Anne of Kiev

Anne is both my 30^th and my 28th great grandmother.  My connections are  through my great grandmother, Mary Bushnoe (wife of David Jarvis).  Anne's younger son, Hugh is connected through the Bushnoe or Bousquet line, back through the Guyon family for many generations and eventually the Beaumont family to Anne.  Anne's elder son, Philip, is connected through Mary Bushnoe's mother and the Emlaw and Maxfield families, eventually to various lesser noble families and on to the royal family.

Anne of Kiev was born around 1030 in what is now Russia.  She was the daughter of Yaroslav I and Ingred Olofsdotter, a Swedish princess.  It appears that she was the youngest of their four daughters.

She was married to King Henry I of France after his first wife died and he was unable to find a suitable bride within the western European royal families that was not closely related to him.

Anne’s father was a major power in Eurasia and his daughters were considered prime candidates to be consorts of ruling western European monarchs.  Her marriage to Henry I gave France a queen and had the added benefit of  forging an alliance between France and the Grand Duchy of Kiev. 

Her three sisters also married into the royal families in Norway, Hungary and Poland.

Historically, Henry I was a fairly inconsequential king.  He was illiterate and upon their marriage in 1051, he was only able to make his mark (an “X”) on the marriage documents, while the educated Anne signed her name, shown here.



Philippe I



Anne and Henry had two sons, Philip, born in 1052,  who would eventually grow to become Philip I or “Philip the Fair”, king of France.  He is my 27th great grandfather.  His reign was spent trying to strengthen the realm following the weak and ineffective reign of his father. 

Her second son, Hugh Magnus (“Hugh the Great”), born in 1057, became the Duke of Burgundy.  He is my 29^th great grandfather.  After his marriage and the birth of his daughter, Hugh was a leader of the First Crusade to the Holy Land.  He died in Turkey of wounds sustained in battle on 18 October 1101…. Another story for another time.



Hugh Capet

Anne’s husband, Henry I, died in 1060, prematurely senile and ineffective as king.  Their eldest son, Philip, a lad of 8, was named king with his mother acting as regent.  Anne was the first Queen of France to act in that role.  As an educated woman, Anne was somewhat of a curiosity in European royal circles.

Shortly following Henry’s death, Anne eventually became involved with Count Ralph III of Valois who was married at the time.  He subsequently divorced his wife and married Anne in 1062 They would remain wed until his death in 1074.  Ralph’s wife was so hurt and incensed over his involvement with Anne that she petitioned the Pope to excommunicate the couple.  The Pope eventually granted the petition and Anne and Ralph were exiled from the Church.

Her son, King Philip I, eventually forgave his mother her indisgretions. Following Ralph III’s death, she retired to an Abbey where she died in 1075.

So, my great grandmother, Mary Bushnoe is connected to Anne of Kiev through both her mother, Arminda Emlaw, and her father, Isidore Bushnoe.

I realize that making verified connections over this many generations can be problematic at best.  I have attempted to locate as many records as possible in building this branch of our family tree.  Still, it is enjoyable and, I believe, accurate and I love telling the stories.

Also, I have recently located a relative who has photos of David Jarvis and Mary Bushnoe (Anne’s 26^th great granddaughter - my great grandparents).  I will be posting them here when I have copies.

Father Edmond M. DePauw

My next article in the Chateaugay Historical Society quarterly newsletter will be the story of Father DePauw, a Flemish priest who came to America as a missionary.  He became the first permanent pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Chateaugay when it was established as an independent parish in 1863.  He served as pastor for 26 years, resigning in 1889 to return to his native Belgium.

His time in Chateaugay was marked by the tremendous growth of the local parish.  The congregation grew, the parish prospered, Father DePauw kept the company of high ranking officials in the Curia in Rome, befriended a nationally prominent, vocal, conservative, Catholic activist and led the local temperance efforts in town.

In all, a fascinating and complicated man who played a major role in the religious history of Chateaugay. 

