Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- A Revolutionary War Era Ancestor

 From Randy (my cousin) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1)  We all have ancestors who were alive in 1776, and some of them may have celebrated the signing of the Declaration of Independence or even served in the military during the war.

2)  Describe one or more of your ancestors who lived in that time or served in the military.

Here's mine:

    I found that I have 19 men in my family tree who served in the Revolutionary War, all on the American side.  To be honest, I have not researched these ancestors and their part in the war.  However, I found one ancestor who had a "notable, if tragic, connection to a critical moment in the American Revolutionary War."

My 5th great-grandfather, Isaac H. Osman (1738-1778), served out of Orange County, New York with the Orange County Militia, First Regiment, a/k/a Colonel Jesse Woodhull's Regiment.  

On October 6, 1777, British forces under General Sir Henry Clinton launched a major assault on the American fortifications guarding the Hudson River, specifically Forts Clinton and Montgomery.  This was The Battle of Fort Montgomery, and it was one of the most significant military engagements in the New York Highlands.

The men of the First Regiment of the Orange County Militia were essential defense of the Hudson River corridor. This region was a primary target for the British because securing the river would have effectively split the American colonies in two.  

Records indicate that Isaac Osman was taken prisoner during this battle. The loss of these forts was a severe blow to the American defense of the Hudson Valley, as it allowed the British to dismantle the defensive chain across the river. However, even though the  British achieved a tactical victory by seizing the forts, the campaign failed to achieve its strategic goal of securing the Hudson Valley.   

Following his capture, Isaac was taken to one of the infamous Sugar House prisons in New York City, which was occupied by the British at the time.  The "Sugar Houses" were sturdy, industrial warehouse buildings. These prisons were notorious for extreme overcrowding, lack of ventilation starvation, and rampant disease.  Prisoners often slept on the floors and were subjected to harsh treatment. The mortality rate there was alarmingly high due to these conditions. 

The British used both sugar houses and decommissioned ships (prison ships) because their traditional jail facilities in New York City became overwhelmed by the thousands of Americans captured in battles like the one at Fort Montgomery. Both types of facilities are remembered for the immense suffering they caused.  While the prison ships are perhaps more famous in American lore, the Sugar House prisons were equally central to the grim reality of life for prisoners of war in occupied New York.

A list of prisoners was supplied to the British Army in New York for the purpose of informing families that they needed to send food and supplies for the prisoners. The Provost Marshall of the Prison, William Cunningham, confessed later to selling the food and supplies that were sent for the prisoners.  He was later found guilty of financial crimes and was executed in London in 1791.  

Issac Osman died in the Sugar House prison of starvation in 1778.  He was 40 years old and left a wife and 8 children between the ages of 2 and 13. 

Google Gemini provided content for this blog post.  

Tombstone Tuesday - Hidden in Plain Site

 

Etta Fleming Hubbard

b. 06 Aug 1890 in Augusta, Richmond, Georgia, USA
d. 19 Oct 1979 in Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

laid to rest at
Summerville Cemetery
Augusta, Richmond, Georgia, USA

    Etta was married to my 3rd cousin 3x removed, Ralph Hustace Hubbard.  Our common ancestors are Thomas Hubbard II and Sarah Boardman.  These are lines you don't see me writing about often, since these are my Northern (Yankee) ancestors, and I do not know as much about them.  What is ironic is that Ralph was raised in Manhattan, New York and Etta was from right here in Augusta.  I do not know how they met, but Etta lived in the Northeast most of her adult life.  It appears that when she passed, she wanted to come home to Georgia.

        

     Summerville Cemetery is not far from where I now live.  It is a lovely, old cemetery, with lots of ornate headstones and the graves of several famous Georgians.  Cousin Keith and I went there last week, and Etta's was the only grave I was in search of there. We probably walked past her headstone a hundred times, but didn't see it.  It was only after we left for a bit, did some research on our phones, found out she was on the same headstone with her parents, and saw a picture of it that we went back, determined not to leave until we found it.  It still took us awhile.  There is no large Fleming Grave marker.  There is not even a small one.  Just this headstone with the words hard to read.  But find it we did!  

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - "Who Was Your First Ancestor Born in...?"

 From Randy (a cousin discovery!!) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

(1)  Lorine McGinnis Schulze asked in her blog post "Who Was Your First Canadian or American Born Ancestor?"

(2)  Let's broaden it a bit to "Who was your first ancestor born in Canada, America, or your chosen country, state, province, or county?" based on your known ancestry.

(3)  Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a post on Facebook.  

Here's mine:

None of my ancestors were from Canada.  Most were from various countries in Europe, but I haven't "jumped the pond" yet in my research.  So I'll be concentrating on various states in the United States.

- My first ancestor born in American and the state of Connecticut was my 9th great-grandmother, Mary Hubbard, born 16 Jan 1642 in Hartford, Connecticut.  She was the daughter of George Hubbard Sr and Elizabeth Watts Hubbard.

