Catch Up and Odds and Ends

State of my Desk Address:


My "Re-Do" project is officially behind me now. I have started a new database in Roots Magic 4 and gone file by file of every person I have a file for and built their information based on what I physically have in hand as evidence, and everything I have is sourced and cited. I do have one file with about 5 documents to transcribe but that is it. This job took me about 6 months longer than I wanted but I am easily distracted and go through periods of leaving the family history work sit. While I do have a lot of information and dates, they are based on my mother's cousins genealogy, a woman I have mentioned many times. She did an amazing amount of work over the years but it is in book form so I have to view this information as a reference. And, there are a couple of lines I am not sure I agree with. I am forever in her debt in drawing out my interest in my 20's. I remember her visit here back then, she held me rapt with all the family stories and literally gave me the genealogy bug. She sent me home that night with a chart and a big smile on my face. Thank you, Patsy!


Now with my work separated out, now is the challenge to see how I stand up as a genealogist as I now have to tackle a lot of work needing done. I have so many lines I want to work on right now, today, immediately! I am a very impatient person. I have had some very nice people contact me about people in my tree but with my re-do project I was trying very hard not to get too sidetracked. I suppose I ought to start with the lines that people have reached out to me about. Good plan! The Cowden's and Stockton's have been neglected. My ggg-grandfather Cowden fought in the Revolutionary War on the Loyalist side. I would like to find that information. The Briggs is a brick wall. The Hensley's are a brick wall. It is assumed my Bannister Hensley is the family line that goes back to Marjorie Bruce of Scotland. I don't necessarily believe this so need to do some work to prove his parentage. My Baldwin's it is said came from Connecticut and moved down through the south to Tennessee. I have a way back Huguenot I would like to prove or disprove. The Duncan's, this line is another possible Revolutionary War soldier. This is all just my mother's paternal line, I haven't even mentioned the Scottish side of my mothers maternal side. A LOT of work to be done there. See! The list goes on and on. I love chasing the story. So now with all the podcasts I have listened to, all the classes I have been taking, webinars I have been sitting on and all the awesome Genealogists I am exposed to every day by social media and blog reading its time to get into my "zone".


Other Stuff:


Who Do You Think You Are -


Three episodes in I would like to thank NBC for cutting way back on the annoying recaps. It was almost insulting to be retold the story when back from commercial like I couldn't remember anything through the half dozen or more commercials I patiently sat through! I feel like this year they realize people are intelligent. I really liked Vanessa Williams episode. Her interest in what was going on was obvious, she wanted to learn, and it seemed she wanted to figure things out. One big thing I came away with that was a lead. My Great Grandfather, David Washington Duncan, served on the Tennessee Legislature as well and when Vanessa was shown the certificate of election, I realized that David W. might have one in the archives too so I made that a to do item in RM4.


Now, I know this will shock people but I did not know who Tim McGraw was. I am not a country music fan and I do not follow entertainment news of any kind unless the blurbs are thrust into my CNN rss feed that hits my Google Reader. Of the three episodes I liked his the least. He didn't seem invested like Vanessa and Rosie. I could see he was interested but the feeling I got was it was cool to him but not something he might do on his own, unlike the other two subjects. What I did not like about the episode came at the end. It was the Presley connection. Now that he got excited about. Again, I am not an Elvis fan, I grew up in a house were The Beatles and Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass was "it". Haha. I am passionate about my heritage and extremely proud of it. I am as proud of my Dundee, Scotland ancestors who slogged out their days in the Jute mills of the mid 1800's as I am of my lone Revolutionary War soldier and everyone in between. He was given his family history which was, to me, very interesting and exciting so when they pulled the Elvis card (for ratings?) it kind of made me say, "ugh!". It wasn't really unnecessary. When he went back to his Uncle to tell of what they found out, he sounded like that was the best part. This is just observation, I hope I don't sound too harsh. I realize they had a story to tell, I just felt the Presley on the boat connection was not needed.


Rosie O'Donnell's episode was by far the best in both seasons. She saw the work that goes into the search, she appreciated it and let everyone know throughout the episode that she appreciated the work and expertise that goes into research like this. They used a range of sources and I think going to these sources showed that this is not a quick or easy hobby or profession. Her story was interesting, she was willing to jump in and question and figure out. I feel WDYTYY is engaging the subjects more this season to be a part of the process. It was a very human story, very touching and it put her own life into a new perspective. Seeing the kind of life her family lived in the poor house in Ireland was very compelling. I have to admit that I do not know a lot about the potato famine of the time and now am intrigued to learn more about it.

