Military Monday- Lemuel Tucker

Lemuel Tucker is my 3rd Grandfather, and one of my tallest brick walls. There is much known of my 3rd Grandmother, Martha Ann Cozart and her line back to the Huguenots, but he is doing his best to be elusive. Some prefer to do that, and on my crazy days I would swear they do so just for the heck of it. Sometimes I find myself  imagining them sharing conversations much as the ghosts in the paintings in the halls at Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter movies.

The truth is I probably wouldn't want it any other way. After all, how much fun would family history be if I was just handed a 100% completed manual that contained every single record, connection, and story all the way back to Adam and Eve?

So when it comes to Lemuel I am assembling all the known data I can in the process of building his life, and his Civil War records at The National Archives are one of those sources.  I plan on sharing parts of those records over the coming weeks. Martha Ann Cozart had a brother, David, who served in the military at the same time. The difference in files in information and size is interesting, and I will later share parts of his as well to show how much they can vary.





Lemuel Tucker Volunteer Enlistment (provided by KE)

What I did learn from the Volunteer Enlistment of Lemuel Tucker on 21 Dec 1863:

He was born in White County, Illinois, was 21 years of age when he enlisted in the 13th Regiment Illinois Calvary, had gray eyes, dark hair, dark complexion, was 5 feet 11 inches tall, and left his mark instead of a signature.  

Changes, they are a coming

I wrote a couple weeks ago that I was reevaluating my use of this blog and how I wanted to make the space more productive for myself and for others who read the contents. After giving myself some time to think through the possibilities, as well as my to-do lists, I am prepared to discuss them now.

When I first began this blog, I stated that I wanted to use the space to "display information about my ancestors and their life, as well as to use it as a forum for discussing other ancestors from the Tri-State of Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky." I also wanted to use this blog to discuss brick walls I needed help with.

Over time illness had prevented consistent use of this blog and the blogging community I love and respect, and I have also failed to stay the course with many of the goals I initially planned for this space. Now with thought and planning, I have established the parameters for the next few months of this blog.  One of the first things I did was to revamp my "Surnames and Locations" page to place the surnames more specifically into the states and counties that are relevant to my research. I will be adding my "Research Toolbox" within the next week, as well as defining my stand more clearly on copyright and links to these pages.

Content coming in upcoming weeks will include the following:

Military Monday
Civil War Papers of Lemuel Tucker and David Cozart
Information regarding ancestors in World War II

Local Events in History in Newspapers and Other Media
Discuss events in history that affected the Tri-State area, such as the 1937 flood, 1925 tornado, and the Civil War

Serendipity Stories & Breaking Brick Walls 
Times when the heavens parted and all fell in place as well as the stories of recent brick wall discoveries AND the walls I still need help climbing

Courthouse Conquests 
My catchy theme for courthouse finds

Stories From The Road 
Ancestral Homes, Businesses, Places important to my family directly and by means of living in the area, social history related information

Character Sketches 
This idea comes straight from a recent webinar conducted by Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist . I would like to add these once or twice a month. This will force (make me- smile) to write the narratives I need to on my ancestors and add the sources correctly.

The Writings of Those Before 
It has been sometime since I quoted the entries from the 1911 journal of my great-grandfather, John James Raley. I would like to get back to those. In addition, there were some other members of my family who have written journals, books, etc. and I would like to add those writings at times to share.

Research Strategies & Tips 
The title is self-explaining

Of course there are other entries to continue with, including Tombstone Tuesday, Surname Saturday, Treasure Chest Thursday, and all the other themes that are described on Geneabloggers and suggested by fellow bloggers. I am excited about the possibilities for this blog, and expanding the options to not only include specifics about my family, but to also add more information about the Tri- State area and also the other areas relative to my ancestors.

Surname Saturday- Darling/Utley

It has been some time since I have added an entry to this category, so now is time to correct that. I prefer to protect the generations closest to myself for various reasons, so I will begin further up the branches,

1. Myself
2. My Father
3. My Mother
4. My Paternal Grandfather
5. My Paternal Grandmother
6. My Maternal Grandmother
7. My Maternal Grandmother

46. John Darling was born about 1830 in Massachusetts. It is possible that his middle name is Nathan.
47. Parthenia Utley was born about 1823 in Virgina to Wilson Utley and Rhoda Ann Moore.
           
