Category Archives: Tennessee

“I was nothing but a young girl”

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Slavery, Tennessee, ,
Plantation house with causeway between house and kitchen. I imagine the Alexander Cleage plantation house looked like this before the fancy columns were added.

Deposition S

21 June 1890

Katie Cleage

I have heard read all the testimony that has been taken in my case.

I want to say that Lucy McCaury is certainly mistaken. Her husband did not marry me to Philip. I do not remember Nelson McCaury at all. I remember Lucy tolerably well, she had one girl named Minerva. I have not seen Lucy McCaury but once and that was at the church directly after the war.

Relating to the charge that I was locked up in the quarters with a disease, it is not true. I never was locked up and my old mistress does not give any such recommendation. Dr. Atlee did doctor me for a miscarriage but that was Philip’s. Both of the children I had were by Philip. Old Uncle Joe was a very old man and I was nothing but a young girl and he never had anything to do with me in his life.

Between the smoke house and the kitchen part there was a large shelf where we kept our bed clothes and Ad Shurman would go for them one night and I would go the next and it was when I went out after clothes at night that Philip and I got together. Old master said I was getting fat before I knew what was the matter and he whipped me terribly. There was a fellow around, David Johnakin coming to see me and master said I could not have any one but one of the home boys and I did not want one of them because I loved David, but master called me one day and told me he was going to make me and Philip marry. It was on a Sunday and a very warm day and master was laying at the far end of the porch and he got up and went and got some book and read something to us. I was very young and did not know and never did know what it was and then he told Philip he could just consider himself one of the married boys on the place. I disremember it has been so long, whether mistress was home or how it was. I just remember how old master made Philip and me have one another.

When we were refugeed off during the war Philip and I were together all the time and after they brought us back home, I had my other child. It did not live but a very short time after it was born. That is the child that David Bridges knows about. I never gave birth to a white child. I am light colored and Philip was three shades lighter than I am and he had almost straight hair.

Liddy was the cook in the big house and Ad Sherman and I had to carry water and I told Liddy I was sick and she told mistress, that was one Sunday evening later. Sallie never was in the room and never had anything to do with it.

I never was locked up out in the quarters and I never had any disease in my life. Julia Ann Evans was (crossed out) Hulda Hurst was my mother and she lived at the time some five or six mile from our place and any time I went to see her, Philip always went with me.

I have no further testimony that I desire to have taken.

Katie (her mark X) Cleage

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I found David Jonakin living in Athens. He married and had a family and I will be writing more about him later.

I found the information used in this post on ancestry.com, Katie Cleage’s Pension file, Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org

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

“I talked with Uncle Charles today about it”

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Slavery, Tennessee, , ,
Athens, TN in the 1920s. Family photo.

Deposition R

20 June 1890

Adeline Sherman

I do not know how old I am, I can’t tell pretty near. Yes, I was grown up at the time of the war. I am a laboring woman and my post office address is Athens, Tenn.

I was formerly a house servant for Mrs. Jemima Cleage and lived at the Cleage house on the farm. Katie Cleage and Lydia Cleage were house servants. Katie was a seamstress. I did not leave the Cleage family until after the war.  Katie left there just before the soldiers went to Chattanooga she slipped off at night and went to Chattanooga. Katie was not married when she lived on the Cleage farm and before she went to Chattanooga. She did not live with any man as his wife. Me and her slept in the house together all the time.

Yes sir she had two children. She slipped out at night is the way she came to have these children. Old Uncle Joe Cleage was the father of one. The other child was a white child. I could not tell who was the father. I know Uncle Joe was the father of one because he was slipping around there and I see them together several times. Old Uncle Tom Louis claimed the white baby. No he did not tell us, the woman that was with her told that it was white. Aunt Juda Cleage was the woman, but she is dead. I never saw either of the children. They were born dead. No sir, Katie did not go with anyone else besides Uncle Joe. He is not living.

