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Pending Investigation


https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/ledford/682/
A cousin has also made a discovery concering the David Ledford Jr that you spoke of.Although he was living in the home of David Ledford Sr and Jane Barnes in 1850, he appears rather to be a nephew than a son, as David and Jane didn't have a son David's age according to the 1840 census.(this really messed things up for my lineage *g*) -Paul Selk
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Ledford , David A.
http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=851790B2-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A

Side:
Confederacy
Company:
E
Soldier's Rank In:
Private
Soldier's Rank Out:
Private
Alternate name:

Film Number:
M230 ROLL 23
Plaque Number:

Notes:
none
39th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry
Overview:
39th Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Patton, Asheville, North Carolina, in July, 1861, as a five company battalion. In November the unit moved to "Camp Hill" near Gooch Mountain where it was increased to eight companies. In February, 1862, it was ordered to Knoxville, Tennessee, where two more companies were added. Its members were from the counties of Cherokee, Macon, Jackson, Buncombe, and Clay. The 39th took part in the Cumberland Gap operations, then saw action in the Battle of Perryville. Assigned to Walthall's, McNair's, and Reynold's Brigade, it fought with the Army of Tennessee from Murfreesboro to Atlanta, then endured Hood's winter campaign in Tennessee. In 1865 it shared in the defense of Mobile. This regiment lost 2 killed, 36 wounded, and 6 missing at Murfreesboro and had 10 killed, 90 wounded, and 3 missing at Chickamauga. During the Atlanta Campaign, May 18 to September 5, it reported 16 killed, 57 wounded, and 10 missing. On May 4, 1865, it surrendered. The field officers were Colonel David Coleman, Lieutenant Colonels Hugh H. Davidson and Francis A. Reynolds, and Major T.W. Peirce.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com/blind_pig_the_acorn/2015/06/wc-penlands-fellow-soldiers.html

"The first time I ever read the Civil War letters written by W.C. Penland several things jumped out at me.

  • I was struck by the knowledge that he lived and walked in places I know intimately.
  • My heart was torn by the longing for home that weaved it's way through every last letter he wrote.
  • I was beyond impressed by his skillful handwriting.
  • My eyes and mind were pricked by the abundance of surnames in the letters that are still abundant in this area 150 years later. 

Don Casada took the time to write down all the names mentioned in W.C.'s letters. The list contained family members as well as members of W.C.'s company of soldiers. The image at the top of this post is a screen shot of the list. Don has noted if the individual was a fellow soldier of W.C'.s or a family member. He also listed the cemetery where the individual is buried. 

In the Civil War most soldiers signed up and served with their neighbors and friends. This made it a certainty that W.C.'s family knew the men he wrote about in his letters. 

W.C. mentions Big Jason Ledford in more than one of his letters. The first time I read the name I thought to myself "Hmmph I bet there's a Big Jason Ledford living in Clay County right now." The Ledford surname is beyond common in both Clay and Cherokee County North Carolina today. 

While researching, Don discovered there were actually 2 Jason Ledfords serving with W.C. And a total of 10 Ledfords in the company.

In Don's own words:

"It turns out that there were two Jason Ledfords who served in William Patton Moore's company. Both enlisted in Hayesville on the same day (July 5, 1862). Jason W. Ledford was 27 years old, while Jason Ledford was 34. There are a couple of records for 34-year old Jason which list him as Jason Big Ledford or Jason (Big) Ledford. The use of "Big" was apparently a standard convention to distinguish the two."

Paul Sink posted this photo on Find A Grave. It's of Jason W. Ledford on left; Elisha Mac Ledford on right. Don's research also showed Jason W. Ledford came back home, married Harriet Hogsed in 1881 and moved to Colorado.

More from Don:

"At least four of the Ledfords who were in the company are buried at Old Ledford Chapel Cemetery. Elisha Mac, mentioned above has Confederate States marker as does Daniel M. Ledford. At least two, David and Jason "Big" Ledford apparently switched sides. Their grave markers both have them in the 2 NC Mounted Infantry, which was a Union outfit. Several genealogies in Ancestry.com have Jason "Big" as a brother to David. Center Ledford, definitely a brother of David (per census records), has a Confederate marker (Company F, 65th NC Regiment - which is the WP Moore company) on his grave, which is at Philadelphia Baptist Church Cemetery in Hayesville."

