Edmund Bacon – Southern Claims Commission

Remarks: The claimant was a slave till the close of the war. He was driver on the plantation, and was the only slave that owned a horse. His loyalty is established by the evidence. The ownership of the property and the taking thereof is testified to by claimant and two witnesses. It was taken by soldiers of Sherman’s Army in December 1864.

We do not regard the buggy, the fowls and the beehives as property taken as supplies for the army under the circumstances.

We allow the sum of one hundred and ninety four dollars.

[Transcriber’s Comments: Claim appears to have been originally filed under the name Edmund Quarterman, by attorney Raymond Cay Jr in 1872 or 1873]

Testimony of Claimant
In answer to the First General Interrogatory, the Deponent says:

My name is Edmund Bacon, my age 53 years, my residence Liberty County, in the state of Georgia, and my occupation a farmer; I am the claimant and have a beneficial interest in the claim.

Interrogatories by Special Commissioner

1. What is your name, age, residence, and occupation?

My name is Edmund Bacon. I was born in Liberty Co Ga, on Lawrence Winn’s plantation near Midway, a slave, became free when the Army came here. I am about 55 years old. I live on the same place. I am a farmer.

2. Where did you reside from the 1st of April, 1861, to the 1st of June, 1865? If on your own land, what is the size of your farm? How much of your farm was cultivated, and how much was woodland? Where is it situated? What was your occupation during that time? Did you change your residence or business during that time? if so, where was your new residence, and what [was] your new business?

From the 1st of April 1861 to the time the Army came here I resided on Lawrence Winn’s place then I went with the Army till they went to Thomasville then I went to Savannah & staid there that year & then returned to Lawrence Winn’s plantation & have been there ever since.

3. Did you ever pass beyond the military or naval lines of the United States and enter the rebel lines? If so, how often, when, where, and for what purpose, and how long did you stay within the Confederate lines on each occasion?

Irrelevant

4. Did you ever take any oath or affirmation to bear allegiance to the so-called Confederate States, or to aid or support them in any way, or to “bear true faith,” or “yield obedience” to them? If so, when and where? State fully in regard to the same.

Irrelevant

5. Have you ever taken any amnesty oath? If so, when, where, and under what condition? Have you been pardoned by the President? If so, when and where, and upon what conditions?

I took the registration oath for voting in Savannah. Then I have taken oaths since at the Midway Church after I came back into Liberty Co but I don’t know what they were for.

Questions 6 to 28 inclusive to each & every question the claimant answers No after hearing the questions read.

29. Did you ever do anything for the United States Government or its army, or for the Union cause, during the war? If so, state fully what you did.

I waited on the Yankee soldiers after they came here. I went into their camps & cooked & washed for them. They paid me & found me too. They paid me at the rate of $15.00 a month. I only staid with them 9 weeks.

Questions 30 to 39 inclusive the claimant answers No after hearing the questions read.

40. At the beginning of the rebellion did you sympathize with the Union cause, or with the rebellion? What were your feelings and what your language on the subject? On which side did you exert your influence and cast your vote? What did you do, and how did you vote? How did you vote on ratifying the ordinance of secession? After the ordinance of secession was adopted in your State did you adhere to the Union cause, or did you “go with the State?”

At the beginning of the rebellion I sympathized with the Union cause. I felt glad when I heard of it, & wished it had come before. We used to say when we heard the guns off in the sound that they came very slow that the Yankee’s big guns came, but we didn’t see no [could be “man” or “war”]. I exerted all the influence I had on the side of the Union cause I could not do much & all I did was on the sly.

41. [Original Question 34.] In conclusion, do you solemnly declare that, from the beginning of hostilities against the United States to the end thereof, your sympathies were constantly with the cause of the United States; that you never, of your own free will and accord, did anything, or offered, or sought, or attempted to do anything, by word or deed, to injure said cause or retard its success, and that you were at all times ready and willing, when called upon, or if called upon, to aid and assist the cause of the Union, or its supporters, so far as you means and power and the circumstances of the case permitted?

