Digging Up Your Family

Every now and again, when browsing antique newspapers (I assume the 100 year rule applies even to digitized newspapers when labeling between antique and vintage, right?) I come across little items requesting genealogical information.  Now, I don’t always see them in the same newspapers every week.  For example, this was in an Atlanta Constitution on a Sunday, but I don’t always see them in that particular newspaper every Sunday.  Maybe my eyes don’t always catch them, or perhaps they just don’t do them often.  ANYWAY, this morning while browsing to see what happened in Atlanta 100 years ago today, I spotted one.  And decided to share!

From The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia), 5 September 1915, page 3:

GENEALOGICAL

Conducted by Mrs. Walter S. Wilson, No. 221 E. Jones Street, Savannah, Ga. [please be aware that this address is over 100 years old and do not write to it!]

Correspondents will please: 1. Write plainly, especially names.  2. Give dates of approximate dates, localities or clew to the state in which ancestors lived.  3. Write queries on separate slip from letter, or one side of paper, and inclose stamp for each query.  4. Give full name and address, which will not be published unless so desired.

Thornton.

Would like to get into communication with descendants of Mathew Thornton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

“AUGUSTA.”

Wooten.

Information is desired of Colonel Thomas Wooten, who had a daughter Tabitta.

Moore-Tyson.

Information desired of John Moore, of North Carolina, whose wife was Martha Tyson.  Who were his parents?

Lewis-Adams.

1.  William Lewis, son of John Lewis, of Staunton, Va., married Ann Montgomery, niece of General Montgomery. Who were her parents?

2.  Mary Lewis, daughter of William Lewis, and his wife, Ann Montgomery, married Robert Adams, Sr.  Their daughter, Judith Adams, married Micajah Clarke, February 10, 1736.  Two other daughters married Moormans.  Where can I get a history of this Adams family?

Hendry-McGhee.

Information desired of the family of Dr. Charles Hendry, born April 10, 1776, in Virginia; married Nancy McGhee, of Virginia.

Lindley-Blair.

Information desired of Jonathan Lindley’s family, who married about 1790 Nancy Blair.

As you can see, even our ancestors were searching for information, however they were unable to contact each other as easily as we can now! 

I cannot say much about the early life of Ambrose Anderson.  he does not show up on any official record that I have found until September 28, 1864 when he enlisted in Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee into Company I, 15th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry.  At the time he gave the information that he was twenty years of age, five feet and six inches tall, black complexion, black hair, black eyes, born in Trigg County, Kentucky, and was a farmer.

I did a bit of research and discovered that in 1840 and 1850, Philemon H Anderson was the only slave holding Anderson in Trigg County.  Assuming that Ambrose took his surname from his owner (terrible word, huh?), as many former slaves did, we can infer that Philemon would have been said owner.

I don’t know what kind of a person Philemon H Anderson was, to either his family or his slaves.  One would automatically assume that Ambrose may have run away, although there is no proof of that – no newspaper blurbs advertising money for capture, etc, that I have yet found.  What I do know about Philemon is that he owned, prior to his death in 1866, the Cerulean Springs Hotel in Trigg County, Kentucky.  According to an article published in the Cadiz Record back in 2013:

The reputation of the healing aspects of the waters at Cerulean Springs led to the building of the first hotel by Kinchen Kilebrew and his wife, Martha, who opened the health resort in 1817. The land on which it was located consisted of three hundred and seventy acres. “Kilebrew erected some crude long cabins on this land for the treatment of the ill.” In the next twenty years, the resort was operated by Joseph Caldwell, William C. Thompson, and Philipps Crow. These men made several additions to the resort, but it was not until Colonel Philemon H. Anderson bought the property for $2,200 in 1835 that the first large building was constructed. Development on the property was initially delayed due to a boundary dispute which if proven would have meant that the spring was not in the tract of land owned by Anderson. Although it required several years of legal wrangling the matter was ultimately settled in Anderson’s favor, and during his ownership, the Cerulean Springs Hotel became very well known. Anderson is thought to have accomplished more in the establishment of the resort’s notoriety than any other person, and his affinity for the property was evident in his desire to be buried on the grounds, near the ballroom so that he might be near the “sweet strains of music”. His request was fulfilled at his death in October, 1866, but his remains were moved to a cemetery in Hopkinsville in 1878.
Read more: Cadiz Record – Cerulean Springs Hotel part 1

Back to Ambrose.

Ambrose enlisted, as stated above, on September 28, 1864 in Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee, for a term of three years (I guess at this point they weren’t adding on “or until the end of the war”, perhaps not expecting an end any time soon?).  Claiming to be twenty years of age, that would place his birthdate around 1844. 

Something interesting to note, on August 9, 1865 he has a transfer card stating that he was in the 9th Regiment Heavy Artillery, although his muster cards all have 15th Regiment Infantry.

Ambrose mustered out on April 7, 1866.

I cannot find Ambrose in the 1870 census.  I have searched and search, but to no avail (feel free to help me out if you wish!).

On April 1, 1873 Ambrose married Lucas Atkins in Henry County, Tennessee.

