Comments on: Part 2: Ed Payne on Jones County Civil War Widows

By: Beginning the History of the Sumrall-Jones-Steffen- Rogers « Sumrall's Blog

Beginning the History of the Sumrall-Jones-Steffen- Rogers « Sumrall's Blog — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:39:30 +0000

[...] Martha Rushing Walters Sumrall [...]

By: Part 4: Ed Payne on Jones County Civil War Widows « Renegade South

Part 4: Ed Payne on Jones County Civil War Widows « Renegade South — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:40:44 +0000

[...] Nancy McCary was born in Alabama in 1837. Her parents, Tandy and Cloah McCary, were both natives of South Carolina. The birth states for their children indicate that around 1843 the McCary family moved across the state line to Wayne County, Mississippi. Nancy became the bride of Elisha Sumrall in1852 when she was 15 and he was 21. The location of the couple over the next decade is unknown. But later records reveal that Nancy gave birth to at least four sons: Benjamin (1854), Theodore (1856), James (1858), and Jefferson (1861). The question remains as to whether the Jacob Sumrall (1852) who later married Martha Rushing Walters was the eldest son of Elisha and Nancy (see part two of Jones County Widows). [...]

By: Sumrall's Blog

Sumrall's Blog — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 01:21:03 +0000

[...] Martha Rushing Walters Sumrall Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)No TitleAnother Blog and Changes Here‘naked polish people’ search [...]

By: Part 3: Ed Payne on Jones County Widows « Renegade South

Part 3: Ed Payne on Jones County Widows « Renegade South — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:44:50 +0000

[...] Jones County patriarch Willoughby Walters, previously identified in the profile of Civil War widow Martha Rushing as the grandfather of her first husband, George Warren [...]

By: B.W. Anderson

B.W. Anderson — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:07:07 +0000

Oops! I mistakenly typed Joel instead of Jacob for the son’s name in the 1860 census.
It was Jacob and Martha, who named their son Joel . . .
J. Elisha and Nancy (McCary) Sumrall that named their son Jacob Elijah.

By: B.W. Anderson

B.W. Anderson — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:59:27 +0000

Ed: Elisha Sumrall is listed in the 1860 census of Wayne County, MS as J. E. Sumrall. His son Joel Elijah Sumrall is in the home. His son, Jacob, was apparently named after his father and his brother. Maybe this will answer the question of which Jacob did Martha (Rushing) Walters-Sumrall marry.

J. E.(lisha) Sumrall 27 b. abt 1833 MS
Nancy Sumrall 25 b. abt 1835 MS
(Joel) Elijah Sumrall 5 b. abt 1855 MS
Leonidas Sumrall 2 b. abt 1858 MS
George Sumrall 6 mos b. abt 1860
Lucy Crawford 18 b. abt 1842 MS
G.W. Lower 42 b. abt 1818 PA
Susan Lower 25 b. abt 1835 NC
Catherine Lower 3 b. abt 1857 MS

By: Ed Payne

Ed Payne — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:33:56 +0000

Paula: A fairly reliable synopsis of what is known about James Leander Parker is posted on Lee Murrah’s website at this link: http://www.murrah.com/gen/parker.htm

One part he has wrong is the statement that James and Sarah divorced. James sued her for divorce claiming adultery (he would have had an easier case if he had charged abandonment). She counter-sued and he eventually withdrew his suit and paid court costs.

On Rootsweb Kathy Wells wrote this:

“Several Parker researchers were looking for the parents of James Leander Parker, of Jones Co. Miss. and later moved to Angelina Co. TX. I have said I feel fairly sure he is the brother to my Hardy Parker III, which would mean that Hardy Parker II and Susanna Bowzer were his parents. I still don’t have it in writing, but thought you might be interested in the following. This shows the close relationship between Hardy III and James Leander. No other Parkes moved there, and they lived close, like brothers would.

“I found a book in Angelina Co. on the county commissioners. Hardy Parker III was apparently a county commissioner there and a juryman about 1853-1860. This could not be James Leander Parker’s son Hardy, because in 1853 he would only have been 13 years old. It appears that possibly Hardy was in Angelina Co. first and possibly James Leander did not move there until about 1858-59 [EP: that's correct per the divorce suit records]? James is listed by 1859 along with Hardy and an Isaac (probably son of James b.1837), and with a Daniel Parker (probably son of Hardy b.1837 also).”

By: Ed Payne

Ed Payne — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:04:39 +0000

Tim: my feeling is that research isn’t much good if it can’t stand up to some questioning. But rail transportation had grew in leaps and bounds after the Civil War. There were railroad lines from Dallas to Shreveport and Monroe to Meridian with a feeder line connecting Shreveport and Monroe. And a line ran from Meridian to Waynesboro, putting them less than 50 miles of Sarah’s farm. I think Jacob and Martha moved to TX by cart, but the children might have returned to MS (eight years later) by rail.

Having young children did not curtail travel in the 19th century. In 1813 Stacy Collins and his family travelled from central GA to Wayne Co, MS (about 425 miles) over a newly opened trail (the Federal Road). Settlers are said to have favored loading all their possessions in a large barrel which was hitched to a team of oxen and rolled along. Most of the journey was through Alabama, still controlled by the Creek Nation. The children who made the journey with Stacy and his wife were: Nancy age 4, Sarah (Sary) age 2, and infant Elizabeth (Betsy) who’d been born in Nov 1812. All three daughters survived the trip and Nancy and Sarah are documented to have lived into their 70s. Tough times, tough people.

By: Tim Sumrall

Tim Sumrall — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:06:10 +0000

Ed, I totally overlooked the fact of the birth of Charley in Texas. That does make it pretty evident that Jacob, Martha and family were in Texas prior to 1880. I apologize if it appeared I was questioning your research and scholarship, that was not my intent at all. I guess I was looking at the 19th century through 21st century eyes, wondering how 2 young people with a 2 year old could make an arduous journey alone from Texas back to Mississippi, when in fact it was just a normal long journey for them, and they were responsible adults, obviously, at an age that today is considered immature. Thanks for all your insight and work.
Tim

By: Paula Moore

Paula Moore — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:45:05 +0000

I read your essay with interest. Perhaps you can help me place the James Parker whom you mentioned was briefly married to Sarah Collins Walters. Was he a son of James D. Parker (b. 1801 NC) and a brother to Henry Parker (b. 1832 MS)? Henry married Dorcus Deason, daughter of Amos Deason. This is my line. I have in my notes a brother to Henry, James, born MS, 1843.
Very interesting and I am looking forward to reading and learning more