Thomas Ray Allen 1847 – 1907

This is an introduction to Thomas Ray Allen. The other posts during the A to Z Challenge will expand on details mentioned here.

Thomas Ray Allen was born into slavery about 1845 on Foster Ray’s plantation in Lebanon, Marion County Kentucky. Thomas’ mother, Clara was sixteen years old. His father’s name was Louis Allen. Two years later his sister Sarah was born and two years after that his sister Annie (my great grandmother) was born. Slave holder Foster Ray was a farmer/merchant with lands in Kentucky, Missouri and Illinois.

Foster died in January 15, 1863 leaving everything to his wife Marietta Phillips Ray and his nephew Nicholas Ray. Unfortunately there is no probate list naming the enslaved.

On August 15, 1864 Thomas enlisted as “Thomas Ray” in Company D, 5th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops – Calvary in Lebanon Kentucky. He was 18 years old, 5 ft 5 in. with black hair, black eyes and copper complexion. Occupation given as “farmer”. On March 25, 1865 Thomas was appointed bugler. The bugler’s job was to sound directions to the troops when there was too much confusion and noise for the commanders to issue orders by mouth.

On Thomas’ enlistment papers Addison Taylor of Marion County is listed as his slave owner, however in his pension file Thomas says several times that Foster Ray was his only former owner. Foster Ray and Addison Taylor, who lived in the adjoining counties of Casey and Marion Kentucky, were cousins.

From March 14 through 18 Thomas was relieved from duty after falling from his horse and receiving a concussion. On March 19, he was returned to duty as they found nothing else wrong with him. On August 15, 1866 Thomas was mustered out in Helena Arkansas, along with the rest of his regiment.

He returned to Lebanon Kentucky and in the 1870 census was living with his younger sister Sarah Ray Primus, her husband Felix and their young children. Felix and Thomas were both laborers.

On 9 March 1871 Thomas Ray and Georgiana McDougal (aka Martin) were married in her home county of Larue, Kentucky. Her older brother Thomas MacDougal had also served in the USCT, although he was part of a different company.

Thomas Ray appears in the Indianapolis City Directory in 1877 as a hostler, a stableman who cares for horses. In January of 1878 he and his first wife Georgiana were divorced. About 1879 he was introduced to the woman who would be his second wife, Katy Wiley by a mutual friend, Lottie Sullivan. About this time Thomas decided to stop using the surname “Ray”, his former enslaver’s name. He began to go by his father’s surname, “Allen”. He explained his choice in his Will here, Thomas Allen – Last Will and Testament.

Finding this envelope addressed to my grandmother C/o Mrs. Katy Allen sent me on a search to find out who Katy Allen was and from there to discover my USCT Uncle Thomas Allen.

Thomas Allen and Katy Wily were married by Rev. Jacob R. Raynor, a local Baptist minister on March 5, 1880. In 1887, they were living in the cottage at 2157 N. Capital, which they bought and lived in until his death in 1907 and Katy’s move back to Ohio near the end of her life.

By 1887 his niece and nephew, George and Sallie Reed, had moved to Indianapolis. They were soon followed by their mother, his sister Anna Reed and the rest of her family by 1894. They shared his home for several years.

In August of 1890 Thomas was 45 years old and approved for a military pension of $12 a month due to total deafness of the right ear and disease of digestive organs. In 1894 his pension was inexplicably dropped to $6 a month. Over the next 13 years he fought to have it raised to at least $8 a month, to no avail. He was examined by doctors who documented his deteriorating health.

Family members, former United States Colored Troop members and friends from throughout the years testified regularly that he was who he claimed to be, and that Thomas Ray and Thomas Allen were one and the same. They also testified that he was ill and debilitated. Because this was long after slavery was over and he was living far from the place where he had been enslaved, nobody from the same plantation testified for him.

In 1904 the doctors found him to be suffering rheumatism, chronic diarrhea and disease of the stomach. His pension remained at $6. By 1906 Dr. John W. Norrel gave evidence that Thomas’ ailments made it impossible for him to support himself. By July 1907, the medical testimony declared that he was in much worse shape and would not last much longer without some relief.