In conclusion I solemnly declare that from the beginning of the war against the United States till the end I always sympathized with the United States & that I never did or tried to do anything against the United States & that so far as my means & power & the circumstances of the case permitted I was always willing & ready to aid that cause.

[Question 42 only asked of women]

If the claimant be a colored person, ask the following questions:

43. Were you a slave or free at the beginning of the war? When did you become free? What was your business after you became free? How and when did you come to own the property named in your petition? How did you get the means to pay for it? Who was your former master? Are you now in his employment? Do you live on his land? Do you live on land purchased of him? Are you indebted to your former master for land or property, and how much? Has anybody any interest in this claim besides yourself? State fully all the facts in your answers to these questions.

At the beginning of the war I was a slave & became free when the Yankees came here. After I was made free, I went to Savannah, & [word] all that year out, then I returned home to the old plantation. I commenced by making cooper work at night & when I had done my tasks. I worked at this a long time before I got my horse. I also raised fowls & hogs & things. I commenced raising when I was a boy. My father was a cooper & taught me & I used to work at it nights & times when I had finished my tasks. I kept on this way till I bought a mare & I sold her for this horse. I got the buggy in the same way [word] I first had a Jersey wagon with my mare & I sold the wagon & bought the buggy. I had it built new at the shop about 3 years before the raid. My former master was Lawrence Winn. I am not now in his employment; he is dead. I live on land that used to belong to him. I rent land now of his sister & pay $15.00 for all the land I plant in a year. I am not indebted to my former master’s estate or his heirs. No one has an interest in this claim besides myself.

2nd set of interrogatories by Special Commissioner

1. Were you present when any of the articles of property specified in the claimant’s petition were taken?

I was present when this property was taken.

2. Did you see any of them taken? If so, specify the articles you saw taken.

I saw the property all taken.

3. Begin with the first article (Item No. —) which you have specified that you saw taken, and give a full account of all you saw and heard in connection with the taking of that article? [The special commissioner should require the witness to state all the circumstances; for it is only by a knowledge of all of them that the commissioners of claims can judge whether the taking was such a one as the Government is bound to pay for. The common phrase, “I saw the property taken by United States soldiers,” is not enough, for there was much lawless taking. The witness should be required to detail the facts as to each item, when the items were taken at different times; but if all, or more than one, were taken at the same time, that fact should appear, and then a repetition of the circumstances is needless. The special commissioner must be careful to elicit all the facts, as well those against as for the claim, especially as to those articles of property which were the special objects of pillage and theft, such as horses, mules, cattle, hogs, &c. Claimants must bear in mind that a neglect to observe these directions works to the prejudice of the claimant, and may defeat the claim.]

They said “Well Sam where’s the Rebels” & then where’s the horses. They went on then & took the property. I did not try to stop them.

4. Where were the articles taken? When were they taken? Give the day, month and year, if you can? By whom were they taken? Did you see more than one soldier engaged in the taking? How many soldiers were present? State the number as near as you can? How many helped take the property? How long were they engaged in taking the property?

This property was taken at my house on Lawrence Winn’s plantation, in Dec when the raid came in here. It was taken by Yankee soldiers. There were more soldiers there than I can number. They were about 2 days taking it away.

5. Who were present other than soldiers when you saw them taken? Give the names of all you know?

John Lambert, Richard Harden, Joe Bacon & Scipio King & myself were present when this property was taken.

6. Was any United States officer, either commissioned or non-commissioned, present at the taking? If so, state his name, rank, regiment, and the command to which he belonged. Did he order the property to be taken? Did he say anything about the taking?

I don’t know whether there were officers there with the soldiers or not. I did not hear any orders given to take the property.

I don’t know whether there were officers there with the soldiers or not. I did not hear any orders given to take the property.

7. Describe how the property was taken, and give a full account of all you saw done, or heard said, upon the occasion of the taking.

They took the saddle off of one of their horses & put it on mine & jumped on it & rode off. They took my good leather harness & put it on one of their horses & hitched him to my buggy & took it off. They shot the fowls down. They smashed up the beehives & killed the bees & took out the honey. They took the corn & rice & put it into sacks & put some of it on the horses & some in the wagons.

8. How was the property removed—by soldiers or in wagons, or in what manner? State fully as to each article taken and removed.

