MEXICAN WAR WIDOW'S PENSION APPLICATION - MARY A.F. ASHLEY, WIDOW OF JOEL C. ASHLEY

Contributed by: Candace (cteal@dnc.net)


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Mexican War Pensions
Declaration of Widow for Pension

State of Georgia
County of Carroll

On this 15th day of June 1887, personally appeared before
me, a clerk of Superior Court of said County, the same being
a court of record in the State of Georgia, Mary A.F. Ashley,
a resident of Carrollton in the county of Carroll, in the
State of Georgia, who being by me firstduly sworn according
to law, deposes and says:

I am the widow of Joel C. Ashley, who served under the name
of Joel C. Ashley, as a Private in the company commanded by
Captain William T. Wofford, in the regiment of ____commanded
by Col. Calhoune in the War with Mexico; that my said
husband enlisted at Columbus, Georgia on or about the 28th
day of August 1847 for the term of five years or duration of
the war; that I was married under my name of Mary A.F.
Stallings, to my said husband, by Judge John Lang on or
about the 24th day of October 1843 at Carrollton in the
State of Georgia, and lived with my said husband from the
date ofmy said marriage until the day of his death; to wit
the 28th day of September 1868, when my said husband died at
Burleston County, in the State of Texas, and that I have not
since remarried; that there was never any legal impediment
to said marriage.

That my said husband, being duly enlisted as aforesaid,
actually served sixty days with the Army of the United
States in Mexico, and was honorably discharged at Mobile (I
think) in 1848.

That I am sixty three years of age and that I was born on
the 18th day of March 1824 in Greene County, in the State of
Georgia.

That my husband was disabled by reason of Rheumatism
contracted while in actual service of which he died, that I
made application for invalid pension but never did know what
became of it, and the said disability was not incurred while
he was in any manner voluntarily engaged in or aiding and
abetting the late rebellion against the United States.

That in support of and proof of my right to pension, I
tender herewith, under regulations prescribed by the
Secretary of the Interior, the following evidence: The
Aggidavits of Joseph C. Benson who served in the same
company with my husband and knows of his service, and the
enlistment of my said husband;

And the Affadavit of Eli Benson who has knownme for forty
years or longer; That since the death of my said husbandI
have resided in the following places: Carrollton Georgia and
in Burleston, State of Texas.

Mary A.F. Ashley

June 1887

General Affadavit State of Georgia County of Carroll

In the matter of theclaim for invalid pension of Mrs. Mary
A.F. Ashley,widow of Joel C. Ashley, on this 17th day of
March 1886, personally appeared before me, a Clerk of the
Superior Court, in and for said county, duly authorized to
administer oaths, R.L. Richards, aged 65 years, a resident
of Carrollton in the county of Carroll and state of Georgia,
whose post office address is Carrollton, Georgia, is well
known to me andto be reputable and entitled to credit, and
who being duly sworn, deposes and says; that he was
personally acquainted with Joel C. Ashleyfrom the year 1842
up to the date of his death in 1868, that in 1847 or 48he
entered the U.S. Army and went into service inthe War in
Mexico. That at the time he was enlisted into the service he
was appearing a sound and healthy man; when he returned from
the war about 16 months thereafter, that he was never able
up to the day of his death to walk without crutches; so far
as his loyalty was concerned, I know of my own knowledge he
took no part inthe late Warbetween the North and the South,
because he was totally unable todo so, andas to the Loyalty
of Mrs. Mary A.F. Ashley, I know she took no part in the
rebellion whatever, because of the same reason, as a matter
of course, her and her husbandsfeelings was with the South,
but I know they took no part in that said war; that they
lived near each other and were quite well acqainted with
both of them at least thirty five years and know that what I
have stated is true and further declare that I have no
interest in said case and not concerned in it's prosecution.
R.L. Richards

State of Georgia County of Carroll

Before me, R.L. Richards, Ordinary and Ex Officio Clerk of
the Court of Ordinary in and for said county; In person came
before me, John D. Hightower, a resident of Heard County, in
said State, who on oath says that he was a private in the
company commanded by Captain William T. Wofford in the War
with Mexico; that he was mustered into service in the city
of Columbus in the State of Georgia, in the year A.D. 1847.
That Joel C. Ashley, husband of Mary A.F. Ashley, was
mustered into service at the same place in the same company
and at the same time; that the said Joel C. Ashley was a
member of his mess in said company; that he knows of his own
personal knowledgethat he was in good health to all human
appearance for some four months after his enlistment up to
the same time in February A.D. 1848, at which time he was
attack with Rheumatism and was left at a hospital at
Veracruse in Mexico; that he was never able to perform any
further service in the Army during the war; that in the
month of June 1848 Joel C. Ashley was honorably discharged
and returned to his home in the town of Carrollton in the
county of Carroll in the state of Georgia.