Yes she did sleep in the quarters back of the house. The white folks put her there. She had the disease and they did not want her in the house. They put her off in a room by herself and carried her provisions to her. I don’t know how she staid there, she staid until she got well. Oh it was nearly a month that she staid in there. She had a doctor. Dr. Atlee told what was the matter with her and he never came back no more. I didn’t know whether no more doctor came or not, they never would let us go where she was. Because she had that disease and they was afraid we would take it. I am sure it was on account of her being diseased. That is the only time she staid in the quarters away from us, only when she was sick and had her babies.

Philip Cleage belonged to our white folks then and worked out in the field. No sir, Katie never lived with Philip as his wife. I did not see Philip after he went in the army. She was not with him while they were up the road, up at Knoxville. She went to Chattanooga just before the soldiers. I do not know whether she staid with him in Chattanooga or not. I have not seen her but once since the war.

I have not talked with anybody about this matter. Yes sir, I talked with Uncle Charles today about it. He said you wanted to see us. He did not say anything about the case.

I never knew Preacher McCaury. I did not know Lucy McCaury before the war. I did not know Minerva McCaury before the war. I knew that Philip and Katie did not go together before the war.

I am not related. I have no interest, not a bit in this claim for a pension. I have fully understood all your questions and my answers have been correctly recorded.

            Adeline (her mark X) Sherman

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Adeline Cleage Sherman was Sallie Cleage Marsh’s first husband’s child by his first wife, Jane Cleage. That is, she was Sallie’s step-daughter. Until Jane’s death sometime after 1900, she lived next door to Edmund and Adeline Sherman. Jane is mentioned in Alexander Cleages Will, written in 1860, as Adeline’s mother. Edmund Sherman served in the same Company as Philip Cleage. The Uncle Charles who she mentions, is Charles A. Cleage, Philip’s brother who testified earlier and who was one of the siblings who got Philips arrears pay.

I found the information used in this post on ancestry.com, Katie Cleage’s Pension file, Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org

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

“I was nurse girl”

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Slavery, Tennessee, ,
“Mary Allen Watson, 15 June 1866”. Woman unnamed. Library of Congress

Deposition P
20 June 1890
Patsy Cleage

            I will be 44 years old in October, I am the wife of Amos Jackson and my post office is Athens, Tenn. I was a slave of Alex and Jemima Cleage from the time I was born until Sherman went through here during the war. I was a servant in the house. I was nurse girl. Katie Cleage was a house servant. She was a seamstress. I knew Philip Cleage.  He was my brother.

My brother Philip and Katie were never married. They never lived together as husband and wife. Philip worked on the farm. Sometimes they had him drive the carriage. Katie and Adeline Sherman slept in the dining room together. I slept upstairs with my young mistress in her room. Katie never had but the one room in the quarters. That was when she was shut out. Yes sir, I remember about their putting her in a room and locking her up an did not allow any of the children to go down there. I was small but I remember that, I do not remember about her having any children, only what I have heard the old people talk over since I have been grown.

When my brother Philip went in the army he took us with him to Knoxville and I washed in the hospital. Philip was all my protection after my mother and father died. I did not go to Chattanooga with Philip, he died shortly after he went there. Katie never was in Knoxville with my brother Philip during the war. I do not know whether she went to Chattanooga or not. I never knew Preacher McCaury. I understand that Katie and Philip never married or that they ever lived together. About nineteen years ago Katie and a man came to Athens from Chattanooga. She introduced him to us as her husband. His name was Moses Evans of Chattanooga. She just came on a visit and did not stay long.

I am positive Katie never staid with Philip when we lived on the farm. Philip when he came in used to stay at Aunt Sallie Cleage’s, my mother when she died left Philip to Aunt Sallie’s care and left us in my young mistress’s charge.

I am interested in my brother, I am not interested in this claim. I have fully understood all your questions and my answers have been correctly recorded.

Patsy (her mark X) Cleage Jackson
20 June 1890

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Patsy says that she was much younger than Katie, but they were actually about the same age, in fact, going by the ages they give on their depositions, Katie is a year or so younger. Patsy was Philip’s sister.

