Select Page

Location: Cumberland County NC

Biography of William J. Yates

Posted by | Jan 17, 2013 | |

William J. Yates was born in Fayetteville, N. C., August 8, 1827. His father was an invalid, and was what was known in. those days as a ‘wheel-wright.” His mother was a member of the M. E. Church for seventy-two years, and she neglected none of the training that her son ought to have. The grandparents of Mr. Yates were English and Welsh, having come direct from Great Britain to this country. From boyhood he was thrown upon his own resources, and gladly assisted in the support of his mother and the younger children. Early in life he showed great devotion and tenderness to his mother, and this feeling was kept up through life, for after he left his old home he made his annual pilgrimage to Fayetteville to see her. He would make any sacrifice for her happiness, and a portion of his first earnings were spent in purchasing a house and lot for her. Mr. Yates’ first permanent employment was in the printing office of the North Carolinian, a paper published in his own town, where he served as an apprentice for about seven years. At the end of this time he became a “journeyman printer” in the same office, receiving a few dollars per week for his labor. This enabled him to lay by a little money to be invested in something at a suitable time....

Read More

Slave Narrative of Uncle Willis Williams

Posted by | Sep 4, 2012 | , , |

Interviewer: Genevieve W. Chandler Person Interviewed: Willis Williams Location: Conway, South Carolina “When wuz I born? Born in August. When I wuz born been August. I wuz a man grown pulling boxes, (turpentine boxes) when the shake wuz. I know the very night the shake come——on a Wednesday night. I wuz on door step loosing my shoe string. There wuz more religion then than they is now. Praying and prayer meeting for a month. Everybody tend meeting. “I been with the Yankee. I kin tell you bout the Yankee. They come home there to Rock Creek when the war wuz breaking up and carried me to Fayetteville. (N.C.) Kept me with ’em till Johnson surrendered in Raleigh,——then they kept me in Goldsboro and took me on to Petersburg. After everything over they give me free transportation back home. Free on train back to Fayetteville. They had put all the Yankee clothes on me,——all the blue shirt, blue coat and bumps on the shoulder,—and when they start me home took all the Yankee clothes way from me. Put gray clothes on me and sent me back. I member they took me up in a way-up-yonder building—to Richmond. Couldn’t tell you the depth of it. Man on the ground looked like boy. “The man I belonged to been Mass John A. Williams. (Born on the Cape Fear.) I goes by Mass...

Read More

Slave Narrative of John C. Bectom

Posted by | Aug 21, 2012 | , |

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: John C. Bectom Location: North Carolina Date of Birth: Oct. 7, 1862 My name is John C. Bectom. I was born Oct. 7, 1862, near Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina. My father’s name was Simon Bectom. He was 86 years of age when he died. He died in 1910 at Fayetteville, N. C. My mother’s name was Harriet Bectom. She died in 1907, May 23, when she was seventy years old. My brother’s were named Ed, Kato and Willie. I was third of the boys. My sisters were Lucy, Anne and Alice. My father first belonged to Robert Wooten of Craven County, N. C. Then he was sold by the Wootens to the Bectoms of Wayne County, near Goldsboro, the county seat. My mother first belonged to the McNeills of Cumberland County. Miss Mary McNeill married a McFadden, and her parents gave my mother to Mis’ Mary. Mis’ Mary’s daughter in time married Ezekial King and my mother was then given to her by Mis’ Mary McFadden, her mother. Mis’ Lizzie McFadden became a King. My grandmother was named Lucy Murphy. She belonged to the Murpheys. All the slaves were given off to the children of the family as they married. My father and mother told me stories of how they were treated at different places. When my grandmother was with the Murpheys...

