The Wootten family has remained in the Brooksville area through many generations. From their arrival in 1833-34, there was always a Wootten living in the Brooksville area. Descendants still live there, but now they bear other surnames.
The last person bearing the name of Wootten to live in Brooksville was Jane Anderson Wootten who died 17 June 1999.
What happened to the individuals who wrote or received the letters? What happened to the people they discussed in the content?
Family tradition says that Jane Murphy Wootten took on the challenge of taking care of the granddaughters that were left behind. She sought the services of her daughter-in-law, Annie Wilkinson Wootten to wet nurse the infant, Annie Agnes Wade.
1) The two daughters of Annie Wootten Wade: Mary Patterson
Wade, and Annie Agnes Wade
2) Julia Wootten McLeod's daughter, Ella Wootten McLeod
3) The daughter of Emma Wootten Patterson May's first marriage,
Jennie Patterson
Jane Murphy Wootten is buried in Soule Chapel Cemetery,
which is between Brooksville and Macon in Noxubee
Co. MS. Date of Birth: 12 SEP 1812 - Date of Death: 17 DEC 1878.
No dates for Richard Kelly Wootten I are confirmed except his estate was settled in 1840.
Annie Wootten Wade is buried in Friendship Cemetery, Columbus, MS. Her tombstone only states the years of her birth and death: 1830-1862. Annie Wootten Wade and William B. Wade were married 30 MAR 1848.
Included was a pay stub for "Captain" W. B. Wade of the Mississippi Volunteers for the sum of $147.33 dated 17 May 1861 . He was elected a Colonel on July 17, 1862, serving as a Colonel in the 8th Cavalry (Wade's) of the Confederate States of America. On 15 MAR 1864, he appeared in an Inspection Report of Brig. Gen. W.Y. C. Hume's Brigade, Kelley' Division, Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, Army of Tennessee, commanded by General Johnson.
As a Colonel he received $210.00 a month in pay. In May 1864 he submitted a claim to the Auditors Office for the amount of sixteen hundred dollars for compensation for his horse killed in battle. Col Wade was wounded on 27 DEC 1864 but no details are given. He surrendered at Citronelle, AL on 04 May, 1865 and was paroled at Columbus, MS on 17 May 1865.
So far research has not focused on Col. Wade enough to discover what happened to him after the end of the War Between the States.
1) Mary Patterson Wade b. 1850 buried Friendship Cemetery,
Columbus, MS -- m. Col. T. J. O'Neill
2) Annie Agnes Wade b.1862 d.30 Oct 1952, buried Friendship
Cem, Columbus, MS -- m. Sam Bell Williamson.
Julia Wootten McLeod (b. 1832 d. May 1862) was the second wife of Norman McLeod. They were married on 7 DEC 1859. They had one daughter to live, Ella Wootten McLeod. She grew up to be special playmate of her cousin, "Johnny". (John Wilkinson Wootten, son of R. K. Wootten II and Annie Wilkinson Wootten) Johnny named his youngest daughter after her.
Ella Wootten McLeod b. 24 MAR 1861 d. 4 SEP 1893, buried Starkville,
MS. -- m. Thomas W. Perkins on 17 FEB 1891.
Family tradition is that Ella Wootten McLeod also died in childbirth.
Emma Wootten Patterson May (b. 25 Jan 1833 d. 8 Jan 1913) lived to be almost 80 years old. Did she read these old letters remembering her loved ones who had passed on? She and her second husband are buried in Soule Chapel Cemetery, between Brooksville and Macon, MS in Noxubee Co.
Emma Wootten married first William H. H. Patterson (d.
26 FEB 1856).
Issue:
1) M. Jennie Patterson (b. 18 SEP 1855 d. 04 June 1936) married Nicholas
Newton Rogers 12 AUG 1886.
Emma Wootten Patterson married second William A. May (b.
31 May 1833 d. 18 SEP 1878) on 20 JAN 1863
Issue:
1) Annie Irene May b. 21 OCT 1863 d. 02 SEP 1917 married George
M. Gilmore on 29 NOV 1888
2) Joseph Richard May b. 06 OCT 1864 d. 07 MAR 1908 married Sallie
Woodlief Hall on 21 NOV 1893
3) Nannie E. May b. 18 OCT 1866 d. 28 SEP 1867
4) J. Walter May b.12 FEB 1868 married Katherine Robertson on
17 NOV 1903
5) William Emmett May b. 16 AUG 1870 d. 1927
6) Hugh A. May died in infancy
7) William Eugene May died in infancy
Richard Kelly Wootten II (b. 08 DEC 1838, Noxubee Co, MS d. 18 July 1898, Brooksville, Noxubee, MS) married Annie Henrietta Talliaferro Wilkinson (b. 28 MAR 1843, Washington, Wilkes, GA d. 29 July 1930, Electric Mills, Kemper, MS).
1) John Wilkinson Wootten (b. 02 JULY 1861, Brooksville,
MS d. 06 May 1927, Electric Mills, Kemper, MS,
married Charlotte Helen Beck (b. 14 JAN 1865, Tensas Parish,
LA, d. 06 MAR 1948, Macon, Noxubee, MS). Married on
15 NOV 1882, Brooksville, MS
2) Emma Corrine Wootten (b. 1863, Brooksville ) married 1) Harry
Herndon 2) James T. Aust
3) Richard Kelly Wootten III (b. 27 JAN 1866, Brooksville, MS d.
NOV 1934, Chickasha, OK) married Effie Dalton Scales
(b. 12 SEP 1866, Winston-Salem, NC d. 1936, Dallas,TX)
on 18 OCT 1887, Brooksville, MS.
4) Henrietta Jane Wootten (b. 1868, Brooksville, MS d. 1937) married
Samuel Habersham Allen on 5 APR 1887
Richard Kelly Wootten II served first with the Old Company A, 41 Reg't Mississippi Volunteers. While in the battles of Murfreesboro (sic) he received a flesh wound to his forearm on 31 DEC 1862. He was later transferred to Col Wm B. Wade's Cavalry Reg't. [8th Cavalry...ear]
R. K. Wootten II appears on a Roll of Prisoners of War commanded by Col. W. B. Wade who surrendered at Citronelle, AL on 4 May 1865. They were paroled at Columbus, MS on 17 May 1865.
Returning to civilian life, R. K. Wootten, a very proper gentleman, found his match in his wife, Annie Wilkinson Wootten. She was only about five feet tall with red hair and appeared to be the type of person who rushed into a situation without thinking about the consequences. R. K. would get very frustrated at the "antics" of his wife. Family stories abound with tales of "little grandma" who was quite a character!
Richard Kelly Wootten II was killed on 18 July 1898. He was taking his wife and two of his grand daughters to a Confederate Reunion in Atlanta. The ticket master was slow making out their tickets so all of the women went ahead and boarded the train. Finally, with ticket in hand, R. K. tried to jump onto the moving train only to be swept underneath it as the train passed a "truck" which knocked him off.
Issue:
1) Joseph May Wootten (b. 12 OCT 1894 d.10 APR 1971) married Lola
Allison on 13 JULY 1923
2) William died young
3) Jeff Lee Wootten (b. 1892 d. 1947)
4) Annabelle
5) Dudley Chester Wootten (b. 23 FEB 1900) married Pauline Butler
John Samuel Wootten served in the Confederacy with Co. H. (Carroll Minute Men) 2 Reg't Mississippi Volunteers Army of 10000. There is evidence that he also served in a Cavalry Unit, but this has not been documented by this writer.