11040_Hamilton_Louis_Pension_File

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Summary: 11040 Louis Hamilton Pension File  Louis Hamilton belonged to the infantry unit of Company I of the 107th Regiment of the USCT. Louis Hamilton was a sergeant was enrolled 3 September 1864 and is reported by the Surgeon General to have died 19 March 1866 at Fort Reno D.C. of Typhoid Pneumonia. Testimony of the eyewitness of the marriage ceremony states that Louis Hamilton and Mary Adams were married 27 December 1860. Together, they have a daughter named Mary Catherine Born 5 August 1864.  Mary Hamilton appeared before the County Court in 1867 and she is listed as 47 years old. Mary states that her husband died at a Post Hospital at Battery Rodgers in Virginia on 17 March 1866. Mary married Louis Hamilton in Hardin County, Kentucky on 27 December 1860 by Reverend David Johnson. The only record of her marriage is through two witnesses. Their daughter Mary Catherine Hamilton was born 5 August 1864 and she is their only child.  Maria Garrison and William Adams state they know Louis Hamilton and Mary Adams are married and that they were present at the marriage and at Mary Catherine's birth.  A statement confirming that the pension claim has been received Louis enrolled 3 September 1864 for the length of three years. They also confirm that Louis died in Hospital Battery Rodgers Virginia on 17 March 1866 of Pneumonia.  Eliza Reid and Belle Garret claim they have known Mary Hamilton for 25 years and that they lived within two miles of Mary and Louis, near Elizabethtown. The affiants claim that Mary and Louis were married 7 miles south of Elizabethtown at Mr. Lee Arnets and they were married by a colored minister of the gospel named David Johnson.  A Declaration of Marriage of Negroes and Mulattoes stating that William Adams and Martha Duncan, both of color, declared that they have lived together as husband and wife for the last 15 years and they desire to continue living together as such. Due to this declaration, they wish to obtain a certificate to the effect of their marriage.  A letter from the Pension Agent to the Commissioner of Pensions stating that Mary Hamilton was last paid $8 on 4 March 1884 and has now been dropped per orders dated 11 September 1884.  A cover letter stating that Mary C. was eligible for pension payments until 4 August 1880 and Mary was entitled to receive a pension of $8 per month beginning 20 March 1866. She would receive an additional $2 for her daughter beginning 25 July 1866.  Isom Johnson, aged 52 years old, is the son-in-law of Mary Hamilton. He states he and his wife lived for 17 consecutive months in Kentucky around the year 1870. No one else lived in the house except "Mary's children and William Adams." Mary's house contained three rooms and the room upstairs was occupied by William Adams and he slept in it every night. Mary Hamilton and her family and Isom and his wife slept downstairs. The affiant states that Mary always slept with at least one of her children and that Mary and William never occupied the same bed. The affiant states they did not live in an "open and notorious adulterous cohabitation" and he felt certain that they did not have "occasional clandestine sexual intercourse." Affiant states there was nothing in their deportment that caused him to suspect sexual intimacy between them. He states that Mary was a hard-working Christian woman who belonged to the Catholic Church and regularly performed her church duties.  Mary Catherine Hamilton, the daughter of the widow and soldier states that she lived with her mother in Fairfield, KY from about five years of age, when they moved there, until about twenty years of age, when they moved away. She recollects many persons lived with them off and on, including William Adams. Mary had land and raised corn and Adams assisted. The affiant claims she always slept with her mother, and she did not live in adultery with William. Mary Catherine Hamilton claims her mother was a good Christian woman in the Catholic church. She also claims that her mother's neighbors always gave her a deal of trouble by breaking her fence, killing her chickens, destroying her garden, and calling her bad names. The affiant claims that a stranger came to the door and asked if Mary Adams lived there, and the affiant stated that Mary Hamilton lived there. The stranger hitched his horse and came inside insisting her name was Mary Adams. He asked if William Adams lived there and when he was told that he did, he said he had the authority and was going to fix things his way and he pulled out a document and asked Mary to sign it. He would not state who he was or what he was trying to do. Mary Catherine is age twenty-three years old at the time of her statement. She claims that under oath, she and her mother were made to sign a document that was hidden from their view, so they were unaware of the contents.  Eliza Gore, aged 31 years, states that she and Millie Stone boarded with Mary Hamilton in Fairfield, KY, while they attended school for 6 months. Mary's house had three rooms, one upstairs and two downstairs, and one of the rooms downstairs was a kitchen. The affiant states that William Adams was there the whole time and he always slept upstairs, and they slept downstairs with Mary Hamilton and her children. The affiant claims that Mary and William never occupied the same bed together. The affiant claims she boarded with Mary about six years ago.  