Soldier Information
Name: Allen Spears
Alias:
Place of Birth: Taylor KY Year of Birth: 1820
Occupation: Laborer
Eyes: Black Hair: Black Complexion: Black
Height in Feet: 5 Inches: 5 1/2
Enlistment Information
Enlistment Date: April 22, 1865
Enlistment Place: Lebanon
Enlistment State: KY
Compiled Military Service Record
Document: View
Congressional District: 4th Congressional District
Company: H Regiment(s): 125th Regt USCI
Mustered Where: Lebanon, KY
Mustered Out Date:
Rank at Muster Out:
Notes:
Allen Spears was born in Taylor County, KY and was 45 yo when he enlisted and mustered on April 22, 1865 In Lebanon, KY by Captain F(P?)idler. This would make Allen Spears’ apprx birth year 1820. He was 5 ft 5 1/2 inches, and complexion/eyes/hair were all reported as black. He was enlisted into Co. H, 125th Reg as a Private. He was enslaved by Newton Spears, Taylor County, KY, and entered service ‘without consent’ by his enslaver.
The July/August 1865 and Sept/Oct company muster roll shows Pvt. Spears as absent: remarks “Absent sick in U.S.A. Gen Hospital since August 1865” and the hospital muster roll for Jefferson USA Gen Hospital, Jeffersonville, Indiana, Ward 6 shows Spears as ‘present.’ On August 29, 1865, the soldier was admitted to Jefferson General Hospital for a “right ______ hernia” – it is on this form that Polly Spears, his wife, was listed in the address section for wife or nearest relative.
The soldier ultimately died of small pox, December 10, 1865. Record of Death and Interment: Number and locality of grave: Range 40, Grave 7;
Of note:
1) Though Pvt Spears’ death date is Dec 10, 1865, the casualty sheet (pg 24 of 34) indicates that he died on December 6, 1865 but his discharge date from the hospital was Dec 10, 1865. The remarks read, “Died prior to discharge (Dec 10, ’65) at Eruptive Hospital, Louisville KY.”
2) The casualty sheet also states that the cause of casualty was a fracture of the left arm.
Soldier Death Information
Died in war? Yes
Military Death Date: December 10, 1865
Military Death Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Military Cause of Death: Small Pox
Death Date: December 10, 1865
Cause of Death: Smallpox
Death Certificate
Soldier Pension Information
No pension card found
Widow Pension Information
Widow Pension Card: Pension Card
Widow Application Date: April 22, 1868
Application No.: 160.180 Certificate No.: 116.519
Other Family Pension Information
Pension Card Link: View
Application Date: August 12, 1869
Application No.: 178.526 Certificate No.: 133.892
Pension File Information
Pension File: Pension File
Pensioners: Polly A. Spears
J. Y. (John) Taylor
Pensioner County: Green Pensioner State: KY
Number of Pages:40
Pension Notes:
Allen Spears had two children: Judy (1854) and Mary S. (1856) Spears. When their mother died in 1869, John Y. Taylor became their guardian. They were residents of Green County, Kentucky.
Allen and Polly Spears were married at Thomas Gaines (home?) in Green County, Ky on either April 2 or 5, 1840 by Richard Gaines (deceased at the time the form was filled out). Letter by Thomas Gaines states that he has known Polly since childhood and that his father raised her (perhaps Robert Gaines?). Thomas also stated that he has known Polly’s children and lists additional children beyond Judy and Mary: Sally (May 30, 1842), Daniel William (Aug 15, 1849), Milton (Dec 1 1851). [Mary’s middle name is Susan — Mary Susan Spears].
