Leonard Smith Bible, Part 1 - Amanuensis Monday

Thanks to John at Transylvanian Dutch who originated the Amanuensis Monday meme, providing a framework (and nudge) for transcribing family records, news clippings and other treasures.

Last September I photographed and transcribed a family record found in an 1832 Bible belonging to a great-granddaughter of Leonard and Elizabeth Jamison Smith of Allegany County, Maryland. This is the first part of the transcription.

The  following material appears on a left page near the back of the Bible:

My Father John Smith was born No^v  9. 1754

            And died 26 January 1805

“————“———— “———— “———— “———— “

My Mother Elizabeth born Feb.y 15. 1761.

            And died March 21. 1826.

“————“———— “———— “———— “———— “

My Father & Mother married Ap^l. 25. 1784.

                                                            Leo^d Smith

My Fathers children as follows.

______________________________________________

Mary Smith born May 7. 1785 -- & Died Jun 1785

John Smith           Oc^t. 5. 1786 - &  Died Mary 17[?]7

Charles Smith      May 10. 1788 - & Died De^r 16 1809

Elizabeth Smith    May 11. 1790

Mary A. Smith     Ap^l. 2. 1792 & died

Leo^d Smith –– March 29. 1794. & died July 2^d 1849[*]

Helena Smith    May 20. 1795  & died 24 de^r 1834

Ignatius Frances Smith    Jany 31. 1799

John Smith   Feby 21. 1801 and died in [Rome??] Sept 14 1823.

[?] [?] --    N^ov 23.1803   died De^r 20. 1803

______________________________________________

Transcribers notes:
[*]The writing for this entry differs from the entries up to and including “Joseph”.

Leonard Smith Bible (dated 1832), The Holy Bible, Translated from the Latin Vulgate... Clementine Edition of the Scriptures (Baltimore: Fielding Lucas, Jr.), digital image. Privately held. 

Civil War Saturday - the war brought home

With the 150th anniversary of the firing on Fort Sumter only days away, I've decided (with prompting from Bill West's Civil War Genealogy Challenge) to add to my genealogy goals and examine the Civil War's impact on the families I research.  Occasionally on Saturdays over the next four years I will write about my findings.

Matthew Brady Civil War camp scene from the National Archives via Flickr's The Commons

My children have four direct ancestors who fought in the Civil War - three for the Union and one for the Confederacy.

Caulk, Allen Monroe	Union	Company D, Illinois 7th Infantry
Conway, Charles Turner Porter	Confederate	Company I, 61st Infantry Regiment Tennessee
Jones, Joseph	Union	Company B, Illinois 117th Infantry and Company H, Illinois 33rd Infantry
McAdams, Samuel B	Union	Company D, 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry

At least eleven uncles of various degrees also fought - most for the Union - and uncounted cousins, in-laws and shirttail relatives. Of the uncles only Matthew McAdams died during the War. Like many, he died of disease in Nashville. I shall write about Matthew next week.

Clark, Elon D	Union
Conway, Joseph	Union
McAdams, David Brainard	Union
McAdams, John Cloyd	Union
McAdams, Matthew Judson	Union
Mulkey, Isaac	Union
Mulkey, James D.	Union
Palmer, James Armistead	Confederate
Whitaker, B F	Union
Whitaker, Frederick L	Union
Williams, John F	Confederate

Some of our families lived in the midst of some of the fiercest fighting - western Maryland - and some in areas of brutal local conflicts - East Tennessee and Missouri. The Civil War looms large in their stories and traditions. My husband's Tidewater family, proud but distant cousins of Robert E. Lee, were staunch Confederates and he grew up hearing the war referred to as the War of Northern Agression. My grandmother, whose grandfather and five great-uncles all fought for the Union, was equally proud of her heritage. She was however, unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge the full scope of her family's involvement in the War. I wrote about this last summer in Story time, or Lies, Lies and more damned Lies.

During these Sesquicentennial years, a century and a half after the Civil War raged across our country and our families, I plan to research and write about the its impact on both the men who fought and the women and families swept up in the conflict. The costs and effects were far reaching, profound and continued late into the 20th century.

