10+ years ago, I worked with an UBER-cool design agency that created a beautiful, historic website for Greene County Heritage. I loved it then — I love it still!

So how surprised was I on a recent visit to the site, to discover in the Portrait Gallery of the Media Archives, several images of HILLMANS taken at the famous Rensler’s Photography Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio? The very same studio where several of my Ancestors posed for pictures in the early to late 1930s!

Now I am familiar with HILLMANS being in Warren County. Matter of fact, many former CODY and DAWSON slaves lived/worked on Hillman’s Farm after Emancipation. But I’d never known of HILLMANS being in neighboring Greene Co. until I saw these images!

How have I missed them for all these years?!

Just makes me wonder how Ike, Anne May and the other HILLMANS ended up in Cincinnati’s Rensler’s Studio and if I could be looking in the face of more of my unknown East Georgia kin.

Hmmm… we shall see how this mystery unfolds!:-)

Luckie.

[Image Source: www.GreeneCountyHeritage.org | Ike & Anne May - relatives of Mamie Hillman]

It took me a minute but *something* told me I was missing the obvious and then BAM — there it was — Allie DAWSON in 1870 became Allie DORSEY in 1880! The family changed their Surname from DAWSON to DORSEY! Wooooo-hoooo!:-)

My God, I was right to claim them both because they are both MY Ailey/Ally, Catie’s Sister!:-) Look:

1880 English, Warren County, GA
Elbert Dorsey      35
Ally Dorsey     28
Isaac Dorsey     15
Sarah Dorsey     13
Rachael Dorsey     11
Thomas Dorsey     6
Candidate Dorsey 1

1870 Hillmans Farm, Warren County, GA
Elbert Dawson      27
Aly Dawson     22
Ike Dawson     6
Sarah A Dawson     4
Rachel Dawson     3

What else? Allie’s Father, a 5th Grandfather Elbert CODY was also the Father of Pierce CODY from the WPA Slave Narratives. This would make Pierce my Catie’s [most likely] unknown Brother!:-)

More? In 1870 Elbert Cody’s Mother, Rachel CODY is living with him — she is 90 years old! My 6th Grandmother born abt. 1780! Can you believe that?

The most amazing part of this is that I compiled all this information last August using Michael Hait’s cluster approach and just didn’t realize that this was my ENTIRE Family!

Now I know how to approach the next steps:

• Obtain estate information for both Edmund and Michael 1832-33. I’ve looked quickly before — gotta dig deeper!
• Locate bills of sale/deeds for Robert and Madison CODY from Edmund’s estate sale. This might explain how Pierce came to be owned by Robert and Catie to be sold by Madison to James Dickey.
• Copy all of the Madison Cody historical docs at the Archives. I have new names to search for!

Supporting Posts:

• Magical Monday: Lord Have I Found Catie’s Sister, Allie?!
• 08.30.09 CODY Notes {Freedmen}
• 3 Parts = 1 Mystery: Who Was My Catie’s CODY Owner?

An entire family, a host of descendants and unlimited channels to research! It just doesn’t get any sweeter than this!:-)

#IdiditCatie

Luckie.

Anyone who is a follower of Our Georgia Roots knows that my #1 genealogy goal for the past 12 years has been to find Ailey, the Sister my [4th] Grandmother Catie [DICKEY] WINGFIELD DORSEY was sold away from in Warren County some time in 1859-60 by Madison CODY.

Last August, I thought for sure I’d found Ailey in 1870 Hillman’s Farm Warren County Census — born abt. 1848, married to Elbert DAWSON and living just a few dwellings down from Marion M. CODY – Madison’s oldest Brother.

But this week, for some odd reason my thoughts returned to the search and the Ally I’d discovered long ago, in the 1880 Factory Warren County Census  –  born abt. 1848, married to Arthur DANLEY.

For years I searched for clues that would yield Ally Danley’s maiden name and/or some other connection to my Catie. When I found none, and she seemingly disappeared after 1880, I moved on, eventually finding Aly DAWSON.

