John J. Wingo, Trezevant TN July 1901

Here's another piece of ephemera from a distant branch of the family.  It's dated July 10, 1901.  The sender is J.B. Lane of Crossland Kentucky and it's to John J. Wingo of Trezevant Tennessee.  

The Wingo family are distantly related to the Morans via J.W. Moran's mother, Harriet Harris via the Perry and Hillsman lines of Carroll County TN.  James Reddick Hillsman married Esther Wingo, the daughter of Dr. Thomas Rudd Wingo.  John James Wingo, the recipient of the postcard, is Thomas Rudd Wingo's brother.  How it ended up in Moran Place is a mystery.

Crossland Ky

July 10, 1901

Sir:

I have shipped you 1 sk wheat- will be down about the 15th.

Yours, etc.

J.B. Lane

The John James Wingo family and home appear in History of Carroll County Tennessee, vol. 1, 1987.

Frances Bruce Taylor to wed George Fonville Freeman

This clipping was found among the papers of James Henderson Moran IV.  He attended the Naval Academy at Annapolis and had relatives in Carroll County Tennessee as well as friends.  It's hard to know where George Fonville Freeman fits in, friend or relative, but regardless of the relationship James Moran felt it important enough to keep the wedding announcement. 

However, after doing some research it is quite possible that this wedding never took place, even the announcement indicates the wedding date will be announced later.  What I have found is that George Fonville Freeman was born either in 1908 (according to the History of Carroll County) or Nov. 25 1910 (according to the North Carolina Death Certificate) in Carroll County Tennessee.  According to the History of Carroll County he married Marilyn Plummer in Dallas Texas and that they had one son named John Freeman. George's parents were Eugene Freeman and Nona Barksdale.  He died in Mecklenburg, North Carolina April 18, 1972.               

"Miss Frances Bruce Taylor.  Announcement has been made of the engagement of Miss Frances Bruce Taylor of San Francisco to Ensign George Fonville Freeman of Huntingdon, Tenn.  The marriage date will be announced later.  The bride-to-be is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Taylor of San Francisco.  The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Freeman of Huntingdon and brother of James Freeman of Nashville.  Mr Freeman was a student at Vanderbilt University for two years and a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.  He was a member of the graduating class of 1931 of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, business manager of the Log and an honor man of the class.  He is at present Ensign on board the United States Steamer Arkansas."

W.J. Sedberry, West TN Photographer

Moran Place was home to many things including a lot of photographs.  Most of the people in the photographs will probably remain unknown to us.  Truth be told, it's usually easier to find out who the photographer's were, when there's a photographers mark, than to find out the subject of the photo.  That's the case with this charming picture.

On the back someone penciled in "Sydney and her faithful friend Mack."  I don't know who Sydney might be.  So far the only Sidney in the Moran tree is John Sidney Irvine and this is not him!

We have a few other photographs by Sedberry so I decided to see what I might dig up about him.  A brief line appears in the Dresden Enterprise dated April 14, 1893, "W.J. Sedberry, the photographer, invites you to call."

William J. Sedberry was born November 13, 1860 in Lyon County Kentucky.  His parents were James Sedberry of North Carolina or Virginia depending on the source and Mary Parmenter.   Census sources indicate his wife's name was Nora Belle.  When I found the death certificate for "Nora" her name was listed as Clara Belle Scates.  Was Nora a nickname or is the death certificate incorrect which happened a lot more than one might think!  Her parents were listed as W.F. Scates and Ray Scates, both of Tennessee.  I have seen the mother's name listed several ways:  Martha Ann Wray, Monica Ann Ray, Mariah Ann Ray, Ann Roy.

In the 1900 Census William and Nora were living in McKenzie, Carroll County TN. It also indicated that Nora had given birth to six children, three were living:
Eric E. b. Oct 1887, 12 years old
Fred C. b. Aug. 1896, 3 years old
Ray (daughter), b. Feb 1900, 3 months old.

And that wraps up what I know at this time about William James Sedberry.

