this 9th day of April 1865.

Solomon's signature appears on this graphic, the last signature:



After the war, Solomon married Sarah (Sallie) Anne Darden, had children, we believe 2 girls and 2 boys, the boys dying young. Solomon himself died in Sussex County, Virginia on April 20, 1871 from consumption. His remains were taken back to Isle of Wight County Virginia for burial.  That burial place in Isle of Wight County, Virginia remains undiscovered.

Because the family had a photo (original format unknown) of Solomon and could prove he was at the Courthouse on the day of surrender, his photo has been placed on the Wall of Honor at the Appomattox Courthouse.  This photo was taken a number of years ago, and is slightly out of focus, but, there he is (lower left corner).

Solomon's photo, with that of his wife, Sallie, hang in my home, a constant reminder of my family and their stories.




* To learn more about the activities this week surrounding the 150th Anniversary of the Surrender, check out the National Parks Service page.  This link may not be available in the future.

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Redux: April 9, 1865, the Day of Surrender, Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia

Copyright 2014, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This post originally appeared on Reflections on April 9, 2010.

Solomon B. Eley is my second great grandfather.  He was born around 1836 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia to Exum Eley and his second wife, Martha (Patsey) Darden Marshall Eley.

Solomon served with the 16th Virginia Infantry, Company D.  He entered the war as a Second Lieutenant, eventually was promoted to a Captain.  For a number of months he actually was the top commanding officer of Company D while his superior officers were indisposed.

On April 9, 1865 he was at Appomattox Courthouse, and signed the surrender papers.  First is part of the first page of several that I receive when I obtained a copy of this document.

The printed portion of this graphic reads:

We, the undersigned Prisoners of War, belonging to the Army of Northern Virginia, having been this day surrendered by General Robert E. Lee, C.S. A., Commanding said Army, to Lieut. Genl. U.S. Grant, Commanding Armies of the United States, do hereby give our solemn parole of honor that we will not hereafter serve in the armies of the Confederate States, or in any military capacity whatever, against the United States of America, or render aid to the enemies of the latter, until properly exchanged, in such manner as shall be mutually approved by the respective authorities.

Done at Appomattox Court House, Va., this 9th day of April 1865.

Solomon's signature appears on this graphic, the last signature:

After the war, Solomon married Sarah (Sallie) Anne Darden.

Solomon B. Eley died April 21 1871 in Sussex County, Virginia from consumption, his remains were taken back to Isle of Wight County Virginia for burial, however, his burial place remains undiscovered.

Because the family had a photo (original format unknown) of Solomon and could prove he was at the Courthouse on the day of surrender, his photo has been placed on the Wall of Honor at the Appomattox Courthouse.  This photo was taken a number of years ago, slightly out of focus, but, there he is (lower left corner).

Someday we shall chat about this photo and his uniform.  I wrote about Solomon in my post of September 11, 2009, Ancestor Military Battles, Solomon B. Eley, where I first shared the documents and his story.

Solomon's photo, with that of his wife, Sallie, hang in my home, a constant reminder of my family and their stories.




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Peter Preston Holsinger, Civil War Veteran, Third American Civil War Challenge

Copyright 2013, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Bill West of West in New England has issued the challenge, which in part reads:

Did you have ancestors in America during the Civil War? If so, where were they and what were their circumstances?

For this challenge I am going to chat about Peter Preston Holsinger, who I have blogged about before.

Peter Preston Holsinger was born October 6, 1837 in Rockingham County, Virginia, the son of John Holsinger and his wife Delila.  (Delila was either a Spitzer or a Cowan, research has failed to proved either maiden name.)

On October 21, 1860, Peter married Anna Catherine Spitzer, with whom he had 1 child.  Research has not shown us much more about Anna, her son was born just after the outbreak of the Civil War.  

Peter's compiled service records show that he served in Company H, 12th Calvary, Virginia. He served during the Civil War, enlisting on March 1, 1862.  He was taken prisoner at Berryville, VA on November 29, 1862 and arrived at Old Capitol Prison on December 3, 1862. He was exchanged on March 29, 1863. Peter was again taken prisoner at New Market, VA on December 19, 1863 and sent to Camp Chase. {It should be noted that New Market is just a few miles from where he lived all of his life.  Something sad about being taken prisoner so close to home.}  He finished his imprisonment at Ft. Delaware and was released at the end of the war. His cousin Abraham died and is buried at Pt. Lookout Prison, MD. Old Capitol Prison is now the U.S. Supreme Court.; Prison: Fort Delaware Old Capitol Prison Point Lookout.

