Henry T. Rutherford Family

Genealogical and Historical Room
Washington Memorial Library, Macon, GA

HENRY T. RUTHERFORD and MARY ALLIS (ALICE) DAVIS were married 15 January, 1829 in Pulaski County, Georgia. Henry was born about 1804 in GA, and died about 1865 in Pike County AL. He was the son of Samuel Rutherford and Cynthia Parnell, daughter of an American Indian. Alice was born about 1807 in NC, and died after 1880, probably in Grimes County, TX. She was believed to be the daughter of John Aaron Davis and Priscilla McElroy.

Henry and Alice were farmers. The family remained in Pulaski County until about 1844, when they migrated to the area somewhere along the Florida-Alabama state line. They are not found in the 1850 US Census, but their oldest daughter Frances Amanda (Daniel) was married and residing in Dale County, AL. By 1860, Henry and Alice were living in the Mt. Ida neighborhood of Pike County, AL. The four oldest children were married. Two of them lived in Covington County, AL, one in Dale County and one in Escambia County, FL.

In the years following the War Between the States, many of the surviving family migrated to Texas (later to OK Territory). Others remained in Florida and Alabama, and one married and lived briefly in Georgia before bringing his family to Henry County (now Houston County), Alabama.


Children of Henry T. Rutherford and Mary Alice Davis

1 - Frances Amanda Rutherford b: Jan 1830 Pulaski County, GA d: 1916 Vinson, Harmon County, OK [11 children]
... + James Monroe Daniel b: Abt. 1825 Gadsden County, FL d: 20 Sep 1875 Roans Prairie, TX m: 18 May 1848 Dale County, AL Father: David Daniel Mother: Mary Rodgers. Military: CSA Alabama 57th Inf. Reg., Co. C; 22nd Inf. Reg., Co FL

2 - John A. Retherford b: 25 Nov 1833 Pulaski County, GA d: 1914 Holmes County, FL [5 children]. Military: CSA Alabama 53rd Reg., Mounted, Partisan Rangers, Co. D
... + Thursey Ann Pate b: 9 Jun 1832 SC or GA d: 30 May 1897, Geneva County, AL m: Abt. 1857 Dale County, AL Father: Alexander Pate Mother: Unknown (First marriage: Robert C. Floyd - 2 children)

3 - Rachel Rutherford b: Abt. 1836 Pulaski County, GA d: unknown [3 known children]
... + Howell S. Cobb b: Abt. 1829 AL d: 22 Jul 1864 in Civil War m: Abt. 1857 Covington County, AL Father: Stephen Cobb Mother: Lizzie. Military: CSA Alabama 57th Inf. Reg., Co. C

4 - Abigail S. "Abbie" Rutherford b: Nov 1840 Pulaski County, GA d: Aft. 1900 Citrus County, FL [7 children]
... + (1) John Lindsey Leavins b: 31 Jan 1831 Holmes County, FL d: 1863 m: Abt. 1856 Father: Richmond Leavins Mother: Nancy Martha Lindsey. Military: CSA Florida 11th Inf. Reg., Co. K; bur: Escambia, FL
... + (2) Smith S. Layport b: Abt. 1837 Pennsylvania d: Aft. 1875 m: 10 Aug 1867 Escambia County, FL Father: Smith S. Layport. Military: U.S. Marine Corps

5 - Sarah J. "Sally" Rutherford b: 26 Jul 1843 Pulaski County, GA d: 31 May 1905 Colbert, Bryan County, Indian Territory, OK [9 children]
... + Albert J. Gibson b: 3 Sep 1845 AL or MS d: 11 Jun 1921 Colbert, Bryan County, Indian Territory, OK m: 30 Dec 1864 Father: Unknown Mother: Sarah Gibson. Military: CSA Local Defense

6 - James Rutherford b: 1845 Alabama d: 1863 Chattanooga, TN.
Military: CSA Alabama 33rd Inf. Reg., Co. F; bur: Confederate Cemetery at Chattanooga