At age 60, on September 16, 1907, Thomas Allen died at home in his own bed. He left his wife to apply for a pension as a surviving widow, which she did successfully. Neither he nor she had any children. In the 1910 census, Katy Allen was living in the same house and doing laundry to supplement her pension. She died in 1915.

The Life, Times and People of Thomas Ray Allen #A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal

This is my 5th year participating in the A to Z Challenge. This year I am going to use the life of my great grandmother, Anna Ray Reed’s brother Thomas (Ray) Allen as the basis of my blog posts in April. I first “found” him in late November of 2016. Thomas served in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War. By ordering his pension file I was able to find the names of his family, friends and people who served with him during the war and the name of the man who formerly enslaved him. Through researching these people using census records, directories, Catholic Baptismal records and DNA matches, I was able to find other family members and get a picture of his life in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Click to learn more about the A to Z Challenge.

Making Connections

Last year I made contact with one of my DNA matches on 23 & Me, but I did not know how we were related because I did not know that the name Primus was part of my family tree at that time.

Click to enlarge documents below.

My grandparents – Dr. Albert Buford Cleage and Pearl Doris Reed in 1909 outside of Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana during the time the letters were written.

In November of 2016, during “National Novel Writing Month” I was working on writing a book using my grandfather Dr. Albert B. Cleage’s letters to my future grandmother, Pearl Reed Cleage.

At one point he was sending letters to my grandmother c/o Katy Allen. I couldn’t find Katy Allen the first time I looked a few years ago when I was first blogging about the letters.

I took another look and found Kate Allen in the Indianapolis directory.

Using Katy Allen’s address I was able to find her in the 1900 census, along with her husband Thomas Allen.

Looking at his death certificate, I was stunned to find that “Clara Green” was listed as his mother. That was my great grandmother Anna Ray Allen Reed’s mother. Thomas Allen was her brother.

I found Thomas Ray in the 1870 census living with Sarah Primus/Prymous. Family relationships are not given in the 1870 census. I had experienced family members living together without being identified as such before and wondered if Thomas and Sarah were siblings.

I set up a tree for Sarah and the Primus family and eventually found a death certificate for one of the children where Sarah’s maiden name was given as “Ray”, which was Thomas’ last name before he changed it from the slave owner’s surname of “Ray” to his father’s name, “Allen”. Read about that name change in his Will here.

My grandmother’s handwritten family tree gives her grandmother’s name as “Clara Hoskins.” I was never able to find her using that name because she was married to James Green in the 1870 and 1880 census and using Clara Green.

I had found Perry and Rachael Hoskins living near Clara in the 1870 and 1880 census. They had also been free and enumerated in the 1860 census. I decided to take another look at them.

Although the Death Records for Marion County do not include the 1880 and 1890, I found their graves in Find-a-grave. And I found their Wills.

Perry died first. He left everything to his wife Rachael. Rachael left money to the priest of St. Augustine Catholic Church and for the upkeep of her husband’s grave. She also left $20 each to Sarah Jane Primus and Anna Reed. Unfortunately she did not mention any relationship with them.

One day recently, I received an email from 23 & Me. I had 80 new relatives waiting to discover our link. I decided to go look and see who they were.

I have not checked 23 & Me recently because I can never make the connections between the DNA and my tree. I wrote a contact who matched me, my aunt Gladys and several of my second cousins in the Reed line. She wrote back and gave me two names that didn’t mean anything to me. Then she added the message “Also look for the name Primus or Promise. My dad’s great grandmother was Sue (Susan) Rae Primus”. PRIMUS! Just the family I had been looking for a connection with!

You can see Susan Primus up in the 1870 census as a nine year old. I had found Susan, one of Sarah’s daughters, but I had not found her marriage record, so her married name meant nothing to me, but Primus! These were the very people I had spent the last couple of months researching! And because I had done all that research, I knew who they were. The connection between two of my great great grandmother’s children has been made.

Now I want to find the link between Perry and Rachael Hoskins and my great great grandmother Clara.

You can find other blog posts about Anna Ray Allen Reed and family here The Reeds

Thomas Allen – Last Will and Testament 1907

Last week I decided to take one more look at a question I had about my grandfather Albert B. Cleage’s letters to his future wife, Pearl Reed. Who was the Katy Allen at 2715 N. Capital St. Indianapolis? Albert sent Pearl letters there for several months in 1910. I had looked for Katy Allen several years ago when I first posted some of the letters on my blog, and found nothing. I only had her name and street address.

