Claim of Widow for Service Pension (Gibson's Pension Files) from the U.S. Pension Office dated March 10, 1882. "State of South Carolina County of Edgefield On this 6th day of March, A.D. One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty Two, personally appeared before me, W. L. Durst, a Notary Public, being a court of record within and for the County and State aforesaid, Adaline Collins aged 70 years, a resident of Kirseys, in the State of SC, who being duly sworn according to law, declares that she is the widow of Gibson Collins deceased, who was the identical Gibson Collins, who served under the name of Gibson Collins as a Sergeant in the company commanded by Captain John Key, in the (left blank) Regiment of South Carolina commanded by William Youngblood, who superseded Col. Carter, in the War of 1812; that her said husband volunteered at Pleasant Lane, South Carolina on or about the Autumn or later part A.D. 1813, for the term (left blank), and continued in actual service in said war for the term of several months and not known exactly, and thoses services terminated, by reason of an honorable discharge, at unknown, A.D. 1814. She further states that the following is a full description of her said husband at the time of his enlistment, viz age about 21 years, height 5' 8" or 9", black hair, blue eyes and fair complected. She further states that she was married to the said Gibson Collins near Kirkseys, in the County of Edgefield, and in the State of South Carolina, on the 6th day of November, A.D. 1842 by one John Trapp, who was a Minister of the Gospel; and that her said name before her said marriage was Adaline Coursey; and she further states that Gibson Collins had been married about the year 1820 to Mary Nobles who died in Newberry County, South Carolina about the year 1822 and that her said husband, Gibson Collins, died near Kirkseys, in the State of South Carolina, on the 2nd day of December, A.D. 1881, and that she has not again married; and she further declares that the following have been the places of residence of herself and her said husband since the date of his discharge from the Army, viz: Edgefield County South Carolina except one year (1822) in Newberry County, South Carolina. She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the pension to which she may be entitled under Sections 4736 to 4740, (inclusive) Revised Statutes, and the Act of March 9th, 1878, and hereby appoints (left blank), of (left blank), her true and lawful attorney, to prosecute her claim; and she further declares that she has heretofore made no application since death of Gibson Collins who drew a pension from 26th day of November 1872 to 4th day of September 1881 under Pension Certificate No. 19723, and that her residence is Kirkseys, County of Edgefield, State of South Carolina, and that her post-office address is Kirkseys Edgefield County, South Carolina (her mark X is on this document). It is attested by John Durst and B. F. Galphin. Also personally appeared John Durst, aged 75 years, residing at Kirkseys in South Carolina and B.F. Golfphin, aged 71 years, residing at Kirkseys in South Carolina, persons whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who being by me duly sworn, say that they have known the said Adaline Collins for sixty (60) years and for one year, respectively; that they were present and saw her sign her name (or make her mark) to the foregoing declaration; that they have every reason to believe, from the appearance of said claimant and their acquaintance with her, that she is the identical person she represents herself to be; and they further say that they are able to identify her as the person who was the wife of the identical Gibson Collins who rendered the service alleged in the above application (in the company of John Key in the regiment of William Youngblood, in the War of 1812) by the following named facts and circumstance; viz: John Durst knew Adaline Coursey and Gibson Collins from infancy, knew of the time of their marriage and has lived near and known them since that time and knows that they lived together as man and wife until the death of Gibson Collins. Dated the sixth day of March 1882." In the Application for Accrued Pension (Widows) Claim dated February 9 1883, this document is witnessed by D.A. J. Bell and Elijah Faulkner it states "that they have know these to be living together as man and wife for twenty-five years, and they were both present when he died and shrouded him for burial." These two men are described as two neighbors. In his Declaration for a Pension dated April 1, 1872, it states that Gibson ..."served in the Volunteer service of the United States as a 4A Sgt. in Captain John Keys Company of the Col. Youngblood Regiment of South Carolina Militia Volunteers in the War of 1812. That he volunteered in the said service at Edgefield, in the State of South Carolina on or about the 10th day of December, A.D. 1812, for the period of three months, and was honorably discharged at Bluford Island, in the State of South Carolina, on or about the 12th day of March A.D. 1813 having continued in said service for more than sixty days"..... Transcribed from copy of the original request for Claim of Widow For Service Pension document from the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. by Beth Collins. Elizabeth N. Collins Legal Secretary McGuireWoods LLP 100 North Tryon Street Suite 2900 Charlotte, NC 28202-4011 704.373.8066 (Direct Line) 704.373.8990 (Direct FAX) [email protected] This e-mail may contain confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please advise by return e-mail and delete immediately without reading or forwarding to others.

Beth, Thank you for posting the info. on the Collins folks. The more detailed info. on the Pension application of Adaline Coursey Collins may help me to determine which family she belongs to. Since John Durst says he had known them since infancy, I need to look at the 1820 -1840 census to see who all is living near John Durst. Her birthdate puts her about the same age as my ggg-grandfather Uel/Ewell Coursey, a possible brother, and surely a Cousin. [If anyone has census images of John Durst census records, it would please me to have them] I also found this interesting: You sent: In an email from Tom Collins, a direct descendant dated 8/8/02 he writes "my great-great-grandfather, James' son eventually sold the farm and moved to North Augusta and opened a movie theatre and a dry cleaning store on Main Street. His name was "Pop". The story is he had plenty of money to buy a home up on the hill, but not knowing the area or social politics, bought a home down in the bottom and made a big mistake socially." I may would have known Pop Collins altho the name does not ring a bell and he seems to be too old. However, I lived 1 block from the Marrah or Marah Theater, the only one in North Augusta and went there as a child every Sat for all day seriels and movies of the good guys cowboys and Indians, and the old tarzan etc movies. It was a ritual. Every child in the downtown area, which were the ones I knew were there. Probably from all over the area. I could go for 15 cents when I first went, which got me in, a a drink and some candy. Later it cost a quarter. As a young teen I "dated" there under the watchful eyes of the groups of friends who met there. This is one of those times I wish I could ask my Mom about things, as she was born in the house that I grew up in too. She may remember the Collins. In fact, I just looked in her 1941 high school annual, and she is pictured on the same page with a GRACE COLLINS. Maybe I should post all the names to the list one day from her annual. It was a wonderful small town, but really grew and changed after the Savannah River Plant was built, not that it was a bad change, just different when everyone no longer knew everyone else. Thanks again for posting the data and the obits for the folks from the death certificates. if you have other obits, all of us would love to see them. Billie Jones Camden, SC [email protected]