Summers County, West Virginia - James Henry MAYS Family History ********************************************************************** USGENWEB 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 representa- tive of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** The records for this work have been submitted by Valerie Burd, E-mail address: , February, 1999. ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** The following is excerpted from the Family Record of James Henry Mays published by his son, Lee Mays (Fitzhugh Lee Mays) by the Custom Printing Co., Ravenswood, West Virginia in June, 1971. “James Henry (Jim) Mays (Mayes, Mayse) was born Feb. 15, 1842 in Amherst County, Virginia, son of Edwin Pierce and Martha Ann Carter Mays. His mother was the daughter of Job Carter (apparently of Amherst County), whose wife’s maiden name was Flood. It seems that the latter’s parents, the maternal great-grandfather Flood, migrated to California before the Civil War (Probably during the 1849 gold rush). Jim’s paternal grandfather was Pierce Mays. The father, Edwin Pierce, was widowed and remarried Sally Howard, apparently some time before the Civil War. The family seem to have been slave holders. Monroe County, West Virginia, land records show that one Pierce W. Mays acquired land on Wolf Creek in that county in 1820, and died intestate in 1829. This was possibly Jim’s grandfather. Edwin Pierce Mays moved with his family from Amherst County to a farm in Greenbrier County, near Fort Spring, when Jim was a small boy, in the late 1840’s or early 1850’s. Later they moved to Pence Springs, Monroe (now Summers) County, where apparently they spent the rest of their lives. Both parents were buried in Old Greenbrier Baptist Church Cemetery at Alderson, but their graves are unmarked and cannot be identified. Both the paternal and maternal ancestors of James Henry Mays appear to have come from England before the American Revolution, and to have been of Anglo-Saxon descent. So far as is known they were in the main farmers, of yeoman stock. Some of the men apparently fought in the Revolutionary War, as well as in the current Indian wars. In fact, in his memoirs of the Civil War, written later in life, James H. states that his grandfather Pierce Mays was killed by Indians, and buried near the mouth of Muddy Creek in Greenbrier County. Some effort has been made to locate and identify his grave, but without success. James Henry Mays served in the Confederate Army throughout the Civil War, as a volunteer, and was wounded at the Battle of Cold Harbor, near Richmond. Most of his military service was in Company F, 22nd Virginia Infantry. Besides Cold Harbor, he fought in the battles of Scary, Carnifex Ferry, Droop Mountain, Newmarket, and other less well-known engagements, all in what was then Virginia. Among the commanding officers the writer can remember hearing him mention were: Captains Abbot, Payne, Thompson and Thurmond; Majors Bailey and Imboden; Colonels Barbee, McCaulsland (later general), Patton and Tompkins; General Breckenridge, Echols, Floyd, Loring, Wise and Witcher. The subject was of the Baptist faith, and was regular and consistent in church attendance and activities. He was a farmer and carpenter by occupation. He moved to Jackson County soon after the Civil War, where most of the reminder of his life was spent. On the way he seems to have lived and worked for indeterminate periods at Cannelton, Malden, Charleston, and perhaps other places. James H Mays was married twice. His first marriage, shortly after the Civil War, was to Cleopatra (Sis), daughter of Jesse and Victoria Hatcher. It seems that marriage may have been at Cannelton, West Virginia, where probably the wife’s parents and others of her family lived and were buried. Cleopatra died at the Mays home at Kentuck (Fletcher), Jackson County, March 25, 1885 at the age of 38, soon after the birth of the children Ola Cleopatra and her twin sister, the later of which died in infancy. Cleopatra was buried in the Cleek Cemetery at Kentuck. James H. was remarried June 9, 1886 to Mary Elizabeth, cousin of his first wife, daughter of Uriah (b. Sept. 8, 1811) and Martha Ellen Good (second wife, b. Aug. 18, 1828) Hatcher