No. 9367

Name Annie Duncan
Filed Apr. 8, 1929
Widow of W. D. L. Duncan
______

Wm. D. L. Duncan & Anna M. Lovelace were married 26th day of September 1867, in Dyer Co., TN

FILE IS STAMPED Rejected

STATE OF TENNESSEE
Dyer County

Annie Duncan of said State and County, desiring to avail herself of the Pension allowed to Indigent Widows of Soldiers, under Act of General Assembly, approved April, 1905, being Chapter 202 of the Acts of 1905; Chapter 103, Acts of 1909; and Chapter 7, Acts of 1911, hereby submits her proofs, and after begin duly sworn true answers to make to the following questions, deposes and answers as follows:

1. What is your full name and where do you reside? (Give State, County and Postoffice.)
ANSWER: Annie Duncan. R.F.D. No 4. Friendship, Crockett County, Tennessee

2. How long and since when have you been a resident of this State?
ANSWER: All my life, 76 years, except part of year 1893 was spent in Arkansas. Since July 10, 18--

3. When and where were you born and what was your maiden name?
ANSWER: Annie Lovelace, born at Friendship, now Crockett County, then Dyer County, Tenn., July 10, 1853

4. When and where was your husband born -- state his full name, and when and where were you and he married, and who performed the marriage ceremony? (Attach certified copy marriage license in every case.)
ANSWER: Savannah, Harden County, Tennessee, William Daniel Duncan, at Home, Friendship, then Dyer County, Tenn, Elder Ben Farmer

5. When and where and in what Company and Regiment did you husband enlist or serve during the war between the States?
ANSWER: Cheathams Division, Bedford Forests Calvary

6. How long did your husband serve in said Company and Regiment?
ANSWER: Four years

7. When and where did your husband's Company and Regiment surrender?
ANSWER: ___________

8. Was your husband present at the time and place when his Company and Regiment surrendered?
ANSWER: Yes

9. If not with his command at surrender state clearly and specifically where he was when he left command, for what cause and by what authority?
ANSWER: ___________

10. Was your husband a pensioner or an applicant for pension, under the laws of Tennessee?
ANSWER: No

11. Have you heretofore applied for a pension in this State?
ANSWER: No

12. When and where did your husband die?
ANSWER: July 22, 1893, at Pine Bluff, Ark.

13. At the time of your husband's death, were you living with him as his lawful wife?
ANSWER: Yes

14. Have you married since the death of your soldier husband?
ANSWER: ___________

15. How many children did you have by your said husband? Give sex and age at this time.
ANSWER: Twelve children, seven boys and five girls; only two girls of whom are living; Claudie Duncan Smith 50 years old; Tennie Duncan Taylor 42 years old.

16. What property, real or personal, or income do you have or possess, and its gross value?
ANSWER: Nothing now of any value

17. What property, real or personal, did you possess at death of husband or did he leave you, and what disposition, if any, by sale or gift, have you made of the same?
ANSWER: One lot and house which was sold for Forty Dollars

18. Have you a family? If so, who composes such family? Give their means of support? Have they any lands or other property?
ANSWER: No family depending on me.

19. Name some friend, giving his name and postoffice address, who will be willing to have us write to him about your case, if neccessary
ANSWER: J. J. Baker, Halls, Tenn.

(Signed) Annie Duncan

Sworn to and subscribed before me, this the 4th day of March 1929
W. T. Nunn, Notary Public
of Lauderdale County

STATE OF TENNESSEE,
Dyer County

D. Bell of the said State and County, having been presented as a witness in support of the application of Mrs. Annie Loveless Duncan for a Pension under Chapter 202, Acts of 1905, Chapter 18, Acts of 1909; and Chapter 7, Acts of 1911, 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?
ANSWER: D. Bell, Dyer Co., Tenn

2. Are you acquainted with the applicant, Mrs. Annie Loveless Duncan
ANSWER: Yes
If so, how long have you known her?
ANSWER: Fifty years

3. Where does she reside, and how long and since when has she been a resident of this State?
ANSWER: She has lived in Dyer County for about thirty years, and ----? there before that time.

