The Land Of Cotton

We have arrived at the last episode of Who Do You Think You Are for 2012. Although it looks like NBC will not renew WDYTYA  for another season, there have been rumors that another network might pick up the popular series. Of course those of us who do family history know very well that the concept will not die. We all will continue to do our own individual Who Do You Think You Are stories.

Paula Deen was the last celebrity this year to venture into the past. That past was a Georgia plantation around the time of the Civil War. John Batts, Paula's 3x great-grandfather, was listed in the 1870 census as a planter meaning he owned a plantation which today would have been worth a million dollars.  Also, records show that Batts owned 35 slaves in 1860.

Further research shows that John's oldest son, William, fought and died in the Civil War. After the war, John Batts' life changed drastically eventually leading to his suicide sometime before 1879. I think it is safe to assume that  his financial situation contributed to his death and, of course, no one knows whether or not things would have been different had William Batts survived the war. 

Are you thinking Gone With The Wind right now?  Scarlet O'Hara? Rhett Butler? Before I-75, the route to Florida took travelers through the back roads of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. I remember sitting in the back seat of my parents' car in the late 1940's, early 1950's --looking out the window, hoping to get a glimpse  of an old plantation manor house. And they were there -- although mostly in disrepair and abandoned. I am sure at that time in my life I didn't realize what i was seeing.  Instead I visualized the Hollywood version of the Old South. Grand plantations that survived long after the war between the states and eventually just deteriorated due to age. What I didn't see was the devistation caused by the effects of the Civil War. 

It is easy to see from the tax records of John Batts that his lifestyle changed drastically after the Civil War until he finally committed suicide sometime before 1879. It is easy to romanticize the Old South but it takes a family history like that of Paula Deen's to bring us back to reality.

And nothing can bring us back to reality like the letter that Jordan Anderson, a former slave,  wrote to his former owner, Colonel Patrick Henry Anderson in 1865.  Jordan Anderson was a slave who was freed from a Tennessee plantation in 1864 by Union soldiers. He eventually came to live in Dayton, Ohio, where he dictated the letter to an abolistionist named Valentine Winters. Winters published the letter in a Cincinnati newspaper in 1865.  (This area of southern Ohio was very much a part of the Underground Railroad. If you attended the NGS Conference in Cincinnati this year, you may have had an opportunity to visit the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center just a short walk from the conference center.) The letter itself has been sliced and diced by many and it surfaces every few years. Many compare the letter to the writing style of Mark Twain. The letter swings back and forth between dry satirical humor and the violence that characterized slavery.

Jordan gives Col. Anderson the opportunity to prove his sincerity by requesting that his long overdue wages be sent to him by Adam's Express.  (http://www.adamsexpress.com/files/u2/adams_history.pdf)  The amount would be $11,680 plus interest for 32 years of faithful service. At the same time he expressed his concern for the safety of his wife and family. The letter gives us a snapshot of Jordan's life in 1865. He made $25 a month, had a home, attended chuch, and his children were doing well in school.

Jordan Anderson was an actual person who was born around 1825 and eventually was sold to the Anderson family when he was around the age of 7. He was freed in 1864. He died in 1905 at the age of 80. He wrote the letter in reply to a letter sent to him by Col Anderson.

Colonel Anderson was born in 1823. He sent a letter to Jordan in a last chance effort to save his plantation. He felt that Jordan could help him return the property to its pre-Civil War condition. The colonel lost his plantation in 1865 and died in 1867 at the age of 44. You have to wonder if Col. Anderson took his own life like Paula Deen's 3x great-grandfather. After all their circumstances were similar and, no doubt, not unlike that of many other southern plantation owners.

But Jordan's main concern in 1865 was the safety, education, and future of his family. It appears he succeeded. The full text of the letter can be easily found on line. http://news.yahoo.com/text-ex-slaves-letter-former-master-162955420.html





Note: For the next few weeks I will be working on my own Ohio Genealogical Society lineage papers and I will be posting about my experiences with this project. I am also planning a trip down the new Route 24 to the Allen County Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Coming in October: Which Witch is Which. The Associated Daughters of Early American Witches.

Coming in November: How many people can you squeeze on a tiny boat. The Mayflower Society.

For Every Action There Is A Reaction!

In the eleventh episode of Who Do You Think You Are,  Jason Sudeikis, of Saturday Night Live fame, focused on his father's family since he already knew much of his mom's family history.  Jason really started from scratch with his dad's genealogy. Jason's father, Dan, never knew his father. He had heard stories from his mom about the death of his father, but that was the end of it. 

