S.S. Chapel Hill Victory

Earlier I posted a letter written by my maternal grandfather, William Obeyn "Jack" Jackson (1909-1988), to my grandmother, Rose Marie BRAQUET Jackson (1909-1989), while on board the transport ship S.S. Chapel Hill Victory, which was returning him to the USA from Europe from 25 October to about 6 November 1945. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army shorter thereafter.

This post summarizes the information I have been able to find on the Internet about the Chapel Hill Victory.

The ship was known as a "victory ship", which were manufactured in large quantities during the second world war to replace cargo ships destroyed by German U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic.  Here is a picture taken at the time of launch of the ship, 4 December 1944, published in the 1996 book Images of America:  Chapel Hill by James Vickers.

An excerpt of the book, including the page from which this picture was found, can be seen by anyone on Google books.

According to a web site (viewed 24 September 2011) called "American Merchant Marine at War", in a list of Victory Ships built by the U.S. Maritime Commission during World War II, the "victory ship (officially VC2) was 455 feet long and 62 feet wide." The second web link indicates that the Victory Chapel Hill was built by Bethlehem Steel in Baltimore, Maryland. It was hull number 2429, yard 615. [What does the "yard" number mean?]

Another web site, Victory Ships - C, The Web Site of the Mariners Mailing List, indicates that the Victory Chapel Hill was sold to N.V.Van Nievelt, Goudriaan & Co, Rotterdam in 1947 and rechristened as the Alwaki. It was sold in 1964 to China Union Lines, Kaohsiung [Taiwan] and rechristened Kaohsiung Victory. It was subsequently scrapped in 1974 in Kaohsiung.

The following is a picture of the S.S. Alwaki found on Flickr.

The following two pictures were taken by my grandfather aboard the SS Chapel Hill Victory on the way back to New York and then home.

1 Nov 1945 letter from W.O. Jackson: Crossing the Atlantic

My maternal grandfather, William Obeyn "Jack" Jackson (1909-1988) enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1943, served in combat and in the Military Police in Europe, and then returned home in November 1945 after being honorably discharged. His civilian job that he had held since the early 1930s was as a guard at the Gulf Oil company refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. It was a "protected" job, meaning that it kept him from being drafted. Nevertheless, in spite of that and in spite of having a wife and young daughter (my mother, Edith Faye, born in 1938), he enlisted. His younger brother, Robert Francis Jackson (1920-2006), had already enlisted by that time and, while I don't know for sure, probably influenced my grandfather to do the same. Both would sustain fairly serious wounds while in Europe but both would recover, be reclassified as limited duty, and retrained to be military police ("M.P.s").

Our family has a fairly large number of the letters he and my grandmother, Rose Marie BRAQUET Jackson (1909-1989), wrote to each other over the course of his enlistment. They wrote nearly every day to each other; she kept all or nearly all of the ones he wrote, and he kept as many of hers as he could. But his constant movement from training, to combat in northern France (where he has wounded), convalescence in an Army hospital in England, and service after recovery as an M.P., necessarily kept him from being able to keep many of them. Nevertheless the body of the letters we do have provide a priceless snapshot of life as my grandparents knew it during a particularly turbulent time in history. And through their discussion of memories and friends, they also provide a glimpse of ordinary life as they knew it.

I intend to post a number of these letters in this blog because they provide a large amount of genealogical information of great interest to me and any others who might be researching lines that include my grandparents.

This first letter to be posted (transcription below the following images) was written on two different days while he was being shipped back to the USA from France. The ocean voyage lasted from 25 October to about 6 November 1945; he was transported on a "victory ship" christened the S.S. Chapel Hill Victory. I have some information about the Chapel Hill found on the Internet and will post some of that in a subsequent blog post.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Here is my transcription (so that it can be more easily read and searchable):

From:
Pvt. Wm. O. Jackson 38545484
M.P. Pln. 66 Div [Military Police Platoon, 66th Division]
℅ P.M. N.Y. N.Y. [care of Postmaster, New York, New York]

To:
Mrs. W.O. Jackson
2338-14th St.
Port Arthur
Texas

Postmark:
New Brunswick, New Jersey
November 7
6 P.M.
1945

VIA AIR MAIL

POSTAGE DUE, 20.

