Did my great-great-grandfather have a brother named Thomas? That question started this quest.
I don’t know who the parents are of my great-great-grandfather, Edward Whitfield “Whit” Dennis. Through DNA testing, I do know he is related to the Dennis family who raised him. Whether his mother was unwed Narcissa Dennis or one of her brothers or sisters, I am unsure.
On the 1870 census, this Dennis household was listed twice:
- Syntha Dennis 72
Narcissa Dennis 43
Edward Dennis 13 *My great-great-grandfather
Thomas Dennis 20 - Sidda Dennis 80
Narassa Dennis 46
Dennis Thomas 19 (Thomas Dennis)
Edward Thomas 12 (Edward Dennis) *My great-great-grandfather
Sidda/Sintha is the grandmother. Narcissa is her daughter. Edward/Whit has always been presumably Narcissa’s son, although I am not so sure. Who is Thomas?
I did a search on Ancestry.com for Thomas Dennis, born in Stewart County, Tennessee about 1850. The result from the Illinois Database of Illinois Veterans stood out:
Name Thomas James Dennis
Rank Private
Unit 29th Illinois Infantry
Height 5′ 5
Hair LIGHT
Eyes BLUE
Complexion LIGHT
Occupation Farmer
Birth Date Abt 1845
Birth Place Stewart CO, TN
War Civil War
War Years 1861-1865
Service Entry Age 18
Service Entry Date 23 Dec 1863
Service Entry Place Metropolis, IL
Joined By Whom CPT CURTIS
Period 3 YRS
Residence Place Metropolis, Massac CO, IL
Record Source Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls
URL http://www.ilsos.gov/isaveterans/civilMusterSearch.do?key=65139
Born in Stewart County, Tennessee?! One noticeable discrepancy is his age. If this is the same Thomas, when he joined in 1863 he would have been only 13, close to 14 years old. From research on his unit, he seemed to be a “back up”. This is the only record I could find for Thomas James Dennis. There were a few other Dennis surnames in Metropolis, Illinois at the time, but none I could clearly link to Thomas. (A middle aged woman named Martha Dennis, born in Tennessee, is living with people who have different last names.)
I am thankful that Illinois kept such good records of Civil War soldiers. We know his middle name was James, he was 5’5, light hair, and blue eyes.
On the 1850 census in Stewart County, there is Narcissa’s brother, William, living with wife, Ann, and a son, Thomas, age 0. This matches Thomas’s age from the 1870 census records. I believe Thomas’s parents are William Dennis and Ann Jackson. On the 1850 census, Dennis is spelled Dennes.
“Whit” Dennis has no siblings that I’ve been able to find. I am confident Thomas was just his cousin.
If you have more information on this family or are also related, please email me at downhomegenealogy@gmail.com.
Originally published May 22, 2017
Updated May 16, 2018
Down Home Genealogy 