State of Texas, County of Ellis:

On this 28th day of May, A. D. one-thousand eight-hundred and ninety-seven, personally appeared before me, a Notary Public within and for the County and State afore said, William R. Seabolt, aged 66 years, a resident of Avalon, County of Ellis, State of Texas, who, being sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical William R. Seabolt who was enrolled on the 10th day of June, 1863 in Company F, 1st Arkansas Infantry Volunteers in the service of the United States in the war of the rebellion, and served at least ninty days, and was honorably discharged at Ft. Smith, Arkansas on the 10th day of August, 1865.

"That he is unable to earn a support by manual labor by resaon of Gravel, Rheumatism, disease of eyes and effect of prostrate and asthma. That said disabilities are not due to his vicious habits, and are to the best of his knowledge and belief, of a permanent character. That he has applied for pension under application No. 1.103.693. That he has not been in the military or naval service of the United States since the 10 day of August 1865; that he makes this declaration for the purpose of being placed on the pension-roll of the United States under the provisions of the Act of June 27, 1890. He hereby appoints T. W. Tallmadge of Washington, D. C., his true and lawful attorney to prosecute his claim, and receive a fee of ten dollars. That his post office is Avalon, County of Ellis, State of Texas.

Signed: William R. Seabolt          Witness:   W. N. Davis &  G. W. Glaze

*****

Affidavit sworn to by William R. Seabolt of Ellis County, Texas on 14th day of August 1897 in support his Civil War Pension application:

"My name is William R. Seabolt, a resident of Avalon, Ellis County, Texas. I was never in the military or Naval Service of the U.S prior to June 18th, 1863 nor have I been in the military or Naval Service since August 10th 1865. My reason for being unable to furnish the evidence of local physician is due to the fact that the physician who attended on me and treated the diseases set forth in my application for pension is disqualified for making any statement; having lost his reason of speech, his mind being impaired and his reason almost wholly dethroned. I have had no physician except the one above mentioned to treat said diseases."

*****

Affidavit sworn to by William L. Reynolds of Newton County, Arkansas in support of W. R.’s pension claim on December 27, 1900:

"My name is William L. Reynolds. My age is 69 years. My post office is Western Grove in the County of Newton, State of Arkansas. I well remember William R. Seaboalt of Co. F, 1st Regiment Arkansas Infantry Volunteers, and I knew him to be a loyal man. In 1862, about the1st of June in said year, the Conscript Law was put in force in Arkansas by the Confederate Authorities. I remember that the said William R. Seaboalt went in to the Capt. H. C. Bickey Company of Conscripts about July 1862. The Confederates took him to Elm Springs in Washington County, Arkansas. My opinion is that he did not stay or remain with them but a short time. I know that the said H. C. Bickey Company was not armed and never issued any guns or clothing and horse food. Claimant never was armed. I know that the Capt. Bickey Company was union men and most of them went to the United States Army the first opportunity. I was present at Elm Springs with the company and remained a short time and know that the company was called conscripts and was abused by the Confederates for being conscripts. I was a loyal Union man and had a right to know what I’d do."

*****

Affidavit sworn to by George W. Cooper, age 64 years, of Western Grove, Newton County, Arkansas on December 6, 1900 in support of W. R.’s pension claim: "I was well acquainted with William R. Seaboalt. I became acquainted with him in 1855. When the Civil War broke out in 1860, the said William R. Seaboalt was a strong Union man and refused to enlist in the Confederate Army and remained out of the Confederate until the Conscript Law was put in force by the Confederate Authorities in Arkansas. The said Conscript Law forced all men in Arkansas over 18 and under 45 into the Confederate Service. The said William R. Seaboalt still refused to go into the said Rebel service until Capt. H. C. Bickey made up a company of conscripts in Newton County, Arkansas. Most all of his men were what was known to be Union men. The said Capt. Bickey was camped near Jasper, Arkansas when the claimant, William R. Seaboalt, was forced into his company under the said Rebel Conscript Law. The Confederates marched the conscripts to Elm Springs in Washington County, Arkansas. There, the said claimant only stayed with them but a few days. He left them and went back to said Newton County, Ark and remained there in the mountains until he got an opportunity to enlist in Co. F, 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry Volunteers. The Claimant never bore arms against the United States as they had no guns nor never knew any arms while the claimant was with them. The said William was always a strong Union man and I never heard him say one word in favor of the Confederate Army. I served in the same regiment with him in the United States Service and know the above statement to be true from being with him in all his service."

