Jim's Ward and Odom  Ancestry
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James B. Ward
Native American
       or Not?
WARNING! 

I would like to warn you all about false documents and genealogies about James B. Ward of Dale County, Alabama.

It is very disapointing and unfortunate, but there is NO valid proof that he was related to any Jack Ward or Nahoga Moniac or even that he was of Indian (Native American) descent.

During the 1950's and 1960's false documents were manufactured  by several people in attempts to qualify under Jame's B. Ward's name for the money promised to descendants of Creek tribal members for payment  for land stolen  from the tribe by the U.S. government. Attempts were even made to change old census records. Even notarized statements made at that time by elderly people are not to be trusted because of the manner in which they may have been led to false memories by those "helping them" remember. It's very likely that those people really believed they were native American through the Ward line and were doing a service to all descendants. They meant well.

These  false documents include a supposed letter from James B. to his son Monroe and a very poorly falsified diary  claimed to have been written by another of James B's sons. The diary is riddled with stupid errors no son would make...including the writer's own relationship to James B.

These documents have  unfortunately been accepted by those who, like all of us, long to simply  connect James B. back to his parents etc., or to have the romance of Native American blood in our lines. The government accepted what was sent if it looked good on the surface...they aren't in the genealogical research business. Keep in mind that James B. MAY have had some Native American blood but it in NO way is related to any of the "proof" given to the U.S. government during the reparation years. (Update: DNA testing of male descendants  of James B. Ward show NO evidence of native American blood. It is still possible that his descendants are part native American through the lines of his wife, Elizabeth English Ward. That's a different type of DNA testing.)

These falsehoods have been passed down to several generations of people through well meaning people who had no idea they were given false information.

The tribe formed of mostly his descendants in Bruce, Florida still backs the Native American Ward theory and false documents...but bless them all, they would, wouldn't they? I hated to remove it from MY records and lose wonderful stories from my children.s bloodlines too. Remember,
this doesn't mean they aren't Native American through Elizabeth English. It's just the side of the family it comes from.

I corresponded many times with the tireless researcher who presents his proof on the links below. There is no doubt in my mind. He is correct.

I wish so much everyone could stand back and look at what is actually proven by non-falsified documents and start from square one. By removing the  FALSE records (and making note of the fact that those documents ARE false for future generations who might stumble across them!) we might actually be able to find James B.'s  true heritage. There may be good news coming soon.

In addition to the above please note... there is NO PROVEN DOCUMENT that says his middle initial was for the name Benjamin!

ANY document coming from the 50's and 60's is to be mistrusted. What a mess those people created for us!

Please check these links:

http://pamajo.home.comcast.net/warnings.htm
http://pamajo.home.comcast.net/roadblocks.htm
http://home.mchsi.com/~jerrym151/Parents.htm

I know this is a terrible disapointment and upsetting to many people. We OWE it to our ancestors to  "GET IT RIGHT". Let's work together to find the truth.



The page with our family records pertaining to James B. will be posted soon.
email me
This page was last updated: January 5, 2009
WARD UPDATE!  -  April 2006

Thanks to the decade of dedicated research by James B. descendant, Jerry Merritt, we finally have the very probably  answer to the James B. Ward Lineage mystery.
Please  read the excellent work linked here:
http://home.mchsi.com/~jerrym151/Parents.htm