On March 11, 1776, George Washington issued a General Order directing his Commanding Officers to select four men from each regiment. These men would be used to form his personal guard. He was very specific in his request:

“His Excellency depends upon the Colonels for good Men, such as they can recommend for their sobriety, honesty and good behavior; he wishes them to be from five feet eight inches high, to five feet ten inches; handsomely and well made, and as there is nothing in his eyes more desirable than Cleanliness in a Soldier, he desires that particular attention be made in the choice of such men as are clean and spruce.”

The official designation of this new unit was “His Excellency’s Guard,” or the “General’s Guard.” However, enlisted soldiers would refer to the unit as “The Life Guards” or “Body Guards.”

Two months after its formation, they were at the center of what came to be known as the Hickey mutiny. This attempt to infiltrate Washington’s inner circle in order to assassinate him was eventually uncovered and resulted in the arrest of a number of “Life Guards,” including Sergeant Thomas Hickey, an Irish migrant who deserted from the British army and reenlisted in the Continental Army. He was court martialed, found guilty and became the first member of the Continental Army to be executed. Following this incident, Washington ordered that no foreign born soldier could be assigned as a guardsman.

Captain Stephen Jackson who, at the young age of 17, fought and was wounded at the battle of Yorktown, was chosen to become one of Washington’s “Life Guards.” In fact, Washington is known to have once stopped at Jackson’s home in Rockaway NJ in 1780 to partake of refreshments. Jackson was the 4th great grandfather of my sister-in-law.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio specialized in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of film, videotapes, audio recordings, photos, negatives and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website.

During my quest into our past, I have discovered a vast number of different occupations held by my ancestors. Farmers, physicians, artists, musicians, politicians, businessmen and the list continues on. But never did I expect to find that we came very close to adding a pope to the family tree.

In the conclave of 1903, it was widely expected that Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro would be elected pope following the death of Leo XIII. Apparently, it was common knowledge that he had enough votes. However, while the conclave met, Austrian Emperor Frances Joseph I exercised his right of jus exclusivae, familiarly known as the papal veto, sending a messenger to the Vatican to express his disapproval of the choice.

There is no evidence of why the Austrian Emperor objected to Rampolla. It is possible that the latter’s pro-French positions were not looked upon favorably. Others believe it was retribution for the denial Rampolla had issued, blocking a church funeral for the Austrian Crown Prince Rudolph because he committed suicide.

Whatever the reason, even though it was never formally accepted by the Catholic Church, the veto, which had been used in the past by the French monarchy, the Spanish monarchy and the Austrian empire, was successful in influencing the votes away from Rampolla. Cardinal Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto of Italy thus became Pope Pius X. One of his first actions was to forbid the use of the jus exclusivae in the future. To date, it has never been overtly attempted since.

Mariano Rampolla, the last papal candidate to be removed from consideration due to a regal objection, remained Arch-Priest of St. Peters following the 1903 conclave and served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He is related to our family through the husband of my niece.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of film, videotape, audio recordings, photos, negatives and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website. 

How many personal stories have been lost to time and history? Far too many if you ask me. Fortunately, there are some that survive – like this one from yet another ancestor who lived among those in the Plymouth colony:

John Howland, the 10th great-grandfather of my daughter-in-law, sailed on the Mayflower. Apparently he had quite the eventful crossing. It is recounted at some length by Mrs. Sophia Martin who, in 1903, compiled The John Mack Genealogy.

“In a mighty storm, John Howland, a Passenger, a stout young man, by a keel of ye ship, was thrown into ye sea. But it pleased God, he caught hold of ye Topsail Halilards which hung overboard and run out yer length; yet he kept his hold, tho several Fathoms under water, till he was drawn up by ye same Rope to ye surface and by a Boat Hook and other means got into ye ship: and tho somewhat ill upon it, lived many years and became a useful member both in Church and Commonwealth.”

He was the 13th of the 41 principal men to sign the Mayflower Compact. Soon afterwards, he married Elizabeth Tillie. She was the daughter of John Tillie who also arrived on the Mayflower only to die along with his wife during that first harsh winter. The orphaned Elizabeth was then adopted by Governor John Carver for whom Howland served, first as indentured servant and then later as executive assistant and personal secretary.

