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.

Here are a couple of photos of Alexander. The top photo is Alexander as a young man--the original photo is a tin-type. The bottom photo is of Alexander, Mary, and their daughter Bertha.

Alexander Whitlock

My great-great-grandfather Alexander Whitlock was born in 1840 in Fall Branch, Tenn. In 1850 he and his family traveled by covered wagon to Morgan County, Ill. His father, Johnson J. Whitlock, bought a small farm near the town of Waverly where the family tilled the soil. In 1861 Alexander enlisted in the 14th Illinois Infantry (Volunteer). Unfortunately he became ill and was medically discharged some months later. It should be noted that many of the enlistees of both sides of the Civil War became sick after joining--the isolated life they lived on farms did not allow any sort of exposure to common illness, so these young men basically did not have a strong immune system with which to ward off sickness.

When Alexander regained his health he reenlisted in the Union Army, this time with the 101st Illinois Infantry (Volunteer). He served until spring 1863, participating in the campaign to capture Vicksburg, Miss. Alexander again became ill and was medically discharged a second and final time. He returned home to Waverly and married the girl next door--a 14-year old by the name of Mary Catherine Bowyer.

Mary's father, James E. Bowyer, served in the same company in the 101st as Alexander did. Both apparently served on the ram, Lafayette. James was killed at the Battle of Dallas, Georgia (also called New Hope Church) on May 25, 1864. This battle was part of the offensive to sieze Atlanta and the South. James was buried on site. Interestingly, his company commander, William Seymour, was my great-great grandfather Robert Seymour's brother. I know this because in James' official war record it shows Seymour's signature on the death certificate.

More on Alexander later.

First Post

Genealogy is fascinating and I want to share all the incredible information I have uncovered while researching my roots. The information I present here will cover the gamut from ancient history to contemporary events. I may present a tidbit about one of my ancestors, one of my beloved wife's family, a blurb about a specific day in history or historical era. I may post some information about my life in the sleepy college town of Laramie, Wyoming, a link to an interesting website, a rant about something in the news. I'll do my best to share the good stuff about music, books, TV, and movies. Check back or subscribe via RSS to see what I have to say about something.