The Buffalo Soldier - Thomas Elzey Polk, Sr. with Erwin Polk

01/08/16 • 64 min

Ancestor's Footprints with Bernice Alexander Bennett

History has always been a favorite subject for Erwin, and his genealogy research made it possible for him to be interviewed live by Bryant Gumble on the Friday July 3, 1993 “Today Show.” He has been featured in the Wilmington News Journal in 1996, regarding the history of his family and a memorial service for his great grandfather Thomas Elzey Polk Sr. a 9th Cavalry Regiment soldier (a Buffalo Soldier). He has been interviewed for another News Journal Article for the Sunday August 16, 2009 edition regarding a celebration of 200 years of Freedom in the United States by his Polk Ancestors. Erwin Polk is constantly working on genealogy projects and in 1997 made a break through in discovering the ancestors of a childhood friend and neighbor also named Polk. His findings which started from the name of a Northwestern Pennsylvania town and the name of one person has taken the research back to 1825 Delaware and numerous stories about the Underground Railroad and escapes from slavery. Erwin’s genealogy and historical research projects have included many states such as: North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Illinois. He has also researched information from England, Trinidad, Canada, Grenada, Poland and Germany at various times. Thomas Elzey Polk, Sr. the oldest son of Morris and Rebecca Black Polk, served in the United States 9th Cavalry Regiment Company C, from 1882 until 1892. He was a Buffalo Soldier in the Indian Territory of the West and earned the rank of sergeant during both of his enlistments. Thomas Polk earned a pension for his ten years of service in the Indian Territories.

Previous Episode

The "Todd's" Telling our Story from Virginia to Kentucky with Phyllis Grimes

The Todd’s telling our Story from Virginia to Kentucky. Underwood vs Underwood’s Executor, 1830, Federal Records, United States Circuit Court Records, 5th Circuit Court, obtained from the Library of Virginia’s Manuscripts Collection in Richmond. The library is a wealth of knowledge and you can find books, periodicals, reference material and if you look real hard, you will find your ancestors hanging out in the library collections just waiting to be discovered. Starting 20 April 1826 and ending 19 December 1830, there was a lawsuit brought by the heirs of Jane Pollard Dandridge Underwood against James Underwood, her estate executor. This lawsuit was filed by the heirs to recover the slaves and the income they had produced from James Underwood. As a descendant of enslaved ancestors, you can only research so far before you hit a brick wall. However, it is possible to go beyond that brick wall and find incredible information about your family’s past. Phyllis Grimes is a graduate of Arizona State University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies. Phyllis held various positions working for the Maricopa County Superior Court System and is an employee for the State of Arizona as an Investigator. Phyllis’ passion is researching her family history and she has been involved in genealogical research for over the past 20 years. While researching her history, she has gained a greater appreciation for early American History. She holds the position of the Family Historian/Genealogist for her family.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support.

Next Episode

Discovering the Connection with William Neal with Marcellaus A. Joiner

Marcellaus A. Joiner: Supervisor of the Heritage Research Center at the High Point Public Library and the Archivist for the High Point Museum in High Point, North Carolina. Marcellaus has a B.A.in History from North Carolina A&T State University and a Masters of Library Science from North Carolina Central University. He has proudly worked in the Archives and Library field for over the past 8 years. He is also a member of the Kappa Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. Marcellaus A. Joiner will discuss his research on his Neal family’s past as well as discuss how his career played a large part in his family research findings. In addition, this discussion will focus on how Marcellaus linked his family to William Neal the slave owner of Greene County, Georgia. This fascinating story and research will explore how he discovered that his third great grandmother Zilphy Ann Neal was owned by William Neal and that they had seven children together. His 2nd great grandfather John Neal was the only child that he could find in his research that moved away from Georgia in the early 20’s. One of Marcellaus major reasons for doing this research is to help reestablish these family lines.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ancestor-s-footprints-with-bernice-alexander-bennett--6436157/support.