That he was intimately acquainted with the said Ashley from
the date of his return from the war up to the year 1864 when
said Ashley removed to the State of Texas, and knows of his
own knowledge that he was totally unable to do any manual
labor, in consequence of the disease that he contracted
while in the service of the United States in the War with
Mexico; that he was almost drawn double with Rheumatism and
deponent has every reason to believe and does believe that
Joel C. Ashley contracted said Rheumatism while in the war
and while in actual service. That he had been intimate with
said Ashley for several years and never at any time heard
him complain of anything of the kind until the time above
specified and from that he knows of his condition at the
time he last saw the said Ashley; he verily believes he
never recovered from said disease up to the day of his
death; that the said Ashley from the date of the attack grew
worse up to the day he removed from Carroll County, GA to
the State of Texas; that he was almost helpless at the time
he removed; That he is not now, never was, in any way,
related to Joel C. Ashley or his widow Mary A. Ashley; that
he has no interest whatever either direct or indirect in the
prosecution of Mrs. Mary A. Ashley's claim for pension

John D. Hightower X his mark

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 24th day of April
1883 (?) R.L. Richards, Ordinary, Ordinary's Office,
Carrollton, Georgia I, R.L. Richards, Ordinary and Ex
Officio Clerk of the Court of Ordinary in and for said
county, do certify that I am well acquainted with John D.
Hightower the affiant, that he is a credible person, that he
resides in Heard County, State of Georgia, that his post
office address is Franklin, Georgia in said county that he
knew the contents of his affadavit before being qualified,
that he dictated the same himself that all the
interlineations were made and read before the affiant; that
he made his mark to the Affadivit in my presence. Given
under my hand and seal of office, at the time and place
above specified. R.L. Richards, Ordinary

Affadavit of Witness State of Georgia County of Carroll

Before me, a Clerk of Superior Court, and for the County of
Carroll on this fifteenth day of June 1997, personally
appeared Joseph C. Benson, who being first duly sworn,
deposes and says:

I have known Mary A.F. Ashley for the space of forty five or
fifty years, and I was requested by said Mary A.F. Ashley to
sign my name as witness to the declaration for pension,
sworn to by her on the fifteenth day of June 1887, and that
at her request I so signed my name as witness; that the said
Mary A.F. Ashley is the identical person who signed the
foregoing declaration and who is therein described as the
widow of Joel C. Ashley, who enlisted in the Company of
Captain William T. Wofford, in the regiment commanded by
Col. Calhoune, in the Mexican War; that the said Mary A.F.
Ashley was married to Joel C. Ashley, under the name of Mary
A.F. Stallings, by Judge John Lang on or about the 26th day
of Oct 1843 at Carrollton, in the state of Georgia and lived
with her said husband from the date of her said marriage to
the date of his death, to wit: the 28th day of September
1868 when the said Joel C. Ashley, husband of Mary A.F.
Ashley, died at Burliston County in the state of Texas....

I knew her before and after the marriage up to the present
time...I enlisted and served in the same company with him
and know that he served as set out in the foregoing
application. I knew him prior to his and her marriage and
knew him well up to the day of his death. I have known her
longer;

That the said Joel C. Ashley was disabled by reason of
Rheumatism contracted while in actual service in said War of
which he died; I was with him at the time he contracted said
disease. That the said Mary A.F. Ashley is sixty two years
of age, having been born on or about the 18th day of March
1824 in Grreen County in the State of Georgia, and that I
swear to these facts, from knowledge obtained as follows: I
have known her and her father from her childhood. Joseph C.
Benson

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 15th day of June
1887. Jno M. Kelly, Clerk, Superior Court, Carroll County,GA

Record Proof of Marriages, Births and Deaths State of
Georgia County of Carroll

On the 8th day of January 1883, before me the Ordinary in
and for said County, personally appeared Susan M. Steadman,
who being duly sworn, deposes and says that she resides in
the town of Carrollton, County of Carroll, in the State of
Georgia; That she was well acquainted with Joel C. Ashley,
husband of Mary A. Ashley; that he died in Burlison County,
Texas on the 8th (?) day of September 1868; that she was
present at his death; that Mrs. Mary A. Ashley is his widow;
that she has not remarried since her husband's death; that
the physician who attended him during his last illness was
named Dr. King, that he has since died and that she does not
recollect his given name.

Susan M. Stedman

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 8th day of January
1883 ?). R.L. Richard, Ordinary and Ex Officio Clerk of the
Court of Ordinary, Carroll County, GA