Forrest Re: Jesse Anderson Forrest

Welcome From THE Heart Of Dixie. Be sure to stop by the Weapons & Ammo and the Uniforms & Relics forum.

FORREST-002.jpg
 
Hello Dorinda.

Welcome to CivilWarTalk.

Unfortunately, we haven't heard from Diane N. Smith since November of last year.

As my Forrest Forum co-host @diane has tagged her in this thread, hopefully she will see that you would like to correspond and will get in touch with you.

Another option would be to post a comment on her member profile:

https://civilwartalk.com/members/dnsmith00.13570/

Again, welcome aboard and I'm looking forward to your posts.
 
My journey into genealogy began over fifty years ago when my father told me that we were related to Jessse James and NBF. My father's grandmother was Sarah E. Williams, daughter o Dr. Zachariah C. Williams and Mary Elizabeth Iverson. The Williams moved to Rusk Co., TX, settling near Minden and Brachfield, where my father was born. It is said that my ggrandmother's speech was hard to understand because she was so Southern, but I wish my father and mother had of gathered more facts from her while she was still alive. She lived at Union St., Memphis, TN, for awhile and knew NBF and JAF as well as the rest of the Forrest family, since her husband Richard's sister, Sarah Rebecca Mabry, was married to JAF.
It all began when Sarah "Evie" Williams was sitting out on the porch of her father's cabin in Minden. Her maid servant was combing her hair. She was 14 years old. Richard Mabry came riding down the road on a big white horse in front of the house. Evie said, "That is the most handsome man I've ever seen. I think I will marry him!" She must have caught Richard's eye, because he turned around, rode back and asked for a drink of water. They eloped and were married in Henderson, TX. It broke her father's heart. She was only 14 and Richard was 21. NBF and JAF had purchased land near Minden. Also, Sarah and Richard Mabry's mother, Susan, had remarried to a professor Jefferies from some university in TN, and had also purchased land near Minden. We suppose this is why Richard was there when he met Evie Williams. JAF and Sarah Mabry also were married in Henderson, TX. Unfortunately, most of the old records were burned when someone set fire to the Henderson courthouse over a mixed racial couple issue which involved a hanging. I cannot remember all of it, now, but recall that I was so disappointed I could not research more of the records..........I am at work this morning and will continue later.
Dorinda
 
Welcome to the Forum, Dorinda:wavespin:. You've come to the right place to find answers... to almost anything! Best wishes in your search, from my sunny ridge in Alabama, where all of the world looks lovely and bright!
 
Richard Mabry managed NBF's plantation on President's Island, outside of Memphis. It was here that he contracted Yellow Fever in the Great Epidemic of 1878 and died at 28 years of age. Evie told my aunts that she and her children crawled into bed with Richard because they wanted to die with him. He was buried in a common grave with many other malaria victims at Elmwood, then his sister, Sarah, had him exhumed and reburied in the JAF family plot in the Turley section at Elmwood in Memphis. There is not headstone for him and I hope to someone buy one and have it placed. My friend worked at Elmwood for many years and she helped me find Richard. They have a book in the office there with the names of everyone and plat of the plots. I have copies and know where the Forrests and Jones are buried. After Richard died, Dr. Williams sent his sons to fetch Evie home from Memphis because she was now a 21 year old widow with 3 sons, Alfred Alonza Mabry, George Bedford Mabry and Jesse Anderson Mabry. She sewed her jewels in the hems of her skirts for the trip home to Texas. There were highway robbers after the war and were still ravaging the South for many years. As you know, NBF died in JAF's home on Union St. We were later told that he died from diabetes, but Mary Bradley told me he never got over his severe dysentery from the war. During my many years of research, I have visited President's Island and the cemetery there. I have some old records where NBF used convict labor for his plantation there after the war. He had a rule that every man who worked for him would be provided a bath, good meals and a clean bed to sleep in. Also, NBF addressed a negro convention in New York, I am told, where he encouraged negroes to seek education and employment for themselves and their children. It has been said that this was the start of the NAACP. NBF disassociated himself from the K after it morphed into a hate organization. He was totally against the K and regretted that his name was ever associated with it. I have a copy of his speech somewhere in my records. Also, there is a newspaper clipping file at the Library in Memphis, which had an article about his speech in NYC. I think it is important that people know about this given all of this tearing down of statues and renaming everything in the South. The war was not about slavery as everyone now believes. Given that slavery was indeed a terrible thing, but an institution that was in place was back in biblical times. Doesn't make it right, but defacing and destroying doesn't change history. NBF still remains the most amazing military tactical genius!
 
