52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #29 Sarah McElhaney Hairston might be my Great-Great-Great-Grandmother.

The solid lines indicate that the connection to the family is documented while
the dotted lines indicate that direct evidence has not yet been found to
make the connection. Click on the family tree to see a larger image.

No Story Too Small

According to Mary Lee Anderson's manuscript, Volume II The WHITAKER and Related Families, Sarah McElhaney (also spelled McElheney, McIlheney, and McElhenney) was the wife of Hugh Brown Hairston. Many of their said to be children were born in South Carolina so it would be safe to assume that they married in South Carolina. However, on-line sources, many rolls of microfilm, and numerous volumes at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City failed to reveal this marriage in South Carolina or Georgia.

Although I have never seen Sarah McElhany Hairston paired with Hugh Brown Hairston on any record, I believe that I found her in two census records living with some of those said to be Hairston children. 

• In 1850, Sarah Hurston is living in Macon County, Alabama with Venceant (probably #25 Vinson/Vincent Hurston) and Robert Hurston (#22). Mary Stallings (#14) was found just below Sarah and her sons. Sarah, born in South Carolina, was 53 years old giving her a birth year of 1797. 

• In 1870, Sarah Harston was 80 years old and living in Lee County, Alabama. This time, the birth year was 1790. Sarah was again reported to have been born in South Carolina. She was living with V. Hairston (maybe #25) and three Stolling children (could that be Stalling?). 

Sarah can't be found in the 1860 census. Sons Robert and Vinson continued to live in Macon County.  In 1854, Sarah was in Macon County when she gave information to Justice of the Peace John Hairston (NOT my great-great-grandfather, John L. Hairston) about her parents.  This document is transcribed below.

Georgia

State Alabama

Macon County

Personally before one John Hierston a Justice of the Peace for said County came Sarah Hurston who being sworn says she knew  William McElhany and his wife Rebecca (whose maiden name was Rebecca Coleman) as far back as the year seventeen hundred and ninety five That she always understood they were legally married in the State of Georgia sometime in the year seventeen hundred and Eighty seven and they til their death lived together as man and wife.  That the said William McElhaney died in the year Eighteen hundred and forty and was reported to be a soldier of the revolution and filed his application for pension therefore and his wife died the 15th of April Eighteen hundred and fifty three {ink blot – might be “and maintained”} a family of many children while living as man and wife.

Sarah Hairston {her signature}

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 30^th day of September 1854.

John Hairston J.P. {his signature}

If William and Rebecca were her parents, Sarah was entitled to the pension if it could be proved that her father was a soldier of the Revolutionary War. As both parents were deceased, was this her request for the pension? I may never know the answer to this question, but I do know that I should look into the McElhaney/McElhenney/McElheney family. If Sarah McElhaney Hairston is my great-great-great-grandmother, then maybe, William McElhaney and Rebecca Coleman are my great-great-great-great-grandparents.

Diana

© 2014

Sources:
Anderson, Mary Lee. Volume II The WHITAKER and Related Families. Date unknown. Print and online. 

McElheney, William., no. R. 6697; Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, microfilm publication M804 (Washington, D.C. National Archives and Records Service, 1974); digital images, Fold3 (http://www.Fold3.com : accessed 20 July 2014).

Year: 1850; Census Place: District 21, Macon, Alabama; Roll: M432_9; Page: 276B; Image: 173.

Year: 1860; Census Place: Northern Division, Macon, Alabama; Roll: M653_14; Page: 842; Image: 361; Family History Library Film: 803014.

Year: 1870; Census Place: Loachapoka, Lee, Alabama; Roll: M593_23; Page: 305A; Image: 184; Family History Library Film: 545522.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #25 Vinson Hairston

My current theory is that the Hugh Brown Hairston family moved from Butts County, Georgia to Meriwether County, Georgia by 1840. Hugh Brown Hairston might have died in the 1840s and his wife and children may have moved to Hinds County, Mississippi where possible older son, John L. Hairston was living. Or maybe Hugh Brown died in Hinds County. By 1850 some of the family moved back to Alabama and mother, Sarah McElhaney Hairston, remained there until her death between 1870 and 1880. 