To get the full story, check out the complete article that will be in the Fall issue of the Historical Society newsletter.  If you are not yet a member; $15 for individuals, $10 for seniors and students or $25 for families will buy a membership and guarantee the delivery of all four issues of our 16 page newsletters each year.

Check  out the Historical Society in the Archival Room of the Chateaugay Memorial Library.  We are open each Wednesday afternoon from 1-4 and each Saturday morning from 9-12 through October. Late Fall and Winter hours are by appointment.

Julius Welch (1844 - 1899) Civil War Veteran

With this year being the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, I have been reviewing the research I have been doing into my family history.  My last post here was a draft of the story of Isadore Bushnoe, one of my paternal grandfathers.  I am just finishing the chapter on Isadore's life and service in the Civil War and will be posting that soon. 

In the meantime,  this post is about one of my maternal grandfathers who lived in Clinton County and served in the 96th NY Infantry Regiment during the Civil War.  I've included background material about the Civil War to set Julius' service in perspective.

Julius Welch (1844-1899)

Julius Welch was born in Mooers, NY in 1844, the son of Timothy Welch and Polly Jewell Welch.  His father was 38 and his mother was 32 when he was born.  The 1850 US Census finds the family still living in Mooers where Timothy was farming. Six year old Julius had two sisters, 14 year old Laura and eleven year old Maria.

By the 1860 US Census, Julius was living in Altona at the home of his sister and brother-in-law; Russell and Laura Cook.  Julius’ older brother, Ira Welch, also lived with the Cooks at this time.   

Russell Cook is later found on the roster of the 96^th NY Infantry Regiment.  He enlisted as a Private in Plattsburgh on 24 February, 1864 at the age of 27.  Five days later on February 29, he was assigned to Company B.  He and Julius served together from the time  Julius was drafted  until both were discharged 6 February 1866.  Ira Welch was also drafted into the 96^th, serving in Company D.  He failed to return home with his brother and brother-in-law, having died in Virginia in 1866.

Julius Welch’s service in the “War of the Sixties” began on March 15, 1865 when the 24 year old went to Plattsburgh, NY and was processed as a draftee.  He became a private in the 96^th NY Infantry Regiment.  The 96^th , also known as the "Plattsburgh Regiment" or "McComb's Regiment", had seen action in Virginia and North Carolina from the onset of hostilities in 1861.  Julius would serve primarily with the occupation forces in Virginia during his tour of duty.

Prior to reporting for duty with the 96^th, Julius and Julia Maria Bell were married in Mooers on 25 March 1865.

Civil War hostilities had begun at Fort Sumpter, North Carolina on 12 April 1861.  The war would officially end 9 April 1865 with the surrender of Confederate general Robert E. Lee to Union commander, General Ulyssus S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia.

Never before had our young nation faced a situation where citizen faced fellow citizen on the battlefield. 

The US population in 1860 was approximately 31.5 million (27.5 million were “free” citizens and the remaining 4 million, slaves). North and South mobilized a total of 325,000 soldiers or about ten percent of the total US population.  Confederate forces numbered 1,064,000 and Union troops 2,200,000.

Over 600,000 would die by the end of the war.  The Union casualties would include 110,000 killed in action with another 250,000 dead of disease, accident, etc.  On the Confederate side, 93,000 would be killed in action and another 165,000 dead of disease, accident, etc.  In addition to the 618,000 dead were 412,000 wounded (275,000 Union and 137,000 Confederate).

By the end of the war, over one million troops were either dead or wounded: fully one third of all troops committed to battle.  Add to the human cost the destruction and devastation in the border and southern states, the toll taken by the conflict affected the reunited nation for decades.

Life for the soldiers during the war was difficult and often too much to bear.  Although accurate figures were hard to compile, there may have been as many as 300,000 total desertions as the effects of the fighting and day-to-day living conditions took their toll.

