I have recently updated much of the information in my database.  I have posted various versions of the database on Ancestry.com.  These are available to other researchers or family members o review.

Southern Roots – this database contains ancestors and descendants that lived in Cleburne County AR or Coosa County AL.  Many migrated to Cleburne County after the Civil War from NC, TN, and AL.  While it does contain information on my ancestors, its has many non-ancestors as well.  Approximately 20,000 individuals.  Not updated as often as the other, but for general research.

Martin-Haile Research – contains information about the Martin-Haile line.  If you are a descendant of Hubert Munsey Martin or Samuel Eugene Haile, this is the database you should use to research or enter information.

As a starting point, I have linked to the grandparents of Janet and I.

Hubert Munsey Martin, wife Maud Ulan Cranford

Milam Harvey Parish, wife Ara Lucille Jackson

Samuel Eugene Haile, wife Gertrude P. Houston

Pious Macon Logan, wife Minnie Judith Towell

See instruction for gaining access to the “private” parts of these trees, or adding your information as a contributor.

The Capture of Charleston

{ln:Camden}
A stunning defeat for the Patroits, but it started the rise of General Greene

{ln:The Battle of Kings Mountain} 
A pivotal battle in the south, Samuel Martin was a Captain of North Carolina Militia during this battle.
{ln:KingsMountain 'Captain Samuel Martin at Kings Mountain } 

{ln:Cowpens}
A Patroit victory and morale booster

{ln:Guilford Courthouse}
This batle, while a numerical tie, forced the British to retreat toward Yorktown.

{ln:Yorktown}
The Miracle Convergence of Patroit and French forces, force a British surrender.

Ours is truly a diverse family.  If America is the "melting pot" we are a great example.  My father's family is of Scots-Irish ancestry, migrating to America prior to the Revolutionary War. Finally settling in North Carolina.  There they married with descendants of Pennsylvania Dutch (Germans from the Palatine Region) and Native Americans (probably Cherokee).  My mother's family comes from England and Ireland, emigrating to America (Virginia) prior to the Revolutionary War, and then migrating to Tennessee and eventually Arkansas.  My Parish line is also rumored to have some Cherokee blood in it.  My great grandmother Rebecca Parish was thought to be one quarter Cherokee.  My wife's family is from England, even including some links to English royalty.  Emigrating to Virginia prior to the Revolutionary War, then on to Tennessee and finally Arkansas, after the Civil War.  My children have married persons of African-American, Hispanic, and Vietnamese ancestry.  As you can see our family is truly diverse.

My Martin ancestors descended from Scots-Irish stock.   They migrated from Scotland in the early 1700's, remaining there for a couple of generations, then coming to America from Ulster, Northern Ireland.  They arrived prior to 1750.  Originally settling in Pennsylvania, then migrating to North Carolina.

Janet's Haile ancestors descended from English stock.  There is even linkage to British Royalty.  They emigrated to the tidewater area of Virginia.  Later generations migrated to Tennessee and finally Arkansas.

The Jackson's came from England to Virginia.  They then moved into eastern Tennessee, then Arkansas and were there prior to the Civil War.

The Parish name is of English or Irish descend.   Although originally Celts from France (Paris) most spread to England and Ireland after being defeated by the Romans.  My Parishs probably came the route of most southern English, Virginia to Tennessee, then to Arkansas after the Civil War.

The Kever name is of German origin.  These ancestors came from Germany during the Palatine Migration. Settling first in western Pennsylvania, then migrating to North Carolina.  They followed roughly the same route as the Scots-Irish Martins.

Click on USA or Europe for a larger view

My ancestors were of basic European stock.  Coming to this country from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany.  Most arrived here prior to the Revolutionary War with the remainder coming soon after.  They came for a multitude of reasons, some to escape persecution, others to escape the feudal systems of Europe.   But mainly they came looking for a better life and increased opportunity.   They were hard working and industrious, mainly from the then emerging middle class (known as middlin in the British Isles).  Listed below are some of our surnames and the places of origin.

