As you may know, I have been working on a list of those men affliliated with the Vinton County Group who enlisted during the Civil War. I have already spotlighted the sons of Edwill Thacker (those in bold text below.) I am hoping to write a little about each of the men on this list. It is difficult to know for certain who actually had ties to our clan, since by the time of the civil war, many had moved to other locations.
Those highlighted in light orange are individuals that may or may not be related to the Vinton County Group. If you see anyone on the list that you feel doesn't belong, be sure to write me. If you feel I've left anyone out, please feel free to let me know.
In addition to descriptions of all the men who enlisted in the USC, I also have descriptions for the following men: Ambrose Thacker, Nimrod Thacker, Chapman Thacker and Joseph Thacker. If anyone has the descriptions for any of the other men, please let me know, so I can include that information when I write about those individuals.
Last Nm, First Nm, Div, Branch, Unit, Company, Enlistment Date, Age, Birth YR
1 Shiflet Levi Ohio H.A. 1 H October 1, 1862 35 1827
2 Thacker George W. Ohio H.A. 1 B September 2, 1864 22 1842
3 Thacker Thomas B. Ohio H.A. 1 B September 1, 1864 21 1843
4 Thacker David Ohio Calv 12 F October 18, 1863 36 1827
5 Freeman John Ohio Inf 56 I November 7, 1861 NA NA
6 Thacker Fountain Ohio Inf 56 I & C November 7, 1861 24 1837
7 Thacker Joseph Ohio Inf 56 I October 31, 1861 26 1835
8 Thacker Henry Ohio Inf 73 G November 28, 1861 18 1843
9 Thacker David Ohio Inf 73 G November 21, 1861 34 1827
10 Thacker Robert W. Ohio Inf 185 E February 15, 1865 36 1829
11 Dorton Hiram Ohio Inf 194 D March 6, 1865 22 1843
12 Dorton James Ohio Inf 194 D February 14, 1865 29 1836
13 Napper John Ohio Inf 194 D March 6, 1865 18 1847
14 Napper Peter Ohio Inf 194 D February 18, 1865 36 1829
15 Thacker Chapman Ohio Inf 194 D March 6, 1865 43 1822
16 Thacker Ivory Ohio Inf 194 D March 7, 1865 42 1823
17 Thacker Nimrod Nicholas Ohio Inf 194 D March 6, 1865 42 1823
18 Thacker William H. Ohio Inf 194 D February 23, 1865 20 1845
19 Thacker John Ohio Inf 194 G March 3, 1865 20 1845
20 Thacker Lewis Ohio Inf 194 G March 3, 1865 44 1821
21 Thacker Ambrose Ohio Inf 198 C March 24, 1865 33 1831
22 Napper John C. USC Inf 5 F August 16, 1864 24 1840
23 Napper Richard USC Inf 5 H June 21, 1863 41 1822
24 Napper William H. USC Inf 5 H June 17, 1863 21 1842
25 Thacker Charles USC Inf 5 H June 17, 1863 22 1841
26 Napper Alexander USC Inf 27 E February 12, 1864 24 1840
27 Thacker Ebenezer USC Inf 27 E February 27, 1864 20 1844
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Free White Names from the 1800 Louisa County Census
Below are some of the other heads of household named in the 1800 census for Louisa County, Virginia. I’ve chosen individuals who may or may not have something to do with our Vinton County Group.
You will notice that the Gibsons are all considered white by the 1800 census.
Bramham, Ludow
Free White Males
1 under 10 years
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
1 of 16 and under 26
Freeman, Robert
Free White Males
1 under 10
3 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
1 of 45 and upwards
Free White Females
2 of 16 and under 26
1 of 45 and upwards
1 Slave
Freeman, John
Free White Males
1 of 45 and upwards
Free White Females
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 45 and upwards
Gibson, Gilbert
Free White Males
5 under 10
2 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
1 of 26 and under 45
Gibson, James P.
Free White Males
2 under 10
1 0f 26 and under 45
Free White Females
2 under 10
1 of 26 and under 45
Gibson, John
Free White Males
2 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 45 and upwards
Free White Females
3 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
2 of 26 and under 45
4 Slaves
Gibson, Lightfoot
Free White Males
2 under 10
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
2 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
1 0f 26 and under 45
4 Slaves
Gibson, Thornton
Free White Males
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
2 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
2 Slaves
Gibson, William
Free White Males
2 under 10
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
2 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
6 Slaves
Gibson, William SA (I’ve no idea what the SA means – anybody?)
Free White Males
4 under 10
1 of 45 and upwards
Free White Females
2 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
1 Slave
Lemay, Nancy
Free White Males
3 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
1 of 16 and under 26
Free White Females
1 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
1 of 16 and 26
1 of 26 and under 45
Napper, Ann
Free White Females
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 45 and upwards
Napper, Thomas
Free White Males
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
1 under 10
1 of 16 and under 26
Thacker, Alice
Free White Males
2 under 10
Free White Females
1 under 10
1 of 16 and under 26
Thacker, Isaac
Free White Males
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 45 and upwards
Free White Females
1 of 26 and under 45
1 of 45 and upwards
Thacker, Jessee
Free White Males
3 under 10
2 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
4 under 10
1 of 26 and under 45
Thacker, Mary
Free White Males
2 under 10
Free White Females
3 under 10
3 of 16 and under 26
1 of 26 and under 45
1 of 45 and upwards
Thacker, Nathaniel
Free White Males
1 of 45 and upwards
Thacker, Reubin
Free White Males
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
1 of 16 and under 26
Thacker, Reubin
Free White Males
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
1 of 26 and under 45
Thacker, William
Free White Males
1 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
2 under 10
1 of 16 and under 26
No Daltons are listed as being Free White. They are only listed under "Other Free Persons."
Reference:
True, Ransom B., “The Manuscript Return of the Census of 1800, ” Louisa County Historical Magazine, Louisa County Historical Society, Vol. 4, June 1972, 21-49.
You will notice that the Gibsons are all considered white by the 1800 census.
