January 2024 – My Maryland-Louisiana Roots

William Green was the husband of my great-great-grand-aunt Charity Gibson. Charity was the daughter of my third great-grandfather Robert ‘Bob’ Gibson. Robert ‘Bob’ and his mother Amie were purchased by John Palfrey from Relf and Chew in New Orleans on March 13, 1811. William’s married daughter Ellen Betts was interviewed by the WPA as a part of the Texas Slave Narratives.

William was born about 1810 in South Carolina. His oldest child for whom I have documentation was Sidney Green, who was born in 1842. William and Charity Green had eleven children: Sidney, Sarah, Ellen, Washington, Alice, Permilla, Mary, Cornelius, Nettie, Elliott and Henry.

Information about William was written in William Taylor Palfrey’s plantation journal. Palfrey wrote about William ‘Bill’ Green running away on Dec. 1, 1849 and returning on his own accord. Bill was referenced by his full name, Bill Green. Why Bill ran was not recorded in the journal, but when I read about this, I thought that it perhaps provided a clue to Bill’s personality. I recently found a Freedmen’s Bureau complaint that provided more information on William. Wm Hughes filed a complaint that Bill was in violation of his contract to work at the Burris Plantation, Bayou Boeuf Station.

Hughes wrote, “I have a Freedman here that will not do what I tell him, he says he will work when he pleases and quit when he pleases. I want you if you please to take him off this place or let me know if I can have him removed by a civil officer. He goes off when he pleases attending to other people’s business instead of helping the other hands to get the grass out of the cotton.”
Freedmen’s Bureau, Franklin, Court Roll #77, page 23B, image #96, August 4, 1866

William’s name appeared again in Freedmen’s Bureau records. William, Daniel Fisher and Isaac Sutton as heads of households filed a request for assistance on May 16, 1867. Their application read:

…4 men, 3 women, 3 children of Brashear City; County of St Mary, and State of Louisiana do solemnly declare, and upon our word of honor, certity, I (or we) are in absolute in need of food, “to prevent starvation and extreme want,” rendered so by the circumstances: having been driven from our homes, by the high water and lost all of crops.
Freedmen’s Bureau, Record of Field Offices, Roll M1905, 078

The application was received by Sgt. J.W. Keller. Fifty pounds of pork and 289 pounds of corn meal was approved for distribution by the Joint Resolution of Congress, approved March 30, 1867. The ration was issued to cover a 20-day period. A note at the bottom of the page indicated that a legal bushel of corn was fifty-six pounds.

After returning from his service in the Louisiana State Senate, William T Palfrey wrote in his plantation journal on April 27, 1867,

“the water from the Mississippi has reached an alarming height. It is now about 4 inches only below the mark of 1865 and 14 inches below the 1828.” He wrote that the water rose 1 3/4 inches the next day, followed by 2 inches on the next 2 successive days and 4 inches on the fourth day. Palfrey continued to note the rising waters and wrote about a neighbor leaving the land “as fast as they can.” He then prayed that, “God give them a safe deliverance.” He continued writing, “I look upon this flood of water as nothing compared to the political flood of fanaticism & anarchy, now sweeping out & desolating the land.”

The New York Times ran a story on April 4, 1867 about the March 28, New Orleans floods, the failing levees and the loss of people and land. The Times also compared the decaying levee system to the changing times and the change in relations between land-owners and previous enslaved workers of the land.

Best,

I recently obtained William P Woodlin’s Civil War pension application with the hope of learning more about the family that he left behind in St Martin and St Mary Parish, Louisiana. William’s mother’s name was Anna. Anna was born about 1807, most likely in North Carolina. She and parents, Sam and Mima Riggs, along with her sister Sally were sold as slaves by Beverly Chew and Richard Relf to John Palfrey in New Orleans on March 13, 1811. William and siblings: Sarah, Moses, Charles and Caroline along with Anna were freed in 1843 by John Gorham Palfrey upon the death of his father John Palfrey. William and nineteen other slaves were freed at that time. His grandfather Sam Riggs chose to remain in Louisiana as did at least 3 other elderly freed persons. William, Sarah, Moses, Charles and Caroline all lived in or near Ontario and Monroe Counties in northern New York state 1850-1860s.

William joined the Union troops, August 20, 163 in Syracuse, NY. He served in Company G, Regiment 8 of the USC Infantry for a term through August 31, 1865. His commanding officer was Captain James S. Thompson. William’s pension file revealed that he mustered out of the Army as a corporal on November 1, 1865 in Brownsville, Texas.

He applied for a military pension with the Adjutant General’s Office on July 23, 1888, under an invalid disability when he lived in Calhoun County, Michigan. His disability application, N0.666.293, detailed how he and his company were deployed to the Rio Grande river on July 12, 1865. While “marching on dusty roads and through clouds of dust” to Brownsville, William and many others suffered from sunstroke because of the extreme heat. This sunstroke event left him with dizziness, nervousness and brain trouble. He was reportedly not treated in any hospital at the time. His application indicated that he never fully “recovered from the effects of the disease then incurred…” William was described as a forty-six-year-old, partially disabled man, 5′ 10″ with black hair and eyes and a black complexion. His occupation was listed as farmer and book agent.

