Most Likely to Succeed - Sicily Island High School
1962
Johnny Young
and
Frances Bird
February 27, 2014
February 25, 2014
Wednesday's Child ~ Peggy Jean Carter
Peggy Jean Carter
Born on January 11, 1949
Daughter of
William Rufus Carter and Eula Mae Brashears
Sister to
William Joseph, Jimmy Wade and Linda Carter
Died on March 10, 1959
Buried in the Old Pine Hill Cemetery
Sicily Island, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana
From mother's arms to the arms of Jesus
Civil War ~ Union Expedition to Harrisonburg, September 9, 1863
The following transcription is from a collection of letters written by Union and Confederate officers during the Civil War. Catahoula Bank in Harrisonburg and Jonesville provided a complimentary transcription of this collection in 1966.
Headquarters Wisconsin Mounted Infantry
September 9, 1863
Capt. W. H. F. Randall
Asst. Adjt. Gen. Fourth Div.
Seventeenth Army Corps.
CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my command in the late expedition to Harrisonburg, La.
On the morning of the 1st instant, pursuant to orders, I crossed the Mississippi River at this point with my command, and moved forward to Trinity, capturing on the way two of the enemy's outposts. The prisoners informed me that reinforcement of 2,000 men were advancing to the relief of Harrisonburg. I arrived at Trinity at 8 P.M., and bivouacked on the east side of Black River. About 10 o'clock the Confederate Steamer Rinaldo appeared in sight coming down the river and tied up on the Trinity side. I at once sent three companies, Captain Apker commanding, to intercept the steamer in case she should attempt to escape, and at the same time dispatched a party of 20 men, Captain Crane commanding, 6 miles up Bayou Tensas, to procure a flat boat with which to cross the river. About 11 P.M. the enemy became aware of our presence through their pickets on this side of the river. On the alarm being given, the steamer at once loosed from the shore and attempted to escape up the river. Not observing the orders of Captain Apker to round to he poured into her two well directed volleys, when the Captain ran her ashore on the opposite side, and abandoned her with his crew. About 12 P.M. Captain Crane and party returned with the flat boat for which they had been dispatched, and at once crossed the river in the face of the enemy's fire, seized the steamer, and drove the enemy, who were for the most part concealed, back through the town. Captain Crane sustained a loss of 4 men wounded, 1 mortally. I then had the steamer brought across the river and discovered that her steam pipe had been pierced in a number of places by our balls. Having been engaged in constant skirmishing during the entire night, expending over 3,000 rounds of ammunition, and not knowing on what road their reinforcements were advancing, I deemed it prudent to open communications with the commanding general.
I therefore burned the steamer and returned to Cross Bayou. After replenishing my ammunition, I at once moved back to my former bivouac opposite Trinity. At daylight on the morning of the 3d, I observed a number of people on the opposite side of the river and ordered them to send across a skiff. They not complying with my command, 2 men of my regiment, Corporal Brunson and Private Thomas Healey of Company F, volunteered to swim the river and procure a skiff. This they did successfully through fired upon by the concealed enemy, but a few well directed volleys by a company which I had stationed on this side of the river soon cleared the opposite shore. I then crossed my entire command. About 2 P.M. by orders of the general commanding, moved forward toward Harrisonburg, soon meeting the enemy and having a running fight with them for 9 miles, with the loss of one man from my command.
Night coming on, I was obliged to desist. Bivouacked at the junction of the Trinity and Alexandria roads. At this place, capturing a courier I learned that a force of between 3,000 and 4,000 men, a portion of Walker's Division were advancing on the Alexandria road, 8 miles from my place of bivouac. Believing the information to be reliable, I immediately sent a dispatch to General Gresham, who arrived with his command. At 2 A.M. the general ordered me to send three of my companies out on the Alexandria road to reconnoiter and feel the enemy. The companies were sent out under the command of Major D. D. Scott. On advancing about 4 miles, they became engaged with the enemy driving them 1 1/2 miles through their main camp, which was known by the large number of fires, amounting to fifty or more. At this moment I called up the balance of my regiment, and ordered the companies to advance as skirmishers. After marching 1 mile or more, passing through their deserted camp, and finding no enemy, I recalled the skirmishers and marched toward Harrisonburg, joining the general commanding on his entrance into the town.
At 2 P.M. I received orders to destroy a mill and commissary stores on the Natchitoches road. Arriving at the place where the stores were supposed to be, I found 8 Confederate soldiers, whom I captured, but no stores. After destroying the mill and 57 bales of Confederate cotton, I returned to Natchez, arriving here the evening of the 7th.