Bramham, Ludow
Free White Males
1 under 10 years
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
1 of 16 and under 26
Freeman, Robert
Free White Males
1 under 10
3 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
1 of 45 and upwards
Free White Females
2 of 16 and under 26
1 of 45 and upwards
1 Slave
Freeman, John
Free White Males
1 of 45 and upwards
Free White Females
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 45 and upwards
Gibson, Gilbert
Free White Males
5 under 10
2 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
1 of 26 and under 45
Gibson, James P.
Free White Males
2 under 10
1 0f 26 and under 45
Free White Females
2 under 10
1 of 26 and under 45
Gibson, John
Free White Males
2 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 45 and upwards
Free White Females
3 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
2 of 26 and under 45
4 Slaves
Gibson, Lightfoot
Free White Males
2 under 10
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
2 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
1 0f 26 and under 45
4 Slaves
Gibson, Thornton
Free White Males
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
2 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
2 Slaves
Gibson, William
Free White Males
2 under 10
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
2 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
6 Slaves
Gibson, William SA (I’ve no idea what the SA means – anybody?)
Free White Males
4 under 10
1 of 45 and upwards
Free White Females
2 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
1 Slave
Lemay, Nancy
Free White Males
3 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
1 of 16 and under 26
Free White Females
1 under 10
1 of 10 and under 16
1 of 16 and 26
1 of 26 and under 45
Napper, Ann
Free White Females
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 45 and upwards
Napper, Thomas
Free White Males
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
1 under 10
1 of 16 and under 26
Thacker, Alice
Free White Males
2 under 10
Free White Females
1 under 10
1 of 16 and under 26
Thacker, Isaac
Free White Males
1 of 16 and under 26
1 of 45 and upwards
Free White Females
1 of 26 and under 45
1 of 45 and upwards
Thacker, Jessee
Free White Males
3 under 10
2 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
4 under 10
1 of 26 and under 45
Thacker, Mary
Free White Males
2 under 10
Free White Females
3 under 10
3 of 16 and under 26
1 of 26 and under 45
1 of 45 and upwards
Thacker, Nathaniel
Free White Males
1 of 45 and upwards
Thacker, Reubin
Free White Males
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
1 of 16 and under 26
Thacker, Reubin
Free White Males
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
1 of 26 and under 45
Thacker, William
Free White Males
1 of 10 and under 16
1 of 26 and under 45
Free White Females
2 under 10
1 of 16 and under 26
No Daltons are listed as being Free White. They are only listed under "Other Free Persons."
Reference:
True, Ransom B., “The Manuscript Return of the Census of 1800, ” Louisa County Historical Magazine, Louisa County Historical Society, Vol. 4, June 1972, 21-49.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The "Lost" 1800 Census of Louisa County, Virginia
Back in November, I posted the following on the Free Persons of Color Forum on the AfriGeneas website. I thought it might be of interest for those of you with Louisa County roots. TLS
The loss of early census records for the state of Virginia has been a problem for all genealogists. Additionally, the 1810 census for Louisa County of Virginia, where my free colored ancestors lived is also missing.
According to the statistical compilation done for the 1790 census, there were only 14 individuals listed under the heading of “all other free persons,” for Louisa County. In 1800, the number had risen to 132.
In 1968, a copy of the 1800 census for Louisa County was found filed under tax records. The Louisa County Historical Society, printed a copy of the schedule in its magazine, “Louisa County Historical Magazine,” Volume 4, No. 2 dated June 1972. Another researcher sent me a copy for my records.
The gentleman who wrote the introduction to the article in the magazine, Ransom B. True, counted 12 households composed solely of free colored and 1 household that included a white female. He reported that no free colored owned slaves. However, according to the transcribed copy, a household headed by John Warren was composed of 2 Free Colored and 1 slave. I’m not sure if Mr. True missed this individual or if it was transcribed incorrectly.
The rest of the households composed exclusively of “other free persons” include the following:
Nathaniel Branham, 5 individuals
Ursala Cooper, 3
Patience Chase, 3
James Dowles, 3
William Dalton, 4
John Dalton, 12
Isaac Fuzzamore, 11
Duncan Homes, 3
Annis Lemay, 5
Thomas Mason, 6
Laurence Mason, 7
Francis Pack, 4
Additionally, there is the household of William Captain that includes 7 individuals listed as “other free persons,” and one white female that was of the age of 26 but not more than 45.
The remainder of the 132 listed under the column “other free persons,” are scattered among a number of families that are primarily white. It is difficult to know whether they were part of the family or merely servants. The largest group of these is part of the household of John Pointdexter Jr. That household is composed of 8 white males, 4 white females, 7 other free persons and 12 slaves.
The loss of early census records for the state of Virginia has been a problem for all genealogists. Additionally, the 1810 census for Louisa County of Virginia, where my free colored ancestors lived is also missing.
According to the statistical compilation done for the 1790 census, there were only 14 individuals listed under the heading of “all other free persons,” for Louisa County. In 1800, the number had risen to 132.
In 1968, a copy of the 1800 census for Louisa County was found filed under tax records. The Louisa County Historical Society, printed a copy of the schedule in its magazine, “Louisa County Historical Magazine,” Volume 4, No. 2 dated June 1972. Another researcher sent me a copy for my records.
The gentleman who wrote the introduction to the article in the magazine, Ransom B. True, counted 12 households composed solely of free colored and 1 household that included a white female. He reported that no free colored owned slaves. However, according to the transcribed copy, a household headed by John Warren was composed of 2 Free Colored and 1 slave. I’m not sure if Mr. True missed this individual or if it was transcribed incorrectly.
The rest of the households composed exclusively of “other free persons” include the following:
Nathaniel Branham, 5 individuals
Ursala Cooper, 3
Patience Chase, 3
James Dowles, 3
William Dalton, 4
John Dalton, 12
Isaac Fuzzamore, 11
Duncan Homes, 3
Annis Lemay, 5
Thomas Mason, 6
Laurence Mason, 7
Francis Pack, 4
Additionally, there is the household of William Captain that includes 7 individuals listed as “other free persons,” and one white female that was of the age of 26 but not more than 45.
The remainder of the 132 listed under the column “other free persons,” are scattered among a number of families that are primarily white. It is difficult to know whether they were part of the family or merely servants. The largest group of these is part of the household of John Pointdexter Jr. That household is composed of 8 white males, 4 white females, 7 other free persons and 12 slaves.
