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Family of William Washington Sharp

(This person can be viewed within the Melton/Sharp Ancestry Chart by clicking here)

 

SCRAPBOOK

 

 

1.  WILLIAM WASHINGTON³ SHARP  (ROBERT STOCKTON², WILLIAM¹)^1,2,3 was born December 20, 1828 in Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee, and died July 08, 1863 in Franklin County, Tennessee.  He married SUSAN SCRUGGS FINCH^4,5,6,7,8 April 08, 1851 in Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee, daughter of THOMAS FINCH and EDNA SCRUGGS.  She was born March 22, 1832 in Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee, and died April 22, 1882 in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.

  

Notes for WILLIAM WASHINGTON SHARP:

1860 Franklin County, Tennessee census shows William and wife Susan with their 5 children, plus the two children of his deceased sister Virginia (Sharp) Duncan, who were under his guardianship since 1856.

 

Although a slave owner himself, William was one of a minority in his community who opposed the war between the states. He voted for secession of the South however. It was said that he did so as he knew the election was rigged in a manner such that it would be known how one voted, and anyone voting for the Union would be considered an enemy and "treated accordingly". After March 2, 1871, Southerners with Union leanings could file a claim for reimbursement of their losses. Karen McClendon, a descendant of William's daughter Edna, found in an index of "Civil War Claims by the South, by Gary B. Mills, 1980",  showing  that his wife Susan filed such a claim on his behalf.

I have obtained the documentation of the litigation of Susan's claim (actually her husband, Wm. W. Sharp's claim) from the National Archives.  Litigation continued for more than 35 years, with a favorable settlement in 1907, but unfortunately, long after her death. The primary hurdle was in proving his loyalty, and the loyalty of his family, to the Federal Government during the Civil War. This was particularly hard to do, because it was known that he voted in favor of secession in an election held in June 1861. It turns out that there was a group of several men that shared William's view that the Civil War was wrong. In fact two of his cousins, John Chitwood (administrator of Wm's estate), and George W. Corn also filed their own claims for compensation from the United States. These three cases became joined together because, in proving the loyalty for any one of them, essentially required that loyalty be shown for them all. As the cases of each of the three cousins were so interrelated, documentation was obtained for all three cousins.

The material consists of some two to three hundred pages, and includes Wm. W. Sharp's will. Unfortunately, a great deal of the information is replicated multiple times (long hand version have been retyped, and recopied several times for inclusion in subsequent hearings, etc) and there are a many trivial pages (like covers, etc).  Information obtained show losses incurred as reported by a number of witnesses, including Susan's daughter, Edna. This information also gives one a perspective as to the way things were during the Civil War in Winchester, Tennessee.

 

More About WILLIAM WASHINGTON SHARP:

Burial: July 1863, Sharp Cemetery, Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee

Census 1: 1860, Elk River, Franklin Co, TN⁹

Census 2: 1850, Dist 8, Franklin Co, TN¹⁰

Occupation: 1860, Franklin County, Tennessee, farmer

Will: July 07, 1863, Probated 7/11/1865 (after the war)

 

Notes for SUSAN SCRUGGS FINCH:

1870 Census list Susan as a Farmer with real estate value of $10K and personal property of $1.5K, and shows her living with all six of her children.

 

Moved to Texas 5 December, 1874 with her younger children to join her oldest daughter Edna and her husband.

 

They moved to Navarro Co. TX in 1877.

 

After March 2, 1871, Southerners with Union leanings could file a claim for reimbursement of their losses. Karen McClendon found in an index of "Civil War Claims by the South, by Gary B. Mills, 1980",  showing  that Susan filed such a claim on behalf of her husband.

Documentation of the litigation of Susan's claim (actually her husband, Wm. W. Sharp's claim) from the National Archives sows that litigation continued for more than 35 years. The suit of Susan's was won 1907, but unfortunately, long after her death.

The primary hurdle was in proving his loyalty, and the loyalty of his family, to the Federal Government during the Civil War. This was particularly hard to do, because it was known that he voted in favor of secession in an election held in June 1861. It turns out that there was a group of several men that shared William's view that the Civil War was wrong. In fact two of his cousins, John Chitwood (administrator of Wm's estate), and George W. Corn also filed their own claims for compensation from the United States. These three cases became joined together because, in proving the loyalty for any one of them, essentially required that loyalty be shown for them all.  As the cases of each of the three cousins were so interrelated with Susan's, documentation for all three of the cousins was reviewed.

The material consists of some two to three hundred pages, and includes Wm. W. Sharp's will. Unfortunately, a great deal of the information is replicated several times (long hand version have been retyped, and recopied several times for inclusion in susequent hearings, etc) and there are a many trivial pages (like covers, etc).  Information obtained show losses incurred as reported by a number of witnesses, including Susan's daughter, Edna. This information also provides a glimpse of life during the Civil War in Winchester, Tennessee.

