Someone asked me the other day if I had found anyone famous in our family tree. About the most famous relative I've found is Senator Lamar Alexander from Tennessee. I did work on the trail of a link to the 12th President, James Polk, but I finally convinced myself that there was no link there. There were several Alexanders who were instrumental in the American Revolution but they weren't famous, or at least they aren't well known today.
We haven't discovered anyone famous on Louise's side either. We did, however, discover that my ham radio friend, Dave, is my wife's fourth cousin through a guy up in the Joplin, Missouri area. That was a surprise!
What is as fascinating as finding famous people is examining how someone in your family fit into the grand scheme of things 100 or 150 years ago. For an example, look at the story of my great great grandfather, Greenberry Stephens.
Greenberry was born in 1830 in Benton County, Missouri, the second oldest of a family of six boys and three girls. His father was a farmer as was Greenberry. In fact, looking through older censuses, most people did list their occupation as farmers back then. What a change from today.
In 1861, when the Civil War broke out, Greenberry was 31 years old and, being a good southern man, joined the Confederate Army. Missouri was split on the allegiances of its citizens; some favored the North but many were Confederates. At any rate, Greenberry was captured by the North and was sent to an unnamed prison.
Many southern soldiers captured during the war were allowed to sign an oath of allegiance to the United States and then return to their homes. One thing you did not want to do was sign an oath and then get caught again, which Greenberry did. He was charged with the crime of "bushwhacking" and convicted.
This time, Greenberry was sent to the Gratiot Street Prison in St. Louis, and then later transferred to Camp Morton in Indianapolis. We know how poor conditions were in these prisons and, if you were unlucky enough to be in one of them, your chances of surviving were pretty bad.
Greenberry did not survive Camp Morton; he died there on February 26, 1864. We have found a couple of letters explaining this event - the first is from Greenberry (while he was still at Gratiot Street Prison) to his wife, Nancy, where he knows that he might not ever see her again.
The second one if from someone in charge at Camp Morton informing Nancy that her husband had died.
While his death was a tragic event for the family, it was an indicator of all of the tragedy of the Civil War and it makes one realize what a horrible period that was.
It is also what makes me get up early in the morning and load Family Tree Maker!
