Scott County Arkansas Civil War Pension File John R. Tate By his mother, Lurilla L. Tate Contributed by Sandy Conant Email: Emryscon@aol.com USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. ===================================================================== No. 276836 Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873 Lurilla L. Tate Blue Ball, Scott Co., Ark Mother of John R. Tate Sergt. Co. A 4th Ark. Vol. Oct 1, 1880 S.H. Barnett, clerk Application filed: Aug 4, 1880 Attorney: Geo. E. Lemon Declaration for Original Pension of a Mother Must be executed before a court of record or some officer thereof having custody of its seal. If executed before a notary public or justice of the peace it will be worthless, and a new one will be required. State of Arkansas, County of Sebastian On this 10th day of July, A.D. one thousand eight hundred and eighty____ ( blank )____ personally appeared before me, clerk of the Circuit Court the same being a court of record within and for the County and State aforesaid, Lurilla L. Tate aged 63 years, a resident of Scott County in the state of Arkansas, lives in the County 4 miles from Blue Ball P.O. who, being duly sworn according to law, makes the following declaration in order to obtain the pension provided by Acts of Congress granting pensions to dependent mothers, to wit: That she is the Widow of William Tate and mother of John R. Tate who volunteered under the name of John R. Tate at Waldron, on the 5th day of December, A.D. 1863 as a Sergeant in Company A, Fourth Arkansas infantry commanded by Ira D. Bronson (Captain) war 1861-5 who died with the measles on the 4th day of September, A.D. 1864 at Little Rock Ark and who bore at the time of his death the rank of Sergeant in Company A Fourth Arkansas infantry volunteers that said son John R. Tate left neither widow nor child under sixteen years of age surviving; that she was in part dependent upon said son for support; that her husband, the aforesaid William Tate, aged 42 years, is Dead, Killed April 3rd 1864 that she is still a widow of the aforesaid William Tate, I am still the widow of William Tate-have never Married that there were surviving, at date of son's death, his brothers and sisters, as follows: Thomas W. Tate, born 1846 Mary E. Tate, born 1850 JM Tate, born 1852 HM Tate, born 1854 Sarah J. Tate, born 1857 Benj. R. Tate, born 1860 that she has not in any manner engaged in, aided, or abetted the rebellion in the United States: that no applications have ever been made until the present time. She hereby appoints, with full power of substitution and revocation, George E. Lemon, of Washington D.C., her true and lawful Attorney, to prosecute her claim; that the Post Office address is Blue Ball Scott County Arkansas.................Lurilla L. Tate, Signature of Claimant ______________________________________________________________________ Read Carefully! In order for the mother or father of a deceased soldier to obtain the benefits of the Pension Law it must be shown in evidence that the father (if living at the date of the son's death) was physically or mentally incapacitated to provide a full support for himself and family in the last year of the son's life and since his death. State of _________, County of __________ In the pension claim of Lurilla L Tate mother of John R. Tate A 4th Ark Inf Waldron Scott County Arkansas December 9th 1880, I hereby testify that I am a physician of 30 years standing and that I was a soldier in the 4th Ark recruits afterward attached to the 2nd Reg Ark Vol and that I was acting hospital steward of said recruits and that Sergt John R. Tate died in the hospital at Little Rock on or about the 4th of Sept 1864, cause relapse of measles. Signed Elijah Leming M.D. ________________________________________________________________________ If the Custodian of the Assessment Records has no Seal, he must make oath to his statement. State of Arkansas, County of Scott In the pension claim of Lurilla L Tate, mother of John R. Tate from A 4th Ark Inf I James C. Gilbreath, circuit clerk of the County of Scott, in the State of Arkansas do hereby certify that I have carefully examined the Records of Assessments of real and personal property in and for said County, and of which I an the lawful custodian, and find the assessments and valuations therein recorded against property standing in the name of Lurilla L Tate for the years hereinafter designated, to be as follows, to wit: Year---Real Estate. Description---Value---Personal Property---Value 1864...no assessment......................... no assessment 1865...no assessment......................... no assessment 1866..N1/2SEandSWNE7-3-26..........400.......two horses..........75 1867.....".........................200........no assessment 1868.....".........................200...1 horse 50 other prop 140...190 1869.....".........................240...personal property........80 1870.....".........................360.........."................280 1871.....".........................288.........."