I feel under special obligations to Major Scott, Captains Apker, Crane, Beaupre, and Lieut. Dela Hunt for their promptness and ready obedience and gallantry in the execution of orders. I would also mention as deserving of notice, my two guides, Messrs. Dougherty and Norris, for their assistance during the expedition. I captured in all about 25 prisoners.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. G. Malloy
Colonel Commanding
Seventeenth Wisconsin
Mounted Infantry
**********
Adam G. Malloy - Captain 6th Wisconsin Volunteers, April, 1861. In Washington, D. C., to February, 1862. Lieutenant-Colonel 17th Wisconsin Volunteers, February, 1862. Commanding regiment, and engaged at the siege of Corinth, and battle of Corinth, Miss. Colonel 17th Wisconsin Volunteers, November, 1862, and engaged at the siege of Vicksburg, Miss. Regiment mounted, and engaged in an expedition against Fort Beauregard, La. Commanding brigade, and at Vicksburg, Miss., to March, 1864. In the Atlanta campaign, and commanding a brigade, and engaged at the battles of Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Ezra Church, Jonesboro, Lovejoy's Station, Ga., Nashville, Tenn., and action of Kinston, N. C. Brevet Brigadier-General U. S. Volunteers, for gallant and meritorious services. Second Lieutenant 17th U. S. Infantry, February, 1866. At Hart's Island, New-York Harbor. Transferred to the 35th U. S. Infantry, by the re-organization of the army. First Lieutenant 35th U. S. Infantry, February, 1866. Brevet Captain U. S. Army, for gallant and meritorious services at the siege of Vicksburg, Miss. Brevet Major U. S. Army, for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, Ga. Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel U. S. Army, for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Atlanta, Ga. Brevet Colonel U. S. Army, for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Nashville, Tenn.February 23, 2014
Military Monday ~ Theodore Randall
Theodore Randall
Born in Louisiana circa 1840
Husband of
Delilah
Father of
Robert, Martha, Anthony, Amos,
James, Woodley, Fred, and Laura Randall
Died after 1910
Buried in Catahoula Parish along the Tensas River
Private
5th United States Colored Heavy Artillery
Company C
Enlisted on August 1, 1863
Special thanks to Daniel and Dawn Seal Ford of Sicily Island for locating and photographing the tombstone.
Amanuensis Monday ~ The Stories That Should Be Told, Part 37
The following transcription is from a series of recordings my father made in the early 1990s:
Uncle Wes Ogden...
He was quite a character. He was from Pennsylvania. He followed his uncle down here. They drilled one of the first oil wells here on the Island. Uncle Wes stayed here and married my aunt, Lucille Steele.
I remember a lady, Geraldine Cruse Wycoff, had a fuzzy looking dog with hair all in its face. Uncle Wes had a little store where he also sold magazines and newspapers. Mrs. Geraldine came to get her paper and had her dog with her. When she got out of the car, the dog jumped out of the car with her.
Uncle Wes was standing out in front of his store and jumped backwards. Mrs. Geraldine said, "Oh, Mr. Wes, he won't bite." Uncle Wes said, "Oh, I wasn't worried about that. He has his legs on backwards. I was afraid he was going to kick me!"
I've thought a lot about Uncle Wes through the years. I guess he had a pretty rough time being a yankee from Pennsylvania. He talked different. He came down here in the early 1920s when feelings were still pretty strong. He was an outsider.
I'll tell you one thing, he wasn't afraid of anybody. Several people tried him but they didn't try him but once.
 |
| William Edward "Buck" Smith |
An old colored man, Bass McIntyre, told me about watching a fight between Uncle Wes and [William Edward] Buck Smith. Bass said he was an eyewitness to it. He said, "Mr. Wes whipped Mr. Buck." Buck Smith was known to be a fighter. He got the bad end of the deal with Uncle Wes.
Uncle Wes couldn't resist throwing a firecracker under somebody. He'd light a firecracker and throw it under somebody's feet walking down the street. Ole Bass was telling me that he was sitting on Whatley's old store porch and saw Buck Smith coming down the street with a bucket or pail of milk.
Buck had milked his cow and was bringing his bucket of milk down the street. Uncle Wes lit a firecracker and threw it down under Buck's feet and made him spill his milk. He turned and pointed toward Uncle Wes and said, "Mr. Wes, by god, I'm going to whip you!"
He started across there and got up close to Uncle Wes and Uncle Wes said, "Oh, don't fight me, Buck. Don't fight me!" Buck was coming on and Bass said Uncle Wes started punching at him with his left hand, just trying to hold him off. Every time Uncle Wes would hit him the blood would fly. All the time Uncle Wes was hitting Buck, he was saying, "Oh, don't fight me, Buck. Don't fight me!"
Buck finally ran in and grabbed Uncle Wes. They fell over an old harvester or plow out in front of the store. Bass said they were laying there down on the ground all wrapped up and Buck said, "You got enough, Wes?" Uncle Wes said, "I have if you have, Buck!" Ole Bass said there wasn't any doubt about it, Uncle Wes whipped Buck. Buck was bloody all over.
