Scott County Arkansas
Civil War Pension Applications
Henry W.C. Hudgens
Contributed by Walta Huard
Email: Nhuar@aol.com

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Henry Hudgens is found on the 1850 Sevier County, Arkansas census in 
Monroe Township, Dwelling #209, as the 19 year old son of Ambrose and 
Martha Hudgens. Nearby at Dwelling #195 was his future bride, Lucy, 
15 year old daughter of John and Jamima King. Henry W.C. Hudgens and 
Lucy King were married in Monroe Township of Sevier County, Arkansas 
on 29 May 1853 by Green Johnson, J.P. and the record is found in 
Sevier County Marriage Book 2, page 3.

H.W.C. Hudgens enlisted in the Confederate army in Sebastian County, 
Arkansas on 20 July 1862. His name appears on the Company Muster Rolls 
of Company H, Cocke's Regiment of Arkansas Infantry through the 
remainder of 1862 and into late 1863. The Company Muster Rolls for 
November and December 1863 and January and February 1864 show he was 
sick in the hospital at Washington.

After his discharge from the Confederate army he homesteaded land in 
Scott County, Arkansas.

Homestead Affidavit}
No. 998} Waldron, Scott Co., Ark., May 6th, 1868
	I, Henry W.C. Hudgens, a citizen of Scott County, Arkansas, 
having filed my application No. 998 for an entry under the provisions 
of an act of Congress entitled "An Act to Secure Homesteads to Actual 
Settlers on the public domain" do solemnly swear that I am a citizen 
of the United States and that I am the head of a family and that I make 
my application No. 998 for the purpose of actual settlement and 
cultivation for my own exclusive use and benefit and not either 
directly or indirectly for the use and benefit of any other person or 
persons whomsoever and I further certify that I am unable to make 
personal application at the Land Office on account of the distance.
				Henry W.C. Hudgens

State of Arkansas}
County of Scott}
Sworn to and subscribed before me Clerk of the Circuit Court in and 
for the county and state above named on this 6th day of May A.D. 1868.
				L.D. Gilbreath, Clerk
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Affidavit Required of Homestead Claimants
	I, Henry W.C. Hudgens, having made a Homestead entry of the S 1/2 
of the SE 1/4 section No. 26 in township No. 2 N, of range No. 31 west, 
subject to entry at Clarksville, Ark., under the first section of the 
Homestead Act of May 20th 1862 & March 14, 64, do now apply to perfect 
my claim thereto by virtue of the first proviso to the second section 
of said act; and for that purpose do solemnly swear that I am the head 
of a family and a citizen of the United States; that I have made actual
settlement upon and have cultivated said land, having resided thereon 
since the 27th day of May, 1868, to the present time; that no part of 
said land has been alienated, but that I am the sole bona fide owner as 
an actual settler; and that I will bear true allegiance to the Government 
of the United States. That I have not heretofore perfected title on 
abundance on [word] under this act.
				Henry W.C. Hudgens
I, James A. Shipley, Register of the Land Office at Dardanelle, Ark., 
do hereby certify that the above affidavit was taken and subscribed 
before me this 15th day of Dec., 1873.
				Jas. A. Shipley, Register
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Proof Required Under Homestead Acts May 20, 1862, and June 21, 1866.

	We, Solomon Moore & William Henry do solemnly swear that we have 
known Henry W.C. Hudgens for 6 years past; that he is the head of a 
family consisting of a wife and 4 children, a citizen of the United 
States; that he is an inhabitant of the South 1/2 of SE 1/4 of section 
No. 26 in Township No. 2 N of Range No. 31 W and that no other person 
resided upon the said land entitled to the right of Homestead or 
Pre-emption.
	That the said Henry W.C. Hudgens entered upon and made settlement 
on said land on the 27th day of May, 1868, and has built a house 
thereon and has lived in the said house and made his exclusive home 
from the 27th day of May 1868 to the present time, and that he has, 
since said settlement, plowed, fenced, and cultivated about 16 acres 
of said land, and has made the following improvements thereon, to wit: 
Set out orchard, dug well, built out buildings &c.
				S.J. Moore
				William (his "x" mark) Henry
Witness: 
Wm. B. Turman
	I, Jas. A. Shipley, Reg., do hereby certify that the above 
affidavit was taken and subscribed before me this 15th day of Dec. 1873.
				Jas. A. Shipley, Reg.
	We certify that S.J. Moore & Wm. Henry whose names are subscribed 
to the foregoing affidavit, are persons of respectability.
				Jas. A. Shipley, Register
				M.M. French, Receiver
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Henry W. and Lucy Hudgens and their three oldest children are listed 
on the 1870 Scott County census in Blansett Township. Their fourth 
child, my grandmother, was born after the 1870 census but before the 
1873 affidavit above. Their four children were Elizabeth, James, Joseph
and Sara "Sallie" Hudgens. Henry's brother William Hudgens was listed
on the 1870 Scott County census, "next door" to Henry's family.

On 13th April 1877 Henry W.C. Hudgens signed a non-mineral affidavit 
for the above homestead. Between this time and prior to the 1880 census
his wife Lucy died and then Henry himself died, possibly their daughter 
Elizabeth, as well. Neither Henry nor his wife Lucy lived long enough 
to apply for a Civil War pension.