 
This week I plan on jumping in on the Radio Chat that Thomas MacEntee is hosting. I subscribed to the show via iTunes and listened to the three prior shows today and wished I had been there. It was so cool listening to the voices that I see on FB and blogs that I follow! I promise not to become a rabid type fan girl! *smile*


Speaking of... a big thank you to Paula Hinkle and Thomas MacEntee for the Jamboree button on my blog.  I can't go, I can't afford to do much traveling but I would love to get to some of these major Genealogy events!  Gosh, everyone has so much fun!!  I will be there in spirit!

Enough catching up.. Until next time!


 

Burning Questions ~ I haz 'em

Below is a transcript that I found last year quite by accident and this site and all of the hard work of the site owner had opened up a brick wall for me. I have since dug in to find out more about my Edwards family. It goes slow, that big re-do project everyone is very tired of reading about and so on (this is part of the re-do project btw!!).. Grin. I do have a copy of the original document but shamelessly did not transcribe because it was already done. I ordered "Alleghany County Heritage" from The Alleghany County Historical-Genealogical Society this weekend so hoping I find a lot of information. Edwards was a prolific surname in Ashe and Alleghany Counties, North Carolina, and still is today. I would like to add these counties to my travel list. A travel list that I don't get to do much of. I am committed to burn up my vacation to Pennsic this year but plan on 2012 to be a somewhere else vacation. I wanted it to be Scotland, I won't be able to afford it by then so I will be doing some Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia travel plans. See how quick I slide off topic?

Two more books I would like to find, they have Edwards Family mentions:

History of the Davis fam. des. of John Davis, d. East Hampton, LI. By Albert H. Davis. New York, 1888.

The family of Granville H. Cox, 1822-1888, of early Ashe County, North Carolina, and Atchison County, Missouri

This document had a lot of information and one of the informants, Jane Duncan, is my great-great-great-grandmother. Within is her father, his father, their families. It was easy to source. I could attach it to a lot of places in my database!
 
However, in putting the information in RM4 and doing my sourcing, the questions started to arise. The document is created in 1892 with a witnessed post script in 1954. The deed was registered in 1925. That is a long span of time. Why such a long time.

And.. The big question.

What required my ggg-grandmother and her two sisters to give this information and why is it all posted in a deed book? I think I will have to figure out why this proceeding happened. William Edwards died in 1869, so why was this done in 1892? I don't know much about deeds and land and all that but I find it odd that this document exists. I am grateful for it, it is a great genealogical find! But I want to know the why of it all, I always do! It is probably a very simple reason.

Here is the transcript with the website credit to the real transcriber:

Alleghany County, NC, Deed Book 33, pp.524-525
 
COPY
Edwards William Descendants
State of North Carolina, Alleghany County
 
Interlineations by Transcriber

This day Sarah CHOATE and Nancy FENDER and Jane E. DUNCAN comes before me and each in one form of law makes oath. Mrs. CHOATE that she was born January 13th, 1809, Mrs. FENDER 16th of April 1815, Mrs. DUNCAN, September 4th, 1817, in North Carolina.
  
That their fathers name was William EDWARDS and was born in Orange County, North Carolina, October 15th, 1776, and that his wife's maiden name was Nancy CARTER, and that the names of his brothers and sisters were Starling EDWARDS, David EDWARDS, Elizabeth EDWARDS, who married Henry BREWER, Polly EDWARDS who married Syl or Cil BREWER, Susan EDWARDS who married Charles TOLIVER, Sally EDWARDS who married Jacob CROUSE.

That their Grandfather's name on their father's side was William EDWARDS [actually their grandfather was David EDWARDS] and that he lived in Orange County, North Carolina [true], and that he died about 1779, according to their information, and that their said grandfather came from England and settled in Virginia, prior to his coming and settling in North Carolina, and that their said grandfather had two brothers, if no more, to wit: Thomas EDWARDS and Robert EDWARDS [not true], and he their said grandfather had a sister by the name of Frankie EDWARDS, but neither one knows who she married. That their grandfather's brother Robert EDWARDS, after coming to America and staying awhile, returned to England [not true], according to the information that they received from their father, and the reports and traditions of the family, when they were little girls, and that their said grandfather married Elizabeth or Betsy MORRIS [probably true], and that he either married her in Virginia or at least she came from Virginia.

