Amanuensis Monday Affidavit in the Case of Harriet Christmas

Southern Division
Widow No 703285
Benjamin Christmas
Co H 50 U. S. C. Infantry

Personally came before me A. W. Russell a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Copiah and state of Mississippi, Robert Austin and Andrew Winston, who having been be me first duly sworn on oath say: That their first post office address is at Spencer, Copiah County, Mississippi, and that they are both above the age of sixty two. That they personally know the claimant, Harriet Christmas, and know the property that she owns and has had since the 7th day of August that the property consists in the entirety of one cow, and two mules, and two horses; and that these is all the property that the said claimant owns or has had since the 7th day of August 1899. That the said claimant has no income by and that of her daily labor, and no means of support other than that.

Witness our signatures this 29 day of Nov 1899.

Robert his mark x Austin
Andrew his mark x Winston

Personally came before me A. W. Russell a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Copiah and state of Mississippi, Robt Austin and Andrew Winston, each of whom states on oath that he knows the contents of the forgoing affidavit and that the same is true as stated.

Witness my offical signature this 29 day of Nov 1899

A. W. Russwll, J. P. (Seal)

Harriet Ashmore/Brown was married to Benjamin Christmas who served with Company H, 50th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry. He enlisted 14 Dec 1863 at Vicksburg, discharged 20 Mar 1866 at Vicksburg.

Harriet and Benjamin married about 1860. They had several children: Fanny born about 1860, Bettie/Elizabeth born Nov 2 1862, Silva born about 1865, and Amanda born June 18 1868.

Benjamin was a slave of Peachy R Taliaferro. After Peachy's death in 1852, Benjamin was allotted to Peachy's eldest son, Richard H Taliaferro. Benjamin was valued at $1300 in 1858.

Benjamin died 01 Jul 1899, Harriet died 16 Jul 1916.

Source:
Federal Pension Case of Benjamin Christmas
Peachy R Taliaferro's Probate Records
Harriet Christmas' Death Certificate

Robert Austin 50th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry

Spring Hill Plantation circa 1930s
Built after fire destroyed the original.

Robert Austin was named as a fellow slave and comrade in the pension records of Thomas Taliaferro. Robert was a slave on the Peachy R Taliaferro's Spring Hill Plantation in Copiah County, MS. Robert was born about 1835 in Mississippi, described as a mulatto in the 1870 and 1880 Copiah County censuses.

After Peachy's death in 1852, Robert was given to Peachy's son Charles Adams Taliaferro. Robert was valued at $700 on Peachy's inventory list.

He enlisted with Company D, 50th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry.

I have seen Robert's name on other comrades pension records as a witness but I did not find a pension record for Robert.

Robert married Lucinda Bradley, a daughter of Harrison and Patience Bradley. The couple children were: Ella, Sallie, Ann, Dora, Eliza, Rachael, Patience, Harrison, Bettie, Robert, Jr., and Andrew. Benjamin L Austin was born about 1864 to Robert and Fannie Grant or Fannie Sims.

Records for Robert
1852 - Inventory Listing of Slaves for Peachy R Taliaferro - Robert, Jr., Valued at $700
1858 - Disbursement of PRT's Slaves - Yellow Bob/Bob Valued at $1500/$1450 - Distributed to Charles Adams Taliaferro
1863 - Enlisted with Colored Troops
1866 - Disharged at Vicksburg
1870 - Copiah County - Robert Austin, 35, with wife and children
1880 - Copiah County - Robert Austin, 43, with wife, children and other relatives.
1900 - Copiah County - Robert Austin, 65, with wife and children

Robert's Children Marriages
Ella married Robert Newsome
Sallie married Lewis Newell
Ann married Moses Thompson
Bettie Austin married George Lynch
Robert, Jr., married Donie Smith
Andrew married Mariah Copeland
Benjamin married Lucy Frenzley, daughter of Thornton Frenzley and Mariah Lee. A Thornton and Mariah were named on the inventory, Thornton valued @ $900, Mariah @ $800. Thornton was not named during the disbursement of slaves. Mariah was named, valued at $1150, allotted to Peachy's son Charles. Thornton and Mariah, with their daughter Lucy, were found in the 1870 and 1880 Copiah censuses.

Robert died before 1913. Lucinda died 01 Jul 1913 in Copiah County. She was buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery.

Read the general affidavit of Robert Austin in the pension case of Thomas Taliaferro. Robert explains his relationship with Thomas.

Left the Plantation to Join Federal Army

Unidentified African American Soldier

Thomas Taliaferro testified he was born August 1845, on Spring Hill Plantation, a slave of Peachy R Taliaferro in Copiah County, MS. After Peachy's death in 1852, Thomas was allotted to Peachy's son Charles in 1858.

Thomas' parents were Hilliard Taliaferro and Queen. His mother Queen was married to Shadrack Spotswood, likely a second husband. In 1870, Queen was living in the household of her son-in-law Jackson Brown and daughter Jenny Lind Spotswood Brown. Also in the household were Armstead and Gladden Spotwood, Queen's sons. Thomas was living with his father Hilliard Taliaferro in the 1870 household of Lawrence Sims, Copiah County, MS.

Large portion of Mississippi was in Union hands when Thomas Taliaferro left the plantation to join the Union army. He enlisted Nov or Dec 1863 with Company H, 50th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry. He was described as 5 feet 4 inches tall, complexion yellow, hair sandy, and eyes grayish.

Spring Hill Plantation circa 1930s
Built after fire destroyed the original.

Thomas Taliaferro was accidentally wounded by a comrade's bayonet, piercing through his left arm into the side near the heart. This incident happened on a march from Jackson, MS, to Port Gibson, MS, in May 1865. He was confined to his bed for about three months. He fulfilled his duty and was discharged at Vicksburg, March 1866.

