Still Loving Old Newspapers

This morning I should have been doing dishes and then my bills, but since I woke up tired, I sat down with the computer and explored a bit on the new Virginia Memory: Lost Records .   I was disappointed when nothing turned up, then got distracted by the Chronicling of America link.  I love old newspapers as they have helped me find the Hero's family so many times.  I first experimented to see if there was anything new on my 4th great grandfather.  Nothing came up, so I decided to experiment and search for the Hero's 3rd great grandfather. As the page begin to show results, I fought to not be too excited as John Wells isn't an uncommon name.  I clicked on the first result and WOW there was John listed as the volunteer in the Old '96 Volunteers for the Mexican War.  Confirmation.  The second was the source of the transcription for his death that I had found in a book of the History Of Edgefield, South Carolina. It gave an exact date which was actually 8 Jun 1847. but had been reported in an 1848 in the Newspaper and had been transcribed as such. Another testimony for look at the original source.

http://1.usa.gov/195i5OX

I was doing the happy dance. 

The third, oh wonder of wonders, I was transported back to a meeting room in South Carolina in 1846 where the men had gathered to hear the news and pleas of those rallying around to support the President of the United States in the decision to declare war on Mexico.  You could feel the excitement the writer imparted of the music, the leader's impassioned speeches.  It was no wonder John Wells joined, but that was not all.  Why did he join? It was because his brother Augustus jumped up and volunteered, John following suit. Can't you feel the adrenaline that must have been pumping in that room.

http://1.usa.gov/10ep1Ix

 It is so sad the way it ended.

Now the task of finding who the parents are. Still looking for court records or probate records for the 4 small children  after John died.  I did find a Chesley applying for administrator of a John Wells estate in 1851.  Wondering about the 1851 time period.  In 1855, John's children moved to Henry, Alabama; another long story and lots of speculation.