Military: Civil War Pension Application for Charlotte Missouri (Stewart)Gaines, widow of Madison Monroe Gaines, Claiborne Parish, LA Submitted for the LAGenWeb Archives by: Kelly Priestly, Simsboro, LA Date: Jan. 2000 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** [Submitter's note: Some of these say "Bienville Parish" but they lived in Claiborne Parish. The area they lived was closer to Arcadia so that's where they did all their business.] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Widow's Application For Pension State of Louisiana Parish of Bienville On this 10th day of May 1921, personally appeared before me, R. L. Williams, Notary Public, within and for said Parish and State, Mrs. M. M. Gaines, aged 76 years, a resident of the town of Arcadia, Parish of Bienville and State of Louisiana, who being duly sworn according to law, declares she is the widow of M. M. Gaines who entered the service of the Confederate States during the civil war under the name of M. M. Gaines at Cleburne County, Ala. on the Fall of 1861 or 1862, in Company E, 22nd Ala Regt. from the State of Alabama that he served honorably until end of war at Tallidiga, Ala. on the close of the war; and that he remained true to the Confederate States, until the surrender, at which time he was in Co. E, 22 Ala. Reg., as Private; that she was married to the said soldier under the name of Charlotte Steward on the 28th day of February 1869, by Justice Taylor at Arcadia, Louisiana; that she has not married again, and that she is now in indigent circumstances and unable to earn a livelihood by her own labor or skill; that she is not married or otherwise provided for by the State of Louisiana or by any other State or Government; that her said husband died on the 22nd day of December 1914, at Arcadia, Louisiana; that she has resided in the State of Louisiana [since 1859] years next preceding the date of this application, and that she claims the aid and benefit of Article 303 of the Constitution of 1898 and subsequent Acts of the Legislature thereunder, as is further shown by her answers to the following questions, which she swears to be true and correct: 1. Under what circumstances did your husband die? Heart trouble 2. Where is he buried? Near Arcadia, at Macedonia 3. What are your means of support? None 4. What is the value of your property, real and personal, if any? About $1000.00 5. Have you conveyed property to anyone in the past few years? No 6. If any, how much and to whom conveyed? -------- 7. Give your post office address and that of your two witnesses. Arcadia, Louisiana Witness my hand on this 10th day of May 1921. Mrs. M. M. Gaines Witness: W. M. Deas L. M. Tooke Office of Board of Pension Commissioners Baton Rouge, LA, June 2, 1921 To Adjutant General War Department, Washington D.C. Dear Sir: This Board, in the discharge of its duties under Article 303 of the Constitution of 1898 of the State of Louisiana, and of Act No. 125 of its General Assembly of the same year, creating a Board of Pension Commissioners, respectfully apply for information from your records, relative to M. M. Gaines or Mat Gaines of Company E, 22nd Alabama Infantry. The widow claims that he served through the war and was paroled at Talidiga Ala. Please follow this soldier through his service and report and greatly oblige yours. Very Respectfully, John McGrath War Department The Adjutant General's Office Washington, June 9th, 1921 Board of Pension Commissioners State of Louisiana Baton Rouge, LA Respectfully returned with the information that there are no rolls on file in this office for Co. E, 22nd Reg. Ala. Inf. The name M. M. Gaines, Pvt. Co. E, 22nd Reg. Ala. Inf. C. S. A. is found on a Register of Payments on Descriptive list, showing record of service May 1, 1863 to June 30, 1863, paid July 12, 1863. Union Pris. of War record shows one M. M. Gaines Pvt. Martin's Batt., paroled at Talladega, Ala. May 23, 1865. R. C. Harris The Adjutant General State of Alabama County of Cleburne Personally came and appeared before me, the undersigned authority, Dook Pounds, to me well known, who on oath says the he is 81 years of age; that he knew M. M. Gaines, or Matt M. Gaines, and that he was a member of the 22nd Alabama Regiment, during the late Civil War; that affiant was also in said Company and that the said M. M. Gaines enlisted in said Company about the Fall of 1862 and remained true until the end of the war and that affiant knows these facts from having served with him. E. A. J. Pounds sworn to and subscribed before me, this May 26, 1921. A. O. Harris, J. P. Arcadia, La. Dec. 4, 1936 Mr. L. B. Baynard State Board of Pension Commissions, Baton Rouge, La. I am writing you to tell you of my mother's death which occurred Nov. 22nd and she haven't received her pension for Nov. It liked only 8 days being a month when she died. I have cared for her nearly 3 years and I signed her checks for her. She told me to sign them. She could hardly see. She was 92 years, 6 months, and 14 days at her death. She has Dr. bills and burial expenses to pay and if you send the last month it will help to pay her expenses that much. With best wishes and a happy Christmas. Many thanks for Mother getting the pension. It helped her so much. Now if you think she should have pay for the 22 days, will thank you so much. Please send it to Mrs. C. S. Gaines in c/o her daughter Mrs. L. R. Woodward, Arcadia, La. Mrs. L. R. Woodward Law Office of Goff & Goff Arcadia, La. January 4, 1936 Secretary Confederate Pension Board Baton Rouge, Louisiana Dear Sir: Mrs. C. M. Gaines has been drawing a pension as a widow of a deceased Confederate Veteran. She died November 22, 1936 and her son, John Gaines, has