Mortgage Monday: Home For Independence Day

I have watched or heard the fireworks on Independence Day in a variety of different places throughout my life but, despite the silence filling the night this year, this was the first year that really took on a deeper meaning for me. In addition to being able to trace back my family to that time in United States history, there is a much more basic connection to the 4^th of July that I now carry with me. I now own a piece of that very land over which we fought the British Army.

As far as I know, there weren’t any great battles or notable residents on my land but it was nevertheless, a small piece of the colonies which was liberated from tyranny. The details remain unknown to me but the fact of the matter is that whomever live on this land was set free with the passing of this “radical” declaration of independence. It is with this in mind that I think about all that could have possibly transpired among the trees that fill my property. There is even the possibility that, while unlikely, one or more of my ancestors could have set eyes on this land.

This is one of the interesting aspects of researching this period of time in my family’s history. While the bulk of the research consists of tracing back, generation by generation, to the time of the revolution, there is also the research into where those ancestors lived and, when applicable, where they served. It is in this further reading when we get a much better sense of the lives that our ancestors lived but knowing where they traveled before, during, and after the war.

While I have been able to trace back to the Siege at Yorktown, the Battle of Brandywine, and the Battle of Long Island, there are still other journeys which remain undiscovered and many lines that need to be investigated further. There are also questions that still endure both in the service of individuals and in the subsequent generations many of which, ironically, tracing back to the land in which they lived and the shifting boarders that are prolonging the research process.

In the end, most of the lines in my family came to and/or fought for this country/colony because of land and identity. They needed to find a place where they belonged, somewhere that could provide them with a home, and where they could enjoy the freedom of personal identity. And while much of this history had been lost for decades (sometimes longer) we are now rediscovering this national and family history. For me, it is a great feeling to have somewhere that I belong, a home and land that I own, and an identity which acknowledges both the past and the present.   

Sunday Search: Tracing Back To Yorktown

My Sons of the American Revolution application begins with a very concise statement which reads:

“I hereby apply for membership in this Society by the right of bloodline decent from John Redcross [my 5th great grandfather] who assisted in establishing American Independence while acting in the capacity of private in the Amherst County (Virginia) Militia in 1781 under Major Cabell, Colonels Gaines and Pope.”

While this is certainly true, and has been verified as such, it only tells a portion of the story about my ancestor.

John Redcross was born in Amherst County, Virginia in 1740 as a member of the Monacan Indian Nation. While there is little known of about his early life we do know that while we know he was one of many Monacan men who served during the Revolutionary War beginning his service in February 1779 as a member of Captain William Long’s Company of the 2^nd Virginia State Regiment commanded by Colonel William Brent. He served in this infantry unit likely until the spring of 1780 when most of the regiment was discharged. However, there is the possibility that he remained in the regiment and was reassigned to the Amherst County Militia under Major Cabell as both the 2^nd Virginia State Regiment and the Amherst County Militia participated in the Siege of Yorktown and were present at Cornwallis’ surrender.

It is also noted in the book Strangers in Their Midst: The Free Black Population of Amherst County Virginia that “In 1781 he [Rawley Pinn], John Redcross, and Benjamin Evans were part of the 2^nd Virginia Cavalry and left Amherst on June 21, 1781 under the command of Maj. William Cabell, Jr. Between Amherst and Yorktown, they joined the troops of the Marquis de Lafayette, and all participated in the siege at Yorktown.” It is fascinating to think about this unique band of brothers, bound together by heritage, by race, and patriotism, fighting for the freedom that their families would be deprived of for almost another two hundred years.

While the link to his previous service is something that still comes with a few questions, and despite the lack of acknowledgement in the history books, what is certain is the role that he played at Yorktown as his name can be found written in the hand of Colonel Daniel Gaines in his list of “Militia ordered into service from Amherst County… March to join the army commanded by the Honorable Major General Marquis de Lafayette, June 21, 1781” as well as the list of soldiers from Amherst County who served at the Siege of Yorktown published in the Lynchburg News on Thursday, May 22, 1884.