................270 1872.....".........................360.........."................256 1873.....".........................234.........."................170 1874.....".........................320.........."................170 1875.....".........................330.........."................222 1876.....".........................320..........".................94 1877...no assessment.................................no assessment 1878...no assessment.................................no assessment 1879...no assessment.................................no assessment 1880...no assessment.................................no assessment And I further certify that no assessments appear during the foregoing period except as above set forth; and that the average rate of the above enumerated assessments is upon the basis of full of the fair cash value of the property assessed. And I further certify that I have no interest in this claim for pension, and that I am not concerned in its prosecution. Witness my hand and official seal this 18th day of January A.D. 1881 J. C. Gilbreath, clerk, Circuit Court Scott County Arkansas _____________________________________________________________________ State of Arkansas County of Scott I J. C. Gilbreath, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Ex-Officio county Clerk within and for the County of Scott in the State of Arkansas, do certify that all the record books and papers of my office were destroyed by fire on the 22nd day of May 1882. Signed 15th day of July 1883 J.C. Gilbreath, clerk, Scott Co., Ark ______________________________________________________________________ Department of the Interior, Pension Office November 15th, 1882 Sir: You are respectfully requested to furnish official evidence of the enrollment, muster, service, duty, and discharge or death of John R. Tate in Company "A", 4th Regiment of Ark. Vols, reported died at Little Rock Ark. Sep. 4th, 1864. If the above name is not found on the rolls of said Company will you so state, and report as to enrollment, etc., in the case of any man bearing a similar name, whom you have good reason for believing to be the soldier inquired for. Please, also, to furnish any evidence on file that may enable this Office to decide whether the soldier's death resulted from injuries received or disease contracted in the service and line of duty. Full military history of Soldier is desired. Please return this circular with your report. Claim No. 276.8.36 Very respectfully, Wm Dudley, Commissioner __________________________________________________________________ General Affidavit State of____________, County of___________ In the matter of Pension-Mrs. Lurilla L. Tate, Mother of Jns. R. Tate-A-4th Ark. Personally came before me, a Justice of the Peace in and for aforesaid County and State of Ark. J.J. Tate, aged 45 years, and Martha J. Prewit, aged 50 years, whose respective Post-Office addresses are as follows Blue Ball County of Scott, State of Arkansas, and Blue Ball County of Scott, State of Arkansas, and who, being duly sworn, declare- That we have been personally well acquainted with the applicant Lurilla L. Tate and have been acquainted with her for thirty-five years and have been personally acquainted with her since (1864) and know her to be the Identical Person she represents herself to be and know her to be the mother of John R. Tate and we further know her to now be loyal to the U.S. Government and that She have been since the war commenced and the reason why we know her to be and has been Loyal, we know that she was robed (sp) of nearly all she possessed in the time of the war by the Rebel army on account of her Loyalty and we further declare that we have no interest in said case, and are not concerned in its prosecution. Signed Martha J. Prewit and J.J. Tate (his mark) Witnesses Thomas J. Tate and W.A. Morris _____________________________________________________________________ General Affidavit State of Arkansas, County of Scott In the matter of Pension Claim of Lurilla L Tate, mother of John R. Tate Co. A "4" Ark Inf. Personally came before me, a Justice of the peace in and for aforesaid County and State, Jacob P. Tate, 46 years of age: Blue Ball Scott County Arkansas and Joseph Prewit 35 years of age Blue Ball Scott County Arkansas persons of lawful age, who being duly sworn, declare in relation to aforesaid case as follows: We are well acquainted with Lurilla L Tate applicant for invalid Pension of John R. Tate Private of Company A (4) Ark Infantry Volunteers and have been acquainted with her for the past twenty-five years and we know her to be the identical person that she represents herself to be and that she is now living and that she has no means of support of her own as she is at the present time living with her children and we further know that as to her personal property or real estate-She has no personal property nor has not had for many years and as to Real Estate she only held her dower which was very small it not being sufficient to support her and we further know that she has been unable to support her self since the