Check 'Em Out Websites
Okay, I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but it’s a lot of work writing posts for this blog. Sometimes, just citing my sources takes F O R E V E R. Obviously, I think it’s important for anyone reading a post to know where I came up with my facts. You know, so you can look for yourself. So you can decide for yourself. Especially if you’d like to delve a little further into a particular subject for self-same self. So, I regard the sourcing of my material as important, but it can be a drag. Really, a big, don’t make me do it ma, drag.
This is my lame excuse for not continuing my civil war soldiers’ project – for the moment. I intend to cover a little bit of info on each of the soldiers, but I’m having trouble psyching myself up for the task. Still, I hate to see the blog just sitting here, idling in neutral, while my perseverance is lagging – “perseverance” as in the spirit is willing but the perseverance is weak.
Instead, I thought I’d do a post on some helpful websites for anyone who is thoroughly obsessed with the whole statistical/historical/geographical aspects of genealogical research. (Okay, maybe I am the only statistical/historical/geographically obsessed nutcase in existence but just in case there’s another cuckoo out there with the same affliction …)
Below I’ve listed four websites for you to check out:
1. If you’ve accessed this site because of your Thacker/Napper/Dorton/Freeman ancestors then you probably already know we have roots in Louisa County Virginia. If you’ve done any researching at all you’ll realize that the first census for that county that is widely available is the 1820 census. In the vernacular of my middle child, that bites.
There are a lot of theories on what exactly happened to these missing schedules, but what it all boils down to is that they are indeed missing. So, while we can’t know the specifics for Louisa County, we can still access the statistics.
The University of Virginia’s Library has a Historical Census Browser, which allows you to look at the statistics for both the state and county levels for such topics as race, place of birth, agriculture, general population, and education for every census conducted from 1790 to 1960. This is how I know that in 1790 there are only 14 people listed as “All other Free Persons” in the Louisa County Census. The website allows me to “Map It” for all the counties in the State of Virginia.
This browser is how I also know that in the 1950 census, the one that Calvin Beale referred to in his 1957 article; there were 8 Negro Females and 12 Negro Males in Vinton County, Ohio. Of course, I’ll have to wait until 2022 to know if these individuals are really part of our “clan,” but still, it’s interesting data to contemplate.
The website also has, and you have no idea how much I love this, the APA Style of citation listed. All I have to do is copy, paste, and do a little updating. Very cool. Very easy. I’m in love (or at the very least like, because as my mother always pointed out – “You love people, you like things.” )
2. Family History 101 has something called “Rotating Boundary County Maps” for all the states except Alaska and Hawaii. Click here for the link to the Ohio Map page.
Before you shrug your shoulders and roll your eyes, check it out. There are 55 interactive maps – one for every year there was a boundary change in the state of Ohio. In addition, there is a separate interactive map to let you see the boundaries of each county for every year the federal census was taken. You can see graphically why you can’t find any census schedules for Vinton County in the 1840 census – because the county didn’t exist until 1850!
3. Paul Heinegg’s work, “Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware” is online. Paul has done extensive research based on 1790 -1810 census records, as well as tax lists, wills etc. to come up with the information for this book. Our Branham and Gibson families are mentioned, which makes it interesting reading. Additionally, there is a link to Personal Property Tax Lists from 1782-1814 for Louisa County, Virginia. No Thackers, Nappers, or Freeman’s appear on these lists, however, you will find Branham’s, Gibson’s, Lemay’s and Dalton’s all represented.
4. Last on my list of websites for you to check out is the Free Persons of Color forum on the AfriGeneas website. AfriGeneas is devoted to all aspects of African American Genealogy. They have a number of forums, which work similarly to the message boards of Ancestry and Genforum of Genealogy.com. The forum managers for the Free Persons of Color forum are Paul Heinegg and Erin Bradford.
These websites have proven to be handy resources, whether I am working on a particular project related to this blog, or any one of my other genealogical pursuits. Enjoy!
Reference:
(2011). Historical Census Browser. Retrieved [All Other Free Persons, Virginia Counties 1790], from the University of Virginia, Geospatial and Statistical Data Center: http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/
stats/histcensus/index.html.
________________________________________
This is my lame excuse for not continuing my civil war soldiers’ project – for the moment. I intend to cover a little bit of info on each of the soldiers, but I’m having trouble psyching myself up for the task. Still, I hate to see the blog just sitting here, idling in neutral, while my perseverance is lagging – “perseverance” as in the spirit is willing but the perseverance is weak.
Instead, I thought I’d do a post on some helpful websites for anyone who is thoroughly obsessed with the whole statistical/historical/geographical aspects of genealogical research. (Okay, maybe I am the only statistical/historical/geographically obsessed nutcase in existence but just in case there’s another cuckoo out there with the same affliction …)
Below I’ve listed four websites for you to check out:
1. If you’ve accessed this site because of your Thacker/Napper/Dorton/Freeman ancestors then you probably already know we have roots in Louisa County Virginia. If you’ve done any researching at all you’ll realize that the first census for that county that is widely available is the 1820 census. In the vernacular of my middle child, that bites.
There are a lot of theories on what exactly happened to these missing schedules, but what it all boils down to is that they are indeed missing. So, while we can’t know the specifics for Louisa County, we can still access the statistics.
The University of Virginia’s Library has a Historical Census Browser, which allows you to look at the statistics for both the state and county levels for such topics as race, place of birth, agriculture, general population, and education for every census conducted from 1790 to 1960. This is how I know that in 1790 there are only 14 people listed as “All other Free Persons” in the Louisa County Census. The website allows me to “Map It” for all the counties in the State of Virginia.
This browser is how I also know that in the 1950 census, the one that Calvin Beale referred to in his 1957 article; there were 8 Negro Females and 12 Negro Males in Vinton County, Ohio. Of course, I’ll have to wait until 2022 to know if these individuals are really part of our “clan,” but still, it’s interesting data to contemplate.
The website also has, and you have no idea how much I love this, the APA Style of citation listed. All I have to do is copy, paste, and do a little updating. Very cool. Very easy. I’m in love (or at the very least like, because as my mother always pointed out – “You love people, you like things.” )
2. Family History 101 has something called “Rotating Boundary County Maps” for all the states except Alaska and Hawaii. Click here for the link to the Ohio Map page.
