WILLIAM M. LEEPER, Company "E"
Submitted by Sharon Cosco.
WILLIAM M. LEEPER, Company "E"
Submitted by Sharon Cosco.
William M. Leeper, born (13 May) 1842, was the 4th of 5 children of Andrew and Anna (McIntire) Leeper of Monongah, Marion County, W.Va. On 9 Sep 1869 in Marion county, he married Emily Jane Hall (born 1846), daughter of John and Mary Jane Hall of Harrison county, W. Va. They had 5 children: Mary Ann, Clarence, Rosella, Minnie Virginia and Cordelia Mae. William is buried in the King-Leeper cemetery on Tower Hill, Monongah, Marion County, W. Va. The cemetery is located on land acquired by Henry Leeper, William's grandfather, by Tomahawk rights in 1795 when he came from Donegal, Ireland and was among the first settlers in Monongah.
Transcribed by Linda Fluharty.
Declaration for ORIGINAL Invalid Pension
State of West Virginia
County of Marion
On this 27 day of July A.D. one thousand eight hundred and SEVENTY SEVEN personally appeared before me, clerk of the Circuit Court, a court of record within and for the county and State aforesaid WILLIAM LEEPER, aged 35 years, a resident of FARMINGTON, county of MARION State of West Virginia, who, being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is the identical WILLIAM LEEPER who enlisted under the name of WILLIAM LEEPER on the 15th day of August 1862 as a Private in Company "E" of the 12" regiment of West Va Vol Inf. commanded by CORNELIUS MERCER and was honorably discharged at Richmond, Va. on the 16" day of June 1865; that his personal description is as follows: Age 35 years; height, 5 feet 4 inches; complexion FAIR; hair, AUBURN; eyes, HAZEL. That while a member of the organization aforesaid, in the service and in the line of his duty at BERRYVILLE, in the State of VIRGINIA, on or about the 29 day of MARCH 1863, he contracted from exposure incident to the service, rheumatism in both legs and right arm and from which effects he now suffers.
That he was treated in hospitals as follows: Annapolis Md, Regimental Surgeon
That he has not been employed in the military or naval service otherwise than as stated above prior to the 15th day of August 1862.
That since the 16" day of June A.D. 1865, he has not been employed in the military or naval service of the United States. That since leaving the service this applicant has resided in the Co. of MARION in the State of WEST VA and his occupation has been that of a COMMON LABORER. That prior to his entry into the service above named he was a man of good, sound physical health, being when enrolled a LABORER. That he is now ONE HALF disabled from obtaining his subsistence by manual labor by reason of his injuries above described, received in the service of the United States; and he therefore makes this declaration for the purpose of being placed on the invalid pension roll of the United States. He hereby appoints with full power of substitution and revocation, Gilmore & Co., of Washington, D.C., his true and lawful Attorneys to prosecute his claim. That he has NEVER received NOR applied for a pension. That his Post Office address is FARMINGTON county of MARION State of WEST VIRGINIA.
William Leeper (Claimant's signature)
Witnesses: Felix T. Leeper & John B. Craine
Adjutant General's Office
Washington, D. C., Sept 19", 1877.
Sir:
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt from your Office of application for Pension No. 240.982, and to return it herewith, with such information as is furnished by the files of this Office.
It appears from the Rolls on file in this Office that WILLIAM LEEPER was enrolled on the 15th day of August, 1862, at Clarksburg in Co "E", 12th Regiment of West Virginia Volunteers, to serve three years or during the war, and mustered into service as a PRIVATE on the 26th day of August, 1862, at WHEELING, in Co. "E", 12th Regiment of WEST VIRGINIA Volunteers, to serve THREE years, or during the war. On the Muster Roll of Co. "E", of that Regiment, from Enrollment to Oct 21st 1862, he is reported Absent home sick with leave. Nov & Dec 1862, Present. So reported to April 30 1863 (without remark as to disability) To February 29/64 Present. March and April 1864, Absent. Sept in Hospital at Martinsburg, Va. April 29, 1864. Similar report to Oct 31, 1864. Nov and Dec 1864, Present. So reported to April 30 1865. Mustered out with Co. as a Private June 16, 1865.
