| Jesse Mason's Pension Affadavit |
The State of Ohio Delaware County ss. On this Eleventh day of July AD one thousand eight hundred and sixty five, personally appeared before me Thomas W Powell, Probate Judge in this and for the said County of Delaware in the State of Ohio, Jesse Mason, aged twenty two years, a resident of Oxford Township in Delaware County, in the State of Ohio, who being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical Jesse Mason, who enlisted in the service of the United States at Ashley, in said Oxford Township, in the County aforesaid, on the thirteenth (13) day of June in the year AD 1861. As a musician (a drummer) in Company C , commanded at first by Captain Jesse Meredith, afterwards by Captain – Ross (whose first name affiant cannot recollect [William H.]) and affiant cannot state who now commands said Company; in the twenty sixth (26th) Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the war of 1861; and was honorably discharged on the 25th day of January AD 1865, at Columbus Ohio; his discharge papers are herewith presented; That while in the service as aforesaid and in the line of his duty at the Battle of Chickamauga in the state Tennessee on the 20th day of September AD 1863 he was captured and taken prisoner of war by the rebel forces and was retained by the rebels as a prisoner of war until the eleventh day of December AD 1864, where he was by them paroled, under a special parol of sick Prisoners as was stated by the rebel Authorities; that after his capture aforesaid he was taken by the rebels first to Richmond city in the State of Virginia in a prison called Castle Pemberton where he remained near two months; he was next taken to Danville in Virginia and confined by the rebels in Prison Number 4 as it was called, where he remained near seven months; he was next taken by said rebels to Andersonville in the state of Georgia and confined as a prisoner , where he remained about four months; from there he was taken by the rebels to Charleston in the state of South Carolina where he remained about three weeks; and from there he was taken to Florence in the State of South Carolina where he was confined as a prisoner until he was paroled aforesaid; That while he was prisoner as aforesaid at Danville, and sometime in the month of March as near as he can recollect he was taken with the disease called scurvy and was sick of said disease, which disease was not cured, but kept getting worse until after he left Andersonville aforesaid; that owing to said sickness and starvation and neglect and exposure, particularly at said Andersonville, said affiant was so run down and debilitated and broken in constitution that he is permanently disabled, amd made unable to perform labor or his usual vocation; and is still sick and has been sick ever since he was taken as aforesaid; though he got better and received relief after getting into the federal lines from said captivity. He further says that he cannot give the precise dates of his several removals from one prison to another as aforesaid, nor the commencement of his said sickness for the reason that he lost the reckoning of time to a considerable extent during his said confinement as a prisoner. He further states that there was no commissioned officer of his company or regiment in Prison with him so that he cannot furnish a certificate of such officer the facts herein stated; Since leaving the service said affiant has resided in said Oxford Township aforesaid, and he has followed no occupation except, doing a few light chores about the farm- His occupation before entering the service was a tanner. He further states that he has not been with his regiment since said parole, but was soon thereafter discharged as aforesaid. He further says his Post Office address is Ashley Delaware County in the State of Ohio. And he doth hereby constitute and appoint John D. Van Deman of Delaware Ohio his true and lawful attorney, with full power of substitution to prosecute this claim and to receive and recupt for any certificate or allowance that may be made him on the application. And he asks to be placed on the Invalid Pension Roll of the United States. Signed Jesse Mason Seal Sworn to by Jesse Mason before me and by now subscribed in my presence this eleventh day of July AD 1865, and also at the same time personally appeared before me Isaac Mason and Sidney Winsor residents of Oxford Township in Delaware County in the state of Ohio, presons whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit and who being by me duly sworn say that they were present and said Jesse Mason above named sign his name to the foregoing declarative and power of attorney and he and him acknowledge the same; and they further swear that they have every reason to believe from the appearance of the applicant and from their acquaintance with him that the said applicant is the identical person he represents himself to be; that they have known said applicant for the last eight years and over, and know that when he entered said service he wasa sound healthy man; and they further state that they have no interest direct nor indirect in the prosecution of this claim by said Jesse Mason habits are and have been good, Signed Isaac Mason Sidney Winsor The foregoing affidavit sworn to by Isaac Mason and Sidney Winsor before me and subscribed by them in my presence this eleventh day of July AD 1865 and I further certify that said affidavit was read to said witnesses before signing; that I am Judge of the Probate Court of said County of Delaware, that said Court is a Court of record having a seal, that I am ex-officio clerk of said Court and custodian of the seal thereof; and that I am not interested in the prosecution of this claim. In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed by name and affixed the seal of said Court at Delaware, the day and year last aforesaid. Signed J.D. Powell Probate Judge Supporting Documentation Provided by his former 1st Lieutenant Shotwell This is to certify that Jesse Mason was a musician in the Co C 26th Regt Ohio Vol Inf. That he was enlisted at Ashley Del. Co. Ohio at the original organization of said Company on or about the first day of May 1861; that he was that time in robust health and in all respects able to perform the duties of a soldier which he did on all occasions perform in an honorable and trusty manner. Said Jesse Mason was taken prisoner while in the line of his duty at the Battle of Chickamauga on or about the 20th day of Sept 1863 he was at that time in apparent good health, as he generally was; his name rarely if ever appearing upon the Company’s sick list. Said Jesse Mason was held many months a prisoner by the enemy and when I next saw him, after his release from the rebel prison he was emaciated almost beyond the point of recognition, in short was but little more than a shadow of the robust soldier he had been up to the date of his capture. I further certify that I was , with the exception of a few days, constantly with said Co C 26” Regt O.V.I. from the date of its original organization to the date of the Battle of Chickamauga and consequently had ample opportunity to know the facts in foregoing statement. Signed Benjamin W. Shotwell Late 1st Lieut Co C 26 Regt. O.V.I. |