Our American Story

The 29th Illinois Infantry left Paducah, Kentucky on February 3, 1862 as part of the invasion force that would capture Fort Henry, a Confederate fort sitting on the eastern bank of the Tennessee River, just south of the Kentucky border.  The 29th, along with the 8th Illinois Infantry; 18th Illinois Infantry; 29th Illinois Infantry; 30th Illinois Infantry; 31st Illinois Infantry; Stewart’s, Dollins’s, O’Harnett’s, and Carmichael’s cavalry companies; and Schwartz’s and Dresser’s batteries, composed the First Brigade (commanded by Col. Richard J. Oglesby) of the FIrst Division (commanded by Brig. Gen. John A. McClernand) of the army which would eventually be known as the Army of the Tennessee.  The soldiers of the First Division were aboard transport ships headed up (southbound) the Tennessee River and were accompanied by the Essex and St. Louis ironclad gunboats.

Union Invasion Routes

Fort Henry was constructed in 1861 on the eastern bank of the Tennessee River.  It was a five-sided structure that comprised ten acres of real estate.  The site for the fort was scouted by Brig. Gen. Daniel S. Donelson and was named in honor of Tennessee Senator Gustavus Adolphus Henry, Sr.  The location of the fort provided for a two mile field of fire downriver.  This was, however, the only benefit to the location.  The fort was situated on low-lying swampy ground that was prone to flooding and was overshadowed by high-reaching bluffs across the river on the west bank.  To secure the bluffs overlooking Fort Henry, the rebels constructed an earthen fort on the west bank, named Fort Heiman.  Prior to the siege of Fort Henry, rebel soldiers numbering 1,885 and 1,100 manned the fortifications at Fort Henry and Fort Heiman, respectively, with Col. Heiman in command of all troops.  The defenses of Fort Henry consisted of 20 foot masonry walls, 20 feet thick at their base and tapering up to 10 feet thick at their crest.  Seventeen guns defended the fort:  one (1) 10-inch Columbiad, one (1) 24-pounder rifled cannon, and fifteen (15) 32-pounder smoothbore cannons.  Eleven of these were gazed upon the river, while the remaining six were facing inland to protect against an overland assault. In addition to the large guns, the rebels had sunk torpedoes (mines) in the river channel to protect against the invading gunboats.   The garrison of Forts Henry and Heiman were armed with old flintlock rifles that had been in action since the War of 1812.

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William Robert Lancaster was born March 15, 1840 in West Springs, Union County, South Carolina, the oldest child of William and Cassandra West Lancaster.  His great-grandfather, Benjamin West, was a revolutionary war soldier and a victim of the brutality of Patrick Ferguson’s Loyalist Raiders.  In 1854, William Lancaster Sr. moved his family from South Carolina to Pickens County, Alabama.  On August 1, 1862, William Robert Lancaster married Catherine Sanders, daughter of James and Sarah Stewart Sanders in Pickens County, Alabama.

On April 16, 1862, the C.S.A. government passed the Conscription Act, pursuant to which able-bodied men in the southern states were subject to conscription into the confederate army.  William Robert Lancaster was drafted into the Confederate army and traveled to Mobile, where he was enrolled in Company G, 40th Alabama Infantry on October 1, 1862.  He remained in Mobile until December 1862, training and receiving drill instruction.  In December, the 40th Alabama moved to Vicksburg to assist in the defense of that city.  Upon arrival in Vicksburg, the 40th Alabama was brigaded with the 37th Alabama, 42nd Alabama, and 2nd Texas, under the command of Brigadier General John Creed Moore.  William Robert was detached from his company and served as a wagoner for the battalion.  Company G of the 40th Alabama served in the garrison of Vicksburg during the siege of that city.  When Lt. General John C. Pemberton surrendered Vicksburg to the army of U.S. Grant on Independence Day 1863, the men of the 40th Alabama, including Lancaster were captured.  Lancaster was paroled on July 9, 1863 after signing an oath stating that he would not take up arms against the United States.  Confederate service records list his status as absent without leave following his parole.  It is possible that he honored his oath and returned home to Pickens County to rejoin his wife.

