My early ancestors were involved in events that are part of the early history of the United States. The earliest settlers had to deal with Indians and the beasts of the forest. Many had to learn a new language, English. And those that decided to go to "the new lands" faced new and different challenges as they traveled the Great Wagon Trail into the wilderness called the Carolinas. As farmers they cleared land for crops, using the timber to build homes and shelters for their animals and implements. As carpenters, they made their own furniture and work implements. Some were blacksmiths, and fashioned their farm tools and shoed their animals.
Each family has stories they tell that add "life" to family footprint in history. I will mention a few that have come down the generations.
Anthony CHAMNESS was "kidnapped" from the wharfs of London at age 12, in 1725. He was taken across the Atlantic Ocean, never to see his parents again. He arrived in Philadelphia, PA., and became indentured to a Quaker gentleman there. Anthony soon became a Quaker, and married Sarah COLE of Baltimore. They migrated to NC, becoming pioneers in establishing the Quaker faith in Orange County, NC. A stone commemorates their presence and guidance in establishing Cane Creek Monthly Meeting.
The pay records of the US Treasury tried to pay George RICHARDSON back pay as a postal worker in 1917. He had been wounded in the Battle of King's Schoolhouse near Richmond , VA. He died of those wounds in the Civil War, on 13 Sept 1862, leaving a widow and three small children.
Abel SUMMERS was left "one still" in his father's will (Capt. Peter SUMMERS of Revolutionary War fame), provided he would "nevertheless, if and upon condition, the said Abel SUMMERS would entirely forsake and abandon all the habits of intemperance and dissipation".
Tom CAGLE went to Mexico, seeking a gold treasure, only to be killed in 1910 searching for golden treasure on Indian lands. He was a twenty-mule team driver by trade. Some family members believe Tom CAGLE's story was the basis for the 1948 movie "The Treasure of Sierra Madre" starring Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston.
Augustus Eugene STALEY, a descendant of Elisha SILER, left Randolph County, NC to seek his fortune elsewhere. He soon founded the AE STALEY Company, headquartered in Decatur, IL, making him a pioneer of the soybean industry. The AE STALEY Company continues to this day, as a major corn refiner in addition to soybeans, with sales in excess of $1 billion dollars annually. Another contribution "Cousin" STALEY left as a legacy, still lives on in Chicago. "Cousin" STALEY established a football team for his employees in Decatur, IL, and hired George Halas to coach the "Decatur Staleys". Soon he transferred the team to Chicago, and after one year later changed the name to Chicago Bears.
Patricia Louise NEAL, a descendant of Plikard Dederic SILER, was an actress on the silver screen, Broadway and television in the 1950's and into the 1970's. She starred with Gary Cooper in "The Fountainhead", John Wayne in "In Harm's Way", and Paul Newman in "HUD", for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress. She married Britsh writer Roald DAHL with whom she had five children.
Most of the early pioneer ancestors had multiple trades. Described as farmers or planters, they also were carpenters, harness makers, butchers, cabinet makers, blacksmiths, and much more. They were creative and industrious to farm their lands, raise their families and battle the elements of nature year round. Their wives were also strong and industrious, bearing housefuls of children, cooking and caring for their families, and the help on the farm. They too taught their children how to do a lot with little.
Religion was a strong factor in the early settlers of the Carolinas. Welsh settlers were Baptist. Presbyterian in their old country, the Scot-Irish (RODGERS, BASKINS, STEWARTS) were Presbyterians in their new home. Many of my maternal forebearers were Quakers In Pennsylvannia, and were among the earliest Quakers (CHAMNESS, LAMB) in NC. German pioneers (SUMMERS, FOUST, WHITESELL) were Lutheran, centering around Friedens Lutheran Church in eastern Guilford County, NC. Over time, many changed faiths to the mainstream religions of Baptist and Methodist, as did many of their neighbors.
Taking care of their neighbors spiritual needs is an important of social importance. The following is a list of known members of the family who were ordained ministers, pastors or preachers:
Ferman E. BENNETT Minister Cumberland Presbyterian Church
James Ansil BOWERS, Baptist Minister, Lancaster County, SC
William Figuars BRASINGTON (1806-1883) Pastor, Flat Creek Baptist, Lancaster, SC
Anthony (1713-1777) and Sarah COLE CHAMNESS (1718-1773), Overseers of the first Cane Creek Monthly Meeting, Chatham County,NC (stone memorial on site)
Oscar COX (1883-1967) Minister Society of Friends, NC
M. Howard DRYE (1892-1954) Minister, Baptist
John FAILE (1822-1899) Minister, First Baptist Church, Kershaw, SC
Nathan Grandison FAILE, Sr. (1815-1896) Pastor Baptist
John FINCHER (1782-1844) Preacher
Joseph GLASSMEYER Minister Society of Friends, NC
Moses J. HUNT (1824-1901) Methodist Circuit Minister, NC
Jesse LEWELLEN (ca 1763 - 1816) Preacher Founded Mt. Olive Baptist, Anson County, NC
Edward Lewis McILWAIN (1944- ) Minister Presbyterian
J. Donald McMANUS Minister
Robert Judson MACKEY (1934-1993) Pastor Baptist
James Madison MILLER (1816-1865) Methodist Minister, Lancaster County, SC
Jonathan J. OGBURN ( 1810-1904) Pastor, Flat Creek Baptist Church, SC
Oria Erice PHILLIPS (1910-1989) Pastor
Richard Jackson PHILLIPS (1933- ) Preacher SBC churches
Valerie Kay PHILLIPS Missionary to Africa
Samuel "Terry" RODGERS (1917-1968) Preacher SBC churches
Tasso Wirt SILER (1879-1960) Minister Methodist
Coley Livingstone SMITH (1913-1973) Preacher SBC churches
Jerry Livingstone SMITH (1936-2001) Preacher SBC churches
David STALEY Minister
Dan VINCENT Minister
Ray Von FAILE, Sr. Minister
As mentioned earlier, the ROGERS and RODGERS often mixed, or was it nixed, the spelling of their last names. My grandmother, whose maiden name was ROGERS, said her family members often referred to their Union County relatives as "those "D" RODGERS". Today, some of the ROGERS family have added a "D", whereas relatives of the RODGERS who moved to Texas, dropped the "D", reportedly to save ink.
