Rebecca C Kirkman

I was originally going to post this week about David Harris Foust, my husband's second great-grandfather. Then, after looking into him, I found his wife, Rebecca C. Kirkman, to be a much more fascinating individual.

Rebecca Kirkman was born 10 February 1845 to William Kirkman and Mary (last name unknown). At about 15 years old, on 10 November 1861, she had her first child, Martitia Lee Ward. Martitia's father is assumed to be Zeno Ward. Zeno may not have known Rebecca was even pregnant when he enlisted with his brother, Minus, in the 22nd North Carolina Infantry, a part of the Confederate States Army, on 18 June 1861.

Taken from Service Records

He originally enlisted for 12 months, but he ended up staying until October 1864.

Zeno had an eventful experience in the War. Less than six months after enlisting, he catches pneumonia and is hospitalized. He was shot in May 1863 to the point of needing surgery at the hospital in Richmond, Virginia. He was later wounded again and captured at Gettysburg. After Gettysburg and his time as a POW, it seems he was furloughed. But then, in May 1864, he was listed as being absent without leave.

Taken from Service Records

I almost got mad at Zeno at this point. His brother, Minus, seemed to be absent a lot from the War, but Zeno stuck around even with everything he had been through. As a soldier who had experienced so much, it seemed like now he was simply running away from the War. But, instead, I found he was doing something much more honorable.

On 8 May 1864, he married Rebecca back home in Randolph County, North Carolina.

Maybe Minus had found out about his child while he was absent from the War, and maybe somehow he got the word to Zeno. In any case, I find Zeno's actions very honorable. I like him very much!

In 1870, he is seen living down the road from his parents in Sandy Creek in Liberty, Randolph County, North Carolina with Rebecca, Martitia, and another child, Alfred T. (Alfred was born in 1865. I have a feeling he was a honeymoon baby.)

Clipping from 1870 census

Then, in 1872, Zeno died. I haven't found any information yet on the cause of death, but I find it sad that this man lived through so much and still died at 32 years old.

Rebecca seems to have not wasted any time though in finding another man to support her and her children. While I don't know who she married (if she married) after Zeno, she had two more children in the mid-1870's. They appear in the 1880 census carrying the last name Ward.

Clipping from 1880 census

Also listed in the household in 1880 is a man named D H Foust. This is the same David Harris Foust I initially wanted to feature. David and Rebecca married in 1880 apparently after the census was enumerated.

Clipping from 1880 census

According to the 1930 census, David may have been married once before Rebecca, but I have not found the name of that potential spouse.

Clipping from 1930 census showing David's age at first marriage being 16

In the 1900 and 1910 censuses, it has a column that lists the number of children each woman has had and how many of them are still living. Each of those censuses states she has had eight children. In 1900, six of them are still living, but only five of them are living in 1910.

Clipping from 1900 census

I know of seven children born to Rebecca before 1900, so I seem to be missing one. I also don't know when most of her children died. Here's what I know:

Children of Zeno and Rebecca:

• Martitia Lee Ward, b. 1861, d. 1931
• Alfred T Ward, b. 1865
• Ella C Ward, b. 1869

Children of Unknown and Rebecca:

• Mary J Ward, b. 1874
• Martha C Ward, b. 1876

Children of David and Rebecca:

• John W Foust, b. 1883
• Maud Elsie Foust, b. 1886, d. 1973

Rebecca, David, and Zeno are all buried at Grays Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery.

David H. and Rebecca C. Foust
Copyright Brittany Jenkins, 2011

Sources:

• 1870 Sandy Creek, Liberty, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1880 New Salem, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1900 East Franklinville, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 East Franklinville, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Franklinville, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina (accessed on Fold3)
• Tombstone, David H. and Rebecca C. Foust (photo taken Christmas 2011)
• Tombstone, Zeno Ward (photo taken Christmas 2011)

Farmers in Cedar Falls in 1900

In the 1900 Census for Cedar Falls township located in East Franklinville, there are 54 families listed. Only nine of those families live on a farm. Most of the families living in the area had household members working at the cotton mill. These are the names of the heads of households for families living on a farm in Cedar Falls in 1900.

1.) 31-year-old John Campbell lived on a farm with his family, but he was a loom fixer at the cotton mill.

2.) Dennis Allred, who has already lost two children in his first seven years of marriage, lives just down the road from John Campbell.

3.) James Pounds lives with his wife and two of his grown children.

4.) Widower James Dorsett raises five children on his farm.

5.) Manly Julian lives with his wife, only surviving child, and his new son-in-law.

6.) Arlindo Cox lives on a farm, but he works at the cotton mill as a manufacturer. Here, he is shown with his second wife, four of his children, and his sister-in-law.

7.) Arrington Laughlin appears living with his wife and two of his children.

8.) James Jennings was a carpenter. He is living with his second wife and four of his children.

9.) James Allred shares his home with a boarder who also happens to be an Allred.

