This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Motley, Fullerton, Blair, Tillman Classification: Pension Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/2V.2ADE/1363 Message Board Post: According to family legend and the obituary for John William Motley (1842-1922), he never applied for a US Civil War pension because he believed he should work for a living and not get government handouts. However, military records show that he applied for a pension more than once, claiming that various ailments had rendered him incapable of farming. These ailments were dropsy, palpitations of the heart, catarrh of head, rheumatism and defective eye sight. First applied from his home in Washita County, Oklahoma Territory in 1900. Then from Searcy County, AR in 1905. John Motley was a big man, 6’ 4 ½” and 235-240 lbs. Dark (grey) hair, fair complexion and hazel or dark eyes. Here’s an excerpt from the pension application: "In the New law Claim of John W. Motley for Pension, Private Co. C. 9 Prov Reg. E. M.M. Territory of Oklahoma County of Washita Before me the undersigned authority in and for Washita County, Oklahoma Territory personally appeared John W. Motley, who after being duly sworn and being of lawful age and being of sound mind deposes and says that he is the identical John W. Motley, who served as a private in Company C, 9th Provisional Regiment of Enrolled Missouri Militia, and that the said claimant was enrolled at California, Missouri and was in the home service but was subject to the orders of the Regular and Volunteer officers of the United States Army and was brought into action at Marshal, Sallien County, Missouri and under the direct command of Brig. Gen’l John McNeal, the said action occurred in October 1863, when in battle with Gen’l Joe Shelby of the Confederate Army. This Command was never mustered into the United States service Volunteer but are entitled to pensions under the enabling act past by Congress for the Benefit and relief of the Fifteen regiments of Missouri State Mili! tia (who enlisted for the war in Missouri) the nine Regiments of Prov. enrolled Missouri Militia, which were in service from 1863 to 1865; and the Missouri Home Guard organizations, which were raised for three and six months service and later your claimant served in Company G 76 Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia, enrolled for duty on the 20th day of June 1864, at Bowers Mill, Missouri and was ordered into active service as a private and served until the 28th of February 1865, and while in active service your claimant was ordered under the orders of Major Morgan, U.S.A. or U.S.V. and sent to the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, to hold in check Gen’l Samwaddy, [Sam Waddy] the Indian Confederate Commander and later was ordered into Arkansas and backed of Col. Craven of the Confederate Army and saved Southwest Missouri and Kansas while Gen’l Price was making his great raid through the State of Missouri and said Regiment was commanded by John D. Allen as Col. ! and George F. Bowers as Captain of Company G, my commander of the first named service 9 Prov. E. M.M. was Col. Thomas Fletcher, and Captain Hugh Yarnell commanding Co. C. my Company. X. John W. Motley subscribed and sworn to before me on this 17th day of September 1900 F. B. Duke Notary Public My Comm. expires Jan 15, 1901." John Motley’s pension was first rejected in 1900 because the government believed he had not served the required 90 days; however, he had in fact served more than 90 days, he was able to reopen his case. But he was rejected a second time for being not disabled enough. He tried again in 1905, and was finally awarded $12/month in 1907. After he died in 1922, his widow, Mary Jane Fullerton Motley, applied for a widow’s pension. She had some trouble collecting it, and her daughter Bessie and son-in-law, Rufus Blair, wrote letters to try to expedite the process. Apparently, they had no luck, and called upon their Congressman, John N. Tillman, to help them. She did collect the $30/month pension, but was turned down for a $40/month she thought she was entitled to once she was over 80 years old.