You might not have to go to a museum to see a breathtaking slice of history — it might be sitting in your attic. It sounds far-fetched, but what is above your head or below your feet could surprise you.
You might uncover something surprising if you look for it even if your ancestors did not live in your house! That is what happened to a friend of a friend last week. He was in his attic when he uncovered discharge papers from 1865 — the end of the Civil War.
The documents reveal that an 18-year-old, William H. Metcalf, lived in his house in 1864. He was 5’4”, and had brown hair and blue eyes. In 1864, William turned of age and enlisted in the Union Army to fight in the Civil War. About 1 of 3 men who went to war never returned, like William’s father Aaron. William likely left home wondering if he would ever see it again.
Today, my friend’s friend lives on Seagrave street. The 1865 census revealed a twist to the story. And it gives proof that my friend’s friend lives in the same house William and his family did over 150 years ago.
In the 1865 census, William, 18, was back home. In the house with Lucy, William, and his six siblings is a 47-year-old named Moses Seagrave. Lucy’s maiden name was Lucy Seagrave, and Moses Seagrave was her brother. The street my friend’s friend lives on today matches up with the family that lived there in 1865!
If only walls could talk. Image the day William and his father went off to war in 1864. The day William returned. Lucy’s endurance in raising a family of seven children on her own.
You never know — there could be something like this in your house. My friend’s friend had no idea this remarkable document and story sat in his attic. There are ways to trace people and places in stray records like this one. Local town halls, historical societies, and databases like Ancestry can help. With them, you can reconstruct your homes history. You will never see your house in the same way afterward!
Jack Palmer has done genealogy research since he was ten years old and loves writing about it for family, friends, and anybody else who might enjoy research stories and advice. He graduated from Duke University in May 2023, majoring in History and Psychology, and is the author of Helen & Frank: A Biography, a biography about his great-grandparents.