(side note: in 1870 Lucus was living with John DeWitt Clinton Atkins, most likely her former owner.  According to the Henry County Historical Society (Henry County, Tennessee) Facebook page:John DeWitt Clinton Atkins (for whom Atkins-Porter School was named) was the only man to return to the U.S. Congress after serving in the Confederate Congress. He was chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations. During Reconstruction, Atkins was instrumental in removing federal troops from the South. He was appointed U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs by President Grover Cleveland. Atkins is buried in the Paris City Cemetery located at the end of Ruff Street.

You can click here for the Wikipedia page about JDC Atkins.)

ANYWAY, by 1880 Ambrose and Lucas had a daughter named Darling.  They are found in the census living in Paris, Henry County, Tennessee.  Although they are enumerated as a different family, they are actually living in the same house as another family and a boarder.Mahala Atkins, female, mulatto, age 62 years, head of household

Sadenia Atkins, female, mulatto, age 14 years, daughter

Mable Atkins, female, black, age 9 years, granddaughter

Ambrose Anderson, male, black, age 40 years, head of household, laborer

Lucas Anderson, female, mulatto, age 29 years, wife

Darling Anderson, female, black, age 10 years, daughter

Ambrose has now placed his birth around 1840, rather than 1844.

Sadly, sometime between 1880 and 1892 Lucas died.  I do not know when, and I don’t know where she was interred.

Ambrose married Mrs. Pennie Cooper on January 23, 1892 in Henry County, Tennessee.

In 1900, Ambrose and Pennie are living in District 1, Henry County, Tennessee.Ambrose Anderson, male, black, age 61 years, born October 1838, married 8 years, railroad laborer, head of household

Pennie Anderson, female, black, age 44 years, born March 1856, married 8 years, mother to 3 children (none living), wife

John Kendall, male, black, age 27 years, born February 1873, single, boarder

Now Ambrose is even older!

Again, sometime between 1900 and 1910 Ambrose lost his second wife.  I do know know when, and I don not know where she is interred.

The last years of his life, Ambrose lived with the Peyton Family.

1910 US Census, District 108, Paris, Henry County, TennesseeBen Peyton, male, black, age 38 years, head of household

Alice Peyton, female, black, age 35 years, wife

Mary L Peyton, female, black, age 4 years, daughter

Carolina Johnson, female, black, age 55 years, stepmother

Ambrose Anderson, male, black, age 69 years, boarder

1920 US Census, District 105, Paris, Henry County, TennesseeAlice Payton/Peyton, female, mulatto, age 40 years, head of household

Mary Lee Peyton, female, mulatto, age 9 years, daughter

(Eloner?) Peyton, female, mulatto, age 3 1/2 years, daughter

Morris Peyton, male, mulatto, age 9 months, son

Ambrose Anderson, male, black, age 77 years, boarder

Interestingly, there is no death record for Ambrose that I have been able to find.  I only know of his death place and location from his military records.  He died on June 7, 1927 in Parish, Henry County, Tennessee.  I do not know where he is interred.

I would love to know the circumstances of how he was able to make his way down to Clarksville to enlist.  Was he given his freedom, or did he sneak off?  Did anyone else go with him? 

The other day I was browsing through the United States Confederate Officers Card Index, 1861-1865 on Family Search and I came across an interesting card.  It was for Colonel Charles DeMorse.

DeMorse, Charles

Texas

Colonel, 29 Texas Cavalry Regiment,

from June 1862;

wounded (left arm) at Honey Springs, Indian

Terr., July 17, 1863

The above information isn’t what caught my eye, though.  It was the information provided on the back:

Leicester, Mass., January 31, 1816

October 25, 1887

Born Charles Denny Morse, his signature “Charles D. Morse” reulted in the rendering of his name as recorded and he adopted that spelling soon after his arrival in Texas.

That’s pretty neat to be able to see how his name changed.  But wait!  There’s more!

Charles Denny Morse was born January 31, 1816 in Leicester, Worcester County, Massachusetts to parents Aaron Morse and Mary Denny (who married May 1, 1815).  He married Lodoiska G Woolridge (I am unsure of the date). Colonel Charles DeMorse died on October 25, 1887.  There is a very nice obituary for him (and his picture) on Find A Grave (click here).

I always find name changes interesting.  I think of my own family, and the Demonbreuns in particular.  One line went from Boucher to Demonbreun (as explained in a previous Demonbreun post), and now it is rare to find any two branches from Timothy that spell the name the same is rare.

In an article from the Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas) on March 19, 1970 (p. 10):

ALTHOUGH HIS TEXAS fans had rather not admit it, Charles Denny Morse was born in Massachusetts.  But at 19, he sailed from New York with a company of volunteers to help Texas gain its freedom from Mexico.  Their vessel was captured by a British ship and taken to the Bahamas under suspicion of piracy.

The men were tried and exonerated, but Morse did get a new name.  The officer enrolling the men before the trial wrote it down Charles DeMorse.  The young adventurer like it, continued to use it in that form and eventually had it legalized by the Texas Congress.

So there you go!