Scott County Arkansas
Civil War Pension File
John R. Tate
By his mother, Lurilla L. Tate
No. 276836
Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873
Lurilla L. Tate
Blue Ball, Scott Co., Ark
Mother of
John R. Tate
Sergt. Co. A 4th Ark. Vol.
Oct 1, 1880 S.H. Barnett, clerk
Application filed: Aug 4, 1880
Attorney: Geo. E. Lemon
Declaration for Original Pension of a Mother
Must be executed before a court of record or some officer
thereof having custody of its seal.If executed before a notary
public or justice of the peace it will be worthless, and a new
one will be required. State of Arkansas, County of Sebastian
On this 10th day of July, A.D. one thousand eight hundred and
eighty____ ( blank )____ personally appeared before me, clerk of
the Circuit Courtthe same being a court of record within and for
the County and State aforesaid, Lurilla L. Tate aged 63 years, a
resident of Scott County in the state of Arkansas, lives in the
County 4 miles from Blue Ball P.O. who, being duly sworn
according to law, makes the following declaration in order to
obtain the pension provided by Acts of Congress granting pensions
to dependent mothers, to wit: That she is the Widow of William
Tate and mother of John R. Tate who volunteered under the name of
John R. Tate at Waldron, on the 5th day of December, A.D. 1863 as
a Sergeant in Company A, Fourth Arkansas infantry commanded by
Ira D. Bronson (Captain) war 1861-5 who died with the measles on
the 4th day of September, A.D. 1864 at Little Rock Ark and who
bore at the time of his death the rank of Sergeant in Company A
Fourth Arkansas infantry volunteers that said son John R. Tate
left neither widow nor child under sixteen years of age
surviving; that she was in part dependent upon said son for
support; that her husband, the aforesaid William Tate, aged 42
years, is Dead, Killed April 3rd 1864 that she is still a widow
of the aforesaid William Tate, I am still the widow of William
Tate-have never Married that there were surviving, at date of
son's death, his brothers and sisters, as follows:
Thomas W. Tate, born 1846
Mary E. Tate, born 1850
JM Tate, born 1852
HM Tate, born 1854
Sarah J. Tate, born 1857
Benj. R. Tate, born
1860
that she has not in any manner engaged in, aided, or abetted the
rebellion in the United States: that no applications have ever
beenmade until the present time. She hereby appoints, with full
power of substitution and revocation,
George E. Lemon, of Washington D.C., her true and lawful
Attorney, to
prosecute her claim; that the Post Office address is Blue
Ball Scott
County Arkansas.................Lurilla L. Tate,
Signature of Claimant
______________________________________________________________________
Read Carefully!
In order for the mother or father of a deceased soldier to
obtain the benefits of the Pension Law it must be shown in
evidence that the father (if living at the date of the son's
death) was physically or mentally incapacitated to provide a full
support for himself and family in the last year of the son's life
and since his death.
State of _________, County of __________
In the pension claim of Lurilla L Tate mother of John R. Tate
A 4th Ark Inf Waldron Scott County Arkansas December 9th 1880, I
hereby testify that I am a physician of 30 years standing and
that I was a soldier in the 4th Ark recruits afterward
attached to the 2nd Reg Ark Vol and that I was acting hospital
steward of said recruits and that Sergt John R. Tate died in the
hospital at Little Rock on or about the 4th of Sept 1864, cause
relapse of measles.
Signed
Elijah Leming M.D.
________________________________________________________________________
If the Custodian of the Assessment Records has no Seal, he
must make oath to his statement. State of Arkansas, County of
ScottIn the pension claim of Lurilla L Tate, mother of John R.
Tate from A 4th Ark Inf I James C. Gilbreath, circuit clerk ofthe
County of Scott, in the State of Arkansas do hereby certify that
I have carefully examined the Records of Assessments of real and
personal property in and for said County, and of which I an the
lawful custodian, and find the assessments and valuations therein
recorded against property standing in the name of Lurilla L Tate
for the years hereinafter designated,
to be as follows, to wit:
Year---Real Estate. Description---Value---Personal
Property---Value
1864...no assessment......................... no assessment
1865...no assessment......................... no assessment
1866..N1/2SEandSWNE7-3-26..........400.......two
horses..........75
1867.....".........................200........no
assessment
1868.....".........................200...1 horse 50
other prop 140...190
1869.....".........................240...personal
property........80
1870.....".........................360.........."................280
1871.....".........................288.........."................270
1872.....".........................360.........."................256
1873.....".........................234.........."................170
1874.....".........................320.........."................170
1875.....".........................330.........."................222
1876.....".........................320..........".................94
1877...no assessment.................................no
assessment
1878...no assessment.................................no
assessment
1879...no assessment.................................no
assessment
1880...no assessment.................................no
assessment
And I further certify that no assessments appear during the
foregoing period except as above set forth; and that the average
rate of the above enumerated assessments is upon the basis of
full of the fair cash value of the property assessed. And I
further certify that I have no interest in this claim for
pension, and that I am not concerned in its prosecution.