John and Elizabeth ultimately had ten children – children who would never have been born had he been taken by the sea during that perilous journey.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of film, videotapes, audio recordings, photos, negatives and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website.

William Batchelder Bradbury, my son’s 8th cousin (7 times removed) had an inauspicious start to his musical career. While studying at the Academy of Music in Boston, he was excited to show his parents his newly developed skill of singing and beating time. His gestures were so grand and extravagant, his parents could not contain their laughter.

Bradbury attributed this event, along with the experience of the first singing class he taught, one that had an embarrassingly small turnout, as helping him develop a humility that would serve him well over the years. He became best known as a composer and publisher of children’s Christian music.

Starting out as an organist in Boston, (in fact he owned a piano manufacturing company along with his brother Edward), he was offered an opportunity to teach singing to children in Machias, Maine and then later St Johns, New Brunswick. This led to a position in the First Baptist Church in Brooklyn where Bradbury became instrumental in developing a musical curriculum for the NY Public Schools. His free singing classes evolved into a annual music festival which one year culminated in a children’s chorus of over 1,000 boys and girls. It was an indescribable sight, evidenced by this first hand report.

“The sight itself was a thrilling one. A thousand children were seated on a gradually rising platform, which spread the scene, as it were, most gracefully before the eye. About two-thirds of the class were girls, dressed uniformly in white with a white wreath and blue sash. The boys were dressed in jackets with collars turned over, something in the Byron style. When all were ready, a chord was struck on the piano — a thousand children instantly arose, presenting a sight that can be far more easily imagined than described. Of the musical effect produced by such a chorus we will not attempt to speak.”

In his lifetime Bradbury edited 59 books of spiritual and secular music, much of which consisted of his own compositions. He is perhaps best known for composing the music to a poem he found in 1862 written by Anna B. Warner. It has been sung in Sunday schools and churches around the world ever since… Jesus Loves Me.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of film, videotapes, audio recordings, photos, negatives, and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website.

I was surprised to discover that, at the age of 68, the great-grandmother of one of my aunts listed as her place of residence on the Federal Census, Fort Leavenworth Military Reservation in Kansas. The only thing I knew about Fort Leavenworth was its reputation as a federal prison so I wondered what she had done to get herself locked up alongside such notable criminals as Machine Gun Kelly, Whitey Bulger, James Earl Ray, and Robert Stroud (aka the Birdman of Alcatraz). Turns out, it was just her home.

Historically known as the intellectual center of the Army, Fort Leavenworth was established in 1827 by Col. Henry Leavenworth on land acquired during the Louisiana Purchase. It was originally established in order to protect settlers and merchants who were traveling west along the Santa Fe Trail. Not really a fort in the traditional sense of the word, but designed more like a residential settlement, it continued to be a valuable military base through the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, and the Indian Wars. It is the oldest active military installation west of the Mississippi; third oldest in the United States.

In 1866, following an act of Congress, the 10th Calvary Regiment was formed at Fort Leavenworth. This all black division under the command of Col. Benjamin Grierson became known as the “Buffalo Soldiers”, a name respectfully given to them by the Kiowa Indians.

After the Indian Wars, the fort was transitioned to a military training facility. In 1881 General William T. Sherman established what was to become the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Graduates who passed through its school were George S. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, George C. Patton, Douglas MacArthur and Colin Powell.

My relative, Sarah Desson Smith who in 1910 was widowed, was living there with her son, and his family. Lewis Smith was the commissary sergeant for the compound, providing food and supplies for soldiers and their families stationed there.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of film, videotapes, audio recordings, photos, negatives, and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website.

It all started around 700 years ago in Scotland. It is reported that Sir Andrew Leslie, 3rd Baron of Balquhain, a man with limited sexual control, had over 70 illegitimate children who took his surname. One of these was Red Sir Andrew of Pitscurry. In 1400, he absconded with and took as wife the “Fair Maid of Kenmay,” the daughter of Thomas Bisset of Balhagarty. Unfortunately she was already betrothed to Sir John “of the Black Lip” Forbes of Druminnor.

