The Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library Family Tree
The Family Tree - Jun/Jul 2002
Wee Snippets

Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee were cousins. William E. Barton, famous Lincoln biographer, has traced the two leaders of the opposing forces in the Civil War to the same distinguished ancestor, Colonel Richard Lee; who arrived in Virginia in 1642 and died in 1664.

The genealogy of Col. Richard Lee's descendants is given as follows: Abraham Lincoln, son of Nancy Hanks Lincoln, daughter of Lucy Hanks, daughter of Anne Lee Hanks, daughter of William Lee, son of William Lee, son of William Lee, son of Colonel Richard Lee. Robert E. Lee, son of General Henry Lee, son of Henry Lee, son of Henry Lee, son of Richard Lee, son of Richard Lee, son of Colonel Richard Lee.

Thanks to The Kentucky Explorer

American Presidents who are Mayflower descendants

Our new President, George Walker Bush, is a descendant of four Pilgrims. His father, former President George Herbert Walker Bush, is descended from John Howland and his wife Elizabeth Tilley, and her father John Tilley, through the Howland's daughter Hope; and Francis Cooke through the Howland's daughter Jane. George W's mother Barbara Pierce Bush is a descendant of Henry Samson, through his son, Stephen.

John Adams, our second President, and his son, John Quincy Adams, our sixth president, were descended from John Alden through John's daughter Ruth.

James Garfield, our twentieth President, was a ninth generation descendant of John Billington through his son, Francis.

Ulysses S. Grant, eighteenth President, was a descendant of Richard Warren through Warren's son, Nathaniel. President Grant's son, Frederick Dent Grant, joined the District of Columbia's Mayflower Society in 1903 and his son, Ulysses S. Grant III, joined the same society in 1950.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our thirty-second President, had six Mayflower lines. Through his father, James Roosevelt, he descended from John Howland and wife, Elizabeth and her father, John Tilley. Through his mother Sara Delano, he descended from Isaac Allerton, Degory Priest, Francis Cooke and Richard Warren (he had four Warren lines).

William Howard Taft, twenty-seventh President, line (Francis Cook), has been discredited in the third generation.

Zachary Taylor, was our twelfth President. He descended from two Pilgrims, William Brewster, through his daughter, Fear, who was also Isaac Allerton's second wife.

Thanks to Whittier Area Genealogical Society Newsletter, PO Box 4367, Whittier, CA 90607-4367.

More Internet sites to check out

Downloadable genealogy forms, such as pedigree charts and family group sheets, make it easier to organize your research. You can find these free forms at the Ancestors website: www.pbs.org/kbyu/ancestors/index.html

Research logs (forms used to record the documents you've searched and the results) are available at: www.rootsweb.com>/~genclass/110/pictures/research.jpg

Correspondence logs (logs for keeping a record of letters sent out for data or letters received) are available at: www.rootsweb.com>/genclass/110/corr.htm

Diana J. Muir, Professional Genealogist and teacher of eight free online genealogy classes: www.rootsweb.com>/~genclass/

Are you researching New York?

Historical New York Times Project is a great new free resource on the Civil War.

Seagate Technologies and Carnegie Mellon University's Universal Library have teamed up to bring you the Historical New York Times Project, which offers direct scans of microfilm shot of nearly every issue of the New York Times during the Civil War, all presented online in an easy-to-navigate format. http://nyt.ulib.org

The Society of Genealogists, www.sog.org.uk, has selected Origins.net, www.origins.net  to provide exclusive Internet access for an initial ten-year period to important elements of its valuable collections of indexes and genealogical data. You will be able to access not only data from Scotland but now from England. Check out the Origins.net web site.

Thanks to GEMS of Genealogy, Bay Area Genealogical Society, PO Box 283, Green Bay, WI 54305-0283.

We know summer has arrived in Scotland when.......

* The rain is warm. * People open their curtains. * It never gets dark - apart from night time. * The rain clouds are fluffier. * You can take off one of your three jumpers. * Your umbrella gets a sun tan. * Locals drive around in their cars with the windows open and the heaters on. * Craft and gift shops unexpectedly appear from nowhere. * Locals move down to their finger-less gloves. * Scaffolding appears on historic buildings.

Thanks to The Palm Beach Thistle, The Scottish American Society of Palm Beach County, Inc., PO Box 15722, West Palm Beach, FL 33416.

Sticky Notes banned!

The California State Library system has Banned Post-it-Notes because testing by the National Archives has shown that they leave a residue, which can damage books. In addition, the narrow ones sold in sets of five colors can pull the printed word right off the page.

