Months ago I received a copy of Lucy Johnson Breedlove’s Bible from a distant cousin, Linda. Along with the copy she sent the copy of a photograph of a woman asking if I knew who she was. I didn’t know and I asked around, but no one seemed to know. Well, today I found out that the photo is Emmie Stewart (1860-1928), my great-great-grandmother on my father’s paternal side. Emmie was married to Isaac T Vincent (1854-1921).
Emmie is the daughter of Lewis Stewart and Rebecca Adkins.
Whew! After searching for a while I was able to find the marriage record for Martin Riley Vincent and Lucy Johnson Breedlove. I knew at some point it would be available somewhere! I found it at Family Search. I have transcribed it below.
There are some questions raised with this record. The most glaring goes back to information presented to me by family that Martin Riley’s last name was originally “Vinson”. As you can see below, he signed his named “Martin Riley Vinson”, not “Vincent”. Another question raised is Lucy’s mother’s name. By all records her mother is listed as Margaret Stringer. Below her mother’s name is listed as “Kate”. I have seen people who have her mother named as “Margaret K Stringer”. So it’s possible that her mother may have gone by Kate, rather than Margaret or a variation.
Male
Bride
To be married at- Grooms Residence –on the- 10th –day of- November – 190- 2.
I certify that the above is correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Witness my hand, this-10th–day of-November–190-2.
Martin Riley Vinson
Attest:
Ed S Wood–Clerk
Muhlenberg–County Court
By Fred Head D.C.
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
THIS IS TO CERTIFY, That on the-10–day of-November–190-2, the RITES OF MARRIAGE were legally solemnized by me between-Martin Riley Vinson–AND-Lucy Breedlove–at Isaac Vinson –in the County of-Muhlenberg–in the presence of-E.G. Raigon Isaac Vinson
Signed,
J.V. McClearn M.G.
My relationship to Lewis Stewart:
Me
Roger Dale Ray (Robert Jewell Vincent, father)
Elbert “Shorty” Tracey Vincent (grandfather)
Martin Riley Vincent (great-grandfather)
Emmie Stewart (2nd great-grandmother)
Lewis Stewart (3rd great-grandfather)
Ok, these are the final records of Lewis Stewart during the Civil War that I found on Fold3. Remember how he was in the hospital sick, but no reason was previously given? Well, I know everyone has been dying to know, so here we go!
The first page is a Muster Roll that tells us that he was in the hospital in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Next we have his information sheet for that hospital in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Diagnosis? Acute Diarrhea. And Small Pox dated January 21, 1865.
Treatment? I don’t know! It’s blank!
The result? He returned to duty February 20, 1865.
On July 10, 1865 Lewis Stewart mustered out, or discharged, from the Union Army in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina.
I hope to find the information for Lewis Stewart’s life outside of the military soon. He apparently had a lot of children, I just can’t track them all down. As soon as I can I will be back with more about him!
My relationship to Lewis Stewart:
Me
Roger Dale Ray (Robert Jewell Vincent, father)
Elbert “Shorty” Tracey Vincent (grandfather)
Martin Riley Vincent (great-grandfather)
Emmie Stewart (2nd great-grandmother)
Lewis Stewart (3rd great-grandfather)
There are so many Civil War records for Lewis Stewart that I really hate to put them all in one post. I started yesterday with two sets of photos I found on Ancestry and Fold3. I was going to post all of the rest of them today, but it really is too much, so I will break up this third set into two posts.
At first I wasn’t sure why everything for him on Fold3 wasn’t together, but then I realized that one set was probably just from the hospital and one set was probably kept in the Company.
So these are from the company! The first four pages are from his actual enlistment. The fifth page is a descriptive muster roll.
Oh, and for the record I looked up Dyersville, Kentucky. I can’t find any information on it whatsoever. I think Dyersville and Bowling Green go hand in hand.
My relationship to Lewis Stewart:
Me
Roger Dale Ray (Robert Jewell Vincent, father)
Elbert “Shorty” Tracey Vincent (grandfather)
Martin Riley Vincent (great-grandfather)
Emmie Stewart (2nd great-grandmother)
Lewis Stewart (3rd great-grandfather)
I really wanted to do a full post on the life of Lewis Stewart, but a lot of the information I have come across isn’t sourced on the websites where I found it and haven’t been able to source it yet. So until I can, I will offer a bit of what I do have on him, which would be his Civil War records (found on Fold3 and Ancestry). There are A LOT of records on him during the Civil War, so I will start with the first two sets I found and then I will post the last set tomorrow.
