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Descendants of William and George Phelps
Deposition of Thomas J. Claggett, Son of claimant
[In answer to the Standard Interrogatories]
Qn 1 My name is Thomas J. Claggett. I am 35 years old, a farmer and live about 2 1/2 miles from Manassas where I have resided since Dec 1867.
Qn 2 I am a son of the claimant.
Qn 3 I was residing with her when the War began on her farm near New Baltimore in Fauquier County Va and remained there until I moved to Prince William Co.
Qn In 1859 my mother who was then a widow fell heir to an estate in Mississippi which she sold in 1860 for $26,000, and received a cash payment of $8,000 and bonds for $18,000 payable in one, two and three years.
Qn The same year she purchased the farm where we lived near New Baltimore for $9,000 and paid $3,000 in cash. She afterwards paid the balance when she sold the place in 1867. Previous to 1859 she had no property at all and was regarded as worth nothing. On account of the destruction by the war, the bonds which were secured by a deed of trust on the place and also by two wealthy planters as sureties were not paid, and all that she will be able to recover after paying all expenses will be about $2,000 for the $18,000 and fifteen years interest due her on the property sold in Missippi. Of the $8,000 which my mother received from Mississippi she paid $3,000 for the farm where we lived in Fauquier County, $2,300 for a farm she purchased near Haymarket in Prince William Co. for my sister Virginia S. King the wife of Craven J. King, and laid out the balance of the $8000 in stock and farming implements before the war began, and had our place nicely stocked and fenced.
Qn The farm contained 270 acres. It was all enclosed with a good post and rail and stone fence, and divided into 9 fields. With rail and stone fences, mostly rails.
Qn 5 My sympathies and my mothers were always on the side of the Union. She had no sympathy with the war, and always told me not to join the army, and when the conscript officers were after me she would secrete me and when I was in the bushes she would bring me food. The conscript officers were often after me, and I would give them the dodge, and leave for Prince Wm Co or some secret place until the Union forces would come again when I would go home. The Union troops never molested me. I have a brother, only one, his name is Benjamin F. Claggett. He is older than me. He was not in the Army. He went to Illinois in the Spring of 1862. He had lived there before and came home in 1860 and was here when the war began. He came home in the fall of 1860. My mother had promised him a thousand dollars when she got the next payment from Mississippi which was due in the spring of 1862, but the bond was not paid, and in the meantime the war began and all communication with the north was cut off and my brother was not able to get away until after the evacuation of Manassas by the rebels, when the Union forces came up and my brother then went to Illinois, my mother giving him money to go with. He was a decided Union man. He has lived in Illinois ever since at Lexington McLean County.
Qn 6 No sir. I did not.
Qn 7 & 8 I was willing, and did do anything I was safe in doing. I fed the Union troops frequently and their horses too without charge.
Qn 9 None nearer than second cousins. I had a half brother named Sanford Claggett living in Lexington Illinois (where my brother lived) who was an active supporter of the Union cause in getting with Regiments & c.
Qn 10 & 11 No sir.
Qn 12 I took the side of the Union. I heard my mother also often speak against secession, and I thought it wrong to break with the Union. I was not of age at that time and was not entitled to a vote, but I felt such an interest in the question that I went to the polls and voted for the Union candidate for the Secession Convention. I remember this distinctly because it was the first vote I ever cast. My brother was here then, but was not a citizen and did not vote.
Qn 14 I was very sorry of the defeat of the Union forces at Manassas. I was in hopes the war would be ended there. I was glad of the other Union victories referred to and of the final surrender of the Confederates.
My mother was always rejoiced when the Union army was successful and the Union course was prosperous.
Qn 15 We were given guards to protect our property by Gen Pratt & Gen Bartlett of Sedgwicks Corps.
Qn 16 I never had any occasion to take the iron clad oath: I took the oath of allegiance in Washington in 1862, soon after the rebels evacuated Manassas.
Qn 17 The only out and out Union man I knew of around our neighborhood was Wm A. Pattie of Warrenton who then lived about 4 1/2 miles from Warrenton near our place. He was regarded as a Union man by everybody I heard speak of him. Our families were not intimate.
Qn 18 I don't know of any threats, but the Conscripts Officers came after me a dozen times or more. At all times night and day, and i have had to fly from them many times and conceal myself.
Qn 19 No Sir I always managed to escape.