Lighting candles

Once upon a time there was a beautiful little boy who grew up to be a bright, wonderful man who married bright, wonderful women and had bright, wonderful daughters.

The glare from all that brilliance and today's candles is enough to send one running for sunglasses. But having donned them, Happy Birthday Daddy!

Mulkey Siblings - Almost Wordless Wednesday

James Duncan Mulkey, 1836-1909

I recently received this image from a newly connected Mulkey cousin. It is an image of an image - and perhaps again of an image - showing my great-great grandmother Rachel Mulkey McAdams' older brother James in his Civil War uniform. It's difficult to compare the images I have of Rachel and her two brothers taken at different ages and in different condition, but I see a resemblance to James across her mouth and nose. Isaac, with his full beard, is even more difficult, but he and Rachel seem to have the same coloring (beyond the faded sepia), hairline and shaped head.  

Rachel Mulkey McAdams, 1839-1906

Isaac M. Mulkey, 1834-1885

Meredith Passport Application - Amanuensis Monday

Thanks to John at Transylvanian Dutch who originated the Amanuensis Monday meme, providing a framework (and nudge) for transcribing family records, news clippings and other treasures.

A passport was issued at St. Louis, Missouri to William V Meredith on 1 March 1880.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Form for Native Citizen.]

No. 15548                                                               Issued March 1, 1880

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

State of Missouri }

City ss.

County of St. Louis }

          I,  W. M. V. Meredith                         , do swear that I was born in the State of Virginia , on or about the 25 th day of Jan'y 1832 ; that I am a Native and Loyal Citizen of the United States, and about to travel abroad                                                                                           

         

         Sworn to before me this 28th day

         of Feb'y , 1880                                                   Wm V. Meredith     

         Louis D. Picot     

                              Notary Public

                               St. Louis Co Mo.

I, Joseph P. Whyte , do swear that I am acquainted with the above-named WMV Meredith , and with the facts stated by him , and that the same are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

         Sworn to before me this 28th day

         of Feb'y , 1880                                                          Jos P. Whyte

          Louis D. Picot

                              Notary Public

                              St. Louis Co Mo.

Description of William M. V. Meredith

Age, 348 years                                                     Mouth, medium

Stature, 5 feet 7 1/2 , inches, Eng.                       Chin, round

Forehead, high                                                    Hair, grey & black

Eyes, grey                                                           Complexion, fair

Nose, full                                                            Face, full

          I,  W. M V. Meredith , do solemnly swear that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, whether domestic or foreign; and that I will bear true faith, allegiance, and loyalty to the same, any ordinance, resolution, of any State, Convention, or Legislature to the contrary notwithstanding; and further, that I do this with a full determination, pledge, and purpose, without any mental reservation or evasion whatsoever; and further, that I will well and faithfully perform all the duties which may be required of me by law: So help me God.

                                           Wm V Meredith

Sworn to before me this 28th day of Feb'y , 1880.

Louis D. Picot

Notary Public Qualified June 17, 1876 for a

term expiring April 19. 1882

_____________________________________________________________________

     The above affadavits and oath of allegiance must be attested by a Notary Public or other officer authorized to administer oaths, whose signature must ALWAYS be accompanied by his OFFICIAL SEAL or the CERTIFICATE OF THE COURT as to his official capacity.

     When husband, wife, minor children, and servants are expected to travel together, a single passport for the whole will suffice.

     For any other person in the party a separate passport will be required.

     Address DEPARTMENT OF STATE, PASSPORT BUREAU

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTES:  Father Meredith was my husband's great-great-great uncle. The application gives his birth date and a physical description. There is a handwritten notation on the application reading "1/2 of check No. 39673" suggesting that two applications were filed and paid for at the same time. Presumably the other application was for one of the other Redemptorist priests or brothers living and working with Father Meredith. Thirteen were living at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church with Father Meredith on 11 Nov 1880 when the 1880 census was taken.

I wonder what Meredith, from a staunchly Confederate family and himself a Confederate supporter, thought of the oath of allegiance.

Source: "Passport Applications, 1795-1905," database and images, Footnote.com (www.footnote.com : accessed 15 Jul 2010); Wm V Meredith application; citing NARA publication M1372, Record group 59, Vol. 516 (1880).