Military Monday: Remembering Nathan Braddy

And so, after a week of looking at ancestors who served in the Civil War, today, Memorial Day, we'll look at the one ancestor which I have uncovered who died during the war. Nathan Braddy was one of the first generation of soldiers to be honored on Decoration Day or, as we know it, Memorial Day.

NATHAN BRADDY

REGIMENT: 48th Georgia

COMPANY: A

RANK: Corporal

ENLISTMENT DATE: March 4, 1862

AGE AT ENLISTMENT: 31

Nathan is my 3rd great grandfather....long way back and not much is known other than small tidbits gathered from US Census records and his Civil War record. Here's what is pretty sure however, Nathan died of Typhoid Fever in Richmond, Virginia, after serving with the Confederacy for only five months.

In the five months that Nathan served, the 48th Georgia saw heavy action in the Battle of Seven Pines, the Seven Days Battles, and Battle of Cold Harbor all of which took place in northern Virginia. 

BORN: about 1831
DIED: July 24, 1862

PARENTS: Believed to be Cullen Braddy and Mariah Thigpen Braddy

SPOUSE: Nancy______

CHILDREN: Mary (abt. 1833-
                       Hillary (abt. 1835-
                       Martilla (abt. 1842-
                       Madelon (abt. 1853-

RELATIONSHIP: Angie Abbate (Mood)
                                  Eucebia Jane Thomas (Abbate)
                                   Mildred Arlene Silas (Thomas)
                                     John Franklin Silas, Jr.
                                       Madelon Braddy (Silas)
                                          Nathan Braddy

Theodore Stockton, 160th Ohio Infantry

This week, looking towards Memorial Day, I'll give some background on the men in our family tree who served in the United States Civil War. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was established to honor those who died while serving in either the Union or Confederate armies.

THEODORE STOCKTON

REGIMENT: 160th Ohio Infantry
COMPANY: K

ENLISTMENT DATE: May 2, 1864
AGE AT ENLISTMENT: 18

Theodore was mustered in to a brand new regiment of Ohio volunteers in Zanesville, Ohio on May 2, 1864. The regiment was sent immediately to the Harper's Ferry area and enlisted to guard supply trains at Martinsburg, West Virginia. Harper's Ferry was a strategic location on the railroad in the northern Shenandoah Valley which changed hands eight times over the course of the War. With the capture of 12,419 Union troops by the Confederacy, Harper's Ferry represented the largest capture of United States troops until the Battle of Baatan in World War II. One hundred and fifty four years ago this week, the 160th Ohio was encamped in Newtown, still guarding the Union supply trains. They continued to support operations in and around the Harper's Ferry area during the summer of 1864, living in and working out of the Harper's Ferry trenches. By the summer of 1864, Harper's Ferry was firmly back in the Union grasp where it remained for the duration of the War. The entire regiment was mustered out September 17, 1864 and sent home. *


BORN: January 14, 1846
DIED: April 29, 1899

PARENTS: Delos Sharp Stockton and Rua Malott

SPOUSE: Sarah Jane Winner

CHILDREN: Stella J. Stockton (1869-
                Myrtle Stockton (1874-
                Owen Delos Stockton (1879-1940)
                Carrie Stockton (1883-
                Rosy Stockton (1887-

RELATIONSHIP: Angie Abbate Mood
                               Victor James Abbate, Sr.
                                  Lena May Stockton (Abbate)
                                    Owen Delos Stockton
                                      Theodore Stockton

*Regimental history from the National Park Service

Those Places Thursday: "Just a Boy" at Andersonville

This week, looking towards Memorial Day, I'll give some background on the men in our family tree who served in the United States Civil War. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was established to honor those who died while serving in either the Union or Confederate armies.

Thomas Hansel Sheperd

REGIMENT: 3rd Georgia Reserves

COMPANY: A
RANK: Corporal

ENLISTMENT DATE: April 23, 1864
AGE AT ENLISTMENT: 18

Family oral history says that Thomas (T.H.) served as a guard at the Camp Sumter Military Prison at Andersonville, Georgia. Prison and regimental histories confirm that the 3rd Georgia, Company A, were indeed at Andersonville, among other locations. Records show that by August 1864 (3 months after Thomas enlisted) the prison held over 32.000 Union prisoners and the death rate was over 100 soldiers a day. Andersonville was a horrific place for any man to have experienced and Thomas was "just a boy" as his widow recounted in an interview in the 1920s long after T.H. had passed away.