Our family has always answered their country's call. Each generation has answered in their own way. The medal shown at the top of each of these pages was presented to Davis Collins PHILLIPS for his service in the Mexican War. He and his brother, William Burrell PHILLIPS, along with many of their neighbors of the same age, joined the Palmetto Regiment and went to serve their state and their country. Upon their return, each man was presented an engraved silver medal for his service. This medal is in the possession of descendants of Davis Collins PHILLIPS, who now live in TEXAS. I am thankful to Lindale Phillips for allowing me to post this as part of the website.
Private James Madison MILLER
James Madison MILLER (1st cousin 5x removed-paternal side) was born on 7 April 1816, a son of Michael and Frances Welsh MILLER. James married Frances SHEHORN-BLAKENEY in 1835 and became the father of four sons and five daughters. He was executed in Lancaster County, SC, 2 March 1965.
A "Yankee" soldier had been on foraging detail and entered the Kershaw County home of Gilliam Sowell. The "Yankee" took the possessions of their recently deceased daughter, greatly distressing Mrs. Sowell. At gunpoint the "Yankee" abducted the family servant, Ephriam, along with all their meat and three horses. After the Union soldiers and Ephriam had traveled some distance, the Federal soldier stopped to sleep. Once the soldier was asleep, Ephriam could not resist the temptation to even the score for the sorrow caused to his mistress. With a lightwood knot, Ephriam struck the "Yankee" three times upon the head, rendering him dead. He left the body over a log by the roadside midway between Jefferson and McBee, near where Buford church stands today. Other soldiers came along and found the body and buried it. He (Ephriam) carried his master's horses and mules, as well as the soldier's horse back into the swamp, and they were all rescued.
In retaliation, one hundred Confederate prisoners were lined up and forced to draw a slip of paper from a hat as they marched by, Those to be spared would draw a slip with a "G" on it. The unfortunate soul to be executed would draw a blank slip. James Miller drew the fatal lot. He was a man between forty-five and fifty years of age and had been captured a day or two before some distance west of Cheraw, while on his way home on furlough from Florence, S.C., where he had been engaged in guarding prisoners. He begged to be allowed to communicate with his wife and children, but this priviledge was denied him. He then asked to confer with such of his neighbors and friends as were captives with himself. To those he gave directions for his wife, asking that she be told he was not coming home, and advising her about his farm and about the children, just as if he was going off on a journey to be absent for a time. He then made some requests of those who were about to shoot him. He asked, in the first place, that he be not bound either hand or foot, saying he was not going to run, that he was prepared, and not afraid to die. He then asked that he be not blindfolded, saying he wished to look into the eyes of those who were to shoot him. And lastly, he begged that he not shot in the face, declaring that God had given him his face, and that in all his life he had never done anything of which he was ashamed. Colonel William C. Rhodes of the 30th Illinois (the dead soldier's unit) was ordered to command the firing squad.
Advanced in years, a Methodist minister, and father of nine children, the old prisoner claimed he had never seen a shot fired in combat, but was informed that he had "half an hour to prepare for death". A federal private from Illinois recounted that "I spoke to the poor old man and he was quite resigned to his fate, but when speaking of his wife and seven children, the tears streamed down his furrow cheeks". The Federal Colonel gave the gallant man of God a handkerchief to drop once he had finished his final prayers and was ready "to proceed".
He was marched off a short distance and few minutes later the firing squad made up of 12 men of the 30th Illinois had done their unenviable deed. SIx bullets struck Miller, the other six being blanks. This was protocol involved in firing squads to try and ensure that no man on the squad knew his bullet had been one of the fatal ones. James MILLER was buried at Five Forks Cemetery. The funeral was conducted by Louis Scarborough. There is a monument at Five Forks in his honor. Text taken from website for Chesterfield Camp #1963
Most folks in genealogy are proud of their relations. Granted, my immediate known relations are humble, God-fearing Americans. But I too am proud of the blood that runs in my veins that is shared with many famous people of history. I would like to think that my grandchildren and their children will live a more enriched and prosperous life, having DNA from their past combined with each new generation to represent the best of mankind. In an effort to reinforce that wish, I will list some of the known "famous people" from the program in Ancestry.com that uses data from family trees that have been posted on their large database on the Internet. It is my desire that instead of boasting who they have as blood relations, they will advance their culture, their faith, and use their talents to further mankind.
