Looking Ahead: Goals for 2012

A new calendar year is always a time for anticipating a new year, with all of its promises. Although the calendar year begins in the coldest time of the year while nature is in taking her winter nap, it provides a wonderful time for planning and outlining goals for the new  year.  And this new year is no exception. Registration will begin shortly for the year's events and deadlines are quickly approaching for proposals to speak.

I do hope to expand some of the things I have begun and to I look with excitement for other avenues to explore. 

INSTITUTES & CONFERENCES: My goal here is to explore events old and new. I look eagerly towards the Samford University IGHR where I will have the honor of teaching two classes this year. I am also interested in attending the institute at Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP).  Two of the "Big Three" genealogy conferences look promising this year, and I hope to attend them-- the National Genealogy Society conference in May and the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference in August are on my list. 

WRITING & PUBLISHING: There are several projects that I have been working on over the past several years and I hope to see some of them emerge. Voices of Indian Territory, a yearly publication will continue, but under a revised name-- Freedmen Voices of Indian Territory.  

New Projects:

Arkansas Freedom Fighters--US Colored Troops of Arkansas.

A Guide to the AfriGeneas Online Community

Early Black Marriage Records of Arkansas

I am also working on two larger writing projects one with a publisher, and the other for a national publication.

RESEARCH:

Community Area Studies continue, including Pre-Civil War Research - Middle Tennessee & Virginia and investigating more deeply RG 105- From the Arkansas Field Offices

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: 

I am honored to give the keynote address in February at the St. Louis African American Genealogical Society annual conference, on February 18th at Harris Stowe Conference Center. In addition while there, I shall present also two workshops.  I am looking forward to the Samford IGHR were I will be teaching two classes as well. I have an all day presentation in Arkansas, and the fall will provide another opportunity to travel to Salt Lake City, at the International Black Genealogy Summit in October. 

GENEALOGY COMMUNITY SERVICE

My work with the AfriGeneas community continues, where I served on the board and serve as a moderator of the African-Native American Forum.  This year I will have the honor to serve as one of the directors of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. This will be a new experience for me, and look forward to learning as well as serving.

ONLINE PRESENCE:

-Weekly Podcast: I have been able to complete 143 consecutive weeks of podcasts for the African Roots Podcast. This year I hope to expand and to modify the structure with more guests on the show. 

-Webinars: I am in the processing of developing some new webinars for 2012. My first webinar Best Internet Sources for African American Genealogy took place in 2011 and I plan to develop two more for the coming year.

-Videos: I plan to complete the Freedmen Series that began on my Video channel in the fall of 2011. I will create one for Creek Freedmen, Seminole Freedmen, and Choctaw-Chickasaw Freedmen. In addition I am working on a video for AfriGeneas. In addition, a new series is being developed for community research.

-Websites & Blogs:

Managing two websites( The African-Native American Genealogy Website & Arkansas Freedmen) plus three blogs in addition to the podcast takes much time. The blogs change with each update or post, but I do hope to modify the structure and appearance of both websites to reflect new resources and research discoveries.

So as the new year begins, I hope to grow, and learn and to make a contribution. 

Most importantly I look forward to learning from the wonderful people whom I have met in the genealogy community.

From Virginia to Arkansas, and Back to Virginia - A Freedman's Bureau Migration Story

Letter to Freedman's Bureau 

Source: Virginia Freedman's Bureau Letters 1865-1872

National Archives Record Group 105, Reel #44 Image 349

(Also Family Search Image: #4150377)  
(see transcription below)

Researching African American ancestry is not without its challenges.  The 1870 census provides a glimpse at a community of individuals who were a mere 5 years living in freedom.

But sometimes the assumption is often made that the individuals were living in the communities where they had been enslaved, and had not ventured far from their home.

It possible that in most cases this is true, however, if one studies the thousands of non-indexed pages from NARA Record Group 105--(the Freedman's Bureau) a wealth of data can be found that might reflect stories otherwise not known.

The Haney Family - A Case Study

In 1867 a woman Jane wrote to the Freedman's Bureau office in search of her sons. Upon first glance I would have thought that Jane's sons had been sold away from her, and she was seeking assistance to find them.

However in this case---they did not leave Virginia until 1866.  They had signed a contract in Alexandria Virginia to travel to eastern Arkansas, to work for a year, with their father.  Meanwhile, in Arkansas, the father of the two boys died after a short illness and their mother was seeking information about their return.

The letter reads:

Alexander Va.
August 16th, 1867


Col. S. P. Lee
Sub. Asst. Commr.
Alexander Virginia


Sir,
 I have the honor to apply to you to assist me in procuring my two sons Lewis Haney age 13 yrs, and Joshua Haney aged 16 yrs who are now in the vicinity of Helena Arkansas.


With their father Joshua Haney, they made a , 1866 contract April 16th in your office to work for one year with the firm of Van Belk, & Co., of Helena Arkansas.  They remained with Van Belk & Co. until their year expired and were discharged. After this they were employed by Mr. Briant Lynch of St. Francis Co. Ark until the 27th of July last when the father (my husband) died after an illness of nine days.  The boys are now without any one to care for them and on account of their age I am anxious to have them under my care and protection.

Source: Virginia Freedman's Bureau Letters 1865-1872

National Archives Record Group 105, Reel #44 Image 350

(Also Family Search Image: #4150377)

(next page)
and for that purpose I apply to you for aid, praying that you will have them returned to me through the agencies of the Freedman's Bureau.


Respectfully yours,


Rachel (her  X mark) Haney

Witness  Geo. H. Smith

* * * * *

Rachel's letter was interesting for several reasons.  Was Rachel in search of children who had been sold from her?  Not at all!


She lived in Virginia and it appears that a contract was made with the Bureau to provide labor in eastern Arkansas. Upon reading this letter one cannot wonder what the circumstances were that Arkansas needed to send for workers?  There were thousands of former slaves along the Mississippi River, and there was a Freedman's Bureau field office in many places in eastern Arkansas to assist with labor contracts.


With there being no shortage of labor in eastern Arkansas, what were the circumstances for the recruitment of workers from Virginia?


There must have been steady communication between Rachel and her family since she was clearly aware of what had happened to her husband as well as the status of her sons, when their contract had ended.  This is significant, particularly because this reveals a part of history that is just simply not well known. This tells the story of what happened in those critical years between 1865 and 1870.  


In this case---we see that a contract was made to send a large number of former slaves from Virginia to work in Arkansas.  This was organized by the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands---the Freedman's Bureau.

So----what happened to Rachel's children?  


A report in the Freedman's Bureau files describes what happened to them. 

Source: Virginia Freedman's Bureau Letters 1865-1872

National Archives Record Group 105, Reel #44 Image 703

(See transcription below)

Hd Qrs Ass Com Dist of Va

Richmond Va, Oct 4, 1867

Filed:

Respectfully returned to Brt. Lt  Col. S.P.Lee S.A.C.inviting attention to understatement of E.G. Barker, Agent.

Madera Ark. Sept 14th, 1867

Respectfully returned to Lieut. H. Sweeney Agt. at Helena Ark. with the information that the children Lewis and Joshua Haney are still with Mr. Bryant Lynch of this County,  and who has a contact with them appeared at this office.  Their compensation is $9.00 for the oldest and $7.00 for the youngest per month the contract expiring on the 25th day of Dec of 1867. Mr. Lynch is a prominent man in St. Francis Co. and I think is treating the children kindly: they will be looked after by the Bur in this co. and in my opinion would do well to remain until the expiration of their contract.

* * * * *

My question----was this common for persons from Virginia, once enslaved and later freed, to be sent under contract to work in places as distant as Arkansas?  

Were there others from the same community sent there as well?  

If so---were there many or were they just a small number whose story is mere anecdotal?

Well, further investigation revealed so much more.  And the answers were found in the Virginia Freedman's Bureau. Thankfully all of the reels are digitized and one tenacious researcher in Virginia is going through each and every reel, looking for interesting stories to share. (Thank you Selma Stewart!)

In fact----she located the very answers to those questions, including a contract with the names of the Haney children and others from Alexandria Virginia.  On reel 52, images 826 - 829 answer those questions. (see image and transcription below)

A signed Article of Agreement in which the Haney children and their father and many others from Alexandria agree to go to Arkansas to go to Arkansas to work, was dated 13th of April 1866. The contract expired on January 1, 1867. It appears that the same Haneys mentioned in the letter by Rachel are her family--Henry, Joshua and Lewis Haney. The wages were $15.00 per month, and Lewis is was stated was to receive $8.00

.

Source: Virginia Freedman's Bureau Letters 1865-1872

National Archives Record Group 105, Reel #52 Image 826

Family Search Image

The surprise was to find a list of names of dozens of people including the Haneys who were from Virginia and sent to Arkansas under contract to work, right after the Civil War.

Close up view of contract

Source: Virginia Freedman's Bureau Letters 1865-1872

National Archives Record Group 105, Reel #52 Image 826

Family Search Image

And a few pages later, came the names of dozens of people.