Through research in Chicago, Jason learned that his grandfather, Stanley Sudeikis, Jr., died homeless with no money or family. Stanley and Jason's grandmother were married but apparently it was only a formality. This led Jason to want to know more about Stanley, Jr.'s relationship with his father, Stanley, Sr. 

Once again,  Jason discovers another member of his family who grew up without a father. It seems Stanley Sr. had two families. He was a bigamist! So, both Jason's father and grandfather grew up without a father in the home. 

With further research Jason soon learns that Stanley, Sr. suffered the same fate, only this time due to a mining accident rather than the irresponsibility of another family member. Joseph Sudeikis came to America alone to find work and eventually be able to bring his family to his new homeland. Unfortunately he died in a mining accident before he could realize this dream. So, as it turned out, Jason is the first son in several generations to know and grow up with his dad.

This is a very sad story leaving Jason with several skeletons in the family closet. But, it gives us an opportunity to learn how to deal with this situation.

Some genealogists absolutely love their unruly ancestors and cannot wait to tell everyone about those rascals. Others are extremely  embarrassed and cannot wait to sweep the evidence under the rug.  Regardless of which category you fall into there are some very important guidelines you will need to follow.  Remember: you are part of a family and you better make sure your facts are correct. 

I confess, I am one of those family detectives that loves the scondrels in my family. For one thing, they are easier to find - they leave more records! And they make my family history more interesting.  One side of my family is spring-loaded with skeletons! But it is going to be a while before they are exposed because I am not the last living survivor in my family and others could be hurt.

You need to consider the feeling of others. Will someone be hurt, shocked, embarrassed. Will someone's life be completely turned upside down. Will it start a feud within a family. Will it ruin someone's life.  No one lives in a vacuum.

But more importantly -- Verify your facts! Document your sources. You should always do this anyways, but it is especially important when you are dealing with damaging information. Beware of rumors. Consider the source. Did something happen that was beyond anyone's control. And remember for every action there is a reaction.

So it doesn't matter how you personally view your family scoundrels. What really matters is the effect the information will have on someone else - be it a relative or a non-relative. But above all make sure the information is accurate.



Next: The final episode of Who Do You Think You Are with Paula Deen. I am very excited about this episode because genealogy can sometimes teach you so much more than you will ever learn from a history book.

As If Genealogy Isn't Hard Enough!

I finally had a chance to look at the last three episodes of Who Do You Think You Are. They all have unique genealogical problems that need to be addressed. Rashida Jones is lucky to be here; Jason Sedeikis has skeletons in the family closet; and Paula Deen has to deal with the unexpected guilt that comes with finding the ancestor who owned slaves.


Rashida Jones' heritage is centered around African-American and Jewish research, being the daughter of Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton. Rashida's grandmother, Rita, came to America from Ireland in the 1930's and changed her name from Rosenberg to Benson. Many immigrants changed both their given names and surnames in an effort to sound more American and in some cases to hide their nationality.This despite the fact that America welcomed all immigrants to her shores. 

However, as Rashida eventually discovers, Benson was the original name given to Rashida Jones mother's family many years ago in Russia and that the family immigrated to Ireland from Latvia. And this brings us to the problems of Jewish research in Eastern European countries. Hopefully you paid attention in your high school history class. Otherwise you are going to have to borrow a textbook from your own kids or your grandkids. Also, you could pick up a copy of The Family Tree Guide to Europe at Amazon. It's a very informative book with a section at the end of the book about Jewish Genealogy.

Since I remember my mother telling me that her mom's ancestors were Russian Jews, I am going to be looking into this possibility next year. The problem with that is there are a lot of family researchers out there that have been told the same thing! But you should never overlook a clue or discard it just because you think it isn't true. Family folklore nearly always has a bit of truth in it. But, anyway, I have a small amount of knowledge concerning what I am going to be dealing with in the near future.

When you are researching ancestors from Eastern Europe, it is a good idea to begin with immigration records. You will be looking for a community rather than a country because of the the history of the region. Due to many wars, there were numerous border changes down thru the years. Many of today's locations did not exist until after World War I.

Another problem is the persecution of the Jewish community. Millions of Jews were murdered during the Holocaust which of course resulted in an abrupt end to many family trees. There are no graves or tombstones to search for dates. In Rashida's case she is definitely lucky to be here and owes that to Benjamin Benson who left Latvia for reasons unknown and inadvertently saved his family since the Nazies eliminated their entire community in Latvia.

The Holocaust created a brick wall in Jewish research, but there is one more. Jewish people did not begin to have surnames until after 1800!  Isn't that just wonderful?! I believe that this is going to be an extremely challenging research project, as if genealogy isn't already hard enough! 

