CIVIL WAR PENSION APP. - JOHN WILKINSON, OKALOOSA CO., FL

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Pensioner No. 8797
House Bill No. 283
Special Application No. 23093

Letter

Purl G. Adams
Attorney And Counselor At Law
Office Second Floor Ferdon Building
Crestview, Florida
July 6th 1927

Hon. Ernest Amos,
Comptroller, State of Florida,
Tallahassee, Florida

Dear Sir:

In re; Pension of John Wilkinson, Okaloosa County, Florida

Your letter dated July 5th 1927, to hand and contents, noted, together with a copy 
of the Chapter 9206, Acts, 1923 for which I thank you for writing Mr. Wilkinson.  
He is a great friend of mine, and gratuitously I am assisting him in securing the 
pension, I cannot see the position of the Board of Pensions in this matter, still 
however I would desire your advise what proof you require in order to hold Mr. 
Wilkinson on the pension roll.

The Session of 1923, of which I was a member passed the Act, which shows upon its 
face the intention of the Legislature, not to require proof, but if they found out 
that the soldier was a deserter or did not serve in the Confederate Service, that 
they could strike him from the pension roll.  NOW, why could the Board hold its 
position to require proof.  If the proof is such that we can furnish we will gladly 
furnish same, but should the requirements be such that we cannot we shall 
immediately insist on this pension being paid without proof.

Owing to the great lapse of time, it is hard to secure such proof, but there is one 
person living that would make affidavit that Mr. Wilkinson did not desert the cause,
and that the service was made by Mr. Wilkinson as a Home Guard.  If your Grandfather
were living he could certify that the service was had under him a Captain.

Thanking you for your advise, I remain,

Yours very truly,

Purl G. Adams

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Letter

July 8, 1927

Mr. Purl G. Adams,
Crestview, Fla.

Dear Mr. Adams:

Your letter of the sixth about pension allowed Hon. John Wilkinson duly to hand.

Senator Wilkinson has been a good friend of mine for many years and I want to do 
everything I can consistently under the law to have his pension paid.  In his case, 
as viewed by the Board, he was put on the pension roll without any evidence of 
service.  The act of 1923, Chapter 9206, makes it the duty of the Board to 
investigate the war record of each and every soldier upon which a special act is 
passed and if it be found to the satisfaction of the Board that any soldier 
deserted or did not render service then the Board is empowered, directed, and 
required to strike the name from the roll.  It seems to me the language could not 
be plainer that it is the duty of the Board to investigate the war record and that 
is what we are trying to do in each case where it is not made to appear that 
service was rendered, or that such soldier did not desert.

I have been trying to find some evidence of the service of Senator Wilkinson, and 
others, in order that their claims may be fully established.  I respectfully 
suggest that he obtain affidavit of any person who may have knowledge of the 
service that they go into detail of the matter by affidavit in narrative telling 
minutely upon what their information is based so it will not be a mere bald 
statement that he served, but go into details as to why and how they know the 
service was rendered.

I know it is hard to obtain proof of this service, especially in the home guard.  
If my grandfather were living no doubt he would be able to testify in his behalf, 
or if any of his comrades are still living they could do so.  I am trying to find 
some proof to sustain his claim and hope you will be able to do so, Mr. Adams.

With best regards, I am,

Yours very truly,

Comptroller

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Letter

Purl G. Adams
Attorney And Counselor At Law
Office Second Floor Ferdon Building
Crestview, Florida
July 21st 1927

Hon. Ernest Amos,
Comptroller, State of Florida,
Tallahassee, Florida

Dear Sir:

In re; Pension of Senator John Wilkinson

As per your letter of July 8th 1927, I herewith hand you affidavit of Mr. A. J. 
Melvin, to substantiate the application for pension.

Would appreciate the Boards early attention to this matter.

Yours very truly,

Purl G. Adams

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Letter

July 23rd, 1927

Mr. Purl G. Adams,
Crestview, Fla.

Dear Sir:

I am in receipt of your letter of the 21st, and beg to advise that the affidavit in 
regard to Senator John Wilkinson's was service has been filed with his application 
for pension.  This affidavit is very good and I will be very glad to present same 
to the Board for consideration at its next meeting.

I might suggest that you furnish another similar affidavit if possible, which would 
put the claim in good shape.  Of course this affidavit is good but it is always best
to have as much information as possible and the two affidavits would make the claim 
much stronger.

Yours very truly,

Comptroller

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Letter

Purl G. Adams
Attorney And Counselor At Law
Office Second Floor Ferdon Building
Crestview, Florida
August 13th, 1927

Hon. Ernest Amos,
Comptroller, State of Florida,
Tallahassee, Florida

Dear Sir:

In re: Senator John Wilkinson's pension:

I herewith hand you two affidavits in support of Senator Wilkinson's claim for 
pension.

I truly hope that the Board of pensions will allow this pension.

