Descendants of Lewis Baird
Third Generation
3. Lewis Millard Baird (Joseph , Lewis ) was born on 22 Aug 1795 in NC. He died in May 1864 in Salisbury NC.
Lewis was taken from his home in Elk Valley TN by Confederate soldiers to a prison in Salisbury, NC where he died in 1864. He suffered from many hardships- filth, famine. There was not even enough water. It is said that the prisoners who were dying of thirst prayed for water and a big spring broke out in dry ground. Lewis Baird is said to have refused freedom when asked to swear allegiance to the Rebel cause and later refused to give Jefferson Davis his word of honor not to support the Union cause. He replied that he had sons fighting for the Union and would support them at any opportunity.
Lay Family History by Arlie LayNotes for LEWIS MILLARD BAIRD:
Mr. Baird was born in North Carolina, 8/22/1795. His father died when he was a small boy and soon after he came to Kentucky and located near Jellico, TN. As a young man he moved to a homestead on upper Elk Fork and there he was arrested by Confederate soldiers in October of 1862. His devotion to the northern cause was well-known since 4 of his 11 sons had become soldiers in the Federal army. After his arrest, he was taken to a southern prison at Salisbury NC. He was urged to take the oath of allegiance to the south, being told he would be released and allowed to return home. He refused. It is said that Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy called on him and tried to persuade him to take the oath but Mr. Baird remained firm in his refusal.Letter from Prison 4/29/1864 Letter tells of old citizen: Lewis M. Baird, grandfather of C. R. Baird, Z. D. Baird and M. E. Baird of Jellico, Tennessee. He was imprisoned in the Confederate prison at Salisbury NC, during the war between the states and there died because of age and privations of the prison camp. The following is a letter written by a comrade to relatives in this county (Campbell) where his death was impending. The letter was addressed to the late Hon. S.C. Baird of Campbell County, TN; Salisbury NC April 29, 1864
To the sons of Lewis M. Baird:
I, as comrade of your father in prison, deem it my duty to write to you at this time to let you know his present condition. He is in the hospital and to all human appearance must soon be numbered with those who have been taken from the evils of this world. There is no particular disease apparent but old age and confinement have done the work. Having become acquainted with him soon after his arrest, and have been with him ever since, he now seems like a father to me. I can truly sympathize, We have slept together and I have been able to obtain many little necessaries from him. He has stood it very well until lately. I have often heard him say that he would like to know how you all were and let you all know how he was but he never got to hear from any of you at home.I have talked to the old man upon the subject of religion. He always expressed himself. as being prepared, which is a great consolation. I assure you that all that is possible for me to do shall be done for your father. Pray that God in his great mercies may spare him yet to return home. He wishes for me to say if he does not live to see you in this world; that you will strive to so live as to meet him above where parting will be no more. Very truly yours, Thomas Cayton
Hon. S.C. Baird: Born 1898, went to Salisbury in search of his grave but failed to identify it in the row of the cemetery. At the head of the row in the cemetery where he laid, stood a monument with this inscription: " REST ON EMBALMED SAINTS DEEDS DEAR AS THE BLOOD YE GAVE NO IMPIOUS FOOTSTEPS SHALL TREAD THE HERBAGE OF YOUR GRAVES".
Lewis married Elizabeth Woosley in 1816 in Grayson Co KY. Elizabeth was born on 28 Dec 1797 in Halifax Co VA. She died on 19 Jan 1885 in Elk Valley, Campbell Co TN.
