Amos Miner 1776 - 1842

Only known drawing of Amos Miner's Spinning Wheel Head invention
(Source: http://www.spwhsl.com/ISS_29/DETAIL29.HTM)

Amos Miner (also spelled as Minor in certain records) is my 4th-great grandfather. According to genealogical records he was born on November 10, 1776, in Bethlehem, Litchfield Co., Conn. His father was John Miner IV, a Norfolk, Conn. physician, and his mother was Sarah Dutton. Amos was the 3rd-great grandson of Thomas Minor, an early settler of Massachusetts and Connecticut (I'll do a separate post on him later).

According to the family history, Thomas Minor--Descendants 1608-1981, Amos married Phebe (or Phoebe) Hamlin on December 21, 1796. Amos and Phebe moved to Skaneateles, N.Y. about 1800 , where Amos built a shop where he manufactured "accelerating wheel heads." This was a device he invented that attached to spinning wheels to make them more efficient. Here are links to information about the invention:

Amos' invention at Spinning Wheel Sleuth.

Text from A History of American Manufactures from 1608 - 1860 at Google Books

In 1805 Amos moved to Stafford, N.Y., where he founded a firm called Miner, Denning, and Sessions, and he built a factory to make the wheel heads and other items he invented. These items included "pails, half bushels, bowls, grooved window sash, and wooden pumps." The family history states that a few years later he sold his interest in the business and moved to another location where he built a grist mill and another factory. Amos was certainly a rolling stone because he apparently moved several more times before ending up in central Illinois in about 1830. He settled at Little York, a town that was about five miles north of Waverly, Ill.

Amos and Phebe had fifteen children, eight who survived to adulthood. One of these children was Amos Jr., who was born in 1817 in New York and died at age twenty-one in 1839 in Illinois. Amos Jr. had married Delilah Corey in 1837 and had one son, George Amos in 1839 (look for a future posting on him). I imagine it had to be very tough on both of them to have so many children die in infancy, but even harder to have a child die who had just recently been married and had a child.

Phebe died on October 28, 1838, but is not buried in the Waverly Cemetery along with Amos. According to the Illinois State Marriage Index, Amos apparently remarried an Abigail Corey on January 17, 1839. Amos lived until June 2, 1842, and Abigail lived until October 23, 1860. They are both buried in Waverly East Cemetery, Waverly, Ill. Here are photos of their gravestones.

Amos certainly led an eventful life. Born in the same year our great country was also born, he experienced the westward expansion from New England. He also participated in the Industrial Revolution as an inventor and entrepreneur. He died at the beginnings of the next great westward surge.

Evaline Whitlock Gotschall

Here is a scan of a very old newspaper clipping featuring Eva Whitlock Gotschall at a spinning wheel. The clipping is from the 9/3/1931 issue of the Illinois State Journal (Spingfield, Ill.). Eva was the sister of Alexander Whitlock. She was born in Morgan County after the Whitlock's moved from Tennessee. The clipping says her family came from Virginia, which is partially true. The Whitlock ancestors moved to Tennessee in the late 1700's from Virginia.

Missing

Have you ever wondered what became of blood relatives? Great-great uncle Jim Whitlock married a woman in the early 1900's, but she left him. I have a short letter to him from, Teda, one of the daughter's from the marriage. At that time Teda, her mother, and sister were living in the Indian Territory of Oklahoma. The letter really has a sad tone of estrangement. I found Teda and her family on an old U.S. Census, but they disappeared after that. It is sad when we lose touch with family.

Here's an undated photo of Teda, her sister, and mother.

The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)

The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization that was made up of the Union veterans of the American Civil War. My great-great-grandfather Alexander was a member of this organization. No doubt other ancestor were as well, but he is the only one I have proof of his membership. Here is a photograph of his GAR Medal.