So, if you choose to use them in your personal books, be sure that the sticky part does not cover any ink. Never use sticky notes in library books to mark your place- take along some strips of paper or use blank call slips at the library.

Thanks to Bureau County Genealogical Society, PO Box 402, Princeton, IL 61356-0402.

Types of records encountered in research

There are basically three kinds of records you use in researching family history and validating information. The most important are primary records - records that were written by, or hold information given by, someone who served as a witness at an event, such as a birth.

Primary Records include birth and marriage records, as well as Bible records. (Death records are not considered primary records because the informant may not have known the deceased well. The birth and death dates may also be inaccurate on these records, and parental information may not have been available.) Bible records are considered primary records because the information is typically provided by someone with knowledge of the event, at the time the event took place.

Secondary Records are those written by someone who knew about the person but wasn't actually there at the time the event took place. These records include probate and land records written by clerks and attorneys, and census records, which contain information given by a person within the household.

Tertiary Records are those written by people who were not witnesses to an event, and who wrote the material long after the event occurred. These records include county histories, biographies, family histories, and school and tax records.

It is wise to seek evidence to confirm dates and resources from secondary and tertiary records.

The Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery Descendant Project underway

To honor the permanent members of the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery that completed the trip to the Pacific Ocean, the Clatsop County, Oregon, and the Pacific County, Washington, Genealogical Societies are offering a "Corps of Discovery Descendant Certificate" to any person who can document they are a descendant to any permanent member of the 1804-1806 expedition.

Data will be stored at the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc. Library in Great Falls, Montana. A book will be published after May 22, 2004, the official start of the 200th anniversary of the expedition and include all the accepted genealogical data. For an application packet contact: The Lewis & Clark Project, PO Box 372, Warrenton, OR 97146; www.pacifier.com/~karenl ; or Pacific County Genealogical Society, Washington, www.pacifier.com>/~uniqhorn.

Thanks to Reunions Magazine.

Three Pusser brothers came to Pulaski (the portion which is not Bleckley) County, Georgia from Union County, North Carolina in late 1849 or early 1850. Traveling by oxcart, the journey took eighteen days and nights. The families established homesteads in the area east of present day Cochran.

John Pusser, the eldest brother, was born May 10, 1818. He married Edith Helms prior to moving to Georgia. They first lived in a log cabin and later built a large two-story house for their ten children. The Pusser homestead also included a blacksmith shop and sawmill. John's occupation was listed in the census records as "Planter" and he reportedly acquired numerous tracts of land in Pulaski (and possibly Dodge) County. His estate also included many hundred heads of sheep and cattle. He died March 28, 1887 and Edith died May 10, 1916. Both are buried in the Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery in Bleckley County.

John's children donated one acre of his estate to the Methodist Episcopal Church for the purpose of establishing a church in their neighborhood. This property is the current site of Antioch Cemetery, northeast of Cochran in Bleckley County. The church, which was built on the donated land, burned and was not rebuilt.

Solomon Pusser was born about 1823. He first married Ada Austin in North Carolina and they had two children. After moving to Georgia, Solomon initially resided with his brother John in Pulaski County but later moved to Laurens County. He married second Spicey Fountain in Laurens County on October 7, 1855. It is not known if they had any children. On March 4, 1862, Solomon enlisted in Co. G of the 49th GA Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Confederate States Army. He was captured by the Union Army at Hagerstown, Maryland just prior to the Battle of Gettysburg. Solomon subsequently died November 4, 1863 after being admitted to the USA Smallpox Hospital at Point Lookout Prison in Maryland.

Pryor Green Pusser was born May 1828. He first married Martha Mullis, daughter of Griffin and Coalson Smith Mullis, on October 5, 1850. They had five children prior to Martha's untimely death one week after the birth of their daughter Sarah. Pryor Green then married Juliette Holland less than eight weeks after Martha's death. He and Juliette had seven children. Pryor Green was a successful farmer and businessman in the Cochran area. He died May 6, 1910 and is interred in the Salem Baptist Church Cemetery. Interestingly, Pryor Green had served as a witness on the 1882 deed which conveyed six acres of land (including the current cemetery site) to the deacons of the Salem Baptist Church.

The name change from Pusser to Purser seems to have initially transpired in Pryor Green's line in the early years of the twentieth century. Many, although not all, of the older tombstones at Salem show the Purser variation. Ironically, Pryor Green's first wife was listed as "Mrs. Pusser" and his second wife was listed at "Mrs. Purser". In contrast, many of the older markings at Antioch and Bethany, were most of John's descendents are buried, exhibit the original Pusser spelling.

