Grits, It's a Southern thang!

They say G.R.I.T.S stands for "Girls Raised In The South". I'm definitely a G.R.I.T.S. girl! And I love eating grits. Grits are coarsely ground dried corn. If you grind it finely, it is corn meal. But coarsely ground corn is grits. The Indians were the ones to introduce grits to the first settlers. They called them "rockahomine". Hominy is different from Hominy Grits. Hominy is a certain dried corn that is soaked in lye until it swells and softens. Grits is ground dried corn and it is not soaked in lye. In 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh tasted grits made by the Indians. In 1607, the Jamestown settlers became acquainted with the Indian "rockahomine". During the War of Northern Aggression and during the resulting Reconstruction Period, the South was so poor and burnt out that many subsisted on grits, cornbread made from cornmeal and whatever else they could find to eat, including wild greens like Creasy greens, Poke salad, Dandelion greens, etc.. So Southern families became well acquainted with grits. In 1976, grits became the official state food for SC. The grits belt goes from the Carolinas down to Louisiana. People outside that area can't understand why we love them but it might be because they've never had them the way we like them. If you make grits without salt and butter, then they are bland and terrible. A lot of restaurants make them bland in case they have people who can't have salt. But the first thing I do is taste them and then I add the salt and butter that I desire. It is such a comfort food.

Grits

1 cup grits
2 cups boiling water
salt and pepper to taste
butter to taste

Bring salted water to boil, add grits. Turn heat down and stir it regularly and keep a watch on it. Once it's simmered down to the consistency you desire, remove from heat. Add pepper and butter.

Variations:
Remove cooked grits from heat and stir in some shredded cheddar cheese.

Once you put the grits in boiling water, turn down the heat, stir and let it cook until it's mostly done. Take an egg and scramble, then add to the grits and let if finish cooking. You can do this in the microwave to give you a fast breakfast.

Serve with sausage gravy or Red Eye gravy. (Red Eye gravy is made from the grease left over after frying country ham with coffee added to it to give it it's "red eye".

Add milk to make grits creamier.

Add a clove of chopped garlic to cheese grits.

Once grits have gotten cold they are hard. You throw away the hard grits unless you want to fry them. You cut the hard grits in pieces and coat with scrambled egg, dredge in corn meal (or flour) and fry in butter in a hot iron skillet. Drain on paper towel and serve with a poached egg on top.


Shrimp and Grits

2 to 3 slices bacon
grits, for 4 to 6 people
1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp
1 small onion, finely minced
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes with juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste

Cook 2-3 slices bacon until done but still tender, set aside. Prepare grits per directions, adding a small finely minced onion before starting cook time, clean shrimp, when grits are almost done, chop shrimp into halfs, crumble up bacon and toss both into grits. Continue cooking until grits are ready. Add crushed tomatoes (juice and all), then add hot pepper.


Chef Bill Smith's Shrimp and Grits

2 cups water object
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth object
3/4 cup half-and-half object
3/4 teaspoon salt object
1 cup regular grits object
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese object
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese object
2 tablespoons butter object
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce object
1/4 teaspoon white pepper object
3 bacon slices object
1 pound medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined object
1/4 teaspoon black pepper object
1/8 teaspoon salt object
1/4 cup all-purpose flour object
1 cup sliced mushrooms object
1/2 cup chopped green onions object
2 garlic cloves, minced object
1/2 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth object
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice object
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce object
Lemon wedges

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Add Cheddar cheese and next 4 ingredients. Keep warm.

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

Sprinkle shrimp with pepper and salt; dredge in flour.

Sauté mushrooms in hot drippings in skillet 5 minutes or until tender. Add green onions, and sauté 2 minutes. Add shrimp and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are lightly brown. Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce, and cook 2 more minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet.

Serve shrimp mixture over hot cheese grits. Top with crumbled bacon; serve with lemon wedges.

Fleming Matthew Harris and Augusta Ann Harris

Samuel G. Harris married Tryphenia Harris and they had
a son, Fleming Matthew Harris who married Augusta Ann Harris and they had
a son, Gamewell Calhoun Harris who married Sarah "Sally" Brakefield and they had
a son, Edward Boyd Harris who married Ida Mae Shaw and they had
a son, Clyde Harris who married Mabel Louise Cohen and they had
a son, William "Billy" Clyde Harris who married Peggy Prince and they had
Stan


Fleming Matthew Harris, aka F.M., Mattie, Maddie (and some thought his name was Frances Marion Harris or Frances Madison Harris) was born 2/4/1809 in Union County, SC to Samuel G. Harris (DOB: abt 1772 in Virginia ; DOD: Between 1850-1860 in Union County, SC ) and Tryphena Harris (DOB: 12/14/1771 in Virginia; DOD: 8/23/1855 in Union County, SC).

Augusta Ann, aka Gustie Ann, Gusta Ann, Gustiana, Duska, Gusty was born 5/23/1813 in Union County, SC to Fleming Harris aka Flemmin Harris (DOB: ? in ? ; DOD: ? in ? son of Thomas Harris and Sarah Lacy) and Jane Sharp (DOB: ? ; DOD: ? daughter of ? ). They married before 1831 in Union County, SC. Tryphena Harris Harris was the sister of Flemmin Harris so Fleming Matthew Harris and Augusta Ann Harris were 1st cousins.