Jane May, aged 25 years, states she was acquainted with Mary for twelve years while she lived in Fairfield, KY. The affiant claims she sometimes stayed there during the day, and sometimes during the night, and sometimes stayed or a week or more at a time. William Adams lived at her home, and he always slept upstairs. The affiant never suspected any sexual intimacy between the two since Mary always slept downstairs with one or more of her children.  Mary, aged 70, states her name before her marriage to Louis Hamilton was Osborne and that she has not remarried since her husband's death.  Fitzgerald & Vajen, U.S. Claim Attorneys helping Mary Hamilton to reclaim her pension.  An investigative report into the alleged remarriage of the pensioner states the Mary Hamilton was born in Nelson County, KY, the slave of Keeley Osborne and after eleven years she was taken by her master to Hardin County, KY, where she lived until about eight years prior to the war. She was then sold to Lee Arnet, with whom she lived in Hardin County until about a year within the proclamation of emancipation. She was married to William Adams, a slave of Alexis Adams of Nelson County in the year 1844. The master of William Adams lived near Fairfield, Nelson County, KY and at the time of the marriage. Adams was hired by William Taber, a neighbor of the pensioner's master.  The investigative report states that Mary lived with Adams as his wife for a period of four to five years until she was sold to Lee Arnet. Mary and William had four children together. The statement declares that Adams was hired by Taber for only one year and was then taken home and could only visit Mary at intervals, which increased in length until an account of the distance and the objection of his master caused the visits to cease altogether. About five or six years prior to the war, Mary married Louis Hamilton, a slave of Polly Hamilton who was a neighbor of Lee Arnets. Mary and Louis lived together until the date of his enlistment and had one child: Mary Catherine born on 15 July 1864. Louis was a tall, heavy-set man who weighed about 170 pounds with dark brown complexion, black hair, and eyes, and was about thirty years old. Mary lived in Louisville, Ky until 1866 or 1867 and then moved near Fairfield, Nelson County, KY and lived with George Wilkinson and there she met her first husband William Adams who was living at Isaac Duncan's home.  The investigative report claims that Mary moved to Fairfield, Nelson County, KY, and has lived there ever since with William Adams as her hired hand. Several years prior to the war, William Adams married Martha Duncan, who was the slave of Eliza Duncan. After the war, the state of Kentucky passed a law requiring all persons of color living together had to file a declaration of marriage to legalize their cohabitation. William and Martha filed a declaration 18 December 1866. According to the testimony of the widow Mrs. Chaveler, who was married to Lee Arnet, "the parties were married in 1859 and lived together up to the date of the soldier's enlistment. The widow of Lee Arnet testifies that Mary Catherine was born in June 1864 and this witness is of undoubted respectability and is trustworthy. George Wilkinson employed Mary in 1867 and 1868. At about the same time, he also hired William Adams who left Martha Duncan without an apparent reason and refused to live with her any longer. In 1869, the parties moved to Fairfield and have been living there ever since. The testimony of Binji Adams who is the son of the former owner of William Adams explains itself and the testimony of J.E. Gardiner, one of the best citizens of Fairfield is also presented.  The investigator is of the opinion that the parties involved are living together as husband and wife but for the purpose of maintaining the pension William Adams and the pensioner are concealing their relationship. The investigator claims the pensioner and William Adams were previously married to each other before they were separated due to circumstance out of their control which led them to marry other spouses. Legally they are still married. The investigator claims that the pensioner and William Adams are respectable and religious. The investigator also states that the pensioner is an intelligent business manager, even more so that many of her white neighbors. It is the investigators opinion that their living arrangement is not lewd, so it does not reflect on their character because they were married by a priest in 1844. The investigator states that due to the fact that they were legally married, the pensioner and William Adams have justified their actions within their minds. However, the investigator believes the pensioner should "suffer the consequences of a valid marriage though I am not aware what consequences the office will attach to the fact that Adams was legally married to Martha Duncan." the investigator states that with or without the pension he believes Adams and the pensioner will remain together throughout life.  Affiant states that William Adams lived all his life near Fairfield, County of Nelson, and that when she and William Adams were married, he was working for William Taber who lived near Keeley Osborne's in Hardin County, Kentucky. Their marriage was solemnized by a Catholic priest at the house of Ben Elden in Meade Creek, Kentucky. They lived together as husband and wife until she was sold to Lee Arnet. During their co-habitation, they had four children. Affiant states that William Adams only lived with William Taber for one year and then he was taken back to his master Alexis Adams. As a consequence, of them living 52 miles apart, they could only see each other at intervals of several months and finally his visits ceased. About five years prior to the war, affiant was married to soldier Louis Hamilton, who was the slave of the widow Polly Hamilton who lived near Lee Arnetts in Hardin County.  