Pioneers of Marengo County, Alabama

LISENBE, Holden S., b. Oct. 14, 1814, Anson Co., N.C.; d. May 7, 1908; came to Ala. from N.C 1858 to Magnolia; m. Rebecca Threadgill, dau. Randall. Children: Fletcher; Matilda; Scott; James; Elizabeth; Marrah; Green. Married again, to Margaret Henley, dau. of John. Their children: Hollen, Ruth, John, Slade, Howard, and two who died, Marvin, Arna, Elmore, Benjamin Fitzpatrick, b, Montgomery, Ala. July 22, 1861; d. June 7, 1943 in Demopclis son of Major Albert Elmore (Albert S.), b. June 12, 1827, d. June 11, 1909; (son of John A., b. Aug. 21, 1762, from Va., and d. Apr. 24, 1834, Elmore Co., Ala.) Albert's wife was Mary Jean Taylor; Benjamin educated in Canada; law degree University of Alabama; 1882 admitted to bar, practiced until 1890; held various offices; was a Mason; Methodist; married Jan. 3, 1894, Eliza B. Willett, dau. of Elbert D. and Candance Bostick. Children: Willet graduated from U.S. Naval Academy; Benjamin (d. 1889), and Elizabeth B. Woolf, Samuel G., Judge b. May 20, 1853 in Linden; practiced law in 1881; held state offices; Mason; Baptist; m. Jan. 8, 1879 Jennie Pickering; m. again Aug. 26, Sadie Lyon.

ELMORE, Benjamin Fitzpatrick, b. Montgomery, Ala. July 22, 1861; d. June 7, 1943 in Demopclls, son of Major Albert Elmore(Albert S.), b. June 12, 1827, d. June 11, 1909; (son of John A., b. Aug. 21, 1762, from Va., and d. Apr. 24, 1834, Elmore Co., Ala.) Albert's wife was Mary Jean Taylor; Benjamin educated in Canada; law degree University of Alabama; 1882 admitted to bar, practiced until 1890; held various offices; was a Mason; Methodist; married Jan. 3, 1894, Eliza B. Willett, dau. of Elbert D. and Candance Bostick. Children: Willet - graduated from U.S. Naval Academy; Benjamin (d. 1889), and Elizabeth B.

WOOLF, Samuel G., Judge - b. May 20, 1853 in Linden; practiced law in 1881; held state offices; Mason; Baptist; m. Jan. 8, 1879 Jennie Pickering; m. again Aug. 26, Sadie Lyon.

DUNNING, Thomas H., b. Aug. 17, 1825, d. Nov. 16, 1894, son of Thomas, one of Marengo's first settlers; m. Sarah Sample, dau. James. Children: Geo. W, in C.W. Com. E. Bull Hatch 8th Cal Reg.; James Polk, in C.W., m. Martha Glass of Linden; Robt. b. Apr. 29, 1822, d. Apr. 21, 1922, m. twice.; Robert; Bell m. Anna Shinner (dau. of T. H. of Shiloh), moved to Texas; b. abt.1840. Children continued: Robert's children: George, Norman, Mrs. T. B. Harrison, Elmer, Otha, Dossey, Lee S. Dunning m. Willie0. Jackson, dau. of S. P. & Martha Jones; he m. her sister after her death, Rebecca Jackson. Children: Ann who m. James A. Day. Jane Cunning m. Richard Tucker; Alice Dunning m. Jesse B. Doyle; and Lydia Dunning m. John Griffin. (8 children in all named)Also 9th, John Alexander Dunning, b. Dec. 16, 1961; d. Dec. 29, 1943; m. May 12, 1882, Sallie Tucker, dau. of S.P. of Shiloh, b. May 26, 1866, and d. Aug. 2, 1930. Their children were: Guy, b. Sept. 27, 1884 and d. Aug. 14, 1927; Uldean b. Feb. 14, 1893, m. J. B. Pittman and had children John Perks who died day he was born, Sept. 5, 1902; and John Alexander.

ANDERSON, John C. (doctor); wife Elizabeth; natives of Spartanburg Dist., S.C. came to Ala, to Greene Co. in 1839; his father was James M. Anderson who came to America from Scotland to S.C. Children were: John Crawford, b. Aug. 5, 1863, law degree from U. of Ala., practiced in Linden 1886-95; 1895, etc., held public offices by appointment.

BAPTIST, Edward, b. Mecklenburg Co., Va. May 12, 1820; d. Mar. 31, 1863, in Faunsdale & Dayton; came to Marengo 1835; m. and had children, but all dead in 1944, in the Marengo area.