Yours very truly,

Purl G. Adams

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State of Florida,
County of Okaloosa

Before me, the undersigned authority personally appeared Senator John Wilkinson, 
who being by me first duly sworn, deposes and says that he has read the affidavit 
hereto attached, and know the contents thereof as made by Mrs. V. S. Riley, that 
the Home Guards of which he was a member was mustered in the yard, within fifteen 
(15) feet of the porch of Doctor Drakes' residence, who was the father of the said 
Mrs. V. S. Riley, and that the said Mrs. V. S. Riley saw the affiant and the said 
Home Guards mustered in the said yard, but owing to the great number and the secrecy
of the Home Guard Organization, she was not advised and did not know all of the 
members, which included the affiant.

And the affiant further testifies that the said Captain Amos' Home Guards never 
mustered a time without he was present and that the Home Guard mustered as sworn to 
by Mrs. V. S. Riley was this Company of which he was a member.

John Wilkinson

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 13th day of August, A. D. 1927.

Purl G. Adams
Notary Public

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Affidavit to Pension Application

State of Florida,
Okaloosa County,

Before me the undersigned authority personally appeared A. J. Melvin, being by me 
well known, who after being by me first duly sworn deposes and says, that he is 73 
years of age, and have resided in the town and vicinity of Holt, Florida for the 
past 73 years, and have known Senator John Wilkinson for his, the affiant's life, 
that he, the said John Wilkinson served in the Home Guard division of the State of 
Florida, during the last two years of the War between the States, in the Confederate 
Service; that the said Senator John Wilkinson was Orderly Sergeant under Captain 
Sidneyham Amos, was a comrade of the said Senator John Wilkinson's, in the Home 
Guard Service; that the affiant and his said brother lived together during the War, 
which was about 7 miles from where, Senator John Wilkinson resided; that when the 
Home Guards would be called out for service, which was every week or two, Senator 
John Wilkinson, who was Orderly Sergeant would come to the affiant's and his Brother
Joe's house after Joe to go with him to the company's service; that during the last 
two years of the War, when this service was rendered, the said Senator John 
Wilkinson came to affiant's home, dressed in Sergeant's uniform, with gun for 
service after affiant's Brother Joe, for more than twenty-five times, at intervals 
of one and two weeks, and that the two would leave affiant's home for the service 
as a Home Guard, telling the affiant's relatives at home the purposes of their 
departure being to serve in the Home Guards of Florida; That this service continued 
on until the end of the War and the said Senator John Wilkinson is known by the 
affiant to NOT have deserted the said Confederate States services in the said War.

His X mark:  A. J. Melvin
Witness as to signature:  W. C. Jones

Sworn to and subscribed before me this the 20th day of July, A. D. 1927.

Henry Holt
Notary Public

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Affidavit

Personally appeared before me, a notary public, Mrs. V. S. Riley, and makes oath 
that she was present at her home and remembers that the Home Guard mustered there 
to the best of her knowledge and belief.  The place being known as the Pitts Bridge 
on Black Water River about eighteen miles East of Milton, Florida in Santa Rosa 
County.

Given under my hand and official seal this 13 day of August A. D. 1927.

Mrs. V. S. Riley

Witnesses:  C. J. Riley
            E. E. Wilkinson

Joe Shofner
Notary Public

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An Act Granting Pension to Senator John Wilkinson of Okaloosa County, Florida.

Whereas, John Wilkinson has been a citizen of the State of Florida for the past 
eighty-one years and is now eighty one years of age, and

Whereas, Senator John Wilkinson served in the war between the states in the 
Confederate State's Service as a Home Guard in and for the State of Florida for 
more than one year in the years of 1864 and 1865 under Sidneyham Amos, who was 
Captain, the grandfather of our present State Comptroller, Earnest Amos, and 

Whereas, Senator John Wilkinson was honorably discharged from the said Home Guard 
Company, and

Whereas, the said Senator John Wilkinson served as member of the House of 
Representatives of Florida in the Session of 1885, and

Whereas, the said John Wilkinson served as Senator of the Florida Legislature in 
the Session of the years of 1889 and 1891, and

Whereas, the said John Wilkinson has never heretofore felt his need for a pension 
as such Home Guard and has never applied for same to the pension board, but is now 
very infirm and in need of the pension for his support, and

Whereas, he cannot now, owing to the death of his comrades furnish proof sufficient 
for his services to effect a pension from the pension board of Florida under the 
General Pension Law of the State, and

Whereas, during the whole life of the said Senator John Wilkinson he has been a 
Public servant when needed for the Confederate State's and the State of Florida, 
therefore

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA:

Section 1.  That the State Pension Board be and they are hereby directed to place 
the name of John Wilkinson of Okaloosa County, Florida, upon the Pension Roll of 
this State to be paid in the same manner and at the same rate that other pensioners 
of the State are paid.

Section 2.  This Act shall take effect upon becoming a Law.

Approved:  May 25, 1927

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Senator John Wilkinson
Baker, Fla.
Okaloosa County,
Filed in Pension Department
June 8, 1927
Chapter 12168
Act 363
Approved by Governor
May 25, 1927
Approved by Pension Board 10/5/27
With pay from May 25, 1927
At the rate of $480.00 per annum
Roumelle Bowen