July 2-8 and June 27th – Five More Librarie

One of the native rhododendrons that thrive in the south

On June 26^th I made my way to the South Carolina Department of History and Archives (SCDHA) only to find that it was closed on Mondays. I had checked the schedule beforehand, then somehow convinced myself I was mistaken, so I drove to the library and was delighted to find it was close to where I was camping had ample free parking. After looking at the visitor center exhibits I returned to the nearby Sesquicentennial Campground where I was staying and was content to process material and catch up on my blog for the remainder of the day.

The SCDHA was billed as the premier place to do South Carolina research, so I was keen to go back. When I returned early the following morning my first target was a single roll of microfilm that included typed versions of the handwritten wills I’d collected at the Abbeville Clerk’s office. I found most of what I already had plus some that I’d missed by going through the roll frame by frame. When I came to a familiar name I took photos of the projected image. This provided a less than ideal copy but my photos are legible and it took a lot less time. I collected 20 typed wills. The typing was done by the FDR-sponsored History Project program during the depression. Thank you President Roosevelt.

A portion of the Last Will of Benjamin Waller on the
 microfilm reader

One of the documents the library held was the Agriculture, Industry, and Social Statistics and Mortality Census for South Carolina 1850 – 1880.  This database provided detailed information on individual’s physical descriptions, where they lived, occupation and causes of death. I was eager to find my ancestors. The data was transcribed in clear script but it was written very small and was difficult to read. I found one entry for Christopher Brooks. I don’t have a Christopher in my database but copied it anyway in case I find one later and am able connect him to my family tree.

In their book collection I found another reference for Abbeville Marriages 1777-1852, printed summaries of the 1850 and 1860 Abbeville censuses, and a volume on the history of Abbeville with the romantic title “Abbeville County Southern Lifestyles Lost In Time” by Lester W. Ferguson.

Illustration from a book showing workers loading a hogshead
of tobacco on a ship

SCDHA is a library for serious researchers. They have ample staff available to answer questions and show patrons how to find documents. What I didn’t like about it was the emphasis on microfilm. I much prefer to look at books and their collection of books was small compared to other libraries I visited. 

Last Will of Edmund Gaines

July 7th Pamplin Historical Park

This defensive structure is a "fraise"

As I was leaving Dinwiddie County I programed my navigation system and as usual it directed me to the nearest interstate highway – the most expeditious route to where I wanted to go. I wish there were an option to enter “scenic route”. Fortunately I had looked at a paper map and knew that the historic Boydton Plank Road paralleled the freeway very closely. So, I ignored the verbal directions and took the slower, scenic passage. The Boydton Plank Road extends from Boydton in the south to Petersburg in the north. It was an important supply line during the Civil War. More importantly, I knew from previous research, that my 2^nd great grandfather James William Pattillo had contributed labor to help construct the road in October of 1861.

A short way beyond the town of Dinwiddie, I passed Pamplin Historical Park. There are many Civil War and battlefield parks in Virginia and the south. None particularly interested me but this one caught my attention, so I did a U-turn and drove through the gate and along the curving, tree-lined road until I came to a modern building surrounded by a well-designed landscape. I parked in the shade and ventured in.

Lobby of the Pamplin Historical Park Visitor Center

The price of admission included the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, Tudor Hall Plantation, The Battlefield Center, a reconstructed military encampment, trails interpreting the Breakthrough walls, the Banks House, and the Hart Farm. I started with the outdoor exhibits and Tudor Hall – the only extant original building. All the others were well executed reconstructions. I figured it would only get hotter as the day progressed so I’d save the museum for later in the day. Everything was well done. I probably spent three hours wandering through the site and I learned a great deal.

One of the things I learned was that the barrel is called a
hogshead and is how tobacco was transmported

One unique thing about this park is that it was built with private money provided by Robert B. Pamplin Sr. and his son Robert B. Pamplin Jr.  The Pamplin’s are descendants of the family that built Tudor Hall – the Boisseau family.  Ding Ding Ding – didn’t I just see that name the day before while in the Dinwiddie court building?  Yes, Horace Mitchell Pattillo married Armerria Maachal Boisseau. And, John William Phillips married Mary Elizabeth Boisseau. Horace is a 2^nd cousin twice removed and John is something similar. So, am I related to these Boisseau’s?  Probably yes but I’ve yet to figure out exactly how. See how fun genealogy is? And “Armerria” – that’s the one set of documents I did not ask the clerk to copy because the name was not familiar to me the day before.

This site is significant as a historic site because it was here that the Union Army finally broke through the Confederate line that defended Petersburg and enabled the Union to cut off all supplies to the Confederates. The decisive battle took place on April 2, 1865. The Confederate army surrendered in Richmond just seven days later on April 9^th 1865. The war that killed 620,000 Americans was over. 

Bronze sculpture at the museum entrance

May showing Union, Condederate, non-slave states (green)
and terratories (in red)

Trench behind the fraise. Behind is the berm that provided
protection

Remnant berms in the landscape

More remnant berms

This chart shows when slavery was outlawed in various countries around the world

Entrance to the Battlefield Center

Tudor Hall front elevaton

Tudor Hall, north elevation

Tudor Hall dining room when the Boisseau
family occupied the home

One of the upstairs exhibits

Tudor Hall while the Confederate brigade occupied the home

Just looking at this sagging bed made my back hurt

Tudor Hall, south elevation

By contrast, the slave quarters. Image from the Library of Congress

A reconstruction of the kitchen where slaves prepared meals

Kitchen interior

Detail in Kitchen 

This sheep seemed as interested in me
as I was of him

July 6th Dinwiddie County, Virginia

This is the historic Dinwiddie Courthouse. The one I did my research in is a
new and uninteresting building.

