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The Family of: Sarah A (Jane) "Sallie" Letcher (Dau of Stephen Tolbert & Chloe Adams [Norris] Letcher) Born: 6 Apr 1837 AL Died: aft 1910 Possibly NM (1910 Census living with son Arthur in NM) buried: Unkn Bowie Co TX? (not on Center Ridge list) Note: Sarah is listed on the 1870 Census as Sarah Jane Smith, 1880 & 1900 Sarah A Smith Photo	married: abt. 1868 AL George W Smith (CSA) (son of Benjamin W & Amanda Ann [Wiggins] Smith) (Served: Sgt Co K 8th AL Inf Regt - wounded at Gettysburg) Civil War Service Records Born: 5 Mar 1845 Summerfield "Pea Ridge" Dallas Co AL Died: 21 Sep 1904 Maud Bowie Co TX buried: Center Ridge Cem Maud Bowie Co TX Known Children: 4 Jeppie W, Jeffie, L B, and Arthur R Smith
George was said to have donated the land for the Center Ridge Cemetery	George Smith
Surviving Children of George & Sarah
Jeppie Wanakie Smith b. 3 Mar 1869 Dallas Co AL d. 16 Sep 1938 Upshur Co TX buried: Oak Hill Cemetery Bettie Upshur Co TX m. Nov 23, 1896 Bowie Co TX Ada Emiline Shelby b. 6 Mar 1877 Mt Vernon Franklin Co TX d. 16 May 1958 University Park Dallas Co TX buried: Oak Hill Cemetery Bettie Upshur Co TX Known Children: 9 Junious Arlan, Jesse Blanche, Bessie Estelle, Bennie Lovelle, Murna Mary, Ruby Lee Smith, Carl Lewis, and Maydelle Smith	Arthur Rutledge "Art" Smith b. 19 Sep 1874 Summerfield Dallas Co AL d. 25 Mar 1949 Visalia Tulare Co CA buried: Visalia Public Cem Visalia Tulare Co CA m. abt 1897 Mary Jo "Mollie Olive (dau of Miles Turner & Susan Melvina [Rosser] Olive) b. Jul 1874 TN d. 26 Feb 1920 Fargo Wilbarger Co TX buried: Fargo Cemetery Wilbarger Co TX Photo Family Timeline Known Children: 6 Murrel I, Ernest Nevander, Eva Annie, Infant son, Oscar A, Elmer Spencer Smith

1880 Bowie Co TX Census - Prec # 2 - Page 060 - ED 3

149 - 167
Smith, George W W M 35 Head AL GA AL
Sarah A                W F 42 wife   AL AL KY
Jeppie                   W M 11 son    AL AL AL
Arther B               W M 03 son    same
Sarah                    B F   15 Servant

Living Next door 150 - 168 - Is Marion C White and Wife Louisa
Living not to many doors is Sarah's Brothers Stephen, Tolbert, and sister Paralle.

1900 Bowie co TX census - page 186 sheet no. 37
Precinct No 2 South of T & P RR - ED 28th June 1900. J B Jefferies.

666-670
Smith, George W   head w m Mar 1841 58 M 30 5 3 AL AL AL Farmer
Sarah A                 wife w f Apr 1838 62 M 30 1 1 AL AL KY
Letcher Gloria A            w f   Feb 1814 86 Wd         KY KY KY mother in law
Smith, Laura Boarder      b f May 1865 35 S            AL AL AL Cook

667-671               (Son of George Smith)
Smith Jeppa          head w m Mar 1869 31 m s       AL AL AL Teamster?
Ada                      wife w f   Jan 1878 22 m s 2 2 TX AL AL
Orland J                son w m Jan 1898 02     s       TX AL TX
Jesse B                 son w m Jun 1899 11mo s       TX AL TX

668-672              (Possibly a son of George)
Smith O? R         head w m Sep   1874 25 m 2       AL AL AL Teamster?
Mary F               wife w f    Jul   1874 25 m 2 1 1 TN TN TN
Earnest                son w m Oct   1898 03              TX AL TN

1910 Census Roosevelt Co NM Prec#7
ED date 9 May 1910 ED Dist 175
Sheet# 13A Page 102
5 - 5
Smith, Arther head M W 36 M 16 0 0 AL AL AL Farmer
Mollie             wife F W 36 M 16 8 2 TN TN TN
Ernest             son M W 11 S            TX AL TN
Oscar              son M W 05 S            NM AL TN

