James Coleman ADKINS was born in Virginia
in 1845. In the Pittsylvania County marriage record he
is listed as age
22, single with his occupation as farmer. He married
Harriet E. BURNETT,
age 25 on October 22 in 1867.
Shortly after this marriage he
moved his family
to Weakly County where he remained until his death.
His children and grandchildren
all stayed in the county.
James ADKINS applied for a
Soldiers Pension
while living in Palmersville, TN filed in July of
1903, and a later statement
added in 1907.He enlisted as a member of Company H in
the 38th Virginia
Infantry. He was wounded in the breast at Gettysburg,
Antietam, Maryland
while fighting in the battle of Pickett's charge July
1-3, 1863. The 38th
was in Armistead's Brigade, Pickett's Division.
On the application to the question
"What was
the exact nature of your wound?" he answered "Shot in
the calf of leg,
shot in breast, shot slightly between shoulders, shot
by spent ball on
side of head."
State fully your disability: "The
wound in
breast causes a weakness which prevents doing hard
labor and pain when
I cough,"
How did you get out of the army
and where?
"Just before the close of the war on James River,
surrendered together
with about 100 others who were on Pickets."
Did you take an oath of
allegiance? "I did"
If so, when and under what
circumstances?
" at the time i surrendered. Was cut off from the army
by high water. We
all did it to save ourselves from many dangers that
were eminent."
Are you married? "I have been
married"
If so what is the size of your
family living
together? Ages? "Myself and three children." "one son
of 26 years, one
daughter 28, one daughter 22"
Are not some of your children able
to support
you? "No, they own no property"
In what business are you now
engaged, if any,
and what do you earn? "Farming- Just a 'sort' of
living."
What estate have you in your own
right, real
and personal, and what is its value? "one hundred and
ninety acres of land,
worth about $500.00, two horses worth about $150.00,
household goods $100.00.
Do you use intoxicants to any
extent? "I do
not"
How long have you been a resident
of Tennessee?
"thirty-three years"
The witnesses to this application
were: Dr.
R.M. BIGGS, D.A. MCWHERTER, E.P HODGES, B.B. ADKINS
Also that Dr. R. M. BIGGS
"thoroughly examined"
J.C. ADKINS and found: "Chronic bronchitis and general
disability and find
him disabled to perform manual labor by reasons of
this disability"
"And I futher make oath to the
following facts
touching the applicants service in the Confederate
army: I can stiatify
that I was with J.C. ADKINS in the same regiment and
he made a good soldier
so far as I know. This is E.P. HODGES statement."
"I can Testify that I was with
J.C. ADKINS
in the same regiment and he made a good soldier so far
as I know. This
is B.B.ADKINS statement."
Notary Publics: T.G.BYARS,
F.H.MILLER, J.B.BARBER
There was a letter written from
Dresden, TN
on August 1, 1907 to the Board of Pension Examiners,
Nashville, TN. (This
letter was written on Weakly County Fair Association
letterhead. It listed
the Fair Dates as October 16, 17, 18, and 19 of 1907)
The letter was in
response to the question of proof of J.C. ADKINS oath
of allegiance: "...asking
for more proof...I will state that I have more proof
to offer...And as
stated in my application was surrounded at the time
with high water and
had to get out the fast way I could. Would further
state that this was
a detail of 100 men at the front of the line. When our
captain realized
that we were going to be swept away by water, marched
over to the federals
who where there and surrendered. We took some kind of
obligation and some
kind of paper was given us by, I do not know what it
was. But after this
was done they then gave us our choice to either go in
prison or on public
works. We took the public works and were at Bermuda...
on James River.
So it could not possibly have been the oath of
allegiance or we would not
have been held in this way. Trusting that you
will give this matter
your prompt attention because I know that I fought
through the fiercest
part of the war."
Yours Truly, J.C. ADKINS
P.S. Please address me as
Palmersville, TN
Route No. 2
On the front of the records it is
marked OATH,
REJECTED.
J.C. ADKINS had five children:
John (Jack)
Braxton (my great grandfather), Emma, William Walker
(Uncle Wid), James
Edgar and Urania (Rannie) Virgina. Emma (1873-1908)
never married. William
1874-1947) also never married. He is buried in
Thompson Cemetery in Weakley.
James Edgar (1876-1949) married Theodocia Ellen
BIGGERS. Urania (1878-1946)
married Charles Monroe WOODRUFF. Jack ADKINS
(1871-1892) although we do
not know if he was born in Virginia before the family
came to Weakley County
he lived his entire life in Weakley. He married twice.
First to Emma Lucinda
MORRIS, and after her death to Mary Carmel BROWNING
PIRTLE (Miss Mollie).
According to the pension application of 1903, J.C. had
no living wife.
We do not know when Harriet died, but before this
date. J.C. died on January
the 28th of 1919.
We find it interesting that J.C.'s
great-grandaughter
married a GATEWOOD. The GATEWOOD's fought on the Union
side of the war.
Submitted by Chris Gatewood
Bean
|