The Arrival

The Arrival

Union County South Carolina to Bowie County Texas

Two Migrations (1846 & 1847) - Two Wagon Trains
A story from other sources follows below (Edited)

We are pretty certain that the White's and the families that came to Bowie County Texas, migrated in two separate waves. We can verify this from Poll Tax records of Bowie Co, and in South Carolina most attended one of several churches, and there departures had been recorded in the minutes of those churches, we can also see Land transactions in this time frame that indicate, they were moving. There may have been some unknowns on these wagon trains...

From an old Newspaper article 1948, we know that the original
destination was Houston Co TX, where Elias White's brother, had
arrived in Jan 1836. But they stopped in Bowie Co TX to grow
a crop, and decided to remain, at this place.

Wagon Train One 1846:
Benjamin White Wagon Train

Arrived Feb 14, 1846 - Was said in this article that there were 13 wagons.

1. Benjamin J. and Polly [Nix] White
Children: Thomas, Marion, William P.
Ben is on his 1st Bowie Co TX Poll Tax, 1846.

2. Sarah Howard Nix Sr (Widow) - Mother of Polly.
    (Husband John C Nix died in 1835)
    Children: Caroline, Ann, Ellen S, John B C Nix.
    Sarah is on her 1st Bowie Co TX Poll Tax, 1846.

3. Sarah A Nix Jr and Benjamin NIX
    Daughter of Sarah Nix Sr - Couple was married in SC
    Ben & Sarah were 1st cousins.

4. Jeremiah [Jerry] BOBO (son of Solomon & Elizabeth White Bobo)
    Children: Laura, James Bobo.
    Though it is said they were on the first migration
    I believe they could have been on the second wagon train,
    marriage date and lack of poll tax in 1846 lead me to believe this...
    however, it is possible, they married after their arrival. Also
    he was dismissed from his SC Church 15 Nov 1845... which
    would place him on the 1st wagon train. Jeremiah may have been
    on the 1st wagon and Hester on the 2nd...? 1st appears on 1847 Poll Tax.

5. Samuel D & Caroline Martha [Farmer - Joiner] Bobo
    (son of Solomon & Elizabeth White Bobo)
    Children: Margaret and William A Bobo.
    I believe Samuel was shows being received at the Padgett's
    Crk Baptist Church, but not being dismissed?
    Sam is on the 1847 TX Poll Tax, so on the wagon train One...

Wagon Train Two 1847:
The Elias White Wagon Train

1. Elias & Anne [Gibbs] White
    Children: Unknowns, Robert, John G, Mary C, William M,
                   Nathan, Martha A, Monroe, Laura J.
    Dismissed from their SC church 24 Oct, 1846.
    Elias sold his last parcel of land in Union Co SC, Oct 1846.
    Arrived in time for Spring planting and 1st appears on 1847 Poll Tax.

2. Samuel Harlan & Susan [White] Harlan (daughter of Elias)
    Children: Julia Harlan...
    Dismissed from his SC Church 24 Oct, 1846, placing
    him on wagon train two of Elias's.

3. Green Bobo - (son of Solomon & Elizabeth White Bobo)
    Single - 1850 Carpenter Bowie Co TX.
    (son of Solomon & Elizabeth [White] Bobo)
    Was dismissed from his SC church 17 Oct 1846,
    this is about the time Elias & Anne and Samuel Harlan
    received there letters of dismission. 1st appears on 1847 Poll Tax.

4. Lewis Bobo - Single - 1850 living with Sarah Nix Sr.
    (son of Solomon & Elizabeth [White] Bobo)
    Was dismissed from his SC church 19 Dec 1846,
    placing him on the second wagon train. 1st appears on 1847 Poll Tax.