I found the information for this post in Katie Cleage’s Civil War Pension file and Ancestry.com.

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

“I owned a servant named Nelson…”

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

Deposition O

18 June 1890
James F. Bradford

Listing of “property” in James F. Bradford’s father’s 1852 Will included Nelson, Lucy and their family. Click to enlarge
Henry aged about 60Nelson aged about 45
Lydia ” ” 43Lucy ” ” 42
Adalineb ” ” 18Caroline ” ” 16
Angeline ” ” 14Tom ” ” 12
William. ” ” 12Sarah. ” ” 10
Stewart. ” ” 9Minerva ” ” 7
Nelson jr. ” ” Bob. ” ” 2
An infant girl not named age about 1

I am 51 years of age, a farmer and my post office address is Athens, Tenn.

I never knew the claimant that I now recall. I never knew Philip Cleage. I owned a servant named Nelson McCaury and his wife and family. They went by the name of Bradford until after the war and then they took the name of McCaury. Lucy McCaury was the wife of Nelson and she now lives in Chattanooga. She is a very truthful, strictly truthful and strictly honest, I would take her word as quick as I would anybody, black or white, she was strictly reliable all her life.

Nelson was morally a good negro and a religious negro but if ever he preached any I don’t know it. I never knew that he performed the marriage ceremony for any one.  He died sometime during the latter part of the war. He must have died somewhere from 1862 or 3, probably later than that, but it was certainly during the war. I was away from home when he died. I was away from home all the time from 1863 in 1864 and until the surrender in April 1865 and he died during that time.

I have no interest in this claim. My answers have been correctly recorded.

James F. Bradford
18 June 1890

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James F. Bradford is the former and final slave holder of the Bradford/McCauly family. Above is a list of the enslaved owned by his father, (also named James F. Bradford) at his death. Apparently they then passed on to the son.

I found the information for this post in Katie Cleage’s Civil War Pension file and on ancestry.com

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

“The white folks had her clothes locked up.”

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Slavery, Tennessee, , ,
Woman looking out of door

Deposition N
18 June 1890

Sallie Cleage Marsh

I am 64 years of age, the widow of Richard Marsh and my post office address is Athens, Tenn. I was formerly a slave to Aleck and Jemima Cleage. They bought me when I was thirteen years old and I lived with them until after the war. I remember Katie Cleage very well. She was a house servant, a seamstress. I was the family cook in the house.

No sir, Katie never was married. She did not live with any man as his wife. She always slept in the house except a month or two she was sick and they put her down in an old house in the quarters while the doctor was taking care of her. She was diseased someway while she was there. Dr. Atlee attended her.

She had two children. These was neither born alive. One was a miscarriage. One was born at it’s time and the other before it’s time. We had Dr. Atlee with her. I was in the room with her. The first miscarriage she had, she had something the matter with her and we had Dr. Atlee and it did not come off then and a month or two after she was down in the yard and was taken with something the matter with her and she called us to her and told us. I went and told mistress and she told us to fix a bed in the dining room for her and send for Dr. Atlee. Dr. Atlee attended to it and I was the only woman in the house except my mistress when it was done. I don’t think this child was a white child, I know it was not. It was laid to old Uncle Joe, then on the place.

The second child came to its time and it was a white child, but I don’t know who it belonged to. Yes, I seen the child, but I was not present when it was delivered. Dr. Atlee delivered it.

Tom Cleage took it all but two of his slaves south during the war he left three. One ran away and the other two staid at the house to take care of the old lady. I went with them and Katie went along too.

I know Philip Cleage, he was a wagoner when we went south, he drove the wagon that I rode in. We staid south about three months and came back here about October and soon after that Philip went in the Union Army. He came home to see us while he was in the army.

When his mother died she gave Philip to me to take care of. Philip slept in my house upstairs, until he went in the army. He slept with my oldest boy. My boys name was George Cleage, I don’t know whether he is living or not. The last I heard of him he was at Corinth, Mississippi.

