Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Today in History

1777 : Philadelphia nurse overhears British plans to attack Washington

Legend has it that on the night of December 2, 1777, Philadelphia housewife
and nurse Lydia Darragh single-handedly saves the lives of General George
Washington and his Continental Army when she overhears the British planning
a surprise attack on Washington’s army for the following day.

During the occupation of Philadelphia, British General William Howe
stationed his headquarters across the street from the Darragh home, and when
Howe’s headquarters proved too small to hold meetings, he commandeered a
large upstairs room in the Darraghs’ house. Although uncorroborated, family
legend holds that Mrs. Darragh would eavesdrop and take notes on the British
meetings from an adjoining room and would conceal the notes by sewing them
into her coat before passing them onto American troops stationed outside the
city.

On the evening of December 2, 1777, Darragh overheard the British commanders
planning a surprise attack on Washington’s army at Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania,
for December 4 and 5. Using a cover story that she needed to buy flour from
a nearby mill just outside the British line, Darragh passed the information
to American Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Craig the following day.

The British marched towards Whitemarsh on the evening of December 4, 1777,
and were surprised to find General Washington and the Continental Army
waiting for them. After three inconclusive days of skirmishing, General Howe
chose to return his troops to Philadelphia.

It is said that members of the Central Intelligence Agency still tell the
story of Lydia Darragh, one of the first spies in American history.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Today in History

1777 : ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION SUBMITTED TO THE STATES
On this day in 1777, Congress submits the Articles of Confederation to the
states for ratification.

The Articles had been signed by Congress two days earlier, after 16 months
of debate. Bickering over land claims between Virginia and Maryland delayed
final ratification for almost four more years. Maryland became the last
state to approve the Articles on March 1, 1781, affirming them as the
outline of the official government of the United States. The nation was
guided by the document until the implementation of the current U.S.
Constitution in 1789.

The critical distinction between the Articles of Confederation and the U.S.
Constitution--the primacy of the states under the Articles--is best
understood by comparing the following lines.

The Articles of Confederation begin:
"To all to whom these Present shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of
the States…"

By contrast, the Constitution begins:
"We the People of the United States…do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America."
The predominance of the states under the Articles of Confederation is made
even more explicit by the claims of Article II:
"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every
power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly

delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled."

Less than five years after the ratification of the Articles of Confederation

enough leading Americans decided that the system was inadequate to the task
of governance that they peacefully overthrew their second government in just

over 20 years. The difference between a collection of sovereign states
forming a confederation and a federal government created by a sovereign
people lay at the heart of the debate as the new American people decided
what form their government would take.

Between 1776 and 1787, Americans went from living under a sovereign king, to

living in sovereign states, to becoming a sovereign people. That
transformation defined the American Revolution.


1863 : SIEGE OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, BEGINS
Confederate General James Longstreet places the city of Knoxville, Tennessee

under siege. After two weeks and one failed attack, he abandoned the siege
and rejoined General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.

The Knoxville campaign began in November when Longstreet took 17,000 troops
from Chattanooga and moved to secure eastern Tennessee for the Confederates.

Longstreet's corps was normally part of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern
Virginia, but after the Battle of Gettysburg in July, Longstreet took two of

his divisions to shore up the Confederate effort in the West. He and his
troops participated in the victory at Chickamauga in September and the siege

of Chattanooga in October and November. Longstreet quarreled with Braxton
Bragg, the Confederate commander in the West, and he was given independent
command of the Department of East Tennessee.

Longstreet took his 17,000 troops and moved toward Knoxville. Facing him was

General Ambrose Burnside and 5,000 Yankees. Burnside fought a delaying
action at Campbell Station on November 16 before retreating into the
Knoxville defenses. The next day, Longstreet pulled into position around the

north side of the city, but he could not cut off supplies to the Union
troops. Longstreet waited for reinforcements to arrive, which they did on
November 28. He attacked, but was repulsed with heavy loses. Longstreet
continued the siege in order to draw troops away from Chattanooga. The ruse
worked, and 25,000 Union troops were dispatched from Chattanooga to chase
Longstreet's force away.

Ultimately, Longstreet retreated back to Virginia. His Knoxville campaign
was disappointing for the Confederates, who had hoped to secure eastern
Tennessee. Longstreet rejoined Lee in the spring after his disappointing
turn as head of an independent command.


1914 : GERMANS MAKE LAST STAB AT YPRES
On November 17, 1914, the German 15th Corps makes a final, desperate attempt

to advance against Allied positions in the Ypres Salient, the much-contested

region in Flanders, Belgium.

After advancing relatively quickly through Belgium and eastern France during

the first weeks of World War I, the Germans were defeated by the Allies in
late September 1914 in the Battle of the Marne. The two enemies then began
the so-called "Race to the Sea," moving northwards at a hectic pace in order

to establish positions with access to the English Channel and the North Sea
beyond. On October 19, the Germans launched an offensive aimed at seizing
control of Ypres--the fortress city blocking the ports of the English
Channel in Flanders--from the British, French and Belgian forces guarding it


For their part, the Allies held fast in their resistance, knowing a defeat
would mean the loss of a crucial advantage.