Recently I looked again and found Katy Allen listed in the Indianapolis City Directory for several years around 1910. She was listed as the widow of Thomas Allen. I then found her in the 1900 census with her husband and then I found his death certificate from 1907 (all on Ancestry) Thomas’ mother’s name was listed as “Clara Green”. This was my great grandmother Anna’s mother’s name – which made him my grandmother Pearl’s uncle and her mother Anna’s brother. I had never found any relatives for Anna except those of her mother and children. Anna’s maiden name was given as “Ray” on some of her children’s records.

I looked some more and found Thomas Allen’s Will. It said he used to go by the name of “Ray” which was his former master’s name but he changed it to “Allen” after he got out of the service (he gave his unit as 5th US Colored Calvary). In the military record, there is his former slave holder’s full name! Now this particular branch of the family was very close mouthed about anything to do with slavery, although they did mention those Cherokee Ancestors who passed on no DNA. So, from looking for some info for my book about my grandfather’s letters, I found a new ancestor; my first United States Colored Troops family member; the last slave holder for that particular branch of the family and who the person was at that N. Capital St. address.

Last Will and Testament of Thomas Allen
State of Indiana
Marion County

I, Thomas Allen, a resident of Marion County, Indiana, and being of sound and disposing mind and memory, do make, publish and declare this to be my last will and testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me made.

I, Thomas Allen, known on the war records of Company D, Fifth United States Colored Calavry, and in matters relating to my pension business (act of June 27, 1890, Inv. Cft. 693170) as Thomas Ray, wish to explain that this difference is caused by my enlisting in the army under the name of my former master owner, whose name was Ray. However, after my discharge, I took the name of Allen, which was my fathers name and which is my true and correct name, and the name under which I have transacted all other business and under which I was married to my present wife, and the name under which I am known and recognized by my neighbors, friends and acquaintances, and that Thomas Ray and Thomas Allen are the same and identical persons –

Item #1. I give and devise to my beloved wife, Kate Allen, the following described real estate, situated in the city of Indianapolis, County of Marion and State of Indiana, and described as follows: – Lot number twenty-five (25) in Ruddell and Vintons Park Place, Plat Book number four (4), Page one hundred ninety (190) in the Recorder’s Office of Marion County, Indiana.

Item #2. I give and bequeath to my wife, Kate Allen, all of the personal property of which I may die seized.

Item #3. I constitute and appoint Otts Delp executor of this will.

Witness my hand and seal, this 23rd day of July, A.D., 1907, at Indianapolis Indiana.

Wm. S. Steavens, Henry C. Bade, Thomas Allen

The foregoing instrument signed, sealed and acknowledged by said Thomas Allen as and for his last will and testament in our presence, who, at his request, and in his presence, and the presence of each other, have subscribed our names as witnesses there to, this 23rd day of July 1907.

Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 23rd day of July, 1907.

Bert Delp

Affidavit of Death
State of Indiana, Marion County, Set

Otto Delp being duly sworn on oath says that Thomas Allen departed this life on or about the 10 day of November 1907 and at the time of his death was a resident of said County and State.

Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 14 day of November A.D. 1907 Otto Delp

Leonard M. Quill Clerk

Proof of Will

Before the Clerk of the probate court of the County of Marion, in the State of Indiana, personally came William S. Stevens and Henry C. Bade subscribing witnesses to the forgoing instrument of writing, who being by me first duly sworn, upon oarth depose and say that Thomas Allen testator named in the instrument of writing purporting to be his LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT, did sign seal, publish and decare the same to be his last will and testament, on the day of the date thereof; that the said testor was at the same time of the full age of twenty-one years, and of sound and disposing mind and memory, and that he was under no coercion, compulsion or restraint, and that he was competent to devise his property. And that the said testator so signed, sealed, published and declared the same to be his last will and testament in manner and form as aforesaid, in the presence of affiant and of – the other subscribing witness…thereto and that each attested the same and subscribed their names as witnesses thereto, in the presence and at the request of said testator, and in the presence of each other. Wm. S. Stevens Henry C. Bade

