Francis Marion Wilcox Journal
Part 1
Francis Marion Wilcox
1897
Part 1
Isaiah Wilcox, Sr. (and our Grandfather) had several brothers and sisters among whom was Elijah, George, John and Alford. Among the sisters, we can only mention one name, Deborah and we think one was named Annie. Of Alford, John and George we know but little. Perhaps Alford and George lived and died in North Carolina while John immigrated to east Tennessee. Elijah immigrated to Fulton County, Illinois about the year 1832 and died there about the year 1866. Deborah also came west and married one Thomas Bibee and he also settled in Fulton County, Illinois where he died some years later, about 1868 and is buried near his mother.
The descendants of Uncle Elijah Wilcox and Thomas Bibee are quite numerous in and around Lewistown, Fulton County, Illinois - also Canton. Among their names are to be found Marshall A. Wilcox, J.C. Wilcoxen, James and others. Also, David Bibee, Jr. son of Tom Bibee, Sr.
Isaiah Wilcox, Sr., our Grandfather, grew up and moved to North Carolina and won the heart of one, Miss Fannie Greer, a daughter of William Greer a resident of Ashe County, North Carolina. She was an estimable woman, tall, prepossessing and possessed of much more than an average stock of common good sense. Their marriage occurred during the year 1817. The Grandmother of Fannie or "Grandmother" as I have always been informed was Hannah Cartwright, relative of the eccentric Peter Cartwright of pioneer notoriety. Grandmother, or Fannie Greer, was born in the year 1800 according to the best information to be obtained and died during the year 1866 on the North Fork of the New River, in Ashe County, North Carolina at the home of her son-in-law, Jesse Greer who married Aunt Jacintha Wilcox. Grandmother is interred in a family cemetery near Uncle Henry Miller's at what is known as Stagg's Creek, I believe a cemetery of North Fork near New River. Henry Miller married Magley Wilcox. Grandmother Wilcox was 66 years old when she died.
It was my lot to meet her during the War between the States in the year 1862. She at that date enjoyed good health and was well preserved, somewhat careworn and considerably gray, yet active and often joked with myself, was diligent in her domestic duties and very talkative. Grandmother teased cousin Alvin Wilcox and Morgan Trivett and myself about the girls as we were just beginning to think ourselves larger than our daddies, yet could we have seen ourselves as other had seen us, we would have had a good laugh at ourselves.
The marriage of Grandmother, Fannie Greer and Grandfather Isaiah Wilcox went on smoothly and there was born to them 12 children: Dicy, William, Samuel, Jacintha, Arah, Myley, Sidney, Nancy, Matilda, Martha, Deborah and Annie. The dates of birth of these children we have not at our command. Consequently, I cannot give the ages of but a few, but will endeavor to give the history of each one, telling who they married, where and so forth as their names are listed above save Samuel, our father, whose date of birth, history, etc. will be mentioned further on towards our close.
Dicy Wilcox, the oldest daughter grew up and married Owen Trivett, a respectable young man and a resident of Ashe County, North Carolina. A farmer by trade, he settled on Old Field Creek, a tributary of New River, South Fork, in Ashe County, North Carolina. He cleared him up a farm upon which he resided like one settled bee, raised a large family - twelve children were born unto them, yet during the epidemic of diphtheria in 1862, they lost in less than six weeks five of their number. These are interred on the old home farm N.E. of the house occupied as a dwelling by said Owen Trivett at said date, 1862.
Of these living Hon. Squire Trivett lives at Marion County, North Carolina. He is by profession a lawyer, also an ordained minister in the Missionary Baptist Church. Nathan C., second son, died in the hospital at Ashland, Kentucky in the spring of 1863 being a member of the 39th Kentucky Mounted Infantry Volunteers. He left a wife, Hannah and two children to mourn his loss - Levi and John - his wife being Hannah Greer, a daughter of Isaac Greer. They reside in Pike County, Kentucky. William H. Trivett, third son of Owen, resides at Beefhide, P.O., Pike County, Kentucky. He is a farmer by occupation, was a Union soldier during the war and a member of the 54th Kentucky Volunteers. Jessee died in 1862 at Jacksborough, Tennessee. Dr. Morgan F. Trivett resides at Eskridge, Wabansee County, Kansas as of 1879 and perhaps is there yet. He is by profession a physician.
