On August 31, 2008, I wrote about Marjamin Manning and his family. Since then I have obtained additional information about some of his children. Today I will write about Nancy Minerva Manning (1840-1919) and her husband Tyre Harbin (1826-1898). They were married August 25, 1861 in Dawson county, Georgia. Like the Manning family, the Harbin family was from York, South Carolina. Before Tyre and Nancy were married, Tyre embarked on an interesting adventure.
Tyre and his brothers, John and Balaam, went to California during the Gold Rush. There is a great deal written about the Gold Rush and very easy to find on the internet. It began in 1848 and those traveling to California were called the "49 ers". It isn't exactly clear when Tyre and his brothers went to California, but it is noted by a genealogy researcher in the Grogan D Digest, V97 #39, that they stayed for nine years. They can be seen on the 1860 census in Nevada City, California. It was interesting to look at the 1860 Nevada City census. Most of the residents were young men between the ages of 25-35. Many countries around the globe were noted as their country of origin. Very few women and children were on that particular census.
People traveling to the Gold Rush could go by land in wagon trains and have the risk of Indian attacks. Many settlers chose the overland route and those with more money and resources went by sea. Some left the Eastern US and many other countries traveling around Cape Horn and on to California. There was no Panama Canal at that time and Cape Horn was the route if they wanted a complete ocean voyage. Those who wanted to get to California faster would go through Panama. They would arrive in Panama on the Atlantic side and then take canoes and mules for a weeks trek through the jungle. Then once on the Pacific side, they would wait for a ship to San Francisco. The Grogan Digest stated that Tyre and his brothers traveled through Panama and Cuba.
Normally the route from Georgia to Panama would be to depart from New Orleans. It isn't clear why the Harbin brothers went through Cuba coming or going to the Gold Rush. They may have entered Cuba going in both directions. We know they were in California in 1860 and that Tyre and Nancy married in 1861, if they stayed in California for nine years it may have been about 1852 that they left Georgia for California. In the early 1850's there was an epidemic of Yellow Fever in the United States. In 1853, over 8,000 people in New Orleans died from Yellow Fever. The route through Cuba would have been to avoid the infestation that existed in New Orleans. They were really adventurous.
I read at Wikipedia.org that the ordinary prospectors could have daily gold finds worth 10-15 times the daily wage they would earn on the East Coast. A person working 6 months in the gold fields could find gold equivalent to 6 years wages back home. That's a very good reason to go. After nine years, Tyre could have saved a great deal of money.
Upon his return to Georgia he married Nancy Minerva Manning and they started their family.
Their son, John William Harbin was born September 27, 1862. Their marriage date was recorded as August 25, 1861. From here the dates get a bit confusing. In 1864 their son Samuel Megaman was born and in 1865, a third son Nathanial James was born. In the meantime, military records show that Tyre enlisted in the CSA on July 14, 1863 and was paroled from the military May 12, 1865. He was noted to have been a 1st Lieutenant in the 11th Battalion, Co. C of the Georgia Infantry, the State Guards. After Tyre was discharged from the military, Nancy and Tyre had the rest of their children.
Barbara G. - 1867
Benjamin Mercer - March 27, 1869
Tyre Balaam - April 30, 1871
Nancy Caroline - September 29, 1872
Milinda Elander - April 26, 1874
Martha Ann -September 21, 1876
Hiram Andrew - June 19, 1878
Hanery Lee - May 3, 1882
Tyre Harbin died October 7, 1898 and is buried at the Old Tate Cemetery in Pickens, Georgia. In 1900 the first US census year after Tyre died, Nancy was living in Pickens county, Georgia, noted to be widowed and with her children: Eler (Milinda Elander), Hiram, Henry L. and three boarders. Hiram is noted to be a carpenter, Henry is a marble polisher. The area of Pickens county in which they lived was at the N.E. end of the marble quarry area. In the household right next door is Nancy's son, John W. and his family. In 1910, Nancy was in Pickens county and living with her son, John W. and his family and her daughter Ella (Milinda Elander).