- The first of my ancestors born in Massachusetts was Stephen Snow, born before 1648, though I'm not sure exactly where in Massachusetts.  He was my 8th great-grandfather.  His parents were Nicholas Snow and Constance Hopkins Snow.  Constance came over as a teenager on the Mayflower in 1620 and Nicholas came over three years later on the Anne.

- The first of my ancestors born in New York was Jacob Isaac Osman, born 1732 in Suffolk County, New York.  He was my 5th great-grandfather.  He was the son of Isaac Osman and Mary Bayley Osman.

- Pennsylvania:  Peter Conrad Hesser was born 1760 in Germantown, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.  He was my 5th great-grandfather.  His parents were Johann Conrad Hesser and Anna Heizer Hesser.

- After a migration to the Western Reserve, my 4th great-grandfather, Luther Boardman Ranney, was the first of my ancestors born in Ohio.  He was born in Hudson, Summit County, Ohio on 28 Nov 1809.  He was the son of Comfort Ranney and Elizabeth Hubbard Ranney.

- Soon the Ranney family migrated again... to Michigan.  The first of my ancestors born there was also named Luther Boardman Ranney (grandson of the one mentioned above).  He was born 11 Mar 1870 in Chapin, Saginaw County, Michigan.  He was my great-grandfather.  He was the son of Comfort Ranney and Mary Margaret Hesser Ranney.

Now let's head south...

- Virginia was the landing place of most of my southern ancestors.  The first of my ancestors born there was Thomas Jordan II, born 07 July 1634 in Isle of Wight County.  Thomas was my 8th great-grandfather.  His parents are unknown.

- The first of my ancestors born in North Carolina was my 5th great-grandfather, Dempsey Goff.  He was born in 1758 somewhere in the state.  His parents are unknown.  

    

    (However, this information is unsourced so to be on the safe side, let me say that it is possible that my first ancestor born in North Carolina was actually Francis Bryant Drake.  He was born 16 Oct 1806 in Nash County.  He was my 3rd great-grandfather and the son of Richard Drake and Pherabah Bryant Drake.)

- My 3rd great-grandmother, Sarah Tapley, born in 1775, was the first of my ancestors born in South Carolina.  She was born on a stopover during the family's migration from North Carolina to Georgia.  She was the daughter of Newhampton Tapley.  Her mother's identity is unknown.

- Last but not least is my home state of Georgia.  Samuel Goff was born 1790 in Emanuel County, Georgia.  He was my 4th great-grandfather.  He was the son of Dempsey Goff and Catherine Herring Goff.  

    

    (Again, the Goff information is not well sourced, so it is possible that the first ancestor of mine born in Georgia was one of Sarah Tapley's twins.  George Washington Tapley (my 2nd great-grandfather) and James Marion Tapley were born 02 May 1814 in Emanuel County, Georgia.  Their father was Canneth Swain.)

Military Monday: Jacob Isaac Osman

 

On this Veterans Day 2013, is it fate, coincidence or just plain ironic that I learned about a patriot ancestor that I knew nothing of before?  Another veteran in my family tree for which to be thankful.

I have a "new" cousin to thank for this information.  Ted actually sent me the info two or more years ago, but I just now sat down and took a good look at it today.  I know, shame on me.  So again, I ask you, was it fate or coincidence?  I tend to not believe in coincidence.

Jacob Isaac Osman was my 5th great-grandfather.  He was born in 1732 in Southold, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.   (I did not know I had roots in New York either!)  Isaac was a Private in the Revolutionary War.  

Forts Montgomery and Clinton were located just south of West Point, New York on the Hudson River and were built for the defense of the Hudson Highlands.   Isaac Osman and his family lived in Smith's Clove, New York, which was in the Town of New Cornwall on the other side of Long Hill west of Fort Montgomery.  

On the afternoon of October 6, 1777, approximately 3,000 Loyalists, Hessians, and British regulars attacked both forts simultaneously.  The forts were largely garrisoned by the local militia.  This militia of the district, about 600 in number, had been hastily called in the day before.  One of the regiments there that day was Col. Jesse Woodhull's regiment from Cornwall, of which both Isaac and his brother, Israel, also a private, were members.  In addition, Isaac and Israel's younger brother, John, a sergeant, was a member of Lamb's Artillery, and was also at the fort that day. 

After a few hours of intense fighting, Lieutenant Colonel Mungo Campbell and several British regulars approach Fort Montgomery waving a "white flag of truce."  The American forces, lead by Brigadier General George Clinton, sent out Lieutenant Colonel William Livingston to meet the enemy.  The British officers demand the rebels surrender and promise that "no harm will come to them."  Livingston refuses their offer of surrender and likewise invites Campbell to surender and promises him and his men "good treatment."  Outraged by Livingston's remarks, the British resume the battle.