Regtl. Return for March 1863 shows neither absense nor disability.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
G. W. Benjamin
Assistant Adjutant General.
The Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D.C.
Department of the Interior
(Letter to Cornelius Mercer, Captain Co "E")
Pension Office
Washington, D.C. January 8", 1881
Sir:
Mr. William Leeper, late a private in Co. "E" 12th W. Virginia Vols., alleges in his claim for pension No. 240.982, that about March, 1863, he contracted rheumatism, from which he has been a sufferer continuously to the present time, and this Office will thank you for any information it may be in your power to furnish showing whether his said disability originated in causes incident to line of duty and existed at the date of his discharge in June 1865.
Your reply endorsed upon and returned with this letter, shall be considered confidential.
Very respectfully
(illegible), Acting Commissioner.
(Reply from Cornelius Mercer, Captain from Mar '63 to M.O.)
Dear Sir:
Information asked for respecting Leeper's rheumatism, he never had any whilst in the army. He was not much account as a soldier he was nothing but a ---ber he never was in a fight - as always got put by playing off sick. I don't think he realy done more than three or four months service out of two years and ten months he was in my company. I lost all my army papers a few weeks ago by a fire. I had boxed them since I was mustered out to refer to if needed, being burnt out they went with other things. If I had them I could give all information asked for respecting my company.
Yours respectfully,
C. Mercer
War Department,
Surgeon General's Office,
Record and Pension Division.
Washington, D.C., April 25th, 1881
Sir:
I have the honor to return herewith your request for a report of hospital treatment in Claim, No. 240.982, with such information as is furnished by the records filed in this Office, viz: that Priv. William Leeper, Co. "E" 12th Va. Vols., was admitted to G. H. Clarksburg, W.Va. May 11, '63 with Febris Intermittens, Tertian, and returned to duty May 28, '63 - Was in P. H., Martinsburg, W.Va., (as W. Leeper - date admitted and diagnosis not given, and transferred May 1, '64. Was admitted to G. H., Frederick, Md. May 1, '64 (as Wm Leeper) with chronic Rheumatism and transferred July 5, '64 - Was admitted to Camp Parole Hospl., near Annapolis, Md., July 10, '64 with Rheumatism and transferred Augt 18, 64 - Was admitted to G. H. York, Pa, Augt 18, '64, as Convalescent and returned to duty Sept 15, '64.
The Regtl. Hospital records are not on file.
By order of the Surgeon General.
To the Commissioner of Pensions.
J. J. Woodward
Surgeon, U. S. Army
per J. Fech
Department of the Interior
Pension Office
Washington, D.C. July 11th, 1883
(To Lieut. Hugill)
Sir:
One William Leeper, late Private Co. E 12 W.Va. Vols is seeking a pension claim No. 240.982, on account of rheumatism, contracted, he declares, about March, 1863, and the records show him to have been absent at home sick from enrollment in August, 1862 to the following December, which record he explains by stating that while thus absent he was perfectly well, but had procured from his then company commander, Capt. Mercer, a formal "Sick Leave" because on no other ground could he have obtained a "furlough." Will you favor this office with any information you may now possess tending to show the actual circumstances under which said soldier thus......
(Reply from A. S. Hugill)
Clarksburg W Va
July 13th 1883
Dear Sir in answer to the within Inquire Leeper Has been to see me about his Case Sometime ago and from what I knew of his condition at the time he Entered the Service I could not do him any good in fact he is one of a number of men Enrolled by Capt. C. Mercer that never was fit for duty. but a word to the wise is Suficient.
Respectfully yours
A. S. Hugill
NOTE:
Apparently, William Leeper's original application for a pension was rejected but he persevered. In 1886 his case was referred for Special Examination. The Examiner recommended REJECTION. The case was again referred for Special Examination in 1877 and was again recommended for REJECTION.
As part of the examinations, MANY affidavits were obtained from family, comrades and acquaintances. They are not included here.
The two statements of William Leeper and the two summaries of the Special Examiner, J. F. Klugh are presented here.
Special Examination #1
Number and nature of Claim, No. 240.982. Orig. Invalid.
Name of Claimant, William Leeper
Service, Private Co. E. 12th Regt. W.Va. Inft. Vols.
