In Remembrance: Juneteenth



African-American Civil War Monument, Washington D.C.

For African-Americans, the commemoration of the Civil War and Emancipation is an extra special time of year known as Juneteenth. Juneteenth came about near the end of the Civil War when the Union Army marched into Texas. Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order #3 officially liberating enslaved African descendants in the state of Texas at Galveston on about June 19, 1865, making it the last slave state to legally end slavery. Since that time, Texans and later African-Americans from all over the U.S. began to commemorate Emancipation.

I honor and remember the service of African-American men and women in the war of African liberation in America. Those men and women who didn't think it was robbery to sacrifice their lives to ensure the physical freedom of African descended people in the United States of America. In my own family research, I've been able to identify five men who served in the USCT (United States Colored Troops)who are my ancestors. Today I'd like to remember them by name: Benjamin Thompson (82nd USCT), Charles Rounds Jr.(50th USCT) Thomas Hinyard and Edward Hinyard 58th USCT, and James Galmore 5th Heavy Artillery USCT .

African American Civil War Monument Wall of Names

Once Was Lost, But Now Am Found: James Galmore Sr.



Sarah "Mama Sarah" Galmore-Thompson
and Family Griot on my very first trip to Mississippi

One of the few genealogical mysteries I'd been wanting to uncover was the origins of my Galmore family line. My maternal great-grandmother was born Sarah Galmore in about 1893 to Candy and Clara Galmore. Candy and Clara raised nine children; Anna, Nannie (Nancy), Mary, Jimmy (James), Clara, Cressie, Phoebe, Sarah, Candy and a nephew John whom they considered a son, in southern Adams county, Mississippi. According to Galmore oral family history, the Galmore's came to Mississippi from Virginia. This I have found is a common story among many Adams county African-American families as The Forks of the Road was a major overland slave market with major slave dealers operating out of Virginia.
In order for my search to begin, I looked for my oldest known Galmore ancestor which was my great-great grandfather, Candy Galmore. Through census research, I was able to determine that Candy Galmore was born in 1858 in Adams County, Mississippi. The earliest record of Candy was in the 1870 census. Listed as "Kendy" Galimore (a variant of the surname Galmore), he was living in Natchez, Mississippi. There were two other Galimore's who were listed  under household #261 with Kendy, Phoebe Galimore whose age is listed as 40 and James Galimore whose age is listed as 5.


The Galmore Family on the 1870 Census



 I was able to locate Candy Galmore and his descendants in each successive federal census from 1870 through 1920. Upon exhausting this resource, I then turned to trace any Galmores or Galimores in Adams County, Mississippi. My goal was to trace the descendants of James Galimore/Galmore, Candy's younger brother. While conducting a general name search in Mississippi at Ancestry, I came across a pension card for a much older James Galimore who had served in the 5th USCT Heavy Artillery out of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The person who applied for the pension was named Canada Galimore and the pension #839577 had been applied for from the state of Mississippi. I wondered if this Canada Galimore was my Candy Galmore.



Civil War Pension application card
for James Galimore

 I ordered the pension file for James Galimore from the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Below are some of the key documents from the pension file that I used in analyzing if this James Galimore was the father and husband of Phoebe Galimore listed in the 1870 census. I followed up with another search of the federal census records from 1870 to 1930 for anyone in the state of Mississippi who was born with the surname Galimore or Galmore, as well as an interview with the oldest known Galmore descendant my grandfather also named Candy. My grandfather confirmed that William "Billy" Galmore was the father of John Galmore who had been raised with his mother, Sarah. Additionally, looking through the more recent Galmore descendants, there are a number of Phoebe's, Clara's, James' and even a few Candy's and Canada's in the family who took residence in the states of Mississippi and Louisiana.

The service record card
of James Galmore. This gives
a brief description of the soldier.



The request of James Galimore's children
Canada, William and James Jr. to receive a pension. This form lists the dates of their births as well as information about their mother Phoebe Galimore - Wade who remarried after receiving her husband's pay and bounty. It  gives details such as when Phoebe and James were 'married'. The brother Billy (William) was the father of John Galmore who was raised with my great grandmother,  Mama Sarah.



The determination by the Treasury Department,

 the Auditor for theWar Department

regarding the history of  payments made

to the Galmore family. Dated January 13, 1906.

Phoebe Galmore - Wade received James Galmore's

bounty payment of $100 and back pay of $30 in 1871.

Phoebe also received an additional $100 in 1879

based on the Bounty Act of July 22, 1861 because of

her status as the widow of James Galimore.



Page two of the letter from
the Treasury Department's office of the Auditor for the War Department

Juneteenth: In Honor of African-American Civil War Soldiers

This is a re-post from June 2010. Enjoy your Juneteenth weekend everyone!

5th USCT Heavy Artillery Flag of Natchez, Mississippi
 (Courtesy Forks of the Road and Ser Seshs Ab Heter-Clifford M. Boxley)



For African-Americans, the commemoration of the Civil War and Emancipation is an extra special time of year known as Juneteenth. Juneteenth came about originally in Texas when Union General Granger issueed a field order officially liberating enslaved African descendants there on or about June 19, 1865. Since that time, Texans and later African-Americans from all over the U.S. began to commemorate Emancipation.

I honor and remember the service of African-American men and women in the war of African liberation in America. Those men and women who didn't think it was robbery to sacrifice their lives to ensure the physical freedom of African descended people in the United States of America. In my own family research, I've been able to identify four men who served in the USCT (United States Colored Troops)who are my ancestors. Today I'd like to remember them by name: Benjamin Thompson (82nd USCT), Charles Rounds Jr.(50th USCT) Thomas Hinyard and Edward Hinyard.

Happy Juneteenth!

New Year, New Resarch

2011 has arrived and I am quite busy working on my genealogical research. The subject of my most current research is on James Galimore and the 5th USCT Heavy Artillery. 2011 is also the start of the CW 150 commemoration and I look forward to sharing more about my ancestors who served in the U.S. Civil War as the year goes on.

Here is a post that I wrote about a family member who was lost in the family narrative, but whose pension and service record allowed me to rediscover him.

Was Lost, But Now Am Found: Charles Rounds Jr.

Juneteenth: In Honor of African-American Civil War Soldiers

For African-Americans, the commemoration of the Civil War and Emancipation is an extra special time of year known as Juneteenth. Juneteenth came about originally in Texas when Union General Granger issueed a field order officially liberating enslaved African descendants there on or about June 19, 1865. Since that time, Texans and later African-Americans from all over the U.S. began to commemorate Emancipation.
I honor and remember the service of African-American men and women in the war of African liberation in America. Those men and women who didn't think it was robbery to sacrifice their lives to ensure the physical freedom of African descended people in the United States of America. In my own family research, I've been able to identify four men who served in the USCT (United States Colored Troops)who are my ancestors. Today I'd like to remember them by name: Benjamin Thompson (82nd USCT), Charles Rounds Jr.(50th USCT) Thomas Hinyard and Edward Hinyard.

Happy Juneteenth!