Military Service Records requested for Dad and Schuppe

I ordered my dad's military service records from the National Archives, which was free. It may take up to 90 days before I should expect a response. I also requested the military records of George Schuppe, which was not free, but I hope to find out something I don't know already about both of them.

Dad was a Marine who survived in Iwo Jima, came home and then enlisted in the Army near the end of the war. He was in Japan during the occupation, where he met my mother. He worked in the motor pool, and she worked at a US Army base. He also served in the Korean War.

I was born in Tokyo, Japan, and both of my sisters were born at Fort Dix, NJ. I went to nursery school at Fort Dix, NJ, kindergarten in Pacific Grove, CA, first grade in Fernandina Beach, FL, second grade in Yokohama, Japan, third, fourth and fifth grades at Grant Heights in Tokyo. We moved to Fernandina Beach when I started sixth grade and graduated from Fernandina Beach High School. Sometime before first grade, I think we lived in Maryland for a short time. I hope dad's military records will tell me when that was.

George Schuppe in Covington, KY 1865

Here's a link to Harper's Weekly article about Fort Mitchell near Covington, KY in 1865 about the time George Schuppe was stationed there. 2 of his 3 children were born to Charlotte in Kentucky..  

George born in Kentucky in 1865
Julia (my great grandmother) born in Smithville, NC (Fort Caswell) in 1866
Mary born in Kentucky in 1867

"Located on a hill overlooking Lexington Pike (US 25), Fort Mitchell was named for Gen. Ormsby M. Mitchell ... The fort was occupied by Union army soldiers and local Home Guard in response to the Confederate invasion of Kentucky in the late summer of 1862. In September of that year advance troops of Confederates skirmished with Union forces near the fort before withdrawing to Lexington. "

Charleston Earthquake 1886

The Earthquake of 1886 occurred just six months after Thomas and Julia were married. I remember hearing stories from Granny Ball that she must have heard from her parents and uncles. She told of people running out of their houses into the streets in their nightgowns, underwear or with only towels wrapped around themselves since the quake hit at 9:50 p.m. on a Sunday night when most were asleep or retiring for the evening.

"The seismic history of the southeastern United States is dominated by the 1886 earthquake that occurred in the Coastal Plain near Charleston, South Carolina. It was one of the largest historic earthquakes in eastern North America, and by far the largest earthquake in the southeastern United States. A major shock, occurred August 31, 1886 at approximately 9:50 p.m. and lasted less than one minute, but resulted in about sixty deaths and extensive damage to the city of Charleston."

South Carolina Seismic Network,  University of South Carolina              

Tour of Georgetown Harbor and Lighthouse

 Georgetown Harbor

While on vacation in SC this past June 2010, my husband Pat and I took a day trip about 60 miles north of the Isle of Palms to Georgetown to see the Georgetown Lighthouse where my grandmother Irene Elizabeth O'Hagan Ball was born in 1890. The boat tour included a walk on the beach on North Island for collecting shells and a view of the Georgetown Lighthouse from the river. It was a wonderful half day tour that I highly recommend. The lighthouse is not open to the public, but our tour guide said that it may be open next year.

Georgetown Lighthouse

The lighthouse is isolated by water, strong currents and no roads, far from town or neighbors. I tried to imagine living there as my great grandmother did, a newlywed starting her marriage and family on a remote island. The first three of her 12 children where born at the Georgetown Lighthouse: Aunt Janie on July 1, 1887, Aunt Lottie on October 22, 1888, and my grandmother Irene on September. 6, 1890. Papa bought Julia a horse since she liked to ride.


I believe that Papa's oldest brother John J. O'Hagan drowned at Georgetown.

The lighthouse is on North Island in Winyah Bay where three rivers meet and flow into the Atlantic. The currents are very strong so even today, ships and boats must consider the tides or risk a long ride home.

My husband Pat enjoying the tour boat.

Married Feb. 24, 1886 Stella Maris Roman Catholic Church

I took a vacation with my family to Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms, north of Charleston in June. We visited Stella Maris Roman Catholic Church where Papa and Julia Schuppe were married on February 24, 1886.

Stella Maris RCC c. 1920

It's a very pretty church located on Sullivan's Island, just a short drive from Wild Dunes.

Here's a copy of their marriage certificate I picked up while I was there. The witnesses were L. McKevlin and Hannah O'Hagan. Hannah was the wife of Papa's oldest brother, John J. O'Hagan.

A bonus to visiting the church is that it's across the street from Fort Moultrie, a national park. The fort is open to explore and takes you back to 1776 when it was a palm log fort. I was surprised to see that Seminole Chief Osceola is buried in front of the fort.

Denis and Mariah O'Hagan arrive NYC Sept. 2, 1850 on ship West Point

A friend found the following:

"In 1852, New York Emigrant Savings Bank Test Book for Denis O'Hagan, Stone Cutting -- Native of New Mills, 2 miles from Dungannon, County Tyrone, Ireland...on Sept. 2/50 on ship West Point from Liverpool. Parents living, father John, Mother Rose Malone; two brothers in Ireland. Patrick and John, 1 in U.S. Sisters living, Cathe Kerr, Hester, Rose Ann and Mary Jane; is married to Maria Corr. No Children."

Rose Malone was Denis' mother. I have notes from aunts and cousins that Denis' mother was Mary Jane Hamilton. Mary Jane was his sister

I will look for the passenger list of the West Point in 1850.

Papa's Service Years at Morris Island 1878-1887

I just got the book The Morris Island Lighthouse Charleston's Maritime Beacon by Douglas W. Bostick and found Papa and his brother listed in the Appendix Lightkeepers Stationed on Morris Light on page 124.

They served together from 1878 to 1880. Papa was there 1878-1887. John served 1876-1880.