Military Monday - Roll Call of Veteran Ancestors

For Memorial Day, I am conducting a Roll Call of my direct Ancestors who joined the military.

Some didn't serve very long, some fought in one or more battles, a few were captured, and even gave the ultimate sacrifice.

All were important no matter what their rank or degree of service - they were helping to defend our country.

World War II

1. My Father, Donald E. Ormsby (1918-1988)

            He enlisted on May 12,  1942 at St. Louis, MO in the Army Aviation Corps
            After serving 9 months and 4 days, he was Honorably Discharged as an Aviation Cadet.

World War I

2. My Grandfather, John Steinbrecher (1894-1971)

He joined the U.S. Army on June 24, 1918 and served until Nov. 15, 1918, discharged as a Corporal.

None of my Great-grandfathers served that I know of, but all four of my Great-great-grandfathers on my father's side served in the Civil War. My mother's ancestors were either still in Europe, or were pacifists.

Civil War

3.  My Great-great-grandfather Charles Clark Ormsby (1838-1920)
   
     He was a Corporal in Company E of the 123rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry.  He enlisted August 14, 1864 and was discharged July 3, 1865.  He received a pension.

4.  My Great-great-grandfather John Johnson Neeley (1841-1908)

     He was a private in Captain Samuel R. Motts Company C of the 57th Regiment in the Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  He enlisted on December 5, 1861 from Allen County, Ohio and was mustered in at Findlay, OH on December 9.  During his service, he participated in the engagements at Shiloh TN, Wolf Creek Hindman AR, Vicksburg and Jackson MS, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge TN, Kenesaw Mountain and the Seige of Atlanta GA, as well as a number of minor engagements and skirmishes.  He received a pension.

Monuments to 57th OVI at Vicksburg

5.  My great-great-grandfather William Dennis Hill (1838-1925)

He enlisted in Company F, 59th Illinois Volunteer Infantry in August 1861. He served over 3 years and participated in the battles of Pea Ridge, Stone River, and others and was discharged at Atlanta.  He received a pension.

6.  My great-great-grandfather George Washington Wiley (1838-1920)

He served as a Private in Company B, 2nd Illinois Light Artillery "Madison Battery" from August 26, 1861 - August 31, 1864.  In a letter her wrote to his granddaughter in 1919 he told her how he had sustained "3 bullet holds in my close 2 just grasing the hide". He received a pension.

7. My 3rd-great-grandfather Joseph Thompson McGowan (1819-1890)

According to family lore, "The McGowen family answered Lincoln's call when he encouraged brave men to go to Kansas to assure it remaining a free state".  They settled on land inherited from his father-in-law Henry Miller (see below).
While in Kansas, J.T. answered another call of Lincoln, that of joining the military.  He joined Company A of the Irregular Kansas Militia in October 1864 and was stationed at Mound City, Lind Co, Kansas.

War of 1812

8. My 4th great-grandfather Henry Miller (1793-1858)

He served as a Private in Captain John Lantz's Co. 118th Regiment of the Virginia Militia from February 20 - March 4, 1815.  He was discharged at the foot of Blue Ridge near Kingwood 34 miles from his residence.  He received $3.35 pay for his service at the time, but in 1859 his heirs were granted 160 acres of Bounty land.  His daughter Melvina Miller McGowan and her family moved there.

9. My 4th great-grandfather John Forester (1775-1857)

He served from August 29, 1812 - September 9, 1812 and again from March 5, 1814 - August 15, 1814 in Captain William Wilson's Company, Collier's Regiment of the Ohio Militia.  He received 80 acres of bounty land.

10. My 4th great-grandfather Samuel Stover (1785-1837)

He served as a Private in Captain James Downings Company Infantry of Ohio Militia from March 30, 1812 until February 28, 1813 when he transferred to Captain Walker's Company.  He was discharged at Fort Sandusky on March 26, 1813.

11. My 4th great-grandfather Henry Critser (1793-1877)

He volunteered at Dayton, OH on May 1, 1812 as a substitute for John Robinson (his future brother-in-law).  He was taken Prisoner of War on August 16, 1812 and released 2 weeks later at Detroit, MI.  He volunteered again on November 1, 1813 and was discharged March 4, 1814.

