Mahala Rebecca (Gibson) Hendon    

~Confederate Pension Application~

 

Mahala Rebecca Gibson, daughter of Jonathan J. Gibson and Susan Rector, was born 7 Jun 1826 in Tennessee. She married 

Andrew Hartzfield Hendon, 14 Jan 1846, in Lawrence County, Alabama. Andrew was the son of Johnson Hendon and Sarah 'Sally' Scoggins. Mahala's sister, Elizabeth Gibson, had previously married Andrew's brother, Wiley Johnson Hendon, in 1841. It as fairly common for two brothers to marry two sisters and was often done in a 'duel' ceremony.

Mahala and Andrew had five children born between 1848 and 1861: James Isham (1848); Martha Jane (1854); Wiley Thomas (1856); Mary Olive (1858); and Robert Jefferson (1861). In 1850, Mahala and Andrew were residing in Walker aCounty, Alama, where neighbors included Andrew's parents (Johnson and Sally) and brother, Wiley T. Hendon and family.

I have not located Andrew or Mahala, or their children on any 1860 census, but they were likely residing in Caddo or DeSoto
Parish, Louisiana. However, on 14 Jun 1862 Andrew enlisted in Milam County, Texas and was assigned to Townsend's 4Th Texas Infantry, Company C (The Robertson Five Shooters). Andrew was killed on 30 Aug 1862 during the 2nd battle of Bull Run (Manassas) in Prince William County, Virginia.

The widow Mahala applied for a Caddo Parish, Louisiana Confederate Pension on 24 Feb 1863, while residing in Rusk County, Texas. A copy of her application of that of her brother-in-law (William Asiel Alexander) follows:

Andrew H. Hendon served in the 4Th Texas Infantry Regiment. One must wonder why his widow made application for his CSA pension through Caddo Parish, Louisiana?
                                                                   
                                                                                           
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