Posted by Stephanie Fan, Chiinese Historical Soc of NE on June 08, 1998 at 15:54:19:
In Reply to: Re: Chinese man who served in the Union Army posted by JWC Low on May 23, 1998 at 22:50:43:
The chinese Historical Society of NE is interested in the story of Edward Day Cohota. We have a copy of his picture from the Cape Ann Historical Association in Gloucester, MA., but not much more info. Our copy of the photo is from a newspaper and is not very clear. Do you have photos??
: Unless your gggf, Edward had maintained contact with his family, village, written his name in Chinese, I don't know of any way of tracing his heritage. If there was any known family information, try the microfilms for the Shanghai or Suchow area in China for Chinese family histories which were collected by the Latter Day Saints Church from many third world countries. The microfilm if available may be used through interlibrary loan at their family history centers all over the US. but the records would probably be in the original language, Chinese.
: According to his account to reporter, he was only five years old when found in 1852 and his father had died in the Yangtze River. However, because he was a boy, his name might have been entered into the ancestral listing for his line. However, his original Chinese surname etc. would have to be known.
: I read about your gggf, Edward Day Cohota in the research of Ruthanne Lum McCunn, one of the contributors to Chinese America:History and Perspectives 1996. p. 153-158. Published by Chinese Historical Society of America, 1996, SF. Ms McCunn's resources were: Melville. Brown, great grandson & Cohota's granddaugher, Marilu. Cooper & Cohata's personal papers, etc.
: I found his story very interesting.
: I am the author of China Connection:Finding Ancestral Roots for Chinese in America.
: : I am the great great granddaughter of Edward Day Cohota.
: : Edward Day Cohota was born in Scow Jow, China on December 27, 1843.
: : He was put on a ship named the "Cohota" when he was a young boy. He stayed out at sea for about three years and then came to America in February 1856.
: : The Captain of the ship was named Capt. Sergent S. Day. He is the one who gave my great great grandfather his name. He took my gggrandfather in and raised him as his own. He was raised in Massachusetts.
: : He joined the 23rd Mass Vol Infantry, Co. C. He served with them for 16 months then enlisted in the regular army where he served for over thirty years.
: : I know this is a long shot but is there any way to officially tie him to China with this information?