Contesting Widows

Contesting Widows

       A draft of an article submitted to The Crackerbarrel Aug. 2011

Those Randy Boys of Renwick's

by Kenneth L. Gough

       I could not have done this without the help of Mr. Erick Head, Archives Assistant with the Knox County Archives, East Tennessee History Center.   Thank you Eric.
       In 1861 with the three months men of Co. A of the 7th Illinois Volunteer Infantry returning to Elgin, Capt. Samuel Ward recruited for three years men.   Two brothers, 16 year old Eugene and 23 year old John Bradford enlisted.   After taking part in the battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, Tennessee in Feb. of 1862, John took ill and was sent home on a Medical Furlough.   Records do not say what illness befell John but he died here at home on March 31, 1862.   Eugene took this hard and after trying and failing to obtain a discharge he took 'French Leave' a couple weeks after enduring the battle of Shiloh.   Returning to Elgin he worked on his cousin Evelyn Rich's farm west of Elgin until he decided to give military life a try once more.
       In October of 1862, after articles in the Elgin Weekly Gazette expounded the artillery service as the safest, Eugene once again signed the rolls.   His desertion from the 7th Ill. doesn't appear to have come up and Capt. Renwick of the Elgin Battery was having fits trying to keep men who had enlisted to stick around.   So as long as Pvt. Bradford kept out of trouble, Capt. Renwick (if he even knew about it) was willing to let a little thing like desertion slide.
       Artillery life seemed to agree with Gene Bradford.   An unremarkable soldier who never quite earned a promotion, he fought in the battles of;
       Kingston, NC - Nov. 24, 1863
       Mossy Creek, Tenn. - Dec. 28, 1863
       Wise's Forks, NC - March 1864
       Bennett's House, NC - April 26, 1864
       Late in 1864 while the Elgin battery now under the command of Capt. Wood was camped on Methodist Hill outside of Knoxville, to re-equip and re-horse.   Eugene and his 'Chum' Cpl. Henry Myer also of Elgin Battery took up with two sisters living in the red light district.
       Now nineteen years old, Eugene became enamored with the twenty seven year old Ollie George and Henry with her sister Elizabeth.   After they all fell madly in lust, Henry and Elizabeth were wed on Jan. 1, 1865.   Eugene and Ollie following two weeks later on Jan. 16.   Perhaps because of his age Eugene was required to post a $1,250 bond to insure there was no legal reason he could not wed.   Henry co-signed the Bond for him.   The fact that Ollie had had two children, William and Mary, before meeting Eugene didn't seem to bother him.   Obtaining passes, Eugene and Henry were able to spend quite a bit of time away from the battery in town with their wives.
     By spring the Battery was ready to leave.   Even though she was illiterate, Eugene promised to write.   He even left her a tintype of himself as a keepsake.   Little did she know this would be the last time she would lay eyes on her husband.   He sent her a few letters but in a couple months even they stopped.   The following winter she gave birth to Eugene's daughter, Nancy, who would live only eight days.   Ollie would spend the rest of her life with her only living child, William, first raising him while living with her parents then living with him and his wife until her death.
       In the meantime Pvt. Eugene Bradford, after fighting in one more battle at Raleigh, NC on April 13, 1865 returned to Elgin.   For the next nine years he moved about Kane County with no clear focus on what he wanted to do.   He farmed, labored, blacksmithed, even spent a winter in the 'Pineies' of Wisconsin working as a cook for a timbering operation.
       He then met the young Margaret Elizabeth Welsh of Burlington, Ill.   After a wirlwind romance they were married Nov. 7, 1874.   Still being 'hitched' to Ollie Bradford seems to have slipped his mind.
     Eugene settled down to married life raising six children.   With his status as a deserter from the 7th Ill. still lost in the fog of records he joins G.A.R. Post #395 in Kingston, Ill.   The G.A.R. charter denies membership to any soldier guilty of desertion.
       Fast forward to the turn of the century.   Ollie Bradford is barely getting by doing sewing and housework.   After changes in the pension laws she is advised she can now apply for an abandoned wife's pension under the act of March 3, 1899.   She makes application through a local lawyer for a fee of fifty cents.   The wheels of justice slowly grind through the Washington red tape and her application is.   Wait for it.   Denied.   Reason being she is not a widow.   Proof is her husband is alive, living in Kingston, Ill. and has been drawing a pension of $8.00 per month for years!
     Ollie finds someone to write a letter for her and sends it off to long lost hubby Eugene.   This letter lands like a clap of thunder in the happy household of Gene and Maggie.   The contents of this first letter are lost to history as Eugene burns it before Margaret has a chance to read it.   After no response is forthcoming Ollie sends another.   Catching Eugene reading this letter in their dooryard, Margaret demands to read it.   Admitting he is 'in trouble' he lets her.   He owns up to seeing this 'Ollie woman' while in the army he steadfastly denies any marriage.   She makes a co;y of the letter and though this letter is missing from the Pension Investigation records Margaret later admitted that it told of Ollie Bradford threatening to come to Kingston to 'get her pension.
