John Rushing was born on April 26, 1793
in Washington County, Georgia. He was
the son of James and Sarah (Renfroe) Rushing. At the time of John's birth,
George Washington was the President of the United States of America.
In 1812 a war between the United States and Britain began, known as "The War of 1812." In 1814, John Rushing enlisted in the military service in Captain Edmond Hopson's Company, 1st Class Militia, 13th Regiment of Washington County, Georgia. The War of 1812 lasted until 1815.
On July 30, 1818, probably in Washington County, Georgia, John Rushing married a girl named Sarah Ward. Sarah was born on March 5, 1801 in Georgia, a daughter of John Ward & Sarah Stancil (Stansel).
John and Sarah probably began their family there in Washington County, Georgia. Their first child, Martha, was born in September of 1820, followed by Mary Elizabeth (whom they called "Lizzy"), born in February of 1823, and Sarah, born in September of 1824. In July 1826, Emily was born. Between 1825 and 1830, John and Sarah, along with John's brother, Eli Rushing, moved to Crawford County, Georgia. The Rushings were farmers, as were most people in those days.
The Rushings were Christians and members of the Primitive ("Hard Shell") Baptist church, and in 1827 John Rushing was licensed to preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sarah joined Darien Baptist Church that same year. In April of 1829, John was ordained as a minister. On Christmas day of that year, Darien Baptist Church dismissed John and Sarah "by letter," as they moved on to another church. On February 20, 1830, John and Sarah Rushing joined Little Union Primitive Baptist Church in Crawford County, Georgia. Then on December 14, 1833, they were dismissed from that church, and moved on to another.
In 1828, William Stancil Rushing was born to John and Sarah. Then on November 13, 1929, Barnabus Strickland Rushing was born. He went by his middle name, Strickland. Nancy T. Rushing was born to John and Sarah in May of 1832, and then in September of 1834 Rachel was born.
John Rushing registered for the Georgia Land
Lottery in 1832, and his name was drawn. John obtained Land Lot No. 1225 in
District 19, Section 3. His brother, Eli Rushing, also obtained land from the
lottery. A lot amounted to more or less 202 acres.
In about 1834, John Rushing and his family moved to Stewart County, Georgia. They lived in what was called Box Ankle District. John continued farming and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In 1837, John was a trustee of the Van Wirt Academy which he helped establish, and as early as 1839, he was preaching at the County Line Baptist Church, southwest of Lumpkin in Stewart County. In 1844 they built a church house which as of this writing still stands.
In March of 1839 James H. Rushing was born to John and Sarah, and then in October of 1840 John West Rushing, their tenth and last child, was born.
During the late 1840's John and his family moved west to Madison County, Mississippi, where he continued his ministry as a Baptist Clergyman. John did not buy any land in Madison County, but he probably rented a farm. In the summer of 1850 they moved to Leake County, Mississippi. On August 8, 1850, John Rushing purchased over 480 acres of land from Arthur Foster for $2100.00. The 480 acres of land was divided into two separate tracts, one of 320 acres and one of 160 acres. Also included were two lots, located north of the 320 acre tract of land. The land on which they lived is located about two miles north of what is now Tuscola, Mississippi.
Martha, her husband Alexander Hooks, and their children moved to Mississippi with John and Sarah as did William Rushing and his family. Mary, her husband Green B. Lewis, and their children stayed in Georgia and lived in Georgetown in what was then Randolph County. Green was the postmaster of Georgetown at that time. Sarah, her husband James E. Lewis, and their children stayed in Stewart County, Georgia for a while before moving to Mississippi. Strickland Rushing stayed in Stewart County also, for he had a girlfriend there. He probably lived with his sister Sarah and her family until he married Mary Baldwin Gregory in early 1850, at which time the both of them began living with her parents. In about 1852 Strickland, Mary, and their children moved to Leake County, Mississippi from Stewart County, Georgia to be near most of their Rushing family who had settled there. Strickland and his family lived and farmed near John and his family.