Partial View and Close Up of document from FB where workers were contracted for Arkansas

Source: Virginia Freedman's Bureau Letters 1865-1872

National Archives Record Group 105, Reel #52 Image 827

Family Search Image

Surprisingly more pages of names of former slaves from Alexandria Virginia appeared on following pages!

Source: Virginia Freedman's Bureau Letters 1865-1872

National Archives Record Group 105, Reel #52 Image 828

Family Search Image

This particular story had a happy ending----the Haney children returned to Virginia and they are found in the 1870 census in Alexandria Virginia.

The question must be asked however----what of the others?  Did they all return to Virginia, leaving Arkansas after their contracts ended?  

And what if they stayed? 

What are the implications for the genealogist? 

One thing is clear---there is a potential for error.  

If some of the Virginia people chose to remain in Arkansas, or move elsewhere they won't appear in the Federal census until 1870. Will their origins from Alexandria Virginia be known?  Probably not.

If the story of being contracted by the Freedman's Bureau did  not survive family oral history---how will the genealogist be able to tell this critical and significant story?

Sandy Nash A Case Study

Let's look at the case of Sandy Nash. His name also appears on the document of former slaves from Alexandria Virginia sent to Helena Arkansas.   

Close Up View

Source: Virginia Freedman's Bureau Letters 1865-1872

National Archives Record Group 105, Reel #52 Image 829

Family Search Image

Sandy Nash's name appears on line 306. 

I searched for Sandy Nash in Virginia and did not find him there and then I decided to see if I could find Sandy Nash in Phillips County Arkansas in 1870 and sure enough---he was right there. He had chosen to remain in the west and not return to Virginia.

Excerpt from 1870 Federal Census Reflecting Sandy Nash

Source: Year: 1870; Census Place: Planters, Phillips, Arkansas; 

Roll: M593_60; Page: 63B; Image: 128; Family History Library Film: 545559.

Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: 

Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Now---if a descendant of Sandy Nash who might still be living in Arkansas, he or she will find Sandy in 1870 in Phillips County. 

The researcher---if following the advice of the masters--will look for him in 1860, and then begin the search to find his last slave owner, presumably in Arkansas. 

Genealogists are taught-- that after determining that a black person was not free in 1860, then one can start to look for the last slaveholder in the same community. 

But in this case----Sandy Nash's last slave holder was in Fairfax county Virginia and was never in Phillips County Arkansas. It is usually recommended to African American researchers that when beginning the search for the last slave owner, that one begins in the community where one finds the former slave. 

And if this was not known via oral history---then how will the research ever know where in Virginia to find Sandy Nash?  

Chances are---the researcher may hit this brick wall and remain there for years. Even should the researcher turn to Freedman's Bureau records, the first move would be to use the Bureau records from Arkansas. And all of this data came from Virginia!

There are several points that I have learned from the cases above.

1) It is important to share what you find. Had a research colleague living in Virginia not shared this with me, I would never have known about these workers, several hundred----of them being contracted to go to Arkansas to work after the Civil War. She happened to know that Arkansas is one of my states and generously shared it with me.

2) It is important to avoid making assumptions  In this case--the researcher might hit a brick wall, unable to find the last slaveholder in the local community.  One might have to think outside of the box and ask about other resources that reflect the community and the time period--especially in those critical years after the Civil War. One should not assume that the former slave found in 1870 was a slave in the same place before the war.

3) Utilize all available Reconstruction Era records.  In the case of the Haneys, the researcher might find the Haney children in 1870, with little additional information about the family. However, the Freedman's Bureau letters contain a wealth of data found in the letter from their mother telling the story of their being in Arkansas.  She mentioned them by name, and also mentioned the name of their father, who died while in Arkansas.  If no known death record was known to exist--her letter might be the only piece of data about the father--his name and approximate time of death are in her letter.

We conduct our research because of the love of history and a desire to see that stories are told, and in this case---stories can be found when we least expect them.

Special thanks to Selma Stewart of Newport News Virginia, who in  her effort to look at every reel of microfilm that is now digitized, and available on Family Search, she shared the letters to me, and she opened my eyes to new possibilities.

Meet Me (again) in St. Louis

Missouri Museum of History

Last weekend on April 16, I had the opportunity to speak at the Missouri Museum of History in St.Louis, Missouri.  The members of the St. Louis African American Genealogy Society hosted the presentation, and I was very fortunate to have been their guest.

