My most treasured genealogy finds have been stumbled upon while actively researching something altogether different. As was the case when I discovered 3 branches on my maternal family line while looking for the roots of my paternal family tree. I stumbled on a curious document on a Philadelphia.gov site that listed Louisiana slaves mortgaged by Chase Morgan Bank. This document helped untangle the Delahoussaye and Duchane branches of my paternal family tree. But once again those were not the branches I was researching when the doc showed up in Google search results.
I was very surprised when just before Hurricane Beryl knocked out my electricity, someone stumbled upon my research about my Woodlin kin that lived in New York. Marjory Allen Perez messaged me through Ancestry.com and told me of a book she’d written in 2018, “Freedom, A Shared Sacrifice: New York’s African American Civil War Soldiers” in which she’d referenced William P. Woodlin’s Civil War diary. I quickly responded with my email address and cell number. Beryl blew in about 5:30 a.m. Monday morning. I knew that I needed to limit use of cell phone to save the battery, but I kept looking for the answer to my message in Ancestry. I also fought the urge to search Google to see if I could find mentions of William’s diary.
My electricity was restored late Saturday night. I began my search on Sunday for William’s diary and found his diary referenced by quite a number of institutions: The National Musuem of United States Army, the Gilder Lerhman Institute of American History, Camp William Penn Museum, SUNY Buffalo State University, Purdue University and Battle of Olustee, etc. I found his diary on the Gilder Lerhman Institute of American History web site. The institute also had a panel discussion in 2021 in which William’s diary was discussed.
William diary reveals what he saw, heard and did and was not introspective. Through his written words we know what he and others actually did. William lived in Ledyard, Cayuga County, New York before enlisting and serving in the 8th Regimental band. He wrote about the Battle of Petersburg and the Battle of Olustee in Florida. He wrote about: the disparity in pay for Negro enlistees; how much he had to pay for his clothing supplied by the Army; the weather; attending church; military drills; and songs played by the band (Yankee Doodle, Old Lang Syne, Home Sweet Home, Hail to the Chief, quick step, etc.). He wrote about: rations being issued; food that he cooked; the capture of prisoners; contraband joining their encampment and the 54th & 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment. His diary included instances of when the band escorted various regiments to the wharf:
We went to Hilton Head to escort the 39th Illinois to the Steamer and played Old Lang Syne
We escorted the 85th Ohio, 48th New York to the wharf; two of them being discharged and the third having reenlisted
William wrote about the various places he was stationed: Petersburg, Baldwinville; Charleston, SC; Olustee, Jacksonville and Tallahassee, FLA. William wrote about receiving the news that the band would be shipping out:
The news came that we were to move to Carolina soon. We were all on inspection nearly all day; the Col. said that we were to give up our guns, who belonged to the band. We did not play at all as the members were nearly all gone. Shank among the rest. Whiskey held high sway here all day.”
William’s diary has been and is still being studied for the events and places that were covered in his writings. I had hoped to learn more about William and his family and their life in New York and perhaps learn about their mother Anna and family left behind in Louisiana. William’s diary entries seemingly do not include personal references. So far, I’ve read where he mentioned writing letters to his wife Julia and where he mentioned that his brother visited him. He had 2 brothers and does not name which brother came for the visit. I will continue to read William’s diary but now looking at his words through a different eye, an eye to what William is saying about history and his part in it.
I began genealogy research in 2000 starting with my husband’s ancestral roots in Matagorda and Wharton County, Texas. I quickly found that the Rivers branch of his family tree included a man born about 1840 by the name of Juan Rios. Juan and freed slave Eliza Moore had several children, who were born in either Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas or Matamoras, Mexico and were recorded on the 1860 U.S. Census living in Brownsville. Charlie Rivers and his siblings, Emily, Archie, Ben, Victor, John and Angela were listed on the 1870 Cameron County, U.S. Census with their mother Eliza Moore. Juan was not included in their household and or any 1870 U.S. Census record.
I wondered what had become of Juan. Charles Rivers was reported to have always told stories about his father being a Spanish soldier. So, I kept looking for Juan. I found him listed on the 1880 Cameron County, Texas census. He was listed as a ‘laborer’ on both the 1860 and 1880 U.S. Censuses. I have not yet found Juan on any census listing for 1900 but he was counted again on the 1910 Census in Brownsville. He was listed as a 76-year-old laborer and widower who worked odd jobs. I obtained Juan Rios’ death certificate. His son, Leonides Rios, was the informant for the death certificate information. He provided the names of Juan’s parents as Pedro Rios and Angela Lasas. He also reported Juan’s occupation as “retired soldier”. Juan’s military service appears to have been a highlight in his life. So much so that both sons, Leonides and Charlie, recounted his service when asked about him.
I obtained Juan’s Civil War pension application and discovered that there was a big controversy in substantiating Juan’s military service. Two men, both named Juan Rios, filed pension applications. Both men claimed to have enlisted while living in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. One of the men reported that he had been shipped to Franklin, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana where he fought in a couple of skirmishes. This was quite interesting because my ancestral roots are in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. I joked with my then husband that maybe our ancestors had crossed paths way back then!! This Juan was later determined to have perhaps been an imposter whose actual name was Nabor Rios. Nabor’s family contested his story and said that he had never served in the military. The other man was deemed the true Juan Rios. His testimony was that he’d served as a scout for the Union troops in the Brownsville area and that he had never left Texas while in the Army. So, it seemed that my husband’s and my Louisiana family’s paths had not crossed.
I continued researching my husband’s family tree for the next fifteen years. In 2015 I began to focus on my own Louisiana familial roots. I joked that my husband’s Texas family and my Louisiana family might turn out to be related in some way or another through some distant shared kin. I still had the story about Nabor Rios on my mind.
I’ve recounted in my blog, how I stumbled on my Morgan-Gibson-Riggs roots on John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Parish, Louisiana probate and my Guy-Jenkins roots on David Weeks’ 1835 and 1846 St Mary Parish succession records. Research revealed that my Sam and Mima Riggs branches included grandchildren: Moses, William, Charles, Caroline and Sarah Woodlin. Sam, his son Sam and daughter Anna and her children were freed upon Palfrey’s death by his John Gorham Palfrey. Sam Riggs, Sr. elected to remain in Louisiana, but his newly freed grandchildren were shipped to Boston. I found them on the 1850 U.S. Census, living in Ontario County, New York. Additional research revealed that William P. and his brother Moses Woodlin both served in the Union Army during the Civil War. I received William P. Woodlin’s pension application and learned that although he enlisted in Pennsylvania’s 8th Regiment, Co. G, his actual service was in Brownsville, Texas. He recounted in his pension application that he and fellow soldiers marched from Brazos-de-Santiago to Brownsville, Texas. So, I’d found a Louisiana ancestor, who by way of New York and Pennsylvania had found his way to Texas and may have crossed paths with Juan, Eliza or their children.
