Malissa (Stringer) Hollis' widow's pension application.

Texas State Library and Archives Commission Austin, TX Widow's Application for Pension (Form B) Name of Applicant: Mrs. Malissa Hollis Wood County Postoffice: Yantis, Tex. Note: "not sufficient" Form B: For use of Widows of Soldiers who are in indigent circumstances. THE STATE OF TEXAS County of WOOD I, Mrs. Malissa Hollis, do hereby make application to the Commissioner of Pensions for a pension, to be granted me under the Act passed by the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Texas, and approved March 26, A. D. 1909, on the following grounds: I am the widow of J. R. Hollis deceased, who departed this life on the 13th day of November, A. D. 1902, in the county of Wood, in the State of Texas. I have not remarried since the death of my said husband, and I do solemnly swear that I was never divorced from my said husband, and that I never voluntarily abandoned him during his life, but remained his true, faithful and lawful wife up to the date of his death. I was married to him on the 20th day of November, A. D. 1857, in the county of Harris, in the State of Georgia. My husband, the said J. R. Hollis, enlisted and served in the military service of the Confederate States during the war between the States of the United States, and that he did not desert the Confederate Service. I have been a resident of the State of Texas since prior to March 1, A. D. 1880, and have been continu7ously since a citizen of the State of Texas. I do further state that I do not receive from any source whatever money or other means of support amounting in value to the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars per annum, nor do I own in my own right, nor does any one hold in trust for my benefit or use, estate or property, either real, personal or mixed, either in fee or for life, of the assessed value of over one thousand dollars; nor do I receive any aid or pension from any other State, or from the United States, or from any other source, and I do further state that the answers given to the following questions are true: 1. What is your age? "71 years". 2. Where were you born? "In Georgia". 3. How long have you resided in the State of Texas? "50 years". 4. How long have you resided in the county of your present residence? And what is your postoffice address? "25 years, my post-office address is Yantis, Texas". 5. What was your husband's full name? "John Robinson Hollis". 6. When and where were you married? "Nov. 20th, 1857, in Harris Co., Georgia". 7. What was the date of his death? "Nov. 13th, 1902". 8. In what State was your husband's command originally organized? "In Texas". 9. How long did your husband serve? If known to you, give date of enlistment and discharge. "Near 3 yrs. He enlisted, I think, in Oct. 1863, and served until the close of the war". 10. What was the name or letter of the company, or name or number of the battalion, regiment or battery of artillery in which your husband served? If he was transferred from one branch of service to another, give time of transfer, description of command and of service. "Co. "V", I think, he first went out under Waterman and was afterward with Col. Hill, and worked at Tyler in the Government shops and was at work there when the war closed". 11. Name branch of service in which your husband served, whether infantry, cavalry, artillery or the navy, or if comissioned as an officer by the President, his rank and line of duty, or if detailed for special service, under the law of conscription, the nature of such service, and how long did he serve? "Infantry, I think. He was never a commissioned officer, and the only special service he rendered was, as stated, in the Shops at Tyler." 12. Have you transferred to others any property of any kind for the purpose of becoming a beneficiary under this law? "No".Wherefore your petitioner prays that her application for a pension be approved and such other proceedings b e had in the premises as are required by law. (Signature of Applicant)......handwritten signature showing "Mrs. Malissa Hollis". Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 7 day of July, A. D. 1909. R. M. Smith, County Judge, Wood County, Texas AFFIDAVIT OF WITNESSES THE STATE OF TEXAS County of Wood. Before me, R. M. Smith, County Judge of Wood County, State of Texas, on this day personally appeared Lou Roach, who are personally known to me to be credible citizens, who, being by me duly sworn, on oath state that they personally know that Mrs. Malissa Hollis applicant for a pension as the widow of J. R. Hollis deceased, is in truth and fact the widow of J. R. Hollis deceased; that they personally know that she has not remarried since the death of her husband, for whose service in the army she claims a pension, and that they have no interest in this claim. (Signature of Witness)......."Lou X Roach" (personal note says "her mark" by the "X"). (Signature of Witness)......."Will Craven" Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 7th day of July, A. D. 1909. R. M. Smith, County