death of her Son and we further know that John R. Tate enlisted in Company A (4) Regiment Arkansas Infantry Volunteers and further know that the records the county of Scott and State of Arkansas have been destroyed twice by fire therefore the Assessment of her property cannot be furnished. We further declare that we have no interest in said case, and are not concerned in its prosecution. Signed Jacob P. Tate and Joseph Prewit (his mark) Witnesses W.M. Taylor _____________________________________________________________________ General Affidavit State of ________, County of __________ In the matter of Pension Claim of Lurilla L. Tate, mother John R. Tate Co. A, "4" Ark. We the undersigned Citizens and householders in the County of Scott and State of Arks. do hereby certify that we have been personally well acquainted with Lurilla L. Tate mother of John R. Tate applicant for Pension. We know her to be the identical person she represents herself to be we have known her for the past twenty five years and we have been personally well acquainted with her all this time and all through the war. And we know that her means of support has been by her own labor and the labor of her children and her means of support was through and by these means until in the year A.D. 1877 when her youngest daughter married. Since that time she has been living with her children having broke up house-keeping. Our means of knowing this is we have lived near her all the time or near so we further know that she has not had any other means of support only as here stated and we further know that during a part of this time her means was very scant having a large family of children and most of them small at the close of the war having been robed (sp) of all she had during the war by the meandering rebel bushwhackers until it was nearly impossible for her to live atal. We further declare that we have no interest in said case, and are not concerned in its prosecution. Signed Joseph Prewit (his mark) and Jacob P. Tate Witnesses Thomas J. Tate and M.L. Hourck _______________________________________________________________________ General Affidavit State of Arkansas, County of Scott In the matter of Pension Claim of Lurilla L. Tate, mother of John R. Tate Co A 4th Ark Inf. Personally came before me, a Justice of the Peace, in and for aforesaid County and State, W. M. Taylor of the County of Scott and State of Arkansas person of lawful age, who being duly sworn, declare in relation to aforesaid case as follows: I have been well (well crossed out) acquainted with the claimant Lurilla L Tate mother of John R. Tate and was acquainted with her husband William Tate in his lifetime, my acquaintance being ever since the year 1852 and was acquainted with him until his death in the year 1864. He was killed in the month of April 1864 and all the time of my acquaintance with (him) he was an able bodied man and had no disability that I know of he being a laboring man all the time I was acquainted with him his occupation being a farmer, his age was according (to) recall was forty two (years) old at his death and I am satisfied that his widow has not married since his death and that she is still a widow and is now getting very old. As to the assessment of the real & personal estate of her husband, it cannot be given as the Record of the Clerks office has been burned twice and therefore cannot be given. There was no income devisable in the year 1864 from his labor for he was dead and therefore nothing could be devised. My Post office address is Blue Ball, Scott County Arkansas and I am in no way Related to the claimant and I further declare that I have no interest in said case, and I am not concerned in its prosecution. Signed, W.M. Taylor _______________________________________________________________________ General Affidavit State of Arkansas, County of Scott In the matter of Pension Claim of Lurilla L. Tate, mother of John R. Tate, late Co. A 4th Ark Inf Personally came before me, a (blank) in and for the aforesaid County and State, William M. Taylor aged (blank) years and F.W. Pollard aged (blank) years, whose respective Post office addresses are County of Scott state of Arkansas, and Scott Co. State of Arkansas persons of lawful age, who being duly sworn, declare in relation to aforesaid case as follows: This is to testify that We William M. Taylor and F.W. Pollard citizens of the County of Scott and State of Arkansas States that we were well acquainted with William Tate, husband of the applicant for Pension, Lurilla L. Tate and that we know her to be the Identical Person she represents herself to be and further that we were well acquainted with the said William Tate in his lifetime and that we know him to be dead and our means of knowing the same is that we saw him after death and before burial and further that we were well acquainted with her son John R. Tate in his lifetime and that we have been well acquainted with the family for the last twenty two years and further that our Post office address is Blue Ball in the county of Scott and State of