Union County was formed in 1775 after the Cherokee Indians gifted the land to the Greenville/Spartanburg County lines to the King as a good will gesture. Settlers poured into the new land and Samuel and Fleming Matthew Harris were two of them. Samuel Harris and his family, were one of the first pioneer families in Union County.

1850 U.S. Census of Union County, SC, Roll M432_859, Pg 108, Image 463, Lines 29-30 "Samuel Harris", Lines 31-35 "S. P. Harris", Lines 36-49 next page Lines 1-6 "James C. Harris", Lines 7-11 "Thomas Harris", Lines 22-32 "Mathew Harris"
Dwelling 299, Family 299, Harris, Samuel, 78 yrs old (DOB would be 1772), M(ale), W(hite), Tenant, Born in SC (?), Can read and write
Harris, Tryvena, 75 yrs old (DOB would be 1775), F, W, Born in SC (?)
Dwelling 300, Family 300, Harris, S.P., 45 yrs old (DOB would be 1805), M, W, Planter, $1500 Real Estate Value, Born in SC, Can read and write
Harris, Sophia, 35 yrs old (DOB would be 1815), Born in SC, Can read & write
Harris, James, 16 yrs old (DOB would be 1834), Born in SC, Labor, Attends school
Harris, Jane, 15 yrs old (DOB would be 1835), Born in SC, Attends school
Harris, William, 11 yrs old (DOB would be 1839), Born in SC, Attends school
Dwelling 301, Family 301, Harris, James C., 37 yrs old (DOB would be 1813), M, W, Planter, $2000 Real Estate Value, Born in SC, Can read and write
Harris, Frances, 35 yrs old (DOB would be 1815), F, W, Born in SC
Harris, Hesterann, 12 yrs old (DOB would be 1838), F, W, Born in SC, Attends school
Harris, Maryann, 10 yrs old (DOB would be 1849), F, W, Born in SC, Attends school
Harris, Both, 6 yrs old, M, W, Born in SC
Harris, Samuel, 4 yrs old, M, W, Born in SC
Harris, Frances, 2 yrs old, F, W, Born in SC
next page
Harris, James, 6/12 mos old, M, W, Born in SC
Shell, Nancy, 62 yrs old, F, W, Born in SC, Can read and write
Floyd, Hyram, 27 yrs old, M, W, Labor, Born in SC, Cannot read or write
Floyd, John, 14 yrs old, M, W, Can read & write
Richard (nln), 10 yrs old, M, (There is a check mark in the box which is different from all the others, indicates black?), Born in SC
Harris, Louvinier (sic), 8 yrs old, F, W, Born in SC
Dwelling 302, Family 302, Harris, Thomas, 60 yrs old, M, W, Planter, $350 Real Estate Value, Born in SC, Can read and write
Harris, Sarahann, 30 yrs old, F, W, Born in SC
Harris, Leticia, 18 yrs old, F, W, Born in SC, Can read & write
Harris, Benjamin, 14 yrs old, M, W, Born in SC, Attends school
Harris, Jefferson, 1 yrs old, M, W, Born in SC
Dwelling 303, Family 303
Dwelling 304, Family 304
Dwelling 305, Family 305 Harris, Matthew, 40 yrs old (DOB would be 1810), M, W, Planter, $125 Real Estate Value, Born in SC, Can read and write
Harris, Gustyann, 37 yrs old (DOB would be 1813), F, W, Born in SC
Harris, Cornelia, 19 yrs old (DOB would be 1831), F, W, Born in SC, Attends school
Harris, James, 17 yrs old (DOB would be 1833), M, W, Born in SC, Labor, Attends school
Harris, Catharine, 15 yrs old (DOB would be 1835), F, W, Born in SC, Attends school
Harris, Taylor, 11 yrs old (DOB would be 1839), F, W, Born in SC, Attends school
Harris, Eugenia, 9 yrs old (DOB would be 1841), F, W, Born in SC, Attends school
Harris, Fisherann (sic, should be Patricia Ann), 7 yrs old (DOB would be 1843), F, W, Born in SC, Attends school
Harris, Edward, 5 yrs old (DOB would be 1845), M, W, Born in SC
Harris, Anderson, 3 yrs old (DOB would be 1847), M, W, Born in SC