Revolutionary War

12. My 5th Great-Grandfather Nathaniel Ormsby (1734-1777)

He served in the Continental Army from Norwich CT in Nixon's Regiment.  His pay for service began on May 15, 1777.  He was captured at Albany and died while a prisoner of the British.

13. My 5th Great-Grandfather Abraham Day (1747-1797)

He served as a Sergeant on picket guard under Major Baldwin in 1775.  Received pay for travel to and from Ticonderoga in 1776.

14. My 5th Great-Grandfather Oliver Clark (1756-1824)

He was a Private in Captain Oliver Clap's Co. in October 1777, then in Captain Moses Adam's Company from February 20 to April 3, 1778.

15. My 5th Great-Grandfather Joel Hannum (1745-1814)

He was a Private in Captain Samuel Fairfield's Company Col. Sparhawk's Regiment from Dorchester, MA from September 24 to December 12, 1778.

16. My 5th Great-Grandfather John Ludwig Shuey (1755-1839)

He was a Private in Captain Casper Stoever's 3rd Company, 2nd Battallion of the Lancaster County Pennsylvania Militia in 1782)

17. My 5th Great-Grandfather David Neeley (c1748-1818)

He was a Private in Colonel Moses Hazen's Regiment of the Cumberland Co PA Militia beginning on May 4, 1777.  He was noted missing as a prisoner from September 11, 1777 until July 1778.  Finally discharged on June 20, 1783.

18. My 5th Great-Grandfather William Thompson (c1744-1811)

He served in the 5th Battalion Cumberland Co PA militia from 1777-1779, then in the 8th Battalion from 1780-1782.

19. My 5th Great-Grandfather Peter Miller (1759-1838)

He served as a Private for 5 months beginning in May 1776 in Colonel Drake's Regiement from New Jersey, then for 4 months in Captain Parsons' Company at Orange County NY, finally in the summer of 1777 under Captain Marion at Chester, NJ.

20. My 5th Great-Grandfather James Becket (c1753-1821)

He was a Private in the 1st Batallion PA Rifle Regiment stationed from September 1 - October 1, 1776 at Harlem, NY.  On December 17, 1776 he was camped near Corryell's ferry.

21. My 5th great-grandfather Johann Balser Dieterick (1754-1838)

He served as a Private in the Pennsylvania Line.  He enlisted in June 1776 and spent 6 months at York Co, PA under Captain John Paxton.  Went to Philadelphia, Trenton, Princeton, Amboy, Long Island and Fort Constitution.  Took part in the attack on the Picket guard of Hessians at Long Island. He was discharged in December 1776.

22. My 6th Great-Grandfather Abraham Day Sr (1712-1792)

He was a drummer in Captain Moses Montague's Co of Minutemen and marched in response to the alarm of April 19, 1775.  He served for 22 and 2/3 days starting on April 20, 1775.

23. My 6th Great-Grandfather Ithamar Clark (1716-1802)

He also served as a Minuteman but under Captain Jonathan Allen's Company.  He served from April 19 to May 15, 1775 and again from July 9 to August 12, 1777 on an alarm at Ticonderoga.

24. My 6th Great-Grandfather Noah Parsons (1731-1814)

He was my third Minuteman who marched in Captain Jonathan Allen's Company from April 19, 1775 for 8 days.  He then served in Colonel John Fellows' Regiment from July 9 to August 12, 1777 marching to Ticonderoga.  Finally he served as a Sergeant in Captain Lyman's Company marching from Northampton, MA to East Hoosuck on the alarm of August 17, 1777.

Minuteman statue in Lexington, MA - photo from Wikimedia commons

25. My 6th Great-grandfather Edward Bates (c1734-1804)

Served in the Invalid Regiment of Pennsylvania under Colonel Lewis Nicola.  He was discharged April 1783.

26. My 6th Great-grandfather Robert Taylor (c1720-1790)

He was a Major in the Cumberland County PA Militia from 1776 until September 1777.

I have many more ancestors who engaged in Patriotic activity, as well as several collateral ancestors who served in the Military.  I thank them all for their service.

Society Saturday - Letters Home from a Confederate Soldier

At our Daughters of the Union meeting today we saw a little from the other side's perspective.