4. When and where was she born?
ANSWER: Dyer County Tenn. She is over 70 years of age

5. Were you ever acquainted with her husband?
ANSWER: Yes

6. When and by whom were they married?
ANSWER: I don't know. They lived together for years

7. Were either or both of you present at the marriage?
ANSWER: No

8. How long did you know him?
ANSWER: 15 or 20 years

9. When and where did he enlist in the war between the States, and in what Company and Regiment did he enlist, and how do you know this?
ANSWER: I don't know

10. Were you a member of the same Company and Regiment?
ANSWER: No

11. How long did he perform regular military duty?
ANSWER: I don't know

12. When and where was his Company and Regiment surrendered?
ANSWER: I don't know

13. Were you with the command when it surrendered?
ANSWER: No

14. Was William Daniel Duncan the husband of applicant present?
ANSWER: I don't know

15. If not present, where was he?
ANSWER: ____________

16. When and where did he leave his command? I don't know
For what cause? ____________
By whose authority did he leave? ________
How do you know all this? (State fully and clearly) _______

17. When and where did William Daniel Duncan die?
ANSWER: In Ark about 35 years ago.

18. Where did he reside at his death and how long had he been a resident of Tennessee at his death?
ANSWER: I don't know

19. Do you of your own knowledge know that applicant is the lawful widow of William Daniel Duncan
ANSWER: Yes

20. Has she remained unmarried since her soldier husband's death, and is she now his widow?
ANSWER: No. She married Thomas Thomson, he is dead. She married Mr. Stepsroer? they seperated and don't know wheather he is dead or living but I rather think he is dead.

21. What property, effects or income has the applicant, if any, and how do you know this of your own knowledge?
ANSWER: She has no property

22. Has applicant conveyed any property in last two years or given any away, if so, what was it and to whom?
ANSWER: I don't think she has had any in the last ten years.

NOTE -- Let the witness who can answer the greater number of the questions do so; then let the other witness state in the space below how much of the testimony of the first witness he concurs in, and whether or not he can answer any of the questions not answered by the first witness.
ANSWER: _______________________

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 6 day of April 1928

D. Bell (witness)
Ocie Batchelor (Notary Public)

I, Joe Light Trustee of Dyer County, Tennessee, hereby certify that the property assessed on the tax books of this County to Mrs. None the widow of William Daniel Duncan, ____ lots, $None, _____ acres, $None; real estate and personal $None

Joe Lght Trustee For Dyer County, Tenn.

Typed letter included in file:

WAR DEPARTMENT
THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE
WASHINGTON

January 7, 1936

Respectfully returned to

Special Examiner,
Tennessee Board of Pension Examiners,
10 Memorial Building,
Nashville, Tennessee

The name William Daniel Duncan has not been found on the muster rolls on file in this office of any Confederate States Army organization from the State of Tennessee.

A statement in the case of William Duncan, private, Company C, 5th Regiment Tennessee Cavalry, C.S.A., was furnished June 26, 1933.

The name William Duncan, rank not stated, Company L, 8th (Smith's) Regiment Tennessee Cavalry, C.S.A., appears on an undated List, (received A. and I.G.O. April 14, 1864), showing valuation of horses and the organization. Description of horse, gray mare, value $300.00.

His name is not borne on the muster rolls on file in this office of the company which cover the period from September 20, 1862, to April 30, 1863, and no other record of him has been found.

(Signed) E. T. Conley
Major General
The Adjutant General
By M.C.

Typed letter included in file:

State of Tennessee
Lauderdale County.

Having been duly sworn, Mrs. Annie Duncan, makes oath in due form of law and says that she is 83 years of age, and that she is a citizen and resident of Dyer County, Tennessee, where she has lived practically all her life and she was born in Madison County, Tennessee, she further says that she was married to William Dan Duncan on September 26th, 1867, in Dyer County, Tennessee at Nash's School House, and lived together as man and wife until his death on July 22, 1893.

