Margaret E Sherwood's pension front page
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Amanda Holt's testimony

MISSOURI
Missouri State Archives
600 W. Main
P.O. Box 1747
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Telephone: 573-751-3280

In 1911 Missouri began granting pensions to indigent Confederate veterans only; none were granted to widows. Missouri also had a home for disabled Confederate veterans. The pension and veterans' home applications are interfiled and arranged alphabetically. Typically, the pension file is small, perhaps four to eight pages, containing a standard application form and may include letters of recommendation from family members or others.


The following is Depositions and Affidavits in Pension Claim for Margaret Elizabeth Russell Sooter Sherwood.

1-30-1913 By James Sooter
W.L.Sooter was my father. I remember him well both before his death and I saw him in death near where Gravette, Ark. is now located. I was then about 7 years old.


Margaret E Russell Sooter Sherwood's Deposition 9-9-1913
I have been married twice only. The first time to W.L. Sooter in Barry Co., Mo, September 4, 1854 and burried him. He was a Confederate Soldier.
I was married to David O. Sherwood May 1, 1873 and lived with him until his death Nov. 20, 1912.
1. I am not employed. I live with my married daughter.
2. I am the widow of the late David O. Sherwood
3. who served as a private in Co. "M" 6th Mo. S.
4. M. Cav. and was a pensioneer at the date of
5. his death- He died here November 20, 1912 and
6. date and fact of his death has been proven by
7. the undertaker. A. M. Mitchell (BJ 3/4)
8. There may be a public record of his death
9. (If any it is with the Bureau of Vital Statistics
10. Jefferson City, Mo.___) He had no physician.
11. I have not remarried since his death- He left
12. no child under 16 years.
13. We have three children by our marriage ___
14. Elijah, Charles and Minnie (wife of OD Crosby)
15. I was married to said soldier in Benton Co.
16. Arkansas at my own home May 1, 1873 by
17. our Parson Leonard. (dead)
18. I have had a search made of Bentonville, Ark
19. for a record of our marriage and none
20. was found.
21. We were married by Preacher Leonard (dead)
22. My old Bible record gives the date May 1, 1873.
23. Witnesses to our marriage by my son James Sooter,
24. was here - Ester Garman, my sister-
25. and Nancy McQuown, some place in Oklahoma.
26. We continued to live together as husband and wife
27. after our marriage until his death, and were
28. never separated or divorced. Maiden name Russell.
29. I was married to said soldier under my
30. widowed name Sooter, being of date of
31. our marriage the widow of William L. Sooter
32. who was killed in fall of 1863 by Federal
33. soldiers on scout on Union militia.
34. He was killed were the Missouri and Arkansas
35. state line South of Pineville, Mo. and in
36. this county. Bob Christian was the leader of the Band.
37. I know he was killed by having seen
38. his dead body at the time it was burried
39. at Bethel grave yard on Spavinaw
40. Creek near Gravette, Ark.
41. I think the place of his death was some 12
42. miles from where he was burried.
43. My home at that time was within 3
44. miles of said Grave Yard. It is a
45. cemetery graveyard. He had been
46. shot in the left breast and beaten over
47. the head.
48. Them were four more were killed
49. at the same time in a fight in Gordon
50. Hollow in South of Pineville, Mo. and
51. their bodies with that of my husband
52. were all burried at Bethel Graveyard.
53. I saw the dead bodies of them, of said were
54. John Golstan, JB Graham, and John
55. West were the men whose bodies I saw.
56. My husband and these men were at
57. had been soldiers in the Confederate service
58. under Capt. WH Hendrin (BJ 809) and
59. my husband had been captured at
60. Cross Hollows, Ark.- and held a prisoner
61. at Neosho, Mo. and had been released and
62. came home and was fixing to go into the
63. Confederate service again when killed.
64. I think my said husband was killed
65. in Nov 1863.
66. I have date set down in an old Bible
67. (Bible provided and examined, published in 1854 by Jasper
68. Handing, Philadelphia and states that William L Sooter died
69. November 9, 1863. Record appears old and genuine.
70. I had a child born to me 7 months, 8 days
71. after my husbands death- Named William
72. Leonard sooter- named for his father.
73. and was born June 15, 1864.
74. (The old Bible above mentioned reads date of birth as
75. stated.)
76. (This old Bible records date of marriage of Wm L Sooter and
77. M.E. Sooter was married Sept the 1st 1854. and
78. appeared faded and genuine I think, )
79. Amanda Holt is all who was present
80. at the burrial of my said husband.
81. Yes, she knew both before he was killed
82. No, I can't name others who are now living
83. except my son James Sooter, then 8 yrs old.
84. I was married to William L Sooter in 1854
85. about the first of Sept- in Barry Co, Mo.
86. by Espuire Kirby. That was my first marriage
87. I had 5 children by Sooter, 4 of whom
88. are living. James being the eldest.
89. My maiden name was Russell and
90. was never married before I married Sooter.
91. No sir he was never in the Union Army
92. or US Navy, and I never claimed or
93. drew any pension or pay as the widow
94. of William L Sooter.
95. Berry Sooter was brother of my said husband
96. and may be living South of Gravette, Ark.
97. He knows of the death of my said husband,
98. but not from personal knowledge.
99. After the death of William L. Sooter, I
100. was next married to David O. Sherwood
101. as above stated- I have never been
102. married but twice- Sherwood had been married once.
103. I have Mr Sherwood old Bible which records date of his
104. marriage to Prisila DeButts Sept 23, 1852, and his
105. marriage to me Margaret E Sooter May 1, 1873.
106. (Bible published in 1876 and record appears old and
107. genuine, Special Examine)
108. The Soldier David O Sherwood had been
109. married one time, and only one time
110. before he married me.
111. His first wife was Priscilla DeButts and
112. married her in North Missouri long before
113. the war. I don't know what county.
114. He and she lived in Harrison Co., Mo. as he said
115. I knew his first wife and she and he lived
116. near my home in Benton Co., Ark. near
117. Maysville, and I visited her during her
118. last illness. and I have personal knowledge
119. of her death and I helped to dress her body,
120. and was burried at a country graveyard
121. on Honey Creek -near where she died.
122. She died in 1872 about June. I can't state exact date.
123. Sarah Kelley knows of her death and my sister
124. Ester Wilkins Garman and many others in that
125. locality known of her death, if yet living.
126. I know of no record of her death. Dr Baker treated her.
127. No head stone at her grave. Her son Wes Sherwood was
128. present at her death, address not known. I think Redland, Ark.
129. Mr Sherwoods old Bible above mentioned gives date
130. of her death I think under head of "deaths" in said
131. Bible, and following record of deaths of members of the Sherwood family I find the following


