A long way from home

We recently visited Southern Maryland for a short vacation. We had a good time and enjoyed the time on Solomon's Island. We also drove south to the next county and found Point Lookout, Maryland.

Point Lookout is now a national park but during the civil war was one of the largest Prisoner of War camps holding Confederate troops. They say over 50,000 men were there for about a year. It was created after the battle of Gettysburg.

At least three of my Fulford cousins from North Carolina were sent there after being captured. Two of them didn't make it home. Point Lookout was just a sandy beach and swamp back in the 1860s and isn't much more today. At least 3300 men died or almost 10 a day.

There is large monument at the Confederate cemetery listing those who died. They were originally buried in a half dozen small cemeteries on the island. Most of the men died of disease, small pox, typhus, etc and they tried to quarantine the sick to stop the spread of the diseases. They created separate cemeteries for each quarantine area and buried the dead according to where they died. After the war the bodies were dug up and buried in one mass grave.

I found the names of several Fulfords from North Carolina. I figured they were probably related so I did some research.

Anson Burgess Fulford died on February 11, 1864. He was captured on November 7, 1863 at the battle of Kelly's Run in Virginia. Anson was the 2nd cousin of my ancestor David Fulford. Burgess is a family name, his mother's maiden name and also the name of my ancestor Margaret Burgess.

In fact one of David Fulford's brothers was named William Burgess Fulford and he was held as a POW at Point Lookout also. He was fortunate to survive.

I also found the name James Fulford on the monument. It showed he served in the 4th North Carolina Cavalry.

I am pretty sure James was the son of Elijah Fulford who was born in Carteret County but moved to Currituck County about 1830. His father was the 2nd cousin of Anson Burgess Fulford. James Fulford died on December 8, 1863. As best as I can tell, he was captured at Gettysburg and held at Point Lookout for five months. By December they probably had snow on the ground and the only shelters for the prisoners were canvas tents.

Coffee time

This is a photograph of the small propane stove on the Anna Dean. It was my Grandpa Tink's fishing boat. The Anna Dean was the large boat he took out in the gulf or if the fishing was away

from Cortez., Florida. It had four bunks and a couple extra mattresses that could be put in the back by the engine cover so we could stay out for days or a week at a time.

The main use of the stove was to cook Grandpa's coffee. I can remember frying fish a couple times but we survived on packaged food. Honey buns, cokes, peanuts and and peanut butter sandwiches packed by Grandma.

Grandpa Tink was the chef. He would put an old coffee pot on the stove, filled with water and a half can of coffee and just let it boil. It was done when it tasted like what you would be spitting out if you took a plug of his chewing tobacco.

Every now and then one of us kids would pour ourselves a cup of coffee but I don't think any of them went anywhere but overboard. We might take a couple sips to show we were able but Grandpa was the only one who drank the stuff.

After the coffee was brewed to a nice syrup he would turn off the stove and let it cool down. After fishing he would just light up the stove and warm up the cold coffee.

I was looking at an old photo and realized the stove was visible. I don't know of any good pictures of the Anna Dean. I spent a lot of time on the boat with him but for the most part, fading memories are all that's left.

My 16 Great Great Grendparents

I saw a blog that suggested listing your 16 GG Grandparents. I never met any of them, in fact was born only a few months before the death of the last of the following generation, Great Grandmother Ida Lundy Wilson.

I have photos of some of them and since they were the generation of the Civil War, know a lot more about them than the ones before. So here they are, hope you enjoy the introductions.

John Green, born Abt. 1820 in South Carolina; died Bef. 1870 in Taylor County FL. He married Elizabeth Green in Coffee County Georgia.

Elizabeth Green, born in Georgia; died Abt. 1857 in Clinch County, GA.

James Henderson Hogan, born September 08, 1835 in Stewart County, GA; died January 24, 1918 in Perry, Taylor County FL. He was the son of James Hogan and Rebecca Paulk. He married Elizabeth Blanchard Abt. 1860 in Webster Co, GA.

Elizabeth Blanchard, born Abt. 1837 in Duplin County North Carolina; died March 1880 in Perry, Taylor County FL. She was the daughter of Benjamin Blanchard and Holly Ezell.

Joseph Ruel Rowell, born April 15, 1826 in Jefferson, FL; died May 22, 1896 in Shady Grove, FL. He was the son of William Rowell and Sarah Dixon. He married Versanoy Smith January 09, 1851 in Jefferson County FL.

Versanoy Smith, born June 1836 in Thomas County Georgia; died Aft. 1910 in Shady Grove, FL. She was the daughter of Seth Dykes Smith and Eleanor Ann Adams.

Linson Williams, born Abt. 1827 in Georgia; died Bet. 1856 - 1860 in Oglethorpe, GA. He was the son of William Williams and Sarah Booth. He married Amanda Gilmore Abt. 1850 in Lowndes County GA.

Amanda Gilmore, born April 1830 in Macon County Georgia; died Aft. 1910 in Taylor County FL. She was the daughter of John Gilmore and Mary Brady.

David W. Fulford, born 1832 in Straits, Carteret County, NC; died Bet. 1910 - 1920 in Straits, Carteret County, NC. He was the son of Col. Thomas Fulford and Susannah Whitehurst. He married Mary Catherine Ellis November 15, 1862 in Carteret County, NC.

Mary Catherine Ellis, born August 08, 1840 in Straits, Carteret County, NC; died February 26, 1914 in Straits, Carteret County, NC. She was the daughter of Isaac Ellis and Mary Nunn.

