Yancey County, NC - Spanish American War Records of Bryson Hensley ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** Spanish American War Records of Bryson Hensley ** 25 JANUARY 1908: War With Spain Army & Navy Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions I.D. Number 1369991 Bryson Hensley K 42nd US. Vol. Inf. Washington, D.C. Sir: Will you kindly answer, at your earliest convenience, the questions enumerated below? The information is requested for future use, and it may be of great value to your family. Very respectfully, {signed} V. Warner, Commissioner Mr. Bryson Hensley Paint Gap Yancey Co., N.C. No. 1. Are you a married man? If so, please state your wife's full name, and her maiden name. "Guy Lula Hensley, maiden name Guy Lula Edney" No. 2. When, where, and by whom were you married? "December 9, 1899, Rev. John Allen" No. 3. What record of marriage exists? "The license are recorded in registers office at Burnsville N.C." No. 4. Were you previously married? "No" No. 5. Have you any children living? If so, please state their names and the dates of their birth. "Four. Prudence Hensley born Oct 14th 1900; Eugene Hensley borned May 5th 1902; Grovy Hensley borned March 16th 1904; Baby borned May 25th 1906, not named [that baby was Jasper William Alvin Hensley who married Thomasene Morris, daughter of Harry Lee Morris and Katherine Rebecca Mitchell Morris. Almost two years had elapsed since his birth, yet unnamed - - M. Styles] Date of Reply: "February 1, 1908. {signed} Bryson Hensley 6 NOVEMBER 1908: Declaration for Original Invalid Pension State of North Carolina County of Yancey On this 6th day of November, A.D. one thousand nine hundred and eight, personally appeared before me, a Notary Public within and for the county and State aforesaid, Bryson Hensley, aged 28 years, a resident of Paint Gap, county of Yancey, State of North Carolina, who being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical person who was enrolled at Asheville, NC, under the name of Bryson Hensley on the 6th day of September 1899 as a Private in Co. K, 42nd U.S. Infantry. Discharged at Ft. Mayania, N.Y. on the 1st day of November 1899; that his personal description was as follows: Age 21 6/12 years; height 5 feet 7-1/2 inches; complexion fair; hair brown; eyes brown. That while a member of the organization aforesaid, in the service and in the line of his duty at Ft. Mayania, N.Y. on or about the 10th day of October 1899, he contracted disease of eyes, and on or about October 26 1899 was cut in each hand nearly severing both thumbs by a comrade who was drunk [interpreted as - - "drunken knife-fight - - M. Styles]. That he was treated in hospitals as follows: "Ft. Mayania, NY, do not remember name or number." The rolls on file show him to be present except as follows: October 31, 1899, on detached service at Ft. Niagara, NY. That he was not employed in the military or naval service prior to September 6, 1899. That he has not been employed in the military or naval service since November 1, 1899. That prior to his entry into the service above named he was a man of good, sound physical health; being when enrolled a farmer. That he is now partially incapacitated for procuring his subsistence by manual labor by reason of his disabilities described above, incurred in the service of the United States; and he therefore makes this declaration for the purpose of being placed on the invalid pension roll of the United States. That he is not a pensioner. That he has not heretofore applied for pension. That his Post Office address is Paint Gap, county of Yancey, state of North Carolina. {signed} Bryson Hensley Attest: Carl Banks [interesting - twelve years hence, Carl would be tried for, and subsequently acquitted of the murder of Bryson Hensley at Paint Gap] John Wilson [this John Wilson is most likely the son of William E. Wilson and Sarah E. Banks of Banks Creek, born 1882] Also appeared Carl Banks residing at Paint Gap, NC and John Wilson, residing at Paint Gap, NC, persons whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit and who, being by me duly sworn, say they were present and saw Bryson Hensley, the claimant, sign his name to the foregoing declarations; that they have every reason to believe, from the appearance of said claimant and their acquaintance with him of 2 years and 7 years respectively, that he is the identical person he represents himself to be; and that they have no interest in the prosecution of this claim. {signed} Carl Banks {signed} John Wilson Sworn to and subscribed before me this 6th day of January 1908. . . J. Bis Ray, Notary Public 2 JANUARY 1915: Department of the Interior Bureau of Pensions Washington, D.C. Sir: Please answer, at your earliest convenience, the questions enumerated below. The information is requested for future use, and it may be of great value to your widow or children. Use the enclosed envelope, which requires no stamp. Very respectfully, [name not legible] Commissioner No. 1. Date and place of birth? "March the 16th 1879 Bee Log, NC." The name of organizations in which you served? "Co. K, 42nd U.S. Volunteer Infantry No. 2. What was your post office at enlistment? "Paint Gap" No. 3. State your wife's full name and her maiden name. "Guy Lulia Hensley }} Guy Lulia Edney" No. 4. When, where, and by whom were you married? "December the 9th 1899, Rev. John Allen" [This would be Rev. John "Bull Tongue" Allen, son of Nathan Oscar Allen and Lucinda R. Wheeler of Cane River. Their son Clausel Finley Allen married Guy Lula's first cousin Roxie Anna Edney - - M. Styles] No. 5. Is there any official or church record of your marriage? "Yes" If so, where? "Burnsville, N.C." No. 6. Were you previously married? "No" No. 7. If your present wife was married before her marriage to