I disremember whether Katie was on the place when Philip came home to see us during the war, but he did not see her if she was. They, the family, would not let the family servants out. Philip was here twice, once on his march from Knoxville to Chattanooga and once after he got to Chattanooga. Oh! Philip and Katie never lived together as man and wife. I was cook then. I was the oldest and the main one then and Katie never lived with anyone as his wife.

I could not tell whether Katie was in Chattanooga with Philip during the war. When she left home, there was a white man and a yaller man took her from here. I helped her get her clothes out.  The white folks had her clothes locked up. The next time I heard from her, she was at Atlanta and I never knew that she was caught up with Philip. I never see Katie again until she came here on a visit after the war. I didn’t think she ever was married, but she said she had a husband, Moses Evans.

I knew Nelson McCaury when I was a little girl, I don’t remember him since I have grown up. He was a preacher and used to marry people. He died before the war. I don’t remember how long before the war old Uncle Nelson died. I don’t know that he died before the war but seems to me he did. I know Katie was never married by her master Aleck Cleage. No sir, Katie was not grown when Nelson McCaury died, he never married her to anyone. She never lived with Philip as his wife.

I am not related. I have no interest at all in this claim. I have fully understood all your questions and my answers have been correctly recorded.

Sallie (her mark X) Cleage Marsh

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You can read more about Sallie Cleage Marsh in this post -> Sallie Cleage. She was first married to Clint Cleage and after he died, she married Richard Marsh. All of her children were with Clint Cleage. Sallie Cleage Marsh lived a long life and testified in several pension files. Although she does not have one of her own, several of her children do. She will appear again. I also have to rewrite her original post because of all the new information. For links to the other posts in this series, click this link – Katie Cleage’s Pension Hearing.  The photo is from this blog 19c African American Wome

“They were kin to me by marriage.”

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

Deposition M
18 June, 1890
Thomas Bradford

click to enlarge

I am about 52 years of age, a gardener and my post office address is, Athens, Tenn.

            I remember Katie Cleage. I knew her here at Athens when Cleage used to live here before the war. I was pretty well acquainted with her, she was a young girl then. I knew Philip Cleage well. They were kin to me by marriage. Philip was in the same regiment and company with me. I was in Co. A. 1st U.S.C.H. Arty. No sir, Philip was not married at all, he was a single man. Katie was not married up to the war, after the war I do not know what became of her, I never seen her any after the war. Katie and Philip never lived together as man and wife before the war and I know they did not after the war because he died before the war ended.

I was with the company at Chattanooga the biggest part of the time. I was there when Philip took the smallpox and was sent to the hospital and just before we were mustered out my brother was taken and we left him there and after he got better he made Chattanooga his home. He died five or six years ago. When we were in Chattanooga Katie was not there at all, if she was I never heard of it. Her master took her off south during the war and I don’t know whether she had got back or not. I do not know whether Katie had any children, I think that she did have a white child.  That was very customary here in the south though. I am positive she was not in camp at Chattanooga with Philip.

I know Nelson McCaury, he kind of prayed at marriages. I don’t know as he was a preacher, he might have been too, the way darkies preached three days. His wife was named Lucy McCaury. Nelson McCaury raised me. I was a boy and was kept under his care. He died. I know it must have been between five and six years before the war. The war began in 1861 and it was five or six years before that. I am a little related to the claimant by marriage. I have not seen her since the war. I have fully understood all your questions and my answers have been correctly recorded.

Thomas Bradford
18 June 1890

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All I could find on Thomas Bradford was his military file, his name on a Will as a member of the enslaved household of Nelson and Lucy and his gravestone.

Sgt. Co. A, 1st USCHA, USA Burial Cedar Grove Cemetery, Athens, McMinn County, TN
Enlisted Jan. 26, 1864 in Knoxville, promoted to Corporal Sept. 21, 1865, and mustered out Mar. 31, 1866

“…my interest is for his back pay and bounty”

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Slavery, Tennessee, , ,
Page one of Charles A. Cleage’s Deposition. Click to enlarge.

