Andrew Baker, Born about1720 , Dead by 1779 in Rowan County, North Carolina.

There are many Andrew Bakers in colonial America - not all the same of course and not all kin to each other. The Andrew Baker who is my ancestor is primarily found in the remote areas of North Carolina, in the early years - 1750's - 1770's. There are no records that conveniently detail his beginnings, his birth or parents, and no record that names a wife until what was surely in his later years. So little is actually documented about this man that I have long hesitated to add my research. Apparently when there is little found in records, the door is wide open to idle speculations and wishful thinking - and even placing persons in very wrong families when there is nothing to suggest the belong there. FamilySearch family trees are rapidly becoming full of the same undocumented and wildly speculated "trees" that exist on other websites. The records of this Andrew and his children have been completely taken over by those who have no understanding of the meaning of "genealogy research" and certainly have never heard of the Genealogial Prove Standard and have no intention of finding out what that might be. They would rather have the pat and inaccuate "facts" found on paid websites and places such as FindAGrave which are often completely and utterly just wrong.

Groups of descendants have collaborated in the past (15-10 years ago), emphasizing and using only actual records with a few references to tradition thrown in. I have been part of two of these groups - it was a privilege. I will copy here the scant records of Andrew and a few others naming possible kin. Unfortunately most of these offer no definite proof of family - only circumstances of probable age and location.

Although Andrew Baker is often seen with a wife named Molly Bolling, it seems unlikely.  Neither the Baker nor Bolling families have found any proof of such a relationship - or any daughter about the age that married any Baker.  Given that Andrew apparently named a son Bolling, it is not impossible there is some connection. There is no record naming a wife as Mary - in the only records which suggest a wife - she is Susannah. Of course, he could have married more than once but the fact remains no record has been found.

Some have tried to connect Andrew back to Pennsylvania Bakers but there is absolutely no actual record that would connect him to Pennsylvania in anyway.  Some of the families into which he has been placed have no records of any son named Andrew. There was gunmaker, Robert Baker in Pennsylvania and obviously many wanted to claim this man but his record indicate he left only one son who was not named Andrew.  This would seem to be a wild assumption with no basis in fact.

Find A Grave Memorial #94568112, has a Mary Agnes "Molly" Bolling, b. 1702 Prince George Co, VA, d. 1776, Culpeper Co, burial unknown.  I would further suggest that SHE is unknown.  Certainly this Andrew Baker has no record of being in Culpeper Co, VA.   Middle names were rare in this era AND it is highly doubtful that a wife of Andrew was born that early (she was probably 20 years younger!)  The FindAGrave Memorial for Andrew as "Andrew William Baker" is so divergent from actual records, it appears to be an entirely different man.  There is a deed in 1768 in Rowan County, North Carolina, when Susannah, wife of Andrew Baker released her dower rights.  This was not "Molly"!

Andrew Baker's parentage is impossible to determine from the scant records in this time periord - some researchers show his father as a James Baker, others the above mentioned Robert Baker, and even a Richard Baker. It has been my experience that when multiple parents are claimed, NONE ar actually proved!  What is significant is that several proposed descendants of the likely sons of Andrew Baker -  the Rev. Andrew Baker, John "Renta" Baker, Bolling Baker, Rev. Robert Baker, George Baker, and Morris Baker all have matching Y-DNA.  A proposed son James as so far had no known descendant who has been tested. Any daughters are traditional and not proved. A Martha Baker did marry a Bolling in Wilkes Co, NC so is quite possibly a daughter. And an Eleanor Baker married Jesse Ray, also in Wilkes Co - at a time when some of Andrew's sons are living there.

Some of the following are records of an Andrew Baker, found by collaboration with other Baker researchers.  References to source data were included.  Andrew is thought to have been in the North Carolina back country before 1763 when time many of the settlers moved into the Moravian settlement at Salem, NC because of Indian activity. [Actually he may have been there as early as 1751]  Most of the settlers returned to their lands on the New River.

"The Granville District of North Carolina," Hofmann
14 Jun 1751   Andrew Baker was one of the Chain Carriers for a survey of the plat of Marmaduke Kimbrough, 600 acres, Orange Co NC.  Granted 2 Nov 1752. The plat names a line in Bladen Co.
19 Jun 1751   Andrew again served as a Chain Carrier to survey 632 acres in Rowan Co for James Carter.  Granted 1 May 1753.   The Plat mentions land in Bladen Co, surveyed for Andrew Baker.

NOTE;  in 1751, Granville District was not yet a county and basically had no actual Western border - quite a large and undertermined territory.  Anson county lay somewhere to the west and south of Granville, and was an even larger area encompassing most of the rest of western North Carolina. Bladen county as to the south of Granville with no boundary yet drawn between the two and just to the east of Anson.  By 1753, two years later, Orange County had been formed on the West side of Granville between Granville and Anson, making Granville a much smaller county, and Rowan was formed from the western edge of Orange and from Anson. Bladen now just south of Orange County. These country boundaries were vague and unmarked. So it makes reasonable that a man found in Granville would later appear to be in Rowan County and could also have records in Orange County, or Bladen County. Not until 1777 would Wilkes Co, North Carolina, exist in name, but it was part of the old Granville District - some of Andrew's probable children were there.

"North Carolina Surviving Land Warrants and Surveys 1735-1749 and Surviving Land Entries 1743-1761"
Entries in Earl of Granville's District.
#1282, David Straham, 7 Nov 1751, 640 acres on the south side of S. Alamance above a mile above Andrew Bakers upper line
#6446   Andrew Baker Warrant dated 1 May 1757 to William Churton to survey 640 acres, Orange Co.  Assigned to Timothy Shaw, living on the land survey'd 31 Jan 1761
#6043   Andrew Baker Warrant dated 16 May 1757 to Wm Churton to survey 640 acres in Orange Co, south side Nuese River ...including Baker's own plantation.  Assigned to Nathaniel Kimbrough, grant 25 Jul 1760

"Rowan Co Deed Abstracts" Vol II, 1762-1772
4 Mar 1763  Rowan Co NC Deed.  Elisha Lawrence late of Rowan Co to Andrew Baker, 450 acres on Grassy Bottom Creek granted by Granville, 25 Dec 1761 11 Mar 1768.   Andrew Baker and wife Susannah sell to James Sheppard for 140#'s, 450 acres on Grassy Bottom Creek.

This record suggests that Andrew has passed, the widow living on her dower; the son John Baker surveying land next to Susanna, perhaps his inheritance. Dec 1779   Entry for Claims, Wilkes Co.   Survey for John Baker a tract containing 200 acres lying and being in the county lying on the South Fork of the New River, beginning at the mouth of Rones Creek, running down the river to Bakers Line.  Running up the creek including the imprt.(improvement) that Susanna Baker now lives on.  

A Yahoo Mailgroup (now abandoned) made up of dedicated researchers of this Baker lineages and accepted information only from actual documents presented the following:

From the AndrewBakerResearch Yahoo mailgroup:  #1545, 25 May 2016
The following is a somewhat sketchy and be no means complete timeline of our Andrew note that 1711 may or may not be our Andrew [ he refers to Rev. Andrew, jr. but many of the records are obviously  older persons so I've included those references here.]
[These earliest records are possible ancestors of Andrew assuming he was first in Virginia since the majority of persons later found to the west in North Carolina had come down from Virginia.  However. they offer no proof of relationship.]

1711 Wills of Richmond County VA Fookes Jones will witnessed by Andrew Baker and John Gilbert
If this is him why have we not found him anywhere else until 1750??  [Obviously not likely the same Andrew who had a deed in Rowan Co, NC in 1768 if he was old enough to witness a deed in 1711)

8-20-1741 Virginia Land Patents and Grants
John Shepherd, 389 acs. Henrico Co.; adj. Robert Webb, Giles, Richard Baker and Royall; 20 Aug 1741, p. 1090. L2.
Source: Cavaliers and Pioneers, by Nell Marion Nugent.

Jan 1742/43 (83)-83 Surry County Virginia Court Records 1741-1745 Book VIII
An Indenture of Mortage to James Baker Gent. And the Memoranum at the foot of the said Mortgage Written was Proved to be the Act and Deed of the sd. James by the Oaths of the Witnesses thereto and the sd. Memorandum and Indentures were by the Court Ordered to be Recorded.