On the last day of October, German cavalry units began a more concentrated
attack, kicking the First Battle of Ypres into high gear. Over the next
three weeks, the chaotic nature of the fighting only increased its bloody
nature, with casualty figures on both sides mounting as the weather grew
colder and more blustery. The attempt by the 15th Corps on November
17--which Allied forces repulsed--marked the last movement of the battle, as

the Germans thereafter confined themselves to intermittent cannon blasts
against the Allied lines. Five days later, amid high winds and blizzards,
fighting was suspended completely, and the First Battle of Ypres came to an
end after taking the lives of more than 5,000 British and 5,000 German
soldiers.





Monday, November 10, 2008

Today in History

November 10, 1775 .. Birth of the U.S. Marine Corps

During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress passes a resolution
stating that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" for service as landing
forces for the recently formed Continental Navy. The resolution, drafted by
future U.S. President John Adams and adopted in Philadelphia, created the
Continental Marines and is now observed as the birth date of the United
States Marine Corps.

Serving on land and at sea, the original U.S. Marines distinguished
themselves in a number of important operations during the Revolutionary War.
The first Marine landing on a hostile shore occurred when a force of Marines
under Captain Samuel Nicholas captured New Province Island in the Bahamas
from the British in March 1776. Nicholas was the first commissioned officer
in the Continental Marines and is celebrated as the first Marine commandant.
After American independence was achieved in 1783, the Continental Navy was
demobilized and its Marines disbanded.

In the next decade, however, increasing conflict at sea with Revolutionary
France led the U.S. Congress to establish formally the U.S. Navy in May 1798
Two months later, on July 11, President John Adams signed the bill
establishing the U.S. Marine Corps as a permanent military force under the
jurisdiction of the Department of Navy. U.S. Marines saw action in the
so-called Quasi-War with France and then fought against the Barbary pirates
of North Africa during the first years of the 19th century. Since then,
Marines have participated in all the wars of the United States and in most
cases were the first soldiers to fight. In all, Marines have executed more
than 300 landings on foreign shores.

Today, there are more than 200,000 active-duty and reserve Marines, divided
into three divisions stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Camp
Pendleton, California; and Okinawa, Japan. Each division has one or more
expeditionary units, ready to launch major operations anywhere in the world
on two weeks' notice. Marines expeditionary units are self-sufficient, with
their own tanks, artillery, and air forces. The motto of the service is
Semper Fidelis, meaning "Always Faithful" in Latin.

Sally Rolls Pavia

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Nothing new to Rave About

Well, it has been a while since I've posted anything, I just haven't been able to find any good websites worth sharing with you. So, if someone knows of one not already mentioned then please send me a message.
Anyway, until I find something worth talking about I thought we could us this down-time to try and help each other out with our research. So, if you have any brick walls or genealogy questions in general please send me a message and I will post it so others who read this blog might be able to help you or give you ideas. Please do not post your email address in you message unless you want it posted for the whole world to see. I figure that I will post the first help blog to get the ball rolling so here goes:

I am hoping that someone might have pictures of the headstones in the Spring Hill Cemetery that is located on the Cullers Family property south of Stella, MO. It is a small cemetery with maybe 15 graves. I have found the list of all the people buried there but I have been unable to find anyone who has photographs of the cemetery. Thanks in advance for any help.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Keep in touch with your family

I have a story to tell everyone that might end up being long and rambling but there is a point at the end of this story, or should I say a new website for you to check out, so here goes.
The first thing to remember is that I have a very, very large family and when I first started doing genealogy research everyone wanted information from me and thought that I would be a good "messenger" between different branches of the family who hadn't kept in touch but I was. So I spent months looking around for a website that I could set up for family members to keep in touch and keep family information posted for everyone to read. I was looking for something where only family members could access keeping everyone's information secure from all the eyes on the internet. I eventually found a website, I can't even remember the name now, but it was such a pain to set up and then after I got it partially set up I realized that I could only have 5 other people sign on, if I wanted to add someone new I had to kick someone off. Not a good situation if you are trying to promote family communication, can you imagine, "I'm sorry Aunt Gertie but I have to kick you off of our family site so Uncle George can log on". Obviously, I just quit posting on that site.
But then yesterday I received an email about a website called Geni.com, I checked out the site and I fell in love. This is the site I was looking for all those years ago. I got so excited that I started entering all of my personal information so I can get my family member added right away.
This site is such a nice site, even if you aren't really thinking about sharing with family members right now, start your page and keep it updated so you can eventually start inviting family members when you are ready. The amount of information that you can post here is amazing.
There is a very expanded profile that you can fill out only the parts you want to. There is a section for family news, photos and tons of other stuff, you can also upload your family tree. Then you can invite your friends and family members to log on and keep in touch. There is one part that made me laugh on the profile and I added to my own, you can specify if you want you family members to be notified of your birthday, "well, of course", maybe I will generate some cards that way.
So, here's what you should do, go to www.geni.com and enter your name and email. That will open your account. Once the home page comes up click on Update profile on the left and get to work.
Check out this site and let me know what you think, I think that everyone will love it as much as I do.
I'm sorry if this post seems a little giddy but I get that way when I have an excellent find.
Good luck and happy hunting.

