Newhanover-Cumberland-Bladen County NcArchives Biographies.....Erambert, Annie July 7, 1862 - December 10, 1947 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Bill Gibson bgibson@uncfsu.edu July 20, 2007, 9:22 am Author: Bill Gibson, II “…Miss Erambert of Richmond, VA…” [Compiler’s Notes:] When I first read the 1886 Wilmington Morning Star account of the “Great Fire”, or in the vernacular of the day, “terrible conflagration,” I was captured by the visual imagery the story evoked. I had never heard of the name, “Erambert,” and to this day, I have never heard the name spoken out loud by someone who knows its’ correct pronunciation. It was only recently, having found the grandson of “Miss Erambert,” that I realized I already knew much about her father. [End of notes.] Excerpts from Dr. Thomas Fanning Wood’s Journal – “Civil War Recollections” Some Recollections of my life for my children during my confinement with aneurysm beginning 25th April 1886 (Easter) “As I lie on my back looking out of the south window of my bedroom, I could point out to you the ruins of the house where I was born, were it not obscured from view by fresh and glossy leaves of a willow oak just freshly clothed with verdure. The old house though, was located on Second Street between Market and Dock on the west side…” [Compiler’s Notes:] Dr. Wood began to write his “Civil War Recollections” in April of 1886, while bedridden. He mentioned his childhood home which was now in ruins as the result of a fire. Although the “Great Fire” had occurred only a few months prior, in February, there were two other, smaller, fires in the city that spring. Because of its location, it was probably one of the two smaller fires that burned his boyhood home. [End of notes.] Dr. Wood later wrote, “For a part of 1860 I was again clerk for Mr. Eli W. Hall. The same year found me as bad off as before and I agreed to take a situation in a new prescription drug store just started by Louis B. Erambert. The conditions were that I was to keep store during his absence, and employ my time in study to suit myself otherwise. He also bought me quite a good outfit of apparatus to pursue the study of chemistry. It was a great disappointment to have to give up lectures again but I soon got interested in my close attention in pharmacy and chemistry and I believe now it was affecting benefit to me in many ways and I would advise any medical student to pursue the same course. My first contribution to a medical journal was while engaged at the drug store.” [Compiler’s Note:] The Cape Fear Museum, in Wilmington, currently (2007) has on display a collection of medicine bottles & vials from various early Wilmington pharmacists. This collection includes a few bottles from the L. B. Erambert drugstore. [End of Note.] “…I liked my work in the Drug Store, and spent most of my time in reading and informing myself about the qualities of drugs. A sad disaster to Mr. Erambert brought upon me the full work of the establishment. It seems that a number of Chapel Hill students collected in the store on Saturday night after I had started home. The young men were in various degrees of intoxication. Mr. Erambert was at the dispensing scales cleaning his pistol. Some words ensued between a young man named "Pink" Shelly and he fired shooting Jack Costin in the fleshy part of his buttock. Mr. E. by this time had his pistol loaded. He went to the front door, pistol in hand, and he and Shelly must have shot at the same time, and Mr. E. fell to the pavement with his thigh broken. I heard firing and returned to the store and found matters in great disorder. The wounded were carried home, Mr. E. to be confined for six months. This left me in the possession of the business, and as I had no experience as a drug merchant, and as Mr. E. was too sick to talk business, I was in trouble. I had to go to the store after breakfast and stay until 9 o'clock at night, closely confined…” “…1861 Wilmington stood in a peculiar relation to the rest of the state. Charleston our near neighbor had opened the war, and it was evident that we had to follow. The state was trying to adhere to the Union…” “…Owing to Mr. Erambert's wound, I was confined to the store with out exercise in the open air, until I was very thin and poor, and had a bad attack of dyspepsia. I did not join my regiment