Richard Lucas (1732-1791) and Rachel Else Duval Lucas (1736-1785) were born in Maryland and were the parents of six children. Richard was a sergeant in the Revolutionary war.
Two of their sons John (1760-1836) and Samuel (1764-1833) were each the parents of ten children. Samuel was a saddlemaker and John was a soldier in the Revolutionary War like his father. Minnie Lucas Lee wrote a letter about John – here is an excerpt:
“he was a lad of sixteen when the war was declared and served six years, He was taken prisoner by the Indians and taken to Kentucky and Ohio…”
The rest of the letter can be find in John Lucas’ entry.
Of the twenty children beween the Samuel and John (10 boys and 10 girls), there was one soldier in the Civil War, on the Union side.
Of the 159 grandchildren of Samuel and John (74 for Samuel and 75 for John), there were twelve soldiers in the Civil War, eight on the Union side and four on the Confederate side.
Of the great-grandchildren of Samuel and John, there were five soldiers in the Civil War, all on the Union side.
Amazingly, that is eighteen soldiers, fourteen on the Union side and four on the Confederate side from these two brothers. (Four married Lucas daughters)
The chart below shows the relationships, starting at the top with Richard and Rachel Lucas. The blue rectangles are Union soldiers and the gray rectangles are Confederate soldiers.
Following is a brief description of these soldiers.
Israel Lucas, August 12, 1804-May 5,1862. Born in Butler County, Ohio and enlisted as a private in Company G of the 71st Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 1861 at 57 years of age. He died of disease at Fort Donelson, Tennessee and was buried there.
Richard Lucas McCray, July 7, 1828-May 17, 1863. Born in Indiana. Lieutenant in Company G, 23rd Iowa Infantry. Killed by sharpshooters at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge, where the Union troops commanded by Brig. Gen Vaughn defeated the Confederate troops and the remaining Confederate troops retreated to Vicksburg and the next day the siege of Vicksburg began.
John Lucas Mills, June 29, 1823-March 26, 1884. Born in Butler County, Ohio. He enlisted on August 13, 1862 and was a sergeant in Company C, 86th Regiment, Indiana Infantry. He mustered out on December 15, 1862.
Francis Marion Lucas, January 9, 1842-January 13, 1906. Born in Butler County, Ohio. Was a seaman in the Navy on the USS Ouachita, (a steamer captured from the Confederacy that patrolled the Mississippi River and its tributaries); as well as in the army possibly. Was discharged on December 30, 1864.
Hamilton W. Lucas, October 27, 1840-September 19, 1864. Born in Darke County, Ohio. He enlisted in Company AB, 110th Regiment, Ohio Infantry. His occupation was listed as a cooper. He was killed in action at Winchester, Virginia.
Larkin Nelson Covert, married to Martha Daulton. He enlisted in Company G, 70th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry (O.V.I.) He participated in the many battles in which that regiment was engaged, from Shiloh till his honorable discharge at Fort McAlister, December 31, 1864.
George F. DeLong, 1831-May 21, 1864. He was born in Montpelier, Vermont and was married to Sarah Daulton. Enlisted in Company B of the 34th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry (O.V.I.). Here is an excerpt of a letter he wrote to his wife on August 5, 1863 “My Dear, I got your letter of the 18th, yesterday, it had been sent to Fayetteville and layed there till Capt. Boyd came back. Matthew Mahoney brought it, and one from friend Thomas of the same date. These are all the letters I have received since the 27th of July. I hope, love, to hear from you soon as the Raid is now at an end. God grant that the war may end as speedily as did Morgan’s Raid, as I am very anxious to be at home with those I have so ruthlessly deserted, but thank God I am in a good cause and through the providence of God, I have thus far been spared with life and health. Oh, may his arm protect me to the end of this wicked rebellion. Give my love to my children. Tell Medora she must try to improve in writing as I could hardly read her last letter, but was, nevertheless, glad to know she had not forgotten me. It will bother you to read this letter, as in turning the paper I commenced on the wrong page. I hope, love, we may meet soon as I long to see you and embrace that loved form. Live in hope, love, and persevere till the end, which must soon come. God bless you all, my ever dear ones. He was wounded May 9, 1864 at the Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain. Here is a description of the battle -There was an open field of about half or two-thirds of a mile in width and across this the Federal force had to advance, the Confederates in the meantime pouring a most galling fire upon the approaching lines. At the foot of the slope upon which the enemy was posted was a muddy stream waist deep, through which the charging troops waded, and after taking breath ascended the ridge, wavering in spots under the heavy fire, but on the whole keeping in good order. When close to the enemy’s breastworks the whole Federal line rushed forward with a yell and the impetuosity of the attack completely routed the Confederates behind the abatis. He was taken to Dublin Depot as a prisoner and died on May 11, 1864 from a gunshot wound through the bowel. He left four children and his wife Sarah who was expecting their fifth child. Sarah applied for a widow’s pension for herself and the minor children. She was awarded eight dollars a month for herself and two dollars for each of the children, until they reached age 16.
