Category Archives: Tennessee

“She has not married since”

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

Deposition F

Case of Katie Cleage  22 March 1890
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Woodson Weaver

That he is 45 years of age: that he is a Hackman by occupation and that his post office address is No. 305 Spring St. Chattanooga, Tenn.

I was first duty sergeant of Co. “G” First USCH Artillery. I knew Philip Cleage only in the army. I do not know what became of him. I do not know whether he is living or dead.

Katie Cleage was Philip’s wife. They “went” as man and wife in the army. If she hadn’t been his wife they would not let her stay there. They went together, had a tent in camp and passed as man and wife. I often seen them in the tent together and she used come and stay there for three and four days at a time and no woman unless she was married to a soldier was allowed to remain there. Everyone in camp knew they were man and wife, and considered them as such. I know nothing about their marriage. I only know of them cohabiting together as man and wife in the army.

            I have known Katie ever since the war. She has not married since Philip died. I do not know whether she has had any children or not since the war as I never visit her house. I only know her in passing and re-passing on the street.

            I am in no way related to the claimant and have no interest in her claim.

            I have understood the questions asked me, and the answers to them have been correctly recorded in this deposition

Woodson Weaver (His mark)

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There was no new information in Woodson Weaver’s short testimony so I decided to look at his life and write something about him. At first I was confused at finding a Woodson Weaver in Knoxville, and then in Chattanooga and then in Cincinnati, Ohio. I wondered if I had the same man. I decided that the man in Knoxville was the same man in Chattanooga because once he moved, no Woodson Weaver was found in the records in Knoxville. I was not sure about the Woodson Weaver I found in Chattagnooga until I found his find-a-grave record which showed that he had served in Company G, 1st US Colored Heavy Artillery, which I knew he had.

It was at that point that I decided to search for Woodson Weaver in newspapers and found a disturbing and widely covered event involving his family.

Woodrow Weaver was born into slavery in Wagner, Kentucky about 1845. He was brought to Tennessee at some point and in 1864 he enrolled in Co. G of the USC Heavy Artillary in Knoxville, TN. He was mustered out in March 1866 in Knox County. In December of the same year he married Nancy Rice. Before he was married, his son John Weaver was born, mother not known.

Woodrow and Nancy stayed in Knoxville where he worked as a railroad laborer. By 1880 they had relocated to Chattanooga. In 1884 he began receiving a pension for disability. He had a hearing loss. Nancy returned to Knoxville and died there in 1887. Woodrow worked as a drayman and a laborer. In 1888 his son James Washington/Weaver was born to Rachel Washington. They did not stay together. In 1896 and 1897 we find Woodrow Weaver in Cincinnati, Ohio working as a peddler. His son John shared the house at 1123 Lincoln Avenue and worked as a laborer.

Click to enlage.

In September of the following year, 1898, the two story frame house burned to the ground. The family lived on the first floor and the Maceo Club, a black political club, had the rooms upstairs. The club was named for the black Cuban Revolutionary, Antonio Maceo. The newspapers of the day were full of stories about the Cuban fight to free themselves from the Spanish. The fire started in the club rooms.

In early 1899, Woodson Weaver re-married. His wife died mysteriously soon after the marriage.

In mid May, disaster struck the family. The father Woodson and the son John were both struck down by poison. “Rough on Rats” had been added to their morning coffee. John Weaver died later that day at City Hospital. Sixty year old Woodson Weaver was seriously ill for months. He finally recovered, but never fully regained his health.

Papers all over the country carried sensational stories about the murder. James served a little over a year before he was pardoned and sent home to his mother where he died of consumption

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In the 1900 census, several months before Jimmie died of consumption. He is listed in his mother Rachel’s household, along with an older sister, Katie 19 and a younger brother, Clarence 8. Katie Washington died in 1903 of consumption. She was 22. Rachel died in 1910 at age 55 of Bronchitis. I lost track of Clarence after the 1920 census in Chicago, Illinois.

Woodson Weaver died at the age of 67 in 1907. He never recovered his strength after the poisoning.

