Treasure Chest Thursday: Happy 1919 Homecoming for 66 Wounded Heroes

An old photograph taken in 1919 has long been in my possession.  This picture says so much and for a long time, it told me so little.  One can easily identify a wounded soldier visiting with a woman wearing summer colors.  The background appears to be an institution, perhaps a hospital.  He has his arm casually leaning on the back of the bench.

Just today, more clues have surfaced and I can start to add more pieces to my family puzzle and to the photograph.

CE Simmons enlisted in the draft for World War I June 1917.  He was called to duty and served in Co. C of the 11th Infantry.  This unit was shipped overseas in June 1918 to France and participated in 43 days of combat with 348 wounded.  Charlie was one of the wounded and was returned to the US.

A Pittsburgh Press article dated February 17, 1919, tells us he, along with 65 other wounded soldiers, arrived at the US General Hospital #24 in Parkview Station.  The article says the wounded arrived with the "air of schoolboys on the last day of school" and "were joyful their lives had been spared."

No doubt, they were.

The picture, which I had guessed was taken at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh actually is now confirmed to have been taken at US General Hospital #24.  General Hospital #24 was located in Parkview Station on the north bank of the Allegheny River in the old North Side Home and Allegheny Workhouse about 9 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.  The old abandoned buildings were rented to the government at a nominal fee and the government spent $205,000 in the reconstruction of the buildings.  It opened in October 1918 with 200 beds.  During its tenure before closing in July 1, 1919, the hospital's maximum bed size was 856.

By comparing my photo with the photo of the hospital in the Office of Medical History by the US Army Medical Department, the background matches. The lack of coats and the summer color dress give us the impression the weather was nice.  Adding the history of the General Hospital #24 to the newspaper article, we can now make an educated guess that the photograph was taken between April and June 1919. Was this when the spark sprung between the young people? Was this when they fell in love?

Their marriage took place in May 1920, so there was adequate time for the relationship to fully develop.

I don't know how long he was in the hospital after part of his leg had been removed, but I do know he returned to the business he and his father had started back in 1915.  In 1920, they paid off the loans for the business and cousins had told me he had lived above the store before marrying his fair bride.

Ahh, genealogy.  Sparking on the ole Parkview bench.  Kind of romantic, don't you think?

Sources:
Domestic United State Military Facilities of the First World War 1917-1919, Robert Swanson, pg 201
http://books.google.com/books?id=sSopqvCeAXQC&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=parkview+station+pittsburgh+army+hospital&source=bl&ots=rP84MiLo-v&sig=SkjClHtwLidvdsd0wQ0SHt-dfe0&hl=en&ei=38rCTfihIZTBtgeb3bClBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CCwQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=parkview%20station%20pittsburgh%20army%20hospital&f=false


http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwi/MilitaryHospitalsintheUS/chapter27figure183.jpg

©2011 AS Eldredge

Treasure Chest Thursday: 1862 "War Meeting" for the Co. D PA 149th Boys

With the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War this week, I've really thought about the families on both sides of the proverbial Mason-Dixon line and the costs the war brought to each.

History tells us of the organization of Co. D of the PA 149th Volunteers at the Hill Church in Robinson's Run on August 22, 1862.  Among those who volunteered and were original members of the group were several kin and kissing kin of mine, including Captain James GLENN (1824-1901).

This seems like the perfect time to share some more tidbits about cousin James.

In the Diary of Hannah Glenn SNODGRASS (my 2g aunt), she tells us that on August 19, 1862, her sister, Maggie, and Hannah's future husband, Addison Henry SIMMONS, and Hannah all ..

(Note: spelling and punctuation are the same as found in the diary)

"went to a war meeting down to Scotts. The speakers the Reverands J Y McCartney R McPherson Mr Calhoun Capt McElwain J Snodgrass & two others
Wed the 20 we sewed & put up tomatoes
Thursday the 21 we took the ear & plumbs aft put up some plumbs and sewed & Capt J Gleen (GLENN) was here for tea 
Friday 22 Capt G in the morning"....

Captain GLENN was the first cousin of Hannah, and likely came to tea as he was going to be leaving for war that night.  J SNODGRASS was also the cousin of Hannah.  Two of the Reverends mentioned were from the Mansfield Presbyterian Church and Mansfield UP Church.

According to Hannah's words,  Reverend McCartney chose his text on the 24th as Psalm 31 verse 19 which states, "How great is Thy goodness, Which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee, Which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, Before the sons of men!".  We can only imagine the good Reverend somehow used that verse for the war talk from the pulpit.

