On this trip down the Mississippi, I carried a small notebook and scribbled notes furiously. Visiting this national park, I was especially overcome by the enormity of this battle. The notes are mine and the facts as I understood from our guide.
After the battle, some 17,000 Union dead were buried in a cemetery near the battlefield, now part of the Vicksburg National Park. We were told that the upright stones were for the identified soldiers and the “stubby flat” stones were for the 13,000 unidentified. The Confederate dead were buried in trenches.
The Vicksburg National Military Park was established on 21 February 1899 to preserve and protect the areas associated with the defense and siege of Vicksburg. The park covers over 1800 thousand acres. During the battle, the hills were stripped of trees. During the 1930s, the CCC men replanted many trees. In 1917, veterans were invited to return to the site and point out just where their units stood and fought and some 8800 showed up! Markers were placed at these designated sites.
As men came from 28 of the then 34 states, each participating state was invited to place a monument at the Park. Each state monument is planned and paid for by the state and then given to the Park to be placed. Most Union monuments were erected by World War II. The Confederate states’ monuments were placed much later (they were financially decimated remember). Some Southern states have yet to place a monument; neither has Vermont.
Vicksburg Trivia:
I’ve read that more Americans died in the Civil War than all other American wars combined; the slaughter was that terrible.
The Confederate President was Jefferson Finis Davis….. he was the last of ten children; hence the “Finis.” His only descendant was a granddaughter.
Mary Todd Lincoln’s brother, David Todd, fought for the Confederacy.
Often the Union and Confederate lines were “merely a stone’s throw apart.”
The average age of the Civil War soldier was 27.
The northwestern part of Virginia pulled early from the Confederacy to fight for the Union; this was 18 months before West Virginia became a state in 1863.
Kentucky and Missouri were split states…….. men from these states fought for both sides.
The Illinois monument, modeled after the Roman Pantheon, has sixty unique bronze tables lining its interior walls, naming all 36,325 Illinois soldiers. Our guide explained that it was erected in 1904 when the citizens of Illinois taxed themselves to finance the project.
The Alabama monument, placed in 1953, is the only one showing a “fighting” woman. It was meant to show the women’s support of their men during the conflict.
When Grant realized that the Confederates were filling their canteens from a certain creek, he dumped dead animals into that creek to pollute the water; it worked and caused many a Confederate to die a miserable death.
Joke: Difference between a Confederate and Union cannon? The way it’s pointed! So quipped our tour guide.
While I did thoroughly enjoy learning the history of the Mississippi River and its connection to the Battle of Vicksburg, I certainly did realize I was treading and viewing hallowed ground when I was privileged to visit the Vicksburg National Military Park during my cruise on the Mississippi River (from St. Paul to New Orleans) in October 2022.
We have some fantastic free webinars from Legacy Family Tree Webinars in March, in particular, one this coming Tuesday, March 14 by yours truly “RootsTech Recap“
Check out the details below and let your audience know about March 2023’s live webinars:
Written in Stone: In-Depth Study of a Gravestone by Gena Philibert-Ortega
An Introduction to Using WordPress to Build a Blog or Website by Elizabeth Swanay O’Neal
Exhausting Research to Find an Impossible Immigrant! by Warren Bittner
Padrones of the Past: Colonial-era Censuses of Mexico by Joy Oria
Les statistiques familiales sur MyHeritage by Elisabeth Zetland
Uncovering Immigrant Origins Through Cluster Research by Dana Palmer, CG, CGL
PERSI 2.0: The New PERSI for Everyone by Sunny Morton
New Developments of MyHeritage DNA by Gal Zrihen
3-2-1 data backup is great, but first, you need to find all of your data by Andy Klein
The Best of Elizabeth Shown Mills: Genealogy Problem Solving – a member’s only webinar series
Join us each month as Elizabeth encores her top-12 most beloved classes, teaching us how to break down our genealogy problems and create solutions with innovative strategies and sound methods.
On Friday, March 24 Elizabeth will teach “Margaret’s Baby’s Father & The Lessons He Taught Me”. Visit www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com/esm to learn more or to register.
Be sure to spread the news far and wide so your friends and followers don’t miss out on this fantastic content!
Tacoma Pierce County Genealogical Society General Membership Meeting
Tuesday, March 14 from 6:00 pm to 7:50 pm Hybrid In-Person and via Zoom
Our speaker will be Sara Cochran, presenting “When Irish Eyes are Smiling.”Using vital records to discover information about your Irish heritage. She spoke to us in October and is a thoroughly enjoyable and knowledgeable speaker.
