Comments on additional muster rolls indicate that Dove, a corporal, “has no horse” in January-February 1864 and deserted the Confederate Army on 5 April 1864.
In the 1850 census of Lower Richlands, Onslow County: Hosea Baisden, 50, wife Nancy, 60, and Willis, 13, Hull, 12, and Rilly Dove, 5.
In the 1860 census of Southern Division, Duplin County, Willis Dove, 23, wife Mary Dove, 20, and daughter Mary Jones Dove, 4, plus B.J. Hall, a white schoolteacher, 18.
In the 1850 census of Greene County, Lemmon Lyntch, 32 year-old white farmer, and William Conner, 18 year-old mulatto. William was likely an apprentice.
In the 1860 census of Hookerton, Greene County, William Conner, 28, and Argent Conner, 50, both mulatto.
2 Cav. U.S.C.T. William Conner. Co. A, 2 Reg’t. U.S.C.T. Cav. appears on Company Descriptive Book of the organization named above. Description: age, 33 years; height, 5 feet 8 inches; complexion, tawny; eyes, dark; hair, black; where born, Green County, NC. Enlistment: when, 22 Dec 1863; where, Newberne; by whom: Capt. Hourd; term, 3 years. Remarks: Promoted to Company Farrior 1 Nov 1864.
——
Image of letter to Freedmen’s Bureau supplied by Conner’s descendant, Trisha Blount Hewitt, whom I thank for bringing Conner to my attention. [Sidenote: According to Hewitt, Conner initially served as a “laundress” in Co. A, 3rd N.C. Infantry, Confederate Army.]
It appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that Noah Mitchel a free person of color is a blacksmith by trade and without his services the farming interests of the County must be materially impaired. It is therefore ordered by the Court that the proper authorities be requested to release him from any further cull of the free negroes from the County to perform labor for the Government. [15 February 1864]
Minutes, Superior Court of Sampson County.
During the Civil War, free men of color were conscripted to build breastworks on North Carolina’s southern coast. After filing claims, the Armwoods were paid for their two weeks of service — minus the cost of a furnished blanket.
In the 1850 census of Southern District, Sampson County: John Armwood, 50, laborer; Susan, 30; Henderson, 25; Louisa, 20; Henry, 16; Richard, 15; and John Armwood, 13. In the Northern District: James Winn, 33; Buckner L.Bryan, 14; Zachariah Bryan, 13; and Owen Armwood, 24.
Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms, 1861-1865, National Archives and Record Administration.
Form of the estimate and assessment of agricultural products agreed upon by the assessor and tax-payer, and the value of the portion thereof to which the government is entitled, which is taxed in kind, in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 of “an Act to lay taxes for the common defence and carry on the government of the Confederate States,” said estimate and assessment to be made as soon as the crops are ready for market.
Celia Artis by son
Cured Fodder Quantity of gross crop. — 2500 Tithe or one-tenth. — 250 Value of one-tenth. — $7.50
I, Celia Artis of the County of Wayne and State of North Carolina do swear that the above is a true statement and estimate of all the agricultural products produced by me during the year 1863, which are taxable by the provisions of the 11th section of the above stated act, including what may have been sold of consumed by me, and of the value of that portion of said crops to which the government is entitled. /s/ Calvin X Artis
Sworn to and subscribed to before me the 29 day of December 1863, and I further certify that the above estimate and assessment has been agreed upon by said Celia Artis and myself as a correct and true statement of the amount of his crops and the value of the portion to which the government is entitled. /s/ J.A. Lane, Assessor.
Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms, 1861-1865, National Archives and Record Administration.
WIDOW’S APPLICATION FOR PENSION
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF SAMPSON }
On this 25th day of March, A.D. 1924, personally appeared before me W.F. Semour, C.S.C. in and for the State and County aforesaid, Edith Bizzell, age 68 years, and a resident at Clinton post-office, in said County and State, and who, being duly sworn, makes the following declaration in order to obtain the pension under the provisions of an act entitled “An act to amend and consolidate the pension laws of the State of North Carolina,“ ratified March 8, 1921: That she is the widow of Agrippe Bizzell who enlisted in Company A, 30 Regiment, N.C. State Troops, on or about the [blank] day of April, 1863, to serve in the armies of the late Confederate States.
She further states:
That she was married to the said Soldier or Sailor before the first day of January, 1880;
That she is now a widow, and has been for twelve months immediately preceding this Application for pension a bona fide resident of North Carolina;
That she holds no office under the United States, or any State or County, from which she is receiving the sum of three hundred dollars as fees or as salary annually;
That she is not worth in his own right, or the right of her late husband, property at its assessed value for taxation to the amount of two thousand dollars ($2,000), nor has she disposed of property of such value by gift or voluntary conveyance since the 11th of March, 1885;
That she is not receiving any aid from the State of North Carolina or under any other statue providing for the relief of the maimed and blind soldiers of the State.
“My husband died in August 1918. I am now old and cant work but very little.” /s/ Edith X Bizzell
Sworn and subscribed to before me, this 25th day of March, 1924. /s/ W.F. Semour
Also personally appeared before me Milton Holmes, who resides at Clinton postoffice, in said County and State, a person whom I know to be respectable and entitled to credit, and being by me duly sworn, says he acquainted with Edith Bizzell, the widow of the late Agrippe Bizzell of Company A, 30th Regiment, North Carolina State Troops, and that they believe her to be the identical person she represents herself to be, and that the facts set forth in this affidavit are correct to the best of his knowledge and belief, and that he has no interest, direct or indirect, in this claim. /s/ Milton X Holmes
Sworn and subscribed to before me, this 25th day of March, 1924. /s/ W.F. Semour
[Disallowed “No Provision for Slaves.” “This applicant is the widow of a Negro Slave who served as stated upon the order of his master, and the same is approved subject to the law as it may apply to such cases.”]