until Sept. 1862…” “…The next day I was decidedly unwell,” “...I submitted my case to the doctor and he gave me a pass to the rear and I made my way to Richmond. I could have gone further but I was so weak that I thought there were signs of fever coming on and I sought the house of Capt. Sam. W. Skinner who then lived on Church Hill. He was a brother-in-law of Louis Erambert, and treated me very kindly. He sent for his family physician, Dr. Knox, who had me under treatment for several days…” [Compiler’s Notes:] For the short version of the story, search the page for the name “Erambert”: http://library.uncw.edu/web/collections/manuscript/TFWdiary.html For a bio of Dr. Thomas F. Wood, his picture and signature: http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/Collectors/Wood_Thomas.htm Also mentioned are the “Wood Family Papers” #172, in the Special Collections department Randall Library on the UNC-Wilmington campus. Included in this collection are many family photos. T. F. Wood was married to Mary Kennedy Sprunt, a daughter of, Alexander Sprunt, a well-known Wilmington exporter. His brother-in-law, B. Frank Hall, a prominent wholesale merchant, was married to Margaret Tannahill Sprunt. Louis B. and Emily J. were the children of Augustus J. Erambert and Martha Newberry. According to the grandson of Annie Erambert, his great grandfather, Louis B., was married to Sallie Dixon. Sarah “Sallie” Frances Skinner was a daughter of Capt. Samuel Skinner, of Richmond, VA. Her younger brother, Capt. Samuel Wallace Skinner was married to Emily J., the sister of L. B. Erambert. According to the 1860 US Census Wilmington NC, Louis B. and his wife, Sallie, were living in the household of his widowed mother, Martha Erambert. Two young boys, Louis, 4 years of age, and Samuel, 2 years of age were also in the household. Samuel S. Erambert, was born in 1859. His middle intital probably stood for “Skinner”. Their daughter, Anne “Annie” Dixon Erambert was born on July 7, 1862 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It may be that the family had moved temporarily to Fayetteville to escape the epidemic that existed in Wilmington during the summer of that year. Just a few months after his daughter’s birth, L. B. Erambert died in September of 1862, during the yellow fever epidemic, and is buried in Wilmington’s Oakdale Cemetery. In 1870, Sarah, son, Samuel, and daughter, Annie were listed in the Richmond, VA US Census with the incorrect last name of “Lambert”. Her brother, Edwin Skinner and his wife, Margaret, are listed on the same census page, as is their widowed mother, Martha Skinner, who has two of her daughters, Mary and Alice in her household. At the 1880 Census Richmond VA, Sahra (misspelled on the page), Samuel & Annie were living with her sister, Martha Delia, and her husband, James T. Vaughan, a retail grocer, and their children. William W. Skinner, a steamboat captain, originally from Virginia, was listed in the 1880 Census for Kershaw County Camden SC. Listed directly beneath his census entry was L. P. Erambert, a 24 year old engineer, originally from North Carolina. A few years later, Capt. William Wallace Skinner married the widow, Lillie Williams, the daughter of Gen. Walter Draughon and Angelina S. Erambert of Fayetteville, NC. In 1910, Capt. Skinner, his wife, Lillie, and their daughter, Alice, were living with his daughter, Hellen and her husband, James Salling, in the Washington, DC area. James Salling was employed as a railroad clerk at the time. According to Cumberland County marriage records, Louis P. Erambert married Florence Isabella Vink on January 23rd, 1884. They had a son, Gerald Fauntleroy, born in Suffolk, VA on November 12, 1894. The 1910 Census lists the 48 year old widow, Floy Erambert, and her 17 year old son, Gerald as living in Fayetteville, NC. Lillie Draughon Skinner died on the 12th of November, 1912 and was buried in Wilmington. Almost a year to the day later, Captain William Wallace Skinner died on November 17, 1913 in Wilmington, NC. This was the day before the burning of the steamer, “C. W. Lyon”. Wm. W. Skinner was born in Richmond, Virginia on the 1st of April, 1830. At the time of his death, he was living at 708 N. 4th Street in the household of his son in law, James Salling. His obituary mentioned that he had a brother, Henry