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Peter Curran
| | Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 8:07 am: | |
Roy,
I spoke to you last year - your email reply to me is below. I recently came across a new tip regarding my great, great grandfather George Washington Drake. In my family tree research efforts I came across a distant cousin of mine and she made comments that, if accurate, independently verify my great, great grandfather's Civil War "record". Without me even mentioning George Washington Drake my distant cousin said: "Before my father passed away he told stories about Captain Drake who fought on the side of the South during the Civil War and was involved with espionnage , he would dress up as a preacher and go behind enemy lines to spy."
This was the first time I've come across anyone in my family tree who knew of George Washington Drake - and she said he was a captain. Prior to her comments I only knew what I knew about my "gr, gr, grandfather Drake" from the newspaper. And her comment about him being involved with espionnage would fit perfectly in my mind with the following text from the November 16th 1888 article in the Quincy, IL newspaper - it states: he"; was a captain in the Confederate army and was attached to the command of Gen. John Morgan. " I've always thought the phrase in the newspaper which states: "was attached to the command of" could mean something. It doesn't seem like a normal way to phrase military service. Some of my genealogy research/civil war friends have speculated in the past that such phrasing in that newspaper article might have meant that George W. Drake was a liaison between General John Morgan's command and other commands. With that in mind, to now hear a person in my family tree say he was involved with espionnage, it seems to fit with such a theory.
I am very interested in tracking down the military records of Captain George W. Drake. If Captain George W. Drake did serve in such a capacity then his military records could be very hard to find. Technically, (or on paper) he may not have served with General John Morgan. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to find any military records? And/or - can you share this information with anyone who may be able to assist me?
For your review the full Nov 16, 1888 article is copied at the end of this email.
Thank you.
Peter Curran
email: peterscurran@yahoo.com
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Funeral Notice for George Washington Drake
November 16, 1888 - Quincy Daily Herald - Quincy, IL – Adams County
The Late G. W. Drake.
The funeral of the late G.W. Drake will occur from his residence, 312 North Sixth street, this morning at 10 o’clock. His sister, Dora Drake, of Marion county, Mo., arrived yesterday. Since our last issue the following additional particulars have been received:
Deceased was 42 years of age; was born in Kentucky; was a captain in the Confederate army and was attached to the command of Gen. John Morgan. During the latter part of the war he was a confederate prisoner and confined at Alton, Ill. After the war he located in Missouri, and came from that state to Quincy, where he has since resided. He has a brother living in Kentucky and a sister in Missouri. He leaves surviving him a wife and five children. As the deceased for years devoted all his time to the interests of the workingmen it is expected that the funeral this morning will be a large one.
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(At another point the newspaper mentions he was buried at Woodland Cemetery in Quincy, I have reseached extensively at the cemetery and no grave can be found)
George Washington Drake is my great, great grandfather
Peter Curran
email: peterscurran@yahoo.com
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