Note that this is just a theory and not entirely factual.  However, the key to this theory is #25 of my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, Vinson Hairston. He was said to be the son of Hugh Brown Hairston and Sarah McElhaney and is consistently found with said to be Hugh Brown Hairston family members. 

No Story Too Small

Vinson Hairston has been found as Vince, Vincent, Vinceton, and V. This less than common Hairston family name has been extremely helpful in the sea of John, Robert, and Mary Hairstons.

A Vincient Herston was living in Meriwether County with six other family members in 1840. At 16, he would have been the oldest male child living at home. There was one male over 50 living in the household. Was that his father? Other family members also lived in Meriwether County.  I know that John L., my great-great-grandfather, sold land to his brother James M. in Meriwether County. And, a John and a James M. were living in that same county in 1840.

1848 Tax Rolls - Hinds County, MS

In 1847, John L. Hirston, Robert Hirston, V Hirston, and Alexander M. Hirston paid county taxes in Hinds County, Mississippi. The only Hairstons listed on the 1848 tax rolls of Hinds County were John L., Vincent, and Robert. 

John L. Hairston lived in Hinds County with his wife and children in 1850 while Robert, Vinson, Sarah (their mother), and sister Mary's family lived in Macon, Alabama. A Vince Hairston, along with a Robert Hairston, were farmers, living together in Macon County in 1860. 

In 1870, a V. Hairston was living with three Stallings children (probably the children of sister Mary) and his mother, Sarah, in Lee County, Alabama. 

A 60 year old Vince Hurston was living with Tim and Amy Roberts and daughter, Amanda on the 1880 census of  Tallapoosa, Alabama. Also in that household were Jane Cook (sister to Vinson) and Henry Stallings (his nephew).

That 1880 census is the last mention that I find of Vinson Hairston. However, according to census records, he and/or other family members owned land. I will be researching the land records in July so I am sure that this is not the last that you will see of Vinson Hairston. 

  

Diana

© 2014

Sources "Mississippi, State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-21745-68357-35?cc=1919687&wc=MMYG-KNQ:n1410068766 : accessed 24 Dec 2013), Hinds > County tax rolls 1831-1848, Box 3655 > image 286 of 319.

Year: 1850; Census Place: District 21, Macon, Alabama; Roll: M432_9; Page: 276B; Image: 173.

Year: 1860; Census Place: Northern Division, Macon, Alabama; Roll: M653_14; Page: 842; Image: 361; Family History Library Film: 803014.

Year: 1870; Census Place: Loachapoka, Lee, Alabama; Roll: M593_23; Page: 305A; Image: 184; Family History Library Film: 545522.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Kinderhook, Tallapoosa, Alabama; Roll: 33; Family History Film: 1254033; Page: 419A; Enumeration District: 146; Image: 0445.

A Letter from Bienville Parish: 1862

This letter was written by Georgia Ann Frances Bryan Pittman of Bienville Parish, Louisiana to her half-brother and his wife, Span and Lou Ragan of Lee County, Georgia.  Span was the son of Elizabeth Regan Bryan and her first husband, Joseph Regan.  

Fannie was the youngest child of Reddick Bryan (Pap) and Elizabeth Regan. Fannie mentioned several other family members in this letter. Lizzie Bryan (Elizabeth Mercer Bryan) was the widow of Fannie’s half – brother Simeon Baker Bryan, son of Reddick Bryan and his first wife.  Bro. Jimmy (James Bryan), was Simeon’s oldest brother. Jim Watts was James C. Watts, husband of Fannie’s sister, Catherine Amanda “Manda” Watts and Terrell Bryan was Fannie's brother and my great-grandfather. 