Note: This zoom/hybrid meeting will be in the smaller Conference Room at the Parkland Spanaway PC Library, located at 13718 Pacific Ave, (SR7) just north of Papa Murphy’s Pizza, so we do ask that it be limited to 6-8 in-person attendees, please RSVP to VP-Programs@tpcgs.org. Our next meeting in April is planned to be in their Meeting Room which is larger. The library closes at 8pm.
Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 600 outstanding volunteers and teams, nominated by their local society or genealogical organization for their service and dedication. These volunteers are the backbone of their local society, giving their time and expertise, to the organization and the field of genealogy. In the coming months, you will be introduced to each of the 2022 award recipients and learn why they received the 2022 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.
Today we’re introducing Florance Irene McDonald Nelson of Buena, Washington, who was nominated by the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society (YVGS).
Florance Nelson
Florance joined YVGS around 2005 when she retired and moved to the Yakima Valley. Always willing to help, she was appointed historian of the society in 2012 and served as such ever since. This is a job requiring her to maintain the society’s scrapbooks of events, photos, etc.
She has been involved in many aspects of YVGS and is a staff volunteer librarian devoting every Friday and one Saturday a month at the library. She helps with the hospitality committee and assists in publicity for the society. She shows up for every fundraiser and can work circles around many of the members.
Florance took over as temporary corresponding secretary in 2019 for an ill member and was elected to that position this year. Members like Florance keep YVGS strong.
For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Info@wasgs.org. Please type “Volunteer Award” in the subject line.
On this trip down the Mississippi, I carried a small notebook and scribbled notes furiously. Visiting this national park, I was especially overcome by the enormity of this battle. The notes are mine and the facts as I understood from our guide.
Soon after Christmas, 1862, Grant, under orders from President Lincoln, came down personally from Memphis “to get the job done!” His 43,000 man army was on the west side of the Mississippi and it took two days to ferry the troops, horses and armaments, across the river. It did help Grant’s cause that the Confederate generals were in-fighting; Johnston abandoned the town of Jackson as Grant approached. But Pemberton’s troops were well entrenched in a semi-circle around Vicksburg. As well as the Confederate army, there were 3500 citizens there. As the Union forces fought their way to Vicksburg, the net closed around the town, the resistance and battlements repulsing Grant four times. But Grant had way more men and Lincoln was re-supplying him with everything and anything he needed… “with bodies for the fire.” Finally, after losing many men, Grant decided upon a siege as his only option.
On 25 May 1863, the siege of Vicksburg began. Grant held the superior position; he could call for help. Pemberton was just the opposite; his army was trapped and he had all those civilians to think about. Grant had 200 canons and they commenced firing one by one, every fifteen seconds around the clock. The 3500 non-combatants fled the city down to the bluffs along the river to live in tents and caves, anything to avoid the canon fire. Survival was on their minds, not battles nor politics. (Pause to imagine life in a muddy cave, with nothing to eat or drink, hearing cannon balls tearing your home and city apart.)
First the cows disappeared, then the horses. Next were the dogs and when, after 47 days, the troops and the citizens were reduced to eating rats, Pemberton surrendered on 4 July 1863, the same day as the Battle of Gettysburg ended, signaling the end of the war. Union deaths from start to finish during the taking of Vicksburg were about 10,000 men. The Confederates lost about 9000. These figures might reflect men killed, wounded or AWOL.
After Vicksburg, Lincoln realized that Grant had the guts to fight, versus so many other of his appointed Union generals (due to in-fighting and politics) that Lincoln appointed Grant to be General of the Army to finish the job of causing the Confederacy’s will to fight to crumble.
This is the field our guide was referring to. As we bus-toured the Vicksburg battlefield, our very knowledgeable guide paused at one point to help us imagine it as it was: Imagine a hilly-up-and-down field covering several football fields in length. You are told to charge (RUN!) from here to there in the sweltering July heat, carrying your nine pound rifle, being rather weak from too little food, and with iron balls fired from both sides raining down on you. The slaughter was horrible, “utter insanity,” said the guide.
Where There Is – or Isn’t – a Will — Where there’s a will, there’s a probate. And often when there isn’t a will, there’s still a probate. Understanding the process and finding the records created when our ancestors died can help break through those brick walls.
Property Rights and Wrongs – African-Americans at the Courthouse — From being treated as property to having their children and their property stolen by those who used the law against the freedmen, African Americans’ experience at the courthouse had only one bright spot: it created records for the genealogist-descendants of enslaved and enslavers alike.