Also see Trammel's Trace as the Families may have used this road to Texas

MAPS AND MIGRATION TRAILS

Some Possible Routes
Others from South Carolina took the same path

A general map of routes below from South Carolina

Some folks who left SC, west, went up into NC and
turned west onto trails that led through the Cumberland
Gap, a well travelled portal of major migrations to the west
then down a bit thru KY to Eastern TN and up the Mississippi
River to St Louis, and from there they could go further west or turn
south, as our folks probably did, down Tammel's Trace to Bowie Co TX

Many South Carolina folks took the same route as most Cheorkee's did during
their removal from GA and TN; Eastern TN, up the Mississippi River to St Louis MO,
and then at that point, I believe, our folks left that trail, turned southwest down Trammel's Trace
through MO, AR, |and East Texas, Texarkana area was right on Trammel's trace, and as we know, Ben
and Polly, and her mother settled Texarkana AR and Texarkana TX, at least on their initial arrival. Other's
came with them and others preceded them to the Bowie county from SC and many followed this migration west.

Closer map, upper left coming from St Louis and down into East Texas

Ben and Polly and her mother at first settled in Texarkana TX, at this time
they were the first to physically settle this area, Sarah Nix, Polly's mother is
recorded as the 1st settler in Texarkana AR, was in Texas until they re-did the
border between TX & AR. Ben and Polly was considered by many to be the 1st
to settle Texarkana TX, though the land was owned by Moores, I believe, they did
not live on that land at the time, Ben and Polly bought lands from the Moores and then
built their homes and farms on that property, thus receiving credit as the 1st settlers here

Note:
Stephen White, Elias's brother arrived in East Texas Jan 1836
in an area they had called Mustang Prairie, later Houston County,
not to be confused with Houston the city, as it was in Harris Co.
Stephen lived in or near the town of Randolph in Houston Co.

The Original Houston County was sliced off Nacogdoches County,
the Mission was included, Trammel's trace, would now come
right into Old Houston County Texas, later split into smaller counties.

Houston Co TX was said to have been the original destination of
Elias's party, to join up with his brother Stephen White, however,
the family liked Bowie Co TX, and remained, at that place.

In 1850, Lewis Bobo, who had come with Elias's wagon train from
SC, he the son of Elizabeth White Bobo, sister to Elias. He ended
in the Crockett area of Houston Co TX, Stephen White was east of
this town. Lewis had lived with Sarah Nix's family, in Texarkana AR
she the mother in law of Ben White, son of Elias. Lewis left in 1850
and moved down to Houston County, probably for opportunity.

Lewis Bobo would have taken Tammels Trace down to Houston Co.
as he lived right off that trail in Bowie County TX. Lewis Married
there and had children, died in the Civil War that ended his journey.

Route from GA to TX via the "TEXAS ROAD"

From Georgia to Cass County Texas next to Bowie County,
Another possible route our South Carolina folks may have taken.

Excerpt from an article - Full story follow this link:

http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/cass/church/law-ch.txt

============================================================

LAW'S CHAPEL, ATLANTA, CASS COUNTY, TEXAS
Church Recorded Texas Historic Landmark 1968

Data from
"Law's Chapel a History & Records 1853-1976" compiled by Charles Steger.
Privately published, 1976.

A Church and Community

A wagon train led by George Law left Macon County, Georgia in early March, 1853
for Cass County, Texas. The route was over the "Texas Road" west to near
Columbus, Georgia where it crossed the Chattahooche River at Bartlett's Ferry,
then southwest through Morengo County, Alabama where George Law's brother, James
lived. From Alabama they moved on westward to Vicksburg where they ferried the
Mississippi River, then through Monroe, Mt. Lebanon, and Minden, Louisiana
before reaching Shreveport. The "Texas Road" which closely follows present day
U.S. 80 ferried the Red River just north of Texas Street docking at the foot of
Bossier Street. This ferry, like the Mississippi ferry, could accommodate two
or more teams and wagons. From Shreveport the road was through Greenwood,
Louisiana to Old Border now known as Jonesville, Texas where it joined the
Clarksville Road. The wagon train turned north on this road to Jefferson and on
into Cass County, arriving in late April, 1853. They stopped in the new town of
Linden and bought supplies from the store of John Moore across from the new
courthouse, built just the previous year.

