Callahan County, Texas - Pensions: Mary Catherine Sloan Berry ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: K. Waterhouse December 17, 2001 ************************************************************************ NOTE: Confederate Widows Pension Application. The application was made by Mary Catherine Sloan Berry, widow of Andrew Jackson Berry. Andrew Jackson Berry enlisted in Williamson County, Texas where he lived until the mid 1870s. He moved to Callahan County in 1881 and died there in 1899. Mary Berry lived in Callahan County until her death in 1943. According to Handbook of Texas Online, Mary Catherine Berry was honored in 1936 at the Texas Centennial celebration as the last surviving widow of a San Jacinto veteran. K. Waterhouse ZenCity@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confederate Pension Application: Mary Catherine Berry, Widow Copyright © 2001 by K. Waterhouse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Widows Application for Confederate Pension #51507 Deceased: 6-16-1943 Mrs. M.C. Berry Callahan County, Texas Filed: November 19, 1934 Approved: November 19, 1934 Pension Allowed from: December 1, 1934 Geo H. Sheppard Comptroller of Public Accounts (Page 1) The State of Texas, County of Callahan I, Mrs. M.C. Berry, do hereby make application for a pension pursuant to the provisions of Articles 6204 to 6227, inclusive, of the Revised Civil Statutes of 1925 as amended by S. B. No. 27, passed by the Forty-first Legislature at its Fifth Called Session and all other laws of this State relating thereto. I am a widow of Andrew Jackson Berry deceased, who departed this life on the 31st day of July, A.D. 1899, in the county of Callahan, in the State of Texas. I have not remarried since the death of my said husband; (or in the case of remarriage that I am now a widow); and I do solemnly swear that I was never divorced from my said husband Andrew Jackson Berry and that I never voluntarily abandoned him during his life but remained his true, faithful and lawful wife up to the date of his death. I was married to him on the 3rd day of September A.D. 1873, in the county of Williamson, in the State of Texas. My husband, the said Andrew Jackson Berry, served as a Confederate soldier (or sailor) in the war between the States of the United States; or (that he was a soldier who, under special laws of the State of Texas during said war, served in organizations for the protection of the frontier against Indian raiders or Mexican marauders); or (that he was a soldier of the militia of the State of Texas who was in active service during said war.) That my said husband served honorably from the date of his enlistment until the close of the war (or until he was discharged or paroled in some military organization regularly mustered into the army or navy of the Confederate States until the surrender). He was honorably discharged or paroled at the close of the war. That I have been a bona fide resident of this State continuously since the ...... day of.......A.D. 1855. 1. What is your age, and date of birth? 81--August 29, 1853 2. How long have you resided in the county of your present residence? About 52 years 3. What is your postoffice address? Route #1, Baird, Texas 4. Have you applied for a pension under the Confederate pension law and been rejected? No 5. If rejected, state when and where. 6. Did your husband draw a pension? If so, give his number. Not from Confederate war. 7. Give, if possible, the postoffice address of your deceased husband at the time of his enlistment. In Williamson County, Texas -- Georgetown 8. What was your husband's full name? Andrew Jackson Berry 9. In what state was your husband's command originally organized? Texas 10. How long did your husband serve? All four years of the war 11. If known to you, give date of enlistment and discharge 1861---discharged at close of war---don't know the date. 12. What was the name or letter of the company, or number of the regiment in which your husband served? If he was transferred from one branch of service to another, give time of transfer, description of command and time of service. (If applicant's husband was a pensioner give his file number, which is evidence sufficient for proof of service.) Enlisted as a private in Capt. R.C. Hart's Company for Williamson Co., 27th Brigade, in 1861; Made Capt. Company A, 2d Regiment 27th Brigade, August 7, 1863 at Willow Springs, Bell County, Texas. 13. Name branch of service in which your husband served, whether infantry, cavalry, artillery, or the navy, or if commissioned as an officer by the President, his rank and line of duty, of if detailed for special service, under the law of conscription, the nature of such service, and time of service. Cavalry; was made a Captain Wherefore your petitioner prays that her application for a pension may be approved and such other proceedings be had in the premises as required by law. (Signature of Applicant) M. C Berry Sworn and subscribed before me this 17th day of November A.D. 1934. J.H. Carpenter County Judge Callahan County, Texas. (Page 2) Affidavit of Witnesses [Note.