GREENE COUNTY, TN - BIOGRAPHIES - John Kerbaugh, 1783-1856 ----¤¤¤---- John Kerbaugh, the father of Kathryn Kerbaugh Johnson, was the son of George Kerbaugh and Catherine (probably Katrina) Lingenfelter. John was born in Virginia in 1783 and came with his parents and some of his siblings to Greene County, TN about 1803. The father, George, died intestate in Greene County in 1805. Not until 1831, when his son, John, petitioned the Greene County Courts, do we have a complete roster of John's brothers and sisters. From the 1830 Greene County Census, we find brothers John, Jacob, George Jr., and Daniel in Greene County, but other brothers and sisters remained unknown. On April 28, 1831, John petitioned the Courts to divide up his father's land among the heirs. The mother, Catherine Lingenfelter Kerbaugh, had died sometime before 1830 as she is not in the Census. From John Kerbaugh's petition, we learn the names of John's brothers and sisters. The Court Petition is transcribed and may be read at our website WWW.JOHNSONFAMILYHISTORY.ORG. John Kerbaugh married Elizabeth Wampler in Greene County on 3-25-1821. Elizabeth was John's second wife. Previously, John Kerbaugh had married Peggy Morrison in Greene County on 10-01-1808. By 1813, John had enlisted in the War of 1812. You can read about his wartime experiences as described by John and others (two of whom are his brothers, Jacob and George Jr.) in John's Pension Application papers that have been transcribed and are also at our website. John and Betsey Wampler Kerbaugh lived in Civil District 8 in Greene County, possibly near Batts Branch (of Lick Creek). The 1830 Census (page 178) provides us with a mirror in time of John's 1830 household. John is age 40 to 49 (born c. 1781-1790), and Betsey is age 20 to 29 (born c. 1801 - 1810). (In the 1850 Census, Betsey/Elizabeth's age is given as 48, born 1802; In the 1860 Census, her age is given as 65, born in 1795.) Other members of John's 1830 household were: Males: 1, age 15 to 19 (born 1811-1814). 1, age 20 to 29 (born 1801 to 1809). Either or both of these boys could be John's sons by John's first wife, Peggy Morrison. One of these boys is John M. Kerbaugh, who is named in John's Will. If both of these males in the 1830 Census are John's sons, then one had died before 1855. It is possible that one of these young males is a nephew or even perhaps a laborer on John's farm. There are no marriage records in Greene County for any of John's sons. Females:1, age 0 to 4 (born 1826 - 1830) 2, age 5 to 9 (born 1821 to 1825) 1, age 10 to 14 (born 1816 to 1820) Page 2 The youngest three daughters would be by John's second wife, Elizabeth. One of the girls in the 5 to 9 age range is Kathryn, who would later marry Christopher Cooper Johnson. Another girl COULD be P. M. Carbaugh who married Thomas Hunter in Greene County in 1850; however, the spelling of the surname as "Carbaugh" probably indicates she is a daughter of John's brother, Daniel, who appears to have selected this spelling for the surname. The oldest girl, would be by John's first wife, Peggy, if she is indeed a daughter. Another "unidentified" marriage in Greene County is for Mary Kerbaugh who married Charles Lowery in 1837. We do not know for certain that all of these girls born before 1830 are John's daughters. The daughter, Kathryn, who married Christopher Cooper Johnson, and who went to Illinois with the Johnson family is the only CONFIRMED daughter of those born before 1830. It is possible some of the girls did not survive childhood. Also in the Greene County 1830 census are three of John's younger brothers: Page 177: Daniel, age 30 - 40, with six children in his household (1 male and 5 girls) Page 178: Jacob, age 30-40, with three children in his household (2 males and 1 girl) Page 182: George JR, age 30-40, with three children in his household (2 males and 1 girl) Since George Jr. was not married until August 1829, only the 2 males, both age 0 to 4, could be his sons; and they must be twins (unless there is a prior marriage for George Jr., not recorded in Greene County). By the 1840 Census, only one brother is listed, and he is George Junior. Neither John nor his brothers, Jacob and Daniel, are listed. In the earlier 1830 census, both John and Jacob lived side by side. There is no evidence to suggest that these brothers had temporarily left Greene County. It is more probable that some of the 1840 census pages are missing. By 1850, John and his brother, Jacob, are still in Greene County. John's three younger children, all born after 1830, are still in his household. These younger children are Sarah, "Eureba", and William W. An older daughter, Kathryn had married Christopher Cooper Johnson on 12-31-1840 and resides with her own family. John's oldest sons by his first wife are no longer in Greene County by 1850. By the time of the 1850 Census, John had been trying to obtain a Disability Pension for several years. John had been a soldier in the War of 1812, and he had been severely disabled as a young man. John enlisted on 7-25-1813. At the time of his enlistment, he was married and had two young sons. This seems to be very strange that John would join to fight in a war. It is POSSIBLE John's first wife, Peggy Morrison, had died by the time of his enlistment. This we do not know. Only a few short months after his enlistment, John was captured by the British on 12-19-1813. While a prisoner, John was