Smith in the family

Fortunately for me, there is only one Smith line in our direct family tree.  

I have a huge portrait on my wall of a mother and her four Smith children. This is a lousy image since the portrait itself is very nice.  This image looks like it's from an old television, but it's in a good frame with non-glare glass.  I guess that's what gives it such a strange appearance.

Emeline "Emily" Wilson was born November 10, 1833, in Kentucky, the daughter of Elizabeth "Betty" Clark and Samuel Wilson.  On August 1, 1850, Emily married James Jefferson "Jeff" Smith in Grant Co, Kentucky.  Jeff was born about 1829 in Kentucky, the son of Willis and Sarah Smith and died May 14, 1862 in POW Camp Oglethorpe, Georgia.  

I have only two census records that show him by name:

1850 Kentucky, Grant Co, 22 July
31/31  Willis Smith, 55, farmer, b Kentucky / Sarah, 45, b Virginia // James, 21, b Kentucky; Green P, 18, b Indiana; Thomas B, 16, b Kentucky; Madison, 14, b Kentucky; Nancy J, 12, school, b Kentucky; Willis, 5, school, b Kentucky; William O B, 3, b Kentucky

1860 Iowa, Wayne Co, Howard Twp, Warsaw, 3 June

191/171  J J Smith, 31, farmer, vope 42, b Kentucky / Emelene Smith, 26, b Kentucky // J S Smith, 8, school, b Kentucky; M E Smith, school, 6, b Kentucky; S M Smith, 4, b Missouri

In 1861 Jeff went off to war.  I ordered the pension file for Emily's application as a widow and it is extensive.  In these papers various dates are given for Jeff's death.  I imagine that even though records were kept, it's a minor miracle that they survived at all.  Here is part of the record.  Item 22 is the final determination of death date and location.

---NARA Compiled Military Record
     Item 1:  Smith, Jefferson J, Co B, 18 Missouri Inf / Sergeant / Sergeant / Card numbers 7760505, 760604, 7760805, 7760974, 7761048, 36633880, 7779-A-1881, 7779-A-1881 / Bookmark: 7779-A-AGO (EB) 1881
     Item 3:  S 18 Mo / Jefferson J Smith, Sergt, Co B, 18 Reg't Missouri Infantry / Age __ years / Appears on Company Muster-in Roll of the organization named above. Roll dated Cp Morgan, Laclede Mo, Nov 14, 1861; Muster in to date Nov 14, 1861 / Joined for duty and enrolled June 17, 186_, Putnam Co, Mo, for period 3 years . . . 
     Item 7:  S 18 Mo / Jefferson J Smith, Sergt, Co B, 18 Reg't Missouri Infantry / Appears on Company Muster Roll for May & June 1862 / Absent / Remarks: Missing in action since Apr 6, 1862 . . . 
     Item 11:  Casualty Sheet / J J Smith, Private of Company B, 18th Regiment of Mo State Volunteers / Nature of Casualty - Death, Died at Camp Oglethorpe, Macon, Ga, of wound, May 14 ' 62 . . . 
     Item 13:  Casualty Sheet / Jeffn J Smith, Company B, Regiment 18, Mo / Nature of Casualty: Death / Cause of Casualty: Wounded at Shiloh . . . 
     Item 17:  Casualty Sheet:  J J Smith, Private, Company B, Regiment 18, Infty, Mo / Nature of Casualty: Death / Cause of casualty: Disease . . .  
     Items 19-20:  Memorandum from Prisoner of War Records / No 116 / Smith, J J [crossed out and] Smith, Jefferson J [written] / Organization: 18 Reg't Mo I[nf] Co B / Information obtained from Records of: D B Vol 1, p 313, Vol 1, p 317; Mus? Roll 907 / Captured at ~~~~, confined at Richmond, Va,  [blank] admitted to hospital at  [blank] where he died [blank] / Paroled at [marked through and written in]: "Died at Camp Oglethorpe, Macon, Ga, May 14, 1862, [in red ink] June 18, 1862 [June date marked through and this statement inserted with caret] buried in Rose Hill cemetery by the sexton" / Corroborated by (report continued) Orig report of Med Dir CSA See 1773 B (EB) A G O / 1877, J L, 3.10.77 / Enrolled as Jefferson J Smith, Co B, 18 Mo Inf / CGS case recd Mar 7, 81, Holmes Dec 15 '87 / to Sig, Dec 21, '81, copied by BGE / 7779-A-1881 / Adjutant General's Office / Dec 6, 1881 / This is accepted as referring to Jefferson J Smith, Co B, 18th Reg't Mo Vols and records will be corrected accordingly / A ? Nickerson?, Assistant Adjutant General
     Item 22:  [Notation]  S 18 Mo / Jefferson J Smith / Co B, 18 Reg't Mo Inf / Notation / Book mark 7779 A 1881 / Record and Pension office, War Department, Washington, Sept 6, 1901 / It has this day (Sept 6, 1901) been determined by this Department from the records and from evidence on file that the above named soldier died May 14, 1862.  Notation of Dec 16, 1881 is canceled.  / W W Gibson, copyist

