National Day of Listening (NDL)

Rosalind M., of AAGHSC's Mississippi Study Group, had reviewed Isabel Wilkerson's book, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, for the group at the November meeting.  This morning, at BookTV.org, I saw Isabel Wilkerson's name at the bottom of my TV screen.

Wilkerson and Michele Norris, former ABC news correspondent and author of The Grace of Silence, were discussing their new books at the 2010 Texas Book Festival.  Soon, their respective back stories came to a close and Norris mentioned National Day of Listening, the day after Thanksgiving.  A well known journalist, Norris teared up as she spoke of her father. 

With regret, she told the audience, "...my children will never hear my father's voice because I never recorded it."  As we spend time with family over the holiday weekend, remember NDL, a day to spend time with family members and video/tape record family stories for the future generations.  Click here for an Instructional Guide.

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Slavery in the 20th Century?

Slavery By Another Name: The Re-enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, by Pulitzer Prize winner Douglas Blackmon, is expected to air on PBS in 2012.

NB: For more information, visit the website of Doug Blackmon.

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RSS Explained In Plain English

For the better part of year, I've been hearing about RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds. My response, typical of most people browsing the Internet, was "Why do I need that?"

I just couldn't wrap my head around the idea. I can just save the URL to my Favorites, right? Why do I need to subscribe to an RSS feed? Click here and the answer will soon be obvious.

Take your research to the next level. Subscribe to The Sand Creek Sentinel for more genealogy tips.

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The Battle Of Antietam: September 17, 1862

How well do you know your Civil War history?

Today marks the 148th anniversary of the single bloodiest day of the Civil War at the Battle of Antietam. If you can answer the following four questions correctly, I’ll give you a pass on the above video.

• Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, & Missouri remained a part of the Union and were exempted from the Emancipation Proclamation? True or False?

• Antietam is to the Union as __________ is to the Confederacy.

• What action did President Lincoln take after the Union victory, at Antietam, in September 1862?

• Who was Abraham Lincoln’s presidential opponent of 1864?

Bonus
• According to President Lincoln, which Union general had a case of "the Slows"?

NB: Yale Professor David Blight is the Director of the Gilder Lehrman Institute and the author of A Slave No More. You might think that discovering two previously unpublished slave narratives in the 21st century is remarkable and it is. As family researchers however, even more remarkable is the research done to validate the events recorded for posterity by Wallace Turnage & John Washington.

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Spinning History Through The Movies

With a renewed love of history, I'm always looking for documentaries or movies that serve my twin interests in history and family history. Yesterday, flipping through the TV channels, I stumbled on National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) and later, Wild, Wild West (1999).

National Treasure: Book of Secrets follows National Archivist, Ben Franklin Gates (aka Nicolas Cage) and his father, Patrick Henry Gates (aka John Voight), as they seek to uncover the back story of Abraham Lincoln's assassination and 18 missing pages from the diary of John Willkes Booth.

In Wild, Wild West, at the behest of President Grant, Jim West (aka Will Smith) & Artemus Gordon (aka Kevin Kline) team up to battle wits with Dr. Arliss Loveless (aka Kenneth Branagh) and his "lady-fiends". Kenneth Branagh's southern accent is right on.

Yes, okay, so Roger Ebert ripped both of these movies to shreds but that doesn't mean that you can't still enjoy the Civil War tie-in.

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Pawn Stars: Labor Day TV Marathon

I'll make this short and sweet. Don't call me tomorrow because I'll be watching my newest guilty pleasure, on the History Channel, all day long!

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Born in Africa: Martha & Amey

The other day, while reviewing the 1870 U.S. Census for Oktibbeha County, for the umpteenth time, I came across two African-born women. In 1808, Congress officially banned the international slave trade from Africa but it continued illicitly. Considering that, it was possible that Martha Walcer, born about 1820, was born in Africa. On the other hand, Amey McVay [sic], born about 1790, was definitely a more probable candidate.

Beyond an 1871 marriage listing for Samuel McPhail to Rodie Parramore, of Oktibbeha County, MS, I was unable to further locate Amey's immediate family. I did locate a Spencer McPhail on the 1900 Oktibbeha County Census but I couldn't find the tie-in. As far as Martha, I couldn’t location her or her family on the 1880 census.

Fortunately, I have plenty of other options to explore.

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Evernote: The Best Organizational Tool Ever!

Location! Location! Location! is to Real Estate what Organization! Organization! Organization! is to Genealogy. If you're like me and have notes on assorted slips of papers (e.g., napkins, backs of receipts, and post-it notes) and in too many notebooks to count, then you'll soon appreciate just how wonderful this software application can be in organizing all of your genealogical research.