According to a Wikipedia article the organization was founded in Decatur, Ill. on April 6, 1866. The main purpose of the GAR at the time of its foundation was to allow the veterans to keep in contact with each other. Their motto was “Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty.” During the organization’s initial years, political infighting among the departments almost resulted in the organizations collapse. The organization almost collapsed in the early 1870s; however, by the 1880s the organization had been reinvigorated and continued to thrive until the 1940s. Annual encampments of veterans were held from 1866 until 1949. The last Union veteran, Albert Woolson, died in 1956. The GAR was disbanded at this time, but their legacy lived on.

Several organizations sought to become the legitimate heir of the GAR, with the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) selected as the organization that would continue with the traditions and pledges established by the GAR. Any male descendant of a Union Civil War veteran can claim membership by proving his ancestry. This is fairly simple given the wide availability of genealogical and military records. If any of my kin would like information on how to join, please contact me and I’ll be glad to help you out.

I think it is more important than ever to protect our heritage and history. Too many people ignore their heritage and dismiss what our ancestors achieved. There is too much revisionism that occurs that does not seek the truth, only a specific political agenda. Our ancestors, not only the war veterans but every ancestor, endured many privations that we can only imagine. They did amazing things and they did horrible things. We owe these people and to our descendants to remember so mistakes of the past will not be repeated.

Ollie Miner Seymour's Bread Recipe

As promised in my previous post I am going to share a recipe from our family. This recipe comes from a family cookbook that cousin Natalie Toler Smigel put together a few years ago. She collected recipes from kith and kin and put together an amazing cookbook, which included old family photos. Family and friends who bought the cookbook have been enjoying many tasty recipes for years, especially from the desserts, candy, and dessert sections (which, by the way, take up one-half of the book).

The following recipe was written by Natalie and starts out:

"This is the original 'secret family recipe' as given to me by Grandma. She noted that she had read lately that yeast doesn't rise as well when dissolved in milk so she used warm water and added dry milk with the flour. Here are the directions as modified for our 'modern' kitchens."

Ollie Miner Seymour's Sweepstakes Prize Winning Raisin Bread

2 c. scalded sweet milk 8 c. sifted flour
2 pkgs yeast 1/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. sugar 3/4 tsp. salt
2 well-beaten eggs 1 c. raisins

"Dissolve yeast and 1/4 c. sugar in 1/2 c. warm water. Let set until it bubbles. Add 1 1/2 c. water (room temp.), 2/3 c. powdered milk, 1/4 c. shortening or butter (melted but not hot), 1/2 c. sugar and 1 c. raisins. Then add 4 c. flour (sifted) and 3/4 tsp salt. Add 2 eggs (beaten and at room temp.). Mix in 3 - 4 additional c. sifted flour and knead until smooth (about 5 minutes). Let raise until double in bulk. Punch it down and let it raise again. Punch down and divide into balls; let rest 10 minutes. Roll out and make into loaves. Place in greased pans. Let it double in size and bake in 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes. This is a rich, sweet dough and browns very easily. I [Glenna] have trouble keeping it from becoming too brown. Smaller loaves don't need to be baked as long." Natalie Smigel

So there you have it. The cat is once again out of the bag. If you bake this bread let me know how it turned out. I've never baked this bread, but will someday soon. I'm more used to making sourdough bread; which reminds me that I need to try and resuscitate my sourdough starter. I haven't fed it in some time during its hibernation in the refrigerator. I'll let you know how that turns out.

Ollie Anne (Miner) Seymour 1882 - 1937

I think over the next few posts I will cover the history of the Miner branch of the family. This family is well researched to the original immigrant to colonial American, and even further back to England. I'll start out with my great-grandmother, Ollie Anne Miner

Ollie was the youngest daughter of George A. Miner and Elizabeth Susan Dennis.She was born 22 Jan 1882 in Morgan Co., Ill. George and Elizabeth had 11 children that survived to adulthood. There were seven girls and four boys. According to a letter I have that was written to my grandmother Glenna (Ollie's daughter), George was very protective of his daughters and really didn't approve of any of the men the girls chose to marry. I guess some things really never change. Here are a couple of photos of Ollie as a young woman.



