For property lost in Crow town Alabama in 1825 and being dispossessed of a mill & an
improvement on Rackoon Creek in Alabama 1825 or 6 Property lost in consequence of
being forced to move by the U.S. Troops – Emigrated in James Brown detachment in
1838 to wit:
1825 1 Horse – –- –- $ 100.–
1835 1 Saw Mill & fixtures – —- 500.–
Alabama 10 Acres of land under cultivation 100.–
1 Dwelling house 15.–
1838 1 Roan Stallion 30.–
13 head of Stock Cattle $9 Each 217.–
Georgia 12 acres of growing corn $10 120.–
½ “ “ Land and Vegitables 25.–
70 head of Stock Hogs $3.– 210.–
100 Chickens $12.50 & 15 Pea fowls $15.– 27.50
4 Pots $4.– & 2 Kettles $12.– 16.–
1 Table $2.– & 1 Bedstead $2.– 4.–
3 Chairs $2.25 & 2 Bars of Iron $6.– 8.25
Alabama 1 Ferry – on Terrapin river 500.–
$ 1 772.75
Expense pd. In recovering some ne3gros taken by white men 393.75
$ 2166.50
Statement of the Claimant Examined on oath States as follows –
I am part Cherokee and now reside about two miles miles [sic] from John Benges
and emigrated from Chattanooga, Tennessee I lived in Crow town Alabama before the
whites come & settled on the place, the horse was taken from me while I lived by the
whites about the year 1824 or 5. I heard of the horse being in possession of the whites
and I sent for him by John Benge but he could not get him and we never got him
afterwards
The saw mill was taken by the white man who was employed to build it and he
also took possession of the 10 acres of land & Dwelling house attached to the Mill he
sold them to another white man and was not valued by the valuing Agents Afterward
when the whites took possession of the mill, it /167/ got completed but it was very near completed and ready for running we had hired good many other hands to work on the
place it was never valued the ferry was about ten miles from the Mill the whiteman
who was keeping ferry kept possession of the ferry it was never valued.
I was living at the Lookout Mountain when the Soldiers came & took us they
were hurrying us off but they give us a little time to hunt up our horses & some few
cattle we brought along with us the stallion charged was running with a white man’s
horses & we could not get time to get him & we left him the cattle & hogs charged for
were all left on the place when we were taken off and had no time to sell or take them
with us and the household furniture Chickens & Peafowls were all left there on the
place we were taken to Ross’s landing and then afterwards we stopt a while on the
Chattanooga got permission to remain there a while There was one young man and a
negro went back after wards and the whites had like to whipt the young & struck the
negro Boy on the head with a stick There was a family of them living in the houses they
never brought anything away They claimed possession of the place and things we had
left The Pea Fowls I had paid $1.50 for them apiece when I first bought them while I
was at Chattanooga I lost two Negroes and we never missed until we were ready to start
for this country they hunted the Negroes only for the night and we started for this
country after we overtook James Brown Detachment my two sons went back in search
of them and stayed about two weeks but never heard of them and when I sent from this
country George C Lowry back to the old Nation and he found them in the possession of
a white man who was keeping them. $393.75 I charged as what it cost me to recover my
negroes I believe the white decoyed (?) the Negroes away from me
Sworn & Subscribed to before }
me 8 March 1842 J M Payne } Polly X Baldridge
Special Clerk on claims for }
Skin Bayou District }
/168/ “Green Baldridge” Testimony Examined on Oath states as follows:
I lived near neighbor of the claimant at “Look out Valley” The Mill was about 17 or 18
miles from Look out Valley it was on Rackoon Creek in Alabama where the Mill was
building This man (whiteman) was employed by my father John Baldridge the husband of the Claimant he was to pay him $300.– when the Mill was completed.
