DANIEL T. COLEMAN 1800 - 1873
FATHER OF ANNIE COLEMAN CASTLEBERRY

Annie Coleman Castleberry's father was Daniel T. Coleman. He was residing in Morgan County, GA, in 1830 and in Coweta County, GA, in 1840. Around 1840 he moved with his family to Mississippi settling near Egypt, MS, in Chickasaw County (T14 R5E S12). He was still residing there in 1852. He later moved to Pontotoc County. His wife was Clarinda Ann (??Rosa??) who was born ca 1805 and died ca 1885.

Their children were:

• Laura E. was born on 1 June 1835 and died in Sweetwater, TX, on 27 March 1928 [4, p. 216]. Laura married the Rev. William Thomas Scott on new years eve in 1858. He was a graduate of Mercer University in Macon, GA. He died seven years later leaving her with three small children. Their only son, Howard C. Scott, became a medical doctor and lived in Sweetwater, TX. Howard is buried in Pontotoc, MS. According to Berry "at the age of 90 Laura took up the study of calculus to keep herself occupied" [3, p. 77].
• Albert who was born in 1827 in Morgan County, GA.
• Guss who was born in Georgia in 1832.
• Daniel E. who inherited most of his fathers land when his father died in 1873. He was in the Civil War and is buried in Pontotoc, MS.
• William R. who died early leaving a widow and six small children.
• Emma F. who was born in Georgia on 5 Dec 1837 and died in Tupelo, MS, on 18 Mar 1885. She first married R. A. Weatherall on 8 March 1859 and had two daughters Georgia and Laura. After he died ca 1874 she was remarried ca 1875 to Major Henry C. Medford (1830 -1902) of Tupelo, MS ( a lawyer and the first mayor of Tupelo). They also had two daughters, Eualia and Aurora. In 1878 they adopted her four year-old nephew, Memory E. Leake, after his parents died in a yellow fever epidemic. A very moving account of Memory E. Leake's long and useful life has been written by Julius Garnett Berry [3]. Georgia Weatherall never married. She moved to Birmingham, AL, and lived with her sister Laura who married E. J. Robinson [3, p. 44]. Mr. Robinson was a judge in Birmingham. Eualia Medford married a Mr. Sparks in Birmingham, AL and her sister, Aurora Medford, married a Mr. Shumate from Birmingham [3, p. 82].
• Mary A. married a Mitchell.
• Annie Rosa (my great grandmother) was born probably in Coweta County, GA, in Oct 1840 and died in Lafayette County, MS, ca 1925. She married William Castleberry (my great grandfather) on 27 Jan 1862 in Pontotoc County, MS. In her Civil War pension applications she states, contrary to the above, that she has lived in Mississippi all her life and also that she was married in Lafayette County, MS.
• Antoinette who was born in Mississippi in 1845.
• Sina E. who was born in Mississippi in 1847.
• Adeline E. (Lina) who was born in Mississippi in 1854. She married Memory Gordon Leake ca 1873. They had one son, Memory E. Leake. They died in a yellow fever epidemic in Holly Springs, MS, in 1877 [3, p. 5]. Afterwards, there four year old son, Memory, was adopted by her sister, Emma, and Emma's second husband, Major Medford, in Tupelo, MS.

