1863 :: Birth of Major Sharp

On this date in our extended family history . . . the 25th day of January . . . in the year 1863 . . . James Hall Sharp is born in Houston County, Texas. The details of his birth were recorded by James Madison Hall (1819-1866) in one of a series of almost daily writings kept by him during the time period of the war between the states. The new parents -- Sam H. Sharp and his wife, Mary A. Sharp familiarly called Nellie -- are 2nd great-grandparents of the Keeper of this geneablog. Mahala aka Mother is the mother of Sam as well as of Hall's wife, Margaret aka the little woman, and is, therefore, my 3rd great-grandma.

Sunday, January 25, 1863. Today at 8 o'clock a.m. Sam H. Sharp's wife Mary A. Sharp familiarly called Nellie, was delivered of a male child, which weighed 7¾ lbs. which said child was by his parents named James Hall Sharp in honor of the writer of this journal, and at said delivery there was present Margaret A. Hall, Mahala L. Hall, Mrs. L. A. Bird, Sam H. Sharp & myself assisted by two negro women both by the name of Louisa. Nellie sustained herself very well under the circumstances and had rather an easy time than otherwise. The child aforesaid by way of nick name we dubbed & created "Major" ... in order to distinguish him from the little woman's child James, alias Jim. Mrs. Bird returned home on the evening, Mother however remained. Weather changeable and warm, with occasional showers of rain, rendering it very disagreeable.

January 2010 marked the sesquicentennial of the date in 1860 when J.M. Hall began the daily writing in his journal. In a project that is scheduled to be completed in 2016, and will cover the entire period of the sesquicentennial of the war between the states, Hall's writings are being posted on a daily basis at . . . benotforgot-journal.blogspot.com . . .

Tombstone Tuesday :: Milton Antony M.D.

On this date in our extended family history . . . the 25th day of January . . . in the year 1885 . . . Dr. Milton Antony dies in Rockdale, Milam County, Texas.

Dr. Antony is my 1st cousin five times removed . . . and he is also the husband of the older sister of my 2nd great-grandma, Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899) . . . he is buried in the Old City Cemetery, which is just out of sight at the bottom edge of this postcard.

Dr. Milton Antony, Jr. was a Confederate Surgeon in Brazoria County, Texas during the years of the war between the states . . . then relocated to Milam County, Texas where he was the third Postmaster in Rockdale, serving 06 June 1876 to 26 April 1877 . . . which was one month after the entire wooden portion of Rockdale burned . . . he was a practicing physician in both Cameron and Rockdale . . . a Henry family reunion write-up in a 1931 edition of The Rockdale Reporter states that . . .

On Oct. 3, 1876, the Henrys [my 2nd great-grandparents] arrived in Rockdale to visit a sister and family of the Mrs. Henry's, it being Dr. and Mrs. M. F. Anthony, who at that time had the post office and drug store combined on the corner where the Wolf Hotel now stands.

That is the Wolf Hotel on the right corner of the Rockdale postcard. The Wolf sat on the northeast corner of the intersection of Main and Milam. According to a history of Rockdale published in 1936, a two-story stone and brick bank building was erected in 1875, which later became the Wolf Hotel, and then, ca. 1935, the American Legion Hall. An 1885 map of Rockdale does show a bank at that location, and on the corner across the street is a post office in the Mundine House.

A year before Josephine arrived in Rockdale to visit her sister, Margaret, the following item appeared in the 12 November 1875 issue of the Galveston Weekly News . . .

There are street fights occurring (in Rockdale) almost every day and the officers of the law seem to enjoy it, taking their fines, never giving offenders the least word of warning or lecture. Nothing better could be expected when they license women of ill fame for ten dollars a month and receive half of the fines and their compensation. The most disgusting of it is, when they choose, these officers step beyond their authority and utterly disregard the law at pleasure. Every day or two some very interesting scenes occur in the pettifoggeries of Rockdale.

And just a year before that 1875 report, the same paper, in the 09 November 1874 issue, described the brand new city of Rockdale as being . . .

delightfully located in a thriving section of the county. . . . there are two or three banks, fifty or sixty merchants, and plenty of saloons, and has generally all the appearances of a railroad town. . . . While all it new and in some degree crude, there are some fine stone and brick buildings. . . . Where a population of eighteen hundred now thrive, was ten months ago the home of the deer, and the pleasure ground of the black bear.

For more information about Dr. Antony and his family, see . . .

