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Note: William Augusta & Sarah Elizabeth (Whitman) Zachary by Clovis La Fleur, May 2000 William Augusta Zachary, son of Bennett Hiram Zachary and Clarinda Bennett, grandson of Benjamin Zachary, and Elizabeth Odom, was born in the year 1841 in probably Belgrade, Jasper County, Texas. [Note 1] This area would become part of Newton County after Jasper County was divided in 1846. He married Sarah Elizabeth Whitman, the widow of George Washington Davis, killed in the Civil War. Sarah Elizabeth Whitman, daughter of John Adam Whitman and Dorothy (Dorthea) Richard (Rikard), grand-daughter of John Adam Whitman, Sr. and Mary McNear, was born March 29, 1839, in Perry County, Alabama. [Note 2] Her father and mother moved to Alabama from Edgefield District, South Carolina sometime after December, 1835, the month Sarah's older brother , Jacob, was born in South Carolina. [Note 3] They lived in Perry County until around 1850. Adam Whitman is listed as the head of house in the 1840 Perry County census. In 1850, the family, along with other families from Perry County, moved to Bossier Parish, Louisiana near Shreveport and organized a community named "The Alabama Settlement". While living in this Parish, Adam and Dorothy would have twin daughters named Mary Eva and Margaret Ann, born September 7, 1853 and bury a son, William, who died July 1, 1854 at the age of eight years old. [Note 3] In 1855, the family moved across the Sabine River into Newton County, Texas. Adam set-up a Mill on Whitman Creek and then later established Whitman's Ferry located about a mile below Belgrade on the Sabine River, where travelers would cross the river that was the boundary between Texas and Louisiana. [Note 4] On November 19, 1858, Sarah Whitman married George Washington Davis in Newton County, son of Winfield "Alias William M. Davis" Moore and Nancy Belcher. [Note 5] Sarah is believed to have had a girl sometime between 1859 and 1862 because her obituary stated, "She was married to G. W. Davis in 1858, from that union one girl was born, but the family circle was broken by the death of Mr. Davis." [Note 6] To date, the name of this girl and what happened to her is not known. Sarah's older sister, Martha C. Whitman, would marry the widower, William Hawley Stark, May 15, 1859, after the death of his wife, Elizabeth Zachary in March of the same year. However, at 4:30 a. m. on the 12th day of April, 1861, Sarah and George's live's together would be interrupted, for the Civil War began when the first Confederate shell smashed into Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Within weeks, militia were being organized in both the South and the North. George Davis and his brother Augustus would join the troops from the Confederate States of America as would Sarah's brothers, Benjamin, Joseph, and George Whitman. [Note 7] Sarah's husband and her brother Benjamin Whitman, were sent north to participate in the Arkansas Campaign. During fighting occurring near Little Rock, Arkansas around the date of November 13, 1862, George was killed and Benjamin captured by the Federal Army. George was buried in the Confederate Army Cemetery near Little Rock. [Note 7] While George was away because of the war, Sarah and her daughter probably lived with either the Whitman's, or perhaps with her sister-in-law, Penelope Davis, recently widowed by the death of Bennett Hiram Zachary. In either case, she would have come to know William Augustus Zachary, for William Hawley Stark was his Uncle, now married to Sarah's sister, Martha, and Penelope Davis was his step-mother, sister of George Washington Davis. As occurred so often in those days, Sarah Davis, widow, married William Augustus Zachary, a close relative by association, August 27, 1863 in Newton County. [Note 8] Sarah's brothers, Joseph and George Whitman, were members of Spaight's Battalion of Texas Volunteers. They fought along the rivers and marshes of Texas and Louisiana. General Banks, over the Union Troops fighting the Red River Campaign, wanted to push up the Sabine River from the Gulf of Mexico with Steamboats and soldiers to occupy southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas taking pressure of his troops in battle further north. Spaight's Battalion along with other troops participated in the Battle of Sabine Pass at the mouth of the Sabine River (Near Orange, Texas). The Confederates won the day, which contributed to the victory of General Robert Taylor (Son of President Zachary Taylor) over General Banks on April 8, 1864. This brought the Union's Red River Campaign to and end. [Note 7] Augustus Davis would die in the Battle of Vermillionville (Now Lafayette, Louisiana) and be buried where he fell. The wife of Benjamin Whitman, Emily Foster, daughter of John "alias Benjamin Foster" Rogers and Martha Jane Davis who was the brother of George Davis, feared her husband was dead. She had already heard her Uncles, George and