After a rather adventurous trip getting to St. Louis from Baltimore with flight delays and stormy weather, Saturday finally came and the day went extremely well. The people were more than wonderful, and the interest in my topic was very high.

Ms. Maldine Wallace was gracious enough to meet me at the hotel and later Mr. Charles Barker, President of the St. Louis African American History & Genealogy Society, hosted me for lunch with members of the group, and returned me to the hotel.

 

Maldine Wallace, Charles Brown Jr. and Angela Walton-Raji

The room filled quickly before the session.

I found the interest in the topic of finding Indian ancestry to be high, and the attention and questions from the audience was genuine.

Good questions were asked from the audience as well

 

Delivering my lecture at St. Louis

The group was a fairly large one, and I was impressed with their interest in the topic on researching "Blended Families, Blended Histories."

There was strong interest from those in attendance

Discussing the limitations

I did notice that many were particularly interested when I shared information on the 1910 Special Indian Census.

Sharing an image from the census 1910 Special Indian Census

I pointed out that the Special Census is found in multiple states, including Virginia.

 

Showing Virginia Blended Families from 1910

Some were surprised to see that Indian ancestry was also reflected in military records such as the World War I, Draft Cards.

WWI Draft Card of a Muscogee Creek Indian Draftee

After the session was over, I was able to join several of the members for a wonderful lunch at a delightful restaurant, "Sweetie Pies" in South St. Louis. While there, I was able to chat freely with members who had specific questions about their own research challenges.

Chatting with one of the St. Louis genealogy group members

I must mention that the lunch was more than delicious and the atmosphere at the Restaurant was warm and friendly, and it was a  perfect ending to a very good day. Let me say that again---the food was FANTASTIC!!!

Sweetie Pie's Restaurant, St. Louis, Missouri

The day was a wonderful one for me, and I must thank the wonderful people in St. Louis for the warm reception and their gracious hospitality.  I hope to meet many of them again in the future, and I do want to let other researchers know that there is a vibrant group of genealogists in St. Louis. 

I must admit that I truly enjoyed myself in St. Louis and look forward to going back there again.  In fact I hope that others will also "Meet Me" in St. Louis. They were truly great people, with great food, and I had a great time!!

Special thanks to Maldine Wallace for her arrangements, to Mr. Charles Brown Jr. for sharing his photographs, and Ms. Sarah Cato for assisting me after the presentation and taking me to the Restaurant to join the group for lunch.

NBC Program WDYTYA Corners Attention of Genealogists Nationwide

Joining AfriGeneas Chat While Watching NBC's program WDYTYA

Well after waiting many months, the 2nd season of NBC's Who Do You Think You Are began last week. Like many genealogists, I was looking forward to the program, and also to joining other close genealogy buddies as we watched it together and chatted about it online, as the show aired.

Vanessa Williams, known singer, and actor was featured and several of us were delighted to see some changes from the last show.  We were thrilled to see that the recaps after each commercial break were now gone, and the featured guest was somewhat involved in their own research.  Vanessa Williams' ancestors David Carll, was known to several researchers already, and one of the chatters in fact shared additional information about the ancestor, on her own blog. 

More than 20 people gathered in the AfriGeneas Chat Center, to share their thoughts about the program and to discuss the methods used.  Good ideas and suggestions for newcomers were also shared in the chat. Most of the chatter occurred during the commercial breaks, as many were anxious to watch as the show unfolded.

AfriGeneas Chat Center Filled as Member Around the Country Joined in While Watching

The group viewing began last season and has continued into this 2nd season, as well. In addition to the group watch on AfriGeneas several members also tuned into Blog Talk Radio after the show aired, to join other genealogists with a radio program hosted by Thomas Macentee.  The two hour show was a success with well over 45 people listening in and calling in to chat about the show as well.

The fact is that genealogists are connecting in number of ways, using social media and online features while watching the genealogy program air.  Many were sending out messages to the larger genealogy community on Facebook and Twitter as well, and it is clear that a combination of methods have become commonplace among many who share our passion for genealogy.

The Carnival of African American Genealogy: Grandma's Hands - - Remembering Grandma, Nanny & the Ladies

Sallie Walton aka "Nanny"  (left)  &  Sarah Ellen Walton aka "Grandma" (right)

My childhood was rich with memories of wonderful old ladies cooking dumplings, quilting, feeding chickens and dipping snuff. Grandma and Nanny lived only 3 short blocks away and their home was as much home to me as my own, especially in my early childhood. And with home their being close to “The Junction” was the place where many of their friends would stop to visit on the way to Mr. Canady’s grocery store. They were so grand, these beautiful women from dark chocolate brown, to butterscotch brown--- they were the frequent visitors and faces that I loved from my youth.