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Resources I used for this post include: Katie Cleage’s Pension file, Ancestry.com (censuses, city directories, death records); Newspapers.com.; FamilySearch.org, marriage records and GenealogyBank

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

“…5 months before he was taken sick”

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Slavery, Tennessee,
Second statement from James Royal in which we learn Katie was in camp with Philip five months before he died.

Deposition E

James Royal

22 March 1890

That he is 46 years of age; that he is a laborer by occupation; and that his post office address is No. 301 Harrison Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

            I was a private in Co. “A,” first U.S.C. Heavy Artillery. I enlisted when the regiment was organized and served until March 31, 1866.

            I knew Philip Cleage in my company. I stood on guard with him enough to know him. There in Chattanooga, Philip was taken to the smallpox hospital, and died there, so it was said. I saw them when he was put in the ambulance, and never seen him after that.

            Katie, the “widow,” was introduced to me by Cleage as his wife. I heard Cleage speak of his wife before I saw her. The first time I saw her was in Camps here in Chattanooga, some five months before he was taken sick. They lived and cohabited together in camps as man and wife. I know this because I saw them occupying the same tent and same bunk together, and the officer of the regiment recognized Katie as Philips’ wife. No unmarried “children” or women were allowed in camps. Everyone knew Katie and Philip as man and wife.

            I have not seen Katie and have known nothing of her since they took Philip from the camp.

            Katie was present when they took Philip to the hospital, and she cried and wanted to go with him to wait upon him, but they wouldn’t allow her to do that.

            I am not related to the applicant, and have no interest in her claim.

            I have understood the questions asked me, and the answers to them have been correctly rendered in this deposition.

James (his mark X) Royal

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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

“He was a slave of Alex Cleage…”

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Slavery, Tennessee,
Chattanooga 1863 National Archives

This is Issac Carlton’s second statement.

Deposition D

Isaac Charlton
1 Mar 1890

That he is 49 years of age; that he is a painter by occupation and that his post office address is Chattanooga, Tenn. (corner of Hurricane Avenue and Line Streets.)

            Philip Cleage served in the same camp with me: Co. “A” First U.S.C.H. Artillery. I knew Cleage for three or four years before the war. He was the slave of Alex Cleage, of Athens, Tenn., and I used to live up there. Cleage was a hale and hearty man up to the time he was taken sick with smallpox here in Chattanooga. This was a short time before the regiment was mustered out. He was taken to the hospital here, and then died of smallpox. I was doing camp guard duty and passed him out to the hospital. He was taken away in an ambulance and in a few days I heard of his death.  It was said he had black smallpox.

            In 6 or 8 months after we were mustered in at Knoxville, the whole company was claiming for a furlough. Capt. Elliott wanted to know who were married and who single, as he wanted to grant the married men a furlough. Cleage and I got a furlough, as we were both married men. I didn’t know who his wife was at that time. I first knew of his marriage to Katie, the applicant, here in Chattanooga, when she came to the camp in the spring of 1865.

            I was first duty sergeant of the company, and had orders to keep all women out of camp, except married women. Katie came there and was admitted as Philips wife. They lived and cohabited together in camp as man and wife. Two women and two men occupied the same cabin and Philip and Katie were two of them. I didn’t know the other couple. They lived together as man and wife until Philip was carried away to the hospital. Philip stated to me time and time again, that he had been married to Katie and that she was his lawful wife. I haven’t a bit of doubt that Philip and Katie were lawfully married under the slave customs, though I was not a witness to the marriage ceremony.  The officers all recognized them as man and wife and no question was raised as to their presence in camp.

            I have seen Katie nearly all the time since the war and know that she has not remarried – at least I have no knowledge of the fact if she had been. She has two illegitimate children since the war.

            I remember Cleage got a furlough for the purpose, as he said, of going to see and get his wife. I don’t think he brought her back. This was while we were at Knoxville, not Chattanooga. This was when we had been in the service 7 or 8 months it is a mistake in my affidavit where it says Cleage got a furlough at Chattanooga, in 1865. But after they came together in Chattanooga, they lived together as man and wife and he introduced Katie as his lawful wife.

