Kentucky Ancestors Genealogical Quarterly of The
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Vol. 41, No. 1 Autumn 2005 kentucky ancestors genealogical quarterly of the From Carolina Unclaimed Letters Kentuckians on the to Kentucky: in the Mississinewa, Andrew Colley— Hopkinsville Gazette War of 1812 Farmer, Fighter, Pioneer, April 1, 1837 Part Three Vol. 41, No. 1 Autumn 2005 kentucky ancestors genealogical quarterly of the Thomas E. Stephens, Editor kentucky ancestors Dan Bundy, Graphic Design Kent Whitworth, Director James E. Wallace, Assistant Director administration Betty Fugate, Membership Coordinator research and interpretation Nelson L. Dawson, Team Leader management team Kenneth H. Williams, Program Leader Doug Stern, Walter Baker, Lisbon Hardy, Michael Harreld, Lois Mateus, Dr. Thomas D. Clark, C. Michael Davenport, Ted Harris, Ann Maenza, Bud Pogue, Mike Duncan, James E. Wallace, Maj. board of Gen. Verna Fairchild, Mary Helen Miller, Ryan trustees Harris, and Raoul Cunningham Kentucky Ancestors (ISSN-0023-0103) is published quarterly by the Kentucky Historical Society and is distributed free to Society members. Periodical postage paid at Frankfort, Kentucky, and at additional mailing offices. Postmas- ter: Send address changes to Kentucky Ancestors, Kentucky Historical Society, 100 West Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601-1931. Please direct changes of address and other notices concerning membership or mailings to the Membership De- partment, Kentucky Historical Society, 100 West Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601-1931; telephone (502) 564-1792. Submissions and correspondence should be directed to: Tom Stephens, editor, Kentucky Ancestors, Kentucky Histori- cal Society, 100 West Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601-1931. The Kentucky Historical Society, an agency of the Commerce Cabinet, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or disability, and provides, on request, reasonable accommodations, includ- ing auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford an individual with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in all services, programs, and activities. contents vol. 41, no. 1/autumn 2005 From Carolina to Kentucky: Andrew Colley—Farmer, Fighter, Pioneer, Part three Betty Butler Ravenholt ................................................................................................................ 2 Unclaimed letters in the Hopkinsville Gazette, April 1, 1837 ............................................................... 8 Ellis Family Reunion, Falmouth, 1909 ............................................................................................ 10 Eminence General Store Ledger, 1905-6 .................................................................................................. 11 Kentuckians on the Mississinewa, War of 1812 John Trowbridge ................................................................................................................................. 14 List of Claims in the Springfield News, Washington County, 1892 .................................................... 46 Queries............................................................................................................................................ 50 Book Notes ..................................................................................................................................... 51 Announcements ......................................................................................................................................... 53 Mystery Album ............................................................................................................................... 56 on the cover: Samuel Edwin Colley (1852-1925) and Lillie Bell Hudspeth Colley (1856-1936) posed with their grandchildren on their Graves County farm about 1913. Part Three of Betty Butler Ravenholt’s article on the Colley family begins on p. 2. From Carolina to Kentucky: Andrew Colley—Farmer, Fighter, Pioneer By Betty Butler Ravenholt Part Three Part one of this article appeared in Volume 39, Number 2; part two in Volume 40, Number 1. John Stanford 200 acres on both sides of Bull Creek about a mile After the death of Andrew Colley in Christian from its mouth. This deed was witnessed by a James County, his widow Susannah married a John Stan- Capshaw.4 ford on 25 December 1803.1 There appear to have On 11 January 1786, Samuel Langston and Sarah been at least three individuals named John Stanford his wife, of the state of Georgia, and John Stan- who lived in the general area surrounding Spartan- ford and Rachael his wife, who were heirs at law of burg County, S.C., at about the same time as An- Reubin Young, deceased, late of Tyger River, sold to drew and Susannah Colley. It could well be that one