made application to be appointed administrator. Would thank you to advise us the amount due her for the month of November and if check has been issued to her or to any one else covering this amount due. We want to have an inventory made of the property belonging to her succession which would include the amount due her from your board for November and would like to know the amount. Thanking you to give this your usual prompt attention, we are Yours very truly, Goff & Goff by W. D. Goff January 6, 1937 Mr. W. D. Goff Masonic Building Arcadia, Louisiana Dear Mr. Goff: Your letter of January 4, relative to balance due on pension of Mrs. C. M. Gaines to date of her death, November 22, 1936, has been received. In reply thereto, I wish to say that a check covering the balance of $44.00 was mailed to Mrs. L. R. Woodward, Route 2, Arcadia, La., on December 7th. Mrs. Woodward stated that she was a daughter of Mrs. Gaines and had taken care of her for about three years, and that the balance would be used in the payment of her mother's funeral expenses and doctor bills. Yours very truly, Secretary, Board of Pension Commissioners Goff & Goff Arcadia, La. January 7, 1937 Mr. W. M. Sterling, Secretary Board of Pension Commissioners Baton Rouge, Louisiana Dear Sir: Re: Mrs. C. M. Gaines 11766 We acknowledge with thanks your letter of January 6 advising that check covering the balance of $44.00 was mailed to Mrs. L. R. Woodard. Kindly advise if this check was payable to Mrs. Woodard or to Mrs. C. M. Gaines as the administrator, when appointed will want to get possession of this amount in order to pay certain debts and expenses and the heirs will want to have any balance partitioned among them. Thanking you to advise to whom the check was payable, we are Yours very truly Goff & Goff by W. D. Goff January 12, 1937 Mr. W. D. Goff Masonic Building Arcadia, Louisiana Dear Mr. Goff: Re: Mrs. C. S. Gaines, #11,766 In reply to your letter of January 7th, you are informed that the check covering the balance of $44.00 due on pension of Mrs. C. S. Gaines to the date of her death was drawn in the name of the person to whom it was mailed, Mrs. L. R. Woodward, Route 2, Arcadia, La. Yours very truly Secretary Board of Pension Commissioners Goff & Goff Arcadia, La. March 13, 1937 Mr. W. M. Sterling, Secretary Board of Pension Commissioners Baton Rouge, Louisiana Dear Sir: Re: Mrs. C. M. Gaines 11766 We are writing you with further reference to the above matter. In your letter of January 6, 1937 you advised that check covering the balance of $44.00 was mailed to Mrs. L. R. Woodard on December 7, 1936. Also that she stated she was a daughter of the deceased and that this balance would be used in payment of funeral expenses and doctor bills. In your letter of January 12 you advised that the check was drawn in favor of Mrs. L. R. Woodard. This is to advise that John Gaines has been appointed and qualified as administrator of this succession; that Mrs. L. R. Woodard has neither paid or offered to pay any funeral expenses or doctor bills. Mrs. Gaines belonged to a funeral association and the expense of her funeral was borne by the association except that some clothing was purchased, amounting to about $21.00 and there is a small doctor bill, neither of which has been paid, and both of which has been presented to the administrator for payment. The husband of Mrs. Woodard was in our office and they take the position, because of his influence, that since you drew the check in favor of Mrs. L. R. Woodard, it was her personal money and did not belong to the succession, and that they will not turn the amount over to the administrator, notwithstanding the fact that she testified on trial of an opposition to the appointment of the administrator, that she was willing and would turn the amount back to the succession. Since the amount belongs to the estate of Mrs. C. M. Gaines, and since Mrs. Woodard takes the position she does and refuses to pay the amount to the legal representatives of the estate, we would thank you, if you will, and feel that you can and should, to request the return of this amount to you so that it can be paid to the legal representative of the succession or write Mrs. Woodard to turn it over to this representative so as to obviate any further expense and trouble over the matter. We dislike to make such requests, but this is a small succession and we want to save all the expense possible and feel that a letter from you to her, would have the desired effect and save the trouble and expense of a suit. Thanking you to use your best efforts in the matter, we are Yours very truly, Goff & Goff by W. D. Goff Board of Pension Commissioners State of Louisiana Baton Rouge March 13, 1937 Mrs. L. R. Woodward Route #2, Arcadia, La. Dear Mrs. Woodward: On December 7th, 1936 this Board mailed you a check covering the balance of $44.00 due on pension of your mother, Mrs. C. S. Gaines, you having stated in your letter of December 4th that the money, if paid to you, would be applied against the funeral expenses and doctors' bills owed on behalf of Mrs. Gaines. We are now informed that John Gaines has been appointed and qualified as administrator of the succession of Mrs. Gaines; that Mrs. Gaines belonged to a funeral association, and that the expense of her funeral was borne by the association, except for a small amount for clothing; small doctor bill which is also still unpaid. Under the circumstances, we must ask that you deliver the money to the administrator in order that it may be used in the settlement of bills against the succession, or that you return it to this Board for proper handling. Yours very truly, State Board of Pension Commissioners # # #