The Civil War Pension File of Isaac Carter: Document #22

Domument #22 is an affidavit sworn by Rufus L. Carter, Isaac Carter's first cousin.  You can see from the pedigree to the left how they are connected within the Carter Family Tree.

The only difference I can see in testimony between Rufus L. Carter and other affiants is that during the time he spent with Isaac Carter in Carolina City, they stayed in a tent.

This was reportedly during the Fall of 1864, while the time when they reportedly had worked and slept in the winter elements was in November of the same year. This was sworn testimony by his comrade, Samuel Keach Windley. Sharper Williams, also of his same Company, stated that in February 1865 he was in the hospital and treated by the Surgeon. While the onset of his illness was in  November 1864, he was hospitalized during February 1865...from Fall through the winter months.

Below is the exact transcription of Document #22, sworn by Isaac Carter's first cousin, Rufus L. Carter. Any spelling or punctuation errors are as they appeared in the original document.


State of North Carolina)
County of Craven         )
In the matter of Original Invalid pensions
Claim No. 662812 of Isaac Carter Late
a Sergent of Co. G 14 Regt U.S.C HArty
on this 10th day of May A.D. 1892
Personally appeared before me a Notary
Public for & within the county
& state afore said Mr. Rufus L. Carter
age 48 years Resident of Harlow N.C.
well known to be rebtable & entitle to
credit who being duly sworn accor-
ding to Law. says has been Well
and personally acquainted with

the claimant Isaac Carter for
48 years and have lived in the same
Neighborhood with him Partially Raised
up together before the Late War he was
a well and a harty man and I
Remember on or about the time
he Left home to enlist in the
U.S. Army which was some time
first of the year of 1864. he enlisted
in the 14 Regiment U.S.C HArty. I Well
Remember that on or about the Last of the
fall of 1864 I Went down to Carolina
City N.C. and I Saw Isaac Carter
with other Soldirs and I Stayed with
Isaac Carter in the Tent with him
One Night. I Remember Seeing
the claimant Teo or Three times after
he enlisted in the U.S.Army and
when he was Discharge Dec. 11, 1865.
I saw him Very soon after he was
discharged & he was complaning of
Rheumatism in feet and legs and
he complaine of Pains in side and
Breast and he complaining of the
Diarrhea & Piles and he has continued
to complain from date of Discharge
up to the Present. & he has growed
worse & worse each yeare he has
not been in the Military or Navail
Services Since he was Discharge Dec. 1865
I Live within a halfor mile of him & and continues to
See him Weekly & some times daily
and still complaine of Diarrhea &
pl Piles & Rheumatism pains in
Breast & left side I have known him
to be down in Bed confine Two &
Thee Weeks at a time with the Diarrhea
& Rheumatism & weakness of the Back
and he is down about Two Thirds of
his time he can not do any Manual
Labor Whatever at times he suffers
and continues to grow worse and worse each
yeare. I Remember Sept 1891 while was at
Work the claimant was trying to work
& he was complaining of the Dirrhea
& Piles then & said he could not Work
& could not do any heavy work and
He stope work & went to the sink
and when came Back from the sink
he give out & fell and I went and
taken him up & put him in my
Sciff & got a man to carrie Isaac
Carter home to his wife for he was a
Bad off with Diarrhea & Piles and
he had not been able to do anything
of any account Since & continues
to have Severe attack of Diarrhea and
Piles & Rheumatism he is more than
Two Thirds disable. he suffers for
Medical aid by being not able to
Empoloy any Physecoin he is a
Poor Invalid soldire & suffers
for the Necessaries of Life. he can not
work his wife work & dose the Best she
can for him I am no concern
in the prosecution of this claim
My PO address is Harlowe N.C.
Withess          )
EW Carpenter)    Rufus L. Carter
J.P. Godett     )

                                 Sworn & Sub-
scribed to before me this
10th day of May/92 & I certify
that the foregoing was
read to affiant before
signing same & that he
is the identical person
he claims to be & is credible
& worthy of belief.
                              EW Carpenter
                              Notary Public

Amanuensis Monday: The Civil War Pension File of Isaac Carter, Document #15

Below is a transcription of an affidavit sworn out by Theophilus George. This could either be Isaac's brother-in-law (b. 10 Jul 1850), or his father-in-law (b. abt. 1804). Upon completion, further analysis will determine the realtionship.

