Names, Places and Most Wanted Faces

Craig over at GeneaBlogie suggested the following:

List the surnames you are researching and the general localities. Then tell the names of your “Most Wanted Ancestors,” that is, the ones you most want to find behind that brickwall. (You can tag people if you want; I’ve chosen not to do that here so that all readers are included). Let’s see your lists; maybe we can each help someone out!

Below is a list of the surnames in my genealogy hunt and the places they lived.

Armstrong (KY, TN)
Bickerstaff (GA)
Blanton (VA, TN, AL, AR, TX)
Brothers (VA, GA)
Campbell (NC)
Davis (GA, MS, AR, LA)
Farris (SC, AL, AR)
Faulkner (TN, TX)
Gilmer (AL, TX)
Griffith (TN, AR, TX)
Kimbrough (GA)
McAnear (VA, SC, AL, AR, TX)
McHenry (VA)
Mills (VA, NC, IL, TX)
Morriss (SC, KY, TX)
Nix (GA, AL, TX)
Patterson (VA, MO, TX)
Plant (VA, NC, IL, TX)
Poyner (TN, AR, TX)
Prestridge/Prestidge (VA, GA, AL, MS, TX)
Reid (GA, AL, TX)
Rose (MO, TX)
Saunders (TX)
Scarborough (VA, NC, LA, TX)
Slaughter (VA, GA, TX)
Snow (KY, AL)
Wise (GA, TX)

Most Wanted Ancestors:

The wife and parents of John Blanton, born 1760/1761, probably in VA; lived in east TN, Walker Co., AL, St. Francis Co, AR and Red River Co., TX. Died in Red River Co., TX in Nov. 1840.

The parents of William M. Saunders, born abt. 1842 in Texas; died before July 1866, last living in Bosque Co., TX.

Copyright © 2009 Deborah Blanton McCoy
Do not copy the articles or pictures in this blog without the consent of the author.

Battle of Mansfield

The Red River Campaign was the Union's effort to capture Texas and take control of the Trans-Mississippi headquarters at Shreveport, Louisiana. Union troops under the command of General N. P. Banks, and Navy troops under Flag Officer D. D. Porter, moved up the Red River through Alexandria, Louisiana to Natchitoches. At that point, General Banks moved away from the Red River and his naval support. He was not expecting to meet Confederate troops until he reached Shreveport.

On the morning of April 7, 1864, Union troops encountered Confederate troops under the command of General Richard Taylor (son of President Zachary Taylor) near Wilson's Farm south of the town of Mansfield. At noon the next day, April 8, 1864, Confederate forces met the Union forces in battle about four miles south of Mansfield. This is where the Mansfield State Historic site is today. The Confederate forces overtook the Union soldiers, taking many prisoners, and causing the Union forces to retreat to Pleasant Hill. The next day, the Battle of Pleasant Hill was fought with both sides sustaining heavy losses and withdrawing. After the two battles, the Union army retreated back to Natchitoches and down the Red River, thus ending the Red River Campaign.

The Battle of Mansfield has been called the most important battle west of the Mississippi. It was the turning point in the Red River Campaign, and it saved Texas from the invasion of Union Troops.



Three sons of my 3rd great grandfather, David Blanton, fought at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill:

John Martin Blanton (1827-1873)
James Elijah Blanton (1842-1919)
David Robert Blanton (1844-1894)

They were members of the 23rd Texas Cavalry Regiment which was assigned to H. Bee's and Debray's Brigade, Trans-Mississippi Dept.

The Mansfield State Historic Site is operated by the State of Louisiana. Inside the Interpretive Center, visitors can watch an interesting 10 minute video about the Battle of Mansfield and view several exhibits containing artifacts from the war including weapons, uniforms, letters and diaries.

Copyright © 2009 Deborah Blanton McCoy.
Do not copy the articles or pictures in this blog without the consent of the author.

Tombstone Tuesday

L. J. Wife of
D. H. Eddleman
Dec 6 1840
Aug 11 1911
Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Hood County, Texas

This is Louisa J. Scarborough whom I wrote about yesterday.

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Copyright © 2009 Deborah Blanton McCoy.
Do not copy the articles or pictures in this blog without the consent of the author.

Who's Number 21?

Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings posts Saturday Night Fun every Saturday night. Last Saturday night he suggested that we find number 21 in our Ahnentafel list and post about that person. I didn't have a chance to do this Saturday night, but wanted to make sure that I wrote about that person, so I'm doing so now.

Number 21 on my Ahnentafel list is Louisa J. Scarborough. Louisa was born 6 Dec 1840 in Union County, Arkansas to John Scarborough and wife, Sarah. Sometime after 1850, the family moved to Texas. Louisa married William M. Saunders on 15 Dec 1859 in Anderson County, Texas. She and William and her younger brother were all living in Anderson County in 1860, but her father had moved on to Johnson County by then. Shortly after 1860, William and Louisa moved to Bosque County, Texas. They had 2 children together, William Henry Saunders, born 3 Feb 1862 and John Saunders, born in Sept 1863. I do not know the circumstances of William Saunders' death, but he had died by 12 July 1866 when Louisa married her second husband, David H. Eddleman. In Oct 1866, David H. Eddleman applied for guardianship of the minors William H. Saunders and John M. Saunders, heirs at law. This was the only reference I have been able to find pertaining to the death of William Saunders.

David and Louisa later moved to Hood County, Texas. Louisa died on the 11 Aug 1911 and is buried in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Hood County. Her husband, David Eddleman, is buried beside her.

Louisa J. Scarborough and her husband, David H. Eddleman

Copyright © 2009 Deborah Blanton McCoy.
Do not copy the articles or pictures in this blog without the consent of the author.

Kreativ Blogger Award

JoLyn of Uphill Both Ways has given me the Kreativ Blogger award. Thanks, JoLyn! Being a new blogger, I appreciate this very much.

I now get to pass this award on to seven of my favorite bloggers:

Andrea of Family Tales

Apple of Apple's Tree

Carolyn of Like Sand Through An Hourglass

Elyse of Elyse's Genealogy Blog

Jennifer of Jennifer's Genealogy Blog

Miriam of AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors

Ruth of Bluebonnet Country Genealogy and The Graveyard Rabbit of Cowtown

Be sure to visit them all!

Here are the rules connected with the KreativBlogger Award:

1. Copy the award to your site.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate 7 other bloggers.
4. Link to those sites on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominate.

Congratulations everyone and thanks again, JoLyn.

Tombstone Tuesday

Infant Sons of

William A. & Mirenda S. Blanton

Marystown Cemetery

Egan, Johnson County, Texas

Copyright © 2009 Deborah Blanton McCoy.
Do not copy the articles or pictures in this blog without the consent of the author.