       Her letters not being answered Ollie Bradford again writes a letter to the Bureau of Pensions asking for an investigation.   Examiners were sent to both Knoxville and Kingston to take Depositions.
     The pension examiners after deposing everyone theyt could find that was still alive.   And this included waiting so Ollie's brother Houston George could come down out of the mountains on his 'Draw day' to pick up his pension chick.   Under the new act Ollie had only to prove two points.   First that she and Eugene were legally married, that they had never been divorced, and she had never taken up with another man which might be construed as a 'common law marriage.'   Second, taken from the act; 'Or in the case of separation, that such separation was through no fault of hers.'   The fact that he remarried kind of backs that one up.
       In he deposition loyal hubby Eugene denied even knowing Ollie during the war.   His wife backs him up on this even with the letters she has tucked away back home from 'that woman.'   Remember that keepsake tintype?   It now comes back to haunt ol' Gene as Ollie had given it to the pension examiners as evidence.
       Special Examiner Barrett in his report to the Commissioner of Pensions came to the conclusion that even though everyone he talked to and/or deposed denied it, Ollie Bradford had in fact been a prostitute before and during the war.   He went on in his report that even if she had been a 'bad woman' her conduct since the close of the war was acceptable and her youthful conduct as a 'soiled dove' should not preclude her status as a soldiers wife.
     Ollie Bradford was declared Eugene's lawful wife, granted half of her husbands pension and received $4.00 per month.
       While Ollie was enjoying her rightful place as his wife, Eugene was being taken into custody by U.S. Marshals and transported to court in Chicago.   However, he had not been arrested for having more wives that the law allows, but for perjury in trying to wiggle out of it getting caught lying to pension examiners.   Judge Kohisast however dismissed the case and Bradford went free.
       The final act of this tragedy comes on April 30, 1914 with the death of Eugene Bradford.   He died of 'Rheumatism of the Heart' while sitting in his buggy waiting for a friend.   This changed Ollie's status from abandoned wife to soldiers widow.   The pension checks stopped but no one informed her she needed to re-file.   On Sept. 5, 1914 Ollie had a letter written to the postmaster of Kingston about the missing checks.   He informed her that her husband was dead and she applied for full pension as a soldiers widow.   Again investigators were sent, advised by the Pension Law Department to determine if thge status of Eugene's lawful widow had in fact changed.   This would be labeled in the pension files as 'Contesting Widows.'
       The deposition of Margaret Bradford on May 7, 1915 was taken to give her the chance to establish her claim as lawful widow or to trip her up on previous testimony.   Her claim rested on two points.   The first that Eugene always denied his marriage to 'that woman.'   She even tried to put the blame for this on Mr. Stevens the Notary Public for Kingston, Ill.   Not a very compelling argument as she had signed that she had read through all the documents.   In an effort to deflect blame from herself she offered the Tennessee letters to the examiner.   The second point, that Eugene was under age at the time of is marriage and needed his parents consent to wed thus the wedding was viid.   She offered into evidence Eugene's mothers Bible that recorded his birth as Nov. 1, 1845.   In his report Special examiner Patter states that if the wedding had occurred in Illinois this point could have been a factor.   However by Tennessee law at the time of the marriage the age of consent was 14 for males and 12 for females.
       Although the final outcome of this investigation is not included ibn the file, the generally favorable comments in Knoxville when set against the scathing report from Kingston where it is alluded that Maggie may be charged with perjury herself leads me to conclude that Ollie once again prevailed against us 'Damn Yankees.'
       An interesting post script is the fact that a search of the Genoa/Kingston, Ill. Papers turned up no mention of either Eugene Bradford's Tennessee wife or Maggie Bradford's being deposed after his death.   In fact his obit painted him as a loving, caring, family man with many friends.   I'm sure in the later years of his life this was true.
       Eugene and Maggie Bradford are buried in the Kingston Township Cemetery and even though he had G.A.R. pallbearers they lie beneath a civilian stone.
       Note;
On Feb. 1, 2017 I located a pension file dated Jan. 14, 1916, included below, that seems to award no pension to either of the wives.

