Jesse and Sally Carterette

Jesse and Sally Cartrett were the parents of Luke Cartrett and Great Great Grandparents of Kathleen Rogers.

• Jesse Cartrett and Sally
  
  • Luke R. Cartrett and Celia Jolley
    
    • Martha Jane Cartrett and William L Wheeler
      
      • Blanche May (Mazie) Wheeler and Lloyd Franklin Rogers
        
        • Kathleen May Rogers

The earliest record I have found where Jesse appears is the 1830 US Census. The township is not recorded, but he and his family live in Columbus County, NC.. His name is recorded as Jessee Carterette, though the writing of the day makes his given name appear to modern eyes as Jefsee.

On the same page are Joshua (age 40-50), Robert (20-30), William (20-30), Rubin (20-30), Thomas (30-40) Carterette. In Jesse’s household were: one male 20-30 years old, one female under five, and one female aged 20-30. Although there are a number of slaves recorded in surrounding farms, there are no slaves or free-colored persons listed for Jesse's.

Other Carterette’s in the vicinity (+/- two pages) include: James (30-40), Henry (40-50), Claudious (40-50), Joseph (60-70), Ephraim (20-30), and a second Joseph (30-40). If Jesse is about 25, then his father might be Joshua, Henry, Claudious, or Joseph.


Jesse Carterette is listed in the 1830 US Census

Celia Cartrette in 1910

Genealogy is a perfect subject for those of you who loved the book "Who Moved My Cheese?" That book, by Spencer Johnson, discussed how to view change in your life. Even the most unexpected of changes, according to the author, should be viewed as a blessing, not a curse. With genealogy, just when you think you have the last of the information that is available, along comes new information, and you realize that your cheese has moved! While these revelations are always exciting, they can make you take a second look at what you thought you knew.

After what I thought was my final posting on Luke and Celia Cartrette, I did something that I often do as I am writing these postings - I checked some of the web-sites that I use to see if I could find any new information. To my surprise, there was! One of our Internet cousins, Marion, had posted additional information on both Luke and Celia. After I wrote to her, she provided even more. Marion has discovered Luke's parents, two additional census records, and almost certainly has identified Celia's parents. I'll cover this new information in the next few posts.

In 1910, Celia lived with her son and his family. They were enumerated along with the residents of “Fair Bluff and Whiteville Road” on 2 May 1910. The family name is now spelled Cartrett. Celia (who’s name appears here as Sele J) is 77 years old (implying a birth year of about 1833). According to the record, Celia cannot read or write, but it does not record the reason (such as illness, loss of sight, or the lack of the skills). Also in the home are her son, Addi P (35), his first wife Victoria (32), and their children: Troy (12), Lether (a daughter, 10), Mines (a son, 6), Mary E. (4), Tiny (a baby daughter about 6 months old). Addi is a carpenter. Every member of the household was born in North Carolina.


Above: The census entry for Celia's residence in 1910.

Are We Part American Indian?

I love hearing stories about the family. However, I've learned that while family stories are usually based on truth, they may not be fully accurate or provable.

One reason for this is fawlty memories. We may recall one event vividly, but another is murky. Sometimes we get one memory mixed up with a similar event. Sometimes people hear something in childhood, and believe that a fictional story was true, or that a story about someone else was actually about someone in the family. If you are recording family history, how can you tell which is which? These are all reasons why I tell myself that "a short pencil is better than a long memory", and I write as much down as I can. Even if it's not accurate, it won't change over time once it's recorded on paper (or on computer disk).

If memories can be difficult to prove accurate, what about family stories that are passed down from generation to generation? They can be frustrating and often impossible to verify.

One such story in the Carson-Rogers family says that we are part American Indian. The way that I've heard it most consistently is that Kathleen Carson's mother, Blanche Wheeler, was part Indian. Is this family story true?

Luckily, we have photos of Blanche, and living grandchildren, which all testify to the fact that Blanche does indeed have features associated with American Indians. If Blanche is part American Indian, then one of her parents must have also been part Indian, or possibly full-blood American Indian. If not, then their parents or grandparents must be part or full-blood American Indian, and so on, until the actual introduction of Indian blood into our family. Can we prove the link?

The U.S. Census was supposed to record the race of the individuals enumerated. For Blanche, her parents, and her maternal grandparents, census records have been found. Unfortunately, none of them list a family members' race as anything other than White. Does this prove that none of them were American Indian? No. We've already seen that census records contain many errors. It's also possible that a family would not want to self-identify themselves as American Indian.

I have checked numerous American Indian census records and tribal member lists. I have not found any relative of ours by a name that we would recognize today.

So, is this story true or false? According to my dentist, we should keep looking!

