To Merge or Not to Merge...

Communal genealogy is not a good idea. I joined wikitree which is a free genealogical website. Unfortunately, just like wikipedia, anybody and I do mean anybody, can pretty much edit anything they want. You can add perfectly good information with sources and some idiot is going to mess it up. Recently, a woman was fishing for family and asked to "collaborate" I never heard of her ancestor and after checking all my files, I told her that I found nothing on him.

The next thing I know, literally a few days later, I am getting messages that a profile of mine needs to be merged with a profile she just created. This really ticked me off because I knew exactly what she was trying to do. She was trying to merge my ancestor, William Rhodes, that I spent a lot of time working on with someone else's profile for a person with the same name that was totally wrong. I had tried working with the profile editors of that page in order to get them to choose which William Rhodes it was about, but, they were having none of it. So that William Rhodes was definitely NOT mine since mine didn't emigrate to South Carolina and die, I created my own page. I already had forestalled one of these Merger people some weeks before and I knew that's what this new one wanted to do.

Oh, she claimed her creating a "new" profile of one of mine was just an accident, but, then how did she find out that her person's profile matched mine, if she had no idea mine existed? And how did she find my William Rhodes if little 'ol her didn't see the profile for one of his daughters?

I removed all the profiles she wanted to merge, so no merging had to take place. I didn't want to share a profile with some guy who merged three William Rhodes' together and then acted like a real jerk when I tried working with him.

This woman then wrote that three different people were all globbed together in the William Rhodes and then she wanted to "glob" mine into it too. Then she said that it now represents the same William Rhodes as mine! How so? Why wasn't that William Rhodes turned into the William Rhodes who died in SC? Or the William Rhodes that died in Mecklenburg Co., VA? Why was that William Rhodes turned into my William?

So even though my Rhodes ancestor goes through William Rhodes, that connection is now removed because there is another profile of a guy with the same name as my ancestor who is attached to the new and improved William Rhodes. Yay! And this one died in GA. Mine, the correct one, died in North Carolina. Soon some fool will suggest a merge between my ancestor and the one who died in Georgia.

Me thinks wikitree has a merging problem. So, yeah, wikitree is really starting to suck. Beware people fishing through your lines looking for a connection to their own!

Nancy Hart Challenge!

As I wrote in my last posting, I just recently learned of Nancy Hart, so whether she is a great aunt or not does not really matter all that much to me. What does matter more is genealogical and historical accuracy.

There is no doubt that Nancy Hart lived. And it seems certain that tradition has it correct that her maiden name was Morgan. There also seems to be no doubt that Benjamin Hart was her husband. Whether she did all that was attributed to her over the years is another matter.

What does seem problematic is her parentage. Although most of the early sources (books, genealogies, and articles) seem to agree that her parents were Thomas and Rebecca (Alexander) Morgan I have been unable to find any primary sources yet to back this up.

Instead, just the opposite, I have found records attached to my direct ancestors Mark and Sarah Morgan that seem to confirm that Anne was, in fact, a daughter of theirs. 

Writing to some people who descend, or claim descent from Nancy hasn't been productive either in obtaining primary records that she attaches her in any way to a Thomas Morgan.

For instance, I have read that the Hart family moved into the area of Orange Co., North Carolina around 1760. Presumably, this is where Anne Morgan was living when she met and married Benjamin Hart.

Checking the 1755 Tax List for Orange County, I could find no Thomas Morgans. So if there was a Thomas Morgan he either had no taxable goods or he wasn't yet living there. There is a Thomas who witnesses a will I believe in about 1764 in Orange County, but, he doesn't appear once in the court records during this same timeframe.

I will layout the records that I have found that appear to draw Mark Morgan and his wife Sarah into a relationship with Benjamin Hart and his wife Anne aka Nancy Hart.

So, the challenge is this... Please present some primary source material that connects Anne Morgan the future wife of Benjamin Hart who would become known as Nancy Hart the Patriot with Thomas and Rebecca Morgan.

The Daughters of the American Revolution has done some great work in preserving the past and honoring Patriotic heroes, but, sometimes their old published books have information that has been proved inaccurate.