Nov. 26, 1901

The Commissioner of Pensions

Washington D. C.

Sir:
       I have the honor to return herewith claim of Ollie Bradford under Act of March 3, 1899.   As deserted wife of Eugene L. Bradford, Elgin Battery Ills. L. A. cerf. No. 701.548.
       The pensioners address is Kingston, DeKalb Co. Ills. and that of claimant is #23214 North 2nd St. Knoxville, Tenn.
       The claimant alleges marriage to the soldier at Knoxville Jan. 16, 1865, and he emphatically denies the marriage.   The paper was referenced for a special examination to determine whether pensioner and claiment were legaly married.   See Law Division letter in report of Special Examiner Hughes.
       The intial examination was made at pensioners home and he provided in his denial of the marriage through one of his own witnesses John Danvall, says he was married as alleged by the claimant.   The paper came to me for further examination in Knoxville, Tenn.   As to marriages etc.   The claimant was duly advised as to all her rights but she did not desire to be present at the examination of the witnesses.   She is a feeble old woman and is desperately poor.
       She appears to be very modest and timid and her reputation for truth as well as for character is first class   She did give birth to an illegitimate child before her marriage to the soldier, but as she says she advised him of this fact at his statements to Special Examiner Hughes shows that he did know of the child; but since her marriage to soldier her conduct, so far as I can learn, has been above suspician.   I do not think it necessary, as Special Examiner Hughes says, for this claimant to prove this she has had a continuous life of _______ ever led since her desertion by pensioner, but she has done it.   She was evidently singley attached to her husband and even to this day she seems truthful and loved him.   All these years she has cherished a little picture of him which he sent from Washington DC shortly after he left her.   She gave up the picture very reluctantly; she looked at it a long time and when she finally gavge it up I saw she was crying.   I promised that the picture should be returned to her.   Those who know her say she never seemed to think about any other man at all; that she was _______ in her husband.
       She never applied for any divorce (I have examined the records in both the circute and chancery courts) I thus examined the marriage record from 1838 to the present and there is no reportd of any license to her except this to her and soldier   The letter statements that Knoxville was under martial law and that no legal marriage could have taken place in Jan. 1865 is preposterous.   The suggestion that soldier was intoxicated and consequently knows nothing of the marriage is disproved by the fact that he wrote to his wife as such for several months and also sent her a picture.   This "Myer" mentioned in Mr. Hughes report was a Corporal of soldier and was married to claimants sister Matilda, before the marriage of soldier and claimant.   Myer came back after his discharge but left again and Matilda is dead.
       The evidence as to the identity of the soldier, pensioner, with the Eugene Bradford who married Ollie George is absolutely conclusive.
       Outside of the testimony, the signatures on the letter written to the claimant in 1865 is identical with those to the pension department.   Besides the picture obtained by Special Examiner Hughes is admitted by pensioner to be picture taken in Knoxville while a soldier is readily recognized as being a likeness of the same man who is shown in the picture given me by the claimant.   This evidence could hardly be more conclusive and further examination seems useless.
       When claim was refered upon the point of marriage alone, but as Special Examiner Hughes raised the other points.   I think it is proper to cover everything and then await any possible further reference to this district.
       As stated by Mr. Hughes, the pensioner is in "peculiar circumstances."   He is a bigamist and a perjurer, and I do not think he is entitled to any sympathy or consideration.   He married this poor woman and after leaving her wrote her in _______ letter and finally willfully deserted her.   Now that he is cornered he tries to blacken her character and says she was a common prostitute.   His family in Illinois may be entitled to sympathy, but he deserves a sentence in the penitentiary.   I recommend consideration of the chief of the Law Division.

