Hi Nancie Thanks for the hard work you do to find and post the old Spartanburg newspapers, especially anything dealing with the Civil War in Spartanburg District. The Confederate Widows series provided me with quite a bit of new material. Maybe I can help you and others by sharing what I have in my data regarding the widows. Boy, we have a wonderful old newspaper article for tonight ! Found a full page , dated July 15, 1955 on " 9 WIVES OF CIVIL WAR VETS SURVIVE". There are precious photos of each of the women and a brief sketch of each one; MRS. MATTIE ALVERSON MRS.LILLIE BEAM MRS. MATTIE HARRELSON MRS. NANNIE BARNETT MRS.MAMIE HAMMETT MRS. MARY WILLIAMS MRS. LILLIE JOHNSON *MRS. MARY DALLAS *MRS. MATILDA STALLINGS [ *NO PHOTO] I will have to post these in parts, too much for one time. If anyone wants to see the photos, I'll scan. July 15,1955- part one 9 WIVES OF CIVIL WAR VETS SURVIVE [Widows of Confederate war veterans are shown in these photographs. From left to right above are : MRS. LILLIE JOHNSON reading at her home. MRS. LILLIE BEAM of 124 E. Columbia Ave. resting on the front porch of her home. MRS. MAMIE HAMMETT of Greer working in her garden. MRS. MARY WILLIAMS of near Woodruff relaxing and MRS. NANNIE BARNETT of Buncombe Road preparing vegetables grown in her garden. MRS. MATTIE HARRELSON of Mountain View Home relaxes. The widow of a Confederate war veteran is recuperating after an operation. MRS. MATTIE ALVERSON, another widow is shown above.] 1955 Opened With 10; list Grows Smaller Each Year. The list grows smaller each year. Spartanburg County still remembers the soldiers who fought in the War Between the States. Each year pension checks go out to the widows. Recently, $2, 400 was distributed. As 1955 opened there were 10 surviving widows, but one died when the year was only three days old. She was MRS. MAGGIE WOOD of Chesnee, wife of the late J.W. WOOD. She was the widow of : Wood James W 22 SC Inf Co. C Y b. 1/11/1833 and died after 1910 because he was on the Spartan Pension List for 1910 Here is a brief sketch of each surviving widow in this area: MRS. ALVERSON MRS. MATTIE ALVERSON of Inman, widow of W.C. ALVERSON, celebrated her 80th birthday June 4. She is recuperating from a fractured hip suffered when she fell April 2 in her home. Widow of: Alverson William C. 13 SC Inf. Co. F Y Alverson William C. b. 11/4/45 ; df. 11/16/34; buried New Prospect Baptist Alverson William C. Josephine McClure (wife: obvious her married name) MRS. ALVERSON manages to get around with the aid of a wheeled chair. MISS GRACE McCLURE, a daughter by her first husband , the late J.M. McCLURE, lives with her. Another daughter, MRS. RUTH SIEGEL of Miami, Fla., came to stay with Mrs. Alverson until she fully recovered from her illness. Her first husband was also a Vet. McClure Joseph Matt(Madison 5 SC Inf Co. F until 4/62 Reenlisted in 5 SC Inf Co.K McClure Joseph Matt (Madison 5SC Co K served until 4/9/65 and was Paroled at Appomattox McClure Joseph Matt(Madison b. 8/12/33 d. 1/28/97 buried New Prospect Baptist McClure Joseph Matt(Madison Sallie MRS. ALVERSON lived at New Prospect until her first husband died. After she married MR. ALVERSON, they lived at Inman. She supervised a farm until 5 years ago. She now rents out her farm land. With the exception of being bothered with arthritis, she appears in good health. She likes to read and piece quilts. She has 7 children. They are, MRS. COOK, MRS. KATIE LAWRENCE, MISS DELLA McCLURE, MISS GRACE McCLURE, PAUL ALVERSON, MRS. SIEGEL and W.C. ALVERSON. 