A Civil War Family Story from Early Grove, Mississippi

Mr Cardinal

Cadet
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Mar 30, 2019
I hope this forum is appropriate to post a family story. If not, my apologies.

My GGGrandfather, Andrew Baird Conley was out riding with his neighbor Dr. Isham Bailey in Early Grove, Mississippi during the early spring of 1865. As my Grandfather liked to tell it (who know doubt heard it from his family), as they were riding "3 Yankees came upon 'em and demanded their valuables." Many families buried their valuables during the war and the men refused to tell the Yankees. "So" as Grandfather continued, "the Yankees began to string them up on a tall tree. Just as the noose was put around my GGGrandfather's neck, Dr. Bailey's daughter, who had been watching from a window in the house, took a Colt 45, shot and killed one of the Yankees. The others ran off."

In thanksgiving for saving his life, Andrew vowed to name his next child after Dr. Bailey's daughter. As luck would have it, his 12th child, a boy, was on the way. He named him Bailey in late 1865. Every generation since my family has had a Bailey -- my GGrandfather, Grandfather, Dad, Brother and Nephew. Of course, we started instilling early in our nephews, the only members of their generation, the importance of carrying on the name.

Recently, my family, including 2 generations of Baileys, travelled to northern Mississippi to Early Grove. Dr. Bailey's house still stands. We found a tall tree within sight of the windows of the house and, just like in the Subaru commercial, the family hugged the tree together. It made for a great photo.

Thank you for allowing me to share some sacred family history!
 
I think you're in the right place and thank you for posting your family story. While the Colt was probably not a .45, everything else sounds perfectly plausible. One of my Confederate ancestors was from Bolivar County and he died in 1875 or so, possibly by suicide. So, I am always interested in stories like yours to understand the world he lived in and its effect on him and his family.
 
Dr. Bailey's house still stands.
Thanks for sharing your family story @Mr Cardinal I enjoyed reading it! I found the application for the the house to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places and thought you might find the application of interest.

NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Dr. Isham G. Bailey House is being nominated under Criteria C in the area of architecture as a significant example of a fine, rural Greek Revival farm house that has notable qualities of design, detailing and proportion, developed in two phases in ca. 1842 and ca. 1855. Both building phases in evidence in this property are distinctive in the extraordinary character of their design and materials, as executed by an unknown builder or builders. The Bailey House compares well with any of its known contemporaries in important regional trade centers of Holly Springs and Oxford, Mississippi, and LaGrange, Bolivar and Memphis, Tennessee. That this home was constructed in a rural area well-removed from these trade centers makes it even more remarkable. https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/nom/prop/23139.pdf
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The application includes a total of 21 photographs of the property, including some interior views.
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Is the the same Early Grove, in extreme North Mississippi . . . along the Tennessee State line ?
Yes. It is located just across the state line from Moscow, TN. Link to location info. http://landmarkhunter.com/143889-dr-isham-bailey-house/
 
I hope this forum is appropriate to post a family story. If not, my apologies.

My GGGrandfather, Andrew Baird Conley was out riding with his neighbor Dr. Isham Bailey in Early Grove, Mississippi during the early spring of 1865. As my Grandfather liked to tell it (who know doubt heard it from his family), as they were riding "3 Yankees came upon 'em and demanded their valuables." Many families buried their valuables during the war and the men refused to tell the Yankees. "So" as Grandfather continued, "the Yankees began to string them up on a tall tree. Just as the noose was put around my GGGrandfather's neck, Dr. Bailey's daughter, who had been watching from a window in the house, took a Colt 45, shot and killed one of the Yankees. The others ran off."

In thanksgiving for saving his life, Andrew vowed to name his next child after Dr. Bailey's daughter. As luck would have it, his 12th child, a boy, was on the way. He named him Bailey in late 1865. Every generation since my family has had a Bailey -- my GGrandfather, Grandfather, Dad, Brother and Nephew. Of course, we started instilling early in our nephews, the only members of their generation, the importance of carrying on the name.

Recently, my family, including 2 generations of Baileys, travelled to northern Mississippi to Early Grove. Dr. Bailey's house still stands. We found a tall tree within sight of the windows of the house and, just like in the Subaru commercial, the family hugged the tree together. It made for a great photo.

Thank you for allowing me to share some sacred family history!
And who knew the little girl's son would grow up to be...Clint Eastwood!
 
Thanks for sharing your family story @Mr Cardinal I enjoyed reading it! I found the application for the the house to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places and thought you might find the application of interest.

NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Dr. Isham G. Bailey House is being nominated under Criteria C in the area of architecture as a significant example of a fine, rural Greek Revival farm house that has notable qualities of design, detailing and proportion, developed in two phases in ca. 1842 and ca. 1855. Both building phases in evidence in this property are distinctive in the extraordinary character of their design and materials, as executed by an unknown builder or builders. The Bailey House compares well with any of its known contemporaries in important regional trade centers of Holly Springs and Oxford, Mississippi, and LaGrange, Bolivar and Memphis, Tennessee. That this home was constructed in a rural area well-removed from these trade centers makes it even more remarkable. https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/nom/prop/23139.pdf
View attachment 301847
View attachment 301849
View attachment 301848
The application includes a total of 21 photographs of the property, including some interior views.
View attachment 301850

Yes. It is located just across the state line from Moscow, TN. Link to location info. http://landmarkhunter.com/143889-dr-isham-bailey-house/
Thank you so much! I'd seen the text application and the floor plan, but had not see the interior photos. Sadly, when we were there the owner of the home wasn't so we weren't able to go in.
 
My maternal 3rd great-grandfather David Addison Abernathy moved to Early Grove from Lincoln Co., NC with Dr. Isham Bailey around 1850. The following is a history of the community.

[Digital copy by John W. Hoopes of a copy of an undated, unsigned, typewritten account found in Grandma [Frances Jane Franklin, 1820-1897] Abernathy's "Testament and Psalms" now in Clara Steger's possession. It was probably written by one of the sons of David and Frances Abernathy in Texas in the year 1909.]

In the year 1850 Maxwell Wilson and wife, Margaret Wilson, resided about one- half mile west from where Early Grove was afterwards established. He had come to that home before the Chickasaw Indians were removed from that country. In 1850, Dr. Ison Bailey and family and David A. Abernathy and family moved into the neighborhood.

Mr. Maxwell Wilson and Margaret Wilson, who were earnest church people had builded a modest little log house in which they located the Rev. Mr. Lawson, they had also builded near them a log house chinked and mud plastered.

This log house served as Church house and for the school in the community. Dr. Isom Bailey was already a member of the church. On the 6th Sunday after Trinity in the year 1853 in that little log school house and church, David A. Abernathy and Frances Jane Abernathy were confirmed, the writer a child was presented and baptised that day with another brother. He has before him the Certificate of his mother's confirmation, now 56 and more years ago. Fortunes of life had caused her to move. The vandal Yankees had repeatedly ransacked her house. Her home had been burned and yet in 1897, when she died in Texas, she retained it [the certificate of confirmation] still, transmitting it as an heritage to her children. Six of them boys and one girl, and yet at her deat every singleone was a loyal subject of the Episcopal Church.

After their confirmation four, Margaret Wilson, Maxwell Wilson, David A. Abernathy, and Isom Bailey, set to work to build a brick church, a brick rectory, and a school building. The brick church, St. John's, was completed about the year 1856; its first rector was Dr. Lawson, who lived in the log cabin on Maxwell Wilson's place. Soon after the completion of the church, Dr. Harris, who resided at La Grange Tennissee, took charge of the church and ministered to the people. He was succeeded by a Rev. Mr. Sierlow, who in turn was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Shindler. The congregation had increased in the meantime by Caldwell B. Pool and his estimable daughters Nettie and Nannie, and Wiltsher and John Pool. Robert A. Baird and his wife, Cornelia, whom they called "Red Bos," and Robert Baird and wife, Laura, also united with the church and were most efficient workers. Armistead Pool had united with the church a little later on. William Parr had come over from Moscow, Tennesee, so had Jack Parr, John W. Connoly and wife had also united with the congregation. A Dr. Ryan had also joined and become a member. Joseph Abernathy, about the year 1857 or 1858, and his family had also been added. There were others who, though not members of the church, aided materially in carrying on the work and in assisting the church. Among them may be mentioned Lownes Treadwell, A.S. Connoly, a Mr. Flippen and others. In the meantime work had been progressing on the rectory, and it was completed about the year 1858, and was occupied by a Mrs. Cameron, whose husband became a martyr in the Texas struggle for independence, and Miss Merryweather.

A son of the former joined the Confederate army at the breaking out of the war, was desperately wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, was ordained a minister in the Episcopal Church after the war. He never recovered from his wounds and died at Provincal, Louisiana, a minister of the church.

