ORANGE COUNTY, NC - MILITARY - Mary widow of Thomas J. Anderson, War of 1812 Widow's Pension Application ----¤¤¤¤---- ANDERSON, THOMAS J., War of 1812 App #24990 of Widow MARY [nee WILLIAMS] [Rejected] Transcribed/abstracted by Mary Lu Nelson Johnson, hellomlu@bellsouth.net NC Militia, states enlisted 1813, discharged 1 Mar 1815 20 March 1878: Orange County, North Carolina, Declaration of Mary Anderson, age 89, states “she is the widow of Thomas J. Anderson, who served the full period of fourteen days in the Military service of the United States in the War of 1812, and who was the identical Soldier who enlisted in Captain John Young’s Company, Col Richard Atkinson Regiment at Hillsboro [NC] on the [blank] day of 1813, and was honorably discharged at Norfolk on the 1st day of March 1815; that she was married under the name of Mary Williams to said Thomas J. Anderson on the Fifteenth day of July, A.D. 1810, by John Umstead at Hillsboro, there being no legal barrier to such marriage; that her said husband died at Hillsboro on the 19th day of December 1868 and that she has not remarried since his death”; appoints C. E. Parish of Hillsboro, N.C. as attorney to prosecute her claim. [Signed] Mary Anderson Attest: Geo Laws, Clerk of Superior Court John M. Blackwood and Seaborn J. Lynch make affidavit as to character, state they are acquainted with the claimant who has not remarried since the death of her husband. [Both sign] Jno M. Blackwood, S. J. Lynch 23 November 1878: Letter from Pension Office to C. E. Parish, Atty requesting the claimant state whether Bounty Land Warrant was ever applied for and received, number of acres, date of application, place of resident and post office address at the time of making aplication therefor, and the name of the attorney who prosecuted his claim. Also evidence showing date of marriage, and date of soldier’s death. 23 November 1878: Request by Department of the Interior pension office to search records for Thomas J. Anderson of Capt. John Young’s Co, Col Richard Atkinson’s Regiment of NC Militia. ?6 December 1878: [Undated; may be part of following dated document; some pages out of order when received from NARA - mlj] State of North Carolina, Orange County} I Mary Anderson widow of Thomas J. Anderson dec of the town of Hillsboro, County of Orange and State of North Carolina, do hereby certify and say that I have no knowledge or information that Thomas J. Anderson my late husband ever applied for or obtained from the Government of the United States any Bounty Land Warrant for services rendered the Government as a private soldier in the War of 1812. I further certify, that John Umstead Esq. who performed the marriage ceremony between myself and my said husband has been dead many years, and I know of no person now living who witnessed the said marriage. I further say that my two oldest children, one born in 1811 – the other born in 1813 are now dead, and I have no child living with me or near me but my youngest daughter who is now Forty two years old. [Signed] Mary Anderson Attest: C.E. Parish 6 December 1878: [Same handwriting as above doc] State of North Carolina, Orange County} We John W Norwood and Lemuel Lynch citizens of Hillsboro County of Orange and State of North Carolina, being sworn doth say, that we are respectively aged Seventy-Six and Seventy years that we have resided in Hillsboro, Orange County and State of North Carolina for more than Fifty Years, and during the entire period we were personally acquainted with Thomas J Anderson and his wife Mary Anderson, who were also residents of the same place during said period, and that they lived together as husband and wife and had numerous children born to them: That a copy of the marriage bond of the said Thomas J Anderson and wife Mary bears date of the 15th of July 1810, which said bond we have seen and examined: We are of the opinion that there is now, no person living who witnessed said Marriage, or if living, were old enough at the time to have any reccollection of the event. We further say, that the said Thomas J. Anderson died at his residence in Hillsboro, N.C. – on the 19th day of December 1868 leaving surviving him his widow Mary Anderson who now resides in Hillsboro, N.C. and that she has not remarried since the death of her said husband. We further say that we have no interest direct or indirect in the prosecution of her claim for pension. [Both Signed] J. W. Norwood, Lemuel Lynch Sworn to…Geo Laws, Clerk, Superior Court And I certify that the said John W Norwood & Lemuel Lynch are men of good moral character and undoubted veracity. [Signed] Geo Laws, Clerk, Superior Court 7 December 1878: Letter from C. E. Parish, Attorney at Law, Hillsboro, NC to J.A. Bently Esq, ?Com Ofc? “Inclosed find the proof in Mary Anderson’s claim for pension under act of Congress…the proof sent is the best which can be furnished