            I am in no way related to the claimant and have no interest in her claim.

            I have understood the questions asked me, and the answers to them have been correctly recorded in this deposition.

Isaac Charlton

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Hamilton County Courthouse. Isaac Charlton worked here as janitor for several years. In 1910 it was struck by lightening and burned down.

Isaac Charlton was born into slavery in North Carolina about 1840. He was in the USC Heavy Artillary troop with Philip Cleage. After mustering out, Isaac and his wife Mahala remained in Chattanooga. According to the 1870 census, Mahala could not read or write while Isaac was literate.

Isaac Charlton signed his name on his deposition instead of marking it with an “X”.

Mahala died soon after 1870. Issac married Edmonia Scruggs. They had one daughter, Josephine who was born in 1873. Edmonia was literate and Josephine attended school through the 5th grade. Over the years Isaac worked as a janitor in the courthouse, a porter at a store, a painter and a laborer.

In 1879 Isaac applied for and received his invalid pension for Civil War service. He died when he was 51 and is buried in the National Cemetery in Chattanooga. Because I do not have his pension file, I do not know what exciting information may be there.

Isaac’s wife Edmonia filed for her widow’s pension the month after Isaac’s death. She moved to Knoxville and worked as a cook. She died there of pneumonia on April 6, 1906. She was 58 years old. Edmonia is buried in the Daughters of Zion Cemetery in Knoxville.

Josephine spend some time in Alabama, where she married and gave birth to a daughter. She eventually returned to Knoxville and died there in 1955 at 82 years of age.

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Resources I used for this post include: Katie Cleage’s Pension file, Ancestry.com, Hamilton County Tennessee Geneology Society, google search.

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

“I have had two children…”

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Slavery, Tennessee, ,
This is the house that Alexander Cleage purchased in 1860, about the time he bought Katie. The columns were not added until 1930, so they were not there during the life times of the people in this pension file. The porch where he married Katie and Philip was probably around back or on the side, but I could not see it on google maps.
“In 1860 Alexander Cleage, another prominent settler, acquired the farm and house for $20,150 ($609,921.08 in today’s money.) The Civil War practically bankrupted Cleage and the property was sold after his death in behalf of his creditors.” You can read details about this house in the application for designation as an historical site.

Deposition “C”

Case of Katie Cleage
March 1, 1890
Chattanooga, Hamilton, Tennessee.

Before me, R. C. Getchell, a special examiner of the Pension Office, personally appeared Katie Cleage, who being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to …

That she is 41 years of age; that her post office address is No. 519 Cedar St., Chattanooga, Tenn.

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I am the widow of Philip Cleage, the soldier. I just know Philip was a soldier and belonged to the first U.S. H Artillery. I don’t know what company he belonged to.

I was married to Philip Cleage before the war – I was about 16 years old when we got married. We were married at Athens, Tenn., and my old master, Alex. Cleage, married us. My master told me that I must marry one of the home boys, and so I married Philip. We were married at our master’s house, right in the porch. My master read a passage from the Bible and then told us we were man and wife. There was no one present at the marriage, except us two and the old master. I disremember whether the war was going on or not at the time we were married. It was long before Sherman’s men came along. I was 13 years old when my master bought me, and I guess it was about three years after that when we got married. I lived with Philip before we got married, and that’s why we came to get married. Cleage found out that I had been living with Philip and then he made us marry. I had just one child before we married and this child was born dead. I had another child in the next year after our marriage and this one lived but one day. Philip was living at the time this second child died.  This was all the children I ever had by Philip. I have had two children since my husband, both of them are now living. These children are both illegitimate, as I have never married since Philip died.