Ann "Nancy" (Morgan) Hart... When did she die?

To be honest I just found out about the Georgia heroine Nancy Hart back in September 2019. I discovered her when searching for more information on my ancestor Mark Morgan of Orange Co., North Carolina.

Mark Morgan, himself, was an interesting character in his own right. Apparently, most of the earlier sources for Nancy, claimed it was a Thomas Morgan who was her father. One researcher, however, a Bob Lackey pointed out at the old Genforum website that Sarah Morgan, Mark's widow actually listed an "Ann Hart" as her daughter. That pretty much does it for me, although it may not be absolute proof.

Anyway, since discovering that Nancy Hart was most likely a great grand aunt of mine, I began reading up on her. It seems to be an accepted fact that she moved with her son John Hart to Kentucky and died in about 1830 in Henderson Co., Kentucky where she was buried at what is known as the Book Cemetery in that county. In the 1930s a grave was erected for her by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The only problem is that when I looked up the 1820 census record for John Hart she was not listed on the record. There was only one woman 45+ which would have been John's wife Patience. The story of Nancy's last years further claimed that she stayed with her daughter-in-law Patience after her son's death. There is an 1830 census record listing Patience as the head-of-the-household, but no record of another elderly female. Of course, some might say that was because she died before the 1830 census was taken. That could be true, but, why wasn't she found in the 1820 census?

There is an interesting tidbit of information from an article written by E. Merton Coulter in the 1950s entitled Nancy Hart, Georgia Heroine of the Revolution: The Story of the Growth of A Tradition. In the article he reports that, "A descendant of Nancy's wrote in 1901 that at the time of the funeral there was a total eclipse of the sun, and that it ought to be easy to find the exact date by determining when the eclipse took place. He thought it was 'about 1815 or 1820.'" This information came from the November 1, 1901 edition of the Hartwell Sun.

I could not locate any John Harts in Henderson County in the 1810 census. I did find two Johns in Kentucky that could have been the same John Hart but there is no evidence that either was the right one. Neither had another woman listed though who could have been Nancy Hart. But, let's just assume that Nancy did live with John and Patience in Henderson County. Could it be possible that she died sometime between 1815 and 1820? And could it be true that she was buried during a total eclipse?

There only seem to be two total solar eclipses that would have hit Kentucky around this period. One was June 16, 1806, and the other was November 30, 1834. There were no total eclipses within the 1815 to 1820 timeframe.

Maybe it was just an eclipse and not a "total eclipse." Let's see what other eclipses there were that might be the one referenced by one of her descendants. There were several annular solar eclipses between 1809 and 1831. An annular eclipse is when the moon covers the sun's center and there is something like a ring of fire revealed around the edges.

So, the dates in which these eclipses happened were April 14, 1809; August 27, 1821; February 21, 1822; September 28, 1828; and February 12, 1831. Of course, since I am not an expert some of these eclipses may or may not have been seen from the Henderson County area.

If the descendant's comments are to be believed on when she died and that there was a solar eclipse of any kind then the two closest dates for an eclipse were 1821 and 1822. Of course, there is still the problem of the census of 1820 for the only John Hart is living in Henderson County and it does not register his aged mother on the schedule.

If the story, that she lived with her son John is true, and that she moved with him and his family to Kentucky, could she have possibly died in April of 1809?

Considering how sometimes people's memories can fail them, more information needs to be gathered to give too much credence to either the descendant's pieces of information or the stories of Nancy living until 1830 and as some claim even 1840!

The truth is Nancy was a real person and she does seem to have resisted the Loyalists who were prowling the countryside of her neighborhood of Elbert Co., Georgia during the American Revolution.

As far as when and where she died, that storyline still needs to be worked on.          

