Isaac Darrow, Jr.: Civil War Veteran and Mapleton Farmer

Isaac Darrow, Jr.'s Family Background

Isaac, Jr. was born in the Town of Owasco, Cayuga Co., New York on 29 July 1845, the son of Isaac Darrow, Sr. and Sarah Anne Sharpe. Sarah was the daughter of Jacob and Clarissa Sharp who lived in the towns of Venice and Scipio, Cayuga Co., New York in Sarah's youth. (Note:  Use of a terminal "e" on Sharpe is variable in this family.) The antecedents of Isaac Darrow, Sr. have not been identified.

The 1850 census does not reveal the whereabouts of the Darrow family, but in 1855 the family was censused in the adjacent Town of Niles, Cayuga Co., New York. They had moved to the Town of Sennett, Cayuga Co., New York by 1860 and returned to Owasco by 1863 as shown by Isaac Darrow, Sr.'s Civil War Draft Registration there during June of that year.

Isaac Darrow, Jr. in the Civil War

111th Infantry Regiment, New York Volunteers Formation and Early Battles

Isaac enlisted as a Private in the 111th Infantry Regiment, New York Volunteers at Owasco on 23 February 1864 at the age of 18. The 111th Regiment had been organized in Wayne and Cayuga counties during the summer of 1862 for service of three years after mustering into federal service at Auburn, Cayuga Co., New York on 20 August 1862 (1) (2). By the time of Isaac's enlistment, the 111th had experienced the humiliation of being surrendered at Harper's Ferry in September 1862, shortly after the regiment went into service, but had returned to participate in the momentous Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. The 111th Regiment's subsequent engagements during 1863 and early 1864 occurred in Virginia and included Fall's Church, Lewinsville, Auburn, Bristoe Station, Blackburn's Ford, the Mine Run Campaign (Robertson's Tavern), and Morton's Ford (2) so Isaac was joining a battle-tested unit.

Battle of the Wilderness

Isaac joined Company A of the 111th Regiment following his enlistment (3). He would have traveled from Auburn to his unit's encampment, probably in Virginia. The 111th was not involved in any battles for several months following Isaac's enlistment. Isaac thus had time for training and gaining knowledge of combat from hardened veterans before being thrust into action. That action came with the Battle of the Wilderness, which began on 5 May 1864 (2). Isaac survived the first day of the battle but was seriously wounded in action on 6 May (3), presumably during the fighting on the Plank Road. Records show that Isaac was missing from the 30 June and 31 August 1864 muster rolls, apparently hospitalized from his injuries.

Capture and Prisoner of War

Military records show that Isaac had returned to duty with the 111th Regiment by late October 1864. During his absence, the 111th Regiment had participated in the battles of Spotsylvania Courthouse, North Anna, Totopotomoy, and Cold Harbor; the Assault of Petersburg; and the battles of Weldon Railroad, Deep Bottom, Strawberry Plains, and Ream's Station through 25 August 1864 (2). Isaac was transferred from Company A to Company G of the 111th Regiment as a Private on 29 October 1864 and had the great misfortune of being captured by Confederate forces the following day (3).

The details of Isaac's capture are not known. The 111th would not see significant action until the Battle of Hatcher's Run on 8-10 December 1864 (2). Thus, Isaac must have been captured while in a minor skirmish or perhaps while on picket duty or a detail away from other troops. Military records show that Isaac Darrow, Jr. was a prisoner of war until 10 April 1865, the day after Lee's surrender following the Battle of Appomattox Court House. Isaac was fortunate to survive the deprivation and disease prevalent in Confederate prison camps, but he may have been in poor health as a result. Isaac had not yet appeared on the muster roll of Company G, 111th Infantry Regiment by 30 April 1865. On 4 June 1865, Isaac was transferred to Company (Battery) G of the 4th Regiment, New York Heavy Artillery while noted as being absent sick from Company G, 111th Regiment since 27 May.

Isaac Darrow, Jr.'s Civil War Service came to an end on 30 June 1865 when he was mustered out of service at New York City.

Isaac Darrow, Jr.'s Life After the Civil War

Farm Work in the Town of Owasco and Town of Throop

The New York State census of 1865 shows Isaac's parents in Owasco and lists Isaac as a member of the household although at the time of the census (20 June 1865) Isaac had not yet been mustered out of the Army. As far as known, Isaac returned to his parent's household in early July 1865. The family had removed to the Town of Throop, Cayuga Co., New York by 1870. Isaac was in his father's household there, and both were listed as Laborers (probably doing farm work).

Marriage to Josephine Maine

Isaac Darrow, Jr. and Josephine Maine (Note:  Use of a terminal "e" is variable in this family) married on 23 September 1874. The location of the wedding  has not been found but may have been in the Town of Scipio, Cayuga Co., New York. Josephine was censused in Scipio in 1870 in the household of George G. Barnes, and her parents, Ephraim B. Main and Caroline L. Sharp, resided in the same town. Josephine was born in the Town of Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York, most likely on 20 November 1853 (dates vary), making her 21 years old when she married. Caroline L. Sharp was a sister of  Isaac's mother, Sarah Anne Sharpe, which made Isaac and Josephine 1st cousins. Josephine was a great-granddaughter of Revolutionary War veteran, William M. Main.

Farm Work in the Town of Fleming and Town of Venice

Isaac and Josephine Maine were censused in the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York in 1875. Isaac was listed as a Farmer. He was not a landowner at this time but rather was a farm laborer or perhaps tenant farmer as evidenced by his later moves and identification as a laborer. Nearby landowners included Peter V. Wyckoff and Thomas Plunkett, which place Isaac and Josephine in the southeast corner of the town, probably on Lot 98 near Wyckoff Station on Owasco Lake.

