PIATT-L Archives

From:
Subject: Re: [PIATT] Claudius Piatt
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:55:18 +0000

CLAUDIUS PIATT is a mystery man and little is known about
him. With my notes in brackets, I will quote from Volume
6, 1991, of the Piatt Family Newsletter:

*****
CLAUDIUS PIATT -- Richard O Piatt made a startling
discovery this year! Having arrived early for our meeting
[7th annual PIATT RESEARCHERS CONFERENCE in Ft Wayne IN],
he and Mary drove on over to Frankfort, county seat of
Clinton Co IN, for some extra research. They were
directed to Oak Hill Cemetery, near Kirklin, to search for
the possible gravesite of JAMES PYATT and/or MARY DONAHUE.
There they found a tombstone fro "PHILLIP H PIATT, 1820-
1919, and LUVINA PIATT, 1824-1893;" "two separate stones
for "CLARA A PIATT, 1852-1932," and "HOMER E PIATT, 1866-
1939," known to be children of PHILLIP and LUVINA, and in
between was a very old stone inscribed only, "CLAUDIUS
PIATT, VA MIL, WAR OF 1812." This stone was almost
totally obscured by a rose bush. It is possible that the
graves of JAMES PIATT and MARY DONAHUE are also in the
same cemetery, but if so, there is no trace remaining.

The question arises: How was CLAUDIUS related to JAMES?
They both served in the War of 1812 in widely separated
areas of Virginia, JAMES in Augusta County and CLAUDIUS
in Greensville County. I [Lynn White, editor] had copied
the military record for CLAUDIUS while in our National
Archives in April, and it follows below. If anyone can
tell us more about these people, we'd be delighted to
hear.

CLAUDIUS PIATT, Private, Capt Philip Pryor's Troop of
Cavalry, 1st Regt, (Byrne's) Virginia Militia; Company
Muster Roll, War of 1812, for 29 Aug to 30 Nov 1814, at
Camp Powell's Creek, 1 Dec 1814. Commencement of Service,
29 Aug 1814; Expiration of Service, 3 Dec 1814. Present,
No of horses, 1; Miles from home 60.

Company Pay Roll, War of 1812, 28 Aug to 6 Dec 1814; Roll
not dated. Commencement of Service -- 29 Aug 1814,
Expiration of service -- 3 Dec 1814. Term of Service, 3
months, 4 days, at 8 dollars per month; Amoun, $25.06. No
of horses, 1; Term of Service, 3 momths 4 days, at 40
cents per horse; Amount, $37.60. Total Amount, $62.66.

Know all men by these presents that I CLAUDIUS PIATT of
the County of Greensville and State of Virginia, do hereby
constitute and appoint Daniel Foster of the town of
Petersburg and state of Virginia my true and lawfull
attorney to receive and grant discharge accordingly, all
sum or sums of money that are or may be due me from the
United States or State of Virginia for services lately
rendered by me under Capt Phillip Pryor in this troop of
horse. In testimony of this my letter of attorney I have
hereunto set my land and affixed my seal this 23rd Decr
1814. Witness, Dandridge Spotswood /s/ CLAUDIUS PIATT
(seal)
*****

According to the 1850 census JAMES PIATT was born in New
Jersey in 1786. He married MARY DONAHUE in 1805 in
Rockbridge Co VA. His name appears on the personal
property tax lists for Rockbridge Co VA 1805-1807 and
Augusta Co VA 1810-1832. He appears on the Delaware Co OH
tax lists 1832-1837. A JAMES PYATT paid a poll tax and
personal property tax in Bartholomew co IN in 1842 and
1843. JAMES was in Jasper Co IN by 1851 according to land
records and he died in Clinton Co IN on 3 September 1871.
In IN it seems that he was always near his son PHILLIP
PIATT having been eunumerated with him in the 1860 census
and sold land to him one more than one occasion.

This family has been tracked through 3 states and several
counties with many records gathered concerning them. I
gathered my fair share of them and have had my hands on
original records in Delaware Co OH, Bartholomew Co IN, and
Jasper Co IN. Research at the historical society in
Clinton Co IN, Kirklin, revealed obituaries for Phillip
and Homer. But nowhere among all the records gathered is
there a mention, or a whisper, of a CLAUDIUS PIATT.

Yet his military marker is there in Oak Hill Cemetery in
Kirklin. I've seen it, too. It's under a climbing rose
bush. There are no dates on the stone. It is between two
of JAMES's grandchildren, an odd place to be, I think.
The stone is crowded between the others and a little
askew. I just don't think this is the original location
of the stone. If there was a date on the stone we could
tell when CLAUDIUS died, and presumably where, by the
records of the family in the various counties. I mean if
CLAUDIUS had not been with the family, why would they have
his stone? Is CLAUDIUS really in this cemetery? Was his
stone vandalized in this cemetery, then moved and covered
with a rose for protection? Is CLAUDIUS buried somewhere
else and did the family cart this stone with them until
JAMES and PHILLIP died?

Two more avenues of research should be pursued. The
records in the courthouse in Frankfort, Clinton Co IN
should be examined. I did not get there and I'm not sure
if anyone else has. If anyone has records from Clinton
Co, please share. Second, if possible, the paper trail
for the military marker for CLAUDIUS should be tracked.
But does anyone know how to do this? If we could find the
name of the person who applied for the stone, when are
where it was shipped we might have some answers.

Laverne Ingram Piatt
Ontario, OH
(currently waiting for grandbaby in Phoenixville, PA)

> Well there is a new name for me...Claudious Piatt is listed in the VA
> Tax lists for 1800. He holds deed to land in York County, VA. Anyone
> know him?
>
> --
> Robin Pyatt Bellamy
> Toronto, Canada
> www.triedit.com
> Chasing Dead Relatives
>
>
>
> ==== PIATT Mailing List ====
> The PIATT mailing list archives can be searched at
> http://archiver.rootsweb.com/PIATT-L/
>
> ==============================
> To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to:
> http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237
>

This thread:

• Re: [PIATT] Claudius Piatt by