Castleberry, Robert - Military File; Georgia Submitter: Robert Risley [file obtained through NARA by Melissa Jones] Date: 1 Mar 2002 USGenWeb NOTICE: Libraries and individual researchers may download this file for personal, non-commercial use only. Any other use requires written permission from the transcriber. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. TIPS FOR SEARCHING RECORDS ON THE INTERNET Netscape & Ms Explorer users: If searching for a particular surname, locality or date while going through the records in the archives or anywhere....try these few steps: 1. Go to the top of the report you are searching. 2. Click on EDIT at the top of your screen. 3. Next click on FIND in the edit menu. 4. When the square pops up, enter what you are looking for in the FIND WHAT ___________blank. 5. Click on DIRECTION __DOWN. 6. And last click on FIND NEXT and continue to click on FIND NEXT until you reach the end of the report. This should highlight the item that you indicated in "find what" every place it appears in the report. You must continue to click on FIND NEXT till you reach the end of the report to see all of the locations of the item indicated. ***************************************************************************** Robert Castleberry joined the War of 1812 in August 1813. The fight with the English was largely carried out in the northeastern states, Canada and on the high seas. Many of the Indian tribes supported Britain because of their desire to drive out the white Americans. Tecumseh, a Shawnee leader, organized Indian resistance from different tribes and they fought the Americans on many fronts in the northeast. The Creek tribes in Mississippi Territory, now a part of Alabama, were divided. The northern Creeks, sometimes called Redsticks, because of their bright red war clubs, were united with Tecumseh. The southern Creeks, many who had taken on the White Man's way of life, supported the Americans and were viewed as the "friendly" Creeks. The Redsticks went on the warpath in the summer of 1813 and began attacking settlements. This war is often called the Creek War of 1813-14, but is considered part of the War of 1812. The Indians didn't get a lot of attention until they attacked Fort Mims, about 45 miles north of current day Mobile, Alabama, in August 1813. The Indian force outnumbered the defenders by two to one and all 340 American soldiers at the fort were killed, along with a couple of hundred civilians. News of the massacre reached Tennessee and Georgia quickly. Andrew Jackson assembled about 5000 volunteers from Tennessee and was joined by friendly Creeks and Cherokee forces. Men from Georgia and other states enlisted in the army to avenge the Fort Mims massacre and kill or drive out the Redsticks. Robert Castleberry, who was about 25 years old at the time, heeded the call. He traveled over 100 miles from his home in Jones County, Georgia to Augusta and enlisted for a 6-month term with the First Brigade of the Georgia Militia, commanded by Brigadier General John Floyd. His Company was the Augusta Regulars, commanded by Captain Willoughby Barton. He enlisted on August 20, 1813. Robert's unit marched to the Mississippi Territory (current day Alabama) and helped with the construction of Fort Mitchell, near present day Columbus, Georgia. Floyd's regiment set out from Fort Mitchell to Autossee (sometimes spelled Auttose) on the Tallapoosa River, near present day Montgomery and engaged Chief Mad Dog's Tookabatchee warriors there on November 29, 1813. The militia had about 950 men and Mad Dog's warriors numbered about 400. Eleven of the militia were killed and 54 were wounded, including Robert Castleberry. Two hundred Indians were killed. Robert was wounded in the leg by a musket ball and his wound was thought to be mortal, although he did survive. He remained in the service for six months and was discharged on March 1, 1814 at Milledgeville, about 15 miles east of his home in Jones County, Georgia. He later returned to the Montgomery area to live. He purchased land in Lowndes County, Alabama, about 50 miles from the Autossee battle site. Melissa Jones obtained Robert Castleberry's pension file from the National Archives. Melissa is a direct descendant of Robert and Mary Castleberry. We believe that Mary Castleberry was the sister of John Forrest. Robert applied for both a pension and a bounty land warrant in the 1850s as a result of his War of 1812 service. The National Archives has the two files mixed up. The Bounty Land Warrant file was sent when the pension application was ordered and vice versa. Because of the pension file's faded writing, cumbersome language and long sentences, my wife, Judy, and I transcribed the file to make it more readable. We have taken the liberty of adding punctuation to clarify long sentences and our notes are shown in italics. Where words are illegible either a blank, or a possible word followed by a question mark is used. Capital and lower case letters seemed to be used interchangeably in the original. Capitalization was corrected in order to improve readability. Robert Risley 1/5/2002 The first part of the file