Judge, Wood County, Texas. AFFIDAVIT OF WITNESSES THE STATE OF TEXAS County of WOOD Before me, R. M. Smith, County Judge of Wood County, State of Texas, on this day personally appeared Lou Roach, who are personally known to me to be credible citizens, who, being by me sworn, on oath state that they are personally acquainted with the foregoing applicant, and that the facts set forth and statements made in her application are correct and true, to the best of their knowledge and belief, and that they have no interest in this claim. And further make oath to the following facts touching the service of the applicant's husband in the Confederate Army: "The said Lou Roach states on oath that she is 52 years of age, that she knew J. R. Hollis, and that she remembers the time of his departure or enlistment in the war and that she remembers the date of his return after the surrender, and that to the best of her knowledge and belief the said J. R. Hollis never at any time deserted the confederacy, and that the said Mrs. Malissa Hollis, the applicant herewith, is the widow of the said Hollis." (Signature of Witness)......"Lou X Roach (personal notes says "her mark" by the "X". Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 27th day of July, A. D. 1909. R. M. Smith County Judge, Wood County, Texas. OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS State of Texas Austin August 16, 1909 E. A. Bolmes, Commissioner To the Adjutant General, War Department, Washington, D. C. Dear Sir: I have the honor to request the military record of J. R. Hollis who is reported to have enlisted in Company B, 19th Regiment Texas Infantry in the service of the Confederate States Army. Purpose: The widow of the person above named is an applicant for a Confederate pension granted by this State, and I desire to verify his proof of service, Very Respectfully, E. A. Bolmes Commissioner of Pensions WAR DEPARTMENT - #1557066 The Adjutant Generat's Office Washington August 20, 1909 Respectfully returned to theCommissioner of Pensions, State of Texas, Austin. The name J. R. Hollis has not been found on the rolls, on file in this office, of Company B, 19th Texas Infantry, Confederate States Army. F. C. Ainsworth, The Adjutant General Research Notes regarding Pension Application Rejection of Malissa Hollis: From the documents listed above, we can assume that John R. Hollis was not with his family from about October 1963 until the close of the war in 1865. After having children born regularly from 1858 through 1862, there were no children born to the couple between November 1862 and January 1866, giving us a small thread of evidence that he was most probably not in the home during that period of years. His wife, Malissa, and his daughter, Lou (Hollis) Roach, both stated he was working in Tyler, TX in the "Shops". His wife, Malissa, mentions the name of "Col. Hill" as being where he spent his final days of the war. A private gun shop at Tyler, TX was sold in October 1863 to the Confederate Government and then expanded into the Confederate Ordnance Works, aka Shops. Col. Hill was in charge of the Ordnance Works at Tyler, TX at the end of the war. Also at the end of the war there was much unrest in Tyler, TX with riots, looting and destruction of the Ordnance Works through an explosion. Smith County survivors of the Confederate Army struggled home as Union occupation forces arrived to reestablish Federal control. It has been documented through the letters of Col. Hill that many records were destroyed during this time period. It's possible this is why no record has been found for John R. Hollis' military service. To date, we can find no record for him and no other reason why there is no record. Sources for research notes: 1) "A Brief History of Tyler and Smith County, Texas" by David Scott Stieghan, Graduate Assist., Center for East Texas Studies, SFASU 2) "Tyler, Texas CSA, The Story of the Confederate States Ordnance Works at Tyler, Texas, 1861-1865" by William A. Albaugh III 3) Tyler Public Library, Tyler, Smith Co., TX - Local and Family History, Barbara Galbreath (Access Associate) - Personal email correspondence dated July 16, 2003.

To join the Hollis e-mail list, just click on your choice below and follow the instructions.
[email protected] Receive each e-mail as it is sent	[email protected] receive one e-mail daily with all messages for that day
INSTRUCTIONS: put only the word SUBSCRIBE in the "BODY" of the message.

Our Hollis list members site has had Visitors since:7/25/2005

Webspace generously provided free by Ancestry.com !

Bill Cook descendant of John Hollis Hollis list administrator

COMMENTS?

This page last modified Monday, 10-Sep-2018 13:38:26 MDT

Please send any files, photos, info or links on your families to: Bill Cook The information on these webpages is put here for private use only, with no commercial use being authorized! All rights are reserved, feel free to link to this page but please do not duplicate it or copy any info without the explicit written consent of the submitter. Copyright © 2005-2010 by Bill Cook!