Signature of Edward B. Walker Genealogy of Edward B. Walker
1756-1838, Duplin County, North Carolina - Sullivan, Claiborne, Hancock Counties, Tennessee

 

Charles Walker Correspondence


January 1938

In late 1937 or early 1938, a grandson of Edward's wrote his congressman; the actual letter, along with a newspaper clipping he included, were returned to the congressman and are not included in the pension record, but the general sense of them is clear from the two letters in the file. The clues within the two letters clearly identify the letter writer, Charles M. Walker, Edward's grandson, son of James Harvey Walker.

One letter in the file is from the congressman, J. Will Taylor, dated 22 January 1938, to the Veterans Administration asking for an explanation; the date on the reply is 7 January 1938 but is obviously incorrect. Taylor's letter was date-stamped as having been received at the Veterans Administration on 24 January, and the reply references it; the reply was probably really sent on January 27th.

The main story is that Charlie's father handed him a newspaper clipping about a woman who was the daughter of a War of 1812 soldier and who was receiving a pension because of that; in general, children were not eligible for pensions. Charlie presumably asked if his father were eligible. The Veterans Administration replied that, while the story was correct, that woman had been granted a pension by a special act of Congress as being a "helpless child" and that no law otherwise granted such pensions. The term "helpless child" is a curious one as she obviously would have been an adult; one would assumed that she was handicapped in some way, and politically-connected people wanted to help.

The congressman was James Willis Taylor, a representative from 1919 until his death in 1939. Additional research could probably be done within his records. All letters are on this page.

Congressional Letter

[handwritten at top:] Navy Bldg R-1841-51

[Letterhead; formatting not maintained, commas added:]
J. Will Taylor, 2nd Dist. Tennessee
Committees: Rules, Committee on Committees, Immigration and Naturalization, Public Buildings and Grounds
Dorothy Shultz, Secretary
Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

[typed letter:]

Mr. Geo. E. Brown, Director
Veterans Claims, Veterans Administration
Washington, D. C.

Dear Mr. Brown:

I am enclosing letter from Mr. Chas. M. Walker, 301 Raleigh Ave., Knoxville, which is self-explanatory. There must be some special reason why these two persons referred to in his letter are drawing pensions as a result of this service, and while Mr. Walker does not give the certificate or claim number I thought they might easily be located.

Please have them checked and advise me in the light of Mr. Walker's letter, and oblige

Yours very sincerely
J Wills T [original signature]

[handwritten below is a hard-to-read code that may be:] mcokm

[a receipt stamp is below]
Received
Jan 24 1938
Mail Sub-Div
Vets Adm
Cong. 3

Reply to Congressional Letter

January 7, 1938

Edward Walker
W. C. 26949
BA-J/MMHF:MLB

Honorable J. Will Taylor
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C.

My dear Mr. Taylor:

Reference is made to your letter of January 22, in behalf of Mr. Charles M. Walker, 301 Raleigh Avenue, Knoxville, Tennessee, who is interested in securing a pension for his father, based upon the service of his grandfather, Edward Walker, in the War of 1812. Mr. Walker states that his father, name not given, who is aged eighty-three years and a resident of McMinn County, Tennessee, handed him a newspaper clipping which contains the statement that a child of a soldier of the War of 1812 is receiving a pension, also, a woman in New York, both claims based upon service rendered in that war.

The one child of a soldier of the War of 1812 now in receipt of a United States pension was granted her pension by Special Act of Congress, as a helpless child, and not under any general law which would benefit other children or descendants of soldiers of that war. The other pensioner referred to is the widow of a soldier of the War of 1812.

There is now no provision of law under which Mr. Walker's father is entitled to pension based upon service of his father, Edward Walker, in the War of 1812. It is regretted, therefore that the Veterans Administration cannot grant him (Mr. Walker, of McMinn County, Tennessee) a pension.

Mr. Charles Walker's letter and the newspaper clipping are enclosed herewith.

It may be stated that the War of 1812 record has been found of an Edward Walker of Tennessee, whose widow, Sarah Crumley Walker, received a pension while residing in Hancock County, Tennessee. Should this be the record of Mr. Charles Walker's grandfather, it will be furnished him and his father upon request.

Very truly yours
A. D. Hiller
Executive Assistant
to the Administrator

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