In addition, I'm in the process of creating a website. Jotting down ideas, adding video links and pictures is a piece of cake and finding those same items is a breeze with the search feature. While I've downloaded the Windows-version, there is also a Mac-version of this software available, as well as an iPad, iPod, and an iPhone version. I love the 21st Century!

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What is Past is Prologue

--William Shakespeare, from The Tempest

Four years ago, today, I discovered the world of genealogy. Four years later, I've discovered a love of history and an affinity for oxidized pages, traveled gravel roads far and wide and crawled shelves high and low, and I've been reacquainted with "old" cousins and met several "new" cousins. Best of all, I've met many kindred spirits in the process and attended two wonderful family reunions: the most recent one, held just last month, in Minneapolis, MN.

Update: "We cannot erase the past but it is in our power to change the future." ---Binyamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, to Palestinian leader, President Mahmoud Abbas, during 2010 Peace Talks in Washington, DC.

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Tim Pinnick: Someone You Should Know

Years ago, Harry Porterfield, a local Chicago reporter used to have a segment on the afternoon news entitled "Someone You Should Know." Tim Pinnick, genealogist, lecturer, and author, is one of those people.

Last year, while at the International Black Genealogy Summit, in Fort Wayne, I bought his book based on the glowing feedback about his two-part presentation: Finding and Using African American Newspapers. Being from the Chicagoland area, I immediately honed in on the Chicago Defender, which in its' heyday was delivered by Pullman Porters and had local correspondents across the country.

As a result of exploring newspaper research, I found 1200+ columns referencing residents of Starkville or near Starkville: not Starkville, Colorado; not Starkville, Georgia; not Starkville, New York; but, Starkville, Mississippi! In fact, earlier this year, based on my findings, I gave two presentations at the first annual STL-AAHGS genealogical conference entitled Putting Meat on the Bones of Your Ancestors Lives with Newspaper Articles: The Highs of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi.

Thanks to Tim, my genealogical research has a whole new focus. Want to know more African American newpaper research? Check out Tim's new class at familytreeUniversity. Moreover, thank you B.J. Smothers for sharing your many 2010 FGS Conference interviews. Be sure to watch all of them and visit AfriGeneas.

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Visiting Virginia

Barely awake this morning, I stumbled on an interesting travel short on TCM -- Turner Movie Classics. "Visiting Virginia (1947)", produced and narrated by James A. FitzPatrick, was particularly interesting from a genealogical perspective.

Always wanting to know more about exactly how my early American ancestors might have lived, I was fascinated by this episode, which was rich in history and agriculture (e.g., cultivating tobacco and making sorghum). For my fellow family researchers, I'd definitely recommend viewing these short, shorts.

Regretfully, I was unable to locate "Visiting Virginia" at YouTube.com.  If your genealogical research has an international focus, you'll definitely want to see more of James A. FitzPatrick's filmography.

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Locating Your Slaveowner's Lands

I love YouTube. Months ago, I came across this wonderful gem entitled "Find Your Ancestors Land Records Using Google Earth" by Kimberly Selma. By using the Bureau of Land Management Land Records and a couple of other websites, Kimberly demonstrated how she located her ancestor's land.

For me, I also used it to locate the land of my ancestors/slaveowners: Andrew Boyd and his father-in-law, John McDowell. Before you get started, ask yourself: is your state of research a State-Land state or a Public-Land state? State-Land states have legal descriptions in terms of Metes and Bounds. Public-Land states, aka Public-Domain states, have legal descriptions in terms of Townships and Ranges.

The State-land states are those original 13 colonies + a couple more (i.e., CT, DE, GA, KY, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT, WV, & parts of TX). Public-Land states, aka Public-Domain states, are those 30 states (plus parts of TX) obtained through the Louisiana Purchase, Indian Removal, and other acquisitions.

Don't assume that all land record information is listed there. For example, the Bureau of Land Management shows Andrew Boyd, of Oktibbeha County, MS with three land patents in 1841. If I didn't know better, I'd think that was when he arrived there from Perry County, AL. Here's the rub: according to his headstone, he died in 1839. A couple of years ago, after requesting Andrew Boyd's land records file, from the National Archives (in Washington, DC.), I discovered that he was actually there in 1834!

Linda Haas Davenport has a great book entitled Taking the Mystery Out of Land Records (2nd ed.). Unfortunately, this book is now sold out but you can still gain valuable tips at Linda's website. How the States Got Their Shape, by Mark Stein, and the more recent companion DVD (100 minutes) will also greatly aid you in your land research.

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Taking Your Research To The Next Level

If a picture's worth a thousand words, a video must be priceless. Every time I go on a research trip, one singular thought comes to mind : How I wish I had a cameraman with me. Well, that'll never happen because I can't afford one. Over several months, my subconscious busily worked on a solution.