Read More

Slave Narrative of Sarah Louise Augustus

Posted by | Aug 21, 2012 | , |

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Sarah Louise Augustus Location: 1424 Lane Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 80 Age 80 years 1424 Lane Street Raleigh, North Carolina I wus born on a plantation near Fayetteville, N. C., and I belonged to J. B. Smith. His wife wus named Henrietta. He owned about thirty slaves. When a slave was no good he wus put on the auction block in Fayetteville and sold. My father wus named Romeo Harden and my mother wus named Alice Smith. The little cabin where I wus born is still standing. There wus seven children in marster’s family, four girls and two boys. The girls wus named Ellen, Ida, Mary and Elizabeth. The boys wus named Harry, Norman and Marse George. Marse George went to the war. Mother had a family of four girls. Their names wus: Mary, Kate, Hannah and myself, Sarah Louise. I am the only one living and I would not be living but I have spent most of my life in white folk’s houses and they have looked after me. I respected myself and they respected me. My first days of slavery wus hard. I slept on a pallet on the floor of the cabin and just as soon as I wus able to work any at all I wus put to milking cows. I have seen the paterollers hunting men and...

Read More

Biographical Sketch of Charles Waddell Chestnutt

Posted by | Mar 13, 2012 | , |

Chestnutt, Charles Waddell; lawyer and author; born, Cleveland, June 20, 1858; son of Andrew J. and Maria Chestnutt; educated, public schools Cleveland and Fayetteville, N. C.; began teaching at the age of 16 years and for 9 years taught in the schools of Fayetteville, N. C.; at the age of 23, became principal of State Normal School, at Fayetteville; in 1884, spent a number of months in newspaper writing in New York City; began business life in Cleveland as a shorthand reporter; employed as such in the Cleveland Courts; studied law with the late Samuel E. Williamson; admitted to the bar in 1887; more widely known as the author of “The Conjure Woman,” “The Wife of His Youth, and Other Stories,” “Life of Frederick Douglas in Beacon Biographies,” “The House Behind the Cedars,” “The Marrow of Tradition” and “The Colonel’s...

Read More

John R. Garrason

Posted by | Mar 10, 2012 | , |

Sergt., Med. Corps, Hospital No. 6; of Cumberland County; son of Jno. and Joanna Garrason. Entered service May, 1918, at Fayetteville. Sent to Ft. McPherson. Mustered out at Ft. McPherson Feb. 14,...

Read More

Biography of Paul Phillip MacCaskill

Posted by | Jan 21, 2012 | , , , |

Paul Phillip MacCaskill. One of the younger members of the Kansas bar, in active practice at Parsons, Paul MacCaskill has already had a wide range of experience in his profession and in public affairs. While studying law and since he spent a good deal of time in the service of public men, at Topeks and elsewhere, and in 1915 was secretary to Hon. Baille P. Waggener, the Atchison County representative in the State Senate. He is of a fine strain of Scotch ancestry. The name MacCaskill, or MacAskill, is of Norse origin, meaning Anses Kettle, or sacrificial vessel to the gods. The MacCaskills were a sept of the powerful MacLeod clan who prior to 1715 owned the Isle of Skye and other holdings in the Hebrides as well as on the mainland. The MacCaskills lived on the Isle of Skye, and Mr. MacCaskill’s great-great-grandfather Malcolm MacCaskill came to this country in 1811 and located in a Scotch settlement at Fayetteville, North Carolina. He followed planting through his career. The grandfather, Allen A. MacCaskill, was born at Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1828 and died there in 1904. His active career was spent chiefly as a planter and prior to the war he owned a number of slaves. He was also a man of deep scholarship, was a Presbyterian minister, and was well versed in the Gaelic languages and was an...

Read More

Henry Elliot Williams

Posted by | Nov 19, 2011 | , |

Capt., Q. M. C. Casualty. Born in Cumberland County; the son of W. L. Williams and Mrs. Mary Eliza Elliot Williams. Husband of Mrs. Minnie P. Williams. Entered service July 9, 1917, at Charleston, S. C. Sent to Hdqrs., S. E. D., Charleston, S. C., July 9, 1917. Overseas to France Dec. 5, 1917. At Charleston Hdqrs. had charge of leasing camp sites and supply water and electricity to camps in S. E. D. To Dijon as Q. M., to St. Nazaire as Ex. Officer Q. M., Depot No. 1. Was sent to the front as Regulating Officer; to Coblenz as Ex. Officer Q. M. C., Army of Occupation. Returned to USA July 11, 1919. Mustered out at Hoboken July 12,...

