Patriots of color are getting their time to shine as once forgotten documents re-emerge in the public eye, in a special way. Nearly 200 rare documents bearing names of Black and Indigenous soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution will soon be on display for all to see, for free.

“I think the fact that now through Ancestry we’ll be able to have these so widely available is fantastic,” said Aimee Newell, the museum’s director of collections and exhibitions.

She says these documents — which will allow so many people of color to connect with a piece of their heritage they never knew about — will also give insight into army life at the time.

“There are handwritten receipts about men receiving a blanket from the selectmen of their town, a lot of pay vouchers, all kinds of really interesting tidbits,” she said.

You can read more in an article by Justin Udo published in the Audacy.com web site at: https://tinyurl.com/yb6mrpzn.

The following announcement was written by Findmypast:

Civil Service Commission Appointments, Promotions and Transfers 1871-1942 

Spanning 71 years, these 872,439 records cover the British Civil Service, from postal workers, prison workers, the admiralty and more. You might find an ancestor’s name, age, occupation, plus details on their appointment, transfer, promotion or certification.  

Second World War Civilian Casualties In Britain 1940-1945 

This collection comes from multiple sources and includes 64,339 records. It is made up of mostly civilian casualties during the Second World War, in addition to 4,000 servicemen who died on the home front during enemy action. You may find an exact address, standard biographical detail, and even the type of enemy action.   

Newspapers 

After months of incredible work, Findmypast’s newspaper scanners are taking a well-deserved break this week.

NOTE:   This article is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, it is information that I believe every computer user should know.

Don't let unethical companies force you to call to cancel.

Most services are easy to sign up for. You enter some info, punch in those credit card numbers, and shazam! A subscription is born. The reverse isn’t always the case. Many companies make canceling their services way harder than subscribing, which should be illegal. And in some places, it is—a fact you can use to your advantage.

Being forced to call in is unacceptable when subscribing takes 30 seconds online. But if the FTC isn’t going to do anything more than issue a warning or rely on regular people to report these shady companies, there is something you can do to fight back: Lie. 

You can read the full article by Jake Peterson published in the LifeHacker web site at: https://lifehacker.com/how-to-cancel-a-subscription-online-even-when-the-compa-1850117577.

Comment by Dick Eastman: I have a similar method that I found works well. I go to privacy.com at https://privacy.com/ and sign up for a pseudo credit card for a maximum charge of $1.00 or some similar amount. Then I go to the questionable web site and change my credit card number on file to the new (low maximum price) card number. When it comes time to automatically renew, the charge bounces (as long as the charge is for more than $1.00). 

After sending me 2 or 3 notices that I "need" to change my credit card number (which I will never do), the vendor then cancels my account for non-payment.

Simple. Effective.

When most Americans think of the World War II battle for Iwo Jima – if they think of it at all, more than 75 years later – they think of one image: Marines raising the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi, the island’s highest point.

That moment, captured in black and white by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal and as a color film by Marine Sergeant William Genaust, is powerful, embodying the spirit of the Marine Corps.

But these pictures are far from the only images of the bloodiest fight in the Marines’ history. A larger library of film, and the men captured on them, is similarly emotionally affecting. It can even bring Americans alive today closer to a war that ended in the middle of the last century.

Take for instance, just one scene: Two Marines kneel with a dog before a grave marker. It is in the final frames of a film documenting the dedication of one of the three cemeteries on the island. Those two Marines are among hundreds present to remember the more than 6,000 Americans killed on the island in over a month of fighting.

Most of the cameramen on Iwo Jima used 100-foot film reels that could capture about two and a half minutes of film. Sgt. Genaust, who shot the color sequence atop Suribachi, shot at least 25 reels – just over an hour of film – before he was killed, roughly halfway through the campaign.

More than 50 Marine combat cameramen operated across the eight square miles of Iwo Jima during the battle, which stretched from Feb. 19 to March 26, 1945. Many shot still images, but at least 26 shot motion pictures. Three of these Marine cinematographers were killed in action.