1860 U.S. Census of Union County,  South Carolina; Roll:  M653_1227; Page:  219; Image:  451; Family History Library Film:  805227, Lines 1-20, "John Harris" and "F.M. Harris"
John Harris, 61 yrs old (DOB 1799), M(ale), W(hite), Farmer, $1,500 Real Estate Value, $4,000 Personal Estate Value, Born in SC
Tabitha Harris, 62 yrs old (DOB 1798), F, W, Born in SC
Frances Bevel, 30 yrs old (DOB 1830), F, W, Born in SC
Iris Bevel, 6 yrs old (DOB 1854), F, W, Born in SC
John Bevel, 4 yrs old (DOB 1856), M, W, Born in SC
Fincher Harris (sic), 9 yrs old (DOB 1851), M, W, Student, Born in SC
Jahue Harris (sic), 18 yrs old (DOB 1842), M, W, Student, Born in SC
F.M. Harris, 50 yrs old (DOB 1810), M, W, Farmer, $125 Real Estate Value, $150 Personal Estate Value, Born in SC
Grstran Harris (sic, should be Augusta Ann Harris), 47 yrs old (DOB 1813), F, W, Born in SC
Frances Harris, 28 yrs old (DOB 1832), F, W, Born in SC
Taylor Harris, 20 yrs old (DOB 1840), M, W, Born in SC
Wyena Harris (sic), 17 yrs old (DOB 1843), F, W, Born in SC
Tesheran Harris (sic, should be Patricia Ann Harris), 15 yrs old (DOB 1845), F, W, Born in SC
Edward Harris, 13 yrs old (DOB 1847), M, W, born in SC
Anderson Harris, 12 yrs old (DOB 1848), M, W, Born in SC
Havanah Harris, 9 yrs old (DOB 1851), F, W, Born in SC
Gamewell Harris, 7 yrs old (DOB 1853), M, W, Born in SC
George Harris, 5 yrs old (DOB 1855), M, W, Born in SC
Mary Harris, 6 yrs old (DOB 1854), F, W, Born in SC
Thomas Harris, 8 yrs old (DOB 1852), M, W, Born in SC

1870 U.S. Census of Pickney,  Union County,  South Carolina; Roll:  M593_1510; Page:  504B; Image:  364; Family History Library Film:  553009, Lines 34-40, "F.M. Harris"
F.M. Harris, 60 yrs old (DOB 1810), M(ale), W(hite), Farmer, $1,000 Real Estate Value, $400 Personal Estate Value, Born in SC
Gustianna Harris (sic, should be Augusta Ann Harris), 57 yrs old (DOB 1873), F, W, Born in SC
Cornelia Harris, 39 yrs old (DOB 1831), F, W, Born in SC
Eugenia Harris, 24 yrs old (DOB 1846), F, W, Born in SC
Anderson Harris, 21 yrs old (DOB 1869), M, W, Born in SC
Havanna Harris, 17 yrs old (DOB 1853), F, W, Born in SC
Gamewell Harris, 16 yrs old (DOB 1854), M, W, Born in SC
Thomas Harris, 18 yrs old (DOB 1852), M, W, Born in SC
Mary Harris, 16 yrs old (DOB 1854), F, W, Born in SC

1880 U.S. Census of Pinckney,  Union County,  South Carolina; Roll:  1242; Family History Film:  1255242; Page:  599D; Enumeration District:  158, Lines 24-39, "Mattie Harris", "George Harris", "Anderson Harris"
Mattie Harris, W(hite), M(ale), 71 yrs old (DOB 1809), Head, Married, Farmer, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Gusta A. Harris, W, F, 67 yrs old (DOB 1813), Wife, Married, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Havana Harris, W, F, 29 yrs old (DOB 1851), Daughter, Single, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Gamewell C. Harris, W, M, 27 yrs old (DOB 1853), Son, Single, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Sallie C. Harris, W, F, 17 yrs old (DOB 1863), Dil, Single, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
E. Boyd Harris, W, M, 3 yrs old (DOB 1877), Grandson, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Emma Harris, W, F, 1 yr old (DOB 1879), Granddaughter, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
James M. Harris, W, M, 11/12 mos old (DOB 4/1879), Grandson, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
William Fraser, W, M, 35 yrs old (DOB 1845), Son-in-law, Works in field, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Frances Fraser, W, F, 49 yrs old (DOB 1851), Daughter, Works in field, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
George Harris, W, M, 24 yrs old (DOB 1856), Head, Married, Farmer, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Mary A. Harris, W, F, 21 yrs old (DOB 1859), Wife, Married, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Anderson Harris, W, M, 32 yrs old (DOB 1848), Head, Married, Farmer, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Sallie Harris, W, F, 32 yrs old (DOB 1848), Wife, Married, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Oliver R. Harris, W, M, 12 yrs old (DOB 1868), Son, Worsk in field, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Willie E. Harris, W, M, 12 yrs old (DOB 1868), Son, Works in field, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC

1900 U.S. Census of Pinckney,  Union County,  South Carolina; Roll:  T623_ 1544; Page:  17A; Enumeration District:  72, Lines 15-27, "Ravenell Harris" (sic)
Ravenell Harris, Head, W(hite), M(ale), Born May, 1853, 47 yrs old, Married 23 yrs, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC, Farmer, Owns farm, mortgage
Sallie Harris, Wife, W, F, Born Apr, 1861, 39 yrs old, Married, 11 children with 9 still living, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Boyd Harris, Son, W, M, Born May, 1878, 22 yrs old, Single, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC, Farm Laborer
James Harris, Son, W, M, Born Apr, 1881, 19 yrs old, Single, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC, Farm Laborer
May Harris, Daughter, W, F, Born May, 1883, 17 yrs old, Single, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC, Farm Laborer
Paul Harris, Son, W, M, Born Apr, 1888, 12 yrs old, Single, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC, At school
Florrence Harris (sic), Daughter, W, F, Born May, 1890, 10 yrs old, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC, At school
Essie Harris, Daughter, W, F, Born Apr, 1892, 8 yrs old, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC, At school
Carl Harris, Son, W, M, Born June, 1894, 5 yrs old, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Cass Harris (sic, looks like Voss Harris and is actually Wallace Harris but Ancestry.com has him indexed as Cass Harris), Son, W, M, Born Mar, 1898, 2 yrs old, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Bernice Wix, Daughter, W, F, Born June, 1884, 15 yrs old, Widowed, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC, Cotton mill weaver
Dusky A. Harris (sic), Mother, W, F, Born May, 1813, 87 yrs old, Widowed, 1 child with 1 still living, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC
Havanah Harris, Sister, W, F, Born Feb, 1851, 49 yrs old, Single, Born in SC, Both parents born in SC


"Union County, SC Clerk of Court Deeds,
Lien
F.M. Harris and A.K. Harris
to J.T. Hill and Co.
State of SC}
Union District}
Know all men by these presents that whereas J.T. Hill and Co. has agreed to advance to the undersigned Flemming M. Harris and Anderson K. Harris residing in Union District - in said State and engaged in the cultivation of the Said in the District of Union Such Supplies as the undersigned may require for the cultivation of share crops to the Limits of One Hundred Dollars - ..."
[Dated 21 April 1868]


They were Methodists and were members of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church when they died. This is where they are buried. Unfortunately, since he was usually known by his F.M., and their tombstone was erected later by someone who didn't know his name. So Fleming is buried under a tombstone that has Francis Marion Harris on it.

Fleming Matthew Harris and Augusta Ann Harris had 14 children:

1) Frances Cornelia Harris (DOB: abt 1831 in Union County, SC; DOD: ? ) married William Fraser (DOB: abt 1845 in ? ; DOD: ? ) and had 2 children that I'm aware of: George Fraser and Mary Ann Fraser.

2) James Marion "Marron" or "Marrion" Harris (DOB: 1/18/1834 in Union County, SC; DOD: 4/1865 in Burgess Mill, VA) married Sarah Ann Bevill (DOB: abt 1834 in Union County, SC; DOD: 10/27/1889 in Union County, SC) about 1857 in Union County, SC. They had 3 children: James Riley Harris, Edna Harris, and Joseph Oscar Harris.

3) Cicily Ann or Catherine Ann Harris (DOB: 7/25/1836 in Union County, SC; DOD: 6/1882 in Union County, SC ) married John Floyd (DOB: ? ; DOD: ? ) and Arthur Lipsey (DOB: ? ; DOD: ? ).

4) Sarah Jane Harris (DOB: 3/18/1838 in Union County, SC; DOD: Before 1850 in Union County, SC )

5) Anne "Annie" Taylor Harris (DOB: 11/18/1840 in Union County, SC; DOD: 1/1908 in West End, Union County, SC) married M. Earl Fowler (DOB: abt 1829 in ? ; DOD: 4/24/1878 in Union County, SC). They had 6 children that I'm aware of: Marion Folwer, Isabella Fowler, Augusta Ann Fowler, Nancy Fowler, William W. Fowler, Joe E. Fowler.

6) Millie Eugenia Harris (DOB: 10/20/1842 in Union County, SC; DOD: 3/23/1924 in Union County, SC) married J. Gist Farr (DOB: 8/12/1836 in Union County, SC; DOD: 8/26/1899 in Union County, SC) in 1865. They had 7 children that I'm aware of: Edward Marvin Farr, W. T. Farr, Doretha Farr, John Anderson Farr, James Waitus Farr, Aurrie Farr, Carrie Farr.

7) Patricia "Tricia", "Trisher", "Fisher" "Trish", "Trisherann" Ann Harris (DOB: 12/8/1843 in Union County, SC; DOD: ? in Union County, SC). In the 1860 Census, Patricia Ann is listed as "insane".

8) William Edward Harris (DOB: 12/29/1845 in Union County, SC; DOD: 7/20/1864 in Petersburg, VA) never married. In the 1860 Census, Edward is listed as "idiot". Although he was able to serve in the Civil War with 2 of his brothers and died in service.

9) Anderson Kennedy Harris, "Kanislau", "Kannaela", "A.K." Harris (DOB: 4/26/1848 in Union County, SC; DOD: 3/1928 in Union County, SC) married Sallie Austin (DOB: 9/1847 in SC; DOD: ? ). They had 2 children: Willie M. Harris, Oliver "Ollie" R. Harris. Anderson also had a child by his deceased brother's widow, Sarah Ann Bevill. This child was Robert Jackson Harris. Anderson's Civil War records list his name as Kennedy. Who ever wrote the names in Gamewell Harris' Family Bible could not spell and had it as Kanislau. Sarah Ann Bevill had knitted the 3 brothers socks and sent them. They were wearing them when they were in Petersburg. Anderson and Edward were there when the explosion occurred and Edward was killed. Anderson was buried up to his neck but he promised a plug of tobacco to a Yankee if he would dig him out so he survived. Anderson saw Edward's feet sticking out of the dirt with the socks from Sarah. That was how he identified him. He said "My brother is under that dirt because I know it by that sock."