-There must be at least two creditable witnesses.] The State of Texas, County of Callahan Before me, J.H. Carpenter, County Judge of Callahan County, State of Texas, on this day personally appeared B.L. Russell, who are personally known to me to be creditable citizens, who, being by me duly sworn, on oath state that they personally know that Mrs. M.C. Berry, applicant for a pension as the widow of Andrew Jackson Berry deceased, is in truth and fact the widow of Andrew Jackson Berry deceased; that they personally know that she has not remarried since the death of her husband, for whose services in the army she claims a pension, and that they have no interest in this claim. (Signature of Witness) B L Russell (Signature of Witness) JW Hammons Sworn and subscribed before me this 17th day of November A.D. 1934. J.H. Carpenter County Judge Callahan County, Texas. Affidavit of Witnesses [Note.-There must be at least two creditable witnesses.] The State of Texas, County of Callahan Before me, J.H. Carpenter, County Judge of Callahan County, State of Texas, on this day personally appeared B.L. Russell, who are personally known to me to be creditable citizens, who, being by me duly sworn, on oath state that they personally know the above named applicant for the pension, and that they personally know the said Mrs. M.C. Berry, has been a bona fide resident of the State of Texas since 1900 (July or January) 1st and that they have no interest in this claim. (Signature of Witness) B L Russell (Signature of Witness) JW Hammons Sworn and subscribed before me this 17th day of November A.D. 1934. J.H. Carpenter County Judge Callahan County, Texas. (Page 3) (This is the Affidavit of Witnesses for someone who served in the army with Andrew Jackson Berry. It is blank. By 1934, most if not all of the men he served with had died.) (Page 4) Texas Library and Historical Commission State Library, Austin Nov. 2, 1934 A.J. Berry, private, enlisted in 1861 in Captain R.C. Hart's company for Williamson County, 27th Brigade, General E.S. C. Robertson commanding, Texas Militia. A.J. Berry, Captain Company A, 2nd Regiment, 27th Brigade, General H.P. Hale commanding, Texas State Troops, enlisted August 7, 1863 at Willow Springs, Bell County. This company volunteered for service in Confederate States Army. A.J. Berry was forty-seven years of age; furnished his on horse valued at $500; horse equipment valued at $50; arms valued at $300. The rolls of Captain R.C. Hart's and Captain A.J. Berry's companies are on file in the archives of the Texas State Library. Harriet Smither Archivist (Page 5) (This is a handwritten letter dated 4-13-1958 requesting Andrew Jackson Berry's service record. It is signed by Mrs. Pearl Gaines of Abilene, Texas) (Page 6) (Reply to Mrs. Gaines by Robert C. Calvert, Comptroller of Public Accounts, detailing the application of M.C. Berry for her husbands pension.) (Page 7) Wylie Funeral Home Ambulance Service Phone 68 or 38 Baird, Texas June 26, 1943 Funeral expenses for Mrs. Mary Catherine Berry: June 16 Casket----------------------- $425 Embalming-------------------- $25 Dress Slip Hose Unerwear (sic)--------------- $19.30 Hearse Service Ambulance $ 18 Cemetery Tent---------------- $ 10 ______________ Total $ 497.30 The above statement is a true and correct copy of the funeral expenses for Mrs. Mary Catherine Berry. Wylie Funeral Home By: W. O. Wylie, Jr. Sworn to before me this the 26th day of June, 1943. Bob Norrell Notary Public in and for Callahan County, Texas (Page 8) (Typed in at top of page:) Pleas have application for Mortuary Warrant properly executed and have the Undertaker attach to it a sworn itemized statement showing the cost of each item furnished for the burial. Return to Geo. H. Sheppard, Comptroller, Austin, Texas. Application for Mortuary Warrant The State of Texas County of Callahan I, George W. Berry, do hereby certify that I am the person to whom is entrusted the paying of the accounts and indebtedness of the Mrs. M.C. Berry, who was a petitioner of the State of Texas, and whose file number was 51507 and whose original county was Callahan. The said petitioner Mrs. M.C. Berry, died on the 16th day of June, 1943, in the town of Baird County of Callahan, Texas. The pensioner died in the home of County-City Hospital who was related to the pensioner as XXXXXXXXXX. That the warrant, which application is hereby made for, shall be applied to paying all or part of the funeral expenses incurred by the said pensioner Mrs. M.C. Berry. I further certify that the warrant for the current month has not been cashed by the pensioner, to the best of my knowledge and belief. I am related to the pensioner as Son that my postoffice address is Baird, Texas. Rt 1. Signed George W. Berry Sworn before me this 26th day of June, 1943. Bob Norrell Notary Public in and for Callahan State of Texas. Certificate of Undertaker I, W.O. Wylie, Jr., do certify that I am undertaker in the town of Baird, County of Callahan, State of Texas that I had charge of the body of Mrs. Mary Catherine Berry, who died in the town of Baird, County of Callahan, State of Texas on the 16th day of June 1943. That said body was prepared for burial by me on the 16th day of June 1943, and that I am of the opinion that warrant herein applied for should be issued to the said George W. Berry who makes the foregoing application. Signed W.O. Wylie, Jr. Undertaker. ((The last section of the page is a blank Certificate of Physician, which has been marked through. Handwritten notes on the form say: OK June 30 1943 Warrant # 54300 Canceled (sic) A typewritten note on the bottom of the page says: June 23, 1943 Execute and return at once.))