Nancy Manning died January 15, 1919 and is also buried at the Old Tate Cemetery. I came across an interesting story about their son Hiram, which I will write another time.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Sept. 13, 2008-Milledgeville Insane Asylum
On August 31, 2008, I wrote about Marjamin Manning and the fact that he died at the Milledgeville Insane Asylum in Milledgeville, Georgia. Since then, I have written to the Georgia Department of Human Resources who maintain the records for Central State Hospital (that's what it is called now). I requested verification that Marjamin was a patient there and asked if he was buried at the Asylum. I received a quick response that said he was buried there and his burial number is 0043. I clarified with the gentleman that the numbering sequence of 0043 means that he was the 43rd person buried at this particular cemetery. The gentleman said he knows which cemetery and the approximate location of 0043. He also said that they show his name as Megimin.
The normal routine when someone at Milledgeville died, who was to be buried in a hospital cemetery, is they were given a burial number. Then a small metal stake with the number on it was placed in the location of the grave. When you look at the pictures of some of the burial locations, it appears that the metal stakes are less than one foot apart. There are fields and fields of markers. Here is a small picture of some of them.
An organization named Friends of Baldwin County Cemeteries has a web site on which many Baldwin County Cemeteries burials are listed. They show 5 cemeteries related to Central State Hospital. After looking at the listings of each one I found that one of them lists a grave marked number 43. That cemetery is Cedar Lane Cemetery. This grave 43 may not be Marjamin's, but its the only 43 I saw. Most of the listings reflected the presence of many graves with no markers of any kind.
There are estimates regarding how many former patients are buried at Milledgeville. One estimate I read reported 30,000. Another one in the Psychiatric News Vol. 42, #21, pg.3, by Aaron Levin said perhaps 25,000. It seems somewhat immoral that so many people would be buried and identified only as a number.
In his book, But For the Grace of God: The Inside Story of the Worlds Largest Insane Asylum, Peter G. Cranford said there were deaths resulting from maniacal exhaustion, the poor condition of the patient when they came in, disease, dysnetry and typhoid of 1854.
Milledgeville Insane Asylum opened in 1842. The Georgia state legislature approved the construction for in in 1837. Initially, there was one building that was four stories tall. Two floors were for men and two floors were for women. In 1859, there were approximately 300 patients there. The facility grew over the next 120 years to become the largest state asylum in the country. In 1960, there were approximately 12,000 patients living there. In 1859, Dr. Thomas Green, the Supertindent at Milledgeville in his Report By the Trustees of the State Lunatic Asylum at Milldgeville for the Year 1859, reported there were 308 patients and that it costs the Asylum 11 1/2 cents per day to care for them.
At the time of its opening, the treatment for mental illness was basically confinement. There were few treatments. Many of the first patients would arrived in shakels or tied up. They may have been in jails or family members may have chained them in order to control them. Upon their arrival, the chains and shakels would be removed and the patients allowed to walk freely. The groups of patients initially admitted were lunatics, idiots and epileptics. The epileptics were persons who had seizures while the idiots were persons born with disability such as retardation. The lunatics were the ones who did not fit the social norms because they could not control their behavior. I also have read that later the facility became a home for people with communicable diseases like tuberculosis. I wonder in which group Marjamin was placed. I will soon find out because I expect to hear from the Central State Hospital regarding Marjamin's medical information.
The normal routine when someone at Milledgeville died, who was to be buried in a hospital cemetery, is they were given a burial number. Then a small metal stake with the number on it was placed in the location of the grave. When you look at the pictures of some of the burial locations, it appears that the metal stakes are less than one foot apart. There are fields and fields of markers. Here is a small picture of some of them.
An organization named Friends of Baldwin County Cemeteries has a web site on which many Baldwin County Cemeteries burials are listed. They show 5 cemeteries related to Central State Hospital. After looking at the listings of each one I found that one of them lists a grave marked number 43. That cemetery is Cedar Lane Cemetery. This grave 43 may not be Marjamin's, but its the only 43 I saw. Most of the listings reflected the presence of many graves with no markers of any kind.
There are estimates regarding how many former patients are buried at Milledgeville. One estimate I read reported 30,000. Another one in the Psychiatric News Vol. 42, #21, pg.3, by Aaron Levin said perhaps 25,000. It seems somewhat immoral that so many people would be buried and identified only as a number.
In his book, But For the Grace of God: The Inside Story of the Worlds Largest Insane Asylum, Peter G. Cranford said there were deaths resulting from maniacal exhaustion, the poor condition of the patient when they came in, disease, dysnetry and typhoid of 1854.
