| Notes |
- Information obtained from:
Rootsweb family page "Decendents of John S. Bruner" by David Bruner,
[email protected]
James Alexander Hill moved his family from Florida to Texas via ship
through the Port of Galveston ca. 1870. Before that, he served in the
Confederate States Army as a private in Company F of the 5th Florida
Infantry, fighting at the Battle of Manassas, among others. As a young
bachelor, he caught "Florida Fever" like many of his neighbors in
Darlington Co., SC and moved to the wilds of Alachua Co., FL, where he
raised sugar cane and rice. On moving to Texas, the family spent two
years in Tarrant Co. before relocating to Montague Co., TX. He suffered
from diabetes as an old man. He reportedly was known by the nickname of
"Jimmy Cane". (info from Steve Wolfe)
James A. Hill applied for a Confederate Pension from Borden Co., TX,
application # 09436.
History of the 5th Florida Infantry (from National Park Service Civil War
Soldier and Sailor System):
5th Infantry Regiment completed its organization at Tallahassee, Florida,
during the spring of 1862. Companies that made up the unit were from the
counties of Santa Rosa, Baker, Polk, Calhoun, Okaloosa, Wakulla, Madison,
and Liberty. Ordered to Virginia with over 1,000 men it served in General
Pryor's, E.A. Perry's, and Finegan's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia.
The regiment fought with the army from Second Manassas to Cold Harbor,
then was active in the Petersburg trenches south of the James River and
the Appomattox Campaign. Only 1 man was wounded at Fredericksburg , but
the unit lost 6 killed and 22 wounded at Chancellorsville and thirty-five
percent of the 321 at Gettysburg . It surrendered with 6 officers and 47
men. The field officers were Colonels John C. Hately and Thomas B. Lamar,
and Major Benjamin F. Davis.
James A. Hill applied for a Confederate pension on 3 March 1902 in Borden
County, TX, FIle No 9436. He states he was 73 years old; had lived in
Borden Co. for 15 months, with a P.O. of Gail, TX. He states his
physical condition is "very bad", and that his disability is caused by
"three years in General Lee's army and old age." He state he enlisted in
Company F, 5th Regiment, Florida Volunteers and served three years. He
states he owns no property, in is indigent circumstances, and has resided
continuously in Texas since 1880. Witnesses H.W. Hale and D. Dorward Jr.
swear to the fact that James Hill is unable to support himself by labor
of any sort. A physician's affadavit by M.F. Sherrill, M.D. of Montague
Co., TX states that James A. Hill has "Hemorrhoids, partial paralysis
with general nervous debility and old age" on 12 March 1902. A second
physician's affadavit by E.A. Burnam of Borden Co., TX states that James
A. Hill has "Hemorrhoids, partial paralysis, chronic diabetic and general
nervous debility and old age" on 11 November 1902. Depositions were
made of Clayton Hill and Georgia Brown in Montague Co., TX. Georgia
Brown states she is 52 years old, that she lives six miles west of
Montague, with a P.O. of Montague, TX. She states she has known James A.
Hill all her life, first about 2 years in Suwannee County, Florida, and
then in Texas. She states she is the applicant's daughter and was living
at home at the time he enlisted in the services of the Confederacy, that
he enlisted and served as indicated above. She states "It has been but a
short time since I saw (the applicant) and he was then very feeble and
had been for quite a while before then and his being nearly 74 years old
I can safely say that he is not able to make his living by labor of any
kind." She states he never deserted. This was sworn to on 10 October
1902. Deposition from Clayton Hill states he is age 50, living in
Montague, TX. He has known James A. Hill all his life, first knew him in
Florida about 1852. He states he is the son of James Hill, that he "was
ten years old at the time he enlisted in the war and lived with him and
saw him leave for that purpose and saw him come home after the war had
closed and often heard him talk about his service in the Confederacy."
