Diggin4u

So.... I was just doin' some diggin' and this happened! It seems I am related to President Jimmy Carter (6th cousin, 1x removed)through my Muse ancestors, through my daddy and his mother, Wilma Muse, though in a not so traditional way... Humphrey Pope and Amey Veale are my 8th Great Grandparents, and James Muse, Sr. and Sophia Pope are my 7th Great Grandparents. Enjoy cousins!!! President Carter's son, Jeff, wrote a book, Ancestors of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter". This and alot of interesting information about our family in the book. Thank you to my 7th cousin, 1x removed (Jeff Carter) for all your hard work!

FAMILY NAME SEARCH Census/Marriage/Birth/Death Records. I search the records for your family name with information you provide me. You DO NOT PAY unless I locate a record. I have 20+ years in genealogical research and offer specialized artistic services.

Let me dig for you! Let's find something out about your ancestors!

Let's shine a light on your past. Who do you want to know about?

Thomas Boyd Hughes (2nd Great Uncle) Uncle to Watson Watkins Hughes (my grandfather)
BIRTH 1839 • Dallas County, Ala
DEATH 04 JUL 1899 • Leflore County, Mississippi, USA
Buried in HIDEOUT PLANTATION CEMETERY, Shellmound, MS

Beau, Roxana, Johnny, Sandi, Jeffrey, Lisa

Thibodaux Family.Pete, Gordon, Alfred, Willie Mae and Betty Joe -- first pic, B&W pic is Helen Jesse Antill ( James Thibodaux's paternal grandmother.

James Hillery Conelious Calhoun
BIRTH 14 JANUARY 1888 • Coffee County, Alabama,
DEATH 2 MAY 1969 • Baytown, Harris County, Texas,
BURIAL McCullough, Escambia County, Alabama,

Bunnia Aliza HUGHES
BIRTH 15 APRIL 1893 • Alabama
DEATH 8 SEPTEMBER 1961 • Atmore, Escambia, Alabama
maternal grandmother of husband of sister

Where my Daddy was born and my Granddaddy died...

Bukka White - Parchman Farm Blues Broadcasting the Blues (Paul Oliver)

Read about the beginning of my journey and how I can Dig for you in the "About Diggin4u" section on the right of this page!

Mark Twain's words on the murderer of my 3rd great grandfather are as follows:

The best description of the Murrell Clan was given by Mark Twain in his work, Life on the Mississippi. Twain compared Murrell to the outlaw Jesse James, claiming “Murell was his equal
in boldness, in pluck, in rapacity; in cruelty, brutality, heartlessness, treachery, and in general and comprehensive vileness and shamelessness; and very much his superior in some larger
aspects.”12 Twain described Murrell’s gang as robbers, counterfeiters, horse-thieves, and negrostealers,
all doing business along the Mississippi River.13 Twain continues with an in-depth description of the Mystic Clan, which consisted of two classes.

The upper class, called the Heads or Councils, planned the crimes. There were about four hundred people within this class. The lower class was called ‘strikers’. Approximately six hundred and fifty members acted as strikers.They often performed dangerous acts, but were poorly compensated. The strikers were also responsible for recruiting slaves for the business. The Councils had the power to kill any striker whom they deemed unworthy to live.14

The process Murrell and his clan used when killing a human and disposing of evidence was gruesome. According to “John Murrell’s Own Story,” Murell “ripped open the victim’s belly and took out the entrails, and sunk him in the creek.”15 The outlaw claimed that the reason he did this was because “he will never give evidence against me; and there is but one safe plan in
the business, and that is to kill.”16 It is estimated that 400 slaves suffered this type of “freedom from slavery” by the hands or orders of Murrell. Unfortunately for Murrell, one slave in Florence,
Alabama did not fall into his trap.

From some oral accounts put down on paper, it seems my 3rd great grandfather, Green Depriest was not so lucky. It is said he was one of the unfortunate ones who's belly was ripped open, stuffed with stones, and sunk to the bottom of the "Muddy Mississip."