52 Ancestors 52 Weeks Week 27 - Henry Carroll/Cal Jr.

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks Week 27 – Henry Carroll/Cal Jr.

Henry Carroll was born on the 24 September 1894 in Town Creek, Alabama and appears to be the seventh son of Henry Carroll/Cal and Celia Sherrod.  The date of birth changes depending on the documents found.  I’ve decided to use the military records for his birth.  The Carroll/Cal line is designated like this for in the early records, the last name is recorded as Carroll and evolves to Cal. 

Henry, along with his brothers, Dallas, Charles, John, Robert and Earnest worked on their father, Henry Carroll/Cal Sr.’s farm and registered for the World War I draft as required by the government around June 1917.  Henry Jr. appears to be the only brother the records show enlisted in the army on 12 December 1917.  The army was still segregated under the command of President Wilson.  Henry became a Private in Company A, Unit 308 SV, BN in the military and served throughout the war receiving an Honorable discharge on 25 July 1919.  Verbal history from his niece, Dorothy is that he peeled potatoes and performed prepping work for the cook and was stationed in France.  I’m still looking for records that would support  Co. A, Unit 308.

Henry Jr. had a child named Henry Jr. that was born in 1913 before he entered the military.  The Alabama Death Index shows that child died 13 June 1914 at 18 months old in Lawrence County, Alabama.  The record also lists the child’s mother as unknown, which is rather puzzling.  On 5 June 1917, when Henry Jr. registered for World War I draft he is listed as farming and being single living in Colbert County, Alabama.  This was on land his father, Henry Carroll/Cal Sr. own.

Henry Jr. married Georgia Bell Hampton on 6 April 1924 in Lawrence County, Alabama.  The US Census records for Town Creek, Lawrence County, Alabama show he lived in Town Creek in 1930 and 1940 with his wife, Georgia Belle Hampton. Georgia Belle’s nickname was “Sugarbabe”.  Henry Jr. and Sugarbabe had one son, Lennis (1903-2003).  This appears to be before they married in 1924.  Lennis Cal had a son, Lennis Cal Jr., born 17 March 1955 and died 21 Nov 1976 at about twenty-one years old.

Georgia Belle applied for the application for a military headstone and received it after his death in 1959.    Henry Jr. died on the 11 June 1985 and is buried in the Cal Family Cemetery in Colbert County, Alabama.  So while I’ve never known my great uncle, Henry Carroll/Cal Jr., he participated in World War I and made a contribution to World War I.  He also had what my cousin calls an “outside child” Emmett Cal.  Emmitt was born in December 1913 in Alabama and I’ve yet to find out his mother’s name.  Emmitt married in 1938 and lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee most of his life.  He had at less one son, Emmitt Jr.  Following Henry Jr.’s descendants open doors to the Cal Family in Chattanooga, specifically John Henry Cal and his wife, Hannah Napier both born in Town Creek, Alabama that relocated to Chattanooga.  Always, wondered if there is a connection.  They lived with Emmitt according to the Chattanooga Directory so who knows.  Hopefully, it will lead to solving the mystery.

There is much to be discovered about family on this family journey.

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks Week 26 - Wiley Woodard (1)

52 Ancestors 52 Weeks Week 26 – Wiley Woodard (1)

Wiley Woodard (I) was born about 1784 in Brunswick County, Virginia.  He was a black man, perhaps a slave or born as a free man of color.  The story of finding him was amazing to me.  Back in the day, the only way to research was writing down what was known based on interviews of family members about various branches. Knowing about my grandfather, John Henry Woodard, led me to finding his father, Wiley Woodard (2) and mother, Josephine Martin.  They married in Meriwether County, Georgia on 18 July 1868.  Documentation was found in John Henry Woodard’s West Virginia’s death certificate for 15 January 1932 and in the 1900 US Census for Meriwether County in the small town of Odessadale Georgia, leading me to Wiley Woodard (2) was born in Virginia about April 1825. 

The challenge was moving back in time to Wiley Woodard’s (2) parents.  The trial was finding information without “proper documentation” for Georgia didn’t begin recording deaths until later than what was needed.  You see it appeared Wiley (2) died about 1905-09 for he was not found in the 1910 census and his wife; Josephine was listed as a widow in that record.  While researching at the Georgia Archives standing in line to make copies, a red book was on a shelf above the copier.  It caught my attention and was titled 1860 Georgia Census Index.  I moved with the strong feeling that it needed to be check out while my thought was why do you need to look at that book, blacks where slaves then and weren’t listed until the 1870 Census.  Going with the flow, I reach for the book and while still standing in line, looked for any Woodard listings.  Sure enough, I found one listing for “Wiley Woodard” and quickly left the line and to pull the film for review on the microfiche machine.  I found Wiley Woodard (I) listed as a black man and the path of my journey changed.  He lived in Milledgeville, Georgia and additional records showed he was a free person of color born in Brunswick County, Virginia that worked as a brick mason and his sponsor (required at that time for any free person of color) was Thomas Crowder, also born in Brunswick County, Virginia.  Wiley (1) was listed 1837-1845 in the Baldwin County Free Persons of Color Registers and in the 1850-1860 US Census.

Further research found that James Woodward, 1793-1839 of Norfolk, Virginia, a cabinetmaker emancipated his slaves.  The question became was Wiley (1) one of the emancipated slaves?   Thomas Crowder, Wiley I’s sponsor owned slaves and included Lucy with children, Wilson, Milton, Sally and Wiley among them.  When Thomas died his friend H. J. Malone managed Thomas’ estate and purchased these slaves.  H. J. died within a couple of years of the purchase and had a son, Chris Malone and Amanda Malone.  Amanda was married to man named Gilbert and they lived in Meriwether County.  Perhaps it is all a coincidence or mayhap it tells a story.

There are additional hints that lead me to claiming Wiley Woodard (I) and while I don’t tie him to Wiley Woodard 2, I do believe the ancestors speak on the journey.