Honor Roll: Macon, Georgia, Coleman Hill Park

The 151st Machine Gun Battalion memorial commemorating those in the battalion who lost their lives during World War I is located at Coleman Hill Park in Macon, Georgia.

The 151st Machine Gun Battalion was part of the 42nd Rainbow Division.

151st Machine Gun Battalion Honor Roll, Coleman Hill Park, Macon,
Georgia; courtesy of U.S. World War I Centennial Commission

In Memory of Those of the
151st Machine Gun Battalion

* Killed in Action + Died in Service

That Their Names May Live
With Their Valor

Company A, Macon Hussars

Thomas H. Blissett*
Jesse D. Bridges *
Robert D. Collins*
Edgar Coots+
Herman K. Davis*
Frank Enters*
Bernard F. Greene*
Normand H. Hawkinson+
Paul Hearn*
Thomas W. Hollis*
Frank M. Hunt*
Otis Knight*
Ernest P. McWilliams*
John Morteson+
Clifford I. Phillips*
Delbert W. Sawyer+
Jack Taylor*
Melvin Wilson+
Ben Whitt+

Company B, Macon Volunteers

Frank L. Adkins+
Chambers L. Bunting*
Calvin C. Climer*
Otis E. Cook*
Clifford Evans*
James J. Guerry*
Daniel P. Hudson*
Charles B. Long*
Emmett L. Martin*
James G. Mason*
Paul B. Minter*
Willie C. Murray*
Gussie Rich+
George F. Robertson*
Guerry J. Temple*
Homer J. Terry+
Madie R. Ware*
Thomas G. Whittaker*

Company C, Floyd Rifles

Troy D. Barnett*
Harry C. Deanor*
Clarence D. Fordham*
Delmere M. Howard*
Freeman C. Mills+
Jarvis W. Moore*
Mark Mosco*
James M. Oliver*
Roy S. Ratley*
Carl Thompson*
Joseph E. Tucker+
Earl S. Wadsworth*
George L. Weeks*
Ira Wilkinson*

Company D, Lancaster Penna.

Abraham Breitigan*
Raymond Bryson*
Martin Cover*
Frank Cramblett*
David T. Davis*
Carroll Fanus*
John A. Harkcom*
Aaron Jenkins*
Julius M. Lyons*
Martin L. Moore*
Ralph W. Olds*
Charles J. Reamsnyder*
George A. Rodman*
George Smith*
Sylvester Sullivan+
John G. Walter*
Fred White*
Harry White+
Harry Wright*

DULCE et DECORUM est PRO PATRIA MORI

(Translation: It is sweet and glorious to die for one's country)

Erected by
The Ladies Auxiliary
151st Machine Gun Bn.
Assisted by the Men
Of the Battalion
1922

This post was written as a contribution to the Honor Roll Project, which was created by Heather Wilkinson Rojo, author of Nutfield Genealogy.

Slave of James O. Taylor

James O. Taylor was born in 1825 in Virginia. He married my sister-in-law's four times great aunt, Mary Ann Z. Tucker, and died on 10 September 1860 in Terrell County, Georgia. He wrote his will on 20 August 1860 less than a month before he died.

State of Georgia
Terrell County

In the name of God, amen. I James O. Taylor of said State and County knowing that I must shortly depart this life I deem it right and proper both as regards my family and myself that I should make a disposition of the property with which a kind Provider has blessed me, therefore make this my last will and testament hereby revoking all others heretofore made by me.

Item the first. I desire and direct that all my just debts be paid without delay by my Executors herein after appointed.

Item the second. I give and bequeath and devise to my beloved wife, Mary Z., all my property both real and personal including everything which I may be possessed of during her lifetime provided she does not marry and if she marries she can keep it all by her and her husband giving bond with good security for the forthcoming of said property at her death to be disposed of as herein directed. Never [illegible] she can [illegible] said property or a sufficiency of it so far as her own comfort and necessity may require.

Item the third. I devise and direct that my negro boy WILLIE, about ten years old, be sold by my Executors after my wife, Mary Ann's death and equally divided between Martha M. Tucker and Lucy A. Tucker[1].

Item the forth. I desire and direct that Elijah Tucker[2], son of John H. Tucker, have fifty dollars out of my estate.

Item the fifth. I desire and direct that if my wife should have a child or children by a future husband then and in that case said child or children shall come in and share as follows --

Will of James O. Taylor; image courtesy of Ancestry.com

Item the sixth. I desire and direct that after my wife, Mary Ann Z., breech or on failure of her and her future husband giving bond and security as required in the second Item that then all my property then remaining be sold by my Executors and divided and divided as follows: I desire and direct that Jesse Tucker and John Tucker sons of Thomas Tucker and my sister Frances Morris Samuel Morris Johnston Morris Robert Morris William Morris and such children as my wife Mary Ann Z. may have by any future husband, shall share thus, the said Jesse Tucker and John Tucker shall have two thirds of said estate and my sister Frances Morris six youngest children as above named to have one third of my estate to be equally divided amongst said youngest six children provided my wife has no children but if she has child or children then they come in and receive and equal share with said Jesse and John and my sister Frances Morris six children as aforesaid the said six children standing as one heir or legatee.

Item the seventh. I desire and direct that if my wife Mary Ann Z. should marry and fail to give bond and security as required in the second Item, the the heirs or legatees which I have willed my property to shall give bond and security to my said wife to furnish her with such an amount or property or money as she may choose as will make her reasonably comfortable during her life. All the said legatees to furnish her with equal in proportions to what they receive from said estate.

Item the eighth. I desire and direct that if either Jesse Tucker or John Tucker should die without [illegible] or a wife then the property shall be divided amongst the other legatees in proportion as I have willed my estate.

Item the ninth. I hereby constitute and appoint my beloved wife Mary Ann Z. Execturix and my worthy friend Jesse Tucker John Tucker and Samuel Morris Executors of this my last will and testament and if the said Samuel Morris should die before executing this will then I hereby appoint the next oldest of his brothers which may then be living this 20th day of August 1860.

James O. Taylor

Signed sealed declared published by James O. Taylor as his last will and testament in the presence of us the said scribers who subscribed our names hereto in the presence of said Testator at his special insistence and request and of each other this August 20th 1860.