S.S. Chapel Hill Victory
Nov. 1 - 45

Darling Rose & Edith Faye,

By the time you receive this you will have already heard from me that I have landed but maybe you will be glad to have a line or two from me written while at sea and telling a little of the trip so far. I hope the last letters I wrote got home O.K. And am pretty sure they did. At least they said how I was and how I was missing you two. Sure hope you both are fine and aren't working too hard. How about that Edith? I am writing in the mess hall and the ship is vibrating pretty bad as you can tell from my shaky writing.

We boarded this ship Oct. 25 at ten in the morning and sailed at 3 P.M. So far have been through one good storm and one small one. A good many were sea sick. I wasn't but did have the G.I.s for seven days, three before coming on board. Five of them I couldn't eat any thing so would have been hard had I gotten sick. Am O.K. now and can eat every thing I can find. The food has been wonderful. Fresh eggs each morning and Fresh Milk, the first I have had since leaving home. Have a half pint in front of me now thawing out. We have two good meals a day and soup about noon. There are over 1900 of us on board so you see that's plenty for one kitchen to feed.

We passed through the straits of Gibraltar the 27th. I felt so bad I didn't take any pictures. Just stuck my head out, took a quick look and went back to bed. Looks just as the pictures show though and can understand why the Limeys hold it. It's really the bottle neck of this sea.

This A.M. about sun rise this ship over took another and took a sick man off it as they were going so slow. He has yellow jaundice and must be in bad shape. We lost about two hours by this but sure hope the man makes it O.K. Later in the day we met an aircraft carrier going to France to pick up a load of G.I.s. I didn't see it as I was below decks playing poker but it was a large one from what the boys said. Am even on the poker since being on board as have been running about the same. Was hoping I might pick up some more vacation dough and may yet you can't tell.

I have a few things for you two I picked up before I left but not much as things were scarce. There was lots in the papers about what could be bought at the P.O.E. [Point of Embarkation?] but was a lot of hooey and every one is growling about it too as most waited until there to get something for home. Did my last package get in in time for your birthday? Hope you like the scarf as it was about all I could find.

It still doesn't seem as if I were going home. Maybe because I have moved around so much or perhaps I feel as if the Army will change their mind at the last minute. They will have to be fast though if they hold me long after I get ashore for if they try I'll be long gone. Most of the men feel the same they say and you can watch their faces as they sit around, and tell its true. Most look sad and am sure are remembering many things also wondering what they will find when they get home.

Girls, I am going to stop now as there is going to be a show here in a few minutes. Will write more in a day or two. Good night with all my love.

Jack.

Sat. Nov. 3

I haven't much more to write of but guess you two won't mind a few lines more. We have had two very pretty days since I started this letter and have really enjoyed lying around on deck in the sun. The ship has made better time since have no high wind to buck. We hear we will land Monday P.M. at New York but may go to Boston or New Port Virginia [probably Newport News, Virginia] if New York harbor is filled with ships. With in 24 hours after landing will be headed toward Texas for discharge.

I found a man to-day who was in the next bed while I was in the hospital. His name is Baliff and is from Tennessee. We had a long talk and lots of fun talking of the boys [we] both know and where they went. There are some I am going to try to get in touch with after I get home.

Am going to stop so good night and look for me home soon and when I do am going to hug you both half to death.

All of my love to you both.

Jack

David Averett Obituaries

The following photo is of my great-great-great grandparents David Franklin Averett (25 February 1837 - 11 November 1927) and Martha TIMMERMAN Averett (27 November 1847 - 30 July 1927). I don't know the date it was made but David was 90 years old when he died in 1927 and his wife, Martha, was 79. An estimate of his apparent age in this photograph might be 60 years, which means that she would have been about 50. If true, the photograph would have been made around 1907.

