Summary: John W. Landis filed this claim in 1875 for $595, claiming the Union army took three horses and nine cattle in 1864 during Sheridan's burning of the Shenandoah Valley. John was a 41 year old farmer who resided near Mount Sidney and was a member of the Dunker church. The claim was disallowed.
Items Claimed:
| Item Claimed: | Amount Claimed: | Amount Allowed: | Amount Disallowed: |
| 1 Black Horse 3 years old | 125.00 | 0.00 | 125.00 |
| 1 Bay Mare 8 years old | 100.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| 1 Sorrel mare 3 years old | 100.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| 9 head of Cattle 600 lb each 5400.#505 | 270.00 | 0.00 | 270.00 |
Claims Summary:
The Claimant was a resident of Augusta Co. Va. He voted to ratify the ordinance of secession. Was a soldier in both the militia & Confederate Army. Furnished a substitute - paid $500 to be Exempted & his horses and cattle were taken in Sheridan's "burning raid". Not for the use of the army.
The claim is disallowed.
AO Aldis, Orange Ferris, JB Howell
Conmmrs of Claims
Testimony: John W. Landis
My name is John W. Landis, my age 41 years, my residence Augusta County, in the State of Virginia, and my occupation a Farmer; I am related to the claimant, and have beneficial interest in the claim.
Interrogatory 2. I lived on my fathers farm about 2 miles from Mount Sidney all the time
3 & 4. No Sir
5. Yes I went to Staunton and took it after the war.
6 to 10. inclusive No Sir.
11 to 15. I was enrolled in the militia and when they were ordered to meet at Staunton I met up there for a week or so. When the quota of our county was made up and I remained at home. In March 1862 I was ordered out again and hired a subsitute who went and served for me until 1863 when I paid my fine of $500 and got a discharge altogether. I was compelled to go myself or get some one in my place. I paid my substitute $800 to go for me during the war. This was done before the law was passed allowing members of our church to pay the fine and after I had put in my subsitute and he had served over a year they conscripted me again and then I paid the fine of $500. I am a member of the Dunkard church.
16 to 24. inclusive No Sir.
25. Yes. They took one tenth of my crops for two years. They did not pay me anything for it.
26 to 29. inclusive No Sir.
30. Yes. I had one brother named Jacob who was conscripted the same time I was in March 1862. He was shot in the Chancellorsville fight and died soon after. I had another named Daniel who was conscripted at the same time I was in March 1862. He hired a substitute to serve during the war but was conscripted again in 1863 and was not allowed to pay the fine; not being a member of the church and he was put in the home guards or reserves as some called them. He was never in any battle. I did not encourage them in any way. They were in the army contrary to their own wishes and mine too.
31. I had one loan of $500 which I got to pay off my substitute.
32 to 39. inclusive No Sir.
40 to 41. I sympathized with the union cause all the time. I thought it wrong for the South to seceed. I never believed in Slavery. I wanted the North to whip and the union to be preserved. After the state seceded I held for the union. I voted for secession under threats of being put in the army if I did not.
44. I am a native born citizen of the United States. I have not passed through Bankruptcy.
In answer to interrogatories as to the Property deponent says - I was present and saw all my property taken. It was all taken at one time by a portion of the Army of Gen. Sheridan at the time of the burning on the 28th day of Sept. 1864.
There were some 8 or 10 men in the party taking the property. They were all taken from a field near the house where they were grazing.
Item 1. Blk horse. The Black horse was a young animal about three years old well brok to ride but not in the harness. He was a good sized animal nice and fat and was worth $125.
Item 2. Bay Mare. The bay mare was 8 years old of medium size, an easy keeper kind and gentle and an excellent family horse. She was the favorite of my wife and was in splendid order. She was worth $100.
Item 3. Sorrel Mare. The sorrel mare was rising 3 years old. She was broke to ride but not to work. She was about the same size of the black I valued at about $100.
Item 4. Cattle. The cattle were 24 of them milck cows and 5 of them young cattle averaging about 2 years old.
THe cows were first rate ones; good milkers and were in first rate order. I could have sold them all for $25 a head in gold. I did sell one for $25 in gold and was offered $30 in gold for another but would not sell.
The young cattle were in good order for beef; those that were large enough. I was intending to sell some of them for beef. The five were worth about $20 a head in gold. There was considerable gold in circulation at that time and I had no use for Confederate money.
The horses were led away and the cattle were driven away. They were all taken from the farm where I was living belonging to my father, about 2 miles from Mt. Sidney.
and further deponent saith not
John W. Landes
Testimony: Anna Landes
Deposition of Anna Landes as to the Property. I am 43 years old. I live with the claimant; he is my husband.
I was present and saw all the property named in the petition when taken.