He verifies his service record and inability to support himself as
indicated above. Sworn to on 10 October 1902. Other witnesses are James
J. Foster, Thomas T. Hurst, and Joab Blackburn all of Suwannee County,
Florida, who attests to James Hill's service, that they served together,
that he saw him at the surrender and they returned home together, dated
3, 1 and 1 July 1899. James Hill's application for pension was approved
on 16 February 1903.
The Confederate pension for James A. Hill in Borden Co., TX (pension #
09436, issued 11/11/1902) indicates he received payments on the following
dates: 4/01/1903; 7/01/1903; 10/01/1903; 1/1/2004; 4/01/1904; 7/01/1904;
10/01/1904; 1/01/1905; 4/01/1905; and 7/01/1905. This would seem to
indicate that James Hill died sometime after July 1, 1905 but before the
next pension payment of October 1, 1905.
Florida Land Records
Name: JAMES A HILL
Land Office: NEWNANSVILLE
Sequence #: 1
Document Number: 3351
Total Acres: 40.13
Signature: Yes
Canceled Document: No
Issue Date: April 01, 1859
Mineral Rights Reserved: No
Metes and Bounds: No
Statutory Reference: 3 Stat. 566
Multiple Warantee Names: No
Act or Treaty: April 24, 1820
Multiple Patentee Names: No
Entry Classification: Sale-Cash Entries
Land Description: 1 SWNE Tallahassee No 2 S 14 E 17
1850 Census, Columbia Co., Florida, p. 76
James Hill, 23, farmer, no real estate value listed, b. SC
Sarah Hill, 26, b. NC
Mary Ross, 9, b. SC
Robert Touton, 5, b. SC
Evan Touton, 4, b. SC
(on same page are families of Elijah Caraway Sr. and Jr., plus Archibald
Caraway)
1860 Census
1870 Census
1880 Census, Montague Co., TX, ED 119, 362-A
James A. Hill, 51, head, farmer, b. SC, f.b. NC, m.b. SC
Sarah Hill, 46, wife, keeping house, b. SC, f.b. NC, m.b. SC
Rebel D. Hill, 13, son, farming, b. FL, f.b. SC, m.b. SC, in school
(on same page)
Henry Wristen, 32, farmer, lung disease, b. KS, parents b. KS
J.L. Wristen, wife, 19, keeping house, b. IL, parents b. IL
J.F. Wristen, son, 2, b. TX, f.b. KS, m.b. IL
M. Caraway, female, relationship not legible, 16, single, b. TX, parents
not listed
(on same page)
Abb Brown, head, 30, farmer, b. GA, f.b. SC, m.b. GA
Georgia, wife, 29, keeping house, entry in disability column illegible,
b. FL, f.b. SC, m.b. SC
Robert, son, 8, b. FL, f.b. GA, m.b. FL
William, son, 6, b. TX, f.b. GA, m.b. FL
Allice, dau, 3, b. TX, f.b. GA, m.b. FL
1900 Census, Montague Co., TX, west half of Just. Pct. 1, ED 46, p. 14-A
Louis H. Wristen, head, b. Aug 1851, 48, m. 22 years, b. KY, both parents
b. KY, farmer, owns farm free, schedule 157
Ada B. Wristen, wife, b. Sept 1862, 38, m. 22 years, has had 5 children,
4 still living, b. FL, both parents b. SC
Henry C. Wristen, son, b. April 1880, 20, b TX, f.b. KY, m.b. FL, farm
laborer
Dan M. Wristen, son, b. April 1882, 18, b TX, f.b. KY, m.b. FL, farm
laborer
Sallie V. Wristen, dau, b. Feb 1886, 14, b TX, f.b. KY, m.b. FL, at school
Florence E. Wristen, dau, b. May 1888, 12, b TX, f.b. KY, m.b. FL, at
school
James A. Hill, father-in-law, b. Nov 1828, 71, widowed, b. SC, f.b. N.C,,
m.b. SC
|
1828 - Abt 1905 (~ 76 years)
