Born March 16, 1845 in Ross County, Ohio, died 1910 at Western Branch National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (VA Medical Center), formerly the Wodsworth Military Home, Leavenworth, Kansas.
His remains are in Section 28, Row 7, Grave #12 at the Leavenworth National Cemetery, Leavenworth, Kansas. Address: Leavenworth National Cemetery, P. O. Box 1694, Leavenworth, Kansas 66048, Phone 913-758-4105.
The information used in this chart came from the book “Down from the Mountain: The Oral History of the Hemings Family” 1990 by Judith Price Justus. According to her book, William Beverly Hemings was in the Civil War from Huntington Township, Ross County, Ohio and also was the executor of the estate of his father, Madison Hemings.
Herbert Barger, Jefferson Family Historian, assisted Dr. Eugene A. Foster with the original Jefferson/Hemings DNA Study as reported in the science journal Nature, 11/5/98. Mr. Barger spent many months searching for a male descendant of Madison whose DNA could be matched against the Jefferson and Carr DNA. Since it was Madison who stated that he descended from Thomas Jefferson, it is most important that this study continue, to support or refute Madison’s oral and written claims.
Mr. Barger’s search has resulted in obtaining a picture of William Beverly Hemings’ headstone which indicates that he was a member of Company H, 73rd, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Research indicates that he enlisted on February 10, 1864, held the rank of Private and was mustered out on July 20, 1865 at Louisville, Kentucky. The 73rd was made up mostly of Ross County, Ohio soldiers.
As reported in the Kansas City Star, 1/5/00, a document from the National Archives in Kansas City showed that William had a sister, Mary A. Johnson, and a niece, Ellen Jones. This information matches that of Hemings’ genealogy.
A document from the soldiers home provides additional information about Hemings. He was a farmer and received a $12 a month pension and had a bad heart when he died.
Herbert Barger
Jefferson Family Historian
301-292-2739
Thomas Jefferson - Sally Hemings 