Below, one of the sixteen cards in Peter's compiled service record, showing his status as Prisoner of War at Fort Delaware.

Below, two images, each one half of the book of the records from Fort Delaware.  (Source:  Selected Records of the War Department Relating to Confederate Prisoners of War, 1861-1865, accessed at Ancestry.com)

I have yet to discover any proof that Peter ever applied for any pensions available to Civil War veterans in the Commonwealth of  Virginia.

Peter took as his second bride, Mary A. Kessler on Januay 16, 1866 in Rockingham County, Virginia.  Peter and Mary had 6 known children.  Peter is found on the census reports of Rockingham County through 1920.  He was a farmer, and is so listed on the 1910 census.  By 1920, he is living with his son Harper, and is retired, showing no occupation.

Peter's obituary was published in the Saturday, May 9, 1925 issue of the "Daily News-Record", Harrisonburg, Virginia:

     "Another Gallant Confederate Dies

     P. P. Holsinger, One of Rosser's Men,

     Passes Away Near

     Broadway

(Special to the Daily News-Record)

     Broadway, May 8 - - P. P. Holsinger, aged 88, prosperous farmer and a gallant Confederate Veteran, died early today at his Newdale home, three miles east of here.   Death was due to informaties of age. He had been in failing health for three years.

     Funeral services will be held Sunday morning from the Linville Creek Church of the Brethren, Rev. J. S. Wampler, assisted by Rev. S. D. Zigler, officating.  Friends will leave the Holsinger home at ten o'clock.

     All of Mr. Holsinger's long life was spent in this section.  He was a faithful member of the Church of the Brethren for many years. He was a prosperous farmer known to a host of friends for his great generosity and kindness of heart.

      Mr. Holsinger was a gallant Confederate soldier, serving throughout the War Between the States.   He was a member of the 12th Virginia Calvary, Co. H under Gen. Rosser.  He was twice captured and once wounded, serving 18 months in prison at Fort Delaware.  Upon one occasion, he had his horse shot from beneath him.

     His wife, Mrs. Mary Holsinger  died 15 (16? hard to read) years ago.

     Surviving are:  Six children - - W. B. and O. L. of near Mayland; H. D., at home; S. D. , of Staunton; Mrs. Ida C. Yates, of Fairfax; Mrs. C. G. Trumbo, of near Timberville; one sister, Mrs. Sallie Holsinger, of Saerles, N.D.; and one half-brother and five half-sisters, all of the Newdale section.   A large number of grand and great-grand children also survive."

His probate papers state his estate consisted "of my home place of about 83 acres..."  Peter's estate was assessed at $4,200.00 and personal property valued at $5,700.00.

Peter and Mary are buried side by side at the Linville Brethren Church Cemetery, Broadway, Rockingham County, Virginia. His stone is quite worn and despite several tries I have found it hard to photograph.

Peter was my great great grandfather .

 

*  Photo courtesy of Paul G. Holsinger, M. D., in his work, Descendants of David Holsinger of Virginia, published in 1969.

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Been Waiting 20 Years, Hope I Can Wait a Little Longer

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

They always say, the best research you will do or find will be during the last week, or the last day, or even more exciting and stressful, during the last couple of hours you are in a research facility.  And, it looks like what they say is gonna be true one more time.

Yesterday I was plugging along, trying to grab some of the things I had not quite finished, a deed here and there, then saw a note about getting copies of some wills. Actually, burnt wills, which I have seen, but thought I would like to have digital copies anyway.  Along side the information on 2 wills was a cryptic note I left myself to check the surname Marshall in Isle of Wight Virginia, to see if there are any wills there for two John Marshalls, father and maybe son.

So, rather tired, OK, close to dead (oh, ya, there she goes again, sick humor, play on words) tired, I looked at the catalog, found a film that said it was an index to Wills.  Retrieve the film, load it up, start spinning.  I was rather surprised and disappointed to find that there were a LOT of missing pages, per the notes filmed along with the pages they had filmed.  Great, how many pages she wonders, and did the MIA's have my names listed, probably, she sighs.

