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Summary: 10799 James Granison Pension File
Donated by Anglea Walton. No enslaver mentioned. Mollie was located in Jefferson County, Kentucky.
 Mollie Thomas Granison is the Widow of James who served with Company H of the 125th Regiment of the USCT. They were married December 1869 and the following children were born Sallie 22 October 1870, James 11 June 1872, LuLu 14 August 1875 and Arthur 29 May 1879.
 James was previously married to Nellie Fields. She died before he returned from the army in the Spring of 1867.
 Affiants Mary O’Donnell, Major Jones, Harriet Jones, Lizzie Jones, Cordelia King, Martha Hayden, William R. Field, Perry Caldwell, Andrew Summers. No exact relationships stated.
 Affiant Major Jones states he served in Company D of the 122nd Regiment.
 Mollie Granison suffered from epilepsy for 10 years which led to her death on 25 February 1914. Mollie is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.
 Sallie G Ray is the married daughter of Mollie and the only child to care for her in her sickness.
 Mollie’s Doctor claimed he treated her for six years prior to her death and that Mollie needed constant attention the last three years of her life and that she suffered from a brain abscess and other complications.
 Daniel Grigsby (a musician in Co. H of the 125th USCT) and Melton Long (a private in Co. H of the 125th USCT) are not absent from the rolls during July and August of 1865 regarding James Granison’s case.
 Mollie’s claim for Widow’s Pension states she was married in Jefferson County on 29 December 1869 and that James was enlisted as a Sergeant on 24 April 1865. He died 9 January 1883.
 War Department states that James was enlisted as a Sergeant and mustered out on 31 October 1867.
 James was born in Bullitt County, Kentucky. He was 5 ft 8 ½ inches tall and about 38 years old. The document was dated 1889.
 James was 56 years old at the time of his death and the cause of death was stomach cancer.
 Hannah Briles and Mary Evans witnessed the Marriage of Jas Grandison and Mollie Thomas performed by J B Stansberry on 29 December 1869.
 Affiant Caroline Carroll states that she lived across the street from Mary O’Donnell and that James and Mollie lived in the rear of Mary’s house.
 James worked for the firm of Arthur Peters and Co. doing their hauling in a dray (wagon). MC Peter remembers James being in good health.
 Affiant Roy Williams states that when he was 15-16 years old, he was hired by James Granison to assist him for about 5 years. His job was to drive the dray since it hurt James to ride in and drive the dray.
 Perry Caldwell states that sometimes he helped James load his dray. They lived near each other, and it was hard for James to lift heavy items.
 William R Fields was the nephew of James and his first wife Nellie Fields.
 Mrs. Mary O’Donnell states that Mollie and James were married at her house and lived in a room of her house. James moved to the opposite side of the street sometime before he died.
 Martha Hayden states that she knew Mollie all her life and that they had six children and four were now living. One child died before James died and the youngest child was named Mollie and was born 3 months before James died and then died about one year after his death.
 William Owsley assisted James for about six years driving the dray down south. He supposed he was hired because he was able to read and write and could sign the bill properly.
 Daniel Grigsby, a musician, served with James in Co. H 125th USCT and remembers that James always complained of stomach pain and diarrhea. Once he left Fort Leavenworth Kansas for Fort Bliss Texas, he often remained in his quarter sick.
 Thomas Bennett served with James and said that he was healthy and never complained of sickness. Anderson Kelly was James Bunkmate, but he is now dead. Thomas remembers James from Fort Leavenworth and Fort Bliss and states he was healthy and never sick.
 Peter Wilson also served with James and stated that James’ bunkmate was Anderson Kelly, who was dead. Peter remembers James being on the sick list but not sure what the sickness was.
 Pious Bell also served in the same regiment, but in company I. He recalls the surgeon giving James quinine for his sickness but that the surgeon gave quinine to anyone that was sick. Pious was owned by Walter Brooks and James was owned by Neal Brooks.