You can read a lot more and view videos in an article published in The Conversation web site at: https://tinyurl.com/ycktp2jd.

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. 

One of the best methods of honoring our ancestors is to take care of their tombstones. Proper cleaning and maintenance once every ten years or so can help a tombstone remain readable for decades. I also like to take pictures of tombstones; so, anything that improves the legibility of the lettering interests me. 

Sadly, many people do not know how to take proper care of tombstones. They use harsh chemicals, power washers, and, worst of all, wire brushes. These items will damage the stones and actually REDUCE the ability to read the lettering over time.

Here are a few rules to follow.

Never use wire brushes! The brushes will significantly damage the stones. Worst of all, brushes will damage the outer "skin" of a stone and expose the porous insides. Yes, many stones have a "skin" that is formed by years of exposure to the elements. This "skin" acts as a barrier to the elements. Even removing a fraction of an inch during cleaning exposes the porous insides of the stone. Then water gets absorbed, and the temperature changes of the seasons will cause expansion and contraction. The result is cracks in the stone, which may lead to further damage over the years.

While wire brushes cause damage, careful use of soft, white nylon brushes can remove dirt and plant growth. Toothbrushes are also good for cleaning tombstones. Rinse the brush frequently so as to not grind dirt into the stone. The key here is softness. If in doubt, use the brush to rub your face for a few seconds. Press hard. If the brush hurts your face, it will also hurt the tombstone. Instead of brushes, you might use wood popsicle sticks or bamboo skewers. Wood is softer than stone and therefore unlikely to cause scratching or other damage. 

The remainder of this article is reserved for Plus Edition subscribers only. If you have a Plus Edition subscription, you may read the full article at: https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/13099231.

If you are not yet a Plus Edition subscriber, you can learn more about such subscriptions and even upgrade to a Plus Edition subscription immediately at https://eogn.com/page-18077.

The Association for Gravestone Studies is excited to share initial details about the 2023 conference.

AGS Conference and Annual Meeting
June 20-25, 2023
Denver, Colorado

The AGS in-person conference includes field trips, paper sessions, evening talks, hands-on workshops, late-night gatherings, the Annual Meeting for AGS members, and the annual Awards Ceremony.  We will offer the ability for registered virtual attendees to listen live to paper sessions and evening talks.

Applications are open for the Slater Scholarship and Stockton Scholarship – both of which are for students to present their research during the conference. Application Here.

We are accepting applications for general paper and workshop proposals through April 1, 2023 at AGSConfProposals@gmail.com.

Call for Proposals

The devastation of the plague pandemic left such an incredible genetic mark on humanity that it's still affecting our health nearly 700 years later.

Up to half of people died when the Black Death swept through Europe in the mid-1300s.

A pioneering study analysing the DNA of centuries-old skeletons found mutations that helped people survive the plague. But those same mutations are linked to auto-immune diseases afflicting people today.

The Black Death is one of the most significant, deadliest and bleakest moments in human history. It is estimated that up to 200 million people died. Researchers suspected an event of such enormity must have shaped human evolution. They analysed DNA taken from the teeth of 206 ancient skeletons and were able to precisely date the human remains to before, during or after the Black Death.

The standout finding, published in the journal Nature, surrounded mutations in a gene called ERAP2. If you had the right mutations you were 40% more likely to survive the plague.

"That's huge, it's a huge effect, it's a surprise to find something like that in the human genome," according to Professor Luis Barreiro, from the University of Chicago.

The gene's job is to make the proteins that chop up invading microbes and show the fragments to the immune system, priming it more effectively to recognise and neutralise the foe. The gene comes in different versions - those that work well and those that do nothing - and you get a copy from each parent.

So the lucky ones, who were most likely to survive, inherited a high-functioning version from mum and dad. And the survivors had children and so passed those helpful mutations on so they suddenly became much more common.

You can read more in an article by James Gallagher published in the BBC News web site at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-63316538.

Genealogy information is wherever you find it. Have you ever thought of looking for genealogy books and records at everyone's online garage sale on eBay? I keep an eye on the genealogy-related offerings and have found some interesting items.