Thomas Tod of Tyger 220 acres on the south side of these individuals was the John Stanford who later of the Tyger River.5 It is not now known whether or married Susannah in Kentucky. not this John Stanford with wife Rachael (probably A John Stanford with wife Sarah sold to George Young) was the same individual as the John Stanford Blanton 168 acres on the east side of Broad River in who several years later bought land on the South Tryon County, N.C., in July 1770.2 Apparently this Tyger River. In August 1789, an individual named same John Stanford of Tryon County transferred in John Stanford who was of Greenville County, S.C., October 1769 half a tract of land on the north side purchased 114 acres on the waters of the South Tyger of the Main Broad River to Essex Capshaw “son of River from Henry Prince. A John Stanford Jr., who Francis Capshaw decd, and Elizabeth his now relict, may have been either a son or other male relation, for natural love to his half brother sd. Essex Cap- witnessed the deed.6 In December 1790, Randolph shaw.”3 In September 1768, this John Stanford pur- Casey and his wife Charity of Greenville County, chased from Nicholas Fisher, also of Tryon County, sold to John Stanford, also of Greenville County, 161 Samuel Edwin Colley (1852-1925) and Lillie Bell Hudspeth Colley (1856-1936) with their grandchildren, Farmington, Graves County, Kentucky, 1913. They were the parents of five children: James Theodore, Steve Jackson, Laura Lou, Boone Isaiah, and Lennie May and had 20 grandchildren. Third from the left in the back row is Clarence Edwin Colley, maternal grandfather of the author. Samuel Edwin Colley was a son of Isaiah Colley (1810-1864) and Eliza Happy (1811-1894) and a great-grandson of the Andrew and Susannah Colley who moved from Spartanburg County, South Carolina, to Christian County, Kentucky, in 1799/1800. 2005 Kentucky Ancestors V41-1 2 Andrew Colley—Farmer, Fighter, Pioneer, Part Three, continued ___ acres on the south fork of the South Tyger River.7 ent-day Nashville. From there, migrants to the newly Earlier in that same year, Levi Casey and his wife opened land south of the Green River could take the Mary had sold 112 acres on the north side of the Mississippi and Tennessee River trail northwesterly Tyger River to John Stanford Jr., planter, of Green- into lower Christian County, Ky.14 The approximate- ville County, S.C.8 ly 500-mile trek by horseback—at 20 to 30 miles per Possibly yet another John Stanford, “planter of day without wagons and family—could likely have Spartanburgh County,” sold on 29 March 1787 300 been accomplished in about three weeks. acres on Buffalo Creek that had been granted to him According to E. Wade Hone in Land & Property in January 1785. This land was sold to John Bridges Research in the United States, a multi-step process of York County and was bounded by lands of the was required to obtain a grant of state land such as said John Bridges, James Bridges, and Green.9 the area south of the Green River in Kentucky. This The review, just finished above, of Andrew Col- process included the following steps: ley’s possible family connections in North and South • application, or entry, for land; Carolina completes the currently possible picture of • warrant for survey; his life in the Carolinas and sets the stage for his life’s • survey; and next chapter, the westward push into Kentucky. • preparation and issuance of the patent, or official title to the land.15 Moving to Kentucky In 1797, lands in Kentucky south of Green River Records of the lands granted south of the Green were opened for settlement to any person possessed River indicate that on Oct. 23, 1798, warrants of family and over 21 years of age. Such a person No. 3909 [sic], 3010, and 3011 were issued for the was entitled to at least 100 acres but no more than surveys of 200 acres each for “Andrew Colly Senr,” 200 acres and must have been an actual settler on “Jacob Colley,” and “Andrew Colly Junr,” respec- the land for one year before coming into possession tively.16 On Jan. 22, 1799, 200 acres of land on of it.10 In 1798, the law was changed to make grants Wallace’s Creek, the waters of the Muddy Fork of south of Green River available to men aged 18 or the Little River, were surveyed for “Andrew Cawley over who satisfied the other requirements stated in Senr.,” for “Jacob Cawley,” and also for “Andrew 1797.11 Prior to1797, these lands had been reserved Cawley Junr.”17 The requirement of a year’s residence only for soldiers.12 for receiving a grant of land, as stated in the 1797 Word of the suitability of these newly available law,18 probably means that the Colley men arrived in lands must have spread quickly to back country Kentucky sometime during the year 1798. South Carolina. A number of family names pres- When the tax list was compiled in Christian ent in back country counties