Milledgeville Insane Asylum opened in 1842. The Georgia state legislature approved the construction for in in 1837. Initially, there was one building that was four stories tall. Two floors were for men and two floors were for women. In 1859, there were approximately 300 patients there. The facility grew over the next 120 years to become the largest state asylum in the country. In 1960, there were approximately 12,000 patients living there. In 1859, Dr. Thomas Green, the Supertindent at Milledgeville in his Report By the Trustees of the State Lunatic Asylum at Milldgeville for the Year 1859, reported there were 308 patients and that it costs the Asylum 11 1/2 cents per day to care for them.
At the time of its opening, the treatment for mental illness was basically confinement. There were few treatments. Many of the first patients would arrived in shakels or tied up. They may have been in jails or family members may have chained them in order to control them. Upon their arrival, the chains and shakels would be removed and the patients allowed to walk freely. The groups of patients initially admitted were lunatics, idiots and epileptics. The epileptics were persons who had seizures while the idiots were persons born with disability such as retardation. The lunatics were the ones who did not fit the social norms because they could not control their behavior. I also have read that later the facility became a home for people with communicable diseases like tuberculosis. I wonder in which group Marjamin was placed. I will soon find out because I expect to hear from the Central State Hospital regarding Marjamin's medical information.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Sept. 6, 2008-Another Story Unfolds: The Legend of Tom Dooley
While planning a genealogy research trip to North Carolina to work on the Brown family, I decided to update myself on some of the family members. Jessie Wilson Brown (1826- ) had many brothers and sisters. I was interested in learning more about Joel H. Brown and Letty Brown Triplett before we make our trip. Jessie Wilson Brown was Don's great-great grandfather. Joel was his great great Uncle and Letty was his great great Aunt.
Joel left North Carolina, like all his brothers. But he returned to take care of his mother after his father James died in 1850. In reviewing the 1860 and 1870 census for Wilkes County, North Carolina, I found that Joel and his family lived in the same household with his mother, Nancy Brown. I also learned that Joel was a Baptist Minister. I didn't really come up with much other new information. So, I moved on to Letty Brown Triplett.
On the 1850 Wilkes County Census, Letty lived with her parents James and Nancy Brown and her three children (Pinkney, Angeline and Thomas). She had no husband named and was not noted to be widowed. I found her also on the 1860 and 1870 census with more children and no husband. I decided to search her children's names on Google. I started with Pinkney Triplett and the search opened an extremely interesting door and the Brown connection to The Legend of Tom Dooley. Right away I found sites describing Letty Brown Triplett and Angeline Triplett (her daughter) and their involvement in the story of Tom Dooley. At some point Letty Triplett changed her name and the names of all of her illegitimate children to Foster. So, they are referred to as Letty Foster and Angeline (Ann) Foster.
Tom Dooley was actually Tom Dula. Tom and his family lived in Wilkes County very close to the Brown family. Throughout the 1850, 1860, 1870 census you will find the Brown's and the Dula's practically next door to each other. The legend of Tom Dooley goes something like this.
Tom Dooley had several girl friends. One was Angeline (Ann) Foster and another was her cousin Laura Foster. It is said that Tom was having a relationship with both of them at the same time. Their relationships were well known by many people living near them, near Elkville, North Carolina. Ann had let it be known that she was very jealous of Laura Foster. Ann Foster must have tired of the "love triangle" because she married James Melton. But, it seems she basically just added a fourth person to the "love triangle" because Tom Dooley would visit Ann Foster Melton at her home. According to court documents, he would even sneak into her bedroom to spend the night. All the while, he was still having a relationship with Laura. As you would expect, one of them became pregnant. It was Laura. When she told Tom she was pregnant he said they would get married.
They made plans that on May 25, 1866 Tom and Laura would to go to Tennessee to be married. On May 24, the night before they were to meet, Tom was at Ann Melton's house and he and Ann left, taking some whiskey. They stayed out all night. Laura left her home very early in the morning of May 25, with some clothes. She took her father's horse and was to travel to the Bates Place to meet Tom, as they had planned. The Bates Place was six miles from Laura's home. Laura passed a neighbor on her way to meet Tom and told the neighbor where she was going and that she and Tom were going to be married. According to the court documents, the neighbor was Betsy Scott.