Officially discharged on April 25, 1783, John Redcross returned to Amherst County where he would continue raising his family until his death in 1800. And while there have been many instances when the family origins have been questioned, namely the registration as “mulatto” and as “free black” in the mid-19^th century, the attempted revision of ancestral history by Walter Plecker in the early 20^th century, and the ongoing surname associations with the Cherokee, the Redcross name is of Monacan, and therefore Sioux origin. In the aforementioned Strangers in Their Midst: The Free Black Population of Amherst County Virginia, the author writes the following while referencing Peter Houck’s book Indian Island in Amherst County,

“John Redcross (circa 1770-1861) is considered a second founder of the settlement. In 1783, his father (also John) was shown with 11 whites in his household, but Houck believes that the son and namesake “was probably the only pure-blooded Indian man in the original settlement” [page 66]… Redcross has been described as Cherokee, but the evidence does not support that, leading to speculation that he may have been Monacan or at least Siouan. John’s son Paul was said to have looked like his father, “… every inch an Indian… straight as an arrow, long haired, with high cheek bones and copper skin.”

This is a particularly interesting passage for my family as it follows three generations from which we are descendants.

While this lineage may have been lost to my family for decades, it is now a living part of who we are and has proven to be a valuable connection to our family’s history and participation in the Revolutionary War. This is a part of our family history that will never again be forgotten. And now, the next time we visit the Monacan Burial Ground on Bear Mountain, we can pay our respects not just to our ancestor but to man who fought for our freedom.

Looking Back On Independence Day

There is one day more than any other throughout the year that I miss being in Israel and sharing in the joy that the people of the country has to offer… Yom Ha'atzmaut. Every year I can’t help but think about all the people that we met and others that we got to know through the internet during our Aliyah experiment. Many of those people I am still in contact with to this day, nearly five years after the fact, and I enjoy seeing the lives that they have built for themselves in our homeland.

The images of that time remain vivid in my mind. While it seems but an instant in our lives, the moments are more ingrained in my being that many other that have happened before or since. I can recall the uneven stones along the sidewalk as we walked to old city. The warmth radiating from under our feet as the sun disappeared beyond the ancient hills.

I recall many of the moments of getting lost in the alleys and streets both in the daylight and well past the setting of the sun with only the faintest of sounds echoing between the buildings. However, most enduring are the moments when we were welcomed into the homes of others and into the community around us. While we didn’t fully process the companionship that was shared with us during those moments and meals, it is something that remains with me to this day. Only in Israel can you be welcomed in such a way.

Of course, what has become more poignant now is the memory of my wife and me sitting on a bench along King George Street discussion our return to the states. It was at this moment when we finally realized that we were ready to start a family. More accurately, with all the changes that were happening and things that were beyond our control, we realized that there was never going to be the perfect time and decided that it was time. In the end we were a little delayed but that was the moment when we made the decision to start a family.

However, and most will agree with this sentiment, there are two moments that supersede all others when I think of Israel. Both of these experiences were actually on our first trip to Israel during our honeymoon nearly seven years ago. They happened in relatively quick succession the first occurring when we turned the corner walking along the wall around old city (the Ramparts Walk) and saw the Kotel for the first time. We continued toward the wall wide eyes and when I laid my hand and head against the cool stone, the world disappeared around me. I will never forget that feeling.

So, on this Independence Day I celebrate the people, the land, the history, and the faith that makes Israel not just the Holy Land but our Homeland. And when we return it will be as a family and I hope to find that same bench where we had the discussion that would eventually result in our having a son. And, most importantly, I look forward to experiencing Jerusalem and Israel as a whole as a father and I can’t wait to introduce our son to his homeland. Am Yisrael Chai!

Our Family Was Here

Family from all over showed up for the reunion. 

I can’t say I have ever been one for big Independence Day celebrations. I have watched the fireworks from a variety of vantage points from the comfort of the living room on the television screen, in Philadelphia, at the New Jersey shore, at my Aunt and Uncle’s house, and while lying on the grass in my BDUs in central Missouri. However, while the temporary bright lights in the sky were never something that really interested me a lot, the day has always had tremendous meaning. While I didn’t quite understand it early in life, there was still always something a little different about the day.