My niece Latrice and I visited Calvert County, Maryland in August 2023. While there we did the usual genealogy research stuff—looked up deed and marriage records and visited cemeteries and churches. We also received several research leads from Maryland natives: Beverly Foote and her sister Yvonne, David Buck and Michael Kent. One of those leads helped uncover William “Peter” Kent’s Civil War story. I am not directly related to Peter, but he was the grand-father-in-law of my 3rd great aunt Charity Gross. Charity was my 4th great grandmother Charlotte Phillips’ daughter who she was forced to leave behind in Calvert County, MD. Seventeen-year-old Charlotte was shipped to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1851 aboard the Baroque Virginian.
I requested and received Peter’s Civil War pension file. The 100-page document was a very interesting and ‘entertaining’ read. Peter served in the US Colored Troops, 7th Regiment that was present in several battles: Chaffin Farm, New Market Heights, the fall of Petersburg, Va and the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Courthouse. The 7th was later shipped to Indianola, Texas. Indianola is in Calhoun County, a neighboring county to Matagorda County which is where my former husband’s family lived. Peter eventually travelled to Matagorda County where he met and later married Rhoda Woodkins. Albert Gantt testified for Peter’s pension application that he’d known Peter since boyhood and that his cousin Basil Kell had served in the 7th Regiment with Peter and had witnessed Peter’s marriage to Rhoda in October 1865. Gantt recounted Basil Kell’s story of how both he Basil, and Peter both dated Rhoda and how Basil fell in love with her only to learn that she preferred Peter. Basil reportedly held a gun on Peter to ensure that he carried through with his marriage to Rhoda. Yes, a truly entertaining story!
In any case, Peter and Rhoda were married in St John’s Methodist Church in Matagorda County. The church is located in the town of Matagorda on a little peninsula in Palacios Bay. When I read that I thought, ‘hey I visited that church back in 2003’! My husband’ s 2nd great uncle Anthony Moore’s mother Hester had attended that church and sat in the ‘Colored’ section while a slave. His 3rd great grandmother Missouri Hayes had lived within blocks of that church until 1889 or so. I don’t know if she or any of her children attended the church back in the 1860s, but they were definitely in the vicinity. I also don’t know if Peter was ever on the mainland of Matagorda, but he was in the vicinity.
Peter Kent and Missouri or her children: Isham, Sherman, Emily or Minnie Hayes may have crossed paths with Peter. Did they know one another, did they speak to each other or simply nod as they passed one another on the streets of Matagorda? Who knows?
I don’t know why I continue to be surprised as I find instances where family members paths have crossed throughout time. I would love to know if conversations or friendships, however brief, accompanied those path crossing encounters! I most likely will never know, but hopefully I’ll makeup a story and write it all out one day! Who knows?
Best,
P.S.
I obtained 75 more pages of Peter Kent’s military pension file and learned more information on his life before and after slavery. And out of the blue, just because, I got a message from an almost DNA cousin, Shelby Evans. I say almost cousins because she and my mother don’t share any DNA, but they match people who match each other. Shelby had obtained the pension file for her Calvert County ancestor who served in the Civil War and found Peter Kent’s name mentioned. I reviewed Peter’s pension file and noticed that her ancestor was a reference for Peter. So, she and I swapped pension files and didn’t have to pay the fee and then wait for 4 months. And while I thought the original story about Peter and Rhoda was crazy, the details in what Shelby provided were ‘chock-full-of-wows’. Who knew reading pension files could be so interesting??
I learned that approximately 60 other Maryland enslaved men were freed and shipped to Texas during the Civil War. Peter Kent, Thomas Torney, Samuel Key and John Ross were all freed by Basil S. Dixon to serve in the Civil War. Dixon received a bounty of $300 for each man that enlisted. Each man received a ‘premium’ of $2. See Michael Kent’s book, Mulatto: The Black History of Calvert County.
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!
Palfrey Slaves Identified
I stumbled across a treasure trove of information while searching for information on my paternal 2nd great greatgrandfather. What I found was information on my maternal family tree that was contained in Palfrey family letters, journals and probate records. I have been working to unpack that treasure trove and am including what I’ve been able to piece together, so far by comparing the names on the probate, to slave births records and marriage records for St. Mary Parish and census records. I am including that information below arranged by family groups. Included below are snippets from letters, diaries, journals and a purchase of slaves in 1811. I hope that you find someone from your family tree listed below.
I stumbled across a treasure trove of information while searching for information on my paternal 2nd great great-grandfather. What I found was information on my maternal family tree that was contained in Palfrey family letters, journals and probate records. I have been working to unpack that treasure trove and am including what I’ve been able to piece together, so far by comparing the names on the probate, to slave births records and marriage records for St. Mary Parish and census records. I am including that information below arranged by family groups. Included below are snippets from letters, diaries, journals and a purchase of slaves in 1811. In some instances the information will be repeated as in the case of my Gibson female members who married, Morgan, Pratt and Green men. I hope that you find someone from your family tree listed below. TOP
3/9/1811 Relf & Chew New Orleans Slave Purchase Amos 25 Clara 20
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Parish Probate Amos 61 Clara 55 and child Amos 9 “Billy” William 29 b1814 Edmond 27 b1816 Jerry 26 b1817 Patsy b23 1820 Jacob 20 b1823 Henry 18 b1825 Neuman 13 b1830 Richard 12 b1831
Polly 30 and 5 children Perry 8 Clara 6 Edward Ben Smith 2
Pamela a mulatto girl
Sept 10, 1844 Barque Bashaw – Departure New Orleans, Destination Boston Amos 11
1850 St Martinville, St Martin Census Page 192A Amos Marshal 60 Clara Marshal 50
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 1/6/1853, Negress Clara (free) died also
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Probate Polly 30 and 5 children Perry 8 Clara 6 Edward Ben Smith 2
Pamela a mulatto girl
April 16, 1833 John Palfrey letter “Polly & Mary are now well but rather too weak to work as yet, so that the hoe lands are much reduced in number – 4 women &Edmond who is ploughing in the plant cane, which will be finished tomorrow or the next day early;”
Aug 6, 1834 John Palfrey letter to son William Polly was delivered of a girl the 25th. I have not yet seen it.
Sept 4, 1837 John Palfrey letter to son William I had an addition to black family on the evening of the day your child was born, Polly being delivered of a son.