"Captain Jacob Q. Carpenter Cp 1344
Sons of Confederate Veterans
'The Victory of a Soldier's Death'
Camp 1344 Sons of Confederate Veterans held it's regular monthly meeting at the home of Mike Bolin near Cherokee Creek Church for a barbecue chicken dinner. Guests of honor were a real son and a real daughter of Confederate soldiers. F.W. Strapp, F. Co. 18 CS Inf. R.B. Ramsey, son of W.D. Ramsey, gave an interesting talk on some of the stories his father, the Confederate soldier, told, when he was very young. There were about 40 people present at the meeting. The flags of the Confederacy and the flag of SC were prominently displayed. Because so many of those present were descendants of men who had been blown up by the great mine at Petersburg, the conversation drifted into a discussion of that incident which took place on the morning of 7/30/1864. From official reports it can be found that Elliott's Brigade, Johnson's Division, Anderson's Corps, held the strong point. It was composed of 17th, 18th, 23rd, 22nd, 26th and Holcomb SC Legion. From the casualty reports it would seem that the 18th was commanded by L-C W.B. Allison and the 22nd by Col. W.G. Burt. Two companies of the 18th were organized in what is now Cherokee County, N. of the Pacolet, one of which was "F" Company. "B" Company of the 22nd seems to have been made up largely of North of the Pacolet men as well. "B" Company must have been right over the charge for nearly half the company including it's captain were lost in the explosion. Part of the "F" Company, 18th SC was also buried in the explosion. Among them was Mike Bolin's, host for the meeting, grandfather, Edward Harris; his brother, Marion. While a second brother, Anderson, was covered by the explosion, he was dug out and captured. Bolin is shown in the accompanying picture in a Confederate General Officer's uniform. Anyone who had an ancestor who was involved in the "Battle of the Crater" mentioned above and who left some interesting stories about it is invited to write the stories down and send them to Lt. Col. David Quinn, 106 Carter Heights Drive, Gaffney, SC." Source: The Gaffney Leger, Wednesday, April 19, {page torn}, Page 8A

He was in the18th Infantry Regiment. It was assembled during the winter of 1861-1862 with men from Laurens County and other counties in the northwestern part of the state. After serving in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, it was ordered to Virginia. During the war it was assigned to General Evans', Elliott's, and Wallace's Brigade. The 18th fought at Second Manassas, South Mountain, and Sharpsburg, moved to North Carolina, then saw action at Jackson, Mississippi. Returning to South Carolina, it was involved in the operations around Charleston. During the spring of 1864 the unit was sent back to Virginia where it participated in the Petersburg siege north and south of the James River and the Appomattox Campaign. This regiment lost forty-nine percent of the 230 engaged at Second Manassas and had 3 killed and 39 wounded during the Maryland Campaign. In September, 1863, there were 363 present for duty and at the Petersburg mine explosion, 205 were disabled. It sustained many casualties at Sayler's Creek and surrendered 16 officers and 139 men. The field officers were Colonels James M. Gadberry and William H. Wallace, Lieutenant Colonels W.B. Allison and Ferinand Scaife, and Major Rolet J. Betsill.

According to the Union County, SC Death Notices from Early Newspapers 1852-1914, compiled by Tommy Vaughn, pg 12, 9/27/1878 (Union Times), "Henry Smith, son of Newell Smith, was killed by Anderson Harris on a difficulty Wednesday AM last (9/18/1878) on Mount Tabor Rd." In issue of 6/20/1879 Harris was found "not guilty". Some man was threatening one of Anderson's nephews (James Marion's son). Anderson told the man to stop and the man continued so Anderson hit him with a pick ax.

10) Havannah Ann Harris (DOB: 9/29/1851 in Union County, SC; DOD: 2/16/1911 in Union County, SC). She never married. She is buried at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church.

11) Thomas Harris (DOB: 5/26/1853 in Union County, SC; DOD: 10/21/1903 in Union County, SC ) married Polly Ann Petty (DOB: ? in ? ; DOD: 11/1899 in Hickory Grove, Union County, SC). They had one child that I'm aware of: Robert Harris.

12) Gamewell Calhoun Harris (DOB: 5/26/1853 in Union County, SC; DOD: 10/21/1933 in Union County, SC) married Sarah "Sallie" C. Brakefield (DOB: 4/18/1860 in Union County, SC; DOD: 3/6/1930 in Union County, SC) on 7/20/1876 in Union County, SC. They had 13 children. See the post on this website for more information on Gamewell and Sally. Gamewell Calhoun Harris

13) Mary Harris (DOB: abt 1854 in Union County, SC; DOD: ? in ? )

14) George Harris (DOB: abt 1855 in Uion County, SC; DOD: ? in ? )

If you have any comments, corrections or additonal information, please email me at Mom25dogs@gmail.com.