           John Darling and Parthenia Utley married on 19 Oct 1851 in Gibson County, Indiana. They had the following children:

i.  John W. Darling , born about 1853 in Indiana

+ 23 ii. Rhoda Jane Darling , born 4 Oct 1855 in Gibson County, Indiana. She married John McDonald 18 Oct 1874 in Gibson County, Indiana and died 22 May 1931 in White County, Illinois where she is buried.

iii. Benjamin Darling, born about 1856 in Gibson County, Indiana. He married Anna Couch on 26 Dec 1892 in Gibson County, Indiana, and died 28 Mar 1902 in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana.

iv. Nathan Darling, born in 1860 in Indiana. Nathan married Ellen P. Deweese 3 Jul 1889 in Gibson County, Indiana.

v. Susan Anna Darling, born 20 Dec 1864 in Gibson County, Indiana. Susan married Henry Wilhite 19 Mar 1881 in Gibson County, Indiana. Susan died 13 Aug 1948 in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, and is interred at Locust Hill cemetery. According to her obituary listed at www.browningpeople.com, at the time of her death Susan left behind 5 daughters, 3 sons, 30 grandchildren, 77 great-grandchildren, 3 great- great grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

94. Wilson Utley, born 20 Dec 1777 in Goochland, Goochland, Virginia. He died 16 Sep 1869 in Gibson County, Indiana.

95. Rhoda Ann Moore, born about 1795 in Virginia. She died about 1870 in Gibson County, Indiana.

          Wilson Utley and Rhoda Ann Moore were married about 1816 in Greenbriar, Doddridge, West Virginia. They had the following children:

i. Montraville Washington Utley, born 24 Jul 1817 in Goochland, Goochland, Virginia. He married Eliza Jane Wheeler on 21 Feb 1839 in Gibson County, Indiana and died on 17 May 1872 in Albion, Edwards, Illlinois.

ii. John Utley, born about 1822.

+ 47 iii. Parthenia Utley, born about 1823 in Virginia. She married John Darling on 19 Oct 1851 in Gibson County, Indiana, and died about 1905 in Illinois.

iv. James Utley was born about 1824.

v. Mary Utley was born about 1825.

vi. William Utley was born about 1826.

William Utley and his wife Rhoda Ann Moore are the only branch of the Utley family that moved from the Virgina area.



Please feel free to contact me if anyone listed above is connected to you in any way. I would love to share further information, discover connections, or meet cousins. The welcome mat is always open!!!

Tombstone Tuesday

Arthur & Nettie DOWNEN

Dec  17, 1876               Jan 26, 1882

Jan  19, 1923                 Feb  7, 1950

Buried in White County, Illinois

Tombstone Tuesday

Eslie M White
son of
E. L. & S. A.
White
born
July 9, 1877
Died
July 25, 1878
Deepest child thou hast
left us, And thy loss we
deeply feel, Tis the lord
that has bereft us, Of
one we loved so deeply


Cannon Cemetery, Ohio County, Kentucky

Proud To Be An American

I am the product of sentiment. I don't think I ever stood a chance. Tears rise and fall in situations that are as varied as witnessing my child in a sports contest, finding the answer at the conclusion of a long novel, or holding in my hands the actual marriage bond signed by an ancestor from 1814. I still fight tears even as my hands roll the drums whenever I hear the song made famous by  Lee Greenwood years ago.

I come from good stock,or at least that's what I tell my daughter in pride when something funny happens that reminds one of us of one of the mannerisms that is so like one of her grandparents. Today is the ultimate day to honor those brave souls who went through all manners of conflict and success as they chose this country over all sorts of sacrifice.

So today, ancestors of mine, know that you are not forgotten.

- those who fled persecution in far lands because of your religious beliefs
- those  who continued to face some of the same religious persecution once arriving
- the immigrants who arrived with no understanding of the language but refused to be deterred
- the brave souls who fought in every manner of conflict these lands have encountered since the beginning
- the women who ran the households, raised the children, worked the farms, or assumed the jobs of their husbands when they were lost to war, disease, or scandal



Independence Day is the reward for all these sacrifices.

Liberty Bell & Independence Hall copyright Kim Eisman

 "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof" Leviticus 25:10
(inscription on the Liberty Bell) 

Happy, Happy Birthday!!

It's hard to believe that an anniversary has arrived upon this humble little blog today. Last year I neglected the fact for some time and I didn't want to make that mistake today or to let it appear that I am unaware of the blessings and lessons that have come from having this blog.

Some neglect has come upon this site in recent weeks and those that have been with me over time know that there are times when this occurs due to some severe health issues. Despite my best efforts and one A+ medical team the struggle for stability remains out of our reach for me right now, but we're not throwing in the towel. This year has resulted in several breaks in the infamous brick wall and exciting discoveries are right on the Golden Tree for the picking. I recently shared in general terms some of this information, and intend to expand on that in the future.

Birthdays are often times of celebration of the current, reflection on what passed, and redirecting energies onto those items that matter in the "bucket list.,or at least they are for me. Blog anniversaries follow this path as well. This space and those that take a moment to drop by deserve a thoughtful evaluation on my part, and so I  hope that in coming weeks you will notice the fruits of my assessment.

Thanks so very much to those of you who take the time to stop by and read my antics, leave a comment, and have encouraged me over these past couple of years. What a fantastic community we have!

Much I have learned with your support. Much remains to learn.

Thank you!