From the file of Agrippe Bizzell, North Carolina, Confederate Soldiers and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1953, http://FamilySearch.org. Original, North Carolina State Archives.
[Sidenote: In fact, Agrippa Bizzell had been a free man of color. — LYH]
FOR THE OBSERVER.
Messrs. Editors: — Below please find a list of reports handed to me by one of the officers of the Deep River Soldiers’ Aid Society. Please insert in your paper.
…
Articles Collected by Mrs. J.C. Hooker and Miss P.C. Harris. — … Lydia Goins, (free negress,) lot pepper, soap and balm; Lydia Ransom, (free negress,) lot sage, catnip and bearfoot …
Carolina Observer, Fayetteville, 28 October 1861.
Jennings Larter and Alfred Larter were sons of Arthur and Mary Larter, who migrated from Surry County NC to Owen and Lawrence Counties, Indiana, in the early 1850s. The Twenty-eighth U. S. Colored Troops were recruited in Indiana. Six companies were organized at Indianapolis in April, 1864, and turned over to the United States as a battalion of the 28th U. S. Colored infantry.
Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers in the 26th through 30th Infantry Units, and the 29th Connecticut Infantry (Colored). National Archives and Records Administration.
Camp near Kinston
Feby 22d 1864
Dear wife,
Your letter by Tom has been Read. I am glad to hear that you are all well. I am well & hearty. I am sorry that Mrs. Lynch is trying to be so large. I think the best way you can manage is for her to stay to herself. I want you to let her go Back to her house & stay there. If you & she can’t get along, there is no use trying to stay together. You may give her all that you think you can spare. I told Lynch when he came I could let him have what you could spare. You may tell Lynch that I had rather she would stay in her House as you & she can’t agree. I don’t see why she made such a bargain & then flew from it so quickly. The Best way you can do is to attend to your own Business. I think you will be better satisfied. I want you to tell Lynch that our Bargain shall all be right. I told Lynch his wife could have corn from my House & all the Bacon I could Spare. I left that to you to say what you could Spare & he & I were to settle that ourselves. You may tell Lynch that all will be right with me & him & tell his wife I rather she would not stay as one of the family. I think you had best attend to your own Business than to be run over by a negro. You know already she will not do to depend upon.
[The remainder of this letter has been lost.]
Footnotes: “Caroline Lynch was a free Negro woman born in 1837.” “Wyatt Lynch, an illiterate free Negro, was born in 1830. He was a plasterer and brickmason by occupation.”
In another letter written 23 May, 1864, Barnes told his wife, “Tell Lynch he must make my colt gentle.”
Hugh Buckner Johnston, Jr., ed., “The Confederate Letters of Ruffin Barnes of Wilson County,” North Carolina Historical Review, vol. XXI, no. 1 (January 1954).
In the 1860 census of Saratoga, Wilson County: Wyatt Lynch, 30, wife Caroline, 23, and child Frances, 3. [Sidenote: in the 1870 census, Lynch’s wife is named Nicey. Lynch married Nicey Hall on 5 June 1860 in Wilson County. It appears that Nicey and Caroline were the same woman. In the 1850 census of North Side Neuse, Wayne County: Lucy Hall, 45, and children Sarah, 16, George, 15, Nathan, 13, Nicy, 10, Samuel, 3, and Esther Hall, 6, plus Alford Artis, 15, and John Artis, 14, and Rhoda Artis, 13, and her children Julia, 12, and Rheuben Artis, 10, plus Rufus Lane, 22. – LYH]
14 H. Art’y. U.S.C.T. Hampton Reynolds. Co. A, 14 H. Art’y. U.S.C.T. Reg’t. appears on Company Descriptive Book of the organization named above. Description: age, 38 years; height, 6 feet 0 inches; complexion, black; eyes, black; hair, black; where born, Hertford County, NC; occupation, laborer. Enlistment: when, 2 Aug 1864; where, New Bern; by whom: W.H. Wrigley; term, 3 years. Remarks: Appointed Corp, July 25, ‘65.
38 U.S.C.T. Preston Weaver. Co. G, 38 Reg’t U.S. Col’d Inf. appears on Company Descriptive Book of the organization named above. Description: age, 22 years; height, 5 feet 7 inches; complexion, “D.K.”; eyes, grey; hair, black; where born, Hertford County, NC; occupation, laborer. Enlistment: when, 23 July 1864; where, Norfolk VA; by whom: Lt. A. Roberts; term, 3 years. Remarks: “Promoted to corporal – date unknown – Died in Post Hosp Aug 30 1865”
5 U.S.C.T. Ira Wyatt. Co. H, 5 Reg’t U.S. Col’d Inf. appears on Company Descriptive Book of the organization named above. Description: age, 32 years; height, 5 feet 7 inches; complexion, mulatto; eyes, black; hair, black; where born, Hartford County, NC; occupation, farmer. Enlistment: when, 15 August 1863; where, Circleville OH; term, 3 years. Remarks: “Transferred from Co ‘D’ October 18 1863 Died on furlough at Circleville Ohio December 9 1863”
11 H. Art’y. U.S.C.T. Isiah Dove. Co. B, 11 Reg’t U.S. Col’d Inf. appears on Company Descriptive Book of the organization named above. Description: age, 23 years; height, 5 feet 5 ½ inches; complexion, dark; eyes, black; hair, black; where born, Newbern NC; occupation, seaman. Enlistment: when, 7 September 1863; where, Providence RI; by whom: Capt. Simon; term, 3 years.
Combined Military Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers, National Archives and Records Administration; federal population schedules.
Fourth Generation Inclusive 