GEORGE URVIN RICHARDSON JEFFCOAT - Collin County, TX ***************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net Director of the Computer Interest Group, ETGS 5 April 2002 ***************************************************************** Originally published in the East Texas Family Records, Volume 2, Number 1, Spring 1978, by East Texas Genealogical Society. A PART OF MY LIFE - GEORGE URVIN RICHARDSON JEFFCOAT Samuel Jeffcoat was my grandfather. He had eight sons, Richard, Jacob, Samuel, Daniel, Edward, John, Benjamin and Elijah. My father had one girl that died in infancy. Samuel Jeffcoat was from England. Father was born in Lexington District, South Caroline in 1782. Moved to Alabama in 1848, died in Pike County, Alabama in 1857. My mother was a McAdams, Scotch Irish from Scotland. She was born March 11, 1801 and died in 1885 in Collin County, Texas. Her father's name was Thomas McAdams. He had six sons. They were George, Thomas, Robert, Wesley, James, and Epram. He had two daughters, Patient and Elizabeth (my mother). Father had two wives. By his first wife he had two boys, Johnson and Allen and four daughters, Garusha, Tatsy, Tally, and Harriett. By his last wife he had eight sons, Duff, Elijah, Banjamin, George, Jasper, Morgan, William, and Robert. The daughters were Sarah, Elizabeth, Charity, Arra, Elenair, and Margaret. I was born October 16, 1834 in South Carolina, Lexington District on Eaista River. I emigrated to Alabama in 1849, then to Texas in 1867. In January I was married to Sarah McAdams in Pike County, Alabam in 1855. On April 2, 1862, I joined the confederate army--Hillards Legion-- captured artilary Company A. The company divided and we was sharp shooters. Dave Harrell was captain. We drilled at Montgomery, Alabama, thence to Atlanta, Georgia, thence to Cumberland Gap, Tennisee, thence to Knoxville, thence to Clinton, Tennisee, thence to Maclamen Cave. There we had a tilt with the yankees, then into Kentucky with General Boggs' army, thence back to Cumberland Gap, thence to Knoxville, Tennissee, thence to Chickmorge* Battlefield, on September 1863. The battle raged for two days, my company lay on the battlefield till Tuesday--from Thursday. I helped to fight that battle. The yankees retreated back to Knoxville, Tennissee. Longstreet besieged Burnsides army there and Sherman moved on us and Longstreet retreated. On the 29th of November, 1 was captured at Knoxville, Tennisee and im­prisoned there for three weeks. General Longstreet was at Strawberry Plains and we had to go througb the mountains to Lexington, Kentucky on foot. We had corn issued to us for rations. Some had no shoes or coat (I for one) and it was freezing weather. Tho I was a Sargent, here I was Captain of one hundred prisoners. We went from there to Louisville, Kentucky. We were put in prison there. On the last day of Decimber 1863, we crossed the Ohio River. The rain was pouring on us and we were as wet as could be, and a blizzard was raging. They put us in a box car without any blankets. Many of us still had no shoes or coats and there was no fire. We had nothing to eat and were two days enroute to Rock Island Prison. Then they issued us two days rations and we weer six days going there. On the first day of January 1864 the road was covered with snow. They had to take snow plows to clean the snow off the tracks. The second day they put us in coaches with stoves in them. There were five hundred and ten of us when they pulled us into Marrietta, Indiana. The churches gave us a good meal. The third day we went on. At one point, one of the prisoners hollered, "Are there any Masons here, I am hundgy". I will say before the train pulled out that fellow had something to eat. We got to Rock Island on the 6th of January 1864. The wind was sharp and the snow was knee deep. They put us off the train and kept us until they called five hundred of our names and we were freezing. Then we went on two miles to the prison. As we entere4 the prison corridor of one hundred sixty-four barracks box bouses, I saw two heaters, red hot. I thought Eurika, I have found it at last. Some of the men suffered from their feet and ears being frost bitten. Some of them were sick, but sympathy had fled, there was no mercy. The Mississippi River was all around us and was frozen so solid that wagons could cross. Sometimes we could hear the firing of guns, and knew that some poor prisoner was killed, maybe on his bunk. We slept on bunk board scaffolds. There was four men to the bunk and we had four blankets, two to sleep on and two cover with. Our rations for three hundred sixty-five days a year consisted of seven or eight ozs. of bakers bread, meat likewise, and one spoonful of corn chops per day. We never saw a woman or child from September 1863 to March 1865; you can see what a temper we were in. I had my old trouble of gallstones passing while I was a prisoner some- times for a week at a time. The two governments agreed to exchange sick prisoners. I came through to Richmond Virginia on the sick list, stayed in parole camps a bit, then got a parole for thirty days. I got home the 27th of March 1865. Before my parole was out, Lee surrendered. My wife and children were nearly on sufferage, almost destitute. When I left them they had plenty. My wife was alone, no father, mother, brother, or sister. She had no money, I had four or five hundred dollars, but it was dead money. I still have it In January of 1867 I came to Texas broke up through the rubs. Again we lived in a log house with dirt floors and wood chimney. Oh, my, the smoke, but it was all out doors! There were very few people here, mostly men with two six-shooters on their belts, wearing spurs, and with lariets on the saddle. The one who could cuss the loudest was the man. We had to haul in wagons to market in Jefferson which was one hundred and fifty miles away. There were no railroads within a hundred miles. I was among the first to plant cotton. Off of six acres of land I paid for one hundred sixty-four acres where I now live. This was near Blue Ridge, Collin County, Texas. I soon caught the attention of the people where I lived. They sent me as a delegate to State Convention as Senator. They also sent me as delegate to County and Industrial Conventions many times. When trouble came up I was called upon to settle it. I never failed them. I joined the Masonic Lodge in 1869. I was honored many times in that institution. I filled all the offices in that lodge many times. I joined the Odd Fellows in 1900 and filled positions in that lodge too. I have been wonderfully blessed in life through industry and economy, am above want in the goods of this life. I have three shares in the bank and two good farms. I was converted in South Carolina at Grimms Camp ground in 1848 and joined the Methodist Church South 67 years ago. I have filled many places, minor ones such as a delegate to District Conferences and a member for sixty years. I have prayed in public for sixty years. Now I have written this without specticles and am going into my 81st year-- March 15, 1915. I was borned Oct. 16, 1834. Signed--George Jeffcoat George Jeffcoat married Sarah Ann Mariah McAdams 20 Apr. 1855. She was born born 20 Aug. 1837 and died 3 Jan. 1913 in Blue Ridge, Collin Co., Tex. George Jeffcoat died 17 Mar. 1918 in Blue Ridge, Collin Co., Tex. To this union were born eleven children: Tally, William, Marrita(Molly), 1 child born 7 Jan. 1886 died in infancy, Fluellen, B. Webster, George B., Hettie, Flora Fidelia & Dudley. Flora Jeffcoat married Walter Benjamin Maddox 20 Dec. 1896. Of this union were born Annie Jewel, Velma Eugenia, Luther Monroe, Louis Alton, Curtis Melvin, Myrtle Lee, Vera Pauline, and Walter Bruce. Velma Maddox married John Raymond Davenport and to this union were born John Raymond Davenport Jr. and Gene Wayne Davenport. Gene Davenport is a member of ETGS residing at 3510 McMillan, Tyler, 75701.