Henry M. “Harvey” Lucas , 1828-1876. He was born in Bracken, Kentucky, and enlisted in Company B, 40th Regiment, Kentucky Mounted Infantry.
Mason Wheeler Bigelow, December 29, 1840-December 4, 1924. Born in Kentucky, married to Susan Lucas. Enlisted on August 10, 1862 in Company E, 10th Kentucky Calvary.
Edwin Ruthvin Lucas Company K 11th Alabama Volunteer Infantry, Confederate Army. He became a captain and operated in Virginia under General Lee and was in 24 general engagements but was never wounded or captured. After the war he was a farmer, and also a state legislator.
Oscar Madison Lucas, October 31, 1838 – December 10, 1920. He joined Cahaba Rifles, Cahaba, Alabama, in April 1861. Rendezvoused at Montgomery, Alabama and the company became Company G, 5th Alabama. He wrote that “a spent minnie bullet struck him high on his forehead, burrowed just beneath the skin of his skull, and stayed in this path until it emerged at the rear of his cranium, leaving two holes and a lot of scar tissue, which looked a lot worse than they were.” The old minister was fond of contending, when he had something to be sorry about or apologize for, that the hole in his head was to blame. He eventually was designated as a chaplain of the 11th Alabama regiment, and after the war became a Baptist minister.
William P. Lucas, 1841-April 14, 1862. Born in Alabama, enlisted as a private in Company F, 5th Alabama Infantry, April 5, 1861. He was wounded in the Seven Days Battles in which General Lee kept the Union forces from taking Richmond, and died from the wounds in the hospital in Richmond, Virginia April 14, 1862.
William Pendleton Cameron, 1831-November 13, 1898. He was born in West Point, Georgia, and married Sarah Lucas. He enlisted in the Fulton regiment of the Georgia Infantry.
John H. Grogan, September 21, 1842-November 18, 1864. Born in Tennessee, he was a corporal in Company G, 7th Regiment, Tennessee Calvary. John H. Grogan and brother, Granville H. Grogan, were murdered by “bushwhackers” during the American Civil War in the vicinity of New Liberty Baptist Church, 7th District, Carroll County, Tennessee. “Murdered” is verified on grave markers of both soldiers at New Liberty Baptist Church. Military records provide information that John H. Grogan made Corporal in Company G, 7th Tennessee Cavalry (US). Military records have not been found on Granville Grogan even though his photograph was made in a U.S. Cavalry uniform. The family story is that the “bushwhackers” made the family watch the execution. I didn’t include his brother, Granville Grogan, because there are seemingly no military records for him, but he appears in a picture in a Union uniform so it’s unclear if he was in the military.
Richard Larman Dawson, November 4, 1832-November 26, 1916. Born in Maysville, Kentucky, he was a blacksmith by trade. He was in Company H of the 1st Regiment of U.S. Veteran Engineers.
Robert J. Dawson May 2, 1836-July 18, 1903. Born in Maysville, Kentucky. Enlisted as a musician in Company H, 133rd Ohio Infantry. Mustered out on August 6, 1864.
William Blanchard Dawson, February 12, 1840-September 22, 1924. Born in Kentucky, he enlisted in Company C of the 16th Kentucky Infantry. After the war he was a blacksmith and then police chief and constable in Maysville. He was blind for the last 13 years of his life, and apparently watching baseball had been one of his favorite pasttimes until then, and was a Cincinnati Reds fan.
