YankeeReb
Cadet
- Joined
- May 11, 2016
I set out to prove (or disprove) the things written in a biographical sketch about my great-great grandfather, William S. Morgan. The sketch claimed he was in the 6th Missouri Cavalry under Capt. William L. Jeffries. The story goes that my great-great grandfather was captured at Lake Providence and was in the old Irwin block for twenty one days before orders came down to move him to Camp Douglas in Illinois. William never made it to Camp Douglas. He was exchanged at Cairo.
One thing was disproven very quickly after I began my research. The sketch had the wrong regiment. William served in the 8th Missouri Cavalry. That resolved, I began browsing prisoner of war records available on Family Search. I couldn't find anything. Popped over to Ancestry and got a hint. The link took me to Fold3 where I was able to view William's compiled service record. That's when I noticed it. The amusing coincidence. William was at Pocahontas, Arkansas, in late 1862. No big deal, right? Well, one of my great-grandmothers was born in Pocahontas in May 1863. Still no big deal, right? Wait for it . . .
The great-grandmother who was born in Pocahontas would become William's daughter-in-law by marrying my great-grandfather.
One thing was disproven very quickly after I began my research. The sketch had the wrong regiment. William served in the 8th Missouri Cavalry. That resolved, I began browsing prisoner of war records available on Family Search. I couldn't find anything. Popped over to Ancestry and got a hint. The link took me to Fold3 where I was able to view William's compiled service record. That's when I noticed it. The amusing coincidence. William was at Pocahontas, Arkansas, in late 1862. No big deal, right? Well, one of my great-grandmothers was born in Pocahontas in May 1863. Still no big deal, right? Wait for it . . .
The great-grandmother who was born in Pocahontas would become William's daughter-in-law by marrying my great-grandfather.