Deposition L

18 June 1890
Charles A. Cleage

           I am 73 years of age, a farmer and gardener and my post office address is Athens, Tenn. I was bred and born on the farm of Samuel Cleage, three miles from Athens. I remember Katie Cleage, she belonged to Aleck Cleage who was a son of Samuel Cleage. The farms of Samuel and Alecks were adjoining farms. Well, I knew Katie Cleage, but was with her only now and then. No sir, I did not see much of her. Well sometimes, occasionally I went to her quarters. She was a house servant for Aleck Cleage’s wife. She lived in the house all the time.

Well she was locked up in the quarters once, on account of a serious disease, it was considered “clap” or “pox” I don’t know which. I know she had this disease by the black ???? who lived there with her.  She was about fourteen or fifteen years old, not older than that. This was about a year, maybe two years before the war. She never was married as I know of. She recovered and went back to work in the house. She was attended by Dr. Atlee now of Chattanooga, Tenn. I never knew of her being with any man as his wife before the war. Yes sir, I heard of her having one child before the war. I do not know who was the father of the child, they said it was a white child.

Yes sir, I know Philip Cleage. He was a brother of mine. He belonged to Aleck Cleage. He was a farmer and coachman part of the time. No sir, Philip was never married. I saw Philip frequently. He lived in the quarters with the other slaves. If he had been married I would have known it. He never lived with Katie as I know of. I was in the same company with him in the army. He was a corporeal in C. A 1st U. S. C. H. Arty. I was with them when established at Chattanooga. Katie never was in camp with him, to my knowledge. Yes sir, I know Preacher McCaury. I never heard of his marrying Philip and Katie until just now. I don’t know as I have seen Katie since the war. I have not known anything about her.

            She never was in Camp with Philip, not to my knowledge. I would have known it if she had been there. Yes sir, I have an interest in this matter. He was my brother and my mother and father are dead and myself and Patsy are left and my interest is for his back pay and bounty as his heirs. Yes sir, we have received that. I have fully understood all your questions and my answers have been correctly recorded.

Charles (his mark X) A. Cleage
18 June 1890

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Charles A. Cleage was the brother of Philip Cleage, Katie’s husband. I wrote a blog post about Charles A. Cleage and his life several years ago, before I ordered any pension files -> Charles A. Cleage. I will have to write another one when I finish this series about Katie Cleage, because I have his pension file also.

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

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

A Bit of Confusion

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

Deposition K

Lucy McCaury
16 June 1890

I am 86 years of age, will be on the 4th day of July and my post office address is, D at Peabody’s Row, Chattanooga, Tenn. I have lived in Athens, Tenn. ever since 1888. I lived at James Bradford’s, near the plantation of Alex Cleage and Jemima Cleage.

            I knew Katie Cleage the claimant from the time she was a little girl until near, about the wind up of the war. I have only seen her once since the surrender and just spoke to her, that was about two years after the surrender. I met her at a meeting. Yes sir, Katie was married during the time I knew her, I knew when she was married. I was there the same evening that they were married. My husband was a preacher and I knew he married Katie to Philip Cleage. It was the first of the war when they were married I don’t think I can be mistaken, I know I was in the room when they were married, it seems as natural to us now as it did then. I do not know of but one Katie Cleage.  The Katie Cleage that I know was not a hand out anywhere. She worked in the house for Mrs. Cleage. Philip was a laborer on the farm.

The night they were married they had a frolic on the Cleage farm. I do not know where Katie slept after she was married, but before that she slept in the main house on the farm.  I frequently visited Philip and Katie and they had their own room in the quarters. They had two children, I don’t know whether they lived or not. Philip went in the army. I can’t tell how long after they were married. If Katie had any children before she was married to Philip I don’t know it, I think it was a short time after they were married she had one and then again after that I heard there was a birth. I never saw Philip after he went in the army. Katie never had any other husband besides Philip, if she had I never heard of it. She was quite young when she married Philip.