That the brothers and sisters names of affiants were Thomas EDWARDS, Nathaniel EDWARDS, David EDWARDS, Johnathan EDWARDS, Joshua EDWARDS, and the three affiants. That after the death of their said grandfather his widow then married Richard WILLIAMS and Sarah CHOAT makes oath than when she was a child or little girl she often heard the lessee of the property of Robert EDWARDS, the brother of her grandfather, speak of and that he leased it, or in some way left it, and returned to England, and soon after he thus returned to England that he died: and that the said property of said Robert EDWARDS, was in the state of New York on in the vicinity therof.

That their uncle Starling EDWARDS children were Peggy who married RIGGINS, Rhoda who married Amos HOWELL, Betsy married Henry WOODIE, Sally married Wm. WOODIE, Rachel married a LAWRENCE, Lucy married a RHOUTS or FOUTS, and that his boys names were John EDWARDS, William EDWARDS and Clisby EDWARDS.

Their uncle David's childrens names were William EDWARDS, Henry or Hal EDWARDS, Morris EDWARDS, S.O. EDWARDS, and Phoebe who married A.B. COX, Sally who married Hutch BURTON, Mahala who married Henry RICHARDSON, Betsy who married Jesse CONLEY, Thursy who married Noah WARD.
 
They do not know who the children of Elizabeth, Polly or Susan were, but the children of their aunt Sallie CROUSE, Candace who married John WOODRUFF, David CROUSE, Jacob CROUSE, John CROUSE, Charles CROUSE, William CROUSE, Sally who married Martin GAMBILL, Betsy, James ANDERS, Margaret married Lorenza ANDERS, Frankie married Richard CHEEK.
 
[Signed] Sarah CHOAT, Nancy FENDER, Jane E. DUNCAN
Attest: W.C. FIELDS, J.F. WARDEN

Sworn to before me and subscribed before me at Sparta in Alleghany County, North Carolina, this March 24th, 1892. Given under my hand and official seal of office, at office in Sparta in said County and State, this March 24th, A.D. 1892. W.E. COX, Clerk.
 
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this May 15, 1925. A.F. REEVES, Clerk Superior Court.

Filed for registration May 15, 1925. Registered May 23, 1925. L.E. EDWARDS, Register of Deeds..

[The following is written in the margin of the deed book] Correction: David EDWARDS, Sr., was the son of John EDWARDS and was a soldier in Continental Army. He married Elizabeth MORRIS. David EDWARDS, Jr., was the son of David EDWARDS, Sr. He married Elizabeth ANDREWS and settled near Zion Church. This May 20, 1954. [Signed] Geo. W. EDWARDS. Witness: Ernest E. EDWARDS, Register of Deeds.

Pasted from <http://moonzstuff.com/edwards/william1776.html>

Margaret Anderson Update

Yes, I know Duncan's, I promised you Saturday morning. I lied, Margaret is wanting my attention today and she is not taking no for an answer!
 
So, I found the document, and didn't find the document, that is helping with a time line:

-Affair with George Valentine.
-Produced daughter Elizabeth c. 1847. (illegitimate)
-Married William Nicoll 6/28/1851.
-David Nicoll born c 1852.
-I am assuming William Nicoll died between their marriage and 1855 when John Anderson was born, she is a widow on his birth registration.
-John Anderson born 1855. (illegitimate).

The document I found is the marriage record for William Nicoll and Margaret Anderson in Brechin, where she was born. Date 6/28/1851. Unfortunately I have the search and the record number but when I went to look at the record it was not the correct record. I reported it to ScotlandsPeople so hopefully I will get a hold of the actual record at some point.

Additional searches found nothing. I searched for:
 
David Nicoll's birth record.
 
William Nicoll's death record but I don't know enough about him to know if any of the search finds are him and the deaths are recorded in a book not really giving next of kin information.

Re the 1861 Census, I searched David Nicholl, David Anderson, John Anderson, John Nicoll, Margaret Nicoll, Margaret Anderson. I just can not find this census.
 

Margaret Anderson afterward Nicoll

My plans to get serious on my redo of my database were hijacked by things that were more fun. I sat down this morning to work on plugging in my Duncan's of Tennessee into my database… read, finally… to drift back to Scotland to my maternal Grandmother's line. I collect clues, put them aside and then promptly forget and then out of nowhere a switch goes off and it is like a gate at a horse race opening, I am off, on it, going to move that brick wall along and out of my way! This was one of those days. Sorry Duncan clan, Saturday morning Is for you, I promise!!
 
