Our Sixth Great Grandfather Died Beside His Son in Battle

Battle at Fort Ticonderoga

Benjamin Hill - Betsy (Elizabeth) Dudley (6th Great Grandparents)
to
Betsy Hill
to
Deborah Dearborn
to
Almira Swift
to
Isabel Deanora McCrilles
to
Vesta Dennis
to
Grandma Mattson

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

I’m looking down on the valley from the Fortress. The sky is gray with low hanging clouds. Rain is falling and has been for an hour or so. I’m in my rocker listening to the dripping from the rain gutters outside the front window. It is a cold, wet evening in Pleasant Grove.
It is time to gather all from the Mattson side of our family to tell you about our sixth Great Grandfather, Benjamin Hill and his son, our 6th Great Uncle, Nicholas.

Benjamin Hill was born at Brentwood, N. H. He married Betsey Dudley, of Stratham, N. H., and raised a family of eight children. On the 18th of March, 1752, Benjamin Hill moved with his family from Brentwood to Northwood, N. H, farming the land which has ever since been occupied by the Hill family. Its present occupant is Frank R. Hill, a lineal descendant of Benjamin, and of the fifth generation from him.

Benjamin Hill was drafted into the Revolutionary War, and his son, Nicholas Dudley, not wanting him to go alone, also enlisted. Our Great Grandfather Benjamin died at Ticonderoga. Nicholas survived the war and returned home. He became the head of the family and cared for his mother and siblings. Nicholas Dudley Hill was born at Brentwood, N. H., and was the eldest of his father's family. He married Mary Crockett, and they also had eight children

The Battle at Fort Ticonderoga.

Fort Ticonderoga lay on the shores of Lake Champlain. Called Fort Carillon by the French, it was renamed Ticonderoga by the British after it was captured in 1759. The fort was positioned to cut the colonies in half, and two Americans, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, were determined to capture the fort. Allen was approached by Connecticut citizens to lead his men known as the Green Mountain men to take the fort. Meanwhile Benedict Arnold had himself been appointed to the same task by the Massachusetts committee of safety. The two men argued over command, but this did not deter them from attacking the fort. On May 11th, all the men who could fit were loaded in boats and set off for the fort. The men defending the garrison of Ticonderoga were surprised in their beds. Allen called out to Lieutenant Joceyln Feltham, "Come out of there you dammed old rat!" When Feltham asked on whose authority, Allen stated,"in the name of Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress." The fort, with its heavy artillery, fell without a shot being fired. Two days later, Crown Point fell as well.

And so we add another name to our growing list of Ancestors who fought and gave their all for this new nation.

Now, its time to shut the computer down and move on to other things that need attention. Let me just say how excited I am to share these histories of our our ancestors. Their stories should not be forgotten and won't be as long as you teach your children about their roots and this proud American family they are part of.

Simply,
Victor

A Happy Easter to All.

A Prayer for Your Travels through Life.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

I want to wish all of you a Happy Easter in the knowledge of Christ risen.
We are a family of many faiths. Our faith enriches our lives today as it did for our ancestors.

Researching family history gives us a better understanding of who we are and where we came from. One character trait stands out over all in the history of our ancestors, a strong Christian faith. Although I've not posted all the stories and remembrances I've found relating to their faith, that one fact is paramount in much of what I've read. Today is a good day to remember that.

Our ancestors will live forever as long as they are remembered. This blog is as much a gift to them as to all of you.
Happy Easter.

Simply ,
Victor

Two Great Uncles, Civil War Vetrans for the North.

Monument to the Ohio 82nd Regiment, Civil War.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Two of our 4th Great Uncles from our Cantwell family line served in the Civil War.
Col. James Cantwell and his younger brother Jacob were the brothers of our 4th Great Grandmother, Martha Cantwell. The Genealogy line is below:

James and Jacob Cantwell, Brothers of Martha Cantwell (Our 4th Great Grandmother)
to
Frances George
to
Eldora Elizabeth Fiddler
to
Walter Edwin Pierce
to
Violet May Pierce (Grandma Mattson)
to
Luella, John, Linda and Marvin
to
Us, Grandma Mattson's Grandchildren

Col. James Cantwell

Two days after the Civil War began, James Cantwell left his Ohio farms, his business, his six children and his wife Sarah to join the Union Army.