According to Thomas' Indigent Solider's Pension Application, he was released from the 3rd Georgia and sent to Augusta, Georgia to "tend the sick" around April 1, 1865. (This date coincides with the closing of Andersonville Prison.)  The 3rd Georgia was captured in Columbus, Georgia, on April 15, 1865 and surrendered to the Union troops. Thomas was still in Augusta at the surrender and family members believe that he walked home, 100 miles, from Augusta...he was 19 years old.

Thomas married Mary Anna Ruth Harvey on December 21, 1865 after arriving home from the War. Thomas became a well respected citizen of the Laurens County area. He was a farmer, a land owner, and he served for many years on the Dexter City Council. He was considered a "pioneer" of the town of Dexter. 

Thomas applied for an Indigent Civil War Veteran's Pension in 1907 and was denied because he was a landowner. He applied again in 1911 and was granted a pension of $60 annually. This pension application shows a substantial reduction in his land holdings and a deterioration in his health.

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Thomas and Mary had celebrated 49 years of marriage at the time of his death in 1913. Thomas is buried in the Sheperd Family Cemetery in Dexter, Georgia which is now located on private property.

Oath of Office: Justice of the Peace, Laurens County, Georgia

BORN: September 15, 1846 in Hawkinsville, Pulaski County, Georgia

DIED: June 16, 1913 in Dexter, Laurens County, Georgia

PARENTS: James Monroe Sheperd and Mary Ann Higdon

SPOUSE: Mary Anna Ruth Harvey

CHILDREN: Ida Pearl Sheperd (died in a fire as an infant)

                       James Thomas Sheperd (1865-

                       Mary Jane Sheperd (1868-1947)

                       Childs Raymond Sheperd (1870-1954)

                       Julian Wesley Sheperd 1873-

                       George Fulton Sheperd (1876-1953)

                       Ovey Sheperd (1879-

                       Nancy Lou Sheperd (1881-1970)

                       Walter Jackson Sheperd (1884-

RELATIONSHIP: Angie Abbate (Mood)
                                 Eucebia Jane Thomas (Abbate)
                                   Daniel Claude Thomas
                                     Mary Jane Sheperd (Thomas)
                                       Thomas Hansel Sheperd

Tombstone Tuesday: PVT Israel Augustus Alligood

This week, looking toward Memorial Day, I'll give some background on the men in our family tree who fought in the United States Civil War. By virtue of location you will find men who fought for the Union Army and the Confederate States of America. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was established to honor those who died while in either the Union or Confederate Armies during the Civil War.

Israel Augustus Alligood

DIVISION: Wilcox
BRIGADE: Thomas
REGIMENT: 49th Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry
COMPANY: G

RANK: Private

ENLISTMENT DATE: March 4, 1862
AGE AT ENLISTMENT: 27

The 49th took an active part in the campaigns of the army from Seven Pines to Cold Harbor, fought in the Petersburg trenches south of the James River, and was involved in the Appomattox operations. It reported 78 casualties in the Second Manassas and 61 at Fredericksburg. The unit lost 13% at Chancellorsville and more than 25% of the remaining 329 at Gettysburg. It surrendered with 8 officers and 103 men*, barely 10% of the original troops.

Company Muster Roll and Hospital records give a pretty comprehensive picture of Israel's time in the War.

Dates	Description
March to April 1862	Present, sick in camp
May to June 1862	Present
July to August 1862	Absent, sick in hospital in Richmond
October 16, 1862	General Hospital Camp Windsor Richmond, Virginia Disease: Dibilitas Returned to duty: November 5, 1862
December 1862	General Hospital No. 8 (St. Charles Hospital) Richmond, Virginia Disease: flesh wound left jaw (gunshot) Transferred to State Hospital January 12, 1863
January to February 1863	Present
March-April 1863	Absent, sick in hospital
May 2, 1863	Chimborazo Hospital, No. 2 Richmond, Virginia Disease: chills and fever Transferred to Lynchburg May 9, 1863
July to December 1863	Present
May-June 1864	Present
September-December 1864	Present
January - February 1865	Present

If you calculate based on the number of years that Israel and his wife Mary Ellen Knight reported that they had been married in the 1900 US Census, it would appear that they were married in 1864. Well, that's in the middle of the Civil War, maybe he had leave? You can see in the chart above that there is a gap in records from January 1864 through April 1864, hmmmm? Israel signed the Reconstruction Oath Book on August 8, 1867, swearing his allegiance to the United States of America and renewing his right to vote after the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 were complete in the state of Georgia.