The first set is two pages I found on Ancestry. These are Draft Registrations. The first is titled Enrollment List of Persons Subject to Military Duty in the Second District of Kentucky. He is number 14 on the list. He is 35 years, white, a farmer, born in Kentucky and no previous military service.
The next page found on Ancestry is titled CONSOLIDATED LIST of all persons of Class I, subject to do military duty in the Second Congressional District, consisting of the Counties of Muhlenberg and (blank) State of Kentucky, enumerated during the month of July 1863, under direction of Capt. Jno (John) R. Grissom, Provost Marshal. On this list Lewis Stewart is found at number 19, age 35 years, white, farmer, married, born in Kentucky, no former military service and no remarks.
The next set of records I found for him are on Fold3.
Lewis Stewart was in the Union Army as a Private in Company C, 26th Regiment Kentucky Infantry. According to the first record, a Company Descriptive Book, Lewis enlisted March 22, 1864 for a term of 3 years. We also find out what he looked like! He is described as 36 years of age, 5 feet 8 3/4 inches tall, dark complexion, gray eyes and black hair. He is listed as having been born in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky and his occupation is as a farmer.
The next four records are Hospital Muster Rolls.
The first two Hospital Muster Rolls are both dated for November and December 1864. His attachment to the hospital occurred on November 27, 1864. The only other information for him on these records is that he is a patient, but no reason is given.
The last two Hospital Muster Rolls are both dated January and February 1865. They both have him as having returned to duty February 20, 1865. Still no cause of his hospital stay is given.
The last record from this set for him is his return to duty. This card says:
Nov. 1864~absent sick
Dec. 1864~absent hosp. B.Green, Ky
Jan. & Feb. 1865-absent sick in hosp.
May 1865-Detailed at Brig. Hd. Qur.
So we know from November 27, 1864 to February 20, 1865 he was in the hospital sick, but these cards don’t give us a reason. There is a notation at the bottom of this record letting us know that he was also recorded as Lewis “Steward”.
Don’t worry! Tomorrow’s post will have more information, including the reason for his stay in the hospital! Hopefully I can find sources to cite regarding his life outside of the military, too!
Many times when people begin researching their ancestors they have a very difficult time locating individual persons or entire families. Sometimes it’s just a matter of the ancestors not being in the location that the researcher believed. Other times it is due to mistakes made on paperwork, whether the fault of those mistakes fall on the person in charge of getting the correct information or the person giving the information.
This is one of those instances.
According to an 1854 record Isaac T Vincent was born in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky on September 23, 1854 to John Vincent (1815-1865), a day laborer, and Paulina (Polina) Groves (1828-1880).
On the census taken in 1860 in District 1, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky (Post Office: Greenville) he is listed as Isaac Vincent, age 6 years, living with his parents and siblings.
On the census taken in 1870 in Boggess, District 2, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky (Post Office: Greenville) he is listed as Isaac Vincient, age 14 years, living with his mother and siblings (his father, remember, passed away five years before) and his occupation was as a farm laborer. So in 10 years he managed to change the spelling of his last name AND shave 2 years off of his life.
I am unable to find him at all on the 1880 census (possibly due to further mangling of his name that I haven’t figured out yet), but he married Emmie (Emma) A Stewart in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky on August 2, 1880.
There is also no record of him in 1890 due to the fire, damage and eventual government destruction of that particular census.
