Progress and several discoveries

In previous posts I have written about some goals I've set to help with identifying connections within my list of DNA matches.  I use Google Calendar to keep me on track with reminders and scheduling each of the different surname groupings.  This past week was the Frizzell / Manley weekend.  Identifying descendants of my 2nd Great Grandparents helped me to become familiar with the names of the families into which they married.  I took the opportunity to write to the members of the circles of Nathan Frizzell & Reubin Manley at Ancestry and asked them to consider uploading to GEDmatch.  I was able to identify one of my larger segment matches from FTDNA as coming from the Manley line simply because I had been working with the descendants and remembered some of the surnames.  I checked and sure enough back a few more generations there was the connection.

In my searches I ran across an account of a Manley family that along with their neighbors the Crawleys was attacked by Indians.  The Crawleys were at the Manley's as the families hoped there was strength in numbers.  It was about 6 weeks after another attack by Indians further south and they felt this would be best for added protection.  The men folk--- Jesse Manley and John Crawley--- were away with one of Crawley's older sons when the attack  happened(in Humphrey Co along the Duck River)  I have descendants of  Elizabeth Manley(b. 1799) who are sharing matching segments with me and my sister thru our paternal portion of DNA(My Mom has tested so I have made phased kits of paternal DNA for my sister and myself)  When looking at some research on her it is noted that her family was killed by indians while she was away and following that was raised by James Montgomery.   That made me wonder if  her Manley is the same ones that were attacked in Humphrey's County.  She would have been around 13 when those attacks occurred.  If that isn't her family it is likely a cousin given that the area was still very much a new frontier despite having been a state for 16 yrs.  There are several accounts one from Tennessee Times Extra newspaper says it happened May 22,1812 while another says May 17th.   There are numerous accounts online if you get the time to read you might GOOGLE the names and Indian attack.  Mrs. Manley died from her wounds and Mrs Crawley was taken prisoner for a time by the Creek Indians. Mr. Manley and Mr Crawley served under Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812.  Something that surprised me ...I also found information on the incident at a Geocaching webpage and The Blog of 1812.  The Goodspeed History for Humphrey Co. TN.   lists the year as 1814 and mentions the place as that of a Johnson family.  It says that Mrs Cauley was there and taken prisoner by the Indian and doesn't say much about the Manleys other than saying Mrs. Manly died from her wounds later.  Charleston newspaper The Times Thur Evening June 18th 1812 edition reprinted the article from the Tennessee Times Extra. This would lead me to believe that the year was in fact 1812.  No mention of the Johnsons in the newspaper articles only in the Goodspeed History for Humphreys Co. TN.

Focusing on Identifying higher cMs matching segments

I use GenomeMate Pro to help me keep track of my DNA matches and map my chromosomes.  Typically I import matches that are 7 centimorgans or more.  That can make for an overwhelming amount of matches especially given that most my paternal and maternal lines were in colonial America.  In GenomeMate Pro you can set preferences so that only matches over a certain amount will show while you are working them..and you can adjust this at any time.  I did have mine set at 12 cMs but still I was looking at an awful large amount of matches.  I've decided to set the option at 20 cms and work those and gradually lower the cM amount.  I started using this process yesterday and have identified 2 larger segment matches already.  Hopefully I'll have continued success using this strategy.  You can try this too if you are working your matches using GenomeMate Pro but you may need to make adjustments depending on how many matches and the avg cMs.  Twenty cMs just seems to work the best for me for now.

DNA To-Do List....the short version

• 2GCsof2GPs project
• Working the AncestryDNA circles
• Focusing on Identifying the larger matches