Those wonderful historical documents!

Week 7 – Historical Documents: Which historical document in your possession are you happy to have? How did you acquire this item? What does it reveal about your ancestors?

The challenge for last week's "52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy" kind of got pushed to the wayside, for I was involved in preparing to teach six classes at the 16th Annual Family History Jamboree in Dayton, Ohio.  I thought about it all week, but I truly ran out of time.

But, I must respond to this one!

One of my ancestors is Asbury Alburt Moore.  He was born and raised in Grayson Co., Virginia, and moved to Ironton, Lawrence Co., Ohio with his family and most of the neighborhood in the mid-1800's. 

He fought in the Civil War.

My mom spent many years trying to find out where Asbury, her great-grandfather was buried.  He died at the National Military Home in Dayton, but that was really all she knew.

I sent for his pension file many years ago.  The day it arrived from the National Archives, it was raining cats and dogs.  The file was so large I had to carry it into the house using both arms.  I didn't care about the rest of the mail, but I didn't want that pension file to get wet!

I spent the next week digging through that file.  I didn't care what else in the house got done.  My kids fought.  I had hair growing on my dishes in the sink.  The laundry began to stack up.

I didn't care.

Asbury had been married to a woman named Catherine.  They had a large family, then it looks like they may have divorced.  This was all news to me, for the pension file listed a new wife and a whole new family.

Asbury had been injured in the Civil War when he slipped on the ice under a wagon in Tennessee.  A load of wood had fallen into his lap.  The next several years were spent in applying for an "invalid" pension.  I thought it mean "invalid" pension. 

Years were spent writing letters back and forth to the government.  Character references were sought, each one saying, "Yep, he was a character.  One of the most dishonest and ill-natured men ever."

Good grief. 

Finally, the government gave him his answer.  No.  How much of an invalid do you think you are?  You had a whole bunch of kids after your injury in the War.  You weren't that much of an invalid!

There are two different death certificates for Asbury.  One states he was divorced.  Another states he was married.  This new wife was quite a bit younger than he was, and I believe when he became older and infirm, she placed him in the Military Home.  When he died and had a tiny bit of money and belongings, she showed up again.

The pension file opened up a whole new world about the characterization of Asbury Moore.  Sometimes we like to think of our ancestors as heroes and very genteel in their nature.  Some are not.

To my delight, I learned just a couple of weeks ago where Asbury Moore is buried.  Someone placed a BEAUTIFUL photo of his headstone on Ancestry.com.  He is buried in Soldier's Circle in Greenlawn Cemetery, Portsmouth, Scioto, Ohio.

Paid Genealogy Tools

Week 2 – Paid Online Genealogy Tools: Which paid genealogy tool do you appreciate the most? What special features put it at the top of your list? How can it help others with their genealogy research?

Without a doubt, it is Ancestry.com and Fold3.com!

I could go on and on about the merits of belonging to such a site, but I would prefer to mention a recent success I had.

Asbury Alburt Moore always intriqued me.  He must have intriqued my mother, too.  I believe she met him only one time, for he died when she was six years old.  She was his great-granddaughter, and was a Civil War veteran.

She frequently mentioned that one of her grandfathers had been a member of Morgan's Raiders of Civil War fame.  That was the legend.  However, I could never find any evidence of this.

Asbury was born and married in Grayson County, Virginia.  I had no trouble finding his marriage record, nor in following him on the census as he eventually moved with other family members and neighbors into southern Ohio.

Then, I lost him.  Through Fold3.com, I found his pension and his eventual death at the National Military Home in Dayton, Ohio.  For years, he tried to obtain the money that he was entitled to as a veteran of the Civil War, particularly that of being an invalid due to war injuries.  He fell on the ice in Tennessee, slipped under a wagon where a load of wood fell into his lap. 

His pensions record showed a completely different wife and children than what I had recorded! 

He died, never receiving the disability part of his pension.  Basically, the government told him he couldn't have been too disabled from the wood falling into his lap, for he had a wife and seven more children!  How disabled do you think you are?

Both mom, and then I tried in vain to locate his tombstone for years and years.  Then, just a couple of weeks ago I signed into Ancestry.com and typed in his name. 

The first thing the came up was a photo of his tombstone!!!

Asbury Moore tombstone.

It was as clear and beautiful as any picture I've ever seen!  Another photo showed the beautiful area where it is located.

Soldier's Circle, Greenlawn Cemetery, Portsmouth, Scioto, Ohio

Belonging to these two sites has saved me hours of research and travel time, for they take me back in time and transport me to areas that are beneficial in the discovery of my ancestors.  I offer many thanks to the fellow genealogist (and probably family member!) that posted these pictures.

It is a wonderful time to be alive and have the available of modern technology to further our research.  Yep, some things cost money, but it would have cost me a lot more to have sent away for the penion file, and to traipse around looking for a tombstone.  Now, this information is right at my fingertips.

Literally!