Medlin-Cowley-Stewart Relationships

 Trying to figure out the relationships between the Medlin, Cowley, Leaver, and Stewart families (Tennessee) was more than a little confusing.  The diagram below helps while working on these families and their relationships to each other.  Harrison Stewart and Samuel Medlin are direct ancestors in our family.  Both the Medlin and Stewart families were originally from the Putnam County, Tennessee area.  Our branch of the Medlin family moved to the Nashville area in the 1840s.

 Corrections and additions welcomed. 🙂

Putnam County Cemeteries

 In August 2013, my husband and I visited Putnam County, Tennessee.  In addition to researching at the local library, Putnam County Court House, and Putnam County Archives, I was able to visit most of the cemeteries my Putnam County ancestors were buried in.  Betty Stewart Stark, a 4th cousin on my Stewart line, met us and took us around to the cemeteries where our Stewart ancestors were buried in.  In addition, Betty was able to show us exactly where the graves were located in the cemeteries.  

Stewart Cemetery
Cookeville, Putnam, Tennessee 

Preston Stewart
1815-1875

Nancy J Brown Stewart
wife of Preston

Family burials in Stewart Cemetery:

Preston Stewart 1815-1875 

Nancy Jane Brown Stewart 1818-1899
Ceburn Stewart 1823-1879 
Dorinda Jane Brown Stewart 1824-1896 

Benjamin Brown 1787-1849 

Betty Viola Stewart Nabors Stark 1928-2021 

Several of the cemeteries visited were in the Boma community.

Smellage Cemetery
Boma, Putnam, Tennessee

Cathy and Betty Stewart Stark
2013 Smellage Cemetery

Betty and I are standing next to the headstones for Harrison and Sarah (Brown) Stewart.  Harrison and Sarah are my 3rd great-grandparents. The headstones are somewhat smaller that I imaged them.  

Headstones for Sarah and Harrison Stewart
Sarah on left and Harrison on right.

Close-ups of Stewart headstones
Sarah on left and Harrison on right.

Family burials in Smellage Cemetery:

Sarah Brown Stewart 1821-1889

Harrison Stewart 1817-1893  More info 

Martha Stewart Montgomery 1845-1909 

New Home Baptist Cemetery

Boma, Putnam, Tennessee

Harrison Stewart's son, Elder Jacob Mattison Stewart, was buried in the New Home Baptist Cemetery in Boma.

Mary Lee Stewart and Elder JM Stewart

Emeline Brown & W.A. Brown

Family burials in New Home Baptist Cemetery, Boma, Putnam, Tennessee.  

Elder J.M. Stewart 1847-1920  More info 

Mary Elizabeth (Lee) Stewart 1849-1923 

William Alexander Brown 1846-1928 

Emeline Richardson Brown 1840-1921 

Whistle While You Work

Robert H "Babe" Cowley

Whistled While He Worked

Cowley's Ferry was on the Cumberland River 15 miles above Nashville, located at the mouth of Stones River.  The ferry was started in the 1850's by John B Cowley.  The early ferry was pulled by oars.  After John retired, his son, Robert H "Babe" Cowley operated the ferry.

In 1948, when Babe Cowley turned 85 years old, his daughter-in-law submitted the following tribute to the "Top O'the Mornin' " section of the Nashville Tennessean Newspaper. 

The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) Friday, March 19, 1948 

The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) Friday, March 19, 1948, page 8

Abstract of above article:

"From Mrs. Lee Cowley, Old Hickory, Tenn... I want to tell you about R H (Uncle Babe) Cowley who is celebrating his 85th birthday.  Many readers will recall Uncle Babe.  He operated the old horse boat at the mouth of Stones river.  Later the gasoline ferry, which was known as the Stone's Ferry.

Thousands have crossed with Uncle Babe.  He whistled while he worked and it never got too hot, too cold or the water too high for him to work -- or whistle.  He owned the first radio in his neighborhood and on Saturday night folks would come from miles away to listen to the Grand Ole Opry programs.  Back then only Judge Hay and Uncle Jimmy Thompson were the cast.

Uncle Babe is my father-in-law -- and though retired, still whistles."

Robert Howell "Babe" Cowley Obituary

The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) Friday, March 11, 1949

Robert H Cowley is related to us through  our Stewart and Medlin families.