By 1880, Isaac and Josephine are living in the Town of Venice, Cayuga Co., New York with three children:  Clarence (age 5), Martha (age 3), and Emma (age 1) - who later would appear both as Imogene and Jennie and went by the latter as an adult. Isaac is listed as a Laborer. His family appears in the census adjacent to that of Achsah Ulter whose residence can be found on the 1875 map of Venice in Lot 66 on present-day Lyons Road.

Scipio Landowner

The 1892 census places Isaac and his family in Scipio on the Fleming-Scipio Town Line Road at its intersection with present-day Cork Street, a short distance south of the hamlet of Mapleton in the Town of Fleming. This location can be found on the 1904 map of Scipio in Lot 2. Isaac was still listed as a Laborer in 1892 but presumably already owned the house shown on the 1904 map.

By 1900, the children had left home. Isaac and Josephine were homeowners at the location that they occupied in 1892, and Isaac was employed as a Farm Laborer. We know that Isaac was working for John H. Payne in 1904. The exact location of Payne's farm has not been found but seems to have been in the vicinity of present-day Walters Road in Scipio in the vicinity of Lot 13.

WAS BADLY BRUISED. Isaac Darrow, employed by John Paine [NOTE:  This name was given as John H. Payne in other sources - R. A. Post], of Scipio, met with a peculiar accident Wednesday. He was working on the load while hay was being unloaded by means of a horsefork. While a huge forkful was being drawn toward the roof of the barn the car broke and hay, tackle, fork and all came tumbling down on top of Darrow. He was badly bruised but no bones were broken. Dr. Frank C. Smith attended him. 

-- Thomas Tryniski (scan), Roger Post (transcriber), Was Badly Bruised (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, Auburn Weekly Bulletin, Friday, 29 July 1904), Old Fulton New York Post Cards http://www.fultonhistory.com

Isaac listed himself as a self-employed Farmer in 1910. He was then about 65 years old (listed as 67 in the census). One can only imagine Isaac's and Josephine's struggles and perseverance to achieve a modicum of independence over more than 30 years, which may have paled, however, when compared to Isaac's experiences as a prisoner of war in a Confederate prison. Isaac continued to farm through 1920, still living south of Mapleton, as shown by census data.

Reunions of the 111th Infantry Regiment, New York Volunteers

Veteran Isaac Darrow, Jr. of the 111th Infantry Regiment, New York Volunteers, seems to have regularly attended reunions of his regiment as the number of veterans dwindled with time. One memorable reunion occurred in 1910, hosted by General and Mrs. MacDougall on the grounds of their home on South Street in the City of Auburn, Cayuga Co., New York. Several hundred people attended this event. Isaac was listed among the veterans from Southern Cayuga County, along with Captain Marcus Wellington Murdock of Venice and Benjamin F. Gould and Morton M. Palmer of Scipio.

Possibly the most moving reunion of the 111th Regiment for Isaac was their trip to Gettysburg in 1913. Gettysburg was fought before Isaac joined the regiment, but he was surely schooled on the details of the battle by his fellow veterans.

"ON TO GETTYSBURG. . . . It was a jolly bunch of veterans of the Civil War who left  Auburn Saturday night for the battlefield of Gettysburg to enjoy a reunion of the Yanks and Johnny Rebs who participated in that bloody struggle which commenced just 50 years ago tomorrow and which was the deciding battle for the preservation of the Union in the great conflict of '61 to '65. . . . The following took the trip via the Lehigh Valley road from Auburn. . . . Isaac Darrow of Mapleton. . . ."

-- Thomas Tryniski (scan), Roger Post (transcriber), On To Gettysburg (Auburn, Cayuga Co., NY, The Auburn Citizen, Monday, 30 June 1913), Old Fulton New York Post Cards http://www.fultonhistory.com

Isaac is known to have attended a reunion of the 111th in 1916. He is not recorded as attending further reunions until 1923 although he likely did so. In 1918, Isaac was named as one of the surviving Civil War veterans in the local area. Veteran numbers had dwindled so much by that time that the veterans required assistance to carry out their traditional ceremonial duties on Memorial Day and at other times. Accordingly, the Sons of Veterans was formed in the local G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) meeting rooms on Exchange Street in Auburn. By 1923 only 22 veterans of the 111th Regiment were able to attend their reunion at the G.A.R. rooms. Isaac Darrow was listed among them.

Retirement to New York State Woman's Relief Corps Home (aka Soldier's Home) at Oxford, Chenango Co., New York

Leaving Scipio

Isaac's health was failing in 1923, and he was nearly blind. He applied for admittance to the Woman's Relief Corps (W.R.C.) Home at Oxford, Chenango Co., New York for himself and his wife on 29 August 1923. Isaac listed among his assets a Civil War pension of $72/month, a small place with 3 acres of improved land worth $500, Josephine's small place where they lived worth $700, and a small bank deposit. Isaac and Josephine were approved for admittance to the W.R.C. Home.

Death of Josephine Maine Darrow

Josephine died at the W.R.C. Home on 29 July 1924, 11 months after she and Isaac had applied for admittance. Her funeral occurred at the Gross & Mosher Funeral Parlor on Lincoln Street in Auburn on 1 August 1924. Josephine is buried in the Fleming Rural Cemetery, not far from her former home in Scipio.

Remarriage of Isaac Darrow

On 23 March 1926, Isaac married Mary Zerua Burlison at Norwich, Chenango Co., New York. Mary had been twice married to Harvey Woods and Sherman L. Wade. Isaac and Mary determined to occupy their own home on Green Street in Oxford; therefore, Isaac left the W.R.C. Home.

Death of Isaac Darrow, Jr.

