Hello Steve,
	I am pleased that you routed this around again. Frankly, I have some
questions about how a lad born in I believe 1845 could have gained
enough skill to have been entrusted with such a task some time during
the War Between The States. I have forgotten the date of the Keokut
sinking but I believe it was in '62 or '63 when Michael was age 17 or
18. Still the Obituary came from somewhere and it claimed that he did
those things and I have been in contact with two different people who
are descendants of each of two of the brothers of this Michael and all
four have  indicated that there was some cannon making going on during
that war by Quinlivans in Charleston. Two of these people sent me the
wording of the obituary I provided to you in my initial message of April
1 of this year.  One version of this obituary wording ( the one I sent
to you) had been transcribed into a letter authored by Michael, Jr's
daughter which had been sent to the mother of the woman who provided it
to me. The other version of the obituary is a very poor xerox or similar
copy of what appears to be an nth generation of a copy of the original
newspaper obituary, which was sent to me by the sister of the woman
previously noted.  The wording of these two versions is not identical
but seems to convey the same essential points about the facts. In the
version which reflects the multiple copying, the quality of the
reproduction is very poor and some fragments of the text are missing.
	The other two people who have spoken to me about this cannon
("munitions") matter are two women who are cousins.  One lives in
Florida and the other lives on Staten Island.  I believe both of these
women are descended from a Thomas Quinlivan who was an older brother of
Michael, Jr. This Thomas is the same Thomas mentioned in the obituary as
one of two brothers who went into business with Michael, Jr. One of
these cousins told me that she recalled hearing her father describe with
some pride the fact that his ancester had some part in the matter.
	Steve, I take no issue with any of this because I have no facts other
than what I have gleaned. Information from the two sisters states that
Michael was initially in the employ of the Phoenix Iron Works in
Charleston. ( Neither of the cousins mentioned this at all so far as I
recall.) In his 2 April response to your message to him, Wayne Stark
seems to state that he knows of no company in Charleston with a name
similar name to the Phoenix Iron Works. Well then, neither do I.  
	But if I remember correctly, the same night I wrote my message to you,
after I sent it, I received several of your valuable and very
fascinating messages which told of a person in that area who had an iron
firm which I believe was said to have build fire engines. Most of my
genealogy files in my FTM in that computer were lost as well as were
lots of messages and other files, but I believe the firm mentioned in
the message you distributed was named Phoenix something--- Perhaps Fire
Engine Company.  I think the obituary also credits this Michael with
being the inventor or early builder or something of the sort of the
Steam fire engine. Check that if you can find time.  I think your
message arrived after I sent mine and I think it was about a business
man who had a firm named "Phoenix...." in the general Charleston area.
	My computer problems came on suddenly and led to my being off the air
for some time and now I am back on your SCRoots which I like greatly and
do find helpful. Please note that I have a new address and a different
server.
	I will be very interested in responses to these messages. Please keep
up the good job you are doing on behalf of Genealogy and stimulating
interest in early SC History.  
	My sincere and genuine Thanks!
				Bill Quinlivan, Florida