CIVIL WAR PENSION APP. - JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, OKALOOSA CO., FL

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Application No. 8949
Pensioner No. 23781

Soldier's Pension Claim
Under General Pension Law of Florida as Amended by Acts of 1925.

(FORM A)

State of Florida,}
County of Okaloosa,}

On this 30 day of Sept., A. D. One Thousand Nine Hundred and Thirty, personally 
appeared before me, a Notary Public, in and for the county and State aforesaid, 
John Q. Adams, who being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is 85 years 
of age, having been born on the 25 day of Dec. 1844, in the county of Coffee, in 
the State of Alabama.  That he is a bona fide citizen of the county of Okaloosa, 
State of Florida.  That he has resided in the Sate of Florida continuously since 
the 10 day of March 1894.

That he is the identical person who enlisted at Elba, under the name of John Q. 
Adams, on the 10 day of April 1864, in Company Brown, Regiment Home Guards of the 
State of Ala., in the service of the Confederate States Home Guard for the State 
of Ala., and who was HONORABLY DISCHARGED at Elba, in the State of Ala., on the 
____ day of May, 1865, on account of the end of the war.

(Here state any other military service performed by applicant.)
was a detailed Guard in hauling Provisions, as well as regular duty with the 
Company, and assisted in capturing and dealing with deserters, and Raiders, 
watched Court House and Bridges, Court House was destroyed and the party captured 
and killed, 

(Here give date and place of capture, imprisonment, exchange or parole.)

was in service in our Company when the War was ended, we was at Elba, Ala.

That I served faithfully until HONORABLY DISCHARGED from the service of the 
Confederate Home Guard Company, in the year 1865, and did not desert the service 
of the Confederate Home Guard Company, nor take the oath of allegiance to the 
United States until after the surrender of the Confederate Armies.

(Here state whereabouts at close of Civil War.)

That I was at Elba, Ala., in service.

That my postoffice address is Laurel Hill, County of Okaloosa, State of Florida.

His X mark:  John Q. Adams
             (Claimant must sign name in full.)

Attest:

(1)  M. Morrison
(2)  __________

Sworn and subscribed before me this 19th day of March A. D. 1931; 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. Morrison, N. P.

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Report of County Commissioners

We, the undersigned, County Commissioners in and for the County of Okaloosa, Florida,
do hereby report that at a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners held this 
day, the foregoing application of John Q. Adams, for a pension under the Laws of 
Florida, was investigated by us, and we are satisfied that the representation made 
in the petition and affidavits are true, and that a pension should be granted to 
the applicant.

Witness our hands this 14th day of April, A. D. 1931.

(1)  W. H. Graham, Chairman
(2)  C. M. Hall
(3)  B. H. Kennedy
(4)  H. L. Griffith
(5)  T. Holley
       County Commissioners.

By the County Commissioners Attest:

Albert Carr, Clerk Circuit Court.

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(FORM E)
Affidavit to be Made by Comrade

State of Fla.,}
County of Okaloosa}

Before me, a Notary Public in and for the State and County aforesaid, personally 
came H. M. Mason, of Crestview, Fla. County of Okaloosa, State of Fla., who, being 
duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical person who enlisted 
at Elba in the State of Ala. on the ____ day of ____, Company Brown Home Guard 
Regiment of the State of Ala., which organization was regularly mustered into the 
service of the Confederate State of America; that he knows of his own personal 
knowledge that John Q. Adams enlisted in Company Brown Regiment of the State of Ala.
Home Guards, at Elba, in the State of Ala. on the 10 day of April, 1864; that he 
served faithfully in the said organization until the ____ day of May, 1865, when 
he was HONORABLY DISCHARGED on account of close of the war, at Elba in the State 
of Ala., and did not desert the Confederate States service nor take the oath of 
allegiance to the United State before the close of the War.

I know personally of the above stated service, because I served with John Q. Adams 
in Company Brown Regiment Home Guard of the State of Ala., and was HONORABLY 
DISCHARGED at Elba, in the State of Ala. on the ____ day of ____, 1865, by reason 
of close of war and I did not desert the Confederate States service nor take the 
oath of allegiance to the United States before the close of the War.

His X mark:  H. M. Mason
Late of Company Brown, Home Guard

Sworn and subscribed before me this 19th day of March, 1931, and I hereby certify 
that the above declaration was fully made known to the affiant before swearing, and 
that I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the pension claim sought to be 
established by this declaration.

M. Morrison, N. P.

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(FORM F)
Affidavit to be Made by Comrade

State of Fla.,}
County of Okaloosa}

Before me, a Notary Public in and for the State and County aforesaid, personally 
came W. A. Lundy, of Laurel Hill, Fla. County of Okaloosa, State of Fla., who, 
being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical person who 
enlisted at Elba in the State of Ala. on the ____ day of ____, Company Brown Home 
Guard Regiment of the State of Ala., which organization was regularly mustered into 
the service of the Confederate State of America; that he knows of his own personal 
knowledge that John Q. Adams enlisted in Company Brown Regiment of the State of Ala.
Home Guards, at Elba, in the State of Ala. on the ____ day of ____, ____; that he 
served faithfully in the said organization until the ____ day of ____, ____, when 
he was HONORABLY DISCHARGED on account of close of the war, at Elba in the State of 
Ala., and did not desert the Confederate States service nor take the oath of 
allegiance to the United State before the close of the War.

I know personally of the above stated service, because I served with John Q. Adams 
in Company Brown Regiment Home Guard of the State of Ala., and was HONORABLY 
DISCHARGED at Elba, in the State of Ala. on the ____ day of ____, 186_, by reason 
of close of war and I did not desert the Confederate States service nor take the 
oath of allegiance to the United States before the close of the War.

William A. Lundy
Late of Company Brown, Home Guard

Sworn and subscribed before me this 19th day of March, 1931, and I hereby certify 
that the above declaration was fully made known to the affiant before swearing, and 
that I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the pension claim sought to be 
established by this declaration.

M. Morrison, N. P.

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Letter

Southeastern Construction Co.
500 South Fifteenth Street
P. O. Box 329
Birmingham, Ala.

Address Reply to:

Florala, Ala.
April 3rd, 1931

I swear under oath that I was a boy of about twelve years old in 1864 and lived 
near Elba, Ala. at that time and knew John Quincy Adams before he joined the Brown 
Home Guard, saw him in service with other men and remember very distinctly seeing 
him swim a swollen stream with the others and have seen him constantly since and 
know that he served about one year with this company and did not desert.

His X mark:  J. W. Powell

Witness,
G. G. Hart
Lee Mathis

Sworn to, and subscribed before me a notary public in Covington County, Ala. this 
3rd day of April 1931.

G. G. Hart, N. P.

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Letter

DeFuniak Spr's. Fla. Rt. 2 box 65
Jan. 11th, 1934

Pension Department
State of Florida

Dear Sirs some time ago I had the Co. Judge of Walton Co. to write to you about 
getting help as a Pension and I have the Blanks but I am not able to go to get the 
witness at this time and I notice where you say if, I have made the proof before 
that it will do so I am writing this to ask you to look up my proof and see if it 
isn't all o.k.  As you know I am old and can't be hear long I want you to try and 
help me I haven't been able to take the trip since I got the blanks and I need the 
help if anybody does I live with my widow daughter and all we have is what one of 
her little Boys can work out please look over the records and see if you haven't 
got all the proof required.  I hope I can get all that's coming to me so I can have 
a home to live on what time I stay hear and leave it to my daughter to help pay 
her and the children for taking care of me the Boy can't go to school for he's the 
bread winner well I will go hoping to get an ans. soon before its to late.

Resp. yours
J. Q. Adams
DeFuniak Spgs. Fla.
Rt. 2 Box 65
cfo. W. M. Hinley's Box
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Letter

Jan. 12, 1934

Mr. J. Q. Adams
Rt. 2, Box 65
% Mr. W. M. Hinleys Box
DeFuniak Springs, Florida

Dear Mr. Adams:

I wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the eleventh with reference to 
your application for pension, which was filed in the Pension Department April 21, 
1931.  In your application you stated that you enlisted April 10th, 1864, in Brown's
Home Guard Company of Alabama and served until Discharged at Elba, Alabama at the 
close of the war.

In order for you to be eligible to pension in this State the fact must be 
established that you rendered some service to the Confederate States Army and the 
records from Alabama showed that Captain Brown's Company was a home guard 
organization, and not in the service of the Confederacy.

Yours very truly,

Secretary, Pension Board

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Letter

Jan. 13, 1934

Mrs. Marie B. Owen
Director, Department of Archives & History
State of Ala.
Montgomery, Ala.

