See my communication in case 130.309 of Nancy Simmons widow of Alkana who was killed under the same circumstances and at the same time with Thompson. I send this letter in the same mail with this report.

Ragsdale

Knoxville Tenn

July 31st 1876

Sir:

I have the honor to report in case no. 130.656 of Lydia M. Thompson widow of Vincent late a private in temporary volunteer service. This pension was allowed on evidence tending to show that Vincent Thompson was killed in a battle with the enemy January 22, 1865 while temporarily serving with Company F 3rd Tennessee Mounted Infantry. I find the history of this man during the war to be as follows. He remained at his home in Washington County, Tenn. until about the last of 1863 and then he enlisted in Company F 10th Tennessee Cavalry. On or before the organization of this Regiment was completed it was consolidated with the 8th Tennessee Cavalry and the company to which Thompson belonged was then changed with letter "D". He expected to receive a commission and was disappointed in this; so before being mustered into service he left without authority taking his son who had enlisted in the same company with him. Aside from his disappointment in regard to being commissioned he was very displeased about the President's Emancipation Proclamation and swore he would not fight to help free the Negroes. I have not taken any evidence to establish his remarks in regards to making the slaves free but introduce the affidavit of his widow and Captain George McPherson to show that he actually volunteered in the 10th afterwards 8th Tennessee Cavalry and went with his company to the place of rendezvous. Having deserted before the consolidated rolls were made out and before his muster in to service his name was not taken up and he is not given on the rolls as a deserter or otherwise. After leaving the army he returned home but was not allowed to remain there so he took to the mountains. He scouted about from place to place during all of 1864. In July of that year one Joseph Bowers came into Greene County and recruited a company for the 3rd Tennessee Mounted Infantry. This Regiment was recruited to serve 100 days. The reports of War Department in this case show that no rolls are

on file of the 3rd Tennessee Mounted Infantry except the muster-in roll. The Adjutant General of Tennessee in his published report states: "This was a Three Month Regiment and did no service --never being fully organized. No rolls of the organization were furnished. Captain Bowers' Company spent a good part of the time in bushwhacking and plundering in Greene County. The men were mustered in to service in September 1864. They enlisted in July of that year and were mustered out in November 1864 or maybe that the Regiment was just disbanded without being mustered-out. During the time this Company ("F" of Captain Bowers') was tearing around in Greene County Thompson found it convenient to go to the company at times for personal safety. While hiding out in the mountains he had plundered or committed some depredations in which rebel citizens were the losers, and when the rebel soldiers came in they were on the lookout for him and when pressed he would at once go to Captain Bowers who was a daring reckless man whom the rebels feared. He had himself been a rebel officer during the first two years of the war. After the 3rd Regiment was disbanded in November 1864 Captain Bowers told his men that he had authority to recruit another Company and he went to work to gather up men on the 22nd of January 1865. He assembled about 17 of his recruits at the house of a Mrs. Colletts and while there was attacked by a large party of rebels. After fighting for a time he surrendered. In the fight Bowers and two of his men were slightly wounded. Immediately after the surrender the rebels shot Thompson. They seemed to have a special grudge at him and he was killed for some other reason than that he was considered a Union man. The next morning after the capture, three more of the prisoners were shot and Captain Bowers also received a wound which they thought fatal and left him to die but he recovered. Thompson seemed

to have been with Bowers on this occasion by accident or for some reason that he had often before been with him. One of the men Wm. M. Basket who was present and who had actually agreed to go with Bowers again swears that he endeavored to persuade Thompson to volunteer in the new company and that he refused saying that he wanted to go back home as soon as it was safe for him to do so but if circumstances did not change so he could go home then he would enlist. I saw the Lieutenant Hicks and the Sergeant Pickering on whose testimony this claim was allowed and they both swear now that they do not know that Thompson had enlisted and that he was not killed during the fight but after the surrender. If he ever done the Government any good no one knows it or if he was ever disposed to fight for his Government and made any unselfish effort in that direction the fact is unknown among those who were in position to know. I claim that this claimant is not entitled to a pension for several reasons, 1st Her husband deserted after first enlisting and did not return to his command(see Commissioner's Late decision), 2nd He had not volunteered in the service of the United States and engaged in the fight mentioned in self-defense and not because he had the interests of his country at heart, 3rd The officer under who he acted at the time was not an "officer of the United States" 4th He was killed after the surrender and not because he was a Union man, but for some other cause.

I have said that Captain Bowers was not an officer of the United States and I may add that the party under him was not a regular organized force -- the men who belonged to the party put in claims for pay and clothing but the same were rejected. The witnesses Pickering and Crawford were captured and held for some time as prisoners by the Confederates but have not succeeded in getting any pay.

Bowers was a hard character. He now lives in Illinois. He might have had some authority to recruit another company but I have no idea that there is any record of the fact or that the same can be established. The probabilities are that he was organizing a bushwhacking, foraging party to operate the same as his first company did.

This pensioner has been drawing for 8 children and the total amount paid her is a very large sum.

very respectfully yrs,

G. H. Ragsdale

Special Agent

Hon. Commissioner of Pensions

Washington D.C.

The local agent in this case received for his fee 10 percent of the first payment or about $100. He imposed upon the witness. See Mrs. Thompson's affidavits.