 Major Jones served in the 122nd regiment. He states that after the war he returned to his former owner’s farm as Shepherd’s Mill, KY and that James also returned there to see his old Master. When the old Master served them dinner, James did not eat much. Major states that he lived at Shepherd’s Mill for a year after the war before moving to Louisville. Major states that James always lived in Louisville after the war. They both lived on 9th Street for about two or three years. Major Jones also attended the burial of James’ first wife, Nellie Fields.
 Andrew Summers, age 80 states that he has known James all his life and that they lived about 1 ½ miles apart before the war. After the war, he did not know where James lived and did not see him until about 1 week before he died. He would occasionally see him on the streets driving his dray and they would talk about the “fun we had in slave time.”
 Documents are out of order and Mollie now states that James was cut open by physicians who told her he had stomach cancer. She did not know if he got the cancer from his service in the Army, but that James told her he had diarrhea and rode in the ambulance a great deal. She did not know about any hospital stays but that James had a great friend named Anderson Kelly, who was now deceased. Mollie states that James complained of the pain of the jarring from driving the dray, so he usually had a boy with him. First, he had Roy Williams and then next he had Willie Owsley. Then he hired Harlan Thompson to help, but he is now deceased. He then hired a man, whose name is illegible. Mollie shows the examiner her Bible which lists the names of their children that were living with them at the time of James death. Sallie born October 22, 1870, James born June 11, 1872, Willie born July 14, 1874, Lulu born August 14, 1875, and Mollie born October 2, 1882. Mollie died October 25, 1883. Since the Bible did not state Mollie's birth, the affiant states that Mrs. Mary O'Donnell can confirm when Mollie was born. Mollie was asked by the examiner who would be able to talk about James’ condition while in the army and Mollie responded that Daniel Grigsby and Pious Bill were the only two. When asked who could talk about James’ condition after the war, Mollie responded that Major James, Mrs. Mary O'Donnell, and Perry Caldwell could. Mollie did not care to be present when they were examined.
 Mollie states that Neil Brooks was James’ enslaver before the war and that James lived with his sister Lucinda Fields before the war. William Fields was Nellie Fields’ brother.
 Mollie is recusing a pension under the new Act of June 27, 1890, and trying to establish a claim under general law. Letter states that the soldier died from Cancer of Stomach which is alleged to have originated in service. The claim was referred to SE division to determine if the cause of death did originate during service. Mollie declined to be present during witness examinations.
 Milton Long served with James in the same company. Once while they were guarding prisoners at the military prison in Louisville, KY in the latter part of the summer of 1865, James became very sick and weak. He was treated in the regimental quarters and remained sick off and on for the remainder of his service. Milton states that James continued to be troubled with the same disability until his death.
 Mollie stating that she cannot furnish medical evidence of the existence of stomach cancer at the date of her husband's discharge. The first doctor David Yandell, the second, Doctor Cox, and the third, Doctor R Singleton, all of Louisville, are all deceased. She requests the department accepts the testimony of neighbors and associates.
 This is the application document for Widow's Pension. Mollie has listed the children Sallie, James, Lula, and Arthur. It is stamped with the word rejection and states that 31 July 1895 the document was rejected on the grounds that although the claimant was aided by a special examination, she was not able to connect the soldier's death with his military service. In pencil at the top is written the statement " Reissue to allow under General Law."
 A letter from Lucy B. Porter the widow of Doctor E. S. Porter. The Doctor lived and practiced in Louisville for 30 years. His widow looked through the Doctor's record books and noted that Mollie became sick in 1903 and her sickness("diabetis") extended through 1904 and 1905. The sum of $50.00 was paid in 1903. The sum of $37.00 was paid in 1904 and the sum of $21.00 was paid in 1905. Mollie Granison paid the sum in 1903 and her daughter Sallie paid the sums in 1904 and 1905. Dr. Porter died 28 May 1914.