Subscried and sworn to before me in witness of which, I hereunto affix the seal of said Court, and subscribe my name at Indianapolis, this 14 day of November A.D. 1907

Leonard M. Quill Clerk

Joseph Turner’s Will

While looking for a death record on Ancestry for Elizabeth Turner, daughter of Joseph and Luella Turner, instead I found the Will of her father, my 2X great grandfather, Joseph Turner of Lowndes County, Alabama. I had looked for his Will before without finding it. Below are the Will and a transcription.

will-book-d-lowndes-blog — The Will of Joseph Turner appears in Will Book D,page 248, Lowndes County, Alabama.

Will of Joseph Turner

State of Alabama County of Lowndes

Know all men by these presents that, I, Joseph Turner, of said county of Lowndes, being in good health, and of sound mind, realizing the uncertainty of life, and wishing to provide for my younger children during their minority, do make this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me at any time made.

First

I will that all my just debts be paid by my executrix here – in after named, as soon after my death as she can conveniently pay.

Second

I give, devise and bequeath to my beloved wife Luella Turner all of my estate, both real, personal and mixed in Trust for the use and benefit of herself and my minor children, during their minority, equally, until my youngest child then living shall have reached the age of twenty-one years.

Third

After my youngest child then living, shall have arrived at the age of twenty one years, my will is, that all of my estate of every description be divided equally, share and share alike, between my said wife, Luella Turner and all my children, and in the event any of my said children die, before such division takes place, leaving a child or children, him or her surviving, then such share as my said child should have received if living, shall go to his or her children.

Fourth

I do nominate and appoint my said wife, Luella Turner to be the executrix of this my last will and testament without bond. Expressly exempting her from all liability to any person or court for any misuse of any personal property belonging to my estate, and for any and all rents which may accrue during the said minority of my youngest then living child. Except, my said wife again marry, in that event, and from the date of such marrying again by my said wife Luella, she shall be held strictly accountable for the proper use and distribution of my estate as herein before set out.

In testimony whereof I set my hand and seal, this 11 day of December 1909.

Joseph (his mark X) Turner (Seal)

Signed, sealed and published as his last will and testament by the said Joseph turner in our presence, and we in his presence, and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses, at his request, on this the 11 day of December 1909.

Jos. R. Bell

S.M. Salley

Filed for Probate in office this the March 10, 1919

W.H. Lee,

Judge of Probate Court

Testimony of Joseph R Bell.

The State of Alabama, Lowndes County } Probate Court

In the matter of the Probate of the Last Will and Testament of Joseph Turner Deceased.

Before me, W.H. Lee, Judge of Probate Court in and for the County and State aforesaid, personally appeared in open Court Jos. R. Bell, who having been by me first duly sworn and examined, did and doest depose and say that he and S.M. Salley subscribing witnesses to the forgoing instrument of writing now shown to the said affiant and which purports to be the last Will and Testament of Joseph Turner, deceased, lat an inhabitant of this count; that the said Joseph Turner since deceased signed and executed said instrument on the day the same bears date, and declared the same to be his last will and testament, and that affiant set his signature thereto, on the day the same bears date, as a subscribing witness to the same, in the presence of said testator and at his request, and in the presence of each other, and that said testator was of sound mind and disposing memory and understanding, and, in the opinion of affiant, fully capable of making his said will at the time the same was so made as aforesaid. And deposent further states that said testator was, on the day of the date of said will, of the full age of twenty-one years and upward and a resident of this county.

Jos. R. Bell

Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 28 day of April W. D. 1919.

W.H. Lee

Judge Probate Court, Lowndes County

Filed in office April 28 – 1919: The State of Alabama, W.H. Lee Judge of Probate

Lowndes County, I, W.H. Lee, Judge of the Probate Court in and for the county and State aforesaid, do hereby certify that the within instrument of writing has this day in said court and before me as the Judge thereof been duly proven by the testamony of Jas. R. Bell subscribing witness, to be the genuine last will and testament of Joseph Turner, deceased and that said will, together with the proof thereof, has been recorded in my office in Book No D of Wills at page 248.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Probate Court on this the 28th Day of April A.D. One thousand nine hundred and nineteen.