Age, 44 years
Occupation, Laborer
Post Office address, Fairmont, Marion Co., W.Va.
Alleged Disability, Rheumatism contracted on or about March 29th 1863 at Berrysville, Virginia.
Fairmont W.Va. Sept. 18th 1886.
Hon. John C. Black,
Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D.C.
Sir.-
I have the honor to herewith return the papers in the above indicated pension claim and to submit my report thereon.
The claim was referred to me to determine its general merits, by a Special Examination, and to ascertain positively whether claimant had ever suffered from rheumatism or from any complaint competent to produce rheumatism, and was free from lameness and had the full use of all his limbs and muscles to date of enlistment...
I personally served on claimant the usual notices, and informed him of his rights and privileges, and he availed himself of his rights and privileges during the entire examination by being present and his atorney, Wm. Gray was present during part of the examination and read all the testimony since I closed the examination.
The reputation of the witnesses for truth and veracity in their respective communities is as noted on the index of this sheet.
On account of the discrepancies existing between the two Examining Surgeons, who examined claimant and because claimant was never before a full board of Examining Surgeons, I deemed it advisable and necessary, for a proper adjudication of the case, to take claimant before a full board of Examining Surgeons and consequently I took him before the Clarksburg W. Va. board of Examining Surgeons. The examination was thorough and I was present, and I asked the Surgeons to state in their report whether claimant's rheumatism was a pythological sequence of the trouble in claimant's hips, shoulders and elbow joints or whether that was a sequence of the rheumatism, but they refused to do so, and only intimated that it might be. And I consequently took additional lay testimony to satisfy me on this point.
The Surgeon's certificate will be found with the other Surgeon's certificate in the case.
Since returning from taking testimony in this case I have received an anonymous letter naming some parties whom I should see in relation to claimant's prior soundness and I place the letter with the papers of this case, for future use, if necessary. (Note: This letter not among the pages copied from this file.)
After closing the case I spoke with claimant and he said that he thought his lameness before enlistment was rheumatism, but considered himself entitled to pension, when he made his application, because the military service increased his disability, which idea he got from the circulars he received from the Washington D.C. Pension Attorneys which stated that any soldier was entitled to pension for any disability, however slight, received in service and line of duty; and he also thought that his prior soundness would not be questioned; and after explaining to him the law, he did not consider himself entitled to pension under the present pension laws.
I did not hear all the witnesses that have testified because it would have been an unnecessary expense to do so, and the two that I have heard seemd to think that they were imposed upon, and made to say what they did not intend to say, which is generally one of the most prominent excuses given when confronted by a government official, to condone the wrong they have attempted to perpetrate on the government to benefit a friend or comrade; and I am often tempted to doubt the correctness of the opinion of the community in regard to the reputation for truth and veracity given such persons.
I am fully satisfied and am of the opinion that there is no merit in this case, and it should be promptly rejected and I therefore recommend REJECTION.
Respectfully
J. F. Klugh
Special Examiner.
Deposition Exhibit A.
