CORRECTION for Yesterday's Blog!

My good friend, Peggy, sent me a private message to let me know that I had made a mistake concerning Morgan's Raiders and the Christian County, KY Courthouse burning during the Civil War. Thanks to Peggy, here are the facts as she submitted them.

I wanted to share something I found on the
Kentucky Historical Society's website http://history.ky.gov/. Hyland B. Lyon was from Lyon County and was responsible for the burning of the Christian County Courthouse. He also burned Lyon Co. and Caldwell Co. Courthouses. He was from the area and gave them warning and time to remove their records, being a decent man. :) Also my 2X Great Uncle William Mansfield "Wild Bill" Calvert rode with Morgan's Men and they wracked most of their devastation in other areas.

(Subjects: Civil War Courthouses Burned)

Historical Markers Search Results:Courthouse Burned
(Marker Number: 577)
County: Christian Location: Hopkinsville, Courthouse lawn, US 41, 68
Description: Gen. Hylan B. Lyon with 800 men invaded Ky., Dec. 1864, to enforce CSA draft law and divert USA from Nashville. In 23 days he burned seven courthouses used by Union forces. Courthouse at Hopkinsville burned Dec. 12. All county records saved. Commandeered clothing and went on. Returned on 16th, skirmished with US force and moved to Madisonville. - submitted by Peggy Gilkey

NAVIGATING ALONG the RIVER - Research Tips

Back in 1978 when I began my serious genealogical research, I had traveled to Hopkinsville, Kentucky (Christian County) concerning an Estate Probate of a recent death of a relative. I decided to make a quick trip into the courthouse. There was a huge brass historical marker right by the entrance stating that the building was burnt to the ground during the Civil War by Morgan's Raiders. I knew that, as did my father; but what we did not know was mentioned on this marker... that since the citizens knew Morgan and his men were on the way, they removed all of the records and that all the records were intact since the county's beginning in 1797! Since we thought the records were missing prior to the end of the Civil War, we never did any research in court records. I was overwhelmed that I might be able to find a little something that would help me learn more about my WEST family. I knew my Great, Great Grandfather was William Ellis West and searched records for him. The first book was a probate record book and I found him right away in the index. I checked the first entry... it was an estate settlement naming William and the brothers & sisters that I knew about. The simply amazing thing was that they shared in the settlement of their deceased father's share of his deceased father's share of his father's estate. In case you could not follow that, the estate the settlement was in reference to was William Ellis West's great grandfather's estate! In one deed there was proof of three previously unkown (to me) generations of my Dad's line. I remember thinking about my very first courthouse experience and the very first look at a court record revealed 3 new generations that it could not be that easy. Dad had died a few years earlier and I could not help thinking how pleased he would have been to know this information.

The tip here is do not assume that if one event happened that all is lost. Dad and I assumed that if the courthouse was burned down, then all of the records were lost, too. - by John G. West