Very respectily

H. G. Thelmian

Special Examiner

       Note;
The John Danvall noted in this text may in fact be John Dolan, a private in Renwick's Elgin Battery.






   Article: Jan. 28, 1902 issue Knoxville Journal & Tribune.

Romance Revealed

   A Romance with a satisfactory ending has been revealed by the announcement that Mrs. Eugene Bradford, commonly called "Granny" George, who resides at 206 Front street, had been granted a pension.  She is a hard working woman and the pension is much needed.
   She is entitled to the pension by reason of marriage to a solder of the civil war whom she had not seen since the regiment to which he belonged left Knoxville.  He was a soldier in blue who came to Knoxville with an Illino's regiment.  His name was Eugene Bradford, a handsome young fellow, it is said, who won the affections of a young and attractive Miss Ollie George, who soon became his wife.  They lived happily together while the regiment to which the soldier belonged remained here and when he left they kept up correspondence for two or three years.  Then suddenly their communications ceased and through such inquiry as she could make she concluded that he was dead and she mourned her widowhood.
   Recently it occurred to her that she was entitled to a soldier's widow's pension and made application.  The case was taking it's usual course and investigations were being made when it was discovered that her husband was not dead but lived in Illinois and was married to another woman.  The federal authorities have acted according to their information and considered that Mrs. Eugene Bradford, of Knoxville, was entitled to some fo the pension which the husband now draws, has cut his allowance in half and sends a part to her.  She has been notified of her good luck in getting a pension last week.  The only drawback to happy ending considering all the circumstances, is that the deserting husband still lives.  Where he dead the widow would get a larger pension.






   Article: Jan. 30, 1902 issue The Elgin Daily News.

TINTYPE TELLS TALE

   The News last evening gave the first information of a possible suit for bigamy against Eugene Bradford, formerly of Elgin.  It seems that the investigation of the question of his double marriage made by special government officers who recently visited Elgin came about through the filling of an application for pension by wife No. 1, who produced an old tintype given her by her husband many years ago for the purpose of an identification.
   An examination of the records of the pension office at Washington discloses the fact that Bradford, who married a Southern girl during the war, and who was believed by wife No. 1 to be dead when she applied for a widow's pension, is still alive.  With wife No. 2, if all the circumstances of the case are accurately stated, and there seems to be no room for a mistaken identity, Bradford is living now at Kingston, DeKalb county.
   Bradford is drawing a pension, and this fact led to the discovery that he is still alive after an investigation has been made, when the wife whom he married during the civil war applied for a pension.
   Eugene L. Bradford enlisted as a private in the Elgin Battery of light artillery.  As shown by the records of Knox county, Tenn., Eugene L. Bradford and Olley George were unit4ed in marriage on Jan. 16, 1865.  At that time Bradford was serving with the Elgin Light Battery.
   The couple lived together only a short time, and the husband went away with the battery, leaving a tintype with his wife to serve to remind her of him.  She subsequently received a number of letters from her husband.  On April 23, 1900, Mrs. Bradford of Knoxville, Tenn., believing her husband to be dead, filed an application for a pension as his widow.  In her claim she stated that her husband disappeared and that she had not heard from him since the close of the war.  Her claim was rejected because the records of the pension office showed that the soldier she clamed was her husband was not only still living, but was drawing a pension.,  Mrs. Bradford then filed an application for a division of Bradford's pension under the provision of the act of March 3, 1899.
   The pensioner denies that he ever knew any such woman as Olley George, and denies that he ever married her or was married at all until 1874, when it is said he married or went through the form of marriage with another woman.  The tintype left with the woman is identified as that of the soldier.
   Bradford's denial that he married Olley George is met by the positive statements of a comrade that he did so, and the records showing that the ceremony was actually preformed.  Mrs. Bradford resides at 214 Second street, Knoxville, Tenn.

       From the Oct. 18, 1902 issue of the Elgin Advocate

BRADFORD'S MATRIMONIAL WOES

He Is In Trouble for Pension Perjury, and Is Said to Have One Too Many Wives.