6 - 6
Smith, Sarah head F W 74 wd 42 3 2 AL AL AL
1900 Provided by: Rowland Nethaway

George Smith's family 1860/1870 Census

TOP

This appears to be the family of George W Smith:

1860 Oak Grove Beat Perry Co AL Census Page 704 sheet 4
ED 19 Jul TS Smith.

510 - 510
B. W. Smith   48 M Mechanic 2500 GA
Amanda A      35 F               all born AL
George W   15 M Labour
Eliza A           12 M
Missoura A    09 F
Robert F        08 M
Virginia J       07 F
Angaline F?    04 F

NOTE: Page 705 there is a C C Smith Family 45 M Farmer $4002 $25,687 SC
                      and a bunch of children

1870 Census Dallas Co AL Dublin Prec
Planterville PO, ED date 30 Jun, 1870
Sheet #11, Page 412
72 - 72
Smith, Benjamin 51 M W Farmer 4600 1600 GA (Father of George and Thomas)
Rebecca               27 F W kephse                   AL
Alabama              18 F W at home                  do
Robert                 16 M W farm laborer
Virginia               14 F W at home
Angeline              12 F W do
Loula                  10 F W do
John                    08 M W
Rush, Daniel        16 M B farm laborer
Rush, William      13 M B do

73 - 73
Smith, Thomas 21 M W Farm laborer 200 AL
Sarah                25 F W kephse                 AL

74 - 74
Smith, George    27 M W Farm Laborer       AL
Sarah Jane         28 F W kephse                  AL
Johnson, Adline 07 F B                                AL
1870 Provided by: Rowland Nethaway

Family Notes, Questions and Comments:

by Rowland Nethaway
(2xGr Grandson of Stephen Tolbert & Chloe Adams Norris Letcher)
RNeth@msn.com

(July 16, 2013)
RNeth@msn.com

George enlisted on 16 May 1861 in Radsfordville, Perry County, Alabama. He was shot in the "breadbasket" at Gettysburg where he was left when the Confederates were pushed back. He laid where he fell for two days before he was captured and held prisoner by the Union. He was in several hospitals recovering from his wound. We have some more documents and info on his service. My cousin and I plan to erect a new headstone along with a marker of some sort to give a brief history of his Civil War service. There are a lot of stories that go along with that he recounted first hand.

After the Civil War and George W Smith was released to return home in Alabama, he next shows up, along with his father, Dr Benjamin W Smith, and a bunch of other Smiths, with the Letcher's at another location in Alabama. I wondered if George W Smith served in the war with any Letcher's, which might account for his marrying a Letcher and the Smiths and Letcher's moving next to one another. Just a thought.

Rowland

(July 16, 2013)
RNeth@msn.com

Does anyone know what Sarah's birth name was?

Records I have show Sarah A Letcher, Sarah Jane Letcher and Sarah Jane "Sallie" Letcher.

George W Smith and Sarah Letcher had twins, Jeppie and Jeffie. Jeffie died months after birth. They had another child who died shortly after birth. Yet another child, Arthur R Smith, also born in Alabama, grew up and married Mollie Olive in Maud, Bowie County, Texas. George W Smith, who is said to have donated the land for the Center Ridge Cemetery, was killed when rounding up cattle and his horse ran under a low-hand oak tree limb. I have his death certificate. Some Smith relatives had a story that G.W. Smith died when the Civil War wound he suffered at Gettysburg reopened when he was knocked off the horse, making him the last Civil War veteran to die of a battle wound. Unfortunately for that story, his death certificate shows that he died from head trauma when his head struck the limb. Another family story has hard feeling between Jeppie W. Smith and his brother Arthur Rutledge Smith due to Arthur's refusal to help Jeppie financially finish medical school in Texarkana. Each son had received pre-death inheritances from their father. Arthur said he would use the money to become a preacher and Jeppie to become a medical doctor. Jeppie and another young man got into a fight over a Bowie County lass, as the story goes. The story is rather long, but Jeppie spent most of his money clearing his name due to the fight. When their father died, the story goes, Arthur took off for California. He took, the story goes, his mother, Sarah Letcher. Jeppie tried unsuccessfully, the story goes, to bring his mother back home. That's a story. I don't know how much, if any of it, is true.

