I have an elderly family member in failing health who has been following my family research with great interest over the years. He wants so much to learn about the family of his great-grandfather William H. CHASE, a Civil War hero, who he knew as a boy. Sadly, his time is getting short and this family member has been the biggest brick wall in my work. Thus the rest of us in his family have decided to take this unorthodox approach to offer a $150.00 reward to anyone who might be able to give us the information leading to our ancestor's family. Please check your files and any old notes you may have! We would be so grateful. WHAT WE KNOW: WILLIAM H. CHASE b. August 1814 in Austerlitz (then Hillsdale), Columbia County, NY. Father's b.p.: MA. Mother's b.p.: NY. Source: 1900 federal census. WHO ARE HIS PARENTS? William Chase m. CORNELIA JANE GARDENIER (b. 1815 in Kinderhook; d.o. Peter GARDENIER and Sarah DEYO) m. in 1834 in Stuyvesant Falls, Columbia County, NY by Reverend Sturges. Source: "Rural Repository" newspaper. Their Children: John (b. abt 1834, m. Mary REILLY, d. Civil War), Sarah (d. young), William Harrison (b. 1838, my 3great-g.), and Abraham (b. 1842, d. Civil War). WILLIAM and CORNELIA CHASE are found on the federal censuses in Stuyvesant and Kinderhook, NY in 1840, 1850 and 1860. His occupation was a weaver. In 1870 they are found living in Pittsfield, MA along with their son William Chase Jr., a cigar manufacturer, and his family. In 1880 WILLIAM and CORNELIA CHASE returned to live in Kinderhook, NY, then moved to Springfield MA until CORNELIA died in 1888. WILLIAM CHASE and his son moved to Canton, OH in 1890, then settled in Milwaukee, WI, where William died in 1902. WHAT WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT: Besides the federal and state censuses for NY, OH and WI, we have checked hundreds of church, cemetery, newspaper, military, probate, land and town vital records in towns throughout Columbia County, NY and several surrounding counties in NY, MA and CT. My aunt and I have each made a trip from Wisconsin to NY to do local research. However, we have not found our William Chase's family. Can anyone help us? Thank you so much, Rebecca metalskg@ix.netcom.com