Tag: Civil War

Posted on

Stones River Battlefield in Peril

Descendants of John Wesley Duart and Joseph Shoemaker, this is for you. Our ancestors of the PA Co. C, 7th Cavalry, fought in the Battle of Stones River or Murfreesboro, TN near Shelbysville, TN. Joseph Shoemaker fell from his horse, was severely injured and continued to have issues with his badly, broken arm for the remainder of his life. He was a young man, so you can understand the sacrifice he made during the Civil War, living with this disability, as a farmer with restricted use of the arm for the rest of his life.

Forty two acres of the battlefield are being sold, probably for yet another shopping mall and with the American Battlefield Trust we can save this land. This organization continues to preserve our historic places for the generations to come, so that we do not repeat history. If you are so inclined to help preserve the battlefield where John and Joseph fought, please go on their website https://www.battlefields.org and donate today.

If you would like to know more about John Wesley Duart and Joseph Shoemaker, I have ordered their pension files from the National Archives. John’s is minimal, however I have 400 pages for Joseph. Very interesting reading, to say the least.

Posted on

Winding Down My Term and Moving On

Well, the three years as South Central District Director for the Pennsylvania State Society, DAR is winding down.  I’ve had a busy 3 years, but very rewarding.  I have visited each of the DAR Chapters in the South Central and joined in on many other celebrations.  It is so much fun and you get to meet the most interesting people.

I will now be concentrating more on Lineage Society applications.  I’m taking on the Sons of the American Colonists.  I guess I should try doing my papers for Daughters of the American Colonists.  It is one more way to document my ancestors and their struggles to start in a new world.  I also will be working on those few elusive ancestors who moved from the New England states to Pennsylvania.  Joel Packard where are your parents?

I’ve submitted another ancestor for Daughters of the Union Veterans of  Civil War.  Great grandfather, Joseph S. Shoemaker, certainly lead an interesting life.  He and great grandfather John Wesley Duart fought in the same 7th PA Cavalry.  As I’m learning more about both of them, I hope to write an article to let others know just how brave they were to go to war.

Posted on

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.

 

 

Posted on

John Wesley Duart, Civil War Soldier

I recently joined the Daughters of the Union Veterans, Civil War 1861-1865 under my gr. gr. grandfather, John Wesley Duart.  It got me thinking that I know a fair amount about him, but not his Civil War experience.  I decided that if I was going to find out, I might as well set a goal of writing an article for someone, about JW.

I started by writing to all my cousins that I know are descendants of John, to see if anyone has more information about him.  I have had a copy of his pension file for many years, but reread it and refreshed my memory about his unit.  I also know that cousin, Don Duart has gr. gr. grandfather’s Civil War sword.  I got a picture of it long ago also.  Don called and said he has an article about JW that he will copy for me.  It is so exciting to know that the sword has been kept in the family and will be passed on to Don’s son, John.   And I’m on my way.

The Duart’s have named every other generation with a John Wesley or David Henry.  It dawned on me not too long ago that maybe there was a reason for John Wesley, since many of the Duart’s have been Methodist’s.  The naming started just about the same time that THE John Wesley began the church.  Go figure.

I’m hoping to hear from other cousins and to find someone has old letters or other articles about John Wesley Duart.  I’ll be adding all my information into the Duart One-Name-Study files as I receive items.

 

Posted on

Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War – 1861-1865

I am a member of the Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War- 1861-18654 by vertue of my Great-Great grandfather, John Wesley Duart.  Today I attended my first meeting and was astounded that although I had researched my family for some 40 years, I never really looked that deeply into John Wesley’s Civil War history, other than to prove his lineage.

My quest now is to change that and find out as much as possible about his 7th Regiment Company C of the Pennsylvania Cavalry.

Bob Watson, friend and re-enactor spoke at this DUVCW meeting about the common soldier of the Civil War.  Whoa! What a statement, “common soldier” when they all showed such uncommon valor for gr. gr. grandfather, John, to march from Tennessee to Alabama without proper food and water, let alone any other “creature comforts” we now have grown to expect.

Stay tuned to this quest and I’ll let you know what I find.