of Kentuck. The Hatcher, and probably Good, families appear to have come over the mountains before the Civil War, from Bedford and perhaps Botertourt County, Virginia…. Following are brothers and sisters of James Henry Mays: Mary, sister, never married. She spent her last years at Huntington, W. Va., where she died about 1910. Pierce II, brother, married Molly Newman. He seems to have been killed at Droop Mountain (possibly in battle) and was buried at Alderson. Elizabeth (Lizzie) sister, born about 1845, probably in Amherst Co., Virginia. She married Joseph Hines. Her children included two sons, Luther and Otey, and two daughters, Mattie and McKendree. Lucy J, sister, probably younger than Lizzie. She married Henry Craft Feb. 10, 1863. Her family include two sons: James and William Craft, and a daughter, Mrs. William Hillis. Margaret (Mag), sister, married Giles Burdet (Burdette). Hugh Albert, brother, probably born in Monroe (now Summers) Co., sometime before the Civil War. (Note from Valerie Burd: I have found Hugh listed in the 1870 Summers Co. census as 17 years of age, making his birthdate abt. 1853) He married Virginia, daughter of Reuben and Sally Harrison of Goldtown, Jackson Co. They had three sons: one died in infancy, Virgil, a bachelor; and Rennie; also three daughters; Emma, Verna, and Virginia. Hugh died in Richmond about 1930. Joseph, half brother, was born in Monroe (now Summers) Co, about the time of, or soon after, the Civil War. (Note: 1870 census lists him as 7, putting his birthdate abt. 1864) His mother was Sally Howard Mays. She spent most of his life in West Virginia, was married three times, widowed twice. His last wife was a widow, Bessie McCormick (McCormack), who survived him. He died at his home at Cross Lanes, W. Va., about 1955.” End of excerpt. The 1870 census also showed a half-sister, Amanda S., born abt. 1863. She was 7 years old in 1870. Sarah Howard Mays in 1870 was 38, making her date of birth abt. 1832. Edwin Mays had apparently died before the 1870 census was taken, but he was alive at the end of the war in 1865, when James Henry returned home, because in his memoirs Jim recounts how much his father had aged in the few years of the war. In his memoirs, “Four Years for Old Virginia” James Henry Mays says that he enlisted at age 19 at Rocky Point in Monroe Co, Virginia in the spring of 1861 in Co. F, 2nd Virginia Infantry with 100 other young men. He came, he says, from a middle-class southern farmhouse and his family were slave holders. He wrote his memoirs on scraps of paper that were later transcribed by his son, Lee. I have traced the family history as follows: Robert MAYS, b. abt. 1731, possibly in Henrico Co., Va, d. July 18,1808 in Amherst Co. Va., married 1. Elizabeth BOLLING (b. Apr. 5, 1731 in Petersburg, Va, dter of John and Elizabeth BOLLING of Amelia Co.) on Dec. 27, 1756 in Stafford Co. Va.; married 2. Susanna WADE (dter of Pierce and Mary BALLENGER WADE) on Sept. 4, 1780 in Amherst Co. The children of Robert and Elizabeth were: Benjamin MAYS, b. Sept. 10, 1757 in Stafford Co, d abt. May 25, 1835 in Iredell Co., NC; William, b 1759 Stafford Co; James, b abt 1763 Stafford Co; Richard, b. abt 1765 Stafford Co married Pattey EVANS Aug. 10, 1793; Sarah, b. abt. 1767 in Stafford Co., married William YELTON; Mary, b ABT 1769 Stafford Co. married her cousin Joseph MAYS on Oct. 3, 1791; Rhoda, b abt 1771 Stafford Co. married Hansley CARPENTER Nov. 3, 1797. The children of Robert and Susanna were: Joseph B. Mays, b abt 1781 in Amherst Co.; Jesse, b abt 1782 married Nancy ?; Pierce b. abt 1783 married Polly FULCHER Sept. 30, 1805: Ballenger, b. 1784 married Polly WRIGHT Dec. 21, 1811; Polly. The children of Pierce and Polly MAYS were John J., Robert H., Editha, Edwin and Maria MAYS. Pierce is shown living in Augusta Co. in 1810 Census and in Rockingham Co. in the 1820 Census. In 1830, after dying in Monroe Co. intestate, Pierce’s children were placed under the guardianship of a Robert WINGFIELD. Edwin MAYS married Martha Ann CARTER, dter of Job CARTER b. Aug 22, 1796 in Amherst and Adeline FLOOD CARTER who themselves were married on Dec. 27, 1817 in Amherst. The rest of this family is listed above. Valerie Burd 1/30,1999