Affiant, Mrs. Annie Duncan further says that her husband, William Dan Duncan was a Confederate soldier in the Civil War, that he enlisted at Clifton in Hardin County, Tenn., in 1862, and served to the end of the war, she says that she has lost his military records, and she says that she did have his parole from the army and that this parole was lost with his other papers that were lost or misplaced, she says that she remembers well this parole, which was issued to him and showed the time and place where he was paroled which she belies was at Gainesville, Ala., he was in Gen. Forests Calvary part of the time, and has heard him talk of Gen. Cheatham and also of Buford's Regiment, she has heard him talk of being in the battles at Corinth, Pittsburg Landing, Fort Pillow, and Shiloh, he had a horse shot under him, he received two wounds, one in the foot and one in his side, she says that they surrendered on July 4th, and she says that this wound in his side effected him until his death, he brought his horse from the war which was a yellow or claybank horse with black main and tail and her name was Jenney, this mare was trained to charge and she would jump a fence while being ridden and she was a well trained calvary horse she could run like a race horse.

Affiant further says that she now has in her possession a picture of her husband [view picture], William Dan Duncan which picture was taken right at the end of the war and while he was wearing his uniform, and this picture shows him wearing his uniform and side arms of a soldier, and affiant is submitting herewith the original of this picture for the use of the Pension Board, and she makes oath that this is the genuine picture or photograph of her husband William Dan Duncan. She says that his mess mates in the war were Will Clark and George Smith of Hardin County who went to the war with him and remained with him all through the war, and Will Clark died in Texas, and George Smith died in Hardin County, Tennessee. She says that her husbands parole was lost when it was placed in an old trunk with some other papers and books of her husbands and inadvertantly left in a house from which she moved and were never recovered.

(Signed) Annie M. Duncan

Subscribed and sworn to before me this the 27th day of March 1936.

(Signed) J. F. Sloan
Notary Public
My commission expires on Sept. 19th 1938

Typed letter included in file:

State of Tennessee,
Lauderdale County.

Having been duly sworn, Mrs. Tennie Taylor makes oath and says that she is 48 years of age, that she is a citizen and resident of Crockett County Tennessee, and that she is the daughter of Mrs. Annie Duncan, who lives with her and her husband Mr. Fred Taylor, and that her father was William Dan Duncan, who died when she was a very small child, she says that she remembers her father, and that as a child she remembers hearing her father relate incidents of the Civil War and that she remembers hearing him say that he was in the war, and that she heard him tell of having a horse shot from under him, she also saw a scar in his side where he was wounded which was tender and effected him until his death, and which he said he received in battle, and which he told her was, "Where a damned Yankee pinched him"., She also says that he told her about a horse that he brought home with him from the army and that could jump a fence, and that he gave to his mother, and she remembers a story of an old negro woman who lived in the neighborhood and who worked some for both her mother and herself after she was married and this old negro woman said that one time her grandmother rode this horse from her home in Weakley County, to visit them in Dyer County, and that this was the same yellow mare that her mother speaks of in her affidavit, and that on this trip she would not go around the roads but would ride straight through the woods, ford creeks, jump revines jump over fences, and when the negroes heard them coming across the field and saw the mare jump the fences, they got scared and thought they were the Yankees coming.

Affiant further says that she remembers about the papers and books of her father being lost when they moved and these papers were inadvertantly left at the house from which they moved and were never recovered and that the parole paper of her father from the army was in this box and lost with these papers. She says the horse of her father was named Jenney. She further says that her mother, Mrs. Annie Duncan has now in her possession an old picture of her father, William Dan Duncan, showing him in his uniform as a Confederate Soldier and she makes oath that this is genuine picture of her father and that it has been in the possession of her mother as long as she can remember; she further says that she heard her father talk about Will Clark and George Smith his mess mates and she heard him say that he considered Will Clark the best friend he ever had.

