The Lee's of Beat Four, Wayne County, Mississippi Part II

The Lee’s of Beat Four, Wayne County, Mississippi

Part II: Early Wayne County to 2014

Lennard (Larry) Woodrow Lee, Jr., PhD

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Contents Introduction ...... 3 The Lees of Wayne County, Mississippi ...... 4 Generation 4: Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior December 25, 1772- ~1846 ...... 6 Martha Patricia “Patsy” Overstreet ...... 55 Doctor John Asbury West 1790-1848 ...... 62 Generation 5: Robeson Earl Lee...... 66 Steve M. Lee ...... 106 The Tommie Lewis Letter ...... 110 Generation 6: Phillip Anaphur “Napper” Lee...... 116 Generation 7: Gerod Clifton Lee, Senior ...... 133 Grandpa Gerod Lee’s correct birth date ...... 140 From my Grandfather’s Masonic Bible, 1951 ...... 144 Gerod Clifton Lee, Junior ...... 146 Generation 8: Lennard Woodrow Lee, Senior December 21, 1929 – March 15, 2006 ...... 148 Ulysses Large Lee...... 156 Polly Reece (Lee) Lott ...... 159 Generation 9: Lennard (Larry) Woodrow Lee, Jr...... 160 Luther William Lee ...... 178 Notes with Luther Lee; 12 July 2007 at the Wayne General Hospital ...... 179 The Old Lee Plantation ...... 181 What happened to the Old Lee Plantation? ...... 184 The Cousins Chart ...... 186 Ancestors of Lennard (Larry) Woodrow Lee, Junior ...... 187 Ancestor Listing ...... 206 The General Robert Edward Lee Connection ...... 218 After all of this information; what do we really know? ...... 224

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Introduction

Part 1 of my Lee family history documented the time when my 6th Great grandfather John Lee migrated from England to America in about the year 1694 through my 4th Great grandfather Zachariah Lee. John Lee settled in Virginia as he was granted 960 acres in Virginia by the King of England. His son Joshua Lee migrated into North Carolina.

In North Carolina, Joshua’s son Zachariah Lee was probably killed by Tories. Tories were individuals that did not support the American Revolution for Independence and wanted the thirteen colonies to stay under the government and control of the King of England.

Zachariah’s brother, Jesse Lee, Senior served in the Continental Army that was commanded by General George Washington. Thus I get the sense that our early Lee family supported and fought for independence from England. Certainly some of them did.

Zachariah’s son, Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior, migrated from North Carolina to Wayne County, Mississippi in the early 1800s.

Part 2 starts out with stories about my 3rd Great grandpa Sam and his family. This Part ends with the present day Lees. I have DNA testing and Wayne County records to verify the entire lineage given in this Part of my family history. In Part 1, I had to rely totally on information generated by others; not so in this Part. A good section of Part 2 is from my own memory. Thus I am very confident about most of the information presented in Part 2. The lineage is certainly correct; but some of the extended family data may not be.

As I stated in Part 1, my Lee family has maintained a presence in and around Wayne County, Mississippi for over 200-years. Few other Wayne County families can state likewise.

I start out by repeating the prelude to Part 1 about “The Lees of Wayne County.” That is because some may elect to read only this Part of the family history and miss the important information that actually prompted me to do these notes in the first place.

As before, I found this “history” entertaining. Try to imagine how life was for our forefathers.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The Lees of Wayne County, Mississippi

There is much confusion about our family tree. The surname “Lee” is one of the most common surnames in North America; and obviously we are not all related.

The Henry Lee Society is a genealogical organization devoted investigating the lineage of the Lee and similar surnames. This Society is becoming one of the largest and most devoted communities of researchers in the world. Their website is http://henryleesociety.com/ .

The Henry Lee Society at one time connected my Lee family of Robeson County, North Carolina to Henry Lee of Shropshire, England. However, several DNA tests have shown that my Lee family linage goes back to John Lee of Nansemond County,1 Virginia.

Nansemond County, now extinct, existed in Virginia from 1646 to 1972 (above from an 1895 map)

1 Nansemond County, Virginia is an extinct county. It was named for the Nansemond American Indian tribe. It is around Suffolk, Virginia 4

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Sometime before 2007, my second cousin once removed, Luther William Lee, took a DNA test sponsored by the Henry Lee Society.2 Luther’s test proved that he belonged in the John Lee family group.3 In the summer of 2007, I also took a DNA test sponsored by the Henry Lee Society that, as expected, linked me to the John Lee family group too.  The Lees of Wayne County, Mississippi are descendants of this John Lee.

Larry and Luther Lee (left to right) Lee’s Chapel Freewill Baptist Church Wayne County, Mississippi May 2007

The research of the Henry Lee Society has found that the John Lee of Nansemond County family group appears to be one of the largest Lee-surname clans in the USA in modern times. I am now an active member of the Henry Lee Society myself as of November 2013.

With those two DNA tests, my Lee family lineage was found; with no doubt. These two DNA tests were taken in different years, analyzed by different laboratories, yet they yielded SAME results for Luther and me. I am very aware that many of my kin folks are likely to dispute and reject the lineage that have recorded in this document, mostly because for many generations incorrect information has been passed down to them, and they sincerely believe what they have been told all their lives. I myself would have rejected this information in the 1980s; however, the odds of two DNA tests being wrong are inconceivably small. There is also overwhelming research evidence that I have found that was done by the many researchers of our family line literally from all over the nation that verifies the John Lee lineage for my family.

I now present to you my Lee family that migrated from North Carolina to Wayne County, Mississippi, and then my lineage up to me of the Wayne County Lees.

2 Luther’s great grandfather Robeson “Robert” Earl Lee is my 2nd great grandfather. Luther and my Dad are 2nd cousins. 3 John Lee was known both as “John Lee of England” and/or “John Lee of Nansemond County, Virginia.” 5

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Generation 4: Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior4 December 25, 1772- ~1846

When I was a teenager in 1967 my grandfather, Gerod Lee Senior, mentioned to me that “Old Sam Lee” left Wayne County and went out to Texas and later came back with his children, literally carrying his youngest son in his arms,5 and this is where we Lees came from.”

Grandpa also said the Sam’s people came from Virginia, but Grandpa did not tell me much more. Perhaps that is about all that Grandpa Gerod knew about his ancestor Sam. Some forty- years later I discovered just how much more there was!

Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior is my Great-great-great grandfather; or my 3rd great grandfather. I have a number of my Lee relatives that do not know how Sam fits into our lineage. Some even suggest he doesn’t; but I have LOTS of indisputable proof that he does.

I have examined Wayne County Census and courthouse records to accurately trace my lineage back to Samuel Lee:

Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr.  Robeson Earl “Robert” Lee  Phillip Anaphur “Napper” Lee  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Lennard “Larry” Woodrow Lee, Jr6

Therefore, I am a known descendent of Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior.

Sam’s life stories, oral and written, have survived him for over 200-years!

Every year on the second Saturday in the month of October, Sam’s offspring celebrate a Lee Family Reunion at Clarkco State Park outside Quitman, Mississippi.

Samuel appeared to have had a very rugged personality, which I’d think would be typical of the men of his time. It seems that Sam was very active up to the very end of his life, and in fact perhaps willing to relocate in or about the year 1845. Amazing if true; relocation was no easy task and he was 70+ years old!

Whoever Sam was, he certainly got his family’s attention. Sam’s life has been recorded in letters, writings and oral family history. I am sure some of the stories had mixtures of truth and “mixed up memories” in them, but they all pointed to a fascinating character. I have a first cousin once removed, Willie Ed Lee, who is in his eighties, that remembers stories passed down to him about Samuel Lee. (Willie Ed lives near Quitman, Mississippi.) I know more about my 3rd Great grandfather than I do my Great grandfather!

4 I obtained many sources of information for Samuel Lee. A great deal from the Lewis websites, but also from oral family sources; Luther Lee had numerous sources of unknown (to me) origin. 5 His youngest son at that time would have been my 2nd Great grandfather, Robeson Earl Lee. 6 If I go farther back than Samuel Lee, I have to rely on genealogy records produced by others. 6

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Who was Sam? What was he like?

Samuel was wealthy. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the average salary for a farm worker in Mississippi in 1830 was $10.00 a month, or about $120.00 per year. With that as a baseline, Samuel was very wealthy. He owned a lot of land. The first records of my 3rd Great grandpa Sam Lee in Mississippi that I know of can be found in an 1818 Lawrence County land transaction where he purchased 150 acres for $2.25 per acre.7 In 1823 he paid taxes on 393 acres of land on the Chickasawhay River in Wayne County. According to tax records, the land was worth $886.00; my guess at $3,000 per acre, the land would be worth about $1,179,000.00 today,8 and he probably (almost certainly) had more land in Wayne County and elsewhere than just the 393 acres!

Samuel may have had at least three wives9 and fathered at least 23 children! Needless to say, Sam did his part to populate the areas that would become the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. During my relatively brief family research, I have established contacts with distant cousins in Virginia, North Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Iowa that can trace their lineage to my 3rd Great grandfather Samuel Lee. With that huge number of children, I’m certain that Sam now has offspring all over the world; literally.

Sam was born before the United States. Try to imagine what life was like during his lifetime!

Sam may not have realized it, but history certainly framed his life, and he and his generation responded accordingly.

The Treaty of Paris in 1783 ended the American Revolutionary War. The results were that the United States was granted territorial land expanding beyond the thirteen colonies to basically the Mississippi River. In 1803 the Louisiana Purchase greatly expanded the nation. In 1819, Florida was added which included West Florida that is now part of southern Alabama and Mississippi. In 1845, the United States Congress authorized the annexation of Texas, and Texas was added to the United States in 1846 As a result of these amazing expansions, the US Government obtained land from the Indians for white settlers to inhabit, and no matter the difficulties white settlers came to Mississippi by the thousands. Among them was our Lee family.

Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior lived during the birth and great expansion of the United States. He personally went about settling in new territories as they became available.

Samuel Lee was a rugged individual and an early American pioneer.

7 A portion of Lawrence County was once part of Wayne County. Marion County was created on 9 Dec 1811 from parts of Wayne County; and Lawrence County was created on 22 Dec 1814 from Marion County. 8 January 2013. Land along the Chickasawhay River is probably much more than $3,000 per acre depending on where it is. Much of the Lee Plantation went far out from the river, so $3,000 an acre might be a good average for it all. I purchased one acre in Wayne County last year for $3,000; Lee Plantation land would have been worth more. 9 Samuel may have even had a fourth wife, but there is no absolute record of such that I know of. 7

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The United States in Samuel Lee, Senior’s later years

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior was born on Christmas Day in about the year 1772 in Bladen County, North Carolina. In 1787, Robeson County was incorporated from Bladen County, thus he was said to be from Robeson County.

There is some dispute as to who Samuel’s father is. Many sources, including oral family history, state that Samuel and a brother named Everett (some sources spell his name Everette) are the sons of Zachariah Lee and Lucy Farmer. I assume this to be true for this document.

Other sources, including a few genealogists, believe that Samuel’s father was Jesse Woodrow Lee, Senior. Jesse and Zachariah are brothers, so Samuel’s grandfather, Joshua Lee, is not in doubt, and therefore neither is our lineage back to John Lee of England.

I did not find any information about Sam’s childhood; only that he grew up in or around Robeson County. However, in about 1790, Sam reportedly married Lucy Ann Bunn. This marriage is not for certain with some genealogists, but the ones that advocate it believe that the couple had several boys. Since I have data saying such, I’m going to assume Samuel and Lucy did marry for the purpose of this document. If Samuel did marry Lucy, she died sometime before 1797, probably in North Carolina. Sam was in his 20s when Lucy died, and he was left with children to see after; a strong stimulus for seeking another wife.

Some sources stated that in the 1790s, Samuel and several of his brothers migrated from North Carolina to Georgetown District, South Carolina.10 It is possible that the Lee families migrated with other large family groups. It could be, and appears so in some data, that if Samuel moved to South Carolina, Samuel later moved back to North Carolina.

After Lucy’s death, Samuel remarried. Every source cited that Samuel married a woman named Sarah. Only her last name is in doubt.

Some sources say he married Sarah Shay in Georgetown District, South Carolina in 1797. Some sources say he married Sarah Shay in North Carolina. Still other sources say he married Sarah Burns in Williamsburg, South Carolina in 1792. At first I thought that Sarah Shay and Sarah Burns were the wives of two different Samuel Lees which lived in the same area at the same time, and this may be true. (There were at least two, perhaps three, Samuel Lees in the same area. They may have been cousins. The theme that there were multiple Sam Lees that may have been cousins will pop up a lot in this document.)

However, Sarah Shay and Sarah Burns might be the same woman. In fact I found one source on the internet that said her name was Sarah Shay Burns. The internet source11 indicated that she was married previously before Sam, and her maiden name was Shay. It said she was the widow of a man named Burns.12 If so, that would resolve the issue of different names for the

10 It the migration could have taken place with several of Sam’s cousins, if not his siblings. 11 This internet site has been taken down, thus I cannot retrieve a source citation (a link) for it. 12 Sarah may have been about 15-years old when she married Sam Lee. If Sarah was a widow, her first marriage must have been brief, and there is no record that she and Mr. Burns had children. 9

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 same woman, but it does not resolve the reported different dates and places of Sam’s and Sarah’s marriage. Since I cannot verify her name exactly, I use “Sarah Shay Burns,” “Sarah Shay,” Sarah Burns,” or just “Sarah” when referring to my 3rd Great grandma Sarah.

In the 1880 Federal Wayne County Census, Sarah’s son Robeson Lee reports that his parents were both born in North Carolina. Therefore I logically conclude Sarah was born there.

Samuel may have migrated to Wayne County, Mississippi from South Carolina, or from North Carolina; it’s difficult to determine for sure with the conflicting information I found.

In the early 1800s, the Mississippi Territory stretched from the Georgia to the Mississippi River. The government opened up the Territory to white settlers with the offer of free (or very cheap) land. Sam probably went out west to take advantage of this offer.

When Sam and Sarah left the Carolinas to go west, they traveled as a rather large family unit that included very small children. This had to impose incredible intense hardships on the family, and the hardships eventually lead to a great tragedy.

That tragedy is an important event with respect to our family history and their initial settlement in Wayne County.

Just how the family got to Wayne County is not absolutely certain, but the fact they got there is an absolute surety.

I have found three stories of the Samuel Lee family migration to Wayne County, Mississippi.

I believe the different stories are a result of there being multiple Samuel Lees that came from the Carolinas to what is now the South Mississippi Pinebelt area. I tried to figure out which story was more likely in my comments of each story; nothing totally cleared the clouds. There are different family members that earnestly believe a particular version of the three.

I myself have picked my favorite, and the one I think is likely correct, and they are not the same.

All the stories differ on how the Samuel Lee family got to the Lee Plantation. They all converge on Sam’s way of life once he got to the plantation. Then they leave us in doubt as to where Samuel lived his final years. When reading them, we must remember that the stories pertain to events that are over 165-years old13 with details that cannot be verified now.

For any event, you can take two or more witnesses that saw the same thing at the same time, at about the same angle, and you are very likely get different accounts. They might be fairly constant; they might be off in a few details; or they might be totally different with both witnesses absolutely sure they saw it right. When watching a ballgame, I use my slow motion rewind button on my high definition TV to review a play and often find that I saw it wrong in real time

13 Over 165-years old; from the year 2013 to sometime close to the year 1845. 10

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 and real speed; the poor umpires have to make an instant judgment; yet we criticize them if they get it wrong; and we ignore that they are correct 95% of the time!

Stories over 150-years old, passed down a few generations, have little to no chance of being totally correct.

If nothing else, the stories are very entertaining.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The First Story:

The first story about Sam’s migration to Mississippi was passed to me in 2008 by my cousin, Luther William Lee, who at the time was 92 years old. Luther had a very sharp mind and an incredible keen memory.

I got the impression from Luther that this story has been passed down in the Lee family for a very long time. Luther was one of our Lee family historians and he has contributed a lot of information about our Lee family that’s recorded in the Waynesboro City Library. In fact, Luther started me in my own investigations of our family.

Obviously, Luther did not know his great-great grandfather Samuel Lee Sr. or his great grandfather Robeson Lee. However Luther knew his grandfather Steve M. Lee, who is Robeson Lee’s oldest son.

Luther’s father, William “Bill” Presley Lee, knew his grandparents Robeson and Katie Lee;14 and obviously Robeson and Katie knew Samuel.

Luther lived close to his grandpa Steve and was 22-years old when his grandpa Steve died. Luther was 54-years old when his father Bill died in 1970.

Luther also knew a number of his Grandpa Steve’s siblings; and they all knew their parents Robeson and Katie; and they grew up on the Lee Plantation.

No doubt throughout his life Luther was exposed to countless stories about Samuel and Robeson Lee and the Lee Plantation.

I do not know if Luther knew anyone that knew Samuel Lee, Sr. personally, so Luther’s knowledge of Samuel is likely no closer than one generation off; still that’s pretty good if the stories passed down to him are accurate. (Samuel died in about 1846. Luther was born in 1916. It could have been possible that an elderly person in their 80s or 90s could have been living in Luther’s youth that knew Samuel and talked to Luther about Samuel.)

I cannot say if the following is a story that was passed down by anyone that actually knew Samuel Lee; but the possibility exists. It is a very old family story.

14 The lineage would be; Samuel Lee  Robeson Lee  Steve Lee  William “Bill” Lee  Luther Lee. 12

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Luther related this story to me orally15 one afternoon in his house in Wayne County:

Samuel Lee and Sarah Burns came to Mississippi by boat landing at Bay St Louis in 1805. At that time, Mississippi was still Indian Territory and not a state.16 He was approximately 31- years old and she was approximately 28. They brought six children from South Carolina. Sam must have been wealthy for his day to have traveled from South Carolina to the Mississippi Territory by boat.

The family was not going to stop in Wayne County initially. However, one of the children died by drowning as the family forded the Chickasawhay River near present day Waynesboro. Sam and Sarah buried the child near the banks of the river. When it came time to leave the next day, Sarah refused to go and leave the child behind. Therefore Sam and the family settled on the banks of the Chickasawhay River and staked out the Lee Plantation.

The plantation went from the fork of Yellow Creek17 out many, many acres, mostly north of Yellow Creek and along the river mostly on the river’s west side.18 The Pitt’s Caves along the Chickasawhay River were part of the Lee Plantation originally.

Samuel built a ferry and would put people off coming West on the other side of Yellow Creek. Sam may have established a small store. Samuel also built a whiskey still. Samuel was fond of horses and built a race track. People would come from miles around to participate in and watch the races.

Sam eventually left the Lee Plantation and settled in the Columbia area to be near a brother and other family members that had left the Carolinas and settled there. One day, Samuel told his youngest son, Rob,19 that if he wanted the old Lee Plantation to pick out a horse and ride back and claim it; and that is exactly what Rob did.

Rob lived on the plantation the rest of his life and is buried there in the Old Lee Family Cemetery which today is in the middle of a pasture near the river.

Samuel died in Wayne County, Mississippi and is buried in an unknown grave near Columbia.

15 Luther told this story without looking at any notes whatsoever. Obviously Luther had the story memorized. 16 Mississippi Territory was organized on April 7, 1798. It was organized from ceded territory from Georgia and South Carolina. On December 10, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state. The adult white male population had to be 5,000 or more before a territory could petition the federal government to become a state. 17 Before I was a teenager, I used to swim in a swimming hole at Yellow Creek just upstream where it empties into the Chickasawhay River. That area would have been part of the Lee Plantation. I had no idea that the swim hole could have been used by my forefathers and their families for over 200-years ago. 18 I am not certain if the Lee Plantation included land on both sides of the river and Yellow Creek; perhaps it did in some places. The majority of the Plantation was from the west bank of the river and the north bank of Yellow Creek. 19 Rob; also known as Robeson Earl, Robert, or Robertson. 13

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Months later when I was visiting Luther at his home again, he dug up the following write-up that he’d nearly quoted to me in the story above. I photocopied it below:

This document was given to me by Luther Lee in Sept 2007. The document appears to have been in the possession of Sherry (Lee) Parker; my 3rd cousin according to the hand written ancestor line. (Note this document states “Robert E. had a twin sister named Eliza .”) This document shows a “Samuel J. Lee, Jr” as the son of Robert E. Lee. But Samuel J. Lee, Sr., Robert’s father, also had a son named Samuel Jr; thus I doubt that Robert’s son was also a junior. If so, “junior” was part of his name and not a generation identifier. If Samuel Sr. and his son Robert both named a son Samuel Jr., there would have been two straight generations of Samuel Junior’s and they would have been uncle and nephew.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

According to family stories Sarah died in 1818. One source I found states that Samuel and Sarah had a daughter named Polly that was born in 1819. However, no other sources agreed with that child, but birth data that old can be off a year or two so I can’t say the daughter’s existence is an error. But, I’m going to assume Sarah passed away in 1818 and Samuel stayed single for about the next 17-years. During this time he had a large number of young children in his household. It is thought that Samuel hired an older woman to help with the children and household as an elderly “unknown woman” shows up in the 1820 and 1830 Federal Wayne County censuses; there is no record of a marriage for Sam during this timeframe.

I ponder, but if the date of Sarah’s death is incorrect in the oral family stories that have been passed down, then this older woman in these censuses might be her! It is totally out of the blue on my part to make that statement as all the “evidence” suggests not. But if Sarah died later that 1818, then the data showing a daughter born in 1819 would fit. In 1820, Sarah would have been in her forties. This unknown older woman in Samuel’s household for the 1820 census was enumerated in the “45 and over” age group. This unknown older female also shows up in Samuel’s household in the 1830 census, which means if she is Sarah, Sarah died between 1830 and 1835 because in 1835, Samuel marries again. I am going to submit that Sarah died in 1818, but I still ponder; just a tiny little bit.

Records show that in 1835, Samuel married Martha Patricia “Patsy” (Overstreet) West. She was the widow of Dr. John Asbury West of Greene County, Mississippi. Martha Patsy shows up in Samuel’s household in the 1840 Federal Wayne County Census.

Samuel shows up in the 1841 Mississippi State Census with six males and three females living in his household. His wife is reported to be “Marthy Lee” in that census which I’m certain is a misspelling of Martha Lee. As far as I know, this is the last public record of Samuel at the Lee Plantation.

In the 1841 Wayne County tax records, Sam paid taxes on 223 acres on the Chickasawhay River. That is 170 acres less than the 393 acres that he paid taxes on in 1823.

In the 1845 Mississippi State Census, there is a Martha Lee with four males and three females in the household. Samuel Lee is not mentioned in that data. Moreover, this may be the last public record for Martha Patsy (Overstreet West) Lee.

By 1845-46, Samuel appears to no longer be at the Lee Plantation. By this time he is well over 73-years old!

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The Second Story:

Here is where it really gets fun! Charles Lewis and his family have preserved a different version of the Samuel Lee family migration to Wayne County. Charles lives in Davenport, Iowa. Charles has researched much of his family history and recorded it in a number of Internet web sites. In doing so, Charles has posted an enormous amount of information about our Lee family on the web. Charles is a great-great-great grandson of Samuel Lee as am I. (Charles’ great-great grandfather, Robeson Lee, is also my great-great grandfather; therefore Charles and I are 3rd cousins.) I have passed a number of e-mails to Charles and spoken to him via telephone about our Lee family history.

Another 3rd cousin, Dr. Ed Smith (also Robeson’s great-great grandson), has also passed a lot of information to me. In 2009, I met Ed at the Kentucky Fried Chicken store in Waynesboro, Mississippi and took him to the Old Lee Cemetery and to Luther Lee’s house. Ed had previously met Luther at a family gathering. Ed is a medical doctor and lives in the Knoxville, Tennessee area. He is employed at the University of Tennessee. (Ed graduated from Ole Miss and I graduated from Mississippi State. Blood is thicker than water!) Luther, Charles and Ed have shared an abundance of family history with me and most of what I’ve recorded in this document for Robeson Lee on back to John Lee of England comes from them.

One of my 2nd Great grandpa Robeson Lee’s daughters, Mary Susannah “Minnie” Lee, married Columbus Campbell,20 and they lived together for an amazing 62 years! They had nine children; one daughter is Pearl “Goldie” Campbell. Goldie is buried at the Old Lee Cemetery. Another daughter, Tommie (Lenora) Campbell, married Bernis Bonaparte Lewis. Bernis and Tommie Lewis are Charles Lewis’ and Ed Smith’s grandparents.

Charles states that his grandmother, Tommie (Campbell) Lewis, did not know her grandmother, Katie (West) Lee, but her mother and older sisters did; and Katie knew her father-in-law, Samuel Lee. Katie certainly knew her husband Robeson.21 So while Tommie Lewis’ memoirs are not linked to her own “living memory,” much of her information was passed to her about Samuel and his son Robeson are potentially very accurate; possibly eye witnessed by her relatives. Her stories are amazing in details, many of which I have verified.

Tommie (Campbell) Lewis has passed down LOTS of information via her memoirs of the Campbell/Sammons/Lee/West family. She was born in 1907 and died in 2000.

Tommie’s grandparents are my great-great grandparents.22 Thus, Tommie is my 1st cousin two times removed. (I will not tell you how long it took for me to figure that one out; ha! I verified it using the Cousins Chart that is posted later in this document.)

The following is Tommie Lewis’ account of my Lee family.

20 Luther Lee remembers Columbus Campbell. He said the Lees (especially my Dad) were very fond of him. 21 Tommie’s older sisters were Goldie Campbell, born in 1889, and Henrietta Campbell, born in 1904. Katie Lee died sometime after the 1910 Wayne County Federal Census. 22 Robeson Earl Lee and Catherine “Katie or Katy” (West) Lee. 16

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Sometime before 1813, Samuel, Sarah and about 10 children migrated from North Carolina to Wayne County, Mississippi. Oral history states that the family traveled overland through Georgia, trekking through virgin forest and fording steams along the way. And just as the family forded the Chickasawhay River, one or more of the children died. The family had been in route to the Natchez area; but Sarah was so heartbroken, she refused to continue. The family stopped on the west bank of the river atop the bluff, building a ferry and a farm which would later be called the Lee Plantation.

Documents show that on Friday, Sep 30, 1808 a Samuel Lee applied for a passport and received permission from the governor of Georgia to pass into the Indian Territory. Also, on Saturday, November 10, 1810, a Samuel Lee applied for passage through the Creek Indian Nation.23 It is not certain which Samuel Lee was my 3rd great grandfather, if either. I believe the application in 1810 was for another Samuel Lee that settled in Marion County and not my 3rd Great grandpa; but I can’t say absolutely.

In her stories Tommie records that the family was in route to the Natchez, Mississippi area where Samuel’s older brother, Everett, had previously settled; or perhaps at some point during the trip Everett may have gone ahead of Sam’s family to establish a place (plantation) for them all to settle once Sam’s family finally got there. However, a child died (perhaps more than one) as Sam’s family forded the Chickasawhay River. They buried the child (or children) atop of a bluff under a magnolia tree. Sarah was so heartbroken that she refused to continue to Natchez, so Samuel staked out what became the Lee Plantation. This is how our family came about settling in Wayne County, Mississippi.

When Sarah died, they buried her next to the child (or children) and carved the date 12/18/1818 on the tree. This is the first Lee family cemetery and although its location is not exactly known today, it is thought to be somewhat close to the Lee family cemetery that still exists. Sam and Sarah had a HUGE family. One source I found stated that Sam and Sarah had 13 children. The Lewis research reports Sarah and Samuel had 16 children; there could have been more!

In 1835, about 17-years after Sarah died, Samuel married the widow of Doctor John Asbury West, Martha Patricia “Patsy” (Overstreet) West. This marriage “tangles up” the Lee family tree, which I’ll explain later.

In Tommie’s stories, Sam lived on the Lee plantation; perhaps on and off; until around 1845. In 1845 the U.S. Congress authorized the annexation of Texas into the United States; Texas then became a state in 1846. But before statehood, the Republic of Texas was offering parcels of FREE LAND to settlers that would come out and claim it. In about 1845, Tommie states that Samuel deeded his property to his son Robeson, packed up his goods and with some of the family members (which included some of Patsy’s kin) took off for Texas seeking the “promised land.”

23 It is possible that the Samuel Lee that applied for a passport in 1808 is the same Samuel Lee that applied for a passport in 1810. Samuel may have preceded his family out to Mississippi to find land and returned to South Carolina to get them and take them back. 17

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Tommie states that on the way to Texas, Sam left Patsy and the younger children behind, possibly on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River, and went on to find land. (Sam had sons that settled in east Louisiana; perhaps Patsy and the children were left with or near them.) After some time, Samuel came back to where he left members of his family only to find they had went back to Wayne County because they did not want to go to Texas. Sam was not happy and went back to Wayne County to get the rest of his family, which included his wife Patsy; with the intent to take them all back to Texas.

In Tommie’s story Sam failed to get the family to go with him back to Texas, and it was said that he even tried to make them go by force. Tommie says that Sam may have left to return to Texas (a second time) and he may have died there, but he may have gone to Hancock County, Mississippi, perhaps married yet again, and died there; Tommie was not sure of Sam’s final fate.

In 1986, Tommie Lewis wrote a letter to her grandson, Dr. Ed Smith. In the letter she states that Samuel Lee and wife Sarah came to Wayne County in around 1800 (1805 is the year in Luther’s story). Tommie was at least 78 years old at the time she wrote the following.

My maternal great-grandfather Samuel Lee and his wife Sarah Shay were among the first white settlers in Wayne County, Mississippi. They came there from North Carolina. I'm not sure of the date but it had to be around 1800. They stopped to settle on the Chickasawhay river (the river that runs through Enterprise, Mississippi) while the brother24 that came with him went on further west to build up a plantation near Nathez [sic].

He was prosperous, had a lot of land and Negro slaves to work it. He had a good many acres in apples and other fruits and a winery where he made the wine and cider he sold in the store he built on the limestone bluff by the river to the people he put across on his ferry. But his pride and joy was his race horses he raised and his race track that people from far and near came to [sic] race or just have a good time guzzling cider and betting or trading horses. Mama told us of Old Sam strapping her father25 in the saddle when he was so small there was danger of him falling off and letting him ride in the races.

I found it totally amazing that Luther and Tommie’s stories could be so well matched about Samuel when he settled the Lee Plantation and his way of life once there. But they could not be more different in their descriptions about how the family migrated to Wayne County and what happened to Samuel late in his life. Both stories agree that Samuel left the Lee Plantation; both agree that he gave the Plantation to his son Robeson, but they disagree with absolutely no similarities about where Samuel went after leaving the Plantation. By looking at the various data about the family names, etc., there is no doubt that Tommie and Luther are talking about the same Samuel; at least when he was living on the Lee Plantation!

24 In other writings Tommie identifies this brother to be Everett Lee. 25 My 3rd great grandfather, Sam, strapped my 2nd great grandfather, Robeson (Rob), to the horse. 18

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The Third Story:

On the internet, I found a third version of the Samuel Lee’s family migration. It stated:

Samuel and Sarah Burns and several children were traveling from South Carolina to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and they lost a child at the Chickasawhay River and Sarah refused to continue the trip after they buried the child. Samuel staked out the Lee Plantation as a result.

This third story presented basically the same information as the others after Sam stopped in Wayne County; Sam set up a plantation, built a ferry, and raced horses.

However, this version differs from the Lewis account in that it indicates that Sam’s intent was to travel from South Carolina to the Gulf Coast; not from North Carolina to Natchez. I would assume that travel from South Carolina to Wayne County for this story was done overland, but the story did not explicitly say so. But if you travelled by boat and landed at Bay St Louis, you’d obviously be on the Gulf Coast and there’d be no need to go near present day Waynesboro.

Thus using the above assumption, third version does not agree that the family came to Mississippi by boat as Luther’s story states but that Sam and his family migrated to Wayne County overland as the Lewis version states.

However, this third version does agree with Luther’s version in stating that Sarah’s last name is “Burns.”

This third source did not say when Samuel and the family migrated to Wayne County, but it does show that a child of Samuel and Sarah’s was born in Wayne County in 1804. If that information is correct, then this third story could support Luther’s version that the family migrated in 1805 because for an event that happened in the early 1800s, the exact year could be off several years especially once memories start to fade and the story has been passed down for a generation or two.

The third story stated that Samuel died in Wayne County and is buried near Waynesboro.

Okay, so what do you think? How did the family get from the Carolinas to Wayne County?

We know for sure our Lee family did come from the Carolinas to settle in Wayne County. Try to imagine the tremendous hardships families had to endure when they migrated into the Mississippi Territory in the early 1800s. Very few white settlers did it before the War of 1812. Those that did faced extreme dangers and a very harsh way of life. Going overland, there was only one small trail, more like a “path,” for them to go from Georgia into the territory, and it meant losing their lives if they did not stay on it. Even after the War, those that came were entering into a difficult wilderness. Once there, land was for the getting, but getting to the land was serious business. For all the families that first migrated into the Mississippi territory; I say, WOW! They are what made America great.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

My comments on Luther’s story:

Since Luther related his story to me, other family members have told me the same story, or a version that is very close to it. Luther’s story has been in the family a very long time, and was passed down to Luther from elderly Lees that Luther knew. Luther was born on Aug 2, 1916, so the elderly Lees that told Luther this story went way back; easily with living memories of the Lee family at the Lee Plantation; perhaps of Samuel Lee himself. I do not question Luther’s credibility even a little, but since this story predates his own living memory, I did some research to verify what I could. Some of my research I shared with Luther before he passed away. He was open to what I found out, and in fact very interested to learn more.

According to my understanding of this story, back when Sam came to Mississippi, all a settler had to do to obtain land was stake out a claim and file it, convince the Indians to honor his property boundaries, and the land was his. Filing a land claim was necessary to avoid two white men claiming the same property.

Looking more into early Wayne County history; I found that the first white settlers settled on the banks of Buckatunna Creek and the Chickasawhay River. This correlates to the described Sam Lee family settlement.

The land that composed the Lee Plantation has long since been broken up. A cousin told me that there are no records of the Lee Plantation being under one deed; I suspect she tried to find this initial deed at the Wayne County Court House, and I understand why that search would have failed. Early Wayne County, Mississippi land transactions were first processed at St. Stephens, Alabama (1806-1819), then Old Augusta, Perry County, Mississippi (1820-1859) and then Paulding, Jasper County, Mississippi (1860—to sometime later). There were also a number of court house fires that could have destroyed the records. In the History of Wayne County, Mississippi 1809-1999, on page 20 it is recorded that the first courthouse in Waynesboro was built in 1870 and burned down in 1879. The second courthouse also burned down in 1881and most of ALL the records were lost in the second courthouse fire.

The plantation did exist. There is too much family history supporting its existence (including a family cemetery that exists on the property today). The plantation is cited in old family letters, in many oral family stories, and even in some old newspaper articles. Many years ago there was an article in the Times Picayune newspaper about life on the Lee Plantation.26 About 160 acres of the plantation is still in the Lee family today and belongs to John “Buddy” Lee.27 Buddy lives on the property with his wife, Billie.

Samuel lived on the Lee Plantation for many years. Mississippi became the 20th state on December 10, 1817. Samuel’s name shows up in the first ever Federal Wayne County Census that occurred in 182028 which obviously proves that the family arrived in Wayne County before 1820. It also verifies that Samuel and his family were among the first white settlers in Wayne

26 I have not seen or read the article, but several cousins did, and they recalled some details about it to me. 27 Billie & Buddy Lee; 1062 Old River Road, Waynesboro, MS 39367. 28 The History of Wayne County, Mississippi 1809-1999; compiled by Wayne County Genealogy Organization, Inc., the 1820 Wayne County Census, page 47. The 1820 Census was the first after Mississippi statehood. 20

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

County. Samuel and his family are also in the 1830 Census and the 1840 Census. However, Samuel is absent from the 1850 census which implies he died or moved away before then.

Luther’s story suggests Sam decided at some point to leave the Plantation for the Columbia, Mississippi area. Samuel shows up in the 1841 Wayne County tax records, so assuming that Sam was in Wayne County to pay property taxes that year, he left sometime after. Sam was about 69-years old in 1841.

It was said by some that Sam and Sarah’s youngest son Rob was deeded the Lee Plantation in around 1845; perhaps that’s when Rob rode back to Wayne County from Columbia, and claimed the plantation. (Or perhaps Sam gave Rob the plantation years earlier and just formerly recorded the transaction in 1845. Rob would have been about 27-years old in 1845.) Some stories suggest that Samuel left the property to Rob in his Will, and this is why some suggest that Samuel died in 1845; but then there are family stories stating that Sam might have been living in the spring of 1846. Sam would have been about 73-years old in the spring of 1846.

Sam probably did not die in Wayne County as Luther describes. Some members of the family advocate Samuel died in Wayne County because at one time, Wayne County was much larger than it is today. Before Mississippi statehood, the area was part of Washington County in the Mississippi Territory.29 Wayne County was established in 1809, and it went from what is now the Alabama-Mississippi state line, which was its eastern border, to the Pearl River and included what is now Greene, Covington, Jones, Perry, Lamar and portions of Lawrence and Marion counties. Obviously, the area that would become Columbia was likely in Wayne County in the first few years after the Wayne County was created.

However, Marion County was created in 1811, and from that time on, Columbia was in Marion County. Census data show that my 3rd Great grandpa Samuel was living in Wayne County up until 1841. If Samuel died in the Columbia area and was buried there, he was not buried in Wayne County as some family members believe and Luther’s story seems to suggest.

However, Luther’s story said, “Samuel died in Wayne County, Mississippi and is buried in an unknown grave near Columbia.” It’s easy to assume that since according to this story Samuel had moved to the Columbia area, Samuel died there and was buried there. However Samuel may have died in Wayne County, but his body was buried near Columbia. For example, Samuel could have been visiting Wayne County, passed away, and his body taken back to Columbia for burial. Or since Samuel had a large number of relatives living in Marion County, perhaps Samuel died in Wayne County and was taken to Columbia to be buried. Draw your own conclusions about it; either way can be justified. I intended to get back with Luther to discuss this and perhaps clarify the issue, but he passed away before I could do that.

29 What’s left of Washington County that was in the Mississippi Territory is now in the state of Alabama. 21

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

To add to the confusion, the following information was sent to me by the Henry Lee Society.

At one time, passports were required for settlers to migrate overland from Georgia to the Mississippi Territory. On Saturday November 10, 1810 a Samuel Lee applied for passage (passport) through the Creek Indian Nation. This Samuel Lee came from Barnwell County, South Carolina and eventually settled in Marion County in the early 1800s. He died on July 5, 1831 and is buried in Marion County.30

If the death year for this Samuel Lee is correct, then he is NOT the same Samuel Lee as my 3rd Great grandfather because my Samuel Lee shows up in the 1840 Wayne County Census. These two Samuel Lees may have been cousins. It may be possible that Luther’s information about our Samuel Lee’s burial place is mixed up with this other Samuel Lee.

While it appears that there were two Samuel Lees; one in Marion County and one in Wayne County, if the 1831 death year is incorrect for the Marion County Samuel Lee, then a small possibility exists that they are the same man. I don’t think that is the case, however.

After the 1995 discovery of William Anderson Lee’s family Bible, the Marion County Samuel Lee became apparent, and this Samuel Lee is not my 3rd great grandfather. The Bible was over a century old when discovered. It had been passed down by William Lee’s widow in 1919. Certified copies of the relevant pages were made and sent to the Mississippi Archives in Jackson should any future generations wish to view it. To me, it defines there were two Samuel Lees.

There probably is a third Samuel Lee that settled in Hancock County, Mississippi. These “multiple Sam Lees” are troublesome for genealogy research. Apparently these multiple Sam Lees migrated from the Carolinas about the same time, so that there are two or three Lee families that are offspring of them. These families may have been distant (or close) cousins. (They also may not have been related.) These families lived in close proximity (within a 50- mile radius) to each other once in Mississippi and perhaps over time intermarried. Over the years the stories of the different Sam Lees may have comingled such that each story about Sam Lee told now is a mixture of the history of more than one person. Obviously, I cannot prove this one way or the other; however, it might explain the different stories told by different relatives. Considering my 3rd Great grandpa and the Marion County Samuel Lee, I think it is possible that the Lees in Marion County and Hattiesburg today are offspring of BOTH Samuel Lees! I am certain that the two Samuel Lees get mixed up in the genealogy of our Lee family.

Major Clint Lee, who is a distant cousin31 living in Virginia and a prominent member of the Henry Lee Society, has informally discussed the various stories of Sam Lee’s migration with me. He thinks that my 3rd Great grandfather Sam probably arrived by boat and landed at Bay St Louis in 1805, but he did not share with me why he believed so. Clint is very knowledgeable about our Lee family lineage and associated family history, so I hold his opinion in high esteem.

30 I have a source that says Samuel Lee died June 5, 1831 in Waynesboro, Mississippi. I think the source is confused with the Marion County Samuel Lee. 31 Kinship confirmed via DNA test through the Henry Lee Society. 22

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Luther’s story also states, “Sam eventually left the Lee Plantation and settled in the Columbia area to be near a brother and other family members that had left the Carolinas and settled there.”

So I asked myself, did my 3rd Great grandpa Samuel Lee have family in the Columbia area?

Researching, I recently discovered in the Early History of Marion County, the following Lees show up: General Benjamin Lee, Everett Lee, Jesse Lee, Jr., and Stephen Lee. Everett Lee was Samuel’s brother according to most sources. I think General Benjamin Lee, Jesse Lee, Jr, and Stephen Lee were most likely Sam’s cousins but some believe that all of these men were brothers. All these men were either brothers or cousins; they certainly all were family.

Thus the evidence shows that my 3rd Great grandfather Samuel Lee did have relatives living in the Columbia area. Therefore Samuel could have gone to Columbia to be near or with other relatives near the end of his life as Luther’s story states; he had a large number of relatives living in the area!

It cannot be proven or disproven if Sam migrated in 1805.

However, there is one family list that states Bryant Lee was born in 1804 in Waynesboro, Mississippi. Bryant is a child of Samuel and Sarah Lee. If this is true, the family came to Mississippi before 1805! But for our reference now over 200-years later, 1804 is obviously close to 1805, so in the overall scheme of things, the 1804 date “supports” Luther’s story. They could have easily been off by one year or two.

I think, but am not certain, that Luther knew that Samuel had at one time gone out to Texas and returned. I cannot absolutely recall us discussing that…but “I almost can.” I would think that Samuel would have had to go out to Texas and come back to the Plantation before moving to Columbia to fit Luther’s story; all speculation on my part however. My Grandfather Gerod was told that Samuel left Wayne County, went out to Texas, and came back to Wayne County.

Next I researched; could Samuel Lee’s family have traveled by boat to the Mississippi Gulf Coast as Luther Lee’s story stated? This is what I found.

Bay St Louis was a very small town when Samuel would have arrived by boat in 1805. It was settled by the French in 1699 and is the 3rd oldest settlement on the Gulf Coast. Thus it was well known and an “import town” in the early 1800s. The Mississippi Gulf Coast was part of West Florida in 1805, and there were disagreements at that time with the U.S. claiming the area as part of the Louisiana Purchase and Spain claiming the territory too. The area was eventually annexed into the United States. However, this dispute did not stop many American settlers from coming into the area by boat.

The Mississippi Territory was created in 1798, but only a handful of white settlers came into it before 1810. This was primarily because of the serious threat from the Creek and Cherokee tribes in western Georgia and the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes in Alabama and Mississippi.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

It was said that 16-miles was about the best one could travel overland per day. (I think that may be a stretch for a family.) My research found that because of the harsh travel conditions, and/or the Indian threat, some settlers did in fact come into Mississippi by boat; but it was expensive to do so.32 These facts match Luther’s story.

Therefore, it was possible that the Sam Lee family came into Mississippi Territory by boat. In fact, if the family came to Wayne County in 1805, travel by boat was probably the only feasible means unless they walked or rode horseback with only items they could carry. Before 1811, travel by covered wagon does not seem possible on what was called the Horse Path, and the Horse Path was the only “safe route” to take going west from Georgia.

Would Samuel have wanted to go to Columbus years after living on the Lee Plantation as in Luther’s version?

Obviously no one knows the answer to that question, but I speculated; consider the following.

Columbia, Mississippi was fist settled by John and William Lott33 sometime in the early 1800s and was originally called Lott’s Bluff. It was incorporated as Columbia on June 25, 1819 and was named after Columbia, South Carolina because many of its early settlers came from there.

At the time Samuel settled the Lee Plantation, Columbia was a small settlement at best. If Samuel settled in Wayne County in 1805, there may not have been any of his family in the Columbia area at all, but that certainly changed. Before 1810 only a few whites lived in the entire Mississippi Territory; Natchez and St Stephens were the only two real settlements. However, history records that there was an explosion of white settlers in South Mississippi, especially after the War of 1812. (The Creek War of 1813-14 is considered by some historians to be a part of the War of 1812.) By 1820, there were over 230,000 immigrants, both black and white, that were living in the states of Alabama and Mississippi.34 The price of cotton went sky high and land was needed to plant it. The government obtained land from the Indians, and new settlers came pouring in; and new roads were built giving access to the Gulf Coast.

During the time Samuel was living at the Lee plantation, Columbia grew from next to nothing to the fourth municipality in the state of Mississippi. New roads were built making travel from the Plantation to Columbia easier. Samuel eventually had many relatives in the Columbia area so I can see Sam leaving the plantation later in life to live in or near Columbia as Luther’s version states. The distance to Columbia was not too far from the plantation and the new roads would have made traveling there relatively easy by the 1840s.