A few months ago, the girls and I tagged along with Don and his wife as they tried to document a few of the graves from the list at the top of this post. We found Big Jason Ledford, right where he was supposed to be in the Old Ledford Chapel Cemetery.

David was there too-even if he's not Jason's brother he's surely related in a close manner.

Also in the same cemetery is the beautiful rugged marker above. Jason David born 1798; died 1889 - Nancy Elizabeth born 1807; died 1890 - Original Settlers. 

Jason Ledford, David Ledford. The names were in Clay County in the 1700s, and  the 1800s, and the 1900s. One of my closest friends is married to a David Ledford and they reside in Clay County today. And I'm positive if I searched all over Clay County surely I'd find at least one Jason Ledford. So I can add the 2000s to the list. 

That's a lot of years for a family to live in the same general location. The story of Big Jason Ledford no doubt has to include the horror of the Civil War, but for me the brightest part of his story is the longevity of his family line. I like to think about all those generations passing down the traditions and culture of Appalachia.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Ledford , David
http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm?submitted=1&firstName=David&lastName=Ledford&stateCode=NC&multiselect=NC&warSideCode=U&battleUnitName=
Side:
Union
2nd Regiment, North Carolina Mounted Infantry
Overview:
Organized at Knoxville, Tenn., October, 1863. Attached to 1st Brigade, Willcox's Division, 9th Army Corps, Left Wing Forces, Dept. Ohio, to April, 1864. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 23rd Army Corps, Dept. Ohio, to February, 1865. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, District of East Tennessee, Dept. of the Cumberland, to August, 1865.

Service:
Ordered to Greenville, Tenn., to October 16, 1863, and duty there till November 6. Moved to Bull's Gap November 6, and duty there till December. March across Clinch Mountains to Clinch River. Action at Walker's Ford December 2. Gibson's and Wyerman's, Miss., February 22, 1864. Duty at Cumberland Gap and patrol duty in East Tennessee till April, 1865. Scout from Cumberland Gap January 23-27, 1865. Expedition from East Tennessee into Western North Carolina March 21-April 25, 1865. Moved to Boone, N.C., April 6, and to Asheville, N.C., April 27-30. Duty in North Carolina and East Tennessee till August. Mustered out August 16, 1865.

(A Search for Jason Ledford, NC, Union lists No Soldiers)

Ledford , Jason Big
http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=AE1790B2-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A 
Side:
Confederacy
Company:
B
Soldier's Rank In:
Private
Soldier's Rank Out:
Private
Alternate name:

Film Number:
M230 ROLL 23
Plaque Number:

Notes:
General Note - See also 7 Batt'n. N.C. Cav.
Ledford , Jason Big
http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=AF1790B2-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A 
Side:
Confederacy
Company:
B
Soldier's Rank In:
Private
Soldier's Rank Out:
Private
Alternate name:

Film Number:
M230 ROLL 23
Plaque Number:

Notes:
General Note - See also 6 N.C. Cav.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hicks/Hix - Ledford Info:
http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.hicks/1447/mb.ashx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
https://www.ancestry.ca/boards/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=884&p=surnames.ledford
written by: Paul Selk

As far as can be told, Peter Ledford Sr was married only once. There doesn't seem to be any gaps in census records as if his wife had died, nor is there a change in her age. The real confusion comes from her name.

Until the last couple of decades, Peter's wife was known only as N.Y., those are the letters inscribed on her grave marker, with the date of death given as Jun 24 1844. The question is, what does NY stand for? I have a very good close-up picture of the stone, and will make this one comment about the letters, there is a dot after the Y, but none was put between the N and the Y, as if it was an abbreviation, not initials. If the is the case, then Nancy or Nanny comes to mind.