John and Sarah's oldest son, William S. Rushing, was licensed to preach the Gospel in 1852 at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Leake County, Mississippi. Like his father, William preached in many of the Baptist churches in Leake County over the years. John was one of the first pastors at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church which was organized on December 27, 1849. Good Hope Baptist Church was organized in 1855 and John was the first pastor there. It was first called "Baptist Church of Christ at Bulluctah," located near Bulluctah Creek. Only morning services were held at first, on the fourth Sunday of each month. Conference or business meetings were held each Saturday before the fourth Sunday. In about 1860, John Rushing pastored Friendship Baptist Church. This church was organized on August 4, 1848 in Scott County and by March of 1850 it had moved to southern Leake County. John was the second pastor on record at Friendship Baptist Church.
In the Spring of 1851 Rachel Rushing married Jacob Mills, and then in about 1853 her older sister, Nancy T. Rushing, married Calvin McCarty. Next, James H. Rushing married Caroline ("Callie") M. Moore in July of 1860, and the two of them appear in his parents' household in the 1860 Leake County federal census.
On January 6, 1859, John Rushing bought 80 acres of land from Thomas F. Wilder for $500.00. The land was located five miles northwest of Carthage, and about twelve miles from the rest of John's land.
John Rushing owned eleven slaves in 1860 and his son William owned six. Since John and William were both Ministers of the Gospel it could probably be assumed that they treated their slaves well as they were specifically exhorted to do in the New Testament.
On November 12, 1860 John Rushing sold 80 acres of his land to his grandson, John B. Hooks for $600.00. This land was the southern half of the 160 acres tract of land that John owned. Then on January 13, 1868 John sold the remaining 80 acres of that land to David Troutman for $80.00.
Sometime during the 1860's William S. Rushing and his family apparently moved to the vicinity of Jackson, Mississippi. There he continued his ministry. In the early part of 1868, William and his family moved back to Leake County, Mississippi and lived with John and Sarah Rushing. A Mr. Stewart helped them to move by means of his wagon. William and his family farmed there in Leake County, and William also pastored several Baptist churches. Later, in 1870 and 1871, William S. Rushing was a member of the Mississippi Legislature, serving as a Senator in Attala, Neshoba & Leake Counties.
On Christmas day of 1868 John Rushing sold 174 acres of land to his daughter, Rachel Mills, for $1000.00. Most of this land was the western part of the 360 acre tract that John had purchased in 1850. During the year 1868 John Rushing leased some of his land and some of his farming equipment to a Mr. Trippe. Mr. Trippe paid John Rushing about $200.00 for the year's lease. On December 10, 1869 John Rushing sold 80 acres of his land to his grandson, David C. Hooks, for $240.00. This land was on the east part of John's original 360 acre tract of land.
Sarah was in poor health by 1868 so William and Caroline helped to care for her. Sarah's granddaughter, Callie Lewis, also helped to care for her, and so did Rachel Mills, Sarah's daughter. Sarah was incapable of taking care of herself during the last few years of her life, probably due to a stoke which left her paralyzed. In May of 1870, John's beloved wife Sarah finally departed this life after her lengthy illness. The 1870 mortality schedule of Mississippi listed her cause of death as "paralysis." She died at the age of 69 years and was buried there in southern Leake County.
The last land deed record we find for John is on September 1, 1873 when John deeded 430 acres of land to William and Caroline Rushing for the sum of $800.00.
Even at the age of about 80 years, John Rushing continued to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He carried on a meeting of ten days in August of 1873, followed by a three day meeting and a five day meeting in September, the latter being at New Prospect Church.
John died on Sunday, March 8, 1874, seven weeks shy of his 81st birthday. Shortly before his death, John began showing signs of senility, although physically he was able to get around fairly well. Information about the condition of John's mental state was brought up in court in 1875 when many of John's family members argued that the land deed made to William and Caroline Rushing was not valid due to John's senility. Apparently they believed that John's senility was taken advantage of and he was forced to make the deed.
One of John's grandsons, David Hooks, stated, "[John Rushing] was very old and often times out of his head. Once when I was at his house he was outdoors trying to climb the chimney. At other times he would take his text and commence preaching." [William and Caroline Rushing] exercised great influence and control over John Rushing in 1873 and 1874. The influence exercised by them over him was as great as that of a father over a child." David also stated that William urged his father to deed the land to him on several occasions, but John was apparently unwilling to do so.
In the end, the land deed made for William and
Caroline Rushing was cancelled, and the estate of John Rushing was executed by
Strickland Rushing since John left no will. His possessions included two gray
horses valued at $100.00 each, nine head of cattle totaling $70.00, 19 head
of hogs totaling $30.00, two yoke of oxen valued at $70.00, one wagon valued
at $35.00, one set of smith tools valued at $35.00, one set of wood tools
valued at $20.00, one set of plantation tools valued at $15.00, $125.00 worth
of household furniture, $15.00 worth of kitchen furniture and one gin stand
valued at $10.00.