When I was at the NGS conference in Cincinnati, I picked up a brochure from jewishgen.org. You have to register in order to search the site, but it is free. Jewishgen offers educational resources, a Holocaust database, and like Family Search, depends on volunteers to help build the site. I haven't been able to spend a lot of time on the website, but I do believe it is worth joining. 

The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies with many chapters throughout the world is another great resource. Make sure to visit this website whether  you are just getting started or are experienced in this area of research. http://www.iajgs.org

Since most Jewish people came to America after the late 1800's, most of your research is going to be international. This could take a lot of us out of our comfort zones. This is not a bad thing. Most genealogy beginners don't realize that one of the perks of family research is making history come alive. All of a sudden you have actual people that you are related to living during the colonial times or the Civil War or the Depression. Now you are going to have a chance to cross the pond and find out what really made them come to America. 
 

1940 Census Complete!

The entire US 1940 Census is now completely indexed on Family Search. What a tribute to the volunteers who made this possible. My one regret is that I never got to show my husband his family in the census  records before he passed away in May. We tried, but we just couldn't find the right address for his mom and dad. I have found the records now and, of course I can pass this information on to our grandchildren. Thinking back now on our last few days together, I realize that Chuck had finally come to appreciate the value of family history. I really believe that he was at that point where he wanted to know - not just the birth, marriage, and death information about his ancestors. He was at that point where a true genealogist is born. That point where you want to know what made your ancestors "tick". The 1940 census is a great way to connect our grandchildren to the past. Every ten years we have the opportunity to plant the seeds of family history in our grandchildren. Take advantage of this opportunity.

It's that time of the year again!

Don't you just love it when the kids get ready to go back to school? I know I do and I don't even have school age kids in my home. So what is it that makes this the "most wonderful time of the year"? School supplies! Well, actually, more like genealogy supplies.

This week's Office Max weekly ad is only the beginning of things to come.This week's ad has free pencils with a $5 purchase. I just love to cruise Office Max this time of the year.


Last week my Kroger Store started displaying their school supplies. And if you buy your supplies there, you will add to your fuel points. Speaking of fuel points, now that my grocery bill has been cut by more than 50 per cent, I have been buying gift cards for places I normally shop such as Barnes & Noble and Subway. This way I get twice the fuel points. 


Don't forget to check out Target and Walmart and take your time -- prices are reduced the closer you get to the first day of school!


Now is a good time to begin thinking about your holiday gift list for yourself. Make it out ahead of time and suggest that your kids all go together this year and send you to a conference or buy you a membership to Ancestry.com. 


Keep your fingers crossed everybody. This Thursday I find out if my arm has healed and I can get rid of the splint on my right arm. Then I can get back to faster typing and more posts!!

Survival!

Shortly after my husband passed away, I fell and broke my wrist! Yes, you're right, things couldn't get any worse. Paper work to be filled out, errands to run, a house to take care of (alone), food to prepare. flowers waiting to be planted and unbelievable heat in the triple digits. So I decided it was time to give up and wallow in self-pity. I couldn't type, couldn't write -- broke right wrist/am right handed!

Fortunately I had two wonderful daughters and a bunch of grandkids to help me out. That is until their own households started falling apart and they had to get back to their own lives. So there I was, all alone -- just me and Mac (my husband's Lab), and Winston (my Maltese) -- and a whole house full of modern conveniences! Oh, dear, how would I ever survive!

I suppose people who aren't interested in their family heritage only live in today's world. Yes, they might visit a restored historical site or a 19th century re-created pioneer community, but when they leave and head for home it was just an educational outing for the whole family. And, hopefully, one of the kids will write an essay on the trip next year in school and get an A. Mission accomplished!

But for those of us who crave our ancestral roots, it is an obsession to know who we are and why we are here. It is a need to know. Nothing brought this home to me more than my circumstances during the last two months. I am not the first women in my family to lose her husband. And probably not the only one to have suffered an injury shortly afterwards. But I am one of that select group that can look back and see what my maternal ancestors went through and it makes me realize how lucky I am and how incredibly strong they were. It also makes realize that I am descended from this stock and I will also survive.

As I sat here for the past week, unable to write or type, I couldn't help but think of the pioneer women in my family who followed their husbands into the wilderness of Ohio and Kentucky following the Revolutionary War. Two of them lost their husbands and were left with young children. Somehow they survived and lived to a ripe old age. Without running water, indoor plumbing, a refrigerator, microwave, fast food, local drug store, emergency room, and, best of all, air-conditioning. In other words, without all of my modern conveniences!

And those widows couldn't fax all of the required documents to the necessary government offices, pension funds, medicare, and attorneys. No, it required an enormous amount of written communication just to get a small Revolutionary War pension from the government. And as far as I know that was all that was available to them back then. Other than that they were on their own.