This photo is captioned on the back Ollie Miner and Edith Johnson. I haven't figured out who Edith is yet, but the two look like they are true friends. They probably broke many a young man's heart.

She married Dale Taylor Seymour on 30 Jan 1905 in Morgan Co. I believe at that time weddings were most often performed at someone's home. It is probably likely that Ollie and Dale were married at either the Miner or Seymour homes. I believe this is probably her wedding portrait.

Sometime after that the couple moved to Colorado. They lived in Englewood and Glenna was born while they resided there. Glenna's birth certificate has them residing on the 3000 Block of South Acoma Street in Englewood. Dale worked as a conductor for a streetcar company, as well as at a lumberyard. Here is a photo of him at work as a conductor.

The couple returned to Morgan County and lived rest of their lives there. Two boys were born to the couple, Taylor and Nelson. Here is a photo of the entire family, probably taken around 1915.

Ollie became a blue-ribbon winning cook. Her breads, cakes, and pastries won an incredible number of prizes at the Morgan County Fair and Illinois State Fair over the years. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to bake such high-quality goods on a wood- or coal-fired stove? It's difficult enough to bake decent bread in a modern oven! This talent for baking was inherited by her daughter Glenna, as well as granddaughters and great-granddaughters. All won prizes at the county and state fairs for their baked goods. I have a recipe for her bread that I will post at another time.

Ollie died much too early, at the age of 55 on 20 Mar 1937. Here is an image of her obituary.



I really would have loved to have known Ollie. She really strikes me as a loving and fun person. She had a deep Christian faith that she passed on to her children, as well as that ability to bake delicious things to eat. What a wonderful inheritance to pass on to future generations.

The Gunboat Lafayette and Siege of Vicksburg - 1863

My great-great-grandfather Alexander served on the gunboat Lafayette during the Vicksburg campaign of 1863. According to a certificate that Alexander had made for his wife Mary, he served on the Lafayette, which was manned by soldiers from Company H of the 101st Illinois Infantry. However; his official Civil War records state that he was assigned to Company G of the 101st. This would mean he would have served on the ram Switzerland during the run past the Vicksburg fortifications on April, 16, 1863.

This confusion can perhaps be cleared up by looking at the official war records of the 101st Illinois Infantry. Part of the regiment ; Companies B, C, E, F, and I; had been captured at Holly Springs, Miss. in Dec. 1862. The other part of the regiment; Companies D, G, H, and K; had been guarding a railroad and were not captured. The companies which were captured were paroled by the Confederates. These companies were formed into a separate battalion and sent home. Companies D, G, H, and K were formed into another battalion and temporarily attached to the 14th Illinois Infantry until March 1863. It is interesting to note that the 14th Ill. Inf. was the unit Alexander had originally joined in 1861.

According to the official history the battalion was broken up in March 1863 and the companies assigned as follows: "Company "K" assigned as provost guard at General Grant's headquarters, Company "G" to ram "Switzerland," Company "D" to "Rattler" and "Cricket," Company "A" to "General Bragg," Company "H" to "Lafayette," so serving until September, 1863." The official history also states that the 101st served with the Ram Fleet, Mississippi Squadron from March to June 1863.

On the night of April 16, 1863 Admiral David Porter took 12 ships past Vicksburg. He directed that the ships hug the east bank directly under the guns and cannon that defended Vicksburg. This was a very wise move because the Confederate artillerymen could not depress their guns enough to get an accurate shot at the Union vessels. Veterans report that they were close enough to hear the Confederate artillery officers giving the commands to fire!

Only one vessel was lost, the Lancaster, although quite luckily only one man died. Perhaps even more interesting is how Porter lashed some vessels together to allow ironclads to protect less armored ships. Two of these were the Lafayette and the General Sterling Price. The Lafayette was positioned closest to the Confederate defenses, thereby protecting the more vulnerable Price. A link to a Currier and Ives print of the ships is posted below which clearly indicates these two vessels.

