Harvey E. Light’s story began in 1834, when he was born at Fishkill-on-the-Hudson, the first child of blacksmith James Light and his wife, Maria Devine.  The family moved to Fairport when Harvey was an infant.  At a young age, Harvey left school to help support the family by working on the farm of Jesse Whitney, currently the location of the Fairport Baptist Home.  He also worked on the Webster farm in Pittsford.    Harvey may have met his future wife, Mary Helen Shepard, during this time.  Mary Helen’s father, Sylvester Shepard, was an early settler to Pittsford with his brother, William Shepard.

In 1852, James sold his land in Fairport to Daniel B. DeLand and moved the family, now consisting of nine children, to Greenville, Michigan.  Harvey followed the family to Michigan in the mid-1850s where he worked as a nurseryman.  Eventually, he bought his own farm and expanded his nursery business to include 300 acres of pine trees.  Harvey returned to New York in 1861 to wed Mary Helen Shepard at the First Presbyterian Church in Pittsford.  Together, they traveled to Michigan where Harvey was elected Sheriff of Montcalm County.

Soon after the birth of his first child in July 1863, Harvey was given permission to raise a company to join in the war effort.  He hired a bugler, a snare drummer and a bass drummer to help “drum up” interest in the war enlistment meetings which were held throughout the area.  Company E, 10^th Michigan Cavalry went off to war with the newly commissioned Captain Harvey E. Light at its helm.

Major Harvey E. Light, 10th Michigan Cavalry

Much of Harvey’s time with the 10^th Michigan Cavalry was spent in the Knoxville, Tennessee, area.  After a time, Harvey was sent back to Michigan to recruit more men.  He must have been quite persuasive, for he managed to enlist his brother Dewitt to join Co. E.  Younger brothers Edward and George served in the 8^th Michigan Infantry.  Amazingly, all four Light boys survived the war.  Harvey E. Light was promoted to Major before mustering out on November 11, 1865.

Four more sons and a daughter were born to the Lights in the years following the Civil War.  The family moved to Massachusetts in 1873, where Harvey had purchased a foundry, but returned to Pittsford several years later.  They lived on the Shepard family homestead on East Avenue, which has since been razed.  Harvey was very active in the community, serving throughout the years as an active member of the First Presbyterian church, a census taker, Grange member and Commander of the G.A.R. EJ Tyler Post #288, an organization composed of Civil War veterans.

Harvey continued to live on his farm after the death of his wife in 1902.  It was there that Major Harvey E. Light died on September 17, 1921.  He was buried at Pittsford Cemetery on his 87^th birthday.  A newspaper article announcing Major Harvey E. Light’s death stated that “…in his character were to be found, in a large degree, the attributes of the gentlemen of the old school – courtesy, politeness, thoughtfulness for the welfare and successfulness of others, combined with sterling integrity…the example to be found in his life is one that might well be emulated by the young men of this generation.”

This article was originally published in the Fall 2011 issue of the Historic Pittsford newsletter.

The first ever serial, in which I told the tale of A Wicked Affair:  The Lives of John Jay White and Edward F. Clum, ran in July and August on Illuminated History.  The saga lent itself well to the serial format, and it is something I would like to explore again in the future.  Through the other months of this busy year, Illuminated History highlighted the secretive – and controversial - uses of Civil War quilts, spotlighted Civil War soldier James Austen and even heralded a visit to the Perinton Historical Society by President Ulysses S. Grant, as portrayed by historian Steve Trimm of Grant Cottage.

The joy I receive from researching these local heroes is expanded tenfold every time I hear from one of their descendants.  In 2011, I was fortunate to be in contact with no less than four descendants of Major Harvey E. Light – Doug, Crystal, Mary & Glenn.  Each descendant had different information about the Light family to share with me.  On May 21, 2011, I received a wonderful gift.  Major Harvey Light’s great-great grandson, Doug, flew from Texas to attend my Pittsford Cemetery tour.  This was Doug’s first trip to Pittsford, where he had come to pay tribute to the man so many admired.  A visit to Major Light’s grave during our tour always draws a captive audience, since he is the highest-ranking Civil War soldier buried at the cemetery and he lived an extraordinary life.  At the gravesite, I gave my usual talk about Major Light and his family.  However, I managed to elicit gasps from the crowd after the talk when I said that, for the first time ever, we had a descendant of the Major in our midst.  I then introduced Doug to the group.  One of the most touching moments of my career as a historian was watching Doug place the flag at his great-great grandfather’s grave.