contains the original pension application submittal, which contains statements from both Robert Castleberry and John Forrest on December 19, 1854. State of Arkansas County of Bradley On this 19th day of December A. D. 1854 personally appeared before me, Alvin Bartlett, Clerk of the Circuit Court for the County aforesaid, duly authorized to administer oaths within and for the County and State aforesaid. Robert Castleberry, aged 66 years, a resident of Bradley County in the State of Arkansas, who being duly sworn according to law, declared that he is the identical Robert Castleberry who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain W. Barden in the Regiment of United ______ commanded by Maj. Gross & Col Boothe & Col. Harris in the war with the Creek Indians under the name of "Augusta Regulars". That he volunteered at Augusta, Georgia the = (no date is shown) day of August, AD 1813 for the six month (period) and was in general service 7 months and honorably discharged at Milledgeville in Geo. on or about last of Feb. A. D. 1814 as noted(?) by the muster rolls of said company. He makes this Declaration for the purpose of obtaining the Pension to which he may be entitled to as a wounded soldier, that he was disabled in the actual service of the United States, and in the line of his duty, and that the disability he received was a shot in the thigh and said wound was by my Surgeon, G. Williamson, pronounced mortal, and he is still very much afflicted by said wound. /s/ Robert Castleberry Sworn to and subscribed before me this 19th day of Dec. 1854. In testimony whereof hereunto set my hand and affix the Seal of my Office at Warren this day & date as above. /s/ Alvin Bartlett, Clerk State of Arkansas County of Bradley I, John Forrest, of the aforesaid County & State, do Solemnly (swear) that I am and was at the time set forth in the annexed and foregoing Declaration of Robert Castlebury, personally well acquainted with the aforesaid Robert Castlebury, and know the facts as they are set forth in the foregoing Declaration to be correct in relation to his wound and disability, So help me God. Dec 19th 1854 /s/ John Forrest Sworn to and subscribed before me. /s/ Alvin Bartlett, Clerk The above pension claim was apparently sent to the Commissioner of Pensions Office in December 1855, who referred the claim to the 3rd Auditor in the Treasury Dept. for review on January 18, 1855. There is one letter contained in the file, written January 19, 1855 from 3rd auditor, Robert Jamison, to the Third Auditors' Official in the Treasury Department, who was probably his boss. He copied the letter to L. P. Waldo, esq., Commissioner of Pensions. Invalid Pension Treasury Depart. Third Auditors Official Janr'y 19, 1855 Sir: From documents on file in this Office, it appears that Rob't Castlebury, a private of Captain Willoughby Barton's Company applying _____ entered the service on the 20th of August 1813 until the 1st of March 1814, the expiration of the Company's service. The Muster Rolls of the above Company upon which the applicant is simply mustered, "Present", without remark, furnish no evidence of disability incurred, whilst in the service. I am respectfully Your Obt. Sevt.(Obedient Servant) Robt. Jamison Third Auditor (Copy to) L. P. Waldo, Esq. Commissioner of Pensions The pension files contain an internal note that might have been an attachment to the above letter because it was dated the same day: Rec'd Jany. 19/55 Alleged. En't. in Augst/13 for 6 mos. (Capt. Willoughby Barton disch'd last of February/14" T. Houxey - 65 20 Augst/13 - 30 Sept/13 - 0 to 1 March/14 - 0 It looks like the auditor confirmed Robert's service for August 20, 1813 to March 1, 1814. Although we cannot say for certain, the word, "Alleged" may have been noted to show that these were the facts given by Robert that needed to be investigated. The date notations at the bottom appear to be a summary of days absent during the timeframe of Robert's enlistment. The pension files contain two index cards, which reflect the actions taken by the Pension Commissioner's office. The first action referred the claim to the Third Auditor, who responded in the above letter. The other two actions show that letters were sent, presumably to Robert Castleberry, on February 23, 1855 and September 20, 1855. Unfortunately, these letters are not contained in the files. The February letter apparently provided Robert Castleberry the findings of the Third Auditor and requested more proof for the claim. As a result, Robert obtained more affidavits. The Bradley County, Arkansas County Clerk, took these affidavits between May 24, 1855 and July 28, 1855. They included: (1) statements by Robert regarding his military service, whose signature was witnessed by John Brady and Alan Bobo, (2) a statement from John Forrest, who stated that he knew him in Jones County, Georgia at the time of his service and that Robert was a truthful man, (3) a statement from Charles Twain, a local doctor, who examined Robert's wound and described it and finally, (4) at statement from Reverend Uriah Parker, who attested to his moral character and that he believed