LINEAGE NOTE
Many years ago Ransdell researcher Bob Moore seemed to have put a nail in the coffin of Sanford Ransdell b. 1781 being the son of Sanford Ransdell of Orange Co., Virginia. Moore pointed out that the older Sanford Ransdell when he made his will in Mercer Co., Kentucky in 1830 didn't mention having a son named Sanford. He further stated that it was likely that Sanford had no children at all. When confronted with the Sanford Ransdell and Sanford Ransdell, Jr. listing in the 1803 Mercer County Tax Record he said that that didn't always signify father and son, but also simply older and younger.

However, for the first time I have actually looked at an online scan of the actual page. For 1803 there are three lists that have rough alphabetical listings. The second list for 1803 has Ransdall, Sanford and Ransdall, Sanford, Jr. one on top of the other. They were listed on July 6th 1803. There is a "Rowland" recorded above them and a "Robertson" beneath them and those were recorded on other days. After examining this record, I now have little doubt that they didn't just share the same name, but were actually father and son, since there weren't anymore Ransdells on that list, which means these Sanfords were living near each other.

Indiana Pioneer - Noah Beauchamp

Indiana pioneer Noah Beauchamp who moved his family into the Indiana Territory around 1813, settled in Franklin County.

Noah Beauchamp was born in Maryland in 1785 and moved with the family to Kentucky in the 1790s. He married and left Kentucky for Ohio in 1804. The Beauchamps lived in Montgomery County until they eventually left for the Indiana Territory.

Noah purchased land in Section 24 of what was to become Connersville on December 14, 1812. It is most likely that his family would have moved  after his wife Elizabeth had her baby Mary who was born on March 13, 1813. Noah very likely would have gone ahead of his family and cleared some land and built a cabin.

Noah remembered events years later, "I moved to the State of Indiana and purchased a quarter section of land adjoining the town of Connersville... and settled in the woods; made some improvements and then I traded off that place, and my last residence in that county, was on Williams' creek."

It was while living in Franklin County that he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 11th Indiana Regiment during the War of 1812. There are only two sources for this information. A 1900 book which was transcribed from the original hand written Executive Journal of Indiana Territory and another from 1901 by William Pratt, entitled The History of the National Guard of Indiana. In the Executive Journal of Indiana Noah is listed as, "Noah Beachan" and in The History of the National Guard of Indiana he is listed as "Noah Beacham."

According to Pratt many of the early records were lost or destroyed, "official papers relating to the early days of Indiana are few. Many were lost during the moving of the State government from one capital to another, and from one State House to another. A wagon load of these valuable old documents was sold as waste paper by a janitor who did not realize their value. The record of early days is necessarily incomplete."

So for hundreds of soldiers in these early days of Indiana there are either no records of their service or very few. The fact that Noah was appointed a lieutenant is the only reason it is known that he was even in the 11th Regiment because the order survives in the Executive Journal. He died in 1842, before pensions were offered, so he never applied for one. Pension applications and records are a great source of genealogical and historical information.

Randolph R. Harris (b. 1786)

Randolph R. Harris was born in 1786 in Warren Co., North Carolina. He was the son of James H. Harris and Mary Smilley/Smelley. The name is sometimes written as Smilling.

Randolph married Sarah Davis on November 9, 1809 in Warren Co., North Carolina. I believe they are listed in the November 15, 1810 Montgomery Co. Census under Randle Harris as head of the household.

Shortly after this they moved to Dickson Co., Tennessee where Randolph joined Capt. Michael Molton's Regiment in 1813 and fought in the Creek War.

They had several children, although, I know the name of only one for sure, who was born in 1815. He was John C. Harris who was born in Dickson Co., Tennessee.

The 1820 and 1830 census records indicate that Randolph and his family were still living in Dickson County.

In 1824, Randolph purchased goods at Drury Price's estate sale in Dickson County.

After 1830, I believe that Sarah died, for in 1840, the age of Randolph's wife, in the census record is recorded in the next age bracket down from Randolph's.

In February of 1839, a son Thomas H. Harris was born to Randolph and Molly his second wife. What Molly's last name was and when and where they were married is not known. It has been speculated that Mary was the daughter of former Guilford Co., North Carolina resident Thomas Archer who was a Tennessee land speculator in the early 1800s. This speculation is based on family papers that came down through the Harris line.