(Signed) (Mrs.) Tennie Taylor

Subscribed and sworn to before me this the 27th day of March 1936.

(Signed) J. F. Sloan
Notary Public
My commission expires on Sept. 19th 1938

Typed letter included in file:

State of Tennessee,
Lauderdale County.

Having been duly sworn, T. W. Redding, makes oath and says that he is 81 years old, that he is a citizen and resident of Crockett County Tennessee, and lives near Bonicord, and he further says that he is personally acquainted with Mrs. Annie Duncan who lives with her daughter, Mrs. Taylor, and that he also knew William Dan Duncan, husband of Mrs. Annie Duncan and that he has known them for 40 or 50 years. Affiant says that he has heard William Dan Duncan tell about being in the war, and has heard him relate stories of the war, and he also says that he knows and recognizes the picture of William Duncan and he says that his widow, Mrs. Annie Duncan now has in her possession an old picture of her husband William Duncan, and that he has seen this picture and that on this day he looked at this picture and held it in his hand and that this is the genuine picture of William Duncan. Affiant further says that he would judge that from what Mr. Duncan told him about being in the war that he is confidant that Mr. Duncan served in the war for more than six months, because he came to Crockett County immediately after the war and said then that he had just come out of the war, and he says that he heard Mr. Duncan tell about driving the negroes and Yankees out of Fort Pillow, and he said that Mr. Duncan told him about some trouble that he had with a "home made Yankee." Affiant further says that he is confident and firmly believes that from what Mr. Duncan says he served in the war as a Confederate soldier, he further says that he knew the Duncan Family well, that they were distantly related to his family and that he is in good position to know the family history, and he further says that Mr. Duncan was a man who could be believed on his oath and on whose word one could rely. (Signed) T. W. Redding Subscribed and sworn to before me this the 27th day of March 1936.

(Signed) J. F. Sloan
Notary Public
My commission expires on Sept. 19th 1938

Handwritten letter included in file (hard to read):

Dyersburg Tennessee
April 10th, 1936

This is to certify that I, W. L. Glidwell who is a Confederate veteran, have examined the proof and records in the application of Mrs. Annie Duncan, widow of William Dan Duncan, and judging from all the facts submitted I believe that she is entitled to a pension as the widow of this Confederate veteran. I have just talked? to Mr. Owen Williams of Dyersburg who tells me that his grandfather was a Confederate soldier and that he has heard his grandfather say on numerous occasions that he knew William Dan Duncan and that he knew that he was in the Confederate army and served in Forest's Calvery and in Bedford's Division. From all the facts I believe that this widow is justly entitled to a pension, and I recommend that her application be approved.

W. L. (his X mark) Glidwell

Witness:
O. V. Williamson
Bob Granville? J. L. Sloan

Handwritten letter included in file (hard to read):

State of Tennessee
Lauderdale County

Having been duly sworn Owen Williamson made oath & says that he is 43 years old that he is a resident of Dyer County Tennessee, and he says that his grandfather was George Washington Williamson and that he was a soldier in the Confederate army and Mr. Williamson says that he has heard his grandfather talk about being in the war and that he has heard him talk about William Dan Duncan, and has heard him say that he was in the war with Wm. Dan Duncan and he says that they went all through the army together and he heard his grandfather talk about the old army horse that Mr. Duncan brought back from the army.

Mr. Williamson further says that judging from what he has heard his grandfather, George Washington Williamson say about William Dan Duncan being in the war, that he is confident and firmly believes that Wm. Dan Duncan served in the war for more than six months, and that Mrs. Annie Duncan is justly entitled to a pension.

O. V. Williamson

Sworn to and subscribed before me on this the 10th day of April 1936.
J. L. Sloan
Notary Public

My commission expires Sept. 19, 1938

Typed letter included in file, on J. L. Sloan letterhead:

J. L. SLOAN
LAWYER
Ripley, Tenn.

April 14th, 1936.