"Disunion" (Civil War History Series) in the New York Times

I'm going to sing the praises of The New York Times today, and note that since October 30, 2010, it has been publishing one of the best and most informative series of articles, mini-essays, and nonfiction stories (tales, in the older sense), under the title "Disunion," that I have read in any newspaper, journal or other periodical anywhere, ever. The pieces, along with a timeline, interactive maps and documents, and photos and engravings, commemorate the 150th anniversary of the breakup of the United States, in 1860, from period leading up to the election of Abraham Lincoln, to the chain of state secessions that provoked the four-year US Civil War (1861-1865). Each day one of several eminent and less well known historians, archivists and writers (Adam Goodheart, Ted Widmer, Susan Schulten, Jill Lepore, Jamie Malanowski, etc.) produces a short imaginative, usually narrative entry, based on their own or others' historical research, journalistic and archival documentation, and so forth, that fills in key gaps about how the North and South split, or rather, the cultural roots of the national divorce, in which North pressed its political, economic and sociocultural case to represent the nearly 100-year-old country's best interests, prevent its dissolution and end slavery, while the South hewed to the interests of its slave-owning leaders and began the process of secession to defend this odious institution. Some are more engaging than others, many incorporate the various trends underway in contemporary historiography (material, cultural and political history, the role of various discourses, the role of race and racism, feminist historiography to some degree, historical theorization and cultural theory, and quantitative methods), yet present vivid stories of our national unbecoming and becoming.

Others have focused on the particulars of candidate and then elected-but-not-yet-inaugurated new president Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican to hold office, shrewdly announced one approach publicly but manipulated his fellow party members behind the scenes; how Southern leaders, like Senators Jefferson Davis of Mississippi, James Henry Hammond of South Carolina, and Robert Toombs of Georgia, and plantocrats like Robert Barnwell Rhett, uttered rhetoric as harsh as any heard today espousing a desire to defend slavery at all costs, white supremacy as the social, cultural and political ideals of the Confederacy to come, and, in Toombs' case, the possible extermination of all black people if the Southerners did not get their way; how leading authors, like Walt Whitman and Herman Melville, discursively and creatively imagined this moment of national fracture; and how famous former US residents, like Giuseppe Garibaldi, a revolutionary in Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) the founding hero of a united Italy, were linked directly what was occurring on these shores.

In today's paper, Harvard historian Lepore historicizes Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride" to show how it was as much about preparation for the coming war as about the Revolutionary era hero, and writer and memoirist Edward Ball shows that South Carolina, the first southern state to secede (and which will celebrate the 150th anniversary of its secession tomorrow), made clear in its articles of secession that the right to enslave fellow human beings as property was central to its traitorous fissure.

One of Goodheart's entry, one of the most moving and riveting I have read yet, described Harriet Tubman's final pre-war journey south, to rescue her sister and niece and nephew in Maryland. Yet when Tubman learned that her sister had died and then her family members did not turn up at the appointed meeting place, Tubman helped a couple escape, which entailed a drama fitting of the best narrative poem or short story one might imagine (an allegedly "crazed" white man was repeated walking about and mumbling to himself in a clearing near where Tubman and the fugitives had hidden, and after a while Tubman realized he was giving them secret instructions about how to get away!). Tubman, the couple and their infant, who had to be drugged to remain quiet, did make it across the Mason-Dixon line, they heading on to Canada and she back to her home in Auburn, New York, and this story, which I have read about in more than one book, came to life for me again in a way that felt as fresh and thrilling as any version I'd heard of it before.
Yet another entry, Schulten's exceptional interactive entry, "Visualizing Slavery," discussed the demographic particulars of the slavocracy on the eve of the war, in 1860, with a superb map I have pored over. One could compare this to current racial-ethnic demographics as well as voting patterns and draw obvious conclusions.  My native state, Missouri, interestingly enough, had the second largest total population of any of the slave states (after Virginia) of over 1.1 million people, the second largest free population (mostly white), and the second smallest population, by percentage, of enslaved people (only Delaware's was smaller). That free white population by 1860, I know from my own reading and research, consisted of many immigrants from German-speaking Europe (many having fled after the failed Revolution of 1848) and Ireland, as well as a good number of internal migrants from upper South states like Kentucky, Tennessee, and western Virginia (which would, during the Civil War, become its own state). Though the article did not discuss this, it fascinates me to consider how Missouri's demographics accounted in part for why the state split during the Civil War, with a pro-Union governor and both its Congresspeople still in Washington, and a Confederate government in exile, in Texas.  It was to this government, another "Disunion" article noted, that Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, appealed for resolve, as the likely depredations of the looming war became ever clearer.  Missouri remains split, now mainly between the two Blue-Democratic urban-suburban poles (Saint Louis and Kansas City, and their surrounding counties/suburban areas) and the rest of the state, which is often mostly a sea of red (GOP-conservative). The parties have flipped, but the ethos, 150 years later, would not be so strange to residents of that earlier era....

