Louisa (Lou) M. George Tompkins was the granddaughter of Julia Ann Holloman Bass, (yesterday's post here) so she was my first cousin 3 times removed.
Her mother was my great great grandfather's sister. GG Grand was Col. Richard Bass. His sister was Mosely (Molly Ann) Bass George, who's husband, Rev. Elias George, led a group of families to Louisiana in 1848. Their daughter, the author Louisa (Lou) M. George, married Thomas Brooks Tompkins.
1848
"The caravan included about 50 covered wagons, carriages, carry-alls, and buggies."
This is the story, told by my 84 year old cousin in 1926. Come on over and enjoy her tale of her life in the South before the Civil War.
(here)
I invite you to try some enjoyable historical reading about how those people living in Alabama trekked to Louisiana...with households and cattle and slaves, before the Civil War. I think it starts when she was age 5, in 1847. It includes lovely descriptions of homes and surrounding land, friends, slaves, family members, sickness, schools, death and a life that she remembered well.
This was written by an elder at close to the end of her life, but speaks of how she had been a young girl.
Born: 8 FEBRUARY 1842 • Perry County, Alabama
DIED: 23 JULY 1936 • San Jose, Santa Clara County, California
The person who shared it onto Ancestry (Chuck Kinison) said:
"These should not be copied but read for information and pleasure. Her memoirs are a treasure."
http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/union/bios/tompkins.txt
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Lou George Tompkins and sister Linnie (Melina Elliot George Dirking)
(I don't know which one is which. but I think Linnie was 3 years younger than Lou.
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Their sister Susan also has a portrait photo published on Ancestry.
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| Susan Sophia George Thomas 1836-1928 |
The prompt shows:
Sepia Saturday 416 : 28 April 2018
Helsinki residents waiting for evacuation at the railway station. (1939)
TRAVEL : WAR : EVACUATION
What a story! It boggles the mind to consider the logistics of the move. I really enjoyed this and hope there might be more? A great post.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it as much as I did, Helen. I don't have any more autobiographies right to hand, but am interested in my Native American roots, which I'll be posting about next.
DeleteWhat a priceless treasure Louisa left for those to follow her in this life. And she was worried she didn't have much to tell??? My heavens, what life - both to live and relate. She certainly rode life's roller coaster of ups and downs along the way! I wonder why the bottoms &/or tops of some of those pages were missing? Luckily it doesn't seem like too much was lost because of that?
ReplyDeleteInteresting photos. These substantial dresses must have been quite unbearable in the summer months down south in the days before air conditioning.
ReplyDeleteThat is a fascinating memoir! A personal story of the time before the Civil War is rare, especially one from the perspective of a slave owner family. Considering that she had twelve black household servants, and countless farm workers, the post-war years must have been a very abrupt change for her family.
ReplyDeleteooo - I haven't finished the story yet, but I will come back to it as time allows today. Louisa had a gift for words.
ReplyDelete..." Man proposes but God disposes." .... A fascinating read. thank you so much for giving us this link.
ReplyDeleteRare & Beautiful.