Just for the heck of it, with a push from -52 Weeks - this is a story about my introduction to the world of genealogy working on a puzzle of my ex's family. It does not involve anyone in my line. The advantage of this experience was in working with unknown persons, I learned the value of staying objective when viewing any documentation or family lore.
There
is no way I can mention that initial foray into genealogy in the mid
1990s without mentioning Gerald Smith, the (then) Broome County, NY historian. He
ensured we were exposed to basic research strategies, potential pitfalls
we might encounter and how to not get overwhelmed by the barrage of
data we might run across. He tried to imparted as much of his wealth of
knowledge as he was able, in the short times we were able to have him
focus his attention on us. He would conversationally mention more in 10
minutes than hours in a structured setting could teach. He was a walking
example of 'forgetting more than I can ever hope to learn'. I still
remember the times he would simply walk to a bookshelf, pull out a text
without a moments hesitation, and it was always exactly the obscure
resource we needed. He always took the time to explain the ''why'' of the
less common types of resources that we might need from both a
genealogical and historical perspective. I am forever indebted to this
wise man for his time, guidance, suggestions and encouragement.
My
former husband had a Civil War era letter. That letter was found by him
when going through his father's belongings after his father died. His
father's nature was not to keep ''things'' unless there was some family or
personal value to them. A hoarder Walter was not. This letter had to have had some familial connection. The letter was written by a George Post and addressed to a
Frank White in Coudersport, Potter, Pennsylvania.
What
was not known was who the George that wrote the letter was or how he connected to the White family. Equally unknown was the Frank it was
addressed to. Walter's surname was
White but he had no knowledge of his paternal line ever having lived outside
of Broome County, New York. Family tradition was that his
family had lived in Broome ''forever''. What other information he passed on was that his father, a Charles, "only" had one sibling, a brother Stephen.
At
the suggestion of our mentor Gerald Smith we focused our initial
research on working on Walter's surname line to find Frank; initially ignoring the family
lore of the family having been in Broome county ''forever'' and even the letter itself. We were to let the 'records speak for themselves' and let them show us which way to go.
One aspect of
this initial mid 1990s research is to keep in mind that the online
genealogy world as we know it, did not exist. It was only by 1997/1998
that CDs of early censuses were available. Finding basic documentation
on earlier generations was not as simple or as quick as using an online
search engine. We initially relied on land deeds at the local county clerk's office and local city directories and the various resources in the local historical society. We located records indicating the family had moved in - out - and back again - to Broome over the generations. So much for being in Broome ''forever''.
Walter had
always maintained that his father Charles only had one sibling, a
brother Stephen. We found a family group sheet at the local historical
society [left by a Sabra Powers some 10 years earlier] that showed Charles not only had a brother Stephen, but three sisters as well. It also listed Charles parent's as a
Francis Nelson White and Sabra Post White. Was this Francis the ''Frank'' of the letter? Was Sabra Powers named after the Sabra Post White? It also indicated that Francis and Sabra lived in Coudersport, Potter,
Pennsylvania.
My husband was more than a bit skeptical as it contradicted everything he had been told. In the spirit of going where the records led, a trip to
Coudersport was easier -and faster- than any other alternative at that time. We
followed the records to Potter County. At the Potter County Historical Society we had
our first deluge of information! It was wonderful! We were given Bible transcripts, cemetery records, maps of early locations, visited the local cemeteries, learned about the Austin Dam flood, saw where Richard's homestead had been and the area where Frank had once had a farm.
The
records they had were more focused on Sabra Post White's lineage. Our focus shifted from the White surname to the Post family. Sabra's
parents were a Richard V. Post and his wife Mary Clark. Richard and Mary
had six children, four daughters and two sons. Their youngest son was a
George - could he be the George of the letter? It didn't take too much
to figure out that Frank was Francis. Additional research in census and other
records would confirm that Frank was born in NY, the son of an Alexander White. Alex was born in Massachusetts but was in Broome by 1810. Richard Post was born in Broome about 1815. It turns out both the White and the Post families had been in Broome at least since its early days as a separate county.
Back to George Post's letter.
George's
letter was written in January of 1864 and sent from Virginia. In that
letter he mentioned having grown a mustache and asking for them to send
him more Maple Sugar. I do not have the letter, so much of its contents
are lost to memory, but those two lines always stood out.
Coudersport has a memorial for their local sons who were killed
during the Civil War. George's name is on that monument as Andrew George
Post. Everything I have been able to find shows him as George A. or
George Andrew. While seeing his name on the memorial was not the best first way to find him, it did
point to where other records about him might exist.
George
Andrew Post was born ~1843 in either Eulalia or Hebron, Potter,
Pennsylvania. George's parents are enumerated in 1840
and 1850 in those townships, respectively. George is listed in the 1850. I have never found him in 1860, he isn't listed with his parents or in Potter County itself, so that census remains a mystery in his research.
He
enlisted in the 46th Regiment, Company H of the Pennsylvania Infantry. I
do not know the date he enlisted. From his later re-enlistment in Jan
1864, it would be likely that it was in 1861.
I do have that he was at Gettysburg, Jul 1863. His name is on the Pennsylvania memorial plaque at Gettysburg. https://tinyurl.com/y9m2e8td
After
Gettysburg, the 46th was stationed along the Rappahannock River, I
suspect this to be from where George sent his letter. It was that January
of 1864 when his regiment re-enlisted as their original 3 year
tour was over. I do not know when he was promoted to Corporal.
The
following July, the 46th found itself in Georgia preparing for the
Battle of Peach Tree Creek. On 24 Jul 1864 George was injured in that
battle. A week later on 29 Jul, he died the result of the amputation for the gun shot wound in his leg. George was
originally buried at Vinings Station, Fulton, Georgia. Sometime after
1866 he was interred in the Marietta National Cemetery, Marietta, Cobb,
Georgia.
----------------------
With the information we had gathered over next the several months, we were able to be confident that the letter was from George Post to his sister Sabra and her husband Frank White. Frank was Walter's Grandfather who died in 1900, 10 years before Walter was born. I learned from collateral family members that Walter's Uncle Stephen's marriage to Hattie Hamilton caused a rift between the two brothers and their three sisters. The end result of that rift was Walter was raised believing his father only had one sibling, which was the lore he passed down to his own children.
Researching that 1864 letter brought that part of the family's story full circle.
From that point forward, I was hooked.
---------------------------------
Bible transcript [xerox copy] from Potter County Historical Society
Births:
Richard V. Post born Nov 7, 1814
Mary Post, his wife, born Aug 15, 1817
Sarah Jane Post, born Jan 12, 1837
Sabra Lowata Post, born Aug 4, 1838
Reuben M. Post, born Jan 31, 1847
Nancy Maria Post, born Jun 20, 1847
Hestina Post, born Aug 15, 1851
Marriages:
Richard V. Post & Mary Clarke, married Feb 1, 1835
William Nesbit & Sarah J. Post, married Oct 26, 1856
Francis N. White & Sabra Lowata Post, married Jan 23, 1867
Hestina Post & Edgar S. Mattison, married Nov 27, 1879
Deaths:
George A. Post, died July 29, 1864
Nancy M. Post, died Apr 8, 1873
Hestina Post Mattison, died Sept 19, 1880
Richard V. Post, died May 8, 1882
Elizabeth M. Post, wife of Reuben, died Nov 11, 1883
Ruby Mattison, died Nov 20, 1883
Mary Clarke Post, died Mar 26, 1900
Reuben M. Post, died May 11, 1915