One day, while in the camera section of Office Depot, I noticed that their cameras were mounted to an upright device. I went home and saw that my digital camera had this same thread feature that allowed for attachment to another device. I googled "camera mount, car" but nothing seemed to jump out at me.

In late November 2009, I came upon a device that seem to fit the bill. Unfortunately, I already had planned a research trip to Mississippi and the device wouldn't arrive in time. In January 2010, I had a second chance when I booked a quick trip to South Carolina. Not bad, huh?

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When There's No TV

Wednesday's brownout carried over another day. I'm okay without TV but not being able to use my laptop is a different story. I didn't need the Internet, I just wanted to crank out a couple of stories in Word. Yeah, I could do them by hand but I'm spoiled. I admit it.

Instead, I located my Newsletters binder and decided to catch on some reading. I spent a long time reading/rereading several editions the Illinois State Genealogical Society Quarterly. Cover to cover reading of the Summer 2010 edition prompted me to:

• Reconsider the Social Networking phenomenon (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, podcasts, etc.) as suggested by an article entitled Virtual Networking for the Genealogist: Part 1.

• Visit antiques stores, flea markets, and garage sales for old, identifiable photos and attempt to reunite them with their family members as suggested in an article Faces from the Past.

• Sourcing my articles with Microsoft Word via the Reference and Footnote tools as suggested in the column entitled Confessions of an Aging Genealogist.

Update: I uploaded my first Youtube video the other day.

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Pritzker Military Library Presents: Jeff Shaara

Pritzker Military Library | Jeff Shaara

Two years ago, after discovering my Civil War ancestor, I enrolled in a two part course on the Civil War at the College of DuPage, wanting to know if it really was "The War of Northern Agression". Required reading included tens of articles, James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom (1988), Killer Angels (1974), which was later adapted to film as Gettysburg (2000), and Gods & Generals (1996), the story of the Battle of Chancellorsville.

The other day, on www.wycc.org, I stumbled on a rebroadcast of a Pritzer Military Library interview of Jeff Shaara. Shaara is the New York Times best-selling author of several military trilogies. His father, Michael Shaara, is/was the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Killer Angels , a fictional but very readable account of the three bloodiest days of the Civil War.

Almost 80 minutes long, Shaara gives the backstory that makes his father's and his writing careers so fascinating. Who knew that Jacques Cousteau was a Civil War buff?! Checkout this riveting interview at Pritzker Military Library | Jeff Shaara.

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Graduation Day: Remembering Clyde Kennard

To the Class of 2010, I’m so proud of all of you:

Thank you Calvin for reminding me that it’s that time of year where family graduations abound. It’s hard to believe that at one time “Separate but Equal” was the law of the land. Brown vs. the Board of Education changed all that—sort of. Unfortunately, that “With All Deliberate Speed” clause was just the loop-hole many states needed to continue de jure segregation. Many of us know about James Meredith’s desegregation of the University of Mississippi, (in Oxford) and Richard Holmes’s desegregation of Mississippi State University (in Starkville), but what do you know about Clyde Kennard?

In 1956, 1957, and 1959, Mr. Kennard, a U.S. paratrooper who once served in Germany and Korea and would-be transfer student from the University of Chicago, sought admittance to Mississippi Southern College (now the University of Southern Mississippi). Mississippi Governor James P. Coleman offered Mr. Kennard a quid pro quo: in exchange for paid college tuition, Coleman required him to gain acceptance elsewhere in the state. Proximity to his family’s farm was the deciding factor and Mr. Kennard declined the governor's offer. When further talks still would not dissuade Mr. Kennard, the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission sought a lasting solution.

On September 15, 1959, Mr. Kennard was falsely arrested and later convicted of charges of reckless driving. On September 25, 1960, he was rearrested on more false charges: this time, theft. Less than two months later, he was convicted by an all-white jury and sentenced to seven years in Parchman Penitentiary. In 1961, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. Despite medical recommendations, the prison warden did nothing. By January 1963, Mr. Kennard’s “murder” was imminent and Governor Ross Barnett suspended his sentence indefinitely.

Graduates--with your diplomas in hand, I ask you to remember those who paved the way for you. Remember those despite their best efforts weren't allowed to go the school. Remember those who went to segregated schools. Remember those whose families couldn't afford to send them to school. Most of all, remember those who weren't even given the option to go school.

NB: Upon his release, Mr. Kennard relocated to Chicago. Despite surgeries at the University of Chicago’s Billings Hospital, he would die on July 4, 1963 at the age of 36 years of age.