Mr. Reggie Cruse...
Mr. Reggie Cruse and his family moved in here about 1935 or 1936. They first lived in the old Ballard house across from the Methodist Church. After a few months’ time, they built a home up there where they had the sawmill, up the highway towards Wisner. They lived here the rest of their lives.
Mr. Cruse had four daughters. One of his daughters lived out in California. I didn’t know her. Geraldine married a Wycoff and they had one son, Reginald. Geraldine always worked for her father. Another daughter, Marie married a Henslee and lived for a long time over around Grayson. They finally moved here and lived the last years of their lives in Sicily Island. His youngest daughter, Mamie Dell, married Clarendon Peck. They had one child, Clarendon, Jr.
Mr. Cruse’s second wife was Lavilla Valentine. His first wife [Mamie Couey] was the mother of his children. When the Cruse family moved to Sicily Island, Mr. Reggie had remarried to Lavilla. His first wife died when Mamie Dell was just a baby.
 |
| Wallace Gordon "Son" Henslee |
I remember a story I heard about Mr. Reggie Cruse talking to one of his grandsons, Wallace “Son” Henslee. Mr. Reggie was trying to get Son to go to college but Son didn’t want to go.
Mr. Reggie told him if he didn’t go to college he’d end up cutting cross ties and sawing logs. Son told him there had to be somebody to cut cross ties and saw logs.
Mr. Reggie told him that George Washington was out surveying land when he was Son’s age. Son said that was true but that George Washington was President of the United States when he was Mr. Reggie’s age.
The story ended there.
Note: Parts 1-36 of 'The Stories That Should Be Told' can be found in the Tags List on the right-hand side of the blog.
Daniel Maxey Bondurant Family
Daniel Maxey Bondurant was born in Bedford County, Virginia on February 14, 1779. Daniel migrated south to the Adams County, Mississippi and Concordia-Tensas Parish, Louisiana areas some time prior to 1816.
On January 1, 1816, Daniel married Elizabeth Peyton Cammack who was born in Virginia on February 4, 1787 to the marriage of George Cammack and Mary Sterne.
The 1830 U.S. Census shows the family living in Concordia Parish.
Daniel Maxey Bondurant died on March 20, 1837 and is buried in the Natchez City Cemetery in Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi. Tombstone photograph was taken by FindAGrave member, Natalie Maynor.
The 1841 Mississippi Census shows Elizabeth Peyton Cammack Bondurant living in Adams County, Mississippi.
The 1850 U.S. Census shows Elizabeth and one son living in Adams County, Mississippi.
Elizabeth Peyton Cammack Bondurant died on May 8, 1857 and is buried near her husband in the Natchez City Cemetery in Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi. Tombstone photographs were taken by FindAGrave member, Natalie Maynor.
The following children were born to the marriage of Daniel Maxey Bondurant and Elizabeth Peyton Cammack:
Mary Jane, 1817-1876 (m. 1. Cyrus Buckner; 2. William Anderson, 1815-?)
William H., 1819-1848 (m. Mary Almira Jones, 1816-1895); Both are buried in the Natchez City Cemetery in Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi. Tombstone photographs were taken by FindAGrave member, Ruby Carman.
Martha, 1822-1823
Albert, 1824-1903 (m. Laura Williams, 1829-1917)
50th Wedding Anniversary - Tensas Gazette, July 18, 1902:
Albert and Laura are buried in the Natchez City Cemetery in Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi. Tombstone photograph was taken by FindAGrave member, Debbie Belk Ellis.
 |
| Tensas Gazette - July 20, 1917 |
Lena C., 1853-aft 1930 (m. John Charles Henderson, 1846-bef 1910)John, 1826-1896 (m. Mary J. 1834-1903); Both are buried in the Greenlawn Cemetery in Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. Tombstone photographs were taken by FindAGrave member, Cynthia Carlton.
Anna, 1855-1860
Mary Anderson, 1857-1924
Laura, 1859-aft 1946 (m. J B C Beaubien, 1841-?)
Alberta "Berta", 1861-1931 (m. William Conner Young, 1843-1905)
Albert, Jr., 1864-1944 (m. Elizabeth Gay, 1875-?)
George Williams, 1867-bef 1880
Florence May, 1869-aft 1931 (m. William Anderson Burkhalter, 1867-aft 1931)
The following children were born to John and Mary J. Bondurant:
John H., 1853-?Horace, 1828-1912 (m. 1. Lucy McNair, 1838-before 1870; 2. Jane Catherine Norris, 1839-1924); Both are believed to be buried in the Norris Cemetery near Sicily Island, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana.
Horace C., 1855-1929 (m. Nancy St. Clair, 1877-?)
Bessie, 1863-1896
Ida, 1866-?