Before you shrug your shoulders and roll your eyes, check it out. There are 55 interactive maps – one for every year there was a boundary change in the state of Ohio. In addition, there is a separate interactive map to let you see the boundaries of each county for every year the federal census was taken. You can see graphically why you can’t find any census schedules for Vinton County in the 1840 census – because the county didn’t exist until 1850!
3. Paul Heinegg’s work, “Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware” is online. Paul has done extensive research based on 1790 -1810 census records, as well as tax lists, wills etc. to come up with the information for this book. Our Branham and Gibson families are mentioned, which makes it interesting reading. Additionally, there is a link to Personal Property Tax Lists from 1782-1814 for Louisa County, Virginia. No Thackers, Nappers, or Freeman’s appear on these lists, however, you will find Branham’s, Gibson’s, Lemay’s and Dalton’s all represented.
4. Last on my list of websites for you to check out is the Free Persons of Color forum on the AfriGeneas website. AfriGeneas is devoted to all aspects of African American Genealogy. They have a number of forums, which work similarly to the message boards of Ancestry and Genforum of Genealogy.com. The forum managers for the Free Persons of Color forum are Paul Heinegg and Erin Bradford.
These websites have proven to be handy resources, whether I am working on a particular project related to this blog, or any one of my other genealogical pursuits. Enjoy!
Reference:
(2011). Historical Census Browser. Retrieved [All Other Free Persons, Virginia Counties 1790], from the University of Virginia, Geospatial and Statistical Data Center: http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/
stats/histcensus/index.html.
________________________________________
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
The Sons of Edwill Thacker (And a few other odds and ends…)
I confess. It always surprises me to find that not all genealogists share my affinity for history. What good is it to know dates, names, or places if you cannot tie them to the events of the day? How can your ancestors ”come to life” without knowing first the events that shaped their lives?
For example, if you didn’t know about Edwill Thacker’s court case how can you possibly understand the significance of events that followed?
On August 11, 1837, Joseph Arabaugh (elder of the Christian Church) married Edwill Thacker and Polly Ann Napper. The marriage between two members of what would later be called by Calvin Beale, The Vinton County Group, is part of what makes an isolate, well, an isolate. All that intermarrying, besides making a nasty knot of impossibly tangled identities, solidifies all those interconnected alliances that contribute to the continued existence of the group.
According to the interview that Madeline Jones Norris did with Lizzie Dorton in 1983, Polly Napper was one of 11 siblings who came to Gallia County.
Of the 107 listed as Negroes in Vinton County (see map posted from the book, “The Color Line in Ohio”) Edwill Thacker’s family accounted for eight – all eight listed as mulattoes. In 1850 the family included, in addition to Edwill and Polly (ages 33 and 30 respectively), Fountain 13, Mahala 11, Charles H. 9, Elizabeth 7, Ebenezer 5, Alzada 3, and Lucinda 1.
Sometime after the 1850 census, and before the 1860 census, Edwill and his family moved to Pike County, Ohio. Edwill was not the first to leave the Vinton County enclave. Nor was he the first to move to Pike County.
In 1850, John A. Thacker and Ellis M. Thacker are found working as laborers in Jackson Township, Pike County. They are listed as mulattoes living on the farm of Clifford Smith. John Thacker found not only work on the Smith farm but also his future wife, Delilah Smith, the farmer’s 18-year-old daughter. The couple would marry later that year, on Christmas, and spend the next 55 years of married life living on the border of Jackson and Vinton counties.
In addition to the two Thackers living in Pike County, Polly Ann’s sister, Lucinda Napper Smith who on October 20, 1847 had married Sanford Smith also resided in Jackson Township of Pike County. In 1850, Lucinda and Sanford are listed as mulatto as well as their young daughter, Mary.
The 1860 Census finds Edwill and family living in Jackson Township of Pike County. The family at this time included Edwill (listed as Edward) 45, Mary (I believe this was still Polly) 43, Fountain 24, Mahala 22, Charles 20, Elizabeth 19, Ebenezer 15, Alzada 14, Lucinda 11, Mary 9, Sarah 6, Delilah 5, and Rosina 1. There is an “m” beside each of their names.
As far as we know Fountain, Charles and Ebenezer were the only sons that Edwill had. On November 7, 1861 Fountain Thacker, along with a cousin, John Freeman, enlisted in Company I of the Ohio 56th Infantry. A week earlier, a Joseph Thacker of Vinton County enlisted in the same company and unit.
An interesting side note about Fountain was posted on the Thacker family Genealogy forum, by Joyce S. Dennis on June 21, 2000 in which she stated:
“Fountain was thought to have been killed in the Civil War, so his wife remarried and took her son with her.”
True or not Fountain married his second wife, Sarah Crosslin on May 16, 1867. Though Fountain served in a “white unit,” in 1903 he is listed as Black on the death records for Franklin County.
Edwill’s two younger sons also enlisted. Charles went to Circleville, Ohio and enlisted in the 5th Infantry Regiment, Company H of the United States Colored Troops on June 19, 1863. His age is listed as 22. His height as 5 ft. 7 ½ inches, Complexion yellow, Eyes brown and hair straight. He told them he was born in Vinton County, Ohio and his occupation was farmer. According to the military compiled record, Charles spent May through August 1865 in the hospital. He mustered out on September 20, 1865 in Carolina City, North Carolina. On November 8, 1866, he married Maggie Blake in Pickaway County, Ohio. He died in Columbus on Oct 29, 1928. His race is listed as colored on his death certificate.
Ebenezer, the youngest son of Edwill and Polly Thacker, enlisted on February 27, 1864 at Camp Delaware in Morrow County, Ohio. His age is listed as 20, his eyes brown, his hair brown, his complexion “mulato,” his height 5 ft. 8 in. He told the recruiter he was a laborer by occupation and gave his birthplace as Pike County, Ohio. He was part of the 27th Infantry Regiment, Company E of the United States Colored Troops. He mustered out in Smithville, North Carolina on September 21, 1865.