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal #2 3/8/1863, Negress Polly Marshall died at Cypremort
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 475A Perry Smith 25 BM, Laura 22 Smith BF, Rhoda Smith (Marshall) 20 BF, Timothy Gates 22, John Smith 4, Polly 2, Heartless Jenkins (son of Rhoda and Dan Jenkins)
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 477A Edward Smith 37 BM, Susan 32, Thomas 14, Edward 5/12, Jerry Gains 22
1870 St Mary Ward 3 Page 502A Ben Smith 40, Julia Smith 26, Ben Smith 25, Nancy Smith 15, Mary Smith 6
10/15/1851 Pamela 9/20/1853 Peggy or Amelia 11/17/1857 Phoebe 10/8/1858 Frederick 6/14/1859 Polly 9/27/1861 William 6/12/1864 Edmond
Fanny Fanny Fanny Fanny Fanny Fanny Fanny
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 4 Census page 579A William Marshall 50 BM born LA, Fanny 40 BF born LA, Hety 25, Peggy 15, Frederick 14, Polly 10, William 6, Edmond 4, Louisa 2, Jake 1
Samuel Ellis 25 BM, Amelia 18 BF, 1 BM
Permilla Green married Armstead Johnson 4/28/1866 St Mary Parish
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 2 Armstead Johnson 26 BM, Parmilla 26 BF, Dick Johnson 3
7/12/1848 Anderson 4/25/1850 Charlotte 7/8/1852 Lucretia died 10/11/1853 Rhody 10/10/1856 General died 10/15/1856 Patsy 6/6/1858 Newman 7/17/1859 Isiah died
Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth
April 16, 1833 John Palfrey letter “Polly & Mary are now well but rather too weak to work as yet, so that the hoe hands are much reduced in number – 4 women & Edmond who is ploughing in the plant cane, which will be finished tomorrow or the next day early;”
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 2 Page 474A Louisa Sigur 38 WF, Joseph Sigur 16 WM Edmond Marshall 59 BM overseeing, Ruth 40 BF born MD, Patsy 13, Joseph 8, Alfred Nelson 17 MuM
Edmond Wiggleton 59 MuM Blacksmith, Patsy 39 BF
Jacob Marshall FamilY
DOB Child’s Name
Mother
5/18/1852 Jacob 8/15/1856 Richard 4/21/1858 John
Jane #1 Jane #1 Jane #1
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 2/14/1846, Negro man Jacob (Jacob Marshall) was caught in the cane carrier of the mill…as far his shoulder and escaped with no other injury than having his upper collar bone dislocated with some bruising about the head
12/11/1855, My Negro man Richard had his left hand lacerated by the engine on the 5thinst, he lost his forefinger
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 2 Page 476A Jacob Marshall 39 BM born LA, Jane 30 BF born LA, Jacob 17, Richard 13, John 12
9/8/1852 Amos 3/21/1854 Moses 9/5/1855 Clara 1/20/1857 Isaac 9/9/1858 Sarah died 3/27/1863 Addison died 11/22/1864 Ellen
Jane #2 Jane #2 Jane #2 Jane #2 Jane #2 Jane #2 Jerry’s wife Mulatress Jane (Jerry’s wife)
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary #2 2/13/1863, Four carts came from Cypremort-drivers- Jerry,Ambrose, Perry & Willis
1866 Freedmen’s Contract with W. T. Palfrey Done at Cypremort in said Parish on this 20th day of May, 1867, in presence of Paul Corner & Gustave Callery, witnesses. Henry x his mark Marshall Elsie, widow of Abram Guy Edmond x his mark Marshall Dave his mark Gibson Dan X his mark Jefferson Elisa x her mark Jenkins Melinda x her mark Franky x her mark Marshall Martha (Henry’s wife) by Henry x his mark Marshall her husband
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 2 Page 479B Thomas Gibson 34 BM, Jane Gibson 40 MuF, John Blackman, Amos Marshall 19, Moses 17, Clay 15, Isaac 12, Aaron 8, Elen 6, Jerry 4 Polly 3
3/9/1811 Relf & Chew New Orleans Slave Purchase<top> Jim
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Probate Jim 36 male, b1807 Sally 37, b1806 and 3 children Mimy 6, b1837 Haley 3, b1840 Phoebe 1, b1842
Jake 13, b 1828 George 13, b1831 Ambrose 11, b1833
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 8/17/1850, Negro man George died 9/21/1850, Negress Sally absconded 9/22/1850, Negress Sally returned of her own accord 4/2/1864 Negress Sally died last night at Cypremort 4/17/1864, Negress Mahaley daughter of Sally died at Franklin 5/27/1864, Negress Phoebe died at Cypremort
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary #2 11/9/1863, A squad of federal soldiers this day rushed suddenly into my cane field at Cypremort where the hands were gathering corn & forced off without the opportunity of taking leave of their families, thirteen of the Negro men, vis: Wright, Jacob, Bill Green, Paul, Charley, George, Sam, Richard, Perry, Henry Harner, Ambrose, Tom Granvil?, Tom Gibson & Newman. They afterwards released the three first name as too old for conscription.
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary #2 2/10/1868, I have engaged sundry freedmen on I have to work in the crop of my Home Plantation for the year 1868…namely: Jesse Hurst Jan 2, Willis Pratt Jan 1, Harry Bonham Jan. 1, Charley Bonham Jan 1, Jim Morgan Jan. 24…
Ambrose Morgan family
DOB Child’s Name
Mother
1/21/1855 Charity died 3/24/1857 Carey 5/14/1859 Eveline died 12/6/1860 Sally
3/9/1811 Relf & Chew New Orleans Slave Purchase Aime 35 and 5 children Tom Bob Joe Ben Fanny
William T & GD Palfrey Account books 13 vols Vol. 1 (1832-1837)
Parish of St Martin 1832
Inventory of my slaves John $600 Jim $850 Peter $850 Anderson $850 Sarah $600 Roy $500 Amy $300 Charity $300 David $300 Nancy $250 Kizzy & her child Elisa $650 Sinah $500 Jesse $500 Harriet (maybe Joe’s wife) & her child Anthony $650
Ages of William T Palfrey’s young Negroes Amy born Oct 3, 1821 Charity born August 2, 1824 David born Sept 16, 1826 Nancy born Oct 10, 1827 Elisa born Nov 23, 1830 Anthony born Sep 6, 1831 Cyrus born May 11, 1833 Fanny
4/26/1833 June 4, 1833 Letter from John Palfrey “Bob desires me to inform you that Joe has sent no money to Harriet since she was here”
June 4, 1833 Letter from John Palfrey to son, William T Palfrey “Fanny died on a Sunday, “a little before noon, …about twelve hours from her first attack.” “Aimy is the picture of woe & a damp appears to be come on the spirits of all.””
