During the Civil War Anthony Casey served in the Union Army as a private in Captain A. R. McPherson’s Company E, Second Regiment, Arkansas Infantry Volunteers. He enlisted the second day of September 1863 at Jasper, Arkansas. He was discharged August 8, 1865, at Clarksville, Arkansas. His description: age, 40 years old, was five feet eight inches tall, complexion fair, blue eyes, light hair, occupation when he enrolled was a farmer. From May 1, 1864, to June 1, 1864, Anthony was in St John’s Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas with pneumonia and from June 5, 1864 to July 1, 1864 he was in the Small Pox hospital in Little Rock. After the war, (1877) Anthony Casey filed a petition with the Southern Claims Commission asking to be reimbursed for the following items that he furnished the Union troops during the war: One mare, $100.00, 100 bushels of corn $100.00 and 6 tons of oats. $30.00. In his petition he stated the following:

“The mare was taken while we were on the march in Spring Campaign of 1864 the first part of April down to Camden Ark. I was sick & permitted to ride my mare on the march that while thus marching my mare was taken to mount some of Cavalry force of the 6th Kansas Cavalry while on said march to Camden, Ark. That the said corn and oats were taken and used by Captain James R. Vanderpool captain of Co. C, 1st Regt. Ark Infty Vols while he was recruiting in Newton Co., Arkansas and raising up recruits to form and make part of the 1st Regt of Ark Infty Vols - I would further state Col. Thayer was in command of the Expedition on the march down to Camden when the mare was taken and used."

In answer to a series of questions from the Claims Commission, Anthony made the following statements: J. R. Vanderpool, John Carlton, W. C. Carlton & A. C. Phillips were the leading and best know Unionists in the vicinity and they have been called to testify to my loyalty. In 1963 I was arrested by the rebels and I was kept in a prison for 6 days and then I ran away. The rebels robbed my house (No date was mentioned nor did he indicate what was taken). At the conclusion of the Southern Claim Commission’s hearing the case was summarized as follows.:

“The claimant enlisted in the 2nd Ark. Infantry in the U.S Service in Sept. ’63 & served till the close of the war. His discharge is filed with the petition. He was arrested by the rebels and kept six days & then escaped. Loyalty proved. He had a farm of 160 acres. The corn & oats were fed out to troops - from 40 to 80 men camped in the vicinity three or four weeks - in 1864 - The mare was taken by men of the 6th Kansas Regt - The oats were just up - 8 acres in the field & fed down by the horses. We allow in all $230.00”

Anthony applied for an Invalid pension August 9, 1887 stating that as a result of the pneumonia he contacted during the war he had lung damage and that the small pox had affected his eye sight. Pension Claim Number 620.650, Certificate Number 491.323. Pensioner was last paid $20.00 on 4 August 1910 and he was dropped because of death. He died September 7, 1910.

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