The British closed in on all sides of the twin forts.  Lt. Colonel Campbell is killed in a violent attack on the north side of Fort Montgomery.  It is here that the British and Loyalist Troops overwhelm Clinton and the Orange County Militia, who are defending Fort Montgomery.  After a fierce resistance lasting until nightfall, the British overrun the Americans and gain control of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton, and lead the courageous Militiamen from the fort at the point of their bayonets.  The American Patriots who were not killed in battle or did not escape were shipped off to the Sugar House Prison in New York City.  Among those were Isaac and Israel Osman. 

Now I am not very schooled in the Revolutionary War.  I had never heard of these Sugar House Prisons.  So of course I checked Wikipedia and found that during the 18th century, a large part of commerce in New York City was trade with the British West Indies.  Destined for refineries, sugar and molasses were imported and stored in warehouses built by merchant families.  Three of these large structures - Livingston's, Rhinelander's, and Van Cortlandt's sugar houses in Manhattan - were known for being used by the British Army to house prisoners of war during their occupation of New York City.  They also housed prisoners in British ships anchored in New York Harbor.

The Livingston sugar house (on the left) on Liberty Street in Manhattan, circa 1830.

 The treatment of these prisoners were horrific.  The fledgling American government or the prisoners' families were expected to furnish food and supplies.  However, it was discovered that the Provost Marshal of the Prison, William Cunningham, had been selling the food and supplies that were sent for the prisoners.  In addition, conditions were not sanitary due to overcrowding, etc.  During the occupation of New York City by the British, it is estimated that 17,500 prisoners perished on the ships and in the prisons from starvation, smallpox, dysentery, typhus, and yellow fever, more than double that of casualties from battle. 

Both Isaac and his brother, Israel, died in the Sugar House Prison.  They were buried in unmarked graves somewhere in New York City, possibly in the Trinity Churchyard. 

In Lower Manhatten at the corner of Broadway and Wall Streets in the Trinity Churchyard, there is a memorial where Patriots of the American Revolution are remembered.  This monument was erected by church leaders in 1852.  It honors not only my ancestors, Isaac and Israel Osman, but all of the unknown American soldiers and sailors of the Revolutionary War who were imprisoned, died, and buried in unmarked graves.  

            Monument to Revolutionary War prisoners at Trinity Church, Manhattan. Photograph by Joshua Ruff.

 And what became of their younger brother, John, you may ask?  When I started writing this post, I did not know.  During the course of my research, I found his name on a list of 8,000 men who were prisoners on board "The Old Jersey," or the "Hell," as she was called, a prison ship anchored in the East River.  Often more than a thousand prisoners at a time were confined in her, and they endured terrible suffering.  Her nickname came from its inhumane conditions and the obscenely high death rate of its prisoners.  

John was one of the fortunate few who survived that experience.  I do not know how, but he did.  He lived to be 71.  

So three brothers went to war and fought for the new country they believed in.  Only one came back.  I am sure he was not the same man who left.  

To say that I am proud of the sacrifices my ancestors made for this country would be an understatement.  I am humbled by their courage and perseverance.  

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- What is Your Matrilineal Line?

From Randy over at Genea-Musings:

Dear genealogists everywhere, it's Saturday Night!  Time for some Genealogy FUN.

Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it, is to: 

 1) List your matrilineal line - your mother, her mother, etc. back to the first identifiable mother. Note: this line is how your mitochondrial DNA was passed to you!

2) Tell us if you have had your mitochondrial DNA tested, and if so, which Haplogroup you are in.

3) Post your responses on your own blog post, in Comments to this blog post, or in a Status line on Facebook or in your Stream at Google Plus.

4)  If you have done this before, please do your father's matrilineal line, or your grandfather's matrilineal line, or your spouse's matrilineal line.5)  Does this list spur you to find distant cousins that might share one of your matrilineal lines?  

Here's mine:

(1)  My matrilineal line:

- Mary Elizabeth Tapley (that's me!)

- Linda Irene Tapley, mother (b. Los Angeles, California)

- Ethel Irene Ranney Tapley, grandmother (b. July 6 1913 in Elsie, Clinton County, Michigan; d. Nov 12 1973 in Dublin, Laurens County, Georgia)

-  Bessie Alice Carter Ranney, great-grandmother (b. Feb 9 1883 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; d. April 14 1960 in Redlands, San Bernardino County, California)  (She was adopted at birth.  I know nothing of her birth  family.)

- Sarah Melissa Schoonover, great-great-grandmother (b. July 13 1840; d. May 23 1918 in Elsie, Clinton County, Michigan)

- Sarah Ozmun, 3rd great-grandmother (b. Oct 23 1800; d. Nov 7 1870)

-  Sarah Jordan, 4th great-grandmother (b. Sept 29 1762 in New York; d. Aug 12 1812 in New York)

(2)  I have had my mitochondrial DNA tested and the Haplogroup I am in is U5a1a1.  This Haplogroup was centered in the Scandinavian countries.  

(3)  Done!  ;)

(4)  Will do in another post!

(5)  I am always eager to find near and distant cousins, especially on my mother's side because I know very few on that side of the family.