I am not related. I have no interest in this claim for a pension. I am sure I am not mistaken about my husband marrying Katie and Philip. It was in the Cleage house, in the cabin, in those days they did not marry as they do now. They just came in from the yard to the house. There were a good many present when they were married. I don’t recall now particularly who was there, but the room was full. Yes sir, there were white people there. I did not see, I never noticed particularly about whether any of the white members of the Cleage family were there.

Q. Katie says she was married on the steps of the mansion and by her master Aleck Cleage?
A. I think she is very much mistaken, I don’t mean to say only what is right and I think I am right in what I have stated.

By Client’s Atty

Q. Did the Cleage’s keep a family carriage?
A. Yes sir.

Q. You don’t remember who drove the carriage, whether they had a coachman or not?
A. Yes sir, Jerry was the real old driver from the start and then they had a smaller man come in to drive.

Q. Did you know anyone else on the plantation who performed the marriages besides your husband?
A. The master or missus sometimes said some sort of foolish ceremony and then they would go off to live.

Lucy (her mark) McCaury

Q. Each couple considered themselves married after ceremony and felt obligated not to marry anybody else?
A. Yes sir.

Re-direct

Q. Have you fully understood all the questions and have I set down your answers correctly?
A. Yes sir, I have understood it all

Lucy (her mark) McCaury

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After writing this blog post, I realized that Lucy McCaury was the mother of Malinda Allen who was deposed yesterday. More on this and on Lucy McCaury’s family and life in the records later.

I found the information for this post in Katie Cleage’s Civil War Pension file, and any links above.

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

“He told me then that he had married Katie”

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

Deposition I

Minerva Allen
16 June 1890

Women Washing Smithsonian NMAAHC

I am 46 years of age, a washerwoman and my post office address is, D St. Peabody’s Row, Chattanooga, Tenn. I have known Katie Cleage ever since we were children, we lived at Athens Tenn., and I was with her very often for several years before the war. I remained in Athens about a year or more after the war broke out and then I came to Chattanooga to live.

I knew Philip Cleage from the times he was a boy and after he went in the army. His regiment was encamped near where I lived in Chattanooga. Philip was an old beau of mine and used to pay me attention. That was before he went in the army. We were never engaged to be married to each other.

When I lived at Athens and about a year before Philip went in the army he was married to the claimant Katie Cleage.  I did not see them married. I was not there and heard they were married and after that I often saw them together and after Philip went in the army and while he was at Chattanooga before Katie came here from Athens he used to call and see me. He told me then that he had married Katie. After they were married they lived together in the quarters and it was known by all the people on the plantation that Philip and Katie were married.  I used to go out to their quarters, there were a great many servants, near a hundred besides a great many children. They did not have any children at that time to my knowing. I never heard that Katie had children which did not live. After Philip went in the army I saw Katie here once and then Philip told me he was going to get a furlough to go see her and I had never seen or known much about her since his death. I don’t think I would know her if I should meet her now.

At the time Katie was here during the war, I do not know whether she was in the camp with Philip, I never visited the camps, the people I was with were very strict and never let us run about much. I didn’t know what year it was that Philip died but I remember his being taken to the small pox hospital. I did not see him, but I heard of his sickness and death. I do not know whether Katie was there at that time or not.

I never have had any connection with Katie relative to her pension. I have not seen her for years to know her. When Katie lived on the farm, she was Mrs. Cleage’s house girl. I don’t know, I think Philip just worked on the farm. I never staid out to the farm all night.

I am not related. I have no interest whatever in this claim for a pension. I have fully understood all your questions and my answers have been correctly recorded.

Minerva (her mark X) Allen

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Minerva Allen was a washerwoman, as were quite a few of the women who have given depositions so far. I found her with her husband Beau Allen in the 1870 census. They had just been married in August of that year and were living in Chattanooga. He was born in South Carolina and was a porter in a saloon. Minerva had been born in Tennessee and was keeping house.

In 1876 I found Beau in the City Directory working as a barber. That was the last I found of Beau. By 1880 Minerva and her three sons – Frederick 9, Willie 8 and Eugene 2. The family was living with a white couple in Athens, TN. Minerva was a servant.