April 27, 1838 Folio 178, Entry 4400 WT Palfrey & Wife Land & Slaves Be it remembered that on this twenty-eight day of April, the year of eight hundred thirty-eight. Before one John Moore, parish judge and ex-officio Notary Public ?? for parish of St Mary. Personally appeared William T Palfrey for the said Parish of St Mary. Sidney A Conrad wife of the said William T Palfrey being of age of majority by this duly attained … release their solicitor and write their obligation in favor of the President’s Directors Corporation of the New Orleans Gas and Light Banking Co for the sum of five thousand five hundred dollars payable on the eight twenty of April 1839 being for a loan of money granted by said Corporation to those appraisers which sum they did acknowledged to have received and by which obligation is identified by these present.
The undivided half of sugar plantation and tract of land situated in the west side of the Bayou Teche having twenty-five arpents…said William T Palfrey and the other with all the buildings and improvements therein also the following named and described slaves belonging to the said appraisers to wit: Bob age 35, Peter aged 30, Anderson age 26, Isaac age 26, Squire age 22, Henry 15, Roy age 18, Jesse age 18, Sarah age 35, Dave age 12, Aimy age 16, Nancy age 9, Big Ann 22 with her daughter Caroline age 2, Malinda age 22, Kizzy age 30, Eliza age 7 and Cyrus age 4.
April, 4, 1839 Letter from John Palfrey “Poor good old Aimy died on the 5th inst (March 5)…”
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Probate Joe 40 Ben 38 Tom 14 Rose Elsey 19 and 2 children: Joseph 2, Fanny 6 months
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 5/12/1848 Negress Sarah ^ Weeks having run away a few days ago, returned on her own accord
10/30/1848 Nancy (Bob’s daughter) delivered a boy
12/11/1851 Negress Sarah died – age about 55 years
3/24/1861 Negress Caroline (Bob’s wife) delivered a girl
6/12/1859 Negro Man Ben died–a good fellow
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal #2 10/10/1861 Negress Sinah died, aged about 87-88 years- bought by me in 1818, blind & bed ridden for a long time
4/6/1863, Sent Negress Charity & daughter Sidney to Cypremort in a cart driven by Bob
5/1/1864 Caroline (Bob’s wife) delivered a boy at Cypremort
Robert ‘Bob’ Gibson Family
William T Palfrey Slave Birth Registry 1843-1865
DOB Child’s Name
Mother
10/5/1853 infant died 6/27/1855 Letty 1/18/1858 male infant 2/10/1860 female died 3/24/1861 Anna died 5/1/1864 Lewis
2/25/1844 Sarah 10/25/1845 Sidney a girl 9/17/1849 Washington 8/29/1851 Alice 10/8/1853 Elizabeth 7/26/1855 infant died 12/30/1856 Mary 2/2/1861 Elliott 8/26/1863 Netty Ann 4/7/1863 Harriet Sarah 4/26/1863 Major Sidney
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 12/1/1849, Negro man Bill Green absconded yesterday 12/4/1849 Negro man Bill Green returned of his own accord 12/2/1853, William Green sent with cooper Henry Lloyd to make sugar
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal #2 4/6/1863, Sent Negress Charity & daughter Sidney to Cypremort in a cart driven by Bob
11/9/1863, A squad of federal soldiers this day rushed suddenly into my cane field at Cypremort where the hands were gathering corn & forced off without the opportunity of taking leave of their families, thirteen of the Negro men, vis: Wright, Jacob, Bill Green, Paul, Charley, George, Sam, Richard, Perry, Henry Harner, Ambrose, Tom Granvil?, Tom Gibson & Newman. They afterwards released the three first name as too old for conscription
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 4 Census page 580A William Green 60 BM born SC, Charity Green 50 BM born SC, Sarah 30, Sidney 28 BM, Ellen 24, Washington 25, Alice 23, Mary 15, Cornelius 12, Elliot 11, Netty A 9, Henry 3, Emma Schisel 3 BM, Sidney Green 10 BM
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 3, Page 527A Abraham Kinchen 35 BM, Sarah 24 BF, Henrietta, Washington 12, Stanton 8, Hamilton 5/12 Walter Kinchen 23, Alice 22
7/10/1844 Bob 7/2/1846 Fairfax 10/20/1848 Alfred, died 12/20/1850 Lewis 1/9/1853 Ellen 1/5/1855 infant died 2/10/1856 Maria 7.27/1860 Givvin 1/9/1858 Missouri 7/8/1862 Willis
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 10/30/1848, Nancy (Bob’s daughter) was delivered of a boy
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary #2 2/13/1863, Four carts came from Cypremort-drivers- Jerry, Ambrose, Perry & Willis
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 4 Census page 565A Willis Pratt 55 BM born DC, Nancy 50 BF born LA, Ellen 18, Maria 15, Missiouri 13, GIvins 10, Willis 9, Ben Smith 6, Buel Pratt 3, Kitty Strawdy, Charles Pratt 1, Margaret 9/12
Lewis Pratt 21, Lizzie 1
Ellen Pratt married John Lovely Maria Pratt married Joseph Strawder
William Marshall Family
William T Palfrey Slave Birth Registry 1843-1865
DOB Child’s Name
Mother
10/15/1851 Pamela 9/20/1853 Peggy or Amelia 11/17/1857 Phoebe 10/8/1858 Frederick 6/14/1859 Polly 9/27/1861 William 6/12/1864 Edmond
William T & GD Palfrey Account books 13 vols Vol. 1 (1832-1837)
Parish of St Martin 1832
Inventory of my slaves Manuel about 2 years old when he came here Jesse, born August 19, 1819
MANUEL HURST FAMILY
William T Palfrey Slave Birth Registry 1843-1865
DOB Name
Mother
1/27/1855 George 1859-Zachary 1861 Elsy 12/26/1864 Sinah 12/2/1856 Peter & Nicy twins 1862 Jesse 1867 Marie 1865 Amanda
Maria #2 aka Maria Phillips Maria #2 aka Maria Phillips Maria #2 aka Maria Phillips Maria #2 aka Maria Phillips Maria #2 aka Maria Phillips Maria #2 aka MariaPhillips Maria #2 aka MariaPhillips Maria #2 aka MariaPhillips
April 16, 1833 John Palfrey letter to William T Palfrey “I shall leave Robert (John’s nephew, Robert Palfrey) behind to take care of the house & shall take Jesse with me; if you can make it convenient to let me have Manuel instead of Jesse for the trip you will much oblige me as he would be much more useful & for less trouble that Jesse.”
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 4 Census page 580A Manuel Hurse (Hurst_ 49 BM born VA, Maria 36 born VA, George 14, Niecy 13, Zack 11, Elsy 9, Jessy 7, Syner 5, Amanda 1
Jesse Hurst Family
William T Palfrey Slave Birth Registry 1843-1865
DOB Name
Mother
8/18/1855 Infant died 4/25/1856 Leah
Mimy (Mima Morgan) Mimy (Mina Morgan)
April 16, 1833 John Palfrey letter to William T Palfrey “I shall leave Robert (John’s nephew, Robert Palfrey) behind to take care of the house & shall take Jesse with me; if you can make it convenient to let me have Manuel instead of Jesse for the trip you will much oblige me as he would be much more useful & for less trouble that Jesse.”