Witness my hand and official seal this 18th day of January
A.D. 1881
J. C. Gilbreath, clerk,
Circuit Court Scott County Arkansas
_____________________________________________________________________
State of Arkansas County of Scott
I J. C. Gilbreath, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Ex-Officio
county
Clerk within and for the County of Scott in the State of
Arkansas, do
certify that all the record books and papers of my office
were destroyed
by fire on the 22nd day of May 1882.
Signed 15th day of July 1883
J.C. Gilbreath, clerk, Scott Co., Ark
______________________________________________________________________
Department of the Interior, Pension Office November 15th,
1882 Sir: You are respectfully requested to furnish
official evidence of the enrollment, muster, service, duty, and
discharge or death of JohnR. Tate in Company "A", 4th
Regiment of Ark. Vols, reported died at Little Rock Ark. Sep.
4th, 1864. If the above name is not found on the rolls of said
Company will you so state, and report as to enrollment, etc., in
the case of any man bearing a similar name, whom you have good
reason for believing to be the soldier inquired for. Please,
also, to furnish any evidence on file that may enable this
Office to decide whether the soldier's death resulted from
injuries received or disease contracted in the service and line
of duty. Full military history of Soldier is desired.
Please return this circular with your report. Claim No. 276.8.36
Very respectfully,
Wm Dudley, Commissioner
__________________________________________________________________
General Affidavit State of____________, County
of___________
In the matter of Pension-Mrs. Lurilla L. Tate, Mother of Jns.
R. Tate-A-4th Ark. Personally came before me, a Justice of the
Peace in and for aforesaid County and State of Ark. J.J. Tate,
aged 45 years, and Martha J. Prewit, aged 50 years,
whose respective Post-Office addresses are as follows Blue Ball
County of Scott, State of Arkansas, and Blue Ball County of
Scott, State of Arkansas, and who, being duly sworn, declare-
That we have been personally well acquainted with the applicant
Lurilla L. Tate and have been acquainted with her for thirty-five
years and have been personally acquainted with her since
(1864) and know her to be the Identical Person she represents
herself to be and know her to be the mother of John R. Tate and
we further know her to now be loyal to the U.S. Government and
that She have been since the war commenced and the reason why we
know her to be and has been Loyal, we know that she was robed
(sp) of nearly all she possessed in the time of the war by the
Rebel army on account of her Loyalty and we further declare that
we have no interest in said case, and are not concerned in its
prosecution.
Signed
Martha J. Prewit and J.J. Tate (his mark)
Witnesses
Thomas J. Tate and W.A. Morris
_____________________________________________________________________
General Affidavit
State of Arkansas, County of Scott
In the matter of Pension Claim of Lurilla L Tate, mother of
John R.
Tate Co. A "4" Ark Inf.
Personally came before me, a Justice of the peace in and for
aforesaid County and State, Jacob P. Tate, 46 years of age: Blue
Ball Scott County Arkansas and Joseph Prewit 35 years of age Blue
Ball Scott County Arkansas persons of lawful age, who being
duly sworn, declare in relation to aforesaid case as follows: We
are well acquainted with Lurilla L Tate applicant for invalid
Pension of John R. Tate Private of Company A (4) Ark Infantry
Volunteers and have been acquainted with her for the past
twenty-five years and we know her to be the identical person that
she represents herself to be and that she is now living and that
she has no means of support of her own as she is at the present
time living with her children and we further know that as to her
personal property or real estate-She has no personal property nor
has not had for many years and as to Real Estate she only held
her dower which was very small it not being sufficient to support
her and we further know that she has been unable to support her
self since the death of her Son and we further know that John R.
Tate enlisted in Company A (4) Regiment Arkansas Infantry
Volunteers and further know that the records the county of Scott
and State of Arkansas have been destroyed twice by fire therefore
the Assessment of her property cannot be furnished. We further
declare that we have no interest in said case, and are not
concerned in its prosecution.