LITTLE, Monroe, Baptist, Mason; children: Howard F.; Little, Jesse, bro., fr. Aimwell. Little, John Buckner, b. Oct. 10, 1861, Greenville, Ala.; wrote an unpublished History of Marengo County.

BERKLEY, Robert, t. Nov. 12, 1753, in Ireland; moved to S.C. with father in 1769 and died July 26, 1868, Rev. War Soldier; went to Tenn. in 1802 and 1816 came to Marengo where he died; was one of the first pioneers who crossed Tenn. River into Aia,; Baptist; had one son and one daughter.

CALHOUN, Andrew P., b. Oct. 15, 1812, Abbeville Dist., S.C.; d. Mar. 16, 1865, at "Ft. Hill", his plantation in S.C.; came to Marengo with his family and slaves in 1835 and acquired large plantation; built log cabin "Tulip Hill"; built school; sold land and returned to S.C. 1855; buried where he died; married May 5, 1836, Margaret Gren, of Ky.; Children: John C, Linnie A., Andrew, James, Patrick, Margaret, Lucretia.

CHAULDRON, Julius D., fled St. Domingo insurrection and was one of chief originators of Vine and Olive Colony; author of distinction; some of family still live in Ala. and other southern states.

CROCHERON, Henry N., planter; b. Oct. 6, 1813, Richmond, Richmond Co., Staten Is., d. Aug. 12, 1846, McKinley, Ala.; son of Richard and Ann Perines, who lived in Richmond. He was surrogate of Richmond Co. Her father was Edward and mother was Addra Grison; Henry was cousin of John J. Cocheron, who owned plantation at Elm Bluff on Ala. River and never married; was in C.W., and his ancestors, maternal and paternal were French; he came to America in 1836; Henry was Democrat-Episcopalian; married Jan. 4, 1838 in McKinley, Lucretia King, dau. of Henry and Nancy Wellborn of McKinley.

WOOLF, Ashley, b. Apr. 24, 1826, on father's plantation nr. Bowling Green, Ky.; d. Oct. 23, 1879; m. Miss Cook; first moved to Port Gibson in Miss. Territory; lived there a few years; in 1819 moved to Dayton for 20 years; married Frances Gholson; Baptist; Democrat; Mason.

WOOLF, Henry Watthall, b. Mar. 6, 1856; d. Apr. 17, 1944; son of Thomas Jefferson Woolf who was Probate Judge of Marengo Co., James Brandon Woolf; he defeated Montcalm at Battle of Quebec in 1759. James and wife Levicey Cook pioneered from Jatchdz, Miss, to Dayton 1818; Thomas m. Lucy Ann Walthall of Petersburg, Va. in 1841; Henry was their youngest son; he left Marengo at age 16 and went to work for southern railroads; became vice-pres. and manager of Andrews Bay and Atlanta R.R. in 1815; later returned to Atlanta where he died.

BEESON, W. B., m. Mary Sibert; children: Wesley b. Mar. 31, 1866, became well-known educator and was president of several colleges; in Demopolis his wife died; then he married Rosa Foster of McKinley; in 1896 moved to Meridian, Miss.; designed first potato dryhouse; moved to Atlanta; pioneered in student assistance plans to help them get educations; Children: Ralph and Dwight.

STARTLING HILL:
ALLEN, Horatio G., b. Newbury, Mass., Jan. 5, 1792; d. Aug. 24, 1862, Dixcn Mills. He and brother William came from N.Y. to Cahaba, Ala., and established publishing office; in 1822 moved to Marengo.

ALLEN, Vim. C., early settler of Jefferson; m. Julia Finch of N.C. Children: Mrs. C. B. Bailey, Mrs. J. M. Miller, Weldon Gray, b. Nov, 12, 1870.

OTHER MARENGO CO. SETTLERS:

STONE, Capt. Sardine Graham, Jr., b. Feb. 4, 1841; sons: Frank S., Woodie, Tom, native of Miss.; lived early in Bladon Springs; brothers were Woodie and Frank; moved to Mobile 1841.

REMBERT, W. T., in 1887 lost family in ship accident; his wife, Julia P., his children Bellie and Julia; wife's children were Norman, Susie, Georgia.

LYONS, George Gaines, b. Jan. 11, 1921, Washington Co., Ala.; son of James G. and Rosa Fisher, natives N.C.; lawyer, held app. offices in Wash. Co.; moved to Mobile 1827 and was in law and real estate there; nephew of Prances Strcther Lyons and grand-nephew of George S . Gaines and General E, P. Gaines, all of whom were early settlers in Marengo Co.; served in C.W.; was a'Mason, Episcopalian; married Apr. 1850, Annie G. Glover, dau. of Allen and Mary A. Diven of Marengo, (cont'd.)