The US slaveholding states, as of 1860 (Texas to Delaware)

I highly recommend reading as many of these pieces as possible. One thread that emerges clearly is Lincoln's steely, far-sighted skill as a tactician even before the War, and the utter failure of his predecessors, particularly James Buchanan (at right), as inept a president as ever held the office. However horrible we may consider George W. Bush, or notable ringers like Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Pierce, etc., none apparently compares to the extremely qualified but extremely ineffectual, feckless Pennsylvanian, who watched South Carolina, and then a handful of other states, threaten and then leave the United States, and responded with blandishments, a non-binding agreement and then silence, which only emboldened the other states thereafter. His cabinet also disintegrated apace. Lincoln, "spewed out of the bowels of Kentucky into Illinois," as the South Carolinian fire-eater Rhett labeled him, was quite aware of what would transpire if the Senate passed the Crittenden Act, which would have papered over the growing political rifts, or similar legislation, and pushed the country towards division, such that the federal government, through its military, would have to confront and end the slave system. How he did this was masterful, but as entry after entry demonstrates, it was bound and had to occur. In the best of hands, thankfully, the nation's fate landed, after a long stretch of some of the worst tenure imaginable.

It would be a great boon to all if the New York Times would pick other periods and other skillful scholars and writers to focus on. Concerning the US, perhaps the Gilded Age, or the Great Depression, or the Vietnam War, or, going further back, the pre-Revolutionary period, or the War of 1812, would be moments to choose. Historical periods outside the US, such as the era of European encounters with Africa and the New World beginning in the 1500s, or earlier moments of political, economic and cultural exchange between China, Japan, and Korea, or the revolutionary period in 19th century Latin America, say, might also be enlightening. The success of this series, which I suppose is still to be measured, might also point to the Times regularly publishing fiction, poetry, and other imaginative work, as well as accessible scholarship too. The blogging format is a good one for short pieces, and as the "Disunion" series demonstrates, when done well, it can provide news, 150 years old yet, as anything else appearing in a newspaper's pages.

John Barnes and Margaret Ratz

John Barnes and Margaret Ratz

John Barnes (Dob: 11/3/1816 in Rowan County (now Davidson County, NC; Dod: 9/19/1892 in Churchland, Davidson County, NC) was a son of Richard Gilmer Barnes, III and Fanny Johnston. He married Margaret Ratz, (aka Margaret Ratts, Margaret Rats, Margaret Rattz) (Dob: 10/30/1817 in Davidson County, NC; Dod: 1/7/1890 in Davidson County, NC) on 3/18/1841 in Boone, Davidson County, NC.

John's parents were members of the Piney Meeting House (now Churchland Baptist Church) and his father gave a small portion of land for the church. John inherited 160 acres of land from his father in 1839 and he built a two-story log house on Hwy #150 where they made their home. He was a farmer and an active member of county affairs, especially the church. When the Piney Meeting House split and became Churchland Missionary Baptist Church, John and Henry Clement gave 2 acres each to the church. He remained an active member until his death. He left no will so the land was divided among his 5 surviving children and his granddaughter, Sallie Fannie Barnes Greene.

1850 U.S. Census Slave Schedules
First column, Lines 22-23, "John Barnes"
John Barnes, 1, 40 yrs old, Female, Black
John Barnes, 1, 14 yrs old, Male, Black



1850 U.S. Census Northern Division,  Davidson County,  North Carolina; Roll:  M432_628; Page:  281B; Image:  127, Lines 23-28, "John Barnes"
John Barnes, 33 yrs old (DOB 1817), M(ale), W(hite), Farmer, $800 Real Estate Value, Born in NC
Margaret Barnes, 33 yrs old (DOB 1817), F, W, Born in NC
Sarah An Barnes (sic), 8 yrs old (DOB 1842), F, W, Born in NC
Hiram L. Barnes, 6 yrs old (DOB 1844), M, W, Born in NC
Charles A. Barnes, 4 yrs old (DOB 1846), M, W, Born in NC
John T. Barnes, 1 yrs old (DOB 1849), M, W, Born in NC



I did not find him in the 1860 Slave Schedule so he may not have had any slaves by 1860.

1860 U.S. Census Northern Division, Lexington,  Davidson,  North Carolina; Roll:  M653_895; Page:  358; Image:  188; Family History Library Film:  803895, Lines 20-28, "John Barnes"
John Barnes, 43 yrs old (DOB 1817), W(hite), M(ale), Farmer, $1,200 Real Estate Value, $585 Personal Estate Value, Born in NC
Margaret Barnes, 43 yrs old (DOB 1817), W, F, Dmst, Born in NC
Sarah Ann Barnes, 18 yrs old (DOB 1852), W, F, Dmst, Born in NC
Harrison Barnes, (sic), 15 yrs old (DOB 1855), W, M, Farm, Born in NC
Charles Barnes, 13 yrs old (DOB 1857), W, M, Born in NC
Lewis Barnes, 8 yrs old (DOB 1852), W, M, Born in NC
William Barnes, 5 yrs old (DOB 1855), W, M, Born in NC
James Barnes, 3 yrs old (DOB 1857), W, M, Born in NC



