Person:Bethany Morgan (1)

Deposition C Case of Bethany Rodgers nee Starling, No. 591,810On this seventh day of March 1900 at Shady Grove, County of Madison, State of Florida, before me, J A Davis, a special examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, personally appeared Bethany Rodgers, the claimant, who, being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to her during this special examination of aforesaid claim for pension, deposes and says I am 62 years of age, my post-office address is, Luther,Taylor Co. Fla. My maiden name was Bethany Morgan. My first husband was Geo. Sessions. I was married to him Oct. 5 1854. Hewas wounded and died from his wounds over on the Keys. That was the news sent to us, I was not there and I never saw him anymore after he went over there. His children all drew a pension. I haven't seen William in a number of years the others (can't read)... My next husband was Alfred Starling. I was married to him at my father's house in this county. We were married by a minister named James Blanton. I have a record of that marriage which gives the date as Oct 12 1865. (The record referred to by the claimant is on paper yellow with age and the ink is unquestionable very old and the (can't read) must have been made years ago. Claimant says the papers are leaves from the old family bible belonging to her father in his lifetime. JADexm) I was married once again by a county judge Tidwell. Well they kept telling us first one then another that we were not lawfully married and I was not satisfied. I do not remember the date of that marriage. I do not know, I guess that it is on record at Madison. I do not know that Blanton gave us anything to show that we were married. I do not know why they said we were not lawfully married. I think it was we were married under the Military law. It seems like there was two children born before we were married over again. I am getting forgetful. I can't remember. My children, Francis M Starling was born Sept 16,1866. Sarah E Starling was born Sept 19 1868. I can't tell you exactly the date of her death. She died before her father died. I think a year or more before he died. John M Starling,was born July 7-1871, Julia S Starling, was born Nov. 19-1871.The only records I have is on the slips of paper which came out of the old Bible and it is from that I give the dates I am answering to. The dates of Julia S was put down on a piece of paper by my son L. M. Sessions. I gave him the information myself. I gave him the information from my memory. When I married Mr. Starling, he complained right away of his bowels and he was given to bloating up. That was from the time I married him, he kept getting worse and worse until he died. His bowels would run (can't read) and he was in a bad fix. That was in his last sickness. He said he had scurvy and I knew he did from his looks, his teeth would be (can't read) and drops out. He was lingering a good while, but he finally got (can't read). He was taken on friday and died sunday morning. He was taken complaining of his bowels and running off. I never heard him say anything besides his bowels. He did not complain of pains,he complained mighty little. He was not swollen up much. He would just bloat up then he would (can't read) and bloat again.All the symptoms I remember was his bowels running off. If he had any pain I certainly don't remember. He never had shortness of breath or trouble with his breathing before his death. I do not know that he never had any kidney trouble. When he died there were but 3 children living, Francis, John and Julia.Francis is (can't read) at John Williams. John is down at Mr. Aikins. Julia lives with us but is away at present. My husband did not have any doctor in his last sickness nor after he came out of the Army. The nearest doctor was forty miles away. He died in 1872 the last day of May. I lived single until Sept 7 1879. I was married to Stephen Rodgers at my own home. We were married by a man named-Hill. He was a stranger here. I understood he was a minister. I do not know where Mr.Hill was from. I do not know what become of him. Mr. Rodgers brought Mr. Hill and he claimed Mr. Hill was a minister. Mr.Rodgers and I lived together about twelve years. We had one child. That child is living and is named Ida Bethany Rodgers.Stephen Rodgers said he was from Macon, Ga. He had been married twice before. The first time was in Ga to a Bond. She died and Rodgers came here and married Amanda Alderman. The last I know of her she lived about Brooksville. I heard they were divorced.Then after they parted, Rodgers married Rachel Murphy. Her maiden name was Rachel Wilson. She was my cousin. She died and after that I was married to Rodgers. We lived together about twelve years and then separated. I was never divorced from Mr.Rodgers. He never got a divorce from me. We separated just because I was not satisfied. I had no other reason.. If he is living I am his wife still according to the way everything is. I did not leave him and we were not separated because he had a wife living. Rodgers had several children by his first wife Bond. I think five. I saw two of them, Elisha and Lafayette Rodgers. They live somewhere in Ga but I do not know just where, only that they are near Macon, Ga. Then by his second wife he did not have any, but I think she was a widow and had children. I have seen Ann and Jesse Alderman. Ann is said to be dead. I do not know anything about where