---National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
Jefferson J Smith / Regiment Name 18 Missouri Infantry / Side Union / Company  B / Soldier's Rank_In  Sgt / Soldier's Rank_Out  Sgt / Film Number M390 roll 45

I don't know how long after Jeff's death that Emily learned of it.  She was not yet 30 years old and had four children at home, including a baby less than one year old.  Emily managed for a while, then in March of 1868 she married a widower, Preston Riddle, whose wife had died a year before.  Preston had small children still at home, and the two households became one.  Preston and Emily had three children, one dying as a child, one as a teenager, and one as a young adult.  The article Two Riddles tells about the girls.

This house was probably Preston's home.  I haven't done research on the original owner, but on an early plat map, the owner is shown is Emily Riddle.  Emily lived here the rest of her life, apparently by herself after Preston's death in January 1896 until shortly before her own in September 1909.  I have made myself a note to do some land record looking.

Emily (Wilson) Smith Riddle in Powersville, Missouri.  

Property was adjacent to the cemetery, according to a plat map of the era.

1870 Missouri, Putnam Co, York Twp, Unionville, 20 August
216/216  Riddle, Preston, 45, farmer, vore 1700 vope 850, b Tennessee / Emily, 35, keeps house, b Kentucky // Sarah, 16, school, b Indiana; Mary E, 14, school, b Indiana; James A, 11, school, b Indiana; Elias, 10, school, b Missouri; Nancy A, 5, school, b Missouri; Louisa J, 1, b Missouri /// Smith, Mary E, 16, school, b Kentucky; Smith, Susan, 14, school, b Missouri; Smith, Geo J, 9, school, b Missouri
[Emily's other Smith child, John, was working as a farm hand nearby]

1880 Missouri, Putnam Co, York Twp, 5-6 July
257/261  Riddle, Preston, 55, farmer, b Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee / Emily, 47, wife, keeping house, b Ky -- -- // Nancy A, 15, dau, school, b Missouri Tennessee Tennessee; Louisa J, 11, dau, school, b Missouri Tennessee Kentucky; Rilla T, 9, dau, school, b Missouri Tennessee Kentucky; Thomas M, 4, son, b Missouri Tennessee Kentucky /// James A, 22, son, single, teacher, b Indiana Tennessee Tennessee

1900 Missouri, Putnam Co, York Twp, 16 June
147/147  Riddle, Emily, head, b Nov 1833, 66, wd, 10 ch 4 liv, owner farm 102, b Kentucky Kentucky Kentucky

Emily's death is recorded here:
        Obituary: unidentified newspaper clipping, (Oct 1, 1909 hand written)
        Emily Riddle was born November 10, 1833, in Grant county, Kentucky, was married to James J Smith August 1, 1850.  To this union were born five children, two sons and three daughters, one of the daughters dying in infancy.  The other four children were present at funeral services.  Her husband enlisted in the service of his country in 1861 and died a prisoner of war, May 17, 1862.
        She was united in her second marriage to Preston Riddle, March 18, 1868, and to this union were born five children, all of whom have preceded her to the better land where sorrow and pain are unknown.
        She was again left a widow January 24, 1896, ad [sic] lived alone for thirteen years, when on June 24, 1909, being stricken with paralysis, she was moved to her daughter's, Mrs J H Greer, where she made her home until her death, which occurred Sept 21, 1909.  She was buried at the Greer Cemetery, seven miles southeast of Clio.  
        She was united with the Methodist church when quite young and lived a quiet christian life, ____ by all who knew her.
        She bore affliction with much patience and christian fortitude, expressing satisfaction with anything done for her.  As her friends, we all feel that she has only crossed the threshold into a more glorious existence and shall strie [sic] to meet her on the plane where partings are no more and while it seems sad to see her on earth no more we abide in the submission, "Thy will, not mine, be done."


Ok, you are saying, Jeff was the Smith, not Emily, except for a while as a wife and also as mother of Smith children.  That's were I am working now.  I have previously written about beginning my hunt for the Smith children, starting with oldest child John Samuel Smith.  I have found some information about George, the youngest, and found that Susan died as a young wife.  Mary Elizabeth, who married James Henry Greer, and is our direct line, is the fourth child.  More to come later on these Smith children as I continue the journey.

