Confederate Pension Application of Authanile Kitchens

QUESTIONS FOR APPLICANT

STATE OF GEORGIA

Banks County

Authanile Kitchens of said State and County, desiring to avail himself of the Pension Act approved December15th, 1894, hereby submits his proofs, and after being duly sworn, true answers to make to the following questions, deposed and answers as follows:

1. What is your name and where do you live? Authanile Kitchens, Banks Co, Ga., Banksville Post Office.

2. Where did you reside on January 1^st, 1894, and how long have you been a resident of this State? Banks Co. Ga. All my life.

3. When and where were you born? Blank.

4. When and where and in what company and regiment did you enlist or serve? I enlisted in the service 10 Aug. 1863 in Co. C 66 Regt. Ga. Vols.

5. How long did you remain in such company and regiment? I remained in said Co. & Regt. Until surrender.

6. For how long a period did you discharge regular military duty? About 18 months.

7. When, where and under what circumstances were you discharged from service? April, 1865 at Augusta, Ga., and the Surrender.

8. What is your present occupation? I have no occupation at present.

9. How much can your earn (gross) per annum by your own exertions or labor? Very little.

10. What has been your occupation since 1865? Been trying to farm.

11. Upon which of the following grounds do you base you application for pension, viz.: first, “age and poverty”, second, “infirmity and poverty”, or third, “blindness and poverty”? Age and poverty.

12. If upon the first ground, state how long you have been in this condition that you could not earn your support? If upon the second, give a full and complete history of the infirmity and its extent? If upon the third state whether you are totally blind and when and where you lost your sight?

I have not been able to do but very little work for the last five years.

13. What property, effects or income do you possess and its gross value? One bed is all I have, no income, bed worth about $10.

14. What property, effects or income did you possess in 1894, 1895, and 1896 and what disposition, if any, did you make of same? Nothing except my bed. In Banks county, Ga., I made no disposition of any property.

15. In what county did you reside during those years and what property did you return for taxation? I lived in Banks County, Ga., and returned same bed.

16. How were you supported during the years 1895 and 1896? I was supported by my son whom I am living with.

17. How much did your support cost for each of those years, and what portion did you contribute thereto by your own labor or income? I can’t say & I contributed nothing.

18. What was your employment during 1895 and 1896? What pay did you receive each year? I have not had no employment in those years.

19. Have you a family? If so, who composes such family? Give their means of support? Have they a homestead? I have no family. I am living with my son who has a wife and five little children & no means of support except work there.

20. Are you receiving any pension, if so what amount and for what disability? None.

Signed A. Kitchens (Applicant)

Sworn to and subscribed before me this the 19^th day of Feb. 1897.

T. H. Hill, Ordinary of Banks County.

AFFIDAVIT OF PHYSICIANS.

State of Georgia.

Banks County.

Personally came before me J. Sam Daniel and O. N. Harden, both known to me as reputable physicians of said county, who being severally sworn, say on oath that they have examined carefully A. Kitchens, applicant for pension under the Act of 1894, and upon such personal examination say that his precise physical condition is as follows:

His aged and infirm condition prevents him form performing manual work of any kind sufficient to earn a support.

We further say on oath that the physical condition of applicant renders him unable to labor at work or calling sufficient to earn a support for himself, and that we have no interest in said pension if allowed.

Signed: J. Sam Daniel, M. D.

O. N. Harden, M. D.

Sworn to and subscribed before me, this the 19^th day of Feb. 1897.

T. F. Hill Ordinary

QUESTIONS FOR WITNESS.

STATE OF GEORGIA

Banks County.

J. A. Dailey, of said State and County, having been presented as a witness in support of the application of A. Kitchens for pension under the Act approved December 15^th, 1894, and after being duly sworn true answers to make to the following questions, deposes and answers as follows:

1. What is your name and where do you reside? J. A. Dailey, Banks Co., Ga.

2. Are you acquainted with A. Kitchens, I am, the applicant and how long have you known him? I have known him 40 years.

3. Where does he reside, and how long has he been a resident of this State? He resides in Banks Co., Ga., all his life.

4. Do you know of his having served in the Confederate army of the Georgia militia? How do you know this? I no. (sic) I served with (blank). I served in Co. (Blank) and he in Co. C 66 Regt. (Banks Co. Ga.)

6. Where you a member of the same company and regiment? I was in same Regt. Co.

7. How long did he perform regular military duty, and what do you know of his service as a Confederate soldier, and the time and circumstances of his discharge from the service? About 18 months. He was discharged at Augusta, Ga., at the surrender April 1865. He was a good soldier and did his full duty as such.

8. What property, effects, or income has the applicant? (Give your means of knowledge.) He has no property whatsoever except his bed. I reside near him as a neighbor.

9. What property, effects or income did the applicant possess in 1895 and 1896, and what disposition, if any did he make of same? None, he has made no disposition of any.

10. What is the applicant’s occupation and physical condition? He has no occupation now nor has for the last five years. He is old and very feeble man.

11. Is the applicant unable to support himself by labor of any sort? He is and has been for five years on account of his feeble condition and age.

12. How was he supported during the years 1895 and 1896? By his son who is a poor man on rented land with a large family.

13. What portion of his support for these two years was derived from his own labor or income? None if any very little.

14. Give a full and complete statement of the applicant’s physical condition that entitles him to a pension under the Act of December 15^th, 1894? He travels about the house with the help of his stick, a great portion of the time he is not able to go out of his room.

15. What interest have you in the recovery of a pension by this applicant? None.

Signed: J. A. Dailey (Witness)

Sworn to and subscribed before me, this the 19^th day of Feby. 1897.

T. F. Hill, Ordinary

Authanile Kitchen’s request for an Indigent Pension was approved July 7, 1897.

He is buried at New Salem Methodist Church cemetery in Banks County, Georgia. No dates are given on his stone. His name is listed as “Arther Nile Kitchens”. The 1880 Banks County census lists the spelling as “Othniel” and the 1900 Census shows his entry as “Authernile”. The birthdate given in the 1900 Banks County Census is December, 1821. He does not appear in the 1910 Census.