Washington Davenport's Deposition in the John Culver Pension Case - 1888
Washington Davenport's Deposition Transcribed by Linda Durr Rudd
Natchez, Adams County, MS
May 08, 1888
My age is about 77 years, occupation porter. I was a sergeant in Company G, 58th, Unites States Colored Troops in the late war, enlisted in November 1863, and was mustered out with the Regiment at Vicksburg, Miss., April 30, 1866. I became acquainted with the pensioner in the service. Did not know him before enlistment. Pensioner was at times on duty with me while in service but belonged to another company, company K of my regiment. I have no personal knowledge that pensioner eyes were defective while in the service. I did not pay the same attention to his condition that I would had he been a member of my Co. When on the march from Washington to Brookhaven, in the month of August 1865, pensioner was overcome with heat on the first or second day march and was put in an ambulance and carried on to Brookhaven. I did not see him put into an ambulance but heard of it at the time, and heard he was taken with a blindness. I don’t remember seeing him after that until we were discharged. I don’t know if his eyes were affected at the time he was discharged. I heard that Mr. John O’Ferrall had taken on or sent him to New Orleans, La., for treatment to his eyes. Did not see his eyes at that time. I did not at that time hear any particular cause of him having sore eyes or the nature of the sore eyes. I don’t know whether he had a wife at that time. I have heard he had a woman named Susan that lived with him as his wife. I have seen the woman Susan but don’t know what has become of her. Don’t know and never hear of the cause of their separation. I have never heard any person say that pensioner blindness was the result of cause originating outside the service, or from venereal disease or small pox. I never intimated to any person that I knew anything concerning the cause of blindness. I understand your questions. You have correctly recorded my answers.