By J. P. COLEMAN With the Assistance of Many Others - author's notes - Those will not look forward to their posterity who never look backward to their ancestors. EDMUND BURKE Happy he who with bright regard looks back upon his father's fa- thers, who with joy Recounts their deeds of grace. GOETHE Privately Published in 1965 by JAMES P. COLEMAN, Ackerman, Mississippi Manufactured in the United States of America by Kingsport Press, Inc., Kingsport, Tenn. - 2 - [PICTURE] JAMES PLEMON COLEMAN FIFTY-FIRST GOVERNOR OF MISSISSIPPI - 3 - [PICTURE] MRS. MARGARET JANET COLEMAN PHOTO TAKEN THE YEAR OF HER MARRIAGE IN WASHINGTON, D. C. - 4 - Author's bio: JAMES P. COLEMAN Born near Ackerman, Mississippi, January 9, 1914. Graduated Ackerman High School, 1931. Attended the University of Mississippi, 1932-1935. Graduated in law, LLB, The George Washington University, 1939. Doctor of Laws Degree, The George Washington University, 1960. Elected District Attorney of the Fifth Circuit Court District, 1939, and re-elected 1943. Elected Circuit Judge of the same District, 1946. Appointed to the Mississippi Supreme Court, September 1, 1950. Appointed Attorney General, October, 1950. Elected without opposition to a full four year term, 1951. Elected Governor of Mississippi, 1955. Chairman of the Southern Governor's Conference, 1959. Elected to the Mississippi Legislature for the term, 1960-1964. Only man in the history of Mississippi to serve in all three branches of State Government by election of the people. Since 1960 has practiced law in Ackerman, Mississippi, with an office in Jackson. On May 2, 1937, at the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, D. C. was married to Miss Margaret Janet Dennis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Josiah B. Dennis of Williamsport, Indiana. One son, Thomas Allen Coleman, named for his grandfather, was born May 14,1941. He is now a second lieutenant in the U. S. Army, stationed in Korea. He received his B. A. degree from the University of Mississippi in 1962 and LL.B. degree in 1964. Member of the Fentress Baptist Church. Democrat. Delegate to the National Conventions, 1940 and 1956, Chairman of the Mississippi Delegation at the latter. Presidential elector for Roosevelt and Truman, 1944. Democratic National Committeeman for Mississippi, 1952. On June 22, 1965, nominated by President Johnson to be a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and confirmed by the Senate, July 26, 1965. Took the Oath of Office, August 16, 1965. - 7 - CHRONOLOGY The first Coleman of the line described in this book was Robert, who settled on the South side of the Appomattox, where it joins the James, 1652. His descendant, Robert Coleman, settled in Halifax County, NC, in 1756. His son, Robert, moved to what is now the Feasterville Community, Fairfield County, SC in 1775. Thereafter, the family spread to Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas. This book is an attempt to tell the story of the family from l652 to 1965, and is arranged in yearly sequence. - 11 - THE FEASTER FAMILY After their removal to South Carolina, the Colemans became so extensively connected with the Feaster Family that this Book might more appropriately have been named the Coleman-Feaster History. The Feasters appear throughout, and the extensive Feaster Genealogy written by Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman will be found in Chapter 22. - 12 - THE GREAT ADVENTURE A FOREWORD by J. P. COLEMAN The quotations appearing in the frontispiece would indicate that interest in one's forbears is, and should be, a most normal human trait. Over the years, as I grew older, it became my greatest hobby. Like most Southerners of my generation, I grew up on a small farm. Prior to the Civil War my family had been comparatively wealthy. Great grandfather Daniel Coleman owned l763 acres of land, over a hundred slaves, and lived in a sixteen room house. The Civil War put an end to that way oF life. When a boy and a young man, I did all the hard labor which was so common prior to farm mechanization. Although hard labor was con- stant and opportunities were few, it was really a good life. In many ways I shall always look back on it with much pleasure. In a day when family ties and family connections were especially prized, I was blessed with a regular multitude of kinfolks. And I still am. With great satisfaction, I point out that regard for family is still strong in our section of this great Country. In the nineteen twenties and thirties we had no radios or television sets. There were not many automobiles and no real roads. Outside the never ending task of wresting a living from the soil (using only man, mule, and the muscle of both) the great activities were visiting among friends and relatives, the church, the country school, and red hot politics. In our community we had prayer meeting on Saturday night. Of course, there were simple parties such as would be expected in rural communities. There was no dancing except the square dance, sometimes given at someone's home, but this was generally frowned upon. Except for funerals, serious illness, or some other unusual event, the family worked together from Monday morning until Saturday noon, and many times if necessary we worked on Saturday afternoon. One was very close to his immediate family, his relatives, and his neighbors. They were indispensable. I was particularly close to my Grandfather Coleman and my Grandfather Worrell. On visits to their homes, or upon their visits to ours, we often would talk far into the night about old times, about members of the family in other days. The seeds of future interest were firmly planted, - 13 - FOREWORD but most regretably I wrote nothing down and could not understand all of what I heard. For example, I knew only the given name of great great grandfather, Allen Coleman, of Fairfield and Chester Counties, South Carolina. I had learned of him by accident when I found his will stored away in the "wardrobe" of my great Aunt Missie Bruce, the former Laura Eugenia Coleman. I was her special friend, too, and always wrote her letters for her when she was very old and wished to write to her many children. It was not until May, 1949, when thirty-five years of age and then serving as a Circuit Judge, that the doors of my family history began to open in definite form. l do not remember the day of the month, but I had been to Washington for an interview with President Truman on a matter Which I was then interested. I took the Seaboard train back to Birmingham, but got off in Chester, South Carolina, at about two o'clock in the morning. Two days later, on a Saturday afternoon, Mr. Pegram, the newspaper editor in Chester, took me to the family burying ground of Allen Coleman, east of Blackstock on the Great Falls road. Mrs. Hattie Hardin, a great lady and the Probate Judge of Chester County, had put me in touch with Mr. Pegram as being one who knew more about family burying grounds than anyone else in Chester County, which turned out to be a fact. To my keen regret, Mr. Pegram died soon afterward, and I have often thought that had I not met him just when I did those doors might have remained closed forever. I would have been denied one of the great adventures of my life, a fifteen year journey into the history of the Coleman family. Another result of the visit to Chester was that I learned of the Coleman-Feaster-Mobley reunion held on the fourth Sunday in July every year, at Feasterville, in Fairfield County. From Fairfield, Allen Coleman had moved just over the line into Chester in 1817, when he was forty-four years of age. In July, 1950, I went to the Reunion, and, of course, have been back many times since. lt was at this Reunion that I met Donald Clayton, of Birmingham, the Genealogist of the Coleman-Feaster-Moberley family association; Mrs. Etta Rosson, then of Shelton, who has spent many years reducing Coleman family history to written form; Misses Julia and Mary Faucette, of Feasterville, who have furnished such a great wealth of source material for this history which you are about to read; Frank Coleman, of Dallas, who has contributed so much in general family research, as well as details of the family history in Texas, and many others who will be mentioned in the course of the book. Thanks to what they knew, and the inspiration - 14 - FOREWORD they furnished it was soon resolved to write a history of the Coleman family. It was resolved that this history would be more than a genealogy. I would do my best, from every available source, to reconstruct their lives, times, personalities. The result has been a delightful excursion that I regret to see coming to a close. Particularly in the company of Frank Coleman, of Dallas, I have made field trips and courthouse visits in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. It has been my pleasure to meet strangers who became warm personal friends. I have learned history that could never have been found in a textbook. I now feel as if I had personally known and lived with everyone of my Coleman ancestors and their kindred. Of course, when this began, I was chiefly interested in my own direct line. The subject was so interesting, and the assistance from so many people was so enthusiastic, that it has been impossible to resist the temptation of "digging up" all our related lines. I must, however, give this word of warning and apology. Since we go back to 1652, the field is so broad and so long, it cannot be pretended that I have been able to locate or mention every Coleman who ought to be listed in this Book. It would be a marvel if I had been able to avoid errors. Continuing research has actually proven many mistakes which first were accepted as facts. Many completed chapters have had to be rewritten several times in the light of additional discoveries. We have tried to omit everything which was not capable of documentary proof. Tradition often proves to he mistaken. I am amazed, however, at the frequency with which I have been able to verify tradition by written proof, much of it hidden for scores of years. So, if the reader should find me guilty of omissions and errors it is hoped he will understand the enormity of the undertaking and that his forgiveness will be equally generous. You will find that I am not the sole author of this Book. A good many chapters have been written by others. To me, the most valuable part of it was written long ago by Cousin Jennie I. Coleman, who had no idea that her effort would one day be published. Donald Clayton has not written any particular chapter as such, but the vast fruits of his long and extensive research will appear in every chapter, and he certainly receives credit accordingly. Now that, so far as able, I have collected the history of the Coleman family all the way back to Wales, and reduced it to written form, I leave it to my son, Thomas Allen Coleman, recent law school graduate, to see what he can someday learn and write about the family in Wales. - 15 - FOREWORD I want to say a word of special thanks to every person who has in any way assisted in the compilation of this Book. Obviously, it is impossible for me to name them all. in addition to those already mentioned, l could not possibly omit Miss Margaret Coleman, of Winnsboro, and my lawyer kinfolk, George Coleman, of the same Town. Moreover, special mention is due the following professional researchers who cheerfully accepted my employment and did massive research which eventually came to be used in this Book: Mrs. Leon Anderson, Halifax, North Carolina, Mr. Malcolm C. W. Tomlinson, of Washington, D. C., Mrs. Joyce H. Lindsay, of Richmond, Virginia, Mrs. Inez Waldenmaier, of Washington, D. C., and Mrs. Mary J. Rogers, of Raleigh, North Carolina. Special credit must go to Circuit Judge S. Bernard Coleman of Fredericksburg, Virginia, an authority on the descendants of Robert Coleman of Gloucester County, Virginia. You will find frequent men- tion of Judge Coleman in this Book. Neither must I forget the warm welcome which was received from public officials in Hallettsville Texas, Eutaw Alabama, Louisville Georgia, Winnsboro South Carolina, Tarboro North Carolina, Raleigh North Carolina, Halifax North Carolina, and all over South Side Virginia. To visit these places, to live in them for a time which was only too brief, and to know these people, have been great enrichments in a busy life. In grateful mention I must also include the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Virginia State Library, and the Departments of Archives and History in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. I must as a matter of record in this Book, express my special gratitude to my faithful secretary, Miss Nellie M. Commander, of Ackerman, Mississippi. For this entire fifteen years, she has typed and re-typed the pages and chapters appearing in this Book. In this respect she has almost been a co-author. In like manner special thanks are due my wife, Mrs. Margaret J. Coleman because she never complained of the many absences from home or the money spent in the prosecution of this work. J. P. COLEMAN Ackerman, Mississippi - 16 - BIOGRAPHICAL DATA OF THOSE WHO MADE THIS BOOK POSSIBLE COLEMAN FAMILY DIARIES One of the tremendously interesting and beneficial by-products of writing this Book has been the discovery of so many Coleman family diaries in the possession of various members of the family. I keenly regret that the limitations of space prevent us from reproducing them in this work. They give a most interesting picture of human personalities and the times in which they lived. If my time holds out and funds become available, I propose at some future time to print these diaries in book form. My grateful thanks are extended to Frank Coleman, Misses Julia and Mary Faucette, and Misses Kathleen and Mary Bess Coleman for allowing us to copy the following original diaries: 1. The diary of William Ragsdale Coleman's trip to Texas in 1851. 2. The diary of David Andrew Coleman, 1852-1859. 3. The diary of Andrew J. McConnell, Jr., Civil War Diary. 4. J. A. F. Coleman's Doings, 1848. 5. The Civil War Diary of First Lieutenant John Albert Feaster Coleman. MR. DONALD BREVARD CLAYTON, SR. Birmingham, Alabama Born Columbia, South Carolina, August 8, 1890, the son of Albert W. and Mary Victoria Feaster Clayton. Educated in Fairfield County, SC schools and obtaining a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Clemson College. He married Mary Wynette Mathews of Sylacauga, Alabama, June 3, 1916. One son, Donald Brevard Clayton, Jr., born Hendersonville, North Carolina, April, 1917. Employed in his profession in Birmingham, Atlanta, and Asheville until 1918, when he began an electrical contracting business as the Mill and Mine Construction Company. One of the organizers of Electric Contractors, Inc., Pascagoula, Mississippi, in May, 1939, and did all of the electrical work of the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation until 1948. Since 1948 engaged in general electrical construction work in Alabama and Mississippi. Former Member of the National Guard. Member of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Birmingham. Republican. Genealogist of the Coleman-Feaster-Moberly Family Association, of Feasterville, South Carolina. On August 1, 1965, Mr. Clayton moved to 211 Barclay Lane, Lexington, VA, where he now lives. - 17 - [PICTURE] MR. DONALD BREVARD CLAYTON, SR. - 18 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY FRANK R. COLEMAN Born in Hallettsville, Lavaca County, Texas, May 30, 1895. Son of Thomas Blowett Coleman and Martha Jane Simpson Coleman. Grandson of William Ragsdale Coleman and Sarah Newport Head Coleman. Great grandson of Wiley Roe Coleman and Sarah Ragsdale Coleman. Graduated from Hallettsville High School. B.S. in electrical engineering, Texas A & M College, 1916. Served two years and two months in World War I as First Lieutenant, Supply Officer and Paymaster, 343 Machine Gun Battalion, 90th Division. Served in the Army of Occupation in Germany in the Fourth Army Corps. Married Mallie Ada Little, January 20, 1920, Dallas, Texas. Two children, Ritha Marie, now Mrs. Frank W. Butler, and Ralph Marion, who married Margaret Jeanine Springer. Employed by the City of Dallas in City Building Inspector's Office for over twenty-six years prior to retirement. Baptist, deacon of Cliff Temple Baptist Church. Active in Church and Boy Scout work. Past president of the Coleman-Feaster-Mobley Family Association of Feasterville, South Carolina. MISS JULIA ELIZABETH FAUCETTE Born Feasterville, Fairfield County, South Carolina, October 9, 1888, the daughter of Charles Washington Faucette, Jr. and Mary Feaster Coleman Faucette. Educated at Feasterville Academy and Furman University. At the age of twenty began her teaching career, which continued for thirty-seven years in the public schools of South Carolina. She retired in 1957, and has since continued to live at Clanmore, the ancestral home of the Faucette family, in Feasterville, SC. Her sister, Miss Mary Faucette, lives with her. Miss Julia Faucette is a member of the Salem Presbyterian Church, the DAR, the UDC, and the University of South Carolina Society. She is also a member of the Eastern Star and is a charter member and director of Fairfield County Historical Society. Has maintained an active, life-long interest in the preservation of family records, of which she and her sister have the most valuable collection of originals to be found in the Coleman family, and which they have generously put at the disposal of all interested in the production of this book. - 19 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY MISS NELLIE M. COMMANDER Born near Ackerman, Mississippi, April 22, 1920, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Mitchell Commander. Graduate of Ackerman High School, 1939. Since 1941 Secretary to J. P. Coleman, of Ackerman, MS, during the times he served as District Attorney, Circuit Judge, Attorney General, and Governor. MRS. ETTA COLEMAN ALLEN ROSSON (MRS. B. H., JR.) Born at Columbia, South Carolina, September 8, 1894, the daughter of Howard Leitner Allen and Sarah Isabelle Coleman. Educated at Feasterville Academy and Draughon's Business College. One of the leaders in the organization of the Coleman-Feaster-Mobley Association, of Feasterville, South Carolina. One daughter, Mrs. Henrietta Rosson Morton, wife of Reverend Theodore R. Morton, Jr., Methodist Minister. Member of the D.A.R. for forty years, in which she has served as Chapter Regent, State Genealogist, and State Treasurer. Has compiled many volumes of genealogical records which are in the National and South Carolina D.A.R. Libraries. Resided in Germany for fifteen months, with extensive travel in Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Belgium, France, England and Luxemburg. - 20 - [PICTURE] MR. FRANK R. COLEMAN - 21 - [PICTURE] MRS. ETTA ROSSON, who, like Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman, has done so much hard work and valuable writing about the history of the Coleman family. - 22 - [PICTURE] MISS JULIA FAUCETTE, Feasterville, S. C., who has done so much to preserve Coleman Family History. - 23 - [PICTURE] MISS NELLIE M. COMMANDER - 24 - [PICTURE] From left to right: Miss Mary Faucette, Frank R. Coleman, Governor J. P. Coleman, Miss Julia Faucette, and Marion D. Ogburn, Jr. On the Steps of the Boarding House. Reunion of 1956 [PICTURE] THE BOARDING HOUSE, Feasterville, SC, where the Coleman-Feaster-Moberley Family Reunions have been held for many years on the fourth Sunday in July. - 25 - [PICTURE] CLANMORE, the Faucette family home, built about 1845. Many of the original Coleman family records and relics are kept here. - 26 - [PICTURE] MISS MARGARET COLEMAN, J. P. COLEMAN, MRS. ETTA COLEMAN ALLEN ROSSON and BO FEASTER, standing on the Boarding Housesteps, 1950. - 27 - [PICTURE ChesterSCMainStreet.jpg] Principal Business Street in Chester, SC, looking up toward the Confederate Monument. - 28 - CHAPTER 1 COLEMANS IN AMERICA PRIOR TO THE SETTLEMENTS AT JAMESTOWN AND PLYMOUTH By J. P. COLEMAN After receiving from Queen Elizabeth a patent for colonization in the new world, Sir Walter Raleigh, in April, 1584, sent out Philip Amader and Arthur Barlowe to discover a suitable location for a colony. On April 9, 1585, a colony of about 108 men sailed in seven small vessels from Plymouth. The colony was established at the northern end of Roanoke Island on August 17th, and about a week later the Commander of the expedition, Sir Richard Grenville returned to England. In June 1586, threatened with famine and the hostilities of the Indians, this entire colony returned to England on vessels of Sir Francis Drake's fleet. Only a few days after their departure, Sir Richard Grenville arrived with supplies and more colonists. Only fifteen of these remained when Grenville sailed away. A second colony, sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh, composed of 121 persons under John White arrived at Roanoke Island July 22, 1587. Not one of the fifteen persons left by Grenville in 1586 were found alive. The sailors refused to transport the second colony to the shores of Chesapeake Bay as Raleigh had directed, so they were forced to remain at Roanoke Island. John White's granddaughter, Virginia Dare, was born only twenty- nine days after the second colony arrived at Roanoke, and she was thus the first English child born in America. In this group of 121 persons were Thomas Colman and his wife, whose given name was not listed. See Page 211 of Dr. Francis L. Hawks' History of North Carolina, Volume 1, published 1857. John White returned to England for supplies and did not get back to Roanoke Island for three years, arriving there August 15, 1590. After various delays, at 10 o'clock in the morning of August 17th, the ships were anchored about two miles off-shore. One group safely made it to shore. White reported that there was a great gale of wind blowing from the northeast. Captain Spicer, in another boat, steered by Ralph Skinner, was very nearly overturned, and then White gave the following description: "The men kept the boat, some in it and some hanging on it, but the next sea set the boat on ground, where it beat so, that some of - 29 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY them were forced to let go their hold, hoping to wade ashore, but the sea still beat them down, so that they could neither stand nor swim, and the boat twice or thrice was turned keel upward, whereon Captain Spicer and Skinner hung until they sank and were seen no more. But four that could swim, kept themselves in deeper water and were saved by Captain Cook's means, who, so soon as he saw their oversetting, stripped himself and four others that could swim very well, and with all haste possible rode unto them and saved four. They were eleven in all, and seven of the chiefest were drowned, whose names were: Edward Spicer, Ralph Skinner, Edward Kelly, Thomas Bevis, Hance, the surgeon, Edward Kilborne, Robert Coleman." This account is to be found at Page 224 of Dr. Hawks' book and shows us that Thomas Coleman and his wife first arrived on the eastern shores of North Carolina July 22, 1587, and Robert Coleman was drowned while attempting to reach them August 17, 1590. This was nearly twenty years before the first permanent settlement at Jamestown, and thirty years before the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. As is well known, the 121 colonists were never found. They had completely disappeared, leaving no clue except the word CROATOAN carved on a tree. One could well imagine that possibly Robert Coleman was of some close kin to Thomas, and was willing to brave the great likelihood of drowning out of a frantic desire to learn something of what had happened to the colonists. White reached England, after the fruitless search at Roanoke, on October 24, 1590. - 30 - [PICTURE JennieIColeman1.jpg] EDWARD WILSON COLEMAN and his wife, MRS. JENNIE I. COLEMAN, with their son, JOHN ALBERT FEASTER COLEMAN, who died at the age of twenty-one. - 31 - [PICTURE JennieIColeman2.jpg] MRS. JENNIE I. COLEMAN, who made the first great contribution to Coleman Family History. - 32 - [PICTURE JennieIColeman3.jpg] Top Row, left to right: Mrs. Mary Coleman Faucette, Henry David Coleman, and John Albert Feaster Coleman. BOTTOM ROW, left to right: Samuel Stevenson Coleman, Julia Stevenson Coleman, and Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman. - 33 - CHAPTER 2 MRS. JENNIE I. COLEMAN'S INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY It is difficult indeed to know how best to arrange and present the history of a family which first came to Virginia as early as 1652. Of all the wealth of material rediscovered by the efforts of many, covering a period of over three hundred years, by far the best was the Diary of Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman. She was truly devoted to a study of family history. By far, she has left the most valuable contribution in original form. To Misses Julia and Mary Faucette, Mrs. Coleman was "Aunt Jennie," for she was a sister of their mother. To the remainder of us, she is "Cousin Jennie." The terms are used interchangeably in this Book. Mrs. Etta Rosson, by permission of the owners of the original manuscript, made the typewritten copy of the original manuscript. Cousins Julia and Mary Faucette have made an incomparable contribu- tion by the preservation of this Diary. Cousin Etta Rosson has done likewise by copying it for us. Immediately following will appear Mrs. Coleman's writings as to the general history of the Coleman family. For those interested in the details of their family lines, we shall include the entire Diary at a later point, referring extensively to the Colemans, Feasters, Moberleys, Colvins, Stevensons, and Yongues. FROM THE DIARY OF MRS. JENNIE I. COLEMAN Feasterville, S. C. Dec. 3d, 1905 Here in the home of my grandfather, Henry A. Coleman, my father, John A. F. Coleman, now my home, and which in time will be the home of my son and only child, John Albert Feaster Coleman, I begin writing some of the history of our family as I know it, with the hope that it will be of interest and a great pleasure to my boy and others of the family when I am gone. Young people do not feel much interest in family history, and old people do not often take the trouble to write down what they know. Consequently, so much is lost to me that I now long to know. While my - 34 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY grandparents were living here in this old home, I could have learned so much, but with the usual thoughtlessness of youth, I didn't know what I was losing. I did take an interest in family history then, and have treasured up in my mind many things I heard them and other old people tell. But much of it lacks something that I very much want to know. They never recorded anything. My father, not a great deal. I have wanted to write what I know a long time, but kept putting it off. Again, I hope this may be of interest to you, John, and others who care for such history, and I want you to keep on with the record. I will begin first with the Colemans. They came from Wales to Virginia. I do not know how long ago. They moved into North Carolina, Halifax County, from which they came to this neighborhood in 1775. There was a large family of them, but I know of only three brothers, Robert, William, and Charles. They soon acquired large tracts of land. Robert, I imagine, was the eldest, and he bought up land that had been granted by King George in 1772 to William Mazyck, also to Joseph Verree, and John Winn, on the headwaters of Beaver Creek. He settled on uncleared land in a quarter of a mile of this home, and lived and died within a mile of the first settlement. He must have had money to have so soon acquired the large area around him. He must have been a man of strong character, and industrious, thrifty habits. His descendants generally have these characteristics, preferring a plain style of living, abhorring show of any kind. He was a Major in the British Army [we have found no documentary proof of this], and I do not know whether he changed before the close of the Revolution. His sons were Whigs. We have a coat of his, in good state of preservation, homespun woven, and made over a hundred years ago. Robert Coleman was born about 1745, and his wife, Elizabeth Roe, was born in I747. They had several children when they came to this State, David Roe Coleman the eldest. As I said, there was a large family of the Colemans, and also the Roes. All settled near here. They found the Wagners, Beams and Mobleys already settled on Beaver Creek. There was intermarriage with these families, which makes me a descendant of them all. The Wagners came from Holland, the Beams from Germany, the Mobleys from England. They were all settled near together on Beaver Creek, several miles below where Robert Coleman settled. They had been here for some time, and had endured the hard life of first settlers, such as Indian foes to dread and conquer. Hans Wagoner had eight daughters, no sons, so a fort, called Fort Wagoner, was built of - 35 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY hewn whiteoak logs, 12 inches square, with a stone wall and deep ditch around it, and the Wagoners lived in the fort because there were no sons to protect this family, and when in danger of Indians, the neighbors gathered in his home for safety and protection for all. There are signs of the ditch around this yet. Must have been made in early part of the 18th century. I have been told that the Mobleys settled there about 1735. Later on, the Hamptons came and tried to run these first settlers off. The Mobleys lived on Poplar Ridge, the Beams, Hickory Flat. The Wagoners just above them on Reedy Branch, in Fort Wagoner. The Hamptons ran the Mobleys off their land. The Beams and Wagoners would not run, and got a grant from King George. Hans Wagoner and wife, Elizabeth Johnson (from Scotland), are buried near where they lived. Sam Mobley married their daughter, Mary, and continued to live on Poplar Ridge (where they are buried). All these old settlements are obliterated and the graves unmarked. (The above was told me by Cousin Trez Feaster) . The Mayos also lived neighbors to the Beams, and they intermarried. I do not know their nationality. Robert Coleman married Elizabeth Roe. Their children: David Roe, 1st son, born in Halifax County, NC, May 19, 1765. John Roe, 2nd son, born in Halifax County, NC, April 2, 1768. Robert Roe, 3rd son, born in Halifax County, NC, February 1, 1769. Wiley Roe, 4th son, born in Halifax County, NC, October 27, 1771. Allen Roe, 5th son, born in Halifax County, NC, November 7, 1773. Griffen Roe, 6th son, born in Fairfield County, SC, May 20, 1775 William Roe, 7th son, born in Fairfield County, SC, March 6, 1776. Sarah Roe, 1st daughter, born in Fairfield County, SC, November 8, 1778. Elizabeth Roe, 2nd daughter, born in Fairfield County, SC, September 8, 1780. Solomon Roe, 8th son, born in Fairfield County, SC, October 29, 1783. - 36 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Francis Roe, 9th son, born in Fairfield County, SC, July 12, 1786. Zerebable Roe, 10th son, born in Fairfield County, SC, November 28, 1789. Henry Jonathan Roe, 11th son, born in Fairfield County, SC, June 22,1793. Ancil Roe, 12th son, born in Fairfield County, SC, April 22, 1796. Of this large family, three died infants. John, Griffen, William, Francis, and the two sisters went West, first to Greene County, Ala- bama. I know nothing at all about their descendants, except that they went on to Mississippi and Texas. David, Robert, Wiley, Allen, Solo- mon and Henry Jonathan lived and died near by, all marrying and rearing rather large families. Robert Coleman and his wife, Elizabeth, are buried very near where they lived, at what is known as the "Coleman" graveyard. Their small children were the first to be buried there (lie at the foot of parents graves). The first house they built, as near as I can locate it, was on the hill near the Rocky Knoll, above Bonny's Fork Branch. I've heard my grandfather say that when they reached the place to camp (on getting to where they settled) a large chip was cut from a hickory tree, and bread was baked on it for their supper. The fields then cleared have been cultivated most of the time since, and yield fairly good crops. They built another home half mile south of the graveyard; all trace of that is gone. I know living persons, tho, who have been in the last house-Cousins Elitia Coleman Jeffares and Julia Feaster Coleman say they have been in it. I think some parts of it were used in building a home for Cousin David Roe Feaster. Nine years ago we put up a small monument to mark the graves of these two pioneer ancestors, Robert Coleman and Elizabeth Roe. 'Twas paid for by small contributions from many of their descendants to the 7th generation, and from 14 states. I am exceedingly glad that tis done, for I think they deserve to be so remembered. Only one, David Roe, of their grown sons was buried with them. The others who died in this state are buried in family burying grounds near their homes, except Henry Jonathan, who is buried in the Feaster Cemetery by his wife, Polly Feaster. As I said, I've heard of only two brothers of Robert Coleman, and can trace back to them all very well. There was a large family of them, tho', and I see in an old list of Mobley names that several Coleman men and - 37 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY women married Mobleys. I feel sure these were brothers and sisters of Robert Coleman. His brother, Charles, married Polly Mobley. William married Nancy Butler. I will later on tell of their descendants. Francis married Margaret Mobley. OBITUARY OF MRS. JENNIE I. COLEMAN ( 1938) MRS. E. W. COLEMAN Chester, July 9. Funeral services were conducted at the Feasterville Universalist Church Thursday afternoon for Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman, 81, widow of E. W. Coleman, and oldest daughter of the late John A. F. Coleman and Julia Stevenson, who died at the home of her sister, Mrs. Mary Coleman Faucette in Feasterville community late Wednesday. The services were conducted by the pastor. Interment followed in the Coleman burying ground. Six nephews were active pallbearers. Survivors include a step-son, Roe Coleman, Jr. and a granddaughter, Lola Marsh Coleman, both of Winnsboro; one sister, Mrs. Mary C. Faucette; one brother H. D. Coleman, both of the Shelton community and a number of nephews and nieces. Her husband, E. W. Coleman, died in 1917. She was born in the old Coleman homestead. She was a member of the Feasterville Universalist Church. - 38 - CHAPTER 3 THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY IN VIRGINIA (1652-1756) by J. P. COLEMAN I. THE FIRST GENERATION IN AMERICA (VIRGINIA ORIGINS, 1652-1756, and ROBERT COLEMAN OF 1652) On November 5, 1652, Lt. Col. Walter Chiles, of James City County, VA, in which Jamestown and Williamsburg were located, conveyed to Robert Coalman a tract of 813 acres on the south side of the Appomattox River, in Charles City County, now Prince George.l Cromwell ruled England, and 1652 was the year in which the Parliamentary Fleet put an end to the first Virginia gubernatorial tenure of Sir William Berkeley. On September 29, 1668, Robert Coleman, Sr. received a patent to a part of this same land. The grant recited that the land was on the South side of the Appomattox and on the West end of Coleman's house swamp and further stated that 207 acres of the tract had formerly been granted to Mr. Walter Chiles and by him sold to said Robert Coleman, Sr. Further recited that 2 acres had been granted to Henry Leadbeater and by him sold to Coleman.2 Previously, on April 29, 1668, Henry Leadbeater had been granted 224 acres on the South side of the Appomattox, adjoining land of Robert Coleman, "where he now lives. " From the evidence which will appear, the writer is entirely convinced that this Robert Coalman of 1652, who spelled it Coleman by 1668, is the first ancestor in America of all that line of Colemans hereafter to be described in this book. On May 20, 1663, Robert Colman, Sr., by deed of gift, conveyed to his son, Robert Colman, Jr. "part of my land on the South side of the Appomattox River, I know not the quantity of it." 3 This deed recited that "Robert Colman, Senr" was a resident of "Apamatick" in Charles City County. It was further recited that the "bredth" of the land lay upon the river (Appomattox) between the lands 1. Chas. City County Court Orders, 1655-1658, p. 18. 2. 6 VLP (Virginin Land Patents at the State Library, Richmond), 189. 3. Charles City Co., 1661-1664, p. 500. - 39 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY of Robert Burgesse and two marked oaks "which stand at the West end of my now dwelling house." Robert Coleman, Senior, signed this deed by the mark "RE." This was the same mark used by so many other Robert Colemans in later years, including that Robert Coleman who died, one hundred and sixty three years afterwards, in Fairfield County, SC (1795-1796). These lands were in the same neighborhood as that of Robert Bolling who came to Virginia in 1660 at the age of fourteen and later (1675) married Jane, the granddaughter of Pocahontas.4 Lt. Col. John Epe (Epps) was also an adjoining landowner.5 On February 15, 1677, Lt. Col. Daniel Clarke swore in open court that he did hear Robert Coleman declare John Barker to be his attorney whereupon Barker confessed judgment against Robert Coleman, Sr. in favor of Capt. John Rudds for 470 pounds of tobacco.6 The same day a suit brought by Lewis Watkins against Robert Coleman, Sr. was dismissed.7 On June 24, 1678, the same Lewis Watkins was awarded 193 pound of tobacco against Robert Coleman, Sr. The same day, a suit by Robert Coleman, Sr. against William Vaughan was dismissed. April 20, 1680, a patent to William Vaughan recited that the land on the South side of the Appomattox River adjoined the land of Robert Coleman and others. Another patent, dated July 10, 1680, makes the same reference.8 Robert Coleman, Sr. died in 1688. In December of that year, it was ordered that if the witnesses to Robert Coleman's will do not appear a the next court and prove the said will they shall be fined as the law directs." The witnesses complied and the will was proven in August 1689. Because of loss or destruction of records, the will cannot now be found. In September, 1689, it was "ordered that the estate of Robert Coleman in the hands of Robert Tucker be inventoried and appraised." this establishes a close connection between the Colemans and the Tucker which will appear to be of more significance at a later point in this narrative. 4 Slaughter, History of Bristol Parish. 5 6 VLP, 62. 6 Charles City Co., VA 1677-79, p. 279. 7 Ibid., 305, 8 7 VLP, 45. 9 Charles City Co., VA 1688, pp. 181, 225. - 40 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY II. SECOND GENERATION IN AMERICA The Sons of Robert Coleman, Sr. 1. Robert Coleman, Ir. 2. John Coleman 3. Warner Coleman We have already seen that on May 20, 1663, Robert Coleman, Sr. had given part of his lands South of the Appomattox to his son, Robert Coleman, Jr. On October 20, 1665, Robert Coleman, Junior, was granted 450 acres in Charles City County, South of the Appomattox River, beginning at the headline of Robert Coleman, Sr.l0 On April 20, 1670, James Thweatte obtained a patent to 600 acres of land in Charles City, VA, on the Appomattox River adjacent to land of Robert Coleman, Jr., and on Baylis Creek.11 On March 15, 1672, Thweatte was granted 550 acres adjacent to his other land and extending to the Black Water.12 Bailey's Creek flows into the south side of the James River, about a mile below the point where the Appomattox flows into the James. The City of Hopewell, formerly City Point, is at the junction of the Appomattox with the James. The location of these original Coleman lands in America is thus absolutely certain. It was just outside the city limits of Hopewell, VA and about eight miles Northeast of Petersburg, VA. This was originally in Charles City County, VA but since 1702 it has been in Prince George County, VA. Petersburg VA was not founded until 1733. In December, 1688, John Coleman, "the orphan of Robert Coleman, chose his brother, Robert Coleman to be his guardian."13 This further confirms the death date of Robert Coleman, Sr. as occurring in 1688. Robert Coleman, Jr. is not listed in the Prince George County, VA Quit Rent Rolls of 1704, although John Coleman, Francis Coleman, George Coleman, and William Coleman, Jr. are so listed. Yet, an entry in Prince George County VA Deeds for October 4, 1721 (Page 493) described 10 5 VLP, 435. 11 6 VLP, 286. 12 Ibid., 447. 13 Chas. City CO, 1687-95, p. 180. - 41 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY the lands of John Mayes as bounded on one side by the lands of Robert Coleman. On November 10, 1717, Robert Coleman, Jr., on his own motion was acquitted from paying the county levy for the future.14 Presumably this would be because of age or infirmity. By entries at Pages 5, 6, and 11 in the Bristol Parish Vestry, VA and Register Book, we see that on September 17, 1721, William Tucker stated that Robert Coleman "Iys at his house in a very weak, helpless condition & has been so these six months past which proves very changeable & troublesome to the s'd Tucker, tis ordrd that Wm. Tucker take care of the fores'd Robert Coleman & find him such necessities as is convenient and at the laying of the next levie, the s'd Tucker to bring his account to the Vestry & what is thought just to be allowed from the p'rsh." Significantly, it was further ordered that the church wardens inquire how the aforesaid Robert Coleman "gave his estate to Robert Tucker Sr., and upon what terms." Surely, this was the same Robert Tucker mentioned thirty-two years previously, back in September, 1689, when Robert Tucker was administrator for the Estate of Robert Coleman, Sr. Unfortunately, the Bristol Parish Register, VA contains no further report from the church wardens, so the reason for giving the estate to Robert Tucker is left clouded in mystery. We do find, however, at Pages 7 and 11 of the Register, that William Tucker was paid 400 pounds of tobacco for keeping Robert Coleman three months, and on another occasion (for which no date is shown) Joseph Tucker was allowed 1400 pound tobacco "on account of Robert Coleman." Thereafter, the Register mentions no further allowance for the benefit of Robert Coleman. No doubt he died, relieving the parish of further necessity of supporting him. At least, we make out that prior to 1704, Robert Coleman (the Junior of 1663) had given his estate to Robert Tucker, Sr. in such of the Prince George records as escaped destruction in the Civil War, we can find no deeds of conveyance or will from Robert Coleman, Jr. Most of Prince George County Records were destroyed in the Civil War. If these records were yet available we very likely would be able to find a documentary answer. Sufficient records have survived, however, to give us dependable knowledge of what really happened. We have already noted that 14 Prince George County Order Book, 1714-20, p. 143. - 42 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Robert Tucker, Sr. was the Administrator of the estate of Robert Coleman, Sr., in 1688. In 1680, Robert Tucker patented land on the North side of Blackwater River in what is now Prince George County, VA.15 The headwaters of Blackwater are situated only a few miles southeast of Petersburg, and about eight or ten miles South of the James. In 1694 (Page 555 of the Deed Books), Robert Coleman (Jr.), Robert Tucker, and Elizabeth Tucker, his wife, deeded fifty acres of land to Francis Hobson and the deed recited that David Sanborn sold said fifty acres to Robert Tucker in 1676. If the land had been sold to Tucker, as recited, it is difficult to see why it should have been necessary for Robert Coleman (Jr.) to join in the conveyance. In the 1704 Quit Rent Rolls, Elizabeth Tucker was listed for 212 acres. Quite evidently, the elder Robert Tucker was then dead. Otherwise, under the laws then prevailing, Elizabeth could not have owned the land in her own right. However, there was a Robert Tucker listed in Prince George County, VA for 400 acres. This Robert Tucker died in Surry County in 1722. His son, Robert Tucker, died in 1750, leaving his property to his wife, Martha Tucker, and sons Daniel Tucker, Joseph Tucker, Robert Tucker, and daughter, Sara Tucker Clay.16 These given names, Daniel Coleman, Joseph Coleman, and Robert Coleman have frequently been used throughout the whole history of the entire Coleman family. Moreover, on May 6, 1727, Robert Tucker and William Coleman appraised the estate of John Tucker, deceased. This was the William Coleman who later died in Amelia County. On October 9, 1716 (Deeds, Page 125) Francis Coleman, Sr. and Francis Coleman, Jr. of Bristol Parish and the County of Prince George, sold to Robert Bolling all that tract and parcel of land whereon John Tucker now liveth, on the South side of the Appomattox River, containing 100 acres, more or less. Francis Coleman, Sr. signed by the familiar mark "FC." On May 14, 1717 (Deeds, 160) Robert Tucker of Bristol Parish sold 200 acres to David Crawley, described as bounded westerly on the Appomattox, southerly on the lands of Major Robert Bolling, northerly on the lands of John Coleman, and easterly on the lands of Major Robert Munford. On July 8, 1717 (Deeds, 178) Francis Coleman, Sr. and Francis Coleman, Jr. conveyed identically the same land to the same David Crawley. Obviously, the Colemans and the Tuckers were claiming and making deeds to the same land, all in the immediate area of the lands formerly 15 11 VLP 258. 16 Boddy, Historical Southern Families. - 43 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY belonging to Robert Coleman, Jr. Therefore, it is likewise obvious that Francis Coleman, Sr. was a son of Robert Coleman, Jr., was claiming the land, and his conveyances were considered necessary to make the title good. I suppose that Francis, Jr. signed as some kind of insurance against further claims on his part. John Coleman is positively identified by documentary evidence as the son of Robert Coleman, Sr., and as the brother of Robert Coleman, Jr. On May 8, 1725, John Coleman and his wife, Mary Coleman, of Prince George County, VA conveyed 208 acres of land to Robert Munford (Deeds, 834). The land was on the South side of the Appomattox River, in the Parish of Bristol, "now or late in the tenure and occupation of the said John Coleman," bounded on the lower side by Robert Munford, thence up the river to a place called the Ridge Bottom, etc. The deed further recited that twelve acres of this land was conveyed to John Coleman by Robert Tucker on March 3, 1701, and "the residue thereof is a part of a tract of land granted to Robert Coleman now deceased, father to the said John Coleman, by patent dated the 29 day of September, 1668." This deed again clearly shows, of course, the Tucker connection. Moreover, it proves beyond all reasonable doubt that this John Coleman was the Son of Robert Coleman, the settler of 1652, and was the same man who selected his brother, Robert Coleman, Jr., as his guardian in 1688. Of great significance, as we shall see later on, the deed was witnessed by Charles Roberts, John Mayes, and Isham Eppes. On August 10, 1725, Mary Coleman came into Court at Merchants Hope and relinquished dower. On October 9, 1716, Francis Coleman, Sr. and Francis Coleman, Jr., of Bristol Parish, Prince George County, VA conveyed to John Coleman a tract of land "whereon he now liveth," bounded on one side by the land of Robert Munford and extending to the Appomattox River. Drury Bolling was a witness. Francis Coleman, Sr. used the mark "FC." (Deeds, 126). Now, we must note (Deeds, 753) that on December 8, 1715, Robert Bolling surveyed 313 acres on the South side of the Appomattox River at the Horse Pen Branch for Captain John Coleman. This land was not patented to John Coleman until July 9, 1724.17 The surveyor's entry thus shows that John Coleman was known by the 17 12 VLP 64. - 44 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY name of Captain as early as the year 1715, when he would have been anywhere between 41 and 48 years of age. On June 7, 1714 (Deeds, Page 16), John Coleman sold to Robert Munford ten acres of land in the Parish of Bristol, Prince George County, VA on the dividing line between Coleman and Munford, and on the river, up the river to a point in the John Coleman old field, by the new road leading to the "Chappell," thus down the road to the point of beginning. John Coleman signed his own name. Charles Roberts and Joseph Tucker were witnesses. The deed was acknowledged at Merchants Hope, where court was then held for Prince George County, VA. On May 13, 1725 (Deeds, Page 798), William Coleman sold to John Coleman 185 acres on the East side of the great branch of Whipponock Creek. After 1753, this land was in Dinwiddie County. Robert Bolling, John Poythress, and Drury Bolling were witnesses. William Coleman signed by the mark "W," and acknowledged the deed in open court at Merchants Hope. In September, 1689, Francis Tucker was appointed the administrator of the Estate of Warner Coleman, deceased.18 Francis Coleman and Jarvis Dix made his bond in the amount of 50,000 pounds of tobacco and the goods and chattels were directed forthwith to be delivered to Francis Tucker. It must be noted that at the same time Robert Tucker had charge of the estate of Robert Coleman, Sr. There must have been some confusion about the selection of an Administrator, for Robert Coleman, the previous December, had been ordered to receive letters of administration on Warner Coleman's estate. The conflict certainly raised the very clear presumption that Robert Coleman, Jr. had a close interest in the affairs of Warner Coleman, Francis Coleman was also interested, else he would not have become surety to the extent of 50,000 pounds of tobacco. The Bristol Parish Registry shows that William Coalman and his wife, Elizabeth, had a son, born March 20, 1732, who was baptized on August 26, 1733, and given the name of Warner. Thus the christian name was carried on, and the family connection was further identified. We might advert here to the fact that in June, 1690, as shown at Page 290 of the Order Book, the Honorable William Byrd exhibited an account of the estate of John Coleman, deceased. This could have been the John Coleman who, on March 18, 1662, bought the 813 acres on the South side of the Appomattox adjacent to M. Tounstell. It is further 18 Charles City Co., VA 1688. p. 242. 