Gone for Soldiers: Isaac Leonard (About 1790 - 1862), Soldier, Part II

As we discovered in an earlier post, Isaac Leonard served as a private in Captain Asal Power's company of New York Militia in Jefferson County during the War of 1812.

[Ancestry.com. New York, War of 1812 Payroll Abstracts for New York State Militia, 1812-1815 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: 2013. Original data: War of 1812 abstracts of payrolls for New York State militia ("payroll cards"), 1812–1814. Series B0810 (23.5 cu. ft.). New York (State). Adjutant General’s Office. New York State Archives, Albany, New York.]

But this appears to be the only militia record for Isaac which covers less than a month of service, so I wondered what was going on at that time. Although there had been several battles at Sacket's Harbor (on Lake Ontario) in Jefferson County earlier in the war, histories didn't note any actions during the period between October 12 and November 8, 1814.

[Sackets Harbor, NY during the War of 1812. U.S. Naval Historical Center]

But persistence paid off and I found a county history published in 1854 that explains the situation.

 

[A history of Jefferson County in the state of New York by Franklin Benjamin Hough, 1822-1885.

Publisher Albany, J. Munsell; Watertown, N.Y., Sterling & Riddell, 1854. Source: Internet Archive..]

Using that information I was able to find this contemporary newspaper report published in the Paris, Kentucky, Western Citizen.

[Saturday, November 5, 1814   Paper: Western Citizen (Paris, Kentucky)   Volume: 7   Issue: 41   Page: 2. This entire product and/or portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society. 2004.Source: GenealogyBank.com]

The war ended in December 1814 with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, although that wasn't known until several months later.

There's now a state park at Sackets Harbor.


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Three Hartley Family Portraits

James and Mary (Tibbetts) Hartley, with their children in the early 1890s.  Clockwise from left: Delia Hartley, John "Jack" Hartley, Mary Catherine Hartley, and George Hartley (my great grandfather) in the center. Maud Hartley is at the bottom.  From my personal collection.

The first portrait was likely taken before James and Mary's last son, Paul Hartley, was born in 1894 (an eleven year difference from their last child, Joey, who died as an infant in 1883).  The picture was likely taken in either Los Angeles, where they were in the early 1890s, or in San Diego.

Hartleys about 1901.  Unfortunately I do not have a better resolution picture so making it bigger makes it more blurry.  My dear cousin Sarah sent this to me recently and I was very excited because it appears that my great grandfather George Hartley's first wife, Jane Denby, is in the picture (back row far left, next to my great grandfather).  I'm not sure where this was taken.

About 1904, almost certainly in their citrus grove in North Park, San Diego.  James Monroe Hartley (1846-1904),seated, would die by July, most likely from cancer.  John "Jack" Hartley (1876-1937) is crouched beside his father, little brother Paul Hartley (1894-1969), stands behind him.  Mary Jane (Tibbetts) Hartley (1852-1940) is resting her hands on James.  I'm unsure who the three women on the right of her are, likely Delia, maybe Jane Denby, and  Mary Catherine??.  My great grandfather is in the center back holding his first son, James Denby Hartley, and  it is likely Ella (Dodge) Hartley, Jack's wife, holding their first child, Marian.  Courtesy of dear Hermit in the Valley (Ancestry), who has countless images of Mary Jane Tibbetts' relations.

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Memento Mori: Memorial Day

James Chappell Warren, Jr., my paternal grandfather, served in the U.S. Navy during World War I.
We don't have his portrait so this Draft Registration card has our only physical description of hiim.

[Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.]

We found out the ships he served on through the headstone application filed by his sister Mary Ann in 1936, two years after their mother's death.

[Ancestry.com. U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941. Microfilm publication M1916, 134 rolls. ARC ID: 596118. Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, Record Group 92. National Archives at Washington, D.C.]

[U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.]

[New Hampshire in the Hudson River in December 1918]

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Feriby/Pheraby Sowell (About 1749 - 1813)

With this fifth great grandmother we have another female ancestor about whom very little is known except for what can be inferred from her father's and husband's wills and other probate records found in Bertie County, North Carolina, including from an inventory taken after her own death in 1813.

If we have her lineage correct Feriby was very young when her father John Sowell died in 1755. In his will, written in 1750, John directed that she and her four sisters were to be given their "Potions" when they were fifteen.

[Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: North Carolina County, District and Probate Courts.]

