Heritage Quest in Greenville

With a free day from caravan activities, we drove 20 miles to Greenville, NC to the campus of Eastern Carolina University (ECU)to see if any more could be learned about Jesse Lewis, Ann's great-great grandfather. Finding the library on the huge campus was a bit daunting, but we found it and found the librarian to be very helpful. It appears that Jesse's father was Willis Lewis. Can't prove it for certain, but he is the only Lewis in the county at the right time and the right age to be the father.



We found Willis' application for financial assistance from the federal government for his service in the Revolutionary War. He served for nine months as a private in the regiment cammanded by Colonel Shepard of the NC line. He was drafted on the 20th of July, 1778 and was discharged on the 20th of April 1779. He was paid a total of 24 pounds, 12 shillings, and 5 pence. He was awarded a pension in 1820 of eight dollars per month, retroactive to 1818. He was 71 years old in 1820. His wife Mary Ann was 51 years old. They had two sons at home, Frederick (18) and William (16). Frederick had a broken arm and was unable to perform hard labor. William had "tolerable" health.

The application lists his meager belongings and states that he was a farmer without land of his own to cultivate. The application doesn't mention any older children who may have already left home by 1820.

One might speculate about why this application for financial assistance seems to have coincided with the departure of Jesse.

It would appear that Jesse and his young family left Pitt County on some sort of boat, perhaps drifting or paddling downstream on the Tar River, then taking a sailing vessel from Washington, NC on down the coast to Georgia.

Caravan Report

Since it is not easy to find time and place while on the caravan to post to this blog, I will be posting only to our website. Log to the website, then click on the link to Southeast Coast Caravan:

www.walterberg.homestead.com

Visit in Mechanicsville, Virginia

Left the Meherrin farm about 9:00am, arriving in Mechanicsville two hours later. The Schumakers had lunch arranged in the Covenant Woods private dining room. Present were Cathy and Tim Tyler, Fred and Sara Creighton, Dave and Mary Love Schumaker, and us.


After the visit we drove to Norfolk and across the Chesapeake Bay bridge and tunnel complex to camp at the northern end.

A Day On The Farm

Following Jordan around while she's feeding the animals is an experience. Here's a few pictures.

This is Sweet Pea, the newest Alpaca.


Here's all the Alpaca girls.


These are this year's crop of Nubians.


The Boer goats, all due to give birth any day.


John's new deer stand.


A visit with Parker - our year-old great grandson.