Madison County, NC Genealogy Society

MADISON COUNTY, NC

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

Sidney McLean

The claimant swears to loyal sympathies and to earnest opposition to Secession. He was arrested by a squad of Confederate soldiers and forced into the Army where he remained sick and doing no service for 8 months when he was discharged and went home. He was subsequently arrested again but made his escape to the Union lines in 1863 and enlisted in a Union regiment and served till the close of the war. Three witnesses - fellow soldiers in the Union Army - confirm claimants statements and establish his loyalty -- one of these witnesses attended an consultation of several Union men of whom claimant was one who proposed to go through the lines and join the Union Army in 1861, but the difficulties in this way deterred them from carrying this purpose into effect at that time.

"Claimant and two witnesses testify to this taking of the supplies by the Union Army in 1864. We allow $487."

Nature of claim	Claimed	Allowed
2 second class horses	250.00	200.00
750 lb. bacon	150.00	100.00
200 lb. flour	12.00	12.00
15 bushel corn	18.75	15.00
500 pounds beef	50.00	50.00
400 pounds corn	24.00	24.00
70 bushel of corn	87.50	87.50
32 gallons molasses	32.00	16.00
Total	624.25	487.00

Testimony was taken by James K. Hardwick 2/24/1879 and sent to A.E. Jenkins of Washington, DC

There are two cover sheets for the claim 1/1/1878 states the claim and lists the following as witnesses to prove the validity of the claim:

The second cover sheet 2/24/1879 was taken by James K. Hardwick and lists the following witnesses:

The testimony of the file is from the second date.

Sidney McLean stated he was 47 at the date making his birth year 1832 and states he was born in South Carolina His occupation was a farmer. He fed John Shelton and W.L. Ray, Union soldiers in Greene Cty., TN. in 1863.

He stated the following persons as the leading and best known Unionists were:

"I was threatened by Col. J.A. Keith of the Rebel Army in 1863,1864, and 1865 and in the spring of 1864 on Bull Creek in Madison County, NC the said Keith and his men drove my family from their home and destroyed my household furniture, and either killed or drove off all my live stock."

"I was arrested in 1862 at home by a squad of Confederate soldiers to compel me to serve in the army for 4 weeks or longer. I was compelled to go to Asheville, thence to Raleigh, then into Virginia and on to Charleston, TN and from there to Cumberland Gap .While under arrest I was forced to join Co. G. 29th NC Regent and was detained in the service about 8 months. I was discharged on account of sickness and while under arrest was compelled to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederate Government." " After my discharge I was arrested and brought to Marshall, NC to be enrolled as a conscript but made my escape and after lying out for sometime went through the lines and joined the Federal troops." Sidney was a recruiting Sergeant first and then promoted to first Lieutenant for Co. G 3rd NC Mt'd Inf. from 1863 into 1865. He resigned at Greenville, TN. June 1865. He stated he voluntarily gave one bay mare to the 10th Michigan Cav. at Strawberry Plains, TN. in 1864.

Col. Keith took a mule from my house in 1863 and I never received any compensation.

After reading the testimony all this material was taken at different times and at different places by different people but all for the Union cause.

1. The black horse was taken at Bulls Gap, TN Spring 1864 by the 11 TN. Cav.

2. The mare was taken at Strawberry Plains, TN. Aug. 1864 by 11th Mich. Cav.

3. The 750 pounds of bacon, sides, hams, and shoulders were taken at Cove Creek, Green County , TN Spring 1864 by the 3rd NC Mt'd Inf., led by Col. Kirk, and a portion of the 8th TN Cav. It was opened and given as rations right on the spot.

4. Two hundred pounds of flour and 15 bushels of corn were taken May 1, 1864 at Cove Creek, Greene County, TN by Col. Kirk and the 3rd NC Mt'd Inf. and part of the 8th TN Cav. The flour was given as rations and the corn was given to the horses.

Five hundred pounds of beef, 400 pounds of flour, 75 bushels of corn, and 32 gallons of molasses were taken by Col. Kirk and the 3rd NC Mt'd Inf. and part of the 8th TN. Cav.

William Clubb testified that he was the uncle of Sidney McLean and lived about 6 miles from him during the war. He served in the 2nd NC Mt'd Inf. H.R. Rhea and W.S. Ray were McLean's nearest neighbors.

George McDuffie McDowell testified he lived within 3 miles of Sidney McLean during the war. He belonged to the 2nd NC Mt'd Inf. McDuffie was the miller at the Bull Creek Mills.