19 Ibid., 1687-95, p. 180. - 45 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY noted that Robert Alston, in August, 1690, filed a claim against the estate of John Coleman for 4 shillings, or 400 pounds of tobacco, owed him for playing on the bagpipes at Coleman's wedding. Evidently, Coleman had married again in his very old age, but died before he could pay the costs of his new status. We now pause to make some calculations as to time. If Robert Coleman, Jr. was twenty-one years of age in 1663 (when his father made him the deed of gift) he would have been born in 1642. Thus, he would have been 79 years of age in 1721. Moreover, Robert Coleman, Sr. would have been born at least as early as 1622, if not earlier. If Robert Coleman, Sr. was eighty years of age at death, he would have been born in 1608. In 1652, and occasionally as late as 1731, the surname was spelled "Coalman." The tradition written into the family records of the Robert Coleman family of Halifax County, North Carolina (later in Fairfield County, S. C.) was that the family came from Wales. Without any research to substantiate it, maybe they were originally coal miners or coal handlers in Wales, thus the spelling of the name. Well established Virginia colonial history recites that much of the early immigration to Virginia came out of England and the nearby counties in Wales through the Port of Bristol. in early days, the Appomattox River was also called the Bristol River. This was the origin of the name of Bristol Parish. III. THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATIONS (FRANCIS COLEMAN, SR. and FRANCIS COLEMAN, JR.) We have already seen that Francis Coleman was a surety in 1688, which established his birth as occurring before 1667. He appeared as the owner of 150 acres of land in Prince George County on the 1704 Quit Rent Rolls. In Prince George County Deeds, 1713-1728, and in Prince George Court Orders and Returns of Executions, 1714-1720, we find the following records: On October 9, 1716, Francis Coleman, Sr. and Francis Coleman, Jr., of Bristol Parish, Prince George County, conveyed to Robert Bolling a tract of 100 acres on the South side of Appomattox River, (Deeds, 125). On the same date, these men conveyed to John Coleman a tract of land "whereon he now lives," bounded on one side by the land of Robert Munford and extending to the Appomattox River, (Deeds, 126). - 46 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Both Francis, Sr. and Francis, Jr., acknowledged these deeds (Order Book 84). This fixes the birth of Francis Coleman, Jr., at not later than 1695. On March 28, 1712, Robert Bolling, surveyor, surveyed 338 acres of land for Francis Coleman on the South side of Butterwood swamp. This land is now in Dinwiddie County, which was organized in 1753. Butterwood Creek runs from West to East at about the center of Dinwiddie. Butterwood and White Oak flow together to form Stony Creek. The general area would be about seven or eight miles West of Dinwiddie Courthouse. Francis Coleman, Sr. did not receive the patent to this land until July 15, 1717.20 On July 13, 1719, Francis Coleman, Sr., conveyed to William Parsons 150 acres "whereon the said Francis Coleman late did live at a place called Baylys, adjoining Francis Hobson and on Baylys Swamp." Edward Goodrich, Attorney for Honor Coleman, wife of Francis Coleman, appeared and relinquished dower. The power of attorney was dated April 14, 1719. Obviously, having received his patent to lands surveyed seven years previously, Francis Coleman, Sr., moved from Baylys, on the Appomattox, South to Butterwood Creek, in what is now Dinwiddie County, VA. On August 7, 1719, Francis Coleman, Jr., and Mary, his wife, conveyed 150 acres to Adam Sims. (Deeds, 359). The land adjoined John Ledbetter, on Warrick Swamp. Robert Munford was a witness. On November 10, 1721 (Deeds, 500), Francis Coleman, Sr. conveyed by deed of gift to his son, Francis Coleman, Jr., 100 acres of land on the South side of Butterwood Run, on Horse Pen Branch, land where Francis Coleman, Jr. now liveth. Note the name "Horse Pen Branch." When Robert Coleman of Halifax County, North Carolina, purchased land on New Horse Pen from William Roberts, Francis Coleman witnessed the deed. On the same date (Deeds, 499), Francis Coleman, Sr. conveyed by deed of gift to his son John Coleman 133 acres on the South side of Butterwood Run, adjoining Francis Coleman, Jr. On March 27, 1721 (Deeds, 759), 350 acres on the upper side of Butterwood Swamp were surveyed for Francis Coleman, Sr. He did not 20 10 VLP 338. - 47 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY receive the patent until July 9, 1724 (Vol. 12, P. 70). This was the same day William Coleman received patent to 154 acres on West side of Namozine. Francis Coleman, Sr. must have been quite a wolf hunter. On November 13, 1716, he was paid for one wolf. On December 10, 1717, he was paid for "wolves killed." On December 4, 1718, he was paid for killing five wolves. On November 11, 1719, he was paid for one wolf. (Order Book 93, 155, 220, 297). On November 11, 1718, and again on April 14, 1719, Francis Coleman was appointed Overseer of the Butterwood Road. (Order Book 214, 249) We learn from Bristol Parish Register that Francis (Jr.) and Mary Coleman had a daughter, Amy, born in 1718, and a son, William Coleman, born 1733. This would be "just right" for the William Coleman of Fairfield County, SC, who was upwards of ninety in 1824. Families being of the size they were in those days, it would appear that the couple did not go childless for fifteen years and that there were children who did not happen to have their names entered on the Parish Register. Further documentary progress on a complete history of Francis Coleman, Sr. and Francis Coleman, Jr. is halted at this point by destruction of Prince George and Dinwiddie County VA Records. We do find, however, from Page 383 of the Prince George Minute Book, that on February 12, 1739, a deed for land from Francis Coleman, Sr. to Matthew Ligon was proved in court by the oaths of Joseph Lewis, John Coleman, and Henry Thweatte, witnesses thereto, "and on motion of the said Matthew Ligon it is ordered that said deed be recorded." Court held at Fitzgerald. On August 27, 1739, an action in debt brought by Francis Coleman against Thomas Twitty (Thweatte) and Mary, his wife, administratrix of Henry Wyatt, deceased, was dismissed for failure to prosecute, Minutes 355. Now, let us note that Robert Coleman, of Halifax County, NC later to be included in this work, bought land on "New Horse Pen Run" in Halifax County. He bought it of William Roberts. You will have noted the presence of the Roberts neighbors of the Colemans in Virginia. Moreover, the deed from William Roberts to Robert Coleman of Halifax, was witnessed by Francis Coleman. Susanna, daughter of Robert Coleman of Halifax County, NC married Christopher Pritchett. On March 31, 1712 (Deeds, 750), Robert Bolling surveyed 147 acres of land on the South side of - 48 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Butterwood Creek for Joseph Pritchett. On March 20, 1720, 199 acres on the South side of Butterwood were surveyed for the same Joseph Pritchett. Previously, December 17, 1719, 136 acres had been surveyed on the North side of Butterwood (Deeds, 756). An examination of the old survey book of Dinwiddie County at the Virginia State Library showed numerous Pritchetts residing in Dinwiddie County, 1750-1760. It will further be noted, when we reach that point, that when Robert Coleman of Halifax County, North Carolina, obtained his patent from Earl Granville on November 9, 1756, the land was described as adjoining Drewry M. Coleman's land. We have noted the many times that Drury Bolling was a witness to deeds for the Colemans, and Drury Stith was also a prominent resident of Bristol Parish. WILLIAM COLEMAN OF PRINCE GEORGE AND AMELIA On May 19, 1712, Prince George Deeds, 751, Robert Bolling surveyed 100 acres on the West side of Namozine Creek, below the path, for William Coleman. This creek was then in Prince George, but since 1753 has been the boundary between Dinwiddie and Amelia. On December 6, 1715 (Deeds, 753), 154 acres were surveyed for William Coleman, Sr. on the West side of Namozine. On May 21, 1712, 185 acres were surveyed for William Coleman on the East side of the great branch of Whiponock Creek, now in Northwestern Dinwiddie County, VA but near the Amelia County, VA line. On February 9, 1720 (Deeds, 757), 297 acres were surveyed for William Coleman, Sr. on the upper side of Winticomack Creek. This is in present Amelia County, in the extreme eastern portion thereof, in the neck which extends between Chesterfield County on the North and Dinwiddic County on the South. On November 21, 1723 (Deeds, 764), 235 acres were surveyed on the lower side of the Sweatt house branch of Deep Creek for William Coleman, minor. This is possibly five miles West of Winticomack. On November 9, 1719, William Coleman, Sr., of Prince George County, conveyed to Robert Munford 118 acres bounded on one side "by land which formerly belonged to Francis Coleman." (Deeds, 367). He signed by mark "W," and Drury Bolling was a witness. On May 13, 1725, William Coleman, of Prince George County, VA, conveyed a tract of land to John Coleman (Deeds, 798). This was on Whipponock Creek, in present Dinwiddie, already referred to in connection with John Coleman. - 49 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Thus, this William Coleman is seen to have been a neighbor and adjoining land owner to Francis Coleman and John Coleman. He was not their brother, evidently, because he was listed on the 1704 Quit Rent Rolls as William Coleman, Junior. His father must have been the William Coleman who came to Charles City County in 1656 (Order Book, p. 50), which was the same date Nicholas Coleman came to the County (p. 51) and the year following the arrival of Thomas Coleman (p. 39). The author has found many printed references, from many sources, of family traditions that Thomas Coleman, William Coleman, and Nicholas Coleman came to Virginia "together" and were brothers. It is understood that Nicholas Coleman later migrated to Pennsylvania. It is altogether reasonable to suppose that they came to join Robert Coleman, Sr., who was there by 1652, and equally reasonable to suppose that all four were brothers. Thus, William Coleman would have been a first cousin of Robert, Jr. and John Coleman. As will be seen in the Appendix, he was granted land in Prince George County, amounting to 635 acres in patents dated September 28, 1730. On January 2, 1737, he was granted 202 acres in Amelia County, VA on the upper side of the great branch of Winticomack Creek. Amelia County, VA had been formed of Prince George County, VA in 1734. William Coleman made his will there on June 2, 1743, Amelia Will Book 1, Page 37. As will be seen from the material appearing in the Appendix, he had sons named Daniel Coleman, whose wife was named Elizabeth; Robert Coleman, whose wife was named Ann; Joseph Coleman, whose wife was named Elizabeth; William Coleman, whose wife was named Frances; Godphrey Coleman; and Peter Coleman. He also had a daughter named Frances Coleman, who married a Tucker. All of these children lived and died in Amelia County, except Robert. This Robert moved to Lunenburg County, Virginia, in 1754. From there he moved to Union County, South Carolina (across the Broad River from Fairfield County) in 1768. In 1775, Robert Coleman of Halifax County, North Carolina, moved to Fairfield. The tradition is still alive in the Fairfield Coleman family that there was a "well recognized connection" between the Colemans of Fairfield and the Colemans of Union. This connection is borne out by preceding facts, as Robert Coleman, the first settler in Union, definitely was the son of William of Amelia, and he, in turn, was a cousin to Coleman, Jr. - 50 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY The foregoing evidence indicates the following: First Generation: Robert Coleman, Sr., 1652-1688. Second Generation: Robert Coleman, Jr., died 1721. Captain John Coleman. Warner Coleman, died 1689. William Coleman (cousin) Died in Amelia County, VA, 1745. Third Generation: Frances Coleman, still alive 1739. Fourth Generation: Francis Coleman, Jr., still alive 1761. John Coleman, who received deed, 1721. Fifth Generation: Robert Coleman, who settled in Halifax County, NC, 1756. ROBERT COLEMANS OF OTHER LINES We can be certain that the Robert Coleman, Sr. (who acquired the land from Lt. Col. Walter Chiles, in 1652) was not the same man as the well known Robert Coleman of Gloucester County, who is generally known as Robert Coleman of "Mobjack Bay" (sometimes called "Mockjack Bay"). Robert Coleman of Mobjack Bay was the ancestor of the Essex County, VA Colemans and of the numerous descendants so carefully studied and described by Judge S. Bernard Coleman, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, in his most excellent manuscript at the Virginia State Library, of which he gave J. P. Coleman a copy in 1957. Robert of Mobjack Bay first appears in the Virginia Patent Records on March 18, 1662, When he was granted 110 acres in "Gloster" County, on a branch of Burt's Creek adjoining "his own land." He had a son named Robert, later known as Captain Robert Coleman, who became Sheriff of Essex, at Tappahannock. This Robert, the son of Robert of Mobjack Bay, was born in 1656.21 Therefore, the future sheriff was only seven years old when the Appomattox River Robert Coleman, Jr., received the deed of gift from Robert Coleman, Sr. It might further be pointed out that neither of the patents dated March 18, 1662, and March 1, 1672, to Robert Coleman in Gloucester County (Who most certainly was Robert Coleman of Mobjack Bay) referred to the grantee by the descriptive Senior or Junior. Robert of Mobjack Bay did have a son by the name of John. This is well established by the writings of Judge S. Bernard Coleman, supported by the records cited by 21 Essex County, Va., Deed and Will Book 13. p. 76. - 51 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY him, including entries in the Abbingdon Parish Register. However, this John had wives named Margaret and Ann, while the wife of John Coleman of Prince George County, as we have seen, was named Mary. An examination of the Appendix to this book will show that in addition to Robert Coleman of Charles City County and Robert Coleman of Mobjack Bay, there was another Robert Coleman, who, on April 20, 1664, was granted 500 acres of land in Nansemond County, VA. There was yet another Robert Coleman who, on September 29, 1667, was granted 634 acres of land in Isle of Wight County, VA. These men were listed in their respective counties in the Quit Rent Rolls of 1704. The Appendix carries a copy of the Will of Robert of Isle of Wight, VA, who left no descendants by the name of Coleman. Robert Coleman of Nansemond is documentarily well established as the father of William Coleman, who died in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, in 1752, and he was also the father of Robert Coleman, who died in the same County, 1761. The Robert Coleman, later to be described herein, patented land in Edgecombe County in 1756. He was in that part of Edgecombe which later became Halifax County, whereas the descendants of Robert Coleman of Nansemond County, VA lived in an entirely different section of the original Edgecombe, which then covered not only its present area but parts of other present-day counties, Wilson, for example. Over a period of approximately thirteen years, the writer has thoroughly studied every record he could find in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina on all Coleman family lines. He is convinced that all four of the Robert Colemans heretofore mentioned were most likely connected. The documentary proof necessary to prove this beyond a reasonable doubt can no longer be unearthed, if indeed it ever existed. Yet, an exhaustive study of the surrounding circumstances and family lines shows that, except as to Robert of Isle of Wight who left no descendants by the name of Coleman, all three of the others had descendants through many generations of the same given name, repeated over and over from generation to generation, such as Robert, John, Francis, William, Thomas, Stephen, Charles, and many others which could be cited. It is for this reason that in the Appendix the writer has included much material on other Coleman family lines not directly connected with his own. It is hoped that this will be of assistance to other Colemans who are interested in the history of their own direct - 52 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY lineage. As stated, this material has been "rediscovered," with the aid and assistance of many people, from "hiding places" going back for over three hundred years. Courthouse fires, the ravages of the Civil War, and the natural attrition of time have destroyed many original documentary sources; yet, that which can yet be found is of the most interesting value. THE OLDEST KNOWN COLEMAN HOUSE IN AMERICA This house, known as Burnt Quarter, is about five miles Southwest of the village of Dinwiddie, Dinwiddie County, Virginia. I, J. P. Coleman, visited it the first time on April 2, 1963, and again on February 22, 1964. The house was built about 1737 by Robert Coleman. It is presently owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Peterson Goodwin Gilliam, who showed me every hospitality on each of my visits. Due to the destruction of courthouse records in Dinwiddie County prior to 1833, we are unable to give a full and complete history of its owners. We are unable to say whether the Robert Coleman who built this House was the son of Captain John Coleman or Francis Coleman, Sr., although it seems quite certain from all available records that he was the son of one or the other of them. While Tarleton was on his way to Charlottesville, in his effort to capture Governor Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia Legislature, he visited this Coleman home. The family was storing grain for the Continental Army, and Tarleton burned the grain quarter. Thus the name "Burnt Quarter." Later, at the close of the Civil War, the home was in the line of fire at the battle of Five Forks. Letitia Coleman, widow of Robert Coleman, willed the property to her daughter, Mary, who married Colonel Joseph Goodwyn. Mary Elizabeth Coleman Goodwyn, the 20th child of this couple, inherited the property from her mother. She was born at Burnt Quarter on the 25 day of December, 1812, and died there on June 16, 1884. She married John William Gilliam, the only son of Samuel and Susan Gilliam, on April 24, 1832. The property has been in the Gilliam family ever since. - 53 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY [PICTURE BurntQuarter.jpg] BURNT QUARTER, home of Mr. and Mrs. J. P. G. Gilliam, Dinwiddie Virginia, the oldest known Coleman house in America. - 54 - CHAPTER 4 THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY IN NORTH CAROLINA, 1756-1775 by J. P. COLEMAN ROBERT COLEMAN, the elder, of Halifax County, North Carolina and later of Fairfield County, South Carolina, who died late 1795. In this chapter we shall write of Robert Coleman, who died in late 1795. He is undoubtedly the common ancestor of all the Coleman family described in this book. Documentary evidence conclusively shows that this Robert Coleman was the father of that Robert Coleman who married Elizabeth Roe. Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman, in a chapter which appears later, wrote that the Colemans first came to Virginia, thence to North Carolina. . At the time this chapter is written (July 31, 1961) our earliest specific documentary record of Robert Coleman, the elder, is found at Page 174, Land Deed Book 8, Records of Halifax County, North Carolina (1756). On November 9, l756, the Right Honorable John Earl Granville, Viscount Carteret and Baron Carteret, of Hawnes, in the county of Bedford granted to Robert Coleman "of Edgecombe County, Province of North Carolina," 157 acres of land in Edgecombe Parish, said county. It was described as adjoining Drewry M. Coleman's land, on Rocky Swamp. For some reason, this grant was not proved for record until the September Court, 1762. The land in question had been granted to Earl Granville by King George II, September 17, 1744. For Geographical identifications it may be mentioned that Rocky Swamp runs from North to South and enters Big Fishing Creek about three miles West of the present city of Enfield, Halifax County, NC. This is about sixteen miles southwest of the town of Halifax. The County is situated in Northeastern North Carolina, lacks only about six miles touching the Virginia State line, is approximately 90 miles South of Richmond, and is bounded on the Northeast by the Roanoke River, for which the Indian name was "Moratuck." On March 13, 1761, Book 7, Page 255, Robert Coleman bought of William Roberts 100 acres in Halifax County on the West side of - 55 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Rocky Swamp, beginning at the mouth of New Horsepin Run. Francis Coleman was a subscribing witness and signed by mark. Halifax County, NC had been formed of Edgecombe three years previously, in 1758. In the meantime, the Courthouse was moved from Enfield to Halifax. We next find the will of Thomas Mathis, Halifax County Wills, dated October 15, 1764, admitted to probate in April, 1765. It must be noted here that Mathis was one way of spelling Matthews. The testator mentioned his wife, but did not state her given name. He named his daughters, Frances Coleman, Sarah Hill and Millie Mathis. He also named sons, Charles, James, Isaac, Thomas and Benjamin. From a deed later to be described, we know that Frances Coleman, daughter of Thomas Mathis, at least from 1764 to 1774 was the wife of Robert Coleman, the elder. On February 21, 1770, Book 11, Page 18, Robert Coleman conveyed to Thomas Coleman the same land, on the West side of Rocky Swamp, acquired of William Roberts in 1761. We know from a deed made by Robert Coleman in Fairfield County, South Carolina, March 31, 1795, that Thomas was his son. On April 11, 1771, Book 11, Page 323, by deed of gift, Robert Coleman conveyed to Christopher Pritchett 100 acres "of the land which Coleman now holds on the South side of the main road." Robert signed by mark "R." Thomas Coleman was a witness to this deed. By the Last Will and Testament of Robert Coleman we know that Susanna, wife of Christopher Pritchett, was Robert Coleman's daughter. The 1782 Tax List, District 12, Halifax County, at the North Carolina Department of Archives and History, shows that Christopher Pritchett, John Pritchett, Elijah Humphries, Jeremiah Mathis, Richard Mathis, James Mathis, Samuel Mathis, David Mathis, and Susannah Mathis were all neighbors and residents of that Tax District. Also in that District were Thomas Williams, John Williams, James Williams, and John Thomas. David Roe Coleman referred to the Thomases as his cousins, but I have never learned how this came in. In Tax District Number 12, Halifax County, 1782, were found Isaac Mathis, Mary Mathis, Sara Mathis, and Thomas Mathis. On January 25, 1774, Land Deed Book 13, Page 32, Robert Coleman and Frances Coleman, his wife, conveyed to Elijah Humphries 357 acres in Halifax County on the East side of Rocky Swamp. Frances Coleman signed by mark, as did her husband. She used an "x"; he used "RC." - 56 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY The Court Clerk certified that Frances Coleman, being privately exam- ined, acknowledged the relinquishment of her right of dower. Robert personally appeared before the May Court, 1774, to acknowledge the conveyance. The land was described in the face of the deed as being that land which Robert Coleman acquired by patent dated November 9, 1756, and other deeds or grants of record, on Rocky Swamp, adjoining Humphries, the purchaser. After the May Court, 1774, Robert Coleman never again appears in the records of Halifax County. Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman, writing in 1906, did not have these North Carolina records. Yet she then stated that Robert Coleman, the husband of Elizabeth Roe, came from Halifax County, North Carolina, to Fairfield County, South Carolina, in 1775. Since Robert Coleman, the elder, acknowledged the deed to Humphries in May, 1774, his last recorded transaction in Halifax, the family tradition known to Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman is documentarily proven to have been correct. Thus, we know that Robert Coleman, the elder, was a resident of what is now Halifax County, North Carolina, from 1756 to 1775. This goes back twenty years prior to the Declaration of Independence. Again, the family tradition, as related by Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman, was that this branch of the Coleman family came from Wales to Virginia, thence to North Carolina. We know that Robert Coleman's father-in-law, Thomas Mathis, whose will has already been mentioned, was in Edgecombe County, NC, as early as February 14, 1746. On this date, Land Deed Book 3, Page 55, Thomas Mathis "of Edgecombe County" conveyed to his brother, Isaac, of Brunswick County, Virginia, 320 acres at Turkey Ford, Conoway Creek. Brunswick County, Virginia, adjoins Halifax County, NC. Thomas Coleman, son of Robert the elder, was a subscribing witness to a deed in the Halifax records from Barzilla Hewett to Anderson Nunnelly, June 14, 1766. This proves that Thomas was born no later than 1745. Thus, his father, Robert, was most certainly born as early as 1725, even if there were no children older than Thomas. Computed another way, if Robert the elder were eighty years of age at his death in 1795 then he would have been born as early as 1715. He had many children and we do not know their dates of birth. From Thomas' age we know that Robert was married not later than 1744. Thomas Mathis does not appear in Edgecombe County until 1746. Except for the possibility that Robert had a wife before Frances, then - 57 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Robert met and married her before either the Colemans or the Mathises came to Halifax County. The best evidence we have at this date of where Thomas Mathis came from is an entry in the Albemarle Parish Register of Surrey County, Virginia, showing that James Matthews, son of Thomas Matthews and wife, Eliza Matthews, was born August 4, 1739. The godparents were James Matthews and Frances Matthews. The name Matthews is used interchangeably with Mathis a number of times in the Halifax records. Thomas Mathis' will of 1764 names a son, James. Moreover, Deed Book I, Page 520, Brunswick County, Virginia, Records (1741) described one James Mathis as being from Albemarle Parish, Surrey County, Virginia. An extensive search of the records of Lunenberg, Mecklenberg, and Brunswick Counties, Virginia (which are perfect back to 1720) fails to reveal the presence of Thomas Mathis or Robert Coleman the elder in any of these counties prior to removal to North Carolina. Thomas Mathis did have numerous relatives in Brunswick County, who will be described, for genealogical interest, in the Appendix. The only other documentary record of Robert Coleman, the elder, in Halifax County, is an entry on the Crown Docket, Item 16, January Court, 1767, styled The King vs. Robert Coleman-indictment. This entry does not name the charge, but does give Benjamin Taylor as the prosecuting witness, and carries the notation "not a true bill," reflecting that the grand jury declined to indict Robert, whatever the charge. On December 7, 1779, Book 14, Page 325, Halifax Records, Thomas Coleman and his wife, Sarah, sold the 100 acres "whereon the said Thomas Coleman now lives," being the same land that Robert had deeded him in 1770, to his brother-in-law, Christopher Pritchett. The deed recites that the land had been acquired from Robert Coleman, Sr. This, of course, shows that by 1779 there was a Robert, Jr, in the family. The appellation "Junior" could refer only to the Robert who married Elizabeth Roe. This deed further indicates that Thomas, in 1779, was moving away. It was not until November 29, 1790, that William Con, by mark, conveyed to Thomas Coleman, of Fairfield County, 250 acres of land on the waters of Beaver Creek. Thereafter, on March 31, 1795, Thomas Coleman was a witness to the Will of Robert Coleman, the elder. On March 31, 1795, Fairfield Land Deed Book K, Page 302, Robert Coleman conveyed to "his son," Thomas Coleman, a Negro boy named Moses. - 58 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY On the same day, Robert made his last will and testament, with Thomas as a witness, above mentioned. Among the appraisers of the estate was David Roe Coleman, son of Robert and Elizabeth Roe Coleman, as was his brother, Wiley. On March 25, 1795, Land Deed Book K, at Pages 124, 126, 128, and 130, Robert Coleman, who signed by the mark "R," conveyed property to his sons-in-law, William Chapman, Isaiah Mobley, and William Mobley, as well as to his son, Stephen Coleman. Thus, Isaiah Mobley, was a brother-in-law of Thomas Coleman. As we shall see in another chapter they moved together to Warren County, Kentucky (Bowling Green) in 1807. The warrant for the appraisal of the estate of Robert Coleman, the elder, is dated January 20, 1796, which shows that Robert Coleman had died previous to that date, cither in late 1795 or early in January, 1796. His will refers to Susanna Coleman, his well beloved wife. This shows that the Frances Coleman, the wife of 1764-1774, had died after signing the deed of the latter date, but we do not know when nor where. The deed of record at Page 80 of Land Deed Book I, Fairfield Records, dated April 26, 1792, from Robert Coleman, Sr. and wife Susanna, for 200 acres on the south side of Little River, recites that the land in question was granted June 23. 1774, unto William Jones, "and whereas said Robert Coleman has since the decease of William Jones married his widow, Susanna." Deed Book B, Page 77, December 1, 1779, William Jones and his wife conveyed 100 acres to William Phillips on Phillips Branch of Little River, granted July 15, 1768. This shows that William Jones died after 1779. Thus, Robert, the elder, married Susanna after that date. On May 16, 1744, Book 5, Page 264, William Jones (senior) sold to Francis Jones of Northampton County, land on Rocky Swamp. James Mathis, Jr. was a witness. This is the same neighborhood in which Robert Coleman obtained his patent in 1756. This shows that the Joneses and Colemans had known each other long before they appeared in Fairfield, and also shows the close connection with the Mathises. This William Jones made a conveyance to William Jones, Jr. on May 18, 1748, and he, no doubt, was the husband of Susanna who later became the wife of Robert Coleman. We next encounter the recitations of the deeds from Stephen Coleman (son of Robert the elder) to Robert Coleman (the husband of Elizabeth Roe) dated December 7, 1808, which clinches the matter. - 59 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Land Deed Book Y, Page 158, Fairfield County, Stephen Coleman conveyed to Robert Coleman 17 acres of land "being a part of a tract of land containing 100 acres granted to a person by the name of Wadey and then conveyed to Albert Beam, and by Beam conveyed to Robert Coleman, the father of said Robert Coleman, and by him devised by his last will and testament to said Stephen, situated on Reedy Branch of Beaver Creek, situated near the old Post Office." Robert Fitz Coleman was one of the subscribing witnesses and made affidavit before D. R. Coleman, Justice of the Peace, that he was personally present and saw the within named Stephen Coleman sign, seal, and deliver the within deed to Robert Coleman, Sr., and that he together with Wiley F. Coleman witnessed the execution of the deed. Robert Coleman, the husband of Elizabeth Roe, was then a senior because he had a son named Robert, born February 1, 1769. Land Deed Book Y, Page 293, January 10, 1811. Deed of Francis Coleman and Elizabeth Coleman, children of Robert Coleman who married Elizabeth Roe, to Robert F. Coleman. The instrument conveys 17 1/2 acres, being a part of a tract of 100 acres "conveyed to Albert Beam, and by him to Robert Coleman, Sr., and by him devised to Stephen Coleman, and by Stephen conveyed to Robert Coleman, father of Francis and Elizabeth, who devised this and other land in his last will and testament to Francis and Elizabeth." The Fairfield Census of 1800 enumerated Susannah Coleman, widow, the head of a family. Deed Book 1, Page 79, Abraham Jones and wife, Mary, executed a deed reciting that Abraham Jones was the oldest son and heir at law of William Jones. This Abraham Jones was thus the son or stepson of Susannah Jones, who married Robert Coleman, the elder. He was personally close enough to Robert Coleman, who died in 1809, that he was one of the witnesses of his will. "AMELIA COUNTY, VIRGINIA--Deed Book 3. P. 318-- Abraham Jones Sr. of Amelia County conveys to Abraham Jones Jr. by deed of gift a tract of 421 acres on the west side of Sweathouse Creek said land being part of a larger tract granted Abraham Jones by patent 28 Jan. 1733." "Deed Book 4, P. 150--Abraham Jones Jr. of Edgecombe County, NC conveys to Abraham Jones Sr. of Amelia County, Virginia--for the sum of 300 pounds-a tract of 421 acres on the west - 60 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY side of Sweathouse Creek said land being part of a larger tract granted Abraham Jones, Sr. 28 Jan. 1733. Recorded 25 Sept. 1751." Apt. 2, File #51, Fairfield County, recorded in Book 2, Pages 117 and 118, February 15, 1796: WILL OF ROBERT COLEMAN IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I Robert Coleman of the State of South Carolina and County of Fairfield Farmer being Very Weak of Body but in perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God Calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will and testament That is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my Sole into the hands of Almighty God that gave it and My Christian burial at the discretion of my Executors nothing Doubting but at the general resurection I shall receive the Same again by the mighty power of God and as touching Such worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life I give, devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form: First, I give and bequeath to Susannah Coleman my well beloved wife one Sorrel mare, Seven head of Cattle to be taken out of the Stock I had by my wife in marage, fifteen head of hogs, two feather beds and Furniture, one large Chest, third of all my geese, one Iron pot, One Small leather trunk, one duch oven to Her and her heirs forever. Item, I lend to my well beloved wife Susannah Coleman the Third part of one hundred acres of land during of her life. Item, I give and bequeath to my well beloved Children, Thomas Coleman, Sarah Chapman, Mary Parker, Cloey Mobley, Fanney Mobley, Nancy Mobley Susanah Prichet or the lawfull heirs of her body one Shilling Sterling each to be paid out of my Estate if demanded. Item, I give and bequeath to my three well beloved children Stephen Coleman, Morening Coleman, Tabitha Coleman, all my personal Estate except what I have given away which is above mentioned. Item, I give and bequeath to my well beloved Son, Stephen Coleman, one hundred acres of land whereon I now live. Lastly, I make, constitute and appoint William Chapman and Isaiah Mobley my lawful Executors of this my last will and testament, and I do hereby utterly disalow and revoke, disanul all and every other form of testaments, wills, legaces, bequeaths and Exers. by me in any ways before named, willed and bequeathed, ratifying and confirming this and - 61 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY no other to be my last will and testament in witness whereof I have here unto Set my hand and Seal, this 31 day of March, 1795. Signed, Sealed, published and declared in presence of us. his Robert R. Coleman Seal mark Anderson Thomas Thomas Coleman Proved 20 January 1796 D. Evans Recorded in Book 2, Pages 117 & 118 February 15, 1796 Apt. 2 File 51 Robert Coleman signed by the mark "R." His estate was appraised by D. Coleman (this was David Roe Coleman, born 1765, died 1855), Wiley Coleman (his brother), and William Mobley. The warrant of appraisement is dated January 20, 1796, which shows that Robert Coleman had died previous to that date. The warrant spells William Mobley's name "Moberly" but he signs Mobley. Thomas Means was also named as an appraiser, as was Isiah Moberley. The oath, however, was signed only by D. Coleman, Wiley Coleman and William Mobley, William Chapman and Isiah Moberley being the Executors. [ Wes' Note 7/18/02: Thus it would appear we have these family relationships: Robert Coleman, Sr., b c1720-25, was he the one who d. 1809? married Susanna, widow of William Jones, Jr., after 1 Dec 1779 1 Robert Coleman, Jr. + Elizabeth Roe David Roe Coleman Robert Fitz Coleman fits in here? Wiley F Coleman fits in here? Wiley Roe Coleman Robert Roe Coleman, b. 1 Feb 1769 Francis Roe Coleman, Elizabeth Roe Coleman 2 Thomas Coleman, of Halifax Co., sold land 7 Dec 1779 leaving area? sold it to his brother-in-law, Christopher Pritchett b. <=1745 bought 250 acres of land on Beaver Creek 29 Nov 1790 witnessed his dad's will 31 Mar 1795 and received negro boy Moses on same date. moved his family to Bowling Green, Warren Co., KY along with Isaiah Mobley's family. 3 Sarah Coleman married William Chapman 4 Mary Coleman married Mr. Parker 5 Cloey or Fanney? Coleman married Isaiah Mobley 6 Cloey or Fanney? Coleman married William Mobley 7 Nancy Coleman married Mr. Mobley 8 Susanah Coleman married Christopher Pritchett 9 Stephen Coleman to brother Robert he sold inherited land on Reedy Branch of Beaver Creek 10 Morening Coleman 11 Tabitha Coleman ] The Estate consisted of the following: One horse One colt One mare One bed and bedstead 50 bushels of corn 12 heads of hogs 3 head of cattle 1 spinning wheale 1 grindstone 4 head of geese 1 pewter dish and four plates and two tin pans 2 cowhides 1 meal tob - 62 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 1 axe 1 axe 1 broadaxe Two sides of leather One drawing knife and iron wedge and two reap hooks 1 Loom 1 half bushel 1 sithe blade 1 sledge and clevis and Srivin 1 half set of wagon boxes 1 wheate sive 1 shovel plow 4 chair fraims 1 pair saddle walletts 350 pounds of bacon and 100 pound of cotton 1 saddle 1 barsheare plow and table WILL OF THOMAS MATHIS Halifax County Wills proved April Court, 1765, as follows: October Ye Fifteenth, 1764, this being my last will and testament in the name of God Amen. I Thos. Mathis being in perfect sence and memory and knowing it to be appointed once for all men to die I give my soul to God who gave it me and my body to the earth to be buried to the discretion of executors and my worldly estate as followeth: Item. To my daughter Frances Coleman I give ten shillings besides what she was possessed with before. Item. To my son Charles Mathis I give five shillings besides what he already has had of me. Item. To my daughter Sarah Hill I give ten shillings besides what she has had of me. Item. To my son James Mathis I give my Negro fellow Will. Item. To my daughter Milly I give ten shillings besides what she already has. Item. To my son Isaac Mathis I give 160 more or less acres of land lying over the creek being part of the Coles survey and the remainder tract of the land I give to my son Thomas Mathis. Item. And my home plantation I give to my son, Benjamin Mathis, being 150 acres, more or less. Item. To my loving wife I give three Negroes Cook, Rachel and Hannah during her life if after her death the Negro feller Cook shall - 63 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY return to my son Isaac and Rachel to my son Thomas likewise and Hannah to my son Benjamin. Likewise, also to my son Isaac, I give Dinah and Daniel aFter my wife's decease. Also to my son Benjamin I give Neil and David after my wife's decease. Item. To my son, Isaac, I give my mill observed Thomas and Benjamin I give equal part with my son lsaac til they come of age. Item. To my son Thomas, I give my Negro Peter as soon as he comes of age, and Kate to my son Benjamin as soon as he comes of age, and to my son James, I give one bed and furniture and to my son Isaac I give my still and him l leave to pay all my worldly debts. item. To my son, Isaac, I give one bed and furniture and to my son Thomas another bed and furniture and to my son Benjamin another bed and furniture after my wife's decease I leave everything that is not already given I give to my three youngest sons, Thomas, Isaac and Benjamin to be equally divided among them. My son Charles and my son lsaac l leave my executors. Thomas (his mark) Mathis Test: William Pullen, Isaac Mathis, Thomas Mathis. North Carolina, Halifax County, April Court, 1765. The above will was exhibited in open court and duly proved by the oath of Thos. Mathis a witness thereto, who on his oath did say that he saw the testator, Thos. Mathis, seal, publish and deliver the same to be his last will and testament and that at the same time he saw William Pullen and lsaac Mathis the other two subscribing witnesses sign the same as witnesses thereto whereupon Isaac Mathis one of the executors therein named came in Court and was duly qualified by taking of the oath by law directed wherefore return shall be recorded. Test: Joseph Montfort, Clerk of the Court. - 64 - CHAPTER 5 WILLIAM COLEMAN OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, S. C. by J. P. COLEMAN Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman, in her diary, stated that this William Coleman was a brother of Robert Coleman who died in 1809 and of Charles Coleman who died in 1788. It seems likely that she may have been mistaken as to this. It appears more probable that he was a brother to Robert who died in late 1795, and therefore the uncle of the other two. We know from the Bristol Parish Register that Francis Coleman, Jr. had a son named William who was born in 1733, and at page 545 of Mills Statistics of South Carolina, published in 1826, it is stated that William Coleman of Fairfield County was then upwards of ninety years of age. This William Coleman first appears of documentary record in Fairfield County in 1771 as he had a tract of land surveyed for him on November 27 of that year. He received the patent on July 12, 1772 to 100 acres on a branch of Beaver Creek, bounded on all sides by vacant land. In a land survey map (found in official South Carolina records) 250 acres of land of Robert Coleman on Bonney's Fork of Beaver Creek, surveyed November 5, 1784, was shown to be located south of land belonging to William Coleman. On January 7, 1811, William Coleman conveyed to "my son, Solomon Coleman" 145 acres originally granted to William Mazyck, and conveyed to Robert Coleman and by Robert Coleman to William Coleman on the headbranches of Beaver Creek. D. R. Coleman and Robert F. Coleman witnesses. Land Deed Book Y, Page 546. Solomon Coleman was born in 1787, and died about 1863. On the 12 day of December, 1815, William Coleman in the presence of Nancy Coleman and D. R. Coleman, for love and affection to his lovely daughter, Elizabeth Butler, wife of John Butler, conveyed to her and to her eldest and only son, Martin, 56 acres of land, being part of a tract originally granted to William Mazyck. Land Deed Book Z, Page 436. On the 16 day of May 1816, William Coleman conveyed to William Coleman, Jr., 150 acres of land. Land Deed Book Z, Page 469. On the 11 day of September 1817, William Coleman, in the presence of D. R. Coleman and John Coleman, conveyed to his son, David Coleman, 150 acres of land. Land Deed Book Z, Page 442. On the 13 day of February, 1818, William Coleman in consideration - 65 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY of the sum of $500.00 conveyed to Abner Coleman that plantation or tract of land whereon "l now live," being part of three tracts of land, one of which was granted to me the said William Coleman for 100 acres in the year 1772 on Beaver Creek. John Feaster, D. R. Coleman and Wiley Coleman were witnesses. Land Deed Book Z, Page 433. It will be noted that William Coleman had a son named Abner, a christian name prominently used for many generations in the family of the Robert Coleman who patented land in Union County in 1768. This Robert Coleman of Union County is positively known to be the son of William Coleman of Prince George and Amelia. On the 15 day of May, 1818, William Coleman (in the presence of David Coleman and D. R. Coleman) conveyed to his son, John Coleman, 103 acres, previously granted to William Coleman on September 7, 1789. Land Deed Book Z, Page 441. This son was known as Major John Coleman. He was born in 1780 and died in 1862. Children of William Coleman Solomon,1787-1863 Elizabeth Coleman Butler William Coleman, Jr. David Coleman Abner Coleman (Major) John Coleman - 66 - - 66 - CHAPTER 6 THOMAS COLEMAN by J. P. COLEMAN (Written January 4, 1964) In the chapter on Robert Coleman, who died late 1795, we have seen that on February 21, 1770, he conveyed to Thomas Coleman lands in Halifax County, North Carolina, on the west side of Rocky Swamp, acquired from William Roberts in 1761. On December 7, 1779, Thomas Coleman and Sarah Coleman, his wife, sold the same lands to his brother-in-law, Christopher Pritchett. Eleven years later, November 29, 1790, in Fairfield County, SC, Thomas Coleman bought 250 acres, on the waters of Beaver Creek, from William Con. On March 31, 1795, Robert Coleman conveyed to "his son" Thomas Coleman, a Negro boy named Moses. In the study of Coleman family history, we had, for many years, been quite curious as to what eventually became of Thomas Coleman. In 1963 we employed a professional researcher to compile a list of all Colemans appearing in the early census records of Kentucky. When she reported the presence of a Drewry Coleman in the Warren County census of 1820, our interest was doubly aroused because Robert Coleman, the elder, patented lands in Halifax County, North Carolina, in 1756, adjoining Drewry Coleman. At the 1820 Census, in Warren County, the Drewry Coleman family consisted of one male age 26 to 45, two males under 10, a female age 26 to 45, and a female under 10. The age of the children would indicate that Drewry Coleman and his wife were born between 1785 and 1790. This clue led us to Bowling Green. We went there on August 30, 1963, where we found an abundance of Coleman family records at the Courthouse. According to the Revolutionary War Record of Clement Moberley, at National Archives, he was born in 1746 in Bedford County, VA. He moved to South Carolina, then to Madison County, Kentucky, shortly after the Revolutionary War. He then moved to Warren County, Kentucky, and from there to Crawford County, Arkansas, in 1831. According to his Revolutionary War Record, Isaiah Moberley was born in South Carolina in 1754 or 1755, moved to Warren County, Kentucky, in 1807, thence to Crawford County, Arkansas, in 1830. Isaiah Moberley married Nancy Coleman, sister of Thomas. Here, we were able to pick up the post 1795 thread on - 67 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Thomas Coleman. On January 12, 1807, Land Deed Book Q, Page 326, Fairfield County Deeds, Thomas Coleman sold to Wiley Coleman (son of Robert who died in 1809) the same 250 acres of land which he had purchased from William Con in 1790. D. R. Coleman, likewise a son of the aforementioned Robert, and Isaiah Moberley were witnesses to the deed. Then, in Warren County, Kentucky, on November 16, 1808, Book 4, Page 100, Landon Key and Katy Key sold to Thomas Coleman, "of Warren County," 200 acres on Bay's Fork. On December 12, 1811, Frederick Barnes and Elinor Barnes, Book 5, Page 519, sold to Thomas Coleman 50 acres originally patented to Abner Chapman. On July 16, 1814 (Book 6, Page 376) Thomas Coleman sold to Isaiah Moberley 400 acres on McFaddin's Fork of Gasper River. This is in western Warren County, near the Logan County line. At Page 377 of Book B of Warren County Wills is found the will of Thomas Coleman. It was dated February 23, 1816, but not proven until October, 1821, which indicates the year of his death. Since we have already shown that he was born not later than 1745, he was at least near eighty years of age at his death. His will names his wife, Polly; sons, William, John, Thomas and Benjamin; also a daughter, Betsy Fraker. From that excellent Coleman historian, Mrs. Etta Rosson, I first learned that Charity Coleman, daughter of Thomas Coleman, married Stephen Crosby. He was born November 10, 1782 and died March 20, 1856. She was born January 22, 1772 and died July 29, 1855. They were married in 1801. On July 25, 1964, I visited the Crosby family cemetery in the Cool Branch Neighborhood of Fairfield County. The directions to this cemetery are as follows: Driving south on South Carolina Highway 215, immediately south of the Chester-Fairfield line, turn right, or west, on a rural road. Go 8/10 of a mile and the cemetery is to the left, on top of a beautiful knoll. It cannot be seen from the road. It contains many expensive monuments, many Crosby graves, but is in poor repair. One of the graves is that of Coleman Crosby, son of Stephen and Charity. Of course, Charity Coleman Crosby did not move to Kentucky. As to the children of Thomas Coleman, we found the following from the Bowling Green Records. On December 8, 1814, Book 6, Page 424, Thomas Coleman sold to John W. Coleman the 50 acres adjoining Abner Chapman. Thomas Coleman, son of the Thomas who died in 1821, died some - 68 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY time prior to 1825. In that year, John W. Coleman, a brother to and executor of the latter Thomas (Book 12, Page 220) conveyed to Larkin P. Coleman all of the right of the said Thomas Coleman in and to the estate of Thomas Coleman, Sr. in 55 acres of land. On January 14, 1825, Book 12, Page 306, John W. Coleman, executor of Thomas Coleman, deceased, conveyed to Thales Morrison 48 acres of land belonging to the late deceased, and David Chapman was a witness. On October 14, 1826 (Book 12, Page 250) John W. Coleman, executor, sold to James Weatherspoon 115 acres of the lands of Thomas Coleman, deceased. On the same date (Book 12, Page 264) James Weatherspoon sold land to Daniel Coleman, adjoining land "formerly belonging to Thomas Coleman, deceased." On December 14, 1826, Book 12, Page 264, Daniel Coleman sold to yet another Thomas Coleman 115 acres. The thread continues. On June 4, 1834, Daniel Coleman sold to Larkin P. Coleman, land formerly belonging to Thomas Coleman, deceased, adjoining land "where Larkin P. Coleman now lives," book 15, Page 389. On October 28, 1842 (Book 19, Page 130) John Coleman, of Allen County (adjoining Warren), sold to Daniel Coleman, of Warren County, KY 107 acres on Drake's Creek, where Daniel now lives, once owned by Thomas Coleman, now deceased. John W. Coleman, the son of Thomas who died in 1821, died intestate. On August 28, 1848, his heirs conveyed lands belonging to him. The deed was signed by Margaret Doyel, Edward F. Coleman, Susan S. Coleman, Mitchell H. Coleman, John W. Coleman and James W. Coleman. Reverting to Drewry Coleman, on November 30, 1818 (Land Deed Book 9, Page 12), Drewry Coleman bought 250 acres on the East fork of Gasper River from Thomas Proctor. In Land Deed Book 16 1/2, Page 217, March 14, 1839, the heirs of Drewry Coleman sold to William Covington the 250 acres "in the barrens," on which Drewry Coleman lived at his death, subject to dower rights of the widow. The deed was signed by Emily Coleman Dillon, William S. Coleman, Joseph Coleman, Robert Coleman, Elizabeth Coleman, Nancy Coleman, and Susan Coleman. We still do not know the exact relationship of this Drewry Coleman to - 69 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY the 1756 Drewry Coleman of Halifax County, North Carolina. Yet, he lived in the same community in Kentucky with Thomas Coleman, the Moberleys, and the Chapmans. His children bore the given names so common to all the other Colemans. Since the Kentucky Drewry Coleman was born about 1785, it is reasonable to assume that he was the son, grandson, or nephew of Thomas Coleman. The will of Larkin P. Coleman appears at Page 361 of Will Book C, Warren County, dated June 19, 1858. His widow was named Jane. He had sons named James P. and Thomas. The daughters were named Melcena Dempsey and Mary M. Weatherspoon. From the old Survey Records and Marriage Records of Warren County we found the following: Survey Book A, Page 296, July 29, 1800, 200 acres surveyed for William Chapman, three miles north of the Barren River. From Land Deed Book K, Page 124, Fairfield County, we know that William Chapman was the son-in-law of Robert Coleman who died in 1795. His wife, Sarah, was a sister of Thomas Coleman At Page 13() of the same book we find a survey of 200 acres for George Chapman on the north side of Barren River, and Thomas Chapman was one of the surveyors. Over thirty Chapmans appear on the marriage records for the first few years following 1800. We now revert to the Moberleys. On May 10, 1799 (Deed Book 1, Page 108) the Trustees for the town of Bowling Green sold to Clement Moberley lot 17 in said town, one-half acre in size. On June I, 1807 (Deed Book C, Page 3) Clement Moberley sold this lot to Samuel Campbell. On August 19, 1799, Survey Book A, Page 231, 200 acres were surveyed for Clement Moberley on McFaddill's Fork, adjoining Elisha Moberley and John Moberley. John Moberley and Charles Moberley were chainbearers. Previously, Page 165, 200 acres had been surveyed for John Moberley on a branch of Gasper River, in which Clement was a chainbearer. I was advised in Bowling Green that all of these 200 acre tracts were for Revolutionary soldiers and that the land between the Green River and the Barren River was originally set aside for land grants to Revolutionary soldiers. On February 9, 1810, Book 4, Page 230, Isaiah Moberley, sold 200 acres on Casper River to Anthony Turney, evidently the same land which had been surveyed for Isaiah Moberley back in 1799 while he was still a - 70 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY resident of Fairfield County, South Carolina. In this deed Isaiah Moberley referred to himself as a resident of Bedford County, Tennessee. On October 17, 1828, Book 13, Page 183, Clement Moberley sold to Benjamin Hampton 71 1/2 acres on McFaddin's Ford of Gasper River. Burwill Cox, who had married Rebecca Moberley on March 14, 1820, was a witness to the deed. On the same date, David A. Moberley and David R. Moberley sold 100 acres to Benjamin Hampton at the same location. In Marriage Register A, Warren County, we find the following marriages: Page 262. October 27, 1818, Vashti Moberley to Daniel Turney. We here remember that Robert Coleman who died in 1795, Charles Coleman who died in 1788, and Francis Coleman, who died in Alabama in 1824, all had daughters named Vashti. Page 166. Edward Moberley to Sarah Simons, May 29, 1824. Page 134. Sicily Moberley to William Johnson, October 9, 1826. Page 163. James Moberley to Betsy Cox, December 3, 1800. Page 197. Nancy Moberley to Harvey O'Neal, June 15, 1804. Page 261. Polly Moberley to William Taylor, August 15, 1809. Page 35. Sallie Moberley to Elmon Covington, October 12, 1802. It is evident from the foregoing that there was an extensive colony of Colemans, Moberleys and Chapmans on the Gasper River in Warren County, Kentucky; that Thomas Coleman moved from Fairfield County, SC, with Isaiah Moberley, to Warren County, KY in 1807. The writer is unable to understand why many of them later left Warren County. It is as beautiful a country, particularly from an agricultural standpoint, as one could ever see. Possibly it became too thickly settled to suit them. - 71 - CHAPTER 7 CHARLES P. COLEMAN, SON OF THOMAS COLEMAN Born, Halifax County, North Carolina, October 4, 1762. Died, Greene County, Alabama, December 27, 1850. Revolutionary soldier. According to the records in the National Archives, he enlisted in Lincoln County, North Carolina, June, 1780. Discharged April, 1782. Was in the battles of Cowan's Ford, Guilford Court House and Eutaw Springs. He moved to Georgia in 1789, to Kentucky in 1806, to Mississippi territory in 1812, and to Alabama in 1818. He was married to Fanny Mobley in Greene County on March 8, 1829, at the age of 67. Fanny was then 45 years of age, so his children, John R. Coleman and Mrs. Judith Person, wife of David Person, must have been by a previous marriage. Larken Mobley, his brother in law, was the Executor of his Estate, No. 635, Greene County. He left one hundred dollars to each of his children, remainder for life to his widow, then to his nephew, Ryan C. Mobley, for his kindness to him in his old age. Mrs. Persons lived in Kemper County, MS. Purchasers of the personal effects were Giles C. Coleman and Thomas Colvin. The Mississippi Territorial Census of 1816 listed Charles P. Coleman as a resident of Claiborne County. - 72 - CHAPTER 8 FAIRFIELD COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA Fairfield County is situated in the "Up Country" or Piedmont section, north central part of South Carolina. It is directly north of Columbia, SC, the capitol of the state. lt has an area of 706 square miles. Winnsboro, SC, twenty-five miles North of Columbia, is the county seat. This was originally Cherokee territory and was ceded by that tribe in Glen's Treaty of 1755. The Catawba-Wateree River is its eastern boundary; the Broad River is its western boundary. At Blair's, in the western part of the county, the elevation is 295 feet above sea level; at Ridgeway the elevation is 625 feet. Charleston had been settled in 1670, and it appears from best available records that a few people began to settle in what later became Fairfield County about 1750. The Feasterville Community, as it is now known, is in the western section of the county, on Beaver Creek, a few miles from where it enters the Broad. - 73 - [HAND DRAWN MAP OF AREA] [MAP OF FAIRFIELD DISTRICT, SOUTH CAROLINA] - 74 - CHAPTER 9 CHARLES COLEMAN, FAIRFIELD COUNTY, SC (Died 1788) by J. P. COLEMAN Charles Coleman was a brother to Robert Coleman, who died 1809. Robert Coleman was a witness to Charles' will, and Francis Coleman was his Executor. He married Polly Mobley, daughter of Clement Mobley and Mary Fox. His children were Isaiah, who was dead by 1791, and the following daughters: Nancy, who married her first cousin, Robert Roe Coleman; Sarah, who married her first cousin, Allen Coleman, (Robert and Allen being brothers), and Vashti, who married Reuben Manning (1772-1848). S he had a son, Simpson Manning (1800-1863). Mrs. Paul J. Anderson, of Anniston, AL, is a descendant. Robert Roe Coleman and Allen Coleman are to be found in their appropriate chapters herein. It might be pointed out, however, that since the sons of Robert, who died in 1809, married the daughters of Charles, many Colemans are descended from both Charles and Robert. This is true, for example, of J. P. Coleman, the author of this chapter. In his Last Will and Testament Charles Coleman bequeathed unto his son lsaac Moberly, alias Coleman, "200 acres of land known by Welches Fork of Sandy River to him and his heirs, but if he should die without issue that it is my Will and desire that his Legacy be equally divided between his three sisters, Sarah Coleman, Nancy Coleman, and Vashti Coleman, or any of them that may be surviving." At Page 15 of Land Deed Book N, of Fairfield County Records, we find that on February 5, 1791, Francis Coleman, who calls himself "lawful attorney for Charles Coleman" sold to John Coleman 200 acres in (Chester County on the South side of Sandy River on a branch called Welcheses Fork, land originally granted to Charles Coleman. David Coleman, Robert Coleman, Sr., and Robert Coleman, Jr., were witnesses to this instrument. On February 5, 1800, David Coleman, son of Robert, made oath that he saw the within named Francis Coleman sign this deed and that he also saw Robert Coleman, Sr., and Robert Coleman, Jr., subscribe their names to the deed. - 75 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY This instrument, beyond all reasonable doubt, again proves the existence of Robert, the elder, and Robert, his son, in Fairfield County on February 5, 1791, and it further proves that Isaiah Coleman died with no heirs, and the land was thus sold in conformity with the directions of the will. By the terms of his Will, we know that Charles Coleman was granted land on Beaver Creek, in Fairfield County, on October 15, 1784. At Page 279 of Land Deed Book C of Chester County, SC, we find the deed dated July 1, 1786, in which Solomon Peters sold Charles Coleman 400 acres of land on a branch of Sandy River previously granted to Peters in May, 1774. John Coleman was a witness to this deed. As to Amelia Gwin, also mentioned in the Will, we know that one John Gwin was granted land in Fairfield County as early as December 11, 1766. He later got 100 acres on Sandy River in 1784, as well as 416 acres on Beaver Creek in 1787, the year before Charles Coleman died. However, the exact relationship, whatever it may have been, between Charles Coleman and Amelia Gwin, at this day remains a mystery, as will later be explained. It is very likely that she married Charles Coleman after he made the will. WILL OF CHARLES COLEMAN "IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I Charles Coleman of Fairfield County in the State of South Carolina being at this present of sound and perfect mind and memory praised be Almity God and I well considering the uncertainty of this mortal life I do therefore make and ordayne this my present last will and testament in manner and form Following, that is to say first and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, hoping through the merrits death and passion of my savour Jesus Christ to full pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherrit everlasting life; and my body I committ to the Earth to be decently buried at the discression of my executor named or otherwise as providence shall order it. And as touching the disposeal of all such temporal estate as hath pleased God to bestow upon me I give and dispose of as followerth first I will that all my debts be paid and funeral charges be discharged. ITEM I lend unto Amelia Gwin one hundred acres of land lying in the county aforesaid on a branch of Beaver Creek Granted by his Excellency Benjamin Guerard the fifteenth day of Oct. 1784 during her - 76 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY natural life and after her decease I Give unto her son Jesse Gwin & his heirs &c. ITEM I give and Bequeath Unto Amelia Gwin one feather Bed, bed stead and furniture, one cotton wheale and cards, one linnen wheale, one large chest, one iron pot & skillet one half dozzen pewter plates and one half of my cotton and all my flax one large black sow & seven pigs, seven hundred wt. of killible pork, ten barrels of corn, her choice of two of my cows and one heifer she called own. I also give unto her my little sorrel mare. I also will that my manner (manor) plantation rented or leased out for four years after my decease and the money that may arise thereof be appropriated to the support of Amelia Gwin and her children at the discression of my executor. ITEM