Goliah Rounds Jr.: A life in documents



Goliah Rounds Jr., born May 1892, was the grandson of Charles and Charity Rounds and son of Goliah and Dinah Rounds. The family lived on the Rounds Plantation in southern Adams County, Mississippi.





                   

            As were many young men of his generation, Goliah was drafted to serve in World War I. He registered for the draft in 1917.



Goliah was shipped off to Camp Shelby, Mississippi in1918
(Photo courtesy of Missisippi History Now)



 

While serving on active duty at Camp Shelby, Goliah Rounds
died and official records show the cause as Pneumonia.
His family applied for an official burial and a headstone for him.



Goliah Rounds Jr. grave at the Rounds Family Cemetery
Sibley, Mississippi





Ten years after his death in 1928, Goliah's eldest brother Charles Rounds Sr. was
designated as executor of his estate.



Now Am Found: Charles Rounds Jr.

Reprinted from "The Family Griot" blog, August 2010

http://thefamilygriot.blogspot.com/2010/08/was-lost-but-now-am-found-charles.html

A few months ago while searching through some online records trying to get some follow up leads on family members and check for any new records, I came across a Civil War pension card. Charity Rounds of Mississippi was the beneficiary and Charles Rounds Jr. was the soldier.


I have to admit, I looked at the record initially and dismissed it because to my knowledge there was no Charles Rounds born between Charles Rounds (1811) and Charles Rounds (1878) the son of Goliah Rounds. I continued my Civil War research on my Thompson ancestor, but kept that pension file in the back of my mind. After about another couple of months, I decided to look over the record and couldn't dismiss the coincidence.I ordered the pension file from the National Archives. I was pleasantly surprised that my 'hunch' paid off. I found a long forgotten Rounds Family member, Charles Rounds Jr.


This pension file, although only 19 pages long gave some vital information about Charles Jr. and his parents Charles Sr. and Charity Rounds. From the documentation, Charles was enlisted in the 50th USCT of Vicksburg, Mississippi at the rank of Private. About one month after mustering in on July 20, 1863 at the young age of 23, Charles died of disease on August 12, 1863. This puts his estimated birth year at about 1840 making Charles Jr. the oldest known child of Charles Sr. and Charity. He was described as being 5'4" having a black complexion, black hair and his occupation was a farmer.

The pension file also gives information about Charles and Charity receiving a $100 bounty on February 3, 1880 as a provision of the Bounty Act of July 1866. They filed two claims which leads me to believe that they may have been paid $200 total. This may have been the money they used to assist in the acquisition of The Rounds Plantation.


After the death of Charles Rounds Sr., Charity filed for the pension of Charles Jr in 1890 and started receiving a Civil War pension on August 11, 1890. She received a pension until her death on August 18, 1910. Witness statements report that she was nearly 100 years old upon her passing. The witness who reported her death was her grandson, Charles Rounds (son of Goliah and Dinah Rounds) along with son-in-law Jerry Shephard a man named Daniel Duncan. His statement confirms the oral history that Charity is buried on the side of the Rounds Plantation house.