Tennessee Genealogy Research by Debbie W. Spero

After a morning at the Tennessee State Library and Archives making copies of needed proof for application to the Civil War Families of Tennesse, I have my first application ready to submit on my ancestor Captain Claiborne Wright West.

Although this line had already been researched and the results published by my great-great Uncle Hoke West, I still enjoyed locating and copying the death, marriage and census records.     I also learned a few new things in the process:   (1)My great grandfather’s name was Irl,but consistently misspelled in records as “Earl” or “Erl” (2) Though my Great-Great Uncle Hoke gave an exact marriage date for my great-great grandparents ( his grandparents) I did not find that marriage in the Smith Co. marriage records and the marriages for that time period do survive (3) I learned that my “other ” great-great-great grandfather, Bailey Peyton Mundy, of Smith County, TN,  ALSO served in the Civil War (4)I learned that a friend from nearby Gallatin, TN and his children are “cousins”(5) and, finally, I learned that a great aunt, that I thought was related only by marriage, was related also by blood.

So, it’s one application ready for the Civil War Families of Tennessee and two to go.     I am looking forward to learning something “new” about my family as I complete the next application.