So not surprising, my recheck of Ally DANLEY produced nothing new BUT,  a 1930 Georgia death certificate surfaces {how did I miss this before?!} for an Ailey DORSEY! This is new — Ailey Dorsey? Here’s what it lists:

Name: Ailey Dorsey
Titles & terms (original):
Titles & terms (standardized):
Death date: 11 Feb 1930
Estimated death year: 1930
Death place: Warrenton, Warren, Georgia, United States
Gender: Female
Race or color (on document): Negro
Race or color (expanded): Negro
Age at death: 75 years
Estimated birth year: 1855
Birth date:
Birthplace: Warren, Georgia
Marital status: Married
Spouse’s name: E B Dorsey
Spouse’s titles & terms (original):
Spouse’s titles & terms (standardized):
Father’s name: Elbert Cody
Father’s titles & terms (original):
Father’s titles & terms (standardized):
Mother’s name: Ailey Cody
Mother’s titles & terms (original):
Mother’s titles & terms (standardized):
Film number: 4122608
Record number: 333
Collection: Georgia Deaths, 1930

Of course as soon as the ice thaws I’m running over to GA Vital Records to obtain a copy of Ailey’s death certificate but what the heck — which Ailey/Ally is OUR Ailey/Ally?!

Questions…

1. Could the Elbert and Ailey CODY listed on her certificate be my 5th Grandparents?! Hard not to get excited about this possibility!:-)
2. Was it a complete coincidence that Catie married Joe DORSEY following the death of my Grandfather James WINGFIELD in 1885 and that he does not appear to have been from Wilkes Co?
3. Another coincidence that BOTH Aileys/Allys married an Elbert and both have the abbreviated initials of E.B.?
4. Could that be where the family name Elbert descended from — Catie’s Father?
5. Since the CODYS lived beyond 1865, what other living documents should I search that might identify slave names. Maybe the Freedmen Labor Contracts will shed some light?
6. Ailey/Ally Dorsey lived until 1930 in Warren Co! Am I positive that my Catie, who lived until 1933, never saw her sister after 1859?
7. Who was the informant?

So all this is to say, I am back to the Point A — except this time I have TWO Aileys/Allys! One [Aly Dawson] appearing to live on the property Catie’s former owner inherited and the other [Aly Dorsey] appearing to have originally been a Cody — with Cody parents!

Ugh, so frustrating! Guess, until the question is answered I’ll embrace them both as mine!

Luckie.

Not too long ago I had a chat with San Taliaferro aka I Never Knew My Father about the challenges inherent with researching Slave Ancestry and we contemplated the question — when do you reach a point where you just stop searching?

San was wondering if at some point, we just accept the fact that we’ve done all we can do and that no more information or leads to information exist.

She couldn’t answer the question and either could I because truthfully, neither of us has reached that point yet!

I think we’re both holding out hope that we’ll have a stroke of “Sharondipity” and from out of some unexpected place, comes the answers that we spend COUNTLESS hours seeking.

When I began my genea-journey 12 years ago, my #1 goal was to find Allie/Aly, the Sister my 4th Grandma Catie was sold away from in Warren County, Georgia sometime around 1859-60.

Last August, I found Allie {Magical Monday: Lord Have I Found Catie’s Sister Allie?!}, tucked away in the 1870 Warren County Census and overlooked due to an ill-placed tape mark and negligent transcription error!:-)

How do I know this is my Allie? Aside from the fact that she is living just a few dwellings from Marion M. CODY {oldest brother of Catie’s former owner), my heart tells me so and sometimes, this is all the proof we have.

But yet {of course}, I am still not satisfied. I want to know more…

What happened to Elbert and Aly DAWSON of Warren County, Georgia? What became of their descendants – Ike, Sarah and Rachel? My God, could the 27 year old Allen CODY, living next door to the Dawsons in 1870 be an older brother to my Catie and Allie?

There is more to learn. I believe Catie and Allie are guiding the way… all I have to do is listen. I do believe it’s time to pull my rogue root-diggin’ tactics off the shelf and get back on the trail of digging up lost Ancestors!