The company did leave for Harrisburg on the evening of August 22, 1862, and arrived in Washington, DC on August 31, 1862.  To see a letter written by company member (and cousin of Glenn) Frank C DORRINGTON, click on 1863 Civil War Letter from a Member of the PA 149th Bucktails written earlier this week.

The following item I placed in my genealogy files without documenting the source!  How could I have done that?  So, please forgive me.  I acknowledge I didn't write this summary although I suspect it was a local newspaper of the time and I am still looking for the source.  When I find it, it will be properly noted.

Civil War Veterans Memorial
10-1903
Memorial for Deceased Veterans
G.A.R. Men Honor Their Dead Comrades in a Service at the First Baptist Church Records and Singing on Program

The First Baptist church was filled with old soldiers and their friends, and relatives of deceased members of Captain Thomas Espy Post No. 153 Grand Army of the Republic, last Sabbath afternoon. Perhaps never before in Carnegie have there been held a more impressive service then this, the service to the memory of the twenty-one members who have passed away in the past seven years. The McKees Rocks Veterans Association was well represented. Rev. C. C. Cowgill, pastor of the First Christian church, read the Scripture lesson and Rev. J. H. Duff D.D., pastor of the First Presbyterian church, made the opening prayer. The pulpit was draped with the American Flag, and the symbols of the mourning, and on the arrival of the Post their half-masted flags were placed upon the platform. Col. Wm J. Glenn announced the program. The choir, with Miss Ella Perrin at the organ, sang several selections. Adjutant W. H. H. Lea read the record of each of the twentyone comrades who had died, and after each one the bugle call and taps were sounded. Rev. J. A. Snodgrass, the pastor of the church and a member of Espy Post delivered an address. Rev. Snodgrass spoke of the great dept which the younger generation owes to the Union soldiers of the Civil War. In the performance of their duty they assured to us the blessings of prosperity which we now enjoy. He called attention to the act that the government pension list, which up until last year grew steadily larger, had commenced to diminish, and last year was smaller then the year pre- ceding. There is only one cause for this, said he, the old soldiers are passing from our midst. The service closed by the congregation singing the doxology. Rev. Cow- gill pronounced the benediction.

*GLENN, James Captain James Glenn, who organized Company D, was a military man before the War, having entered the State service under the old Militia Laws, as Second Lieutenant in the Pennsylvania Blues, an independent Allegheny County Military Company. In this organization he was promoted to First Lieutenant and Captain; his Company being a good organization, and well known under the old system. He was mustered into the Volunteer Service for the Civil War as Captain of Company D, 149th Pa. Volunteers, August 22, 1862, and promoted to Major, April 22, 1864, and to Lieutenant Colonel January 08, 1865. After the Regiment joined the Army of the Potomac it was assigned to the Third Division, First Army Corps, and Captain Glenn was Provost Marshal of the Division. He served in this capacity until he was promoted to Major. Captain Glenn was placed in command of the Regiment after the fight at Gettysburg, July 01, 1863 the Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel and Major being disabled by wounds - and had charge of the Regiment through the second and third days of the battle, and up to July 6th, when Major Irvin returned and took command. After the battle of Dabney's Mills, February 07, 1865, the Regiment was ordered to Elmira, N.Y., for special duty, and Lieut. Col. Glenn was there placed on detailed court martial service. He was mustered out of the service August 22, 1865. After the war Captain Glenn was elected Major in the 14th Regiment, N.G.P., September 01, 1875; promoted to Lieutenant Colonel January 20, 1877, and to Colonel in January, 1882. After serving a term as Colonel he retired roll February 25, 1888. Captain Glenn was well known in the community in which he lived, had no difficulty in securing the requisite number of men to organize a Company for the Civil War, and with the assistance of his Lieutenants and First Sergeant, the Company soon became proficient in drill and discipline. During his service he became known as a fighting officer,being frequently assigned to other commands when severe fighting was expected. He was almost reckless in his bravery. It was a common remark among the boys that "the Captain didn't know when he was licked" and after his attempt to rally half a dozen members of his Company on the retreat from Seminary Hill at Gettysburg, to stop the advance of a division of Lee's Army, followed by his service in the Wilderness and other campaigns, the mention of his name was sure to recall recollection of his bravery and soldierly qualities. He served his entire term of service without sickness or wounds, and was engaged in every march, skirmish or battle in which the Regiment participated. After the war he engaged in the grain and feed business and made his home with his sister, Mrs. Robb, of Glendale, Allegheny Co., Pa., where he lived, honored and respected by the entire community and kindly remembered by the surviving members of his old company. He died August 23, 1902, and was buried by his surviving comrades in the cemetery at Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny Co., Pa.

More on Captn James GLENN:


Sources:
*General History of Company D, 149th Pennsylvania Volunteers: and Personal Sketches of the Members, compiled by John W. Nesbit. pg 52, 1908.