Arkansas and that we have no interest in the Prosecution of the claim for Pension nor in any way related to the Party this January 31st 1881. Signed W.M. Taylor and F.W. Pollard ____________________________________________________________________ General Affidavit State of _______, County of______ In the matter of Claim of Lurilla L. Tate, mother of John R. Tate Co A 4th Ark Vols Personally came before me, a Justice of the Peace in and for aforesaid County and State, Jonathan Hunt, aged 38 years, and William M. Taylor, aged 34 years, whose respective Post-Office addresses are as follows Blue Ball County of Scott, State of Arkansas, and ________County of Scott State of Arkansas, and who, being duly sworn, declare in relation to aforesaid case as follows: That we have been well and personally acquainted with Mrs Lurilla L Tate and her family for the past twenty-two years; that they knew her son John R. Tate the soldier; that he was unmarried and left neither widow nor minor children surviving him; that said son worked for support of his mother prior to his enlistment and such labor was actually necessary for her Comfort; that since his death, she has not been able to provide sufficient support for herself. They further declare that they have no interest in said case, and are not concerned in its prosecution. Signed Jonathan Hunt and W.M. Taylor _____________________________________________________________________ War Department, Adjutant General's Office, Washington, Dec 8th, 1883 Respectfully returned to the Commissioner of Pensions. John R. Tate, a privt of Company "A", 4th Regiment Arks Inft Volunteers, was enrolled on the 5th day of Dec, 1863, at Waldron, Arks for 3 yrs, mustered in at Little Rock Arks July 25th 1864. Roll dated Aug 31/64, Sergt present, consolidated transfer roll of said Co. to Co. "I" 2nd Ark Infty, dated Oct. 25/64 reports he died in Regt Hosp at Little Rock Ark. Sept 4/64. Name John R. Tate not born on rolls of Co on file in this office. Final statement shows him Died Sept 4, 1864. The records of this office do not show cause of death. The records of this office afford no further information as to date place or cause of death than is stated on company rolls and final statement. Assistant Adjutant General, (signature unreadable) Department of the Interior, Pension Office, Washington D.C. Dec 15, 1883 Claim No. 276.836, has been filed in this office by Lurilla L. Tate, as mother of John R. Tate, who was a Sergt in Co "A" 4th Regt Ark. Vols and is alleged to have died Sept 4, 1864. Will you please to furnish, with the return of this circular, a copy of such evidence as may be in your possession relative to celibacy of soldier, his relationship to the claimant, his age, the immediate cause of his death, and to whom arrears of pay and bounty were allowed and by whom claimed. Very respectfully, Wm W. Dudley, Commissioner. _______________________________________________________________________ (The following written in Dr. Leming's own hand) Waldron Ark. Feb 19th 1884 Wm W. Dudley, Com of Pensions, Dear Sir, your note of 12th to hand, The Tate family and myself were neighbors before the war. John R. Tate and Thomas W. Tate and me went out together and enlisted in the 4th Ark Inft recruits. Bassel Blanchard acted as surgeon and myself as hospital steward. Dr Blanchard drank considerable and I had to attend the soldiers. I attended John R. Tate clostly but am not in possession of the records of the hospital but at the time that I signed the affidavit in question Lurilla Tate, mother of John R. Tate was present with a letter from Thomas W. Tate recording the death of his deceased brother exactly and she is here now and I know the facts contained in said affidavit by clost personal observation. I remain your most obet servant Elijah Leming, late hospt steward 4th Ark Inft recruits, now president of the Board of Medical Examiners for Scott Co., Ark. ____________________________________________________________________ (The following is written in Lurilla Tate's own hand) Blue Ball, Scott County Arkansas March 17 (1884) Mr Wm W. Dudley Dear Sir I have just received your letter of instruction in regard to the prosecution of my claim for Mothers Pension for my son John R. Tate who was a Sergt in Company A: 4th Arkansas volun for which I have been working through my attorney in Washington DC and now in answer to your request will say that I have furnished Evidence after Evidence in Support of my claim that I can Possible. As to the assessment of my property Personal or real cannot be given before stated to my attorney for the reason that the same has been burned and cannot be given and by referring to George E. Lemons, my attorney you can obtain the Evidence I have made. All the evidence that I can and had the Justice of the Peace's ________ certified by the clerk of the county and now I will say to you that I have done all in my power to get up the evidence in support of my claim. I am now getting very old and very feeble in my old days. I am very much Disabled at times with Rheumatism