              Chicago, Oct. 16.   If Eugene L. Bradford is a perjurer now, as alleged, he has been a bigamist for twenty seven years, ans also is guilty of desertion, nearly forty years ago, the girl he is said to have married while serving as a soldier in the civil war, Bradford, who is 57 years old and lives at Kingston, Ills., was arrested on a charge of perjury.   Twenty-seven years ago, he married Maggie E. Welch.
       Two years ago a woman claiming to be Mrs. Ollie Bradford, of Knoxville, Tenn., applied for a pension as the widow of Eugene L. Bradford, formerly a private in the Elgin Battery of the Illinois Light Artillery.   The woman said she was married to Bradford at Knoxville on Jan. 26, 1865 and that she lost track of her husband a month afterward.   As the pension burau has a Eugene L. Bradford on its rolls the Knoxville's woman's claims was rejected.
       To examinors of the pension office Bradford admitted having been in Knoxville with the Union army in 1865, but denied any acquaintance with the woman who says she became his wife.   He has now been indieted for testifying falsely in regard to his wife's claim for a pension.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF PENSIONS

NO. 718,341.
Ollie Bradford
No. 1,032,175
Margaret E. Bradford
       Contesting widows,
Eugene L. Bradford,
Rennicks Indpt. Batty, Ill, Lt. Arty.
P.O. of Ollie, Knoxsville, Tenn.   P.O. of Margaret E. Kingston DeKalb Co. Ill.

Chicago, Ill. May 10, 1915

Hon. Commissioner of Pensions,

Washington, D.C.

Sir"-
       Herewith are returned the papers in the above described claim together with my report thereon.
       claim was sent to the S.E. Div. in pursuance of instructions Acting Chief Law Division to ascertain whether Ollie Bradford is still living whether she and soldier were divorced subsequent to the soldier's desertion of her.   Ollie drew half of soldier's pension up to April 4, 1914.   Also to confront the claimant Margaret E. Bradford of Kingston Ill. with the adverse evidence and give her an opportunity to rebut such evidence; or to prove, in any way, that she an, whether she and not Ollie is entitled to recognition as soldier's legal widow, and said Margaret should be confronted with the apparent false allegation in her declaration that soldier had never been married priore to his marriage to her (Margaret).   As a matter of fact does not Margaret know that soldier's pension was divided and one half was paid to Ollie as his deserted wife?
       I gave the claimant, Margaret E.Bradford, legal notice of this examination and explained to her the object of this Special Examination   She testifies that she married the soldier in good faith and never knew that soldier had a former marriage until about 15 years ago, when soldier began getting letters from a woman in Knoxville Tenn.   He then confessed to this claimant that he had been intimate with this woman, Ollie; had staid with her, but he denied that he was ever married to her.   She swears that he never would own that he was married to her; that she was a bad woman; that she and her sister run a bad house, and that solder and his chum (whose name she could not remember) used to stay with these sisters.   Margaret turned over to me a letter written by the former wife, Ollie Bradford, dated Knoxville, Tenn. Oct. 5, 1903, wherein Ollie threatens to come to Kingston, Ill. if she did'nt get her pension.   This letter, together with Margaret's statement, shows that she knew about the former wife, and that she drew half her husband's pension
       It is believed that Margaret E. has been erroniously advised.   She says that as she had lived with the soldier for 40 years and had born him six children and she felt that she was entitled to the pension.   She says that when she made out her application that she told Mr. Branch, the Notary, that soldier always denied that he was ever married to Ollie; that she is now sorry, that is was put sown, that he was never married until he married her, Margaret,   She blames it on Mr. Branch, and I had a talk with him and he blames it on her.   Mr. Branch is the Banker at Kingston, Ill. and is quite a prominent man.   There is no question but it was a well known fact to all of the citizens around Kingston, Ill. that soldier had a former wife to whom half his pension was being paid.   The claim for half of the pension was investigated at Kingston, Ill. and the soldier was arrested and taken to Chicago, UIll. by U.S. authority for false swearing in that claim, but got out of it in some way.   This is common knowledge in and around Kingston, Ill.
       There is an equity in this case.   Margaret E.Bradford is and always has borne a good character.   She married the soldier in good faith and innovent of a former marriage.   She lived with soldier for 40 years and bore him six children.   Ollie Bradford is shown by evidence to have been a bad woman (prostitute) before, and at the time of her marriage to soldier; been a bad woman since soldier left her in 1865.   She is not too old to have violated the Act of August 7, 1883, although that question has not been gone into.
       The claimant, Margaret, claims now that the soldier was a minor at the time he married Ollie, and is therefore illegal.   This point might homd good in Illinois, but we do not know how it would be under the laws of Tenbnessee.
     Note;
This written in long hand between the lines.
       (Age of consent males 14, females 12 in Tenn.)
       This investigation has developed the fact that soldier had two enlistments.   He first enlisted in Co. A 7. Ill. Inf. and took French leave and afterwards enlisted in Rennicks Battery.   This would indicate that he was a deserter.
       Claimant furnished a Bible record of soldier's date of birth to show that he was a minor when he married Ollie.   While this record is open to suspicion, yet it corresponds pretty well with he age at enlistment as shown by his discharge.   Claimant, Margaret, desires that this Bible record be returned to her when it has served its purpose.
       I shall recommend that soldier's record in Co. A. 7. Ill. Vol. Inf. be verified.   Then to the Law Div. for consideration.

