MY AMERICAN HERITAGE, by Jesse Shoemaker Drinkwater

Jesse's grandfather, Cornelius Shoemaker

My grandfather was half Cherokee Indian and half Holland Dutch.  Features and build of an Indian and blue eyes fair hair and skin of the Dutch.

I had never been too proud of him.  He was born in Illinois.  As a young man homesteaded in Missouri where he farmed, married and raised a large family.  A very gentle man and yet very stern.  To the family loving but ordinary.

Today I was looking at old pictures.  I came across one of him and his Collie walking in the snow.  Something struck me of his proud carriage.  He must have been all of 80 years.  Very erect with overshoes, heavy overcoat and gloves.  Yet his head was bare and his white hair made a slight halo around his head as he walked with face uplifted to the wind.

The authority with which he held the leash, and the collie walking so obediently at heel, told me something I had never realized.  Here was not an ordinary man, but a strong proud man that made me feel proud that here was part of my heritage.


--Jesse Shoemaker Drinkwater

for a writing class at LSU 1980.

CORNELIUS FRIEND SHOEMAKER: CENSUS SNAPSHOTS

Census & Vital Records

Cornelius Friend Shoemaker was born 23 March 1847 in Monmouth, Warren County, Illinois

Cornelius Shoemaker (age 25) married Emma Hunt (age 17) 8 Aug 1872 in Appanoose Co., Iowa

As of the 1900 Census, they were living in Polk Township, Nodaway Co., MO

head     Fred Shoemaker          M 53   Illinois, born Mar 1847 in Illinois, 28yrs married (est 1872), farmer

wife      Emma Shoemaker       F 47    Iowa, 7 children; 4 living, born Sep 1853

son       Chas W Shoemaker     M 27  Iowa, farm laborer, born Aug 1873 (correct birthday)

son       Edward A Shoemaker M 26  Iowa, farm laborer, born Oct 1874

son       Robt O Shoemaker      M 13  Missouri, farm laborer, born July 1887

daughter Mary J Shoemaker   F 27   Missouri, born Apr 1873

"Fred's" father born North Carolina; mother born Virginia

Emma's parents born in Virginia

renting their farm

By the 1910 Census, they were in the Maryville Ward 1, Nodaway Co., MO

self     Emma Shoemaker      F   56y  Iowa, both parents born Virginia

husb  Cornelius Shoemaker M 62y  Iowa, both parents born U.S.

dau    Josie Shoemaker         F  17y  Missouri

In 1920, Cornelius & Emma were living with Josie & her husband Perry in Johnson Co., MO

self   Perry E Chappell        M   28y  Missouri

wife Jossie Chappell            F   27y  Missouri

Cornelius Friend
Shoemaker

self  Cornelius Shoemaker M 72y  Illinois

wife Emma Shoemaker      F  69y  Virginia

self  William Stewart          M 65y  Missouri

And were still there in 1930

head                 Perry C Chappell    M      38  Missouri

wife                 Josie Chappell          F       36  Missouri

daughter          Joy  Chappell          F        6   Missouri

father-in-law   Cornelius Shoemaker M 84 Illinois, both parents born Illinois

mother-in-law Erma Shoemaker    F       77  Virginia, both parents born Northern Ireland

boarder            John Bratton           M      22  Missouri

Cornelius Friend Shoemaker died 12 January 1933 in Montserrat, Johnson County, Missouri, at the age of 86.  

His daughter Josie [Shoemaker] Chappell died aged 42, about three years later.  His and Emma's only remaining child at that point would have been Charles Wesley Shoemaker, Jessie's father.  Emma lived until 8 February 1937, four years after Cornelius.

CORNELIUS'S 100 DAYS in the 47th IOWA INFANTRY

I do not have a copy of Cornelius Friend Shoemaker's discharge papers, but I did find this documentation of his service in the Union Army.