Using my grt-grt-grandfather William Burrell PHILLIPS as a starting point, I have found the following folks who share ancestoral ties. The following are "famous People" related to our family through William Burrell PHILLIPS's mother, Susannah DEASON PHILLIPS.
Franklin PIERCE - 14th President of the USA
William Randolph HEARST - American Newspaper Magnate
John PARKER - Revolutionary War Hero
Lucy Ware Webb HAYES - First Lady and wife to President Rutherford B. HAYES
Ralph Waldo EMERSON - American Author
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" DAVIS - American Actress
Edwin HUBBLE - American Astronomer
Lucretia Rudolph GARFIELD - First Lady and wife to President James A. GARFIELD
George Walker BUSH - 43rd President of the USA
Theodore ROOSEVELT - 26th President of the USA
E.E. CUMMINGS - American Poet
Georgia O'KEEFE - American Painter
Jane AUSTEN - English Author
Walt DISNEY - American Animator
Caesar RODNEY - Signer of Declaration of Independence from Delaware
Audrey HEPBURN - British-American Actress
Button GWINNETT - Signer of Declaration of Independence from Georgia
Elizabeth BROWNING - English Author and Poet
Robert MORRIS - Signer of the Declaration of Independence from Pennsylvania
John ALLERTON - Mayflower Passenger
Gore VIDAL - American Writer
Zachary TAYLOR - 12th President of the USA
William BREWSTER - Mayflower Passenger
Judy GARLAND - American Actress
Nathaniel HAWTHORNE - American Author
Frank Lloyd WRIGHT - American Architect
Truman CAPOTE
Using my grt-grt-grandfather George CAGLE as a starting point, I have found the following folks who share ancestoral ties.
William WHIPPLE - Signer of the Declaration of Independence from New Hampshire
Eli WHITNEY - American Inventor
Isaac NEWTON - Scientist, Mathematician
Angelica VAN BUREN - First Lady for President Martin VAN BUREN
Daniel WESSON - American Gun Company Owner
Claudia Taylor 'Lady Bird' JOHNSON - First Lady for President Lyndon B. JOHNSON
Jane Means Appleton PIERCE - First Lady for President Franklin PIERCE
Helen Adams KELLER - American Author and Activist
Gore VIDAL - American Writer
Elizabeth Virginia Wallace TRUMAN - First Lady and wife for President Harry TRUMAN
Philo T. FARNSWORTH - Inventor of Electronic Television
Jane AUSTEN - English Author
Clyde and Buck BARROW - American Outlaws
Walter Elias DISNEY - American Animator
Laurence OLIVIER - British Actor
James STEWART - American Actor
F. Scott FITZGERALD - American Author
William LAMB - British Politician
Robert PEEL - American Police Officer
Francis Lightfoot LEE - Signer of the Declaration of Independence for Virginia
Zachary TAYLOR - 12th President of USA
Samuel Longhorne "Mark Twain" CLEMENS - American Author
Nathaniel HAWTHORNE - American Author
William HOLDEN - American Actor
Elizabeth BROWNING- English Author and Poet
Alfred, Lord TENNYSON - Englsih Poet
Aldous HUXLEY - English Author
Using my grt-grt-grandmother Elma Chamness SILER as a starting point, I have found the following folks who share ancestoral ties.
Roger SHERMAN - Signer of the Declaration of Independence for Connecticut
James DEAN - American Actor
Frank and Jesse JAMES - American Outlaws
Katherine HEPBURN - American Actress
William ELLERY - Signer of Declaration of Independence for Rhode Island
Eli WHITNEY - American Inventor
Sam BASS - American Outlaw (Robbed Union Pacific gold train $60,000)
Lucille BALL - American Actress and Comedian
Edward "Ned" KELLY - Australian bushranger (robber)
Richard M. NIXON - 37th President of the USA
Theodore ROOSEVELT - 26th President of USA
Chester A. ARTHUR - 21st President of USA
Laura Ingalls WILDER - American Author (Little House on the Prairie)
William "Bill" CLINTON - 42nd President of USA
Lucretia Rudolph GARFIELD - First Lady and wife to President James A. GARFIELD
Mary Jane "Mae" WEST - American Actress and Playwright
William LAMB - English Politician
Edith Kermit Carow ROOSEVELT - Second wife of Theodore ROOSEVELT
Raymond MASSEY - Canadian Actor
Robert FROST - American Poet
William Howard TAFT - 27th President of USA
William Sydney PORTER "O'HENRY" - American Author
Jane AUSTEN - English Author
E.E. CUMMINGS - American Poet
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" DAVIS - American Actress
Leslie Townes "Bob" HOPE - American Actor
Elizabeth BROWNING - Englsih Author and Poet
George ORWELL - British Author