Case of WILLIAM LEEPER, No. 240.982
On this eleventh day of September, 1886, at FAIRMONT, County of MARION, State of W.Va., before me, J. F. KLUGH, a Special Examiner personally appeared WILLIAM LEEPER, Claimant, who, being by me first duly affirmed to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this Special Examination of aforesaid pension claim, deposes and says:
...he is William Leeper, 44 years of age, by occupation a Laborer and resides in Grant District Marion Co. W.Va. and whose Post Office address is Fairmont, Marion Co., W.Va. that he was in the military service of the Unites States as a private in Co. E. 12th Regt W.Va. Inft. Vols., that he enlisted on the 15th day of August 1862 at Clarksburg, Harrison Co. W.Va. and was discharged on the 16th day of June 1865 at Richmond Va., that he was not in any prior or subsequent service of the United States that he claims pension for Chronic Rheumatism, that for five years prior to enlistment he lived in Harrison Co. W.Va., four miles from Shinston, W.va. and 6 or 7 miles from Clarksburg, with his Uncle, Wm. McIntire, now dead, that he was free from Chronic rheumatism, the alleged disability, at and prior to enlistment, that about the latter part of March 1863 at Berrysville Va. he contracted rheumatism under the following circumstances viz. - while being stationed in line of battle at night during a very cold and chilly night, from about midnight to daylight, that they stood still in the cold while in line of battle without exercise or any opportunity to warm themselves, that when he was allowed to go to his quarters he felt cold, chilly and his bones began to ache and he felt sick, and from that time he gradually became worse until he went to the Regimental Hospital at Clarksburg W.Va. after the regiment got to Clarksburg W.Va. soon after this took place, that when they were called out in the line of battle the pickets had been fired upon but it brought on no battle that he cannot give the exact day but it was in the latter part of March 1863 and it was in the latter part of March 1863 and it was somewhere between the 20th and 29th of March 1863, that he thinks the whole company would know, or were present and had personal knowledge of the disability, - but more particularly James R. Anderson of Clarksburg, W.Va. a comrade, Leonidas Shinn of Clarksburg W.Va. a comrade, Wm E. Laughey of Somewhere in Harrison Co W.Va. a comrade, James T. Maxwell of Somewhere in Harrison Co., W.Va. a comrade, Irwin Jackson of Clarksburg W.Va. a Regimental comrade and Joshua N. Fortney of Shinnston W.Va. a Regimental comrade, would know and were present and had personal knowledge of his disability, that he thinks that all the comrades of the list just read to him were present and had personal knowledge of his disability except Henry R. McCord and George M. McClung who were not comrades or members of Co E. but belonged to Co. G of the same regiment and he cannot say whether they knew of his disability although he personally knew them, that he was treated in Service by Surgeon, F. H. Patton of Dayton Ohio Soldier's home, formerly of West Newton, Pa, Surgeon S. P. Bryan who is somewhere in Iowa and is insane and Surgeon Alexander Neil of Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio, for the rheumatism, that he was treated in Hospital at Frederick City, Md. and in Hospital at York, Penna and also a short time in the hospital at Annapolis Md, and no other hospitals except the Regimental Hospital of the 12th Regt. W.Va. Inft Vols, at various times for a few days at a time, that he cannot give the dates of treatment in the regiment hospital because he kept no record of it and has no way of refreshing his memory, that to the best of his knowledge he entered the Frederick City Md. general hospital early in April 1864 and not later than the middle of April 1864, that from there he was sent to the General Hospital at Annapolis Md., after being in the General Hospital at Frederick City six weeks or two months, he don't just remember how long and remained in the Annapolis hospital only a short time, he cannot state how long and was then sent to the general hospital at York, Penna and remained there he thinks about 4 weeks or more and then returned to his Company at Winchester in the Valley of Virginia, that he don't recollect when it was that he joined his company but it was soon after the company came off the Hunter or Lynchburg Raid, and it must have been about July or August 1864, that he then remained with his company until June 1865 when he was discharged, that when he was discharged, he went to his Uncle Wm McIntire (now dead) in Harrison Co. W.Va where he had lived at enlistment, that he remained with his uncle in Harrison Co. W.Va. until the fall of 1865, and then went to his brother, Felix T. Leeper, in Fairmont District, Marion Co. W.Va, near Barracksville W.Va and remained there until the fall of 1869, and then got married and went to house keeping in Briertown, Grant District, Marion Co., W.Va. and remained there until the spring of 1877 and then removed to Fairmont District, on his brother's land, near Barracksville W.Va. and remained there until the Spring of 1882 and then removed to near Briartown, Marion Co., W.Va. and remained there, in Wm H. Watson's house until the spring of 1884 and then removed to White Rock in James Brumage's house in Grant District Marion Co., W.Va. where he has resided until the present time, and resides there at the present time, that when he went to housekeeping in Briertown W.Va. he first lived in Robert Jones' housse one year and then in Isaac Smith's house until the Spring of 1877, that Dr. J. M. Wyer (now dead) of Farmington W.Va., Dr. D. M. Duncan of Farmington, W.Va. and Dr. James B. Smith of Farmington W.Va. have treated him for the disability since discharge, that the doctors are all living except Dr. J. M. Weyer, and he does not know where Dr. Weyer's family now is as they removed from Farmington some years ago and he does not know who now has the custody of the doctor's books that he believes himself 1/2 disabled for manual labor by reason of the Chronic rheumatism on an average from discharge to the present time, and he has not been able to get more than half the wages of