When the Laws of Alabama was extended over this Nation he then took & kept
possession of the Mill there were 10 acres of land and a small building attached to the
Mill he lived in this house and kept possession of the Mill I heard my father say the
Mill & this place was not valued to him my father died in the old Nation a little before
started for this country. After we were in camp about two weeks before we started. The
Mill was nearly completed and all the Mill fixtures were there when this whiteman took
possession – his name was George Meal – I do not think it was even valued The Ferry
story know very well. I do not know whether they were dispossessed or not but I heard
my father say that the Ferry had never been valued to him My father was not living at
the Ferry but he intended to have lived there before the Laws were extended over the
Nation. We were all taken at the same time together and I assisted in driving some
cattle Horses & Hogs. I had mine with theirs in the drove They left some hogs but I do
not know how many and the Cattle I do not know they left I heard them say they had
left one Horse That was roaming some distance from home. There was growing in the
field, can’t say how many acres & there were some pots & other things left on the place
Sworn & subscribed to before }
me 8th March 1842 JW Payne } Green X Baldridge
Special Clerk on Claims for }
Skin Bayou Dist. }
/169/ “John Benge” Testimony Examined on Oath States as follows:
I lived about a have [sic] a mile from the Claimant in Alabama, Jackson
County, a town called Bollivin is now situated it was about 1813 or 14 that John
Baldridge the husband of the Claimant lost a Bay horse Mr Baldridge had bought this
horse from my brother he give about $125.– for him I was over to a town called
Winchester in Tennessee I saw the horse there working in a wagon in possession of a
whiteman I went to the whiteman and told him I knew the horse & the man told me he
lived near Nashville in Tennessee and said further he would not be detained until I
could send for the owner of the horse that if the owner wanted him he might follow him
to prove his honor & in a few minutes after I saw the man start off with the horse towards Nashville & the next day I got home & told Mr Baldridge when I had seen his
horse & what course he had gone and Mr Baldridge said it was no use to follow him as
he could get no whiteman to prove his horse, I do not know whether he went and
followed him or not The man who could prove by he understood was not at home
Sworn & subscribed to before }
me 8th March J. M. Payne }
Special Clerk in Claims for } John X Baldridge
Skin Bayou District }
[Transcriber note: Since this is testimony of John Benge made after John Baldridge was
deceased, it appears the clerk wrote the incorrect name of John Baldridge by the mark
instead of the name of the deposed John Benge.]
“George C. Lowry” Testimony Examined on Oath states as follows:
I had came on to this country before the Claimant and when she got here, she told me
she had lost the Negroes and employed me to go back to Tennessee after the Negroes
she had heard of them before she employed me being in possession of Mr. Rice her two
sons who had gone back, after they started, had got Mr Rice to get the Negroes offered
him $100 to get them & when I went back I found them in /172/ Mr. Rice possession & I
paid him $100. for her Mr. Rice said he had found them in a white man’s house by the
name of Fryer that is he (Mr. Rice) did not go himself but got some man who told they
had found them at said Fryer’s house Mr. Condre Esq. Told me That these men who
took the Negroes told him That a Mr. Williams a merchant had persuaded the Negroes &
had promised to buy them he lived about a mile from where Mrs. Baldridge had lived I
do not know how they obtained this fact. Squire Condry did not tell me and she paid
me two hundred dollars for going after the Negroes & for my expenses amounting to
$73.75 – Expenses
Sworn & Subscribed to before }
me 8th March 1842 }
James M Payne S.C. on } /s/ George C. Lowry
Claims for Skin Bayou Dist } For an improvement Bought of John Roach by John Baldridge deceased situated in
“Look out Valley Alabama” formerly owned by Betsy Bucket not valued See the
Receipt of John Roach herewith enclosed
1 ½ acre of land in cultivation $10 $15.–
1 Dwelling house 20.–
$35.–
The above claim of Mrs. Baldridge’s has been a neglect on her part to have it attached to
her claim the receipt and claim has been giving in by her son William Baldridge before
me in the absence of his mother.
This 10th March 1842 James M. Payne
“Robert Benge” Testimony Examined on Oath on the above claim states as follows:
I knew the improvement claimed by Mrs. Baldridge while in the possession of
Betsy Bucket I think there were about 1 ½ acres of land under cultivation 1 Log Cabin
with a puncheon floor worth about fifteen Dollars I do not know positive whether /171/
Mr. Roach bought the place but it seems to me that Betsy Bucket sold the place to Roach
to pay a store account at least Mr. Roach acquired the place after Betsy Bucket left. I
do not know any thing more about the place /s/ Robert Benge
Sworn & Subscribed to before }
me this 10th March 1842 }
James M. Payne Special }
Clerk on Claims for Skin }
Bayou District }
I John Roach have this 15 day of March 1838 sold my improvement that Betsy Bucket
formerly Lived on for fifteen dollars to John Baldridge
Attest his
/s/ David Potts John X Roach
mark