Individual Details

Mary is said to have been born in Mississippi; daughter of a Baptist preacher. Her father was Austin Keeton, her mother Sarah Anthony.

1910 Census. Pittsburg Co OK, Cabiness Twp
William J. Robinson, age 24, married for 4 years. Gracie, wife, age 21. Has had 3 children, only 1 living. Mary, mother, age 69, widowed, b. MS, parents b. TN
and nearby
Samuel B. Robinson, age 38, married 2 times, the last for 7 years. Sarrah E., wife, age 38, no children. Clara R. Robinson, niece, age 6, b. OK.


Mary received a widow's pension on the Civil War record of Augustus A. Allen but that ceased when she married Wiley Robinson. In 1915, more than 10 years after Robinson's death she began trying to reinstate that pension. She was entitled under the law but her application resided in red tape until 1921.

Mary's first widow's Declaration for Pension, 16 Mar 1883, states that she married Augustus A. Allen on 21 Mar 1861 at the Austin Keeton residence in Polk Co and they were married by Wiley Stinnett, Justice of the Peace. Thomas W. Stone and Nesbett R. Smith attested to her claim. DeWitt C. Allen, brother of Augustus made affidavit that he was acquainted with Mary when she was Mary Keeton and he knew neither of them was ever married before - he was nearly grown and had known Mary for three or years and knew she was a girl and resided with her parents. His brother, Augustus A. Allen always lived in the family with our parents until his marriage to the said Mary Keeton. Caroline Minyard, sister to Mary, also made affidavit to the same effect. Wiley Stinnett testified he was a Justice of the Peace in 1860 and 1861 and that he married Mary Keeton & Augustus A. Allen on the 10th of March, 1861. [This March 10th date is the date accepted by the Pensions Bureau and recorded on subsequent documents.] W. J. Davis, Clerk, Polk Co AR also testified that all records of marriages performed in Polk County previous to 18 Apr 1876 were destroyed by fire. Mary also produced some sort of family record of the births of her three daughters and these were copied 1 Aug 1885 by J. C. Gilbreath, Clerk, Scott Co AR. Mary Crabtree made affidavit attesting to these births. William Russell and William E. Owens made affidavit that they had been near neighbors and knew that Mary had not remarried since the death of Augustus. If I read the documents correctly final approval was not obtained until 20 Aug 1886 and by then Mary had remarried and she was to be paid from the date of death of Augustus until 24 Apr 1884. Her daughter Sarah R. was to begin receiving her minor's pension on 7 Apr 1883, continuing until she reached age 16 in March 1891.
Mary had difficulty proving the date of death and final illness of her husband since no public records of deaths were being kept in Scott Co. On 1 Aug 1885, she stated that the physician who had attended Augustus when he returned home from the Army was dead. Apparently the documents were now relating to her attempts to also get minor's pension for her daughters.
Mary's affidavit of 1 May 1886 had new information. This document is written as Mary Allen although she was married to Wiley Robinson. W. S. Robinson and his son C. B. Robinson were witnesses to her signature. She states that when Augustus got home from the war they lived in Polk Co and remained there until some time in 1867 and moved to Crawford Co, but back to Polk Co in the later part of 1868. They lived there this time until some time in 1874 when they traveled out in the Indian Territory [Sarah was born in IT, March of 1875]. They stopped in Scott Co AR in 1877 and remained until his death. She states that she has given evidence of births of the children but there is no "publick" record of births. She could not give evidence from a physician or midwife since "they are all dead that was with me".
Neighbor's Affidavits were made by on 8 Mar 1886 by Thomas Pool, age 48, and again on 17 Aug 1886. W. S. Robinson was witness for the first. The first affadavit stated that he had known A. A. Allen since 1860; the second said since 1850. He testified the soldier's health was not good since his discharge, that he was much reduced in flesh, that he was not able to farm. Mary Pool, age 58, also made Affidavit on 20 Aug 1886, saying essentially the same thing, except she stated she had seen him only two times since 1866 and 1867. The Pools lived at Cauthron, Scott Co. E. R. Brown of Chocoville made affidavit that he was age 47 and had known the soldier since 1868 and he had been ill all that time. Brown lived in Chocoville, Sebastian Co AR. W. S. Robinson was witness to his signature.E. C. and L. D. Brown of Cauthron also made affidavit. E. C. was age 36 and had known A. A. Allen since 1876 - he was ill then and was not able to do any manual labor from that time. He was confined to his house and bed part of that time. W. S. Robinson & L. D. Brown witnessed his affidavit made 17 Apr 1886. L. D. Brown was age 33, had known the soldier since 1878 and knew hims to be totally disabled from manual labor during all this time. W. S. Robinson witnessed made on the same day as the affidavit of E. C. Brown.