1890 Census of Union Veterans & Widows

Cornelius Shoemaker, private, company B.   Polk Twp, Nodaway Co., Missouri

Regiment: 47 Iowa Infantry

enlistment: 17 May 1864   discharge: 28 Sep 1864  length of service: 4mo 11days

post office address: Maryville, MO  disability: [none]

Running Away

As Jessie tells the story of Cornelius, he ran away from home at 16 to join the army.

According to mapquest, the journey from Centerville to Davenport is about 180 miles.
The journey from there to where they were stationed near Helena, Arkansas was
more than 600 miles, and likely took several weeks to travel.
(The order to return to Davenport was given on Sept 1, 1864 and they
were mustered out in Davenport on Sept 28, not quite four weeks later.)

Hundred Days Men

"The 47th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was among scores of regiments that were raised in the summer of 1864 as Hundred Days Men, an effort to augment existing manpower for an all-out push to end the war within 100 days.

The 47th Iowa Infantry was organized at Davenport, Iowa, and mustered in for one-hundred days Federal service on June 4, 1864 as part of a plan to raise short term regiments for service as rear area garrison duty to release veteran troops for Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. The 47th Iowa garrisoned strategic points in the District of Arkansas.

The regiment was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, on September 28, 1864."

The Real Enemy: Malaria

"Immediately after its muster into the service the regiment received orders to proceed to Helena. Ark., and was conveyed to that place, where it was assigned to garrison duty. It was attached to the Seventh Army Corps, Department of Arkansas. It remained on duty at Helena and in the Military District of Eastern Arkansas during its entire term of service.

The climate was unhealthful and the regiment suffered greatly from sickness. In this respect it had the same experience that had been encountered by many other Iowa regiments in that same field of operations. The death list of Iowa soldiers at Helena and at other places among the lowlands of Arkansas grew to frightful proportions. It was fortunate for the Forty-seventh Iowa that its term of service was short, and that it was not kept longer in that malarious region. Short as was the time, however, nearly seven per cent of the regiment were fatally stricken, while an equal or larger number returned to their homes with health greatly impaired, some of whom subsequently died of the ailments with which they were afflicted, and many more were never fully restored to health. Disease was the most insidious foe with which the soldiers had to contend.

Sherman at the seige of Atlanta, ca. 1864
image courtesy of Snapshots of the Past

On September 1, 1864, the regiment received orders to return to Davenport, Iowa, at which place it was mustered out of the service of the United States, September 28, 1864. The record of the regiment is altogether a creditable one. It faithfully performed the service to which it was assigned, and relieved other and more experienced troops, who were, thereby, enabled to proceed to the theater of actual warfare, and assist General Sherman in dealing the last crushing blows to the rebellion. Its history comports favorably with that of the other one hundred day organizations from Iowa. It accomplished all that was expected of it, and takes its rightful place in this record of the achievements of Iowa soldiers.

Company "B" roster

Shoemaker, Cornelius F. Age 18. 

Residence Appanoose County, nativity Illinois. Enlisted May 7, 1864. Mustered June 4, 1864. Mustered out Sept. 28, 1864, Davenport, Iowa, expiration of term of service."

Tenth Reunion 40th Iowa Infantry, Newton, IA Oct 12-13, 1897, more than 30 years after the end of the war.
This is not Cornelius's infantry (his was the 47th), but what a great image!

Cornelius was 18 when he was discharged, and Cornelius's father died the following summer from a rattlesnake bite.   It is not clear whether he went back to Centerville at this time, but he was there by 1872 when he married Emma Hunt.

CORNELIUS FRIEND SHOEMAKER

Jessie on Cornelius, her Grandfather

Grandma Jessie wrote two pages about her grandfather, Cornelius Friend Shoemaker, in the family history book.  Heeah dey is:

Cornelius Friend Shoemaker
original image here

Cornelius Friend Shoemaker

born 23 March 1847

died                  1933

Cornelius's Young Life

Was the son of Thomas & Parthenia Bird Jones Alexander Shoemaker.  His father was Penn. Dutch from Penn.  His mother was Cherokee Indina [sic] from Tenn.  They were married at Monmouth, Warren Co., Ill.

