I just received the pension file of Martin White, a Civil War Vet who was a free
man of color and also related to my SAM family. He was also married to Felonise
Estelle Barnabe, the daughter of Joseph Barnabe and Azelie Hernandez,free
persons of color. I learned a lot of interesting connections that seem to link
my family with the family of Gabriel Sam.
Martin White and Estelle had a granddaughter named Marie JEAN(dau of Pelton JEAN
and Marie WHITE) who married Garfield Sam,the son of Ambroise SAM, and the
grandson of Gabriel Sam and Onezia Romar.
Also Estelle Bernabe was the chilhood friend of a guy named Casimir Whitelow.
Casimir Whitelow said that his mother(Marie Sam) was good friends with Azelie
Hernandez. What is interesting about this statement is that Casimir Whitelow was
the son of Wilson Whitelow,a freedman, and his wife, Marie Sam. Marie Sam was
the sister of Gabriel Sam according to her succession. Also the father of
Gabriel Sam was a freedman named Alexander Sam, who was a civil war vet who
served in the SAME regiment as Martin WHITE and Casimir SAM(both cousins and my
family). Is this MERELY coincidence? Or is there some sort of unspoken oh
connection between My SAM's and Gabriel SAM's family? So far, I havent found
any. But this association is interesting. Any Ideas?