Margaret Anderson, I have posted about her before. Mystery, her son, my great-great-grandfather, John Anderson whose birth record says he is illegitimate. I had a message through Ancestry about a year ago from a nice gentleman that suggested we share the same Margaret Anderson and to take a look at a site he had with the information he had on her. Seriously, it has taken me almost a year to follow up? I have too many lines I am trying to work on, lol. My family history could and would be my full time job if not that I need to eat and pay rent, alas, work once again in the way of my hobbies! It's a crime I tell you! So I finally looked and then slid into ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk to poke around. The thing about Margaret is John's birth certificate. John is her third child, she states she is widowed. So is Anderson her surname or married name? Usually the Scottish records show for example: Elizabeth Dewar Anderson M.S. Spalding. I can not find John's death record which might have more clues. Without the 1911 census I can't pin point him being alive or dead and searching 30 years of John Anderson death records would be hugely expensive, the search comes up with like 94 John Andersons!

But.. I digress, a habit of mine. This information on the site was extremely helpful. The thing is, I can not find any of her event records, or couldn't. The information given to me from this site was hugely helpful. She and George Valentine had a daughter in c. 1847, Elizabeth. I found her death certificate that states her as illegitimate but her father is listed as George Valentine. Interestingly, her death certificate doesn't list her with a maiden surname but her married name, Milne, and her father is listed so I wonder what name she used growing up. I expect Anderson. I suppose I could hunt down her marriage record to kill that curiosity. I have not looked into George, I don't know if he was married or not. So Elizabeth is one of the two children before John. Being 1847 when she was born and 1855 when John was born, I am assuming Elizabeth is the first born, the second in between them I am also assuming is a girl since John has the name of Margaret's father. George Valentine was listed as Elizabeth's father, John's birth record had no father mentioned. So was George his father too? And who is the mystery man, William Cameron, stated as John's father on his marriage record? Later, she married William Nicoll. Her son David is how I found her on the 1891 census. William died before the 1871 census. Margaret was a widow on that. She had a lot of addresses and different jobs, I can not imagine she had an easy life especially when she was with men she was not married to.
 
So after tracking down her children who are not of my family line, I do have her birth and death records! I can't find a thing that has to do with her and William Nicoll. I do have her birth record. Her maiden surname IS Anderson. All this led me to her death certificate, finally. Her parents are John Anderson and Helen Gibb.
 
It is the 1861 Census I think will have the most information for me regarding the before William Nicoll period. I can not find it to save my life. Searching it in ScotlandsPeople is not working out. The 1871 Census has her a widow with David Nicoll (18) and a younger son John Nicoll (15) with her. And yikes, a second son named John?? I can't find 1881. 1891 Census she is living with David, he is a widower with 6 children, 5 boys, of course, one named John! Haha.

((Oh wow!  I was just proof reading this post and realized that second boy John is my John!  He was born in 1855.  ~One of my more duh and dense moments here for the world to see, haha.~  Now I am more confused.  David is older than John and he is a Nicoll?  Or… She and William never had children and David is the third illegitimate child but he used Nicoll whereas John kept his name Anderson, I have census' for him… gads, now I need David's birth record!  I am on the hunt again!))

 
John Anderson Birth Record:
John Anderson, (present), Male, 1855 June Third, 4h 0m A.M.
Greystone, Parish of Monikie, Forfarshire
(Illegitimate)
Margaret Anderson, Widow, Her 3rd Child, 29 years, Brechin
Margaret Anderson, her X mark, mother
John Sturrock, Witness
James Cowper Witness
1855, July 13th At Monikie
(Signed) W.M. Alexander, Registar

His Marriage Record:
1879 on the Twenty Seventh day of June at Laurel Bank, Dundee
After Banns, according to the forms of the Free Church of Scotland
(signed) John Anderson, Railway Pointsman, Bachelor; 24, Victoria Street Carnoustie
(signed) Elizabeth Spalding, Jute Winder, Spinster; 23, 24 Dallfield Walk
William Cameron, Ploughman; Margaret Anderson afterwards Nicoll
James Spalding, Yarn Bleacher (deceased); Elizabeth Spalding, M.S. Dewar (Deceased)
(signed) James Ewing, Officiating Minister
(Signed) William Lindsay Johnson, Witness; (Signed) Maria Spalding, Witness
1879 June 30 at Dundee; Dav(?) Scott, Registar

Elizabeth Anderson/Valentine Milne death:
Elizabeth Milne married to Charles Milne, General Laborer
(Illegitimate)
1909 June first 3 h 0 m A.M., 4 Stonewell Road, Dundee
F; 62 years
George Valentine, Carter (deceased)
Margaret Anderson afterwards married to William Nicoll, Ploughman (deceased)
Cancer of the liver, about 6 months, as best by James H W ? MD
(cant read name), daughter, present
1909 June 1st at Dundee
Jas Murray, Registrar

The Mother Load - Tennessee Historical Committee Civil War Questionnaire

It has taken me forever but I have -finally- transcribed a document I have had a year or two. This is part of my Re-Do project that is taking me way too long. Way too long! So I did it.. I picked up William Franklin Duncan's file to add to the new database exactly what I have as documentation. Once done with this new database project I will then compare it to all the information I "know" and don't have proof for it and I will go find it, then start on the holes! Phew. I am exhausted!