I believe that Alexander did serve on the Lafayette even though his records indicate that he was in Company G and would have been on the Switzerland. Soldiers remember the units they served with, especially in combat. It would have been a matter of soldierly pride for Alexander to say he served on the Lafayette when they "ran the gauntlet" past Vicksburg that night in April 1863.

Here are photos of the Lafayette, Switzerland, and the General Sterling Price.

Source: http://www.scattercreek.com/~normw/lafayette.jpg

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_Ram_Switzerland_%281854%29_nh55829.jpg

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USSSterlingPrice.jpg

As shown in the official record the companies of the 101st Ill. Inf. remained with the Ram Fleet, Mississippi Squadron until June 1863. There were other "marine" operations the fleet engaged in, which can be read about on numerous Internet sites. Here are links to the main Vicksburg Campaign article at Wikipedia, the Vicksburg National Military Park website, and a few Civil War history sites as indicated below:

Wikipedia:
USS Lafayette

USS Switzerland

USS General Sterling Price

United States Ram Fleet

Currier and Ives Lithograph of the fleet running past Vicksburg

Other Websites
A digital issue of Harper's Weekly April 18, 1863 with an article about the Vicksburg battle

Norm Witherbee's Web Page about Morgan County, Ill. Civil War Soldiers

Civil War Reminiscences of Daniel F. Kemp

Shotgun's Home of the American Civil War - Vicksburg

It was some months after this event that Alexander took ill and was discharged. In July 1863 he was transferred to Company A, then was transferred to a Union hospital in New Albany, Ind. in Sept. By December 1863 Alexander was medically discharged and returned home to Waverly, Ill. He was deemed too unfit to serve in the Union Invalid Corps. These were soldiers who were wounded too severely or too ill to fight, but could work at jobs in logistics, administration, or medicine. This freed up healthy men to fight. I imagine it had to be bittersweet for Alexander to be declared unfit to continue to serve his country, but he was allowed to return home, a dream that too many soldiers would never realize.

Bertha Whitlock 1883-1949

Today (March 10) is the birthday of Bertha Whitlock, the only daughter of Alexander and Mary Whitlock. She was was born in 1883 in Waverly, no doubt at the family farm, and she also was the youngest child. Here is a photograph of her and her parents:

Bertha never married, though I think she was in love once and was perhaps left broken-hearted by her fiance. She was very dedicated to her parents and took care of them until their deaths.

The caption on the back of this photo identifies Bertha and supposedly her brother, James Oscar. However, there is some family lore about some fellow named Walter Reed (or Read) that Bertha was sweet on. The man in the photo could very well be James, but there are certain differences in the eyes and ears of the man in this photograph that look somewhat different from James. This is certainly something to speculate on. For some reason she never married and Bertha dedicated her life to teaching the children of Morgan County.

The images below are all related to her teaching career. There are several pages of handwritten notes that indicate the years she taught and where. Her career spanned from 1905 to 1940, plus she lists school year 1946-47 as teaching at Hurricane Neck. The images immediately below this text were written by Bertha--doesn't she have beautiful penmanship? She lists the years she taught, where, and how much she was paid.

Apparently Bertha primarily taught first and second grade. Uncle Randy Austiff remembers being taught by her at Hurricane Neck school.Here are several images of documents related to her teaching.

Bertha died in 1949 and was buried in the same plot in Franklin (Ill.) Cemetery as her parents and her brother James. Aunt Sharon (Whitlock) Toler has a beautiful hand-tinted portrait of Bertha hanging in her living room for all the family to see (a photo of this portrait is below).
I would like to think that Bertha was a source of inspiration for family members who became teachers--Aunt Kay Austiff, my sister Cindy, cousin Natalie, and soon my daughter Kaitlyn. If I could travel back in time Bertha is one of those ancestors I would love to talk with and learn her life story. I think she is a fascinating woman.