Perhaps the best thing I ever purchased on eBay was a tax collector's book from Corinna, Maine for 1907 that listed the taxes my grandfather paid that year. Another was a handmade quilt made by a distant cousin in the 1840s. I have also purchased limited edition history books for several of the small towns that I research with some of those books mentioning my ancestors. Some of the books were original editions that were 100 years old or more although recently I have limited my purchases to scanned images of old books that are sold on CD-ROM disks.

Of course, you can find software for sale as well as microfilm and microfiche copies of old records, old family Bibles, and much, much more. In fact, the major problem is there is too much! You may be overwhelmed with the available items. 

When preparing this article, I checked and found that eBay had 72,000 items listed for sale with the word "genealogy" in the description. I was also amused to find more than 1,400 items listed with a description keyword of "geneology." I guess some people can't spell. In any case, when you are searching on eBay, you might want to try both spellings.

Of course, you don't want to spend hours paging through more than 72,000 listings. You want to quickly narrow the search to items you are interested in. Luckily, eBay makes that easy.

To search for genealogy items related to your family's name, enter a search of GENEALOGY and a surname of interest. For instance, I often search for:

genealogy Eastman

Of course, you are probably searching for multiple surnames (your mother's maiden name, your grandmothers' maiden names etc.) If so, you will want to conduct multiple searches.

I just did that now while writing these words and found a book on one of my ancestral names that I have not seen before. It is a book on CD-ROM: $6.99 and free shipping. I haven't seen that book before on Google Books or any of the other online book services. $6.99 is cheaper than the gas required to go to the nearest genealogy library that might have that book on the shelf.

Excuse me for a moment while I purchase that...

OK, I'm back. I should receive the book on CD within 5 to 7 days.

I also search for items of interest from the towns where my ancestors lived. In my case, most of them lived in very small towns so I simply search for the name of the town and the state. For instance, I have an interest in the town of Corinna, Maine so I simply enter those two words in the search box: Corinna Maine. 

Such a search will find all sorts of items from that town: post cards, old advertisements from merchants, and more. If your ancestors lived in a larger town, you may have to narrow your search a bit. For instance, for Boston, Massachusetts, I might search for:

Boston history

Boston genealogy 

Boston geneology (yes, there is that common spelling error again)

Boston families

In the past, I have purchased a number of pictures and postcards that were 75 to 125 years old, including one of an old-time steam engine crossing the railroad bridge where I used to go swimming as a child. The only thing I ever saw was diesel engines so the picture of that steam engine from the 1880s is especially satisfying. The bridge hasn't changed much, however.

I also purchased a post card showing a trolley car in front of my great-great-grandfather's house. The trolley tracks disappeared many years ago. 

One genealogist reported that she found a 125-year-old book on eBay written by her great-grandfather. It was in pristine condition and she purchased it for $20. I wish I could be THAT lucky! I have purchased books on eBay that were published in the 1840s. 

Even with these methods, searching can be a time-consuming process. However, eBay offers a very powerful tool that can cut down the work immensely: saved searches with e-mail notifications.

When you conduct a search on eBay, the results screen first reports how any items it found that match the search parameters you specified. Just to the right of the number of results found, you will notice a link that is labeled "Save this search." Click on that and you can follow the menus to tell eBay to conduct a similar search for you once every day and, if anything is found, to send you an e-mail message with the results. 

The saved searches is one of the most useful tools available on eBay. It searches for you while you are sleeping. If there are no new matches found in the past 24 hours, there is no email sent. You do have to create a free account to use the saved search features but that seems to be a minor requirement. You will need an account anyway if you wish to purchase anything. eBay accounts are free and painless to obtain.

I use eBay saved searches to look for genealogy materials, historical items from the towns where my ancestors lived, historical items from the town where I now live, Corvette parts, ham radio equipment, accessories for my laptop computer, and much more. The saved searches service is free and, if there is a limit to the number of searches, I haven't found that limit yet. I have a lot of saved searches and I am accustomed to having 10 or 20 new email messages per day from eBay. 

