Was delivered a breakthrough today

[John Winn]

A few years ago I researched all of the CW vets buried in the cemetery where I then volunteered. Turned out we had only two Confederate vets and I needed some help with the record of one of them (Illtid Thomas, born in Wales). @lelliott19 helped me sort out his record which was a bit convoluted as it involved several reorganizations and such. Anyway, my guy did well financially after he moved to Oregon and died what would now be a multi-millionaire (but then technically a mulit-thousandaire). However, there were things about him before he came to Oregon I couldn't find, one of which was anything about his first wife and when they were married. But after I had his military record straight I was contacted by a researcher of one of his regiments (I think from my posts here) and I sent him what I had.

Well, today I got a surprise email from that guy who said he'd discovered an obituary for my guy published in Chattanooga. I'd never thought to look in Chattanooga as I thought he'd only lived in Georgia (but did enlist in Chattanooga) and he left in 1877 and died in 1917 so I just didn't think to look for anything in Tennessee. Also, his obit is for I.W. Thomas, a common name (I did searches for Illtid, not a common name here). Seems his younger brother was a well-known man in Chattanooga (also a Confederate vet) and Illtid had been in business with him after the war so that warranted the obit. It's long and detailed including some things about his time in the war I didn't know.

One of the breakthroughs was the identification of Illtid's first wife's parents (who up to now were a dead end so to speak). Long story short it turns out her father was Josiah McNair Anderson of Marion County, Tennessee. He was an attorney and one-time Congressman and was one of the delegates to the 1861 peace conference in Washington. After the conference failed to obtain some kind of peace settlement he gave a speech in Tennessee supporting secession and was immediately killed by Lincoln supporters.

I think that's quite a connection. And I also learned a bit about Illtid's businesses in Chattanooga, some in partnership with his brother (who died in 1935 also a wealthy man). I now see how he was able to come out to Oregon and buy lots of land and make loans which was a mystery earlier; he'd just done really well and sold his interests and so had a bundle to start with. It's still a mystery why he'd leave a successful life in Chattanooga and move out to a relative wilderness but he obviously had a vision that he was able to make happen.

Anyway, it was one of those great genealogical happenings - like manna from heaven. Just had to share with somebody.

 

[Sheltowee]

Crazy speculation, but perhaps things were just so dire in post-war Chattanooga.

Reminders of the devastation and loss everywhere.

Nothing clears the head like fresh scenery and clean air…..maybe?

 

[lupaglupa]

That is so awesome! It's amazing what information is out there still waiting to be found.

 

[captaindrew]

That's cool, do you know much about his and his brother's service in the war?

 

[John Winn]

That's cool, do you know much about his and his brother's service in the war?

I have Illtid's complete service record (thanks to @lelliott19 ) and, now, a few details about his wounding reported in the newly-found obit. I know his brother's unit but don't have his record. His obit says he was a member of the United Confederate Veterans and that all of his pallbearers were Confederate veterans.

 

[donna]

Great. I still looking for a lot. But was contacted by a person who is also related to my 4 x great grandfather. He fought in Revolutionary War. She had some more information and I was able to give her what I knew.

 

[RobertP]

A few years ago I researched all of the CW vets buried in the cemetery where I then volunteered. Turned out we had only two Confederate vets and I needed some help with the record of one of them (Illtid Thomas, born in Wales). @lelliott19 helped me sort out his record which was a bit convoluted as it involved several reorganizations and such. Anyway, my guy did well financially after he moved to Oregon and died what would now be a multi-millionaire (but then technically a mulit-thousandaire). However, there were things about him before he came to Oregon I couldn't find, one of which was anything about his first wife and when they were married. But after I had his military record straight I was contacted by a researcher of one of his regiments (I think from my posts here) and I sent him what I had.

Well, today I got a surprise email from that guy who said he'd discovered an obituary for my guy published in Chattanooga. I'd never thought to look in Chattanooga as I thought he'd only lived in Georgia (but did enlist in Chattanooga) and he left in 1877 and died in 1917 so I just didn't think to look for anything in Tennessee. Also, his obit is for I.W. Thomas, a common name (I did searches for Illtid, not a common name here). Seems his younger brother was a well-known man in Chattanooga (also a Confederate vet) and Illtid had been in business with him after the war so that warranted the obit. It's long and detailed including some things about his time in the war I didn't know.

