SONS OF DEWITT COLONY TEXAS
Confederate Veteran William W. McKeehan's Struggle of Pension and Aid SOLDIER'S APPLICATION FOR PENSION I, William W. McKeehan, a native of the State of Tenn and now a citizen of Tennessee, resident of Knoxville, in the County of Knox in said State of Tennessee, and who was a soldier from the State of Tenn in the war between the United States and the Confederate States, do hereby apply for aid under the Act of the General Assembly of Tennessee entitled "An Act for the benefit of the indigent and disabled soldiers of the late war between the States, and to fix the fees of attorneys or agents for procuring such pensions, and fixing a penalty for the violation of the same." And I do solemnly swear that while in the discharge of my duty in the service of the Confederate or the United States, as a member of the 1st Tenn Cavy Co B, Col. James E. Carter, Capt William Snow, I was wounded in the battle or battles of Not wounded in battle. But was taken prisoner at Danville K. while on Gen'l. Pilgrim's raid into Ky and from the effects of such wound or wound I was disabled as follows and while in prison in Louisville Ky. after exposure to small pox was vaccinated & when this had taken effect was attacked with something varioloid & had a very considerable eruption scars of which are present and that by reason of such wound and disability I am now entitled to receive the benefits of this Act. I further swear that I do not hold any National, State, or County office, nor do I receive aid or a pension from any other State, or from the United States, and that I am not an inmate of any soldier's home, and that I unable to earn a reasonable support for myself and family. I do further solemnly swear that the answers given to the following questions are true: In what County, State and year were you born? Answer: In Bradley Co Tenn in 1843. When did you enlist and in what command? Give the names of the regimental and company officers under whom you were serving at date of wound or wounds. Answer: In the early part of 1862. Col. James E. Carter, Capt. Wm. Snow In what battle or battle were you wounded, and, if not in battle, state under what circumstances you received the injury or injuries? Answer: Got wounded in battle. But as above stated was taken prisoner and following the vaccination and varioloid was left with scars? on eyes from which he has never recovered. What was the precise nature of your wound or wounds? Answer: No wound, but continued ????? of eyes growing better & worse ever since with more or less neuralgic???? pains. What limb, if any, did you lose by reason of said wound or wounds, and, if no limb, state fully the disability caused by said wound or wound, and is said disability permanent? Answer: The neuralgic pains became more & more severe later on till a disorganization of tissues on both eyes has occurred & total blindness of left eye to practicable blindness of sight now exists. Were you incapacitated for service by reason of said wound, wounds, or service? Answer: A ??? portion of the time was incapacitated for duty. Were you discharged from the army, where were you and what did you do until the close of the war? Answer: No. Remained with command till surrender. What was the name of the surgeon who attended you? Answer: Dr. Pepper was Surgeon. Cannot remember given name. How did you get out of the army? Answer: Disbanded after surrender at Lexington Ga. Did you take the oath of allegiance to the United States Government? Answer: No Are you married, or have been married? Answer: Yes If so, what is the size of your family? Answer: 4 in number, self, wife & two sons. What are the respective ages of your wife and children? Answer: 23 & 17 years To what sex do your children belong? Answer: Male Are not some of your children able to support you? Answer: No. The older is an invalid. Lung trouble. In what business are you now engaged, if any, and what do you earn? Answer: None. Nothing. Require constant help. What estate have you in your own right, real and personal, and what is its value? Answer: None What estate has your wife in her own right, real and personal, and what is its value? Answer: None How have you derived support for yourself and family for the last five years? Answer: By the little work that I could do at times & the help of older son (till we both became disabled). Do you use intoxicants to any extent? Answer: No How long have you been an actual resident of Tennessee? Answer: All my life. Have you an attorney to look after this application? Answer: No Witness my hand, this 15th day of April 1902. William (hisXmark) McKeehan [5 Witnesses & Signatures] [Physician J.S. McDonough's Statement] To whom it may concern. I certify that William W. McKeehan Carter's 1st Tenn Cavalry Co. B [(unreadable)]. When he enlisted he was a strong healthy man & when he came home after the war closed in 1865 after the surrender of Johnston's army, he was broken down in health & had frequent spells of prostration & sever pains in side & head. And that soon after he came home, at Philadelphia Tenn he fainted and fell on the street, caused by an attack of the pains above mentioned. And for a year or two back he has suffered very severely and nearly two years ago he lost the sight of one eye & the sight of the other became greatly impaired & has gradually failed & he is now totally blind & helpless & requires the aid of another person almost constantly. And still suffers very greatly with pains in eyes & head. Have no interest in the prosecution of this claim. Tressa P. Roberts [Notarized] I certify that I knew