The actual Minor Children's Application was filed on 1 Sep 1887. The Original Pension document shows that Mary E. - by then married to Smith and living in Briggsville, Yell Co, AR was not really entitled to much pension - only from her mother's remarriage on 25 Apr 1884 until her 16th birthday on 3 May 1884. Sarah was entitled to draw the money from 25 Apr 1884 until 15 Mar 1891.
W. S. Robinson was appointed Curator of the Estate of Sarah R. Allen on 24 Aug 1887. A copy of the marriage certificate of W. S. Robinson of Cauthron, Scott Co, AR, age 53 years to Mary Allen, age 42, of the same place, 21 Apr 1884 is in the file. Recorded 25 Apr 1884, Book A, p.132, Scott Co.
On 31 Mar 1888, Richard Stricklin testified in knew the two girls were under age sixteen at the widow's remarriage and that they were both yet living.
William Judd testified he was a practising physician and well acquainted with Mary's family and did their practice and married the widow to her last and present husband. He knew from the Family Record in the Family Bible that when the widow remmaried there were only two children under the age of 16, Mary E. and Sarah R. [the former being married to John Bois Smith] and Sarah R. with her mother and stepfather, 1 Feb 1888. He testified to the same on 28 Mar 1888. Then on 16 May 1888, he repeated the Affidavit a third time saying that he was physician to Mary E. Allen & Family from shortly after the death of Augustus Allen until she remarried. At the time of his death, Mariah Hellen was about eleven months under age 16, Mary E. was about 3 years under 16, and Sarah Roena Allen was about nine years under the age of 16 at her father's death - this I know from the Family Record. [His math wasn't very good.]

Under the Act of 3 Mar 1901, Mary was entitled to again receive pension under the service of Augustus.
7 Dec 1915 J. E. Chambers of Priddy & Chambers, Danville, AR. Wrote to the Pension Bureau requesting application to restore her pension.
As early as 25 Jan 1916, House of Representatives Member H. M. Jacoway, send a letter to the Commissioner of Pensions stating that Mrs. Mary Allen's claim for pension had merit and he wished to know the status of the claim. A letter of reply stated that forms had been sent to her attorney, J. E. Chambers, of Danville, AR on 14 Jan 1916.

Declaration of Mary was filed 6 Mar 1916. J. E. Chambers, Layer, sent it in with a cover letter on the 8th of that March. 13 Apr 1916, the Civil War Division wrote Mary Robinson telling her they needed sworn testimony of the attending physician or witnesses to the death of Wiley Robinson as well as testimony that she was never divorced from him and never remarried. She also need affidavit of two witnesses concerning property owned by her, her income, taxes, and insurance. There is a letter signed as Mrs. Mary Robinson [Mary could not write her own name and could not have sent this letter.] dated 15 May 1916, giving information that Wiley Robinson died in Oklahoma and the doctor who attended him is dead. Her daughter can attest that he has never remarried. She has no property and is entirely dependent on her daughter's support. She pays no taxes and has no insurance. She gives the certificate number under which she originally received payment.