It is assumed that “my baby” was a young daughter of James "Jim" Pittman and Fannie who married in 1857. In an earlier letter, she was referred to as “her,” but it is thought that the baby died young as there is no record of the child after this letter.  

Thank you to Bill Ragan for sending me this letter. 

Wednesday Feb. 5 # AD 1862

Bienville Par. La. 

My dear Brother and Sister

     It has been a very long time since I have written to you or received a letter from you and have come to the conclusion that will write to you again as would be pleased to hear from you by letter again.  I have but little news to write you of interest and that will very likely be of the All absorbing topic War as that is all that is talked of now.  We have hard times with us now and I fear worse a coming.  Though from what I've heard we are not quite so bad of as the citizens of Georgia yet for my part it is worse for me now than is pleasant  you no doubt have heard ere this that Mr. Pittman was in the Army.  Yes, it is even the case.  It seems sometimes that it is all I can bear and on reflection I think  it wrong for me to murmur. Just to think what he has left home and comfort and binding ties  for.  He has been in service four months the twentieth of Jan. He has been home once.  I have been to see him once which makes twice I have seen him.  He is now stationed at New Orleans but don't know how long they will remain there as there has been a good deal of talk of their being ordered to Mobile.  It is thought by a good many that Mobile will be attacked soon. 

     There are five Regiments at New Orleans. Brother Terrell is there also. He and Jim are in the same company. It is the Castor Guards under Capt. Mabry 16 Regiment.  There are a good many of my acquaintances in it.  They were all proud to see me when I went down.  I only remained with Jim seven days.  If it is so I can will visit him again sometime.  If I could only know that he would go through his term safe it would not go so hard with me.  He was sick a few days before I went to see him but I found him up and left him well.  I left the city the twenty seventh of last month.  I have been quite uneasy about him ever since as there has been such a great deal of rain and it is such a muddy place where they are.  They are on the Pontchartrain Rail Road. Two mile from the Citty.  I enjoyed my trip fine but got home with the worst cold I ever had in my life. I was quite uneasy last night about it as it has settled in my throat and yesterday evening it commenced getting soar so I had to draw a blister on it. I have the worst time of it with my throat you most ever saw any body.  It gets so bad some times it seems almost like it will kill me.

     Pap got a letter from Lizzie Bryan a few days ago  she writes of the hard times said she was to see you last fall. She is very anxious to come back to La.  Says her people won't do anything for her.  Mother is going to write to her this evening.  Brother I will not be able to write you an interesting letter as you will see so don't expect anything interesting. 

     The connection are all tolerably well.  Bro. Jimmy has the chills.  My baby had one this morning and is quite sick with it. I had like to of forgotten to say to you Jim Watts was also in the army.  He is in Virginia at Manassa.  His time will be out in June.  Mothers health is not very good but better than has been in some time.

     We have been somewhat looking for you to move out hear as we could not hear from you  and you've been writing some thing like coming.  All would be very glad to see you and have you live among us.  I think if you have much of your provisions to buy it would be much better for you to come as they are cheaper here than there.  I don't hear of anything selling here but Pork.  It has been selling at ten cents.  I have heard of some selling for nine. There has been more sold for over ten cents. Corn and other things have been made in great abundance so there is no sale for it unless it is sold to the government.  I think the Poor Soldiers ought to be well supplied with corn meal for they don't get any thing but Flour and beef to eat, it is enough to kill the last one of them.  It would to if they were not so patriotic. 

      Well brother I will come to a close as have nothing more of interest to write. Kiss Lou and the babies for me. Write very soon and let us hear from you.  Your devoted sister.

                Fannie Pittman.

Source

Georgia Ann Frances Bryan Pitman, Bienville Parish, Louisiana  to Span and Julius Leurany "Lou" Speight Ragan , Lee County, Georgia,  letter, 5 February 1862; original or photostat in the possession of Span Ragan descendant William Ragan, who supplied a digital copy to the author.. 

   

Diana

© 2013