I give & bequeath unto my son Isaiah Moberly alias Coleman two hundred acres of land known by the name of Welches Fork of Sandy River to him and his heirs but if he should die without issue that it is my will and desire that his legacy be equally divided between his three sisters, Sarrah Coleman, Nancy Coleman and Vashtie Coleman or any of them that may be surviving. I also give unto Isaiah Moberly one sorrel colt known by the name of black and all black. ITEM I give and bequeath unto my daughter Nancy Coleman one feather bed, bed stead & furniture, one linnen wheale and one cotton wheale and one covered trunk and my loom. LASTLY it is my will and desire that after my decease that all the rest of my stock and horses, cattle, and hogs not before mentioned be collected; together with my smith's tools, one shot gun, two riffle guns, one feather bed, bed stead and furniture and the rest of my house hold goods and chattels not before named with all my plantation tools and utensils thereunto belonging of every kind whatever also ninety two acres of land adjoining my manner plantation and Daniel Malone may be sold to the best advantage as my Executor may think proper, and the debts due my estate may be collected as soon as possible and added to the money that may arise from my sale and my executor to make use of the money to the best advantage for the support of my four children Isaiah Moberly, Nancy Colman, Sarah & Vashtie Coleman, and soon either of said children arrives of lawful age or either of my dauters should marry that their be an equal division made among them of the money in the hands of my executor, but if either of the aforesaid four children should die before they arrive to the age of maturity then it is my desire that their legacy or legacys be divided among them surviving. - 77 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Now I do hereby constitute and ordayne FRANCIS COLEMAN my full & sole executor of this my last will and testament hereby making void all former wills &c. heretofore made and have hereunto set my hand & seale this 31st day of December Anno. Dom: 1787. CHARLES COLEMAN (seal) Signed Seald and Delivered Proved 12th May 1788 in the presence of D. Evans C. C. H. W. Carson Recorded at Page 13 of Will Book 1 Daniel Malone Fairfield County Robert Colman. South Carolina" Document on file in the office of the Probate Judge, Fairfield County, South Carolina, in file #1, Package #41. (copied May 23, 1958). "State of So. Carolina, Fairfield County KNOW ALL MEN by these presents that we, Francis Coleman, Robert Colman and William Chapman, all of the said county and state are held and firmly bound jointly and severally unto Richard Winn, Robert Winn and John Buchanan, three of the sureties of the said county in the full and just sum of five hundred pounds sterling to be paid to the said John Winn, Richard Winn and John Buchanan, or their successors in office, for the time being, or their certain attorney or assigns for which payment to be well and truly made we bind ourselves and each of us by himself and every of our heirs, executors and administrators firmly by these presents sealed with our seal, dated this twenty-sixth day of May in the year of our Lord, One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighty Eight and in the Twelfth year of American Independence. WHEREAS (obliterated), the goods and chattels, rights and credits of Charles Coleman, late of the County of Fairfield, deceased, were lately granted to Francis Coleman, now the condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bound, Francis Coleman, shall well and truly administer all and singular the goods and chattels, rights and credits of the said Charles Coleman, deceased, pay his debts and funeral expenses, and make distribution of all that shall remain and likewise in all things abide by the will of the said deceased and letters testamentary then the above obligation to be void otherwise to be and remain in full force and virtue. FR COLMAN ROBERT COLMAN WILLIAM CHAPMAN Sealed and delivered in the presence of John Winn." - 78 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY In Package #41 of File #1, Office of the Probate Judge, Fairfield County, South Carolina, is found the inventory of the Estate of Charles Coleman, deceased, as "sold by Francis Coleman." "June 1, 1788. One set of Blacksmith tools One set of gun tools One rifle gun One beehive One beehive One beehive One feather bed One rifle gun One grindstone One sifter One dutch oven One iron pot One bare shear plow One ditto One cutting knife One steel trap One black horse One bay horse One dish and six plates One dictionary One sorrel mare and filley One sorrel horse One cow and calf and heifer One cow and calf One cow and calf Seven head of young cattle One white gelding One shotgun One rifle barrel 30 head of hogs One cow and calf One saddle The estate was appraised by Robert Colman, John Guin, and William Chapman." - 79 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY From the contents of the will it may be seen that the deceased had a special interest in Amelia Gwin (which might also have properly been spelled Guin), as he made special provision for her. The longtime, highly experienced, and well versed genealogist of the Coleman-Feaster- Moberly Family Association, Mr. Donald B. Clayton, of Birmingham, Alabama, has given intensive study to the exact identity of Amelia Gwin, but he has been unable to solve the mystery with documentary evidence. The will itself specifically identifies Jesse Gwin as Amelia's son. On October 13, 1810 (Fairfield Deed Book 2, Page 298), Jesse Coleman conveyed to Thomas Means land granted to Charles Coleman in 1784 and devised in his will to "Milly" , now Milly Lemly. So, the son referred to as Jesse Gwin in 1787 had come to be called Jesse Coleman by 1810. The Last Will and Testament of this Jesse Coleman, dated July 27, 1839 is to be found at Page 226 of Book A of the Wills of Marengo County, Alabama. In this instrument he names his wife, Elizabeth, and sons, Nathanial, Isaiah, and William, as well as daughters, Sarah and Vashti. Charles Coleman had a son, Isaiah, as his Will shows, as well as daughters who were named Sarah and Vashti. In the History of Bolivar County, Mississippi, compiled by Mrs. Florence Warfield Sillers (1948) Page 439, is found the biography of Moses W. Coleman. lt is there stated that he was the seventh of eleven children born to Franklin J. and Lucinda Adams Coleman, and stating that Franklin's parents were Jesse and Elizabeth Jordan Coleman, "South Carolinaians; who moved to Alabama where they spent their last days." In this work by Mrs. Sillers there follows this significant statement, "The Coleman's were of English and Welch ancestry." Of course, this ties in with the statement in Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman's Little Black Book that the Coleman's came from Wales. I am very much intrigued by the fact that the Bolivar County History, above referred to, states that Jesse Coleman's wife was a Jordon. This more nearly ties in with the big family of Jordans who went with the Nansemond Coleman's to Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Both the Jordons and the Colemans of Nansemond were very prominent in Edgecombe County History from about 1745 to 1800. There were plenty of Charles, Roberts and Moseses in this family as will be seen in the Appendix. I draw the rather inescapable conclusion from many items such as this that the Robert Coleman who owned land South of the Appomattox in 1652, the Robert Coleman of Isle of Wight, and the Robert Coleman of Nansemond were very closely related to each other, and that this was - 80 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY recognized and kept alive by similar family names for over a hundred years. The same line of reasoning, of which could quote multitudinous examples, indicates that they were also related to Robert Coleman of Mobjack Bay, Gloucester County, the ancestor of so many Virginia Colemans described by Honorable S. Bernard Coleman in his excellent work to be found at the Virginia State Library. - 81 - - 81 - CHAPTER 10 FRANCIS COLEMAN by J. P. COLEMAN Born, Virginia, August 16, 1744. Died, Washington County, Alabama, August 13, 1823. Age 79. On March 13, 1761, Robert Coleman, who died late 1795, bought 100 acres of land from William Roberts on the west side of Rocky Swamp, Halifax County, NC. This we have seen in a previous chapter. Francis Coleman was a subscribing witness to the deed, but he signed by mark. Since the Francis Coleman to be discussed in this chapter wrote a beautiful hand and signed his own name to documents still in existence, and since he was only seventeen years old in 1761 and thus not of legal age to be a lawful witness to the execution of documents, the Francis Coleman who witnessed the deed of 1761 was most likely the father of Robert Coleman. However, for reasons immediately to appear, it seems absolutely clear that the Francis Coleman now about to be discussed was a son of the Robert Coleman who died in Fairfield County, South Carolina, in 1795, and a brother of Charles Coleman, who died in 1788, as well as a brother of Robert Coleman who died in 1809, in addition to being a brother or half brother to all the other children of the first named Robert. Francis Coleman purchased land in Fairfield County, SC, from William Martin on January 23, 1772. On February 11, 1773, he was granted 150 acres on Sandy Fork of Beaver Creek, on which all the other Fairfield Colemans later lived. The patent, signed by Lord Montague, described the land as being bounded on the Northeast by lands already owned by Francis Coleman, on the South by land of Clement Moberley, and on all other sides by vacant land. As shown by the Fairfield County land records, on March 25, 1788, Francis Coleman purchased other land which had been granted to William Moberley (Mobley) on March 4, 1760. Robert Coleman was a witness to this deed. As we have already seen in the chapter on Charles Coleman, who died in 1788, Francis Coleman was the executor of the last will and testament of Charles Coleman. Moreover, Robert Coleman, who died 1809, was a subscribing witness to that will, which was dated December 31, 1787. - 82 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY February 5, 1791, Land Deed Book N, Page 15, Fairfield Records, Francis Coleman sold to Jhn Coleman 200 acres of land originally granted to Charles Coleman, reciting that he did so as "lawful attorney for Charles Coleman." Strictly speaking, he should have described himself as the Executor of the last will and testament of Charles Coleman. Robert Coleman, Sr. and Robert Coleman, Jr. were witnesses to this instrument of 1791. Nearly ten years later, February 5, 1800, David Coleman, son of Robert Coleman who died in 1809, made Oath that he saw Francis Coleman sign this deed and that he also saw Robert Coleman, Sr. and Robert Coleman, Jr. subscribe their names as whitenesses. On March 16, 1801, Francis Coleman, Sr., of Jefferson County, Georgia, for five hundred pounds sterling, sold to Hartwell Macon 410 acres of land in Fairfield County, on Sandy Fork, Beaver Creek, originally obtained by Francis on January 23, l771 and February 11, 1773, bounded by the lands of Liles and Hampton. Robert Coleman, Sr. was one of the subscribing witnesses, so evidently Francis had returned to Fairfield to consummate this transaction. On April 23, 1803, Francis Coleman and Margaret, his wife, of the State of Georgia and County of Jefferson, conveyed to Henry I. Macon, 266 acres of land described as being part of the tracts sold by John Marlin to Francis Coleman on January 23, 1772, and granted to Francis Coleman on February 11, 1773, by Governor Charles G. Montague. It was further recited in 1803, that the land adjoined Ephriam Lyles, Hampton, and Thomas Means (Land Deed Book O, Page 191, Fairfield County Records). Of course, this quite positively shows that the Francis Coleman in Jefferson County, Georgia, in 1803, was the same Francis Coleman who patented land in Fairfield County adjoining the Moberleys in 1773, and who purchased land from one John Martin in the first month of 1772. It also proves that his was the same Francis Coleman who acted as Executor for the Estate of Charles Coleman in Fairfield County in 1788. Francis Coleman received the following land grants in the State of Georgia: 1790, 250 acres of land in Burke County; 1795, 400 acres in Burke County; 1795, 153 acres in Warren County; 1797, 75 acres in Warren County. - 83 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Mr. G. Duffield Smith, 3520 Drexel Drive, Dallas, Texas, a descendant of Francis Coleman through his daughter, Frances Womack, unearthed a record of Francis Coleman in Wilkes County, GA, in 1790, when Peter Spencer collected tuition for teaching Isaac, Frank and John Coleman . In the 1805 Land Lotteries in the State of Georgia, Francis Coleman had two draws. The records of Jefferson County, Georgia, were destroyed in Sherman's March to the Sea. The writer has found an old jury list in the Courthouse at Louisville, Georgia, which shows that Francis Coleman was number 19 for jury duty in Jefferson County, Georgia, July 4, 1799. Isaac, John and William were noted for jury duty on November 13, 1798. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT OF GEORGIA Louisville August 14, 1799 Sir: At the request of Mr. Francis Coleman the bearer hereof I address you to present to inform you of his wish to remove his property to the Don or Tombigby River, through the Creek Nation. I have informed him that this liberty can only be granted by you, who know the feelings and sentiment of the Indians on such occasion. I will therefore only further add that Mr. Coleman's seems to be a peculiar case--he sometimes since sold out his land here, and purchased land in exchange on that River. He is a citizen of repute, and I believe, if indulged, would give no trouble to the United States or offense to the Indians. I am, Sir, with respect, your obt. servt. JAMES JACKSON. Addressed to Colonel Benjamin Hawkins, Superintendent of Indian Affairs North of Ohio. This letter is of record at Page 396 of the Minutes of the Executive Department of the State of Georgia for the period 2/6/1799-11/7/1799. Land Deed Book A,'Washington County, Alabama, Pages 3-8. 1799. Joel Walker for $3,000 cash sold to Francis Coleman a plantation of 500 - 84 - THB ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY acres of land in West Florida on a point immediately above the Black Rock on the River Tombeckby [Tombigbee - WDC] about 112 miles above the Town of Mobile, [Now in Alabama - WDC] bounded by the river on the north, east, south and southwest, granted to Charles Walker by the Province of West Florida, January 27, 1777. American State Papers-Public Lands-Volume 1, Page 683. Francis Coleman's case. Land claims in the Mississippi territory, case No. 116, Land on the Tombigbee River. Recites that Francis Coleman was of Jefferson County, Georgia. Application made by William Coleman as Attorney in fact for Francis Coleman. States that the land is about 112 miles above Mobile. This proves, of course, that Francis Coleman of Jefferson County, Georgia, formerly of Fairfield County, South Carolina, was the same man who moved to Washington County, Alabama. On November 19, 1799, William Coleman and John Coleman, sons of Francis, were granted passports to go through the Creek Nation to the Tombigbee and return. Francis Coleman's daughter, Frances, married John Womack. On April 12, 1802, Jesse Womack and John Womack were granted passports to the Creek Nation in the western country. On April 23, 1804, Francis Coleman, Jr, son of Francis Coleman, Sr, was granted a passport to remove to the western country. Benjamin Coleman given a passport to the Tombigbee Country, April 30, 1803. December 30, 1807, on the recommendation of Isaac Coleman, of Jefferson County, passport ordered prepared for William Coleman to pass through the Creek Nation. On Tuesday, May 12, 1812, a passport was ordered to the Mississippi Territory (which included present day Alabama) for messrs Francis Coleman, Isaac Coleman, and David Rowe, of the County of Jefferson. The passport included 11 negroes, the property of Francis Coleman. Mississippi Territorial Census of 1816 listed the following: Washington County Francis Coleman Jesse Coleman Clarke County Jesse Coleman William Coleman Francis Coleman was a soldier in the American Revolution. This fact has been too clearly handed down in the family from generation to generation to be denied now. In the DAR Lineage books it is stated that - 85 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY he served as a Private in General Elijah Clark's Georgia troops. Although Francis was a resident of South Carolina at that time, General Clark did much fighting in South Carolina, so Francis would have had every opportunity to have joined General Clark's forces. There is no record of his Revolutionary service in National Archives in Washington but he died before Revolutionary pensions were common except for the indigent, so the writer has concluded that this is not significant. The writer has encountered writings to the effect that this Francis Coleman was the son of Francis Coleman of Caroline County, Virginia, the burgess, who was the son of Samual Coleman, of the Mobjack Bay Coleman line. Since Francis of Caroline was not grown and married until long after 1744 it is obvious for this reason alone that he was not the father of Francis Coleman of Washington County, Alabama. The family connections of Francis of Caroline are elaborately covered in the writings of Judge S. Bernard Coleman. FRANCIS COLEMAN FAMILY RECORDS Francis Coleman, b. August 16, 1744, Virginia. d. August 13, 1823, Washington County, Alabama. Margaret Coleman, b. December 29, 1750. His Wife, d. April 17, 1804. CHILDREN Isaac Coleman, b. September 25, 1768. d. 1841. Had a daughter named Vashti, and a son, Hamilton J. F. His widow, Nancy, died at Cahaba, April 28, 1856. William Coleman, b. May 13, 1770. Married, Nancy (Dean) Lawrence. d. 1847. Lived in Perry County, Alabama. Had ten children. Francis Coleman, b. June 8, 1772. Married Mary Womack. d. September 10, 1835, Butler County, Alabama. - 86 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Margaret Coleman, b. January 6, 1774. Married Robert Tillman, Jefferson County, GA May 5, 1793. Nine children. John Coleman, b. January 3, 1776. Benjamin Coleman, b. April 29, 1778. d. December 24, 1816. Frances Coleman, b. February 14, 1781. Married John Womack (son of Jesse Womack, Revolutionary soldier. He was born December 25, 1776). Eleven children. Abner Coleman, b. January 17, 1783. d. April 10, 1787. Elias Coleman, b. December 9, 1784. d. October 9, 1786. Vashti Coleman, b. December 19, 1786. Married (1) John Williamson (2) Matthew Shaw. Robert Coleman, b. March 9, 1789. d. October 1, 1789. Daniel Coleman, b. September 5, 1792. Married Sarah Hawkins. Three children. It will be noted that Francis Coleman had a daughter named Vashti, as did Charles Coleman who died 1788. He had sons named William, Francis, John, and Robert, as did Robert Coleman who died 1809. He had a son named Abner, as did William Coleman of Fairfield. Children of John Williamson and Vashti Coleman were: Charles Fox Williamson, Carolyn Williamson, and Daniel Mobley Williamson. Daniel Mobley Wiliamson was born April 10, 1816, near old St. Stephens, Choctaw County, Alabama, and died at the old home place, Millry, on April 30, 1899. He married three times and had twenty-three children. His second wife was Telitha Worsham. Octavia Chaney Williamson was a child of this marriage. OCTAVIA CHANEY WILLIAMSON, daughter of D. M. W. and his wife, Telitha Worsham, was born January 24, 1853, at the old home - 87 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY place in Choctaw County, and died May 21, 1926, at Laurel, MS. She married (1) John Glenn Whitselt, born October 22, 1851, died April 14, 1874. They had one child, Mary Olivia. MARY OLIVIA WHITSETT, daughter of John Glenn Whitsett and his wife, Octavia Chaney Williamson, was born June 16, 1873, in Cherokee County, Texas. At this writing, July 24, 1959, she is living at Laurel, Mississippi. On June 14, 1888, she married James Dumont Duvall, who died December 28, 1928. Of this union were nine children. The fifth child was Howard Gibson. HOWARD GIBSON DUVALL, was born February 1, 1903, at Lumberton, MS, and is now living at Oxford, Mississippi. On March 10, 1927, he married Clara Mae Wilson, daughter of Samuel Dee Wilson and Clara Alice Barnes. They had two children: Samuel Dee Wilson and Howard G., Jr. SAMUEL DEE WlLSON DUVALL, son of Howard Gibson Duvall and his wife, Clara Mae Wilson, was born May 31, 1928, at Tupelo, Mississippi. On December 5, 1948, he married Faye Lewis, daughter of Walter W. Lewis and his wife, Belle Carrington. At this writing he is living at 735 Beach Boulevard, Pascagoula, Mississippi. DETAILS ON THE SETTLEMENT OF THE ESTATE OF FRANCIS COLEMAN, WILLIAM C. COLEMAN, EXECUTOR (FURNISHED BY WILSON DUVAL, OF PASCAGOULA, MISSISSIPPI) Margaret Tillman received the household goods. DanieL W. Coleman, of Butler County, received his portion. A. W. Coleman, of Butler County, received his portion. Jasper W. Coleman, of Butler County, received his portion. Evidently these were the children oF Benjamin Coleman. Vashti Williamson received her share on November 29, 1823. Lucy W. Whiting, Martha Evans, of Dallas County, Alabama. Francis Coleman, Jr., acknowledged his share on November 29, 1823. Isaac Coleman received his share June 25, 1824. May 13, 1843, Washington County, Vashti Shaw, formerly Vashti Williamson, acknowledged receipt of her share of negroes left her by Francis Coleman. - 88 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Margaret B. Hawkins, formerly Margaret B. Coleman, sister of William H. Coleman, acknowledged receipt of six slaves, two mules, and yoke of oxen. Margaret B. was wife of James G. Hawkins. John Womack acknowledged his legacy, May 17, 1843. William H. Coleman filed his receipt May 17, 1843. ALABAMA CENSUS OF 1830 CLARKE COUNTY William Coleman, born between 1760-1770. Abner Coleman, born between 1800-1810. MARENGO COUNTY Isaiah Coleman, born between 1810-1815. DALLAS COUNTY Isaac Coleman, born between 1760-1770. Isaiah Coleman, born between 1t770-1780. William Coleman, born between 1790-1800. Robert Coleman, born between 1790-1800. Allen Coleman, born between 1800-1810. Land Deed Book N, Page 258, Greene County, Alabama, shows that William Coleman, son of Francis, was granted 640 acres of land in Greene County on September 24, 1835, pursuant to the Act of Congress of March 3, 1811, for the Relief of William Coleman and others. His wife was named Nancy, and the records recited that he was of Dallas County, Alabama. On a farm now belonging to John Henry Mosely, on the North side of the Farm to Market Road from Millry to St. Stephens, Washington County, Alabama, about one mile East of the Bigbee Community, are to be found the graves of Dr. William Harris Coleman, born September 20, 1820, died October 28, 1883; his wife, Caroline V., born May 30, 1837, and died September 17, 1888. He is said to have been married twice and had six children: Maggie, Lena, Frank, Jim, Dan, and Felix. I do not know which of the Colemans was his father. I have been much assisted in my researches on Francis Coleman by Donald B. Clayton, of Birmingham, who has done so much of the spade work which has gone into this book, and without whose work this book really would not have been possible. I have also been greatly assisted by Mr. G. Duffield Smith, of 3520 Drexel Drive, Dallas, Texas, as well as by Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Duval, of Pascagoula, Mississippi. - 89 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY From Mr. Smith I received the following information as to Frances Coleman, who married John Womack. John Womack died at Womack Hill, Choctaw County, Alabama. Thereafter, his widow, Frances Coleman, went to Texas and lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Aurelia Womack Baker and Isaac Baker at Plantersville, Grimes County, Texas, where all are buried. Jesse Womack, son of John Womack and Frances Coleman, was a citizen of the Republic of Texas. His daughter, Eugenia Womack, married James Ledbetter Smith, who was the father of Jesse Philip Smith, who was the father of Mr. G. Duffield Smith. There is considerable evidence to the effect that Margaret Coleman, wife of Francis, was the daughter of James Daniel of Amelia County, VA later Prince Edward County, VA when it was formed of Amelia. His will was probated April 19, 1763, in which he mentions his daughter, Margaret, wife of Francis Coleman. I believe this to be correct because on Jan. 10, 1762, James Matthews, Sr. and Ann, his wife, in Halifax County, NC sold to William Daniel 142 acres of land. Francis Jones and James Matthis were witnesses to the deed. James Daniel had a son named William. - 90 - CHAPTER 11 ROBERT COLEMAN, WHO MARRIED ELIZABETH ROE, AND WHO DIED IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY, SC, 1809 by J. P. COLEMAN As will be seen from the writings of Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman, appearing in other pages of this work, Robert Coleman is thought to have been born about the year 1745. He married Elizabeth Roe. At this writing, July, 1961, it is not known whether they were married in Virginia or North Carolina. Since Robert the elder is known to have been in Halifax County, North Carolina, by 1756, when presumably Robert would have been only eleven years old, the marriage must have taken place in North Carolina, unless Robert Coleman, Jr crossed the nearby boundary into Virginia for his wife. This couple had fourteen children. They are as follows: BIBLE RECORD Robert Coleman and Elizabeth Roe, his wife: Robert Coleman born about 1745 Elizabeth Roe born Feb. 20, 1749 CHILDREN David Roe Coleman, 1st son, born May 19, 1765. John Roe Coleman, 2nd son, born April 2, 1768. Robert Roe Coleman, 3rd son, born February 1, 1769. Wiley Roe Coleman, 4th son, born October 27, 1771. Allen Coleman, 5th son, born November 7, 1773. Griffin Coleman, 6th son, born May 20, 1775. William Coleman, 7th son, born March 6, 1776. Sarah Coleman, 1st dtr., born November 8, 1778. Elizabeth Coleman, 2nd dtr., born September 8, 1780. Solomon Roe Coleman, 8th son, born October 29, 1783. Francis Roe Coleman, 9th son, born July 12, 1786. Zerevable Coleman, 10th son, born November 28, 1789. - 91 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Henry Jonathan Coleman, 11th son, born June 22, 1793. Ancil Roe Coleman, 12th son, born April 22, 1796. FAMILY RECORD OF THE ROES (in same Bible) "The Roes came to South Carolina from Halifax County, NC." David Roe was born October 18, 1747. Elizabeth Roe (mother of David Roe Coleman) was born February 20, 1749. John Roe, was born February 6, 1751. William Roe, born April 20, 1754. Andrew Roe, born April 26, 1756. Solomon Roe, born August 6, 1759. Francis Roe, born December 18, 1761. Mary Roe, born February 25, 1763. Pattey Roe, born December 14, 1764. Benjamin Roe, born November 10, 1766. Salley Roe, bonn June 13, 1769. Joseph Roe, born May 17, 1770. Nancy Roe, 5th daughter } Twins, born October 3,1772. Hancil Roe, 9th son } This Bible is in permanent possession of Misses Julia and Mary Faucette, R. F. D., Blairs, South Carolina. The following notes were among papers of David Roe Coleman, and are now also in possession of the Misses Faucette: l. "John Roe died in 1780, in Chester County, S. C., on Sandy River, of the smallpox." (signed) David Roe Coleman. 2. "My cousin, David Giles Thomas, of the State of Alabamy, left for home this morning. He is the son of Athanacious Thomas, and his wife, Sarah Crosby, late of South Carolina. April 27, 1854. David Giles Thomas, (is) the son of Athanacious and his wife, Sarah Crosby. My cousin Mary, the daughter of John Roe, of Halifax, North Carolina, Roneoak. June the 2nd day 1854." Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman stated that Robert Coleman was a Major in the British Army prior to the Revolution. This seems to be incorrect, as shown by the following documents: - 92 - Your Reference ......... PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, P.R.O. Refeence 11583/ny66 CDR. CHANCERY LANE, W.C.2. All Letters to be addressed to The Deputy Keeper of the Records. Telephone: Holborn 0741, 0742. 2 September 1950. Dear Sir, Robert Coleman I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of August 16. I have to inform you that the name of Robert Coleman does not appear in the printed Army Lists of commissioned officers during the period 1702-1761. It would not be possible to search the War Office Records preserved by this Department unless some indication of a Regiment in which Coleman served can be given. Yours faithfully, (J.E. Fagg) for Secretary Mr. J.P. Coleman, Judge of the Circuit Court, 5th District of Mississippi, Ackerman, Mississippi, U.S.A. PW. - 93 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY In 1897, W. C. Ford wrote two books. One was entitled "British Officers Serving in America 1754-1774." The other had the same title for the years 1774-1783. There is no Coleman listed in either of these books as being British officers in America for the period 1754-1783. FAIRFIELD RECORDS ON ROBERT COLEMAN, JR. Land Deed Book K, Page 386. July 9, 1795, Bolling Wright sold to Robert Coleman, Jr., 100 acres on a branch of Broad River, called Beaver Creek, being part of land granted to Andrew Feaster on December 12, 1787. D. Coleman was a witness. Land Deed Book K, Page 222. January 11, 1796. Ephriam Liles sold Robert Coleman a Negro named Pleasant, twenty years of age. D. Coleman is a witness. Land Deed Book N, Page 13. James Sims and Daniel Rogers of Chester County, on the 11th of December, 1797, sold Robert Coleman, of Fairfield County, 180 acres of land on the middle fork of Beaver Creek, bounded by Wade Hampton and others. David Coleman, witness to the conveyance. Land Deed Book N, Page 14. January 29, 1799. Wade Hampton, for $200.00, sold John Coleman 100 acres situated on the branch of Beaver Creek at Broad Rover. D. Coleman and Andrew Feaster were witnesses. Land Deed Book N, Page 346. On the 14 of March, 1801, Robert Coleman, Sr., and wife, Betty Coleman, with D. Coleman, Robert Coleman and Isaac Coleman for witnesses, for $60.00, sold Rubin Manning 54 acres of land on the headwaters of Beaver Creek, waters of the Broad river. Land Deed Book P, Page 236. January 18, 1805, Robert Coleman sold to David Coleman 229 acres of land on Bonney's Fork of Beaver Creek granted to William Mazyck on the 13 day of October, 1772, by his Excellency Charles Montagues Governor, and then conveyed by William and Isaac Mazyck to the said Robert Coleman, Sr. Situated on the road from Liles' Ferry to Chester Courthouse. Land Deed Book U, Page 93. 7 September, 1807, Robert Coleman sold to David Coleman 229 acres of land on Bonney's Fork of Beaver Creek, being part of a 450 acre tract granted Robert Coleman, Sr, the 6 day of February, 1786. - 94 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY (WILL BOOK 5, PAGE 495, FAIRFIELD COUNTY) WILL OF ROBERT COLEMAN South Carolina } Fairfield District } IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I Robert Coleman, Sr. of the State and district aforesaid, being of sound mind and Memory though weak of Body, Do make and ordain this my Last will and Testament in Manner and form following, that is to Say, I Give to my Sons David, John, Robert, Wiley, Alen, Griffith, and Solomon Coleman One Cow and Calf each, the prime of my Stock of Cattle--l Give to my Son Francis and Daughter Elizabeth Coleman the Tract of Land whereon I now live to be Equally divided between them Shear and Shear alike, to them and their heirs forever I Give to them also all the rest and residue of my stock of cattle hogs sheep & c for the purpose of paying my debts and legacies, Together with what debts may be owing to me, also all my house hold firniture plantation tools & c for the same purpose I give to my son Henry Jonathan Coleman my negro woman Rachel to him and his heirs forever, also three Hundred dollars to be paid to him by my executors when he shall come to the age of twenty one years, the said three hundred dollars to be raised by debts owing to me, if there shall be so much owing, but if not so much, the balance not raised thereby, to be raised out of my stock, house hold furniture plantation tools & c given above to Francis & Elizabeth I give to my daughter Sarah Mobley, also one feather bed and furniture to be paid to her by Francis and Elizabeth my son and daughter--it is my will and desire that the whole of my property above mentioned given to Francis and Elizabeth Coleman; together with the whole of debts owing to me, be the fund out of which all my debts be paid, together with the ballance which the debts owing to me shall fall short in raising the three Hundred dollars as above given to Henry Jonathan--it is my will and desire, that my son Henry Jonathan, shall learn the Hatery Business with one of his brothers Wiley or Griffith--(In testamony whereof I have here unto set my hand the thirtieth day of Sept. 1809-- It is my will that my sons Wiley and Francis, shall execute this my will. ROBERT COLEMAN the presence of Abraham Jones Wm. Franklin Allen Coleman - 95 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY On the 14 day of November, 1809, this will was admitted for probate before John Buchanan, ordinary, and Wiley Coleman, and Francis Coleman were named Executors. This shows that Robert Coleman evidently died in the year 1809. His wife Elizabeth must have preceded him in death. At least, she is not mentioned in the Will. The signature of Robert Coleman on his Will dated September 30, 1809, with Abraham Jones, William Franklin, and Allen Coleman as subscribing witnesses, is very clearly the same handwriting as that of the Robert Coleman who was a subscribing witness to the last will of Charles Coleman, dated December 31, 1787, and is the same signature as that appearing on the bond of the estate of Charles Coleman dated May 26, 1788. I, J. P. Coleman, have examined the original signature in all three instances in the office at the Probate Judge at Winnsboro and there can be no doubt of these being the signature of the same man. On the back of the will of Robert Coleman, dated September 30, 1809, is the following notation: In the Court of Ordinary for the District of Fairfield on the 14th day of November, in the year of our Lord, One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Nine, personally appeared William Franklin, who deposeth on oath that he did see the within named Robert Coleman subscribe his name to the within as his last will and testament. That the said Robert Coleman, deceased, was then of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding to the best of the knowledge and belief of this deponent. That Abraham Jones and Allen Coleman together with this deponent did at the request of and in the presence of the said testator and in the presence of each other subscribe their names as witnesses thereto. Lt. Anthony Allaire of Ferguson's Corp (Included in the Appendix of "King's Mountain and its Heroes") wrote in a diary in August, 1780: "Tuesday, 15th. Got in motion at seven o'clock in the morning, marched two miles to Lyles Ford [3 1/2 miles South of Shelton and about a mile North of Blairs] forded Broad River and proceeded seven miles to a Mr. Coleman's in the Moberly Settlement; halted during the heat of the day. Got in motion at seven o'clock in the evening; marched two miles to the Camp of the New York Volunteers, where we got intelligence that Gen. Gates lay within three miles of Camden with an Army of 7,000 Men." - 96 - THB ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY "Wed. 16th. Got in motion at seven o'clock in the morning and Marched two Miles to Mobley's Meeting House for convenience of Ground. "Thursday 17th. Got in Motion at nine o'clock in the morning and marched six miles to Rebel Col. Winn's plantation. Winn is at James Island, a Prisoner." THE FAMILY OF ELIZABETH ROE, WIFE OF ROBERT COLEMAN, WHO DIED IN 1809 The names and dates of birth of Elizabeth Roe's brothers and sisters appear at a preceding page. She was the daughter of John Roe and his wife, Sarah. John Roe first appears in Halifax County, August 14, 1749. On this date, Book 3, Page 368, William Reeves sold 200 acres of land to John Roe. There were no identifying streams or water courses mentioned in the deed. At this same period, there was another John Roe in nearby Lunenberg County, Virginia. On May 18, 1751, Lunenberg Deed Book 5, Page 124, John Roe and his wife, Frances sold James Tatum 100 acres which John Roe had received by patent dated July 12, 1750. On February 19, 1754, John Roe and Sarah Roe sold to Sherwood Grimsley 200 acres of land "where Grimsley now liveth." Book 4, Page 553. Robert Williams and Charles Daniel were witnesses. On the same date, John Moorland and Dorothy, his wife, sold John Roe (spelled Rowe) 300 acres on the West side of Little Creek, South side of Roanoke River. Book 4, Page 555. On October 7, 1776, Book 13, Page 512, John Roe sold this same land to George Morris. No wife signed the deed, and since it would have been necessary to the legal conveyance of a homeplace, it must be presumed that Sarah Roe was dead by this date. Our next record of John Roe is that found in his Will, April 20, 1778, reciting that he then lived in Camden District, South Carolina, but formerly of Craven County, of which Fairfield was later formed. This establishes, of course, that although John Roe sold out in Halifax, North Carolina, more than two years after the date of the Coleman sale, he very promptly joined them in Fairfield County. At some later date, he moved lo Pendleton District, now Anderson County, South Carolina, as shown by the following Will made twenty-four years before his death. - 97 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY "LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF JOHN ROW, of Record at Page 32 of Will Book A of Anderson County Records, Anderson, South Carolina, formerly Pendleton District. Copied by J. P. Coleman and Frank Coleman on July 29, 1961. South Carolina Camden District IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN, the twentieth day of April, One Thousand Seven Hundred Seventy and Eight. That I John Row late of the County of Craven in the Province aforesaid, gentleman, being in health and perfect mind and memory, calling to mind that it is appointed for all men to die, I therefore make and ordain my last will and testament as follows: I first recommend my soul into the Hands of God who gave it me, secondly, my body for to be buried in a decent manner at the discretion of my executors and also all my just and lawful debts to be paid out of my estate and the remainder to be divided as follows, to-wit: ITEM: I give and bequeath to son, John Row, one Negro girl named Sue. ITEM: I give to son, William Row, one Negro boy named Sam to him and his heirs. ITEM: I lend to son, Andrew Roe, one Negro girl named Phyllis, to him and his heirs. ITEM: I lend to son, Solomon Row, one Negro girl named Karis him and his heirs. I lend to my son, Benjamin Row, 1 Negro girl named Lucy to him and his heirs. ITEM: I lend to my son, Joseph Row, one Negro named James to him and his heirs. ITEM: I lend to my son Hansile Row, one Negro woman named Hannah and the first child she brings to be given if it lives to my daughter, Mary, and the next child if she lives to bring any more to my daughter, Martha. ITEM: I lend to my daughter, Nancy, one Negro woman named Rachel to her (and her) heirs and the first child she brings if it lives to be given to my daughter, Sarah, and if she brings any more children to be given one to my daughter Frances and my house furniture to be equally divided between my daughters at my decease. This being my Last Will and Testament whereof I have to set my hand and afffixed my seal the day and date above written. - 98 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Witnesses Present: John Row, Andrew Row, Joseph Attoway. his John x Row mark Proved by the oath of Andrew Row "the only witness to be obtained," February 5, 1802. John's son, Andrew, was in what later became Anderson County earlier than February 9, 1796. On that date, Book C, Page 155, Andrew sold Isaac West 200 acres on Twenty-three Mile Creek. Andrew was still alive on March 29, 1806, for on that date he sold land in the same locality to Richard Robinson, Book H, Page 307. John's son, Solomon Roe, was in the area as early as 1788, as we shall see hereafter. John's son, Benjamin, went along with the others, as shown by a deed in which he sold 69 acres of land to Abraham Duke, Book K, Page 108. Hancil Roe, the ninth son and fourteenth child of John Roe, was in the same area as early as June 25, 1792. Book B, Page 21. On that date, called "Anselm" Roe, he purchased 150 acres from William Jackson on Twelve Mile Creek. His name regularly appears thereafter in the old Pendleton District Records (now at Anderson, South Carolina) through the year 1827. His wife's name was Mary, and she was the daughter of Thomas Watson. Deed Book L, Page 227. On November 7, 1809, Abraham Duke, Hugh Tatum, John Roe, and Nancy Roe recite themselves to be the heirs of Solomon Roe, deceased. On that date, they sold land on Rock House Fork, Eighteen Mile Creek, Seneca River. The deed recited that Solomon had acquired this land in 1788. - 99 - CHAPTER 12 THE CHILDREN OF ROBERT AND ELIZABETH ROE COLEMAN In this chapter we shall write of the thirteen children born to this couple. After telling of them we shall list the names of their children. The reader then may follow descendants in the most excellent genealogy prepared by Mrs. Etta Rosson which appears in subsequent pages. First Child DAVID ROE COLEMAN, eldest child of Robert Coleman and Elizabeth Roe Coleman. Born May 19, 1765. Died March 25, 1855. In the opinion of the author of this Book, David Roe Coleman was one of the outstanding members of the entire Coleman family. He is best and most completely described by Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman in her Diary as follows: by MRS. JENNIE I. COLEMAN His first child, David Roe, was my great grandfather. He married Edith Beam, September 13, 1787. She died in 1825. I have never learned much about her. My grandfather, Henry, used to speak of her with much affection. I've heard of one of her children being very cross as a baby. She would card, sew, or do other necessary work, with it on her lap, and when it slept, would do her cooking, even if not the regular time, to get a meal. She couldn't leave it, if awake (must have been one of the first babies, or very spoilt.) David Roe Coleman was one of the most honored men in this county. Well informed, tho' not educated, a good surveyor, of upright habits, he was a man of influence. His health was remarkably good, his daily living being very simple; his supper for years was cornbread and milk. Had good sound teeth as long as he lived. Could shoot squirrels from the top of tall trees, and rode over his farm almost daily on a pony, accompanied by several small dogs. The last of these was kept by Grandfather Henry as long as it lived (after David Roe's death), name "Lion." His negro slaves were devoted to him and led a happy, well fed and well clothed life, under their kind old - 100 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY "marster." There are a few of them still alive, fifty years after his death, and they speak of him with the greatest love and reverence, and eyes dim with tears. Mary, who is now 76, and was bought by my father at his sale, looks back on the days spent as a slave of "Marster" as the best time of her life. Her mother, "Greecy," was bought by him and raised from a girl. Her children were above the ordinary, as she was, doing more and better work than many other slaves. Then "Coleman" Negroes have always had the reputation of being superior workers, as well as more honest and reliable every way, even since they were set free, this is acknowledged by those who work them. I have heard of some who have gone to other states and their superiority was always noted. I am proud to record here that I believe this was because of the way they had been reared, trained and treated by their owners, who worked themselves, and learned (Sic) the slaves to do good work, and by their example of honest dealing, exerted an influence that is still manifest in these ex-slaves, and their descendants. "Eb," another daughter of Greecy, and house girl, died a few years ago. She told me many little happenings in the old life at "Marsters," how good he was to them all, how happy and well fed they were. With eyes filled with tears, she told how she was standing at the back of his chair as he sat at the supper table (some of his grandsons being present) when he was stricken with death (March 25, 1855). The end was peaceful, as his life had been. I tell these things, John, so that you, who were born thirty-five years after slaves were set free, may judge something of the character of this old ancestor, a slave holder, and of his treatment of them. You can never know, as I do, of the true feelings existing between good masters and mistresses and their slaves. They were often treated as friends, and many of them proved themselves worthy of all confidence, faithful even unto death. Many of the Coleman slaves are buried adjoining the family graveyard. Grandfather David Roe Coleman accumulated considerable property, in shape of land and negroes. He was a splendid surveyor, and did much of that work. His eight children all lived, except one, to be grown, marry and raise families. He divided his property as they married, equally among them, giving each the same. In an old diary of his I read where he says he did this to prevent any trouble after his death; each should have his or her rightful share while he lived. As he was never in a court of law, he desired them never to resort to it. I am proud to say that neither sons, grandsons, nor greatgrandsons have, as far as I know. His house stood about the middle of what we call the Daddy Field." (His children and grandchildren all called him Daddy"), not far from - 101 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY the "Long Leaf Pine" that he planted, bringing the small sprout from somewhere between Columbia and Charleston. 'Tis the first one I ever saw, and is a great curiosity in this up-country. Good many young ones grow around it now, and a few are scattered over the near fields. The old one must be at least seventy years old. His house was a plain structure, of the style of all the houses around in those days. I remember how it looked. One large room, the main body, was of hewn logs, a splendid chimney, with large fireplace, at one end, and the entrance door at the other, shed rooms on each side, and a "loft" above. This house was removed (which I regret) in 1867, and rebuilt for a home for his nephew, Henry J. Coleman. 'Twas not long after the Civil War, the people were stripped of nearly everything, no sawing of lumber, so it was considered a great help to this young man, who had been a soldier four years, to get a home by moving this old house a few miles, and rebuild on his land. It is still standing in tolerably good shape, lived in by negro renters. "Daddy" David had the mysterious gift or power to cure diseases (called faith cure, I guess). Sick people came to him from long distances to be cured of tumors, wens, cancers, etc. He gave this "power" to his son-in-law, Jacob Feaster, who practiced the same as long as he lived. He gave it to his son John, who never used it. Also gave it to David Cork, who lived a long life and cured many people of divers complaints. I know of no one practicing this now. I can imagine some of the loneliness of this old man, who lived thirty years after the mother of his children was gone. Several of his sons and one daughter went to Alabama and made homes in what was then the "great unknown west." They had to go on horseback and wagons--no trains then, and letters were few. Once in a while they would return for short visits to the old father. I see short accounts of these visits in his diary. Then they would leave him, and I think of the sad partings. He spent much time in reading, as he grew old, and copying sermons. Was a Universalist in faith, and practice, and attended the meetings at the same old church we belong to. From what I gather from his few records, his faith was pure and simple as a child's. His grandchildren loved to stay with him, and he studied Greek with his grandson, David A., after he was eighty years old. Wells for drinking water were very rare or unknown then, all the first homes were built near good springs. The "Daddy" Spring is fine and is still giving freely of its good water, over a hundred years since he settled near it. A splendid corn and wheat mill was built near it in 1867, owned by several Colemans, run by the spring water, was a success for - 102 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY years. Gradually, it ran down, after change of owners. No sight of it left. DAVID ROE COLEMAN FAMILY BIBLE (Copied at the home of Misses Julia and Mary Faucette by J. P. Coleman, July 26, 1954.) Entries in the handwriting of David Roe Coleman (1765-1855). D. R. Coleman was born in Halifax County, N. C., May 19, 1765. Married Edith Beam, September 13, 1787, Fairfield District, SC. R. F. Coleman, the first son of DRC and Edith, his wife, was born the 26th of August, 1789, and died the 7th of September, 1842. Wiley F. Coleman, 2nd son was born March 10, 1792. D.H. Coleman, 3rd son was born 17 December, 1794. H. A. Coleman, 5 September, 1797. Wilson H. Coleman was born the 25th of March, 1800. Isabella Coleman was born 13th September, 1803, first daughter. Elizabeth, 2nd daughter, born 6th of April, 1807. Sally (or Sarah), 3rd daughter, was born the 10th of April 1810. Edith, the mother of the above named children died on April 28, 1825, in the 60th year of her age. Her third daughter, Sarah, died about the year 1815. Robert F. Coleman married Susanor Feaster, who died January 15, 1829, by whom he had 7 children, 3 daughters. Drusilla, who married William Coleman. 1st son Wm., died young. 2nd son D.R.C. Wiley F. Coleman died the 4th of March, 1835, leaving a widow and 7 children. 1 daughter Sophiah born July 19th, 1817, married lately to Abner Fant. Elizabeth, 2nd daughter, born January 21, 1819. 1st son Wilson was born the 27th December, 1821. 3rd daughter Mary was born 16th December, 1824. 2nd son David was born September 1, 1827. 4th daughter Martha was born 4th August, 1830. 5th daughter Isabella was born December, 1833. - 103 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY On the 5 of October, 1848, I had 57 grand children. Nine of whom are dead. Also had 33 great grandchildren. 3 of whom are dead. I am at this time 83 years old. D. R. COLEMAN, SR. The following written in the David Roe Coleman Bible by John Albert Feaster Coleman: "The record of Robert Coleman above so far as I know is that he was of Welch descent, he moved from Virginia to North Carolina, was one of a large family, had a brother William, the father of Solomon Coleman, and Charles another brother was the father of Nancy and Sallie Coleman. The former married Robert (her cousin) son of Robert above & Sallie his son Allen." From the Diary of David R. Coleman, in his handwriting, read at this time and place: "August 7, 1853. Clear morn, cloudy, thunder Evening." This was the day of the birth of Jacob Feaster Coleman, grandfather of J. P. Coleman. Also copied from the Diary of David R. Coleman. "The preceding accounts as stated against my children is done by me for the purpose of keeping them as near on an equality as possible with respect to the gifts I make to them while I am living that When I am dead they may be enabled thereby to make an equal distribution amongst themselves of all the property I may be legally possessed at my Death, shear and shear alike -- all mine to be equal by theres each one to choose a disinterested friend and they to make the division as above stated without applying to the law as nothing that I have acquired of this worlds goods was ever obtained at law. Neither had I ever a law suit. I therefore hope that my children will immitate there father in that parlicular. D. R. COLEMAN Wrote the 24th of June 1825" David Roe Coleman was sixty years of age when he wrote the above, but lived another thirty years. Land Deed Book DD, Page 58, Fairfield County, December 14, 1805. David Coleman agrees that 800 acres shall be Robert Coleman's part of - 104 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY land purchased from Mary Veree on October 30, 1800. Allen Coleman and Solomon Coleman were witnesses. COPY OF A LETTER WRITTEN BY DAVID ROE COLEMAN, 1ST, TO HIS SON, WILSON HENRY COLEMAN, OF GREENE CO., ALA. South Carolina, Fairfield District, June 27, 1835. Dear Son: I take the present favorable opportunity to write to you a line in way of remembrance, as I have not had a letter from you for a great while, and inform you that your father is still living and in good health (Blessed be God for His mercies). Hoping that you and your family are all well. I believe I have not wrote to you since the Death of your brother, Wiley. His widdow and children are well and I think are likely to do well. They are very industrious, and your namesake, Wilson, is much so. Wiley had but a very short sickness from Thursday until Tuesday. He was doing very well. I think it was the excessive cold was the cause of his death. I am certain I have never experienced so cold a winter. Our wheat crops were greatly injured and a great many entirely ruined. All the fig trees and chany trees are killed, the fig trees will spring up again, but the Chany will not. Our prospects for corn and cotton is very good at this time, the seasons have been very good. As for your brothers and their families are all well, except Chaney, Henry's wife. She has had a long spell of sickness that has seemed to threaten insanity. Isabella and her family are well. We expect to see lsaac and Betty in July. They were all well when we last heard from them. I am in the 61st year of my age. I am as nearly as strong as I ever was, but not so active. I take a great deal of exercise, tho I work but little. I go into no excesses except reading. I think one third of the day is spent by me in reading. I live much alone and think that few men desires peace more than I do, and none love it better. To love God with all my powers and my neighbors as myself is my aim and end. I rejoice that I have lived a life of Temperance (in almost everything). I have a good pare of spectacles and an excellent little Rifle gun, and I think I can kill more squirrles than any man in the neighborhood. This serves as an - 105 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY amusement for me in my vacant hours from reading. Peace be with you, my dear son. D. R. COLEMAN. I add no more. Wilson H. Coleman. Sent by Mr. William Halsell. Deed Book 4, Pages 326-28, Fairfield County, March 10, 1817. Deed from Ferdinand Beam and others to Robert F. Coleman, recites the descendants of Albert Beam, father of Mrs. David Roe Coleman, as follows: CHILDREN OF ALBERT BEAM 1. John Beam 2. Jesse Beam 3. Albert Beam 4. William Beam 5. Edith Coleman 4. Mary Coleman 5. Sarah Coleman 6. Dorcas Beam 7. Elijah Beam, deceased 1. Ferdinand Beam 2. Edith Beam 3. Nancy Beam, wife of David Coleman - 106 - [PICTURE] HENRY ALEXANDER COLEMAN and MRS. CHANEY FEASTER COLEMAN. - 107 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Second Child JOHN ROE COLEMAN, born, April 2, 1768, Halifax County, N. C. Died, September 4, 1835, Greene County, Ala. John Coleman married Mary Beam, daughter of Albert Beam and sister of Edith Beam, who married David Roe Coleman. The children of David Roe Coleman and John Roe Coleman were double first cous- ins. By file No. 316 of the Probate Court of Greene County, Alabama, we find that John Coleman died possessed of an estate valued at $15,000, including 14 slaves and $1025 in cash. On June 19, 1837, Wm. R. Dennis was paid by the Administrator the sum of twenty dollars for paling in two graves, evidently that of John and his wife. She preceded him in death as she is not mentioned in the estate papers. The children of John Roe Coleman and his wife, Mary Beam were: 1. Robert Coleman, later of Choctaw County, Mississippi, for whom a later chapter herein appears. 2. Salley, wife of Grayfield Cosa. 3. Elizabeth, wife of William Coleman, who later went to Anderson County, Texas. 4. David Coleman, of the State of Georgia. 5. Mary, wife of Charner Colvin. 6. Dorcas, wife of Henry McElroy. 7. John G. Coleman, who was the Administrator of the Estate, later of Yalobusha County, Miss. 8. Giles C. Coleman, later of Yalobusha County, Mississippi. 