severely injured and these injuries plagued him until the time of his death. John's pension papers from the National Archives have been obtained and are transcribed on our website, WWW.JOHNSONFAMILYHISTORY. ORG. Finally, in 1853, Congress awarded John a pension, $5.33 per month. Reading the letters and affidavits associated with John's pension application is like reading a history book. Mordecai Lincoln, a relative of later President Lincoln (AND a slave owner!!), attests as a Justice of the Peace. John writes to his Congressman, Andrew Johnson, who would later become President. It appears that Andrew Johnson actually was responsible for John finally receiving his pension after eight years of correspondence. By the close of 1855, John was a very sick man. He signed his Will with an "X" on 11-25-1855. John was literate. His Pension application and letters were all signed by him. Yet, as death approached, John signed his Will by making his mark. In John's Will, he named only two sons, John M. and William W. He did not name his daughters. By November 1855, John is very well aware his family is discussing a migration westward. John's Will is very poignant. For some reason, John placed very great emphasis on a "little Page 3 waggon" which was to remain in the family. John's Will is transcribed on page 14 of the Newsletter. Perhaps it was this "little waggon" that brought John's family from Virginia to Greene County, Tennessee, so many years before. We will never know. Although not mentioned in John's Will, we do know John and Elizabeth had at least three (surviving??) daughters: (1) Kathryn, born c. 1822. Kathryn would have been the first born child of John and Elizabeth Wampler Kerbaugh. On 12-31-1840, Kathryn married Christopher Cooper Johnson, son of Zopher Jr. and Phebe Cooper Johnson. Kathryn and Christopher migrated to Illinois with their young family and Christopher's parents in 1853/54. Whether Kathryn's mother went with them is open to speculation; however, Elizabeth Wampler Kerbaugh was definitely in Hamilton County, IL by the 1860 census. Both Kathryn and her husband, Christopher, and a young son, met early deaths during the Civil War in Memphis, TN in the Fall of 1862. In the prior year, Christopher Cooper Johnson had enlisted with IL 40, Company A, as did their oldest son, James A. Johnson. (Fortunately, James A. survived the War, else I would not be here!) Upon the deaths of both parents, Kathryn and Christopher's three minor children, Zopher Alexander, Phebe Adeline and Sarah Ann were orphans. By the time all of the paperwork was processed, only Sarah Ann received an orphan pension until she reached majority. Christopher is buried in the National Cemetery in Memphis, TN. Kathryn Kerbaugh Johnson is not buried in the National Cemetery. We have been unable to learn where she is buried. (Refer to the April 2003 Newsletter for more information on the sad stories of Christopher Cooper and Kathryn Kerbaugh Johnson.) (2) Sarah, born 12-7-1834. Sarah married Joshua Campbell in Greene County on 5-23-1853. This family also left Greene County, but they did not go with Sarah's sister, Kathryn, to Illinois. Sarah and Joshua migrated to Washington State. After having thirteen children, Sarah died on 7-20-1885. She is buried in the Colton City Cemetery in Whitman County, Washington. (3) Ensebia/Eureba, or" Euselia", born c. 1840. Ensebia married Solomon Page in Hamilton County, IL on 12-26-1858. In the 1860 census, Ensebia and her husband, Solomon, have one child, "Theriza" who is not yet one year old. By 1864, Solomon would be dead. Solomon was mustered into IL 40th on August 27, 1861. Solomon's brother-in-law, Christopher Cooper Johnson, husband of Kathryn Kerbaugh Johnson, was mustered in on August 26. Both Solomon and Christopher must have marched off to join the war together. (Christopher's son, James A. Johnson had been mustered in two weeks earlier on August 12.) Solomon was sick and left in Memphis, TN on October 11, 1863. Somehow, some way, Solomon made it back home to his wife and child. He died in Macedonia, IL on February 10, 1864. We do not know for certain what became of Ensebia. It is possible she remarried to H. C. Hargroves. This is as yet unconfirmed. However, there is one intriguing aspect of this possible remarriage. This family is in the 1880 Census of Hamilton County, IL, living near other family members. From the births of their children, Ensebia would have remarried in 1865. The oddity, is that their older children were born in Tennessee. If this is Ensebia Kerbaugh, it appears very possible that perhaps she (AND maybe her mother, Elizabeth Wampler Kerbaugh) left Illinois and went back to Tennessee possibly before the Civil War was over. It is more than possible that the elderly Mother, Elizabeth Wampler Kerbaugh, and her young widowed daughter, Ensebia, went to live with relatives. The son, William W., had also enlisted and he was with IL 41. How would this family have been supported with all of their men dead or off fighting in the War? We do not know when Ensebia died. By referring to the marriages which took place in Greene County, TN, there are two girls who COULD be daughters. One would be by John's first wife, Peggy. The other, would be by his second wife, Elizabeth: (4) On 11-23-1837, Mary Kerbaugh married Charles Lowery. There is some reason to believe she is John's daughter. This family is still in Greene County