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One of DH's grandfathers was in the third wave up San Juan Hill. Unfortunately his horse was blown up and out from under him. While he suffered no apparent physical damage, he spent many years in an asylum.
In DH's geneology research, we are distantly related to Queen Elizabeth and Helen Keller. But I don't think the former will invite us to tea.
Learned just the other day that a great aunt lived through the San Francisco quake in 1906. Worse than the quakes was that the gas pipes burst causing fires.
My wife's father spent the entire war in German headquarters, [middle] in Russia during WW2. The building was U shaped with a walking path in the center. Hitler walked by my father in law's window every day alone when he was there at HQ. Opa said he could easily have shot him as he walked by and he actually thought about it. He decided that it would do no good as there were other Nazis that were just as bad that would take over. As well he knew he would be shot if he tried it.
His phone rang one day and when he picked up it was Hitler asking for some general or other. When Opa said, "He's not here". Hitler said, "Then go and get him, Dumkoptf." My father in law hung up on him. I guess his claim to fame is, "I hung up on Hitler"!
i have 4 ancestors who died in the Civil War for the confederacy, another 3 who definitely fought, and another 3 who were "involved" to some extent that is not clear (one was a teamster, for example, another fought in only a small skirmish).
one of my direct ancestors signed the "Declaration of Independence", that established the United States and started war with britain. That is my family's biggest "brush with history".
it is possible, and believed by some, that this same ancestor was also a direct descendant of John Knox, who founded the episcopalian church. According to wikipedia, "This latter claim of Knox descent though ancient in origin is long disputed and without primary documentation." Make of that what you will; this claim was made in the 1770's, about 200 years after Knox died, and is unlikely to ever be resolved.
Last edited by Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus; 09-08-2011 at 10:35 AM..
ione of my direct ancestors signed the "Declaration of Independence", that established the United States and started war with britain. That is my family's biggest "brush with history".
it is possible, and believed by some, that this same ancestor was also a direct descendant of John Knox, who founded the episcopalian church. According to wikipedia, "This latter claim of Knox descent though ancient in origin is long disputed and without primary documentation." Make of that what you will; this claim was made in the 1770's, about 200 years after Knox died, and is unlikely to ever be resolved.
Are you talking about Henry Knox? If so, he wasn't one of the signers. Here's the list. Was it one of these folks?
a Distant Uncle was the Commander of the American Troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill.....he was the one who [allededly] said "Steady boys. don't fire til you see the whites of their eyes."
My ancestors killed Rizzio, secretary to Mary Queen of Scots. They also took the king hostage. They were decended from Viking raiders. Not a pretty picture. I am also related to William the Conqueror, Robert the Bruce, and Hugh Capet. I am sure they witnessed some amazing events and had some big brushes with history.
One ancestor allegedly hid the Regicide Judges in the 1600s.
An ancestral aunt was hung in New Jersey during the RW by a notorious gang, that operated out of bogs, called the Pine Tree Robbers. She escaped unharmed as did the children.
The most amusing, is the cousin who was probably suffering from Dementia when he penned our ancestor rode with Robin Hood and his ragtag gang. Neither scientists or historians can agree whether or not Robin Hood was anything more than a good story -- for in those times the ballad was not sung, it was spoken. Unfortunately this unsubstantiated family tale made its way into the enclopedia of state history along with his US Senator uncle, who did exist.
I love family stories. When Internet genealogy first began with the fledgling Rootsweb nearly everyone had a ancestral settler family with three brothers who were separated after arriving in the colonies -- never to be heard from again -- except, of course, for one brother. .
One of my 3x great grandfathers was a lieutenant in the Georgia infantry and was wounded at Antietam. Another was a captain in the Arkansas Confederate cavalry and had his plantation and house torched and oldest son hanged in his front yard. They rebuilt the house, and it still stands in Baxter county. And one of my great great great uncles was the first man hanged in Stone County for shooting someone to death at a barn dance. Oh yeah, and my mom did Bill Clinton's make up for him when she worked at a mall in Jonesboro and he was governor and about to make a TV appearance. He just walked in the store and asked them if they could help.
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