 "Captain James Glenn's Sword and Private J. Marshall Hill's Enfield in the Fight for the Lutheran Cemetery" by Wiley Sword Gettysburg, Jan. 1, 1993, Issue No. 8.


"Hannah Glenn Snodgrass Diary 1862-1863" Transcribed by Ann S Eldredge, Theresa Paxton and John Addison Williams, Jr,  Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly, 32:3 (2006).

Ahh, genealogy. Writing about the past brings warm hugs from beyond on a sunny day.

©2011 AS Eldredge

Wordless Wednesday: Shooting It Up at the Alamo

The Alamo?  I had family at the Alamo?  Imagine my surprise when my cousin through our joint 4ggrandfather told me the story.  I was so taken back that I asked him to write down the story so I could share it with you.  Terry took his documented information on Robert Cunningham and interspersed it with history excerpts of the Alamo and  Texas found online. The story of cousin Robert and his place in destiny is fascinating as it brings history in focus for our family---  and maybe, yours.


Robert W Cunningham:  The Alamo
by Terry Prall


Robert W. Cunningham¹ was born on 18 Oct 1804 in New Berlin, Chenango Co., New York.²  He died killed defending the Alamo on 6 Mar 1836 at the age of 31 in The Alamo, San Antonio de Bexar, Republic of Texas.²

Robert W. Cunningham was the eldest of the children of David Cunningham and Anna Jennison, born in Chenango Co., New York in 1804.  He made the move west with his family as they settled in Jeffersonville, Clark Co., Indiana during the 1820s.

Robert opted for a life on the river, common to his Cunningham, Jennison and Simmons kin. Members of the family lived along the Ohio river towns in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio throughout the 1800s. 

Cunningham spent time in Kentucky and Arkansas before working on the Mississippi River cargo flatboats that took him to New Orleans.  In 1832 Robert wrote his family back in Jeffersonville that he was going to settle in New Orleans. That decision was soon to change.

Texas beckoned.



By 4 March 1833 Robert had moved to Texas where he received title to a league of land on Skull Creek [present-day Colorado Co.] in Austin's burgeoning colony.  [His name appeared on the tax index list of 1833 in "Austin County."]



Moses Austin laid the foundation for an American settlement in Mexico's northern-most state, Texas, in 1820-21.  He was granted land on which to settle 300 families by Governor Martinez.  Moses died in June of 1821 and his son, Stephen F. Austin, reluctantly took over the Texas Grant.  The new "Empressario" met with the governor's representative in San Antonio and laid out an acceptable plan for settlement.  He then returned to New Orleans to advertise for colonists. Austin led the first families into Texas in 1822 and soon had to go to Mexico City to confirm the grant. 

During his return to the colony, the Mexican government fell to revolution. The new Constitution of 1824 was loosely patterned after that of the US. There were serious differences - no trial by jury, Roman Catholicism was the state religion, Congress had the final say in interpreting the constitution, the president had the right to command the army in person and the rights of the states were not clearly defined. Slavery had been all but outlawed in Mexico, but there were some allowances. Coahuila and Texas, the northern-most states, were combined into a single state. Distribution of land favored native Mexicans over colonists. Colonists had to swear to follow the constitution, including following the Catholic faith.

Other colonies sprang up in Texas over the next few years. Austin's was by far the most successful and continued to grow. Changes were on the horizon with another revolution in 1829 and one of its leaders, a hero of the previous war, was Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. The U.S. was making noise about annexing Texas. Slavery was outlawed. Vice-president Bustamente declared himself president in 1830 and forbade further colonization of Texas. Juan Matin Verimendi was elected vice-governor of Coahuila y Texas and into the picture came Verimendi's son-in-law, James Bowie.

Among new government officials in Texas was Col. Juan Bradburn, in charge of Anahuac. He instituted martial law, conficated colonists' property, citizens were arrested, Mexican soldiers robbed and stole and went unpunished. In 1831, enraged citizens arrested one of Bradburn's soldiers. They were in turn arrested by Bradburn. One of them was a young attorney named William Barrett Travis.


The prisoners were eventually released and Bradburn sent to New Orleans, from where he promptly retuned to Mexico. As Santa Anna continued to lead the revolt, Sam Houston arrived in Texas in 1832. Santa Anna was elected president in 1833. It was shortly before Santa Anna took office that 29 year-old Robert Cunningham arrived in Texas.

Santa Anna was soon dictator of Mexico, the Constitution of 1824 was abolished and the rights of Mexicans and colonists alike were revoked. The Texans tried reason before rebellion and sent Austin to Mexico City with their grievances in 1834. He was promptly arrested and imprisoned. Austin was released later in the year.