When Laura didn't return home, her father, Wilson Foster, went to Ann Melton's house to see if they she had seen Laura. Mr. Foster's horse returned home the next morning, but Laura didn't. The horse's reins was still attached to it, but it appeared to have been chewed in two. Speculation was that the horse chewed it in two to get away from where he was tied. A month went by and there was still no sign of Laura. Tom Dooley was still in the area. Remember, the morning Laura disappeared she told Betsy Scott that she was on her way to meet Tom and that they were going to be married. Tom must have known that people were suspecting that he had something to do with Laura's disappearance because he left Wilkes County and went to Tennessee.
Although Laura's body had not been found, Tom Dooley was arrested in June. He was taken to the jail in Wilkesboro. In August, Ann Melton disclosed to her cousin Pauline Foster that she knew where Laura was buried. She even offered to show Pauline the location. Pauline never went to the exact location with Ann, but she later made public comments that she knew where Laura was buried. Pauline Foster was picked up and questioned. The information she gave to the authorities led them to the spot where Laura was buried.
The transcript of the trial of Tom Dooley can be found at: http://www.fmoran.com/wilkes/anny2.html
Tom was found guilty of killing Laura Foster and he was hung on May 1, 1868, almost two years after Laura was killed. Ann Foster Melton was also tried as an accomplice to the murder, but she was acquitted. To this day, many believe that Ann killed Laura and Tom is the one who buried her. The transcript of the trial contains the questioning of Ann Foster Melton and her mother, Letty Foster aka Letty Brown Triplett and many others.
You can see a hand drawn map used at the trial of Tom Dooley. On the map you will see the home of James/Ann Melton, Letty Foster, many other neighbors. The surprise on the map is to see the home of Letty's brother, Joel H. Brown labeled on the map. See the map:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom1231/273622466/
Just to summarize. Tom Dooley was accused of murdering Laura Foster and he was hung.
Ann Foster Melton was the lover of Tom Dooley. Ann told her cousin Pauline that she knew where Laura was buried. Ann Foster Melton was also known as Angeline Triplett and she was the daughter of Letty Brown Triplett. The court documents describe Angeline and her mother Letty as having frequent drinking binges. One reference I found online suggested that Letty Triplett actually did marry a Mr. Foster and it was believed that she killed him. Letty and her daughter were quite a pair.
So, there you are, the Tom Dooley/Brown connection. Listen to "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htBR3imbFfI
Addendum: On September 23, 2008 we met with a genealogy researcher in Wilkes County, NC to discuss the Brown family and tour the county. We mentioned that we thought that Letty Triplett Foster was a child of James and Nancy Brown. He stated that even though she appears on the 1850 census living in the Brown home, he nor any local researcher believed she was related to the Browns. He said they may have taken her in because she had no home or she may have been domestic help. So, the story of Tom Dooley remains as I described, but we now do not believe that Letty is a Brown relative and will remove her from the family history. ( Sharon, September 27, 2008)
Joel left North Carolina, like all his brothers. But he returned to take care of his mother after his father James died in 1850. In reviewing the 1860 and 1870 census for Wilkes County, North Carolina, I found that Joel and his family lived in the same household with his mother, Nancy Brown. I also learned that Joel was a Baptist Minister. I didn't really come up with much other new information. So, I moved on to Letty Brown Triplett.
On the 1850 Wilkes County Census, Letty lived with her parents James and Nancy Brown and her three children (Pinkney, Angeline and Thomas). She had no husband named and was not noted to be widowed. I found her also on the 1860 and 1870 census with more children and no husband. I decided to search her children's names on Google. I started with Pinkney Triplett and the search opened an extremely interesting door and the Brown connection to The Legend of Tom Dooley. Right away I found sites describing Letty Brown Triplett and Angeline Triplett (her daughter) and their involvement in the story of Tom Dooley. At some point Letty Triplett changed her name and the names of all of her illegitimate children to Foster. So, they are referred to as Letty Foster and Angeline (Ann) Foster.
Tom Dooley was actually Tom Dula. Tom and his family lived in Wilkes County very close to the Brown family. Throughout the 1850, 1860, 1870 census you will find the Brown's and the Dula's practically next door to each other. The legend of Tom Dooley goes something like this.