R. C. Martin
Chas. E. Hayner
Samuel Denton [illegible initials]

Recorded 15th day of October 1860.

[illegible signature]
Ordinary Terrell County

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[1] Martha M. Tucker (born about 1847) and Lucy Ann Tucker (1850-1888)were sisters of James' wife, Mary Ann Z. Tucker. 
[2] Elijah Washington Tucker (1857-1936), nephew of James O. Taylor.

Slave Name Roll Project

More Cross-Grained Woman Stories

I first introduced you to Nancy Ann (Morgan) Hart, a Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR) patriot, last week. Today, I'd like to relate a few more stories about Nancy during the war, which I found in a book entitled Historical Collections of Georgia by Rev. George White and published in 1855.

"The compiler of this work, during a visit to Elbert, was introduced to Mrs. Wyche, a lady far advanced in years, who was on terms of intimacy with Mrs. Hart. From her he received many anecdotes, among which are the following:

On one occasion, when information as to what was transpiring on the 'Carolina side of the river was anxiously desired by the troups on the Georgia side, no one could be induced to cross the river to obtain it. Nancy promptly offered to discharge the perilous duty. Alone, the dauntless heroine made her way to the Savannah River; but finding no mode of transport across, she procured a few logs, and , tying them together with a grape-vine, constructed a raft, upon which she crossed, obtained the desired intelligence, returned, and communicated it to the George troops.

Replica of the Hart cabin with chimney stones from the original cabin;
image courtesy of New Georgia Encyclopedia

On another occasion, having met a Tory on the road, and entering into conversation with him, so as to divert his attention, she seized his gun, and declared that unless he immediately took up the line of march for a fort not far distant, she would shoot him. The dastard was so intimidated, that he actually walked before the brave woman, who delivered him to the commander of the American fort.

Nancy, with several other women and a number of small children, were once left in a fort, the men having gone some distance, probably for provisions, when the fort was attacked by a party of Tories and savages. At this critical period, when fear had seized the women and children, to such an extent as to produce an exhibition of indescribable confusion, Mrs. Hart called into action all the energies of her nature. In the fort there was one cannon, and our heroine, after endeavoring in vain to place it in a position so that its fire could reach the enemy, looked about for aid, and discovered a young man hid under a cow-hide; she immediately drew him from his retreat, and threatened him with immediate death unless he instantly assisted her with the cannon. The young man, who well knew that Nancy would carry her threats into execution unless he obeyed, gave her his assistance, and she fired the cannon, which so frightened the enemy that they took to their heels.

Once more, when Augusta was in possession of the British, the American troops in Wilkes, then under the command of Colonel Elijah Clarke, were very anxious to know something of the intentions of the British. Nancy assumed the garments of a man, pushed on to Augusta, went boldly into the British camp, pretending to be crazy, and by this means was enabled to obtain much useful information, which she hastened to lay before the commander, Colonel Clarke.

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Nancy Ann (Morgan) Hart (1747-1840: A Cross-Grained Woman

Nancy Ann (Morgan) Hart (1747-1840): A "Cross-Grained" Woman

Thomas Rice, my seven times great grandfather, was "an early adventurer into Virginia," likely arriving in 1679. His daughter, Susannah Rice, married Thomas Hart in 1719. They had at least two children:  Keziah Ann Hart, who married William Gooch, and is an ancestor of Jeanne Bryan Insalaco, author of Everyone has a Story; and Benjamin Hart, who married Nancy Ann Morgan.

Benjamin was born in 1732 in Hanover County, Virginia, and migrated south was a young man. He married Nancy Ann Morgan in 1760 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She was the daughter of Thomas Morgan and Rebecca Alexander.

Nancy Ann (Morgan) Hart; courtesy of Ancestry
member robertfhalejr

Benjamin Hart moved his family to Georgia between 1763 and 1776. They lived near a creek in what is now Elbert County. It acquired the name War Woman's Creek during the Revolutionary War because of the heroic deeds of Nancy Hart, who was known among the Native Americans of that area as War Woman.[1]

The book, Historical Collections of Georgia, by Rev. George White and published in 1855,  included a sketch of Nancy and described several of her exploits. I'd like to share one, which was first published in the Yorkville Pioneer:

"Nancy Hart and her husband settled before the Revolutionary War a few miles above a ford in the Broad River, in Elbert County, Georgia. An apple orchard still remains on this spot.

In altitude Mrs. Hart was a Patagonian, and remarkably well-limbed and muscular. In a word she was 'lofty and sour.' Marked by nature with prominent features, circumstances and accident added, perhaps, not a little to peculiarities. She was horribly cross-eyed, as well as cross-grained; but, nevertheless, she was sharp-shooter. Nothing was more common than to see her in full pursuit of a bounding stag. The huge antlers that hung around cabin, or upheld her trusty gun, gave proof of her skill in gunnery; and the white comb, drained of its honey and hung up for ornament, testified to her powers in bee-finding.

Many can testify to her magical art in the mazes of cookery -- being able to get up a pumpkin in as many forms as there are days in the week. She was extensively known and employed for her profound knowledge in the management of all ailments.

But she was most remarkable for her military feats. She professed high-toned ideas of liberty. Not even the marriage knot could restrain her on that subject. Like the 'wife of Bath,' she received over her tongue-scourged husband

The reins of absolute command,

With all the government of house and land,

And empire o'er his tongue, and o'er his hand.

The clouds of war gathered, and burst with a dreadful explosion in this State. Nancy's spirit rose with the tempest. She declared and proved herself a friend to her country, ready 'to do or die.'

All accused of Whiggism had to hide or swing. The lily-livered Mr. Hart was not the last to seek safety in the cane-brake with his neighbors. They kept up a prowling, skulking kind of life, occasionally sallying forth in a sort of predatory style. The Tories at length however, gave Mrs. Hart a call, and in true soldier manner ordered a repast. Nancy soon had the necessary materials for a good feast spread before them. The smoking venison, the hasty[sic] hoe-cake, and the fresh honeycomb, were sufficient to have provoked the appetite of a gorged epicure! They simultaneously stacked their arms and seated themselves, when, quick as thought, the dauntless Nancy seized one of the guns, cocked it, and with a blazing oath declared she would blow out the brains of the first mortal that offered to rise, or taste a mouthful! They all knew her character too well to imagine that she would say one thing and do another.

