Jesse Merritt was born about 1789, in North Carolina, as shown in the Federal Census of Early County, Georgia, of 1830. When located Jesse was shown as having one son between the age of 20 and 30 years of age. There was no wife given. We believe that Jesse had either been widowed on the trip from North Carolina or that he simply left his first wife. The son mentioned here was identified as Jesse Charles born in 1805. In the next twenty years we find that Jesse is being shown with wife Nancy, and is living in Henry County, Alabama, along with the following children: Marion, born 1826, John, born 1832, Jasper Marion 1836, Thomas J. born 1837, James born 1839, and an only daughter Mary A. born 1845. Jesse was never found again and is believed that he died in Henry, or Coffee County about 1860. 
       We then found that the family started to move again, this time stopping at Clintonville, in Coffee County. By this time Jesse Charles had married and started his own family. He remained in Coffee County, near Clintonville. This part of the county later became the part of Crenshaw County known as Bullock. In 1860, Jesse Charles is shown married to Sarah and they have the following children. Talitha age 13, Cintha age 11, Betty age 7, Annie age 4 and Missouri age 1. 
       Jesse Charles was a member of Company A, Alabama 39th Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Confederate States of America (CSA).  He was killed during a civil war skirmish with Union Troops, and is buried in the Fairgrounds Cemetery at Knoxville, Tennessee, under the name of Charles. As the rest of the family had moved on to Covington County at this time, Sarah moved there after Jesse Charles's death. She was later located at Rose Hill, near her brother-in-law Marion. The rest of Jesse Charles's family, with the exception of Missouri Jane, were lost to us at this time. Missouri Jane stayed near Bullock, in what was known as Coffee County at this time. We know that she raised two sons, Jesse R. Merritt and Sidney Willis Merritt. 
       The next child of Jesse and Nancy was Marion, born Nov. 7,1826 at Fort Gaines, in Early County now known as Clay County, Georgia. After Marion left Georgia, he settled down at Rose Hill, Covington County, Alabama, and married Elizabeth White. In July of 1862 Marion joined the Confederate Army, and was a member of Company B, Alabama 18th Volunteer Infantry Regiment, CSA. He was assigned to Mobile and was captured at Spanish Fort, Alabama, on April 24, 1865, and was paroled from the Army at Vicksburg, Mississippi. on May 8,1865. After Marion's return from the war, he and Elizabeth raised eight children. John Thomas born 1858, William Henry born 1859, Nancy Jane born 1861, Sarah born 1862, Marion Lafayette born Sept. 1863, James G., known as Jim, born 1865, Mary Ann born Jan. 14, 1867, and Issac David born Oct. 18, 1870.      We were able to locate the homestead property of several members of the family. Our source for this was a book entitled "Original Land Sales and Grants of Covington County Alabama". This book shows that on Oct. 13,1887, Marion obtained 160 acres of land near Brooks, Alabama. Our best information shows that he spent the rest of his life there, where he followed the timber and sawmill trade. He also served as a woodsrider for Horseshoe Lumber County, at the same time raising food for his family,  and looking after his own property. Marion died March 5, 1911 and is buried at Long Branch Cemetery, Cohasset, Alabama, just off Highway 84, in the edge of Conecuh County. His wife, Elizabeth White, was born Georgia, and died January 27, 1913, and is buried next to Marion in Long Branch Cemetery. 
       The first child of Marion and Elizabeth was John Thomas.  John Thomas married Sara Owens and together they had seven children, all of which were born in Covington, County.  Later John Thomas moved his family to Baker, Florida, where he continued to follow the timer trade, also farming at this time. He lived the rest of his life there and is buried in a cemetery near Baker, Florida. 
       The second child of Marion and Elizabeth is William Henry (Bill). Bill married Syvel Dreding and together they had nine children all born in Covington County. Bill made his living by working in the sawmill trade as a sawmill carpenter. His job was to keep up the tools and buildings. All of Bill and Syvel's children lived to an old age except James Marion (Jim). Jim was killed in a knife fight near Red Level in August of 1931, by his brother-in-law Cap Edson. William Henry lived most of his life in Covington County, but had moved to Geneva County, and was living there when Syvel died on March 4, 1930. Syvel is buried in Early Town Cemetery, near Samson, Alabama. At the time of William Henry's death on August 8, 1954, he was living with his daughter, Della Sasser, at Cedar Grove. He is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery. 
       The third child of Marion and Elizabeth was a daughter, named Nancy Jane. Nancy grew up and married Andrew Jack Lee, and they had eleven children. Jack and Nancy lived all their lives at The Garden, near Red Level, and are buried in the Bushfield Cemetery. 