They removed this property on wagons & on horses.

9. To what place was it removed? Did you follow it to such place, or see it, or any portion of it, at any such place, or on its way to such place? How do you know the place to which it was removed?

They removed this property to camp. I followed it. I went with the soldiers to camp.

10. Do you know the use for which the property was taken? What was the use, and how do you know it? Did you see the property so taken used by the United States army? Did you see any part of the property so used? State fully all you know as to the property or any of it having been used by the army; and distinguish between what you saw and know, and what you may have heard from others, or may think, or suppose, or infer to be true.

They ate some of this property, & some they fed to the horses. I saw them feed the horses I fed them myself with the corn & rice.

11. Was any complaint made to any officer on account of such taking? If so, state the name, rank, and regiment of the officer. What did he say about it? State fully all that he said.

I did not make any complaint to any of the officers, on account of the taking of this property.

12. Was any voucher or receipt for the property asked for? If so, of whom asked? State name, rank, and regiment. Was any receipt or paper given? If so, produce it, or state where it is, and why it is not produced. If no voucher or receipt was given, state why none was given, and if refused, why it was refused; state all that was said about it. State fully all the conversation between any officer or other person taking the property, and the claimant, or any one acting for him.

I did not ask any of the officers for a voucher or receipt.

13. Was the property, or any of it, taken in the night-time? At what hour of the day (as near as you can tell) was it taken? Was any of the property taken secretly, or so that you did not know of it when taken?

This property was taken in the day time, when night came they put up, did not go out much [at] night.

14. When the property was taken, was any part of the army encamped in that vicinity? If so, state how far from the place where the property was taken, and what was the company, regiment, or brigade there encamped? How long had it been encamped there? How long did it stay there, and when did it leave? Had there been any battle or skirmish near there, just before the property was taken? Did you know the quartermasters, or any of them, or any other officers of the army for whose use the property is supposed to have been taken?

When this property was taken the army were encamped in that neighborhood, at Midway Church about 1 mile from my house. It was Kilpatrick’s Army. There were all horsemen. They came there at my house, the same day they got in camp. They staid there at Midway between 2 & 3 weeks. They were foraging all over the country. I did not know any of the quartermasters or other officers of the Army.

15. Describe clearly the condition of the property when taken, and all that tends to show its value at the time and place of taking? Thus, if corn, was it green or ripe? Had it been harvested? Was it in the shock, or husked, or shelled? Where was it? If grain, was it standing; had it been cut; was it in shocks, or in the barn or in stacks; had it been threshed? If horses, mules, or cattle, state when they were taken, how taken, and fully their condition, age, and value. Have you talked with claimant about their value?

Then this property was taken, it was in good order.

16. What means have you of knowing the quantity taken? State particularly how you estimate the quantity? Did you count or weigh the articles? Give us all your data. How much did you see taken and removed? What quantity was taken in your presence? As to quantity, distinguish carefully as to what you saw and know, and what you may think or believe from what you have heard from others.

Item No 1: I don’t know how old this horse was. I didn’t raise him. I had him about 8 years. He was young when I bought him & was a horse of fine spirits. He was well broken to work in harness or saddle.

Item No 2: This was a spring buggy. I sold my Jersey wagon & put some more money with it & bought the buggy. I had it about 3 years. It was an iron axletree & a nice [word]. They put their saddle on my horse & rode off. They put one of their horses in my buggy & took my harness to hitch him in & went off. My harness was a leather one.

Item No 3: I had 30 head of fowls & more I only counted the big ones. They shot the fowls & took them off on their horses.

Item No 4: I had about 20 beehives. They broke them up in the garden & [word] them there and ate the honey.

Item No 5: I had 20 bus[hels] of corn, shelled corn. It was not measured. I allowed it to be 40 bus[hels] of corn in the ear. They took it away in sacks & in wagons.

Item No 6: I had 20 bus[hels] of rice. I had an acre & a half planted in rice. They took it away in sacks & in wagons. It was not measured. About ½ of it was thrashed. They took off the rice in the sheaf in the wagons.