7 Oct 1920. Mary Robinson attested she was the widow of Augustus A. Allen, was seeking renewal of pension on Certificate #225445. She was by then age 79. She was married to Wiley Robinson & the pension discontinued at that time, 24 Apr 1884. She has not remarried since the death of Wiley Robins. She has no property, money, or income. In a second document dated 15 Feb 1921, she gave her address and said that no member of her family had served in any branch of the service since 1917.
24 Sep 1920. S. J. Robinson, witnessed that he lived at Foster OK and was 47 years old and a son of Wiley Robinson. He was living within 300 yards of his father when he died and was present with him when he died 30 Sep 1905. He lived a near neighbor to his stepmother and half brother until her daughter, Mrs. Sarah Evatt, came and took her away. She knew Mary Robinson had never remarried. He knew at the death of his father they owned nothing and when his tools and the crop were sold Mary Robinson divided about $250 among some of his children leaving herself dependent on his son Jay Robinson.
24 Sep 1920 Sarah Robinson, 47 years old, wife of Samuel J. Robinson, a son of Wiley Robinson. Stated that she was with Wiley when he died and after his death and saw him buried. She was a near neighbor to Mary Robinson until her daughter took her away. Her son Jay Robinson, half brother to my husband, die not go away and if his mother had remarried even up to this time I would have heard it. Neither Robinson nor she owned any property except three head of cattle which was traded in payment of rent after his death and the crop on the land and other small items divided up among his children.
7 Oct 1920. Sarah Evatt [Signed by her mark which is curious since she had written numerous letters about the pension and signed them and signed other documents.] States she was 43 years old and daughter of Augustus A. Allen & Mary Robinson. She was a girl when her mother married Wiley Robinson and lived with them as a member of their family until about 1890, when on account of his mismanagement of her pension as a minor child, she left his house and lived with her older sister in Waldron, AR. The Robinsons moved to Hartshorne OK. When I heard of her destitute condition after the death of Wiley Robinson and went and got her from a tent where she and her son were living and brought her to my home in Waldron where she has lived with me every since except for about five years when she lived with my sister in Yell Co, AR. She has never remarried and has no money, property, or income and depends on me for support.

23 Aug 192l, inquiries of a Congressman, Otis Wingo, for the 4th District, Arkansas, encouraged the Bureau of Pensions to make a Special Examination regarding her pension which had been pending since 1916, and Charles A. Hughes was the Examiner appointed. His summary concludes that the claimant is very old and perhaps not mentally capable, though he felt she was truthful as far as she was able to be. He questions the reputation of her son William Jay Robinson because he appears somewhat shiftless. He accused Sarah Evatt of trying to take all the credit of caring for her mother. He was quite impressed with daughter Helen Vise, relating that she was unaware of the application for pension and somewhat chagrinned by it - that she felt the daughters could care for Mary. Mrs. Vise believed her sisters were going to use the pension and not mention it to her mother. [There are several letters "signed" Mary Robinson - she could not sign her name so these were obviously written by someone else.] Mr. Hughes did conclude that Mary had never been divorced from Mr. Robinson, nor had she remarried and that seemed to be the only stumbling block to the pension.

One of the more interesting things Mr. Hughes discovered in his search for any evidence of divorce/remarriage of Mary was that on 4 Aug 1890, Sarah Allen filed suit against Wiley S. Robinson, her Guardian, to account for money he had used of hers, an amount of $751. On 5 Apr 1891, Sarah Allen Evatt filed suit against Wiley S. & Mary Robinson to foreclose a mortgage on the farm. Three notes of $300 with interest had not been paid, the total now $1063.75. Judgment was allowed and the farm was sold Feb 1893; Sarah Allen Evatt had the highest bid at the Sheriff's sale. Box 114 & 155, Cases 357 & 379. Hughes further states that Robinson had been appointed guardian for the minor of soldier Augustus A. Allen, Sarah Allen, & he had used the pension money to pay off the mortgage on his farm near Cauthron AR. When he made accounting to the court he charged up most of the amount for care & maintenance, but some of her friends took the matter up with the Court and had the trial & Robinson was ordered to pay back the full amount. He gave notes for the amount as a mortgage on the farm then could not pay her the money when due. He packed up his family and left the State for OK where he died in 1905. Mr. Hughes was told that Robinson was so mad he told her daughters that he would take their mother so far away they would never see her agin.