Also, consider this; perhaps Samuel and his family came to Mississippi by boat and landed in Bay St Louis in 1805 with the intent of eventually going to Natchez. Because of the lack of roads in the early 1800s, rivers were often a preferred source of transportation. Obviously it was a “relatively easy” task to float down a river, but many people travelled along, or somewhat close to the river’s banks both up and down stream because the river provided a pathway to a

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 certain destination, and following a river, even a winding river, prevented travelers from getting lost. Settlements along the banks of rivers often aided travelers along the way.

The Chickasawhay River is about 210 miles long. It is formed by the intersection of the Chunky River and Okatibbee Creek at Enterprise, Mississippi in the northern part of Clarke County. It flows from Clarke County through Wayne and Greene Counties and intersects the Leaf River in northern George County. The two rivers then become the Pascagoula River that flows to the Gulf of Mexico. The Chickasawhay flows past the towns of Stonewall, Quitman, Shubuta, Waynesboro and Leakesville, Mississippi. The Chickasawhay and Pascagoula Rivers provide a pathway from Waynesboro, Mississippi to the Gulf Coast. This pathway was used by the Indians and early settlers to go into and out of the area.

Could Sam and his family have landed at Bay St Louis and traveled along the Gulf Coast to the mouth of the Pascagoula River (which is close to Bay St Louis) and followed the river north and eventually arrived in the Lee Plantation area? Absolutely, it would have been a very long and winding walk or ride, but it is very possible.

Thus, even if Sam was intent on going to Natchez when he left the Carolinas as Tommie Lewis’ story goes, the family may have left from North Carolina for a South Carolina seaport, and then sailed to the Mississippi Gulf Coast by boat, landed at Bay St Louis, went up the Pascagoula River banks to the Chickasawhay River and followed the Chickasawhay up to the present day Waynesboro area. (Perhaps Samuel even obtained a covered wagon in Bay St. Louis for their overland portion of their journey.) Perhaps they were on the east side of the river and decided to ford it to go west (towards Natchez) when the tragedy struck.

Before you say no way; there appears to have been a trail going through present day Waynesboro out to Natchez called the El Camino Corridor that settlers used to get to Texas. Present day Highway-84 shadows the old trail. Perhaps Samuel was making his way north from the Gulf Coast to intersect this trail to continue on to Natchez. Perhaps the family intersected the trail and was fording it to go west when the tragedy struck. The possibilities are numerous.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

In my research, I found a dispute that the El Camino ever existed. I think it was a concept. There was not a trail called the El Camino Corridor, but the corridor consisted of a number of different trails. Before the War of 1812, there was only one pathway from Georgia into the Mississippi Territory established by treaties with the Indians. Settlers had to stay on that trail! I think that trail was part of the concept of the El Camino Corridor. The El Camino Corridor consisted of trails that started in Georgia and went out to Mexico (Texas was part of Mexico until 1836). If you follow US Highway 84 today, you’ll see that it shadows the old El Camino Corridor, and there is now a “push” to upgrade the highway and to revive it by the name, El Camino Corridor. Do you ever wonder why some roads are where they are? Sometimes our highways today are built along the same paths used by our forefathers hundreds of years ago when they first settled an area.

If you follow present day Highway 84, it appears that it is close, and in some places right on, the original trail that Samuel may have used to go from Wayne County to Texas and back. If Sam came overland from Georgia to Wayne County, the highway may shadow the family’s entire trip to Wayne County. Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, where Samuel may have eventually ended up and died, is also along that highway.

It seems like a stretch to imagine in terms of today’s references that Samuel’s family traveled by boat to Mississippi. After all they’d had to have sailed around the tip of Florida to the Mississippi Gulf Coast from South Carolina, and that’s a long voyage. However, perhaps boat passage from South Carolina to Bay St Louis and then up river to the present day Waynesboro area might have been much quicker, easier and safer trip than overland travel from Georgia to the present day Waynesboro area especially if done in about 1805.

In my research, I did find that it may have been possible for the family to have initially started out in North Carolina, travel to South Carolina to a seaport, board a ship there, and then travel on that ship to Bay St. Louis. All one needed was LOTS of money.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

My comments on Tommie Lewis’ stories:

Like Luther, Tommie Lewis related stories handed down to her by elderly Lees. Her stories are not from her own living memory. However, the details are astonishing and solid. I have no doubt that Samuel left the plantation and went to Texas and came back; at least one time; perhaps a number of different times. My Grandfather Gerod Lee told me a story about Old Sam traveling to Texas and then coming back to Wayne County. In Grandpa’s story, Sam was much younger when he made the trip to Texas than he would have been in the Lewis stories. Grandpa also implied that Sam came back to Wayne County permanently. A cousin, who probably got his information from Tommie Lewis, told me that Sam left the Plantation and went out to Texas, found good land out there, and came back to Wayne County to get the rest of his family that he’d left behind. Sam was so intent to get the family to go back to Texas that he put a gun to his son Rob’s head threatening to shoot if Rob did not return with him to Texas. If true, Rob stood his ground and Sam did not pull the trigger.

Both Luther’s version and the Lewis version state that Sam’s family was among Wayne County’s first white settlers. Both versions agree that Sam established a plantation, had a ferry, built a still, and raced horses, had a wife named Sarah, and fathered lots of children. There is no doubt that they are referring to the same man.

Tommie Lewis stated in one of her letters that Sam may have left the plantation (the last time) for Hancock County, Mississippi. Census records do show a Samuel Lee living there in 1850. I don’t believe this Sam Lee is my 3rd great grandfather, but Tommie’s statement makes you wonder.

Sam may have died in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. If so, perhaps he died in route to going either to or from Texas, or perhaps he settled there. Charles Lewis reports that there are records in Clarke County, Mississippi that state that in February 1845 Samuel Lee of Catahoula Parish, Louisiana deeded property to son Robeson Lee of Wayne County, Mississippi. Was Sam physically in Clarke County in February of 1845 to record this transaction? Or did Sam just state he was from Catahoula Parish to facilitate the land transaction? Catahoula Parish is a very long distance from Clarke County. Samuel had sons that settled in Catahoula Parish; perhaps he moved there late in life to be close to them.

No one is sure where Samuel finally ended up or where he died and is buried. However, Charles Lewis now believes that Samuel died in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. It is very interesting to me that the previously mentioned El Camino Corridor ran through Catahoula Parish on its way to Texas.

Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Freestone County, Texas Some of Samuel Lee’s family is reported to have settled in Freestone County A John Lee also settled and founded Leesburg, Texas.

The overland route that was described in Tommie Lewis’ story is historically accurate as to the process used for overland migration back then. In my research I found the following.

I mentioned before that the U.S. Government entered into a treaty with the Creek and Seminole Indian nations that established a “secure corridor” for the white settlers to pass though going out west from Georgia. The route was known as the Federal Post Road, but was referred to by travelers as “The Horse Path.” It was initially built to transport mail from Washington, DC to isolated New Orleans. Congress appropriated funds for its construction in 1806. This route was used by the settlers to travel without a military escort.

An 1805 treaty allowed the Creeks to set up “houses of entertainment” at specific outposts for spending the night. “Squatting” was not allowed in the Indian nation, so settlers had no choice but to frequent these establishments for their own protection. The government required that settlers obtain a passport so that there would be a record of those traveling into that corridor. Thus if some of the “renegade Indians” raided the whites passing through the corridor, the government had a record of the white settlers that went in and those that came out, and therefore an idea of those that went missing; and the government would hold the Indians accountable.

Records show a Samuel Lee did apply for a passport in 1808 and 1810. As I stated before, it is not known if my 3rd great grandfather was the Samuel Lee that applied. However, I’m now almost certain my 3rd Great grandfather Samuel Lee did not apply in 1810, but I cannot absolutely say for sure.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

By just observing the map, if Samuel was going overland from Georgia to Natchez, Mississippi, as the Lewis version states, then going through Wayne County could have been a direct route to travel. It is very likely that the Samuel Lee family would have had to ford the Chickasawhay River near present day Waynesboro. The Lewis version states the Samuel Lee family had to ford the Chickasawhay River south of present day Stonewall, Mississippi and just north of Waynesboro.

The Lewis story is a perfect match with respect to geography.

The odds are great that if anyone can trace their ancestry migrations from the east (Georgia) to Alabama or Mississippi overland from 1806 to sometime after 1814, their ancestors likely set foot on the Federal Road. Tommie Lewis stated that oral family history says the family came overland from Georgia through virgin forest. The corridor, or Federal Road, was through virgin forest as the Creek Indians did not allow any timber to be cut along the path; the pathway could be cleared of any fallen trees across it, but nothing more. Obviously, our Lee family could not have cleared virgin forest themselves to facilitate their own travels with a covered wagon because the treaty with the Indians would not have permitted that, and the Indians would kill to protect their lands. An established trail through virgin forest did exist, however. The Federal Road was the only “road” for the family to travel from Georgia into the Mississippi Territory.

It was said that from 1806 to 1811, the Federal Road was only about 4-feet wide; constructed primarily for horseback mail carriers. Thus it took on the name “the Horse Path.” The “road” was described as narrow path with numerous rivers and streams. Fording the streams and rivers was very difficult. Some makeshift bridges were put in place but were not very good. As stated, the Indians did not allow for any timber to be cut down other than for clearing the pathway of fallen trees and debris; so building bridges was not always an option.

Travelers would often forsake their wagons and most or all of their household goods along the way especially when fording or crossing the rivers and streams.

In 1811 there was fear of a war with Great Britain looming, so the road was widened in some places not to exceed 16-feet for military wagons, cannons, and etc. This widening allowed wagon travel, but it also was a source of intense tensions with the Creeks. Some believed that these tensions were a major cause of the Creek Indian War of 1813-14.35 The tensions with the Indians and the resulting war no doubt discouraged civilian travel until the conflict was over. However, it appears that many did make the trek no matter.

The Creek War ended with the Treaty of Fort Jackson in 1814. General Andrew Jackson got the Indians to cede a large section of southern Georgia and a bigger section of Alabama to the United States. This eventually ended the threat of Indian attacks by the Creeks on the Federal Road.

35 Some cite the Greek Indian War of 1813-14 to be the same as the War of 1812. 29

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

At best, it was said to have taken at least a couple months to complete the trip from Georgia to Wayne County. Even after the expansion in 1811, it was said that many of the earlier settlers still had great difficulties crossing the larger rivers, and as before the expansion, many lost much of their property along the way. It is recorded in the “Early Times in Wayne County” by Jesse M. Wilkins that immigrants in April 1811 had to abandon their wagons at the Chattahoochee River because there was no bridge to cross. The article also stated that the Creek Indians would not allow any trees to be cut in their territory; which supports my earlier comments. Really tough people made the trip; many settlers just gave up and went back home.

After the war was over, the road was shared with stagecoaches and crude wagons, and people walking. It was subject to deep ruts and serious erosion. Gullies were everywhere and repair costs were high. In fact, things got so bad that by a Mississippi Territory statue, all males, free and slaves, between the ages of 16 and 50 could be required to work on the road for up to 6-days a year. This work was done without pay and with one’s own tools!36 When Alabama became a separate territory in 1817, the requirements were expanded. However, after 1814, the road exploded with settlers going west from Georgia.

As difficult as the travel was described, there is nothing historical to have prevented Sam Lee’s family from using this corridor; thousands of settlers did especially after the Creek War.

Some data suggests that the Samuel Lee family travelled the road during the Creek War arriving in Wayne County by 1813. If the family did travel the Federal Road or Horse Path in between 1811 and 1813, they could have been subject to some serious risks.

However, kicking the tin-can back; my 4th Great grandpa Dr. John West is found on a September 23, 1810 passport application where he and his wife and four children were granted a pass from Twiggs County, Georgia through the Creek Nation to Mississippi. Dr. West is then listed in an 1811 Wayne County, Mississippi tax list; proof that he and his family made the trip in 1810-1811. Obviously, the Sam Lee’s family may have made the trip too.

Looking into history, I did not prove or disprove any of the three migration stories. Of the three, I have one that’s my favorite and one that I think is more likely to be correct, and they are not the same story!

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

I still ponder this. Before 1814, the Creek Indians in Georgia and Alabama were troublesome for the white immigrants; at times a serious threat. However, I found historical writings stating that the Choctaw Indians in South Mississippi (Wayne County) seemed to want to get along with the white settlers at that time. So traveling from South Carolina by boat to Bay St Louis would have avoided the Creeks totally. The Choctaw Indians would most likely not pose a serious threat to the Lee family traveling up the Pascagoula and Chickasawhay Rivers to the Wayne County area. The history of that time suggests that the family could have made this trip in 1805 as described by Luther. Once in Wayne County, the family could have intended to turn west and continue on to Natchez. There was a trail from Wayne County to Natchez that would have facilitated this possibility. This possible scenario would agree with both Luther and Tommie’s stories somewhat.

As I stated before, the first Wayne County white settlers settled on the banks of Buckatunna Creek and the Chickasawhay River. These waterways were a source of transportation, fertile land, and of course, water. In early Wayne County, the settlers got along with the Choctaw Indians okay, but there were some concerns about the Creek Indians. During the Creek War of 1813-14, two forts37 were built in Wayne County and some families moved into them for protection.38 I speculate that if the locals in Wayne County were concerned enough about the Creeks that they built forts for protection, then I suspect that travel on the Federal Road (or Horse Path) would have been considered very dangerous too until after the war ended. Traveling overland after 1814 would have been much safer, and thousands did exactly that.

Just recently I was at the Chickasawhay River close to where the Old Lee Cemetery is located. I was on the old Lee Plantation side of the river, and surely very close to where the Sam Lee family crossed to the Lee Plantation and set up house. There were kids playing in the river and walking down the middle of it for a long stretch. It was easy to imagine that a family could have easily crossed near that spot about 200 years ago.

It is worthy to note that in the past the Chickasawhay River was so deep that riverboats (steamboats) traveled on it past Waynesboro to the Gulf Coast. The river has changed channels over the years which changed its depth and characteristics. There have been times in my lifetime that I have seen the river high enough for river boat passage to be possible during floods. When I was a teenager, logs were floated down the river after they were harvested. The boats once traversing the river at Waynesboro may have been a seasonal event or the river may have been much deeper at that time. If deep enough for river boats, I’d think fording the river would have been difficult and very dangerous, but I did witness kids walking in and across it with ease one day. I’ve been told stories of the Lee family (Sam’s children and grandchildren) being able to see river boats pass by from the porch of the Lee Plantation with family members waiving at

37 The Creek Indians, during the war, were a constant source of menace to the early settlers of Wayne County, which led to the erection of Patton’s Fort at Winchester, and Roger’s Fort, about seven miles north of Winchester. It has been said that some ditches from Patton’s Fort can still be seen today. Some historians cite that the Creek War of 1813 was part the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was between Great Britain and the United States, but tensions extended to the Creek Indians and Andrew Jackson played a major role in both conflicts. 38 “Early Times in Wayne County, by Jesse M Wikins. 31

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 the river boat passengers as they floated by! This was before, during and for some time after the Civil War.

Whether Sam finally went to Columbia, Texas, or Louisiana is not certain. Evidence seems to indicate that he did travel to all three. That’s amazing! His age did not seem to pose a problem for him to consider before relocation. He must have been in good physical condition to consider moving late in his life and sitting up anew. Charles Lewis found evidence of Sam in the part of Catahoula Parish, Louisiana which would become Winn Parish in the vicinity of his sons Willis, Zachariah, and Nathan near the end of his life. Some assume he died and is buried there. He may have went back to Texas and died, or he even may have made it back to Mississippi and eventually to the Columbia area and died. A few sources state that he died in Waynesboro. It is difficult to trace his last days because of the multiple Sam Lees at that time.

My 3rd Great grandpa Samuel was a fascinating character. He was prosperous and wealthy. He started out in North Carolina, went to South Carolina, then to Mississippi and settled there for many years, and then to Texas and back; to Louisiana and perhaps back to Texas again. He appeared to grow restless after a time and would decide to take off. I suppose his wealth gave him more options than most would have had.

If the story about Samuel putting a gun to his son Rob’s head is true, apparently that event did not completely fracture their relationship. In 1845 Sam deeded his plantation to Rob. Also in 1845 Sam deeded Rob some property in Clarke County. I doubt that Samuel would have done that if he and Rob had a serious falling out over going to Texas. Samuel had a number of other sons that he could have given the plantation and Clarke County property to.

It occurs to me that in the story of Sam going to Texas, Rob was never going to go in the first place. Sam gave Rob the plantation and left Rob behind to live on it. Why would Sam later change his mind, return to the plantation, and demand that Rob and everyone else go with him back to Texas?

I don’t totally buy that Samuel may have alienated himself from his Wayne County family late in life.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

I’ve given you three different versions of the Sam Lee family migration to Wayne County. All three versions agree Samuel ended up at the Lee Plantation, and they all agree on his lifestyle while there. The history of the time suggests that all three stories of the family’s migration were possible.

Obviously, all three are not true; perhaps one is.

I do wonder if my 3rd Great grandpa Samuel first came overland to Mississippi by himself in say about 1808; which would have required him getting a passport to transverse Indian Territory. Perhaps Samuel saw some land that he wanted; went back to the Carolinas to retrieve his family; and perhaps then came back with them to Mississippi either by overland or by boat. That would make sense to me and would not contradict any data presented; perhaps it would fill in some holes.

I spoke to Cousin Charles Lewis last night on the phone (Dec 23, 2013), and he now believes that Samuel is buried at Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. When you look at the map, Catahoula Parish is not that far from Columbia, Mississippi. I can see where Samuel may have left Wayne County, went down to Marion County (Columbia) for a while to see relatives, and eventually made it out to Catahoula Parish where he had older sons living. No one knows the real story yet.

It was rumored that my 3rd Great grandpa Sam had a large sum of gold “stashed away somewhere” that has never been accounted for.

It was also said that after Samuel’s death a messenger was sent to the Lee Plantation to his son Rob to inform him about his father. Samuel had left a couple of horses and two of his slaves to Rob, but Rod never went to claim them.39

Thus my Great-great grandfather, Robeson “Rob or Robert” Earl Lee, who went on to fight in the Civil War, never owned any slaves.

39 If the story about the messenger is true, then it is likely that Samuel did not die in Waynesboro (or in Wayne County) as some stories say. Rob was living on the Old Lee Plantation at the time Samuel died. 33

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Clarke County

Samuel owned property in Lawrence, Wayne and Clarke Counties according to land transaction records. Some family stories state that Samuel intended to go to Natchez to start up a plantation and his brother Everett preceded Sam there. Sam was on his way to Everett when a child died and the family stopped in Wayne County. Records of an Everett Lee do show up in Warren County which is “in the Natchez area” in the early 1810s.

In one of Tommie Lewis’ letters that she wrote late in her life, she states that Samuel went out to Texas “later in the 1830s.” If so, then Samuel assuredly came back to Wayne County before the 1840 census. In the 1840 census, Samuel is found living at the Old Lee Plantation and married to Patsy (Overstreet) West. Because of the timeline for the War for Texas Independence from Mexico, I’d say Samuel went to Texas sometime after 1836 but was back in Wayne County before 1840. Some of Tommie’s other writings indicate that Samuel went out to Texas in 1845. It seems perhaps that he made multiple trips.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Robeson County, North Carolina

Georgetown District, South Carolina (red dot) Georgetown was an important port in early American history

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The next few pages are some family data I found for Samuel Lee, Senior from numerous sources. The names of the children are “fairly consistent” in the different sources, but the birth dates and birth places differ for many children depending on the source.

Also, although sometimes close; NO family list given below matches the data in the 1820 Federal Wayne County Census for Samuel Lee’s household. The census does not give the names of the children, but rather the number of children living in the household in certain age groups as shown below. If you take the census data and try matching it with the lists that follow, no list matches perfectly. Thus some of the birthdates and names are incorrect; or the census data is in error. However, these lists are the best I found. As for me, I know my 2nd Great Grandfather Robeson (Robert) Earl Lee is a son of Samuel Sr. Therefore, my lineage from Samuel is documented accurately.

There are several lists of Samuel’s children which I have copied and posted below. A couple of the lists show that the family left the Carolinas after 1811 and arrived in Wayne County before 1813. This does not match Luther’s version that the family came to Mississippi in 1805. However, Tommie Lewis stated in one of her letters she thought it was “around 1800.” One list suggests the family arrived in 1804. I believe that the dates of the children’s births are not known exactly (also the birth places), and if that’s true, then the birth dates on the family lists I have in this document below can’t be used to verify when the Samuel Lee family left the Carolinas or when they arrived in Mississippi. However, I am not so bold as to say that any of the dates are correct or incorrect. I did no research with respect to them. Obviously, since the dates differ, some of them are wrong; perhaps some of them are correct. The Family was in Wayne County before the 1820 Federal Wayne County Census for sure.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The following is the first list I found for Samuel’s children. Charles Lewis now doubts the South Carolina birth places.

Children of Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr. and Lucy Ann Bunn: 1. Elijah Lee, born in North Carolina 2. William S. Lee, born in North Carolina 3. Ruben Lee, born in North Carolina 4. John Riley Lee, born in North Carolina

Children of Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr. and Sarah (Shay) Burns:40 1. Jacob D. Lee, born ~1800 in Barnwell County, South Carolina 2. Zachariah Lee, born ~1801 in Barnwell County, South Carolina 3. Elizabeth Lee, born ~1802 in Barnwell County, South Carolina 4. Bryant Lee, born ~1803 in Barnwell County, South Carolina 5. Samuel Lee, Jr., born ~1806 in Barnwell County, South Carolina 6. Elder Lee, born ~1807 in Barnwell County, South Carolina 7. Clara Lee, born ~1808 in Barnwell County, South Carolina 8. Lucy Catherine Lee, born June 19, 1809 in Barnwell County, South Carolina 9. Clarissa Jane Lee, born ~1811 in Barnwell County, South Carolina 10. Nathan Lee, born ~1812 in Barnwell County, South Carolina 11. Betty “Anzeby” Lee, born 1813 in Wayne County, Mississippi 12. Uriah Lee, born 1815 in Wayne County, Mississippi 13. Lillie Lee (twin with Tilpha Lee), born ~ 1816 in Wayne County, Mississippi 14. Tilpha Lee (twin with Lillie Lee), born ~ 1816 in Wayne County, Mississippi 15. Robeson Earl Lee, (twin with Eliza Lee) born April 6, 1818 in Wayne County, Mississippi 16. Eliza Lee, (twin with Robeson Lee) born April 6, 1818 in Wayne County, Mississippi

Children of Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr. and Martha “Patsy” Overstreet:41 1. Jefferson Lee, born in 1836 in Wayne County, Mississippi 2. Washington “Billy” Lee, born 1838 in Wayne County, Mississippi 3. Rebecca Lee, born in 1841 in Wayne County, Mississippi 4. Samatha Lee, the Overstreet records show her as a daughter to Samuel and Patsy.

It is amazing that Sam fathered more than 23 children. (This list does not count the child or children that died while the family was fording the Chickasawhay River.) It is also amazing to me that Samuel remained single for about 17-years after the death of Sarah and his marriage to Patsy Overstreet. How many children could he have fathered had he been married to a fertile woman during those years! 

Note: I have confirmed all of Sarah’s children above to the 1820 census except for Elizabeth and Samuel Jr; they are missing in that census. It is not certain that Elizabeth’s father is my Samuel Lee, but it is certain that my 3rd Great grandpa Sam had a son named Samuel Jefferson Lee, Junior.

40 Some information is cited from a family Bible. Elizabeth and Samuel Jr. are not listed in the 1820 census. There was an “unknown female” in Samuel’s household in 1820 that was Elizabeth’s age and it could have been her. 41 Martha “Patsy” Overstreet was the widow of Dr. John West of Green County, Mississippi. 37

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Another list of the children of Samuel and Sarah Burns from another source. Note: the first four children on the below list appear to be the children of Samuel and Lucy Ann Bunn but this list says they are Sarah Burns’ children. This list is advocated by the third version presented in this document about the family’s migration to Wayne County.

Children of Samuel Lee and Sarah Burns:

1. Elijah Lee born 1794 in Williamsburg, SC; married Rachel Rogers, Dec 26, 1830 2. William Lee born 1797 3. Reuben Lee born 1798 4. John Riley Lee born 1800 5. Elizabeth Lee born 1802 in Williamsburg, SC; married John Lott, Feb 7, 1818 6. Bryant Lee born 1804 in Waynesboro, MS; died May 26, 1828; married Bellinda Wheeler 7. Samuel Lee Jr born 1806 8. Lucy Catherine Lee 1810 9. Bette Lee born 1813 in Waynesboro, MS; married Jesse Crewford, Jul 3, 1939 10. Uriah Lee born 1815 11. Robert E Lee born Apr 6, 1817 in Waynesboro, MS; married Catherine West 12. Eliza Lee born 1818 in Waynesboro, MS; married Eldridge R. Applewhite 13. Polly Lee born 19 Jun 1819 in Waynesboro, MS; died 24 Sep 1897 in Waynesboro, MS.

If the dates for this list are correct, it implies that Samuel and Sarah Burns came to Mississippi in between 1802 and 1804. This closely matches Luther’s story that the family came to Mississippi in 1805. If Samuel and Sarah came to Mississippi during this time, they probably did it by boat.

This list cites that Bettie Lee married Jesse Crewford. I believe that is incorrect; I have other data that states that Betty Lee married Daniel Madison Overstreet. (Was she married twice?)

While the names on this list match other listings, many of the dates are not the same. Eliza Lee’s descendants have stated that Eliza claimed that she was a twin to Robert E Lee (Robeson Earl Lee), and other family records state likewise. Robert was born in 1818 according to his headstone, not 1817 as the above data states. However, being off by one year is not that bad.

If Sarah Burns died in December 1818, then the date for Polly Lee’s birth is incorrect on this page unless Sam married yet again! There is no record of a marriage for Sam in between Sarah Shay Burns and Patsy Overstreet West. For Sam and Sarah’s children, this is the only list that has Polly Lee on it. However, the 1820 Census shows a female in Sam’s household that is over 45-years old. It is thought she was an older woman that Samuel hired to help care for the children; but what if Sarah did not die in 1818 and this older woman is Sarah? If so then a child could have been born in 1819. I’m not advocating anything, but could Sam have fathered a child between his marriages to Sarah and Patsy (Overstreet) West? I am very unsure that Sam had a child named Polly.

Luther’s story also states that Sam and Sarah came to Mississippi with six children. The data on this page suggests that there were five children; pretty close to Luther’s story.

Why does the above source, and others, cite Williamsburg, South Carolina as the area that the Samuel Lee family was in before their appearance in Mississippi? I suspect that the confusion is again the fact that there was more than one Samuel Lee living at that time. However, why would the children’s names be the same for different Samuel Lees?

Another source cites that Elizabeth Lee was born on November 7, 1801 in Barnwell County, South Carolina. The other source agrees that she married John Lott, Jr, but on April 15, 1819. It is thought that the couple eventually moved out to eastern Texas to be with other family members that moved out there…hum…my 3rd Great grandfather Sam is said by some to have went out to eastern Texas too with other Lee family members including some of his older children. It is in dispute that Elizabeth is one of my Sam’s children, but this makes you wonder.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

As of January 2014, this is the latest Charles Lewis list has for the children of Samuel Lee. It does not contain any names of children Sam allegedly had with Lucy Bunn, but only with wives Sarah and Patsy (Overstreet) West. This list has the following details.

If the name is preceded with “(B)”, then it was found in a family Bible. If the name is preceded with “(M)”, it was found in marriage records. If the name is preceded with “(C)”, it was found in the 1850 Wayne County Census, and if the name is preceded with “(U)”, it is unconfirmed but probable descendants of Samuel Lee.

Children with Sarah Shay:

1. (B) Zachariah Lee 1797 in North Carolina 2. (U) Willis Lee 1800 in North Carolina 3. (U) Jacob D. Lee 5/26/1801 in North Carolina 4. (B) Samuel Lee, Jr. 1802 in North Carolina 5. (B) Nathan Lee 1804 in North Carolina 6. (B) Lillie Lee (Twin) 1806 in North Carolina 7. (B) Zilpha Lee (Twin) 1806 in North Carolina 8. (M) Lucy Catherine Lee 6/19/1809 in North Carolina 9. (U) Cynthia Lee 1810 in North Carolina 10. (M) Betty “Anzeby”42 Lee 1811 in North Carolina 11. (B) Samantha Lee 7/16/1813 in Wayne County, Mississippi 12. (B) Elder Lee (Twin) 1814 in Wayne County, Mississippi 13. (B) Eleanor Lee (Twin) 1814 in Wayne County, Mississippi 14. (B) Clara Lee 1815 in Wayne County, Mississippi 15. (B) Clarissa Jane Lee 1816 in Wayne County, Mississippi 16. (B) Robeson “Rob” Lee 4/6/1818 in Wayne County, Mississippi

Children with Martha “Patsy” Overstreet:

1. (C) Jefferson Lee 1836 in Wayne County, Mississippi 2. (C) Washington “Billy” Lee 1838 in Wayne County, Mississippi 3. (C) Rebecca Lee 1841 in Wayne County, Mississippi

Missing from this list is the name of Elizabeth Lee. She is on several other lists as a daughter of my 3rd Great grandfather Sam. However, she is also cited as the daughter of another Samuel Lee that lived in Marion County. I suspect that Charles Lewis has come to the conclusion that she is not the daughter of our 3rd Great grandfather.

A descendant of Eliza Lee adamantly states that Robeson and Eliza are twins. Also, in an old document that Luther gave to me, it states that Robeson and Eliza are twins. If so, then Eliza should have been included on this list.

42 Also spelled “Angeby. ”One source stated that she was born ~1812 and was a twin to Samuel Jr. 39

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The Lewis lists certainly objects to the story about Samuel and his family coming to Wayne County in 1805; but caution needs to be applied before coming to a “firm conclusion” that they did not. When dealing with data as old as this, errors are found all the time. Even Charles Lewis said to me he is not sure that Sam and his family came to Mississippi overland, nor was he sure of the year that they migrated. Unless one is very lucky to have undisputed historical data, guess work is the best one can do.

Here are some facts for the siblings of Robeson Lee posted by Charles Lewis:

1. Zachariah Lee married in Wayne County, Mississippi in about 1823 to Rhoda Lee. She was born in about 1804 in South Carolina. Believed to have died in Texas. 2. Willis Lee married in about 1825 in Mississippi to Eliza Smith. She was born in North Carolina. He died after 1865 in Winn Parish, Louisiana. 3. Jacob D. Lee married 2/28/1833 in Wayne County, Mississippi to Nancy Blakely. She was born on 6/13/1813 in South Carolina. He died on 12/10/1878 in Freestone County, Texas. 4. Samuel Lee, Jr. married in 1828 in Wayne County, Mississippi to Clarinda Strobes. She was born in 1812 in Alabama. He died before 1880 in Clarke County, Mississippi. 5. Nathan Lee. No record of a marriage. He died after 1842 in Louisiana. 6. Lillie Lee; no data 7. Zilpha Lee43; no data 8. Lucy Catherine Lee married in 1828 in Wayne County, Mississippi to Braswell Overstreet (son of Braswell Overstreet Sr.). He was born 12/24/1796 in Montgomery County, Georgia. Lucy died 10/18/1877 in Wayne County, Mississippi. She is buried at the Seller’s Cemetery off highway 84 near the Jones-Wayne County line. 9. Cynthia Lee (ancestor of Barbara Guillory) married 4/11/1830 in Lawrence County, Mississippi to John C. Smith. He was born in 1809 in North Carolina, and he died in 1860 in Winn Parish, Louisiana. She died after 1880 in Winn Parish, Louisiana. 10. Betty “Anzeby” Lee married in about 1835 to Daniel Madison Overstreet (son of my 4th Great grandpa John Overstreet). He was born in 1814 in Georgia. She died in 1870 in Newton County, Mississippi. 11. Samantha Lee; no data 12. Elder Lee; no data but believed to have died in Texas. 13. Eleanor Lee; no data 14. Clara Lee; no data 15. Clarissa Jane Lee; no data

Samuel named a son Zachariah, which is looked on as “proof” that Samuel’s father is more likely Zachariah Lee, not Jesse Lee, Senior.

Anzeby Lee was also known as Betty (or Bettie) Lee. In the Henry Overstreet lineage, it is noted that Anzeby Lee, the daughter of Samuel Lee and Sarah Shay, married Daniel Madison Overstreet. It states that Anzeby Lee’s name was sometimes spelled “Angeby.” It also states that Anzeby was born in about 1812 and she was a twin to Samuel Jr. Most data I have show that Samuel Jr. was older than Angeby.

43 I have her name spelled as “Tilpha” on other documents. 40

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The preceding page points out that two of my 2nd Great grandfather’s (Robeson Earl Lee) sisters married Overstreet men. Some old family stories suggest these men were brothers, so I did a quick check on my data from my Overstreet family and found that they were 1st cousins.

My double 5th Great grandparents, Henry Overstreet II and Jane Braswell were married about 1758 in South Carolina. This marriage was the second link I have with the Braswell family.

Samuel Jefferson Lee’s parents, my 4th Great grandparents, Zachariah Lee and Lucy Farmer, provide the first link. Lucy’s parents are my 5th Great grandparents Isaac Farmer and Elizabeth Bryant Braswell. Isaac Farmer and Elizabeth Braswell were married in about 1741 in Edgecombe County, North Carolina.

Henry Overstreet II and Jane Braswell are my double 5th Great grandparents through my Overstreet-Lee family lineage.

Two of Henry and Jane’s sons are my 4th Great grandfathers; Braswell Overstreet, and John Overstreet.

Henry Overstreet II & Jane Braswell  Braswell Overstreet Henry Overstreet II & Jane Braswell  John Overstreet

I’ll show later in the document how two brothers both became my 4th Great grandfathers.

4th Great grandpa Braswell also had a son he named Braswell, so I call them Braswell Senior and Braswell Junior to help me distinguish between them. Some official records do no distinguish between them which can be troublesome for research.

Braswell Overstreet Sr. & Sarah Buie  Braswell Overstreet Jr.

Now:

4th Great grandpa John had a son named Daniel Madison Overstreet

John Overstreet Sr. & Catherine Carr  Daniel Madison Overstreet

Therefore:

Braswell Overstreet, Jr. and Daniel Madison Overstreet are 1st cousins.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

These 1st cousins married sisters.

Two of my 3rd Great grandpa Sam’s daughters are Lucy Catherine Lee and Betty “Anzeby” Lee. These women are my 2nd great grandaunts.

Braswell Overstreet, Jr married Lucy Catherine Lee in 1828.

Daniel Madison Overstreet married Betty “Anzeby” Lee in about 1835.

In 1835, after her husband, Dr. John West died, Braswell and Daniel moved Daniel’s older sister, Patsy (Overstreet) West from Greene County into a cabin they had built for her next to the Old Lee Plantation. (Tommie Lewis in her writings thought these men were Overstreet brothers that had married Lee sisters; but the men were cousins.)

To confuse things more, in 1835, my 3rd Great grandpa Samuel Lee married Martha Patricia “Patsy” (Overstreet) West, after her first husband, Dr. John West died.

Patsy was Daniel’s older sister. Patsy was born in 1802 and Daniel in 1814. However, because of Patsy’s marriage to Samuel Lee, Patsy was also Daniel’s step mother-in-law. Daniel’s wife Betty is Samuel Lee’s daughter.

Up to this point, best I can tell, the Lees and Overstreets had not intermarried so there was no blood kin between them. That all changed in a big way for future generations; particularly with my Great grandparents, Phillip “Napper” Lee and Pollie An Overstreet.

When you toss the Busby family into the mix; things really get mixed up although subsequent marriages between the Overstreets and Lees appear to have been between distant cousins.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Lucy Catherine (Lee) Overstreet June 19, 1809 – October 25, 1877 Daughter of Samuel Lee; Sister of Robeson Earl Lee Wife of Braswell Overstreet (12-24-1800 – 10-17-1882) Seller’s Cemetery Wayne County Mississippi44 2nd great grandaunt GPS Coordinates: N31.69615 W088.8975

Lucy Catherine Lee married Braswell Overstreet II (or Jr.) in 1828 in Wayne County.

In 2009, I was driving with Luther Lee on US Highway-84 in between Waynesboro and Laurel, Mississippi. Luther told me that his Uncle Napper (my Great grandfather, Phillip Lee) had once taken him to Laurel in an old Model T Ford. (The road was dirt at that time.) Luther said that Uncle Napper told him that “they had an aunt buried over there.” A cemetery was coming up on the side of the road. Luther asked his Uncle Napper if they could stop, and they did. The aunt was Lucy Catherine (Lee) Overstreet, daughter of Samuel and Sarah Lee. She was Phillip’s aunt and Luther’s grandaunt (or great-aunt depending on the nomenclature used). When Luther finished the story, I asked him if the highway still runs past the cemetery, and Luther said yes. I asked him if we could stop. We did, and I took these pictures of Lucy Catherine’s grave.

Great grandpa Napper would have known his Aunt Lucy personally as she was living until his late teens. I have no idea how old Luther was when Great grandpa Napper and he stopped at Lucy Catherine’s grave, but Luther would have been no older than a teenager. Thus, I suspect that by stopping at that cemetery to see Aunt Lucy’s grave, Luther replayed a bit of family history with me some 80-years after he did it with my Great grandfather!

The marriage of Lucy and Braswell Overstreet II in Wayne County in 1828 connects the Lee and Braswell families. The families knew each other in Bertie County, North Carolina in about 1713. Lucy’s father-in-law, Braswell Overstreet Senior, is my 4th Great grandfather.

44 Seller’s Cemetery is off highway 84. Going from Waynesboro to Laurel, it is on the left off the highway a short distance close to the Wayne-Jones County line. 43

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Model T Fords Produced from Oct 1, 1908 through May 27, 1927

If my Great grandpa Phillip “Napper” Lee owned the Model T when he took Luther Lee to Laruel the day they visited Aunt Lucy Catherine (Lee) Overstreet’s grave, then perhaps Grandpa Napper was relatively well off because cars were very rare in Wayne County in the 1920s and even in the early 1930s. This trip had to have taken place before Grandpa Napper died in 1935. Since Luther was born in 1916, I’d guess this trip was made in the late 1920s to the early 1930s.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The 1820 Federal Wayne County Census

Truncated photocopy of the 1820 Census

It is tricky, but in the 1820 census tabulated below, they counted one white male twice. He was counted in the 16-18 group and also in the 16-25 group. That explains why the total free white persons is 16; not 17.

The table below is the data given in the 1820 census photocopied (truncated) above.

Name: Samuel Lee Home in 1820 (City, County, State): Wayne, Mississippi Enumeration Date: August 7, 1820 Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 3 Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 15: 1 Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 18: 1 Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25: 2 Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over: 1 Free White Persons - Females - Under 10: 6 Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15: 1 Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25: 1 Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over : 1 Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture: 1 All Other Persons Except Indians not Taxed: 17 Free White Persons - Under 16: 11 Free White Persons - Over 25: 2 Total Free White Persons: 16 Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other: 33

Apparently Samuel had 17 slaves living on his plantation in 1820. There were 16 whites living in his household, including himself. A total of 33 people were living on his plantation.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

1820 Wayne County Census

Born Born Males Number Lee Females Number Lee After After 45+ 1 Samuel 45+ 1 Unknown 25-44 1775 0 25-44 1775 0 Unknown; 18-25 1795 1 Jacob 18-25 1795 1 perhaps Elizabeth Zachariah 16-18 1802 1 Bryant 16-18 1802 0 10-15 1805 1 Elder 10-15 1805 1 Clara Lucy To 10 1810 3 Nathan To 10 1805 6 Catherine Clarissa Uriah Jane Betty Robeson “Anzeby” Lilly Tipha Eliza

The names of the children are filled in the above table to match the ages of the enumerated children in the Census.

This census does not show Elizabeth Lee or Samuel Jr.

Robeson and Eliza were said to have been twins; they would have been the last children of Samuel and his wife Sarah according to most sources. Only one source cited a younger child named Polly.

The unknown females are a mystery. There are a couple speculations about these women.

My 3rd Great grandma Sarah died in 1818. Perhaps my 3rd Great grandpa Samuel hired a female to come into the house to help him take care of the family and the household. If so, she would be the older unknown female in this census; 45+ years old. There is no record of Samuel marrying in between the death of Sarah (1818) and his marriage to Patsy Overstreet West (1835). Suppose that Sarah did not die in 1818? She could have fit the age profile of this “older female.”

The younger unknown female between the ages of 18-25 may have been an older daughter. Some sources state Samuel had an older daughter named Elizabeth, and she would fit in that age group. Other sources state that Elizabeth’s father was another Samuel Lee that lived in Marion County. (Perhaps both Sam Lee’s had a daughter named Elizabeth?)

I do not know why Samuel Lee Jr. is missing from this census. Some sources state that Samuel Jr could have been about 18 years old in 1820. It was reported that Samuel Lee, Jr. married in 1828 in Wayne County, Mississippi to Clarinda Strobes. Samuel Jr. appears in the 1830 census as head of his own household.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The 1830 Wayne County Census:

http://lewis187.home.mchsi.com/Campbell/Lee-2.htm#1

Born Born Males # Lee Females # Lee After After 100+ 0 100+ 0 to 100 1730 0 to 100 1730 0 to 90 1740 0 to 90 1740 0 to 80 1750 0 to 80 1750 0 to 70 1760 0 to 70 1760 0 to 60 1770 1 Samuel to 60 1770 1 Unknown to 50 1780 0 to 50 1780 0 to 40 1790 1 Jacob to 40 1790 0 to 30 1800 0 to 30 1800 1 Clara Clarissa to 20 1810 1 Nathan to 20 1810 2 Betty "Anzeby" to 15 1815 1 Robeson to 15 1815 1 Eliza to 10 1820 0 to 10 1820 0 to 5 1825 0 to 5 1825 0

Again, as before, the children’s names are added to this table to match the ages of the children that were enumerated in the Census.

This census shows that Robeson was between 10-15 years old, as was his sister Eliza. (He would have been about 12-years old.)

Many sources say there is no proof that Robeson had a sister named Eliza. However, a descendant of Eliza Lee adamantly states that Robeson and Eliza were twins. I have a document given to me by Luther Lee that he may have obtained from Sherry (Lee) Parker that states Robeson and Eliza are twins.

Again there is an unknown female listed in between the ages of 50-60. As I stated about the 1820 census, she is probably a housekeeper that Samuel hired to help with the children and the house chores.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The 1840 Wayne County Census:

http://lewis187.home.mchsi.com/Campbell/Lee-2.htm#1

Born Born # Lee # Lee After After 100+ 0 100+ 0 to to 100 1740 0 1740 0 100 to 90 1750 0 to 90 1750 0 to 80 1760 0 to 80 1760 0 to 70 1770 1 Samuel to 70 1770 0 to 60 1780 0 to 60 1780 0 to 50 1790 0 to 50 1790 0

to 40 1800 0 to 40 1800 1 Martha "Patsy" to 30 1810 0 to 30 1810 0 John West to 20 1820 2 to 20 1820 0 Daniel West Abraham West to 15 1825 2 to 15 1825 0 Stephen West to 10 1830 0 to 10 1830 1 Katie West Jefferson Lee to 5 1835 2 to 5 1835 0 Washington Lee

In this table, Charles Lewis fills in the names of the children that were enumerated for this census.

This census was taken after Samuel married Martha Patricia “Patsy” (Overstreet) West.

All the children that Samuel had with his deceased wife Sarah had moved out of his household by 1840.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

It is thought that Samuel Lee had 14 children (no wife) with him in the 1820.

1. Zachariah between ages 18-25 est age 23 2. Jacob between ages 18-25 est age 19 3. Bryant between ages 16-18 est age 17 4. Elder between ages 10-15 est age 13 5. Clara between ages 10-15 est age 12 6. Lucy Catherine between ages 1-10 est age 10 7. Clarissa Jane between ages 1-10 est age 9 8. Nathan between ages 1-10 est age 8 9. Betty “Anzeby” between ages 1-10 est age 7 10. Uriah between ages 1-10 est age 5 11. Lilly between ages 1-10 est age 4 12. Tilpha between ages 1-10 est age 4 (twin with Lilly) 13. Robeson between ages 1-10 est age 2 14. Eliza between ages 1-10 est age 2 (twin with Robeson)

I took all the sources that I thought credible to come up with this list.

Missing from this list is Samuel Jr. We know that there was a Samuel Jr. Family lists show a Samuel Jr., and Samuel Jr. shows up in the 1830 Wayne County Census as head of his own household. The 1820 Census implies that Sam and Sarah had at least 15 children (Samuel Jr is missing on that census. Some sources suggest that Sam and Sarah had a daughter named Elizabeth. Elizabeth would have been one of the older children, if not the oldest.

None of the children listed above are with Samuel’s first wife, Lucy Bunn. Some oral family stories say that when Samuel and Sarah came to Mississippi in 1805, they brought with them children from Samuel’s first marriage too. However, Lucy’s children may have been grown by the 1820 Census.

Counting the above names that I believe are Sam and Sarah’s children, add Samuel, Jr. and Elizabeth to the total, and you have 16 children. Add at least one more that died crossing the Chickasawhay River, you have 17 children. Some oral family stories suggest that Sarah was buried in 1818 beside TWO of her children. Thus, there could have been still one more child; for a total of 18!