Joseph Stewart and Sarah Gilbert Family

The following story of the Joseph and Sarah Stewart Family was given to me by the author, JT Stewart of Watertown, Tennessee.  JT and I corresponded and shared research in 2001.  He had researched our Stewart family for years and knew more than anyone else about the early history of the Stewart family of Putnam County, Tennessee.  I originally posted this story in 2009 as part of the blog post entitled, Stewarts of Putnam County, Tennessee.  But, no one seemed to find it tucked away at the bottom of that post, so here it is again.:)

JOSEPH STEWART AND SARAH GILBERT FAMILY

 By J.T. Stewart, a descendant of Jesse Stewart 

Joseph Stewart left Jefferson County and arrived with his family in Overton County, Tn. then Jackson about 1800. This makes him one of the county’s earliest settlers. Joseph’s parents were Samuel Stewart and Lydia Harrison of Augusta County, VA where Joseph was probably born about 1740. Joseph’s father Samuel received a grant of 508 acres from Lord Granville in Rowan County, NC and the family moved from Virginia to North Carolina about 1758. Joseph Stewart is listed in the Rowan County Tax List of 1761 when he came of legal age. Joseph and Samuel are mentioned in the "Wachovia Diary" under date of 24 Aug 1761 in Stokes/Forsyth Co., NC this being a diary of the German Moravian sect which settled in Stokes, Forsyth and Surry Co., NC.
In 1779, Joseph Stewart sold the land he had received by inheritance from his father in what was then Surry Co., NC and traveled westward. Tax lists show he was in Washington Co., NC now Tennessee for the years 1780 through 1783. By 1784 Joseph Stewart was in Jefferson Co., and court records show he was there as late as Aug 1796. The earliest date Joseph shows up in Overton/Jackson Co. is 1801. He and Thomas McBride are listed on old church minutes, 25 July 1801, as messengers from Roaring River Baptist Church to the Green River Association of Baptists in Barren County, KY. On 23 Sep 1823 Joseph Stewart received a land grant from the state of Tennessee. On 14 Feb 1824 an Overton Co. deed from Jesse Stewart to John Lee, refers to the will of Joseph Stewart wherein Jesse Stewart received land by virtue of the will. Thus it would appear that Joseph Stewart died between 23 Sep 1823 and 14 Feb 1824.
Joseph Stewart married Sarah Gilbert and they had 12 children, all of whom came to Overton Co. with Joseph about 1800.