Jesse is. I do not know of any one living who would know the dates of birth of the children, unless Margaret Harnville was present when one child was born. I don't remember which one.. I think Mary Cruce was present when one was born. They were both my daughters. When Alfred Starling died, (?)Albritton and Martha Johnson and myself were present. I think Albritton was there he was our nearest neighbor. The old lady Johnson is not living. I do not know of any way I can prove the cause of Alfred Starlings death. I do not claim that I am not the lawful wife of Stephen Rodgers. He has no relations in this locality and I do not know of any one who will know where he is now living. I do not care to be present or represented. I have fully understood all your questions. My answers have been correctly recorded. Bethany Rodgers Sworn to and subscribed before me this 7 day of March1900 and I certify that the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing. J A Davis Special Examiner******************************************************************** Depostion K On this Twentieth day of April 1900 at Luther, county of Taylor, State of Florida, before me J. A.Davis, a special examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, personally appeared John B. Blanton, who, being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this special examination of aforesaid claim for pension, deposes and says: I am 60 years of age; my post=office address is Luther,Fla. I am a farmer by occupation. I knew the claimant in her first husbands lifetime. His name was George R. Sessions. I only know of his death by hearsay. The claimant had five children by Geo. Sessions, that are now living. After the death of Sessions the claimant married Alfred Starling, I was presentat their wedding. They were married Oct 12-1865. They were married by Rev(?)J. A. Blanton, an own(?) cousin of mine. I do not know anything about their remarrying, but I heard they did.I do not know why they were remarried except that they were married under the military authorities and after the war there was some talk that such marriages were not legal. She had four children claimed to be Starlings one got burned to death. There are three living, named F.M.: Starling, John M. Starling and Julia S now Julia S Rowell. I do not know anything about the dates of births of the children of my own knowledge. I have a record which was brought here by the claimant to be sent to her lawyer when he called for it. That record is written on a half sheet of foolscap paper and contains the following dates, viz:"George R. Sessions and Bethany Morgan, a daughter of Enoch and Martha Ann Morgan was married Oct the 5 A.D. 1854" George R.Sessions was born Sept the 4-1835 Bethany Sessions was born June the 8-1838 Michael M. Sessions was born July 26-1855 Martha and Mary Sessions was born at one birth June 26-1857 Lewey M.Sessions was born Jan'y 27-1859 Martha Ann Sessions was born March 9 1860 William H. H. Sessions was born March 31 1861 After the last name, a piece of the record was cut out by myself which contained the date of the claimants marriage to Alfred Starling and that I sent to Rubenstein, her lawyer at Washington, D.C.Next on the record after when the piece was cut out is, Alfred Starling was born May 14 1826 F. M. Starling was born Sept 161866 John M Starling was born July 7 1870 Sarah E Starling was born Sept 19 1868 Burned to death about two years before her father died. On opposite side the record appears Frances C.Morgan was born Nov 5 1842 Matthew P. Morgan was born Jany 231845 Joseph W. Morgan was born March 10 1836 John M. Morgan was born July 13 1840 Julia S Starling was born Nov 19 1871 Alfred Starling Dec'd May 30 1872 Bethany Starling and Stephen Rodgers were married to each other Sept 7-1879 by a man that called himself Parson Hill. I do not know who made that record. I have no knowledge relating to it. All I know about it, it was brought to me by the claimant. The first I knew Alfred Starling was about the close of the Civil War while he was in the U.S.Army. I did not know anything about his physical condition until after he came home, he lived about three quarters of a mile (can't read) me. He looked to be very poor and feeble, he did not look like a healthy man. I do not know what his trouble was, only that he complained of Chronic Diarrhoea. He died onthe 30 day of May 1872, if I mistake not(?). I was not present at his death. One of his sons came here in the night and said he wanted a (can't read) for his father and the next morning they said he was dead. I do not know the cause of his death. It was sudden yes, I never heard he was sick until his son, a stepson came here in the night and said his father was very bad off and wanted a (can't read). I do not know personally of the claimants marriage to Stephen Rodgers but I heard of it right away after it happened. I do not know anything about Alfred Starling being married before he married the claimant only as I have been told that he had been and that his family all died at Cedar Keys during the war. My brother Jim told me that. I am not related. I have no interest in this claim. I have no (can't read). I have understood your questions. My answers have been correctly recorded.-John B. Blaton. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 20 day of April 1900 and I certify that the contents were fully made know to deponent before signing. J A Davis Special Examiner