P.S. If anyone finds my other family sharing site can you let me know where I left it???

Friday, August 1, 2008

Jewish Genealogy Research

For those of you researching you Jewish roots I have a few websites that might be worth checking out. These sites were actually listed on the "Family Tree Magazine" annual list of the "101 Best Genealogy Sites for 2008", under the category "Best for Jewish Researchers".
I haven't checked them out yet, I know of no Jewish ancestors in my tree but check them out and let me know what you think about these sites so I can let everyone know. The websites are:
Avotaynu http://www.avotaynu.com
a publisher of products for Jewish genealogy

JewishGen: The Home of Jewish Genealogy http://www.jewishgen.org

Schelly Talalay Dardashti's "Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog" http://tracingthetribe.blogspot.com
created in August 2006 under theJewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) umbrella and now independent.
Good Luck.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Claiborne County, TN

I have been using a new site for research and thought I would like to sharewith those of you doing research in Claiborne County, Tennessee.
The site is called Claiborne County Pioneer Project (CCPP). They have a wonderful database of Claiborne County Pioneer families. With birthdates, death dates and spouses.
The people who run the site are very friendly and helpful. Yoou can send an email and they will get right back to you. Check it out and let me know what you think.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ccpp/pioneer/index.htm

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Sandusky Library Archives

I received an email tell me about the Archives of the Sandusky Library blog, what an interesting site, definately worth taking a look at and spending some time looking around.
I was so excited that I plan one digging out my mom's family tree and doing a little research using the information in this blog. The site is very easy to navigate, which is nice because I hate websites that are complicated. Take a look and let me know what you think. I think you are going to find it a very useful site for your Ohio research.
This is the url of the blog http://sanduskyhistory.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the information Dorene, it's very much appreciated.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Train Wrecks, Fires, Explosions and Other Disasters

I received an email from a genealogy message board and thought some of you might be interested. I gives us an idea of what was going on during our ancestors' lifetimes.
It is very interesting reading.