 North Carolina

Craven County

Also personally appeared before 

me a clerk of Superior Court

a court of record in and 

for the County & State aforesaid

Theophilus George age 40 yrs. 

well known unto be respectable and

entitled to credit & who being duly

declares: I have been acquainted

with Isaac Carter the soldier

all my Life. When he came home

from the war Dec 1865 he appeared

to be quite sick from Rheumatism

and was stiff in his joints of feet & 

Legs and he would be unable

to walk and he also complains 

of diarrhea & piles and asthma

soreness of throat and heart.

He has suffered to a great

excess each and every year

to the present that he has been

down for two or three times each

year or a month or more at a 

time. And I have lived near

his house ever since the war

and have been able to see

him every week at times and

I so on. When ever I see

He is complaining and is at times 

laid up from Rheumatism

diarrhea piles and asthma.

and he is continually sick

from said disabilities.

I have no interest in the

claim. My P.I. address is

Harlowe N. C. 

witness               )

E.W. Carpenter  )  Theophilus George

J.B. Willis         )

sworn & sub-

scribed to before me this 3rd day of

June 1890 & I certify that officiant states'that the foregoing was read to him before

signing same & that he is the identical

person he claims to be & is credible &

worthy of belief.                            E.W. Carpenter

[stamp]

Frederick Douglass,

U.S. Claim Agent.

Box 590, New Berne, N.C.

Analysis

• Taking into account that Theophilus George was 40 years old on 3 June 1890, he would have been born in 1850, which is compatible with Isaac Carter's brother-in-law. Certain he would have known Isaac all his life as Isaac was eleven years old when Theophilus was born. 
• Theophilus reports Isaac's condition following the war in 1865. He married Theophilus' older sister, Martha Ann, one and a half years later (15 May 1867). 
• The informant reports that I have lived near his house ever since the war. Perhaps an examination of land deeds and Census documents for 1870 and 1880 would determine the location of this land, whether it corresponds to the current Martha Ann (George) Carter Heirs Land. Also, where both Carter and George resided before the war. 

The Civil War Pension File of Isaac Carter, Document #11

The next affidavit was sworn by Silas Fenner, one of Isaac Carter's comrade in arms in the USCT Heavy Artillery 14th Regiment.

As I read over this document, I became aware of some colloquialisms of the era. I am hoping that by studying enough records, a pattern will emerge which will be able to assist me in writing dialog.

* * * * *

Department of the Interior,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS,
Jan. 20, 1890

Respectfully requested of the ADJUTANT
GENERAL U.S.A. a report from the records of his
Office as to the presence or absence, on or about
Winter of 1864 & 65
of Silas Fenner
of Co. G. 14 U.S.C.H Art.
and the station, at that date, of the Co
Invalid Claim No. 662812
Isaac Carter
Co. G. 14 U.S. C. H. Art.
Green B. Raum, Commissioner.

War Department,
Record of Pension Division,
Washington, JAN 21 1890
Respectfully returned to the
Commissioner of Pensions
With the information that the name
Silas Fenner is not
born on rolls Co. G
14 U.S.C. H Arty
BY AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:
F. G. Ainsworth,
Captain and Ass't Surgeon, U.S. Army