• Dr. Milton Antony, Jr.
• Dr. Milton Antony, Sr., his father
• Judge Edwin Le Roy Antony, his son
• My Antony Board at gonetotexas.proboards.com
• Antony Roots & Branches, his ancestors & assorted kith 'n kin

P.S. The handwritten paper in the background of the collage is a document from 1864, signed by Milton Antony, M.D. and three other doctors -- requesting the Confederate army to excuse the only druggist in Brazoria County, Texas from being conscripted into the army . . .

1911 Nona Amy Taylor nee Muston 2002

One hundred years ago today . . . on this date in our extended family history . . . the 23rd day of January . . . in the year 1911 . . . the 5th of seven daughters is born to Charlie and Emma Patience (Nettles) Muston . . . Nona Amy is the youngest in the photo shown here . . . the next daughter after Nona was born in 1913, and then one in 1915 . . . which was the same year Charlie died, leaving Emma to raise seven daughters on her own . . . the sister standing behind and to the left of little Nona is my paternal grandma, Ima Lois Pounders nee Muston (1906-1999) . . . FYI . . . the quilty-looking background for this collage was created from my photo-of-the-day for today . . . I used techniques from both Picasa and IrvanView for this project . . .

1973 :: Death of LBJ

On this date in our extended family history . . . the 22nd day of January . . . in the year 1973 . . . Lyndon Baines Johnson dies at his ranch at 3:39 p.m CST at age 64, from a third heart attack . . . his death came the day before a ceasefire was signed in Vietnam and almost a month after former president Harry S. Truman died . . . his health had been affected by years of heavy smoking, poor dietary habits and stress; the former president had severe heart disease . . . he was found dead by Secret Service agents, in his bed, with a telephone in his hand . . . LBJ is a 9th cousin twice removed to the keeper of this family history blog . . . and FYI . . . this collage was created in Picasa using my "photo of the day" for today . . .

Military Monday :: Robert E. Henry in the Navy

Bob Henry, U.S. Navy

On this date in our family history . . . the 17th day of January . . . in the year 1927 . . . Robert E. Henry (1905-1976), age 21 years 11 months, is in Abilene, Texas preparing an Application for Enlistment in the U.S. Navy . . . he states that he expects to make the Navy his career, and that he has been employed with his father as a farmer for his entire life . . . he is described as being 5'10" tall, and weighing 170 lbs, with blue eyes, brown hair, and a ruddy complexion . . . four years and many miles later . . . on the same date . . . the 17th day of January . . . in the year 1931 . . . the same Robert E. Henry is honorably discharged after four years of service to his country in the U.S. Navy . . . the place of discharge is listed as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Pennsylvania . . . this Robert E. Henry is the maternal grandpa of the Keeper of this geneablog. . . .

Cemetery Rural Delivery

On this date in our family history . . . the 17th day of January . . . in the year 1996 . . . following a brief battle with kidney cancer . . . my Dad, Forrest Lee Pounders, died in Rockdale, Texas . . . he was laid to rest in a little country cemetery in central Texas . . . and this mailbox actually stood in that cemetery at that time . . . as if awaiting a letter addressed to one of the residents . . . Dad had delivered mail in Rockdale for many years (go take a look at his grave marker) . . . I snapped this photo shortly after his death . . . the flowers were for his grave. . . .

1864 :: Nellie miscarries while Sam is in jail

On this date in our family history . . . the 16th day of January . . . in the year 1864 . . . in Houston County, Texas . . . Mary Alexandrien (Nellie) SHARP nee LEMAIRE (my 2nd great-grandma) has a miscarriage while her husband, Sam, is still in jail (see yesterday's post). This is one of those facts of life that would be completely unknown to those of us who are Nellie's descendants were it not for the following entry from the daily Journal of Nellie's husband's step-brother, James Madison Hall (1819-1866).

Saturday, January 16th, 1864. Today I am still in Crockett and Sam is still in confinement and as I said in yesterday's notes on no charge but mere suspicion that he is liable to conscription. The reign of Military despotican is now complete, and a man not in the Army dares not say that his life is his own or that he owned one dollars worth of property. I left Crockett late in the evening after having failed to obtain Sam's release. upon my arrival at home I found as I have previously expected that Nellie had miscarried. this catastrophy was hastened by the cruel and hostal arrest of her husband. If the agents of the Government think this is the proper way to make good soldiers for its armies by dragging husbands from wives who are almost at the point of death, I must humbly beg leave to differ with them. Dr. Murchison and Mother were in attendance upon Nellie. at night Sam came home to see his wife having been released upon his parole to return on Monday night. Dr. Murchison & Mother remained all night. . . .