I hope to continue working my way through the entire East Franklinville Census from 1900. This is just the first of many posts to come! I'll spread them out over the next several months though instead of doing them all at once, so keep an eye out for them!

Sources:

• 1900 East Franklinville, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)

William Vester Trogdon

William "Vester" Trogdon was born 17 February 1899 in Randolph County, North Carolina. He was the fifth of 11 children born to Francis Marion Trogdon and Mary Virginia Owen Lineberry. Vester lived his entire life in the town of Franklinville, located in Randolph County, North Carolina. I don't know much about Vester beyond that which can be found in public records, but this is what I know.

Vester had a fourth grade education, which makes sense because his father was always in some sort of trade. I don't know where he went to school, but I doubt he would have met his future wife, Minnie Elisa Gray, while in school. She was seven years younger being born 28 March 1906. (Minnie had a seventh grade education. Since her father was a carpenter, a somewhat higher level of education would make sense for her and her family.)

Vester lived in Franklinville with his parents and siblings until he got married in 1921. She, too, lived in Franklinville her entire life. I think they probably met each other some time between 1910 and 1920 when Vester and his family moved down the road from Minnie. Before then, Vester was living in what was called West Franklinville in the 1910 census. I'm not sure what parts of town this actually covered, you can kind of tell from the enumeration district map the general idea.

Randolph County Enumeration District Map for 1920 Census

I wonder if Vester's family moved due to his father's (seemingly constant) change in occupation. In 1900, Francis Trogdon was a mechanic. He was living in an un-mortgaged house which wasn't located on a farm. In 1910, he shows up as a blacksmith owning his own shop, however, now he is living on a farm which carries a mortgage located in West Franklinville. (The older boys of the house seem to be the ones working the farm.) Then, in 1920, Francis is a machinist with his own shop with all of his older boys working with him in the shop. They live, probably in the same house, on a farm still, but now they are listed as owning the farm "freely" without a mortgage.

I wish I knew a little bit about Francis' machinist shop and the kinds of tools they made. Were they mechanic tools? Were they farming tools? Or were they tools to assist with the cotton mill that seemed to be the place to work in town? I think a wise machinist would cater to all three areas at least, but I like to at least think they helped the cotton mill from time to time because that's where Minnie was working in 1920 as a spinner.

Clipping from 1920 census showing Minnie's occupation

Franklinsville Manufacturing Company
1306 Andrew Hunter Road, Franklinville

As I said earlier, Vester and Minnie got married in 1921. They set up home, as you would have guessed, in Franklinville where they each grew up. By 1930, they own their own farm home with a total value of $400.

Clipping from the 1930 Census
Vester and Minnie were the only one of their neighbors with a radio!

Minnie came home from working at the mill, probably to be with the kids, and Vester ended up getting a job there as a loom fixer where he was still working in 1940. In 1940, the value of their home increased to $500, and Vester's income was stated to be $1,300 in the census.

Clipping from 1940 census showing Vester's occupation and salary

Vester and Minnie had a total of five children:

• Grace "Yvonne" Trogdon
• Gouldia Gray Trogdon (who died at two weeks old)
• Edith Maude Trogdon
• Helen Faye Trogdon
• William Gene Trogdon

They are buried at Grays Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery.

Copyright Brittany Jenkins, 2011

Sources:

• 1900 Franklinville, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 Franklinville, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 West Franklinville, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1920 Franklinville, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Franklinville, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Enumeration District Maps (accessed on FamilySearch)
• Randolph County Historic Landmark Preservation Commission - Franklinsville Mfg. Co.
• Tombstone, W. Vester and Minnie G. Trogdon (photo taken Christmas 2011)
• Town of Franklinville, NC

W. S. Lineberry

The following is a post from my Civil War blog, Civil War Souls, about a man born and raised in Randolph County. His name was W. S. Lineberry. (If you enjoy this take on Civil War history, I invite you to subscribe to my Civil War blog where I will be posting bi-weekly.)

For my first post on this blog, I couldn't think of a better subject than Winfield Scott Lineberry. It was his account of his experience in the US Civil War that got me interested in Civil War history. Now I will try to share that history with you.

Winfield Scott Lineberry was born 2 April 1847 in Locust Grove, Randolph County, North Carolina at the farm home of his parents. He was the 8th of 9 children born to Lemuel and Sally Hanner Lineberry.

When Scott was just 14, the War started. I'll let him tell you himself what his experience was like. This was taken from his "Biography of the Lineberry Family," which he wrote in 1918.