Mary states that she was married to Louis by a colored preacher named Davy Smith about five or six years before the war and she lived with him as his wife. They had one child together named Mary Catherine. Affiant declares that after the war, she met her first husband when she began living at George Wilkison's because he was living at neighbor, Isaac Duncan's. William Adams would occasionally visit her and that when she moved to Fairfield, he came along.  A letter detailing the special investigation. Caroline Hammond is the sister of Mary Hamilton, and she states that the pensioner and William Adams were married by Father Combs and that when her Master died, she was sold and married to Hamilton. After the war, Adams and Mary came together again and bought a place and have been living there as husband and wife and they are regarded as such and have been seen together in bed by someone that stayed at their house. Richard Constantine, testifies that they are regarded by the community as man and wife and he was present when Adams said, "Mary, my long-lost wife; Thank God I have found her and we are together again." He was also present when Adams asked Father Elliott if it was necessary for them to remarry in order to live together as man and wife.  J.E. Gardiner testifies they live together as man and wife. Christopher Ludwick, formerly a magistrate testifies the same. He also refused to qualify her for pension vouchers because Mary told him that Father Elliott told them that in order to live together as legally married Christians, they must live together as man and wife again. She told him that "they went to bed together, but she could not stand it." Witness Stafford McKenna, sold them the house that they now live in. He states that the only people that say they are not living together, is Adams and the pensioner. William Adams testifies that he married Mary in 1844 and they have four children together. They were separated and he married another woman, after their freedom, he got a certificate of marriage to her. Shortly after this event, he met Mary again and left his wife to be with her, but he denies living with her as a husband. The woman he married is still living and she confesses he has been sent to jail or arrested for stealing corn, stealing hogs, and breaking into a store.  Mary Hamilton testifies that she married William Adams in 1844 and that she met him again after the war in 1867. The deed shows that she bought the house in 1869. Mary states that he nursed her when they lived at Wilkerson's and that they do not live together as man and wife. The Special Agent believes the pension should be dropped because they are concealing their true relationship to avoid prosecution under states laws, and they are living together in "notorious adulterous co-habitation."  Richard states that he heard Bill and Mary talking to Father Elliott of the Catholic church and Father Elliott told them that their previous marriage was sufficient and they did not need to remarry. Richard claims that six or seven years ago he was a magistrate and he refused to help Mary "swindle the government" by qualifying her for pension vouchers. He states that he is a member of the Catholic Church and Father Elliott is now deceased.  J.E. Gardiner states that he is 61 years old and a farmer in Fairfield, KY. He claims that Mary and Bill had two children together, a daughter and a son, and that they were married before the emancipation. He claims Bill and Mary have lived together in the same house for 10 years.  Christopher Ludwick is a 71-year-old farmer who has known Mary for about 30 to 40 years. He testifies that Mary told him that Father Elliott told them that if they want to live in the church as Christians they must go together and live as man and wife. She told him that when Bill laid his hand on hers, she couldn't stand it, but she didn't say whether they continued in bed together that night or whether they slept together any more or not. Christopher Ludwick states that he was a former magistrate and that Mary tried to apply for a pension voucher from him. He qualified her and continued to do so until Bill came back into her life. Christopher states that Mary has been going 10 miles out of town to find a clerk to help her.  Stafford Mckenna is 62 years old and retired from business and believes William and Mary are regarded as man and wife in the community. He sold Mary and Bill the house in 1867 or 1868.  William is about 68 years old and a farmer. He states that he was married to Mary in 1844 by Father Coombs and they have four children together. He married Martha Duncan after being separated from Mary by their Masters. After Freedom he and Martha went to the Court to get a certificate of marriage. They lived together for about six months after getting the certificate. William states that he had quit sleeping with Martha before he met Mary. William states that he and Mary are not living together as man and wife, and they have never been in the same bed together since freedom. He states that as far as he knows, Martha is still living. He also states that he was falsely imprisoned for stealing corn and arrested for paying money for stolen hogs and that he was accused of breaking into a store.  