Linking the Generations with Court and Land Records — It’s the single biggest issue genealogists face: how do we connect one generation to the next with evidence we can rely on? Vital records are excellent documentation, but they often don’t exist for the time and place we’re researching. That’s when we have to find workarounds to make sure we’re not simply putting people into family lines because they share the same names. Using court and land records, we can often find the evidence we need to link the generations accurately.
“Don’t Forget the Ladies” – A Genealogist’s Guide to Women and the Law — In early America, women were all too often the people who just weren’t there: not in the records, not in the censuses, not on juries, not in the voting booth. The common law relegated women to “protected” – second-class – status, and understanding how they were treated under the law provides clues to finding their identities today.
Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist®, is a genealogist with a law degree who provides expert guidance through the murky territory where law and family history intersect. An internationally-known lecturer and award-winning writer, she holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® and Certified Genealogical Lecturer℠ from the Board for Certification of Genealogists®. Her blog is at https://www.legalgenealogist.com.
This month, instructor Winona Laird offers a “Vital Records” class – free for SKCGS members and $20 per class for non-members. This is a great opportunity to brush up on skills or learn something new. More information at https://www.skcgs.org/meetings-events/classes.
For SKCGS members, March 20, 2023 is the first meeting of the 12-month online study group using the book “Research Like a Pro with DNA” by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin. Details can be found at https://www.skcgs.org/areas-of-interest/study.
At the May 2023 General Membership Meeting, SKCGS will hold its annual election for the positions of President and Treasurer. The Nominating Committee is pleased to share the slate of candidates and invite additional nominations. Learn more at https://www.skcgs.org/home/nominees.
Be in the know! Receive notices for our virtual meetings, as well as the latest genealogy news and tips, by subscribing (free) to the online group at https://skcgs.groups.io
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PROGRAM UPDATES
All meetings are online via Zoom except the in-person Research Group and Genealogy Help at the Auburn Library
Live transcription (captioning) is available during our Zoom meetings by request
Online meeting participants need to register for SKCGS Zoom meetings. Register at our website skcgs.org or use links below. Upon registration, Zoom will send a confirmation email with instructions on joining the meeting.
Saturday, March 4, 2023, 10:00am – 12:00pm PT Family Tree Maker Users Group (online) Question & Answer. Each month, we will learn about using the features of FTM. Register in advance for this Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsdu6uqzgiGdDn7eCsOAgkvdOXktX127sz After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Subscribe to the free SKCGS FTM email list for meeting reminders and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/FTMUG
Monday, March 6, 2023, 11:00am PT Beginning Genealogy Class: Vital Records (online via Zoom) More details at https://www.skcgs.org/meetings-events/classes Tuesday, March 7, 2023, 6:30pm PT SKCGS Board of Directors Meeting (online) All SKCGS members are invited to attend; only Officers and Directors may vote. Write to Board@skcgs.org for the meeting link.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023, 6:30pm PT Beginning Genealogy Class: Vital Records (online via Zoom) This is a repeat of the March 6th class More details at https://www.skcgs.org/meetings-events/classes Monday, March 13, 2023 ⋅ 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT Genetic Genealogy/DNA Interest Group (online) “Ancestry DNA: Use All the Tools” Ancestry.com provides lots of powerful tools. We’ll make our way through them as time allows, and revisit the topic in April if necessary. Most important: link your test to yourself on your tree: https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Linking-an-AncestryDNA-Test-to-a-Tree?language=en_US
Sort matches using the dots
Filters, Searches, sorting
Using “Common ancestor”, unlinked trees
Using the Notes on each match page
“Do you recognize them?” – make that work for you
Shared matches with known cousins
Messaging your matches – what to say?
Tagging DNA matches in your tree, and adding DNA facts
Quickly finding your DNA matches in the tree (view match)
ThruLines
Ethnicity Estimates
Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIucuCvqTsqHNcN7wBEC0fB_3-TRYD1rZLm After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Subscribe to the free SKCGS Genetic-Genealogy email list for meeting reminders and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Genetic-Genealogy Friday, March 17, 2023, 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT Research Group (in-person) For SKCGS members Kent FamilySearch Center 12817 SE 256th St., Kent, WA Seating is limited RSVP REQUIRED to Winona at w.laird@skcgs.org Saturday, March 18, 2023, 9:30am PT social time; 10:00am – 11:30am PT program SKCGS General Meeting (online) Steven Morrison presents “Start Writing – Your Ancestor’s Legacy Depends upon YOU!” Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlcO2sqD0qEtEWuEfG8dL8lsLH_l2odD6v After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. This meeting will be recorded for playback by members.