So, I spin away, skipping by some of the other surnames from Isle of Wight that I am researching, stopping here and there, never did find the Marshalls.  Then one of those serendipity spins happened, I stopped on a page, speed reading it, when I saw names that I recognized, Eley and Pierce.

I have been researching Solomon B. Eley and his wife, Sallie Darden Eley Pierce since about 1991, basically when I started my serious research addiction.  Solomon and Sallie are my great great grandparents on my father's side of the clan.  I have had photos of them for many years, well before 1991.  I have strong emotional ties to them, maybe because of the photos, actually I have stopped trying to figure out why.  I just am connected and emotional about Solomon and Sallie!

Solomon B. Eley and Sallie Darden Eley Pierce.

Solomon served during the Civil war in the 16th Virginia Infantry, Company D.  So did many members of his immediate and extended family.  Solomon was present at Appomattox on April 9th, 1865.  He signed surrender papers as an officer of the 16th.  I have copies of that 4 page (legal sized) document.

After the war Solomon came back to Isle of Wight, married Sallie Darden and on July 4, 1866 they celebrated the birth of their first child, a daughter, my great grandmother, Lorena.  They had several more children, the number is a bit in question, I currently show a total of 4 children born to the union, 2 boys, and another daughter. Both sons died young.  In 1871 Solomon himself passed, partially because of health issues that started during the war.  Married about 6 years, Sallie was now a widow.

Every discovery about Solomon has been difficult, just finding him in the 1870 census was a challenge, remember, this was before internet based indexes.  He was found living in a nearby county where he died.  Contacting the county clerk there resulted in some wonderful documents concerning Solomon.  That said, his burial place remains a mystery still.  I am sure Sallie was quite poor, and there just was no money for the purchase of a headstone, none for Solomon, none for her babies, and many many years later, none for Sallie either.

Two years after Solomon died Sallie remarried, her new groom's name was Francis Pierce, and a few more babies came along.  The number is in question, 2 or 3 daughters.

I made several trips to Isle of Wight, researched in the court house, they are wonderful there, very helpful, but let you work away at your own speed.  I was in research courthouse heaven!  I also researched several times in the Library of Virginia, another fine research facility.  I found a few tidbits, but, I always wanted and hoped for more. For some reason, I felt there was more, but, WHAT and WHERE was it??

I think I may have found that 'something more' in that Will Index, Eley, heirs S. A. Pierce, et al.  I think my heart may have stopped beating for a few seconds there.  I read it again, yes, Eley, S. A. Pierce, yes, it is them.  Holy COW!!

Back at the catalog I discover, much to my dismay, that Will books 27 and 28 were filmed by the FHC, but that books 29 and those following, were not.  I need book 30.  And, at that point my heart started, stopped, fluttered, catch your breath Carol.  OH RATS!!!

So close. Almost.  I'm working on getting a copy of those pages.  Some of my genie friends/angels are already helping me figure out the next steps, thank you!!  I am being cautiously optimistic, cause the last time I looked at an index that said "List of heirs" I got the name of one, who signed for all, but, did not list the others.

I can wait a bit longer, well, I am going to have to wait a bit longer.  WOW!  Oh, WOW!  Here is to hope that the pages will be what I have felt was there and that I have finally found it.  WOW!  Oh, WOW!


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Alfred and the Experts

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Some of you may remember my series of posts on Alfred T. Darden, along with his many monikers, written for Bill West's Civil War challenge.

For those of you interested in Civil War and Alfred's story, you might want to revisit the threads, there has been quite a bit of activity over there the last few days.  The Civil War experts are debating, some of the debate is going on here at Reflections.

They know their subject, I am still sorta confused by it, but, it has been an interesting exchange, and I suspect they will get to the bottom of this and I will have some fascinating stuff to add to my data base.

So, you just might wanna surf over and see what they are saying.




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Alfred Darden, Civil War Solider Mystery, Sometimes Ya Just Cannot Let it Go, New Discoveries

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

After spending a few hours preparing my 3 part (now becoming 4 part) series on Alfred Darden for Bill West's Civil War challenge, and after reading several other bloggers contributions, I just had to revisit part of his story.  Namely, I had to go back and look at the Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865.  I have a image, it is huge, I have had a spot of trouble following the lines across.  There are many ditto marks, there are many lines with no dittos, and there are even a few ~ ~ type marks.  I just found the entire document a bit  frustrating to read and try to deciper.  Here is only part of the document, I have cropped off the right hand page and a good portion of the bottom of the left hand page.  You will have to click on the document to open it in a new page which hopefully will be a bit larger and easier (????) to read.

