GREENE COUNTY, TN - CEMETERIES - Kidwell Cemetery ----¤¤¤---- Preface Between 1965 and 1967, Mr. Buford F. Reynolds visited many Greene County, TN cemeteries and transcribed the grave stones. After his death, a group of his friends published his manuscript in 1971. A copy of the manuscript was on file at the T. Elmer Cox genealogy center in Greeneville, TN. In addition to the Buford Reynolds Manuscript, I found another record at the genealogy center. This document gave the history of the Kidwell Cemetery, and in addition, at the bottom of the page were handwritten names of those buried there. In July 2001, I visited the cemetery. I noticed several tombstones were not listed in the Buford Reynolds Manuscript. I do not know why. One of those missing from this manuscript is the grave of Zopher Johnson, who has a D.A.R. Grave marker. Included below are all names, from all of the above sources, of those interred at historic Kidwell Cemetery. History of Kidwell Cemetery (from the handwritten manuscript, source unknown.) Kidwell Cemetery was begun in 1800 with a log meeting house, heated by a large fireplace in one side, which was used as a school, church, and a community center. After a meeting one night in 1890, the log building caught fire and burned. Then a brick church was built on the Baileyton Road and 1/4 mile north, as Hardin's Chapel. The old Kidwell Cemetery is taken care of with a trust fund administrated by Hardins Chapel church. Nancy Johnson Elrod made a deed for the cemetery ground of the old Kidwell Cemetery. Johnsons, Browns, Hardins, Gass, Armitages, Cox, Kidwells, Foulks, Cradock and others are buried in the old cemetery, also slaves. Kidwell Cemetery is on land that is part of a land grant from the State of North Carolina to Thomas Stanfield for 606 acres made on November 10, 1784, including an old indian camp, 2 miles north from Greeneville, Tennessee on Baileyton Road. Comments I visited the Cemetery in July 2001. At that time, I met Mr. Edward Doughty, retired school teacher and local historian. Mr. Doughty is descended of the Cox and Gass families, also interred at Kidwell. He told me that for many years, the Cemetery had been long neglected. Some time ago, Mr. T. Elmer Cox, for whom the Greeneville Genealogy Center is named, asked a group of concerned people to save and restore the cemetery. Today, although the Cemetery lies in the midst of a cow pasture, the Cemetery is fenced off. There are many unidentified gravesites, marked only with field stones. In this historic cemetery rest several Revolutionary War soldiers, including our Zopher Johnson (Sr). The Revolutionary War soldiers have D.A.R. Tombstones. These D.A.R. Markers were already in place when the Cemetery was reclaimed from nature and restored in the mid-1980's. There were no visible signs of the original gravestones. Only the D.A.R. Markers remain. The removal (??) of the original markers does give me some concern regarding the accuracy of the information preserved for posterity. Also giving me concern is so many of the names with D.A.R. Markers for Revolutionary War service that are clearly