W.W. McKeehan Co B 1st Tenn Cavalry son after he came home from the Army. He suffered with pains in his head and eyes and at times very seriously & aleged he had varioloid in the service after being captured & while in prison and he had there frequent attacks of pain in head or eyes and his sight be came affected. He was weak & broken down in health and continued to be subject to these attacks which doubtless caused the final loss of sight from which he now suffers. I have no interest in the prosecution of said claim. Sweetwater Tenn April 26th 1902 Daniel Jones. [Notarized} I certify that I knew W.W. McKeehan shortly after he returned home out of the C S army and that he had frequent sick spells complained a good deal of having pains in his head and complained whilst his head was hurting him of his eyes of being very weak he alleged he was captured by the Federals whilst on [unreadable] in to Kentucky in 1863 and whilst imprisoned that he had varioloid and that he had been subject to these attacks ever since he had been released he suffered severely at times from his head & eyes. He was weak and broken down I believe his eyes became weak from varioloid disease that has caused him to loose his eyesight. I have interest in the prosecution of his claim. April 26th 1902. W.P. Jones [notarized] Johnson City Apr 27 1902. Mr. McDonald. Dear Sir. In answer to your letter I was very sorry to hear of Mr. McKeehan's condition. He has been a hard working man when he worked for me he would often complain of his head and some times would have to stop work for a time. Respectfully, S.H. Caldwell. State of Tenn. Knox Co. To whom it may concern. In the matter of Wm. W. McKeehan, 1st Tenn. Cvl. Co. B. Mr. P.C. Webb being duly sworn states that he was well acquainted with the affious and that he has been well acquainted ever since, that the statements in the exhibit hereto are correct and that his present condition requires the constant attention of a nurse--he is blind and in a very delicate condition. He further states that Mr. Wm. W. McKeehan is the person named in said application. When he came home in 1866 he was suffering with head and eyes very severely which he claimed was contracted from variloid as a result of vaccination while in prison and as a result he is now totally blind. We know that he has suffered with his eyes periodically until he became totally blind--he further states that he has no interest in the prosecution of this claim. P.C. Webb Sworn and subscribed before me this April 28 1902. Jo. O. Cooper Dept. C. Ct. Clk. Knoxville Tenn Apr 28 1902 Knoxville State of Tenn. This is to certify that about the year 1874 or 1874 I was called on professionally to visit Mr. Wm. W. McKeehan of Co. B. 1st Tenn Cav. The applicant in this case who was suffering as well as I remember from a very sever pain in the eye and head which I thought at the time was a neuralgia of the eye and some inflammatory offection of the optic nerve. E.S. Royers MD. I have no interest in the prosecution of this claim. This Otr 29th 1902. C.C. Sullins & Co. To the Board of Pension Commissioners Jas. E. Carter Late Col. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 29th day of April 1907. Signature?, Clerk. H. E. Goetz M.D. Mr. Frank Moses Special Examiner Pensions My Dear Sir: I write you in the interest of Mr. McKeehan a Confederate Soldier of this place whom I am informed you will know. Mr. McKeehan is totally blind & hopelessly so and in addition is fast becoming deaf. His hearing now being only half normal. I have recently been treating him purrly as a matter of charity. I am sure Mr. Moses if any thing can be done to increase this poor fellows pension it would be a God send as his is in bad fix financially as well as physically--- Respectfully H. E. Goetz MD Knoxville Tennessee Apr 8th, 1911. I William W. McKeehan of Knoxville Tenn, the County of Knox, State of Tennessee, am a pensioner of the State of Tennessee, now drawing a pension at the rate of $100 per year. I ask the Board of Pension Examiners to increase my pension and place me in the ____ class. My reasons for asking for the increase are as follows: I am totally blind; I am nearly totally deaf, siatica and rheumatism. My deafness is the result of a bursting shell in the battle of Murfeesboro Tenn. I have no real estate of any description. My personal property is household goods and valued at not exceeding $150. My family living together consists of myself, aged 68 years; my wife aged 61 years; and two sons, aged 36 and 28; and one daughter aged 40. My total income from all sources for the past year did not exceed $150. Out of this I paid no taxes, no repairs, no insurance. William W. (hisXmark) McKeehan. Knoxville, Tenn. Hon. John P. Hickman Dear sir Blank certificate to fill for W.W. McKeehan for increase of Confederate pension received and I was going to have it filled out & sent, but met Dr. ??? of this place & he told me he had just filled out & sent to you one just like. So now I only write to say that the youngest son on whom his father had partly to depend has been entirely incapabitold to earn anything for several months & is not likely to be of any help to the family in the near future & probably never. And Mrs. McKeehan is in very poor health. So that all in all the case is one of extreme disstress, I would be glad in deed to see them better provided for, I feel sure you will do all you can conscienously for this soldier, Yours truly Is. McDonough. Knoxville 4-13-11 Headquarters Tennessee Board of Pension
Examiners, Nashville, Tenn. Sept. 6, 1912. SONS OF DEWITT COLONY TEXAS |