Try this: Run your tongue side to side across the roof of your mouth. Is the roof of your mouth a smooth upside-down U shape, or is there a notch running from directly behind your front teeth straight back to your soft palate? If, like me, you feel this notch, then you have Palatina Torus. According to my dentist, a Palatina Torus is more commonly found in people who are descended from American Indians or Eskimo's.

A proven link to our Indian heritage remains elusive. However, the circumstantial evidence provides encouragement to keep looking.

Celia Cartrett in 1900

We've had an interesting look at Luke and Celia Cartrett/Cartrette. But for now, the last of the information we have on them comes from the 1900 U.S. Census.

On June 26th, 1900, Celia was living in the home of her daughter Martha, and son-in-law William Wheeler. Their home, in the Wilmington township (New Hanover County) of North Carolina also included two of her grandchildren.

There is one additional oddity for us in this record. Celia's last name, which has been recorded as Cartrett, Cartrette, and Cotrell in prior census records, is now given as Carteret. So, which is it? Perhaps it has changed over time. Perhaps each spelling was based on what the enumerator heard spoken, and their own interpretation of the name. We may never know.

Celia is now 65, with a listed birth year of 1834. She is widowed, so Luke passed away sometime after June of 1880. Her grandchildren Blanche and Lillie ages eleven and three months, are also in the home.

One final oddity related to this family and the U.S. Census records that we have. Martha J. (Cartrette) Wheeler's birthday is supposedly May 8, 1870. However, on this census record she is given the age 28, and her birthdate is listed as May 1872.

I do not know when Celia passed away, but I have not found any record of her in the 1910 U.S. Census.

Odd Information in the Census of 1880

Our puzzling look for records related to Luke and Celia Cartrett continues with the 1880 U.S. Census. This time, some of the ages, and the spelling of the last name, change once more!

The enumerator recorded the family on either the 25th or 28th day of June, 1880. They have moved again, and now live in the Whiteville Township of Columbus County, North Carolina.

It was difficult to find this record. In fact, if another genealogist hadn't pointed me to it, I may never have found it. Why? Oddly enough, the family last name is listed as Cotrell! So, we've now seen Luke and Celia's last names recorded in the U.S. Census records as Cartrett, Cartrette, and Cotrell.

Luke remains a farmer by occupation, but his age is again not what we would expect it to be. Since he was born in about 1831, he should be about 49. Here, he is listed as 51.

The other data listed in the 1880 Census record, compared to what was expected:

Recorded: Cela, Age 45*; Expected: Celia, Age 45 or 46
Recorded: Hughie P, Age 15; Expected: Henry P, Age 20
Recorded: Andrew, Age 13; Expected: Ander, Age 13 or 14
Recorded: Elizabeth, Age 12; Expected: Elizabeth, Age 12
Recorded: Martha, Age 10; Expected: Martha, Age 10
Recorded: Eddie, Age 6; Expected: *New child*

We know that Celia was born in June of 1834. Since she is listed here as age 45, we can assume that her birthday is AFTER June 25th.

Next time: The last known record for Luke and Celia.

Mystery Photo Monday #23

Here's another photo that was stored in Bernice's trunk.

Does anyone know who these two are, or where the photo was taken?

UPDATED 28 December 2005: This is Diane Morgan (Libby's sister, and the daughter of Myrtle (Bonnie) Rogers) and Patti. They are on the porch of a home that Chester and Kathleen lived in for a short time, on Portland Avenue (now Malcolm X Avenue) in Washington, D.C.

Was Luke alive in 1870 (continued)?

Luke was a farmer in 1860, and the 1870 census lists him as a farm laboror. That seems to support the idea that Luke survived the Civil War.

Finally, do we even have the right family, or are the Cartret’s of 1870 in Wayne County a different family from the Cartrett’s of 1860 in Columbus County?

Them family members listed with Luke in 1860 were: Celia (age 25), JJ, (5), Marian (3) and H.P. (8 months).

In 1870, the family members were: Celia J (35), John J (13), Henry P (11), Ander J (4), Elizabeth (2), and Martha J (3 months, although the writing looks a lot like Matthew J, I believe it’s actually Martha, since the gender is listed as Female).

Of the family members who should appear in both, there are anomalies for Luke (listed as 50, when he should be 39 or 40); J.J. ( who should be 15, but is listed as 13), and Marian (now missing). But, Celia is listed as expected, the names are consistent for J.J., H.P., and Celia.

I conclude that this is the same family, and that Luke survived the Civil War. What about you?


The 1870 US Census entry for Luke Cartret and family

Was Luke alive in 1870?

In 1870 there is a listing for the Cartrett family, with Luke as the head of household. Is this our Luke and his family? Let’s look at the evidence.

The 1870 U.S. Census that lists Luke and his family was taken on August 3, 1870, in the Goldsboro Township of Wayne County, North Carolina. In the prior census, the family lived in Columbus County, N.C. Did they move? It’s not unreasonable that they would.