The Ohio Civil War Battle Flag

In 1861 the Governor of Ohio gave Colonel James Cantwell, our 4th Great Uncle and Lieutenant Colonel Bradford Durfee, and Major James Robison authorization to form and recruit a regiment of volunteers to fight the Confederate South. Their 82nd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry mustered into service on December 31, 1861 with 968 men ad Camp Simon Kenton under the command of our Great Uncle. On May 8, 1862 the regiment received its baptismal of fire when it engaged the rebels in combat for the first time at the Battle of McDowell. Three were killed and 17 wounded. They retreated. The regiment then took part in following after Confederate General Jackson through the Shenandoah. They engaged General Stonewall Jackson at Cedar Mountain. They prevented the rebels from taking Waterloo Bridge.

Col. Cantwell's Battle Sword

The volunteers first heavy engagement came on August 29 at the Second Battle of Bull Run. It lasted two days and our Great Uncle was killed in battle while he was attempting to rally his men against Gen. Jackson’s line.

General Milroy said upon his death,

"...his men loved, obeyed and respected him as a father. Truly the loss of such an officer in these trying times is a great calamity."

Col. Robinson assumed command of the regiment.

Dr. Jacob Cantwell

Our 4th Great Uncle Jacob was a surgeon of the 82nd Ohio. He was treating the wounded at the Stone House when his brother was killed. During the war Dr. Cantwell was under fire during twenty battles and suffered a severe wound at the Battle of Cross Keys, Virginia.
Commissioned Surgeon General of U.S. Volunteers, he was a Lieutenant Colonel when mustered out of service. After the war Dr. Cantwell worked as a physician in Mansfield, Ohio and as a planter in Decatur, Alabama. He died February 12, 1883.

Simply,
Victor

Dad's Early Day in Lead, South Dakota (Cont)

Dad says this picture is beyond the power of his unique, all powerful memory. So suffice to say, this is dad when he was three. Skinny as an Ethopian but recognizable as Charles Williamson.

Dad attended Ted Pascoe's wedding on August 10, 1941. He remembers this suit. It was light blue. The Pascoes were family friends. Dad is standing in front of the Pascoe home. Dad was five years old. The Italians in Lead either hated the Catholic church or loved it. Dad's grandfather (Elda's father) hated the Catholic church.


Dad always played cowboys with his two other best friends. Dad was always the Lone Ranger. They were always the bad guys. He's holding a cap gun. He says you couldn't buy caps for the gun because of the shortages during World War 2. Dad says he couldn't make the shooting sound effect for six weeks when he turned 6 because he had his tonsils out. He says that everyone had their tonsils removed when they were 6 years old. They were removed whether or not they were bad. The doctors thought the tonsils had no purpose whatsoever.



Simply,
Victor

Charles Ray Williamson as a Young Boy in Lead. Poor Kid Looked Malnourished.

This is a picture of Charles Ray at 5 and 1/2 years old. Grandma Elda's handwriting is at the bottom of each. You can tell Grandma missed every day they taught penmanship in school when she was growing up. Notice how she wrote her Y's.

The picture above was taken in Dad's front yard. The Williamson house sat on today's Glendale Road. A rest home sits where dad's house once stood today. The gravel road you see in this picture is Montana Ave. It ended right in front of their house.
The big vacant lot belonged to Homestake Mine. It was surrounded with a chain link fence with barbed wire. It was used to store equipment. The white house in the background belonged to Claude Schmidt. His boy, Bobby, was Dad's friend. Bobby grew up and owned a Shakey's Pizza Parlor in Rapid City. The house behind Schmidt's belonged to Harold Luedeman.
His boy Clint was Dad's other friend. The three boys were inseparable. They played all day together. They were called the three musketeers. Clint's dad Harold later became the mayor of Lead. The big house on the right of the picture belonged to the Burlington Railroad. It was called the RoundHouse. This is where they turned the locomotives. The three musketeers used to crawl under its large door and play. Today the Roundhouse is a high class restaurant in Lead.

There is a little road coming down the hill near the Schmidt's home. That's the hill that nearly killed dad when he was six. He went sledding that day with his friends. He came down the hill out of control and couldn't stop. The sled took him out into the street and right into the path of an oncoming car. He ran right into the front tire. The collision threw him off the sled, knocking him out. The sled continued under the car and was crushed by the tires. The driver thought the sound of the cracking wood was the sound of dad's bones. Chester Pascoe heard the commotion, came outside, picked dad up and laid him on the side of the hill until he came to. He waked dad home and told Grandma what had happened.
"Things were different in those days," dad said about his accident. "No fire truck or ambulance or police came to the scene. People just took care of things themselves."
Elda called the doctor on the phone. He told her to look in dad's eyes to see if one pupil was larger than the other. If not, it was mild concussion and that was the end of that.

