Veering off the main road
Posted on June 10, 2007 in Genealogy by DM
I learned one of the core lessons of genealogy very early on: it’s easy to get distracted.
In a moment, you can wander off the main path (looking for direct blood-line ancestors) and start down any number of secondary trails that lead to aunts, uncles, cousins, skeletons-in-closet, or just historical context. One of my primary distractions has been the story of a great-uncle, William E.L. Thornburg, who was involved in a deadly shooting on a country road, following an argument with another man over a woman they both loved. News accounts of his trial report a divided town (was it self defense, as he claimed?), and a hundred years later I’m personally fascinated by the story. My fascination is fueled not only by the details of this particular story, but also because William was something of a rabble-rouser throughout his entire life.
Another major distraction for me has been learning about my great-great-grandfather, also named William Thornburg, who was wounded during the battle of Parkers Cross Roads, TN during the Civil War. I have the requisite copies of his service records, pension application and Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) membership card to tell the story, and I also have in my memorabilia trunk his GAR ribbon and a pair of wooden stirrups that were supposedly his during this time period.
My third major distraction has been the pursuit of a blood link to a Revolutionary War patriot, which would allow me to join the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). I have a clue that there may be a connection for me somewhere on the Bardrick side, but it’s time-consuming to pursue it - the challenge is compounded by the fact that two brothers apparently named their sons the exact same thing… so with my luck, the patriot connection will end up on the cousin side of the tree. Ah well, at least I’ll have done the legwork for some other lucky woman!
I characterize all of these as distractions, but of course these are the things that bring long-dead ancestors back to life and help me connect to my own history. I don’t begrudge these diversions - I welcome them.
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