An engraving from Historical Collections of Georgia by Rev. George White

'Go,' said she to one of her sons, 'and tell the Whigs that I have taken six base Tories.' They sat still, each expecting to be offered up, with doggedly mean countenances, bearing the marks of disappointed revenge, shame, and unappeased hunger.

Whether the incongruity between Nancy's eyes caused each to imagine himself her immediate object, or whether her commanding attitude, stern and ferocious fixture of countenance, overawed them; or the powerful idea of their non-soldierlike conduct unnerved them; or the certainty of death, it is not easy to determine. They were soon relived, and dealt with according to the rules of the times.

This heroine lived to see her country free. She, however, found game and bees decreasing, and the country becoming old so fast, that she sold out her possessions, in spite of remonstrances of her husband, and was 'among the first' of the pioneers who paved the way to the wilds of the West."

To be continued...

_______________
[1] From a page from an unknown book shared by Ancestry member bfdowden7292. It should also be noted that Benjamin Hart is an approved Patriot and a plaque marks his grave, placed their by the local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter.

The Rice Family: Lost at Sea

What Happened to Little Mary Moore?

When I wrote a post entitled Death and Kidnapping last month, I didn't know what happened to Mary Elizabeth Moore, who had been "kidnapped" from a hospital room the night before her mother died. Mary's step-father accused her father of the crime. Mary was nine years old at the time. Charges against her father were later dropped though it was unclear if Mary was returned to him or raised by foster parents. I have not been able to find her in the 1940 census though I do believe her father had remarried by 1940 and lived in Macon, Georgia, with his second wife and daughter, Betty.

1 July 1934 edition of the Macon Telegraph; courtesy of the Macon Historical Society

I know from Mary's Social Security application records she submitted three name changes throughout her life: 1) in Apr 1953 she said her name was Mary Moore Bradbury; 2) on 21 January 1976 she said her name was Mary M. Lindsey; and 3) on 26 May 1999 she said her name was Mary Moore Lindsey. I suspected the first two name changes were the result of marriages.

It turns out Mary Moore married Walter C. Bradbury, who was the son of John Lewis Bradbury and Mary Phillips. He grew up in Bibb County, Georgia, so it is entirely possible they met in their hometown of Macon. By 1952 Walter and Mary lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he worked as a chemist. Five years later, the couple lived in Corpus Christi, Texas. Perhaps Walter had a job that transferred him frequently?

On 12 August 1974 Mary married Harold Isaac Lindsey in Pasco County, Florida. She was 50 years old at the time of the marriage. Walter Bradbury died in 2008 so they must have divorced. Harold was the son of Walter M. Lindsey and Bertie Perkins. He had been married previously, and at the time of that marriage, worked as a lawyer. Mary and Harold divorced on 1 August 1990 in Hillsborough County, Florida. It appears Mary spent the rest of her life there and died on 25 May 2003 in Lutz, Florida.

I later found a family tree on Ancestry.com created by Mary's daughter. That tree indicated she had a child by each husband; the daughter from her first marriage to Walter Bradbury and a son with Harold Lindsey.

It should be noted that John Henry Moore and Emily B. Wilson, Mary's parents, had another child, Nelda Moore. She was born on 1 December 1923 and died on 7 May 1925 in Bibb County. Little Nelda was interred in Riverside Cemetery where her mother was buried. Mary was 10 months old at the time of Nelda's death so likely did not remember having a sister.

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Death and Kidnapping

Death and Kidnapping

Zollie Monroe Britt had some terrible luck with wives. He married Mamie Lee Hale, daughter John Henry Hale and his second wife Sarah Jane Williams, on 21 October 1923 in Bibb County, Georgia. Mamie was my sister-in-law's great great aunt. Zollie and Mamie had their only child, John Madison Britt the following year.

Two short months after their 10th wedding anniversary Zollie's wife, Mamie, died, leaving him with his 9-year-old son. Six months after his wife's death, he married Emily B. (Wilson) Moore on 19 June 1934. She was a young divorcee with a daughter the same age as Zollie's son. The couple planned to make their home in Macon, Georgia, where Zollie was involved with government work.

28 June 1934 edition of The Macon Telegraph;
courtesy of the Macon Historical Society

About a week after their marriage Emily came down with pneumonia and was hospitalized on 25 June 1934. Her prognosis was grim. On the evening of 27 June 1934 her former husband came to Emily's hospital room where he saw his daughter, Mary Elizabeth. He asked Emily if he could take the child home and she consented. Zollie and one of Emily's sisters objected and a shouting match ensued with John Moore threatening to "break every bone in his body." Zollie and his sister-in-law went to the police and filed a complaint. Later that night the police arrested John on a kidnapping warrant. He was later released. Mary Elizabeth, it was reported, was content with her father, telling the deputies her aunt was not giving her enough to eat.

29 Jun 1934 edition of The Macon Telegraph; courtesy of the Macon
Historical Society

The next day The Macon Telegraph reported that not only had John H. Moore been released from police custody, the kidnapping charges had been dropped. The police held out the possibility that they may press contempt of court charges in the future. The same article went on to relate Emily B. (Wilson) Moore Britt had died in the hospital at 8:00 a.m. on 28 June -- the morning after the confrontation between her current and former husbands.

1 July 1934 edition of The Macon Telegraph; courtesy of
the Macon Historical Society

The funeral for Emily was held on 30 June, which her daughter attended. Police and juvenile court officials decided to take custody of Mary Elizabeth Moore until an investigation could be completed and the court could decide where she should live.

That was the last article I could find about the event. So in less than six months time Zollie had been widowed twice. He married Mary Elizabeth (Folds) Elliott some time before the 1940 census was enumerated. She was a native of Putnam County, Georgia, and had lost her first husband in 1929. She had at least three children from her first marriage. Zollie and Mary lived in Macon for the remainder of their lives. He died in 1962 and she died in 1970. They were both interred at Riverside Cemetery in Macon.

"Cozy" Tucker Marriages

My sister-in-law's pedigree chart has deep Georgia roots.