Here are the column headings:  No.; Names;, Rank, Regiment, or County and State;Co.; Where Captured; When Captured;

Now, here is what it says for A.T. Darden,

No 24
A.T. Darden
Citizen
Hines Co.
for Company it says ~
Captured at Raymond Miss (if you assume he was captured the same place as the previous 2 prisoners - the lack of ditto marks is so frustrating).
Captured on May 12  (not the 17th as is reported on the compiled service record - and again the lack of ditto marks is frustrating, but this time we do have ditto marks for the month and year).

So, after studying this very closely, AGAIN and AGAIN, here are some things I failed to note the first several times I studied it.

1.)  It says he is a citizen.  Well, no wonder there is no company stated!  Citizens do not have company assignments, eh??

2.)  Captured, Raymond Mississippi on the 12th (assuming ditto marks not printed).  And, yes indeedy friends there is a battle on that day in that place, (Google the term "May 12 1863 battles of Civil War" and there are 538,000 hits.  YIKES!  So, take the easy way out and refer to the Wikipedia article.)

And, after finding this, I went right to maps and discovered that Raymond, Hinds County, Mississippi is 12.3 miles from Edwards, Hinds County, Mississippi.  How awful is this, he was captured almost in his own back yard!

Now, here are the disclaimers, I am assuming that he was captured in Raymond Mississippi as were the previous two prisoners, even with the lack of ditto marks.  I am assuming the capture date of May 12, again, noting the lack of ditto marks.

So, my take on this is that A. T. Darden, a citizen, NOT a volunteer nor a draftee into the Confederate Army or other branch of service, from Hines (sic - - Hinds) County Mississippi was captured during the Battle of Raymond on May 12, 1863.

And, this explains why there are only 3 pages of his compiled record, he was NOT a solider.  I don't quite understand why I was unable to find records for him in Fort Delaware, of course, unless I simply missed them, which is so possible!




*Thanks Debbie!!

**Review, works every time!  Just when you think you have found every little tidbit on a document, go back and review it again, something new is likely to jump out at cha!
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Alfred Darden, Civil War Solider Mystery, As Best I Can Figure, The Last Chapter

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

(Please refer to Alfred Darden, Civil War Solider Mystery, His Family and Alfred Darden, Civil War Solider Mystery, His War Record for background information that leads to this, the last chapter.)

Back in Isle of Wight County Virginia Alfred's brother Charles H. Darden was busy with his own family (his first wife had died and he had taken a second wife).  Charles built a home there in 1852, the home still stands. There is a family cemetery on the grounds not far from the house.  In that cemetery there are currently only two headstones, one is for Charles H. Darden, the other is for (per the inscription):

 A. F. Darden, born 6 Jan 1817 and died 18 Aug 1863

For some years I wondered who this A.F. Darden was.  When I discovered the biography for his grandson, Alfred S. Darden, I started putting the puzzle together.  As a reminder, this is the portion of Alfred S. Darden's biography that plays a large part in my version of what happened to Alfred Darden.

"Alfred Stephen Darden, a planter of Blanton, Sharkey County, is numbered among Mississippi's native sons, for he was born in Pocahontas, Hinds County, September 13, 1877. The family came from Virginia to this state prior to the Civil War, in which the grandfather of Alfred S. Darden participated. Joining the Confederate Army, he was captured and imprisoned, and after his release died while en route home."

The birth date for the A. F. Darden buried in Isle of Wight does not conflict with estimates of the birth of Alfred Darden as found on the 1850 and 1860 census.  The death date for A.F. Darden buried in that family cemetery is just 19 days after A. T. Darden was released from Fort Delaware.

At Fort Delaware many Confederate soldiers died, most of disease. Per Wikipedia, "Originally prisoners were housed inside the fort and later in wooden barracks that soon covered much of the island. Most of the Confederates captured at Gettysburg were imprisoned there. By August 1863, there were 11,000 prisoners on the island; by war’s end, it had held some 33,000 men. The conditions were decent, but about 2,400 prisoners died at Fort Delaware. Statistically, confederates had a better chance of dying from disease on the battlefield than a prisoner at Fort Delaware."  The fact is, Fort Delaware had it's share of disease, many men were ill.  It is entirely possible, although not provable, that A.T. Darden was in fact ill when he was released.