Here is a lesson about letting documents sit too long without transcribing. Can we say missing out on a lot of information??

   

George Washington Duncan and Jane Elizabeth Edwards will be fun to sort out. Looking at dates, he could have been in the Mexican War if I have his birth date right, abt 1820. The death information I have for him from the book "North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865, A Roster" compiled by Weymouth T. Jordan, Jr. has him listed dying at 29 years old during the Civil War. And, truthfully, do you know how many George Washington Duncan's there are? The North Carolina State Archives sent me this tidbit photocopy of George's death when I was tracking down Jane Edwards Duncan pension claim.

   

This is a very long post, my apologies….

 

State of Tennessee

Tennessee Historical Committee

Department of Libraries, Archives and History

John Trotwood Moore, Director

   

NOTE – Should this Questionnaire fall into the hands of one who is not a Veteran of the Civil War, or who did not live during those days, you will confer a favor on this Department by giving it to some Solider who has not received a copy, or return to us.

   

The chief purpose of the following questions is to bring out facts that will be of service in writing a true history of the Old South. Such a history has not been written. By answering these questions you will make a valuable contribution to the history of your State.

In case the space following any question is not sufficient for your answer, you may write your answer on a separate piece of paper. But when this is done, be sure to put the number of the question on the paper on which the answer is written, and number the pages on the paper on which you write your answer.

Read all questions before you answer any of them. After answering the questions here given, if you desire to make additional statements, I would be glad for you to add just as much as you desire.

• State your full name and present post office address: William Franklin Duncan, Tasso Tennessee.
  
• State your age now: I am Eighty years and four months old.
  
• In what State and county were you born? In Ashe now Alleghany County, North Carolina.
  
• Were you a Confederate or Federal soldier? Federal Soldier, Civil War.
  
• Name of your Company? M? 4^th Tenn Cav (B) Number of Regiment? 4^th Regiment Tennessee Cavalry Volunteers. I was credited to Washington County Tennessee.
  
• What was the occupation of your father? Farmer
  
• Give full name of your father: George Washington Duncan Born at Sparta in the County of Ashe now Alleghany State of North Carolina. He lived at in Ashe County, NC and Washington County, Tennessee. Give also any particulars concerning him, as official position, ware services, etc., books written by, etc. He was a farmer and ex Mexican Volunteer Soldier.
  
• Maiden name in full your mother. Jane Elizabeth Edwards. She was the daughter of William Edwards and his wife Nancey Edwards. Who lived at Near Gap Civil, Ashe County, North Carolina.
  
• Remarks on ancestry. Give here any and all facts possible in reference to your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., not included in the foregoing, as were they lived, offices held, Revolutionery or other war services; what country the family came from to America; first settled, county and State; always giving full names (if possible), and never referring to an ancestor simply as such without giving the name. It is desirable to include every fact possible, and to that end the full and exact record from old Bibles should be appended on separate sheets of this size, thus preserving the facts from loss: (answer) John Duncan great grandfather a soldier of Revolutionary War 1776. John Duncan Grandfather soldier of 1812. George W Duncan father volunteer Mexican War. William Edwards great grandfather an Englishman first settled in New York. William Edwards grand father first settled in Penn and then in N.C. Nancy Edwards and Duncan was from Ireland.
  
• If you owned land or other property at the opening of the war, state what kind of property you owned, and state the value of your property as near as you can: Father owned a farm.
  
• Did you or your parents own slaves? If so, how many? No, did not own slaves.
  
• If your parents owned land, state about how many acres: About 100 acres.
  
• State as near as you can the value of all the property owned by your parents, including land when the war opened: About 100 acres worth $500.00.
  
• What kind of house did your parents occupy. State whether it was a log house or frame house or (can't read)…the number of rooms it had. (Can't read) Country Log House.
  