My sister-in-law's pedigree chart by place of birth; created using Microsoft
Excel

I first researched her Tucker family several years ago and have written about them before, even the mistakes I made and have since corrected. My sister-in-law recently took a DNA test so I have been using her matches to prove her pedigree chart. I was also able to add to the chart and correct a mistake. I had previously believed Anna Stella May was her two times great grandmother. But that was not true. Emma W. Fowler was John Irwin Tompkins first wife and mother of his children. Anna Stella May was his second wife.

The DNA test results also gave me a chance to go back and refresh and extend my previous Tucker research. My sister-in-law's father, a Tucker, died when she was 12 years old, and she lost touch with his family. DNA testing has brought her back in contact with a first cousin once removed, the daughter of her grandfather, Isiah Tucker's brother.

There are so many new sources available online now than when I first did my Tucker research. So I have been retracing the descendants of Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr., my sister-in-law's five times great grandfather and the Tucker who first came to Georgia sometime before 1790. I've traced his Georgia migrations, written of the debate about his wife, and begun working through his descendants.

While researching Henry, Sr.'s children, I've learned about first cousins once removed marrying and widowed sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws marrying. I feel like I'm back home in Virginia with my deeply rooted Colonial-era Jennings ancestors!

Marriages between Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr.' descendants; created using
Microsoft Powerpoint

John Tucker was Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr.'s eldest child; brother Elijah Tucker was his youngest. John Tucker's grandson, Jesse Tucker, married Elijah Tucker's daughter, Mary Ann Z. Tucker after her first husband died. She was 17 years older than her second husband, who was only 36 when she died.[1] Jesse then married Julia A. (Martin) Martin, who was the widow of Robert C. Martin. Robert's first wife, was also a daughter of Elijah Tucker. Are you confused yet?

The tangled roots on our extended family tree continue to weave together in the most interesting ways!

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[1] The records have conflicting years of birth for Jesse/Jessie Tucker from 1840 to 1849; 1849 is the year of birth on his headstone.

Henry Crawford Tucker's Georgia Migrations
Confusing Tuckers of Wiregrass Georgia

Henry Crawford Tucker's Georgia Migrations

Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr. was my sister-in-law's five times great grandfather.  There is a passionate debate about this family, which I blogged about previously. If you believe as I do, Henry, Sr., was from Southampton, Virginia, and the son of Benjamin Tucker (1704-1778). After his father died, Henry and his brothers sold the Southampton plantation. The brothers removed to North Carolina where Henry met married Sarah "Sallie" Hunter in Chatham County sometime before moving to Georgia, where their eldest son was born in 1790. Georgia was offering land grants to Revolutionary War veterans in an effort to attract more people to the former British colony.

Burke County, Georgia; courtesy of Rootsweb

Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr., was listed on the Burke County tax list in 1790. Five years later, he lived in Montgomery County, which had been created from Washington County and before that was Creek Indian land. In 1805, Henry, Sr., participated in a land lottery and was awarded 202-1/2 acres in recently formed Wilkinson County. In 1826, Henry, Sr. moved south again to newly formed Lowndes County. He and his wife, Sarah, were founding members of Bethel Primitive Baptist Church.

Bethel Primitive Baptist Church Historical marker (now in Brooks County);
courtesy of the Georgia Historical Society

Bethel Primitive Baptist Church
Bethel Primitive Baptis Church, the second Baptist Church to be organized in the area of old Lowndes County, was constituted September 2, 1826. The organizing Presbytery were Elders: Benjamin Manning, Matthew Albritton and Henry Melton, with Deacon William A. Knight. Charters members of Bethel Church were: Elder Melus Thigpen and his wife, Sarah; Archibald Strickland and his wife, Luander; Henry C. Tucker and his wife, Sarah.
Elder Thigpen served as supply pastor until 1828, when the Rev. Matthew Albritton was called to the charge of Bethel Church.

Georgia migrations of Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr.; map courtesy of Rootsweb

Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr., died sometime after 1832 when he submitted an affidavit in a Leon County, Florida, court to support a Revolutionary War pension application, which was rejected by the federal government. It is not known when or where he died, but he may have been interred at Bridge Creek Cemetery in Colquitt County, which was formed from Lowndes County in 1856. If so, the grave is unmarked. There is also a headstone in the Purvis Family Cemetery in Berrien County, Georgia, where Henry's son Richard M. Tucker was interred, which listed Richard's brothers as: John (1785-1853), Davis (1798-post 1880), Thomas (1803-post 1880), Henry Crafford, Jr. (1805-1886), Elisha (1808-post 1880), and Elijah (1809-1858).  I believe he also had two sisters: Nancy and Barbara -- all children of Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr. and Sarah "Sallie" Hunter.

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Confusing Tuckers of Wiregrass Georgia

Confusing Tuckers of Wiregrass Georgia

One of my sister-in-law's 5 times great grandfather's was Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr. born about 1750 and died after 1832. He was born in Southampton County, Virginia, and was the son of Elizabeth Crawford (Crofford/Crowford) and Benjamin Tucker. At one time he was a recognized patriot by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

Snippet from the DAR Genealogical Research System about Henry Crawford
Tucker; courtesy of DAR

Of the three issues the organization has with continued recognition of Henry's patriot status, the fact that his pension application was rejected is perhaps the most compelling. The other two issues are matters of genealogy. My sister-in-law recently took a DNA test and her results which include Henry as the shared common ancestor bring those genealogical disagreements to light.

If you believe Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr. married Sallie Hunter, daughter of Elisha Hunter of Chatham County, North Carolina, then my sister-in-law's match results look like this:

Common shared ancestor from DNA match results; courtesy of Ancestry.com

If, however, you believe what Judge Folks Huxford wrote in his multi-volume work, Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, then Henry's son Elisha married Sallie Hunter and was the father of Henry Crawford Tucker, Jr. who had 32 children. The DNA match with my sister-in-law looks like this:

Common shared ancestor from DNA match results; courtesy of Ancestry.com

It's a debate that has raged for years and it is a passionate one as based on previous comments on this blog.