Isaac died on 29 January 1927, less than a year after he married Mary Z. Burlison. He must have returned to the W.R.C. Home in his final days because the Home is listed in his obituary as his place of death. No record has been found of Isaac's funeral. It may well have occurred at Norwich or Oxford before his remains were brought to Fleming Rural Cemetery for burial on 2 February 1927. Isaac was survived by his second wife and her children, his daughter Martha Ann Darrow Strang, and his son Clarence Darrow. His daughter, Imogene (aka Jennie) Darrow Baker, predeceased him in 1911.

Selected References

(1) Hall, Henry. The History of Auburn. Auburn, New York: Dennis Bro's & Co., 1869. (see pp. 429-435)

https://archive.org/details/historyofauburn01hall/page/428

(2) Phisterer, Frederick. New York in the War of the Rebellion. Volume 4. Third Edition. Albany, New York: J. B. Lyon Company, State Printers, 1912.  (see pp. 3305-3306)
https://archive.org/details/phisterernewyork04fredrich/page/3304

(3) New York State Adjutant General Office. Rosters of the New York Infantry Regiments during the Civil War. Albany, New York: New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center, 2010. 

http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/rosters/Infantry/111th_Infantry_CW_Roster.pdf

NOTE:  Additional uncited information was obtained from a commercial genealogy website and newspaper items.

Account of John Konklin (probably John Marcus Concklin) in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr.

John Marcus Concklin

Jacob Post, Sr. made a single debit entry in his Tannery Ledger in November 1828 for a person inscribed as John Konklin. Although the identity of "John Konklin" cannot be known with certainty, examination of federal census data for towns with reasonable access to Jacob's tannery in the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York shows that a John M. Concklin (aka Conklin) was present in the Town of Owasco, Cayuga Co., New York in both 1820 and 1830. Jacob's tannery and John's farm were on the west and east sides of Owasco Lake, respectively, which might seem a considerable impediment to trade. On the other hand, many of the families of Owasco and Fleming had strong ties via intermarriage, frequently a shared Dutch ancestry and membership in the Reformed Dutch churches of Owasco and of the Owasco Outlet (Sand Beach Church), and a common trading center at Auburn, Cayuga Co., New York.

It would not be too difficult for John M. Concklin to make a side trip of about 3.25 miles (each way) from the Owasco Outlet to Jacob's tannery during one of John's occasional trips to Auburn. Another alternative was to cross Owasco Lake in a boat, but perhaps that would have been a cold and rough prospect in November.

John Marcus Concklin Family

John was the son of Matheus Concklin and Sarah Valentine. He was born in Dutchess Co., New York on 15 January 1772 and baptized there on 8 March of the same year. The existing Reformed Dutch Church records appear to group two churches, Poughkeepsie and Rhinebeck Flats; therefore, it is not clear in which of the two churches John's baptism occurred. John married Diantie (aka Deanty, Blandina, and Blondean) Ostrum (aka Oostrum), on 10 February 1793 in Dutchess Co.

Owasco census data from 1855 show John as a resident of the town for 45 years; therefore, he presumably came in with his family ca. 1810. In 1820 his household contained 5 younger males and 4 younger females in addition to John and Diantie. By 1830 this number was down to 2 younger males and 3 younger females, the older children presumably having established their own households by then. A second generation appeared to be present in the household in 1840, probably John and Diantie's son Henry's family, with whom John was censused in 1850 and 1855. Diantie died in 1849 and John in 1856. They are buried in Concklin Farm Cemetery #147 in the Town of Niles, Cayuga Co., New York.

Image of John Marcus Concklin's Account in Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger

Debit Page (3A) for John Marcus Concklin's Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Note that Jacob Post, Sr. did not make a credit page for John Concklin's account.

Transcription of John Marcus Concklin's Account

John Konklin (probably John Marcus Concklin)		Debit
Date	Description	₤	S	d
November 1828	To one Side of harnis [harness] Leather wt 9 3/4 lb	1	12	9
NOTE: Amount in pounds, shillings, and pence: 12 pence (d) = 1 shilling (s), 20 shillings (s) = 1 pound (₤)

John Marcus Concklin's Purchases and Credits

John purchased one side of harness leather weighing 9 3/4 pounds in November 1828 for a price of  1 pound, 12 shillings, and 9 pence. The lack of a credit page for this account presumably indicates a one-time purchase that was paid by cash or other means at the time of the transaction. Jacob Post, Sr. X'd out John's debit indicating that the account was settled or written off.

Harness leather doesn't appear as often as sole leather and upper leather in the Tannery Ledger. It's purpose is self-evident from the name. The following quotation shows its characteristics.

Harness Leather is a steer hide vegetable tanned leather that is dyed in drums and stuffed with oils and tallows. Harness is produced with strength being the #1 priority, which means it is subjected to fewer waxes and oils than other leathers to preserve the strength of the fibers.

-- Corter Leather & Cloth  https://corterleather.com/pages/materials

Account of Samuel Grigrey (probably Samuel Gregory) in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr.

Samuel Gregory

The Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. contains a single debit entry for a person recorded as Samuel Grigrey. The most probable identity of "Samuel Grigrey" is Samuel Gregory, who was censused in the Town of Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York in 1820, not far from Owasco Lake, in that part of Aurelius that would be taken off as the Town of Fleming in 1823. The adjacent household was that of William Gregory. Both men were 26-44 years of age in 1820 and may have been brothers. Samuel does not appear again in Cayuga County. The census showed that he was married with a son and two daughters, all less than 10 years of age. An older woman, perhaps Samuel's mother or mother-in-law also was in his household.