The Finis Garrett Connection

Finis James Garrett is my husbands second cousin twice removed through the Harris family of Carroll County Tennessee.  Finis was born in Weakley County August 26, 1875, the son of Noah J. Garrett and Virginia C. Baughman.  He married Elizabeth Harris Burns.  She was the great grand-daughter of Williamson Harris and Elizabeth Battle Perry.  She and Finis had two children, Virginia Lee Garrett and Burns Garrett.

The family picture was taken June 29, 1953 on the eve of Jimmy's wedding.  I believe they are referring to James Henderson Moran IV.  Seated from left to right:  Virginia Lee Garrett, Elizabeth (Bess) Harris Burns, Finis James Garrett, and Burns Garrett.

Finis served in the US Congress from 1905 - 1929.  He had a failed Senate bid but was appointed judge of the  US Court of Customs and Patent Appeals by President Calvin Coolidge.  He later was appointed presiding judge of the court by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 and served until his retirement on September 15, 1955.  Finis died in Washington DC on May 25, 1956.  He and his wife Elizabeth are buried in Sunset Cemetery in Dresden, TN.

Bathsheba Crudup Fowler 1783-1852

Big Buck Rd. Carroll County Tenn
Harris Cemetery is on this road.

People often wonder where their ancestors are buried as is the case of Bathsheba Crudup Fowler (1873-1852) who was married to Bullard Fowler.  Her parents were Josiah Crudup and Elizabeth Ruth Battle.    Bathsheba is my husband's 4th great grand aunt.  I can't prove it but I think it's highly probable that Bathsheba was buried in the Harris Family Cemetery in Carroll County Tennessee.  In the 1850 census of Carroll County Tennessee Bathsheba is listed as living in the household of Elizabeth B.(Battle) Harris, Thomas L.(Larkin) Harris, Virginia F. Harris, and Susan M. Harris.   Bathsheba dies just two years later.

This is what's left of Harris Cemetery.
There are a few bases.  The headstones
have been lost through vandalism.

How was Bathsheba connected to the Harris family?  Elizabeth B. Harris was the daughter of Solomon Ruffin Perry and Mary Louise Crudup, all of North Carolina.  Elizabeth Battle Perry married Williamson Harris, once again of North Carolina.  Elizabeth's mother, Mary Louise Crudup was the sister of Bathsheba Crudup Fowler which makes Bathsheba Crudup Fowler the aunt of Elizabeth Battle Perry Harris.  The Harris' along with several other related family members moved from North Carolina to Carroll County in the early 1800's.

The Harris' had their own small family cemetery which is still in existence but has been vandalized and damaged over the years so that only a few bases are left.  Based on past transcriptions of the cemetery the following people were known to be interred at Harris Cemetery but there is a good chance several more are there as well:

One of the few bases left at the cemetery.

Williamson Harris (1782 - 1840) Williamson is the earliest known burial in the cemetery.
Elizabeth Battle Perry Harris (1795 - 1870) wife of Williamson Harris
Haywood F. Harris (1824-1870) Son of Williamson and Elizabeth Harris
Elizabeth Hairston Woods Harris (1826-1860) wife of Haywood F. Harris
Mary F. Harris (dates unknown and married to an unknown Harris)
Hattie M. Hillsman (1871-1876) and Sallie J. Hillsman (1880-1886) The Hillsman family lived near the Harris family and were related because Elizabeth B. Harris' sister was Mary Arendale Crudup Perry.  She married Reddick Hillsman.  Reddick and Mary Hillsman are buried  in the small Hillsman family cemetery located about a half mile from the Harris cemetery.

The family link from Harris to Moran is through Harriet Harris, the daughter of Williamson and Elizabeth Harris.  She married John Henderson Moran.

1848-1943, John Williamson Harris, Head of Confederate Veterans

This is just one of the many newspaper clippings saved by Virginia Shumate Moran.  The article appeared in the Memphis Press Scimitar in 1938.  John Williamson Harris was born in Tennessee in 1848.  His grandparents were Williamson Harris and Elizabeth Battle Perry.  John's sister, Harriet Harris, married John Henderson Moran which makes him my husbands first cousin three times removed.  He and his family moved to Oklahoma probably sometime after 1880.  His wife was Susan Corilla Wall.  They had five children Eva Harris, John Williamson Harris Jr, Edna Harris, Albert Harris and Bessie Harris.  His parents were Albert Gallatin Harris and Lucy Pernecia Gilbert.