Dad lived in the Italian part of Lead. Dad says Grandma spoke Italian during day and English at night when his dad was home. All their neighbors were Italian which makes Dad wonder why he never picked up the language.

In this picture you see dad (Charles) standing in front of a big, long common garage for the five homes owned by the Pascoe family in the area. Dad's house was one of the five. Dad is wearing a black sailor suit. Ted Pascoe was in the Seabee's, a branch of the Navy. It came from the CB's for Construction Battalion which is where dad got his nickname. Ted sent dad all kinds of memorabilia from World War 2. The CB's went in right after the Marines secured an island to begin construction of roads, buildings and air fields. Dad wore so many of the CB t-shirts that his friends in Belle Fourche started calling him SeeBee. Dad remembers that he and his friends like to play with matches in this garage

Here is a picture of Grandma and dad standing in front of the same garage.

This picture was taken on May 16, 1942. Notice the amount of snow on the ground and on the roof of their Lead home. Dad is standing in the doorway. The house is gone. A rest home sits there now. Ted Pascoe and dad's dad, Charles, built the house. Rent was $18.00 per month. Dad is standing in the doorway to the Kitchen. The other door is the door to the living room. Dad slept upstairs. His bedroom had a door leading out onto a small deck. You can see Grandpa shoveling snow away from the clothes line. There were no dryers so your wash was hung outside, even in the winter.
They had a chicken coop in the back of the house. In those days you could have animals in the town.

Dad says they didn't have a refrigerator. Grandma and Grandpa had a hole in the backyard dug out with a post hole digger. It was about five feet deep. At the bottom of the hole was a 5 gallon cream can. That is where they kept the eggs, milk, cheese etc. Whatever you needed to keep cool. They pulled the can up with a rope to access the dairy products.

This is a picture of dad standing beside the clothes line made from the tops of two old telephone pole. Grandpa ran line between these two poles. Dad is beside the old chicken coop.

That wraps up tonight's visit to Lead, South Dakota in 1942.

Simply,
Victor

The Mattson's Gather at 38th Street

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
A spattering of Mattsons for the Blog tonight. This picture was taken in mid 1980's in front of the Charles Williamson home at 2214 38th Street, Rapid City. In this picture you have her majesty, the Queen Mother Violet seated surrounded by her children, Marvin, Luella and John.
Marvin's former wife Cindy stands beside him. Luella's daughters Lisa and Annette are in the picture along with all of John and Bev Mattson's children: Kirk, Gina, Angie, Joe, Jacob, Camille and the baby in Kirk's arms.... Don't know.

And here they are again, our favorite Mattson cousins, children of John and Bev Mattson taken during the mid 1980's. Kirk, Gina, Angie, Joe, Jake, Camille, and Candice. Yep, the hair does date the era doesn't it? At this time the Mattson's lived on 510 South in American Fork, Utah.

And that ends tonight's post.

Simply,
Victor

The Three of Us in October 1961

Kim and I. 1961/62
I'm thinking its time to invest in another set of Suspenders

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Its a beautiful day in Pleasant Grove. Temperatures toy with the 60 degree mark and a light breeze accompanied with brief clouding make for a perfect afternoon.

For the past few posts we've discussed our Williamson ancestors. Today I thought I'd continue the theme and share pictures of other semi ancient relics, the first three children of Charles and Luella.

We didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up. Dad worked as a surveyor for the State of South Dakota and mom looked after the house and did other odd jobs around town from time to time. Photography in those days required disposable income. You had to buy film, shoot the pictures and pay to have the film developed and printed. So, people tended not to take many pictures.

We have very few pictures of when we were young. This post shows a few of the few. The top picture was taken at a photo studio. You can tell because we're dressed up and are sitting nicely posed, all characteristics of a staged shot.

The other three photographs in today's post were taken in a coin operated photo booth found in the supermarkets in those days.


You sat in the booth and raised or lowered the turning stool until your face fit squarely within the mirror. You tried different poses until you found the pose you liked. Then you leaned forward and dropped your quarters into the slot. You got 4 poses for your money with five seconds or so between shots to make any necessary adjustments.

I'm happy mom took the time after grocery shopping to stop at the photobooth near the exit of the Piggly Wiggly to take these pictures.