Nell, 1869-? (m. Fields)
 |
| Tensas Gazette - February 23, 1912 |
Horace, Jr., 1874-1959 (m. L. Almeda Duncle, 1877-1961); Horace, Jr. and Almeda were the parents of Jane, Walter and Leo.
Yelverton, Sr., 1877-1937 (m. Pearl Ensminger, 1880-1966); Yelverton, Sr., and Pearl were the parents of Anita (Oliphant) and Yelverton "Yelvie", Jr.
 |
| Anita Bondurant Oliphant |
 |
| Yelverton "Yelvie" Bondurant, Jr. |
February 22, 2014
Reuben Mallard and Nancy Caroline Crawford Beasley Family
Reuben Mallard Beasley was born in Mississippi on December 7, 1828 to the marriage of Reuben Beasley and Esther Bramlett.
On April 24, 1851, he married Nancy Caroline Crawford in Copiah County, Mississippi. Caroline was born in Mississippi on January 22, 1828 to the marriage of Robert Crawford and Celia Chance.
The 1860 U.S. Census showed the family living in Copiah County, Mississippi.
The family was shown in the 1870 Census record as living near Hazelhurst, Copiah County, Mississippi.
By 1880, Reuben and family had moved to Louisiana and were living in Ward 4 of Catahoula Parish.
Reuben Mallard Beasley died on August 27, 1895. Nancy Caroline Crawford Beasley died on December 3, 1894. Both are buried in the Aimwell Cemetery in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. Tombstone photographs were taken by FindAGrave member, Tommye Price.
The following children were born to the marriage of Reuben Mallard Beasley and Nancy Caroline Crawford:
Louvenia Francis "Fannie", 1855-1905 (m. Martin Southern Squyres, 1863-1941). Louvenia married Martin following the death of her sister Lieuella, who was the first wife of Martin. She is buried in the Aimwell Cemetery in Catahoula Parish. Martin is buried in the Old Pine Hill Cemetery in Sicily Island, Catahoula Parish. Louvenia's tombstone photograph was taken by FindAGrave member, Tommye Price.
 |
| Martin Southern Squyres |
Mary, 1857 - before 1870
Reuben Luzenberg, 1858-1929 (m. Panola Ann Allbritton, 1865-1927). Both are buried in the Harrisonburg Cemetery in Harrisonburg, Catahoula Parish. Tombstone photographs were taken by FindAGrave member, Eva Merryman.
The following children were born to Reuben Luzenberg Beasley and Panola Ann Allbritton:
Elvin Christopher, 1884-1941 (m. Elizabeth Sawyer, 1892-1972)Nancy L., 1860-before 1910 (m. Stephen S. Ford, 1858-1923). The date of Nancy's death and location of burial is unknown at this time. Stephen is buried in the Ford Cemetery in Concordia Parish, Louisiana. No tombstone photograph is available at this time.
Lee Etta, 1886-1974 (m. Charles Leonard Mackey, 1883-1961)
Cena, 1889-?
Jesse Luzenberg, 1892-1976 (m. Lallie Routon, 1892-1962)
Alpha F., 1894-1980 (m. John A. Webb, 1892-1972)
Rosa L., 1895-?
Reuben Mallard, 1896-1990 (m. Lessie Louise Webb, 1908-1998)
George Shelby, 1899-1976 (m. Cora Hughes, 1901-1990)
Sarah "Sallie", 1904-1994 (m. Clyde Cuthbertson, 1907-1986)
The following children were born to Nancy L. Beasley and Stephen S. Ford:
Esta Glaster, 1879-1930 (m. Edna Clemont, 1888-1961)Eliza Lieuella, 1866-1890 (m. Martin Southern Squyres, 1863-1941). Lieuella is buried in the Aimwell Cemetery in Catahoula Parish. Tombstone photograph was taken by FindAGrave member, Tommye Price.
Reuben Galvin, 1881-1952 (m. Alma A., 1872-?)
Ella Nancy, 1884-1962 (m. Magoun)
Stephen S., Jr., 1887-1963 (m. May L., 1902-1982)
Lamar, 1890-1916
Marvin, 1890-1973
Edgar, 1894-?
Edwin, 1894-1968 (m. Izella W., 1903-1992)
Claude D., 1896-1952
Lieuella was the first wife of Martin S. Squyres. A son, Wilson Alva (1887-1961), was born to this marriage. A second son died during or shortly after birth in 1890. This second son is listed on Lieuella's tombstone, indicating she and the baby possibly died during childbirth.
February 20, 2014
Friday's Faces From the Past ~ Causey H. Egloff
Causey H. Egloff
June 7, 1951 - October 27, 2002
Son of
Causey Egloff and Edna Violet Calvitt
Brother to
Ada Lee and Gene Egloff
Husband of
Rosalee Johnston
Father of
Heather, Cassidy and Causey, Jr.
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