Soldier Information
Name: Washington Fairfax
Alias: Stone
Place of Birth: Nelson KY Year of Birth: 1840
Occupation: No occupation listed
Eyes: Black Hair: Black Complexion: Black
Height in Feet: Not listed Inches: Not listed
View Ledger
Enlistment Information
Enlistment Date: June 29, 1864
Enlistment Place: Louisville
Enlistment State: KY
Compiled Military Service Record
Document: View
Congressional District: 5
Company: F Regiment(s): 108th USCI
Mustered Where: Louisville, Kentucky
Mustered Out Date:
Rank at Muster Out:
Notes:
CMSR was 23 pages long. On page two of the CMSR, it states that Washington Fairfax was 36 years old, that he was 5 feet 11 ½ inches tall, and a farmer. On page 3, it states that his age was 36. Fairfax was mustered into Co. C 108th USCI on Jun 29, 1864 in Louisville. He was credited to District 5 (Jefferson County) not Nelson County (District 4). Later in the CMSR, an enlistment document gave his age as 36 and height 6 feet 1 ¾ inches tall. Fairfax was “Killed by sunstroke at Vicksburg July 26, 1865.” On the day he died, a document stated that he owed the government $7.21 for clothing and an additional $8.86 for various pieces of equipment including a plate, haversack, and canteen. He also owed sutler Robert Patton $21. Soldier was promoted to Sergeant by September-October 1864, but then reduced to Private by November-December 1864.
Soldier Death Information
Died in war? Yes
Military Death Date: July 26, 1865
Military Death Location: Vicksburg, Mississippi
Military Cause of Death: Sunstroke and diarrhea
Death Date: July 26, 1865
Cause of Death: Sunstroke and/or diarrhea
Death Certificate
Soldier Pension Information
No pension card found
Widow Pension Information
Widow Pension Card: Pension Card
Widow Application Date: March 21, 1868
Application No.: 159011 Certificate No.: 127346
Other Family Pension Information
Pension Card Link: View
Application Date:
Application No.: 211871 Certificate No.: N/A
Pension File Information
Pension File: Pension File
Pensioners: Jane Fairfax
Lucy Fairfax
Lizzie Fairfax
Pensioner County: Jefferson Pensioner State: KY
Number of Pages:146
Pension Notes:
Washington Fairfax’s pension file included 146 pages, most of which was devoted to resolving pension claims between two competing widows. Washington Fairfax’s widow, Jane Thomas Fairfax of Nelson County, filed for widow’s and minor children’s benefits on March 21, 1868. According to affidavits from numerous witnesses, Washington Fairfax and Jane Thomas were married on October 15, 1848 (dates varied into the 1850s), in Nelson County, Kentucky. Jane Fairfax testified that she and Washington Fairfax had nine children together, but only two were living as of 1868. Jane Fairfax and other witnesses (including former enslavers of both Jane and Washington Fairfax) swore that Washington Fairfax remained in the state of Kentucky for his entire life prior to enlisting in Co. F 108th USCI. Jane Fairfax’s widow’s pension claim was initially granted, but was stopped in 1873 when another woman, Elizabeth Rich Fairfax of Clinton, Iowa, claimed to be the widow of Washington Fairfax. Elizabeth Fairfax claimed that she and Washington Fairfax were married in 1856 in Fayette County, Tennessee, and had several children together but that only two survived him. There were many inconsistencies in Elizabeth Fairfax’s testimony, including the impossibility that Washington Fairfax lived in Fayette County, Tennessee, and that a son she claimed was fathered by Washington Fairfax, was actually was born nearly two years after the soldier’s death. Elizabeth Fairfax’s claims were deemed to be fraudulent and therefore her pension claim was denied, and Jane Fairfax’s benefits (as well as those for her two daughters) were restored.