Images of Samuel Gregory's Account in Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger

Debit Page (3A) for Samuel Gregory's Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Transcription of Samuel Gregory's Account

Samuel Grigrey (probably Samuel Gregory)		Debit
Date	Description	₤	S	d
November 1828	To one Side of uper [upper]	1	0	0
NOTE: Amount in pounds, shillings, and pence: 12 pence (d) = 1 shilling (s), 20 shillings (s) = 1 pound (₤)

Samuel Gregory's Purchases and Credits

Jacob Post, Sr. made the single entry for Samuel Gregory in November 1828 as a debit of 1 pound for the purchase of one side of upper leather. No balancing credit entry was made in the Tannery Ledger. Jacob at some point X'd out Samuel's debit. It may be that Samuel paid cash, which Jacob chose not to record, or the debt was later repaid in some fashion or written off. Jacob may have known that Samuel Gregory would soon be removing elsewhere and would not be a long-term customer of the tannery.

Account of Jesse Squires in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr.

Jesse Squires

I find little information on Jesse Squires; however, he was an early settler in the Town of Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York in the portion of the town that would be taken off as the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co. in March 1823. Tax records from 1799 show that Jesse had a house and farm close to the location of Josiah Chatfield. According to Sheila Saft Tucker in The Township of Fleming Cayuga County New York 1824-1973 (1973: p. 10) Josiah "erected the first home on the site of Fleming hamlet (N.W. corner of Dublin and Route #34)." This places Jesse Squires somewhere near what would become Fleming hamlet. His real estate was valued at $150 and his personal estate at $10 on which he was taxed $0.15. By 1803 Jesse's personal estate had increased to $54 and his tax to $0.48.

Jesse appears in the 1800 federal census for Aurelius with a wife and a son. An unsourced family tree identifies Jesse's wife as Wealthy Goodrich and his son as William Harder Squires, but I have not independently verified this information. The 1810 census shows an additional young male in the household as well as a young female. Jesse turned 45 between the 1800 and 1810 censuses. Wealthy was still younger than 45 in the 1810 census.

Wealthy Squires (recorded as Squier) appears as Head of Household living alone in the federal census of Aurelius in 1820. She died in November of that year and was buried in Galpin Hill Cemetery in the present-day Town of Fleming. It would appear that Jesse Squires had either died before 1820 or removed from Fleming leaving Wealthy behind. The previously mentioned unsourced family tree has Jesse living until 1845 and dying in Aurelius; however this does not comport with his absence in census data after 1810 and his apparent wife living alone in 1820. No record of Jesse's death or burial has been found.

Images of Jesse Squires' Account in Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger

Debit Page (3A) for Jesse Squires' Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Credit Page (3B) for Jesse Squires' Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Transcription of Jesse Squires' Account

Jesse Squires		Debit			Jesse Squires		Credit
Date	Description	₤	S	d	Date	Description	₤	S	d
February 11, 1811	To Sundries	8	12	0	1809*
May 26, 1812	To ½ Side of Soalleather [sole leather] And ½ Side of uper [upper] got by your boy	1	3	6	November 18, 1811	By Sundries	2	2	8
						By Sundries	1	11	8
						By 1 horse hide	0	12	0
						By 1 Sheep Skin	0	1	0
July 27, 1812	To one pare [pair] of bootlegs Got by your Boy	0	12	0	June 11, 1812	By one hide wt 47 lb	0	18	10
						By one Skin	0	10	0
October 20, 1812	½ Side of Soalleather [sole leather] Got By your boy	0	17	0	April 20, 1814	By Settlet [settled] by Noat [note]
					July 18, 1814	By Cash By Jeams [James?]	0	16	0
						By Noat [note]
	Debit Total =	11	4	6		Credit Total =	6	12	2
						Balance Due =	4	12	4
						Debit Total =	11	4	6
NOTE: Underlines indicate items struck through in ledger after calculation by Jacob Post, Sr.; calculations in pounds, shillings, and pence: 12 pence (d) = 1 shilling (s), 20 shillings (s) = 1 pound (₤)
*1809 date with no description or amount may indicate the year of Jesse's first transactions with Jacob Post, Sr. These amounts probably are shown as the “sundries” in the credit entry of 18 November 1811 when the Tannery Ledger went into service.

Jesse Squires' Purchases and Credits

Jesse may have established his account with Jacob Post, Sr. by 1809 because that year was inscribed at the head of Jesse's credit page in Jacob's Tannery Ledger. Jacob placed his ledger in use in November 1811; therefore, the debit for sundries (i.e., various unspecified purchases) of 8 pounds 12 shillings on 11 February 1811 most likely was brought forward from earlier account records. We can assume the same for the sundries appearing as credits (summing to 3 pounds 14 shillings 4 pence) in Jesse's account on 18 November 1811. Jesse brought in one horse hide and one sheep skin on the same day for another 13 shillings credit.

Jesse sent his "boy" (presumably his son) to the tannery three times in 1812 to fetch sole leather, upper leather, and a pair of bootlegs on Jesse's account. These purchases, when added to Jesse's earlier debits, totaled 11 pounds 4 shillings 6 pence. Jesse's only credits in 1812 were for one hide valued at 18 shillings 10 pence and one skin at 10 shillings.  Thus, Jesse's credit total (5 pounds 16 shillings 2 pence) left him owing more than 5 pounds to Jacob at the end of the year.

What happened next is somewhat unclear. A credit entry dated 20 April 1814 indicates that the debt was settled by a Note (i.e., a Promissory Note) although no amount was specified. Presumably this meant that Jesse promised to pay Jacob Post, Sr. a specified amount at a future date, probably with interest, in return for Jacob clearing Jesse's tannery account. Subsequently, on 18 July 1814, someone identified as "Jeams," (possibly meaning James) paid Jacob 16 shillings in cash to Jesse's credit. This brought Jesse's credit total to 6 pounds 12 shillings 2 pence leaving a balance due of 4 pounds 12 shillings 4 pence. All the entries and calculations of 18 July 1814 were later struck through, including another reference to settlement by note.