1835: The state of Zacatecas was opposed to the new dictator and prepared to defend itself from the encroaching Mexican Army led by El Presidente himself. Of 5000 Zacatecas defenders, 2000 were killed and 2700 were taken prisoner. For two days, Santa Anna's army butchered citizens and plundered the state capital. Meanwhile, General Cos, the dictator's brother-in-law, was dispatched to Coahuila y Texas to shut down the legislature and establish martial law. The mood among Texas colonists was quickly shifting to one of independence.

Travis led a force to take Anahuac. Austin returned in September, now ready to support the rebels and a Committee of Safety was formed at San Felipe. The town of Gonzalez had been given a cannon for protection against Indian raids. Mexican forces were sent to reclaim the cannon. They were not successful. The Texans captured Goliad and Concepcion. Plans were underway at San Felipe to establish a provisional government. A declaration was written calling for a return to the Constitution of 1824. By the end of November, Henry Smith was appointed governor, James W. Robinson lieutenant governor, Austin commissioner to the U.S. and Sam Houston was commander-in-chief of the army. They would meet at Washington-on-the-Brazos on 1 March 1836 for further action. General Cos' army was now encamped in San Antonio de Bexar and in an old, run-down Spanish mission outside of the town - the Alamo.

What transpired in the life of Robert Cunningham between March of 1834 and late 1835 is not yet documented;  he wrote his family in 1836 that he had joined the Texas army. He was undoubtedly with the army as it moved from Concepcion to San Antonio in November and December of 1835. Robert was serving as a sergeant and second gunner in Captain T.L.F. Parrott's artillery company.



Parrott's company was initially under Austin's command, but Austin was called away and Edward Burleson took command of the regiment. Burleson gave the order to attack the Mexican forces on the evening of December 4th. Ben Milam led the assault on the town, while James Neill attacked the Alamo. There was much house to house fighting over the next five days. Among the most notable casualties of the battle was that of Col. Ben Milam on the 7th. Milam had been an inspirational leader of the Texas. Cannon fire helped keep Mexican forces from leaving the Alamo to reinforce Bexar. By the 9th, Cos' troops had retreated to the old mission and ran up a white flag. In the early morning hours of 10 December 1835 Cos surrendered. Cos and his officers were never to return to Texas, nor were they to, in any way, oppose the reinstitution of the 1824 Constitution. Santa Anna, at the head of an army of 6000, was marching toward the rebellious colony.



Robert Cunningham chose to remain with the Bexar garrison. He was assigned to Captain William R. Carey's artillery company as a private. Cunningham was part of the force of fewer than 100 regulars left to man San Antonio de Bexar under the command of Col. James Neill.



Col. James Bowie arrived on the 19th of January with 30 men and orders [left to Bowie's discretion] to abandon Bexar, blow up its fortifications, and remove the artillery to Gonzalez. Neill disagreed. Bowie took stock of the situation and finally agreed with Neill that holding Bexar was crucial. Bowie wrote Houston stating that "we would rather die in these ditches than give it up to the enemy." The commanders began to fortify their defenses.



Governor Smith ordered Travis to Bexar. Travis made several pleas to have his orders revoked and even threatened to resign his commission. In the end, Col. Travis led his 30 men into Bexar on February 3rd. On the 6th arrived the Tennessee Mounted Volunteers under the command of former Congressman Col. David Crockett. Crockett proceeded to regale the soldiers and citizens with stories of his exploits. David informed them that he had told Congress that "you may all go to hell and I will go to Texas. Neill left on 20 days leave on the 11th and placed Travis in command of the regulars.



Bowie was drinking heavily and suffering from bouts of fever [probaby typhoid or pneumonia] and constantly at odds with Travis. Finally, on the 14th, they agreed to maintain their separate commands and make major decisions together. 



23 February 1836: Sentries see guidons on the horizon. Orders are given to evacuate Bexar and move into the Alamo. Santa Anna had arrived. 

Santa Anna, under a white flag, demanded the surrender of the Alamo. He was answered with a cannon shot. A blood red flag was raised in Bexar - no quarter, no prisoners - the Alamo garrison was to be put to the sword. 