Charlotte came to Kentucky in 1865 and married Mr. James Wallace. They had one child, Dicy, who took sick and died and was buried in the family cemetery of Barbara Wilcox, 1st grave west of Samuel Wilcox, our father. She died about the year 1868. Her daughter, Dicy, died also about 1885 and is buried near her mother.
Isaiah Trivett immigrated to Indiana in 1868 and from there to Minnesota. We heard he was inclined to roam and where his last sun will set we know not.
I should have stated before that Aunt Dicy Trivett resided with her son, Solomon, in Ashe County, North Carolina until 1892 when she died and no doubt lies by the side of her children and husband who died about the year 1866 in Ashe County, North Carolina.
Uncle William Wilcox resides in Ashe County, North Carolina on a tributary of Mill Creek and on Tableland of Elk Knob, divided between waters of Big Elk Creek and Old Field Creek, all tributaries of the south fork of the New River, a remarkable healthy location. Uncle William is a farmer by occupation and also an ordained minister in the Missionary Baptist Church, stands high in the estimation of all and possesses much good common sense. Yet in my judgement, inherited too much Greer blood and consequently lets the world go 'wag' and only goes as the spirit moves him. He would not answer a letter if he knew the history of ALL his ancestors would be lost to oblivion.
He raised a family of eight children noted for their peculiarities and a good mother. Among their names we find Martin, Alvin, Isaiah, William, Lizzie, Catherine, Samuel and so forth. All reside in North Carolina near the old home ranch.
In 1862 I assisted Uncle William in cutting tops, pulling fodder and picking chestnuts, etc. He looked much like father, also grandfather, Isaiah Wilcox who I propose to speak of further on.
Uncle William preached real well, seemed imbued with the Spirit. His wife was Miss Viney Watton. I was not so favorable impressed with her as I might have been, yet perhaps she was a better person than I was and I just did not appreciate her as I should have. She was a good worker, a good talker that never tired, much devoted to Uncle William and was attached to her children - more so to Martin than the others as he was clubfooted. He became a school teacher, also farmed some. I cannot give detailed histories of each child. Aunt Vinney was rather heavy set, some 5ft. 2in. tall, fair complected, dark hair, rather good looking - had large blue eyes. Uncle William was a spare made man about 5ft. 10in. tall, black hair, fair complected, blue eyes, rather stooped shouldered like the ancestors of his race. He was slow of speech, yet very precise and entirely free from any slang.
Aunt Jacintha Wilcox, oldest girl, grew up and married one Jesse Greer and settled on the north fork of the New River in Ashe County, North Carolina, where she and her children yet reside, Jess having died in the Rebel Army in 1862 near Jacksborough, Tennessee. He was a Rebel at heart and not possessed of any too much good sense, so as I know but little him I will leave him by adding that in 1862 I visited him and Grandmother and he treated me "white" and I would be glad to meet his wife or children upon earth once more.
Aunt Sidney married Jesse Houck about the year 1838, settled in Ashe County, North Carolina and remained there until the spring of 1850. Then with father's family immigrated to Pike County, Kentucky and later on to Carter County, Kentucky. They raised several children, among whom were George, Isaiah, Sidney, Fannie, Samuel, Barbara and Floyd who later died in 1862. Aunt Sidney died about the year 1857 and is buried in Carter County, Kentucky at the Sturgill graveyard on Little Fork of the Little Sandy River. Jesse Houck lived until 1885 when he also died and was buried by the side of his wife and child. George, the oldest son resides in Leon County Texas. All the others reside in Carter and Lawrence Counties in Kentucky where they pursue an agricultural vocation.
Aunt Arah Wilcox grew up and married one Morgan Patrick about the year 1838, resided in North Carolina some three or four years, when he immigrated to Ohio where he resided for some four or five years and in the year 18?? immigrated to the state of Iowa, settling in Mohaska County, seven miles southwest of Oskaloosa on the Desmone River and what is known as the Six-Mile Bottom where he continues to reside. To Arah and Morgan Patrick the following children were born: Mary, William, George, Willamina, Albert, Roderick and Hamilton. The latter died in 1866, also the mother on March 12, 1866 and are interred on a high elevation of land in what is known as Wermis Cemetery on the east side (left) of the Desmone River commanding one of the finest views in all the surrounding country. This cemetery is about three miles southwest from Beacon, Iowa. Willamina died several years ago and was buried near Atlantic, Iowa. She married a Mr. Waters and left two children to survive her. Mary married Leo Delong, a respectable gentleman who resides in Mahaska County where all the other children reside near Uncle Morgan Patrick who remarried. His second wife was a Mrs. Mary Glass. To this second wife two children were born: Charles and Norman. They also reside in Mahaska County, Iowa. Uncle Morgan Patrick came from Ohio to Iowa in a wagon drawn by two horses. They made an average of over 30 miles per day. There were no railroads and not even wagon roads in many places, the country was all new and Indians had not been removed but a short time hence. He could only travel by means above.