Our program was given by Patricia and Rich Healy who reenacted the story of Confederate Soldier Larkin Moon.

They did they by "reading" letters that he had written home to his wife Malinda Brunetta in Chatham Co NC.

The first letter was written in April 1862.  Larkin was a new recruit fresh from the farm.  He told how they were going to send those Yankees home before the harvest.  He demonstrated how he learned to hold his musket ("shoulder arms") and the nine steps required to load it.

In July 1863 he told of the battle at Gettysburg, how the hill was full of dead and dying boys, in both blue and gray uniforms.  Of the 800 men in Company G 26th North Carolina Infantry, 600 were lost that day.

In February 1865 the spirits of the troops were very low.  They had very little to eat and subsisted mostly on hardtack with weevils in it.  Several of his comrades had deserted.

The last letter was written on April 12, 1865 where he told of taking part in the surrender of the Confederate army at Appomatox.  The troops laid down their weapons and said goodbye to the "Stars and Bars".

It was a very interesting program from a first person perspective.

nsdujohnbutler.homestead.com

Society Saturday - Captain Gates

At the Annual Banquet of the Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America, we had a chance to travel back in time to meet the Captain of the Maryland "Dove".  The "Dove" was the ship that brought the early settlers to Maryland in 1633-4.  It is being reconstructed at St. Mary's City in Maryland.

Aiding the reconstruction was the project of 2015-18 DFPA National President Carole Belcher.  

Captain Will Gates is an expert ship rigger of historic tall ships and is currently the skipper of the reconstructed " Dove".  He told us about the history of the ship, and details about its reconstruction.

It was interesting to learn a little about what life was like on board during the 3 month winter voyage for the 120 people on board, each with only a small patch of deck to call their own.

www.nationalsocietydfpa.com

Society Saturday - An evening with the Madisons

At the Associate Council of the Daughters of 1812, we were entertained by James and Dolley Madison.

They were portrayed by Kyle Jenks and Judith Kales who perform first person interpretations of several historic figures.

We learned specifically about the events surrounding the British burning of the White House in August 1814.  James had gone off to be with the US troops, and Dolley stayed behind to safeguard the documents and treasures of their home.  When she was forced to flee, they spent a harrowing several days trying to reconnect with each other.

"Jimmy" and Dolley then told us several anecdotes about how they met and what their family life was like.  

It was a very interesting evening with our fourth President and First Lady.

www.usdaughters1812.org

Society Saturday - Mary Pickersgill

At the recent meeting of John Kinzie Chapter USD1812, we had the pleasure of meeting Mary Young Pickersgill.

She was presented in first person by educator Lynn Rymarz.  She told us of her life, beginning in 1776 in Philadelphia.  Her family moved to Baltimore when she was a child.  After she was widowed at the age of 36, she began a flag making business out of her home.  This was a natural move for her as her mother had been a flag maker during the Revolutionary War.  Her flag making business was well known because Baltimore was a harbor and she sewed many flags for the ships.

One day in 1813, General Armistead came to her shop and commissioned two flags - a smaller storm flag, and a large flag that could be seen from afar.  Both were to fly at Fort McHenry.  Mary Pickersgill  searched throughout the city for enough cloth for her flag, ultimately buying 400 yards of red, white, and blue wool bunting.  She added white cotton for the stars.

The flag was to be 30 feet by 42 feet.  Each stripe was 24" wide, and each star was 2 feet across.  Because this flag was too big for her home, she assembled it at a local brewery that was not occupied in the summer.  Ultimately, she, along with her daughter Caroline, her mother, and some household servants, working late into the night, were able to complete the flag using 350,000 tiny precise stitches.

demonstrating how big one stripe was

Upon completion, she was paid $574 for her work and the flag was flown at Fort McHenry.  This is the flag that inspired Frances Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner.

www.usdaughters1812.org

Sentimental Sunday - Christmas meal traditions

As I'm sitting here thinking about what time to start dinner, I was reminiscing about the various Christmas meal traditions I have been part of.