Of course, now I have a much more complete understanding of what makes this day such a big part of who I am. And I am not talking about the reasons that this day is important to us all, I am talking about the connection that I have, that my family has, to this day and what generations have done since to defend this country. And with those thoughts fresh in my mind, it was particularly special to celebrate this holiday with family, with the whole family, as we gathered together this weekend in Virginia.

And when I say the whole family I really mean it. This is a little different than what usually comes to mind when someone mentions a family reunion. This is not simply the immediate members that you see here and there, this particular reunion brings together all those who can trace back their genealogy to our original immigrant ancestor, Jacob Duffordt, who arrived at the Port of Philadelphia aboard the Hero on the 27th of October 1764. There are thousands in our tree with a small sampling making the trip this year to the mountains of Virginia.

As you can tell by the date, we were here before the revolution and beginning with the simple act of Jacob Duffordt selling supplies to the Continental Army, we have taken an active role in supporting and defending this country. From Jacob Duffordt during the Revolution, to his grandson during the War of 1812, countless relatives during the Civil War, my grandfather and his siblings during World War II, my father in Vietnam, and others in the family who have served more recently. All have given of themselves to ensure that this holiday remains as a day to be celebrated.

Celebrating this day with family, with multiple generations, in a place near where we originally settled is what this holiday is about for me. This was about as close to a perfect representation of the holiday that I can recall and one that I hope to relive many times over in the future. This is our holiday, part of our history, and a reminder of all the generations that came before us and the ones that still lay ahead. We have to remember our history and continue to pass on what we have learned and the experiences we have had so that future generations can look back on this day and experience the same connection.

Four generations!

Embrace The Change Brought About By A Simple Declaration

Sorry to disappoint but this is not what it is all about.

Today we celebrate a moment in our history that impacts all of us. The signing of the Declaration of Independence is one of the most pivotal moments in history that ha rippled throughout the world and across generations. What began as an act of treason is now celebrated as a moment when the people rose up against an oppressive government. Today is the day when we celebrate the power of a nation fed up with an overreaching nobility taking a stand, reclaiming their rights, and declaring their independence.

On this day we also remember those who have fought for the ideas and ideals embraced those many summers ago in Philadelphia. It has taken the blood of too many good men to ensure the thriving vitality of the tree of liberty and yet those lives lost are too often forgotten during this time of celebration. And it is those lives that we disgrace when we slowly strip the people of the rights that we fought so hard for and sacrificed so much to secure. While history does not change the perspective and lens used to view that which shaped the world can sometimes cast a drunken delirium on the current status of the nation.

Too often people forget that we fought for freedom. We fought to ensure that the people maintain their rights. We were given the ability to pursue happiness not the guarantee of all life’s pleasures. We brought about change that shifted the power from the powerful to the people. We all have rights.

We now find ourselves in a situation when entitlement and an overreaching government are once again trying to dominate our daily lives. The freedoms that we once fought for and cherished are now be questioned and deemed radical and dangerous. The independence and individuality that we once enjoyed is now seen as rebellious and racist. The thing that we once had to work hard for and earn are now preached to be that which everyone should have regardless of the effort and deservingness of the individual.

We cannot be given everything nor expect to be given anything. We are one nation of many people with individual rights. We each have to embrace those rights, decide for ourselves whether we are going to exercise certain rights, and respect the decisions of others as to whether or not they will embrace the freedoms that those rights provide. It took tremendous acts of defiance to secure those rights and found this nation and it took courage to defend those rights. Now we must remember those men who stood before us and let their legacy fuel the bravery we need now to exercise our rights.

Happy Independence Day!

You may be reading the title thinking that I am a couple months early but today is Independence Day in Israel and for all Jews in Israel and in the diaspora it is a day during which we celebrate a new beginning, a new era, another year of having a country to call home. While my perspective surrounding this holiday has varied greatly over the years from growing up Presbyterian, to conversion, to oleh, to observance and finally ending up where I am now. As a proud conservative Jew who does not limit himself in the daily routines of life, I see this day as a turning point in our history when freedom was guaranteed no matter the questionable currents running throughout the world.