Item My will and Pleasure is that the Rest of my
Esttate after all Charges is Paid to be equally
Divided Between my Beloved wife Anne Sowell
and my four Daughters my beloved wife have
ing her first choys and firther I desire that
my four Daughters may have their Potion Deli
vered to them when they com to the age of
fifteen years old and all and Every of the ar
ticles above written to Mary Elisbeth Feriby
Ann and their heirs forever

I haven't found any record of her marriage to Thomas Ward, a widower with four small children, but her first child was born in 1768 when Feriby would have been about 18. My direct ancestor Elizabeth Ward was the fifth of her seven children.

By the time of the first federal census in 1790, only three daughters seem to have been living in the household with Thomas and Feriby, along with 16 enslaved persons.

[Ancestry.com. 1790 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: First Census of the United States, 1790 (NARA microfilm publication M637, 12 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

Thomas Ward died in 1796 leaving a will drawn up a year earlier. It's getting late here in France* so I'll be covering that later this week along with records from Feriby's probate in 1813.

*Nine hours ahead of San Diego.

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Sunday Drive: Pigeon Bus, Verdun - 1916

During the week Bonnie and I spent in Paris during my 2014 trip to France one of the places we went was the  Musée de la Grande Guerre. Opened in 2011 on the site of the 1914 Battle of the Marne, this museum houses a collection of artifacts of World War I imaginatively displayed. There are even full-size recreations of the types of trenches used by the opposing armies on opposite sides of the largest hall.

My single favorite item in the museum was this "pigeon bus" used by Allied forces as mobile coops for homing pigeons.

[From my personal collection]

Although Union generals made extensive use of the telegraph during the American Civil War fifty years before, battlefield conditions in World War I made it impracticable because the lines were either lost in the mud or destroyed by enemy action. That left homing pigeons as the best choice for carrying messages.**

 According to Google Translate, the label for this object also on display at the Musée describes it as a "hand-made pigeon holder"

[From my personal collection]

*If you want to read more about the use of these birds during the war, here's a link to a Smithsonian article on the subject.

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Vacation Road Trip!: The Great Wagon Road/Wilderness Road

All this cleaning up of my locations in Legacy 9 reminds me that I need to learn more about Colonial and American era migration routes.  This video is about the The Wilderness Road, which I'm sure my ancestors like the Noslers and Hibbs traveled along.





© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Testing, Testing: My DNA Results from National Geographic's Geneographic Project

There weren't any surprises when I looked at the results from my Geno 2.0 Next Generation test: 99% European divided into 40% Northwestern Europe, 32% Southwestern Europe and 26% Eastern Europe. Their regions are larger and less well defined than those in my other tests but overall the results track with what I already knew based on my known pedigree and had confirmed by AncestryDNA and 23andMe. (Oh, and I'm 1.5% Neanderthal according to this test, less than predicted by 23andMe but still higher than the average of this test's 834,322 participants.*)

Through what they're calling "Genius Matches" I'm informed that I share direct maternal ancestors with the Italian renaissance poet Petrarch (perhaps as recently as 25,000 years ago) and Abraham Lincoln (maybe as far as 65,000 years back). What value does this information have to me? If it's intended to make me feel a closer connection to these two historic figures, it's not working.**

[Portrait of Francesco Petrarca from Wikimedia Commons]

Because I participated in Nat Geo's earlier mitochondrial DNA test I already knew that my maternal haplogroup is J1C2. Those of you who have still to find out their own*** may find the section explaining the development of the various haplogroups useful.

The major problem I have with this test is illustrated in this quote from the Project's FAQ in response to a query about the availability of the raw data:

For Geno 2.0 Next Gen Participants (but not Geno 2.0 Next Gen Helix co-branded kits) the raw analytical output from your DNA sample is available for purchase through our partner, Family Tree DNA. Go to My Profile, select the My Results tab and scroll down till you see Transfer my Results on the right hand side. 

For Geno 2.0 Next Gen Helix co-branded kit Participants, we are currently exploring options to be able to make this available to you.

As someone who used the Helix-branded kit not only can't I see my raw data now, it's clear from the first sentence above that if/when it will be available, I would have to pay extra for it.

In retrospect I'm not sure what I was expecting from this DNA test when I sent my little tube across town (literally, as Helix is a San Diego based company) but I'm underwhelmed by the results and looking around on the internet I see that I'm not alone.


*According to the website that's the number to date.
**I'm not sure whether I'm more irked than amused by these matches.
***To discover your haplogroup might be the only reason I would recommend this product to anyone.


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Free Military Records At Ancestry Through Memorial Day!

