|
|
|
|
Support Our Research - Join The AFO! East Coast Allred Family Association Family Histories
and Stories |
Newsletter # 45, page 7, Winter 2000 A Family Story (about John Cletus Allred, Sr.) by: Ricky J. Allred (John, Joseph, Jonathan, James Madison, John Monroe, John Cletus) As I am sure that many of you have found, family histories come about through both research and memories. Oral history, the stories passed down from generation is particularly interesting to me because it contains an element of "personal touch" that can extend across generations. When I was a child, my grandfather, John Cletus Allred, Sr. (1906 - 1982) told me a story about his grandfather, James Madison Allred (1842- 1915). I was interested in the War Between the States and I asked "Papaw" if he knew of any of our ancestors who had fought in it. He did not know of any direct relatives who had served, but he did say his "Grandpap" Jimmy, had been a "outlier". I had no idea what that meant, so Papaw substituted a term that was familiar: draft-dodger. Since the Vietnam War was going on at the time, I knew what that word signified, and I was saddened that one of our family members bore the label. (Side lesson: it is pointless to be disappointed in your ancestors.) Randolph County, North Carolina, which contributed numerous companies to the 22nd and 26th North Carolina Infantry, apparently became something of a haven for outliers during the latter stages of the war. It was far removed from the front lines, and it contained highly productive farmland. This meant that the presence of military officials was limited while the food supply was not. In any event, Grandpap Jimmy was living with a group of outliers when conscription officers made a pass through the area. In order to avoid any chance confrontations, Jimmy and some of his compatriots hid out in a barn, beneath a sizable pile of hay. After an extended time in these unpleasant circumstances, one of the hiders observed "It sure is dark in here". Recognizing that an extended discussion was a good way to attract attention, Jimmy replied "Hell goddammitt, don't you think I know that!" and, I presume, ended the conversation. In 1990, shortly before she died, I visited with Florence Allred Leonard (1900 - 1990), my grandfather's first cousin. "Aunt" Florence, who had a particularly witty sense of humor, had entertained me with several stories about her father, uncles, and various other relatives. She then related the same "hiding-in-the-barn" story that my grandfather had told me many years before, even ending it with the "Hell goddammit..." line that Papaw had used. Since neither Florence nor my grandfather would normally use a phrase like that, I assume that they had both heard Grandpap tell the story probably as they sat together on his front porch after a family gathering. Rehearing a story that was originally told 70+ years before somehow gave a personality to the face that I had seen in the old sepia colored portrait. Although he died nearly 50 years before I was born, I felt at that moment like I "knew" Grandpap Jimmy, at least a little bit, and I was grateful that Papaw and Florence had taken the time to share their memories with me. I have a little boy of my own now. He is beginning to ask questions about family members who died before he was born, and I try to take the time to tell him what I know. Oral history, like memory, can be precious. As the pace of life gets ever more hectic, I hope that we will all take time to pass along the stories that we have heard or perhaps originated. That way, future generations can "know" us too, at least a little bit. |
President Barack Obama's Allred Family Info North Carolina Allreds in the 1750's North Carolina History Timeline |
Allred
Family Organization 