One of the breakthroughs was the identification of Illtid's first wife's parents (who up to now were a dead end so to speak). Long story short it turns out her father was Josiah McNair Anderson of Marion County, Tennessee. He was an attorney and one-time Congressman and was one of the delegates to the 1861 peace conference in Washington. After the conference failed to obtain some kind of peace settlement he gave a speech in Tennessee supporting secession and was immediately killed by Lincoln supporters.

I think that's quite a connection. And I also learned a bit about Illtid's businesses in Chattanooga, some in partnership with his brother (who died in 1935 also a wealthy man). I now see how he was able to come out to Oregon and buy lots of land and make loans which was a mystery earlier; he'd just done really well and sold his interests and so had a bundle to start with. It's still a mystery why he'd leave a successful life in Chattanooga and move out to a relative wilderness but he obviously had a vision that he was able to make happen.

Anyway, it was one of those great genealogical happenings - like manna from heaven. Just had to share with somebody.

What a cool story and a great name! I looked up the name Illtid and see it usually spelled Illtyd or Illtud after a Welsh Saint. It must have been nearly unique among CW participants.

 

[John Winn]

What a cool story and a great name! I looked up the name Illtid and see it usually spelled Illtyd or Illtud after a Welsh Saint. It must have been nearly unique among CW participants.

Yeah, I doubt there were many Welsh-born Confederate vets (but I now know of two for certain). When I search the NPS Soldiers and Sailors database for Illtid I get only one return and that's for a guy from Michigan. So, maybe two guys named Illtid in the war ?

 

[A. Roy]

Anyway, it was one of those great genealogical happenings - like manna from heaven. Just had to share with somebody.

Thanks for sharing this with us! I know that such discoveries might not mean anything to most people, but I know what a triumph they are to the researcher!
ARB

 

[Fairfield]

My great research find was not the ancestor but the researcher herself. We are both G+ nieces of the same Wisconsin soldier but on different lines. However, in exchanging information, it turned out that our great-grandfathers were brothers. Then we found that the gg-aunt who raised her mother was living with my maternal grandparents on the 1930 census in the same immigrant community. Then it turned out that her mother grew up next door to my father's cousin who was also my mother's best friend. Lastly we discovered that her mother used to date my father.

We still correspond, tracing our mutual ancestors and exchanging personal data. Our latest find is a woman who was burned as a witch in Norway. Currently she is in touch with another G+ niece of the ACW soldier and we are hoping for another goldmine of unanticipated results! So keep on digging--you may also uncover something unexpected.

 

[donna]

I have had several people contact me on Find A Grave. They read my memorials and sent e-mail. One lady read about my grandfather and determined he was boss of her grandfather. My grandfather owned a garage and also had chauffeurs. Her grandfather was mechanic at the garage and also was a chauffer. It was great to have information on this connection.

 

[Fairfield]

It was great to have information on this connection.

Is certainly is! Other people with information on the same person fills in a lot of gaps. I heard all sorts of "gossip" about my relatives that research (and my parents) wouldn't have noted.

One negative for me, however. This distant cousin mentioned that her daughter (a professional genealogist) had graduated from Glasgow University. That was quite a coincidence because I had taken classes at Edinburgh University--and the daughter and I had a mutual acquaintance: a friend in Edinburgh was her academic advisor in Glasgow. BUT the strapping young man of my youth was described as "a frail old fellow" by this youngster. Too much information!

 

[Story]

Well, today I got a surprise email from that guy who said he'd discovered an obituary for my guy published in Chattanooga. I'd never thought to look in Chattanooga as I thought he'd only lived in Georgia (but did enlist in Chattanooga) and he left in 1877 and died in 1917 so I just didn't think to look for anything in Tennessee.

As a side-note, some obituaries will have a sentence at the end like "New York and Charleston papers please copy", which are clues to search for your target living in those places at some point.

 

[John Winn]

As a side-note, some obituaries will have a sentence at the end like "New York and Charleston papers please copy", which are clues to search for your target living in those places at some point.

I have seen that a few times but his local obit didn't have that notation and I didn't know he'd actually ever lived in Chattanooga (although he did enlist there). As it is it was forty years since he'd lived there so I'd not have expected the long obit. I can only guess that the paper only did that because his brother was a well-known man in Chattanooga.

 

[John Winn]

Thanks everyone for the kind words and the interest. I can see that there are many of you who appreciate a good genealogical find !

 

[donna]

Sure do appreciate a find. I am always searching.