The Bugler: 52 Ancestors

When you think of a military bugler, what do you hear and see in your imagination? Perhaps it's the mournful sound of Taps at a military funeral. Maybe you see the Cavalry galloping across the landscape to the notes of Charge. Or maybe you hear the perky notes of Reveille mingling with the groans of weary soldiers rising from their beds.

As an Army bugler in 1846, my third great-grandfather had to learn to play dozens of signal tunes, though Taps wasn't composed until after his death. However, you won't find his name on any lists of Arkansas soldiers -- at least not his correct name. The name of Josiah Allee, Bugler, Company I, Arkansas Mounted Volunteers, has been incorrectly written and/or misread in most records.

Captain William K Inglish of the same regiment signed an affidavit on May 4, 1850, stating:

... that he is the identical Wm K Inglish who was Captain of Company "I" in the Regiment of Arkansas Mounted Volunteers commanded by the late Colonel A. Yell afterwards by Col. John S. Roane, that in said Company "I" there was no such person as Josiah, also Joseph Allen, and if such name is entered on the muster rolls, the same is erroneous and instead thereof, the name of Josiah Allee should be inserted...

Josiah was born about 1821. His parents are believed to be Merrill Allee and his wife, Esther or Easter. He had several siblings, including an older brother, Abraham, born about 1818. The family lived and farmed in Lawrence County, Alabama. By 1840 they had moved to Davis Township in then Saline County, Arkansas. Today that land is in the southern part of Grant County. The Allee family had a tannery, as well as farming.  The family was musical, with nephews of Josiah in later years remembered for their musical talents.

Abraham was also a country lawyer, so it's likely that Josiah likewise had some education and was able to read and write. How Josiah met his wife is a mystery, as she lived some 30 miles away, near Benton. They may have met through family connections or Josiah might have hired himself out. Regardless of how they met, on December 29, 1842, Josiah, age 21, married Mary Jane Pelton, age 15.

Mary Jane gave birth to their only child, Andrew Lafayette Allee, on August 24, 1844. By the spring of 1846, Mary Jane was sick and being visited by a doctor. Also in the spring of 1846, on May 13, 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico. The call went out for volunteers to serve for one year. Josiah volunteered, joining on July 1st as a private and stating his age as 24. Did he need the money to pay doctor bills?

The volunteers from Saline County traveled first to Washington, Arkansas, where they were formally mustered into service. Josiah was appointed as a Bugler on July 25, replacing Miles Haley, whose rank was changed from Bugler to Private.

The Arkansas regiments marched to San Antonio, Texas, where they arrived on August 28. They joined the forces under the command of General John E. Wool and spent the rest of August and most of September drilling.

The topographical engineers, led by Captain George W Hughes, left San Antonio for Mexico on September 23, a few days ahead of the main body of the Army. General Wool and his forces followed. Captain Hughes reported that the whole army crossed the Rio Grande on [by] October 12, 1846.

Here I must diverge from other articles on the internet. Captain Hughes and his engineers documented latitude and longitude for the area of the crossing, as well as distances between locations and dates of travel. Other internet articles will state the location of crossing differently.

The location of the town nearest the river crossing was known to Captain Hughes as Presidio del Rio Grande. That name no longer is in use, but has led to bad assumptions. The closest readings reported by the engineers were made four miles from the town and are 28°20'48.5"N 100°31'12"W. The location was also documented as being about 25 miles from Nava, which is slightly northwest of that location. Today the town near the river crossing is known as Guerrero, in the Mexican state of Coahuila.

The true location of  Presidio del Rio Grande is important to my family. Captain Inglish's affidavit continues with the sad tale:

...The said Josiah Allee died at Rio Grande Crossing, or Presidio, on or about the 18th day of October 1846.

Josiah had served less than four months and did not die in any documented battle. In the early part of the war, illness was a bigger threat to the soldiers than battle, but his cause of death was not included in his service file. No doubt he was buried near where he fell, somewhere near the town of Guerrero.

Josiah's wife had also died during 1846, leaving their son an orphan. Josiah's brother, Abraham Allee, fought the Army to obtain an orphan's pension for Josiah's young son. That fight created a wealth of documentation about Josiah, including proving the correct name of this Bugler who served his country.


