DEPOSITION: B
Deposition of: LORENZO H SCOTT
Case of: Charles N Nichols
Certificate #387.762, April 1900
On this 28th day of April, 1900, at Jones, county of Cass, state of Mich., before me, H.L. Rothe, a special examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, personally appeared Lorenzo H Scott, who, being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this special examination of aforesaid claim for pension, deposes and says:
I am 56 years of age; my post-office address is Jones, Mich.
I am a carpenter & farmer.
I was Pvt. Co. G 11" Mich. Inf., I enlisted Aug 24, 1861, and was discharged with the regiment Sept. 30, 1864.
Charles N Nichols was a member of my company. I became acquainted with him at White Pigeon, Mich., where we ______ after we enlisted. We tented together while we had ____ tents, twenty men in a tent, during the first of our service. I think I also tented with him a short time after we had small tents. I couldn't say how long. I think we were tent mates at Nashville, Tenn. awhile.
I was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga, Sept 20, 1863, and was absent until April 1864. Otherwise I was with my company.
Nichols had terrible cramping spells during service. The first I remember them was at Nashville, Tenn, in the fall of 1862, and he had them after that at intervals.
During the Atlanta campaign, after we left Greysville, Ga., he had two or three such spells. He used to cramp up and we thought he would die, sure, at times. The spells would leave him weak and in bad shape and it would be a long time, weeks, before he could do duty again. I couldn't say what caused the cramping, whether it was stomach pain, or pleurisy, or some other trouble. I thought they were stomach pains, but I really don't know their nature. Other symptoms, beside cramping, that I noticed were that he frothed at the mouth. They might be called by some regular spasms.
Yes, I have seen him through one of his cramping spells and the spell lasted about thirty minutes. When he had such a spell, he would lie down and double himself right up. Before he would loose consciousness he would speak a wonderful groaning. The spells lasted until he seemed to be worn out.
No, I do not recall anything else that ailed him in service.
Do you recall that he was sick at White Pigeon, Mich?
No, I don't remember that he was. I don't think he had any of those spells there and I know of nothing else that ailed him.
Was he ever wounded?
Not to my knowledge. I was not with the regiment at the Stone River fight, nor was I at Murfresboro after the battle. I was left sick at Nashville, Tenn. when the regiment went on the Murfresboro campaign, and I did not rejoin the regiment until after they left Murfresboro. I had forgotten that absence when you asked me before.
Then you don't know anything personally about Nichols's health from the time the regiment started for Murfresboro until after they left Murfresboro?
No Sir; I do not.
Can you state whether this man had disease of lungs, rheumatism, or chronic diarrhea in service?
Not positively. I don't remember now whether he had, or not.
I have now read to you this claimants' statement as to the origin of his alleged disease of lungs, rheumatism, catarrh, deafness of one ear, wound of head, chronic diarrhea, piles, and mumps. What, if anything further do you now recall?
I remember about him having the mumps on the boat. I don't think that I recall anything further, definitely, so as to swear to anything. The cramping spells of his stomach and bowels may have been caused from chronic diarrhea, but I couldn't say as to that. I know he was sick a good deal.
The affidavit you show me (BJ.19) was written by me and bares my signature. The reason I did not state the nature of his disability in my affidavit is because I really didn't know what caused the condition. I did not mean to say that I was at murfresboro, by my statement in the affidavit that he was taken worse after the Battle of Stone River. I don't know how long the regiment stayed at Stone River or Mufresboro, but I did not join them until after they left there.
I have understood the questions and my statement, as read to me, is correctly recorded. Sgt. Foster M Drake was at Chattanooga, Tenn, about two years ago the last I knew.
Deponent, Lorenzo H Scott
