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The Games are over…

Aug23

…so it’s back to research!

I’ve returned to my Appling’s of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. This morning I found the Civil War Service Records (Confederate) for 4 of William Appling‘s sons at footnote.com. I normally wouldn’t be researching this far laterally from my direct line, but I simply can’t resist anything Civil War! Most of these are the original documents, created from 1861-1865. They are simply fascinating! Maybe someday, I’ll focus my research on my Civil War soldier ancestors…

I also just uploaded all of the Appling documents to my Flickr Photostream, 83 images total. That “Comprehensive Back-up Plan for My Digital Research Files” in action!

Your Union veteran

Jul29

Daniel Sauerwein of Civil War History has written a very interesting post about the life of the typical Union soldier after the Civil War:

  • Do you know why your Union veteran ancestor moved to a different location after the war, rather than return home?
  • Can you name three important contributions to American society that are credited to Union veterans?
  • And what of the African-American Union veteran? What obstacles did he face after his Army service?

“Union veterans of the Civil War were as powerful a force on the nation after the war, as the Greatest Generation was after World War II.”‘

What contributions did your Union vet make as part of this first Greatest Generation”?

After drooling all over my laptop…

Jul25

…while admiring the Chart Chick’s wonderful genealogy charts presented at Shades of the Departed…

I decided it was really time for me to do some actual research. So, after blow-drying my laptop, I got to examining my Appling ancestors from Tuscaloosa Co, Alabama. The Applings married into my Stanley family (my Mom was a Stanley). I have so many surnames in Tuscaloosa County that the county just needs to be renamed, I think.  Would the Post Office approve of Stanley-Appling-Chappell-Davis County, Alabama? Probably not, too many letters.

Anyway, I may have discovered another surgeon in the family. Francis B Appling has been listed in some records as Dr Franics B Appling. The father-in-law of my second great grandaunt Brazora Stanley, Frank Appling is listed in the Southern Claims Commission Records, so I am trying to find documentation of Civil War service as a Union surgeon. He would have been about 30 when the War started. Interestingly, in 2 later census enumerations, he is listed as disabled…