Since we are invited to resubmit our research goals, here is my elusive
ancestor:
Joseph Hugh Caulfield, my great-great grandfather, was born somewhere in
Ireland about 1829 and arrived in Washington Co., Maine, about 1848. A Roman
Catholic, he was married in Machias, Maine in 1849 to Elizabeth McFaul, a
native of Rathlin Island, County Antrim, Ireland. They had eight children and
lived at various places in Maine and New Brunswick where he worked as a
stonemason. Joseph enlisted in the Second Maine Cavalry in 1863 in Houlton,
Maine, fought in several battles for the Union Army in the Civil War, and was
mustered out at Fort Barrancas, Florida in late 1865. He wrote to his wife,
saying he would remain in Florida for a time to earn extra money working as a
stonemason on the fortifications at Fort Barrancas. He sailed for home in
April 1866 and never was heard from again. I am seeking information on
Joseph's parents, home village, and circumstances of death. I have a copy of
his marriage certificate and his widow's civil war pension file, as well as
the family's listing in the 1850 US Census (under Cofield) and 1861 Canadian
Census. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Lee Nichols