Addison White (abt. 1822 - 1885)

Born about 1822 in Fleming, Kentucky, United States

Husband of Amanda (Unknown) White — married 2 Dec 1874 in Champaign, Ohio, United States

Died 1885 at about age 63 in Ohio, United States

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Biography

Addison White is a part of US Black heritage.

Addison was born into slavery in about 1822 in Kentucky. His father was born in Virginia^[1] and his mother was born in Kentucky^[2].

Addison married Amanda Barrow on 2 December 1874 in Champaign, Ohio, United States.^[3]

Escape from Slavery to Freedom in Mechanicsburg, Ohio

In 1856, Mr. White ran away from the powerful Kentucky farmer Daniel White who enslaved him. He took refuge at the home of abolitionist Udney Hyde in Mechanicsburg, Ohio. He'd intended to continue to Canada but stayed on to help Udney recover from an injury.

In April of 1857, Daniel White along with US Marshals arrived in Mechanicsburg to capture and return him to Kentucky by the power of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Residents of the town fought off the men and drove them out of town using shovels and pitchforks.

Legal proceedings ensued. It was the first real test of the legality of the Fugitive Slave Act. The jury could not reach a verdict, and Daniel White offered to drop the charges if someone would pay $1,000 for Mr. White's freedom. The citizens of Mechanicsburg raised the money and Addison White was finally free within the eyes of federal law.

Occupations

• 1880: Laborer
• 1863: Salt maker

Residences

• 1880: Mechanicsburg, Ohio with his wife Amandey
• 1863: Mechanicsburg, Ohio (military enlistment)

Military Service

He served as a Private in Company E of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first regiment in the United States to enlist men of color during the Civil War. He enlisted on 12 May 1863 from Mechanicsburg, Ohio. He was about 41 years old, single and working as a salt maker when he enlisted. Mustered out 20 August 1865.

Death

He passed away in 1885 and is buried at Maple Grove Cemetery in Mechanicsburg, Ohio.^[4]

Addison's will included three children:

1. Lucinda Bird, Daughter
2. J D W Leets, Son
3. Jeramiah Volderman, Son

Addison's estate passed probate on 6 March 1885.^[5]

Slave Owner

Daniel White

Sources

1. ↑ 1880 census
2. ↑ 1880 census
3. ↑ Marriage: "Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993"
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61378 #60362 (accessed 16 April 2022)
   Addison White marriage to Amanda Barrow on 2 Dec 1874 in Champaign, Ohio, USA.
4. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16680863/addison-white : accessed 05 February 2022), memorial page for Addison White (1822–10 Jan 1885), Find a Grave Memorial ID 16680863, citing Maple Grove Cemetery, Mechanicsburg, Champaign County, Ohio, USA ; Maintained by Find a Grave .
5. ↑ Probate: "Ohio, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998"
   Wills; Probate Place: Champaign, Ohio
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8801 #12023712 (accessed 5 February 2022)
   Addison White probate on 6 Mar 1885.

• 1880 United States Federal Census Year: 1880; Census Place: Mechanicsburg, Champaign, Ohio; Roll: 998; Page: 238B; Enumeration District: 020 (as Adison)
• Emilio, Luis Fenollosa. History of the Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 1863-1865, Boston, Massachusetts: Boston Book Co., 1891 (1st ed.) and 1894 (2nd ed.)
• Find a Grave: Addison White
• Ohio History Central: Addison white