My hope for 2012 is to find time to post more articles on Illuminated History, to continue to contribute updates to Illuminated History Facebook, to persevere in my quest to locate more information about these Civil War heroes and to share that research with anyone who will listen.  Thank you for your continued interest in the lives of the men whose sacrifices may have occurred one hundred and fifty years ago, but whose spirits march on.

]]> http://illumhistory.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/marching-on/feed/ 0 Vicki Profitt Doug Light placing a flag at Major Harvey E. Light's grave http://illumhistory.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/piercing-eyes-silent-voices/ http://illumhistory.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/piercing-eyes-silent-voices/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:35:56 +0000 Vicki Profitt http://illumhistory.wordpress.com/?p=853 ]]> “When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes.  But when you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!”  Canadian photographer Ted Grant seems to be on to something with that quote.  I take many photographs that tell a story to help me remember the moment.  However, they seem to just capture the main object in the frame.  When I look at black and white photos, I feel as if I can truly see the souls of the people looking back at me.  Their eyes tell a story though their voices have been silenced.

I love digging through old photographs and ephemera at antique shops or searching online for missing genealogical links.  My goal is to find a treasure; however, my idea of a treasure has nothing to do with jewels or money.  My idea of treasure consists of locating items of local historical significance.  My treasure might be photographs of people who lived in my community generations ago.  My treasure could be a program from a 1921 estate sale which took place on the land I live on today.  My definition of treasure is knowledge.

Mustache Man

Last month, after perusing old photographs on eBay looking for interesting images, I came across a cabinet card of an unidentified man.  His eBay title was “Mustache Man”, and that is what I called him.  Mustache Man’s photo was taken in 1891 by photographer A. E. Dumble of Rochester, New York.  Despite looking at hundreds of images, I kept returning to Mustache Man.  He spoke to me.  Thankfully, Mustache Man didn’t speak to anyone else, because I won the auction and Mustache Man returned home to Rochester.  The image shows a young man, early-to-mid 30s, with dark blonde or light brown hair, a handlebar mustache, cleft chin and clear blue eyes.

After posting Mustache Man’s photo on Illuminated History Facebook, I asked for assistance in naming him.  Our Facebook friends suggested some interesting names, including Kind Hearted Ken, Handlebar Harry and Antonio.  The name that fit our Mustache Man was Samuel Everheart.  Samuel seemed to agree, because I could swear his eyes twinkled when I called him by name.

I wish I knew Samuel Everheart’s true identity.  Did he marry and have children?  Did he live a long life?  Who is this mystery man?  If Samuel’s mother/sister/wife had only placed his name on the back of the photo, we would have answers to these questions.  It is SO important to label your family photographs!  If all you have time to do is write the name on the back, that is better than nothing.  I like to include the photo date and place the photo was taken as well.  Think of how much more we could learn about Samuel if only someone had recorded these important bits of information.

The moral of the story is this:  Don’t allow your family members to become silent voices languishing in the bargain bin at the local antiques shoppe.  Label your photos and preserve your family history for generations to come.

Pittsford Town and Village Historian, Audrey Johnson, led about 60 people through the cemetery to the graves of early settlers Stephen and Sarah Hincher Davis Lusk.  Stephen had come to this area in 1791 with his father, John Lusk.  A tanner by trade, Stephen had recently lost his wife.  Sarah was a young widow of 24.  One day, it became clear that Sarah needed a new pair of shoes.  She stopped at the local tannery, where she met Stephen Lusk.  They were soon wed.  Sarah and Stephen would have six children together.  Sarah died in 1856, aged 78.  Stephen followed four years later, at age 84.  They are buried together in the Lusk enclosure, which encompasses over twenty members of the Lusk family.  Stephen and Sarah Lusk were portrayed by Joe Maxey and his wife, Peg.