Travis drafted a letter on the 24th and sent it out through Mexican lines:

COMMANDANCY OF THE ALAMO, BEXAR, February 24, 1836.
FELLOW-CITIZENS AND COMPATRIOTS : I am besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna. I have sustained a continued bombardment for twenty-four hours, and have not lost a man. The enemy have demanded a surrender at discretion ; otherwise the garrison is to be put to the sword, if the place is taken. I have answered the summons with a cannon-shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. I shall never surrender or retreat. Then I call on you in the name of liberty, of patriotism, and of everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all despatch. The enemy are receiving reinforcements daily, and will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. Though this call may be neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible, and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor and that of his country. Victory or death!"W. BARRET TRAVIS, Lieutenant-Colonel commanding." P. S.—The Lord is on our side. When the enemy appeared in sight, we had not three bushels of corn. We have since found, in deserted houses, eighty or ninety bushels, and got into the walls twenty or thirty head of beeves. "T"



Other riders were sent out to deliver dispatches and pleas for help. Skirmishes took place between Mexican and Texan troops. The Alamo was constantly bombarded by Mexican artillery. Return fire was sporadic. Forage parties were sent out to find food and firewood. The Texans also managed to put to torch a few nearby huts that would provide cover for the enemy. Miracuosly, there were no deaths among the defenders. Bowie's illness had won out - he was now a bedridden non-combatant. Travis was in full command. 

The artillery headquarters of Capt. Carey was in the southwest corner of the compound. It may have been there, at Alamo's 18 pounder, or the battery trained on the main gate on the south wall to which Pvt. Cunningham was assigned. From his post he witnessed the shenanigans of fellow artilleryman, Scotsman John McGregor and Crockett. McGregor on his bagpipes frequently duelled Crockett and his fiddle. When not at his post at the southeast barricade joining the south wall to the church, Crockett was found around the compound trying to keep spirits up. Periodically David would scale the southwest wall and take shots at enemy soldiers within range. On one occasion he took aim on a Mexican engineer 200 yards away - and shot him dead. Life was anything but boring for young Cunningham.



On March 1st, 32 men arrived from Gonzalez to reinforce the Alamo. Still believing that reinforcements were on the way from Goliad, Travis sent Crockett and two others to find the men and lead them back to the Alamo. About twenty miles out, Crockett's party located the party of about 50. Crockett got most of the men safely inside the Alamo; the others were driven off by the Mexicans. The last messengers were sent out on the 5th. The defenders of the Alamo had not received word that the provisional government had declared Texas an independent republic on March 2nd.



Santa Anna called for an all out attack on the morning of the 6th and ended the bombardment about 10:00 P.M. on the 5th. The exhausted defenders inside the Alamo slept.



At about 5:00 A.M. the Alamo sentinels outside the walls were killed in their sleep as the advance troops approached. Overly enthusiastic soldiers shouted "Via Santa Anna!" and brought the Alamo to life. Santa Anna ordered the 'Deguello' [cut throat song] to be played. 

 

A three acre compound that required 1000 men to adequately defend it, had perhaps 200-220. Crockett's Tennesseeans repelled multiple assaults, forcing the enemy to the west. At the north wall, two assaults failed, but the third did not. Travis, at the north wall, was one of the first to fall. The Mexican troops swarmed over the north wall. Texans exposed to musket fire were cut down. Others abandoned their positions and fought a retreat toward the two barracks and church. 

Robert Cunningham and the other artillerymen fired into the masses of Mexican soldiers filing into the compound from the north. As their shot ran out, they grabbed nails, scrap metal, door hinges and anything else they could load into their cannons. The "scrap shot" nearly wiped out one entire Mexican company. The south wall was left unguarded as guns were trained on the north. Battery by battery the artillerymen were overrun. At some point during the push over the south wall, the 32 year-old artilleryman from Jeffersonville fell next to his cannon riddled with musket fire or pierced by bayonets.

The north and south walls had been breached. Mexican troops scaled the east wall and entered the foray. The defenders there escaped into the prairie and, despite cover fire from Captain Almeron Dickinson's artillery on the church, were slaughtered by the enemy cavalry. Defenders jumped from the west wall and tried to fight in the ditches near the mission.. They were also cut down by the Mexican cavalry. Many defenders took refuge in the long barracks [west wall] and the low barracks [south wall]. 



Crockett and his men were still in the open, backed up against the southeast palisade and in front of the ruins of the church. They put forth a desperate last stand. Witnesses reported between 15-20 soldiers piled around Crockett and a couple of his men.



Captured cannons were turned on the doors and walls of the two barracks, tearing brick and defenders to pieces. Soldiers stormed the buildings firing point-blank into the Texans reduced to hand-to-hand combat. Bayonets finished the job. Soldiers stormed into Bowie's room and found him lying near death in his bed. Legend holds that he generated enough strength to discharge a set of pistols and bury his famous Bowie knife into one of the enemy. His body was raised on bayonets like a bale of hay. 



The Alamo's 18 pounder was turned on the church by Mexican soldiers and blew apart the doors. Dickinson's artillerymen and the remaining Texans who had taken refuge in the church were quickly overrun. A handful of men were captured and taken before Santa Anna - they were executed on the spot. By 6:30 A.M. it was all over.