Charles L. Dawson, November 1846-September 2, 1916. Born in Kentucky, he enlisted in Company D, 10th Kentucky Cavalry.
Here are a few pictures of these soldiers.
George F. DeLong
Larkin Nelson Covert
Oscar Madison Lucas
John Grogan
Richard Larman Dawson
Richard and Rachel Lucas: 5th, 6th, 7th great grandparents
John and Jemima Lucas: 4th, 5th, 6th great grandparents
Samuel and Hannah Lucas: 5th, 6th, 7th great aunt and uncle
Israel Lucas: 4th, 5th, 6th great uncle
The other soldiers listed are 2nd, 3rd and 4th cousins 3 and 4 times removed.
Mabel (July 2-1896-May 30, 1989) was born in Maxwell, New Mexico, a tiny little town in northern New Mexico where her father was a telegraph operator for the railroad. (It might have been bigger back then judging from the county fair flyer below). Her parents were Henry and Minnie Lee, and she was the fifth child born to them. Three had previously died, (Mamie, Harry and Carl) and when she was born she had a big brother, Henry Claude, who died at the age of ten, when she was two. She was followed by Grace, Blanche, and Harlan. Minnie wrote her name as “Ruby Mabel Isabelle Lee” in her journal when Mabel was born, but it seems like Mabel may have dropped the Ruby. Pappy and Blanche always called her Mae, and the grandkids called her Mamie (she sometimes signed her letters to them “Mae-Mae”)
Minnie’s journal entry
Mabel in 1896
Mabel in 1898
Mabel, 1900
They moved several times during her early childhood, to small towns near the railroad stations mostly in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. It seems like it may have been a a hard life for them, in rather makeshift living conditions.
Harlan, Blanche, Grace and Mabel Lee
They travelled to Timewell, Illinois periodically to visit their grandparents, Newton and Barbara Lucas.
Grace, Henry, Barbara (seated), Blanche, Minnie (seated), a friend, Mabel and Harlan
When she was a teenager, they moved to Trinidad, Colorado and eventually moved to 809 Tillotson, where they lived from then on.
Mabel, Grace and Blanche
She married Clyde Roper (1895-1968) in 1924. It’s not clear why Clyde moved to Trinidad from Arkansas but may have been because his brother Earl lived there.
Mabel is in the black hat in front, Clyde on the right, maybe?
It seems like they had a big group of friends in Trinidad, and would go mountain climbing together to Fisher’s Peak and other nearby spots.
Mabel is fourth from the right, and Clyde’s hand is on her shoulder. It’s possible this could be their wedding day. It seems like they may have had a small civil wedding.
Clyde and Mabel
Mabel and Clyde lived in Trinidad for the early years of their marriage and had two children, Edgar (1925-2014) and Joan (1930-2022). Mabel worked as a court stenographer in Trinidad and she always was good at numbers, accounting and office work, and enjoyed working.
When Clyde started working at Nebraska Salesbook Company, they moved to Council Bluffs, Lincoln, Denver, Houston, and then finally to Albuquerque. Mabel managed and kept the accounts for Clyde’s job. They joined Monte Vista Christian Church in Albuquerque and went there for years, where she was active in the Christian Women’s Fellowship, and did home visits to the elderly and homebound members, as well as some treasurer work for the church.
Mabel and Clyde had four grandchildren, Colleen, Suky, Buddy and Steve. They took care of them a good amount of the time – entertained them, fed them, watched them, took them on trips , drove them to school, and provided a second home for them and all their pets and paraphernalia. Their lives may have been upended by the arrival of the grandchildren, but they didn’t seem to bat an eye, and gave them such security and love. Mabel was a wonderful cook – her fried chicken, pork chops, spaghetti with pork, artichokes, black eyed peas and rice, okra with tomatoes, chili, enchilada casserole – all delicious. She had two tv shows she didn’t like to miss – Concentration and Jeopardy - the kids would usually watch with her and guess along.
