My mother’s great-grandfather, George C. Spiegel, was a German-born seegarmaker who joined the US army in October 1862 as a private in Company E of the 58th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (XI Corps). He was 23 years old at the time. The 58th was known as the “Polish Legion” and also the “International Regiment.” I sent the following prompt to Gemini and asked it … Continue reading George C. Spiegel – Seegarmaker and Soldier
I have an ancestor who was at the Battle of Stones River. His name was Frank Gaume and he was with Co. I of the 19th Ohio Volunteer Infantry under the command of Major Manderson . With this information is it possible to place his whereabouts during the Battle of Stones River in Tennessee on Dec 31, 1862 to Jan 3, 1863? Yes, it is … Continue reading Frank Gaume & the Battle of Stones River
This history is in regard to my father’s 5X great-grandfather, Samuel Stearnes, who was at the Battle of Monmouth on 28 June 1778. Lately, I’ve been using AI more and more to help me sort through questions about family history and history in general. It’s become a really handy way to explore ideas, check facts, and think through problems from different angles. Sometimes I’ll even … Continue reading Samuel Stearnes (Starnes) & the Battle of Monmouth
Recently, I asked ChatGPT to help me untangle a seemingly contradictory account of one of my mother’s ancestors, Roger Lyndon of Carrickfergus. With AI’s help, I was able to sort out a contradiction about Roger Lyndon and the “Scotch party” in Northern Ireland in the late seventeenth century. I had misread a passage in a book I found on Google Books and concluded that Captain … Continue reading The Complex Legacy of Roger Lyndon in 17th Century Ireland
Gathering Leaves 