A thorough search of most family trees will usually turn up a famous and/or infamous relative. The same is true with the Pusser/Purser lineage. One of John Pusser's great-grandsons was Buford Pusser, the legendary McNairy County, Tennessee sheriff whose life as depicted in the Walking Tall books and movies. In contrast, another branch of this same family tree we find the family of the convicted murderer whose shocking story was told on the front pages of the Macon Telegraph and in Jaclyn Weldon White's book, Whisper to the Black Candle: Voodoo, Murder and the Case of Anjette Lyles.

Today, the descendents of John and Pryor Green Pusser number in the thousands. Many still live in the middle Georgia area. Wherever they reside, all share in a proud heritage of the Pusser/Purser name.

Thanks to Wiregrass Genealogical Society, 45 25th Avenue, Eastman, Georgia 31023.

The American Pledge of Allegiance began when?

The original Pledge of Allegiance was drawn up in the office of The Youth's Companion magazine in Boston and appeared in the issue for 8 September 1892. It was published to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America, and was first used in the public schools to celebrate Columbus Day, 12, October 1892. The pledge was reprinted in leaflet form, and thousands were sent by the magazine to schools throughout the country to mark the anniversary.

Several years later a controversy developed among the descendants of two former staff members of the Youth's Companion, Francis Bellamy and James Upham, as to who was the author of the pledge. To resolve the question, Col. James A. Moss, U.S. Army (Retired) and the U.S. Flag Association of Washington, DC, appointed a committed of experts in 1939. The Committee consisted of two professors of American History, Charles C. Tansill and Bernard Mayo, and a professor of political science, W. Reed West. The committee weighed carefully the evidence presented by the opposing families, and decided unanimously in favor of Bellamy.

When first published, the pledge read "my flag" rather than "the flag of the United States." When representatives of various patriotic organizations came together on 14 June 1923, for the first National Flag Conference, a change in the wording was adopted. The rationale for the change was that it prevented ambiguity among foreign-born children and adults, who might have the flag of their native land in mind when reciting the pledge.

The pledge received the official recognition of Congress in an Act approved on 22 June 1942. The phrase "under God" was added to the pledge by an Act of Congress passed on 14 June 1954. At that time President Dwight D. Eisenhower said that "in this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our county's most powerful resource in peace and war."

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Thanks to Sons of the America Revolution, Jacksonville Chapter, Florida Society, PO Box 40581, Jacksonville, FL 32203-0581.

Who were my mother's ancestors? WILLIAM CROSS and wife ANGHARD ELLIS, son JOHN CROSS born 1587. Charlynch, Somersetshire, England. Contact: Richard Morrissey, 28656 Murietta (Riverside) CA 92586.

Were Civil War soldiers twins? THOMAS MORRISEY (1846-1865), also JAMES MORRISEY, company K, 8th heavy artillery of Albion, Orleans County, New York. Contact: Richard Morrissey, 28656 Murrieta, Sun City, CA 92586.

You Say: "I got it off the Internet"; and I wonder.......

* Have you contacted the compiler? * Have you located the original source? * Have you located records the online source suggests? * Have you considered that the online source might be incorrect? * Have you considered using offline sources as well? * Are you using the Internet source as a clue?

Thanks to Polish Genealogical Society of Wisconsin

Rannoch Moor featured in TV series and new book

It is reported in Strathspey & Badenoch Herald, that the fictitious UK hit television series Monarch of the Glen is about to be screened nationwide in the United States.

It is filmed in Badenoch with Arderikie House being the prime location. However, one of the sites used in filming is Rannoch Moor.

The cameras were in action at the Newtonmore Highland Gathering last August. The program has been highly successful in the UK and a second series has now started with the prospect of others in the future. It is hoped that the tourist industry in Badenoch will prosper as a result of the TV film.

For more information, to to www.google.com and search for Monarch, Glen and TV.

Sir Sean Connery Received William Wallace Award

Sir Sean Connery received the prestigious American-Scottish Foundation William Wallace Award at the National Tartan Day Capitol Ceremony, April 5, 2001.

Special guests were Scottish Parliament Representatives, Henry McLeish, First Minister; Patricia Ferguson, Deputy Presiding Officer; John Swinney, Leader of the Opposition; and British Ambassador, His Excellency Sir Christopher Myer.

We are so tickled to report that Sir Sean Connery is a Family Tree subscriber! Congratulations, Sir!

Scotland is open for visitors!!

The Scottish Tourist Board is getting the message across that Scotland is open to tourists during the foot-and-mouth outbreak through its website: www.visitscotland.com.

