Amanuensis Monday: Helping the Widow Padgett*

* The Civil War records I downloaded from fold3.com about my husband's Great Grandfather Jesse Padgett, provided a wealth of information about Jesse.  The records also included a number of papers pertaining to Jesse's widow and her efforts to secure a pension following his death.  Below I have transcribed two of the records involving Parthenia, the Widow Padgett.

Note from Confederate Records for Jesse Padgett
source: www.fold3.com

State of Georgia

Fulton Co

[no date]

I do hereby constitute and appoint Capt Thos E King my attorney to collect for me what is due to my deceased husband by Confederate States for services rendered and commutation for clothing and any pension that may be due me as his widow.

[signed] Partheny Padget X her mark

J. L. Wood [and] J Roswell King Witness

Letter from Confederate Records for Jesse Padgett
source: www.fold3.com

Office Ivy Woolen Mills
James Roswell King [and] Thomas E King
Roswell, Cobb Co., Ga, 10th Apr 1862

Mr. W A I Taylor, Auditor
Treasure Dept CSA 2nd Auditors Office
Richmond, VA

Dear Sir,

Enclose please find certificate marriage Parthany Padgett, widow of Jessee Padgett private Co H 7th Regt Ga Vol who enlisted as a recruit 22nd Aug 1861 and died at 2nd Ga Hospital Richmond Va 2nd Jany 62.  Also I send her power atty.  You will please send me certificate of amount due her as his widow and commutation for clothing and any dues that may be due her as I am under the impression that the pay of deceased soldiers was confirmed to their families.  I acknowleged rect of certificate for Mrs. Jno Gossett.  The claim of Mrs. Jas Burton which I have before you has not been attended to.  We rejoice with humility before God for the great victory over the vandal Yanks.  It makes me almost forget my wound.

Very truly yours
Thos E King, Capt
7th Regt Ga Vol.

Additional information pertaining to the note and letter:

• The note names Thomas E King as her attorney to act on her behalf.  It is not dated but was probably written on or before the April 10th letter.
• The letter seems to be the earliest correspondence seeking to obtain any death benefit due Parthenia Padgett by the Confederate States of America following the death of her husband Jesse Padgett.
• Thomas E King was one of the owners of Ivy Woolen Mills, Roswell, GA.  The company was a manufacturer of the "Roswell Gray wool" used in the manufacturing of Confederate uniforms.(1)
• Thomas E King was the captain of Company H, 7th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Pvt.Jesse Padgett's unit at the time of his death, 2 Jan 1862.  Capt King was wounded at the Battle of 1st Manassas,  21 Jul 1861.(2)
• Jno Gossett (John E Gossett), the 4th Sergeant of Co H, was wounded at the Battle of 1st Manassas and died from his wounds 14 Aug 1861.(2)
• Jas Burton (James A Burton), private in Co H, was wounded at the Battle of 1st Manassas and died from his wounds 8 Aug 1861.(2)

For me it was interesting to see that the Confederate States already had a system in place in its early days for attending to pensions for their soldiers or their widows.  There is significance also in seeing that Capt Thomas King was the attorney seeking pensions for the widows of three soldiers from his company.  As I have hear before, a good officer always takes care of his troops.  Whether he was paid to do so or not isn't as important as seeing how Capt. King was continuing to care for his men and their families.

(1) Brown, Fred, et al.  The Riverkeeper's Guide to the Chattahoochee. University of Georgia Press, 1997. Digital images, accessed through Google Books.

(2) Henderson, Lillian.  Roster of Confederate Soldiers in Georgia, vol. 1.  Hapeville, GA : Longine & Porter, 1959-1964.  Digital images.  http//www.hathitrust.org : 2013.