This page last edited on 21 Jun 2007.
p.15
DEPOSITION D
Case of John England, No. 125,082
-------------------
On this 9th day of August, 1889, at
Scarborough, County of Anderson,
State of Tenn, before me, R. C. Gatewell, a
Special Examiner of the Pension Office, personally appeared William V.
Scarborough, who being by me first duly sworn to answer
truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this Special Examination of aforesaid
pension claim, deposes and says: That he is 52 years of age;
that he is a farmer by occupation; and that
his post-office is Scarborough, Ander-
son Co., Tenn.
I was born and raised within a mile and a half
of this place, and I have lived here all my life,
with the exception of some three years, when I was
in the U.S. Army during the late war. England and
I lived her in this neighborhood from my earliest
recollection up to the time the late war occurred,
and I was intimately acquainted with him dur-
ing all the times. England was considered an
extra stout man before he went into the
Army. I very often heard remarks made about
his robust physical condition before the war.
He was regarded as one of the best and
most able bodied men in this community
before the war. He never met with any ac-
cident or received any injury into his person
of any description before the war, as far as
my knowledge goes, and I believe he was
a stout man, physically, prior to and at
the time of his enlistment. He pilotted me
through to Kentucky when I went into the
Army, and he went through thick and thin
during that time, without any apparent ef-
fects upon him.
I enlisted April 19, 1862 as I recollect the
p.16 date. I know it was in April of that year. I was a private in England's Company - that is, Co. "K" Fifth Tennessee infantry. The principal part of the work that England did was recruiting. It was the general understanding that England was mustered into the service simply as a recruiting-officer. I had this from England and from the men and officers in the Company; and sometime after I enlisted she showed me his recruiting-papers, but I did not examine them. He said they were all properly signed up and I have no doubt they were. He was with us for a time after I enlisted and before he started back to recruit more men. We were at Camp Pine Knot, Ky. when he left to re- cruit, as I recollect it. He started back to bring in more recruits, and I do not recollect whether he returned or not before his capture. At any rate he was captured, so it was said by every one and put into Clinton Jail and sentenced to death. Of course, I have not per- sonal knowledge of this fact. I simply have his word and the word of others on this point. As I now remember it, the next time I saw England was at Nashville, Tenn. when he Came back to the Command. This was in 1864, just before the Georgia Campaign. This was the first I knew about his capture. He then reported that he had been captured and sentenced to death by Court-Martial at Clinton, Tenn. but that he had made his W.V. Scarbrough, Deponent Sworn to and subscribed before me this 9th day of August 1889, and I certify that the contents were fully made know to deponent before signing R. C. Gilette
p.17
escape from prison by jumping from a window
of the prison - from the upper story of the
building, and the this report was generally ac-
cepted by all, though of course we knew
nothing about it of our own personal knowledge.
To a great extent, England was crippled
up when he Came to us at Nashville. He
appeared to be Crippled in his legs and
hips - in one of them, at least and he had
me to examine his side where he said he
had broken three of his ribs, where ah daid
had broken them them in the fall at the
Clinton Prison. I put my hand in his
side, and there were lumps about the lower
ribs. He had me to feel both sides, and I
could see, or feel rather, that there was a
difference in the sides - enough to verify
hs statements that his ribs had been
fractured. I made no examination of either
leg, and I couldn't tell about that. Judging
from his moving about, I would say that there
was and had been something the matter with
his legs as he hobbled about, and was
lamel; but in which leg I am unable to state
at this time. There was never any deficiency
in either leg before his capute and he was
then a smart, active man. He had resolution
p.18 to undertake anything, and generally succeeded. I know not a thing of the origin in time when England received his injuries, as he was absent from the Command at the time he was hurt, but knowing the man as I do, I have no right to discred his statements in this or any other print. England was unfit for military service after he came back to the regiment from that fact that he was considered unable to march in the ranks. I know as a matter of fact that he did no more active service in the army. He was left as Nashville when we went on the Georgia Campaign, presumably because he was unfitted physically for the marches incident to the Campaign. He rejoined us at Ebenezer, Tenn., but I will not be positive whether that was before or after the Georgia Campaign. As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember that England reported that he was unable to march at any time after his return from capture owing to the afflictions in his legs and hips; and I further know that he was hobbling around after that, and did not apppear to be able for any active duty. I knew England well from the end of the war until her moved to the mountains of Morgan Co., some 4 or 5 years after the war.; and I have seen him generally once a year since then. I know he has seemed to be afflected in the same way all the time. I did not assist in caring for England after the war, or while he was at home during the time of the war, as I was with the command all the time. W.V. Scarbrough, Deponent Sworn to and subscribed before me this 9th day of August 1889, and I certify that the contents were fully made know to deponent before signing R. C. Gilette
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England's wife and my wife's mother were
sisters; that is, his first wife. But I have
no interest whateer in his clain, either direct
or indirect.
I have answered the questions asked me
and the answers then have been correctly re-
corded down.
Deponent
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 9th day of August
1889, and I certify that the contents were fully made know to deponent before signing
R. C. Gilette
John England's first wife was Jane (Jenny) Peters, daughter of Thomas Peters and Sarah (Sallie) England. William V. (Will) Scarbrough's wife was Sarah E. Cross, daughter of Alfred Carter Cross and Zipporah Peters. This brief statement by Will Scarbrough is the best evidence we have that Jenny Peters and Zipporah Peters were sisters. There is other evidence to support the same conclusion, but this deposition is the strongest evidence. I am descended from both Jenny and from Zipporah due to cousin marriages in subsequent generations.
This page last edited on 21 Jun 2007.