Amy Johnson Crow of No Story To Small has started a challenge of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.
From her blog “The challenge: have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor. Not only should this get me blogging more, but also to take a deeper look at some of the people in my family tree.”
The focus of My blog posting today is My 2nd Great Grandmother, Sarah Morris Brock.
Sarah "Sally" Morris is my 2nd Great Grandmother. She is one of my favorite ancestors. Her story is one of tragedy and perseverance.
Sarah was born on 27 Jan 1829 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. Her parents are unknown. The destruction of records during the Civil War is a major problem fro upper South Carolina researchers.
About 1849 or early 1850 Sarah Morris married Hezekiah Brock. They are listed in the 1850 Chesterfield County census as a couple.1
By 1860 their family had grown and they now had 4 young boys in the household ranging in ages from 1 to 9 years of age. 2
Hezekiah, aka Hugh Brock and Sallie would add two more sons to their growing family over the next four years. Charles Ellerbe born 5 October 1860 and Pleasant Elmore on another son, 16 April 1864. With the birth of Pleasant Elmore in April 1864 the family now consisted of 6 boys ranging in age from infant to age thirteen. Less than a year later this family would be ripped apart.
The morning of 12 March 1865 was just another routine day in the lives of Hezekiah, Sarah and the boys. Before the day was over, their little world would be turned upside down. On 1 March 1865, the Northern Army led by Gen. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick marched into Chesterfield, South Carolina, killing, capturing, taking and burning everything in their path. On 12 March, contingents of the Army visited the farm where my 2nd Great grandparents lived. Hezekiah Brock, a civilian farmer, was taken prisoner by the Army and forced to march to Wilmington, North Carolina. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
It’s very probable that Sally and the boys watched as their Father and Husband was led away never to be seen again.
Hugh & Sallie's oldest (Benjamin Franklin), my g-grandfather had just turned 14 and the youngest (Pleasant Elmore wasn't quite 12 months old. Hugh never saw his family again. After being taken prisoner he was transferred to the Confederate Prison at Point Lookout, Maryland. On 12 June 1865, exactly 3 months to the day of his imprisonment Hugh passed away at Point Lookout. Cause of death was listed as inflammation of the lungs which probably translate to pneumonia.
I have found no record that would indicate that Sally, my g-g-grandmother, was ever notified of her husband's death. I do know from family folklore that she waited for Hezekiah to come home and never remarried. She raised her six boys to adulthood and lived with her son Alsey during her latter years.
My research on Hezekiah led to a promise by the national Park service that his name would be added to the POW Monument at Point Lookout, Maryland. They lied, instead his “Name is not listed on monument but appears on a list from Baltimore National Cemetery updated May 25, 2006 located at the monument. He is also listed as being a Civilian.” 11
For Sally, life must go on and she has 6 boys to raise. She appeared in the 1870-1880 &1900 Census for Chesterfield County, South Carolina. 12 13 14
Sarah “Sally” Morris Brock died on 21 Oct 1902 at the age of 73 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
Sarah “Sally” Morris and Hezekiah Brock had the following children:
i. Benjamin Franklin Brock, born 17 Jan 1851, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Louise Ellen Sellers, 1871; died 13 Jul 1924, Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
ii. Michael Hezekiah "Mike" Brock, born 20 Jan 1853, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Timmie Smith, 1879, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; died 2 Jan 1927, Pageland, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
iii. William T. "Bill" Brock, born 17 May 1854, McFarlan, Anson, North Carolina; married Martha J. Parker, abt 1882; died 22 Jul 1913, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
iv. Alsey Brock was born on 25 Jun 1855 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.18 19 20 21 22 .23 Alsey died after 27 Apr 1910 at the age of 54.
v. Charles Ellerbe Brock, born 5 Oct 1860, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Lucy Grace Davis, abt 1892, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 22 Nov 1915, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
vi. Pleasant Elmore "Pleas" Brock, born 16 Apr 1864, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Nancy Jane Davis, 1888; died 25 Oct 1926, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
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1. 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 168A; Line 27, Dwelling 1069, Family 1069, Household of Hezekiah BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2000); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
2. 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 117, Line 18, Dwelling 328, Family 327, Household of "Hugh" BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2000); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.
[3]. Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 5 June 2013), entry for Hezekiah Brock, Private; Fifth Reserve, Fifth Militia; Confederate.
[4]. Ancestry,Military Service Records, database entry for Hezekiah Brock, Private; Co. K, 4th South Carolina State Troops; Confederate.
[5]. Randolph W. Kirkland Jr., Broken Fortunes: South Carolina Soldiers, Sailors and Citizens Who Died in the Service of Their Country and State in the War for Southern Independence, 1861-1865 (Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina, 1997), page 38.
[6]. "POW's held at Point Lookout Maryland", FHL Film #1303418, Entry #3906, H. Brock died 12 June 1865, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
[7]. John G. Barrett, Sherman's March Through the Carolinas (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, February 1996), Page 106.
[8]. Kirkland, Broken Fortunes, page 38.
[9]. Edwin W. Beitzell, Point Lookout Prison Camp for Confederates (Leonardtown, Maryland: Saint Mary's County Historical Society, 1983).
[10]. Kirkland, Broken Fortunes, page 38.
[11] Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 4 November 2008); Memorial page for Hezekiah “Hugh” Brock; (1827–12 June 1865); Find a Grave memorial # 25572002, Citing Point Lookout Confederate Cemetery; Scotland, St. Mary's County, Maryland, USA.
[12]. 1870 U. S. Census, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 289A, Line 33, Dwelling 33, family 33, Household of S[arah] BROCK; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2012); citing National Archive Microfilm M593, Roll 1491.
[13]. 1880 U S Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 2, Page 287B; Line 10, Dwelling 529, Family 533, Household of Sarah BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm T9-1225.
[14]. 1900 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 21, Page 99A, Line 40, Dwelling 272, Family 278, Household of Alsey BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 3 February 2009); citing National Archives Microfilm T623_1523.
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