JAMES M. WHITAKER AND FAMILY, Smith County, Texas *********************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by Bobby Williams - bgwill@cox-internet.com 19 May 2001 *********************************************************************** JAMES M. WHITAKER AND FAMILY "Some Biographies of Old Settlers." Historical, Personal and Reminiscent. Volume I By Sid S. Johnson, 1900: Sid S. Johnson, Publisher, Tyler, Texas Chapter LIII - Pages 228 - 231 James M. Whitaker and his wife, Mrs. E. S. Whitaker, left Coosa county, Ala., in company with John Robbins and Josh Weaver, the latter bringing a wagon load of his father's negroes. They left Coosa county, Ala., October 9th, 1848, and arrived in Smith county, Texas, on the first day of December, 1848, making the trip in the short time of fifty- two days, having mixed teams of horses and oxen. They found on their arrival, their uncle, Peter Cartwright Johnson, Bart Wells, Col. Wells, Dave Hudnal, Billy Wooten, Edd Pollet, John Page, Ira Ellis, Ap Lott, McElroy, Tommy Hays, Bill Carter, John Patterson, Spencer, Lewis, Dan Cowsar and John Dewberry. Failing to obtain houses in Smith county, they moved to Rusk county, near Millville, remaining there two years, '49 and '50. They located nine miles east of Tyler on Harris' Creek, and remained there until '56. They moved to their present location, one and one-half miles south of Tyler, in 1857. Here they found many old friends, viz.: Sam Boren, Dick Long, Jasper Williamson, F. N. Gray, Hardy Holman, John Jessep, Joe Smith, Hotchkiss and Heeder, Smith and Fleishel, Columbus Taylor, Ed Sharp, Bryan Marsh, Dick Hubbard, W. W. Grinnan, John Robinson, Patrick Beaird, Lignoski, and many others. James M. Whitaker was the son of Isaac Whitaker, who had married Mrs. Clark, a widow. By this union he had four sons and one daughter, born in the following order: Thomas J., James M., Peace H., Pleasant C. and Elizabeth G. The subject of this sketch, James M. Whitaker, was born in Abbeville, District, S. C., October 4th, 1812. He taught school in his native state one year, then in Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia, where he married Miss Elizabeth S. Edwards, who was a daughter of Asa Edwards and his wife, (who before marriage was Nancy Cartright Johnson). Mr. Edwards owned a farm on the Chattanooga river, near LaGrange, Georgia. They were married November 8th, 1840. In 1841, he moved to Heard county, Ga., where he taught a school at Harmon, Academy. There, his first son, Orren, was born, August 15th, 1841. From Heard county he moved back to Troupe county, where the second son, Henry A., was born, in 1843. He then moved to Tallapoosa county, Ala., in 1844, where their third son, John T., was born, July 6th, 1845. Pleasant C., fourth son, was born February 8th, 1847. Then they moved to Texas, in 1848, where their only daughter, Ellen G., was born December 8th, 1848. In 1872, Ellen G. was married to Mr. Mahann. From this union one daughter was born, who is now married to Mr. Joe Bailey, living in Lampasas, Texas. After the death of Mr. Mahann she married Mr. W. M. Lee, of South Caro- lina, on the 21st day of September, 1876. From this union there is now four sons and two daughter, all living with their parents near Tyler, except the second son, Orren M. Lee, who is a soldier at the present writing, in Manila, Philippine Islands. The oldest son, Jas. H. married Miss Carter. Their children are-J. Chesley, Mary E., Hattie and Edward. James M. Whitaker lost all of his sons in time of the civil war, except Dr. John T. Whitaker, who is the proprietor of the Whitaker Nurseries at Tyler, Texas. He was detailed and worked four years at the armory in Tyler. The two oldest sons enlisted in Col. Bates' regiment in 1862, went to Brazoria county, Texas, from there they went to Speights' regiment, Speights' brigade, Texas Volunteers to Little Rock, where Orren died, January 4th, 1863. Henry died at Alexandria, La., at the Taylor hospital, after the Mansfield fight. Pleasant C. died at Tyler, in 1862. The Whitakers are prominent business people.