For every question there is an answer… and I am still intent on finding them all!:-)

Luckie.

I have admitted that I easily attach myself to every Ancestor whose name makes me ponder a family connection, or whose story pricks my heart.

Do I believe EVERY Ancestor from Warren County with the surname CODY is my blood relation? Nope – I do not. Truth is, I don’t know which Ancestor is attached to my line or not, but because I know that for the most part they remain unnamed and unknown, I claim them as my family — if not by blood by spirit.

But when I happened upon the Warren County Freedman’s Outrage Record for Joe CODY, something inside me said this is your family:

Victim: JOE CODY. Injuries: whipped. Cause: political. Attacker: LEWIS JOHNSON, DAWSON JOHNSON, supposed SEABORN ADAMS & JOHN TODD (all white). Remarks: no arrest. JOE is a good old man living at widow SEABORN JOHNSON’S. He would not vote the Democratic ticket, he was taken out and whipped in a most shameful manner, his hair pulled out of his head.

How was Mr. Joe related? I don’t know – wish I did!

But I can tell you that prior to 1870, my CODYS were next-farm neighbors to the very JOHNSONS and accomplices named in this awful incident. I can also tell you that after being emancipated many of my CODYS continued to live and work on the same JOHNSON Farm where the attackers also lived and worked.

Blood relative or not — it’s the cruelty and suffering that gets me every time. The absence of justice and fairness on ANY level that makes me cringe.

Joe CODY’S hair was pulled from his scalp?! He was an old man, beaten for a Democratic ticket that he was forced to register for and in light of pseudo-liberties he better not consider exercising! 

No arrest? Pure MADNESS!

By way of Angela Walton-Raji I received an email tonight from Miriam, a descendant of Warren County Ancestors Henry & Frances DAWSON, who’s searching for information on the JOHNSON Farm.

Interestingly enough, the 1870 Warren Co Census identify her Ancestors as living next door to one of the accused attackers — Seaborn ADAMS.

Coincidence? I think not… maybe Joe CODY and/or Aly DAWSON {Catie’s Sister} have something more they’d like to say? Lord, I sure hope so!

Madness Monday in the name of my Ancestor, Joe CODY.

Lest we forget…

Luckie.

You folks know the story – Catie {b. 1850} left her Sister Allie behind on a Warren Co. CODY plantation when she was brought to Washington-Wilkes by Rev. James Madison DICKEY in 1859.

Well tonight, I’ve located an Aly DAWSON {b. 1848} married to Elbert DAWSON, living  with their children – Ike {6}, Sarah {4} & Rachel {3} in Hillmans Farm, Warren Co!

It gets BETTER! Marion M. Cody, the eldest son of Michael {Lori’s Ancestor!} & Rebecca ROGERS CODY are also living in Hillmans Farm at dwelling #964; Aly DAWSON is living at dwelling #971!

According to the 1915 book Cody-Rogers of Georgia by L.L. CODY, on page 14, Marion inherited his Grandfather James CODY’S property in 1850 & most of the CODY slaves were Family slaves, from inheritance.

In addition to Marion & Aly, a slew of former Michael CODY slaves are also living in Hillmans Farm, Warren Co! Reference the CODY Freedman cluster research I did here comparing the 1870 Warren Co. Census against slaves identified in Edmund & Michael CODYS wills!

Maybe our 22 yr. old Aly DAWSON & my Catie, are the descendants of the slave “Aily” identified in Edmund’s will? God, I wonder which others could be my Ancestors too?

Amazing that it’s taken me 12 yrs to find Allie/Aly/Aily!

I now know why — the digitized 1870 Census listed Aly DAWSON as male! Look, her sex is obscured on the original record, so I suppose, Ancestry guessed! However Aly was keeping house & had small children at home, which you can clearly see!

I don’t know where we go from here, but I feel slightly comforted.

I’m on to something! Wooooo-hoooo!:-)

Luckie.