W.H. Lee Judge Probate Court Lowndes County

Looking for DNA Connections

I recently became aware of some DNA cousins with links to Edgefield, S.C. Although I have several ancestors who were born in South Carolina or who had parents born in South Carolina, they were all born during slavery and I had no way of knowing where in South Carolina they were born. There is no oral history to give a hint. Below is a picture of our match on Chromosome 16. The blue is European DNA and the maroon is African. He matches me right where that little bit of blue is on his chromosome.

We match on that little bit of European DNA on Chromosome 16. — We match on that little bit of European DNA he has on Chromosome 16.

Last night I was reading the book “Our Ancestors, Our Stories”. This is a collaborative book by by Bernice Alexander Bennett, Ellen LeVonne Butler, Ethel Dailey, Harris Bailey (Jr.), and Vincent C. Sheppard who all have ties to Edgefield, S.C.. As I was reading the Introduction, which gives an historical overview of this county, I realized that although I did not know where in South Carolina my ancestors came from, I did know of at least one person among the slave holders who came from Edgefield. Her maiden name was Frances A. Moseley. She was married to Wiley Turner and it was in his probate records that I found my 2X great grandfather Joseph Turner listed among the enslaved.

Frances A. Moseley was born in 1814 in Edgefield South Carolina and died in 1870 in Lowndesboro, Lowndes county Alabama. Her father was James Alexander Moseley who was born around 1768 in Orangeburg South Carolina and moved to Edgefield before his marriage to Mary Ann Wooten in 1796. He remained there until his death in 1828.

In his Will, James Alexander Moseley named the enslaved persons that he left to his wife and children. They were

Sarah and her three children, Mariah, Caroline and Hester to be sold immediately after his death.

Fanny a Negro that I lent to my daughter Sally that I give her the said Negroes.

Beck a Negro woman and her children that I lent my daughter Mary

Pomply, a negroe man to son John.

Arnal, a Negroe man to son Middleton

Bob to my son Clement.

Son James a Negroe boy Lewis

To daughter Frances a negroe girl Milly

Daughter Harriet a negroe girl Judy

Daughter Patsey a negro girl Kize and Nance

I give to my daughter Lizar a Negroe girl Silva.

To beloved wife Mary, a negroe woman Luceleathey and a Negro man Buck. He also left her the balance of his slaves.

Moesely and other family members appear in the book “Slave Records of Edgefield County, South Carolina” by Gloria Ramsey Lucas among the sellers and buyers.

1854 Doctors Visits to the Turner Plantation

header_lowndes_slavery — Turner Plantation house – Picking cotton – Slave dwelling – Lowndes County Courthouse, Hayneville AL

There are four lists from different dates for doctors visits to the enslaved on the Turner plantation. Sometimes those treated are named and sometimes they are just referred to as “negroe”. I have added the ages of those who are named based on other lists from the estate files.

Dr. C.B. Lampley was the doctor listed for this time period. Lampley was born in 1830 in Richmond County, NC. His family relocated to Alabama by 1850. He married Thurza Rudolph of Lowndes County. They had two children. In the 1860 census he enslaved four people, a 35 year old mulatto woman, a 30 year old black man, a fifteen year old mulatto girl and a 14 year old black male. They lived in two dwellings. He joined the Confederate Army where he became a surgeon. He was lamed and later resigned due to diabetes and general debility. During 1854 and 1855 he visited the Turner plantation to treat the enslaved – pulling teeth, lancing abscesses, bleeding and dosing with medication.

Click on images to enlarge for easier reading.

Joe Turner in the 1852 Estate File of Wiley Turner – Lowndes County, Alabama

Wiley_Turners_plantation — The rebuilt plantation house of Wiley Turner. You can see more photos and information here. No photos of the slave quarters survive. In 1860 there were 15 slave dwellings for 75 enslaved people. Five members of the Wiley Turner family lived in the big house.

Recently I decided to find the plantation where my 2X great grandparents, Joe and Emma Turner were enslaved. I started by looking at white Turners in Hayneville, Lowndes County, Alabama where my family lived in 1870. I found Wiley Turner and his brother Thomas Turner. Both died in 1851. Wiley’s estate file contained several lists of those enslaved on his plantation. I found a Joe. I believe this is my Joe because there was only one Joe Turner in the area, because he is the right age and because he was described as “white”, and my great great grandfather Joe Turner was very light skinned.