W.R. Lancaster Service Records

Records on the Alabama Civil War Service Database, however, indicate that Lancaster rejoined his regiment, serving thereafter  in Company B (known as the “Pickens Planters”), after his parole and fought until the conclusion of the war.  Also serving in the Pickens Planters company were a Joseph Lancaster and Eli J. Lancaster, likely relatives of William Robert Lancaster, and John William Sanders, William Robert Lancaster’s brother-in-law.  If Lancaster served in Company B following his parole, he likely saw action at Mission Ridge, Lookout Mountain, the Atlanta campaign, Mobile and in North Carolina.  The authority for this information comes from a personal statement from Lancaster in a 1907 tax assessment and from the 1921 census of Alabama confederate veterans.  In the 1921 census, Lancaster states that he was wounded during the war.  Notwithstanding the lack of service records backing up his claim, it is highly likely that Lancaster was telling the truth and served for the duration of the war.  Circumstantial evidence supporting this claim is that Catherine Sanders did not have any children during the period beginning when her husband left for war and ending upon termination of the war.  Robert Lee Lancaster, his eldest son, was born in April 1866.  This supports the notion that Lancaster was away for the duration of the war.

At any rate, William Robert Lancaster survived the war and returned home to Pickens County, Alabama, where he lived until his late 80′s.  He died on October 14, 1928.  He and Catherine had nine children:  Mary Francis, Robert Lee, James Lonnie, William Thomas, John Henry, Sallie C., James Ambus, Lona R. and E.P.

W.R. Lancaster Family Group Sheet

Charlus H. Letzig, 85, of Little Rock, passed away Friday, April 16, 2010. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee on April 3, 1925 to Charles Edward Henderson and Emma Ackerman Henderson. She grew up in El Dorado, AR, where she attended Holy Redeemer School and graduated from Mount St Mary’s in Little Rock. Following graduation, she trained as a surgery nurse at St. Edward’s Hospital in Fort Smith. She moved back to Little Rock and was employed as a registered nurse. Charlus went to Barnes Hospital in St. Louis and trained in surgery, after completing her training she then returned to Little Rock where she was a registered nurse. She loved to play bridge, have lunch with friends and she loved to smock while working at the Stitchin Post She was a member of the Cathedral of St. Andrews Catholic Church. She was a Lady of the Grand Cross in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

She is survived by her husband, Frank Letzig; daughters, Susan Roehrenbeck (Bill), Diane McDaniel (Chuck), son, Charles Letzig (Lynda) of Little Rock, AR; grandchildren, Billy Roehrenbeck (Anna Kaye) of Little Rock, Brad Roehrenbeck (Allison) of Winston-Salem, SC, Ryan Roehrenbeck (Kecia) of Little Rock, Scott Roehrenbeck (Katie) of Little Rock, Keith Roehrenbeck of Little Rock, Holly McDaniel of Fayetteville, David McDaniel (Vanessa) of Kansas City, MO, Kyle McDaniel of Little Rock, Allison McDaniel of Little Rock, Jessica Letzig of Little Rock, Cara Wilkerson (Eric) of Little Rock and Will Letzig of Little Rock; great-grandson , William Daniel Roehrenbeck of Winston-Salem, NC.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 20 at 10:30 a.m. at The Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock by Rev. Matthew Garrison, followed by burial in Roselawn Memorial Park. The Rosary will be held Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Little Rock Funeral Home, preceded by visitation beginning at 6:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Cathedral of St. Andrews Building Fund, 617 S. Louisiana St, Little Rock, AR 72201 or the Monsignor Hebert Endowment Fund at Christ the King School, 4002 N. Rodney Parham Rd, Little Rock, AR 72212. Special thanks to the Staff at Arkansas Hospice for the wonderful care given to Charlus.

Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct., Little Rock, (501)224-2200. Mrs. Letzig’s online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.

I learned yesterday that my paternal grandfather’s first cousin, Jimmie McDaniel, passed away on Monday March 29th. Jimmie was a veteran of World War II. Serving as a paratrooper, he was present at Bastogne and other notable battles on the European continent. After the war he settled in San Angelo, Texas were he enjoyed a career as a fireman. A copy of his obituary is provided below.