Sallie Hunter did have the following children:

1. John (born 1785)
2. Nancy (born 1796)
3. Davis (born 1798)
4. Barbara (born 1800)
5. Richard M (born 1801)
6. Thomas (born 1803)
7. Henry C, Jr. (born 1805)
8. Elisha (born 1808) -- this son now questioned by DAR, but is listed on a marker in Purvis Cemetery as being a brother of Richard M Tucker
9. Elijah (born 1809)

Judge Huxford work was breath-taking in its scope, but he admitted that a great deal of his compilation originated from the memories of the people interviewed. His work was first published in 1951 so the oldest people from whom he collected information would have been the great grandchildren of the first south Georgia settlers. Later volumes of his work included extensive corrections.

When I first started working on the Tucker line, I couldn't make the information included in the records I was finding fit with Judge Huxford's genealogy. I could not find an Elisha Tucker in Southampton County, Virginia, or North Carolina, who could have possibly been a son of Benjamin Tucker.[1]

Then I found The Descendants of William Tucker of Throwleigh, Devon by Robert Dennard Tucker, another long-time Tucker genealogist[2]. He believed that Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr., was the husband of Sallie Hunter and that she was Elisha Tucker's mother not his wife. This made perfect sense to me based on the documentation I collected.

Books mentioned in this blog post; personal collection

I will excerpt some of the points Robert Dennard Tucker made to refute Judge Huxford:

1. There is no evidence that any Elisha Tucker related to Henry C. Tucker, Sr. lived between 1770 and 1825 other than the Elisha who was born in 1808.
2. The Revolutionary War pension application, the 1782 and 1783 tax records of Southampton County, and the 1783 deed to John Wilkerson[3] confirm Henry was a Virginia resident and not a resident of North Carolina as the Elisha Tucker who married Sallie Hunter was purported to have been.
3. Sons Davis and Henry C. Tucker, Jr. state in the 1880 census their father was from Virginia.
4. The state historical marker in front of the Bethel Church, as well as original church minutes, clearly includes Henry C. Tucker, Sr. and his wife Sarah as founding members in 1826.

In addition, there are many deeds that include Sarah as the wife of Henry C. Tucker, Sr. 

So after a reasonably exhaustive search for an Elisha Tucker who lived during the proper time frame, would have met Sallie Hunter and removed to Georgia, I could not find such a person. Coupled with the strong evidence that Henry C. Tucker, Sr. did marry Sallie Hunter, I believe he is the father of the children listed above.

________________
[1] Benjamin Tucker's will was written in 1778 and probated in 1779. The children named in the will were: Benjamin, Elizabeth, Henry, John, Phebe, William, and Winfred.
[2] The relationship Mr. Tucker outlined in his book between Benjamin Tucker of Southampton County, Virginia, and the Tucker family of England and Bermuda has been disproved by DNA. However, his work on the Georgia Tuckers from Henry Crawford Tucker, Sr., remains quite strong.
[3] Benjamin Tucker's sons sold his plantation to John Wilkerson after Benjamin's death.

Georgia Salt Manufacturing Company

Henry Holcombe Tucker was lawyer, Baptist minister, and educator -- president of Mercer University and chancellor of the University of Georgia. He was born in 1819, and died in 1889. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbian College, and was president of a large salt manufacturing company during the Civil War. He was considered by those who knew him to be an entertaining companion, profound theologian, and a well-informed man on all subjects. We have no known shared ancestors. He was also one of the first people in the State of Georgia to foresee a potential for a salt famine during the Civil War.

Salt had been made since ancient times by boiling brine, or saltwater. The first salt mine was not sunk until 1869. One of the major saltworks during the Civil War was located in Saltville, Virginia, which is a town in Washington and Smyth counties, located near large inland salt marshes.

Typical inland salt marsh; photograph by Gary P. Fleming; courtesy of the
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Large furnaces, or boiling facilities were located in Saltville and the principal salt states of the South produced 2,365,000 bushels of salt during the Civil War. It sounds like a lot of salt, but it simply wasn't enough. Insufficient production and the Union blockade of Southern ports made salt and other basic foods extremely expensive. As the war went on, the Union army attacked salt production wherever it found them, from Virginia to Texas. Speculation was rife and several salt manufacturing companies were created during the war, including the Georgia Salt Manufacturing Company, Henry Holcombe Tucker's company. The company was incorporated in 1862:

Georgia General Assembly, House of Representatives Journal

Monday, November 24, 1862

Mr. Bigham, of Troup, ...reported a bill to incorporate a mining company known and designated as the Georgia Salt Manufacturing Company....

By 1863 the company had a contract with the Saltville, Virginia, furnaces for salt, which was to be sent to Georgia. However, the war had so disrupted transportation that it required special legislation and legislative negotiations with railroad companies to get the salt moving.

Boiling brine at the saltworks in Saltville, Virginia, during the Civil War;
image courtesy of VirginiaPlaces

(No. 55)

Report of the Joint Committee on Transportation

Resolved, That the Governor is hereby requested to appoint a commissioner to repair to Richmond with plenary powers, to confer with the President and other officers of the Confederate Government upon subjects touching the providing of supplies for Rail Roads and the regulation of transportation thereon.

SALT SUPPLY

Your Committee are informed that there are now at Saltville, Virginia, awaiting shipment to Georgia, as much as 40,000 bushels of salt, the product of the furnaces erected and worked under the contract made by the Hon. John W. Lewis, under the direction of the Planter's Salt Company and the Georgia Salt Company, and that the manufacture of salt for supply in Georgia is daily progressing at that place. The Governor has set apart a train to be sent from Western and Atlantic R. Road to Saltville, to transport the salt to Georgia and carry needful supplies for their furnaces. As the rate of daily production is large, say 1,500 bushels per day, further arrangements so soon as practicable will probably be found necessary. We are informed that some negotiations are pending with intermediate R. Roads, on the subject of transportation. Without proposing to act disrespectfully to the committee on salt supply, we unanimously recommend the following resolutions:

Resolved, That we approve the action of the Governor, in relation to sending a special train, with a good engine and cars to Saltville, for the transportation of salt made under the contract of John W. Lewis and the Planters' Salt Manufacturing Company, and the Georgia Salt Company for supply to Georgia and of taking useful supplies to the furnace making the same. He is further authorized and requested to make all such contracts and arrangement with R. R. companies, as he may deem proper to facilitate transportation and to procure and send other engine, train or trains, as he may deem the exigencies of the work demand, having due regard for other calls for transportation.