 I married Philip before he was mustered in the army. We had been married a good while before he enlisted. We lived and cohabited together as man and wife from the time of our marriage until he enlisted. We lived with Mr. Cleage all the time and we were both his slaves. Mr. Cleage is dead, but his wife is still living.Philip had right good health from the time of our marriage to his enlistment. He went into the army and died a soldier. He died in hospital, of smallpox. I didn’t know where the hospital was located. I was with Philip when he first come out with small pox. I was in camps with him when he broke out with smallpox. It was here in Chattanooga at his camps. I sewed in the regiment, and went to him and slept with him every night from the time the regiment came to Chattanooga until he broke out with smallpox. He was taken sick, and Dr. Wright, the surgeon of the regiment, said he had smallpox. I seen him all broken out with smallpox. After I gave him his tea, he broke out with smallpox, and was then sent to the hospital and I never saw him live any more. They sent me word that he was dead shortly after he was taken to the hospital. I wanted to go to the hospital with Philip; but the doctor said I mustn’t as I would die too if I went. He had the black small pox, so it was said. I had the (looks like: varalid) just after Philip died. I was vaccinated long before I married Philip.

(Question: were people being vaccinated for small pox on plantations in the 1800s?)

Can you make out the highlighted word?? varolid? Answer (variolid) and more information in the comments section.

The children I have had since my husband died are both living. One of them will be seven the first of next June, and the other five on the first of next April. I have had sexual intercourse with but one man since my husband died, and he is the father of these two children. This man is a married man. He is a colored man, and has a wife living. He was not married at the birth of the first child. I had no intercourse with this man after the birth of the second child. I had the man arrested and tried to get him to support the children and every once in awhile he would bring me some money. This man’s name is John Washington and he lives here in Chattanooga. No, I was never married to Washington. I had him arrested for bastardy. I never lived with him at all. I cohabited with him just long enough to have these two children. They put him in jail when they arrested him; and I didn’t know what they did with him.  I swear positively that the only man I ever married was Philip Cleage. I have never got any bounty or back pay, but have made application for both.

I was working here in Chattanooga when my husband’s regiment came here. My husband heard of my being here, came and got me and took me into camps, and I went and stayed with him every night until he was taken down sick. No objection whatever was made to my going into camp and living with my husband. I “served out” every day, but did all his washing.

I was a seamstress at my master’s house, but I slept with Philip every night. They gave us a room in which to sleep. Philip was employed on the farm and I in the house.

In camp, my brother and his wife and Philip and I staid together in one tent, occupying two bunks. My brother, Abe Cleage, went to Texas years ago, and I don’t know where he is now. The last I heard of his wife, she was in Rome, GA. I haven’t heard from her for a good many years. John Rowland and Ike Chilton know that we lived and cohabited together here as man and wife. I have lived here since the war. Everybody knows I haven’t remarried.

 I was engaged to be married to Washington, but the marriage was broken off.  This was why I had two illegitimate children by him. Both children were born before he married another woman.

 I have understood the questions asked me, and the answers to them have been exactly recorded in this deposition.

Tomas Giffe    Katie Cleage X (her mark) N.C. Gelchell

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You can read some of Katie’s brother Abe’s story here Abraham and Amanda Cleage I have learned much more about them since receiving their pension files and I will be writing about them in the future.

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

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

“I had well nigh despaired of the case.”

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Slavery, Tennessee
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Affidavit of Katie Cleage Widow

13 Jan 1890

Aged 42

When I first induced Capt. Thomas Giffe to take charge of my claims it had remained dormant for nearly five years and I had well nigh despaired the case, but, now I have good hopes of succeeding, and I thank Mr. Giffe for it. He is the only person who I gave any authority to, that I have any recollections of.

            I cannot read or write and I do not know nor recollect what has been written in my name heretofore. I have all confidence in Mr. Giffe. I desire that he be recognized as my atty. In fact, I found that it was impossible for me to get anything done correctly without employing any atty. here who could do my writing for me. I am willing to pay Chas and Has B King for anything they may have done for me, but I cannot consent to give them the credit of working up this case, after 5 years delay. I have paid them as follows – 1st $2, 2nd $1.50 in stamps and 3rd $1.00 making $4.50 altogether.