a full hand at no time since discharge, that he considers himself one half disabled for each and every year since his discharge in 1865 to the present time by reason of the Chronic rheumatism, that he has had kidney disease or something like that since discharge, that the kidney disease hurts him across the small of his back right over the region of the kidneys and he has used strenghtening plasters to relieve the pain and they did relieve the pain some, that he first felt the kidney disease inside of two years after he was discharged, that the kidney disease has troubled him of and on from when he first felt it until the present time, and if he works hard the kidney disease makes his back weak, that he had no other diseases since discharge except sometimes tooth ache or a bad cold, that before he enlisted he had fever and ague for some time which he caught on or near Grand River in Carroll Co Missouri, that he took Fever and Ague in 1854 or 1855 and he came back from Missouri in June 1854 or 1855 and went to his Uncle Wm McIntire (now dead) in Harrison Co., W.Va. and got rid of it in the fall of the same year he returned from Missouri; that after he was rid of the fever and ague for several years after that, whenever he would work take cold he would imagine he could feel the effects of it, that he don't remember whether he felt the fever and ague at enlistment or not, that he had the fever and ague for about a year before he he got rid of it, that he had no other disease prior to enlistment except Mumps, Chicken pox, Measels, and Whooping Cough which he had when he was small but he don't remember of it and only knows it because his parents told him he had them, that he had no physician before enlistment to treat him for any thing, except in Missouri he had a doctor to treat him for fever and ague but he don't remember his name and after he came back he had no doctor and used quinine and whiskey for the fever and ague which he bought at the drug stores and he don't remember what quantity of quinine he had put into a pint of whiskey, but he took a table spoon full of the mixture about three times a day before meals, that Zedediah Smith, Marion Smith, Job Wiseman, Lemuel Wiseman, Wilfred Drummond and Elmore P. Kaufman were neighbors and fellow workmen of his before his enlistment and they live between Shinnston W.Va. and Clarksburg W.Va. in Harrison Co in the neighborhood of his Uncle Wm McIntire (now dead) that those he has just mentioned and Wm S. Conaway, Isaac Snodderly, Alexander Schroyer and David Prichard of near Barracksville W.Va., Wm H. Watson, J. C. Hill, John I. McDaniel and Peter Haught of Briertown W.Va. and John King, Wm W. Rettray and James Brumage of White Rock, Grant District W.Va. and all in Marion Co. W.Va. have personal knowledge of his physical condition since date of discharge for each year, that he don't know and never heard of his parents, brothers and sisters or grand parents having the rheumatism or any hereditary disease, that he desires those persons interviewed, that have already testified in his case, those mentioned in this statement and those that have been read to him from the list of comrades by the Special examiner, or any of them that the Special examiner thinks necessary and others if the government desires, that he never had rheumatism before enlistment and was free from lameness and had the full use of all of his limbs and muscles to date of enlistment and never had a stiff knee at enlistment, that in 1862 he was absent without leave but he don't remember how long but he was at home, that Capt. C. Mercer asked him when the Company was at Clarksburg was at Clarksburg whether he would like to go home a few days and he told the Capt. he would and the Capt then said that he could not give him a pass to go home, but he could give him a pass to go to the hospital three days and when he got through the picket line he could go where he pleased on the pass, and the Capt gave him the 3 days pass and went home and when the time was up he returned to Clarksburg W.Va. and the regiment was gone, he knew not where, and he returned home and remained home until he got a letter from 1st Lieut Jas. R. Durham to come back to the regiment and he then went back and joined the regiment at Morefield W.Va. that he was never sick while at home without leave, that this occurred soon after he enlisted and was the only time he was home and he thinks it was winter, as it was cold weather when he returned to the regiment as stated, that in 1865 he intended to make application for pension and asked Surgeons Patton and Bryan at Clarksburg W.Va. for their affidavits and they promised him affidavits, and when he went for the affidavits a few days afterwards Patton and Bryan were gone and he neglected it until 1877, that Gilmore and Co of Washington DC were his attorneys when he first made application for pension and after they were prohibited from prosecuting pension claims by Commissioner Bentley, he employed Wm Gray of Palatine to prosecute his claim for pension and no one else was instrumental in the prosecution of his claim that he had a partly written and partly printed contract with Mess. Gilmore and Co. to pay them $25 (?) if the claim was allowed for their services to finish the prosecution of his claim and if the claim was not allowed they were to have nothing and since they have been disbarred he has made the same contract with Wm Gray his present attorney, that he has paid the attorneys nothing whatever, and has only paid the legal fees for executing the papers or affidavits in his case, that he does not desire to be present in person or by attorney if his claim is to be examined elsewhere or if it is further examined that if he should change his mind and desire to be present or be represented by his attorney at such further examination he will at once address a letter to the Commissioner of Pensions, Washington D.C. informing him that he has so changed his mind and desires to be present at such further examination and he will give the name and number of his claim to the Commissioner of pensions in said letter and that he thoroughly understands and comprehends all the questions asked him and the answers are all correctly recorded in this statement.