Israel owned 202 acres of land that he farmed in Laurens County, Georgia.  He died at the age of 74 in 1909 and is buried in the Alligood Cemetery near Dexter, Georgia.

BORN: June 15, 1835 in Laurens County, Georgia
DIED: 1909 in Laurens County, Georgia

PARENTS: Hillery Alligood and Matilda Foy

SPOUSE: Mary Lou Ellen Knight

CHILDREN: Francis Hamilton Alligood
                       Lupiney Ellen Alligood
                       Ann Eliza Alligood
                       Israel Augustus Alligood, Jr.
                       Andrew F. Alligood
                       Minnie Eucebia Alligood

RELATIONSHIP: Angela Abbate (Mood)
                                 Eucebia Jane Thomas (Abbate)
                                   Mildred Arlene Silas (Thomas)
                                     Minnie Eucebia Alligood (Silas)
                                       Israel Augustus Alligood

*National Park Service The Civil War website.

Military Monday: John Franklin Silas, Sr.

This week, looking toward Memorial Day, I'll give some background on the men in our family tree who fought in the United States Civil War. By virtue of location you will find men who fought for the Union Army and the Confederate States of America. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was established to honor those who died while in either the Union or Confederate Armies during the Civil War.

John Franklin Silas, Sr.

REGIMENT: 22nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry

COMPANY: H

RANK: Private

ENLISTMENT DATE: January 5, 1862
AGE AT ENLISTMENT: 28

GA GENWEB BIO: SILAS, JOHN F.-CO H 22nd GA Infantry Born ca. 1835-6. Died prior to 1912. Married Della _________. She died on September 23, 1919. Enlisted on January 5, 1862 Gardner Volunteers (Warren County). No further record. 1910, 1911, 1915 Tax List, Widow's PensionBook 2,3, RCS2-933, 1902 Voter's List Reedy Springs District.

The 22nd Georgia supported the Confederacy in Virginia participating in action in and around Petersburg, Appomattox, and Manassas and in Pennsylvania at Gettysburg. The 22nd Georgia surrendered on April 9, 1865 with 9 officers and 197 men. Less than 20% of the Regiment survived the War. I'll do no surmising as to how he must have felt or what he must have endured during the years of the war because I am sure there are just not words. The National Park Service has a great website commemorating the Civil War along with tons of articles and pictures. Check out National Park Service The Civil War.

According to John's records he was present for all Muster Rolls except for one in May 1862 when he had been admitted to General Hospital, Petersburg, Virginia on May 26, 1862, He was released on June 2, 1862 having recovered from dibilitas.

If you look closely at the picture above, you can see his Southern Cross of Honor Medal just under his left lapel. The Southern Cross of Honor Medal was awarded both during the Civil War for valor and after the Civil War by the Daughters of the Confederacy to honor veterans. This is one family heirloom I would love to track down!

After the War John lived in Glascock County, Georgia and was recorded as having reaffirmed his allegiance to the United States of America by signing the Reconstruction Oath Book and Returns of Qualified Voters on July 31, 1867.

John married Madelon Braddy after the War on May 21, 1868 and spent his life raising his children and farming on the outskirts of Rentz, Georgia. After over 40 years of marriage, Madelon applied for a Civil War Widow's Pension, indicating that John had died on August 16, 1911. According the records at the Court of Ordinary in Laurens County, Georgia, Madelon applied for guardianship of her daughter Velma on December 10, 1911, another indication that John had recently died. Get that ladies? She had to apply for guardianship of her own daughter because she was a widow. Be glad times have changed!

A portion of John's
 Indigent Civil War Veteran's Pension application.

BORN: 1834 in Washington, Wilkes County, Georgia

DIED: August 16, 1911 in Rentz, Laurens County, Georgia

PARENTS: Etheldred Silas and Jane Adams

SPOUSE: Madelon Braddy

CHILDREN:  William Silas (1870-1923)

John Franklin Silas, Jr. (1872-1937)
Nannie Olivia Silas (1877-1920)

Albert Nathan Silas (1883-1928)

Edgar Silas (1887-

RELATIONSHIP: Angie Abbate Mood

Eucebia Jane Thomas (Abbate)

Mildred Arlene Silas (Thomas)

John Franklin Silas, Jr.

