Trip to JAX 2018

I am on my way home from my routine visit to Mayo in JAX.  If all goes well with appointments today, I hope to drive to the area shown on this map tonight:



I stopped quickly at a rest stop on the way down and picked up a map of the area, and realized how much I might like to do some research in the area....then much to my surprise, google found this:


It seems "meant to be".....Here are a few maps of interest for this area:







I had assumed that William and Rachel Witcher Morrison had moved to middle TN with other Morrison brothers.  However, discussion on my h2 Morrison group and particularly help from Ronald and Luan has made me consider the fact that William and Rachel may have moved to Smith County TN in middle TN with the Daniel Witcher family.  It seems that the other children of Patrick Morrison did not make this move.  They stayed in Eastern TN until later moves to places such as Alabama and Missouri.  

It also seems that William and Rachel may have moved to Cabell County with the Daniel Witcher family as well.....later....after 1810.  I will do some digging around to try to prove or disprove this.  I wrote this next part when I was thinking that William and Rachel moved west with Morrison families.  I am not ready to erase it, however.

And that they were preparing for this move in 1795:

7th July 1795

William acted as attorney for Patrick's land sale in Greene County.

And from:    http://www.tngenweb.org/maps/county-ani/tn-maps/tn-cf.html

Below  information is from:  http://slideplayer.com/slide/5990278/

ll the settlements thought they were in Virginia territory and away form the tyranny of the NC Governor, but a survey of the area by John Donelson and Alexander Cameron discovered they were actually in NC territory. Government of Carolina orders all settlers to move back across the mountains. Robertson and the others now knew they could not gain title to the land but still ignored the order. The Watauga settlement and the Nolichucky joined together and decided to deal with the Indians directly. Indians allow settlers to stay until the crops were harvested and then Little Carpenter negotiated a deal that allowed the settlers to rent the land for 10 years. Indians were to receive manufactured products as rent payment. For the next several years the Indians and settlers lived in peace and actually helped each other. 

9  The Wataugua Association 1. First written constitution in North America (a constitution is a document that sets up the framework of a government). 2. The Laws Drawn up were called: The Articles of the Watauga Association Formed a court of five members to exercise judicial matters, a sheriff, and a clerk to record deeds etc. Major concerns of the court were road maintenance, militia, and tavern rates 

10  The Transylvania Purchase Land: Europeans believed that land could be bought and sold – Indians believed that the land could be controlled for the whole tribe to use and that anyone could claim use of the land Indians thought that land was only used temporarily. Judge Richard Henderson along with other North Carolinians' offered to buy Indian lands for goods built in the colonies. Why did Judge Henderson want to buy the Indian’s land? 

11  The Transylvania Purchase Judge Richard Henderson along with other North Carolinians' offered to buy Indian lands for goods built in the colonies. Judge Henderson offered six wagons of goods for the Cherokee land. Indians send Little Carpenter and Nancy Ward to North Carolina to inspect the goods. Indians and members from the Transylvania Land Company meet at Sycamore Shoals in the Watauga settlement March 1, 1775 WHY DID THEY MEET IN MARCH? 

12  The Treaty of Sycamore Shoals Meeting lasted five day with lots of festivals As many as 1,200 people (settlers and Indians) showed up for the meeting. Trading of pelts and manufactured goods between settlers and Indians went on All seemed well between settlers from the Wataugua Association and Indians 

13  The Treaty of Sycamore Shoals Meeting lasted five day with lots of festivals Dragging Canoe (son of Little Carpenter) was one of the Indians that did not approve of the sale of Indian lands. He argued that the Indian was giving away their home. On March 14 th the other chiefs voted to accept the offer of six wagons of goods for most of their land. Dragging Canoe told them that Kentucky and Middle Tennessee would be bloody ground and it would be dark and difficult to settle. Native American Indian Treaties and Agreements 

14  Little Carpenter father of Dragging Canoe Nancy Ward and Little Carpenter were known as Peace Chiefs. During times of Peace the Chiefs wore white. The war council was composed of additional chiefs and only sat on the council during times of war. During times of war the chiefs wore Red. Thus the color white symbolized peace and the color red symbolized war. Most of the modern American History books contain the name of Little Carpenter as having fought with the Americans in the American Revolution. His son, Dragging Canoe fought on the side of the British, Chief of the Chickamauga Cherokees. Nancy Ward and Little Carpenter often warned the settlers of impending Indian attacks. 

15  Nancy Ward Nancy Ward was born in the Cherokee town of Vhota and was a member of the Wolf Clan. Nanyehi and Kingfisher fought side by side at the Battle of Taliwa against the Creek in 1755. When he was killed, she took up his rifle and led the Cherokee to victory. This was the action which, at the age of 18, gave her the title of Beloved Woman. Nancy Ward and her husband Kingfisher had two children, Catherine and Fivekiller. Nancy then married Bryant Ward, a South Carolina colonist and Indian trader, and their child was Elizabeth Ward, who became the Cherokee wife of General Joseph Martin. In the revolutionary War, Ward warned the whites of an impending attack by Dragging Canoe, an act that has made her a Patriot for the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. 