 

More About SUSAN SCRUGGS FINCH:

Burial: April 1882, Oakwood Cemetery, Duncan plot, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas

Cause of Death: Consumption

Census 1: 1850, District 1, Franklin Co, TN¹¹

Census 2: 1860, Elk River, Franklin Co, TN¹²

Census 3: 1870, Decherd, Franklin Co., TN¹³

Census 4: 1880, Navarro Co., TX - ED128, p318-2¹⁴

Occupation: 1870, Franklin County, Tennessee, farmer

 

Marriage Notes for WILLIAM SHARP and SUSAN FINCH:

executed 10 Apr 1851 by T. P. Crittenden R. M. of the Gospel

 

 

More About WILLIAM SHARP and SUSAN FINCH:

Marriage: April 08, 1851, Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee

     

Children of WILLIAM SHARP and SUSAN FINCH are:

              i.   EDNA LAODICEA⁴ SHARP^15,16, b. May 18, 1852, home, Estill Springs, Franklin Co, TN; d. Dec 20, 1889, Corsicana, Navarro Co, TX; m. BENJAMIN O'KELLY DUNCAN¹⁷, Nov 25, 1869, bride's home, Estill Springs, Franklin Co, TN; b. Jun 17, 1848, farm, Estill Springs, Franklin Co, TN; d. Aug 28, 1940, daughter's home, Hubbard, Hill Co, TX.

 

Notes for EDNA LAODICEA SHARP:

Dicey gave testimony in the suit brought by the estate of W. W. Sharp against the government for damages from the Civil War.

 

More About EDNA LAODICEA SHARP:

Burial: December 21, 1889, Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas

Census 1: 1860, Elk River, Franklin Co, TN¹⁸

Census 2: 1870, Decherd, Franklin Co., TN¹⁹

Census 3: 1880, Navarro Co., TX - ED128, p318-2²⁰

 

More About BENJAMIN O'KELLY DUNCAN:

Burial: Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas

Census 1: 1880, Navarro Co., TX - ED128, p318-2²⁰

Census 2: 1860, Winchester, Franklin Co, TN²¹

 

More About BENJAMIN DUNCAN and EDNA SHARP:

Marriage: November 25, 1869, bride's home, Estill Springs, Franklin County, Tennessee

 

              ii.  ROBERT THOMAS SHARP^22,23, b. September 27, 1854, Franklin County, Tennessee; d. November 28, 1924, California.

 

Notes for ROBERT THOMAS SHARP:

Died unmarried in California.

 

 

More About ROBERT THOMAS SHARP:

Census 1: 1860, Elk River, Franklin Co, TN²⁴

Census 2: 1870, Decherd, Franklin Co., TN²⁵

 

             iii.   MARY VIRGINIA SHARP^26,27, b. September 07, 1856, Franklin County, Tennessee; d. 1955, Olney, Young County, Texas; m. JOHN HUNT MULLINS²⁸, August 29, 1877, Hill County, Texas²⁹; b. December 09, 1849, Copiah County, Mississippi; d. 1917.

 

Notes for MARY VIRGINIA SHARP:

Mary Virginia was named for the two oldest sisters of each of her parents (Mary Elam Finch, and Virginia A. Sharp).

____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Mary Virginia is the "aunt in Austin, Texas" that Virginia (Sharp) Melton talked a lot about to her children.  Although she didn't get a chance to be with Mary  very often, Virginia always expressed a strong affection for Mary. Virginia had lost her own mother when she was 2 years old, and although I don't think she saw Mary very often, it always seemed apparent that Mary was viewed as a mother figure to her. I think Virginia visited her Aunt Mary for a rather extended period of time after her father, George Clifton Sharp remarried.

__________________________________________________________________________

 

More About MARY VIRGINIA SHARP:

Burial: 1955, Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas

Census 1: 1860, Elk River, Franklin Co, TN³⁰

Census 2: 1870, Decherd, Franklin Co., TN³¹

Census 3: 1880, Corsicana, Navarro Co., TX - p523³²

Census 4: 1900, Gatesville, Coryell Co, TX³³

Census 5: 1910, Austin, Travis Co, TX³⁴

Census 6: 1930, Corsicana, Navarro Co, TX³⁵

Fact: November 1871, Freshman at Mary Sharp College

 

Notes for JOHN HUNT MULLINS:

A 1900 census record for a John Mullins can be found in Hill County, Texas on Page 010a.

