Henry Woods, a comrade of Anderson Shields, also testified in 1910 on behalf of Shields’ widow, Kate. Henry was 82 years old at the time, and living in Hermanville, Claiborne County, Mississippi. Like Anderson and Kate, Henry had also been a slave of Col. Waterman Crane of Bruinsburg, Mississippi. He recalled that Kate and Anderson were married in the winter of 1859-1860, “having the consent of Col. Crane.”

Woods related how he joined the Union army: “When Gen. Grant marched from Bruinsburg on his way to circumvent Vicksburg, he passed through our place; whereupon nearly every able bodied man on the place followed him….Anderson was most active in persuading the other men to leave the place and join the army.” Woods continued: “In the terrible battle of Millikens Bend, where most of our regt. were either killed or drowned, Anderson was badly hurt, and we both were captured. I returned to my regiment and stayed with it until it was mustered out. Anderson never returned, because of his wound and other injuries. After being discharged, I returned to the Crane place where I found Anderson, still disabled and unfit for military service.” Anderson died at the Crane place and was buried there in 1883. Woods believed that Anderson died as a result of the “hurts” he received at Milliken’s Bend.

Woods pled desperately on Kate Shields’ behalf, and for the dignity of Anderson’s memory: “I conscientiously believe that she is entitled to the pension, for Anderson was a patriot and served his country to the best of his ability. Had he not been disabled at Millikens Bend he would have continued in the service to the end of the war, for he was full of enthusiasm and enthused others.” Woods described Kate Shields in 1910 as “a very feeble old woman” who lived “on the charity of others not legally bound for her support.” Woods deemed it his “sacred duty” to assist Kate, who was deserving of a pension she was “justly entitled to receive from an appreciated government.”

Part 3 of a series.

Sources: Kate Shields widows pension record, #954257, National Archives.