16  Dragging Canoe Tsiyu Gansini "He is dragging his canoe", known to whites as Dragging Canoe, (c. 1738 – March 1, 1792) was a Cherokee war leader who led a dissident band of Cherokee (joined by Chikasaw, Shawnee, and Indians from other tribes/nations, along with British Loyalists, French and Spanish agents, renegade whites from the colonies, and runaway slaves), against the United States in the Revolutionary War and a decade afterwards, a series of conflicts known as the Chickamauga wars, becoming the pre-eminent war leader among the Indians of the Southeast of his time. He served as principal chief of the Chickamauga, or Lower, Cherokee from 1777 until his death in 1792, upon which he was succeeded by John Watts. 

Patrick Henry Morrison of Cabell County says he was born in TN in the 1850 census.  He reports his age to be 59 which would have made him born c.1791 in TN.

William/Billy Morrison of Cabell County who is said to have been brother to Patrick Henry married Elizabeth Jones in Pittsylvania County in 1813.  He is said to have been born in Pittsylvania County in 1786/87.  Why did this family move to TN and then move back to Pittsylvania County?

Elizabeth was born c.1781, so likely she was born in Pittsylvania County.  And her first child was born c. 1810/11 in Pittsylvania County.  Thus we begin to narrow down....

I don't think William resided in Sumner Count/Mero District before 1794. The Chickamauga Cherokee war wasn't settled until then, and the raids in the Mero District had been much worse and more frequent than in the Nollichucky Settlement/Washington District. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee–American_wars. At minimum, William had property and family in Nollichucky Settlement, and property and no family in Mero District before 1794.

And from Luan:

The document I refer to as the Petition for the State of Franklin was made to the General Assembly of North Carolina in December 1787. It is also known both as “Petition from Inhabitants of Western North Carolina Concerning a Separate Government” and “Petition of the Inhabitants of the Western Country.” This version was the one signed by the Morrisons. Site attached with information. I ordered my copy from the State of North Carolina archives.

[Note from me:  I found a typed copy of this document on a NC website with lists of those who signed:

http://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.php/document/csr22-0527

Among the signers are:  James Morrison, Gabriel Goad, Owen Atkin, John Good, Jr. , William Good, Patrick Morrison, Benjamin Henslee.]

178?-1786

My David Morrison was reported on a later census by his son Adlai Morrison to have been born in North Carolina. I believe he was born AFTER William Morrison's move to Nolichucky Settlement area and before 1786 and before William's second marriage, so probably early 1780s. If David was a young child when his mother died, and if my William Morrison married Rachel Witcher just after that time, Caty and David and any other siblings would probably have been raised by Rachel and William. They could easily have moved to Pittsylvania County. When my David showed up in Smith County in 1802, he was in the company of John Goad, related to Daniel Witcher, all in the immediate area. It well may be that David was raised around the Witchers and Goads. 

December 1787

William Morrison signed Petition of the Inhabitants of the Western Country with Patrick, James, John, and David Morrison.

5 Aug 1790

William Morrison bought land "adjoining Patrick" on Jarrots Branch (Sullivan County Deed Bk 2, Pg 499)

17 Nov 1790 

Patick Morrison received Land Grant for 200 Acres on Lick Creek (Greene County Deed Bk. D, pg 96)

Ok...that ends information from Luan.

 I wanted to add a few more thoughts.  At the genealogy event at the library, there was a man who was quite knowledgeable.  His name is Allen Jackson.  His e-mail and  phone number are  in my contacts list.  His specialty is military history.  But he was quite knowledgeable about local history to that area.  

The group indicated that two of the historical information groups of the area are:

Johnson Wags Wautauga Association of Genealogy 
Boones Creek Historical Trust.

I am going to place the maps and copies from books in a file labelled Jonesboro, TN 2018 and place it in the cubby for Morrison.

While updating and editing in September 2019, I found the following site that is of interest.  I don't want to loose the URL although I don't have a lot of time to look at it today:

https://wctnarchives.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/acc-5-petitions-from-the-western-county-to-nc.pdf

Civil War Service of Samuel Sterling Harris

In chatting with Fran and Damon, Fran asked if I might like to have her submit a short piece about Samuel Sterling Harris' service in the Civil War for a book that a group that she works with that is being written about Buckingham County.  At first I was thinking that Samuel W. Harris was too old to serve.  And that Samuel Sterling Harris was too young to serve.  However, much to my surprise, Samuel Sterling was too young at the beginning of the Civil War.  But the minute he turned 16, he enlisted.  Here is what Fran and I submitted:

SAMUEL STERLING HARRIS

Also referred to as STERLING SAMUEL HARRIS

 

Samuel Sterling Harris was born February 18, 1848 in the portion of Buckingham that was annexed to Appomattox County, Virginia.  He first married Elizabeth M. Jennings in 1872 and they had four children.  His second wife was Louise Frances Woodson, whom he married in 1882 and they had nine children.  Samuel’s parents were Samuel W. Harris and Nancy W Apperson.  I believe his father is the man who signed the petition in 1832 AGAINST the formation of Appomatix County from Buckingham County.