1870 U.S. Census Boone Township, Lexington Post Office,  Davidson County,  North Carolina; Roll:  M593_1134; Page:  18B; Image:  39; Family History Library Film:  552633, Lines 37-40, "John Barnes"
John Barnes, 53 yrs old (DOB 1817), M(ale), W(hite), Farmer, $700 Real Estate Value, $300 Personal Estate Value, Born in NC
Margaret Barnes, 53 yrs old (DOB 1817), F, W, Keeping House, Born in NC
Lewis Barnes, 18 yrs old (DOB 1852), M, W, Farm Hand, Born in NC
William Barnes, 11 yrs old (DOB 1859), M, W, Farm Hand, Born in NC
Margaret Smith, 17 yrs old (DOB 1853), F, W, Born in NC



1880 U.S. Census Boone,  Davidson County,  North Carolina; Roll:  961; Family History Film:  1254961; Page:  158B; Enumeration District:  36; Image:  0327, Lines 33-34, "John Bomer" (sic, should be John Barnes)
John Bomer, W(hite), M(ale), 62 yrs old (DOB 1818), Married, Farmer, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Margarett Bomer (sic), W, F, 62 yrs old (DOB 1818), Married, Keeping House, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC



The Civil War Roster of Davidson County, NC, by Christopher M. Watford, published by McFarland & Co, Inc., Jefferson, NC, Pg 21, #26, Barnes, John, Private, Company F, 76th Regiment NC Troops (6th NC Senior Reserves)
"John was born 11/3/1816 to Richard & Fannie Johnston Barnes in Rowan county (Davidson County). In 1839, John's father died and left him 160 acre tract of the family farm. John married Margaret Ratts in 1840 and built a two story house on the land. John & Margaret would have seven children:... With two sons already serving in the War, John enlisted in Hills Senior Reserves in May 1864. He served as a private in Co. F of the 6th NC Senior Reserves when it was organized in 1/1865 and saw limited action. After his time in service, he made a successful living on his farm. He and Henry Clement each donated 2 acres of land for Churchland Missionary Baptist. John died on 9/19/1892 leaving no will. His estate remained unsettled until 10/24/1893. He is buried at the Barnes Cemetery across the street from Churchland Baptist Church."


U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865
National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
Name: John BarnesSide: Confederate
Regiment State/Origin: North CarolinaRegiment Name: 5 North Carolina Senior Reserves.
Regiment Name Expanded: 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves
Company: C
Rank In: Private
Rank In Expanded: Private
Rank Out: Private
Rank Out Expanded: Private
Film Number: M230 roll 2


They had 8 children with only 6 living to adulthood:
1) Lewis Frances Barnes (Dob 10/1/1851 in Davidson County, NC; Dod 9/21/1934 in Davidson County, NC) married to Annah Elizabeth Brawley on 10/14/1875 in Davidson County, NC. This is my direct ancestor.

2) Hiram Lindsey Barnes aka H.L. Barnes (Dob: 4/4/1839 in Davidson County, NC; Dod: 9/7/1867 in Churchland, Davidson County, NC) married Harriett N. Simmerson on 2/22/1866 in Davidson County, NC. Hiram was shot twice in The War but he survived to continue fighting. He was at Appomattox Courthouse when Lee surrendered and had to walk back home from Virginia. When he got home he had mental problems due to The War and, though he tried to make a new life as a farmer with a new wife, he couldn't handle it and hung himself in his Daddy's home. It was 2 years after The War and during the terrible Reconstruction era. He left his 23 year old wife and 14 month old daughter to face life in a decimated South. He was the first person buried in the Barnes Cemetery. Since he was a suicide, he couldn't be buried in the church cemetery so the Barnes family started the Barnes Family Cemetery across the street from the church.

3) Sarah Ann Elizabeth Barnes (Dob: 1/3/1842 in Davidson County, NC; Dod: 1/22/1909 in Davidson County, NC) married Joseph Napoleon Davis on 1/4/1866 in Davidson County, NC.

4) Charles Adolphus Barnes (Dob: 1/11/1847 in Davidson County, NC; Dod: 9/6/1935 in Davidson County, NC) married Alice Joan Kinley on 6/25/1869 in Davidson County, NC.

Charles Adolphus Barnes and Alice Joan Kinley Barnes

5) John Thomas Barnes (Dob: 5/20/1849 in Davidson County, NC; Dod: 9/6/1935 in Davidson County, NC) married Sarah Jane Roberts on 12/22/1869 and married Mary C. Michael on 1/7/1897 both in Davidson County, NC.

6) William Henderson Barnes (Dob: 6/4/1854 in Davidson County, NC; Dod: 7/24/1943 in Davidson County, NC) married Sarah Elizabeth Kesler on 12/6/1876 in Davidson County, NC.

7) James Robertson Barnes (Dob: 3/14/1857 in Davidson County, NC; Dod: 9/27/1862 in Davidson County, NC)

8) John William Barnes (Dob: 12/27/1871 in Davidson County, NC; Dod: 12/17/1874 in Davidson County, NC)






John Barnes homeplace

Here is John Barnes Family Bible:








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