Henry Harman, Cooper, Augusta Co., VA 1806-1865

When I blogged last, I discussed my 3^rd Great Grandfather Henry Harman’s plea to the Confederate President Jefferson Davis to let his sons John and George return home to help the Augusta County, Virginia farmers. Grandfather Henry, John, and George were coopers, and the farmers needed them to produce barrels for their flour in August of 1861. See Bookmarked: The Papers of Jefferson Davis, 1861.

Henry Harman suffered from liver disease and died July 24, 1865, twenty-six days after the War ended between the North and South.

Grandfather must have known his death was near as he composed a will July 2, 1865. He willed his house and lot to wife Eliza Jane as well as another lot bought from James T. Clarke. Four single Harman daughters, Elizabeth, Margaret Rachel, Susan Catherine, and Radie Maria, would be provided for in their mother’s home.

Son George Harman inherited Henry’s shop, a lot, and coopering tools. A mountain lot Grandfather purchased from John Craun went to George too.

Once 3^rd Great Grandmother Eliza Jane passed, Henry wanted his property sold and divided equally among his living children or their heirs. A daughter, Mary Jane, and son, John Irvine Harman, predeceased their father.

Ten days later on July 12, 1865, Grandfather Henry altered his will and prepared a codicil stating he wished his wife and four unmarried daughters to benefit from one-half of the Craun tract. Before the codicil, George would have received the entire mountain lot. His father’s change of mind instructed George to buy the Harman women’s share.

Although not mentioned, married daughter Sarah Ann (Harman) Oder was living when her father wrote his will. (Sarah Ann married Dr. George B. Oder before the Civil War.)

Augusta County, VA Will Book 40, pages 277-278

Transcription

     Know all men by these presents, that I Henry Harman of the County of Augusta and state of Virginia, being mindful of my mortality, of sound mind and disposing memory, and desirous of making some disposition of my worldly effects do this 2^nd day of July one thousand eight hundred and sixty five make this my last will and testament in the following manner following to wit:  I desire that my executor herein after named shall pay all my just debts and funeral expenses as soon after my decease as convenient. I desire and bequeath unto my wife Eliza Jane Harman during her lifetime the house and lot where I reside including the lot bought of James T. Clarke as Trustee & c  and all the appertenances thereto belonging including the personal property that may remain on the premises at my decease. I provide also that my four single daughters shall remain with their mother during their single life & receive with her their support. For the support and comfort of my wife and said daughters I desire that my Executor shall pay over to my wife from time to time (while there remains anything in his hands) whatever may be necessary for their comfortable support. At the death of my wife I desire said property to be sold & together with any other effects that may remain, and be divided equally among my surviving children or their heirs or representatives. I further will & desire that my executor pay together with my other debts the balances due Dr. C. R. Harris, and the estate of John Craun dec’d on property bought of them & get deeds for same. To my son George Harman I will & bequeath my shop and shop lot, together with all my coopering tools, and my mountain land bought of John Craun dec’d And I nominate and appoint D. A. Van Lear as my Executor.

 In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal the day and year afore written

                                                                                    Henry Harman

We the undersigned witnessed the above signature

of the testator ~ This 2^nd day July 1865

    Waller Oder

    Abraham Andrew

 

  I Henry Harman yet of sound mind and disposing memory do desire to make this codicil to my will this twelfth day July 1865 (Wednesday) to wit, I wish that the family consisting of my wife and four unmarried daughters to have the benefit of half of the Craun tract of land, to be theirs in fee simple, and that the other half shall be paid for by George and the conveyance be made to him for the same – I also wish Dr. C. R. Harris to make the conveyance for the shop lot to my son George

                                                                                    Witness my hand and seal

                                                                                    Henry Harman

Witnessed by us this 12 of July 1865

                        J. M. McCue

                        Absalom Michael

In the County Court of Augusta September the 25^th 1865

This last will and testament of Henry Harman dec’d with a codicil thereto annexed was presented in Court and said will proved by the oaths of Waller Oder and Abraham Andrew the subscribing witnesses thereto and said will to be recorded without the codicil. And on the motion of D. Newton Van Lear the Executor therein named, who made oath according to law and together with Joseph D. Craig his security (who justified as to his sufficiency) entered into bond the sum of Two thousand dollars payable and with condition as required by law which bond was acknowledged in Open Court by the obligor thereto was ordered to be recorded   Certificate is granted the said D. Newton Van Lear for obtaining a probate of said will in due form.

