Those Places Thursday: Wadley, Georgia

Current address:  1384 Coleman Chapel Road, Wadley, Jefferson County, Georgia

In 1932, my paternal grandparents, Lusion Keman Tapley and Nealie Drake Tapley, lost their home in Johnson County, Georgia to foreclosure.  They had to move.  I don't know why, but they ended up living over in Jefferson County, in Wadley, in a rental house. Amazingly, the house is still standing, and I took the above pictures in 2009.

My Papa Lusion became ill while they lived here.  I am not sure exactly what the illness was, but he would seem to go out of his head and not realize what he was doing.  He was a big man - somewhere over 6 feet and well built to boot.  Therefore, the family had to lock him in the bedroom.  Believe it or not, the funniest story in my father's family's history comes from these sad circumstances.  Now this story is really meant to be shared verbally for the most effect, but I will try to get the point across here.

Lusion Keman Tapley on right - between 1903-1912

One evening while she was cooking supper, Grandma Nealie told my Uncle Dempsey and my father, Gilbert, to take their father's medicine in to him and have him take it.  (Dempsey would have been about age 12 and Gilbert about 6.)  Dempsey took the medicine in while Gilbert stood back by the door.  Lusion was sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, with his cheeks resting in his hands.  Dempsey says to his father, "Daddy, Mama said to take your medicine."  Lusion says, "I don't want no medicine."  Dempsey repeats, "Daddy, Mama said it's time to take your medicine."  Lusion again says, "I don't want no medicine."  And my father, Gilbert, ever the wise-cracker, says very loudly, "Don't beg him, Demp!  Just grab him and pour it down him!"  ...  and that's when all HELL broke loose.  Lusion jumped up from the bed and slapped poor Uncle Dempsey across the room while the medicine went flying in the opposite direction.  My father ran out of the room and locked Dempsey IN the bedroom with their father.  Dempsey is beating on the door and begging Gilbert to let him out.  Papa Lusion just simply sat back down on the bed and assumed the same position he was in when the boys entered the room.

Gilbert finally let Dempsey out, who promptly ran to their mother crying (And this where the verbal telling is handy because evidently Dempsey had quite a cry... kind of "WAA - HAA" in a whiny voice.) and told her what happened.  She promptly fixed more medicine, took it to the bedroom and said to Papa, "Lush!  Why'd you go and do that?"  And Papa took his medicine from her without a word of protest. 

Now some of you will be horrified hearing that story and think "child abuse."  But Uncle Dempsey wasn't hurt and it was a different time back then.  In addition, Papa didn't know what he was doing... he would have been devastated if he had.  (As a matter of fact, the story was that during this time, he burned Aunt Irene's doll in the fireplace, and once Grandma told him what he had done and he comprehended it, he was very upset.) However, this story was always one of the top stories told when any of the brothers got together.  It was always a favorite of mine to hear.  I am sure hearing it from the horses' mouths - Uncle Dempsey and Daddy - added something to it.  

Papa Lusion passed away from heart disease in July 1935.  Daddy was only 7 years old.  When it happened, Grandma sent Daddy down the road to his brother's (James or "Fella" as he was called) house for help.  I cannot imagine being 7 years old and having to make that trip.  

Uncle James's house is still there too, though in disrepair:

Grandma and the children moved soon after Papa died.  I am sure she couldn't afford the rent.  They moved around a lot from 1935 until Daddy was grown in the mid to late 1940s. 

I am sure that this place held a lot of memories for my father.  Not only was it where he lost his father at such a young age, but it was also the time of his life (age 5-7) that he began to form lasting memories.  He spoke of their time in Wadley a good bit. 

Wordless Wednesday: Do you know this person? I wish I did!

Tombstone Tuesday: Susan Schwalls Townsend

Susan M. Schwalls Townsend

eldest child of George W. Schwalls and Lincelia E. Claxton Schwalls

laid  to rest at

Minton's Chapel Advent Christian Church Cemetery

Kite (Tom), Johnson County, Georgia

alongside her husband,

James M. Townsend

Susan was my great grand aunt.

Military Monday: My Civil War Ancestors

I am too late for Bill West's Civil War Genealogy Blog Challenge, but I thought I would go ahead and do a post about my Civil War ancestors.

TAPLEY:

Francis M. Tapley
  Eldest son of George Washington "Wash" and Elizabeth Tapley, brother of James Madison Tapley, and he was my great grand uncle

  Francis enlisted in the 48th Regiment Georgia Infantry, "The Battleground Guards" on March 4, 1862 in Johnson County, Georgia.  He is present and accounted for on every muster roll until July-August 1863, where he is noted as being absent with the remark "Absent without leave July 10, 1863."  He is again marked absent with the same remark for September and October.  He is back with his company in November.