Train Wrecks, Fires, Explosions and other disaster http://www.gendisasters.com
Events That Touched Our Ancestors' Lives --
Aladdin, MO Train Wreck, Jan 1892
Aliceville, AL Cotton Warehouse Fire, May 1908
Allings Siding, CT Train Wreck, Sept 1907
Andover, OH Restaurant Explosion Kills 21, Aug 1955
Aspen, CO Delta S Mine Accident, Sept 1894
Augusta, KY Tornado Ravages Town, Apr 1857
Barrington Hills, IL Air Balloon Crash Kills Five, Aug 1981
Battle Creek, MI Train Wreck, Oct 1893
Berne, IN Fatal Train - Buggy Wreck, Jul 1896
Birmingham, MO Train Wreck, Sept 1902
Blacksburg, SC Depot Fire, Jun 1905
Blakely, PA Trolley Accident, Mar 1904
Bluff Point, NY Hotel Champlain Fire, May 1910
Bridgeport, CT Train - Auto Wreck, Jun 1923
Brownwood, TX Drownings, May 1908
Brownwood, TX Train Wreck, May 1908
Buffalo, KS Stock Train And Work Trains Collide, Apr 1903
Camden, NJ Disastrous Factory Fire, July 1940
Carbondale, IL Train Wreck, Apr 1909
Champaign, IL Devastating Downtown Fire, Mar 1915
Chicago, IL Fire In Transient Hotel, Mar 1981
Chicago, IL Hydroplane Wreck, Aug 1915
Chillicothe, MO Train Accident, May 1909
Chunchula, AL Train Wreck, Nov 1901
Connellsville, PA Elderly Boarding Home Fire, Apr 1979
Conway, MO Train Wreck, Oct 1892
Cornwall, ON Rossmore Hotel Fire, Apr 1910
Dallas, TX Explosion At Baker Hotel, June 1946
Death Valley, CA Earthquake Hits Mojave Area, Jan 1961
Des Plaines, IL Train Wreck, May 1899
Dongola, IL Train Wreck, Feb 1896
Dothan, AL PT19 Plane Crash, Mar 1952
Dubuque, IA Devastating Fire At Hotel Canfield, June 1946
Duluth, MN Bunnell Building Fire, Jun 1893
Duluth, MN St Louis Hotel Fire, Jan 1893
Durham, NC Hotel Carolina Fire, May 1907
Eagle Grove, IA Explosion In Downtown, Feb 1973
Earlville, IL Train Wreck, Sept 1917
El Reno, OK train wreck, Jan 1912
Elgin, IL Interurban Wreck, Jul 1902
Elgin, IL Streetcar Wreck, Aug 1902
Elkins, WV Box Co Plant Fire, Nov 1918
Excelsior, Lake Minnetonka, MN Fire, Dec 1894
Farmington, MO Nursing Home Blaze Kills 26, Apr 1979
Ferndale, CA Cannon Explosion, May 1908
Floriston, CA Forest Fires Rage In California, July 1924
Fonda, NY Hotel Roy Fire, Jan 1909
Forestville, CT Train Wreck, Mar 1896
Fort Wayne, IN Fell From a Street Car, Aug 1896
Fort Wayne, IN Street Car - Buggy Accident, May 1895
Fort Wayne, IN Struck by Nickle Plate Engine, Apr 1896
Fort Wayne, IN Train - Wagon Accident, Dec 1896
Fullerton, ND Depot Fire, Dec 1915
Gadsden, AL Buggy Accident, Nov 1901
Gasconade, MO Train Wreck, Nov 1855
Geneseo, IL Train Wreck, Jun 1899
Georgetown, MO Train Wreck, Aug 1902
Gloversville, NY Keystone Hotel Fire, Dec 1909
Granite, IL Train Wreck, May 1881
Groesbeck, TX High School Fire, Feb 1910
Halifax, NS Fire Destroys Poor Asylum Building, Nov 1882
Hamlet, NC Train Wreck, Jul 1906
Hamlet, NC Train Wreck, Jul 1911
Harrisons Landing, CT Train Wreck, Oct 1892
Hartford, CT Flood, Mar 1936
Hartland, WI Tornado in Waukesha 1853
Herrin, IL Muddy Coal & Iron Co Mine Explosion, May 1904
Hibbard, IN Fell Under the Wheels of the Train, Sept 1896
Hinsdale, IL Train Wreck, Jul 1912
Homewood, IL Train Wreck, Oct 1891
Hopwood, PA Fatal Auto Accident, 1937
Horseshoe, NY Hotel Fire, Mar 1910
Hot Springs, VA hotel fire, Aug 1910
Huntersville, NC Train Wreck, Jul 1917
Jefferson City, MO Train Wreck, Dec 1913
Johnson's Switch, MO Trolley Wreck, Dec 1911
Kalamazoo, MI Fire Destroys Part Of City, Dec 1909
Kalamazoo, MI Y. M. C. A. Fire, Jan 1911
Kansas City, MO Street Car Wreck, Aug 1902
Kewanee, IL Trolley Accident, Sept 1909
Keytesville, MO Train Wreck, Sept 1897
Kingman, AZ Tank Car Explodes In Town, July 1973
Kouts, IN Killed by Train's Mailsack, Sept 1896
Kusa, OK Wind Storm, Sept 1915
Lake George, NY Fort William Henry Hotel Fire, Jun 1909
Lake Placid, NY Hotel Ruisseaumont Fire, Jul 1909
Lamont, AB Train And School Bus Accident, Nov 1960
Lebanon, IL Train Wreck, Apr 1902
Lenzburg, IL Train Wreck, Jul 1899
Lincoln, NE heating plant explosion, Jan 1912
Litchfield, CT United States Hotel Fire, Apr 1910
Litchfield, IL Train Wreck, Feb 1902
Livingston, IL Train Wreck, Feb 1929
Long Island, NY Auto Wreck, Jul 1908
Long Island, NY Schooner Carrie A Lane Runs Ashore, Sept 1911
Long Island, NY Shelter Island Manhanset Hotel Fire, Aug 1896
Long Island, NY Shelter Island New Prospect House Hotel Fire, Jun 1942