Elihu Doud, the brickmaker, was next.  This was Elihu’s first appearance at the Day of the Dead event.  Elihu created the bricks that were used in many local homes and businesses.  Rusty Likly, President of Historic Pittsford, played Elihu Doud.

Pittsford Supervisor Silas Nye was played by current Pittsford Mayor Bob Corby.  Colonel Caleb Hopkins, as portrayed by David Minor, discussed how he met his future wife, Dorothy Maybee.  Caleb learned the traveling preacher was in town, so he hiked over to Dorothy’s house, where he found her hanging out the wash.  He asked for her hand, and they were married that day.  Hannah Whipple Acer, wife of John Acer, told how her husband had purchased over 100 acres of land in Pittsford, including the Phoenix building, which is still in existence today, and which was made with bricks supplied by Elihu Doud.  This was also Hannah’s first appearance at Day of the Dead, and her spirit was conveyed through Joanne Shannon.  Peter Webster played John Ray, a doctor who had to ford dangerous streams in order to get to his patients.

The tour then headed east toward the grave of Ann Agate Miles, wife of Rev. Stephen Miles, portrayed by Liz Jackson-Renner.  Another new addition this year was Caroline Maxfield Thornell, daughter of Hannah & Barnet Maxfield.  Caroline was portrayed by Shelley O’Brien, who currently lives at the Thornell homestead.  Audrey Maxfield Johnson portrayed her own relative, Hannah Maxfield.  Then we heard the sad story of Sarah Wood Osgoodby, who lost eight of her eleven children to disease, all within several years of each other.  Deborah Scrantom Resch played Sarah.

Carol Newcomb, wife of Newcomb descendant Michael, portrayed Julia Tobey Newcomb, an early pioneer who recalled coming to the area in 1848.  I became Jane Ann Hecox Patterson, mother of Ezra A. Patterson, who had enlisted as a private in the 108th New York Infantry in 1862, but was quickly promoted to 1st Sergeant.  Ezra’s first and last battle was Antietam, where he was severely wounded.  After being sent to recuperate at Carver Hospital in Washington, D.C., Ezra died of a hemorrhage before his discharge papers came through.  He was returned to Pittsford and buried beside his mother, Jane, who had died in 1853.

Thanks to all who attended and to those who gave of their time to bring the lives of these pioneers to light.  It was a wonderful event, and I hope it is a program we will continue to present year after year.

Unknown Man from Civil War-era album, V. M. Profitt Collection

Through the years, I’ve had many people ask how they can locate photographs of their Civil War ancestors.  It can be a daunting task, but I went to someone I knew would have the answer to that question.  Ron Erwin has been collecting Civil War memorabilia for many years.  After putting some thought into it, Ron came up with the following checklist for locating family photographs:

First, you would need to know his name and regiment.  Without both, it is almost impossible as there may be more than one Civil War soldier with the same name.  Check state records for possible alternate spellings.

 1. Check with relatives, even distant cousins.

 2. Check on line. Google soldier’s name and regiment.  Try different spellings.  Post request on Civil War bulletin boards.

 3. Visit the local libraries. Ask for his regimental history, any scrapbooks that might have information, newspaper indexes for obits or any photos that might have been donated to local history department.   Look for County Histories and biographies of local people.

 4. Ask at local historical societies.  Most towns have a Town Historian.  Ask for him/her at the Town Hall of any towns of cities soldier lived in.

 5. Put an ad in the local newspapers asking for information on soldier and photo.

 6. Newspapers often have a reporter or columnist who specializes in historical articles and might be able to help.

 7. Ask at local history museums.

 8. The American Civil War Research Database (www.civilwardata.com) has some photos.  It is a membership fee ($25.00) site but
has a free demo; perhaps a local historian has a membership.  U.S. Army Heritage Collections Online has a large collection of photographs at www.ahco.army.mil .

 9. Civil War Round Tables often have members who know collectors who have photographs of Civil War soldiers.

 10. Civil War re-enactors are sometimes collectors who have images of Civil War soldiers.   Check local regiments.  Ask at Civil War Re-enactments.

