Summary: Ellen C. Cox filed this claim in 1876 for $150, claiming Union forces under General Sheridan took one horse in 1864. Ellen was a widow whose husband, Samuel Cox, escaped to the Union, enlisted in the Union army, and died while in its service. The commission allowed $150.
Items Claimed:
| Item Claimed: | Amount Claimed: | Amount Allowed: | Amount Disallowed: |
| One Sorrel horse | $150.00 | $150.00 | $110.00 |
Claims Summary:
The claimant is a widow. Her husband was engaged in the Qr. Mastersdept of the federal Army. Their residence was Augusta Co.Va. He was killed while in the Federal service. The proof shows he was a Union man & she sympathised with him & with the Federal Cause.
The mare was taken from the claimant in 1864 by a squad of Federal Cavalry. It was a fine animal, six or seven years old, in good order & well broken to the saddle. We recommend the payment of $150.
AO AldisOrange FerrisJB HowellCommrs of Claims
Testimony: Ellen C. Cox
[Pages 1-2 of testimony missing]
. . . the benefit of the Confederacy.
21. Ans. I never run the blockade or traded in the goods of any kind, between the lines, or that was brought in or sent out.
22. Ans. I at no time left the Confederate States.
23. Ans. I never owned or had interest in any vessel for any purpose.
24. Ans. I was never arrested, by either Government or authorities.
25. Ans. The Confederates took a horse from me. I never was paid anything.
26. Ans. I was not threatened.
27. Ans. I was never molested except sion abused me because my husband was gone.
28. Ans. I never contributed any money or property in aid of the United States.
29. Ans. I never did anything except to willingly consent for my husband to go through the lines, and was killed by the rebels at New Creek, W. Va. on or about the 28 day of Novr. 1864 while in the service of the Union Army.
30. Ans. Lewis Hulvey & John Hulvey, my nephews, they now reside near Mt. Sidney. I furnished them nothing.
31. Ans. I never owned a Confederate bond, or done anything to support the credit of the Confederacy.
32. Ans. I give no aid or comfort to the rebellion.
33. Ans. I never made a raid for any purpose.
34. Ans. I had nothing to do with persons in custody.
35. Ans. I never belonged to society or association for any purpose.
36. Ans. I never was paroled.
37. Ans. Never held an office.
38. Ans. Never had a pass.
39. Ans. Had no disabilities.
40. Ans. My sympathies were with the Union all the time.
41. Ans. I do solemnly declare that from the beginning to the end of hostilities against the United States my sympathies were with the Union and the United States and I never of my own free will and accord did anything by word or deed, or offered or sought or attempted to do anything to injure its cause or retard its success, and I was at all times ready and willing when called upon to aid & assist the cause of the Union, so far as I could.
42. Ans. I was married to Samuel Cox in 1851. he was loyal man to the Union cause, he was killed by the rebels at New Creek, W. Va. Nov. 28 1864. I have seven children, Sarah M, Franklin, Robert, Benjamin H, Estaline, Ida B. & Samuel J. aged respectively 21, 19, 17, 15, 14, 12 & 10. I owned the horse when my husband went through the lines. It belonged to my husband when he left, and he left it with me for the use of the family, and at his death it was mine.
1. Ans. I was present and saw the horse taken.
3. Ans. The horse was taken from the field, and led away.
4. Ans. The horse was taken in September 1864 by soldiers. I suppose there were 20 or 30 of them. I think there was an officer, but do not know certainly.
5. Ans. No one present but my children.
6. Ans. I do not know, if an officer was present or not.
7. Ans. The horse was caught and led off.
8. Ans. The horse was led by a mounted soldier.
9. Ans. It was a raiding party commanded by Genl. Sheridan. I never saw the horse after they left my house.
10. Ans. I do not know how they used the horse.
11. Ans. I made no complaint at all.
12. Ans. I got no voucher. I asked for none.
13. Ans. The horse was taken about sunrise. They camped the night before, or a part of it about one mile from my house.
14. Ans. There was no regular camp. There had been no fighting near that I know of.
15. Ans. The horse was 6 or 7 years old, a Sorrel mare, and very fat. She was of good size. She was well broken to harness and saddle, and I think she was worth $150. She was sound and healthy.
Ellen C. Cox
Testimony: Mary C. Berry
Deposition of Mary C. Berry
Answer to first general question
My name is Mary C. Berry, my age is 26 years. I reside near Spring Hill, in Augusta County. I stepdaughter of the claimant, I have no interest in the claim. I was present and saw the Mare taken. She was taken out of the field. There were a good many soldiers together. I do not know whether there was an officer present or not. The Mare was taken in the fall of 1864 by Genl. Sheridan's men. The Mare was taken about sunrise. There was nothing said to the soldiers about taking the Mare. There was no Camp near that I heard of, and had been no fighting near that I recollect. The Mare was led away by a soldier. They were all mounted and I suppose were Cavalry. I never saw them after they left the place. They went down the Valley.