Addional records that name Andrew Baker:
"Bladen Prect/County North Carolina Surviving Land Warrants and Surveys 1735-1749 and Surviving Land Entries 1743-176", Miles S. Philbeck
#1282 David Strahan 7 Nov 1751, 640a “on the south side of S. Alamance above a mile above Andrew Bakers upper line” Entry 39.
1753 – #4453. James Carter. 1 May 1753 632 acres in Rowan Co., joining the North Bank of the South fork of Deep River. Wits: Jno Haywood, James Campbell surveyed 19 June 1751 SCC: Andrew Baker, Griffin Green, Charles Robinson Dep Survr Plat reads “Land in Bladen County; surveyed for Andrew Baker” Hofmann, The Granville District of North Carolina 1748-1763, Volume 3:50

1755 – From the book, "Orange County North Carolina Records" Volume 1 ,Granville Proprietary Deeds and Surveys.
104. November 1755 Marmaduke Kimbrough, gentleman, three shillings being at a red oak cor. Of James Russell on N. side of Buffilo Cr. N 240 p. to a white oak & a hickory, W 400 p. to first station 600 acres, twenty E 400 p. to first station, 600 acres, twenty four shillings to rent per year, surveyed by Charles Robinson, 14 June 1751, Andrew Baker and Griffen Green SCC, survey lists land in Bladen County (SSLG 94-G)
This means that this Andrew S.C.C was a Chain Carrier and possibly one of the County Surveyors, or just a neighbor Sep 1755 Orange Co., NC
John Bumpas agt. Andrew Baker: Petition. On Petition of John Bumpas against Andrew Baker Defendant for four pounds thirteen shillings and six pence Virginia Money said to be due upon Account. The same day came the Plaintiff by his Attorney and the Defendant failing to appear although duly summon’s and served with a Copy of the Plaintiffs Petition and account. The plaintiff proved his Demand to be just and true by his own Oath. Therefore it is the Oppinion of the Court that the Plaintiff recover against the Defendant his Damages aforesaid in form aforesaid and his Costs by him in tha behalf expended. Judgment L4:13:6, Clerk 1:1:11.
Source: Orange County, NC Court Minutes 1752-1761 Book 1 by Weynette Parks Haus

10 May 1757 ANDREW BAKER Warrent to WM Churton to survey 640 acres in Orange County on a Drain of Kemps Branch (which is the waters of the Neuse, joining OSBORNE JEFFRYS /s/ Jas Watson Back of document reads "To TIMOTHY SHAW Living on the Land Survey'd 31 January 1761

Andrew likely had a son James, but whether or not this is that son is doubtful given the date.
April 18, 1757 – GS Film 919, 386 Deeds New Hanover Co., NC – p. 260
To all people to whom these presents shall come, Greeting. Know ye that we, Jas. Baker, Susanna Baker, Samuel Watts, Thos. Watts, Joseph Bushel, Elizabeth and John Shepard, all of Hamton Town and Elizabeth City County in Virginia province who are all the heirs of Mr. Timothy Bloodworth, formerly of the said town, county and province above mentioned, but late of North Carolina, have in and for the consideration of ten pistoles to us in hand paid by Samuel Lewis of the aforesaid North Carolina and New Hanover County, the receipt of which we the said James Baker, Susanna Baker, Samuel Watts, Thos. Watts, Joseph Bushel, Elizabeth Bushel and John Shepherd do acknowledge for ourselves and each and every of our heirs that we are therewith fully satisfied and fully contented forever, we do therefore for ourselves and for our heirs bargain, sell, and make over firmly and absolutely forever all our right, title and interest we ever had, now have or possibly can have to the aforesaid Timothy Bloodworth’s estate…. Unto him the said Samuel Lewis and unto his heirs forever and further we do for ourselves and for our heirs forever acquit ourselves and our heirs from all ye right, title or interest we ever had now have, or possibly can have unto ye aforesaid estate of Timothy Bloodworth. Witness hereof we have set our hand and seal this 18 day of April in 1757.
Wit: Thos. Parker Samuel Watts
Peter Manson James Baker
Timothy Bloodworth Baker Susanna Baker
Thomas Watts
John Shepherd
Joseph Bushel

Elizabeth Bushel Note: Susannah Baker listed above is Susannah Bloodworth born about 1726 Elizabeth City, VA. Her parents were Timothy James Bloodworth and his wife Jane. (from Harley Bowling)
We don’t know if this James Baker is ours or not but the name James Baker with a Shepherd in NC it had to be put here for now

Sep 1758. Michael Synnot agt. Andrew Baker: Case. And the Defendant by his Attorney Comes and Defends the fource and injury when and where and saith that he did not Assume in manner and form as the Plaintiff against him hiath Declared and of this he puts himself upon the Country and the Defendant (sic) Likewise Therefore let a Jury come agreeable to act of Assembly to Recognize, et cetera. The same day came the Parties by their Attorneys whereupon came also a Jury towit: who being elected tried and sworn the truth to speak upon the issue Joined upon their oath do say that the Defendant did assume in manner and form as the Plaintiff against him hath Declared and do assess his Damages to Two pounds Seven Shillings and four pence Proclamation Money therefore it is the Opinion of the Court that the Plaintiff recover against the Defendant his Damages aforesaid in form aforesaid and his Costs by him in that behalf expended. Source: Orange County, North Carolina Court Minutes 1752-1761 Book I by Weynette Parks

Abstracts of The Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions Rowan County, North Carolina 1763-1774 Vol. II, by Jo White Linn.
4-15-1763. II:467. 15 Apr. 1763. Justices: Alexr Osburn, Jno Brandon, Wm Lynn. The following deeds of lease and release proved: Elisha Lawrance to Andrew Baker for 450 acres on Grassy Bottom Creek granted by Granville Dec. 25th 1761. 5 Mar. 1763 (5:193).

3-11-1768 Page 582 Rowan County Deeds
Andrew and Susannah Baker to James Shepherd
This indenture made the 11th day of March in the year of our Lord 1768 between Andrew Baker of Rowan County in the province of North Carolina planter and Susanna his wife of the one part and James Shepherd of the County and Providence aforesaid planter of the other part witnessth that the said Andrew Baker and Susanna his wife and in consideration of 5 pounds to then in hand whereof they do hereby acknowledge having bargained and sold it by their presence do bargain and sell unto James Shepherd all that mejsuage and kindred plantation tract or parcel of land situate lying and being in the County of Rowan aforesaid on great joy bottom Creek beginning at a West at Oak on the bank of the said Creek running thence West 180 poles to a wife of thence North 400 poles to a B.O. thence East 180 poles to a B O thence 400 poles to the beginning containing 450 acres in the whole and the reversion and reversions remainder and remainders with the rent  and profits of the premises and of every part and parcel thereof to have and to hold said mejsuage temperament plantation tract or parcel of land and all and singular other the premises herein mentioned and intended to be hereby bargained and sold with their and every of their appurtenances unto the said James Shepherd and his executors administrators and assigns for the day before the date hereof or and during the term of one whole year from thence next ensuing and fully to be completed and ended yielding and paying therefor the yearly rent one peppercorn at the feast of St. Michael the Archangel only if the same then be demanded to the intent that by the virtue of these presents and the statute for transferring uses unto possession the said James Shepherd may be in the actual possession of the premises and be enabled to accept a grant of the revision and inheritance thereof to him and his heirs and assigns in witness thereof the said Andrew Baker and Susanna his wife have each of them here to set their hand and affixed their seal the day and year above written
Figned: Andrew Baker   Seal Susannah (S) Baker Seal
signed sealed and delivered in the presence of us: Tavvut Grofs,Jacob Laesch                          

Note the above is the last record I have found of our Andrew in Rowan.   The next record places Susannah next to John Baker, likely Andrew's eldest son.

Next mention of Susannah Baker.  There is a 1779 Wilkes record for a Susannah Baker - (survey for John Baker) living on an improvement close to 1749 Andrew 1750 Morris and James on the South Fork of the New River - Entry officer of Claims for the County NC of Wilkes ...a survey for John Baker a tract of land containing two hundred acres lying and being in the County aforesaid Lying on the South Fork of the New River beginning at the mouth of Rones Creek "Running down the River to Bakers Line" Running up the creek including the imprt (improvement) that Susanna Baker now lives on for ??? Comp 2?? ... Dec. 1779.

The son John Baker was one of my 4th great-grandfathers. He will be discussed in a later Blog as will the other possible children of Andrew.

Wives and Children of Nathaniel Allen (1780-1832) Part II – Son Orin Nathaniel Allen (1812-1875)

Re: Newly discovered descendants of Orin Nathaniel Allen through autosomal DNA.

Orin Nathaniel Allen was born 20 Apr 1812, Ontario County, New York, died 26 Jun 1875, Danville (independent City), Virginia. His grave marker in Green Hill Cemetery, Danville, placed by his widow is very descriptive. The given name was most often spelled as Orrin in older records but it is Orin on his grave marker. It is possible it lists the wrong mother – see Part I. Research reveals his mother was most likely Almyra Akin, rather than Elizabeth as indicated on the grave marker.

Orin apparently had a first marriage (unrecorded as so many seem to be in New York State but likely about 1842) to Catherine, said to be Catherine Connolly or Conley, born about 1823 in Ireland. I have found no proof of her surname. On 21 July 1845, Orin married Susan Ann Freeman in Culpeper County, Virginia.

It is important to understand more about Catherine. There was a child, Orin Allen, born 7 October 1843; birth place passed down as Rochester, Monroe County, New York (adjacent Ontario County) – he will later use his stepfather’s surname as a middle name – Orin Finley Allen. Some have claimed perhaps Orin was born outside of marriage, but Catherine married, as Catherine Allen, to Michael Finley, 6 September 1850, in Boone County, Illinois where her supposed sister was living. The sister Deborah, born 1815 in Ireland, was married to a much older man – John Fitzmorris, age 52, also born in Ireland. In their household in Boone County in 1850 was a son John, age 14, born in Ireland – quite possibly a son by an earlier marriage; Jeremiah, 7, Daniel and Mary E., twins age 4, and Hannah age 1 – all born in Illinois. Michael Finley was living in a hotel in Belvedere, Boone County, in 1850. I have not found any census listing for Catherine and young Orin in 1850.

Questions arise. How did Orin Nathaniel Allen and Catherine meet and where? He was born, Allen’s Hill/Richmond, Ontario County, New York. No other actual records have surfaced until his marriage in Virginia in 1845. When had she come from Ireland? Her sister was present by 1843 since son Jeremiah was born in Illinois that year. Why is one sister in Illinois, the other apparently in New York? Who were their parents? Being Irish, it is highly likely Catherine was Catholic making divorce difficult – was she actually ever married to Orrin Nathaniel Allen and was he really the father of her son? It does make sense that Catherine, possibly newly divorced with a young son, would join her sister in Illinois, and marry again, there.