If you use a modern mapping/trip planning program, it does not take long to discover that it is about 265 miles from Fort Delaware to Isle of Wight County Virginia (via Maryland and by crossing the Chesapeake Bay).  It is about 1115 miles from Fort Delaware to Alfred's home in Hinds County Mississippi (via Washington D.C., Winston-Salem, Chattanooga, and Tuscaloosa) .

With just a little reasoning, along with a dash of guestimation, one can easily come up with the scenario where A.T., or Alfred Darden is released from Fort Delaware.  He may be walking home, he has no horse, I cannot imagine that the Union Army paid for him to ride a train home, would they? He could be ill from the conditions of war and Fort Delaware.  If ill he may have headed for the closest haven he knew, his birthplace, the home of his brother, Charles H. Darden, at Isle of Wight County Virginia.

And, there he died.  And, there he was buried in the little cemetery by his brother's home.  And, there, at some point in time, his widow, Mary, had placed a headstone, that reads, A. F. Darden.  Now, this would not be the first headstone inscribed with an error.  It is my opinion that is exactly what happened, Mary ordered a headstone for her late husband, and somehow, it was inscribed with the wrong middle initial.

In Memory of
A.F. Darden
Born Jan. 6, 1817
Died Aug. 18, 1863
Erected by his Wife

And, that is what I believe happened to Mary's husband, Alfred, (A.T.) Darden.  He went to war, he was captured, transferred to Fort Delaware, became quite ill, was pardoned, somehow found his way to his birth home town, where he died at his brother's home and was buried in the family cemetery.

I would like to remind my readers that Alfred, A.T., or A.F. Darden's story is part fact, and part artful and hopefully logical guestimation.  I believe I have artfully and logically guessed correctly, but, I cannot guarantee that I have done so.

Alfred Darden, a Civil War Confederate solider, with a sparse record of service and a lot of unanswered questions about what happened to him.  A story very much like that of many Civil War soldiers, no matter which side they fought on.

* For further reading on Fort Delaware, you might be interested in The Union prison at Fort Delaware: a Perfect Hell on Earth by Brian Temple, I found it via Google Books, here.

**Alfred Darden has a memorial on Find A Grave, here, said memorial created by this compiler.

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Alfred Darden, Civil War Solider Mystery, His War Record

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This is part 2 of a 3 part series about Alfred Darden, a Civil War solider. First we studied his family, parents, wife, children and even grandchildren.

Now, lets see what we can find out about Alfred, his Civil War Service and what I believe happened to Alfred.

Sadly and frustratingly, Alfred created very few Civil War records.  At the National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System web site, A. T. Darden of Mississippi is listed in an Unidentified Unit (the record can be found on Film Number M232 roll 10).  No rank for Alfred is listed.

No date of enlistment has been found.  While researching at the Mississippi State Archives, I did locate a list  of Confederate soldiers serving from the state of Mississippi, there is a listing for a A. T. Darden, National archives number: 46359694. A. T. Darden is shown as a Prisoner of War at Fort Delaware, Del. Captured May 17, 1863 in Mississippi, and paroled at Fort Delaware on July 30, 1863.

I also found in Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865, a record for A. T. Darden.  Again there is no clue as to what unit he may have served in, only that he was from Hines(sic) County, and the record really does not even clearly indicate where he was captured.  It does say he was captured May 12 (or 17th, hard to read), 1863 and that he was sent for exchange on July 30, 1863 to City Point Virginia.

I have found a Compiled Service record for Alfred.  If you can call 3 cards, (reproduced here thanks to Footnote.com), a compiled service record.

Not much on this card, states there are
no medical cards and no personal papers.

D    Miss
A. T. Darden
Pvt   Miss
Roll of Prisoners of War
paroled at Fort Delaware, Del. July 30, 1863
Roll dated:  not dated  186
Where captured Mississippi
When captured, May 17, 1863
number of record, sheet 17
Ths Broderick

A.G.O. 10 St
Sept 13  07
Mr. Whitcomb
We have a
 card from roll 146, Sheet 17
P of W paroled at Fort
Delaware July 30/63
Card copied
A. T. Darden
Pvt.   Miss.
Captured Mississippi
May 17/63
We can not locate him
Do records of Fort Delaware
furnish any addtl information?
Respectfully,
Schmid
CHU (?)
Mr. Brown:
The Duplicate
of the above roll bears
the signature of
A .T. Darden showing
him as citizen same
capture & ?
Sept 25 '07
G?W
x no card found

That is it, the entire compiled service record for A. T. Darden.  One could question, is this the same man as Alfred Darden, husband of Mary S. McClenny Darden?  The honest answer is, I am not positive it is.  Circumstantial evidence tells me, it is.  You have seen one piece of evidence, flimsy as it may be, that being the biography of the grandson, Alfred S. Darden.  I'll show you another piece of the puzzle in my last post on Alfred.