 

Samuel enlisted October 20, 1864, in the Army at the age of 16 and served in Co. A, Virginia 19th Heavy Artillery Battalion.   Lieutenant Colonel John W. Atkinson and Major N. R. Cary were in command.  He was at Appomattox Court House at the surrender and proclamation.  He died on February 11, 1934 in Davy, McDowell County, West Virginia where he had moved to work in the coal fields. 

 

Submitted by Marsha Moses and Fran Harris-Hill

 I sent the following photos.  I don't know if they will include either of them.  In the below photo, Samuel Sterling is the only man in the photo with a dark jacket on and sitting down.  Louise Woodson Harris is sitting next to him.  They are in the middle row. 

In the above photo, Samuel Sterling is sitting in a chair on the porch.  Grandma Lou is standing and holding the porch column.

Ernest Hogan said in his publication that Granny let me borrow:
 “Grandfather served many years as a Sunday Achool Superintendent and lived by the Good Book.

     He also says: “Grandfather had been a soldier in the Civil War and served for a time under Stonewall Jackson.  A master storyteller, Grandfather, loved to recount his experiences as a Confederate soldier.  He often told us about a time at Appomattox, Virginia,when he stood just outside the courthouse as General Lee surrendered to General Grant, ending the war between the states.  He would cause us to laugh each time we repeatedly asked, “Grandpa, did you ever kill a Yankee soldier?

   “Well, he would say, “I really don’t know for sure, but I think I ran one to death....and I was out in front the whole time!”

The Woodson Orphans

I woke up this morning thinking about the Woodson orphans.  About 20 years ago I was obsessed by the Civil War.  I would visit battlegrounds.  At some of them there would be a recording that one could listen to and I would listen and cry.  And then as suddenly as the obsession had begun, I was no longer interested in the Civil War and I was on to the Revolutionary War.  Probably because my research had gone back a generation or two earlier on many of my lines and these people were living during the Colonial and early America days.

But one of the things that I remember about the families after the Civil War were the joyful homecomings of husbands!  And the other thing that I remember about the time just after the Civil war were the MANY old maids!  Some had boyfriends who did not return from the war and remained unmarried....there were just not enough men to go around after the war.  And I am sure that the Buckingham/Appomatox area of Virginia was exactly the same.

This post is about the orphans of James E. Woodson and his wife, Martha Routon Woodson.

 From my good buddy, Fran:

From Fran:  James Woodson, enlisted as a Private in Co F. 18th Virginia Infantry Regiment on March 16, 1862 in Farmville, VA.  His service record shows he died in Winchester of Fever on October 25, 1862.  His death register states he died of typhoid fever.  His wife, Martha, died about 1864, leaving five children to be cared for by their family.   The 1870 census shows Louise and her brother living in the household of their Uncle, Grandmother and two old maid aunts. 

also from Fran:

1870 census shows children in homes of the following Uncles:

Uncle James H. Routon caring for Richard and Louisa Woodson

Uncle George D. Woodson caring for George E. & Lucy Virginia Woodson in Appomattox Co.

Uncle Peter H. Routon caring for Samuel Woodson in Bedford Co

So why are these orphans on my mind this morning?  Two reasons.  One my mother-in-law, Sue Harris Moses,  just died this past month. [I have written several blog posts about my mother-in-law.  If you have interest you can find them by using search words of Harris and Woodson in the search box on the main page.]  Sue VERY MUCH loved her grandmother, Louise Woodson Harris!  She told many stories about her relationship with her grandmother and every single story was about how great her grandmother was!  At least one or two of the blog posts are about this relationship.

The second reason is that Damon Woodson read one of my blog posts and got in touch with me this winter.  He descends from another of the Woodson orphans:  George who was living in his Uncle George's home in 1870.  After chatting with Damon, I started thinking about these children split up between various relatives.  Louise was only about two when her mother died.  So I am guessing that the grandmother and maiden aunts and Uncle took in the two youngest children while the older children went to live with the families of other uncles.

If you are reading this and have any information to add about any of these orphans and their lives after they grew up, I would love to add your information here.  Please send information to me at my e-mail address:  mosesm@earthlink.net and give me permission to share.  Also tell me if you want your name mentioned and if you want your e-mail added to your information so that others can contact you or if you prefer to remain anonymous.  marsha

Signature of Mordecai Moore in Wilkes County, GS

I am sorting, throwing away and filing piles tonight.  One if the pieces of paper mentioned that the Joseph M. Toomey Collection of loose Wilkes County records had been restored and was available at the Georgia Archives free web site:  the Virtual Vault.  Wonder if there is anything of interest?  Wrightsboro would have been in Wilkes County until Warren County was carved out in 1793.  This site might be worth exploring at another date to see if there are other things of interest.

Very exciting!  There is a document on which Mordecai Moore's signature appears:



Mordecai died the next year....however he was still alive in 1790 and I feel sure that this is MY Mordecai!

This can be viewed at:
http://vault.georgiaarchives.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wccr/id/5174/rec/1

There are several more pages that deal with the court case.  I did not read them tonight.  But I wanted to be sure to mark the information for future use.