To some genealogists ‘the hunt’ is everything. Learn how to shift gears and to write a cohesive story about your ancestor. Writing helps you refocus your thinking. You might even surprise yourself, realizing you’ve bagged your ancestor without knowing it!
Steven Waltz Morrison is the past-president of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Olympia Genealogical Society. He attained a Master’s degree from The Evergreen State College where he taught for seven years as an adjunct faculty. In 2018 Steven coordinated Exploring Quaker Records-At Home and Abroad at SLIG, in 2020 co-coordinated Exploring American Quaker Records at GRIP, and in 2021 coordinated Quaker Records of North America, Ireland and the British Isles for ISBGFH. He’s addressed international audiences on Quaker topics at the Ulster American Heritage Symposium in Omagh, Ireland & Toronto, Canada, and the Yearly Meeting of Friends in Ireland. In 2016, the American Society of Genealogists awarded him their Scholar Award.
Monday, March 20, 2023 ⋅ 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT Technical User Group (online) “How to Make FamilySearch Family Tree Work for You” The Family Tree is a powerful tool; we’ll begin today and return to the topic in April. 1. Create a free account 2. Create a profile for yourself, then add your parents and if necessary, grandparents
Profile view, and Tree view (hints)
Searching for records from the profile
Source Linker
Accessing linked sources and contributor/relatives/relationships
Merging profiles
Troubleshooting
Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAucuigqj4uH92bWWD2uycX9Z1uSsRLY4K6 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Subscribe to the free SKCGS Tech User Group email list for meeting invitations and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/TUG Thursday, March 23, 2023 ⋅ 11:00am – 1:00pm PT Genealogy Help with SKCGS at the Auburn Library(in-person) Genealogy questions? SKCGS offers one-on-one help with a volunteer 1102 Auburn Way S Auburn, WA 98002 Registration not required. In-person event. Safety guidelines and current protocols followed. More information at King County Library, email kcls-auburn@kcls.org Monday, March 27, 2023 ⋅ 1:00pm – 3:00pm PT Genealogy Chat(online) Meet up and chat about genealogy subjects and topics. We have no agenda; we just like one another! Register in advance for this Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUud-uqpzoiGtEMxlqDBQ_fUeS8oZjScF71 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Subscribe to the free SKCGS email list for meeting invitations and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Society
Saturday, April 1, 2023, 10:00am – 12:00pm PT Family Tree Maker Users Group (online) Question & Answer. Each month, we will learn about using the features of FTM. Register in advance for this Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsdu6uqzgiGdDn7eCsOAgkvdOXktX127sz After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Subscribe to the free SKCGS FTM email list for meeting reminders and discussion: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/FTMUG
Monday, April 3, 2023, 11:00am PT Beginning Genealogy Class: Census Records (online via Zoom) More details at https://www.skcgs.org/meetings-events/classes Tuesday, April 4, 2023, 6:30pm PT SKCGS Board of Directors Meeting (online) All SKCGS members are invited to attend; only Officers and Directors may vote. Write to Board@skcgs.org for the meeting link.
Wednesday, April 5, 2023, 6:30pm PT Beginning Genealogy Class: Census Records (online via Zoom) This is a repeat of the April 3rd class More details at https://www.skcgs.org/meetings-events/classes Friday, April 7, 2023, 12:30 – 2:30 pm PT EGS German Interest Group (online) “Researching the Eastern European German Diaspora” Presenter Mark Rabideauwill focus on the populations of Germans in Eastern Europe scattered in former German communities. Visitors welcome and more information at https://egsgermangroup.wordpress.com
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MEMBERSHIP: We welcome guests to our meetings and special interest groups, which are free. Naturally we hope that visitors will want to become members. Support like yours helps us to educate and engage with our community to foster interest in family and local history. Regarding our programs, even if and when we can meet again in person, we will continue with some virtual programs. You can find more information about membership at our website at https://www.skcgs.org/support-skcgs/membership.
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Genealogists and family historians, your help is needed to save access to historical immigration records!
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed a substantial fee hike to access millions of historical immigration records held exclusively by its genealogy program. This could effect you so it is really important that you post your comments and write to your Senators and Representative.
The comment deadline is now March 13th so please submit your comments by then. Please share this deadline with your networks, too. Encourage them to comment and contact their Senators and Representative. If genealogists don’t comment, USCIS will think we don’t care how long it takes to get records or how much it costs.
Our mailing address is: Seattle Genealogical Society 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Suite 302 Seattle, WA98103-6955
You are free to copy articles to any non-commercial web site or message board or printed publication you wish. Don’t bother to ask permission, just do it.