Henry Holcombe Tucker wrote several letters to Georgia Governor, Joseph E. Brown, during the Civil War. He was involved with a hospital association, recommended several men to appointed positions, and had strong feelings about taxes. In 1864 he wrote another letter to the governor and was pretty fired up about the Army taking his salt company employees away to serve in the war.

Henry Tucker's letter to Governor Joseph E. Brown regarding
his salt company employees

April 16, 1863

Penfield, Georgia, January 23, 1864

To His Excellency Joseph E. Brown:

A few days ago Your Excellency was pleased to give me a note to the Secretary of War, requesting exemption from military service of the employees of the Salt Company.

Since then all said employees have been enrolled in State service. I am satisfied that the officer had no right to enroll them. I fear we shall be perpetually annoyed if not actually broken up by the interference of petty officials unless we have some prompt means of getting rid of them.

I therefore beg that Your Excellency will order a paper of exemption from State service to be prepared for each of my men and forward the same to me by mail. The following are the names: William A. Overton, Walter A. Overton, Thomas R. Thornton, Barnet Phillips, William A. Beagley, J. J. West, H. F. Mitchell, and ________ Lunsford [?].

I will see that the blank in Lunsford's name is properly filled. Not presuming to dictate, but simply to same time and trouble I have written some papers enclosed herewith, which if Your Excellency will sign, all will be right.

I have the honor to be Your Humble Servant

H. H. Tucker

Present, Georgia Salt Manufacturing Company

I have been unable to discover to date what happened to the company after the war, but this has surely been one of the more interesting side "journeys" I've taken as a family historian. Reading History of Salt by Mark Kurlansky several years ago certainly helped guide my research.

_______________
Clashing with the Governor 1860s Style

The Confusing Life of Elspeth Jennings

Elspeth Jennings was born on 31 October 1895 in Norfolk, Virginia, to Edward Winston and Annie M. (Porter) Jennings. Her father worked with sheet metal at the Norfolk Naval Base. She was the second of two children, a granddaughter of Daniel Rose Jennings, who fought in the Civil War, and my third cousin once removed.

On 13 February 1913 Elspeth married Job Palmer Manning, Jr., son of Job Palmer and Ada (Cocke) Manning, Sr. He had been born on 18 June 1897 in Portsmouth, Virginia, and worked as a routing clerk for a railroad. The couple had three children. Elspeth was granted a divorce on 26 June 1920 for desertion. The decree stated there were three minor children. However, I have only been able to find two of them. Mystery No. 1.

The decree listed Job Palmer Manning, Jr., as a non-resident, which meant he no longer lived in Virginia. I have been unable to find a trace of him after the divorce. Mystery No. 2.

Divorce decree between Job Palmer Manning, Jr., and Elspeth Jennings;
courtesy of Ancestry.com

Elspeth's father died four months before her divorce was granted. His death certificate indicated he was married at the time of his death but his son was the informant. I have been unable to find a record of Annie (Porter) Jennings' death or any record after 1922, when she was listed in a Norfolk city directory as a widow. Mystery No. 3.

Snippet of Annie (Porter) Jennings' life story; courtesy of Ancestry.com

Sometime before 4 September 1930, I assume Elspeth married Alfred "Fred" Brodix Simmons as she had twin daughters in Evanston, Illinois, yet I have been unable to find her in the 1930 census. The person I believe to be her husband, Alfred B. Simmons was enumerated in Los Angeles, California, as living at the Palmer Hotel with a wife named Floy, who was born in Illinois. This Alfred B. Simmons has the correct year of birth, correct birth state, correct birth state for his parents, and a correct occupation. Mystery No. 4.

Snippet of Alfred Brodix Simmons life story; courtesy of Ancestry.com

Alfred Brodix Simmons was a interesting man in his own right. He was born on 9 Mar 1895 to Henry "Harry" Taylor and Caroline "Carrie" (Brodix) Simmons in Bloomington, Indiana. He was a mariner employed by China Mail aboard the S/S China. Starting in 1917, he lived in San Francisco and worked for his brothers's import export business. He made several trips to Japan, China, Hong Kong, French Indonesia, and India during that time.

Alfred Brodix Simmons' 1917 and 1920 passport photographs; courtesy of
Ancestry.com

After Alfred and Elspeth married they moved to Danville, Indiana, where he worked as an organizer in the insurance industry -- whatever that is. Elspeth traveled to Australia in 1939 to help her oldest daughter and two granddaughters move back to the United States after her husband was killed piloting a transport plane. By 1942 Alfred and Elspeth lived in Philadelphia and he worked for Empire Ordnance. They moved to Atlanta, Georgia, by 1950. He was the president of Simmons Pump. Five years later, he worked as a salesman at Ethridge & Vannerman Realty.

Alfred died on 21 August 1967 in Fulton County, Georgia; he was 72 years old. Elspeth (Jennings) Manning Palmer died on 4 February 1973 in Baldwin County, Georgia; she was 77 years old.

So my mysteries for Elspeth are as follows:

1. What was the name of the third child she had with Job Palmer Manning, Jr.? There is no missing sibling in the obituaries of two of Elspeth's daughters.
2. What happened to Job Palmer Manning, Jr., after his 1920 divorce? And where was he living at the time of the divorce?
3. What happened to Elspeth's mother, Annie (Porter) Jennings after 1922? Did she remarry? 
4. Was Alfred married to a woman named Floy months before he and Elspeth's twins were born? When did Alfred and Elspeth marry?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Clashing with the Governor 1860s Style

Henry Holcombe Tucker was lawyer, Baptist minister, and educator -- president of Mercer University and chancellor of the University of Georgia. He was born in 1819, and died in 1889. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbian College, and was president of a large salt manufacturing company during the Civil War. He was considered by those who knew him to be an entertaining companion, profound theologian, and a well-informed man on all subjects. We have no known shared ancestors.

Henry Holcombe Tucker, image courtesy of the Baptist
Encyclopedia, 1891

A few months after the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter, Henry became an agent, or fundraiser, for the Georgia Hospital and Relief Association. The goal of the association was to provide Georgia soldiers with the medical care and related supplies they might need. The association may or may not have been known to Georgia governor, Joseph E. Brown, who issued a proclamation related to the health needs of Georgia soldiers. Henry Tucker took issue with this proclamation, let the governor know, and proceeded to ask for two favors.