"Sq. 9, Co. A 7th Training Reg't., Plattsburg" (Plattsburg Camp?), circa 1915-1920, glass negative, from Bain News Service; Library of Congress Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/34755592915/: accessed 25 May 2017).

Great news for anyone not an Ancestry subscriber.  U.S. military records will be free on Ancestry until Monday, May 29 at 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time).






© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Not Working on Wednesday: Harry Slater & Friends Behaving Badly

 Guess which one is my grandfather?

[Courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

He's not the guy in the dress or the dude with the cane. Yep, that's Harry in the most embarrassing costume in the frame.


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Genealogy Overhaul, Not Quite a Do Over

My ongoing cleanup of all locations in Legacy 9 has provided a much needed break from research mode. I can't believe how many mistakes have crept into our tree over the years!

When I have done all the cleanup I can take forfor the day I've spent the remainder of my free time brushing up on basics, like making the most of what I already have access to, like subscription databases and freely available resources, like FamilySearch.

I found a nice overview/review of FamilySearch presented by James Tanner:

One thing I learned from this video was "The Family History Guide," a "free, structured and sequenced learning experience with links to over a thousand additional help topics."  The front page states that it is an approved training resource for FamilySearch.  Pretty cool, especially for begiiners!


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

School Days: High School Football Team - Severy, Kansas

We know that my maternal grandfather Harry Slater played baseball. Did he play football too?

[Courtesy of Olive Slater-Kennedy]

I don't recognize Harry in this group but if he is there is would have been taken around 1906 since we know that after high school he studies to be a pharmacist and received his license in 1908.

Love the goat!


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Sunday Drive: Grenfell Ranch, South Dakota - 1951

Obviously I was having loads of fun sitting up on that big horse with Uncle Dick (Mother's younger brother Richard Grenfell, 1904-1981).

[From my personal collection]

Here's a view of the Grenfell place taken that same year which I shared in an earlier post about the trailer.

[From my personal collection]

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

A Short Blog Post After a Long Day

Me, circa 1972/1973.

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: Peter Worden II - New Plymouth, New England, 1680 (Part II)

Last week we looked at the first part of the will of the younger immigrant Peter Worden who had come to America with his father in about 1638. Now here's what he added to that will at a later date.

This 29th of July 1680, I Peter Worden yett Remaining in perfect ~ ~
memory though weak in body doe add this to my Will as a further ~ ~ ~
explanation; firstly that my ^wife have all her own disposall what ever shee
can raise of my land and Cattle in the improvement of them; during her life
for her support and is there be any overpluss to dispose it to my children
as shee shall see need
Whereas I have in my will given to my son Samuel all the cattle that
hee hath bin possessed of by mee; excepting two oxen my will it that as

["Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997D-V3ZQ?cc=2018320&wc=M6BX-F29%3A338083801 : 20 May 2014), > image 514 & 515 of 616; State Archives, Boston.]

my son hath them principally for to doe the worke of my ~ ~
family, plowing and carting etc soe likewise that hee keepeth three
steers more of my Cattle; and when hee hath brought to of them to worke
suitable to supply the Round[?] of those above said two oxen, then I give one of
the old oxen to my wife and the other to my son Samuell; and
the third steer my son Samuell shall keep to the halves, hee to
have one halfe and his mother the other halfe; and my will is that
my son Samuell will breake other of my steers during my wife's
life to be in reddyness to doe the work as above said; and att my wife's
decease my will is that the two oxen that be then in Government shall
goe to my son Samuell with the house and land that my wife 
liveth on; likewise I give to my son Samuell my Gun and all my takleing
for plowing and carting and housebondry after my wife's decease and my son
Samuell is to provide his mother with firewood during her life
and likewise to provide hay for my cattle during his mother's life that
is to say to Gett the hay mowed and made and stacked and have
the oxen and Cart if a reddyness for that end the stocke of cattle, to
pay for the geting of the said hay excepting cart and oxen for draught
Further whereas my son Kendline Winslow oweth mee forty
shillings I give him twenty shillings of it; and whereas my son John
Burge oweth mee thirty shillings I give him twenty of it; and likewise 
I give my Indian servant to my son Samuell after my wife's ~ ~
decease; as Witness my hand and seal the day and year above said
Memorandum I except one Cow and Calfe that I have in Samuell's
hand ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Signed and sealed in the presence                          Peter Worden
of us John Freeman Senior: An?isson;                   And a {Seal}
Silas Sares

Next time we'll look at the inventory of Peter's estate.

