I just finished an 8 week class in Artificial Intelligence and Genealogy, so I thought I would experiment. I uploaded the previous Lorenzo Patrick document to ChatGPT4o and asked it to write it as if it were a novel, to make it more interesting. Yes...much more interesting!
Chapter One: Beginnings in New York
In the quiet hamlet of Locke, nestled in the heart of Cayuga County, New York, Lorenzo Patrick was born around 1819, under the shadow of his father, James Patrick, and his mother, Lucy Preston. Some whispered that he arrived on the 23rd of May in 1813, but the exact date remained shrouded in the mists of time. Lorenzo’s childhood was steeped in the simple, hard-working life of rural America.
As the years passed, a young woman named Abigail Main caught his eye. Abby, as she was known, hailed from the far reaches of New Jersey, born on January 14, 1814, to John and Hester Main. Their courtship was brief but intense, culminating in a winter wedding on December 31, 1839. The small New York community buzzed with excitement as Lorenzo and Abby vowed to share their lives together.
Their union bore fruit quickly. Dexter Patrick arrived around 1843, followed closely by Ursula J. Patrick in 1844. Both children were likely born within the familiar confines of Cayuga County. For a few precious years, the Patrick family lived in a semblance of peace. Yet, the tranquillity was shattered in the most violent of ways.
Chapter Two: A Shocking Turn
Five years into their marriage, a dark shadow fell over the Patricks’ home. Lorenzo, gripped by a sudden and inexplicable fury, attempted to murder his beloved wife. The scandalous act sent ripples through the Northeast, the tale of his brutality whispered in hushed tones and emblazoned across newspapers. Remarkably, Abby did not abandon him. Instead, she followed him to the frontier of Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Lorenzo had secured a homestead of 40 acres. Their resilience in the face of such turmoil was nothing short of astonishing.
In the vast expanses of Michigan, the couple welcomed another son, Corydon, and possibly a boy named Franklin, though his existence remained a topic of family speculation. Yet, prosperity eluded them. By 1856, their land was seized for unpaid debts, and the family, once united, was scattered to the winds.
Chapter Three: Scattered to the Winds
By the time the 1860 US Census was taken, Abby had retreated to the safety of her parents' home in Venice, Cayuga County. Dexter, now 17, toiled as a farmhand in Almena, Michigan, while Lorenzo and Ursula found themselves in the distant, unfamiliar terrain of Amite, Mississippi. Here, Lorenzo labored as a miller, and rumors swirled about a new companion, Lenor Patrick, who might have been his wife.
The tumult did not cease. Lorenzo's unyielding devotion to the Union thrust him into peril once more. An article from Cincinnati detailed his harrowing escape from Mississippi:
Chapter Four: An Unlikely Survivor
Lorenzo D. Patrick, Esq., arrived in Cincinnati under a veil of desperation. His loyalty to the Union had incited the wrath of local Confederates in Pike County, Mississippi. After moving south in 1858 and purchasing 640 acres of timberland, Lorenzo had hoped to find a new life. He acquired a steam sawmill, which he ran successfully for three years. But on a fateful July evening, a mob of armed men seized him, demanding he leave the Confederacy.
Defiant, Lorenzo refused unless compensated for his property. Their threats turned violent, and he found himself hanging from a tree, the noose tight around his neck. Miraculously, the execution was botched. After three agonizing minutes, they cut him down, and he clung to life. Facing death, Lorenzo agreed to leave, abandoning his $11,000 property and fleeing north. He made his way to Cincinnati, where he immediately volunteered for a cavalry unit. Yet, no records confirm his enlistment.
Chapter Five: A Final Frontier
Lorenzo’s journey ended tragically in California. On June 11, 1864, in Plumas County, a man named Callich accidentally shot him. A confused Justice of the Peace considered charging Callich with murder, but the matter was dismissed as an accident. Abby, now a widow in all but official record, listed herself as such in 1865.
By 1868, Lorenzo’s children and Abby appeared in the probate records of his mother, Lucy. In 1870, Corydon had moved to Clinton County, Missouri, with Abby by his side. The remaining years of her life were spent in Missouri, where she passed away on November 6, 1885. She was laid to rest in Osborn Evergreen Cemetery, a testament to a life of resilience and fortitude.
Epilogue: The Mystery of Franklin
Research continues on Franklin Pierce Patrick, born in 1853, who lived near Abby in Colfax, DeKalb County, Missouri, in 1880. Perhaps he cared for his mother in her final years. The Patrick family’s saga, marked by violence, survival, and indomitable spirit, is a testament to their enduring legacy.
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