James Leon Ashcraft

Son of Jesse Ashcraft and Sarah McClellan

Leon was born about 1828 in Chester County, South Carolina. In the mid-1850s, he traveled to Cleveland County, Arkansas with his parents, Jesse and Sarah (McClellan) Ashcraft, and his siblings. He married Sarah Jane Byrd and, in 1860, purchased 120 acres of land on Big Creek adjacent to that of his father’s. Leon and Sarah Jane were the parents of four sons and a daughter.

In April of 1862, James Leon and four of his first cousins enlisted in Company D of the 26^th Arkansas Infantry. By October of 1863, the Cleveland County area was under Union control. Numerous Confederate troops were given ‘unofficial leave’ to return home to see about their families; Leon was among them. En route back to his unit, Leon was apprehended by Union soldiers. Having no amnesty papers and refusing to volunteer any information, Leon was accused by the Yankees of being a Confederate spy and was reportedly executed.

Upon learning that benefits had been offered to widows, Sarah Jane filed for her pension in 1905. Two affidavits attached to her application were given by Richard B. Mason and Melton S. Williams, both of whom served with James Leon in Capt. Halliday’s Company D. Sarah’s pension application was unjustly denied, officials stating lack of proof of Leon’s honorable death.

Following are transcriptions of his military records.

Arkansas Confederate Pensions Index

Surname: Ashcraft

Given Name: James L.

Application Number: 15802

Widow Surname:  Ashcraft

Widow Given Name:  Sarah Jane

Company:  D

Regiment: 26

State Served From: Arkansas

Division: Infantry

Pension County:  Cleveland

Death Date: 10/10/1863

Application Year:  1905

Widow Death Date:

Comments:  Accused of being a spy, was executed

Arkansas History Commission

Note: There is no official record of Leon’s execution, nor is there an official record of the infamous hanging of David O. Dodd in Little Rock January 1864. Following the Civil War, all existing Confederate and United States records were compiled as the ‘Official Record’, but were edited by the U.S. War Department. In addition to this bias procedure, service records of many soldiers were mixed up with those of other soldiers. Other records of soldiers with the same name and or initials were ignorantly discarded as ‘duplicates’.

Widow's Application for Pension

STATE OF ARKANSAS

I, Sarah Jane Ashcraft do solemnly swear that I am the widow of James L. Ashcraft who served as a soldier in the army of the Confederate States, being a member of Co. D, 26^thRegiment of Arkansas Infantry from the State of Arkansas that he was killed by the U. States Soldiers on or about the day of October 186 and did not desert the same; that I am now, and for the past twelve months have been, a bona fide resident of this State; that I do not own property, real or personal, or both, or money or choses in action, in excess of the value of $400.00 (exclusive of household goods and wearing apparel), nor have I conveyed title to any property to enable me to draw a pension, and that I am not in receipt of any income, annuity, pension or wages for any services, the emoluments of an office, in excess of $150.00 per year; that my said husband was at home without leaf, and he told me that as Soon as he could get something for myselfe and children to live on that he was going back to the C.S. army, but was killed by the Federal Soldris and never got back, he was captured by the Federals and having no paper and would not tell them nothing they Said that he was a Spye and killd him.

Signature Sarah Jane Ashcraft Her mark

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 20th day of July 1905.  J.E. Harrison, N.P. My Commission Expires Feby 16, 1909

Proof of Service for Widow

STATE OF ARKANSAS

COUNTY OF CLEVELAND

On this day personally came before the undersigned, a Notary Public within and for the  County of Cleveland and State of Ark., R.B. Mason, citizens of Cleveland Co. who I certify to be creditable persons and worthy of confidence, who being duly sworn, state:  That they were each, personally acquainted with applicant's husband J.L. Ashcraft, and knew him 45 years, respectively.  That he was a Confederate soldier.  Belonging to Company Co. D 26 Regiment of Ark. Infantry.  That as such soldier he served from 12 day of May 1862 to October 1863.  That he was killed by the Union Soldiers as we heard.  That he is now dead and that his widow has been for the past twelve months a bona fide resident of Arkansas.  That to the best of our knowledge, all property now owned by his widow is not worth exceeding $400 (exclusive of household goods and wearing apparel.)  That his widow is not in receipt of any income, annuity, pension or wages for any services, or the emoluments of an office, in excess of $150 per year, and that she has not since remarried.  That we have no interest in this claim.