The material in this post was given to my mother by a relation in Louisiana. My mother died in 1992 and I inherited her genealogy research after beginning to take an interest a few years ago. But I unfortunately have lost contact with anyone from my maternal grandfather's family (which includes David and Martha Averett). I have a couple of names that I am going to use to try to track them down after I have developed this blog. My theory is that it is easier to get potential genealogy research partners to collaborate if I have a body of work already assembled. Either way, I'm hoping to reestablish contact with one or more of them soon.

One other point:  The Internet being what it is, I am being careful to avoid naming living relatives or relatives who may still be living. For this reason, I am not going to supply information about people more recent than my maternal and paternal grandparents, all of whom passed away more than twenty years ago. But if the person who provided the material in this post to my mother recognizes his or her work, please let me know if it's okay if I add your name here.

David died about four months after the passing of his wife. Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of her obituary (yet).  But here is the first of two of his obituaries, probably published in a newspaper from the Winnfield, Louisiana area.

"PIONEER CITIZEN OF WINN PARISH DIES AT 90 YEARS. Winnfield, Nov. 17 (Special) -- D.F. Averett, 90 years old, died here at his home last Friday night. Mr. Averett was one of the oldest residents of this section of the state. He was born in Coosa county, ala., and served throughout the Civil war in the Confederate army, being attached to various branches of Lee's army in Virginia. In the second battle of the Wilderness he was wounded. Up until that engagement he was a sharpshooter. On recovering from his wounds he was attached to General Lee's headerquarters as a courier. Mr. Averett was the only Confederate soldier living in this section that served directly under Lee and knew the great general personally. Immediately after the Civil war he moved to this state and raised a large family. He is survived by nine children, five sons and four daughters, Rufus Averett, Hallsville, Texas; Mrs. J.R. Watts Sr., Winnfield, W.O. Averett, Winnfield; Early Averett, Gilmer, Texas; Mrs. W.A. Stamper, Natchitoches; Mrs. Emile Somparac [sic:  Sompayrac], Winnfield; Mrs. W.H. Baker, Pocahontas, Miss.; W.W. Averett, Shreveport, and Clarence Averett, Dallas, Texas. Funeral services were held at the First Baptist church, with interment in the Winnfield cemetery."

Here is the second, also probably published in a newspaper in the Winnfield area.

“Prominent Aged Citizen Is Claimed By Death Friday - D.F. Averett, Confederate Veteran, Dies Nov. 11, at Family Home. The sad death of David Francis Averett occurred at his home last Friday morning, November 11th, at 9:45 o’clock, thus closing the last chapter of a long and useful life. At the time of his death Mr. Averett had reached the advanced age of 89 years, 9 months and 16 days and up until a few weeks prior to his death he was unusually hearty and energetic. He was born in Thomas County Georgia but was reared in Alabama and it was from that state that he entered the Civil War, serving in the Fifteenth Alabama Infantry during the entire period of the war. In 1864 he was wounded in battle and while at home on furlough for recuperation he was married to Miss Martha Timmerman, who preceded him in death only three months ago, having lived together in happy companionship for over 62 years and rearing a large and useful family. The life of Mr. Averett has ever been outstanding because of his uprightness and desire to help his fellow men. His gentle influence will be greatly missed in this community. Funeral services were conducted at the Baptist Church Saturday morning at 10 o’clock by Rev. A.H. Cullen with interment in the Winnfield cemetery. He is survived by nine children, five sons; John Rufus of Halleville, Texas; D.E. of Gilmer, Texas; W.O. of Winnfield; Walter W. of Shreveport, and Clarence of Dallas, Texas; and four daughters; Mrs. J.R. Watts Sr., and Mrs. C.E. Sompayrac of Winnfield; Mrs. W.A. Stamper of Natchitoches, and Mrs. William Baker of Pocahontas, Miss. Also many grandchildren and other relatives and friends who mourn the passing of this splendid character.

