Redux: April 9, 1865, the Day of Surrender, Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia

Copyright 2014, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This post originally appeared on Reflections on April 9, 2010.

Solomon B. Eley is my second great grandfather.  He was born around 1836 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia to Exum Eley and his second wife, Martha (Patsey) Darden Marshall Eley.

Solomon served with the 16th Virginia Infantry, Company D.  He entered the war as a Second Lieutenant, eventually was promoted to a Captain.  For a number of months he actually was the top commanding officer of Company D while his superior officers were indisposed.

On April 9, 1865 he was at Appomattox Courthouse, and signed the surrender papers.  First is part of the first page of several that I receive when I obtained a copy of this document.

The printed portion of this graphic reads:

We, the undersigned Prisoners of War, belonging to the Army of Northern Virginia, having been this day surrendered by General Robert E. Lee, C.S. A., Commanding said Army, to Lieut. Genl. U.S. Grant, Commanding Armies of the United States, do hereby give our solemn parole of honor that we will not hereafter serve in the armies of the Confederate States, or in any military capacity whatever, against the United States of America, or render aid to the enemies of the latter, until properly exchanged, in such manner as shall be mutually approved by the respective authorities.

Done at Appomattox Court House, Va., this 9th day of April 1865.

Solomon's signature appears on this graphic, the last signature:

After the war, Solomon married Sarah (Sallie) Anne Darden.

Solomon B. Eley died April 21 1871 in Sussex County, Virginia from consumption, his remains were taken back to Isle of Wight County Virginia for burial, however, his burial place remains undiscovered.

Because the family had a photo (original format unknown) of Solomon and could prove he was at the Courthouse on the day of surrender, his photo has been placed on the Wall of Honor at the Appomattox Courthouse.  This photo was taken a number of years ago, slightly out of focus, but, there he is (lower left corner).

Someday we shall chat about this photo and his uniform.  I wrote about Solomon in my post of September 11, 2009, Ancestor Military Battles, Solomon B. Eley, where I first shared the documents and his story.

Solomon's photo, with that of his wife, Sallie, hang in my home, a constant reminder of my family and their stories.




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Been Waiting 20 Years, Hope I Can Wait a Little Longer

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

They always say, the best research you will do or find will be during the last week, or the last day, or even more exciting and stressful, during the last couple of hours you are in a research facility.  And, it looks like what they say is gonna be true one more time.

Yesterday I was plugging along, trying to grab some of the things I had not quite finished, a deed here and there, then saw a note about getting copies of some wills. Actually, burnt wills, which I have seen, but thought I would like to have digital copies anyway.  Along side the information on 2 wills was a cryptic note I left myself to check the surname Marshall in Isle of Wight Virginia, to see if there are any wills there for two John Marshalls, father and maybe son.

So, rather tired, OK, close to dead (oh, ya, there she goes again, sick humor, play on words) tired, I looked at the catalog, found a film that said it was an index to Wills.  Retrieve the film, load it up, start spinning.  I was rather surprised and disappointed to find that there were a LOT of missing pages, per the notes filmed along with the pages they had filmed.  Great, how many pages she wonders, and did the MIA's have my names listed, probably, she sighs.

So, I spin away, skipping by some of the other surnames from Isle of Wight that I am researching, stopping here and there, never did find the Marshalls.  Then one of those serendipity spins happened, I stopped on a page, speed reading it, when I saw names that I recognized, Eley and Pierce.

I have been researching Solomon B. Eley and his wife, Sallie Darden Eley Pierce since about 1991, basically when I started my serious research addiction.  Solomon and Sallie are my great great grandparents on my father's side of the clan.  I have had photos of them for many years, well before 1991.  I have strong emotional ties to them, maybe because of the photos, actually I have stopped trying to figure out why.  I just am connected and emotional about Solomon and Sallie!

Solomon B. Eley and Sallie Darden Eley Pierce.

Solomon served during the Civil war in the 16th Virginia Infantry, Company D.  So did many members of his immediate and extended family.  Solomon was present at Appomattox on April 9th, 1865.  He signed surrender papers as an officer of the 16th.  I have copies of that 4 page (legal sized) document.

After the war Solomon came back to Isle of Wight, married Sallie Darden and on July 4, 1866 they celebrated the birth of their first child, a daughter, my great grandmother, Lorena.  They had several more children, the number is a bit in question, I currently show a total of 4 children born to the union, 2 boys, and another daughter. Both sons died young.  In 1871 Solomon himself passed, partially because of health issues that started during the war.  Married about 6 years, Sallie was now a widow.

Every discovery about Solomon has been difficult, just finding him in the 1870 census was a challenge, remember, this was before internet based indexes.  He was found living in a nearby county where he died.  Contacting the county clerk there resulted in some wonderful documents concerning Solomon.  That said, his burial place remains a mystery still.  I am sure Sallie was quite poor, and there just was no money for the purchase of a headstone, none for Solomon, none for her babies, and many many years later, none for Sallie either.

Two years after Solomon died Sallie remarried, her new groom's name was Francis Pierce, and a few more babies came along.  The number is in question, 2 or 3 daughters.

I made several trips to Isle of Wight, researched in the court house, they are wonderful there, very helpful, but let you work away at your own speed.  I was in research courthouse heaven!  I also researched several times in the Library of Virginia, another fine research facility.  I found a few tidbits, but, I always wanted and hoped for more. For some reason, I felt there was more, but, WHAT and WHERE was it??

I think I may have found that 'something more' in that Will Index, Eley, heirs S. A. Pierce, et al.  I think my heart may have stopped beating for a few seconds there.  I read it again, yes, Eley, S. A. Pierce, yes, it is them.  Holy COW!!

Back at the catalog I discover, much to my dismay, that Will books 27 and 28 were filmed by the FHC, but that books 29 and those following, were not.  I need book 30.  And, at that point my heart started, stopped, fluttered, catch your breath Carol.  OH RATS!!!

So close. Almost.  I'm working on getting a copy of those pages.  Some of my genie friends/angels are already helping me figure out the next steps, thank you!!  I am being cautiously optimistic, cause the last time I looked at an index that said "List of heirs" I got the name of one, who signed for all, but, did not list the others.

I can wait a bit longer, well, I am going to have to wait a bit longer.  WOW!  Oh, WOW!  Here is to hope that the pages will be what I have felt was there and that I have finally found it.  WOW!  Oh, WOW!


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