My Great-Grandfather and his twin brother Barney were born 172 years ago today--May 31, 1845 in Sachsen or Saxony in what is now Germany. His daughter wrote that he and his three brothers immigrated with their mother to Texas when he was six years old.
My other relatives born around 1845 nearly all served in America's Civil War, as did yours. But I hadn't found proof or any hint of Amiel and Barney having joined the Confederacy. No such memory or story has been passed down to their many descendants.
This past Memorial Day weekend I again ran my ancestors' names through Fold3's military databases. What a happy surprise to find mention of a Wiser from Chambers County, Texas:
Amiel and Barney's mother Hannah had married Sam Leeper in April of 1853 at Galveston, Texas. Sam became the guardian of her four young sons before his death nearly two years later. Because he had received hundreds of acres of Texas land for his service in the Battles of Bexar and San Jacinto, this land passed to his wife. "Honey Leiper" or "Hanna Leaper" are some of the many misspelled names for Hannah Leeper found on land records in state archives at Austin.
The image above was the only page or reference in that database to Barnard Wiser, Texas soldier.
Source: Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms, 1861-65, NARA (National Archives), Publication No. M346, also known as the Citizens File - original records pertaining to goods furnished or services rendered to the Confederate government by private individuals or business firms.
But wait! Fold3.com has a second database with mention of my Wisers. Because military documents were often folded in thirds (hence the name Fold3) this first image shows the soldier's name as the title to the folder:
The second page is dated February 13, 1865, and is addressed to Captain J.W. or J. M. Lacone, C.O. (commanding officer) of Chambers County, Texas, and stamped by the Record Division of the War Department: Rebel Archives.
See the two names in the upper left? Barney and his twin, "Amel Wiser." Why their names are written phonetically, I can only imagine. Bad handwriting led to confusion by another clerk who wrote what he thought he saw on paper? Were my ancestors illiterate and therefore clerks guessed at spelling?
FEBRUARY 13TH, 1865: Amiel is my great-grandpa, and I'm thrilled to see his name on paper from 1865 (even if he did serve in Texas with a loser army). Click on the image to enlarge it. Click again to return to this page:
Wait for it: In this next document, Hannah gave permission for her boys to join the Confederacy.
And now my research goes out the window because Hannah gave a different birth year than what I had for the twin brothers. Not 1845--but 1850.
This makes no sense to me. Census records indicate the Wiser boys were born in Germany. The brothers all have the last name of Wiser. To my knowledge, none used Sam Leeper's surname. Immigration records would have their ages, but no such papers have yet been found. Don't you too love a mystery!
Hard to read? Here's my transcription:
The State of Texas )
Chambers County )
Before me James Jackson Chief Justice of said County this day personally appeared Hanor Leiper to me well known, who being duly sworn by me deposed and said that that Barnard and Amel Wiser my sons and that said Barnard and Amel were both (twins) born in the Spring of the year; in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed the seal of the County Court of Chambers County this 13th day of February A.D. 1865
James Jackson Chief Justice C.C.
Source: Unfiled Papers and Slips Belonging in Confederate Compiled Service Records, NARA, Publication No. M347, Papers of and Relating to Military and Civilian Personnel, compiled 1874-1899, documenting the period 1861-1865.
My only source for the twin brothers' birth date is Amiel's tombstone, which reads:
Born May 31, 1845
Died Oct 28, 1895
Blessed are they that die in thee LORD
The 1860 Federal Census (see copy in link attached) indicates the twins were 15 years old, born in 1845. See the actual census page linked here. On lines 39 and 40--at the bottom of the page, you will see Hannah Leeper and eldest son, Louis Wiser. Click the arrow next to "Image" to go to the next page, Image No. 4, to see Amiel (here as "Lemuel") and brother "Barny" on lines 1 and 2.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXFX-MJ8
Their half-brother, Sam Leeper, appears on line 3. Little Sam never knew his father. Sixty-year-old Samuel Leeper died April 1, 1855--nearly nine months before Sam, Jr.'s birth on Christmas Day, 1855.
-- This post will be amended as more data is found. I wanted to celebrate their birthdays and post it today. I welcome your comments below.
I am grateful that my great-granddad's mom Hannah feared losing her twin boys in battle, and therefore lied about their ages. Can you think of any other reason why a German immigrant would give false data to a Texas judge?