The children & known grandchildren of John and Sarah (Strickland) Rushing were:
1. Martha Rushing, born 29
Sept. 1820 in Washington County, Georgia. She married
first married Alexander Hooks on 30 Jan. 1838
in Stewart County, Georgia, and after his death she
married a man with the last name Mullican in about 1854
in Leake County, Miss. Martha's
children were John B. Hooks, Asa G. Hooks, William A. Hooks, Mary A. Hooks,
David Cardine Hooks, Sarah E. Hooks (married Thomas C. Troutman), Nancy C. Mullican, James A. Mullican
and Clemantine Mullican.
2. Mary Elizabeth ("Lizzy") Rushing, born
9 Feb. 1823 in Washington
County, Georgia. She married
Green B. Lewis on 18 May 1841 in Stewart County, Georgia.
They both died before 1860, probably in Georgetown, Randolph County (now
Quitman Co.), Georgia. Their children
were Martha Ann Lewis (married Moses Brewer), Lucy Lewis (married
Augustus Deal), Ella V. Lewis (married James Adams), Elizabeth Lewis
and John Green
Lewis.
3. Sarah E. Rushing, born
21 Sept. 1824, probably in Washington
County, Georgia. She
married James E. Lewis on 7 May 1844
in Stewart County, Georgia.
Their known children
were (Lawson?) Lewis & David Lewis.
4. Emilia ("Emily") Rushing, born
26 July 1826
in either Washington or Crawford County, Georgia.
It is not known whether she married and had children of her
own.
5. William Stancil
Rushing, born 1828, probably
in Crawford County, Georgia. He married
Caroline F. Boone in about 1850 in Stewart County, Georgia.
Their children were William A. Rushing, Thomas W. Rushing, Eugenia Rushing, Robert
S. Rushing, Theodosia C. Rushing (married Robert W. Caldwell), John R. Rushing,
Blanche Rushing and James Rushing.
6. Barnabus "Strickland" Rushing, born 13 November 1829
in Crawford County, Georgia. He
married Mary Baldwin Gregory, daughter of Ivey Williams &
Lucinda (Turner) Gregory, 3 Jan. 1850 in Stewart County,
Georgia. He died 14 July 1899 in Van Zandt County, Texas and was buried at
Myrtle Springs Cemetery in Van Zandt County, Texas.
Their children were John Ivy Rushing, James Matthew Rushing, Robert T. Rushing, Elie Edward Rushing, Paul Harrison Rushing, Mary Lucinda Rushing (married James
Alexander Barber), Sally W. Rushing (married D. J. Newborn), Mollie Celestia
Rushing (married Isaiah M. Barber) and Lenora S. Rushing (married James Winston Henry).
(See the biography of Strickland &
Mary Rushing)
7. Nancy T. Rushing, born
21 May 1831
in Crawford County, Georgia. She married
Calvin McCarty in about 1853 in
Mississippi.
Their children were Amelia McCarty, Anderson McCarty, William S. McCarty
and Olivia
McCarty.
8. Rachel Rushing, born 16
Sept. 1833
in Georgia. She married
Jacob M. Mills on or about 11 April 1851 in Leake County, Mississippi. Their
children were Sarah F. Mills, John
M. Mills, Martha H. Mills and Ann A. Mills.
9. James Harrison Rushing, born
28 March 1839
in Georgia. He married Caroline
("Callie") M. Moore
on 11 July 1860 in Leake County, Mississippi (married by William S. Rushing).
James died in March 1864 at Rock Island, IL during his service in the Civil
War. James and Callie's only child was Clara G. Rushing.
10. John West Rushing, born 5 Oct. 1840 in Stewart County, Georgia. John was said to have probably died during service in the Civil War, however there is a marriage record in Leake County for a John W. Rushing and Celia Lewis in 1887.
This biography was compiled and written by Roland J. Heddins, copyright 2003 (edited July 2010). As further details are discovered, this biography will be updated. If you have any details to add or correct, please email me. No part of this biography may be published (in print or on the internet) without written permission. Thank you. -RJH
