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Primary sourceDocument1898

General Affidavit of Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman · 1898

Tubman's 1898 sworn statement claiming a pension for her Civil War service as a nurse, cook and commander of scouts.

This sworn affidavit is Tubman's own claim for recognition and pay for her Civil War service.

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Scanned handwritten General Affidavit form, filled in by hand, with a title printed at top. The text describes a claim for services as nurse and cook in hospitals and as commander of scouts during the Civil War. Signatures of affiants appear at the bottom, including Harriet Tubman's name and her mark.
General Affidavit of Harriet Tubman, 1898. U.S. House of Representatives records.

About this source

What it is

This is a handwritten General Affidavit form filled out in 1898 as part of Harriet Tubman's claim for a military pension. It describes her service during the Civil War as a nurse, cook and as commander of scouts. The document bears signatures of affiants, including Tubman's name and her mark.

Why it matters

Decades after the war, Tubman had to fight to be officially recognized and paid for her own wartime service, separate from any pension she might receive through her husband. This document is direct evidence of her effort to have her own contributions acknowledged by the government, at a time when such recognition for a Black woman was hard to obtain.

Look closer

  • Why would Tubman need a sworn affidavit to prove her own service?
  • What does her mark, alongside her name, suggest about her literacy?
  • What might this long process tell you about how the government treated Black veterans and their families?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Harriet Tubman on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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