Will you find information about your ancestors on eBay? Perhaps. Will you find information about where they lived and perhaps their lifestyles? That is almost certain. You may even find occasional listings of items about towns and villages in eastern Europe.

To get started, go to http://www.ebay.com. 

Nearly 200 historic documents are being digitally archived for public use. Several are on display as part of the Black founders exhibit, including a discharge paper signed by George Washington.

The Museum of the American Revolution is working to digitize nearly 200 rare documents that detail the names of Black and Native American soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. 

The Patriots of Color archive will be fully digitized and made available online at no cost to the public thanks to a partnership with the genealogy website Ancestry, museum officials said Friday. The Old City museum acquired the documents in 2022 from a private collection, following contributions from several donors.

The Patriots of Color archive contains original muster rolls, pay vouchers, enlistment papers, discharge forms and other documents assembled from auctions, rare manuscript dealers and other collectors over the past two decades. Once digitized, the public will be able to learn more about the lives of hundreds of veterans of color and understand their relationship to the American Revolution. 

"At least 5,000 men of color fought in the Continental Army, but their stories aren't as known as they should be," said R. Scott Stephenson, president and CEO of the museum. "This archive allows us to explore the extraordinary lives of men who helped to secure independence, yet who have not received the recognition they deserve as American Founders. 

You can read a lot more in an article by Maggie Mancini published in the  PhillyVoice web site at: https://tinyurl.com/3rr5ykm5.

The following press release was issued by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG):

FREE BCG-SPONSORED WEBINAR

“The Bengali and English Ancestry of Thomas Chapman: A Case Study with DNA”

by Meryl Schumacker, CG

Tuesday, February 21, 2023, 8:00 p.m. (EST) 

We often talk about historical context like a side dish: it adds color and life to our narratives and deepens the analysis in our client reports. Rarely, however, do we think of historical research as a main course, a proactive strategy. This case study demonstrates not only the potential of historical research as a tool but how that tool can be effective in the most challenging cases.

Thomas Chapman wasn’t typical of New York City immigrants at the turn of the nineteenth century. His reported birthplace of Bengal prompted more questions than answers, and FAN (Friends, Associates, and Neighbors) searches in New York produced no leads. Ultimately, a combination of historical research, DNA evidence, and traditional genealogical methods across three continents revealed the identities of his parents.

Meryl Schumacker, CG®, is the founder of We Go Way Back LLC in New York City. Meryl specializes in New York City genealogy from the 17th-20th centuries; Jewish genealogy in the United States, Europe, and Central America; and genetic genealogy. Meryl has compiled multigenerational family histories and located elusive ancestors for private clients, biographers, nonprofits, and corporations. Her work has been published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, NGS Magazine, and the APG Quarterly. She has contributed research to The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central), Who Do You Think You Are? (NBC), and several biographies. In 2017, Meryl was awarded the Walter Lee Sheppard Jr. Prize (BCG/IGHR) and the Association of Professional Genealogists’ Young Professional Scholarship.

BCG’s next free monthly webinar in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars is “The Bengali and English Ancestry of Thomas Chapman: A Case Study with DNA” by Meryl Schumacker, CG. This webinar airs Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

When you register before February 21 with our partner Legacy Family Tree Webinars (http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=8099) you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Anyone with schedule conflicts may access the webinar at no charge for one week after the broadcast on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

“We appreciate the opportunity to present these high-quality educational webinars,” said President Faye Jenkins Stallings, CG. “At BCG, our purpose is to promote public confidence in genealogy by supporting uniform standards of competence. These webinars help to achieve that by providing educational opportunities to family historians of all levels of experience.”

Following the free period for this webinar, BCG receives a small commission if you view this or any BCG webinar by clicking our affiliate link: http://legacy.familytreewebinars.com/?aid=2619.

To see the full list of BCG-sponsored webinars for 2023, visit the BCG blog SpringBoard at https://bcgcertification.org/bcg-2023-free-webinars/.  For additional resources for genealogical education, please visit the BCG Learning Center (https://bcgcertification.org/learning).