This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: DANSBY, NEELY, GUYTON, COMBS, GRAHAM, NORTHCROSS Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/jV.2ADE/54.2 Message Board Post: I received the Pension file for Jack DANSBY ----186 pages of odds and ends and goodies! Here is an outline of the info so far. Some information is still confusing, for examplem he is already in Hardeman Co, TN in 1870, but claims his daughter was born in New Albany, MS in 1872 and his wife Mary Flournoy died there in 1874....did they return briefly to MS? His eyes were black, blue, grey or brown; his complexion was mulatto, brown, white, or light; his height was 5'7", 5'8", 5'10" and weight fluctuated around 155 depending on which form you looked at. Here is a rough TIMELINE for Jack H Dansby or John Henry DANSBY Jack DANSBY born 4 July 1840, New Albany , MS (then Pontotoc County) He married ("slave marriage") 1861 to Mary Flournoy in New Albany, MS He enlisted USCT abt July 1865 (July 1, 1864) He was discharged abt Feb 1866 (Jan 31, 1866) He served most of his time in Memphis. He is in Hardeman County TN, 1870 census. (Indexed under DASBY) His daughter Mary DANSBY was born July 18, 1872, apparently in New Albany (She eventually married Pick STRINGFELLOW in AR. She was his only child mentioned) Mary Flournoy DANSBY dies 1874 in New Albany, MS Jack moves to Saulsbury, Hardeman Co, TN, apparently with some other ex slaves. He lived in TN "11 years", in/near Saulsbury, Hardeman Co, TN Jack married Jennie NORTHCROSS in 1877 in St Francis Co Arkansas(this is indexexed as Northcrop--apparently a misreading of the elaborate old style double s at the end). Jack moved to Lee/St Francis Co Arkansas in 1877. Jennie NORTHCROSS DANSBY died Dec 23, 1884. Isabella MAYFIELD marries his brother Taylor Dansby after 1884---she atated that she was at the death of the NORTHCROSS wife etc) Jack married Flora GUY WILLIAMS in Memphis, TN Jan 27 1887. Flora may or may not have been married before, but had a son Charlie WILLIAMS whose father was a "Frenchman". One version is that she and the family had used the name GUY at some point because the "owner" in MS was a GUY family but the family switched to the name WILLIAMS after slavery, and she was never married before. Her sister, Callie JOHNSON, said she was married before. Jack originally desribes her as a widow with maiden name GUY. Jack DANSBY died 11 Feb 1921, at a hospital in Memphis TN Flora died the next year. Witnesses etc.... Henry COMBS has known J H DANSBY since 1866 (statement in 1896 St Francis Co, AR 1894) W T DANSBY ...has "lived with" Jack since 1871 (W T was 35 in 1894 when statement was taken) Giles GUYTON... were "neighbor boys in slavery times" , moved in 1867 to Hardeman Co, TN and "stopped on a farm in one mile of Jack Dansby", then moved Lee Co, Ar in 1875, J Dansby "followed" 2 years later, (Statement taken in Lee county 1894) Aaron NEELY , ...served with Jack Dansby in war, neighbor of his since then (Statement in Lee Co, AR in 1895) Caleb GRAHAM...(67 in 1895) known him since "small childhood", in the war, and neighbors since then, (Statement made in Lee Co, AR 1895) Felts ANDERSON(sargeant), & Henry CLAY knew Jack Dansby in the war..., Statements taken in 1895 Shelby Co, TN (Memphis) Jack DANSBY did get a pension for a back injury that led to "rheumatism etc". Pension started at $6 per month and increased a number of times, eventually reached $50 a month by 1920.