The children are listed as follows with a few lines of biographical data when known.
Lydia Stewart b. ab. 1762 m. to Abraham Howard. Abraham died in Jefferson Co. 1795. Lydia had 8 children and she and the children moved to Madison Co., Ill before 1820. The Howards are prominently mentioned in "History of Madison Co., Illinois" Saline Township as being some of the earliest settlers.
Joseph Stewart Jr. b. ab. 1764. He may have been married twice, 1st to Sarah Copeland as LDS records show and 2nd to Jane or Jennie Davis. He left Overton Co. and lived in wilderness area of Bledsoe Co. in the 1820’s on land he had surveyed. In Aug 1827 he bought 55 acres of land on Roaring River from Caleb Willis. In Apr 1828 he sold the 55 acres to James Dodson, his brother-in-law. About this time he reportedly went to Johnson Co., Ark. The names of his children are not known but David K. Stewart b. Overton Co. 1813 and William H. Stewart b. Overton Co. in 1823 may have been two of them.
Margaret (Patsy) b. ab. 1768 m. to James Dodson. Very little is known about James Dodson except he seems to have been fervently religious as the minutes of the old Spring Creek Baptist Church had this entry for Apr 1845: "Brother James Dodson liberated to sing, pray, and exhort when he feels like doing so in the bounds of the church." Names of the children are not known except John Larkin Dodson who m. Mary Ann Curtis may have been connected.
Benjamin Stewart b. ab. 1772 d. 1847 Overton Co. m. twice 1st Sarah Davis 2nd Polly ? not Polly Mayfield as some sources show. Benjamin Stewart was a farmer and Baptist preacher and is mentioned several times in minutes of the old Spring Creek Baptist Church. He lived in Bledsoe Co. for a while on land he had surveyed in the wilderness area. He had 12 children, 9 by his 1st wife. His will is recorded in Overton Co. deed K-333 July 1841 which was later proven in Nov 1847, he left all his property to his wife Polly, but deeds do not show how Polly disposed of the lands she received. None of the children were in the will, and to date their names are not known.
John Stewart, b. ab. 1772 d. 1846 Overton Co., m. 1st Elizabeth Norris 2nd Keziah ?. They had at least 4 children: John C.; Melinda m. Wm. K. Wyatt; Robert; and Margaret m. Benjamin Whitehead. All of John’s descendants appear to have left Overton Co. shortly after he died. A descendant of Benjamin and Margaret Whitehead has turned up in Vine, Cal.
Nancy Stewart, b. 1775 d. in Overton Co. after 1850, did not marry.
Elizabeth Stewart b. ab. 1778 m. 1798 to John Raney, a Rev. War veteran. Elizabeth was his second wife. There were 6 or so children. One son William b. 1812 was married to Elvira Gist a daughter of Russell and Nancy Isham Gist. The John Raney family went to Independence Co., Ark. where he died in Feb. 1847, age 92.
Sarah Stewart b. ab. 1780 m. 19 Dec 1802 James Matthews. James was in the War of 1812 and his military records show he was killed in the battle at Talledega, Ala. On 9 Nov 1813. Sarah applied for a pension and listed 7 children. The children were: John Matthews m. Sarah Shookman-Shoukman; Sarah m. William G. Roberts an early tax collector of Overton Co.; Cynthia d. young; Lawrence m. Agnes Poston; Elizabeth m. Peter Fite; Nancy m. Caleb Cooper; and Dorcas m. Hiram Pitts. Other sources list other children as James, William, and a son who accidentally shot himself, but Sarah made no mention of them in her pension application of 12 Feb 1817. A Richard Matthews, 59, b. NC appears on the 1850 Pulaski Co., Missouri census. He is probably the same Richard Matthews who on Overton deed F-208 Apr 1830, deeded 150 acres on Roaring River to David Stewart and expected "one square rod including the grave of my father." The father may have been Lawrence Matthews and James and Richard brothers sons of Lawrence.
Samuel Stewart b. 15 Mar 1781 d. Overton Co. ab. 1822, m. Polly Kitchner. Children were: Sarah J. b. 1802 m. Joshua Stapp; John Gilbert b. 1811 m. 3 times 1st Margaret Copeland, 2nd Sarah Ruth Allison and 3rd Amanda Tennison; and Samuel B. b. 1815 m. Elizabeth W. Matthews. There was also a Benjamin K. Stewart b. 1808 closely connected with this family who quite likely was a son of Samuel also.
David Stewart
William Stewart b. ab. 1786 died in Lee County, Iowa in 1837 m. 1st Elizabeth VanHooser and 2nd Rebecca Lewellyn. Children of first wife were: Squire, Riley, Levi, William Jackson, and Urban Van. This family went to Madison County, Illinois, where some of the children joined the Mormon movement in its earliest stages and went on to Utah. A great number of descendants are to be found in the western part of the country. Levi Stewart for instance had 28 children by 3 wives although his second wife, Margery, and five children perished in a fort fire at Kanab, Utah. Morris Udall former Senator from Arizona and one time presidential candidate was a descendant of Levi Stewart.
Jesse Stewart, youngest child of Joseph and Sarah Gilbert Stewart b. July 1790 died ab. 1862, m. to Jemima West daughter of Stephen and Mary Belk West. Jesse Stewart was an early Baptist preacher and was ordained to preach according to Rev. J.H. Grime Baptist Historian at the old Roaring River church also known as "Twelve Corners." Incidentally the name "Twelve Corners," according to Mr. Mark Copeland who was familiar with the old church before it was torn down came from the architectural shape of the church that being in the shape of a cross, which of course has twelve corners. Children of Jesse Stewart and Jemima West were as follows: Janey b. 26 Feb 1813; Preston Stewart b. 12 July 1815 d. 20 Mar 1875 bur. Stewart Cem. In Putnam Co., Tn m. 10 May 1835 Jane Brown; Harrison b. 7 May 1817 d. 1 Jan 1893 bur. Smellage Cem., Putnam Co., Tn m. Sarah Brown; Hirum b. 30 Mar 1819; Enon b. 6 May 1821 m. 4 Jan 1845 White Co. to Sarina Cordle; Ceburn b. 10 Feb 1823 d. 19 Mar 1879 m. Dorinda Brown; Asa b. 19 Feb 1825 m. 17 Oct 1855 Sarah Davis; Anthony D. b. 21 Jan 1827 m. Mary A. ?; Erviney b. 22 Oct 1829 m. T.A. Porter; Levashure b. 17 Oct 1831 m. 5 Oct 1853 Angeline Finley; Almarinda b. 14 Jan 1834; Jemima b. 19 Jan 1836 m. 9 Dec 1864 in Todd Co., KY Francis Marion Seger; Mary b. 21 Feb 1838 d. 10 Aug 1874 m. B.A.W. Davis; and Sarah b. 1839.