Though Ebenezer is listed as white on his death certificate, he is listed as Black on both the 1900 and 1910 census.
The compiled military files for Ebenezer and Charles paint a picture of the appearance of two of Edwill’s children. However, a better picture is the actual photo of one of Edwill’s daughters. On the website, Find a Grave, a contributor has added the picture of Delilah Thacker Green. Married on February 10, 1875 to Thomas Frank Green, she is buried in Carr’s Run Cemetery in Jackson Township, Pike County, Ohio. Her death certificate lists her as “colored”.
Black-white, white-black, the family of the man whom the Supreme Court of Ohio had proclaimed white teetered back and forth across the color lines for the following eight decades.
Notes:
1. For a complete list of regimental histories, see Mike Northway’s wonderful website, CIVIL WAR ARCHIVES.
2. The listing of Ebenezer Thacker’s race was ambiguous when I first looked at his death certificate. The single letter did not conform to the “M” that the county clerk used when writing the “m” for married or male. However, the long flourished sweep at the tail end of the letter for race, made me wonder if it was indeed a “w.” Therefore, I searched the LDS image files in Madison County for a similar looking letter and found that the clerk had done the same conformation for a John M. Roberts. I used Ancestry to confirm that the John M. Roberts who was born in August 21, 1833 and died July 17, 1914 in Madison County (Ebenezer died July 3, 1914 in Madison County) was listed in 1900 and 1910 as being white, confirming that both Ebenezer and John M. Roberts had been listed as white by the county clerk’s office at the time of their deaths.
References:
1. Jackson County, Ohio, Marriage Register, Probate Court, Volume 1, No 753, Edwill Thacker and Polly Ann Napper, 1837, Jackson County Probate Office, accessed and photographed by Teresa Snyder, 20 May 2008.
2. Norris, Madalene Jones (1985). A Genealogy of the Broady, Harris, Napper, Thacker and Trent Families. Trotwood: self-published.
3. Beale, Calvin L. “American Triracial Isolates,” Eugenics Quarterly, Vol. 4. No. 4. December 1957, pp. 187-196, Accessed online 14 May 2009, Melungeon Heritage Association, http://www.melungeon.org/
4. Quillen, Frank U. The Color Line in Ohio: A History of Race Prejudice in a Typical Northern State, Ann Arbor, George Wahr, 1913, accessed online at http://books.google.com/books, 30 November 2010.
5. 1850 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Vinton County, Wilkesville Township, visit 1040, Head of Household, Edwill Thacker, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
6. 1860 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Pike County, Jackson Township, visit 1150, Head of Household, Edward Thacker, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
7. 1850 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Pike County, Jackson Township, visit 940, Head of Household, Clifford Smith, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
8. 1850 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Pike county, Jackson Township, visit 740, Head of Household, Sanford Smith, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
9. Scott, Margaret Hiles and Mollenkamp, Merdrith (1991). One Hundred Years, 1815 -1915, of Pike County, Ohio Marriages. Waverly, Pike County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society.
10. Historical Data Systems, comp. American Civil War Soldiers [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 1999.
11. Ancestry.com. U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
12. Dennis, Joyce S. “Pike Co., OH Thackers,” Genforum, Thacker Family Genealogy Forum, 21 June 2000. http://wwwgenforum.genealogy.com 2010.
13. Death Record of Fountain Thacker, Probate Record, Franklin County, Ohio: Volume 3, Page 326. "Ohio Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/). Index entries derived from digital copies of originals housed in various repositories throughout Ohio.
14. Compiled service record, Charles Thacker, Pvt. Co. H, 5 th Regiment Infantry, US Colored Troops, Ancestry.com. U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
15. Compiled service record, Ebenezer Thacker, Pvt. Co. E, 27th Regiment Infantry, US Colored Troops, Ancestry.com. U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
16. Certificate of Death: Charles Thacker, Filed 31 October 1928. State of Ohio, Dept of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Reg. Dist. 392, File no. 60497, digital images from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: 3 July 2008.)
17. Certificate of Death: Ebenezer Thacker, Filed 4 July 1914. State of Ohio, Dept of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Reg. Dist. 783, File no. 40605, digital images from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: 29 December 2010.)
18. Certificate of Death: Deliah Green, Filed 3 March 1924. State of Ohio, Dept of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Reg. Dist 45600, File no. 8600, digital images from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org : 31 January 2009.)
19. Certificate of Death: John M. Roberts, Filed 18 July 1914. State of Ohio, Dept of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Reg. Dist. 783, File no. 40611, digital images from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: 29 December 2010.)
20. FindAGrave.com, Carrs Run Cemetery, digital images ( http://www.findagrave.com: accessed 29 December 2010), photograph for Deliah Thacker Green (1853-1924), Pike County, Ohio.
21. 1900 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Franklin County, Columbus Ward 4, visit 322, Head of Household, Ebenezer Thacker, online digital image, Ancestry.com
22. 1900 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Madison County, Union Township, visit 190, Head of Household, John M. Roberts, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
23. 1910 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Madison County, London Ward 2, visit 446, Head of Household, Ebernezer (sic) Thacker, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
24. 1910 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Madison County, Union Township, visit 140, Head of Household, John M. Roberts, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
For example, if you didn’t know about Edwill Thacker’s court case how can you possibly understand the significance of events that followed?
On August 11, 1837, Joseph Arabaugh (elder of the Christian Church) married Edwill Thacker and Polly Ann Napper. The marriage between two members of what would later be called by Calvin Beale, The Vinton County Group, is part of what makes an isolate, well, an isolate. All that intermarrying, besides making a nasty knot of impossibly tangled identities, solidifies all those interconnected alliances that contribute to the continued existence of the group.
According to the interview that Madeline Jones Norris did with Lizzie Dorton in 1983, Polly Napper was one of 11 siblings who came to Gallia County.
Of the 107 listed as Negroes in Vinton County (see map posted from the book, “The Color Line in Ohio”) Edwill Thacker’s family accounted for eight – all eight listed as mulattoes. In 1850 the family included, in addition to Edwill and Polly (ages 33 and 30 respectively), Fountain 13, Mahala 11, Charles H. 9, Elizabeth 7, Ebenezer 5, Alzada 3, and Lucinda 1.
