The Woodson Orphans

I woke up this morning thinking about the Woodson orphans.  About 20 years ago I was obsessed by the Civil War.  I would visit battlegrounds.  At some of them there would be a recording that one could listen to and I would listen and cry.  And then as suddenly as the obsession had begun, I was no longer interested in the Civil War and I was on to the Revolutionary War.  Probably because my research had gone back a generation or two earlier on many of my lines and these people were living during the Colonial and early America days.

But one of the things that I remember about the families after the Civil War were the joyful homecomings of husbands!  And the other thing that I remember about the time just after the Civil war were the MANY old maids!  Some had boyfriends who did not return from the war and remained unmarried....there were just not enough men to go around after the war.  And I am sure that the Buckingham/Appomatox area of Virginia was exactly the same.

This post is about the orphans of James E. Woodson and his wife, Martha Routon Woodson.

 From my good buddy, Fran:

From Fran:  James Woodson, enlisted as a Private in Co F. 18th Virginia Infantry Regiment on March 16, 1862 in Farmville, VA.  His service record shows he died in Winchester of Fever on October 25, 1862.  His death register states he died of typhoid fever.  His wife, Martha, died about 1864, leaving five children to be cared for by their family.   The 1870 census shows Louise and her brother living in the household of their Uncle, Grandmother and two old maid aunts. 

also from Fran:

1870 census shows children in homes of the following Uncles:

Uncle James H. Routon caring for Richard and Louisa Woodson

Uncle George D. Woodson caring for George E. & Lucy Virginia Woodson in Appomattox Co.

Uncle Peter H. Routon caring for Samuel Woodson in Bedford Co

So why are these orphans on my mind this morning?  Two reasons.  One my mother-in-law, Sue Harris Moses,  just died this past month. [I have written several blog posts about my mother-in-law.  If you have interest you can find them by using search words of Harris and Woodson in the search box on the main page.]  Sue VERY MUCH loved her grandmother, Louise Woodson Harris!  She told many stories about her relationship with her grandmother and every single story was about how great her grandmother was!  At least one or two of the blog posts are about this relationship.

The second reason is that Damon Woodson read one of my blog posts and got in touch with me this winter.  He descends from another of the Woodson orphans:  George who was living in his Uncle George's home in 1870.  After chatting with Damon, I started thinking about these children split up between various relatives.  Louise was only about two when her mother died.  So I am guessing that the grandmother and maiden aunts and Uncle took in the two youngest children while the older children went to live with the families of other uncles.

If you are reading this and have any information to add about any of these orphans and their lives after they grew up, I would love to add your information here.  Please send information to me at my e-mail address:  mosesm@earthlink.net and give me permission to share.  Also tell me if you want your name mentioned and if you want your e-mail added to your information so that others can contact you or if you prefer to remain anonymous.  marsha