God bless Grandma Sarah; may she rest in peace!

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

All Possible children of Samuel and Sarah Lee from all sources:

1. Jacob D. Lee 2. Zachariah Lee 3. Willis Lee 4. Elizabeth Lee 5. Bryant Lee 6. Samuel Lee, Junior 7. Elder Lee (twin with Eleanor) 8. Eleanor Lee (twin with Elder) 9. Clara Lee 10. Lucy Catherine Lee 11. Cynthia Lee 12. Clarissa Jane Lee 13. Nathan Lee 14. Betty “Anzeby” Lee 15. Samatha Lee 16. Uriah Lee 17. Lillie Lee (twin with Tipha) 18. Tipha Lee (twin with Lillie; sometimes spelled Zilpha) 19. Robeson Earl Lee (twin with Eliza) 20. Eliza Lee (twin with Robeson) 21. Polly Lee

Elizabeth Lee and Polly Lee are either disputed as children, or are under suspicion.

According to family stories, there was one child (not listed above) that died crossing the Chickasawhay River; perhaps two children.

No doubt some of the above names are incorrect. The ones underlined were found in an old Lewis Family Bible.

Entries in the Overstreet lineage confirm that Betty “Anzeby” Lee’s parents and Lucy Catherine Lee’s parents are Samuel Lee and Sarah Shay. Betty married Daniel Madison Overstreet. Lucy married Braswell Overstreet, Junior. Also, my Great grandpa Napper told Luther Lee that Lucy Catherine Lee was his aunt.

The Overstreet lineage states that Betty “Anzeby” Lee (also spelled “Angeby”) is a twin to Samuel Jefferson Lee, Junior. All other data shows they are not.

There are 11 children “confirmed” by the Lewis Bible entry. There are two children confirmed by marriage records. Total confirmed: 13. Total given in Luther Lee’s oral family history is also 13.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Confirmed children of Samuel and Sarah Lee from all sources:

1. Zachariah Lee (Bible entry) 2. Samuel Lee, Junior (Bible entry) 3. Elder Lee (twin with Eleanor) (Bible entry) 4. Eleanor Lee (twin with Elder) (Bible entry) 5. Clara Lee (Bible entry) 6. Lucy Catherine Lee (Marriage record and my Great grandfather Phillip “Napper” Lee stated that she was his aunt) 7. Clarissa Jane Lee (Bible entry) 8. Nathan Lee (Bible entry) 9. Betty “Anzeby” Lee (Marriage record listed in the Overstreet lineage) 10. Samatha Lee (Bible entry) 11. Lillie Lee (twin with Tipha) (Bible entry) 12. Tipha Lee (twin with Lillie; sometimes spelled Zilpha) (Bible entry) 13. Robeson Earl Lee (Bible entry) And possibly: 14. Eliza Lee (family sources say she was a twin to Robeson)

Eliza Lee’s descendants state that Eliza herself declared without doubt that she was a twin to Robeson Earl Lee. Some old family data I have says likewise.

Eliza was not listed as a child in the Lewis Family Bible. That Bible had Robeson listed as a child of Samuel and Sarah Lee. If Eliza and Robeson are twins, it seems strange that Eliza would have been left off the Bible list when her twin brother was included. Nevertheless Eliza too is a strong candidate to be added to the above list.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

More notes:

From Southern Stars are Rising by James Michael Lee,45 I found the following:

The Mississippi Territory, created in 1798, was forced to comply with the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 which meant that a territory could not apply for statehood until a white male population of 5,000 could petition the federal government of their intention. The 1816 Territorial Census was an attempt to meet this requirement and Mississippi was admitted to the United States of America December 10, 1817 as the 20th state.

In the 1816 Census taken of the Franklin District of the Mississippi Territory, there is a Samuel Lee listed as head of household (1white male over 21), his wife (1 white female over 21), a daughter (1 white female under 21), a son (1 white male under 21), and five female slaves. It is believed by some that his daughter was Elizabeth Lee with a birth date of November 7, 1801; born in Barnwell County, South Carolina. This Elizabeth Lee is also listed by some to be the daughter of my 3rd Great grandfather, Samuel Jefferson Lee Sr. Thus; I am not sure who Elizabeth’s father is.

My 3rd Great grandfather Samuel Lee may have had more than ten children by 1816; thus this Samuel Lee is not my 3rd great grandfather. The Franklin District Samuel Lee settled in Marion County and may have been a cousin to my 3rd Great grandfather Samuel Lee.

Marilyn Lane Sirmon, in her research for her book Descendants of Solomon Lee Sr., found a deed at the Barnwell County courthouse in which Samuel Lee sold part of his 500-acre estate to his “beloved nephew” Solomon Lee Jr which was dated 1808.

This could be the Samuel Lee that applied for a passport through Indian Territory in 1808. Perhaps he sold his plantation and took off to the Mississippi Territory.

Some sources cite that my 3rd Great grandfather Samuel did live for some time in Barnwell County. However, I have not been able to find any evidence that my 3rd Great grandfather Samuel had a nephew named Solomon Lee Jr. but I cannot for sure rule it out.

45 I do not know if James Michael Lee is kin to me or not. 52

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Extraneous information:

There is a lot of research with respect to the Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr. lineage probably because Samuel had a huge family. In fact, the internet is full of diverse lineages for him. The two below seem to be among the most popular, and I think they are credible for a Samuel Lee, but not for the Samuel Lee that is my 3rd Great grandfather.

There are sources that state my Samuel Jefferson Lee’s father is Sherrad/Sherod Lee. I do not believe that is correct. It could be valid for another Samuel Lee, and I strongly suspect that’s true. I once thought this lineage was correct, however, the Henry Lee DNA testing project does not support this lineage for our Lee family, and the evidence that I’ve found in recent years strongly supports the Henry Lee DNA results. I have an uncle that gave me this linage years ago; in the early 1980s in fact. He rigorously believed it to be correct. For completion in this document, here is the “Sherrad/Sherod lineage.”

HugoReginalsusJohnJohnRogerRobertRadulphusRichardusFulke ThomasHumphrey De LeeThomasHumphreyJohnRichard IRichard II John CRichardArthur Ferney IArthur Ferney IISherrard/SherodSamuel Jefferson

I found still another source that states that my Samuel Jefferson Lee’s parents are Needham and Sarah Lee. This too is a myth according to a genealogist that I’ve spoken to. And likewise, DNA tests do not support this lineage for my 3rd Great grandfather. Like the “Sherrad/Sherod lineage,” above, this lineage may be valid for another Samuel Lee that is not my 3rd great grandfather. Here is the “Needham linage” which goes back to 1433:

Sir John LeeSir Thomas De LeeSir Humphrey LeeSir John LeeRichard LeeFrances LeeAuthur Ferney Lee IAuthur Ferney Lee IINeedham LeeSamuel Lee

Webpage reference: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~katmon/monsurn/dat51.htm#5

I have family members that absolutely believe the “Sherrad/Sherod lineage” is correct, and I have other family member that absolutely think the “Needham Lee lineage is correct.” All I can say is that neither is according to several DNA tests.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Another Overstreet-Lee entanglement:

My 2nd great grandaunt, Betty Anzeby Lee, married Daniel Madison Overstreet, the son of John Overstreet and Catherine Carr. Therefore, Daniel Overstreet is my 2nd great granduncle by marriage. Betty Lee and Daniel Overstreet were not blood kin.

John Overstreet and Catherine Carr also had a daughter, Martha Patricia “Patsy” Overstreet. Obviously, Patsy and Daniel are siblings. Patsy married Dr. John Asbury West the first time, and Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior, the second time.

Patsy Overstreet and John West are the parents of Catherine West. Catherine West married my 2nd Great grandfather, Robeson Earl Lee. They are the parents of my Great grandfather, Phillip Anaphur “Napper” Lee.

So let me try to sort this out.

Catherine West is my 2nd Great grandmother.

Catherine’s mother Patsy Overstreet is my 3rd Great grandmother. Patsy’s brother Daniel Overstreet is my 3rd great granduncle by blood.

However, Daniel Overstreet is also my 2nd great granduncle by marriage.

Samuel Jefferson Lee Senior was born before the formation of the United States. He was born under the rule of King George III of England. George III was king when the colonist won the Revolutionary War. Samuel lived to see life under the first ten, or perhaps the first eleven, U.S. presidents!

George Washington became America’s first president on April 30, 1789. He served until March 4, 1797. John Adams was president from 1797-1801. Thomas Jefferson was president from 1743-1826. (Since Samuel was born before Thomas Jefferson became president, it is doubtful that Samuel’s middle name was a result of being named after President Jefferson.) James Madison was president from 1809-1817. James Monroe was president from 1817-1825. John Quincy Adams (the son of John Adams) was president from 1825-1829. Andrew Jackson was president from 1829-1837. Martin Van Buren from 1837-1841. William Henry Harrison was president from March 4, 1841-April 4, 1841 and John Tyler from 1841-1845. Perhaps Samuel was alive during part of James K. Polk’s presidency, from March 4, 1845- March 4, 1849.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Martha Patricia “Patsy” Overstreet 1802 ~ 1850

My 3rd Great grandmother Martha “Patsy” Overstreet shares a very unique place in my family’s history. She was married to TWO of my 3rd Great grandfathers!  Her namesake, Patsy, has been passed down to many later generations of women in the family. She is probably my favorite character of all of the ancestors that I did not personally know.

Patsy was born in about 1802 in Montgomery County, Georgia.

Patsy came to Wayne County from Georgia in 1819 with her parents, John Overstreet and Catherine Carr. They, like the Lees, were among the first white settlers in Wayne County. It was said that John and Catherine Overstreet were well educated and built and ran the first school, called the Academy, in the region.

Patsy can be found enumerated in John Overstreet’s household in the 1820 Wayne County Census; which was the first Federal Census in the state of Mississippi. She was the middle child with two older and two younger brothers.

Patsy married my 3rd Great Grandfather Dr. John Asbury West in about 1821. She was 18 or 19-years old when they married. He was about 30-years older than her.

Strangely Dr. West’s children reported on different censuses that their father was born in Ireland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and even Mississippi. However, Patsy and multiple other sources, state that he was from Ireland. It is believed that he was born in Ireland in about 1775. According to oral family history, Dr. West was first married to a woman named Margaret in about 1800. When sailing from Ireland to America, Margaret and one of their infant children died.46 Margaret and the child were buried at sea in the Atlantic Ocean. Once in America, John married a woman named Rebecca in Georgia. Rebecca died before 1823. Dr. West had several children by his first two wives when he married Patsy.

Patsy and John lived in Greene County, Mississippi. Patsy and John were the parents of Catherine “Katie” West. Katie married Robeson “Robert” Earl Lee. Rob and Katie are my 2nd Great grandparents.

Dr. West died sometime before 1835. His gravesite may be in Stateline, Mississippi on the Greene County side of town; Stateline is actually in two counties; Greene and Wayne. However, my wife Penny and I were unable to find his grave when we searched for it in Stateline.

The Lees and the Overstreets have a long history of being very fond of each other. Patsy had a brother, Daniel Madison Overstreet, and a 1st cousin, Braswell Overstreet Jr. that married Lee sisters. Braswell married Lucy Catherine Lee and Daniel married Betty “Anzeby” Lee. These women were the daughters of my 3rd Great grandfather, Samuel Lee Senior. After Dr.

46 It is not known if the deaths were from childbirth or not. 55

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

West died, these Overstreet men built a cabin for Patsy near Samuel Lee’s settlement. In about 1835 they moved Patsy and about 10-children47 from Greene County, into the cabin. Patsy was only about 33-years old at this time.

Patsy must have liked older men because later that year she married Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr., who was about 63-years old; thus, he, like her first husband, was 30-years her senior! Because of this marriage, Patsy my 3rd Great grandmother is also my 3rd Great step grandmother!  In another family twist, Patsy’s grandparents, Henry Overstreet II and Jane Braswell, are my double 5th Great grandparents! Therefore, Patsy, my 3rd Great grandmother and my 3rd Great step-grandmother, is also my 1st cousin five times removed!

Patsy and Samuel had at least three children. Patsy raised not only her children with Samuel, but her children that she had with John West, and children that John West had with his two previous wives. In all, it was said that Patsy “mothered” about 30-children in her lifetime!48

The following story is related to us by Tommie Lewis; it’s an expansion of some of Tommie’s other stories previously cited in this document but this time slightly more focused on Patsy.

In about 1845, Samuel Lee deeded the Lee Plantation to his son Robeson and took off for Texas. In this story Sam took some of the family with him including Patsy and some of Patsy’s kin (siblings?). Robeson and some of Robeson’s sisters stayed back on the Lee Plantation. It was told that after the family crossed the “big river” that Sam left Patsy, the young children and livestock there and took off with some of his older sons to find land in Texas with the intent of coming back later and getting the ones he left and return to Texas with all. It is assumed that the “big river” was the Mississippi River and that the family was left in Louisiana. After Sam was gone, Patsy, and the others with her, decided to return to Wayne County. Evidently they did not want to go to Texas in the first place and they saw a chance to return home. Returning with Patsy to Wayne County was her daughter Catherine (Katie) West.

When Sam returned to Louisiana where he’d left the family, he found no one there. He reasoned that they’d gone back to Wayne County so he went there to get them. Once he got to Wayne County, winter sat in and he rode it out at the Lee Plantation with his son Robeson. In the spring, it is said that Samuel tried vigorously to get his family to return to Texas with him. It’s been told that he even used the threat of force, but no one would go; not even his wife Patsy. At some point Samuel left the plantation again to return to Texas with the intent to set up a homestead there and return to Wayne County and get the family later, but he never returned.

In this story, when Patsy turned back in Louisiana and returned to Wayne County, she did not return to the Lee Plantation, perhaps because it had been given to Robeson. Patsy moved into an abandoned cabin that had been the residence of a fiddle-footer (wanderer). The wanderer had also left to go to Texas, and evidently Patsy was able to claim the cabin for herself and her

47 The 10 children included children of Dr. John West with his previous two wives, and the children that Patsy and John had together. 48 I cannot find documentation to support that she mothered 30 children as claimed by some stories; but she certainly mothered a large number. 56

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 children. Tommie Lewis stated in one of her letters that Patsy finished raising her two West children, John and Katie, and her three Lee children at this cabin which was about seven miles west of the Lee Plantation home. This may have put her near where the Beat Four School is today. Tommie believed that Patsy lived out the rest of her life there.

It is interesting that Patsy’s daughter Katie married Samuel’s son, Robeson Lee, in 1846. If they married that year, it appears that Katie married Rob soon after Katie and her mother returned from Louisiana. Although Katie and Rob were stepsister and stepbrother, they were not blood kin and had not been raised in the same household.

This story implies that Patsy and Samuel split up after Samuel failed to get the family to return to Texas with him in 1846. It also implies that he went his own way leaving her in Wayne County. There is even another story that Samuel went to Hancock County, Mississippi, married yet another woman, Nancy George, and had more children. There is a Samuel Lee that was from North Carolina that shows up in the 1850 Hancock Census. I think he is not my 3rd great grandfather as the ages for the children in that household suggests that they were conceived in the 1830s; and my 3rd Great grandfather was not there at that time. Also the Hancock County Samuel Lee was perhaps 10-years younger than my 3rd Great grandfather.

Tommie states that Samuel stayed on the Lee Plantation with his son Rob in the winter of 1845-46. If true, why did Sam not stay with his wife Patsy? (Looks like trouble in paradise.) A question looms, if Samuel tried to get Rob to go back to Texas with him using force, did the entire family fall out with Samuel at that time?

Samuel suddenly just disappears sometime after the winter of 1845-1846. He would have been about 73-years old by then. Which makes this story even more incredible; he was relocating at a very old age!

I am pretty confident that my 3rd Great grandfather Sam left Wayne County, went out to Texas, and returned; I just don’t know the year he did it, or if he made multiple trips to Texas and back. I am blown away if this story of him leaving for Texas in 1845 and 1846 is true. At over 70-years old Sam subjected himself to some very difficult travel. He either rode horseback, in a wagon, or walked. He would have had to cover several hundred miles depending on where in Texas he was intending to go; I would think he at least travelled 300+ miles one way. It was a hot and hard trip to endure; the round trip would have taken months! It is difficult for me to comprehend that he did that. Conversely, if he left the plantation for the Columbia, Mississippi area as has been told in other stories; that would be more reasonable to me. Columbia is not that far. But there is apparently an 1845 Clarke County land transaction that states Samuel was from Catahoula Parish, Louisiana; and Catahoula Parish is a long ways from Columbia. The Parish is along a trail that went from Waynesboro out to Texas. Could Samuel have left the Plantation for Columbia, stayed a while and then went to Catahoula Parish? Yes, but no one will ever know for sure. He was over 70-years old in any event! Either way, his health must have been amazingly good at that time!

Back to the story; I’m guessing, but I think Samuel would have been lucky to cover 10 miles per day with family and livestock. I assume that’s why upon crossing the Mississippi River, he left

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 the livestock, Patsy and the younger children in Louisiana and went on to Texas with his older sons with the intent of finding land and coming back to get them later. I also suspect it was very difficult for Patsy to make the trip back to Wayne County with her company. In fact, if this story is true, both Samuel and Patsy were truly two tough and rugged individuals!

I want to inject this thought at this point. There are some stories that I’ve heard of Samuel traveling to Texas that do not suggest that there was any family conflict involved; with his children (Rob) or with his wife (Patsy). A story from my Grandfather Gerod Lee suggests that Sam migrated to Wayne County, later went out to Texas, and later came back to Waynesboro and lived out his life. Grandpa’s story was not solid because Grandpa was not sure of a lot of the details he’d been told by others, however, as far as I know for sure; Samuel very well could have died of old age in or near Waynesboro. In 1845, records show that Samuel deeds land in Clarke County to his son Robeson. Perhaps this suggests that Samuel and his son did not totally fall out because of Texas. If Samuel was alienated from Rob, Samuel could have given this land to one of his other sons, but he didn’t.

Samuel is not listed in the 1850 Wayne County Census, so he likely either died or left Wayne County before that census. Stories exist that he; 1) left the plantation for Columbia, Mississippi where he had family and died there; 2) that he left the plantation to live near his sons Willis, Zachariah and Nathan in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana (which would become Winn Parish, and which would have been on a route from Wayne County to Texas) and died there; 3) that he ultimately left the plantation a final time and returned to Texas and died there; 4) that he moved to Hancock County and married again (unlikely); and 5) that he died in Wayne County near Waynesboro (which implies that he did not leave Wayne County permanently). His grave site is unknown, so none of these stories can be verified, and obviously they are not all correct; perhaps one is.

What is more interesting; totally puzzling in fact; is that in the 1850 census, Patsy and Samuel’s children (Jefferson, Washington, and Rebecca Lee) show up in the Stephen West household with the last name “West” not “Lee.” Stephen, who was only about 20-years old in 1850, is a son of Patsy and Dr. John West. Why would Patsy have changed the children’s last name? Perhaps Stephen adopted them. If Stephen adopted the Lee children; why? Could it be that both Patsy and Samuel had died before the 1850 census and the children moved in with their half-brother Steve and their last name was changed?

Samuel and Patsy seem to disappear after the winter of 1845-46.

There is a Martha West that appears on the 1850 Wayne County Census. No children, or anyone else, are listed in her household. This Martha West was born in Georgia. Grandma Patsy was born in Georgia. However, this Martha West was born in the year 1808, which if correct would make her six years younger than Grandma Patsy according to data I have. To me, this Martha West does not fit with Grandma Patsy unless the birth year I have from the Overstreet lineage data (1802) is incorrect with respect to Patsy.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

I lose track of my Patsy after 1845-46. However, there was one source I found that stated that Grandma Patsy died in 1865 in Greene County, Mississippi. Grandma Patsy did have ties to Greene County as she lived there with her first husband, Dr. John West until 1835.

Patsy’s children with John West: 1. John Asbury West, Jr., born 1822 2. Daniel West, born 2/25/1826 3. Catherine “Katie” West, born Aug 11, 1830 4. Abraham West 5. Stephen West, born in 1831

Patsy’s children with Samuel Lee: 1. Jefferson Lee, born 1836 in Wayne County, Mississippi 2. Washington “Billy” Lee, born 1838 in Wayne County, Mississippi 3. Rebecca Lee, born in 1841 in Wayne County, Mississippi 4. Samatha Lee? The Henry Overstreet lineage cites she is a child of Samuel and Patsy.

The 1850 Wayne County Census lists Jefferson, Washington, and Rebecca in the Stephen West household with the last name “West” not “Lee.”

Extraneous Information:

In the Henry Overstreet lineage data there is an entry for Daniel Madison Overstreet. It states in that entry that

Daniel married Anzeby Lee, born about 1812, and that she is the daughter of Samuel Lee and Sarah Shay.

This entry agrees with the Lewis data that Samuel’s previous wife (before Patsy) was Sarah Shay, not Sarah Burns.

There is another Overstreet data entry:

MARTHA PATRICIA "PATSY" OVERSTREET… b. 1802, Montgomery Co., GA, m. (1) Abt 1821, JOHN ASBURY WEST, SR, b. 1805… (son of JOHN VINCENT WEST and REBECCA (UNKNOWN)) occupation Doctor?, d. 1865, Greene Co., MS, m. (2) 1835, SAMUEL LEE, b. 25 Dec 1772, Robeson Co., NC, (son of ZACHARY T. LEE and LUCY FARMER)

There is a wealth of information in that second entry. It gives me the names of two sets of my 4th Great grandparents; John Vincent West and Rebecca; and Zachary T. Lee and Lucy Farmer. It also states that Grandma Patsy died in 1865 in Greene County, Mississippi.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

1830 Greene County Federal Census:

Born Born Males # West Females # West After After 100+ 0 100+ 0 to 100 1730 0 to 100 1730 0 to 90 1740 0 to 90 1740 0 to 80 1750 0 to 80 1750 0 to 70 1760 1 John to 70 1760 0 to 60 1770 0 to 60 1770 to 50 1780 0 to 50 1780 0 to 40 1790 0 to 40 1790 0 Martha to 30 1800 0 to 30 1800 1 "Patsy" to 20 1810 0 to 20 1810 0 to 15 1815 1 Vinson to 15 1815 1 Mary to 10 1820 1 John, Jr. to 10 1820 0 Daniel Catherine to 5 1825 2 to 5 1825 1 Abraham "Katie"

The 1830 Federal Census for Greene County, Mississippi listed the name of the head of household, John West. It enumerated the other household members with respect to their sex. The above table represents whose names are thought to correspond with the 1830 census data.

According to the 1830 Federal Census for Greene County, Mississippi, John West was between the ages of 60 to 70 year old. His wife, Martha “Patsy” was between the ages of 20 and 30. They had a daughter, Catherine “Katie”, that was less than 5-years old.

Mary West who was between the ages of 10 to 15 was the daughter of John West and one of his earlier wives.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The 1840 Wayne County Census:

http://lewis187.home.mchsi.com/Campbell/Lee-2.htm#1

Born Born # Lee # Lee After After 100+ 0 100+ 0 to 100 1740 0 to 100 1740 0 to 90 1750 0 to 90 1750 0 to 80 1760 0 to 80 1760 0 to 70 1770 1 Samuel to 70 1770 0 to 60 1780 0 to 60 1780 0 to 50 1790 0 to 50 1790 0

Again, as with the 1830 census, the table above is a list with names matched with the original enumerated data.

This census shows that only the West children that Patsy had with her first husband, Dr. John West, and the Lee children that she had with her second husband, Samuel Lee, Sr. are present in Samuel Lee’s household in 1840.

Samuel and Patsy Lee do not show up in the 1850 Wayne County Census. I could find no supporting evidence to identify why. Perhaps they both died before the census. Perhaps they both moved to Marion County. There are numerous possibilities.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Doctor John Asbury West 1790-1848

Dr. John Asbury West is the father of my 2nd Great grandmother, Catherine “Katie” (West) Lee. According to family history, Dr. John West was born in Ireland in about 1775. His place of birth is still under some contention. In the 1880 Mississippi Census, daughter Catherine states that her father was born in Ireland. However, son Vinson stated his father was born in North Carolina; son Stephen stated his father was born in Mississippi; and sons John, Jr. and Daniel stated their father was born in South Carolina. However, Tommie Lewis made the following statement about Dr. West in a letter to her grandson. “I have a copy of the births of his kids born in Ireland from his old Bible.” That’s pretty strong evidence he was from Ireland. If he had kids born in Ireland, Grandpa John West must have been there!

Dr. John West probably married for the first time in Ireland before 1800. Oral family history, from many sources, states that he emigrated from Ireland with his family to South Carolina or Georgia in about 1810. Unfortunately, his wife and infant died during the voyage and were buried at sea. John West reportedly married another woman named Rebecca soon after his arrival to America. Rebecca was born in about 1780 in Georgia.

The first documentation for Dr. John West is found on 9/23/1810 where he and his wife (Rebecca) and four children were granted a pass from Twiggs County, Georgia through the Creek Nation to Mississippi. John then shows up in an 1811 Wayne County Tax list proving that he made the trip sometime during 1810-1811 timeframe. In 1811 tensions greatly increased with the Creek Indians which made traveling from Georgia to Mississippi more dangerous. He may have made the trip before things tensed up. John and his family were also one of the first white families to settle in Wayne County. On December 9, 1811, Greene County would be formed out of Wayne County, and John would be shown in Greene County censuses thereafter.

John and Rebecca are found enumerated in the 1820 Greene County, Mississippi Census.

Rebecca died by 1823.

In about 1823, John married Martha "Patsy" Overstreet. Patsy was born in about 1802 in Georgia. John and Patsy are found in the 1830 Greene County, Mississippi Census.

John was more than 30 years older than Martha "Patsy."

John and Patsy are my 3rd Great grandparents. John died before 1835.

Family history tells of Martha "Patsy" and her brood moving up to Wayne County, Mississippi to live next to some of her brothers, who were living near the Old Lee Plantation.

In 1835, Patsy marries Samuel Lee, Senior in Wayne County, Mississippi.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Catherine “Katie” West, the daughter of John West and Patsy eventually marries Robeson Earl Lee, the son of Samuel Lee.

Catherine and Robeson went by “Rob” and “Katie” and are my 2nd Great grandparents.

The parents of Dr. John West are reported to be John Vincent West and Rebecca. John Vincent West and Rebecca are my Irish 4th Great grandparents.

Children of John and Margaret West:

1. Peggy West

 Born 11/1/1801 in Ireland  Emigrated c. 1810 w/ family to Georgia/South Carolina  Died in Mississippi

2. Charles West

 Born 5/12/1804 in Ireland  Emigrated c. 1810 w/ family to Georgia/South Carolina  1840 Greene Co Census: Charles West  Died Greene Co MS

3. Elbert West

 Born 12/3/1806 in Ireland  Emigrated c. 1810 w/ family to Georgia/South Carolina  Ex-migrated c. 1830 to Ireland  Died in Ireland

4. Eliza West

 Born 4/5/1808 in Ireland  Died after 9/1810 in Mississippi

Children of John and Rebecca West

1. Mary West  Born 4/25/1814 in Greene County, Mississippi  Died in Wayne County, Mississippi 2. Vincent West  Born 5/22/1814 in Greene County, Mississippi  Married in 1842 to Mary Elizabeth Kittrell, born in 1825  Died 8/12/1885 in Greene County, Mississippi; buried in Mutual Rights Cemetery, Stateline, Mississippi

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Children of John and Patricia “Patsy” (Overstreet) West

1. John West, Junior  Born 1824 in Wayne County, Mississippi  Married in 1842 in Wayne County to Lavenia Shirley, born in Darlington County, South Carolina  Died on 1/11/1896 in Wayne County  Buried in Arrington Cemetery, Wayne County, Mississippi 2. Daniel West  Born 2/25/1826 in Wayne County, Mississippi  Married in 1846 to Rebecca Overstreet (granddaughter of Braswell Overstreet). She was born in 1831 in Wayne County  Married a second time in 1860 to Samatha Ann Overstreet (granddaughter of Braswell Overstreet). She was born in 1829 in Mississippi  Died in 4/16/1910  Buried in Arrington Cemetery, Wayne County, Mississippi 3. Abraham West  Born 1828 in Wayne County, Mississippi  Married in Wayne County in 1849 to Margaret “Peggy” McMillion. She was born in Mississippi  Died in 1880 in Wayne County, Mississippi 4. Catherine “Katie” West  Details about my 2nd Great grandmother Katie are given in other sections of this document

5. Stephen West  Born in 1831 in Wayne County, Mississippi  Married in 1849 in Wayne County to Mary Elizabeth Overstreet (the sister of Rebecca Overstreet). Mary was born on 6/15/1834 in Wayne County  Married again in 1861 to Nancy Pate; she was born in 1835 in Wayne County, Mississippi  Died 3/24/1909 in Wayne County, Mississippi  Buried in Arrington Cemetery, Wayne County, Mississippi

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The Lees and Overstreets intermarried; the Braswells and Overstreets intermarried; and, the Wests and Overstreets intermarried. The Busbys and Overstreets intermarried. No wonder I’m all mixed up!

Daniel West married twice, as shown above. His first wife was Rebecca Overstreet. Rebecca was the granddaughter of Braswell Overstreet, Sr. and Sarah Buie (sometimes spelled Bowie). Braswell and Sarah are my 4th Great grandparents. Rebecca’s parents Jacob Overstreet and Keziah “Kissie” Goodwin. Sarah Buie’s father is Chief Buie of the Creek Nation! So Rebecca was one-quarter Creek.

Rebecca was born in 1831 in Wayne County. I do not have any data as to when she died, but Daniel married again in 1860. I am going to assume that Rebecca died before that year.

Daniel kept it in the family; when Daniel remarried in 1860, he married Rebecca’s sister, Samatha Ann Overstreet. (Wonder which one he liked best? )

Daniel’s brother Stephen West also had an attraction to the Overstreet girls. He married in 1849 to Mary Elizabeth Overstreet, the sister of Rebecca and Samatha. Thus we find three Overstreet sisters that married two West brothers.

I’m not sure it was healthy for the Overstreet girls to marry the West boys because it appears that Mary may have died before 1861. Stephen married a second in 1861 time to Nancy Pate. (Unlike his brother Daniel, at least he tried a new breed of woman!) I only can assume that Daniel and Stephen’s first wives died before their second marriages. Divorce was rare, but not an impossibility.

Finding a mate today is much easier than before the automobile came along. A distance of 50- miles was very significant in the early 1900s and before. On a good day, 20-miles would have been a very good ride for a horse and buggy; sometimes the roads and pathways were horrible. So it could take days to cover 50-miles. Depending on the weather, a trip from Waynesboro to Laurel, Mississippi; a distance of about 30-miles; could take two to three days!

Wayne County was sparsely populated in the 1800s. While most likely “everyone knew everyone” but getting to visit each other was not a trivial thing. Even in the 1930s and 1940s, my Dad told me that it would be months before he got a trip into town, and Waynesboro was only about 12-miles from my Grandfather’s farm! A few times, he walked to Waynesboro. A fast pace walk would get you to Waynesboro in about 4-hours from Grandpa’s farm. So about 8-hours would have been used up in a day for transportation, which did not leave a lot of time in town for taking care of business and socializing.

So finding someone to marry besides cousins in the 1800s was sometimes difficult, even for the aristocrats in the larger cities where you might expect that a larger pool of candidates were available. Marriages between cousins were not uncommon throughout America (in fact throughout the entire world) in the 1700s thru the early 1900s.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Generation 5: Robeson Earl Lee (Roberson, Robertson, Robert, or Rob) April 6, 1818 – September 25, 1897

When I was a teenager, a man came up to my Grandpa Gerod Lee and me in a restaurant in Waynesboro, Mississippi and pointed his finger at me and said with passion, “Do you know that you are a direct descendant of Robert E. Lee?”

Robeson Earl Lee had various spelling of his name. I believe his true spelling of his name to be Robeson, because my 2nd Great grandpa once told a census worker that he was named after his parents’ home county in North Carolina. His parents, Samuel Lee, Senior and Sarah Shay (or Sarah Burns), were from Robeson County, North Carolina.

Apparently he, and others, spelled his name differently at different times during his life. I have found his name spelled Robeson, Robertson, and Roberson. He also went by Robert and Rob. His middle name is Earl. Thus, he was called “Robert E. Lee” by many, especially after the Civil War.

Robeson Earl Lee is my Great-great grandfather; or my 2nd Great grandfather.

My 2nd Great grandfather Rob was born on April 6, 1818. He is the youngest son of Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior and his wife Sarah. Oral family stories cite that Rob’s mother died on December 18, 1818. It appears that Samuel may have hired an older woman to help care for the children and household after Sarah’s death. Rob was probably raised by his older sisters and perhaps this “unknown older woman” who shows up in Sam’s household in the 1820 and 1830 Wayne County Censuses.

During his youth, Rob lived with a large number of siblings on the Lee Plantation. Samuel built a horse racetrack on the plantation, and it was said that Sam would let Rob ride in the races when Rob was very young, so young in fact that Rob may have been tied to the saddle to keep from falling off!

In 1835, Rob’s father Samuel married Martha Patricia “Patsy” (Overstreet) West. Patsy was the widow of Dr. John West. When Patsy and Samuel married, Patsy had a 5-year old daughter named Catherine “Katie” West. Catherine was born on August 11, 1830 in Greene County, Mississippi.49 Katie and Robeson became stepsister and stepbrother upon Sam and Patsy’s marriage. Rob was about 17-years old when Samuel and Patsy married.

Patsy brought into the Lee household perhaps as many as 10-children; some of them were children that she had with Dr. West, and some were Dr. West’s children that he had with his two previous wives. Rob moved out of his father’s household sometime before or right after Samuel married Patsy. Rob was said to have moved in with one of his older sisters; perhaps Lucy Catherine Lee who married Braswell Overstreet II in 1828 in Wayne County, Mississippi.

49 The fact that Catherine is Patsy’s daughter can be verified by the 1840 Federal Wayne County Census. 66

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Two different stories exist in oral and written family history as to how Rob came to own the Lee Plantation.

One story was that Rob’s father moved from the plantation to the Columbia, Mississippi area later in his life to be with or near a brother(s) or other family members that had migrated from the Carolinas and settled there. I assume that in this story Samuel took his family with him, perhaps including his wife Patsy. One day Sam told Rob that if he wanted the Old Lee Plantation to pick out a horse, ride back and claim it, and that’s what Rob did.

Another story states that in about 1845, Samuel decided leave the plantation to go out west and seek new land in Texas. Samuel deeded the Lee Plantation to Rob and took off.

One way or the other, 2nd Great Grandpa Rob came to own the Lee Plantation. Rob was not a slave owner, thus Rob and his family had to work the plantation by themselves.

In the “Texas story” in about 1845, Sam took Rob’s stepmom Patsy and the younger children to find new land in Texas. Once across the Mississippi River, Sam left Patsy in Louisiana temporarily while Sam and some of his older sons scouted out land in Texas. Patsy may have waited for some time for Sam to return and eventually gave up waiting, or she may have taken off as soon as Sam was out of sight, either way Patsy returned to Wayne County with her children; Katie was among them.

1n January 1846, Robeson married Catherine “Katie” West. If the story about Sam going out to Texas is true, then this wedding appears to have taken place very soon after Katie and her mother Patsy returned to Wayne County from Louisiana. It is not known if Samuel was there for the wedding, however he may have been. It has been told that Samuel spent the winter of 1845-46 at the Lee Plantation which means he was likely there at the time of the wedding. If Samuel had moved to Columbia, Mississippi as some other stories report, he would have had only a short trip to make to attend the wedding.

Although Rob and Katie were technically stepbrother and stepsister, they were not blood kin and they were not raised in the same household. Rob was about 27-years old and Katie was about 16-years old when they married. I assume they had known each other for over 10- years. The Lee family did not appear to have any problems with this marriage, and it has been “suggested” by elderly Lees that the marriage may have even been arranged by the Lee family back then.

My 2nd Great grandparents nicknamed each other “Rob and Katie.” They were known by those names in their community. Katie name was spelled “Katy” by some, and it is spelled that way on her headstone. Rob and Katie raised at least 11 children, perhaps 12.

My 2nd Great grandparents lived during some extraordinary times in American History. They absorbed and survived some very difficult struggles as a result. I am now going to step into the history of their time to try to understand some of the difficulties they encountered.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

After the election of Abraham Lincoln as the U.S. president in 1860, tensions between the North and South eventually lead to eleven southern states succeeding from the Union to form the Confederate States of America. Mississippi broke from the Union on January 9, 1861 and was the second state (behind South Carolina) to do so. Mississippi was one of the founding states of the Confederate States of America. The Civil War broke out between the Union and Confederates on April 12, 1861.

Documents show that “Robertson Lee,” at the age of 43-years old, enlisted in the Confederate Army at Winchester, Mississippi on December 9, 1861.50 “Robertson” is one of the spellings found for my 2nd Great grandfather’s name. Winchester was the county seat for Wayne County in 1861. (Waynesboro did not become the county seat until 1868, and it was not incorporated as a city until April 11, 1876.51) Below is Civil War data that I got off the internet site Ancestry.com. Here my Great-great grandpa’s name is spelled “Roberson Lee.” Note his alternate name “Robert.” I verified all of this data with Vicksburg National Military Park records in July 2013.

In the summer of 1863, my 2nd Great grandpa Rob and the 5th Regiment of the Mississippi Infantry State Troops found themselves at Vicksburg, Mississippi and engaged in a mighty struggle that turned out to be a very historic event; one of the deciding battles of the Civil War. The 5th Regiment manned a spot on the highest bluff overlooking the river below. They were in a great position to fire upon boats traveling the river. Their position was unsuccessfully challenged at times by Union forces below them. Because the Confederates manned the high ground, the Union forces took heavy causalities during their assaults; the Confederate losses were light. But as time went on, the tide of battle changed as the Union forces had “unlimited” supplies and the Confederate forces started running out of everything.

50 The Heritage of Wayne County, Mississippi, Vol. II; p. 35, submitted by Luther Lee, typed by Margaret McCoy. 51 The History of Wayne County, Mississippi 1809-1999, p. 20. 68

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Vicksburg fighting was nasty! The fighting actually last more than a year. Before the siege when asked to capitulate, Colonel James L. Autry sent a reply to the Union officer stating, “Mississippians don’t know, and refuse to learn, how to surrender!”52

Vicksburg was the key. Both the U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate President Jefferson Davis stated that Vicksburg was the key to the fate of the Civil War. Lincoln sent his toughest general to bring it down.

Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant’s initial assaults on the Confederate strongholds at Vicksburg failed. Some of his officers thought that Vicksburg was invulnerable, so Grant laid siege to the city of Vicksburg from Monday May 18 to Saturday July 4, 1863; a grueling and bloody 47 days. Many believed that Grant’s military career was on the line if he failed to take Vicksburg. There were about 30,000 Confederates defending against about 70,000 Union soldiers. Grant had all the military advantages (men, food and supplies) except that the Confederates were on defense of the high ground.

The Confederate forces defending the city were commanded by Confederate Lieutenant General John Clifford Pemberton, who was a northerner by birth (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). In fact, Pemberton had two brothers that fought for the North. Pemberton, a West Point graduate, was “influenced” to resign his commission in the U.S. Army and join the Confederacy by his Virginia born wife. Pemberton had been a U.S. Army officer for over 24-years. He was from an influential family in Pennsylvania and even knew French; and apparently he was highly regarded by the Confederate hierarchy. Pemberton fought hard to defend Vicksburg; he did not want it said that he gave up Vicksburg because he was a Northerner. He also thought that General Joseph E. Johnston, Commander of the Confederate forces in the West, would come to his rescue and break the siege; but that never happened. Johnston did send some troops in around July 1st, but it was too little too late.

Vicksburg was a picturesque city before the Civil War. Many wealthy northerners and Europeans came to the city, stayed and made the city their home. It was a wealthy center of commerce. It was turned to rubble as the result of Union bombardments during the 47-day siege.

Union soldiers called the city “Prairie Dog Village” because the citizens of the city were literally living in caves due to the Union bombardment. As the siege went on, horses, dogs and cats were eaten in the city by Confederate soldiers and civilians alike. Many in the Louisianan regiments ate rats and thought of the rats as a delicacy because they were so hungry near the end of the siege. On July 3rd , Pemberton sent a note to Grant for surrender. Grant had decided to assault the city “one more time” but that did not happen because of Pemberton’s proposed surrender; no doubt thousands of lives were saved as a result.

Grant had originally insisted on unconditional surrender but decided differently when he realized he’d have about 30,000 prisoners to feed and it would take a massive effort to transport them to prison camps. So Grant offered to parole all prisoners thinking they were so destitute, dejected and starving, such that they’d all go home and spread the word of the terrible defeat to the rest of

52 Great Battles of the Civil War; edited by Niel Kagan, Harris J. Andrews, and Paula York-Soderlund; Oxmoor House-Brimingham, Alabama. P. 156. 69

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 the South and help demoralize and persuade the Rebels to give up. Grant never expected any of them to fight again. (Parole was used by both sides in the Civil War at various times.) Pemberton accepted Grant’s offer and the Confederate soldiers started filing out of their positions and laying down their arms on July 4th, 1863. Eventually they signed statements agreeing they would not take up arms against the U.S. ever again as a condition of their parole.

On July 4, 1863, the same day that Pemberton surrendered Vicksburg to the Yankees, General Robert E. Lee retreated at the battle of Gettysburg. Thus July 4, 1863 is known to have been the beginning of the end for the Confederate States of America; also referred to as the “high water mark” or “high tide of the Confederacy.”

On July 4th, 1863 Vicksburg became an occupied city. The Civil War lasted for 21 more months and Vicksburg became a Union regional base. In February 1864, Major General William Tecumseh Sherman began his famous “march to the sea” as he marched across the state of Mississippi to Meridian inflicting his total war concept. Sherman’s forces would come into close proximity with Robeson’s oldest son, Steve Lee, who was serving in a Confederate unit at Meridian. Even after the War ended, Vicksburg remained an occupied city through Reconstruction.

Five thousand United States Colored Troops were left to police the city after the surrender. This was not to reward the very brave black Union soldiers that engaged in battle at Vicksburg, and both ex-Confederate and white Union soldiers voiced praise about their bravery; but it was for the Union to rub it in the faces of the local whites that “caused the war.” Local whites saw this as an ultimate humiliation; just as the Union forces intended. Civil liberties were suspended. Loyalty oaths were required of everyone, and if any of the town citizens refused, they were arrested. Plantations around Vicksburg belonging to persons declared to be an “enemy of the government” were confiscated and then leased to “carpetbaggers and scalawags” seeking fortunes in cotton speculation.

Mississippi was readmitted to the Union in February 1870, but the Federal troops remained in occupation of Vicksburg until they were removed by President Rutherford B. Haynes in 1877. Vicksburg was occupied for about 14-years. The defeat was so traumatic to the citizens of Vicksburg that they did not celebrated the fourth of July (as the nation’s Independence Day) until after World War II, which ended in 1945.

Upon the surrender of Vicksburg on July 4th, 1863, Great-great grandpa Rob became a prisoner of war. Below is a photocopy of the parole agreement that secured his release. His name is spelled “Roberson Lee” on the document. The document may contain his signature.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

With the surrender of Vicksburg, the South was split in two and the Mississippi River came under the total control of Union forces. Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and all Confederate forces fighting in the Western states and territories were cut off from the rest of the South. Confederate supplies that were coming in from Texas through Vicksburg were stopped. Confederate President Jefferson Davis moaned that the loss of Vicksburg meant the loss of the war.

My Great-great grandpa Rob participated in a very important part of American history; perhaps he never knew just how big.

As stated, Union General Grant thought the Confederate soldiers were in such bad shape they’d never fight again; and they were in miserably bad shape.

In spite of the long siege, Confederate casualties were light with about 29,500 surrendering.53 Many of the Confederates were in disbelief that Pemberton had surrendered the “Gibraltar of the Confederacy.” Their fighting spirit was not crushed by the defeat. Many joined other Confederate forces and fought on until the end of the war in 1865. Some were known to have fought and died in Chickamauga in September 19-20, 1863. That is truly remarkable as the Confederate survivors of Vicksburg had suffered tremendously yet thousands voluntarily jumped immediately into another terrific struggle fighting against all odds. Mississippians had indeed learned what it meant to surrender; and they did not like it!

53 The total 29,500 also included a number of new troops sent in near the end of the siege by General Johnston. 71

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

History shows that Lieutenant General Pemberton disbanded the Confederate Army of Vicksburg on July 17th, 1863. Many labeled him as an incompetent general. However, no doubt his loyalty was with the South. After the Battle of Vicksburg he resigned his commission and tried to reenlist as a private. Confederate President Jefferson Davis did not allow that and gave Pemberton another commission as a lieutenant colonel of artillery instead.

Family documents show that on September 4th, my 2nd Great grandpa Rob was given pay for his service at Vicksburg up to July 17th; which is in agreement with the historical date when Pemberton disbanded the Vicksburg Army. 2nd Great grandpa Rob was discharged out of the Confederate Army on September 22, 1863 in Columbus, Mississippi. His discharge was ordered by General Joseph E. Johnston, the commander of the Confederate forces of the West. (Evidently, 2nd Great grandpa Rob did not receive any pay for the period of Jul 17 through Sep 22.) 2nd Great grandpa Rob may have walked east from Vicksburg to Columbus; 200-miles, then south down to Waynesboro; 140-miles. His walk home must have been difficult but with some great relief. He had survived a struggle that took over 20,000 casualties at Vicksburg.

