Civil War pension depositions depict horrible realities of slavery

Recently, this column discussed Civil War pension application files, and the depth of their value as a genealogical resource. Amy Coffin, of the WeTree blog, has been posting the contents of a pension application file that she recently received for one of her ancestors. For former slaves, these files can contain hard details of life that are barely imaginable to our modern sensitivities.

The following deposition was filed in the case of a widow’s application for a pension. The details of her life are at times disturbing, but depict the horrible reality she was forced to survive. Please be aware, before continuing to read this deposition, that parts of it are quite graphic. The deposition has been reproduced here in its entirety.

On this 21^st day of April, 1905, at Croome, County of Prince George State of Md, before me, H. G. Ellis a special examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, personally appeared Cornelia Barnes, clmt., who, being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to her during this special examination of aforesaid claim for pension, deposes and says: I am 63 years of age; my post-office address is Croome, Prince George Co., Md. occupation housekeeper.

I am the widow of Alexander Barnes who served during the late war of the rebellion in Co. C. 4^th U. S. C. Infty. No, sir, I do not know the date of his enlistment neither do I know the date of his discharge. I know he had been a pensioner for years. I was married to Alexander Barnes, the soldier, Nov. 30, 1878, here in this village, by a minister named O’Carroll. I had a certificate of my marriage which I sent to the Pension Bureau. No, sir, there were no objections on either side to our being married. Soldier had been married twice before he married me, both his wives were dead when we got married. His first wife was named Caroline Ford, she died I believe in 1867, and was buried on what is called and known as the Bowie farm. No, sir, I did not live in this locality when soldier’s first wife died, but you have taken evidence to show she is dead, from children by that marriage. His second wife was named Harriet Diggs. I do not know the date of her death but know she had been dead some time when we were married. As the dependent widow of soldier Alexander Barnes I now claim a pension under the Act of June 27, 1890. No, sir, I have no property or income of any kind. I have no one upon whom I can ask to help me. No, sir, there were no children by soldier. Yes, sir, we lived together as man and wife, and were so recognized from the date of our marriage until soldier died Dec. 2, 1902, and since that date I have remained his widow.

