I started my own personal genealogy journey after I had the Faded Footsteps website built. I became curious about the veterans I was placing onto my website and looked at a Family Genealogy book my Aunt Lucille put together back in the 1970’s. I have had this book for decades myself and never knew the treasures that were inside the pages. Every time I look at his book (Our family calls it “The Pink Book”), I say a prayer of thanks to Aunt Lucille and the family members who helped her create the book. My discovery through the book led me to find that my 2nd-great-Grandfather Edward Cole served in the Civil War with the 13th Michigan. I joined the Sons of the Union Veterans as a descendant of Edward Cole. After a while I needed to know more and I sought out my roots in Wexford County as this is where I thought my family was from. After taking several classes with Nancy Bonifield (contact her above) from Lake City, Michigan, and using her guidance and tools, I discovered much, much more about my family. I now am having a genealogy component added to the Faded Footsteps website to connect the veterans to other family members who served in the military.

Another part of my family genealogy can be found in the book "Descendants of Walter Woodworth of Scituate, Mass." by: William Atwater Woodworth. The book is too big but I included a big part of it for Woodworth descendants to read. A copy of the book can be purchased at Amazon at the link above or in the books section of this site.

My 3rd Great-grandfather was Ebenezer Rathbun who was married to Lucy Austin Rathbun (images below) and whose daughter Nancy had married Edward Cole. Ebenezer and Lucy had a farm located on Section 25 in Thornapple Township, Barry County. There is a book called “The history of Barry and Allegan Counties” that mentions Ebenezer as “taking in two families as they homesteaded and built their homes near his farm and then he went off to the war and got himself killed”. There is more information including images of Nashville National Cemetery photos of Ebenezer's grave at this fadedfootsteps link.

One time while scanning Grandfather Edward Cole’s enlistment paper copy, I noticed that "E. Rathbun" had recruited Grandfather Edward into the 13th Michigan. Edward was recruited and signed up by his father-in-law Ebenezer. Ebenezer was 49 when he signed up into the 13th Michigan and he lied on his enlistment papers by saying he was aged 41 at enlistment when he was actually 49. Ebenezer left his wife Lucy and their 13 children (5 were aged 10 and under) and he went off to war with the Union Army. Ebenezer died of disease on 4/26/1862 leaving Lucy to take care of the 13 children and the farm.  He is listed as Ebenezer Rathbone in the records. Ebenezer did not know when he died that he would be joined just two months later in “war death” by his 18 year old son Girdon Clark Rathbun who died on 06/16/1862 fighting at the battle of Secessionville, S.C. with the 8th Michigan Infantry.

Girden Clark Rathbun pictured above

My conclusions are that Girdon was possibly part of the middle section of the 8th Michigan that was blasted by a canon canister shot into the ranks when they attacked Fort Lamar. Or that he was part of the bayonet charge and was critically wounded and died two weeks after the battle. He was under the command of Maj. Gen. David Hunter transported Horatio G. Wright’s and Isaac I. Stevens’s Union divisions under immediate direction of Brig. Gen. Henry Benham to James Island where they entrenched at Grimball’s Landing near the southern flank of the Confederate defenses. On June 16, contrary to Hunter’s orders, Benham launched an unsuccessful frontal assault against Fort Lamar at Secessionville. Because Benham was said to have disobeyed orders, he was removed from command.

Grandma Nancy lost her husband, her 18 year old son and the farm during the Civil War and as a result of the war.

The 1870 census shows her living in Kalamazoo, Michigan with a daughter. The 1880 census shows her still living in Kalamazoo. The 1890 census shows her living in Hillers Station, Allegan, Michigan and she died on 4/09/1891. I visited the Allegan, Michigan courthouse to find that she died of a “Malarial Virus”. There was no place recorded as to where Lucy was buried so I visited a lot of the cemeteries and county offices in Allegan and could not find any record of her burial. I sent an email to Jesse Rathbun asking if he might by chance have an idea where Lucy was buried and two days later he sent a direct link to Riverside Cemetery in Kalamazoo, Michigan where Lucy was registered as Lucy Rathbone and buried in the old section. I visited the cemetery and it is a beautiful place. Two workers from the city helped me locate the exact place and we found that Lucy does not have a marker and is buried in an unmarked grave. The image below in the center of the photo above the American Flag is where Lucy Rathbun is buried. I have a stone and will engrave her story on it along with her picture and have the marker placed in the spring of 2011 to honor her memory.

During my research I have discovered (with the help of new found family members) that I have 2 Grandfathers who served in the Revolutionary War

One was Ebenezer's father and the other was Swift Woodworth who served on the Contenental Line.

Swift Woodworth (below). The family story goes that his mothers maiden name was Mercy Swift and that is how he received his first name.