       The forth child of Marion and Elizabeth was Sarah Ann.  Sarah married Bill Thompson and together they had three children. Sarah lived all her life in this area and is buried at Long Branch Cemetery. 
       The fifth child of Marion and Elizabeth was Marion Lafayette. He married Sugar Roper Lassiter, and they had one child, a girl, named Lillie. They were farmers, and lived in the Red Level area until their deaths. Lillie married Andrew Judson Terry and raised a family of seven children. 
       The sixth child of Marion and Elizabeth was James G. (Jim). Jim married Lougenia, last name unknown, and they had six children. James was also a farmer. 
       The seventh child was another girl, named Mary Ann.    Mary Ann burned to death at the age of nineteen; she had never married. She is buried at Long Branch Cemetery. 
       The eighth and last child, was a boy and they named him Issac David. He married Phoebe Lucinda Lassiter. Uncle Dave and Aunt Loon had thirteen children. They stayed at the home place and helped Marion and Elizabeth until their death. After the death of his parents he owned the place. Uncle Dave died December 2, 1945. Aunt Loon died January 6, 1956. They are buried together at Fairmount Cemetery, Red Level, Alabama.   They farmed for a living and remained in the same area all their lives. 
       Jesse's third child was John R., born 1832. He married a girl named Elizabeth, last name unknown, and they had four daughters. He was shown to be a farmer. Where they lived and died is unknown to us. We know that he joined the Confederate Army and was a member of Company B, Alabama 18th Volunteer Infantry Regiment, CSA. We found in the 'Land Grant" book that he owned 200 acres of land in 1854, in Covington County. 
       The forth child of Jesse's was James A. J., born 1839. James married Edie Owens, and they had one child named James Levy. It is believed that James was also in the Confederate Army, but we have been unable to find documents on him. James remained in Covington County and we believe is buried nearby, while Edie and James Levy (Bud) went to Oklaloosa County, Florida and relocated. 
       The fifth child of Jesse's was Jasper Marion.  Jasper married Eliza Gwaltney from Mobile County. Jasper is known to us as the world traveler, as we have found him in Henry, Coffee, Covington, Jefferson, and Mobile Counties. Jasper and Eliza had four children. On April 2, 1862 Jasper joined the Confederate Army in Covington County, and was a member of Company I, Alabama 40th Volunteer Infantry Regiment, CSA. In May, 1864 Jasper received serious wounds to his neck and also left leg, in the battle of Resecca, Georgia. He was discharged from the Army at Greenville, Alabama in 1864. He returned to Covington County for awhile and then moved to Walton County, Florida, where he lived until his death in 1909. He is buried in Amaranth Cemetery, Laurel Hill, Florida.   His grave is marked with a Confederate marker. His widow, Eliza received a yearly pension of $72.00. 
       The sixth child of Jesse and Nancy's is a daughter, named Mary Ann. Mary never married, but had a daughter, also named Mary Ann. She was called Molly. Mary lived in several households and raised her child. Molly married Absalom Hendrix and raised a big family. She looked after her Mother until her death, and Molly is buried at Antioch Cemetery along with her husband, and her Mother. 
       The one missing child of Jesse and Nancy's is Thomas J. All we can learn of him is, in 1900, he was married to Lucy A. E. and was living at Hardwicksburg, in what was Henry County at that time. It is now in Houston County. There are no children listed for this family. As this is the last of Jesse's children, we would like to thank some of the people who have helped us gather this information; Eldon & Dot Merritt, Clinton & Virginia Merritt, Ruby Merritt, Bob Terry, Jewel Mitchel, Thomas Olin Merritt, Atrice Reeves, J.C. & Annie Merritt of Baker and Crestview, Florida, and especially the one that started us in the right direction, Mrs. Martha Merritt, widow of Joe Merritt, of Red Level. During this study of the Merritt's we found that they were the salt of the earth type people. We never had professional people like doctors or lawyers. We had people who worked and fought to make this country what it is today. You can look at the family as a whole down through the years and you will find, soldiers, airmen, sailors, law enforcement and timber men. We also have family in civil service and in many of the factories around this country. One important thing we would like to mention, is that we have found documents, which prove that four of Jesse's sons were Confederate Soldiers, John and Marion were in the same company; we don't know if they were together or not. 
       If anyone has any information that can add to this, or perhaps change it for correction in some areas, we would be grateful. 

Thanks,  The Merritts