Following in my daughters footsteps – or – Why Erastus?

Why Erastus indeed. The simple answer is “I’m not exactly sure why he intrigues me – he just does”.

“Uncle Erastus” lived from 1837 to 1897 and once owned a piece of property that my family now owns. Our only direct knowledge of this long forgotten person was a reproduction of an old blue plate photo of him in front of a hunting shack with two dogs – allegedly on our mutually owned island in Green Harbor - and that he had served in the Civil War. Mary had done some research on Uncle Erastus and discovered some of his war history and that he served with the Freedman’s Bureau in South Carolina during the Reconstruction period following the war. Mary “chases dead people” – first as a hobby for her pure love of genealogy and old graveyards, now as a full-time job with her Masters degree. With the NEGHS she has access to all sorts of resources that the average hobby genealogist can’t get at. But I’ve been amazed at what I have been able to stumble across through google searches and such. Aside from the differences in returns based on if you search through Google or Yahoo or MSN, you get different results by using quotations and by putting his last name first or adding his middle initial. So discovering the mechanics of researching somebody has it’s own level of mystery and challenge and satisfaction. But back to the initial question – why Erastus? My ancestor was Barnabus (or Barnabas – depending on who wrote the record in question). Barnabus’ father and Erastus’ grandfather were brothers. Erastus married after the war but had no children to one day research his legacy. What Mary and I have stumbled across so far leads me to believe he was a very interesting person and deserves to be known. Now I suppose that any ancestor I picked would have been likewise a fascinating project, but since childhood there existed an interest in the original owner of our island. After Mary shared the info she had uncovered, my interest was elevated and I discovered the excitement of not only finding more info but also trying to decipher what it means. It’s as if I am writing a mystery book and attempting to figure out how the story goes, assuring that the facts make sense and fit correctly. Maybe more accurately, it’s like somebody already wrote the book but hid each chapter in different places – leaving clues as to where you can find them. No wonder Mary loves her job – she gets paid to solve the mysteries of people’s ancestors. So in a way, I am following in my daughter’s footsteps – chasing dead people. In my case though, I imagine it is only one dead person (although of course many other peoples lives play into his and must be known to some degree if I am to reconstruct Erastus properly. They hold many of the clues.). Other direct ancestors have been somewhat reconstructed already by others, and Erastus is the only one who has caught my interest enough to chase him. Besides, he apparently left behind a rather extensive paper trail – unlike most of our predecessors so my chances of success are greatly increased. I already acquired a letter he sent to an undetermined female cousin “Joe”. Mary got one from a library in California. The Boston Public Library has a collection with 188 items of his. The South Carolina Historical Society has an apparently large collection of his letters, military records, and even some family photographs. I am captivated by the concept of reconstructing this Reconstructionist. How much effort should I exert, at what cost (for considerable money I could acquire copies of almost everything), and for what ultimate purpose? What will happen if am able to reconstruct him - if I can “catch” him? Maybe I’ll have to ask Wiley Coyote for some advice.