Survivors? At least 14. The wife and children of defender Enrique Esparza and a few other Mexican women and children. Travis' slave, Joe. Susanna Dickinson and her infant daughter were the only Anglo survivors. Mrs. Dickinson and Joe were sent north to tell of the fall of the Alamo.



Santa Anna ordered Christian burials for his dead [estimates between 600 and 1200]. Many bodies had to be tossed into the nearby creeks and rivers. As to the Alamo defenders they were stacked - a layer of wood, a layer of bodies..... and put to the torch. Only one, Enrique Esparza, whose brother fought for Santa Anna, was granted burial.  

It is not known how long it took the news of the fall of the Alamo to reach the Cunninghams in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Reports would have begun making their way from New Orleans up the Mississippi by the end of March. News of Robert's death may not have reached the Cunningham family until late April.



By that time, Sam Houston and the Army of Texas had exacted a measure of revenge. On 21 April 1836 the Texans, with the battle cry, "Remember the Alamo!", overwhelmed Santa Anna's forces at San Jacinto, killing 650 and capturing 700 in an 18 minute battle. Houston's force of just under 800 suffered 9 dead and 34 wounded. Among the Mexican prisoners was a soldier in a corporal's uniform. Upon seeing him, other prisoners shouted, "El Presidente!" A disgraced Santa Anna was brought before Houston and signed Texas over to the general in exchange for his life.



Robert W. Cunningham, born in New York, resident of Jeffersonville, Indiana, with stops in Kentucky, Arkansas, New Orleans, and numerous towns along the Mississippi decided to settle in Texas in 1832. On the 6th of March 1836 at the Alamo, he joined David Crockett, Jim Bowie, Travis and the others in immortality.


Sources for excerpts:


The History of Texas: http://www.sonofthesouth.net/texas/history-texas.htm

Battle of the Alamo [wikipedia]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Alamo









-------

    1. Bill Groneman, "Cunningham, Robert W.," biographic sketch, Texas State Historical Association, The Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles : accessed 29 January 2010).
    2. Wall Street John, William F. Archerd online [http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi~bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=wallstreetjohn&id=194&pr...], accessed 6 November 2009.
Note:  Current online for Wall Street John, Ann  S Eldredge [http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=wallstreetjohn&id=I110]

------



Ahh, genealogy.  Sometimes, it can just leave you in awe of history.


©2010 AS Eldredge

Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Walter's 1889 Obit Found

I've been the coordinator for the old newspaper vitals project going on for Allegheny Co, PA, since the beginning of the "tired finger" band of volunteers started transcribing them in January of this year.  We've been going strong-- to the tune of over 40,000 death entries and almost 9000 marriages. 

For the last month,  one member of our group has concentrated on 1889.  This is so important as we genealogy buffs feel the pain of the missing 1890 federal census. 

Just last week, my sweet Walter's obituary was transcribed.  I thought it appropriate to feature sweet Walter today with his obituary and a photo I have of him.  I suspect he was around 10 or so when this photograph was taken.  That makes the date around 1880.

SIMMONS- On Tuesday, March 12, 1889, at 8:30pm, Walter Glenn, son of Addison and Hannah G Simmons, in the 18th year of his age.
Funeral from the parents’ residence, near Banksville, on Thursday, 1th at 2 pm. Carriages will leave T B Hersberger’s, undertaker, West End, at 10 am.  Friend of the family are respectfully invited to attend.
Pittsburgh Dispatch, Mar 13, 1889, page 5


Walter is buried in the Mt Lebanon Cemetery, Mt Lebanon, Allegheny, PA with his parents.  I look at this sweet face and wonder how he died just as his life was beginning.  Walter was one of three children in the family and the only son.  Only one sister of his survived to adulthood, married, and had children.  Oh, can you imagine the heartbreak of the family upon his death?  Can you imagine the heartbreak felt in so many families as so many young children didn't survive?  It's hard to believe that death of the young was so very common at that time.

Ahhh- genealogy.  Sometimes you just gotta sit quietly and reflect on the past.


©2010 AS Eldredge

Wordless Wednesday: TNT Chemical Blast in Aetna and an Old Headstone Found

"Probing Fatal Blast at Aetna Chemical Plant" is declared in bold print on the front page of the December 6, 1917, Pittsburgh Press.

The article hints of German or Austrian agents "doping" the tanks of the TNT.  The Secret Service was suspicious of the blast.  The world was at war and now, a huge explosion in Heidelberg, Allegheny Co, PA, struck fear and despair into the local residents.