In 1850, Orin Nathaniel Allen and Susan were living in Danville, an Independent City, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, where they remained for the rest of their lives and are buried there in Green Hill Cemetery and have quite impressive monuments. He was listed as a Dentist – as he is on his grave marker – and he was age 36. Susan was there, age 26, and their daughter Rose, age 4, who will be their only child. A Margaret Freeman, age 18 was in the household – no doubt Susan’s younger sister. Also an assortment of what appears to be boarders with no occupations: Mary Rawlins, age 50 with Caroline and Virginia Rawlins, both 17; Thomas H. Grasly, age 27; Letitia Fitzpatrick, 14 and Ann L. Fitzpatrick, 11.

In 1860, Orin and Susan, and young Rose were in Pittsylvania Co with a young dentist boarding in their household.

In 1860, we find Catherine in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois. Michael Finley (unfortunately indexed as “Tinley”) was age 32, Catherine, 36. In the household was Orrin, with the same surname as his stepfather (which isn’t unusual – he will adopt Finley as a middle name but always use the surname Allen), age 16, born in New York, Daniel, 7, born in Illinois as were the rest of the children, Catherine, 4, Mary E., 3, Hannah, one month old, and Hannah Fitzmorris, age 11 (Catherine’s niece that was age 1 in 1850). Catherine and Michael Finley are found in the 1870 and 1880 censuses, in Rockford – no death records found but they are not in the 1900 census.

Of course, the 1850 census and Virginia marriage, gives no hint that Orrin Nathaniel had another wife and child. None of Catherine’s records lend themselves to the identification of the father of her son Orin Allen. However, it is true that descendants of Orin Finley Allen have family letters referring to his half-brother, Daniel Finley, reinforcing Catherine as his mother.

Orin Finley Allen enlisted in the Union Army, Civil War, from Rockford, Illinois on 7 August 1862 – Company K, the 89th Infantry. He was mustered out at Nashville, Tennessee on 10 June 1865. Index cards of Pensions show that he filed for his invalid pension on 15 September 1892 from Iowa. Wife Mary O. later filed as his widow.

He married Mary Ophelia Hendrix, 14 May 1871, Belle Plaine, Benton County, Iowa – he was living there in a hotel in 1870. He had served in a railroad unit in the War and all census records note his occupations as an engineer. The Allens continued to live out their lives in Belle Plaine, the untimely death of Orin occurred in a train accident, 26 September 1899. There were four sons – Alonzo Franklin, b. 1872, William Hendry, b. 1874, Orrin Thomas, b. 1881, Thomas James, b. 1884 – and a daughter, that was born and died 24 April 1899. 1899 was a sad year for his wife Mary – losing the baby and her husband.

Descendants of Orin Finley’s sons have puzzled over their lineage but autosomal DNA has proved that indeed Orrin Nathaniel Allen was surely the father of Orin Finley Allen. Multiple DNA matches have occurred to paper-proved descendants of Nathaniel Allen (1780-1832) through his daughter Almira (Allen) Rose, as well as going back a previous generation to descendants of siblings of that Nathaniel. My only living maternal uncle, a direct descendant of Peter Buell Allen, brother of Nathaniel, has a DNA match to one of Orrin Finley Allen’s grandsons (both gentlemen are in their 90’s in this year 2021) – their common ancestors would have to be the parents of Nathaniel (1780-1832) – Moses Allen and Chloe Ward, as there is no other possible ancestor match. They are 4th cousins.

Wives and Children of Nathaniel Allen (1780-1832) Part I.

Wives and Children of Nathaniel Allen (1780-1832) Part I

Nathaniel Allen, born about 1780 in Dutchess County, New York, died 22 December 1832 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky (he was there on business and died in a hotel). He lived the major part of his adult life in Allen’s Hill (later Richmond), Ontario County, New York. His parents were Moses Allen and Chloe Ward. Well documented on my webpage, Leaves of the Tree, where you can find much, much more about the Allen family. But Nathaniel's wife, or wives, is a bit of a mystery as are the names of all his children – some of whom probably died young and will never be identified.

The Andrew Warde book about Chloe Ward’s family lists Nathaniel with a wife Almyra Akin (married in Dutchess County – and Akins are found there living near the Allens) and only two children: Orrin, living in Virginia (states he was an M.D., but he was instead a dentist) and Almira who married Robert L. Rose and lived in Allens Hill, Ontario County, New York. Early censuses in Ontario County, New York, indicate several more children for Nathaniel if all the young persons marked were actually his children – maybe as many as 4 sons, 3 daughters in 1810 – and with an apparent spouse of his same age. By 1820 there is evidently a household composed of two sets of parents (two males 26-45 and two females 26-45) – so impossible to sort children. By 1820, Nathaniel and BETSEY, his wife, sell property jointly. In the years from 1814 to 1818, Nathaniel sold property and no wife was involved, suggesting that Almyra had died, and he had remarried. It is believed that Betsy, or Elizabeth, was the daughter of a David Akin living in Allen’s Hill – David also having a son named Orra or Orrin, a name that will begin now to appear in the Allen family. David Akin had also lived in Dutchess County, New York at an earlier time. Akin family research does indeed suggest David Akin’s daughter Elizabeth, married Nathaniel Allen. But David seems to have had no daughter Almyra – perhaps she was a niece. The reasonable assumption would be that Nathaniel Allen was married to two ladies with the surname Akin, Almyra dying between 1810 and 1814 – and between 1818 and 1820, he had married Elizabeth “Betsy” Akin. No marriage records have been found.

Now - the proved children.
1. Almira was likely the firstborn. Her grave, Allen’s Hill Cemetery in Richmond, New York has her birth as 8 October 1803, death, 27 January 1849. The Geneva Gazette of 8 September 1824 listed her marriage to Robert L. Rose on 1 September 1824 and stated she was the daughter of Nathaniel Allen of Richmond.
2. Found in 10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850, p. 5, Item 100: “Allen, Almiron W., 23, son of Nathaniel, Esquire, died 1/12/29 in Richmond. From the Geneva Gazette. So Almiron was born in 1806. Never married and left no heirs as evidenced later. Not much question that the mother of Almira and Almiron was Almyra Akin.
3. Nathaniel O. Allen, buried Allen’s Hill Cemetery, Richmond. Died 4 May 1839, age 29 years. So Nathaniel was born in 1810. It is likely the "O" stood for Orrin - a name that doesn't appear in the Allen family until this generation - was it for Orrin Akin, an uncle? Nathaniel O. never married. N. O. Allen wrote his Will, 7 April 1839 although it wasn’t presented for probate until 15 October 1849, ten years after his death. The will left a gold watch to a nephew and namesake, Nathaniel Allen Rose and named his sister Almira, a brother Orrin N. Allen, and a brother Augustus Porter Allen – suggesting only three living siblings by 1839. His brother-in-law Robert L. Rose and brother Augustus P. Allen to be Executors. Robert L. Rose of Richmond presented the will, 15 October 1849, stating that Augustus P. Allen was deceased and that Orrin L. Allen of Culpeper County, Virginia, was the only heir at law. That says that by October of 1849, there were no other living siblings as named in the will.
4. Augustus Porter Allen, born 20 April 1812 (said to be twin of Orrin Nathaniel Allen – although I have found no proof of his birth date), died 1 September 1841. He served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars and his service and death date is listed in a volume of the Congressional Serial Set. No evidence he ever married.
5. Orrin Nathaniel Allen, born 20 April 1812, died 26 June 1875 in Danville (Independent City), Virginia. He is buried Green Hill Cemetery, Danville. Orrin’s Virginia death record states his father was Nathan Allen, his mother Elizabeth. But this would disagree with the fact no wife was named in Nathaniel’s deeds between 1814-and 1818. And it is true that death records are not created by the person who had died – perhaps Elizabeth was a stepmother. Orrin had married in Virginia – his wife and children there would never have known his parents. It is a bit odd that there was a son Nathaniel Orrin and a son Orrin Nathaniel - but that does seem to be the case. Part II of this Blog will be about Orrin.
6. Peter Allen. "Peter Allen, youngest son of Nathaniel, Esq. died in Richmond. Geneva Gazette, 24 May 1826." And from Allen’s Hill Cemetery records: “Elizabeth Allen, wife of Nathaniel, born 20 Jun 1782; died 9 Jun 1826. In the same grave is her infant son, Peter, b. 8 Apr 1826, died 9 May 1826.” This son, born some years after the others. It would seem probable other children were born but no records exist, and it’s doubtful any survived to become adults because of a lawsuit regarding their father, Nathaniel Allen.

Now that known records of the above children are cited, I will explain why I believe there were no others that lived to create records.