It may be that Jesse had made a Note to Jacob in April, and the payment by "Jeams" in July necessitated modifying the Note to reflect Jesse's reduced debt. Or, the Note may have been made in July and backdated to April to capture interest from that date. In any event, Jesse does not appear again in the Tannery Ledger.

Account of An Unidentified Ingram or Ingraham (possibly) in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr.

Unidentified Ingram or Ingraham (possibly)

A single entry in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. occurs under an illegible name that might be interpreted as Ingram or Ingraham. Other interpretations are possible thanks to Jacob's less than perfect penmanship! If Ingram is indeed the name on the ledger entry, the 1820 federal census for Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York (out of a portion of which the Town of Fleming was erected in March 1823) reveals four persons named "Ingram":  Jonathan, David, Dwight, and Curtis. David Ingram was the eldest at 45 or greater years of age. Dwight and Curtis were 16-25 years old and Jonathan was 26-44 years old. These well could have been father and sons on separate farms. The 1830 federal census for Fleming shows Curtis with the spelling "Ingraham" and also lists a Seymour Ingraham. Additional Ingrahams were present in the adjacent Town of Scipio, Cayuga Co., New York in 1820:  Jabez and Jesse. A Joshua Ingham also was censused in Scipio in 1820. The identity of the possible Ingram in the Tannery Ledger likely will remain unknown, but the above names raise some possibilities.

Image of Unidentified Ingram's or Ingraham's (possibly) Account in Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger

Debit Page (2A) for Unidentified Ingram's or Ingraham's (possibly) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Transcription of Unidentified Ingram's or Ingraham's (possibly) Account

Ingram or Ingraham [possibly]		Debit
Date	Description	₤	S	d
November 30, 1827	To Leather	2	14	0

Unidentified Ingram or Ingraham (possibly) Purchases and Credits

The entry in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. consists of a single debit of 2 pounds 14 shillings 0 pence for unspecified leather on November 30, 1827. This would have been a fairly large purchase with the sum being representative of at least two whole sides of leather based on prices elsewhere in the ledger. There is no balancing credit entry, but the account at some point was X'd out and so presumably had been paid or written off.

Account of Garret Van Artsdal (aka Garret Van Arsdale, Garret Van Arsdalen, Garret Van Arsdal, etc.) in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr.

Garret Van Arsdale, Sr.

A Note on the Van Arsdale Name Variations

Surname variations are abundant in the Van Arsdale family and to some extent changed over time. For the purposes of the following discussion, I am calling the early settler of the Town of Fleming (then part of Aurelius), Cayuga Co., New York and client of Jacob Post, Sr.'s tannery on present-day Stone School Road, Garret Van Arsdale, Sr., Van Arsdale being the form adopted by Garret's descendants. Garret used several other forms of his surname during his lifetime, which I will identify when encountered. I also have generally used the standardized Dutch male patronymic name ending "sz." for "son of" (e.g., Jansz. instead or Jansen or Janszen, etc.) to simplify the several forms used in the old records.

Family Origins

Garret's line of the Van Arsdale family has roots in the person of Jan Pauwelsz. van Aedsdaele of Nukerke, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium and his wife Geertie Philipsdr. Halters. One of their sons, variously seen as Symon Jansz. Van Aersdalen or Van Arsdalen, came to New Amsterdam, New Netherland in 1653. He had left his wife, Marijtje Balutsdr., and two children in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands where they died of disease by November 1655. Symon remained in the New World. He married second, ca. 1658, Pieterje (aka Pietertje) Claesen Van Schouw and resided at Nieuw Amersfoort (Flatlands, now part of Brooklyn) on Long Island.

Symon (aka Simon) and Pieterje Van Arsdalen's son, Cornelis Simonsz. Van Arsdalen married as his third wife Marretje Dirkse Ammerman (aka Amerman). Cornelis had farms at Gravesend and Flatlands on Long Island. He appears to have spent some time in New Jersey as his Will was executed in Somerset County in 1738 although later registered at New York, New York. Cornelis died at Flatlands in 1745.

Jacobus Cornelisz. Van Arsdalen was among the nine children of Cornelis and Marretje. He was born at Flatlands in 1709. Jacobus at some point removed to Somerset Co., New Jersey, perhaps by 1738, the year that his father's Will was executed there. He married Alida Hooglandt (aka Hoagland), who was said to have been previously married, in 1752. Their son, Jacob, was baptized at Six Mile Run Reformed Dutch Church in Franklin Township, Somerset Co. on 17 November 1754 under the surname Van Aersdalen (aka Van Arsdalen).

Jacob Van Arsdalen, son of Jacobus and Alida, married a 1st cousin once removed, Aleda (aka Alida) Van Arsdalen, by 1776. Jacob and Aleda apparently lived in the vicinity of Harlingen, Montgomery Township, Somerset Co., New Jersey because at least two of their sons were baptized at the Harlingen Reformed Dutch Church under the surname Van Arsdalen, including Garret Van Arsdale, Sr., the subject of this sketch. Jacob must soon have become involved in the Revolutionary War as a Private in Captain Duryea's Company, 1st Battalion, Somerset County Militia where he was listed under the surname Van Asdalen.