Lorenzo, IL Train Wreck, Apr 1889
Los Angeles, CA Belmont Hotel Fire, Dec 1887
Louisville, NE Small Hotel Burns, Nov 1910
Loveland, CO Devastating Canyon Flooding, Aug 1976
Lumberton, NC Airplane Crash, Dec 1943
Lumberton, NC Train Wreck, Dec 1943
Lyndhurst, WI Train Wreck Kills Seven, Sep 1912
Madison, IL Train Accident, Feb 1929
Madison, IL Train Accident, Jan 1909
Mays Landing, NJ Forest Fire, May 1896
Melby, MN Train Wreck, Sept 1895
Mertens, TX Lightning Destroys Church, May 1908
Mexia, TX Cafe & Opera House Fire, May 1908
Milbank, SD Fire, Jan 1912
Milwaukee, WI Flames Destroy Orphanage, May 1930
Minneapolis, MN Brunswick Hotel Fire, Dec 1910
Minneapolis, MN carbon monoxide poisoning, Jan 1912
Minneapolis, MN Mill Fire, Dec 1881
Minneapolis, MN Security Company Warehouse Fire, Jul 1890
Mobile, AL Ferry Boat Ocean Wave Explosion, Aug 1871
Montreal, QB Tank Plunges Through Herald Building, June 1910
Moro, IL Train Accident, Jul 1892
Mount Summit, IN Fell Under the Train, Nov 1896
Mt. Hood, OR Hikers Fall Into 40 Foot Crevasse, July 1956
Muskegon, MI fire May 1891
Narragansett, RI Massasoit House Hotel Fire, Jul 1910
New Haven, CT Fire Destroys Four-Story Loft, Jan 1957
New Haven, CT Jail Fire Claims Six Firemen, Apr 1910
New Haven, CT Train Wreck, Sept 1913
New Rochelle, NY Lake View Hotel Stable Fire, Nov 1910
New York City, NY Deadly Fire On Ward's Island Asylum, Feb 1923
New York, NY Park Avenue Hotel Fire, Feb 1902
New York, NY Pearl Street Explosion and Fire, Nov 1882
New York, NY Truck - Cab Wreck, Sept 1899
New York, NY Vesey Street Wine Cellar Explosion and Fire, Sept 1898
Newark, OH Stove Company Destroyed By Fire, May 1909
Norwalk, CT Train Wreck, May 1853
Odessa, MN Train Wreck, Dec 1911
Odessa, MO Train Wreck, May 1909
Off Quonset Naval Air Station, RI Disaster Hits U.S.S. BENNINGTON, May 1954
Ottawa, IL Train Wreck, Aug 1870
Palatine, IL Train Wreck & Water Tank Collapse, Apr 1887
Pembroke, NC Hunt Hatchery Fire, Dec 1943
Philadelphia, PA "Pennsylvania Hall" Burns, May 1838
Pittsburgh, PA Excursion Steamer ISLAND QUEEN Explodes, Sep 1947
Portland, OR Sleet Storm, Jan 1912Portsmouth, NH Explosion, Nov 1878
Pulaski, IL Train Wreck, Jan 1903
Quebec, QB St. Charles Orphanage Fire Disaster, Dec 1927
Revere, MO Train Wreck, May 1892
Rib Mountain, WI tornado, Sept 1984
Ricohoc, LA Railroad Collision In Fog, Mar 1925
Rockford, IL Fire, Mar 1908
Salisbury, NC Train Wreck, Aug 1884
Salvia, NV Freight Trains Collide, Nov 1893
San Francisco, CA Cliff House Famous Landmark Burns, Sep 1907
Sand Bank, OH Train Wreck, May 1908
Seneca Falls, NY Seneca House Hotel Fire, Jun 1910
South Chicago, IL Theatre Train - Street Car Wreck, Feb 1906
St Paul, MN Mackubin's Block Fire, Apr 1868
St. John's, NF Terrible Catastrophe At Recreation Hall, Dec 1942
St. Louis, MO Glider Crash Kills Ten, Aug 1943
St. Louis, MO Missouri Athletic Club Fire, Mar 1914
Staples, MN Fire, May 1899
Stillman Valley, IL Train Wreck, Jun 1894
Stonington, IL Mine Accident, Jan 1908
Thompson Station, MN Train Wreck, Oct 1891
Tillamook, OR schooner damaged, Jan 1912
Tofte, MN Forest Fire, May 1910
Toronto, ON Airliner Crashes On Landing, July 1970
Town of Quincy, WI tornado Jul 1984
Underwood, MN Train Wreck, Feb 1906
Union Springs, AL Depot Fire, Nov 1915
Valparaiso, IN Train Accident, Apr 1896
Vivian, Byron & Wilton, MN Fire, Oct 1871
Wann, IL Train Wreck & Oil Tank Explosion "The Wann Disaster", Jan 1893
Waseca, MN Clear Lake House Fire, Jan 1868
Waseca, MN Depot Fire, Jan 1869
Waseca, MN Western House Hotel Fire, Apr 1872
Washington, DC Hotel Harris Fire, Feb 1910
Waterbury, CT Train Wreck, Mar 1907
Waterbury, CT Train Wreck, Oct 1895
Waterloo, IN Collision Kills One And Injures Several, Mar 1917
Waterloo, SC Fire, Jun 1905
Waukegan, IL Sukes Automotive Railway Equipment Co Explosion, Jul 1923
Westport - Saugatuck, CT Train Wreck, Oct 1912
White Horse, YT Fire Destroys Two Blocks, May 1905
Wilpin, MN powder plant explosion, Jan 1912
Wilton, MN Fire, Apr 1869
Winchester, TX Train Wreck, Dec 1893
Winnfield, LA Winn Parish Court House Fire, Jan 1917
Winnipeg, MN Theatre Fire Destroyed, Feb 1952
Winona, MN Flood, Jun 1899Yuma, AZ Rowboat Overturns, Woman Rescued, Jan 1912
Various States, NC, PA, NY, CT, VA, RI, NJ, MA Hurricane DIANE, Aug 1955Various Towns, IA, NE, IL Tornado Damage, May 1899