* * * * *

662812

Isaac Carter

G. 14 USCHA

State of North Carolina

County of Craven

In matter of original claim

of Isaac Carter of Co. G 14

Regt U.S.C.H. Arty No 612812

On this 15th Day of May AD 1889

personally appeared Before one

clerk of the Superior Court Being

a court of record in and for

the county of Craven and State

of North Carolina  Sergeant

Silas Fenner age 49 years

Resident of Harlow N.C. Craven

County, well known to be

reputable and Entitled to credit

Who Being duly sworn according

to Law Declares as follows, I

and Sergeant Isaac Carter

was play boys together and

he and I Enlisted in the US

Army together, and when he

Enlisted he was a Well and

hardy man from all appearance

until. until on about Winter

1964 he contracted the Diarrhea

and piles at Carolina City

he contracted the Rheumatism

at Carolina City by Exposure

and cold, and the Diarrhea

by drinking bad Water.

and he was Sent to the Hospital

for treatment, and he was treated

By Surgeon, he complained

Very much he seemed as he

was bad off  We Was discharged

on about the 11th day of December

1865 at Fort Macon N.C. and

then We got on the train and

came to New Berne N.C.  We then

got off the train and Went to

Harlows Creek and that has

Been our resident every since

and he and I lived about

three miles apart and I

know he continues to suffer

With the Rheumatism  Diarrhea

and piles and the Asthma

he is down three and four

times a year so he cant do

anything, and he is about

two thirds disabled to perform

manual Labor by reason

of the Diarrhea  Rheumatism

Asthma & piles he is suffering

for the necessaries of

this Life, he depending on

the hand of Charity for

This Support by reason he

is unable to work.

This is all I know about the 

claim and I am no

relation. I have no interest

in his claim.

                           My post Office

                           Address is

                           Harlowe        N.C.

                           Craven County

                                     his

                            Silas  X  Fenner

                                    mark

Witness

E.W. Carpenter

J. D. Willis

                              sworn & sub-

scribed to before me this 15th

day of may 1889 & I certify that

the foregoing was read to [          ]

before making his mark in

same & that he is the iden-

tical person he claims 

to be & is credible & worthy

of belief

                                                E.W. Carpenter

                                                [                     ]

 

Thriller Thursday -- Finding Truth in a Family Legend

Between the gaps in the timetable dates lay a family legend . . . one that gave me an uneasy feeling right in the pit of my stomach.

For some time I had heard, from various family sources, that Hezekiah Carter killed a man over a woman. My insatiable curiosity plunged me headlong into a search for the truth. A cousin and fellow family historian reported that 

Hezekiah somehow found out about John Carter coming to his home. Hannah would lean out the side window and flirt with him. The roads were packed dirt, and there were foot paths and cart paths through the forest. Hezekiah happen to be home that day when John came strolling by. He told his wife to call John to the window, of which she did and Hezekiah shot him. They say John left a blood trail from that window, on the cart path, all the way home, where he died. I think he bleed to death.

I hated to think of my grandfather-in-law as such a calculating man, and so the search began.

John Carter's death certificate stated his cause of death as "Homicide--gun shot wound, arm;" and contrary to  the legend, he died at St. Luke's Hospital.  I contacted Victor T. Jones, Jr. at the Kellenberger Room. Were there any related homicide cases in the Superior Court Minutes?

The Sun Journal reported over two days that [John] Henry Carter "died from blood poisoning after the arm had been removed in an attempt to save him." The follow-up story expounded on the evidence which uncovered the motive for John Henry Carter's visits. . . the attempted theft of  "about $175 in cash" collected upon the sale of some hogs.

While "Hezekiah Carter, Harlowe negro, and said to be a well to do farmer, was arrested," he was released with no charges pending.  Sheriff Lane stated that his investigation indicated "that the shooting was justified in every respect."

I'm sure some people will always hold on to their family legends, passed down through generations. Perhaps there may be more to the story than what was reported to the local Sheriff, but with a lack of living eye-witnesses, I'll hold on to the evidence.

Note: This article has been expanded and updated with new research. To read the current, comprehensive version and explore my latest projects, coaching, and storytelling services, please visit my official author platform at: debranewtoncarter.com.