Signed
Jacob P. Tate and Joseph Prewit (his mark)
Witnesses
W.M. Taylor
_____________________________________________________________________
General Affidavit
State of ________, County of __________
In the matter of Pension Claim of Lurilla L. Tate, mother
John R. Tate
Co. A, "4" Ark.
We the undersigned Citizens and householders in the County of
Scott and State of Arks. do hereby certify that we have been
personally well acquainted with Lurilla L. Tate mother of John R.
Tate applicant for Pension. We know her to be the identical
person she represents herself to be we have known her for the
past twenty five years and we have been personally well
acquainted with her all this time and all through the war.
And we know that her means of support has been by her own labor
and the labor of her children and her means of support was
through and by these means until in the year A.D. 1877 when her
youngest daughter married. Since that time she has been living
with her children having broke up house-keeping. Our means
of knowing this is we have lived near her all the time or near so
we further know that she has not had any other means of support
only as here stated and we further know that during a part of
this time her means was very scant having a large family of
children and most of them small at the close of the war having
been robed (sp) of all she had during
the war by the meandering rebel bushwhackers until it was
nearly impossible for her to live atal.
We further declare that we have no interest in said case, and
are not concerned in its prosecution.
Signed
Joseph Prewit (his mark) and Jacob P. Tate
Witnesses
Thomas J. Tate and M.L. Hourck
_______________________________________________________________________
General Affidavit
State of Arkansas, County of Scott
In the matter of Pension Claim of Lurilla L. Tate, mother of
John R. Tate Co A 4th Ark Inf.
Personally came before me, a Justice of the Peace, in and for
aforesaid County and State, W. M. Taylor of the County of Scott
and State of Arkansas person of lawful age, who being duly sworn,
declare in relation to aforesaid case as follows:
I have been well (well crossed out) acquainted with the
claimant Lurilla L Tate mother of John R. Tate and was acquainted
with her husband William Tate in his lifetime, my acquaintance
being ever since the year 1852 and was acquainted with him until
his death in the year 1864. He was killed in the month of April
1864 and all the time of my acquaintance with (him) he was an
able bodied man and had no disability that I know of he being a
laboring man all the time I was acquainted
with him his occupation being a farmer, his age was according
(to) recall was forty two (years) old at his death and I am
satisfied that his widow has not married since his death and that
she is still a widow and is now getting very old. As to the
assessment of the real & personal estate of her husband, it
cannot be given as the Record of the Clerks office has been
burned twice and therefore cannot be given. There was no
income devisable in the year 1864 from his labor for he was dead
and therefore nothing could be devised. My Post office
address is Blue Ball, Scott County Arkansas and I am in no way
Related to the claimant and I further declare that I have no
interest in said case, and I am not concerned in its prosecution.
Signed,
W.M. Taylor
_______________________________________________________________________
General Affidavit
State of Arkansas, County of Scott
In the matter of Pension Claim of Lurilla L. Tate, mother of
John R. Tate, late Co. A 4th Ark Inf
Personally came before me, a (blank) in and for the
aforesaid County and State, William M. Taylor aged (blank) years
and F.W. Pollard aged (blank) years, whose respective Post office
addresses are County of Scott state of Arkansas, and Scott Co.
State of Arkansas persons of lawful age, who being duly sworn,
declare in relation to aforesaid case as follows: This is to
testify that We William M. Taylor and F.W. Pollard citizens of
the County of Scott and State of Arkansas States that we were
well acquainted with William Tate, husband of the applicant for
Pension, Lurilla L. Tate and that we know her to be the Identical
Person she represents herself to be and further that we were well
acquainted with the said William Tate in his lifetime and that we
know him to be dead and our means of knowing the same is that we
saw him after death and before burial and further that we were
well acquainted with her son John R. Tate in his lifetime and
that we have been well acquainted with the family for the last
twenty two years and further that our Post office address is Blue
Ball in the county of Scott and State of Arkansas and that we
have no interest in the Prosecution ofthe claim for Pension nor
in any way related to the Party this
January 31st 1881.
Signed
W.M. Taylor and F.W. Pollard
____________________________________________________________________
General Affidavit
State of _______, County of______
In the matter of Claim of Lurilla L. Tate, mother of John R.