Children: James G,, Allen G., Norman; Rosa and Susie drowned; Geo. G., Jr., b. Apr. 5, 1860, m. Rebecca R. Ulner, and was a doctor in Mobile. Other children of Geo. and Annie were Mary G. and Annie G.

STROTHER, Francis, b. Feb. 25, 1800, Stokes Co., N.C.; d. Dec. 31, 1882, Damopolis, son of James and Behetholand Gaines; attended N.C. schools; in 1817 came with bro. James G,, to live with uncle Geo. S. Gaines, agent of U.S. for Indians on Tombigbee River; admitted to Bar 1821; practice in Demopolis; held many apptd. and elect, offices; Episcopalian; m. Mar. 4, 1824, Sarah Serena Glover, dau. of Allen and Sarah Norwood; Child: Mary Amanda m. Wm. H. Roo of Mobile and a major in C.W.; Sarah m. Oliver H. Prince who was a lawyer and killed in 43rd Ala. Infantry at Chickamauga, Sep. 20, 1863; Helen G. m. Gen. Zachary C. Deas who was a general in C.W. She died Mar. 6, 1882, N.Y.; Amelia; Eugenia; Frank d. Mar. 13, 1893 and served in C.W., married to Sarah Henley dau. of John H.; Ida m. Dr. Wm. M. Polk.

DEMOPOLIS - other settlers: Gen. Gaines, Whitfield, Winn, Lipscomb, Clarke, Strother, Francis S. Lyon, Annie G. Lyon, Webb.

MARENGO: Other settlers: Capt. John C. Webb, Wm. E. Clarke.
1821: John Spinks, Bowen Bennett, Allen Glover, Nathaniel Norwood, Wm. Irons.

GAINES, George Washington, lived in Dempolis 1835; planter; d. 1863, Child: Dr. W, P. Gaines.

GAINES, George Strother, pioneer settler b. Stokes Co., N.C. 1774; d. Dec. 1872 at state line, Miss.; in 1794 came with parents to Sullivan Co., Term.; lived there until 1805; 1816 moved to Gainesville, Sumter Co., Ala,; in 1822 a Dempolis merchant, state senator 1825, 1827; children: Frank Y. Gaines b. 1825 in Dempolis; d, Jan. 26, 1873 at Tuscahoma Landing, Choctaw Co., Ala.; never married; in C.W., 3rd Ala. Cal. The name Gaines was originally Gan, and from Wales; spelled Ganes there.

MONNIER, Henry Augustus, b. Oct. 3, 1841, Orbe, Switzerland, son of Paul and Jane; came to America to Demopolis; d. 1848; served in Co. A, 43rd Ala. Inf., C.W.; 1865 til death was chief of Police of Demopolis; Mason; Odd Fellow; WofW; Episcopalian; m. Oct. 25, 1877 Laura Irene McClelland , dau. John and Ameline. Children: John Edward m. Emma George; Claire Amelia m. Thomas Simon; Maude Omaha m. Roulhac Gewin; Annie Laurie m. Donnie Ben Gilder; Maryland J,; James; Ruth.

MOODY, Anderson E., b. Mar. 20, 1821, Chesterfield Co., Va.; d. Dec. 11, 1874 in Linden, Ala.; son of Carter and Sarah Pandey, natives of Va., grandson of Lewis and a Miss Gatewood and Stephen Pankey, natives of Va. Pankeys are of French ancestry. Col. David Pankey, father of Stephen was Rev. War soldier; lawyer in Marengo; later moved to Mobile; Methodist; Mason; married May 16, 1853 in Va. to Willie Ann Owen, dau. of James and Mary Allen; Mary's father was a planter; her grandfather was an English peer and married to Mile. Latene, a French Huguenot. Anderson has only one child, Willie 0,, who married James W. Stubbs of Norfolk, Va.

MOODY, Young M., b. June 23, 1822, Chesterfield Co., Va.; d. Sep. 18, 1966; in N.O. at age 19 entered tobacco business with Panky and Branch; 1842 came to Marengo; taught school and was merchant; 1856 elected circuit clerk; in C.W., 11th Ala. Inf. and 43rd Ala. Inf., became a hero; m. 1866 in Petersburg, Va. to Francis Annette, dau. of Col. Floyd Annette; had one child, Carter L. who m. a Miss Culver of Mobile.