  Further along in his Civil War file, we find that on July 19, 1863, Francis was admitted to Receiving and Wayside Hospital, or General Hospital No. 9, Richmond, Virginia.  The very next day, July 20, it shows he was transferred to Chimborazo Hospital, No. 2, Richmond, Virginia, for some sort of fever.  Then on August 5, he appears on a Morning Report of Jackson Hospital, Richmond, Virginia.  He appears on that hospital's muster roll until August 31, 1863.  However, he also appears on a receipt roll for clothing issued to soldiers at the same hospital issued September 22, 1863.

  So obviously, Francis was not AWOL; he was sick with a couple of different, apparently serious, ailments in various hospitals around Richmond. Sometime between September 22 and November 1, he rejoined his unit.
  Sadly, Corporal Francis M. Tapley was killed on July 30, 1864, at the Crater, Petersburg, Virginia.  He was only 19 or 20 years old.  The story that has been passed down through the family is that he was killed during the initial explosion of the mine.  I have no way of knowing if that is true, but I do know that he is buried somewhere there in that field.

Looking up the hill from the mine entrance, 2009

  My mother and I visited this battlefield in 2009.  It was a moving experience.  Knowing that your ancestor fought and died there added a whole other dimension to it.  We visited the nearby Confederate cemetery and saw the unknown solider monuments there.

 James Madison Tapley
  Second son of George Washington "Wash" and Elizabeth Tapley, brother of Francis M. Tapley, and he was my great-grandfather

  Jim Tapley enlisted in the same unit as his brother, Company F, 48 Regiment Georgia Infantry, on March 15, 1864.  He was six weeks shy of his 17th birthday. 

  It is highly probable that he was there at the Crater on the day his brother was killed. Again, the story passed down through the family is that Jim saw his brother get killed in the initial explosion of the mine.

  Private James M. Tapley took part in many battles, along with his unit, including several more at Petersburg, and other locations around Virginia.  It does not appear he was seriously injured during this time.

  The final document in his Civil War file looks like this:

"James Tapley
Pvt., Co. _____, 48 Georgia Regiment.

Appears on a

List

of Prisoners of War belong to the Army of Northern Virginia, who have been this day surrendered by General Robert E. Lee, C.S.A., commanding said Army, to Lieut. Genl. U.S. Grant, commanding Armies of the United States.

Done at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, April 9, 1865."
 
Jim then proceeded to walk all the way back to his home in Georgia, as so many others did. 

Federal troops in front of Appomattox Court House after Lee's surrender.

SCHWALLS:

  George W. Schwalls (or Schwall  - he did not add the "s" at the end until after the war)
   Parents unknown; he was my great-great-grandfather.

  George W. Schwalls enlisted in Company E of the 48th Regiment Georgia Infantry on March 4, 1862.
 
  He is listed on the Company Muster Roll for June 3 to October 31, 1862 as being absent with the remark "sick in hospital."  He appears on a Register of Receiving and Wayside Hospital, or General Hospital No. 9, Richmond Virginia dated October 13 and on a Hospital Muster Roll of sick and wounded soldiers at General Hospital No. 1, Richmond on October 17.  His Company Muster Rolls for Nov. & Dec. 1862 and Jan. & Feb. 1863 indicate he is still in the hospital.  He is back with his unit as of March 1, 1863.

  By September later that year, he is back "sick in hospital".  This time he is at 1st Division, General Hospital Camp Winder, Richmond, Virginia.  In November, he is back with his unit.

  On April 1, 1864, George Schwalls was transferred to the Confederate Navy by order of General Lee.  On his pension application made 37 years after the war, he indicated that he was transferred on January 1, 1865 to a gun boat and made an engineer.  

  Private George Schwalls was discharged from service at the end of the war in April 1865.

  On his pension application, he indicates many health problems; some due to his war service:  has lost his sight "for 4 years," "asthma in severest forms, also heart dropsy - was wounded in head from which I am almost totally deaf; suffer intensely from war wound in right leg."

DRAKE

James William Drake

  Son of Francis Bryant Drake and Selina King Drake; he was my great-great-grandfather.

  James W. Drake enlisted on May 7, 1862 as a Private into Company G, 32nd Georgia Infantry.  He was 32 years of age, which is a good deal older than what we mostly hear of serving in that war.

  He appears on a Regimental Return dated October 1862 with the remark "Absent on sick furlough for 30 days from 29 October 1862."  He again appears on a Regimental Return, this one dated November, with the remark "in Hospital."