For those of you unfamiliar with the holiday and, more accurately, its history, here is some information from the Yom Ha’atzmaut page on Wikipedia:
 

Yom Ha'atzmaut centers around the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel by the Jewish leadership led by future Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion on 14 May 1948. The mood outside of Ben-Gurion's home just prior to the declaration was joyous:

"The Jews of Palestine ... were dancing because they were about to realize what was one of the most remarkable and inspiring achievements in human history: A people which had been exiled from its homeland two thousand years before, which had endured countless pogroms, expulsions, and persecutions, but which had refused to relinquish its identity—which had, on the contrary, substantially strengthened that identity; a people which only a few years before had been the victim of mankind’s largest single act of mass murder, killing a third of the world’s Jews, that people was returning home as sovereign citizens in their own independent state."

Independence was declared eight (8) hours before the end of the British Mandate of Palestine, which was due to finish on 15 May 1948.

The operative paragraph of the Declaration of the Establishment of State of Israel of 14 May 1948 expresses the declaration to be by virtue of our natural and historic right and on the strength of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly. The operative paragraph concludes with the words of Ben-Gurion, where he thereby declares the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel.

The new state was quickly recognized by the Soviet Union, the United States de facto, and many other countries, but not by the surrounding Arab states, which marched with their troops into the area of the former British Mandate.

It is on this day, above all others, when I am proud to be both a Jew and an Israeli. While it is not a major holiday in the religious sense, it is a primary point of pride as a Jew living in this time in history and as someone who was a very small, almost miniscule, part of the history of the homeland. And it is a moment and a time that I still remember vividly as if it just happened even with the sleep deprivation dulling my memory and my senses the day we landed in the Home Land and became Israelis.

So as you go about your day, remember the Jewish State and celebrate the flourishing democracy bringing life and liberty to the Middle East. Remember the history that brought us to this, the 66^th Anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, and all the struggles that we faced both before its founding and all the strife that has and continues to occur within the small boundaries of this peace seeking country. Remember this day and all that makes Israel great (let Benji Lovitt help you with that) and embrace the words that served as the founding document and principles of the State of Israel.

Never Settle For Disappointment

My Rotary week started off on a high point as I was looking forward to representing my club on The 4^th of July in the parade in Center City Philadelphia. However, that anticipation was soon extinguished as district participation in the parade was cancelled due to not enough people registering for the event. I guess I can add this to my list of goals for next year to rally my club and the clubs in the district to participate. I choose to look forward to next year at this point.

Wednesday quickly rolled around and I was at Aldar Bistro for our regular meeting. I guess you could say that this was both a high point and a low point as I was happy that we had a great meeting and we were able to talk a bit more in depth about the recent transition but the disappointing part was that we were a small group of three. Great company, great discussion, poor turnout; I guess Wednesday could be considered a wash.

Independence Day was a great day, as it is every year, but also in a Rotary sense as well. My wife and I started our day (we slept in quite a bit) by heading into Narberth and selling popcorn at the town carnival to benefit the club. We only signed up for a two hour ‘shift’ but I really don’t know where the time went even with a temperamental popcorn cart. It was a great event that I look forward to repeating next year after the parade.

Later that evening as I was finishing writing my last post and listening to the sounds of fireworks reverberating off the neighboring apartment building I received a message from a fellow Rotarian I met at a district event some time ago and with whom I have stayed in touch had read my Sons of the American Revolution blog post on Wednesday and wanted to connect me with someone who could help with the genealogy research. This is excellent news not just for me but for my family as we are all looking forward to learning more and taking this final step of solidifying and verifying this research. I am looking forward to exploring all six lines further and updating my relatives.

So, overall, it could have been a better week but I am content with the Rotary activity this week. What started with a little disappointment was quickly followed by great fellowship on Wednesday and satisfying service and an unexpected camaraderie on Thursday. I would say that is a pretty good week that I wouldn’t mind repeating every week.

Six Degrees of Revolution

I mentioned a couple of days ago that one of my goals for the second half of the year was to finally complete my Sons of the American Revolution application. Well, after sifting through the hundreds of documents on my computer, I have made significant progress. So far, I have found seven ancestors who participated in the war effort to support the Continental Army.