Mary states that she and William were married in 1844 and they lived together for only a few weeks before he had to return. She states that she has four children from William, and they separated because their masters parted them. Mary states that she met Bill again about two years before they bought the house. Mary states that William once nursed her while she was sick in bed. She also claims that they have never shared a bed since after the war. Mary states that the things people have said about her, and Bill are stories. She said that Father Elliott told her the laws of the land were different from the laws of the church and he advised her not to go back. The deed Mary presents shows three town lots were purchased from Stafford Mckenna 14 July 1869. Mary denies being a witness in the court when William was tried for stealing corn and stating that they slept in the same room and that he would have had to crawl over her in bed.  William states that he was hired by William Taber for a time and married Mary. After he was returned home, he was permitted to visit Mary every month, and then every two months, and then it became longer intervals until he could not see her at all. During their times together, which lasted about six years, they had four children together. After their separation, Mary was married to Louis, and he began a cohabitation with Martha and the marriage was compelled by the mistress of Martha and it was not witnessed and was performed in a cabin.  Mrs. Mary Lawler states she is 44 years old and was the late owner of Mary Hamilton who was purchased by from Keeley Osborne by her husband, Lee Arnet. Mary Lawler states that Mary Hamilton was married to a slave named Louis, owned by Mary Hamilton. Mary Lawler states Louis ran away from the affiant’s house in September 1864 and his company and regiment is not known. Mary also states the said parties were married to the best of her recollection during Christmas week of 1859 because "her daughter born that following February and she is now 15 years old." She further states they were married at her house by a colored preacher according to the custom of slaves and they cohabitated as husband and wife from the date of their marriage. Affiant states Mary and Louis lived together and were considered husband and wife from the date of their marriage until the date the soldier left her house. Affiant states that a daughter Katie was born during wheat harvest in June of 1864 the same year the soldier enlisted and the same year the affiant was married to her present husband. Affiant states the child was recognized as the child of the soldier and that Mary Hamilton left her house in March 1865 and moved to Louisville with her child. Then, sometime after Mary moved to Fairfield, she came to see the affiant and told her that she had bought a house and lot in Fairfield and that her first husband, William Adams, was living with her again and that they had bought the place and wanted to get their children together again.  Affiant George Wilkinson states that he is 37 years old and that in 1867 he hired Mary Hamilton to work for him. In 1868, the affiant also hired William Adams, who lived with him during 1868. Prior to that time, William had been living with Martha Duncan for at least ten or twelve years. When the affiant hired William, Martha Duncan moved to Bloomfield, KY and married another man. At the expiration of their employment, William and Mary move to Fairfield and have been living there since. The affiant cannot say that they lived together as husband and wife.  Affiant Berry Adams states he is 41 years of age and the son of Alexis Adams, who formerly owned William Adams. His father hired William Adams to William Taber for one year. During this time William married Mary Osborne who was owned by Keeley Osborne. After one year William was returned to Alexis Adams but allowed to visit his wife at intervals. During this time of about eight years, they had four children together and the soldier recognized them as his children. After William's visits to Mary were discontinued, he married Martha Duncan and lived with her for 10-12 years. Affiant Berry Adams was of the opinion that William Adams left his wife Martha Duncan in 1867 or 1868 so that he could "take up with his first wife." The affiant states that he had heard that Mary Hamilton married Louis Hamilton after her husband "left her" and that when Louis died, Mary returned to town to join up with her first husband. Affiant states that it is the general opinion that the said parties are living together as husband and wife because they believe that their first marriage in the Catholic church is the only legal and binding one.  Affiant J.E. Gardiner states he is 50 years old and was acquainted with Mary Hamilton for the several years that she lived in Fairfield, Nelson County. Mary ordered real estate there and told him she was relocating and asked if there was any law about her hiring her previous husband to work for her. Affiant states that Mary told him she had previously been married to William and then after they were separated, she married Louis Hamilton and he married Martha Duncan. Mary told him that after her husband died during the war and after Martha left William over a disagreement and planned to marry another man, that William wanted Mary to hire him if it wasn't against the law. The affiant told Mary that she has the right to hire any man or woman to work for her but that if she lived with William as man and wife without first being married that they would be liable to a fine. Mary told the affiant that she did not intend to marry William. The affiant helped Mary to write up a contract to hire William about 1870.  