Establishing a Genealogy Theory is Good but you must prove or disprove it!

Robin's Question (edited by me for space)

For many months I have tried to track down the parents of my gg grandmother.

Joseph Dougan Born: 1840, , Spencer, Indiana Died: 3 October 1865 of diesease at a hospital in Pine Bluff Ark while serving for the 1st Calvery, 28th Reg Company F for the Indiana Volunteers under the service of Captin James A. Pine.

Questions:
1. Where is Joseph Dougan Burried?
2. Who are his parents?
3. Any other sibilings?

The Pension Papers state that he enlisted on Jan 4, 1864 in Company F Commanded by Cpt, James A Pine in the 28th Reg, of the Indiana Volunteers of the 1st Indiana Calv, in the war of 1861 and died of disease at Pine Bluff Ark on 3 October 1865

The Marriage Certificate that I have states that Joseph and Nancy married on 12 April 1860 in Spencer Co., Indiana

After the death of Nancy's first husband, she remarried to Marcus Lafayette Goodmon
Nancy and Joseph only had one child before his death.
Amanda Elizabeth Dougan Born: 22 March 1844 in Nashville, Davidson, TN Died: 5 May 1949 om Sherman, Grayson, TX

Olive Tree Answer Hello Robin. I think your information about Amanda, the daughter of Nancy and Joseph, is mis-typed. She cannot have been born in 1844 as that is when her mother Nancy was born. Nancy and Joseph married in 1860, perhaps you meant Amanda was born in 1864?

In any case, I believe your best method of finding out more about Joseph is to follow these suggestions:

1. Send for his military files from NARA (National Archives and Records Administration). You sent me information from online Civil War records and noted that the data does not match. There is a very good chance that more than one man named Joseph Dougan have been put together when they should be separate. Sending for your Joseph's files should solve the discrepancy problems.

2. Look for cemeteries that are in Pine Bluff Arkansas and write to them to ask if Joseph Dougan is buried there. Have you been to the Pine Bluff Library website?

3. Search the Pine Bluff Obituary Index: The index to the Pine Bluff Commercial, Pine Bluff Graphic, Pine Bluff News, Pine Bluff Dispatch, Pine Bluff Press-Eagle, Negro Spokesman, Jefferson Republican, Weekly Echo, and White Hall Journal. Contains over 266,500 entries from 1866 to present day.

4. Have you carefully checked the 1850 census for your Joseph? Be creative with his surname - you may find it as Dugan, Duggan, Dugen, Dogan, Dougan and so on.

I use the census records on
Ancestry.com but Footnote,com also has many online.

I had a quick look and found a 9 year old Joseph Dugan living in Ward, Randolph County Indiana in 1850 with parents and siblings. Since the age is right to be your ancestor, I'd check 1860 and see if this Joseph Dugan is still around or if he might be the man you want. In other words, your Joseph in 1860 is married and living with Nancy in Luce Spencer County. Is the "other" Joseph to be found? If yes then they are not the same man. If no, there is a chance they might be one individual and you will have to do more research to prove or disprove this.

5. Look at the names of Nancy's parents - if her mother is either Amanda or Elizabeth (the names given to Nancy's daughter by Joseph), then there is a good chance that Joseph's mother has the other name given to the daughter. This could provide a working theory for you to try to find the parents and Joseph in 1850 IF it turns out that the Joseph I found is not your ancestor.

6. YOu say you have Joseph and Nancy's marriage certificate. Are there any witnesses named? They may be family members and you may have a clue to other members of Joseph's family. I would take another look at that certificate and make sure you have not overlooked an important find.

Using County Clerk Records to Find Answers

On Jan 7/09 Kate asked Olive Tree:

Robert Burton, born 1808/09 in NC. That info is all I know about him except for his wife and children.The above info came from the 1850 Federal Census for Drew County, Arkansas

According to the census he and wife Jane E. had their first child 1833/34 in TN. More children were born then in Mississippi. They were in AR in time for the 1850 census.

I don't know his parents, exact place of birth, place or date of marriage. We have been searching for 30 years with no luck. We are not sure of his wife's maiden name so that has not helped.

Robert raised his family here in Arkansas and his children married in Drew County near Monticello. But, no one in family has any information. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know.

Olive Tree Answer:

Based on census records that I found for your Robert Burton, it is quite likely that he died in Drew Co. Arkansas between 1860 and 1870. I would look for his death or probate record. You will have to contact the Drew County Clerk as they have Marriage Records from 1847 and Probate Records from 1847

The contact info is 210 S. Main Street, Monticello, 71655; (870) 460-6260

You should also search for marriage records of his children in the Drew County Clerk marriages. This will hopefully give you the maiden name of Jane.

Have you looked for a death record for Jane? She was 66 years old in the 1880 Cane Creek Lincoln Arkansas census so you may want to find out what records Lincoln Co. holds.