Widow's Claim for Pension Benefits

This is the third in a series of blog postings on my great-great grandmother's application for Civil War Widow's pension benefits. Martha Bailey Tipton was her name and she applied numerous times for pension benefits after her husand and my great-great grandfather John Tipton was killed during the Civil War. John Tipton was killed by an ambush of Confederate Calvary while returning to his command at or near Jonesboro, Tennessee November 18, 1863. See the two previous blog postings.

Widow’s Claim for Increase of Pension

State of Tennessee
County of Washington

On this 3rd day of April A.D. 1867, before me, a County Court Clerk in and for the County and State above-named, personally appeared Martha Tipton, a resident of ……………..,County of Yancey, State of North Carolina, aged 40 years, who being duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the 2nd section of the Act of Congress increasing the pensions of widows and orphans, approved July 25, 1866; that she is the widow of John Tipton, who was a Private in Company M commanded by Captain Nelson McLaughlin of the 8th Regiment of Tennessee Cavalry Volunteers, commanded by Colonel S.K.N. Patton in the War of 1861, and that by reason of his death in the service aforesaid, she has not been granted a pension of eight dollars per month in accordance wit the certificate, numbered……bearing date on the ….day of …..186 , and that she is a Pensioner of the United States, duly enrolled at the Pension Agency at …….in the sate of ……She further swears that she has the following named children of her deceased husband and herself, under sixteen years of age, to wit: Hiram Tipton born March 5th, 1852 (my great grandfather); Lucinda Tipton born March 26, 1853; Elizabeth Tipton born Nov. 16, 1854; Tempe Ann Tipton born Dec. 25th, 1855; Wm. N. Tipton born July 29th, 1857; Martha Tipton born Dec. 26th, 1859; Curtis Tipton born July 28th, 1860, Elmira Tipton born May 6th, 1862.

She further declares that she has not remarried since the death of her said husband, nor has she abandoned the support of any one of the children above named, nor permitted any one of the same to be adopted by any other person or persons as his, her or their child. That she hereby constitutes and appoints A. M. Hughes of Washington D.C., her true and lawful attorney, and authorized to present and prosecute this claim, and to receive and receipt for all orders or certificates that may be issued in consequence thereof, hereby revoking all Powers of Attorney, if any, heretofore given by her for like purpose. My Post Office address is Jonesboro, Tennessee.

Martha Tipton
(her mark) X

State of North Carolina
County of Yancey

Personally appeared before me the under signed authority of Dobson Deaton whom I certify to be a respectable citizen and credible witness who after being duly sworn according to law makes oath as follows:

In the year 1848 I was one of the justices of the peace for the county and state aforesaid duly commissioned and qualified as such. On the 19th day of October A.D. 1848 I united in marriage John Tipton and Martha Bailey according to the law of the state of North Carolina. All this was done at the house of Anson Bailey in Yancey County, N.C. I further swear that I have no interest whatever in this claim.

Dobson Deaton

Witnesses: Z. M. Courry, J.P.
E. M. Howell

Sworn to and subscribed this 4th day of August 1869 and I herby certify that I have no interest whatever in this claim.

It wasn't until may years later that Mrs. Tipton was finally granted pension benefits for the death of her husband during the Civil War.

The Death of John Tipton b. 1830 d. Nov. 18, 1863 Part III

The following is part three of my posting to this blog of my great-great-great grandmother Martha “Patty” Bailey Tipton’s application for a Civil War widow’s pension benefit due the death of my great-great-great grandfather John Tipton.

I have tried to translate the handwriting as best as I could from a copy of the original document. I have indicated where I cannot make out the handwriting.

Washington County

……………appeared before me the undersigned authority Martha Tipton with whom I am personally acquainted. Martha Tipton, being duly sworn according to law deposes as follows:

I am the identical Martha Tipton who was widow of John Tipton, late Co. M 8th Tenn. Cavalry in the service of the U.S. in the War of the Rebellion. My husband came home some time in the month of……1863 with some paper(s) which I understood to be a furlough to recruit. I am sure that he was recruiting nearly all the time that he was at home and had many men consealed (sp?) which he said he was intending to take to his Regiment. Affidavit did not see the said soldier killed but saw him the next day after he was killed. That she got with Mr. Eliza Presley and her son to go with her and bring her husband home. They brought the said Tipton and he was buried about a half mile from affiant’s house on a hill near brother’s house (Bailey.)Affiant is not positive as by whom the said soldier was killed but she understood from many good (can’t read next line, the narrative continues below with next page)………..

Command called Witcher’s Cavalry. Affiant further swears that the said soldier started from her house in the morning of the 18th November 1863 and said he (can’t make out the next word) other up his men and go to his command which she supposed to be at Jonesboro Tenn. Said soldier started in the direction of the mountains (can’t make out the next two words) affiant found him dead at the house of Dr. Pennys about from ten to thirteen miles from house.

Affiant further swears that the men that he was in charge of (as many of them) came to affiant’s house the same day as a few days after the death of her husband. (Affiant does not recollect distinctly the day) and she cooked thin rations for them to join their command and one Calvin Bailey, Curtis Bailey and Dobson Bailey. Arch Bennett staid (sp?) all night at my house and the rest of the command staid (sp?) in some other place. Curtis Bailey and Arch Bennett were wounded in the same battle with affiant’s husband and that Curtis Bailey was buried in the same grave with affiant’s husband. Bennett was wounded in the head and laid for a long time in affiant’s house and after his recovery he joined the 3rd N.C. Mounted Infantry under Col. George W. Kirk.

Affiant may have more facts in relation to her husband’s death if her attention was call to the (can’t make out the next word.)

Signed in present of E.M. Jackson
Martha Tipton
X (her mark)

Sworn to me this 19th day of September 1870



Information compiled by:

Burkett Bailey
905 Irwin Road
Powell, Tennessee 37849

February 16, 1994

Note: The picture that appears on this blog is not of my great-great-grandfather but of an unknown gentleman born during the same time period as my ancestor. I only use this picture as a representation of the demeanor and style of the gentlemen of that period. I would like to think that my great-great-great grandfather bore a strong resemblance to the actor Guy Madison (who played "Wild Bill Hickock" on the old TV show of the Fifties.)