Very respectifully

H. N. Patton

Special Examiner.

P. S.
       I made a search of the divorce records of Kane, Co. Ill. form 1865 1875 and the name of Eugene L. Bradford does not appear as plaintiff or defendent in divorce proceedings in said Court.   (See deposition Deputy Clerk)   It is shown that soldier lived in Kane Co., Ill. from discharge until he married Maqrgaret, excepting one sinter he and his father were in the "Pinneries" in Wisconsin.

P.

       From the U.S. Civl War Pension Index
Date - 1-14-16     JFC
Soldier - Eugene L. B radford
Widow - Ollie Bradford
Contest Widow - Margaret E. Bradford
Service - Renwicks Indpt. Batty Ill L A       A 7 Ill Inf
Date of Fillig - March 16, 1891
       Class - Invalid
       Application #1003608
       Certificate #701548
       State - Illinois
Date of Filling - April 23, 1900
       Class - Widow
       Application #718341
       Certificate #None
       State - Tenn.
Date of Filling - June 13, 1914
       Class - Contest Widow
       Application #1032175
       Certificate #None
       State - Illinois
Attorney - E. S. Weeden

Widow

Act of April 19, 1908.

718341

Ollie Bradford, Alleged widow of Eugene L. Bradford

Privatge, Wlgin Battery, Ills. L't Art'y.

Post-Office, 912 Ft. Sanders Ave, Knoville, Knox Co., Tenn.

And

Widow

Act of April 19, 1908

1032175

Margaret E. Bradford, alleged widow of Eugene L. Bradford

Private, Elgin Battery, Ills, L't Art'y.

Post-office, Kingston, DeKalb Co., Ills.

Post-Office Building, Knoxville, Tennessee, December 29, 1914

The Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, D. C.,

Sir:

I have the honor to herewith return the papers, and submit my report, in the matter of the special examination of the above described claims for pension.

This is a matter of contesting widows and was referred to this division for special examination as per instructions in the attached letter from the Chief of the Law Division. At the time the letter from the Law Division was written the claim 718341, of Ollie Bradford as widow had not yet reached the case.

It was only after considerable delay that I located the claimant Ollie. The address given in her declaration was that of her atttorney, and he did not know where she resided. When found I duly notified here of all her rights and privileges in the premises, which she waived.

She is now a very feeble old woman. She claims to be 79 years old but whether she accurately knows here age, being illiterate, I don't know. Her sister, who looks older and seems more feegle, claims to be 86 years old. But, however that may be, claimant is now an old and decrepet woman.

I found her living with her son, Wm. George, and, according to the testimony, she has made her home with him ever since he has been large enough to take care of her. The claimant's memory has undoubtedly failed some but, still, she seemed reasonabley intelligent and testified in a truthful manner. She is from a lower strats of society and has not had the advantages of any eduation, and the moral standards of her youth, and the surroundings in which she was resred, were not very good.