Perhaps Grandpa Rob only had to walk 160 miles from Vicksburg to Wayne County.54 I remember stories from my youth that stated this was so. The walk home may have taken weeks or perhaps months in the intense summer heat. I assumed it would have been a very brutal task for a starving man, however, it was said that if a Confederate soldier in uniform happened upon a farm or town during his walk home, the people would share food and shelter with him no matter how little they had for themselves.

Our forefathers were full of grit and truly TOUGH people!

As stated some of the Confederate soldiers after Vicksburg joined other Confederate units and continue to fight on up to the end of the war in 1865. There was no mandate for them to do that, in fact just the opposite. Great-great Grandpa Rob was 45-years old; well past his “fighting prime,” and he had a large family struggling to survive, so he went home. While he did honor his signed agreement not to fight the Yankees any more, it’s said that he continued to harass Union forces. A cousin told me that my 2nd Great grandpa Rob joined a group of Confederate Raiders and primarily engaged in stealing horses from Union soldiers until the War’s end.

My cousin said that some family and community members supported my 2nd Great grandpa Rob. The Raiders did not wear uniforms. They invoked guerilla tactics on the Yankees and considered themselves to be “fighters for the cause.” They used hit and run tactics and stole supplies and goods from the Yankees when they could.

This cousin also said that to others, stealing Union army horses was frond upon. Stealing a horse was a hanging offense back then, but Great-great grandpa Rob got away with it since he was doing it against the hated Yankees. Rob allegedly pocketed the money from this activity, and that did not set well with some. Had Rob given the money to the Confederate military; no one would have had a problem with it.

The War was all but lost by that time and many were struggling and starving.

54 This could be the case if his presence was not needed at Columbus, Mississippi for his service discharge. 72

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

I defer judgment about it all. An elderly Lee once told me that I might be embarrassed about this issue if I found out for sure that Rob stole horses. (I never found out for sure, but there sure is a lot of speculation that he did from a number of family sources.) The Union forces themselves did a lot of stealing, plundering and needless burning of Southern homes during the course of the War. Each side had their liabilities. It was a terrible War, and terrible times to live in. Great-great grandpa Rob’s activities, if he did this, may have provided a means of survival during a difficult time. I suspect that it took A LOT of “guts” to steal those horses. He would have been hanged or shot on the spot if caught for either offense; stealing horses or participating with the Confederate Raiders.

Once the War was over, the Union soldiers still occupied the South for some time. The War ended in 1865, but Mississippi was not readmitted to the Union until February 23, 1870. During most of this time, Mississippians (as did the entire South) felted that their state was “occupied by the enemy.” And for at least a while, the Union soldiers made it appear that way. Many Union soldiers felted the South was nothing more than a bunch of traitors that had unnecessarily caused great harm, death and suffering to the nation. So the “occupation” was harsh at times in some places. For generations, many Southerners hated and resented the Yankees because of the post war treatment.

Some say that Grandpa Rob continued to engage in stealing Union horses after the War was officially over. The hated “occupiers” were still around. There is a story that the Wayne County Sherriff had to come out to Rob’s farm and tell him to stop stealing the horses as the War was over and he would be arrested by the local authorities if he continued. Evidently, 2nd Great grandpa Rob complied.

On Thanksgiving night, Thursday, November 28, 2013, Penny and I went to watch the Egg Bowl football game between Mississippi State and Ole Miss. We nearly froze! We spent the night at Columbus Air Force Base. The next morning I purchased a newspaper, The Commercial Dispatch. On page 1 of Section A there was an article, “Mississippi’s last living daughter of Confederate soldier dies. It stated that Mildred Belle Martin Barron, regarded as Mississippi’s last living daughter of a Confederate soldier, died Tuesday at her Amite County home after suffering a stroke. She was 106. Barron was born Jan. 27, 1907, the sixth of seven children born to Nancy Moak and William “Whit” Laban Martin of Fernwod. Martin was 15 when he joined the Confederate Army, signing up with the 16th Mississippi Infantry Co. E. He participated in the Battle of Clinton, La. A daughter of Mrs. Barron stated that her grandfather’s claim to fame was the he stole mules from the Yankee soldiers during the Battle of Clinton. He was really a drummer boy.

So it was not uncommon for Confederates to steal horses or mules from the hated Yankees. There is absolutely no way to condone slavery. It was awful; no way God ever intended for any man to own and totally control other humans. Nevertheless, it is part of human history. The abolishment of slavery was absolutely necessary and just. The victory of the North in the Civil War was God sent to rid the entire nation of this grave sin. However, the idea that the South was a bunch of traitors for succeeding from the Union is not exactly right. When our forefathers founded our Nation, and each of the original 13 colonies started joining the Union, it

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 was assumed by most of the founding fathers that if the Union did not “work out” that they could withdraw. In fact, before the South succeeded, other states, including some in the north (New England) had brief periods where they considered doing so themselves for various reasons. It was not clear before the Civil War as to if a state had the right to succeed or not. Thus the phrase “the United States are” (the word “are” being plural) was proper. After the War, the phrase “the United States is” (the word “is” being singular) was proper. There was a concern for the Northern leaders after they had won the Civil War when they were considering prosecuting Southern leaders, like the former Southern President Jefferson Davis and General Robert E. Lee, for treason. President Davis was put in prison for a while but released because some Northern leaders feared that if they prosecuted these Southern leaders as traitors and found them guilty, some appeals may go to the United States Supreme Court and the Court may rule that succession was LEGAL and set a precedent for future events. Thus none of the Southern leaders were ever brought to trial, and the subject was never challenged again. That decision was a smart one. Trials would have caused more fracture at a time when healing was called for. At age 14, Rob and Katie’s oldest child, Steve Lee, also went off to the War. That left Great- great grandma Katie to tend to the plantation alone with seven small children, including an infant, toddlers and near toddlers. The resulting hardships were tremendous. In many areas of the South during the Civil War local governments could not sustain order. As a result bad people reverted to lawlessness at will. I don’t know what the situation was in Wayne County, but in some parts of the South, it was horrific. Below are some family stories that have been passed down to me by different relatives over the years. They seem to support the reported conditions elsewhere in the South. One story is that during the War there were bandits that roamed the country side and they would rob, steal and possibly rape when they came upon a home site. Grandma Katie would hide in the woods for days with her children when she heard that a band of bandits had come into the area. (She lived only about 3-miles outside of Waynesboro; close enough to “hear” many rumors that were spread about in town.) Another story was that rumors got spread that the slaves in the area had abandoned the farms and were uniting and taking out vengeance on the plantations. Katie and the children hid in the woods several days with nothing to eat only to find out later that the rumor was totally false. Another story says that the family was starving and had nothing to eat for several days. A neighbor’s cow wandered into the front yard and Katie killed and butchered it. Later Katie felted terribly about what she’d done with her neighbor’s cow, so she went and confessed to the cow’s owner. He told her it was alright and not to worry about it. The intense hardships of war touched the entire family. Grandma Kate had to have been a very tough woman!

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

It was said that the family seemed to have had “plenty” before and after the Civil War. However, during the war, the economy of the South totally collapsed. Food and other essentials were not readily available. Neighbors helped neighbors; but there was not a lot to spread around. I cannot imagine how harsh life must have been for Grandma Kate and the children. After Vicksburg, Grandpa Robeson farmed the plantation and raised livestock with his family. When his boys got big enough to handle most of the farm work, Grandpa Robeson traveled the countryside with a male donkey, which was prized for siring good mules. It was said the area he travelled included three counties; I assume Wayne, Jones and Clarke Counties, but he could have roamed into Alabama also. Rumors say that my 2nd Great grandpa Rob was promiscuous, and that he fathered an illegitimate son on one of his outings.

It was said that one day a young woman showed up at the Lee Plantation with a child demanding that Rob and Kate take the child because Rob was the child’s father and they had “plenty” and she did not. Katie did not take kindly to the situation. In fact it was said that Katie took after the woman and whipped her all the way to the county road with her yard broom; the young woman ran with the child for a distance of about three hundred yards! A “couple years later,” Katie saw the child again in town (Waynesboro) and agreed that the child was Rob’s. Katie took the child in and he was raised on the Lee Plantation in Rob’s household.

Many thought Katie used the child to remind Rob constantly of his transgressions. Katie did not blame the young woman, but blamed Rob for “taking advantage of the young girl.” I certainly would not blame Grandma Katie for being very bitter about being totally betrayed.

It was said the child was so much like Wiley Thomas (a son of Rob and Katie) that they could have been identical twins with the same mother. His name was said to have been Jack Kelly. Once grown, Jack married and moved away.

I tried to verify this story, but I could not find evidence of this boy living in Robeson’s household in any of the Wayne County Censuses. In fact, I could not find a Jack Kelly living anywhere in Wayne County using census data. I did find a “Jackson Kelly,” but I’m not sure if he was the Jack Kelly mentioned in the story. The census did not indicate where Jackson Kelly lived; so I found no evidence of a Jack Kelly in the Robeson Lee household.

However, this story was passed down in the family by one of Robeson Lee’s daughters who grew up on the Lee Plantation. I also had an elderly cousin that “hinted” to me that there might be “something to this story.” With two family sources saying or “hinting” so, I decided to include it in this section. Some of Jack Kelly’s descendants may one day look for their roots and find this information in this document as a bit of evidence for their family line. All of us are human, and our life’s story is what we do. God has the power to forgive us all; no matter.

No matter, if Jack Kelly existed, he’s really a Lee; he is my great granduncle (my Great grandpa’s half-brother), and certainly a part of our family. If the story is true, over time the family all seemed to have accepted it and went on without any disruption.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Robeson died on September 25, 1897. Catherine died in 1910.55 An OLD hand written note from an unknown family source says she died June 27, 1901. This death year is incorrect, as I have census data to show that Grandma Kate was living in 1910. However, it could have been that the author meant to write “1910” not “1901.” If so, then perhaps the death day, June 27, is correct; and perhaps Grandma Kate died on June 27, 1910.

Robeson and Catherine Lee are buried in the Old Lee Cemetery. The Old Lee Cemetery is in a pasture which was once part of the Old Lee Plantation near the banks of the Chickasawhay River. Robeson Lee was the first grave in the cemetery unless there are others not marked that have been forgotten. The pasture surrounding the cemetery is not owned by anyone in the Lee family now. Catherine’s headstone spells her name “Katy.” Great-great grandpa’s name is displayed as “Robt. E. Lee” on his headstone.

Robeson “Rob, Robert, Roberson, Robertson” Earl Lee

IN MEMORY OF ROBT. E. LEE BORN APR. 6, 1818 DIED SEPT. 25, 1897 GONE TOO SOON.

55 Tommie Lewis states in a 1986 letter to her grandson that she remembered seeing Grandma Kate “laid out,” which would have been a viewing of Grandma Kate’s body before the funereal. Tommie would have been about three years old in 1910. 76

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Katy Lee; Catherine “Katie” (West) Lee

When I first found the Old Lee Cemetery, it was badly overgrown. One could be a few feet away from headstones and not see them for the heavy vegetation. My 2nd Great grandpa’s footstone was grown over by grass with just the tip of one of the edges showing. I dug the footstone up and took a picture of it shown below. The footstone has my 2nd Great grandpa’s name spelled “Roberson.”

Roberson Lee’s Footstone

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Below are my 2nd Great grandparent’s grave sites. Notice the high vegetation beyond the headstones. To take this picture, I had to cut the growth away with a bush axe and a heavy duty weed eater; it was not easy. Unfortunately, this is not even a sample of the state of the Old Lee Cemetery today.56 There are headstones completely covered up that cannot be seen even if you’re just a foot or two away. I fear some headstones and markers may be lost someday soon; the entire cemetery may one day be lost. In 2007, the Old Lee Cemetery was cleaned up, and I took pictures of all the markers in the cemetery that existed then. I put the pictures in a notebook, and I turned in that notebook to the Waynesboro City Library. The library filed it in their genealogy section. I also included those pictures in another section of this document. Hopefully that will preserve the memory and location of the Old Lee Cemetery.

Robert and Katie Lee’s headstones

In July 2013, my brother-in-law, Charles Smith, told me that there has been an announcement in the Wayne County News that old abandoned Wayne County cemeteries, like the Old Lee Cemetery, were going to be cleaned up. The leader of this project told Charles that they’d get to the Old Lee Cemetery with this effort!

56 March 18, 2013. 78

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

This document has been in the family a very long time. It was in the possession of Luther Lee when I copied it in 2007. Luther said he thought it may have been passed out at Rob’s funeral or a later memorial service for him.

Obviously one date on this document is in error. It states that Robertson E. Lee (still another different spelling of his name) enlisted on December 9, 1863, which means he could not have served in Vicksburg in the summer of 1863. He actually enlisted in 1861. The document correctly states that he was captured in Vicksburg in July 1863; thus the enlistment date error becomes more glaring. How could he be captured before he entered the military?

This document also has my Great-great grandma’s name as “Catherine (Katy) West.” Her headstone has “Katy Lee” inscribed on it. Therefore, this document verifies that the grave next to Robt E. Lee in the Old Lee Cemetery is my 2nd Great grandmother. Obviously, her name was spelled “Katy” by some during her lifetime.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Land Grant to my Great-great Grandfather; Robinson Lee.

Still another spelling of his name. This signature looks very different than the one on his parole papers from Vicksburg. That suggests that perhaps someone signed one of the documents for him. The “R” in his signature resembles an “A” until you look real close as with a magnifying glass. This document was sent to me via e-mail by Dr. Ed Smith, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

This is a marker at the Vicksburg National Military Park at Vicksburg, Mississippi that designates where the 5th Regiment of the Mississippi State Troopers encamped. The picture below was taken on July 4th, 2013; exactly 150-years after the surrender of Vicksburg in 1863.

To be certain where the units were during the Vicksburg conflict, markers were placed in the Vicksburg National Park by the veterans of each unit after the Civil War. I am standing in the same area, perhaps standing in the in the same spot, where my 2nd Great grandfather Robeson Earl Lee stood while serving at Vicksburg in 1863.

This marker is placed about 350 yards from Fort Hill, the highest point on the bluffs overseeing the Mississippi/Yazoo Rivers which was idea for bombarding the Union ships coming down the river. The unit also occupied two trenches about 176 yards east of Fort Hill that ran east from that point. The 5th Regiment was attached to Brig. Gen. Jeptha V. Harris’ Mississippi State Troops, of Brig. Gen. John C. Vaughn’s 2nd Brigade, Maj. Gen. Martin Luther Smith’s Division, in Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton’s Army of Vicksburg. The unit was commanded by Col. H. C. Robinson.

MISSISSIPPI 5th Regiment Col. H. C. Robinson State Troops Smith’s Division Engaged, Defense May 18-July 4

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Penny and I visited the Vicksburg National Military Park on July 3-4, 2013; exactly 150- years after the surrender of Vicksburg. A lot of information presented in this document about Vicksburg is from the national park rangers; many of whom are also historians.

Penny Lee; July 4, 2013 Fort Hill, Vicksburg, Mississippi Near where the 5th Regiment of the Mississippi State Troopers were dug in May 18-July 4, 1863

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

You can still see the trenches where the 5th Mississippi Regiment camped and dug in at Vicksburg.

Anything coming down the river was a prime target. In the picture below, behind me would be the view the Confederates had of the river. You cannot tell the height of my position in relation to the river bend below, which is unfortunate. The Rebels had a tremendous vantage point to bombard the river below them.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Modified list from a Charles Lewis websites;57

Children of Roberson “Robert” Earl Lee and Catherine “Katie” West:

1. Stephen M. Lee, born December 11, 1846 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Saphronia Margaret Saxon in 1867 Married a second time; Jettie (Jet) Lee (Maiden name unknown) Steve died on June 10, 1939, and is buried at the Arrington Cemetery in Beat Four, Wayne County, Mississippi.

2. Clarissa Jane Lee, born 1849 in Wayne County, Mississippi. Married John Wesley Brownlee in 1867 Died March 17, 1944 in Jones County, Mississippi Buried at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church, Jasper County, Mississippi

3. Sabra R. Lee, born 1850 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married James “Jim” Monroe Brownlee in 1869 Death date unknown (Sometimes referred to as Malora in records)

4. Samuel Jefferson Lee, born in 1851 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Virginia “Jennie” Davis in 1876 Death date unknown

5. Albert C. Lee, born September 15, 1854 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Mary Bell Davis in 1876 Died April 8, 1915 in Wayne County, Mississippi Buried at the Old Lee Cemetery, Wayne County, Mississippi

6. Nathaniel Greene Lee, born September 1856 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Minnie Williams in 1908; Minnie evidently died before the 1910 census Died in 1922 in Wayne County, Mississippi Buried at the Old Lee Cemetery, Wayne County, Mississippi

7. Phillip Anaphur “Napper” Lee,58 born January 19, 1858 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Florence McLemore in 1887 Married Pollie An Overstreet in 1892 Died February 12, 1935 in Wayne County, Mississippi Buried at the Old Lee Cemetery, Wayne County, Mississippi Phillip Lee and Pollie An Overstreet are my Great granparents

57 I changed some of the data on this list due to credible information I found elsewhere. This list matches the 1870 and 1880 Wayne County Censuses. 58 Some sources incorrectly have my great grandfather’s middle initial as “N” and his middle name listed as either “Napier” or “Nelson.” He went by the nickname “Napper” which might be the source of these errors. 84

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

8. Wiley Thomas Lee, born September 16, 1860 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Mary Herrington in 1890 Died October 16, 1946 in Wane County, Mississippi Buried at the Old Lee Cemetery, Wayne County, Mississippi

9. Catherine Miranda Lee, born 1863 in Wayne County, Mississippi Died in 1944 in Mississippi Marriage data not found

10. Sarah Mamie Lee, born May 30, 1867 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Frank James59 in 1884 Died in 1939 in Wayne County, Mississippi Buried at the Old Lee Cemetery, Wayne County, Mississippi

11. Mary Susannah “Minnie” Lee, born November 11, 1869 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Christopher Columbus Campbell on Oct 7, 1888 Died December 16, 1958 in Lauderdale County, Mississippi Buried at Stonewall Cemetery, Clarke County, Mississippi

12. Martha “Aunt Sis” C. Lee, born July 9, 1870 in Wayne County, Mississippi Never married Died April 12, 1944 in Wayne County, Mississippi Buried at the Old Lee Cemetery, Wayne County, Mississippi

Catherine Miranda Lee’s name is also spelled Maranda. Some data state she is a twin to Wiley. The 1880 census lists “Willy” and Maranda both being 17-years old. If so, then Catherine Miranda Lee was also born on Sep 16, 1860.

In the 1910 Federal Wayne County Census, it states that 2nd Great Grandma Katie had 11 children with 10 living. If that data are correct, then the above list is incorrect. However, I’ve checked and double checked, and I believe 2nd Great Grandma Katie had 12-children. I do not know which child would have passed away before 1910; but by process of elimination it had to have been either Sabra or Samuel as I have no death data for them, and all the other children lived past the year 1910.

Sarah Mamie Lee married Frank James. It has been strongly advocated by some family members that Sarah’s Frank James is kin to the famous outlaws Frank and Jesse James. I am not advocating that this is true or untrue; perhaps a future family researcher can look into this possibility. I took a quick look and could find a connection, but I’m not saying one does not exist.

59 Sarah Lee married Frank James. The Charles Lewis websites cite that she married Thomas Johnson. Steve Lee’s obituary written in 1939 incorrectly states that he had a surviving sister, Sarah Jones of Waynesboro. The obituary is in error and should have identified his sister as Sarah James. 85

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Unlike the previous Wayne County Censuses, for the year 1850 and later, not only was the name of the head of household given, but also the names of the spouse and children. Before 1850, the censuses listed by name only the head of household and gave numbers for the wife and children with respect to different age groups. Thus matching a name with a specific family for sure using census data was difficult unless there was some other documentation to help out. Luckily, sometimes there were supporting documents like a Will or land transaction.

The 1850 Wayne County Census:

Name Age Sex Race Occupation Place of Birth Lee, Robert 30 M W Farmer Mississippi Catherine 18 F W Mississippi Stephen 2 M W Mississippi Clerisa 1 F W Mississippi

Clerisa (Clarissa Jane) is the only person whose age is correct in this census. Robert, Catherine and Stephen’s ages are all reported about 2-years younger than they should have been.

1850 Federal Wayne County Census

Entry 38; Robt Lee; 2nd Great grandfather; age 30 Entry 39; Catharine Lee; 2nd Great grandmother; age 18 Entry 40; Stephen; age 2 Entry 41; Clerisa; age 1

The 1860 Wayne County Census was incomplete.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The 1870 Wayne County Census:

Name Age Sex Race Occupation Place of Birth Lee, Robert 52 M W Farmer Mississippi Catherine 40 F W Keeping House Mississippi Stephen 22 M W Farm laborer Mississippi Samuel 19 M W Farm laborer Mississippi Albert 16 M W Farm laborer Mississippi Nathan 13 M W Farm laborer Mississippi Phillip 11 M W Farm laborer Mississippi Wiley 9 M W Farm laborer Mississippi Catherine 7 F W Mississippi Sara 3 F W Mississippi Mary 3/12 F W Mississippi

Missing from the census are three of Rob and Katie’s children; Clarissa Jane Lee, Sabra R Lee and Martha Lee. The reason they are missing is as follows:

 Clarissa married John Brownlee on January 23, 1867. Therefore she would not be in Rob’s household for this census. Clarissa and John had an infant daughter named Mary in 1870.

 Sabra married Monroe Brownlee in 1867. She too would not be in Rob’s household for the 1870 census. Monroe and Sabra had a 2-year old daughter named Mary in 1870.

Note: John and Monroe Brownlee are brothers.

 Grandpa Rob and Grandma Katie’s youngest child, Martha Lee, was not born until August 9, 1870 which was after the 1870 census was taken.

If Mary Lee was 3-months old when the census was taken, and she was born on Nov 30, 1869; then the census was probably taken in March 1870 (before March 30th).

Also in the 1870 Wayne County Census are two of the older daughters of Rob and Katie Lee that show up in their respective husbands’ household.

Name Age Sex Race Occupation Place of Birth Brownlee, Monroe 26 M W Farmer Mississippi Sabra R 20 F W Keeping House Mississippi Mary 2 F W Mississippi

Brownlee, John 22 M W Mississippi Clara J 19 F W Mississippi Mary 9/12 F W Mississippi

In the 1870 census, there were three Mary’s in the family. Mary Brownlee, age 2, Mary Brownlee, age 9-months, and Mary Lee, age 3-months. The aunt was younger.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

1870 Federal Wayne County Census

Entry 8 is Robert Lee, age 52, my 2nd Great grandfather Entry 9 is Catherine, age 40, my 2nd Great grandmother Entry 10 is Samuel, age 19 Entry 11 is Stephen, age 22 Entry 12 is Albert, age 16 Entry 13 is Nathan, age 13 Entry 14 is Phillip, age 12, my Great grandfather Entry 15 is Wiley, age 9 Entry 16 is Catherine, age 7 Entry 17 is Sarah, age 3 Entry 18 is Mary, age 3-months

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The 1880 Wayne County Census

Name Relation Married Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father’s Mother’s Status Birthplace Birthplace Lee, Robert Self M Male W 62 MS Farmer NC NC Catherine Wife M Female W 50 MS Housekeeper Ireland Georgia Nathan G Son S Male W 22 MS Laborer MS MS Phillip Son S Male W 21 MS Laborer MS MS Willy Son S Male W 17 MS Laborer MS MS Sabra Daughter W Female W 30 MS Housekeeper MS MS Maranda Daughter S Female W 17 MS MS MS Sarah Daughter S Female W 13 MS MS MS Mary Daughter S Female W 11 MS MS MS John Grandson S Male W 1 MS MS MS

This census gives us the information that Robert’s parents were born in North Carolina, which agrees with genealogical research. Robert’s parents, Samuel and Sarah Lee, were from Robeson County, North Carolina. Robert told the census worker that his parents named him after his parents’ home county in North Carolina; thus Robert’s given name is Robeson Earl Lee. My 2nd Great grandfather was also known as “Robert E Lee.”

This census also gives us the information that 2nd Great grandma Catherine (West) Lee’s father, Dr. John West, was born in Ireland and Catherine’s mother, Martha “Patsy” Overstreet, was born in Georgia. I used a lot of information from this census in previous statements about the family.

This census shows that Willy (Wiley T) and Maranda are both 17-years old. Other family data states they are twins. Catherine Miranda Lee was born in 1863 according to some data. That makes her 17- years old in 1880 matching the data given in the 1880 census for her. However, according to Wiley T. Lee’s headstone, he was born on July 16, 1860 which would put him 20-years old for the 1880 census, and that does not match the 1880 census data for him. Obviously, if they are twins, one of them has the wrong birth date data.

We find a thirty year old daughter with a name that’s difficult to read on the census. Some have stated that the name is “Malora.” I believe the name is Sabra, as do other relatives. Sabra R. (Lee) Brownlee was born in about 1850, which would put her at the correct age. She married James “Jim” Monroe Brownlee in 1867. It is believed that he died before 1880, and if so, it would be logical that Sabra and her child would move in with her parents for at least a while. I assume that the one-year old grandson named John is Sabra’s son.

In the 1870 census, Sabra is shown in her husband’s household with a 2-year old daughter, Mary Brownlee. Mary would be about 12-years old in 1880. Where is Mary Brownlee? The Mary shown in the 1880 census is not Sabra’s daughter, but the daughter of Rob and Katie Lee. Both Marys would have been about the same age, but Sabra’s Mary would be close to two years older than Rob and Katie’s Mary; or the aunt would be younger than the niece.

The fact that 2nd Great grandpa Rob named one of his sons Samuel is “light evidence” that Grandpa Rob’s father was also named Samuel. Some of my family members argue that Grandpa Rob’s father is Henry Lee. Rob and Katie Lee did not name one of their six sons Henry, which they likely would have if Henry was Rob’s father. I agree that there was no set rule saying anyone had to name a child any particular name, but it was customary at the time to name a child after a grandparent; especially in a large family. Where is Martha C. Lee? She should be about 9-years old in 1880. She’s in the 1900 census.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

1880 Federal Wayne County Census

Entry 29 is Robert Lee, age 62, my 2nd Great grandfather Entry 30 is Catherine, age 50, my 2nd Great grandmother Entry 31 is Nathan, age 22 Entry 32 is Phillip, age 22, my Great grandfather Entry 33 is Willy, age 17 Entry 34 is Sabra, age 30 Entry 35 is Maranda, age 17 Entry 36 is Sarah, age 13 Entry 37 is Mary, age 11 Entry 38 is John, age 2

Entry 38 is cited as a grandson in the census. Since there is a grown widowed daughter, who I think is Sabra, in the household; I logically assumed that this child is hers.

However, Rob and Katie’s oldest son, Stephen Lee, had a one year old son in 1880 whose name was John Lee. But Steve and his wife Saphronia Margaret (Saxon) Lee were still together and both living in 1880, so there is no logical reason for Steve’s son to be in his father’s household for this census.

I cannot use the 1880 data to state for sure that Rob’s father is named Samuel Lee. However, I can use this census data to state that Rob reported that his father was born in North Carolina. I know that Samuel Lee was born in North Carolina from other sources. Also, I know that Henry Lee, General Robert E. Lee’s half-brother, who some claim is Rob’s father, was NOT born in North Carolina, as you can look that up by an internet “Google” or in most any encyclopedia. Therefore this census data rules out the proposed Henry Lee lineage for our family.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The 1880 Federal Wayne County Census also reports the following five BLACK children as part of 2nd Great grandpa Rob’s household.

Married Name Relation Gender Race Age Status

AN Corten Daughter S Female Black 11

Puck Corten Son S Male Black 9

AL Corten Daughter S Female Black 7

Isabell Corten Daughter S Female Black 5

Erly Corten Son S Male Black 3

I do not have an explanation for these black children with the last name Corten. I can only speculate. The census lists them as sons and daughters to the head of the household.

It appears that Grandpa Rob and Grandma Katie may have taken in a black family, and judging from the ages of the children; perhaps they were orphaned. You could even speculate that my 2nd Great grandparents adopted them since the census states they are sons and daughters of the head of household. However, the census taker may have had to mark these children as either a son or daughter to fill out his census sheet for counting them in the census, and perhaps the children may have been staying temporality with the Lees during the time the census was taken.

Grandpa Rob and Grandpa Katie also had a large number of their biological offspring living in their household in 1880; seven children and one grandchild in fact. With these five black children, the total living in Grandpa Rob’s household for the 1880 census was 15! (That would be including Rob and Katie too.) Where did they all bed down?

I can only speculate again. The 1820 census implies that Rob’s father, Samuel Lee, had 17 slaves on his plantation. When Samuel Lee left the plantation he took all the slaves with him. However, there must have been some kind of housing that Samuel had built for the slaves, and those quarters were probably left abandoned or unused. Perhaps these quarters were used to facilitate living quarters for 15 people living on the plantation in 1880. If not, the Lee house was VERY crowded! (It’s been said that Grandma Katie would often take in free boarders during Wayne County elections and court hearings in Waynesboro. Where did they all stay?)

There is no way to tell how long these children stayed in the Lee household. The next census record in 1890 was lost in a warehouse fire. Thus we cannot track to see if any of these children were living in the household in 1890. Only Grandma Katie and two of her children were listed in her household in the 1900 census. There are no family stories about these children which make me believe that their stay with the Lees was temporary.

These five black children listed in 2nd Great grandpa Robert Lee’s household in 1880 are a mystery.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The 1890 Census records for Mississippi were destroyed in a 1921 warehouse fire.

1900 Federal Wayne County Census:

Last Name First Name Sex Age Occupation Birthplace

Lee Katherine F 72 Farmer Mississippi

Nathan M 38 Laborer Mississippi

Martha F 30 Mississippi

Bettie F 15 Mississippi

2nd Great Grandpa Robeson (Robert) Lee died in 1897. Obviously this is the first census of his family after his death.

2nd Great grandma Catherine’s name is misspelled, and her age should be 69 or 70 in the 1900 Census, depending on the time of year it was taken. She was born 8/11/1830.

Nathan (Nathaniel Greene Lee) should be 44-years old in 1900 according to his birth year on his headstone. Just why he and his mother’s ages are incorrect is a mystery.

Martha (Martha C. Lee) has the correct age listed for her with respect to other data. She is NOT on the 1880 census; why? She is not on the 1870 census as she was likely born after it was taken, but where was she in 1870?

Bettie is an unknown female. Because of her age, 15, perhaps she is a granddaughter to Catherine, but she is listed as a “daughter.” She would have been born to Rob and Katie in 1885, and Katie would have been about 55-years old; thus she in more likely a granddaughter.

1900 Federal Wayne County Census

Entry 11 is Katherine Lee, my 2nd Great grandma Catherine, age 72 (age incorrect) Her name is misspelled (KatherineCatherine) Entry 12 is Nathan Lee, age 38 (age incorrect) Entry 13 is Martha Lee, age 30 (age correct) Entry 14 is Bettie, age 15; likely a granddaughter

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

1910 Federal Wayne County Census:

Last Name First Name Sex Age Occupation Birthplace

Lee Catharine F 79 Farmer Mississippi

Green N M 54 Laborer Mississippi

Martha M F 40 Mississippi

If the 1910 Census was taken before 2nd Great grandma Catherine’s (spelled Catharine on the census) birthday in August, her age is correct for this census. The significance of this data is that it shows that my 2nd Great grandma Catherine “Katie” Lee was living in early 1910. She may have died on June 27, 1910.

This census states that 2nd Great grandma Katie had 11 children born and 10 living. In all the censuses from 1850 to 1900, I count 12 children for Grandma Katie!

Nathan (Nathaniel Greene Lee) has the correct age according to his headstone in the 1910 Census. This census states that Nathan was widowed. Evidently, he was only married briefly as I have data showing he married Minnie Williams in 1908. He was widowed by 1910.

Martha (Martha C. Lee) has the correct age listed for her with respect to other data. This census correctly states that she was never married. Her middle initial is incorrect on the census.

1910 Federal Wayne County Census

Entry 86 is Catharine Lee (Catharine  Catherine), age 79 (age correct if census taken before her birthday Aug 11, 1830) Entry 87 is Green N., age 54 (age correct) Entry 88 is Martha M?., age 40 (age correct)

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Marriage data for Rob and Katie Lee’s children:

1. Steve M. Lee 1st marriage: Saphronia Margaret Saxon 2nd marriage; Jettie “Jet”; maiden name unknown

2. Clarissa Jane Lee married John Wesley Brownlee

3. Sabra R. Lee married James “Jim” Monroe Brownlee

4. Samuel Jefferson Lee married Virginia “Jennie” Davis

5. Albert C. Lee married Mary Bell Davis

6. Nathaniel Greene Lee married Minnie Williams

7. Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee 1st marriage; Florence McLemore 2nd marriage; Pollie An Overstreet

8. Wiley Thomas Lee married Mary A. Harrington

9. Catherine Miranda Lee unknown

10. Sarah Mamie Lee married Frank James

11. Mary Susannah “Minnie” Lee married Christopher Columbus Campbell

12. Martha C Lee never married

As stated previously, in the 1910 Federal Wayne County Census, it states that 2nd Great Grandma Katie had 11 children with 10 living. However, I checked and double checked against census data and there were 12 children. Perhaps the census worker got the number wrong. Grandma Kate was about 79-years old when this census was taken; I suppose that she could have made a mistake giving the data to the census worker.

I doubt that the female listed in the 1900 census as a daughter named “Bettie” is really a daughter to Grandpa Rob and Grandma Katie, but if so, then there were 13-children born to them. As I said previously, if Bettie is a child or Grandpa Rob and Grandma Katie, she would have been born in about the year 1885. Grandpa Rob would have been 67-years old and Grandma Katie would have been about 55-years old in 1885. It might be possible that Bettie is Grandpa Rob’s daughter, but Grandma’s age would suggest Bettie is not a child but perhaps a grandchild.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The Children of Robeson “Rob” Earl Lee and Catherine “Katie” West

I previously supplied several lists from numerous sources for the children of Rob and Katie Lee. Looking at the data in the 1850, 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910 Wayne County Censuses, the following is a list that I compiled of all the children of Rob and Katie Lee.

1. Steve M. Lee (1850, 1870) 2. Clarissa Jane Lee (1850) 3. Sabra R. Lee (1880) 4. Samuel Jefferson Lee (1870) 5. Albert C. Lee (1870) 6. Nathaniel Greene Lee (1870, 1880, 1900, 1910) 7. Phillip Anaphur “Napper” Lee (1870, 1880) 8. Wiley Thomas Lee (twin with Maranda?) (1870, 1880) 9. Catherine Miranda Lee (1870) (Listed as Maranda Lee in 1880) 10. Sarah “Mamie” Lee (1870, 1880) 11. Mary Susannah “Minnie” Lee (1870, 1880) 12. Martha C. “Sis” Lee (1900, 1910)

Samuel Jefferson Lee in this list is referred to by some family lists as Samuel Jefferson Lee, Jr. This is troublesome. My 3rd Great grandfather Samuel Lee, Sr. had a son named Samuel Jefferson Lee, Jr. Therefore if my 2nd Great grandfather Robeson also named a son Samuel Jefferson Lee Jr, then there were two Samuel Jr.’s alive at the same time and they were uncle and nephew. Because of this, I believe that Robeson’s son Samuel was not named “junior.”

Lee family data can be found on the following Charles Lewis website: http://lewis187.home.mchsi.com/Campbell/Lee-3.htm

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Copy of a family record given to me by Luther Lee. I do not know the source, only that it is very old. Note that it states that says Catherine West died June 27, 1901, and a hand note on the left margin asks “Do you know where she is buried?” The death year is wrong. Evidently it was not known by everyone that she was buried beside her husband at the Old Lee Cemetery . This document states that Katie Lee’s mom is Martha Patricia “Patsy” Overstreet which agrees with Charles Lewis’ data.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Another list given to Luther Lee; source unknown:

Children of Robert Lee and Catherine West

1. Sabree Sharee Saber Lee 2. Steve Stephen Naper Lee born Dec 11, 1846 3. Clara Jane Lee Mar 5, 1847 4. Samuel Jefferson Lee 1851 5. Albert C Lee 1854 6. Nathan Green Lee Sep 1857 died Feb 18, 1935 7. Phillip Nelson Lee Jan 19, 1859 8. Wiley Wildly Wylie Lee Sep 16, 1861 9. Catherine Miranda Lee 1863 10. Sarah Lee 1867 11. Mary Susannah Lee Nov 30, 1868 died Dec 16, 1958 12. Martha C. Lee Jul 9, 1870

It appears that the composer of this list tried to incorporate every “variation” of one’s name that he or she knew; and since others may know of one or more of the individuals above by one or more of those variations, I decided to post it in my notes. It might help some future family researcher.

They composer of the list did get the number of children right. However, there are some mistakes.

Phillip Lee’s middle is not Nelson. My Great grandpa’s real name is Phillip Anaphur Lee. He went by the nickname “Napper.” Several family sources incorrectly list my Great grandpa’s middle name as “Nelson.” A 1910 Wayne County Census has his middle initial incorrectly as “N.”

Notice Sabree Lee’s name. I think Sabra is the correct spelling of her name. I have her middle initial listed as “R” on some documents.

Steve Lee’s middle initial is “M.” ”In Who Married Whom in Wayne County, Mississippi written by Jody Strickland and Patricia Edwards, 1994, Steve Lee’s middle name is listed as “Napier.” This list states his middle name to be “Naper.” Did he have a nickname of “Napier?” There are some family lists that incorrectly state my Great Grandpa Phillip “Napper” Lee’s middle name is Napier. Too many Napiers for me!!!

Steve Lee’s wife’s (Fronia) headstone has “wife of S M Lee” inscribed on it; which verifies his middle initial.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

From Who Married Whom in Wayne County, Mississippi written by Jody Strickland and Patricia Edwards, 1994:

Name Birth Year Year Married Spouse’s Name Spouse’s Birth Year Sarah Slay Samuel Lee Sr. 1775 Robeson County, NC Patricia Overstreet- West

Name Birth Year Year Married Spouse’s Name Spouse’s Birth Year Roberson E. Lee 1818 1846 Catherine West 1832 Children of Rob and Katie Lee:

Saphronia Margaret Stephen Napier Lee 1846 1867 1851 Saxon Clarissa Jane Lee 1849 1867 John Wesley Brownlee 1845 Sabra R. Lee 1850 1867 James Monroe Brownlee 1845 Samuel Jefferson Lee 1851 1876 Virginia “Jennie” Davis 1859 Albert C. Lee 1854 1876 Mary Davis Nathan S. Lee 1857 1908 Minnie Williams

1887 1. Florence McLemore 1862 Phillip Lee 1859 2. Polly Ann 1892 1870 Overstreet Wiley T. Lee 1861 1890 Mary A. 1867 Catherine Miranda Lee 1863 Sara Lee 1867 1884 B. Frank James 1865 Martha Lee 1870 Unmarried

Name Birth Year Year Married Spouse’s Name Spouse’s Birth Year

Saphronia Margaret Stephen Napier Lee 1846 1867 1851 Saxon Children of Steve and Fronia Lee John Lee 1879 Josephine Mozingo 1880 Robert G 1874 1900 Eva Busby 1883? Catherine 1875 1892 James T. Jones

Note: this document states that Steven Lee’s middle name is, “Napier.” On the headstone of Steve Lee’s first wife is engraved: “Fronia Wife of S M Lee.” Other documents list Steve Lee’s middle initial as “M” also.

This document states that Samuel Lee Sr. was married to Sarah Slay (not Sarah Burns) and then to Patricia Overstreet West. This agrees with the Lewis data.

This document is the second source that states that my great grandfather, Phillip Lee, was married twice.

Marriage data for Mary Susannah “Minnie” Lee is missing. She married Christopher Columbus Campbell on Oct 7, 1888.

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Tommie Lewis’ list for the children of Rob and Katie Lee:

Catherine “Katie” 1830-1910 Robert E. Lee60 1818-1897

Steve Martha “Duck” Sam Albert “Napper” Green Wiley Sis Sarah Mary S “Minnie”

Tommie hand wrote the above list from memory. She had said that her mother, Mary Susannah “Minnie” (Lee) Campbell, did not write down any names of her siblings. I strongly suspect that Tommie never met all of her mother’s siblings.

“Napper” is my Great grandfather, Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee.

Tommie remembered that her Aunt Martha was called “Duck.” Thus I have conflicting information as to who Aunt Duck is. Tommie is not alone about this as there is an entry made in a list of the graves for the Old Lee Cemetery that states Martha is “Aunt Duck.” However that list was sent to me by one of Tommie’s grandsons so that entry may have been from Tommie Lewis herself.

Tommie lists a daughter she called “Sis.” Tommie does not have Clarissa Jane, Sabra R. or Catherine Miranda on her list. Obviously one of these women was known to Tommie or Tommie’s mother as “Sis.”

60 Robert E. Lee is Robeson Earl Lee. 99

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

My Grandmother Estelle (Busby) Lee also left me with the following hand written list of Rob and Katie’s children. It is slightly different than Tommie Campbell’s list but almost the same.

Steve Sam Albert Phillip or P.A. Green Whiley Clara Jane (Duck Brownlee) Minnie Campbell Sarah James Martha (Aunt Sis) Lee [Aunt Sis never married]

Clarissa Jane was also called Clara Lue!

Grandma may have known most of Grandpa’s aunts and uncles on her list above; perhaps all.

Both Grandma and Tommie Lewis cite 10-children, which is not a complete list for Rob and Katie’s children. Census data shows there were 12. Thus neither Grandma nor Tommie knew about all of Rob and Katie’s children. Missing from Grandma’s list are Sabra R. and Catherine Miranda.

Grandma personally knew Martha and Clarissa (Clara Lue) Jane and mentioned them to me on a few occasions.

My Grandmother told me that Martha C. Lee was nicknamed “Sis.” Tommie Lewis called Martha “Duck” in her list and implied that “Sis” was someone else other than Martha. My Grandmother said that Clara Jane Lee, who married John Wesley Brownlee, was called “Duck Brownlee.” It matters little who’s right or wrong about this, but for a future researcher they ought to be aware that some sources have these two interchanged with nicknames. In Steve Lee’s obituary in 1939, Clarissa is referred to as “Mrs. Duck Brownlee of Laurel.”

Neither my Grandmother nor Tommie Lewis mentioned a child named Bettie in their list. Bettie is listed as a 15-year old child in 2nd Great grandma Katie’s household in the 1900 census. I have already conceded that my Grandma and Tommie did not know all of Katie’s children. However, because of Bettie’s age in 1900, if Bettie were a child, I strongly believe that either Grandma or Tommie would have known about her and put her on their list. This reinforces my belief that Bettie was a granddaughter to 2nd Great grandma Katie.

Missing from my Grandmother’s list are Sabra R. Lee and Catherine Miranda Lee. Sabra R. Lee married James “Jim” Monroe Brownlee when she was 17-years old. In the 1880 Census, she shows up in her parents’ household as a 30-year old widow. Since neither Grandma nor Tommie Lewis have Sabra in their lists, perhaps Sabra remarried (perhaps moved away) and the later generations lost track of her. Sabra’s death data are unknown to me.

100

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Wiley Thomas Lee is 8th child of Robert and Katie Lee. He is Great grandpa Phillip’s (Napper) younger brother. Wiley Lee is buried at the Old Lee Cemetery. He is my great granduncle.

Obituary of Wiley Thomas Lee (1861-1946)

WILEY THOMAS LEE

Quitman – Wiley Thomas Lee, 85 of Eight- Mile Ala., services and interment at Lee cemetery, survivors, wife, Mrs. Mary Lee, daughters, Mrs. Kate Helfer, Baltimore, Mrs. Ruby Taylor, Manchester, Ga., Mrs. Josephine Taylor, Meridian and Mrs. Annie Bryant, Eight – Mile, sons, S.J., DeSoto, Bob Oscar and Charles, Mobile, Jesse, Stonewall In possession of Patsy Lewis Smith Moore, March 2001. From possessions of her Grandmother, Mary Susannah “Minnie Lee Campbell Wiley Thomas Lee was her maternal uncle.

Wiley Thomas Lee son of Robeson and Catherine Lee; Old Lee Cemetery My great granduncle.

101

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Marker for Goldie Campbell Granddaughter of Robeson and Catherine Lee My grandfather’s first cousin Old Lee Cemetery My 1st cousin 2 times removed

Pearl "Goldie" Campbell

 Born 7/13/1889 Wayne Co MS  Married c. 1910 in Wayne Co MS to G. C. Starling b. c. 1885  Married c. 1923 in Clarke Co MS to Bob Arrington b. 1865 in Mississippi  Died 1/7/1932 Wayne Co MS  Buried Lee Cemetery, Wayne Co MS

GPS Coordinates for the Old Lee Cemetery: N31.71146 W088.6669

102

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Today, July 4, 2013, is the one-hundredth and fifth anniversary of the battle of Vicksburg.61 To honor that, I tried to transcribe my Great-great grandfather’s parole paper.