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Alfred Darden, Civil War Solider Mystery, His Family

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Bill West of West In New England has issued "THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GENEALOGY BLOG CHALLENGE", which reads, in part:

"Did you have ancestors in America on 12 Apr 1861? If so, where were they and what were their circumstances? How did the Civil War affect them and their family? Did the men enlist and did they perish in battle or die of illness?  On which side did they fight, or did you have relatives fighting on BOTH sides?  How did the women left at home cope, or did any of them find ways to help the war effort? Were your ancestors living as slaves on Southern plantations and if so when were they freed? Or were they freemen of color who enlisted to fight?  If your ancestors had not emigrated to America as yet, what was their life like around the time of the Civil War?"

This is my entry in Bill's challenge, the story of Alfred T. Darden, some of which we surmise, some of which we know to be true.  Sadly, much of this story has not been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, parts of it are educated guesses and there are a few strong "gut" feelings, despite quite a bit of research.  This is just one of the sad stories that came from the time of the American Civil War, 1861 to 1865.

Alfred T. Darden was born in or around the Isle of Wight County Virginia to Charles Darden and his wife, Ms. Dews, (her maiden name is unknown and her birth surname, is not proven).  Alfred was the first born of three children born to this union, the others were Charles H. Darden, and daughter, Catherine.  From the 1850 and 1860 census enumerations we determine that Alfred was born between 1817 and 1818.

(It so happens that Charles H. Darden is this compiler's g-g-g- grandfather, making, Charles Darden and wife Ms. Dews Darden my g-g-g-g- grandparents.  By the way, Charles H. will play out some more in this story of Alfred.)

In 1849 Alfred married Mary S. McClenny in Isle of Wight County Virginia on or about the 5th of May, according to this Marriage Bond.

Marriage Bond, Isle of Wight County, Virginia
May 5, 1849
Alfred T (?) Darden and Mary S. Mc Clenney
Surety John W. Parr

By the time 1850 U. S. Census was taken, we find Alfred and Mary living in Jackson Township, Hinds County, Mississippi.  Alfred and Mary are also found in Mississippi on the 1860 census, enumerated at the Edwards Post Office, Hinds County, where we find the family household has increased by 4 children born to this couple, and 1 additional Darden male, H. C., age 15, born in Virginia.  It is my belief that H.C. is Alfred's nephew, son of Charles H. Darden.  A.T. Darden is found on the slave census for this locality, he owns at least 6 slaves.

However, by the time the 1870 census is taken, A. T. or Alfred T. is no where to be found.  His wife, Mary, is shown as the head of household, her 4 children still reside with her, as does a John H. Darden (believed to be the same as H.C. from the 1860 census).

So, where did Alfred disappear to?  He went off to war, never to return.  We will cover Alfred's service record and what I believe happened to Alfred in my next posts, but, right now, let's talk about his children and grandchildren.  As it so happens a biography on one of his grandchildren was a major clue that was helpful in figuring out Alfred's story.

Alfred and Mary's first born was Charles Edwin Darden, born September 10, 1852 in Mississippi, died March 8, 1899 in Brownsville, Hinds County, Mississippi.  On November 2, 1876 in Hinds County he married Mary Pamelia Britton.  Charles Edwin and Mary Pamelia Darden had 4 children of their own, Alfred Stephen, Susie, John Britton, and Bessie.

Alfred and Mary's second born was William M. Darden, who was born about 1855 in Mississippi and of whom nothing further is known.

Alfred and Mary's third born was George Thomas Darden, born September 15, 1857 in Mississippi, died December 12, 1923.  About 1902 George married Elizabeth P. (Lizzie) Purdy.  Other than the fact that George was reportedly a doctor, nothing more is known.

