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)

Augusta Co. VA Chancery Cause 1906-105: Radie McFall’s Children vs. Hamilton B. McFall

McFall Siblings Sell the Farm

Transcription:

Irvine, Clara, et als

v.

McFall, H B. et als.

                        To Clara D. Irvine and H.S. Irvine, her husband, Flora B. Bolen, Kinzer Ritchcreek and F.A. Ritchcreek, her husband, Paul D.  McFall and Lacy H. McFall and H.H. Kerr, Guardian ad litem for the infant defendants in the above styled cause:-

T A K E N O T I C E:-  That on Saturday, the 1^st day of February 1902, at Lexington, Virginia, the undersigned, Special Commissioners, appointed by decree of December the 13^th 1901 in said cause to sell certain lands in the proceedings mentioned in said cause, shall move to the Honorable S.H. Letcher, Judge of said Court, for a vacation decree, confirming a sale made on the 23^rd day of January 1902 by said Commissioners to N.F. Long of a tract of 97 acres, 2 roods and 2 poles, (less 2 acres), of land mentioned and described in said proceedings and belonging to the heirs-at-law of Radie McFall, deceased, for the gross sum of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00), one Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) of which is to be paid on the day said sale is confirmed and the balance to be paid in three equal annual instalments of $333.33 1/3 each, to be evidenced by the bonds of the purchased with approved personal security, the title to the property to be retained as ultimate security.

                       

                        Given under our hands this 25^th of January 1902.

Special Commissioners.                             W.H. Landes

                                                                    H.H. Blease

Legal and timely service of the within notice is hereby acknowledged by us.

Clara D. Irvine                                              F. A. Richcreek

H. S. Irvine                                                   P. D. McFall

Flora B. Bolen                                              Lacy H. McFall

L. Kinzer Richcreek                                      H.H. Kerr Guardian ad Litem

                                                                           For Paul D. & Lacy H. McFall

 Chancery Suit Index 1906-105 Clara D Irvine & c vs H B McFall & c

Maddox Farm Divvied Up Between Ham McFall and the Nieces and Nephews, Chancery Cause 1906-105, Augusta Co., VA

Last week I told you about my McFall family and their role in an Augusta County, Virginia Chancery Cause. I introduced you to the relatives in “The McFall’s and Chancery Cause 1906-105, Augusta Co. VA”.

Plaintiffs, Heirs, and Children of Radie McFall and James A. McFall:

   Clara (nee McFall) Irvine, wife of Howard S. Irvine

   Flora (nee McFall) Bolen

   Kinzer McFall

   Paul McFall

   Lacy McFall

Defendant:

   Hamilton B. McFall, Brother-in-law to Radie McFall and Uncle to the McFall Heirs

You can see what Uncle Hamilton McFall had to say about it in blog post “H. B. McFall Answers Radie McFall’s Heirs Chancery Cause 1906-105, Augusta Co. VA”.

H. B. McFall paid $3,136 for the Maddox farm as an investment for himself and sister-in-law, Radie McFall (while Radie was still living). A few years after Grandmother Radie passed, the McFall children initiated a Chancery Cause to claim their share of her estate in 1894.

Uncle Hamilton offered to have the 298-acre farm divided by the Court Commissioners and then execute a deed to the McFall children for one-half of the farm. Commissioner Henry W. Holt thought this was a fine solution and recommended this action April 24, 1897.

May 12, 1897, Commissioners Hugh Baxter, A. C. Blair and W. A. Obaugh partitioned the farm although not as expected.

The Commissioners assigned ninety-seven acres, two roods, and two poles of the Maddox farm to Radie’s children--Clara (McFall) Irvine, Flora (McFall) Bolen, Kinzer McFall, Paul McFall and Lacy McFall. As you can see from the plats below, their lot (No. 1) included the mansion house.

The Commissioners designated Lots No. 2 and No. 3 to Hamilton B. McFall. Lot No. 2 contained 74 acres and Lot No. 3 130 acres--a total of 204 acres assigned to Uncle Ham.

Timber on the land belonging to Radie’s heirs needed to be cut and sold, so the Commissioners appointed Howard S. Irvine a Special Receiver to dispose of the timber. The money raised would be used to pay for court costs.

More to come

To see the complete chancery record visit the Library of Virginia website at http://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=015-1906-105