Augustus Davis, had been killed and feared the worst for her husband. However, in June of 1865, Benjamin was paroled in Vicksburg and was reunited with his wife. Joseph and George Whitman would also return at the end of the war. [Note 7] After the war, William became a Engineer on the Steamboat "Rinn", which moved goods up and down the Sabine River from the Gulf of Mexico to towns like Belgrade located near the river. William's brother-in-law, William Hawley Stark, owned a warehouse on the river which was probably visited by the "Rinn" in those days. After the marriage of William Augustus and Sarah Elizabeth, William Hawley became both a Uncle and brother-in-law to William Augustus (From W. H.'s previous marriage to Elizabeth Zachary, sister of Bennett Hiram and W. H.'s second marriage to Martha C. Whitman, sister of Sarah Elizabeth). According to a written account by a son of William Augustus, William Bennett "Bub" Zachary, "Mother and the family of children would meet the Rinn at the landing, and the Captain would always provide us with coffee, and all the food we needed." One can imagine families with such close ties, meeting the boats at what became known as "Stark's Landing" and sharing a meal and visit with each other. [Note 9] William & Sarah Elizabeth would have children named Zerilda E. (b. 1864), Georgina Ann (.b 1867), William Bennett, (b. 1774), and Armiada "Minnie", (b. 1878). [Note 9a] After the Civil War, John Adam Whitman, Sarah's father, was accused and arrested for the murder of John Alston, an African American. There is little detail about the trial found in research to date, but John Adam was later acquitted, according to an account written by Thomas A. Wilson. [Note 10] In 1878, the Steamboat Rinn was steaming pass what is present day Deweyville, when an explosion occurred in the boiler room, causing the boat to catch fire and burn to the waterline. William was abroad at the time and was among those killed in the accident. [Note 9] Sarah Elizabeth became a widow for the second time. She was listed as the head of the house in the 1880 census for Newton County along with the children and William Smith, listed as a boarder who worked on the farm. On her line she answered yes to being a Widow. She reported Zerilda and William Smith were married before the census year and Georgina Ann had attended school within the census year. [Note 9a] Sarah married Lumpkin Kelly March 21, 1884 [Note 8] in Newton County where she remained until her death April 22, 1925. She was buried in the Bob Herrin Cemetery in Newton County. [Note 11] Sources & Footnotes 1)(Note from Clovis La Fleur: This is a on-line 1850 census for Newton County which has updates from data provided by others. This is the reason there is data recorded that occurred after the census. I do not know who supplied the additional data.) Data pertaining to William Augustus is shown; Record #190; Zachary, B. H. (Bennett Hiram), 41 years, m, born in South Carolina; Mother Elizabeth Dickson; First Wife Died 1845 (Name not given) ( Later information shows this was Clarinda Bennett); Child Wm. A. U., 9 years, m, Born in TX, Married 27 Aug. 1863, Newton Co. TX., Mrs. Sarah E. Davis 2)From April 30, 1925 Newton Newspaper article titled, "The Life of Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Zachary", (Copy in my file. CLL) Quote:"Mrs. Zachary was born in Perry County, Alabama in 1839."; Date of birth comes from Tombstone located in the Bob Herrin Cemetery which states, "Sarah E. Zachary, 3-29-1839 - 4-22-1925". Name of parents and grandparents comes from the GEDCOM file of Chuck Hoffman, choffman41@@jps.net. 3)GEDCOM file of Chuck Hoffman, choffman41@@jps.net. 4)From April 30, 1925 Newton Newspaper article titled, "The Life of Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Zachary", Quote:"She moved from Alabama to Louisiana in 1851 and lived there until 1855, then moved to Texas where she spent the remainder of her life." 5)Newton County, Texas Marriage Records. George Davis parents names come from Bonnie (Jones) Smith, descended from William and Nancy (Belcher) Davis and article titled, "If Only That Old Table Could Talk", by Ima Whitman Franks. 6)From April 30, 1925 Newton Newspaper article titled, "The Life of Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Zachary". 7)From the article titled, "If Only That Old Table Could Talk", by Ima Whitman Franks. 