I went back and took a new look at my ggrandfather's Texas Soldier's Application for a pension in 1914, it presents a lot of information, but it also brings up some questions. His name was Sgt. J.D. Calloway of Co. B, 15th Alabama Infantry. He had moved from Alabama to Texas as a physician with his wife and young daughter in 1872.
His application was filled out on a Form A. My question, is there a Form B. Maybe there was a form for veterans of Texas units and one for veterans of other state units, or could there be a form for indigent veterans and one for being a disabled veteran.
His application had many conditions to meet, here are some that caught my attention. He had to be a Texas citizen prior to Jan. 1, 1900 and live continuously in Texas, not have an income of more than $300 per annum, his home and personal property not valued at over $1000, not have any other aid or pension or be an "inmate" in a Confederate Home.
In answering some of the questions on the form it makes you wonder why he gave the answers he did. He said his occupation was a "physician", which was true, but he also had ran a farm/ranch. He could have just as easily said he was a farmer and show more of a need for the pension. When ask of his physical condition, he said it was "very poor", he was 74 years old at the time. Here's the question and answer that baffles me. When ask what his rank was during the war he says "I was only a private". He states that his net worth was the $1000 so as to meet the amount limit given, not sure if this was true or not. The form ask if he had transfered any property to anyone, his answer was "no".
The three men that signed an Affidavit of Witness were from his old unit, the 15th Alabama Inf. Co. B, they were now all living in Texas. One was his brother, Dr. William Calloway, he writes in a letter that is submitted with the application. He says that they grew up together in Midway, Alabama and enlisted together in 1861. But he never mentions that they are related. One of the other witnesses was a chaplain in Co. B 15th Alabama Infantry. He was disabled and out of the war due to being wounded in both arms from an exploding shell at Second Manassas. He says that while he was in the Unit he knew of J.D. Calloway to be only a private. This is true as he was out of the army when J.D. got a promotion for "meritorious conduct" at the Siege of Suffolks, Va. But you would think he had to know that his old friend had been a Sgt. lated in the war. The Chaplain was a preacher and friend of J.D. in Texas after the war.
I wonder why it was that important for them to say his rank "was only a private" and not his true rank of a Sgt. From the witnesses down to J.D. filling out the Application, they seem to be making him appear to be physically and financially in need. Maybe they knew how to work the system. He got his pension a few weeks later, and without mentioning that he was a noted war hero.