Andrew Jackson Allen Pension

We recently received a collection of Civil War pension records related to Andrew Jackson Allen. These claims and associated content paint a very interesting picture of his life. There are many records but I will start with the following transcript from the pension claim that Andrew Jackson Allen submitted in 1879. These are his words and explanations as told to the clerk. Andrew Jackson could not read or write and he is attempting to persuade the pension office that he is worth of the claim. Pension rules changed over the years, generally becoming more lenient, but at the time he submitted this, the claimant had to prove that he was disabled and that the disability was caused by his service during the war. Some portions of the page were faded and difficult to read.

State office WVa
Raleigh County

It is not convenient for me to furnish the Affidavit of a commissioned officer of my company or regiment to prove when, where and the circumstances under which I contracted the disabilities for which I demand an Invalid Pension Claim No 252,655 for the following reasons: 1st, their whereabouts is not known to me. 2nd, I have not the money to send them to pay for their affidavits and certificates. Consequently I offer the evidence of two comrades in lieu thereof.

I cannot furnish the "Evidence of a family Physician, showing my physical condition at and prior to enlistment." I will prove this by "other competent testimony."

I cannot furnish "Medical evidence showing what my physical condition was at the date of discharge, what is has been continuously from that time to the present" for the following reasons: I have treated myself as best I could. 2ndly, I have but little confidence in medical pretenders. 3rdly I have been poor and hardly able to support my family and had no means to enable me to emply physicians and of course they would not treat me without pay. I propose to offer other and competent testimonywhich .... .... to one who was never treated for any disability by any physician priot to enlistment but was severely drugged in the army hospitals during the year 1864, and the sequence is I have never .... .... The fever (and probably the effects of poison - our medicines) Setting in my Right Hip Thigh and Leg. A permanent disability is the result of my army life. Though I shall never regret aiding in putting down the late infamous rebellion.

Andrew J. Allen (his mark) Claimant

.... me this 11th day of January 1879 A.J. Williams

I John Beckley Clerk of Raleigh County Court W. Va do certify that A.J. Williams Esqr whose name is signed to foregoing affidavit was at the time of so doing an acting justice of the peace duely commissioned and sworn, that all his official acts are entitiled to full faith and credit and that his signature thereto is genuine. Witness my hand and official seal this 14th day of January 1879.

John Beckley Clerk

One gets a sense of desperation from A. J. Allen. He has none of the supporting documents that the pension office requires, only the testimony of some comrades and himself. We also learn from this that Andrew was still in West Virginia in 1879, though he shows up in Ohio on the 1880 census. Unless he had to go back to West Virginia (unlikely) to make the claim, it seems that this information allows us to place a date on his move to Ohio. One can speculate that he was desperate for money and when the pension claim was denied, he packed up and moved to Ohio, where there was work.

I will continue to transcribe and scan in the documents and post updates as I get to them.