Tate Co A 4th Ark Vols
Personally came before me, a Justice of the Peace in and for
aforesaid County and State, Jonathan Hunt, aged 38 years, and
William M. Taylor, aged 34 years, whose respective Post-Office
addresses are as follows Blue Ball County of Scott, State of
Arkansas, and ________County of Scott State of Arkansas, and who,
being duly sworn, declare in relation to aforesaid case as
follows: That we have been well and personally acquainted with
Mrs Lurilla L Tate and her family for the past twenty-two years;
that they knew her son John R. Tate the soldier; that he was
unmarried and leftneither widow nor minor children surviving him;
that said son worked for support of his mother prior to his
enlistment and such labor was actually necessary for her Comfort;
that since his death, she has not been able to provide sufficient
support for herself. They
further declare that they have no interest in said case, and
are not concerned in its prosecution.
Signed
Jonathan Hunt and W.M. Taylor
_____________________________________________________________________
War Department, Adjutant General's Office, Washington,
Dec 8th, 1883
Respectfully
Returned to the Commissioner of Pensions. John R. Tate, a
privt of Company "A", 4th Regiment Arks Inft
Volunteers, was enrolled on the 5th day of Dec, 1863, at Waldron,
Arks for 3 yrs, mustered in at Little Rock Arks July 25th 1864.
Roll dated Aug 31/64, Sergt present, consolidated transfer
roll of said Co. to Co. "I" 2nd Ark Infty, dated Oct.
25/64 reports he died in Regt Hosp at Little Rock Ark. Sept 4/64.
Name John R. Tate not born on rolls of Co on file in this office.
Final statement shows him Died Sept 4, 1864. The
records of this office do not show cause of death. The
records of this office afford no further information as to date
place or cause of death than is stated on company rolls and final
statement.
Assistant Adjutant General,
(signature unreadable)
Department of the Interior, Pension Office, Washington
D.C. Dec 15, 1883
Claim No. 276.836,
Has been filed in this office by Lurilla L. Tate, as mother
of John R. Tate, who was a Sergt in Co "A" 4th Regt
Ark. Vols and is alleged to have died Sept 4, 1864. Will
you please to furnish, with the return of this circular, a copy
of such evidence
as may be in your possession relative to celibacy of soldier,
his relationship to the claimant, his age, the immediate cause of
his death, and to whom arrears of pay and bounty were allowed and
by whom claimed.
Very respectfully,
Wm W. Dudley,
Commissioner.
_______________________________________________________________________
(The following written in Dr. Leming's own hand)
Waldron Ark. Feb 19th 1884
Wm W. Dudley, Com of Pensions,
Dear Sir,
Your note of 12th to hand,
The Tate family and myself were neighbors before the war.
John R. Tate and Thomas W. Tate and me went out together and
enlisted in the 4th Ark Inft recruits. Bassel Blanchard
acted as surgeon and myself as hospital steward. Dr
Blanchard drank considerable and I had to attend the
soldiers. I attended John R. Tate clostly but am not in
possession of the records of the hospital but at the time that I
signed the affidavit in question Lurilla Tate, mother of John R.
Tate was present with a letter from Thomas W. Tate recording the
death of his deceased brother exactly and she is here now and I
know the facts contained in said affidavit by clost personal
observation. I remain your most obet servant
Elijah Leming,
late hospt steward 4th Ark Inft recruits,
now president of the Board of Medical Examiners for Scott
Co., Ark.
____________________________________________________________________
(The following is written in Lurilla Tate's own hand)
Blue Ball, Scott County Arkansas March 17 (1884)
Mr Wm W. Dudley
Dear Sir
I have just received your letter of instruction in regard to
the prosecution of my claim for Mothers Pension for my son John
R. Tate who was a Sergt in Company A: 4th Arkansas volun for
which I have been working through my attorney in Washington DC
and now in answer to your request will say that I have furnished
Evidence after Evidence in Support of my claim
that I can Possible. As to the assessment of my
property Personal or real cannot be given before stated to my
attorney for the reason that the same has been burned and cannot
be given and by referring to George E. Lemons, my attorney you
can obtain the Evidence I have made. All the evidence that
I can and had the Justice of the Peace's ________ certified by
the clerk of the county and now I will say to you that I have
done all in my power to get up the evidence in support of my
claim. I am now getting very old and very feeble in my old
days. I am very much Disabled at times with Rheumatism
and now I am willing to take the chance for Pension and if I
am not entitled to Pension I do not want anything unless I an
entitled. I cannot make any stronger Evidence in my claim that
the Evidence I have already furnished. I have been sworn
time and again also have had my witnesses sworn as directed by my
attorney. And now if I am not entitled under the Law with
the Evidence furnished inform me at once. And if I an
entitled I ask you as an honest and honorable man allow or
disallow.