It was taken by a portion of Gen. Sheridans Army in the fall of the year 1864 at the time of the burning; our barn was burnt the same day. There were some 8 or 10 men in the party taking the property. When I first saw them coming I went to the lot where the horses were and cought one who was a favorite of mine and brought him to the yard by the door and held him by the bridle until he was taken from me by some of the party while the others went to the field and got the other two and drove our cattle away also at the same time.We had 9 head of cattle taken at this time 4 of them were milck cows and 5 were young cattle of different ages, would average about 2 years old.
The cows were splendid milkers, we never had any before no since like them. and further deponent saith not.
Anna Landes
Testimony: Sarah E. Grove
Deposition of Sarah E. Grove as to the Property. I am 19 years old. I live with the claimant; he is my father.
I was present and saw our property taken. It was all taken on one day, by the same party, at the time of the burning of the barns in the fall of the year. There were 8 or 10 soldiers on horses came to our place and took all three of our horses and 9 head of cattle and led and drove them all away. They were all in the meadow but one horse which was in the yard my mother had brought one into the yard and was holding the bridle when the men came and took the horse from her and soon after left with all the horses and cattle too. They drove away 10 head of cattle, but one of them a cow came back home. I was young, but I recollect distinctly about the taking of the stock and of the burning of the barn.
And further deponent saith not.
Sarah E. Grove
Testimony: John Wampler
Deposition of John Wampler as to the Loyalty of John W. Landes
I am 46 years old, a farmer, live near Mt. Sidney. I am not related to the claimant and have no interest in his claim.
I have known claimant since my childhood. Lived about a mile from him during the war. Saw him many times and heard him speak in favor of the union and against the rebellion. I dont recollect any conversation with him on the subject of secession. I dont recollect how he voted. It is so long since, I have forgotten. He uniformly spoke against the war. He belongs to the church whose principles are opposed to the war and who as a church were loyal to the United States during the war. I think he was generally regarded as a loyal man so far as he could be. We all had to do some things we did not wish to do. Many of us had to pay a fine of $500 to keep from serving in the Army. We were compelled to do it, or go in the army.
And further deponent saith not.
John Wampler
Testimony: John A. Critzer
Deposition of John A. Critzer as to the Loyalty of John W. Landes
I am 46 years old, a wagon maker, live at Mt. Sidney, Augusta County, Va. I am not related to the claimant and have no interest in his claim.
I have know the claimant about 15 years. I lived about 1 1/2 miles from him during the war until I went north in Oct 1864. I had frequent dealings with Claimant before I went north; he would refuse to take confederate money, said it was of no account. I was at work at my trade in Gordonsville one time when Claimant came to me and offered me 10 bushels of wheat for a cradle that cost me about $3 saying he would rather I would have it than for the rebels to get it. When I went north he knew I was going, and told me if he got in a tight place he should go too. In all my conversations with him, he spoke as if he thought the south was wrong and I was confident he was a loyal man, or I would not have told him I was going through the lines. And further deponent saith not.
John A. Critzer
Testimony: Daniel Miller Sr.
Q. Where did you reside before and during the war?
A. Where I now live about
one and one fourth miles from where Mr. Landes then lived.
Q. Were you acquainted with Mr. Landes during said war, and if so was it intimate
or otherwise?
A. Yes I knew him very well.
Q. About how often on an average did you see and converse with him during said
war, and when you did see him and converse with him did you speak on the
question of the war, and if so how did he express himself?
A. I suppose I
saw him as much as once every two weeks on an average. We did not talk much
about the war, only the trouble we were in, that is we did not know when one
army or the other might come in on us.
Q. From your knowledge of Mr. Landes and his conduct during said war was he
opposed or in favor of the Union cause. Also state if you know what his
reputation in his neighborhood was on the question of the war during said war,
loyal or disloyal to the union?
A. I allways
thought he was a union man, he and I were both in the same company in the
militia, and were carried to Staunton. I was sent home for my team which was
impressed and took it to Staunton and made one trip to Monteay and
then went back home, and afterwards heard that Mr. Landis had gotten
a substitute, and he afterwards came home. Then afterwards we both paid $500
each to keep out of the Confederate army, all members of the menonite and dunkard
churches paid money to keep out of the confederate army, at least his neighbors
treated him as a union man.
Q. What if any thing did the claimant do to aid the union cause during the
war?
A. I can not say.
Cross Examination
Q. Did you ever hear the claimant express himself on the question of the war
during the war?
A. Not that I recollect of.
Q. Then you think he was a union man because he was a member of the Menonite church, do you not?
A. Yes.
Q. Were all the members of that church in your neighborhood union people or union
sympathisers?
A. I think they were as
far as I know.
And further this deponent saith not.
Daniel Miller Sen.
Testimony: John Wampler
Quest. 1 Where did you reside in 1861 and throughout the civil war?
A. I
lived during the war where I now live, about one mile from where the claimant
lived.