In war times she lived in a neighborhood largely given over to houses of prostitution, although the witnesses--some of whom I questioned confidentlally after I had taken their depositions---insisted that neither claimantr nor her sisters had ever been women of publick ill-fame, and that she had never lived ritht in contact with bawdy houses.

However that may be, claimant admits having given birth to two children before she met the soldier, and to two after he left her, but one of the latter she claims was his child. But we are not trying the claimant's character. Whatever she may have been in former years it is certain that nothing can be said against her moral character since soldier's death last April. Her age and physical infirmities eliminate that from the dase.

But claimant admuits having had two children born before she met the soldier, and she states taht she had passed her twenty-seventh birthday when they were married. If the soldier left his wife afgter a very short experience of married life, it was notr impossible that she had had a previous marital experience where, also, the husband had departed to parts unknown. For that reason I was anxiouys to obtin as definitre trestrimony as I could as to non pior marriage but, at this late date, it is hard to find any bodyt except her few living relatives. The neighborhood where claimant lived fifty odd years ago has beenb completely metamorphosed and noe of the residents of tht time are there and, in fact, they are presumably about all dead. Claimant's sister Edith is alive and I have obtained her testimony. She has a brother Houston considerably younger that herself, who is a pensioner, but he married again lately and moved off somewhere in the Big Smoky Mountains--this was about tow months ago--abd his present address is unknown. He still gets his pension mail at the residene of his daughter, Mrs. Pressley, in this city and intends to come to town when his next "draw" is due; but Mrs. Pressley could not tell me where exactly he was located in the mountains except taht he was in Sevier County. Under this state of affairs I can not locate him now, but I have made arrrangments to be notified as soon as he comes to town for his next check, and will then obtain a deposition from him.

The testimony herewith was the best and about all that claimant Ollie could suggest. The witnesses are mostly illitterate and of the same lower class as the claimant. Some were entirely disinterested; all testified in a truthful and positive manner; and I was impressed with the idea that they all told the truth according to their lights. They were all positive that claimant Ollie was not married before her marriage with soldier and had understood that her children born beefore the marriage were illegitimate.

I did not want to unnecessarily wound the claimant's feelings by asking her too poined questions, but I thought all the circumstances of the case warranted me in quizzing her a little closer than I might ordinarily. The fact that she had had children before meeting the soldier is enough of itself to raise a presumption of former marriage until the contrary is shown.

So, I asked her directly, who was the father of her oldest child William, and she answered that he was William Levi McCall; that he had wanted to marry her but she didn't want to herself; and that he subsequently married Marth Ann Burnett, who lived with him until her death; abnd then he left Knoxville and she knew no more about him.

On searching the marriage records of Knox County I found that "W. L. McCall and S. M. Burnett" were married June 28, 1860. I also personally inspeted the record of claimant Ollie's marriage with soldier, finding it in Vol. 3, Page 8, and giving the names of the principals as "Eugana Bradfored anbd Olley George," married Jan. 16, 1865.

It appears that claimant Ollie has lived in Knox County all her life, and in the city of Knoxville ever since she was a youg girl, and it would be desirable to search the Knox County marriage records and ascertain beyond a doubt whether she had married prior to marring soldier, but, unfortunately, there is no index to female names in said records.

The fact that claimat's son William George has always been known under his mother's maiden name is a fact to be considered also. Had he had a legal father it weems most likely he would bave been given that father's name.

I recommend further examination at Kingston, DeKalb Co., Ills., for the testimony of the claimant Margaret E.; for a search of the divorce records of the counties where soldier is known to have resided since his muster out of the servie; and for data for examination as to whethr he was previously married before his marriage with claimant.

Very Reespectfully,

________ F. Daviett

Special Examier.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF PENSIONS

NO. 718,341.

Ollie Bradford

No. 1,032,175

Margaret E. Bradford

       Contesting widows,

Eugene L. Bradford,

Rennicks Indpt. Batty, Ill, Lt. Arty.

P.O. of Ollie, Knoxsville, Tenn.   P.O. of Margaret E. Kingston DeKalb Co. Ill.

Chicago, Ill. May 10, 1915

Hon. Commissioner of Pensions,

Washington, D.C.