Enclosed you will find the blank Evidence you sent me in the
care of Dr. E. Leming of Waldron which he forwarded to me. And I
am now answering in the close, I will Say Please answer this as
soon as you can and let me know what can be done. My Post
Office Address is
Blue Ball, Scott County, Arkansas.
Please write immediately,
yours as ever.
(signed) Lurilla L. Tate
____________________________________________________________________
State of Arkansas, County of Scott
On this day personally appeared before me a, Justice of the
Peace in and for the county and state aforesaid, Lurilla L. Tate,
of the County of Scott and State of Arkansas, and stated under
oath that the reason why she is unable to furnish evidence of
those not related to her is
that near all those living near her at the time of her sons
enlistment have either died, moved away or was killed by
bushwhackers during the war. There being none living in
this county who are acquainted with the facts but what is in some
way related to her. This is the reason
why she has not furnished the evidence as required by the
department.
(signed) Lurilla L Tate, this July 28th 1885, B.L. Watson,
J.P.
_______________________________________________________________________
State of Arkansas, County of Scott, Blue Ball PO October,
20th A.D. (1884)
I Lurilla L. T ate, mother of John R. Tate Com A, 4th
Arkansas. My post office address is Blue Ball in the County of
Scott and State of Arkansas. Now I, Lurilla L. Tate, make this
affidavit in support of my claim for pension of my son John R.
Tate who died in the United States service: now I certify that my
post office is Blue Ball, Scott County, Arkansas and that my post
office in the year A.D. (1864) was Olio Scott County Arkansas and
continued so until the year A.D. (1875) at which time it
was changed to Blue Ball and my post office address has never
been changed since, there being only one change in my post office
address since the year A.D. (1864) to the present date and I
further certify that the following named children were then
members of my family in the year A.D. 1864.
Thomas W. Tate was born in (1846) on the 10th of November
Mary E. Tate was born in 1850 on the 17th of January
Jacob M. Tate was born in 1852 on the 6th of April
Henry M. Tate was born in 1854 on the 9th of April
Sarah J. Tate was born in 1857 on the 31st of May
Benjamin R. Tate was born in 1860 on the 6th of June
And that no person has been legally bound to support me and
that my actual residence has ever been in Scott County in the
State of Arkansas in the year A.D. (1864) to the present time.
Witness by
(signed) Thomas J. Tate
(signed) Lurilla L. Tate
Sworn and subscribed to before me this 20th day of October
A.D. (1884)
and I hereby certify that the contents of the foregoing
affidavit
were fully made known and explained to the applicant before
swearing
thereto,
John A. Taylor,
Justice of the Peace
______________________________________________________________________
Affidavit of Lurilla L Tate.
I Lurilla L. Tate late an applicant for Pension of John R.
Tate and his mother Do Solemnly swear or affirm that I am the
lawful mother of John R. Tate and that I never received any
letters from John R. Tate, my son, while in the service of the
United States Army nor anything pertaining toward a support until
after the war ended when I made application for his pay and
bounty which I received-given under my hand this March 8th A.D.
1886
(signed) Lurilla L. Tate
Sworn and subscribed to before me this March the 8th 1886,
T. W. Tate, J.P.
______________________________________________________________________
War of the Rebellion Dependent Mothers Pension
Claimant-Lurilla L. Tate, P.O. Blue Ball, County-Scott,
State-Ark
Soldier-John R. Tate, Rank- Sergeant, Co.- "A",
Regiment- 4th Ark. Vol.
Rate, $8.00, Commencing Aug. 4th, 1880, the date of filing
declaration,
and $12.00 from March 19, 1886
Recognized Attorney, Name Geo. E. Lemon, PO Washington D.C.
fee-$25.00
($10.00 paid) Articles filed Aug 30, 1884
Submitted for Adm. May 4th 1886, John H. Howell, Examiner
Approvals-Approved for allowance; Soldier died in service,
dependence
accepted May 21 1886
Important dates-
Enlisted Dec 5th, 1863
Died Sept 4th, 1864
Declaration filed Aug 4th, 1880
Death of father April 3rd, 1864
U.S. Pension Agency, Knoxville, Tenn Oct 31, 1893
Sir, I hereby report that the name of Lurilla L Tate, who was
a
pensioner on the rolls of this Agency, under Certificate No.
222.909,
and who was last paid $12, to 4 Feb, 1891, has been dropped
because of death.
Very respectfully,
Wm Rule, Pension Agent.
Contributed by Sandy Conant
Email: [email protected]
A special Thanks goes out to her for all her hard work that
she has done with the above File!
March 13, 2000