7 - Samuel R. Rutherford b: 18 Dec 1846 Alabama d: 22 Mar 1885 Alvarado, Johnson County, TX. Military: CSA Alabama 33rd Inf. Reg., Co. F [7 children]
... + (1) Susannah May Chester b: Abt. 1840 GA d: Abt. 1867 Pike/Crenshaw County, AL m: 4 Nov 1866 Pike County, AL Father: Asa C. Chester Mother: Lavonn __
... + (2) Mary Elizabeth "Lizzy" Clancy b: 24 Nov 1851 Pike County, AL d: 19 Dec 1942 Houston, TX m: 24 Dec 1873 Grimes County, TX Father: Alfred Joseph "Job" Clancy Mother: Sarah Elizabeth Ganey

8 - Cynthia Ann Rutherford b: 1849 Alabama d: 1889 Navasota, Grimes County, TX [8 children]
... + John B. "Jack" Brunson b: 1845 Alabama d: 1882 Navasota, Grimes County, TX m: 31 Dec 1866 Crenshaw County, AL Father: Albert Brunson Mother: Elizabeth Jenkins. Military: CSA Local Defense

9 - William Henry Rutherford b: 13 Mar 1851 AL d: 14 Feb 1887 Ashford, Henry County, AL (now Houston County) [7 children]
... + Hannah Elizabeth Dupree b: 11 Feb 1852 Pulaski County, GA d: 3 Jan 1935 Ashford, Houston County, AL m: Abt. 1869 Father: Daniel Thomas Dupree Mother: Sarah A. E. Berryhill


Data collected from many sources, but special thanks to Cousin Sandy from Chicago, who has spent many years researching the families named above. If you wish to exchange information with us, please email me.

Henry Rutherford (Retherford) - 1830 Census

Click to enlarge

1830 Census, Pulaski County, GA, Cpt. Bishop District:

Henry Retherford* and wife, age 20-30
Two daughters under age 5

Our research has uncovered no further information on one of the girls. The other daughter was Frances Amanda, born in 1830.

* Rutherford, Retherford and Relerford were sometimes used interchangeably, especially in 19th Century censuses and military records.

Dressed for success

Siblings George, Lizzie and James Retherford,
about 1937.
Their ages in 2007: 86, 87 and 89.
____

Their Parents

James Bernie Retherford (1886-1975)
+ Daisy Lisenby (1888-1989)

Grandparents

Henry Frederick Retherford (1857-1939)
+ Callie "Caroline" Dawsey (1861-1922)

George William Lisenby (1866-1907)
+ Mary A. "Tinsey" Woodham (1868-bef. 1920)

Great-Grandparents

John A. Rutherford/Retherford (1833-1914)
+ Thursey Ann Pate (1832-1897)

James Silvester Dawsey (1836-unk.)
+ Sarah White (1834-1907)

John Wesley Woodham (1847-bef. 1880)
+ Elizabeth A. "Eliza" Richardson (1848-unk.)

William H. Lisenby (1828-1895)
+ Mary Druscilla Riley (1834-1892)

Great-Great-Grandparents

Henry T. Rutherford (1804-abt. 1865)
+ Mary Alice "Allis" Davis (1807-aft. 1880)

Alexander Pate (1811-1905)
+ Unknown (American native)

Thomas A. Dawsey (1804-bef. 1880)
+ Pheraby Laurel Crawford (1819-aft. 1880)

John Lisenby (1793-abt. 1865)
+ Piety Tiller (1797-abt. 1870)

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

Samuel Rutherford (bef. 1785-unk.)
+ Cynthia Parnell (bef. 1790-aft. 1850)

(Believed) John Aaron Davis (abt. 1775-unk.)
+ Priscilla McElroy (abt. 1775-unk.)