Sometime after the 1850 census, and before the 1860 census, Edwill and his family moved to Pike County, Ohio. Edwill was not the first to leave the Vinton County enclave. Nor was he the first to move to Pike County.
In 1850, John A. Thacker and Ellis M. Thacker are found working as laborers in Jackson Township, Pike County. They are listed as mulattoes living on the farm of Clifford Smith. John Thacker found not only work on the Smith farm but also his future wife, Delilah Smith, the farmer’s 18-year-old daughter. The couple would marry later that year, on Christmas, and spend the next 55 years of married life living on the border of Jackson and Vinton counties.
In addition to the two Thackers living in Pike County, Polly Ann’s sister, Lucinda Napper Smith who on October 20, 1847 had married Sanford Smith also resided in Jackson Township of Pike County. In 1850, Lucinda and Sanford are listed as mulatto as well as their young daughter, Mary.
The 1860 Census finds Edwill and family living in Jackson Township of Pike County. The family at this time included Edwill (listed as Edward) 45, Mary (I believe this was still Polly) 43, Fountain 24, Mahala 22, Charles 20, Elizabeth 19, Ebenezer 15, Alzada 14, Lucinda 11, Mary 9, Sarah 6, Delilah 5, and Rosina 1. There is an “m” beside each of their names.
As far as we know Fountain, Charles and Ebenezer were the only sons that Edwill had. On November 7, 1861 Fountain Thacker, along with a cousin, John Freeman, enlisted in Company I of the Ohio 56th Infantry. A week earlier, a Joseph Thacker of Vinton County enlisted in the same company and unit.
An interesting side note about Fountain was posted on the Thacker family Genealogy forum, by Joyce S. Dennis on June 21, 2000 in which she stated:
“Fountain was thought to have been killed in the Civil War, so his wife remarried and took her son with her.”
True or not Fountain married his second wife, Sarah Crosslin on May 16, 1867. Though Fountain served in a “white unit,” in 1903 he is listed as Black on the death records for Franklin County.
Edwill’s two younger sons also enlisted. Charles went to Circleville, Ohio and enlisted in the 5th Infantry Regiment, Company H of the United States Colored Troops on June 19, 1863. His age is listed as 22. His height as 5 ft. 7 ½ inches, Complexion yellow, Eyes brown and hair straight. He told them he was born in Vinton County, Ohio and his occupation was farmer. According to the military compiled record, Charles spent May through August 1865 in the hospital. He mustered out on September 20, 1865 in Carolina City, North Carolina. On November 8, 1866, he married Maggie Blake in Pickaway County, Ohio. He died in Columbus on Oct 29, 1928. His race is listed as colored on his death certificate.
Ebenezer, the youngest son of Edwill and Polly Thacker, enlisted on February 27, 1864 at Camp Delaware in Morrow County, Ohio. His age is listed as 20, his eyes brown, his hair brown, his complexion “mulato,” his height 5 ft. 8 in. He told the recruiter he was a laborer by occupation and gave his birthplace as Pike County, Ohio. He was part of the 27th Infantry Regiment, Company E of the United States Colored Troops. He mustered out in Smithville, North Carolina on September 21, 1865.
Though Ebenezer is listed as white on his death certificate, he is listed as Black on both the 1900 and 1910 census.
The compiled military files for Ebenezer and Charles paint a picture of the appearance of two of Edwill’s children. However, a better picture is the actual photo of one of Edwill’s daughters. On the website, Find a Grave, a contributor has added the picture of Delilah Thacker Green. Married on February 10, 1875 to Thomas Frank Green, she is buried in Carr’s Run Cemetery in Jackson Township, Pike County, Ohio. Her death certificate lists her as “colored”.
Black-white, white-black, the family of the man whom the Supreme Court of Ohio had proclaimed white teetered back and forth across the color lines for the following eight decades.
Notes:
1. For a complete list of regimental histories, see Mike Northway’s wonderful website, CIVIL WAR ARCHIVES.
2. The listing of Ebenezer Thacker’s race was ambiguous when I first looked at his death certificate. The single letter did not conform to the “M” that the county clerk used when writing the “m” for married or male. However, the long flourished sweep at the tail end of the letter for race, made me wonder if it was indeed a “w.” Therefore, I searched the LDS image files in Madison County for a similar looking letter and found that the clerk had done the same conformation for a John M. Roberts. I used Ancestry to confirm that the John M. Roberts who was born in August 21, 1833 and died July 17, 1914 in Madison County (Ebenezer died July 3, 1914 in Madison County) was listed in 1900 and 1910 as being white, confirming that both Ebenezer and John M. Roberts had been listed as white by the county clerk’s office at the time of their deaths.
References:
1. Jackson County, Ohio, Marriage Register, Probate Court, Volume 1, No 753, Edwill Thacker and Polly Ann Napper, 1837, Jackson County Probate Office, accessed and photographed by Teresa Snyder, 20 May 2008.
2. Norris, Madalene Jones (1985). A Genealogy of the Broady, Harris, Napper, Thacker and Trent Families. Trotwood: self-published.
3. Beale, Calvin L. “American Triracial Isolates,” Eugenics Quarterly, Vol. 4. No. 4. December 1957, pp. 187-196, Accessed online 14 May 2009, Melungeon Heritage Association, http://www.melungeon.org/
4. Quillen, Frank U. The Color Line in Ohio: A History of Race Prejudice in a Typical Northern State, Ann Arbor, George Wahr, 1913, accessed online at http://books.google.com/books, 30 November 2010.
5. 1850 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Vinton County, Wilkesville Township, visit 1040, Head of Household, Edwill Thacker, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
6. 1860 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Pike County, Jackson Township, visit 1150, Head of Household, Edward Thacker, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
7. 1850 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Pike County, Jackson Township, visit 940, Head of Household, Clifford Smith, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
8. 1850 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Pike county, Jackson Township, visit 740, Head of Household, Sanford Smith, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
9. Scott, Margaret Hiles and Mollenkamp, Merdrith (1991). One Hundred Years, 1815 -1915, of Pike County, Ohio Marriages. Waverly, Pike County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society.
10. Historical Data Systems, comp. American Civil War Soldiers [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 1999.