On the 1900 census for Boggess, District 1, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky he appears again with his wife, having been married for 20 years, and 11 of his 12 children (the 12th child was not born until after 1900). His occupation is listed as farmer. His name on this census is correct, however his age is listed as 49 years. So he somehow aged an additional 3 years! The other family members listed on the 1900 census:
Emma A (wife) age 40
Martin R (son and my great-grandfather, Martin Riley) age 18
Linnie M (daughter) age 16
Ada P (daughter) age 15
Dely A (daughter) age 11
Pallis L (son) age 9
Viney E (daughter) age 8
Onea (daughter) age 6 (looks like “Oma” to me)
Sam H (son) age 5
Maggie M (daughter) age 2
Jennie (daughter) age 1
The 1910 census is even more exciting, and confusing. Here his name is Isace Vincent. He lives in District 1, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky with his wife, that he has now been married to for 28 years (losing 2 years from his marriage somehow), and 7 of his children. He is a farmer and his age is 53 years. So he not only lost the previous three years he had gained from ten years before, but he lost an additional three years! The other family members listed in the household in 1910:
Emma A (wife) age 50
Delia A (daughter) age 21
Palac L (son) age 19
Oma (daughter) age 16
Harrison (son, I’m guessing his name is Samuel Harrison, since the 1900 census had him as “Sam H”) age 15
Maggie M (daughter) age 13
Jennie (daughter) age 12
James S (son, the “S” looks like an “L” to me) age 7
The last census that Isaac Vincent is listed on is the 1920 census. On this census his name is Isac Venson. He is a farmer living with his wife and two of his children in District 1, Hopkins County, Kentucky. He is now 65 years old, having aged an extra two years from the last census, but still off a year from his birth. The family members living in the household with him are:
Emma (wife) age 59
Jennie (daughter) age19
Leslie (son, I assume that “James S” was actually “James L” and his name was “James Leslie”) age 15
In general when looking at census records the date that the census was enumerated compared to the birthdate of the individual can solve age inconsistencies. Many times the age of a person will be off by a year since most census records ask for the age at their last birthday. But for the age to be off by 2 or more years is a mistake that could have been avoided. When looking at the 1920 census compared to the 1910 census it can be seen that Jennie lost three years of her life somewhere and Leslie lost two years.
The other issue is how the names are spelled. We can see that Isaac’s name is spelled Isaac, Isace, Isac. Vincent is spelled Vincent, Vincient, Venson. On Emma’s death certificate it is spelled Vinson.
Sadly, this guy couldn’t catch a break even on his death certificate. Isaac T Vincent passed away in Depoy, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky on December 31, 1921 at the age of 67 years and 3 months of influenza. The informant (I can’t make out the name) on his death certificate gave his birthdate as August 31, 1853, which we know from his birth record is wrong. They got his parents names correct, though!
Isaac was interred at Yeargins Chapel Cemetery in Graham, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky on January 1, 1922.
I am looking for pictures of Isaac T Vincent. I hope someone out there as one or two or more!
Martin Riley Vincent, born November 17, 1881, was the son of Isaac Vincent (1854-1921) and Emmie Stewart (1860-1928). He was born in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, one of (if records are absolutely correct!) eleven children.
He married Lucy Johnson Breedlove on November 10, 1902 in Kentucky. Martin and Lucy had 8 children, one being my grandfather, Elbert Tracey “Shorty” Vincent.
According to Martin’s WWI draft registration card he was employed in the mining business working for the WG Duncan Coal Company. Census records also list his employment as a farmer at various times. His draft registration card says that he had black hair and blue eyes (he also had all of his arms and legs!).
Thelma Dixon, Martin’s granddaughter, told me a story about how he saved her from getting a spanking when she was three years old. Thelma’s mother was at work and and Martin was supposed to be watching her. Well, he wasn’t watching her too closely because Thelma found a tube of red lipstick and wrote all over her mother’s white bedspread. When her mother returned home and saw the bedspread she said “What in the world happened here?!?” and went to spank her. Martin said “No no no! Do not spank that child!”. As Thelma said, her grandpa saved her hide!
Martin and Lucy moved to Stewart County, Tennessee in 1948. It was Stewart County where he passed away February 6, 1953 at his son Garland’s home.
Martin Riley Vincent is buried at Fairview Cemetery in Dover, Tennessee with his wife, Lucy Johnson Breedlove.
I’m sure I will hear more stories to share about him!
Boyt Henderson Cathey: Cathey Family History and Genealogy, Vol. 1: 1700-1900
Turner Publishing: History of Houston County, Tennessee 1871 - 1996 - History and Families
Richelle Putnam: Lauderdale County, Mississippi: A Brief History (The History Press)
T. Keister Greer: The Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935