John Whitlock 1844-1922

John W. Whitlock was the third son of Johnson and Rebecca Whitlock. According to his obituary he was born on July, 4, 1844 in Fall Branch, Tenn.; however, his headstone states he was born in 1843. The family moved to Morgan County, Ill. in 1850 and settled west of Waverly. In 1862 he joined the 13th Illinois Cavalry with his brother, Amasa (aka Macey). Both he and Macey were mustered in at Camp Douglas, Ill. in Chicago. Although John initially was sick, he recovered and went on to serve the full three years of his enlistment. Here is a photo of John presumably taken around the time of his service, as well as image from his official records that contains his description.

During his term of service the 13th Ill. Cavalry saw extensive service in Missouri and Arkansas. There were three major engagements the regiment was involved in--Prairie D'Ane, Bayou Fourche, and Jenkins' Mill (click on the link to go to the National Park Service website for the battle summary). During this time John served as a cook, either for a company or the regiment. One interesting incident listed on his records is that in early 1864 he was charged $2.35 for lost "Ordnance and Ordnance Stores." Presumably he lost something list a pistol and ammunition. In January 1865 he was discharged upon completion of his three years of service. He presumably was paid the $100 bounty he was promised at that time.

After the war he returned to Morgan County and farmed. On January 9, 1868 he married Martha G. Wood in Sangamon County (according to the Illinois State Marriage Database). Martha died in 1914 and John died in 1922. They are buried together in Franklin, Ill. cemetery. Here is a photo of their headstone.

Apparently John and Martha had no children, or at least none survived them. None are listed on John's obituary and there are no other family records that state they had children.

According to John's obituary which was printed in the Feb. 16, 1922 Franklin Times he had moved to Franklin in 1895 and had been in poor health for the last nine years of his life. The obituary incorrectly lists his service with the 101st Ill. Infantry. This is probably attributable to the fact there was a John Whitlock who served in that regiment (John's brother and my great-great-grandfather Alexander served in that regiment).

The history of the 13th Ill. Cavalry is recounted here in the Illinois Adjutant General's Report. If anyone is interested you can download a free history of all the Illinois military units that served in the Civil War. Click here to download this pdf.

The Thirteenth Cavalry was organized at Camp Douglas, Illinois, in December 1861, by Colonel J.W. Bell.

Moved to Benton Barracks, Missouri, where the Regiment was armed and equipped. Moved for the field, in February 1862. Was on duty in southeast Missouri until June 1, 1862, when it joined General Curtis' army, at Jacksonport, Ark. Moved, with General Curtis through Arkansas, taking part in the skirmishes of the campaign, to Helena, Ark. Returned, with General Curtis, to Missouri, in the fall of 1862, and was engaged with General Davidson in the campaign of southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas, driving Marmaduke and his command from the State.

In July 1863, the Regiment moved, with General Davidson's Cavalry Division, into Arkansas, taking part in the battles of Brownsville, August 24 and 25; Bayou Metre, 27th and 28th; Austin, August 31; and again at Bayou Metre, September 4. The Thirteenth was the first Regiment to enter Little Rock, on its capture, September 10, 1863, and was engaged in the pursuit of Price, to Red River.

In the spring of 1864, the Regiment accompanied General Steele in the expedition to Camden, taking prominent parts in the actions at Arkadelphia, Okolona, Little Missouri River, Prairie du Anne, Camden and Jenken's Ferry, during the month of April. After returning to Little Rock, the Regiment was engaged in many raids and scouts, and in skirmishing with the forces of Shelby and Marmaduke, defeating them at Clarendon and Pine Bluff. In the summer of 1864, the Regiment was stationed at Pine Bluff, in Colonel Clayton's Brigade, and engaged in scouting and picketing.

On January 25, 1865, the Cavalry Division having been discontinued, the Regiment was assigned to duty at the post of Pine Bluff. In April, detachments of the Regiment were sent to take possession of Monticello, Camden and Washington, leaving Headquarters at Pine Bluff. Mustered out August 31, 1865, and received final pay and discharge at Springfield, Ill., Sept. 13, 1865.

List of battles and skirmishes in which the Thirteenth Cavalry was engaged:

Pitman's Ferry, Ark., July 20, 1862; Cotton Plant, Ark., July 25, 1862; Union City, Mo., August 22, 1862; Camp Pillow, Mo., August 29, 1862; Bloomfield, Mo., September 13, 1862; Van Buren, Mo., December 21, 1862; Allen, Mo., January 17, 1863; Eleven Point River, Mo., March 26, 1863; Jackson, Mo., April 22, 1863; White River, Mo., April 23, 1863; Bloomfield (2d), Mo., April 24, 1863; Union City and Chalk Bluff, Mo., April 25, 1863; Bushy Creek, Mo., May 31, 1863; near Helena, Ark., August 8, 1863; Grand Prairie and White River, Ark., August 16, 1863; Deadman's Lake, Ark., August 17, 1863; Brownsville, Ark., August 24 and 25, 1863; Bayou Metre, Ark., August 27 and 28, 1863; Austin, Ark., August 31, 1863; Bayou Metre (second), Ark., September 4, 1863; Little Rock, Ark., September 10, 1863; Benton, Ark., September 11, 1863; Batesville, Ark., October 22, 1863; Pine Bluff, Ark., November 28, 1863; Arkadelphia, Ark., April 2, 1864; Okolona, Ark., April 3, 1864; Little Missouri River, Ark., April 4, 1864' Prairie de Anne, Ark., April 10, 11 and 12, 1864; Camden, Ark., April 15, 1864; Jenken's Ferry, Ark., April 30, 1864; Cross Roads, Ark., September 11, 1864; Mount Elba, Ark., October 18, 1864; Douglas Landing, Ark., February 22, 1865; Monticello, Ark., March 28, 1865.

Amasa "Macey" Whitlock

The next few posts will be about the two brothers of Alexander Whitlock – Amasa and John. Both men served in the 13th Illinois Cavalry during the Civil War.

Amasa (Macy) Whitlock – born in Washington County, Tenn (probably Fall Branch), in 1841. His name comes from the Old Testament stories of David and his son Absalom (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amasa). The name apparently means “burden” in Hebrew and apparently was in use during the 19th century. He went by the nickname “Macy” as is shown by his official war records and his gravestone. Here is a photo of him, probably taken around the time he decided to enlist.


His age is listed as 21 years when he joined the 13th Illinois Cavalry on January 10, 1862 in Waverly, Ill. He joined at the same time with his younger brother, John. Both signed up for a three year enlistment. The unit was mustered into Federal service on Feb. 20, 1862 at Camp Douglas, Chicago. Camp Douglas was the site of the mustering in of many soldiers; later the camp became an infamous federal prisoner-of-war camp where thousands of Confederate soldiers died. Directly below is an image of part of his Civil War records that includes his description.

The 13th Illinois Cavalry deployed to southeast Missouri where the troops protected federal interests in this highly volatile border state. This area was important because of the presence of a railroad and an iron mine, resources that were crucial to the Union war effort. Thus the area was guarded by Union forces to keep the resources from Confederate troops. This town is near Pilot Knob, a geographical feature that was the site of a key battle in 1864. Here is a photo I took of the site in 2005. The marker is located on the grounds of a very nice state park; the tree covered hill in the background is Pilot Knob and the building is the visitor center. I will do a separate blog post about the battle and this area.


Macy became ill within a few weeks of arrival in Ironton, Missouri. In most wars the majority of deaths are due to disease, not weapons, and Macy became one of the countless casualties of microscopic bacteria. He apparently contracted typhoid fever, a disease caused the bacteria Salmonella typhi. Infection is usually brought about by poor sanitation. In modern America this disease is not a threat due to antibiotics and sanitation, but there are many areas of the world where typhoid fever is a major threat. As recently as 2004 in the Republic of the Congo an outbreak caused over 42,000 cases and 214 deaths (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoid_fever). Here is an image of the "Casualty Report" from Macey's records.