 

More About JOHN HUNT MULLINS:

Census 1: 1880, Corsicana, Navarro Co., TX - p523³⁶

Census 2: 1900, Gatesville, Coryell Co, TX³⁷

Census 3: 1910, Austin, Travis Co, TX³⁸

Occupation 1: 1880, Book keeper

Occupation 2: 1910, Real Estate

 

More About JOHN MULLINS and MARY SHARP:

Marriage: August 29, 1877, Hill County, Texas³⁹

 

             iv.   GEORGE CLIFTON SHARP ⁴⁰, b. May 16, 1859, Estill Springs, Franklin Co., TN; d. October 30, 1930, Plainview, Hale County, Texas⁴¹; m. (1) IDA IRENE HOLLOWAY ^42,43, July 29, 1894, Mansfield, Tarrant County, Texas; b. November 15, 1869, Mississippi; d. November 28, 1903, Mansfield, Tarrant County, Texas⁴⁴; m. (2) CELIA LEAH MURPHEY, 1915, Tennessee?; b. January 20, 1874, Georgia; d. September 29, 1955, Plainview, Hale County, Texas.

 

             v.   SARAH ELIZABETH SHARP⁵⁵, b. June 16, 1861, Estill Springs, Franklin County, Tennessee; d. Aft. 1930; m. EDWARD HALE HALL⁵⁵, January 30, 1884, Fayetteville, North Carolina; b. June 1853, North Carolina; d. 1913.

 

Notes for SARAH ELIZABETH SHARP:

Sallie lived in Waco, Texas in 1930.

 

 

More About SARAH ELIZABETH SHARP:

Census 1: 1870, Decherd, Franklin Co., TN⁵⁶

Census 2: 1880, Corsicana, Navarro Co., TX - p523⁵⁷

Census 3: 1900, Waco, McLennan Co, TX⁵⁸

Census 4: 1910, Waco, McLennan Co, TX⁵⁹

Residence: October 1930, Waco, Texas

 

More About EDWARD HALE HALL:

Census 1: 1910, Waco, McLennan Co, TX⁵⁹

Census 2: 1900, Waco, McLennan Co, TX⁶⁰

Occupation: 1900, Cashier

 

More About EDWARD HALL and SARAH SHARP:

Marriage: January 30, 1884, Fayetteville, North Carolina

 

             vi.   WILLIAM WASHINGTON SHARP, JR.⁶¹, b. May 28, 1863, Franklin County, Tennessee; d. February 03, 1874.

 

Notes for WILLIAM WASHINGTON SHARP, JR.:

This may be the boy that Virginia (Sharp) Melton talked about, nicknamed Cooter, that was trampled to death by a horse.

 

More About WILLIAM WASHINGTON SHARP, JR.:

Census: 1870, Decherd, Franklin Co., TN⁶²

 

 

 

Endnotes

 

1.  Sistler, Byron & Barbara, 1988, Early Middle Tennessee Marriages,  (Byron Sistler & Associates, 1712 Natchez Trace, Nashville, TN 37212), Vol. 1 Grooms, Page 487, Sharp, Wm. W. to Susan Finch 4-9-1851 (4-10-1851) [Fr].

2.  Sands, John A., Jr., "Finch," Private publication, Listed as "William W. Sharp."

3.  Chitwood-Corn-Sharp vs. U.S. Govt.,  (approximately 300 pages), William (i.e. the estate of Wm.) was a principle in this suit.

4.  Mills, Gary B., Civil War Claims by the South,  (Luguna Hill, CA.: Aegean Park Press, c1980).

5.  Mills, Gary B., Southern Loyalists in the Civil War: The Southern Claims Commission,  (Baltimore, MD.: Genealogical Publishing Co., c1994), Susan filed a claim which was disallowed by the commision. She then filed suit which was won, abeit in 1906, over 35 years later, and long after her death.

6.  Sands, John A., Jr., "Finch," Private publication, Minor differences in dates between Sands' information and that from other sources. Marriage date 4/10 vs. 4/8, death date 4/19 vs. 4/22.

7.  Chitwood-Corn-Sharp vs. U.S. Govt.,  (approximately 300 pages), Susan's loyalty to the Federal Government was addressed in the suit.

8.  US Court of Claims, Record Group 123, File 1559, Over 200 pages of documentation can be found in the Congressional Records Section of the National Archives at 8th & Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, relating to the suit filed by Susan on behalf of her deceased husband's estate against the US Government for Civil War damages. The was finally settled in her favor in 1905.

9.  Census, 1860, TN, Franklin Co, Elk River, Roll1249, Pg145a.

10.  Census, 1850, TN, Franklin Co, Dist 8, Roll878, Pg63b.

11.  Census, 1850, TN, Franklin Co, Dist 1, Roll878, Pg07b.

12.  Census, 1860, TN, Franklin Co, Elk River, Roll1249, Pg145a.

13.  Census, 1870, TN, Franklin Co, Decherd, Roll1527, Pg115b.

14.  Census, 1880, TX, Navarro Co, Roll1321, Pg318b.

15.  Sands, John A., Jr., "Finch," Private publication, Shown as "Edna Sharp".

16.  Chitwood-Corn-Sharp vs. U.S. Govt.,  (approximately 300 pages), Edna's handwritten testimony is shown in these papers.