A "Scotland is Open for Business" section has been launched on the website which spotlights all the attractions, activities and events available in the 14 regions of Scotland to promote the country in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Daily travel news bulletins will be posted on the site as well as sensible information for visitors on what foot-and-mouth is, and appropriate precautions which should be undertaken.

The website is the recognized source of accurate information on the impact of foot-and-mouth disease in Scotland and is linked to all relevant sites, such as the National Trust for Scotland and RSPB.

STB Chief Executive Peter McKinlay said: "We are very concerned about the reporting of foot and mouth, particularly abroad, and want to ensure that messages about Scotland being open for business are seen far and wide. Our website receives 10,000 user sessions every day and is accessed by people from all over the world. We hope that this website will help to educate, communicate and encourage people to come to Scotland, particularly as large parts of the country are now accessible."

Clan Hay AGM to be held at Richmond, Virginia

The Clan Hay Society, American Branch, will hold its 2001 Annual General Meeting on October 27th and 28th at the Richmond Highland Games and Celtic Festival, in Richmond, Virginia.

For details, please contact William Hay Kommalan at 410-255-5065.

Dunnell, Minnesota plans 100th Anniversary

On July 6, 7 and 8, 2001, Dunnell, Minnesota will host the 100th Anniversary of the founding of their town. The celebration will include parades, an old-fashioned outdoor movie, an all-school reunion and a museum of Dunnell memorabilia.

The town of Dunnell was named after a famous citizen of the State of Minnesota, Mark Hill Dunnell, who served 8 terms in the United States Congress at the turn of the last century. Mark Dunnell moved to Minnesota from Maine after he served in the Civil War. His predecessors were Scots of Clan Donald and they settled in Maine starting in 1634.

Mr. Dunnell's memory will be honored and his living relatives, who have documented the entire family lineage, will all be present.

Henry Donnell landed 1634 in Virginia aboard the merchant ship Bonaventure on a fishing voyage. He settled in Yorke, Maine where he was a landowner.

For more information, contact Mary Dunnell Peters at petersmry@webtv.net.

Moore Family Reunion set for July 14, 2001

On July 14, 1786, Shawnee Indians, under the leadership of the notorious half-breed, Black Wolf, swooped down out of what is now Ohio, attacking the Captain James Moore family in Abb's Valley in southwest Virginia. The family was killed, except for 9 year old Mary, who was captured and sold into slavery in Canada. Her brother, Joseph, also escaped the massacre. He was visiting relatives at the time in Rockbridge County, Virginia, the former home of the Moore family.

Two years earlier, her brother James, at the age of 14, was captured by the self-same Black Wolf and also sold into slavery in Canada.

For a number of years, the Moore descendants have held family reunions in July on the Saturday closest to the date of the massacre. This year the reunion will be held on July 14th, exactly 215 years from that fateful day.

The reunion will start with a Dutch treat picnic lunch at noon at Christ First United Methodist Church in Abb's Valley, Tazewell County, Virginia, near Bluefield, West Virginia. The church is across the road from the Moore Monument and massacre site.

All descendants of Captain James Moore are welcome and urge to attend. For further information contact Robert H. Moore, Jr., 56 Governor's Lane, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, or call 609-688-9377.

A famous battle, originally fought by Highland soldiers on the banks of the Nile, was re-enacted in Northwest Scotland recently by Americans. The scene was famous Fort George, Europe's largest fortification.

Forty kilted, rifle and bayonet-wielding Yanks, mostly Californians, armed with Gatling gun and cannons, reenacted the textbook battle of Tel-el-Kebir.

The spectacular event saw pyrotechnics used to augment the sounds of the guns and the smoke of the battle. The impressive group, called "Bydand Forever" after the Gordon's Gaelic Regimental motto which means "Steadfast", staged the battles for Historic Scotland. They have recreated the maneuvers and tactics of the Gordon Highlanders through painstaking archival research. All their uniforms and equipment are exact replicas of originals and the Highland riflemen are augmented by a Royal Navy crew and Royal Artillerymen.

The original battle of Tel-el-Kebir was fought by The Gordon Highlanders and other British regiments sent to Egypt by HRH Queen Victoria. It was done to restore the overthrown and bankrupt Egyptian government and to protect Britain's interests in the Suez Canal. The battles at Fort George were the largest-scale performances by Bydand Forever in its 10-year history, and were complete with Egyptian soldiers firing Snyder rifles and 12-pounder canons at them from fortified positions.

Historic Scotland North regional director, Bob McIlwraith said, "Bydand Forever were definitely the highlight of this year's events programmer!"