There were many reasons for men leaving their units.  Troops were often poorly armed and equipped.  Food was also subject to scarcity.  Forced marches caused less fit soldiers to lag behind, providing an opportunity for the more disheartened to slip away and attempt to return home rather than catch up with their units.  Disease was common.  Soldiers left behind in campaigns to convalesce would sometimes take the opportunity to leave.  Distance and separation from families would lead Union troops to decide to leave if given the opportunity.  Southern soldiers were more likely to be fighting to protect their families than for the grand cause of the South.   As a result, concern for those back home would prove incentive for Confederate soldiers to slip away.  The recent movie, “Cold Mountain” showed a fictional account of just a situation involving a Southern soldier.

All in all, the conflict proved a difficult, costly and extremely traumatic chapter in American history.

Initially headquartered in Plattsburgh, the 96^th New York Infantry Regiment was also referred to as the “Plattsburgh Regiment” or as “Macomb’s Regiment”.  It was mustered in from 20 February to 7 March 1862 in Plattsburgh.  The ten regimental companies were recruited mainly from the following areas:

                                    Company A – Chateaugay

                                    Company B, C, D, H & K – Plattsburgh and surrounding area

                                    Company E – Fort Edward

                                    Company F – Chazy and Mooers

                                    Company G – Ticonderoga

                                    Company I – Warrensburg

The 96^th was initially assigned to the 1^st Brigade, 3^rd Division, 4^th Corps of the Army of the Potomac in March 1862.  Over the next three years, regimental assignments would include the Department of North Carolina and the Army of the James.

Service was primarily in Virginia and North Carolina.  Battles and campaigns included the Siege of Yorktown, the Seven days Battle and Proctors Creek, all in Virginia and Gardiner’s Bridge in North Carolina.

During Julius’ enlistment, he served in the occupation of Richmond which began 3 April 1865.  By 1 September 1865, Julius was promoted to Corporal by Colonel Stephen Moffit, Regimental Commander.  He was also part of the Department of Virginia occupation forces until the regiment was mustered out 6 February 1866.

In today’s army, a regiment is 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers.  It is made up of 2 or more battalions and is commanded by a colonel.  The 96^th was approximately the same size.  The combined number of dead and wounded stood at 230 or approximately 10% of its total complement. This is a rate less than the one third casualty rate of the combined Union and Confederate armies.  The Regiment lost 48 men killed in action (3 officers and 41 enlisted men), 22 men wounded (3 officers and 19 enlisted men).  In addition, 160 men died of other causes including disease and injury (2 officers and 158 enlisted men). The 206 men dead, (9 officers and 197 enlisted men) included 36 enlisted deaths of soldier in  the hands of Southern forces.

After completing his enlistment terms, Julius was honorably discharged at City Point Virginia on 6 February 1866.  His discharge documents describe him as 5’9”, with a light complexion, with blue eyes and light colored hair. 

He subsequently returned to his new bride in northern New York.  Since his brother-in-law Russell Cook was discharged on the same day, it is highly likely they made their way home from Virginia to Ellenburg together.  It is ironic to note that while one third of forces committed by both sides was either killed or wounded, the same held true for the trio of the Welch brothers and Russell Cook - two returned, one did not.

The 1870 US Census finds Julius and his young family in Ellenburg, New York.  The 26 year old farmer and his 22 year old wife have one daughter; Florence 3 and one son; Alverna 1.

By 1880, the census shows the family still in Ellenburg.  Julius, now 36  and Maria have 5 children: Florence age 13, Alverna age 11, Nettie age 8, Albert age 5 and Addie (Adah) age 2.  He is listed as still farming.

Julius died 29 August 1899 at age 55 in Ellenburg.  His obituary published in the Plattsburgh Sentinel on 8 September 1899 reads:

“Julius Welch, an old resident of Ellenburgh and one of our best citizens

 passed away to the other shore Tuesday p. m.  Mr. Welch was a veteran

 of the war of the sixties and had been a sufferer from chronic asthma

 for many years.  At last, his lungs became involved and the

 end came.  He leaves a large family and a large circle of friends

 to mourn his loss.”