The plant manager thinks it was only an accident.  What caused it?  I don't know, but the list of the dead includes an extended family member.

The dead listed in the article include:

SPROULS, E age 28
MENTE, Andrew age 25
MENTE, Steve
unidentified white man, abt 25
LEA, Ellis  age 28
PORTONA, Tony age 28
PETER, Steve, age 36
MONTAGUE, Chester, age 20
KALE, J B
four unidentified men

I became interested in the LEA family while looking deep in early Allegheny Co, PA.  We were friends.  We were neighbors.  We attended church together.  We married.

I have an old picture from 1871 on which the name of the young man is written. Also written is to whom the picture was given.  This was my first clue over a decade ago as I searched for more genealogy finds.

The picture was Cassius Monroe LEA and he gave the picture to his mother-in-law, Margaret Henry SIMMONS.  The young bride of Cassius died in late 1872 as a result of childbirth complications.  Her obit is interesting as it details she died of a "broken heart" after the death of her newborn daughter.  Click here to read more on Maggie's story.

The young Ellis LEA who died in the TNT blast was the son of Cassius LEA and his second wife, Mary HICKEY.  Cassius is buried at St. Clair Cemetery in Mt Lebanon, Allegheny, PA, with both his wives and his infant daughter.

We knew where the plot was thanks to an old map, but had not located any headstone.  We knew Cassius was there thanks to a really old cemetery census published by a genealogy society.


Two events happened yesterday to render me speechless, or rather, wordless.

1- I stumbled across the marriage of the Ellis's widow, Beatrice H, to Cloud BRYAN.  A quick look at ancestry has now led me to send an email to a descendant of his.

2- Another email arrived yesterday asking if I was sitting down.  And it was from the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon's Margaret Jackson. I became friends with Margaret when I assisted her in writing a booklet on the cemetery and its inhabitants back in 2004.  You can see this great booklet  now at www.stclaircemetery.com.

They uncovered the headstone for Cassius and his second wife, Mary!  And it was exactly where I had said it should be!!!!  So cool!!  

I am guessing this was found as they are preparing for some new gravestones for Civil War vets to be installed.  And yes, Cassius is getting a new veteran headstone, along with my Uncle Henry.  Wonder where they will place it now?

I am just so thrilled to see his gravestone!  Will they find one for Maggie and their infant daughter right next to it?  Can't wait to hear!

Update 10 Aug 2010:  The middle name for Cassius has now been confirmed as "Monroe" by an article in the Sept 24, 1905 "Leader" and was sent to me by the g-granddaughter of Mansfield B Lea (brother of Cassius.)


©2010 AS Eldredge

Remember Charlie of Company C on Veterans Day

This is a repost from 2007. Tis fitting that I share this genealogy tidbit again today, on Veteran's Day. Again I say, "Thanks Charlie."
Again, the tears flow.

Veterans Day is almost here. It's time to remember America's heroes. It's time to honor Charlie of Co. C.

Charlie of Co. C was my grandfather, Charles Edward Simmons. Born in Dec. 1888 in Washington Co, PA, he was descended from those men who fought for the beginning of America, the War of 1812 and the War of the Recent Unpleasantness. As was true to the family line, he fulfilled his patriotic service in the Infantry. Charlie's draft registration card tells us he signed up in June 1917. The 11th Infantry men were shipped overseas in June 1918 to face an opponent who was skilled in chemical warfare. America was unprepared for this type of war, and her soldiers suffered the consequences. Charlie was one of the many who suffered from the effect of mustard gas exposure.

The United States joined the war to end all wars in 1917. In reading more about the time while Charlie was in France, I learned that in mid-July 1917, over 12,000 doughboys were within 30 miles of the front, all without gas masks or training in chemical warfare¹. The 11th Infantry saw 43 days of combat with casualties of 386. Of these, 348 were wounded in action. The unit returned to US soil in June 1919.

Poor Charlie. Not only did he suffer the effects of mustard gas while in France, he was also wounded. A picture I have in my possession shows his bandage on his left leg right below the knee. In this picture, he is sitting on a bench outside of what appears to be Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. He wears his uniform and his crutches and my grandmother are at his side. On another picture of Charlie proudly wearing his doughboy uniform, my father had written the following on the back: "He was exposed to mustard gas in WWI and injured in the leg. One inch of bone had to be removed from his left leg."

I have written to the Army to try and find Charlie's records. All I received was the confirmation he was in the Army in the unit I thought. Apparently, his records were in the big fire they had way back when.