Tom Dooley had several girl friends. One was Angeline (Ann) Foster and another was her cousin Laura Foster. It is said that Tom was having a relationship with both of them at the same time. Their relationships were well known by many people living near them, near Elkville, North Carolina. Ann had let it be known that she was very jealous of Laura Foster. Ann Foster must have tired of the "love triangle" because she married James Melton. But, it seems she basically just added a fourth person to the "love triangle" because Tom Dooley would visit Ann Foster Melton at her home. According to court documents, he would even sneak into her bedroom to spend the night. All the while, he was still having a relationship with Laura. As you would expect, one of them became pregnant. It was Laura. When she told Tom she was pregnant he said they would get married.
They made plans that on May 25, 1866 Tom and Laura would to go to Tennessee to be married. On May 24, the night before they were to meet, Tom was at Ann Melton's house and he and Ann left, taking some whiskey. They stayed out all night. Laura left her home very early in the morning of May 25, with some clothes. She took her father's horse and was to travel to the Bates Place to meet Tom, as they had planned. The Bates Place was six miles from Laura's home. Laura passed a neighbor on her way to meet Tom and told the neighbor where she was going and that she and Tom were going to be married. According to the court documents, the neighbor was Betsy Scott.
When Laura didn't return home, her father, Wilson Foster, went to Ann Melton's house to see if they she had seen Laura. Mr. Foster's horse returned home the next morning, but Laura didn't. The horse's reins was still attached to it, but it appeared to have been chewed in two. Speculation was that the horse chewed it in two to get away from where he was tied. A month went by and there was still no sign of Laura. Tom Dooley was still in the area. Remember, the morning Laura disappeared she told Betsy Scott that she was on her way to meet Tom and that they were going to be married. Tom must have known that people were suspecting that he had something to do with Laura's disappearance because he left Wilkes County and went to Tennessee.
Although Laura's body had not been found, Tom Dooley was arrested in June. He was taken to the jail in Wilkesboro. In August, Ann Melton disclosed to her cousin Pauline Foster that she knew where Laura was buried. She even offered to show Pauline the location. Pauline never went to the exact location with Ann, but she later made public comments that she knew where Laura was buried. Pauline Foster was picked up and questioned. The information she gave to the authorities led them to the spot where Laura was buried.
The transcript of the trial of Tom Dooley can be found at: http://www.fmoran.com/wilkes/anny2.html
Tom was found guilty of killing Laura Foster and he was hung on May 1, 1868, almost two years after Laura was killed. Ann Foster Melton was also tried as an accomplice to the murder, but she was acquitted. To this day, many believe that Ann killed Laura and Tom is the one who buried her. The transcript of the trial contains the questioning of Ann Foster Melton and her mother, Letty Foster aka Letty Brown Triplett and many others.
You can see a hand drawn map used at the trial of Tom Dooley. On the map you will see the home of James/Ann Melton, Letty Foster, many other neighbors. The surprise on the map is to see the home of Letty's brother, Joel H. Brown labeled on the map. See the map:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom1231/273622466/
Just to summarize. Tom Dooley was accused of murdering Laura Foster and he was hung.
Ann Foster Melton was the lover of Tom Dooley. Ann told her cousin Pauline that she knew where Laura was buried. Ann Foster Melton was also known as Angeline Triplett and she was the daughter of Letty Brown Triplett. The court documents describe Angeline and her mother Letty as having frequent drinking binges. One reference I found online suggested that Letty Triplett actually did marry a Mr. Foster and it was believed that she killed him. Letty and her daughter were quite a pair.
So, there you are, the Tom Dooley/Brown connection. Listen to "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htBR3imbFfI
Addendum: On September 23, 2008 we met with a genealogy researcher in Wilkes County, NC to discuss the Brown family and tour the county. We mentioned that we thought that Letty Triplett Foster was a child of James and Nancy Brown. He stated that even though she appears on the 1850 census living in the Brown home, he nor any local researcher believed she was related to the Browns. He said they may have taken her in because she had no home or she may have been domestic help. So, the story of Tom Dooley remains as I described, but we now do not believe that Letty is a Brown relative and will remove her from the family history. ( Sharon, September 27, 2008)
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