visible in the cemetery today, are not included in the transcription by Buford F. Reynolds. The Reynold's transcriptions occurred during the 1960's. This would indicate to me that the D.A.R. Tombstones were not present at Kidwell Cemetery during this time period and were erected between 1967 and the mid- 1980's. This would also indicate to me that the original tombstones were either not readable (??) or were not there entirely (??) when the cemetery was transcribed by Mr. Reynolds between 1965 and 1967. Zopher Johnson (Sr)'s grave marker is not in a family plot. There is no indication that other family members are buried at Kidwell. Zopher's nearest "neighbor" at Kidwell is Revolutionary War soldier, Matthew Cox. I personally believe that although no other family members have markers at Kidwell Cemetery, that it is most probable they are buried there in unmarked graves. These family members would include Zopher's wife, and probably his two sons, John who died in 1855/56, and Joseph who died after 1850; and daughter, Marsy Johnson Foster, who died in 1850. These children of Zopher Sr. have not been found in any of the transcribed cemetery records in Greene County. The lack of an identified gravesite for these family members indicates to me they are most likely buried at Kidwell Cemetery, along with the patriarch, Zopher Johnston/Johnson Sr., but their grave markers have been forever lost to us. Part 1: From the handwritten notes on the "History of Kidwell Cemetery" and observations from my visit SURNAME GIVEN MAIDEN Birth Death RELATIONSHIP COMMENT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COX MATTHEW 1732 1809 DAR MARKER IN PETER HODGES CO. UNDER GEORGE WASHINGTON WITH THE VA (MATTHEW IS NOT IN THE REYNOLD'S LISTING) TROOPS IN FRENCH & INDIAN WARS. WAS IN BATTLE OF "GREAT MEADOWS". THE SALISBURY DISTRICT IN NO. CAROLINA. MARKER SAYS: "REVOLUTIONARY WAR CONTINENTAL LINE" JOHNSON ZOPHER 1754 1839 DAR MARKER GILKERSON'S CO., TENN MILITIA, REVOLUTIONARY WAR (MARKER) (ZOPHER IS NOT IN THE REYNOLD'S LISTING) IN REVOLUTION IN VIRGINIA (HANDWRITTE NOTES) MCFARIN JAMES DAR MARKER IN REVOLUTION IN VIRGINIA (MCFARIN IS NOT IN THE REYNOLD'S LISTING) BROWN DAVID 1750 1843 DAR MARKER REVOLUTIONARY WAR, NO. CAROLINA (HANDWRITTEN NOES ALSO SAY IN VA) (DAVID BROWN IS NOT IN THE REYNOLD'S LISTING) COMMENT: HE COULD BE SON OF OLD JOTHEM BROWN??? KIDWELL JOSHUA 1836 SEE REYNOLD'S LISTING COX ELISHA SEE REYNOLD'S LISTING IN CIVIL WAR CO. D 86H REGIMENT, TN INFANTRY FOULKS W.B. SEE "FULKS" IN REYNOLDS LIST IN CIVIL WAR CO. A 3RD REGIMENT MORGAN JOSHUA SEE REYNOLD'S LISTING IN CIVIL WAR, CO. A 4TH TN INFANTRY WILLET PHILLIP SEE REYNOLD'S LISTING CIVIL WAR CO. B, 8TH TN CAVALRY HARDIN JOHN SEE REYNOLD'S LISTING IN WAR 1812 ARMITAGE JOHN SEE REYNOLD'S LISTING IN WAR 1812 PART 2: FROM THE BUFORD F. REYNOLD'S LISTING SURNAME GIVEN MAIDEN Birth Death RELATIONSHIP COMMENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARMITAGE JOHN 5-16-1792 5-3-1848 ELIZABETH 3-20-1800 9-18-1872 WIFE ALFRED 2-12-1822 9-16-1867 GEORGE 5-19-1854 10-17-1882 MARY E. 8-5-1858 8-23-1867 EMILY 7-1-1861 5-18-1866 CRADDOCK ELIZABETH HARDIN 12-1-1842 4-9-1878 D/O CORNELIUS HARDIN, WIFE OF DAVID CHARLES 1881 3/10/05 COX MATTHEW 1-9-1815 4-14-1884 S/O ELIAKIM COX NANCY CARTER 4-14-1814 8-17-1892 D/O ELISHA CARTER W/O MATTHEW MARY 7-7-1852 9-7-1859 DAUGHTER ?? 