The Letters of Dr. Andrew Turnbull

112 Appointed Corporal May 1, 1865.

HALL, ALEXANDER

Co C, 33^rd Regiment United States Colored Infantry
Enlisted: unknown.
Enslaved before the war, owner resided in Putnam County, Florida
Discharged: unknown.
Pension record number. None

MINERVA HALL, widow of Alexander Hall
Pension record number 979,107

GENERAL SUMMARY

At age sixteen, Alexander Hall enlisted in the Union Army. A slave born in Putnam County, Florida before the war, Hall must have escaped from bondage prior to enlisting at Fernandina in Co. 3, 33^rd Regiment, United States Colored Infantry.

Widow, Minerva Hall, was born in Kershaw County, South Carolina, and reared there in slavery. She met the soldier during the war at Aiken, South Carolina, and was married “under the flag” according to one witness, who verified the marriage took place at Fort Johnston on James Island, where he was stationed. She cooked for the regiment for the remaining months Hall was in the army. After his discharge at Morris Island, he returned to James Island for Minerva and the couple moved to Mulberry Grove in Duval County, Florida, where Alexander was employed as a logger. In 1877, they moved to Palatka, where they remained.

Testimony in this case came primarily from the widow and from comrades of Hall in the 33^rd USCT. It focuses on Hall’s drinking and carousing with women other than his wife. Witnesses generally agree that the widow was a hard working and honorable woman.

EXCERPTS FROM THE PENSION RECORD

Deposition A. Case of Minerva Hall, No. 979.107.
August 1, 1912. Palatka, Florida.
Deponent: Minerva Hall

“My post office address is 914 Lemor Street, Palatka, Florida. I can’t give my age, but I must be somewhere around sixty years old. I am applying for a pension as the lawful widow of Alexander Hall. Alexander was in the army, he was in Company C, 33^rd U.S. Colored Infantry. I can’t give the date of his enlistment or discharge. He was never in any other U.S. Service that I heard of.

“Soldier was born in Putnam County, Florida, and raised in said county. Yes, he was born in slavery. He enlisted very young, somewhere around sixteen years old when he enlisted. I was born in Kershaw County, South Carolina and raised right in South Carolina. I first met the soldier in Aiken, South Carolina, he was stationed there with the army. He was twenty-one years old when I met him. No, he had not been married, nor had I. I married Alexander Hall, on the eighteenth day of October 1865, at James Island at a place they called Fort Johnson, South Carolina. We were married by a white preacher, the Chaplin of the regiment, but I can’t remember his name. We were married right up at Lt. Childs tent door, he was lieutenant of Company C. There were three of us married at the same time. I don’t know whether they are living or dead. The woman who stood for me is dead. Jane Lercey was her name. Henry Adams, at St. Nicholas, Florida was right there and saw us married. My name before marrying was Minerva Fleming, that was the name I was married under my parents name. Bill Hawkins, at Federal Point, saw us married. I got a certificate of marriage, but I lost it along time ago. I was a young girl when I married. Of those you name, Martin Dixon, Jonas Fripp, Abraham Jackson, I knew before I married Alexander, and they saw us married. They knew I had not been married before, and also knew Alexander had not been married before.

“After marriage, I stayed right near Fort Johnson, with my husband, until he was mustered out . He was mustered out of Morris Island. After muster out, Alexander and I came right to Florida, right to Duval County, Jacksonville, and stayed there about a year. I can’t name people living, who know us in Jacksonville. From Jacksonville we stayed down the river on Mulberry Grove, we went down the river to number ten, My husband was logging. From there we came to Palatka, this was in 1877, and I have been here ever since.