The following resolution was published the same day:

ELLENBURGH CENTRE, Sept. 2

—Resolutions of McGregor Post, No. 463, G. A. R.: —Whereas death has again visited our membership and  moved therefrom our comrade, Julius  Welch late private of Co. A, 96th N. Y. Inf. therefore, Resolved, That as God in his infinite wisdom has removed from among us our beloved comrade Julius Welch, to his eternal rest and reward that we most humbly submit to his over-ruling power and Resolved, That the sympathy and condolence of the members of this Post with a copy of these resolutions be transmitted to the bereaved family and friends; Resolved. That our charter be draped in mourning and a copy of these resolutions be entered in our minutes also furnished for publication in our county papers and the Chateaugay Record.

S. D. Mix Com.

Joseph Gibson Adj.

The family also had the following printed on September 8:

CARD OF THANKS

The family of the late Julius Welch wish through your paper to thank

 friends and neighbors for their kind ness and death of their

husband and father, also the Post for their attendance at the last

 sad rites. May Heaven's choicest blessings rest on all.

MRS. JULIUS WELCH

Isadore Bushnoe and the Civil War

With 2011 being the 150th annivesary of the beginning of the Civil War, I am doing research on my great, great grandfather who enlisted in the 14th New York Heavy Artillery.  This is the first entry regarding his military experience.  Part two will follow shortly.

           Isadore  Bushnoe (Buscaire) and the Civil War

This is the first draft of my account of Isadore's service in the Civil War.  It will be revised and amended as I gather more material.

He was born 27 May 1835 in Norton Creek, Quebec (then called "Canada East") and died 21 December 1901 in Chateaugay, New York. He enlisted in Parishville, St. Lawrence County, New York on 21 December 1863 for a period of 3 years.  He received a new recruit State Bounty of $75, $10 paid in advance and the balance of $65 paid when the unit was organized.  In addition, he received a $100 United States Bounty, of which $25 will be paid on the organization of the Regiment, and the balance when discharged from the Army. He also received one month's pay, $13 in advance. Rations, lodging and clothing were provided, and his pay started at the date of enlistment.  

He is listed in all official military records as “Isadore Buscaire” rather than “Isadore Bushnoe”.  He went by the latter name in his daily life.  I can only think he might have approached the enlistment officer and attempted to use the French version of his surname; “Bousquet” (which would have been pronounced “boose-kay” and the way the officer heard it or attempted to spell it became the official Army spelling…..just a supposition on my part

The immediate amount he received for enlistment was $10 on 21 December along with $13 for his first month's pay and another $90 upon unit formation and muster in on 29 December.  So, he was able to leave his family $113 (worth about $2000 in 2011) when he shipped out at the end of December.  He was also scheduled to be paid $75.00 (the rest of his federal enlistment bounty) upon his discharge in 1866.  That would equal approximately $1050 in today's funds.  For a farmer with a family, those amounts undoubtedly represented an impressive return for a three year enlistment.  The recruiters, no doubt, played up the money and played down the difficult conditions and hard fighting to follow as the unit was shipped south.  In addition, of course, he would be paid another $13 a month for the remaining 35 months of his hitch. (about $3000 today). Considering that the annual average income in 1863 was around $600, and his family’s was most likely well under that, these were considerable amounts of money.      

Isadore enlisted on 21 Dec, 1863 and, eight days later, was mustered in as a Private in Company M, 14th New York Heavy Artillery.  The Muster Roll Abstract lists him as a "farmer".  He had dark eyes, dark hair, light complexion and stood 5' 1 & 3/4" tall.  He gave his age as 22 (which would have made his birth year 1841) when enlisting but it appears that he was actually 28 years old (all other records seem to indicate he was born in 1835).  I have been unable to find a satisfactory explanation for this discrepancy.

