Greenberry Bobbitt

The following is a repost of my Civil War Souls post.

Greenberry Bobbitt was born 1 May 1845 in Grayson County, Virginia to Charles Bobbitt and Sarah DeFries.

Greenberry Bobbitt enlisted in the 45th Virginia Infantry, Company E on 3 April 1862 at "C. Narrows" in Giles County, Virginia with Lieutenant Colonel Peters for the duration of the War.

Taken from Service Records

On 20 April 1862, he is listed as receiving $50 bounty pay. Further investigation would be required to figure out why he was being paid a bounty.

Taken from Service Records

After the bounty pay, I lose Greenberry for two years in the War. I do know, however, that Greenberry got married in that timespan. He married Nancy Jane Bryant in Surry County, North Carolina on 19 October 1862.

Perhaps he feared he wouldn't return home. Perhaps he had to show her what she meant to him. Or perhaps he was simply home waiting for orders during this time I can't find him in the muster rolls. Whatever the circumstances, they seem to have married before the War, but they didn't start their family until later.

The next time I see him back with the Company is when he appears on a muster on 1 April 1864. Then, just a few months later, on 5 June 1864, he is captured at Piedmont, Virginia.

Taken from Service Records

He is shown as a POW at Staunton, Virginia by 8 June 1864. Within just a few weeks though, he appears at Camp Morton in Indianapolis, Indiana. He seems to remain at Camp Morton until he is sent to City Point, Virginia on 4 March 1865 for a prisoner exchange. It is noted that his route to City Point was to go through Baltimore, Maryland.

I assume he made it home shortly after the prisoner exchange because Nancy had their first child about a year later.

Together, they had at least the following children:

• Amanda Bobbitt, born about 1866
• Emaline Bobbitt, born about 1869
• Martin Van Buren Bobbitt, born about 1871
• Charles Bobbitt, born about 1873
• Andy Bobbitt, born about 1875
• Rosabel Bobbitt, born about 1879
• Sarah A. Bobbitt, born January 1883
• William M. Bobbitt, born May 1884
• Norman Hale Bobbitt, born 8 March 1889
• Payton Bobbitt, born about April 1889
• Peter Bobbitt, born about 1891

By the 1910 census that Nancy lists two of her 11 children had died by 1910.

Clipping from 1910 Fancy Gap, VA Census

Greenberry later married Betty Jane Moore. Together, they had at least two children:

• Maggie Jean Bobbitt, born 29 June 1919
• John Green Bobbitt, born 25 June 1924

Greenberry died 31 May 1931 in Carroll County, Virginia. He is buried at Flincham Cemetery, Lambsburg, Carroll County, Virginia. Betty Jane died 28 September 1965. She is buried at Chestnut Grove Church Cemetery, Lambsburg, Carroll County, Virginia.

Sources:

• 1850 Grayson County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1860 Wolfe Glade, Carroll County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1870 Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1880 Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1900 Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1920 Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Death Certificate, Betty Jean Bobbitt (accessed on Ancestry)
• Death Certificate, Green Bobbitt (accessed on Ancestry)
• Death Certificate, Norman Bobbitt (accessed on Ancestry)
• Surry County Marriage Records, Grenbery Bobit and Nancy J. Brint (accessed on Ancestry)
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Virginia (accessed on Fold3)
• WWII Draft Card, John Green Bobbitt (accessed on Ancestry)

John B. and Christina W. Smith

John Benjamine Smith was born 25 November 1815 in North Carolina. His parents were Frederick and Elizabeth Lineberry Smith.

John married Christina Charlotte Walk, daughter of Johann Joseph Alexander and Elizabeth Goss Walk. Together, they had at least 11 children. They are:

• Martha Elizabeth Smith, born 1843
• Webster Smith, born 1845
• Lawrance Smith, born 1845
• Caroline Lucetta Smith, born 1846
• John Reuben Smith, born 1850
• Joseph Coke Smith, born 1851
• William J. Smith, born 1854
• Constantine A. Smith, born 1856
• Benjamin Alford Smith, born 1859
• Louisa V. Smith, born 1862
• Frederick F. Smith, born 1863

I couldn't help but notice that the children stopped before the end of the Civil War. I decided to look for military service for John. I thought I found him in the 35th North Carolina Infantry, but that man died in the War, and I know from John's tombstone that John lived until 1895.

Clipping from 1860 Census

John still could have enlisted in the War, but I haven't found him in the service rolls yet in North Carolina, but maybe I've been looking in the wrong state. I do know, sometime between 1860 and 1870, the family moved from Davidson County, North Carolina to Carroll County, Virginia. I've been trying to pinpoint the exact timeframe of their move, and I think I have a pretty good idea of when that happened.

As far as I can tell from census records, all of John and Christina's children were born in North Carolina, so that means the family would have moved sometime after 1863. So, I thought, maybe John enlisted in the War after moving to Virginia. This would have put their move between 1863 and 1865. In my mind though, I imagine moving to another state during the Civil War, even within the South, would have been incredibly dangerous. 

Or maybe the family moved to Virginia after the War since it would have been too risky to move with so many young children during such a turbulent time. This would have put their move between 1865 and 1870. This would mean John probably did not serve during the Civil War. He would have been rather old compared to the 20-something year olds that often enlisted, but I won't be convinced until I check the Virginia records a little more.

The last thing I will say about this family is how I love the work ethic that they seemed to have according to the census records.  In the census clipping above, you see how John had $800 of Real Estate and $400 of Personal Estate in North Carolina as a farmer. Just 10 years and an entire Civil War later, he's moved to another state and he's not much worse off for it.

