CIVIL WAR WIDOW'S PENSION APP. - POLLY (SMITH) BENNETT, WIDOW OF ISHAM BENNETT, Alachua Co.,
FL

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Application No. A11393

Widow's Application for Pension

STATE OF FLORIDA,}
Alachua County,}

On this 3rd day of October 1904 personally appeared before me a Clerk of the Circuit Court 
in and for said county and State, Mrs. Polly Bennett aged 57 years, who being by me duly 
sworn according to law, makes the following declaration in order to obtain the pension provided 
by Act of the Legislature, approved June 6, 1903, for indigent widows of deceased Confederate 
soldiers and sailors:  That she is the lawful widow of Isham Bennett who enlisted May 1862 
in Captain R. Bennett Company, 54 Regiment of the State of Ga. and was paroled a prisoner of 
war 1865, at Greenburrough [sic] in the State of N. C. killed in battle or honorably discharged 
from said service, and died on the 5th day of July 1904 at his home in Alachua County.

That she was legally married to said solider prior to the first day of January, 1885, at 
Palatka in the State of Florida; that she has been a bona fide resident of the State of Florida 
continuously, since the first day of January, A. D. 1890; that she does not own property, 
real and personal, to the value of $800 in this or any other State, and is not otherwise 
enabled or in a position to earn a livelihood, and has no income from any source sufficient 
for a livelihood; and that she has not purposely disposed of any property for the purpose of
availing herself of the provisions of this act.

Polly Bennett
P. O. Address:  Francis, Fla.

Sworn and subscribed before me this 3 day of October 1904.

H. C. Denton
Clerk Circuit Court Alachua County
per S. H. Wienges, DC

I do solemnly swear that I personally knew the said deceased Isham Bennett, that I served 
with him in Capt. R. Bennett Co. of the 54 Regiment for the State of Georgia, and know of my 
own knowledge that he never deserted the service of his State, or of the Confederate States.

Silas Thornton
Late Lieut. Co. K 54th Ga. Regt.
Screven, Ga.

Sworn and subscribed before me this 26th day of September 1904.

James W. Poppell
Notary Public Wayne County Georgia

We do solemnly swear that we personally know the above applicant Polly Bennett that she was 
the lawful wife of Isham Bennett now deceased, that she has never remarried since his death, 
that she is a person of "respectability and good reputation," that she does not own property
to the value of $800 in this or any other State, and that she is not possessed of a sufficient 
income from any source, and has constantly resided in Florida since January 1st, 1890.

H. Chancy
H. S. Bennett

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 1st day of October, 1904.

Jno. T. Stokes
Justice of the Peace

I certify that the above affidavits are genuine; that all of the affiants are persons of 
respectability and good reputation, and that their statements are worthy of belief; that the 
attesting officers are duly authorized to attest said affidavits, and that their signatures 
thereto are genuine when known to me.

H. C. Denton
Clerk of Circuit Court
per S. H. Wienges, DC

We, the undersigned County Commissioners of ____ county, Florida, do hereby certify that we 
have carefully investigated the above application for pension made by ____ and are satisfied
that the facts and conditions therein stated and alleged are true and correct and that she 
is legally and justly entitled to the pension provided by the act, approved June 6th, 1903.

T. F. Thomas, Chairman
E. L. Johnson
J. G. Dampier
P. G. Ramsey
County Commissioners

By the County Commissioners, Attest:

H. C. Denton
Clerk Circuit Court
per S. H. Wienges, DC

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Claim For Pension
By
Mrs. Polly Bennett
Of LaCrosse, Fla.
Alachua
Widow Of
Isham Bennett
Of
58 Ga Regiment
Filed In Executive Department
October 15, 1904
Approved
Aug. 16, 1905
C. H. Dickinson
Secretary of Board
Pay from Oct 15, 1904
At rate of $96.00 per annum.

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Widow's Pension Claim
Under The Act Of 1909

(FORM A)

STATE OF FLORIDA,}
County of Putnam}

On this 20 day of July, A. D. One Thousand Nine Hundred and nine, personally appeared before
me, a County Judge in and for the County and State aforesaid Mrs. Polly Bennett a resident 
of Palatka County of Putnam State of Florida, who being duly sworn according to law, makes 
the following declaration in order to obtain a pension under the provisions of Chapter 5885,
Laws of Florida, approved June 7, 1909.

That she is the widow of I. A. Bennett, who was enlisted under the name of I. A. Bennett, on 
the ____ day of May, 1862, in Company "K" 54th Ga. Regiment of the State of Georgia and who 
was honorably discharged at Greensboro N. C. April 26, 1865, on account of end of war.

That she was lawfully married to the said I. A. Bennett under the name of Polly Smith in the
County of Putnam, State of Florida on the 6 day of May, 1868, and that she was not divorced 
from him and that she has not remarried since his death, which occurred on the 6 day of July,
1908, in the County of Alachua State of Florida.