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 4 Page 481B Jessy Hurse 49 BM born LA, Mima 31 BF, Leah 13, Mary 1
3/9/1811 Relf & Chew New Orleans Slave Purchase Sam, 31 and wife Mima 25 and children Anna Sally
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Parish Probate Sam 65 Little Sam 27 Sally 37 and 3 children: Mimy 6, Haley 3 and Phoebe 1
Anna 36 and 4 children: Moses 9, Charly 6, Caroline 4 and William 2
Sarah 11 Betsy 31 and child Ralph5 Franky 11
Mary 24 with 2 children: Martha 3, Simon 1
Maria 22 and child Emily 2
Margery 20 and child
1850 Fausse Point, St Martin Parish Census Sam Riggs 70 BM
1850 Farmington, Ontario, NY Margaret Hathaway 90 Isaac Hathaway 65 Lorenzo Hathaway 41 Phebe Hathaway 30 Caroline McOmber 28 James Brooks 23 John Durkin 22 Moses Woodlin 15 BM born LA
1850 Ridgeway, Orleans County, NY E Hedley 34 WM Lumber man Hannah Hedley 29 WF David Hedley 3 WM James Hedley 0 WM Caroline Woodland10 BF born LA
1855 Mendon, Monroe, New York, USA Daniel Sherwood 25 bprn Ulster Harriet Ann Sherwood25 Charles P Woodline 18 BM born LA hired Man Willifred Mulligan 17 WM Ireland hired
1865 Union Springs, Cayuga, New York, USA Ednah D Thomas 71 WF born MASS Charlotte Poulton 34 WF born England adopted Wm P Woodlin29 BM born LA adopted son Catharine Fedijun WF born Ireland servant
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal #2 4/8/1862, Negro man Sam (free) died 4/2/1864, Negress Sally died last night at Cypremort 4/17/1864, Negress Mahaley daughter of Sally died at Franklin
William T Palfrey Slave Birth Registry 1843-1865<top>
DOB Child’s Name
Mother
9/1/1845 Rose 10/28/1849 Elizabeth 1/30/1852 Amanda died 4/17/1853 Rebecca 8/27/1854 Abram 2/10/1856 Minerva 7/11/1858 Melisa 7/31/1860 Ben 5/29/1863 John
Henry Wilson married Elsy Guy Aug. 14, 1867, St Mary Parish
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 475A John Jenkins 23 BM Henry Wilson 42 BM, Elsey 44 MuF, Abram 15, Manerva 13, Ben 8, Mayer Green Wilson 12, Christiana Wilson 11, Arena 4 , Kearner 1
1880 St Mary Parish ED 166 Page 210 Abram Guy 26 MuM Francis 22 Wife Ben Guy 19 MuM Brother John Guy 17 MuM Brother
1880 St Mary ED 166 Page 210 Abram Guy 26 MuM Francis 22 Wife BF Ben Guy 19 Brother MuM John Guy 17 Brother MuM
1880 St Mary ED 164 Page 177A Irena Wilson 17 BF Christina Wilson sister 20 BF
1880 St Mary ED 164 Page 177B Henry Wilson 53 BM Elsey 51 wife BF Arnold 8 BM son
Braxton Bowlin (Bolden) 28 BM minister Minerva wife 21 BF, Braxton son 5 BM
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Probate Polly 30 and 5 children Perry 8 Clara 6 Edward Ben Smith 2
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal #2 2/13/1863, Four carts came from Cypremort-drivers- Jerry,Ambrose, Perry & Willis
3/8/1863, Negress Polly Marshall died at Cypremort
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 475A Perry Smith 25 BM, Laura 22 Smith BF, Rhoda Smith (Marshall) 20 BF, Timothy Gates 22, John Smith 4, Polly 2, Heartless Jenkins (son of Rhoda and Dan Jenkins)
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 477A Edward Smith 37 BM, Susan 32, Thomas 14, Edward 5/12, Jerry Gains 22
1870 St Mary Ward 3 Page 502A Ben Smith 40, Julia Smith 26, Ben Smith 25, Nancy Smith 15, Mary Smith 6
1/14/1854 Alfred 12/15/1855 John 3/19/1857 Wilson died 10/17/1858 H Clay 7/7/1861 Elizabeth 11/22/1862 Mary 12/23/1864 Charles
Maria #1 Maria #1 Maria #1 Maria #1 Maria #1 Maria #1 Maria #1
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 1/20/1854, Negro men; John Taylor, Henry Cole, Grandison Lewis, Henry Mahany?? & a boy Tom, new purchases arrived per Steamer Delta from New Orleans
3/29/1857, Negro men Henry Cole, Grandison and boy Tom Gibson absconded yesterday
5/18/1857, WLP returned, brought home runaway Negro man Grandison, taken from the jail of Parish of St Charles
5/19/1857, Negro man Grandison absconded again last night
4/12/1859, Negro man Grandison ran away
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary #2 11/9/1863, A squad of federal soldiers this day rushed suddenly into my cane field at Cypremort where the hands were gathering corn & forced off without the opportunity of taking leave of their families, thirteen of the Negro men, vis: Wright, Jacob, Bill Green, Paul, Charley, George, Sam, Richard, Perry, Henry Harner, Ambrose, Tom Granvil?, Tom Gibson & Newman. They afterwards released the three first name as too old for conscription
11/11/1863, Another squad came today & took away in the same manner three more vis: Grandison, Little Edward & Ben. The first name is said to have his escape. (Perhaps Grandison ray away from the Army he was taken away without being able to see to his family and because his wife, Maria, was due very soon? He did in fact join the enlist, serve and applied for his military pension.)
12/3/1863, Maria No 1 delivered a girl
3/22/1864, A very great number of Negroes not connected with the army went with them from this town & the surrounding county. My man Grandison & three men belonging to Capt Gates among the number.
1870 St Mary Parish Page 524A-542B Elize Morgan 40 born SC, Eliza Morgan 10, Chas Morgan 5 Grandison Sims 35 born MD, Maria Sims 45 born VA, Betty Sims 13, Charley Sims 8, Becky Sims 4
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal#2 5/25/1867 Freed boy Alfred Smith, son of Maria, having been extremely indolent to my little sons, I sent him off to …
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 475A Edward Wiggleton 59 , Patsy 39, Caroline Payton 40, Hanson Payton 17, Matilda 12, Victoria 6
William T & GD Palfrey Account books 13 vols Vol. 1 (1832-1837)
Ages of Wm T Palfrey’s young Negroes
Manuel about 2 years old when he came here LeRoy about 3 months Jesse, born August 19, 1819 Emily born October 3, 1821 Charity born August 2, 1824 David born Sept 16, 1826 Elsie born November 23, 1830 Anthony born September 6, 1831 Cyrus born May 11, 1833 Fanny
Parish of St Martin 1832
Inventory of my Property vis Slaves:
John $600 Jim $850 Peter $850 Anderson $850 Sarah $600 Roy $500 Amy $300 Charity $300 David $300 Nancy $250 Kizzy & her child Elisa $650 Manuel $500 Harriet & her child Anthony $65
Below is the initial information that was uncovered. As an added bonus, when I added these leaves and branches to my family tree, I discovered a DNA match on Ancestry from my newly found Woodlin family!!!