My Martin ancestors descended from Scots-Irish stock.   They migrated from Scotland in the early 1700's, remaining there for a couple of generations, then coming to America from Ulster, Northern Ireland.  They arrived prior to 1750.  Originally settling in Pennsylvania, then migrating to North Carolina.

Janet's Haile ancestors descended from English stock.  There is even linkage to British Royalty.  They emigrated to the tidewater area of Virginia.  Later generations migrated to Tennessee and finally Arkansas.

The Jackson's came from England to Virginia.  They then moved into eastern Tennessee, then Arkansas and were there prior to the Civil War.

The Parish name is of English or Irish descend.   Although originally Celts from France (Paris) most spread to England and Ireland after being defeated by the Romans.  My Parishs probably came the route of most southern English, Virginia to Tennessee, then to Arkansas after the Civil War.

The Kever name is of German origin.  These ancestors came from Germany during the Palatine Migration. Settling first in western Pennsylvania, then migrating to North Carolina.  They followed roughly the same route as the Scots-Irish Martins.

Both the Scots-Irish emigration and the Palatine German emigration followed roughly the same course.  Many of the Germans were assisted in their migration by the British, first coming to Ireland then to America.  The most familiar landing spot was Philadelphia.  From there they traveled westward across Pennsylvania, through the Susquehanna River Valley, looking for land.

Although they traveled the same route, they seldom traveled or settled together.   In some areas one side of the river, or the road, was Scots-Irish and the other was Pennsylvania Dutch.  The Dutch (Germans) considered themselves to be more cultured and peace loving that the Scots-Irish.  The Dutch got along with their neighbors much better, especially the Native Americans, often taking them as brides.  The Scots-Irish on the other hand were much despised by the Indians.  They had a notorious reputation as great Indian fighters and were known for giving no quarter.

Both these cultures were forced ever westward and finally southward as each succeeding generation needed land.  The migration moved through the Susquehanna River Valley, then southward down the Shenendoah Valley of Virginia into North and South Carolina.  The Martins arriving prior to the Revolutionary War, the Kevers shortly after.

There Samuel Martin garnished a reputation as an Indian fighter and Revolutionary War Captain of Militia.  All this while raising a family and building a profitable farm.

There also, Jacob Kever took as his bride an American Indian woman (probably Cherokee).  The history of North Carolina  tells how it was common practice for the Pennsylvania Dutch emigrates to marry with the Native Americans in the area.  Photographs of the Kever family clearly show the Native American features.  I assume Cherokee since it was the predominant tribe in the area.

From what we read, there are basically two distinct groups of families. The older lines come from ancestors who were from Paris, and made it to England where the letter "h" was added as part of old english. The newer lines are derived as someone who came from a church or civil parish. Also, it evolved in the 17th and 18th centuries from orpans who were raised by a church parish, hence they took the last name.

In 1997, Elaine Parrish provided this account of the Parish name origin to us: The most informed source I have spoken to is J. M. Parish in Canada. He recommends – among others – the books: 'The Parisii' by Harold Ramm (this covers the arrival in Yorkshire up to Medieval times) and 'The Conquest of Gaul' by Julius Caesar – written about 50 A.D. In short (what Joe maintains and what was confirmed by [and added to by] several other sources):

The Parisii were a Celtic clan that lived in a place called Paris (now Paris, France). The Roman Empire was out conquering everything everywhere.They went to battle with the Parisii, but the Romans were too great in number and won. The Parisii that could, fled to an isolated strip in what is now England and from there went to what is now Ireland.

Since Parisii was an odd name and since it was a custom of the time for a last name to be simply "of [placename]", and since some wanted to blend in , etc, the name Parisii began to change. Some kept Parisii; some changed it and it became "Paris" or "de Paris" (of Paris); As they moved into Ireland, the "h" was added; variations became O'Paris, O'Parish, and Parish. Then "The Church" came along and used "Parish" to denote areas, so the second "r" was added by some so as not to be associated with the Church.