I'm not sure when the new stone was placed for Peter and his wife, Nathaniel Browder didn't mention it in his book written in the mid-1970's, so sometime between then and 1987 when I started researching Ledfords. This new stone proposed her name to be Martha Y. Thomas, died June 24 1828. I am assuming this name and date are from the research of a Mr. Garland, but perhaps Lawrence Wood, another researcher from the Macon County area, is the source. Both gentlemen are deceased, so perhaps someone familiar with Ledford research in the 1980's could help with the origin of that info.

First thing's first. whether the name on her stone are initials or an abbreviation, the first letter is N, so Martha really doesn't fit. Secondly, in 1828, Peter and his wife were living in the newly formed county of Macon. Since at that point Macon took in what is now Clay county, it is possible that they were living where they were buried, but, the 1830 census shows Peter and his wife [still living] in the proximity of Lewis VanDyke, whose store was in the vicinity of the Little Tennessee River, I'm guessing near modern Franklin. She's also shown still living in 1840. So, these two fact, her name didn't start with M, and her death date is wrong, not just by a month or year, but 16 years and tens of miles, should make anyone view that information, and the whole grave stone, with suspicion.

Next item, Annie Tucker. The source of the name Annie Tucker is known. Elbert Burton Ledford, born about 1824, stated in 1890's that his father's parents were Peter Ledford and Annie Tucker. His son repeated this. This was to an Indian Enrolling Agent, which makes people suspicious, but if you read the reports, Elbert and his sons were claiming Cherokee blood through Peter or his wife, they made it clear that they got their blood from Elbert's mother, Jerusha Pittman. It was also noted that Elbert signed the statement in the 1890's, but when he reapplied in 1908 he signed with a mark. At that time he had changed Peter's wife's name to Annie Conacene [or Conseenah] and was claiming through her. That was noted by the agent, whose determination was that Elbert's earlier statement was the correct one, Peter's wife was Annie Tucker, not Conseenah, and someone was trying to pull a fast one [noting that this new statement was signed with a mark]. In all of the Indian pensions, her name is given as Ann/Annie.

Unlike "Martha", this is actually a closer match to the gravestone, since Ann and Nancy are interchangeable names. According to Webster's Dictionary, Nancy is actually short for Anne.

Tucker, was that her name? Well, there's no way of knowing right now, but there are indications that Elbert knew what he was talking about, though circumstantial. In 1768, the Rowan county tax list for the Deep River, Carraway Creek section lists William Ledford living with Samuel Tucker. This William Ledford was son of John Ledford Sr (born c1720) and older brother of Peter G. Ledford Sr. This William had moved to South Carolina before 1790.

I don't know who the father of Samuel Tucker was, there were two gentlemen in Rowan county at the time, George Tucker and Robert Tucker, both the right age, but George wasn't his father, so it could have been Robert. Then there was James Tucker, who was born farther east in North Carolina in the late 1760's, moved to Randolph County as a child with his father, Robert Tucker (the same as above), and served in the Revolution from there. He moved to Monroe County, TN in 1824 where he remained the rest of his life. Absolom Ledford also moved to Monroe County, TN about 1824, from where he was living on Pigeon River in Haywood county, next door to Peter's son Eli. Peter's other son, Peter Jr also went to Monroe in the 1820's, and another son, Jason D., joined him there for a short time in the 1830's. Those three sons were back in Cherokee County, NC by 1840.

It's all coincidental, but considering Elbert was twenty when his grandmother died, he should have known at least her first name. Elbert's father, Levi, was living right next door to Peter in the 1840 census; and there does appear to be some sort of connection between the Tuckers and Peter and his brother.

By the way, even though there is a close relationship between Absolom Ledford and the children of Peter, it should not be mistaken that Absolom was a son of Peter's, Absolom was born c1790/2, and Peter only had two children born in the 1790's, Peter Jr and Levi.

Anyway, sorry to be so long winded. I hope this will help to sort things out. The only official document that I have seen to date is the affidavit made by Peter's grandson as to his grandmother's name. This was done some 50 years after her death, by a man who was born, if not next door, then just down the road. Considering he wasn't trying to get money for her, I don't see anything amiss, and when the focus did change to trying to get money for her, only her last name changed.