Elias Parker

Elias Parker was born into slavery in Jefferson County, Virginia likely around 1828.With research supplied by Rosalind G. Bauchum in her book Elias and Lucinda Parker, The Case for a Civil War Widow’s Pension, we know that Elias’ friends and family, in affidavits given in support of Elias’ wife Lucinda’s War Widow Pension Application, cite various birth years for him, ranging from 1827 to 1849¹. The only federal document with his information, the U.S. Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1863-1865 for Elias Parker of Jefferson County cite his birth year around 1828². Jefferson County was a part of Virginia before the Civil War, but became a county of West Virginia when Virginia split in 1863. According to testimony given by Juda Bowman, Lucinda’s aunt, Parker and she were owned by the Nelson Family of Summerville, Clarke County, VA, which is the county next to Jefferson County.³ Parker’s parents, Elijah and Mary had died when Elias was young and he worked as Dr. Nelson’s coachman.⁴ Sometime before the Civil War, in “slavery times,” Elias Parker married Harriet Mariah Earl, a slave of the Earl Family of Clark County.⁵ As a couple, they made their way to Williamsport, MD before 1865. On February 15, 1865, Elias Parker mustered into service in Baltimore, MD. He was a private in the 38th Regiment of the USCT, Company I. He served without incident in Brazos de Santiago, Texas while detached to the quartermaster department. Parker was honorably discharged on Jan 25, 1867 and paid $0.06 to keep his knapsack and canteen.⁶

After the war, Parker returned to Williamsport, MD and remained there at least until Harriet’s death in 1883.⁷ After the war, Parker became a stone mason, as mentioned in the 1880 Census for Williamsport, MD.⁸ Parker still lived in Williamsport at the time of his marriage to Lucinda Johnson of Mount Holly Springs, Cumberland County, PA, which took place on June 10, 1886 in Mount Holly Springs.⁹ Parker moved to Mount Holly Springs not long after that. While in Mount Holly Springs, Parker was an integral part of Mount Tabor, the primarily black community in which he lived. In addition to being a stone mason and constructing the Shiloh Baptist Church and various homes in the Mount Tabor neighborhood of Mount Holly Springs, Parker was also a minister at the Mount Tabor Baptist Church.¹⁰ He went on to have six kids with Lucinda¹¹. In 1890, Parker filed a Pension application on the basis of his rheumatism and received $6 per month from the U.S. Pension Office.¹² Elias Parker died on either August 19 or 20, 1898 in Mount Holly Springs.¹³ He is buried in the Mount Holly Colored Cemetery.¹⁴ He was survived by this children and his wife Lucinda, who later filed for a War Widow’s Pension in 1899.¹⁵ The Mt. Tabor church, at which he preached, still stands today and is the center of a preservation initiative by the Cumberland County Historical Society.

Edited by Mia Ramano

Bibliography

Bauchu, Rosalind G.. Elias and Lucinda Parker, The Case for a Civil War Widow’s Pension. Purpose Publishing: Grandview, MO, 2011, 34-49.

“Elias Parker” in The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.;& Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served with the United States Colored Troops: Infantry Organizations, 36th through 40th; Microfilm Serial:& M1993; Microfilm Roll:& 68.

”U.S. Find A Grave Index, 1600s to Current for Elias Parker.” Accessed 24 February 2020.

^[1]Rosalind G. Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker, The Case for a Civil War Widow’s Pension, (Purpose Publishing: Grandview, MO, 2011), 34-49.

^[2] “Elias Parker” in The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.;& Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served with the United States Colored Troops: Infantry Organizations, 36th through 40th; Microfilm Serial:& M1993; Microfilm Roll:& 68.

^[3] Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker, 38.

^[4] Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker, 38-39.

^[5] Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker, 39.

^[6] ”U.S. Find A Grave Index, 1600s to Current for Elias Parker”.

^[7] Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker, 38.

^[8] Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker, 55.

^[9] Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker, 53-54.

^[10] Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker, 53-54.

^[11] Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker, 9.

^[12] Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker,34-35.

^[13] Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker, 34.

^[14] ”U.S. Find A Grave Index, 1600s to Current for Elias Parker”.

^[15] Bauchu. Elias and Lucinda Parker, 34.