he should get the pension. The affidavits are shown below. State of Arkansas ) ) County of Bradley ) On this 24th day of May, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-Five personally appeared before me, Alvin Bartlett, clerk of the Circuit Court, and ex-officio clerk of the County Court for the County aforesaid, Robert Castleberry, aged sixty-eight years, a resident of Bradley County in the State of Arkansas who being duly sworn according to law declares that he is the identical Robert Castleberry who enlisted in the service of the United States as a private in the company commanded by Capt. William Barton in the War with Great Britain declared by the United States on the 18th day of June 1812 and was honorably discharged on the 28th day of November (time or near then) 1814 (Originally, February was written in and then crossed out). On account of being wounded, or rather, his discharge, was styled a furlough, which discharge has done been consumed accidentally in the flames. On the 28th or 29th day of November 1814 that while in the service and in the line of his duty he received the following described wound, to-wit: a rifle ball shot by an Indian as he was advancing, which ball struck him on the inside of his leg, a little below the hip and passed out on the outside of his leg or hip, the ball being shot from under the bank of the Tallapoosa River and he, being on the bank, caused it to range upwards. This was done at Attesee (Autossee) Town, then in the Indian Nation, now Alabama. He states that to the best of his knowledge this took place and the same day that he received his discharge his wound was pronounced mortal by his physician. He further states that in his situation it is impossible for him to get the evidence of a commissioned officer in the support of his case, that they are all out of his knowledge many of whom are dead. He states his officers were first Gen'l. Hog, then Gen'l. Floyd, Col. Boothe and Maj. Gross. Capt. Barton is dead and I have no knowledge of the others. I have got my living by farming and have made shoes when not able to farm and have so worsened(?) along; was three years after the wound before I was able to do anything at all. I then lived in Geo., and afterwards lived 19 years in Lowndes County, Alabama. I then moved to Arkansas in 1840 where he has since lived. /s/ Robert W. Castleberry Sworn to and subscribed before me Alvin Bartlett, Clerk. I hereby certify that I have no interest in this claim. /s/ A. Bartlett, Clerk State of Arkansas County of Bradley Personally appeared John Brady and Alan H. Bobo, residents of the County of Bradley, persons whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit and who being by me duly sworn say that they were present and saw Robert Castleberry write his name to the foregoing declaration and they further swear that they have every reason to believe from the appearance of the applicant and their acquaintance with him that he is the identical person he represents himself to be and that we reside in the County aforesaid and that said Castleberry is a man of good moral character and a man who has become very deaf and feeble and is not in a situation to obtain a livelihood by his own exertions. /s/ John Brady /s/ Alan H. Bobo Sworn to and subscribed before me /s/ Alvin Bartlett, Clerk State of Arkansas County of Bradley Personally appeared before me the undersigned clerk on the 24th day of May, John Forrest, personally well known to me as a man of credit and honor, who after being by me duly sworn as the law directs, doth depose and say that he was a neighbour of Robert Castleberry whose name appears to the foregoing declaration at the time said Castleberry enlisted into service. He was a ________nst man at that time we both lived in Jones County, Geo. I did not see him shot, but knowing him to be a man that never departs from the truth I am as well satisfied with his statement as if I had been present & saw the same. I saw him shortly afterwards and have often heard persons speak of the circumstance, who saw the transaction, but whether those persons are yet alive, I cannot say, as I left that country many years ago and grew(?) old(?). I knew his surgeon Geo. Williamson, who attended to his wounds, and have heard him state that the said Castleberry was wounded at Attesee (Autossee) Town on the Tallapoosa River by a rifle ball shot by the enemy and that he considered him mortally wounded and returned him as such, and further, it was the common talk of the community and I have never heard the fact of his being so wounded, as set out in his declaration, doubted. I knew his officers from report but was not intimately acquainted with them. To the best of my knowledge they are either dead or so removed that I know not how their testimony can be had. /s/ John Forrest Sworn to and subscribed before me. /s/ Alvin Bartlett, Clerk State of Arkansas County of Bradley It is hereby certified that Robert Castleberry who states he was a Private in the Company commissioned by Officer Barton in the 1st Regiment of the United States _________, who I have every reason to believe was such Private as