Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

[Remember1864]

Being in the tour guide business one never knows when a magic-moment connection will be made. Was giving a tour of the Crater a couple years back and who should introduce herself but the great-grand-daughter of Col. Henry Pleasant's. (The mastermind behind Burnsides' mine @ Petersburg) On another occasion as I was speaking on Lee's last offensive at Fort Stedman, I chanced to meet the great-grand-daugther of Maj. Gen'rl John F. Hartranft. Brilliant times both!

[RDHix]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

Some twenty-odd years ago, whilst running the register at Edward's Pipe and Tobacco Shop in Atlanta, a customer that I had never seen before asked me if I had an fifty dollar bills in the register (I didn't). He said that he collected them! When I commented that those would be a good thing to collect, he replied that they had a picture of his great-grandfather on them!

I do not now remember this gentleman's name, but once he told me that, and after I'd looked a bit closer at him, he was the veritable "spittin' image" of U. S. Grant! With a beard, the guy could've been his twin brother!

Regards,

R. D. Hix

[yeoman]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

Sir, as a young fellow growing up in 1950s georgia I had friends whose dad I called uncle Early.He had an old sword in the closet we all wanted to play with until one son stabbed his foot, that was that. He was a great and or grand nephew of ole Jube. His children are still around also God bless um. Thanks.

[Greg Barnett]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

I have the honor of knowing Dan Patterson, great grandson of James Longstreet; through his youngest son, Fitz Randolph Longstreet, (b. 1869 – d. 1951) whose daughter, his mother, is Jamie Louise Longstreet Paterson.

I am sure that may of you know him as well. He has done an outstanding job of promoting history.

I have also had the honor of having him as my file partner in a few reenactments, namely Morristown. General Longstreet's winter billet of 63-64 is near. Dan is truly nice guy, who I look forward to seeing again.

[idlewild]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

I attended High School with two kids who were descendants of Gen. George Pickett. Unfortunately I never knew them well enough to ask about their heritage. Well, for that matter, I didn't learn that tidbit of information until a few months after I had graduated.

[JustRob]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

On the first tour I ever gave friends of Gettysburg, one gal brought along her new boyfriend. He had a particular interest in Pickett's Charge, though he had never been there before. He was a direct descendant of Lou Armistead.

I met a substantial part of the Grant family at the centennial anniversary of the dedication of Grant's Tomb.

Finally, I dated Hiram Berdan's g-g-g-granddaughter several years back. That was an interesting one.

[JerseySkilletLicker]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

At the unveiling ceremony of the re gilding of the Gen. Sherman statue at Grand Army Plaza NYC a bunch of us were in uniform for the ceremony. We met Sherman's GGG Grandson who looked exactly like Uncle Billy...uncanny.

[sharpshooter]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

Even though this ancestor is lesser known, I am married to the g-grand daughter of a Mississippi cavalryman by the name of Augustus Wheeler. Just a few months ago the Sons of Confederate Veterans honored my wife's grandfather as a "True Son of a Confederate Veteran", his name is Joseph Wheeler---age 96.

[unclefrank]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

I went through ROTC Basic camp with a Pickett back in the late 70's. I don't remember his first name, but his father was a retired US Army General. He was a really great guy, and we were the platoon clowns. The drill Sgt. was very careful not to mess with him, or me because we were so close. :p

[madasabagofcats]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

Several years ago, one of my comrades, who worked at the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square invited our mess to take part in the Newcomer's night, where representatives of UK organisations and hobbies present to the new incoming staff at the Embassy.

A young guy and his father were in conversation with us for a while before we exchanged business cards as they were leaving. The surname on the card was Heg. I asked the father if he was any relation to Hans Christian Heg of the 15th Wsconsin. Turns out it was his ggg(g) grandfather. They stayed on for another hour....

[kevinw33]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

This doesnt relate exactly to this post but a few weeks ago, I was giving a tour of the Atlanta History Center's Tullie Smith Farm and I of course give a Civil War heavy tour. At the end I had a guy tell me that his great grandmother used to tell them that General Sherman HIMSELF :sarcastic personally broke into the house and in front of the family destroyed the family's china. This guy was really proud of that so I agreed and said, "wow". Talk about rural Georgians still hating Sherman!

[RudyN]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

I don't know if this is true or not but, my wife says that on her mother's side of the family there is a distant relative by the name of Abraham Lincoln. In addition I have met the ggg grandson of the youngest general on the Union side during the Civil War. The general's name is Galusha H. Pennypacker who in addition became the first Colonel of the 16th Infantry Regiment after the Civil War.

[Michael Comer]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

After the war, my great grandfather and his brother were listed in an arrest warrant with Frank and Jesse James.

[Son of Eire]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

Just a year ago I was at a fly-fishing shop in New Jersey talking fishing with another customer, and I mentioned a pending trip to Gettysburg. The man asked if I was the only person in my family so taken by Gettysburg and I mentioned my sister's interest in Jenny Wade. At this point he pulled out a business card from the New Jersey Devils... "Jack Skelly". "You must be joking", I said. Turns out Jack is a collateral descendent of the original Mr. Skelly.

[Southernlady1862]

Re: Famous ancestors..whom have you met?

This doesnt relate exactly to this post but a few weeks ago, I was giving a tour of the Atlanta History Center's Tullie Smith Farm and I of course give a Civil War heavy tour. At the end I had a guy tell me that his great grandmother used to tell them that General Sherman HIMSELF :sarcastic personally broke into the house and in front of the family destroyed the family's china. This guy was really proud of that so I agreed and said, "wow". Talk about rural Georgians still hating Sherman!

Last time I my boyfriend and I visited the Tullie-Smith farm the tour guides begged us to stay for hours lol. They couldn't believe that we would "dress up" just to visit the Atlanta History Center.

Which is an amazing place I might add, and well worth a visit!