Dear Mrs. Owen:

For the information of the Pension Department will you kindly advise if your 
records show that there was a Company of Home guards, a man by the name of Brown 
Captain, at Elba, Alabama.

There are three soldiers applying for pension in this State who claim to have 
served in Captain Brown's Home Guard Company at Elba, Ala.  They are William A. 
Lundy, John Q. Adams and Henry M. Mason.  If you have any record of their service/or
of Captain Brown's Company and whether the company ever rendered any service to 
the Confederate Army, I will appreciate you giving any information you may have.

Thanking you for the splendid co-operation you have always given this Department, 
I am,

Yours very truly,

Secretary, Pension Board

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Letter

Oct. 2, 1935

Hon. Sidney J. Catts
DeFuniak Springs, Florida

Dear Mr. Catts:

I wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the twenty-eighth with reference 
to the application for pension of Mr. John Q. Adams which was denied by the Pension 
Board because the service he rendered was in a home guard organization of Alabama 
and not in the regular Confederate service.

I am enclosing herewith copy of a letter from the Pension Department of Alabama 
and you will note that Mrs. Owens' states that "Men who claim service in this same 
command are not permitted admittance to the pension rolls in Alabama".

If you wish, however, to appear before the Pension Board I will be glad to arrange 
to notify you when the next Pension Board Meeting is held or the earliest date 
practicable when all three Members of the Pension Board can be present and give 
you a hearing.

Mr. Adams' should furnish proof of the fact that he rendered service to the 
Confederate States Army before he would be eligible to pension as home guards of 
other States are not entitled to pension in this State unless it can be proven that 
the Company actually rendered service in the State of Florida or to the Confederate 
Army, and the fact that the members of Brown's Company are not entitled to pension 
in Alabama, their own State, proves that they were not in the Confederate service.

Assuring you that when Mr. Adams applied that the Pension Board made every effort 
possible to help him get the proper proof to meet the requirements of the Pension 
Law and that I will be glad to co-operate with you in any way that I may be able 
to assist now if new Official evidence can be procured.

With Best Wishes, I am,

Your very truly

Secretary, Pension Board

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Chapter 19299 No. 304

An Act Granting A Pension to J. Q. Adams of Okaloosa County, Florida.

Whereas J. Q. Adams of Okaloosa County, Florida is now ninety-twp (92) years of 
age and in feeble and weakened physical condition so as to incapacitate him for 
work to support himself, and he is in destitute circumstances and greatly in need 
of a pension;

And Whereas, J. Q. Adams has resided in the County of Okaloosa for more than fifty 
(50) years, and is one of its oldest citizens;

And Whereas, J. Q. Adams at the age of fifteen (15) years enlisted in the 
Confederate services in the Home Guards in Coffee County, Alabama, and rendered 
valuable services therein to the Confederate cause;

Be It Enacted By The Legislature Of The State Of Florida:

Section 1.  That in recognition of the services rendered by the said J. Q. Adams, 
he is hereby awarded a pension in the sum of Four Hundred Eighty Dollars ($480.00) 
per annum in equal monthly payments, in the same manner that other pensioners are 
paid, said payments to be made during the remainder of his natural life or until 
otherwise provided by law.

Section 2.  That the sum of Four Hundred and Eighty Dollars ($480.00) per annum, 
is hereby annually appropriated out of the Pension Fund of the State of Florida to 
the pension hereinbefore provided, and it shall be the duty of the Comptroller to 
draw his warrants from the Treasurer payable from said appropriation on the first 
of each month hereafter and transmit the same to said pensioner.

Section 3.  All laws and parts of laws in conflict herewith be and the same are 
hereby repealed.

Section 4.  This Act shall take effect immediately upon its becoming a law.

Became a Law June 12, 1939.

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Letter

August 23, 1939

Mr. John Q. Adams
Laurel Hill, Florida

Dear Mr. Adams:

Referring to Chapter 19299, An act of 1939, granting you a pension was presented 
to the State Board of Pensions yesterday afternoon in connection with your 
application for pension and the State Pension Board declined to place your name on 
the pension roll because you served in the home guard of Alabama and was not in 
the regular Confederate States Army.

Yours very truly,

Secretary
State Board of Pensions

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Claim for Pension by
John Q. Adams of Laurel Hill Postoffice
Okaloosa County

Filed in Pension Department
April 21, 1931

Approved and Filed in Comptroller's Office
Special Act of 1941
With pay from June 4, 1941
At the rate of $600.00 per annum