Zacheus (or Zachariah) Pate (1785-1862)
+ Elizabeth Humphrey (1791-aft. 1870)

Thomas D. Dawsey (1766-1854)
+ Elizabeth Hooks (1774-1854)

Joshua Lisenby (1763-1801)
+ Ruth Blackford (1772-aft. 1793)

Some dates are approximate.
If you wish to share information on these families, please email me.

Yearling boys in North Florida

Retherford Brothers with Their Calf

James H., born Mar. 1920 (left) and George W., born Dec. 1921,
standing in front of their home, about 1928.
They had seven older sisters and one younger brother.

As adults, both men served in World War II,
James in Africa and Europe, George in the Pacific Theatre.
The brothers and one sister still live in Holmes County.

(George is my dad.)

Family of Florida's 6th Regiment

Mt. Vernon Arsenal Built 1839. Used to muster Confederate troops in Civil War, later a penitentiary and now part of Florida State Hospital.

Florida's 6th Infantry Regiment, organized in March, 1862, at Chattahoochee, Florida, contained men from Gadsden, Jackson, Union, Collier, and Washington counties. During April the unit had 31 officers and 511 men, and soon moved to East Tennessee. Later it was assigned to Colonel R. C. Trigg's, and General Finley's and J. A. Smith's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. It served on many battlefields from Chickamauga to Atlanta, was active in Tennessee with Hoods, and ended the war in North Carolina. This regiment reported 35 killed and 130 wounded at Chickamauga and in December, 1863, totalled only 214 men and 133 arms. Only a remnant surrendered in April, 1865. The field officers were Colonels Jesse J. Finley, Daniel L. Kenan, and Angus D. McLean, and Lieutenant Colonel Robert H. M. Davidson.

Source: National Park Service, Confederate Florida Troops

Thomas Dawsey Cabin Built 1827. Frame vernacular. 1 and a half stories, log construction, clapboarding, full-width front porch. The oldest documented building in Gadsden County, it is a good example of a pioneer homestead. Great-great uncle dies at Chickamauga James S. Dawsey and John R. Dawsey were the only sons of Thomas A. Dawsey and Pheraby Laurel (Crawford) Dawsey. They enlisted together in Florida's 6th Infantry Regiment, Company K, 8 March 1862, at Mt. Vernon, Florida. At the time, James was 26 years old and had been married to Sarah White for four years. James and Sarah had one daughter, who was to become my great-grandmother, Callie "Caroline" (Dawsey) Retherford, born in 1861. A son, James S. Dawsey Jr, was born in 1863. John was 19 and single, so far as we know. The young men had two sisters, Desdamona M. (Dawsey) Hayes and Sarah Ann Elizabeth (Dawsey) Smith. John R. Dawsey lost his life at the Battle of Chickamauga, 19 September 1863. He was 20 years old.

Great-great grandfather disappears without a trace Records indicate that James S. Dawsey was absent without leave on 8 February 1863 (perhaps to see a newborn son, James Jr?). James appears on duty again in October 1863, but was under arrest in Atlanta in early 1864 (reason unknown). He later appears on a receipt roll dated in mid-1864. James never returned home following the war and the family never learned what became of him. Searches of historical records have provided no clues. Several years went by following the war's end, and Sarah finally remarried. By then, her son James S. "Jimmy" was about 15 years old. He had promised his mother that if she married "that old man" he would run away from home. She did, and he did, becoming a fireman aboard merchant ships and sailing the world for twenty years before settling down near Edinburgh, Scotland. He met his wife Nellie Jackson, an English girl, in Dalkeith and they were married there in 1902. They later bought a home in Annon, Dumfrieshire, Scotland, near Carlisle, England. During those years, Jimmy never returned to Alabama. In 1907 - twenty-seven years after leaving home - James contacted his family and returned to the US because of his mother's failing health. She died the same year. James and Nellie raised their sons in Geneva County, AL and Holmes County, FL. 

* Family data from my father and grandfather, Bernie Retherford (son of Callie Dawsey Retherford).
* If anyone reading this has further information on James S. or John R. Dawsey's military service in the Florida 6th Regiment, please contact me.