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Civil War John Jones
MiscNotes Rutherford

John & Narcissus Jones
JOHN JONES (1813-1864)
NARCISSA RUTHERFORD (1817-1894)

Married 18 Aug 1835 Greene County, Tennessee

PIONEER SETTLERS OF SEBASTIAN COUNTY, ARKANSAS

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John & Narcissa (Rutherford) Jones (From 1850’s tintype)
(This copy was sent to me by Paul Hisaw of Tulsa OK about 20 years ago)

Donald Earl McKinney Jr
These notes were compiled from material gathered since 1980 by personal research & correspondence. Other than my grandmother, aunts & other individuals mentioned in the narrative, I am especially grateful to the following "cousins" whose records, photographs, stories & oral traditions, along with my own, helped us all gain a better understanding of our Jones family heritage.
The late Juanita Greenfield of Fort Smith, AR, Paul Hisaw of Tulsa OK
Doris Wilson of Wichita KS, Theral Jones of Greenwood, AR
Bob Jones of Raytown, MO, Becky Neighbors of Fort Smith, AR
Also, the late historian Horace Bryan of Greenwood AR contributed some very interesting material on the Jones family.
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If these notes, excerpts or photos are copied, shared with others, published or displayed on the internet, it will be appreciated that proper genealogical etiquette be observed, acknowledging this researcher's compiled narratives. Any "legitimate" additions or corrections, etc.will also be greatly appreciated.
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John Jones was born 27 Feb 1813 in Greene County, Tennessee, the son of Samuel & Phoebe (Howard) Jones. John's father & grandparents, William & Lydia Jones left Pennsylvania during the early 1780's and settled in Greene County. John married Narcissa Rutherford on 18 Aug 1835 in Greene County. Narcissa, born 26 Feb 1817 was the daughter of Benjamin & Jane (Marshall) Rutherford who were neighbors of the Jones family.

According to a family tradition of some distant cousins, John, Narcissa & their infant children, George, Phebe & Eliza, traveled by keelboat down the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers. This was in 1843 & from there they possibly went overland across southern Missouri into Crawford County, Arkansas. John Jones purchased some land and built a log house in what later became a part of eastern Sebastian County. This land was located in Section 25 of Township 6 North/Range 30 West, just a short distance west of Auburn & about 2 miles south of Bloomer. When Sebastian County was formed from Crawford County in 1851, John Jones was one of the County Commissioners from Big Creek Township.

The following is an excerpt of a letter from the late Horace Bryan to Don McKinney dated Jan 1, 1981: "- - - - - - I have been interested and writing about the history and old families of this area for over 50 years. This has continued down through the years and in more recent times I became deeply involved in the history and genealogy of about a score of the old families who were neighbors to the Jones'. - - - - - -So, there the Jones' were, right in the middle, and I have long wondered where they fit in. I have always been fascinated with the big old Jones place down on the old Potato Hill Road, east of Cornish store, toward Auburn. - - - - - - Another thing which increased my interest in the Jones family was the fact that one of the first County Commissioners of Sebastian County in 1851 was JOHN JONES from big Creek township. This area was then in Big Creek TWP. Ol' John Jones must have been quite a man because he was long remembered. People said that they did not know what they would have done during the Civil War and the bushwack war if it had not been for the help of John Jones."

The following are excerpts from "Round These Hills", a column written by Horace Bryan in "The Citizen" newspaper published in Sebastian County. Issue dated 24 June 1982: "John Jones was Big Creek Township representative on the first Sebastian County Commission Court. This court held its first meeting in 1851 at Col. Eaton Tatum's place, Jenny Lind. It designated that the County Seat should be the geographic center of the county. But one of John Jones' most remarkable feats was carrying the U.S. Mail between Fort Smith and Memphis when this was a little explored wilderness. There was over a dozen rivers and a score of sizeable streams to cross."

Issue dated 2 Sep 1982: Those who follow this column regularly will recall that I devoted much time to "chasing" the Jones and the Rutherfords. Once they were ghost-like families to me but no more. - - - -North of Mint Shockley was the former abode of James H. Cartright & William Clinton Jones, son of the first and greatest, John Jones."

