John Priest served in the Civil War and shortly after enlisting came down with the measles and spent over a year Aldine Hospital at Ashland not far from Brushy Creek where he lived.

John Priest Private of Captain Martin Thornsbury’s Company, D of the 39th Kentucky Regiment of United States Infantry Vols was enlisted by Martin Thornsbury of the 39th Ky Regiment of Infantry Vols at Pike County Ky on the Sixteenth day of November 1862, to serve 3 years; he was born in Pike County in the state of Kentucky is thirty seven years of age, five feet 7 ½ inches high, Fair complexion, Blue eyes, Dark hair, and by occupation when enlisted a Farmer. During the last two months said soldier has been unfit for duty 60 days. Because of Para Plegia and deformity of the spinal column. The disease originally appeared while in the discharge of his duty as a soldier at Louisa Ky.

Although it is clear he was totally disabled from the Civil War, Mahala spent years trying to get a pension.  In the pension it talks about how they were living in poverty.  It was sad for her that the Government just jerked her around, but it was very beneficial for me.  The application is packed with information.  The affadivit I love the most is from his physician.  John must have been a very sweet man.

Personally appeared before me a Notary Public in and for the aforesaid County and State, Dr. James W. Montmollin a citizen of Kentucky whose Post office address is Ashland County Boyd State Kentucky well known to me to be reputable and entitled to credit, and who, being duly sworn, declared in relation to aforesaid case as follows:

That he is a practicing physician; and that he has been acquainted with said soldier for nearly thirty years. He was surgeon in charge of USA General Hospital at Ashland from May?? to September 1864. That during fall or summer of 1863 said John Priest first came under his notice by being brought to the Hospital with a severe attack of measles which by exposure in camp ___ resulted in a severe case of Pneumonia. Said Priest never rallied but was a constant invalid during the time he remained in Hospital. He lost his voice. His kidneys became diseased and he was a doomed man from the time he came there one year after his attack. He constantly complained of tasting the measles in his throat. He was so much disabled that we both (my assistant Dr. Weis now of Peoria, Il. and myself) pronounced him incurable and made application for his discharge. Weis knows nothing from Priest since discharge but is unqualified in the belief that consumption & kidney disease had secured upon him such a hold that he never could have recovered from either of them. He was so lame for was compelled at times to use crutches for his movement. He was as white as chalk – the kidneys having drained all the albumen from his blood. When he tried to do the little chores in the kitchen such as wiping dishes or peeling potatoes it was the utmost he could accomplish. He was one of the most patient men and (sic) actable patients we ever had in the hospital. He was never known to violate a rule or to complain of anything during the long time he was under me which must have been nearly a year if not more than it.

Mahala died thee days before her hearing in 1898. The Hearing Examiner said her case had merit and should be approved.  Of course it wasn’t.  It was very sad.

You can access the entire application

https://www.lucysfamilytree.com/docs/Priest Widows Pension File.pdf