Tennessee Board of Pension Examiners,
Nashville, Tenn.

Gentlemen:-

In re: Application, Mrs. Annie Duncan.

Please find enclosed herewith some affidavits and information relative to the claim of Mrs. Annie Duncan for a pension as the widow of a Confederate Veteran.

I am also enclosing a picture of her husband, William Dan Duncan, showing him dressed in the uniform of a Confederate Soldier. Mrs. Duncan does not want to lose possession of this picture and she would not consent to send it to Nashville until I assured her that it would be returned to her. For this reason I am requesting that after the Board have acted upon the application and have inspected the picture that this picture please be returned to me so that I can return it to Mrs. Duncan.

There is enclosed the application of Mrs. Annie Duncan, which shows that she is a native of Tennessee, now 83 years old and that she married William Dan Duncan in 1867. A certified copy of this marriage certificate has been filed with her application. She says positively that her husband was a Confederate Soldier, that he enlisted at Clifton in Hardin County, Tennessee in 1862 and served to the end of the war. She says that he had his parole and some other military records, but that these papers were lost when they moved from one house or place to another a long time ago. She says the parole showed the time and place where he was paroled and she believe it was at Gainesville, Ala. She says he was in Gen. Forrest's Calvery, and that she has heard him talk of Gen. Cheatham and Buford's Regiment, she evidently means, however, Buford's Division of Forrest's Calvary, she says that he talked about the battles and he talked about being in the battles at Corinth, Pittsburg Landing, Shiloh, and Fort Pillow, that he had a horse shot under him, he received two wounds, he brought his horse home from the war which was a claybank mare, trained in the calvary service and she would jump a fence or ditch while being ridden.

Mrs. Duncan further says that she has in her possession a photograph of her husband taken right at the end of the war while he was still wearing his uniform and the side arms of a soldier and she makes oath that this is a genuine picture of her soldier husband, and the fact that this is a genuine picture is coroborated by the affidavit of T. -? Redding who is a disinterested party, and who swears that this is a genuine picture of William Dan Duncan. Mrs. Duncan also says that the mess mates of her husband in the war were Will Clarke and Gorge Smith of Hardin County both of whom went to the war with him and remained with him all through the war and that Will Clark died in Texas and George Smith died in Hardin County, Tennessee.

There is also the affidavit of Mrs. Tennie Taylor, who is the daughter of Mrs. Duncan who says that her father died when she was a very small child, she says that her father was very fond of her and kept her with him a great deal of the time and that she remembers hearing him relate stories and incidents of the war, and that she heard him tell of having a horse shot from under him, and she also saw a scar in his side where he was wounded, which was tender and which affected him until his death and that he said he received in battle and told her was where a "Damned Yankee pinched him," she also says that he told her about a horse that he brought home with him from the army and gave to his mother and this horse could jump a fence and she remembers the story of an old negro woman who lived in the neighborhood and who worked for her mother and herself after she was married and how her grandmother would ride this horse and she would not go around the roads but would jump fences and across ditches because the horse had been trained in the calvary, and one time when she came through the fields the negroes heard her jumping the fences and became freightened because they thought she was the Yankees coming. This is the same yellow mare that her mother refers to in her affidavit.

Mrs. Taylor further says that she remembers about the papers and books of her father being lost when they moved and among which were his parole papers. She says that the yellow mare was named Jenney and she also says that her mother, Mrs. Duncan now has in her possession an old picture of her father showing him in his confederate uniform and she says that this is a genuine picture of her father, she says that she has heard her father talk about Will Clark and George Smith his mess mates in the war and she heard him say that he considered Will Clark the best friend he ever had. Mrs. Taylor does not claim to have seen her father dressed in the uniform as shown in the picture and she identifies the photograph as the likeness of her father only by the features of the face as shown in the picture, and also by the fact that the picture has been in the possession of her mother all these years.

