Unearthing Genealogy Through Military Records – A Fallen Soldier

Bible page joseph v wise
A page from the Wise family Bible notes the death of Private Wise (Source: Tim Gavin)

During a genealogy class I led at the South Coastal Library in Bethany Beach, we delved into advanced methods for tackling complex family history inquiries. After asking the class to provide examples of challenging problems, Tim Gavin offered this fascinating account about his ancestor, Joseph V. Wise, who served in the 7th U.S. Calvary during the Indian Wars.

Tim and his cousin used military records to uncover many details about Private Wise’s life. They learned that he enlisted in the 7th U.S. Calvary on July 30, 1866, and was guarding cattle and horses near Fort Dodge, Kansas, when a Kiowa Indian raid occurred on June 12, 1867. Private Wise sustained wounds in three places and died the next day at the fort hospital.

While Tim and his cousin had some clues from various databases, the Family Bible, and stories passed down by the generations, they found the most valuable information in the military records of the National Archives. The 37-page pension file contained lots of information. For example, Wise’s mother, Elizabeth, began receiving a monthly pension of $8.00 from the U.S. Government starting April 1, 1868.

Through their hard work, Tim and his cousin also discovered that the Army Medical Museum had preserved the arrows that killed Private Wise. They were able to obtain photos of the arrows from the museum curator.

Tim’s research highlights how exploring historical records can unearth remarkable details about ancestors. If you face challenges in your genealogical research, check out digital collections at the National Archives, particularly military records. The institution has made significant progress in digitizing its collections, which can be a valuable resource for historians and genealogists.

I want to thank Tim for sharing his intriguing story and allowing me to view some family artifacts, such as the Wise Family Bible he brought to one of the classes.

Here are a few links from the FamilySearch Wiki that provide more guidance on military and pension records.

FamilySearch Resources for Military Records
pension military record joseph v wise
One of the 37 pages with the pension military record for Joseph V. Wise (Source: National Archives)

Harrington Newspaper Online–Research Tip

As part of its mission to make the past accessible and promote understanding of the past, the Greater Harrington Historical Society has digitized a Harrington newspaper.

The weekly, the Harrington Journal, runs from 1933 to 1998, and visitors to the museum’s webpage have free access to high-quality online images that brought hometown news to the community each week.

To access the newspaper, follow this link to the Harrington Journal.

While you are checking out the page, consider donating to the museum. A grant from the Delaware Humanities funded this project.

The Harrington Journal started publishing in 1913 after Frank Thomas Fleming purchased an earlier weekly, the Harrington Enterprise. The year 2020 saw the end of the town’s paper, as corporate owners, who had purchased it years earlier, shut it down.

Thanks, Harrington Historical Society, for creating greater access to the past. Developing ways to give a broader community open access to history is an important mission for heritage groups in the 21st century.

Harrington newspaper, the Journal
The Harrington Journal, a weekly Southern Delaware paper published on January 7, 1949 (Source: Harrington Historial Society)
For more on Delmarva Newspapers, see these articles

Online newspapers from the Eastern Shore of Virginia

More Online Maryland Newspapers available at Maryland Archives

Historian Discusses Mason-Dixon Line in Media Interview

milestone one Mason-Dixon line chester county
While doing the Mason-Dixon Line interview, they stood next to this English Portland Stone Marker on the Chester County Line. It is milestone 1 (Photo: Kyle Dixon)

During a recent Harrisburg Public Media interview, historian Mike Dixon joined Scott LaMar of WITF to explore the complex history of the Mason-Dixon Line. Standing beside milestone 1, a stone maker placed in 1765 by the surveyors, the discussion centered on the colonial divide between Maryland and Pennsylvania over territory.  This dispute ended in the 1760s when the colonial proprietors hired Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to establish a permanent boundary line.

The conversation then shifted to discussing how the Mason-Dixon Line took on meanings beyond its intended purpose, a geographic boundary that sorted out land ownership claims. In the centuries after the British astronomers and surveyors completed their work, the line became associated with symbolism as a political and cultural border between the North and South 

As a historian specializing in community studies and social history, Dixon has curated exhibits, conducted research, published articles, and delivered numerous lectures on the Mason-Dixon Line and its complex history.

With his popular midday show. The Spark on WTIF, LaMar interviews experts, community leaders, and authors on contemporary and historical topics of public interest to central Pennsylvania.

The Mason-Dixon Line is still a significant historical marker today. It is a reminder of the United States’ complex history and the divisions that have shaped the country.

Historian Interviewed by TV Station After Loss of Historic Hotel

As a social historian specializing in community studies, I am often asked to do media interviews after catastrophes or significant accidents. These tragedies can profoundly impact the social, economic, and historical fabric, altering lives, historic buildings, landmarks, and artifacts.

Mike dixon TV interview
Mike Dixon TV interview on Station WJZ in Baltimore

This was the case this week. After a three-alarm fire destroyed a 170-year-old hotel in Elkton on Sunday, May 21, 2023. WJZ-TV Baltimore asked me to provide context around the landmark’s story, discuss how things have changed over the centuries, and comment on the impact of the destructive fire for the interview.

Once located on the main thoroughfare between Philadelphia and Baltimore, the Howard Hotel was an anchor in downtown Elkton for generations. It was a popular destination for travelers, families, and locals- a gathering place for generations.

The Northeastern Maryland landmark bustled with activity as waitresses served fine meals, bartenders dispensed drinks, and overnight guests booked comfortable rooms. This was long before Interstates and dual highways bypassed the town center, and hotel chains sprouted up along those new roads. In that earlier age, traveling salesmen, families making their way up or down the east coast, and others passing this way came right down Elkton’s Main Street, formerly Route 40.

The Howard Hotel was more than just a place to stay.  It was a gathering place for the town. People met here for celebrations and to catch up with friends and neighbors.

Now a place that has anchored downtown since before the Civil War and prospered under the guidance of generations of hotelkeepers and tavern owners is gone.

Philadelphia Road Elkton in 1920
In the 1920s, traffic flows through downtown Elkton on the Philadelphia Road. The Howard Hotel is in the background. (Source: Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia)