Listing of “property” in James F. Bradford’s father’s 1852 Will included Nelson, Lucy and their family. Click to enlarge
Henry aged about 60
Nelson aged about 45
Lydia ” ” 43
Lucy ” ” 42
Adalineb ” ” 18
Caroline ” ” 16
Angeline ” ” 14
Tom ” ” 12
William. ” ” 12
Sarah. ” ” 10
Stewart. ” ” 9
Minerva ” ” 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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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 .
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 .
I don’t know my age exactly. I never did know. I must have been about 10 years old at the beginning of the war. I am the wife of Isaac Charlton and my post office address is East 2nd of Harrison Ave., Chattanooga, Tenn. I have known the claimant for twelve or more years, I have lived near her and known her well. She has been a hard working woman ever since I have been acquainted with her. She had one child when I first got acquainted with her. I don’t know how many she has now for I have not lived near her for about seven years. I took care of the child I know about, when she, the claimant, was working out. She has never lived with any husband when I was taking care of the child, I don’t know whether he died, or they were separated or what because I never asked her any questions. I never saw her husband.
No sir, I do not know that she had a husband, I just knew her as Katie when she worked at Mrs. Sherwood’s and when she got me to take care of this child. I never have seen her with any man. She never has lived with any man since I have known her. I never heard a thing against her character, she has always been steady and a hard working woman.
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.
Edmonia (her mark X) Charlton. Isaac Charlton interprets the mark.
Click to enlarge. Chart shows family relationships of Katie and Philip Cleage
I hope that these charts will help keep who is related to who as the hearings continue. The first chart shows the family relationships between Philip’s family on the left and Katie’s family on the right. In red you can see who testifies, who was in the United States Colored Heavy Artillary with Philip.
Click to enlarge. Family relationships for Jemima and Alexander Cleage.
This chart shows Alexander and Jemima (Hurst) Cleage’s family relationships. The information in red gives information about who testified and who gave and received gifts of enslaved people.