Chas. A. Cameron, in his sphere of life, was an honor to the church, to the people, and to the community. Work had also gone forward on the school building, and, while it was not perfectly finished, was occupied as a school. It was named Wilson Hall in honor of Margaret Wilson, whose generosity, zeal and earnestness had carried forward this great work; to her more than any living person due the building of these enterprises.

It was a noble woman's offering. The rectory was designed as a home for the minister and also as rooms for pupils coming from a distance; and it was the intention and desire to have Wilson Hall a college removed from the temptations of city life. An ideal place to educate children.

Along with the building sites, Mrs. Wilson had donated one hundred and sixty acres of land. About the year 1858, Rev. Mr. Shindler took charge of the Parish; he was accompanied by his wife. Mr. Shindler was a very able man and an education enthusiast, but there was a pound of lead in him in his laziness. The people delighted in his erudite sermons. His wife was an authoress of distinguished ability, full of zeal and energy, and there was not a task that she was not willing to undertake. As an instance of it, she was ready and willing to teach the writer and his brothers to sing in the choir, and it was probably the only thing that she utterly failed in.

And now with the mention of three whose zeal and earnestness and sweetness brought out more for the church, though they came in at different times, I close the record up to the war; there were Mary Moore, Sallie Moore, and Mattie Moore.

I must not omit to add that prior to this the Rev. S. H. Engraham had often visited and officiated in the church. This celebrated author, if you want to read something inspiring get one of his books, was very earnest. He was also a welcome visitor.

The breaking out of the Civil War found St. John's Church with a good congregation, owning its own brick church house, the owner of a rectory, commodious and suited for boarding pupils as well as for the minister, the owner of a school building suited for college purposes, of 160 acres of land situated in a prosperous country in a populous neighborhood, the owners of plantations around them taking a pride in the church and in its ventures, sympathizing with them in the onward march, an ideal community in which one would love to live.

Now of all who used to throng this church, love to patronize its school, not a single one is left in that community. Not a worshipper now comes there, the bustle of feet that once thronged its aisles are now scattered.

On the walls of Old Blanford Church at Petersburgh, round which we thronged on our way to battle, are inscribed words which I am now tempted adding:

Thou art crumbling in the dust, old pile, Thou art hastening to thy fall,
And 'round these in thy loneliness Clings the ivy to thy wall.
The worshippers are scattered now
Who knelt before thy shrine,
And since silence reigns where anthems rose, In days of "Auld Lang Syne."
Oh! could we call the many back

Who've gathered here in vain--
Who've careless roved where we do now, Who'll never meet again;
How would our weary soul be stirred,
To meet the earnest gaze
Of the lovely and the beautiful,
The lights of other days.

At the beginning of the Civil War, Rev. Mr. Presbury was minister in charge of St. John's. How he managed to survive during those years of troublous times, I cannot imagine; like the little boy whose mother told him to leave home because he used sad words, I had trouble enough of my own in the Confederate Army.
After the war he removed, and Rev. Mr. Douglas took charge; and for a little while it was hoped that the parish could rebuild. He left in 1868, accepting a call to New Orleans. For come years, the parish was vacant, and then Rev. Mr. Gordon took charge. In the meantime changing events had scattered many of the old members and numbers of those who had grown up. Among those who left was the writer.

The church was, as I remember it, never missionary; it was organized as a parish from the beginning. Maxwell Wilson may have been one of the vestrymen, but I rather think he died early. The Wardens and Vestry were then composed of Dr. Ison Bailey, D.A. Abernathy, Caldwell P. Pool, Robert A. (Red Bos) Baird. Few men were more faithful than was the latter; he was the last to go, having died during the last year. Of those who assumed the management after the war, others may speak.
 
My maternal great-great grandfather William Meshack Abernathy, the son of David Addison Abernathy, was born In Surry County, NC but moved with his family to Early Grove around 1850. In 1861, he enlisted as a private with Company D, the Mississippi Rangers, in the 17th Mississippi Infantry. Many of the members of his mess were cousins from Early Grove.

120 years ago, in 1902, he dictated a memoir of his experiences in the war to his legal secretary. They describe his experiences from before his enlistment in Corinth, MS in 1861 to his presence at the surrender at Appomattox Court House in 1865, where as a courier he had carried the last dispatch from General Longstreet to General Lee. I’m told that his memoir is the most complete account of the war from the perspective of a Confederate infantryman. You can access it with this link:

William Abernathy’s Confederate Memoir
 
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