Read More

John Vann Thornton

Posted by | Nov 19, 2011 | , |

1st Class Private, F. A., 13th Co. Born in Cumberland County; son of Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Thornton. Entered service June, 1918, at Fayetteville, N.C. Was sent to Ft. Thomas, Ky. Transferred to Camp Sherman, Ohio. Mustered out at Camp Sherman Dec. 20,...

Read More

James M. Tomlinson

Posted by | Nov 19, 2011 | , |

Ord. Sergt., Inf., Sup. Co., 30th Div., 119th Regt. Born in Cumberland County; son of Jas. W. and Mrs. Eva Tomlinson. Entered the service July, 1917, at Fayetteville, N.C. Was sent to Camp Sevier, transferred to Camp Merritt. Sailed for France May 11, 1918. Promoted to rank of Ord. Sergt. October, 1918. Fought at Ypres, Cambrai, Bellicourt. Returned to the USA April 2, 1919. Served on the Mexican border October, 1916, to March, 1917. Mustered out at Camp Jackson April 8,...

Read More

Brantley S. Vann

Posted by | Nov 19, 2011 | , |

F. A., Btry. E, 9th Regt. Born in Cumberland County June 17, 1896; son of J. R. and Ida L. Vann. Entered the service at Fayetteville, N.C., July 28, 1918, and sent to Camp Jackson, S. C., transferred to Camp Hill, Va. Mustered out of the service at Camp Jackson, S. C., June 28,...

Read More

Junius Richardson Vann, Jr.

Posted by | Nov 19, 2011 | , |

Capt., Med. Corps, 160th Inf., 40th Div. Born in Cumberland County Sept. 9, 1889; son of J. R. and Ida L. Vann. Entered the service at Fayetteville, N.C., July, 1917, and sent to Camp Greenleaf, Ga., and transferred to Camp Mills. Sailed for France Aug. 11, 1918. Promoted to the rank of Lt. August, 1917, and to Capt. March 12, 1918. Landed in the USA July 29, 1919, and mustered out of the service at Camp Lee, Va., Aug. 15,...

Read More

Thomas W. Rankin

Posted by | Nov 15, 2011 | , |

2nd Lt. F. A., Btry. C, 81st Div., 317th Regt.; of Cumberland County; son of A. E. and Zula Rankin. Entered service April 6, 1918, at Fayetteville, N.C. Sent to Camp Jackson, S. C. Transferred to Camp Taylor, Ky., then to Camp Jackson. Promoted to rank of 2nd Lt. Aug. 31, 1918. Transferred to Ft. Sill, Okla., Oct. 8, 1918, School of Artillery. Mustered out at Ft. Sill, Okla., Dec. 13,...

Read More

John A. Pappas

Posted by | Nov 15, 2011 | , |

Private 1st Class, Artly., Btry. C, 306th Regt., F. A., 77th Div.; from Cumberland County; son of A. J. and G. A. Pappas. Entered the service March 28, 1918, at Boston, Mass., and sent to Camp Devens and transferred to Camp Upton. Sailed for France April 24, 1918. Fought in Alsace-Lorraine, Vail Sector, Argonne and Meuse. Returned to the USA May 10, 1919, and mustered out of the service at Camp Devens May 15,...

Read More

B. O. Overby

Posted by | Nov 15, 2011 | , |

Coxswain, U. S. Navy. Born in Cumberland County July 27, 1900; son of F. H. and S. E. Overby. Husband of Mrs. Eula Overby. Entered the service at Fayetteville, N.C., March 24, 1917, and sent to St. Helena, Va. Transferred to New York and from there to Brooklyn, N. Y. Promoted Coxswain August, 1917. On the U. S. transport Mallory from June 10, 1917, to February, 1918; U. S. S. Panaman four months; to Receiving ship in Brooklyn, N. Y., to Naval Hospital; U. S. S. Scranton March to July and then to Receiving Ship at Hampton Roads, Va. Mustered out of the service at Hampton Roads, Va., Aug. 12,...

Read More

Search

US Genealogy


It takes a village to grow a family tree!
Genealogy Update - Keeping you up-to-date!
101 Best Websites 2016

Pin It on Pinterest