Note: July 15, 2013:
Email: RNeth@msn.com

Stephen Tolbert Letcher was my 2^nd great grandfather. His wife Chloe Adams Norris was my 2^ndgreat grandmother. She is buried in the Center Ridge Cemetery in Maud, Bowie County, Texas. They had a number of children, one of whom was Sarah A Letcher. Sarah married George W Smith. They were my great grandparents.

Another child of Stephen T Letcher and Chloe was Stephen Baker “Bake” Letcher who showed up in Bowie County, Texas by 1870.

I’m not sure when Chloe left Alabama for Texas with her son-in-law George W Smith and her daughter Sarah, but it was sometime after the 1870 federal census that shows her living in Dublin, Dallas County, Alabama with “John, Emma Parlie and Tobet” Letcher. On the same census page Chloe’s daughter Sarah is listed with her recent husband George and their 1-year-old infant “Jepsey”(actually Jeppie), who is my grandfather.

Also listed on that same census page is "Benj Smith" (actually Dr Benjamin W Smith, my 2^ndgreat grandfather) and several of his children other than George.

Do you why Chloe and several other Letchers ( including Sarah married to George W Smith) left Alabama and moved to Bowie County, Texas?

Do you know where Sarah A Letcher Smith is buried?

Besides Jeppie Smith, born in Alabama, Sarah and George had another child named Arthur Rutledge Smith. I have photos of Chloe, along with the family of George W and Sarah and Arthur R and his family on the Smith place in Maud, Bowie County. Included in one photo is a black woman named Laura. She apparently came to Texas with Chloe and George and Sarah. Speculation is that Laura was once a Letcher slave. Family stories on the Smith say that following the death of George W Smith, who is documented to have fought at Gettysburg, that Arthur Smith and his family took Sarah Letcher Smith (his mother) and headed out to California. This surprise move supposedly angered Jeppie Smith, who headed after them to bring his mother back to Texas.

Arthur R Smith and his family made some stops along the way to California. He had children in Roosevelt County, New Mexico. Some died there and others continued with him to California. I do not know where Sarah Letcher is buried. Speculation is that she died sometime about 1910 and is buried in New Mexico, unlike her mother who is buried in Bowie County, Texas, along with other children of Chloe including Louvenia A Letcher, Emily Adaline Letcher, Henry Clay Letcher and perhaps others.

If you can shed any light on why a batch of Letchers and Smiths left together from Alabama to Bowie County, Texas, I would appreciate the information.

Also, if you know the date of death and burial place of Sarah A Letcher Smith, I also would appreciation that information.

Do you know anything about Laura, the former slave?

And any information that I might have about your ancestors, I will be happy to share.

Rowland Nethaway
Email: RNeth@msn.com

(I was born Rowland Lewis Smith. My father was Carl Lewis Smith, the son of Jeppie W Smith, who was the son of George W Smith, who was married to Sarah A Letcher. After my parents divorced, my mother married a Nethaway, hence the out-of-place Nethaway name researching his Smith ancestors.)

Note: July 19, 2013:
Email: RNeth@msn.com

I have not tried yet to find our when the Olive's first settled in Wilbarger County, or is they split into two group and settled in Bowie and Wilbarger at the same time.

Clearly they were closely related and moved back and forth between Bowie Co TX and Wilbarger counties, by the various Olive's, was apparent they were prolific breeders...

I have a family letter, from an aunt, a daughter of Jeppie W. Smith and a sister to my father, who says "when she was 11 or 12 when she visited her Uncle Arthur Rutledge Smith, her Aunt Mollie and their children. She said her Uncle Arthur picked her up, at the train station in Vernon, the county seat of Wilbarger County."

She was born in 1902, so that would have been 1913 or 1914. Since my father, her brother, was born in 1914 in Ryan, Oklahoma, I suppose she would have arrived by train from somewhere in the Ryan, Jefferson County, Oklahoma area... I don't know about train service between those two locations.

Also, so far I've not found any records of Arthur, living in Wilbarger County, but he must have at some point. Another curiosity, is that I have a note, and no documents, that Arthur and Mollie's last child, Elmer Spencer Smith, was born in Bowie County in 1915 and died there in 1920. I don't know now where I got that information, but it is not documented. If true, however, the travels of Arthur and Mollie were unusual following the death of Arthur's father, George W. Smith in 1904. I also have documents (census records) that Arthur and Mollie's next to last child, Oscar A. Smith, was born in New Mexico, was married there, and by 1940, had moved to Los Angeles, California. He married Berna Dene "Bernie" Killion, in New Mexico.

