Africa Allman/Allmand/Allmond/Ives

When I’m searching a genealogy database, normally the first thing I do is search for Allmond. Last year I found this pension card for Africa Ives also known as Africa Allman. I found it on FamilySearch but this one from Ancestry looks better. I think what stood out most was that his name was Africa.

I was going through my genealogy OneNote notebook and found a link to the pension card and decided to do some research.

Africa was born May 19, 1844, in Nansemond County, Virginia, to Daniel and Lovie Allmond. He enlisted as a Private in the Company E, 36th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry (also Company E, 2nd Regiment, North Carolina Colored Infantry) October 28, 1863 in Portsmouth, Virginia. His service paperwork describes him at 5 foot 7 ½ inches tall. He served at Camp Point Lookout, Maryland in 1864 where he guarded prisoners. He was a Corporal when he mustered out at Brazos Santiago, Texas, on August 13, 1866. He was disabled in the Civil War with something related to his eyes.

Africa is listed on the African American Civil War Memorial in Washington, DC, as Africa Ives.

He married Jane Harris in Norfolk, Virginia, on May 11, 1867. He applied for his Civil War pension on December 21, 1912 and was approved. He lived in Norfolk on Monticello Avenue when he passed away on January 23, 1917 of Bright’s disease, acute or chronic nephritis.

I don’t know if Africa is related to me but I do find it interesting because I’ve seen his parents Daniel and Lovie Allmond on incorrect family trees as the parents of my 2nd great-grandfather Moses. They had a son Moses as well.

In the 1870 Census, Daniel and Lovie lived in Norfolk with their younger sons, Daniel, George and Moses. They also had a daughter Sarah who married Jack Brickhouse on July 4, 1867.

I have to make a note to figure out the relationship between the Isle of Wight, Nansemond County and Norfolk Allmonds. The familial relationship is likely between the slaveowners though.

The following are additional pension cards and his service record.

Sources:

• The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; NAI Title: U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; NAI Number: T288; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773-2007; Record Group Number: 15; Series Title: U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; Series Number: T288; Roll: 7
• 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: 25
• “United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890,” database with images, FamilySearch, Virginia > Norfolk > All > image 69 of 95; citing NARA microfilm publication M123 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• National Park Service. U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
• Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Select Marriages, 1785-1940 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2014.
• Virginia Department of Health; Richmond, Virginia; Virginia Deaths, 1912-2014
• Year: 1870; Census Place: Norfolk Ward 3, Norfolk, Virginia; Roll: M593_1666; Page: 177A
• Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Select Marriages, 1785-1940 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2014.
• Numerical Index to Pensions 1860-1934, Fold3, The National Archives, Publication Number: A1158, Record Group: 15, Roll: A1158_0256