Clayton County Georgia Southern Claims William Y. CONINE File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by SHEILA (CONINE) FORESTER Saconine@aol.com Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/clayton.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm SOUTHERN CLAIMS COMMISSION Congress enacted legislation in 1871 by which Union Sympathizers could petition the US Government for compensation due to losses of personal property seized by the Union Army for use by the Union Army. The US Government sent a representative from Washington DC to take depositions from the individuals making claims against the government. The claimants family and friends gave their depositions to the representative in hopes of proving the validity of the claim. This is the claim of William Y. CONINE. William Y. CONINE made his claim against the government soon after Congress passed legislation. In this particular case William Y. CONINE who was an elderly man, passed away before the representative could come to his home. In many cases it took the government several years to actually get the claimants deposition, because the representative had to personally come to the homes of many of the claimants. William Y. CONINE may have passed away before he could give his deposition, but that did not stop his family of heirs from pursuing the claim against the government. I have transcribed here one of the depositions, his daughter, Mary M. GRANT. “Testimony of Mary M. GRANT, taken under oath at her residence, two miles west of Morrow Station, Clayton Co. Ga. Aug. 17, 1878. Q What relation are you to the deceased claimant Wm. Y. CONINE ? A His daughter, he died about a year before mother, the Spring of 1874, I think. Q How many children did he leave? A Two boys and three girls, living. One sister died since the war, leaving two children. She married James HUIE. She was the oldest. Her husband was in the Army. Louisa BURKE, she is dead, she died before the war. Margaret OSBORN is the oldest. No, she is not the oldest living, Jane HUIE is the oldest one living, I spose she is about 50 years old. Her husband was in the Confederate Army. Margaret OSBORN is the next, she is about 45, her husband died since the war, he was to old for service. Presley CONINE is the next oldest. He was a soldier. I am the next oldest , I married since the war, an old country man, he was not in this country. Robert CONINE, he was not in the army. He is now about 32 or 33 years old. Q How long was your father in the Confederate Army? A He was not in it. He was to old, and I don’t think he would have went. He lived right here. My brother went from home. He was in Capt. DOLLANS Company, his initials are “W.P.” Father was not in that company. Brother was living at home, I think he is about 40. Q Do you remember what was done to keep him out of the army by your father? A He just went and volunteered. I don’t recollect anything, only he opposed the war in his conversation. Q Who fixed up your brother’s clothes when he started away? A I think they ____ their suit of clothes. I don’t know whether father sent him any clothes or any money. He volunteered in 1862. He was a prisoner at Rock Island a year or two. Q Did your father try to persuade him not to go? A Well I spect he did, but I don’t know. Q Do you know whether there were any men laying out in this section? A Yes sir, There were a good many. ____ THAMES, and _____ , and my brother Robert, and Uncle David HUIE’S sons. Q Were not all the HUIES, so far as you know trying to get others into it? A All except Uncle David HUIE, he tried to keep them out. Q Was your father ever arrested, threatened or abused for his opposition to the Confederacy? A No sir, he never was arrested, He never was threatened or abused by anybody. He had some property taken by the Confederates, but not much. They came and cut a piece or two of corn. They give him papers but didn’t pay. Q Did you ever hear of your father advising any soldier to desert from the Confederate Army? A He advised his boys after they went into the army. He had two. I didn’t __ __ any that was dead. I had two brothers die or get killed in the army. They were all living at home. One volunteered, W.P. the other two went to keep from being conscripted. I don’t know that I ever heard my father tell them to desert. Q Did any of these “lay outs” ___ around him? A Yes, I’ve ____ them provisions myself. My youngest brother and Uncle David HUIE’S boys, they were my cousins. Note: He must have asked her a question About “stills”, as she goes on to answer, I don’t know whether he was running a a distillery. I never was at a distillery. The boys stayed right around us. The boys were not around the stills. My pa was a very temperate man, and ____ little he had to do with stills. Q Do you know whether he contributed anything to outfit soldiers? A I don’t think he did. Q Where does W.P. live? A Over here between a mile and a mile and a half. Q Who were the Union men in this Community? A David HUIE, David NORMAN, Richard DANIEL, and Dr. IRWIN., that is all I remember that was noted. Champ JONES, he was. Champ JONES was not around here, but he was a noted Union man. He and his father, ____ Hotwell JONES. Q Did your father leave a will? A No sir, he had disposed of most of his property by deeding it off to his boys before he died. The homestead of 25 acres was left to me. It came to me through mother. Q Do you know who belongs to the Vigilance Committee in this section? A Mr. John HUIE, John SETTLES belongs about here. They were around here after the YOUNG boys. They came here after my brother when he was out. I don’t think father was here, but I recollect mother telling him that Robert was all the one she had at home, and she was not going to let him go. Q Please hear this read. If I have made any mistakes tell me and I will correct them. If correct say yes. A That is the least I can do. I had three brothers in the army. One volunteered and went. The others didn’t go until they had to, to avoid the Conscript. One had a family of small children, they were not living on this place, he lived about 5 miles from here on his own land. She still lives there. I don’t think father did anything for them only when they come home he would fix up provisions for them to take with them, and when any of their company came we would fix up and send them some thing. That’s all I can recollect. Mary M. Grant Claim for compensation for said stores and supplies was presented to the Commissioners of Claims under the Act of Congress approved March 3, 1871, and was by said Commissioners disallowed and reported to Congress in December, 1879, on the ground that they were not convinced of the loyalty of the claimant. Being dissatisfied with this decision, the administrator of Wm. Y. CONINE appealed to Congress, and his claim was there, by the committee on war claims in the House of Representatives, transmitted to this Honorable Court for findings of fact in accordance with the provisions of the Bowman Act on the 6th day of March, 1888. Here