My Scots Irish Ancestors Immigrated to Pennsylvania, then Virginia ... and Some Got Taken Captive by the Shawnee!
In which I discuss some ancestors of my great grandmother Fleeta Jackson Brandt - the Archers and Renicks - who were part of the Ulster Presbyterians discussed in my previous post; explain how they immigrated from Ireland to Pennsylvania, then later Virginia; and relate the story of my 6th GGM’s sister, Elizabeth Archer Renick, who was taken captive by the Shawnee along with her seven children in 1757 after her husband was killed and scalped.
Tracing my "Ulster Presbyterian" Roots from Ireland to Pennsylvania
In which I explain how so many English and Scottish Presbyterians (including some of my ancestors) ended up living in various counties in Ulster in Northern Ireland, the reasons they immigrated and reasons the left, and why so many moved to Pennsylvania
The Veteran Reserve Corps in the Civil War
In which I describe some of the military records I recently acquired related to my GGG GF James Calaway Hale, including a letter he wrote in Jan 1865 to Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, as well as share what I learned about his service in the Veteran Reserve Corps, aka. the Invalid Corps.
Still Writing ... and Getting Closer!
In which I describe the writing process, which includes lots of research, drafting, editing, feedback, and revisions; and provide some examples of the assistance I am receiving on my book A State Divided from Andrew County Genealogist Kathy Ridge.
Telling My Story to Los Gatos Rotary
In which I describe the presentation I gave to Los Gatos Rotary in November 2022 about my book projects and share photos as well.
Exploring the Pony Express - and Creating a Family Connection
In which I explain some of the history of the Pony Express; describe its first rider, Johnny Frye; share photos from our visit to the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, Missouri; and share an excerpt from Missouri Daughter in which Bailis recalls watching that momentous first day of the Pony Express with his brother Benjamin.
Following Family Footsteps in Andrew County, Missouri
In which I describe my visit to Andrew County, Missouri, in October 2022 with my husband Mike, where we to visited the Andrew County Historical Society and Museum in Savannah, met with Genealogist Kathy Ridge to learn more about the Hale and Petree families, walked around downtown Savannah and admired the Courthouse, visited the areas in which the Hales and Petrees lived (including where my great grandmother was born in Rosendale), and found the gravestone for James and Elizabeth Hale, as well as their daughter Amanda, in Fillmore Cemetery
A Letter from Rebel Cousin Rachel
In which I share another excerpt from Missouri Daughter that includes a letter to Bailis from his cousin, “Rachel at Rebel Rendezvous,” reflect a bit on how the war tore families apart, and discuss the importance of the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and explain the Platte River Bridge disaster, when Confederate guerrillas burned part of the track and caused a train to derail outside of St. Joseph, killing approximately 20 people and injuring 100.
Researching the Oregon-California Trail: The California Gold Rush and my GGG-GF Henry Petree
In which I discuss some California Gold Rush history, including how my GGG Grandfather Henry Petree took two of his sons, John and Benjamin, with him to California in 1849 to search for gold, leaving behind son Bailis (my GG GF) and his two sisters to live with a nearby family; I also include an excerpt from Missouri Daughter in which I imagine how Bailis might have felt about this, having already lost his mother five years earlier
Researching the Mormon Trail, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and the Graham family's arrival in Utah
In which I relate more Mormon history, describe the Mormon Trail and the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and discuss the Graham family’s arrival in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the 1880’s.
Researching the Oregon Trail - The Missouri “Mormon War” of 1838
In which I relate some little known Mormon history, especially as it relates to Independence, Missouri - which at one point Joseph Smith proclaimed the “New Jerusalem,” claimed was the original Garden of Eden and the site of the construction of Noah’s Ark, and where he said the Second Coming of Christ would take place.
Researching the Oregon Trail - Captain John Knox Kennedy, Big Platte, and Fort Laramie
In which I relate some history of the Oregon Trail and key stops along the way, as well as describe Jane’s brother John Knox Kennedy and a bit more about their journey along the trail; I also share information gleaned from the book Trail of Innocents, written by Everill Cummins, about the Kennedy Train.
Some Family Members Move West - A Letter from Walla Walla, Washington, 1864
In which I share an excerpt from my nonfiction book, A State Divided, that explains some family history, as well as share a July 1864 letter from Jane Kennedy Hale, now settled in Walla Walla, Washington.
Some Family Members Move West - A Letter from the Oregon Trail in 1862
In which I share more letters from the Oregon Trail, this time from Jane Kennedy Hale, the widowed wife of James’s brother Meshack, who was killed by Confederate sympathizers; Jane, who traveled with the “Kennedy Train” led by her brother, eventually settled with her son William in Walla Walla, Washington.
Some Family Members Move West on the Oregon Trail - A Letter from California in 1858
In which I share a letter from Lewis Hale, the son of James’s brother Charles, who traveled along the Oregon Trail to California in 1858 with his wife and two children, experiencing many crazy adventures along the way and settling in the Petaluma Valley.
GGG Grandfather James Calaway Hale's first letters from Benton Barracks General Hospital
In which I share some of the first letters James Calaway Hale wrote from the General Hospital at Benton Barracks in St. Louis in June and July, 1863.
Some Interesting Displays at the Missouri Civil War Museum
In which I describe the exhibits at the Missouri Civil War Museum at Jefferson Barracks, which I visited in April 2022, including displays about key figures and battles, guerrilla activities, uniforms, weapons, medicine, movie representations, and MUCH more.
Missouri: A State Divided Long Before the Civil War Began
In which I share an excerpt from my book, A State Divided, and explain some Missouri history leading up to the Civil War - including the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Compromise of 1850/Fugitive Slave Law, the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the “Bleeding Kansas” Border Wars, and the Dred Scott Decision.
Missouri Civil War Museum at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis
In which I relate some history of Benton Barracks and Jefferson Barracks, both in St. Louis, Missouri; share my initial thoughts and sights upon arriving at the museum; and explain how this turned into a TWO book project - a historical fiction book titled Missouri Daughter and a nonfiction text titled A State Divided: The Civil War Letters of James Calaway Hale and Benjamin Petree of Andrew County, Missouri.
A Visit to the Centralia Cemetery and Some Traughber Family History
In which I visit the Centralia Cemetery - once with Mike and once with my parents - to pay our respects to the many Traughbers and Brysons buried there, as well as share some Traughber family history.