Isaac Adamson (my 1st cousin 3x removed) was born around 1847 in Missouri to Allen and Elizabeth Saunders Adamson. He was the eighth of twelve known children, and the sixth son (out of eight). Isaac's mother died in around 1857, when he was ten years old. His father left all of the minor children in the care of Peter Saunders (brother of Isaac's mother):
Texas County Court Records (Volume 2):
"Friday Dec. 10, 1858:
Guardian
It is ordered by the Court that Peter Sanders be appointed Guardian of the person of Josiah, Isaac, Elijah, John Wesley, Catherine, Mary Ann and Edward E. Adamson, miner (?) heirs of Allen and Elizabeth Adamson, Deceased."
Isaac's father then took off for Kentucky and apparently never returned to his family. Two years later, when Isaac was thirteen years old, he was place with a family as an apprentice:
6 February 1860 Texas County MO County Court:
"It is ordered by the Court that Isac (?) Adamson be bound an Apprentice to Thomas Johnson and that he (Johnson) be required to enter into articles of agreement.".
Isaac was also listed as living with the Thomas Johnson family in the 1860 Census.
In 1862, when Isaac was fifteen, he enlisted in the Eighth Missouri Infantry (CSA) with three of his brothers (Allen, John Wesley and William). Isaac was described as having grey eyes, sandy hair and a fair complexion. He was 5'6' tall. There is no record of Isaac ever being wounded or hospitalized while serving. He surrendered in New Orleans in 1865. He was eighteen years old, having seen three years of fighting. His older brother Allen was killed during the War.
It is assumed that Isaac returned to Texas County, Missouri following the War. In 1868 he married Elizabeth Hamby there. The 1870 Census for Texas County, Missouri showed that Isaac worked in a saw mill, was twenty-two years old, and was living with his wife and daughter, Elizabeth. In the 1880 Phelps County, Missouri Census, Isaac was listed as age twenty-eight working in the iron mines. He was living with his wife and three daughters. Daughter Mary was born about 1876, and daughter Mallissa was born in 1880.
In May of 1879, Isaac was in a mining accident and broke his leg. In December of 1880, Isaac was in a mining accident and killed:
from December 18, 1880 The Rolla New Era newspaper, p.3:
Norman Items
December 16, 1880
"There was a serious accident at the Smith bank, on Friday, Dec.10, resulting in the death of Isaac Adamson. (This is the same gentleman I wrote about a year ago that got his leg broken in the Clinton iron bank.) It seems that the men were at work making a tunnel under a large bank of flint, and Mr. Adamson and Wm. Tripp, digging out the ore and Mr. Adamson shoveling it back, when the embankment gave way, over their heads and came down with a mighty crash, crushing Mr. Adamson down and covering him up to the depth of four feet. Mr. Trip escaped unharmed. Mr. Adamson was crushed and mangled up horrible. He leaves a wife and a large family of little children to mourn his loss. Some one proposed to have an inquest held over Mr. Adamson, but ye correspondent understand the boss, (Mr. Campbell) would not submit to it. I think such a case of that kind should be attended too. I think the company wants to keep out of paying anything, but charity says they must pay his widow what her husband was worth to her; for when a company will put men in such a dangerous place to work and when one of them gets killed they ought to be made to take care of the widow and orphans. Mrs. Adamson has nothing; she is a sickly woman, and has a host of little children to take care of. The good people in the surrounding country will probably lend a helping hand."
And that was where the story ended for me. I could never locate Isaac's wife or his three daughters, despite numerous attempts over the years.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, out of the blue, I got an email from a descendant of Mallissa Adamson, Isaac's daughter. It appears that Mallissa had been raised by a relative of her mother. She had been told, and always believed, that her mother had died in childbirth and her father had been hung as a horse thief. Mallissa was treated like a servant and was never taught to read or write. She never knew that she had sisters. Mallissa did marry and have children of her own.
It feels like the story of this family just keeps getting sadder! Now I wonder if Mallissa's sisters ever knew about her? Her oldest sister Elizabeth was eleven years old when Mallissa was born, so surely she remembered having a younger sister. The middle sister, Mary, was only four years old when Mallissa was born.
I hope that one of these days, another email will arrive from someone, with news of the rest of Isaac's family.
I hope that one of these days, another email will arrive from someone, with news of the rest of Isaac's family.
(I know that my font is being weird here, I can't seem to figure it out!)