William H. Adams, born Abt. 1837 in Carteret County, NC; died Bef. 1880 in Carteret County NC. He was the son of Elijah Adams and Sarah Mann. He married Hope Jane Foreman October 04, 1868 in Carteret County, NC.

Hope Jane Foreman, born Abt. 1843 in Carteret County NC; died Abt. 1890 in Manatee County FL. She was the daughter of William Foreman and Cynthia Stephens.

Moses Wilson, born Abt. 1813 in North Carolina; died Aft. 1885 in Dade City Pasco County, FL. I'm not sure of the names of his parents. He married Vashti Ann Graham April 16, 1857 in Montgomery, Alabama.

Vashti Ann Graham, born Abt. 1836 in Montgomery County Alabama; died Aft. 1885 in Dade City Pasco County, FL. She was the daughter of Mercer Graham and Mary Addison.

William Augustus Lundy, born July 05, 1848 in Rose Hill, Taylor County, FL; died January 01, 1903 in Erie, Manatee County FL. He was the son of James Lundy and Susannah Easter. He married Margery Rowena Henry June 03, 1869 in Taylor County, FL.

Margery Rowena Henry, born December 10, 1853 in Thomasville, GA; died May 22, 1933 in Bradenton, FL. She was the daughter of Emery M. Henry and Elmina Davis.

Humpty Dumpty

Ernest F. Foreman was the 2nd cousin of my great grandmother, Sallie Adams Fulford but I doubt she ever knew him. He only lived 8 days.

Ernest was born on May 3rd and died on May 11, 1907. The only reason I knew about him is because I found his broken tombstone laying on the ground in the Palma Sola Cemetery in Manatee County Florida.

This is just a story about it, since I know nothing about Ernest. I first saw his tombstone in 2001, took a picture of it and was able to figure out who his parents were and his relationship to Sallie. The next time I was there in July 2005 the tombstone was missing.

I happened to mention this to one of my new found cousins, Paul Foreman who lived in Sarasota and he admitted he had taken the marker to try and repair it. It had been in his garage for several years after he found out repairing a marker that has been broken in multiple pieces is very hard.

In July of 2008 I was visiting the cemetery and noticed the marker was back, standing upright and in one piece. I asked Paul if he had fixed it and he said he tried but his repair job

didn't look nearly as good as the marker looks today. Apparently someone else decided to take it and work on it.

I don't know who did it or paid for the repair but it is appreciated. A young baby who only lived a little more than a week in 1907 has had several benefactors come forward over 100 years later.

Oldest living relative

Today is the birthday of my great aunt, Lydia Irene Green Allen. Aunt Lydia lived to be over 100 and as far as I can tell was the oldest of any of my relatives.

She was either 100 or 101, depending on who you believe, when she died on August 28, 1999. She was one of the sisters who changed their date of birth in the family bible. The revised entry in the bible says she was born in 1899. Her tombstone says she was born in 1898.

Her social security record and the 1900 census, the only census that listed the month and year of birth both say she was born in March 1899.

Lydia worked as a school teacher and didn't get married until she was over 50 and it only lasted a couple years. She had no children and no husband. I'm not sure if that contributed to her long life or not.

Strange Inscription

The concrete cover on the grave of Martha Fulford Willis has her name, date of birth and death and a reference to a bible quote. There is nothing unusual about that except if you actually read the scripture.

Many people quote a bible verse without knowing what it really says. That is pretty common but usually when they put it on a tombstone it is a well known and commonly used verse.

Martha Fulford Willis was the younger sister of my Great Great Grandfather. She died in childbirth on October 8, 1888 at only 18 years of age. She was married to Augustine Willis, a fisherman from Cortez, Florida.

After she died she was buried in Palma Sola Cemetery. She was probably the first family member buried there. On her tombstone. Augustine Willis added a reference to Revelations Chapter 18. There was a specific verse listed but the concrete marker is broken and the verse number is no longer visible. We will just have to guess which of these verses Augustine wanted to memorialize his deceased bride.

Revelation, chapter 18

1: And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2: And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3: For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5: For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6: Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7: How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8: Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9: And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10: Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11: And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13: And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14: And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15: The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16: And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17: For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18: And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19: And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21: And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22: And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23: And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24: And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Spanish Land Grant

John Addison was the brother of my great great great grandmother Mary Addison. Mary and John Addison were both born in Bladen County North Carolina and moved eventually to the present Manatee County Florida. John fought in the War of 1812 and received bounty land in Manatee County on the west coast of Florida from the US Government for his military service.

For some reason he also received a Spanish Land Grant in 1816 under the name Don Juan Addison. After the US took over Florida the Spanish Land Grants and Claims were all evaluated to determine if they would be allowed. Many of the claims were bogus and denied. Spainish officials created many of them without authority on their way out of town and some were people who lived on the land but never had title. John Addision's Spanish Land Grant was for 1414 acres of land on the Tomoka River on the east coast of Florida in present Volusia County. I found the records for it in the Florida archives. It is just north of where my sister in law lives today in Ormond Beach, Florida.

My Spanish education consisted of a few lessons in Second grade so I'm not sure what the land grant says. One day maybe I can find someone to translate it. The interesting part of the land grant is the color map of the property. It shows the land on the west side of the Tomoka River and includes drawings of the dwellings and trees on the property. I have several relatives who have worked as surveyors. I don't think they go to this detail on their surveys.

According to the records in the Florida Archives, John Addison's claim to the land on the Tomoka River was confirmed by the US Government in 1825. As far as I can tell he never lived there. He was listed on the 1830 and 1840 census in Leon County Florida and in 1850 he was in the part of Hillsborough County that became Manatee.