Does anyone know, who I can contact to find out about the descendants of the slaves of Ephraim Oates, or even those of his mother Elizabeth Shipp Oates? Le

110. Stephen Oates was born in 1783 and died in 1835. He married Elizabeth Ann Shipp. They had at least three children, James, John Charles,and Ephraim. The Oates family came to Henry County after Stephen's death in 1835. In 1839 Elizabeth Oates had to settle her husband's estate so their son, James, was made Commissioner for that purpose, and their son John Charles was given the power of attorney to settle the matter. Ephraim Oates who was born Jan. 27, 1826 in Sampson Co.,., NC, had very little formal education because he worked on his mother's plantation in Roeville. He did contribute to the Baptist Church and he served in Armstrong's Mounted Infantry, also known as the Henry Mounted Rebels, during the Civil War. Ephraim died on Apr. 20, 1911 in Abbeville, Henry County, Alabama and is buried in the Abbeville City Cemetery . Ephraim married 1st Mary Ann Ward, daughter of James (b.Nov.1, 1783 in SC, d.Feb. 28 , 1 8 60 in Henry Co., AL) and Malinda / Marinda Parrish Ward. She was born June 24, 1822, died Nov 24,1882 and was buried in the Abbyville City Cemetery, Henry County, Alabama. Ephraim and Mary Ann had five children: Malinda, married Dr. Thomas Carrey, Soloman;Wyatt Stephen Oates (see below); Margaret married Edgar Lindsay, son of Benjamin & Mary Jordon Lindsay. 2 others. Ephraim married 2nd Lucy Saunders, b. Nov. 19, 1849, d. Sept. 12, 1838. Lucy was also buried in the Abbyville City Cemetery, Henry County, Alabama. Ephraim and Lucy's children were:Ephraim Oates, William G. Oates, Lucy Oates and Lizzie Oates. http://www.southern-style.com/bursonram/bursonram/pafn07.htm According to the Memorial Records of Alabama, Ephraim Oates inherited 12,000 acres of land. Galloways, Oates and Peebles families. Polk County Enterprise, March 18, 2004 Ward was a very common name among early English arrivals in Virginia. A James Ward was aboard the Plain Jane from London in 1635. The name James Ward, age 18, appears also in 1635 arriving in America aboard the Primrose. One of these is more than likely the link to the Wards who settled in Polk County, migrating along similar routes for almost a hundred years through North and South Carolina and into Henry County, Alabama with Galloways, Oates and Peebles families. Daniel Ward was born in 1763 in South Carolina. His son, James J. Ward, both 1783, married Melinda Ann Parrish, also from South Carolina. The Wards moved to Henry County, Alabama around 1824. The area where they settled was known as Ward' s Crossroads in the early years. James J. accumulated considerable wealth, including a plantation with 42 slaves. In 1827, he was elected representative to the Alabama State Legislature, where he served until 1836 when he was elected to the state senate. His tenure as a senator lasted 21 years. James J. and Melinda "Nancy" Ann did not come to Texas, but two daughters and several grandchildren did. There were nine children. All of the sons had the name James and each daughter was given the name Ann. Elizabeth Ann Ward married Wiley Peebles and moved to Polk County, Texas in 1854. Permelia Ann Ward married James J. Galloway. James Jackson Ward married Eliza Oates. They had two children who also came to settle in Polk County. William James, born 1841, married Adaline Hudson in 1861. He enlisted in Co. K, 5th Texas Infantry shortly after the marriage. He was wounded at 2nd Manassas and died one month later in 1862. William J's sister Ann married W.H. Freeman in 1861. He enlisted in Co. E, 29th Texas Infantry. He died of illness at Chappel Hill, Texas and Ann married a second time to J.W. Hanner in 1868. William James' mother, Eliza Oates Ward, married Henry Hutto after the death of James Jackson Ward. The Huttos moved to Polk County in 1855 and settled at Shady Grove. Mary Ann Ward married Ephraim Oates after the death of her first husband, W.A. Smith. A copy of a letter in the museum's archives from William James Ward in 1862 discusses the march from Richmond to the Potomac River and hearing the loud roar of cannons all day. He says, "We are all eager for the fight. I am willing to meet my fate, let it be good or bad. Papa, I write to you to make my wishes known. I am not fearful of getting killed yet, I may. If so, I want you to make Adaline, my wife, heir of one-half of what I have or will have. The other half, divide equally between Mother (Eliza) and Sister Ann." The letter was witnessed by Nathan Oates. William Ward was obviously referring to Henry Hutto as his papa since his father had ied in Alabama in 1843. Shortly after the letter, William James died, 1862. His widow, Adaline Hudson Ward, married J.L. Thomas in 1870. Recently, a Hudson relative, Josh David of the Caney Creek community, gifted the Polk County Museum with the wedding vest which had been worn by William James when he married Adaline. They had less than one month together before he enlisted in the Confederate Army. There were no children to this union, but Adaline had eight children after her second marriage to Joe Thomas. She lived until 1932 and is buried at the Jones Prairie Cemetery at Leggett. There are numerous descendants today in Polk County from the Galloway, Oates and Peebles connection to the Wards of Henry County, Alabama. www.easttexasnews.com/ent_history.htm -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.298 / Virus Database: 265.6.8 - Release Date: 01/03/2005