After finishing what I wanted to do in Mecklenburg County I retraced my ancestor’s movements by going northeast to Dinwiddie County.  I headed right for the courthouse where a very pleasant and helpful clerk showed me where to find the records I wanted to copy. The night before I’d checked their online databases and had made a list of 11 marriage records and 11 wills or probate documents for family members. In addition to 3 Pattillo marriage records I decided to focus on my Phillips, Moseley and Hutchison ancestors from Virginia. After finding and copying everything on my list I inquired about what other types of documents they had.

That question led me to surveyor records, order books, guardian accounts, voter registration records, and Original Land Patents and State Grants. The latter included a survey done September 22, 1773 for John Ferguson that refers to “the land previously owned by James Pitillo by patent in the year 1735 for 580 acres but by the present survey thereof is found to contain 662 acres” according to James Greenway, Surveyor of Dinwiddie. This would be my 5^th great grandfather and I believe the oldest original document I’ve ever found.

This is a portion of the deed that references James Pitillo's 662 acres of land in Dinwiddie County. I love the way the
surveyor drew the survey and then wrote the description around the drawing. To the left he drew the tavern and tree
across the road. Above he drew in the Browder's home in red.

At this point I left the nice, air-conditioned court building and went to my motorhome that had been sitting in full sun for an hour and a half. Once there I conducted a Capital Campaign meeting for CGS with my cohorts Jane Lindsey and Sandy Fryer. I felt like I was in a sauna even with all the doors wide open. I moved us through the agenda quickly and returned to the courthouse.

This is a blurry photo of George R. Pattillo I found in a
book in Dinwiddie County

Next, the clerk showed me how to look up Deeds on their computer. When I entered “Pattillo” I recognized all but one name on the list for both Grantee and Grantor, so I asked for copies of 25 deeds – skipping only the one name I did not recognize. Oops, last night while looking at the marriage records I’d gotten and saw that name – she was the wife of one of my ancestors.

While I was waiting for the clerk to make copies of the deeds, I wrangled a huge book down from the top of a bookcase. It was a Register of Deaths that started in the 1860s. The size of the book must have been 24” by 30”and about an inch thick. On the first page I saw the name Moseley, Thomas the 5 year old son of Buck and Elizabeth Moseley who died of unknown causes at the age of 5. The next entry was Merrett Moseley, age 3 and the third, Margaret was only 1 year old. All children of Buck and Elizabeth. This volume had no index and was just too sad, so I put it back on top of the bookshelf. I have two Elizabeth Moseley’s in my database but neither was of the right age to have been these three children’s mother. 

Dinwiddie County library dwarfed by tree

Planters Bank of Dinwiddie

Monument to Confederate Generals of Dinwiddie County
 at the historic courthouse

Dinwiddie post office

Historic home and outbuildings on Boydton Plank Road

June 29th - the 4th of July Mecklenburg County

Mecklenburg County Courthouse in Boydton

Mecklenburg is important because for over 100 years from 1789 to 1900 four generations of my family lived in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Mecklenburg County was formed from Lunenburg County in1765. My first Virginia ancestor James Pattillo lived in Prince George County which is northeast of Mecklenburg and close to Virginia’s capital city Richmond. James was my 6^th great grandfather. From there each generation moved southwest to Dinwiddie, Brunswick and Lunenburg counties before they decided Mecklenburg was the place to stay. If they’d gone and father they would have ended up in North Carolina.

Boyd Tavern

After James there was James Jr. who moved from Prince George to Brunswick. It was Solomon who first moved to Mecklenburg in 1789. His son Samuel Henry Pattillo, his grandson James Henry Pattillo, and his great grandson James William Pattillo all lived in Mecklenburg County. James William was my great grandfather. He left Virginia after the Civil War but his father James Henry stayed in Mecklenburg and died there in 1900.

Of course these men’s wives, their children, and brothers and sisters, and their spouses and children also lived in the same counties, so I have A LOT of ancestors in Mecklenburg. For much of the time my family lived in the town of Boydton.

One of the many beautiful historic homes in Boydton

The town of Boydton began in 1812 when the Boyd Tavern was built. The town was incorporated and became the county seat in 1834. In 2001 it was designated as a National Historic District and boast of having 199 contributing buildings. The odd thing is that the population in 2010 was only 431 so even though it is the seat of the county government Boydton is still a charming little town with a stunning collection of historic buildings.

Boydton Baptist Church

I love the way this sweet little church is dwarfed by the trees

A couple of Civic buildings

More beautiful homes

All the towns in the area have one of these
iconic water towers

Found this exhibit near the church. It illustrates how a
plank road was built. My 2nd great grandfather helped build
the Boydton Plank Road between Boydton and Petersburg, VA

This home is really over the top

This building is vacant. It is near Boydton United Methodist
Church and I suspect had something to do with the
church previously.

A grinding stone in the pavement