Q. 2. Were you acquainted with the claimant during the war and if so was it
intimate or otherwise, and if you knew him about how often on an average, did
you see him him during that period?
A. I knew him well, and saw
him a number of times during the war, but I can not say how often. I think
though as often as I saw any other of my neighbors.
Q. When you saw him during the war did you converse with him on the subject of
the war and if so how did he express himself on the subject of the war?
A. I
talked to him and he was like I was we were both in favor of the Union, he allways was opposed to the war, I dont remember what he
said, but I do remember that he and I were of the same opinion, both opposed to
the war from the beginning to the end.
Q. How did the claimant vote on the ordinance of secession, if you know?
A. I
dont know how he voted, I did not vote at all. I came to the polls to vote for
the union, but there was such a warm time I decided not to vote.
Q. What if anything did the claimant do during the war to aid the Union
cause?
A. I dont know that he did any thing, we did not dare to do anything,
we had to keep low. because they made threats that if a union man did any thing
he was threatened with arrest, and it was not safe for him to express his
sentiments. I know some who did express union sentiments and were arrested.
Cross Examination
Q. Name some of those that you know were arrested on account of Union sentaments
A. Joseph Beery and his son Solomon,
and John Cline, and John Yates were arrested during the war by the Confederates
and carried to Richmond, Va. except Mr. Cline, who
was taken to Harrisonburg. and put in jail, but he was afterwards released. He
was a preacher.
Q. Was claimant ever in the Confederate army?
with the militia.
Redirect Examination
Q. Of what church was Mr. Landes a member of if any during the war? And state
what their position was on going to war if they had any?
A. He was a member
of the Menonite church, that church was like the
Dunkard church opposed to war.
Q. Did you ever testify in this case before?
A. I can not say. I think I testified for his father, but as for the claimant I can not say.
Q. From your knowledge of the warm time there was at the voting place on the day
of the orindnace of secession was voted upon, was it safe or unsafe for a man on
that day to vote against the ordinance of secession.
Q. We thought it was
unsafe, that is the reason I did not vote.
Recross Examination
Q. Was any one hurt at the voting place on that day on account of his union sentaments?
A. Not that I know of, I did not
stay there long after I found out how things were.
Q. How many votes were poled at precinct on that day
against the ordinance of secession?
A. I dont think there were any.
And further this deponent saith not.
John Wampler
Testimony: John Landes
Q. Where did you reside during the civil war?
A. About two miles east of
Mt. Sidney Va. was
a farmer during the entire war.
Q. Did you ever take an oath to support the Confederacy
A. No Sir.
Q. Were you ever connected with the civil or military service of the
confederacy?
A. No sir, except in the Virginia Militia, and they took us to
Staunton and drilled us without arms for a while, I had to go or they would have
arrested me and taken me to Richmond. I did not want to go, but Capt. Shumake came for me and said I had to go. After
getting to Staunton I got a substitute, I had to do this or be taken to Richmond
or go into the Confederate army myself. I did not want to hire a substitute, as
it cost me $800 part of it borrowed money, I was told I had to get a substitute
or go into the army myself.
Q. State if you ever gave any aid to the Confederacy volentarily?
A. No sir I did not. They pressed a team from me
and my father together Capt. Wilson was the
Quartermaster who pressed the teams in thsi neighborhood, they might have gotten
some supplies from my place, but the Confederate army was not in my neighborhood
often.
Q. There seems to be a petition for exemption of a potter in the
archives of the Confederacy signed by John W. Landis, state if you are the same
man who signed said petiiton? State also if you ever signed a petition to be
exempted from conscription? This last petition was to the Confederate States
Congress.
A. I have no recollection of signing a petition for the
potter, there was a pottery in Mt. Sidney during the
war and I may have signed a petition for one of the Watsons. I can not say about
the petition to the Confederate congress. It has been so long that I can not
remember about it.
Q. Were you ever arrested by either side or were you ever threatened on account
of your centiments?
A. I was never arrested by
either side, and was never threatened by either side.
Q. How did you vote on the ordinance of secession?
A. I can not remember just
how I voted or certainly whether I voted, but whatever I said in my former
testimony was the fact as I then remembered it.
Cross Examination
Q. What relatives did you have in the Confederate Army?
A. I had one brother
in the Confederate Army and one in the home recerve,
he paid his fine and came home. one brother went north and three brothers-in-law
went north.
Q. What if any thing did you do during the war to aid the Union cause
cause, state fully.
A. I did not do much. I had very little opportunity to
do any thing.
Q. After your state seceeded did you go with the state
of did you remain loyal to the Union?
A. I remained loyal to the Union.
And further this deponent saith not.
John W. Landes
JB Kagey N.P.
Bibliographic Information : Southern Claims Commission: Claim of John W. Landis, 1875, Claim No. 17922, Source copy consulted: National Archives, Washington D.C., RG 123, Congressional Jurisdiction #8617.
