family of frances marion reed and nancy evaline williams

FAMILY OF FRANCIS MARION (F.M.) REED AND NANCY EVALINE WILLIAMS

FRANCIS MARION REED was born November 27, 1845 in Navarro County, Republic of Texas, and died February 08, 1908 in Irene, Hill County, Texas.  He is buried in the Salem Irene Cemetery, Irene, Hill County, Texas. He married NANCY EVALINE WILLIAMS February 20, 1866 in Hill County, Texas, daughter of FREDRICK WILLIAMS and MAHALEY HAMMER. She was born February 05, 1846 in Navarro County, Republic of Texas, and died December 20, 1891 in Irene, Hill County, Texas.  She is buried in Salem Irene Cemetery, Irene, Hill Co. Texas.

Notes for FRANCIS MARION REED:

F.M. Reed was one of the earliest settlers in Hill (then Navarro) County, arriving with his mother, M. Lucinda  Estes who was traveling with the L.K. Lee family. His father, Joseph H. Reed, had died in Cass County, Texas, on the way to their land grant in Hill County.

FROM A HISTORY OF HILL COUNTY, TEXAS 1853-1980 PUBLISHED BY THE HILL COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION.

"In 1876, W.J. Graham, Mebene Graham and F.M. Reed each gave one acre of land to be used by the settlers to bury the dead, for a school, church and cemetery. F.M. Reed was a member of the Texas Volunteer Infantry, Confederate States Army, having volunteered in Velasco, Texas in October 1861.

The parent church of the Irene Methodist Church was organized in the summer of 1873 under a brush arbor at Salem. Rev. W.D. Robinson conducted the meeting. In 1905, a church was organized in Irene. The building was erected in 1906 with a membership of 25. Trustees were: J.L. White, F.M. Reed, C.A. Stone, L.C. Hankin and R.T. Jones."

FROM A COPY OF HIS CONFEDERATE DISCHARGE (ORIGINAL DOCUMENT HELD BY THE THOMAS REED FAMILY):

"To all whom it may concern: Know ye, that F.M. Read a private of Captain J.L. Halbert's Company E, 15th Regiment of Tex. Vol. Infantry who was enlisted the 24th day of March one thousand eight hundred and 62, to serve three years or the war, is hereby HONORABLY DISCHARGED from the Army of the Confederate States, having remained true to his colors to the last.

Said F.M. Reed was born in Navarro Cty, in the State of Texas is 19 years of age, 5 feet 8 inches high, light complexion, hazel eyes, dark hair, and by occupation, when enlisted, a cow driver.

Given at Millican Tex, this 27th day of May 1865.

Signed John M. Daniel, Col. Bridg. 15th Tex Infantry"

F.M. Reed's land patent as heir of Joseph Reed, his father is No. 213, Vol. 19 on the face of the document and it is dated 24th August 1858. The Thomas Reed family holds the original document. (The family was here prior, however, I am sure to sort the legalities out due to Joseph Reed's death, the claim was not filed at the time, but later for estate purposes.)

FROM THE CONFEDERATE GUNS OF NAVARRO COUNTY BY JOHN W. SPENCER, 1986, THE TEXAS PRESS, CORSICANA, TEXAS

CHAPTER III, THE 15TH TEXAS INFANTRY REGIMENT - HALBERT'S COMPANY, COMPANY E, 15TH TEXAS INFANTRY REGIMENT

"In late 1861 or early 1862, 45 year old Henry S. Crossland of Corsicana, Texas, forms a squad of about 54 Corsicanans and Navarro Countians to serve as infantry in the Confederate States Army. The squad operates independently until April 16, 1862, at which time it joins another squad of about the same number commanded by C.T. Faine of Milford. This union creates a company of men that then elects a young Corsicana lawyer, Joshua L. Halbert, as captain and commander of the company, and Faine is elected second lieutenant. The company is officially accepted into Colonel Joseph W. Speight's infantry regiment on April 16, 1862, and the Corsicanans will serve the rest of the war as Company E with this organization - officially named the 15th Texas Infantry Regiment.

The following roster of Halbert's Corsicanans is taken from the muster rolls of the National Archives in Washington. The muster rolls are from Microfilm 323, Rolls 376-380.

Microfilm rolls 376-380 contain the names of 160 men in Company E, 15th Texas Infantry. Of these names, 54 are of men from other counties that transferred to other organizations in the reorganization of April 16, 1862. Most of these men were from Coryell and Bosque counties and their names have been left out of the following roster of the 15th Texas Infantry.

After the reorganization on April 16, 1862, a total of 106 names are shown on the microfilms for Company E. Of these names, 54 are from Navarro County, 34 from Milford, and 18 from miscellaneous counties. Full information is shown for the Navarro Countians, but only the names of the men from the other counties are listed, though they served together as Company E from April 16 1862 till the end of the war.

Some confusion exists between the 15th Texas Infantry Regiment, of which the Navarro Countians were a part, and the 15th Texas Dismounted Cavalry, which had no Navarro County men in it was assigned to Deshler's Brigade, Cleburne's Division. The 15th Texas Infantry served principally in Texas and Louisiana, while the 15th Texas Dismounted Cavalry served east of the Mississippi River. Deshler's Brigade did have one famous Navarro County citizen in it, however - Roger Q. Mills.

Enrollment of the Navrro County men was on March 24, 1862 in Corsicana by T.J. Haynes. Muster-in date was April 16, 1862, at a camp near Millican. A few men were recruited at a later date, and this will be indicated if so. Though Crossland was the original lieutenant of the Navarro Countians, he was elected first lieutenant at the reorganization, and Joshua Halbert was elected Captain. Other officers were: James Talley, C.T. Faine, and W.H. McElwee, second lieutenants. (pp. 34-35)

ROSTER - COMPANY E, 15TH TEXAS INFANTRY REGIMENT - NAVARRO COUNTIANS

Reed, Francis M., private, age 16. Present on all muster rolls through January/February 1864. (p. 39)"

Notes for NANCY EVALINE WILLIAMS:

According to the 1880 federal census, the Reed household was #176. The Merrell household was #175. Edith Merrell Teggeman says they just lived across the crop row from each other.

On the 1880 census she is listed as Evaline Reed and in the Reed household, her grandmother Nancy Williams is listed, at that time being 88 years of age, having been born in North Carolina.

 

 

CHILDREN OF FRANCIS MARION (F.M.) REED AND NANCY EVALINE WILLIAMS

 

       

 

© L.L. Kight 2002