                                                                                    Teste

                                                                                    William A. Burnett  Clk

In the County of Augusta    November the 27^th 1865

This last will and testament of Henry Harman dec’d with a codicil [sheets affixed] was again presented in Court and said Codicil proved by the oaths of J. M. McCue and Absalom Michael the subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded.

                                                                                    Teste

                                                                                    William A. Burnett   Clk

Augusta County, VA Will Book 40, page 277

Augusta County, VA Will Book 40, page 278

(see 1^st paragraph)

 

Bookmarked: The Papers of Jefferson Davis, 1861

I don’t know about you, but I’ve collected umpteen bookmarks on my computer. Most involved my favorite pastime genealogy. I always intended to revisit those websites when I had the time.

Today I picked one bookmark to explore. I settled on “The Papers of Jefferson Davis: 1861, Volume 7” part of Google Books’ digitized collection. You’ll recall Mr. Davis’ served as the President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.

What drew me to the site was a google search for any Harman’s from Augusta Co., Virginia. As you can see from the snippet below, I located Henry Harman, John Harman, and George Harman all from that locale.

August 26, 1861

Page 309

The Mount Solon, Virginia farmers needed John and George Harman to make barrels for their flour. Henry Harman, J. Marshall McCue, and D. Newton Van Lear appealed to President Davis for the return of the coopers August 26, 1861. I wish I knew if the Harman’s made it home to help their neighbors.

My 3^rd Great Grandfather Henry Harman worked as a cooper in Augusta County. His two sons were named George and John. Are these my relatives in President Davis’ papers? I hesitated to claim Henry, John, and George as I knew there were several ‘Henry’s’ and even more ‘George’s’ and ‘John’s’ among the Harman family.

Perhaps military records would help. I turned to the website “Valley of the Shadow, Two Communities in the American Civil War”.

 

Screen Shot

I found John I. Harman, cooper, enlisted July 16, 1861, in Co. D, 52^nd Virginia Infantry at Staunton. Pvt. John I. Harman measured 6' 4", was of a dark complexion with dark eyes and hair. He was killed in battle at McDowell, Highland Co., Virginia May 8, 1862. Augusta Co., Virginia death registers confirm John was a son of Henry and Eliza Jane Harman. Henry and Eliza Jane are my 3^rd Great Grandparents. That would make John my 2^nd Great Granduncle and brother to my 2^nd Great Grandmother Radie Maria (Harman) McFall.

A few months earlier on May 11, 1861, George W. Harman joined Company I of the 5^th Virginia Infantry at Sangersville. He worked as a cooper before and after the War. Pvt. George William Harman was captured at Manassas in Prince William County August 1862 and returned December 1862. He fought at the Battle of the Wilderness and suffered a leg wound May 5, 1864. He married Sarah Elizabeth Craun November 1865 shortly after the War ended. The Augusta Co., Virginia marriage registers identify George’s parents—my 3^rd Great Grandparents Henry Harman and Eliza Fifer.

You can see a photograph of George at FindAGrave.com here.

Source The Papers of Jefferson Davis:  1861, Volume 7 of The Papers of Jefferson Davis, Editor Lynda Lasswell Crist and Coeditor Mary Seaton Dix, 1992. Limited preview at Google Books. Also found in National Archives Record Group 109, Citizens McKue, J. Marshall.

Source John I. Harman: Augusta County, Virginia, Soldiers Records, Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War, Virginia Center for Digital History, University of Virginia (http://valley.lib.virginia.edu/dossier_record?q=db:dossiers_augusta AND id_num:31109)

Source George W. Harman: Augusta County, Virginia, Soldiers Records, Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War, Virginia Center for Digital History, University of Virginia (http://valley.lib.virginia.edu/dossiers_search_results.html?q=db:dossiers_augusta AND last:harman)