Two friends: William D. Rogers and Pery Sanford filed affidavits that they’d known William P. Woodlin for fifteen and eighteen years, respectively. They attested that he was only able to do ‘light work’ on ‘easy jobs.’ He also was reported to have been often confined to bed for periods of time. Dr. George McNiell was reported to have treated William with ‘patent medicines’ for his ‘home treatment’ for a number of years. William was later examined by Dr. SS French of Battle Creek and a member of the Board of Medical Examiners.

William wrote in his own 1888 affidavit that he’d moved to Barry County, Michigan after discharge from the Army in 1865 and lived there until 1871. He then moved to Omaha County, Kansas where he lived for 2 years before moving to Battle Creek Michigan, spring of 1874…where I have since made my home, 41 East Hall Street, Battle Creek, Mich, being my Post Office address. My occupation during all that time has been that of a Farmer, Laborer, Teacher & Book Agent.

William also wrote that his, “first attack of the disease was on the march from Brazos De Santiago to Brownsville, Texas, July 12th 1865. The intense heat, dusty roads and muddy water caused a great many to fall out by the way & some to die as reported at the time…In the harvest of 1867, I was again prostrated with the sun, lost about 2 days of the harvest of 1877. I think I had more severe attacks, laid off some days, and for nearly two years last past I have done no manual labor. And during all the years have passed since my discharge to present time, I have not been one fourth the man physically that I was before I was sunstroke as above related. Dr. Simeon S French has been my principal doctor & Dr. George McNeill both of whom reside in this city. All of which is respectfully submitted by Wm. P. Woodlin”

“…and have 5 children now living… my oldest boy is a Michigan School graduate of last year. I must close with kind regards. I am respectfully yours, Wm. P. Woodlin:
letter written by Wm. O. Woodlin to Mr. J. C. Black, Commissioner of Pensions

Per William’s Oct. 1889 physical examination, his vital stats were: pulse rate: 70; respiration: 19; height; 5′ 10″; weight: 159lbs, age: 49; temperature: 98.4. Other conditions reported: “muscles of whole upper extremities jerking and twitching all the time during this examination, no patella reflex, very difficult to walk with eyes closed…”

William wrote to the Examining Board on October 30, 1889 to say that he’d located 2 other men who could confirm his service and illness. He named William H Randalls of Columbia Co. Pennsylvania who was in the ‘band’. He located another man, Elijah Reynolds of Pittsburgh, who was in the ‘Band & belonged to the S Eng Company and played the Bass horn…” He wrote that he was unable to get either to reply to his letters and that he was “unable to go to see these parties by reason of my poverty. I have found them since your letter of last month.“

J.B. Jones of Pottsville, PA wrote to the Examining Board on August 16, 1889 on William’s behalf. Jones’ testified that,

‘on or about the 12th of July 1865 Wm P Woodlin while on duty as member of the Band of the 8th Regt USCI of which I was leader at the time; was by sunstroke effected that he fell; and was relieved from duty at the time, and it so effected his head he always after complained of pain in head; and his sight seemed to fail him while in service, was discharged on about Dec. 9th at Philadelphia, PA, the above happened at Ringgold Barracks, Texas. I have not seen nor heard from him since, until he wrote me concerning his claim…”

William was awarded a pension at the rate of $24/month to commence on May 27, 1891. His disabilty was identified as ‘disease of nervous system, result of sunstroke’. His next communication the Dept of the Interior was June 4, 1898 when he was living in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He supplied answers to a questionnaire to obtain his next quarterly pension payment. He answered that he had been a widower for 9 years and had been married in Syracuse, NY by Samuel J May. He attested to being married only once and that his living children were: Alice M, born Feb, 12, 1867, Wm. J, born Nov. 3, 1868 and John P, born Dec. 21, 1870.

At the time of the 1900 census, William was 58 years old, widowed and living in Bowling Green, Warren County, Kentucky where his occupation was recorded as a missionary. He could read and write. He was enumerated in the home of a Black physician, Dr. Leonides Webb. William died July 22, 1901, while living in Kentucky. His son William Jeremiah Woodlin, MD and Alice May Woodlin lived at 417 Winchester Ave. in Ashland, Boyd County, Kentucky.

Unfortunately, William’s pension application did not mention his parents, his siblings or his life in Louisiana. I still am happy that I sent off for the records and content with the information uncovered. While in Brownsville, Texas, he was closer than ever to his St Mary Parish, Louisiana roots. I wonder if he was able to get word to his living Louisiana relatives. I wonder how he traveled to and from Texas while in the Infantry. I wonder how and why he was stationed in Texas. So many questions are swirling in my mind, I just need to determine my next research move!