A political clash 1860s style!

First page of a letter from Henry Tucker to Governor Brown; image courtesy of Ancestry.com
from the Georgia, Civil War Correspondence, 1847-1865, collection

Augusta
August 6, 1861

His Excellency Joseph E. Brown

Governor and Dear Sir,

I have just seen your Excellency's proclamation stating that you have placed at the disposal of an association in Richmond, funds sufficient for the establishment of a hospital there for the benefit of our sick and wounded.

Your excellency may not be aware that the "Georgia Hospital and Relief Association," whose chief bureau is at Augusta, who inaugurated this hospital movement and with whom the gentlemen in Richmond are cooperating; is now sending agents to every county in the state to solicit funds and other supplies in aid of this enterprise. I am one of the agents and in five days have collected subscriptions to the amount of $9,000. We have some six or eight other agents who may have been equally or more successful. We are expecting to raise by voluntary contribution a sum not less than $100,000, which we are sure will be none too much. Indeed, more could be judiciously expended. We have 25,000 men in the field. Certainly an average expense of $4 each for medicine and nurses and such comforts generally as we think our defending ought to have, would not be a very high sum. We are also collecting immense [illegible] of clothing, medicines, delicacies in the way of diet for the sick, hospital furniture, beds, pillows, blankets, etc., which are for wounded from our depot in Augusta to our depot in Virginia to be distributed as occasion may require.

But your Excellency must perceive then the statement in your recent proclamation that you have furnished funds sufficient for this enterprise will entirely estop our further success in the collection of funds. We are sure that such was not your Excellency's intention and we should be glad to have a statement from your Excellency to that effect. Otherwise, we must call in our agents and these voluntary offerings prompted by the benevolence and patriotism of the people themselves must come to and end. Not only so, but we think our soldiers will suffer for want of such aid as we could send for we are quite sure that there can be no sum subject to the executive disposal which would be at all adequate to the demands of the occasion.

Your Excellency's proclamation also states that boxes, etc., if sent to the Quarter Master General at Atlanta will be forwarded free of expense. We have a great many boxes and are daily receiving more. May we not ask that goods forwarded to us and by us to Virginia shall also go at public's expense?

If your Excellency is disposed to say to us "go on -- collect what you can -- and your freight shall be at public expense" will you be kind enough to telegraph to the undersigned at Augusta to that effect at as early an hour as possible. And if consistent with your Excellency's views, we should be glad to see a publication in the newspapers setting forth Your Excellency's sanctions to our proceedings.

With highest respect and esteem,

H. H. Tucker
General Agent for the State

Dear Brother Brown,

You will remember me, Professor Tucker of Mercer University.

Henry's letter must have been effective. Soon after Governor Brown asked the legislature to appropriate $200,000 for the care and comfort of wounded Georgia soldiers and directed the Georgia Hospital & Relief Associate to have charge of the money.

Guest Blog: A Star in Heaven: Chelsea Ann Tucker (1989-2015)

Chelsea Tucker would have been 26 years old today. She was beautiful, vibrant and tragically was killed earlier this year. Chelsea was my brother's niece. Aunt Celeste and Uncle John loved her very much and wanted to share their memories of Chelsea on this special day. I am honored they asked if they could do so by posting a guest blog.

Chelsea Ann Tucker (1989-2015)

By John and Celeste (Tucker) Jennings

Aunt Celeste remembers...

I remember when John and I took you and Heather to Disney World three months after we were married. Yes, we were brand new newlyweds. Heather was 12 and you were 9. We took you guys to eat at the Pizza Hut; and, when the waitress took our drink order, I told her I wanted the biggest beer she had. Boy, did I get a look from her! We left Orlando and drove all the way to St. George Island, driving across the whole state of Florida. You and Heather sat in the back seat, singing at the top of your lungs and singing different songs, of course. That was when Walkman's were popular.

Heather and Chelsea at Disney World; personal collection

Heather and Chelsea clowning around at Disney World; personal
collection

I remember the time when our family went to St. George Island, Florida, over the 4th of July. We were all sitting around drinking fuzzy navels, not paying you any attention. You picked up someone's drink and started drinking it. Your Daddy wasn't very happy when you did that. So he carried you up to bed and you looked up at him and asked, "Is this a waterbed?" You were a little bitty thing then.

I remember you had a little bit of tomboy in your blood. You and your Daddy loved to go dove hunting together. He would shoot a dove and you would go retrieve them. He even bought you a gun and gave it to you. I didn't know they made guns that small with barrels so short. I don't think there was anything you wouldn't try. You were something else! Definitely a Daddy's girl; both you and Heather loved your Daddy.

Chelsea and her Daddy, Mark Tucker

I look to the stars in the sky in heaven on this day, which would have been your birthday, and send love, hugs and kisses. I miss you like crazy!

We remember...

I remember not long after your Daddy died, we took you, Heather, your Mom and MaMa to visit Washington, DC. We all stayed at Pete and Schalene's (Uncle John's sister) house, but spent most of our time sightseeing. All the usual stuff...the monuments and museums along the mall, etc. We also toured a winery (whoever thought northern Virginia had wineries?) We all favored the white wines over the reds. We went to Mount Vernon -- George Washington's house -- where an impromptu concert by period musicians caught everyone's attention. We had dinner, our last night in Washington, at an authentic Chinese restaurant in Chinatown where the world's largest margarita was liberally shared. WARNING: photograph may be incriminating!

Heather and Chelsea at a Chinatown restaurant in Washington, DC;
personal collection

Uncle John remembers...

I remember when you were 10 or 12, you came to Anniston, Alabama, to visit us. Your Aunt Celeste looked at me and we said, "What are we going to do with a kid? What is there to do in Anniston?" We took you to a local baseball field to watch a Little League game. At least you would be around kids your own age. We sat in some folding chairs along the fence just past the end of the dugout. The players soon caught sight of you. One boy would peek around the corner at you and then go back to tell his friend -- a whisper and a sly pointing of his finger towards you. Then another boy would come around the corner of the dugout for a glimpse. At the on-deck circle, they had their chance to impress. The boys would come out, head held high and chest out, pick up a bat with more practice weights than they could handle and take a Major League swing. You know how boys are when they are trying to impress! Next, they would take a peek over their shoulder to see if you were watching. You created a buzz at the Anniston Little League baseball field.