Jacob Van Arsdalen, Sr., Revolutionary War Veteran and Early Settler of Cayuga County

Revolutionary War veteran Jacob Van Arsdalen, Sr. had removed from Somerset County by 1800 when he and at least two of his sons (Jacob, Jr. and Garret) appear in the federal census of Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York, placing his family among the early Dutch settlers who settled around Owasco Lake. Tax records indicate that Jacob, Sr. owned a farm valued at $350 in 1802. This farm would not have been far from Owasco Lake because Jacob was censused in close proximity to the Post and Peterson families who were early settlers on the western shores of the lake. In 1807, Jacob is listed as Jacob Van Artsdal, Sr. (at least in this transcription of the document) in Meeting House of the United Congregation of the Reformed Low Dutch church at the Owasco Outlet, a list of subscribers for what would later be known as Sand Beach Church in the Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York. Jacob's son, Garret, also is among the subscribers for the Meeting House and appears with the surname Van Artsdal, like his father.

Jacob is present with the surname Van Arsdol in the 1810 federal census of Aurelius, again adjacent to the Post and Peterson families in the portion of Aurelius that would be taken off as the Town of Fleming in March 1823. He died between 15 September and 1 October 1817 (sources differ on the exact date) after executing his Will on 13 September 1817. In his Will and probate documents (the latter dated 29 October 1817), Jacob's surname again appears as Van Arsdol, which may represent the spelling he adopted later in life. I have found no burial record for Jacob although one would expect that he should be in Sand Beach Cemetery in the Town of Fleming based on his support for Sand Beach Church and his farm's proximity to its location. As in the case of Revolutionary War veteran  Roger Strickland of Sempronius, Jacob Van Arsdol is another patriot settler of Cayuga Co. to lie in an apparently unrecorded grave where he cannot be properly honored for his service in the founding of this country.

Garret Van Arsdale, Sr. and his Time in Cayuga County

Garret, son of Jacob and Aleda Van Arsdalen (aka Van Arsdol), presumably grew up near Harlingen, Montgomery Township, Somerset Co., New Jersey. He married Nelly Quick as his first wife, probably ca. 1798, because the birth and baptism of their son, Peter Quick Van Arsdalen, appear in records of the Harlingen Reformed Dutch Church in 1799. Peter was baptized on 25 August 1799. It seems likely that Garret, Nelly, and Peter removed from Somerset County either in the fall of 1799 or the spring of 1800 because Garret appears in the federal census of 1800 for the Town of Aurelius. Garret possibly was located in that part of the town that was taken off as the Town of Fleming in March 1823 although at some remove from his father, Jacob, who was near Owasco Lake. Tax records of 1802-1803 show that Garret had a small farm with real estate valued at $125, less than half the value of his father's farm and so likely relatively small in acreage. Garret had a personal estate valued at $32 in each of those years.

Garret and Nelly had a second son, recorded as Jacob Van Arsdalen, presumably born 23 June 1801 (the last two digits of the birth year are missing in the record fragment), his tentative birth year generally being supported by Jacob's age given in later census data. Census data for Jacob's birthplace repeatedly give New Jersey, but he was baptized 23 August 1801 at the Old Log Reformed Dutch Church near Brinkerhoff Point (now Burtis Point) on the east side of Owasco Lake. It may be that Jacob's mother, Nelly, had returned to Somerset Co., New Jersey for a time before Jacob's birth. It should be noted that the Old Log Reformed Dutch Church was located in the part of Aurelius that was taken off in 1802 as the Town of Owasco, Cayuga Co., New York.

I believe Garret Van Arsdale, Jr., born 6 June 1804, is the third son of Garret, Sr. and Nelly Quick based on somewhat indirect evidence. Garret, Jr. would later marry Phebe Wyckoff, daughter of Peter Wyckoff and Phebe Ditmars. Phebe Ditmars Wyckoff may be remembered as numbering among the victims of William Freeman in the infamous Van Nest murders of 1846 in the Town of Fleming. Another victim was Sarah Wyckoff Van Nest, sister of Garret, Jr.'s wife, Phebe. Garret, Jr. appears elsewhere in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. and will be the subject of a future blog post.

Cornelius Van Arsdale, a wounded survivor of the aforementioned murders, is believed to be the fourth son of Garret Van Arsdale, Sr. and the first son borne by Garret, Sr.'s second wife, Polly Whitlock [NOTE:  One source transcribes Polly's surname as "Whitbeck"]. I have not found a record for this birth; however, Sheila Saft Tucker writes (p. 44) in The Township of Fleming Cayuga County New York 1823-1973:  "Cornelius, a half brother to Mrs. Wyckoff's son-in-law Garret Van Arsdale, [Jr.] had arrived at the home that past Thursday to work for the family." Reference to Cornelius and Garret, Jr. being half-brothers indicates that Garret, Sr.'s first wife, Nelly Quick, was deceased at the time of Cornelius's birth in 1808-1809. Cornelius married three times, the second of which was to Hannah V. D. Van Nest, sister of Van Nest murder victim John G. Van Nest.

Polly Whitlock and Garret Van Arsdale, Sr. next had a son, Henry, whose birth appears in records of the Reformed Dutch Church at the Owasco Outlet (Sand Beach Church) in 1812. At least one more son of Garret, Sr. and Polly is known, John Van Arsdale, born in 1818, presumably in Fleming (then part of Aurelius).

Garret Van Arsdale, Sr. temporarily disappears from Fleming by 1820. Two Garret Van Arsdales appear in the 1820 federal census, one in Ohio and one in Virginia, but there is no evidence that either represent the subject of this discussion. Garret would later remove to Livingston Co., New York so it is possible that he also spent time there in the 1820s. Garret, Sr. resurfaces in Fleming by 1827 when he again appears in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. About this time, Garret, Sr. marries for the third time to Sarah Tallman, daughter of Peter Tallman and Margaret Cobhem. The one known child of this marriage was Tunis Tallman Van Arsdale, who was born in Fleming 20 September 1829 and would later become a prominent hardware merchant in Cheboygan, Cheboygan Co., Michigan in partnership with Jacob J. Post, a grandson of Jacob Post, Sr. and Jannetie Nevius of Fleming.