in the 1850 Census, living only two households away from John's brother, Jacob Kerbaugh. Page 4 (5) Much later, on 1-6-1850, a "P. M." Carbough married Thomas Hunter. This family is NOT in the 1850 census, which was taken in September. By 1850, the spelling of the surname was still spelled different ways. Brother John is enumerated with the "Kerbaugh" spelling, and brother, Jacob, is enumerated using the spelling of "Carbaugh". Because "P. M." is using the "Carbough" spelling, I do not believe she is a daughter of John. I believe it is more likely she is a daughter of John's brother, Daniel, who appears to have also adopted the "Carbough" spelling of the surname. It is possible that "P. M." is a daughter of Jacob; however, his descendants do not include her in the list of his children. Because of John Kerbaugh's Will, we know that by the time of his death, he had only two (surviving??) sons: (1) John M. John M. would have been the oldest and possibly first born son. His mother was Peggy Morrison. There is no marriage in Greene County, TN for John. I believe he is found in the 1880 Census of Lauderdale, Tennessee. He is age 69 (born 1811), which certainly agrees to the earlier 1830 Census. John M. has a wife and five children in his 1880 household, ranging from age 30 to age 3. The first four children were all born in North Carolina. The youngest, age 3, is born in Tennessee (1877). We know that John's son, John M., was not in Greene County in 1850. Perhaps he had gone to North Carolina by 1850 where he was married??? (2) The other son was William W. There is a discrepancy on William's year of birth. In the 1880 census, his birth year is given as 1844; yet in his Civil War enlistment papers, his year of birth is given as 1837. Perhaps he gave a false age so that he could enlist. We do not know. William W. came to Illinois, and he is living with his mother, Elizabeth Wampler Kerbaugh, in his sister, Ensebia Kerbaugh Page's 1860 household in Hamilton County, IL. John enlisted in IL 41stin August , 1861. He is described as being five foot, seven inches tall, with blue eyes and light hair and light complexion. This physical description is not unexpected. Both the Kerbaugh and Wampler families were of PURE German descent. (Both families' histories have been researched from the time of immigration from Germany to PA in the mid-1700's.) William's physical description may give us an idea as to what his father, John Kerbaugh, looked like. William served three years until November 1864 and survived the war. Upon returning to Illinois, John married the first time to Martha Pope. After her death, he remarried to Mahala Sinks. William had seven children, one of whom died in infancy. Of William's seven children, only one was a son, who he named William E. (based on the Hamilton Co., IL 1880 census). There is some dispute as to William Jr.'s middle name. Some, say it is William "Sherman"; The transcription of his tombstone says William "M". William did not marry (based on his obituary). His tombstone at Bethel Cemetery in Hamilton County, IL, as transcribed, gives his year of death as 1912; however, the extract of his obituary in Felty's "Legacy of Kin", has a date of death in 1923. One of these records is in error, and since William Jr. did not marry, I would GUESS the earlier date of 1912 is the correct one. There is no indication other family members are buried at Bethel Cemetery. We do not know when the father, William W., died nor where he is buried. A picture of the William W. Kerbaugh family is included on Page 17 of the Newsletter. With the death of William Jr., son of William W., son of John and Elizabeth Wampler Kerbaugh, that ended the John Kerbaugh male line in Illinois. There are some Kerbaugh/Kerbough (or variation of this surname) who can be found in Illinois, but these are not the descendants of John Kerbaugh. These Kerboughs would be descendants of John's younger brother, Jacob Kerbaugh. Several of Jacob's children also left Tennessee and migrated to Illinois, settling in McLean County. There are still many "mysteries" surrounding John Kerbaugh and his wife, Elizabeth Wampler. We do not know where either of them are buried, nor do we know when Elizabeth Wampler Kerbaugh died. The last reference we have of her is on April 30, 1863, when she gave an affidavit for pensions for her daughter, Kathryn Kerbaugh Johnson's, three orphaned children. Page 5 From a 1929 Newspaper interview of James A. Johnson, the oldest son of Christopher and Kathryn Kerbaugh Johnson, the article infers his grandmother, Elizabeth Wampler Kerbaugh, migrated with the family in 1853/1854. If this was indeed the case, then Elizabeth, did return to Greene County at least for a short time. On September 8, 1857, Elizabeth Kerbaugh was appointed by the Greene County Courts to be guardian of the minor children, William W. and "Euseba" Kerbaugh. Allen T. Johnson was the Security. (No relationship to our Johnson family, but a neighbor of the Kerbaugh family.) By the 1860 Census, Elizabeth Wampler Kerbaugh did indeed arrive in Hamilton County, IL where she and her son, William W., resided with her daughter, Ensebia Kerbaugh Page. Sadly, we do not know where either John Kerbaugh or his wife, Elizabeth Wampler Kerbaugh, are buried. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Stevie Hughes Stevie1302@aol.com ___________________________________________________________________