When the Civil War began, the John Jones & Rutherford families became strong supporters of the Union cause. They believed in the preservation of the Union as did many of their neighbors, including son-in-law Rev. Martin Alonzo East (who married daughter Eliza), & Enoch Marion Jones. Enoch was a close friend and neighbor but was not related to John Jones or Rev. East. However, Enoch's son William, many years later, married John & Narcissa's granddaughter, Annie Phoebe East, the daughter of Rev. East. The following was taken from the Oath of Allegiance taken by John Jones to support the Union:

"April 10th,1864 - Name: JOHN JONES//Residence: Sebastian Co Ark///Description: Age 51 years///Height 5 ft 10///Eyes Grey/Hair Grey///Complexion Fair///Peculiarities: Stout" (well built)

Excerpts of the letter below sent to Don McKinney from the late Horace Bryan, former county historian of Sebastian County, Ark will provide an insight into the turmoil in Sebastian County caused by the bloody bushwhacking which occured during the Civil War era. These activities severely impacted the Jones and other Union families as well as Confederate families. This was truly a war of brother against brother & neighbor against neighbor.

16 Jun 1981: "- - - - - -The facts are these. This country would have been almost completely depopulated following the Civil War. Houses almost ceased to exist. There was no farming and cattle, hogs and horses disappeared. People lived in lean to brush arbors and would have starved to death if had not been for the fact that there was plenty fish in the streams and all kinds of wild game, along with wild herbs, berries nuts, grapes and fruits.- - - - -local die-hard Confederates made a big mistake in the late stages of the Civil War. This country was divided - half Union-half Confederate. The families of the Union men were badly abused during the years when the Confederate Army controlled the area. After the battles of Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, et el, the Union Army took over. The Union men then settled some scores because of what had happened to their families.But this was mainly a personal matter & not an organized, determined campaign.The Union men knew they were winning and generally their greatest desire was to get it over with so they could settle down and live normal lives again.
But a remarkable thing happened. Confederate soldiers from these parts, most of them serving over in the old South, deserted to the last man & came back home to defend their families. They made the mistake of deciding to use Bushwacker tactics to kill off the Union men and drive out their families. This resulted in the Feds really cracking down. And the Confederate men wound up hiding out in the cave of the high hills. I am not telling a partisan story because all of my people were Confederates. I am telling the story as it came out of the mouth of the general commander of all things Confederate in Sebastian County - James H. McConnell, 1842-1938 - "The Last Living Confederate Veteran in Sebastian County."
(Don’s Note: The big old Jones place mentioned above was owned by Robert M. Jones, the son of John & Narcissus)