at this late day, as the witnesses, or those could have been so, are dead. Mrs. A will be 90 years old 25 Inst. If any proof in the claims of Mary Jordan No 25134; Margaret ?Morels No 25257, Catherine Ray No 30007 and Terrisa Hamilton No 25111 is necessary, please let me know and I will furnish it at once. Yours very respectfully, C. E. Parish 11 February 1879: Treasury Department, Third Auditor’s Office, “Respectfully returned to the Commissioner of Pensions, with the information that the name of Thomas J. Anderson is not borne on the Rolls of Captain John Young’s Company of North Carolina Militia, War of 1812, on file in this Office”. [NOTE: In 1897, J.L. Davenport of the Bureau of Pensions mentioned Thomas J. Anderson serving in “Grays Rifle Company”; nowhere else in pension was this mentioned – mlj]. No Date [2nd page missing – mlj] : George Laws, Clerk of the Superior Court of Orange County certified below is true and correct copy of marriage bond. “State of North Carolina We acknowledge ourselves indebted to David Stone Esqr Governor NC in the Sum of Five hundred pounds, but to be void on condition there is no lawful cause to obstruct a marriage between Thomas Anderson and Mary Williams for whome a License now issues Witness our hands and seals this 15th July 1810 Thomas [hix X mark] Anderson {Seal} Paul Kin?ear {Seal} [NOTE: Another signature below and to left, J. TAYLOR, appears to be witness to bond, but not as bondsman. Not specified – mlj] 6 December 1879: Service Pension War of 1812 Widow’s Brief [Pension Office Form] indicating pension of $8.00 per month was rejected “on the ground that there is no evidence of the soldier’s service in the organization as alleged”. 13 Dec 1879: Pension recap form “Rejected Dec 13th 79. No record – T.J.B. 1 September 1897: Letter from Joseph I. Keefer, Attorney at Law, Washington, D.C., requesting pension information on Thomas J. Anderson and Israel B. Thompson. States “Thomas Jones Anderson, Nottoway C.H. [Court House] Va War 1812 Virginia Vol. stationed at Norfolk. He used to live at Lunenburg C.H. and at Dinwiddie.” “My grandfather, War 1812 Isarel B. Thompson who lived at Middleburg Loudoun Co. Va. and at one time at Haymarket and Waterfall, Prince William Co., VA. Vol. Mr. Isarel B. Thompson married Fanny Wilson, whose mother was a daughter of Esther Ball, Washington’s Aunt.” 8 October 1897: Washington. [Letter with no signature at bottom, not on letterhead; page missing, but appears to be handwriting of Joseph I. Keefer, Atty., comparing to above letter 1 Sept 1897 – mlj]. Sir – In answer to communication of Sept. 13, all I am able to state is that Thomas Jones Anderson died at the age of 86 – Dec 19, 1869. His widow Mary Anderson died aged 92, in Spring of 1878. Don’t know name of his Captain, he was a volunteer of the Virginia State Militia and stationed at Norfolk during the war of 1812. Of Isarl B. Thompson, his relatives are all dead but myself and all I know was that his wife’s name was Francis Wilson, she died in 1890 and he died in 1880. He enlisted in Prince William Co., Va, I think either in Haymarket or Waterfall. ?? Oct 1897: [Date-stamped newspaper clipping, appears to have been received by Bureau of Pensions, possibly sent by Joseph I. Keefer? – mlj]. “FIRST AMERICAN FLAG IN ALASKA- Nearest Descendant of Gen. George Washington. – “From Washington Post, July 29, 1897. The Mr. Joseph I. Keefer whom so much has been said and written of lately from his connection with the first American flag in Alaska, wishes to correct the current supposition in regard to the nearest living descendand [sic] to George Washington. That person is Mr. Rudolph Ball, of F street, between Eleventh and Twelth streets. Mary and Esther Ball, sisters, were born at Harper’s Ferry. Mary married the father of George Washington, and Esther married an English gentlemen, who settled in Middleburg, Loudon Co., Va., named Raleigh Chinn, who was also Mr. Keefer’s great-great aunt. Rudolph Ball’s father Armstead Ball, was a great grandson of Mary Ball and the keeper of the Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. During the John Brown excitement he was shot for not surrendering arms to the Southerners.” 29 Oct 1897: Letter from J.R. Davenport, Acting Commissioner, Bureau of Pensions to Record & Pension Office, War Department. “Sir, I have the honor to request that you will please have the records of your office examined to ascertain whether they show service of soldiers named Thomas J. Anderson and Israel B. Thompson, who answer the descriptions of those named in enclosed letters. The Bureau is in possession request of service of a Thomas J. Anderson of Capt Grays Rifle Company Va militia. Very respectfully, J. L. Davenport ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Mary Lu Nelson Johnson ___________________________________________________________________