The family last name is given as Cartrett in 1860, but as Cartret in 1870. This is not all that surprising since there are numerous examples of mistakes in U.S. Census records, for a wide variety of reasons. For example, Spelling Bees were not used in U.S. Public Schools to improve spelling until the 1880’s. See this web-article for other examples and reasons why the census records are not to be taken as the final word on genealogical information: Common Problems with Census Records

Luke was born in 1831, so in 1860 he was about 29 years old. The Census record agrees with that, listing him as 29. In 1870 he would be about 39, however, the record that we have states that he is 49! This could be a mistake by the enumerator, or by the person who gave the enumerator the information (often information was gathered from a neighbor, not the actual family). Should this be overlooked, or was Luke actually not in the household?

Next time, we'll look at the rest of the 1870 Census data as compared to 1860, and draw some conclusions.

Mystery Photo Monday #22

This photo was among a group of negatives in the Florida home of Bernice. Who are these children? Where was the photo taken?

UPDATED 12 DECEMBER 2005: Patti says, "The kids are the easy part: Bernard Brooks, Janis Kay, unknown, Jeannie & Patti." She did not know the location.

Luke's battles end?

What happened to Luke and his three (possibly four) brothers during the Civil War?

John died at Drewry’s Bluff on 16 May 1864.

William was wounded, but his fate is uncertain.

Matthew was captured at Fort Harrison, but survived the war. He left the service on 30 September 1864.

What happened to Luke in the 61st? The character of that Regiment was captured by N. A. Ramsey, Captain, Company D, who wrote:

"When Beast Butler in May, 1864, made his memorable movement against Petersburg, the Sixty-first was one of the regiments hurried forward to checkmate him. General Grant in his official report alluded to Butler's being "bottled up" by our troops. The Sixty-first participated actively in this campaign, and as it was wont to do, discharge its every duty faithfully and well, and suffered fully its share in all respects..."

As for Luke's destiny, some sources say that he was captured at Petersburg, treated by Union doctors, and died of disease soon after his release, in 1865.

So, Luke was not one of our ancestors? Or was he? I'll show you another odd piece of the puzzle next time!

Luke Enlists into The Confederate Infantry

Luke Cartrett’s family apparently felt strongly about the war, as he and four of his brothers reportedly enlisted in the Confederate army. Luke and three others were at one time in Company H of the 51st infantry. The other was in Company G.

Company H was also called the Columbus Light Infantry. Enlistments into this unit began 2 March 1862. Five days later, three of the Cartrett brothers (John, William, and Matthew) enlisted. The unit was officially formed in April of 1862. That same month, on 25 April 1862, Luke enlisted. All four of the brothers were privates. Another brother reportedly joined Company G.

Over the next year the unit would leave Wilmington, engage in skirmishes near New Berne, return to Wilmington, move to Goldsboro - where they were part of the Battle of Goldsboro (see below), walk back to Wilmington, move to Charleston, then to Savannah, and then back to Charleston before returning again to Wilmington.

Here is a synopsis of the Battle of Goldsboro, from Answers.com.

"On December 17, (1862) Foster’s (Union) expedition reached the railroad near Everettsville and began destroying the tracks north toward the Goldsborough Bridge. Clingman’s (the 51st) Confederate brigade delayed the advance but was unable to prevent the destruction of the bridge. His mission accomplished, Foster returned to New Berne where he arrived on the 20th." -- Parenthetic clarifications by me

Luke was transferred to Company H, 6lst Infantry Regiment, also a North Carolina Unit, nearly one year later (1 April 1863).

Next time, find out what happened to these family members.

Mystery Photo Monday #21

This photo is clearly of W.L. Carson. A handwritten note on the back says "Grandfather Carson, Albuq. N. Mex, 1956" The question is: Who is sitting next to him on the swing?

I wonder if those are cages of rabbits, on the left hand side of the photo?

UPDATED 5 DECEMBER 2005: The mystery woman is Joanne, W.L.'s grand-daughter.

Luke and Celia Cartrett in 1860

In 1860, Luke is 29, and his wife Celia is 25. Their children are: a son, J. J. (age 5), a daughter, Marian (age 3), and an infant, H. P. (8 months). They lived in Columbus County, North Carolina. According to the census record, every person in the family was born in North Carolina. Luke was a farmer. The enumerator recorded the spelling of the family’s last name as Cartrett.

If you look at the Census image (below), you will see that there are additional Cartrett’s living in the next residence. These are Jesse (age 56, and blind), Sarah (56), Martha (20), Anna (17) and (possibly) Gunther (13). Could these be Luke’s parents and some of his siblings? Further research is necessary, but the possibility seems strong.


The 1860 US Census showing Luke and Celia's family. Are Luke's parents next door?