Finding Your Roots
Carol Burnett Learns Who Fought in Wars — and Who Fled
Carol Burnett uncovers some surprising connections between her family and the Civil War.
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Finding Your Roots
Carol Burnett Learns Who Fought in Wars — and Who Fled
Clip: Season 9 Episode 3 | 4m 28sVideo has Closed Captions
Carol Burnett uncovers some surprising connections between her family and the Civil War.
Carol Burnett and Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncover some surprising connections between her family, the American Revolution and the Civil War. Burnett, an award-winning actress and best-selling author, is widely recognized by the public and her peers for her work for her comedic and dramatic roles on television, film, and Broadway, most notably The Carol Burnett Show.
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Corporate support for Season 11 of FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. is provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Ancestry® and Johnson & Johnson. Major support is provided by...
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Finding Your Roots
Carol Burnett Learns Who Fought in Wars — and Who Fled
Clip: Season 9 Episode 3 | 4m 28sVideo has Closed Captions
Carol Burnett and Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncover some surprising connections between her family, the American Revolution and the Civil War. Burnett, an award-winning actress and best-selling author, is widely recognized by the public and her peers for her work for her comedic and dramatic roles on television, film, and Broadway, most notably The Carol Burnett Show.
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A new season of Finding Your Roots is premiering January 7th! Stream now past episodes and tune in to PBS on Tuesdays at 8/7 for all-new episodes as renowned scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. guides influential guests into their roots, uncovering deep secrets, hidden identities and lost ancestors.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship-[Henry VO] Despite the risk and the distance he had to go, John was successful.
Somehow, he managed to make it all the way back home to Bell County, Texas.
But when the war ended, he faced a dilemma.
He found himself surrounded by former Confederate soldiers who were proud of their service, and he was a deserter.
-[Henry] What kind of story do you think he's telling?
-[laughing] I have no idea.
-[Henry] [laughs] -Did he keep quiet?
-Well, let's see.
Carol, this is a page from a book on prominent citizens from Texas.
It was published in the year 1893, when John was about 58 years old.
We believe that either your great-grandfather or his family provided this information first-hand.
Would you please read the transcribed section?
-"During the Civil War, Mr. Burnett was among the first to enlist in the Confederate service.
He was with the forces that operated west of the Mississippi and acted the part of a brave soldier all through that struggle.
At one time, he was captured in Louisiana and taken to New Orleans.
After the close of the war, he returned to his home and family in Texas."
-According to that biography, your great-grandfather didn't desert the army; it says he was captured.
What do you make of that?
-What can we believe?
-Well, Carol, we believe much of that was fabricated.
[laughter] And it seems that John came home from the war and made up that story.
-Sounds like Nanny.
-[Henry] Yeah!
-[laughs] -[Henry VO] As it turns out, John wasn't the only soldier in Carol's father's family tree, nor was he the only one challenged by a moral dilemma.
Carol's fourth great-grandfather, Lambert Burget, was born in the colony of New York around 1760, so as a young man, he was prime age to fight in the Revolutionary War.
-[Henry] What do you think he did?
Did he join George Washington and the Patriots, or was he loyal to King George III?
-I hope he joined the Patriots.
-[Henry] All right, let's see.
-Let's turn the page?
-[Henry] Turn the page.
Carol, this is a record from the National Archives in Washington, DC.
Would you please read the transcription?
-"Lambert Burget..." -[Henry] Mm-hm.
-"Of Steuben County in the state of New York, who was a private in the company commanded by Captain Miller N. of the regiment commanded by Colonel Willet..." -[Henry] Mm-hm.
-[Carol] "In the New York Militia line for 22 months, 17 days."
-Your ancestor was a patriot.
[laughs] Lambert enlisted in May of 1780 in Columbia County, New York, and served almost two years as a private.
When you were studying the American Revolution in school, did it ever occur to you that you had an ancestor who was there fighting with George Washington?
-[laughing] No!
-[Henry] [laughs] -No!
-[Henry] Alexander Hamilton?
Isn't that amazing?
-Wow, that is great.
-[Henry] What's it like to learn that?
-I love it, I love it!
-[Henry] Mm.
-Oh... You see, I never knew... Once Mama and-- they got divorced, Nanny was never a Burnett fan.
-[laughs] Right.
-You know, so I hardly knew anything about them, and Daddy, I mean, he didn't say much.
I don't know, it just never occurred to me.
-Right.
-But this is really fun!
-[Henry VO] According to his pension file, Lambert was stationed in Upstate New York throughout the war, near the site of a number of battles, some of them quite fierce.
When the fighting stopped, Lambert remained in the army, and briefly served directly under George Washington.
He then became a farmer, and lived roughly 60 more years.
-That's old!
-[Henry] Old!
The Revolution ends in 1783, and he died in 1848.
-It was old age when you were 40 back then.
-[laughs] That's right.
-Wow!
-What would your father say?
-I think he'd be very proud!
-Yeah, that he knew he had a Patriot ancestor... -A Patriot ancestor.
-And who hung out with George Washington.
-Oh my gosh.
Knew the president.
-Yeah.
-Ooh, that's lovely!
-Because of this ancestor, you are eligible for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution.
-No kidding!
-[Henry] Yes!
-[laughs] I love it!
-We've done all the research, so I can nominate you if you would like to be a member of the DAR.
-[laughs] I would love it!
-[Henry] It would be my honor.
-[laughing] Oh, thank you.
-DAR time, baby!
-Hello!
Niecy Nash Discovers Her Ancestor's History as Slaves
Video has Closed Captions
Niecy Nash reads the first tangible evidence she's seen about her slave ancestors. (5m 40s)
Video has Closed Captions
Comedians Carol Burnett and Niecy Nash discover scandals hidden within their roots. (32s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
Corporate support for Season 11 of FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. is provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Ancestry® and Johnson & Johnson. Major support is provided by...