No, sir, I was never married before I was married to soldier Alexander Barnes. The statement that I made to Special Examiner Walters that I had been married to a man named Thomas Smith was false. No, sir, I never went through any ceremony with this man Thomas Smith as I told the Examiner. I was born in this county on Dr. Wyvell’s place. I was sold and went to Richmond, Va., where I was again sold being bought by a white man named Reese Bowen who took me a long ways. I being ignorant, and not knowing the country, did not know where I was going. they said we were going south, and it was all south to me. He took me to his farm, he had three or four farms, they were way out in the country. I heard the men tell about Beans Station, but what state it was I do not know. I lived on this farm of Reese Bowen long before the war and lived there with his wife all during the war. No, sir, Reese Bowen did not go into the Army, but his two sons William and Wylie Bowen did go in the Southern Army. He had other sons named Nelson, George, John, & Robert & Samuel, Henry, daughters named Rachel & Sarah. All these people if living will remember me, for I worked some of the time in the field, then done the chamber work in the house. We were somewhere near Knoxville, Tenn., and the way I know that is that one 4^th of July some of the colored help said they were going there and did go, and walked there. No, sir, I did not go. There was on Reese Bowen’s place the following named who worked with me. Jack Bowen, colored, there were two Jack Bowen’s, one called big Jack, and one little Jack, Ned Bowen, colored, he went into the Army with his young master Wylie Bowen to wait on him. There was another colored man named Douglas Bowem that Reese Bowen bought in Richmond, Va., with three little children just before the close of the war. There was a white man that lived about four miles from Reese Bowen’s place, a lawyer, named James Shields, another white man named Samuel Gill that kept a store about four or five miles from Reese Bowen’s place. He had two sons and two daughters, Samuel and William, daughters name Mary & Rudy. Yes, sir, all these children knew me. I remained with Mrs. Bowen until she died, and she died the year that the people were coming home from the war. I then went to Dr. John Rhea who lived two or three miles from Reese Bowen’s place. Yes, sir, Dr. Rhea lived out in the country. I heard these people talk about Bean’s Station but that the soldiers had burnt it all down. I also heard them mention Knoxville & Morristown. I went to this last named place, drove there from Dr. Rhea’s, went there on a visit, started in the morning and arrived there in the afternoon, might have got there sooner if the roads had been good. I knew a white man there named Samuel Rhea, brother of the doctors, who went to a place called Blundville, to live with his mother. There were colored people with Dr. Rhea named Harriet, Betsey, who was killed by her husband, this occurred before the colored people got free. I lived with Dr. Rhea until I came back to Prince George Co., Md. in the year 1872 or 1873, where I have lived ever since. Dr. Rhea moved to a place called Union City after the war closed, I went with him, lived there about two years, when he run away one night or at least left in the night, for when I got up one morning I found them all crying and they said the doctor had gone, and as he and his sons had been keeping a store at Union City, they came there after the doctor left and lived on all the goods in the store and the furniture in the house. One of Dr. Rhea’s sons, William, had sexual intercourse with me, kept it up for a long time. I had by this William Rhea four children, two living, or at least I believe that two are living. I know one is, for I have him here with me, and always have had him with me. After the furniture was sold Samuel Williams, Mrs. Dr. Rhea’s brother, came and got Mrs. Dr. Rhea and her child Annie, and took them with me to Atlanta, Ga. What year this was I do not know. I took my child with me. We were taken to Mr. James Williams in the city of Atlanta, Ga., in the upper part of the city where there had been fighting. This James Williams was in the Dray business, for colored people that were working for him brought their drays and horses there and fed them. I remained with James Williams about a year when Dr. Rhea having returned to his brother Samuel Rhea, sent for his wife, and Mrs. Dr. Rhea and her little girl and myself returned to where the doctor was. We went to him on a boat. I heard them speak of a place called Athens. No, sir, I never returned to Atlanta, Ga., after I left there this time. After I got back to where Dr. Rhea and his sons were I again resumed my relations with his son William, and kept it up all during the time I was there, which was until this William Rhea died, but what year he died I do not know. He died in Union City. After he died Dr. Rhea and the other son wanted to have sexual relations with me, and I got tired of it, and left. This boy William was gentlemanly about it, but the old doctor was perfectly awful, he wanted to be riding me all the time, and the other boy was about as bad. So I took my child and left for this section. Dr. Rhea paid my way here. There was a Dr. Huffmaster called Dr. Huff for short that practiced through the country where Reese Bowen’s farm was and lived in a place called Rutlidge, and married a girl called Miss Jennie Tate. This Tate girl had sisters that kept a hotel at some hot springs. They were a long ways from Reese Bowen’s place. No, sir, there was no ceremony between a man named Thomas Smith and myself at Atlanta, Ga., or elsewhere. I never, so help me God, had anything to do with a man named Thomas Smith. Yes, sir, where I stated in my original declaration that I have been previously married to Thomas Smith, I told a falsehood, as well as when I told the Special Examiner when he was here the same thing. Yes, sir, I knew a man named John Philips but he never performed any ceremony over me. Yes, sir, where I said I had receipts from an undertaker in the city of Atlanta, Ga., showing that he had buried my alleged husband Thomas Smith, I stated a falsehood, in fact all that part of my statement relative to Thomas Smith are false in every particular. I never had a husband named Thomas Smith that I solemnly swear to the statement I have made to you to-day is true in every particular. I had these children by the son of Dr. Rhea. When I came back home I told every one that I had been married to this man Thomas Smith, I also told them that he died in the city of Atlanta, Ga. When I arrived home here I had two children with me and was in a family way as well. I gave birth to a child shortly after I arrived home, but it died. So you see I had to tell them something, so told that story about being a widow. Then when my husband Alexander Barnes went to get the license for our marriage, he had to tell them that I was a widow named Smith. I told this story to screen my name. I had been unfortunate, and my people when I got home had to be satisfied in some way, so I hid to them and have tried to carry it through, but have been caught, and have now as I said a moment ago, told you the truth.

Yes, sir, I heard that there was such a man as Thomas Smith, but I never knew or heard he was in any army.

There is another reason why I lied all the way through in this matter, that is, the father of my children was a respectable white man belonging to a good family and I being nothing but a poor colored woman, had no redress, so kept still and was forced to keep up my illicit intercourse with this man William Rhea until he died. After his death his brother and old man wanted to keep it up and I got tired of it, and so got away. That is the truth.

I have nothing further to tell you. I have told it all.

I thoroughly understand this statement. It has been read over very carefully to me, and all my answers are correctly recorded.

Attest: Cornelia [her mark] Barnes

Claude Smith

Sallie Quander

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 21^st day of April 1905, and I certify that the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing.

H. G. Ellis

Special Examiner

[SOURCE: Deposition ‘A’ of Mrs. Cornelia Barnes (claimant) to Special Examiner, 21 Apr 1905; widow’s pension application no. 775,179, certificate no. 593,219; service of Alexander Barnes (Pvt., Co. C, 4^th U. S. Colored Infantry, Civil War); Case Files of Approved Pension Applications..., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D. C.]