Welcome.

I always get Jessee and Jeffrey mixed up.
My ancestor was in a regiment under Jeffrey's brigade when Jeffrey was killed at Okolona.

I would like to review Jesse's service records---regiment, battles etc.---and recall what he did during the war.
 
I, too, would like to know more about Jesse's operations and Aaron's. The four brothers always worked in support of Forrest's main objectives and were a large part of the reason he was so successful. They were very good. Once when Grant was told Forrest was in the vicinity he asked, "Which one?"
 
I, too, would like to know more about Jesse's operations and Aaron's. The four brothers always worked in support of Forrest's main objectives and were a large part of the reason he was so successful. They were very good. Once when Grant was told Forrest was in the vicinity he asked, "Which one?"
Thank you, I will be going through all of my records and try to provide any interesting facts I might have.
 
My journey into genealogy began over fifty years ago when my father told me that we were related to Jessse James and NBF. My father's grandmother was Sarah E. Williams, daughter o Dr. Zachariah C. Williams and Mary Elizabeth Iverson. The Williams moved to Rusk Co., TX, settling near Minden and Brachfield, where my father was born. It is said that my ggrandmother's speech was hard to understand because she was so Southern, but I wish my father and mother had of gathered more facts from her while she was still alive. She lived at Union St., Memphis, TN, for awhile and knew NBF and JAF as well as the rest of the Forrest family, since her husband Richard's sister, Sarah Rebecca Mabry, was married to JAF.
It all began when Sarah "Evie" Williams was sitting out on the porch of her father's cabin in Minden. Her maid servant was combing her hair. She was 14 years old. Richard Mabry came riding down the road on a big white horse in front of the house. Evie said, "That is the most handsome man I've ever seen. I think I will marry him!" She must have caught Richard's eye, because he turned around, rode back and asked for a drink of water. They eloped and were married in Henderson, TX. It broke her father's heart. She was only 14 and Richard was 21. NBF and JAF had purchased land near Minden. Also, Sarah and Richard Mabry's mother, Susan, had remarried to a professor Jefferies from some university in TN, and had also purchased land near Minden. We suppose this is why Richard was there when he met Evie Williams. JAF and Sarah Mabry also were married in Henderson, TX. Unfortunately, most of the old records were burned when someone set fire to the Henderson courthouse over a mixed racial couple issue which involved a hanging. I cannot remember all of it, now, but recall that I was so disappointed I could not research more of the records..........I am at work this morning and will continue later.
Dorinda
If you know of any cemeteries in Rusk County, I will be glad to drive over and get photos.
 
Continuing my story, I found that we were related to Jesse James through the Mims family and to Mirabeau P. Lamar though the Williams family. Also, the Luxton's owned property near Minden, TX.
Thanks, just adjacent to my county.
I love Minden, TX and hope to be buried at Shiloh cemetery where my folks are.
 
Evie Williams Mabry was there when NBF died and was with the family during the funeral procession through Memphis. I have lots of pictures of her when she was young and when she was elderly. I have a picture of myself and my brother and sister with her before she passed away. her oldest son and my grandfather, Alfred Alonza Mabry, had eleven children, all named after the Forrest and Lamar families. I would like to know who some of the pictures are that I have from Evie's trunk. I suspect they are Jones' or Luxton's. Another fact I disovered along the way was that the Forrest and Mabry families may have been distant cousins. There was a Thomas Mabry and his daughter, Caroline, in the Forrest family tree. These Marby's were in Chapel Hill. Also, I found an article in an old 1800's book of Who's Who, that mentions the Mabry's of Chapel Hill, TN. If anyone knows about my Mabry side, I hope you will share with me. I will continue the Forrest story later when I have access to my paperwork (which is currently stored away).
 
If you know of any cemeteries in Rusk County, I will be glad to drive over and get photos.
Thank you so much, but I have been to all of the cemeteries in Rusk and Panola Counties. I used to drive my aunts there to visit our people's graves. Now, my aunts are all gone too. That was sweet of you to offer.
 
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