Of the four lists, this first one is the most complete in that it includes names, ages and monetary worth. I will be writing more about the Turner plantation and those who were once enslaved on it, as I continue to try and piece together the lives of Joe and Emma Turner and others in their community.

Inventory; and Appraisement of the Est. of Wiley Turner, Deceased. February 1852. Those in maroon were set aside for his widow, Francis Turner. They do not appear in future inventories.


     Sex     Name             Aged      Worth
1.   Boy     Andrew            20     $850.00
2.   Girl    Fanny             20      750.00
3.   Boy     Lewis (Tyus)      24      750.00
4.   Girl    Amy               29      550.00
5.   Boy     Mordicai          20      875.00
6.   Girl    Leah              20      650.00
7.   Boy     Billy (Tyus)      22      850.00
8.   Girl    Martha            20      700.00
9.   Boy     Toney             25      600.00
10.  Woman   Ellen & child     40      400.00
11.  Girl    Abby              14      550.00
12.  Girl    Little Margaret   13      500.00
13.  Boy     Alfred            22      700.00
14. Woman Maria & child Ranson 30      500.00
15.  Girl     Little Jane       9      250.00
16.  Girl     Louisa            4      250.00
17.  Girl     Adella            2      175.00
18.  Man      Doctor           55      240.00
19.  Woman    Mary             50      175.00
20.  Girl     Eliza            14      600.00
21.  Girl     Minerva          12      450.00
22.  Girl     Amanda           10      350.00
23.  Man      Lewis            18      750.00
24.  Woman    Lucy             30      400.00
25.  Man      Adam             22      500.00
26. Girl Mary Ellen & boy Edward 18    800.00
27.  Man      Jack             30      350.00
28.  Woman    Big Margaret     25      650.00
29.  Boy      Jesse (Tyus)     20      900.00
30.  Woman    Elizabeth        23      650.00
31.  Man      William          50      400.00
32.  Woman    Rachell          50      200.00
33.  Boy      Little Charle     8      450.00

34.  Girl       Susan          18      700.00
35.  Girl       Eliza          34      400.00
36.  Girl       Harriett        5      225.00
37.  Man        Sam            35      400.00
38.  Woman      Lyddy          30      400.00
39.  Boy        Henry (May)    19      900.00
40.  Woman      Ellen Brown    25      500.00
41.  Man        Robbin         25      800.00
42.  Woman Cherry & child Louisa 36    400.00
43.  Boy        Prince          5      350.00
44.  Woman    Rachell (Patten) 28      700.00
45.  Boy        Robert         11      500.00
46.  Boy        Frank           6      300.00
47.  Woman      Maria Ann      16      700.00
48.  Man     Charles (Rugely)  23      850.00
49.  Woman Rose & child Gabril 28      650.00
50.  Boy        Washington     14      700.00
51.  Man        John           24      800.00
52.  Woman      Nelly          49      200.00
53.  Boy        Abram          16      900.00
54.  Man        Big Jesse      26      450.00
55.  Girl       Jane           18      700.00
56.  Girl       Hager          23      500.00
57.  Girl  Abegail & child Ema 23      400.00
58.  Woman      Old Rachell    60      100.00
59.  Man        Frederick      23      850.00
60.  Woman Clara & child Alford 35     500.00
61.  Girl       Sylvia         12      500.00
62.  Girl       Lucy           12      450.00
63.  Girl       Alice           8      350.00
64.  Boy        Freeman         6      350.00
65.  Boy        Harrison        6      350.00
66.  Girl       Julia Ann       3      200.00
67.  Boy        Henry (Turner) 18      875.00