Freedman’s Bank/Freedmen’s Bureau Information
No Freedman’s Bank information found
No Freedmen’s Bureau Documents found
Family Information
Mother First Name: Mother Maiden Name:
Father First Name: Father Last Name:
Siblings:
Wife #1 First Name: Polly Ann Maiden Name:
Wife #2 First Name: Maiden Name:
Wife #3 First Name: Maiden Name:
Children: Judy Spears 1854
Mary Spears 1856
Sally Spears 1842
William Spears 1849
Milton Spears 1851
Daniel 1846 Spears
Family Notes:
Unsure of Polly Ann’s maiden name. Allen and Polly Spears were married at Thomas Gaines (home?) in Green County, Ky by Richard Gaines (deceased at the time the form was filled out). In the widow pension file, there was a letter by Thomas Gaines stating that he has known Polly since childhood and that his father raised her (perhaps Richard Gaines?). Thomas also states that he has known her children and was able to provide details on all five of Allen and Polly’s children. There is evidence based on the 1840 census, as well as the 1850 slave schedule for Green County, KY that Thomas Gaines was an enslaver, and more than likely so was Richard Gaines. While there is no way of telling if this means that Polly Ann’s maiden name could have been Gaines (or that she was even enslaved by the Gaines Family) based on what I was able to find, I thought this possibility should at least be mentioned.
Family Tree:
View Family Tree on Ancestry.com Please note: this requires a paid Ancestry.com account to view
1870 Census
1870 Census Link: View
1870 Profession: None listed
1870 Live with/near former enslaver? Yes
1870 Real Estate Value: 0 1870 Personal Estate Value: 0
1870 Ability to Read? Cannot read Ability to Write? Cannot write
1870 Census Notes:
Both soldier and widow died before 1870 – link is for one of their surviving children, Mary Susan Spears (no findings for other children). In 1870 Mary is 13 yo and living in dwelling #159 (family # 168) with Moses and Sarah Taylor (Black) — recall that John Taylor was the guardian of the surviving children in the pension documents. Dwelling #157 is a Taylor household (Black), #160 is a Taylor household (white) and dwelling #161 is a Gaines household (white, former enslaver surname). This is likely the correct Mary Susan Spears.
1880 Census
1880 Census Link: View
1880 Profession: Servant
1880 Live with/near former enslaver? No
1880 Ability to Read? Cannot read Ability to Write? Cannot write
1880 Census Notes:
In the 1880 census, Mary is 23 yo, head of household in Greensburg, KY. She is in dwelling #4 and listed as head of household. There is Mary Taylor, Black, age 21, female, living with Mary Spears. Both of their occupations is listed as servant. The birthplace of Mary Spears’ father is listed as Ireland and her mother’s is Alabama — based on earlier records, both Allen and Polly Spears were born in KY; it appears the enumerator wrote ‘Do’ –ditto– all the way down the columns from the last person who was reported with parents from Ireland and Alabama, so the record is likely incorrect in terms of the birthplaces of parents. That Mary Spears was living with a Mary Taylor and seeing the connection of the Taylor name to their family history points to some certainty that this is the correct Mary Susan Spears.
1890 Census
1890 Census information not found
1900 Census
1900 Census information not found
1910 Census
1910 Census information not found
1920 Census
1920 Census information not found
Enslaver Information
Name: Newton Spears Location: Division 2, Taylor County, Kentucky
Previous Enslaver:
Enslaver Notes:
Based on the 1850 Slave Schedule, Newton owned two slaves, one female age 10 and one male age 13. Age-wise, they would have been 20 and 23 in 1860 so the age for the enslaved male would not have matched Allen Spears (45 yo in 1865).
Note on 1880 census: Mary (age 42) was Newton Spears’ third wife – her maiden name was Mary H. Rollins. Newton’s first wife was also named Mary and he had two daughters named Mary. In 1864 Newton married his second wife (his first wife died). After his second wife died, he remarried in 1867.
1850 Enslaver Census
1850 Census Link: View
1850 Slave Schedule Link: View
1850 Number of Enslaved: 2
1860 Enslaver Census
1860 Census Link: View
1860 Real Estate Value: 1860 Personal Estate Value:
1860 Number of Enslaved:
1870 Enslaver Census
1870 Census Link: View
1870 Real Estate Value: 1500 1870 Personal Estate Value: 415
1880 Enslaver Census
Compensation Information
Compensation Application not found