Mabel and Blanchie at Monument Lake
She and Clyde often travelled to Trinidad to see her sister Blanche, to California to visit Grace, and to Timewell to see Aunt Ruth, Sadie and Jessie. She and Blanchie were very close. She wrote great letters to Blanchie and to her son, Edgar. Here’s a funny snippet from one to Edgar about Roy:
Harlan (1904-1967), the youngest child of Minnie and Henry Lee, was born in Dodge City, Kansas. His three older sisters were Mabel, Grace and Blanche. He lost an eye when he was little, from falling with scissors.
Harlan about 1907
Harlan in the 1920s
Harlan married Jeannette Russ in 1931, and they had two children, Harlan Norton (1931-2008) and Claudia Jeannette (1934-2019). They moved to California sometime in the 1930s. He and Jeannette later divorced and he married Lillian.
Claudia, Norton and Harlan Lee
Mabel, Grace, Blanche, Harlan
He owned a hobby shop in Garden Grove, California.
Grace Elmyra Lee Benedict (1898-1980) was the middle sister between Mabel and Blanche Lee (children of Minnie and Henry). Grace was born in Watrous, New Mexico, where her father, Henry, was a telegraph operator for the railroad.
Blanche, Mabel and Grace Lee about 1901
Grace Lee about 1914
Grace married James Selby Benedict in 1917, and they moved to Amarillo, Texas. They had three children, Mildred, Marilee, and Edward. Edward died at around age two of leukemia I think.
Mildred, Selby, Marilee, Edward, Grace Benedict
Barbara Lucas, Minnie Lee, Mildred and Grace Benedict
Selby died in 1939, leaving Grace, Mildred and Marilee on their own. Grace was a seamstress and they moved to the Los Angeles area (Burbank), near where Harlan lived. She worked at Bullocks Department Store in the alterations department.
Mildred and Marilee around 1935
Marilee (1919-1994) married Bev Fredendall in 1959. They lived in the LA area (Glendale and Pasadena I think) , and had a sailboat that they took to Mexico, Catalina Island, etc. Marilee worked as a stenographer for the railroad.
Mildred, Bev, Marilee and Grace at Marilee and Bev’s wedding in 1959
Mildred Grace (1918-2000) married Howard (Buck) McNealy in 1948 and lived in the LA area also. They eventually ended up in Kona, Hawaii. They owned a cabin cruiser called the “Molly Mac”.
Buck and Mildred in 1955
Mamie and Pappy took the girls to California around 1959 for a Disneyland trip and also to visit Grace and Harlan. Marilee and Bev took us to Catalina on their sailboat and we returned on Mildred and Buck’s cabin cruiser. They boys went the next year.
Minnie Blanche Lee (Blanche) (June 25, 1900-March 1,1988) was born near La Junta, Colorado and moved to Trinidad as a teenager with her parents Minnie and Henry and siblings Mabel, Grace and Harlan. She married Roy Bratcher (June 24, 1900-June 4,1988) in 1929 in Trinidad, and they lived there the rest of their lives. Roy was a fireman, then engineer for the railroad, and Blanche worked at the light company. They lived their middle and later years in the house on Tillotson that Blanche’s parents (Minnie and Henry) had bought.
Mabel, Grace and Blanche around 1902
Mabel, Grace and Blanche Lee around 1918
Blanche and Roy in the 1920s
Roy, in the middle. He was an engineer for the C and S railroad, which was later merged with Burlington.
It kind of looks like Blanchie is in the first car, and Clyde in the second – not certain though. They look to be in front of the house.
Blanche was close to her sister, Mabel (Mamie). In their adult lives they didn’t live close to each other – Blanche and Roy in Trinidad and Mabel and Clyde (Pappy) in Albuquerque from the mid 1940s on. They visited frequently, talked on the phone and wrote lots of letters. When they visited, after dinner you would usually find them playing cards – pitch was their game. They always had a good time.
The Browne kids spent two weeks of their summer vacation visiting Blanche and Roy in Trinidad each year in the 1950s and early 60s. The girls would go for two weeks, and then Mamie and Pappy would bring the boys. They often met in Cimarron for the switch and and had a picnic.