1955-PART TWO: MRS. NANNIE M. BARNETT, 86 year old widow of W.H. BARNETT, enjoys gathering and processing vegetables taken from her garden at the home of a son, ROLAND BARNETT, near Woodruff. She is the Widow of: Barnett William H. 13 SC Inf Co. C Y Barnett William H. b. 4/13/42 d. 7/27/27 buried Bethel Cem Woodruff On Pension List for 1910. Was not aware that he had been wounded at Gettysburg. MRS. BARNETT lived in Laurens County and moved to Woodruff in 1904. She has four children, LEWIS, Woodruff, ROLAND, RALPH, Easley, and MRS. MARY LEE SKINNER, of Hobbyville. Her husband died in 1927. MRS. BARNETT recalls that her husband never talked about his experiences in the war. He was wounded in the arm at the battle of Gettysburg. She is a member of Antioch Baptist Church at Enoree. She joined the church when she was 14 years of age. " We had good times in the old days. People had more time for each other. They are now always in a hurry", remarked MRS. BARNETT. MRS. LILLIE V. BEAM, 73 years old, widow of Confederate soldier J.F. BEAM, spends many happy hours in her vegetable garden at the home of her sons. I have no record of a BEAM in the Spartanburg records, however, in the National Park Service Soldiers and Sailors System , J. F. Beam served in 17th SC Infantry, Co. B. I will add him to my records. She divides her time with two sons, JOHN C. BEAM of Columbia Ave. and SHUFORD BEAM of Carolina Ave. MRS. BEAM grows corn, okra, lima beans, and peanuts in her garden. Her husband was killed in a railroad accident at Flora, Ill. She is the youngest of the nine surviving Spartanburg County widows of Confederate veterans. Her father was also a Civil War veteran. Too bad they don't give her maiden name to see who her Father was. MR. BEAM served as a baker in the war. He was in his teens when he enlisted. He farmed at Jonesville for many years. He also tuned pianos and organs. It was several years after her husbands death before MRS. BEAM started receiving a pension. " They thought I was too young and must have been his daughter", she said. MRS. MARY DALLAS. 88, widow of S.DALLAS, lives with her son, TOM DALLAS, at S. Converse Street. MRS. DALLAS has a heart condition.{ no photo of her}. No DALLAS in my records. Only two served in SC and neither was an S. Dallas. Did not find him in either NC or GA. 1955 -part three MRS. MAMIE E. HAMMETT of James Street, Greer, is spry and cheerful despite being 79 years old. She is the widow og B.F. HAMMETT. They lived for many years at Clifton. Widow of : Hammett Benjamin F (Pinckney) 5 SC Inf Co. C until 4/62. Reenlisted in 5 SC Co. K Hammett Benjamin F. (Pinckney) 5 SC In Co K until 4/9/65 and was Pararoled at Appomattox. Hammett Benjamin F (Pinkey) b. 1848 d. after 1870, Wife: P. Willis (P. doesn't sound like Mamie, but I am sure it is the right person.) MRS. HAMMETT and her sister, MRS. ELLIENATA THOMAS, also a widow, live together in a neat gray-shingled cottage surriunded by flowers. Her husband died in 1920. She worked as a weaver in Clifton Mill No.1 for many years prior to and after her husbands death. Her small savings were wiped out when the Converse Bank closed in 1928. She worked in the mill until she reached the retirement age. MRS. HAMMETT says she hopes to live to reach a 100. She owns her home. She has been living in Greer since 1940. MRS. MATTIE HARRELSON at 91 is the oldest Spartanburg County widow of the Confederate veteran. She lives at Mountain View Home and is the only living member of her immediate family, the late W.P. and MATILDA HOY. She is an avid Bible reader. Her father served Hoy William Pinkney Holcombe Legion SC Inf. Co. A Y Hoy William Pinkney b. 11/18/10 d. 2/12/04 buried Nazareth Presbyterian Hoy William Pinkney Wife: Frances C. Dean (Frances C. don't seem to be Matilda. MRS. HARRELSON recently underwent an eye operation and is now recuperating from the illness. She likes Mountain View Home. " It's a good place for old folks who behave themselves", she quipped. She said her husband the late F.M. HARRELSON, died March 26, 1920. Not sure about her husband There was no F. M. Harrelson or