Your Questions Answered

From: John Minton, Sgt. USMC

Question:I am researching the Spanish American War and the Boxer Rebellion. Specifically, I hope to find information on a Medal of Honor awards ceremony at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, CA, on December 31, 1901.

These Sailors and Marines served in the Boxer Rebellion (and possibly the Spanish American War). One was Pvt. France Silva, USMC. He is buried not far from my home (Tehama County, CA). My research concerns local history.

I have already found much on him but I have no photos of him or of the ceremony. His family is no where to be found so far. His wife is not buried in the Corning Cemetery and no one actually knows her whereabouts. Her maiden name is also not known. If I can locate children, grandchildren, or his sibling's children I may be able to interview and obtain photos and information (from them). Any information you could provide or any leads would be truly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer: Dear Mr. Minton:

Have you asked your local library or historical society about the availability of microfilms of Vallejo newspapers for January 1902? They may be your best source for photographs of the ceremony and of Pvt. Silva.

What libraries have you used so far? I don’t want to suggest any avenues you’ve already traveled.

Make sure you consult these books on the Marines in China in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries:

Clark, George B. Treading Softly: U.S. Marines in China, 1819-1949. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2001.

Biggs, Chester M. The United States Marines in North China, 1894-1942. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. Publishers, c2003.

Also get in touch with the reference branch of the Marine Corps’ History Division:

http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Contents/Oganization/HDR.htm

Let me hear back from you.

Mary-Jo Kline

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From: Sheila Middlebrook

Question: I'd like information about lesser-known but just as active black female Underground Railroad conductors. I need documentation to demonstrate to young audiences that Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman were not the only black ex-slaves (or black women from any American social strata) to dare to directly combat the evil of slavery, because there were many other uncelebrated black contributors to the Underground Railroad movement in the pre-Civil War era.

Can you supply me with some names and research resources in order to present them to K-12 graders in the Columbus, Ohio educational system? I believe that our younger generation needs to be informed of the sacrifices that were routine within black society during the Civil War.

Answer: Dear Ms. Middlebrook:

In Columbus, you have a good choice of fine libraries, so you should be able to find all of the books listed below.

I urge you – beg you – to start with this series:

The Black Abolitionist Papers -- C. Peter Ripley, editor; Jeffrey S. Rossbach, Associate Editor. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, c1985-c1992.

These volumes publish letters and speeches of African American abolitionists, male and female, as they campaigned for an end to slavery in the U.S., Canada, and Britain. The editorial notes identifying the abolitionists are superb – in many cases, they are the only information you’ll find on these men and women. You’ll thoroughly enjoy meeting the unsung heroes and heroines you will find.

This is a good recent book that focuses on African American women in the antislavery movement:

Yee, Shirley J., Black Women Abolitionists: A Study in Activism, 1828-1860. Knoxville : University of Tennessee Press, c1992.

This one is a good collection of papers on women of all races in the abolitionist movement:

Yellin, Jean Fagan and John C. Van Horne, editors. The Abolitionist Sisterhood: Women's Political Culture in Antebellum America. Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 1994.

Are you familiar with the National Park Service’s programs for identifying and preserving UGRR sites? If not, here’s the website. You may be particularly interested in the sites they’re already working with in Ohio:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/

You might also want to look at History Now’s “Abolition” issue – the essays and lesson plans and my suggestions for further reading may give you some ideas:

/historynow/09_2005/index.php

Mary-Jo Kline

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