Archibald D. and Nancy BLANSIT

I have in hand a copy of a letter dated 9 October 1936, to Lillian B. Nolen 731 Mississippi Ave., Chattanooga, Tn, from War Department.

The records show that A.D. BLANSIT, not found as Archibald D. BLANSIT, 2nd Lieutenand and 1st Lieutenant, Company F, 9th [ also called 7th ] (Malone's ) Regiment Alabama Cavalry, Confederate States Army, enlisted September 21, 1862, at Head Springs. He was paroled at Charlotte, North Carolina May 3, 1865 , in accordance with the terms of a Military Convention. His residence at that time was stated as Dekalb County, Alabama.

The records of this office show that one Archibald BLANSIT, surname also borne as BLANCIT and BLANCET, served in the Mexican War as a 1st sergeant in Captain THOMASON's Company, 1st Regiment Alabama Militia Infantry [ Coffey's ] , which subsequently became Company B, Coffey's (1) Alabama Militia Infantry. He was enrolled June 11, 1846, at Mobile;
was mustered into service with the company June 12, 1846, at Mobile, for the period of 12 months, and was mustered out with the company and honorably discharged the service May 28, 1847, at New Orleans, Louisiana.

Also, I have a copy, several years old, from an unknown contributer.

Children of Archibald D. and Nancy BLANSIT.

1. William Anderson BLANSETT married Lena I. BLANCETT, daughter of George H.W. BLANSIT. they were cousins and had several children; Will, Sarah, Clay, Mattie, Lydia, Ben [ and maybe others, Vernon could probably help you with them ].

2. Margret Ellen married Ferninand GIBSON, they had 2 children; a girl who died in infancy and Russell now deceased, no heirs.

3. A.D. BLANSIT Jr. The dates of the three small children are on monuments in Sulphur Springs Cemetery.

4. Robert Lee BLANSIT married Lorena HATFIELD.

5. Elizabeth, called Bettie, married Samuel DURHAM they had 6 children; Seppie, Archibald D., Sallie, Alexander, Denson, Earnest.

6. John H. C. BLANSIT married Ida BLEVINS, children; Eula,Clyde,and Mildred.

The generation preceding William and Elizabeth HAMMAN was lost when our house burned. Daddy had the family Bible brought with them from Germany. All I can remember is the beautiful legible penmanship and they spelled it BLANCET.

This is the story of the early ancestors as told to Mildred who recorded it as told by Daddy a few weeks before his death.

Archibald D. BLANSIT Sr., was born Dec 25 1822 in NC or VA. His parents were both born in Germany; William was born in the vicinity of Berlin and came from a line of horse traders. The HAMMAN family were Hugenot Protestants and lived in the upper Rhineland Palatinate in what is now part of Germany. Both the BLANSIT and HAMMAN families came to America and some of them came to Alabama after Alabama became a state in 1819.

Archibald Sr., was about 9 years of age when he and his parents came. They settled along Crow Creek near the Tennessee River in Jackson County between what is now known as Scottsboro and Stevenson. Later they crossed Sand Mountain and bought a farm in Lookout Valley between what is known as Head Springs and Lookout Chapel. They lived in a two story log house and on this place they had a race track as the whole family were lovers of fine horses.  When Archibald Sr. was 24 years old he enlisted in the Mexican War where he served twelve months as a Private Orderly Sergeant. He enlisted at Head Springs but was sent to New Orleans with Company B, First Alabama Regiment. At the end of the war he received an honorable discharge and a pension.

In 1861 he entered the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy. He was 1st Lieutenant on Co., F, Davenport Company, 7th Alabama Regiment, Morgans Brigade, Hortons Div., Wheelers Cavalry. This particular division took part in the Battle of Chicamauga, where they were defeated; They surrendered somewhere in NC in April 1865.  J.C. NESBITT [ Lt. Col. from GA ] wrote " Four Years on the Firing Line " and referred to A.D. BLANSIT. Nancy Ellen Cooper, his wife, was born in KY on June 28 1832; her father was William COOPER, at the present I have no further information on the COOPERS.

When the HAMMAN and BLANSIT families fled Germany on account of religious persecutions, they went to Holland before embarking for America. It was in Holland that William BLANSIT and Elizabeth HAMMAN, and as I remember the account given me, they married before coming to America.

End of story as written.

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