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The Fairfield Herald: 1866 - 1871

A reel of microfilmed newspapers was waiting for me at the College of Du Page, my local junior college, thanks to an inter-library loan from the Fairfield County Library in Winnsboro, SC. My goal remains the same: to find the final resting place of Malinda Keith and Samuel Boyd and his parents, Agness and Andrew Boyd, Sr.

I did find several interesting articles, including...historical sketches of Fairfield; a polar expedition to the Arctic Circle; progress reports about flying ships (airplanes!); news of various wars in Europe; and, railroad schedules. No luck yet on those burial locations but that's okay. I was rewarded with an obit for Robert S. Ketchin, a very well-to-do merchant of Fairfield County, SC.

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Emmett Till's Ties To Starkville?

It seems that Wiley Nash Carthan aka John Carthan, Emmett Till's maternal grandfather, was born in Starkville, MS in 1902. At least that's what the Baltimore Afro-American reported in a February 8, 1969 article upon Mr. Carthan's death.

I figured that with a quick review of census records, I'd be able to substantiate this claim--not! While I did find several Carthans, I was unable to locate a key, older brother named Emmett Carthan, born in 1898, on the 1900 Oktibbeha County census. Furthermore, on September 12, 1918, when Emmit (sic) Carthan registered for the third round World War I Draft Registration, he had removed to Glendora, Tallahatchie County, MS.

As Nash Carthan was born after September 12, 1900, he was not old enough to register. Worst still, I have found them only on the 1930 Census -- in Summit, Cook County, Illinois. I'm not one to give up easily and so I'll keep looking for that Starkville connection.

NB: In 1955, while visiting family in Money, Mississippi, Emmett Till was alledged to have whistled at a white woman. He was forcibly removed from the home of his uncle, Moses Wright. Two days later, his mutilated body was found in the Tallhatchie River. Rest in peace Emmett.

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Greenwood Cemetery Clean-Up Project

The following article first appeared in the AAHGS News, November/December 2009, a publication of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc.

Do your Missouri family ties include Saint Louis County?

If so, Greenwood Cemetery, located at 6571 Saint Louis Avenue in Hillsdale, Missouri, desperately needs your help. The first non-sectarian African-American Cemetery founded in 1874, contains thirty-one acres of hallowed ground and is the final resting place of 30,000+ African Americans: including former slaves (e.g., Dred Scott’s wife, Harriet), veterans, and other community members. A partial listing of Greenwood Cemetery inhabitants can be found at http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/greenwood/1874-1908burials.pdf

According to Etta D., who is on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Greenwood Cemetery Association, “Greenwood has not received regular maintenance since the late 1980's and most of it is an overgrown wilderness at this point. We - The Friends of Greenwood - are desperately trying to find a solution.” By not cleared, I thought she meant weeds. “…More than weeds, Anita. The neighbors, in the houses surrounding Greenwood, refer to it as ‘The Jungle’, which is exactly what it looks like at this time.”

A year after our initial correspondence, while in Saint Louis for the weekend, I visited ‘the Jungle’ in search of the final resting place of one of my grandfather’s first cousin’s, Shepherd Boyd, and saw for myself what 20 years of neglect had done. As I walked around the area, I imagined my own family’s cemetery in Mississippi undergoing a similar fate. Without family-funded perpetual care, it was only a matter of time. It's a cautionary tale for anyone interested in preserving the memories of their loved ones.

NB: I'm still searching for Shep!

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The Traveler's Gift

Last Thursday, I picked up several used books at my local Goodwill store, including a hardback version of Killer Angels (to replace my trade size paperback). Today, I finally had a chance to read one of those other finds: The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews.

I was intrigued by the storyline: “…an extraordinary experience awaits David Ponder. He finds himself traveling back in time, meeting leaders and heroes at crucial moments in their lives. From the European theater of World War I…from a Civil War battlefield…David encounters some of the wisest people who ever lived. Abraham Lincoln, King Solomon, Anne Frank, Harry Truman, and others teach him unforgettable life lessons.” Sounds promising, huh?

After the dedication page, I found myself reading a quote by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and immediately thought that I’ve read way too many Civil War books. Keep in mind that I’ve only been doing genealogical research for three years. Was it a coincidence that I had also picked up Michael Shaara’s Killer Angels? If you don’t know the premise behind Killer Angels, I won’t spoil it for you. Let's just say that Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain figures prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg.

I challenge you to read The Traveler's Gift and not experience your own epiphany. It's a combination of fact and fiction, history and how-to, and time-travel and transformation. From a genealogical point of view, what I wouldn't give to have just one of those conversations with my great-great grandmother, Caroline Bingham, or her mother and father, Margaret McDowell and Joe Bingham, or Margaret's mother, Harriet McDowell. What words of wisdom would they give me?

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