I have been unable to determine why Isadore enlisted.  President Lincoln had signed the Enrollment Act into law in March of 1863.  Also called the Conscription Act, it required all male citizens ages twenty to forty five to be enrolled in the Army.  It also included any immigrants who had filed for citizenship but had not yet been granted it.

I have found no record showing that he had filed for citizenship as of 1863.  He may not have even been eligible for the draft but may have simply enlisted for the bounties that were being offered.  I am unable to determine which at this point.

The 14th filled out its muster rolls on 4 January 1864 and the unit was immediately shipped to New York City.  It had been assigned to garrison the forts at New York Harbor.  After nearly five months in New York, the 14th was ordered to the southern front in Virginia and all the troops were shipped to Warrenton, VA where they remained encamped until 2 May when they were ordered to March for the Rapidan River, a distance of some 30 miles.  The unit was in line formation during the Battle of the Wilderness (5-7 May) but only lightly involved.  They suffered only eight casualties, including two dead.

The Battle of the Wilderness was bloody and intense.  Union General Ulysses S. Grant threw all of his offensive weapons at General Robert E. Lee's forces.  Grant suffered over 17,500 casualties.  No doubt, although Isadore's unit was not heavily involved, the sounds of the intense fighting and the reports reaching the rear lines must have made the blood run cold for the soldiers of the 14th.

Throughout the rest of May, the 14th New York, now fighting as infantry, not as an artillery unit, saw heavier action throughout Virginia.  The week after the battle of the Wilderness, they were ordered on a fourteen mile march to Spotsylvania where they fought for from the 8th to the 21st of May.  Casualties rose (5 dead and 49 wounded) and this proved to be only a hint of things to come.

At this point, Isadore had been in the Army about six months and had only seen battle for about three weeks.  The Battle of Cold Harbor proved to literally be, "baptism by fire" for the 14^th New York.  Fought from 1 June until 12 June, this battle was a full frontal assault by Grant on Lee's forces.  The Union suffered a total of 12,737 casualties; the 14th suffered 119 killed, wounded or missing.  This battle was true trench warfare and conditions were deplorable.  Union troops caught between the lines were pinned down in their trenches often without food, water or medical care as the Confederate howitzers lobbed 24 pound shells into Union positions and sharpshooters on both sides picked off soldiers constantly.

A particularly graphic account came from Union artillery officer, Frank Wilkeson:  "Every corpse I saw was as black as coal. It was not possible to remove them. They were buried where they fell. ... I saw no live man lying on this ground. The wounded must have suffered horribly before death relieved them, lying there exposed to the blazing southern sun o' days, and being eaten alive by beetles o' nights."  (Grimsley, Mark. And Keep Moving On: The Virginia Campaign, May–June 1864. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2002).

The Seige of Petersburg followed the fighting at Cold Harbor and proved to be both costly to the unit and painful for Isadore.

Edmund 1st King of England 922-946

Edmund the 1st was also called "the Magnificent".  He is my 31st great grandfather; connected through the Bruso, Welch and Stark families.  He ruled from 940 (when he was only 18 years old) until his untimely death in 946 when he was killed while holding royal court at Pucklechurch in Gloustershire.  A previously banished outlaw named Leofa had entered the church, intent on escaping discovery among the many courtiers who were there . When Leofa was discovered, an altercation ensued as the royal guard was attempting to take him into custody.   Edmund intervened in the struggle and  was stabbed in the stomach.  He died almost immediately.  Some accounts say that he managed to kill Leofa before he died.

In 938, as a sixteen year old, he had ridden with his half-brother, King Athelstan, into northern England to do battle with the invading Vikings.  Edmund commanded part of his brother's army during the fighting.  Eventually, they defeated the Norse army at the Battle of Brunanburgh, effectively uniting England.  Two years later, Edmund became king upon the death of Athelstan. 

He was considered to have been a strong monarch; a harsh but fair ruler who strengthened the unity of Anglo Saxon England.  His violent death at Pucklechurch ended his reign after only 6 years.