He died on April 30, 1862 at the post hospital in Ironton, Mo. His official records say his body was transported home to Waverly, Ill. by friends, where he was buried in Roger’s Cemetery. I cannot even imagine the sorrow that pervaded the Whitlock home in Waverly when the news was heard. Macy’s brother Alexander had been severely ill during his initial enlistment before being medically discharged, so to have a member of the family die so soon after joining the Union Army had to be a bitter experience.




Here are a couple of photos of Roger’s Cemetery outside of Waverly, Ill. where Macey, his parents, and many kinfolk are buried. The photo on the right is of my cousin Jay Toler pointing to the headstone of Rebecca (Wheeler) Whitlock, mother of Macey and wife of Johnson J. Whitlock (Macey’s father). The graves are thick with peonies that are no doubt beautiful when in bloom. Macey’s grave is on the left, Rebecca’s in the middle, and Johnson’s is on the right. The other photo is a close-up of Macey’s grave. Please note that the unit is listed as 13th ILL INF (for “Infantry”). It should read ILL CAV (for “Cavalry”).



































I would like to acknowledge the work and patriotism of Waverly resident and distant cousin, Shirely Aleguas, in obtaining Macey's veteran headstone and GAR marker. Shirley is an extraordinary genealogist, and she is responsible for obtaining many of the Civil War veteran headstones in Morgan County, Ill.

The next post will be about John Whitlock and his service. I will also post separate blogs of the history of the 13^th Illinois Cavalry and the Battle of Pilot Knob.

A Belated Valentine's Day Post

In honor of Valentine's Day I had intended to write about my grandparents as young people in love, but I think these photos say more about the power of love than any words can.

This photo is of my maternal grandparents during their "courting" period (Henrietta Evelyn Cochran and Orville Douglas James). Photo was probably taken somewhere around Hannibal, Mo.













This photo is of my paternal grandparents when they were "sparking" each other (Glenna Mae Seymour and Harry Lee Whitlock). Photo is probably taken in Franklin, Ill.

James Smith Born 1838 in North Carolina

I haven't posted here for a week, but will try to do better to share family history with my readers. Today's blog is about James Smith. He is a great-great grandfather on my mother's side. He served in the Union Army with Company A, 150th Indiana Infantry. He joined in February 1865, just a couple of months before the Civil War ended a Appomattox, Virg. This seems an odd time to be enlisting, but apparently there was a bounty (a bonus) available. He enlisted for a period of one year, but the unit was mustered out of federal service in August, 1865. Below is a snapshot of a page of his enlistment records I obtained from the National Archives.



The official history of the regiment reads:

150th Regiment Infantry

Organized at Indianapolis, Ind., and mustered in March 9, 1865. Left State for Harper's Ferry, W. Va., March 13. Duty at Charleston, Winchester, Stevenson's Station and Jordan's Springs, Va., until August. Mustered out August 5, 1865.

Lost during service 35 by disease.

According to other family history records his full name was James William Smith. He married Lucinda Cramer some time before his enlistment and they were apparently living in Lafayette, Ind. where he was a farmer. They eventually moved to Illinois and Missouri. His exact date of death is unknown, but he is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Hannibal, Missouri. This is a fairly old but scenic cemetery in Hannibal, overlooking the Mississippi River. As you can see from the photo below his headstone is partially buried and fairly weathered. Someday I would like to go back there and get his grave fixed. A veteran does not deserve this kind of legacy.



I really wish I knew more about the man, and that's the unfortunate thing about becoming interested in your family history when you are middle-aged. All the people who could tell you about an ancestor are deceased. So for you readers, ask about your family history when there are still people around who know something.