Nathaniel Allen’s brother, Peter Buell Allen, had left Ontario County for Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana about 1816 – in fact Peter Allen and wife Polly had sold their properties to Nathaniel before leaving New York. On 13 August 1827, Nathaniel took out a patent for about 70 acres in Vigo County – perhaps he was considering joining his brother. Ownership of this tract would be the subject of a lawsuit in the Probate Court of Vigo County beginning in January of 1847. At that time Orson Barbour was appointed to administrate the estate of Nathaniel and sell the above tract. Now Nathaniel Allen had left no will since he died unexpectedly (intestate) so any estate proceedings must necessarily name all heirs – he was also involved in a lawsuit and had heavy debts at the time of his death. Barbour came up with a list of four children – Almira and husband Robert L. Rose, Nathaniel O. Allen, Orrin N. Allen, and Nathaniel P. Allen, all of Indiana. The last named should have been Augustus P. Allen but either Barbour mis-spoke or the clerk wrote down the wrong name – and none of them were in Indiana. Myron H. Allen (son of Peter Buell Allen, resident of Terre Haute, and nephew of Nathaniel) claimed there was a deed – Robert and Almira Rose, Nathaniel O. Allen and Orrin N. Allen (Augustus already deceased) had made the deed of conveyance to him on 4 Oct 1838. And Nathaniel O. Allen had died the following year. Orrin N. Allen had then signed over all his rights to Robert and Almira Rose in 1845. The judge dismissed the family claims, decreeing the lands were subject to the debts of the deceased (about $8,500. The tract was sold for $1,118.00 at public action before the court house door on 20 Nov 1847.

So, to sum up the children. By the time of this lawsuit in 1847 – only Almira (Allen) Rose and Orrin N. Allen were living. The deaths of Nathaniel O. and Augustus prior to that date are stated in the court proceedings. Almiron and the infant Peter had died many years previously. None of these last four had married. Had there been other children, or grandchildren that were children of deceased children of Nathaniel at that time living, they would have been required by law to be named as heirs of Nathaniel. Any probate judge would have ordered the Administrator to make every effort to locate every heir of the deceased.

Both Almira and Orrin did indeed have descendants. Almira and her husband, Robert L. Rose, had seven sons. Orrin Nathaniel Allen and his progeny will be the subject of Part II.

Moses Allen – Time to Eat Genealogical Crow

Every now and then we just get it wrong.  The book, The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Vol II, p.154-158, has the lineage of Moses Allen who married Hannah Knapp, 25 Oct 1732 in Newtown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and later settled in the Beekman Patent in Dutchess County, New York – the problem is:  It is wrong in this book and I made the mistake of not researching thoroughly for other possible records.  Moses Allen actually is a fairly common name, and there were two of them, about the same age, both from Suffolk County (later Norfolk) Massachusetts – both of them had a brother named Aaron who was married to a Hannah.  Easy to confuse, particularly when compiling a large volume regarding many families!   Frank J. Doherty, author of Settlers, had assumed Moses and Aaron were sons of Samuel Allen and his second wife, Abigail, of Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  And, in fact, that couple did have three children whose births are recorded in the Sudbury town records:  Moses, born 9 Sep 1705.  Aaron, born 31 Dec 1707.  And Abigail, born 14 Mar 1710. 

Now, the family of Samuel Allen with births of his children is recorded in the book, Walter Allen of Newbury, Mass 1640 and Some of His Descendants, by Allen H. Bent. Samuel was a grandson of Walter Allen, subject of the book.   A Moses is listed as Samuel’s son with his birth and “nothing further known”.  Aaron and Abigail are stated as having gone to Dedham.  This Aaron, brother to Moses and Abigail, married Hannah Mason, in Dedham, 6 Dec 1733, where births of their children are recorded.  Aaron’s death is recorded in Dedham, Mar 1754 and his age at death agrees with the year of his birth in 1707.  

Additional records have come to light, thanks to another researcher, showing the above conclusion that Moses of the Beekman Patent was a son of Samuel Allen is not possible.  Moses, son of Samuel, did not marry or relocate, but died as a teenager.  Samuel Allen, b. 8 Apr 1658 in Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, died 28 August 1720, in Sudbury.  The estate files of Samuel and his son Moses (which can be seen here and here, if you have a subscription to Ancestry.com) reveal the following.  In October of 1720, Joseph Dean, was appointed guardian of the three minor children of Samuel Allen late of Sudbury, deceased – Aaron, Abigail and Moses.  Samuel’s widow is noted as deceased.  On 30 Oct 1722, John Allen (presumably the John Allen who was Samuel’s eldest son by his first wife), administrator of Samuel Allen’s estate, filed a report from Joseph Dean, “guardian to Moses Allen, Minor, dec’d, son of the late Samuel Allen, dec’d” – the report itself was not dated.  However, earlier on 12 Feb 1722, William Johnson was appointed guardian of Aaron and Abigail Allen, and no mention was made of Moses, so perhaps he was already deceased as early as February of 1722, at about age 17.  He was not old enough to marry and leave descendants.  Abigail, who was a single woman living in Dedham (then Suffolk County now Norfolk County, Massachusetts) in 1732, wrote a letter of dismissal for her guardian, indicating that she was "fully satisfied for all the estate of my father and brother Moses, deceased.”  Of course the only way she could have been heir to her brother was if he had no issue.

So where does “my” Moses Allen belong?  Living in Medfield, (then Suffolk county, now Norfolk) Massachusetts was Joseph Allen, b. 19 Dec 1676 in Medfield, son of Joseph Allen and Hannah Sabin.  He married Miriam Wight, 4 Nov 1701 in Medfield, daughter of Ephraim Wight and Lydia Morse.  She was born 22 Aug 1675 in Medfield.  This couple had five children whose births are all recorded in the Medfield records.  Joseph, b. 17 Aug 1702.  Miriam, b. 27 May 1704.  Moses, b. 20 Sep 1708  (can be seen here).  Lydia, b. 25 Sep 1714.  Aaron, b. 13 Feb 1714/5.  So we have another Moses and an Aaron.  Now it should be noted that “my” Moses had children baptized in Sturbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts, before settling in New York.  Aaron Allen also with a wife Hannah (her surname never discovered) had children baptized in Sturbridge and died there in Sturbridge, 3 May 1794. 

And from Historical Sketch of Sturbridge, Mass., by Joseph S. Clark (available for pdf download on Google books), is the following which nicely ties the locations of Medfield and Sturbridge together:  “Sturbridge was originally settled by a company of emigrants chiefly from Medfield and a few other towns…”  The petitioners request for this new town was granted 3 Sept 1729.    Listed as one of the early partners, prior to the issuing of town lots, was Moses Allen.  He was also one of original fourteen members of the church and on 29 Sep 1736, was appointed to “set the Psalm in the Congregation upon the Sabbath day”.  Joseph Allen, likely his older brother was also one of the fourteen male members of the church.  Aaron Allen’s eldest child, Aaron, Jr. was born in Sturbridge 22 Aug 1739, so he settled there soon after.  Aaron and his Hannah went on to have eleven more children born in Sturbridge. 

These records would seem to leave no doubt that “my” Moses, born in Massachusetts, who lived for a time in Sturbridge, and died in Dutchess County, New York where he is last found in the tax lists in 1778, was the son of Joseph Allen and Miriam Wight of Medfield, and could not have been part of the family of Walter Allen of Newbury.

Unfortunately for the last twenty-five years, I’ve believed the wrong lineage – to those with whom I’ve shared the error – I apologize!  And now I have a whole lot of new direct ancestors to research…

Father of Mary Rowena Hoskins was Silas Hoskins.

The father of Mary Rowena Hoskins was Silas Hoskins – he was also her brother-in-law.  I first wrote about Mary Rowena on 4 September 2011, hoping someone would have additional information about possible parents, but nothing was forthcoming from that post.  DNA testing, however, has provided answers.  That earlier post can be read here Who was Mary Rowena Hoskins?

Silas Hoskins was a complicated man – both in character and to research.  I knew he was a collateral relative, having married Amanda Allen, 14 March 1825, in Vigo County, Indiana.  Amanda, born 13 November 1807 in Ontario County, New York, was a daughter of my third great grandfather, Peter Buell Allen and his wife Mary Peterson.  Amanda’s younger brother, Peter B. Allen, named for his father and my great, great grandfather, also married a Hoskins – he married Mary Rowena Hoskins, 28 December 1836, some eleven years later, in Vigo County.  Earlier researchers had speculated the two Hoskins might be brother and sister but this seemed unlikely to me.  Mary Rowena was much younger, born 15 Sep 1815, somewhere in New York, as indicated by census records and her grave marker.  Silas, on the other hand didn’t leave as much detail regarding his birth, but in the 1830 census, following his marriage to Amanda, his age was suggested as between 1790 and 1800 – and there were children in the household born prior to the marriage to Amanda, including a female that was age 10-15, too old be a child of Amanda and indicating Silas’s birth year was closer to 1790.   It was easy to speculate that this female age 10-15 fit the age of Mary Rowena nicely.  There were no other Hoskins living in Vigo County at the time.  Easy to speculate on a relationship, much harder to prove.

An obituary of Peter B. Allen, husband of Mary Rowena, appeared in the Terre Haute Evening Gazette, 12 October 1901 – it was full of errors regarding the family.  Peter had been gone from Terre Haute for over 40 years and the information apparently came from a nephew and is interesting, if somewhat faulty.  It did contain the following tantalizing reference to Mary Rowena:  “The deceased was married at the old house on the Preston place east of Terre Haute on December 26, 1836, to Mary Hoskins, a daughter of Gen. Hoskins, also a pioneer resident of Terre Haute dead many years.”   I will point out there are no records of a “Gen. Hoskins” but you will find later that it is possible Silas Hoskins had some military history.  It does confirm that her father was an early resident of Vigo County, Indiana.