Emily had a hard life.  Her obituary says she bore it all with fortitude and patience.  She is an inspiration to me and I'm very glad to have the portrait on my wall.


ps.  Emily had a sister.  Betty Wilson married Henry Burns and they moved to Iowa, it seems like the same time as Emily and Jeff - and it appears a couple of other Wilson children came too.  I have a photograph of Betty and am including it here.

Elizabeth Jane (Wilson) Burns, 

born 7 November 1827, Grant Co, Kentucky, 

died April 2, 1915, Powersville, Putnam Co, Missouri

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Descendants of Shadrack Chandler and Elizabeth Latta, part 2

James Jackson Chandler, the youngest child of Shadrack and Elizabeth, was born the 18th of December 1824, in Maury County, Tennessee.  He is the earliest Chandler for whom I have a likeness.  

I have these notes in my file:
---pictures of James Jackson and Mary Jane are photographs taken by Jack Chandler while on a visit to Tennessee.  Mary Elizabeth says they were 16x20 charcoal drawings; she has photographs of the original drawings in their frames, hanging on the wall in the home of Bertha (Chandler) Thorne, daughter of James and Mary Jane.  Mary Elizabeth also has an old photograph of James that is the same pose as the drawing, only a full photo - not just head and shoulders.  Feb 2005: she believes that Lanier Thorne . . . grandson of Bertha and great-grandson of James and Mary Jane, would know the current whereabouts of the original pictures.

---Mary Elizabeth Chandler Fields has a watch belonging to James Jackson Chandler.  It is made by Joseph Johnson, Liverpool, England, and was made about 1824, according to the serial number on the watch.  1824 is the year James J was born.  The pocket watch is heavy and is silver with a jeweled movement.  I don't know if there is a correlation between the date of the watch and the birth of James, but it's an intriguing thought that the watch and birthdate match.

James was only 14 when his father Shadrack died.  Next older child, Sarah, married in 1839 so she was still at home at the time of Shadrack's death.  Son John Chandler married July 1938, the same year as his father's death.  Shelby didn't marry until 1850 and is shown here with Elizabeth and James living with he and his new wife.

1850 Tennessee, Maury Co, Dist No 22, 21 August
51/51  Shelby Chandler, 33, farmer, vore 1200, b Tennessee / Lavina, 21, b Tennessee /// Elizabeth, 66, b North Carolina; Jas J, 26, farmer, b Tennessee

James then appears on these three census records:

1860 Tennessee, Maury Co, District No 22, Columbia, 9 August
1006/1006 Sarah Roan, 36, vope 250, b Tennessee / Rebecca, 19, b Tennessee; Thomas, 17, farmer, b Tennessee; Sarah E, 15, b Tennessee /// James J Chandlers, 35, house carpenter, vope 2500, b Tennessee

1870 Tennessee, Maury Co, 22nd Civil District, Columbia, _ July
302/315  Payne, David, 30, b, farming, b Tennessee / Ellen, 25, b, house keeping, b Tennessee // Dick, 5, b, at home, b Tennessee; Sarah, 4, b, at home, b Tennessee; Gordon, 6/12, b, b Jan, at home, b Tennessee /// Payne, Amy, 50, black, domestic servant, b Tennessee;  Chandler, James J, 44, farmer, vore 4000 vope 1700, b Tennessee; Chandler, Elizabeth, 90, at home, b N Carolina; Chandler, Rebecca, 55, house keeper, b N Carolina; Chandler, Sally, 46, at home, b Tennessee; Rone, Lizzie, 25, at home, b Tennessee; Chandler, James W, 18, at school, vope 100, b Tennessee

1880 Tennessee, Maury Co, 22nd Civil District, 19 June
229/229  Miller, Nancy, 47, wd, keeping house, b Georgia South Carolina South Carolina // W D, son, 24, single, farmer, b Alabama Alabama Georgia; Sarah A, 21, dau, single, at home, b Alabama Alabama Georgia; Nancy E, 19, dau, at home, b Alabama Alabama Georgia; John, 17, son, farmer, school, b Alabama Alabama Georgia; Marcus, 13, son, school, b Tennessee Alabama Georgia; Pattie, 11, dau, school, b Tennessee Alabama Georgia; Walter, 9, son, school, b Tennessee Alabama Georgia; Jerome, 7, son, school, b Tennessee Alabama Georgia; Leona, 4, dau, b Tennessee Alabama Georgia  /// Chandler, James, 56, son-in-law, wd, carpenter, b Tennessee North Carolina North Carolina; Nannie, 4, gr dau, b Tennessee Tennessee Alabama; Berthie, 2, gr dau, b Tennessee Tennessee Alabama; Jimmie, 3/12, gr son, b Tennessee Tennessee Alabama

