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Note: Theopholus was born on January 21, 1828 in Maury County, Tennessee. Theo moved with his family to Mississippi by 1840. According to census records for 1840 they lived in Tippah County. In 1850 the family lived in Chickasaw County, Mississippi. They may not have moved since the county lines were being redrawn. Theo was on his father's census in 1850. In 1860, Theo is listed under his mother's census. His children, Ophelia and James are listed there with him also. Theopholus' enlistment papers tell us that he was born in Maury County, Tennessee. Enlisted on August 7, 1863 at Sarepta, Miss. He was in the 8th Rgiment of Missiissippi Cavalry as a private. Capt T. J. William's Company, Duff's Batallion. He enlisted for 3 years. He was 34 years old and a farmer when he enlisted. He was 5 ft. 6 in. tall, light complexion, blue eyes and dark hair. He was discharged because of physical inability on October 25, 1862. In the land records salvaged from the Calhoun County courthouse, Imogene Springer found multiple listings for Theo Rankin in the tax rolls for personal tax roll for Sarepta election. The first listing she noted was for 1884 and the last one she noted was for 1911--V O Rankin (I believe Theo was mistaken for V O). The Calhoun County Courthouse burned in 1922, and most all of the records were lost. In the 1861 Land Tax Records (compiled by Imogene Springer, quoted in a letter from Skipworth Genealogy Society) Theophilus Rankin owned land in Township 11, Range 1 West, Section 32 NE 1/4 160 acres, and Section 33 SW 1/4 160 acres. Theo was said to have had three wives. His first wife was Rebecca Hunter Kirkwood, daughter of Hugh Kirkwood. They married on January 24, 1856 in Pontotoc County, Mississippi. Rebecca and Theo had two children, Ophelia (or Josephelia) and James Robert. Rebecca died during childbirth in February 1860. Both Ophelia and James were mentioned in their grandfather, Hugh Kirkwood's will. Ophelia continued to live with Theo at least through 1880. James Robert, though, appeared in the household census of Theo only in 1860. I have not been able to find a grave for him, or Rebecca. If they are buried in the Sarepta Cemetery, their graves are unmarked. Theo is buried in the Sarepta Cemetery. He has a confederate soldiers tombstone. There are several others of note, that are buried there also. Rebecca's parents and brother are buried there. Ophelia married a W. J. Young and they are both buried in the Sarepta Cemetery. Lenora Rankin Wilson is "Nora" Theo's daughter and Joe's half-sister. Theo's second wife is where our family line come from. Her name was Medora Roberts. By using the census records, I estimate that Medora was born around1841 in Mississippi. They would have had to marry after February of 1860 and prior to Joe's birth. Theo and Medora had several children. There was a girl named Ananiah (unsure of the spelling on this name), Mary E., Theodocia, and Mertillar. Theodocia and Mertillar, who was later know as Myrtie, were the only other siblings to live to adulthood that I am aware of. Theodocia married Ben Ritchie and moved to Texas as some point in time. They are buried in the Union Grove Cemetery. Myrtie married a man by the name of Borrows (unsure of the spelling). I have no information as to what happened to Medora or where she might be buried at. Katie Rose Rankin had some interesting, hand written letters written by Medora. They mention the town of Oklona, Mississippi which is no longer in existence today. Theo had at least two more children with his third wife. Nora and Cora were their names. According to the death certificate for Nora Rankin Wilson, Mary Tedford was her mother. Looking through the old census records Ophelia and Theo are listed as being married in 1880. I believe this to be an error. The old census records were often full of errors. I believe the census Enumerator just thought they were married since they shared the same last name, and Ophelia was much older than the rest of the children. However, this would certainly lend credence to the story of Joe being upset with Theo over one of the wives!!! However, remember, though Joe didn't leave for Lafayette County until after 1900. Mary Telford never appeared on the census records with Theo. I am unsure what happen to her, or where she is buried. (The following information was obtained during a telephone conversation with Carolyn Compton on April 6, 2000) Mertie Burris was married previous to her marriage of a Burris. She had two sons, the older by the first marriage. His name was Audis ???_______. The second was Wades or Wadeth Burris. He lived in Jackson, Mississippi a number of years ago. Some stories came from him through Carolyn: Theopholus served in the Civil War in the cavalry. He lost his mount and had to walk home at the end of the war. It took him some time to arrive home. Theo was afraid to take his boot off on the way home, he wanted to be able to move at a moments notice. When he did arrive home they actually had to cut the boots off of his feet. Many parts of the South had been devastated. Theo had a slave named Zeb. Zeb had managed to bury a bale of cotton to keep it from being destroyed or seized. When Theo arrived home his crops were lost and his livestock taken or killed. Zeb and Theo took the cotton by ox cart to Memphis, where it brought a good price. With money from the sale of the cotton, Theo was able to start over after the war.