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Thursday Night Free Webinar: Debbie Parker Wayne Presents "MAXY DNA: Correlating mt-at-X-Y DNA with the GPS"

Need tips from an expert on using the DNA results in a genealogical proof standard?  You know I do!

Debbie Wayne Parker presented "MAXY DNA: Correlating mt-at-X-Y DNA with the GPS" on May 16, 2017:

MAXY DNA includes mitochondrial DNA (M), autosomal DNA (A), X-DNA (X), and Y-DNA (Y). Case studies demonstrate analysis principles and techniques that work. Learn to correlate DNA test results with documentary research as part of the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS).

This webinar is hosted and sponsored by the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

1 hour 27 minutes.  Free for non-subscribers through May 23, 2017.



© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Working on Wednesday: Work on the New Basement Continues - Encanto, 1951

Several weeks ago I shared photos of the beginnings of the new basement. Here are some progress photos taken in late 1951 and early 1952.

[Basement of new room - November 51 - Ready to pour]

[Looking at basement of new room from east - Nov 51 - Ready to pour]

[1952 - Living Room]

In the last picture I appear to have bravely wandered out on the floor joists.

[Detail of above photo, all from my personal collection]

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Getting Inspired to Continue Cleaning Up My Locations: Geoff Rasmussen Presents "September 5, 2014: Locations, Mapping and Legacy"

I'm still in the process of cleaning up my locations.  I didn't realize that we had at least 2 or 3 different ways to express any given location.  Take Anaheim, a city in Los Angeles County, California:

Anaheim
Anaheim, CA
Anaheim, California
Anaheim, Los Angeles, California
Anaheim, Los Angeles, California, United States
Anaheim, Los Angeles, California, USA
Anaheim, Los Angeles County, California
Anaheim, Los Angeles County, California, USA
Anaheim, Los Angeles County, California, United States of America
Anaheim, Los Angeles, California, United States of America

and the list goes on.

So yeah, it's taking more time than I originally expected, but that is what I get for not determining a standard way to add location names in my Ancestry tree.  Don't be like me!  Standardize your locations, in as specific a way as possible, now!


The reason I am doing all this is to have a smooth, functional database of location names.  It helps me to get inspired when I see what others do when it comes to locations.  If you also user Legacy you might be inspired by the September 5, 2014 Legacy Virtual User's Group Meeting, free from Legacy Family Tree Webinars, "Locations, Mapping and Legacy," headed by Geoff Rasmussen.  As usual, there is a lot to learn from these webinars.


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Alta Mae Slater (1917 - 1986)

Although I never met my birth mother I have a lot of pictures of her, thanks to my Aunt Topsy.*

[Grandad (Tomlinson) built pen of quakers/Alta at Camp Rain, probably 1918]

[Alta and her brother James, probably 1920]

[Alta Mae, undated photo]

[Eighth Grade Graduation, Alta is in the front row, second from the right]

[Alta at Longmont High]

[Alta (high school?)]

[Alta (undated)]

[Alta c.1950 at her brother's house in California]

[Undated, but cute!]

[Alta in Japan c.1954]

[Alta - Longfellow School, Oakland, California, 1960s]

[Alta and husband Pete Norville again visiting family in California, c.1970]

*Alta's sister-in-law, she married James Slater. All the photos in this post (except the Oakland one) are from family collections that she's graciously shared with us.



© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Celebrations: Mother's Day

Here we are, the mother who raised me, Bernice Evangeline Grenfell Curry and I cavorting in the water in Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The year was 1948 and I was one year old.*

[From my personal collection]

*Since I have absolutely no recollection of this event it's fortunate that Dad labeled the slide.



© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Saturday Night Free Legacy Family Tree Webinar: Jane Wilcox Presents "New York City and State Governmental Vital Records"

I don't have any direct ancestors from New York City, but I definitely have a lot from upstate New York, and I struggle to find information beyond censuses.

Jane Wilcox explains how to approach New York City and state records in "New York City and State Governmental Vital Records" which was recorded yesterday, May 12, 2017:

New York is a notoriously challenging state to find birth, death and marriage records. Navigating New York City and State governmental vital records requires a "quick sheet" to make sure you have looked in every possible place to find the indexes and the records. Civil registration jurisdictions need to be clearly understood and considered, plus the key dates for laws and regulations that give context to what was actually collected, and when. And importantly, learn what is accessible today and how to order records. We'll also explore examples for using the records.

Free to non-subscribers through May 19, 2017.  Runs 1 hour 32 minutes.





© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

From the Probate Files: Peter Worden II - New Plymouth, New England, 1680

Last month we looked at the will of another Peter Worden who was this Peter Worden's father. Both men had arrived in Yarmouth in about 1638. This will, written in 1679, included a mention of the land in Old England left to him by his father.

["Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-V3DG?cc=2018320&wc=M6BX-F29 : 20 May 2014), > image 514 of 616; State Archives, Boston.]

I Peter Worden of the towne of Yarmouth in the collonie of New Plymouth
in New England in America about saventy one years of age being weake in
body yett in perfect memory doe make this my last will and testament ~ ~ ~
Firstly I bequeath my soule to God that gave it and my body to the earth to be
decently buryed when God's time is to remove mee out of this world by death ~ ~
Secondly. I make my son Samuell Worden my whole and sole executor to
whom I give all my lands upon the necke called Equinett Necke with all the
priviledges therto belonging, to him and his heires and assignes forever with
eight acrees of land att the south sea; to the said necke soe likewise I give
to my son Samuell Worden all my housing and land that I now live upon
after his mother's decease both upland and marsh and orchyard and the
land I bought to Mr. Allin; with all other lands due to mee from the towne
not yett layed out or from the country as procured by the late warr with
the indians; so likewise I give to my son Samuell my best bedsted and
my trundle bedsted; ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Thirdly I give to my daughter Martha the wife of Joseph Severens
a peece of marsh about three acrees be it more or lesse lying att the head
of the marsh above John Burgis his ditch; during her naturall life; and
after I give it to my son Samuell Worden to whom I likewise give ~
all the cattle that hee hath bine possessed of by mee excerpting two oxen ~ ~ ~
Fourthly I give to my loving wife Mary Worden the proffitts and improvement
of my housing and lands and orchyards that I now live upon during her natural
life, both upland and marsh with the land I bought of Mr. Allin and all
my household good and cattle for her support during her life and my will is
that what of my goods and cattle are left after my wife decease shal be
equally divided betwixt my three daughters Mary, Mercy and Martha ~~
Fifthly I give to my son Samuell Worden all my estate in old England
both land and other estate that came by my wife ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sixthly I give to my daughter Mary the wife of John Burgis, the one half of my
forth acrees of upland att the head of the lotts to her her heires and assignes
forever ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Seaventhly I give to my daughter Martha the wife of Joseph Severens
all the cattle and goods that; shee is already possessed of by mee with one cow ~ ~
more att my decease and after her decease my will is that what of them are left
shall fall to her two daughters now living ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Lastly I give to my son Samuell Worden my Chist and my cloake;
Signed and sealed before                  Peter Worden [and a Seale]
us this 9th day of January 1679
John Freeman Senior
Silas Sares*   

On July 29, 1680, Peter Worden wrote an addition to this will "as a further explanation" which I will address in a future post.
.


*This transcription is based on one found at USGenWeb donated by Don Ross which I have edited and amended using the scan of the original.



© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Throwback Thursday: Mission Bay High School ID

Another high school ID, this time the 1987-1988 year at Mission Bay High School (my 11th grade).

Nice mullet.


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Gone for Soldiers: Civil War Trust Announces Preservation of 319 Acres at Historic Champion Hill Battlefield in Mississippi

With this addition, to date nearly 800 acres the Champion Hill Battlefield have been saved and will, in time, become part of the National Park Service's Vicksburg National Military Park.**

Almost exactly 154 years ago* my great great grandfather Dick Worden, a private in the 24th Iowa Regiment, was one of the soldiers in Grant's amy who took part in the first assault of the battle which ended in the rout of Confederate forces and sealed the fate of Vicksburg.

[Photo from the Mississippi Historical Markers website]

Here's an excerpt from the 24th Iowa's Regimental History describing their role in the battle:

It was engaged in constant skirmishing from that time to the battle of Champion's hill, where it proved the equal of any regiment engaged. At one time it advanced unsupported charged a battery of 5 guns that was creating havoc, fairly ran over the men at the guns, and drove the supporting infantry in wild confusion, but was compelled by overwhelming numbers to fall back. Forty-three were killed, 40 mortally wounded and nearly 30 maimed for life, the total loss in killed, wounded and captured being 195 out of 417 engaged.

It's great to know that someday I will be able to visit Champion Hill with my daughter and grandson to see where our ancestor helped preserve the Union.


*The fighting commenced on May 16, 1863
**When Bonnie and I visited Vicksburg in May, 2003, I didn't know that one of my ancestors had been there during the Civil War.


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

My School ID from 30 Years Ago

My tenth grade year.  The shorter my hair is, the curlier it gets!

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.