A document that shows a contract for labor between Mary and William that begins January 1873. William agrees to perform any labor that Mary requires of him. He is required to clothe himself and pay half of his doctor’s bills and pay all other expenses caused by himself. Mary agrees to board him unless he is sick and unable to do good work. William is also required to pay a reasonable compensation for his board. Mary agrees to pay him $150 by the end of 1873 for his service.  E.F. Tucker signs his name stating he is a U.S. storekeeper. In his statement he claims that he came to Fairfield, Nelson County in 1869 and that William Conner, known as William Adams, and Mary Hamilton were also living here at the time and have been ever since. He believes it is the general opinion of the citizens that Mary and William are living together as husband and wife because they were married by a minister of the gospel 20 or 25 years ago and lived together until Mary was sold and carried off before the war. He also states that William and Mary have been living together since the end of the war and their interests are mutual since they live and sleep under the same roof. He also states that William uses her horse, attends to her fences, and does the gardening. All of this points to the fact that he is supporting the family.  Affiants James Shanley and Chatherine Shanley aged 53 and 48 respectively, state they have been living in Fairfield for eighteen years and have known William Adams and Mary Hamilton since they moved to Fairfield in 1869 or 1870. Affiants cannot state what the relationship is that exists between William and Mary. William does use Mary's horse and wagon and does take care of the affairs of the house, and he also beds there. However, they also seem to purchase items from separate accounts.  Affiant Richard Constantine is 50 years old and personally knows William Adams and Mary Hamilton. They have lived in Fairfield in the same house since 1869 and he cannot testify as to the precise nature of their relationship. However, he does state that their interests in the support of the family is mutual and there is no difference between how they act and how other married couples about town act.  Affiant Stafford McKenna is 51 years old and resides in Fairfield. He states that immediately after the Mary purchased a house and lot from him that William moved in with Mary and they have lived there ever since. He cannot testify to the nature of their relationship, but the general opinion about town is that they are living together as husband and wife.  Affiant Newton Pitt is 21 years old and has been connected with a store in Fairfield for about five years. He states that Mary and William have both purchased goods and family necessities at the store and they insist on maintaining separate accounts for their purchases. He also states that Mary stated her correct surname was Hamilton and she had no claim on William Adams.  Affiant James Ward is 23 years old and works for a dry goods store in Fairfield. He states that William Adams and Mary Hamilton kept separate accounts.  Affiants Henry Constantine and Milton Downs, respectively aged 43 and 35, live in Fairfield. They say that the current opinion among the colored people in the town is that Mary and William are living together as husband and wife. Affiants state this opinion is based on the fact that they share a house, and the crops William raises on the property are used in support of the family. Affiants cannot testify about their sleeping arrangements.  Affiant Henry Norris is 24 years old and was a boarder at Mary's house for two months continuously in 1873 and occasionally thereafter. He states he slept in the upper room and that Mary, and her daughters and William slept in the lower room which contained two beds. Affiant cannot testify about their sleeping arrangement. He states that the general opinion is that they are living together as husband and wife due to their common interests in caring for the family. Affiant states they raised a crop of corn in 1873 and a crop of wheat in 1874. He states the current crop of wheat is at Mr. Bryants and is used whenever the family needs flour.  Affiant Isham Johnson appeared before a Notary Public in Indiana He states that he has known Mary Hamilton for eighteen years and used to live in Fairfield. He states that the relationship between Mary and William is based on the fact that she hired him to work on her farm. He knows Mary to be straight forward and a true in her character.  Affiant Eliza Gore, a resident of Indiana, appeared before a Notary Public because Mary Hamilton had been dropped from the pension rolls. Affiant states she has known Mary for ten years and used to live in Fairfield. She states that William was hired to work around the farm and that she never saw anything in their relationship other than that of a respectable landlady and hired servant.  