WILLIAM LEEPER
Deponent.
11 Sept 1886
Special Examination #2
Number and nature of Claim, No. 240.982. Orig. Invalid.
Name of Claimant, William Leeper
Service, Private Co. E. 12th Regt. W.Va. Inft. Vols.
Age, 44 years
Occupation, Laborer
Post Office address, Fairmont, Marion Co., W.Va.
Alleged Disability, Rheumatism contracted on or about March 29th 1863 at Berrysville, Virginia.
Fairmont W.Va. Feb. 19th 1887.
Hon. John C. Black,
Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D.C.
Sir.-
I have the honor to herewith return the papers in the above indicated pension claim and to submit my report thereon.
This claim was sent to me for further Special examination to secure more definite evidence to prove that the disability of right knee before enlistment was of a rheumatic character; and to closely question claimant as to any injury he may have received before enlistment, and how the injury was received and the cause of it.
I served on claimant the usual notices and informed him of his rights and privileges, and I afforded him an opportunity to be present during the examination, although he had waived his rights in my former examination and he availed himself of his rights and privileges by being present during the examination of Lambert M. Leeper, Napoleon B. Shaver and Mrs. Josina Shaver and I read the testimony of the other witnesses to him.
Claimant in his statement says, that in the summer or the beginning of the fall of 1860 he was kicked by a horse at his uncle Wm McIntire's, now dead, on the right knee and that Elmore P. Coffman was present when the horse kicked him and saw the injury and Elmore P. Coffman says claimant was not so hurt while at Wm Mcintire, but that while claimant was with Wm McIntire claimant got lame and from something like rheumatism, which goes to show that the kick of the horse is only imaginary with claimant, or if it ever did occur it was only a trifling kick and done claimant no injury such as the right knee now presents; and although claimant seems to have a wonderful lucid recollection of some things, and shows some smartness in explaining apparent contradictions in his two statements, yet when I ask him about the rheumatism he had when a child, as described by his relatives, he tells me that the witnesses are honorable, would not lie, are older than he is and know more about him when he was a child than he does, and says he cannot remember anything about himself before his father moved to the west in 1855 and this may be really true, for after claimant went west in 1855, he became afflicted with fever and ague, lost his father, mother and a brother by death, and was brought back by his friends, all inside of two years, and his own afflictions and his sad bereavements, may have obliterated the recollections of his childhood, although he was about 13 years old when his father moved west.
The witnesses are of undoubted reputation in the community in which they reside, and testified reluctantly, and their sympathies were with claimant, except probably that of Elihu Martin.
I saw Thomas King, who was just recovering from a bad spell of sickness, and he informed me that he did not know claimant before his enlistment, and on that account I did not take his statement, as it would not develop the points for which it was sent to me for further examination.
I did not see Henry Watkins, because he removed from the neighborhood to somewhere on Bingamon in the neighborhood of Grangeville, W.Va. about 15 miles from any place where livery can be obtained, and his testimony would have been only corroberative and as the roads are almost impassible in this section since the frost is out of the ground, I concluded that it would be a matter of right and pure economy to conclude the examination without the testimony of Mr. Watkins.