I have been unable to find where Oscar A Smith is buried, or if he had any children. Oscar A Smith's wife, Berna Dene "Bernie" Killion, remarried and died in Crescent City, California. She was born 02 Mar 1907 in Texas and died 22 Aug 1980 in Crescent City,Del Norte, California.

I've always been curious as to why people move from one place to another, who moved first and why. As to Wilbarger County, I came across a number of old documents and maps that shows that practically all the headrights for land in the county belonged to railroads. At some point, the railroad companies I presume, launched a glowing marketing effort to attract people to Wilbarger County. The advertisements and marketing pitches made Wilbarger County sound like heaven on earth. The weather, the soil, the abundance of water -- everything -- was simply the best that anyone could find. None better. That might have had something to do with why the Olives and others settled there.

Civil War Service of:

Sgt George W Smith

"The Southern Cross of Honor"

Served: Co K 8th Alabama Infantry Regiment

George was wounded and Captured at the Battle of Gettysburg VA
(shot at the "Breadbasket" Gettysburg)

A 2xGr grandson, Rowland Smith Nethaway recounts George's Experience:
"...He was shot in the "Breadbasket", at Battle of Gettysburg VA, where he was left when the Confederates were pushed back. He laid
where he fell for two days before he was captured and held prisoner, by the Union. He was in several hospitals recovering from his wound..."

Brief Regimental History

The 8th Alabama Infantry Regiment was the first Alabama command that enlisted "for the war." It was organized by the War Department at Richmond on 10 June 1861, with men recruited from Butler, Coosa, Dallas, Mobile, and Perry counties. The regiment lay at Yorktown, Virginia, for the first eleven months of its service, and a detachment of it was engaged in a skirmish near Wynn's Mill.

Placed in Gen'l Roger Pryor's Brigade, the regiment fell back with the army until it was overtaken at Williamsburg and lost about 100 men. At Seven Pines, it was again under fire, losing 32 k, 80 w, and 32 missing.

Now in the brigade of Gen'l Cadmus Wilcox, with the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 14th Alabama Regiments, the 8th was under fire at Mechanicsville and took part in the desperate assault of Gen'l James Longstreet's Division on the enemy position at Gaines' Mill. Losses in that assault were high, 47% of the 350 men engaged. Three days later, the regiment was in the line of assault at Frazier's Farm where it met Union Gen'l Thomas Meagher's Irish Brigade. Of the 180 effectives there, only 90 were at regimental muster the next morning.

Its ranks soon began to fill and the 8th Alabama marched with the Army of Northern Virginia towards the Potomac River.

At the Second Battle of Manassas, it was under a destructive fire and lost about 60 men as it was held in reserve. The regiment took part in the capture of Harper's Ferry, then it crossed the Potomac River and fought obstinately at Sharpsburg, losing 67 k and w.

It wintered on the Rappahannock, losing only slightly at Fredericksburg. At Salem Church, Wilcox' Brigade bore the brunt of the Federal assault, driving the enemy back in confusion and capturing 1500 prisoners (with losses of 58 k and w).

It was in the exultant army that Gen'l Robert E. Lee led into Maryland for the second time, and at Gettysburg, 260 casualties were lost out of 420 engaged. With the army, the 8th recrossed the Potomac and wintered in the vicinity of Orange Court House.

The regiment was again hotly engaged at The Wilderness, losing heavily there and at Spotsylvania. It was under fire nearly every day as the Federal army pressed up to Richmond, and its loss was severe at 2nd Cold Harbor.

At Petersburg, the 8th again suffered. It fought the Union cavalry raid against the Weldon Railroad, and it participated in the capture of the "Crater." At Deep Bottom, the regiment participated with some loss, and it lost heavily in the attempt to dislodge the enemy from their position on the Weldon Railroad.

The regiment assisted at the repulse of the the enemy on the Plank Road below Petersburg, and they fought as the army retreated up the James River. At Appomattox, the remnant denied the first rumors of surrender and indignantly tore their battle-flag into shreds to retain as mementos. Of 1377 men on its roll, the 8th lost 300 killed or mortally wounded, over 170 died of disease, and 236 were discharged or transferred; 16 officers and 153 men surrendered.

