Confederate Pension Application of Martin L.
McDonald
For Use of Applicants Who Have Not
Heretofore Drawn.
State of Georgia
Banks County.
Personally appears M. L. McDonald
of said Banks County, State of Georgia, who being duly sworn, says on oath that
he is a bona fide citizen and resident of Georgia, and has been continuously
since the 14th of March 1843, that he enlisted in the military
service of the Confederate States (or the State of ....) on the [blank] day of
March 1862, during the war between the States, and served in Company H of 34th
Regiment of Georgia Volunteers, ........ Brigade, and was honorably discharged
on the ........ day of April 1865; that whilst engaged in such military
service, and in line of duty in the State of North Carolina, on the .......day
of March 1865 he was disabled or wounded as follows:
From exposure while in service
contracted chronic rheumatism and Gastric Catarrh, which has been accute [sic]
at times but present in some form ever since the war, and which as he becomes
older renders him entirely unable to perform any of the avocations of
life. The rheumatism and Catarrh as
stated are the direct result of service in the war which renders him permanently
and essentially unable to do any kind of labor. Neither is he able mentally to do anything.
Where was command surrendered?
Greensborough, North Carolina.
Was applicant present?
Yes.
Deponent desires to participate in
the benefits of Section 1250 of the Code, and the Acts amendatory thereof, and
makes application for the pension to which he is entitled for the year
thereunder, ending October 26th, 19_.
Signed: M. L. McDonald
Post Office: Commerce, Ga.
Sworn to and subscribed before me,
this the 24th day of July 1915.
T. F. Hill, Ordinary [Banks
County]
Affidavit For Three Witnesses.
State of Georgia
Banks County.
Personally appears before me, the
undersigned Ordinary in and for said County, W. O. Mealer, J. S. Chambers and
J. M. J. Borders personally known to me to be trustworthy citizens, each of
whom, being duly sworn according to law, severally say under oath, that they
are personally and well acquainted with M. L. McDonald whose application is
herewith presented for a pension, that he has resided in this State
continuously since the [blank[ day of March 1862, that he served in Company H
of the 34th Ga. Regiment of [blank] Brigade, and from our personal
knowledge he, while in the line of duty, was injured by the service as follows:
Applicant was exposed to many
hardships-bad weather, thinly clad and while in the service contracted
rheumatism and gastric catarrh which later became chronic, and has grown
gradually worse until now it has resulted in a chronic state and renders him
permanently and essentially unable to do any kind of manual labor. Neither is he able mentally to do
anything. Mr. McDonald was Lieut. of
our Company.
Where was applicant’s command
surrendered?
Greensborough, North Carolina.
Was he with it?
Yes.
Were all of you present?
Yes.
How do you know the facts you
state to be true?
We being with him.
We personally know above stated
facts. We were with him in the army and
have known him ever since. He was
honorably discharged or retired from the service on .....day of April
1865. Applicant is permanently disabled
as stated and has been so to our knowledge ever since 1865. We have no interest in the recovery of a
pension by him.
Signed: W. O. Muller, J. S.
Chambers, J. M. J. Borders
Sworn to and subscribed
before me, this 24th day of July
1915.
T. F. Hill, Ordinary [Banks
County]
Physicians’ Affidavit.
State of Georgia
[Banks] County.
Personally before me [blank]
Ordinary of said County, W. P. Harden and O. N. Harden, both known to me as
reputable physicians of said County, who, being severally sworn, say on oath
that they have carefully examined M. L. McDonald and after such personal
examination, say that the present condition of the applicant is as follows:
Chronic muscular rheumatism and
Chronic Gastric Catarrh, with frequent acute attacks of the catarrh. Suffers from the Rheumatic conditions all
the time and is absolutely unable to perform any manual labor whatever.
And that such condition is
permanent. Said condition arises from
the following facts:
Exposure and hardships usually
resulting from the military service.
We have treated applicant
professionally for 25 years, and his condition, as above stated, does not arise
from hereditary or congenital causes, or from vicious and intemperate habits.
Signed: W. P. Harden, M. D., O. N.
Harden, M.D.
Sworn to and subscribed before me,
this 24th day of July 1915.
T. F. Hill, Ordinary.
State of Georgia
Banks County.
I, T. F. Hill, Ordinary of said
County, do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with M. L. McDonald the
applicant in the foregoing affidavit, and am well satisfied that the statements
made by him in his said affidavit are true, and he is disabled, as he claims,
and I know he is the individual he claims to be, and that he resides in this
County and has been a bona fide resident since the [blank] day of 1843.
I certify that the witnesses,
to-wit: W. O. Mealer, J. S. Chambers and J. M. J. Borders are persons of
respectability, that their statements are worthy of full credit and belief, and
that the full text of the affidavit was read to and understood by them before
they signed the same.
Given under my official signature
and seal, this 24th day of July 1915.
T. F. Hill, Ordinary
Banks County.
Power of Attorney
State of Georgia
Banks County.
I, M. L. McDonald hereby authorize
T. F. Hill of Homer, Ga. To receive and receipt for that pension allowed and
request that he remit same to me by mail at Commerce Ga.
In witness whereof I have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 24th day of July 1915.
Signed: M. L. McDonald
Executed in the presence of
J. J. Turk, J. P.
Note-Martin Luther McDonald died
November 4, 1923 in Banks County, Georgia.
He was buried at the McDonald Family cemetery on McDonald Circle between
Homer and Commerce, Ga., beside his wife (1), Sarah L. [Clark] McDonald,
1837-1910.
His service record as given by
Lillian Henderson, Director of Confederate Records Division with the State
Dept. Of Public Welfare, as stated on January 4, 1938:
Martin L. McDonald enlisted as a 1st
Corporal in Co. A. 2nd Regt. Ga. Infantry April 20, 1861. Discharged, disability, October 31,
1861. Elected Junior 2nd
Lt., Co. H 34th Regt. Ga. Infantry May 12, 1862. Resigned account of tuberculosis, Jan. 21,
1864.
Transcribed 2006 by Jacqueline
King