Averetts In Early Georgia Website

The gold that one can sometimes find just by idly Googling on different search strings! David Averett married Martha Ann Timmerman on 8 December 1864 in Tallahassee, Elmore County, Alabama, C.S.A., apparently just before he returned to his unit after recovering from wounds received at the Battle of the Wilderness. Last night, I was bored with what was on television and began searching on the string "david averett martha timmerman" --- and stumbled across a full website called "Averetts in Early Georgia and South Carolina".  And I already knew that David Averett was born in Thomas County, Georgia so it definitely got my attention and quickly.

It was found by way of a "Register Report for John Averett" in PDF format at the same site -- which is what actually "hit" in Google. It was easy to work up the site hierarchy until reaching the home page. Now, John Averett and Mary Ledbetter are widely cited on Ancestry.com and the Internet as being the parents of David F. Averett but, as is all too often the case, there is no proof given. And, as a genealogy amateur, my main stumbling block is the very attenuated amount of information given in the US Census prior to 1850. Generally, the census forms provide the name of the head of the household and then bin the rest of the family data such that you'll see a count of the number of boys and girls (separately) from age 0 to 10 years, 10 years to 20, etc. It doesn't even provide the name of the wife, much less those of the children. The really exciting thing about this register report is that it is fully footnoted and my initial scans of the footnotes are very, very encouraging. Whoever constructed this web site took a lot of care researching and documenting his work.

It is also worthwhile to note that the "John Averett" in the register report is not the father of David Averett, who was born about 1809; it is actually an earlier John Averett who was born about 1750. So this has the potential to break things wide open for this line in my own family tree.  Terrific stuff!! I have not found the name of the owner of the site yet. But I'm definitely going to send a grateful message to the email address it provides!

15th Alabama Infantry Regiment Muster Roll

In my first post I discussed the circumstances of the wounding of one of my great-great-great grandfathers, David Franklin Averett (1837-1927), at the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia in 1864. He had enlisted in Company "A" (the "Canty Rifles") of the 15th Alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Fort Mitchell, Alabama on 3 July 1861. The muster roll for his Company is available on Ancestry.com (which I highly recommend) and this post will document his enlistment and his service in the Company.

Source:  Ancestry.com, Alabama Civil War Muster Rolls, 1861-1865 [database on-line], Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Original data:  Muster rolls of Alabama Civil War Units. SG025006-25100. Montgomery, Alabama: Alabama Department of Archives & History.
Description:  These rolls are for Confederate units formed in Alabama during the Civil War - though many operated outside of the state over the course of the war. The records include rolls for infantry, cavalry, artillery, reserves, and often wounds, sickness, leave status, or other reasons for men being away from the unit are includes.

The muster roll runs twenty pages and the pages relevant to David Averett are displayed and transcribed here. It also contains several links to Wikipedia and other online articles on the specific battles in which he and/or his Company fought.

The first page is an identifier.

UNIT 15th Ala Inf Regt.
CO. "A"
BOOK/FOLDER  8/13

The third and fourth pages (click to enlarge) are shown immediately below and the transcription follows them. Below the transcription is an image that I spliced together because it was difficult to line up the entries for D.F. Averett when looking back and forth between the two pages in the process of transcribing them. The pages are opposite leaves in a book meant to be viewed together. Verbatim transcriptions are italicized.

Record of Company (A) Cantey [sic] Rifles Fifteenth Regiment Volunteer Infantry from the State of Alabama in the service of the Confederate States of America in the war with the United States from the 3rd day of July 1861, (date of organization) to the 31st day of December 1864.

On the third line of the third section, we find the record for David Averett:

Name: D F Averett
Rank: Pvt.
Enlisted: July 3, 1861 at Fort Mitchell, Alabama
Period: War
Born: Georgia
Occupation: Farmer
Residence (nearest Post Office): Tallassee, Alabama
Age when enlisted: 23
Marital status: Single

☞ Under "ENGAGEMENTS," head the column with name and date of battles; where the engagement lasted more than one day, take a column for each day; and use the following characters to mean P. Present and unhurt; w. Wounded; s.w. Severely wounded; k. Killed; a. Absent without leave; a.f. Absent on furlough or satisfactorily; a.d. Absent on detail or duty by order; a.s. Absent sick; a.w. Absent wounded; a.c. Absent captured; a.a. Absent under arrest; c. Captured; X. Deserted; m. Missing. M.W. Mortally wounded. + Re-enlisted under Act Dec 11 1861.

