Freestone County, Texas
Biographies




Biography of Coleman Talley
    (11 Jan 1827-14 Jul 1888, buried at Talley Cemetery)

Book - Memorial and Biographical History of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, 
Limestone, Freestone and Leon Counties, Texas.  Lewis Publishing Company, 
Chicago, 1893.  p. 422-423.

[See biography of J. B. Chamblee]
  "...Mr. [J. B.] Chamblee owns 159 acres of timber in the county, and since his 
bereavement he has resided with his children until within the last two years, 
when, October 8, 1890, he married Mrs. Julia Ann Talley, the widow of Coleman 
Talley, born in Tennessee in 1826. Mr. Talley was a son of James Talley, a 
prosperous farmer and a native of Tennessee, as was his father, Martin Talley. 
Mr. Talley married Jane Whitehead, by whom he had six children, namely: Henry, 
Betsy, Mary Ann, Colman, June, Nancy and William. Colman was reared by an aunt, 
being an orphan. At the age of five he began to support himself, and made a good 
living for himself and family, and was in possession of some property when the 
war came on. He enlisted in the Confederate army and fought through various 
engagements, but was taken sick and became so very ill that he was left for dead 
in 1863. His wife heard of it, and taking her own team drove to the hospital and 
demanded his body, that she might give it proper internment. Owing to the 
devotion of this good woman, Mr. Talley recovered from his illness, but not 
sufficiently to return to the army. In 1872 he came to Texas and located in 
Freestone county, taking up 380 acres, which he improved and added to, until, at 
his death, in 1888, he owned 1,100. In 1846 he had married Miss Julia Ann Arrand 
who was yet a school girl. She was the daughter of Alexander Arrand, of North 
Carolina, who was the father of nine children, two of whom are yet living. Mr. 
and Mrs. Colman were the parents of the following children: William; James [S]I; 
Helen, who is the wife of Isaac Wharton; Hainey; Tom P.; Margaret, deceased.  
Mr. and Mrs. Talley were both staunch members of the Baptist Church."