Here I am holding Kevin. I'm three and Kevin is three months. I had much lighter hair in those days, and plenty of it! I'm looking down at the coin slot and the glowing green light. Kevin is amazed at the whole thing and hoping I don't drop him.

OK, I happy to say I figured out how to look up and be ready for the flash. Nice eye contact and a descent smile for a three year old. Don't know for sure but I'm guessing Kevin is looking directly into mom's eyes. She has the privacy curtain open and is crouched down beside us holding Kevin firmly on my lap. I can hear her saying, "Look up into your eyes in the mirror. Look up not down. Look at yourself. Hurry, its about to flash!"

And the last one is the keeper. I've got it all figured out and Kevin is cooperating. After the pictures it was back into the car and up Signal Heights hill to our duplex at 39 East Signal Drive.
It was Autumn. I'm sure Kim and I spent the rest of the day playing outside in our sand box or swinging or running around. We weren't one for naps. Kevin got the nap and then time in the play pen while mom ironed.

What is your very first memory? The furthest back I can remember is July 2, 1961, just a few months before these pictures were taken. I remember walking up to the bassinet holding my new baby brother Kevin, just brought home from St. John's hospital in Rapid City and trying my best to pull myself up so I could see him over the edge. That was 48 years ago.

And now I sit here dozing as I type. I should take a nap but won't. Remember, I never napped as a kid and I don't now. Don't know why, just can't sleep during the day.

Simply,
Victor

Digging up the Williamson Roots. A Messy Job with a Few Victories.

From My Desk at Space Camp
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
This Saturday finds the camp full of younglings, all soaring through space in our five simulators. My desk sits at the crossroads. I've got one simulator in front of me, one to my left and one behind me. I've got my Programming Guild in the computer lab at one of the school and two other simulators going in two other parts of the school. It was a nearly uneventful overnight camp with 43 students from one of our elementary schools and a staff of 23

As director I'm on duty through the night. I can lay down, which I do. I can sleep, which I get little of, especially if the 10-14 year olds are too excited to sleep. Last night I finally got to lay down at 12:40 A.M. Just as I drifted off, I heard one of the junior high volunteers in the staff room next to my office cough. There was a pause, then a loud cough followed by the sound of rushing liquid.
"Vomit," I thought to myself. Vomit is my worst nightmare. Vomit on carpet is pure hell on Earth. Usually when someone explodes they wake up and come to get me or one of the other chaperons. This boy didn't. I picked up my flashlight, turned it on, and reluctantly pointed to where he slept on the floor on a pad.

The boy was laying on his side in a pool of what belonged in his stomach and not on my carpet! He was sound asleep. I turned on the lights, kicked him gently a few times to wake him up. He jump up startled to find himself swimming in his own digestive juices. It was almost funny (if it wasn't disgusting).

Twenty minutes, and a great deal of cleaning up later, everything was back to normal except for that lingering smell that hangs in the air for several days to remind you of the fun you had. I finally fell asleep around 1:30 A.M. . I was up again at 6:20 A.M. to get things ready to wake the camp of 67 up at 7:10 A.M. for breakfast.

It's now 4:32 P.M. The Center closes at 5:00 P.M. I'll soon find my way up the mountain to the Fortress (I live 4 minutes from the school), sit, enjoy something cold and listen to the silence.

Today's Find in the Family Roots

Could this early photograph from a box of old photographs found in the attic of a home once owned by a distant relative of a Williams (close enough to Williamson to count) be the craft that brought our ancestors to Earth? Imagination can be a good substitute for facts in a pinch.

I took some time during my break and did a bit more research on the Williamson line. The current prevailing theory on the mystery of Matthew and Selina Williamson's origins are that they were alien humanoids from a distant world who crash landed in Virginia around the year 1800. They adapted into our society but kept a non existent profile to avoid revealing their true identity. They had children, and after a few decades of looking for spare parts, were able to repair their space ship and leave Earth sometime after the birth of George Matthew Williamson in 1834. Why George was left behind is another mystery to be solved during our next seance.

Today I may have to rethink our working theory. I was looking at the 1880 Census
and discovered something that will help redirect my search. This is the actual page from the census.

Click to Enlarge

You'll see the entire family of George Williamson listed. You'll see our common ancestor, William J. Williamson recorded as a 21 year old.
Below you'll see the headings found at the top of the census sheet.