A letter to Jesse Overstreet of the House of Representatives stating that Mary Hamilton had her pension dropped 11 September 1884 based on her conduct and the passage of the act of 7 August 1882. She forfeited her title to pension as a widow. Her claim for restoration filed 8 February 1892 was rejected 5 January 1897 based on the ground that there is no provision of law for restoration of pension after having been dropped under the act of 7 August 1882. Her claim under the act of 19 April 1908 was rejected 6 October 1908 on the ground that she has by her conduct since the soldier's death and the passage of the act of 7 August 1882 forfeited her title to pension as a widow under existing law. The testimony of W.T. Reynolds and Irene Franklin filed 19 October 1908 does not warrant reopening the case.  A letter to Jesse Overstreet from the pension commissioner stating that Mary Hamilton forfeited her claim to pension based on her conduct. He also states that he has the honor to advise him that the letter of Arthur Eskridge and the petition signed by the citizens of Fairfield, KY, which was forwarded by Jesse Overstreet cannot be accepted as evidence and does not warrant any change in the status of her claim.  A letter from Arthur Eskridge to the commissioner of pensions stating that they went to Kentucky to get witnesses in the case of Mary Hamilton's pension renewal. The letter states that one letter stated the office would accept them and then after they received them, a second letter stated that they cannot accept them. Arthur states that the pension was stopped in the first place due to the ignorance of an old woman. The letter states that Mary is now old, blind, and helpless and is in need of the pension. The letter states that Mary should be recognized as a soldier's widow. The man writing the letter is 70 years old and his wife is also old. They are not able to take care of Mary, who is 90. They would like to see her receive her pension and are not asking for the back money.  A letter to the commissioner of pensions claiming that the whole community knows that Mary Hamilton, a woman of color, is an imposition. The letter states that the facts in Mary's case indicate that she was married by the custom of slaves by a Catholic Priest to William Adams 20 to 25 years ago. She was then taken down river about 15 to 18 years ago and then took up with a man for which she is now drawing a pension for. The letter states that after the war, Mary moved to Fairfield and began living with her old husband and they are able to make a good living. This information is given by E.F. Tucker, a U.S. Storekeeper because he/she believes it is his/her duty as a revenue Officer because it is fraud against the pension bureau.  Mary Hamilton writes a letter to the Bureau of Pensions. She is now 90 years old, feeble, and blind. She can no longer work and is dependent on the mercies of other people. She states that if she could work to support herself, she would do so. She states that her pension was cut off on 2 September 1884 and she knows not why. She states that a man that stated his name was Turner showed up at her house one day and asked her to sign a document. She told him that she could not write. He proceeded to cover up the writing with his hand and her underage daughter was asked to sign the document. Her daughter signed the document and soon after her pension ceased. Mary states that the document was created due to malice and jealousy because she did not spend any money at the saloon, and she believes the man came from the saloon. She is requesting they reinstate her pension after all the years.  Mary Hamilton describes her life in Fairfield while owning her own property. She put in a garden every spring and generally raised 30 to 40 acres of corn each year. She bought horses, and other farm equipment, and raised hogs, chickens, and turkeys for her use and for the market. Mary states she was independent in the management of her business. While there, she lived with her children Millie, William Adams Jr., and Mary C. Hamilton. Her daughter Annie and her husband, Isom, now of this city, lived with her for 17 months. The entire time, there was only one month when someone wasn't living with her beside William Adams Sr. and her own children. Mary lists all the people that lived with her, Cynthia Capp lived with her for three years, Alfred Sims lived with her for one year, Eliza Gore and Millie Stone, who now lives with David Thomas Mills and family on the Louisville Pike boarded with her for about six months and attended school, Rilze Cox, now deceased, lived with her one year, James Cope, a school teacher, lived with her for one year, and Henry Norris lived with her for six months. Jane May lived with her for a week at a time, off and on, for the entire time she lived in the house. Maria Croons, Now Gilbert also stayed with Mary Hamilton. All the people listed above were respectable people. Mary Hamilton states she also boarded men temporarily that worked in the neighborhood. Mary states that when she and Adams were slaves they were married after the manner then prevailing in such cases. She does not recollect the year. At the time, she belonged to Cornelius Osborne and lived near Big Springs, Hardin County, KY. William was working for William Taybord, but he belonged to Leck Adams who lived about twelve miles from Bardstown, Nelson County, KY and about 52 miles from where she lived. Mary and William lived for about two months together after "the fashion then in vogue among slaves belonging to neighboring masters, that is: he was permitted to visit me every Wednesday and Saturday night." At the end of the two months, he returned to his master, and for a few years came to see her at intervals of six to twelve months. Mary bore him four children. Eventually William married a woman belonging to a man owning a farm adjacent to that