Aunt Nancy Matilda Wilcox came to Kentucky with her father on or about the year 1845 when but a buxom girl, grew up and married a young man by the name of Solomon Williams-grandson of the old moneymaker and son of Alexander Mullins who resided in Pike County Kentucky. Solomon and Matilda had born to them several children, among whom we find Andrew Jackson (dead), William (dead), Jacob, Samuel, Sylvester (dead), Francis Marion and Frances. These children all reside in Pike County, Kentucky mostly on Shelby Creek. Uncle Solomon was a member of the 39th Kentucky Mounted Infantry. He volunteered, took sick and died at Louisa, Kentucky on or about the year 1864. His remains and also those of Cousin Nathan Crankfield Trivett of the same regiment were interred near Ashland, Kentucky. After the War they were disinterred and conveyed to the capitol of the State and repose in the National Lot or Cemetery together with many others who yielded up their lives in defense of the best Government on earth which misguided, armed traitors were endeavoring to put down and ruin.
Aunt Matilda died in Pike County, Kentucky on or about the year 1881 or 2 and is buried at the family cemetery of Isaac Greer on Beefhide Creek where she awaits the resurrection to call her into life with some little ones who died in infancy - their names we cannot mention, only one, Tolbert. "Peace to her ashes, sleep on until Christ shall call thee up into everlasting life."
Deborah Wilcox married one, James Richison of Ashe County, North Carolina. She died about the year 1866 and is buried near Comet, Ashe County, North Carolina. She left one son, Francis Marion and a daughter. Where they are I do not know. In Ashe County, North Carolina I presume.
Myley Wilcox married one Henry Miller. He resides on Stagg's Creek of the north Fork of the New River, Ashe County, North Carolina where he raised a large family, the names of which we cannot give in full. There was Mary, William, John and so forth. The reside near Cornet post office, Ashe County, North Carolina, were doing well in 1862 when I visited them. 'Twas here Alvin Wilcox ate too much maple sugar and lost his grip and appetite for sweetness in the year 1867. I will never forget his groans - in fancy I hear them now as his body rolls over and over and he says, "My, sugar don't set so well in my stomach!" He could not stay inside and was loath to go out as the weather was yet cool, but he went and I guess he doesn't like maple sugar to this day. (He dreaded that trip to the outhouse in the snow you can bet.)
Aunt Martha Wilcox married one Solomon Miller, a resident of Horse Creek, Ashe County, North Carolina near Cornet post office. They raised quite a large family, among them was a pair of twin boys - one of which was called Francis Marion after the writer of this sketch. Uncle Sol was a poor, hardworking farmer and seemed kind and good natured, slow of speech and looked to me like he had just as soon the world would "wag" him as he the world. This was in 1862 and the War had no doubt thrown a pall over all those who highest ambitions were to remain with their families and aid in caring for their own wives and children instead of fighting to protect the slave property at the South, which if sustained was only destined to bind their own fetters more close and make them slaves or the equals thereof. Aunt Martha was a large, portly woman, rawboned, dark complected, dark hair, black, very tall and showed in the continence the Wilcox side of the her race, while her size presented the Greer side. Her education was limited, manner unassuming, clever, kind and obliging. She made many inquiries after her brother, Sam, and her father, Isaiah, and seemed devoted to her husband, little ones who bid fare to become the ancestors of a mighty Miller generation. None of them were old enough to go into the Confederate Army. Aunt Martha was alive in 1885 at Comet post office, Ashe County, North Carolina.
Little Annie, as she was called, died about the time the War ended and lies in the same cemetery with her mother near Henry Millers not far from Comet post office Ashe County North Carolina.
I have mentioned these children briefly, uncles and aunts and some of their children in order that our own children might at some period in life, form their acquaintance and establish their relationship.