I spent some years chasing records regarding Silas – to discover where he was born, if he could have had an earlier marriage – really any record that could help prove Mary Rowena was his daughter.  I was able to visit both the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne and Terre Haute to search the local library as well as obtain county and Masonic records.  Here are some highlights.  The first mention of Silas Hoskins in Vigo County was in the Indiana Centinel, published at Vincennes, Indiana, 13 January 1821.  Letters unclaimed at the Post Office at Terre-Haute, the quarter ending 1 January, 1821 listed letters addressed to Silas Hoskins and Eliza Hoskins.  Eliza never appears in any other record.  By March of 1825, Silas had married Amanda Allen.  Silas’s father-in-law had helped charter the local Masonic Lodge #19 and was the first grand master.  Minutes and records of that Lodge are preserved and Silas Hoskins was an active member by December of 1821 – members other than his father-in-law included several brothers-in-law, Amanda’s brothers and husbands of her sisters.  The last mention of Silas in the Lodge records was in 1833 when the Lodge disbanded for about ten years – he had steadily progressed through various Degrees and held several offices in the Lodge.

The WPA transcribed a number of local records.  Silas Hoskins was Supervisor of a road, served on a grand jury, was a Constable, was paid for building of the jail, etc. between the years of 1822 and 1829.   On 2 Sep 1828, he purchased a lot in the town of Terre Haute.  On 27 Jan 1829, his father & mother-in- law gave 60 acres of land to Amanda and two children born to the couple, Peter and Clarissa.  The title plainly in their names – a bit unusual.  On 11 April 1829, Silas & Amanda Hoskins sold the city lot.  The Circuit Court Order Book, vol. 2, for Vigo County, reveals  several lawsuits against Silas Hoskins for debts from October of 1825 through 1831.  So even though he was serving his Lodge and his community, all was not well – certainly there appeared to be some doubt on the part of his father-in-law, that Silas could care for his family.  

The 1830 Census is composed of a male under 5, which would be Silas & Amanda’s son Peter, a male age 5-10 – probably born prior to the marriage to Amanda and unidentified in any record, a male age 30-40 (Silas).  There were two females under age five – Clarissa and Ann Eliza (born in May of 1830 & therefore not included in the deed when Amanda’s father gave her the 60 acres of land), a female age 5-10 and unidentified, a female age 10-15 (Mary Rowena?) and a female 20-30 (Amanda)

A list of voters in an election, 1 Feb 1832, Harrison Township, Vigo County, lists Silas Hoskins as well as some of his Allen in-laws.

Then I found this curious record.  Since no other Hoskins is found in any other records in Vigo County, presumably this is Silas.  It is an extract from the Wabash Courier, 1832

Doct. S. Patrick:   Sir - In behalf of the Riflemen and Volunteers who rendezvoused at Fort Harrison on the 1st instant, for the purpose of moving on to the frontiers, in defense of our country against the depradations of the hostile savages, I return my sincere thanks for the manifestation of your kindness on our return.  

June 14

S. Hoskins, Commandant

The records transcribed by the WPA continue and Silas Hoskins was frequently paid for his services as Jailor and he was commissioned to dig a public well on the corner of the jail lot, and repairing the Court Room – 1833-1834. 

The probate records show that Silas Hoskins was granted administration on the estate of one Robert B. Angevine at the Nov Term of Court, 1832.  Angevine’s widow was Rebecca.  I have not been able to reliably identify any connection of this couple to Silas Hoskins or to the Allen family.  In February of 1835, the letter of administration granted Silas was revoked and given to his brother-in-law, Henry Allen.  Final settlement was made by Henry Allen, 24 Feb 1837.  In 1860, Rebecca Angevine, age 52, born in New York, washer woman, would be living in Indianapolis, I did not find her in 1850. 

Then the surprise.  Wabash Courier, Saturday, September 1838.   Amanda “Haskins” vs. Silas H. “Haskins” for divorce.    Circuit Court Records, Vigo County, December Term, 1838, reveal that on 23 Aug 1838, Amanda Hoskins by her attorneys filed her Bill against Silas Hoskins stating that in the fall of 1834, Silas Hoskins left and abandoned her making no provision for the support of his family and was cohabitating and living in open adultery with a person unknown and was no longer a resident of the state of Indiana.  So this fine upstanding citizen of Terre Haute had clay feet.   Divorce was granted and Amanda was appointed Guardian for her infant children:  Peter Allen Hoskins, Clarissa S. Hoskins, Eliza Ann Hoskins, Francis M. Hoskins and Edward H. Hoskins.  Signed, 26 Dec 1838.   One reason why the divorce seemed surprising – the 1840 census shows the household in the name of Amanda Hoskins with the five children of approximately the correct ages, but also has an adult male, age 40-50 which would be the age of Silas Hoskins.  For years, I assumed this was Silas.   Since the divorce was final in 1838, I have no clue as to the identity of this male in 1840, unless perhaps she had someone helping her farm – certainly she was listed as head of household.   Amanda did not remarry, but relocated to Taycheedah, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin along with her children and other kin – she died there 21 February 1866. 

None of this, of course, gave any clue to the origins of Silas Hoskins.  There was this – he was connected with others from New York state and there were a number of early Vigo County citizens that had come from there.  The name Silas Hoskins is fairly unusual and I had an approximate birth year.  Random searches turned up a Silas Hoskins in the family of a Samuel Hoskins who died 18 June 1825, in Scipio, Cayuga County, New York, leaving a will dated 24 June 1824 in which he gave to a beloved child, Silas Hoskins, $5.00.  Samuel Hoskins’ wife was Lydia Presbrey – they married 13 June 1776 in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts.  Both the Hoskins and Presbrey families had been in Taunton for some years and left many tracks to include a Hoskins Family Bible, showing the birth of Samuel’s son Silas as 17 October 1791.  Hiring a researcher in New York, provided nothing more regarding Samuel’s son Silas – except that there were no other records found in New York which could be this man.  The 1810 census of the household of Samuel Hoskins does have a male of the age to be this Silas.  The only Silas “Haskins” (no Hoskins) in the 1820 census lived in Cortland County, New York, and was over age 45.  So nothing to suggest where he might have been – but there’s the unclaimed letter in Terre Haute in January of 1821 – he may well have been traveling between New York and Indiana in 1820.

There was also a hint that Silas Hoskins might have served in the War of 1812 – he was apparently the Commandant of a group of militia soldiers in Vigo County, suggesting he might have had military experience.  There was the reference in the obituary to “Gen.” Hoskins.  And a Silas Hoskins applied for Bounty Land for his service in the War of 1812, as a Private in the New York Militia – but it was denied.  The application was made 7 June 1855 from LaPorte County, Indiana.  His signature is on the application but none of the records from Vigo County, Indiana, have his name in his own handwriting.   Nor can I find additional records in LaPorte County that would suggest that this was the same Silas Hoskins of my research, divorced from Amanda in 1838.  However, IF he was a son of Samuel of Cayuga, it is definite that a brother Joshua served as Lieutenant and Captain in the New York Militia, War of 1812.  A brother, Samuel served in the New York militia as a private in the War of 1812.  A brother David was a Sergeant in the same War of 1812.  A brother Leonard who stated he had served under his brother Joshua as a teamster, applied for Bounty Land for his War of 1812 service, and was also rejected.  Military minutes of the Council of Appointment of the State of New York, 1783-1821, lists records for Joshua, Samuel & Leonard, but not for David or for a Silas.

Now, DNA has come to the rescue and proved what I have not been able to prove on paper.  I have tested autosomal DNA at the major companies.  Unfortunately the largest database of those tested is at AncestryDNA where no chromosome browser can be viewed for exact matches and the family trees are full of gross errors.   That said, it is still useful to see who and how one is connected – I always check any recommended matches for lineage accuracy with actual records.   This is what has come to light.  I match descendants of the children of Silas and Amanda (Allen) Hoskins.  Since Amanda’s father is my direct ancestor, that would be expected – but the match could be to either Silas or Amanda, or even both of them.  Then the other matches – not large matches as they vary from 7 cM to 19 cM, still enough to be considered a distant match – are to descendants of several of the other sons and daughters named in that 1824 will of Samuel Hoskins.  And I have matches to descendants of three of the sisters of Samuel Hoskins, taking the match back still another generation and assuring it is surely a Hoskins match, and not to his wife.  Then I also have matches to descendants of siblings of Lydia Presbrey, the wife of Samuel Hoskins, suggesting I carry some of Lydia’s DNA as well.  Since I have no direct relationship to Silas Hoskins UNLESS he was either a father or much older brother to Mary Rowena Hoskins, and Mary Rowena, because of her age, could not have been a daughter of the earlier generations of Hoskins in New York, it would seem he was surely her father and a third great-grandfather to me.  Her mother, likely Eliza of the unclaimed letter, is still a mystery.  

Many questions about Silas Hoskins remain unanswered, but DNA has shown he was my ancestor and father to Mary Rowena.  This link provided me with several additional generations of ancestors thanks to the good vital records of New England towns.

Harmon Truth and Tradition

John L. Harmon and his wife Elizabeth Byrd were my 4th great grandparents.  There is a huge amount of questionable information about this couple floating around the Internet - the purpose of this blog is not to try to explain all that I find wrong that can be proved otherwise, but primarily to point out some discrepancies in a family tradition reported in a newspaper story.

To find out more that is actually documented concerning John L. Harmon, go to my Harmon webpages beginning here:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~katy/harmon/index.html.

