Double Shot of Blood is Good for the Soul

Have you ever struggled to explain how you are related to someone?  Sometimes, it is so very easy.  You can say, "He's my mother's brother."  That works well. 

In my world, however, it can be quite difficult to just say it.  I mean, I sometimes find I need a pen and paper just to explain it to my closest blood relatives.  Take, for example, my dear sweet cousin who called last week just to chat.  I met sweet Barbara some 12 years ago while I was researching my grandfather's bloodline.  She had an unusual name to my ears and she was living in the same metro area as I was.  Or at least, someone with that surname was.  So, I took a chance and wrote her a letter.  Gee, do you even remember writing letters and sending them through the mail?  That seems like ages ago.  Anyway......

Barbara gave me a call after she had received the letter and told me that she was indeed the granddaughter of my grandfather's first cousin.  She had stories to tell and I had ears anxiously waiting to listen.  And, then, she dropped the news that we shared another bond.

It seems her grandfather on her mother's side was the brother of grandfather's mother.  Seems confusing, eh?

To make it clear really does take a paper and pen, or a great chart printed by my favorite genealogy program, but it is true.

My sweet cousin was able to provide more information for me and was able to introduce me to both her parents.  Now, yes, they were quite old and memories were fading.  But for me, they were a link to grandfather.  For me, they were a love bond ready to happen.  For me, they were family and I was happy to listen and hold their hands.  Just thinking that those wrinkled hands of old had known my greatgrandparents and hugged them and shared family meals with them just brought shivers down my spine.  Of course, hearing them share some more lore with me brought tears to my eyes.

So, here I sit, still trying to untangle the weave of the cloth of which I am made.  Every time a new string appears, there's another new story for my ears.  Just last week, Barbara shared with me that my greatgrandmother had worked in a cigar factory.  A cigar factory?  Really?  I didn't even know there was one in the Low Country.

So the search was on....  Using my trusty fingers on the keyboard, I found the cigar factory that had been mentioned.  I just wonder if she worked there when it first opened in the early 1880s or if she worked there before her marriage or after the birth of her children.  I still haven't figured out if I can determine that, and I may not be able to find the trail.  But, the image of her that was painted for me by another great-niece of hers became clearer as this niece told me that greatgrandmother loved her snuff.  You can read the story of how I found her here.

Ahhh, genealogy.  How many double shots of blood do you have running in your veins?  I have several of them....from the late 1800s.  Brings new meaning to who is related to whom?  Or is it how many times are you related?

©AS Eldredge 2013.

Confirmed: Grandpa Fought with Francis Marion

Revealing new evidence of rumors gone wild can be frustrating or it can be a shot of adrenaline.  As a teenager, I remember seeing the evidence from my dad's bloodline that documented a patriot in the American Revolution.  That name and line was drilled into my memory banks.  At the time, my mother also said her family fought in the American Revolution as well and, it was under Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox.

Fast forward to the present.  I had followed my mother's bloodline and not found any evidence to support this wild rumor.  Sure, her family lived in the general area of the Swamp Fox and they were certainly there at the time, but that was it.

Until a couple of weeks ago....

I was looking at her family once again just because I hadn't for some time.  I have found that stepping back and giving time to the many thoughts can sometimes assist me in opening my eyes.  Opening eyes and new ways of thinking can also lead to new evidence.

Viola!

This time, I found a pension for the lovely widow, Prudence COLEMAN (d. 1841).  Now, I've known about Prudence for some years as she is my  4g-grandmother.  I had painstakingly traced the lines back with as much documentation as I could locate.  I have yet to find her maiden name, but there is still hope in my heart.

There it was from NARA.  A pension applied for by the widow of Robert COLEMAN (1755-1825).  Who knew this process would continue after her 1841 death?  The record group is No. 15, W23858.  This wonderful pension supplied the date of marriage and verified the names of the children.  Yipee, this confirms my research.

According to the affidavits found in the pension application, grandpa Robert served the American interests under the command of Captains Simonds and Witherspoon.  He also served in Brandon's Regiment in Marion's brigade.  He was in several skirmishes including the memorable Battle of Fort Moultrie near Charleston.  Grandpa was also sent by Francis Marion as a scout in pursuit of the British and Tories around Monck's Corner.

With my blood soaring again, I read each page of the pension application and used it to further document the line.  How much more fun can a genealogy buff have?

Another day, another super find.  Mama's words are proven true yet again.

Ahh, genealogy.   If only I could hear them from her lips again.

©2011 AS Eldredge

On the Eve of Civil War: "What is to be Done?"

How well I remember the parents of my friends finding Civil War artifacts on their farmland back in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  Growing up in the South and in the general area through which Sherman's men trekked their way to the sea, it was not uncommon for an old artifact to find its way to the surface.

As a young adult, I lived near a battlefield outside of Atlanta for a number of years, and it still was not uncommon to find artifacts of the War after a hard rain.  Why, we even had a foxhole or two on the hill behind the house as there was a three day skirmish in the area.

