Confederate Widow’s Pension Application of Frances N. Caudell Lawrence

 

Widow’s Pension for year ending February 15, 1897.

Mrs. Lawrence, Fannie of Banks County.

Widow of I. B. Lawrence.

 

Affidavit to be Made by the Widow.

State of Georgia,

Banks County.

In person before me, the undersigned Ordinary in and for the County of_____ Mrs. Fannie Lawrence, who being sworn according to law, says under oath that she is the widow of I. B. Lawrence [Isaac B. Lawrence], who was a soldier in the service of the Confederate States, and served as a member of Company A, of the 1st Regiment of Ga. State Troops Volunteers that he enlisted in said service on or about the ____day of Fall 1864, and was in the _______ Army up to April 1865.  That while in the Army, he was on the __day of 1880 [his death year] 

“While in service near Athens, Ga., he contracted rheumatism from exposure and was discharged just before the surrender. On account of the rheumatism contracted in the service came home and lay for a long time unable to get out of the house. He got some better after several years and tried to do work & relapsed and never done but very little work up to his death in 1880.  He always had to walk with a stick to aid him to walk at tall [sic].”

Deponent further swears that she was the wife of the deceased soldier during his term of service in the Army, and that she has never married since his death; that she became his wife on the ___ day of Nov. 1833, and that she has resided in Georgia continuously since the 10 day of July 1818; that Georgia is her home, and was such on the 23rd day of December, 1890, and since said date she has not lived in any other State or locality.  Deponent, as widow of said deceased soldier husband, applies for the pension provided by Act of the General Assembly of Georgia, approved December 23rd, 1890, for the pension year ending February 15th, 1895, and herewith tenders the proof of her right to receive the allowance granted by said Act.

Signed: Fannie Lawrence (X her mark)

Sworn to and subscribed before me, this the 15 day of May 1897.

T. F. Hill, Ordinary.

 

Affidavit for Three Witnesses.

State of Georgia,

County of Banks.

In person came before me, the undersigned Ordinary in and for said County, witnesses W. R. Dalton, Samuel Rice and Samuel Ward (each known said Attesting Officer as truthful, reliable and reputable citizens), who severally say under oath, that, FROM THEIR PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE [document caps.], Mrs. Fannie Lawrence, of the County of Banks, State of Georgia, is the widow of I. B. Lawrence who was a soldier in Company A of the 1st Regiment of Ga. State Troops Volunteers.  That said soldier enlisted in the services of the Confederate States (or the Georgia State Troops) on or about [blank] day of fall of 1864.  That while in said service or by reason of said service in the Army, he lost his life as follows:

“He contracted Rheumatism while in Camp near Athens, Ga., in the spring of 1865.  He was not able to do further duty, was discharged on the account of the rheumatism.  Was out [at] home and lay sick for several years finally he got so he could get out of the house and took cold, relapsed and never done any work up to his death in 1880 on account of the rheumatism contracted as above stated.

Our opportunity for knowing the facts stated in reference to death of applicant’s husband were “that we have been with applicant and know from the time he came home after the surrender in 1865 up to his death and [can’t make out may be “being”] as neighbors in same settlement.”

We further swear that Mrs. Fannie Lawrence was the wife of said soldier during the service, and that she has not intermarried since his death, and that she resides in Banks [appears Hall County may have been written originally and Banks written over Hall] County of the State of Georgia.

Signed: W. R. Dalton [X his mark], Samuel Rice [X his mark], Samuel Ward

Sworn to and subscribed before me, this, the 15th day of May 1897

T. F. Hill, Ordinary

 

[Power of Attorney signed by Fannie Lawrence (her mark) on 15 May 1897 assigned T. F. Hill to receive any pension granted to her. The Power of Attorney was witnessed by J. S. Parks and Logan Perkins, Clerk of Superior Court.]

 

Notes from Pension Office on Application folder cover:

Pension Office 7/16/1897-

The evidence does not indicate that applicant’s husband died of any disease contracted in the service.  If she resides in Hall County she should make her claim from there.

Richard Johnson, Com. Of Pensions.

 

Pension Office-8/10/1897.

The proofs show that the applicant’s husband contracted rheumatism in the service but they do not show that such disease caused death-and one must be direct by connection with and traced to the other.

Richard Johnson, Com. Of Pensions.

 

Pension Office 11/11/1897.

Cannot prove by physician who treated applicant in his last illness he had.  He must have been an old man.

Richard Johnson, Com. Of Pensions

 

Handwritten affidavits responding to Pension Office rulings:

 

Georgia,

Banks County.

Personally appeared before me the undersigned Ordinary in and for said County A. D. Brady & J. D. Ausburn both known to me to be truthful & reliable Citizens of said County who say on oath that each have been personally acquainted with Isaac B. Lawrence & Fannie Lawrence the applicant for pension who enlisted in the Confederate was in Co. A 1st Ga. State Troops for the last forty years or up to his death in 1880 and we know when he came home in April 1865 he as suffering with rheumatism and was soon confined to his bed where he lay drawn up both in his arms & legs for a long time more than two years.  He did sometime before he died get so he could walk with his stick.  He was at no time able to do manual labor.  He was taken down sometime in 1879 again & suffered greatly with the rheumatism up to his death sometime in 1880.  We have no doubt but his rheumatism which he contracted in the Confederate service was the sole cause of his death.  We each waited on him at nights while he was confined to his bed & up to his death.

Signed: A. D. Brady [X his mark], J. D. Ausburn

Sworn to and subscribed before me 30th Sept. 1897.

T. D. Hill

 

Georgia,

Banks County.

Personally appeared before me the undersigned Ordinary in and for said County Mrs. Fannie Lawrence widow of Isaac B. Lawrence and after being duly sworn says that Dr. A. D. Chenault and W. R. Arflin who treated Isaac B. Lawrence from the time he came home from the Confederate war in 1865 up to his death in 1880 is now and has been dead for 7 years.

Signed: Fannie Lawrence [X her mark}

T. F. Hill, Ordy.

 

Georgia,

Banks County.

We W. R. Dalton, Samuel Rice and Samuel Ward swear that Mrs. Fannie Lawrence resides in Banks County and we further swear that she on the 15th May 1897 when we swore she was a resident of Hall Co. was a mistake made by the writer in not stating it was in Banks Co.   We have resided near her as neighbors for the last 35 or 40 years and further swear that she, Mrs. Fannie Lawrence, has not remarried since the death of her husband, Isaac B. Lawrence.

Signed: W. R. Dalton [X his mark], Samuel Rice [X his mark], Samuel Ward

Sworn to and subscribed before me 19th July 1897.

T. F. Hill

 

 

 

 

Notes-According to online Habersham County marriages Frances Caudell married Isaac Lawrence on Nov. 28 1838.

Reference “Cemeteries and Deaths in Banks County Georgia” by Richard J. Chambers Frances N. Lawrence is buried in the R. Dalton Cemetery in Banks County.  The dates on her stone are given as 5 Jan. 1819-23 Mar. 1896, the death date being an obvious error as the pension application is dated 1897.

Isaac B. Lawrence is listed in the same cemetery as being born 1810 and dying 1894. His widow states he died in 1880.

 

Transcribed 2007 by Jacqueline King