Vicksburg, Mississippi, July A. D. 1863

To All Whom it may Concern, Know Ye That: I, Roberson Lee, [Private Company H 5th Regiment, Mississippi State Troopers], being a Prisoner of War, in the hands of the United States Forces, in virtue of the capitulation of the City of Vicksburg and its garrison, by Lieut. Gen John C. Pemberton, C.S.A., Commanding, on the 4th day of July, 1863, do in pursuance of the terms of said capitulation, give this my solemn parole under oath----- That I will not take up arms again against the United States, nor serve in any military, police or constabulary force in any Fort, Garrison or field work, held by the Confederate States of America, against the United States of America, nor as a guard of prisons, depots or stores, nor discharge any duties usually performed by Officers or soldiers against the United States of America, until duly exchanged by the proper authorities.

Signed: Roberson Lee

Sworn to and ascribed before me at Vicksburg, Miss., this 10th day of July, 1863. Signed by John B Sanborn; 59” Reg’t Indiana Vol. Col and Paroling Officer

Note: all the information in blue type is my best guesses as to what was written in the original document. It was unintelligible to read on the original document so I made a guess.

I have some confidence that the paroling officer’s first name is “John” but cannot be sure of the middle initial or the last name. The last name “looks” like “Sineforn” on the original document. However, I examined the roster for members of the 59th Indiana Regiment at the Vicksburg National Park; there is no “John Sineforn.” There is however a Colonel John B. Sanborn. Thus I assume that Col Sanborn may have signed 2nd Great grandpa’s parole document above as the Paroling Officer.

61 I have been writing this document for many years; starting in the year 2007. 103

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Robeson “Robert” Earl Lee was born when James Monroe was president in 1818. John Quincy Adams was president from 1825-1829; Andrew Jackson from 1829-1837; Martin Van Buren 1837-1841; William Henry Harrison March 1841-April 1841; John Tyler 1841-1845; James K. Polk 1845-1849; Zachary Taylor 1849-1850; Millard Fillmore 1850-1853; Franklin Pierce 1853-1857; James Buchanan 1857-1861; Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865; Andrew Johnson 1865-1869; Ulysses S. Grant 1869-1877; Rutherford B. Hayes 1877-1881; James A. Garfield March 4,1881-September 19, 1881; Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885; Grover Cleveland 1885-1889; Benjamin Harrison 1889-1893; Grover Cleveland 1893-1897; and William McKinley from 1897-1901.

Robeson saw a unique situation with respect to the presidents; two presidents at the same time. He lived almost the entire span of the 1800s, thus he also lived to “see” 21 US Presidents!

Robeson Lee also served under President Jefferson Finis Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America from 1861-1865.

104

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Witness to History, by Private Charles I. Evans, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Waul’s Texas Legion

On May 22nd (1863) in Vicksburg, the Union forces pounded a Confederate position with an intense bombardment for about two hours. Witnesses said “the very earth rocked and pulsated like a thing of life.” After the bombardment, Union troops from Illinois charged into the Confederate defenders that were from Texas.

The Rebels were ready despite the previous very heavy cannon barrage. When the Yanks were about 50-feet away, the Rebs popped up from their trenches and barricades and cut lose. The Texans decimated the front of the Union line. As the smoke cleared nothing but bodies could be observed by the Confederates, but then the sight of one Union soldier walking towards them carrying the colors was apparent in the distance.

He kept coming; stumbling over the dead bodies of his fallen companions. As the May breeze cleared out more smoke, about 100 Texans took aim at him and fired.

He still kept coming!

Suddenly all at once, every Confederate soldier started yelling at each other,

“Don’t shoot at that man again. He is too brave to be killed that way.”

It was like there was a sudden common thought that each Confederate had; they did not want him “shot down like a dog.”

As he continued to approach, the Rebs took off their hats, some tossed them in the air, cheered and yelled, “Come on, you Yank, come on.”

And he did.

The Rebels “wrung his hand and congratulated him.” The Texans were astonished to find that he had not suffered a single wound.

The man was Thomas J. Higgins, the color bearer of the Ninety-ninth Illinois.

Higgins was eventually awarded the Medal of Honor.

105

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Steve M. Lee

Stephen M. Lee is my great-granduncle; the bother of my great Grandfather, Phillip “Napper” Lee. Steve Lee was born on the Lee Plantation on December 11, 1846. Steve is Rob and Katie Lee’s oldest child.

Steve Lee and his wife Saphronia Margaret (Saxon) Lee

Steve Lee joined the Confederate Army at the tender age of 14. During the War, he primarily worked on the railroads in the Meridian, Mississippi area. There were Union forces that came though, and several skirmishes resulted. There is a Confederate Cemetery just outside of Meridian so at least some skirmishes were serious events. Luther Lee told me his grandpa Steve related a story that the Union Army came through (Meridian) and burned down a Confederate hospital killing most of the wounded soldiers there. In the year 2010, this story was verified to me by a former high schoolmate of mine, Mike Boyles, Adjunct for the Samuel H. Powe Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Mike told me that the event was part of General Sherman’s “total war” march the sea.62 Sherman had marched from Vicksburg where he had engaged against Confederate forces in the Vicksburg siege. Thus Sherman was likely an opponent to both Steve and his father Robeson Lee during the War.

Both Steve and his father Robeson returned home to the Lee Plantation after the Civil War.

Steve married Saphronia Margaret Saxon in 1867. She was born in 1851. They had a huge family. Luther told me their children were: John Lee, G. Lee, George Lee, Chester Lee, Bill Lee (Luther Lee’s dad), Kate Lee, Laurie Lee, Sadie Lee and Mary Lee (known as Aunt Pet).

Steve’s wife “Fronia” died on August 27, 1907. Sometime after, Steve married a second time to a woman that was named Jettie; she was called Jet. I do not know her maiden name.

62 As a former military officer, I can state that if Sherman used those tactics today, he’d be convicted of war crimes. 106

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The above picture is Steve Lee’s old house that is on land that belonged to Luther Lee in 2009. The property now is owned by one of Luther’s heirs. The house is not that far from the Wayne County Reservoir.

In July 2009, Jerry Delancey and I decided to try to find it; it was not an easy task. It is in heavily wooded area and the house had not been seen since right after Hurricane Katrina in late August or early September 2005. It was so difficult to locate that Jerry and I were right on top of the house before we realized it because of the extremely thick vegetation. I fear this historical family home site will soon be lost. Steve Lee raised a family here. I can visualize my Dad and even my Grandpa Gerod Lee as little boys playing outside this house and walking on the porch. The house was built not long after the end of the Civil War.

107

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

When Steve Lee died his second wife, Jettie “Jet” Lee, buried him beside his first wife, Saphronia “Fronia” Saxon. Fronia died almost 32-years before Steve.

Headstone of Steve Lee; Arrington Cemetery63; Beat Four Wayne County

63 Arrington Cemetery is off the Eucutta road to the right just after the Eucutta road intersects Highway-84. To get to the Eucutta Road from Waynesboro, go west on Highway-84 towards Laurel, Mississippi. When you get to the Beat Four School, which will be on the right, take the second road on the right (not counting the drive way into the school’s football field). At the present time (July 2010) there is a Dollar General Store at the Eucutta Road intersection with Highway-84 in the Whistler Community. 108

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Note that the obituary states that interment was at Boyles Chapel Cemetery. The name of the cemetery today is the Arrington Cemetery. Also, Steve Lee’s sister, Sarah Jones, mentioned in the obituary should be Sarah James (not Jones).

109

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The Tommie Lewis Letter

The following was sent to me by Dr. Ed Smith, my 3rd cousin that lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. Ed and I share a common great-great grandfather: Robeson (Robert) Earl Lee.

The stories relate, sometimes in graphic detail, things that Tommie’s mother and older sisters told her about Samuel Lee, and his youngest son, Robert, and their families. Tommie’s mother is Mary (Lee) Campbell. Mary is a daughter of Robeson Lee and the sister of Steve Lee and my Great grandfather Phillip “Napper” Lee. Mary grew up on the Lee Plantation. It is apparent that Tommie’s mother and older sisters did not have a high opinion of Sam or Rob Lee. However, consider that the days described in the letter reflect a most difficult time for women as a whole; regardless of whom they married. In that different time, it was not uncommon for women to be expected to submit totally to their husbands and to desire having a large number of children. A woman’s life back then was most difficult. It is hard for us to imagine now.

Grandma “Tommie” ( Lenora “Tommie” Campbell Lewis 1907-2000) wrote and mailed this to me in 1986. Her parents were Christopher Columbus Campbell (1868-1950) and Mary Susannah “Minnie” Lee Campbell (1869-1958). Grandma Tommie , her parents, and some of her siblings are buried in Stonewall Cemetery, Clarke County, Mississippi.

Ed Smith, Knoxville, TN.

My Maternal Ancestors

My maternal great-grandfather Samuel Lee and his wife Sarah Shay were among the first white settlers in Wayne County, Mississippi. They came there from North Carolina. I'm not sure of the date but it had to be around 1800. They stopped to settle on the Chickasawhay river (the river that runs through Enterprise) while the brother that came with him went on further west to build up a plantation near Nathez [sic].

He was prosperous, had a lot of land and Negro slaves to work it. He had a good many acres in apples and other fruits and a winery where he made the wine and cider he sold in the store he built on the limestone bluff by the river to the people he put across on his ferry. But his pride and joy was his race horses he raised and his race track that people from far and near came to [sic] race or just have a good time guzzling cider and betting or trading horses. Mama told us of Old Sam strapping her father64 in the saddle when he was so small there was danger of him falling off and letting him ride in the races. There were few things the old men cared more for than drinking, swapping lies, racing and trading horses, unless it was begetting more children!

Robert E., Mama's dad, was no. 21. He was born in 1818. His mother died soon after he was born and his grown sisters raised him.

Mama’s maternal grandfather was John West a doctor from Ireland. He came over sometime during the 1820’s and landed here with four children - Vinson, Charles, Peggy and

64 Tommie Lewis’ mother is Minnie (Lee) Campbell. Minnie is the daughter of Rob and Katie Lee. Thus the child “Old Sam” strapped to a horse to ride in the races was my 2nd great grandfather, Robeson Lee. 110

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Mary. His wife and baby died while coming over and were buried at sea. I don't know where he landed but he settled between Waynesboro, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama. He later married Patsy Overstreet.

The Overstreets, like the Lees, were among the first white settlers in Wayne County. I don't know what eastern state they came from but they were educated people and built and ran the first and probably only school - then called Academy - in the entire south.

Two of Patsy Overstreet's brothers had married daughters of Sam Lee65, and after John West died they built a house for her and her kids near them in the Lee settlement and moved them there. Needless to say old Sam latched onto her and she soon had three children for him.

Some time later in the late 1830's the older Lee brothers and some of Patsy's kin were stricken with the "going west" fever and headed out in search of new homes. By the time they had reached and crossed the big river they were worn out from walking and riding and Patsy and her kin decided to stop in Louisiana and rest up while Sam and his older sons and their families [sic] went on in search of the Promised Land.

When Sam was well on his way again Patsy only waited long enough for their livestock to fill their bellies on the hip-high Louisiana grass then she packed up and started her party on their way back home.

After several weeks Sam's party finally found the rich Texas soil they were looking for and settled down to building cabins. And now Sam thought it wise to go back to guide the ones left in Louisiana on before the cold winter set in. But when he got back to where he had left them he found only empty land. Like the lost colony of some of the first people that came to this country, they were simply gone, leaving no word or trace of where they had gone.66

I can imagine how put out the old man was when he found no welcoming arms of a loving wife waiting to greet him. But I'm sure that after a little thought he was able to figure out that they had gone back home. Patsy hadn't wanted to go to Texas in the first place, and Robert had flatly refused to leave the sisters that had raised him and stayed behind in the old home. So he too was soon headed out again but this time pushing his horse on back east toward Wayne County.

But Sam didn't find Patsy in the Lee home. Arriving back in Wayne County she had moved her family into a cabin abandoned by some fiddle-footer and his family and filed on the land. And that is where Sam found her.

He had to spend the winter in Wayne County but he couldn't get Texas out of his mind. When the warm weather arrived with spring he saddled up and headed west again, this time riding alone. He rode off with a promise to return for Patsy and the kids as soon as he had a

65 Lucy Catherine Lee married Braswell Overstreet. Betty “Anzeby” Lee married Daniel Madison Overstreet. Since Patsy is my 3rd great grandmother (she is Katie’s mother), her brothers Braswell and Daniel would be “double kin” to me via their marriage to Sam Lee’s daughters; “double great-great grand uncles!” 66 Tommie is referring to the lost Roanoke Colony in North Carolina. 111

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 place ready for them, and he vowed to take Robert along next time if he had to use force on him. I've wondered what means of force he had in his mind when he said those words, but he never lived to keep his promise or make good the threat. He made it back to Texas to his sons but only to die and be buried there.

Patsy finished raising her two West children, John and Catherine, and her three Lee children on the home she homesteaded about seven miles west of the Lee home and lived out her life there.

Before many years passed the two Lee sisters living on the old place moved away leaving the place and everything on it to Robert. Soon after that he married Catherine West. His father had been married to Catherine's mother, but they were no kin and had not been raised together. They had ten kids, my mother was their youngest.67

Robert E. Lee68

I'm sure Sam and the others thought Robert would follow soon after when they loaded up their women and children and household goods and drove away taking the slaves and horses with them, leaving him only the empty cabins and land, but he fooled them. He stayed on, hung on to the old home and never saw them again. I don't know how he managed during the early years after they were gone. I doubt that he made any wine or cider to sell and I know he didn't operate the ferry for the dock and ferry had rotted and had been washed away before Mama came along. It was only spoken of as Sam's ferry then and she didn't even know just where it had been. I suppose the people had to ford the river or row over in a boat until the iron bridge was built. I wish I knew what year that was. If it wasn't before the war it had to be soon after for Grandma69 sent her children to school in Waynesboro and they had to cross that bridge for they were never allowed to wade, swim, ride horses over or cross in a boat.

And I don't know how long it was after Sam died before they got word of his death. A message or letter was probably sent by the first person headed that way. Anyway he finally learned his father had died and left him two slaves and a pair of the horses, but he never went for them. When his boys were big enough to work they did the farming and raised livestock while he kept a jackass and rode a regular circuit over two or three counties and bred mares. Mules were in great demand then to replace the slow work oxens. A poor farmer with only one mare could let her raise a couple of mules to pull the wagon and the plows, leaving the mare for him to use only as a saddle horse.

After Robert and Catherine were married they came to be commonly known by the names they adopted for each other - Rob and Katie. They had the same number of children that John and Louie had, six boys and four girls. Mama was their youngest.

67 Mary Susanna “Minnie” Lee. She was not the youngest child of Rob and Katie Lee according to my data. There was a daughter younger than Minnie; Martha Lee. I also have records of as many as 12 children. 68 Robert E. Lee’s “real name” is Robeson Earl Lee, my 2nd great grandfather. 69 Katie Lee. 112

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Grandma Katie

Now I come to Katie, and I've often wondered what she really was, angel or devil. Thinking back now I have to say that she was plenty of both, and that made her one [sic] hell of a woman. I have no record of where her mother's parents came from when they came to Mississippi; I only know they were there among the first settlers.70 Her father71 was the doctor from Ireland. I only have a copy of the births of his kids born in Ireland from his old Bible. The first in 1800, and the last in 1817. However, I know there was at least one more either born there or on the ship coming over. The baby that was buried at sea wasn't listed in the Bible. So he must have come sometime around 1820 or not much later. Katie was born in 1830 and died in 1910. I only faintly remember walking into the room with Mama and seeing her "laid out." I have no recollection of ever being with her when she was alive. What I know of her was told me by Mama and my oldest sister.

She spent some time at the academy run by an uncle and aunt but wasn't taught to read and write and do sums. The aunt didn't think it necessary for girls to be taught such things when their sole purpose in life was caring for a home and raising children. A good homemaker would have no time to waste on reading. So the aunt taught the girls to cook, keep a clean house, spin yarn, weave cloth, and do fancy needle work while the uncle taught the boys reading, penmanship, and doing sums. In other words the girls were used as servants to do all the work.

They were taught absolutely nothing about the most vitally important problems they would be faced with when they grew up, that of sex and having babies. The old time parents thought the only way to keep a girl virtuous was to keep her ignorant. So she wasn't taught that sex was supposed to be an expression of love to create a new life. It was morally right for her to go to the marriage bed completely ignorant as it was the man's privilege to be the first to teach her about such things.

But ye gods. Just think of a mother turning her innocent daughter over to some ignorant backwoods clodhopper to be taught about love and creation. Just try to imagine it. There was no loving. The man simply jumped aboard and after took off in one hell of a hurry to get to town.

He had not thought of teaching the girl anything, and he wasn't thinking of the pitiful, idiotic child he might be responsible for coming into the world that he wasn’t able to provide a home and care for. The truth he wasn't thinking at all because he himself had not been taught things he should have [sic] been; therefore he had no intelligence to think with. He only had feelings. Once satisfied he promptly fell asleep and started snoring loudly while the girl lying by his side was weeping silently and thinking, "Oh, God, is this all there is to married life?”

Yes, the girls were kept in ignorance of the things they needed to know to prepare them for married life. They had never even heard of such a thing as birth control. And because of that ignorance they were condemned to a life of servitude that was simply hell on earth.

70 Katie’s mother is Patsy Overstreet West. Patsy’s parents are John Overstreet and Catherine Carr. They came to Wayne County in about 1819 from Georgia. 71 “Her father” was Katie’s father, Dr. John West. He settled in Greene County, Mississippi. 113

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

But in spite of all handicaps and her Irish temper Katie must have been a good mother for she raised all of her brood and most of them lived to be old. She used a switch on them when they were unruly because the good book72 said to spare the rod would spoil the child. She never turned any filthy, no-good bum away from her door because it also said to not turn aside any wayfarer seeking shelter.

Because of that and the fact that their place was only three miles from Waynesboro it was used as a place for free supper, bed and breakfast for any bum who came along. Court times and elections were the busy times. All the backwoods men would ride to Waynesboro on Election Day whether they were eligible to vote or not just to find out which crook would be elected sheriff. Mama said they really caught it in the fall when the district judge came to hold yearly court that usually took several days to wind up. Then those that did not have cases coming up or were not summoned as witnesses came anyway just to find out which hog or chicken thief would be sent to jail. And those that lived too far to go on home and come back the next day would stop off at the "Free Inn" so they could go back to town the next day to tend court. That mean the boys would have to take quilts and sleep in the cotton house so the "wayfarers" could have their beds.

She was the one that kept great-grandpa's medical books even though she couldn't read them and for a long time she was the nearest thing to a doctor in Wayne county. She knew all the medical root sand herbs and made her medicine with them and whiskey. She was well known and was always sent for when there was an accident or serious sickness. She kept her mare and side-saddle, and she would simply pack one saddle bag with her medicines, a changing of clothes in the other, tell the young ones to mind their oldest sister or what woman was living in at the time, lead Molly up to the porch or the chop block at the wood yard, mount and take off. Mama said she would sometimes be gone for several days. If the patient was in need of nursing care that the family could not do she would stay and see them through the crises or until they passed on.

What I would give now for a look at those old medical books my great-grandfather brought from Ireland about 170 years ago. Katie loaned them to a midwife that could read and never got them back. I don’t suppose her children treasured them enough to get them back to keep.

Back then there were no decent jobs for girls who were left homeless. If they couldn't get married or be taken by some other family, they had to whore for a living.

One day a young woman walked up with a boy baby she said belonged to Rob and demanded that they take the child in and raise him as they had a good home and plenty and she was too poor to provide for him. The house was about three hundred yards from the road with a lane fenced on both sides from the yard to the road. Katie ordered her off and whipped her all the way to the county road. The woman ran lugging the child with Katie running behind flogging her up and down the back with her yard broom.

72 The Bible. 114

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

When Rob's illegitimate son was four or five years old Katie saw him and one look was all she needed to know that he did belong to Rob. She blamed him for taking advantage of the poor, half-wit girl while out breeding the jackass and deciding to do a little breeding on his own. So she took the child into their home to be raised with their own. He was about the same age as her youngest son Wiley73. They grew up together and could not have been more alike if they had been identical twins born from the same mother. And I sometimes wonder if Katie took the child in out of the goodness of her heart or if she wanted him in their home to be a constant reminder to Rob of his wrong doing.

That was Jack Kelly. Once during childhood illness he was real sick and called for his mother. Katie sent one of the older boys for her but she wouldn't come. She was weaving on her loom and said she didn't have time to go. She told the boys to go back and tell Jack to not worry that Katie would take good care of him. When he was grown up he married and moved away.

73 Wiley Thomas Lee. 115

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Generation 6: Phillip Anaphur “Napper” Lee January 19, 1858 – February 17, 1935

My Dad, Lennard Woodrow Lee, Senior, remembered that his Grandpa Napper had a walking stick. Grandpa Napper would poke it at Dad in fun, and my Dad would “take it” from Grandpa Napper and Grandpa Napper would “chase Dad” around the house and sometimes in the yard to get the stick back.

Phillip Anaphur Lee is my Great grandfather.

There is a lot of confusion in the Lee family about my Great grandpa’s real name. He was known by everyone by his nickname, “Napper,” so much so, that my Father did not know his grandpa’s name was Phillip until my Dad was in his fifties. It is even stranger that my Grandmother, Estelle (Busby) Lee, told my Mother that Great grandpa’s first name was Phillip sometime soon after my parents were married, but Grandma NEVER told her son!

Permit me to expand on this difficulty caused by the confusion of my Great grandfather’s name. It caused me some trouble when researching him. Perhaps I can save a future family researcher the same stumbling stones. When I found my Great grandparents’ headstone in 2007, it had “P.A. Lee” inscribed on one side and “Pollie An Lee” on the other. However, the 1910 Wayne County Census has my Great grandpa listed as “Phillip N Lee.” Furthermore, a distant cousin has a list of the children of “Robert and Katie Lee,” and my Great grandpa’s name is listed as “Phillip Nelson Lee.” Other family lists have his name as Phillip Napier Lee. (Robert and Katie Lee’s real names are Robeson Earl Lee and Catherine (West) Lee.)

Luther Lee knew my Great grandpa personally, so I asked Luther what my Great grandpa’s name was, and Luther told me without hesitation, “Phillip Anaphur Lee.” That obviously matches “P.A. Lee” on my great grandpa’s headstone.

A couple years ago, I found an article in The History of Wayne County, Mississippi 1809- 1999, titled, “The Robert E. Lee Family,” p. 543. In that article my Great grandpa Phillip’s name is listed as “Phillip Anaphur Lee.” However, later in the article it states Phillip’s name is “Phillip Naphur Lee.” I wondered, what is going on?

I think that the “Naphur” in the article is a typo. They just left out the “A” in Anaphur which yielded “Naphur” when mentioning my Great grandpa’s name later in the article, and no one caught the mistake. However, if it was common for some people to call him “Naphur” for short, then I can understand how that may have “evolved into” “Napier.” It does not explain however, how some thought his middle name was Nelson. The 1920 Federal Census for Wayne County, Mississippi has Great grandpa’s name spelled as “Nakar!” Go figure!

The 1900 Census lists my Great grandpa as “Phillip A. Lee.” Also the 1930 Census lists Great grandpa’s name as “P.A. Lee.” Both those would agree with his headstone! Where the 1910 Census came up with “Phillip N Lee,” I don’t know. I think the error with the “N” may have derived from the fact that “everyone” called him Napper and the census taker just assumed his middle initial was “N.” I have no explanation for the 1920 Nakar variation.

116

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Great grandpa Napper was born on Jan 19, 1858 in Wayne County, Mississippi on the Old Lee Plantation. He would have grown up on the Old Lee Plantation because he was still living on the Plantation in 1880 when he was 22-years old. He would have been somewhere in the middle of all his siblings; my lists have him as Rob and Katie’s 7th child. He was born two years before the start of the Civil War, but he was about seven years old when the War ended in 1865. Thus, he could have remembered parts of the War well; he most certainly would have remembered suffering some of the hardships the War brought upon the entire family.

Grandpa Napper’s father and oldest brother served in the Confederate Army during the War. After the War, both Robeson Lee and Steve Lee were given monthly pensions for the rest of their lives as a result of their military service to the Confederacy.74

Great grandpa Phillip married Florence McLemore in 1887. I do not know of the circumstances that ended that marriage. Divorce was very rare at that time, so I suspect it was death. I was not aware of her until recently when I found two sources with her listed as Great grandpa’s first wife. I was surprised to discover that. I have no sources stating that Phillip and Florence had any children.

Great grandpa Phillip married my Great grandma Pollie An Overstreet in 1892. She was born on December 14, 1870 and died in Wayne County on November 12, 1931. From a conversation that I had with my Aunt Polly (Lee) Lott on May 19, 2013, Great grandpa Napper lived on, or next to, the Lee Plantation by the Chickasawhay River near Waynesboro, Mississippi.

I have spelled my Great grandmother’s name as “Pollie An Lee.” This is the way it is spelled on her headstone. I strongly suspect it was really spelled “Polly Ann,” but she could have spelled it “Pollie An,” or any other way she wanted to. Not knowing her preference, I submit to the headstone spelling. She was also known as “Pruda,” which was also the nickname of her grandmother, Prudence “Pruda” (Kelly) Overstreet. It was described to me that Great grandma Pollie was dark skinned and showed heavy Indian features. Her father is William J. Overstreet. It was said by relatives that he was half Choctaw Indian and was affectionately known by everyone as “Choctaw Bill.” Obviously, Choctaw Bill is my Great-great grandpa. Choctaw Bill married twice; to Eliza Ratcliff and then to Sallie Trigg. Eliza is my Great- great grandma. It appears that Sallie Trigg was previously married as she shows up as “Mrs. Trigg” in Wayne County records.

My 2nd Great grandpa Choctaw Bill was also a Confederate Civil War veteran. He was a private in Company A, the 46th Mississippi Infantry from Nov 17, 1861 to May 4, 1865. It was said that he and some of his fellow soldiers “gave up” near the end of the war and walked home. However, his enlistment dates suggests that he served until the war’s end.

Choctaw Bill had substantial Indian blood; but he was not half Choctaw. His grandmother is

74 I am not sure if the pensions were from the U.S. Government or the state of Mississippi; but I am certain that they did receive them. One might think that the U.S. Government would not give former Confederate soldiers a pension for fighting against them, but there was much respect for soldiers on both sides of the Civil War during these veterans’ lifetimes. 117

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Sarah Buie; the wife of my 4th Great grandpa Braswell Overstreet and the daughter of Chief Buie of the Creek Nations! Choctaw Bill may not have known he was the great grandson of a Creek Indian Chief, but then again, how could he have a nickname “Creek Bill;” just doesn’t sound the same, does it?  He was at least one-quarter American Indian; but it is extremely likely that there was more than one Indian blood line in his lineage; very likely some Choctaw.

Great grandma Pollie An was nineteen years old when she married Great grandpa Phillip Lee. My Great grandparents Napper and Pollie An share a pair of their 2nd Great grandparents, Henry Overstreet II and Jane Braswell, therefore they are 3rd cousins. I suspect that they never knew that.

I have nothing to indicate the education level for my Great grandparents but a 1910 census states that they both could read and write. That was not a given, perhaps even rare, in their time.

Phillip and Pollie An Lee had five sons. Four of them (Granduncles Thea, Rob, Mack and my Grandfather) I knew. The youngest son, called Buddy, died at a very young age years before my Father was born. A few years ago, my Mother told me that there was a daughter also in Great grandpa Phillip’s family. I could not find anything about a daughter, but looking at the 1910 Census, I found entries for my Great grandma that said:

“Polly A, 37, married for 18-years, born in MS, parents born in MS, can read and write, six kids, five living.”

So according to that Census, Phillip and Pollie An Lee had a child that had died before the year 1910. I strongly suspect that child was their daughter that I was not aware of until a few years ago.

On September 20, 2012, I had a conversion with Willie Ed Lee,75 my first cousin once removed. Willie Ed was 83-years old then, but as with a number of my elderly kin, he has a sharp memory. He verified to me that there was a daughter in his Uncle Napper’s family and that she died very young. He did not know her age at death. He thought perhaps her name was “Polly” but he was not sure. No one else in the family seems to recall her name or how she died.

I suspect she’s buried at the Old Lee Cemetery close to her parents and brother. There are markers close by Phillip and Pollie An’s grave with “Baby Lee” inscribed on them. Perhaps one of the markers is where she is buried.

I can be certain that Phillip and Pollie An had at least six children; 5 boys and 1 girl.

I do not know if my Great grandpa Napper was well off or poor. For most of my life, I tended to believe that he was poor. However, my Cousin Luther Lee told me of a story where Grandpa Napper took him to Laurel, Mississippi in a Ford Model T when Luther was in his teens. Luther was born in 1916, so this must have taken place in the late 1920s. Cars were very rare back then. If Grandpa Napper owed the car, it may have meant that he was relatively well

75 Willie Ed Lee; son of Robert E. Lee. Robert E. Lee was Phillip and Polly An’s second oldest son. 118

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 off. All of this is conjecture on my part. I remember my Dad telling me that when he was young (early 1930s) cars in Wayne County were rare! Dad implied that only “wealthy people” owned them. Dad never mentioned to me, however, that his Grandpa Napper owned one. But Dad did not talk about his childhood and relatives much.

Phillip and Pollie An are buried at the Old Lee Cemetery near the Chickasawhay River close to Waynesboro; the cemetery was once on the Lee Plantation. Phillip’s parents, Robeson Earl and Catherine (Katie) Lee, and a number of Phillip’s siblings and cousins are buried there too.

119

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

From my own memory, the following are the five sons of Phillip and Pollie An Lee.76

1. Theodore (Thea) Lee, born September 30, 1894. My granduncle Thea is buried at the Lee’s Chapel Cemetery on the Maynor Creek Road that runs from the Reservoir Road to Highway-63 at Clara, Mississippi. When I was a junior at Clara High School, Wayne County, Mississippi, I served as a pallbearer for Uncle Thea.

Uncle Thea married Golda Douglas. She was born on May 30, 1903. I do not know when she died or where she is buried. From my Grandma’s notes, they had six sons and four daughters.

Uncle Thea died on April 7, 1970.

2. Robert (Rob) E. Lee. Born on October 11, 1897. I remember my granduncle Rob, but barely. He is buried at the Rolling Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Quitman, Mississippi. A large number of his offspring live in the Stonewall -Quitman, Mississippi area.

Uncle Rob married Rebecca Lena Mozingo. From my Grandma’s notes, they had five boys and one girl.

Uncle Rob died on August 12, 1985.

3. Mack Henry Lee, born April 22, 1902. I remember my granduncle Mack very well. I’d usually see him a few times each week when I was in high school. He used to ride up in down the roads from his house to Waynesboro, Mississippi every day in an old black pickup that my Aunt Polly said was “held together with bell-wire.” Uncle Mack is buried at the Lee’s Chapel Cemetery in Wayne County. Uncle Mack died at the Wayne General Hospital on May 24, 1987. When Uncle Mack talked about someone he didn’t like he’d referred to them as, “that sum-beach…” I laugh to myself when I think of him using that term. He used it often.

On May 24, 1987, I drove my Aunt Inga (Uncle Ulysses Lee’s wife) to the Wayne General Hospital to see Uncle Mack. I was visiting on leave from the military that day. Aunt Inga said Uncle Mack was not doing very well so I suspected this might be my last time to see him since I was stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base and living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When we got to his room the nurses told us that he had JUST passed away. I looked in at Uncle Mack just moments after he’d taken his last breath. I was very fond of Uncle Mack. My Dad favored him physically; especially when my Dad was a young man.

When the Wayne County Reservoir was being built from the Maynor Creek stream, hundreds of acres of dense forest and swamp land was dug up to hold the water. My

76 I remember the sons of Phillip and Pollie An Lee, but I got the data for their families from other sources and did not verify any of it; so there could be errors. 120

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

granduncle Mack Lee went down to the site often and after the bull dozers cleared an area, he found many Indian artifacts such as arrow heads, etc. I remember Uncle Mack telling me that “I bet you there has not been a white man in those woods for over a hundred years or more.” He was likely correct.

Uncle Mack married Nancy Mozingo. From my Grandma’s notes, they had one son, and six girls. They divorced and grandaunt Nancy remarried to Andrew D. Anderson. She is buried with her second husband in the Lee’s Chapel Cemetery not a great distant away from Uncle Mack’s grave. I do not know how their divorce came about, but I never mentioned Aunt Nancy’s name around Uncle Mack because he never mentioned her in front of me. Aunt Nancy’s father, Babe Mozingo, was a relatively large landowner and employed many men chipping turpentine77 during and right after the Great Depression. My Grandpa Lee and my grandfather-in-law, Luke McClain, worked for “old man Babe” for about two-bits78 (25-cents) a day. I once foolishly said to my Grandpa that at least money went a long ways back then. Grandpa countered by saying, “Son, 25-cents would not even buy a loaf of bread in those days; how many loafs of bread can you buy today with a day’s wage?” Grandpa made his point.

4. Gerod Clifton Lee, Senior; my Grandfather. Grandpa’s headstone states he was born on December 22, 1901, but in fact I know he was born December 21, 1905. According to the official records now, my Grandpa is 4- months older than his older brother, Granduncle Mack. More about his birth year later in this document.

Gerod Lee married Ida Estelle Busby on July 18, 1927. They had four sons and two daughters. Gerod and Estelle Lee are buried at the Lee’s Chapel Cemetery.

5. James (Walter or Buddy) Waldrom Lee. I believe that Granduncle Buddy Lee was Phillip and Pollie An Lee’s youngest child. (It could be that the daughter was their youngest child.) According to my information, he died at the age of 17, probably from pneumonia. (Both my Grandfather Gerod Lee and my cousin Luther Lee told me this. Luther told me that he remembered the day Buddy died.) I remember my Grandfather telling me that Buddy was a teenager when he passed away and was only sick a few days before he died.

My Aunt Polly (Lee) Lott told me on 23 April 2012 that Buddy got carbuncle (a big old risen) that gave him blood poison and he died from that.

Buddy is on a list I have of family members buried at the Old Lee Cemetery near the Chickasawhay River, but the list states that his grave site is “unmarked.” I went to the cemetery to look for his grave and at first I could not find it either. However, I eventually did find his headstone. It is very difficult to read (as of January 2008). His headstone does not display his name as Buddy or even his other widely used name, Walter.

77 Chipping turpentine involved skinning a spot off a pine tree and catching the sap as it drained out into a container that was fixed to the tree. The turpentine was collected and sold. 78 Grandpa said he worked for “two-bits a day.” “Two-bits” was equal to a quarter or 25-cents. 121

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Most documents I’ve seen list his name as either Walter or Buddy. I have seen more than one family tree with his name listed as “Walter (Buddy) Lee.” My Grandfather Gerod Lee only called him Buddy, so until 2008, that’s all I knew.

While there is no headstone in the Old Lee Cemetery with the name “Buddy Lee” or “Walter Lee,” I found a headstone with “James Waldrom the son of P.A. and Pollie An Lee” engraved on it. This headstone is next to the graves of my Great grandparents, P. A. and Pollie An Lee.

Since Phillip and Pollie An Lee only had five sons, and four of them I knew personally (Granduncles Thea, Rob, and Mack, and my Grandfather Gerod), by default the headstone of “James Waldrom” has to be Buddy Lee.

Also, Buddy Lee died at the age 17. The headstone for James Waldrom states he was born on November 2, 1907 and died on February 18, 1925. The birth and death dates on James Waldrom Lee’s headstone match the family records for the birth and death dates for Walter (Buddy) Lee exactly. Therefore, Buddy Lee, or Walter Lee, has to be James Waldrom Lee.

The 1910 Census list a child for Phillip and Polly Lee that was 2-years old named “Waldan.” I guess that was an effort to spell Waldrom; or perhaps the headstone has his middle name misspelled. Buddy (or Walter) would have been 2-years old at the time of that census.

The wonderful 1920 census has Buddy’s name listed as “Wallis.” That same census has my Great grandpa’s name listed as “Nakar.” It seems the Beat Four census taker for Wayne County that year must have been an elementary school dropout!

Buddy’s name situation reminds me of an old Beatles song, “Rocky Raccoon.” It talks about the girl of Rocky’s fancy; and a part of it goes;

Her name was Magil, and she called herself Lil, but everyone knew her as Nancy…..

6. There is an unknown daughter born to Phillip and Pollie An Lee. No details are available as to when she was born and how old she was when she died. It is assumed that she died young. My Grandfather mentioned her once to my parents and an elderly cousin remembered her but was not sure of her name or details about her. My cousin thought her name MAY have been Polly.

122

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Headstone for James Waldrom Lee Son of P.A. and Pollie An Lee Old Lee Cemetery Known as “Buddy” Lee Also called “Walter”

It is almost impossible to read my Granduncle Buddy’s headstone now.

123

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

My Great grandparents and their children. Great Grandma Pollie has her hand on my Grandfather’s (Gerod Lee) shoulder.) I think the picture was taken about 1910. The 1910 Wayne County Census records the following ages: Phillip-51, Polly-37, Theadore-15, Robert-12, Mack-8, Gerod-4, and Walden (or Buddy)-2. I date this picture solely to my guess with respect to the 1910 census to be 1910-1912.

124

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

For the Phillip “Napper” Lee family, here are the birth and death dates according to their headstones. Note that I have highlighted my Grandfather’s birthdate and my Granduncle Mack’s birthdays; obviously there is an error!

Phillip Lee Born: 19 Jan 1858 Died: 12 Feb 1935 77 years old Pollie An Born: 14 Dec 1870 Died: 12 Nov 1931 60 years old Theadore Born: 30 Sep 1894 Died: 7 Apr 1970 75 years old Robert Born: 11 Oct 1897 Died: 12 Aug 1985 87 years old Mack Born: 22 Apr 1902 Died: 24 May 1987 85 years old Gerod Born: 22 Dec 1901 Died: 24 Nov 1974 72 years old79 Buddy Born: 2 Nov 1907 Died: 18 Feb 1925 17 years old

79 I suspect that my grandpa was born on Dec 21, 1905, therefore he was 68 years old when he died, not 72. 125

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Headstone of Phillip (Napper) Anaphur and Pollie An Lee My great grandparents Old Lee Cemetery

Note: this headstone clearly shows great grandpa’s middle initial to be “A.” Note: great grandma’s name is spelled, “Pollie An Lee” on her headstone.

My Great grandpa’s inscription says, “May he rest in peace.”

My Great grandmother’s inscription says, “She was the sunshine of our home.”

126

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

This document, source unknown, given to me by Luther Lee, states that Phillip A. Lee was married twice: Florence McLemore and then to Polly A. Who Married Whom, Wayne County, Mississippi cites this first marriage also.

127

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

1900 United States Federal Census Name Phillip A Lee Home in 1900 Beat 4, Wayne , Mississippi Age 41 Estimated birth year 1859 Birthplace Mississippi Relationship to head of house Head Spouse’s Name Polly A Race White

Household Members Name Age Phillip A Lee 41 Polly A Lee 29 Theodore Lee 5 Robert E Lee 2

From the 1900 Federal Wayne County Federal Census Entry 22 is Great grandpa Phillip Lee Pally A (Great grandma Pollie An) Theadore Robert E.

128

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

1910 United States Federal Census Name Phillip A Lee Home in 1910 Beat 4, Wayne , Mississippi Age 51 Birthplace Mississippi Relationship to head of house Head Spouse’s Name Polly A Race White

Household Members Name Age Phillip A Lee 51 Polly A Lee 37 Theodore Lee 15 Robert E Lee 12 Mack H 8 Gerad 4 Waldan 2

From the 1910 Federal Wayne County Census Phillip A. Lee, age 51 Polly A. Lee, age 37 Theodore R., age 15 Robert E., age 12 Mack H., age 8 Gerod, age 4 Waldan, age 2

In the 1910 census is states that Great grandma Polly had 6 children, 5 living.

129

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

They really messed up the 1920 Federal Wayne County, Mississippi Census. It has my Great grandpa Napper’s name spelled as “Nakar Lee.” I almost did not find the data for him in this census because of that. I guess someone thought Napper was spelled Nakar…who knows. Had it not been for being able to recognize the other family members, I would not have found this entry.

1920 United States Federal Census Name Nakar Lee (Obviously, they meant Napper Lee) Home in 1920 Beat 4, Wayne , Mississippi Age 61 Birthplace Mississippi Relationship to head of house Head Spouse’s Name Pollie Lee Race White Gender Male Household Members Name Age Nakar Lee 61 Pollie Lee 48 Robert Lee 22 Mack Lee 16 (should be 18) Gerard Lee 12 (should be 12) Wallis Lee 9 (should be 12)

This census leaves a lot to be desired. Granduncle Mack, Grandpa Gerod, and Granduncle Waldrom all have their ages about 2-years younger than what they should be. My Great grandparents’ ages are about right, and so is Granduncle Rob’s. I judge the correct ages against what is recorded on their headstones, except for my Grandpa Gerod. It was interesting to me, but the last three children above with the incorrect ages are on a separate page from the others that have correct ages; just an observation.

The 1920 Federal Wayne County, Mississippi Census Entry 97 is Nakar Lee (Great grandpa Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee), age 61 Entry 98 is Pollie, age 48 Entry 99 is Robert, age 22 Entry 100 is Mack, age 16 On the next page Entry 101 is Gerard, age 12 (Grandpa Gerod Clifton Lee, Senior) Entry 102 is Wallis, age 9 (James Waldrom “Buddy or Walter” Lee)

130

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

1930 United States Federal Census Name P A Lee Home in 1900 Beat 4, Wayne , Mississippi Age 71 Birthplace Mississippi Relationship to head of house Head Spouse’s Name Pollie Ama Race White

Household Members Name Age Phillip A Lee 71 Pally A Lee 60

From the 1930 Federal Wayne County Census P A Lee Polly Ann

In examining the 1930 Federal Wayne County Census is stated that Great grandpa Napper was a military veteran of the World War. In 1930, the only World War that had occurred was World War I. I found it amazing that no one in the family ever mention that Grandpa Napper was a veteran. Perhaps there is a reason why.

Grandpa Napper would have been about 60 years old when America entered World War I. No Way! Surely he did not serve in that conflict. I cannot see him even in the military at that old age. Nevertheless, I checked the entry multiple times and the census stated so. Perhaps the military had some sort of support corps that was in place that stayed local but gave its members some sort of military credit. If not, perhaps that census entry is in error. Also, I am sure my Grandpa Gerod would have told me many times over if his father had served in World War I. If Great grandpa Napper did serve during World War I; WOW!

131

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Great grandpa Napper lived during the presidency of the following presidents.

James Buchanan 1857-1861. Abraham Lincoln who was president of the United States from 1861 to 1865; also Jefferson Davis was the first and only president of the Confederate States of America 1861-1865. Andrew Johnson 1865-1869. Ulysses S. Grant 1869-1877. Rutherford B. Hayes 1877-1881. James A. Garfield March 4, 1881 through September 19, 1881. Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885. Grover Cleveland, who was elected twice: 1885-1889 and 1893-1897. Benjamin Harrison 1889-1893. William McKinley 1897-1901. Theodore Roosevelt 1901- 1909. William Howard Taft 1909-1913. Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921. Warren G. Harding 1921-1923. Calvin Coolidge 1923-1929. Herbert Hoover 1929-1933. Finally, Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933-1945.

132

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Generation 7: Gerod Clifton Lee, Senior December 21, 190580 – November 24, 1974

Grandpa’s official records state that he was born December 22, 1901. I am absolutely certain that Grandpa’s official records are in error, and that he was born either on December 21, or possibly December 22, 1905. I strongly suspect he was born on December 21st per a conversation I once had with my Grandma Estelle Lee when I was a teenager living in my Grandparent’s house. According to census records, Grandpa was born in 1905. However an old family Bible was found years after Grandpa was grown that allegedly recorded Dec 22, 1901 as his birthday; and sometime in the 1950s Grandma used the Bible entry to legally change Grandpa’s birth date from December 21, 1905 to December 22, 1901. However, if 1901 date is correct, Grandpa would be 4-months older than his older brother, Mack Lee!

Although I lived with my Grandparents for about 3-years, I do not know much about their childhoods. Grandpa was raised with three older brothers; Theodore, Robert, and Mack; and one younger brother; James Waldrom “Buddy” Lee. Evidence is that Grandpa had a sister, but she must have died young and there is not much information about her. Grandpa did briefly mention a sister to my Mother once. Buddy died at the age of 17; Grandpa was about 20- years old when Buddy passed away. I remember my Grandpa saying that Buddy was only sick a couple days before he died. Grandpa told me that he thought Buddy died of pneumonia; my Aunt Polly (Grandpa’s daughter) told me she’d heard that it was from some sort of blood poisoning.

Grandma Lee was raised in a large family. She was the fifth of twelve children! Her father, LeRoy Busby seemed to have been relatively well off comparability to others in his community. Sometime after my Great grandmother Phornia81 (Loper) Busby died on Feb 7, 1930, Great grandpa LeRoy married a woman very much younger than he; Grace James. Grace’s father is Frank James and her mother is Sarah Lee. Sarah is a daughter of Robeson Earl Lee; my grandfather’s grandfather. Thus Grace was “half Lee,” and she is my Grandpa Gerod Lee’s 1st cousin. Thus, my Grandmother Estelle (Busby) Lee married her stepmom’s 1st cousin (Gerod Lee). Ha; don’t let this all confuse you; Grandmother Lee and Grace were not blood kin, but this goes to show how things can get a little “tight” in a small community like Wayne County especially in the early 1900s and earlier.