Garret, Sr. and Sarah Tallman Van Arsdale appear in the 1830 federal census at Fleming. By 1840, they are at Mount Morris where Garret, Sr. died in 1846, supposedly near Ridge, an historical hamlet and Post Office. Only two of his sons, Henry and Jacob, and wife Sarah appear in probate documents. No burial place is recorded for Garret, Sr. Sarah, however, is buried at Pine Hill Cemetery in Cheboygan. Many of Garret's descendants removed to Kalamazoo Co., Michigan.

Images of Garret Van Arsdale, Sr.'s (aka Van Artsdal) Account in Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger

Debit Page (15A) for Garret Van Artsdal's (aka Van Arsdale) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Credit Page (15A) for Garret Van Artsdal's (aka Van Arsdale) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Additional Debit Page (2A Bottom) for Garret Van Artsdal's (aka Van Arsdale, V. Nasdallen) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Transcription of Garret Van Arsdale, Sr.'s (aka Van Artsdal) Account

Garret Van Artsdal [Van Arsdalen, Van Arsdall, Van Arsdale]		Debit			Garret Van Artsdal [Van Arsdalen, Van Arsdall, Van Arsdale]		Credit
Date	Description	₤	S	d	Date	Description	₤	S	d
October 14, 1811	To Sundries	0	17	0	November 1811	To Cash paid	0	17	0
February 18, 1812	To Leather	0	8	0	March 6, 1812	To one Skin	0	5	0
March 6, 1812	To Leather	0	1	6	April 15, 1812	To Cash	0	4	6
	Total [not shown] =	1	6	6		Total [not shown] =	1	6	6
Note: The ledger shows double underlines under the last debit and credit entries above, indicating that the account was balanced as also apparent from the above totals (not shown in the ledger).
October 3, 1812	To A ½ Side of Soalleather [sole leather] And A peace [piece] of hors [horse] leather	0	15	0	November 12, 1812	To Cash	0	12	0
November 12, 1812	To Leather	1	4	0	December 28, 1812	By Cash	0	16	0
	To Cash	0	1	6
					May 1813	To Sugar 8 ½ lb	0	8	6
	Total [not shown] =	2	0	6		Total [not shown] =	1	16	6
Note: The ledger shows double underlines under the last debit and credit entries for 1812-1813 indicating that the account was balanced, but payment of the apparent 4-shilling difference was not shown in the ledger.
July 15, 1814	To ½ Side of uper [upper] leather	0	11	0	July 15, 1815	By Cash	2	0	7
October 11, 1814	To ½ Side of Soaleather [sole leather] wt 10 lb	1	0	0
April 24, 1815	To ½ Side of Soaleather [sole leather] wt 4 ¼ lb	0	9	7
	Total =	2	0	7		Total [not shown] =	2	0	7
Note: The ledger shows a debit total but a credit total was not necessary for a single credit entry. Double underlines under the debit total and lone credit entry indicate that the account was balanced by Garret's cash payment.
March 8, 1827	To Leather	0	16	0	No date	By Cash	0	16	0
	Total [not shown] =	0	16	0		Total [not shown] =	0	16	0
Note: The ledger was balanced without need for showing total debits and credits. An apparent duplicate debit entry for leather purchased by Garret in 1827 appears on Page 2A of the Tannery Ledger. This entry identifies the account holder as Garret V. Nasdallen, almost certainly Garret Van Arsdale. The entry on Page 2A, which is X'd out, may have been moved to Page 15A where all other entries for Garret Van Arsdale's account appear. The probable duplicate entry is transcribed below.
[Page 2A, Garret V. Nasdallen] 1827	To Leather	0	16	0

Garret Van Arsdale, Sr.'s (aka Van Artsdal, V. Nasdallen) Purchases and Credits

The first debit entry for Garret is 17 shillings for sundries and is dated about a month prior to the ledger being put into use in November 1811 so must be a sum brought forward to the new ledger, perhaps when Jacob Post, Sr. recorded Garret's cash payment of the balance in November. The account, though balanced, was left open, and Garret purchased leather twice during the late winter of 1811-12. Using a combination of one animal skin valued at 5 shillings and cash in the amount of 4 shillings 6 pence, Garret had cancelled his recently incurred debt by 15 April 1812.

Garret visited the tannery twice in the fall of 1812 to buy sole leather, horse leather, and unspecified leather. The cash entries of 12 November 1812 on the debit and credit pages of the ledger are confusing (at least to me). Garret apparently made a payment of 12 shillings to Jacob but also received 1 shilling 6 pence from Jacob, both recorded the same day. The other curiosity is that the term "to" preceding the item description was twice used in the credit column instead of the usual term "by." Garret's use of 8 1/2 pounds of sugar as part of his payment is interesting. Sugar must have been eagerly sought by Jacob's large family. The account was marked by a double underline as settled in May 1813 despite a 4 shilling difference between the debits and credits shown in the ledger. 

In 1814 and 1815, Garret purchased sole leather and upper leather on three occasions. The debit balance of 2 pounds 0 shillings 7 pence was paid in cash on 15 July 1815. Garret does not reappear in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. until 1827. Presumably, Garret remained in Cayuga County for the next several years because he and his brother, Peter, were appointed Executors of their father's estate in the fall of 1817. As previously discussed, by 1820 Garret does not appear to be present in the county.

Garret purchased unspecified leather on 8 March 1827, showing that he had returned to Fleming prior to that date. This purchase happened to be recorded at two different locations in the Tannery Ledger, probably in error. The first entry, under the name Garret V. Nasdallen, is near the front of the ledger where Jacob Post, Sr. likely was using up unfilled pages. This entry appears to have been crossed out and re-entered on the original, previously used ledger pages labeled for Garret Van Artsdal. The 1827 balance of 16 shillings was paid by cash although the entry is undated. Garret made no more purchases during the unknown number of years that he remained in Fleming (at least until 1830) before removing to Mount Morris.

