Pike County AlArchives Biographies.....Nichols, Kinchen Elias 1815 - 1877 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Kenny Shackleford KennyShackleford@aol.com January 23, 2006, 7:56 am Author: Kenny Shackleford KINCHEN ELIAS (ELLIS) NICHOLS, September 21, 1815 - July 01, 1877 Kinchen E. Nichols is believed to have been the last child of Conrad Nichols born September 21, 1815 in either Laurens or Edgewood County, South Carolina. Joe Russell Nichols in his research of 1932 stated that Kinchen E. was Kinchen Ellis Nichols. There is no Kinchen Ellis Nichols listed in any Census. With exception to the 1870 Pike County, Alabama Census he was listed as K. E. or Kinchen. In the 1870 Census he is listed as “Elias.” In the biography of Conrad it is written that Kinchen was taken into the home of a Mrs. Timmons after the death of Conrad and his wife. That is believed to have been about 1820. As stated, the only Timmons listed as “head of household” in the 1820 Laurens County Census is Catherine Timmons. Shortly after Kinchens’ adoption, he was moved to Alabama, to an area then called the "Dander Community". This community was located in what is now Pike County. Pike became a county in 1821, being formed from Montgomery and Henry County. It is not known if Kinchen was moved prior to this time. There are no Timmons listed in the 1830 Census for Pike County, Alabama. There are two Timmons families listed in neighboring Montgomery County. They are Jeremiah and Moses Timmons. Of interest in the 1840 Montgomery County Census is Kinchen with two females in the house. This is before he married. One female is 15 + and the other is about 40. Could this be Mrs. Timmons? Kinchen's brother William, as well as several relatives, moved through Pike County in the first half of the nineteenth century. Kinchen spent most of his life in this area, being raised totally uneducated. Kinchen married two times. He first married in Pike County January 05, 1840 to Hannah S. Carr, the daughter of Isaac and Rosanna Carr. She is listed as being born in Alabama about 1822 in the 1850 Pike County Census. Also listed in this Census is Kinchen, born 1819 in South Carolina; Deborah, born 1840; Joel, born 1842, Isaac, born 1845; and Judson, born 1848. In addition to those children listed in the 1850 Pike County Census the following are listed in the 1860 Pike County Census. They are: Julia A., born 1852; Jesse R., born 1854; Emma A., born 1856; and Christopher C., born 1858. A total of eleven children were born to Kinchen and Hannah. The one not listed in the Census is James A., born 1861. When the Civil War began in 1861, Kinchen was forty-five and not considered eligible for military service. However, the situation had changed for the South by 1862 as well as the eligibility and age requirements for service. Kinchen enlisted in the Confederate Army August 18, 1862 in Troy, Alabama. His first duty assignment was with the 1st Regiment of the Alabama Calvary, Company E. What action he may have seen with the 1st Alabama Calvary is unknown. On April 30, 1863, he was reassigned to the 2nd Battalion of the Georgia Sharpshooters, Company D. Serving with this unit; Kinchen was involved with many engagements with Union Forces, being wounded at "Pickett's Mill" in Dallas, Georgia during the Battle of Atlanta May 27, 1864. After medical release September 29, 1864, he was transferred to the "Invalid Corps" of the Confederate Provisional Army in Montgomery, Alabama. On the 17th of June 1865, he was pardoned by The United States Government and released to return home. The following is taken from the research of Joe Russell Nichols in the 1930s and tells the story of Kinchen when he was wounded. The two sides were camped near to each other and he was on picket duty. He saw a Yankee step from behind a tree and aim deliberately at him. Nichols at once raised his gun and was in the act of "drawing a bead" when the Yankee fired. The Yankee's bullet hit the end of grandfather's gun barrel and thus saved his head from getting the full effect of the deadly "Mini Ball". The bullet divided and lost its force, some of it striking his forehead and portions of hot lead passing under the gun and striking his hands. His left hand was permanently injured, having the two middle fingers drawn to the palm while the little finger stood out strait, leaving him the use of only the thumb and forefinger on the left had. When grandfather was shot he dropped his gun and a companion said to their sergeant, "Shoot that man that shot Nichols!" The sergeant replied, "Shoot him yourself, dam it, you have a gun there." It is not mentioned in this story what fate fell on the Union soldier. Hopefully he too survived. Disaster, always a close companion with Kinchen, never gave up its chase. Three days after his release from service, his wife Hannah died. The cause of death is unknown. It can be noted, however; that there was an epidemic of Small Pox in this area after the war, brought home by the returning troops of the South. Where Hannah is buried is unknown. She may be buried at the Good Hope Cemetery in Pike County. After her death a very close bond was forged between Kinchen and his surviving