Click to Enlarge

Notice the last two categories listing the birth place of the father and mother of the person mentioned on the line.
Notice that George Matthew Williamson lists the birthplace of his father and mother (Matthew and Selina) as Virginia.
I know it isn't much but it does give more direction. From this new evidence we know that Matthew and Selina were born in Virginia sometime between the years 1790 and 1815 (ish). That adds weight to the theory that they were part of the original Williamson family that came to Virginia in the 1680's. It isn't the proof we need but it does anchor our family solidly into Virginia's history.

Something else I found interesting. Notice the categories labeled "Cannot Read" and "Cannot Write". Look at George Matthew's Children. Notice that George and Ella Williamson (12 and 10 years of age) can read but are listed as cannot write. Also notice that all the school age children were in school at the time.

Interesting. That might explain why many Williamson DNA carriers lack readable handwriting skills. So, if anyone asks why you never learned to write legibly tell them you have a handicap passed on from generation to generation of scratchers.

The battle continues as we dig deeper into our roots.

Simply,
Victor

A Death in our Extended Family.

From Pat Biggs

Karen (Williamson) McClaren died yesterday . She was the granddaughter of Emmett Williamson, daughter of Wesley Williamson. She battled cancer for several years, fought the good fight and finally lost the battle. She lived in Pringle, South Dakota and was 62 years old.

This is Karen's Obituary

Karen Marie McClaren, 61, passed away March 25, 2010, at her home near Pringle, SD.

Karen was born August 22, 1948, in Hot Springs, SD, to Wes and Norma Jean (Henry) Williamson. She graduated from Custer High School in 1966. On January 3, 1971 she married Robert McClaren. Karen was a devoted wife and mother. She loved her family, her friends, working outdoors and everything about her life as a country wife. She especially loved her buffalo. Karen’s zeal for life and laughter will be missed by all who knew and cherished her. Karen is survived by her husband, Robert of Pringle; one son, Ryne McClaren of Chadron, NE; Ryne’s fiancée , Lori Holcomb, of Raleigh, NC; one sister, Margie Kay (Lyle) Stevens of Canistota, SD; one brother, Dale (Megan) Williamson of Chadron; four nieces, Kellie Jo Cinnamon; Lindsey Mehlbrech; Sara Linn; Jenny Woodward as well as two nephews, Austin Wheeler and Jake Williamson. Funeral Services will be held 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, March 30, 2010, at the Custer Community Church in Custer, SD, with Pastor Bill Comfort and Pastor Bill Savery officiating. Interment will follow at the Custer Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Karen’s name to benefit the Cold Springs Historical Society.

Arrangements have been placed in the care of McColley’s Chapel of the Hills in Custer. Written condolences may be made at www.mccolleyschapels.com.

Thanks Pat for sharing that. May I ask all in our extended family to send news of importance. Our branch of the clan is spread out coast to coast so this one digital campfire is a good place for the Charles Williamson's to gather from time to time to pick up family new from other branches in this ever expanding family tree.

Simply,
Victor

On the Williamson Family Line. The Honorable Pflegers, Revolutionary War Soldiers.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove.

Hello To All,
There’s a chill in the air over Pleasant Grove tonight. The clouds hang low bringing what could be a bit of snow. A good Utah Spring where you get all four seasons in one day.

Tonight we take a moment to reflect on several ancestors that fought for our liberty and suffered terribly for it. May I reintroduce you to my generation’s 6th Great Grandfather George Frederick Pfluger. The family tree is listed below:

George Frederick Pfluger (b. 1735 York Penn. d. February 1791 York Penn.)
to
Abraham Pfleger (there were a few different spellings of the name)
to
Anabella Phlegar
to
Margaret Ann Willis
to
George Matthew Williamson
to
William J. Williamson
to
The Nine Williamson Children (My Grandfather was Charles)
to
Charles Williamson
to
Me

Abraham Pfleger (my 5th Great Grandfather) told one of his grandchildren, the Reverend Abraham Hogan (making the Reverend one of our Great Uncles) before he died that our Grandfather George was in the Revolutionary war with several of his sons and nephews. He was in the memorable march without shoes over the frozen ground, and from that exposure was taken with a “breast complaint from which he died." That was George Frederick, born 1735, whose will was probated in 1791. His wife, Anna Maria Margaretha, lived until 1816.

This shoeless memorable march on frozen ground may refer to Valley Forge. The Pflegers lived Pennsylvania and fought in Pennsylvania’s regiments. The history doesn’t say but it may be reasonable to assume that it could have been. The family home at York was close to Valley Forge.

More research will be needed. Time for my easy chair and my British comedies. The perfect way to end a long day.

Simply,
Victor