9. Nancy, wife of Laton Upchurch. 10. Elijah L. Coleman. (File No. 639. Greene County, Alabama) ESTATE OF WILLIAM COLEMAN, WHO MARRIED ELIZABETH COLEMAN, WHO WAS DAUGHTER OF JOHN ROE COLEMAN JOHN G. COLEMAN, his brother-in-law, ADMINISTRATOR. Died 1841, leaving as his heirs, his widow, Elizabeth Coleman. Went to Anderson County, Texas. - 108 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Mary A. Coleman, who married Marshall Wrenn. Isabella C. Coleman. Elizabeth M. Coleman. Nancy A. Coleman. William F. Coleman. Went to Anderson County, Texas. Robert M. Coleman. The last four were minors. Among the purchasers at the sale of the estate were Giles Coleman, Joseph Coleman, and John G. Coleman. Estate was finally settled on October 29, 1845. On October 29, 1842, the Administrator sold the lands of William Coleman, deceased, to J. G. Coleman and Elizabeth Coleman. The notes were signed by John G. Coleman, Sr., John G. Coleman, Elizabeth Coleman, John G. Coleman, Jr., and D. H. Coleman (son of David Roe Coleman). On October 18, 1854, John G. Coleman, and Isabella, his wife, sold the land where he had formerly lived. Book S, Page 675. On October 8, 1851, Giles C. Coleman and Susannah Coleman deeded 160 acres about six miles north of Eutaw to Isaac Mobley. Book R, page 441. On February 21, 1854, Elizabeth Coleman of Anderson County, Texas, sold her 1/2 interest in lands in Greene County, Alabama, and W. F. Coleman was a witness to the deed. On April 28, 1854, J. G. Coleman and Isabella, his wife, of Chambers County, Alabama, sold land in Greene County. Book X, page 180. At Page 325 of Book I, we found that on September 15, 1838, John G. Coleman and Elijah L. Coleman sold all their right in certain lands to William De Graffenried. Land Deed Book Y, Page 295. January 2, 1817, John R. Coleman and Mary, his wife, to Robert Fitz Coleman all their right, title or claim that they have to the real estate of Albert Beam, reciting that Mary is a daughter of Albert Beam. Land Deed Book DD, Page 128. Fairfield County. On the 13 day of December, 1821, John R. Coleman and Mary Coleman, his wife, conveyed their home place to William Curry. The last will and testament of Henry McElroy dated October 31, 1853, was probated on December 17, 1853, Sumter County, Alabama. The 1850 Census of this family listed eleven children: Sarah, Mary J., Nancy R., Emiline, Dorcas L., Louisiana, Martin V., George W., Alabama, Asenith, and Laura. - 109 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Third Child ROBERT ROE COLEMAN, Born, Halifax County, N. C., Feb. 1, 1769. Died, Fairfield County, S. C., August 12, 1844. Robert Roe Coleman married his first cousin, Nancy Coleman, daughter of Charles Coleman. His brother, Allen, married Nancy's sister Sarah, so the children of this couple were double first cousins. On the road to the Beam House, near Feasterville, a road to the right takes one to the site of the Sallie D. (Jonathan D.) Coleman house. This is where Robert Coleman lived. There is an old family graveyard, with many graves, only one marked. The stone bears the inscription Robert H. Coleman. October 1, 1832. June 24, 1862. He was a son of Hiram H. Coleman and grandson of Robert R. Coleman. Robert H. Coleman died at Augusta, Georgia, of pneumonia, the second year of the Civil War. His wife was Julia Ann Feaster, daughter of Andrew Feaster and Mary Norris. It was customary when there were several of the same given name in a family for the women to be called by her name and that of her husband, making a double name. So, Julia Ann was called "Julia Bob." She, with two sons, moved to Florida with her brothers. She lived at LaGrange, Florida, near Titusville, in Brevard County. Her home was a center of culture and refinement. She had the only piano in that part of a wild country. She taught the first Sunday school on Indian River, and weddings were frequently held at her house. On her frequent visits to Feasterville she told of the Indians about her home, of the wild animals, such an panthers. Robert Roe Coleman and Nancy Coleman had four children: 1. Hiram H., born April 30, 1803, died April 9, 1837. Married Elizabeth Beam. 2. Wylie (Screw), married Sallie Rainey. 3. Jonathan David, married Sallie McLane. 4. Polly, who died young. All information on Robert Roe Coleman furnished by Mrs. Etta Rosson. - 110 - [PICTURE] BOB COLEMAN, SR. (Robert W.), descendant of Robert Roe Coleman and Nancy Coleman. Bob lives at Chester, SC and is one of the best loved of all the Coleman Clan. - 111 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Fourth Child WYLIE ROE COLEMAN, born, Halifax County, N. C., October 27, 1771. Died, Fairfield County, S. C., October 16, 1824. Married, first, in 1799, Sarah Ragsdale. She was born October 15, 1781, and died August 3, 1820. She had eleven children: 1. William Ragsdale, born October 4, 1800, to whom a chapter in this book is devoted. 2. Nancy Ann Coleman, born December 6, 1801. 3. Joseph Ragsdale, born June 2, 1803. 4. Sophia, who married her first cousin, Williams Charles Coleman, born January 16, 1805. 5. Griffin Coleman, born September 25, 1807, on whom we have a later chapter. 6. Elizabeth A. and 7. Robert F., twins, born April 4, 1810. 8. Rebecca, who married John W. Robinson, born December 20, 1812. 9. Wylie W. W., born April 19, 1815. 10. Henry J. F. W., born February 5, 1818. 11. Sarah, born December 23, 1819. After the death of Sarah, in 1820, Wylie Coleman married Mary Semone, by whome he had one son, Elihu, who was born January 8, 1824, the year of his father's death. WILEY ROE COLEMAN AND SARAH RAGSDALE COLEMAN BIBLE RECORDS BIRTHS Wiley Coleman, Father, October 27, 1771. Sarah Ragsdale Coleman, Mother, October 15, 1781. William R. Coleman, October 4, 1800. Nancy Ann Coleman, December 6, 1801. Joseph R. Coleman, June 2, 1803. Sophia Coleman, January 16, 1805. - 112 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY [PICTURE] Home of Wylie Coleman, still standing, but in a great state of disrepair. Wylie and Sarah are buried immediately behind this house. Griffin R. Coleman, September 27, 1807. Elizabeth A. Coleman, April 4, 1810. } Robert F. Coleman, April 4, 1810. J } Twins Rebecca Coleman, December 20, 1812. Wiley W. W. Coleman, April 19, 1815. Henry J. F. W. Coleman, February 5, 1818. Sarah Coleman, December 25, 1819. Eli Coleman, January 8, 1824. MARRIAGES Wiley Coleman to Sarah Ragsdale, in the year 1799. Nancy A. Coleman to Richard Nolen, January 22, 1822. Joseph R. Coleman to Juliana Banks, February 5, 1824. Elizabeth A. Coleman to John Williams, October 12, 1826. Sophia Coleman to William Coleman, January 9, 1827. William R. Coleman to Sarah Head, January 26, 1830. Griffin R. Coleman to Susannah Cockrell, February 9, 1830. Robert F. Coleman to Margaret Smith, in the year 1832. Rebecca Coleman to John W. Robinson, February, 1835. - 113 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Sarah Coleman to Wiley U. Gilmer, December 8, 1833. Wiley W. W. Coleman to Mary Coleman, February, 1836. Eli Coleman to Elenor Beasley, in the year 1844. H. J. F. W. Coleman to Alcy Cockrell, November 28, 1848. DEATHS Wiley Coleman, October 16, 1824. Sarah Coleman, August 3, 1820. John Williams, August 6, 1836. Elizabeth A. Williams, May 8, 1837. Nancy Ann Nolen, July 6, 1847. } Eli Coleman, April, 1849. } In different Richard Nolen, October, 1851. } handwriting Sophia Coleman, January 22, 1857. } from Joseph R. Coleman, June 16, 1859. } H. J. F. W. Coleman Juliana Banks Coleman, December 21, 1871. } Alice Coleman, November 11, 1863. } NOTE (by Mrs. J. W. Starnes): H. J. F. W. death is in my Bible as January 20, 1891. The above COPY of Bible Record made in 1844 is now in the possession of Mrs. J. W. Starnes, Ridgeway, South Carolina, a descendant of Wilie Coleman. 1949. The State of South Carolina } District of Fairfield } Articles of agreement made and concluded this first day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty four Between Wiley Coleman of the one part and Mary Seymone of the other part. Whereas a marriage is shortly to be had and solemized between the said Wiley Coleman and the said Mary Seymone, it is therefore covenanted and agreed by and between the said parties to these presents in manner and form following, that is to say--The said Wiley Coleman doth for himself, his heirs, executors, and administrators covenant and agree to and with the said Mary in case the said intended marriage shall be had and solemized as aforesaid that she the said Mary shall be entitled to in her own right absolutely in fee simple to a child's part or such proportion or share of the Estate both real & personal of the said Wiley at his death or so much thereof as shall be fully equal to the proportion or share of - 114 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY any one of the children of the said Wiley in case the said Mary shall survive him and the said Wiley shall die intestate and if the said Wiley shall leave a last will and testament it is further covenanted and agreed that he shall thereby make a proportion for the said Mary equal in value and amount to what she would be entitled to receive of his said estate should he depart this life intestate and it is also covenanted and agreed between the parties aforesaid that the said Mary shall be entitled on the death of her said intended husband in case she shall survive him to have, receive and take in her own right absolutely all such property and effects in addition to the above provision as she shall bring with her in marriage or shall make or earn by her own individual skill and industry. And the said Mary on condition of the promises doth for herself, her heirs, executors and administrators covenant and agree to and with the said Wiley Coleman in case the said marriage shall take effect and she shall survive him to receive and accept the above proportion as in every respect complete and sufficient and in lieu of her distributive share of the estate of the said Wiley Coleman real and personal and also in lieu of dower or any or all other demands which she might legally have or claim of in or to the said estate And it is further covenanted and between the parties aforesaid that the said Mary in case she shall survive the said Wiley Coleman shall upon the reasonable request of heirs or executors or administrators of the said Wiley Coleman, make and execute any other instrument or instruments of writing as shall be advised by councel learned in the law, to release his estate both real and personal from the claim of the said Mary over and beyond the provision or provisions secured to her by virtue of these presents in witness whereof we the said parties have hereunto set our hands and affixed our Seals this the first day of January in the year of our Lord aforesaid. In presence of WILEY COLEMAN Simson Pannel } MARY SEYMONE B. D. Carter } Mark William Thomas } So. Carolina ) Fairfield District ) Personally appeared William Thomas before me and made oath that he was present and saw the above named Wiley Coleman & Mary Sey- mone sign, seal and acknowledge the above Signatures to both their hands and seals that he together with Simeon Pannel & - 115 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Benjamin D. Carter in the of each other witnessed the due execution thereof. Sworn to before me the first day of Jany 1824. WILLIAM THOMAS D. R. Coleman JQ Recorded May 12, 1824 Land Deed Book Y, Page 541. August 17, 1812, Wiley Coleman conveyed his home place to John Weir, includes land granted to William Coleman and by him and wife Elizabeth conveyed to Robert Coleman on the 12 day of May, 1788 on Beaver Creek. File 43, Package 664, Fairfield County. William Ragsdale Coleman, at the age of 25, was the Administrator of his father's estate. The widow, Mary, in writing, waived her right to be Administratrix. On March 22, 1825, the personal property of Wylie Coleman was sold by W. R. Coleman and Henry J. Coleman and brought the sum of $6262.30. Purchasers at the sale included W. R. Coleman, Henry J. Coleman, Joseph Coleman, H. A. Coleman, Robert Coleman, Wiley Coleman, Solomon Coleman, Robert R. Coleman, Sophia Coleman, Mary Coleman, D. R. Coleman and John Robinson. The sale required three days to complete. It included nine slaves. - 116 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Fifth Child ALLEN COLEMAN, born November 7, 1773. Died June 21, 1848, age 75. Allen Coleman was married to his first cousin, Sarah Coleman. She was the daughter of Charles Coleman. Thus Colemans like the writer of this chapter are descendants of Colemans "both ways." The date of the marriage is unknown, but their son, Williams Charles, was born September 13, 1801. On January 11, 1803, Allen was a witness to a deed made by l'sh Coleman to William Ragsdale, conveying 50 acres of land on the south side of Sandy River (Book J, Page 245). On December 14, 1808 (Book X, Page 272, Fairfield County), Robert Coleman, Jr. conveyed to Allen Coleman 225 acres on Storm Branch, waters of Beaver Creek. On the thirtieth day of September, 1809, Allen Coleman was one of the witnesses to his father's will. On November 9, 1816 (Book 5, Page 255, Chester County), George Washington McDaniel conveyed to Allen Coleman, for a consideration of $ 1150, 250 acres on the waters of Little Rocky Creek, Chester County. The deed recites that Allen Coleman is a resident of Fairfield County. This no doubt marks the date that Allen moved from the Beaver Creek area to Rocky Creek. The new location was partly in each of the two counties of Chester and Fairfield. His wife, Sarah, died May 27, 1839. Her tombstone states her age to have been 64, so she must have been born in 1775. A survey of these lands made March 6, 1767, and of record in the Surveyor General's office in Columbia shows the property in that year to have been entirely surrounded by vacant land. The land was originally laid out to John McDonald and a note on the plat shows the South Fork of Rocky Creek to have been six feet broad and five inches deep, "but goes dry in summer." On October 18, 1828 (Book NN, Pages 97 and 98, Fairfield) Allen Coleman, for $484.50 conveyed to Henry Tynes 254 acres "on the branches of Beaver Creek," reciting that the land adjoined Henry A. Coleman, Robert R. Coleman, Solomon R. Coleman, and Solomon Beam. The deed further recited that the land originally had been granted to Joseph Veree in 1774, by his widow conveyed to David R. Coleman, and by him conveyed to Allen Coleman and Robert R. Coleman. - 117 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Sarah Coleman did not acknowledge the deed until July 28, 1833, and signEd by mark. A copy of this deed was made available to me by Miss Eva Colvin, 908 Pickens Street, Columbia, South Carolina, on March 3, 1951. The South Carolina census for Chester County, 1830, lists A. Coleman. The family consisted of one male and one female born between 1770 and 1780, as well as one male born between 1800 and 1810. This must have referred to Isaiah Daniel Coleman, then 19, who was actually born in 1811. To reach the original Allen Coleman home, go north 1/10 mile from the Faucette home. Turn right on the road to Chester. 4/10 mile on the right is the home site. LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ALLEN COLEMAN (Page 70 of Book A-l of the Records of Wills Of Chester County, South Carolina) THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, CHESTER DISTRICT In the name of God Amen, I Allen Coleman of the District and State aforesaid being of sound mind and memory and mindful of the uncertainty of life have made and published this my last will and testament. 1st. It is my will and desire that my body be decently buried. Secondly. It is my will and desire that all my property both real and person after my lawful debts are paid be disposed of in the following manner, viz. First, I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Gladden four negroes which she now has in her possession, namely, Delse and three children and Mary also two negro boys named Joe and Jackson. Secondly, I give and bequeath to my son William Charles Coleman two negro boys named Dave and Abram which are now in his possession, also a negro boy named Bob. Thirdly, I give and bequeath to my daughter Rebecca Gladden seven negroes which she has now in her possession, viz. Charlotte and her four children and Sue and Ellen, also two negroes named Charles and Lucinda. Fourthly, I give and bequeath to my son Isaiah Daniel Coleman seven negroes which he has not in his possession namely Sam, Augustus, Wilson, Fanny, Frank, Levi, and Mary, also Jenny and any increase which she may have after this time. - 118 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Fifthly, I give and bequeath to my grandson, Ansellem Roe Gladden, one mulatto boy named Sam. Sixthly, I give and bequeath to my grand daughter Sarah Coleman Gladden one negro girl named Inda. Seventhly, I give and bequeath to my grand daughter Sarah Coleman one negro girl named Esther. Eightly, I give and bequeath to my daughter, Elizabeth Gladden, one old negro woman named Esther. Ninthly, It is my will and desire that all the residue of my property, both real and personal, be sold and applied to the payment of my debts and should there not be sufficient to pay my debts then it is my will and desire that all my children contribute an equal proportion for that purpose but should there be an overplus after the payment of my debts then in that case it is my will and desire that such overplus be equally divided between my children or their lawful representatives. Tenthly, It is my will and desire that all the above named negroes which are now in my possession and which I have willed to my children remain on the plantation whereon I now reside until said plantation is sold and for said negroes to be under the care of my son in law James Gladden. In the last place, I do hereby appoint my son-in-law James Gladden and my son Isaiah D. Coleman, Executors of this my last will and testament. Signed, sealed, and published this Eleventh day of February in the year of our Lord One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty Four. ALLEN COLEMAN (L.S.) Signed, Sealed and Published in the presence of S. D. Barron, John Howze, and Joseph R. Coleman. On January 31, 1848 in the Court of Ordinary for Chester District this will was admitted to probate and James Gladden and Isaiah V. Coleman named Executors and qualified. THE ALLEN COLEMAN BURYING GROUND The Allen Coleman burying ground is 3.3 miles East of Blackstock on the Great Falls Road. This road is paved, and the cemetery is probably three hundred yards south of the road in thick woods. The cemetery contains the following monuments: - 119 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY "In Memory of Allen J (R) Coleman, who departed this life July 21, 1848, in the 75th year of his age. He was a kind neighbor, a humane master, and an honest man. Peace to his remains." Grave is in Southwest corner of the rocked walled burying ground. "Sacred to Memory of Agnes Coleman" (First wife of Isaiah Daniel). Next grave North: "In memory of Sarah Coleman, wife of Allen J. Coleman, who died May 27, 1839, in the 64th year of her age. A referred wife, mother, and mistress. God takes the too good on earth to stay And leaves the bad, too bad to take away." Next grave North: Under this stone are carefully laid aside the mortal remains of two infants (twins) the children of I. D. and Agnes Coleman who were born and died September 10, 1839. "Suffer little children to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven." This cemetery is located on the farm of Robert W. Douglas, as of 1950, Route 1, Blackstock. It is completely enclosed by a stone wall. CHILDREN OF ALLEN COLEMAN AND SARAH COLEMAN 1. William Charles Coleman, who married his first cousin, Sophia Coleman. 2. Rebecca Coleman, who married John Gladden. 3. Elizabeth Roe Coleman, twin, who married James Gladden, twin brother of John. 4. Isaiah Daniel Coleman, who married Agnes Ferguson, and after her death, Harriet Davis. Williams Charles Coleman and Isaiah Daniel Coleman have chapters devoted to them in the Mississippi section of this book. John Gladden and Rebecca Coleman, had children named (1) Sallie, who married John Feaster Coleman, son of Henry Jonathan Coleman and Mary Feaster; (2) Rebecca, who married a Latham; (3) Jesse, who married his cousin, Sallie Coleman, they being buried at the Jefferes Cemetery, Feasterville; (4) Anselm Roe Gladden. l20 THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY [PICTURE AllenColemanTwins.jpg] ELIZABETH and ISOBEL GLADDEN, the twin daughters of Allen Coleman - 121 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Sixth Child GRIFFIN COLEMAN, born May 20, 1775. (by J. P. COLEMAN) Much time has been spent in an effort to discover written evidence concerning this sixth child of Robert Coleman and Elizabeth Roe. By the entry in the David Roe Coleman Bible, we are certain of the date of his birth. The Fairfield Census of 1800 lists Grief (sic) Coleman as living in a household of his own, adjacent to the other Colemans, but omits any information as to the number in his household. He was twenty-five years old that year. The only mention of him in Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman's Book shows that he "went West." He does not appear in any of the Census Reports of 1810 for South Carolina, Georgia, or the Mississippi Territory, of which Alabama was later formed. In his father's will of 1808 the desire was expressed that the younger brother, Henry Jonathan, should learn the hatter's trade from Wiley or "Griffith," so Griffin must have yet been in South Carolina in 1808, at the age of 33. Griffin Thompson, of Ackerman, Mississippi, a lifelong resident of Choctaw County, and who is still alive on November 1, 1962, was born December 11, 1877. He has frequently told the writer that when he was born, his great grandmother, Elizabeth Coleman, the wife of Griffin of Old Concord, was present. She insisted that the baby be named Griffin, since, she said, there had always been a Griffin in the family "all the way back." Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman in her writings said that Griffin Coleman "went West," but in all our searches we have been unable to find any trace of him. Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Children WILLIAM ROE COLEMAN, born Fairfield County, South Carolina, on March 6, 1776. We very much regret that we have been unable to learn anything of this seventh child other than Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman's statement that he went west. SARAH COLEMAN, born November 8, 1778, married Reuben Mobley, and moved to Alabama. ELIZABETH COLEMAN, born September 8, 1780. Also moved to Alabama. - 122 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Tenth Child SOLOMON ROE COLEMAN, born October 29, 1783, Fairfield County, SC. Died Greene County, Alabama. He married Mourning Coleman, daughter of Stephen Coleman. By file No. 636 in the Probate Records of Greene County, Alabama, we find that his widow, Mourning, survived him. They had the following children: 1. Tabitha, who married Anderson Conoway. 2. Nancy, who married Wiley Mobley. 3. Elmira, who married James Thompson. 4. Elizabeth, who married Colvin Jones. 5. Robert Coleman. 6. Martha, who married Robert Free, and left children, David, Nancy, Mourning, Susanna, and Solomon Monroe. 7. Mary, who married John Horten, and left children, Alonzo C., William C., Elizabeth, Jane Hollis, and Leonidas. His home was on the line of Greene and Pickens Counties, Alabama, and he owned six slaves at his death. - 123 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Eleventh Child FRANCIS ROE COLEMAN, born, Fairfield County, SC, July 12, 1786. Died, Greene County, Ala., January, 1839. He married Margaret Mobley, daughter of Benjamin Mobley. On September 10, 1814, he deeded to Henry Jonathan Coleman, his younger brother, "the place on which I now live, containing 520 acres, more or less, on Fork of Little River. Deed Book Z, page 333. On the same date he deeded to another brother, Wiley Coleman, stating that they had been joint purchasers of the land in 1810. Book Z, Page 334. File No. 324, Probate Court of Greene County, Alabama, shows that Margaret Coleman relinquished her right as Administratrix in favor of her son, Joseph. According to these files, Francis Roe Coleman, left the following children: 1. Griffin B. Coleman, later of old Concord, Choctaw County, MS to whom a later chapter is devoted. 2. Mary, who married Elijah Edge. 3. Joseph Coleman. 4. Ansel R. Coleman, a minor. 5. Margaret Jane Coleman, who married William B. Hill. 6. William R. Coleman, who in 1853, was living in Kemper County, Mississippi. 7. Jonathan F. Coleman. He owned six slaves and personal property worth $4,796.08. He also owned 520 acres of land in Sections 28, 32, and 33 of Township 23, Range 2 East, which is about 6 miles north of Eutaw, between the present day Cresswell road on the south and the Yellow Jacket Road on the North. This land was sold to David H. Coleman, son of David Roe Coleman, for $3,457.21. Twelfth Child ZEREBABLE COLEMAN, born November 28, 1789. Died young and buried at the feet of his parents in the Coleman Cemetery, Feasterville, SC. - 124 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Thirteenth Child HENRY JONATHAN COLEMAN, born, June 22, 1793. Died, February 3, 1861. On December 31, 1818, he married Mary Feaster, daughter of John Feaster and Drucilla Moberley. The ceremony was performed by his brother, David Roe Coleman. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. He enlisted at Winn's Bridge South Carolina, and served from October 6, 1814 to February 28, 1815 in Captain William Nevitt's Company of South Carolina militia. He acquired nearly 2,000 acres of land, was a hatter by trade as well as an excellent farmer. His wife was born January 10, 1798, and died November 18, 1873. They had sixteen children. Six served in the Confederate Army and only two survived. 1. John Feaster, born October 3, 1819, died February 15, 1856. 2. Elizabeth Drucilla, born March 18, 1821, died December 9, 1891. 3. Dr. Robert William, born October 3, 1822, died May 27, 1873. 4. Jacob Feaster, born January 30, 1824, died May 20, 1864, of pneumonia at Wilmington, North Carolina, in the Confederate Army. 5. Chaney Caroline, born January 4, 1826, died an infant. 6. David Roe, born June 8, 1828, died May 9, 1897. 7. Henry Jonathan, Jr., (1) born January 3, 1830. Died an infant. 8. Henry Jonathan, Jr., (2) born May 13, 1831, Died May 3, 1874. 9. Francis Wiley, born May 23, 1833. Died an infant. 10. Dr. William Calhoun Preston, born June 28, 1834. Died January 31, 1863, of wounds received in the Confederate Service. 11. Allen Griffin, born October 24, 1835, Died July 7, 1864, in the Confederate Service at Petersburg, Virginia. 12. Dr. Benjamin Franklin, born October 20, 1837. Died October 28, 1863, in the Confederate Service at Bruceton, Virginia. 13. Richard Henry Lee, born January 15, 1839. Died an infant. 14. Hiram Lee, born January 18, 1840. Died an infant. 15. George Washington, born September 4, 1844. Died February 4, 1931. Confederate soldier. 16. Sarah Caroline, born April 9, 1847. Died September 19, 1890. - 125 - [PICTURE HenJonMaryFeasterColeman.jpg] HENRY JONATHAN COLEMAN and his wife, MARY FEASTER. [PICTURE WillCalPresColeman.jpg] [PICTURE DavidAndrewColeman.jpg] DR. WILLIAM CALHOUN DAVID ANDREW COLEMAN, PRESTON COLEMAN, 1834- diarist of note, 1823-1865 1863. Wounded at Second Manas- (Photo provide by Miss Kathleen sas from which he died. (Photo sup- Coleman.) plied by Miss Kathleen Coleman.) - 126 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY IN MISSISSIPPI 1835 to the Present Chapters arranged in the order of their arrival in Mississippi THE ROUTE FOLLOWED BY THE COLEMANS TO MISSISSIPPI We are much indebted to Dr. John H. Goff, Professor of Business Administration, Emory University, for expert advice, cheerfully given, on the route likely followed by the Colemans who migrated from Chester and Fairfield into Winston County, Mississippi. Dr. Goff, who probably knows more than does any other person about the mid-nineteenth century routes from South Carolina to Mississippi, took great pains to furnish us detailed information, for which he would accept no fee. Elapse of time and scarcity of records leave us with no definite proof as to which of two available routes were actually followed. One way would have been from Chester and Fairfield to Abbeville, SC, and from there to Columbus, Georgia. Another would have been south, through Columbia to Augusta, thence west to Columbus, Georgia. They could have gone either way. The latter would have been the longer, but more level. Professor Goff has traveled both routes as closely as would be possible in any automobile. The presence of Lyle's ford, on the Broad River, in western Fairfield, offering a convenient crossing, which was in use even in Revolutionary times, may have caused the use of the "upper" route, by Abbeville. Dr. Goff says that the shortest route, from Abbeville to Columbus (Ga.), was one of the great stage thoroughfares from New York to New Orleans, before the advent of the railroad. He has personally retraced this road, and knows it well. Starting at Abbeville, the traveler would have come to Vienna, on the Savannah River, opposite Lisbon, Georgia. Here he ferried the river and went on through Washington, Georgia (where the picturesque home of Robert Toombs stands until this day); thence to Powelton, in Hancock County; thence to Sparta; and from there to Milledgeville, the Capitol of the State. At Milledgeville he could have taken the "Old Garrison Road" direct to Macon, or he could have curved through Clinton to Macon. After leaving Macon, if he followed the favored way, he would have gone through Knoxville, Roberta, Francisville, Ficklin's Mill, and Geneva, into Columbus. This was the route of the historic Upper Federal Road, later the old "Federal Wire [telegraph] Road." From Columbus he would have gone via Crawford, Society Hill, Tuskegee, and Montgomery, Alabama. Since we know that - 129 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Isaiah Daniel Coleman came into Winston County, Mississippi, via Macon, MS, it is fairly certain that he went from Montgomery to Selma and turned northwesterly to Linden, Livingston, and Alden, all in Alabama, and from thence to Macon, Mississippi. True, he could have turned north at Selma and gone through Marion, Greensboro, and Eutaw, and thence to Macon. The older Colemans (Williams Charles, Griffin, and William Ragsdale) entered lands at the Columbus, Mississippi, Land Office. It would be fairly certain that they came to the State via Columbus. In this event, as Professor Goff points out, they no doubt turned North at Montgomery, through Centerville, to Tuscaloosa, thence to Reform, and on to Columbus. From Columbus they followed the Robinson Road (cut in 1821) directly to Louisville. (This description may be confusing if one does not bear in mind that both Georgia and Mississippi have a Columbus and a Macon.) As early as 1834, John B. Whitfield went from Lenox County, NC to Linden, Alabama. His route was through Columbia, Augusta; Macon, Columbus, Tuskegee, and Montgomery, thence west to Linden. Professor Goff says that by 1854 there were alternate routes, and a person with his own vehicle might have gone one way, whereas public carriers would have gone another. The Colemans moved in their own conveyances, some of them taking six months to make the trip from South Carolina to Mississippi. - 130 - CHAPTER 13 WILLIAMS CHARLES COLEMAN by J. P. COLEMAN Williams Charles Coleman was the son of Allen Coleman, and was the first of the Colemans in Mississippi. He was born Sept. 13, 1801 and died February 4, 1877. The lands in Winston County, Mississippi, to which the Colemans first moved from South Carolina, were opened to white settlement by the Choctaw Indian Treaty of 1830 at Dancing Rabbit. The territory here relinquished was divided into seventeen counties by the Act of December 23, 1833. Choctaw and Winston were two of the seventeen. Mississippi had become a State only sixteen years previously, December 10, 1817, although there had been settlements at Biloxi and Natehez for over a hundred years. Winston County. situated a little east of the geographical center of the State, lay to the South of Choctaw County, named for the Indian tribe. At the close of the Confederate War, during Reconstruction, the County of Choctaw was greatly reduced in size by the formation of Montgomery and Webster Counties on its West and North sides. Three townships; 108 square miles, were taken from northwestern Winston and attached to Choctaw. This explains why the lands first owned by Williams Charles Coleman and William Ragsdale Coleman, later owned by Isaiah Daniel Coleman, were in Winston County when settled but are now altogether in Choctaw County. The public records in Winston County are all intact. Those of Choctaw County were burned at least three times previous to 1881. The Winston County records are a veritable storehouse of ante-bellum history; Choctaw records for the same period are wholly non-existent. Louisville was originally laid out as the county seat of Winston County and remains so until this day. When William Ragsdale Coleman completed the purchase of the plantation from Williams Charles Coleman, on January 23, 1839, part of which (the homesite) was in Winston and the remainder in Choctaw, he had to record his deed in both counties. He no doubt saddled up and rode to Greensboro to record the deed for Choctaw County purposes. Greensboro was situated north of the Big Black river in what is now Webster County. lt was about two miles north of the present post office located on U. S. Highway 82 known - 131 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY as Tomnolen. Greensboro, noted for its bloody and turbulent history, remained the county seat of Choctaw until after the Confederate War, when the courthouse was burned by unknown arsonists. Nothing remains of Greensboro today but two ancient cemeteries. The county seat of Choctaw County was then successively moved from Greensboro to LaGrange to Chester, and finally to Ackerman. Ackerman was not laid out as a town until 1884 (when the present Illinois Central Railroad came through). This was after Williams Charles, William Ragsdale and Sophia, were all dead, but it was five years before Isaiah Daniel, son of Allen, passed on. Chester was named for Chester, South Carolina, and until 1959 was in existence as a post office in central Choctaw County, about six miles Northwest of Ackerman. Williams Charles Coleman was the son of Allen Coleman and his wife, Sarah Coleman. In all the family records he is listed as William Charles, but his name in Winston County land deeds and on his tombstone is listed as Williams Charles, hence we shall use that spelling in this history. He was born in Fairfield County, SC, on Beaver Creek and near the Broad River, on September 13, 1801. On January 9, 1827, he married his first cousin, Sophia Coleman, daughter of Wiley and Sarah Ragsdale Coleman. She was born January 16, 1805. According to the land deed records, Williams Charles Coleman was the first of the Colemans to come to Mississippi. On July 23, 1835, he purchased land from Baley C. Waters and Andrew C. Waters, in Winston County (now Choctaw). The deed is of record at page 60 of Book A of the Winston County land deed records. Only 59 pages of recorded deeds had been registered when Williams Charles bought this land. This was the East l/2 Southwest 1/4, Section 1, Township 16, Range 10, owned since 1934 by J. P. Coleman. This was first the homesite of William Ragsdale (Buck) Coleman, and then of Isaiah Daniel Coleman. It is two miles South Of the present village of Fentress in present-day Choctaw County. The large plantation which was accumulated was located both north and south of Yockanookany River and was situated in both Winston and Choctaw counties. Since the time of the post-Confederate War boundary shift, it has all been in Choctaw. The original boundary between the two counties in this territory was the boundary between Townships 16 and 17, which bi-sected the Coleman plantation. As stated, Williams Charles Coleman sold this property to William Ragsdale Coleman sometime before 1839 (Sophia executed a deed as to dower in that year, Deed Book D, Page 288). Evidently, William Ragsdale Coleman - 132 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY lived on it as early as 1837 for both he and his wife were charter members in that year of Concord Baptist Church, about four miles from the property. Williams Charles Coleman then settled about seven miles northeast of Louisville, the homesite being located in Section 23, Township 15, Range 13, which would be approximately eleven miles south and seventeen miles east of his first home. The writer first visited the old Williams Charles Coleman homesite on July 22, 1951. It is an exact replica of the Wiley Coleman home in South Carolina, of which there is a kodak picture in this volume. In 1951, the writer noticed that the hewn logs across the front of the house, which was not then occupied, measured 46 feet in length, and only one log in the entire house was decayed. As of that time, Mr. Tommie Reed, the present owner of the property, was beginning the restoration of the house, leaving the log frame work and pegged rafters intact. The writer visited the property-again on July 11, 1960, at which time the restoration had been completed, the house painted white on the outside, a carport added to one end of the house, and the Reed family is occupying it as a home. The land, on the very upper reaches of Pearl River, surrounding this home is nearly level and closely resembles that first entered and then sold to William Ragsdale. Apparently the old Colemans were good judges of land. In a cemetery on the highest knoll in the neighborhood, in sight of the house, and about one-fourth of a mile north of the old Louisville and Macon road (about 7 miles northeast of Louisville) are found the graves of Williams Charles Coleman and his wife, Sophia, and that of their son Mortimer Allen (Mott) Coleman and his wife, Ann. These are the only marked graves in the cemetery (except that of William D. Welsh) and the inscriptions are as follows: (1) Williams Charles Coleman, born September 13, 1801, died February 4, 1877, aged 75 years, 4 months, and 21 days. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright For the end of that man is peace." (2) Sophia, wife of Williams Charles Coleman, born January 16, 1805, died January 23, 1857. (3) M. A. Coleman, November 8, 1830-April 6, 1917. Gravestone carried same epitaph as that of his father. (4) Ann J., wife of M. A. Coleman, born November 1833, died August 25, 1912. Aged 78 years, 8 months, 21 days. - 133 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY (5) William D. Welsh, b. January 9, 1828, d. September 25, 1859. Member Webster Lodge 205, F. & A.M. From this it will be noted that Sophia was only 52 when she died. She died three years before her brother, William Ragsdale Coleman, moved to Texas and three years after her first cousin (and brother-in-law), Isaiah Daniel Coleman moved to Mississippi. lt is reasonable to presume that these men were present when she was the first to be laid away, in sight of her home, in the little cemetery. It also reminds us that, in South Carolina, Williams Charles Coleman's father, Allen Coleman, in 1839, buried his wife, Sallie, in sight of his house "so he could sit at the window and see her grave." No doubt Sophia's brother, Griffin Roe Coleman, who had moved near Liberty Church in 1844, only a few miles away, and her sister, Mrs. John W. Robinson, who lived on the adjoining plantation to W. R. (moved there in 1855), were also at the burial. This reminds us that Williams Charles Coleman was the first to come to Mississippi; that William Ragsdale Coleman, his first cousin and brother-in-law followed almost immediately; that Griffin Roe Coleman (of Liberty) arrived in 1844; that Rebecca Coleman (Mrs. John W. Robinson) came in 1855; and Isaiah Daniel Coleman, brother of Williams Charles Coleman and first cousin to the others, arrived in 1854. Four of these were children of Wylie Coleman and two were sons of Allen Coleman. We shall present them in this book in the order in which they came to Mississippi. We are further reminded from the inscriptions on the gravestones that Williams Charles Coleman lived a widower for twenty years after his wife died. Mortimer Allen Coleman (M. A., also known as Mott) was their son. His story is told from the gravestones and from his obituary in the Winston County Journal, issue of April 13, 1917, which follows. M. A. Coleman's wife was Ann Bostick, of South Carolina, and they had no children. They had a foster daughter, who married J. D. Doss, and who passed away at Louisville in 1951. She was the mother of Dan W. Doss, business man, of Louisville, also deceased. Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman in the diary of her trip to Mississippi and Alabama in 1919 (accompanied by her sister, Mrs. Mary Faucette, by the courtesy of whose family the diary was made available) said that "Mott Coleman's sister Emily married a Welsh." (This no doubt accounts for the Welsh grave. Since William D. Welsh, buried in the family burying ground, is two years older than Mott, he probably is the brother-in-law.) - 134 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY She also said, "Her daughter (meaning Emily's daughter) Sallie Welsh married John Hull." M. A. Coleman was quite well to do for his day and time. The writer noticed that his grave appeared to be about one-third excavated when visited on July 22, 1951. One of the neighbors said that the rumor got out in the community that "Mott's money was buried with him" and that immediately thereafter unknown vandals attempted to excavate the grave in the night time. OBITUARY OF M. A. COLEMAN (WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL, issue of April 13, 1917) "A GOOD MAN IS GONE Captain M. A. Coleman died Friday Night. After a lingering illness of months, Captain M. A. Coleman died at the home of his son-in-law, Honorable J. D. Doss on East Main Street (Louisville) last Friday night, April 6, 1917 and his remains were laid to rest in Liberty Universalist Cemetery (error) the following day in the presence of a large congregation of friends, Rev. J. H. White conducting services. Mr. Coleman passed his 86th year last November, which placed him among our oldest citizens. There was perhaps no man in the county better known than Mr. Coleman. He had been a citizen of the county for many years, had served his county in the State Legislature, and as sheriff and tax collector. He was for many years one of our largest agriculturalists, owning large numbers of acres east of town where he resided until recently and where he was a benefactor to many people. He was of a jovial nature and big hearted, always ready to help his friends when in need, having many kindly acts to his credit. He was a lover if the foxchase in his earlier days and was known throughout our county as a famous foxhunter, keeping a large pack of dogs for his and his friends pleasure for many years. Mr. Coleman lived to a ripe old age, always active in all that pertained to the welfare of his country. and in his death one of our county's best and most patriotic citizens has passed to his reward. Peace to his ashes." Note: The newspaper report is in error in stating that Mr. Coleman was buried at Liberty. He was buried in the family cemetery already described. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I must acknowledge my gratitude to Honorable R. W. Boydstun, of the Louisville Bar, and to Mr. E. B. Clark, Deputy Chancery Clerk, of - 135 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Louisville, Mississippi, for information which located the Coleman graves. Also, I thank Mr. W. H. Hight, Editor of the Winston County Journal, for making available the obituary of M. A. Coleman from the 1917 files of his paper. [PICTURE ChasWashFaucette.jpg] [PICTURE MaryFeasColeFauc.jpg] CHARLES WASHINGTON FAUCETTE and his wife, MRS. MARY FEASTER COLEMAN FAUCETTE, sister of Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman. Mr. Boydstun guided me to the Coleman graves on July 22, 1951, and offered to do so in 1960. It worked out, however, that Mr. R. B. Yarbrough, of Louisville, accompanied me in 1960. While at the scene we were given much valuable information by Mr. Connie Mack Lloyd, who lives nearby, and who is a brother of Mrs. Tommie Reed. DIRECTIONS TO REACH THE OLD HOME OF WILLIAMS CHARLES COLEMAN, approximately 7 miles Northeast of Louisville, Mississippi. Re-visited on July 11, 1960. From Louisville Go East on the Macon Road (State Highway 14) 1.8 miles. Turn left on Bond Road, go Northeast 2.6 miles. Turn left and go 2.8 miles. - 136 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Turn left and go .2 miles to Tommie Reed house, which is the old Williams Charles Coleman home, restored. The graves of Williams Charles Coleman and Mortimer A. Coleman and wives are in sight of this house on top of hill. This is beautiful, rolling, red soiled country. Very productive. CHILDREN OF WILLIAMS AND SOPHIA COLEMAN Mortimer A. Coleman, (Mott), died 1917. Wiley Allen Coleman, drowned in mill pond. Dan G. Coleman, died in Civil War. Mrs. Emeline Coleman Welch. Mrs. Sallie E. Coleman Higgins. As already stated, William B. Welch and Mrs. Emmaline Welch had four children. The sons were Alexander W. and Robert. The daugh- ters were Elizabeth and Sallie. Sallie married John N. Hull. The writer is very sorry that he at this time knows nothing about Mrs. Sallie Higgins. NOTES Winston County Personal Assessment Roll, 1847. On file in Mississippi State Department of Archives and History. WILLIAMS C. COLEMAN, assessed for 17 slaves under 60 years of age; 60 head of cattle, and 1 clock valued at twenty dollars. -2- Land Deed Book Q, Page 24, Winston County. February, 1859, Williams Charles Coleman, conveyed "In consideration of the love and affection I have for my daughter, Emeline Welch, 560 acres of land." -3- United States Census, Winston County, 1860. Wm. C. Coleman, age 58, born in South Carolina. Personal property valued at $30,000; Real Estate valued at $10,000. -4- Winston County Personal Assessment Roll, 1863. W. C. COLEMAN - 137 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY assessed for 32 slaves under 60 years of age, 1 pleasure carriage valued at $ 150; 1 watch valued at $ 174; 1 clock valued at $ 18. M. A. COLEMAN (Mott) assessed for 6 slaves under 60 years of age; 1 pleasure carriage valued at $70; I watch valued at $30. -5- Drawer 70, Case 216, Supreme Court of Mississippi. In re: Estate of Williams C. Coleman. Shows Wms. C. Coleman to be the father of Emmeline Welsh, wife of William B. Welsh, who died September 25, 1859. Shows her children to be: Alexander William Welsh, Sallie Welsh, Robert Edward Welsh, and Elizabeth Welsh. -6- Mortimer A. Coleman served as Sheriff of Winston County during Reconstruction years. Was a member of the Mississippi Legislature at the 1880 session from Winston County. In the Mississippi State Department of Archives and History is a handwritten manuscript of William T. Lewis' History of Winston County, written in 1876. In this manuscript we find the following, p. 17: "Wm. C. Coleman had a son by the name of Wiley Allen, who was a noctambulist. One night while at Sam Welch's Mill, it is sup- posed, he commenced wandering about in his sleep and stepped out of the mill house into the pond and was drowned." It will be noted that this young man was named for both his grandfathers, Wiley and Allen Coleman. It might be further noted that Williams Charles Coleman was the son of first cousins and married his first cousin. Williams Charles also had a son named Daniel. The Winston County Census of 1850 lists him in the Williams Coleman family group as eleven years old. In 1860 the Census listed him as D. G., age 21, and residing with Mott Coleman. He enlisted in the Barksdale Greys, later Company G., 20th Mississippi, June, 1861, along with his brother, Mortimer A. (Mott). He died at Vicksburg, September 10, 1863. Continuing from Lewis' History, at Page 60: "Williams C. Coleman once lost a very fine young horse and after making diligent search and careful inquiry of every person he saw until his efforts proved fruitless he then offered a reward of - 138 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY fifty dollars to any person who would bring him the horse or put him on his track so he could get him. Jack Bass struck a bee line in the direction of Mobile and after the elapse of a few days he brought Coleman's horse to him and received the reward." At Page 122 of the Lewis Manuscript is listed the contributors to the Wiliston Guards, organized at Louisville on May 13, 1861. Among the contributors were, I. D. Coleman, $25, Wiley W. Coleman, $20, Williams C. Coleman, $ 15, Griffin Roe Coleman, $ 10, and W. A. Coleman is listed as contributing $50 to his son, T. Fisk Coleman. T. Fisk Coleman was killed at Gettysburg. The Winston Guards fought at Antietam, Gettysburg, and Fredericksburg. At Page 136 of the Manuscript begins the history of the Barksdale Greys. This was the third company from Winston County to enter the Confederate War. It was named in honor of William Barksdale of Columbus, Mississippi. This company was organized at Webster in the northeastern part of Winston County, in June 1861. They volunteered for three years or the duration of the war. They were mustered into the Confederate service as Company G, 20th Mississippi Regiment. John S. Reed was captain. The following are listed: No. 32, Dan G. Coleman, died Vicksburg, September 10, 1863. No. 33, Mort A. Coleman, discharged Bowling Green, Kentucky, June 10, 1862. (Son of Williams C. Coleman). No. 35, William J. Cooper, died Island No. 10, near Fort Pillow, July, 1862. No. 36, Wm. Coleman(served for the duration) son of Isaiah Daniel Coleman. No. 37, W. W. (Burry) Coleman, son of Griffin Coleman. No. 38. Moses W. Coleman (brother of Burry), discharged Grenada, Mississippi, July 4, 1862. No. 39, Adam M. Cooper. No. 40, John L. Cooper, died Franklin, Tennessee. There were 135 in this company as originally constituted. From luka the Barksdale Greys went to Lynchburg, Virginia, where they received orders to join General Floyd's command in West Virginia, at Big Sewell Mountain. From there they marched to Cotton Hill, WV. Thence they marched and countermarched through West Virginia until January, 1862, when they left Virginia for Bowling Green, - 139 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Kentucky. In February 1862, they were ordered to Fort Donalson, TN. where on the 14th of that month they were engaged in the hard fought battle at that place, which resulted in the capture of nearly the entire Confederate forces. The Barksdale Greys, commanded by Lt. W. R. Nelson, was the second company that opened fire on the Federals at Fort Donalson. The weather was cold and the ground covered with snow during that memorable battle; notwithstanding, at the surrender of the Confederate forces, John C. Doss, Charles Lenon, Lt. E. J. Kizar, William J. Scruggs, and Mike A. Lynch, after stacking arms, made good their escape from capture and wended their way up a Bayou until they procured an old dugout from a citizen and crossed over the murky water; but not without a mishap, for Doss, Lenon, and Scruggs while crossing over capsized the dugout and received a copious ducking. They made their way through the snow and over the frozen ground about one hundred miles to Franklin, where they boarded the train and soon arrived safely at home, bringing tidings of the sad disaster and surrender of Fort Donalson. Capt. Reid (here spelled Reid in the Manuscript) next rendezvoused the remnant of the Company at Corinth, at which place they were detailed to guard the commisary stores. In a few weeks the booming of cannon was heard at Shiloh which gave unmistakable evidence that a battle was furiously raging there. The Barksdale Grays applied to their Capt. for permission to go to Shiloh, and upon permission being positively refused, M. A. Lynch, C. C. Ivy, Henry Spear, Thos. Futree, Walter Coleman, and Pink Marlin secretly through the night, cooked some rations and left their post before daylight the next morning and hied away to the battle field, which was reached about the time the battle ended. In the fall of 1862, the members of the Barksdale Grays who had been confined in prison at Camp Douglas (William Charles Coleman, son of Isaiah Daniel Coleman was in this number) were exchanged and again rendezvoused at Holly Springs, MS. The Company marched and countermarched through western Mississippi for some time, camping a while at Clinton. While at the latter place Seabe McElvany went into the country and during a conversation with a young lady she asked him, "Are you fond of novels?" Seabe replied, "I don't know, I never eat any; but I am extremely fond of ingions (onions) and Lieut. Nelson sent me out here to try and get a mess of them." The company was ordered from Clinton to Jackson to be mounted as cavalry, and if possible to capture Col. Grierson, who was then making a - 140 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY raid through the State. On the 16th of May, 1863, the company was engaged in the battle of Baker's Creek. When it was discovered that the Confederate Army could not cope with the Federal Army, whose numerical strength so greatly exceeded their own, and that they would be compelled to fall back; the Barksdale Grays and three other companies of the regiment were ordered to hold the Federal Army at bay until the Confederates could retreat. They took their stand on Champion Hill and successfully held at bay, for several hours, the whole Federal Army until the desired retreat was made. And when the three companies were ordered to retreat they done (sic) so under such a galling and terrific fire from the Federal Army that it seemed almost impossible for a single soldier to have escaped sudden death. After they had retreated a short distance Lieut. W. J. Scruggs discovered that he had left his pistol and fearlessly ran back in view of the Federal Army, amidst a shower of lead and found his pistol. While hunting for his pistol he discovered Theodore Lawrence snugly ensconced in a hole in the ground, praying to God for protection. After many advances and retreats in western Mississippi, the company finally made an unsuccessful stand at Jackson, Mississippi, retreating from there to Demopolis, Alabama, and thence to Tennessee. They fought and sustained a heavy loss in Hood's memorable slaughter pen at Franklin, Tennessee in 1864, where Lieut. Col. Rover, commander of the regiment; Lieut. E. J. Kizar, commander of the company, Lieut. William J. Scruggs and others fell in the fruitless attempt to storm the enemy's impregnable breastworks. When the strill bugle notes of Lieut. Col. Rover was heard above the din of battle "To Storm the Fort" the company rushed forward with impetuosity to obey his orders. Seaborn McElvany was the first man to mount the breastworks and plant upon it the Confederate flag, which, like the dauntless Jasper of the revolution, or the fearless Hyacinths of the French revolution of 1848, came near costing him his life; for he fell, desperately, but not mortally, wounded upon the enemy's breastworks. When Seaborn McElvany mounted the Federal Breastworks, Lieut. Col. Rover, the bravest of the brave, stood by his side, where he fell with his face to the foe and his body pierced by a dozen minnie balls. Lieut. Kizar, who was killed in the battle at Franklin, Tenn., was a college graduate-an accomplished gentleman--a good officer and as brave a man as ever unsheathed a sword. Winston County mourns the loss of such men. Lieut. W. J. Scruggs, who was killed in the same battle, was man of excellent morals and fine mental attainments. The effect of his lofty and noble bearing was indelibly - 141 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY impressed upon the hearts of his comrades. By whom this loss will ever be deplored, and his memory cherished as a lost jewel from the casket of life. A short time before the surrender the companies had been reorganized and new officers elected, when Lieut. W. R. Nelson was elected captain of the Barksdale Grays. During the war he acted in the capacity of private, corporal, lieutenant, captain and physician of the company. The Barksdale Grays did their duty fearlessly throughout the war. Their bones were left to mingle with the dust on the battlefields of Fort Donalson, Baker's Creek, Atlanta, Franklin, Nashville, and many other battle fields of minor importance. The remains of some of the Barksdale Grays repose in each of the following States: Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi. The following are the names of the Eleven