children. In December 1866, Kinchen married Martha Margaret Carroll-Reeves, a widow with five children. They were Cisero, Jim, Anna, Sam, and Nettie. Her former husband, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Reeves, was in action during the war at the "Battle of Port Houston". He is listed in the 1866 Pike County Population Schedule as death by sickness. Sam Reeves, one of her sons, left home and went to Texas after she married Kinchen and did not return until after his death. The rest remained with her and Kinchen. Six children were born to the union of Kinchen and Martha. Kinchen and Martha are listed in the 1870 Pike County, Alabama Census. As noted earlier Kinchen is listed as Elias, age 50, born in South Carolina. Martha is listed as Margaret, age 38, born in Alabama. The children of Kinchen and Hannah listed are: Lissame, listed as Louisana, age 19; Jessee, age 15; Emma, age 13; and Christopher, age 11. The children of Kinchen and Martha listed are: John a., age 9; Oscar, age 2. The children of Martha’s prior marriage are: William C. Reeves, age 15; James W., age 12; and Sarah E., age. Though Kinchen owned his own farm in the "Jaquin Community" northeast of Luverne, Alabama, he worked with Thomas Meadows, a son-in-law, at "The Murphree Plantation" near Luverne. Kinchen was an Overseer. It is likely that Margaret managed the farm and her children must have worked it. During this early period of "Reconstruction", making a living was very difficult, with every possible avenue of revenue being sought. Disaster finally caught up with Kinchen on Sunday, July 01, 1877. The following story, taken from a Troy, Alabama newspaper, paints a sad picture of Kinchen's last day. A SAD AFFAIR A Father and his Son go to a Watery Death in the Conecuh A very sad occurrence took place about five miles from town on Sunday morning last. Mr. Ellis Nichols and an old respected citizen of this county, who lives on the plantation of Mr. Joel D. Murpree, on the Conecuh River, accompanied by his son-in-law, Mr. Thomas Meadows and three of his sons went to the river to bathe after a week's work in the dusty farm. The place selected was a shallow sand bar adjoining a whole of some ten feet in depth/ Neither Mr. Nichols or Meadows were expert swimmers, and the boys could not swim at all. He instructed them to stay where the water was shallow while he and his son-in-law ventured where it was deeper. By the force of the current or other means one of the little boys, Oscar Nichols, got beyond his depth and was drowning when discovered by his father. Mr. Meadows immediately came to the rescue and was clinched by the drowning boy in such a manner as to be unable to swim out. At this crises, Mr. Nichols swam up to assist and was grasped by his son who released Mr. Meadows who in turn made his way to shallow water in a thoroughly exhausted condition Upon reaching a foot hold he turned to see the old man and his child, clasped in a deaths embrace, rise for the last time. He procured a pole and hurried out a log near where they sank with the vain hope that they might rise again, but they were gone forever. Neighbors were notified and after an hour or more the bodies were recovered and carried home to the heartbroken family who saw them go away a few hours before in perfect health. On Monday they were buried at Good Hope where Mr. Nichols had held membership. After Kinchen's death Martha sold their farm and moved to the "Hephzibah Community" near Troy, Alabama where she bought another farm. She is listed in the 1880 Pike County, Alabama Census with the following children: John, age 12; Pleasant, age 9; Payton, age 5; and Hinton, age 3. These are all children of Kinchen. Listed living next door in this census is the James Reeves family. Sam, Martha’s son from her marriage to Carrol Reeves, returned home from Texas to help her with the farm after Kinchen’s death. Martha died February 02, 1892 and was buried at the Spring Hill Cemetery on Highway 87, south of Troy, Alabama. NOTE: The 1st AL CAL was formed at Montgomery, Alabama 12 November 1861 with companies recruited from Autauga, Butler, Calhoun, Dale, Mobile, Montgomery, Monroe, Morgan, Pike, and Tallapoosa Counties. The Nichols who were mustered into service at that time were; Arthur, Benjamin (a cousin to Kinchen), Jasper, Alfred, David, Edward, General Morgan, Issac (Kinchen's son), Jacob, James, Larry, and Stephen Nichols. This muster was in 1861; Kinchen didn't enlist until 1862. Crenshaw County, a reconstruction county, was formed in 1866 from parts of Pike and Butler County. Additional Comments: Children of Kinchen and Hannah 41. Deborah Nichols 42. Joel Nichols 43. Rosina Nichols 44. Isaac Monroe Nichols 45. Judson C. (Jud) Nichols 46. Lithainiah (Seamy) Nichols 47. Julia Ann Nichols 48. Jesse Robert (Bob) Nichols 49. Emma Nichols 50. Christopher Columbus Nichols 51. James Nichols Children of Kinchen and Martha 52. John A. Nichols 53. Oscar Nichols 54. Pleasant Nichols 55. Payton Nichols 56. Jeptha Nichols 57. Carroll Hinton Nichols File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/pike/bios/nichols32bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/alfiles/ File size: 10.8 Kb