Theo�s property was said to have been located on Cowpen Creek.
Theophilus owned land in Calhoun County, Township 11, Range 1 West, Sec. 32 NE 1/4- 160 acres and Sec 33 SW 1/4 -160 acres. The following article appeared in The Calhoun Monitor, June 4, 1903. It tells of some of the devastation in the area where Theophollus lived during the Civil War, even mentioning Cowpen Creek. A Battle in Calhoun In December 1862, Gen. Grant�s army pressed back the Confederate Army from Holly Springs to Coffeeville, where after a sharp engagement, Grant fell back to Water Valley & encamped for the winter. He threw out a strong cordon of cavalry to protect this encampment. The Federal Cavalry marauded the counties of Yalobusha, Panola, Lafayette & Calhoun. About Christmas a strong Company of Kansas Jayhawkers invaded Calhoun County north of Schoona River. They seemed to spend their fury in about the village of Banner. They captured the few horses and mules remaining in the country, robbed every chicken roost and hen nest, stole turkeys, geese and ducks and now and then they took a fat hog and in their rounds they confiscated a barrel of moonshine whiskey near the big rock at the head of Cowpen Creek. They drank freely and filled their canteens and came to Banner, where they took and destroyed everything in sight. In the afternoon they set out for Water Valley. Each marauder had his canteen full of �wild cat� and tied in front and behind his saddle a good lot of turkeys, geese, ducks, and chickens and his haversack full of eggs. They left Banner yelling like a mob of Hotentots, all full of �wild cat� whiskey. They felt wise and brave, insulted every old man they met and the women and children were driven from their homes. The Federals were more than a hundred strong. A small squad of Willis Texas Cavalry were hanging around Grant�s Army watching every movement. They soon learned of the contemplated raid and followed in their wake and kept a close eye on their movements. They received into their ranks a few of the Calhoun boys at home on furloughs, armed with double barreled shot guns & mounted on mules & horses. The Company numbered about 20 of the Battalion and 12 or 15 of the brave boys of Calhoun. They saw from a distance the devastation of Banner and the surrounding country and saw that the Jayhawkers were tanking up on �bust skull� whiskey and were preparing to leave for Water Valley. Willis under the guidance of a friend posted his small band of braves in a narrow valley where the horses were tied and the brave boys were concealed on the crest of a narrow ridge, west of the Valley road, west of Gore Branch, about 5 or 6 miles from Banner. The men lay about 60 yards from the road that ran up the narrow hollow. On came the drunken mob. They crossed Gore�s Branch the headwaters of Long Persimmon Creek and moved up the road running parallel with the long ridge. When the drunken marauders had filled the road at the foot of the ridge not more than 60 yards from where the brave confederates were concealed, Willis gave the command to fire. A sheet of flame leaped from 30 guns. Volley after volley was poured into their panic stricken ranks. Horses and riders were piled promiscuously in the bloody valley. The Jayhawkers made but feeble resistance then fled in wild haste to the Valley. The brave boys rushed down the hill and captured men, horses, turkeys, ducks, chickens and canteens half full of mountain dew whiskey. They mounted and followed in hot pursuit the fleeing Federals. Down by Trusty�s and Tatum�s they charged the retreating Jayhawkers, killing and capturing men and horses. The race Tuckalofa Creek was a race for dear life with the Federals. The next day a regiment of Cavalry came out and buried the dead and cared for the wounded. No estimate of the killed and wounded can be made. Few, very few, of that one hundred ever returned. (Col. M.D.L Stephens wrote several articles for The Calhoun Monitor around the turn of the century under the pen name of Rambler. )
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