The column headings are as follows. Note the hyperlinks to online documentation of the individual engagements.

1. Winchester, Virginia on 28 May 1862 ("present and unhurt"); 
2. Cross Keys, Virginia on 8 Jun 1862 ("present and unhurt"); 
3. Cold Harbor, Virginia on 27 Jun 1862 ("present and unhurt"); 
4. Malvern Hill, Virginia on 2 Jul 1862 ("present and unhurt"); 
5. Cedar Run, or Slaughter’s Mountain, Virginia on 9 Aug 1862 ("present and unhurt"); 
6. Hazel River, Virginia on 22 Aug 1862 ("present and unhurt");
7. Manassas Junction, Virginia [2nd Battle of Manassas, aka 2nd Battle of Bull Run] on 28 Aug 1862 ("present and unhurt");
8. Manassas Plains, Virginia [2nd Battle of Manassas] on 29 Aug 1862 ("present and unhurt");
9. Manassas Plains, Virginia [2nd Battle of Manassas] on 30 Aug 1862 ("present and unhurt");
10. Chantilly Farm, Virginia on 1 Sep 1862 ("present and unhurt");
11. Harpers Ferry, Virginia on 15 Sep 1862 ("present and unhurt");
12. Sharpsburg [Battle of Antietam], Maryland on 17 Sep 1862 ("present and unhurt")
13. Shepardstown, Virginia on 20 Sep 1862 ("present and unhurt")
14. Fredericksburg, Virginia on 13 Dec 1862 ("present and unhurt");
15. Suffolk, Virginia on 8 May 1863 ("present and unhurt");
16. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania  on 2-3 Jul 1863 ("present and unhurt");
17. Big Battle Mountain, Virginia on 24 Jul 1863 ("present and unhurt");
18. Chickamauga, Georgia on 19-20 Sep 1863 ("present and unhurt");
19. Moccasin Point, Tennessee on 27 Oct 1863 ("present and unhurt");
20. Lookout Valley, Tennessee on 28 Oct 1863 ("present and unhurt");
21. Campbell’s Station, Tennessee on 16 Nov 1863 ("present and unhurt");
22. Knoxville, Tennessee on 25 and 29 Nov 1863 ("present and unhurt");
23. Dandridge, Tennessee on 24 Jan 1864 ("absent on furlough or satisfactorily");
24. Wilderness, Virginia on 6 May 1864 ("severely wounded");
25. Spotsylvania, Virginia on 8 May 1864 ("absent wounded");
26. Spotsylvania, Virginia on 12 May 1864 ("absent wounded");
27. Cold Harbor, Virginia on 3 June 1864 ("absent wounded");
28. Chester Station, Virginia on 17 June 1864 ("absent wounded") Problem:  The battle of Chester Station occurred on 10 May 1864, according to Wikipedia. Ambiguity to be resolved.
29. Deep Bottom, Virginia on 14 August 1864 ("absent wounded");
30. Fussell's Mill, Virginia on 16 August 1864 ("absent wounded");
31. Fort Gilmer[, Virginia] on 29 September 1864 ("absent wounded");
32. Fort Harrison[, Virginia] on 30 [?] September 1864 ("absent wounded");
33. Darbytown[, Virginia] on 7 October 1864 ("absent wounded");
34. Darbytown, Virginia on 13 October 1864 ("absent wounded");
35. Williamsburg Road, [state?] on 27 October 1864 ("absent wounded") Problem: Need to find documentation about this battle.

REMARKS. 

 ☞ Herein show accurately all dates, as of elections, promotions, resignations, deaths, transfers, desertions, discharges, retirement, capture, exchange or escape. Mention meritorious or dishonorable facts, and character of serious and disabling wounds, and when and where received. Note "conscripts" and "substitutes," and for whom the latter were received. Note also, "reenlisted men" under Act of Dec. 11th, 1861, and where and from what organization." 