I will just say here that he was not a son of Jacob Harmon and Sarah Lorton - he was most probably not even of German descent. His apparent relatives in the area of western Virginia where his records are first found were named William, Patrick, Joseph, Sarah, Elizabeth, etc.   Unfortunately there are just too few records in early Montgomery, Grayson, and surrounding counties to discover the exact relationships. Y-DNA testing has supported his close relationship to a Patrick Harmon, whose parents are thought to have have been Joseph and Sarah Harmon, possibly from Pennsylvania before migrating to Virginia.  Y-DNA of descendants has shown John L. Harmon is not likely part of any of the German Harman/Harmon families that were in western Virginia at that time.

Now, on with the story.

A grandson of John L. and Elizabeth, Charles Harmon, born 25 December 1844 in Boone County, Indiana, died 13 August 1915 in Brownsburg, Hendricks County, Indiana.  He was quite a story teller.  He had fought in the Civil War and did a great deal of reminiscing - many of his stories found their way into newspapers, particularly a series called "Past Times" by Joan Lyons that appeared in the Zionsville Times Sentinel.  The Past Times Collection is at the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library in Zionsville, Boone County, Indiana and can be found by following along to their Downloads/Databases link and then to "Past Times" and searching on whatever you like.

http://www.zionsville.lib.in.us/hmmpl/page/main

A search for Charles Harmon will bring up a total of 53 articles - he either wrote these or appears in them.

Here is the direct URL to the story about his ancestry
http://www.zionsville.lib.in.us/greenstone/collect/past/index/assoc/HASH0181.dir/doc.pdf

The same story is related here by scrolling down the page.
http://genealogytrails.com/ind/boone/civilwarvetsbios.html

Just a little background.   John L. Harmon died in 1825 in Marion County, Indiana; his wife lived considerably longer - at least until after 1850, when she was living with adult children in Carroll Co, Illinois.  John and Elizabeth's son James, who was the father of our subject Charles, died in April of 1847 - his wife, Philadelphia, nee Dickerson, died a month later.  Charles was not yet three years old when he was orphaned.  He never knew his grandfather at all, likely never met his grandmother, and would scarcely have remembered his parents.

In his narrative, written in 1906, Charles, now age 62, states that what he knows of his ancestors was told to him by his brother, James Dickerson Harmon, forty or fifty years earlier - about 1860 or so. Charles would have been in his teens, his brother James, born in 1828, in his thirties - James was about 19 when their parents died and James had died in 1897.  James never knew his grandfather, either.

I don't know what your experience might be, but I've been fortunate to have many relatives live very many years.  Their stories told by memory sometimes changed over the years.  Different family members have very different memories about the same events.  We also have a few story tellers in the family and they generally like to embellish - my stepfather, a champion of stories, said he never told a story the same twice - that would be too boring!  Based on the many Civil War stories related by Charles in this series - told decades after the events - he was also a story teller of large proportions. There are instances in some of the articles written by others that do not support all that Charles related.  But I do not intend to in any way discredit his Civil War memories - I'm sure the trauma of his years in this War was imprinted quite clearly.

Now, here are some his "facts"from his story about his ancestors and why I believe we really cannot depend on the accuracy of his statements regarding his lineage.

Charles stated that
"during the Revolutionary War a family of Harmons came over from England.  Near the coast of Virginia the ship in which they were sailing was wrecked.  Of the family, all perished except two boys.  They were rescued and landed in Virginia.
One of these boys was my grandfather, John.  These two brothers were separated, never to see each other again.  The brother Richard, it is known, went Northwest into Pennsylvania.  Grandfather drifted to the southwest into the Carolinas then up into Tennessee and on into the south central portion of Kentucky, locating near where the battle of Mills Springs was fought.
My grandmother's maiden name I do not remember.  Indeed, I am pretty certain I never knew.
It is my understanding that my father was born near the place where, during the War of Rebellion, the battle of Mills Springs occurred (Pulaski Co, KY.)
I think it can be stated with a full degree of certainty that grandfather, John L. Harmon, was of pure English stock, and it may be stated with equal certainty that Grandmother was of Irish descent, in part at least.  She lived to be 99 years old and died at the home of daughter Jane Ray in Illinois."

So here is what can be documented ...John L. Harmon is first positively appears on a tax list and living on Crooked Creek in Montgomery County, Virginia, in 1787 - tax lists usually refer to the previous year.  He was listed with a William Harmon, not as an independent male.  In December of 1787, he married Elizabeth Byrd, in Montgomery County, and apparently was 21 by then, as no permission was required.   Old cemetery listings give a birth for John L. as 1767 (the stone no longer there) which is very close in agreement.   Now it is 300 miles and more as the crow flies from this area to the coast of Virginia with some wicked mountains in between.  The story of a shipwreck and abandonment seems unlikely, given where he was living as a 21-year-old in 1787, five years after the end of the war.  The settlers in this area of Virginia came down the Indian paths and the rivers from northern Virginia and Pennsylvania and nowhere is there any suggestion that John L. Harmon was born anywhere other than Virginia.  A more plausible story would be an accident traveling down a river - not on the ocean - and certainly such could happen.   For a brother to travel to the northwest also seems somewhat implausible.  The two brothers story sounds a bit like an adaptation of the "three brothers myth - one stayed, one went west, one went south..."

John L. Harmon never lived in the Carolinas or in Tennessee.  He was in Virginia - Montgomery County and then Wythe and Grayson as the counties were formed.  Then he was a bit further west in Russell Co by 1796 where he remained until at least until the fall of 1803.  (His wife's mother and stepfather were in Grayson County. Several of Elizabeth's married sisters live near and around the Harmons in these locations.)

In 1804, John Harmon was living on Fishing/ Pitsman (goes by both names) Creek, Pulaski County, Kentucky.  James, father of Charles, born in 1797 according to a family Bible, was certainly born in Virginia - not Kentucky.  However, Charles was right about one thing - the Harmons did possibly live near where the Battle of Mill Springs was fought in the Civil War - that battle is also known as the Battle of Fishing Creek.

By 1812, the Harmons were in Hamilton County, Ohio, as cited when they sold their property back in Pulaski County.  Charles (or James) seemed to be unaware they had ever lived there.  Charles and James's parents were married, 18 February 1816, Franklin County, Indiana, and may have been the first of the Harmons to settle in Indiana.  The family did not stay long in Ohio.

Since Charles didn't even attempt to give his grandmother a given name, I think we can be certain he knew basically nothing about her.  By all accounts, she was from a Virginia family.  That both John L. Harmon and Elizabeth Byrd, were from somewhere in the British Isles is almost certain - that would be an easy family tradition/assumption for many families and both the Harmon and Byrd surnames could well be English in origins.  Byrd isn't typically Irish.

Another true fact is that Charles and James had an uncle named Richard.  Perhaps they confused him with their grandfather's supposed brother Richard, for whom there is not a shred of documentation.  In fact, their grandmother, Elizabeth (Byrd) Harmon, was living with Richard in Carroll County, Illinois, in the 1850 census and reported as blind. That she lived to be 99 and lived with her daughter Nancy, wife of Chesley Wray, in Knox County, Illinois isn't supported.  Elizabeth doesn't appear in any record after that 1850 census. She isn't with any of her children in 1860.  If she lived to be 99, that would have been say 1869 or 1870 and in 1870, Nancy Wray, widow, was herself age 71, and living with her son Mark.

The narrative goes on to discuss siblings and family members - some of the information seems correct, but siblings are omitted and some of the data is not quite right.  At the very best, these writings are third hand as remembered by Charles, told to him by James, who had been told presumably by other family members, some decades earlier.

As in so many of these stories, there is undoubtedly a grain of truth - but which grain?  John could have been orphaned at an early age - there's nothing to tell us how he was actually related to the William Harmon in Montgomery County, although the first thought is that they could be father and son.  He certainly could have lost family members in some sort of boating accident - or a similar accident could have happened in an earlier generation to John's parents or grandparents.  He could have lost contact with a brother Richard - although that may be a confusion regarding his son of that name.  Given that he may have had a close relative named Patrick Harmon - there might be a bit of Irish in the Harmon line, but probably not in his grandmother Byrd's family.  That said, there are still some serious holes in the story, much of which should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt rather than as grains of truth.

Newspaper reporters do love a good story.  I have had another experience with a newspaper article that was quite far off the mark - and produced a Revolutionary War ancestor that was never in my family.  I wrote a blog post about Moses Allen and why Moses was not Ethan Allen, of the Green Mountain Boys, It's here:
http://moreleaves.blogspot.com/2009/07/not-descended-from-ethan-allen.html

I have also written a blog about Charles Harmon and his brothers that fought in the Civil War and it can be found here:
http://moreleaves.blogspot.com/2011/04/civil-war-ancestors-harmon-brothers.html

SULTANA DISASTER - 27 APRIL 1865

Today, 27 April 2015,  is the 150th Anniversary of the sinking of the steamboat Sultana in the Mississippi River near Memphis.

Most of the passengers were Union Soldiers from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, that had been Confederate prisoners of war, many held at Cahaba Prison in central Alabama, near where I lived for fourteen years.  This was actually the worst maritime disaster in the United States. Total number of passengers, as well as the total number of the dead, has never been exact.  There were approximately 2500 persons packed almost standing-room only, as you can see from the picture.  At one point when the passengers crowded near the rail for a photo, the steamboat almost tipped over, and they had to be warned back. The boat's legal capacity was 376.  The captain was paid per person - $5 for an enlisted man, $10 for an officer.  