11. Ancestry.com. U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
12. Dennis, Joyce S. “Pike Co., OH Thackers,” Genforum, Thacker Family Genealogy Forum, 21 June 2000. http://wwwgenforum.genealogy.com 2010.
13. Death Record of Fountain Thacker, Probate Record, Franklin County, Ohio: Volume 3, Page 326. "Ohio Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/). Index entries derived from digital copies of originals housed in various repositories throughout Ohio.
14. Compiled service record, Charles Thacker, Pvt. Co. H, 5 th Regiment Infantry, US Colored Troops, Ancestry.com. U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
15. Compiled service record, Ebenezer Thacker, Pvt. Co. E, 27th Regiment Infantry, US Colored Troops, Ancestry.com. U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
16. Certificate of Death: Charles Thacker, Filed 31 October 1928. State of Ohio, Dept of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Reg. Dist. 392, File no. 60497, digital images from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: 3 July 2008.)
17. Certificate of Death: Ebenezer Thacker, Filed 4 July 1914. State of Ohio, Dept of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Reg. Dist. 783, File no. 40605, digital images from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: 29 December 2010.)
18. Certificate of Death: Deliah Green, Filed 3 March 1924. State of Ohio, Dept of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Reg. Dist 45600, File no. 8600, digital images from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org : 31 January 2009.)
19. Certificate of Death: John M. Roberts, Filed 18 July 1914. State of Ohio, Dept of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Reg. Dist. 783, File no. 40611, digital images from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: 29 December 2010.)
20. FindAGrave.com, Carrs Run Cemetery, digital images ( http://www.findagrave.com: accessed 29 December 2010), photograph for Deliah Thacker Green (1853-1924), Pike County, Ohio.
21. 1900 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Franklin County, Columbus Ward 4, visit 322, Head of Household, Ebenezer Thacker, online digital image, Ancestry.com
22. 1900 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Madison County, Union Township, visit 190, Head of Household, John M. Roberts, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
23. 1910 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Madison County, London Ward 2, visit 446, Head of Household, Ebernezer (sic) Thacker, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
24. 1910 US Federal Census, State of Ohio, Madison County, Union Township, visit 140, Head of Household, John M. Roberts, online digital image, Ancestry.com.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Edwill Thacker - In the Matter of Thacker vs. Hawk (1842)
If you have studied the Thacker’s at all, you will have come across the story of Edwill Thacker. In his book, “The Black Laws: Race and the Legal Process in Early Ohio,” Stephen Middleton described the events this way:
“A registrar in Gallia County denied Edwill Thacker a ballot because he was of mixed race heritage relying solely on anecdotal and circumstantial evidence. Thacker was visibly white and had lived as such in the town of Gallia for many years, where only a few individuals knew his true ancestry and no one would have automatically assumed that he was anything but white. The registrar knew it and refused Thacker a ballot. The common pleas judge sided with the registrar, charging the jury that if Thacker had any black blood he should be denied the vote.”1
Unfortunately, the depositions of the case, which may have proved quite useful in sorting out some of the lineage questions, were lost. Destroyed, misfiled, or in someone’s personal possession, the depositions were in fact missing prior to the filming of the court documents, so one avenue of research simply disappeared.
The case went all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court, Simon Nash for the plaintiff argued in part:
“As to the instructions of the court. I believe they are wrong. There are but three classes of persons - blacks or negroes, mullatoes, and whites, known to our laws. A black, or negro, is a full-blood African, or one nearer to that than a mulatto; a mulatto is one begotten between a white and a negro, or one nearer to that than to a white; and a white person embraces all which are neither black or mulattoes.
Our black law speaks only of blacks, or negroes, and mulattoes; these are prohibited from coming into the state, and from being employed, unless having given security. Persons neither blacks nor mulattoes can come into the state without restriction. The property of blacks and mulattoes is exempted from taxation for school purposes: none but white children our permitted to attend school A person neither a black or a mulatto, but having some negro blood, will then be taxed, and his children excluded from the school. The legislature never intended such injustice; they designed to permit the children of all to attend, whose property was subject to taxation to raise the school funds .” 2
To be labeled nonwhite was to lose not only the right to vote, but it meant the loss to one’s children of the right to go to school. It meant the loss of employment unless a security was given. To be labeled nonwhite meant a person was not legally allowed to come and live in the state of Ohio, unless a $500 dollar bond was posted and signed by two bondsman guaranteeing the individual’s “good conduct” It meant, in fact, you were not deemed a legal resident of the state. The registrar’s refusal to let Edwill vote, put all these rights into jeopardy.
The court ruled that the lower court’s ruling should be reversed because the judge’s original instructions were incorrect: "the court did instruct the jury, that if the plaintiff had in him any negro blood whatever, he was not entitled to vote at said election." 2
It is unknown what effect this had on Edwill himself, his children or his extended family living in Gallia County.
However, for all intents, because Edwill was considered “more white” than black, he became legally, for that moment - white.
1 (Middleton, 2005)
2 (Stanton, 1873)
Bibliography:
Middleton, S. (2005). The Black Laws: Race and the Legal Process in Early Ohio. Athens: Ohio University Press.
Stanton, E. M., Reporter (1873). Report of Cases Aproved and Determined in the Supreme Court of Ohio in Bank, Volume IX. Cincinnati, Robert Clark & Co.
Quillin, Frank Uriah. The Color Line in Ohio: A History of Race Prejudice in a Typical Northern State, Ann Arbor, George Wahr, 1913.
“A registrar in Gallia County denied Edwill Thacker a ballot because he was of mixed race heritage relying solely on anecdotal and circumstantial evidence. Thacker was visibly white and had lived as such in the town of Gallia for many years, where only a few individuals knew his true ancestry and no one would have automatically assumed that he was anything but white. The registrar knew it and refused Thacker a ballot. The common pleas judge sided with the registrar, charging the jury that if Thacker had any black blood he should be denied the vote.”1
Unfortunately, the depositions of the case, which may have proved quite useful in sorting out some of the lineage questions, were lost. Destroyed, misfiled, or in someone’s personal possession, the depositions were in fact missing prior to the filming of the court documents, so one avenue of research simply disappeared.