Note:  There was a John Stewart family in Overton Co. living on Ashburn Creek in the early 1800’s but no relation to Joseph Stewart. This John Stewart’s children were: Josiah; Gibson; Fleming; Levina m. John McDonald; Nancy m. Obadiah Hickey; Lucinda also m. Obadiah Hickey when Nancy died; Penelope m. William Payne; and Jane .m Benjamin R. Harrison.

Note: This sketch does not include David Stewart who is listed on the family group sheet prepared by JT.

Related Posts: 
Jesse Stewart, Baptist Preacher
Jesse Stewart, Baptist Preacher - part 2
Stewarts of Putnam County, Tennessee
Henry Stewart - Civil War Veteran

Mary Jane Stewart Baldwin

Mary Jane Stewart Baldwin is my 2nd great-grandmother.  She was born October 3rd, 1872 in Nashville, Tennessee, the oldest daughter of Henry Stewart and Bettie Medlin.  The Stewart family eventually moved to Texas.  While living in Young County, Texas, Mary met a young man named Allen Baldwin.  They fell in love and were married in Graham, Young County, Texas on 22 Aug 1893.   Mary and Allen lived in Eliasville, probably near the Baldwin family, until about 1899.  Then after living in Throckmorton, Texas for a few years, Mary and Allen moved to Kiowa County, Oklahoma in 1904 and lived near the Mary's family - the Stewarts.  Allen died on June 5, 1931 in Fort Cobb, Oklahoma.  Mary moved back to Kiowa County and lived in Mountain Park with her widowed daughter Etta Barker.  Mary died in 1959.

Earliest known photo of Mary Jane Baldwin is in 1904.  She is standing in a doorway next to her mother Bettie Stewart.  The young boy standing down on the left is probably Grandpa Jess.

Bettie Stewart - Mary Baldwin
Jess Baldwin

The below photo is of the Allen and Mary Baldwin Family.  Left to Right: Tom Baldwin, Clyde Baldwin, Charlie Baldwin, Jess Baldwin, ?daughter Mattie?, Allen Baldwin, Mary Jane Stewart Baldwin.  Photo taken about 1925 to 1927 in Mountian Park, Oklahoma.

Allen and Mary (Stewart) Baldwin Family

Here is a colorized version of Mary from the above family photo.

Mary Stewart Baldwin

More information about the Allen and Mary Jane Stewart and all of their family can be found here and here.

Mary Jane Baldwin's Obituary was found in the Lawton Constitution (Newspaper), Lawton, Oklahoma, 22 Nov 1959.

Mrs. Mary Baldwin
Snyder (Special)

Services for Mrs. Mary J. Stewart Baldwin, 77, Kiowa county pioneer, were held at the Mt. Park Baptist church Saturday. Rev. John Matthieson officiated.
Burial was in Mt. Park Cemetery with Preston-Leckie funeral home in charge.

Born Oct. 3, 1872, in Nashville, she moved to Graham, Tex., as a child. She was married in Graham to Allen H. Baldwin. They moved to Oklahoma in 1904 and settled on a farm in Richland community. She was a member of the Baptist church.

Survivors include four daughters, Mrs. Etta Barker and Mrs. Maudie Killian, both of Mt. Park; Mrs. Betty Miller, Lancaster, Calif., and Mrs. Mattie Mitchell, Stratmore, Calif; four sons, Jessie, Cortez, Colo.; Charlie, Corcoran, Calif.; Clyde, Lancaster, Calif., and Tom, Lodi, Calif. Other survivors include 55 grandchildren, 88 great grandchildren and 10 great-great grandchildren.

Mary was buried in Mountain Park Cemetery in Kiowa County, Oklahoma.

Mary Jane Baldwin Headstone
Photo by KiowaGal

To view Mary's Find-A-Grave Memorial Page, click here.

Related Posts:

Allen and Mary (Stewart) Family

Old Stone House

Henry R Stewart Civil War Pension II

For part 1, see previous post: Henry R Stewart Civil War Pension 

Henry's health declined to the point that in 1912, Henry left Oklahoma and traveled to the Army Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  He died in the Army Hospital on 19 September 1912. Henry R. Stewart is buried in the Little Rock National Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Henry's widow, Bettie Medlin Stewart, applied for a Widow's pension.  The papers Bettie had to provide in order to receive her pension are rich in clues and/or information about her early life.  Bettie had told her grandchildren and great-grandchildren that she was an orphan and did not know anything about her family.  But, she provided the pension board just enough information that her family was found.  Blog posts about Bettie can be found here and here.