He married Ann Lockwood around 1874 in Jackson or in Louisiana. The couple had several children: Thomas, Jr., Roxie, Hilliard, Henry, Minnie, Sallie, Eddie Bee, Annie, Vernon, Alfredia, Frederick, and Mattie. Thomas' wife Ann died of breast cancer October 1898 shortly after the birth of their last child Mattie.

Thomas married his second wife Bertha Welch Williams in 1901. Together, they raised his younger children.

Unable to do a full day of manual labor, suffering from fainting spells, rheumatism, epilepsy, and the injury during the war, Thomas filed for his invalid pension at the age of 45, which he received. Several people gave depositions or affidavits in his case including the slave owner's wife.

Charles Adams Taliaferro
Husband of Elizabeth "Betty" Macon Rice Taliaferro
Thomas Taliaferro's last Slave Owner

Elizabeth Rice Taliaferro testified that she "personally knew the soldier, Thomas Taliaferro from his boyhood to the day of his death; that prior to the war he was a slave of affiant's husband and left the plantation to join the Federal army. Shortly after the war closed he returned to our home community and from then on she knew him until the day he died."

Thomas died 04 May 1917 in Copiah County, MS.

Thomas and my ancestors were slaves of the same slave owning families.

Other Links Concerning Thomas Taliaferro
Bertha Taliaferro - How Many Marriages
Thomas Taliaferro's Letter - 1915
Will of Thomas Taliaferro - 1917
To the Casket Dealer

Sources:
Federal Pension File of Thomas Taliaferro
Soldier's photograph from: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.printUnidentified African American soldier in Union uniform and Company B, 103rd Regiment forage cap with bayonet and scabbard in front of painted backdrop showing landscape with river
Charles A Taliaferro's photograph is courtesy of Suzanne Brown.
Plantation photograph courtesy of Beverly Smith.
Research Notes of Beverley Ballantine

Bertha Taliaferro How Many Marriages

Bertha was the second wife of Thomas Taliaferro. There were discrepancies in testimonies concerning whether Thomas was Bertha's first husband. Thomas Taliaferro served with the 50th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry, during the Civil War. Thomas had received a pension as an invalid, his wife applied for her pension as his widow. An investigator from the United States Pension Bureau was sent to investigate the validity of Bertha's claim.

Eight children were born to Bertha who testified she was not married to any of the fathers. A couple of the witnesses, Jane Gray and Jennie Brown, testified that Bertha was married, maybe twice, before she married Thomas. Several others testified that Bertha only married Thomas. The investigator could not find a marriage record in Copiah County, MS, with Bertha's name for any of the men who fathered her children. He only found one marriage record and that was for Thomas Taliaferro, 20 Sep 1901 in Copiah County, MS.

I noticed on the marriage record that she was Mrs. Bytha Williams. It was discussed within the pension records that Bytha and Bertha was the same person but it was not mentioned that the title Mrs. was applied to her name.

Bertha and Thomas' Marriage Certificate

Would it had matter if Bertha was married before she married Thomas? It would only matter if previous marriages would invalidate her marriage to Thomas. The investigator would gather information confirming that the marriages ended in death, or divorce and a marital relationship no longer existed. If it had been proven that Thomas and Bertha's marriage was not valid, she would not receive a pension as Thomas' widow.

Bertha's Children
1. Carrie Highgate; Father - John Brandon; Husband - Ed Singleton
2. Leon Beasley; Father - Bush Beasley
3. Mary Williams; Father - Lee Henley; Husband - Jim Boyd
4. Print Henley; Father - Lee Henley; Wife - Blanche Winston Banks
5. Unnamed Child; Father - Lee Henley; Child died young
6. Unnamed Child; Father - Matt Williams; Child died young.
7. Unnamed Child; Father - Tom Greenley; Child died young.
8. Unnamed Child; Father - Calvin Nichols; Child died young.

Bertha said she was born five years after the surrender but census records indicate she was born about five to seven years before surrender between 1858-1865. She was the daughter of Henry and Beckie Welch, slaves of Dempsey Welch in Copiah County, MS.

Calvin Nichols married my 2nd great grandaunt Jennie Copeland.

Blanche Winston Banks Henley was my dad's half second cousin once removed.

Per the 1860 Copiah County Slave Schedule, Dempsey Welch owned 52 slaves.

Amanuensis Monday Thomas Taliaferro's Letter - 1915

Thomas Taliaferro's letter made me giggle and reminded me of my maternal grandmother who said that when a man gets a wife, he gets a slave for life. Thomas was writing the United States Pension Bureau complaining about his wife's inattentiveness. She visited her children for weeks and was not available to tend his needs. Bertha Welch Williams was his second wife and they did not have children together.

Thomas served with the 50th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry. He was a slave with members of my paternal family, owned by the Taliaferro family near Hazlehurst, Copiah County, MS. Thomas' descendants married into my paternal family.

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Pensions

Sir in Aug 1912 my wife left me sick and stayed of two months year before that my wife left me Sick and Stayed off one month and again She ask me to let her go to her son and Stay two or three days and She went and Stayed of three weaks and I went to her and ask her to come home So She could See after her bisuness and she told me She wasnt going home no where I have been cooking for my Self very near every since I and her been married whenever I give her money or anything She gives her children part and I dont like no such wife as that and whenever I bring in grocery She Cary her children a posion and I dont conSider her being a wife of mine and so that way I had to go to the Sheriff and give her away and he told me to let her go and not have any thing to do with her This is my last wife and She have fail to treat me right
your truly Thomas
Taliaferro
Hazlehurst Copiah Co
781778 Miss

Letter from Thomas Taliaferro's Civil War pension records.