Category: Shoemaker Family

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Private Joseph S. Shoemaker, Civil War

I joined the Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865, this year, under Great, Great Grandfather John Wesley Duart.  I didn’t know too much about him or his regiment, so I’ve endeavored to write an article about him.  It also spurred me on to look for other ancestors who fought in the Civil War and I found Great, Great Grandfather, Joseph S. Shoemaker.

I started by requesting Joseph’s pension file from NARA, I already had John Wesley’s.  Well, 200 pages later I have finally waded through his file.  Most of it was repeated applications for an  increase in his pension,  however it was interesting reading.  Private Shoemaker was in Company C, 7th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry.  He enlisted May 9, 1863 and was discharged August, 23, 1865 in Harrisburg, PA.  He was in the battle at Shelbyville, Tennessee (later listed as Alabama) where he was thrown from his horse in a cavalry charge.  His horse fell on him, injuring his right arm.  He also contracted “malarial poisoning”, both which plagued him the remainder of his life.

Many of my other relatives wrote affidavits testifying that Joseph was totally disabled.  This included:  John Wesley Duart, Winfield Packard, S.B. Morse and second wife of Joseph, Sarah Shoemaker.

I’ll keep you posted on my research into this company and the battle at Shelbyville.

 

 

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Benjamin Stone is Official

I’ve been notified that another one of my NSDAR supplements has been approved.  Benjamin Stone was born in 1732 in Dudley, Worcester Co., MA and married Susannah Buckman.  These are the parents of Perris Stone who was married to Jesse Morse.  I also have Obadiah Morse as an approved ancestor.  His is the father of Jesse.  Many of my newer ancestors hailed from the New England states of Massachusetts and Connecticut.  My next ancestor to verify will be Samuel Clason.  He is the father of Lydia Clason Avery who is buried in the Alba, Bradford Co., PA cemetery with her husband, Ebenezer Avery and daughter, Esther Avery Packard.  Ebenezer, Lydia and Esther all died in 1842 within a short time of each other.  I’ve not taken the time to figure out what from, but can only assume it was some flu or other illness.

According to a letter that James Doty wrote to his cousin, Clell Shoemaker (I have documented most of this letter and will be publishing it shortly), there is probably a Revolutionary War ancestor in the Avery and Packard families, to locate.  My problem is finding the parents of Joel Packard and Ebenezer Avery.  In Connecticut Ebenezer Avery is as common as John Doe, so it has been a challenge teasing out the correct Ebenezer.

I have another ancestor waiting to be completed at NSDAR and that is Susannah Shafer Shoemaker Ayres father, Adam Shafer from Luzerne Co., PA.  This may never be resolved unless someone knows about a document that shows the parents of Susannah.  I only need to document that Adam and Elizabeth Swartwout Shafer are her parents.  Easier said than done and my time is running out to do this.

 

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Does anyone know Susannah Shafer Shoemaker Ayres?

I continue to search for that elusive connection for yet another NSDAR Supplemental.  I am looking for the birth place of Susannah Shafer, born to Adam and Elizabeth (Swartout) Shafer in 1789.  She first married Malachi Shoemaker.  When he died she married Gilbert Ayres (Ayers) “late in life”.  She was 62 when she married Gillie.  Not so late in life now that I’m reaching that age.  She live into her 90’s so it was not really late in her life.

Another connection I’m struggling with is Persis Stone, daughter of Benjamin and Susannah (Buckman) Stone.  She was born 1772, I know not where.  I have the baptismal records for all her brothers and sisters, but cannot find her listed in any of the church records of her parents.  She married Jesse Morse.  They were from Massachusetts but later move to Bradford County, Pennsylvania where they both died and are buried.

This will not conquer me, but will drive me a little nuts until I locate the information.