Widow's Pension 

Widow's Pension 

Widow's Pension 

Widow's pension 

Widow's Pension 

Widow's Pension 

Below is an affidavit by Bettie's brother-in-law,  J M Stewart.

Widow's Pension - JM Stewart Letter1

Widow's Pension - JM Stewart Letter2

Bettie stated that in 1870 she was living with "William Brown his wife Emma Brown and their children names were Clerry Jane Brown, Permela Brown and Smith Brown in Putnam Co., Tenn."  William A. Brown wrote a letter that is included in the pension file.

Widow's Pension - WA Brown Letter1

Widow's Pension - WA Brown Letter2

Henry R Stewart Civil War Pension

I have written several posts about my 2nd great-grandfather, Henry Riley Stewart.
Henry Stewart - Civil War Veteran
Old Stone House
Our Family Blacksmiths
Stewarts of Putnam County, Tennessee
Henry R Stewart Civil War Pension II

Henry was born 10 Dec 1843, the third child of Harrison and Sarah (Brown) Stewart. In his pension application, Henry states that he was born in Double Springs, Jackson County, Tennessee.  On 31 December 1863 at Carthage, Tennessee, Henry enlisted in the Union Army as a private in D Company 1st Tennessee Volunteers, Mounted Infantry. His pension is File # 1244,834.  At the end of the war, Henry was discharged honorably from the army on 25 April 1865 at Nashville, Tennessee.  Below are a few pages from his pension file.

Henry R Stewart Pension 1

Henry R Stewart Pension 2

Henry R Stewart Pension 3

Henry R Stewart Pension 4

Henry R Stewart Pension 5

Below is the official death record found in the pension file for Henry Stewart. It is from the Army and Navy General Hospital, Hot Springs, Arkansas.  I

Henry R Stewart Pension 6 - Death Record 

Army and Navy General Hospital, Hot Springs, Ark., Jan. 25, 1914 To the Commissioner of Pensions, Dept of the Interior, Washington, D.C. The records of this hospital show that Henry R. Stewart late Private Co. D, 1st Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, died at this hospital at 11:30 am September 19, 1912. Diagnosis: "Prostatic hypertrophy with chronic cystitis". Immediate cause of death: "Hypertrophied prostate, retention of urine, pyonephrosis, left, and secondary pneumonia." F.A. Winter Lieut. Colonel Medical Corps, Commanding

The Army-Navy General Hospital at Hot Springs, Arkansas was the first combined general hospital for both U.S. Army and Navy patients in the nation. In the early 1800s, people believed that bathing in mineral waters had therapeutic value, which brought many people to the town of Hot Springs (Garland County). The groundwork for the hospital was proposed in 1882. $100,000 was approved for the building of a thirty-bed, joint military hospital, the first such effort in U.S. history. President Chester A. Arthur signed the bill in 1882. The Army-Navy Hospital opened to patients in January 1887 under the direct jurisdiction of the secretary of war. The 1880s version of the Army-Navy Hospital was made of red brick, slate, and wood. the hospital (as a federal facility) was one of the top five employers in Garland County.

Riley Medlin - Confederate Veteran & Fisherman

Riley Medlin was the brother of our great-grandma, Bettie Medlin Stewart.

William Riley Medlin, the son of Samuel Medlin and Rebecca Morgan, was born on March 14, 1843 in Wilson county, Tennessee.  In 1850, Riley was living with his parents and siblings in Wilson County, Tennessee.  

1850 Federal Census, Wilson County, TN, family #207

In the summer of 1854, an outbreak of cholera hit the area around Lebanon, Wilson County, Tennessee where the Medlin family was living.  Many people around Lebanon left their homes temporarily when they heard of cholera in the area, but the Medlin family remained.  Riley's mother, Rebecca, came down with cholera and died in July 1854.  After Rebecca's death, some of the Medlin children were sent to live with extended relatives and others were old enough to be on their own.  Riley would have been about eleven years old at the time his mother died.  Riley's father remarried in 1855, but it appears none of the children stayed with him.  Riley has not been found in the 1860 census.  But, he was probably living in the Nashville area, because a year later while living in Nashville, he enlisted in the Confederate Army.