Item No. 7: There were 5 hogs. 3 of them would weigh 200 lbs a piece & the other 3 150 lbs apiece. They took these hogs away on the horses after they had killed them.

This property all belonged to me. It was all my own labor. First I was a field hand & then my master took me for his driver. I was driver for him about 13 years. I was his driver when the Army came here. The soldiers did not pay me anything for this property. This is the 1st & only claim I have ever presented against the government.

Witness: E.E. Adlington

[Signed] Edmund Bacon [signed by mark]

Sworn to and subscribed before me
Special Commissioner
State of Georgia
Testimony of Witness (John Harris)
[NOTE: Testimony very faded]

Testimony of John Harris [word]

I was born in Liberty Co Ga. I was a slave and became free in 18?? [faded]

I know Mr. Edmund Bacon. I am not related to him. I have no beneficial interest in his claim. I have known him since I was a boy. I saw him often during the war. We used to talk about the war. I lived about 2 miles from him. I saw him once or twice a week. He was in favor of the war because he said [section too faded] the colored people were greatly in [word] the Yankees – always talking on their side.

Second set of interrogatories by the Special Commissioner.

[Transcriber’s Note: Most of Mr. Harris’ testimony is unfortunately very faded. Following is a summary of what could be read.]

[He saw the property taken at Lawrence Winn’s place in 1864. In addition to him, Joe Bacon, John Lambert, and Scipio King were present. There were officers present when the property was taken; he thought there were lieutenants and captains. He did not hear orders given to take the property but he knew that it had to have been ordered by the way they did it and because the officers were looking on when it happened. ]

[He then described in detail [very faded] the way the property was taken.]

[He concluded by stating that all of the property belonged to Bacon, and that his master had allowed him to raise anything he wanted except cotton. He said that Bacon was the only one at that time to have a horse. ]
Testimony of Witness (James Stacy)
[very faded also]

I was born in Liberty Co. Ga. I was a slave & became free after the raid passed through. I belonged to Mr. Winn. I am about ?39? years old. [two lines too faded to read]…Liberty Co. Ga. [word] I am not related to Mr. Edmund Bacon. I have no beneficial interest in his claim. I have known him since I was a little one. I was well acquainted with him during the war. We were [several words] on the same place [three lines too faded to read]. …come & I said that I [several words] would & he said he hoped so. He said he was tired of [word] & not being at liberty, not being his own man. I was a Union man the claimant knew my sentiments; he was a good Union man all through the war.

Second set of Interrogatories

1. Were you present when any of the articles of property specified in the claimant’s petition were taken?

I was at Mr. Bacon’s house when the soldiers took this property.

2. Did you see any of them taken? If so, specify the articles you saw taken.

I saw it all taken.

3. Begin with the first article (Item No. —) which you have specified that you saw taken, and give a full account of all you saw and heard in connection with the taking of that article? [The special commissioner should require the witness to state all the circumstances; for it is only by a knowledge of all of them that the commissioners of claims can judge whether the taking was such a one as the Government is bound to pay for. The common phrase, “I saw the property taken by United States soldiers,” is not enough, for there was much lawless taking. The witness should be required to detail the facts as to each item, when the items were taken at different times; but if all, or more than one, were taken at the same time, that fact should appear, and then a repetition of the circumstances is needless. The special commissioner must be careful to elicit all the facts, as well those against as for the claim, especially as to those articles of property which were the special objects of pillage and theft, such as horses, mules, cattle, hogs, &c. Claimants must bear in mind that a neglect to observe these directions works to the prejudice of the claimant, and may defeat the claim.]

They didn’t say anything they just went right to killing.

4. Where were the articles taken? When were they taken? Give the day, month and year, if you can? By whom were they taken? Did you see more than one soldier engaged in the taking? How many soldiers were present? State the number as near as you can? How many helped take the property? How long were they engaged in taking the property?

This property was taken at Mr. Bacon’s house on Winn’s plantation [faded] when the raid came here [faded] before Christmas. I don’t know the year or day. It was taken by the soldiers of the Union army. I couldn’t count them they were as thick as the hair on a cat’s back. They were coming there off & on for 2 days.