In 1840 Randolph R. Harris and his family are listed as living in Hardin Co., Tennessee.

By 1850, they are living in Fayette Co., TN and Randolph is just listed as R. R. Harris, his wife Molly is down as having been born in Tennessee circa 1797.

In 1856, Randolph was mentioned in the records as living in the Northeast corner of Fayette County.

Randolph is not listed in the Tennessee census for 1860, instead he and his wife Mary are listed in the 1860 Arkansas Census and are listed as living with T. A. Dixon and his wife Sarah J., who was their daughter, in Duncan Co., Arkansas. Their son Thomas H. Harris age 21 is also listed as living with them.

After this 1860 Census, Randolph disappears from the records. He must have died sometime after 1860.

In 1870 his widow Mary is living with her son Thomas H. Harris and his family in Fayette Co., Tennessee.

Thomas H. Harris was a soldier in the Civil War for the CSA from Fayette Co. later he removed back to Arkansas and died there in 1900.

Thomas Archer (1752-1818)

Thomas Archer may possibly be an ancestor or related to my Harris family. Some papers that were handed down through the Harris/Borgman line (John A. Borgman married Mary O. Harris) had the names of both Thomas Archer and John Hamilton. Thomas Archer married John's sister.

Since some of the papers were regarding the Revolutionary War and since most of them were concerning Thomas Archer of Guilford Co., North Carolina, I think it is safe to say that this description of an event during the Revolutionary War is regarding this Thomas Archer.

The incident that was related in Interesting Revolutionary Incidents: and Sketches of Character, Chiefly in the "Old North State" by the Rev. E. W. Caruthers took place on February 13, 1781.

"Tarleton says that, " on the road many skirmishes took place between the British and the American light troops;" and it is said by others that they seldom shot at each other except across a turn in the road or when crossing a stream of water, though they were often in sight and sometimes within rifle shot. Occasionally, however, when the British were pressing too closely on them, they found it necessary to skirmish a little; and in such cases, as Williams, was on the retreat, he could generally select his own ground. On one occasion of this kind, according to favorable tradition, having drawn up the whole of his men in a position, he made show of fight, and appeared very determined on making a stout resistance. The British, thinking they had not force enough to encounter him, sent back for two pieces of artillery and a reinforcement of men. In the corps of Williams was a singular genius, by the name of Tom Archer, from the north-west corner of Guilford county, who, with some others, had probably joined them at Martinville, for the occasion. He was not remarkable for strength of intellect, but had some other qualities which admirably fitted him for the ever varying scenes of that arduous and perilous march. Rather above the medium height and well proportioned, bony, muscular and vigorous, he was always in his place and always ready for service. Though constantly on fatigue and exposed every hour to the most imminent dangers, he never complained or became discouraged. Frank and open hearted, with a good share of ready wit, and a good flow of spirits, he was the life of his comrades, and contributed not a little to their patient endurance of the toils and perils of the march. Inflexible in his purpose, when he thought he was right, and enthusiastic in the cause of freedom, rough in his manners, blunt in his language and never caring whether he "murdered the king's English," and made "Irish bulls," all the time or not, he was ever ready to be on the "forlorn hope," or take his turn at any kind of service. If to the above characteristics we add a great catfish mouth, a big stentorian voice, and a bushy head of hair that would hardly thank you for a hat, you have Tom Archer before you as large as life; and probably the reader will think with the writer that, in some situations at least, such a man would be a very desirable friend; but, at all times, a most undesirable enemy; or in other words, that he would, if not wronged or provoked in any way, be as clever a fellow as could be found in his sphere of life, ready to divide his last ration with a comrade or risk his life for a friend, but would "fight his weight in wild cats" before he would suffer any man or any set of men to trample on his rights. Hunting had been his delight from the time he was old enough to "draw a bead;" and, with his fine rifle, which he always carried and always kept in good order, he hardly ever missed his aim at any distance within two hundred yards.

