If I Could Choose

I was thinking about some of my ancestors. If I could choose one of my ancestors to meet with and talk to, Who would I choose?

Out of all my ancestors that I have discovered on my lineage,

I would choose my Great Grand Father Isaac Blakey.
Why? I have many reasons.

A number ONE, he was my Great Grand Father. But what questions would I ask him?

Here are some questions.I know that I can't speak to my Great Grandpa. He has passed on. I know that I can't communicate with the died. What I wrote after the questions was what I have discovered on my journey.

How did you escape to join the Mississippi Union Army while in slavery?
I read that Great Grandpa Isaac played marbles while he was serving during Civil War. He was between the age of 12 - 15 when he ran away from Missouri to join the Mississippi Army.  There are records that stated that he and his mother (Julia) were sold and they went south.

What can you tell me about your first wife?
Great Grandpa's first wife, Martha Scott was my father's father's mother. She died in child birth on Hew Davis' plantation.  There were twin sons born on 21 June 1871. One was my Grandpa John. His brother Andrew died in child birth.

How did you gather together as a family in Missouri after the Civil War?
I don't know how many brothers and sister my Great Grandpa Isaac had.  The family was divided around the breaking out of the war. I searched the census records.

I think 2nd Great Grandma Julia had about 14 or 16 children. She was widowed on the 1880 census. There were so many same name in the family.

How did you hear about Jesus?
In my Great Grandpa's pension records, he had a minster testify for him. Great Grandpa Isaac was a deacon in the church. Great Grandpa was apart of the church. He went to church.

Why did you keep the Blakey surname?
Great Grandpa Isaac was the only one in his family that I have come across with the Blakey surname.  His parents and siblings carried the White surname. When Isaac join the Civil War in MS, he became Private Isaac BLAKER. 

Great Grandpa went by the surname BLAKEY. But I have found his name to be WHITE when he was listed in the 1880 census with his mother, Julia as head of the household. According to Isaac's  on his pension records he declared his name to be Isaac Blakey .

What was your relationship with your slave holder?
I have read my Great Grandpa Isaac's pension records. There were two slave holders that testified for my Great grandpa. They spoke kind words of Great Grandpa.

One who sold my Great Grandpa into slavery (W.C. Harvey) stated that Great Grandpa had a good reputation as a slave. This man knew my Great Grandpa since Isaac was born.

The other ex slave owner, (Y.C. BLAKEY) who was 10 older than my Great Grandpa. This man gave a good report as while. He stated that the "family" name was BLAKEY. The slave holders helped raise my Great Grandpa.

These ex slave owner lived about 10 miles from Great Grandpa at the turn of the 1900's. Both testified that Great Grandpa was the same boy that they knew. I think that there was some respect in the family.

Staying On The Journey,
If I Could Choose

Susan