1913 :: Death of Judge E. L. Antony

On this date in our extended family history . . . the 16th day of January . . . in the year 1913 . . . Judge E. L. Antony dies in Dallas, Texas . . . this Judge Antony is a 1st cousin 3 times removed to the Keeper of this geneablog . . . his mother is the older sister of my 2nd great-grandma, Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899) . . .

The Dallas Morning News
Friday, January 17, 1913
Prominent Resident of Texas Dies Here
Judge E. L. Antony Dies in This City
Former Congressman and Prominent Texan for Years

Antony Photo Album (click above)

Native of Georgia, but Came to Texas in Early Day --
Funeral Services to Be Held This Afternoon

Judge E. L. Antony of Cameron, Tex., a prominent Texan and former Congressman, died yesterday morning at the residence of his brother-in-law [sic -- actually son-in-law], L. C. McBride, 3304 McKinney avenue.

Judge Antony was born in Burk County, Georgia, Jan. 5, 1852. His parents were Dr. Milton Antony Jr. and Margaret Frances Davis. Dr. Milton Antony, the grandfather, was the founder of the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta. The ancestors of Judge Antony were of the old Virginia Commonwealth, who bore valiant part in wresting the thirteen colonies from the dominion of Great Britain.

He came with his parents to Texas in 1859, settling at Columbia, Brazos [sic -- Brazoria] County. In 1869, he entered the University of Georgia (formerly Franklin College), where he graduated with honors in 1873. During these four college years he was closely associated with two of Georgia's gifted sons, Charles Crisp and the immortal Grady. Returning to Texas in 1873, he was admitted to the practice of law at Cameron, Milam County, where he married Miss Augusta Houghton, Sept. 20, 1876.

He was conspicuous in many ways, serving his people in various capacities. He was elected to Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the appointment of Roger Q. Mills to the United States Senate, which he filled with distinction and credit to himself and his constituents. His many friends will concur in the statement that no Representative of the people ever had a clearer view or more powerful conception and grasp of the tariff question than did he. He was a man of much and varied learning, not only as a lawyer, but in the many fields of literature and science; many sided, and much gifted, it was easy for him to do what seemed hard and difficult to most men.

He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Margaret Antony, now in her eightieth year; a wife, and two daughters, Miss Beryl , and Alice, the wife of J. A. Brown, all of Cameron, Tex.

Funeral services will be held at the home of Mr. McBride, at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon, by Rev. J. H. Moore, and the burial will be in Oakland Cemetery. The following have been selected as the active pallbearers: Murphy W. Townsend, Cullen F. Thomas, A. H. Winkler, C. H. Loper, O. F. Wencker and W. P. Donaldson, and the following as honorary pallbearers: Judge E. B. Muse, Judge Kenneth Foree, Judge J. E. Cockrell, E. W. Luna, F. R. Malone and J. Howard Ardrey.

1864 :: Grandpa Sam arrested by Confederates in Texas

On this date in our family history . . . the 15th day of January . . . in the year 1864 . . . Samuel Houston Sharp is imprisoned on suspicion of being liable for conscription. This Sam is a 2nd great-grandpa of the Keeper of this family history blog. This part of our Sam's life was recorded as follows in the daily journal of James Madison Hall. . . .

15 Jan 1864 ... In the evening while Sam & I were running the mills a file of soldiers rode up and arrested us, and forthwith shut up my mills and marched us off to Crockett like common felons. when we reached Crockett we were imprisoned in the Court house and a guard mounted over us. We were not allowed any fire or food, neither were we permitted to converse with any person. So we were kept, without any charge against us but upon mere suspicion that we were liable for conscription.

So much for our boasted rights as Southren gentlemen and for the causes which led us to sever our connection with the old government. Had I been thus treated by the Yankees I could have borne it all without complaint for I could not have expected any thing else, but coming from those who ought to be our guardians instead of our oppressors comes exceedingly hard, and not well calculated to make good and true soldiers to the Confederacy. I predict that it is but the beginning of the reign of Military despotican? and will brake down our once happy land of freedom.

I was again discharged late in the night but how long before I am again arrested God only knows. Sam however was kept in close confinement all night. Weather clear & cold. J.M. Hall

1899 :: Maine Death of Betsey Ford Smith Hutchins

On this date in our family history . . . the 14th day of January . . . in the year 1899 . . . Betsey T. Smith Hutchins nee Ford dies at home in Kennebunkport, Maine . . . this Betsey is the mother of Atwood F. Smith (1837-1907) who is father of . . . Thomas Warren Alonzo Smith (1866-1920) who is father of . . . Elizabeth Marilla Henry nee Smith (1912-1932) who is the mother of my beautiful Mom . . .