To view any of these articles, visit http://www.gendisasters.comand click on "Browse by State" or "Browse by Disaster" in the leftside bar,to navigate to the article - or just type the information into the searchbox, also located near the top of the left sidebar

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

The Year was 1828

The Year Was 1828
By Juliana Smith
22 June 2008

The year was 1828 and in the United States, it was an election year. Following Andrew Jackson's loss to John Quincy Adams in 1824, the presidential campaign for 1828 began as soon as Adams took office in 1825 and lasted the entire length of his presidency. In 1824, neither candidate won a majority of electoral votes, so the election was decided in the House of Representatives. With support of House Speaker Henry Clay, Adams won and promptly named Clay his Secretary of State. This raised a public outcry that a "corrupt bargain" had tainted the election and kicked off the 1828 election very early. The campaigning on both sides was vicious and filled with personal attacks. Improved communication with the public through newspapers and events aimed at getting out the vote captured the attention of the American public. In fact, the number of voters in 1828 tripled that of the election of 1824.

One of the major issues at stake in the election of 1828 was that of Indian removal. In 1828, the Cherokees were proving proficient at a more agrarian style of living, farming and raising cattle. Schools were set up and Sequoyah invented a written version of the Cherokee language called "Talking Leaves." In February of 1828 Cherokee Phoenix became the first Native American newspaper to be published. But there was a demand for their land and the election of Andrew Jackson spelled disaster for the Cherokees and their Native American counterparts. In the still young and fast-growing country, there was also the need for improved means of transportation, and on the Fourth of July ceremonies were held to break ground for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

When the railroad first took passengers, it was powered by horses. It wasn't until August of 1830, that the line would begin its conversion to steam.On that same day in Little Falls, Maryland, outgoing President John Quincy Adams broke ground on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. Construction on this route wouldn't be completed until 1850 when it reached Cumberland, Maryland. The Delaware & Hudson Canal opened for business in 1828 and provided a route for coal to be delivered from Pennsylvania coal fields to the port of New York via the Hudson River. The canal extended 108 miles from Honesdale, Pennsylvania to Kingston, New York. Smallpox was reported in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

On 12 November 1828, The Adams Centinel (Gettysburg, Pa.) reported that "at least four human beings [had] fallen victim to this scourge of our race, and from 20 to 30 others are infected with the disease." The article goes on to encourage vaccinations, particularly to those exposed to the disease, and it appears that quite a few people heeded this advice. In the 3 December issue of that same newspaper, it was reported that "no less than 3,000 persons have been vaccinated within the past three weeks" and that "the Small Pox has been checked."

Across the ocean in London, the London Zoological Society opened the doors to its new zoo. The zoo wasn't intended as a way to display animals to the public but to learn ways of domesticating foreign animals. In fact, the zoo wasn't open to the public for the first three years; visitors were invited by society members. Nonetheless, 112,226 visitors managed to get in to get a peek at the exotic animals during that first year.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Ireland Obits

For those of you researching in Ireland here is a site that looks like it has tons of useful info. It has Obituary brief listed from 1800-2004 for Ireland and parts Ireland and the US. The website is http://www.irelandoldnews.com/obits/

I just quickly glanced at it but I will definately be returning to research my Irish families. If you check it out let me know what you think.

Monday, June 16, 2008

June 14th in History - Flag Day

June 14: 1777

Congress adopts the Stars and Stripes During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopts a resolution stating that "the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripesred and white" and that "the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field,representing a new Constellation."
The national flag, which became known as the "Stars and Stripes," was based on the "Grand Union" flag, a bannercarried by the Continental Army in 1776 that also consisted of 13 red and white stripes. According to legend, Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Rossdesigned the new canton for the Stars and Stripes, which consisted of acircle of 13 stars and a blue background, at the request of General GeorgeWashington.
Historians have been unable to conclusively prove or disprove this legend. With the entrance of new states into the United States after independence,new stripes and stars were added to represent new additions to the Union. In1818, however, Congress enacted a law stipulating that the 13 originalstripes be restored and that only stars be added to represent new states.
On June 14, 1877, the first Flag Day observance was held on the 100thanniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes. As instructed byCongress, the U.S. flag was flown from all public buildings across the country. In the years after the first Flag Day, several states continued to observe the anniversary, and in 1949 Congress officially designated June 14 as Flag Day, a national day of observance.

