Civil War Pension Record: Lena Olive Ransome (Melton) McEwen, widow of Francis Marion McEwen, Shelby, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/shelby/military/civilwar/pensions/lormcewen.txt ================================================================================ USGENWEB NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed and copyrighted by: Ronald D. Bridges ================================================================================ October 1998 Lena Olive Ransome (Melton) McEwen: Application for Widows to Be Placed on Pension Roll after Death of Husband. Shelby Co., AL On 8 Apr 1914, Lena Olive Ransome (Melton) McEwen filled out an Application for Widows to Be Placed on Pension Roll after Death of Husband (Francis Marion McEwen) in the Shelby Co., AL. He had died on 22 Mar 1914. On 6 Apr 1916 she had an update to her pension. In said pension the following is written: I solemnly swear (or affirm) that I married my husband, on account of whose service in the Confederacy I draw a pension, prior to April 1865, the exact date of our marriage being 10 Dec 1855. Her signature is next. Later she had to reapply due to an amendment to the previous act for pension. She recorded verbally to the Judge of Probate (the blanks, which were filled, had a different writing than her signature) that she was living with her son-in-law, Mr. Jackson, husband of Ida Lee McEwen; she was born in Newton GA on 9 Jul 1839; her father was Jesse Melton and he died at Marblevalley, Coosa Co., AL; she had lived in the States of MS, GA, & AL and the counties of Tallapoosa, Coosa, and Shelby, which all three are in AL; her post offices were Dadeville, Tallapoosa Co., Rockford, Coosa Co., and Columbiana, Shelby Co.; she moved to AL when she was a small child; her husband enlisted in the State of MS in infantry as a private, the 31 Miss Infantry; he was wounded in and around Baton Rouge, LA and he was literally shot to pieces in the face, arms and legs; he was discharged at Jonesborough, GA "on account of inability for future service, on account of wounds as above, August 1864"; he was not paroled; he drew a pension in Shelby Co., AL; and the pension is only income she has. She signed it on 29 Nov 1920. Note: Lena Olive Ransome Melton (b. 9 Jul 1839 Newton, GA & d. 10 May 1930 in Wilsonville, Shelby Co., AL) married Francis Marion McEwen (b. 14 Apr 1831 in Gwinnett Co., GA & d. 22 Mar 1914 in Wilsonville, Shelby Co., AL) on 10 Dec 1855 in GA. They are both buried in Wilsonville Cemetery, Wilson- ville, Shelby Co., AL. The above researched by Francis Marion McEwen’s 2nd great-grandnephew, Ronald D. Bridges in 1997.