aforesaid, is rendered unable of performing the duty of a soldier by reason of a wound inflicted while he was in actual Service aforesaid & in the line of his duty. By satisfactory evidence & accurate examination, it appears that on the 29th day of November 1814 being engaged in Battle in the Revolutionary War of 1812 at or near the place called Attesee (Autossee) Town in the Indian nation, formerly but now Montgomery County Ala~. I, Charles Swain, M. D. do hereby certify that I have this day examined said wound and find that the said Robert Castleberry received said wound in the thigh from a ball. Said ball ranged obliquely upwards injuring in its course the Cunal(?) Nerve. For two years the limb was entirely useless. Since that time it has caused him much uneasiness, being troubled with Tetanis _______; it does not entirely disable him but gives him great uneasiness, as he is obliged to labor for a support. I would think that it injured him. /s/ Cha. Twain Sworn to & Subscribed before me /s/ Alvin Bartlett, Clerk State of Arkansas County of Bradley I, Alvin Bartlett, Clerk of the Circuit Court ex-officio Clerk of the County Court do hereby certify that I have no interest whatever in the aforesaid claim of Robert Castleberry and that in my opinion it is impossible to obtain the certification of any of the commissioned officers & through the urgent request of the claimant, together with my belief of his being justly entitled to a pension, I send this informal and imperfect Declaration. In testimony whereof I hereto set my hand and affix the Seal of my Office at Warren this 28th day of July 1855. /s/ Alvin Bartlett State of Arkansas County of Bradley I, U. H. Parker, an ordained Minister of the Missionary Babtist(sic) Church do say that Robert Castleberry is a man of good moral habit and the man that he referred himself to be in his Declaration and the parts as set forth in said declaration are true to the best of my knowledge & belief. I did not see him wounded but from report and all reasonable conclusion, it evidently is the case as set forth in the declaration. My brother was a soldier in the same army and have often hear him speak of it and I have often heard many others who were in the army speak of the circumstance. I was at that time a wagoner in the Army and was well posted up in the matters & movements of the army generally and from the veracity of the said Castlebury and from all circumstances, full perfectly confident that the declaration, as set forth, is true in every respect, and further I state that the said Castlebury is a very poor man and unable to procure a livelihood by his own industry and I verrily(sic) believe him to be justly entitled to a pension & hereby certify that I have no interest in Said claim. /s/ Uriah H. Parker Sworn to & Subscribed before Me. /s/ Alvin Bartlett, Clerk State of Arkansas County of Bradley I, Alvin Bartlett, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Ex-officio Clerk of the County and Probate Court for the aforesaid County of Bradley, do hereby certify that I am personally well acquainted with John Forrest and Rev. U. H. Parker, & have been for years, and know them to be credible men, & men whose veracity cannot be doubted, both of whom are residents of the aforesaid County of Bradley. In testimony whereof I hereto set my hand and affix the Seal of my office at Warren this July 28th 1855. /s/ Alvin Bartlett, Clerk Note in margin: I hereby certify that I have no interest in said clm. /s/ Alvin Bartlett, Clk. The above affidavits, completed on July 28, 1855 were apparently sent to the Pension Commissioner's Office shortly thereafter. The Commissioner was still not satisfied that the claim for pension was justified and the September 20, 1855 letter was sent to Robert Castleberry rejecting his pension claim. One of the index cards is stamped "REJECTED". In order to receive the pension the veteran had to show he was disabled as a result of a wound or injury incurred while in the service. Robert's service record did not mention the wound so he could not prove that he got it while in the Georgia militia. Robert had stated that his discharge papers were lost in a fire. The Commissioner did verify that Robert has served for six months, so service was not the issue. Robert put his statements together from memory about 40 years after being wounded and some error or confusion can be expected. He stated that he was in the battle of Autossee on or about the 28th or 29th day of November 1814. He was right about the day, but was off on the year, which was actually 1813. In his original affidavit on December 19, 1854 Robert stated correctly that he was discharged the end of February 1814. In his second affidavit of May 24, 1855 he state that he was discharged November 28, 1814. He apparently was mixing up the date of his wound, November 28 or 29, 1813, with the date of his discharge, March 1, 1814. Robert also applied for an additional Bounty Land Warrant on May 24, 1855 for his War of 1812 service. That was approved and he was given 80 acres in 1856. This was in addition to the original 80 acre Land Warrant he received in 1851.