"The Scarlet Pimpernel"
Caution: some of the immigration information may be boring, and seem as if it can be bypassed, I provide it simply as back matter to the facts in the case presented. Skim what you will.
This is Castle Garden in the Battery in 1869,
as it would have appeared to my Ancestors
when they came into this Country.
The image was obtained from the NYPL online.
To the best of my ability:
...this is the order of emigration of my Gilmour Ancestors.
These records were obtained from Castle Garden.org.
Elizabeth Gilmore
Occupation Unknown
Age 18
Sex F
Literacy U
Arrived 17 Jun 1856
Port
Last Residence
Destination
Plan Unknown
Ship
Passage Unknown
Robert Gilmore
Occupation Laborer
Age 20
Sex M
Literacy U
Arrived 11 Nov 1857
Port
Last Residence
Destination
Plan Unknown
Ship Empire
Passage Unknown
Anne Gilmore
Occupation Spinster
Age 20
Sex F
Literacy U
Arrived 22 Dec 1859
Last Residence
Destination
Plan Unknown
Ship Dreadnought
Passage Unknown
James Gilmour
Occupation Cooper
Age 19
Sex M
Literacy U
Arrived 13 May 1859
Port
Last Residence
Destination
Plan Unknown
Ship Webster
Passage Unknown
Alexander Gilmour (jr)
Age 19
Sex M
Literacy U
Arrived 15
Aug 1864
Last Residence
Destination
Plan Unknown
Ship John Bright
Passage Unknown
Alexander Gilmour
Occupation Cooper
Age 54
Sex M
Literacy U
Arrived 15 Aug 1864
Last Residence
Destination
Plan Unknown
Ship John Bright
Passage Unknown
Jane (Glenn) Gilmour
Occupation Wife
Age 54
Sex F
Literacy U
Arrived 15 Aug 1864
Port
Last Residence
Destination
Plan Unknown
Ship John Bright
Passage Unknown
John Gilmore
Occupation Laborer
Age 18
Sex M
Literacy U
Arrived 2 Oct 1864
Last Residence
Destination
Plan Unknown
Ship William Tapscott
Passage Unknown
This then, would make the Birth order:
Alexander (Sr): 1810 or 02 & Jane (Glenn): 1810 or 02
Robert: 1833 or 35 or 37
Eliza: 1838
Anne: 1839
James: 1840
John: 1842 or 46
Alexander (jr) 1846 or 42
Based on information obtained from the family letters, I believe that John was born in 42 and Alexander (jr) in 46.
Spellings of names vary.
Dates of birth vary from reported census data.
Census data varies from census to census.
(I find it interesting that the immigration agents listed their literacy as "U" for unknown. One would assume that a Schoolmaster was literate. Well, some of my Schoolmasters were...)
Me (2006) at the gates of Castle Garden (Clinton).
Where they would have entered in.
The doors are closed. Does that mean I can't leave?
~ ~ ~
The only one with verified birth data is James:
JAMES GILMOUR Male
Christening: 18 JAN 1840, Lower Cumber,
Parents:
Father: ALEXANDER GILMOUR
Mother: JANE GLENN
Messages:
Source Information:
Batch No.: C700391 Dates: 1804 - 1877 Source Call No.: 6026027 Type: Printout Call No.: Type:
Film 0933443 Film Sheet: 00
~ ~ ~
The letters culminate in James' death at the battle of
Drs. Brown + Alexander Govt. Embalmers.
Doctors couldn't write legibly then either...
So here is my transcription:
Mr Robt. Gilmour
Dear Sir
Since we last wrote
to you from Fortris Monroe,
in White House. The seceshin`
ists have taken possesion of
the battle field of
where your brother lies, and
it is im poss ible to
get the body, until we
have the place again.
We here by return you
the money & Receipt,
by Handies Express. the
money has just wired through
by~ Express from
Sometime in the future we may
be able to obtain the body for
you. Yours Respectfuly
Drs. Brown & Alexander
Govt. Embalmers.
~~~
His mother Jane applied for death benefits, and I found the Civil War Pension Index for James with his mother Jane listed on it. The 82nd N.Y. Inf. means that it is him but the date is all but illegible to me. What is the year of the date on the application? …18??/Nov. /18 …I don't Know.
Civil War Pension Index for James Gilmour,
with his Mother Jane (Glenn) Gilmour listed as the beneficiary.
So, based on the letters and this document one could assume that James did in fact die at the Battle of Fair Oaks in the afternoon of May 31st, 1862. I of course had simply assumed that his death was a forgone conclusion.
Until I stumbled into this paradox. In a N.Y. Times obituary Published November of 1915, I found this:
And here is another anomaly: as it happens, there was this James Gilmour who owned a place of business right next door to my ggGreat Grandfather Robert Gilmour.
Here is the listing in the:
1869 NYC Directory:
Gilmour Alexander, cooper, h 241 E. 22d (Robert and James' Father)
Gilmour Christiana, wid. David, dressmkr. h 465 W. 42d
Gilmour James, collars, 549 Pearl, h E. 21st n Third av.
Gilmour James, lighters, 98 Broad, h 68 Second, B'klyn
Gilmour John A. umbrellas, 228 G'wich
Gilmour Robert, cooper, 548 Pearl, h 120 W. B'way
Gilmour & Woolley, collars, 549
Gilmour, McBain & Co. lighters, 98 Broad
~ ~ ~
So now, the question is, did he actually die or not at Battle of Fair Oaks? Since the body was never recovered, as per Jacob Glenn's (James' cousin) letter, (which is actually a third hand account of the incident) and the correspondence with the Government Embalmers which states that the Battlefield was lost to the enemy, ...there is no positive proof of his death.
No-one who would have known for sure is alive to tell.
No body, No evidence, as Perry Mason might say.
~ ~ ~
So now I'm wondering, does the profession of "Collars" refer to "Clothes", "Harnesses for Draft animals" or "The Mechanical Engineering ring shaped device used in Plumbing?"
To date I Can't find what it was that the Gilmour & Woolley Co. made at that location yet.
I suspect that it was men's Collars. The partnership was dissolved in 1872 and I found a Newspaper Article listing the dissolution of their Partnership in a 1872 New York Herald.
I can't seem to find find enough on "this" or "these" James Gilmour/s to "rawt" it out. I think I have him located in NJ selling Brass Fittings. (Plumbing Supplies?)
But for now:
The Major Questions are:
Is this James back from the dead?
Is this another James Gilmour?
Is this a Cousin named James Gilmour?
What is the connection?
It can't be just coincidence….
Am I driving myself "dafty" for no reason?
I think I'm going to send this to the PBS "History Detectives" to see what they can do with it. ...Let them give it "the Perry Mason treatment"...
Mark
18/July/07
P.S.: Yeah, this whole chase ensued as a result of a question that I had while trying to finish the transcription and notes for the letters. Somehow I always seem to sidetrack myself.
