Rev. Nicholas Baggett's headstone in Ray's Chapel Cemetery
I wrote before about the men from our area who formed the 1st Florida Union Cavalry Volunteers. Some names listed in the book as members of the 1st FCUV caught my attention because of having lived at one time or another in Escambia County, Florida, place of my birth and current residence. Others caught my attention as potential family members of my ancestors.
The name with a McDavid, Florida (my hometown) connection was Nicholas Baggett. This name caught my eye because through the research of my first cousins, Allen Chancery and Sherlene Young and my second cousin Roger Pastorsich I knew that one of my 3rd great grandfathers was Jesse Baggett, the head of one of the first families of European descent to settle in what is now Conecuh County, Alabama. I also knew that nearly every generation of Baggetts had at least one Nicholas Baggett. Could he be a relative of my ancestors? Research shared with me by Jacqueline Bowman Freisinger confirmed that this Nicholas Baggett was a descendant of the Nicholas Baggett I knew to be an ancestor of Jesse Baggett.
Another thing that caught my eye about Nicholas Baggett was, the book indicated he was buried in Ray's Chapel Cemetery in McDavid (Actually Bogia, but only locals make that distinction.) Mrs. Freisinger's research indicates that at the time he lived in McDavid Nicholas Baggett was a Methodist minister. Rev. Baggett served as pastor of the Methodist congregation which at that time shared Ray's Chapel with a Baptist congregation. He is indeed buried in Ray's Chapel Cemetery.
I include a picture of his headstone with this column. It is such a simple headstone for a man with such a complicated life.
Nicholas Bagett was in military service for the Confederate States of America from May, 1862 until November, 1863. (1st FL Reorganized Infantry, Co G, Private) He apparently was one of many CSA soldiers who deserted in late 1863. He joined the 1st FUCV in April 1864 at Ft. Barrancas.
Two others who caught my eye were father and son John Wesley Chancey and James Jackson Chancey. I thought they might be relatives of mine because my great grandfather John L. Chancery was said to have sometimes written his name Chancery, sometimes Chancey, and sometimes Chancy. The last time I spoke with Sherlene she had only been able to trace the Chancery line to my 2nd great grandmother Sarah Chancey Kennedy and her mother Jane Chancey. A check of Sherlene's Ancestry.com family tree showed she had added William James Chancey, husband of Jane Fleming Chancey and father of Sarah Chancey. Based on a search of Sherlene's tree and other ancestry family trees I believe John Wesley Chancey was a nephew of William James Chancey.
As my 2nd great grandfather John Roy Thomas Hammac and at least two of his brothers served in the CSA military, I appear to have had family on both sides during the Civil War. According to the book (The 1st Florida Cavalry Union Volunteers in the Civil War: The Men and Regimental History and What It Tells Us About Northwest Florida and South Alabama During the War by Sharon D. Marsh), about 700 men from northwest Florida and south Alabama joined the 1st Florida Cavalry Union Volunteers. Therefore, I assume many in our area have the same CSA/USA connections.
