ROANE COUNTY, TN - MILITARY - Angeline Silvey, Widow's Civil War Pension Application ----¤¤¤---- ANGELINE SILVEY, WIDOW OF WILLIAM SILVEY PENSION #134528 [U.S.] 14 June 1866: Angeline Silvey, then living in Kingston, Roane Co., TN, age 39, stated she was the widow of William Silvey, Private in Co. ‘G’, 1st Reg’t Tenn Inf., commanded by Capt. L. M. Wester. She stated he died 11 February 1863 at Winter’s Gap, Anderson Co., TN, at the house of Robert Lively, after being shot by the Rebels. She stated she married William Silvey 23 August 1843 at Morgan Co., TN, rites performed by John Williams, J.P. The following children and dates of birth, “all under 16 at the time of their father’s death”, were: Elizabeth Ann, 3 Sep 1847; Mary Frances, 22 Dec 1849; Rhoda, 28 May 1851; Sarah Louesa, 27 Sep 1854; Clarissa Catharine, 30 Jan 1856; Melinda Delmarthy, 5 May 1859; Alpha Columbia, 2 Sep 1861. All were living with their mother. 27 June 1866: John L. Scott, Clerk of the County Court for Morgan County, Tennessee, stated he could find no record of the marriage of William Silvey & Angeline Nelson. 14 September 1866: Affidavit signed by William J. Haskins and Nicy Lively, residents of Anderson County, stated they were present when William Silvey died from “wounds received at the hands of the Rebels” 7 February 1863 and “died at the house of Robert Lively, of said wounds, near Winter’s Gap, Roane County, Tennessee, on the 11th day of February 1863”. William Haskins further stated he was at his burial, and Nicy Lively stated she helped procure clothes for his burial. This affidavit was witnessed by Michael May and Jasper Hoskins, sworn to before William D. Nelson, an acting Justice of the Peace for Roane County. 17 September 1866: James M. Sturges, Clerk of the County Court, Roane County, Tennessee, stated Angeline Silvey exhibited to him a family Bible, and written on the page between the Old and New Testament was the following record: “William Silvey & Angeline Nelson, married August the 22nd 1843.” Sturges stated it had every appearance of authenticity. The same date an affidavit signed by Angeline Silvey [her x mark] stated the marriage was entered by her brother in the Bible, attested to by W. W. Adkisson and John W. ?Hester. 23 Nov 1866: Adjutant General’s Office, Washington, D. C. stated William Silvy was enrolled 9 August 1861 at Kingston, Tenn and mustered into U.S. service on 20 August 1861 by Lieut. S. P. Carter, to serve three years. Silvey was a Private in Company G, 1st Regt Tennessee Infantry Vols. Remarks: “Deserted at Louisville KY Dec 1st 1862. No evidence of death on file in this Office”. 24 January 1867: Similar document to above, signed by James Brownlow, Adjutant General of Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee and J. Woodward, Assistant Surgeon, U.S. A., Washington, D. C. 22 July 1868: Joseph H. Barrett, Commissioner of Pensions, inquired as to disposition of case, if any, including back pay. The number #223.982 was written on the document, but apparently the pension was disallowed. 23 February 1885: Affidavit by Lewis M. Wester then aged 61, a resident of the 1st District, Roane Co., TN, stated that he was Capt. Of Co. G, 1st Ten. Inf., and that shortly before his resignation 13 November 1862, he had given permission to William Silvey, a Private of his company to go home on leave; that he started back to his command “Jany 6/63” & while on his way to join his Regt he was shot by the Rebels on Jany 7th & died January 11th 1863 from his wound. 1 January 1890: Letter from Thomas H. Russell of Wheat, Tenessee, to Gen. Green B. Raum, Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, D. C., regarding Pension Claim No. 134528, Angeline Silvey Widow of William Silvey: “Dear Sir, Permit me to call your special attention to the above claim. The said soldier left his home in East Tenn under rebel pressure early after difficulties began with the South leaving his family in trying circumstances. Said Soldier enlisted in 1st Reg. Tenn. Vol. Inft. At the organization of said Reg. In 1861, and was a good Soldier. In the latter part of 1862 it seems from the proff [sic] in the case that the said soldier obtained permission to return home for short time to make if possible some arrangements for the benefit of his family. The rebel at that time were holding the common people with an iron grip. The said Soldier found it impossible to do anything for his family and had to entirely conceal himself until such a time as that he could escape the notice of the rebels and regain his command which was then in the State of Kentucky. About the 1st or 10th February 1863 he started to his command was intercepted by the rebel soldiers who were guarding the mountain passes leading to Kentucky was wounded by them and taken prisoner and immediately was shot to death at their hands and his body left unburied on the side of the mountain. At the close of the war his widow Angeline Silvey applied for Pension but found that the said Silvey was marked as a deserter and has never been able to get the charge removed. His command perhaps never heard of his death and could do nothing else than mark him as a deserter but he was not a deserter. His anxiety for his family in an enemies country led him to risk a return to his home. He would have returned at once to his command but could not for a time and at last lost his life in the effort to regain the Union army. He was killed by the rebels. Killed with the uniform of a United States soldier on him was shot down like a dog for the reason that he wore the uniform of a union soldier and belonged to the federal forces. He lost his life at the hands of confederate soldiers as though he had fallen at Gettysburg or the Wilderness. His widow Angeline Silvey still lives is worn down with disease and poverty and needs the pension badly indeed. Pardon me for this writing, but I write in the interests of humanity for the widow and the orphan. I have no interest in the case whatever. I am a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church and Post Master at Wheat Tennessee. God Bless you dear Sir will you please give this case your careful attention? I know that you will. Refer you to Hon. [?G.C. – ink blot] Houk in Congress, (Second) Tenn Dist) Yours, [Signed] Thomas H. Russell Wheat, Tenn.” Abstracted from National Archives Records by Mary Lu Johnson Mary Lu Nelson Johnson 132 Skyview Trail Trafford, AL 35172-9288 ___________________________________________________________________ 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 ___________________________________________________________________