of his masters and paid her and the children no further attention. Mary did not see him again for fifteen years. During that interval Mary married Louis Hamilton in accordance with the statutory laws of KY. After Mary had been living in Fairfield for about five months, Adams appeared and wanted to marry Mary again, but she declined. He insisted upon living at her house, and she agreed upon the terms for one year, that she was to employ him as a hired hand and pay him one hundred dollars and furnish him with board and lodging with the right to hire him to others and to receive wages for his labor. He was to work in her garden and do any other work she required of him. They entered a written contract before the Justice of the Peace. She thus employed him in this fashion for three years. At the end of the three years, she refused to further employ him due to his dishonesty and she asked him to leave her home. He left and after ten months her returned and made her house his house during the remainder of the time she lived there. He worked in the cornfield and did other work for her. After Mary first took him into her home, he continued to insist that they should marry. Mary spoke to the priest about the matter, and he told her that Williams second wife was still living, and it would not be legal for them to marry. After his emancipation he married his second wife under the laws of the state. The priest said we could live as we were then living and there was no harm in doing so. Mary states that her house contained three rooms, one upstairs and two downstairs, and one of them was a kitchen. Mary states that Adams always slept in the room upstairs, and she slept downstairs with her children. Mary states that except for one month, one or more persons always slept in the room in which she slept with her children. Her daughter, Mary C. always slept in the same bed with Mary, and occasionally, one of the other children slept in her bed. Mary states that she never cohabitated with William Adams or had illicit intercourse with him. She states that the fact her had once been her husband was enough to create suspicion and she knew some persons in the neighborhood were her enemies. She states they were her enemies because she was a colored person and owned property and was prospering. Mary states that a "thrifty nigger" was an object of hatred among many. Mary states the neighbors that were her enemies, were cowardly in the expression of their feelings. During the night, they would tear boards from her fence and stable, destroy her garden, throw stones at her house, and one day while she was absent, they shot her chickens and turkeys. Parents also encouraged their children to call her indecent and offensive names. Mary states that one day a man she did not know, came to her house, and insisted her name was Mary Adams and not Mary Hamilton and he said he had the authority to fix her name. He was aware that William Adams was living in the home, and he wrote up a document and asked her to sign it. He would not tell her what the document contained. Upon learning that Mary could not write, he had her make her mark and called in her daughter and ordered her to sign her name. The man spread his hands on the paper so she couldn't read the document and his manner frightened them. He hurried away with the signatures without telling them what they had signed. He went to the store of Pitts Bros. and read it to a crowd and bragged about his achievement. Soon after, Mary states her name was dropped from the pension rolls. She was later told the name of the man was Turner. The treatment Mary received in Fairfield became so intolerable that she left abandoned her property for a time and left. Later she learned that a good deal of her property was destroyed. While living in Fairfield, Mary was a member of the catholic church and was a good Christian woman. Father Elliott was her minister until his death and then it was Father O'Callahan. In the city she currently lives in, she is a member of St. Bridget's church under Father Curran.  Affiant Addie M. Jones states she is 29 years old and has known Mary Hamilton for seven years and has seen her on average of about once a week or more. Addie states that Mary has never remarried since the death of Louis Hamilton. Addie also states that she is not related to Mary Hamilton.  Affiant Arthur Eskridge states he is 54 years old and a Corporal in Company F of the 107th Regt. U.S.C.T. He has known Mary Hamilton for about eight or nine years. He is a near neighbor and has seen her once a week or more and every Sunday. He states that he knows from personal knowledge that she has never remarried. He states that she is a feeble widow with no income and is entirely dependent upon her own labor for her support. Arthur states that he is not related to her.  Affiant Ishom Johnson states he is 56 years old and served as a private in Co. F of the 108th regiment USCT. He is acquainted with Mary Hamilton, widow of Louis Hamilton of Co I of the 107th Regiment USCT. Ishom states he left the army in 1866 and has known Mary since that time. He claims that she has lived the life of a widow and that if he had remarried at any time, he would have known.  The document is a brief for reopening the case of Mary Hamilton dated 1908. The document states that the evidence filed since the rejection is not sufficient enough to reopen the claim for the following reason, "it cannot be accepted to overcome the evidence before which the action of refraction was based."