MILLER, Geo. Oliver, came to Greenville, Ala. from N.C; merchant; son of James & Mary Thornton of N.C. and of German origin and desc. of Mathews Thrussell, Scotch-Irish of Hale Co., Ala.; taught school in 1840's; m. Susan Trussell, Scotch-Irish of Hale Co., Ala.; taught school in 1840's; m. Susan Trussell; went to Wilcox Co.; merchant; C. W. Com. I., Co. B Ala. Inf. Children: Jule m. A Miss Rogers and had: Children: W. J.; Geo. who m. a Cox and held elected office; Willie M.; Charles b. Feb. 22, 1857Wilcox Co. who was a merchant, farmer, pres. of 1st Nat. Bank of Linden; Baptist; m. Maggie Elan Watts, and had children: Benj. F. and Mary Owen then married again Dec. 3, 1895, in Atlanta, Mary Caroline Thomas, dau. of Geo. W. and Placidia Wright of Chilton Co., Ala. (her father was in Civil War). Their children were: Charles, Nina Placidia, Mary Marguerite, Geo. W., Willie
Minerva. James b. Wilcox Co., Ala., admitted to bar 1889; practiced in Linden; editor of Marengo Co. Democrat 1892-6; elected to public offices; m. Nov. 9, 1898 at Jefferson to Jennie C. Allen; moved to Gadsen where they lived til their deaths; had several children; Dewitt Oakley of Marengo married one daughter; Pruitt married one daughter; W. E. Rhodes married one dau.; there was another daughter also.

LISTER, J. N., b. June 6, 1840, Aberdeen, Miss., son of Jeremiah and Eliza Bush. He was from Ga. and moved to Miss., then to Ala. and later returned to Miss. Her father was John Bush who was an early settler of St. Clair Co. and Indian fighter; telegrapher; Mason; married Joella Coats at McDowell Dec. 1865; they had 8 children.

GRIFFITH, Goodman: Griffin: doctor, planter, b. 1808, Pendleton Dist., S.C.; d. Demopolis July 30, 1863, son of James, early set. of Pendleton; came to Ala. to Tuscaloosa in 1830; then went to Demopolis; Pres., Ala. Trustee Judson College; m. Feb. 10, 1831, Wiley Ann Glover, dau. of Allen and Sarah Norwood. Children: Willey m. Waiter Winn; James Francis m. Ann Strudwick and married again later; Henry d. young; Mary Elizabeth m. Wm, A. Gayle of Montgomery; Norman Griffin Winn m. Nathalie
Whitfield.

WINN, Walter Emmett, lawyer, b. Greene Co. 1833; d. Richmond, Va., July 11, 1864; from wounds received in battle; son of Capt. Asa Barney and Ann Elizabeth, 2nd wife, who came to Marengo from Va.; he was grandson of John Archer Robinson of Va,; all family descendants of old Va. families; degree Univ. of Ala.; taught at Tutwiler in Greene Springs; practiced law at Uniontown until 1857; then was made 1st Lt. in Marengo Rifles; in 1862 made Capt. of Army of North Virginia; Episcopalian; m. May 1857, Willey Glover (dau. Dr. Goodman G., a C.W. Lt. and Willey Ann Glover, child of Goodman G. and Willey Ann. Children: Goodman G., lawyer, b. Feb. 18, 1869, Demopolois; grandson of Thomas R. and Sarah Ann Eaton of Dayton;
lawyer; degree U. c Ala. 1908; practiced in Demopolis; held app. offices; in C.W,; Episcopalian; Odd Fellow; WofW; m. Feb. 14, 1910 and had 3 sons, one being Goodman G., Jr.; Mary Annie Quinney was his wife, the daughter of Joe Scott & Julia Wilburn of Old Spring Hill.

HASTY, Robert, early Marengo settler; m. 1st, wife not named, and had 3 children: William, Dink, James; m. a Miss Etheridge and had Alonza L., Joe L., Samuel, Bruce, Ludie, Lige and Mathew, twins; George, who was Robert's brother, set. in Marengo,

PITTS, Alexander D., b. Feb. 4, 1851, Uniontown, son of Phillip H. S Mary Margaret Davidson. Phillip was native of Lloyds, Essex Co., Va.; his maternal grandfather, John Howard Davidson lived in Uniontown; a cousin, Wm. D. Pitts, was planter in Uniontown; Wm. Lee Pitts, planter, native of Essex Co., Va., m. Nov. 14, 1861, at Selma to Mattie Blevins; was a Mason, Presbyterian, C.W, soldier, killed at Battle of Manassas.