A badly repaired boiler exploded about 2 AM on April 27th, causing a chain reaction of explosions and fire and eventual sinking of the Sultana, about seven miles upriver from Memphis.  The water was still cold, the prisoners, many who could not swim, greatly debilitated.  Estimates of the dead range from 1500 - 2000 - the total will never be known.

I was always greatly fascinated by this story of horror, primarily because it has been such a little known historical tragedy - but never did I think I would have a personal connection.

One of my great-grandfathers was Enoch Reuben Adamson, born 19 February 1841 in Indiana, died 7 January 1910 in McAlester, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, on a trip away from his home in Rogers, Benton County, Arkansas.  I knew, of course, that he fought in the Civil War - he received a pension for many years for chronic health problems as a result. I have placed a military marker at his grave which had gone unmarked.   Enoch was one of eight siblings and I knew that others in his family had fought in that War.  Several members of the family moved to Iowa right after the War, though not all stayed there.   

Enoch's sister Mary Emily Adamson, married Benjamin Franklin Learner, right after the Civil War - 5 December 1866, in Janesville, Bremer County, Iowa.  By 1870, they were back in Howard County, Indiana where they remained the rest of their lives.  Benjamin's parents, immigrants from Baden Germany, were living next door in the 1870 census.  I had quite of bit of information regarding these families, but not until I found Benjamin's obituary did I know that he had been on the Sultana when she went down.  He had, in fact, been reported as one of the dead.

Here's the story:

Kokomo Daily Tribune, Saturday, 31 Jan 1925, p.1, column 1

B. F. Leaner Passes Away at Age of 82

One of County's Worthiest Citizens and Most Interesting Characters

Was Born Here in 1842

Knew the Indians of That Period - Was Survivor of Sultana Disaster

Benjamin F. Leaner, age 82, years, a native of Howard County and resident here most of his life, a Civil war veteran and one of the few survivors of the wreck of the Sultana, the greatest steamboat disaster of the Civil War period, died at his home, a mile east of Kokomo, on the north Greentown Pike, at 11 o-clock today, of septic poisoning.

An injury received by Mr. Learner in the explosion which destroyed the Sultana and snuffed out the lives of several hundred men, was really the cause of his death.  He was frightfully burned on one of his legs in that explosion.  The hurt was one which never healed; though he lived nearly sixty years after receiving it.  Always it was threatening him, and finally brought on the condition which resulted in his death.

Mr. Learner had been failing for several months, and had kept to his home since the beginning of winter.  He was able, however, to be about until a week ago last Tuesday.  On that day he was unable to arise.  It was the beginning of the final issue.  He failed slowly, but steadily, from that time on.  His vitality was remarkable.  His death had been expected for several days, but he withstood the destroyer's encroachment with the same tenacious courage that he had met every experience in his long life.  He had no fear of going, but it was like him not to die until he had to.

The death of this man removes from the community not only one of its most worthy citizens, but one of it most interesting historical figures.  Benjamin F. Learner's life spanned all the years in Howard County between the days of the Indians and the cabin in the clearing and the days of the airplane and the radio.  He was born in Howard County, on May 29, 1842, in Harrison township, in what was familiarly known as the Seven Mile Strip of the Miami Indian reserve at a point five miles southwest of Kokomo.  His birth was two years before Howard County was organized, and from the time memory awoke in him down to the day of his death he knew Howard County history from actual participation in it.

Mr. Learner was the son of Bernhart and Catrina Learner, who came to the Wildcat Valley, settling in what later became Harrison Township in 1841.  That was three years before Kokomo was founded.  The father was a native of Germany, of the state of Baden, and his boyhood was spent near the Rhine.  He died at his home five miles eat of Kokomo 23 years ago.  All older residents of the city and county remember him well, as a man of the sturdiest of virtues and finest type of citizenship.  He was one of Howard County's first shoemakers.

When B. F. Learner was a small child he moved with his parents to the Vermont neighborhood where he grew to manhood.  A tribe of Indians had their village near the Learner home, and as a boy Mr. Learner knew them all, bucks, squaws and papooses, well.  They were friendly Indians and furnished him with many an interesting memory that remained with him to the end of life.  He had a distinct recollection of the removal of the tribes by the Federal government to lands that had been provided for them beyond the Mississippi, and was able to recall many incidents of the visit which the chief and all his followers paid to the Learner home just before departing.  Some of these incidents were related by Mr. Learner at the celebration that was held last May, in the Union Street Friends' Church, by the Howard County Historical Society, in celebration of the eighteenth anniversary of the founding of the county.

Mr. Leaner was united in marriage with Mrs. Mary Emily Adamson, a member of a pioneer family of Taylor Township, December 5, 1866.  The Adamson family resided in a brick dwelling, on what is now known as the Githens farm, three miles southeast of Kokomo, on the banks of Kokomo Creek.  The marriage took place, however, in Iowa.

The surviving members of the immediate family are:  The widow, Mary Emily Adamson Learner; and the following chidren:  Ulysses Learner, city; Leavitt C. Learner, Abbeville, Louisiana; Ernest R. Learner, Buffalo; Ellis M. Learner who resides at the home place; Harry M. Learner, Buffalo; Donald H. Learner, Houma, Louisiana; and Mrs. Ruth L. Copp, Kokomo.  There are eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.  J. W. Learner of this city is a brother.

Mr. Learner was a member of the 57th Indiana Infantry and was principal in numerous heroic services during the civil war.  In (Continued on Page Two)

the battle of Franklin he was a member of the detail under command of Col. Willis Blanche which was holding the road and was cut off from the rest of the troops.  Finally the ammunition ran out.  Col. Blanch said that he would not order any one of his men to take the hazard of crossing the blaze of fire to replenish the stock but would call for volunteers.  Mr. Learner was the first to volunteer for the service which promised instant death.  When it came the moment for departure upon his hazardous undertaking Col. Blanch and Mr. Learner bid each other goodbye, for it was recognized that probably would never return.

Mr. Learner succeeded in getting to the spot where the ammunition was to be obtained without a shot being fired, as the Confederates did not suspect his purpose at the time and could scarcely believe that any man would hazard the trip.  But in returning to where his comrades were breathlessly awainting his return, the nature of his undertaking was suddenly realized and a rain of bullets pored around him.  One ball struck him on the side of his shoe, turned the round of his heel and left through the opposite side of the shoe, but the shock was so great that Mr. Leaner was thrown to the ground.  Fortunately the enemy believed him dead when he was seen to fall and by dodging from behind trees he gained his objective and afforded the much needed ammunition.

That Col. Blanche had a supreme confidence in his accuracy of observation and his integrity of recital was evidenced in a remark Col Blanche once made concerning him which was, "If Comrade Learner should give his version of how any incident happened in the war I would accept his account against the combined account of all his comrades."

An affection of a tender kind existed between the two warriors.  It was said that they never met but that they clasped hands, and after a moment of silence tears sprang from their eyes.

It was at the battle Missionary Ridge that Col. Blanche was seated upon a cream white horse, a conspicuous target for the enemy.  His finger had been shot off and the blood was streaming down the sides of the horse when Mr. Learner begged of Col. Blanche that he dismount to save his life.

One of the eleven hundred prisoners being taken to Vicksburg for the exchange, and leaving the Cahawba Prison in Alabama, where he endured horrors for three months, Mr. Learner was one of the Union soldiers aboard the ill fated Mississippi River steamer Sultana, the boilers of which exploded.  Scenes of indescribable misery and horrow ensued, and Mr. Learner was scalded so badly that the flesh came off his left leg.  He was so weak from the injury that for three months he was unable to feed himself.  During the ensuing years he often battled for his life when poisoning would arise from the old wound which never healed but gave him incessant pain.

The funeral will take place, probably at the United Brethren Church, this city, Tuesday at 2 p.m., the Rev. J. W. Lake officiating.  The burial will be made in Crown Point Cemetery.  Mr. Learner had been a member of the U. B. Church for many years, having his membership at Hillsdale, a few miles east of his home.  The pastor of that church, the Rev. Mr. Rosenbarger, will assist in the funeral services.

The G. A. R. burial service will be given by members of T. J. Harrison Post, with which Mr. Learner had long been affiliated.  The active pallbearers will be from the local post of Veterans of Foreign Wars.  The honorary pallbearers have not yet been designated.

Veterans Day 2014

My mother had four brothers - all served in World War II - three of them in the European theater  I remember the wonderful Christmas celebration when all had returned home safely and we could all be together again.  My grandparents hired a photographer to record that occasion.

The three brothers were all able to meet in Paris at the end of the War.  They had their picture made to send back home and bought my Mom, their only sister, a gold bracelet.

Seated in front on the right is the eldest, Graydon Earl Comstock, born 1908 in Uniontown, Crawford County, Arkansas, died 1983 in Siloam Springs, Benton County, Arkansas, age 74.  He was an infantryman, a Technician 4th Class when he left the U.S.Army, but I suspect he may have seen the most actual battle service of the brothers.

Seated on the left is the next brother, Kenney Maurice Comstock, born 1914 in Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas, died 2006 in Rogers, Benton County, Arkansas, age 91.  He stayed at the University of Arkansas just long enough to enter the War as an officer, 2nd Lieutenant, and remained in the reserves until retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Standing in the back is the youngest sibling, Ira Allen Comstock, born in 1924 in Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas.  He served in the U.S. Air Corps, flying P-38's and P-51's.  Ike also remained in the reserves until retirement.  Ike is still living, will soon be age 90, and served as a guest World War II pilot in May of 2013 at the open house at the World War II Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The following appeared in the newspaper where my grandparents were living:
Northwest Arkansas Times, Fayetteville, AR, Tuesday, 2 Apr 1946
Capt. Kenney M. Comstock, Jr., who has been overseas 44 months, and T/4 Graydon E. Comstock, who has been in England and France for 13 months, are on their way home.  They are the sons of Mr. & Mrs. K. M. Comstock, 428 North College Avenue.  Capt. Comstock is on a 45-day leave.  He is with the Army of Occupation.  Graydon is on his way home and will receive his discharge.  A third son, Lt. Ira A. Comstock is at Marseilles, France.  The three brothers were together on a three-day pass in February.