• As a boy and young man, state what kind of work you did. If you worked on a farm.. (copy blacked out): As a boy I worked on the farm… public and private school… (copy blacked out)
  
• State clearly what kind of work your father did, and what the duties of your mother were. State all kinds of work done in the house as well as you can remember, that is, cooking, spinning, weaving, etc.: Father George W Duncan was a farmer, owned land and mill worked on the farm and run the mill at times. Mother done house work cooking spinning and weaving making our wearing apparel.
  
• Did your parents keep any servants? If so, how many? No slaves, only domestic white girls.
  
• How was honest toil – as plowing, hauling and other sorts of honest work of this class – regarded in your community? Was such work considered respectable and honorable? Yes respectable by every body.
  
• Did the white men of your community generally engage in such work? Yes.
  
• To what extent were there white men in your community leading lives of idleness and having others do their work for them? No idleness was not tolerated.
  
• Did the men who owned slaves mingle freely with those who did not own slaves, or did slaveholders in any way show by their actions that they felt themselves better than respectable, honorable men who did not own slaves? In verriable did associate together as friend and citizens.
  
• At the churches, at the schools, at public gatherings in general, did slave-holders and non-slave-holders mingle on a footing of equality? In verriable so without (can't read) up to 1860.
  
• Was there a friendly feeling between slave-holders and non-slave-holders in your community, or where they antagonistic to each other? Naborly and friends up 1860.
  
• In a political contest in which one candidate owned slaves and the other did not, did the fact that one candidate owned slaves help hire in any winning the contest? I think not.
  
• Were the opportunities good in your community for a poor young man, honest and industrious, to save up enough to buy a small farm or go in business for himself? It was and enough (can't read) person takin advantage of the opportunity.
  
• Were poor, honest, industrious young men, who were ambitious to make something out of themselves, encouraged or discouraged by slaveholders? Every body was encouraged to work and be honest.
  
• What kind of school or schools did you attend? Public schools 3 to 5 months and private schools after public schools expired.
  
• About how long did you go to school altogether? More or less each year to 1860.
  
• How far was it to the nearest school? Four to Five miles.
  
• What school or schools were in operation in your neighborhood? Public and private subscription schools.
  
• Was the school in your community private or public? Public and private.
  
• About how many months in the year did it run? Three to five… months.
  
• Did the boys and girls in your community attend school pretty regularly? They did
  
• Was the teacher of the school you attended a man or woman? Men.
  
• In what year and month and at what place did you enlist in the service of Confederacy or of the Federal Government? I William F Duncan was enlisted for Company M. 4^th Regt Tenn Cavalry United States Army May 6^th 1864 and Credited to Washington County Tenn. I was offered $750.00 to be credited to New York City as substitute for New York.
  
• After enlistment, where was your Company sent first? To Nashville Tennessess to Camp Catleft(?).
  
• How long after enlistment before your Company engaged in battle? Stoneman Raid into Georgia in June or July 1864. Sherman Campaign.
  
• What was the first battle you engaged in? I was on Detached service at a block house guarding a R R Bridge near Decatur Ala. Until Battle of the Gulphen(?) (?) and capture of the 3^rd Tenn Cav
  
• State in your own way your experience in the War from this time on to its close. State where you went after the first battle – what you did, what other battles you engaged in, how long they lasted, what the results were; state how you lived in camp, how you were clothed, how you slept what you had to eat, how you were exposed to cold, hunger and disease. If you were in hospital or in prison, state your experience here.: While on Detached service sergeant in charge of 100 one hundred men having to occupy to Block House contracted fever and bowel trouble and was in a rail road and injured treated in hospital at Nashville Tennessee and AL Jeffersonville Ind(?)
  
• When and where were you discharged? July 12^th 1865 at Nashville Tennessee
  
• Tell something of your trip home: I landed at home in Jonesboro Washington County Tennessee in July 1865.
  
• What kind of work did you take up when you came back home? Work on the farm (?) corn for a nabor for one peck of corn per day.
  
• Give a sketch of your life since the close of Civil War, stating what kind of business you have engaged in, where you have lived, your church relations, etc. If yo have held any office or offices, state what it was. You may state here any other facts connected with your life and experience which has not been brought out by questions.: I began work on the farm farming merch clerking in a county store in Washington County Tennessee I have lived in Bradley County Tennessee 40 years was Census Enumerator in 1890, 1990 and 1910 Justice of the Peace Member of County Court(?) Notary Public for years Depot and express Agent seven years Pension agent or Attorney. Clerk in store and assist Post Master at Tasso Bradley County Tennessee for last ten years up to the present time. A Master Mason Chatatta Lodge F&H M(?wondering if this means Free Mason, David W, his son, and John Foster Duncan, his grandson, were Masons as well -- transcribers comment). Member of the Christian Church,
  
• On a separate sheet give the names of great men you have known or met in your time, and tell some of the circumstances or meeting or incidents in their lives. Also add any further personal reminiscences. (Use all the space you want.): (2 attached sheets but had to do with both of his wives, not this question.)
  
