You may have noticed that there has not been an original post on Renegade South lately. The reason is that, for the past two weeks, I have been absorbed by the task of getting Southern Communities at War ready for the copyeditor at University of North Carolina Press. I hope to have that portion of its preparation for production finished by June 1. Immediately following that, I will turn to completing forms and questionnaires for the UNC marketing department.
I’m excited for the book to finally be at this stage–as many of you know, I have been working on it for several years. Most of the posts on this site relate to its essays, at least peripherally. But the book especially demands my attention between now and at least June 15, and so the blog will have to take second place for now.
Even while working on Southern Communities at War, however, I check Renegade South at least once a day. I always find time to respond to comments! And I welcome, as ever, suggestions for future blogs and contributions of material or photos that you would like me to consider posting.
Thanks! Now it’s back to editing . . . .
NOTE, November 24, 2009: Southern Communities at War has been renamed The Long Shadow of the Civil War: Southern Dissent and Its Legacies. It is scheduled for release on Feb. 18, 2010.
Categories: Announcements, The Long Shadow of the Civil War
Renegade South 
I have just discovered your blog and want to thank you for your wonderful book about Jones County. I have been researching my Lowery,Wade, and Shows ancestors for 8 years now and especially appreciate the pre-Civil War background you provided.
My great grandmother is Louisa Elizabeth Wade, widow of Benjamin Franklin Knight. Her second husband, Peter Lowery, is my great grandfather. In your research, have you come across any information on him?
I look forward to your new book.
Danette
LikeLike
Danette,
Thank you so much for commenting, and for your praise of my book, FREE STATE OF JONES. I am especially pleased that you liked the pre-Civil War chapters. In many ways, they were the hardest to research and write, yet I believe they are crucial to understanding the long, long origins of the Civil War uprising that has made Jones County famous.
I have not come across material about Peter Lowery in my research, but perhaps some of our readers have. My grandmother was a Shows (Naoma, daughter of J.K.P. and Margaret Reeves Shows), so you and I are distant kin.
Vikki
LikeLike
Danette:
I am researching Piney Woods widows of the Civil War and one person in whom I am interested is Louisa E. Wade. You are correct that her second husband Peter Lowery seems to be a mystery. Also, I haven’t found the family on either the 1870 or 1880 census. By 1900, Louisa is a widow again, living in Marion Co, MS.
If you will let me know what you have found other than the above, I’ll try researching in the MS Archives.
LikeLike
Ed,
Great grandfather Peter Lowery has moved from “brick wall” to more of “picket fence” status in my research. I will be only to happy to share my research,thoughts, and theories with you. You will find Peter and Louisa in the 1880 Washington Parish, LA. census. There they are enumerated as P. Lowery and L.E. Lowery.The daughters Laura, Jane, and Trease are Peter’s with first wife Trecy Walters. Pounds Lowery is really James Pounds Knight, Louisa son with Ben Knight. Monroe, John Abner, Charity, William W. (my grandfather), and David Seaborn are Peter and Louisa’s children. Missing are W.M. “Nick” and Liler.
Like you, I cannot find the family in the 1870 census though at that time they were probably still in Jones County. Peter’s children including son Jesse (who disappears from records after 1870) are living with their mother’s sister Reny (Irene) Walters Lott. Sarah Elizabeth Knight is living with her uncle Elisha Wade (Louisa’s brother) and his wife Harriet Knight (Ben’s sister). Since Monroe was born in 1870, I can only speculate that he, his parents, and baby Trease managed to avoid the census taker. Pounds is also missing from the 1870 census; he was probably living with his granfather Knight by then and just not enumerated.
Cousins have told me that the Wades and Knights did not approve of Louisa’s marriage to Peter. There is some thought that he spent time in prison (interesting story I won’t share here!) but after creating a time line of Peter’s life, I can’t find a time period where he could have been behind bars.
I have lots of information to share and can also put you in contact with two of Ben Knight’s descendants: one from Sarah Elizabeth and one from James Pounds. The three of us have been sharing information for several years trying to piece together the family history. I also have some tin types which belonged to my grandfather Lowery which I believe to be of Peter and Louisa and their children.
I am pleased that your work just might transform my great grandmother from “the poor young wife” to Louisa Wade Knight Lowery, a woman to be admired for all that she experienced.
LikeLike
Danette:
Wonderful to hear from you. Would love to learn more family knowledge about Louisa Wade and her second husband before attempting to post my “outside” research on her. Vikki can provide you with my email address.
What I came up with is similar: I assume Peter Lowery was Simon Peter Lowery and he had previously married Teresa Walters ca 1857. I also assume she is the person listed in her father Jesse’s household in 1860 as Treasy Lowery with daughter T(reasy?), age 2.
I’m trying to determine what connection might exist between the Knights of Jones County and those in Washington Parish, Louisiana. Did Louisa’s status as widow of Benjamin Knight offer some explanation of her and Peter moving to Washington Parish by 1880? Just curious that there are concentrations of Knights in both places.
Family sources claim Louisa died ca 1916 but I did not find her in the Mississippi death certificates for 1912-1924. This makes me wonder if, after being in Marion County MS on the 1910 census, she ended up back in Louisiana.
Thanks for your comment and hope we are able throw more light on the life of Louisa Wade.
Ed
LikeLike
Check death records in the states that her parents or siblings lived in. I see lots if reverse migration related to the war and race war in Louisiana I’d check Alabama and Florida first. Lots of Lowerys there.
LikeLike
Hello Danette and Ed,
I am also researching Peter Lowery who is my 3rd great grandfather through Peter and Louisa’s daughter Charity. I would love a copy of the tin types mentioned above and any other pictures you may have. This thread is several years old now. Have you uncovered any additional information on Peter’s ancestry?
Regards,
Judson Herrington
jpherrington95@gmail.com
LikeLike