Source: Genealogy Bits and Pieces List, by Sally Rolls Pavia.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

DeBusk/DeBose/DuBosc Ancestors Part 2

Well, here are the remaining ancestors that I haven't posted on my DeBusk line. I have been unable to document this information, I am still researching but this is how I believe the line goes. Antonie DuBose/DuBosc married Ann, he was the some of Isaac DuBose and Suzanne Couillandeau.
Isaac was the son of Louis Francis Boint DuBosc and Ann Salovay/Sanborne. He was the son of Pierre "Peter" DuBosc and Francoise Olivier DeLanville.
Pierre was the son of Antonie DuBosc who was "the King's Counsellor and the French Ambassador to the Netherlands. He was the son of Astronomies DuBosc. Astonomies was the son of Jean DuBosc and Ann Jubert.
Jean DuBosc was the son of Jean DuBosc, "Lord of Coquereaumont" and was Fecamp Steward to King Charles VIII of France, he married Margueritta LeCauchois.
Jean DuBosc was the son of Gueffin/Queffin DuBosc.
Gueffin/Queffin was "Lord of Coquereaumont" and in 1452 "Sheriff of Rouen". He married Isabelle DiFot/DuFot. Gueffin/Queffin was the son of Guillaume DuBosc and Perrette LeTourneur. Guillaume was known as "Sieur de Tendos de la Chapelle and Emendreville".
Guillaume was the son of Guillaume DuBosc Senior and Perronnelle. Guillaume Senior was "Sieur de Tendos de la Chappelle". He was the son of Jean DuBosc and Isabeau Mustel.
Jean was "Lord of Coquereaumont" and "Lord of Tondas de la Chappelle". Jean's father was Martin DuBosc, "Lord of Coquereaumont" and "DuBosc de Tondas", he married Marie Mustel.
Martin was the son of Geoffrey DuBosc, "Lord of Tondas de la Chappelle" and "DuBosc de Tondas", and Elizabeth D'Orbel.
Geoffrey was the son of Claude DuBosc, "Lord of Tondas de la Chappelle", and "DuBosc de Tondos". Claude married Jeanne DeCormeilles.

That is the end of the road for this branch. I hope this will help someone. If you are researching this line please email me.

The Next Family will be Pickle starting with Rachel Pickle my great-great-great grandmother who married Charles Martin DeBusk.

Civil War Information

If you have ancestors that fought in the Civil War or if you want to check and see if they fought in the Civil War then you have to try this site. It is usually a pay site but through the month of June they are offering free access. I logged on to it last night just to check it out and make sure the link worked, I ended up spending 3 hours looking around. You can search by soldier, regiment, or battles. I was inpressed by the amount of information the site contains. I search by name and it brought up the date and place of enlistment, age, regiment, ect. Then if you click on regiment it will give you the history of that regiment including the battles they fought.
Here's the link:
http://alexanderstreet.com/resources/civilwar.access.htm
Once this page came up I picked the "American Civil War Research Database". I haven't had a chance to look over the other links but I will take a look tonight.
Good Luck.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Please help save our access to records

Please help save our access to records:

The Humanities Advocacy Network ( http://www.humanitiesadvocacy.org/action_ctr.html ) is asking people to contact their representatives (through its website) to prevent the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the grant-making arm of NARA, from having a budget of *ZERO* for Fiscal Year 2009. A description of the NHPRC is at http://www.archives.gov/nhprc , and a state-by-state list of projects it has funded is at http://www.archives.gov/nhprc/projects/states-territories .

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Great Website Find

Well, I have stumbled on another great website for those of you researching families of The New River Valley of Virginia and North Carolina. It's called The New River Notes and has a load of interesting documents, death indexes, ect. The Virginia Counties included are: Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Patrick, Roanoke, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington and Wythe.
The North Carolina counties include: Allehany, Ashe, Johnson, Surry, Waluaga, Wilker, and Yadkin. If you are doing research in any of these counties then you need to take a look at this website.

Here's the link:
http://www.newrivernotes.com/nrv.htm

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Missouri Research

If you are doing Missouri Research you definately need to check out the Missouri Digital Heritage website. They have scanned death certificates for 1910-1957. The file seems pretty complete, out of the 14 people I searched for that died during that time there were only 2 that I couldn't find and for one I don't have they exact date of death and could actually have been in 1909. The other one is a common name so I will just need to research a bit more. But it is a great website, make sure if you are doing Missouri Research you check it out. Here's the link:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/
Let me know what you think.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Poorhouse Website

Here is a link for an interesting website: http://www.poorhousestory.com/other_poorhouses.htm

You can search through poorhouses by state.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Back from Vacation

Well, I am back from vacation and have been bitten again by the genealogy bug. Now, this doesn't mean that I haven't been working on my genealogy during this time, it actually means that I have again become obsessed with my research again. So, on that note I should have some good blogs coming up so stay tuned.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Today in History Part 2

Another mailing list post from Sally Rolls Pavia.