In 1890 Minerva testified in Katie’s pension hearing. In 1892 Minerva was listed in the Chattanooga City Directory as a laundress. That was the last I found of Minerva. I was unable to find any marriage or death records. I did find a Eugene Allen, the right age who lived to marry and have a son, also named Eugene Allen. Then I lost them too.

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Below are some articles about black washerwomen that I found interesting.

“The Negro Washerwoman, a Vanishing Figure” By Carter G. Woodson
“Washing Clothes Before Chinese”
‘We Mean Business or No Washing’: The Atlanta Washerwomen Strike of 1881

Resources I used for this post include: Katie Cleage’s Pension file and Ancestry.com

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

1872 – Charles, Lewis & Patsy Cleage Collect Phillip’s Arrears Pay

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

There were 2 brothers (Charles A. and Lewis) and a sister (Patsy). Lewis has since died. In 1872 they testified, under oath, that their brother Philip never married and that they were the next of kin and eligible to collect the money that the government owed him, as a soldier, at his death. If the siblings admit Philip was married, it would mean they lied, under oath, to receive the money. Perhaps they would have to give it back. They probably believed they would anyway. The money they collected, about $40 then, would be worth about $823 today. The siblings do not stand to gain anything else. They would not qualify for the pension Katie is applying for as they were not his dependents.

This letter was written in 1883, eleven years after Philip’s siblings collected his bounty and arrears pay and one year after Katie began the application process to receive a pension. At that time, her first lawyer was doing nothing to advance her case. She talked about that in this post -> Claimant’s Statement. The depositions we are reading now were taken in 1889 and 1890.

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Treasury Department, Second Auditor’s Office
Washington, February 23, 1883
Respectfully returned to the Hon. Commissioner of Pensions

            In the case of Phillip Cleage late Corp’l Co. A: of “U.S.C.H.A. Vols. $40.50 arrears of pay to include Feb.’ 18 1866, ware allowed Chas, Lewis and Patsy Cleage, brothers and sister of said soldier, by Certificate, 589287, March 29, 1872.

            In their application executed Sept. 5, 1871, the brothers and sister state that soldier has never married and leaves no widow nor children.

            Alexander Cleage and David Cleage, the identifying witnesses, swear to soldier’s celibacy, from acquaintance of twenty-three years; they also swear that claimants and the soldier and their parents belonged to them and that they, (claimants and soldier) were children of the same mother.

            June 5, 1882 Katie Cleage files her application in which she states that she is the widow of the said soldier and was married to him June 1863 near Athens Tenn. by one Alexander Cleage, their former owner, who pronounced them man and wife, after the manner of slaves.

            John Rowland and Benj. A. Cobb identified claimant as the widow of soldier and testify that they lived and cohabited together as man and wife; that they served in the same regiment with soldiers and know that he obtained a furlough to visit claimant and that when he was sick with smallpox claimant visited him as his wife; they swear to acquaintance from childhood.

           It appears through correspondence of this office with the P.M. at Athens Tenn. that Germina (Jemima) Cleage, widow of Alex. Cleage, denies that her husband performed the marriage ceremony between soldier and claimant and states that soldier was never married; that they lived together as many slaves did prior to the war, that Lewis and Patsy are the only surviving heirs; that a short time before her husband’s death, soldier called to see his old master and told him that he had never married; and that she never heard of soldier living with Kittie or any other woman and thinks it is a made up case.

            Dennis, Auditor, L.W.L 77

This record from the Freedman’s Bureau files shows that Charles, Lewis and Patsy Cleage applied for Philips bounty and arrears and that David and Alex(ander) Cleage identified them as his siblings. Click to enlarge.
This record from the Freedman’s Bureau shows that Charles, Lewis and Patsy Cleage received Philip’s bounty and arrears pay in 1873. Click to enlarge.

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I found the information for this post in Katie Cleage’s Civil War Pension file, and papers from the Freedman’s Bureau, (who dispersed the money) found on FamilySearch.org .

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