Source list:

• Traas, Adrian George. From the Golden Gate to Mexico City: the U.S. Army Topographical Engineers in the Mexican War, 1846-1848. Office of History, Corps of Engineers and Center of Military History, U.S. Army, 1993.
• Allen, Desmond Walls. Arkansas’ Mexican War Soldiers. Conway, AR: Arkansas Research, 1988.
• Book Committee (Plano, Tex.). 1985. Plano, Texas: The Early Years. Wolfe City, Texas: Henington Pub. Co. 
• Service File of Josiah Allee [Allen]
• Service File of Miles Haley
• Pension File of Josiah Allee
• Marriage records of Saline County, Arkansas
• 1820 census, Lawrence County, Alabama Territory
• 1830 census, Lawrence County, Alabama 
• 1840 census, Saline County, Arkansas
• 1850 census, Saline County, Arkansas
• Land records of Saline County, Arkansas
• Land records of Lawrence County, Alabama  
• Tax rolls of Saline County, Arkansas
• Probate of Josiah Allee, Saline County, Arkansas
• Probate of Samuel Pelton, Saline County, Arkansas
• Wikipedia article: Taps
• Google Maps 
• Family stories about Abraham Allee

Much Too Young: 52 Ancestors

She was married at fifteen, a mother by 17 and dead by 19. Mary Jane Pelton Allee, my third-great-grandmother, was on this earth for too short a time.

She was born about 1827 to Samuel Pelton and Martha Adams Pelton, who were living near Little Rock, Arkansas. They had lived in Cadron at the time of their 1824 marriage and by 1834 had moved south to Saline Township, near Benton, in Saline County. The Pelton family farmed the land and  attended the Spring Creek (Benton) Baptist Church. No doubt Mary Jane was a typical farm girl of the time.

On December 29, 1842, Mary Jane Pelton, age fifteen, married Josiah Alley [Allee], age 21. Their son, Andrew Lafayette Allee, was born on August 24, 1844. The local doctor last visited her in the spring of 1846, based on a bill in the probate file of Josiah Allee, who died in the Mexican-American War in late 1846.

The marriage record in Saline County marriage book A, page 53, is the only official document known to exist for Mary Jane. Her cause of death, date of death and place of burial are all unknown.

This girl, who lived too short a life, today has dozens of living descendants, her lasting legacy.

The Hunting Accident: 52 Ancestors

Was it really possible for a man to accidentally shoot himself in the face with a muzzle-loading rifle? Not knowing much about guns, I sat down with a co-worker who is a competitive shooter. He explained how the rifles popular during the Civil War were loaded with gunpowder, bullets, a ramrod and a percussion cap. He also felt it was highly possible that such a rifle could misfire.

The discussion reminded me of a 19th century pistol that I found in my grandmother's dresser. The local pawnshop owner was able to date it and warned that it would be dangerous to actually fire. It might hurt or kill the shooter.

So, yes, it does seem possible that a man could shoot himself in the face accidentally with a muzzle-loading rifle. That was the fate of my great-grandfather's older brother.

Young Joseph McFarlane, Jr., went out hunting alone in 1882 and was found dead, with a rifle on one side of his body and the ramrod on the other side, indicating he was loading the weapon when it fired. I don't know the age of the rifle, but it was probably older than Joseph's 24 years and may have been fouled from years of use.

His father had immigrated to Wisconsin from Scotland in 1849. He probably didn't bring a rifle with him on board ship. He purchased his farm on the Wisconsin frontier in the next ten years and would have needed a rifle for protection and hunting. He likely purchased his rifle sometime during the 1850's. Being farmers, I doubt the family would have purchased another rifle, unless one of the boys saved up to buy his own gun.

Joseph McFarlane's death was certainly a tragedy for the family, as he left behind only his 18-year-old brother to farm with their aged parents. The Sparta Herald published the following account on December 26, 1882.

Tragedy in Jefferson [Township]

The tragic death of young Joseph McFarland, of Jefferson, in this county, is a forcible instance of the danger attending the carless [sic] use of fire-arms. He started out hunting, the 17th inst., and that was the last seen of him alive. His dead body was found in the woods next day, his face and head blown to pieces with the charge, which seemed to have entered his mouth, the gun lying at his right hand, and the ramrod on the other. The inquest jury determined that the shooting was accidental, as no cause could be assigned for suicide, and the deceased was a quiet, steady young man, not likely to be impelled to self-destruction. He was the only support of his parents, to whom the event must be a terrible blow.

An earlier, shorter news item stated on December 23:

... from the positions the coroner's jury rendered a verdict of accidental shooting.

Joseph had not married and left no known issue. His place of burial is not known. Following is a copy of the longer news article that reported on this tragic death in my family.