Account of Peter Herring (aka Peter Reed Harring) in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr.

Peter Reed Harring (aka Herring)

An account bearing the name "Peter Herring" appears in the Tannery Ledger of Jacob Post, Sr. Investigation reveals that this man most probably was Peter Reed Harring, son of Daniel D. Harring and Mary D. Reed who are buried in Fleming Hill (Rural) Cemetery. Daniel Harring (spelled Herring in this record) appears in the 1800 federal census for the Town of Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York with his wife, three young males, and five young females in his household. The family appears again in 1810 (under Daniel D. Haring) with the same number of children in the household. Daniel D. Harring died in 1813. Before his death, he was among a group who withdrew from what would become the First Presbyterian Church of Springport to found the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn (Storke, 1879: p. 370).

Peter Reed Harring was born 6 June 1801 in Aurelius. His was baptized on 2 August 1801 at the Reformed Dutch Church of Owasco (as Peter Reed Herring).

Name: Peter Reed Herring; Gender: Male; Christening Date: 02 Aug 1801; Christening Place: DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH, OWASCO, CAYUGA, NEW YORK; Birth Date: 06 Jun 1801; Father's Name: Daniel Herring; Mother's Name: Mary Reed; Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C50632-1; System Origin: New_York-ODM; GS Film number: 17834

-- "New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FDP6-Q56 : 11 February 2018), Peter Reed Herring, 06 Jun 1801; citing , reference ; FHL microfilm 17,834.

 Mary Harring (as Herring) was censused as head of household at Aurelius in 1820. Peter presumably was part of his mother's household, which included a male between 16 and 25 years of age. The Town of Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York was taken off Aurelius in 1823, and Peter (as Herring) appears there as a head of household in the 1830 federal census. His household included a female of 60-69 years of age, probably his mother, Mary, who lived until 1854.

A Peter R. Harring of the correct age, with wife Permelia Squires, is found in census data for Dover, Lenawee Co., Michigan beginning in 1845 and continuing through 1860. Peter was listed as a Carpenter in 1850. He died in 1862 and is buried at Osseo, Hillsdale Co., Michigan in East Hill Cemetery.

Images of Peter Reed Harring's (aka Herring) Account in Jacob Post, Sr.'s Tannery Ledger

Debit Page (2A Bottom) for Peter Herring's (aka Harring) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Credit Page (2B Bottom) for Peter Herring's (aka Harring) Account at the Tannery of Jacob Post, Sr. - Fleming, Cayuga Co., New York

Note that Peter's debits appear in two different places on the debit page image, separated by two other brief accounts. Jacob Post, Sr. probably was returning to the front part of his ledger to find unused space after filling the rest of the tannery ledger over the years since he began it in 1811.

Transcription of Peter Reed Harring's (aka Herring) Account

Peter Herring [Harring]		Debit			Peter Herring [Harring]		Credit
Date	Description	₤	S	d	Date	Description	₤	S	d
May 5, 1827	To two Skins	0	16	0	No Date	Credit By one hide wt 40 lb	0	16	0
December 6, 1827	To Leather	1	9	6
January 4, 1828	To ½ Side of uper [upper] got Peter Read	0	13	0
	To one Saf [calf?] skin got by Peter Read	0	14	0
April 20, 1828	To 6 bushels of weet [wheat] To one Sheap [sheep] Skin	0	4	0
	To one Side of Soalleather [sole leather] wt 11¼ lb	1	2	6
	Subtotal [not shown] =	4	19	0		Subtotal [not shown] =	0	16	0
December 1, 1828	To one Skin	1	0	0
	To 2/1 [½] Side of Soleather [sole leather] wt 6½ lb	0	13	0
	And ½ Side of uper [upper] got by Lukes [Lukas]	0	13	0
	Total [not shown] =	7	5	0		Total [not shown] =	0	16	0

Peter Reed Harring's (aka Herring) Purchases and Credits

Peter bought leather over a period of less than 2 years in 1827-1828. He would have been in his late 20s and living in Fleming, probably on his mother's property. Where Peter lived in the Town of Fleming is not clear but may have been in the vicinity of Fleming village given his father's burial at Fleming Hill (Rural) Cemetery. He did not live in the immediate vicinity of Jacob Post, Sr.'s tannery near Owasco Lake but appeared in the 1830 census several pages away from the Posts and Petersons  who lived along the western shore.

Peter's purchases were mainly of various types of leather, both sole leather and upper leather. In addition, he bought two unspecified skins, a sheepskin, and 6 bushels of wheat. The value of the wheat is somewhat unclear. Jacob made an entry of 4 shillings after the the sheepskin and entered nothing after the wheat. One or the other or both may have cost 4 shillings. Another entry concerns an item that appears as "Saf skin," as near as can be made out. Possibly it was for calfskin.

A "Peter Read" picked up several of the items for Peter Harring. This surname likely should have been spelled Reed, the maiden name of Peter Reed Harring's mother, given that "Peter Read" appears to have been a relative living in his household. Another leather purchase was picked up by "Lukes," probably Lucas, surname unknown but presumably a member of Peter Harring's household.

Peter Harring had only one undated credit entry shown, a hide weighing 40 pounds and valued at 16 shillings. This credit was against debits summing to 7 pounds 5 shillings. Peter appears to have owed Jacob a net of 6 pounds 9 shillings. There is no record of how, or if, Peter paid the balance of his account. Nevertheless, Jacob X'd out the account, indicative of payment in some fashion.