PITTS, Alexander D., descendant of Alexander Pitts who moved from Penn, to Mecklenburg, N.C, was Major in Rev. War. The Pitts came from England to N,Y. but moved to Va. before 1700; the Pitts, Grays, Caldwells, are related. Grays came to Va. from Scotland; all are well represented in Rev. War; Alexander graduated Davidson College in N.C. 1868; admitted to bar 1879 in Uniontown; held various county, state offices; Presbyterian; Mason; married Feb. 24, 1886, at Eutaw, Greene Co., Juliet Merriwether. (his name is abbreviated as Alex in this write-up).

PITTS, Phillip Henry, bro. of Alexander; probate judge; b, Jan. 27, 1849 in Uniontown; d. July 20, 1918, Selma; desc. on mat. side fr. Rev. David Caldwell of N.C, whose head British offered a reward for because of his revolutionary ideas; degree Davidson College, N.C. 1871; held elect. 6 app. offices in Ala., with law firm of Pitts & Pitts in Demopolis; served 9th Ala. Cel., C.W.; m. Sept. 17, 1872, in Lincoln Co., N.C, Amanda Hope McLean (dau. Vftrt. B. & Catherine Hope. He was a surgeon in Rev. War; m. 2nd Oct. 16, 1889, in Selma, to Marie Louise Byrd, dau. of Judge Wm. L. Children: Wm. m. Eleanor Kirven; Kittie Mims; Maude Dicken; Arthur Morrison m. Grace Lee Fitzpatrick; Robert McLean lived in Stanley, Lincoln Co., N.C; Janie Caldwell died In infancy; Phillip Henry J. died in infancy, (since the editor adds the underscoring, we point out that Mims and Dicken could also be middle names judging from the other children's names).

COOPER, Anson W., native of Va.; served C.W.; came to Ala. early in life; m. Arabella K. Wood; children: Wm. B., b. Jan. 13, 1857; d. Dec. 2, 1919, Linden; was a Mason and held elective offices in Ala.

DAVENPORT, James W., Dr., b. 1802, Ky., d. 1842, Demopolis; m, there, Alethis Ann Glover, (dau. Allen Glover and Sarah),

DESNOUTTES, Charles L. (French), b, 1773; drowned 1823, coast of Ire., visit to France.

FITTS, James H., Sr.; b. Mar. 12, 1796, N.C.; d. July 16, 1832; came to Ala., July 16, 1816 to Washington Co.; in 1821 to Clarke Co. where he made salt; moved to Marengo in 1832; managed 2 plantations; assasinated by an employee.

FITTS, Samuel A., b. May 15, 1815, Warren Co., N.C.; d. Apr. 2, 1869; son of James H. & Rebecca Alston); brought by parents as infant to Ala.; came to Clarke Co., then to Marengo.; Methodist; Mason; m. Nov. 29, 1839, Sarah E. Alston fr. N.C, at Clarke Co., Ala. Had 11 children, two named, Edward A. & Haywood.

FITTS, Wm, F,, Dr., b. Feb. 14, 1829, Clarke Co., Ala.; came to Marengo 1852; practiced medicine until 1862; joined Cal. Co. G,51st Ala., C.W., killed Dec. 27, 1862 at Stewart's Creek, Tenn., buried there, body later moved to Tuscaloosa 1862.

GLOVER, Allen, b. Apr. 6, 1770, Edgefield Dist., S.C, d. Sept, 1840; son of Col. Joseph Glover, S.C. R.S. who commanded 1st reg. of State 1775 and died Aug. 6, 1783.

HARGROVE, Wm. - Rev. Sol.; early set. in 1818; b. abt. 1757

HIGHHOWER, John, R.S., d. age 126 from wound from battle 99 years before.

HILDRETH, Reuben, R.S., d. age 96, reared large family.

TAYLOE, Geo. Washington, b. Montgomery Co. (Ala., I presume) on father's plantation d. Demopolis; served C.W, at age 15; practiced law Choctaw Co., Ala, 1871; came to Marengo 1880; served opp. & elect, offices in Ala. state.

DRINKARD, George, About 100 years prior to R.S. three young Scotch brothers came to America to Md. George was a Baptist preacher; he was thrown in jail by Colonial officials and released with order to leave Md.; the brothers went to Va.; another of the brothers, Dr. A. W., killed in battle with Indians; brother W. G. came from S.C, to Ala. 1816; his grave is now lost although it has been searched for a long while; he was supposed to have been buried by his wife. (Who these children whose names follow belonged to is not clear to the Editor). Their children were: David, John W., m. and moved to Nicholsville, buried in Linden; Francis; Wm. J.; Geo., b. 1840 in C.W., d, 1941, had sons Marion and Adolph; Samuel; Jesse, killed 1873 by a man named Jackson; Wesley lived in Linden 1889 and had sons Moody, Sam, David, Iva, John; was a Methodist and a Mason.