68.  Man        Old Jim       45      400.00
69.  Woman      Menty         45      300.00
70.  Boy        Daniel         3      200.00
71.  Man        Ben           33      800.00
72.  Woman      Mary McQuee   28      500.00
73.  Boy        Harry         12      550.00
74.  Woman      Hannah        55      200.00
75.  Boy        George        13      600.00
76. Woman Betsey & child Caroline 23  800.00
77.  Girl       Phillis        8      375.00
78.  Girl       Peggy          3      225.00
79.  Man        Achilles      43      650.00
80.  Woman      Mariah Mosely 35      450.00
81.  Girl       Elvira        14      650.00
82.  Boy        Jim Swagert   18      800.00
83.  Man        Wilson        28      850.00
84.  Woman      Yellow Jinny  45      400.00
85.  Man        Martin        26    1,100.00
86.  Woman      Letty         21      300.00
87.  Man        Hardy         56      250.00
88.  Boy        Nelson        15      750.00
89.  Boy        Lloyd         17      700.00
91.  Boy        Austin        16      800.00
92.  Boy        Long George   19      350.00
93.  Boy        Isaac         10      350.00
94.  Boy        Joe (white)   15      650.00
95.  Boy        Jim Patton    14      700.00
96.  Woman      Milly         55      150.00
97.  Man        Edmond        38      600.00
98.  Man        Tom           40      600.00
99.  Boy        Ned           11      475.00
100. Girl       Emeline        9      350.00
101. Man        Yellow John   24      875.00

102. Woman Yellow Milly       30      800.00
103. Boy Anthony infant(included with Milly)
104. Boy   Little William     10      450.00
105. Boy   Carter              6      350.00
106. Boy   Braxton             4      250.00
107. Woman Alcey              40      200.00
108. Old Man Turner           65        1.00
109. Boy    Frank (blind)     18        1.00

Joe and Emma Turner were the parents of Howard Turner who was my grandmother Fannie Mae Turner Graham’s father. You can see other posts about my Turner’s below.

Joe Turner – Land, Mules and Courts

Emma and Joe Turner of Lowndes County Alabama

There were at one time 4 flourishing schools in this county

“There were at one time 4 flourishing schools in this county.” 1868 Hayneville, AL

page 1 letter — “Aug 16, 1868 I have the honor to state that I have just assumed charge of the Bureau at this point and find that the spirit of abuse and austersism is uncontrollable. There were at one time 4 flourishing schools for the freed people in this county but the teachers were so much abused and threatened that they were compelled to close. Union men are openly assailed in the streets and there is no protection for person or property…”

page 2 letter — “… (ex)cept by shooting some of them (do)wn. A squad of them usually (are) together and if one is hurt (the) balance interferes in his behalf. I have the honor to ask that (a) squad of U.S. troop be (se)nt here. Their presence is one (tha)t is necessary to keep these (mi)sserable out-laws down. I think it is a duty this (gov(ernment owes her ex soldiers to (pr)otect them. waiting a favorable answer. (I) am ______ very truly your ob(edien)t Servant, W.H.Hunter A.S.A.C. fr(om Lowndes Co Ala

You can see all 13 sheets in the file on Family Search at this link, Alabama, Freedmen’s Bureau in Hayneville, Alabama. You can enlarge both of the images above by clicking on them.

My 2X great grandfather, Joe Turner was enumerated in the 1866 Alabama State census with his family of five living in Lowndes County, Alabama. In the 1870 census they were enumerated In Hayneville, Lowndes County. Joe was a farmer with $300 worth of personal goods. Neither he nor his wife Emma could read or write. The children were Lydia 8, Howard 7 (my great grandfather), Fannie 6, Joe 3 and Annie born in August of that year.

A-Z Reflections 2016

This was my 4th year participating in the A to Z challenge. This year I wrote about people who were born into slavery and lived to be free. I found myself (once again) spending hours everyday researching and writing up my posts.

I also visited at least 5 new blogs, most days more. In addition when I found blogs I enjoyed, I revisited them throughout the challenge. Some of the blogs that I visited multiple times were:

I want to express my appreciation for those who work each year to make the A to Z Challenge happen by setting up and monitoring the linky lists, contributing art work for badges and banners and visiting blogs.

What will I do differently next year? I am already thinking about what I want to use for my theme next year and plan to write a few posts a month and save them for April 2017. I enjoyed writing about all the Cleages of Athens, Tennessee last year because it gave me a feeling for the community and the relationships among the families. I missed that in the families I wrote about this year. I will be picking a theme that lets me go more in depth on a town where some of my ancestors lived in Tennessee, Kentucky or Alabama.

Below are links to the posts I wrote for this challenge.