They had the following children:
+ 6 M i William F Baird was born on 19 Oct 1817 and died on 15 May 1885. 7 F ii Mary Elizabeth Baird was born on 15 Apr 1820 in Campbell Co TN. Mary married Richard Perkins. Richard was born on 18 Mar 1913. + 8 M iii Samuel Crittendon Baird was born in 1825 and died on 27 Sep 1900. + 9 M iv Jesse "Straighty Jesse" Baird was born on 24 Nov 1825 and died on 11 Oct 1919. 10 M v David Baird was born in 1827 in Campbell Co TN. David married Martha Jane Adkins. + 11 F vi Rachel Baird was born in 1827 and died in 1910. 12 M vii Zebedee Baird was born on 29 Aug 1828 in Campbell Co TN. He died on 25 Mar 1901 in Elk Valley, Campbell Co TN. Zebedee married Mary Ann Rose on 10 Feb 1849 in Campbell Co TN. Mary was born on 18 Nov 1829. She died on 23 Feb 1923 in Elk Valley, Campbell Co TN. 13 M viii Joseph Baird was born on 20 Jul 1830 in Campbell Co TN. He died on 18 Nov 1851. Joseph married Delia Warden on 29 Dec 1849 in Campbell Co TN. Delia was born in 1833 in TN. + 14 M ix Andrew C Baird was born in 1834 and died on 9 Feb 1859. + 15 M x Lewis Millard Baird was born in 1835 and died about 1907. + 16 M xi George Fleming Baird was born on 9 Dec 1839 and died about 1921. 17 M xii John Baird was born in 1840. John married Martha Jane Gibson, daughter of Frances TRAVIS Gibson and Malinda ATKINS. Martha was born in 1840 in Campbell Co TN. + 18 M xiii Pryor Perkins Baird was born on 1 Jul 1842 and died on 18 Oct 1915.
4. William Andrew Baird Rev. (Joseph , Lewis ) was born on 11 Jan 1797 in Jonesborough TN. He died on 23 Jul 1869 in Campbell Co TN.
Notes for REV. WILLIAM ANDREW BAIRD:
Rev. WILLIAM ANDREW BAIRD was a Baptist Preacher, ordained June, 1841. (Info from his family bible, name often spelled BEARD on records and also BEAIRD). He organized the Elk Valley, TN church. (source: Hist. of KY Baptist, Vol. 2, 976.9) He joined the Clear Fork Church, Whitley County, KY in June 1824. Listed on Campbell County, TN Tax List, 1824.
Originally Adrion had only 3 sons listed. More were added from internet connections of Fran Malloy and Ledford Beard.
A JOSEPH BAIRD witnessed a Bill of Sale from ZEBULON BAIRD, Sr. to William Lenoir, 130 pounds. The abstract shows that the sale involves a wagon "once belonging to Thomas Dula," also three horses and a "destill," which may well have been a distillery. (Side note, the Dula family is the line of the infamous "Tom Dooley" of the folk song.) Another witness is WILLIAM BAIRD, which probably means that JOSEPH was related to both WILLIAM and ZEBULON. In those days, the first son was usually named for the wife's father, the second for the husband's father. So HANNAH's father may have been LEWIS LAY and JOSEPH's father could have been WILLIAM or ANDREW. Their eldest son, LEWIS MILLARD, was born in Caswell County, North Carolina. By 11 Feb. 1797 they were in Jonesborough, Tennessee, where WILLIAM ANDREW was born.
William married Tasey Ruskin on 11 Jun 1818. Tasey was born on 26 Jan 1800 in TN. She died in Dec 1875 in Campbell Co TN.
Notes for TESSY (RUSTEN?) RUSKIN:
TASEY RUSTIN was of French descent and was a seamstress.
William and Tasey had the following children:
+ 19 F i Elizabeth Baird was born on 18 Aug 1819 and died in 1873. + 20 M ii Joseph Baird was born on 14 Feb 1822 and died on 9 Jan 1897. + 21 M iii Lewis Baird was born on 14 Oct 1824. + 22 M iv David Baird was born on 9 May 1827 and died on 2 Oct 1900. + 23 F v Hannah Baird was born on 20 Jun 1829 and died on 19 Oct 1856. + 24 M vi John Lewis Baird was born on 24 Nov 1832 and died on 1 May 1903. + 25 M vii Andrew C Baird was born on 13 Jan 1834 and died on 31 Aug 1909. 26 F viii Rachel Baird was born on 15 Jun 1836. Rachel married John Lay. 27 F ix Tansey Baird was born on 17 Jan 1839 in Elk Valley, Campbell Co TN. Tansey married Calvin Allen.
5. Joseph Baird (Joseph , Lewis ) was born in 1798 in Campbell Co TN. He died in 1869 in Scott Co TN.
Joseph married Rachel Anderson about 1820. Rachel was born in 1800 in NC. She died in 1870 in Scott Co TN.
They had the following children:
+ 28 F i Elizabeth Baird was born on 11 Sep 1820 and died on 19 Dec 1889. + 29 F ii Lydia Baird was born in 1823 and died on 12 May 1908.