That she is a resident of Putnam County, Florida, and has continuously resided in the State 
of Florida since the 6 day of May 1869.

That she does not own property, including real estate, personal property, mortgages or other
collateral securities, stocks or bonds in this or any other State to exceed in value the sum
of Five Thousand Dollars.

That the following is a true and correct statement of all property owned by me in this or 
any other State:

No property except wearing apparel 

That she has heretofore been granted a pension from the State of Florida under Certificate 
No. 3371.  That she is not a pensioner of any other State.

That her Postoffice address is Palatka, care Silas Smith, County of Putnam, State of Florida.

Polly Bennett
(Claimants must sign Christian name.)

Attest:

(1) ?
(2) J. P. B?

Sworn and subscribed before me this 20 day of July A. D. 1909; and I hereby certify that the 
above declaration, etc., were fully made known and explained to the applicant before swearing; 
and that I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the prosecution of this claim.

M. I. Coxe
County Judge

(FORM B)

STATE OF FLORIDA,}
County of Putnam}

We, the undersigned citizens of Putnam County, State of Florida, do hereby certify that we 
personally know Mrs. Polly Bennett, who is an applicant for a pension under the Laws of Florida,
and that from our own personal knowledge, and from the best information available, we believe 
that the applicant does not own property to exceed in value the sum of $5,000, and that the 
statements made by her relative to the value of her property are true and correct.

Joseph ?
P. M. Hagan

Sworn and subscribed before me this 20 day of July 1909.

M. I. Coxe, County Judge

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Report of County Commissioners

We, the undersigned, County Commissioners in and for the County of Putnam, Florida, do hereby 
report that at a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners held this day, the foregoing 
application of Polly Bennett for a pension under the Laws of Florida, was investigated by us; 
that we are satisfied that the applicant does not own property to exceed the value of $5,000,
and that the representations made in the petition and affidavits are true and that a pension
should be granted to the applicant.

Witness our hands this 3 day of August, A. D. 1909.

(1) L. C. Stephens, Chairman
(2) B. T. Salana
(3) T. J. Rogers
(4) W. C. Alvers
(5) M. Bohannon
County Commissioners

By the County Commissioners.  Attest:

Henry Hutchinson
Clerk Circuit Court

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Application No. 16411
Pensioner No. 4373

Claim For Pension
By
Mrs. Polly Bennett
Of
Palatka Postoffice
Putnam County
Widow Of
I. A. Bennett
Of
"K" Company 54th Ga. Regiment
Filed In Pension Department
Aug 18 1909
Approved
Sep 10 1909
With pay from Jul 1 1909
At the rate of $120 per annum

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Dec. 7, 1955

Miss Aurora C. Shaw
Genealogist
1818 Euclid Street
Jacksonville, Fla.

Re:  Wiley Bennett
     Daniel Bennett
     Miram Bennett
     Isham Bennett
     Noah Bennett
     William Bennett

Dear Miss Shaw:

Replying to your letter of November 30th, I wish to advise that we do not have the names or 
dates of births of the children of Confederate pensioners.

The records show that Wiley Bennet [sic] received a pension from the State of Florida, based 
on services rendered by him in Company I, 8th Florida Florida [sic] Infantry, Confederate 
States Army, from enlistment, about May 2nd, 1862, until wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness,
in Virginia, and he was on furlough because of such wound at the close of the war.  Date of 
birth, "from the best information I have, about 22nd of May, 1833, in Columbia County, Florida.
He was living in Clay County at the time he applied for a pension.

Daniel Bennett of Volusia County, received a pension based on services rendered by him in 
Captain James Starke's Company, "H" 7th Battalion, Cavalry, Florida, C.S.A., 1861 - 1865, 
date of enlistment not shown, but he was home on sick furlough at the time of the close of 
the war.  Typhoid Fever.

I. A. Bennett of Alachua County, received a Confederate pension from the State of Florida 
based on services rendered by him in Company "K", 54th Ga. Regiment, C.S.A., or rather his 
widow received a pension under Certificate No. 4373, Act of 1904 and 1909.  he served from 
enlistment in May of 1862, until discharged at Greensboro, N. C. April 26 ? residence, 
Alachua and Putnam County.

Noah Bennett served in Company C, 7th Florida Infantry, C.S.A., and so did William Bennett. 
They enlisted March 20, 1862, and their names are on page 174 of "Soldiers of Florida," with 
no information shown as to date of discharge.

Sorry we have no other information concerning the above mentioned soldiers.

If you will write the General Services Administration, National Archives Building, Washington,
D. C. it may be that you can obtain more information.

With best wishes, I am,

Yours very truly

Ray E. Green, Comptroller

By:  W. C. Hoffman
     Chief Auditor
     Confederate Pensions

WCH/RB