Clipping from 1870 Census

Most farmers that didn't move lost most of the value of their property after the War. John went from $800 down to just $600 during this time. That's pretty impressive on its own. When you consider he was starting over from scratch with a new farm in a new state in a country still trying to rebuild, it is truly an incredible story. I think I would have liked to have known this man very much.

Sources:

• 1850 Davidson County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1860 Salem, Davidson County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1870 Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Tombstone, John B. Smith (as posted by Dan Stevenson on Find A Grave)

Joseph C. and Julia L. Smith

Joseph Coke Smith was born 31 March 1851 in probably in either Davidson or Randolph County, North Carolina. He was the sixth of 11 children born to John Benjamin and Christina Charlotte Walk Smith.

Clipping from the 1860 census

Joseph married Julia Ann Lineberry on 27 December 1868 in Randolph County, North Carolina. Same as Joseph, Julia was a middle child herself. She was born 14 February 1849 in Randolph County, North Carolina. She was the fourth of seven children born to Jacob B. and Edith Wilhoit Lineberry.

Joseph and Julia had at least the following children:

• Jacob Friel Smith, born 13 October 1870
• Ada Luretta Smith, born 16 April 1873
• John Webbster Smith, born about 1876
• Lucy Jane Smith, born 24 March 1878
• Charley Coke Smith, born 6 Sept 1881

Joseph was a farmer his entire life. 

Julia died 27 July 1909 in Randolph County, North Carolina. Two years after Julia's death, Joseph remarried. Her name was Nannie Crawford.

Copyright Brittany Jenkins, 2014

Joseph died 28 March 1928 in Grant, Randolph County, North Carolina of angina pectoris. Joseph and Julie are buried together at Cool Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Coleridge, Randolph County, North Carolina. Nannie is also buried at Cool Springs.

Sources:

• 1850 Randolph County, North Carolina Census U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1860 New Salem, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1860 Salem, Davidson County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1870 Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1870 Sandy Creek, New Salem, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1880 New Salem, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1900 Grant, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 Grant, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1920 Grant, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Death Certificate, Joe Smith (accessed on Ancestry)
• Death Certificate, Nannie Smith (accessed on Ancestry)
• Tombstone, J C Smith (photo taken June 2014)
• Tombstone, Julia A Smith (photo taken June 2014)
• Tombstone, Nannie Crawford Smith (photo taken June 2014)

Alexander A. Cameron and Sarah Louetta Cameron

Sarah Louetta Lineberry was born 11 September 1863 in Locust Grove, Randolph County, North Carolina. She was the sixth of eight children born to William Hanner Lineberry and Sarah A Duskin. I first learned of Louetta in "The Lineberry Family of Randolph County, NC, 1725-1991," a small family history compiled by Leo & Aline Lineberry, Glenn Lineberry, and Louise Wagoner.

They mention Louetta simply as being a child of William Hanner and Sarah Lineberry, that she married a man named Alex Cameron, and that she lived in Carroll County, Missouri.

Excerpt from "The Lineberry Family of Randolph County"
Book provided by Angie Jenkins

Vague clues like that tend to drive me to try to learn more about people. I decided to find her and her family in Missouri. I found her and her family rather easily.

Alexander A. Cameron and Sarah Louetta Lineberry were married 26 February 1880 in Wood, Carroll County, Missouri.

Alexander was born 18 April 1858 in Livingston County, Missouri to Joshua Freeman Cameron and Hannah Ann Silvey. According to the 1870 census, Joshua Cameron seems to be a rather successful farmer, especially in light of the time. The value of his real estate is listed as being $12,050.

Clipping from 1870 Grand River, Missouri Census.

As you can see, Joshua is listed as being from Nova Scotia, Canada. I attempted to figure out when he immigrated to America, but I was unsuccessful. According to the births of his children, it was at least by 1854. I am very curious how a farmer in Missouri managed to keep such a large amount of his property intact throughout the Civil War. More investigations into this family are needed for sure.

But enough about Joshua. Let's get back to Alexander and Louetta... Alex and Louetta had four children together.

• Roy Robert Cameron, b. 27 February 1881
• William Franklin Cameron , b. 15 December 1882
• Charles Clay Cameron, b. 5 March 1887
• Minnie Pearl Cameron, b. 3 September 1889

Minnie died at the age of 5. Her cause of death is currently unknown.

L to R: Charles Clay Cameron, Alexander A Cameron, Robert Roy Cameron, Sarah Louetta Cameron, William Franklin Cameron
Photo from Unknown Source. Please let me know if you know where this originated!

Alexander died 2 July 1913 in Chillicothe, Livingston County, Missouri. After his death, Louetta goes to live with her son, Roy. In 1920, they are living in Kansas, but by 1930 they make it back to Missouri. Louetta died 12 June 1938 in Chillicothe, Livingston County, Missouri.

I know the most about Roy's family due to Louetta's time living with him, but I still need to investigate Charles and Frank's families and Roy's grandchildrens' families. Louetta may have left Randolph County as a young woman, but she still has Randolph County, North Carolina roots.

Sources:

• 1870 Grand River, Livingston County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1880 Wood, Carroll County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1900 Chillicothe, Livingston County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1910 Chillicothe, Livingston County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1920 Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1930 Chillicothe, Livingston County, Missouri U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• "The Lineberry Family of Randolph County, NC, 1725-1991"