Over the last week I have been on a quest to find information about one of David's uncles that was killed in a duel way back in 1840. I only had his father's name, the name of the town, and an estimated date range to go by. I have been looking through old newspapers via Newspapers.com, but was having no luck as I didn't know the name of the boy. So, I did a web search that landed me on someone's Geni website for Daniel Bird. This site led me to Daniel Bird's Find-a-Grave listing. This listing gave me the names of his three wives and the cemeteries at which the wives are buried. Two are buried in the same cemetery in the general area of Monticello, Florida, and the other one is buried in Edgefield, SC. The one buried in Edgefield, Lucinda, is buried beside her son - Thomas Butler Bird, who died in 1840, well within my estimated time frame of 1835-1848. His Find-a-Grave listing shows that he was murdered. This upped the chances of it being the right boy. I did a search on the name Thomas Butler Bird and I hit pay dirt.
Here is one of the articles discussing the tragedy.
My search yielded other information as well. This site, Florida Plantations,
shows a picture of one of the plantations owned in Florida by Thomas's
father, Daniel Bird. The name of this plantation is Nacoosa. This
photo was taken in the early 1900s, long after Daniel Bird's death in
1867, and appears to be in a state of disrepair. But isn't it still
beautiful? I hope that someone came along to give that home the love
that it needed and didn't let it just fall to the ground. That will be
the subject of another round of research for me.
 | |
| Nacoosa, one of three plantation homes owned by Daniel Bird. Photo taken early 1900s. |
It has been a very exciting and productive week and a half in regards to research and this makes me very happy!
UPDATE: What appeared to be two wives listed at the Monticello cemetery with Daniel Bird turns out to be wife #3 and one of his daughters (who was named after his first wife). Wife #2 is buried in Edgefield with their son Thomas Bird who was killed in the duel. I have yet to find where the first wife and her two children are buried.
UPDATE: What appeared to be two wives listed at the Monticello cemetery with Daniel Bird turns out to be wife #3 and one of his daughters (who was named after his first wife). Wife #2 is buried in Edgefield with their son Thomas Bird who was killed in the duel. I have yet to find where the first wife and her two children are buried.
Please see David's post over at Random Thoughts and Observations.
Photo Citation:
People at the Nacoosa Plantation - Jefferson County, Florida. 19--. Black & white photoprint. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Accessed 31 Aug. 2016. <https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/33886>.
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That sounds like an awful way to die.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I don't understand what had set Wigfall off and why he wanted to go after the elder Mr. Brooks. I have seen so much in these old newspapers of people attacking the elderly. I don't understand why Wigfall couldn't just wait for Preston Brooks to show up for the dual since he is who he had the beef with anyway. Leave the daddy out of it. This boy, Thomas Bird, was just a week short of is 22nd birthday and apparently a student at the University of Virginia according to another article that I found announcing his death to something called the Washington Society.
DeleteAs for awful ways to die, this boys sister was burned to death 10 years after he was killed. She was reading and fell asleep too close to the fire and her clothes caught on fire.
Another of their sisters was attacked by Indians. She managed to escape, but was injured. The Indians killed her two children that were in the room with her, along with the children of some of the servants. This sister was found on the path to her father's house the next morning. She was trying to get to her daddy, but didn't make it.
His first wife and their two children died within days of each other. I don't know what killed them, yet.
Then, another son died in the War Between the States. How much suffering is one man to endure? Losing 3 wives, at least two grandchildren, his sons, at least 3 daughters, and who knows who else in one lifetime just seems too much to endure to me. Daniel Bird, the father, only lived three more years after the son was killed in the war.
This has been a very educational week for me.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Have a blessed week!