The case went all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court, Simon Nash for the plaintiff argued in part:
“As to the instructions of the court. I believe they are wrong. There are but three classes of persons - blacks or negroes, mullatoes, and whites, known to our laws. A black, or negro, is a full-blood African, or one nearer to that than a mulatto; a mulatto is one begotten between a white and a negro, or one nearer to that than to a white; and a white person embraces all which are neither black or mulattoes.
Our black law speaks only of blacks, or negroes, and mulattoes; these are prohibited from coming into the state, and from being employed, unless having given security. Persons neither blacks nor mulattoes can come into the state without restriction. The property of blacks and mulattoes is exempted from taxation for school purposes: none but white children our permitted to attend school A person neither a black or a mulatto, but having some negro blood, will then be taxed, and his children excluded from the school. The legislature never intended such injustice; they designed to permit the children of all to attend, whose property was subject to taxation to raise the school funds .” 2
To be labeled nonwhite was to lose not only the right to vote, but it meant the loss to one’s children of the right to go to school. It meant the loss of employment unless a security was given. To be labeled nonwhite meant a person was not legally allowed to come and live in the state of Ohio, unless a $500 dollar bond was posted and signed by two bondsman guaranteeing the individual’s “good conduct” It meant, in fact, you were not deemed a legal resident of the state. The registrar’s refusal to let Edwill vote, put all these rights into jeopardy.
The court ruled that the lower court’s ruling should be reversed because the judge’s original instructions were incorrect: "the court did instruct the jury, that if the plaintiff had in him any negro blood whatever, he was not entitled to vote at said election." 2
It is unknown what effect this had on Edwill himself, his children or his extended family living in Gallia County.
However, for all intents, because Edwill was considered “more white” than black, he became legally, for that moment - white.
1 (Middleton, 2005)
2 (Stanton, 1873)
Bibliography:
Middleton, S. (2005). The Black Laws: Race and the Legal Process in Early Ohio. Athens: Ohio University Press.
Stanton, E. M., Reporter (1873). Report of Cases Aproved and Determined in the Supreme Court of Ohio in Bank, Volume IX. Cincinnati, Robert Clark & Co.
Quillin, Frank Uriah. The Color Line in Ohio: A History of Race Prejudice in a Typical Northern State, Ann Arbor, George Wahr, 1913.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Like a Gigantic Puzzle
Way back, last April, I was in touch with a Researcher who said he might be spending some time in Washington DC. Oh, be still my heart.
We chatted about the possibility of his going to the National Archives, and yes, that was a distinct possibility. I can think of only three things on the face of this earth that could get my heart pumping as hard and as fast as a runaway freight train. One of them would be a peek at the National Archives civil war files. (The taste of premier chocolate would be another, and the last would be… well, a lady has to have some secrets!)
I started to make a list of men whom I thought were “ours” based on information I compiled from Ancestry.com’s civil war databases. Then, because I thought it would be useful, I started adding units and companies. After that, I thought it might be good to know when they enlisted and when they mustered out. Additionally, because the compiled military files listed the birthplace of each soldier, I highlighted those whose birthdates (after adding their ages at time of enlistment) fell before the move to Ohio. (I was hoping to firm up the Louisa County connection.)
By this time, I was well on my way to having a very large, very detailed Excel spreadsheet (because my brain tends to think in spreadsheet format, probably a result of my having been a business major). By that time, sad to say, the opportunity of getting a second hand look at the National Archive’s files had come and gone. Big sigh…
However, from time to time, I would continue working on the database. I added spouses, pension filing dates, parents (or probable parents), and physical descriptions when available. It is an ongoing work. The thing about working with all this data in so much detail, it tends to give you a better grasp on what you know, what you think you know, and what you would like to know.
Though the holidays will keep me busy, I hope to find some time to write a few posts based on this spreadsheet, as well as my making reference to the map I included for my post about the Color Line, and the post about The Vinton County Group.
I believe that in order to find answers to my own ancestral heritage, I need to look beyond my own specific lineage to that of the entire group. How were they all related? Did they really come from Louisa County? Are there any records left that will give us a clue to their true heritage?
It’s a bit like working a gigantic puzzle - A puzzle that came without a picture of how it looks when finished - A puzzle where some of the pieces have been lost - A puzzle, with a little luck and much perseverance, I’d like very much to complete.
We chatted about the possibility of his going to the National Archives, and yes, that was a distinct possibility. I can think of only three things on the face of this earth that could get my heart pumping as hard and as fast as a runaway freight train. One of them would be a peek at the National Archives civil war files. (The taste of premier chocolate would be another, and the last would be… well, a lady has to have some secrets!)
I started to make a list of men whom I thought were “ours” based on information I compiled from Ancestry.com’s civil war databases. Then, because I thought it would be useful, I started adding units and companies. After that, I thought it might be good to know when they enlisted and when they mustered out. Additionally, because the compiled military files listed the birthplace of each soldier, I highlighted those whose birthdates (after adding their ages at time of enlistment) fell before the move to Ohio. (I was hoping to firm up the Louisa County connection.)
By this time, I was well on my way to having a very large, very detailed Excel spreadsheet (because my brain tends to think in spreadsheet format, probably a result of my having been a business major). By that time, sad to say, the opportunity of getting a second hand look at the National Archive’s files had come and gone. Big sigh…
However, from time to time, I would continue working on the database. I added spouses, pension filing dates, parents (or probable parents), and physical descriptions when available. It is an ongoing work. The thing about working with all this data in so much detail, it tends to give you a better grasp on what you know, what you think you know, and what you would like to know.
Though the holidays will keep me busy, I hope to find some time to write a few posts based on this spreadsheet, as well as my making reference to the map I included for my post about the Color Line, and the post about The Vinton County Group.
I believe that in order to find answers to my own ancestral heritage, I need to look beyond my own specific lineage to that of the entire group. How were they all related? Did they really come from Louisa County? Are there any records left that will give us a clue to their true heritage?
It’s a bit like working a gigantic puzzle - A puzzle that came without a picture of how it looks when finished - A puzzle where some of the pieces have been lost - A puzzle, with a little luck and much perseverance, I’d like very much to complete.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
Posts
