The Bridge to Serendipity

Burnside Bridge - photograph in personal collection

Growing up, our family traveled to many historical sites in the region. Mainly, Civil War battlefields in Maryland and neighboring states. My father was a huge history buff. At the time I don't believe I appreciate the visits to the spots. As a child I would run around in the open fields. As a teenager, take along a book to read under a shady tree.

Didn't I go and marry someone with the same interests! My father and husband would have in-depth conversations about history. And most of the time, I would leave them to their confabs.

Once our children came along, there we were, driving those same roads. Visiting those same sites. But, something interesting happened. Once I started researching family history, history itself became extremely important. I wanted to know the whys, hows and whens. 

One spot we visit is Antietam National Battlefield. More that forty times over the years. Every season brings a different feel. Each visit, we always walk across the Burnside Bridge.

Hubby standing on Burnside Bridge - November 2020

This month, hubby and I traveled to the battlefield and did just that. Walked Burnside Bridge. Here we see the bridge ... now for the serendipity.

I have been tracing hubby's Finney line. His 4th great-grandmother was Lucinda Finney. She was born January 28, 1763 in Litchfield, Connecticut [1]. Lucinda married Platt Starr on November 28, 1782 [2]. Thus, beginning the Starr line, which lead to my mother-in-law, Rachel Elizabeth Starr.

Yesterday I came to Helen Clarissa Finney, She was hubby's 2nd cousin 4x removed. Helen was born June 10, 1828 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [3]. She married Jacob Dolson Cox on November 29, 1849 [4]. 

On Ancestry.com, there was an abundance of information about Jacob. He had a distinguished career in the Union Army during the United States Civil War. In fact, he attained the rank of Major General [5].

A hint for Jacob was his Find A Grave memorial page. A very impressive biography was posted on the site. Reading I discovered the following:

"he served as a division commander in the subsequent battles of South Mountain (assuming command of the IX Corps after Major General Jesse Reno was killed) and Antietam (where his Corps fought to take what was to become known as "Burnside's Bridge)" [6].

Doing additional research on Jacob, I discovered he wrote two books. I located both on the Project Gutenberg website.

Military Reminiscence of the Civil War, volume 1 : April 1861-November 1863 by Jacob D. Cox; published 1900 by C. Scribner's sons

Military Reminiscences of the Civil War, volume 2 : November 1863-June 1865 by Jacob D. Cox; published 1900 by C. Scribner's sons.

Jacob Dodson Cox

photograph from Military Reminiscenes of the Civil War

by Jacob Dolson Cox, published 1900

In each volume we find this wonderful image of Jacob Dodson Cox.

What an interesting piece of family history! The same bridge hubby and our children walked many times. Love placing ancestors in time and place. Then connecting them with our lives.

______________

Sources 

[1] Connecticut, U.S., Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection), Kent Vital Records 1739-1852, p. 76 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com : accessed 21 November 2020)

[2] Connecticut, U.S., Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection), Kent Vital Records 1739-1852, p. 76 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com : accessed 21 November 2020)

[3]  Find a Grave, database and images (https://findagrave.com) : accessed 21 November 2020), memorial page for Helen Clarissa Finney Cox (8 Jun 1828-7 Jun 1911), Find a Grave Memorial no. 34521649, citing Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA: Maintained by Janet Potts (contributor 46842861)

[4] "Governor Cox's Widow: died at Oberlin and Will Be Buried in Cincinnati", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio, 8 Jun 1911, Thu, p.16, col. 4; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://newspapers.com : accessed 21 November 2020)

[5] U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA,  Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com : accessed 21 November 2020)

[6] Find a Grave, database and images (https://findagrave.com) : accessed 21 November 2020), memorial page for Jacob Dolson Cox (27 Oct 1828-4 Aug 1900), Find a Grave Memorial no. 4443, citing Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA: Maintained by Find a Grave

Escape from Libby Prison

George Hills Starr

1st cousin 4x removed of husband

b. Jan 08, 1840

Rochester, New York

d. Jul 1916

Yonkers, New York

Free book sites have become some of my favorite genealogy resources. Checking databases in hopes of discovering a new ancestor, unearthing family history and trying to place events in context.

Last year I found an obituary for George Hills Starr, 1st cousin 4x removed of my husband. In the article we learn of George's involvement in an elaborate escape from Libby Prison during the Civil War.

Excerpt from obituary - New York Times, July 31, 1916

"Colonel Starr was sent to Libby Prison, from which he escaped, being one of the 105 men who got out through a tunnel. After being recaptured he was sent to Macon, Ga., where he again escaped. On being captured a third time, Colonel Starr was sent to "Old Camp Sorghum", in Columbia, S.C."

I decided to search Google Books for resources about the Libby Prison Escape. 

Discovered The Photographic History of the Civil War...: Prisons and hospitals. by. Francis Trevelyn Miller - Editor-In-Chief. Roberts Sampson Lanier - Managing Editor. Published by The Review of Reviews Co., 1911. This volume gives further details about this historical event. 

In the book we learn "about a hundred Union officers escaped from Libby Prison, chiefly by crawling through a tunnel bored under the street."

Next I went to Project Gutenberg. This is a website with "a library of over 60,000 free eBooks". There I discovered the following article with even more detail about the escape.

Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes Of The Civil War. Published by The Century Co., 1911. 

Here we are told "The Richmond papers having announced the "miraculous" escape of 109 Yankee officers from Libby, curious crowds flocked thither for several days, until some one, happening to remove the plank in the yard, revealed the tunnel."

Also, with Google search found escape diagram on the Civil War Richmond website.

Even though George is not mentioned, we gather important facts to complete his story. You might not discover your ancestor on the pages of a book, but you may uncover events that directly influenced their lives.

Bible Tells Me So ~ Charles Judd Revealed

This family treasure came from a special Ancestry Cousin. Little did I know reaching out to a fellow genealogist would uncover such a gem.

I have been communicating with Dee about the Judd family line. In particular, Charles Judd. Charles was my 3rd great-uncle. He was born October 5, 1843 in Germany. He died May 6, 1888 in Sherman, Texas.

Dee sent an email with various photographs. She thought several were related to Charles Judd. There were four photographs in all, two of a gentleman in Civil War uniform, and two a Bible with inscription. The photograph of the Civil War soldier did have "Charles Judd" on the back. Gathering clues, I was able to prove this was our family's ancestor.

"This is the property of Charles Judd if anybody find this and I am dead please notify my Parents of it at No 20 Walker Street Baltimore MD"

"Charles Judd No 20 Walker Srt Baltimore"

"My Father Mathius Judd No. 20 Walker Str Baltimore Md"

In the Bible, Charles Judd gives father's name as Mathius Judd. Address to contact his parents 20 Walker str.

Mathias Judd was my 3rd great grandfather. Maryland, City Directory, 1865 has the family residing at 20 Walker Street. Eureka!

Right away, I sent an email to Dee with this discovery. She responded with "Hello cousin, let's have some genealogy fun!"

Now Dee (still trying figure out exact relation) and I are communicating about shared heritage. She kids about names for our new family team. She suggested "purveyors of the past", "missing linkers" or, "tree branchers". Love her sense of humor.

How fortunate to discover a family connection willing to share.