Alfred and Mary's last child, the fourth was Henry Alpheus Darden, who was born June 24, 1859 in Queens Hill, Hinds County, Mississippi and who died on December 12, 1915 at Cary, Sharkey County, Mississippi.  In about 1882 Henry married Mamie W. Underhill.  Henry and Mamie had 3 children, James Alfred, John Edward and Allie Mae Darden.

It has been a while since I have done any real serious deep diggin' research on Alfred Darden's family.  However, a few years back, Man and I, in one of our winter get aways, stopped in Jackson Mississippi and visited the Archives there.  As is usual, I found some 'good stuff', some 'stuff' and some 'nothing stuff'.  Since then, on occasion, I have snooped around on the Internet, finding some promising leads.  That said, I have considerable holes in the research, and in the lines, of Alfred's family.

During the research at the Mississippi Archives, I stumbled upon this article, which proved to be one of those discoveries that we dream of and rejoice in when we find them.  If you are still with me, here is the most important part of the biography of Alfred S. Darden, grandson of our subject, Alfred Darden:

Found in the work "Mississippi, a History" by Walter Nesbit Taylor and George H. Ethridge, published 1939, by The Historical Record Association, Volume 4, Page 1606-1609:

"Alfred Stephen Darden, a planter of Blanton, Sharkey County, is numbered among Mississippi's native sons, for he was born in Pocahontas, Hinds County, September 13, 1877. The family came from Virginia to this state prior to the Civil War, in which the grandfather of Alfred S. Darden participated. Joining the Confederate Army, he was captured and imprisoned, and after his release died while en route home."

Even though this one paragraph does not mention the "grandfather" by name, it would eventually lead me to my theory of what happened to Alfred Darden, the Civil War Solider.

Next, we will take a look at Alfred's compiled record and what happened to him during the Civil War.




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2009-10 Winter Tana Tour, Blakeley State Park

Back in early April, I shared with you the Blakeley State Park Cemetery.  John, Donna, Man and I spent a good part of the day here, taking in the Battlefield, Cemetery, a luncheon snack near a live oak, and the boardwalk along the Tensaw River. 

Blakeley was the scene of the last major battle of the Civil War.  There are miles of breastworks, rifle pits (these are very interesting, one I saw was about 8 X 8 square and about 6 foot deep), redoubts, battery sites and earthen forts.  I have a hard time understanding all this army/battle stuff, but, I do find them interesting, so here are a few photos.

This entire area was abandoned for over 100 years.  Even I can appreciate and wonder at the task involved in moving all this earth around to make these miles of fortification, the park has 5.5 miles of unspoiled Civil War fortifications.  5.5 miles!  Amazing!

In the midst of the earthworks, near a pit, I found these growing, a bit of beauty in the midst of such sorrow.

We had lunch just feet away from this gorgeous live oak, use the car as a reference as to the size of the tree, massive does not come close.  Live oaks shed their leaves in the spring, the new growth is just starting to emerge.

Our walk along the boardwalk will be the subject of a future post.  This short photo tour of the Civil War battlefield at Blakeley State Park is a bare bones tour.  We spent a couple of hours walking and climbing around and driving through this remarkable place of history.  Some of the military trenches and redoubts are being restored, some have been lost to years of farming. 

Down near the river, is found the "Hiding Tree", which the park brochure tells us is a water oak, with a hollowed base around the roots, said to be a hiding place for Confederate soldiers fleeing after the loss of the battle here.  We almost missed this, but were drawn over by the size of the exposed roots.

If you happen to be near Mobile Alabama and you are the least bit interested in history and nature, the Blakeley State Park is a must visit.

Copyright 2010, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

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April 9, 1865, the Day of Surrender, Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia

Solomon B. Eley is my second great grandfather.  He was born around 1836 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia to Exum Eley and his second wife, Martha (Patsey) Darden Marshall Eley.

Solomon served with the 16th Virginia Infantry, Company D.  He entered the war as a Second Lieutenant, eventually was promoted to a Captain.  For a number of months he actually was the top commanding officer of Company D while his superior officers were indisposed.

On April 9, 1865 he was at Appomattox Courthouse, and signed the surrender papers.  First is part of the first page of several that I receive when I obtained a copy of this document.