Bydand Forever is actually a commemorative team officially sanctioned by The Gordon Highlanders Regimental Museum in Aberdeen, Scotland. Now they are back in the United States performing a Scottish and Victorian events throughout the Southwest. They may have Colorado and Ft. Henry, Canada on their performance schedule this year. For their fourth triennial tour of Scotland in 2003, they are trying to work in a special appearance at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. They were barracked and fed with the Royal Highland Fusiliers during their stay at Fort George, and performed twice at the annual Tattoo in nearby Inverness.

Their shows at Fort George were widely publicized and brought thousands of spectators to Fort George. Next, they traveled to The Gordon Highlanders Regimental Museum in Aberdeen for a special reception and to scatter the ashes of one of their departed soldiers into the Secret Garden. The first weekend in August they were featured performers at the "Gordon 2000 Highland Homecoming" in the shadow of historic Huntly Castle, also in Aberdeenshire. The village of Huntly was the birthplace of The Gordon Highlanders in 1794. In addition to performances at this huge and historic festival, Bydand Forever marched through Huntly with The Highlanders, the regiment which was formed six years ago when The Gordon Highlanders were amalgamated with The Queen's Own Highlanders.

If you want to learn more about Bydand Forever, or the history of The Gordon Highlanders (which Winston Churchill called "The finest regiment in the world!"), you can look to the following sources. Bydand Forever's web site (currently under reconstruction) is at www.bydand.com.

You can get a preview of the beautiful Gordon Highlanders Regimental Museum at St. Luke's in Aberdeen Scotland, at www.gordonhighlanders.com. Information on Fort George can be found on Historic Scotland's Web site, www.historic-scotland.gov.uk.

If you are interested in the Gordon 2000 Celebration, which brought together Gordon Highlanders veterans and members of the House of Gordon from all over the world, a new video of the historic event is available in either NTSC or PAL from TV Services of Huntly, Scotland, at tvservice@btinternet.com.

Internships available in Wales

The National Assembly for Wales, along with the University of Wales, has teamed up with Ohio University to offer American Students a range of internships in the Assembly.

Ohio University is the gateway for U.S. students of any major to experience first-hand one of the most exciting developments in modern European politics. Students of Welsh descent or those directly interested in Welsh or Celtic studies are particularly encouraged to apply.

In the context of strengthening Welsh-American ties over the last few years, we hope this unique opportunity for American students will be of interest to you. For more information please visit: www.cas.ohiou.edu/pols/walesinternship/ or e-mail pols.interns@ohiou.edu.#

The Wales internship Program is nonprofit and run by the Political Science Department of Ohio University, in conjunction with the University of Wales, Swansea.#

Write David Norris, Wales Internship Assistant, Political Science Department, Bentley Hall, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701.

Thanks to Y Drych, Box 8089, St. Paul, MN 55108-0089.

Women's Welsh Clubs of America Scholarships now available

It is time once again to be thinking of the scholarships offered by The Women's Welsh Clubs of America for those who qualify.

Applicants must be Welsh or of Welsh descent, a citizen of the United States and meet certain requirements such as:

1. Maintained a 3.0 or better grad point average
2. Provide proof of financial need
3. Proof of enrollment as a full-time student or doing post-baccalaureate work
4. Authorize the registrar of the school to send an official transcript when available.

Applications are available from the office of The Women's Welsh Clubs of America, Scholarship Committee, 22199 Center Ridge Road, Rock River, Ohio 44116, or by telephone 440-331-0420. Completed applications must be returned to the above address on or before June 15, 20001.

Helena Liddle Wins Clan Donald Educational & Charitable Trust Scholarship

Robert McGinnis, Secretary of the Clan Donald Educational & Charitable Trust of Pittsburgh, announced that the winner of this year's $7,500 scholarship awarded by the Scholarship Committee of the Trust is Helena Liddle or Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

Ms Liddle will use the scholarship to work toward here doctorate in Scottish Literature at the University of Edinburgh. She has already completed her master's work at Edinburgh and has won other scholarships in the past from clans MacBean, Macbeth, MacLellan and Ferguson. Her mother, Nancy Hagen Liddle, is very active in Scottish affairs in the Pittsburgh area, where she is a member of the Pittsburgh St. Andrew's Society and dances with the Pittsburgh Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.
Funding for the Clan Donald scholarship program is provided in a large part by receipts from the Ligonier Highland Games, which are held on the first weekend after Labor Day each year. This year's dates will be September 7-9.

Information about applying for the Clan Donald scholarship or a schedule of events for the Ligonier Games can be obtained by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to PO Box 884, Bethel Park, PA 15102, or by checking the Games' web site at www.ligoniergames.org.