Signed: George W. Cooper

*****

Affidavit sworn to by Lemuel R. Jones, age 67 years, of Western Grove, Newton County, Arkansas in support of W. R. ’s pension claim on December 27, 1900:

"I was personally acquainted with William R. Seaboalt of Co. F, 1st Regiment, Arkansas Infantry Volunteers and lived neighbor to him for several years. I first knew him in 1858. When the War broke out in 1860, he was living in Newton County, Arkansas and was a loyal man and refused to enlist in the Confederate Army with many other loyal men of said Newton County, Arkansas. In June 1862, the Conscript Law was put in force in Arkansas. The said William R. Seaboalt still refused to enlist in the Confederate Services until H. C. Bickey went into said Service under the Conscript Law. He and made up a company of conscripts, most all being Union men. The said W. R. Seaboalt went into the H. C. Bickey company of conscripts and they took him to Washington County, Arkansas where the said W. R. Seaboalt only remained with the conscripts a short time (say 15 or 20 days). He went back to Newton County Arkansas and remained there until the first opportunity. He enlisted in the Federal Army, Co. F, 1st Regiment, of the Arkansas Infantry Volunteers. Newton County was mostly a loyal county and sent out about 3 to 5 hundred soldiers to the United States Army at the first opportunity. Most all of the H. C. Bickey conscript company went to the Federal Army, also Bickey himself went to the United States Army. Claimant was always a strong Union man. He never bore arms against the US government."

Signed: Lemuel R. Jones, Late 2nd Lieut., Co. D, 2nd Ark Cavalry

*****

Affidavit sworn to by J. A. Worthy, age 36 years, and J. W. Worthy, aged 30 years, of Avalon, Ellis County, Texas on 4th day of October 1899 concerning the health and disability of William R. Seaboalt in support of his United States Civil War Pension application. This was logged into the Pension Office of the U. S. on 10th of October 1899. "We have lived within 200 yards of Wm R. Seabolt since June 2nd 1897 up to the present time and personally know that the said Wm. R. Seabolt has been unable to do any physical or manual labor since June 2nd 1897 to the present time."

*****

Affidavit sworn to by E. Green, age 42 years, and J. D. Anderson, aged 22 years, of Avalon, Ellis County, Texas on 31st day of July 1897 concerning the health and disability of William R. Seaboalt in support of his United States Civil War Pension application:

"That they are personally acquainted with Wm. R. Seabolt, said E. Green having been well acquainted with him for eleven years and J. D. Anderson having known him for two years. Witnesses further state that the disabilities alleged in the said Wm. R. Seabolt’s application for Pension did exist when his application was presented and did then and do now incapacitate him for the performance of manual labor from that time the disabilities of said Wm. R. Seabolt are: Gravel , Rheumatism, disease of eyes, enlarged prostrate gland and asthma. That said disabilities wholly incapacitate Wm. R. Seabolt for the performance of manual labor. Witnesses further state that it is their opinion that these disabilities are not the result of vicious habits as the said Wm. R. Seabolt habits of life have been good prior to and since the filing of his application. Witnesses further state that this testimony was written in their presence and from their oral statements then made; that they made such statements at Avalon, Texas on 31st day of July 1897 to J. B. Hemphill; and that in making such statements did not use and was not aided or prompted by any written or printed statement or recital prepared or dictated by any other person and not attached as an exhibit to their testimony."

*****

Affidavit sworn to by Archibald W. Reynolds, age 66 years of Avalon, Ellis County, Texas on 25th day of September 1899 before Notary Public J. B. Hemphill, concerning the health and disability of William R. Seaboalt in support of his United States Civil War Pension application. This was logged into the Pension Office of the U. S. on 25th of September 1899:

"I was intimately acquainted with Wm. R. Seabolt prior to and at the time he entered the Confederate Service and am thoroughly familiar with all of the circumstances of his entry into said Confederate Service. Wm. R. Seabolt was given to a certain day to enter the Confederate Service. He refused to enter and was immediately forced to enter. The applicant remained in the Confederate Service about 2 months. Applicant excaped from Confederate Service by being permitted to return home (on account of sickness in his family) on furlough and never returned to the Confederate Service. I have no knowledge of any other person in this country who is acquainted with the circumstances of Wm. R. Seabolt’s entry in the Confederate Army."


Also see William Riley Seaboalt

You can reach me by email: William D. Gorman