Biddeford Daily Journal. Biddeford, Maine. Monday Evening, January 16, 1899. Mrs. Betsy T. (Smith) Hutchins, who for many years resided in this city and was well known here and for the last few years has resided in Kennebunkport, having married Edward S. Hutchins of that place, died Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock, after a brief sickness lasting only a few hours. An attack of the grip was followed by heart failure. Her age was 82 years and five months. She was a member and prominent worker in the Foss street Methodist church in which she had many friends. She was also a former member of Evangeline lodge of Rebekahs. She leaves a husband, Edward S. Hutchins of Kennebunkport, three children, Atwood F. Smith and Josiah H. Smith, both of this city, and Sylvanus S. Smith of Concord, N.H., one sister, Mrs. Add Chadbourne of Saco, and four grandchildren. The funeral will be held at the residence in Kennebunkport on Tuesday afternoon at 1 o'clock. The burial will be at the Greenwood cemetery at the convenience of the family.

1911 New Year's Day 2011

100-year-old 1911 Calendar Postcard from private collection of benotforgot . . . and you are welcome to save a copy of this for your own personal use . . .

One hundred years ago today . . . on the 1st day of January . . . in the year 1911 . . . I wonder . . . were our ancestors recalling the events of the year 1910 . . . and at the same time wondering what the coming year would bring in their lives . . . three of my grandparents were born during the first decade of the 20th century (one grandma would not be born until 1912) . . . all eight of my great-grandparents were alive at that time . . . but only six of my sixteen 2nd great-grandparents are known to have still been living as of the 1st of January in 1911 . . .

One hundred years later . . . on the 1st day of January . . . in the year 2011 . . . I am so very blessed and thankful for my family (L-U-V y'all) . . . for my health (and that's a big one) . . . for a warm roof over my head . . . for dear friends who actually know what it means to walk the talk . . . for a God who loves me and has collected all my tears in a bottle (and there have been a lot of them since the 7th day of April) . . .

On a lighter note . . . I am also thankful for my constant companion and foot-warmer, Riley (Bennie's poodle) . . . and for the new toys I received for Christmas . . . one being a new Canon EOS Rebel D-SLR camera (Bennie always enjoyed giving me tech gadgets for gifts . . . so this was a gift to myself, a long-needed upgrade from our original vintage Canon AE-1) . . . but the best gift (mostly because of the thoughtfulness and love behind it) I received (besides time spent with family) was the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner my family surprised me with . . . we do what I will refer to as (because our Mom was born in Massachusetts) a Yankee Swap . . . so there are not supposed to be any exchanges of gifts between individuals . . . my baby sister (who was the instigator on this little project) told me the surpise gift was to show appreciation for all the work I've done on gathering and sharing our family history . . . [note to self . . . be careful about entering those contests on facebook . . . some family members actually read that stuff!!!] . . . sooo . . .

Most of the following items have been on my mental to-do list for a while . . . but only because Jasia has challenged us to commit to some genealogy goals in 2011 for her 101st Carnival of Genealogy . . . (and with the qualifier used by my 2nd great-grand-uncle almost 150 years ago . . . whether God will permit me to live, to keep the records of another year, is more than poor mortal man can know, but trusting in His mercy I shall enter upon the trials of another year, with hopes of future success & prosperity through His goodness & favor.) . . . I am stating to whoever is listening that . . . the good Lord willing and the creeks don't rise . . .

I plan to keep on keeping on . . . with the daily postings at The Journal and On This Date . . . and an occasional family-related quote at And I Quote . . . and getting together some new posts here at benotforgot.com . . . and continuing to transfer info from an expired rockdale.myfamily.com to Rockdale - My Hometown . . . and figuring out how to stay organized once I actually get organized (i.e., putting photos, books, files back where they belong instead of in convenient stacks and piles around my computer area) . . . and consistently paying attention to the reminders to do backups . . . and to learn to use the new toys (camera and portable scanner)!!! . . . and to use that camera when visiting cemeteries and photographing grave markers and then posting them on findagrave (with appropriate genealogical info) . . . and to use that portable scanner when I do onsite research at various libraries and research centers in Texas, as well as on visits to family members throughout Texas . . . AND . . . to research and shop for a new desktop computer (had a power surge that may have killed the old desktop . . . awaiting a final diagnosis from the nephew-in-law / IT guy) . . . and then purchase and install Family Tree Maker 2011 and learn to use it (having some issues with FTM 2010) . . . whew . . . I'm exhausted already . . .

• I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. ~ Gilda Radner
  

• Never part without loving words to think of during your absence. It may be that you will not meet again in this life. ~ Jean Paul Richter
  

• Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. ~ Theodor Seuss Geisel, attributed