Mustard gas. The weapon of choice in World War I which still produces shivers down my spine. It was extremely caustic and penetrated everything- even clothing. While I do not know the extent of Charlie's short term exposure, I have heard family lore of the long term effects. The exposure was said to have changed him. He did marry, he did have three sons, and he died young. The death certificate suggests he had renal failure and sepsis. His widow and small children were left to carry on. Unfortunately, they had to leave their home on Bosses Alley in Crucible, PA. Yes, Bosses Alley was the street on the hill above the Crucible Mine. The housing was company owned and was for the managers. Charlie was the chief clerk for the mine. I've heard from others that Charlie and his brother-in-law who owned the bank walked around town surrounded by coal and iron policemen-- especially on pay day. Charlie was also the local mine baseball team manager and was a member of the school board which had a new high school built. This high school was dedicated in June 1929.

So Charlie - with tears in my eyes, thank you. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your life. Thank you for your smile. Thank you for my dad.

Thank you for protecting your unborn grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We remember you - everyday.
_______________
¹http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/download/csipubs/chemical/chem_pt3.pdf

1864 Will Located for Widow of a Patriot

There goes the phone again. Here it comes with a new find.

One of my cousins, who always delights me with his now famous, "I've found something," called and relayed the welcome news. Today, I received the news via snail mail.

He has found the 1864 probated will of Margaret Harbsion Moffitt Simmons. Margaret was born c. 1795, the daughter of American Scout John Harbison and wife, Massey White. Massey's story in itself is fascinating. She was kidnapped by Indians, escaped, came back to Pittsburgh area, and gave invaluable information to the locals regarding the Indians and some local supporters of the Crown. Massey even has a Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter named in her honor in Pennsylvania.

Margaret first married a Mofftt but is quickly widowed. She then becomes the third wife of John Simmons (1761-1843). Her will has been published in a recent book about Pennsylvania Revolutionary War pensions. Now we have her death date (March 9, 1964)! Now we know more!

Now we have more mysteries to solve! Her will mentions land in Iowa? She gives this land to her daughter. I have always assumed this eldest child of hers was from her first marriage. Did the daughter move to Iowa? Did she sell the land? How did they get this land? Was it given to her husband? So many questions.

The big surprise in her will was the mention of two children of which I was unaware. The order on the will leads me to suspect one of them was from her first husband, and the other was with John. I've even got a husband to go with this name! Time to search again in Wasington Co, PA, for this new name.

I still don't know where she is buried. Was she buried in Wheeling, WV, with her husband who died in 1843 or was she buried in Washington, PA? So far, all of my stone turnings have not turned her up.

I'm off to investigate land deeds in Iowa now. How far will my search lead me? How much will I learn? I've certainly learned history on two continents during my tenure in genealogy and have gained an even deeper appreciation of early America.

Maggie's Story- Mother, Daughter, and Inspiration 136 Years After Death

The October 1872 obituary read; "Death, in whatever form it may come, or whatever may be its circumstances, is usually distressing in its character..........But a few minutes before her death she wrote the following lines, referring to her child, which had died a few days before."

"Up among the angels, That bright and happy band,
Our own dear babe has gone, To take its harp in hand.
Mother, brothers and sisters dear,
Weep not that she did leave you here;
She has gone to her home, gone to her rest,
Gone where the good alone are blest-
Home in Heaven. Jesus wept with sorrowing friends;
Jesus comforted their soul; Jesus died, He suffered pain,
He died that we might live again for all." -- Maggie

This obituary of Margaret Emma Simmons LEA was one of the many treasures found in her mother's, my great great grandparents', Bible. My heart weeps for Maggie and her loss. I can only imagine how thrilled she was when she married Cassius Monroe LEA (1846-1925) near the end of 1871. I can only imagine her happiness when she realized she was going to be a mother. I can only imagine her despair when the little infant girl died right after childbirth. I can only imagine her young husband's pain and his overwhelming grief when his beloved Maggie died a few days later. Her obituary goes on to relay she died of a broken heart.

I sit and look at the picture I have of Maggie and I cry for her. I mourn her loss and the loss of all the young mothers who also departed life after childbirth. I also admire Maggie's strength as she wrote a poem to comfort her family during her time of grief and rapidly failing health. Her belief was strong. Her belief was real. Her belief is inspirational.

So, sweet Maggie, my great great aunt, Happy Mother's Day. While you sleep peacefully in eternal rest, your words live on forever.

Because I am the story teller of my generation. I am the one who cherishes your memory as well as those of all my family members who have gone. I am the mother whose heart breaks for your loss- even though you've been gone 136 years.

Find those treasures. Honor thy mother. Honor a mother's memory.

Update:  10 Aug 2010-  The middle name for Cassius has now been confirmed as "Monroe" and was sent to me by the g-granddaughter of Mansfield B Lea, the brother of Cassius.  Thanks!


©2008-2010 AS Eldredge