Katie Cleage (X her mark)

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An interesting and informative article about Civil War Pensions that explains who was eligible, how much they received and how these both changed as time passed. Civil War Pensions.

“The Civil War pension system was color blind in that there was nothing in the application process that required applicants to be white. But recent scholarly works have made it clear that the process itself was far from color blind. Because African American soldiers were both less likely initially to be assigned to combat roles, and then less likely to be hospitalized (early disability applications required documentation from hospitals) if injured, they could not produce the documentation required by the application process. And they were less likely than their white counterparts to have the money necessary to complete the process. Ultimately the fate of black veterans’ applications was decided by white bureaucrats who found it easy to turn them down without fear of retribution. An interesting side note is that the Grand Army of the Republic actively campaigned for their black brethren to be granted pensions just as white veterans were.”

It was also often more difficult for formerly enslaved widows to prove they had been married because of the lack of documentation for “slave marriages”.

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Thomas Giffe, Atty
Click to go to original photograph site

Thomas Giffe, Katie Cleage’s lawyer, was born in Ireland and came to the United States as a young man. He enlisted in the 74th Regiment, Ohio Infantry and was later appointed Captain of Company H, U.S. Colored Troops 16th Infantry Regiment. USCT regiments were led by white officers. After the war Giffe and his family lived in Chattanooga where he was a contractor, a businessman, an attorney and an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.)

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Posts in this series so far
Katie & Philip Cleage
“Until I Was Obliged to Leave” – Katie Cleage
“My husband purchased her when quite a child…” – Jemima Cleage
“I stood aloof and they took him away” – James Royal
“Even then she followed him” – Isaac Charlton

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I found the information used in this post on ancestry.com, Katie Cleage’s Pension file, Chattanooga Newspapers, Newpapers.com . The photograph is from the website of The Tennessee Library (Knoxville)

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

“Even then she followed him”

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

General Affidavit

State of Tennessee
County of Hamilton
3 Dec 1889

Claim of Katie Cleage, Widow of Sgt. Philip Cleage deceased late of Co. “A” 1st regiment U.S.C.H.A.

Personally came before me Isaac Carleton, aged 49 years a citizen of the town of Chattanooga, County of Hamilton, State of Tennessee

 I was a sergeant in the same company and regiment. With Philip Cleage. I knew him before he enlisted, and we were sworn in the same day. I did not know his wife at that time but he claimed to be a married man and in 1865 after our Regiment came to Chattanooga he obtained a furlough to go see his wife and when he returned he brought Katie with him and introduced her as his wife and they cohabited together until he took the small pox and was sent to the pest camp and even then she followed him to wait upon him but they refused to admit her. He died and she has not remarried and still mourns him as her deceased husband to this day. Sgt. Cleage died about one or two months before the Regiment was mustered out.

I further declare that I have no interest in said case and am not concerned in its prosecution.

Isaac Carleton

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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

“I stood aloof and they took him away”

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Slavery, Tennessee,
Chattanooga. View from Lookout Mountain. February 1864. Photographer George N. Banard

General Affidavit

State of Tennessee
County of Hamilton
4 Dec 1889

I, James Royal aged 46 years a citizen of the town of Cohutta in county of Whitfield state of Georgia. I, James Royal, was a private soldier in Company “A” 1st Regiment U.S.C. Heavy Artillery and first met the claimant Katie in Chattanooga when Sgt. Philip Cleage brought her into the camp of the same regiment and he introduced her to me as his wife. At all events, they lived and cohabited together in camp where no woman was allowed to remain unless she had a husband to protect her and when the ambulance came to move him to the smallpox camp, she insisted on going along to wait on him and nurse him, but I stood aloof and they took him away and the next thing I heard that he had died and I never saw her since.

My present P.O. address is Sherman Heights – Hamilton Co. Tenn. My home is Cohutta GA. I further declare that I have no interest in said case and am not concerned in its prosecution.

