Virigina, You wanted everyone to ask questions, so here's some. I need some advice, on where I should look for information on my major "brick wall" ancestor! His name is O.H.R. or also listed as Owen N.K. Carden. This is what I have on him, but I have been unable to find who his parents were, and I need help desperately! He was born in 1820 in Ga., don't know the county. He bought land from an Andrew Jackson Carden in 1839 in Pike Co. Ga. He married Nancy McLeod in 1843 in Pike Co. Ga., and they were listed in the 1850 census for Pike Co. Ga. They moved to Alabama, sometime after 1854, and I believe they were in Tallapoosa Co. Al. He served with Hillard's Legion during the Civil War, and he died in 1862 and they say it was around Atlanta, not from a battle, but probably from a disease! His wife, Nancy was in Randolph Co. Al., in 1870, and then in Chambers Co. Al., 1880. I don't know where she went after that, nor do I know where she is buried. Their children were: Sarah, Margaret Mary Jane Nancy Amanda Norman Alexander Owen Hendrix, my GGrandfather. I have his and Nancy's marriage license, I have the land deeds where he bought the land from Andrew Jackson, I have the info on his service in the Civil War, from the Alabama Archives, and I tried to find out if there was an application for a pension and they said, they didn't have a record. I have joined every mailing list, that I thought would help. I've posted messages on every message board I can think of, and I've still not been able to find who his parents were. There were several other Carden's in Pike Co. at the same time he was, and some feel, he may be connected to a John Carden or a David Carden, and somehow to this Andrew Jackson Carden, but I can't find any documentation! If you or anyone else, can give me any advice, or where else to look I would be most appreciative! I have been looking for over two years, to no avail! Thank you for any help you or anyone else might be able to give me! Becky Carden, [email protected]

You do have a tough one and I think the advice given you on the Pike County list probably covered most of the basics. I'll just share a few ideas....but mainly don't give up. The only thing I would suggest is to explore the land he bought from Andrew J. Carden in 1839. Do you have the actual deed? This one probably won't tell you anything....but you might then try to follow the trail backwards to how Andrew J. got the land. When you think about it, if he was born in 1820 (and I assume this is based on a census)....then he was only 19 when he bought that land? Where did he get that money?? He even bought the land BEFORE he married! So he wasn't using any of Nancy's money! Land ownership is sort of circumstantial evidence, but it may be all you have! Draw yourself a time line of all the Cardens in Pike county....their ages, where they lived, and you may discover something you didn't see before. TAX lists are so hard to find, but they do give information.....showing what he owned. Pike County was part of Original County MONROE...(not to be confused with the present day Monroe Co.) This land was all distributed in the 1821 lottery. What was the age of Andrew J? Could he have been a brother? An uncle? What was price that Owen paid for the land and did it compare with other land prices of the time? Then pursue the McLeod family and their land purchases. They tell me that at that time people usually married within families of a very small radius. And if we could ever get a land plat of surrounding farms, we'd probably find all the spouses. Where was Owen in the 1840 Census? If you haven't found him in an index, was he living with someone else? (Those are usually harder to locate!) Who was his wife living with in AL? If she didn't apply for a pension, she must have had another source of income... Do you know the company for Hilliard's? My grandfather fought in the same Legion....although he always lived in GA. To die in 1862 was pretty early in the war...so his wife must have had some means of support??? With that many children, and the eldest ones being daughters....have you followed any of their married lines... these are all off your main track, but you never know when some relative may have saved a letter or even that elusive Bible Record that you need!! You may just have to let this one "set" for a while....and work on transcribing something that might help someone else!! Why don't you type up his Military Record that you do have and post it on-line....it might help someone because it probably lists some officers, etc. Does it tell you the battle he died in....or the hospital if it was a disease? At 01:28 PM 6/6/2002 -0500, becky wrote: >Virigina, >You wanted everyone to ask questions, so here's some. > >I need some advice, on where I should look for information on my major >"brick wall" ancestor! > >His name is O.H.R. or also listed as Owen N.K. Carden. This is what I >have on him, but I have been unable to find who his parents were, and I >need help desperately! > >He was born in 1820 in Ga., don't know the county. He bought land from an >Andrew Jackson Carden in 1839 in Pike Co. Ga. He married Nancy McLeod in >1843 in Pike Co. Ga., and they were listed in the 1850 census for Pike Co. >Ga. > >They moved to Alabama, sometime after 1854, and I believe they were in >Tallapoosa Co. Al. He served with Hillard's Legion during the Civil War, >and he died in 1862 and they say it was around Atlanta, not from a battle, >but probably from a disease! > >His wife, Nancy was in Randolph Co. Al., in 1870, and then in Chambers Co. >Al., 1880. I don't know where she went after that, nor do I know where >she is buried. > >Their children were: > >Sarah, >Margaret >Mary Jane >Nancy >Amanda >Norman >Alexander >Owen Hendrix, my GGrandfather. > >I have his and Nancy's marriage license, I have the land deeds where he >bought the land from Andrew Jackson, I have the info on his service in the >Civil War, from the Alabama Archives, and I tried to find out if there was >an application for a pension and they said, they didn't have a record. > >I have joined every mailing list, that I thought would help. I've posted >messages on every message board I can think of, and I've still not been >able to find who his parents were. > >There were several other Carden's in Pike Co. at the same time he was, and >some feel, he may be connected to a John Carden or a David Carden, and >somehow to this Andrew Jackson Carden, but I can't find any documentation! > >If you or anyone else, can give me any advice, or where else to look I >would be most appreciative! I have been looking for over two years, to no >avail! > >Thank you for any help you or anyone else might be able to give me! > >Becky Carden, [email protected] > > >==== GA-ROOTS Mailing List ==== >Faye Dyess [email protected] Listmanager >Thou shalt not curse, flame, spam or USE ALL CAPS. >Researching the following families: Arnold, Alsobrook, Benton, Booth, >Bradwell, Colson, Curles, Dailey, >Davis, Dyess, Etheridge, Fort, Fuller, >Gregory, Hodge, Hooks, Hudnall, Jackson, Mitchell, >Shinholster, Thigpen, Thompson, Treadwell, Wall Virginia Crilley