  I have no records of him during 1863 in his Civil War file.  Then on January 9, 1864, there is a page in his file that indicates "Subject:  Court Martial."  On February 9, 1864, there appears to be a summons:  "Subject:  Report to Brig-Gen. Walker."  There is no other information about a court martial in his file and by June of 1864, he is appearing regularly on receipt rolls for clothing with his unit.    The book "The Drake Family of Washington County, Georgia" by Charles Edward Francis Drake offers the following explanation:

  "On 9 January 1864 he was court-martialed for being absent without leave from 7 July 1863 to 5 September 1863. I believe he went home to visit ill family members. He was acquitted and rejoined service with his unit."

  James W. Drake surrendered with his unit at Greensboro, North Carolina, on April 26, 1865:

  "Jas. W. Drake, Pvt, Co. G, 32 Reg't Georgia Infantry
Appears on a 
    Muster Roll
of Officers and Men paroled in accordance with the terms of a Military Convention entered into on the 26th day of April, 1865, between General Joseph E. Johnston, Commanding Confederate Army, and Major General W. T. Sherman, Commanding United States Army in North Carolina.

Roll dated near Greensboro, N.C., April 28, 1865.

Paroled at Greensboro, North Carolina, May 1, 1865." 

  I assume James also walked to his home in Georgia.

 According to Charles Edward Francis Drake's above mentioned book, "When he [James Drake] made his pension application in 1899, he complained of chronic bronchitis and a double hernia." (I do not have a copy of this pension application and obviously need to add it to my to do list.)

  James had a brother, Francis Milton Drake, who served in the same unit.  Another brother, John Saffold, was also in the same unit for a short time, but he shows up as AWOL and there is no further record for him during the war that I have located thus far.  A third brother, Thomas Lamar Drake, also served in the Civil War, but I do not know the details of his service.


PAGE

  I find that I have no information on whether any of my Page ancestors served.  Another item for the to do list!

I apologize for the long post, and if you are still reading, bless you!

Grandma's Diary, Part 13

(To read prior entries from my maternal grandmother's 1933 diary, please click on the tab "Posts by Topic" and then go to the topic "California."  All posts are listed there.)

Key:

The writer is Ethel Ranney Tapley.

Alice is her sister.

Kenneth is her brother.

Her parents.

          H = her boyfriend, Hazel Avery Plumlee
          Delma = Hazel's little sister
          Earl = Hazel's brother
          Verda = Earl's wife
          Dorothy Lee = Hazel's niece (Earl's, child)
          Otho is Otho Hesser, her father's cousin.
          Viella is Otho's wife.
          Uncle Jont is Jonathan Hesser, Otho's father and her father's uncle.
          Aunt Kate is Sarah Katherine Hall Hesser, Jonathan's wife and Otho's mother
          Herman is Alice's boyfriend.

Sun., April 2:  "We all went to Sunday School & church.  H. came for church.  We ate dinner at Hessers.  Drove to Yucaipa in the afternoon.  Saw McDonalds & Ted & Alice & Fox's."

Mon., April 3:  "Mama & I washed.  It is quite warm.  H. came over about noon & Earl took his car for a little while.  H. stayed all night as Earl didn't come back."

Tues., April 4:  "Mama & I ironed.  Took H. part way home.  I sewed on my crazy quilt.  Went to Yucaipa & saw H. a few moments."

Wed., April 5:  "Took dad to work at the school house.  Got H. & went to town.  Mama quilted at Pences.  H., Lucile & I went to Yucaipa, bought tire got Clint & went to Beaumont to look for H. car."

Thurs., April 6:  "Took dad to school house to work.  H. car was home when he got there last night.  H. & I went over to Marie & Arnolds stayed for supper."

Fri., April 7:  "I washed.  H. came over in the afternoon.  In the evening H., Alice & I went to Trowbridges.  We went to town to get groceries in the afternoon."

Sat., April 8:  "H. went to Los Angeles to get Verda & children.  They are going to stay at H. for 2 wks.  H. stayed all night at our house."

Treasure Chest Thursday: Grandma's Locket

This United States Navy locket belonged to my grandmother, Ethel Ranney Tapley.  It was obviously a gift from her husband, my grandfather, Charles Morgan Tapley as he served in the Navy twice.  That is Grandma's picture next to the locket.  I like to think the locket was a comfort to her during the months he was away while serving in World War II.

Wednesday's Child: Joyce Lampp

 

Joyce Lampp

daughter of

Benjamin James (B.J.) Lampp and Annie Jane Tapley Lampp

She was laid to rest at Powell's Chapel Methodist Church,

Johnson County, Georgia

As you can see, her parents were laid to rest on either side of her...

just as if she had crawled into their bed in the middle of the night

during a storm or after having a bad dream.

I need to put on my to do list to obtain a copy

of Joyce's death certificate.  I wonder what 

took this baby, just 4 days after her first birthday.

Joyce was my (half) first cousin on her mother's side,

and 2nd cousin on her father's side.