officers and privates of the company who were present at the Surrender on the 26th of May, 1865, at Greensboro, North Carolina: Capt. W. R. Nelson, Sgt. Eph Richardson, Sgt. James A. White, Sgt. Adam M. Cooper, Corp. Thomas Harper, Corp. James Finkley, Jack Bigham, Wm. Coleman (son of Isaiah Daniel), Sam Bateman, Fred Richardson, and Wiley Wingo. All of the foregoing is copied from the Lewis Manuscript, ending on Page 145 thereof. Then follows a list of contributors to the Company when it was organized, including a. B. Cooper, $50; Wms. C. Coleman, $25; Wiley W. Coleman, $20; Grif R. Coleman, $10; Nimrod Triplett, $5; Note by J. P. Coleman, March 13, 1956. Wm. Coleman was my great uncle. l have the cherished recollections of his many visits to our home when I was a small boy. I have listened to him by the hour telling his stories of his military ventures. He was 12 years old when his father moved to Winston County, MS. I wonder if he visited his old home and his relatives in Fairfield County, SC, either when he was retreating before Sherman (the route lay through Winnsboro and Blackstock) or when he started his long trip homeward from Greensboro after the surrender. It is now too late for me ever to find out. On Page 148 of the Manuscript is found a list of women who contributed to the purchase of a flag for the company when it was organized. In the list are Sarah Cooper, Mary Metts, S. R. Coleman (sister of William Charles) and Mary Coleman. - 142 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY [PICTURE] WILLIAM RAGSDALE COLEMAN - 143 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY [PICTURE] MRS. SARAH NEWPORT HEAD COLEMAN - 144 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY [PICTURE] [PICTURE] THOMAS BLEWETT COLEMAN. His wife, MRS. Photo taken at Granberry, MARTHA JANE SIMPSON COLEMAN. Texas, 1915. Photo taken at same time. - 145 - CHAPTER 14 WILLIAM RAGSDALE COLEMAN (Known as Buck Coleman) William Ragsdale Coleman was the eldest child of Wylie Coleman and Sarah Ragsdale. Born, Fairfield County, South Carolina, October 4, 1800. Died, near Hallettsville, Lavaca County, Texas, October 29, 1881. Resided in Winston (later Choctaw) County, Mississippi, from 1835 to 1860. by FRANK R. COLEMAN * An excellent sub-title for the life of William Ragsdale Coleman might be "The Life Story of One of the Many Colemans with Restless Feet." He first saw the light of day in the first year of the Nineteenth Century in Fairfield County, South Carolina. At the age of thirty-five, he moved to Winston (later Choctaw) County, Mississippi. At the age of sixty, he moved to Lavaca County, Texas, where he lived another twenty-one years. By modern highway, it is 1281 miles from Fairfield to Lavaca, being 624 miles from Fairfield to Choctaw, and 657 miles from Choctaw to Lavaca. When Sarah Ragsdale Coleman died on August 3, 1820, William Ragsdale Coleman was nearly twenty years of age. His brothers and sisters were Nancy Ann, age 18; Joseph Ragsdale, age 17; Sophia, age 15; Griffin Roe, age 13; Elizabeth A. and Robert F., twins, age 10; Rebecca, age 7; Wylie W., age 5; Henry Jonathan Francis Wyatt, age 2; and Sarah, age 8 months. The mother was only thirty-nine years of age when she died, leaving eleven children, of whom seven were under fifteen years of age. On January 22, 1822, Nancy Ann, then age twenty, married Richard Nolem, and left home. Wylie Roe Coleman, the father of this large family, recognized the need for a second wife. To protect the interests of his children in his estate, he entered into an ante-nuptial written contract with Mary Seymone that in the event she survived him, after the contemplated marriage, she would claim only a child's share in his estate. Because it is an interesting document, of a kind no longer used, this contract has been copied in full in the chapter on Wylie Coleman. Elihu Coleman, the only *Frank R. Coleman of Dallas, Texas is the son of Thomas Blewett Coleman and grandson of William Ragsdale Coleman. - 146 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY child of this marriage, was only nine months of age at the time Wylie died on October 16, 1824. The graves of Wylie and Sarah are located about 150 feet from his old home, about nine miles West of Woodward, in Fairfield County, but near the Chester County line. Joseph Ragsdale Coleman married Julianna Banks in February, 1824, leaving the nineteen year old Sophia as the oldest daughter and William Ragsdale Coleman as the oldest son at home. The next of the children to marry was Elizabeth A., the twin, who married John Williams, in October, 1826. Then, on January 9, 1827, Sophia married her first cousin, Williams Charles Coleman, the son of Allen Roe Coleman and Sarah Coleman, themselves first cousins. By the time the year 1830 rolled around, William Ragsdale Coleman, approaching his thirtieth birthday, was ready to set up a home of his own. On January 26, 1830, he married Miss Sarah Newport Head, a native of South Carolina, the daughter of William Head, Sr. and Susannah Gibson Harrison Head. Susannah was the daughter of Captain Burr Harrison and his wife, Elizabeth Dargon. Captain Harrison was a Revolutionary soldier and served under Lafayette at Yorktown. Captain Burr Harrison was the son of Thomas Harrison, grandson of Thomas Harrison, Sr., great grandson of Burr Harrison, and great, great grandson of Cuthbert Harrison of Virginia. Thus the descendants of William Ragsdale Coleman and his wife, Sarah Newport Head, were distant relatives of the illustrious Harrison family of Virginia, which produced two American Presidents, namely, William Henry Harrison, and his grandson, Benjamin Harrison. Sarah Newport Head was related to President Tyler. The Head family lived in Chester County, on the waters of Little Sandy River. The parents of William Head, Sr., were Richard Head and Sarah Newport. William Head, Sr. and wife, Susannah, moved to old Winston County, Mississippi, now Choctaw, where they lived about three miles East of the William R. Coleman home. The location is now about three miles South of Ackerman and immediately East of Highway 15. Their graves, marked, are now in the Tombigbee National Forest, Choctaw Unit, and are situated across the highway from the Howard McDowell residence. William Head died July 1, 1837. His wife died July 2, 1844. THE BLEWETT FAMILY Thomas Blewett received a land grant, consisting of 2000 acres, situated on the Pee Dee River in South Carolina, from King George II. - 147 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY He made extensive improvements, including a large mill, on the land. He had a son named Thomas Garton Blewett, born 4 July, 1789, at Blewett's Falls, South Carolina. Thomas Garton Blewett moved to Chester, Chester County, South Carolina, where he married Regina de Graffenried (born at Chester, South Carolina, May 8, 1799), who was a descendant of the Landgrave, and daughter of Tscharner and Eliza Allen de Graffenried. The slaves of Thomas Garton Blewett constructed a two story spacious brick mansion in the town of Chester, in Chester County, South Carolina. The family moved to Columbus, Mississippi, in 1833, where the same slaves built another two story brick residence. He named one plantation "Pee Dee," another "Chester," and a third "York." The cultivated areas included 1600 acres in cotton, 1000 acres in corn, and some 300 acres in oats, wheat, potatoes and peanuts. It is evident that William R. Coleman had great admiration for Thomas Garton Blewett, eleven years his senior. He named his third child, born in South Carolina, Thomas Blewett Coleman, and his fifth child, born in Mississippi, Regina Blewett Coleman. Griffin Roe Coleman, another brother, had reached the age of twenty-two years. He chose a wife and married Susannah Cockrell, February 9, 1830. Apparently, Wiley Roe Coleman left no will. The record shows that William R. Coleman and Henry Jonathan Coleman were Administrators of the estate. (Henry Jonathan Coleman, the youngest son of Robert Coleman who married Elizabeth Roe, to reach maturity, was a brother of Wiley Roe Coleman and an uncle of William R. Coleman). In making preparations to move from South Carolina, W. R. Coleman sold 279 acres in Fairfield County to John and William Bryce (sons of William Bryce). This land was a part of the landed estate of Wiley Roe Coleman. William R. Coleman had acquired Griffin R. Coleman's share of 95 acres, also Elizabeth's share of 94 acres and Rebecca's share of 94 acres. This conveyance is dated May 17, 1834, and was witnessed by Henry J. Coleman and William W. Head. Henry J. Coleman appeared before David R. Coleman, Justice of the Quorum, and made affidavit that he saw William R. Coleman sign, seal and deliver the deed of conveyance. In February, 1829, he had sold 50 acres in Chester County, situated at the head of Little River, to Jonathan Thomas and wife. In 1832, he sold 40 acres in Fairfield County for the sum of $1250.00 - 148 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY to Hugh Murdoch, said land known as the saw-mill tract, and was a part of the estate of Wiley Roe Coleman, his father. By this time, his brother, Robert F. (twin) had married Margaret Smith, in 1832, and his sister, Sarah (at the age of 14), had married Wiley U. Gilmar, December 8, 1833. His brother, Wiley W. W. Coleman, at nineteen, was nearing the age of maturity, and another brother, Henry Jonathan Francis Wyatt Coleman, sixteen years old, both nearly old enough to care for themselves, but the twelfth child of Wiley Coleman, Sr. (the child by his second wife), Eli, was only ten years of age. To complete the record of the children of Wiley Roe Coleman, during the succeeding years, Rebecca Coleman married John W. Robinson, in February, 1835. Wiley W. W. Coleman married Mary Coleman, in February, 1836. Eli Coleman married Elenor Beasley, in the year 1844. Henry,Jonathan Francis Wyatt Coleman married Alcy.Cockrell, an old maid, November 28, 1848. Since his obligations to his father's family had been taken care of, William R. Coleman was free to move and to satisfy his urge to settle on the virgin and fertile soil of a new State. Three children, born in South Carolina, were members of his house-hold: 1. William Head Coleman, born December 13, 1830. 2. Sarah Susan Coleman, born April 3, 1832. 3. Thomas Blewett Coleman, born October 12, 1833. William R. Coleman named his third child as "Thomas G. B. Cole- man," in his diary of 1851, thus establishing the fact this son was named for Thomas Garton Blewett, of South Carolina and Mississippi. William R. Coleman was responding to the same urge that a number of his relatives had shared. Five of his uncles, namely, John Roe Coleman, Grimn Roe Coleman, William Roe Coleman, Solomon Roe Coleman, ald Francis Roe Coleman, all sons of Robert Coleman who married Elizabeth Roe, had moved to Greene County, Alabama, along with two of his aunts, namely, Sarah Coleman and Elizabeth Coleman. This makes a total of seven persons in one family that had restless feet, and all moved to Greene County, Alabama. Five of the children of Robert Coleman, who married Elizabeth Roe, namely, David Roe Coleman (Daddy Dave), Robert Roe Coleman, Wiley Roe Coleman, Allen Roe Coleman, and Henry Jonathan Coleman, - 149 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY remained in South Carolina and reared families. The remaining two children of Robert Coleman and Elizabeth Roe died young. The Colemans in South Carolina used many nicknames. Here are nine: 1. David Roe Coleman, Senior, "Daddy" and "Daddy Dave." 2. Albert, son of David Henry Coleman, "Ob." 3. David Roe Feaster, "G. W. Punkins." 4. Trezevant D. Feaster, "Trez." 5. Wiley Coleman, "Screw." He was the son of Robert Roe Coleman and Nancy Coleman. 6. David Andrew Coleman, "The Squire." 7. Jacob Feaster, "Squire Feaster." 8. Henry Jonathan Coleman, Senior, "The Steamer." 9. William Ragsdale Coleman, "Buck." After the trip from South Carolina to Mississippi, the following children were born: 4. Eliza Jane Macon Coleman, January 30, 1835. 5. Regina Blewett Coleman, December 17, 1836. 6. Louisa Harriet Coleman, September 10, 1838. 7. Henry Jonathan Coleman, March 25, 1840. 8. Anna Rebecca Coleman, November 26, 1841. 9. Mary Anner Harrison Coleman, June 23, 1843. 10. James Burr Head Coleman, January 13, 1845. 11. Marcia Maranda Coleman, May 3, 1848. The family lived on a plantation comprised of about 1760 acres of land, and included the plantation which Williams Charles Coleman sold to William R. Coleman in 1839. Slaves were used to help cultivate the land, and the sons of William R. Coleman worked in the fields. The two story house faced west and included a two story porch, or balcony, from which William R. Coleman could watch the overseers and workers in the fields. There was a row of negro slave cabins located across the road from the residence. The doors of the slave quarters opened toward the main house where their master lived. There was a spring nearby which furnished water for all. Thomas Blewett Coleman told his children that he would play, as a boy, with the little negro slave boys on the farm. He spent most of his childhood and young manhood on the Mississippi farm, and learned how to be an excellent marksman with a gun and learned how to be a successful farmer. - 150 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY On one occasion, William R. Coleman had left the older son, "Bill" (William Head Coleman), and the younger son, "Tom" (Thomas Blewett Coleman), in the charge of a negro overseer, a slave, and gave the boys specific instructions to work all day in the field, while he would be away from home. Upon his return at the close Of the day, he asked for a report from the overseer, as to how much work the boys had done. The slave replied: "Marse William, dem two boys dun nothing but fit and fit all day long." (Fight all day long). For fear that he would become a bad example before his young children, Thomas Blewett Coleman would not talk about the following incident until his children became older. When a barefoot boy on the farm, he had disobeyed his father, while working in the field. William R. approached him to take hold of him, in order to administer the necessary punishment. Tom started running as fast as he could. Climbing over rail fences and running across the cotton field, with William R. close behind, in hot pursuit. When the chase ended, a double dose of punishment was administered. The farm provided cattle for beef and hogs for meat needed to supply both the whites and the negroes. Wild game, which included deer, squirrels and wild turkeys, became a supplementary source of meat. Tom would clear a strip, about 150 feet long, in the woods, draw a line on the ground, bait the line with shelled corn and wait for the wild turkeys to find and eat the corn. From his hiding place behind the piles of brush, he would shoot down the line of turkey heads as the corn was picked up. The young men wore long trousers, with straps at the bottoms buckled under the shoes, to keep the trouser legs down, just like the pants shown on the posters of "Uncle Sam," the well known caricature representing the United States of America. Some of the slaves were assigned work in the fields, others were to help with the housework and the care of the white children. Before Tom was old enough to be depended upon to wash behind his ears, one of the negro women slaves would bathe him. When the ordeal was over, the slave would ask: "Now, how do you feel, better or wusscr (worse)?" To this question, Tom would always reply: "Wusser (worse)." William R. Coleman's old home and plantation was sold to his first cousin, Isaiah Daniel Coleman. William Ragsdale Coleman had become restless again. Although he had become prosperous, he was interested in acquiring new land in the State of Texas. In 1851, William R., in the company of his son, Thomas Blewett Coleman, who had reached the age of eighteen, and a cousin named George Davis, made a trip to Texas and he recorded in a - 151 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Diary, the route, the mileage and various comments on the soil, crops, the kinds of trees, and general conditions he found along this way. After traveling for fifteen days on horseback, they crossed the eastern boundary of Texas, averaging twenty-six miles per day. The travelers reached Nacogdoches, one of the three oldest settlements in Texas, and two other towns made famous in the early history of the State, namely, Washington-on-the-Brazos and Independence. The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed at Washington-on-the-Brazos, and for a time served as the Capitol of Texas. Concerning the land on the Brazos, he made the following comment in his Diary: "Rich land-through a beautiful high prairie country. A very healthy looking country. Land selling from $1.00 to $10.00 per acre. Note: It is of interest to record the fact that my mother, Martha Jane (Simpson) Coleman, was born during the year 1851 in Macon County, Alabama. Her parents were David Butler Simpson and Arabella Butler Callaway. "Fine cedar groves and plenty of pin oak and evergreens. Generally the richest country and the prettiest prairie country I have ever seen. Thickly settled with rich farmers. Plenty of cattle, horses, sheep and hogs to be seen for miles. Some droves of sheep appear to be one thousand head." He was favorably impressed that this area would be a good location for him. The travelers proceeded to Bastrop on the Colorado River, then to Austin, the State Capitol. His comment about Austin was as follows: "A very healthy place. Three female academies, with fine churches." He had seven young daughters and he was noting places where schools would be available for them in case the Move to Texas was made. After looking at the rich level land on the east bank of the Colorado River near Bastrop, he made favorable comment on the land in the Diary. At Austin, they turned north to Georgetown, and there turned east, starting the return trip to Mississippi. They passed the falls of the Brazos River below present Waco, and visited the towns of Fairfield and Palestine and went to visit Frank Coleman, living thirteen miles north of Palestine. The travelers passed through the towns of Rusk, Henderson, Elysian Fields and on to a town located on the line between Texas and Louisiana, known as Lickskillet, now called Latex, thence to Shreveport, Louisiana, and then back to Winston County, Mississippi. His impressions concerning the land on the Brazos were so favorable - 152 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY that his first decision was to settle there, but in 1860, when he moved to Texas, he bought land in Lavaca County. He had passed through Round Rock, in Fayette County, while on the inspection trip, and Fayette County lies to the north of Lavaca County, and is an adjoining County. Although the war clouds were gathering, prior to the Civil War, William R. had made plans to move to Texas in 1860, when he was sixty years of age, an age at which most people would hesitate to make a move of this kind. On December 15, 1859, he entered into a written agreement with Isaiah Daniel Coleman, his first cousin, to whom he had sold the farm, that he would vacate the premises by October 1, 1860. He sold his large walnut dining table having a seating capacity of twelve persons, and other furniture, but moved some of his furniture and equipment, horses, slaves, etc., to Lavaca County. On July 13, 1860, William R. Coleman paid cash $4,446.00 for 446 acres of land located six miles northwest of Hallettsville, and on the east bank of the Lavaca River. He purchased this land from A. W. Searcy and wife, Mary Louisa Searcy. On September 18, 1869, he purchased 377 additional acres, adjoining the first tract, from Thomas J. Ponton. He paid $100.00 cash, signed notes to pay $850.00 in gold on December 25, 1869 (Christmas Day), and $619.00 due twelve months from date of deed, a total of $1,569.00. The total acreage was 823 acres. A letter written by Eliza Jane Macon Coleman (who was an unmarried daughter and a school teacher) is addressed to Thomas B. Coleman, her brother, at Hallettsville, Lavaca County. The letter bears the date of January 29, 1861, written and mailed at Lexington, Mississippi. In the letter she expressed hope that he had recovered from his "little fit of homesickness." Homesickness for Mississippi became a serious matter, and a family conference was held to decide what should be done. Texas was a very young State, having been admitted to the United States in 1845, following a short period of existence as the Republic of Texas. Life in the new State required the endurance of hardships. The State lacked schools and cultural advantages. Life in Texas was so different from the life the children had become accustomed to on the plantation where most of the work was done by slaves, and where life was comfortable and easy in the midst of relatives and friends. Lavaca County is located in the south part of Central Texas, in the Texas Coastal Plain Area. The Lavaca River, from which the County - 153 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY derived its name, flows across the central part of the County in a southeasterly direction The Navidad River flows across the eastern part of the County. Both rivers empty into Lavaca Bay, an arm of Matagorda Bay. Gonzales, the main town in DeWitt's colony, is located about twenty-eight miles to the west of the Hallet settlement, and San Antonio de Bexar is about ninety-five miles to the west. Goliad, or Presidio la Bahia, is situated about sixty-two miles to the southwest. All of the four sons of William R. Coleman volunteered for service in the Confederate Army. Thomas Blewett Coleman was among the first recruits to drill on the streets of Hallettsville. 1. William Head Coleman served in the famous Walker's Texas Division, C. S. A., was wounded and disabled early in the war. Later, he served two terms as Sheriff of Lavaca County. 2. Thomas Blewitt Coleman enlisted in Co "A" 8th Texas Infantry and served four years, mainly in Louisiana and Arkansas under General Edmund Kirby-Smith 3. Henry Jonathan Coleman was killed on the second day of the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, in the northwest corner of Arkansas. March 8, 1962, was the 100th anniversary of his death. The Yankees called this battle the "Battle of Pea Ridge." A comrade by the name of Newt Anderson was by the side of Henry Jonathan Coleman when he was shot down. 4. James Burr Head Coleman served in Co "D," 2nd Texas Cavalry, Pyron's Regiment. After the war, he moved to Coleman, Texas, where he was President of the First National Bank in January 1896. Also rendering service in the Confederate Army, was William Ford, who married Sarah Susan Coleman, daughter of William Ragsdale Coleman. William Ford received a wound in the arm during the war and died later from the effects of the wound. Thomas Blewett Coleman hastened home at the close of hostilities to help make a living for the family, which suffered privations and hard-ships, along with other Southern families, following the fall of the Confederacy, during the years of the Reconstruction Period. Rural churches in the State of Texas have been noted for having consecrated pastors, and congregations great in the spirit of consecration, dedication and Christian fellowship, although often limited as to numbers. The rural church known as "North Grove Baptist Church" was a - 154 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY church of this kind. Although the life of the church covered a short span of ten years, its activities comprised an important chapter in the life of William R. Coleman and his family. He came to Texas with letters for himself and family, as well as for two slaves, from the Concord Baptist Church located in Winston County, Mississippi, of which he had been one of the founders in 1837. Thomas Blewett Coleman served as Church Clerk of the North Grove Baptist Church for most of the time, and the minutes were kept in his handwriting. The Articles of Faith, Church Covenant and Rules of Decorum are in my mothers's handwriting. The minutes of the first meeting reveal a list of the fourteen charter members. On Page 3 appears the following entry: "On Saturday, the 29th of May, 1875, the following Brethern and Sisters presented themselves with letters of Recommendation for the purpose of being organized into a regular Missionary Baptist Church: J. P. and Margaret Garrison W. R. Coleman S. N. Coleman M. M. Andrews E. J. Coleman S. S. Ford T. B. Coleman W. W. and Lavina Page T. M. Tyler S. L. Tyler T. F. and T. L. Tyler "On motion, Elder B. F. Carr was called to the chair as Moderator and A. S. Bunting, Clerk. After prayer by Elder P. Harris, the Church Constitution and the Articles of Faith were read, and adopted. The right hand of Christian and Church fellowship was then exchanged, after which, the Church was de- claimed (proclaimed) duly organized. "The Church then proceeded to elect three Deacons, Brethern William R. Coleman, John F. Garrison and W. W. Page. B. F. CARR, Moderator, A. S. BUNTING, Clerk."' William Ragsdale Coleman, his wife, Sarah Newport (Head) Cole- - 155 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY man, his three daughters, Miss Eliza Jane Macon Coleman, Mrs. Sarah Susan (Coleman) Ford, Mrs. Marcia Maranda (Coleman) Andrews, with his son, Thomas Blewett Coleman, all presented themselves for membership on letters from the Hallettsville Baptist Church, to become charter members. Martha Jane (Simpson) Coleman, wife of Thomas Blewett Coleman, was accepted as a member, at the time of the second meeting of the Church, and on a letter from the Hallettsville Baptist Church. On later dates, the following relatives were received: Miss Florence N. Andrews, granddaughter of W. R. Coleman. Miss Anna B. Ford, granddaughter of W. R. Coleman. Miss Lula Ford, granddaughter of W. R. Coleman. Miss Anna Sue McLelland, relative of the wife of W. R. Coleman . Mrs. Mary Anner Harrison (Coleman) Simpson, who was a daughter of W. R. Coleman and wife of W. B. Simpson. William B. Simpson, son-in-law of W. R. Coleman and brother of Martha Jane (Simpson) Coleman. The minutes do not give a definite location for the first lot and house of worship, but on the 27th day of October, 1879, William R. Coleman signed a deed donating three acres of land, a part of the William Ponton League, and situated about five miles northwest from Hallettsville, for the establishment of a Baptist Church, with space for a cemetery, and providing that the Church building, when constructed, was to be available for use as a school. Use was made of the Church building as a school. The two oldest children of Thomas Blowett Coleman, who were David William Coleman and Ernest Head Coleman, attended school there, the school term lasting for three months during the year. In February, 1877, W. R. Coleman asked to be relieved of the duties as Deacon, and T. B. Coleman was elected Church Clerk. In July, 1877, Brother H. V. Cole was licensed to preach, and Thomas Blewett was ordained as a Deacon. The name of T. B. Coleman appears on many Committees appointed by the Church, and on the lists of delegates to the meetings of the Association, as well as to State Conventions. In the record for 1878, little "Davie" W. Coleman (David William Coleman), oldest child of Thomas Blewett Coleman, and at the age of seven years, is listed as having made a contribution to Missions. "Davie" - 156 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY has set a record for longevity for the Coleman family in Texas, having passed his 90th birthday before he departed this life on December 24, 1961. On September 5, 1885, a resolution was adopted and the church organization was dissolved at North Grove Baptist Church. William Ragsdale Coleman, the chief sponsor for the Church, had departed this life on October 29, 1881, and his widow with several members of his family had moved to Coleman, Texas. For the Spring Term of Court, 1863, William R. Coleman was summoned to serve as a Grand Juror. He was summoned again to serve on the Grand Jury March 13, 1865, and when he did not answer the summons, a One Hundred Dollar fine was levied against him for defaulting. Apparently, he had a valid excuse, for on March 16, 1865, at his request, the fine was set aside. (Vol. "C," P. 43). Page 263, Vol. "D," Minutes of District Court at Hallettsville, dated November 2, 1868. Presiding Judge, Wesley Ogden; Sam C. Lackey, District Attorney; W. H. Coleman, Sheriff; T. A. Hester, Clerk. William R. Coleman summoned as a Petit Juror-defaulted-was fined Thirty Dollars. Minutes for November 7, 1868, show "It is ordered by the Court that the fine of Thirty Dollars entered at this term of the Court against William R. Coleman be set aside." The name T. B. Coleman appears several times as having served on the Grand Jury and on the Petit Jury. DOCUMENTARY NOTES ON WILLIAM R. COLEMAN On December 30, 1835, William R. Coleman was in Winston County, Mississippi, and witnessed a deed from Abram Miller to Samuel T. Potts. On July 1, 1837, he was one of the five founders of Concord Baptist Church, then in Winston, but now in Choctaw County. 1843. Inscription on the Tombstone in Old Concord Church Ceme- tery, "Sacred to the Memory of Anna Rebecca, daughter of William R. and Sarah N. Coleman. She departed this life November 4, 1843, aged 1 year, 11 months, and 8 days." (Nov. 26, 1841-Nov. 4, 1843). - 157 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Whision County Personal Tax Assessment Roll, 1847. "Wm. R. Coleman 1 pleasure carriage, $150 1 clock, $5 30 head of cattle 1 piano, $1,000 20 slaves under 60 years of age AUGUST 27, 1850 Family No. 17. Whistoll County, Mississippi. U. S. Census of 1850. William R. Coleman, 49, b. S. Car. Sarah, 41, S. C. William, 19, S. C. Thomas 11, S. C. (this age for Thomas appears to be error) Eliza, 15, b. Miss. Regina, 12 Louisa, 10 Henry, 9 Mary, 7 James, 5 Marcia, 2 Also residing with the family were James Williams, teacher, age 21, born in Alabama, Catherine Williams, l7, b. Ala., Jane Hudson, 40, born Virginia." 4th Sunday in August, 1853. Protracted Meeting, Concord Baptist Church. "Received for baptism, and baptized on the 1st Sunday in September, Eliza J. Coleman, Francis Coleman (son of Griffin Coleman), Thos. B. Coleman. P. 121 of the Minute Book. U. S. CENSUS OF 1860. Winston County. Enumeration of June 20, 1860. WM. R. COLEMAN, born in South Carolina, value of personal estate, $34,000, value of real estate, $10,800. S. N. Coleman. Wm. H. Coleman, personal property valued at $3,300. - 158 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Thomas B., 24, personal property, $2,300. E. J., female, age 23, school.teacher. L. H., 20, music teacher. There are other names after L. H. too dim to read. Louisville, Miss. May 2, 1860 Rec'd of Edward Foster Twelve Hundred and Fifty Six dollars for a steam mill I have this day sold him for sixteen hundred dollars leaving bal due me of Three Hundred and forty four dollars. And should I fail to furnish said mill I am to pay him 10% interest on the amt. paid me until I refund it. The said mill to be 18 Horse Power. W. R. Coleman (Evidently, William Ragsdale was here selling his steam mill in contemplation of his forthcoming move to Texas). Saturday before the second Sunday in September, 1860. Page 167 of the Concord Church Minutes. "Granted letters of dismission to Bro. W. R. Coleman, T. B. Coleman, and Sisters S. N. Coleman, E. J. Coleman, Susan Ford, Louisa Coleman, and servants Sam & Abram." May 15, 1882, Lavaca County, Texas, Last Will and Testament of William R. Coleman proved. Will dated April 3, 1879. Mrs. S. N. Coleman Executrix. Owned 575 acres of land, about six miles North of Hallettsville, valued at $6,900. January 12, 1885. Will proven for Mrs. Sarah N. Coleman, dated the ___ day of October, 1882. Named daughter, Mary A. Simpson, wife of W. B. Simpson; daughter, Marcia M. Andrews; son, James B. Coleman; granddaughter, Florence Andrews; son, W. H. Coleman; daughter, Regina B. Lemman, wife of Dr. D. S. Lemman; Louisa H. Wilkins, wife of Dr. B. B. Wilkins. Thos. B. Coleman, Executor. The Estate settlement shows that the land was sold and bequests were paid. Original Invitation in the possession of J. P. Coleman by the courtesy of Mrs. Robert Stainback, 631 North President, Jackson, Mississippi: "Mr. Andrew Hemphill The pleasure of your company is respectfully solicited at W. R. - 159 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Coleman's to attend a Quilting Party on Friday the 23rd of Dec. 1853. W. H. COLEMAN" WILLIAM R. COLEMAN FAMILY RECORD Copied from William R. Coleman Family Bible by Frank R. Coleman on July 13, 1954, through the courtesy of Mrs. Mary Coleman Johnson, and through the kindness of Mrs. Hampton Cottar, 135 Roberts Cut Off Road, Fort Worth, Texas. The Bible is large, old-fashioned, with heavy covers, large print and made by the New York Bible Society. One of the pages near the front cover has the following words in Old English lettering: WILLIAM R. COLEMAN'S BOOK The handwriting for the first part of the family record is old style showing the use of a pen with a very fine point. The handwriting appears to be feminine; it does not have bold masculine strokes. The letters are small but formed with accuracy, beauty, skill and uniformity that made it a wonderful document to read. Then in later years, others added entries with marked contrasts in the handwriting. WILLIAM RAGSDALE COLEMAN, Son of Wiley Snr. and Sarah Coleman, Born in South Carolina on the Fourth day of October AD 1800. SARAH N. COLEMAN, daughter of William Snr. and Susan G. Head, Born in South Carolina on the Twenty-first day of June AD 1809. BIRTHS WILLIAM HEAD COLEMAN, Son of William R. and Sarah N. Coleman, Born in South Carolina on the Thirteenth day of December AD 1830. SARAH SUSAN COLEMAN, daughter of William R. and Sarah N. Coleman, Born in South Carolina on the Third day of April 1832. THOMAS BLEWIT COLEMAN, Son of William R. and Sarah N. Coleman, Born in South Carolina on the Twelfth day of October AD 1833. ELIZA JANE MACON COLEMAN, Daughter of William R. and - 160 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Sarah N. Coleman, Born in Mississippi on the Thirtieth day of January AD 1835. REGINA BLEWITT COLEMAN, Daughter of William R. and Sarah N. Coleman, Born in Mississippi on the Seventeenth day of December AD 1836. LOUISA HARRIETT COLEMAN, Daughter of William R. and Sarah N. Coleman, Born in Mississippi on the Tenth day of September AD 1838. HENRY JONATHAN COLEMAN, Son of William R. and Sarah N. Coleman, Born in Mississippi on the Twenty-fifth day of March AD 1840. ANNA REBECCA COLEMAN, Daughter of William R. and Sarah N. Coleman, Born in Mississippi on the Twenty-sixth day of November AD 1841. MARY ANNER HARRISON COLEMAN, Daughter of William R. and Sarah N. Coleman, Born in Mississippi on the Twenty-third day of June AD 1843. JAMES BURR HEAD COLEMAN, Son of William R. and Sarah N. Coleman, Born in Mississippi, on the Thirteenth day of January AD 1845. (In different handwriting.) MARCIA MIRANDA COLEMAN, Daughter of W. R. Coleman and S. N. Coleman, was born on the 3rd of May, l 848. FLORENCE NEWPORT ANDREWS, Daughter of P. A. & M. M. Andrews, was born on the Sixth of March, 1868. SUSAN FRANCES HEAD, Daughter of William W and Mary A Head, Born in Mississippi on the Thirteenth day of November AD 1837. A MELVINA WlLLIAMS, Daughter of John Jr and Elizabeth Ann Williams, Born in South Carolina on the Twenty-second day of January AD 1829. NANCY CATHERlNE WILLIAMS, Daughter of John Jr and Elizabeth Ann Williams, Born in Alabama on the Twelfth day of April AD 1833. FAMILY RECORD MARRIAGES WILLIAM RAGSDALE COLEMAN and SARAH NEWPORT HEAD, Married Twenty-sixth day of January AD 1830. - 161 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY PEMUROKE ANDREWS and MARCIA MIRANDA COLEMAN, Married Eighteenth day of April AD 1867. (In the following entries several persons contributed information as shown by several styles of handwriting). ROBERT C. THORNTON and HARRIETT C. HEAD, Married Eighteenth day of January AD 1842. DEATHS PEARL COLEMAN BISCO, Daughter of Wm Head Coleman Died August 13, 1935. Son, Jack Coleman Bisco whose father was Michael Joseph Bisco. MATTIE SIMPSON COLEMAN, Wife of Tom Coleman, died August 19,1935. WILLIAM HEAD Snr., Departed this life on the 1st day of July, 1837. SUSAN GIBSON HEAD, Departed this life on the 2nd November 1844. BURR HARRISON HEAD, Son of William, Senr. and Susan G. Head, Departed this life on the 25th day of january 1845. WILLIAM WOODWARD HEAD, Son of William Senr. and Susan G. Head, Departed this life on 13th March 1847. (The following notation in the handwriting of Thomas Blewit Cole- man.) ELIZA JANE MACON COLEMAN, Daughter of Wm. R. and Sarah N. Coleman, Departed this life on the Twentieth day of June, 1880. WILLIAM RAGSDALE COLEMAN, Departed this life on the Twenty-ninth day of October,1 K81. SARAH NEWPORT COLEMAN, Departed this life on the Twenty- first of November,1884. WILLIAM HEAD COLEMAN, Died December 15, 1890. JAMES BURR HEAD COLEMAN, Died June 12, 1905. LULA H. COOMBS, who was Louisa Harriett Coleman Coombs, died September 21, 1917. JAMES BURR HEAD COLEMAN'S FAMILY RECORD MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE THIS CERTIFIES that the Rite of Holy Matrimony was celebrated between James Burr Head Coleman of Coleman, Texas, - 162 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY and Mary Eliza Livingston, of Coleman, Texas, on May 1st, 1878 at Coleman, Texas. by REV. B. I. McLELLAND { C. C. Fountain WITNESS { {Kate S. Price James Burr Head Coleman was son of William Ragsdale Coleman and Sarah Newport Head. BIRTHS James Burr Head Coleman born in Mississippi, January 18th, 1845. Mary Eliza Coleman Born June 8th, 1860, in Gonzales, Texas. Marcia Gertrude Coleman Born March 21st 1879, in Coleman, Texas. Florence Estella Coleman Born October 30th 1881, in Coleman, Texas. Casey Livingston Coleman, Born June 10th, 1883. Born in Coleman, Texas. Charles Pelham Coleman, Born December 6th, 1887. Born in Coleman, Texas. Mary Finney Coleman, Born May 121h, 1890. Born in Coleman, Texas. Thomas Clarence Coleman (twin), Born July 24th, 1893. Born in Coleman, Texas. Maggie Claire Coleman (twin), Born July 24th, 1893. Born in Coleman, Texas. James Sidney Coleman, Born January 11th, 1896. Born in Coleman, Texas. MARRIAGES C. L. Coleman, of Mineral Wells, Texas, and Nell Evans, of Wagoner, Indian Territory (no heirs) on December 27th, 1906, at Wagoner, Indian Territory. Maggie Claire Coleman, Mineral Wells, Texas, and Marion L. Long, Ft. Worth, Texas, on February 7, 1912. Mary Finney Coleman, Mineral Wells, Texas, and George F. Miller, on October 9, 1912. - 163 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Charles Pelham Coleman, Mineral Wells, Texas, and Addie Harris, Yukon, Oklahoma, July 3, 1919. C.L. Coleman married Ora Dunn (Davis). (No heirs). Charles Pelham Coleman married Melanie Johanna Meckel, March 7, 1931, San Antonio, Texas. DEATHS Marcia Gertrude Coleman, Died October 14th, 1880. Florence Estella Coleman, Died May 28, 1883. James Sidney Coleman, Died January 13th, 1896. James Burr Head Coleman, Died June 12th, 1905. Mrs. M. E. Price, Died June l9th, 1909, mother of Mary Eliza Livingston. James Archibald Livingston, Died 1909. Mary Finney Livingston, Died 1910. Maggie Claire (Margaret) Coleman, Died March 7, 1942. Mary Eliza (Livingston) Coleman, Wife of James B. Head Coleman, Died February 2, 1943. Addie Harris Coleman, Died December 6th, 1939. Casey Livingston Coleman, Died March 4, 1931. Mary Finney Coleman (Miller) married Joseph (Alex) Johnson, January 24, 1930. (Copied by Frank R. Coleman, on July 13, 1954. Bible in the possession of Mrs. Hampton Cottar, 135 Roberts Cut Off Road, Ft. Worth, Texas.) Dear Mrs. Arnold: I deferred writing from day to day waiting for Thomas and his family to be established in their home. I promised you I would take up my pen, to give you a description of their establishment and their prosperity. In the first place I have the pleasure to write that we all enjoyed uninterrupted health, altho we had a tiresome time in coming as we must expect, traveling fifteen hundred miles and more but travelers can form an idea of the difficulties we had to encounter passing over mountains, rivers and bridges and I must say the most beautiful scenery I ever beheld. After we left Virginia we had a rough country to pass through, East Tennessee, and very little better in Middle Tennessee. Indeed the whole state, at least on the Public road, were a set of uncouth and disobliging people, in Knoxville they looked a little more civilized. The traveling through Alabama was very little better. They called their - 164 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY [PICTURE] MRS. ETHEL HAWLEY, great granddaughter of Will- IAM RAGSDALE COLEMAN, and her husband, W. E. HAWLEY, at the McDowell Farm, Choctaw County, Mississippi June 7, 1949. Taverns, Stands and their accommodations intolerable. Passing through the country that the Choctaw Indians sold to the government, where I most dreaded, we had the best accommodations. Our bills were very high and our fare intolerable and I would advise all - 165 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY that immigrate here to come in their cars or by Steamboats, unless their Company is sufficiently large to buy their own provision and have a tent. We had to pay from sixteen to twenty dollars every morning and we were traveling seven weeks. Never laid by but one day, Betsy wanted some cloths washed for her children. We had to travel every Sabboath day. Every rainy day our bills were so enormously high. Without partiality permit me to inform you, we had not gone six miles in the State of Mississippi before we discovered a visible change for the better. The houses are neatly built, have a light, neat and airy appearance. We had good accommodation. The first night we got to Columbus, l6 miles from the line dividing Mississippi from Alabama. There we were more comfortably fixed than we had been since we left Virginia and our bills were lower. We passed through some beautiful and flurshing villages and some of the most splendid plantations that you could conceive. Figure to yourself a field so extensive and the corn so high that it looked like a map of sapplings or stake drove so thick in the ground, with four or five ears of corn on them. The whole field covered with pumpkins, the largest I have ever seen. Cotton fields as far as your eyes can view, resembling a great river frozen over and covered with drifted snow. The potatoes, not patches, but fields of them, and yams that they have here in abundance. You know I promised you Mrs. Arnold, I would describe every thing exactly as it is, and I do assure you I have never in my life seen such cows and you may buy one at any time with a young calf for $12.00. One was offered Thomas yesterday morning for that price. I've never eaten better bacon and I never saw larger hogs. There is not a day scarcely the huntsmen don't bring in deer, sometimes two. I thought l never tasted such excellent meat, but I am almost tired of seeing it. Some days they bring in wild turkeys by the horseload, shoot them not a half mile from the College. Partridges, rabbits, squirrels, in short, let me assure you that we can procure every article you have in the market at Washington and much cheaper. We arrived on the 11th of November, in Jackson, the Capital of Mississippi, a very flourishing city. The State house is a very handsome building very much like the Capital to Washington. On a smaller scale Steamboats passing to and fro on Pearl River. Jackson is built on table land with the river running below it. l think it empties in the Mississippi River. The Trustees of the Centenary College have purchased this beautiful place called the Brandon Springs, in Rankin County, 18 miles from Jackson. The Medicinal spring is handsomely inclosed with a - 166 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY dome, and on top a cupelo with a gilt hall and a large leaf, a walk from the spring to a pavilion elegantly enclosed with seats all around, and all kind of trees, enclosed with a latticed all painted white from thence the walk continues to a botanical garden. You pass through the garden to a centree building that is now called the Domitory. It has 42 rooms, two of them very large, then on both sides are 24 cottages painted white. Some with three and some with four rooms, little porch in front with lattice work. After passing the Dormitory there are five very large houses, the President's house have five rooms down stairs and four above. lt is a large two story house with Galleries all around, handsome white pillars, a carrage house, stable, meat house, good kitchen, pantry, etc. In short, they have every comfort. Betsy and their children are delighted. Every room in the house is handsomely papered. Thomas gets twent-five hundred dollars per year, house, fire wood and expence of Doctor free. The Doctor has six rooms to his house, built in Cottage style, no upstairs and interior very handsome. The Multifiora and honeysuckles making the porch perfectly green. He has for his Salary two thousand dollars, house and firewood free from expence. I have a cottage with two P (defaced) rooms and board with Thomas. I insisted on this arrangement. They have so much company is not always agreeable to me besides if I had gone to live or have a room in Thomas' house it might wound James feelings. I did not like to cause him mortification. Betsy and the girls are very affectionate to me. There are from 55 to 60 houses all very handsome, neatly painted. The College is in a very nourishing state. lt is thought superior to any in the South. All the Servants that came from Washington are well and much pleased. Sprig says he would not go back if he could. Jenny declairs she would not, she is hired to Thomas. If you should see Ben inform him his children are well. Henry and Nora live with the Stward. In the college Maria is unrse to Betsy's boy. Van Buren and Geroginna lives with Son Thomas and drives his carriage. James has a man by the name of Emanuel driving his carriage and cultivates his garden. I believe I have told you all the news. I should like to see you all very much but if I have my health next summer I would prefer staying here. We have excellent water. There are four wells and I think there are five or six cisterns. I am sure there are more than a dozen springs in the circumference of less than a mile. I have seen very little frost, not one particle of snow, indeed I can scarcely realize that it is the 12th of January. - 167 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY I wish you, dear Mrs. Arnold to give My love to Mrs. Simpson and all their family. Give my love to Miss Lucy, say to them l had my reason for not visiting them if they knew all they would not blame me, but i can assure theM I feel much attached to them. Now you must read this letter to them and write me all the news. The Miss Thorntons send their love and bid me tell they never will forget your kindness. l thank you for your goodness in staying with me. l never put my wrapper on I don't think of you. If we don't meet on earth, I hope we may meet in heaven where parting may be no more; farewell, God forever bless you is my prayer. S/ JANE C. THORNTON January 12, 1842. W. R. COLEMAN'S DIARY OF HIS TRIP TO TEXAS IN YEAR 1851 (OCTOBER 9, 1851 to DECEMBER 19, 1851) October 9, 1851, started to Texas. William Ragsdale Coleman, George Davis and Thomas B. Coleman (a son of William Ragsdale Coleman). From William Ragsdale Coleman's to Kosciusko, 30 miles, Attala County. Then to Thomas Town, 16 miles, Leake County. The crops this far are sorry. Cotton something over one-half a crop. Health tolerably good. Land generally very poor and dry, except about 10 miles North of Thomas Town, which is good. 3rd Day. Then to Sharon, 24 miles. Land level, but rather poor and much worn. Thickly settled with a goodly number of Meeting Houses. Badly watered. Sunday, October 12, to Canton, Madison County, 7 miles. Land good and level. Crops very poor. Then to Jackson, 26 miles, Hinds County. Land good and generally level. Crops very sorry. Cotton not a half a crop, and corn very sorry. October 13th. 10 miles southwest of Jackson. Land good and thickly settled and wealthy people. Then 6 miles, very poor and very broken. Then to Gallatin (which no longer exists), Copiah County, 24 miles, making from Jackson to Gallatin, 40 miles. Poor, broken long leaf pine country. Gallatin is a poor place, secluded in a long leaf pine country, in the dark corner of Mississippi. - 168 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Then on the Natchez Road to Rodney, Jefferson County. A good appearance of health. Thursday, October 16th, arrived in Rodney, 54 miles from Gallatin. Rich land. Cotton good, Corn very poor. Thursday, October 16th, 1851, at 12 o'clock arrived in Water Proof, Louisiana, Tensas Parish. Fine land, cotton making one and one-half bales to the acre. Thickly settled and finely improved. Friday, October 17th, to Tensas River, 14 miles. Land good, cotton one and one-half bales to the acre. Corn not more than one to five bushels to the acre. Certainly a sickly country, but finely improved and thickly settled with wealthy citizens. Land perfectly level. Saturday, October 18th. From Tensas River to Harrisonburg, Cata- houla Parish, 20 miles. Land rich, sickly, and wet. Many overflows. Many deaths. Then to camp at night 17 miles through a very broken, poor, pine country. Road very bad. Still Catahoula Parish. Sunday, October 19, 1851. Thence through a very poor pine country, then through a large portion of level postoak country. Exceedingly poor. A portion of which very rocky in places. Thickly settled, with the worst looking citizens that I ever saw. Many old settlements made many years ago either died out or quit. Mostly French or Creoles. The water exceedingly bad and scarce and very sickly. I have not seen a healthy citizen for the last 60 miles. To Little River, where steamboats run in the winter, but now ford it. Then to Gabriel Barron's, 10 miles, Rapides Parish, then to camp at night, 23 miles (this is near where Alexandria now is). Still very poor country, some prairie and some long leaf pine. Creeks and branches all dry. Hogs very sorry. Still thinly settled, sickly, hardly a person remaining out of every six settlements. The people gone. Farms badly mistreated. The state of society wretchedly bad. I have seen but two Meeting Houses for the last hundred miles. October 21, 1851. Then to Red River, 15 miles, the high land is tolerably good. A mixture of oak and pine. Cotton and corn sorry. Thinly settled and with poor people, many French and Mexicans. Red River is a fine stream but very low at this time, not boatable. It overflows its banks immensely. The bottoms are immensely rich, all stiff red loam. Many places for miles it is sanded over with red sand five or six feet in depth, thrown out in overflows, not many wet marshes. Many ash, pecans, and cotton trees of enormous size. Then to Natchitoches, 10 miles. This place is a large and beautiful town situated on the former banks of the Red River, but the river has - 169 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY made a new channel 10 miles distance. Steamboats still run the old channel in times of extreme high waters. There are many French and Mexicans here. October 22nd. To fort Jesop, Sabine Parish, 25 miles. October 23rd. Then to the town of Many, 7 miles, then to Sabine Town, 18 miles. Steam boats run here. People appeared healthy. October 24th. From Sabine Town, Sabine County, Texas, to Milam, the county seat, 9 miles. Then to Thompson Allen's. (15 days after they left home, the travelers have reached Texas.) Following is the mileage schedule entered in the back of this diary: To Kosciusko 30, to Thomas Town 16; to Sharon 24; to Canton 7; to Jackson 26; to Gallatin 40; to Rodney 54; to Water Proof 12; to Tensas River 14; to Harrisonburg 20; to Little River 41; to Gabriel Barron's 10; To Red River 38; To Natchitoches 10; To Fort Jesop 25; to Many 7; To Sabine River 18 Total distance to Texas 392 miles. Average mileage per day on horseback 26. October 25, 1851. To San Augustine, a considerable Town. The county site of Augustine County, 18 miles. The land from the Sabine River is very rich. High class country. Fine running creeks. Some good springs. Up to camp tonight 9 miles. This is a very healthy and old settlement, and very thickly settled. It appears that there may have been settlements made one hundred years ago. The land is very red and exceedingly rich. The people appear very healthy. This part of the country is very thinly timbered. Generally large hickory and blackjack, and a mixture of walnut, ash, mulberry, buckeye, blackhaw, and many other rich growths that we do not know. Not a particle range but the best upland country of the same distance that I have ever seen. There is a great deal of rock in some places. Some limestone rock. Up to Melrose Town, 16 miles, Nacogdoches County. October 26, 1851. Now to Nacogdoches Town, 10 miles, a consider- able Town, a great distance from trade. They haul from a distance of eighty to one hundred miles. Some parts of the country about Nacogdoches is exceedingly sandy. October 27, 1851. Monday. From Nacogdoches todays travel up to feed time 13 miles. Very sandy country tolerably level well watered, healthy, and thinly settled. The range improving but not good, then to Dunlap, a little town, 2 miles, situated on the San Antonio Road in Nacogdoches County, a sorry place. Then to Ashmore's in Cherokee County, 12 miles, a level and beautiful country. Land good and well - 170 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY watered, situated on or near the Angelina River, just cleaned out for steamboats, great place for fish. October 28, 1851 . Then to John Conner's, 1 mile. Fine land. Healthy country. Stayed at Conner's two days. Thursday, 30 October. From J. Conner's southwest to Austin James, by Mrs. Leach's, 8 miles, where we took dinner in a valley between two mountains. Rich land, with walnut, pecan, ash, mulberry. Red land. Then to the San Antonio Road at Tany's Fort, 8 miles, finely watered and some extra good plains. October 31st. Then to the Neches River, 6 miles, land good and level and fine. This river is small, not navigable. Wide swamp and great overflow. Then to Crocket, 27 miles. Exceedingly poor, generally badly watered, thinly settled, Houston County. From the Neches River the country is very level and sandy with some prairie or barrens. Very thinly timbered except on the creek. Crops very poor, but little cotton planted . Saturday, November 1, 1851. From Crocket to Camp Ground, on the Cincinnati Road, 10 miles. The driest of any place since we left home. Then to camp at night 12 miles. A great many salamanders. Sunday, November 2nd. From camp to the Trinity River at Cincin- nati, Walker County, 11 miles. Sickly. Then to Stubblefield's down Trinity River, 8 miles. Monday, November 3, 1851. Stayed all day with Stubblefield. Tuesday went to look at Mr. Haskell's land. Rode 10 miles to get to it through a very poor country, badly timbered and badly watered, then back 10 miles. Stayed two days more on the 5th and 6th. Davis is sick. Friday, November 7th. Started from Stubblefield's then to Huntsville, the county seat of Walker County, 10 miles. Then to Anderson Town, 35 miles. Large prairie country with some cedar grove, near Anderson. Not a drop of running water. Anderson Town is a new town just built up and a considerable town with two meeting houses and the Baptist were sitting in conference when I passed through. The creeks and branches are generally rock bottomed. This evening the land is exceedingly rocky. The timbered portion is good. Then to Brazos River at Washington Town. Rich land. The Brazos is a small stream. Washington is situated on the western bank of the Brazos, on a high bluff. Then west to Independence, in Washington County, 12 miles, through a beautiful high prairie country. A very healthy looking country. Land - 171 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY selling from $1.00 to $10.00 per acre. Fine cedar groves and plenty of pin oak and evergreens. Independence is a small town situated on the prairie. Generally the richest country and the prettiest prairie country I have ever seen. Thickly settled with rich farmers. Health good and good well water and some springs. People well fixed. Plenty of cattle, stock, horses, sheep and hogs to be seen for miles. Some droves of sheep appear to be one thousand head. Some mesquite. Still Washington County. November 10, 1851. Then to Roundtop, small country town in Washington County, through rich prairie. More beautiful country than ever. 30 miles from Independence to Roundtop. November 11th. Then to Bastrop, on the Colorado River, in Bastrop County, 40 miles. Through a portion of Lafayette County. Bastrop is situated on the West side of the Colorado River in a rich valley. Beautiful buildings, many stores, and a beautiful stream. People look healthy. Thursday, November 13, 1851. From the eastern banks of the Colorado River through the Colorado valley. Some black prairie soil but generally a black sandy soil. Exceedingly rich and as level as a floor. Cannot be surpassed for fertility and beauty. Fine crops of corn. We then crossed over the Colorado. The stream is a beautiful one without any swamp. It has a gravely and rocky bottom. Thence Northwest up the Colorado Valley to Austin. The land in the valley on the river selling from $5.00 to $8.00 an acre unimproved, but improved at $10.00 to $30.00 per acre. 10 or 15 miles off of the river good land can be had for $1.00 and $2.00 per acre. Austin, the capitol of the State, situated on the banks of the Colorado River, in Travis County, a large and beautiful place. A very healthy place. Three female academies, with fine churches. November 14th. From Austin north to camp at night, 9 miles, through a rich country, all prairie. Not a sprig of any kind of timber. November 15th. Then north to Georgetown in Williamson County, 16 miles. It is 7 miles to Walnut. A prairie country, some sandy, but generally black and some chocolate color. Much limerock. Thence all the way to Georgeville. Very rocky of lime and thousands of flintrocks. Land exceedingly rich. Georgeville is a small place, only three years old and is somewhat a promising place situated in a large prairie. Timber generally scarce here. Rails hauled three miles. A beautiful high elevated country very rocky. Bell County and Nolinville is immediately north of Georgetown and a large number of the Rangers are stationed forty miles north of Georgetown. - 172 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Thence from Georgeville east to camp at night through prairie country, very rich and land very high. Crossed Saint San Gabriel River, which is a very beautiful river 75 yards wide and a perfect rock bottom. November 16th. From camp to camp again 22 miles. Crossed many nice running creeks with some timber. Abounds with deer, wolves, and splendid range. Crossed Little River this evening and camp. Little River is one of the branches of the Brazos running northeast. It is large enough for small steamboats. Thinly settled, passed only three or four houses today. We are on a small trailway running from Georgtown northwest to the fall of the Brazos River. November 17, 1851. From camp in Williamson County 28 miles, entirely a prairie country generally level. Some portions of this land good but generally poor. Passed no settlers today. On Elm Creek considerable swamp, low and wet, for 6 miles. Very brushy. Still a trail. Sorry portion of Texas. Deer and bear and wolves aplenty. This is a disagreeable, inconvenient, and sickly portion of country. November 18, 1851. From camp to the falls of the Brazos River in Falls County, 3 miles through timbered and sandy land. The Brazos is about 100 yards of channel and seems good for navigation to the falls. There is considerable falls and boats cannot go above them. Then East 18 miles to camp at night. The Brazos bottom is about 6 miles wide, of red stiff land, with a very uneven surface. Overflows some. The growth is generally large hackberry cottonwood. Then through a prairie country. Bad water and thinly timbered up to camp on the Blue Ridge which amounts today to 21 miles. The Blue Ridge is a beautiful rich sandy ridge 7 or 8 miles across. November 19th. Today's travel from camp on the Blue Ridge to Springfield in Limestone County, 20 miles, through a beautiful black sandy prairie country. Level and rich, with many creeks, all bushy and some timber on them. Springfield is a new place. West of the Town 100 yards spring sufficient to turn a saw mill. There is much cedar about this place. Then to camp at night 6 miles. November 20, 1851. From camp in Limestone County north of east on the road that leads from the falls of the Brazos to Fairfield, the County seat of Freestone County, 20 miles. This is a beautiful sandy prairie country up to Fairfield. Fairfield has had its rise since the first of July, 1851, and is quite promising with three good stores. From there to camp, 9 miles. The country from the Blue Ridge to this place is very desirable. November 21, 1851. From camp to Parker's Bluff on Trinity River, 5 miles above Magnolia. This is a very sandy country, rather broken, well - 173 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY watered, but rather poor and very thinly timbered. The Trinity is small here but steamboats come up here. The Trinity overflows its banks for 5 or 6 miles and has a very sickly appearance. From Trinity to Palestine, 10 miles, the County seat of Anderson County. Two last miles up to Palestine, high, red land. Palestine is considerable place with good churches, female academy, and masonic lodge with 14 stars. Then north to Frank Coleman's 12 miles, beautiful sandy country, good water, rather broken in places, Land generally good, tolerable good timber in places, then 8 miles northeast to the Neches River, the Mosley neighborhood. There is a small town rearing up here. A very popular neighborhood and good female schools. November 26th. Then back south to Palestine, 23 miles, then east to camp 12 miles, thickly settled. Land from $3.00 to $10.00 per acre. There is but little cotton planted in this part of the country and but little from the Colorado River on the upper road to this place. Corn from 75% to $1.00 per bushel. From camp east of Palestine to Rusk, Cherokee County, 20 miles, then to Mud Creek, 3 miles. Then to New Salem, in the County of Rusk, a considerable town, situated in a red land country, surrounded by hills and mountains. November 28, 1851. From New Salem to camp at night 13 miles. November 29, 1851. From camp to Henderson, 13 miles, situated in a beautiful sandy country. A considerable town. Said to be the healthiest town in Texas. Then to camp at night 11 miles. November 30, 1851. From camp to the Grand Bluff on the Sabine River. This town is a very small place. 