The Napoleonic Code

Jean Germain Voisard was the mayor of Montecheroux, France from 1815 to 1826. He was a fifth great grandfather on my father’s side. As the “maire” of the commune he was first and foremost a bureaucrat whose main responsibility was enforcing the regulations of the “Code civil des Français” – also known as the Napoleonic Code. Msr. Voisard was born in 1754 and he was … Continue reading The Napoleonic Code

A Well-Regulated Militia

Geneanet.org is a genealogical website headquartered in Paris, France. It differs from ancestry.com in that Geneanet is a collaborative site where the members share in the effort of building family trees and supplying transcriptions of registers, both civil and parochial. The site has been around since the mid-nineties, and I was a regular visitor twenty years ago. At Geneanet, I could connect with fellow researchers … Continue reading A Well-Regulated Militia

Episode 1: Finding the Long Lost – Pt I

About a year ago, I started work on a revision of my book, Gathering Leaves. Yet, it was not until I retired in August that I started working full-time on a complete rewrite of the book. Since then, I have completed the first 14 chapters, bringing me to the eve of the American Civil War, and roughly mid-way through the book. While taking a break … Continue reading Episode 1: Finding the Long Lost – Pt I

58th New York Infantry Regiment

George Spiegel enlisted in the 58th New York Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. The regiment, composed mainly of immigrant soldiers, fought in key battles such as Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. Despite facing prejudice and hardship, the 58th displayed resilience, especially during the chaos of Gettysburg, contributing to the Union’s efforts. Continue reading 58th New York Infantry Regiment