Oral stories relate that LeRoy’s marriage to Grace was not well received by at least some of LeRoy’s children; especially the girls. However in the 1970s Grace met up with some family members at a Sears store in Laurel, Mississippi, and even though she was well advanced in age, she said that LeRoy was still the love of her life; Great grandpa LeRoy had died some 30+ years earlier on Oct 28, 1939! I’m not sure if Grace remarried after LeRoy’s death. LeRoy was buried next to his first wife, Great grandma Phornia. I do not know where Grace is buried.

I’ll always remember that my Grandmother Estelle was a very strong willed woman. She was also very strong physically. She worked very hard; every day. She worked as a nurse at Wayne

80 This is his correct birth year via two Wayne County Census reports. My Grandpa’s headstone has 1901. 81 My great grandmother “Phoria” has her name spelled “Saphronie” on her headstone. Other spelling variations exist. 133

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

General Hospital in Waynesboro, Mississippi. Once when she was driving to work, she had a flat tire. She hurriedly changed the tire herself, throwing the flat in the trunk of the car. (She did not get her white nursing uniform dirty in the process!) When the car was taken to a gas station in Waynesboro for an attendant to fix the flat, mount it back on the car, and return the spare tire to the trunk; the attendant had to stand on the lug wrench and “jump up and down” to break lose the nuts holding the spare tire on. After a difficult struggle he stated sarcastically, “Who in the world put those lug nuts on so tight?” He was in total disbelief when he found out it was my Grandma!

Grandpa Lee could be very funny, harsh and just plain old stubborn and difficult all at the same time! He grew up hard and he was a very tough father to his boys. Aunt Polly on the other hand, was his pet. As with a lot of families, the younger kids seem to get the “breaks;” life was very hard on the farm. Grandpa did not seem to fear much; except for bad weather! He was stingy with his money; but he had reason to be so…the “lessons’ from the Great Depression!

Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr. married Ida Estelle Busby on July 18, 1927. My Grandparents had six children: four sons and two daughters.

1. Gerod Clifton, Jr.; Oct 5, 1928-Apr 1, 2000 2. Lennard Woodrow (my Father); Dec 21, 1929-Mar 14, 2006 3. Ulysses Large; Oct 2, 1931-Nov. 16, 2012 4. Hazel Roberta; Jun 25, 1933-Mar 1, 1934 5. Robert Hairel; Jul 7, 1938-Jul 7, 1938 6. Polly Reece; Sep 9, 1942-still living

Both Robert Hairel and Hazel Roberta died very young. They are both buried at the Old Lee Cemetery near the Chickasawhay River, the same cemetery where Grandpa’s grandparents, Robeson Earl and Catherine Lee, and Grandpa’s parents, Phillip “Napper” and Pollie An Lee, are buried.

Robert Hairel was born and died on July 7, 1938. My Grandmother told me that he was still born.

Hazel Roberta lived eight months after birth and died a tragic death. A horrible house fire during the Great Depression resulted in her losing her life. It was a chilly day on March 1, 1934. My father told me that Uncle Ulysses and Aunt Hazel were in the house and the stove heater must have malfunctioned sending the house quickly up in flames. Uncle Ulysses was a toddler (2-yrs and 4 months) at the time but he walked out of the house onto the porch and escaped the fire. My Grandmother and my Dad were just outside the house. My Dad remembers that my Grandmother Lee ran into the flaming house and brought out a blanket that had the charred body of his little sister wrapped up in it. My Dad does not know why Grandma was not overcome by the hot flames or how Grandma was able to bring his sister’s body out in a blanket that was not burned, but Grandma too told the same story. Grandma herself could not remember getting the blanket that she had Hazel wrapped up in.

134

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

This tragedy was during already extremely harsh times when people were barely able to fight off starvation day-in and day-out in that community. My Dad remembers that it changed my Grandfather Gerod completely from that day on. Before the fire, Dad said when they went to town the boys could ask Grandpa for a nickel, etc., and most likely Grandpa would give it to them. Dad said, “Nickels and dimes were very hard to come by back in those days, but Dad would usually give us one if we asked.” However, after the fire, Grandpa Lee was very tight with his money until the day he died. He used to tell me, “Larry, you’ve got to save it for a rainy day.” Financially, Grandpa always saw dark clouds even on the clearest days.

One day I was looking for something in the kitchen at my Grandparent’s house and found what appeared to be a baby’s plate, cup and spoon. Grandma Lee came in and took them down and said to me, “Larry, this is a great mystery.” She said that this was what she was feeding Hazel just a while before the fire. Nothing looked burned, but the food had hardened so that the spoon stood up. I’m not sure what the mystery was that Grandma was talking about; I am not sure if she finished her story. It was the only time she said anything about the fire to me.

This is the only picture I have of just my Grandfather and me together. It was taken in 1967 or 1968 near his pond near his house. My Aunt Polly (Lee) Lott lives in his old house (refurbished) today.

Gerod and Larry Lee

When living with my Grandparents while in high school I used to drive my Grandpa around nearly everywhere he went, and he went a lot. We must have covered 99% of Wayne County

135

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 and much of Jones and Clarke Counties; he knew everyone it seemed. Years after my Grandpa died, a cousin, Ellis Lee, (who was over 90-years old) told me that Grandpa once told him that my driving Grandpa around was one of Grandpa’s best memories of all time. I hope that was true. We had many great times together.

When I was in high school, most, if not all, of the county roads were dirt. There was a huge effort to blacktop the roads in the 1960s and 1970s. Most of the roads in Beat Four were blacktopped during this time. When they blacktopped the roads around my Grandfather’s house in Beat Four my Grandpa was asked by the county supervisor to stand guard at night to keep travelers off the roads except for the residents in the area while the county was working on the roads. Grandpa agreed to do so, which meant that I was standing guard with him; all night.

Grandpa did not encourage me to go to school as he thought one ought to “learn how to work.” Although Grandpa knew how to write his name, he did not read much, if any at all. I think he may have attended the first grade or so. Therefore my missing school was not a big issue to him. However, I bet he’d be proud to know that I went on to college, became a nuclear engineer and an officer in the US Air Force.

When I was a senior in Beat Four High School Grandpa got sick and had to stay in the hospital. For whatever reason, he did not want anyone staying with him; but me. And that meant I stayed with him after school and all through the night! I’d try to sleep in a chair in his hospital room, but found it very difficult. The nurses would check on me during the night and bring me some coffee.

The next day, I’d go to school, but found it difficult at times to stay awake. One of my favorite teachers, Dewey McKee, taught US History. I found it all but impossible to stay awake in Dewey’s class. Dewey would get upset at me when I’d nod off, so he eventually put me on the front row right in front of him to keep me awake. It did no good. Finally Dewey confronted me after class, and I explained to him that I was staying up all night with my Grandpa at the hospital, and I could not help nodding off. Dewey cut me some slack after I explained, but he still to this day will jab me as to how in the world could I have ever got a PhD when I could not even stay awake in his class! Dewey is doing it all in fun now, but back then it was not so funny!

Grandpa developed cancer late in his life. He was hospitalized often because of it. The day before Grandpa died, I visited him in the hospital. I could tell by the things he was saying to me that he thought the end was near. However, when I left his room, Uncle Clifton and I found Grandpa’s doctor, Doctor Murphy, in the hall. Doctor Murphy told us that when Grandpa had entered the hospital a few days before, he thought Grandpa was very sick and it might be nearing the end, but that he now thought that Grandpa would get up and walk out in a few days. Thus, I left the hospital that evening thinking all was well.

It was said that after I left my Grandpa’s hospital room the last time he turned to other family members that had entered the room and said that he was concerned about me.

136

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Grandpa died on November 24, 1974. He caught pneumonia, and it took him suddenly, literally overnight. I remember that day well. That November was a most difficult month.

The stories I could tell about my Grandpa would make you roll in the dirt laughing. He was a short man physically, but full of fire. You did not ever want to get him angry, but he could be fun and adorable when he wanted; often he was.

He was “king of the hill.”

Estelle & Gerod Lee Assuming the baby is Aunt Polly, picture taken ~1943

137

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Gerod and Estelle Lee ~1960

138

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Headstone for Gerod and Estelle Lee My grandparents Lee’s Chapel Cemetery

Grandpa’s favorite president was Franklin Roosevelt. Grandpa’s perception was that things became immediately better when Roosevelt took office during the Great Depression. Most of America agreed and Roosevelt was the only President to be elected more than twice. Grandpa could not say enough good things about him.

The following were presidents during Grandpa’s lifetime. Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909. William Howard Taft 1909-1913. Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921. Warren G. Harding 1921- 1923. Calvin Coolidge 1923-1929. Herbert Hoover 1929-1933. Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933-1945. Harry S. Truman 1945-1953. Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953-1961. John F. Kennedy 1961-1963. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969. Richard Nixon 1969-1974. Finally, Gerald Ford 1974-1977.

139

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Grandpa Gerod Lee’s correct birth date

I am well aware, especially after writing this document, that you cannot rely on census data alone to pinpoint an individual’s correct birth date. However, you can couple it with other information, and if you find consistencies, you have some assurance that you’ve got it right.

Previously in the section for Phillip “Napper” Lee, I showed photograph of the Phillip Lee family. That photo is photographic evidence that shows granduncle Mack was older than my Grandfather, Gerod Lee. Here is more evidence that granduncle Mack is older. Consider the following data from the 1910 Census:

19101910 Beat Beat 4 4Wayne Wayne County County Census Census

HouseHouse / Household/ Household 211/213 211/213 Lee,Lee, Phillip Phillip N. N. 5151 (son of Robert E. (Robeson) Lee) MarriedMarried 18 18 years, years, born born in in MS, MS, parents parents born born in in MS, MS, works works as as a afarmer farmer on on rented rented farm, farm, can can read read andand write write PollyPolly A A 3737 MarriedMarried 18 18 years, years, born born in in MS, MS, parents parents born born in in MS, MS, can can read read and and write, write, 6 6kids, kids, 5 5living living TheodoreTheodore R. R. 1515 Born Born in in MS, MS, laborer laborer on on a afarm, farm, c ancan read read and and write, write, attends attends school school Robert Robert E. E. 1212 Born Born in in MS, MS, laborer laborer on on a afarm, farm, can can read read and and write, write, attends attends school school Mack Mack H. H. 8 8 son son Gerard Gerad 4 4 son son Walden Walda n 2 2 son son

If you look at the birthday on my Grandpa Gerod’s headstone, you’ll see that my Grandfather’s birth date is Dec 22, 1901. On Granduncle Mack’s headstone, Uncle Mack’s birthday is Apr 22, 1902. Well, that means that my Grandfather would be 4-months older than his older brother, Uncle Mack, per their headstones. Obviously, there is something wrong. The error really jumps out when visiting their graves, because their graves are nearly side by side.

I’m going to present the following using the 1910 census to say that my Grandfather’s birth date on his headstone is INCORRECT.

140

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The proof of Grandpa’s headstone error is in the math.

Granduncle Thea’s headstone states that he was born on September 30, 1884. The 1910 census says he was 15-years old on the day the census was taken. According to Uncle Thea’s headstone, could he have been 15 when the census was taken? The answer is yes. All you have to do to prove this is to subtract 1910-1894 = 16, but if the census was taken BEFORE Granduncle Thea’s birthday which was on September 30th, Uncle Thea would have been 15.

Granduncle Rob’s headstone states that he was born on October 11, 1897. The 1910 census says he was 12 years old on the day the census was taken. According to Uncle Rob’s headstone, could he have been 12 years old when the census was taken? The answer is yes. This would imply that the census was taken before his birthday in October.

Granduncle Mack’s headstone states that he was born on April 22, 1902. The 1910 census says he was 8-years old when the census was taken. According to Uncle Mack’s birth date given on his headstone, could he have been 8 years old at the time of the census? 1910- 1902=8; the answer is yes. This would also imply that the census taken in 1910 would have been after April 22 but before September 30 (else Uncle Thea would have been 16 years old if taken on or after Sep 30th).

141

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Also, not shown here is Walden (Buddy) Lee’s headstone. Granduncle Buddy’s headstone states he was born on November 2, 1907. The 1910 census reports that Buddy was 2-years old the summer the census was taken. Could he have been 2-years old according to his birth date inscribed on his headstone when the 1910 census happened? YES!!!

However, applying the same logic, if Grandpa Gerod Lee’s birth year, 1901, is correct on his headstone, could he be 4-years old at the time of the census in 1910? 1910-1901=9….NO!

If Grandpa Lee had been born in 1901 as his headstone suggests, he would have been 8-years old in the summer of 1910 before his December birthday. I seriously doubt anyone would have mistaken an 8 year old boy as being 4, as the census reports; especially if there was already an 8 year old boy in the family (Granduncle Mack) standing in front of the census taker.

All the boys birth dates inscribed on their headstones agree with the 1910 census EXCEPT my Grandfather, Gerod Lee. His birth date on his headstone must be wrong! And the data showing his birth date in his official records are incorrect too.

I know that my Grandmother changed my Grandfather’s age because she told me that she’d found a different birth date in an old Family Bible, and she had Grandpa’s birth date officially changed to reflect that. This change is reflected in his social security records, etc.

My Granduncle Mack made mention of this error on Grandpa’s headstone to members of our family, including Luther Lee. Luther gave no more thought of it until I mentioned to Luther Grandpa’s headstone is incorrect years later. An elderly cousin, Willie Ed Lee, also agrees that Grandpa’s birth date is wrong on his headstone.

Grandmother told me that at one time “they thought” that my Dad, Lennard Sr. and Grandpa Gerod were born on the same day, December 21st. Grandma said that “they found out” that Grandpa was born on the 22nd instead. So both the day and year were changed to facilitate the “new evidence” Grandma found in the old family Bible.

One reason that some family members think Grandpa Gerod was the older than Granduncle Mack is that Uncle Mack out lived Grandpa a little over 12-years. However, that is a wrong assumption to make. Physically, you could tell Uncle Mack was the older of the two when they stood side by side.

Grandpa, Uncle Mack and I were talking on Grandpa’s front porch one day and I asked them who was the oldest. Grandpa said “Mack is. He’s about 3-years older than me.” Uncle Mack agreed. Grandpa’s statement he made to me that day matches the 1910 census data.

142

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

My suspicion was confirmed years after I first started investigation this. In May 2011, my aunt Polly (Lee) Lott gave me my Grandfather’s old Masonic Bible. The Bible was purchased a year before I was born, in 1951. In it is recorded my Grandfather’s birth day as Dec 22, 1901.

However, clearly you can see that the date was changed, and you can still see the imprint of the original entry that had been erased. The original entry was “Dec 21, 1905!”

While this could not be submitted as legal evidence in court, to me it validates my suspicions that Grandpa’s birth date was changed (in my lifetime) and the date on his headstone is incorrect.

To most the actual birth date for my Grandpa would not mean anything special as it just would not be a big deal. However, to some in the family, it is. Why? Well I’m not sure, but for me; I just like to try to get things right. On this issue, I have.

Many people born in the 1800s and the early 1900s did not know their actual birth year. Sometimes they guessed; sometimes they were told the date in error. My Grandparents did not have any birth certificates. School records did my Grandpa no good as he probably did not finish the first grade, and even if he went longer, the one-room schoolhouses back then did not keep detailed records of the children’s ages, etc. Over time, a person’s age might get legitimately confused.

By the time my parents came along, this problem was solved via redundant public record keeping.

In closing, consider this; if my Grandpa Lee was born on Dec 21 (or Dec 22) in the year 1905, could he have been 4-years old as the 1910 census states?…Yes.

143

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

From my Grandfather’s Masonic Bible, 1951

The Bible was given to me by Mrs. Polly (Lee) Lott in May 2011. Aunt Polly is Gerod and Estelle Lee’s youngest child. Many of the dates in the Bible do not agree with other sources, but in general, the data are in the ballpark. I kept all the spellings as they are in the Bible.

The following family entries are made by my Grandmother, Ida Estelle (Busby) Lee and my Aunt Polly (Lee) Lott.

A note on the first page stated that this is from a section titled “Old records of February 1910.” Aunt Polly entered the data:

Grandparents:82

Grandfather: P.A. “Naper” Lee Jan 19, 1858 Feb 13, 1936 Grandmother: Polly (Overstreet) Lee July 1866 Oct 23, 1931

Grandfather: Wildey Leroy Busby April 5, 1886 Oct 28, 1939 Grandmother: Sephronia (Loper) Busby Oct 1, 1887 Feb 7, 1930

Parents:

Father: Gerod Clifton Lee Dec 22, 190183 Nov 24, 1974 Born in Wayne County, Mississippi. Died at Wayne General Hospital.

Mother: Ida Estelle Busby Dec 4, 1913 Apr 5, 2001 Born in Waynesboro, Mississippi. Died at Wayne General Hospital

Married July 28, 1927 in Wayne County, Mississippi

82 Inputs were made by Aunt Polly when she was a teenager. Therefore the grandparents and parents listed are in reference to herself. 83 You can still see the imprint were the original entry date Dec 21, 1905 was erased. This validates my previous theory that Grandpa’s birth date had been changed. 1905 is correct via the 1910 census. 144

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

More from the Grandpa’s Bible:

Children of Gerod and Estelle (Busby) Lee:

1. Gerod Clifton Lee, Jr. Born Oct 5, 1928 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Ritha Davis; Feb 7, 1947 in Laurel, Mississippi Died Apr 1, 2000 in Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg, Mississippi Clifton and Ritha have two children: Carolyn Davis Lee; Feb 21, 1957; Waynesboro, Mississippi Gary Edmon Lee; Masonite Hospital, Laurel, Mississippi

2. Lennard Woodrow Lee Born Dec 21, 1929 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Bobbie Iris Hyatt; Dec 19, 1951; Gulfport, Mississippi Died Mar 15, 2006 in Wayne County, Mississippi Lennard and Bobbie have two children: Lennard (Larry) Woodrow Lee, Jr.; Sep 28, 1952, Biloxi, Mississippi Deborah Ann Lee; Nov 19, 1962, Fort Walton Beach, Florida

3. Ulysses Large Lee Born Oct 2, 1931 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Ursula Ingetraut Bruckner, July 17, 1965 in Wayne County, Mississippi Ulysses and Inga Lee have one daughter Lisa I. Lee; Apr 22, 1967 at Frankfort, Germany Air Base Hospital

4. Hazel Reberta Lee Born June 25, 1933 in Wayne County, Mississippi Died Mar 1, 1934 in Wayne County, Mississippi Cause of death was a house fire; she was 8-months old.

5. Robert Hariold Lee Born July 28, 1938 in Wayne County, Mississippi Still born

6. Polly Reece Lee Born Sep 9, 1942 in Wayne County, Mississippi Married Joseph Woodrow Lott No children

145

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Gerod Clifton Lee, Junior

Uncle Clifton was born on October 5, 1928 and died April 1, 2000. He was the oldest child of Gerod and Estelle Lee. I remember him as always being very kind to me. At Christmas during my youth, he always gave me a present that was “gee whiz.” One year, he gave me a BB-gun. I could not believe it. He was also an excellent guitar player. Dad used to say he knew “all the fancy cords.” He was active in churches and built a Baptist church in Waynesboro. My Grandmother Estelle outlived Uncle Clifton by just a few days over one-year.

Uncle Clifton served one term in the Army after World War II. I do not think he was in the military during the Korean Conflict. Below he is pictured with my Dad who was in the Navy at the time.

Lennard and Clifton Lee; 1949

After leaving the military Uncle Clifton went to Jones County Junior College at Ellisville, Mississippi for a while. He married Ritha Davis. Aunt Ritha is still living in Waynesboro, Mississippi at this time (Aug 2013).

Aunt Ritha & Uncle Clifton

Uncle Clifton and Aunt Ritha had one daughter, Carolyn Davis Lee, and one son, Gary Edmon Lee.

146

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Uncle Clifton built a number of houses near his residence in the city limits of Waynesboro, Mississippi. He lived in Waynesboro for the entire time that I knew him (all my life). Uncle Clifton purchased a number of buildings in Waynesboro and opened up “Lee’s Furniture” in between the old Waynesboro bus stop and the old theater.

When in high school, I used to work for him after school and on weekends. Uncle Clifton opened another furniture store on Station Street. My Grandfather Lee and I would help with the new store. Once I got my driver’s license, I would deliver furniture after school that Uncle Clifton would sell during the day. I would also help my Grandfather as he took over the operations of Uncle Clifton’s second store. It provided me with most of my spending money and “hamburger money” while I was in high school.

Uncle Clifton was also a used car salesman. He’d go to auctions in Jackson or Hattiesburg, Mississippi and purchase cars and resell them in Waynesboro. Right after I got my license, Uncle Clifton would let me go to the auctions with him so that I could drive a car back for him. Sometimes, I could keep the car for a weekend. Nearly always, the car would be very low on gas, so I did not have the thrill of a limitless weekend with the car. Usually the cars stayed parked in front of my Grandfather’s house, but for a 15 year old, I was thrilled to the pink to get to drive one of his cars “home” for the weekend.

Uncle Clifton was extremely easy going. I recall my Uncle Ulysses saying that “Clifton does not sweat trouble.” I agree. He often acted as if he did not have a care in the world.

Uncle Clifton is buried at the Lee’s Chapel Cemetery, as are my Grandparents (Lees), my Father, and my son Mark, and numerous other relatives.

147

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Generation 8: Lennard Woodrow Lee, Senior December 21, 1929 – March 15, 2006

My Father, Lennard Lee Senior, was always known as a very tough but very fun loving person. At Dad’s wake and after his funeral many people came up to me and told me that “Lennard sure had fun.” Obviously a child has no idea of just how much fun their parents had when they were young, but from the countless inputs over the years, I’d say Dad had his share, and more.

I could obviously write a lot about Dad and just saturate this document, but I won’t do that.

Lennard Lee ~ 1939

The stock market crashed on October 29, 1929 which started the worldwide Great Depression. Dad was born less than two months later; times could not have been much harder for the family when he arrived. Dad had a very difficult childhood and worked very hard on the family farm. A cousin who knew Dad well in their youth, Willie Ed Lee, told me that Dad was a tremendously hard worker and “earned everything he ever got.” Dad seemed to be the one in the family that was into everything. He was physically very strong, and he had a very strong will

148

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 and fiery temper to boot. All of Dad’s siblings have told me that Dad did not know just how strong he really was. Dad was a fighter, and apparently very good at it. I was at the Homecoming at Lee’s Chapel Church on May 18, 2010, and one of Dad’s classmates told me how he and Dad use to fight for “fun” in school. Dad did not back down. I can honestly say from my own memory that Dad was a very “tough customer!”

One thing that Dad always enjoyed was playing his “hillbilly music.” It was his passion; and he was extremely good at it. When able, he’d play for hours on end. Dad was very good with a mandolin and bass fiddle. He often played at the churches; he could not play his music enough. I think he could have been a professional musician had things lined up for him to do that.

Dad; picking and a grinning (right)

Dad left the farm and joined the Navy in either 1948 or 1949. Below is a picture of Dad holding his birthday cake on board a ship; he was 19-years old. (The cake has happy 19th birthday on it.)

Lennard Lee Sr., 19 years old

149

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Cousin Willie Ed told me that when Dad joined the Navy, he too joined a couple weeks later. They marveled at the country side during their train ride out to basic training in San Diego, California; they had rarely been outside the Wayne-Clarke-Jones County area previously. A few days after Willie Ed arrived in San Diego, he saw Dad out cleaning his clothes and Dad was sunburned from head to toe. Still, Willie Ed said Dad was in good spirits and thrilled to see him.

I once asked Dad if basic training was hard, and Dad replied, “No; no more than working on the farm.” In fact, Dad went on to say that military basic was much easier than the farm work he grew up doing. (Wow, basic training was extremely hard, and in fact brutal when Dad went through it!) A cousin once told me that he had walked by my Grandfather’s farm and saw Dad with a mule hooked up to a plow harness, and Dad would be waiting for the sun to come up so that he could start plowing the fields for the day! Dad was very young when he started plowing the fields; perhaps before he became a teenager. Dad said he’d sometimes plow ALL day with little or NO water and not much to eat. Life was very hard!

After Dad was discharged from the Navy, he worked for a few months in the Wayne-Clarke County area. Jobs were scarce, especially good paying jobs, so he went back to the military and entered the relatively new United States Air Force and made a career out of it. Dad had about 27-years total military service when he retired a master sergeant in 1975.

Lennard Lee, USAF ~ 1958

150

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Dad married Bobbie Iris Hyatt who was living in Clara, Mississippi at the time they met. In fact, my parents met at Clara High School. Below is a high school picture of my mother.

Many have told me that she was very beautiful. I remember her when she was a young woman, and she definitely was, and still is today. She was either 17 or 18-years old when the 1950 picture below was taken. Dad married my Mom on December 19, 1951 in Gulfport, Mississippi. Dad was in the Air Force when they married, and I was born at Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi. I am what they called an “Air Force brat.”

Bobbie Hyatt; 15 years old Wayne County Fair

151

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The picture above is my Mom at the Wayne County fair in 1947. Mom remembers that she was wearing a red dress at the time. She was 15 years old.

Dad called Mom “my little toody pumpkin.” Mom and Dad had two children, Lennard (Larry) Woodrow Lee, Jr. (me) and my sister, Deborah Ann Lee.

Debbie, Bobbie, Larry & Lennard Lee Sr. ~ 1963

My sister was born November 19, 1962. Obviously, we are ten years apart. My sister has long been acknowledged by all of us as the smartest one of the family.

The day Dad died, Mom called me at my office at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. I went home to tell the boys and get everyone ready to go to Wayne County for Dad’s funeral. I walked in the door and my son Mark Edward Lee was standing in the living room. Mark was 20-years old and was close to my Dad, especially in the last few years. Mark took the initiative to care for Dad when the family came to live with me and the boys for a few weeks in Prattville, Alabama after Hurricane Katrina hit Wayne County. I told Mark that Pawpaw had died. Mark, who was physically very strong, grabbed me in an extremely strong hug, one of the strongest I remember from him, and cried for some time. Mark was truly heartbroken.

Three months later I buried Mark beside his Grandfather. I’ll never forget the feelings I had for several months when I went to the cemetery to visit them; theirs was the only two fresh graves in the Lee Chapel Cemetery; nearly side by side.

152

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Dad lived through World War II as a teenager. Wayne County did not recover from the Great Depression as fast as other areas of the country. Things were brutally tough on Wayne County families especially before World War II.

After World War II, Dad served in the Navy for one hitch (about 3-years). Dad was also active duty military in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, but he never saw combat in any of the wars. Dad never went to Vietnam, but for a couple of years, he expected orders to go at any time.

Dad told me that when in the Navy he was aboard ship and up river in China when the communist took over the area. He recalled that some Chinese on the river banks were shooting at his huge ship as they went back out of the mouth of the river back into the sea. Obviously the Chinese could not harm the ship with small arms fire. Dad said that when he was a young child he always had a desire to go to China. He said once he got there, he was glad to leave!

Dad said that during the Korean War, his ship was off the Korean coast. He said the ship’s radar picked up incoming Chinese jets and they all manned battle stations expecting an attack, but the planes peeled off just as they came over the horizon and nothing happened.

Although Dad was born in 1929, he told me that it was a big deal the first time he ever saw a car! All the Wayne County roads, even the main state highways, were dirt in Dad’s youth. In Dad’s early years, Wayne County was a tough place to live and families had to live off the land for the most part. Grandpa did eventually work at Masonite Corporation in Laurel which brought home some income to the family besides the farm. But it did little to make Dad’s life easier.

Dad never graduated from high school because he had to work the farm. However, Dad did get his high school equivalent once in the military. He would study for hours in the evenings to get his high school certificate, and then he took some college level courses. Perhaps my observing him study for hours on end during the evenings inspired me to do likewise to obtain my degrees in college. In any event, Dad’s efforts were copied by me, and I in turn have been copied by my children to this day. Dad fretted not getting a “good education.”

Mom was also born during the Great Depression days for Wayne County; April 17, 1932. Her childhood was also very difficult and her family never had much more than the minimum to get by. Mom worked very hard all her life. She graduated from Clara High School in Wayne County and entered nursing school. She gave up nursing school to marry Dad. However she did become a LPN (licensed practical nurse). As a result of not becoming a Registered Nurse, she worked harder and earned less money in the hospitals than the RNs. She worked odd shifts in her early years. She kept up a spotless house, kept me in ironed and starched clothes. She sincerely cared about the welfare of her children. Hot meals were the norm for our family; she had to hustle to get it all done. Mom was a very good wife to my Dad. She was a tremendous mother to me. She served her family, and she had a desire to do that well. Her prayers and guidance are treasured by me. She has a special place reserved for her in heaven when the Lord calls her home.

153

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Lennard Woodrow Lee, Senior Lee’s Chapel Cemetery

154

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

I never once heard my parents utter a curse word when I was growing up. They never drank any alcohol; in fact alcohol was never allowed in our home. They were church goers. They taught me Biblical standards every day. They were not perfect, but they sure preached it. They were very strict on me; not so much with my sister. The values they taught me from my youth severed me well all my life.

They both worked very hard for a living. Until my Dad received the rank of master sergeant in the Air Force, money was extremely tight. I grew up poor, but I really did not know it at the time. By the time Dad obtained rank that yielded a good salary, I was grown and gone from the household, so I never saw my parents enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.

Dad was sick and bedridden for years at the end of his life. Mother and my sister worked very hard to take care of him. On the night of March the 15th, 2006 Dad had a brief conversation with my sister and she left his room for the night. Deb said she heard him cough sometime later. The next morning, Mom and Deb found that he’d died in the night. Dad was buried at the Lee’s Chapel Cemetery.

Likewise, my Mother has become bedridden in her last years. As of August 2013, she is still living but her quality of life is not very good. She is tube fed. She cannot get out of bed on her own. However, her memory is surprisingly keen, and she is able to recognize everyone and carry a good conversation. Again, the burden of caring for my Mother is with my sister and Deb has taken on the difficult task. I sincerely appreciate Deb for all she’s done.

I like to remember my parents when they were young and strong.

Over the years, Dad only mentioned one president with a lot of emotion. Lyndon Johnson use to brag about spending money for the Great Society. Dad would say, “He (Johnson) is going to spend us broke.” Johnson didn’t, but his policies started the nation slowly towards unprecedented deficit spending. Obviously, Dad’s concern about spending is a reflection of him having to live poor most of his life.

Herbert Hoover 1929-1933, was president when Dad was born in Dec 1929. Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933-1945. Harry S. Truman 1945-1953. Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953-1961. John F. Kennedy 1961-1963. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969. Richard M. Nixon 1969-1974. Gerald Ford 1974-1977. Jimmy Carter 1977-1981. Ronald Reagan 1981-1989. George H.W. Bush 1989-1993. Bill Clinton 1993-2001. George W. Bush 2001-2009.

155

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Ulysses Large Lee

Uncle Ulysses is the youngest son of Gerod and Estelle Lee.84 He was born on October 2, 1931. He died on November 16, 2012. He married Ursula Ingetraut Bruckner (Inga). Aunt Inga was born in Germany and as a young lady; she went through the horrors of War World II. Uncle Ulysses and Aunt Inga have one daughter, Lisa I. Lee.

Uncle Ulysses lived at 1194 Reservoir Road in Beat Four, Wayne County Road. His house, which has a high steeple like a church, is at the intersection of Maynor Creek and Reservoir Roads, right across the road from Grandpa Lee’s old home. Aunt Polly lives in Grandpa’s old house now. Uncle Ulysses was very intelligent with a very warm personality. Uncle Ulysses made a career in the United States Army. Uncle Ulysses had two tours of duty in the Vietnam War and was awarded two Purple Hearts which are given to wounded soldiers. After he retired from the Army, he went to the University of Southern Mississippi and obtained both a bachelors and a master’s degree in Education. He then had a second career as an educator and was principal at Clara School before his second retirement.

During the summer of 2009, I visited Uncle Ulysses. He told me of a story about when he was young he would get on a mule and ride from my Grandfather’s house to the Lee School house to pick up the mail, which is about 1.3 miles. (Lee’s Chapel church stands today where the Lee school house once was.) On this day, the mule bucked Uncle Ulysses off and became very unruly. Uncle Ulysses was very young and was hurt from the fall. Dad saw the incident. Uncle Ulysses said Dad got the mule, tied him up and broke off limbs from a nearby tree and beat the mule “silly.” Uncle Ulysses said he thought for a while Dad was going to kill the animal. Uncle Ulysses said that when Dad finished he came over to Uncle Ulysses and said, “Ulley, that

84 There was a still born younger brother, Robert Hariold Lee, born Jul 29, 1938. 156

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 mule won’t ever buck you off again.” (Ulley is a nickname that both Uncle Clifton and Dad used when referring to Uncle Ulysses.) Uncle Ulysses started chuckling at me and said that he went and untied the mule, got on him, and rode him to the school house and back; the mule NEVER gave him any trouble again.

Uncle Ulysses told another story about Dad taking a wagon and going out to the fields to gather watermelons. Dad was “a little fellar” at the time (so uncle Ulysses was very young too). The boys worked very hard on the farm. Dad had raised a bunch of watermelons and loaded them in the wagon with the intention of selling them in town (Waynesboro) for some extra money. Something spooked the horse, and the horse suddenly took off running. Uncle Ulysses remembers seeing the wagon racing across the field towards the house. My Grandmother was standing beside Uncle Ulysses. The field had a number of terrace lines on it (line humps in a field to avoid erosion in a heavy rain), and as the wagon started hitting the terrace lines the wagon bounced up high and then down. It all but bounced Dad out of the wagon, and in fact sent him flying from the seat to the back of the wagon where the melons were. It also sent a number of the watermelons flying out. Uncle Ulysses remembers that Dad was furious at the horse once the animal stopped because he’d lost a lot of melons. Dad threatened to kill the horse, and would have, but Grandma would not let him. Uncle Ulysses remembered how funny it was to see Dad bouncing up and going airborne for a few seconds as the wagon hit the terrace lines…but he also remembered that it scared Grandma to death. Uncle Ulysses said he did not dare laugh about the matter in front of Dad…until years later.

Aunt Inga & Uncle Ulysses July 21, 1956

When Uncle Ulysses built his house, I helped him out at times. Uncle Ulysses is known throughout the community as a great organist and has a huge pipe organ in his house. I helped him install a few of the pipes. He and Aunt Inga always treated me extremely well. He is buried at Lee’s Chapel Cemetery off Maynor Creek Road, Wayne County, Mississippi.

157

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Ulysses Lee Lee’s Chapel Cemetery October 2, 1931- November 16, 2012

158

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Polly Reece (Lee) Lott

Polly Reese Lee was born in September 9, 1942. She is the youngest child of Gerod and Estelle Lee. She married Joseph Woodrow Lott on September 2, 1962. (They have now been married for over 50-years!) They live at my Grandpa Lee’s old house on Reservoir Road in Beat Four, Wayne County, Mississippi. Aunt Polly never had children.

Joe & Polly (Lee) Lott

When I was young, Aunt Polly would come down and spend the summers with my parents and me in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. She and I went everywhere during her summer visits. There was not a swim hole that we did not hit. I was the oldest of the Gerod Lee grandchildren so I got the privilege of interacting with my uncles and aunts when they were young. Aunt Polly and I are only 10-years apart. This has led to a relationship that’s more like brother and sister at times versus aunt and nephew. I remember her teen years very well. Every time I hear an old song from the 1950s, I think of her. Aunt Polly was very popular with the other teenagers in Fort Walton Beach. She was also popular with her classmates at Waynesboro- Central High School. Just recently I had one of her old high school classmates comment about how much she was liked in school. Throughout her life, she has always looked much younger than her true age. She has always been very pretty.

In my last three years of high school I lived with my Grandparents and much of the time with Aunt Polly. Aunt Polly lived in a house down the road from Grandpa’s house in another small house that we called the “old place.” I was always welcome at her house and stayed with her about as much as I did at my Grandparent’s. Aunt Polly and I are very close.

159

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Generation 9: Lennard (Larry) Woodrow Lee, Jr.

I was born at Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi on September 28th, 1952. My father, Lennard Senior, was in the United States Air Force at the time. I grew up as a “military brat.” A short time after I was born, my father was transferred to Germany. As a coincidence, my Uncle Ulysses, Dad’s younger brother, was stationed in Germany too. Uncle Ulysses was serving in the United States Army. Below is a picture of them together in Germany. Dad (left) is actually holding a pistol towards Uncle Ulysses!

Dad and Uncle Ulysses in Germany, 1954

While Dad was in Germany, my mother, Bobbie Iris (Hyatt) Lee, and I lived with my Grandparents, Allen and Mary Valley Hyatt, in Clara, Mississippi.

Left picture: Aunt Polly, Mother and me Grandpa Hyatt’s house; ~1954 Right picture: Larry Lee; 1953

One of the earliest memories I have is the night that my Dad came home from Germany on 1954. From Germany Dad had enter the U.S. at New York City, and he purchased a new car there. Dad then drove it to my Grandparent’s (Hyatt) house in Clara, Mississippi arriving after dark. I remember running out to the porch to see him. Once I got out on the porch, I saw a man coming out of the dark that I did not recognize. I suddenly became afraid. However, Dad took me out to the trunk of his new Oldsmobile (Super 88) and took out a new tricycle that he’d purchased for me in New York City. I remember riding it in my Grandfather Hyatt’s living room later. I was two and a half years old when this happen.

160

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

When Dad came home from Germany, he took my mother and me to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He was stationed at Herbert Field (sometimes called Field 9), at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

For whatever reason, I still remember our address and phone number in Florida;

142 Barks Drive Fort Walton Beach, Florida Phone: Cherry 38053 or CH 38053

Dad purchase a 100 ft. by 100 ft. lot in Wright, Florida (outside of Fort Walton Beach). It was in the woods at the time he purchased it. He cleared it off and set up a trailer. Now the property is in a bustling metro area. We lived in a very small house trailer until I was about 14-years old. I used to love it when it rained. The sound of the rain hitting the roof would put me to sleep fast. I miss that even today.

Larry; 142 Barks Drive Fort Walton Beach, Florida

On November 19th, 1962, my sister, Deborah Ann Lee was born. I named her.

Dad eventually got a new trailer and parked it on the other side of the property and built a side room onto it. That’s where we lived when he got military orders to transfer to Peshawar, West Pakistan sometime in 1966. Dad went on by himself and we joined him a few months later.

I had only been in three states before we traveled to Pakistan. In fact I’d only been 200 miles from Fort Walton to Waynesboro, Mississippi. In that trip we went through the southern tip of Alabama through Mobile. Suddenly we were flying from Fort Walton to Atlanta, Georgia and then to Charleston, South Carolina!

Just to note the difference in society back then and now, when we got on the plane in Fort Walton Beach in 1966, a man boarded behind us carrying his hunting rifle which he put in the overhead compartment! No one got excited; no one said a word. I heard him say to the man sitting next to him that he was going hunting in Colorado for the weekend.

161

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The next day we left Charleston to fly to Madrid Air Force Base in Spain! It was a C-141 cargo plane arranged to transport troops. I was on my first jet aircraft and about an hour out over the Atlantic Ocean, one of the engines caught fire and we had to turn around and go back to Charleston Air Force Base. Although they said we were never really in any danger, there were a lot of airmen on that plane with us with “white faces!”

The second time we took off for Spain, all went well. We landed in Madrid, Spain and spent about three days there. We got to tour Madrid. I remember seeing the country side and marveled at how different it was from anything I’d ever seen before. We flew from Madrid to Karachi, Pakistan with a stopover for fuel in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It was unbelievably hot in Saudi Arabia; I’ve never seen it hotter anywhere. We were on the ground there for about an hour or two, but I’ll always remember that intense heat and the HOT wind was so strong it nearly blew you down!

It was also very warm in Karachi were we stayed in the Intercontinental Hotel. I was fascinated with riding up and down on the elevator. (I’m not sure I’d ever seen one before.) When I got to the top floor, the elevator opened up to the roof of the hotel and I had a great view of the city. A young King Hussein of Jordan was a guest in that same hotel that night and I got to see and speak to him on the elevator. (Obviously, security was not a big issue those days as it is now. He only had a couple of men with him when he joined me in the elevator, and I’m not sure they were any part of security for the king.) I saw my first snake charmer outside of the hotel.

The next day we flew to Peshawar, Pakistan to be with Dad. Peshawar was in the “wild part” of Pakistan; and that part of Pakistan is still very wild today! Tribal law was common, and most did not care about any form of government. We lived there for just under two years. I had never seen a mountain before and now I was living in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains; I could see the highest mountain range in the world from my back yard! While there, I got to go to Afghanistan on a short trip (to historic Khyber Pass), and I also got to go to high school and live in the dorms at Ankara, Turkey. Ankara was a huge international city. My world expanded from only a 200-mile radius to over half the globe!

When we got back from Pakistan, I lived with my Grandfather, Gerod Lee, from 1968-1971 in Wayne County. Coming back to the United States from Pakistan, I remember that my Mother, sister and I flew into Mobile, Alabama and were picked up at the airport by my Aunt Polly and Uncle Joe Lott. I remember that Uncle Joe asked me if I thought about what I’d like to do first when I got back to the United States, and I said, “I’d love a hamburger.” He immediately stopped at a hamburger joint in Pritchard, Alabama; it was REALLY good; one of the best burgers I’ve ever had.

I attended Clara High School from 1968 until 1970. The 1970-71 school year was the first year for court ordered desegregation of Mississippi schools. My Grandparent’s residence fell into the zone for Beat Four High School. So I transferred from Clara High School in the fall of 1970, and graduated from Beat Four in the spring of 1971.

162

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

On December 24, 1971, I married my high school sweetheart, Margaret Penelope (Penny) Smith. I met her my senior year at Beat Four. We were married a brief 3-years and suffered a tragic divorce in February 1975.

Penny married Tommy Stevens in March 1975 and gave birth to our daughter, Carman Jill Stevens, on June 29, 1975. Jill’s last name was given as “Stevens” on her birth certificate to facilitate Tommy’s wishes. A genealogist researching my family will not find official records of me having a daughter, but Jill is extraordinarily like me even without the influence of me raising her. This proves there is a God. Jill is also listed as one of my children and an heir in my Will. All of my sons know that Jill is their sister, and they could not be happier about her being in our lives. Jill is very special and precious to all of us.

Penny Lee; 1972

Penny and I moved into a small trailer after marrying. It’s not saying much, but we both worked at the world’s largest blanket factory in Waynesboro, Mississippi for four years after high school; barely over minimum wage. Eventually as a result of the Arab oil embargo, the factory laid off most of its employees including me. This was in December of 1974, just before Christmas. I lost nearly everything I had except a Toyota Celica that I had bought for Penny. I could not find work in the Wayne-Jones County area. So 1974 saw me lose a marriage and job; and nearly everything else. It would take me years to recover.

I found a job working in a Print Shop in the spring of 1975 while visiting my Aunt Kitty Range (Mom’s older sister) in Houston, Texas. Aunt Kitty told me if I’d come out to Houston, she was sure I could find work; and I did. While in Houston in the summer of 1975, a family friend, Louie Pitts, helped me get a job at Masonite Corporation in Laurel, Mississippi, so I came back to my parent’s home in Wayne County. My Grandpa Gerod had retired at Masonite.

For many years, I did not see my daughter Jill except once, and it was at a long distance. She grew up to be a beautiful young lady and a wonderful person. It was very difficult emotionally

163

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 for me not to have raised Jill, but I did establish contact with her as she became a teenager. As I previously stated, Jill is so much like me it is unreal. We think alike, we have the same taste in music; our ways are just amazingly similar. I do not think she could be more like me even if I had raised her, except she would more likely love football and other sports a lot more than she does now, ha. I will always appreciate the fact that her mother helped me established a relationship with Jill. Penny did me very well with respect to Jill. I am not sure Jill will ever realize that it troubled me very much not to have raised her or at least have been a part of her life when she was little. I still feel that regret every day.

I worked at Masonite for about two years. While at Masonite, I started taking night classes at Jones County Junior College (JCJC) in Ellisville, Mississippi. Suddenly, the door opened up to me, and I saved up $1,000 and paid my car off, and quit Masonite and went to JCJC full time. I worked a number of part time jobs while attending JCJC.

One day while I was driving back from school, the timing chain broke in my car, and I did not have the money to fix it. I had to drop out of school for a while. During that time I met my second wife, Sabrina Rodriguez. She was going to JCJC nursing school. I got the car running and was able to secure some school loans, and I returned to school. At the end of the year, I transferred to Mississippi State University (MSU) in Starkville, Mississippi. I decided, for no real reason, I’d major in Nuclear Engineering. Sabrina followed me up to Starkville and we married. Matthew Allen Lee was born on October 7, 1980 (at midnight).

Matthew gave me reason to keep going.

I joined the United States Air Force my senior year at MSU on November 18, 1982. Michael Ray Lee was born in December 18, 1982; one week before Christmas. Now I had two reasons to keep going, and going I did!

When I finish at Mississippi State in May 1983, I had a job, a wife and two children. I was technically an Airman 1st Class in the Air Force, but as part of my agreement when I joined the Air Force I had to go immediately to Officers’ Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. I became an Air Force officer on August 16, 1983 at the rank of 2nd lieutenant.

I spent over 23-years in the military. I was able to get my master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering the University of New Mexico (UNM) going to school part time during my first assignment at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mark Edward Lee was born on June 12, 1985 in Albuquerque. Mark was sick and nearly died. He was born with Transposition of the Great Vessels and had corrective surgery done when he was only a few days old. It allowed him to live for 21-years. I thank the Lord for that.