and now I am willing to take the chance for Pension and if I am not entitled to Pension I do not want anything unless I an entitled. I cannot make any stronger Evidence in my claim that the Evidence I have already furnished. I have been sworn time and again also have had my witnesses sworn as directed by my attorney. And now if I am not entitled under the Law with the Evidence furnished inform me at once. And if I an entitled I ask you as an honest and honorable man allow or disallow. Enclosed you will find the blank Evidence you sent me in the care of Dr. E. Leming of Waldron which he forwarded to me. And I am now answering in the close, I will Say Please answer this as soon as you can and let me know what can be done. My Post Office Address is Blue Ball, Scott County, Arkansas. Please write immediately, yours as ever. (signed) Lurilla L. Tate ____________________________________________________________________ State of Arkansas, County of Scott On this day personally appeared before me a, Justice of the Peace in and for the county and state aforesaid, Lurilla L. Tate, of the County of Scott and State of Arkansas, and stated under oath that the reason why she is unable to furnish evidence of those not related to her is that near all those living near her at the time of her sons enlistment have either died, moved away or was killed by bushwhackers during the war. There being none living in this county who are acquainted with the facts but what is in some way related to her. This is the reason why she has not furnished the evidence as required by the department. (signed) Lurilla L Tate, this July 28th 1885, B.L. Watson, J.P. _______________________________________________________________________ State of Arkansas, County of Scott, Blue Ball PO October, 20th A.D. (1884) I Lurilla L. ate, mother of John R. Tate Com A, 4th Arkansas. My post office address is Blue Ball in the County of Scott and State of Arkansas. Now I, Lurilla L. Tate, make this affidavit in support of my claim for pension of my son John R. Tate who died in the United States service: now I certify that my post office is Blue Ball, Scott County, Arkansas and that my post office in the year A.D. (1864) was Olio Scott County Arkansas and continued so until the year A.D. (1875) at which time it was changed to Blue Ball and my post office address has never been changed since, there being only one change in my post office address since the year A.D. (1864) to the present date and I further certify that the following named children were then members of my family in the year A.D. 1864. Thomas W. Tate was born in (1846) on the 10th of November Mary E. Tate was born in 1850 on the 17th of January Jacob M. Tate was born in 1852 on the 6th of April Henry M. Tate was born in 1854 on the 9th of April Sarah J. Tate was born in 1857 on the 31st of May Benjamin R. Tate was born in 1860 on the 6th of June And that no person has been legally bound to support me and that my actual residence has ever been in Scott County in the State of Arkansas in the year A.D. (1864) to the present time. Witness by (signed) Thomas J. Tate (signed) Lurilla L. Tate Sworn and subscribed to before me this 20th day of October A.D. (1884) and I hereby certify that the contents of the foregoing affidavit were fully made known and explained to the applicant before swearing thereto, John A. Taylor, Justice of the Peace ______________________________________________________________________ Affidavit of Lurilla L Tate. I Lurilla L. Tate late an applicant for Pension of John R. Tate and his mother Do Solemnly swear or affirm that I am the lawful mother of John R. Tate and that I never received any letters from John R. Tate, my son, while in the service of the United States Army nor anything pertaining toward a support until after the war ended when I made application for his pay and bounty which I received-given under my hand this March 8th A.D. 1886 (signed) Lurilla L. Tate Sworn and subscribed to before me this March the 8th 1886, T. W. Tate, J.P. ______________________________________________________________________ War of the Rebellion Dependent Mothers Pension Claimant-Lurilla L. Tate, P.O. Blue Ball, County-Scott, State-Ark Soldier-John R. Tate, Rank- Sergeant, Co.- "A", Regiment- 4th Ark. Vol. Rate, $8.00, Commencing Aug. 4th, 1880, the date of filing declaration, and $12.00 from March 19, 1886 Recognized Attorney, Name Geo. E. Lemon, PO Washington D.C. fee-$25.00 ($10.00 paid) Articles filed Aug 30, 1884 Submitted for Adm. May 4th 1886, John H. Howell, Examiner Approvals-Approved for allowance; Soldier died in service, dependence accepted May 21 1886 Important dates- Enlisted Dec 5th, 1863 Died Sept 4th, 1864 Declaration filed Aug 4th, 1880 Death of father April 3rd, 1864 U.S. Pension Agency, Knoxville, Tenn Oct 31, 1893 Sir, I hereby report that the name of Lurilla L Tate, who was a pensioner on the rolls of this Agency, under Certificate No. 222.909, and who was last paid $12, to 4 Feb, 1891, has been dropped because of death. Very respectfully, Wm Rule, Pension Agent.