CIVIL WAR WIDOW'S PENSION APP. - POLLIE A. (SPURLIN) BOWDEN, WIDOW OF ELI A. BOWDEN,
OKALOOSA CO., FL

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Application No.  22214
Pensioner No.  4811

WIDOW'S PENSION CLAIM
Under General Pension Law Of Florida As Amended By Acts Of 1921

FORM A

State of Florida,}
County of Okaloosa}

On this 3rd day of March, A. D. One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty-two, personally 
appeared before me, a notary public in and for the County and State aforesaid Pollie 
A. Bowden a resident of Okaloosa County, State of Florida, who being duly sworn 
according to law, makes the following declaration in order to obtain a pension 
under the provisions of the General Pension Laws of Florida as amended by Chapter 
8400, Acts of 1921.

That she is the lawful widow of Eli A. Bowden who enlisted under the name of Eli A. 
Bowden on the 15th day of November, 1862, in Company K 25th Regiment of the State 
of Alabama and who was honorably discharged at December, 1864.  He ? a pension in 
Coffee Co., Alabama for several years and took up resident in Florida 8 years ago 
and lost the Ala. pension.

That she was lawfully married to the said Eli A. Bowden under the name of Polly A. 
Spurlin in the County of Coffee State of Alabama on the 11th day of Dec., 1856, and 
that she was not divorced from him before nor has she remarried since his death, 
which occurred on the 25th day of June, 1920, in the County of Okaloosa, State of 
Florida except as hereinafter stated.

That she is a resident of Okaloosa County, Florida, and has continuously resided in 
the State of Florida since the 6th day of January 1914.

That she is not a pensioner of any other State.

That her Postoffice address is Crestview, County of Okaloosa State of Florida.

Her X mark:  Polly A. Bowden

Attest:

(1) T. A. McCallum
(2) Joseph E. Each

Sworn and subscribed before me this 3rd day of March, A. D. 1922, I hereby certify 
that the above declaration, etc., was made known and fully explained to the 
applicant before swearing, and that I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the 
prosecution of this claim.

T. A. McCallum
Notary Public

(c)

State of Florida
County of Okaloosa

Before me, a notary public, in and for the County and State aforesaid, personally 
appeared A. W. Powell and W. A. McCallum who, being duly sworn according to law, 
deposes and says, each for himself, that he knows of his own personal knowledge of 
the death of Elia A. Bowden which occurred at Dorcas, County of Okaloosa, State of 
Fla. on the 25 day of June, A. D. 1920.

A. W. Powell
W. A. McCallum

Sworn and subscribed before me this 8th day of May, A. D. 1922.

T. A. McCallum
Notary Public State of Florida

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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 Polly A. Bowden for a pension under the Laws of 
Florida, was investigated by us; that we are satisfied that the applicant has been 
a bona fide citizen of the State of Florida for eight years just preceding the date 
of this application, and that the representation made in the petition and affidavits 
are true, and that a pension should be granted the applicant.

Witness our hands this 9 day of May, A. D. 1922.

(1) T. Holley, Chairman
(2) George Wright
(3) D. E. Hilton
    County Commissioners

By the County Commissioners.  Attest:

D. H. McCallum
Clerk Circuit Court

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(FORM E)

Affidavit to be Made by Comrade

State of Florida}
County of Walton}

Before me, a notary public in and for the State and County aforesaid, personally 
came Hugh P. Prescott, of DeFuniak Springs, County of Walton State of Florida 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 Dec. 1861, in Company K 
Regiment of the State of Alabama, which organization was regularly mustered into 
the service of the Confederate States of America; that he knows of his own personal 
knowledge that Eli A. Bowden enlisted in Company K Regiment of the State of Alabama,
at ____, in the State of Alabama on the ____ day of ____, 1862, that he served 
faithfully in the said organization until the ____ day of ____, 186_, when he was 
HONORABLY DISCHARGED on account of wounds.

I know personally of the above stated service, because I served with him in Company 
K Regiment 25th of the State of Alabama, and was HONORABLY DISHCHARGED at Richmond, 
in the State of Va., on the ____ day of ____, 1865, by reason of pay role 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.

Hugh P. Prescott
Late of Company K, 25th Regt.

Sworn and subscribed before me this 11 day of April, 1922, 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.

Chas. A. McCleod
Notary Public State Fla.

(FORM F)

Affidavit to be Made by Comrade

State of Florida}
County of Walton}

Before me, a notary public in and for the State and County aforesaid, personally 
came W. F. Donaldson, of the County of Walton, State of Florida who, being duly 
sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical person who enlisted at 
Elba, in the State of Alabama on the ____ day of Feb. 1861, in Company K 25th Ala. 
Regiment of the State of Ala., which organization was regularly mustered into the 
service of the Confederate States of America; that he knows of his own personal 
knowledge that Eli A. Bowden enlisted in Company K 25th Regiment of the State of 
Ala., at Elba, in the State of Alabama on the 15 day of Nov., 1862; that he served 
faithfully in the said organization until the 15 day of Dec., 1864, when he was 
HONORABLY DISCHARGED on account of being wounded, at ____ in the State of Tennessee, 
and did not desert the Confederate States service nor take the oath of allegiance 
to the United States before the close of the War.