When I was growing up, my parents would host dinner on Christmas Eve.  This included my immediate family (myself, mom, dad, sister, brother, his wife and their 3 children) as well as my dad's sister and my mother's father.  Mom would always make standing rib roast - she had ordered it from the grocer weeks before to be sure it was the right size and cut.  There was also a jello salad that she always made - called crown jewel salad - white fluffy base with squares of different colored jello (this was, after all, the sixties). 

Dad carving the roast - 1974

After dinner, everyone would pitch in to clear the table and do the dishes.  Then we would gather around the Christmas tree for our gift exchange.  After my brothers family went home, we would go to bed early because Santa was coming!

my sister, me, my nephew and my niece - 1967

My brother and his family 1968

In the morning, we would get up and come downstairs to see what Santa had brought - in our stockings and under the tree. 

My sister and I on Christmas morning 1968

Then we would go to my dad's brother's house for Christmas day dinner.  Uncle Dick and Aunt Mary would open their house to whoever was around - the gathering often included other aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as some neighbors.  They always had a little gift for everyone - I remember lots of little wind up toys.  Dinner there consisted of lamb (I have never tasted lamb that delicious since), and a noodle dish that we called "Greek Macaroni", because of Aunt Mary's Greek heritage.

Uncle Dick and Aunt Mary 1985

After I was married, our traditions changed a little.  We would have Christmas Eve at my parents, but Christmas day would be spent with my in-laws. My mother-in-law Trudi was an excellent cook.  She would make duck on the rotisserie, with all the trimmings (stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc).  And of course, Austrian pastries.  Yum!  Then we would gather around the Christmas tree.  My father-in-law would pass out presents - sometimes mixing up the "to" and the "from" on the tags.  Then, with a shout of "GERONIMO!" we would open the gifts.

My father-in-law distributing the presents 1983

I still carry on some of these traditions with my girls.  Today (Christmas Eve), I will make standing rib roast and Greek macaroni.  After church, we will have our gift exchange - with "Geronimo!".  The girls will wake me up early tomorrow morning and we will see what Santa brought.  Then I will make duck on the rotisserie and we will enjoy our Christmas day meal.  There are some variations, including Tofurky for my vegetarian daughter, but we try to keep the old meals alive.

Merry Christmas!

Society Saturday - Visiting Cape Cod

I recently attended the second annual meeting of the Descendants of Cape Cod and the Islands.  This group was founded about a year and a half ago by Shari Worrell.  To qualify, an applicant must prove lineal descent from someone who lived or owned land on Cape Cod, Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard prior to 1700.

This meeting was held in Brewster on the Cape at the beautiful Ocean Edge Resort.  This is on the north coast with a lovely view of the ocean.  We enjoyed visiting outside on the balcony during the opening reception despite the chill in the air.

Vice President Tim Finton 

After our business meeting on Saturday morning, we traveled to Barnstable for our tour.  We visited the Barnstable Historic Society where we were quite impressed by their collections and the organized way they were displayed.  Some of their highlights focused on early Cape Cod history, early industry on the Cape, and maritime history of Barnstable residents.

One of the missions of this society is to support the history of the Cape - this was an excellent opportunity to present a donation to their docent.

DCCI members presenting Betsy the Docent with our donation

Then we walked across the street to the Sturgis library.  This serves as the public library for residents of Barnstable, but we were most interested in the older part of the building.  The original portion of the building was built in 1644 for Rev. John Lothrop, one of the first residents on the Cape (and a qualifying ancestor).  This houses the library's considerable genealogical collection.  Admittedly, several members were paying more attention to the bookshelves, than to our guide's description of the building.  We presented them with a donation as well.

Treasurer Sue Gray and President Shari Worrell present Lucy a check for the Sturgis library

The high point of the evening was our banquet and speaker.  He was Richard Pickering from Plimouth plantation.  He told about some of the research at the plantation and a little about several of the Mayflower passengers who also owned land on the Cape.

our speaker Richard Pickering

When he put on the hat, he took on the persona of Stephen Hopkins.  He gave a fascinating first person interpretation, including speaking in the dialect and accent of 1620.  He advised one young man not to marry too soon.  He chided a female attendee for knowing how to read.

"Stephen Hopkins"

All in all it was a fascinating weekend and I look forward to returning next year.

Registrar Kimberly Nagy and President Shari Worrell with our banquet speaker.

www.desccapecodandislands.org