“Grandma” was Ellen Walton. Her full name was Sarah Ellen but she was just Grandma to me. The only person I ever heard call her “Sarah” when he came to visit was Uncle George, her youngest brother.

“Nanny” was Sallie Walton, who was Grandma’s mother in law--my grandpa’s mother, and she was my great grandmother. Grandma lived in the front part of the house Nanny lived in the back part of the house. But when it was quilting time they came together.

Those two ladies were a daily part of my life till I went to school. The year I went to kindergarten meant school in the morning, but afternoon at Grandma’s and Nanny’s. Those two women were as different in personality, but so similar in lifestyle. It was the quilting that always brought them together. Grandma was born in Horatio Arkansas, the daughter of former slaves, and a strong southern black culture. Nanny was a Choctaw freedwoman, born a slave and raised in the Choctaw Nation. She knew the land, and the country, and would let you know it. Both of them filled my life with the wonders of their country ways and country living.

In the back of their house, they cultivated an incredible vegetable garden together with everything in it from greens, turnips, tomatoes, radishes, beans, corn, onions, and so much more. Chickens provided fresh eggs, and I l loved to watch the chickens eagerly run for the grains of feed that Nanny would toss out to them in the back yard. I had no fear of those chickens, till one day I heard that the rooster had spurred Grandma, and  afterwards I rarely ventured into the back yard, unless someone was with me to watch out for that rooster.

I remember that in the afternoons when it was time to go home that I always would awaken from my afternoon nap in Nanny’s bed and never in Grandma’s bed. As much as I spent time with Grandma in the front of the house, it was Nanny to whom I turned for comfort if scared, for food if hungry for a bed, if sleepy. Plus Nanny would always make me “play pretties”. These were lovely pieces of stitched cloth in pretty designs that she would give to me, and I would use them as anything from doilies, to skirts for my dolls, covers for my head, hankies or anything else my 4 year old imagination could come up with. I would always marvel at the colors. (Of course I would later realize that to simply get me out of the way, when she worked on her quilts, she was simply giving me a quilting square of my own to play with.) And I would be content at least for an afternoon to take my “play pretties” and enjoy myself. How I wish I still had at least one of them, now.

In the mornings, I would have my grown up moments with Nanny, when she would let me taste some of her coffee. She would lace the coffee with lots of “Pet Milk” and lots of sugar, and then pour it into the saucer allowing me blow on it “to let it cool” and I would enjoy sipping Nanny’s coffee from that small saucer. But I would only get to have 1 saucer , and could not have any more because if I had too much, well as she put it, “sugar you won’t grow.” Not sure why the coffee might not let me grow or what that meant, but, it was enough to keep me satisfied. In the afternoon, I would get to sip something else---a taste to this day I still have an appetite for and that was sassafras tea. Nanny would get the sassafras bark from someplace in the area, and she would boil the bark which gave the house the sweetest scent, and that the tea had a flavor that takes me back to my childhood every time I taste it.

Those childhood years were special. And how appropriate to have a theme of Grandma’s hands---for the hands of both of those old ladies bring back so many memories.

With Grandma I would always watch her hands while she quilted, making those tiny stitches and the rocking motion of her right hand through 3 layers of cloth.

With Nanny, from her hands, I would taste the wonderful things that she cooked, and when I awakened from my afternoon nap, hers were the hands that comforted me, as I tried to steal another moment’s sleep.

I recall always touching the veins on the back of her hands, and would watch them roll as I touched the back of her hands so softly. Years after Nanny died and Grandma came to live within our house I would watch her as her hands would turn the pages of her Bible that she read in the afternoons. When we would talk, it was Grandma’s smile that I enjoyed, and when we would have our chats I would watch as her hand would play with the curve at the top her “walking stick”, and old cane that she used in the last 10 years or so of her life.

These are the hands that comforted me during my early years. From their guidance and care, I learned to appreciate quilt making and gardening, and so much more. When I quilt I can almost hear Grandma & Nanny talking, and I can also hear the voices of their friends who came over as well, Mrs. Isabel Dodson, Mrs. Callie King, and Mrs. Zonie (Arizona Folks) who came to help with the quilting. All of them were part of life at Grandma’s house and they would sit in the back of house in Nanny’s room, to work on the quilting frame together.

I miss them both, and I know that from the hands of both of those ladies, I was put on a steady course in life, and I like to think that perhaps their hands are still guiding me in so many ways.