However, I can only sufficiently support through documentation one of the lines. This line is that of John Redcross who, according to records, fought both in the 2^nd Virginia Regiment and the Amherst County Militia. This is not particularly uncommon for many of the Native Americans in the area as they were valued contributors to the cause due to their unparalleled knowledge of the mountains. Here is the line that connects me to the Revolution (records used to prove the lines are mentioned after the ancestor):

JOHN REDCROSS

1.      ME – Birth Certificate

2.      FATHER – Marriage License and Birth Certificate

a.       Vietnam War – Military Records

3.      Percy Davis Teaford (1918 – 1985) – Marriage License, Birth Certificate, Census Records, Family Interviews

a.       World War II – Military Records

4.      Nettie Caldwell Love (1897 – 1972) – Death Record, Census Records, Family Interviews, Marriage Records

5.      Laura Belle Redcross / Cross (1862 – 1938) – Census Records, Family Interviews

a.       Last Full Blood Monacan Indian in this line.

6.      Paulus E. Redcross / Redcrop (1828 – 1914) – Census Records, DAR Application of Shelby Jean Wood Penn

7.      John Redcross (1768 – 1861) – Birth Record, Marriage Record, Census Records, DAR Application of Shelby Jean Wood Penn

8.      John Redcross (1740 – 1800) – Virginia Tax List Record of 1793, DAR Application of Shelby Jean Wood Penn

a.       2^nd Virginia Regiment (1779) and Amherst County Militia (1781) – Muster Roll, Records of Virginia Militia Members during 1781.

b.      Monacan Indian Chief – Founding Father of the Modern Monacan Nation. Burial on Bear Mountain in Virginia.  

Not all men were able to fight in the revolution; some did what they could to contribute to the cause monetarily and through the sale of goods. This was an important demonstration of patriotism and support shown by many men who were either physically unable to fight or they simply had to do what they could to support and protect their families from home. Jacob Düffordt was one of those men. Here is the line that is one step away from being fully substantiated:

JACOB DÜFFORDT

1.      ME – Birth Certificate

2.      FATHER – Marriage License and Birth Certificate

a.       Vietnam War – Military Records

3.      Percy Davis Teaford (1918 – 1985) – Marriage License, Birth Certificate, Census Records, Family Interviews

a.       World War II – Military Records

4.      Harry Gilmore Teaford (1895 – 1963) – Marriage License, Birth Certificate, Census Records, Family Interviews

5.      Roy / Rolly Harrison Teaford (1857 – 1914) – Marriage License, Birth Certificate, Census Records

6.      John Wesley Teaford (1837 – 1909) – Marriage License, Birth Certificate, Census Records

a.       Civil War – Pension Records and Muster Roles

7.      Jacob Teaford (1790 – 1877) – Marriage License, Birth Certificate, Census Records

a.       War of 1812 – Pension Papers

8.      Jacob Teaford / Düfford (1768 – 1840) – Census Records, Wills, Deeds, Court Records, Engagement Records

9.      Jacob Düffordt (1734 – 1800) – Deeds, Will, Census Records

a.       Donated 55 pounds of flour to the Continental Army of Virginia (1784) – Receipt from Continental Army

b.      Arrived in Philadelphia on 27 October 1764 on the Hero from a German enclave in the Alsace – Lorraine region of France (considered a German immigrant) – Ship Manifest

 

John Jacob Myers is the first of the Pennsylvania contributors that I came across. From immigration to independence, here was a full life lived. I am further still from providing documented support throughout this line:

JOHN JACOB MYERS

1.      ME – Birth Certificate

2.      FATHER – Marriage License and Birth Certificate

a.       Vietnam War – Military Records

3.      Isabel Ardis Hallman (1920 – 1980) – Birth Record, Death Record, Marriage License, Census Records, Family Interviews.

4.      Sarah Mabel Ardis (1899 – 1982) – Birth Record, Death Record, Marriage Record, Census Records, Family Interviews.