James Royal X his mark

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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

“My husband purchased her when quite a child…”

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

Affidavit of Mrs. Jemima Cleage: The former owner of both Philip and Katie when slaves

11 Dec. 1889

Jemima Hurst age 52

            I am the widow of Alexander Cleage deceased, late of Athens, McMinn County, Tennessee. I recognize the applicant, Katie, as one of our former slaves. My husband purchased her when quite a child, 13 years old, from my brother Russell Hurst – we then resided on a farm about 3 miles from Athens and my brother’s farm was about 6 miles distant.

All the ceremony at that time necessary for slaves to marry was the consent of the owners. I think it was in December 1862, Katie was delivered of a stillborn child. And again in December 1863 of another stillborn child. And I was present at the birth of both children.

In December 1863 Philip left us, all the slaves having been liberated by proclamation of the President, and I heard that he had joined the army. Katie remained with us some 8 months after Philip left us and then she went off.

            I further state they both were very young and had not been previously married and I have never heard that she remarried. She was always a good clean girl and I kept her in the house to sew.  I know what I here state from personal recollection. I have not seen her for a long time.

            And I further declare that I have no interest in said case and am not concerned in its prosecution.

Jemima Cleage

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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

“Until I Was Obliged to Leave” – Katie Cleage

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Tennessee
Click photo for more information about it.

Today I begin with deposition made by Katie Cleage on 10 December 1989. Katie Cleage is not my ancestor. She and Philip were enslaved on the same plantation that my great grandfather Louis Cleage, his parents Frank and Juda and their other children were held in slavery. I have studied the whole community that made up the Cleage plantations in McMinn County, Tennessee in order to get a full picture of the life that my family lived during those times. I have found the pension files to be a wealth of information. I have also become interested in the extended community of Cleages for themselves as I study them.

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State of Tennessee

County of Hamilton

10 Dec 1889
In the matter of the Claim No. 288.391 of Katie Cleage widow of Philip Cleage deceased, late a sergeant In Company “A.” 1st Regiment United States Colored Heavy Artilliary (U.S.C.H.A.) Personally appeared the claimant Katie Cleage before me, a notary public in and fore the county and state aforesaid and after being duly sworn deposes and says –

            I, Katie Cleage, am the widow of the late Phillip Cleage who was a Sergeant in Company “A” 1st regiment, United States Colored Heavy Artillery. I was born near Mouse Creek McMinn County and State of Tennessee and my P.O. address was the same when the war broke out.

I belonged to Alexander Cleage. He bought me as a slave from Lewis R. Hurst, when I was only 13 years old and he took me to his home in Athens McMinn County. Philip Cleage the soldier, was one of Mr. Cleage’s Boys. Phillip was the best looking boy on the plantation and I was installed in the family as seamstress. Philip was nearly my own color. He began to pay attention to me and the feeling was reciprocated. I had one child by Philip and my master made us marry and he read the marriage ceremony himself and pronounced us husband and wife. The child which was born before our marriage died and the next one, which was born after our marriage, died also.

In 1863 the Yankee Army came along and took all the men who were fit for the service and my husband with the rest. Before going away he advised me to remain at home and I did as long as I could do so in safety, but the white people grew so tyrannical, I was obliged to leave. I went to Cleveland, Tenn. and was employed by a Mr. Griggesby who was a telegraph operator. My brother was there also and when my term expired, I moved to Chattanooga, where I was employed by Mrs. Colonel Grosverner and Mrs. General Wagner and I went with them and the army away down in Georgia and back again to Chattanooga.

When those two ladies returned to go back to the North, they requested me to go along with them. I then told them that I was a married woman and that my husband was in the Colored Troops, and that I could not go, lest I might lose sight of him. So they left me and I hired myself to a Mrs. Delany, whose husband was an officer in a Regiment at Chattanooga. She paid me 75 cents a day and my meals for sewing for her.

 In the meantime, the 1st Heavy moved to Chattanooga and was here two days before I found out that it was the Regiment which my husband belonged to. I accidentally saw my brother and he told me that Philip was here. He went back and told Phillip that he had found me. Then Philip came and took me with him into camp and introduced to his friends and he prepared a place for me in Camp with him and I cooked for him and my brother Abe. And I still went back and forth and earned my 75 cents a day sewing as before for Mrs. Delaney.