• (can't read this question but it is about the Roster of his company and when people died. I will try to transcribe at another time, there is a lot of black copy to try to read through).
  
• Give here the NAME and POST OFFICE ADDRESS of living Veterans of the Civil War, whether members of your Company of not; whether Tennesseans or from other States: (In this space William writes.. Isn't it fabulous!?) I, William F Duncan Co M 4^th Regt Tennessee Cavalry that is living that I know any thing of at present time. When I left Hospital I was sent to Vicksburg Miss and to New Orleans La there to Fort Barrancus Florida thru to Mobile Ala then marched by (?) to Baton Rouge La then to Nashville Tennessee by boat. Excuse me for taken up so much time, yours very truly, Wm F Duncan, Tasso Tennessee. My own hand writing, age 80 years old.
  

 Attached Sheet 1:

   

Honorable John Trotwood Moore

Director Nashville Tenn

   

1,1 1923 Dear Sir

In reply to yours of (?) date I give you further history of myself after the Civil War. I was 1st Lieut of Co E 2nd Regt NC State Troops and (?) of the Regt and was elected Lieut Colonel of same. I married Martha Jane Hensley Sept 28th, 1865. She was mother of one sone David Washington Duncan borned March 24th 1867. He was a member of lower house of Tennessee Legislature. He was killed by Rail Road train near Cleveland Tennessee March 24th 1922. On his birthday on a crossing. He was stock inspector for Tennessee appointed by Capt Peck and Governor A A Taylor. I am yours truly,

William F Duncan

Tasso Tennessee

 

Attached Sheet 2:

   

Honorable John Trotwood Moore

Nashville Tennessee

   

1, 1 1923 Dear Sir,

   

On March the 12th 1871 I was married to Malissa Christina Briggs she was the mother of Martha E Duncan borned 8, 13 1873 now living John Thomas Duncan born January 21 1877 living William L Duncan 1, 17, 1879 living Marvin D Duncan 11, 22, 1881 died 7, 6, 1902 Isham F Duncan 1, 1, 1884 living. Oscar L Duncan 2, 16, 1886 died at Donelson Tenn 3, 31, 1921 Fredric R Duncan April 8, 1889 died 6, 8, 1890 Evan P Duncan 2, 12, 1892 now living.

 

My wife Malissa Christina Duncan died Nov. 5 1921. Member of the Christian Church

I am yours William F Duncan

Tasso Tennessee

  

Neglect and Paying it Forward - Find a Grave

I have taken a few months off of research. Yet again. What was a couple of weeks has turned into quite a while but I tend to do that with everything I do. I knit like a fiend for a couple of weeks, spin like a fiend for a couple of weeks, research like a fiend for a couple of weeks, rinse and repeat. At one point I thought I should give up a hobby to balance myself out but I have come to accept my "cycle of life".
 
With that comes some guilt. I have gotten some leads from some very nice people. Emails and posts on Ancestry boards and one on this blog even! Blogging, people! If you are not a blogger, you should be. I had no idea what or why I wanted to do a blog but you know, I don't have anything important to say and I am not a teaching type blogger but I have gotten some very significant leads on my research from those Googling my ancestors! And there have been a few inquiries on my Duncan surname and ugh, I feel so bad because last week I wanted to sit at my spinning wheel, not here. One gentleman I let know I haven't been working on my research and was taking a short break, I can just imagine him scratching his head and looking at his other half and saying, "Whatta mean she is taking a break?" Do researchers do that? It boggles the mind.
 
I will say it is the research community on blogs and Facebook that keep me inspired and chomping at the bit to get back at it. I see some very productive people on my Facebook feed and many times sigh and say, "Gosh, come on Lighthouse, let's get moving here already!" Please don't look at my feed, it is all Frontierville. (Hangs her head in shame.)
 
To, my redo project is stalling me. I have posted on this project before. Brand new data base, the only thing going into this database is what I -actually- have as documentable proof in the new data base. I have gotten to the heavy material files and there came the …. Errrch… stall, let's go do something else mode. If I could train myself to even do a half hour a day when I get home from work to get these documents into RM4 and sourced, I would be so much farther ahead. Do I hear a New Year's theme coming? 2011 is going to be "Lets improve a little bit of everything", not a resolution but lifestyle enhancement. I really think I need to clean up the old information before I go for new information so… that is my plan even if it is taking months longer than I expected or allowed myself. I am very distracted by shiny. I need supervision.
 