My opinion, from the evidence in my former report, and the evidence before me, which I herewith submit, is, that there is no merit whatever in this claim, because claimant's rheumatism was not contracted as alleged, but that it antedated claimant's enlistment, and while I pity claimant in his present condition, I recomment "Rejection."
Respectfully
J. F. Klugh
Special Examiner
Deposition Exhibit A.
Case of WILLIAM LEEPER, No. 240.982
On this fifth day of February, 1887, at FAIRMONT, County of MARION, State of W.Va., before me, J. F. KLUGH, a Special Examiner of the Pension Office, personally appeared WILLIAM LEEPER, Claimant, who, being by me first duly affirmed to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this Special Examination of aforesaid pension claim, deposes and says:
He is Wm Leeper, 44 years of age, by occupation a Laborer and resides in Grant Sistrict Marion Co W.Va. and whose Post Office address is Fairmont, Marion Co. W.Va. that he is the claimant in this case and is the same William Leeper who was a private in Co. E 12th Regt. W.Va. Inft. vols., that he received an injury to his right kneww about two years before he enlsited or about the year 1860, that it was in the summer or the beginning of the Fall of the year in about 1860 that he went into the stable to gear up a horse, and he had just taken the harness from the pin and was walking into the stall to throw the harness on the horse, and before he reached the horse in the stall the horse kicked with the left hind foot at him and struck him on the lower edge of the cap of the right knee flew out of its place a few inches above the kneww but when he put his hand on it, the cap of the knee was at it's right place, that it happened when he had made his home with Wm McIntire, now dead, after he had returned from the west as stated in his former statement, and Elmore P. Kaufman, a Grandson of said Wm McIntire was present when the horse kicked him and saw the injury, that Elmore P. Kaufman lives between Clarksburg, W.Va. and Bridgeport W.Va. and he thinks his Post Office address is Clarksburg, Harrison Co., W.Va. that the skin over the kneww cap was cut open slightly by the kick of the horse and bled considerably, that the cut was about a half inch long and he thinks it was through the skin to the bone, that it swelled up some but not much, that he had no doctor for it but attended to it himself, that he put on some salve used for sores and wrapped cloths around it, that he did not do much of anything on account of the kick for about two or three weeks and stayed for that length of time in the house but could get around by the aid of a cane, that after the cut healed up the knee would about three or four times a year swell up, get a little stiff and would have shooting pains, that the shooting pains to the best of his recollection run through the right knee and about two or three inches above and below the knee, and the swelling on such occasions would extend two or three inches or about that above and below the knee but he don't recollect of having such pains in any other portion of his body although he may have had but to tell the truth about it, he cannot recollect now, but he had such pains during service in his right knee, right hip, right shoulder, right elbow and along the back bone and in the left knee slightly in the left hip and shoulder and elbow, and was sent to the hospital on that account, and he then considered it rheumatism, that he thinks the shooting pains in his right knee before he enlisted, which he got at intervals after the knee healed up from the effects of the kick of a horse, must have been rheumatism because they were the same as he had in the service and since discharge, that the other joints of his body would swell up some like his right knee during service when he had rheumatic pains, and was treated in the hospitals as he supposed for rheumatism, that before he enlisted he had no doctor for his right knee when it would swell up, but he would bathe it with a linament for rheumatism and pains, but he don't remember whose linament preparation it was as it is too long ago and he don't recollect of being hurt in any other way before enlistment than by the kick of a horse as hereinbefore stated, that he has heard that Siney Shaver, a widow lady living about two miles from claimant, said that he had white swelling before he enlisted and also Elihu Martin of near Mannington, Marion Co. W.Va. told him that claimant had white swelling before enlistment and that he (Martin) remembeers it, that he don't know of any other person that said so, that he never had white swelling, unless it was when he was a baby, and did not know it or was too young to remember it, and was since then never told of it, that he thinks the kick of the horse on his right knee before his enlistment caused the knee afterwards to have rheumatic pains and swell for he knows of nothing else that during the service, while exposed to bad weather abd during marches his right knee would swell and have the shooting pains oftener than before enlistment and would get worse until it seemed to get into the joints of his whole body, that he has no means of support whatever, except what little he can do if manual labor himself and what his wife and children earn by their labor, that he has four children aged 14 yrs, 12 yrs, 8 yrs and 4 yrs respectively, that he has no real estate or personal property from which he receives any support, and neither has his wife, and he is solely dependent for support on their united labor as aforesaid, that if his claim is to be further examined he desires no notice of it, and adheres to his former answer to this and all the other questions, and he does not ask for any witnesses to be examined but will allow the government to examine who they please, and that he thoroughly understands and comprehends all the questions asked and the answers are all correctly recorded in this statement.