The name changes happened over many generations and was prompted by a variety of reasons (including: a desire to fit in or not stand out as different; to gain favor with or avoid conflict with "the powers that be"; or just because people were not educated and it just happened – as in census takers and tax roll compilers here change spellings).

Joe said that one "r" Parish was more common in Canada and Down Under; while the two "r" Parrish was more common in the U.S.

The European Origin of the Parish Name

According to family histories in general the name of Parish evolved from two main distinct origins. In other words, there are at least two families branches, unrelated, namely:

Of French extraction or from Paris – evolved from "de Paris", (of Paris) from the city of Paris, as a Norman French name, originally "de Paris" which translates from French into English as "of Paris", and eventually became Parish, Parys, etc. One Englishman, Matthew Paris, the English chronicler of the early part of the thirteenth century, acquired his name from his study at the University of Paris. Paris sometimes added an h to his name to make it Parish or Parrish.

Of a locality or church parish – Parish or Parrish as a name taken from locality or even a church parish. A name local in origin, persons from this branch are not necessarily French in origin as the lines which derived from Paris above. Also in the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname was occasionally bestowed on foundlings brought up at the expense of the parish…… the young person who was an orphan of the church – in the days before welfare and state aid, an orphan with no surname may have picked up the last name of Parish as being "of the Parish"

A third, less common origin of the name comes from the rare medieval given name Paris, probably a form of Patrick, but associated with the name of the Trojan prince, Paris, which has been speculatively traced to an original Illyrian form Voltuparis or Assparis "Hawk".

Janet and I were born and raised in Heber Springs, Arkansas.  We were high school sweethearts and married young.  After high school, I joined the US Army and travelled all over the world. Upon my retirement from the military, we settled in Washington state and except for a 3 year span of living in Arizona have remained there.

During my military service I was an Aviation Warrant Officer and flew helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.  I had tours of duty in Vietnam (2) Germany, Alaska, Hawaii, and many different places in the US. After retirement from the Army I turned my hobby (computers) into a paying job and have worked for the State of Washington and the State of Arizona managing various computer operations.

While I was out "playing Army" Janet raised our four children. Melissa, who now lives with her husdand Vince, in Arizona, and has two daughters, Jessica and Danielle. Douglas, who with his wife Tiffany, lives in Washington, and has a son, Mitchell, and a daughter, Sabrina. Allison who with her husbad John, lives in Washington and has two daughters, Ara and Simone, and one son, Zirin. Justin, who with his wife Diane, lives in Washington and has one daughter, Isis.

So after four children, 8 grandchildren, and travelling all over for 20 something years, we are now living back in Washington state to be close to the majority of grandkids and contemplating retirement.

This site contains stories of my ancestors, my musings about family, my stories of growing up, and general information about the genealogy research I do when there is time. Enjoy.

Beginning Your Research

The three most valuable pieces of information when researching a Civil War ancestor are the soldier’s name, whether he served for the Union or Confederate army, and the state from which the soldier served. By knowing these facts, other aspects of a soldier’s record of service can often be determined. Usually, the piece of information that poses the most problems to find is the state from which the soldier served. Often, you will find that you have vague idea of the soldier’s state of service, but you are not quite sure. The easiest way to confirm this is to contact the state archives in the state of possible service. They should be able to direct you to the muster rolls for their state if you go to the archives in person, or inform you of the procedure for requesting that information if you write or call. Remember to keep your requests simple, and offer only those details pertinent to your request. Be aware that names were often misspelled, so do not despair if you have a hard time finding your ancestor. Chances are he is listed under a name with a similar spelling.

With those three pieces of information verified, the next step is to retrieve the soldier’s pension records. Pension records offer more information useful to the genealogist, and also provide a more complete picture of a soldier’s military career. Some Confederate states issued pensions until 1959, and those pension can be found filed in the state archives in the state in which the soldier retired. All Union pensions and Confederate pensions issued after 1959 can be found by writing the National Archives and Records Administration. A NATF Form 80 must be requested, filled out, and submitted before records can be researched. In order for the National Archives to process the NATF Form 80, you must include the veteran’s name, Civil War Union or Confederate service, branch of service, and the state from which he served. They will contact you with an invoice for copy fees, which must be paid before the copies are sent. It will take a few weeks for the request to be fully processed.