In 1849 they moved to Centerville, Iowa, where his father farmed. In June 7, 1865 he [Thomas] died from a rattle snake bite while getting wood to saw.

At the age of 16 Corenilus [sic] ran away and joined the Union Army.  Saw active service in southern Ark. where the whole Co he was in contacted [sic] maleria where many died he received and honorable discharge Dec 1864.

There was a family of 5 boys & one girl [Cornelius's siblings].  His mother was married 3 times:

1. William Alexander
2. Thomas Shoemaker
3. Mr. Richards

She died at the age of 92.

Cornelius & Emma's family

After his marriage to Emma Hunt they moved to Maryville, Mo. where he and his sons farmed for many years.  There were 7 children:

1. Charles Wesley died of heart failure,       age 82
2. Edward            died of TB,                       age 22
3. Anna                died of blood poison,       age 16
4. Ethel                died of diptheria,              age 4
5. Willie               died of brain fever,           age 3 mo.
6. Otis                 died of TB,                        age 16
7. Josie               died of brain hemmorage, age 42

Jessie's Memories of Cornelius

Cornelius Shoemaker was a striking looking man.  With his mother's tall slender Indian body and his father's blue eyes, fair skin & auburn hair.  He was a hard worker and expected as much of his children.  He was quick to anger and Indian-like, held a grudge when done wrong.

I -- being his grandchild -- saw only the gentle side of him as was old when I was born and lived with his daughter.

He loved to talk about the war and I guess his most prized possetion was his discharge papers signed by President Lincoln.  He and my grandmother had rather a stormy marriage I gather, but had many years of peaceful old age together.

I felt the world had lost a good soldier and myself a loving Grandfather when he passed away.

---Grandaughter Jessie Shoemaker Drinkwater

GREAT GRANDPA & GRANDMA SHOEMAKER

Jessie's paternal grandparents:

Cornelius Friend Shoemaker & Emma Hunt

Cornelius Friend Shoemaker
born 23 March 1847 in Monmouth, Warren County, Illinois
died 12 January 1933 in Montserrat, Johnson County, Missouri
His father: Thomas Shoemaker, born in North Carolina
His mother: Parthenia Bird [Jones] Alexander, born in Tennessee (or maybe Virginia or West Virginia)


Emma Hunt
born 15 September 1856 in Virginia
died 8 February 1937 in Montserrat, Johnson County, Missouri
Her people may have been from Northern Ireland (unconfirmed) or, alternately, from Virginia... but you can't really trust those squirrelly census-takers -- or is it the mapmakers & boundary adjustments I should be complaining about?

They were married on 8 Aug 1872 in Centerville, Appanoose County, Iowa

Their children:

• Charles Wesley Shoemaker
• Josie Mae Shoemaker
• Edward Shoemaker
• Anna Shoemaker
• Ethel Shoemaker
• Willie Shoemaker
• Otis Shoemaker

Great Grandpa & Grandma Shoemaker at
Uncle Perry's house in Montserrat, between
Warrensburg & Knob Noster, Johnson County, Missouri
(East of Kansas City)
date unknown, during or prior to 1933 when he died

"Uncle Perry" was Perry Clarence Chappell, who was married to their daughter Josie Mae Shoemaker.  Perry & Josie's daughter Joy Chappell was Jessie's closest cousin (as I remember it).
C.F. & Emma lived with Perry & Josie Mae at the end of their lives, at least as early as 1920 according to Census records.

Cornelius Friend Shoemaker and Man's Best Friend

What do you suppose is that towering behind him? Is it a monument or a tree trunk or an abandoned test rocket or something else entirely?

JESSE'S PHOTO PEDIGREE

Seeking an image of Catherine Jane Needels, and perhaps a better one of Emma Hunt?  Please post a comment if you have one or send me an email.  

A MAN AND HIS HAT

Cornelius F. Shoemaker