When the artillery was brought up to its position in the road, Archer stepped out into the middle of he road, directly in front of the guns, and hailed them at the top of his big, strong voice, "Hallo, there— Mister, I wish you would take that ugly thing out of the road, or it may cause some trouble yet before all is over;" and then turning his head over his shoulder, said, to an officer standing by, "Captain, may I shoot that cussed rascal? for he has no business there, no how."

"No," said the captain, "not yet—wait till they are ready to apply the match; for we want to detain them as long as we can."

The enemy, of course, if they heard him at all, paid no attention, as they would take him for a drunken fool or some crack-brained mortal; but while the preparations were making—Williams bringing up and marshalling his men, and the British doing the same—Archer stepped to the side of the road and stood there leaning against a tree, resting his gun with the butt on the ground, and in perfect silence, as if in a " brown study," or anticipating the pleasure of the feat which he expected to perform, and keeping his eye steadily fixed on that " ugly thing," in the road. He had full confidence both in the gun and in himself; and having now a good opportunity as he thought, he was anxious to make another trial. Fear, was a word which had no place in his vocabulary, and he was probably never more composed in his life, but waited for leave to shoot, with as much impatience as he ever waited for a fine buck to come along when pursued by the hounds. The time was short—a very few minutes; and when he thought they were nearly ready to apply the match, he stepped out into the middle of the road and hailed them again. "Hallo, there—Mister, I say you had better take that thing out of the road, or I'll be hanged if I don't shoot some of you." Then turning to the officer, said as before, "Captain, may I shoot that cussed rascal now; for tellin' don't do him one bit o' good?"

"Yes," said the captain, "and as quick as you can, for we have no time to lose."

Having got permission, he clapped his rifle up against the side of the tree and taking sure aim with the quickness of an experienced hunter, and at the distance of about two hundred yards, when the gun cracked, a "red coat" fell. Then vaulting into the saddle, they all dashed off at full speed; and being favored by a hollow or a turn in the road, they had just time to get beyond the reach of the grape shot before the "big gun," was fired. By this manoeuvring on the part of Williams the enemy were probably detained an hour or two, which was no small advantage to the retreating army.

The above anecdote I had, some years ago, from what I consider good authority, and the character of Archer is well known in this community. There are many yet living who, when they were young, were well acquainted with him and they all, when asked, gave me the same account. One old gentleman replied to my inquiry with a laugh, that he had just sense enough to be "fool hardy;" but then he went on to give me his character more seriously, which agreed perfectly with that given by many others. He had considerable military spirit and got some office, that of captain, or one of lower grade; but it was found that, with a courage that feared nothing, he lacked discretion."

Another incident regarding this same Archer, I believe, is recorded in a Revolution War pension application by William Gipson. He relates, “That sometime in the summer of 1779, at one WILLIAM BRAZELTON’s in Guilford County, he and his party were in the house, when suddenly two armed men stood at the door. They, seeing the party within, immediately wheeled, and Colonel MOORE knocked down one of the men, who proved to be the notorious HUGH MCPHERSON, a Tory. His party soon took the other one, who proved to be one CAMPBELL and brother to the CAMPBELL taken prisoner and made his escape during the first campaign above related. His party took both of these Tories to Guilford Courthouse, about fifteen miles from the place of capturing them. There, a court-martial was held, composed of the officers of his party, and MCPHERSON was condemned and shot in the presence of this applicant. And CAMPBELL was condemned to be spicketed, that is, he was placed with one foot upon a sharp pin drove in a block, and was turned round by one THOMAS ARCHER, to the best of his recollection, until the pin run through his foot. Then he was turned loose.

This applicant cannot forbear to relate that as cruel as this punishment might seem to be to those who never witnessed the unrelenting cruelties of the Tories of that day, yet he viewed the punishment of those two men with no little satisfaction, as they were then supposed to belong to the identical band who inhumanly inflicted corporal punishment upon his helpless parent, who had committed no other offense than that of earnestly exhorting her sons to be true to the cause of American liberty.”

My speculation is that Randolph R. Harris married into the Archer/Hamilton family, possibly marrying a daughter of Thomas Archer since both Archer and Harris came from North Carolina and lived in Dickson Co., Tennessee.