“Alexander Hall died here in Palatka, October 22, 1911. No, we had no child or children under sixteen years of age when he died. We lived together until in recent years, then soldier started going off from me. He would leave the house and just go off, for sometimes a long time. He lived right here in Palatka all the time, and so did I. Sometimes he would give me a little money, when he went away. Yes, I would see him right along when we were not living together, and he would come along and go when he got ready. No, I never applied for a divorce from him, and he never applied for one from me. Calvin Scarborough, Sam Harris and wife, Lizzie Hall, Sandy Clay, Margaret Lamb, all here in town have known me for years. I can prove I did not desert soldier, by the people I have named living here in town. He lived around with women, and treated me bad, he drove me out several times, but when he was down sick, I nursed him all through his last sickness, and I was right there when he died. Maria Dixon, widow of Henry Dixon, in Jacksonville, on Madison Street, is a sister of soldier. No, I did not go around with other men when not living with soldier. I worked and tried to get along best I could. No, I have not married since soldier died. I have two children living, Willie Hall, who works around the depot, and Ada Brooks, wife of Albert Brooks, she live on ninth street.”

Jacksonville, Florida, August 31, 1912

Hon. Commissioner of Pension, Washington, D.C.

“I have the honor to return herewith, all papers in the above cited claim for pension which were referred…Claimant bears a good reputation for truth, as do those who testified before me. “Claimant alleges that she was married by the chaplain of the 33^rd U.S. Col’d Inf., October 18, 1865, that she stayed with the soldier until he was mustered out, that after muster out they lived in Jacksonville, Mulberry Grove and Number 10 and from there to Palatka, Florida in 1877, and lived there ever since. That she lived with soldier, until recent years (dates not shown) when soldier started going off from her. They both lived in the same town, Palatka, Florida. That she took care of him when he got sick, and in his last sickness, and was with him when he died. This is substantiated by witnesses who give soldier quite a bad name with reference to his treatment of the claimant. It appears that soldier was infatuated with young women and neglected his wife on their account. That he always recognized this claimant as his wife, and the records show that they were not divorced.

“This claimant impressed me favorably and I think she tried to do what was right, by the soldier. There is nothing at all against her that I could learn of. Claimant alleges that Henry Adams, Bill Hawkins, Martin Dixon, Jonas Fripp and Abraham Jackson saw her and the soldier married. I wrote Henry Adams and his reply was negative (see loose papers). Of the list, Adam Robinson has no knowledge, neither had Peter A. Waggiles and Albert Sammis. My letter to James O. Sherrill was returned unclaimed.

“I would recommend further examination as to the marriage for the testimony of: Jonas Fripp-to S.D. Jones, Port Royal, South Carolina. Abraham Jackson, Collins, Tattnall County, Georgia. Asa Childs, 26^th Winthrop Street, Melrose, Massachussetts. S. T. Hazard, Special Examiner.”

Deposition B. Case of Minerva Hall, No. 979.107. August 3, 1912. Palatka, Florida. Deponent: Calvin Scarborough: “I am seventy years of age. Occupation- Laborer. P.O.-321 north seventh street, Palatka, Florida. I first knew the claimant and Alexander Hall, back in 1878 or 1879, that was about the time they came to live in Palatka. Yes, he said they had been married in South Carolina, and he always did acknowledge Minerva as his wife. It was a good while after they came here, that they started wrangling. I don’t know what the cause was. I don’t know but I always thought it was Alexander’s fault. I heard he treated her pretty rough, he was a great man for going around with other women, and it was supposed that they got all he made. As far as I know, Minerva always was a straight honest woman, and a hard worker. After they started wrangling, one would live in one house, and one maybe two blocks away, but they lived right in the same town, and would go together often. Whenever he took sick, he would either go to her, or she to him if he was not able, and she would nurse him, and when he got well they would part again. He never married any other woman here. He never got any divorce from Minerva, nor did Minerva ever get one from Alexander, in this county. She stayed with him, and did most of the nursing of Alexander in his last sickness, and I know she was there the day he died, but can’t say sure whether she was there the night he died. No, she has not remarried since Alexander died. No, they did have any young children when he died. If I testified that claimant and soldier lived together continuously while I knew them, that is wrong, and I did not intend it that way. What I meant was, they lived together off and on. What I have told you is correct. Yes, this claimant is recognized by all who knew she and soldier as his lawful widow. I am not related to the claimant, nor am I interested in this claim.”