Philip, my husband, was feeling bad one evening and was lying down with his head in my lap, and I noticed that there was a rash breaking out on his face and neck and next morning the doctor, Dr. E. McKnight, pronounced it small pox and sent him to the hospital but would not let me go with him. This was the last I seen of my husband, as he died and was buried away from me.

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General Grosverner was at the Reunion of the Army of the Cumberland last September. I went to see him and he recognized me immediately and told me how I missed it by not going north with his wife! I have remained in Chattanooga every since the death of my husband and have not remarried. I am positive that Philip had never any other wife, for his master Alexander Cleage would not permit any of his people to marry outside of his plantation.

I made application for widows Pension in 1885 and from sickness and poverty I have been unable to bear the expenses procuring the needed evidence. I am now informed that my husband’s people are trying to take advantage of my silence and I now ask the honorable commissioner’s recognition of this claim.  I cannot see to sew as I used to do and have been trying to earn a living by washing. I have sewed so long that my eyes are ruined.

Witness J M Sutton

G R Phillips

Katie Cleage (X her mark)

Sworn to and subscribed before me this day, by the above named affiant; I certify that the forgoing affidavit was read over to aforesaid affiant, and it’s contents fully explained.

Witness my hand and official seal this 5 day of Dec 1889 J.A. Holtzlaw Notary Public.

You can read more about the ending of slavery in Eastern Tennessee here -> Slavery Ends in Tennessee

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Charles H. Grosvenor

“Colonel (later Brevet Brigadier General) Charles H. Grosvenor took over command of the 18th Ohio Regiment of Veteran Infantry at Chattanooga, TN on October 31, 1864. Earlier Captain Charles H. Grosvenor had been recognized for “gallantry and coolness” under fire when the 18th Regiment made several “brilliant charges” on the second day of the Battle of Chickamauga. The regiment was involved in the occupation of Nashville during Hood’s threat to that city. They followed the pursuit of Hood in the Tennessee River Valley during December 17-28, 1864. During this period the 18th participated in the bloody but successful assault on Overton Hill. Here again, the battle took a heavy toll among the unit’s officers and men. But the heavy fighting was over for the 18th Regiment. They were sent to Columbus, Ohio, and were mustered out on October 22, 1865. General Charles H. Grosvenor returned to Athens (Ohio) where he resumed his law practice.” From the page General Grosvenor

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

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

Katie & Philip Cleage

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

Philip Cleage was born into slavery about 1843 on the plantation of Alexander Cleage in Athens, McMinn County, Tennessee. Philip was the third child of the four known children of Julie Ann Evans. He grew up to work on the farm. Sometimes he drove the coach.

Katie Cleage was born on the Hurst plantation in Mouse Creek, McMinn County, Tennessee. She was the fourth of the seven known children of Hulda Hurst. When Katie was 13, Alexander and Jemima (Hurst) Cleage bought her from Jemima’s brother, Lewis Russell Hurst. She was put to work as the seamstress.

In 1862, when Philip was 19 and Katie was 16, they were married by the slave holder, Alexander Cleage. They had two children together. The first was stillborn. The second died soon after birth.

When Sherman’s army came to the area, Philip and other men from the Cleage plantations joined the 1st U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery (USCT).

As the confusion of war intensified, Katie decided she would leave too. She first went to Cleveland, Tennessee and after working a variety of sewing jobs, eventually ended up in the USCT camp in Chattanooga. She lived on the base with her husband until he died of smallpox on 9 February 1866. In 1883 Katie filed for a widow’s pension. Her life story is told in her depositions and those of members of her community, including others who had been enslaved on the Cleage plantations, neighbors, men who served in the same unit as Philip and members of the slave holding Cleage family.

Using these testimonies and related information I will reconstruct Katie’s life in the coming series of blog posts.

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