All is not lost to the research community, however. For the time not spent at this desk researching, and or goofing off online, I have been running about my county as a Find a Grave volunteer. I can't tell you how much joy and pleasure I get from doing this. It is something I do with my 20 year old daughter, she enjoys it just as much and she is very good at finding the headstones we are looking for. I am sure she finds them more than I do. Her friends think I am "cool" because I hang out at cemeteries. College kids think I am cool!! It is good quality time with her and we have fun. We have stories that make us laugh and some day she will look back on these days and remember, and smile, while maybe, just maybe, doing this with her future daughter. And, it is good therapy, when I step into a cemetery on the hunt, the world goes away and family stress can be forgotten for a little while. The holidays this year is turning out to be very difficult so there has been a lot of Find a Graving!

For those of you that might be thinking about doing Find a Grave picture requests, you should! It is fun and a wonderful way to pay it forward. I have had some very nice people collect headstone pictures for me in Tennessee, only one of my original eight requests is still there unfulfilled and you learn the cemeteries in your area.
 
Yesterday we went to a very small cemetery that is no longer taken care of. I couldn't find the stone that was requested and I will report to the requester what I found. It saddened me that a cemetery could be so overgrown and neglected it. It is right behind a house, in some trees and very overgrown with thorn bushes, it is a mess and it shouldn't be that way. The majority of the stones are broken, laying in pieces or no longer readable.

So now after my word purge, I am going to work on the Briggs a bit I think! Woot for research!
 
Current leads:

Delothe "Dolly" Briggs may be the daughter of Frederick Briggs hung in 1789 in Virginia for horse thievery. It could be, I have her birth figured to be about 1785. I have her 1860 census saying she is 75 and her 1870 census were it looks like it says she is 80 so one or the other census is incorrect. I am still looking for more censuses. I have guessed she died in 1885 (per information of another family researcher in my family) but have not found her on the 1880 census as yet. She has been a mystery ancestor of mine and I wish I could have known her. Never married and with 5 children I think it is without looking at my records. How did a woman in the early 1800's not marry like that and what was her life like. I am dying to know.

Elizabeth "Betsey" Stockton. A very nice man from the Stockton family has contacted me with some valuable information. I had a bit of the information but no documentation. This documents my line, always a good thing; she is of the Stockton family of Virginia. They were very wealthy in their time.

And the Duncan clan. I have been contacted by other Duncan researchers also descended from my John Duncan to George Washington Duncan of North Carolina line. There is a reunion every year for ancestors of John Duncan; he had a lot of wives during his time. I have asked my sister to think about it and I think we may plan a trip to NC in 2011 for this reunion, which means, I better get some more work done on this line so I can walk into this reunion sounding like I know what I am doing when it comes to my Duncan's!! :)

Happy Holiday's to you and yours, whatever your Holiday of choice may be!!

Some pictures of that cemetery I mentioned above, Benham Cemetery, Ontario County NY:

 

Marriage - William W Baldwin & Elizabeth "Betsey" Luttrell

This was sent to me from Knox County in 1983. The paper it was printed on faded badly over the years so I photo copied on the darkest settings. I will just reorder at some point but I wanted to put it in a post. I have never seen a marriage record like this.

State of Tennessee
County of Knox

Know all men by these Presents, That we William Baldwin and
Elijah Harris
all of the county and state aforesaid, our heirs, &c, are jointly and severally held
and firmly bound unto His Excellency the Governor, and his Successors in Office,
in the Penal sum of Twelve Hundred and Fifty Dollars, void on condition there be
no lawful objection why William Baldwin and
Betsey Luttrell may not be joined together
as man and wife in the holy estate of Matrimony.

Witness our hands and seals, this 25th day of March 1809.

(signed) William Baldwin
(signed) Elijah Harris

----------

State of Tennessee
Knox County

To any Regular MINISTER of the Gospel, have the cure of Souls, or JUS-
TICE of the PEACE for said County, GREETING:

By the virtue of the full power and authority in me vested, I hereby authorise and
empower you, or either of you, to celebrate and perform the rites of Matrimony
between William Baldwin and Betsey
Luttrell and join them together as man and wife in the holy
estate of Matrimony, he having given bond and security as the Law directs.

Given at Office, the 25th day of march in the
Year of our Lord, 1809 and in the XXXIII Year of our Independence

(signed) can't read