I received my masters in 1987; the same year I was promoted to captain. At the end of my first tour at Kirtland the Air Force offered to send me for my PhD at UNM which I accepted. John David Lee was born on my mother’s birthday, April 17, 1990. I got my PhD in May 1991 and was immediately sent off to the Defense Nuclear Agency in Alexandria, Virginia (outside of

164

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Washington, D.C.). All four of my sons were born while I was a student either at MSU or UNM.

I loved being a dad. I enjoyed every minute I had with the boys. I tried to play with them every day I was home as I did have to travel a lot while they were growing up. Matthew, Michael, Mark and John are very precious, and they grew to be outstanding young men. I thank God for Jill, Matthew, Michael, Mark and John! I was very blessed.

We eventually moved to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, which is in the Washington, DC metro area. While there, Sabrina left us, had a prolonged affair of about one year, but I let her come back home. It was a huge error on my part.

In 1994 we left Washington for Patrick Air Force Base, Satellite Beach, Florida. This assignment was near the Kennedy Space Center. When the Space Shuttle launched, it would literally rock our house. We lived on base housing which was right on the beach of the Atlantic Ocean. I worked for the Air Force Technical Applications Center at Patrick. It was a great assignment for me and the family. When we lay down in bed at night we could often hear the surf coming ashore on the beach; it was very neat.

Shortly after being promoted to major, I was selected in 1996 to become the Commander of Wonju Air Station, in Wonju, South Korea. It was the best job I ever had in the military, but it was a remote tour, which meant I had to leave the family behind; that nearly killed me. It was a one-year tour, and I got to come home several times during it which made it a lot easier to take.

At the end of my tour at Wonju, the Air Force offered me the Chief of Logistic for the 303rd Intelligence Squadron, at Osan Air Base, South Korea. This was a two year tour, but I was allowed to go get my family and bring them back to South Korea with me. I think all boys enjoyed the tour in Korea. The family was able to make trips to Alaska, Hawaii and Japan too. My oldest son, Matthew, graduated from high school will living at on base at Osan.

After my tour from Osan was over, we were transferred to Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. We came back in 1999, and Sabrina left us again in 2001. In 2002, I divorced her. The boys and I have seldom seen her since, and it’s been years since the last time, which none of us regret.

The last I heard of her was in 2010. Sabrina had applied to the Metropolitan Tribunal Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama to have our marriage annulled. I assume they granted her request as I did not present any objection when the Church contacted me by letter about the issue. I did not reply to the letter; I am not Catholic, however if the Church wants to posture that my marriage to her was a mistake; I fully agree.

On August 11, 2003, my daughter Jill Johnson made me a grandfather; Brady Vance Johnson was born.

On September 4, 2003, my son Michael gave me a granddaughter, Reagan Kelsey Lee.

165

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Thus I became a grandfather twice in a matter of 3 weeks. I was there for my granddaughter’s birth. I wish I could have been there for Brady too. I love being a grandpa!

On July 23, 2006, my third oldest son, Mark Edward Lee, passed away in his sleep at my home in Prattville, Alabama. My youngest son, John, and I found Mark in his bed after I’d tried to wake him to eat supper. We had to unlock his door with a screwdriver after he failed to answer my very hard knocking on his bedroom door. Mark looked as if he was still just sleeping.

I went into Mark’s room about an hour after they had taken his body away. On his bed I found this note (in italics below) that he’d written for my retirement ceremony from the Air Force. The ceremony happened on July the 19th, and he was going to surprise me by reading it at my ceremony, but the ceremony ended abruptly and he never had the chance to do it there. Just imagine how I felted reading this only a few hours after he died:

Dad, what can I say? I have been around the world with you and back. I have lived a life that most people would like. From the time you were a “butter bar85” until now; I still remember the times I cried when you went TDY86 and the times you came home. When back I hugged you forever and would not let you go. Now dad I know at times I didn’t listen to you; well all four of us at some time didn’t. Dad I still remember the day I went to work with you and you were so proud and glad to show off me or one of my brothers. But now dad it’s my turn to say that I’m proud and glad to show off my dad. It’s been a long time now dad and your boys are growing up on you and following in your footsteps. Look at Matt; he has your kind heart and willing to go out of his way to help someone in need like you. Mike has made a great dad and you a granddad. John is as smart as us all. Me, well I just hope that I can say that I worked as hard as my dad. It’s your day dad and I just would like to tell you on behalf of my brothers and I that I’m glad you’re my dad, and if I had to do it again, I would. I love you dad.

Finding this note like I did will never be explained. The note certainly was not where I found it when they took Mark’s body away; he would have had to have been sleeping on it. If so when they lifted his body up, there it would have been for us to see. Several people had entered the room after Mark was taken away, but no one saw it there; I asked them myself.

Then when I came back into the room alone later, there it was; in plain view; on the sheets which the covers had been taken off; right in the middle of his bed in plain view. No one knew how it could have got there.

It is as if Mark reached out beyond death to say goodbye to me. Mark said, “…if I had to do it again, I would. I love you dad.”

85 “Butter bar” is a term that the military uses to denote a second lieutenant. It refers to the gold bar a second lieutenant wears displaying his or her rank. 86 TDY refers to “temporary duty.” I often went on business trips which the military refers to as TDY. 166

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Mark Edward Lee Lee’s Chapel Cemetery

I had just paid Mark’s dorm fees for the fall semester at Jones County Junior College where Mark was going to automotive technology school in August.

Mark loved his family dearly. His sister and brothers were a constant bragging point for him to make with others. His nephews and nieces were strongly attracted to him and he was very proud of them all.

I buried Mark at the Lee’s Chapel Cemetery close to my Dad, Lennard Lee Sr. Dad passed away just 3-months prior, on March 15th. My Grandparents, Gerod and Estelle Lee are buried there too.

167

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

I did not have anything to do with Mark’s obituary; it was written by the Freeman Funeral Home in Waynesboro, Mississippi from inputs they got from someone in the family. To my intense irritation, when I finally read it weeks later I discovered that his sister, Jill Johnson, was left out. Mark would be totally upset if he could have responded to this mistake as he loved Jill and her family intensely; as we all do.

Mark was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but he was not a resident there as stated in his obituary. Mark lived with me in Prattville, Alabama.

168

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Left to right: Jill Johnson, John, Mark, me, Mike, and Matthew Lee July 19, 2006

On October 1, 2006, I retired from the United States Air Force. On September 4, 2006 I started working for the Environmental Protection Agency at Gunter Annex of Maxwell Air Force Base, in Montgomery, Alabama. I am the Director of Environmental Monitoring and Emergency Response (CEMER) at the National Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory (NAREL). If you notice the timeline here, I started working for the EPA before I actually retired from the Air Force. I took terminal leave from the Air Force in July of 2006. My retirement ceremony was 19 July 2006 at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama; thus my last actual working duty day in the Air Force was 19 July 2006, but my last official duty day was September 30, 2006.

169

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

On December 24, 2011, exactly 40-years after Penny and I married the first time, we remarried again at the home of Joe Cooley in Wayne County, Mississippi. Joe went to high school with Penny and I; Joe and I graduated together. I have known Joe’s wife, Janice, since before they were married in the late 70s. Thus on Dec 24, 2011, a tragic error was corrected.

Everyone that knew Penny and I back in the early 1970s, friends and family both on the Lee side and on the Smith side, was very pleased that we had got back together against huge odds. They know, as do we, that Penny and I should have never split up. Now things are back the way it should have been and the way God intended.

Penny and I really never went on a honeymoon in 1971, but we did in 2011! We went to Paris, France and then to Florence, Italy. We had a marvelous time! Our intent is to go back to Florence one day; it is a magical city full of wonders; a living museum! We intend to visit other cities in Italy if possible when we return.

Larry and Penny Lee Florence, Italy January 1, 2012

170

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Penny wrote this in my Yearbook for my senior year at Beat Four High School in 1971

171

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

For future generations, I’d like to share this. I saw great changes in my lifetime, which I hope has a few more years to come. I always remember having a television set in the trailer that I grew up in, but in the early years, all TVs were black and white. One had to occasionally adjust the vertical and horizontal settings on them and reposition the antenna for optimum reception. Unless the station was close, often times, the optimum reception was very fuzzy; not good at all. TV channels were few because TV stations were few; two channels mostly and sometimes three. I am older than most of the TV stations in the US, so TV was just becoming available to the general public about the time I was born. I remember seeing my first color TV at a Sears and Roebuck store in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The floor display TV had the 1964 World Series playing between the St Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees. I was amazed at the color! The green grass, the uniforms, especially the Cardinal uniforms with the red bird on them; the Cardinals lost the game, but won the series and I’ve been a Cardinal fan for life ever since.

I remember when common cars did not have air conditioners. When cars started having air conditioners, the cars were pronged to overheat especially in stop and go city traffic, so car ACs were sometimes troublesome. But when Penny and I purchased a Toyota in 1974 and it had an air conditioner in it, I swore that I’d never own a car without one again; so far, so good.

172

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

I saw then end of a segregated South. When Wayne County desegregated in the 1970-71 school year, it was the blacks, not the whites that voiced the most regret during that first year. I’m sure history will not record this, but it is true. There was not one racial incident at Beat Four High School that first year. In fact we got along very well. Desegregation was good for the South and the nation.

I saw on TV the first man set foot on the moon. Then I saw the country abandon going there. As a young Air Force officer, I worked on space probes that left our solar system. I saw computers change our lives. Saw communications with the internet and wireless media explode. I saw great strides in medicine never thought of when I was a kid. I saw the nation elect a black president although one could argue that he is half white, one-quarter Negro, and one-quarter Arabic. Whatever, his election changed the “face” of America forever. No longer are white males totally in charge; in fact white males are now the minority.

I was able to see President Kennedy when he visited Eglin Air Force Base, Florida just a few months before he was killed in Dallas. I also saw Vice President Lyndon Johnson in Florida; he was walking behind Kennedy; Johnson would become president before the end of the year. (Jane Bracewell, my 8th great grandaunt, married Robert Elley (2nd of 3 marriages for her). Robert is an ancestor to President Lyndon Baynes Johnson.)

At Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, I got to sit down three rows behind the President in a ceremony honoring our Airmen that were killed in Saudi Arabia. After the ceremony I stood up and President Clinton was standing a few feet away from me. I turned away from the President and walked over to talk to General Fogleman, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and engaged in a lengthy conversation with him. I was not a fan of President Clinton for many reasons. He may be remembered as a good, perhaps great, president, but morally he was seriously lacking in his personal and professional life. I never had any respect for him, and in fact, he is the reason I officially changed from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party; I always voted Republican in the national elections anyway.

President Bush and his wife Barbara used to fly over our house at Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., and wave at that children playing in the playground next to our house. That was very neat to see.

I worked for, and became friends with General Michael Hayden. I have had dinner with him and his family at his house in San Antonio, Texas. He was the Air Force’s top Intelligence Officer when I worked with him, and he went on to become the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. I’ve had the privilege of mingling with some very elite people during my life, including many of the nation’s top military brass; but I’m still just a country boy at heart.

I served almost 24-years in the military and retired a major in the USAF. I never saw combat, but I had some really interesting assignments. I was commander of Wonju Air Station in South Korea. Since North and South Korea are still technically at war when I served there, I actually served in the same conflict that was going on when I was born! Fortunately for me, the shooting had stopped years before I got to Korea except for a few rare incidences along the Demilitarized Zone. I lived through the Vietnam War, both Persian Gulf Wars, and saw the Twin Towers in

173

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

New York City and the Pentagon attacked on television on Sept 11, 2001. Watching the events unfold, I realized that I could have been in one of those areas had the timing been different.

I have now travelled in all but about four of the states in the U. S. I’ve been to Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. I looked out an airplane window at the city of Athens, Greece; I’ve seen much of the world through an airplane window flying over!

Just like many of my ancestors, I have been known by different names; even some of my “official documents” are affected. My name given at birth was Leonard Woodrow Lee, Junior. When I was a teenager, and specifically when my Mother was trying to get passports for all of us to join my Father in Pakistan, an ill-advised airman at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida told my mother that I could not get a passport since I was a junior and my name was not spelled exactly like my father’s was. Dad spelled his name “Lennard,” and mine at the time was spelled “Leonard.” Mother did not realize that this was in error (for one can spell their name any way they desire), so she sent a letter to Jackson, Mississippi and had my name changed to “Lennard” like my Father, and this satisfied the people at Eglin and we got the passports. (My Grandmother told me that a doctor spelled Dad’s name “Lennard” when Dad was born and that’s the source of that spelling.) So I’ve had to go through most of my life with this “different spelling” of my first name. It is possible; I suppose that there are records of me up through parts of junior high school with my name listed as “Leonard.” It would have been better for me if it still was as I occasionally have “problems” due to the unusual spelling. Also, I’m often called “Lenn-ard” or “Len-nard.”

But the “trouble” does not end there. Since I am junior, it was decided when I was a baby that I’d be called “Larry” to distinguish me from my Dad. In fact, the first day of junior high (7th grade) I did not hear my name called by the homeroom teacher. When she finished calling roll, she asked if anyone’s name had not been called and I raised my hand. She asked me what my name was and I replied, “Larry Lee.” She then said that there was no Larry Lee on the roll but there was a Leonard Lee, and she said, “He did not answer.” Of course that was me, but I wouldn’t have any of it. We finally wound up in the principal’s office and they called my Mom and she had to come down to school to settle the issue and tell me herself that I was “Leonard Lee” and Larry was really my “nickname.” I was not happy…and the different names have caused me many troubled moments over the years; and they may cause a future genealogist trouble too. My records here at the Environmental Protection Agency where I work have both Larry and Lennard on them. I suppose since I have only one social security number, it all works out; ha!

I consider myself the last of my Lee lineage to be from Wayne County, Mississippi. I left Wayne County in 1979 to attend college at Mississippi State and have never returned to live. However, I visit Wayne County at least once a month to visit my son Mark’s grave. For years I thought for sure I’d come back after I retired from the military in 2006, but that was not the case.

I now live in Prattville, Alabama which is outside of Montgomery. Penny and I are very happy in Prattville. However, we do consider Wayne County “home.” I own land in Wayne County and may someday come back to retire but as the years wear on it seems that desire is less likely

174

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 to happen. My children either left Wayne County or have never lived there, but all of them love it when they visit. While there are many in Wayne County that are kin to the Lees, the only Lee males living in Wayne County from my Grandfather’s family are my Uncle Clifton’s son, Gary Lee; Gary’s children and grandchildren. Wayne County used to be “full of Lees” with dozens living there, but now very few are left. But the Lee family still has long standing roots in Wayne County.

Wayne County is the final resting place for: My great-great grandparents, Robeson [Robert] Earl and Catherine (West) Lee My great-grandparents Phillip Anaphur [Napper] and Pollie An (Overstreet) Lee My great-grandparents LeRoy and Phronia (Loper) Busby My grandparents, Gerod Senior and Estelle (Busby) Lee My grandparents Robert and Mary [Marie] Valley (Shows) Hyatt My father, Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr. My son, Mark Edward Lee Perhaps hundreds of other relatives

My mother, Bobbie Iris (Hyatt) Lee, will be buried by my father. Penny and I will be buried in Wayne County too. One way or the other, I will be returning to Wayne County one day for good.

I am the ninth generation of Lee males from John Lee of England’s lineage to me. As of September 1013, that male lineage is up to 11:

1. John Lee of England  2. Joshua Lee  3. Zachariah Lee  4. Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior  5. Robeson “Robert” Earl Lee  6. Phillip A. “Napper” Lee  7. Gerod Clifton Lee, Senior  8. Lennard Woodrow Lee, Senior  9. Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Junior  10. Michael Ray Lee  11. Cooper Mark Lee

It is likely that the male lineage will get expanded much more in the future. My sons Matthew and John have not had any children yet.

The lineage to all my grandchildren (as of Sep 2013) are:

175

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

I hope that my children and grandchildren and even future generations of Lees will take interest in this document, perhaps expand it to reflect generations yet to come, and that our Lee family history will not be lost. Losing it will be a permanent tragedy.

Children87/Grandchildren of Larry and Penny Lee

Daughter Jill and husband Rodney Johnson; their children: Brady Vance and Maggy Ella

Son William Judd and wife Vanessa Danielle (Davis) Stevens; their children: William Jacob and Jorja Ann

Son Matthew Allen and wife Krysten (Neel) Lee

Son Michael Ray and wife Andrea (Willis) Lee; Their children: Reagan Kelsie, Cooper Mark and Camryn Elizabeth

Son Mark Edward Lee

Son John David Lee

I am extremely blessed to have Judd Stevens as my stepson. He is a super person, and his entire family, Danielle, Jacob and Jorja have found a special place in my heart. They are the same as my own; and a wonderful addition to my life.

87 Larry and Penny have one daughter together; Carman Jill Stevens. Judd Stevens is the son of Penny and her second husband, Tommy Stevens. Matthew, Michael, Mark and John are my sons from a previous marriage; but they all belong to us! 176

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Using the lineage from John Lee of England back, this is a possible male Lee lineage, as of Sep 2013:

1. Thomas Lee  2. Joseph Lee I  3. Joseph Lee II  2. John Lee of England  3. Joshua Lee  4. Zachariah Lee  5. Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior  6. Robeson “Robert” Earl Lee  7. Phillip A. “Napper” Lee  8. Gerod Clifton Lee, Senior  9. Lennard Woodrow Lee, Senior  10. Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Junior  11. Michael Ray Lee  12. Cooper Mark Lee

It is hard to believe that Harry S. Truman was president when I was born. Truman, 1945- 1953, was president at the end of World War II!

I have personally seen four presidents. Kennedy, Johnson, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. I was in the same room as Clinton. Clinton’s policies were to the extreme totally based on public opinion polls. Working in Washington, DC, I knew more about how he operated than most. Also, his adultery, and lies accordingly, were more than I could tolerate.

I remember there was a lot of sorrow and celebrations when Kennedy was shot in Dallas in 1963. Many did not support his “push for Civil Rights.” Actually Kennedy did not robustly push Civil Rights at all, but he got the credit for it. Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy as president, pushed Civil Rights hard. Johnson, a former segregationist senator from Texas, got most of the Civil Rights laws through the Congress after Kennedy’s death. Ironically, the African American community changed parties from the Republicans to the Democrats because of this push, but it was not the Democratic Party that championed Civil Rights for them. It was the northern Democrats and the national Republicans that did it. The Southern Democrats, known as “Dixie-crats” opposed all Civil Rights bills in Congress, and if not for the Republicans supporting the northern Democrats, Civil Rights would not have become a reality in the 1960s. Civil Rights turned out to be one of our nation’s best efforts.

Besides Truman, the following were presidents in my lifetime; I hope to see this list increase. Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953-1961. John F. Kennedy 1961-1963. Lyndon B. Johnson 1963- 1969. Richard M. Nixon 1969-1974. Gerald Ford 1974-1977. Jimmy Carter 1977-1981. Ronald Reagan 1981-1989. George H.W. Bush 1989-1993. Bill Clinton 1993-2001. George W. Bush 2001-2009. Barack Obama 2009-currently.

177

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Luther William Lee :

Luther Lee’s headstone. Lee’s Chapel Cemetery Wayne County, Mississippi

Luther W. Lee

Date: August 2nd, 1916 - September 28th, 2009

Obituary: Mr. Luther W. Lee, 93, a native and resident of Waynesboro, MS died Monday, September 28, 2009 at Brookwood Villa Personal Care Home in Waynesboro. He was born Wednesday, August 2, 1916 to William Presley "Bill" Lee and Leona (High) Lee. He was family historian and had DNA confirmation that he was a descendant of Samuel Jefferson Lee, who was among the first white settlers to enter the MS Territory in 1805. He graduated from Wayne County Agricultural High School (at Clara) in 1936. After attending Mississippi State university he worked as laboratory technician at Masonite Corporation in Laurel. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving as a medic, and went ashore at Normandy during the D-Day Invasion. He was proud that in the spring of 1945 his unit liberated approximately 32,000 prisoners from the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. He farmed after the war and later worked for Luther McGill Oil Field Trucking Company 25 years as a dispatcher. He was a lifelong member of Lee's Chapel Freewill Baptist Church in Wayne County, serving as a Deacon, Sunday School Teacher and Sunday School Superintendent. He will be laid to rest next to his wife of 58 years, Lena (Flynt) Lee. He is also preceded in death by a brother, Steve Lee. He is survived by his Son, Leslie (Nancy) Lee of Brandon; 1 Brother, Ellis Lee of Naples, FL and 2 Grandchildren, Chad Lee of Brandon, and Amanda Lee of Kansas City, MO. Visitation for Mr. Lee will be held from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Wednesday, September 30, 2009 in the Parlor of Freeman Funeral Home, Waynesboro, MS. Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 PM Thursday, October 01, 2009 from the Chapel of Freeman Funeral Home in Waynesboro with Rev. Glenn Shelby and Rev. Randy Busby officiating. Interment will be in Lee's Chapel Cemetery, Wayne Co., MS.

178

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Notes with Luther Lee; 12 July 2007 at the Wayne General Hospital

Luther wants me to add a paragraph to his obituary:88 - He is a Sliver and Scottish Right Mason - He is a lifetime member of the American Legion - He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars - He is a member of the Sons of the Confederacy

Luther’s father is William (Bill) Lee. (I was a pallbearer for his father at his funeral in 1970.) - Luther’s father has two brothers o Ellis Gains Lee, born May 6, 1918 and still living in Florida . Ellis got his middle name from an uncle. After he was born, a number of the family members asked what his middle name should be. His Uncle Chester said, well he’s got all the world to gain…. o Steve Lee, who died on July 30, 1979. . He is buried at the Lee’s Chapel Cemetery

Luther’s grandfather, Steve Lee, was a Civil War veteran and Robeson and Katie Lee’s oldest son. He had a number of children

- John Lee (who is buried at the Mozingo Cemetery near Mom’s house89) - G Lee - George Lee - Chester Lee - Bill Lee (Luther’s Dad) - Kate Lee - Laurie Lee - Sadie Lee - Mary Lee (who everyone called Aunt Pet)

Luther and I discussed my Great grandfather, LeRoy Busby. LeRoy was married twice. His second wife, Grace, was very young and disliked by many family members, and in fact some of the Busby girls shot her with a shotgun in the rear as she was drawing water up from a well behind the house. She left the home after this happened. I heard a second story about her. Grandma Estelle (Busby) Lee said that she’d cook a chicken and the kids would be very hungry, but she’d feed the chicken to LeRoy and herself and the kids got none of it. To me, this points some liability to LeRoy too, but is seems Grace got the blame. I have a picture of Grace and LeRoy. Ellis Lee (Luther’s younger brother) told me that Grace was Frank James’ daughter, so logically her name was Grace James. (Grace was still living when I was in high

88 Obviously, I did not get to facilitate all of his wishes. 89 Mom’s house; Mrs. Bobbie I Lee; 16 Lee Drive, Waynesboro, MS 39367. 179

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 school.) Grace would have been half Lee because her mother, Sarah Lee, is the 10th child of Robeson and Katie Lee.

Grace and LeRoy had no children, to my knowledge. When Grace was up in years, Grace would refer to LeRoy as the love of her life. She was half his age, I believe.

Frank James is buried at the Old Lee Cemetery by the Chickaswhay River but his grave is not marked.

Grandpa Lee always said we were kin to the outlaws Frank and Jesse James. I discounted this; however, I have heard stories from others (that are not Lees) that say the outlaws did come down to Wayne County for a period of time when running from the law. It is possible that one of them fathered a child. I have heard it may have been Jesse himself and that the child was named after his uncle Frank. I’m very skeptical of any of this, however multiple sources, some not kin to us at all, state this happened.

Frank James, the husband of Sarah Lee, is buried at the Old Lee Cemetery. They had a son named Ben Franklin (Bud) James. Bud is buried at the Old Lee Cemetery too.

Luther once showed me a German army rifle that he got in World War II. It was in magnificent condition; it looked like new. Luther told me the story behind it.

At the end of World War II, large convoys of troops and equipment were being brought into Germany. By April, most of the fighting was in the German defense of Berlin where the Germans were in a very intense death struggle with the Russians. There were a few skirmishes in other parts of Germany. The Germans were on their knees, and large numbers (many thousands) of German soldiers were giving up daily. The war would officially end in May.

On this April day, Luther was standing on a road in the mountains directing the traffic for these convoys. On occasions, the convoys had gaps in them. In one of these gaps, Luther said that he heard something near some bushes behind him in the snow. Luther turned around to find a number of German soldiers approaching him. Luther, who was unarmed, momentarily thought this might be his end. However, the Germans were trying to give up and they approached Luther thinking he was “safe” to make contact with. Luther did not understand German but one German knew enough broken English to communicate with Luther their intent. They threw down their rifles in the snow. Luther told them to go up the road and surrender to someone there as he had no way to take them prisoner. Once gone, Luther retrieved one of the rifles and sent it back home, and that was the rifle he showed me and my sons one day at his house.

I was struck by Luther’s honesty as he could have made up any number of stories, like getting it in battle; but Luther was not like that.

Luther was most proud that his unit liberated the Dachau Concentration camp in Germany. He said the conditions were indescribably horrible. Luther lived quite a life!

180

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The Old Lee Plantation

The Old Lee Plantation went from Yellow Creek and the Chickasawhay River out several hundred acres.

Samuel Jefferson Lee Senior and his wife Sarah established the Old Lee Plantation perhaps as early as 1805 or as late as about 1817. The family was certainly living there before 1818. Oral family history states that one (or more) of Sam and Sarah’s children died as the family was crossing the Chickasawhay River near present day Waynesboro. Samuel and Sarah buried the child on a bluff by the river. The next day the family was to continue on with their trip, but Sarah refused to go and leave the child behind. Thus, Samuel staked out what was to become the Lee Plantation.

On December 18, 1818, Sarah died and was buried next to the child under a Magnolia Tree with the date, 12/18/1818, carved into it. This was the first Lee Cemetery on the plantation, but its exact location is not known now. Some believe it is not far from the present day Old Lee Cemetery. The Magnolia tree has long ago died and/or been removed; it is doubtful the first cemetery will ever be found again.

The 1820 Federal Wayne County Census, the first Federal census in Mississippi after statehood, shows that the Samuel Lee family was at the plantation at that time. In 1823, Sam paid taxes on 393 acres of land on the Chickasawhay River in Wayne County. As far as records are concerned, at least this can be absolutely said about the plantation’s size. While 393 acres is a rather large parcel of land, it does not compare in size to plantations of that time, some of which were thousands of acres in size. The Lee family certainly called it a plantation, and some believe the actual plantation was much larger than the 393 acres described in the 1823 tax records.

Samuel was very prosperous during his time on the plantation. However, sometime around 1845, Samuel disappears from the plantation. Samuel was thought to have moved away. He was over 70-years old; no one seems to know his fate. Perhaps he died in Wayne County; perhaps he is buried somewhere on land that was once part of the Old Lee Plantation. Most sources cite that Sam moved off the plantation and went elsewhere.

In about 1845, Samuel and Sarah’s youngest son, Robeson, becomes the plantation owner. Robeson never owned any slaves; all the plantation work was done by the family. He marries Catherine “Katie” West in 1846, and they raise a huge family on the plantation. Except for a few years after Robeson’s father Samuel married Patsy (Overstreet) West, Robeson lived on the plantation all his life. Robeson was born on the plantation on April 6, 1818 and died there on September 25, 1897. Robeson was the first person buried in what is now called the Old Lee Cemetery. The cemetery was located near the plantation home site, and it still exists today.

181

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

There have been numerous stories about life at the plantation including a few newspaper articles. I have not yet seen any of the articles but have been told about them by cousins that have read them; there was an article in the Times Picayune about life on the Old Lee Plantation.

The plantation was in the Lee family for several years after Robeson Lee died. It is my best guess that the family “lost” nearly all the plantation sometime in the early 1900s. The 1910 Wayne County Census shows that Catherine and her grown (over middle aged) children Nathan and Martha are still living in the same household with her. Luther Lee told me that Uncle Greene (Nathan) and Aunt Martha lived on the plantation until they were very old. This suggests to me that Uncle Greene and Aunt Martha lived on the plantation for some time after their mother died in 1910.

Below is a painting of the old Robeson Lee home. Henrietta “Etta” Campbell painted a number of these scenes of the old Lee home site; all of them were consistent, but it is unknown by her family if her paintings were from her own memory or not. Etta was born on Nov 1, 1904 in Wayne County, Mississippi. She married Oscar Lee Stewart in Wayne County in 1926. She died after Jan 1987 in Fort Worth, Texas. The point is; her youth was spent in Wayne County, and she was old enough to have remembered the plantation home.

Since Luther Lee remembers that there was a home at the Old Lee Plantation (but does not recall what it looked like), and Luther was born Aug 2, 1916, then Etta, who was born in 1904, could have living memory of the Old Lee Plantation home and her paintings may be accurate as to how it looked.

Clearly the house in Etta’s painting does not look like a “plantation house,” but it could have been a rather large home for its time. Katie Lee was known to take in boarders in the home when people would come to Waynesboro to “participate” in elections or court house proceedings. So the house had to have had some significant size, and I think it was much larger than it appears in the painting below.

It is obvious that the Lee Plantation was not like the classic plantations that we think about in the old south, but it did contained a very large parcel of land, and two large families (Samuel’s and Rob’s) were raised there.

One-hundred and sixty acres of the plantation is still in the family today and is owned by Buddy Lee and wife Billie.

182

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The Lee Plantation By Etta Campbell Stewart

How big was this house? In the picture it doesn’t look that big or impressive. However, using census data, the house may have been HUGE! Much larger than it looks.

If Samuel Lee Senior used this house in 1820, there were 16 people living in it (14 children, Samuel and an unknown female). The 1820 Census states there were 33 people living on the Plantation which would have included 17 slaves. So at one time, there had to be another house(s) on the plantation for the slaves. For this painting, the slave house(s) may not have existed or been converted for other use since Robeson had no slaves. Catherine was known to take in free borders when elections were held in Waynesboro; perhaps she used the other house(s).

In the 1870 census, there were 11 people living in the Robeson Lee household. In the 1880 census, 10 people were living in it.

Is that the Old Lee Cemetery seen at the lower right hand corner? If so, I know about where the old house once stood. Some of the trees shown may still be standing.

183

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

What happened to the Old Lee Plantation?

Conversation with Luther Lee; May 2008

Looking at Census Data, my 2nd Great grandmother Catherine and two of her children were living in the same household in 1910. Those children were Nathaniel Greene Lee and Martha Lee. Coupled with that information with Luther’s story below, the Lee Plantation was in the family in the year 1910. 2nd Great grandma Kate died that year after the census was taken.

I asked Luther Lee how the Lee family lost the Lee plantation.

Luther told me that two of Robeson (Robert) Earl Lee’s children, “Uncle Green and Aunt Martha,” never married. They lived on the Lee Plantation until they were very old.

Albert Lee’s boy90, William R (Bill) Lee asked Uncle Green and Aunt Martha for the deed to the plantation. Bill Lee was supposed to take care of these two elderly Lees the rest of their lives.

William (Bill) Lee was 6-foot 3-inches tall; which was very tall at the time he lived. He was nicknamed “High Lee” (or High Bill).

Bill Lee sold most of the Lee Plantation to Arthur Busby, who was a lawyer and at one time the Wayne County Chancery Judge. Bill Lee moved to Meridian, Mississippi, and then moved to Baldwin County, Alabama to raise potatoes. Luther did not say what happened to Uncle Green and/or Aunt Martha after Bill sold the plantation.

Arthur Busby then sold the property to Noland Clark. Noland Clark owned the land when I was living with my Grandfather, Gerod Lee from 1968 to 1971. Noland’s widow owns the land today (August 2013). In the middle of one of the pastures that once made up the Old Lee Plantation is the Old Lee Cemetery.

William sold the rest of the Lee Plantation property, 160-acers, to his brother, Ruffus Lee.91

Ruffus Lee’s baby boy, John (Buddy) Lee,92 has the 160-acers today, and that is all of the Lee Plantation left in the Lee family.

90 It is my understanding that Albert Lee was Albert C. Lee, the fifth child of Roberson and Katie Lee. He was born Sept 5, 1854 and died April 6, 1915 in Wayne County, Mississippi. He is buried at the old Lee Cemetery. 91 Ruffus Lee is buried at the old Lee Cemetery. His father is Albert C. Lee. 92 John (Buddy) Lee appears to be the great grandson of Robeson Earl Lee. Robeson Earl Lee is also my 2nd great grandfather, so Buddy would be my 2nd cousin once removed. 184

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Nathaniel Greene Lee was born in September 1856 in Wayne County, Mississippi. He reportedly married Minnie Williams in 1908. He was about 52-years old when he married according to Who Married Whom in Wayne County, Mississippi written by Jody Strickland and Patricia Edwards, 1994. That sounds a bit strange. The Charles Lewis websites do not cite a marriage for him, so I wonder if Jody Strickland’s record for him is correct. The 1900 Federal Wayne County Census shows that he is living in his mother’s household at the age of 44 (the census incorrectly states he is 38 years old). In the 1910 Federal Wayne County Census, he is also living in his mother’s household at the age of 54. (His age is correct in this census.) No census ever shows him with a wife, however the 1910 census states that he was widowed.

If he married in 1908, his marriage was very brief it appears, because he has no wife living in the same household as him in 1910. The marriage was so brief that Luther’s generation was not aware of it. So I think Luther’s statement that Uncle Green never married is a reasonable assumption on Luther’s part. Nathaniel died in 1922.

Martha C. Lee was born on July 9, 1870 and died April 12, 1944. She never married. Both the 1900 and 1910 Federal Wayne County Censuses show that she is living in her mother’s household; as is her brother Nathan Green.

In fact, in the 1910 census, there are only three living in the household: Catherine Lee age 79, Green Lee age 54, and Martha Lee age 40.

Speculation on my part: Unless High Bill Lee sold the property out from under his Uncle Green and Aunt Martha, perhaps the plantation stayed in the Lee family until after Aunt Martha died in 1944. However, I do not think that’s correct as Luther could barely remember the old Plantation home site. Luther was born in 1916, so I suspect the plantation was lost in Luther’s youth; perhaps sometime in the early 1920s.

The last grave in the Old Lee Plantation which is now in the Old Lee Cemetery was Ben Franklin (Bud) James in 1946. His grave is now unmarked. But that burial indicates that the family had access to the cemetery until the 1940s. However, the plantation was not in the family’s possession in the 1930s or 1940s with the information I can gather.

185

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The Cousins Chart

If one person’s grandparent great grandparent 2nd great 3rd great 4th great grandparent grandparent grandparent

Is the other person’s

grandparent 1st cousins 1st cousins once 1st cousins twice 1st cousins thrice 1st cousins four removed removed removed times removed great grandparent 1st cousins once 2nd cousins 2nd cousins once 2nd cousins twice 2nd cousins thrice removed removed removed removed 2nd great grandparent 1st cousins twice 2nd cousins once 3rd cousins 3rd cousins once 3rd cousins twice removed removed removed removed 3rd great grandparent 1st cousins thrice 2nd cousins twice 3rd cousins once 4th cousins 4th cousins once removed removed removed removed 4th great grandparent 1st cousins four 2nd cousins thrice 3rd cousins twice 4th cousins once 5th cousins times removed removed removed removed

186

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Ancestors of Lennard (Larry) Woodrow Lee, Junior

Lennard (Larry) Woodrow Lee, Junior

Parents:

Lennard Woodrow Lee, Senior Bobbie Iris Hyatt

Grandparents:

Parents of Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.: Gerod Clifton Lee, Senior Ida Estelle Busby Parents of Bobbie Iris Hyatt: Robert Allen Hyatt Mary Valley Shows

Great grandparents:

Parents of Gerod Clifton Lee Sr.: Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee Pollie An “Pruda” Overstreet Parents of Ida Estelle Busby: Wilder LeRoy Busby Ellen Sophonia “Phronia” Loper Parents of Robert Allen Hyatt: Isaac Colman Hyatt Martha Walker Parents of Mary Valley Shows: Adam Newton Shows Kathryn Landrum

187

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Great-great grandparents:

Parents of Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee: Robeson “Robert or Rob” Earl Lee Catherine “Katie” West Parents of Pollie An “Pruda” Overstreet: William J. “Choctaw Bill” Overstreet Eliza Ratcliff Parents of Wilder LeRoy Busby: William Travis Busby Margaret Elizabeth Easterling Parents of Ellen Sophonia Loper: George Anderson Loper Ellen Kitchens Parents of Isaac Colman Hyatt: Peter Hyatt Cyntha Parents of Martha Walker: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Adam Newton Shows: Comelius Homes Shows Martha Rayborn Parents of Kathryn Landrum: Lewis L. Landrum Cahanasade N (Carrie)

2nd Great grandpa Choctaw Bill was born in 1839 in Wayne County, Mississippi. He died on November 28, 1921 in Ellisville, Mississippi. He is buried in the Hebron Cemetery, Jones County, Mississippi. He married twice. He married Eliza Ratcliff and then Sallie Trigg. I believe that Eliza Ratcliff is my 2nd Great grandmother. Sallie Trigg is believed to have been married before as her name shows up in Wayne County records as Mrs. Trigg.

Choctaw Bill served in the Confederate army in the Civil War. My cousin, Randy Busby,93 told me that Choctaw Bill, and several of his fellow soldiers, upon seeing the war effort was hopeless, left the Confederate Army and came home near the war’s end. I don’t think this was desertion, however. I found that he served as a private in Company A, 46th Mississippi Infantry. He entered service on November 17, 1861 and was discharged May 5, 1865. To put this in context, General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia on April 9, 1865; thus Choctaw Bill was serving in the Confederate Army after Lee’s surrender. The War was lost totally by May.

I cannot find Cahanasade’s full name. I found the initial “N” and the name “Carrie” in parenthesis beside her first name. I assume “Carrie” is her nickname.

Great-great grandma Margaret Elizabeth Easterling was said to be half Cherokee Indian.

93 Randy Busby’s grandfather, LeRoy Busby, is my great-grandfather. So Randy is my 1st cousin, one time removed. 188

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

3rd Great grandparents:

Parents of Robeson “Robert or Rob” Earl Lee: Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr. Sarah Shay Burns Parents of Catherine “Katie” West: Dr. John Asbury West Martha Patricia “Patsy” Overstreet Parents of William J. “Choctaw Bill” Overstreet: James Henry Overstreet Prudence “Pruda” Kelly Parents of Eliza Ratcliff: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of William Travis Busby: Jeremiah “Jessie” Busby Mary Frances Cooley Parents of Margaret Elizabeth Easterling: Giles Bennet Easterling Sabra Ann Carter Parents of George Loper Thomas Armstrong Loper Almedia Jenkins Parents of Ellen Kitchens Father Unknown Mother unknown Parents of Comelius Homes Shows: John Adam Shows Mary N Robertson Parents of Martha Rayborn: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Lewis L. Landrum: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Cahansade N (Carrie): Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Peter Hyatt: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Cyntha (Hyatt): Father unknown Mother unknown

189

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

My 3rd Great grandmother Sarah’s last name was either “Shay” or “Burns.” I have a number of sources that cite both. I have ONE source that says her name was Sarah Shay Burns. I do not know which is correct.

Patsy Overstreet’s grandfather is Choctaw Bill Overstreet’s great grandfather. Thus my 3rd Great grandmother Patsy is my 2nd Great grandfather Choctaw Bill’s 1st cousin once removed.

Patsy Overstreet was married to Dr. John West, and after he died, she married Samuel Lee. Dr. West had a number of children from his previous marriage(s), and so did Sam Lee. Patsy also had children with John and Sam in her marriages to them. It was said that she “mothered” over 30-children in her lifetime!

Patsy Overstreet is my 3rd Great grandmother, and due to her second marriage to Samuel Lee, she is also my 3rd great step grandmother.

Prudence “Pruda” Kelly was born in 1805 in South Carolina. She married James Henry Overstreet in 1836 in Wayne County, Mississippi. Some data suggests her maiden name was “Pruda Busby,” but her daughter’s (Nancy) death certificate states Nancy’s mother’s maiden last name is Kelly.

Peter Hyatt was born in South Carolina.

190

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

4th Great grandparents:

Parents of Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr.: Zachariah T. Lee Lucy Farmer Parents of Sarah Shay Burns: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Dr. John Asbury West: John Vincent West Rebecca Parents of Martha Patricia “Patsy” Overstreet: John Overstreet Catherine Carr Parents of James Henry Overstreet: Braswell Overstreet Sarah (Buie) Bowie Parents of Prudence “Pruda” Kelly: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Jeremiah “Jesse” Busby: Jeremiah Busby Phebe Miles Parents of Mary Frances Cooley: Harbard Cooley Ester Sumrall Parents of Giles Bennet Easterling: Henry Easterling (IV) Margaret Laird Parents of Sabra Ann Carter: Matthew Carter Rueben Caroline Hartsfield Parents of John Adam Shows: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Mary N. Robertson: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Thomas Armstrong Loper: Joseph Loper? Sarah? Parents of Almedia Jenkins: Father unknown Mother unknown

Because of the uncertainty of Samuel Lee’s father due to data showing that both Jesse Lee and Zachariah Lee could be, I’ve included both Jesse and Zachariah as my 4th Great grandfather in these charts. They are brothers, so my 5th Great grandfather, Joshua Lee, is not in doubt. But the uncertainty also extends to my 4th Great grandmother; is she Elizabeth or Lucy Farmer? Note: this uncertainty is shrinking every time I investigate this lineage. I’m now fairly confident that Zachariah Lee is the father of Samuel Lee.

Braswell Overstreet’s wife; Sarah Buie was the daughter of Chief Buie of the Choctaw nation.

John Vincent West’s wife’s maiden name is unknown (Rebecca).

191

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

5th Great grandparents:

Parents of Jesse Lee Sr. and Zachariah T Lee: Joshua Lee Mary Woodard Parents of Lucy Farmer: Isaac Farmer Elizabeth Bryant Braswell Parents of John Vincent West: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of John Overstreet: Henry Overstreet II94 Jane Braswell Parents of Catherine Carr: Col Henry “Dad” Carr Ann Parents of Braswell Overstreet: Henry Overstreet II Jane Braswell Parents of Sarah “Buie” Bowie: Chief Buie Mother unknown Parents of Jeremiah Busby: Zachariah Busby Mother unknown Parents of Phebe Miles: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Harbard Cooley: William Cooley Nancy Bounds Parents of Ester Sumrall: Moses Sumrall Mary Parker Parents of Henry Easterling (IV): Henry Easterling (III) Elizabeth Bennett Parents of Margaret Laird: Adam Laird Lucretia Creasy Parents of Matthew Carter: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Caroline Hartsfield: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Joseph Loper: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Sarah: Father unknown Mother unknown

The maiden name of Col Henry “Dad” Carr’s wife, Ann, is unknown.

Henry Overstreet II and wife Jane Braswell are my “double 5th Great grandparents.

94 Henry Overstreet II is often cited as Henry Overstreet Jr. 192

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Isaac Farmer and Elizabeth Braswell were the parents of TWO sons that served in the American Revolution: Joseph Farmer and Benjamin Farmer. Joseph and Benjamin would be my 4th great granduncles.

Chief Buie of the Creek Nation, is the father of Sarah “Buie” Bowie. He is my 5th Great grandfather. Henry Overstreet II had a family business of trading with the Creek Indians. This exposure led to his son Braswell marrying Sarah Buie, the Creek chief’s daughter.

193

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

6th Great grandparents:

Parents of Joshua Lee: John Lee of England Mary (Emerson?) Parents of Mary Woodard: John Woodard Margaret Parents of Isaac Farmer: Thomas Farmer III Agnes Nicholson Parents of Elizabeth Bryant Braswell Richard Braswell Elizabeth or Eleanor Bryant Parents of Henry Overstreet II: Henry Overstreet I Ann Parents of Jane Braswell: Robert Braswell Jullian Parents of Dad Carr: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Zachariah Busby: Benjamin Busby Susannah Parents of William Cooley: John A. Cooley Rachael Parents of Nancy Bounds: John Bounds Mary Parents of Moses Sumrall: Thomas Sumrall Ann Thomas Parents of Mary Parker: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Henry Easterling (III): Henry Easterling (II) Elizabeth Witherington Parents of Elizabeth Bennett: William Bennett Olivia Chear Parents of Adam Laird: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Lucretia Creasy: Father unknown Mother unknown

194

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

John Lee’s wife’s first name is Mary. She may have been Mary Emerson.

John Woodard’s wife’s first name is Margaret. Her maiden name is unknown.

John Woodard was born about 1690 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. He married Margaret in about 1730. He died after February 1765.

John Woodard’s daughter, Mary Woodard, was born about 1710. In 1730 she married Joshua Lee.

Henry Overstreet I’s wife’s first name is Ann. Her maiden name is unknown. This is Henry Overstreet of Burke County, Georgia.

Henry Overstreet I was a member of what is sometimes referred to as the “Oglethorpe Colony” in Georgia around 1732-1740. This was actually the group of settlers organized by James Edward Oglethorpe that obtained a charter to establish the colony of Georgia by King George II. The group sailed for America in 1732 and eventually built Savannah. Henry Overstreet I was one of the Georgia colony’s first settlers.

Robert Braswell’s wife’s first name is Jullian. Her maiden name is unknown.