S. Skinner who was then residing in Norfolk, VA. According to the 1850 US Census for Richmond VA, the families of Samuel and Thomas Skinner were listed consecutively. Thomas Skinner was three years older than Samuel, and here I will assume that they were brothers. At the time, Samuel and Martha Skinner’s children included: Ann Eliza, Sarah Frances, Samuel W., Edward C., Martha Delia, Alice Virginia, and Mary Blocke. The children of Thomas and Rosalia Ann Skinner included: Helen M., Alexander, George Allen, and Henry S. Both Samuel and Thomas Skinner were listed as sailors in the 1850 Census. They would later be listed as steamboat captains, as would several of their sons, Samuel W., & William W., and Henry S. & George Allen would be tug boat captains. George Allen Skinner was named in honor of another local steamboat captain. In 1863, Capt. Samuel W. Skinner set a speed record aboard the Cape Fear River steamer, “A. P. Hurt,” completing the 115 mile journey, from Wilmington to Fayetteville, in 11 hours and averaging over 10 miles per hour. The “A. P. Hurt” was built in 1861 by the “Pusey & Jones Company” located in Wilmington, Delaware. The boat, a sternwheeler, had an iron hull which added to it’s longevity upon the river. Several times, the “Hurt” was burned and rebuilt, and once in 1895, she and the steamer “Cape Fear” were left “high and dry” as the result of waters receding after a great “hundred years” flood on the river. The “Cape Fear,” with a wooden hull, broke apart, but the “Hurt” remained intact. At a later time, after the “Hurt” was destroyed, the steamer was rebuilt, and renamed the “C. W. Lyon,” after a Bladen County sheriff. In March of 1923, the “A. P. Hurt” sank during a storm, while docked at the Wilmington waterfront, never to be raised again. **For a picture of the A. P. Hurt and the 1895 flood incident: http://www.historync.org/NCsteamboats/APHurt.htm At the end of September in 1913, the steamer “City of Fayetteville” broke in two and sank at her dock in Wilmington. At the time, her captain was Henry W. Edge. Barely a month later, on November 19th, the “C. W. Lyon” caught fire at Hood’s Landing, about 20 miles north of Wilmington, and sank. Capt. Henry W. Edge was aboard the steamer, as a mate, that day. The “C. W. Lyon’s” pilot turned the stern of the vessel to shore, so that passengers and crew could escape. But, Edge was trapped at the bow by the fire, and had to jump into deep water. Unable to swim, he drowned, and his body was taken away downstream, not to be found for several days. In "Bernard's Directory of Wilmington and Fayetteville 1866-'7" there is an advertisement for the "Cape Fear Steamship Line". This company was owned by the Worths and Joseph A. Worth was the Fayetteville, NC agent at the time. Worth & Daniel were the agents in Wilmington. The ad listed the "Governor Worth" captained by A. P. Hurt and the steamer, "A. P. Hurt" piloted by Captain Samuel W. Skinner. Both boats were designated as "light draught", a necessity for traversing the Cape Fear River during that day. The Cassidy brothers owned a marine railway located on the riverfront between Castle and Nun Streets in Wilmington. Sometime in the 1880s, the brothers sold the business to Captain Skinner and it was then known as the Evans & Skinner Marine Railway. For more information about Samuel W. Skinner and a photo (as it appears c2007) of Captain Skinner’s House: http://wwwtmpapps.nhcgov.com/LIB/PortCityArch/detail.asp?id=698 Captain Albert Parks Hurt was a famous Cape Fear river steamboat pilot. He was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia. He married Morgiana C. Erambert, the daughter of a Fayetteville confectioner, Henry Erambert. Captain Hurt died in June of 1883. He and his wife, Morgiana, are buried beside each other in Cross Creek Cemetery #1, in Fayetteville, NC. [End of notes.] Fayetteville Observer & Gazette January 28, 1886 “We learn that Capt. Jeff. D. Robeson, a popular young river captain, is to take command of the steamer Bladen, Capt. T. J. Green designing to retire from the boating business and devote himself to other pursuits…” ---and in the same paper, one column over under “Local Twinklings”--- “Miss Annie Erambert, of Richmond, has been visiting the family of Mr. M. A. Baker of this town.” http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/newhanover/newspapers/thesteam75gnw.txt [Compiler’s Note:] Marcus A. Baker and his wife, Laura, had come to Fayetteville, NC from Philadelphia, PA and were listed in the 1850 Census. M. A. Baker was a coppersmith. At the time of Annie Erambert’s visit, there were many Baker children, both older and younger than herself. [End of note.] The Morning Star Wilmington, NC Vol. XXXVII No. 129 February 23, 1886 A TERRIBLE FIRE http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/newhanover/newspapers/aterribl70gnw.txt Observer And Gazette - Fayetteville, NC February 25, 1886 The Burning of the Bladen “…We learn that Miss Erambert was for a few moments in great danger, her hair being singed and clothing scorched before she could be rescued from the boat.” http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/newhanover/newspapers/theburni73gnw.txt [Compiler’s Notes:] When I first read the various newspaper accounts of the Great Fire of Wilmington which occurred on Sunday, the 21st of February, 1886, several powerful images appeared: *First, the fire aboard the steamer “Bladen” being whipped by the almost gale force winds, spreading from lighter, to wharf, from ship to ship, and up the hill from business to business and house to house. **Secondly, the image of Clem Brown, the telegraph operator, having to scurry up a telegraph pole to contact the Goldsboro, N.C. and Florence, S.C. fire departments for help… and more powerful, that the Florence firefighters were waiting, with their equipment, at the Florence train depot, 20 minutes after receiving the call… and 3 hours later were in Wilmington ready to help fight the fire. That’s a powerful image! ***Thirdly, the mention of “Miss Erambert of Richmond” as one of the passengers that was rescued from the burning “Bladen” with but her hair and clothing being singed. All other belongings of the passengers were lost to the fire. This was a strong image which left questions of “who was she” and “why was she coming to Wilmington”. [End of notes.] Observer and Gazette, Thursday, February 25, 1886 - Fayetteville, NC The Loss of the River Queen. "The freight steamer River Queen, which ran between Wilmington and Fayetteville, and from which Capt. A. H. Worth had only a few days since retired as commander, was burned at her wharf in Wilmington during the big fire of Sunday last. The River Queen was owned by Mr. Bagley, and was partially insured." [Compiler’s Notes:] Albert H. Worth was the son of Joseph Addison Worth of Fayetteville, NC. Capt. A. H. Worth married Almeda "Meda" Hurt, the daughter of Capt. A. P. Hurt and Morgiana C. Erambert. [End of notes.] [Wilmington Morning Star - Tue. March 30, 1886 Vol. XXXVIII No. 7] River and Marine "...--The hulls and boilers of the steamers River Queen and Bladen, which were burned in the fire of the 21st of February, have been gotten up and are now at Capt. Skinner's marine railway." [Compiler’s Note:] Without any direct proof, I suppose that Miss Annie Erambert was coming to Wilmington to visit her Uncle Samuel and Aunt Emily Skinner. Being around boats and sailors would have been natural in her family. While in Wilmington, she might have visited with Dr. Thomas F. Woods, who could have recounted his time, working for her father in the drugstore. I don’t know if the Great Fire, shortened her stay or if she visited the burned out hull of the Bladen at Capt. Skinners boatyard before returning to Richmond. That is the story of Miss Annie Erambert, of Richmond, Virginia, as I now understand it. [End of note.] Sallie F. Erambert is buried near her son, Samuel S., in the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Suffolk, VA. According to the cemetery records, she was born on April 8, 1833 and she died on February 18, 1895. Annie Erambert, her husband, and son are also buried there. Annie Erambert died on December 10th, 1947. Additional Comments: The grandson of Anne Dixon Erambert told me that she was the daughter of Louis B. Erambert and that she was born in July of 1862 in Fayetteville, NC. He did not know her connection with Richmond, VA, but did recall her telling of a great fire, which he thought might have occurred in Fayetteville, NC. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/newhanover/bios/erambert27gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 17.7 Kb