The printed portion of this graphic reads:

We, the undersigned Prisoners of War, belonging to the Army of Northern Virginia, having been this day surrendered by General Robert E. Lee, C.S. A., Commanding said Army, to Lieut. Genl. U.S. Grant, Commanding Armies of the United States, do hereby give our solemn parole of honor that we will not hereafter serve in the armies of the Confederate States, or in any military capacity whatever, against the United States of America, or render aid to the enemies of the latter, until properly exchanged, in such manner as shall be mutually approved by the respective authorities.

Done at Appomattox Court House, Va., this 9th day of April 1865.

Solomon's signature appears on this graphic, the last signature:

After the war, Solomon married Sarah (Sallie) Anne Darden.

Solomon B. Eley died April 21 1871 in Sussex County, Virginia from consumption, his remains were taken back to Isle of Wight County Virginia for burial, however, his burial place remains undiscovered.

Because the family had a photo (original format unknown) of Solomon and could prove he was at the Courthouse on the day of surrender, his photo has been placed on the Wall of Honor at the Appomattox Courthouse.  This photo was taken a number of years ago, slightly out of focus, but, there he is (lower left corner).

Someday we shall chat about this photo and his uniform.  I wrote about Solomon in my post of September 11, 2009, Ancestor Military Battles, Solomon B. Eley, where I first shared the documents and his story.

Solomon's photo, with that of his wife, Sallie, hang in my home, a constant reminder of my family and their stories.

Copyright 2010, CABS for Reflections From the Fence.

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Ancestor Military Battles, Solomon B. Eley

This challenge is to talk about military battles and your ancestors’ connections to them. Ok, I got war veterans, Revolutionary, War of 1812, Civil War, no Spanish American that I am aware of, World War I, World War II, and probably could snoop around a bit and come up with some Korea. Man served during the Vietnam era, but not in Nam, and in no battles.

I was born in in the south. Most of my research on my lineage is based in the south. Well, before about 1700 I can trace lines to the north, but, a LOT of my research (not Man's - mine), is Southern American. My Civil War soliders were all Confederates.

When I read this challenge, the very first name that came to me was of Solomon B. Eley, Captain of the 16th Virginia Infantry, Company D.

Solomon was the son of Exum Eley and his second wife, Martha (Darden) Marshall Eley (she was a widow when she married Exum). Exum and Martha had 3 children, Solomon being the last born.

The uniform Solomon is wearing is not necessarily the same as he wore during the Civil War. A discussion of this uniform may be done in a future blog. Can we say, "pre-computer era enhanced image"?

Solomon enlisted in the 16th Virginia Infantry during April of 1861. He was "signed up" by M. H. Watkins. Watkins after the war would marry Solomon's widowed sister.

During my research on Solomon, I was fortunate to be able to chat with some reinactors from the 16th Virginia Infantry. They do remarkable research and shared willingly. They provided me with transcripts of some war records that told of Solomon taking command of the 16th Virginia. There were at least 3 dates provided, October 31, 1864, November 28, 1864 and February 28, 1865. The following is a direct copy/paste of the worked shared with me, thanks to the 16th Virginia Reinactors.

"With this report we can see the effect of battle on the regiment; four days before this inspection the brigade was engaged at the Battle of Burgess Mill, October 27, 1864. At Wilderness Colonel Joseph Ham’s 2nd Manassas wound flares up, causing him to leave the regiment until early-October. He is again wounded at Burgess Mill. Days before Burgess Mill, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Whitehead was also wounded, and Major John Woodhouse was still recovering from a wound received at the Crater; leaving command of the regiment to Captain Solomon B. Eley of Company D."

Was Solomon in charge of the unit during the actual battle? Not sure, but he sure had to take command afterwards. (Fess up time here, I don't understsand military stuff real well. I will leave it to others to study this Battle of Burgess Mill.)

However, when I think of Solomon, (and I DO understand this), what I remember is that he signed the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. Each officer of the unit had to sign the surrender papers, Solomon signed on page 2 of this document. And, I have a copy of the document! Here are two parts of the 4 legal sized pages document:






This document was signed at the Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. At the end of a 4 year long battle, the battle between the North and the South.

After the war, Solomon married, had children, we believe 2 girls and 2 boys, the boys dying young. Solomon himself died in Sussex County, Virginia on April 20, 1871 from consumption. His burial place in Isle of Wight County, Virginia remains undiscovered.

Solomon's picture is featured on the Wall of Honor at the Appomattox Court House because the family could prove he had been at the Court House on the day of Surrender.

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