Civil War Pension Records

Military Records are a very good resource to gather information on your family. In our family we have many Enlistment Records, War records etc. These have all been used to document the family tree. As you will be interested to note: Many of these records misspell names, are misfiled, in rather dismal condition after all these years. Working along side other genealogist you learn to use *wild cards, soundex, and searches to reach obscure data. These records are then second referenced to support the information.
After the Civil War, there were so many widows and orphans, an attempt was made to provide for these families. Congress set up petitions for "pardons" and pensions. Congress made no promises, but encouraged families to petition for these pensions. These petitions are packed full of family history. This is a great find for genealogist. The trick is to get the index card number. Without the index card number, there is little hope to find your data. The families were encouraged to complete two petitions one for the federal government and one for the state government. After many years, Congress did pass law and pensions only the Union solidiers. Confederate solidiers were compensated by their own individual states only.

Following is a copy of the email I sent to Tenneessee. I was able to find index card number, by the index card number, they will be able to locate her pension records. Sometimes these pension records include pages and pages (I have heard of up to 80 pages) of information on the family, Maybe we will see samples of Eliza's handwriting. Sometimes it takes a long time for the Tenn officials to process the request, find the records, and send a copy. But these records will be included in the book I write about Eliza Jane set to publish in 2010.

Following a copy of my Email to request copy of her pension records.
I found a "close match" for my direct g-g-grandfather John William Hayley (other spellings include Haley, Hyley, Heley) who was married to Eliza Jane Mooring in 1850. Eliza Jane Mooring
Spouse: John W Hayley
Marriage: 1 Apr 1850 - Madison

I think he enlisted in the 9th regiment of Tenn originally and then was commissioned as a Captain, his regiment joined a regiment in Alabama. In this battle in Alabama,
Captain John William (Haley) Hayley was mortally wounded



I found what I believe is Eliza's Pension Application Index Card
Name: Eliza J. Haley
Soldier Name: J. S. Haley
State Served: TN
Application Type: Widow
Application Numbers: W3387
Application Location: Smith, TN
Note: The name Haley, Eliza J. appears on a Tennesse Confederate Application
Info: A photocopy of this pension application may be obtained from the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Please contact the Tennessee State Library and Archives for pricing and availability

Anything you can help me with will be greatly appreciated.


Warmest Regards,
Ruth Himan
address: 350 Third Ave #205
Chula Vista, Calif 91910


AS you can see Hayley is misspelt, It indicates J.S. Haley etc. Because of these errors it would have been easy to conclude that this record does not apply. But I will send for the information, and "if" the data is available I will be able to review it for second resources to be able in fact declare this is a document of our family member.

Eliza Jane Mooring Hayley Works

This is Eliza Jane Mooring (my great great grandmother) She is the mother of John Christopher Hayley (my great Grandfather), My grandfather, Claude William Hayley's father. Her legacy is a true testament of the strong willed, heartbreaking, women of her time. I plan to write a book just of her and her sisters. This book I plan to release the end of 2010. I have already set goals for 2009 and early 2010. I will be traveling back to her families land and her families cemetery. Her family already has been recorded. The information I entered on the Moorings, I read in a book titled Families of Wyatt Mooring past and present written by Isabelle Algee. The picture you find attached above also came from this book.

So how can I be so sure this woman is indeed my great great grandmother?? How can I be sure that she and all her other family is indeed related to the children of Claude William Hayley Jr born in 1924?? I will now follow, in this blog, with my back up documentation. But genealogy is not just a bunch of library reference number or names, dates and locations. This woman has a rich and exciting life to share. Reading these stories are like reading novels but only they are true and happened to your family.


1829
27 Nov Birth
Madison County, Tennessee2 source citations 1900 United States Federal Census 1880 United States Federal Census1850

1 AprAge: 20 Marriage to John William Haley
Madison County, Tennessee1875

Age: 46 Marriage to Ephraim Elijah Work 1880

Age: 51 Residence
Johnsons Station, Tarrant, Texas, United States1 source citation 1880 United States Federal Census1900

Age: 71 Residence (with her oldest daughter and family)
Whitewright, Grayson, Texas1 source citation 1900 United States Federal Census1905

AprAge: 75 Death (in her families plot with her two small children, and parents, along with other Moorings) I, Ruth Himan, received a list of all Moorings buried in this cemetery from the cemetery itself.
Lake County, TennesseeBurial
Mooring Cemetery, Lake County, Tennessee

These are the children Eliza and John William Hayley born 1829 – died 1874) reported in the census:

Martha J Haley 1853 – (Later in life Elza goes to live with this daughter and her husband)
Wyatt A. Haley 1857 – 1867 (the circumstances of his death and burial is sad)
Josephine Haley 1860 – 1868 (the circumstances of her death,only one year later, and burial is also sad)
James Hayley 1863 – 1934
Charles Hayley 1868 –
John Christopher Hayley 1870- Our Great Great Grandfather was the baby of the family. His father dies when he is 4 years old after years of suffering and pain, from a mortal wound received in the war.

IN 1874 Mr. John William Hayley passes away. This is a story of sacrifice, heroism, courage and extraordinary sadness. John William Hayley's military service records are documented in Civil War Books, Articles, in Eliza Jane's pension petition, I am including copies of all these publications in the family history I am writing.

But I like to believe that when John and Eliza were first married on April 1, 1850 that it was a very joyful union, because the
Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002
about Eliza Jane Mooring
Name: Eliza Jane Mooring
Spouse: John W Hayley
Marriage Date: 1 Apr 1850
Marriage County: Madison
Marriage State: Tennessee


Source Information:

Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2008. Original data: Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. Nashville, TN, USA: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Microfilm.

Description:
This database contains marriage records from the state of Tennessee from 1780-2002. Information that may be found in this database for each entry includes bride and groom's names, marriage date, and marriage county


has their names take up a whole page in the ledger and a little after scribble to their names.




In 1880 Eliza marries Mr Works (this copy of his photo was emailed to me.)



This family study has me reading Civil War Records, Land Deeds, Indian Treaties, along with newspaper articles, court records, etc.

Thank you for allowing me to share a little bit of the work with you. I now have over 3000 names, over 1000 resources, 300 photos,

I am opening a new blog for the Cancimillas, I have one on the Himans, and then I have a more technical blog regarding genealogy in general.