8)Newton County, Texas Marriage Records 9)From "Farm Corner", written by Joe F. Combs. It's a newspaper article from the Beaumont Enterprise of Beaumont, Texas, dated Thursday, November 18, 1965. William Bennett "Bub" Zachary, son of William Augusta, replied to an inquiry about the old steamboat "Wren". Abstract of Content of the Article:" A few days ago Percy Gray of Nederland wrote Farm Corner, making inquiry about the old steamboat "Wren" and the place on the Sabine River known as "Wren Eddy". W. B. Zachary of Jasper, explains this, and tells us more about the steamboat, but he calls it the"Rinn", and not the Wren. His letter follows: "I see in Farm Corner the letter from Percy Gray, making inquiry about the boat Rinn. I know about this old boat from family records. My father was engineer on the Rinn in 1874, and he was killed on this boat. I was four years old at the time, and we were at Stark's landing on the Sabine. Mother and the family of children would meet the Rinn at the landing, and the Captain would always provide us with coffee, and all the food we needed. In 1878 the steam boiler of the Rinn blew up, and the old boat burned to the water and sank. It went down between Niblett's Bluff and Possum Bluff, which is now Deweyville� They called the place where the Rinn went down, Rinn's Eddy. The next eddy up river from that place is Mud's Eddy, a mile below old Belgrade. There is no sign of these places now. I was wondering if Mr. Gray has relatives around Newton. My wife is related to them. I knew the old Sabine between Logansport and Orange, 75 years ago as well as I know my own backyard. I will be glad to answer any questions about the old river, as far as I can." (Copy in File. CLL) 9a) 1880 census for Newton County, Texas, Justice Precinct #1, John Heney, Enumerator Dwelling #42, Family #42 Zacharie, Elizabeth, w, f, 37, Widow, farmer, born in AL Zacharie, Zerilda E., w, f, 16, Wife, at home, born in TX; (Born June 13, 1864, From Zelilda's obituary, Copy in file. CLL) Smith, William, w, m, 18, boarder, works on farm, born in TX; (Married Zerilda before the census year.) Zacharie, George Ann, w, f, 15, daughter, at home, born in TX; (Born January 19, 1867, From Maude Herrin, her Daughter. CLL) Zacharie, William B., w, m, 7, son, at home, born in TX; (Born November 2, 1874, From Bob Herrin Cemetery. CLL) Zacharie, Arminda, w, f, 1, daughter, at home, born in TX; (Born June 20, 1878, From Bob Herrin Cemetery. CLL) 10)From the book titled, "Some Early Southeast Texas Families", by Thomas A. Wilson, page 21. quote:"He (Adam Whitman) was indicted for killing an old Negro, John Alston, but was acquitted." 11)Newton County Cemetery Survey #46; Bob Herrin Cemetery located in a wooded pasture about 1/2 mile off a dirt road connecting Buckhorn Community and highway 363. About 1 acre fenced and neat. Sarah E. Zachary listed. **************************************************************************************************************** Other documentation and corrospondance on William Augusta Zachary and Sarah Elizabeth Whitman Clovis LaFleur, researcher, Note: I received a package of material from Gladys Zachary Skinner with the following article from "Farm Corner", written by Joe F. Combs. It's a newspaper article from the Beaumont Enterprise of Beaumont, Texas, dated Thursday, November 18, 1965. William "Bub" Zachary, son of William Augustus, replied to an inquiry about the old steamboat "Wren". Bud wrote to Joe Combs giving details about the steamboat and his father, William Augustus Zachary. This article would place the year of death for William Augustus as 1878 and explain my grandmothers comment, "he was buried on the banks of the Sabine River". This also places Bud's year of birth as 1874. Jan. 27, 2000 Clovis: Good News---I just talked to Pauline Hines ( age 85). She said the article is from the Beaumont Enterprise in Beaumont, Texas. She said that Joe Combs has written articles, books ( both non-fiction & fiction) about East Texas. I believe we have some of his books here in our Gen. Division. Later, Bonnie (Jones) Smith. Abstract of Content of the Article A few days ago Percy Gray of Nederland wrote Farm Corner, making inquiry about the old steamboat "Wren" and the place on the Sabine River known as "Wren Eddy." W. B. Zachary of Jasper, explains this, and tells us more about the steamboat, but he calls it the"Rinn", and not the Wren. His letter follows: "I see in Farm Corner the letter from Percy Gray, making inquiry about the boat Rinn. I know about this old boat from family records. My father was engineer on the Rinn in 1874, and he was killed on this boat. I was four years old at the time, and we were at Stark's landing on the Sabine. Mother and the family of children would meet the Rinn at the landing, and the Captain would always provide us with coffee, and all the food we needed. In 1878 the steam boiler of the Rinn blew up, and the old boat burned to the water and sank. It went down between Niblett's Bluff and Possum Bluff, which is now Deweyville� They called the place where the Rinn went down, Rinn's Eddy. The next eddy up river from that place is Mud's Eddy, a mile below old Belgrade. There is no sign of these places now. I was wondering if Mr. Gray has relatives around Newton. My wife is related to them. I knew the old Sabine between Logansport and Orange, 75 years ago as well as I know my own backyard. I will be glad to answer any questions about the old river, as far as I can."
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