Civil War
military record for John Scott
125th
Regiment, Company H, U. S. Colored Troops
Civil War
Pension Application of Delpha Scott, widow of John Scott
Greensburg,
Green County, KY
Submitted
by Belva Seaberry
More than 3
dozen names of Greensburg residents, both black and white, are
contained in these documents. Many names are confirmed in the
1870, 1880, and 1900 censuses.
The Civil War
USCT enlistment papers of John Scott (black) document
that he was a slave of John Scott (white) of Greensburg,
who applied for compensation to the U. S. War Department because
he had not consented to his slave joining the military. Scott
was a private in the USCT from enlistment at Lebanon, KY, April
22, 1865 to disability discharge May 23, 1866 in Cairo, IL.
According to the pension application, Scott died March 20, 1876
in Greensburg after suffering years of illness contracted during
his military service. In his military records and in the
pension application, his approximate birth year is 1812 or
1820. His birth year in the 1870 Greensburg census is about
1816.
The widow’s
pension documents mainly date from January 1, 1890 to October
28, 1893. They include the marriage license and certificate of
John Scott and Delphia Gaines (June 24, 1875), the Army
Certificate of Disability Discharge, Green County court
documents, U . S. government documents, and a number of
afffidavits of Greensburg residents attesting to Scott’s illness
and death and his widow’s poverty.
Delpha Gaines
was born in Green County March 1829 and died there September 25,
1929 according to these files. She is listed in the 1870 Census
in Greensburg. John Scott (black) is also listed in that census
with his first wife Margery and 5 young people.
The names of
Greensburg residents are listed with their function in these
dated documents, along with notes where they are of interest.
Race, (B) or (W), is indicated when census entries were found.
|
Greensburg Residents
|
Document |
Date |
Place |
Notes |
|
John Scott (white)
John H. Alden
Justice Peace (W)
B.B. Scott
witness (W)
John N. Reid
attestor
Hobson S. Lewis
attorney
Wm. Tucker
attestor (W)
E.F. Tucker
attestor (W)
John A Trasenwriter
attestor (W) |
Proof of Ownership,
Compensation Claim,
Oath of Allegiance,
Proof of Loyalty,
Power of Attorney
|
3/2/1867 |
Green Co., KY |
Scott asks to be compensated
by U.S. Government for the loss of his slave to the
military. Takes oath that he has been loyal to U.S. |
|
John Lewis
witness (B)
JamesEmbry
witness (B)
J.D. Durham
county clerk (W)
Samuel Carter
minister (B)
Richard Taylor
homeowner (W)
|
Marriage License and
Certificate of John Scott (black) & Delphia Gaines
(black) |
6/24/1875 |
Green Co,
Richard Taylor’s
[farm] |
|
|
A.J. Perkins
clerk (W)
B.J. Hamilton
clerk? (W)
W.H. Milby
attorney (W) |
Verification of above
|
-- |
Green Co. courthouse |
|
|
|
Army Certificate of Disability
for Discharge for John Scott |
5/23/1886 |
Army Post, Cairo, IL |
|
|
F.J. Taylor,
60 (W) |
Affadavit for the widow’s
claim |
1/1/1890 |
Green Co |
Made Scott’s coffin |
|
Alfred Scott,
74 (B) |
Affadavit |
3/12/1890 |
Green Co |
Knew Scott personally |
|
Belle Henry,
43 (B)
James Blakeman,
42 (B) |
Affadavit |
“ |
Green Co |
Knew Scott personally and
witnessed death |
|
Lewis Phillips,
38 (B) |
Affadavit |
“ |
Green Co |
Knew Scott personally |
|
Charles Marshall,
72 (B) |
Affadavit |
1/1/1890 |
Green Co |
Also 125th; in Cairo IL;
witnessed Scott’s illness |
|
A.S. Lewis,
MD (W) |
Affadavit |
3/7/1890 |
Green Co |
Verifies Scott’s illness and
death on his return to Greensburg |
|
B.B. Scott,
MD (W) |
Affadavit |
1890 |
Green Co |
Treated John Scott, “an old
family servant” |
|
Matt Cowherd,
65 (B) |
Affadavitm |
9/3/1890 |
Green Co |
Also in 125th; in Cairo IL;
witnessed Scott’s illness |
|
Milo Blakeman,
78 (B)
Charles Marshall,
54 or 56 (B)
George W. Lewis,
47 (B)
Washington Lile,
62 (B)
Margie Allen
(B) |
Affadavit |
1/1/1890 |
Green Co |
All also in 125th,
in Cairo IL; witnessed Scott’s illness. Reported Scott had
been married first to Margie Allen, deceased. Delpha
not previously married, and remained a widow after Scott’
death. They “had no children under age of 16 at the [death
of] John Scott. |
|
Lucien Durham,
46 (W) |
Affidavit of Delpha Scott’s
poverty and living arrangements |
7/5/1893 and 8/4/1893 |
Green Co |
Employs Delpha as cook and
washerwoman for his family. She lived in his house near
Greensburg |
|
William Smith,
46 (W) |
Affidavit confirming Delpha
Scott’s poverty and living arrangements |
7/5/1893 |
Green Co |
Says he is “well-acquainted
with the claimant.” |
|
W.H. Milby
Accepting Agt
Chas. D. Allen
witness (W)
R. L. Foster
witness (W) |
Articles of Agreement |
8/10/1889 |
Green Co |
Milby agrees to represent
Delpha Scott in her application, for free.
|
|
|
Court declaration by Delpha
Scott |
8/10/1889 |
Green Co |
Repeat of Delpha’s testimony,
age 50. Said Scott contracted “diseases of lung and
diarrhea “ at Camp Burnsides, KY, fall 1865 |
|
|
Widow’s Pension Application |
1/20/1892 |
Pension adm. |
First claim rejected |
|
L. Durham
witness (W)
J.L. Hamilton
witness (W)
H.T. Larimore
clerk (W) |
Court declaration by Delpha
Scott |
2/24/1892 |
Green Co. |
Delpha, 52, affirms all of
previous testimony. |
|
|
Widow’s Pension Application |
10/28/1893 |
Pension adm. |
Claim approved for $8/month
commencing 2/27/1892.
Later increases stamped on
record:
11/4/1916 Delpha, 76, entitled
to $20/month.
6/4/1928 Delpha’s pension
increased to $40/month. |
|
B.W. Penick
clerk/witness (W)
Alex Milby
witness (W) |
Affidavit by Delpha
|
1/1/1890 |
Green Co |
Delpha affirms above
testimony, but has no other required records of Scott’s
illness or treatment. |
|
|
Statement of John Scott’s
service |
10/12/1889 |
War Dept. Washington, D.C. |
Scott on rolls 4/22/1865 to
2/1866, present March & April, absent sick [rheumatism] in
Post Hospital, Cairo, IL since 4/12/1866. Vitals and
description. |
|
|
Report of hospital record |
11/9/1889 |
Bureau of Pensions |
“Disability from disease of
lungs and diarrhea, no treatment alleged, discharged for
‘old age and its infirmities (54 years)’, chronic nephritis
and an old fracture of left arm—all contracted before
enlistment.” |
|
C. H. Noggle
attestor (W) |
Letter from Delpha Scott to
Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, D. C. |
10/5/1916 |
Greensburg |
Asks for a pension increase
from $12 to $20/month. Gave her birth month/year. |
|
|
Pension Office Drop Report |
10/14/1929 |
A federal office |
Drops Delpha because of her
death Sept 25, 1929
|
|