Sir"-

       Herewith are returned the papers in the above described claim together with my report thereon.

       claim was sent to the S.E. Div. in pursuance of instructions Acting Chief Law Division to ascertain whether Ollie Bradford is still living whether she and soldier were divorced subsequent to the soldier's desertion of her.   Ollie drew half of soldier's pension up to April 4, 1914.   Also to confront the claimant Margaret E. Bradford of Kingston Ill. with the adverse evidence and give her an opportunity to rebut such evidence; or to prove, in any way, that she an, whether she and not Ollie is entitled to recognition as soldier's legal widow, and said Margaret should be confronted with the apparent false allegation in her declaration that soldier had never been married priore to his marriage to her (Margaret).   As a matter of fact does not Margaret know that soldier's pension was divided and one half was paid to Ollie as his deserted wife?

       I gave the claimant, Margaret E.Bradford, legal notice of this examination and explained to her the object of this Special Examination   She testifies that she married the soldier in good faith and never knew that soldier had a former marriage until about 15 years ago, when soldier began getting letters from a woman in Knoxville Tenn.   He then confessed to this claimant that he had been intimate with this woman, Ollie; had staid with her, but he denied that he was ever married to her.   She swears that he never would own that he was married to her; that she was a bad woman; that she and her sister run a bad house, and that solder and his chum (whose name she could not remember) used to stay with these sisters.   Margaret turned over to me a letter written by the former wife, Ollie Bradford, dated Knoxville, Tenn. Oct. 5, 1903, wherein Ollie threatens to come to Kingston, Ill. if she did'nt get her pension.   This letter, together with Margaret's statement, shows that she knew about the former wife, and that she drew half her husband's pension

       It is believed that Margaret E. has been erroniously advised.   She says that as she had lived with the soldier for 40 years and had born him six children and she felt that she was entitled to the pension.   She says that when she made out her application that she told Mr. Branch, the Notary, that soldier always denied that he was ever married to Ollie; that she is now sorry, that is was put sown, that he was never married until he married her, Margaret,   She blames it on Mr. Branch, and I had a talk with him and he blames it on her.   Mr. Branch is the Banker at Kingston, Ill. and is quite a prominent man.   There is no question but it was a well known fact to all of the citizens around Kingston, Ill. that soldier had a former wife to whom half his pension was being paid.   The claim for half of the pension was investigated at Kingston, Ill. and the soldier was arrested and taken to Chicago, UIll. by U.S. authority for false swearing in that claim, but got out of it in some way.   This is common knowledge in and around Kingston, Ill.

       There is an equity in this case.   Margaret E.Bradford is and always has borne a good character.   She married the soldier in good faith and innovent of a former marriage.   She lived with soldier for 40 years and bore him six children.   Ollie Bradford is shown by evidence to have been a bad woman (prostitute) before, and at the time of her marriage to soldier; been a bad woman since soldier left her in 1865.   She is not too old to have violated the Act of August 7, 1883, although that question has not been gone into.

       The claimant, Margaret, claims now that the soldier was a minor at the time he married Ollie, and is therefore illegal.   This point might homd good in Illinois, but we do not know how it would be under the laws of Tenbnessee.

     Note;

This written in long hand between the lines.

       (Age of consent males 14, females 12 in Tenn.)

       This investigation has developed the fact that soldier had two enlistments.   He first enlisted in Co. A 7. Ill. Inf. and took French leave and afterwards enlisted in Rennicks Battery.   This would indicate that he was a deserter.

       Claimant furnished a Bible record of soldier's date of birth to show that he was a minor when he married Ollie.   While this record is open to suspicion, yet it corresponds pretty well with he age at enlistment as shown by his discharge.   Claimant, Margaret, desires that this Bible record be returned to her when it has served its purpose.

       I shall recommend that soldier's record in Co. A. 7. Ill. Vol. Inf. be verified.   Then to the Law Div. for consideration.

Very respectifully

H. N. Patton

Special Examiner.

P. S.

       I made a search of the divorce records of Kane, Co. Ill. form 1865 1875 and the name of Eugene L. Bradford does not appear as plaintiff or defendent in divorce proceedings in said Court.   (See deposition Deputy Clerk)   It is shown that soldier lived in Kane Co., Ill. from discharge until he married Maqrgaret, excepting one sinter he and his father were in the "Pinneries" in Wisconsin.

P.