AN UNNECESSARY KILLING. Pt. 1

My late father was an amateur genealogist and did the bulk of his research in the 70’s and 80’s. And given the time period, it goes without saying that every jot and tittle of enlightenment about his family roots which he gleaned, he garnered as the result of hard work. 

I recall meeting my dad at the county genealogical library a couple of times, and I remember the fervor in which he thumbed through the old books, censuses and photographs. Now and then he happened upon something pertaining to one of our ancient family members, hailing from the McDonald’s, Cone’s, Dowling’s or Hightower’s, and summarily made a notation on his legal-sized yellow notepad, or asked the librarian to photocopy a page.

At the time I humored my father, and, no doubt, congratulated him for having come across some minor treasure. By the time daddy ‘hung up his guns for good’ he’d compiled enough material to create a 5 inch thick family binder; replete with ancient and modern family names, dates and places of birth and death, a myriad of stories and photographs. And if that was not enough, he duplicated the volume and distributed it among twenty or thirty other patriarchs and matriarchs among the various branches of our family.

I admit it. Though it took me some time to ‘catch the (genealogical) bug’ caught it I did, and for years after my father’s vision prevented him from such tedious manual research, I followed in his proverbial footsteps, and continued to share my most recent discoveries with him. (The internet had opened up a wealth of resources to which we would not have been privy in earlier years, and I am doubtful I would otherwise have ‘taken up the mantle’ which fell from my father’s shoulders).

A few years ago, as I was exploring one of my family surnames, I came across a website which indicated the existence of a previously unknown volume. (Unknown, at least to me). I was excited to learn that a 3x great uncle by the name of Joshua Frier had written an autobiography detailing his service in the Florida militia, and that his original manuscript was housed in the Florida State Archives; (along with a typed version which he son had transcribed). The moniker he’d assigned to it was almost, (but not quite) as long as the volume.

“Reminicences Of The War Between The States By A Boy In The Far South At Home And In The Confederate Militia.”

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I could not have been more excited about my discovery. I think it was then that I fully comprehended the fervor and emotion my father displayed towards the subject.

(to be continued) 

By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 48. Copyright pending

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