This did not sit well with the Forbes, a highly influential Scottish clan. They, in retaliation, attacked the ancestral home of the Leslies, Balquhain Castle, which was burnt down in the skirmish (later to be rebuilt). The Leslies, in revenge, destroyed Castle Forbes (aka Druminnor Castle) and devastated much of their lands.

The feud continued on and off for over a century, resulting in deaths and injuries on both sides. It finally culminated in 1617 when John Forbes of Enzean bought the debts of the Leslies who later defaulted. Forbes was then granted the charter and the Barony of Leslie from King James VI. John Forbes of Enzean thus became Baron of Leslie, merging the family lines and putting an end to the feud once and for all.

Personally, I had no dog in the fight. Or more accurately put, I had both dogs. William Leslie of Balquhain was my 14th great-grandfather and Jean (Janet) Forbes was my 14th great-grandmother so I am connected to both families. All I know is that there are probably a couple of abandoned castle ruins out there in Scotland to which I should be able to claim some kind of birthright.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories by the digitalization of film, videotapes, audio recordings, photos, negatives and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website.

Despite the many historical documents available to us, sometimes one has to rely on family stories to glean some details of an ancestor’s life. It just might not always be accurate.

I remember sitting with my grandfather, Josef Ondrasik, near the end of his life, listening to him tell the story of how he came to this country. Born in what was then called Czechoslovakia, he found a job as a young man working for a stable near his home. He worked hard and eventually was appointed the job of head stableboy.

This would have been in the early 1900s. Due to some global tensions, the emperor of Austria decided to “hide” his prized Lipizzaner stallions lest they be taken as spoils of war. Some of them ended up at my grandfather’s stable in the Czech countryside where he was given the responsibility of their care. 

Eventually, he asked for some time off to visit his family and while he was away, the stablehand who filled in for him was exercising a team of the stallions and accidentally drove them into a tree. One of them was so badly injured it had to be euthanized. When my grandfather returned to the stables, he was told in no uncertain terms that he would never be allowed to take another vacation. Not long after that, he left Czechoslovakia, boarded a ship and arrived in America to start a new life.

It’s a great story and one I vividly remember hearing from him. The only problem with this memory is that my grandfather never learned to speak English and I never learned to speak Czech. So I’m not sure how he was able to communicate his story to me. I remember it but I have yet to find any documented evidence that any of it actually took place. He’s gone now, along with anyone else who might have been able to corroborate the claims. But that story, true or not, will always live in my heart.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of film, videotape, audio recordings, photos, negatives, and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website.

It is always fun to discover an ancestor that has some historical relevancy or has achieved some degree of fame but who knew that sitting on one of the branches of our family tree was a bonafide American icon? This Independence Day, I wanted to pay tribute to Col. Thomas Fitch, my son’s fifth great-grand-uncle.

The way one story goes, as a captain during the French and Indian war, Thomas Fitch assembled his new company of recruits outside of his family homestead in Norwalk, Connecticut. Upon seeing this motley crew of men dressed in unmatched and often threadbare clothing from their homes, Thomas’ sister Elizabeth remarked that they needed something that would help unify their appearance… to make it look like they were at least associated with each other. She presented each soldier with a chicken feather to wear in his hat.

As Fitch’s troops marched into West Albany in their forlorn clothes and feather-adorned caps, British surgeon, Dr. Richard Shuckburgh, who fancied himself a poet and musician, decided to mock this ragtag outfit in verse – dubbing them Yankee Doodles and Macaronies… macaroni being a word used in British society of the 1700s to describe a ornately dressed gentleman of high fashion. The insult being that the pathetic looking Americans were trying to “stick a feather in their cap” and pass themselves off as being well-dressed.

As it was put to song, this attempt at derision and mockery backfired on the British as the Americans adopted it as their own and even added verses to it that mocked the English troops and glorified George Washington. By 1781, the song had gone from insult to a source of national pride.

Thomas Fitch left the army at the close of the war to retire to a plot of land given to him by his father, the colonial governor of Connecticut. The house that was built for him was known as the Yankee Doodle House.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of film, videotape, audio recordings, photos, negatives and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website.