then is further testimony given by another daughter Margaret A. OZBURN or OSBORN, not entirely sure of the spelling. “William Y. CONINE was my father’s name. My name is Margaret A. OZBURN. My father was 77 years of age when he died two years ago. I have lived in Clayton County Georgia 44 years. Father was born in Greene County, Georgia, and resided in this county ever since I was 1 year old. I lived with him all through the war and was most intimate with him of any of the family. The claimant was my father. I was born in Jackson County Georgia. My father’s sympathies and mine were in favorof the Union all the time throughout the war. He had warm sympathies for the Union side all the time. He had no opportunity to do anything for the Union Army as the army only camped near us one night and one day while they were tering up the railroad and he had no chance to do anything more then talk in favor of the Union. He and I took the Union side; he was opposed to Seccession and voted against it. I always sided with my father. He and I fed deserters or men who were not willing to go to the war. I cooked for them and carried the meals to them where they were hid out in the woods. Father adhered to the Union cause all the time and did not go with Georgia when she went out of the Union. I sided with father in all he did. My father was alwys glad to hear of the Confederates being whipped; he always said they would be whipped; he never rejoiced to hear of the Confederates gaining a battle. I felt bad also; I felt bad to know of the awful suffering of human beings and those who were pushed out half clothed, but I, like my father, had no sympathy with the Confederacy. He had no regard or use for it at all in anyway. He was glad to hear of the fll of New Orleans but said it was just what he expected and prophesied and was glad to know of the fall of Vicksburg and was glad to hear of the final surrender of the Confedeate forces and the end of the war. He always hated the Confederacy and the Rebels. But near the close of the war everyone was trying to keep out of the war. If it had not been for his age he would have been handled roughly. I don’t recollect the names of those who made threats against him. Neither he nor I ever did anything for the Rebel cause. He and I hated the Rebel cause with a perfect hatred; all of our family were Union people. He had three sons who were conscripted and one chose his company and his other son concealed and would not let him be conscripted. The older son James was living off by himself and had a family. He was about thirty years old at the time he was notified to go. The second son John was about 22 when he was conscripted. The third son William P. was about 20 when he was notified to go. Father was dreadfully opposed to his going to the war and would not do anything in the way of furnishing him with military clothing, oufit, equipments or support. Father voted for the Union candidates and against Seccession.” ______________________________________________________ ________ MARY M. GRANT TESTIFIES: Age 34, residence Clayton County, Georgia; have resided there all my life. Claimant was my father and I am one of the heirs. My sentiments were on the Union side the same as my father’s from the beginning to the end of the war. When the United States Army passed by here I cooked and waited on them. I had a cousin who was a Chaplain in a Kentucky regiment (named MCMILLEN). I was like my father, on the Union side. I adhered to the Union cause like father. I don’t recollect about the first battle, I was so young. I always felt bad to hear of any battle and the suffering of the poor soldiers. I had no sympathy with the Rebels for I did not think they would succeed anyhow. I was always glad to hear of the success of the Union Army; I thought their success would end the war. I was glad to hear of the capture of New Orleans because I thought it was one step nearer ending the war; I was glad to hear of the fall of Vicksburg because I thought it would break up the rebellion. I rejoiced to hear of the final surrender of the Confederate forces and end of the rebellion and restoration of the Union. I formed my opinions from hering my father talk. He was a very strong Union man. When the army was passing they protected the dwelling house and family from harm. Rebels took my father’s property and he never got any pay for it. He never presented any account to any one. I had three brothers two were conscripted and one volunteered after getting notice that we was allowed to choose his own company. James was about thirty years old and I remember; John was about 22, and W.P. was about twenty years old. W.P. lives in clayton County, Georgia. The others are dead. James was off by himself when he went and was forced to go the the service; father did nothing to their support or military outfit in any way. I am married; was married 9th day of November, 1875. ______________________________________________________ ________ In returning the foregoing testimony to the Commissioners of Claims, the special Commissioner made the following report: The deceased claimant has been represented to me as a man of excellent character; has been a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church for over 40 years; and was a Whig in politics. He was, as reported to me, by many men, who I have talked with, as one of the strongest Union men in this county; his family is spoken of as a Union family. They are a family of good character, as represented by their neighbors. The witness Richard Daniels is also a man of good character. From what I have heard from many Union men there is no doubt in my mind that the deceased and his family were strong Union people. Their family connections seem to be Union people as reported to me and the neighborhood where they resided was a Union neighborhood. From what I have heard from the neighborhood, the quantity of corn is much less claimed for then what was actually taken. They could get many more witnesses as to loyalty. ______________________________________________________ ________ ROBERT A. CONINE TESIFIES: I am the son of the claimant and one of the heirs. I resided in Clayton County, Georgia during the late war. Father and all the family were Union people. I hid out rather than go to the Rebel Army. I had a cousin who was a chaplain in a Union Kentucky Regiment. I, with my father, took the Union side at the outbreak of the war. I had no vote. I was to young to vote; I was threatened to be conscripted but I hid out. I would take to the woods when the conscript officers would come after me. They got after me with their guns. They saw me once. Three men got after me on their horses. I was in the house when they came in sight. I took to the woods, they after me, but I got away from them. Another time there were five or six of them who came after me with their guns. I was hunting at the time with A. S. HUIE, Joseph HUIE, James S. LEE; they never did get me. ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for FREE access. ==============