Daniel Bird and Sarah Oliver were my 5th great grandparents.Sarah died in 1812 in Petersburg GA. Her grave was moved when the Petersburg Cemetery was flooded by the creation of Clarks Hill Lake. Her monument is now at Bethlehem Methodist Church Cemetery on Hwy 72. This is from info I received from Watson L. Dorn, Jr ,10/18/2002. He saw the monument. Tombstone is broken but inscription is readable. Mary Thompson
ReplyDeleteDaniel Bird and Sarah Oliver were my 5th great grands. Sarah died in Petersburg GA,(which was founded by her grandfather,Dionysius Oliver), and was buried at the Petersburg Cemetery. She was moved to the Bethlehem Methodist Church Cemetery on Hwy 72 when the Petersburg cemetery was flooded when Clarks Hill Lake was created. Her monument is there but the tombstone is broken but is readable. It says "Sacred to the memory of Sarah W. Bird who died 3rd December 1812 in the 21st yea of her age. Back to it's native home her soul is fled wafled on heavenly wings, by seraphims. This monument is erectedby her affectinate husband Daniel Bird. Friendship cannot but drop a sympathetic tear, on the tomb of the truly amibale, pious, and lovely woman. At her right hand are interred our two daughters Frances and Louise the former in the 6th year and the latter in the 6th year of her age and the latter in the 4th rear of her life. Both died the 8th October 1815." This information came to me from Watson L. Dorn, Jr. on 10/18/2002. So, here is Sarah and I would LOVE to have a picture of her monument and tombstone.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for writing, Mary. How exciting that this post brought us another relative. :) Thank you for sharing this information with me. Do you know what took the children on the same day? Was it an accident or an illness of some sort?
DeleteIf I am able to find a photo of her monument and tombstone, I will most definitely post it.
Thank you again for stopping by and commenting here! Please feel free to write to me any time. I love to learn more about our family. Have a blessed day!
I have never read anything about why the girls died the same day. I was thinking some kind of accident because even if they were sick, I don't know that they would die the same day. I'm sure it's possible but I just don't know. I was hoping I could find Sarah's marker on "Find a Grave" but when I went into that cemetery, she was not listed.Think I'll go in again and see if I can find something. I have a folder on Pintrest call "Genology-Where they are now" that I have pictures of a lot of the tombstones and markers posted in. It's very interesting finding some of the ancestors from the 17 and 1800s and knowing just where they are. Most of my southern ancestors are in cemeteries in the Edgefield SC area and different areas in VA. This stuff is SO interesting!!!
ReplyDeleteOne thing that made me wonder is on Daniel Bird's Find-a-Grave page, it says something about his daughter Louisa's 2 children being killed in an attack, I think by Indians (it was during Indian wars). I wonder if that may have happened to the two little ones that you mentioned, too. Here is a listing that I found for Sarah Oliver Bird (the daughter of Daniel and Behetland Bird, but named after his first wife). Sarah Oliver Bird. Please let me know if you find anything further about these folks. You can reach me by email by clicking here: Suzanne.
DeleteThere were members of my own family also killed during an Indian massacre in the Long Cane area of South Carolina. They were the Calhoun Family.
Could you please share the link to your Pinterest page? I would love to see what you have found. :)
Thanks for stopping back by. Have a blessed day!
Thanks for this info. I don't know how to send you my Pintrest page. It might show up if you go into where you can type in what you are looking for and type in "genealogy-where they are now". If that doesn't work, maybe I can figure out something else.
DeleteAnother idea. I went in and typed in my name: Mary Thompson. It showed up with some other ones. In mine, it's a picture of me and my husband. I have a red sweater on. The folder with all the info is the next to the last folder. Maybe that will work for you.
DeleteThank you, Mary. I will see if I can find it and will let you know when I do. Have a blessed evening. :)
DeleteI was able to find you and am now following you on Pinterest. I look forward to looking through your boards. :)
DeleteI FOUND HER!! She is in Bethlehem Cemetery, Elbert Co GA. I put her info in my folder. The person that put it on put she died in 1912 and it's suppose to be 1812. She is there, though!!! Glad you were able to find the info.
DeleteMary, thank you! I went to your link for Sarah on Find-a-Grave and have submitted a photo request. Hopefully, someone will be able to share a photo of her marker. I also submitted a correction request to change 1912 to 1812. Hopefully it will be corrected. Have a blessed evening. :)
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