The Mare was in good order. I do not know anything about her age. I do not the worth of the horses, but she was a good animal.
Mary C Berry
Testimony: Nannie Frame
Deposition of Nannie Frame
1. My name is Nannie Frame, my age is 19 years. I reside near Spring Hill, Augusta County, Va. I was not present and did not see the horse taken, but saw the horse in the possession of the soldiers after they left the claimants house. She lived a few hundred yards from my fathers. I thought there were about 12 or 15 soldiers. There was an officer at my fathers house, just before I saw the horse, but I heard no name or rank, but I do not know that there was an officer in the compay that had the horse. I think it was about the middle of the day when I saw the horse. A Soldier was leading the horse, when I saw him. They were all horseback. I think the command belonged to Genl. Sheridan but I do not recollect the month or year. There was no regular Camp, that I knew of, and had been no fight or skirmish.
Nannie Frame
Testimony: Samuel Landes
Deposition of Samuel Landes
Answer to 1st general question
My name is Samuel Landes, my age is 50 years. I reside near Spring Hill, Augusta Co. My occupation is a Miller. I have known the claimant since 1851 and resided about one mile from her during the war. I saw her very frequently, she visited my house often. I have no recollection of any particular conversation with her about the war. I always considered her loyal in her sympathies to the Union cause. I know that she harbored Union men, and gave them provisions. I was loyal in my feelings and deeds to the Union. The Union men of the neighborhood reposed the utmost confidence in her, and were not afraid for her to know all their plans. I knew her husband, Samuel Cox, from 1848 to his death. He frequently told me that he would never fight for the Confederates, that he would leave before he would do so, and he did leave in the spring of 1864, and was in the service of the Union Army at New Creek, W. Va. and was there killed by the rebels as I have been informed by Paschal B. Gentry, who was with him at the time. His Union neighbors, had full confidence in his loyalty. The claimants actions were such during the War, that she could not have shown loyalty to the south, if it had been successful.
Samuel Landes
Testimony: Paschal B. Gentry
Deposition of Paschal B. Gentry
Answer to first question
My name is Paschal B. Gentry, my age 44 years I reside near Mt. Sidney in Augusta County, Va. I am a farmer. I am not related to the claimant and have no interest in the claim. I have known the claimant some 12 or 13 years. I lived about 2 1/2 miles from her, until I left the Confederate lines in May 1864. I never conversed with the claimant on the subject of the War, but did with her husband (now dead) Samuel Cox. The Union men of the neighborhood regarded the claimant as a loyal woman, her husband left the Confederate lines in March 1864. I met with him in Maryland, and about the first day of October 1864, we were employed, by order of Capt. Harrison of the Military Post at New Creek W. Va. and on the day of November, 1864, he (Cox) was killed by the rebel Genl. Rosser's command at New Creek, W. Va. and I was taken a prisoner and carried to Richmond, and after 106 days, was exchanged, and received my full pay from Capt. Harrison. There could be no doubt of the loyalty of the claimants husband, Samuel Cox. The claimant was entirely satisfied that her husband had left, and I saw a letter from her to husbands at New Creek, in which she advised him to remain where he was, which I think was good evidence of her loyalty.
P. B. Gentry
Testimony: John Jones
Deposition of John Jones
Answer to first general question.
My name is John Jones, my age is 32 years. I reside near Spring Hill, Augusta County, Va. I am a farmer. I am not related to the claimant, and have no benefit or interest in the claim. I have known the claimant about 15 years. I lived about 1 1/2 miles from her during the War. I was intimate with her and saw her sometimes once a week up to the spring of 1864, where I left and passed through the lines into Maryland, where I remained until the close of the War. I believed that she was in sympathy for the Union, for the reason that while I was escaping from the rebels, she furnished and carried me and Mr. Abram Berry, provisions, which she gave without pay. I do not know here reputation was in the neighborhood, but I know other Union men were not afraid to let her know our plans. I never knew of her objecting to her husband going through the lines. I saw her husband, Samuel Cox, at New Creek, W. Va. he was in the service of the Quarter Master, at that place, and I heard that he was killed there, I think by a raid under Command of Genl. Rosser. I have no doubt about here husband Samuel Cox being a true loyal man. He certainly proved it by his conduct. As it was generally known in the neighborhood that she fed Union men, I do not believe she would have proven loyalty or sympathy to the Confederate States, if they had succeeded.
John CL Jones
Bibliographic Information : Southern Claims Commission: Claim of Ellen C. Cox, 1876, Claim No. 20334, Source copy consulted: National Archives, College Park, RG 217, claim #20334.