Their trip had taken about fifty days. On a good day they could travel twenty
miles although it was unwise to move cattle more than ten miles a day. On a
slow day with breakdowns, unruly cattle, and rivers to cross, they made only ten
or twelve miles. After 1870 when the railroads pushed into East Texas, the
wagon trains were usually made up of only the men and livestock. The women and
young children would follow by train.

It would be pure speculation as to who all made up this particular wagon in
1853, but we are sure of these: George and Martha Law, their sons Richard and
Henry, sons-in-law Henry Howell and Alexander Collins, the William Griffin
family, the Lewis Waters family, and the William "Billy" Brooks family.
Alexander Haynes most likely joined near Columbus, Georgia and the William
Maxwells joined along the way. Alex Haynes later married Martha Hill Smith who
had come with her parents to Texas in 1836. She is Law's Chapel's only link to
the Republic of Texas era. The individual members of these and later families
are discussed in more detail in the following section called "First Families."

These newcomers from Georgia arrived in Cass County in late April with little
time for planting the much needed crops. Their slaves, for those who had them,
could start this chore but the first concern had to be for building plain board
and log houses for shelter. By fall of that same year some would still be
living in their wagons and under canvas tied between saplings. There was no
need to worry about game, it was bountiful. And soon William Maxwell would set
up a grist and saw mill. It was run by ox or mule power and stood on the hill
which is just west of the intersection of the present Law's Chapel Road and
Highway 59. There would be later industry when Ben Lumpkin built a cotton gin
in the 1880's and another saw mill about l9OO. These were both located about a
mile east of the church.

They were indeed thankful for this good land they now claimed, some of it sold
for three and five dollars an acre, but a few weeks were to go by before the
need for worship seriously entered their minds. At that time George and Martha
Law invited their friends and family to join them in their house for prayer
meeting. This was the beginning of Law's Chapel Church....

To read the rest follow this link:
http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/cass/church/law-ch.txt

Note:
I have edited some of the information below account of many errors.
Also, hyper linked some words. If you desire to read the complete
original posting please click on the link below here:

http://www.usroots.com/~jmautrey/pioneers/yoa/ewhite.htm

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Ye Old Ancestors

By Frances Poer Fox
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Elias White

The family of Elias WHITE and his wife Anna GIBBS who came to this area of Texas in 1846 is a very large one and many of his descendants still live in Bowie County, Texas. Elias WHITE, 1797-1873, appeared on Bowie County Tax Roll first in 1847 owning 697 acres on the Wm. HALE Headright Survey valued at $176. He had 2 slaves but the family records do not give their first names. In 1851 he had 1597 acres in the P. HERRING HRS near HERRING Creek. Elias WHITE was the son of Robert, 1743-1843, a Revolutionary War veteran, he married Mildred "Milley" WHITEHEAD. Elias was the eleventh child of their twelve children and his mother, Milley WHITEHEAD WHITE died when he was only nine years old.

Elias WHITE married Anna GIBBS, 1801-d. about 1864, the daughter of Zachariah GIBBS and Sarah HOWARD also of Union District, South Carolina. Elias and Anna GIBBS WHITE were members of the Lower Fairforest (Primitive) Baptist Church, until they moved to Texas. Church records show they were granted their letters on 24 October 1846. They had at least 10 children born in Union District, South Carolina who came to Texas with them: (1) Benjamin WHITE, 1821-1858, married Polly Nix, buried in the Tapp/Watson Cemetery [within CRC]. (2) Susan WHITE, 1822-1878, married Sam HARLAND who died about 1855 and married Patrick CREED from Ireland before 1860, buried in CREED Cemetery. (3) Hester WHITE, 1824-d. about 1856, married Jeremiah "Jerry" BOBO, lived in Cass County, Texas. (4) Robert "Bob" WHITE, 1827-before 1870, did not marry, was deaf. (5) John G. WHITE, 1828-1863, married Mary WHITUS in about 1852. (6) Mary Caroline "Callie" WHITE, 1832-1881, married Charles Y. TAPP who died in 1858, married 2nd William F. SMITH in 1861. They were buried in the CREED & Center Ridge Cemetery. Their two surviving children were William Lewis TAPP and Virginia A. "Jennie" TAPP, who did not marry. Jennie TAPP willed $10,000 to the Maud Methodist Church, $10,000 to the New Boston Methodist Church, more that $20,0000 to the Methodist Orphan Home in Waco, $1500 for the TAPP Park in New Boston in 1931. (7) William M. WHITE, 1834-1865, married Sarah Louisa RAMES in 1852, and after her death he married her sister Mary Ann Rames. William M. WHITE was killed by his brother-in-law, Lozen LANDRUM. (8) Martha Ann WHITE, 1835-1903, married Leroy R. ALFORD. They were members of Maud Methodist Church and buried in CREED Cemetery. (9) Monroe WHITE, 1841-before 1860. (10) Laura Jane WHITE, 1841-1899, married Lozen LANDRUM in 1864. In 1870 she was living in the household of her sister Susan CREED with her three small children; Lorena 5, Mary J. 4; and 5 month-old infant. She later married Twyman H. KETTELL [this is an error she never remarried].

