Coryell Co. TX - Augusts D. Spradley Submitted by Bobbie Ross ************************************************************************ 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/ *********************************************************************** AUGUSTUS D. SPRADLEY Augustus "Gus" D. Spradley was born September 26, 1861 in Collirene Co., Alabama and died January 21, 1954 in Turnersville, Coryell Co., Texas. Augustus was a son of Bryant Eugene Spradley. In the fall of 1872 it seems that Bryant Eugene and his immediate family, and many of his wife's sisters and brothers (and several others of the family) decided to migrate to Texas. Augustus Spradley was 11 years old at the time. They left by wagon for Selma, AL, then down the Alabama River to Mobile, thence to New Orleans, thence to Galveston on the ship "The Mary Susan", of the Morgan line, arriving on Christmas Eve, 1872. The number of people in this migration has been said to be 28. They then traveled by by ox wagon to meet up with some others of the family that had migrated to Milam Co., TX a few years earlier and had convinced the rest of the family to follow. "Gus" moved to Coryell County, Texas and married Hannah Minerva Maxwell in 1884. They had five children - Alice, Floyd, Edna, Claude and Myrtle. Hannah died in 1895 and Gus married Martha Rutherford on December 15, 1897. Gus and Martha had twelve children....Edwin, Fieldon, Luster, Nora, Adella, Cordie, Lois, Ernest "Tom", Thelma, Anna Mae, Earline and Louise. The family moved away from Coryell County and eventually returned. Some children were born in Coryell County and others were born in other Texas counties. Augustus D. Spradley died in Turnersville, Coryell County, Tx in 1954. Martha Rutherford Spradley died in Turnersville in 1972, after living for several years in Gatesville. Both are buried in Turnersville. This family comes from strong stock. Bryant Spradley, born 1737, is the known ancestor of this Coryell family. Printed in the CAMDEN (South Carolina) GAZETTE - Oct. 13, 1817 - "Departed this life on Wednesday last, Mr. Bryant Spradley, Senr. in the eightieth year of his age. Mr. Spradley was born and always lived this town or its neighborhood, and during his life never took a dose of medicine or lost a drop of blood by the lancet. He never was confined a day by sickness until a week before his death". A son of Bryant Spradley was James Spradley. James was killed in a hunting accident in Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina. The accident happened when several men went hunting and during the course of the hunting trip the dogs got into a fight and a young man swung his shotgun at the dogs and the gun went off and killed James on August 13, 1808. Reported in local newspaper. James Spradley's son was Bryant Spradley, named after his grandfather. He served in the military during War of 1812 as Briant Spradley in Capt. Chapman Levy's Company, 2nd regiment (McWillies) from 10/6/1814 - 3/5/1815. Resided 1820-30 Kershaw Dist. SC, In 1850 he was in Montgomery AL, 1860 in Butler Co, AL and in 1870 Lowndes Co., AL. Bryant (Briant) Spradley had a son named Bryant Eugene Spradley, and he was the father of the subject of this biography, Augustus D. Spradley. Bryant Eugene Spradley served bravely and honorably in the Civil War. Records show him in the 58th regiment 2nd batallion, 13th brigade, 11th division, Alabama Militia. A letter from Department of the Army, Office of the Adjutant General, Washington, D.C. 29 Oct. 1952 confirmed that the records show that Bryant E. Spradley, a private of Company A 4th Battalion, Hilliard's Alabama Artillery, enlisted 11 May 1862 at Greenville, Alabama. He was elected 2nd Lieutenant on Feb. 19, 1864. Union Prisoner of War Records show that he was captured April 3, 1865 at Amelia Court House, VA and was held prisoner at Maryland, Old Capitol Prison, Washinbgton, D.C. and Johnson's Island, Ohio where he was released June 20, 1865. He told his children about this capture, and the prisons that he was in, and how it snowed in the Johnson's Island, Ohio prison in June prior to his release. Bryant Eugene was wounded and received the Iron Cross Honor for bravery under fire. He told his children the following story. He was hit with a muzzle load miniball bullet and no one believed that the ball was still in his head. He received first aid the first time he went to the hospital, and was sent back to camp. He later went AWOL so that he could go back to the hospital. The hospital authorities refused him at first but he told them to take him or they could haul him off because he wasn't going anywhere else. After convincing a doctor to probe for a bullet, one half of a mini ball was found and the doctor was amazed. Bryant Eugene Spradley died March 11, 1908 in Burnett County, Texas and is buried in Milam County, Texas. By Berry Spradley copyrighted by Berry Spradley andBobbie Ross Sept.2000