17.  Sands, John A., Jr., "Finch," Private publication, Shown as "unknown Duncan."

18.  Census, 1860, TN, Franklin Co, Elk River, Roll1249, Pg145a.

19.  Census, 1870, TN, Franklin Co, Decherd, Roll1527, Pg115b.

20.  Census, 1880, TX, Navarro Co, Roll1321, Pg318b.

21.  Census, 1860, TN, Franklin Co, Winchester, Roll1249, Pg83b.

22.  Sands, John A., Jr., "Finch," Private publication, "Robert Sharp. He did not marry."

23.  Chitwood-Corn-Sharp vs. U.S. Govt.,  (approximately 300 pages), Robert is mentioned in Edna, his older sister's, testimony.

24.  Census, 1860, TN, Franklin Co, Elk River, Roll1249, Pg145a.

25.  Census, 1870, TN, Franklin Co, Decherd, Roll1527, Pg115b.

26.  Sands, John A., Jr., "Finch," Private publication, Shown as "Mary Sharp."

27.  Mullins, Mary Virginia (Sharp), "Clay-Finch in America," Unpublished.

28.  Sands, John A., Jr., "Finch," Private publication, Shown as "John H. Mullins."

29.  Hill County, Texas Marriage Records (7/1873-1/1880).

30.  Census, 1860, TN, Franklin Co, Elk River, Roll1249, Pg145a.

31.  Census, 1870, TN, Franklin Co, Decherd, Roll1527, Pg115b.

32.  Census, 1880, TX, Navarro Co, Corsicana, Roll1321, Pg520a.

33.  Census, 1900, TX, Coryell Co, Gatesville, p52a.

34.  Census, 1910, TX, Travis Co, Austin, roll1595, p226b.

35.  Census, 1930, TX, Navarro Co, Corsicana.

36.  Census, 1880, TX, Navarro Co, Corsicana, Roll1321, Pg520a.

37.  Census, 1900, TX, Coryell Co, Gatesville, p52a.

38.  Census, 1910, TX, Travis Co, Austin, roll1595, p226b.

39.  Hill County, Texas Marriage Records (7/1873-1/1880).

40.  Sands, John A., Jr., "Finch," Private publication, Shown as "George Sharp."

41.  "Plainview Evening Herald," October 30, 1930, George C. Sharp a pioneer of Plainview country died this morning at 2:50 o'clock at his home, 357 Broadway, after an illness of a month. He had a heart attack at that time, but the disease became acute ten days ago.

42.  Rehobeth (aka Rehoboth) Cemetery Inscription Records; Arlington, Tarrant Co., TX, "Electronic," www.rootsweb.com/~txtarran/cemetery/rehobeth.htm#f.

43.  Sands, John A., Jr., "Finch," Private publication, pg 13.

45.  Census, 1860, TN, Franklin Co, Elk River, Roll1249, Pg145a.

46.  Census, 1870, TN, Franklin Co, Decherd, Roll1527, Pg115b.

47.  Census, 1900, TX, Tarrant Co, Mansfield, Roll1671, Bk2, Pg252a.

48.  Census, 1910, TX, Tarrant Co, Mansfield, Roll1590, Bk1, Pg92a.

49.  Census, 1920, TX, Hale Co, Plainview, Roll1801, Bk1, Pg54a.

50.  Census, 1930, TX, Hale Co, Plainview, Roll233, Bk2, Pg28a.

51.  Census, 1900, TX, Tarrant Co, Mansfield, Roll1671, Bk2, Pg252a.

52.  Census, 1930, TX, Hale Co, Plainview, Roll233, Bk2, Pg28a.

53.  Census, 1900, TN, Franklin Co, roll1570, p265b.

54.  Census, 1920, TX, Hale Co, Plainview, Roll1801, Bk1, Pg54a.

55.  Sands, John A., Jr., "Finch," Private publication, "Sallie Sharp married Ed. Hall."

56.  Census, 1870, TN, Franklin Co, Decherd, Roll1527, Pg115b, Listed as "Sallie Sharp."

57.  Census, 1880, TX, Navarro Co, Corsicana, Roll1321, Pg520a.

58.  Census, 1900, TX, McLennan Co, Waco, roll1656, p182a.

59.  Census, 1910, TX, McLennan Co, Waco, roll1575, p43a.

60.  Census, 1900, TX, McLennan Co, Waco, roll1656, p182a.

61.  Sands, John A., Jr., "Finch," Private publication.

62.  Census, 1870, TN, Franklin Co, Decherd, Roll1527, Pg115b.