5.      Sarah Hansell Myers (1874 – 1932) – Birth Record, Death Record, Marriage Record, Census Records.

6.      Henry Levi Myers Jr. (1841 – 1941) – Birth Record, Death Record, Census Records.

7.      Henry Levi Myers Sr. (1809 – 1893) – Birth Record, Death Record, Marriage Record, Census Records.

8.      Isaac Myers (1784 – 1867) – Birth Record, Death Record, Marriage Record, Census Records.

9.      John Heinrich Myers (1765 – 1837) – Birth Record, Death Record, Marriage Record, Census Records, Land Grant.

10.  John Jacob Myers (1732 – 1808) – Birth Record, Death Record, Marriage Record, Census Records, Naturalization Papers.

a.       6^th Pennsylvania Battalion out of Lancaster – Muster Rolls, Veterans Burial Card.

b.      Arrived in approximately 1760 from Westphalia, Germany – Naturalization Papers.

Now we come to the only ancestor I could find up to this point that, so aptly put by President Lincoln 87 years later, “gave the last full measure of devotion.” Rufus Cone wasn’t able to fully embrace independence. In fact, he spent his final moments stripped of his freedom and taken from his newly declared country. While the “proof” may not be there yet, the family connection is strong.  

 RUFUS CONE

1.      ME – Birth Certificate

2.      FATHER – Marriage License and Birth Certificate

a.       Vietnam War – Military Records

3.      Isabel Ardis Hallman (1920 – 1980) – Birth Record, Death Record, Marriage License, Census Records, Family Interviews.

4.      Sarah Mabel Ardis (1899 – 1982) – Birth Record, Death Record, Marriage Record, Census Records, Family Interviews.

5.      Sarah Hansell Myers (1874 – 1932) – Birth Record, Death Record, Marriage Record, Census Records.

6.      Lizzie F. Hansell (1848 – 1879) – Death Record, Census Records.

7.      Margaret Cone (1825 – 1899) – Census Records.

8.      Rufus Cone (1784 – 1846) – Census Records, SAR Application of Charles George Leeper

9.      Azel Cone (1763 – 1820) – Birth Record, Census Records, SAR Application of Charles George Leeper

10.  Rufus Cone (1737 – 1776) – Census Records, SAR Application of Charles George Leeper

a.       7^th and 17^th Connecticut Regiments.

b.      Taken prisoner at the Battle of Long Island 27 August 1776.

c.       Died aboard British prisoner ship.

Someone had to be the politician in the family and in mine it was John Fulton. Another immigrant to the colonies, both John and his son served in the Revolution. While the ender was representing the people in a government defying the political odds, his son was in the field fighting for an as of yet unknown Pennsylvania regiment. While there is still much work to be done on this line my current research has resulted in the fascinating lineage listed below.

JOHN FULTON

1.      ME – Birth Certificate

2.      MOTHER – Marriage License, Birth Certificate.

3.      William Reuben McKannan (1914 – 1981) – Marriage License, Birth Certificate, Census Records, Masonic Record, Family Interviews, Draft Registration Card, Family Albums.

4.      Helen Walker Fulton (1892 – 1922) – Marriage Record, Birth Record, Death Record, Census Records.

5.      William Harvey Fulton (1858 – 1930) – Census Records.

6.      James H. Fulton (1829 – 1894) – Census Records, Tombstone, Pension Papers, Draft Cards.

a.       Civil War – Pension Papers, Muster Rolls.

7.      Hugh Fulton (1784 – 1843) – Census Records, Death Record, Marriage Record.

8.      John Fulton Jr. (1755 – 1808) – Census Records, Tombstone, Veterans Records.

a.       Unknown Pennsylvania Regiment

9.      John Fulton Sr. (1713 – 1796) – Census Records, County Documents, SAR Application of Alfred Miller Fulton.

a.       Member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly (1776 – 1779) from Chester County – County Documents, SAR Application of Alfred Miller Fulton.

b.      Arrived in 1762 from Scotland and settled near Oxford, Chester County, Pennsylvania – Census Records, SAR Application of Alfred Miller Fulton.