Listed below and highlighted are the children of Anna Riggs, the great grandchildren of Sam and Mima Riggs (my 4th great grandparents), the nieces and nephews of Sallie Riggs Morgan (my 3rd great grandmother).
I am still following the trail of Anna’s children Moses, Charles, Caroline and William, who were freed on the 1843 death of John Palfrey by his son John Gorham Palfrey and shipped to Boston, MA. John Palfrey arranged a welcoming ceremony for the newly freed persons at King’s Chapel. Most of the freed people remained in Boston, but Anna and children were sent to Canandaigua, NY to live with a Quaker family, the Hathaways. Each of Anna’s children went by the last name of Woodlin/Woodland or a variation. I have not yet found out how or why that name was chosen. So far all I have been able to determine is that a number of Black people who lived in Maryland has the same last name. Perhaps that is an indicator of some sort that will be brought to light later in my research.
****************************************************** I found Moses Woodlin on the 1850 census living in Farmington, Ontario County, New York in the household of Isaac Hathaway. Moses’ age was listed as 15 and his birthplace as Louisiana. By 1860, 23-year-old Moses was living in the household of John S Gould and was recorded as a farm laborer who was born in Louisiana.
Moses was listed on the 1865 Union Springs, Cayuga County, NY census as a 30 Black male. I have not been able to find any record of Moses and family until 1900, when they are listed on the 1900 Sylvania, Lucas County, Ohio census. The household includes Moses and wife Alice Hawkins as well as sons Frederick G, 18 and Blaine, 15. Moses was a farmer and owned his home. Everyone in the household could read and write. The last record I found for Moses and Alice was a 1903 Toledo, Ohio city directory that indicated they lived on a rural route.
I was not able to find any information on Moses’ son Frederick G Woodlin after the 1900 census.
Moses’ son Henry was born May 1876 in Ohio and was enumerated in Toledo, Ohio on the 1900 census. Henry married Amy Tyler 1901 in Toledo and lived at 208 E. Bancroft. Henry died in 1905. His widow was listed on the 1910 census living in Atlantic City, NJ.
Moses’ son Blaine boarded with John H Klatz a theatrical agent at the time of the 1910 census. He worked as a janitor in the Flat Building. He married Cora Smith in 1914. The 2 were listed on the 1920 Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio census along with her mother and her children. Blaine registered for the draft in both WWI and WWII. He was described as 5′ 4 1/2″. He died June 28, 1951 at the age of 66 and was buried in Ravine Cemetery.
I first found Charles P Woodline on the 1855 Monroe County, NY state census living in Mendon. He was 18 years old and recorded in the household of Daniel Sherwood from Ulster, Ireland. Charles’ birthplace was Louisiana.
He was next listed on the 1880 census in Mendon, Monroe County, NY in the household of his father-in-law Isaac Varnum. Charles was recorded as a 43 year old Black male born in Louisiana with his wife Caroline and children Hannah, 12 and Charles, 1. His infant son, Charles Isaac Woodlin, died at the age of 2, December 18, 1880 and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Charles and family moved to Battle Creek, Michigan sometime after 1880, because he died September 12, 1882 and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Lot 377, RT 9, Battle Creek, Michigan. Charles’ probate listed land valued at $600 in Lot No 9 in the Manchester Addition near Battle Creek, Michigan.
His daughter Hannah married William H Tucker on July 17, 1889 in Calhoun County, Michigan. Hannah and family were listed on the 1910 Calhoun County census, living at 403 Champion Street in a home that they owned. Hannah was recorded to be employed in general office work, William as a deliveryman and 19 year-old daughter Louise as a music teacher. Hannah’s 14 year-old daughter Ethel was attending school. Everyone in the household could read and write.
Caroline Woodlin was shipped east as were her brothers, Amos Marshall and the other freed slaves. I found 10-year-old Caroline listed in the household of English lumber man Ed Hedley on the 1850 Ridgeway, Orleans County, New York. Who knew there was an Orleans County in New York?
She was next found in Rochester, Monroe County, NY on the 1860 state census. Caroline and her 1 year, eighteen-month-old daughter Eliza appeared on the 1865 New York state census in Rochester. Their last name was recorded as Kane. By 1870, Caroline and Eliza Kane were living in Battlecreek, Michigan. Per the 1870 census, they lived in the household of John Nichols a threshing machine manufacturer from New York. Caroline was listed as a domestic servant.
By 1880 Caroline was married to Amos Swanagan of Arkansas and had 2 children Ettie M 6 and Freddie C 3. Amos, Caroline, their 2 children, his children from a prior marriage; Jennie and Bell, as well as Eliza Kane and lived in Battle Creek. Amos worked as a drayman and could not write. Eliza and all of the school-aged children were recorded as attending school. Caroline died March 30, 1881 and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Lot 512, Rt 7. Her brief obit read: “Called Home: Mrs. Amos Wanigan died of dropsy at her residence on Warren Street, yesterday afternoon, at two o’clock.” Caroline’s daughter Eliza married Rufus Johnson and had 1 child, Muriel. Eliza died December 31, 1925. Her obit read, “Mrs. Eliza Avery Passes–Mrs. Eliza Johnson Avery, 21 Somerset Avenue, passed away at the Calhoun Tuberculosis hospital this morning at 5:15. She was sixty years old and is survived by one daughter, Miss Muriel Johnson, 25 Vineyard Avenue.” Eliza was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Section S, Lot 68, Rt. 5.
Caroline’s son Fred Clinton Swanagan registered for WWI in 1918 while living in Columbus, Ohio. While in Columbus, he worked as a laborer at the Carnegie Steel Company. He married Ethel Clark on June 26, 1920 in Calhoun County, Michigan. Fred later worked as a grinder for Advance Rumely Co and lived at 80 Warren. He died February, 1929 and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Lot 512, Rt 1. His services were officiated by Rev. A. J Irvine. ********************************************************
William P Woodlin enlisted in the Pennsylvania Colored Troops on August 26, 1863. His military record described him as 5′ 10″ tall. He served in the USC 8th Infantry, Company G. He mustered out on November 10, 1865. He applied for a military pension July 30, 1888 while living in Michigan. His pension file is on NARA, M589, roll 97. He is included on Plaque A-20 as part of the African American Civil War Memorial.
William was listed on the 1865 New York state census living in Union Springs in Cayuga County, NY. He was recorded as the adopted son of Edna B Thomas, a seventy-one-year-old White woman. He was 23 years old Black male who was born in Louisiana. His employer was the Army.
By 1867, William had moved to Battle Creek, Michigan. William and family were living in the township of Baltimore, Barry County, Michigan in 1870. Included in the 1870 household was 30-year-old William, whose birthplace was recorded as Maryland and wife Julie, 25, born in New York as well as children Alice, 3 and William 1. His real estate was valued at $1000. It is unclear why William’s place of birth was listed as Maryland.
The family was counted on the 1880 Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan census. Included was William, wife Eveline Julia (nee Freeman) and children: Alice M, 13; Willie J, 1; John P, 9; Edward G, 7 and Charles R, 2. The 1880 census was the last record for William’s son Charles R Woodlin.
At the time of the 1900 census, William was 58 years old, widowed and living in Bowling Green, Warren County, Kentucky. His occupation was recorded as a missionary. William could read and write. He was enumerated in the home of a Black physician, Dr. Leonides Webb.
William’s s son Edward died June 25, 1897 in Battle Creek, Michigan at the age of 28. His death record did not indicate his marital status.
William’s son John Paul Woodlin married Lucretia Clark in 1898. An announcement of the marriage appeared in the Daily Chronicle of Washington, Michigan. Lucretia died 1 year after their marriage. John was listed on the 1900 Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan census as a 28-year-old widowed cook, rooming with Louis Devers at 279 St Antoine Street. He died March 18, 1909 of pneumonia in Detroit. Death records indicate that he was unmarried. The informant on his death certificate was Dr. W. J Woodlin.
William’s son, William Jeremiah Woodlin was recorded on the 1900 Ashland, Boyd County, Kentucky census as a 30-year-old physician. His 23- year-old sister Alice May lived with him at 417 Winchester Ave. I have not been able to determine which medical school William attended, but a likely candidate is Louisville National College of Medicine. He married Charlotte Myers 1906 in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. I last found William and Charlotte on the 1930 Franklin County, Ohio census. Charlotte died in 1931 and William died February 9, 1932. He was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery.
Alice May Woodlin married Daniel L Vaughn September 5, 1900 in Kentucky. Daniel died shortly after their marriage and by 1910 she was a widowed dressmaker living in Columbus, Ohio. Alice died in 1913 and was buried in Green Lawn Cemetery.
Charles and William Woodlin both had the middle initial of ‘P’. Many Blacks born in the 1850s did not have middle names, so I find it interesting that both men were referenced with a middle initial. My overactive, creative side wants to say that the ‘P’ stood for Palfrey as perhaps a reminder of where they came from or to honor the Palfrey who freed them or perhaps as a way to reconnect with the family they left behind in Louisiana. In any case, I will try to find out the name connected to the middle initial ‘P’.
Phillip Jones was not found on any census after 1855. But other information about him exists. Phillip enlisted in the Union Navy on January 14, 1864 in Boston. He was eighteen years old and his height was recorded 4’ 11 ½”. Phillip married Rebecca Gray June 5, 1889. He was 40 years old and worked as a ship steward. His parents were recorded as John and Margaret. His wife was 20 years old and was born in the West Indies. Her parents were Edward and Henrietta. Their marriage was listed in the Boston Globe on May 30, 1889, page 6.
Phillip had a daughter name Ruth.
Phillip’s November 5, 1895 death record listed his parents as John and his mother’s birthplace as New Orleans. Phillip lived at 69 Kendall Street.
************************************************** Louisa Jones Bell and husband Robert Bell were indeed listed on the 1900 Suffolk County, Mass census with their daughter Lillie M Bell. Robert worked as a porter for a railway station. They lived on Buckingham Street.
By 1910 Louisa was widowed. She was listed on the 1910 census as a sixty-year-old Mulatto female, who was born in Louisiana. She worked as a domestic, doing day work. She was now listed on the census as Mary L Bell for the first time. Census data indicated that she had given birth to 3 children of which one was living. Her daughter Lillian M was eighteen-years-old.
Death records document Robert Bell’s death as March 4, 1906. He was born in Gravel Hill, Virginia. His parents were listed as James Bell of Richmond and Selina Brown of Gravel Hill, VA. Robert was buried in Mt. Hope. Mary L Bell died March 6, 1918 at the age of seventy-five. Her death record listed her birth place as New Orleans and her mother’s maiden name as Jones. Mary was buried at Mt Hope. The informant on certificate was L. B McCoy.
My family tree includes Ambrose Morgan and Elsie Gibson. I knew that Ambrose’s father was Jim or James Morgan and that Elsie’s father was Bob or Robert Gibson. I knew that Bob had another daughter named Fanny, who had married William Marshall. I knew that the Morgan, Gibson and Marshall families lived in St Mary Parish, because I’d found them on the 1870 and 1880 census pages. Both Jim and Bob were born in Virginia in 1810 and 1800 respectively. I wondered when and how they came to Louisiana.
And so, I looked among Freedmen Bureau records for Ambrose Morgan and William Marshall or their fathers. I found men named Edmond, Jacob and Henry on a labor contract with William T Palfrey in 1867. Also included was Jane, widow of Jerry. All had the surname of Marshall. Another work contract listed the names Ambrose Morgan and Billy Marshall. That contract was with Joshua Baker.
My next search was for records on William Palfrey and family. I found an 1843 St Martin Parish probate for John Palfrey. William T Palfrey was listed among his descendants. In the inventory portion of the probate, I found names of people from whom I descended: Jim and Ambrose.
The probate seemed to be organized in a hierarchical manner. The first names on the list were Amos 61, Clara 55 and her 9-year old son, ‘Little Amos’. Following them were Billy 29, Edmond 27, Jerry 26, Patsey 23, Jacob 20, Henry 18, Newman 13, Richard 12, Polly 30, Perry 8, Clara 6, Edward 4 and Ben Smith 2 and Polly 10. The list also included the names Jim 36 and Sally 37, who was listed as the mother of Minny 6, Haley 3 and Phoebe 1. Following those names were Jack 16, George 13 and Ambrose 11 as well as Betsy 31 and child Ralph 5, Franky 11, Maria 22 and child Emily 2, Margery 20 and an infant child. Jim, Sally, Minny (Mima) and Ambrose are my Morgan ancestors.
Based on the Freedmen Bureau labor contracts and the organization of the probate, I theorized that most of the names on the probate were one family—the Marshalls.