5. Who were present other than soldiers when you saw them taken? Give the names of all you know?

There were present [faded] John Lambert] [rest faded].

6. Was any United States officer, either commissioned or non-commissioned, present at the taking? If so, state his name, rank, regiment, and the command to which he belonged. Did he order the property to be taken? Did he say anything about the taking?

[response too faded]

7. Describe how the property was taken, and give a full account of all you saw done, or heard said, upon the occasion of the taking.

[response too faded]

8. How was the property removed—by soldiers or in wagons, or in what manner? State fully as to each article taken and removed.

They shot down the [faded] they carried [faded] his buggy with some corn – the rice they took in the wagon – they rode off the horse.

9. To what place was it removed? Did you follow it to such place, or see it, or any portion of it, at any such place, or on its way to such place? How do you know the place to which it was removed?

They carried it into camp. The camp was right in front of the house.

10. Do you know the use for which the property was taken? What was the use, and how do you know it? Did you see the property so taken used by the United States army? Did you see any part of the property so used? State fully all you know as to the property or any of it having been used by the army; and distinguish between what you saw and know, and what you may have heard from others, or may think, or suppose, or infer to be true.

[response too faded]

11. Was any complaint made to any officer on account of such taking? If so, state the name, rank, and regiment of the officer. What did he say about it? State fully all that he said.

I didn’t hear any complaint made he was so [word] to think that he was going to be free.

12. Was any voucher or receipt for the property asked for? If so, of whom asked? State name, rank, and regiment. Was any receipt or paper given? If so, produce it, or state where it is, and why it is not produced. If no voucher or receipt was given, state why none was given, and if refused, why it was refused; state all that was said about it. State fully all the conversation between any officer or other person taking the property, and the claimant, or any one acting for him.

I didn’t hear any voucher [rest too faded]

13. Was the property, or any of it, taken in the night-time? At what hour of the day (as near as you can tell) was it taken? Was any of the property taken secretly, or so that you did not know of it when taken?

[response too faded but appears to say none was taken at night or secretly]

14. When the property was taken, was any part of the army encamped in that vicinity? If so, state how far from the place where the property was taken, and what was the company, regiment, or brigade there encamped? How long had it been encamped there? How long did it stay there, and when did it leave? Had there been any battle or skirmish near there, just before the property was taken? Did you know the quartermasters, or any of them, or any other officers of the army for whose use the property is supposed to have been taken?

When they took the property they were encamped about a quarter mile off. I think it was Kilpatrick’s they were cavalry. They came there the first day they went into camp. I think they staid there [faded] or better. There hadn’t been any battles or skirmishes [rest too faded].

15. Describe clearly the condition of the property when taken, and all that tends to show its value at the time and place of taking? Thus, if corn, was it green or ripe? Had it been harvested? Was it in the shock, or husked, or shelled? Where was it? If grain, was it standing; had it been cut; was it in shocks, or in the barn or in stacks; had it been threshed? If horses, mules, or cattle, state when they were taken, how taken, and fully their condition, age, and value. Have you talked with claimant about their value?

[response too faded]

16. What means have you of knowing the quantity taken? State particularly how you estimate the quantity? Did you count or weigh the articles? Give us all your data. How much did you see taken and removed? What quantity was taken in your presence? As to quantity, distinguish carefully as to what you saw and know, and what you may think or believe from what you have heard from others.

[sections legible but repetition of claimant’s testimony]

——————————————-

Edmund Bacon vs. United States } Before Special Commissioner Hon. Virgil Hillyer, at Riceboro, Ga

It is believed that no further testimony is necessary in the above case & the [word] are respectfully submitted to the Commissioners of Claims for their consideration & decision.

[Signed] Raymond Cay Jr
Atty

[Copy of requisition for $194 for Edmund Bacon for amount allowed him by the Southern Claims Commission. Reported on March 17, 1875; returned March 20, 1875; Requisition dated March 30, 1875, transmitted for warrant March 31, 1875.]

[Copy of draft for $194 made payable to Raymond Cay, Jr. Name of J.C. Todd as payee was crossed out and Raymond Cay Jr written in. Dated March 20, 1875. ]