you, state the name of her former husband . . . "No" No. 8. Are you now living with your wife, or has there been a separation? "I am living with my wife" No. 9. State the names and dates of birth of all your children, living or dead: Ethel Prudence Hensley born October the 14th 1900 Jesse D. Hensley born May the 3rd 1902 Grovy Lee Hensley born March the 16th 1904 Alvin Hensley born May the 25th 1906 Calvin Hensley born March the 14th 1908 Viola Hensley born March the 4th 1910 Jessie May Hensley born December the 12th 1912 {signed} Bryson Hensley April 26, 1915 27 AUGUST 1920: Pensioner Dropped Department of the Interior Bureau of Pensions Certificate No. 1170656 Class: War with Spain Pensioner: Bryson Hensley Soldier: Private, K, 42nd Volunteers, Infantry To: The Commissioner of Pensions Sir: I have the honor to report that the name of the above-described pensioner who was last paid at $6, to August 4 1920, has this day been dropped from the roll because of death, August 8 1920 at Paint Gap, N. Carolina. Very respectfully, {not legible} Chief, Finance Divison 14 NOVEMBER 1923: Volunteer Service (Civil War or War with Spain) War Department The Adjutant General's Office Washington, D.C. Respectfully returned to the Commissioner of Pensions Name: Bryson Hensley Organization: Co. K, 42nd Regiment, U.S. Volunteer Infantry Personal Description: Age 21 years, 6 months; height 5 ft 7-1/2 inches; complexion fair; eyes brown; hair light brown; born at Hensley, N.C.; occupation farmer Was enrolled / enlisted September 5, 1899 and was honorably discharged from the service November 1, 1899, per telegraph instructions from the War Department, dated October 20, 1899. From enlistment to discharge he held the rank of private. He enlisted as a single man. Person to be notified in case of emergency: J. Hensley (father), Paint Gap, Yancey County, NC. The rolls on file for the period of his service show no unauthorized absence. Original report of medical examination preliminary to muster out not on file. No physical defects found on report of physical examination at enlistment. The medical records show him treated November 1-2, 1899, incised wound both thumbs, in line of duty. Other records show him to be discharged because of bad eyes, sickly. No additional medical record found. The records do no show that the disability for which he was discharged was incurred in line of duty. {signed} Robert C. Davis, The Adjutant General 14 NOVEMBER 1929: Widow's Claim For Pension Declaration For Widow's Pension Act of July 14, 1862 Act of September 1, 1922 Act of May 1, 1926 War with Spain, Philippine Insurrection, and Chinese Boxer Rebellion State of North Carolina, County of Buncombe On this 14th day of November, A.D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty nine personally appeared before me, a Notary Public within and for the County and State aforesaid, Guy Lula Hensley, aged 45 years, who, being duly sworn according to law, declares that she is the widow of Bryson Hensley who enlisted under the name of Bryson Hensley at (supposed to be) Asheville, N.C. on the 6th day of September, A.D. 1899, in Company "K" (Private), 42nd Regiment U.S. Volunteers Infantry, and was honorably discharged on 1st or 7th November 1899, having served ninety days or more . . . in service and line of duty in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States during the war with Spain, the Chinese Boxer Rebellion, or the Philippine Insurrection between April 21, 1898 and July 4, 1902, and who died August 8th, 1920 at Paint Gap. That she was married under the name of Guy Lula Edney to said Bryson Hensley on the 9th day of December 1899, by Rev. John Allen, minister, at Paint Gap, Yancey County, N.C., there being no legal barrier to said marriage. That said soldier or sailor had not been previously married. That applicant had not been previously married. That she was not divorced from him; that she has not remarried since the death of the said Bryson Hensley. All children are over 16 years old at this time. That the soldier had not been employed in the Military or Naval service otherwise than as stated above. That she has heretofore applied for pension, and the number of her former application is No. 1,208,905. That she makes this declaration for the purpose of being placed on the pension roll of the United States under the provisions of the Act. She hereby appoints with full power of substitution and revocation, Milo B. Stevens & Company of Washington, D.C. [preprinted on standard form "Solicitors of Patents and Claims, Washington, D.C.], her true and lawful attorneys to prosecute her claim and receive therefore a fee of $10. That her P.O. address is Woodfin, Buncombe County, North Carolina. [signed] Guy Lula Hensley Attest: Wiley Martin, Marshall NC J. Bob Smathers, Asheville NC Sworn and subscribed to before me this 14th day of November A.D. 1929 and I hereby certify that the contents of the foregoing declaration were fully made known and explained to the applicant before swearing. . . [(fine print) was honorably discharged from such service; or, regardless of the length of service, was discharged for, or died in service of, a disability incurred in service and in line of duty, upon due proof of her husband's death, without regard to the cause of death, provided their marriage took place prior to September 1, 1922. Amount of property or income is not considered. . . The rate of pension for either a widow or a remarried widow entitled under the act is Thirty Dollars per month, with Six Dollars per month for each minor child . . . under sixteen years of age at the filing of the application.] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Marshall Styles marshallstyles@yahoo.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------