Recently, I spent a few days in Charleston, the town where the first shots of the Civil War were heard.  Spending some time in the city via tourist style, I saw some beautiful old homes and heard some interesting stories about the American Revolution and the early days of Charleston.

History is alive in Charleston, and a lot of talk was about the upcoming anniversary of the War of Northern Aggression.  It seems so strange to think our country was so divided that states seceeded from the Union and brothers and cousins fought each other.

I have also spent some in the last week looking at the Captain Thomas Espy GAR Post 153 in Allegheny Co, PA.  I had several family members who were members of that little Civil War Veteran Group and I have found it fascinating to look online at the documentation and artifacts they have in their possession today.

Today, I heard talk of a protest in Atlanta over the lighting of a match.  Lighting of a match?  It would appear some groups don't think that having a plaque at or near the spot where Sherman ordered the burning of Atlanta is important.  According to the group protesting the plaque, we shouldn't remember the event since it is also in the same area as another more recent movement.  Their view is the plaque should be somewhere else.  The burning of Atlanta did happen and Sherman's March to the Sea did have devastating effects on the South. And the order did come to burn Atlanta where the city of Atlanta was, and is.  Where else should it be? 

Leading up to the Civil War, there was much tension among the different groups. Sometimes, I wonder why different groups of today believe that we shouldn't remember the past.  Honor your past, honor the past of others.  The many trails we took as individuals have all come together to make us what we are now.

I came across some interesting articles in a northern newspaper, The Washington Reporter, from January 11, 1860.

The first is titled "Sand in Cotton Bales."

There is no doubt a very great difference between the economical relation of the North and the South, separately considered.  The yankees are an ingenious people, a fact that is undisputed by either their friends of foes....It is the great relief of the disadvantages of slavery when the slave is brought intra mania--within the walls-- and made a portion of the family; and, as Horace Greely thinks, when the slaves and the whites, by co labor as mechanics or otherwise, become more intimate than can possibly be the case in field labor, there naturally arises a more sympathetic and philanthropic feeling between the parties. It would, we believe, be a happy thing for the slaves of the South should succeed in establishing their own manufactures.....

(The article is talking mostly about the sprinkling of sand in cotton bales, which increases the weight of the cotton, thus increasing the money received.  According the article, the Yanks had been practicing that for years in different ways, for example, adding sand to brown sugar.)

....It cannot be supposed for a moment that the planters-- the very pinks of chivalry-- would sand the cotton themselves; no doubt that is done through the industry and ingenuity of their yankee overseers, and so far as that is concerned we hope our chivalric friends will not turn to and tar and feather the yankees on that account,....

Another article follows entitled "Emigration of Negroes from Arkansas"

In this article, the legislature of Arkansas has passed a law giving the Negroes the alternative of leaving to stay free or stay and become slaves.  Of course, many left.  Who wouldn't?

......What shall be done with the thousands of unfortunates who will be driven northward?-- This is a grave question, and our readers will see....that it is engaging earnestly the consideration of the leading minds of the country......

Senator Doolittle of Wiconsin said that the more important question was what to do with the free Negro as opposed to the slavery issue.

...He said the free States will not retain them; some of the Northern States enact stringent laws to prevent them from coming among them,.....

As we reflect on the Civil War and its effects on the nation and on our families, remember first that we are all Americans.  As for me, I lost family members on both sides of the war.  I still think of them, no matter what color uniform they wore.  They all shared my blood, and my blood runs red for America.

Ahh, genealogy.  Remember the past.  After all, how can history teach us if we aren't willing to listen?

Source:  The Washington Reporter, January 11, 1860
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=f1xuXVtw34IC&dat=18600111&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

©2011 AS Eldredge

Free Lowcountry Estate Records?

Yeppers, they are.  Thanks to a super effort of Low Country Africana and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History teaming up with Footnote, there's some great early records online.

Just yesterday, my buddy, Low Country Africana, sent a message out to one of the groups I follow that said the estate records and inventories from 1839-1867 were available for FREE on Footnote. 

Since they were from the center of the universe that some other non-knowledgeable folks call Charleston, I thought I'd take a look. 

If you've ever used Footnote to view their collections, this is a cinch to find.  Just type in "South Carolina Estate Inventories and Bills of Sale, 1732-1872," and you're there.  It's easy to use the index pages for each of the volumes.

While I did find some preliminary info on the estates of a COX and of a COWARD relative,  I was disappointed not to find more.  Of course, it would have helped if my family members had been so kind as to pass on during 1839-1867, and if they had all lived in the Charleston District!

These records are a tremendous resource for those who are looking for information on slaves owned at the time of the estate owner's death. 

Many thanks to Low Country Africana for pointing me to the estate inventories.  I look forward to seeing more years up soon.  You're doing a super job!

Ahh, genealogy.  It's always neat to find such great volunteers to give of their time so others can reap the harvest.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Dancing in Celebration of 62 Years

Picture the scene. It's early in the morning in Charleston, SC. A light fog is evident at Middleton Place Gardens. Look closely and see two men fishing in one of the ponds.

