“The brothers said that Philip had no wife”

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Slavery, Tennessee, ,

This is Isaac Charlton’s third deposition.

U.S. Colored Troops 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment, Knoxville Tennessee. I like to think the men I studied are pictured here.

Deposition H

Isaac Charlton
14 June 189

I am 49 years of age about, I have no occupation because disabled and my post office address is Harrison Ave (No. 140) Chattanooga, Tenn.

            I knew Philip Cleage before the late war, I did not know the claimant though. Philip was in my company and was a good soldier, was promoted a sergeant just before he died. I have made a statement in this case before special examiner Getchell. I know the fact that claimant came to camp at Chattanooga and staid with Philip. I know for this reason, I was made Patrol sergeant to keep the women out of camp, only those who had husbands. I was ordered to allow the claimant in to be with her husband Philip and I did do so and she was with him until he was taken out and carried up the hill and she followed him and when they found he had the small pox they sent her back and I lost track of her. I was a sgt. In Co. A, 1st U.S.C.H. Arty.

Question: Are you acquainted with Philip’s brothers and sister?
Answer: I was with his brothers and have seen his sister Patsy often.

 Question: have you ever been approached by any of Philip’s family or Atty. since the war for the purpose of securing your testimony in their claim for a bounty?
Answer: It must be about fifteen years ago, Charles and Lewis and Patsy came here to see a claim against named – Snyder and Mr. Snyder said I might make a good affidavit for them and I said Philip had a wife. The brothers said that Philip had no wife. I refused to testify because I knew he had. Our Capt. Elliott gave Philip and myself a pass to go home to see our wives. Capt., said there was no use in any of the boys asking for a pass unless they were married. I went as far as Sweetwater, Tenn., and went through the country home and Philip went in down to Athens. This was before I ever saw Philip’s wife. I do not know as to whether or not Philip’s brothers got the back pay and bounty, but they went on to Washington to get it. I do not know what informants they had, but I saw the names of one of the Cleage family, but I didn’t remember which one it was.

I lost sight of the claimant for eight or ten years after the war and since then I have seen her frequently except about two and one half years I was sick. I have never known and never have heard that she has remarried. I know very little about her children. She told me the child my wife took care of was a little boy she was raising. I am not related. I have no interest in this claim for a pension.

I have fully understood all your questions and my answers have been correctly recorded.

Isaac Charlton

14 June 1890

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Tomorrow will be a flashback about the siblings and Philip’s bounty. The two surving siblings, Charles A. and Patsy will soon be giving testimony and, not surprisingly, casting aspersions on Katie’s character and marriage.

I found the information for this post in Katie Cleage’s Civil War Pension files .

For links to the other posts in this series, click this link – Katie Cleage’s Pension Hearing