 11. Attend a Gun Show and ask dealers who specialize in Civil War items.

 12. As a last resort one could try calling people in the phone book with the soldiers last name and hope to find a relative with a photo.

Special thanks to Ron Erwin for this excellent checklist. 

Does anyone else have ideas on ways to locate family photographs?  If so, let’s hear them!

On April 15, 1887, Ed Clum was hanged in front of an audience estimated to be between 5,000 and 7,000 people.  Newspaper accounts note that nearly one-third of the spectators were women and children.  An article in The (Fairport) Herald dated April 22, 1887, discussed the event that had everyone in Cassville, Missouri and Fairport, New York riveted to the newspapers:

“Clum confessed that he did the deed, and said he was ready to pay the penalty; while he was in hopes that God had forgiven him.  This makes the end of a series of causes and effects, which have resulted in the suicide of Mrs. White, the death of Mrs. Clum, probably by murder, the murder of White and Ella Bowe, and the hanging of Clum.”

Edward F. Clum was laid to rest in an unmarked grave in Missouri.  My question was whether I could allow this story to languish beside him, untold, where it had already lain for over a century unnoticed.  This was the first instance I had found where two Civil War soldiers I was researching proved to be of less than stellar character.  Illuminated History‘s goal is to shine a light on the Civil War soldiers of Monroe County, New York.  I felt the story needed to be told, if only to remind myself that these Civil War soldiers were real people with real faults.

A Wicked Affair was written as a serial, because the subject matter lent itself to the telling of a story in the most dramatic of fashions.  This story of lust and deceit and passion was a tale that could easily have come from the reels of an old Hollywood film – except it didn’t.  It came from my own community.  As I dug further into the circumstances surrounding the murders, I was saddened by the number of lives destroyed by these two men.  Not only their lives and those of their wives, but the heinous crimes committed also weighed heavily on the parents, siblings and children in the Clum and White families.  John Jay White had three children who were left orphaned.  The devastation and confusion they must have felt at the loss of their parents is unthinkable.  Those children grew to adulthood, married and had children of their own.  To their credit, they remained in the same area in which they had always lived.  It should be said that, with the exception of Ed and Jay, the Clum and White families were well-respected in this community.  I would hope that same respect continued to be shown to them even after the events of July, 1886 unfolded.

This concludes A Wicked Affair:  The Story of Clum & White.

At some point, Ed Clum heard that his wife, Lottie, was ill.  Although his parents begged him not to go to her, Ed headed out west.  He arrived in Missouri several weeks after Lottie’s death.  What was said between Clum and White at that time remains unknown.  However, Ed Clum began living in the house with Jay White and young Ella Bowe.  Ed became known around Cassville as “Mr. White’s brother-in-law”, for it was thought that he was the late Mrs. White’s brother.  The threesome seemed to be getting along well.

On Thursday, July 8, 1886, something finally snapped in Ed Clum.  He had been working the farm all day with Willis DeHoney, the hired man.  At sundown, Willis beckoned to Ed to come help him load onto the wagon the wheat he had mowed.  Ed assisted, and Willis drove off toward the barn with a full load of wheat.  When Willis looked back, he saw Ed Clum firing his gun, discharging both barrels in rapid pace.  Then Willis watched as Ed reloaded and shot twice more.  Ed must have known Willis was watching, because he motioned for Willis to come over.

Upon Willis’ arrival at the scene he saw John Jay White and Ella Bowe lying close together against a tree, dead.  Ed Clum threw some straw over the bodies, and the two men returned in the dark with an empty wagon.  They began their ghoulish task of loading the bodies onto the wagon and depositing them into a ditch near the creek, covering them with straw and rocks.  Ed Clum threatened Willis’ life if he told anyone about the murders.

For one week, Willis lived under the watchful eye of Ed Clum.  Then, after complaining of a need to get medicine, Willis was allowed to leave the farm and head to town.  He went straight to the City Marshal’s office, and told the story of the double murders of John Jay White and Ella Bowe by Ed Clum.  Warrants were issued, and Ed Clum was found to be working on the farm as though nothing had happened.  He was immediately arrested and jailed.