The following excerpts of a letter from John & Narcissa Jones' granddaughter Lona B. Thornton in 1980 provides more perspective into the hardships endured by the family during the Civil War. Cousin Bob Jones, mentioned above, found this letter in an old file while researching Narcissa's Civil War deposiion papers at the archives in Little Rock. Who the letter was addressed to or where the original is located is unknown:
"John Jones his wife Narcissus and 3 small children came to Ark in the early 1830's (note: actually came 1843) and settled in a place called Auburn Sebastian County where my Grandfather homesteaded over 300 acres of land where he built a log cabin and 7 more children were born. There he farmed and cleared the land which he cultivated to make a living for his large family. He left behind his parents, Samuel and Pheba Jones in Greene County, Tennessee along with 5 brothers whom he never saw again. Times were hard and the winters were very cold, the cabin had only 2 large rooms with a fire place at each end where a huge fire was kept going to keep them warm and where the meals were cooked and served from the iron kettles and bread baked in what we now call iron skillet or dutch oven. My grandfather taught school in a one room log school house where he had to ride several miles thru the bitter cold on horseback as they only had school during the winter months. Times were so hard a lot of children could not attend school because they had no shoes or warm clothing for the cold winter months. My grandfather raised sheep for the wool which was spun into thread and cloth made from it which my grandmother made into clothing for her family of 10 children. Everything was hand made even the beds were nailed to the wall, benches to sit on made from split logs and hewn down and smoothed to sit on. After the children began to grow up the Civil War broke out and it wasn't long until grandfather and the two older boys (George) and (Bill) who were both married by now had to go fight in the war and before the end two of the girls husbands had to go so grandmother and her family were left to get by as best they could. Uncle George got a chance to get back home to see his young wife he had left behind to which a baby girl had been born and he was killed by some carpet baggers (note: southern bushwackers) that were near by. His wife ran to him and he died in her arms. A few days later those same carpet baggers came back and burned my grandmothers home and left her homeless, penniless and only the clothes on their backs they had no choice but to walk 30 miles and come here to the old Fort in Fort Smith for food and shelter. Sometime after that my grandfather was severely wounded but couldn't get home for some time. He died from his wounds after returning back to his family. Friends and family rebuilt the log cabin which was still standing in 1941 when Fort Chaffee was built and the government took over the property which had been in the family well over a hundred years. My grandfather is buried here in the National Cemetery as an unknown soldier and my Uncle George is buried in the Jones cemetery on the home place. An uncle (Gus Rutherford) is also buried there who was hung by the carpet baggers. My dad Robert M. was a small boy and a friend drove a wagon under the body of the uncle and sat my dad on his shoulders so he could cut the rope to let him down."
(Don's Note: Actually, these men were killed by southern "bushwhackers" with Confederate sympathies, not "carpetbaggers", who were the northern speculators who came into the area after the war and took advantage of the downtrodden local people, confiscating their land and property.)
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Narcissa (Rutherford) Jones was born 26 February 1817 in Greene County, Tennessee, the daughter of Benjamin and Jane (Marshall) Rutherford who resided in the Bulls Gap area of Greene County. A few years after Narcissa married John Jones they settled in Crawford County, Arkansas, about 1843. Narcissa's younger brothers James, Joseph & Augustus "Gus" Rutherford as well as sister Louisa also made this trip, probably all as a group. Louisa married Robert Carroll Thaxton in Crawford County in 1844. It appears that brother Clinton had made the move prior to 1840. Brother James died in Newton County, MO about 1850 after he had settled near some relatives in that area. Brother Joseph went to California with a wagon train along the Oregon Trail with his Uncle Robert Rutherford of Washington County, Arkansas.

Narcissa's grandmother Ruth (Hayes) Rutherford had already settled in Washington County, Arkansas in 1830, after the grandfather Elliott Rutherford died. She had gone there with several of her sons, Narcissa's Uncles, including Robert Rutherford, mentioned above. So, a family connection was already established in this area of northwest Arkansas. In 1851, a couple of years after Narcissa's father Benjamin died, her mother Jane also left Tennessee and made the trip to Arkansas accompanied by Narcissa's younger siblings Calvin, John, Matilda & Polly as well as first cousin Elliott Harrington Rutherford, the son of Benjamin's brother Elliott Rutherford, Jr.

During the Civil War, times were rough, for both Union & Confederate citizens of northwest Arkansas. Sebastian County was divided between sympathies and the Jones/Rutherford families strongly believed in the preservation of the Union. Narcissa's brother Clinton Rutherford, however, in this war of "brother against brother" had joined th Confederate Army. He had moved from Sebastian County, Arkansas to the San Antonio area of Texas in 1851, which was a hotbed of the Confederacy.

The following is from the "Genealogical History of the Rutherford Family", Vol 1, 1988, pg 265, by Kenneth & Anna Rutherford:
"Clinton Rutherford served in the Mexican War, having enlisted in 1847. During his tour of duty in the army he saw Texas for the first time. He was injured while in service by a runaway mule team and never fully recovered from his injuries. He also served during the Civil War, and like so many other families, he and his brother, Calvin, chose different sides. Two brothers, John and Augustus, were killed during he war."

Narcissus's brother John, a Union soldier, was killed during the Battle of Walker's Station in Missouri and another brother Augustus "Gus", a Union sympathizer, was hanged on his own farm by southern sympathizers during the bushwhack war in Sebastian County. Narcissa's oldest son George W. Jones, also a Union soldier, was shot on his farm while home on leave by these bushwhackers. Both Gus & his nephew George Jones are buried in the old Jones/Hinton cemetery near the original John Jones homestead.