Field and staff officers:

Cols. John Anthony Winston (Sumter; resigned, 10 June 1862); Young Lea Royston (Perry; wounded, Frazier's Farm, Salem Church; retired, 2 Nov 1864); Hillary Abner Herbert (Butler); Lt. Cols. John Wesley Frazer (Tennessee; KIA, 20 March 1862); Thomas Evans Irby (Dallas; KIA, Williamsburg, 5 May 1862) Young Lea Royston (promoted); Hillary Abner Herbert (wounded, Sharpsburg, The Wilderness; promoted); John P. Emrich (Mobile; wounded, Petersburg); Majors Thomas Evans Irby (promoted); Young Lea Royston (promoted); Hillary Abner Herbert (wounded, Seven Pines, and captured; promoted); Duke Nall (Perry; mortally wounded, The Wildereness); and Adjutants Thomas Phelan (Perry; transferred to line); Daniel Jones (Dallas; wounded, Fraziers's Farm; transferred and promoted); and Morgan S. Cleveland (Dallas; wounded, Petersburg)

Captains and counties from which the companies came:

Co. "A", Alabama Rangers (Perry): Young Lea Royston (promoted); Thomas Phelan (KIA, Gaines' Mill); Thomas Heard (wounded, The Wilderness)
Co. "B", Governor's Guards (Coosa): Thomas W. W. Davies (promoted to major, 28th AL Regt, 20 March 62); G. W. Hannon (KIA, Gaines' Mill); M. G. McWilliams (died in service, 10 Jan 64); George T. L. Robison (wounded, Petersburg)
Co. "C", Alex Stephens' Guards (Mobile): Charles Thomas Ketchum (resigned, 8 Nov 61); Leonard F. Summers (KIA, Seven Pines); W. Benjamin Briggs (resigned, 15 Oct 62); H. C. Lea; Henry McHugh (KIA, The Crater)
Co. "D", Independent Blues (Dallas): James Kent (resigned, 1 Nov 61); Robert A. McCrary (KIA, Salem Church); William R. Knox (wounded, Petersburg)
Co. "E", Hamp Smith Rifles (Mobile): William Thomas Smith (resigned, 20 Dec 61); Crawford E. Blackwood (wounded, Frazier's Farm; resigned, 30 Sept 62); A. H. Ravesies (wounded, Sharpsburg; retired, 19 Oct 64)
Co. "F" (Butler): Hillary Abner Herbert (promoted, 5 May 62); Lewis A. Livingston (wounded, Gettysburg, and died as a POW); Ira W. Stott (retired, 19 Oct 64); George Hatch
Co. "G" (Mobile): John P. Emrich (promoted, 16 June 62); Anthony Kohler (wounded, Gettysburg, and captured)
Co. "H", Mobile Independent Scouts (Mobile): William F. Cleveland (resigned, 24 Oct 62); William W. Mordecai (wounded, Petersburg)
Co. "I", Emerald Guards (Mobile): Patrick C. Loughry (KIA, Seven Pines); C. P. B. Branegan (KIA, Gettysburg); John McGrath (wounded, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania; retired, 27 Dec 64)
Co. "K", Southern Guards (Perry): Duke Nall (wounded, Sharpsburg; promoted, 2 Nov 64); William Long Fagan

Flag of the 8th Alabama Infantry Regiment

Captured Battle of Willis' Church (Frayser's Farm)
by Isaac Springer, Co K, 4rh Regt PA Vol. Corps

TOP Civil War Service Records TOP
Pvt/Sgt George W Smith - Co K - 8th Alabama Infantry Regiment

View Another Set of the Above Records sent by Descendant Rowland Smith Nethaway

Index of Family Records
Family Census	Geo Smith Census 1860-1870	Family Pictures	Notes by - Rowland Nethaway
Geroge's Civil War Service	Civil War Service Records	Family Timeline - Arthur & Mary	Picture Arthur & Mary


UP^ Burial Site of Jeppie & Ada Smith UP^	UP^ Oak Hill Cemetery Bettie Upshur Co TX UP
UP^ Jeppie & Wife Ada - Oak Hill Cemetery Bettie Upshur Co TX UP^

UP^ Burial Site of Arthur Smith UP^	UP^ Provided by: Rowland Nethaway
UP^ Mary Jo "Mollie" Olive Smith w/o Arthur - Death Certificate UP^