A few days ago I wrote about the myriad of ways to spell the surname: Megonnigil. There are so many things that have grown to become the bane of my genealogical existence, but I truly think this name is at or near the top. In an effort to spread the word on this family, and hopefully break down a wall or two, I will share what I know of this line.
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| Colonel Henderson Megonnigil, bugler, 6th Cavalry Regiment, MSM |
I am connected to the Megonnigil line through my 3rd-great grandmother, Lucinda Megonnigil. She was born in Camden, Ray County, Missouri in 1851 and married James Madison Thomas October 23, 1870. Lucinda died January 26, 1912 in the same town she was born in and I was able to link her to her parents through her death certificate. They are listed as Colonel H. Megonnigil and Mary Akers.
I have only been able to find a little bit on Colonel and Mary. In 1850, 1860 and 1870, Colonel and Mary lived in Ray County, Missouri, Jackson County, Missouri and then Ray County, Missouri, respectively. Colonel is listed as born in Illinois. He also served in the Civil War as a bugler for the Union in the 6th Regiment Calvary Missouri State Militia. It appears he served for the entire war with this unit. I also found record of him as a prisoner of war at Roseville, Arkansas, but that is not substantiated. He may have also fought in the Mexican War.
Colonel and Mary Megonnigil had six children that I am aware of: Lucinda (1851), Mary Isabel (1854), Elizabeth (1857), Annie (1864), John Nelson (1866) and Malinda (1869).
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| John Nelson and Fannie (Clevenger) Megonnigil |
The 1870 census is the last record I find of either Colonel or his wife, Mary. I have located a few of their children on the 1880 census and the younger ones are living with their siblings or boarding with other families, which leads me to believe that both Colonel and Mary are dead prior to 1880. I have found several trees online that link Colonel to Eli Megonnigil, also living in Ray County, Missouri, as his father. I have found no documents linking Colonel to Eli, although with such a unique name I am sure they are related somehow.
So what is next? Perhaps I need to "back door" my research and learn more about Eli Megonnigil to see if I can find a link back to Colonel. I could also contact the county clerk and request any probate records they may have for either individual, though I am not certain of any death dates. The surname continues to rankle me!
Photos courtesy of the Smith and Cooley Tree.
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