Blanche and Roy made it a fun vacation – we would usually go to Monument Lake a couple of times each summer. First we would dig the worms in their backyard, and put them in a coffee can. Blanche would pack a lunch and when we got there we would rent a rowboat and usually catch a few rainbow trout – Roy taught us how and also how to clean the fish. We liked feeding the chipmunks in the rocks at the end of the lake.
Clockwise from top right: Blanche, Mabel, Colleen, Clyde, Earl (Clyde’s brother), Roy, Suky. A picnic at Monument Lake about 1958.
Other memories of Blanche and Roy are going to Marco’s butcher shop for t-bone steaks, which Roy would grill, Bonfadini’s for pepperoni, Kelly’s Bakery for bread, and the “chain store” (Safeway) for other groceries. Our route included Rexall Drugs where we could pick out a comic book, and sometimes Jamieson’s clothing store. Also the post office, where we took turns opening the mailbox (#386) to get their mail, to the library, and to church with Blanchie on Sunday.
Blanchie would help us use the cookie press to make cookies, and get us started fixing a box of Jello chocolate pudding, which we would then stand on a chair to stir. Blanche patiently taught the girls to crochet. Their house had creaky stairs to an upstairs bedroom and attic, and the attic was dusty and filled with old dolls, a train and old letters to look through. The basement was dark and musty, but had a saddle on a saw horse you could sit on and also Roy’s collection of calendars, pin-ups and other objects hanging up for us to examine.
Roy, Blanche, Grace, Mabel and Clyde in front of their house
The most fun was climbing the mountain at the end of their street – it had little slippery rocks and was hard to make progress without slipping down.
View of Trinidad – Blanchie’s mountain is somewhere in the back right, not quite sure of the exact location.
One thing that Blanchie would do was after we dropped Roy off at the train depot, we would hop in the car and she would speed to Walsenburg in the hope of beating the train so at the intersection he would see us and blow the whistle.
Roy would also take us on the switch engine for a short ride as they switched the engines of the trains. One big highlight was the year we went to Colorado Springs and visited Santa’s workshop.
Buddy and Roy on the switch engine about 1957
Roy and Clyde having a beer on the swing in their backyard at 809 Tillotson
Ruth Rehretta Lucas (1875-1960) was the second child of Newton and Barbara Lucas and was born in Timewell. She married Allen Fornwalt in 1929 when she was 49. She lived with her mother Barbara it seems like before that after her father died in 1917. Our grandparents Mabel and Clyde Roper (Mamie and Pappy) visited “Aunt Ruth” in Timewell in the 1950s and 60s.
Ruth
Ruth and Minnie
William Daniel (Willie) Lucas 1873-1950
Willie was the third child of Newton and Barbara. He was born in Scotland Missouri, but moved back to Timewell with his family as a child. He married Lizzie McPhail (1874-1956) in 1897 and they had two children, Laura Lucille (1898-1984), and Harold M. (1900-1990) Willie was a farmer his whole life in Timewell as was his son Harold. Laura moved to Alton, Illinois and was a school teacher there. Neither Laura or Harold married. Here is an excerpt about Willie and Lizzie when they were teenagers in a letter Barbara wrote to Minnie:
… he goes over some Sunday nights and takes Lizzie to church but has not been there for dinner for a long while …there was awhile he would take her some place one or two nights out of a week I told him that was entirely too often for as young a boy as he was … but he said he was going to get the inside track for there was two three other fellows ready to step in there and he wanted to keep ahead and did so now he has slacked off a little.
/
Willie
Ruth? Aunt Mary? Laura, Lizzie and Willie Lucas
Willie, Lizzie, Laura, Sadie, Ruth, Barbara at their house in Timewell
Blanche Lee and Laura in Timewell
Harold and Blanche Lee in Timewell.
Blanche was probably good friends with her cousins Laura and Harold as she was the same age as Harold and two years younger than Laura. Laura was a faithful postcard sender to Blanche when they were children. Here is a cute postcard sent by Harold to his grandpa Newton probably about 1910.
The following was written by Minnie Lucas Lee about her great grandfather, John Lucas.
The following is an excerpt from the book “Lucas Genealogy”. In the third paragraph starting “He was a Rev War soldier… it tells about his life after the war. His son was Daniel Robbins Lucas, the father of Newton Lucas.