Deposition C. Case of Minerva Hall, No. 979.107. August 3, 1912. Palatka, Florida. Deponent: William Hawkins: “I am about sixty-seven years of age. Occupation- carpenter. P.O. Federal Point, Florida. Alexander Hall was in Company C and I was in Company D, 33^rd U.S. Colored Infantry. I did not know him before service, was first acquainted with him in the army. When I first met him he was a single man. He married Minerva, don’t know her surname, while in the army. They married under the flag. I saw them married, they were married by the chaplain of the regiment, I think his name was Fowler. They were married along in 1864, that is as near as I can fix the date. That was the only marriage at that time. Jackson Long, Mark Clark, Leo Washington, were there and saw them married. Mark Clark is the only one living, and he lives in South Jacksonville.

“Yes, I knew Minerva before she married Alexander. She done a lot of cooking in the regiment before they married. She had not been married before she married Alexander, was quite a young woman. We were at James Island, South Carolina, when Alexander and Minerva were married. After service, he and I were always together, belonged to the same post, and I kept track of them, have always lived within fifteen miles of them since the war. They lived together pretty much all the time, but had some spats as families do. She took care of him when he died and was right in the house with him when he died. I don’t think Minerva deserted Alex, for she did everything she could do when he was sick. If there was any separation, I should say it was Alexander’s fault, for she was very attentive to him ever since I knew her. They say they did live together all the time, but whenever I went to Palatka they were living together as man and wife.”

Deposition D. Case of Minerva Hall, No. 979.107. August 5, 1912. Palatka, Florida.

Deponent: Martin Dixon: “I am sixty-two years of age. Occupation: Nothing. P.O. 1321 Spearing Street, Jacksonville, Florida. I am a pensioner. I was a member of Company C. 33^rd U. S. Colored Infantry when Alexander Hall joined the company. I can’t remember exactly now when Alexander enlisted. Yes, I knew him pretty well during the service. He was not a married man when he enlisted, that I know of. Yes, he passed for a single man up to the time he got married. He was quite a young man when he enlisted. Alex Hall got married sometime in December or January, 1865 or 1866 as near as I can place it. He married a woman named Minerva, don’t know what her last name was. She was quite a young girl when she married Alexander. Don’t know whether she had been married before or not. I think they were married in Charleston or on Morris Island. No, I did not see them get married. I know they were married though. They were married by the chaplain of our regiment, but I can’t remember his name. Don’t know of any others married when they were. Yes, she was recognized as his wife when we were mustered out. We were both mustered out at the same time, at Fort Wagner, near Charleston, South Carolina. No, I did not know Hall before he enlisted. After muster out, I came to Florida. A short time after I came to Florida, to Jacksonville, I saw Alexander and Minerva here. They were living together then as man and wife. They went from here to Reeds Landings, Florida, but I don’t know how long they stayed there. Then they moved to Palatka. I have not seen Alex since he moved from Reed’s Landing, but I saw Minerva in Palatka some five years ago. She came up and spoke to me, but did not mention Aleck, just said that all were well. I can’t tell if they lived together continuously or not. I was in the drum corp when they were married in the service, but did not go to the marriage. Don’t remember whether I was on guard duty that day or not. As far as I know Alexander Hall never had any other wife but Minerva. She was the only one I ever saw or heard of.”

Company A
Company D
Company E
Company F
Company G
Company H
Company I
Company K
Medical Personnel: Seth Rogers

33^rd Regiment, Company A

33^rd Regiment, Company B

33^rd Regiment, Company C

33^rd Regiment, Company D

33^rd Regiment, Company E

33^rd Regiment, Company F

33^rd Regiment, Company G

33^rd Regiment, Company H

33^rd Regiment, Company I

33^rd Regiment, Company K

Company A Company D Company E Company F Company G Company H Company I Company K Medical Personnel: Seth Rogers

33rd Regiment, Company A

33rd Regiment, Company B

33rd Regiment, Company C

33rd Regiment, Company D

33rd Regiment, Company E

33rd Regiment, Company F

33rd Regiment, Company G

33rd Regiment, Company H

33rd Regiment, Company I

33rd Regiment, Company K