"Evidently the whole family did not make the move from South Carolina to Texas together. One of Elias WHITE’s older brothers, Stephen WHITE, born 1786 had moved to Houston County, Texas in January 1836, and the oldest son of Elias White, Benjamin WHITE had planned to go there, where Stephen WHITE owned 5615 acres in 1840. A wagon train of five families in thirteen wagons reached the site of Texarkana and decided to raise a crop before going on to Houston County and ended up staying in Bowie County. The five families in this group were: (1) Benjamin J. and Polly [NIX] WHITE and their three children, (2) Hester White and Jeremiah [Jerry] BOBO and their children, [Correction: Jerry was NOT married to Hester yet (1847), he arrived in Bowie Co with 2 children from his 1st marriage to Sarah White, died in SC 1845, who may be one of 2 unknown daughters of Elias & Annie White]. (3) Sarah and Benjamin NIX and their children, Sarah is the daughter of Sarah Howard Nix, (4) Sarah HOWARD NIX (the mother of Polly NIX WHITE and Sarah NIX) and her younger children, and (5) the family of Samuel BOBO & Caroline and their 2 children. [There was also a William Nix, who may have been the brother of Sarah's deceased husband, John Nix] . The journey was described as long, tedious and fraught with much trial and sickness.

Benjamin WHITE rented farming lands from Eli MOORES. Samuel BOBO worked from place to place, at first but finally settled on the Sulphur River at a place later know as BOBO’s Ferry. Jerry BOBO settled twelve miles west of Texarkana at first but finally moved across the Sulphur River into what later became Cass County. Sarah NIX stopped the first season at a place known as Dr. BIRMINGHAM’S place. She made a small house of pine poles. When her youngest child and only son was grown, he built a hewed log cabin for her.

[Note from Mike White: Samuel & Jeremiah Bobo were the sons of Solomon Jr & Elizabeth [White] Bobo, Elizabeth the brother of Benjamin White, daughter of Robert Sr. & Milly [Whitehead] White. Also, in Bowie Co TX were brothers Green, Lewis Bobo, and possibly Tilman Bobo, I am not sure when they arrived

1850 Sarah [Howard] Nix was living in Red River Township, Lafayette County Arkansas, just across the State Line between Ar & Tx. In 1850, Lewis Bobo was living in the same household, brother to Jeremiah, Samuel, Green Bobo].

All of this information was given to me by Mrs. Emma Lee PHILLIPS of Maud, Texas and from a book: White, Merrill, etc. The Lineage of Perry Merrill White Jr. M.D. by Katherine Freeman WHITE. There are many pictures of family members and much more about the family available in the book. The new Boston Genealogical Society is adding this book to the Genealogy Department of the New Boston Library."

[Note from Mike White: Mrs. Emma Lee Phillips passed away 17 Feb 2003, in Texarkana, she is buried at the Chapelwood Memorial Gardens Bowie Co TX, Emma was born 1903, the daughter of Charles T & Elizabeth [Holley] 'Addie' White, Charles the son of Thomas M & Marthia [Harris] White, Thomas the son of Ben & Polly [Nix] White].