R.B. Mason   X (His mark)

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 10 day of July 1905.  J.E. Harrison N.P.

(By Comrades, if Possible)

Proof of Service

STATE OF ARKANSAS

COUNTY OF CLEVELAND

On this day personally came before the undersigned, a Clerk Ct. Ct. within and for the County of Cleveland and State of Arkansas citizens of Cleveland Co., Ark., whom I certify to be creditable persons and worthy of confidence, who being duly sworn, state:  That they are each, personally, well acquainted with James L. Ashcraft and knew him 45 years, respectively.

That he was a Confederate soldier, belong to Company D - 26 Regiment of P.K. Intfantry.  That as such soldier he served from about June 1, 1862 to about Oct. 1, 1863.  I heard that he was killed.

That to the best of my knowledge, his widow all property now owned by her together, is not worth exceeding $400 (exclusive of household goods and wearing apparel.)  That she is not in receipt of any income, annuity, pension or wages for any services, or the emoluments of an office, in excess of $150 per year.  That I have no interest in this claim.

At this time we heard that U.S. Army had possession of this County and he left to go home to provide for his family with quite a number of others.  Gen. Kirby Smith understanding the State of affairs issued a general order pardening all soldiers who had went home without leave and I heard that James L. Ashcraft was killed by the U.S. Soldiers and he never returned, the U.S. Soldiers had possession of this part of the County to Saline River.

M.S. Williams

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 21 day of July 1905.

J.M. Mcmurtry Clerk

I hereby certify that the above State is true.  Nathan Smith.

STATE OF ARKANSAS

COUNTY OF CLEVELAND

We, the undersigned, sitting as a Pension Board for Cleveland County, do certify that we have examined the application of the within named Sarah Jane Ashcraft for pension, under Act of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, as approved March 11, 1901, and the proof in support of same, and find that said applicant is the widow of a confederate soldier, is in indigent circumstances, and that her claim is just, and that she should be allowed $100.00 pension.

Nathan Smith

L. McLendon

(click on thumbnails to enlarge.)

Author note:  Only one card file was compiled of the service records in the name of James L. Ashcraft.  This file differs from the others who served in Co. D, 26th Ar Infantry in that it contains two cards for the period of March and April 1863, both for J.L. Ashcraft.  One states that he died April 7th; the other lists him as present (for muster.)  Another card follows for the next period of May and June 1863 and gives J.L. Ashcraft as present.

James Leonard and James Leon, both of Bradley (now Cleveland) County, Arkansas, were first cousins.  It is documented that Catherine Crook was the wife of James Leonard and that Sarah Jane Byrd was married to James Leon.  Sarah Jane, in her pension application, states that her husband was home in October 1863.

Conclusion: James Leonard's and James Leon's records were compiled into one file.  James Leonard died in April; James Leon died in October.

Sharon Spielman Ashcraft

*This regiment was designated at various times as Morgan's Battalion Arkansas Infantry, 3d Regiment Trans-Mississippi Infantry, 3d Regiment Arkansas Infantry, Morgan's Regiment Arkansas Infantry, and 26th Regiment Arkansas Infantry. (Preprinted on each card.)

Reference: Arkansas History Commission; U.S. Census Records; Civil War Pension Application No. 15802; copies of U.S. War Department's transcribed Confederate service records of James L. Ashcraft; Cleveland County, AR Land and Tax Records.

Submitted by Sharon Ashcraft