Qn 20 Yes. They took two horses, a stack of oats and two wagon loads of corn from my mother while they were camped at Manasses. They never paid anything for it, nor offered to.
Qn 21 to 34 No Sir.
Qn 35 On two occasions I got passas to go home where I had gone to the camp to try to get pay for a horse and some corn the Rebels had taken from us. I took no oath to get the pass.
Qn 36 I had but one relative in the Rebel army. He was a cousin a Captain Jas D. Kirby from Warrenton. He was a Lieutenant in the Militia before the war and his company was called into the service.
Qn 37 & 38 No Sir.
Qn 39 Yes. I took the amnesty oath at Warrenton after the war. I took it because I thought it the duty of all good citizens to do it.
Qn 40 to 43 No Sir.
Qn 44 I was not of age, but I voted, as before stated for the Union delegates. Our family were all opposed to secession and the rebellion.
Qn 45 to 51 No Sir. I and all our family were Union people.
In answer to questions concerning the [begin underlin] Property [end underline] depenent says.
Qn 66 The property all belonged to the claimant when taken, part of it was purchased and part was raised on the place, such as the corn, hay grain hogs and [becon?].
Qn 67 The farm is situated near New Baltimore in Fauquier co. and contains 271 acres about 40 acres was in timber, bout 100 acres was under cultivation - the balance in grass.
Qn 68 No Sir.
Qn 72 I was present on the place when the property was taken and saw it taken.
Qn 73 I suppose some wood was cut, and rails were burnt in the night.
Qn 74 Yes I complained to Gen Sedgwick that so much of our property was taken and none left for our own use and support. He replied that he supposed it was necessary for the Army to have the property. He once directed a Quarter Master to give me a receipt for a horse, which has been paid.
Qn 75 I got a receipt from Gen Pratt's QMs also which was paid by him.
Qn 76 The only payments made are those above stated for $140.
Qn 77 they were camped all over our place at the time. It was Gen McClellan & Army that took it.
Qn 78 I saw it nearly all taken. I saw the troops using it from time to time. all the property named in the petition except that named in items 10 & 11. And four of the six horses named in item seven was taken by the Army of Gen McClellan while camped on and around the farm in the fall of 1862 during which time Gen Burnside took command. Gen McClellan took leave of the Army on our farm.
Item 1 Wood
The wood named in this item was standing timber which was cut and used for camp purposes by diferent portions of the Army. Some of it was hauled away on Army wagons. There was 40 acres of the timber. It was all there was on the place. This was all cut off except a few scattering trees not worth much. It was estimated that this land would cut about 40 cords to the acre. It was heavy timber, mostly white oak and chestnut. The timbered land was valued at $100. per acre before the war. It was large and standing thick on the ground.
Item 2 Barn
The barn was about 25x40 feet with a shed the whole length. This was stripped of the plank and flooring after the grain and hay had been used. The plank was used for making bunks and tables and other purposes, and for the base of their tents. I often saw the men carrying the plank off. There was one Brigade camped close around our house, and the Gen had his Rd Scouters [?] in our house. He was a Polish general. When these troops moved away our barn was burnt, what was left of it. I don't know whether accidental or otherwise. It was a superior building - could not be built for $500.
Item 3 Wheat
The wheat was taken from our barn and hauled away in Army wagons. I had threshed my wheat oats only two days before the Army came there and had measured it into the grainery and had 60 bushels of the wheat and 100 bushels of the oats. I did not follow the wheat to see what was done with it. Wheat was worth $2.00 per bushel at that time.
Item 4 Hay
The hay named in this item was fed out on the place by the troops who were camped there. I didn't remember seeing any hauled away. There was a large number of horses on the place who were fed on this hay. It was used also for bedding in the camps and when they moved it was nearly all used from the barn. This hay was some we had made on the place. We had a meadow of from 40 to 50 acres and mowed over the best of the grass the summer previous. The meadow was all bottom land and was very rich and the grass heavy. The quantity of hay used by these troops was estimated to be not less than 25 tons. It was worth about $15. per ton. I am confident there was not less than 25 tons of the hay used.
Item 5 Harness
The harness named in this item were taken by these same troops. There were six setts of them. 4 for farming purposes, and 2 were our carriage harness. They were nearly new. We paid $60 for the 4 setts of farm harness and $65 for the carriage harness. They had never been used but very little, and were all nearly as good as new. I did not see them in use. I saw the carriage harness carried off and suppose it was used in the ambulance service.