1863 : General Orders No. 100 issued The Union army issues General Orders No. 100, which provided a code ofconduct for Federal soldiers and officers when dealing with Confederateprisoners and civilians. The code was borrowed by many European nations, andits influence can be seen on the Geneva Convention. The orders were the brainchild of Francis Lieber, a Prussian immigrant whosethree sons had served during the Civil War. One son was mortally woundedwhile fighting for the Confederacy at the Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia,in 1862. Lieber's other two sons fought for the Union. Lieber was a scholarof international law who took a keen interest in the treatment of combatantsand civilians. He wrote many essays and newspaper articles on the subjectearly in the war, and he advised General Henry Halleck, general-in-chief ofthe Union armies, on how to treat guerilla fighters captured by Federalforces. Halleck appointed a committee of four generals and Lieber to draft rules ofcombat for the Civil War. The final document consisted of 157 articleswritten almost entirely by Lieber. The orders established policies for,among other things, the treatment of prisoners, exchanges, and flags oftruce. There was no document like it in the world at the time, and othercountries soon adopted the code. It became the standard for internationalmilitary law, and the Germans adopted it by 1870. Lieber's concepts arestill very influential today. ********************************************
1940 : Britain begins its evacuation of Greece in Operation Demon On this day in 1940, British forces, along with Australian, New Zealand, andPolish troops, begin to withdraw from Greece in light of the Greek army'ssurrender to the Axis invaders. A total of 50,732 men are evacuated quicklyover a six-day period, leaving behind weapons, trucks, and aircraft.

Today in History April 24th

I received this post from a mailing list, I thought it was interesting. Thanks to Sally Rolls Pavia.

April 24, 1781Battle of Petersburg beginsOn the evening of April 24, 1781, British General William Phillips lands onthe banks of the James River at City Port, Virginia. Once there, he combinedforces with British General Benedict Arnold, the former American general andnotorious traitor, to launch an attack on the town of Petersburg, Virginia,located about 12 miles away. Defending the town of Petersburg from the approaching British troops was acontingent of 1,000 troops from the Virginia militia led by Major GeneralFriedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. General von Steuben had set up defensivelines of resistance, but had no real hope of victory as the Americans wereseverely outnumbered by the British army of 2,500 troops. After severalhours of fighting, von Steuben ordered a full-scale retreat of the Virginiamilitia as the city of Petersburg fell into British hands. AlthoughPetersburg was lost, General von Steuben and the Virginia militia were ableto resist the British force long enough for Patriot troops to assemble andset up defensive positions in nearby towns. General Phillips had survived three years of captivity after being taken prisoner by the Americans at Saratoga in 1777 and marching with the so-called “Convention Army”--dubbed as such because the British and Americans signed a short-lived convention that the prisoners would be released to Europe if they agreed not to fight in North America again--700 miles from Saratoga, New York, to Charlottesville, Virginia, in November 1778 (after the revocation of the Convention of Saratoga). He was released in exchange for Patriot Major General Benjamin Lincoln in 1780. Despite such earlier fortitude, Phillips died of typhus on May 13 in Petersburg, less than a month after his victory .

Friday, April 18, 2008

My DeBusk Ancestors

I am going to use this first blog to list my direct ancestors on my DeBusk family tree. Then I will try to do a short biography in other blogs on the people I have mentioned. So we will start with my DeBusk relatives. I have excluded any information of living individuals unless they have given their permission.

My dad: Living DeBusk

Son of: Kenneth Elvin DeBusk &
Living Branham

Kenneth is the son of: Charles Martin DeBusk &
Bessie Virginia Murphy

Charles is the son of: Ezra Newton Sheffield DeBusk &
Sarah Ann Lucinda Butcher
(Ezra married 2nd Priscilla Jane Richardson)

Ezra is the son of: John Gross DeBusk &
Rachel Pickle

John is the son of: Elijah DeBusk Jr. &
Margaret "Peggy" Gross

Elijah Jr. is the son of: Elijah DeBusk Sr. &
Katherine "Caty" Rouse

Family Stories say that Elijah Sr. was the son of: Jacob DeBusk &
Unknown
(but this has been unproven)

Jacob DeBusk is the son of: Antonie DeBusk/DeBose/DuBose/DuBosc
& Unknown

Antonie is the son of: Issac DuBose/DuBosc &
Suzanne Couillandeau

This traces the family to them arriving in America from France. I will continue with the French line next week.
I received this link from one of the mailing list I subscribe to. It has Civil War Information.
I've only checked a few of the things so far but it looks very interesting. Check it out.
www.sonofthesouth.net
This site has copies of the "Harper's Weekly" during the Civil War.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

I am back

Hi everyone, it's been a while. I was going to stop writing this blog but here in the last few weeks I have received numerous emails asking questions so I have decided to continue with my blog. I haven't done much genealogy research lately, I have been in the process of starting my own mail order/web site/farmers market nursery, so that has taken up most of my time but, now that it is getting hot here (I'm in Arizona) the farmers markets are dying out until fall. I can't wait to get back to my genealogy research, without a market every weekend I will have tons of time, even with my web site and mail order buisness. So, it's back to genealogy for me.
I will be continuing with my family of the month program within the next month so if there's a family you want to see let me know.
Until later.