John & Lucinda "Lucy" Hess - follow-up

Lucinda "Lucy" Hess was the daughter of Benjamin

Ray. Her maiden name is verified on the death certificates of some of her children. The exhibit to the right is an excerpt from the Revolutionary War Pension Application of Benjamin Ray. He states-and I quote "that he has one daughter Lucy about 17 years of age in the home but perhaps may soon leave home" end of quote. It is my guess that Lucy was perhaps soon to marry and leave home. Lucinda Ray Hess last appears in the 1860 census as the head-of-the-household and does not appear in the census of 1870. It can probably be assumed that she died sometime after the 1860 census and before 1870.

John Hess - Generation #6 My Hess Family Tree

In the 1830 census of Russell Co.,VA, John Hess appears for the first time as the head of the household. In the 1850 census (pictured at left) John is listed as 50 yrs. old and wife Lucinda was

45 yrs. old. This would make their birthdates approximately 1800 and 1805 respectively. John gives his place-of-birth as North Carolina. John Hess had died before February 4th, 1851 for on that date Lucy Hess, widow of John Hess, Sr-deceased-came to court and made oath with Henry Hess her security (in the amount of $600.00) to be granted letters of administration on the said decedant's estate. John Hess left no will and this is the sole reference I have found for him in the the Russell County, VA court records. I venture to guess that he and Lucy are both buried in one of the Hess Cemeteries on Little River. *Source: Law Order Book 12, pg 338.

The Civil War Years

Henry David Hess (pictured to the right) and his brother Aaron were members of the 72nd Militia. Brothers Isaiah and John Hess

served with the 37th Infantry, Co. G.

*This info was taken from The ROSTER of CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS 1861-1865 Vol-VII by Janet B. Hewett.

The story which has been handed down thru the family is that these

Hess brothers participated in the defense of the saltworks at Saltville, VA. Saltville was the 'salt capitol of the Confederacy' and a number of battles were fought there. There are plans underway by the Saltville town coucil to restore the defense works and restore the area as a Civil War Site.

The Rest of the Letter

Mary Dear Sister

Letter from Camp Lee

Pvt. Amos Hess

Co. C 2nd Div Bn

185 Depot Brigade

Camp Lee, VA

Postmarked: 11 AM Oct 5, 1918 at Petersburg, VA

Next Post: The letter

Hess Men in Uniform

Amos Hess - Born: 01 Jan 1888 in Russell Co.,VA. Died: 09 Nov 1997 at Princeton, West Virginia. Married: Mary Leola Harrison.

Two Sons: (1) George Vernon Hess

(2) Eugene Amos Hess

The next Blog Posting will include a glimpse

into the life of WWI recruit Amos Hess at

Camp Lee Virginia.