The last of the connections I have been able to uncover is that of Samuel Dickey Jr. A first generation American, it is has been said that he was among the men who crossed the Delaware River in December 1776 under the command of General George Washington. Currently this is hearsay but it will be an adventure either proving of disproving it.

 SAMUEL DICKEY JR.

1.      ME – Birth Certificate

2.      MOTHER – Marriage License, Birth Certificate.

3.      William Reuben McKannan (1914 – 1981) – Marriage License, Birth Certificate, Census Records, Masonic Record, Family Interviews, Draft Registration Card, Family Albums.

4.      Helen Walker Fulton (1892 – 1922) – Marriage Record, Birth Record, Death Record, Census Records.

5.      William Harvey Fulton (1858 – 1930) – Census Records.

6.      James H. Fulton (1829 – 1894) – Census Records, Tombstone, Pension Papers, Draft Cards.

a.       Civil War – Pension Papers, Muster Rolls.

7.      Hugh Fulton (1784 – 1843) – Census Records, Death Record, Marriage Record.

8.      Jane Dickey (1765 – 1796) – Census Records, Tombstone.

9.      Samuel Dickey Jr. (1730 – 1795) – Census Records, Tombstone, Chester County Historical Marker, Veterans Index.

a.       Served under General Washington during the Crossing of the Delaware River on 25-26 December 1776 – Revolutionary War Rolls, Veterans Index.

10.  Samuel Dickey Sr. (1708 – 1778) – Census Records, County Records.

a.       Arrived in 1730 from Ireland and settled near Oxford, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Those are my six degrees of Revolution (as of right now). Obviously, I will continue to research each of these ancestors in the hope of building support for these lines. Maybe all will be proven; maybe only one or two more; maybe I will make more connections; maybe I will only be able to prove the current definitive line. Who knows but I am going to keep learning about the history of my family and, therefore, the history of this country.   

Do you have a genealogical connection to the Revolution? Maybe not, maybe your family’s ties to independence came later. Either way we are all a part of this country and we are all united by the rights and freedoms fought for during that time. What is your family’s story?

So Your Legs Do Work

WTF at RU

Given the time of year we find ourselves currently in and the patriotic feeling that permeates the country at this time I thought it was about time to record my thoughts on something that happened earlier this year. However, before proceeding I would like to warn you that this blog post contains both bitterness and hostility (but only implied foul language). Reader discretion is advised.

Back in mid May my wife and I attending the graduate graduation ceremony at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. We were happy to see the culmination of our friend’s hard work as she received her doctorate and I'm glad we made the exception to travel into New Jersey for the occasion. The event was similar to any graduation commencement with squirming kids, friends and family jockeying for pole picture positions, and speakers that made you develop OCD by checking your watch every five minutes.

Everything followed the normal routine except there was one occurrence that pissed me off at the time and has bothered me ever since. In fact, it bothers me every time I encounter one of these individuals. I guess you can just add another group of people to my list of those who raise my blood pressure.

Sitting in the row in front of us was what seemed to be a very nice family. My wife and I had gotten to our seats early so we saw them walk down the aisle (unassisted), move the chairs around, take their seats, and occasionally stand up to wave at one of the graduates. The ceremony began and the first speaker asked the audience to please rise for the National Anthem. So what happened? Everyone in my view stood up except for the woman sitting in front of me.

Keep in mind that the audience was a mix of all races, religions, nationalities, ages, and physical abilities. All of which stood up, including the ones with walkers and canes, except this one person. WTF?

Now there are many things in this country as well as certain politicians and parties that piss me off to no end but there is no reason to disrespect the National Anthem and this country. I can understand people forgetting to take their hats off and I know that some people simply can’t stand but I saw this woman walk in without assistance, without a limp, without a grimace. She had no excuse or reason to be sitting.

At the time I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there was some physical limitation that suddenly flared up (rare but it happens). So I sat there for the rest of the ceremony and focused my attention on the people who made the day truly important. However, my understanding was misplaced when as hats were being tossed this woman began climbing the chairs, walking across the aisle, and contorting her body in order to get a better angle for a picture.

As any respect I had for this woman evaporated I was left shaking my head and asking the question “WTF, lady? WTF?”