But when the temperature here in Northwest Ohio hit 101 degrees this past week, and I threw on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, I felt so incredibly sorry for my female ancestors. I could envision my grandmother many times removed as a widow with young children, living in a cabin in sparsely settled Clermont County, Ohio. Working from sunup til sundown in a dress that came down to her ankles. Anybody out there want to try that?

So I guess when you take all of this into consideration, it isn't difficult to understand the lifestyle that evolved from these situations. And at this point, we have to include widowers. It is safe to assume that pioneers migrated and settled in groups. The reason: survival. 

My great grandfather is buried with all of his wives. The group has a huge monument in the middle of the cemetery. Like they have their own subdivision!! Some of his wives were sisters. My grandfather married my grandmother's sister. And this was ok. What happened? When the wife died, usually due to complications from childbirth, her sister would move into the home to take care of the children. I suppose a relationship developed and before you knew it your aunt was your mom. The reason: survival.

Today these circumstances may seem strange, because a family can pick up and move to another town or country and continue on with their lives without taking the entire neighborhood with them. On the other hand I cannot think of anyone I know who would ever consider marrying their brother-in-law!! 

You might say I have made a case for cluster genealogy and in a way you're right. But I prefer to think that if you want to find your female ancestors, you have to walk a mile in their shoes. Or perhaps several hundred miles. And you really have to take a good look at how they survived. Because, let's face it you wouldn't be here if they had not survived. Never assume that just because their husbands died that they disappeared into the woodwork. These were strong women and they had to have left records.

Note: These are just my thoughts based on my experiences over the last few months since my husband passed away. They might be a little bit random, but somehow they make sense to me. I hope you can gain some insight from them and incorporate them into your research methods.

Sounds of the Revolution, Part 2

When I was at the NGS conference in Cincinnati in May, I was browsing thru some books for sale in the Exhibit Hall. I came across a book about soldiers in the Revolutionary War, so I checked the index for Philip Rice and there he was -- in his own little paragraph! All the information agreed with what I already knew, but there was something new. He had a boat!

I knew from Philip's pension papers that he had been involved in transporting a cannon from Cumberland to Taylor's Ferry during the war, but I always assumed that it was part of his duties as a soldier in the war. When I got home from the conference, I searched Google for Philip Rice boat cannon Revolutionary War and Taylor's Ferry. Google books responded with the 33rd Congress, 2nd session, Report No. 42 - Philip R. Rice - Heirs of, to accompany bill H.R, No. 696, January 30, 1855 from the Committee on Revolutionary War Claims. What a fabulous find! The following is some of the information I learned about my ancestor.

In 1781 while a resident of King William County, Virginia, he owned a small trading vessel. He and his crew (also identified as his slaves) were trading in the York, Potomac, James, and Pamunkey Rivers. He was pressed into service of the United States by press-masters Robert Radford and Micajah Crews for the purpose of transporting supplies for the revolutionary army. After transporting munitions of war, military and quartermasters stores from Cumberland to Taylors Ferry, they went to Newcastle where they obtained flour from Colonel Simm's mill and other supplies which they were to take to Yorktown. Before they reached Goodman's Island, they were attacked by the British who had just taken possession of Yorktown. Rice and his crew scuttled the vessel to prevent the British from getting any of the cargo. They were able to escape in a skiff.

Several depositions were taken in regard to this bill with the following information:

John Butler - met Philip when they were young boys and were friends until Rice left for Kentucky in 1797. He said Rice was a young, enterprising, active Whig.

Samuel Rice - was an early childhood friend (possibly a relative). He was on board the vessel when the cannon was being transported. Also, a resident of King William County, Virginia.

John Young - of Bracken County, Kentucky knew Rice from 1776 til the end of the war.

Major Hudson - of Pendleton County, Kentucky.

Jim Top and Abraham - names of the crew aboard the vessel when it was attacked.

These are all pieces of a puzzle that has yet to be put back together. At one time they all fit together to present a picture of a person's life, but over the years they became scrambled. This is what genealogists do -- they put the pieces back where they belong.

At the end of Philip Rice's pension papers, I found the papers for his widow's pension. Seems she had a rather difficult time convincing the government that she was legally married. After much correspondence, I found a letter that just said it all. She "bothered me so much" and "she became so anxious" that I "just want to get rid of her" plus "she threatened to write the President of the United States". Needless to say, Granny got her pension!! 

Another thing that I found to be rather interesting in Philip Rice's pension papers was a letter from my great-great grandfather in 1885 requesting copies of these papers "in order to complete our family history". This could mean that we have over 125 years of genealogists in my dad's family. That, to me, is amazingly wonderful.