The 1860 and 1870 census records are eye-openers.  James had a value of personal estate of 2500 dollars.  Since he was a carpenter, he must have had plenty of tools to do his work with.  On the 1870 census, after the Civil War, James had value of real estate of 4000 dollars in and value of personal estate was 1700 dollars.  The value of his possessions is less, but the real estate amount is very interesting.  Yet, he was living in the households of others.  I haven't found enough records to be able to tell why he was in such good financial condition.  

James' brother Shelby died in 1862.  James became guardian of Shelby's son James.  James was still single, caring for his mother and other family members.  

James went to war.

---48 Reg't, Tenn Inf, Co's A and B, 1861-1863    
*James J Chandler pvt Capt Thomas E Jamison's Co, 48 Regiment Infantry not dated
*James J Chandler pvt Co A  48 Reg't Tennessee Infantry  Jan 26 to Mar 2, 1862 (dated Apr 30, 1862)  Enlisted Nov 26 1861 Maury Co  by Ths Jamerson  for 12 mos. From Co K to Co A 48 Reg't Tenn  Mar 3, '62
*J J Chandler pvt Co A 48 Reg't Tennessee Infantry age 37 years  Roll dated Mobile, Ala  Oct 21 1863  Joined for duty and enrolled Dec 12 1861 Nashville by Cate(?) Beal  for 12 mos present
*J J Chandler pvt Co B  48 Reg't Tennessee Inf  for Mch 1 to July 1, 1862  Enlisted Nov 26 1861 Maury Co  by Thos Jameson for 12 mos paid by Morgan to March 1 1862  present From Co K to B, 48 Regt, May 2, 1862
*J J Chandler pvt Co B  48 Reg't Tennessee Inf  for July & Aug 1862  Enlisted Nov 26 1861 Maury Co by Thos Jameson for 12 mos last paid by Capt Wooten to July 1 1862  present  Note: name appears in col of names present as Jas J Chandler
*J J Chandler Co B 48 Tenn Regt  appears on a list of mechanics in the 3d Corps, Army of the Mississippi  List not dated  Brigade 2  3  Occupation  House carpenter   
*J J Chandler pvt Capt Jemerson's Co, Capt Sowell's Detachment Tennessee Infantry
Appears on a list of men of the organization named above at Decatur on the 16th day of March, 1862   List dated Decatur, Ala  Mch 16, 1862

Elizabeth (Latta) Chandler, mother of James, died in August 1872.  James married 24th October 1875 at Columbia, Maury Co, Tennessee.  James was 51 and Nancy was 21.

---Marriage Record, Tennessee, Maury Co, Bk 5, p59, entry 12018

James J Chandler to Mary J Miller, license issued October 23, 1875. I solemnized the rites of matrimony between the within named parties the 24th day of October 1875.  R B Allen, JP

Nancy was the daughter of John H Miller, a Civil War soldier when not a farmer, and Nancy E Brumley.  John Miller died in 1877, leaving behind his wife and 11 children.  

Mary Jane is listed on only two census records, those of 1860 and 1870.  By April of 1880 she had died, leaving behind three children.  James and his children are living with his mother-in-law, still in Maury Co, Tennessee.

1880 Tennessee, Maury Co, 22nd Civil District, 19 June

229/229  Miller, Nancy, 47, wd, keeping house, b Georgia South Carolina South Carolina // W D, son, 24, single, farmer, b Alabama Alabama Georgia; Sarah A, 21, dau, single, at home, b Alabama Alabama Georgia; Nancy E, 19, dau, at home, b Alabama Alabama Georgia; John, 17, son, farmer, school, b Alabama Alabama Georgia; Marcus, 13, son, school, b Tennessee Alabama Georgia; Pattie, 11, dau, school, b Tennessee Alabama Georgia; Walter, 9, son, school, b Tennessee Alabama Georgia; Jerome, 7, son, school, b Tennessee Alabama Georgia; Leona, 4, dau, b Tennessee Alabama Georgia  /// Chandler, James, 56, son-in-law, wd, carpenter, b Tennessee North Carolina North Carolina; Nannie, 4, gr dau, b Tennessee Tennessee Alabama; Berthie, 2, gr dau, b Tennessee Tennessee Alabama; Jimmie, 3/12, gr son, b Tennessee Tennessee Alabama

James lived in Tennessee all his life.  When he died, he was buried in Lasting Hope Cemetery, next to Mary Jane.

