Pension File of Joseph Jones - Pt 3

I pick up the story of the shooting of Joseph Jones with the deposition of Madison Line, husband of Eliza Line. Previous entries on Joseph's pension file are available at Part 1 and Part 2. In March 1878, Mr. Line sold property in Hamblen County to Joseph. In 1886, Line provided a deposition in Joseph's pension file describing the circumstances of the shooting that he had witnessed in December 1864 during the Civil War.

Deposition of Madison Line, 25 January 1886
Panther Springs, Hamblen County, Tennessee

"I knew Jones before the war and have known him ever since he was a little bit of a boy. I could not say when we came home "while a soldier" but it was just after the siege of Knoxville in 1864. At that time his home was about 1/4 of a mile from me it was right on my place. He said he was home on a furlough but I did not see it and don't know whether he had one or not but he told me Brownlow gave him a furlough. I don't remember of hearing it said that he was home because they had trouble with or in the Company. There was some men "home" of the 9th that had trouble.

Jones was wounded just before or after Christmas 1864. It was cold weather at the time and it was after the Battle of Mossy Creek. I think he [next page] was wounded in December. The way I know he was wounded was from the fact that he had borrowed my saddle. I wanted to use it so I went to his house in the morning to get it. It was a very cold morning and I went up to the pine was leaning over holding my cane. I heard a noise at the door and looked and saw a pistol in at the open door.

The door was to my left.

Jones sat to the right of me.

A bed to my left.

Jones jumped up run around me to the bed to get his pistol that was lying there. He reached for it and they shot him in the right shoulder, the ball passing through and hitting me in the left arm. They fired only once in the house but they shot after outside but I don't know what at.

Jones, myself and Phillip McClanahan (dead) were the only persons there except Jones wife and children. James Sheperd was not there that morning but he was there that afternoon. I went back after it Sheperd was there then but he was not there that morning. There was several of the "rebel" soldiers at the time but only me shot in the house. If James Shepherd was there at the time Jones was shot I have no recollection of it.

After Jones was shot the soldiers took him a 1/4 or a 1/2 mile from home and they then thought he was wounded so bad they let him go. He was weak from the loss of blood and could not get along as fast as they wanted to so he got back home.

He said he had a furlough but I do not know for how long but he said that after that expired he was to do attached duty scouting. Whether this was so I do not know. He did not say who put him on the ditched duty but Thornhill could not do it. He and Thornhill were home together and I understand that Thornhill was on ditched duty too. Thornhill did not have the trouble until the Spring of 1865. That is with his Company. I am not related to Jones, I have no interest in the case and I am not [?] either for or against him."

Signed Madison Line
25 January 1886
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The next deposition was presented by James Sheperd, age 74, of Valley Home, Hamblen County. This was also taken on 25 January 1886.

"I knew [Jones] when a boy. I don't know when he went into the service. He was home more than once while a soldier. Once when home he was shot.

One morning pretty soon the month or year I cannot remember, he was at home. I was 150 yards from his house when about 16 rebels rode up and one of them rode up to the door and shot in and shot Jones. I saw the rebel shoot but did not see Jones shot as he was inside the house. They captured him and brought him out, I then saw he was shot. The rebels ordered me to follow them which I did for a short distance and then left them. They released Jones that same day and he came back. This I was told for I left right away but the neighbor said he got back that day. I think he was wounded in the left side, Madison Line was wounded at the same time by the same bullet. This I know as I went right after Line to his house and he took his coat off and the bullet fell out of his sleeve on the floor. I saw the bullet.

Line, Jones and Phillip McClanahan were the only men in the house at the time Jones and Line were shot. I understand that Jones was home by a furlough at the time he was shot, but I don't know that this was so positively for I did not see the furlough if he had it but I understand from his family that he was furloughed. They did not come and say they had a verbal furlough. Oh! No, they all said they had written furloughs but I never saw any of their furloughs. I can't remember when it was that Jones was shot but it was pretty cool weather. I can't remember when it was. I have no way to tell the year that Jones was shot. I did make an affidavit in the case and it was executed before Esquire Henderson Skeen. I am not related to [Jones]. I have no interest in the case.

...[Jones] was wounded in the right shoulder and that it was about the first of December 1864. In your earlier statement you said it was the left shoulder and that you cannot remember the year or month. Please explain.

I don't remember of that affidavit being read to me, but I do remember it was cool weather when Jones was shot he was a soldier at that time.

Signed James [X his mark] Sheperd
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I have a copy of the deed between Jones and Madison Line on the way from the Hamblen County Archives. I also need to go back and look at the pension file of Thomas W. Thornhill to see what he says in his file.