20 miles from camp, this portion of country is generally poor, lies level, and heavily timbered, with fine water. Generally thickly settled with bad looking people. Then from Sabine River to camp at night 10 miles, Panola County. Steamboats run this river two or three months in thee year. Seldom any cotton planted. December 1, 1851. From camp to Elysian Fields, 5 miles, thence to Vernon, or Lickskillet, at the line of Texas and Louisiana, the line runs through the Town. Then to camp at night, Desoto Parish, Louisiana, 15 miles, through good land, lies well, only full of mounds, not a drop of running water. Large plantations and thickly settled. Rich planters from the appearance of buildings, etc. December 2, 1851. From camp to Shreveport, 6 miles, thickly settled by wealthy planters, fine buildings. Shreveport is a very considerable town, large and fine buildings, situated on the west bank of Red River at the mouth of Caddo Lake. Then to Bayou Cross, 4 miles in the swamp. - 174 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Then to Bayou Red Chute. Then on the high land up to camp, 4 miles. December 3, 1851. From camp 16 miles through a tolerable level, low, wet country, thickly settled, some good places, but not healthy. Then to Minden, a beautiful and large town. Fine houses and a pleasant place. Healthy situation. Then to camp at night, 5 miles. December 4, 1851. From camp to camp, 26 miles, still in Claiborne Parish, hilly country. Thickly settled. December 5, 1851. To camp in Jackson Parish, 25 miles, about thirty or thirty-five miles south of the Arkansas line. The state of society has been wretchedly bad for the last 50 miles. December 6, 1851. From camp to Trenton on the Ouachita River, 20 miles, through a poor country. Trenton is a pretty little town situated on the west bank of the river. Then to Monroe on the east bank of the river. The Ouachita is a considerable stream and fine steamboat navigation. Monroe is a considerable town, the county seat of Ouachita Parish. December 7, 1851. From camp in Ouachita Parish to camp through a part of Bastrop Parish to camp in Morehouse Parish, 19 miles. Today's travel has been all swamp, first Ouachita swamp then Mississippi swamp. This morning traveled up a lake about 6 miles, thickly settled. Large plantations. Exceedingly rich and level. Fine buildings. Wealthy citizens. Roads very bad. December 8, 1851. From camp to camp across a bayou and across Death River, 17 miles, still Morehouse Parish. The road today has been exceedingly bad. Many deaths lately with pneumonia. December 9, 1851. From camp in Morehouse Parish to camp in Carroll Parish, 16 miles. Bad road, across lakes and flat lands generally. Overflows to a great extent. Very miry and a good deal of water on the ground. Some canebreaks. Have seen only four settlers in the last thirty miles. Camped last night where we could not hear anything but owls and wolves and the bellowing of alligators. December 10th, 1851. To Bayou Mason, 5 miles. Then to Tensas River at Featherstone, 7 miles, then to camp, 6 miles, making in all 18 miles today. December 10th. This day's travel has been through wet overflows across lakes and bayous. It commenced raining last night. Today still raining. Have not seen any appearance of the sun. Tonight we are in the muddy swamp far distant from any house and we do not know whether we are on the right road or not. The swamp is so exceedingly - 175 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY bad we are much disheartened. Many miles of swamp to go before we reach Vicksburg. No settlers. December 11, 1851. From camp to Richmond, Madison Parish. A considerable town, situated on the banks of Roundway Bayou. One of the finest hotels I have ever seen. Then across the swinging bridge 75 yards long, then east 15 miles, thickly settled, fine farms, rich planters. Land making from one to three bales per acre. Ducks and geese by the thousands. December 12, 1851. From camp to Vicksburg, 15 miles. From Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi, 8 miles. Vicksburg is situated on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River. A very considerable town, exceedingly broken, much washed land. Saturday, December 13, 1851. From camp to Smith's Ferry on the Big Black River on the Canton Road, 18 miles. Plantations badly watered. Big Black here has not any swamp. Steamboats run far above Smith's Ferry. Then to Brownsville, 10 miles. December 14, 1851. From camp to Livingston, 14 miles. Rail timber is very scarce. Livingston is a little dry town. One good meeting house Madison County. From dinner to camp, 11 miles. Still Madison County, thickly settled, with rich planters. The land much worn out. We are tonight within two miles of Canton. December 15, 1851. To Canton, then to Sharon, then to camp. December 16th. Then to Thomastown, then to Kosciusko. December 19, 1851. Then to W. R. Coleman's, 30 miles. We note from the diary that some of the expenses incurred on this trip were as follows: Toll Gate, 50 cents; Heat, 15 cents; Ferry, 40 cents; Whiskey, $1.00; 3 pounds of sugar, 30 cents; one tin cup, 9 cents; Fodder, 75 cents. This journey took W. R. Coleman through 11 counties in Mississippi, 15 parishes in Louisiana, and 20 counties in Texas. Total mileage covered on this trip, 1506. In the same little book which contained the Diary of the Trip to Texas, are found additional notations as follows: The following entries were found in the W. R. Coleman diary of the trip to Texas: February 3, 1842, left with James --- to pay Mr. Horne in Gainesville, $90.00. Paid. Signed. George Gentry, Cherokee County, Georgia. - 176 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY May 19, 1843, rec'd of Isaac Coleman $15 S. C. money. May 30, 1843, paid to lsaac Coleman in consideration of the____ $15.00 as follows: 1 load of corn supposed to be 28 or 30 bushels, 5 bushels of meal, 5 bushels of peas, corn and meal at 37 1/2, peas at 75. June 25, 1843. Left with Mr. James Y. ___ $20.00 to be changed and $8.00 to be sent to Robert Coleman. W. R. Coleman received of W. H. Head $250.00 to be paid in Marion, Alabama. Entry shows that on July 24, 1851, W. R. Coleman made a trip to Marion, Alabama. He recites the distance to Louisville 15 miles, then 30 miles to Ward's in Noxubee County, then shows 43 miles to undecipherable point. He paid 25% for a watermelon, 45% for three glasses of cream, and $2.75 for staying overnight. He paid $1.50 for crossing the Warrior river, 50% for crossing the Tombigbee, and paid $1.00 for a handkerchief. He was to have visited Eutaw, Greensboro, and Clinton. He shows the addresses of James M. Coleman, Macon County, Alabama. Alfred Coleman and Matthew Coleman and Stephen Coleman, Marshall, Texas, Harrison County. Notes he started home from Marion, Alabama, on Thursday, July 31, 1851. - 177 - [MAP OF TRIP] WILLIAM RAGSDALE COLMAN'S DIARY On Oct. 9, 1851 my grandfather William Ragsdale Coleman, with my father Thomas Blewit Coleman, and George Davis a cousin, started to Texas from the farm in Mississippi. He kept a diary on the trip. This journey, made to find good farm land in Texas brought the travelers into Texas only 15 years after Texas became a Republic. On Dec. 19, 1851 he reached home after traveling 1506 miles. It is probable that the trip was made on horseback. In 1860 grandfather moved his family to Texas and settled on a farm about 3 miles norwest of Hallettsville. As you read the diary, the progress of the travelers can be traced on the map. Prepared by Frank R. Coleman - August 25, 1956. [MAP OF LAVACA COUNTY, TEXAS drawn by F.R. Coleman] - 178 - CHAPTER 15 ROBERT COLEMAN OF MT. MORIAH, SON OF JOHN ROE COLEMAN by J. P. COLEMAN Born, 1795 (census report). Died between 1870 and 1873. First arrived in Mississippi, 1835. Have not been able to locate his grave, but he must have been buried at Mt. Moriah, near his home, as so many of his descendants are buried there. His wife was named Jincy. Mr. Charles F. Prewitt stated that Robert Coleman had a prior wife, name unknown, by whom he had the following children, but we have been unable to verify: WILLIAM COLEMAN (Deaf Bill). Born, 1821. Still alive at the 1880 Census. Buried at Mt. Moriah, no marker, but buried by the side of his wife, Sarah Coleman, who was born July 20, 1825, died July 22, 1882. ROBERT and ISAIAH, who went to Texas. By the census, Robert was born in 1828 in Alabama. Isaiah married Kate Gaston, widow of Lee Moss. Children of the Second Wife JONATHAN COLEMAN (Johnnie) b. April 27, 1832, d. January 19, 1879. Married his second cousin, Sarah Jane Coleman, the daughter of Giles C. Coleman, b. April 24, 1843, d. November 4, 1923. Both are buried at Mt. Moriah, 4 miles northwest of Weir, on the French Camp Road. HENRY COLEMAN, b. March 9, 1836, d. October 21, 1906. Married Priscilla Weir, sister of James and John Weir, who was born September 6, 1839, d. January 14, 1917. Both buried at Weir. Last wills and testaments of record at Pages 24 and 61 of Will Book 1, Choctaw County. THOMAS J. COLEMAN, died in the Mississippi Delta. MARY ANN COLEMAN BLAYLOCK. MRS. T. J. BLACK, known as Polly. HIRAM F. COLEMAN, married his second cousin, Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Griffin Coleman of Old Concord. - 179 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Second Generation HENRY COLEMAN, died without issue. Children of Jonathan Coleman and Sarah Jane Coleman (a) WREN COLEMAN, born October 2, 1866, died March 30, 1934. Married (1). Donie Jameson, 1907. (2). Cora Ligon Milam, May 15, 1917. No children. Burial Magnolia Cemetery, Meridian, Mississippi . (b) CLARENCE COLEMAN, born January 17, 1870, died April 10, 1931. Buried at Weir. (c) JOHN C. (JACK) COLEMAN, born August 12, 1871, died May 23, 1929, buried at Weir. Never married. (d) MRS. LILLIE B. COLEMAN WADE, born October 1, 1877, died November 30, 1939. (e) FRANK COLVIN COLEMAN, born July 24, 1873, died October 4, 1899. Children of William C. (Deaf Bill) Coleman WILLIAM D. COLEMAN, 1863-1884. SARAH, Mrs. Mack McKinley, 1842-1872. Mrs. Lillie Coleman Wade was married to Lige Wade. Their children were: Joe Wade, presently of Weir, Mississippi; Sarah Dorothy, married Louis Hermann of New Orleans; and John Coleman Wade, deceased. The following is taken from Page 49 of "A History of Ward County, Texas": "Grandfalls (named after "the grand falls of the Pecos River" by the first surveyors of land in Ward County), in 1898 proudly possessed a school to serve the forty-odd settlers living in the vicinity. Professor E. C. Wade, a quiet, dignified and well-educated young man, was its teacher. By 1903 the growing school needed an additional teacher, and it was sought to have Mrs. Wade join her husband at the school. She was cultured, refined and exceptionally well qualified in all respects; however, she had two small children of pre-school age whom she could not leave unattended at home. Finally, in November, 1903, the Wades considered themselves fortunate to have rented their two back rooms to a middle-aged couple, the M. K. (Jake) Kimberlains. Mrs. Kimberlain - 180 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY looked after the Wade children while Mrs. Wade taught, and Professor Wade got Jake a job as school janitor to supplement his income from his wife's operation of a home laundry. It seemed a happy arrangement all around." "But Jake, crippled in his left arm, and perhaps in his mind also, opposed Professor Wade's persistent demands that the Kim- berlain boy, Eddy, age 11, be required to attend school. Eddy did finally attend, but realizing his father's attitude, he did so only haphazardly, causing confusion at school and resulting in little learning for himself, Jake blaming Professor Wade for the boy's display of backwardness. Arguments occurred between Jake and Professor Wade, and Jake made remarks about the Professor around the community which reflected against the Professor's good name. On February 29, 1904, during an argument in which Wade demanded apologies because of accusations made against him, Jake shot the unarmed Professor in the stomach with a pistol and killed him. Kimberlain was convicted and served 25 years in prison. (4)" (Contributed by MRS. DEOLECE MILLER PARMELEE) . Professor Wade's body was returned home and buried in Bear Creek Cemetery. This Robert Coleman first appears in Mississippi on August 8, 1835. On this date (Book A, Page 262, of the Winston County Land Deeds) Andrew Walters conveyed to Robert Coleman "of Sumter County, Alabama," the Northeast Quarter of Section 6, Township 16, Range 10, then in Winston County, now in Choctaw, and located about two miles Northwest of the present Town of Weir. The language of the conveyance indicates that Robert Coleman had lived in Sumter County, Alabama, before coming to Mississippi, and Griffin Coleman of Old Concord was a subscribing witness to the conveyance. This further shows that while Williams Charles Coleman received his first conveyance from Andrew C. Walters on July 3, 1835, Robert must have accorpanied him since both Williams Charles and Robert purchased of Andrew C. Walters. Griffin Coleman received his first deed August 27, 1836, from Alfred Gilkey, Book B, Page 54. In the land deed records of Sumter County, Alabama, Book C. Page 221, we find that on February 7, 1837, Robert Coleman and wife, Jency, conveyed 111 acres of land, being the Northwest 1/4 of Fractional Section 4, Township 20, Range 2 West of Sumter County. The deed was - 181 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY. acknowledged in Winston County, Mississippi. The property is located three miles northeast of Sumterville, Sumter County, Alabama, and since there is no deed of record to Robert Coleman it is apparent that he entered this land from the government when first opened to settlement about 1820. We also find that on February 27, 1839, Isaiah Coleman, son of Robert, gave a deed of trust on lands in Section 28, Township 20, Range 2 West (Book C, Page 111). This land was three miles south of the lands owned by Robert Coleman. As late as April 18, 1848, Isaiah Coleman was conveying land in Sumter County, (Book K, Page 385). September 30, 1861, Book Q, Page 633, Winston County, "Robert Coleman of the Co. of Choctaw "sold to" Henry Coleman, son of the before named Robert Coleman, of the County of Winston," the West 1/2 Northwest 1/4, Section 6, Township 16, Range 10. Book Q, Page 635, September 30, 1861, "Know all persons by these presents that I, Henry Coleman, having a mind to volunteer in the Army of the Confederate States of America and knowing that life on all occasions is uncertain but especially so when engaged in the war and exposed to the vicissitudes of a soldier's life" conveyed to his beloved wife the same land. She was his first wife, Emily, born Dec. 22, 1833, died July 4, 1862. Buried at Bear Creek. Our next record of him appears in Land Deed Book U, Page 55, when, On June 22, 1867, Robert Coleman and wife, Jincy, conveyed the West 80 acres of the tract he acquired in 1835 to his son, T. J. Coleman. As ff this date, I have not located the grave of Robert Coleman, but we know that he was dead by the year 1873, because on October 3, 1873, the heirs of Robert Coleman conveyed to Jonathan Coleman the East 80 acres of this same Quarter Section. The heirs executing this instrument were William Coleman (known as "Deaf" Bill), Mary Ann Blaylock, T. J.Black and Henry Coleman. From this evidence and from an interview on August 26, 1951, with Mr. Charles Feemster Prewitt, who was born in 1872 and reared in the same community, William Coleman, Thomas J. Coleman, Jonathan Coleman, and Henry Coleman were all brothers, and sons of Robert Coleman. A sister, Polly, married Tom Black, which accounts for that signature on the deed. Thomas J. Coleman went to the Mississippi Delta, and we have no further information at this time. According to his tombstone in the Mt. Moriah cemetery, about four miles northwest of Weir (French Camp road) Jonathan Coleman was born April 27, 1832, and died January 19, 1879. - 182 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY. His wife, Sarah Jane Coleman, was born April 24, 1843, and died November 4, 1923. Her husband died at the early age of 47, while she lived to be 80 and was a widow forty-four years. Mr. Charles F. Prewitt states that she was a well educated woman for her time and was a school teacher when she married Jonathan Coleman. She was widowed at the age of 36, saved all the extensive land that Jonathan Coleman owned, reared her family, and was so economical that she was still saving money at the time of her death. Mr Prewitt tells many interesting anecdotes about Jonathan Coleman He knew him as "Johnny." It seems that Johnny was well known as a practical joker. There was a young woman living in the community, who, unfortunately, was not attractive and was not sought after by the men. Johnny Coleman told her that a certain gentleman in the community was in love with her and desired to marry her, but was too timid to ask for her hand in marriage. Of course, the gentleman had entertained no such thoughts, and was much amazed by what followed. One day as the gentleman was riding through the woods, the lady stopped him and told him that Mr Johnny Coleman had told her of his desire to marry her and that she was ready to accept him. The man was highly shocked and told her that he had not entertained any such intentions. Of course "bad trouble" ensued with Johnny over the incident, but fortunately no one was hurt. For a long time he was supervisor in Attala County, resided just over the line out Of Choctaw, the boundary running through his front yard. He got into a feud with his brother, Henry, over denying a public road in which Henry was interested, and they carried guns for each other for a long time, but violence never occurred. However, when Johnny lay on his death-bed in 1879, Henry was apprised of the fact while passing there and declined to see his brother, which indicates the overly stern stuff out of which some of these old-time Colemans were made. Carrying some of Johnny Colemans practical jokes further, he was a great friend of Dudley Prewitt (father of Charles Feemster Prewitt and brother of Andrew Jackson Prewitt, who married Sarah Coleman, daughter of Isaiah Daniel) Dudley Prewitt would "bait" wild turkeys and would conceal himself in a blind to await their arrival. Johnny Coleman found the blind and saw the bait, concealed himself in the blind, killed an enormous gobbler, threw it over his shoulder and went by and invited Dudley Prewitt to a log-rolling the next day and promised him plenty of turkey if he would attend. Of course, when Dudley went to the blind he saw the feathers on the ground from the gobbler that Johnny had shot and he knew then what had happened. - 183 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Cluffie Ming was a tenant on the Jonathan Coleman plantation, then operated by his widow, Mrs. Sarah Jane Coleman. He asked her for an order for five dollars worth of medicine for his sick children. Mrs. Coleman told him that he did not need five dollars worth of medicine. She made out a list of salts and cathartic pills which came to seventy-five cents, and Cluffie said that by the time "she got through with him" he decided that he did not need any medicine at all. One day, Cluffie was discussing the Colemans with Mr. Prewitt, and Mr. Prewitt was talking about what splendid people and fine neighbors they were when Cluffie said "I admit they are fine people, but they sure are hell on their croppers." Johnny Coleman and Mrs. Sarah Jane Coleman had five children. The oldest was Wren, Born October 2, 1866, died at Noxapater, Mississippi, March 30, 1934, and buried in Magnolia Cemetery at Meridian. Mr. Richard A. Moss, of Ackerman, now 79 years of age, tells me that Jonathan Coleman was a very precise kind of a man, that he enjoyed a drink, and was not very talkative, except when drinking. When drinking, he liked to expound on "scientific subjects." Mr. Prewitt appears to have been especially fond of Wren Coleman. He described him as being "true as steel." Mr. Forrest Woods, of Noxapater, Mississippi, worked for Mr. Coleman for many years in his mercantile establishment in Noxapater and says that he was one of the Finest men he ever knew. In early life Wren Coleman went to Texas and remained there for about two years, but came back to the old home farm. He had a college education, at which college I have not been able to ascertain. According to Mr. Prewitt, he was a prodigious worker and would not stop at anything in the way of work. On one occasion Mr. Prewitt saw Wren Coleman "in a trot," and remarked to a negro present that Mr. Coleman appeared to be in a hurry. The negro replied "he is just pokin' now; if you try to follow him in the field, he will kill you." Wren Coleman married, first, Miss Donie Jameson, of Kosciusko, in June, 1907. She died soon after the marriage and he was married the second time to Cora Ligon Milam on June 15, 1917. She survives and at this time resides at 714 Sixth Avenue, Laurel, Mississippi. He had no children. The remaining children of Jonathan Coleman were Clarence, who died in 1931, and John C. (Jack) who died in 1929. Mr. Prewitt's description of Jack Coleman was that "he would stand hitched" meaning that he - 184 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY was steadfast and could be depended upon. He was farming in the Arkansas Delta at the time of his death. Neither he nor Clarence were ever married. A fourth son of Jonathan Coleman was Frank Colvin Coleman buried in Mt. Moriah cemetery, born July 24, 1873, and died October 4, 1899. The name "Colvin" is a direct reference to South Carolina and the Coleman connection with the Colvin family. The only daughter of Jonathan Coleman, Lily, married a school teacher, Lige Wade. She was born October 1, 1877 and died November 30, 1939. Lige Wade was a school teacher of brilliance, but was killed in Texas in an altercation with a northern man who occupied the same house with him. He is buried in Bear Creek cemetery in Attala County. "Deaf" Bill Coleman, brother of Jonathan and son of Robert lived on the headwaters of McCurtains Creek. He had a son by the name of Will Coleman, who, according to Mr. Prewitt, was "as proud as a peacock" and always went extremely well dressed. Mr. Richard A. Moss gives this same description of him. He studied to be a doctor and married Cherry George, daughter of Dr. George. He took her to the old home of his father (his mother was dead) but the new wife did not like the place and left her husband. She was a very beautiful woman and when she left him, Will Coleman abandoned all pretense to personal pride, dressed in any manner, and took to strong drink. He began to contract to furnish cross ties for the new railroads then being built through Choctaw County. (1884). He became ill of pneumonia and died while away from home working on one of these contracts. Dudley Prewitt sent his son, Philip, after the body. He hauled it home nailed up in a box and he was buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery without the box ever being opened. Thus ended a career that opened with bright promise and was wrecked because of a beautiful woman. "Deaf" Bill's wife was named Sarah. She was born July 20, 1825, and died July 22, 1882. She is buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery and her grave is marked. Her husband, buried beside her, has no marker. After her death, "Deaf" Bill decided that he would marry again. He was a man who was well fixed, with plenty of horses, mules, cattle, sheep and everything that made for comfort in those days. He went to French Camp and borrowed $800 from Frank Holloway, a prominent lawyer of that place. Hc bought himself a new buggy, a very efficient car trumpet, and set about finding a new wife. He was soon seized with a sudden illness of the "flux," of which he died, and all of his possessions went to Holloway in satisfaction of the indebtedness. His other child, Sarah, married Michael McKinely, formerly of Co. A - 185 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 23 Miss. Infantry, Confederate States Army. She died September 16, 1872, age 30 years, 4 months, and 16 days. She was the mother of E. Y. McKinley, a prominent citizen of the Panhandle section of Choctaw County. DEATH OF HENRY COLEMAN Mr. Henry Coleman who lived some two miles from Weir, passed from the walks of men on Sunday night October 21 aged about 70 years. One of the landmarks of Choctaw has passed away in the death of Henry Coleman. He was a member of a family well known not only in Choctaw but in this section of the State. Mr. Henry Coleman was a remarkable man in many respects. He was a man of strong: convictions and had the courage of them. He stood for truth right and justice. He was a man who had great contempt for a mean act. He lived above reproach at all times. The disease that sapped away his life was cancer and for quite awhile before his death he was well aware that death would soon approach him but when the end came he was ready to go. His remains were buried at Mt. Moriah Church. "Peace to the ashes of them noble true men. --CHOCTAW PLAINDEALER MR. JACK G. COLEMAN DEAD It is with sincere regret that the Plaindealer chronicles the death of that splendid citizen Jack G. Coleman which sad event occured very suddenly at his home al Marked Tree Arkansas on Thursday of last week. He was 58 years of age and a native citizen of Choctaw County where he was widely known and prominently connected. He had been engaged in farming in Arkansas several years and had large planting interests there. The remains arrived at Weir last Saturday and interment took place at the family cemetery. Services being conducted by Rev. Wallace of Noxapater assisted by Rev. W. I. Duncan Presiding Elder of the Columbus District. He is survived by one sister Mrs. Lillie Wade and two brothers Clarence and Wren, besides a large list of other relatives and friends. Jack G. Coleman was a genial clever wholesouled fellow a good citizen, and a man who loved his friends. Truly another of our good friends has gone to his reward. We deeply sympathize with the loved ones.--CHOCTAW PLAINDEALER Personal Roll, Choctaw County, 1863. Robert Coleman, 4 slaves under 60 years of age. Choctaw County Census of 1840. Robert Coleman (of Mt. Moriah) enumerated next to John Pre- witt. - 186 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 3 males under 5 1 5-10 1 10-15 1 15-20 1 40-50 1 female 15-20 1 30-40 Choctaw County Census of 1850. Family No. 523. Robert Coleman, 54, [farmer, b. S. C. (Deafe). Born about 1796. Jincy, 47 Robert, 22, farmer, b. Alabama. Louisa, 21 Jonathan, 19 Hiram, 16 Henry Thomas, 10 Mary Ann, 9 Choctaw County Census of 1860. Robert Coleman, age 60, farmer, born in S. C. wife, Jency, age 6(), born in S. C. Eliza, age 35, spinster, born in Alabama. Thomas, age 23, farmer, born in Mississippi. William Coleman, age 39, farmer, born in S. C. wife, Sarah, age 34, born in Alabama. Sarah E., age 17, born in Mississippi. Hiram Coleman, age 30, born in Alabama, wife, Elizabeth, born in Alabama. Mary J., age 5, born in Mississippi. Robert W., age 3, born in Mississippi. Sarah C., age 1, born in Mississippi. Choctaw County Census of 1870. Township 17, Range 9. R. B. Coleman, 75 b. S. C. Wife, Jincy, 67, b. S. C. Sallie, 10, b. Miss. - 187 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY T. I. Coleman, 30 b. S. C. Delila C., 22, b. S. C. Mary A., 4, b. Mississippi Robert W., 2, b. Mississippi W. M. Coleman, age 39, born in S. C., wife, Sara, born in Alabama. Elizabeth 28, and William G., both born in Mississippi. Mt. Moriah Colemans, U. S. Census 1870 Jonathan Coleman, B. 1831, Alabama Sarah, B. 1844, Alabama Wren, 3 Clarence, 7/12 Isaiah, 3 Henry Coleman, B. 1836, Alabama Priscilla Weir B. 1839, Mississippi Richard, 6 Choctaw County Census of 1880. Henry Coleman, 44 (1836), born in Alabama. Father and Mother in S. C. Priscilla, wile, 43, born in Mississippi. Parents in S. C. Beat 1. T. J. Coleman, white male, 23. Born in S. C. Mother born in Alabama. E. J. Coleman, white female, 23, born in Mississippi. Parents in Tennessee. William Coleman, white male, 59, born in S. C., and so were his parents. S., white female, 54, born in Alabama. W. D. Coleman, son 17, born in Mississippi. Henry Coleman, son of Robert of Mt. Moriah, was a soldier in the New Prospect Grays, organized at New Prospect, Mississippi, August 26, 1861. Among others, this group fought at Chickamauga, Franklin, Kenne- saw Mountain, Murphresboro, Spring Hill, Shiloh, and Peachtree Creek. - 188 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Joseph W. Robinson, son of John W. and Catherine Coleman Robin- son, grandson of Wiley Coleman, fought in this outfit, lost an arm at Peachtree Creek, and later became a well beloved doctor of medicine at LaGrange and French Camp in Choctaw County, Mississippi. This organization was in eighteen general battles. Winston County furnished 1490 soldiers to the Confederate Army, and 465 of them were killed in battle. ISAAC COLEMAN Choctaw County, Mississippi, Census of 1850 Isaac Coleman, b. 1812, S. C., farmer. Judith Coleman, b. 1815, S. C. Penelope, b. 1834, S. C. Cornelius, b. 1836, S. C. Augustus, b. l838, S. C. Nancy, b. 1841, S. C. Louella, b. 1846, Miss. Adella, b. 1846, Miss. Twins. John, 10 months, Miss. Mrs. Etta Rosson states that Isaac Coleman was the son of Solomon Coleman, who, in turn, was the son of William Coleman, of Fairfield. He married Judith McShane, daughter of Hundley McShane and Alice Feaster, who was the daughter of Andrew and Margaret Feaster. Mrs. Rosson further states that Isaac Coleman and wife died in Union County, S. C., so they must have moved back to South Carolina. Isaac Coleman first acquired land in Winston County from Joseph P. Crosley on Dec. 13, 1843. Land Deed Book H, Page 147. In the Personal Assessment Roll of 1847 he was assessed with 1 Pleasure Carriage, 1 clock, and thirteen slaves under sixty years of age. At Page 204 of Land Deed Book M., Winston County, Mississippi, is recorded the deed of July 17, 1852, by which Isaac Coleman and Judy, his wife, sold to Walter Ford N l/2, S. 6, T. 16, R. 11 E 1/2 NE 1/4, S. 1, T. 16, Range l0 SE 1/4 and E 1/2 of NE 1/4, 35-17-10 W 1/2, SW l/4, 36-17-10 760 acres. - 189 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY This was probably when they went back to S. C. Walter Ford later sold this land to John W. Robinson, who married Catherine Coleman. It belonged to the widow Robinson, then to Dr. Joe and Hon. Lafayette Robinson, and now much of it belongs to J. P. Coleman. [PICTURE] [PICTURE] WILLIAM ALEXANDER COLEMAN (left) (Uncle Will) Weir, Mississippi July 3, 1861 Feb. 3, 1956 CHARLES CAMERON COLEMAN (at age 70) (right) Cameron, Texas April 7, 1866 Jan. 19, 1953 - 190 - CHAPTER 16 GRIFFIN B. COLEMAN OF OLD CONCORD by J. P. COLEMAN Son of Francis Roe Coleman, born July 12, 1786, and Grandson of Robert Coleman, who died 1809. For the purpose of distinguishing him from Griffin Coleman, born 1775, and Griffin Ragsdale Coleman of Winston County, we have assigned to this man the title, "Griffin Coleman of Old Concord." He was born March 3, 1804 and died April 18, 1853. He is buried in the Old Concord cemetery, not used since about 1876, located about seven miles Southwest of Ackerman, Mississippi, in the Northeast 1/4 of Section 31, Township 16, Range 11, near the home (1961) of Izene Blanton. His grave is marked. He was the ancestor of an unusually large number of descendants, as this chapter will reveal. He was married to Elizabeth Ross, born 1800, who was buried in the same cemetery in 1878, but her grave has no marker. Elizabeth Ross, the wife of Griffin Coleman of Old Concord, was the daughter of William Ross and his wife, Elizabeth. She had at least six brothers and sisters: Sarah D., who married Richard Blackwood; Mary, who married Samuel Chestnut; Caroline H., who married William Wylie; Susannah, the oldest, who married a Jessup; Jane, who married David Weir; and a brother, Francis M. Ross. Her mother, of the same given name, was the daughter of William Morrow, who died in Chester County, South Carolina, 1825. She had the following aunts and uncles: Jane Morrow, who married James Robinson; Mary Morrow, who married Alexander Parkinson; Margaret Morrow; and an uncle, Samuel Mills Morrow. This was discovered by Mrs. James W. Crowder, 157 York Street, Chester, S. C., in Equity Roll Number 272, Chester County, S. C., which was filed on March 22, 1822. CHILDREN OF GRIFFIN COLEMAN AND ELIZABETH ROSS 1. Hugh Wilson, born 1828. The ancestor of a large number of descendants. 2. Isabella, 1829-1888, married Robert Blackwood. - 191 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 3. William Alexander Coleman,1832-1876. 4. Elizabeth, b. 1835, married her second cousin, Hiram F. Cole- man, son of Robert of Mt. Moriah. No further information 5. Francis, known as Frank,1836-1899. 6. Mary, known as Mollie, b.1842, never married. Our first documentary proof of Griffin Coleman of Old Concord is found in the Alabama federal land records. He was 27 years old in the year 1830 and during the ensuing five years he bought 300 acres of United States Government lands in Wilcox County, Alabama. On January 16, 1836, Deed Book D, Page 323, Wilcox County, Griffin Coleman and wife, Elizabeth Coleman, sold to William T. Matthews the West l/2 of the Northeast 1/4 of Section 15, Township 12, Range 6, on the Alabama River. The writer visited the locality in late August, 1955. On May 4, 1839, Deed Book F, Page 379, Wilcox County, Griffin Coleman conveyed to William Gaston the Southwest 1/4 of the Southwest 1/4 of Section 30, Township 15, Range 7, Wilcox County. By then, however, he was in Winston County, Mississippi, as the deed was acknowledged there. Previously, on August 27, 1836, Land Deed Book B, Page 54, Griffin Coleman had recorded his first conveyance in Winston County, to 160 acres, the West 1/2 of the Southwest 1/4, Section 13 and the West 1/2 of the Northwest 1/4, Section 24, Township 16, Range 10. This was about three miles south of the William Ragsdale (Buck) Coleman location. The house site was where William Bryan Hutchinson lives in 1961. From the Minutes of the Old Concord Church, Page 25, we find that Isabella Coleman and Wilson Coleman, children of Griffin of Old Concord, joined the Church on Friday before the second Sunday in October, 1842. On February 9, 1844, Griffin B. Coleman was in Greene County, Alabama, and sold to Ryan C. Mobley (nephew of Charles P. Coleman) forty acres, a part of the Estate of Francis R. Coleman, deceased. Land Deed Book N, Page 806. On Saturday before the second Sunday in August, 1847, Page 72 of the Concord Minutes, "Bro. G [Griffin] Coleman made his statement concerning an affray on the Master's ground on Saturday before the fourth Sunday in July, 1847, and made acknowledgments to the Church for language made use of by him during the fray, which was satisfactory." - 192 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY On Saturday before the second Sunday in October, 1847, a letter of dismission was granted lo Wilson Coleman, Page 74 of the Minutes. On Saturday before the second Sunday, November, 1847, letter of dismission was granted to Bro. Griffin Coleman and wife. Evidently, feelings engendered by the incident which took place the previous July prompted Griffin to withdraw from the Old Concord Church, but he withdrew in good standing. The Mt. Moriah Church, located between French Camp and the present town of Weir, was founded April 17, 1847. According to its Minutes, on Saturday before the third Sunday in November, 1847, "Brethern H. W. [Wilson] Coleman, Griffin Coleman and wife presented letters from Concord Church, Winston County (now Choctaw County) and were received." Saturday before the 3 Sunday in February, 1848, G. Coleman ap- pointed to the building committee. H. W. Coleman became a deacon on Sat. before the 3 Sunday in May, 1848. Friday before the 3 Sun. in August 1848 Griffin Coleman was on the Committee to inquire into charges growing out of the fight between Bro. Blake and Davis. Same date H. W. Coleman was elected a delegate to the Associa- tion. Sat. before the 3 Sunday in Oct. 1850, prayer was offered by Brother G. Coleman. Sat. before the 3 Sunday in Nov. 1850, "Resolved that this church in all cases take truth for testimony let it come from what sorce (sic) it may." This was in derogation of the rule in the law courts that the testimony of a slave could not be received. Sat. before the 3 Sunday in October, 1851, Bro. G. B. Nations reported that he had been accused oF fornication. Hugh W. Coleman and Griffin Coleman were on the Committee appointed "to investigate the matter." The next month Bro. Nations was acquited. Sat. before the 3 Sunday in March 1852 Bro. Griffin Coleman was elected as a deacon. Sat. before the 3 Sunday in April he was ordained. Bro. John Micou preached the sermon. Sat. before the 3 Sunday in Sept. 1852 G. Coleman and H. W. Coleman elected delegates to the Association. May 14, 1853, Mt. Moriah Church voted to elect a deacon to succeed "our worthy Brother Coleman who departed this life a few days back and has left his seat vacant in the church." - 193 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY WINSTON COUNTY PERSONAL ASSESSMENT ROLL OF 1847 Griffin Coleman 1 clock, 10 14 1 head of cattle 4 slaves under 60 WINSTON COUNTY CENSUS OF 1850 Griffin Coleman, 45, b. S. C. Elizabeth, 50, b. S. C. Elizabeth, 15, b. Alabama. Francis, 14, b. Alabama. Mary (Molly), 8, b. Mississippi. DESCENDANTS OF GRIFFIN COLEMAN OF OLD CONCORD 1. HUGH WILSON COLEMAN. Born 1828, died before 1860. His youngest child was born in 1856. After his death, the widow married Abner Howard. Martha J. Coleman, the wife of Wilson Coleman, was born August 11, 1831, and died May 10, 1924, age 93. She is buried in the Weir cemetery as are the other descendants of Wilson Coleman unless otherwise expressly stated. She was the daughter of William Love and his wife Lydia. The children of HUGH WILSON COLEMAN and MARTHA J. COLEMAN were: 1. Lydia G., born December 1, 1849, died July 2, 1932. Married F. J. Simpson. The family moved to Stephenville, Texas, south- west of Fort Worth. While his wife was on a visit to Mississippi, Mr. Simpson was dragged to death by a run-away mule. She is buried at Weir. Their children were Lela, Nannie, Ida, and Hugh, all dead except Hugh, who now lives in Missouri. 2. Florence Irene, born October 30, 1853, died May 30, 1927. She was known as Sallie. Married late in life to Bill Hutchinson. 3. Frank G., born November 30, 1853, died March 18, 1925. Mar- ried Mattie Buntin, born November 21, 1856, died May 28, 1942. - 194 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Frank G. Coleman came within a few votes on at least two diff- ferent occasions of being elected Sheriff of Choctaw County. 4. Nannie L., born June 16, 1856, died April 27, 1941. Married William J. Smith, born December 6, 1849, died September 6, 1923. 2. ISABELLA COLEMAN, born March 23, 1829, and died August 30, 1888. Married Robert Blackwood, who was born September 4, 1816, and died December 17, 1886. Buried New Concord. The 1860 Census of Winston County states that Robert Blackwood was born in North Carolina, his wife in Alabama. He owned real estate valued at $3,500, personal property, $800. Children: 1. Nettie Blackwood, married Bill Roberts, Sheriff of Choctaw County. 2. John Henry (Dock) Blackwood. 3. Marcene Elizabeth Thompson, born January 8, 1851, died May, 1940. Mother of William Griffin Thompson, born December 11, 1877. 4. William Alexander (Dutch) Blackwood, grandfather of James Blackwood, Doyle Blackwood, and Roy Blackwood, famous Blackwood Brothers Singers, whose father was Emmett Blackwood, and whose great grandfather was Isaiah Daniel Coleman. 5. Richard (Dick) Blackwood, went to Texas. 6. Bob Blackwood, went to Texas. 7. George Terrell Blackwood, died in Elaine, Arkansas. 8. Rebecca (Becky) Married E. N. (Lige) Catledge. 9. Mary, married Olen Porter. 10. Ross Blackwood (E. R.), died in Memphis, resident of Arkan- sas. 11. Sallie, married a Crow in Louisiana. 12. Tom L. Blackwood, died a few years ago in Texas. 13. Ada, married a Pomeroy. 14. E. W. (Buddy) Blackwood, lives in California. CHILDREN OF EDWARD THOMPSON, A CONFEDERATE VETERAN, AND ELIZABETH MARCENE BLACKWOOD THOMPSON 1. Joe Thompson 2. William Griffin Thompson - 195 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 3. Eddie, died at age 2 4. Haley Bell, died unmarried 5. Betty, married Lee Sides 6. Jim Thompson, died in Jackson 7. Eula, married Jess Fulcher, dead (The writer regrets very much that he does not have available the genealogical data complete on the above extensive family, but this data should give a good "start" to those interested.) 3. WILLIAM ALEXANDER COLEMAN, born 1832, died 1876, at the age of 44. He married Julia Ann Black, born 1843, daughter of J. B. Black and Nancy Poole. Her son, Mr. W. A. Coleman, who lived to be 95, told me that his mother was born in Georgia, but the 1860 census states that she was born in Mississippi. She died December 31, 1873, age forty years. She and her husband are buried in Beulah Cemetery, near Weir, Mississippi. Their graves are immediately north of William Alexander Coleman, born 1861. Their children: 1. William Alexander Coleman, known as Will, born July 3, 1861, died February 3, 1956. Age 95. 2. Charles Energy Coleman, born at West Station, where his father was teaching school, April 7, 1866, died at Cameron, Texas, January 19,1953, age 87. 3. Alma, born 1869. Married John M. Wade, who was born No- vember 2, 1849, and died February 2, 1897. He is buried in the Bear Creek Cemetery, Attala County. She thereafter married Charlie Gladney. William Alexander Coleman, born 1832, was a school teacher. He was very delicate all his life, suffered from "bronchitis." His sons, however, were very stalwart men, who lived to a great age. The writer's grandfather, Jacob Feaster Coleman, 1853-1934, went to school to his cousin, William Alexander Coleman, at Beulah, near Weir, although that town was not then in existence. I have heard Grandfather Coleman say that one of the worst thrashings he ever received in his life was at the hands Of schoolmaster William Alexander Coleman for some infraction of his rules at Beulah. Our first documentary record of him is found in the Mt. Moriah Church Minutes, Page 158, Saturday before the second Sunday in July, 1859, when he was reported present at the church conference. - 196 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Next, we have the Winston County personal assessment rolls of 1863, at which time he was assessed with one pleasure carriage, valued at $100. He was a Confederate Soldier. His son, Mr. William Alexander Coleman, 1861-1956, told the writer he remembered the bright moon- light night when his father got home from the War, although he was only five years old at the time. William Alexander Coleman, born July 3, 1861, and died February 3, 1956, was one of the writer's favorite and most loyal friends. We spent lots of time together during which he furnished much of the background information contained in this chapter. Indeed, without his assistance it could never have been put together at all for it had been lost in the threads of much time. He was a mall of strong convictions, experienced no hesitancy in taking the side to which he believed he should adhere, yet was personally of gentle character, possessed of much good humor, and a Favorite to his last days of all who knew him. He spent his life on his farm within sight of Beulah, his native heath, and at Weir, only two miles away. During his latter years he made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Winfield M. Black, but maintained the closest ties and frequent association with his large family of children, who kept up the keenest interest in him. He enjoyed the loyalty and devotion of a large family to the end of his days. On December l2, 1886, he was married to Emma Catherine Steele, born March 27, 1865, died June 27, 1930. DEATH OF MRS. W. A. COLEMAN (THE CHOCTAW PLAINDEALER--JULY 3, 1930) The Plaindealer regrets to chronicle the death of Mrs. Will A. Coleman which sad event occurred at her home south of Weir in Beat 4, in the Beulah Church community, on last Friday evening, June 27th, at 7:45, after a long illness. Mrs. Coleman was about 65 years of age, a lifelong member of the Baptist Church and an elegant Christian character in every relation of life, and held in high esteem by all who came in the circle oF her acquaintance. She is survived by her husband and six children as follows: Messrs. S. P. Coleman, McComb City; C. E. Coleman, Grenada, W. E. Coleman Whitney, C. S. Coleman. Greenwood: John M. Coleman, Indianola; Henry C. Coleman, Drew; Mrs. W. M. Black, Weir, and Mrs. Harvey E. Morris, Ackerman. Funeral services were held at Beulah Church cemetery on last Saturday morning at 11:00 o clock, services being in charge of Rev. D. L. Hill, pastor - 197 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY of the Baptist Church of this place, who paid a beautiful tribute to her Christian character and life. Her six stalwart and devoted sons acted as pallbearers when the last sad rites were performed and her remains placed at rest to await the resurrection. We join the many friends of the loved ones and friends in extending our deepest sympathy in their great great bereavement. Truly, a splendid character has passed to her reward. CHILDREN OF WILLIAM ALEXANDER COLEMAN (b.July 3, 1861) 1. Sam P. Coleman, b. December 13, 1888. Married on June 30, 1919,to Rubye Maynor (b.March 12, 1890). No children. 2. C. Eugene Coleman, b. March 12, 1890). Married on June 6, 1917 to Allie Belle Sloan. Children, Mary L. (Married Sam J. Simmons) b.October 4,1918; Kathryn E., b.July 13, 1922. 3. William1 E. Coleman b. July 29, 1892. Married on October 22, 1922, Ethel Trainor. Son, William Marion Coleman, born Sep- tember 22, 1926. 4. Myrtle Coleman, b. November 7, 1894. Married May 25, 1918, Winfield M. Black. No children. 5. Pansy Coleman, b. July 1, 1897, Married November 17, 1920, Harvey Morris. No children. 6. Clyde Steele Coleman, b. November 20, 1899. Married on De- cember 11, 1926, Mamie Clare Evans. Son, Clyde Steele Cole- man.,Jr., b. January 19, 1935. 7. John M. Coleman, b. January 9, 1903, Married on July 29, 1937 to Mayvis Prewitt, great grand-daughter of the Settler John Pre- witt. She was born March 20, 1908. 8. Henry Carlisle Coleman, b. December 18, 1906. On May 10, 1943, married to Beulah Singletary. No children. Charles Energy Coleman, was born April 7, 1866, at West Station, Holmes County, Mississippi, where his father was teaching school. He died Cameron, Texas, January 19, 1953, age 87. He moved to Texas in 1894 and came back in 1896 to marry Susan Catherine Turnipseed, Nov. 3, 1869-Jan. 10, 1961. Their children were Mike Coleman, d. Aug. 6, 1959, and a daughter, Ruth Coleman, who married John William Rosson on 1 June 30, 1925, and still lives in Cameron, Texas. Charles Energy Coleman was an active, vigorous man, as his photograph taken at the age of 70, will show. For many years he was a sales - 198 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY representative for a coffee company throughout a large territory in Texas, and later following other pursuits of like kind. Mrs. Alma Coleman Wade, daughter of William Alexander Coleman, who died in 1876, was the mother of a daughter, Julia Wade, who married Brack Miller, and was living when last heard from at 88 Virginia Street, Amarillo, Texas. Mrs. Miller was the mother of Mrs. Deolece Miller Parmelee, who was living at Monahans, Texas, in 1962. Both these ladies have shown keen interest in family history and have furnished much valuable information. Mrs. Alma Coleman Wade was born Feb. 24, 1869 and died January 17, 1953. She is buried at Bear Creek Church, Attala County. 4. FRANCIS (FRANK) COLEMAN. Born in Alabama, 1836. He served in Company I, 15th Mississippi Infantry, Confederate States Army. On Jan. 2, 1889, he was killed in a personal battle, in which several others were killed, including one of his own sons. There had been a feud with some neighbors. The killing took place in the Southeast l/4 of the Northeast 1/4 of Section 1, Township 16, Range 10, Choctaw (formerly Winston) County. This land was owned after 1945 by J. P. Coleman. Francis married Elizabeth Prewitt, the daughter of John Prewitt and his wife, Mary A. Prewitt, original settlers near the old Natchez Trace in the French Camp area, Choctaw County. He evidently was a very strong willed man, like most of the Colemans. Our first documentary reference to him is in the Mt. Moriah Church minutes, Page 125, wherein it is reported that on Saturday before the second Sunday in May, 1854, a "Committee was appointed to talk to and admonish Bro. F. [Francis] Coleman" in relation to certain reports." He was then eighteen years of age. His father had been dead for a year. Then, Page 127, on Saturday before the second Sunday in July, 1854, "the case of Bro. Frank Coleman was then taken up. On motion of Bro. Brown he was excluded for general misconduct." This might not have amounted to more than dancing, as the churches were very stern on such matters in those days. We next find him in the Winston County Census of 1860. He then owned real estate of the value of $1200 and personal property worth $200. His wife is stated to have been born in Mississippi. His mothers age 60, had real estate worth $1200. She was living with Francis, as was the daughter, Mary, known as Molly. - 199 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY He thereafter served in the Confederate Army, as above stated. At the 1880 census he had a son, John J., born 1859. He was killed in the feud of 1889 along with his father. The writer's great Aunt, Mrs. Laura Eugenia Coleman Bruce, 1866-1934, lived in Sight of the death ground and heard the firing. She said that John J. was an unusually gentle, well mannered man, who could cook and baked excellent cakes. Frank Coleman had a daughter named Margaret, of whom we now know nothing, except that she was born in the year 1870. Another daughter, named Ida, was born in 1868. She married Jesse Naugle and had no children. Another daughter, Emma, married Charles Boggan, son of Dr. Boggan, a near neighbor on the north side of the Yockanookany. They moved to McKinney, Texas, and from there went to Okemah, Okla- homa. In recent years, the writer met Mr. Aubrey Lee, then of Redmond, Utah, a grandson of Charles and Emma Boggan. He had a brother, Jack Lee, then living in Livermore Falls, Maine. Griffin Coleman, of Old Concord, was a first cousin of Robert Coleman, of Mt. Moriah. On Wednesday evening, the 2nd day of January [1891], between sundown and dark near Fentress in Choctaw county one of the most terrible and bloody tragedies occured that ever happened in that county. For sometime Mr. Francis Coleman and his son James have been on bad terms with William and Charles DeLay over a dispute about some land between the Colemans and the Delays and their three sisters, the two families living only about two hundred yards apart. On the evening mentioned the four men engaged in a deadly conflict, in which Francis Coleman and Charles DeLay were killed and James Coleman and William DeLay were badly wounded and Mrs. Pearson a sister to the DeLays was severely injured. Four double barreled shot guns loaded with buckshot and a pistol were used in the conflict, and two of the shot guns were battered and torn to pieces in the fight. The jury of Inquest found that Charles Boggan, a son-in-law of Francis Coleman, was an accessary to the killing of Charles DeLay. This is a terrible state of affairs and it seems that peacemakers might have prevented such a tragedy by taking the proper steps in time.