90 Year Old Head of Confederate Vets, A Teetotaler, Will introduce Liquor Bill

At Next Session of Legislature In Oklahoma

By Ada Gilkey

Press Scimitar Staff Writer

A 90 year old teetotaler by choice, General John W. Harris, newly elected commander of the United Confederate Veterans, plans to introduce a local option liquor bill in the Oklahoma Legislature at its next session.

"We're drinking bad whisky and drinking it illegally-feeling like we're stealing," General Harris declared yesterday.  "We might as well drink good whisky, drink it legally, and get for Oklahoma some of the whisky revenue that's now going to Arkansas."

The general, guest of Mr. and Mrs. Ben C. Mathes, 1188 Minna, used the editorial "we," but he has no notion of partaking of strong drink, legally or illegally.

"Drank so much as a young man that I'm preserved," he said humorously.  "My stomach's copper-lined I do believe.  But some years ago I decided I'd cut out drinking and I did-just like that!"-snapping his fingers.

Honored By UDC

Seven chapters of United Daughters of the Confederacy honored him with a reception at Hotel Gayoso yesterday.  He "went home" to the Mathes residence to put on a white shirt for the event.  Earlier in the day, he saw the sights and visited The Press-Scimitar wearing a sporty blue plaid shirt and a polka-dot tie with his long-tailed, gold braided uniform and gold-banded felt hat.

The general was born at McKenzie, Tenn., and is proud of it.

"Must you know how old I am?" he asked joikingly.  "You see, I'm a widower! Born in '48 and this is '38.  That makes me 90 years young."

General Harris farmed at McKenzie for some time after the war, then traveled for a Louisville wholesale firm before going to Oklahoma City, where he has oil interests and is commissioner of the state pension board.  He works regularly from 8:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day.  His wife and three children died some years ago.

More Reunions?  "Sure!"

"I want to do what I can for the veterans," he said.  "Alfalfa Bill Murray cut the veterans' pensions in Oklahoma from $40 to $29 a month.  I'm going to try to get it raised again.  I'm also interested in making the next reunion a good reunion.  Where it will be ought to be settled in the next two weeks.  I favor Trinidad, Col. No more reunions?  They've been saying that for the last 20 years--and we're going to have them as long as any of us is able to go."

The general had "an elegant time" at the joint reunion of Confederate and Union soldiers at Gettysburg.

"we joshed one another," he relates.  "I told those Yanks, 'There're 1500 of you and only 500 of us.  We'll get in a bunch and forgive you all at one time.  According to numbers present, we have to do three times as much forgiving as you."

The general gets winded when he gives the rebel yell, but he obliged with the Indian yell he and fellow soldiers used mostly.  With friends, he visited Reelfoot yesterday, driving from McKenzie in two hours.  The trip in war times took two days!

With Forrest

An orderly for Colonel Greer in Buford's Division under Forrest's command, General Harris carried hundreds of dispatches for General Forrest as well as his colonel.  He lost one, but he was supposed to.  It was a ruse to throw off pursuing Union soldiers with misinformation.

"General Forrest was the greatest cavalry leader in the history of all wars because he didn't fight according to rules," he said.  "He didn't have a military education and he made up his own rules as he went along.  He fooled the enemy all the time.  He didn't ask his men to go where he wouldn't go-he always led."

General Harris had a good horse and was a hard rider, frequently making 40 miles overnight.  He weighed only 96 pounds and today only weighs 116, but is 5 feet 10 1-2 inches tall.

"The war lasted as long as it did because our mothers, wives and sweethearts stayed home and encouraged us and we fought as long as we could get anything to eat," General Harris said.  "I never drew a cent from the Confederacy--was never given a thing except a plug of tobacco and I didn't chew, so I gave it to some of the boys who did."