 "Promoted Corporal Mch [March] 1 62 [1862], To 1st Sergt [Sergeant] Feb [February] 16 62 [should be 1863?]; a good true soldier & one of the bravest of the [unreadable]; promoted for merit & good soldiership"

My corrections are based on the book The War Between the Union and the Confederacy and Its Lost Opportunities with a History of the 15th Alabama Regiment and the Forty-Eight Battles in Which It Was Engaged, by [CSA Colonel] William C. Oates, 1905 [Reprinted by Morningside Bookshop, Dayton, Ohio in 1985] on page 575:

"D.F. Averett was 23 years old when enlisted. He was one of the best soldiers in his company, and participated in all the campaigns and nearly all the battles in which the regiment was engaged. At the Wilderness, May 6, 1864, he was severely wounded and disabled, and did not return to duty until about the 1st of 1865. He was promoted to corporal in 1862 and to first sergeant early in 1863, and remained at his post to the surrender at Appomattox."

HISTORICAL MEMORANDA.

☞ Make such succinct narrative or organization and service, as of Stations, Marches, Battles, incidents, &c., as may be necessary for perfect record, being particular as to dates.

This company was organized at Fort Mitchell Russell Co [County] Alabama [inserted:  July 26, 1861] Ninety one (91) enlisted men and four officers one of whom has been promoted to the Colonelcy of the Regt [Regiment] one died and two assigned and one Killed in action [inserted:  + Chories (? -- unreadable)] This latter officer was the adjutant of the Regt and was unanimously by by [sic] the Company as its Captain after the promotion of Capt Lowther. His name does not appear on the rolls of the Company. The Company holding its position on the right flank of the Regt necessarily became one of the skirmish Companies and was principally drilled with that object in view. It has been engaged in many skirmishes [two words unreadable, the second being "kindest"?] of general engagements when the active Regt was engaged and particularly during the Campaign of 1864, in conjunction with another [?] Company (G) did all all the skirmishing for the Regt being out every other day and frequently twice a day. It is and has been one of the best companies for aptness at drill [unreadable word] good soldiership [unreadable word] and easily managed in the service and deserves all the encomiums that could be heaped upon it. Like other bodies of men it has had Its bad members but as a body there has been no better body of men extant. [Inserted text:  + The company went as a part of the organization of the 15th Ala Regt of Infantry which was formed at the same time & place]

I hereby certify that the foregoing Record of names, dates, facts, and historical memoranda, is correctly given.
STATION: Camp near Richmond, Va [Virginia]
DATE:  December 21st 1864
[signed] F. Key Shaaff, Battalion Com'dg. [Commanding] 


Inspection of the Roster of Commissioned Officers of Company A (click to enlarge) reveals that Alex A. Lowther was elected Captain of the Company on 26 July 1861 and that Francis K Shaaff was appointed by [then] General Canty on 16 August 1862.

Parenthetically, the page also indicates that there were a total of seven commissioned officers and 115 enlisted men in Company A.


This 15th Alabama Infantry Regiment muster roll record stops on 31 December 1864. The Wikipedia article on the 15th Alabama Infantry (viewed 2 September 2011) indicates that the only engagement in which the 15th Alabama participated was the "Appomattox Campaign from March 29 to April 9". Unfortunately, the article, again as of 2 September 2011, provides no reference for this campaign and I will research this further with respect to the service of David Averett. The extremely valuable book by Confederate States Army Colonel William C. Oates, quoted above and in my first post on this blog, does not contain much detail on what happened with respect to the 15th Alabama Regiment in 1865, although Oates confirms that David Averett was with his unit in the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee, when it surrendered on 9 April 1865. (Oates was wounded at Petersburg, Virginia, losing his right arm, and had returned home when news of the surrender at Appomattox arrived.)

This final engagement of the 15th Alabama, at which David Averett was certainly present, remains to be investigated and documented by me at a future date.