William L. Horner Collection: Frederick C. Douglass Papers

1889-1890, 1893-1894
Manuscript Collection #265-001
Creator(s)
Douglass, Frederick C., active 1889-1897; Horner, William L.
Physical description
0.87 Cubic Feet, 2 volumes , pension ledgers
Preferred Citation
William L. Horner Collection: Frederick C. Douglass Papers (#265-001), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
No restrictions

Collection (1889-1890, 1893-1894) including Civil War black soldiers pension and compensation applications compiled by Frederick C. Douglass, a black lawyer, minister, and teacher in New Bern, NC who served as a government pension agent, 1889-1897.


Biographical/historical information

Born in New Bern, North Carolina some time prior to the American Civil War, Frederick C. Douglass was a local preacher, teacher, and community leader who served as an Army recruiter and claims agent in the years following the conflict. He was unrelated to the more famous Frederick Douglass, and it is speculated that he took the surname "Douglass" over his former surname "Norman" as an indication of his associations with freedom and equality. Douglass was considered part of New Bern's black middle class and enjoyed a significant degree of economic and political success.

In what would become his most notable contribution, Frederick C. Douglass specialized in the "translation" of African American Vernacular English spoken by Civil War veterans and their widows. This was an invaluable service due to the lack of cultural understanding between the all-white Pension Commission and the black citizens of New Bern. Black families were often not legally married due to their enslavement and the Pension Commission, failing to understand the frequently involuntary nature of motherhood in the era of enslavement, often denied financial benefits to those black widows on terms of morality. Frederick C. Douglass worked tirelessly to craft the language in the applications to touch gently on these issues and ensure pensions were granted.

Brimmer, Brandi C. "Her Claim for Pension is Lawful and Just": Representing Black Union Widows in Late-Nineteenth Century North Carolina (2011)

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26070114?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

Coffman, Peter. "He Has Earned the Right of Citizenship": The Black Soldiers of North Carolina in the Civil War, A Comment on Historiography, Treatment, and Pensions. (2015)

https://thescholarship.ecu.edu/bitstream/handle/10342/4890/Coffman_ecu_0600O_11430.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y


Scope and arrangement

These ledgers contain the claims of black soldiers requesting compensation for wounds and injuries received or diseases contracted while serving in the Union forces during the Civil War. Most applicants had lived in Craven and surrounding counties prior to the Civil War and fled to Union-occupied New Bern after it fell to Union forces in 1862. Black soldiers subsequently enlisted in the U.S. Army or Navy and served in a variety of locations during the remainder of the war. Claims for disability pensions were handled by Frederick C. Douglass, a black lawyer, minister, and teacher of New Bern, N.C., who served as a government pension agent between 1889 and 1897.

The majority of claims were made by relatives of black Union soldiers. Many were filed by widows, minor children, and parents of deceased soldiers. Others were claims made by the soldiers themselves. In all cases, the petitioner was required to show proof that the veteran in question had received a disability while serving in the Union forces. The most common affliction seems to have been diarrhea, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, heart ailments, and gunshot wounds. In most cases, health afflictions were related to over-exposure rather than battle wounds.

In order to prove that these disabilities were service-related, petitioners furnished witnesses who testified as to the veteran's background before the war, the nature of his military service, and the health problem resulting therefrom. Testimony attempted to establish the identity of the veteran, and in the case of dependent claims, the relationship between the claimant and the veteran. In some dependent claims, witnesses also had to testify whether or not the claimant was able to support himself/herself. Most of the testimony recorded was given by neighbors, friends, relatives, and doctors.

The records reflect antebellum and Civil War conditions of black individuals, marriage of enslaved persons, births, and enslavement. Details of military service are provided, as are the activities of the veteran subsequent to the war.

**Please note that there is no longer a box 2. The collection was reorganized for digitization.


Administrative information
Custodial History

July 1, 1974, 2 volumes; Civil War black Union soldiers pension application ledgers (1889-1890, 1893-1894). Gift of Mr. William L. Horner, Kinston, N.C.

Source of acquisition

Gift of Mr. William L. Horner

Processing information

Processed by M. Quintanilla, March 1987

Encoded by Apex Data Services

Descriptions updated by Ashlyn Racine, May 2023

Collection rearranged by Martha Elmore, 2023. (please note there is no longer a box 2)

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.


Related material

For related collections see: Frederick C. Douglass Papers (#323) East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J.Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA

Richard E. Rogers Jr. Collection (#248) East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J.Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA

37th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment History (#MF0040) East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J.Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA


Key terms
Personal Names
Douglass, Frederick C., active 1889-1897
Topical
African American lawyers--North Carolina--New Bern
African American soldiers--Health and hygiene--History--19th century
African Americans--North Carolina--Craven County
Military pensions--United States--Civil War, 1861-1865
Slavery--United States--History--19th century
Places
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Claims
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Health aspects
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Participation, African American