-- THE WINSTON SIGNAL, January 12, 1889. PREWITT APPENDIX John Prewitt, the father of Frank Coleman's wife, was born in South Carolina, March 29, 1794, and died February 6, 1873. His wife, Elizabeth Gowan Prewitt, was born in Virginia, March 20, 1800, and - 200 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY died April 26, 1847. He married again after the death of his first wife, but we do not know her family name. The graves of John Prewitt and Elizabeth Gowan Prewitt may be found on the north bank of the old Louisville and Winona public road, now abandoned, West of the J. Phillip Prewitt place. There are several graves. The only other marked grave is that of their daughter, Missouri Ann Prewitt, born December 27, 1834, died September 16, 1852. Among the children of his first marriage were Dudley Prewitt, Major Russell G. Prewitt, Andrew Jackson Prewitt and Dr. R. K. Prewitt, all Confederate Veterans, as well as Elizabeth, who married Francis Coleman. The son, Andrew Jackson Prewitt, married Sarah (Sallie) Coleman, daughter of Isaiah Daniel Coleman and his first wife, Agnes Ferguson. CHOCTAW COUNTY CENSUS OF 1860 John Prewitt, age 66, farmer, born in South Carolina, Wife, Mary A. Prewitt, 40, born in Virginia. Sons: Jackson A. Prewitt, age 20. Rufus K. Prewitt, age 16. John H. Prewitt, age 10. All born in Mississippi. Dudley Prewitt, age 30, born in Alabama. WINSTON COUNTY NOTES Probate Court Records, Winston County, Book 1, Page 2. October 4, 1837. Ordered that a jury by view be appointed to lay out a great road leading as follows, to-wit, leaving the Choctaw road at the Chickasaw Trace two miles above the house of N. Woodward to the County line of Choctaw in Section No. 4 in Township No. 16 Range 10, to intersect a road leading to Greensborough in Choctaw County, and that the following named persons be appointed said jury, James Peeler, Alfred Gilkey, Jesse Shomaker, John Weir, Abram Miller, John Shomaker, Tigual Pugh, David Cotton, Overton Cotton, Stephen Miller, R. D. Brown and Larking T. Turner, and that they meet at the time and place appointed by the Sheriff, etc. - 201 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY This is the road which later became the Louisville and Winona Road. lt is still in its original location through the farm of J. P. Coleman. It ran immediately in front of the William Ragsdale Coleman house, later owned by Daniel Coleman. November 25, 1837 (Page 6). W. C. Coleman took his seat as a Member of the Board of Police for Winston County. Wednesday, 14 February, 1838. It is further ordered that S. T. Potts be appointed overseer on the Coleman Road from where the Tchula Road leaves the same to the county line and that he have the following named hands, to-wit, S. T. Potts and hands, R. D. Brown and hands, W. R. Coleman and hands, William Head and hands, Elijah Brown. Page 16. James May appointed Captain of the Patrol in Beat 4. Griffin Coleman and William R. Coleman, Members of the Company. Page 26. February, 1839. Williams C. Coleman noted as living on the Macon Road between Louisville and Murphy Creek. January 6, 1840. Williams C. Coleman still a Member of the Police Court and Burr H. Head elected President of the Court. (Page 44). Page 85. Services of W. C. Coleman and Burr H. Head on the Board of Police expired. Burr H. Head appointed Overseer of the Poor. February 15, 1842. William R. Coleman Overseer of the Coleman road from his place to the Choctaw County line. James McLcelland Sherilf in 1842. May, 1844. The Board of Police places a bounty of four dollars for each wolf killed. February 15, 1845, lsaac Coleman appointed Overseer of the Cole- man Road from W. R. Coleman's to the county line. Page 29. June Term, 1838. Burr H. Head, Administrator, Estate of William Head, deceased. - 202 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY R. D. Brown, Samuel T. Potts, and Caleb Barron, Appraisers of the Estate. 27 slaves 20 hogs 9 cattle 6 horses Total Estate $13,419.70 All the heirs conveyed the lands, 200 acres, Section 9 and 10, Township 16, Range 11, to Susannah Head. W. R. Coleman, who signed for his wife; John Murphy, of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, who must have signed for his wife; James B. McLelland, same; Burr H. Head; William W. Head. William R. Coleman received 7 slaves in the distribution of the estate. John W. Murphy received 7 slaves. James B. McLelland, received 7 slaves. William W. Head, received 3 slaves and 143 acres of land in South Carolina. Susannah Head, received 3 slaves. July 1, 1839. Samuel T. Potts, R. D. Brown, John Kennedy, Griffin Coleman, John Weir, Thomas Weir, Thomas P. Miller, William Smith, John Smith, James G. Rook, John Gardner, and Nathaniel Woodward appointed a jury to meet at the home of William R. Coleman on July 15 to determine the mental condition of William W. Head. It was the verdict of the jury that William W. Head was wholly incapable of taking care of himself. Burr H. Head appointed Guardian. Made bond for $12,000.00 - 203 - CHAPTER 17 GRIFFIN ROE COLEMAN OF WINSTON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI by GEORGE METTS, Louisville, Mississippi Born: Fairfield County, South Carolina, September 27,1807. Died: Winston County, Mississippi, May 29,1877. Buried: Liberty Universalist (White Church) Cemetery. Griffin Roe Coleman was born September 27, 1807, the son and fifth child of Wiley Roe Coleman and Sarah Ragsdale Coleman, of Feaster- ville Community, Fairfield County, South Carolina. He married Susannah (Susan) Cockrell, daughter of Moses Cockrell, on February 9, 1830. Moses Cockrell, the father of Susannah Coleman, was born February 28, 1799, and died April 9, 1867. His wife, Charlotte, was the daughter of Andrew Feaster and Margaret Fry Cooper. She was born August 8, 1809, and died October 28, 1864. Both are buried at Soule Chapel Methodist Church, about six miles Northwest of Macon, Mississippi. Fourteen years later, on the day before the anniversary of this marriage, Griffin R. Coleman purchased 80 acres of land from one "Joseph May" in Section 14, Township 15, Range 13, Winston County, Mississippi, adjacent to the plantation of his brother-in-law and first cousin, Williams Charles Coleman. It is recorded that he paid two hundred forty dollars for this property. The Warranty Deed transferring the title to Griffin R. was witnessed by Williams C. Coleman. As he brought his entire family West with him to Mississippi and lived the latter half of his life on this one Mississippi homesite, this sketch of G. R. Coleman (1807-1877) will begin in Mississippi. In all probability, Griffin R. and his wife walked over this "new home" on their fourteenth wedding anniversary, accompanied by their children, Amanda, 13; Moses, 11; Sarah, 7; Susan Regina, 4; and Walter W., 2, the youngest, and, like the rest, born in South Carolina. It does not seem likely that Griffin R. (he is listed in all Winston County, Mississippi, land transactions as Griffin R., possibly to distinguish him from "Griffin Coleman of Concord," his first cousin, who settled earlier in the county) would make the trek to Mississippi without his family as he already had - 204 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY at least two brothers, William Ragsdale and W. W. Coleman, and one sister, Sophia, living in Winston County, besides a number of cousins. The Colemans of Winston County are known as a clannish family, but do not frequently visit one another. They, however, have a "family saying" that "blood is thicker than water," and will quickly come to the aid of a brother or sister, although there be little visiting between families in times of peace and tranquility. There is a good chance that Griffin R. and his family stayed with William Charles and Sophia until a house could be erected on this property, described as the "East 1/2 of Southwest Quarter, Section 14, Township 15, Range 13." Whether there was a home on this property at the time Griffin R. purchased it is not recorded. In any event, the house which Griffin R. either built or acquired was a long two story structure, with a porch along half of the west side. The other half was enclosed as a bedroom, and there were sheds constructed on the North and South sides, also used as sleeping quarters. The kitchen was constructed in a building to itself a good way from the house. This building was later occupied by Walter W. Coleman, youngest son of G. R. and stood until well after 1900, when the property was sold outside the family and the building torn down. Immediately in back of the house was a small stream or "branch," the headwaters of Mill Creek, which in turn are the headwaters of Noxubee River. The source of the branch was a spring at the home of Williams Charles approximately one mile south. Strangely enough, Mill Creek flows North, but another stream, also said to have originated on Coleman property, flowed South and is generally credited to be the headwaters of Pearl River. It was to the North along Mill Creek which Griffin R. bought property until by the outbreak of hostilities with the North, he or his cousin, Williams Charles and Isaiah Daniel (still spoken of as "Uncle Dan'l" by descendents, many who neither know who he was nor what became of him, but whose exploits became folk legend), owned most of the property in what is now old Mill Creek community, and parts of Bond and Murphy Creek communities of Winston County. Daniel Coleman moved away from his home place, however, about three and one-quarter miles West of the Griffin R. and Williams Charles residences, in 1860, settling in extreme Northwest Winston County in what is now Choctaw County on property he purchased from Williams - 205 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Ragsdale Coleman, which was the original Coleman homestead in Mississippi. Griffin Roe was thirty-six years of age when he moved to Mississippi, and as already mentioned, had five children between the ages thirteen and two. Two more children were born after he arrived in Mississippi, Jacob Feaster, 1845, a son; and Emily Fairfield, a daughter, born in 1849, and carried in the 1850 Census rolls as "South Carolina." Winston County personal tax rolls show that in 1847, three years after coming to Winston County, G. R. Coleman was assessed for twenty-four head of cattle and five slaves under sixty years of age. In 1863, he was assessed for one pleasure carriage and eleven slaves under sixty years of age, which in point of slaves made Griffin R. Coleman the smallest slave holder of the older Winston County Coleman settlers. He continued almost from the day he arrived in Mississippi until his death to obtain property, mostly in small parcels, along or near Mill Creek, and from before the Civil War until his death on May 20, 1877, owned and operated a water mill in Section 2, Township 15, Range 13, on Mill Creek, where he both ginned cotton and ground corn. . Except for the faint trace of a ditch no sign of the old mill remains today. This mill site is on Mill Creek on property commonly referred to as the "Sallie Elleton Place," who incidentally was his granddaughter, child of his daughter, Sarah, and her second husband, J. C. Cannon. Griffin Roe Coleman was on his way to this mill in a wagon when the wagon reportedly slipped on a wet hillside roadbed near his home. Somehow he was thrown out of the wagon and crushed between a wagon hub and the clay bank. He died on the above mentioned date as a result of these injuries. In 1866, Union troops confiscated twenty-five bales of cotton from G. R. Coleman at this mill, engaging a party named "Cage" to haul this cotton by wagon to Macon where it was shipped by train. Both Griffin R. and his son, Walter W., known as "Burr," were at the mill when the cotton was taken. in 1933, an instrument seeking compensation for this cotton was filed in Winston County by his surviving children, Emily Fairfield Coleman Metz and W. W. Coleman. On Griffin Roe Coleman's children, the oldest daughter, Amanda, married Adam Cooper, September 28, 1853; Sarah first married Francis Marion Triplett (buried 16th Hills graveyard, 1862), and then J. C. Cannon; Moses married Sallie L. Cooper, April 9, 1868; Walter W. married Dolly C. A. Metts, on December 21, 1867; Jacob Feaster married Charlotte Pagan, on December 7, 1869; and Emily Fair - 206 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY field married George Young Metz, on November 12, 1868. (It might be noted that Dolly "Metts" and George "Metz" were brother and sister, as were W. W. and Emily Coleman. For some unexplained reason some descendents of George Y. Metz use the "Metz" spelling, others the "Metts" spelling, but seldom consistently, which results in considerable confusion, especially in obtaining records from gravestones, deeds, and tax records.) Regina Susan, Griffin R. Coleman's third daughter, died August 20, 1867, unmarried, and like all, with the exception of Amanda and Sarah, are buried in the Liberty Universalist Cemetery. Liberty Universalist Church, known as "The White Church," is listed as having been organized in 1846 in a national directory of Unitarian- Universalist Churches, however, this date could not be authenticated by the researcher of this particular chapter. Wording of the warranty deed conveying the property to Liberty Church by Williams Charles Coleman would indicate that buildings or "tenaments" existed on the property prior to the transfer of title, and in all probability services were conducted at the property and in homes of members of the faith prior to the actual transfer of Five and 45/100 acres to Liberty Church on May 10, 1859. Book Q (Record of Deeds, Winston County, Mississippi), Page 25 shows that on May 10, 1859, Williams Charles Coleman conveyed to Liberty Church the Five and 45/100 acre property, the indenture being between "William Coleman of the county and state above named, of the firstpart, and C. Y. Rowland, A. Gillis, Esq., and W. B. Welch, trustees of Liberty Church, describing the property as commencing at a large white oak one Chain Northeast of the Spring known as the Spring of "Linches Schoolhouse." There is no record, however, of Giles Linch having owned land in Section 10, Township 15, Range 13 East, prior to the above mentioned transfer of title. It is of possible significance that between 1850 when H. Lanham purchased the entire Section from J. H. Hardy and H. Gray, to February 29, 1856, when Williams C. Coleman acquired the West half from a G. B. Sanders, the property changed hands four times and that Giles Linch settled on property in adjacent Section 9, Township 15, Range 13, as early as 1848. Who built the schoolhouse and why it became known as "Linches Schoolhouse" is not known; however, Giles Linch was a literate man, and was elected to the Mississippi Legislature from Winston County as early as 1855. Some of his descendents are buried in the Church Cemetery, but a child who died after he settled nearby is buried, like Daniel Coleman's three children, in an unmarked grave within sight of his original homesite. - 207 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY The first marked grave at the Liberty Cemetery is that of Regina Susan Coleman, daughter of Griffin Ragsdale and Susan Cockrell Coleman, who died August 20, 1867. GENEALOGICAL AND CENSUS DATA COMPILED BY J. P. COLEMAN WINSTON COUNTY CENSUS OF 1850 Griffin Coleman, 42, b. S. C. Susanna Coleman, 37, b. S. C. . Amanda Coleman, 19, b. S. C. Moses Coleman, 17, b. S. C. Sarah Coleman, 13, b. S. C. Regina Coleman, 10, b. S. C. Walter Coleman, 8, b. S. C. Jacob Coleman, 5, b. Miss. So. Carolina Coleman, 1, b. Miss. WINSTON COUNTY CENSUS OF 1860 G. R. Coleman, 52, b. S. C. Personal property $10,000. Real estate, $4,500. Susannah, 48 Moses, 25 Susan, 21 Walter, 1 8 Jacob, 1 5 Emily (listed above as So. Carolina), 8 GENEALOGY OF THE WINSTON COUNTY COLEMANS DESCENDANTS OF GRIFFIN R. COLEMAN AND SUSANNAH COCKRELL AMANDA COLEMAN, born December 6, 1830, died June 1, 1908. Married Adam Mayfield Cooper, born July 28, 1828, died June 27, 1899. Buried at Louisville. He was the son of George Cooper and his - 208 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY wife, Sallie Mayfield. George was the son of Peter Cooper, who settled in Georgia. This couple had four sons and three daughters. I am sorry that I do not know the names of all of them. Among them was John Walter Cooper, who was born November 26, 1857, at Louisville. On November 10, 1881, he married Miss Sarah Jane McGee. She was born December 26, 1861. Mr. Cooper died January 3, 1903 at Yakima, Washington. Mrs. Cooper died July 6, 1952 at Tacoma, Washington. They were the parents of a daughter, Sallie, born at Louisville on September 5, 1896. She married Harry Tell Metzler in Tacoma, Washington, on April 9, 1924. In 1955, Mrs. Metzler was living at 716 South 53 Street, Tacoma. II CHILDREN OF MOSE COLEMAN AND MRS. SARAH COOPER COLEMAN 1. Polly. Born December 13, 1872. Died June 1, 1945. She was the second wife of Pace Lipscomb. He was born August 17, 1871, died September 7, 1931. He first married Regina Coleman, daughter of Walter W. (Burr) Coleman. Children of Mrs. Polly Lipscomb were: Cooper Lipscomb Anderson and Wade Randolph Lipscomb, both deceased, and Mrs. Polly Lipscomb Lantz, of Pubelo, Colorado, and Edward Pace Lipscomb, of Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Lipscomb are buried at Mashulaville. 2. George Bell Cooper Coleman. Born April 22, 1869, died January 18, 1955. Married, October 28, 1923, Manassa Roe (Tommie) Cole- man, daughter of Jacob Feaster Coleman. 3. Sallie Coleman, born August 28, 1876, died February 28, 1923. 4. Griffin Roe Coleman, born April 2, 1878, married Florence Richardson, and still alive as this is written. Children: Eugene, Kate, and Evon. III SARAH COLEMAN. First married Marion Triplett. Had two sons, Albert and Walter. He died in Macon, during the Civil War, while trying to make his way home. Second marriage to Jack Cannon. Three children, Sallie, who married Jake Murphy, Dell, and Henry, who had nine children. Albert Triplett had two sons, Marion and Nimrod. IV WALTER W. COLEMAN (BURRA). Married Dollie Metts, December 22, 1867. - 209 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 1. Regina, born July 3, 1870, died July 15, 1898. Married Pace Lipscomb, his first wife. Her children were Walter Jasper Lipscomb, of Schlater, Miss. and Albert Floyd Lipscomb of Macon, Miss. 2. Mrs. Minnie Coleman Johnson, born October 18, 1872, married Davis Y. Johnson, January 20, 1892. Died September 19, 1930. 3. Lola Coleman Caldwell, born October 31, 1876, married Caldwell. Died October 31, 1933. 4. Ossie Coleman Bouchillon, born June 16, 1879. Married J. K. Bouchillon, November 24, 1904. Died March 7, 1919. Roy Bouchillon is a son of this marriage. 5. Mary Bell Coleman McCool, born June 1, 1886. Married W. Charles McCool, November 24, 1904. Died January 21, 1921. Buried at Murphy Creek. Children: Waldine, Carrie May, Dollie, who married Attorney Hoy Hathorn, Walter, and Annie B. 6. Amanda Coleman Jones, born August 15, 1889. Married Wayne Jones, August 19, 1916. Died October 15, 1965. Buried at Murphy Creek. Children: Mrs. Dorothy Myer, Mrs. Mary Lucy Canizaro, Walter, Regina McKay, Lee Meets Jones, and Mrs. Suzanna McKay. V JACOB FEASTER COLEMAN AND HIS WIFE, CHARLOTTE PHAGAN 1. Susie, who married Jake Livingston. Sons, Hubert and Halbert. 2. Robert E. Coleman, born March 31, 1873, died August 27, 1939. Married Pearl Moore, who died 1964. Daughter, Mrs. Erma Thorne, of Meridian, Mississippi, has been much interested in family history. Son, Billy Coleman, Lucedale, Mississippi. 3. Kirk Coleman, born October 10, 1R74, died February 28, 1945. married Alma Croft. They are buried at Betheden. 4. Roxie, married Lewis Suber. Children: Inez, Robert, Lawrence, Clayton, Hurold, Madge, and Maude. 5. Manassa Roe (Tommie), born November 27, 1879. Died May 28, 1955. Married G. B. Cooper Coleman. 6. Elbert Feaster Coleman (Ell). Born, 1881. Died May 3, 1963. Buried at New Hope Methodist Church. Married (1) Velma Ruth Deason, died 1920, (2) Lyda B. Sullivan McNeel. Children: (1) Percy D., Dallas, Texas, (2) Leonard V., died 1941, (3) Bertrand, Carthage, Mississippi, (4) Lester Clayton, deceased, (5) Mrs. Lottie Wall Dean, - 210 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Waco, Texas, (6) Elbert Feaster, Jr., Dallas, Texas, (7) Mrs. Electa Eaves, (8) Daniel Carl, the latter two of Lewisville, Texas. 7. George Alma Coleman (Sugar Baby). VI EMILY FAIRFIELD COLEMAN, born April 27, 1849. Married George W. Metz, November 12, 1868. She died in 1936. He was born 1844, died 1915. Parents of twelve children. The youngest twins. Ollie, Edgar Belmont, George, Elbert, Albert Walton, Mary May, Nancy Pearl, Daisy Jack, Ahmalean, Ahvallene. In August, 1919, Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman and Mrs. Mary Coleman Faucette, of Feasterville, South Carolina, visited their Winston County kin. Here are some of the notes kept by Mrs. Coleman on this trip: "Moses was 12 years old when they came to Mississippi in wagons and carryalls for the women and children. Several families came together. Four weeks on the way. After the surrender he came back by Rock Hill and by home of relatives in Fairfield, riding a fine U. S. horse he had captured. Name Gunboat. Got home in fourteen days, swimming all the rivers, till he reached Tuscaloosa. Was a great hunter. Has killed 6 wild turkeys at one shot. His father (Griffin R.) killed 9 at one shot. His father used to hunt bears in Mississippi Valley (delta)." "James Bouchillon ancestors from Abbeville, South Carolina, of French descent. Married Rebecca Straight. Son Kirk Bouchillon married Osceola (Ossie) Coleman. Daughter Ann Bouchillon mar- ried Henry Fulcher. Son, Lucien, played the violin for us." Liberty Universalist Church & Graveyard, 6.9 Miles Northeast Of Louisville, Mississippi, On The Old Coleman Road. Turn Right (Opposite Little Residence) Go .3 Miles To "White Church As It Is Known There. 1. Moses Coleman 3/18/1832-7/25/1923. 2. Sallie Cooper Coleman (wife) 1/26/1837-3/12/1919. 3. Sallie Coleman (Dtr.) 8/28/1876-2/28/1923. 4. Velma, wife of Elbert Coleman, 12/23/1877-1/18/1919. 5. Lester, Son of E. F. & V. R. Coleman, 4/18/1917-5/31/1918. 6. Robert E. Coleman, 3/31/1873-8/27/1939. - 211 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 7. Chester D. Coleman, Officers Training Camp, 4/27/1892 2/20/1938. 8. Jacob Feaster Coleman, 3/17/1845-7/6/1920. 9. Charlotte Pagan (wife), 1/31/1847-9/18/1910. 10. Clayton, son of J. F. & C. P., 4/3/1888-10/S/1895. 11. Hattie, Dtr. of J. F. & C. P., 1/11/1872-3/15/1896. 12 George B. Pagan, 7/28/18.16-7/25/1901. 13. Mrs. Susan Coleman, 1810-7/30/1894. 14. G. R. Coleman, died 5/20/1877, aged 70 years, 4 months, 16 days. (Griffin R.). 15. Regina Susan, Dtr. of G. R. & S., died 8/20/1857, aged 28 years 12 days. 16. W. R. Coleman, died 10/2/1884, age 4 years, 4 months. 17. Minnie Coleman Johnson, wife of Davis Yancy Johnson, 10/18/1872-9/19/1930. 18. Dollie Metz Coleman, wife of W. W. Coleman, 9/7/1846- 3/8/1931. 19. W. W. Coleman, Co. G 20th Miss. Reg. Lorings Division, 1/2/1842-3/21/1933. 20. Ossie Coleman Bouchillon, 6/16/1879-3/7/1919. In the Metz Plot are the graves of George Y. Metz (1844-1915) and Emily Fairfield Coleman Metz (1849-1936), with a list of their children. On September 15, 1949, returning from Jackson, Mississippi, we (Mr. and Mrs. D. B. Clayton, Sr., and son Don) came by Louisville, Mississippi, had lunch, and went out Northeast on the Louisville Starkville Road, to Old Webster, there turned South, stopped at Betheden Lutheran Church, then continued to Coleman Road and returned to Louisville, after stopping at Liberty Church. The following buried at Betheden: 1. Robert E. Lee, son of W. T. & S. F. Coleman, 2/23/1902- 8/5/1921. 2. Thomas P. Coleman, Co. I-150th Inf., b. 11/30/1894-d. 10/22/1918, in England. 3. Willie L., son of W. T. & S. F. Coleman, 3/14/1890-9/7/1906. 4. Wm. Thomas Coleman, 4/26/1855-7/25/1923. 5. Sarah Francis Coleman, wife of W. T., 6/11/1866-11/21/1928. - 212 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 6. Alma Croft, wife of A. K. Coleman, 6/17/1879-12/14/1931. 7. A. K. Coleman, 10/10/1874-2/28/1945. DEATH OF W. W. COLEMAN One of Our County's Oldest and Most Esteemed Citizens Passes (WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL) After a lingering illness of several months, death claimed one of our county's oldest and best known citizens, Mr. W. W. Coleman, last Tuesday, March 21st 1933, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Kirk Bouchillon, in Bond community. Funeral services were held at Universalist Church, of which he was a charter member, on Wednesday, in the presence of a large concourse of friends and relatives. Rev. J. C. Watson, of the Presbyterian Church, Louisville, had charge of the services, assisted by Rev. J. L. Ward, of Columbus, and Rev. Blum Wallace, of Shreveport. Mr. Coleman was 91 years of age last January, and had resided all of his life in the community in which he died, and held the high esteem and friendship of all with whom he came in contact because of his upright and honorable principles. Firm in his convictions he could always be located upon any question at issue, and stood for the right. He served loyally and bravely through the Confederate War, and was loyal to the cause until death, taking an interest in the Reunions so long as he was able to attend. Bura Coleman, as he was familiarly known to his comrades and friends, shed light and gladness by his presence, and in his passing they have lost a true and tried friend. Immediate relatives surviving, are: Mrs. Lola Caldwell, of Macon, Mrs. Wayne Jones and Mrs. Kirk Bouchillon, daughters, and one sister, Mrs. George Metts, all of this County. Beginning at Page 180 of Lewis' History of Winston County is found the history of Company D. of Perrin's Regiment of Cavalry of which Robert O. Perrin, of Scooba, was Colonel and Henry L. Muldrow, of Starkville, was Lt. Colonel. Moses W. Coleman, son of Griffin Roe Coleman, was 2nd Sgt., and had a horse shot under him in the charge at Kingston, Georgia, in 1864. According to Pages 185 and 186, this organization fought in the Army of Tennessee and was at Marietta, Kennesaw, Good Hope Church, Peachtree Creek, and opposed Sherman all the way to Savannah. After the surrender, they were in Jeff Davis' train and passed through Unionville (Union) and to Washington, Georgia, where they surrendered on May 9, 1865. - 213 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Thus we see that a Winston County Coleman was one of those who guarded the President of the Confederacy in his unsuccessful flight South after Appomattox. Jacob Feaster Coleman enlisted in the Confederate Army in June, 1863. He served in the twentieth Mississippi Regiment. W. W. Coleman enlisted in 1861, Co. G., Twentieth Mississippi, and was in prison at Camp Douglas at the time of the surrender. LETTER FROM MRS. COOPER COLEMAN TO MRS. JENNIE I. COLEMAN, OF FEASTERVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA Louisville, Miss., March 23, 1924. Dear Cousin Jennie: l am really ashamed to write you, as I have just neglected to write so long. Your letter to Uncle Mose on the 18th of March, his birthday had he been living. He died last July the 26th, after being confined to his bed for 3 weeks. His advanced age, and his daughter Sallie's death, he lost all interest in life. He died at his daughter, Polly's, at Mashulaville, but was brought back to his own home and buried beside his loved ones that had gone before. I deeply sympathize with you in the passing away of your dear son. We all have the same great bereavement of being parted a while from our loved ones. Some times I think if it was not for my great faith in Universalism, I would not care to live, but I know there is a good kind loving Father's hand in all our trials and troubles in this life, and believe some time we will understand. All the kinfolks you asked about are still living and doing fine. Uncle Berry still has rheumatism and cannot get about much, but is as fat as pig and often speaks of his trip to South Carolina. (He went back to South Carolina in 1920). Oh, how I do wish you would visit us again. Well, there has been one great change in my life since you were here. I have only added "Mrs." to my name. Cooper and I married the 28th of last October, and we are living here at Uncle Moses old home place. Chester and George are living at Papa's old home, only the two left now. Chester, you know, has T.B., but is doing just fine. Weighs 196 lbs. Fat and healthy, but must be very careful for several years yet. Uncle Jack Cannon lives with his daughter. Brother Elbert's wife died four years ago, and he married again last April, a widow with three children. Brother Robert has moved to adjoining county (Attala) to live - 214 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY with Pearl's parents that were left by themselves. They are too old and feeble to live alone. Griffin and Florence have 3 healthy little children, a boy and 2 girls, still living at the same place. I stopped to go to Sunday School at Old Liberty, but it began raining, so I cannot go. (Signed) Tommie Coleman WILEY W. COLEMAN b. April 18,1815 d. March 20,1875 Buried at Mashulaville, Mississippi Son of Wiley Coleman of South Carolina. Brother of William Ragsdale Coleman, Mrs. Sophia Coleman, Mrs. Catherine Coleman Robinson, and Griffin Ragsdale Coleman. He married Mary (Polly), daughter of Solomon Coleman and Betty Elam. Moved to Winston County, Mississippi, 1844. Land Deed Book H, Page 382. In the Winston County Census of 1850, his wife is listed as Mary, age 32, son Theophilus, 12, and daughter, Emma, age 2. In the 1860 Census, the value of his real property is given at $20,000, personal property at $50,000. The same children as in 1850, with the addition of William, age 6, born in Mississippi. In the 1863 Personal Assessment Roll of Winston County he was assessed with 40 slaves, 900 dollars loaned out at interest, two pleasure carriages, 1 watch, 1 clock, 1 piano, and 35 head of cattle. Book M, Page 34. John Hardaway "of the Choctaw nation, West of the State of Arkansas" sold to Wilie W. Coleman undivided one-half West 1/2 Southeast 1/4 Section 2, Township 14, Range 14. l9 November, 1851. Land Deed Book M. Page 540. William C. Coleman and Sophia Coleman. 19 March, 1853. Sold to W. W. Coleman North 1/2 Southwest 1/4 East 1/2 Northwest 1/4 and Southeast 1/4 of Section 32, Township 15, Range 14. William T. Coleman, son of Wylie W. Coleman and Mary Coleman was known as Barley. He married Dody Shaw. They had two sons, buried at Mashulaville. One was named Robert, whose grave is not marked, and Edward, whose grave is marked. Wylie had a daughter, Mary (Molly) who married Arthur Jernigan. - 215 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY I am grateful to Mr. E. Q. Richards, of Macon, Mississippi, for this information. U. S. CENSUS OF 1860 WINSTON COUNTY W. W. COLEMAN, 45, Value Of real property, $20,000; Personalty, $50,000 born in S. C. MARY, 43, b. S. C. T. F., 21, b. S. C. (Theophilus) EMMA, 11, b. Miss. Wm., 6, b. Miss. UNCLE ED COLEMAN OF NOXAPATER, MISSISSIPPI One of my favorite friends was Mr. Ed Coleman, of Noxapater, Mississippi. For many years he was Constable of District 5, Winston County, and always served as special deputy at the Circuit Courts when I was Judge and District Attorney. He was a favorite of all who knew him. He was the son of William H. Coleman who enlisted in Pickens County, Alabama, on March 18, 1862, in the 19th Alabama, Joe Wheeler's command. He was born July 20, 1829, and died January 23, 1908. He is buried in the Northeast corner of the Methodist Cemetery at Noxapater. William H. Coleman was the son of Henry Coleman, a Baptist Minister, born in South Carolina. Uncle Ed did not know the family history sufficiently to know whether we were kinfolks. He was so much like all the other Colemans that I always claimed kin with him. Reverend Wayne Coleman, presently Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Oxford, Mississippi, is an authority on this line of Colemans. He is a grandson of Uncle Ed Coleman. I did not want to leave Uncle Ed out of this Coleman Book. JAMES COLEMAN I have not been able to identify this Coleman. In the Winston County census of 1850 he is listed as 45 years of age. He was born in South Carolina. His wife, Cynthia, was 38, and born in North Carolina. - 216 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY The children were Harrison, 17; Elizabeth, 15; Mary, 12; George, 11; Nancy, 9; and Sarah, 5, all born in South Carolina except Sarah, who was born in Mississippi. LETTER FROM MRS. CHARLES C. WICKER Louisville, Mississippi September 14, 1956 Gov. J. P. Coleman Ackerman, Miss. Dear Mr. Coleman: I am sure you will be surprised to get a letter or request not asking for a job--maybe tho this is more than that--What I want so badly is to get connected on our Coleman family line back to Revolution so I can get into the DAR's. Had thought I might get my Triplett line but it seems it will take more time and MUCH more money than I can get to get that done. You may not remember me but I work here in Mr. Shelby Woodward's office and have been in here 10 1/2 years--my Paternal G- Grandfather was Griffin R. Coleman. His sons were Mose--Jake & Walter and I don't know the daughters except my Grandmother was Sallie or Sarah Coleman she married first my Grandfather F. M. Triplett and had two sons Moses Walter, and Albert G. Triplett. My Grandfather died during the Civil War, in Macon. He was very ill and they were trying to get him home, but he never made it. He never did see my Dad as he was born 6 months before G-Dad died and after he had gone to the War. If you do have the line run and would let me use it, could I come to Ackerman some week-end, or of course it would be lots easier on me not having a way to come if you would let Bro. Thrailkill have the material and bring it to me. He is the father of my daughter-in-law. Anyway it will suit you I would manage to get up there if you have time to let me know if you have this data compiled and will let me copy it. Thanking you for any consideration in this matter, I am Sincerely yours, S/ MRS. CHARLES C. WICKER Mrs. Charles C. Wicker 208 Thelma St. Louisville, Mississippi - 217 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Louisville Miss R #4 April 11-1915 Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman Shelton, S. C. Dear Jennie Mott sent me your letter, so I thought I would write to you too. I am Griffin Coleman's oldest son. My father came to Miss in 44. I was born in S. C. I was 12 years old when he came to Miss. I stayed at Uncle Henry Coleman two years & went to school at Feasterville to L. F. W. Andrews. My father had three brothers Buck, Wiley & Wyatt. I dont know how many sisters my father had. My mother was Mose Cockrell's daughter. She was a Granddaughter of Andie Feaster's. Mott Coleman & me are first cousins. His mother was my father's sister, Sofie. Buck Coleman married a Head & moved to Texas in 60. Wiley married Pollie Coleman he died here. Wyatt married my mother's sister & died in S. C. I have two brothers, Walter & Jake, four sisters Amanda, Sallie, Emiley & Susie. I will not tell you any thing about Mott for he is going to write you a long letter soon. I went to school with your father, he came to see me in Miss in 53. I was with him when he killed the first deer he ever killed. Ask me any question & if I can ans. it I will gladly do so. Your Cousin MOSE COLEMAN Louisville, Miss. March 23'd 1924 Dear Cousin Jennie, I am really ashamed to write you as I have just neglected to write so long, but your letter to Uncle Mose on the 18th of March his birthday had he been living, he died last July the 26th after being confined to his bed for three weeks, his advanced age and grieving over his daughter Sallie's death he lost all interest in life. He died at his daughter Pollie's at Mashulaville but was brought back to his own home and buried beside his loved ones that had gone before. `I deeply sympathize with you in the passing away of your dear son. We all have the same great bereavement of being parted a while from our love ones, some times I think if it was not for my great faith in Universalism I would not care to live, but I know there is a good kind - 218 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY loving Father's hand in all of our trials & troubles in this life, and believe some time we will understand. All the kinfolks you asked about are still living and doing fine. Uncle Berry still has rheumatism and cannot get about much but is as fat as a pig and often speaks of his trip to S. C. Oh how I do wish you could visit us again. Well there has been one great change in my life since you was here. I have only had Mrs. added to my name. Cooper and I married the 28th of last Oct and are living here at Uncle Mose's old home place. Chester & George are living at Papa's old home only them two left there now. Chester you know has T.B. but is doing just fine weighs 196 lb fat & healthy looking but must be very careful for several years yet. We thought for over two years he could not live but have great hopes now of him getting entirely over the attack. Aunt Dump still have all her children with her. Uncle Jack Cannon lives with his daughter, very feeble now. I don't guess you are raising any chickens and having a garden. I have 23 baby chicks and have my garden planted, but we are still having winter here had a 12 in snow Mar 13th, only snow we had this winter. Cooper and I are in the creamery business milking 6 cows now. Will have 15 to milk later this spring. I like it fine. Clara & George are selling cream too they have about 20 cows in all. Lots of farmers are selling cream since the Bollweevil gets all the cotton in this country mighty little cotton planted here now. Chickens eggs and cream are the mostly crop. How is Cousin Mary give her my love & respects. You spoke of Sister Robie her health is not very good she has 8 children living and has two grown girls and three grown boys. Inez her oldest daughter taught school this Winter. Brother Elbert's wife died 4 years ago and he married again last April, a widow with three children. Brother Robert has moved to adjoining county (Ittala) to live with Pearl's parents that was left by themselves, they are too old and feeble to live alone. Griffin & Florence has three healthy looking children. A boy and two girls they are doing fine and still live at the same place. I will finish your letter. I stopped to go to Sunday School at Old Liberty but it began raining so I cannot go. I guess you saw in Our Helper that Bro. Strain was preaching for us again that is every 3 months while when he can get loose from his Churches in Ga. He wants to move his family to Miss. - 219 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY must close now and feed my chickens and pick up the eggs. I get between 30 and 40 eggs a day, also go to my turkey nest. I have turkeys too. A housekeeper is kept busy most of the time. Please forgive me and write to me sometimes tell Cousin Mary to write. I guess she is busy with Grand babies. Wth much love and deep sympathy to you in your great bereavement. your loving Cousin Tommie COLEMAN - 220 - CHAPTER 18 ISAIAH DANIEL COLEMAN by J. P. COLEMAN (He was the son of Allen Coleman and his wife, Sarah. He was the grandson of Robert Coleman, died 1809.) Born on Storm Branch of Beaver Creek, waters of the Broad River, Fairfield County, S. C., December 20, 1811. Died at his home about two miles south of Fentress, Choctaw County, Mississippi, April 8, 1889. Buried, Concord Cemetery, 6 miles Southwest of Ackerman, Mississippi. Isaiah Daniel Coleman was a brother of Williams Charles Coleman, Elizabeth Coleman Gladden, and Rebecca Coleman Gladden. These sisters were twins. The first available public record of his life shows that on November 26, 1833 (Book Z, Page 382, Chester County, S. C.) he purchased 84 acres of land on the South Fork of Rocky Creek from Robert Brown. In the same year, when he was twenty-two years of age, he also bought land from John Gladden. His first wife was Agnes Ferguson. Their first children were born and died September 10, 1839, when he was twenty-eight. Agnes died November 1, 1847. He married again on September 2, 1852. In the meantime, his mother died May 27, 1839 and his father died June 21, 1848. On August 2, 1853, for $4,287.25, he conveyed to Alexander B. Douglas 408 1/2 acres of land on which he then lived. Part of this was land on which his father lived and died. This was about two years before the railroad came to Blackstock. (On February 22, 1865, General Jefferson C. Davis, commanding the 14th Corps, U. S. Army, had his headquarters "at the Douglas house, near Blackstock." Page 157, McMaster's History of Fairfield County). MISSISSIPPI Isaiah Daniel Coleman first settled in Mississippi at a place on the Betheden Road about six miles northeast of Louisville, Winston County. On February 6, 1854, (Land Deed Book N, Page 64) for a consideration - 221 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY of $3,000 "to us in hand paid by Isaiah Daniel Coleman, of Chester District and State of South Carolina" Reese Perkins and Mary Perkins sold to "the said Isaiah D. Coleman" the West 1/2 of Section 15 and all of Section 16 (960) acres of Township 15, Range 13, Winston County, As this was near the lands of Williams Charles Coleman, his brother, it would appear that possibly Williams selected the land and made the transaction for Daniel in advance of the removal to Mississippi. In 1856, according to the personal assessment roll of Winston County (now on file at Archives and History in Jackson), I. D. Coleman owned 52 slaves under 60 years of age. Apparently, he made five crops on this plantation, northeast of Louisville. Then, on December 15, 1859, for $6,758 cash, he purchased the 1,763 acre plantation of William Ragsdale (Buck) Coleman, but he was not to obtain possession until October 1, 1860. Presumably, he made the 1860 crop at his original location, and moved to the new place just in time to see the secession of Mississippi, which occurred January 9, 1861. The U. S. Census of 1860 for Winston County, shows that on August 13 of that year B. S. Covington, enumerator, listed the following: I. D. COLEMAN, age 49 Real Estate, $5,000 Personal property, $90,000 Born in South Carolina H. R. (Harriet) age 32 Sara, age 18, female W. C., age 16, male M. S. (Molly), age 15, female J. F. (Jacob Feaster), age 7 H. J. (Henry Jonathan), age 1 All born in South Carolina, except Henry Jonathan, whose birthplace is listed as Mississippi. (The writer, in his early boyhood, listened to several warm arguments between his grandfather, Jacob Feaster Coleman, and William Charles Coleman, the older half-brother, as to Feaster's birthplace. Grandfather Feaster contended that his mother told him he was born in South Carolina. Uncle Bill said that Feaster definitely "was born after the family arrived in Mississippi." The 1860 Census report, as well as the date of the deed from Isaiah D. Coleman to Alexander B. Douglas, proves that Feaster was right, but he died without ever having this proof - 222 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY made available to him. His official death certificate lists him as having been born in Mississippi.) On November 11, 1861, with the War Between the States in full swing, Isaiah Daniel Coleman (Book S, Page 33) for $5,000, sold to E. G. Eiland the same land he purchased from the Perkinses. On August 3, 1861, William Charles Coleman, the seventeen year old son of Isaiah D. Coleman and his first wife, Agnes, enlisted at Webster (about ten miles northeast of Louisville) in Reed's Company of the 20th Mississippi Infantry, CSA. He was in the battles of Fort Donelson, Franklin, and Nashville. He was captured, of course, at Donelson and paroled in 1862. He was with Joseph E. Johnston's Army when paroled at Greensboro, N. Car., April 26, 1865. His negro servant, Joseph Coleman, drew a pension until his death in Winston County, Mississippi. The next public record we have of Daniel Coleman is found in the personal assessment roll for 1863. He was assessed with one pleasure carriage, 1 watch, 1 clock, 80 head of cattle, and 76 slaves under 60 years of age. We are told that Daniel never gave up his belief that the Confederacy would win, and continued to buy slaves at Columbus right up to the end of the War. Of course, when the war was over he was left with nothing but his land, his home, his water mill on Yockanookany Creek, his gin, and his brick kiln, with no labor with which to operate them. It seems, however, that he continued to farm extensively for a number of years, with his former slaves as share croppers. Later in life he himself plowed on land formerly cultivated by his slaves. The War, and all its tragic losses would appear to have come at an extremely unhappy time for him. He was fifty-four years of age when it was over, and lived for twenty-four years afterward. On May 29, 1866 (Book S, Page 385), Daniel Coleman borrowed $800 from Wiley W. Coleman, due January 1, 1867. To secure the repayment of this debt he gave a deed of trust on all his land, 13 mules, 40 head of cattle, 70 hogs, 2 wagons, 1 carriage, 1 gin, 1 thrasher, 500 bushels of corn, 6000 lbs. fodder, 4000 lbs. of bacon, 24 sheep, and 25 plows. Hard times! This Wiley W. Coleman was Daniel's first cousin (son of Wylie Coleman and Sarah Ragsdale). In March, before his death in April, 1889, the sixteen room, two story home, erected by William Ragsdale Coleman, in which Daniel had lived for twenty four years, burned to the ground. He was living in the house at the time, with his youngest son, Henry Jonathan Coleman, and his - 223 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY daughter-in-law, Estelle Bruce Coleman. He had become quite inactive, but continued to read a great deal. He would chew tobacco and use papers for a cuspidor. Johnnie Coleman had been plowing that day in the "flat" in front (West) of the house. At noon time, when he came in from plowing, he gathered up all the soiled newspapers and threw them in a fireplace on the ground floor. The chimney soot became ignited, but it was not thought that the flames had spread. Johnnie went on back to his plowing, but about two o'clock his wife noticed that the roof was on fire. There were no ladders long enough to reach to the second story roof. The March wind was high. The old home and nearly all its furnishings were totally destroyed. Daniel had to be forcibly detained from entering the flames. In less than a month he was dead. Here, in some respects, was a man with an interesting personal history. In some ways it could be said that he was a strange man. He belonged to no church, although his second wife is known to have been a devout Baptist. He would not allow his photograph to be taken, saying that he did not wish to leave any graven image behind him for others to look upon. His wife, however, had her photograph taken, of which several copies are still in existence. He seems to have been a very frugal man. I have heard it said that while riding horseback down the road he would dismount and pick up loose ears of corn lost by others in the roadway. He was a small man in physical size, which seems to have been characteristic of the Colemans of that generation. He is reputed to have been a hard taskmaster with his slaves, which was not commendable. Many years after the end of the War, he was plowing one day when Mr. J. P. Blackwood, then a young man, who had been burning a newground, came across the field. He was black with soot and, pretending he was a Negro, he began a sassy conversation with the old man. He laughed all his life about the energetic manner in which Daniel chased him out of the field. If rain "set in" while he was plowing he would wrap a blanket around his shoulders and plow on until it became too muddy to plow. I am indebted to Hon. Clarence E. Morgan, former District Attorney, of Kosciusko, for the following story. Under the Slave Code of 1857, a slave could not leave his master's plantation without a written pass in his possession. Violations were punishable by thirty-nine lashes. One morning Daniel caught the negro butler of Col. Potts, a neighbor, in the Coleman "quarters" without a pass. He tied a rope on the luckless negro and marched him back to - 224 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Col. Potts' residence, where he demanded of the Colonel that the Negro be given the prescribed thirty-nine lashes. The butler was a favorite of the Colonel's and he did not want to punish him, so he used diplomatic means to avoid it. He first invited "Mr. Coleman" in to breakfast, but he said he had already had breakfast. Then the Colonel suggested other refreshment of a more potent type, to which "Old Daniel" assented. They tied the offender to a convenient tree and proceeded to the refreshments, at the close of which both men agreed that under all the circumstances three licks would be sufficient punishment. And it is not known whether that three were ever in fact administered. Here was a man who for many years knew prosperity and plenty. He knew misfortune, too. His first wife died when she was only 32. His second wife died when she was forty-seven, and after a long illness, which seems to have been what was then known as "dropsy." He knew adversity, after the war, including the loss of his home On the afternoon of April 8, 1889, he was at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Bruce. He was attempting to eat an orange, and strangled to death. This ended his earthly career. I think he must have been loyal to his father, because he did not leave South Carolina until six years after Allen Coleman's death. Daniel was made one of the Executors of Allen's will. His brother, Williams Charles, had been in Winston County, Mississippi, for nineteen years when Daniel came. He was eleven years younger than his first cousin, William Ragsdale Coleman, and outlived him eight years. William Ragsdale had been resting for that long in North Grove Cemetery, Hallettsville, Texas, when the house of his construction went up in flames and Daniel, a few weeks later, went to his long home at Concord Cemetery. He was buried by his second wife. His first, and their twins, lie five hundred miles away in the rock walled burying ground, east of Blackstock. He was born in the eleventh year of the Nineteenth Century, while James Madison was serving as the fourth President. He was twenty-one years of age when Jackson was elected to his second term: He was still living in South Carolina at the death of John C. Calhoun. He was well established in Mississippi on the date of Dredd Scott decision, March 6, 1857, and was there at the time of John Brown's raid of October 16, 1859, the very day of the birth of his tenth child, Henry Jonathan. He died one month after the inauguration of Benjamin Harrison as the 23rd President. His lifetime covered the entire Nineteenth Century except for - 225 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY its first eleven years and its last eleven years. He lived during the administration of 19 Presidents. He lived through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Yet he seems never to have been an aspirant for public office. Of his political beliefs and affiliations we are left not a line of evidence. Mr. Richard A. Moss, of Ackerman, Mississippi, who was born in 1872 and still alive and active in 1962, told the writer that he could remember Daniel Coleman well. That he was a tall, raw-boned man. He wore a big black hat and always rode a big gray horse. He would ride at such speed that the wind would blow the wide brim of his hat back against the crown. Daniel Coleman always flatly refused to allow a photograph to be made, so these memories of Mr. R. A. Moss are all we have in the way of a personal description. TABLE OF DESCENDANTS ISAIAH DANIEL COLEMAN, SON OF ALLEN COLEMAN AND SARAH COLEMAN I. MARRIED, first, AGNES FERGUSON, Who was born in 1815, died November 1, 1847, age 32, and is buried in the Allen Coleman burying ground, 3.3 miles East of Blackstock, S. Carolina. Children of this marriage: 1 & 2. Twin children, who were born and died September 10, 1839. Buried beside their mother. 3. Sarah Allen, born June 21, 1842, died March 10, 1921. Married Andrew Jackson Prewitt, September 23, 1863. Buried beside her husband, Mt. Mosiah Cemetery, near French Camp, Choctaw County. 4. William Charles, 20 Miss., C.S.A., born December 6, 1843, died November 23, 1927. Buried, Concord Cemetery. 5. Mollie S., born June 3, 1845, died March 13, 1925. Married J. J. Woodward. Buried beside her husband, Bethsalem, ten miles south of Ackerman, Mississippi. (Her birth-date appears on the tombstone as June 3, 1843. This was an obvious conflict with birth date of William Charles. The Winston Census of 1860 listed her as 15 years of age. So we use the year 1845. ) - 226 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY II. MARRIED, second, on September 2, 1852, HARRIET DAVIS. Children of this marriage: 1. Jacob Feaster Coleman, born Sunday, August 7, 1853, Chester County, S. C. (border of Fairfield, 3.3 miles east of Blackstock). Died, Ackerman, Mississippi, July 19, 1934. Buried, Enon Cemetery, Ackerman, Mississippi. (Tombstone erroneously states birth year as 1854). 2. Allen Jones Coleman, born October 21, 1854, died June 2, 1855. 3. Daniel Isaiah Coleman, born July 7, 1856, died January 27, 1857. 4. Isaiah Davis Coleman, born December 26, 1857, died August 29, 1859. (These three children must have been buried near where I. D. Coleman first lived in Winston County. Graves so far unlocated.) 5. Henry Jonathan (who later changed his name to John Henry), born October 16, 1859, died February 19, 1934. Buried, South Union Cemetery, west of Ackerman, Mississippi. 6. Laura Eugenia, born September 22, 1864, died April 2, 1939. Married Rufus Bruce, July 14, 1886. He died January 11, 1904. She is buried in Concord Cemetery. Thus it is seen that Daniel Coleman was the father of eleven children, five by the first wife, six by the second, and only six of them lived to maturity. TABLE 1--I. D. COLEMAN CHILDREN OF SARAH ALLEN COLEMAN PREWITT AND ANDREW JACKSON PREWITT 1. Georgia Virginia Prewitt, born December 1, 1864, married R. S. (Rob) Weeks, had eight children. 2. Daniel Russell Prewitt, named for his grandfather Isaiah Daniel Coleman, born April 11, 1866, died of pneumonia 1882. 3. Lena Roberta Prewitt, born February 10, 1868, married A. B. Reed. Had one son, John, recently living in Houston, Texas. 4. Mary Hattie Prewitt, born April 21, 1870, married T. B. Davis. Had one daughter, Hattie, presently living in Bartow, Florida. 5. John Henry Prewitt, born December 23, 1871, married first Tede Montgomery and had five children, Herbert, Thelma, Mary, Andy - 227 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY and Hilary. Married second, Roberta Boone, and had three chil- dren, Robert, Sarah, and Homer. John Henry Prewitt died the 11 day of July, 1945, and is buried in the cemetery at the Fentress Baptist Church, of which he was a long time Deacon and leader. 6. Andrew Jackson Prewitt, Jr., born December 2, 1873. Married Maude Hunt. Had two children, Reverend Thomas Oren Prewitt, now of Jackson, Mississippi, and Andy Maude, who died at about the age of fourteen. 7. Carrie Savala Prewitt, born September 23, 1875, married William Emmett Blackwood. Had four children. Three sons, Roy, Doyle, and James, of the famous Blackwood Brothers Quartet, and a daughter, Lena, who married Edward L. Cain. 8. Rufus Dudley Prewitt, born March 31, 1877, married Mary Car- ter, had two sons, Latimer and Jack Russell. Rufus Dudley Prewitt was once Tax Assessor of Choctaw County, Mississippi, as was his father before him. 9. Blumer Francis Prewitt, born December 31, 1878, married first, Susan Moss, and had two children, Etmae and James. After the death of his first wife, married again and is presently living in At- lanta, Georgia. 10. Sarah Elizabeth Prewitt, born February 12, 1881. Married Amzi Robinson. Died recently in Houston, Texas. 