Benjamin Busby’s wife’s first name is Susannah. Her maiden name is unknown.

There is a Richard Braswell listed as my 9th Great grandfather. The Richard Braswell above is likely kin to him in some way; perhaps they are the same person, but if that’s true then likely some of the Braswell data are wrong. This kinship depends on if Lucy Farmer is my 4th Great grandma, which is now pretty solid. If so, I am at least double kin to the Braswells; but if so this double kinship goes WAY back.

195

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

7th Great grandparents:

Parents of John Lee of England: Joseph Lee II (not proven) Mother unknown Parents of John Woodard: John (Dad) Woodard of England Mother unknown Parents of Richard Braswell Robert Braswell Sarah Valentine Parents of Thomas Farmer III Thomas Farmer II Ann Rome Parents of Agnes Nicholson George Nicholson Mary Parents of Elizabeth or Elenor Bryant: James Bryant Senior Elizabeth Bertie Parents of Henry Overstreet I: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Robert Braswell: Robert Braswell Sarah Parents of Benjamin Busby: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Susannah: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of John Lee of England (not proven): Joseph Lee II Mother unknown Parents of John A. Cooley: John C. Cooley Marth Parents of Rachael: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of John Bounds: James Bounds Ann Dicks Parents of Mary: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Thomas Sumrall: Jacob Summerrell Ann Parents of Ann Thomas: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Henry Easterling (II): Henry Easterling (I) Elizabeth Vines Parents of Elizabeth Witherington: Robert Witherington Elizabeth Dare Parents of William Bennett: William Bennett Olivia Chear Parents of Nancy Huckston: Father unknown Mother unknown

196

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

John Woodard’s father was also named John, but he was known as “Dad Woodard.” Dad Woodard would be my 7th Great grandfather. Dad Woodard was the first Woodard to migrate from England.

Robert Braswell’s wife’s first name is Sarah. Her maiden name is unknown.

There is an unproven lineage for John Lee of England.

It is now being suggested by the Henry Lee Society that we descend through an Anglican rector in Leicester, England who was born ca 1555. Both his son and his grandson entered the ministry and all were graduates of Oxford.

Thomas  Joseph I  Joseph II  John Lee of England

If true, the Anglican rector would be Thomas Lee:

Joseph Lee II would be my 7th Great grandfather Joseph Lee I would be my 8th Great grandfather Thomas Lee would be my 9th Great grandfather

It is known that my 6th Great grandfather, John Lee of England, did come from Leicester, England so this lineage may be correct. And I have found out that the Henry Lee Society does consider this lineage a very good possibility. They may be close to making a call that it’s valid as of December 2013.

Sarah Valentine is also listed as my 8th Great grandmother married to Richard Valentine. I suspect that the data has been mixed up as to who she was married to, etc., but she is either my 7th or 8th great grandma. (There may have been two Sarah Valentines.)

197

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

8th Great grandparents:

Parents of Dad Woodard: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Robert Braswell: Richard Bracewell Sarah Valentine Parents of Samuel Farmer II Thomas Farmer the Immigrant Ann Parents of Ann Rome Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of James Bryant Senior Thomas Bryant Tabitha Parents of George Nicholson Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Joseph Lee II (not proven) Joseph I Mother unknown Parents of John C. Cooley: Peter Cooley Mother unknown Parents of Marth (Cooley): Thomas Burrows Ann Green Parents of James Bounds: John Bounds Rebecca Parents of Ann Dicks: Edward George Dykes Sarah McCoster Parents of Jacob Summerell: Henry Summerell Sarah Barnes Parents of Ann (Summerell): Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Henry Easterling: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Elizabeth Vines: Samuel Vines Martha Parents of Robert Witherington: Samuel Widdrington Effie Sherley Parents of Elizabeth Dare: Nathaniel Dare Mary Cleverly Parents of William Bennett: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Nancy Huckston: Father unknown Mother unknown Note: the spelling of the last name “Bracewell” was changed to “Braswell” between Richard Bracewell and his son Robert Braswell. The maiden name for Thomas Bryant’s wife Tabitha is not known. Thomas Farmer arrived in Virginia in 1616 on the ship Tryall. He was among the second wave of English settlers to come to Virginia.

198

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

9th Great grandparents:

Parents of Richard Braswell: Rev Robert Bracewell, Sr. Rebecca Parents of Thomas Farmer the Immigrant Sir George Farmer Mother unknown Parents of Thomas Lee Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Peter Cooley: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Thomas Burrows: John Burrows Elizabeth Stringer Parents of Ann Green: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of John Bounds: John Bounds Ann Hiam Parents of Rebecca (Bounds): Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Edward George Dykes: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Sarah McCoster: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Henry Summerell: John Somevell Frances Parents of Sarah Barnes: John Barns Ann Jones Parents of Samuel Vines: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Martha (Vines): Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Samuel Widdrington: Thomas Widdington Mother unknown Parents of Effie Sherley: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Nathaniel Dare: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Elizabeth Cleverly: Thomas Cleverly Mother unknown

199

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Reverend Robert Bracewell, Senior migrated to America as a Priest of the Church of England. He was born in 1611 in London, England. His wife, Rebecca, was also born in England. They married in England before migrating to America. (Most immigrants married before coming to America if they could because of the scarce numbers of available females in America at that time.) There is a proven Overstreet lineage to Reverend Bracewell, Senior and our lineage to the corresponding Overstreet lineage is solid. Thus there is a proven lineage from Reverend Bracewell, Senior to me.

Robert Bracewell Sr. entered Oxford University on Feb 22, 1627 and graduated with a BA in Divinity on Nov 3, 1631. In 1652, Robert served as Pastor of St. Luke’s Church, Smithfield, Virginia. The church was constructed in 1634 and is the oldest original Protestant church in America. In 1653, Robert was elected to the House of Burgesses,95 and his status as clergy in the House of Burgesses was undesirable at that time. He was dismissed from the church as a result. More about him in Part 4 of this family history.

St Luke’s Church Smithfield, Virginia

St Luke’s Church is still standing and in use in Smithfield, Virginia today.

95 The House of Burgesses was the first elected assembly of representatives in the English Colonies. 200

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

10th Great grandparents:

Parents of George Farmer: Sir John Fermor Mother unknown Parents of John Burrows: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Elizabeth Stringer: John Stringer Maria Mousdale Parents of John Bounds: Jonas Bond Alice Smart Parents of Ann Hiam: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of John Somervell: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Frances (Somervell): Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of John Barns: Thomas Barnes Diana Bragg Parents of Ann Jones: John Jones Ann Smith Parents of Thomas Widdrington: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Thomas Cleverly: Father unknown Mother unknown

“Fermor” is an old English spelling of “Farmer.”

Thomas Farmer I (or the Immigrant) came to America on the ship Tryall in 1616. His father, Sir George Farmer was Knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1586. Sir George had two of his sons, Hatton and William that were knighted also.

Thomas Farmer I’s grandfather is Sir John Fermor. Note that the spelling of the family’s last name changed between Sir John and Sir George. Sir John was also a Knight; he was knighted by Queen Mary on October 2, 1553.

201

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

11th great grandparents:

Parents of John Stringer: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Maria Mousdale: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Jonas Bond: Philip Bond Amy Forden Parents of Alice Smart Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Thomas Barnes: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Diana Bragg: James Bragg Elizabeth Parents of John Jones: Rowland Jones Alice Collier Parents of Ann Smith: William Smith Mary

202

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

12th great grandparents:

Parents of Phillip Bond: Thomas Bond Jane Craft Parents of Amy Forden: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Rowland Jones: Rowland Jones Unknown Parents of Alice Collier: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of William Smith: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Mary (Smith): Father unknown Mother unknown

13th great grandparents:

Parents of Thomas Bond: John Bond Alice Parents of Jane Craft: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Rowland Jones: Thomas Jones Jane

14th great grandparents:

Parents of John Bond: Thomas Bond Alice Parents of Alice (Sanderson?) (John Bond’s wife): Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Thomas Jones: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Jane (Jones): Father unknown Mother unknown

203

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

15th great grandparents:

Parents of Thomas Bond: Richard Bond Joan Parents of Alice (Thomas Bond’s wife): Father unknown Mother unknown

16th great grandparents:

Parents of Richard Bond: Richard Bond De Earth Agnes Maynard Parents of Joan: Father unknown Mother unknown

17th great grandparents:

Parents of Richard Bond De Earth: Robert Bonde Elizabeth De Earth Parents of Agnes Maynard: Richard Maynard Isabel Colgreave

18th great grandparents:

Parents of Robert Bonde: Richard Bonde Mother unknown Parents of Elizabeth De Earth: Geoffrey De Earth Mother unknown Parents of Richard Maynard: Father unknown Mother unknown Parents of Isabel Colgreave: Father unknown Mother unknown

204

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

19th great grandparent:

Parents of Richard Bonde: Father unknown Mother unknown Geoffrey De Earth: Henry De Earth Mother unknown

Henry De Earth was born in Earth St Stephen Pr, Corwall, England in 1299. He died in 1353.

During this period of English history, often times a person’s name told a lot about them. For example someone with the last name Shoemaker, was a person that made shoes. Also, the name may indicate where the individual was from.

In Henry De Earth’s case, he was from an area that was known as Earth St Stephen; perhaps just Earth for short. So when he introduced himself to someone and gave his name, he was also told whoever where he lived.

I’m not sure if it applies to this case or not, but Henry also was related to a ruler; or someone in charge. Perhaps my 19th Great grandpa Henry De Earth was a civic leader of the area called Earth in old England.

205

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Ancestor Listing Parents:

Lennard Woodrow Lee, Senior Dec 21, 1929 – Mar 15, 2006 Bobbie Iris Hyatt Apr 17, 1932 – still living

Grandparents:

Clifton Gerod Lee, Senior Dec 21, 190596 – Nov 24 1974 Ida Estelle Busby Dec 4, 1913 – Apr 5, 2001

Robert Allen Hyatt May 6, 1885 – Jul 23, 1960 Mary Valley Shows Dec 2, 1889 – Apr 22, 1968

Great grandparents:

Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee Jan 19, 1858 – Feb 17, 1935 Pollie An “Pruda” Overstreet Dec 14, 1870 – Nov 12, 1939

Wilder LeRoy Busby Apr 5, 1886 – Oct 28, 1939 Ellen Sophonie Loper Oct 1, 1887 – Feb 7, 1930

Isaac Colman Hyatt Martha Walker

Adam Newton Shows Kathryn Landrum

96 The official records for my Grandpa Gerod Lee cite his birthday as Dec 22, 1901. That date was officially changed from Dec 21, 1905 by my grandmother where she cited an old family Bible with the date Dec 22, 1901 as my grandfather’s birthday. However, census data and remarks by my grandpa’s brothers set his birth date as Dec 21, 1905, which is the correct date and the date I list above. 206

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Great-great grandparents:

Roberson “Rob” Earl Lee Apr 6, 1818 – Sep 25, 1897 Catherine “Katie” West Aug 11, 1830 -- 1910

William J. “Choctaw Bill” Overstreet 1839—Nov 28, 1921 Elizabeth “Elisa” Ratcliff 1848 --

William Travis Busby Jun 3, 1859 – Jan 6, 1908 Margaret Elizabeth Easterling 30 Sep 1864—27 Apr 1953

George Loper Ellen Kitchens

Comelius Homes Shows Martha Rayborn

Lewis L. Landrum Cahansade N (Carrie) born 1838

Great-great-great grandparents:

Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior Dec 25, 1772 - ~Jun 5, 1845 or 1846 Sarah Shay Burns ~1777 – Dec 18, 1818

John Asbury West 1775 – before 1835 Martha Patricia “Patsy” Overstreet 1802 – after 1850?

James Henry Overstreet Abt 1805 – Prudence “Pruda” Kelley 1805 –

Jeremiah “Jesse” Busby 1823-1897 Mary Frances Cooley 1830-1862

Giles Bennett Easterling Sabra Ann Carter

John Adam Shows Mary N Robertson

Mary Frances Cooley died in 1862 in Louisiana.

207

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Great-great-great-great grandparents:

Jesse Lee ~1735 - 1816 Elizabeth - died ~ 1795 or Zachariah Lee 1745 – before 1790 Lucy Farmer born~1744 – after 1790

John Vincent West Rebecca

John Overstreet 1774 - 1855 Catherine Carr 1776 – before 1840

Braswell Overstreet born~1770 -- 1845 Sarah (Buie) Bowie born~1779

Jeremiah Busby 1795-abt 1850 Phebe Miles 1823-1897

James Henry Overstreet Abt 1805 – Prudence “Pruda” Kelley 1805 –

Harbard Cooley Ester Sumrall

Data now suggests that Zachariah Lee and Lucy Farmer are my 4th great grandparents.

Braswell Overstreet, the husband of Sarah (Buie) Bowie, is buried at the White House Cemetery, Clara, Mississippi.

James Henry Overstreet and Prudence “Pruda” Kelly are also my 3rd Great grandparents. This happen as a result of two of their children’s marriages.

208

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Great-great-great-great-great grandparents:

Joshua Lee ~1706 - 1782 Mary Woodard ~1710 – after Feb 1765

Isaac Farmer 1711 -- 1770 Elizabeth Bryant Braswell

Henry Overstreet II 1735 – before Sep 1794 Jane Braswell 1741 – after 1798

Col Henry “Dad” Carr born ~1750 Ann

Henry Overstreet II 1735 – before Sep 1794 Jane Braswell 1741 – after 1798

Zachariah Busby --1768 Wife unknown

The Overstreets, like the Lees, were among the first white settlers in Wayne County. John Overstreet and Catherine Carr are found in the 1820 Wayne County Census. It is thought they migrated from Georgia to Wayne County in 1819. They are the parents of Martha Patricia “Patsy” Overstreet.

The family line after Jane Braswell is based on numerous assumptions and conjecture. (Jane Braswell – Robert – Robert – Richard – Robert). There were multiple sources used in the assumptions, however.

Isaac Farmer married Elizabeth Bryant Braswell, daughter of Richard Braswell and Elizabeth Bryant in about 1741 in Edgecombe County, North Carolina.

Isaac Farmer and Elizabeth Bryant Braswell are the parents of two sons that served in the American Revolution: Joseph Farmer and Benjamin Farmer. They would be my 5th great granduncles.

Henry Overstreet II (often referred to as Henry Overstreet Jr.) and Jane Braswell are my DOUBLE 5th Great grandparents.

209

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents:

John Lee of England ~1670 - 1738 Mary (Emerson?) born ~1675

John Woodard ~1690 – after Feb 1765 Margaret

Thomas Farmer III 1681-1723 Agnes Nicholson

Richard Braswell ~1695-before 1772 Elizabeth or Elenor Bryant 1696?-

Henry Overstreet I ~1700 – after Jul 1776 Ann

Robert Braswell ~1700 - ~1764 Jullian 1720-

Benjamin Busby -1815 Susannah

Great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents:

John (Dad) Woodard of England Wife unknown

Robert Braswell Sep 26, 1675 – before Nov 1736 Sarah (Valentine?) 1678-

Thomas Farmer II 1634-Apr 12, 1687 Ann Rome 1660

George Nicholson Mary

James Bryant Senior Elizabeth Bertie

Robert Braswell Sarah

Robert Braswell and Sarah may, or may not, be my double 7th Great grandparents. While it appears they are the same couple, other data suggests the Roberts are not the same person.

210

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Note: the spelling of the last name “Bracewell” was changed to “Braswell” between Richard Bracewell and his son Robert Braswell.

8th Great grandparents:

Richard Bracewell 1652 – after Jul 28, 1724 Sarah Valentine 1655 – Jul 14, 1732

Thomas Farmer I (Immigrant) 1594-1684 Ann

Thomas Bryant Tabitha

Richard Bracewell’s father died when he was 15, and as a result he was a major land owner in the Isle of Wright County, Virginia. He married Sarah Valentine in about 1655. They had a son Richard Braswell born in about 1673, so he would not be the same Richard Braswell that is my 6th Great grandfather.

9th Great grandparents: Rev Robert Bracewell, Sr. 1611 – Mar 14, 1688 Rebecca 1625 – 1675

Sir George Farmer

10th Great grandparent:

Sir John Fermor

The spelling of the family’s last name changed between Sir John Femor and Sir George Farmer.

______

Thomas Farmer I (the Immigrant) came to America in 1616 on the ship Tryall; that is FOUR years BEFORE the Mayflower.

Another early Farmer became one of our FISRT American martyrs to the cause of liberty. Richard Farmer, a follower of Nathaniel Bacon, was convicted and executed in 1676 (100- years before the Declaration of Independence) for treason against King Charles II, during Bacon’s Rebellion.

211

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Tracing Back In Each Family:

Lee: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Robeson “Robert or Rob” Earl Lee  Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr.  Jesse or Zachariah Lee  Joshua Lee  John Lee of England

Hyatt: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr.  Bobbie Iris (Hyatt) Lee  Robert Allen Hyatt  Isaac Colman Hyatt

Busby: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Ida Estelle (Busby) Lee  Wilder LeRoy Busby  William Travis Busby  Jeremiah “Jessie” Busby  Jeremiah Busby  Zachariah Busby  Benjamin Busby

Shows: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr.  Bobbie Iris (Hyatt) Lee  Mary Valley (Shows) Hyatt  Adam Newton Shows  Comelius Homes Shows John Adam Shows

Pollie An Overstreet: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Pollie An (Overstreet) Lee  William J. “Choctaw Bill” Overstreet  James Henry Overstreet  Braswell Overstreet  Henry Overstreet II  Henry Overstreet I

Loper: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Ida Estelle (Busby) Lee  Ellen Sophonia (Loper) Busby George Loper

Kitchens: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Ida Estelle (Busby) Lee  Ellen Sophonia (Loper) Busby Ellen Kitchens

Walker: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr.  Bobbie Iris (Hyatt) Lee  Robert Allen Hyatt  Martha (Walker) Hyatt

Landrum: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr.  Bobbie Iris (Hyatt) Lee  Mary Valley (Shows) Hyatt  Kathryn (Landrum) Hyatt  Lewis L. Landrum

Cooley: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Ida Estelle (Busby) Lee  Wilder LeRoy Busby  William Travis Busby  Mary Frances (Cooley) Busby  Harbard Cooley

212

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Sumrall: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Ida Estelle (Busby) Lee  Wilder LeRoy Busby  William Travis Busby  Mary Frances (Cooley) Busby  Harbard Cooley  Esther (Sumrall) Cooley

West: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Catherine “Katie or Katy” (West) Lee  Dr. John Asbury West  John Vincent West

Ratcliff: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Pollie An (Overstreet) Lee  Eliza (Ratcliff) Overstreet

Easterling: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Ida Estelle (Busby) Lee  Wilder LeRoy Busby  Margaret Elizabeth (Easterling) Busby Giles Bennet Easterling

Rayborn: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr.  Bobbie Iris (Hyatt) Lee  Mary Valley (Shows) Hyatt  Adam Newton Shows  Martha (Rayborn) Shows

Shay or Burns: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Robeson “Robert or Rob” Earl Lee  Sarah (Shay) Lee or Sarah (Burns) Lee

Martha Patricia “Patsy” Overstreet: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Catherine “Katie or Katy” (West) Lee  Martha Patricia “Patsy” (Overstreet) West  John Overstreet Henry Overstreet II  Henry Overstreet I

Kelly: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Pollie An (Overstreet) Lee  William J. “Choctaw Bill” Overstreet  Prudence “Pruda” (Kelly) Overstreet

Carter: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Ida Estelle (Busby) Lee  Wilder LeRoy Busby  Margaret Elizabeth (Easterling) Busby  Sabra Ann (Carter) Easterling

Robertson: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr.  Bobbie Iris (Hyatt) Lee  Mary Valley (Shows) Hyatt  Adam Newton Shows  Comelius Homes Shows Mary N (Robertson) Shows

213

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Carr: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Catherine “Katie or Katy” (West) Lee  Martha Patricia “Patsy” (Overstreet) West  Catherine (Carr) Overstreet  Col Henry “Dad” Carr

(Buie) Bowie: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Pollie An (Overstreet) Lee  William J. “Choctaw Bill” Overstreet  James Henry Overstreet  Sarah “Buie”( Bowie) Overstreet  Chief Buie of the Creek Nation

Miles: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Ida Estelle (Busby) Lee  Wilder LeRoy Busby  William Travis Busby  Jeremiah “Jessie” Busby  Phebe (Miles) Busby

Woodard: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Robeson “Robert or Rob” Earl Lee  Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr.  Jesse or Zachariah Lee  Mary (Woodard) Lee  John Woodard  John “Dad” Woodard of England

Braswell (Bracewell): Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Catherine “Katie or Katy” (West) Lee  Martha Patricia “Patsy” (Overstreet) West  John Overstreet Jane (Braswell) Overstreet  Robert Braswell  Robert Bracewell Richard Bracewell  Richard Bracewell  Robert Bracewell, Senior

Note: the spelling of the last name “Bracewell” was changed to “Braswell” between Richard Bracewell and his son Robert Braswell.

Farmer/Fermor: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Robeson “Robert or Rob” Earl Lee  Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr.  Lucy (Farmer) Lee  Isaac Farmer  Thomas Farmer III  Thomas Farmer II  Thomas Farmer III (the Immigrant)  Sir George Farmer  Sir John Fermor

Bryant: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Robeson “Robert or Rob” Earl Lee  Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr.  Lucy (Farmer) Lee  Elizabeth Bryant Braswell  Elizabeth (Bryant) Braswell

Braswell: Another Braswell Connection; this Richard Braswell was married to Elizabeth Bryant. He may not be the Richard Braswell in the above lineage but I suspect if not he is strongly kin to him.

214

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Robeson “Robert or Rob” Earl Lee  Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr.  Lucy (Farmer) Lee  Isaac Farmer  Elizabeth Braswell Richard Braswell This Richard Braswell was married to Elizabeth Bryant

Valentine: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Catherine “Katie or Katy” (West) Lee  Martha Patricia “Patsy” (Overstreet) West  John Overstreet Jane (Braswell) Overstreet  Robert Braswell  Robert Braswell  Sarah (Valentine) Braswell

Nicholson: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Robeson “Robert or Rob” Earl Lee  Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr.  Lucy (Farmer) Lee  Isaac Farmer  Agnes (Nicholson) Farmer  George Nicholson

Rome: Lennard “Larry” W. Lee, Jr  Lennard Woodrow Lee, Sr.  Gerod Clifton Lee, Sr.  Phillip “Napper” Anaphur Lee  Robeson “Robert or Rob” Earl Lee  Samuel Jefferson Lee, Sr.  Lucy (Farmer) Lee  Isaac Farmer  Thomas Farmer III  Ann (Rome) Farmer

Number of ancestors

Parents 2 Know both parents Grandparents 4 Know all 4 grandparents Great grandparents 8 Know all 8 great grandparents Great-great grandparents 16 Know 12 great-great grandparents 3rd great grandparents 32 Know 14 3rd great grandparents 4th great grandparents 64 Know 18 4th great grandparents 5th great grandparents 128 Know 20 5th great grandparents97 6th great grandparents 256 Know 24 6th great grandparents 7th great grandparents 512 Know 24 7th great grandparents 8th great grandparents 1,024 Know 22 8th great grandparents 9th great grandparents 2,048 Know 13 9th great grandparents 10th great grandparents 4,096 Know 9 10th great grandparent

And many other greats to the 19th great grandfather…

97 Henry Overstreet II and Jane Braswell are my double 5th great grandparents; I have counted them twice 215

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Handwritten letter from my grandmother, Estelle (Busby) Lee Sent when my son Mark was having open heart surgery Mark was only a few days old Mark lived 21-years

216

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Mark’s Cowbell

Larry and Penny Lee 1972

217

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The General Robert Edward Lee Connection

When growing up, I was taught “religiously” by some elderly Lees that I was a descendent of General Robert Edward Lee. While not everyone in the family claimed this kinship, it seemed that “hundreds of Lees” from Wayne, Clarke, and Jones County did. I believed it too, and like other Lees that that I love, it was a great source of pride. My Grandmother Estelle (Busby) Lee told my cousin, Lisa Lee when Lisa was very young, “Do not ever forget that you are a descendent of the great General Robert E. Lee!”

I was very proud when told that I was kin or even a direct descendent of General Robert E. Lee. I purchased books about him. I looked at photographs of him, and with others, could see family resemblance to the General. Many in my family that advocated the family relationship to the General were very highly educated. Even AFTER I obtained a PhD in Nuclear Engineering I advocated the relationship. I just did not ever check it out myself; which for the General’s family, the Less of Virginia, would have been very easy to do. I accepted what I was told, as did most of my Lee family.

Sometime in the mid-1980s I got with my Grandma Lee in her kitchen and asked her to explain how we were related to General Robert E. Lee. She had it all figured out. I took careful notes and having just purchased a personal computer (which were just coming out at that time) I typed up her notes and gave them back to her and a number of family members just so that they’d have all the information in a neat easy to read format. They were all thrilled. So thrilled in fact, that someone put them in the Genealogy Section in the Waynesboro City Library. While visiting home on leave from the military, one of my boys wanted to go to the library, and while we were there, just for fun I used their new computer system with a “search function” and typed in my own name. Bang! Up popped my name as an AUTHOR of a document on our Lee family. I was astonished. When I looked it up, there were my notes that I had intended to be private for a few family members and they were neatly bound up proclaiming our lineage to the General Robert Edward Lee and the Lees of Virginia. This was done without my knowledge or permission. I asked for the notes back pointing out that I was the author, but the library would not release them to me as the notes were given to them by someone else (they wouldn’t say who). I think an issue was that they did not know me, and I may not have been the author no matter that my identification showed I had the “same name.” Those notes are still in the library today, but I hope to replace them with these notes once I finally complete this work. The library did say that if I had something to replace the old notes with, they’d accept a replacement.

But the bottom line was I sincerely believed our family’s connection to General Lee was true. Even many people in the Wayne County Community that are not related to the Lees thought it true. I have an old article cut from the Wayne County Newspaper requesting information about the Wayne County Lees who were kin to General Robert E. Lee. Clearly they were talking about my family.

My Grandpa Gerod Lee knew about Samuel because when I was a teenager Grandpa mentioned to me that Old Sam Lee’s family came to Wayne County from Virginia. Grandpa 218

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 also said that at some time Sam left Wayne County and went out to Texas, only to return carrying a child in his arms; and “that is where we Lees came from.”

However, evidently Grandpa did not know how far back this ancestor was. Certainly, Grandpa Gerod did not know that Samuel was his great grandpa; only that he was a descendent of Samuel somehow. In other words, Grandpa Gerod believed we Lees were kin to the great General Lee directly, and somehow Samuel “fit into the picture.”

My Grandma Lee advocated a family line where my Grandpa Gerod Lee’s great grandfather was Henry Lee, the half-brother of the General Robert Edward Lee. Obviously this was an attractive relationship to desire because that would mean that the great Confederate General Robert E. Lee would be my Grandpa’s great granduncle (or great- great uncle; depending on the nomenclature used). But if so, where does my 3rd Great grandpa Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior come into play?

Best guess I can make is that Grandpa knew that Samuel Lee’s family came from Virginia, and General Robert E. Lee’s family was from Virginia, so he/they thought that we Lees are all related. In fact, you could not tell my Grandparents anything different; they would not have it.

In 1989, my Grandma Estelle Lee gave me her handwritten notes advocating the following lineage:

1. Richard Henry Lee [she said he was the half-brother of General Robert Edward Lee] 2. Robert E. Lee [who’s real full name is Robeson Earl Lee] 3. Phillip A. (Napper) Lee 4. Gerod Clifton Lee, Senior

Grandma’s notes also stated that Henry Lee was known as “Light horse Harry.” Grandma also did some math where she subtracted Henry Lee’s birth year from my 2nd Great grandpa Robert’s birth; 1818-1787=31; and noted that Gerod’s great grandfather (that she thought was Henry) was 31 years old when Gerod’s grandfather (Robert Earl Lee) was born. The math is correct. Henry Lee could have been my 2nd Great grandpa’s father according to Henry’s age. The nickname for Henry Lee III is correct; it all “fits.” But…

In 1992, I was an Air Force captain stationed at the Defense Nuclear Agency, in Alexandria, Virginia. Alexandria is the boyhood home of General Robert Edward Lee, which is a tourist attraction now. In 1992, I took my family to this home for a tour.

The guide saw me sign in the register and asked me if I was a “Lee.” Yes I said, and I proclaimed proudly that I was related to General Robert E. Lee. She gave me and my family a “special tour” that most of the public did not get because she said all the descendents of the Lees of Virginia get special treatment.

The home belonged to General Robert E. Lee’s father, Henry Lee III, known as Henry “Light horse Harry.” Grandma had mentioned Henry Lee (Light Horse Harry) in her notes. Henry III was the 9th governor of the State of Virginia and an early American Patriot. His

219

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014 second cousin once removed, Richard Henry Lee, was a signatory on the Declaration of Independence. Henry III was a distinguished Cavalry officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. The Continental Army was commanded by General George Washington, the father of our country. In fact, the Lees were very close to George Washington, and the two families often visited each other. General Robert E. Lee married the step-granddaughter of President George Washington, Mary Custis. George Washington attended General Lee’s wedding.

The highlight of the tour was when our guide took us into a bedroom where George Washington and his wife Martha stayed while visiting the Lees. The guide’s comment was “George Washington really did sleep here!” My family got to touch and sit on the bed; other tourists only saw it from a distance that day.

This guide was more than a “just a guide.” She was a history major and in fact had a graduate degree in history. She was also an expert on the Lees of Virginia. Because so many people claimed kinship to General Robert E. Lee after the Civil War, the Lee family established a cadre of experts to keep up with the family lineage, and that cadre still exists today. In fact the Lees of Virginia are probably more documented and scrutinized for accuracy than any other family in America. Our “guide” was one of these Lee family experts; she knew the lineage of the Lees of Virginia by heart; in great detail.

Eventually during the tour she asked me just how I was kin to General Robert E. Lee. I proudly told her through his half-brother, Henry Lee.

She told me without hesitation that Henry Lee and his wife had moved to France at the end of the Civil War at the invitation of the French government. She said the French made the same offer to General Lee, but the General declined. Henry Lee and his wife died in France.

I responded that perhaps Henry’s children stayed in American, but she replied, “No because Henry Lee and his wife were childless.”

Obviously that shot down my Grandma’s notes, but I had to research it all myself; because, I simply did not believe it so.

It’s very easy to research the Lees of Virginia as their lineage is very well documented. In my own research I found that Henry Lee, the half-brother of General Robert E. Lee, and his wife Anne Robinson McCarty had only one child, a daughter. When the child was about 2-years old, she died in a tragic accident. I found that Henry Lee and his wife did indeed move to France after the Civil War, and they both died there. So the historian-guide was correct when she told me that Henry Lee and his wife died in France and were childless.

But my research showed that there is another possibility that is at best a “long shot.” Henry Lee, General Robert E. Lee’s half-brother who was a highly thought of aristocrat in his day, had an affair with his wife’s sister that nearly ruined his political career. Henry was given the nickname “Black horse Henry” due to his indiscretions with his sister-in-law. It was rumored

220

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

(but not certain) that Henry had an illegitimate child as a result, but no one knows for sure if that child survived to adulthood.

If that child did survive to adulthood, and if that child was given the last name Lee; then there is a pathway for us Lees to be kin to the great Civil War general; but I suspect it would not be cherished by my ancestors, however it is the ONLY way we Wayne County Lees could be kin to the great General Robert E. Lee through his half-brother Henry. And if so, it means that my 2nd Great grandpa Robert E. Lee (Roberson Earl Lee) would be in Henry’s illegitimate line!

We Wayne County Lees need not worry about the illegitimate lineage however. There are Wayne County Census records clearly showing that Grandpa Gerod’s father is Phillip Lee; and that Phillip’s father is Robert (Robeson Earl) Lee; and TWO Wayne County Censuses that indicate that Robert (Earl) Lee’s father is Samuel Lee (1820 and 1830). Also, there are two DNA tests that Luther Lee and I took. Both confirm that Samuel Lee, not Henry Lee is our ancestor. Luther’s DNA test and my DNA test were matched with over thirty other males with the last name Lee from all over the United States. All of us were KNOWN descendants of the same Samuel Lee. There are “dozens” of oral family history stories stating that Samuel is Rob’s father. (Not all Lees believed that Henry was 2nd Great grandpa’s father.)

Also, an entry made by Robert (Robeson Earl) Lee in the 1880 Federal Wayne County Census states that his father was born in North Carolina. The census entry does not provide the name of my 2nd Great grandpa Robert’s father. However, we know from many sources that Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior was born in North Carolina. We also know from history and many readily available reference books that Henry Lee, General Robert E. Lee’s half- brother, was born near Dumfries, Virginia; not North Carolina.

After presenting all of this I still have loved ones that want to make a connection to our Wayne County Lees to the Lees of Virginia. There simply is not one. However, there is a connection to our Wayne County Lees to the state of Virginia.

The earliest connection that my 2nd Great grandpa Rob has to an ancestor that lived in Virginia is with his Great grandpa Joshua Lee who was born in Nansemond County, Virginia in 1706. Joshua’s father is John Lee of England who came to America in about 1694. Could our Lee family then be related to the Lees of Virginia back in England before the two families migrated to America? Okay, possibly, but you’d be going WAY back many generations if true and it is far from certain.

The evidence is crystal clear, Henry Lee who was General Robert Edward Lee’s half- brother, cannot possibly be the father of my 2nd Great grandpa Robeson (Robert or Rob) Earl Lee.

221

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

I should stop now, but…

Recently I found in an old Family Bible a note that declared that General Robert E. Lee was my Great grandpa Phillip “Napper” Lee’s father. This blows me away. The person that wrote this has to have known better. This is easy to disprove, but I tried to imagine why they’d even consider the possibility.

My 2nd Great grandfather’s real name is Robeson Earl Lee. My 2nd Great grandpa told a census worker that he was named after his parents’ home county in North Carolina. His parents, Samuel and Sarah Lee, were from Robeson County, North Carolina. He was known in the Beat Four/Waynesboro communities as “Rob.” However, he used an “alternate name” in his Civil War records “Robert.” I found data for his Civil War service stating that he used this “alternate name.”

Thus he was sometimes called “Robert E. Lee.”

Still this should not have confused my ancestor. My ancestor knew that Grandpa Rob was buried at the Old Lee Cemetery near the Chickasawhay River near Waynesboro, Mississippi. My ancestor had children buried in the same cemetery just a very few yards away from Grandpa Rob’s grave, and Rob’s headstone and foot marker were clearly visible. The foot marker states that Grandpa Rob served as a private, not a general, in the Civil War.

The Confederate General Robert E. Lee is buried underneath the Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia; not in a family cemetery, that’s now abandoned, near Waynesboro, Mississippi. With some, obvious facts like these do not matter.

Lately someone asked me if my 2nd Great grandpa Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior could possibly be Henry Lee’s son.

My 2nd Great grandpa Samuel was born on December 25, 1772. Henry Lee was born on May 18, 1787. I suppose it’s possible that a 15-year old Samuel could have fathered Henry Lee, but really? The Henry Lee in question here is really Henry Lee III. Obviously, Henry Lee III’s father is Henry Lee II, not Samuel.

Samuel, who fathered as many as 23-children, did not have a son named Henry. If my 2nd Great grandpa Samuel was Henry Lee’s father, would not Samuel be the father of the General Robert E. Lee too? That’s an easy look up; it is not possible. Samuel and Henry do not fit together in any possibility.

We Wayne County Lees are not descendants of the Lee’s of Virginia. We have no blood connection to General Robert Edward Lee.

I am extremely proud of my Lee family as is!

222

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

The family tree for General Robert Edward Lee

223

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

After all of this information; what do we really know?

John Lee of England, Joshua Lee, and Jesse and Zachariah Lee are all documented in the lineage for our family by the Henry Lee Society. Their DNA project has placed me and my group of “Wayne County Lees” in the John Lee family group.

Wayne County records and U.S. Federal Censuses can be used to trace my family back to Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior. We know that Samuel and his wife Sarah came to Mississippi in the early 1800s from the Carolinas. They were originally from Robeson County, North Carolina.

Various records of Samuel Lee exist; trouble is, there were multiple Samuel Lees living in the Carolinas at the same time as Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior. Which one is my 3rd Great grandfather? The trick is to find the one that shows up in Wayne County, Mississippi. A number of the Samuel Lees came into various parts of Mississippi in the early 1800s.

We know that Samuel and his wife Sarah show up in Wayne County before 1818. Some family stories say they showed up in 1805, and some data suggest it was as early as 1804. If they did come into Wayne County that early, I have to believe they came by boat, landing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and made their way up to the Waynesboro area.

The Tommie Lewis overland migration stories are very credible in the details. But if the family came overland before 1811, it is likely they could not have made the trip in a covered wagon as there were too many rivers and streams to ford and the Postal Road was the only pathway available to them via treaty with the Creek Indians. The Postal Road was described as too narrow for wagon travel. The family could have walked or rode horseback, however.

Family stories state that Sarah died on Dec 18, 1818. In 1820, Wayne County had its first Federal Census; Sarah did not show up on that census, but Samuel and a number of their children did. This pretty much confirms Samuel and the children were in Wayne County in 1820 and that Sarah died before 1820. Samuel and the children also show up in the 1830 census.

Did Samuel establish the Lee Plantation? Yes; Samuel paid taxes on 393 acres of land along the Chickasawhay River in Wayne County in 1823. That is not necessarily proof of any plantation, but it’s a fair chunk of property. Samuel’s properties show that he was wealthy.

Samuel had large parcels of land in other counties in Mississippi as well; 150 acres in Lawrence County, for example. Records indicate that he deeded his son Robeson land in both Wayne and Clarke Counties in 1845. The Clarke County records state that Samuel was from Catahoula Parish, Louisiana at that time. He had sons living in that Parish, and it is interesting that old highway 84, which at one time shadowed a trail that went west from Waynesboro to Texas, goes through that Parish. Perhaps Samuel used the trail in his trip(s) to Texas.

224

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Did Samuel leave the plantation and go to Columbia, Mississippi; or to Texas; or to Louisiana? There is evidence that he did all three. Question is, at what time in his life did he take these trips? If he left for Texas after 1845…well he’s over 70-years old. Hard to imagine; but not impossible I suppose. On horseback; in the summer; for over 300+ miles; and back at least once!

If he left for Columbia, he only had to travel a little over 90 miles on today’s roads. That would have taken him about a week. So heck, any 70-years old man could have road horseback from Waynesboro to Columbia, right! Some suggest that he left for Columbia at a younger age, but he shows up in the 1840 Wayne County Census…he’s at least 68 by then!

Regardless of the different stories, we know that Samuel Lee, born in North Carolina, came to Mississippi in the early 1800s with a family. We know that he settled on the banks of the Chickasawhay River in Wayne County.

We know that Samuel married a widow, Martha Patricia “Pasty” (Overstreet) West, in 1835. We know that Patsy had a daughter name Catherine West with her first husband, Dr. John West.

We know that Samuel’s son, Robeson Earl Lee, took ownership of Samuel’s property along the Chickasawhay River and kept it until Robeson died.

We know that Robeson married his stepsister, Catherine West in 1846. However, Robeson and Catherine were not raised together and were not blood kin.

We know that Robeson served in the Civil War; that he was captured at Vicksburg and released via a parole that General Grant gave to the Vicksburg Confederates after the battle ended.

We know that sometime after Robeson’s death, his children lost the “Lee Plantation.” However, there is an abandoned “Old Lee Cemetery” in a pasture near the Chickasawhay River that still exists today. Robeson, Catherine and a number of their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren are buried there. Including Samuel’s wife Sarah (my 3rd Great grandmother), five generations of Lees are buried somewhere on the Old Lee Plantation.

We know that the Lee family was among the first white settlers in Wayne County. That is true even if the family arrived anytime between 1805 through 1818.

We know that the Lee family is still in Wayne County and adjacent counties today.

The Lee family has had a presence in Wayne County for over 200-years.

225

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

John Lee of England; ~1670-1738  Migrated from England in about 1694; was given 960 acres of land by the King of England in Nansemond County, Virginia.

Joshua Lee; ~1706-1782  In 1728, the Virginia and North Carolina boundary was surveyed. Some of the Lee family property wound up in what was then Bertie County (now Gates County), North Carolina.  Migrated to Duplin County, North Carolina.

Jesse Lee Senior: ~1735-1816  Brother to Zachariah T. Lee.  Born in 1735 either in Bertie County or Bladen County, North Carolina.  Fought in the American Revolutionary War in the Continental Army commanded by General George Washington.  In 1841, Edgecombe County was formed from Bertie County.  Jesse shows up in the 1790 Census in Robeson County.  Jesse is thought by some to be the father of Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior. That appears now not to be the case with addition of new evidence.

Zachariah Lee; 1745-died sometime before 1790  Brother to Jesse Lee, Senior.  Born in about 1745 in Bertie or Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Edgecombe County was formed from Bertie County in 1841 and that’s the source of confusion about his birth county.  Sometime after February 1770, probably before 1779, Zachariah and Lucy migrated to Robeson County, North Carolina, as did a large number of the Lee family.  Zachariah died sometime before 1784 and he left his wife Lucy (Farmer) Lee 1,540 acres in Bladen County, North Carolina. Zachariah was wealthy.  Zachariah is most likely the father of Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior.

Samuel Jefferson Lee Senior  Born on December 25, 1772 in Bladen County, North Carolina. In 1787, Robeson County was incorporated from Bladen County, thus he was said to be from Robeson County.  Migrates from the Carolinas sometime around 1805 to 1817; either by boat or overland to Wayne County, Mississippi.  In the early 1800s, a large number of the Lee family moves to various parts of Mississippi. Most settled in Marion County.  Samuel had at least three wives and perhaps as many as twenty-three children.  Some of Samuel’s sons move to Catahoula Parish, Louisiana.  Samuel may have moved to the Columbia, Mississippi area.

226

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

 Samuel goes out to Texas and comes back to Wayne County  Samuel may have moved back to Texas or to Catahoula Parish, Louisiana.  A number of Samuel’s children moved to Texas; perhaps Freestone County  Samuel dies sometime after 1845; his burial place is unknown to me

Robeson “Robert” Earl Lee; Apr 6, 1818-Sep 25, 1897  Born on the Lee Plantation in 1818; dies there in 1897  Served in the Confederate army during the Civil War o Was a prisoner of war after the fall of Vicksburg on Jul 4, 1863  Robeson Lee family stays in the Wayne-Clarke-Jones County areas for several generations

Phillip Anaphur “Napper” Lee; Jan 19, 1858-Feb 17, 1935

 Was born in 1858; two years shy of the beginning of the Civil War.  Grows up on the Lee Plantation.  Married Pollie An Overstreet; they have five children; four boys and one girl

Gerod Clifton Lee, Senior: Dec 21, 1905-Nov 24, 1974

 Lived in Beat Four, Wayne County  Lived through World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, and Vietnam  Saw man progress from the “horse and buggy days” to landing on the Moon.  Married Ida Estelle Busby on July 18, 1927 o They had six children  Most of the Lee family leaves Wayne County or dies out after World War II

Lennard Woodrow Lee, Senior: Dec 21, 1929-Mar 15, 2006

 Grew up on his father’s farm in Beat Four, Mississippi  Served on tour of duty in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict  Served over 20-years in the U.S. Air Force; 27-years in the military total  Married Bobbie Iris Hyatt on December 19, 1951 at Gulfport, Mississippi o They had two children: Lennard (Larry) Jr. and Deborah Ann Lee

227

Master Lee Part 2- January 2014

Lennard (Larry) Lee, Junior; Sep 28, 1952-still living

 Was born at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi on September 28, 1952  Name was spelled “Leonard” on my birth certificate until it was changed in 1967 to “Lennard” to facilitate a military requirement for obtaining a passport; I was junior and according to the military my name “had to be spelled the same as my father’s was”  Grew up in Fort Walton Beach, Florida until the summer of 1967  Lived in Wayne County with grandparents (Gerod and Estelle Lee) while in high school  Graduated from Beat Four High School in Wayne County in May 1971  Married Margaret Penelope “Penny” Smith on December 24, 1971 in Clara, MS  Penny and Larry divorced in 1975 o They had one daughter  Larry remarried in 1980  Joined the US Air Force while a student at Mississippi State University in 1982  Graduated from Mississippi State in May 1983 with a BS Nuclear Engineering  Graduated from the University of New Mexico with a MS Nuclear Engineering 1987  Graduated from the University of New Mexico with a PhD in 1991  Divorced again in 2002  Retired from the military and started working for the US EPA in 2006  Remarried Penny on December 24, 2011 at Joe Cooley’s house in Beat Four, Wayne County, Mississippi; exactly forty years after our first marriage  Larry fathered five children; one girl and four boys o None of Larry’s children live in or near Wayne County today

By 2013, the only Lee males that are offspring of Samuel Lee that remain in Wayne County are Gary Lee and his family

The Lees appeared to have been a wealthy family in England and kept that wealth for several generations after coming to America. The wealth was lost after my 3rd Great grandfather Samuel Jefferson Lee, Senior died. However, my 2nd Great grandfather, Robeson (Rob) Earl Lee, was said to be better off than many in the Beat Four community before and after the Civil War. After his death in 1897, the family lost the Lee Plantation and many family members went into difficult poverty. I’ve been very blessed and today I hope provides a bright future for my children and grandchildren.

228