---Note from Mary Elizabeth Fields:

-In 1977 when John and Mary Elizabeth visited Lasting Hope Cemetery, they had a photo of Mary Jane Miller Chandler's gravestone.  Since there was no longer a marker on James Chandler's grave, we contacted a monument company; they said they would check the cemetery records and place a marker on his grave.  (We had been told that the original marker was of wood.)  So John and Mary and Clinton Chandler paid for and had the stone placed on James Jackson's grave in 1977.

Find a grave memorial for James is 11126110 and for Mary Jane it is 15195895.

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The three children of James and Mary Jane lived just a short while longer in Maury County.  The family story says that the children were mistreated by other family members after James died and they found ways to leave the county.  Nannie married and moved away; she married a second time and later died in Oklahoma City, after an illness of several years.  Bertha married and moved to Memphis where she lived until her death.

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The third child, James Mallard Chandler, is our direct line.  Jimmy was born March 15th 1880; his mother, Mary Jane, died April 12, 1880, at the age of 26.  

I have never found an explanation for Jim's middle name of Mallard.  I finally looked at the 1880 census (Jim's birth year) for Dist 22, Maury Co, Tennessee, and find that there are two Mallards - one is W L Mallard, farmer, with a wife and children; the other is J R Mallard and wife, he a physician, born Tennessee.  Both men state that their mother was born in North Carolina.  Perhaps this is where James Jackson drew the name for his son - from a neighbor or from the doctor.  

Jim Chandler was, among other things a builder, building for his family a small house in Oklahoma City.

Jim's three children - Jack, Clint, and Mary Elizabeth - sat down at dates between 1976 and 1979 to record their memories of their dad.  I have lengthy typed records from those conversations.

Jim was a steamfitter for most of his life, moving from place to place, until wife Lora said they were going to settle down in one place.  

In 1905 he was living in Dallas, Texas.  One of the older Miller children had moved his mother and some siblings to Texas and Jim was there, too.

1905 Texas, Dallas Co, Dallas city directory
Chandler, James M, hlpr Mosher Mfg Co, r 536 S Austin

1906 Kansas, Sedgwick Co, Wichita city directory
Chandler, James M, helper Boxworth-Hahn & Co, r 1901 N Lawrence av

On March 1st, 1904, Jim and Lora Belle Tryon, of Wichita, Kansas, were married in Wichita. Lora was born May 21, 1885, Kechi Township, Sedgwick Co, Kansas.  

State of Kansas, County of Sedgwick.  Wichita, Kansas, March 1st 1904
. . . You are hereby authorized to join in marriage J M Chandler of Wichita, Kansas, aged 23 years, Lora B Tryon of Wichita, Kansas, aged 18 years . . . I, J T May, a minister of the Gospel, do hereby certify . . . I did, on the 1st day of March AD 1904, at my residence, 1328? S Douglas, Wichita, Ks, in said County, join and unite in Marriage the within-named J M Chandler and Lora B Tryon. 

In 1907 Jim and Lora were living in Wichita

1907 Kansas, Sedgwick Co, Wichita city directoryChandler, James M (Lora) helper Bosworth-Hahn & Co, r 212 Mathewson av

By 1910 Jim is listed as a steam fitter working for a plumbing company.  They lived in Wichita when their first child was born.  His name was Clarce Mallard Chandler, but every one called him Jack.  

Jim and Lora Chandler with son Clarce "Jack"

A 1911 city directory for Dallas, Texas lists Jim Chandler as a steamfitter; 1915 they are in Houston; in 1917 in Waco, Texas; in 1919 back in Wichita.  It was 1916 before their second child was born, Clinton on April 20, 1916, in Dallas, Texas.  

Lora and Jim Chandler with son Clinton

I think it must have been after that when Lora wanted a permanent home.  They were in Oklahoma city in 1920 and stayed there for the rest of their lives.  Daughter Mary Elizabeth was born 1927 in Oklahoma City.  There was a 10 year gap between the first two children and an 11 year gap between the second and third.  Aunt Mary always said she felt like an only child at times, since Jack was gone from home by the time she came along and Clint so much older, their friends and interests didn't coincide.  

Clinton, Mary, Jack, Lora and Jim Chandler, 

1940s, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Lora and Jim were married 57 years when he died in 1961.  

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Their middle child, Clinton Chandler, is our direct line.    

More about Clint is in this article about his Navy life.

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