Item 6 Oats
The oats were taken from our grainery and fed out to the horses on the place. There were 100 bushels measured into the grainery but a few days before the army came there and they were all fed out by these troops. They were worth about 50 cts per bushel.
Item 7 Horses
The horses were taken at different times. Two were taken by these same troops soon after they came there. I reason the same army. they were taken by some artillery who passed on towards Warrenton. The horses were hitched directly to the guns and driven off with the army. they were heavy horses, and in fine order. We paid $150 each for them in 1860. I dont know what command took them.
The other horses were taken by Gen Kilpatricks cavalry on three occasions. 2 at one time in 1863. Soon after the Gettysburg battle while on a march; his horses giving out and the other two were taken in the spring of 1864 about the time Gen Everret moved towards Richmond on two different occasions. These were all good horses we did not have them all at one time, but bought others when the first ones were taken. We always kept good horses. These were worth, and cost us $150 each.
Item 8 Hogs
The hogs were taken while the army was there from time to time. We had 10 in a pen fattening which were killed very soon after the army came there they were of medium size, would weigh from 125 to 150 lbs each. We had about 30 shotes running out in the field all of whom were killed in a short time. I saw the soldiers killing the hogs all about the place; not all at once of course. I think the shotes were worth on an average about $3 each and the fattening hogs $10 each, or the whole about $5.00 each on an average. There was a Lieutenant with a lot of men came for those in the pen and when I asked him not to take them he said the army were short of provisions and he had orders to take them and did so.
Item 9 Cattle
The cattle named in this item were all taken by this same army while lying there. I saw 10 or 12 of them killed on the place, and the balance driven away by the troops who were camped on the place when they moved away. They were all grown cattle. Six of them were cows. These were killed and used for beef on the place. We had plenty of good grazing and the cattle were all in fine order. They were very cheap cattle at $25 a head in greenbacks.
Item 10 Hay
The hay named in this item was taken by Gen Kilpatricks Cavalry in the summer of 1864. I had three stacks and they used it all except half a stack. They fed it out on the place while camped there a day and night soon after I had secured the livery. I thought I had about 2 tons in a stack.
Item 11 Bacon
The bacon was taken by the troops of Gen Kilpatricks Cavalry who had been on a raid and stopped in front of our house and sent one wagon and four men to the house and took the bacon from the basement of our house and carried it off in the wagon. This was in the spring of 1864. I estimated the amt of bacon taken at 1000 pounds. Our family consisted of 6 adults of whom 5 were colored and 4 children. I don't remember the number of pieces taken.
Item 12 Corn
The corn in this charge was standing in the shock in the field in the fall of 1862 and was in the wasting ear state in the fall of 1863 when taken.
In the fall of 1862 there was 10 acres of good corn taken while in the shock by the troops of Gens Pratt and Kariganowskie a Pole, who were camped on our place. In the fall of 1863, we had about 20 acres in the wasting ear state which was all used by Gen Bartletts Brigade who were camped near it for three months. I think there was fully 500 bushels taken from the two fields in 1862 & 1863.
Item 13 Rails
The rails were the fencing around and on our farm which was nearly all used for camp purposes by Gen McClellans army in 1862 and the balance by Gen Bartletts Brigade in the fall of 1863.
The farm was all enclosed and divided into 9 fields with good fences of rail and stone most of it was rail fence. The rails were mostly chestnut, some were oak but were pine.
The rails were all used for firewood and the stone for chimneys and for repairing roads. I counted 1700 parcels of rail fence, and think there was a mile and a half of stone fence used for various purposes.
I recognize the plat marked as exhibit "D", as a correct copy of one made from a survey of the farm by the county surveyor and as a correct representation of the shape of the farm and the pencil dotted lines as indicating the position of the fences, which were destroyed.
I have been informed that my mother has been reported to the Southern Claims Commission as not being worth the amts of her claim.
I desire to file a copy of a receipt given to my mother by her attorneys for the bonds held by them for collection for a part of the proceeds of the Legacy of L. M. Sanford. Also a copy of a contract for the Sale of my mothers farm in Fauquier county in 1866, to Mr. G. R. B. Homes. See papers marked Exhibits B. & C. herewith filed.
(The originals are here exhibited to the Special Commis.)
And further deponent saith not.
Attest Thos. L. Claggett.
Isaac P. Baldwin.
Special Commis.
.