11. Charles Dickson Prewitt, born February 20, 1883, married Kate Carter, sister to the wife of Rufus Dudley Prewitt. Presently lives in Greenwood, Mississippi. The birth dates of the "Blackwood Brothers" are as follows: Roy Blackwood, born December 24, 1900. Doyle Blackwood, born August 22, l911. James Blackwood, born August 4, 1919. Their sister, Lena, was born December 31, 1903. TABLE 2--I. D. COLEMAN CHILDREN OF WILLIAM CHARLES COLEMAN William Charles Coleman's first two wives were McCamerons, twin sisters, and are buried in Beulah Cemetery, near Weir, Mississippi. His - 228 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY last wife was Louisa Walker, whom he married on November 20, 1900. We do not know too much about the children of William Charles Coleman, or their children. They all left Choctaw County many years ago and went to the territory around Marked Tree, Poinsett County, Arkansas. This is all the information we have concerning the children of William C. Coleman: 1. Ella, married Walter Barrentine, and killed by a train at McCrory, Arkansas, 1947. 2. Ney Coleman, never married. Died in McCrory, Arkansas. 3. Lela. Married Sid Smith, and then Bob Simmons. Died in Mc- Crory. 4. Maggie. Married George Catledge. Died in 1911 in Texas. 5. Plumer. Died in Arkansas, a suicide. 6. Mattie Sue, died single in the 1890's. Buried at Beulah. 7. Sarah, known as Sadie. Married William Ernet Newton. Has lived at Robinsonville, Tunica County, Mississippi, for many years. Her children are Paul Ralph Newton and Frank Murray Newton, the latter a resident of Robinsonville. Choctaw Census of 1880 reflects the following: W. C. Coleman, age 36, born in South Carolina, as were both par- ents. Wife, Sarah, age 33, born in Mississippi, but parents born in South Carolina. E. Y., daughter, age 9. W. N., son, age 7. M. L. and W. M., twin daughters, age 1. Mary McCameron Coleman, first wife of William Charles Coleman, died July 3, 1868, age 22 years, 3 months, and ten days. TABLE 3-I. D. COLEMAN CHILDREN OF MOLLIE S. COLEMAN WOODWARD AND J. J. WOODWARD 1. Ida, born January 11, 1866. (She married John Henry Bowie, who was born October 8, 1862, and died April 14, 1931.) - 229 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 2. Amanda E., born February 8, 1867, died March 3, 1903. Age 36. 3. George L., born January 19, 1869, died June 2, 1894. Age 25. 4. Infant son, born and died March 19, 1875. 5. Infant son, born and died April 3, 1876. 6. Lottie, who married a Starnes, her tombstone states that she was born December 20, 1875, which is an error, if No. 4 is correct. She died January 28, 1922, age 47. 7. Minnie L., born July 25, 1878, died August 13, 1898. Age 20. 8. Dick, born June 16, 1884, died September 5, 1886. 9. James Harley, born February 25, 1885, died August 24, 1911. Age 26. He married a Jeffers. 10. Monny, born August 19, 1891, died February 1, 1892. 11. Mott, We do not have the date of his birth and death. He was a dentist. J. J. Woodward, husband of Mollie S. Coleman, was born March 27, 1840, and died December 27, 1915. Graves of all the above, except Mott Woodward, are in Bethsalem Cemetery, Choctaw-Winston boundary. TABLE 4--1. D. COLEMAN CHILDREN OF JACOB FEASTER COLEMAN Jacob Feaster Coleman married Eliza Jane Bruce, daughter of Berry Bruce, on April 2, 1876. She was born February 17, 1859, so was 17 years of age at the time of the marriage. She died November 8, 1932, and both are buried at Enon. 1. Harriet Elizabeth Coleman, born October 12, 1877, died October 31, 1933. (unmarked). Buried at Enon. 2. Alma May Coleman, born August 7, 1880 died December 7, 1883. 3. Samuel Finis Coleman, born March 22, 1883, died August 30, 1955. Buried at Hickory, Mississippi. 4. Lether Bell Coleman, born January 19, 1886 died September 10, 1886. 5. Un-named son, born April 13, 1887, died May 10, 1887. 6. Thomas Allen Coleman, born July 29, 1888. 7. Arlando Coleman, born November 22, 1891. 8. Mary Daisy Coleman, born March 2, 1898, died June 27, 1899. - 230 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 9. Hilda Coleman, born November 15, 1902. Married Lee T. Mc- Dowell. TABLE 5--I. D. COLEMAN John Henry Coleman, who married Estelle Bruce, daughter of Thompson Bruce, and niece of Mrs. Eliza Jane Bruce Coleman, died childless. TABLE 6--I. D. COLEMAN CHILDREN OF LAURA EUGENIA COLEMAN BRUCE 1. Samuel F. Bruce, born October 11, 1887. 2. Henry Bruce, born February 24, 1890. 3. Arthur Bruce, born August 24, 1891. 4. Harriet Cornelia Bruce, born March 5, 1893. 5. Russ D. Bruce. 6. Claudia Bruce (deceased). 7. Willie D. Bruce, born November 1, 1903. Rufus Bruce is buried in Lebanon Cemetery. He was the son of Baylis Bruce (brother of Berry Bruce) who is buried in South Union Cemetery. Baylis Bruce was born December 10, 1828, died April 9, 1896. Children of Thomas Alien Coleman, who married Jennie Essie Wor- rell, November 3, 1912. 1. James Plemon Coleman born January 9, 1914. 2. Thomas Boyce Coleman, born October 15, 1915. 3. Mary Ellen Coleman, born June 18, 1917, died June 6, 1965. 4. Alvin Reed Coleman, born July 17, 1919, died August 19, 1921. 5. William DeWitt Coleman, born July 22, 1921. 6. Anna Ruth Coleman, born July 16, 1924. Children of Arlando Berry Coleman, who married Ruth Sanders, October 28, 1923. 1. James H. Coleman, born August 28, 1924. 2. William Floyd Coleman, born November 29, 1925. - 231 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 3. Alvin Berry Coleman, born May 18, 1927. 4. Robert Lee Coleman, born January 27, 1929. 5. Kenneth Melvin Coleman, born February 11, 1935. On February 12, 1922, Hilda Coleman, youngest child of Jacob Feaster Coleman and Eliza Jane Bruce Coleman was married to Lee T. McDowell. He was born February 10, 1894. There were eight children: James Terrell, born Dec. 3, 1923 Lora Kathryn, born Oct. 21, 1925 Mary Jane, born Nov. 28, 1927 Della Louise, born Dec. 24, 1929 Elsie Marie, born Oct. 25, 1932 Marjorie Lucille, born July 30, 1935 Donna, born May 6, 1940 Myron Lee, born May 20, 1945 DEED EXECUTED BY ISAIAH D. COLEMAN TO ALEXANDER B. DOUGLAS, AUGUST 2, 1853 Isaiah D. Coleman to DEED Alexander B. Douglas The State of South Carolina Know all Men by these presents that I, Isaiah D. Coleman of Chester District in the State aforesaid, in consideration of the sum of four thousand two hundred and eighty-nine 25/100 Dollars to me paid by or secured to be paid by Alexander B. Douglas of Fairfield District in the State aforesaid have granted, bargained, sold and Released and by these presents do grant, bargain, sell and Release unto the said Alexander B. Douglas all that plantation or tract of land (whereon I now live) containing four hundred and eight and one half acres; situate, lying and being a part in Chester District and a part in Fairfield District, on the Southern Branch of Little Rocky Creek, waters of Catawba River, In the state aforesaid Bounded on the East by William Johnston's land; on the North East by Lands belonging to Hugh Davaugh's, on the North West by John Johnston's land, on the West by lands belonging to James Hutchin- son; on the South by William Wilson's Land and on the South East by lands belonging to John Mobely; and hath such shape form and marks, as - 232 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY is fully Represented by a plat here unto attached, the grave yard or burying ground is reserved and not included, One half acre being taken out of the amount of Land contained in the tract. Together with all and singular the Rights, members and hereditaments and appurtenances to the said premises belonging or in anywise incident or appertaining. To have and to hold all and singular the premises before mentioned unto the said Alexander B. Douglas, his heirs and assigns forever, and I do hereby bind myself, my heirs, Executors and Administrators to Warrant and forever defend, all and singular the premises within mentioned and Released unto the said Alexander B. Douglas, his heirs and assigns against myself and my heirs and all other persons lawfully claiming or to claim the same or any part thereof. Witness my hand and seal this second day of August in the year of our Lord one Thousand Eight Hundred and fifty three and in the seventy eight year of the sovereignty and Independence of the United States of America. ISAIAH D. COLEMAN (L. S.) Signed, Sealed and delivered in the presence of Jno. P. Lathan William Douglas The word Land was inserted before signed. State of South Carolina } Chester District } Personally appeared before me William Douglas and made oath that he saw the within named Isaiah D. Coleman sign, seal and as his act and deed deliver the within written Deed, and that he with Jno. P. Lathan in the presence of each other witnessed the execution thereof. WILLIAM DOUGLAS Sworn Before me, this second day of August, 1853 Jno. P. Lathan Magistrate State of South Carolina } Chester District } I, Jno. P. Lathan one of the magistrates for said District do hereby certify unto all whom it may concern Harriett F. Coleman, the wife of the - 233 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY within named Isaiah D. Coleman, did this day appear before me and upon being privately and separately examined by me, did declare that she does fully, voluntarily and without compulsion, dread or fear, of any person or persons whomsoever, Renounce, Release, and forever Relinquish unto the within named Alexander B. Douglas his heirs and assigns All her interest and Estate and also her Right and Claim of Dover, of, in, or to all and singular the premises within mentioned and Released. HARRIETT R. COLEMAN Given under my hand and seal this second day of August Anno Domini - 1853 - Jno. P. Lathan Magistrate Recorded December 5th, 1853 Delivered to Wm. Douglas, Jany 10, 1854 Recorded in Book II, page 15, 16, 17 in the Office of the Clerk of Court, Chester County, South Carolina DEED FROM WM. R. COLEMAN TO ISAIAH D. COLEMAN LAND DEED BOOK R, PAGE 39, WINSTON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI. THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI WINSTON COUNTY THIS DEED OF CONVEYANCE, Made and Entered into this the Fifteenth day of December A.D. 1859, between William R. Coleman, party of the first part and Isaiah D. Coleman, party Of the second part, for anD in consideration of the sum Of Six Thousand Seven Hundred & Fifty Eight Dollars to him in hand paid by Isaiah D. Coleman party of the second part, at and before the enscaling and delivery of these presents, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, and the part of the second part forever released and discharged from the same, by these presents, have bargained and sold, and do hereby grant, alien and convey unto the said Isaiah D. Coleman party of the second part, and to his heirs and assigns forever, all the following described tract or parcel of land, to- wit: The W1/2, NE1/4--W1/2 NW1/4 & SW1/4 Sec. 35 & S1/2 Sec. 34 & E1/2 - 234 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY SE1/4 Sec. 33, all in Town. 17 Range 10 East in the County of Choctaw and State aforesaid, and the S1/2 and NW & W1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 1, and the SE1/4 & NE1/4 & E1/2 NW1/4 Sec. 2 & W1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 11, all in Town. No. 16 Range No. 10 East situate, lying and being in the County of Winston and State aforesaid and in the Columbus Land District, containing seventeen hundred & sixty three acres, more or less, together with all and singular the tenements, appurtenances and heridatments thereunto belonging, and the said Isaiah D. Coleman, party of the second part, his heirs or alienees under him, and the part of the first part do covenant with the said party of the second part that he will warrant and forever defend the title of the same to him, his heirs, executors, administrators or assigns of, in and to the above described premises, free from and against the right, title, interest, claim and demand, of all and every other person claiming, or lawfully to claim the same by through or under him or in any other manner whatever. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, The party of the first part have hereunto set his hand and seal, the day and year first above written. S/ WILLIAM R. COLEMAN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI WINSTON COUNTY Personally appeared before E. D. Hyde, Clerk of the Probate Court of said county, William R. Coleman, who acknowledged that he signed, sealed and delivered the foregoing Deed on the day of its date, for the uses and purposes therein expressed, as his own act and deed. Given under my hand and seal of office at Louisville, Miss. this 15th day of December A.D. 1859. s/ E. D. HYDE, Clerk THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, WINSTON COUNTY I, E. D. Hyde, Clerk of the Probate Court, in and for said county hereby certify that the within and foregoing Deed was received in my office, for record this fifteenth day of December A.D. 1859 and the same was duly recorded in Book, Letter R at page 39 the fifteenth day of December A.D. 1859. s/ E. D. HYDE, Clerk Following is photostatic copy of the original agreement by which William R. Coleman was to retain possession of the plantation until - 235 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY October 1, 1860. This contains the only known signature of isaiah D. Coleman now in existence. This instrument remained among the William R. Coleman papers until presented in 1950 to J. P. Coleman by Frank R. Coleman, Dallas, Texas, grandson of William R. Coleman. [PHOTOCOPY SHOWN] The above photostat reads as follows: THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI WINSTON COUNTY This is to certify that I have this day purchased of William R. Coleman of said County a tract of land on which he now resides specified in a deed executed by him to me this day and that the - 236 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY said Wm. R. Coleman is to remain in the peacable possession and enjoyment of the said tract of land with the tenements and appurtenances thereunto belonging free of rent until the 1st day of October, A.D. 1860, at the expiration of which time he is to deliver the same to me. Given under my hand and seal this 15th day of December, 1859. ISAIAH D. COLEMAN, Seal Following is the obituary of Andrew Jackson Prewitt, son-in-law of I. D. Coleman: A. J. PREWITT, SR., was horn August 5, 1839, in Choctaw County, Mississippi, and died April 25, 1900, being at the time of his death 60 years, 8 months and 20 days old. He enlisted in the Army in April 1861 in Co. I, Choctaw Guards, and belonged to the 15th Mississippi Regt. He was elected Orderly Sgt. and afterwards promoted to 2nd Lt. He served in the Infantry three years and on account of rheumatism raised a company of cavalry in 1864 and served his company as Captain until the close of the war. Mr. Prewitt was married to Miss S. A. Coleman, daughter of I. D. Coleman, September 23, 1863, and to them were born eleven children, six boys and 5 girls, all of whom are now living except the oldest son, and all married except one, the youngest boy. Mr. Prewitt served one term as Tax Assessor And was reelected to a second term. On July 20, 1870, Mr. Prewitt united with the Baptist Church at Mt. Moriah and to the day of his death lived a consistent, christian life. Mr. Prewitt was a man of noblest impulses. He was esteemed and beloved by all. THE GENEALOGY OF HARRIET DAVIS, SECOND WIFE OF ISAIAH DANIEL COLEMAN Harriet Davis was born December 8, 1826. She was the daughter of Jacob Davis. We are not certain as to the name of her mother. On a trip to Washington, D. C., in November, 1953, I at last found the 1850 Fairfield County Census for Jacob Davis, as follows: Jacob Davis, 57, (1793) Planter, born Fairfield Wyatt, 33 Harriet, 23 Nancy, 20 Therefore, Jacob Davis' wife was dead before 1850. I was informed, however, by Mrs. Eliza R. Wylie, of Richburg, S. C., in a letter dated October 3, 1950, that Harriet Davis' mother was a - 237 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Hinds. This must be true, since James Darling Davis, brother of Harriet, named one of his sons Henry Hinds. This son, Dr. Henry Hinds Davis, wrote the published obituary of Mrs. Harriet Coleman. Also in the papers of Jacob Feaster Coleman, oldest son of Harriet, along with a clipping of the obituary, was found the following penciled memorandum: "Mch 27th 1876 Sacred to the memory of Jacob Davis, who was born Mch 22nd 1793, and died Nov. 27th 1854. Aged 61 yrs, 8 mo & 5 days. H. H. DAVIS" Harriet had brothers named Thomas, Lloyd, Wyatt, Wylie, and James Darling. She also had four sisters. They were Nancy, who married William Caldwell, of Chester, South Carolina; Lucy Asenath, who married James B. Coleman; and Mary, who married a Grant and moved to Mississippi. Asenath Davis Coleman was born December 5, 1815, and died December 21, 1890. James B. Coleman, her husband, to whom she was married in 1840, died in 1872. From the Estate Settlement of Thomas Davis, deceased, Box 45, File 693, Fairfield County, we are fairly certain that Jacob Davis was the son of Thomas Davis, who died about 1825. In the first place, Jacob was the Administrator of the Estate. Furthermore, Strother and Polly Tidwell are two of the heirs named. The only other marked grave in the cemetary where Jacob Davis lies buried is that of Charles Tidwell. Heirs of Thomas Davis named in 1825 were Timothy Davis, Thomas Davis, Jacob Davis, John Davis, Nancy Ivey, apparently the wife of William Ivey, Polly Tidwell, apparently the wife of Strother Tidwell, and David Davis. Evidently, Thomas Davis' wife was named Elizabeth. Her Estate Settlement, Box 45, File 702, Fairfield County, shows Thomas Davis, Administrator, in 1832. It also lists the same identical heirs, except that Nancy Ivey is mentioned as deceased. I am indebted to Mrs. Etta Rosson of Shelton, South Carolina, for these court records. On a personal inspection of the Fairfield Land Deed Records, I found that between the years of 1843 and 1853, Jacob Davis, in various deeds, was the purchaser of lands on Dutchman's Creek and Cedar Creek, slightly north and east of Ridgeway, totaling 3092 acres. An amazing consideration is that I could not find in these records where Jacob Davis ever disposed of these lands. The Probate records do - 238 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY not show that Jacob Davis' estate was administered upon in Fairfield County, or, if so, the papers are lost. When Sherman came through Winnsboro in 1865 he did not burn the courthouse. Jacob Davis was born, as above stated, March 22, 1793, and died November 27, 1854, just before or about the time the daughter, Harriet, moved to Mississippi. We know that Isaiah D. Coleman made a crop in Winston County in the year 1855. For the information of those who in the future may be interested in visiting the grave of Jacob Davis, I am indebted to Miss Margaret Coleman, of Winnsboro, S. C., for the following: At the intersection of U. S. Highway 21 and State Highway 34, in Ridgeway, take State Highway 34 for a distance of 4.8 miles East; turn left and take dirt road; at the first fork keep right (this is the Dutchman's Creek Road). At 1.5 miles of dirt road there is an abandoned road to the left which is now little more than a path. The cemetary is about l/4 mile from the road, in the tallest group of oaks, and very hard to see for the underbrush. Jacob Davis' grave is well marked, one of the only two in the cemetery that can be identified. This area is rattlesnake infested. Miss Margaret Coleman located this grave in 1952. I visited it in July, 1953. On September 2, 1852, at the age of twenty-three years, Harriet Davis was married to Isaiah Daniel Coleman, then a widower, age 41. He then had three children, the oldest of whom was ten years of age. She was eighteen years younger than her husband. Eleven months and five days after the marriage she gave birth to her first son, Jacob Feaster Coleman, who was always known by his middle name "Feaster." There would appear to be little doubt that he was named for his grandfather, Jacob Davis, and for the Feaster family in Fairfield County, into which Henry Jonathan Coleman, uncle of Isaiah Daniel, had married. James Darling Davis, married Mary Gipson. He was born in Fairfield District, S. C., on August 27, 1821, and died at Louisville, Mississippi, January 18, 1901. He is buried there in the Masonic Cemetary. According to his great granddaughter, Mrs. Hazie Rodgers Furr, of Pontotoc, Mississippi, (daughter of the late Judge and Mrs. Henry H. Rodgers), he moved to Winston County, Mississippi, in 1857, about two years after his sister had arrived in Winston. JAMES DARLING DAVIS was married to Mary Gipson on October 16, 1850. They had the following children: - 239 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY 1. Dr. Henry Hinds Davis, born in Ridgeway, S. C., December 18, 1851, died at Louisville, Mississippi, September 24, 1925. 2. Kitty M. Davis, born in Ridgeway, S. C., December 25, 1853. 3. Alice M. Davis, born in Ridgeway, S. C., March 24, 1856, died at Louisville, Mississippi. 4. Edward F. Davis, born in Louisville, Mississippi, Winston County, March 22, 1858. 5. Harriet Ella Davis, born in Louisville, Mississippi, Winston County, May 19, 1860, died Birmingham, Alabama. 6. George W. Davis, born in Louisville, Mississippi, Winston County, October 31, 1862, died Louisville, Mississippi. 7. James W. Davis, born at Louisville, Mississippi, Winston County, July 25, 1865. 8. Jacob F. Davis, born in Louisville, Mississippi, Winston County, March 16, 1870. DR. HENRY HINDS DAVIS and Miss Lelia Louisa Blumenberg were married December 28, 1881, in Attala County, Mississippi. They had the following children: 1. Frederick D. Davis, born in McCool, Mississippi, Attala County, November 7, 1882, who is now living at Box 52, Rt. 1, Jackson, Mississippi. 2. Henry S. Davis, born in McCool, Mississippi, Attala County, March 14, 1884, died Louisville, Mississippi, September 7, 1931. 3. Leita Louise Davis, born in McCool, Mississippi, Attala County, January 23, 1886, died Louisville, Mississippi, August 12, 1951. 4. Clair Gibson Davis, born McCool, Mississippi, Attala County, October 1, 1887, died McCool, Mississippi, Attala County, September 2,1888. 5. Hiram Hanna Davis, born in McCool, Mississippi, Attala County, March 1, 1890, died Louisville, Mississippi, Winston County; May 6,1918. 6. James Dwight Davis, born in McCool, Mississippi, Attala County, August 6, 1893. 7. Richard Blumenberg Davis, born in McCool, Mississippi, Attala County, December 14, 1895, died May 8, 1947, at Houston, Texas. - 240 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY This information was taken from Dr. Henry Hinds Davis Family Bible, which is now in possession of the family of his son, James Dwight Davis. Obituary of Mrs. Harriet Davis Coleman, written by her nephew, Dr. H. H. Davis: OBITUARY Died--At the residence of her husband, I. D. Coleman, in Choctaw County, Miss., on Friday, March 25th, 1876, Mrs. Harriet R. Coleman, aged 49 years, 3 months, and 17 days, after a lingering illness of 4 or 5 months. Mrs. Harriet R. Coleman was a sister of James D. Davis, and was born in Fairfield District, S. C., removed to this State in 1855, since which time she has resided continuously in Winston and Choctaw counties, up to the time of her death. . It is said that "Death seeks a shining mark," and if this be so, the insatiate Archer has, in this instance, fully demonstrated the truth of the aphorism, for Mrs. Coleman combined within herself, all that tends to make up the true Christian, the affectionate, confiding and loving wife and mother, doting sister and truest of friends; unswerving in any of the duties of life, and with a heart and hand always open to the necessities of suffering humanity. She was a strict member of the Baptist church, and like the "breathing of an expiring Saint" she calmly yielded up the ghost, and passed over the 'Silent River' amid the weepings of her numerous relatives and regrets of hosts of friends, Peace to her ashes. "None knew her but to love her None named her but to praise." H.H.D. OBITUARY OF MRS. ASENATH COLEMAN (FURNISHED BY MRS. ETTA ROSSON) The community, relatives, and the Baptist Church at Ridgeway, S. C., have just been greatly bereaved in the loss by death of Sister Asenath Coleman, who "passed over the river" Dec. 21st, 1890, at the age of seventy-five years and sixteen days. She had been long connected intimately, widely and effectively with the religious and social life of this community. She was converted at a tender age, and soon after joined the Baptist Church, to which she gave warm cheerful, sympathetic and consecrated service in health and under severe affliction. She gladly carried out her husband's wishes in giving the lot for the present Baptist Church. She leaves three brothers, Mr. Wylie Davis and Mr. Lloyd Davis, of Ridgeway, S. C., and Mr. Jas. Davis, of Mississippi, and two sisters, Mrs. Caldwell, of Chester, S. C., and Mrs. Grant, of Mississippi. In 1840 she was married to Mr. Jas B. Coleman, who preceded her to the - 241 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY better world 18 years. As the fruits of this union there lives an honored number of children and grandchildren, including four sons and three daughters. Three sons and one daughter live here; one daughter, Mrs. Essie Durham, her husband and two sons, live in Greenville, S. C.; one son is a professor in the State Institute for Deaf and Dumb, and one daughter lives in Florida. Death is a gain to her. May her Christian character descend as a mantle on her stricken and sorrowing children. May our loss be not only gain to her, but a blessing in disguise to us. May this dispensation of God's Providence lead to such increased devotion on the part of the little church that her place may soon be filled by other laborers, is the prayer of her pastor. W. R. BRISCOE Ridgeway, S. C. Dec. 23, 1890 The following letters in the original were kept during her lifetime by Mrs. Laura Eugenia Coleman Bruce and then left to her daughter, Mrs. Willie Dee Bruce Cooper, who made them available for this publication. Mrs. Bruce was the daughter of Isaiah Daniel Coleman and Harriet Davis, their youngest child. Dear Brother & Sister 20th Nov. 1855 I now Rais my pen in answer of yours which came to hand yesterday stating all well and a fine crop which I wold like to look at very well this leaves us all tolerable well. hoping it may reach you all enjoying the Saim greate blessing thanking God for all his blessings; we have maid a very good crop of corn our cotten was like yours it did not get up before June to a stand it rained heare about the time it rained there but there was Several rains not fare of and they did well in the crop way. I did not plant a ful crop I intendid to get some timber for the rail Roade which I did and am working at clearing the land and getting the timber $1625 Dollars was the I contractid for and it wil push me to get it done this yeare but I find it a better way to make money than making cotton on our pore land I have just bought 347 acres of land about 6 or 7 miles below me it crosses the Rail Roaid I got it low and the man that worked it this yeare tels me he maid a waggon loade of corn to the acre & 800 pounds of cotten on an average and think that does pretty well for old pore land it was sold for a devision among of heirs. (Page 2) I now inclose the other half of the hundred dollar bil and Send it to you I have not got any more collectid yet Brother Wiatt has not maid any collection yet as I no of he has the promise of 1200 next month if he get any - 242 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY worth deviding he wil doe So I Supose; our country is unusual helthy Some few caises this summer past and most of them dide but all well now T B Walker has had a Short Spel but is better the rest of the conexion well so fare as I no; corn woth 50 cts cash, foder 75 cts on twelve months credit beef 5 cts bacon 13 to 16 cts cash if I had cept yours til now I could have done beter with it but two lait now wheate is worth $1.50 heare and Scarse at that I sold out two soon for 1.25 per bushel flower worth $10 per barel and we have no hope oF pork coming heare and if it was to come it wold be so high we would have no money to buy it we think 6 or 8 dollars pr hundred grose I close by Sining my Self to Isaiah D. Coleman Yours Truly and wife & family J. B. COLEMAN This letter was written by James B Coleman, whose wife was a sister of Mrs Harriet Davis Coleman Steep Creek February 14th 1856 Dear Sister I received your letter on the 10 instant whitch game mutch pleasure to hear from you but very sorry to of your misfortun but I hope your loss is its gain Dear Sist I truly simpathise with you for the loss of your son but we are taught in holy writ thy will be done o God--Dear Siter be reconciled to the will of Providence--Your babe is gone to the relms of bliss where there will be no more pain nor Death--there to enjoy the Smiles of its heavenly Father and await the finaly faithful--on the banks oF everlasting Deliverence--where the wicked cease from troubling and where the weary are at rest Dear Sister you requested me to excuse you for not writing sooner I must excuse you Dear Siter but doo not neglect me so long again We are all in fine health and prospects fair the cotton crop was light last year but plenty (page 2) of corn and some to sell Mr. Grant made 38 bales of cotton last year a falling off of Ten bales--Jessie E Gill was married on 28th of January to a gentleman in Montgomery by the name of Smith They seem to enjoy the honey moon with a greateal of pleasure. Salie E. Gill is teaching in montgomery and board with her sister all of our reletives are well at this time and send there best respects to you and your husband the radroad will be in opperation here this fall Propperty is very high negroes from 1000 to 1400 dollars and land 15 to 20 dollars per acre--mules from 100 to 175 Dollars Corn 75 cts per bushel, bacon from 11.12 cts cofy 13 cts shugar 10 cts molasses 60 cts by the barel We have a fine school in a half mile of us and all of children is going thats large enough Josephine will re- main in Haynevine this year Dear Sister I would like to write more but I am not well posted up at this time Our negroes send there love to you and - 243 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY your negroes we have only had two little negroes born since you was here I must close write soon Dear Sister Farewell MARY E. GRANT NOTES ON ISAIAH DANIEL COLEMAN AND HIS OLD HOME (AS TOLD TO J. P. COLEMAN BY MRS. ESTELLE COLEMAN, CHRISTMAS, 1950) Mrs. Estelle Bruce Coleman was the daughter of Thompson Bruce, and married Henry Jonathan Coleman, son of Isaiah Daniel Coleman, in 1887. She died February 21, 1953. The Isaiah Daniel Coleman house burned in March, 1889. The house was constructed of logs, weatherboarded with plank, and contained 16 rooms. It was situated on the east side of the old Louisville and Winona Road (which is still used as a public road), and on the identical spot where the J. P. Coleman tractor shed now stands. This is approximately 600 feet north of the Southeast corner of the Southeast 1/4 of the Southwest 1/4, Section 1, Township 16, Range 10, Choctaw County, Mississippi. The house faced west and a hall ran through it from front to back on the first floor. There were two chimneys at each end of the house, providing fireplaces on both the first and second floors. "I (Mrs. Estelle Coleman) moved to this house in 1887, when I married Henry Jonathan Coleman, and I lived there until the house burned in March 1889. "Isaiah Daniel Coleman was then getting quite feeble. He would chew tobacco and would spit on newspapers. My husband was doing spring plowing in the 'flat,' on the west side of the road, in front of the house. I was doing the family wash. When my husband came in for dinner he gathered up a bunch of the newspapers that his father had been using and threw them in the fire which was burning in a fireplace on the first floor. He returned to plowing and it was not until about 2 o'clock that it was discovered that the roof was on fire. There were no ladders sufficiently long to reach the roof, and no men present except Henry Jonathan Coleman and Isaiah Daniel Coleman. Henry Jonathan Coleman was then 30 years of age. "We were not able to get much out of the house. Henry Jonathan Coleman did take an elegant mirror out and, in the excitement, accidentally broke it. - 244 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY "After the fire, which was seen for miles around, Henry Jonathan Coleman and I moved into a cabin on the west side of the road, and Isaiah Daniel Coleman moved in the home with his daughter, Mrs. Laura Eugenia Bruce, about a half mile north, on the old Louisville and Winona Road. "He died there April 8, 1889, about a month after the fire. He was never especially sick, but was weak from old age. He was eating an orange and somehow became strangled on it and died before help could arrive. Henry Jonathan Coleman, Rufus Bruce, and others were about three-quarters of a mile away at a log rolling on the John W. Robinson property (then owned by Lafayette Robinson). Isaiah Daniel Coleman was dead before they could be notified and reach home. "I was told that Isaiah Daniel Coleman was never affialated with any church. It was also said that he was extremely bad to use profane language in his younger days, but he had quit that when I moved into the home and I never did hear him use such language. He would sit around the house and spend most of his time reading. He always refused to allow his picture to be made. He said he would not leave an image of his on earth for people to look at after he was gone. "For over sixty years there has been a tradition that he attempted to enter the house when it burned, and desired to be burned up with it. This is not true. My husband had to lead him away from the house several times to keep him from getting in it and being burned. This was due, I think, to the fact that he was very old, could not see well, was very much excited by the occurrence, and was not altogether aware of the danger. "The house could not have been much over 50 years old when it was destroyed by fire. "Either William Charles Coleman or William Ragsdale Coleman built this house. William Ragsdale had lived in it until 1860." Mrs. Carrie Prewitt Blackwood, daughter of Sarah Allen Coleman Prewitt, died May, 1963, age 88. A number of years ago she told her granddaughter, Mrs. Madeline Cain Wood, who now lives in Ackerman, Mississippi, about the Isaiah Daniel Coleman house. Cousin Carrie was fourteen years of age when this house burned. She added details not remembered by Mrs. Estelle Bruce Coleman, previously related. According to her recollections, a grove of oak trees stood between the house and the public road, which was the old Winona and Louisville road. The house contained a basement. The front porch, extending all - 245 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY the way across the front of the house, had a stairway leading to the second floor porch. NOTE: Henry Jonathan Coleman always insisted that his name was John Henry and used the initials "J. H." In December, 1950, Mrs. Estelle Coleman sold to J. P. Coleman her spinning wheel which John Bruce brought to Mississippi when he moved here from Georgia. This spinning wheel was later owned by his daughter, Mrs. Rachel Hood. About 1900. Mrs. Hood sold the spinning wheel to Mrs. Estelle Coleman for $2.00. Mrs. Coleman and her half-brother, Floris B. Bruce (Sheriff of Choctaw County, 1944-1948) carried the spinning wheel home with them. Following is the oldest known letter written by J. P. Coleman. He wrote it to his Aunt, Mrs. Hilda Coleman McDowell, when he was eight years of age. Mrs. McDowell kept it for forty years and showed it to J. P. Coleman in 1962, from which he had this copy made: [PHOTOCOPY OF LETTER] - 246 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY [PICTURE] J. P. COLEMAN, when a Student at the University of Mississippi, 1933. - 247 - [PICTURE] THOMAS ALLEN COLEMAN, age 13, wearing the coat of Robert Cole- man, who died 1809, at the entrance to Clanmore, 1954. [PICTURE] J. P. COLEMAN standing in cotton growing, 1950, on the Buck Coleman-Daniel Coleman land. This ground had then been in cultivation for 115 years. - 248 - [PICTURE] This farm implement shed stands on the exact spot of the William Ragsdale Coleman (later Isaiah Daniel Coleman) home in Choctaw County, Miss. It was built by J. P. Coleman in 1947. Picture shows J. P. Coleman and the best farmer who ever lived on his land, Mr. Walter L. Kemp. Photo taken in 1950 by Frank R. Coleman. [PICTURE] [PICTURE] JACOB FEASTER COLEMAN His wife, MRS. ELIZA JANE (Aug. 7, 1853-July 19, 1934), BRUCE COLEMAN. when a young man. - 249 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY [PICTURE] THOMAS ALLEN COLEMAN, born July 29, 1888. He was twenty years of age when this picture was made. - 250 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY [PICTURE] Children of JACOB F. and ELIZA J. COLEMAN, Thomas Allen, Samuel F., Harriet E., and Arlando Berry. this picture was taken about 1900. - 251 - CHAPTER 19 THE COLEMANS OF CLAY COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI by J. P. COLEMAN David Henry Coleman, the third child of David Roe Coleman (1765-1855) and his wife, Edith Beam, was born in Fairfield County, S. C. on December 17, 1794. He died in Chickasaw (now Clay) County, Mississippi, March 17, 1866. He married Sarah Franklin. He moved to Greene County, Alabama, and from there to Montpelier, Chickasaw County, Mississippi. Montpelier is twenty-five miles South-east of Houston and 23 miles Northwest of West Point. His brother, Wilson Henry Coleman, born March 25, 1800, moved to Greene County with him. There, on 26 day of August, 1828, Wilson H. Coleman married Mary Johnston. Since Wilson Henry died in Greene County on October 26, 1846, l shall tell of his family first and then I shall write of David Henry. His daughter, Elizabeth, born June 7, 1829, married a Spencer. His daughter, Martha, born November 4, 1830, married John W. Gosa, who died of measles in the siege of Attanta. His grave is marked in the cemetery at Atlanta. The other children were Wiley Johnson Coleman, born September 9, 1832; Edith, born October 26, 1834, died single October 19, 1906; Mary Isabella, born January 6, 1836, died single June 29, l907; Nancy Johnson, born September 19, 1839, died October 8, 1866; Laura Louella, who married a Ragsdale, was born June 8, 1846, less than six months before the death of her father. The estate of Wilson H. Coleman was held together until the year 1891. The widow, Mary, died January 31, 1891. In that year, according to the Greene County records, a deed dividing the estate was signed by the following who recited themselves to be the sole and only heirs of Wilson H. Coleman: Wiley J. Coleman, Edith Coleman, Mary J. Coleman, Laura L. Ragsdale, Jinnie C. Spencer, Addie Spencer, and Annie S. Harper. The Estate File, No. 634, Greene County, shows that David H. Coleman was the Administrator of his brother's estate. The heirs listed were: Mary Coleman, widow, Elizabeth Coleman, Martha Coleman, Wiley J. Coleman, Edith Coleman, Mary J. Coleman, Nancy J. Coleman, and Laura L. Coleman. Mr. Herbert Gosa, long time County Engineer, Greene County, still - 253 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY living as this is written, was a descendant of Wilson H. Coleman. I examined the Wilson H. Coleman Bible in his home on January 19, 1952. The Estate file contains a receipt, dated April 1, 1859, signed by Mary Coleman, acknowledging that she had received payment from the Estate of David R. Coleman, in South Carolina, for her minor children. The children of David Henry Coleman and Sarah Franklin were: 1. Cecelia, (Sicily) born September 1, 1820. Married a Bains and had two sons, Oscar and James (in 1840) . They moved to Bethany, Texas. 2. Sarah, born April 11, 1822. On January 18, 1842, she married Ashley Davis. Moved to Beaver Valley, Texas. 3. Nancy, born April 20, 1824. Married an Oldham and moved to Beaver Valley. Also married to Bradford Buhl Davis. 4. Albert, born March 31,1826. The above four children were born in South Carolina. 5. John Franklin, born April 10, 1828. 6. Edith, born November 14, 1830. 7. David Roe, born December 31, 1832. 8. Wiley Fitz, born May 22, 1835. From the foregoing it will be seen that David Henry Coleman moved to Greene County between 1826 and 1828. In 1832 and 1833 David H. Coleman and Wilson H. Coleman were granted a total of 640 acres of land in Sections 28, 29 and 32 of Township 23, Range 2 East, Greene County. This was the same area in which Francis Coleman lived. I learn in a letter from Mrs. Imogene Springer in 1964 that this was known as the Springfield Community. She stated that David H. Coleman moved to Montpelier, Mississippi, about 1856. From the Diary of Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman: "REACHED MONTIPELIER, August 28, 1919, in Clay county, Mississippi, we find the descendants of David Henry Coleman, who first emigrated to Greene County, Ala., then to Mississippi, in the 1850's. This is as fine country as I've ever seen, level, and very productive, beautiful woods. "Wiley Fitz Coleman, youngest son of David H. Coleman, born May 23, 1835, married Amanda Hall in 1856. He died in 1859, wife in 1880. Their children: James Willis Coleman, born January It, 1857, md (1st) Sallie Bell McGee (2d) Florence - 254 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Branton. Their son, Oscar Willis Coleman, born October, 1888, married Alice Marshal. Their children, Dorothy, Russell and Elaine. Live in Monipelier, near his father, where we spent the night. They have a store of general merchandise and large farm. David Jordan Coleman, born August 1, 1866, now living in Oklahoma, married and had children, including one set oF twins." Among my best friends have been Howard Coleman, West Point, for many years Chancery Clerk of Clay County, and Robert W. Coleman, of Okolona, outstanding farmer and business man. William F. Coleman, Attorney, of Jackson, Mississippi, has kindly furnished us with a family tree for the David H. Coleman family. The information was furnished by Howard Coleman and copied by Mrs. William F. Coleman, a great service indeed. The family tree follows on page 256. Letter from B. P. Coleman, Mantee, Mississippi, dated January 20, 1913: "Mrs. Jennie Coleman, Shelton, S. C. Dear Cousin: You may be surprised to hear from another Coleman, but I am writing you for several reasons. First, my mother asked me. Second, I love that deep interest you have in our family record. I am a son of David Roe Coleman, the one you wrote to several years ago. With a sad heart I tell you, good cousin, that Father is dead. Yes, poor old soul is gone. He died the 21st of last July. He was nearly 80 years old, and he was a good man. One that was loved by everybody, and who loved his home. He was so good and kind to his family. His religious belief was the Universalist. I feel like I know he was a true Christian. I live 10 miles west of the old home. I was down there yesterday. Mother is in bad health. She got your letters, and had me read them over to her. Made me feel good and sad, too, when I read where you wrote that long list of Coleman names. On one sheet you wrote these words, "your grandfather." On one you wrote "this is your great grandfather." It went deep into my heart. Yet, there was in it a joy that I can't express. I feel like you deserve a bright place in the heart of every Coleman by name, as you have family record so far back, and I brought it home with me, and told my wife and son how proud I was of it. We have but one, a boy, born Nov. 27, 1901. His name is Wylie Allen. He saw the Wylie name on your list of names, and said it started in the beginning of Colemans, and was last given to him. I was born April the 2nd, 1874. My wife was born Aug. 15, 1874. My wife was Lila Pate. The Pates came from the Carolinas. I could get you up all the ages of Colemans - 255 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY here, if Father did not send them. There is quite a crowd of us. There is some in Winston County that we don't know yet. I think we are kin. I would love to see you and your family. Now, last, but not least, I will tell you my occupation. I am a farmer, and a missionary Baptist preacher. Yes, I love the work of a poor preacher. It is a great work. Not an easy one, but a sweet work. I have not been in the ministry but two years. Will you pray for me? I will close. Write to us soon. I will answer all letters. With best love to you and yours, I am, your cousin, BARNEY COLEMAN" P. S. I did not write much on the ministry question. Will write on that next time, provided you answer. Direct your letters when writing me to --B. P. Coleman, Mantee, Miss. RFD #3. OBITUARY OF DAVID ROE COLEMAN (Dec. 31, 1832--July 21, 1912) Died, in his home in Montpelier, July 21, about 10:15 P.M., D. R. Coleman, at the advanced age of 79 years, 6 months, 21 days. He had been a patient sufferer for five years with tuberculosis of the bone, which was first evidenced by a small sore on his breast. It gradually increased in size and virulence until it resulted in his death. Mr. Coleman was born in Greene County, Ala., Dec. 31, 1832. He married July 23, 1856, and had he lived two days longer, he would have been married 56 years. Ten children were born of this marriage, five of whom are still living. He was father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He moved to Mississippi first in 1850, spent one year, and went back to Alabama, and again returned to this State in 1860, remaining here the rest of his life, occupying the present family homestead. He served the Confederacy for three years and was a faithful soldier. His last days were passed resignedly, peacefully and quietly, although suffering intense pain, borne with great fortitude. He is remembered by his devoted family as a loving husband and father. He is survived by his wife and five sons, who have the sympathy and condolence of all their friends and neighbors. COLEMAN-HALL REUNION HELD Family Get-Together at Montpelier Honors Bessie Hall Williamson A Coleman-Hall family reunion was held yesterday at the home of W. F. Coleman, Montpelier, honoring Mrs. Bettie Hall Williamson, of Dallas, - 256 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Texas. This is Mrs. Williamson's first visit back to this county since leaving Montpelier in 1866 with her father, J. P. Hall. They drove from this county to Gainesville, Texas in a four horse wagon. Coming back in this modern day Mrs. Williamson said she wondered now how they ever got there. Afler settling in Gainsville Mrs. Hall's father was elected judge and served in that capacity fourteen years. The Colemans and Halls moved to this county over one hundred years ago from Euta, Alabama and settled in the western part of the county, and the marriage of two Coleman brothers, David Roe Coleman and Wiley F. Coleman to two Hall sisters, Mary Ann Hall and Amanda Hall, is the beginning of the large connection of the Coleman family in the western part of the county. In the Hall family there were seventeen children, only one now living, Uncle Lonnie Hall as he is known to his fricnds, 9I years old, now living in Dallas, Texas. None of the first Colemans are living, and J. W. (Willis) Coleman is the oldest member of the Coleman family. Those attending the reunion were: Tom Hall, Mrs. Mary Hall and Spurgeon Hall, of Tupelo.; Mrs. Bettie Hall Williamson, Dallas, Texas,; J. W. Coleman and wife, James Willis Coleman, Robert Coleman and family, Haywood Coleman and family, H. R. Coleman and family, Mrs. W. L. Coleman, Mary Louise Coleman, Gilbert White and family, Mrs. Mary Jane Clark, J. W. Clark and family, W. F. Coleman and family, A. R. Dixon and family, J. C. King, Mrs. Emma Dexter, Hugh Stevens, W. T. Cliett, Stewart Vail, Miss Lillian Saul, Miss Mildred Mosely, all of Montpelier, Miss.; Rev. B. P. Coleman, Mantee, Miss. Sidney H. Coleman and family, State College Miss.; Frank D. Coleman and family and D. H. Coleman and family and Mrs. Mattie H. Coleman of West Point, Miss.; H. P. Gates and family of Siloam. Mrs. Williamson is remaining at Montpelier for a few days, renewing acquaintances, after which she will go to Tupelo and visit with Tom Hall before returning to Texas. Montpelier Miss Mar 4, 1908 Dear Cousin, We received your very interesting yesterday and were very glad to hear from you as it has been a long time since we have heard from any of our kin folks out there. I think my wife told you all that I could tell you about the old folks mentioned. Williams Coleman Grief & Robert lived in Winston Co., Miss. & I think they are dead but some of their children are living there now: Moses Coleman I think is Grief' son and Mot is William's son & your father went to see them when he was in Ala. I am the D. R. or Coleman: Son of D. R. Coleman the old set of Colemans you ask about are all dead. I cannot recollect a Tom Coleman he must be some of our Winston Co. kin. - 257 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Grifffin & Williams Coleman did live in Winston Co. Miss. I think they are dead: Frank died in Ala: John G. Coleman went to Texas and I think died. He married our cousin Isabella McGlin. She was Aunt Betty's daughter, my father's sister. I have told you all I can think of at present. I will be glad to hear from again Your cousin D. R. CoLeman Montpelia Miss March the 4-1908 Mrs. Jennie Coleman Dear Cousin Your letter was received yesterday and was a pleasant surprise to us as we did not know we had such a cousin. I will have to introduce my self. I am David R. Coleman's wife. He is 75 years old the last day of last Dec 1907. I was 68 the 13 of last Feb so you see we are quite and old couple. We have been married 51 years last July. We were both born and raised in Green Co. Ala. We moved to Miss in 1860. His father David F. Coleman had moved here two three years before that and he died here in Clay Co in March 1866. His mother died in April 1872 and Dave is the only one left of his Fathers family the rest are all dead. They all moved to Texas exccpl his youngest brother Wiley and he died in 1869. Wiley's oldcst son Willis is living here he is postmaster at Monipela. We have had 10 children 8 boys and 2 girls. 5 of our children are dead. Those livinig are all boys or rather men now but still my boys and they all live in sight of us execpt one he lives about 8 miles from us the youngest our baby lives in the house with us he and his wife has three children 2 little girls and one boy. He is named Wiley and he is 30 years old. You said you mrriex Uncle Wilson Coleman's great grandson then Wiley Colemans is his grandfather. I wonder if Edith and Mary Wileys sisters are still living. Dave says that John Griffin and Franklin Coleman he recons they must all of them went to Winston Co as they have never lived in Ala since he can remember and there is a good many Colemans lives in Winston Co near Louisville but we do not know any thing about them. Dave saw a man not long ago that lived down there he was telling him about the Colemans that lived there. One of them was named Mose and one named Bob and one Mot. Oh I guess there is lots of them there the old ones that you asked about are dead of course long years ago. There was a Sallie Coleman that married a Mr. Grey Gosa that lived and died - 258 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY in Ala but their children are all dead one of their daughters died 4 or 5 years after she lived near us she was Mrs Nancy Watkins and her mother was Sallie Coleman Gosa and she died years and years ago I recon before I was borne one of her sones married one of Uncle Wilson Colemans daughters. There was an old aunt Betsey Coleman that lived in Ala as long ago as l can rememer but whether she is the one you wanted learn about I can't say she died there and her children all went to Texas. Dave had an Aunt Betty Noland sister of his father who came through Ala on their way to Texas they stayed a few day at their house he says he was nearly grown when they came by there I am sorry we can't tell you any more about them but we dont know much more about them than you do if any. And you ask about a Tom Coleman we don't know of any one by that name. Was your husband born in Ala if so cousins Ed you can tell us something about Wiley Edith & Mary if they are still liveing or not we have not heard from Ala in a long time. Dave says he cant write as it has been so long since he has wrote a letter but he is a splendid scribe and writes a nice hand. But he has not wrot a letter in years. Well as I am not well and Dave say he will try to write some I will quit for this time write to us again soon your truly. MARY A. COLEMAN Montpelier, Miss., March 7, 1920 Dear Cousin Jennie: We received your most welcome letter some time ago. We are always glad to hear from you. I think of you and Cousin Mary often. And the pleasant day you spent with us. I would be very glad to you come back to see us this summer. We heard from Uncle Ed's family two or thrce times last week. They are all well. They mist the flue this year. Their address is (2046 Vinton Ave. Memphis Tenn). I wrote to Margaret about your letters comming back. But haven't heard from her since we wrote. Uncle Ed says he is coming home this summer. I sure would like to see all of them. John sent us three of his pictures. He sure is good looking now. And is quite a gentleman. Gordon Coleman (Uncle Will's son) is going to stay home instead of going to the Delta as he first planned. Wiley Allen is coming home when school is out. He is going to school in Beuna Vista Miss. He is so cute and good looking. - 259 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Howard Coleman (Aunt Mattie's son) is coming home when his school is out. He is such a fine boy. He is just 23 years old and has been teach ever since he was 19. He went to College one year. And would have finished, But his dear father was called home to his Father two years ago the 22nd of May. When Uncle Lonny died of Howard came home to car for his mother as he was the eldest. Haywood and Robert are writing to Jolin and James. Give my love to all the relative. I would like to meet every one personal. Love and best wishes, MERLE COLEMAN to all Montpelier, Miss., Mar. 7, 1920 Dear Cousin Jenny We received your letter a week ago and was glad to hear from you. Hope you are feeling better by now and hope Cousin Mary and her husband are very much improved by now. We are all doing fairly well, I am never so well myself I have something like Catassh of the bowels and it is always worse at this season of the year. I am up all the time and do my house work outside of what Merle and Ida May does. I have the washing done and Merle irons. l have had about fifty chicks hatched but havc lost a good many of them and the weather is so cold, it is as cold now as it has been this Winter. it has been cold for two week now. l planted Irish potatoes, onions and mustark but is too cold for anything to do any good. All the children go to school except Mary Helen, and she plays and talks all the time. Wiley's sister's daughter (Mrs. Bright) and three children came to see us in Jan. and staid three weeks, the oldest was five years old and the baby was one. They live in Purvis Miss. Yes we stopped at Mrs. Mattie Coleman's daughter's house on our way to West Point (she is a Mrs. Gates). Barney and wife are well and Wiley Alen is well now going to school at Beuna Vista Miss. and looks well. Mr. Will is not well, he has severe cough. He and Gordon, his son, stay at the store. Mr. Will and Wiley and a Mr. Hill bought Oscar out, and Oscar is going to Yazoo City to put in a Chrera Cola Plant. Oscar and his wife have a new son named James Willis, for his grandpa Willis. Mr. Coleman is still in Jackson. I have not seen Cousin Florence in a long time. I guess she is kept busy with everything to look after and him gone. We had a letter from Mary Alice yesterday she seems to be allright - 260 - THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY now, and they are all at work now. Mr. Ed works at the Chicago Coal and Lumber Co. and John works in a shoe store, Margaret at Gerber's, Mable at Van-Vleel's, and David at Weiss a grocery store, James and Lawrence go to school and nobody at home except Mary Alice and Mark. Their address is 2046 Vinton Ave., Memphis, Tenn. Wiley has just come in he has a catch in his back and side he is bothered with that a lot of the time. The children are all playing. Frank (Mattie's boy) and Mary Louise are here and they are playing in yard. It is mighty cold for them to be out. I went to Cousin Will Lofton's burial last Saturday, came back to my Other's and staid till Sunday afternoon it was the first night Mary Helen had ever spent away from home, and she is most three years old. Well I have just finished a letter to Cousin Justina Spencer the old