I know personally of the above stated service, because I served with Eli A. Bowden 
in Company K Regiment 25th of the State of Alabama, and was HONORABLY DISCHAGRED at 
Montgomery, in the State of Ala., on the ____ day of April, 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.

W. F. Donaldson
Late of Company K 25th Regt.

Sworn and subscribed before me this 25th day of April, 1922, 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.

T. A. McCallum
Notary Public State of Fla.

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State Board of Pensions                                         No.  22214
Governor
Comptroller
Treasurer

Department of Pensions, State of Florida,
Tallahassee, Fla.
May 12th, 1922

The Adjutant-General,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir:

Eli A. Bowden, whose widow is applying for a pension under the Laws of Florida.  
Claims to have been a member of Company K 15th Alabama Regiment (or 25th), 
Confederate States Army.

Please furnish me with the record of this soldier.

Yours very truly,

Ernest Amos
Comptroller

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War Department,
The Adjutant General's Office
Washington
May 17, 1922

Respectfully returned to
The Comptroller,
Department of Pensions,
State of Florida,
Tallahassee, Fla.

with the information that the records show that, Elia A. Bowden, also found as Eloy 
A. Bowdoin, enlisted August 30, 1862, at Montgomery, Ala., and was retired November 
28, 1864.  Place not stated, a private of Co. K, 25 Alabama Infantry, C. S. A.

Robert C. Davis
Acting Adjutant General

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State Board of Pensions                                         No.  22214
Governor
Comptroller
Treasurer

Department of Pensions, State of Florida,
Tallahassee, Fla.
May 12th, 1922

The Adjutant-General,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir:

Hugh P. Prescott, who is witnessing a claim for a pension under the Laws of Florida.
Claims to have been a member of Company K 25th Regiment, State of Alabama, 
Confederate States Army.

Please furnish me with the record of this soldier.

Yours very truly,

Ernest Amos,
Comptroller

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War Department,
The Adjutant General's Office
Washington
May 17, 1922

Respectfully returned to
The Comptroller,
Department of Pensions,
State of Florida,
Tallahassee, Fla.

with the information that the records show that, Hugh Prescoat, also found as 
Prescott, and H. P. Prescott, enlisted January 20, 1862, at Elba, Ala. assigned to 
Co. K, 25 Alabama Infantry, C. S. A. and was paroled June 20, 1865, at Montgomery, 
Ala., a private.

Robert C. Davis,
Acting Adjutant General

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State Board of Pensions                                         No.  22214
Governor
Comptroller
Treasurer

Department of Pensions, State of Florida,
Tallahassee, Fla.
May 12th, 1922

The Adjutant-General,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir:

W. F. Donaldson, who is witnessing a claim for a pension under the Laws of Florida. 
Claims to have been a member of Company K 25th Alabama Regiment, Confederate States 
Army.

Please furnish me with the record of this soldier.

Ernest Amos,
Comptroller

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War Department,
The Adjutant General's Office
Washington
May 17, 1922

Respectfully returned to
The Comptroller,
Department of Pensions,
State of Florida,
Tallahassee, Fla.

with the information that the records show that, William F. Donaldson, enlisted 
March 16, 1862, at Elba, ala., and was assigned to Co. K, 25th Alabama Infantry, 
C. S. A.  Muster roll Sept & Oct., 1863, only roll on file, reports him present, a 
private.

No record of capture, parole, or any later record found.

Robert C. Davis,
Acting Adjutant General

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Probate Office Coffee County
S. N. Rowe, Judge
Elba, Alabama

April 28, 1922

Hon. T. A. McCallum
Crestview, Fla.

Hon. Sir,

In reply to your request to fill in the proper blanks concerning the marriage of 
Uncle Ely A. Bowden, he was married further back than we have a record of.  Our 
records got burned in 1864 and we only have records of marriages from then to the 
present time.

Yours truly,

S. N. Rowe
Judge of Probate

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State of Florida
County of Okaloosa

Before me, a Notary Public, personally came H. D. McCallum and J. N. Boothe who, 
being sworn, depose and say that they are personally acquainted with Polly A. Bowden 
who has made application for widows pension and they were acquainted with Eli A. 
Bowden, and they believe, beyond any reasonable doubt, that they were lawfully 
married in the year 1854, and that the records were supposed to have been destroyed
by fire in 1864, and that there are no known living witnesses that saw them married;
and further - That we have no interest, whatever, in this claim.

Furthermore:  We know from personal knowledge that they have lived together as man 
and wife for 20 years.

H. D. McCallum
J. N. Boothe

Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 20th day of May, 1922.

T. A. McCallum
Notary Public

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Claim For Pension
By Pollie A. Bowden
Of Crestview, Okaloosa County
Widow Of
Eli A. Bowden 
Of
K Company
25th Ala. Regiment
Filed In Pension Department
May 12, 1922
Approved And Filed In Comptroller's Office
July 26, 1922
With pay from May 12, 1922
At the rate of $300.00 per annum
Sinclair Wells
Secretary of Board