John Franklin Silas, Sr.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Papa's Fountain Pen

I love it when I pick up a family heirloom, Google a vague description of it, and BAM! there it is, along with some other person's really great research and pictures, a manufacturer's website with history, or a somewhat reliable Wikipedia entry. That happened this week when I dug out this fountain pen that was a treasure from my Mom's family.

The pen is in remarkable condition considering that it was manufactured sometime between 1923-1927. It is a Shaeffer, evident from the markings on the nib and the barrel. Shaeffer, a jeweler turned pen manufacturer, produced the celluloid (early plastic) fountain pen and sold it for about $8.($120 in today's economy.) Fountain pens in those days were notorious for leaking ink, Shaeffer's newly invented lever system (that's the gold lever you see at the bottom of the barrel) helped to reduce ink leakage.

This pen was originally marbled green and highly polished, however, it is believed that many of them turned brownish, as this one did, around the barrel due to a reaction from the sulfur in the rubber that was used for the storage of the ink within the barrel. One more characteristic and a big helper in dating is a white dot on the top of the pen.

My grandmother bought the fountain pen for her father when she was a young lady. I am particularly fond of the small piece of paper with the yellowed tape that was wrapped around the fountain pen. The paper reads: "Papa's pen, I gave it to him." There's no doubt it is my grandmothers handwriting!

John Franklin Silas, Jr., my great grandfather was born in Glascock County, Georgia on February 8, 1872, to Civil War Veteran John Franklin Silas, Sr. and Madelon Braddy. He married Minnie Eucebia Alligood in 1897 and they were the parents of 10 children including Mildred Arlene Silas, my maternal grandmother. John earned his living farming in Rentz, Georgia, and was also a Rural Letter Carrier for the U. S. Postal Service.

John Franklin Silas, Jr.
1872-1937

Mildred Arlene Silas Thomas
1909-1989

Sentimental Sunday: Moms and Journeys

I ran across this blog post by Amy Young of The Messy Middle earlier this week (You can read the entire blog post here. ) and it really got me thinking about the women in my family tree. As I read through the post I realized that each woman listed there probably resides somewhere, in some generation, on some branch of my family tree. I know some of their stories, but not all. I know stories of women on our family who were strong towers and stories of those who struggled. I've watched them celebrate new life and mourn the passing of life. Research tells me that some were married with children, some were married without children, and some remained single throughout their lives. There are stories of great loss and stories of grand celebrations. No two are alike. I love that working through genealogy has given me the chance to get to know each of them. 

Mother's Day evokes many different emotions for all of us. In our family, this Mother's Day, we  are celebrating new life as we get ready to welcome our first grandchild to the family and at the same time we grieve the loss of my mom this past year. 

Here's the part of Amy's post that stirred my heart this week:

To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you

To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you

To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you

To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you

To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.

To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you

To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you

To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit with you

To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you

To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your experience

To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst

To those who have aborted children – we remember them and you on this day

To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children – we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be

To those who step-parent – we walk with you on these complex paths

To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren -yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you

To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you

And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising –we anticipate with you

This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you.

Our journeys are different, our families might get messy, but, indeed, there are real warriors in our midst!

Remembering Mom today!
Eucebia Jane Thomas Abbate
1937-2012

Celebrating new life today!
Precious grandchild due September 2013.

                                                                       

Travel Tuesday: Boy Scout Camp 1947

Here are a couple of postcards that my Dad sent home to his family when he was at Boy Scout Camp in June, 1947. He was twelve years old.

Dear Family,

I received your letter and was very glad. I am having a grand time; I am sleeping right under Terry Shaw and when he squeaks the bed I punch him. We have been having wet weather today but I believe it will clear up. We have a big boy sleeping with us. He is 19 years old. Love, Jimmy A.

Hi Cuties,

I am going to be seeing you  in a few days. I am doing fine. I might break out whith poision ive or poision oak but Terry doesn't thing so. Goodbye for now. love, Jimmy A.

Loving the postmark on the first card: "Build your future wisely, safely. U.S. Savings Bonds" and the 1 cent stamps!