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17 Jun 1856 - Sebastian Co AR (Land Records)
For Value received I, George Griffith, to whom the within warrant #13,155, was issued, do hereby sell and assigned unto JOHN JONES of Sebastian County and to his heirs and assigns forever the said warrant, and authorize him to locate the same and receive a patent therefore. Witness my hand and seal this sevententh day of June, A.D., 1856. George X Griffith (his mark)
(This was bounty land granted to George Griffith for services in the Arkansas Militia, during the Florida War of the 1830's with with the Seminoles. John Jones later applied for the patent. See below)

Aug 1859 - Sebastian Co AR (Land Records)
JOHN JONES of Sebastian County, State of Arkansas, hereby apply to locate and do locate the W 1/2 of the SE quarter of Section #33, Township 7N of Range #29W in the District of Lands subject to sale at the Land Office at Clarksville, Arkansas, containing 80 acres, August 1859. Witness: Francis McKeisman, J.P.
(This was land located southeast of Auburn near where John's daughter Eliza and husband Rev Martin A. East settled. Martin & Eliza inherited some land in this area from John's estate)

Sebastian County, AR (JOHN JONES//Federal Land Purchases)
1 Sep 1856 - Section 25, 7N, 30W, 160 acres
1 Mar 1860 - Section 25, 7N, 30W, 80 acres//80 acres
(This is the land, located about 2 miles south of Bloomer, on which the family homesite was established)
1 Mar 1860 - Section 33, 7N, 29W, 40 acres//80 acres
1 Sep 1860 - Section 33, 7N, 29W, 40 acres
(Some of this land, located about 2 or 3 miles southeast of the homesite near the Franklin County line, was evidently later deeded over to daughter Eliza & husband Rev. Martin A. East)

Narcissa continued to reside in the Auburn/Center Valley area of Sebastian County after the war and died 13 February 1894, about 13 days shy of her 77th birthday. She was buried in Pinnell Cemetery with other relatives. This cemetery was later relocated to Center Valley Cemetry south of Bloomer after the U.S. Government took over the ownership of this land during the establishment of Camp Chaffee. *********************************************************************

Children of John & Narcissus (Rutherford) Jones

Child 1: GEORGE W. JONES
Born: 28 Mar 1838 Greene Co TN//Died:27 Jun 1863 Sebastian Co AR (Killed by Bushwhackers)
Married: Jane

Child 2: PHEBE JANE JONES
Born: 13 Apr 1840 Greene Co TN//Died: Unknown
Married: David Cardin

Child 3: ELIZA HARRIET JONES
Born: 3 Feb 1842 Greene Co TN//Died: 1 Dec 1925 Arkoma(LeFlore) OK
Buried: Center Valley Cemetery, Sebastian Co AR
Married: Rev MARTIN ALONZO EAST 3 Feb 1862 Sebastian Co AR

Child 4: WILLIAM CLINTON JONES
Born: 31 Oct 1843 Sebastian Co AR//Died: ?? RoundRock(Williamson)TX
Married: Louisa Brown

Child 5: MARY ELIZABETH JONES
Born: 6 Sep 1846 Sebastian Co AR//Died: 1924 Sebastian Co AR
Married: Daniel S. Alstatt 27 Dec 1864 Sebastian Co AR

Child 6: MARTHA MATILDA JONES
Born: 31 Jan 1849 Sebastian Co AR//Died: 19 Mar 1863 Sebastian Co AR

Child 7: ROBERT MARION JONES
Born: 25 May 1851 Sebastian Co AR//Died: 4 Jul 1930 Auburn(Sebastian) AR
Married: Nancy Hester Philen(1); Mary King(2)

Child 8: JOHN JONES, JR
Born: 24 Apr 1853 Sebastian Co AR//Died: 7 Feb 1943 Wowoka, OK
Married: Charlotta Louisa Crumley

Child 9: NANCY ELLEN JONES
Born: 24 Dec 1854 Sebastian Co AR//Died: 5 Feb 1929 OklahomaCity, OK
Married: Frances Warren Ownbey

Child 10: SARAH EMILA JONES
Born: 18 Mar 1857 Sebastian Co AR//Died: Unknown
Married: Robert Thames

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