He was the father of two future kings of England; Edwig and Edgar the Peacemaker.

Edmund was buried at Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset, England.  This Abbey is traditionally considered to be the oldest above-ground Christian church in the world.  This part of England is the location of Avalon, the mystical kingdom of King Arthur.  Legend has it that the site of the Abbey is where Joseph of Arimethea came during his visit in 63A.D. carrying the Holy Grail.

Family Connections to Samuel de Champlain

In addition to working on a section of the family history about Isidore Bushnoe, I have been working on connections through both the Jarvis and Baker sides that go back to the founding of Quebec and Acadia by Samuel de Champlain.

Some notables:  Louis Hebert and his wife Marie Rollet are my 11th great grandparents.  They are credited with being the first settlers of Quebec City.  Louis' father, Nicholas was the court physician to French Queen, Catherine De Medici.  Louis and Marie came to the New World in 1617.  He was one of the leaders of the new colony.

Zacharie Cloutier is my 10th great grandfather. He first arrived in Quebec in 1619 with Champlain.  He was not a settler at first but a laborer brought over to clear and cultivate farmland for the settlement.  He returned in 1634 and was one of the original settlers of Beauport, Que.

Guillaume Trahan and his wife, Francoise Corbineau, are my 11th great grandparents.  They arrived on the "St. Jehan" in 1636 and were among the first families to settle in Acadia, helping to found the community of Port Royal.  He was head of the Port Royal Council when the British seized the colony in 1654.

Jean Guyon arrived at the same time Zacharie Cloutier did in 1634.  He and his wife, Mathurine Robin are my 11th great grandparents, as well.  I have traced Jean's ancestry back to  the French royal family; particularly, Henry I Beauclerc who reigned from 1100 to 1135.

In all, I have found 11 of my grandfathers who were among the first settlers of Acadia and Quebec City.  When completed, this chapter of the family history will be a great story told.

Next Historical Society Articles

I am currently working on two articles for the May issue of the Society's newsletter. 

The first is a chronology of the theater that is in the Chateaugay Town Hall.  It began as the opulent "Opera House" when the Town Hall was built in 1910.  Stage shows, vaudeville acts and concerts were offered regularly.  It later became known as the "Ideal Theater" where movies were primarily shown. Then, following the rebuilding of the Town Hall after a disastrous fire in 1940, the movie theater was renamed the "Gay Theater", after the "Gay" in "Chateaugay".  It closed as a movie house in the mid 1960's.  Two subsequent attempts were made to revive it as a movie theater, but both failed. Today, an extensive renovation project is underway to restore the theater to a measure of its former glory and usefulness.

The second article concerns the Moffit brothers; John Henry and Stephen.  Both were Civil War heroes and led impressive public lives following their war service with connections to the Lyon Mountain mines, Plattsburgh State, the NYS Assembly and other venues.  They also owned the island in Upper Chateaugay Lake and maintained an impressive residence there.  Their sister lived in Chateaugay and John Henry married a local lady.

I think both will prove to be great tales to tell with lots of information and illustrations.

The History of Chateaugay

I've always been interested in local history.  I became a founding member of the Chateaugay Historical Society  in 2006 and regularly research and write articles for our quarterly newsletter.  All this has prompted me to decide to write an updated history of Chateaugay.  I have begun the first volume which will cover 1796 to 1918.  This winter's project is to continue writing the first four or five chapters.  As I tackle a chapter or subject, I'll post summaries here.

Family Genealogy

Among the families I am researching are:  Jarvis (Gervais), Baker, Boyea (Boyer), Yelle, Bruso, Mongeon (Montjean, Morgan), Bushnoe (Bousquet), Welch, Bell and Blow.  I plan on posting as I do research in any of the branches of the family.  I am currrently working on the Bushnoe line beginning with my great grandfather, Isadore Bushnoe, a Civil War veteran.