In 1861, Riley enlisted in the Confederate Army - 20th Tennessee Infantry Regiment.  Company I, of the Twentieth Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A., was raised at and near the Hermitage, in the Fourth Civil District of Davidson County and was called the Hermitage Guards. Company I was mustered into State service for one year from June1,1861, on Front Street, near Broad, in the city of Nashville, and was put on the cars of the L&N Railroad and carried to Camp Trousdale, and there was incorporate in the Twentieth Tennessee Volunteer Infantry Regiment as Company 1, and known as the boys from the home of Old Hickory.  William Riley Medlin is not listed in the roster of this Company.  But, his pension application is witnessed and signed by John Hays & R.T. Moore, who were included on the roster.(http://www.tngenweb.org/civilwar/crosters/inf/inf20/coi.html)  
While serving in the Confederate army, Riley engaged in the Wildcat and Fishing Creek battles.  In April of 1863, Riley was captured by Union forces while on retreat from the Fishing Creek battle.   He gave his Oath of Allegiance to the United State Government to keep out of prison.

On 17 Jan 1865, Riley married Kate Reed, sister of his brother-in-law, John Reed.  Catherine Reed (called Kate) was born on March 9th, 1843 in Tennessee.  Her parents were Joel and Elizabeth Reed.

After their marriage, Riley and Kate continued to live in Nashville.  Riley made a living by fishing.  In most census records and on the pension application, Riley's occupation is listed as a fisherman.   He stated in his pension application that he was a fisherman and made a scant living.  Below is an 1880 map of Davidson County, Tennessee.  The Cumberland River is where Riley would have spent his time fishing for a living.

In the 1880 Federal Census, Riley is enumerated on the same page as brother, Pink Medlin, and his sister, Mandy (Amanda) Reed and several other extended relatives.  Riley stated his occupation was a fisherman. 

1880 Federal Census, Dist 19, Davidson, TN, pg 305

Riley and Kate never had their own children, but  raised their niece's son, Bealey Samuel Cowley.  In the 1900 Federal Census, Bealey is listed as their adopted son.  In 1900, both Riley and Bealey list their occupations as Teamsters.

1900 Federal Census, Nashville Ward 14, Davidson, TN

Riley died 5 Jul 1923 at the age of  80 years.  He is buried in the Donelson Church of Christ Cemetery in Davidson County, Tennessee.

Meet for Lunch?

Last week on a late night talk show, the question was asked: "If you could have lunch with any three people in history, who would you pick?"  That got me to thinking, and I bet most of you know exactly what it was I was thinking... 

"If I could have lunch with any three of my ancestors, who would I pick?" 

It was hard for me to choose just three, because I would love to hold a big banquet with many, many more in attendance.  But, I finally made a list --  then changed it, then changed it again.  So, after a week of thinking about it and changing my mind, here's my list of three:

1.  My first choice would be Susan Evaline West Leffel.  Susan Evaline West, daughter of Michael West and Susannah McKee, was born 3 Jun 1817 in Kentucky. Susan married David Miller Leffel on 3 May 1837 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio.  Susan and David moved to Texas around 1858, when she inherited land from her father, Michael West.   The Leffel's move to Texas would set in motion events that would eventually lead to David's death.  Susan's husband, David Miller Leffel, was one of forty Union sympathizing citizens of North Texas who were charged with disloyalty and treason against the Confederacy by a “Citizens Court” in Gainesville, Cooke County in October 1862 and then hanged in what is called the Great Hanging at Gainesville. 
After much study into the Gainesville Hangings on my part, I would like to talk to Susan about what she and her family really went through and what really happened.  I would like to know if David was buried in the mass grave with many other victims of the Hanging, or if he is buried somewhere else.  Why did she stay in Texas after the end of the Civil War?  I would also like to know what happened to some of her siblings and their families.  So many questions...

2.  Second choice would be Rebecca Morgan Medlin.  She is my 3rd great-grandmother and the mother of my 2nd great-grandma, Bettie Medlin Stewart.  Rebecca died of Cholera when Bettie was still an infant, so even Bettie did not know her mother.  Rebecca is shadowy figure in my family history, shrouded in mystery and family legend.  There are stories passed down about her being a Cherokee Indian and hiding out in the mountains when the Cherokee were driven out of Tennessee.  Supposedly she was good with herbs and making her own medicines.  Rebecca's mother may have been Indian and her father white.  One story states that other Indians may have killed her parents because her Indian mother married a white man.  Do these stories have any truth to them?  I have no idea.  Was she related to the Morgans and Elrods in Putnam County, Tennessee?  Where did she meet her husband and where were they married?  So many unknowns in her life. Yes, I would definitely like to spend some time with great-grandma Rebecca.

