p.20 DEPOSITION E Case of John England, No. 125,082 ------------------- On this 9th day of August, 1889, at Scarborough, County of Anderson, State of Tennessee, before me R.C. Gatewell, a Special Examiner of the Pension Office, personally appeared John W. 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 63 years of age, that he is a farmer by occupation, and that his post office address is Scarborough, Anderson Co., Tenn. I have known John England for the past 30 or 40 years. He was my close neighbor up to the war, and I was well and intimately acquainted with him during that time. As far as my knowledge goes, England was a well and stout man prior to his enlistment in the army. I know of no hurt or injury of any kind that he received prior to his enlistment, and he was all right in time of his enlistment as far as I know. He volunteered in the army from this neighborhood, but I never saw him in the army. It was my understanding that he was a recruiting officer. It was said he recruited men and took them to the army. After England had been in the army for a while - I cannot tell just how long - probably in about two years after he first went away - he came back here. I was out feeding my stock one morning in the summer I reckon not very far from this time of year, (but I can't tell the year.) I heard a noise up in a ridge field of corn. Someone was hollering. I looked up in the direction from about the noise comes and there was a green pine tree up there, with no corn growing about it. Some one stepped out into the that barren place and beckoned to me. I went round on the |
John W. Scarbrough was the son of James Scarbrough and Anna (Annie) Rice. John's wife was Mary A. (Polly) Peters. John England's first wife was Jane (Jenny) Peters. Polly Peters and Jenny Peters were sisters. So John W. Scarbrough was filing an affidavit in behalf of his wife's brother-in-law. The family relations were even more convoluted than that. John England and Jenny Peters were first cousins who married, which also means that John England and Polly Peters were first cousins. So John W. Scarbrough was filing an affidavit in behalf of his wife's first cousin. |
p.21 back side of the field and came in behind the man, as the rebel soldiers were around in this County. I found this man John England there. He said he wanted to something to eat and some one to carry him across the valley. I came back to my home, and sent my wife out with some thing to eat. England requested me to search out some women's clothing so he might get across the big road. He said he had jumped out of the courthouse at Clinton, Tenn. and that he had hurt his leg pretty bad - had stove it up; and that his side had been hurt at the same time. He pulled up his pants and I saw his mashed ankle and leg pretty well up to the knee. I saw that his leg was right ?????? swollen, and that it was bruised as well. I did not see above the knee. I made no examination of his side. I do not know whether any bones were broken or not. I made the normal examination of the leg on the very first morning I saw him there in the field. I do not recollect that he said any bones had been broken. He was barefoot in that foot, and said he had lost the shoe. He claimed that someone promised to send his shoes out of the jail after he jumped, but the other man failed to go in. I can't possibly tell just when this was; but it was after the corn had grown up sufficiently high to hide a man. I can't even tell how long it was after his enlistment; possibly about 2 years. As stated, my wife took those women's clothes up to England. This was in the morning found him there. J. W. Scarborough, deponent Sworn to and subscribed before me this 9th day of August 1899, and I certify that the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing. AC Gillette special examiner
DEPOSITION E Case of John England, No. 125,082 p.22 I only meeted him once up there in the field. My wife took the clothing up there and I went off to my work. After I got through work that day, I came home. My wife told me she had taken England into a little woodland thicket out back of the plantation. I carried England some water and provisions over in that thicket for several days, and occasionally while he recovered there and I saw the injuries to his ankle about every time I went out to see him; but never examined his side or the upper portion of his leg to learn the exact nature of his injuries. I do not recollect that he said any bones had been fractured. He was sitting down when I found him under the tree. Yes, I saw him walk In a few steps -- hobbling along with a stick in his hands. I cannot tell how long he remained in the thicket -- some 10 days or two weeks, therebouts. I think he went from here to James Kirby's, and what became of him after that I do not know. Beyond that I saw his ankle was swollen. I cannot fully state the nature or extent he was laboring under at the time he was here; and of course I cannot tell how he got the injury I did see, beyond the statement made to me at the time that it was received in jumping from the jail window at Clinton. As far as I could judge from his