Researching Your Civil War AncestryDo you have a distant relative who fought in the Civil War? Would you like to find out if you do? This is the discussion for you!
During the war Lincoln failed to get recompensation passed through congress, so he set aside an amount from the War Dept, not all was used and post war made available to those who applied, when it was gone the scheme closed.
Don't know much about this Slave Compensation thing, the Southern Claims Commission was dedicated to non-slave property.
From all I have read, it would seem my GGGFather did not file a claim on slave property, he just let them go. Many of them apparently joined the Union army. Several of his former slaves continued to live on the property he had to leave for many years. Whether he left it to them or not, I do not know.
__________________ -
"It was a very peculiar time." - Franklin D. Cossitt
Ancestors in USA Army: 6th IA Inf, 11th IL Cav, 1st AL Cav; 122nd NY Inf; 6th MI Cav; 35th MA Inf; 100th IL Inf; 1st CO Inf/Cav; 22nd IN Inf
Cost of my GGGF in his own words: (as you say) Priceless
I am so envious of that kind of information! What a wonderful thing to have! My ancestors were the epitome of the American dream, but quite dull during the WBTS. I suppose I've said it before, but GGfather was 50 when the war broke out and had 6 children. The war touched him only in the "prizes" of salt, sugar, coffee, etc. He didn't mention that what he got for his corn and oats might have offset his costs, but the nature of a farmer is to complain and not acknowledge the benefits. Doesn't come close to the man who established LaGrange, Cook County, Illinois.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Doesn't come close to the man who established LaGrange, Cook County, Illinois.
Ole
He was a rather enterprising type, left Conn. at age 15 to a clerkship for his uncle in LaGrange, Tn., then at age 21 with a $5000 letter of credit went to New York to get 'stock and goods' and came back to LaGrange to open his own store. He was very prosperous and "I went on merchandising & commenced buying land & Negroes & planting." before long he had 4 plantations and 127 slaves (cheap labor). His income was a lot for those times (would be about $410,000 today, I think): "I should think about $20,000. I was managing my matters pretty closely. I never had anything to do with politics or anything outside of my legitimate business."
In Chicago he established a wholesale grocery business, also successful, bought that land in Cook Cty. Then his business was ruined in the Chicago fire. He was a little short of funds, then, and that was why he pursued the Claims Commission thing.
__________________ -
"It was a very peculiar time." - Franklin D. Cossitt
Ancestors in USA Army: 6th IA Inf, 11th IL Cav, 1st AL Cav; 122nd NY Inf; 6th MI Cav; 35th MA Inf; 100th IL Inf; 1st CO Inf/Cav; 22nd IN Inf
Just found this photo of my G,G,Grandfather's house in LaGrange Tennessee. General Charles Smith Hamilton for a time moved in and used it as his HQ. Later, it was used as a hospital.
Category: Southern Region > Historic Houses > Tennessee
Details:
Tiara (1845) built by Frank Cossitt in La Grange, Tennessee. Served as hospital in Civil War
__________________ -
"It was a very peculiar time." - Franklin D. Cossitt
Ancestors in USA Army: 6th IA Inf, 11th IL Cav, 1st AL Cav; 122nd NY Inf; 6th MI Cav; 35th MA Inf; 100th IL Inf; 1st CO Inf/Cav; 22nd IN Inf
According to family lore, when General Charles Smith Hamilton made his headquarters in my GGGrandfathers home, my GGGF had only one request of the general and his staff: that they refrain from smoking cigars inside the house, and that Hamilton complied.
Here is a link I had thought lost. Now found, I'll post it:
CivilWarTalk.com -
A free and friendly Civil War community. 
Category: Southern Region > Historic Houses > Tennessee 
Linear Mode