John Thompson James 1844 - 1913

John Thompson James is my great-grandfather on my mother’s side. He is the father of Orville and Paul, whom I wrote about in the previous post. John was a Civil War veteran. He served in the 134^th Illinois Infantry Regiment. This was a group of 100-day volunteers that was raised in Chicago in 1864. The excerpt below is from the Illinois Adjutant General's Report of Regimental and Unit Histories (Containing Reports for the Years 1861– 1866)

134th Illinois Infantry

The ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOURTH INFANTRY ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS was organized at Camp Fry, Chicago, Ill., by Colonel Waters W. McChesney, and was mustered in May 31st, 1864, for one hundred days.

Left camp June 3d, for Columbus, Ky., where it was assigned to garrison duty.

Mustered out of service October 25th,

Below is a snapshot of one page of John’s official records from his service in the Civil War. Many men decided in 1864 to volunteer for a 100 day period of service because they were concerned that a draft would be held that would make the men serve the duration of the war. This may have been John’s motivation, or perhaps he had other reasons.

After the war he lived in Hannibal, Missouri and the surrounding areas. He married Evaline Scott in 1879. He is listed in the 1890 Census of Veterans as residing in Ralls Co., Missouri, and in the Sometime in the late 1900s he and family moved to Savanna, Illinois. He apparently worked for the railroad, as did many men at that time. The family moved back to Hannibal at some point as they are listed as living on Willow Street in Mason Township. John died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and his body was transported to Savanna for burial.

The photo below is of John with his wife Evaline. The two other women are not identified on the photo but are probably their daughters Emma and Uva. According to family tradition the photo is thought to have been taken in Savanna, but it is possible it was taken in Hannibal.

In May of 2006 my mother (Shirley James Whitlock), her sister (Carolyn James Epperson), and I made a sidetrip to Savanna, Illinois to find the grave of John. Aunt Carolyn had determined that he was buried in the cemetery in Savanna, but she did not remember anyone from the family visiting John’s grave since he died in 1913. That made this kind of a special pilgrimage to honor our ancestor.

We found the grave with the help of the sexton of the cemetery and took a few moments to take the photos posted below. It was wonderful to discover so much about the life of a grandparent that lived in exciting times. He grew up when traveling by horseback was the norm and lived to see the advent of the automobile.

As mentioned in yesterday's post my grandfather Orville James was a veteran of World War I. So was his brother Paul, who was two years older than Orville. Paul served in the 342 Machine Gun Battalion of the 178th Infantry Brigade, 89th Infantry Division. He was a private.

The 89th Division was comprised mainly of Midwesterners--Missourians, Kansans, Iowans. The division was sent overseas to France in June 1918 and was involved in the St. Mihiel and Meusse-Argonne Campaigns. The famous American general, Leonard Wood, was the initial division commander and at different times during the war. According to the official history of the 89th Division, the 342nd Machine Gun Battalion primarily served a supporting role for the infantry battalions that made up the brigades. After the fighting was finished the division assumed a policing role. The 342nd MG Bn ended up in Pfalzel, Germany, near the city of Trier. When I was stationed in Germany we visited Trier a few times and it is interesting to think I may have walked some of the same streets my great-uncle did almost 75 years before me.

If you are interested in learning more about the 89th Division in World War I, here are two links:

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/89thdivision/89th-history.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/89th_Division_%28United_States%29

Above is another photo of Orville in his officer's uniform. Below is a photo of Orville and his brother Paul.

Remembering Grandpa Orville James

I never knew my maternal grandfather; he died before I was born. Even so, I feel a connection to the man because of his military service.

Orville Douglas James served in WWI as an officer. I need to write to the National Archives and obtain his official records, but from what I can tell it was his education that allowed him to obtain a commission. He never went overseas--"Over There"--as the old song says. Instead he trained the soldiers before they boarded the troop ships for France. He was in the 10th Infantry Regiment and primarily was stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind. (near Indianapolis). I'm sure he was frustrated at being left behind, but the work that trainers have done in all wars is so valuable. I'm sure there were many soldiers who thanked their lucky stars the Lieutenant James made sure they were well trained once they hit the ground in France.

Here's a picture of Orville in his khakis, puttees, and campaign hat. More to follow on Orville and his brother, Paul.