19 Oct 1921, Waldron, Scott Co AR. Mary's testimony to try and reinstate her Civil War Widow's Pension. She stated she was 80, born 21 Jun 1841 and now lived in Waldron with her daughter Mrs. Sarah Evatt. She had drawn a pension on the late soldier Augustus A. Allen which stopped when she remarried; she also drew a pension for her youngest daughter Sarah. Her maiden name was Mary Keeton, her father Austin Keeton, mother Sarah Keeton, born Anthony - both long since dead. One living sister - Caroline Evatt, widow of Jim Lewis Evatt living in Siloam Springs Ar. She was born in Lauderdale Co MS - they moved to Polk Co AR, Cove, when she was 16 and there was where she married Augustus A. Allen. The soldier's brother Nathaniel O. Allen and his sisters, Mary A. wife of Irvin Little and Martha, widow of Robert William living in Hot Springs AR knew me before the marriage. Another sister is Josephine, wife of John Hayes, I don't where she lives. I had five children by Allen but only three were living at his death, only two under 16 years of age. Only Sarah got a pension. The three are all still living: Mariah Helen, wife of William Vise in Waldron; Mary Elizabeth wife of J. B. Smith, near Briggsville, AR and Sarah, living here. I was a widow about two years when I married Wiley Snell Robinson. He died near Wilburton OK. His wagon was struck by a train; he lived about a year after he was run over but his mind was not right. We lived near Wilburton 4 or 5 years. Before going to OK we lived near Cauthron AR on a farm owned by Mr. Robinson. I had one son with Robinson, William J., now living near Wilburton. Mr. Robinson has one sister, Jane married to a Mackey, and a brother Asel Robinson living near Hackett City or Salem AR. He was married three times before marrying me - first to Lizzie Eppler, then to Ann McCallep & third to Jane of Sarah Showery - they are all dead. He had children by all of them: Martha wife of Thomas McKean, lives in OK - by the 1st wife; Jim & Jess Robinson of Cabiness & Foster OK by the 2nd wife; George by the 3rd wife - lives some place in OK. She has been living back and forth with son William J. Robinson, daughter Sarah Evatt & daughter Lizzie Smith in Briggsville, Yell Co. Dora Bates & Sarah Evatt witnessed.
Several deponents were called on 19 Oct 1921 to support Mary's testimony. One was daughter Sarah Evatt, one was daughter Helen Vise, another was Adolph G. Lemming now 72 year old. He was a retired attorney and had been advising Mary Robertson but without pay. He had known both her husbands. He had served in the war with Mary Keeton's uncle Hezikiah Keeton who was a chaplain in his Regiment. Thomas W. Stone, age 71, was a real estate dealer who had known the Robinsons and also knew Augusutus and his family well. James P. Hall, age 82, was a farmer in Cauthron for forty years and knew Wiley Robinson and that a wife died and he married the widow Allen. They had moved to Oklahoma where he died. Foster P. Holbird, age 54, from Wilburton OK, had known Wiley Robinson in his immediate neighborhood and attended his funeral. He understood he had come from Arkansas. He didn't remember the name of the wife - Mr. Robinson called her "the old Woman". William Jay Robinson of Gowen OK was then age 35 and testified he was the son of Mary & Wiley Robinson. He was 8 years old when they moved to Indian Territory. He was present when his father died. Dr. Hudson of Gowen attended his father in his fatal illness. He knows his mother has not remarried. He has three half brothers: Jim at Cabiness OK, S.J. or Jess at Foster, OK and George R. in Wilburton. He as three half sisters, children of his mother by Augustus Allen. Doris Bates, of Waldron, was 47 and wife of William A. Bates. She has known Mary Robinson about three or four years but has known her daughters Mrs. Evatt and Mrs. Vist for about 15 years. The claimant has been a widow all the time I have known her. I have heard her called both the widow Robinson and the widow Allen. The testimonies were apparently to certify that Mary had not ever been divorced, nor had she remarried since the death of Wiley Robinson.

Mary eventually did receive a pension retroactive to 11 Mar 1916, ending at her death 28 Mar 1923. There is a receipt that seems to indicate a lump sum payment of $1650 on 9 Nov 1921.

Birth	21 Jun 1841	Lauderdale County, Mississippi
Marriage	10 Mar 1861	Sevier County, Arkansas - Augustus A. Allen
Marriage	24 Apr 1884	Scott County, Arkansas - Wiley Snell Robinson
Death	28 Mar 1923

Spouse	Augustus A. Allen (1841 - 1882)
Child	John Henry Allen (1863 - 1880)
Child	Mariah Helen Allen (1866 - 1941)
Child	Mary Elizabeth Allen (1868 - 1957)
Child	Sarah Rhoena Allen (1875 - 1960)
Child	Charles Orrin Allen (1880 - 1880)

Spouse	Wiley Snell Robinson (1831 - 1905)
Child	Living

Father	Austin Keeton ( - )
Mother	Sarah Anthony ( - )