New document?: yes

Document type: other

Date:

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State:

Summary: Louis Hamilton belonged to the infantry unit of Company I of the 107th Regiment of the USCT.

New document?: yes

Document type: application form

Date: 1868

Place:

County:

State: KY

Summary: Louis Hamilton was a sergeant was enrolled 3 September 1864 and is reported by the Surgeon General to have died 19 March 1866 at Fort Reno D.C. of Typhoid Pneumonia. Testimony of the eyewitness of the marriage ceremony states that Louis Hamilton and Mary Adams were married 27 December 1860. Together, they have a daughter named Mary Catherine Born 5 August 1864.

New document?: yes

Document type: application form

Date: 1867

Place:

County:

State: KY

Summary: Mary Hamilton appeared before the County Court in 1867 and she is listed as 47 years old. Mary states that her husband died at a Post Hospital at Battery Rodgers in Virginia on 17 March 1866. Mary married Louis Hamilton in Hardin County, Kentucky on 27 December 1860 by Reverend David Johnson. The only record of her marriage is through two witnesses. Their daughter Mary Catherine Hamilton was born 5 August 1864 and she is their only child.

New document?: no

Document type: application form

Date: 1867

Place:

County:

State: KY

Summary: Maria Garrison and William Adams state they know Louis Hamilton and Mary Adams are married and that they were present at the marriage and at Mary Catherine's birth.