SAN ANGELO Jimmie McDaniel, 84 years old, of San Angelo, died peacefully in his sleep on Monday, March 29, 2010. Memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 31, 2010, in Johnson’s Funeral Home chapel. The Rev. Charles Greenwell will be officiating. Inurnment will be in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas, at a later time. Arrangements are by Johnson’s Funeral Home. Jimmie is survived by his only daughter, Marcel Beck of Troy, Mich.; grandchildren Aaron Beck and his wife, Carrie of San Angelo and Tana Beck of West Hollywood, Calif. Great-grandchildren are Emily and Mason Beck. His surviving brothers are Charles McDaniel of San Angelo and Bobby McDaniel of Bay, Ark. His one sister-in-law is Billie (Mrs. Charles) McDaniel. Nephews are Rusty McDaniel, Ricky Gray, Gaylon, Jim and Michael McDaniel. Nieces are Debbie and Penny. Most importantly, Jimmie is survived by his loving wife, Karen, who faithfully and steadfastly cared for him and unselfishly sat by his side through good and bad times. They were true helpmates for each other throughout their 14-year marriage. Karen’s children (and Jimmie’s stepchildren) are Melissa, Glenna and Philip. Grandchildren of his wife Karen are Reed, Holden and Camille. Jimmie proudly served his country in the elite 101st Airborne Unit, (The Screaming Eagles) of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment as a paratrooper in World War II. This is where he prestigiously earned his Purple Heart. He later became the fire chief in Okinawa, Japan, where he and his wife, Marie McDaniel, resided for three years. In most recent years, Jimmie was president of the local National Association of Retired Federal Employees and vice-president of the national chapter. He was active in many community organizations, one favorite being the Area Agency on Aging. He was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and even taught line dancing at San Angelo’s Senior Community Center. Jimmie was preceded in death by his parents, William F. and Minnie Jane Chambers McDaniel; his twin sister, Genevieve Gray; and two brothers, Thomas McDaniel and Lonnie McDaniel. Honorary pallbearers for the service will be his grandson, Aaron Beck, and great-grandson Mason Beck; his brother, Charles McDaniel; and his nephew, Rusty McDaniel. In place of flowers, Jimmie’s wish is for contributions to be made to the Lighthouse for the Blind. His loved ones are proud of his service to our country and are proud to be an important part of his life.

In February 2009, I was passing through southern Illinois and wanted to stop by and see Old Shawneetown and part of Gallatin County, Illinois where my ancestors had resided in the 1840s-1860s. I took several pictures, links to which are provided below. As you can tell, there is not much development in the area and much of the land probably hasn’t changed too much from the 19th century.  Old Shawneetown, on the banks of the Ohio, was devastated by a great flood in 1937 and a new town of Shawneetown was built on a bluff about 3 miles west of Old Shawneetown.  One of the more interesting structures in Old Shawneetown is the old Bank of Illinois building that was built from 1839-1841.

St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and Cemetery are located at the corner of Big Hill Rd. (Co. Rd. 3) and Ponds Church Rd.  The first Catholic Church was built near this site in 1848 or 1849 and the cemetery was established about the same time.  Most early Catholic settlers of the Pond Settlement area – families such as the Hickeys, Maloneys, Lawlers, Dailys, and Keanes – are buried there.  The first Irish Catholic settler in Gallatin County was John Lawler, father of Civil War Union General Michael Kelly Lawler, who arrived in 1816.  John Lawler is buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery.

Old Shawneetown Pictures

St. Patrick’s Catholic Church/Cemetery Pictures

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After returning from their expedition into southeastern Missouri in November 1861, the 29th Illinois Infantry returned to garrison duty at Cairo.  The regiment celebrated Christmas and New Years in camp.  President Lincoln was anxious for his generals to take action against the rebel forces, but in the west thus far, commanding generals Henry Halleck, commanding the Department of the Missouri with headquarters in St. Louis, and Don Carlos Buell, commanding the Department of the Ohio with headquarters at Louisville, Kentucky, had not agreed on a joint plan.  Meanwhile, General Grant was developing a plan to use the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers to invade Tennessee.  In January 1861, he presented his plan in person to General Halleck in St. Louis and his idea was rejected.  General Grant later recalled in his memoirs that he was received with such “little cordiality” at this meeting.  The relationship between Grant and Halleck would be strained throughout Grant’s days in the western theater.  Shortly after his encounter with Halleck, Grant was ordered to move his troops into Kentucky, although not for the purpose of an invasion. (more…)

Regimental Colors of the 29th Illinois Infantry

As mentioned in prior posts, Company C of the 29th Illinois Infantry consisted of men from Gallatin County, Illinois.  As was common practice during the Civil War, units were raised locally and the officers were elected by the members of the unit.  When first organized, the men of Company C elected John A. Callicott as the Company’s Captain and John Eddy as the Company’s First Lieutenant.  What follows are brief biographical sketches of some of the men of Company C:

John A. Callicott – John Callicott was a southerner by birth, having been born in Smith County, Tennessee in 1824.  He moved to Shawneetown in the 1840′s where he apprenticed as a harness-maker.  At the outbreak of the Mexican War, he enlisted in Captain Michael K. Lawler’s company of dragoons and served throughout the entire war.  Upon the cessation of hostilities, he returned to Shawneetown and returned to harness making before going into the riverboat transport business, working up and down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.  Along with John Eddy, Callicott raised C Company and was elected its first captain.  Callicott was wounded 5 times at Fort Donelson.  After the battle of Shiloh, he was promoted to Major and joined regimental staff.  He was promoted to Lt. Col. on August 22, 1863, and served as second in command of the 29th Ill. Infantry Regiment for the duration of the war.  After the war, he returned to Shawneetown and engaged in the saddlery business and the riverboat transport business.  He died in a great flood at Shawneetown on April 3, 1898.  He was buried on his farm in a graveyard now known as the Kanady cemetery. (more…)

Ohio Street in Cairo, Illinois

On September 4, 1861, the 29th Illinois boarded the Illinois Central Railroad and headed to their first post – Cairo, Illinois.  Cairo was a strategic location at the convergence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  The U.S. government had created a military camp and naval base at Cairo.  The pre-war population of Cairo increased by 600% in 1861 with the arrival of thousands of Union soldiers.  Just south of the small town, there was a very large parade ground with camps and barracks all around.  Cairo is a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides, with a 15 foot levee encircling most of the town.  During high rains, the valley created by the levee would effectively become a very large mud pit, making for very uncomfortable living conditions.  On the easternmost side of Cairo, parallel to the Ohio River, was Ohio Street.  General Ulysses S. Grant, commander of all Union troops in Southeast Missouri established his headquarters on Ohio Street on September 4, 1861.

On September 3, Confederate General Leonidas Polk violated the declared neutrality of Kentucky by moving troops and artillery to Columbus, Kentucky, a small town with bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, opposite Belmont, Missouri.  General Grant responded in kind by moving troops to Paducah, Kentucky, a city located at the convergence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers.  In addition to Polk’s battery at Columbus, Grant was concerned with the actions of Brigadier General Jeff M. Thompson and his band of Confederate soldiers in Southeast Missouri.  From October 22 – October 24, the 29th Regiment was part of an expedition to Bloomfield, Missouri in pursuit of Thompson’s forces.  The expedition did not yield any results.  On November 2, the 29th was assigned to Col. Richard Oglesby’s brigade of about 3,000 men.  Oglesby’s brigade set off for Bloomfield again on November 2 in pursuit of Thompson.  Oglesby’s brigade met Thompson’s skirmish line.  Thompson’s forces retreated in the direction of New Madrid, Missouri on the Mississippi River on November 6 and Oglesby’s brigade gave chase. (more…)

Michael Hickey was one of my great-great-great grandfathers.  He was born October 8, 1840 just outside Shawneetown in Gallatin County in southeast Illinois, on the banks of the Ohio River.  Michael was the son of Michael and Mary Keane Hickey.  He had one sister, Hanora, and family lore says that he had a brother, John (although no record of any brother has been located to date).  Michael lost his mother sometime before his 10th birthday and his father died shortly thereafter in September 1856, before Michael turned 16.  Michael’s father (Michael Sr.) had come to America from Ireland in 1839 and had settled in the small Catholic community of Pond Settlement in Gallatin County, Illinois, having received a Federal land grant of 120 acres.

Orphaned at age 16, Michael inherited his father’s farmland, but went to live with his uncle and neighbor, Patrick Keane.  Hanora’s fate after 1856 is unknown.  Patrick Keane operated a small one-room schoolhouse on his property, and likely provided his nephew with a proper Catholic education.  Michael spent the next five years after his father died working a plow and possibly working in the salt mines of southern Gallatin County.

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When conducting genealogy research, most researchers gravitate to the usual sources, such as census records, wills and probate records, marriage records, military records, and immigration records.  Another potential source for genealogical information that may not be apparent is legal opinions.  Legal opinions are issued by courts in resolving lawsuits.  The opinion will generally describe the parties, lay out the legal issues and the facts (as determined by either the judge or the jury), apply the law to the facts, and resolve the parties’ dispute(s).  Legal opinions are usually issued by appellate courts, but may be issued by trial courts as well.  Situations that may result in a lawsuit, and potentially a published legal opinion, include disputes over land, contracts or business dealings, crimes, or personal injuries.  Our ancestors can show up in a legal opinion in a variety or capacities – as a named party to the lawsuit, as a witness, as a litigating attorney, or as the judge.  Legal opinions can provide a great deal of information and can also provide a look into the everyday lives of our ancestors.

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