3.  My third choice would be Jane Baldwin, my third great-grandmother.  She has tugged at my heart for years!!  Not only can I NOT find enough records to know all the "who, what and why" of her life, but my heart cries for her.  Jane experienced so much loss during her lifetime -- her husband and many of her thirteen children.  By 1870 when Jane was about 65 years old, only TWO of her thirteen children are known to still be living: James M. and Francis Marion. Jane's other eleven children were already deceased or their whereabouts completely unknown. Texas was definitely not kind to the Baldwin family!  But through it all, Jane did not lose faith in God -- In 1854, she was a founding member of  the "Little Flock Baptist Church." 
There are so, so many questions I would really like to ask Jane.  What happened to this child or that child?  Where did she grow up?  What is her maiden name? Who were her parents and grandparents?  Where did she meet her husband and where were they married? Were they happy and did they have a good marriage?  What was it like living in Texas in those early days?  The list could go on and on and on.

If you could pick three ancestors to have lunch with, who would you pick? 
Do you even know who three of your ancestors are? 

Now is the best time in history to get involved in genealogy and family history, so many records are accessible right from your own computer.  My family trees, along with all the research and records, are on Ancestry.com.  And, many records are free -- FamilySearch.org adds free records daily to the billions of records they already have!  Get started and have fun!  Find those three ancestors you would love to meet for lunch.


**Descendants (male and female) of these ancestors are encouraged to participate in DNA testing!!

Happy Birthday to Bettie Medlin Stewart

Bettie Medlin, born about 1853, was the youngest child born to Samuel and Rebecca (Morgan) Medlin.  In the summer of 1854, an outbreak of cholera hit the area around Lebanon, Wilson County, Tennessee where the Medlin family was living.  Bettie's mother, Rebecca (Beckie), came down with cholera and died in July 1854.  After Rebecca's death, some of the Medlin children were sent to live with extended relatives and other children were old enough to be on their own.  Bettie's father, Samuel, being unable to care for an infant daughter gave her away to be raised by the Barnett Richardson family.  (For more information on Bettie's life and her relationship to the Richardson family, go to a previous post about Bettie.)

Somehow with the death of her mother and being taken in by others to be raised, Bettie's birth was never recorded or remembered .  Bettie, herself, stated in a letter included in her husband's Civil War Pension Records that she did NOT KNOW her birth date or how old she actually was.  Her birth information is missing from the family bible.  Also, she usually did not give a birth year or age to the census taker. BUT, in about 1933, Bettie told her great-granddaughter, Ethel Baldwin, that her BIRTHDAY was on Febuary 14, Valentine's Day.  I feel that she personally picked Valentine's Day for her birthday since she did not know her real birthday.  So, that is the birth date I think she should have and I have given it to her.

For years, I have listed Bettie's death date as 13 Feb 1939.  I got that date from her death certificate, or, so I thought.  But recently, Cousin Rod informed me of my error.  I had actually written down the date from the second line down, which was the date the doctor had last seen Bettie.  Bettie died at 4:00 am on Valentine's Day, 14 Feb 1939.  Is it a coincidence or fate or what, that Bettie died on the very date that she had privately picked for her special day and birth date?

For the little girl who never had a real birthday,
who became the fiesty grandma most of the family remembers, 

let's all wish her a  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY & HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

on this day Bettie picked for her remembrance.

Jesse Stewart, Baptist Preacher - part 2

See more on Jesse Stewart here.

Jesse Stewart of Putnam county, Tennessee

 Biography, Signature and Bible Pages

Jesse Stewart Signature
From an affidavit signed 11 Oct 1832 for John Rany's Revolutionary War Pension Application.

The following copies of a family record from a Bible belonging to Jesse Stewart were sent to me years ago by J.T. Stewart.  (He did not send a copy of the title page or publication information of the Bible and this is the best copy I have.)

Jesse Stewart Bible Pages 1 & 2

Jesse Stewart Bible Pages 3 & 4

Transcription of Bible pages:
Pages 1 & 2
Jesse Stewart was borne July the 5th - 1790
Jemimah Stewart was borne November the 18th - 1795
Janey Stewart was borne Febuary the 26th - 1813
Preston Stewart was borne July the 12th 1815
Harrison Stewart was born May the 7th - 1817
Hirum Stewart was born March the 30th 1819
Enon Stewart was born May the 6th - 1821
Ceburn Stewart was born February the 10th 1823
Pages 3 & 4
Asa Stewart was born February the 19th 1825
Anthony Stewart was born January the 21 - 1827
Ervincy Stewart was born October the 22th 1829
Levashure Stewart was born October the 17th 1831
Almirminda Stewart was born January the 14th in 1834
Jemimah Stewart was born January the 19th 1836
Mary Stewart was born Febuary the 21st 1838
Ceburn Stewart was borne Febuary the tenth 10 1823
?Not sure why Ceburn is listed twice in the bible record?