One man is older and the other looks like a nervous young man. What did they discuss? How long did they sit there on that bank and just get to know one another?

I don't know the answers to those questions, but I do know the significance of the day and that time together.

The younger man was about to be married that afternoon, January 14, 1948, to his beloved. The older man was her father. Together they sat for hours. Time passed quickly. It has been reported that the time passed so quickly that the two men had to hurry back to town to get dressed in order to make it to the church on time. It has been reported they were in such a hurry that the young man had to borrow a tie from the older man to wear.

Ah, young love. The love between the two who were married that day lasted. It lasted through years of separation thanks to Uncle Sam, through the loss of a child, through the agony and despair of cancer, and through death.

The two young lovers have been gone for many a year now. They were taken much too soon, but their legacy in their children still lives. And it lives strong.

The motto of the two? God, Family and Country.

Their love? My treasure.

I saw them both dancing in heaven on the night my youngest child was born. It was such a comfort to be for them both to beam happily as they danced for the grandchild who would never meet them. Tears? You bet, but it provides my desire to learn more of my family's genealogy and to pass it on to my children.

If you are blessed to have older family members still dancing, be sure to get to really know them. Their love may become your treasure as well.

Oh, Those Glorious High Cheek Bones Live

Several months ago, I found a living, breathing first cousin of my mom's. This was a feat as the cousin is the only one of that generation to still be among us. Click here to read about Henrietta.

My mom's aunt died really young leaving a small child behind. Her husband took the small child out of Charleston and to his aunts' house where she was raised. He visited her often and took her back to Charleston every summer to see her mama's kin.

Well, I recently stumbled across her and so I did what every excited family seeker of genealogy would do. I called her.

At first, she was skeptic until I told her who I was. She spent the next hour on the phone with me telling stories about my grandparents, whom she loved dearly, and of her grandmother. She laughed out loud when I told her a story that my mom had told me.

I almost dropped the phone. Her laugh was the laugh of my mother. With tears in my eyes, I wanted to keep this delightful old cousin on the phone. After we hung up, I made copies of some pictures for her (including one of her grandmother) and sent them to her.

She called back and thanked me. She said the picture had captured the essence of her grandmother exactly.

Time passed. Today, the postman delivered a card to me from this cousin. Inside was a picture of her. Once again, I had to sit down in a hurry as the tears formed in my eyes.

For this delightful first cousin of my mom has her look. Yep, those wonderful high cheek bones and smile were there.

I miss my mom and have been spending a lot of time looking at a picture of her taken at Christmas time a couple of years before she died. I've been needing her, and today, I saw a little hint of her still alive in a picture.

I must go and call this cousin and hear my mom's laughter once again. What a wonderful kiss from heaven this was.

Time to Live the Past with the Lowcountry Digital Library-

The Lowcountry Digital Library was unveiled earlier this month. It is a joint project with the College of Charleston and the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. The site expects to have over 50,000 documents, pictures, and items of historical interest within the next three years.

Already on the site are some fun items from the Citadel, Slave Passes, and photos of the 1886 Charleston earthquake. There are more databases to explore, so take some time to relive some of the past in my City by the Sea.

More information is being added on a regular basis, so check back with them if you don't see much to catch your attention on the first look...http://lowcountrydigital.library.cofc.edu/index.php

Her Laugh Lives On

In my last post, we were chatting about how some researchers take census info and people with same initials and just kind of "make it work." Well, I contacted the gent to ask him some questions about what I knew to be true. To my delight, my mom's first cousin is still alive and well at the ripe old age of 87.

I got her phone number and just called. I spent time listening to her tell me stories of my great grandmother Poston nee Coward, my Poston grandparents and other family members. These beloved family members are all gone- or so I thought.

You see, Henrietta laughed and I started to tear up. Her laugh is the laugh of my mother and my aunt. What joy for me to hear that familiar laugh again.

Henrietta told me of her mother who died of tuberculosis at the age of 34. She only has one memory of her mother standing. So, today, Henrietta has not only given me more of a sense of family, she has given me back my mom - if only in her laugh.

Family. Ain't it just grand!

Hunley Men Remembered

The discovery of the Hunley and its crew continues to amaze genealogists, history buffs and the general public. Recently, I visited the Hunley Memorial at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, SC, where our family placed wreaths in memory of all sea faring men who have perished in the service of their country.

It was eerily quiet in the cemetery. We followed the signs to the memorial. While on our way down the long paths, we found many beautiful old tombs from the time of the Civil War. Magnolia Cemetery is the final resting place of many an early Charleston family. You can easily follow the history of the area just by looking at the many names.

It was a surprise to learn the Hunley had three crews which had perished in her history. As the 145th anniversary of the loss of the second crew has just been observed within the last week, I find it fitting to remember the crew.

Horace Hunley was aboard this training mission of the Hunley on October 15, 1863, when it sank. Once again, the Confederacy raised the Hunley from the ocean, only to have it sink again in February 1864.

The story of the Hunley is fascinating. To learn more, click here.


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