Case of Margaret E. Sherwood no. 997.112
By Mrs Henry Holt 9-10-1913
I am 67 years old. I am the wife of Henry Holt, a farmer. P.O.
Gravette, Benton, Co., Ark. I reside 2 1/2 miles South and East.
I have resided in this immediate neighborhood since about 1858. I came
here from Indiana. I know the claimant, Margaret E. Sherwood, and I
knew her once as Margaret E. Sooter and I learned her maiden name was
Russell. I made her acquaintance at the time her husband William
Sooter was killed and buried. I dont think I had made her aquaintance
before his death.
I had no acquaintance with William Sooter, but I knew of him and heard
my father, Samuel Turk, Speak of Sooter before Sooter was killed- my
father and Sooter served together in the Confederate Army under Capt.
Hendrin as I understand. I learned William Sooter first husband of
claimant was shot and killed in Gordon Hollow, north east of here
toward the Missouri state line, and I know his dead body was brought
here and was burried at Bethel graveyard a quarter of a mile of my
house here, and I saw his dead body and saw a hole in his forehead and
the bloody shirt and his coffin was made by my father and my Uncle both
dead. And I heated water used in bending the lumber out of which coffin
was made. The claimant was here at the burrial of said husband.
30. and I saw her often afterward and stayed
31. with her at night several times, as she
32. lived in this locality - and later I learned
33. she married a man named David O.
34. Sherwood and moved away to Missouri and
35. I saw no more of her until she came
36. here to ask me to make an affidavit as
37. to the death of her former husband William Sooter
38. It is my recollection that William Sooter was burried
39. here in the month of November and in time of
40. the War. But I can't state what year it was.
41. There were four other men killed at the same
42. time and place that Sooter was killed- and I remember
43. John West and Sooters body were brought here and burried
44. together in the same grave.
45. The other three who were killed at same time were
46. Roger Stovern, J.B. Graham, and John Golstan
47. and I knew all three personally, and their bodies
48. were brought to their homes near here for burial.
49. and said all burried at Bethel grave yard on Saturday.
50. No headstone at the grave of Sooter bearing
51. inscription, but I think there is at the grave of
52. Rogers Stover, and he was burried same day and place.
53. William Sooter has a brother Berry Sooter not
54. far from here, but he was not present at the
55. burrial. I did not know Berry Sooter at
56. that time, but became acquainted later and
57. knew their mother Patsy Sooter, she was burried
58. at Bethel grave yard. Since the war, Sooter was killed
59. 1863 or 1864. I think had 1863. I never stated in affidavit that
40. I knew Sooter before his death. I am not related or interested.
By Amanda Holt





Ft. Smith Criminal Case Files, 1866-1900
Bob Christian
Database of criminal case files
Name ........ Charges
Bob Christian Crime: Larceny (unlawful taking of another's property)
Jacket Number: 352
Name: Bob Christian
Control number: NRFF-21-3W51-8829
Unit: File Unit
Series ID: 3W51
Unit ID: 8829
Title: Criminal Defendant Case File for Bob Christian
Record Type: Textual Records
Start date: 1895
Content: Crime: Larceny
Jacket Number: 352
Production: 1895
Reference unit: National Archives--Southwest Region
Agency: National Archives and Records Administration
Facility: Building 1, Dock 1
Address: 501 West Felix Street
City: Fort Worth
State: TX
ZIP: 76115
Voice: 817-334-5525
Fax: 817-334-5621
Organization: NRFF
Creating org: United States District Court, Western District of Arkansas, Fort Smith Division.
Source: Kiosk OOPS