Daniel T. Coleman is mentioned several times by E. T. Winston in his account written in 1931 of the early pioneers of Pontotoc, MS [4]. General Thomas McMackin is given credit by E. T. Winston as being the founder of Pontotoc. When General McMackin left Pontotoc some of his property was bought by Daniel T. Coleman, according to E. T. Winston, for on page 113 Winston says ----- "Mr. D. T. Coleman bought his (General McMackin) hotel property here and the stable property across the street. Mr. Coleman built a livery stable on the latter property that has lately been remodeled for store and warehouse purposes by Messrs. R. L. Lyon and sons." On page 128 Mr. Winston writes about Mary Washington College in Pontotoc. He says------ "Next to Chickasaw College in romantic and general interest was Mary Washington College, which had a brief career, but flourished in the antebellum period of the "golden fifties" when old Chickasaw was like wise in the fullness of its career. As Chickasaw was sponsored by the Presbyterians, Mary Washington College was a product of the Baptists of this section. The college property was on the northern outskirts of Pontotoc, on land now owned by V. L. Bigham. It was burned by Yankee vandals during the Civil War, and was never restored. The institution was established under the patronage of the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Columbus mad Aberdeen Baptist Associations and incorporated in 1852. From a corresponded, Rev. E. L. Shettles, of Austin, Tex., several years ago, we gleaned the following additional information"-------The enrollment of this year was 94. Ancient language 12, modern language 6, pupils in music 47. Among the 94 enrolled, Pontotoc and Pontotoc County claimed 47, Chickasaw 9, -----The Rev. Martin Bell was sponsor for more than any other parent. He had in school of his own Sarah H., ----- Daniel T. Coleman had a like number of daughters: Laura E., Emma F., Ann R., Antoinette, Adeline."

Daniel Coleman made numerous land transactions in Pontotoc County starting around 1850 and continuing until his death in 1873. One interesting transaction on 29 August 1854 was the gift of Lot 27, S.W. 1/4 (T9S R3E S33) in the town of Pontotoc to the Deacons of the Baptist Church [Pontotoc County, MS, Deed Book 10, 1854 - 1856, pages 144, 145].

In Daniel Coleman's will, which is dated 13 Feb 1872, he made his son, Daniel E. Coleman, and his son-in-law, William Castleberry, the Executors of his estate. He left his interest in the store in Pontotoc, that was run by William Castleberry, to his wife. He left $100.00 to his grandson, Howard C. Scott. He instructed his Executors to sell his property and to distribute the proceeds (after expenses) equally among his wife, his living son (Daniel E.), the six heirs of his deceased son (William R.) and his five daughters. Since no mention is made of four of his children, Albert, Gus, Antoinette, and Sina, I assume that they never married and died before 1872. He leaves it up to his Executors to decide what to do with his farm equipment and his household furniture. Daniel T. Coleman died in Pontotoc, MS, on 7 July 1873. I do not know where he is buried.

Children of William and Annie Coleman Castleberry According to the census records of 1880 William and Annie Castleberry had eight children. Apparently one died as an infant. The seven other children are listed below:

• Clara b Apr. 1866, died ____. She married W.W. Roberts on Wednesday, the 30th of April 1890 in Pontotoc County [Pontotoc County Marriages, p. 22]. Her husband died before 1900 and Clara and her three daughters lived in Aberdeen, MS, with Annie Coleman Castleberry for some time afterwards. The three daughters were: Julian Maude, b July 1891, died_____, Anna L. b October 1892, died_____, and Mary W. b January 1894, died______. By 1910 Clara Roberts and her three daughters had moved to Webster County (Eupora, MS) and were renting a house on Durrar (?) Street. Clara was a "keeper " at the Eupora Hotel. A John Kolb (or Kobb) was a boarder in the household with Clara and her daughters. He was divorced and was a 48 year old dentist. Clara is 44 years old and her daughters are teenagers. No trace of Clara Roberts (she would have been 54 years old) has been found in the 1920 census. Perhaps she married the dentist, died, or moved to another state.
• Mary L. b Mar 1871, d __?__
• Ann E. b ca 1871, d__?___
• William C. b Mar 1873, d___?__ . In the 1910 census William is living on Madison Street with his in-laws in Durant, MS, and gives his occupation as a grocery store merchant. His wife is Mary Cora Reed. They were married on Wednesday, the 29th of May 1901 in Durant, MS, by the Reverend J. H. Smith. She was born in Mississippi in 1885 and was the step-daughter of Edward C. Shive, a farmer, and head of the household. Edward's wife was Celia Ann. They were both born in S. C. William and Mary Castleberry had a 7 year old daughter named Celia L. In the 1920 census William and Mary were still living in Durant, MS, but he was the head of the household with his wife, daughter, and mother-in-law, Celia Ann Shives, who was 72 years old, living with them.
• Robert L. b Sept. 1874, d___?__ . He married Cora Rose on Wednesday, the 15th of Sept 1909 in Yalobusha County. The minister was Alfred D. Castleberry(?). No trace of Robert has been found in the 1910 census. Maybe he was out of the state. Apparently Cora Rose died after 1910 since in 1920 Robert is living with his sister, Florence, in Lafayette County, MS, according to the census.
• Florence b May 1875 d___?__ . Florence moved from Pontotoc, MS, to Aberdeen, MS, with her family ca 1890. In 1896 she was teaching school in nearby Smithville. She married Tom M. Anderson (b.1869, d. 1915) in 1907. Tom and Florence were teachers at a "literary school". They taught and lived in Lafayette County, MS, apparently near Water Valley, MS. They had two sons. Robert Howard, b. 1909, d._____and Elna Thomas, b. 1914, d._____. According to the 1910 census Tom and Florence owned and lived in a farm house in Lafayette County that was mortgaged. Tom, who was 41 in 1910, died in 1915. I do not know where he is buried. In the 1920 census Florence is 43 years old and is listed as head of the household. She is still living in Lafayette County and in her household are her two sons, Robert and Elna, her mother Annie Coleman Castleberry, age 79, and Robert L. Castleberry, Florence's 41 year old brother. Both Florence and her brother list farming as their primary occupation. Annie Coleman Castleberry list her parents as born in S. C.
• Charles Rufus (b 24 Oct. 1878, d 21 July 1963), was my grandfather. He married Eliza King in Durant, MS, on 25 Jan 1905 (a Wednesday) [5]. The minister was J. P. Hickman. She was born in Holmes County, MS, on 24 May 1882 and died 7 Nov. 1959 in Moorhead, MS. Her father was Tom King (b 10 Jan 1850, d 31 Dec 1935) and her mother was Annie Montgomery (b 11 Sept. 1859, d 16 Nov. 1898). They were born in Holmes County. In the 1910 census Charles is living in Durant, MS, with his wife and two children (Charles King, age 2 and a daughter Annie Frances, age 10 months--my mother). Also living with him are his wife's sisters, Annie King, age 20, and Ellen King, age 14. Charles Rufus' profession is given as manager of an ice plant. He is renting a house on Mulberry Street. In the 1920 census he is still living in Durant. He has a third child, Thomas Coleman, who is 6 years old. His sister-in-law, Ellen King, is still under his roof. In 1922 Charles Rufus moved his family to the bustling little town of Moorhead in the Mississippi Delta. He actually arrived in Moorhead in 1919 and commuted between Durant and Moorhead until 1922. The first year in Moorhead they all lived in the Phoenix Hotel while the Castleberry house was being built. All of the Castleberry children grew to adulthood in Moorhead. Eliza died in Moorhead in 1959 and Charles Rufus died there in 1963. Both are buried in Durant, MS.

Their children were:

•  Charles King (28 Oct 1907 - 31 Aug 1986). He is buried in Vicksburg, MS.
• Annie Frances (12 Jul 1909 - 6 Oct 1969). (My Mother). She is buried in Vicksburg, MS.
• Thomas Coleman (8 Dec 1913 - 9 Jul 1989). He is buried in Moorhead, MS.

References:

• 1. Gunboats and Cavalry - A History of Eastport, Mississippi, Ben Earl Kitchens, 1985
• 2. Hard Times, The Civil War in Huntsville and North Alabama (1861 - 1865), Charles Rice, 1994
• 3. The Life and Times of Mr. Memory E. Leake by Julius Garnett Berry
• 4.Story of Pontotoc, Part 1, The Chickasaws, E.T. Winston, 1931
• 5. Soundex to Mississippi Marriages, Huntsville, AL, Public Library

Submitted by:
James K. Harrison
995 Gilstead Circle
Huntsville, Alabama 35802
(256) 882-8655
E-Mail: jkharrison2@comcast.net
December 23, 1999

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