Chelsea, her MaMa, and Aunt Celeste; personal collection

I remember when you bought your first car -- not the first car you drove, but the first you bought -- a black Acura. You asked for help and advice negotiating the purchase, so several of us went with you to the dealership. You got a LOT of advice, didn't you? Most of it was contradictory. You wanted the car but were worried the insurance premiums might put it out of reach. Some of us encouraged you to buy the car and go with your heart. As your cold, analytical, dispassionate engineer-type uncle, I counseled you to wait until you knew all the facts before you bought the car. You listened to all of us, then worked out a way to take the car home but not purchase it until you figured out the insurance premiums. I was so impressed by how you handled the situation and thought you had such a good head on your shoulders.

The first car Chelsea bought; personal collection

I remember you were the first to call me "Unc John." I remember it well. We were at your house on a Sunday afternoon.  Celeste and I were still just dating at the time. When Chelsea called me Unc John, Celeste told her quietly behind my back "Don't call him that, you might scare him off."  She didn't know I heard. I smiled to myself: there was no scaring me off by that time. Before long I was shopping for a ring and a bottle.

  

I remember Celeste and I took you and Heather to the Atlanta Zoo.  You were both young kids at the time.  After a long day of walking around the zoo, looking at all the different animals, we got back in the car to head home.  I pulled off at an exit in Jonesboro.  At the stop light at the end of the off ramp I announced it was time to eat and asked everyone what they wanted.  "Chucky Cheeeeeeeeeze!" came the reply in unison from Heather and Chelsea --the 'cheese' being drawn out in a long, excited, high-pitched syllable.  Celeste and I didn't know what Chucky Cheese was, so out of total ignorance we agreed.  We soon learned that Chucky Cheese is a place parents take their kids when they want to quit being parents for an hour or two.  The kids were literally wilder than the animals at the zoo.  I think the lions would have been afraid of them.  I'm happy to say you and Heather were the best behaved children there.  We left full of extra cheesy pizza and with a ringing in our ears of a thousand screaming kids.

52 Ancestors #31: Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

Ancestor Name: William Raiford TUCKER (1898-1991)

I've written several posts about how hard it can be to find an elusive ancestor. My Scottish immigrant Muir line (Dad's side) have given me the most trouble, surprisingly once they came to the U.S. In
Scotland, I didn't have much trouble post 1855. When I say trouble, I mean you can find things, it's just hard work. I am not including my completely "invisible" Dagutis line or my similarly invisible Lange line -- both with origins in eastern Europe.

Sometimes, though, the research is much, much easier. My sister-in-law is a 5th generation Georgian of the Tucker family. They are a fascinating family, which I've written about several times[1]. Once I thought I had cracked a brick wall regarding her six times great grandfather, Benjamin Tucker (1704-1778), but DNA testing has me back to Benjamin Tucker.

Benjamin Tucker's home in Southampton County, Virginia;
photo circa 1990 and courtesy of Robert Dennard Tucker

Three years ago I ordered a book entitled History of Colquitt County Georgia by W. A. Covington, which was originally published in 1937. The book included biographical sketches of several Colquitt County citizens, including my sister-in-law's third cousin three times removed, William Raiford Tucker, Sr. The book provided three generations of his paternal and maternal genealogy and information about his wife and children.

Once I entered all the information into my Ancestry.com tree, the green leaves went crazy. After looking at all the hints, double checking them to ensure they were correct and supported W. A. Covington's book meaning what I had entered into my tree was correct, I have a very complete picture of William Rayford Tucker's life. The major documentation I am missing are his birth and death certificates. Information about his naval service became available when I re-searched Ancestry.com while writing this post. His service card is part of the Georgia World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919, collection, which Ancestry made available to subscribers on 21 October 2013. A good example of why I always say our research is never done.

William Rayford Tucker after processing the hints recommend by
Ancestry.com

I looked at other family trees that included William Tucker and found photos of he and his wife as well as their marriage license. So in 60 or 90 minutes, I'd pretty much completed my initial online research on this particular Tucker. There is still more I could do offline.

Vera (Page) Tucker, William Tucker's wife

William Tucker was a meat cutter and operated a meat market in Moultrie, Georgia, for many years. He was born and raised in Colquitt County and spent his life there except for his time in the Navy during World War I. He and his wife, Vera (Page) Tucker, raised six children.

One of his grandchildren has an extensive Tucker tree and I have contacted that person in hopes of learning more. You never know where you may find your next research collaborator!

I just love ancestors with names that are difficult for someone else to mis-index or transcribe and lived in one place all of their lives.

This is my entry for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge optional theme Easy.

_______________
[1] You may locate my previous posts on the Tucker family by clicking the Tucker label in the right-hand column.

William Raiford Tucker was born on 4 October 1898 in Colquitt County, Georgia, to John Crawford and Sara "Sallie" Ann (Newton) Tucker. William's father owned a farm in the Mill Creek area of Colquitt County.  On 12 November 1918, William registered for the World War I draft. He was unmarried and already serving in the U.S. Navy as an apprentice seaman. His appearance was described as tall and slender with blue eyes, light hair, and no distinguishing physical marks, scars or other defects. He was discharged on 17 March 1919. William married Freddie Vera Page on 15 June 1919 in Colquitt County. They had six children together between 1920 and 1932. William and Vera lived in Funston and Moultrie, Georgia, both towns in Colquitt County. William worked first in a packing house (or slaughter house) and then as a butcher in a meat market. In 1940 he worked as a meat cutter in a retail grocery owned by Colonial Stores, which was based in Atlanta. William and Vera lost their eldest son on 28 December 1941. He was in the Army Air Corps, training in Kissimmee, Florida, when he was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 21. William's wife, Vera, died on 8 April 1975 and he never remarried. He died on 13 January 1991 at the age of 92 and was interred in Funston Baptist Church Cemetery beside his wife and son.