William H Bowman Deposition

On this 17 day of April, 1888 at Kecks Church, County of Martin, State of Ind before me, _______, a Special Examiner of the Pension Office, personally appeared William H Bowman, who, being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this Special Examination of aforesaid pension claim, deposes and says:

I am 68 years of age, a farmer and my P.O. address is Keck's Church, Martin County, Indiana. I was married February 4, 1840, to Julia A Andrews, my present wife, neither of us were ever married before and have lived together ever since as husband and wife. We have had 12 children as follows: Mary Jane (now Mrs Scott) born Nov 30, 1840, Sarah C (now Mrs Webster) born March 1, 1842, Pleasant Henry born September 25, 1843, John R born Feb 19, 1845, Amanda M born Dec 18, 1847, she died about 12 years ago, then there was Lureniza (??) Ann born 1846 died in infancy, Hannah A born July 12, 18__ died about 18 years ago, James I born August 20, 18__, Elizabeth born Sept 25, 1852 died about 8 years ago, Wm H born March 1, 1854, Jacob W born Oct 25, 1856, Minerva (?) born about 1858 died in infancy.

Q How do you fix those dates?

A They are taken from a copy of the dates in the Bible put down at the times of their birth. The record has since been destroyed but this is a copy as near as I could get and believe it to be correct.

Q What company regiment was Pleasant in?

A Company K 49th Indiana Infantry

Q When did he enlist?

A About Sept 30, no Oct 30, 1861. I take this date from the affidavit of John Nail, which I secured a few days ago. I will give you the affidavit to go with the papers in the case.

Q Where and when did your son Pleasant die?

A He was wounded at Vicksburg and was taken on the boat to Paducah KY and he died there in the hospital and I never saw anything of him after he enlisted and did not get his body. I do not know where he is buried. Some of the neighbors saw a notice of his death in the newspaper. I didn't know about his death til about 3 months after his death. I think he died in Febr 1863 but I didn't hear of it til I think in May 1863. I wrote to the surgeon of the post at Paducah and received a letter from him that my son Pleasant was dead is all I know of it.

Q Were there any of his comrades with him where he died?

A Not that I know of.

Q Have you any letters he sent home from the army?

A I sent what I had to the Pension office. That envelope was addressed to a son in law of mine who is now dead. Yes those are the letters. I was to see him while he was sick at Bardstown KY. He had smallpox there or ____.

Q Did he (Pleasant) send you any money from the army?

A He sent some but I cannot remember how much or how often. I think 2 or 3 times.

Space

Q What amount to the best of your recollection?

A Well sir I couldn't say - it would be guessing

Q Did he send the money for you to keep or for your own use?

A Well sir there was nothing said in regard to it. He didn't send any directions on it - just sent it.

Q What was your understanding at the time - that you were to keep the money for him or that you were to have it for your own?

A As far as I recollect it was for me to make use of it and I did so.

Q What did he do before he went to the army?

A He worked on the place. I don't know as he ever hired out a day in his life he worked on the farm and we had had plenty to do.

Q Did you keep a hired hand at the same ________?

A Yes John Nail who now lives near ___.

Q Who else worked on the place?

A Pleasant and John Nail and my son John R and myself. When I could _______ the _______ I could do right smart and other times was weak in my back.

Q What did you keep a hired hand for?

A To work on the farm to keep up the farm. I was not able to make rails and do cleaning and frequently hired that done and my girls helped during the busy season ______ Pleasant enlisted.

Q What property did you have when Pleasant was in the army?

A I had 500or 600 acres of land worth $6 an acre. I had a yoke of cattle worth $50 and 2 or 3 head of horses worth $50 or $60 and a few cows some hogs and some sheep. We always had cows hogs and sheep wagon and farming implements and household property.

Q What was your worth then altogether?

A I was taxed for about $3000. Worth of property. I would think the property was taxed at about ½ or 2/3 of its value.

Q If you were taxed then for about $3000 you were worth $5000 or $6000?

A I suppose somewhere there.

Q Were you in debt any in 1863 for how much?

A I expect some. I might have owed $800.

Q Was there any mortgages on your property?

A No sir

Q How have you got along since have you mortgaged to increase your property?

A I gave my sons 40 acres apiece to 3 of them and 39 to another when they got married and went to housekeeping. I didn't give my daughters land I gave then a horse apiece.

Q Have you bought or secured more land since 1863?

A I believe I sold some and bought other land.

Q How much land have you now?

A About 520 acres. 200 acres of which is under mortgage for $1000 and then there is a ditch (?) lien of $60 on the land otherwise it is clear the taxes are paid. The land is now worth $10 or more an acre cash.

Q Was Pleasant's work on the farm or what he sent while in the army in the way of money necessary to the comfortable support of your wife the client if so how?

A We used it in our affairs for all of us.

Q How did you live after 1863 any difference from what you did before?

A Well just about the same as before. We had the girls who worked til they were married.

Q What was the condition of your health in 1863 and just before and just after?

A I could not just say only every little while I would be taken with the backache. There were times I could do right smart work and at other times I could not do any stooping work.

Q Take it on average along about the time Pleasant died. How much of the time were you disabled?

A I expect from doing real hard work I was disabled ½ of the time maybe.

Q What physicians treated you?

A Before Pleasant enlisted Dr McDaniels died then I had Dr Sears (?), Laise (?) Hobbs and Shirus (?) whose affidavits you have . It was Dr McDonald of Kecksville instead of McDaniels. He is dead.

Q What was your income in a year in 1860, 61, 62, 63 and 64?

A I never kept any estimation.

Q Did you have to pay the income tax during the war?

A I don't remember. I know I had to pay an internal revenue tax on a buggy I know and I had to pay a tax on a little copper distillery I had but I don't remember how much. I know when the tax got up to $2 a gallon I quit distilling. I only made a few gallons a day anyhow.

Q What witnesses you do want us to examine in the case who know whether the contributions of your son Pleasant were necessary to the comfortable support of client?

A I can get the same ones that wrote affidavits.

Q Will you be present during the examinations?

A Yes I can

Q Is there any further statement you want to make?

A I don't know as there is.

Signed William Bowman
17 April 1888