11-19-1819 2-17-1839 ELISHA 1-9-1842 5/18/07 S/O MATTHEW & NANCY COX KATHERN THOMPSON 10/26/07 W/O ELISHA, D/O ABSALOM THOMPSON JESSIE FEAN 12-21-1872 1-21-1875 DAUGHTER INFANT 2-7-1882 DIXON ROSS 5/7/00 2/2/01 S/O OF CHAS. & P.A. VERGIL 1906 1907 S/O OF CHAS, & P.A. FULKS CORP. W.B. CO. A 3RD TENN MTD. INF. SELINAE 12-17-1848 6-9-1876 WIFE GASS JOHN 11-10-1830 4/26/14 CLARISSA HARDIN 11-10-1833 5-15-1869 D/O OF CORNELIUS HARDIN. WITH HER SLEEPS OUR INFANT BABE 5-15-1869 CORNELIOUS H. 11-2-1857 9-5-1882 SON ELENDER 1-13-1862 3-22-1886 DAUGHTER NANCY MILLER 7-17-1832 9-25-1897 2ND WIFE OF JOHN D/O CORNELIUS MILLER CHARLES 1868 5-30-1896 SON CHARLES 9-17-1836 2-14-1891 BETHIRIE H. 2-5-1838 8-17-1892 WIFE HARDIN JOHN 11-25-1788 12-25-1844 S/O JOHN & REBECCA CARTER HARDIN CLARISSA NEWMAN 10-24-1787 10-4-1873 WIFE; D/O CORNELIUS NEWMAN JACOB 4-28-1814 11-15-1852 S/O JOHN ABIGAIL M. 10-16-1812 1-10-1873 WIFE CORNELIUS 1-10-1809 8-18-1873 S/O JOHN ANNIE COX 12-13-1813 4-19-1895 W/O CORNELIUS; D/O ELIAKIM COX REBECCA 7-21-1851 5-29-1855 DAUGHTER MARY ANN 5-11-1841 7-5-1851 DAUGHTER MARY 9-13-1872 , AGE 35-6-25 COMMENT: THIS AREA ALONG BAILEYTON ROAD WHERE KIDWELL CEMETERY IS LOCATED WAS KNOWN AS THE HARDIN CHAPEL COMMUNITY. THE CHURCH REBUILT AFTER THE KIDWELL MEETING HOUSE BURNED IS NAMED HARDIN CHAPEL HARMON JOHN 1-12-1822 7/24/00 TEMPERENCE 12-22-1832` 9-12-1873 WIFE PETER A. 2-1-1853 1-19-1889 ELENDER 2-14-1845 2-11-1891 WIFE IDA ALLICE 11-22-1877 DAUGHTER AGE 5 MOS. PETER J. 2-25-1860 6/4/24 HULSE MARTHA 8-12-1873 W/O E.P. AGE 38-2-2 JOHNSON R.P. (POWEL) 3-2-1837 9-27-1891 CATHERINE HARDIN 3-9-1850 8-17-1889 W/O R.P.; D/O CORNELIUS HARDIN GROVER C. 1-16-1885 6-4-1896 SON COMMENT: R.P. (ROBERT POWELL) JOHNSON HAS BEEN TENTATIVELY IDENTIFIED AS THE SON OF WILLIAM JOHNSON WHO WAS A SON OFJAMES AND ABIGAIL JOHNSON. JAMES JOHNSON IS THE PROBABLE SON OF JOSEPH JOHNSON, ESQUIRE, AND ANN STANFIELD (STANFIELD GRANT). JOSEPH JOHNSON, ESQUIRE, LIVED IN C.D. #14 IN 1836. OUR JOHNSON FAMILY LIVED IN C.D. #12. THE R.P. JOHNSON FAMILY IS BURIED IN A SEPARATE PLOT SOME DISTANCE FROM ZOPHER'S GRAVESITE. KIDWELL JOSHUA 1836 REVOLUTIONARY WAR VETERAN ? 7-15-1807 AGE 25 OR 35? POLLY 7-15-1772 8-13-1839 ELIJAH 1-26-1802 7-28-1842 POLLY 1-24-1798 1-18-1863 WIFE JOHN 3-20-1809 3-17-1888 NELLIE 8-27-1818 6-29-1880 WIFE SARAH MARGET 8-15-1856 9-14-1873 D/O JOHN & ELENDER SALLIE 10-15-1833 6-18-1840 NANCY J. 7-4-1849 4-4-1887 E.K. 1812 (I do not know of this is date of birth or date of death??) MORGAN JOSHUA CO. A 4TH TENN. INFANTRY MYERS INFANT 10-?-1892 S/O C.V. AND MARGARET HENSLEY MYERS MILLER MELVINA 7-23-1886 6-7-1887 S/O G.E. AND R.J. OLER WINNIE A. 1-24-1894 2/2/11 SHANKS SUSANA 6-2-1846 1-24-1868 W/O GEO. M.D. WHITSON FANNIE F. 7-12-1894 8-15-1898 D/O J.Q. AND E.J. WILLET PHILLIP CO. B. 8TH TENN. CAV. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------