Question, In your former statement to me you say that you never had rheumatism before enlistment and was free from lameness and had the full use of all your limbs and muscles to date of enlistment and never had a stiff knee at enlistment and today you say that you were kicked by a horse on the right knee and after it healed up you periodically took swelling in the right knee and had shooting pains in it which you think now was rheumatism before you enlisted. What explanation have you to make?
Answer. - When I made my former statement to you I viewed it in quite different light to what I do since your examination of my case began, and then I considered I had the full use and did have the full use of all my limbs and muscles before enlistment and now at times, I have the full use of all my limbs and muscles, and then the joint of my right knee was only at times partly stiff, and I never had an entire stiff knee before my enlistment, and I now think the swelling of the right knee and the shooting pains in it before enlistment was rheumatism because the similarity of the swelling and pains then in the right knee and those in the other parts of the body during service and since discharge make me now think it was rheumatism, and I always testify as my conscience dictates to me, when I am called upon to testify, which makes the apparent difference in my two statements.
WILLIAM LEEPER
5th February 1887.
NOTE At some point, between 1877 and 1898, William Leeper did obtain a penion, Certificate #524538.
Department of the Interior
Bureau of Pensions
Washington, D.C., January 15, 1898
Certificate No. 524.538
WM LEEPER
First. Are you a married man? If so, please state your wife's full name, and her maiden name. Answer: No. Widower.
Second. When, where, and by whom were you married? Answer: (Blank)
Third. What record of marriage exists? Answer: (Blank)
Fourth. Were you previously married? If so, please state the name of your former wife and the date and place of her death and divorce. Answer: (Blank)
Fifth. Have you any children living? If so, please state their names and the dates of their birth. Answer: i have four children
Date of reply, June 4, 1898
William Leeper.
Act of February 6, 1907.
Declaration for Pension
State of West Virginia
County of Marion
On this 26 day of February 1907 A.D. personally appeared before me, a Notary Public within and for the county and State aforesaid, William Leeper, who, being duly sworn according to law, declares that he is 64 years of age, and a resident of Monongah, county of Marion, State of West Virginia, and that he is the identical person who was enrolled at Clarksburg, West Virginia, under the name of William Leeper, on the 15 day of August 1862 as a Private in Co "E" 12th Regiment West Virginia Infantry in the service of the United States, in the Civil War, and was honorably discharged at Richmond Virginia on the 16 day of June 1865.
That he was not employed in the military or naval service of the United States otehrwise than as stated above. That his personal description at enlistment was as follows: Height, 5 feet 4 1/2 inches; complexion, Fair; color of eyes, Hazel; color of hair, Auburn; that his occupation was Common labor; that he was born Marion County, May 13, 1842.
That his several places of residence since leaving the service have been as follows: Always lived in County of Marion W.Va.
That he is a pensioner. That he has heretofore applied for a pension Cirtificate No. 524538.
That he makes this declaration for the purpose of being placed on the pension roll of the United States under the provisions of the act of February 6, 1907.
That his post-office address is Monongah, county of Marion, State of West Virginia.
William Leeper
Witnesses: N. B. Shaver & J. K. Holbert
NOTE
In a questionnaire filled out by William Leeper in 1907, he stated, "Wife died 20 years ago. (Her name: Emily J. Leeper)"
Pensioner Dropped
Certificate No. 524538
Pensioner William Leeper
The Commissioner of Pensions.
SIR: I have the honor to report that the above-named pensioner who was last paid at $12 to Mar 4 - 1912 has been dropped because of DEATH MAY 1, 1912.
Very respectfully,
Jno R King
U. S. Pension Agent