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: Fairfax Father Last Name: Stone
Siblings: Morris Stone
Wife #1 First Name: Jane Maiden Name: Thomas
Wife #2 First Name: Maiden Name:
Wife #3 First Name: Maiden Name:
Children: Lucy Fairfax 1854
Lizzie Fairfax 1857
Family Notes:
According to an affidavit included in pension files, Jane Thomas Fairfax stated that she and husband Washington Fairfax had nine children, only two of whom survived him (Lucy Fairfax and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Fairfax). This testimony was corroborated by other witnesses. Another woman, Elizabeth Rich Fairfax (1839-1908) of Clinton, Iowa, claimed to be the wife of Washington Fairfax. She asserted that Washington Fairfax was the father of her two children but those allegations were deemed to be fraudulent, and Jane Thomas Fairfax was named as the only widow of Washington Fairfax. Also note that prior to enlisting in the USCI, Washington Fairfax was known as “Washington Stone,” and that he changed his surname from “Stone” to his father’s name, “Fairfax,” at the time of his enlistment in Louisville. With regard to Washington Fairfax’s siblings, there was a man named Charles Fairfax (1822-1902) who may have been the soldier’s brother (or other close relative). Charles Fairfax was born Bloomfield (Nelson County). In 1869, Charles Fairfax lived at the same address in Louisville as Jane Fairfax, the widow of Washington Fairfax. Charles Fairfax had a son named George Washington Fairfax (1862-1922) who may have been named after Washington Fairfax. More research is needed to determine if Washington Fairfax and Charles Fairfax are related.
Family Tree: View
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: Laundress
1870 Live with/near former enslaver? No
1870 Real Estate Value: 0 1870 Personal Estate Value: 0
1870 Ability to Read? Cannot read Ability to Write? Cannot write
1870 Census Notes:
1880 Census
1880 Census Link: View
1880 Profession: Washing
1880 Live with/near former enslaver? No
1880 Ability to Read? Cannot read Ability to Write? Cannot write
1880 Census Notes:
1890 Census
1890 Census information not found
1900 Census
1900 Census Link: View
1900 Profession: Washerwoman
1900 Ability to Read? Cannot read Ability to Write? Cannot write
1900 Own/Rent: Rent 1900 Home Free/Mortgage: Unknown 1900 Farm/House: House
1900 Census Notes:
1910 Census
1910 Census information not found
1920 Census
1920 Census information not found
Enslaver Information
Name: Harry Stone Location: Bloomfield, Kentucky (Nelson County)
Previous Enslaver: John Stone
Enslaver Notes:
John Stone (1785-1871) was the original enslaver of Washington Fairfax. Harvey Stone (1825-1898), the son of John Stone, and was the enslaver of record for this soldier’s Ledger entry. Harvey Stone lived in his father’s household until John Stone’s death in 1871. There are no Slave Schedule entries for Harvey Stone in 1850 or 1860. It appears that all the enslaved persons in the Stone household were in the name of John Stone through 1860. Harvey Stone survived his father and later played a role in Washington Fairfax’s widow’s pension case. Harvey Stone testified on behalf of Jane Thomas Fairfax during her successful fight to reclaim her widow’s pension, after another woman, Elizabeth Rich Fairfax, filed a competing claim. Harvey Stone testified that Washington Fairfax was born on John Stone’s farm in Bloomfield (Nelson County), was married to Jane Thomas in Bloomfield, and lived in the Bloomfield community prior to enlistment. Harvey Stone confirmed that Washington Fairfax never left the state of Kentucky prior to enlistment and therefore could not have married Elizabeth Rich (as she claimed) in 1856 in Fayette County, Tennessee. The pension file documents also revealed that prior to enlisting in the USCI, Washington Fairfax was known as “Washington Stone,” and that he changed his surname from “Stone” to his father’s name, “Fairfax,” at the time of his enlistment in Louisville.
1850 Enslaver Census
1850 Census Link: View
1850 Slave Schedule Link: View
1850 Number of Enslaved: 28
1860 Enslaver Census
1860 Census Link: View
1860 Real Estate Value: $25,000 1860 Personal Estate Value: $20,000
1860 Slave Schedule Link: View
1860 Number of Enslaved: 26
1870 Enslaver Census
1870 Census Link: View
1870 Real Estate Value: $0 1870 Personal Estate Value: $10,700
1880 Enslaver Census
Compensation Information
Compensation Applied? No Compensation Received? No