Harrelsen to serve in SC. I do hace a Miles Harrelson , 9th SC Reserves, Co. I, who may be the person. Don't have birth or death dates, but do have a wife's name of Rillie Ann. That don't sound like a Mattie. MRS. HARRELSON lived at Pauline for many years. She was reared at Millville Post Office near Switzer, her father was postmaster there. MISS LAURA MOODY, director of Mountain View said that MRS. HARRELSON, despite her age, takes part in the chapel programs and other activities at the home for her age. Because of her failing eyesight, MRS. HARRELSON gets other people to read the Bible and newspaper to her. She keeps abreast of the times and can carry on a conversation on any current event. MRS. MATILDA STALLINGS, 87, widow of J.M. STALLINGS, was visiting relatives in Durham. N.C. and also was unavailable for interview and picture. She lives at Glendale.{ no photo of her }. Widow of: Stallings John (M.) 3 SC Inf Co K Discharge for Disability Stallings John (M.) b.10/27/37 and d. aft 1910. On 1910 Pension List A later posting says he was John Marion Stallings and she was Matilda Hellams. 1955- part four MRS. LILLIE C. JOHNSON, 82 years old widow of HENRY JOHNSON, likes to sit in a rocking chair on the front porch of her house where she was born on Enoree Rt.1 and read. Widow of: Johnson Henry 27 SC Inf Co. C Y Johnson Henry d. 7/6/01 buried at Grace Chapel RD Cem A later posting says she was Lillie Cooper. She lives with her son, WALES JOHNSON , a farmer. MRS. JOHNSON keeps up with current happenings over the world by reading newspapers. She is a member of Cross Anchor Methodist Church and attends church every Sunday when her health permits. Her husband died on July 6, 1901. MRS. JOHNSON'S hobby is crocheting and sewing. She hasn't been able to participate in her hobby in recent years. MRS. MARY WILLIAMS, 88 year old widow of Confederate soldier J.J. WILLIAMS, smiles and tells jokes from her hospital cot. She lives with her daughter, MRS. W.A. GRANT near Woodruff. Widow of Williams John J 18 SC Inf Co. E Wounded (Don't know where/when Surrendered and was Paroled at Appomattox Williams John J d. after 1907 1907 Pension list She has been bedridden for the past six months. Her husband died 42 years ago. She has been living with her daughter for 21 years. Her husband was wounded in the arm during the War Between the States. He had one brother killed in the war and another brother who lost a leg in the conflict. The brother who lost leg was: Williams Robert M. 3 SC Inf Co. K W lost leg Y (Served earlier in 3 SC State Troopps, Co. G) Williams Robert M. 3STG 6/62 1/63. transferred 3K Williams Robert M. b. 7/8/42 aft d. 1910 On pension list in 1889 for lost leg The brother who killed in the war was probably Williams Adolphus M. 18 SC Inf Co.E In 1865 he was Killed In Action (don't know where or date) (He was in same company as John J. which leads me to believe they were brothers.) Williams Adolphus M. b. 1845 d. 1865 She is a member of Friendship Baptist Church near Pauline. She joined the church when she was 10 years old. Her husband was a deacon in the church for many years. MRS. WILLIAMS has six children living and two deceased. They are J.EVANS WILLIAMS, Spartanburg, MRS. GRANT, MRS. DEVUE CUDD, Woodruff, MRS. LOUISE DARLING, Miami, Fla., R.V. WILLIAMS , Walnut Grove, GEORGE WILLIAMS Woodruff, LOREN, deceased and WILLIE, deceased. Hope you enjoyed reading about our Spartanburg Confederate Widows of 1955. Wish others would add to it and tell us more about them ! I did enjoy reading about them and learned quite a bit. I hope my additions have helped. If anyone has more about these soldiers or others that fought for Spartanburg District please contact me at kenbelc@attbi.com . My data base has over 5,000 names of Civil War Spartans, so maybe we can share information. Ken Belcher