~ THEIR STORIES ~
Biographies of My Slave/ Ex-slave African-American Ancestors
The following biographies pull together the research I have completed so far. They are works in progress. Hopefully with the divine guidance of the ancestors, these stories will grow more complete over time. Feel free to e-mail me for advice on Slave/ Reconstruction Era research: kh_art@yahoo.com
Van Rogan and Ivey Boyd Rogan
Ripley, Tippah Co., Mississippi
Last updated 8/27/03
Van Rogan
Van Rogan was born a slave in Alabama in 1838 (1). Van was most likely a dark-complexioned
man, as his wife and neighbors were sometimes listed as mulatto in the census,
while he was consistently described as "black." It is currently
uncertain where gggg-grandfather Van's surname originated from. He may have
been connected to an Irishman named "Judge" James Rogan, the only
Rogan slaveholder in Tippah Co. in 1850 and 1860. Van may have traveled to
Ripley, MS from Ashville, Alabama (St. Clair County) in 1847 along with Judge
Rogan's family and other slaves. There are several black/ mulatto Rogan's
in Tippah Co. after Emancipation (1), some of whom were also born in Alabama.
These Rogans may be related to Van. Further research in Judge Rogan's Alabama
hometown (1826-1847) may reveal more about the Rogan slaves.
Ivey Boyd
Originally from South Carolina, Ivey Boyd was born a slave in 1844. She was,
perhaps, a fair-skinned woman as she and several other Tippah Co. Boyds from
South Carolina are listed in the census as "mulatto." It's most
likely that Ivey Boyd met/married Van Rogan while both were still slaves.
Ivey became a young mother of 17 years when their eldest daughter Martha was
born in 1861 during the dawn of the Civil War.
Life During the Civil War
Ripley, MS was a hot-bed of activity during the Civil War. Amidst a mass exodus
of blacks into places like nearby Memphis, Tennessee to enlist as soldiers
with the Union troops, some black families may have remained settled. Van
and Ivey Boyd Rogan's little family was perhaps one example, since their two
children Martha and Jordan were born in Mississippi during the War (1861 and
1863, respectively). A young man of 21 years, Van was of prime age for a soldier
in 1861. However, no enlistment or Civil War records have been found for Van,
further supporting the possibility that he remained at home with his family
during this turbulent time.
Van and Ivey Boyd Rogan's Postbellum Days
Van and Ivey's daughter Fannie was born in January of the year the Civil
War ended (1865). Van and Ivey remained in Ripley alongside several South
Carolina-born Boyds in 1870 and 1880 (1). Although it is likely that these
Boyds are relatives of Ivey, their familial connections are not yet confirmed.
Van and Ivey Boyd Rogan Join the Ancestors
Van Rogan died March 11, 1916 at age 78 in Ripley, Tippah Co., Mississippi.
The following year, Ivey Boyd Rogan died May 20, 1917 in Ripley, MS (3). Both
are buried in Boyd Cemetery, one of Ripley's oldest African-American cemeteries.
References
1. U.S. Federal Census, Mississippi, Tippah County, 1870.
2. Mississippi State Department of Health Vital Records. Certificate of Death,
Van Rogan, cert. no. 5427
2. Mississippi State Department of Health Vital Records. Certificate of Death,
Ivory Rogan, cert. no. 10581