The following story was also sent to me by the author, J T Stewart of Watertown, Tennessee.

Chronological Data Pertaining to Jesse Stewart 

by J. T. Stewart

Jesse Stewart came to Overton County with his father Joseph Stewart from Jefferson County, TN about 1800. He was about 10 years old at the time. By 1820, he was married and head of a family according to the 1820 Overton County census. In July 1824, Jesse Stewart bought 55 acres of land in White County on Calfkiller River from Thomas Ussery. In July 1826, he sold this 55 acres of land to Jeptha West. It is not certain that he resided on this land.

Richard F. Cook’s survey book shows that 75 acres of land on Bear Creek was surveyed for Jesse Stewart on 18 Feb 1831. The chain carriers were Richard Harris and Preston Stewart. This land was partly in Jackson and partly in Overton counties, which later became Putnam County. An affidavit dated 11 October 1832, signed by Jesse Stewart submitted in connection with John Raney’s Revolutionary War Pension application gives Jesse Stewart’s place of residence as County of White. (John Raney was his brother-in-law.) But, in census records of 1830 and 1840 Jesse Stewart was enumerated in Overton County. (White County marriage records show that Jesse’s son, Enon, was married to Sarina Cordle on 4 January 1845.)

Census records show that in 1850, Jesse Stewart was in Todd County, Kentucky with wife, Jemima, and children, Asa, Ervina, Lavisha, Almarinda, Jemima, Mary and Sarah. In 1852, Jesse Stewart along with sons, Enon, Asa and Lavasha, bought 450 acres of land in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky on Long Creek. But by 1860, Jesse was back in Putnam County again with wife, Jemima (age 64) and children, Jemima Jr. 24 and Mary 22. This was in the Double Springs community and he was shown living next door to Preston and Jane Stewart. (Preston was his oldest son.)

But, sometime after 1860 at about the time of the Civil War, he supposedly went back to Kentucky again. (This comes from J.H. Grime’s “History of Middle Tennesse Baptists”, p. 277.) Circumstantial evidence indicates that both Jesse and Jemima died in Kentucky about 1864. The two girls, Jemima (Jr.) and Mary, evidently went to live with their aunt and uncle, Sarah (West) Davis and Jacob Davis. Todd County, Kentucky marriage records show that Jemima (Jr.) Stewart was married to Francis M. Seger at the home of Jacob Davis on 11 December 1864.

Jesse Stewart was a Baptist preacher and he was involved in some of the early controversies of the church. He was probably ordained by the Roaring River Baptist Church of Overton County, of which he was a member in the early 1800’s and he was in these associations: Stockton’s Valley, Freedom Association of Kentucky, Salem Association, with Putnam County as a center, and later Johnson Association. According to Spencer’s “History of Kentucky Baptists” Jesse Stewart was excluded from Stockton’s Valley Association in 1843, after which he became affiliated with Freedom Association.

See previous post about Elder Jesse Stewart here.

Never Too Old To Learn

Sally Carr Brown

Sally Carr Brown is a fourth great-grandmother on my Baldwin Family line.  

Grandma Sally set a wonderful example of living life fully until the end.  According to a notation made in her daughter's bible, Sally learned to read late in life -- when she was 76 years old!  She proved that one is never too old to learn!  

"Sally Brown lerned to read in hir 76th yeare"

Sally was married to John Brown.  They lived in Putnam county, Tennessee.  Two of their daughters, Jane and Sarah, married brothers, Preston and Harrison Stewart, repectively.   We descend through her daughter, Sarah Brown who married Harrison Stewart.

The above copy is from the family bible of Preston and Nancy Jane Stewart.  I love the added information about Sally and Jane learning to read.  Transcript below:

"John Brown was borne 1790

Deceast this life 1858

Salley Brown was borne 1792

Deceast this life Aug 25 1868

Salley Brown lerned to read in hir 76th yeare.

Jane Stewart lerned to read when

she was about 40 years of age.

She read the new testament through

10 times & the olde scriptures

through 5 times."