The authorities contacted friends and family back in New York for information about Edward F. Clum.  In a letter to Marshal J. F. Dumont responding to this inquiry, Adjutant John F. Huntington of Fairport’s G.A.R. E. A. Slocum Post #211 wrote of the unpleasantness of the characters of both men, finishing his missive with “…the world can well get rid of such a vile nest
as these people were.”

Coming soon – A Wicked Affair: Part 4 – Lives Destroyed.

After the war, both men returned to Walworth, New York, in Wayne County.  The 1870 census lists Jay as a farmer, living in Walworth with his wife, Mary Augusta, and 6 year old son Warland.  By that time, Ed had been married to 18 year old Charlotte (“Lottie”) for about a year, and was working as a day laborer.

The years between 1870 and 1884 are unrecorded.  However, by the early 1880s, Clum and White were living just a few miles apart.  Tongues began to wag about the inappropriate behavior of Lottie Clum and Jay White, and about Ed Clum’s lack of interest in protecting his wife.  Several articles even insinuated that all three were living under the same roof.  This was the last straw for Jay’s long-suffering wife, Mary Augusta, who committed suicide on May 30, 1884.  She left behind three children – Warland, Ruth and little Lucy who was not yet four years old.  After Mary Augusta’s death, Jay became even more brazen.  He carried on with Lottie Clum, paying no heed to any conventions of decent behavior.

Jay and Ed had joined the G.A.R. E. A. Slocum Post #211 of Fairport, New York together in 1884.  On September 27, 1885, Edward F. Clum was dismissed from the post by court martial for conduct unbecoming a gentleman and a soldier.  He had arrived at a post-sponsored family campfire intoxicated, and had proceeded to use obscene language in front of the wives and children of his fellow veterans.  Jay White was dishonorably discharged from the post on the same date.  His crime?  Riding intoxicated through the streets of the village at a furious pace with Mrs. Edward Clum.

Shortly thereafter, John Jay White took off for the west – with Lottie Clum in tow.  They made their way to Cassville, Missouri, where they lived on a farm and Lottie was known as “Mrs. White”.  The fact that Jay White had once again bested him and made off with his wife apparently did not weigh too heavily on Ed Clum’s mind, for he did not follow them…until five months later.

Stay tuned for A Wicked Affair: Part 3 – A Vile Nest!

Ed Clum was born in Germantown, New York in July 1844. His father, Ferdinand, was a well-to-do farmer who was highly regarded in the little community of Walworth, New York, where Ed grew to adulthood.  Yet Ed was a wild child whose temper could not be curbed.  His parents despaired of him, and had hoped Ed’s older brother, Chauncey, would be a good role model.  Then the war came and Chauncey went off with the 33rd New York Infantry to fight.  It took him two weeks to die, two agonizing weeks of pain from the wound he received at Antietam.  Chauncey couldn’t help Ed now.

Ed most probably knew John Jay White even before they enlisted in Co. B, 9th New York Heavy Artillery together.  After all, they lived just two miles apart in Walworth.  Ed and Jay even enlisted in the 9th on the same day – December 7, 1863.  To all who knew them, they were an odd pair.  Ed was coarse, and would have been forgettable had it not been for his bad temper.  Jay was more refined, more intellectual, and had a charm that belied his inner demons.  Who would have suspected that this singular friendship would lead to murder?

Stay tuned for Part 2 of A Wicked Affair!

Civil War Monument in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Fairport, New York

Join me for a Twilight Tour of Mount Pleasant Cemetery in the village of Fairport, New York on Tuesday, June 14th at 7:00 p.m.

We will meet at the Civil War monument within Mount Pleasant, which is located on Summit Street.  You’ll learn about some of the 30 Fairport and Perinton men who lost their lives fighting for their country during the Civil War.  Then we’ll visit others within the cemetery who returned home when the fighting was done.  Each of them has a unique story to share.

Please wear comfortable walking shoes and be prepared for cool weather and rain.  I look forward to sharing the stories of these hometown heroes with you!