"When I saw the men volunteering and drilling, oh, how I did want to go too, but my father and mother told me I was too young. However, I had an ambition to be a military man, so I studied the army tactics and became a drillmaster.  After I was 15 I was a pretty good drillmaster and was elected first lieutenant of the state militia, but this did not put me in the regular army where I could shoot Yankees, and this was the height of my ambition.  When the first draft came on, which I believe was in 1862, I was elected first lieutenant of the drafted men.  Now I thought I was going to get to don a uniform and go and fight Yankees, but that night when I came home my hope was cut in the bud, for my parents told me I was too young and could not go, but in April, 1864, all between 17 and 18 were called to the colors, so we met in Asheboro and organized and I was again elected first lieutenant and Will Foust was elected captain.  We were ordered out the 25^th of May and when we got to Raleigh we had to reorganize and I was elected captain.  My company was put in the first regular junior reserves as Company F.  We later became the 70th Regular N. C. Troops.  We drilled in Raleigh sometime.  I had in my company 110 men, as fine a looking set of boys as ever shouldered a musket and I must say I was proud of them."

 

According to the book, "Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions," the other officers in W. S. Lineberry's 70th NC Troop, Company F, included 1st Lieutenants L. S. Gray and H. C. Causey, 2nd Lieutenants H. C. Causey, Z. T. Rush, W. T. Glenn, and W. R. Ashworth.

Clipping from "Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions"

"I soon had them well drilled, as I had had some experience in drilling, and we were soon transferred to Weldon.  There was a lot connected with this young life of mine that I would like to tell you, but it would consume too much space, so I must hasten on. 

The first time we had the pleasure of meeting the bluecoats was at a place called Poplar Point, on the Roanoke River.  We sunk three gunboats (one got away) and put the Yankees to flight.  I think that was one of the happiest nights I ever spent.  I had tested my boys and saw they had the grit and would fight I was prouder of them than I was before. 

Our next fight was at Bellfield, Va.  We fought the Yankees all day and laid in line of battle all night.  That night there came a big sleet which froze our blankets to our clothes.  Next morning when light came, to our surprise the Yankees were gone.  They left the ground covered with dead, which proved we had not shot wild.  We pursued them several miles, but could not overtake them, so we came back to North Carolina."

Clipping from "Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions"

"Our next fight was at Kinston the last of March.  Here we held an army four times our number three days, and many a Yankee we made turn up his toes, but on the third night the Yankees found they could not break our lines.  They commenced moving so as to cut us off from Raleigh, so we had to fall back to Smithfield.  I was slightly wounded in this fight, but never left the battle field.  Our next fight was at Bentonsville, near Smithfield.  Here Joe Johnson, our commander, had to fight not only the army we fought at Kinston, but all of Bill Sherman’s grand army.  They had at least six men to our one, but notwithstanding this our grand army, which was half-naked and half-starved, held all this powerful army in check for three days and nights and many were the dead bluecoats we left on the field.  When they found they could not break our lines they again tried to cut us off from Raleigh, so we had to fall back again.  When he got to Raleigh we heard the news of Lee’s surrender, so Johnson marched us to Greensboro and surrendered to Sherman, and this ended the war.  We surrendered April 27, 1865."

I think the thing that makes me love the story of Winfield Scott Lineberry so much is the fact that it was so many other soldiers' story as well. He was a young boy who was, technically, too young to fight, but he didn't let that stop him. Not only did he not let that stop him from fighting, he didn't let that stop him from becoming a Captain.

As far as I know, he was the only one of his siblings who fought as well. His siblings were "hatters" by trade for most of their careers. Perhaps they "served" by supplying soldiers during the War? Further investigation into any possible connection to the War with his older brothers is still needed.

Probably the most impactful part of Scott's story, though, is the aftermath of the war. His story continues in his "Biography" after he got home from the war.

"On April 28th, 1865, I put foot in my old home once more with nothing in this world only the old clothes on my back and they were ragged—not a dollar in the world.  I was sick on our retreat and put my knapsack in a baggage wagon with my uniform, which was nearly new, and all my belongings except my Bible, and I never saw the knapsack any more.  I found everything at home impoverished and I felt like I had rather be dead than alive.  I went to work on the farm with but little to work with."

Five and a half years after the end of the Civil War, Scott got married and began his family. They had nine children. He stayed rather close to other Civil War veterans during the remainder of his life. He served as US Deputy Marshal briefly. He spent some time as a storekeeper under a man who served as a Colonel in the War (who later became a US Senator). Then, in 1910, he became the superintendent of the Confederate Soldier's Home in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Confederate Soldier's Home in Raleigh, NC
Postcard. Image from goodnightraleigh.com

Winfield Scott Lineberry died 20 June 1926. He is buried in Grays Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery, which is located in Franklinville, Randolph County, North Carolina.

Capt W. S. Lineberry and Hulda Louisa Vickory Lineberry
Copyright Brittany Jenkins, 2011

Capt. W. S. Lineberry's Signature
as taken from a letter written during the War.
Found in his service records.

Sources:

• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of North Carolina (accessed on Fold3)
• Goodnight Raleigh
• "Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War, 1861-1865"
• Lineberry, W. S., Biography of the Lineberry Family, 1918
• Tombstone, Capt. W. S. Lineberry and Hulda Louisa Lineberry