There is also attached the affidavit of Mr. T. W. Redding, who is an old resident of Dyer County, 81 years old and who says that he is well acquainted with the Duncan family, he says that he has heard William Dan Duncan tell about being in the war and has heard him relate stories and incidents of the war, he says that he knows and recognized the picture of William Duncan that Mrs. Annie Duncan has in her possession and that this is a genuine picture of William Duncan.

Mr. Reding further says that from what Mr. Duncan told him about his services in the war, he would judge that he was in the war for more than six months because he came to Crockett County immediately after the war and said then that he had just come out of the war and heard Mr. Duncan tell about driving the negroes and Yankees out of Fort Pillow and Mr. Duncan also told him about some trouble that he had with a "home made Yankee." Mr. Redding says that he firmly believes that from what Mr. Duncan told him about his services in the war that he served in the war as a Confederate Soldier, that he knew the Duncan family well, that they were distantly related to his family, and he is in good position to know the family history, and that Mr. Duncan is entitled to be believed on his oath and one could rely on his word.

Mr. Reding lives in the Bonicord neighborhood of Dyer County with his son-in-law, Dr. Nash.

I talked to an old soldier and Confederate Veteran, Mr. W. L. Glidwell who now lives in Dyersburg, he did not know Mr. Duncan and could not testify as to any actual knowledge about his war record but he does say that judging from the facts of the case as submitted to him, he does believe that Mrs. Annie Duncan is entitled to a pension as the widow of a Confederate Veteran on account of the service of her husband in the war. He also says that he is personally acquainted with Owen Williamson and has talked with him about his grandfather, George Washington Williams (last name as written), who was in the war, and that Owen Williamson had heard him talk of the war and of knowing William Duncan in the war. As to the information that Mr. Glidwell had about Mr. Duncan's service in the war, it consists of just what I told him and what Mr. Williamson told him and what he read in these affidavits and his statement is merely his opinion based on this information, his statement is submitted, however, because of the fact that he is a Confederate Veteran and because he says that he feels that Mrs. Duncan is entitled to a pension as the widow of a Confederate Veteran.

Owen Williamson makes an affidavit that his Grandfather George Washington Williamson was a Confederate Soldier, and that he has heard him talk about the service of Mr. Duncan in the war and heard him say that Mr. Duncan was in the war with him and that he knew him in the war, and that he heard him talk about the old army horse that he brought back from the war.

I have before me a letter written to me on Dec. 27th 1935 by Mrs. Mary B. Gamble, in which she says that Mrs. Duncan has remmarried and that her witnesses could not state whether her last husband was dead or divorced from her. She has never told me about remarrying, but I did learn that she had married again, but lived with this second husband only a short time when they were divorced, and since that time she has lived with her daughters and she is now living with her daughter Mrs. Tennie Taylor on a farm in Dyer County. I know of my own knowledge that she has not lived with this second husband in at least ten years, and the records show that they are divorced. She does not have any means of support except her daughter, Mrs. Taylor.

I realize this is a rather lengthy letter, but Mrs. Duncan is not able to pay the expense for anyone to go before the Board for her, and so I am writing this letter in her behalf. I am making this effort for Mrs. Duncan in good faith because I believe that, from all the facts as I have learned them, William Dan Duncan served in the Confederate Army and that he was in Gen. Forrest's Calvary and in Buford's Division, because these facts are related in such inc--rent manner as to show that they are not designed or fabricated for this purpose. Mrs. Duncan is now 83 years of age, she cannot possible live many years longer, and I do feel that, as a widow of this veteran and having married him in 1867, and lived with him until his death, and not having applied for a pension until many years after his death, she is entitled now to enjoy for her few declining years the benefits of a widow's pension that have justly accrued to her by virtue of her position as the wife and now dependent widow of a Confederate Veteran so beneficently provided by her native State and home, Tennessee.

Trusting that this will merit your favorable consideration and thanking you, I am,

Very truly yours, J. L. Sloan
Notary Public.