If pension records do not exist for your ancestor (Union or Confederate), you can write to the National Archives for the military record of the soldier in question. However, you should be aware that these records aren’t as useful, and are subject to the same process as described earlier for requesting pension records.

Getting Started

To assist in getting started it is helpful to know the state and unit in which your ancestor served. There are numerous ways to assist you in finding this out. They include:

• Oral family history: ask parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents
• His tombstone: many list the state and unit numbers
• Check his county of residence when he enlisted, check the units which were formed in that area.

If you know his state of residence when he enlisted:

• For most states, some sort of index exists which lists the soldiers in each unit from that state–often published in northern states by the state’s Adjutant General’s Office . You can also try the Index to the Compiled Service Records of Union Soldiers, microfilmed records at the National Archives and available through some research libraries.

If you don’t know his residence when he enlisted:

• Using the 1860 Federal Census records, you may be able to find where he lived in 1860. Most of these records have an index to the head of the households, which could be the soldier or the soldier’s father.
• If he served in the Confederate army, you may find him in the Consolidated Index to Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, microfilmed records at the National Archives and available through some research libraries.

The links below can provide some assistance in getting started on your search.

Guide to Researching People of the Civil War Era – US Civil War Center

• A great place to start!

US Civil War Center – Genealogy

Military Records and Pension Records for Union Civil War Ancestors

Beginners Guide to Genealogy

My Story

Now that I have provided you with the correct information about how to conduct your search, let me tell you how I really did it! I wasn’t sure of where my great-grandfather had served. Knew he was from Alabama and migrated to Arkansas in 1870. I contacted a professional researcher concentrating in Civil War research. His name is John Gross and he can be contacted via e-mail confederate@worldnet.att.net. I was pleased with his service, but will give you some tips. His prices were $5.00 for a simple search with a unit roster and regimental history of the unit your ancestor served in, $35.00 for a service record, and $40.00 for a pension record. I ordered the service record and pension record.

While I was waiting for the information to arrive (6-8 weeks), I decided to see what I could find on my own. I contacted Arkansas Research and discovered they provided some books listing the Arkansas Confederate Pension applications by county. I ordered the book for Cleburne County and found my great-grandfather listed. I also found my great-great-grandfather Jackson and a bunch of great uncles and other relations.

During a visit to Arkansas, I was able to spend the day at the Arkansas Historical Commission. This is a great place to do research and the staff is extremely helpful. I was able to get service records for my ancestors who had fought in Arkansas units and pension records for those living in Arkansas and eligible for a Confederate Pension. I also discovered that a lot of this same information is available at the LDS Family Research Centers.

Here is the bottom-line. A search via mail will usually cost between $10 and $15 at any of the state historical or archive centers, plus 25-50 cents per copy of material requested. Therefore a pension record will average $15-$25. Ordering a service record from the National Archive is $15 for a search plus 25 cents per copy or about the same price. By using a professional, I spent $10-$15 extra, but since I didn’t know the state or other information at first, it was money well spent for them to do the initial research.

Since doing the searches listed above, I have found two more reasonable places to get copies of Civil War service records.

Lineage’s – provides the ability to place an on-line order and receive your information via mail within 30 days. It costs $5 per search ($4 each for 4 or more) plus $2 shipping and handling for a search of the Civil War Index. They will provide back copies of all names that match. Then you can order the appropriate record for $11 ($9.50 for 4 or more) plus $3 shipping and handling. I have used this service and been pleased with the results.

Family Tree Maker Search Services – provides copies of Confederate Service Records and Pension Applications as well as other search services. I have not used them yet, but plan to try them for my next search request.

I also got a lot of historical data from the Army Official Records of the Civil War. Most of the detailed regimental history is taken from this source. This CD is available from various locations for about $69 plus shipping. A great value for any serious Civil War historian. If your searching for an Arkansas relative, try the next two locations: