I posted a few days ago that I was eagerly awaiting records from NARA regarding Alexander Hill’s Civil War pension. As fate would have it, I awoke the very next morning to find an e-mail message with a link to a digital document containing the remaining twenty-eight pages of his pension record! I read through the pages hoping to see if the plantation where Alexander was enslaved was mentioned and if any mention was made of his siblings.
Two witnesses provided differing information on where Alexander was enslaved. Alexander’s wife Rose testified that he had been born in Virginia and was a slave of Chodelle Rousselle who lived somewhere “…up the Mississippi River.” Rousselle died and Alexander was sold to someone named ‘Whale‘ who “brought him to the southern part of Louisiana.” Alexander told her that he’d been in New Orleans 4 years before the war. She said that Alexander had brothers and sisters in Virginia whom he unsuccessfully attempted to locate.
Jacques Darensbourg testified that he’d known Alexander for fifteen years before the start of the Civil War. Both he and Alexander had served in the 74th regiment. He could not say with any certainty if Alexander was born in Virginia. He stated that Alexander had been a slave of Felix Garcia who lived about 8 miles from Boutte in St Charles Parish. Darensbourg further testified that Alexander had not been married while a slave and that he knew of Alexander’s marriage to Rose in 1866. He said that Alexander had not lived in New Orleans before the war, but that they both enlisted in New Orleans.
So, I received the information that I had been eagerly awaiting. I found the names of 3 possible people on whose plantation Alexander may have lived. Alexander was reported to have brother and sisters who lived in Virginia. Neither Rose or Darensbourg mentioned that Alexander had a brother living in St Charles Parish.
So, it seems that my great-great grandfather Robert Hill was most likely not Alexander’s brother. Both men were born in Virginia and both lived in Boutte Station, St. Charles Parish, LA in 1870. Both reported Civil War service on the 1890 Veterans Schedule. Alexander kept his discharge papers and filed for and received a military pension. When he died in 1905, his wife Rose applied to keep his pension. Her application provided a great deal of information about her family and their movements and some information on Alexander. Robert Hill lost his discharge papers and was unable to receive a pension. I last found Robert on the 1900 US Census in the household with his daughter Celestine Crowder. I have not yet found Celestine and family on the 1910 census. I did find Celestine Crowder and family in St Mary Parish on the 1920 census working on the Alice B plantation. I found a 1939 death record for a 101-year-old Robert Hill. But have never found any record of Robert Hill living after the 1900 census. I assume that the 1939 death certificate is actually for Robert Hill Jr.
Although it seems that Alexander and Robert may not have been brothers, both were living in Boutte Station in 1870 and both had the last name of Hill. Perhaps the name ‘Hill’ is what connects the 2 men. I am now searching probate records and New Orleans ship manifests for Alexander and Robert listed together. I recently found an index listing for New Orleans notaries at https://www.orleanscivilclerk.com/notaryalpha.htm. I also found a possible manifest of an Alexander and a Robert coming to New Orleans on the same ship. I am attempting to request the detail pages regarding the manifest.
And so I am once again eagerly awaiting!
Best,
My Maryland-Louisiana Roots 