Listed on the 1870 and 1880 St Mary census pages were Jacob, Henry, Richard and Edmond Marshall. Ambrose Morgan were listed in the same enumeration district in 1870 as William Marshall. Also listed was Minny “Mima”, wife of Jesse Hurst. She was the daughter of James ‘Jim’ Morgan. So, these people were a significant portion of those included on John Palfrey’s 1843 probate.
So, what had become of Amos, Clara and ‘Little Amos’ since 1845? They could have been sold away from the other family or they could have died. But, as I researched more into John Palfrey’s family, I learned that he had another son who lived in Boston. This son, John Gorham Palfrey was reported to have freed the 20 slaves provided to him through the succession. These slaves were reported to have been sent out of the state of Louisiana to Boston. Were Amos, Clara and ‘Little Amos’ among those slaves freed?
After searching Ancestry.com, I found Amos and Clara Marshall on the 1850 US census living as free people in St. Martinville. So, if Amos and Clara were freed, was ‘Little Amos’ also freed? And had other people in the allotment to John Gorham Palfrey also been freed? Could they be found in 1850 and after living in Boston?
An eleven-year old Amos was shipped from New Orleans to Boston on September 10, 1844 aboard the Bark Bashaw. The shipper was HW Palfrey. No other slaves were listed on the manifest with him. There was not a record of Amos Marshall, born in Louisiana, on the 1850 federal census in Massachusetts. But, there was twenty-five year old Amos Marshall living in Brooklyn, in 1860 in Kings County, New York. Amos’ birthplace was listed as Louisiana. His occupation was listed as a coachman. In his household was Sarah 22, who was born in Connecticut and children Albertina 2 and Annabella 1.
Amos, wife Sarah and daughters Albertina and Annabella were found on the 1865 and 1875 New York state census as well as the federal 1870 and 1880 census, living in Brooklyn. The 1870 census listed Amos’ occupation as a porter. He had personal property valued at $1000. The 1880 census was the first to include information on the birthplace of parents. Amos and his parents were recorded as all being born in Louisiana. Amos died in Feb 21, 1895. His estate was probated that year and listed his wife and daughters: Albertina B Marshall and Annabella Hunter.
So, now when I see DNA matches for people who live in distant states and whose tree’s never seem to intersect with Louisiana, I wonder if these people are of descendants of those who were freed before the Civil War and whose stories had been lost to us. Or, if we are their descendants who were sold away.
So, what became of them is a question that I ask, but I imagine there are other people wondering the same about my branch on their DNA tree.
I found a listing of the 20 slaves that were reported to have been inherited and then freed by John Gorham Palfrey who lived in Massachusetts. The list of slaves that he inherited are below. The highlighted names are of those that I have found living free in 1850 or beyond.
Anna 43 & her four children Mana (Moses) 9; Charles, 6; Caroline, 4; William, 2 Sarah, 11 Betsy, 31 and her child Ralph 5 Frankey, 11 Maria 22 and her child Emily, 2 Margery 20 and her infant child (Louisa) Little Sam Amos 61 Clara 55 and her child Amos, 9 Old Sam 65 Jose ‘Joe’ 40 Rose 12
Searches for other freed Palfrey slaves revealed possible matches for them in 1850. Four Black females, all born in Louisiana were listed on the 1850 East Boston, Ward 4, Suffolk County census living together. The household included Maria Marshall 28 and Emiley (sp) 8 and Margaret Jones 21 and Louisa 6. In their household was a 1-year-old Black male named Phillip. He was born in Massachusetts. Margaret and Louisa Jones could be the twenty-year-old Margery and infant. And Maria and Emiley (sp) are very likely the same listed in the probate.
Mariah Marshall died August 22, 1851 at the age of 30. Her place of birth was listed as Louisiana. The informant on her death certificate was Dr. Phineas M Crane. Her daughter Emily Marshall would have been 9 years old in 1851. I have not yet found her in Boston after the 1850 census.
Margaret Jones, Louisa Jones, 13; and Phillip Jones, 7; were again listed on the 1855 Massachusetts census. Included in their household was forty-year-old Elizabeth Smith who was born in Louisiana. Was this the thirty-one-year-old Betsy listed on the Palfrey probate? If so, where was her son Ralph, who would have been fifteen? Louisa’s mother Margaret and brother Phillip were not found in census records after 1855.
Mary Louisa Jones married Robert Bell on September 13, 1865. Her marriage certificate recorded her parents as John and Margaret Jones and his parents as James and Angelina Bell. Louisa’s birthplace was listed as New Orleans and Robert’s as Richmond, Virginia.
Louisa and Robert Bell and five-year old Francis were recorded on the 1865 Massachusetts census. Robert was a porter and Louisa took in washing. In the previous household was Lewis Garnett 63, a seaman and Elizh Garnett (sp) 52, born in Louisiana.
Louisa, Robert and Frank Jones were listed on the 1870 and 1880 federal census. The 1880 census listing for the household included: Louisa Bell, 37; Robert Jones, 30; Frank Jones, 20; and E. Garnet. E Garnet was listed as a sixty-four-year widowed old aunt, who worked as a nurse and was born in Louisiana. Is this E. Garnett the same as Elizabeth Smith on the 1855 census and the Elizh Garnett on the 1865 census. Was E Garnett the 31-year-old Betsy listed the 1843 probate? Louisa and family lived at #3 Strong Place near Cambridge Street, the current-day Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston.
There is a death record for Elizabeth Garnett. She died in 1888 and was listed as a seventy-eight-year-old widow who was born in New Orleans and worked as a cook. Elizabeth died in the Aged Colored Women’s Home in Boston. Her parents’ names were recorded as Samuel and Almira. Wouldn’t it be something if Samuel and Almira were indeed Sam Riggs & Mima!!
Frank Bell was not located on census records after 1880 or in death records. Robert, Louisa and daughter Lillie M Bell were counted on the 1900 Boston, Massachusetts census. Mary L Bell and daughter Lillie M were listed on the 1910 Census. Mary was widowed and worked as a domestic. Mary L Bell, nee Jones died 1918.
******************************************
The last possible match that I’ve found is a seventy-year-old Black man named Sam Riggs. He was listed on the 1850 Fausse Point, St Martin Parish census in the household of Henry Dorsey. Sam Riggs matches the sixty-five-year-old Sam from John Palfrey’s 1843 probate. Henry’s parents were Catherine Riggs and John Dorsey. Catherine was born about 1805 to Abraham Riggs of Accomack, VA and Elizabeth Byrd. I haven’t been able to determine if Sam had a connection to the Riggs/Dorsey family before he was freed in 1843 or how he came to live with Henry Dorsey. Sam’s death was recorded in William T Palfrey Plantation Diary, “April 8, 1862, Negro man Sam (free) died.”
****************************************** I hope to continue the search to see what became of other slaves freed and their families.
My Maryland-Louisiana Roots 