My Ohio Ancestors Who Went to War

Civil War

Several of my Hemings ancestors participated in the Civil War.  At least eight descendants of Elizabeth Hemings and two men who married her great-granddaughters served; four in black regiments, four in white regiments, all for the Union.

The grandsons of Sally Hemings who participated in the Civil War were:

• William Beverly Hemings, private, 73 Ohio Volunteer Infantry
• Thomas Eston Hemings, private, 175th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, died in a Confederate prison camp
• John Wayles Jefferson, colonel, 9th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry
• Beverly Jefferson, private, 1st Wisconsin Infantry

Angus Young was a private in Company I, commanded by Captain Barnes, in the 73rd Regiment of the Ohio Infantry Volunteers in the War of 1861 (the Civil War).  He was enrolled on February 15, 1864 in Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio.  He died in the service of the United States on November 9, 1864 in Chattanooga, Tennessee on  of injuries from the explosion of an ammunition wagon on October 25, 1864.  He was buried in the Chattanooga National Cemetery.

His wife, Nancy Runningwater Chapman, filed claim for widow's pension, with minor children on August 9, 1865; then after several iterations and multiple affidavits were supplied, finally filed on November 16, 1868. She was to receive $8 per month plus $2 each child until the reached the age of sixteen.

John Valentine was a free man who enlisted June 22, 1863 at the age of 26 to fight in the Civil War. He was in Company C, 5th Regiment of the US Colored Infantry.  He was born in Fayette, Tennessee, but enlisted in Ohio.

The 5th United States Colored Infantry Regiment was an African American unit of the Union Army during the American Civil War. A part of the United States Colored Troops, the regiment saw action in Virginia as part of the Richmond–Petersburg Campaign and in North Carolina, where it participated in the attacks on Fort Fisher and Wilmington and the Carolinas Campaign.

World War I

Arthur Lee Cooper served in World War I and was disabled.

William Dalton - Ohio Military Men, 1917-18 

Name: William Dalton

Serial Number: 2336242

Race: C

Residence: 333 Corwin St., Circleville, O.

Enlistment Division: National Guard

Enlistment Location: Columbus, O.

Enlistment Date: 24 Jul 1917

Birth Place: Columbus, O.

Birth Date / Age: 18 1/12 Years

Assigns Comment: Co F 372 Infantry to Discharge Private Meuse-Argonne; 
Defensive Sector. American Expeditionary Forces 30 March 1918 to 11 Feb 1919. Honorable discharge 5 March 1919.

Volume #: 4

World War II

All of William Filmore Dalton's and Emma Lee Cooper's sons serviced during World War II.

William Dalton Jr -U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records 1938-1946
Name: William Dalton
Birth Year: 1920
Race: Negro
Nativity State: Ohio
State of Residence: Ohio
County or City: Ross
Enlistment Date: 20 February 1941
Enlistment State: Ohio
Enlistment City: Fort Hayes Columbus
Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA

Edward Dalton - U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records 1938-1946
Name:  Edward Dalton
Birth Year: 1921
Race: Negro
Nativity State: Ohio
State of Residence: Ohio
County or City: Ross
Enlistment Date:
Enlistment State: Ohio
Enlistment City:
Branch:

Dennis Dalton - U. S. World War II Navy
Name: Dennis Dalton
Birth Year:
Race: Negro
State of Residence: Ohio
County or City: Ross

The Russells from Kentucky

Mary Jane, Emma, Matthew and William were Russell siblings.  I have not found out who their parents are.  The only elder Russell I recall meeting was Mary Jane.  We called her "Great Aunt Mary Jane" and she lived to be at least 105.  As far as I my research has determined all four siblings moved from Kentucky to Butler County Ohio in the early 1900s.

Mary Jane Russell was born between 1860 and 1870 in Kentucky.  She married Thomas H South II (~1864-04/05/1942) around 1898 in Kentucky.  They moved to Ohio between 1910 and 1920.  She died around 1973.

I found newspaper article about Mary Jane reaching her 100th birthday in Middletown, Ohio.  It was how I learned about her nephew Joseph and another relative Odessa T Johnson (10/25/1921-10/1984) of Central Avenue in Middletown.  I remember visiting her when I was a child. 

Great Aunt Mary Jane isn't a DNA ancestor, but I have recently researched the Russell family to write a story about my step-grandfather "Grandpa Jerome".  She lived at 830 9^th Avenue.  Her brothers Matthew and William also lived at 820 9^th Avenue; they died when I was very young so I don't remember them.   Matthew's sons Jerome and Robert lived there too.  Robert had a restaurant next to their home.  Jerome called the 800 block of 9th Avenue in Middletown, Ohio "Russellville".  

So when we visited my grandmother in Middletown (on 19th Avenue) we always had to go over to “Russellville” to visit Grandpa Jerome's family, especially Great-aunt Mary Jane who my mother loved dearly.  I believe she was a few years older than her husband Thomas H. South, but I never met him as he died way before I was born.  I have not found any children for the couple and I have not heard that they had any.  (Maybe the grand-children of Robert may remember, but I haven't been to Middletown since my grandmother died.)  Great Aunt Mary Jane was already very old when I visited her.  I don't think anyone knew when she was actually born, but knew she was probably born sometime before 1870.  I don't think there were very good records in Kentucky before the 1900s.  I have not found a birth certificate/record online.  And the census records were never very accurate, but within a year or two.  The 1930 census says she was 63 and had gotten married at 25.  The 1910 census says she was 42, had been married for 12 years and had had no children.

One of Great Aunt Mary Jane’s nephews, Jerome, married my maternal grandmother in 1937; she had four children.  (My grandmother was Emma Lee Cooper.  Her first husband died in a tragic accident in 1932.)  Jerome took on the whole family.  I do not believe Jerome had any children even though he was briefly married twice before marrying my grandmother.  I was named for him.  (“If it’s a boy name it Jerome; if it’s a girl name it Jerrie” were the orders he sent when he was informed of my birth.  I worshiped him!  We were very best friends.  He called me “Dirty Thumb Sucking Lil” which I hated as a child.

Joseph Talton Strong is not a real relative of mine either.  But I uncovered him when I was researching the only “grandfather” I ever knew (Jerome Russell was my step-grandfather).   Jerome Russell was the son of Matthew Russell.   Joseph Strong was the son of Emma Russell (1877-) and Edward Harry Strong; and he was Grandpa Jerome’s first cousin.  He attended Wilberforce University.  I am a huge baseball fan and especially interested in the Negro Leagues.  So imagine my surprise when I discovered Joseph actually played in the Negro Leagues and was a very successful pitcher!