Henry (1842-1916) and Phoebe (1841-1879) were the parents of Henry, Charles, Fred, Carrie, Allie and Minnie. They were born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and were married in 1863.
She married George Paris Stafford and they had three children, Grace, Earl and Oliver. She lived in Youngstown, California.
Mary Alice (Allie) 1874-1946
Allie and Minnie Lee
Standing: unknown, James F., Allie, James W. Sitting: unknown, Margaret and Mary Helen.
She married James Frances Corbett in 1894. (He was related to Gentleman Jim Corbett, the boxer). They had six children.
James William, Margaret, Joseph, Philip., Paul and Mary Helen.
Their son James William Corbett became the head of the Southern Pacific Railroad. He was the operating chief at the time of his retirement. He married Wanda Anson, and they raised the twin sons of Phillip, James’ brother. Phillip and his wife had both died tragically.
Joseph Corbett, 1900-1918
Joe Corbett, Allie and James third child, enlisted in the navy when World War I broke out. He was a gunner’s mate on the U.S.S. San Diego doing convoy service. The ship hit a German mine laid by a submarine and went down with six lives lost on Sept. 29, 1918 near Fire Island, New York. Joe was amazingly on shore leave at the time, but in a tragic development came down with the Spanish flu and died. This is a commemoration from his high school yearbook. Here is a link to an account of the sinking of the ship : https://www.history.com/news/world-war-i-uss-san-diego-explosion-discovery
Paul Francis Corbett (1904-1979)
Paul was the fifth child of Allie and James. He served in World War II and for twenty eight years in the Marine Corps. He married Josephine Gravlee in 1929.
Minnie Ellen Lee 1876-1950
Minnie was married to Charles Matthews and had two daughters, Grace (Belle) and Marjorie.
Charles and Fred were Henry’s younger brothers. The railroad business played a big part in all their lives, as well as their sister Allie. It was the reason they moved from their home in Indiana to head west. Charles, Fred and some of the other siblings went to California, while Henry ended up in Colorado.
The following article is from a Tehachapi, California newspaper about Charles. It’s rare to get a glimpse like this into what people were really like.
CHARLES A. LEE – Postmaster at Tehachapi (Greenwich postoffice), has, during his brief residence here, thoroughly identified himself with the business and social interests of the town. He came to California from his native State, Indiana, in 1887.
Mr. Lee was born in Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana, February 1, 1866, and at the age of fifteen began railroading. He pursued that calling in various portions of the Middle States until he came to California. Here, after a few months of travel in the southern and central part of the State, he again engaged in railroading entering the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. He continued in their employ until he met with a serious almost fatal, accident, which resulted in the amputation of his right leg, and other in juries seriously crippling his left hand. Upon his recovery from this great physical shock, he engaged in the fruit and confectionery business in Teliachapi.
He was soon afterward deputized postmaster by Hon. P. D. Green, and assumed the duties of his office on the first of January, 1890. In this capacity he has proven himself one of the most efficient, accommodating and popular postmasters the town has ever had. In one respect he is worthy of special commendation. The universal rules governing the conduct of the United States post offices do not require the distribution of mail before the hour of eight o’clock in the morning or after seven in the evening; but as the mails arrive at his office at unseasonable hours, he is seldom at his post of duty later than 6:30 A. M., and is invariably there as late as 9 P. m. The public should appreciate this effort on his part to give them a liberal service.
{Page 291}
Mr. Lee is active in the social circle of Tehachapi, and as popular is he is jovial and uniformally courteous. Although a single man he is domestic in his taste, owns a new residence and has it presided over by his sister, Miss Allies a young lady of culture, winning manners and womanly graces. He also has a sister Minnie and a brother Fred, residing with him.
Charles and his daughter, Winifred. He had married Dr. Ellen Isabella (Belle) McFarland in 1897.
Charles, Winifred and Belle about 1902
Fredric Walter Lee 1869-1923
Fred was also involved in the railroad business in California. He married Lucy Edwards and had two daughters, Freda and Eva.
Fred and Freda Lee about 1919
Freda and Eva Lee about 1921 (Fred and Lucy Lee’s daughters)
Duke City Roots 