Mom's 4th brother to served in the Coast Guard in California, sometimes as a typist, but also as a coast watcher.  He first attended Officers Candidate School, but decided he could not possibly shoot to kill another human being - so he washed out of OCS and served his country via the Coast Guard. John James "Jay" Comstock was born 1919, Uniontown, Crawford County, Arkansas, died in San Francisco in 2006, age 86.  This picture was made while he was in OCS.

These men were part of my life and I just hope somehow they know they are remembered and their service to their country is remembered!

School Picture

Fayetteville, Arkansas, High School Girls' Glee Club  1932-33

I recently found this picture.  There are a few names written on the front - but more importantly, my mother wrote ALL the names on the back.  My Mom was JoEllen (Comstock) McKim and she is sitting in front on the far right.  She sang her whole life as far as I know - she was certainly singing then and was still singing in her 90's, though the voice was perhaps not quite the same.

Back Row, Left to Right

Dorothy Fugitt, Roberta Roberts, Betty Read, Mae Ellen Dvorachek, Ercell Broyles, Marian McConnell, Alice Jones, Maxine Dailey, Beth Whelan, Maxine Ruddick, Lillian Johnson

Center Row, Left to Right

Lavelle Price, Marie Boles, Maxine Arrington, Elsie Suttle, Mary Eva Kane, Marjorie Fugitt, Louise Hannah

Front Row, Left to Right

Ernestine McLemore, Nadean Riggs, Marguerite Clark, Clare Burleson, Corinne Parker, Kathryn Fritts Carney, Ellen Black, Josie Ellen Comstock.

Others that I knew from this picture:  Clare Burleson married Mom's brother, Graydon Comstock.  Sisters Dorothy & Marjorie Fugitt, and Nadean Riggs were her friends for a lifetime.

If by chance Google should lead to one of these names above and you would like a digital copy of this photo, please view my profile on the right to find my email address.

Civil War Letter

Serendipity. 

While happily googling the Internet, I found that the Arkansas History Commission had a small manuscript collection of papers that had belonged to Algernon Sidney Holderness (1834-1904).  Algernon was the youngest brother of my husband’s great-great grandfather and I’ve researched the Holderness family for about twenty years.

One of the items in the collection was characterized as a “fragment of a letter from a brother”.  Of course I had to write and obtain a copy of this letter – presumably the brother wasn’t identified since the description was worded thusly.  There were seven brothers in the family, but I was sure I knew enough about them to be able to tell which brother – if the fragment had enough detail.  And I was so curious!

When the letter arrived, it had obviously been written on a folded sheet of paper and had four pages of writing on that sheet.  It ended in mid-sentence so there had been even more.  There was no signature, but the heading was “My dear brother” and it came from “Camp near Selma, Ala” and was dated June 9^th, 1864.

Now of the seven Holderness brothers I have found records of only three of them that had a role in the Civil War.  Algernon was a Lieutenant and a surgeon in the 1^st Arkansas Cavalry throughout the entire War – his written discharge was also part of the collection.  My husband’s great-great grandfather and Algernon’s brother, Robert Charles Holderness, was also a doctor – he had attempted to enlist in Hopkins County, Texas, where he had moved from Arkansas just prior to the outbreak of the War, but was refused on the grounds he was the only doctor in the community and was needed most at home.  A third brother, George W. Holderness, born 1829, served as a Sergeant Major in Owens Battery (Light Artillery) of the Arkansas Volunteers.  George had enlisted at Monticello, Arkansas on 8 February 1862 for one year which was later extended to three years or the War.  I knew that George had served in Alabama, so there was no doubt that the letter came from George to Algernon during the conflict.

As I read, I had to go back to the Internet to find out more about the facts contained in this fascinating letter.

Here is a transcript along with my own comments and discoveries in italics.  George liked to capitalize freely and never indicated a paragraph – the letter was written as one paragraph.  His spelling was good but not always perfectly accurate.

Camp near Selma, Ala.

June 9^th 1864

My Dear Brother

I have no letter of yours to answer.  I have had none from you Since Feby last which was as I have written to you Several times Since and forwarded by persons going to the Trans Miss Dept. 

Algernon’s unit was part of the Trans Mississippi Department of the Confederate Army on the West side of the Mississippi River.  Mail must have been most uncertain for the South. It’s quite possible this is the only letter that reached Algernon.

I hope you have received them. I have the satisfaction to inform you again that my health is Still very good and has been Since I last wrote you.  I hardly know what I can write that will interest you.  I Suppose you have all the army news from this side of the river before I could communicate it by letter.  There have not any general engagements taken place yet in Lees and Johnston’s armies. 

Surely refers to Generals Robert E. Lee and Joseph E. Johnston of the Confederate Army.

The Enemy have made assaults upon diferent points of our lines in both armies almost daily but have been repulsed with heavy losses in every instance, and every thing looks well for us and our army and people are perfectly confident of our ability to hold Richmond and Atlanta from the enemy.

This, of course, was prior to Maj. Gen. Tecumseh Sherman’s taking of Atlanta, November 15, 1864.

I hear of no movements of much import any where else on this side the Miss. River.  We learn that The Confeds have gained great victories over Steel and Banks in the Trans Miss. Department but have never yet received a reliable Statement of the actual result. 

Refers to Union Army Gen. Nathaniel Banks and Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele who were marching through Louisiana and Arkansas at this time with mixed results.

I hope you have freed Ark. Of the Vandals.  I learn that they have committed great depredations in Drew County. 

And there is an opinion of the Union Army!  Drew County, Arkansas, had been George Holderness’s home since coming to Arkansas from Caswell County, North Carolina, about 1848/9.  He had never married but was in business with his brother Thomas.

I do not know what they done in other parts of the State.  Our Company has been for Several months attached to Genl. Wirt Adams Brigade of Cavalry under command of Col. Mabry and we have been operating between Big Black and the Miss. And Yazoo Rivers and have been in very active Service there as There have been yankee raids out from Vicksburg most all the time. 

Col. Hinche P. Mabry, from Texas, had been given command of a number of under-strength Arkansas and Mississippi units in March of 1864.  His brigade was under special command of Brigadier General Wirt Adams. Vicksburg had fallen into the hands of the Union Army on July 4^th, 1863.

An interesting genealogical coincidence.  Col. Mabry was a descendant of Francis Maybury/Mabry who died 1712 in Sussex County, Virginia through Francis’s son Hinshia.  I descend from the same Francis Maybury through son George.

Since we crossed Big Black, We have, however Succeeded in driving them all back.  Our Battery assisted by Col. Griffiths 11^th Ark Cavalry and a detachment from Woods Miss Cavalry captured the U.S. Gunboat Petrel at Yazoo City on the 22^nd Apr.  It was a fine Prize.  We saved all her guns consisting of Eight 24 Pdr. Dahlgreen guns, and a good many valuable Small arms and a great quantity of Stores.  I have been drinking pure coffee ever Since The capture of the Petrel. 

The USS Petrel was a tinclad wooden steamer in the U.S. Navy.   She had been cruising Mississippi Rivers since May of 1863, capturing rebel vessels and military stores.  In February of 1864 she had pushed up the Yazoo River, eventually attacking Yazoo City.  She did indeed carry eight 24-pounder howitzers. The Dahlgren gun was a muzzle loader designed by Rear Adm. John A. Dahlgren. The Petrel was burned after the removal of her guns and stores.

It’s obvious from George’s comments that good coffee was a rarity in the Confederate Army.

We have only had one man killed, John Young, Sandusky’s Step-Son – Head Shot off with Shell, and one wounded severely (Dr. F. T. Crockett of Drew Co. a Sergeant of the Battery) in the battery in all the engagements we have had lately.  On the 28^th May we were ordered by Maj. Genl. S. D. Lee to turn over our Battery to a company of Withers Artillery and report at this place, which we did immediately and arrived here on the 5^th Inst. 

I have been unable to find out anything additional about John Young or Dr. Crockett.

Maj. Gen. Stephen Dill Lee(1833-1908) had served throughout the 1863 siege of Vicksburg and was a prisoner of war, later exchanged.  Lee was in the U.S. Army at the outbreak of the War, but resigned to enter the Confederate forces in the South Carolina Milita.  After his exchange, he was given command of the Department of Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana, 9 May 1864.  Lee was promoted to Lt. Gen. on 23 Jun 1864, making him the youngest at this grade in the Confederate Army.

Our Boys were very much mortified at the idea of giving up our Battery to another company, and thought that Some disparagement to the company was meant and a good many of them left forthwith to go back to Arkansas and Said they would never support him under the circumstances, fifteen left at the time….

And here the letter ends, but not the story.  Four months after writing the letter, on the 19^th of October, George W. Holderness would be sent to Ross Hospital in Mobile, Alabama with acute diarrhea.  He died there on November 17, 1864.  His Effects were listed as "sundries" and he was owed $91.75 by the Confederate Army.  It is not surprising his brother kept the letter.