Descendants of John Allen Burk Generation No. 1 1. John Allen1 Burk Child of John Allen Burk is: 2 i. William Joseph Lafayette2 Burke, born 1815 in North Carolina; died September 06, 1864 in Bolinger Cemetery, Madison, Co., Ar.. He married Sarah Ann Felkins December 28, 1844; born January 28, 1822 in Kentucky; died August 19, 1897 in Whorton Creek Cemetery, Madison, Co. Ar.. Notes for William Joseph Lafayette Burke: >From The Spring 1991 Madison County, Ar. Musings pages 16--18 This is the inscription on a tombstone erected in 1975 in the Bolinger Cemetery located about 10 miles south of Kingston, Arkansas. Funds for the new marker were solicited by Mrs Sybil Carter of Huntsville, Arkansas and the late Alva Burk of Kingston, Arkansas. When the new tombstone was ordered neither Sibyl Carter nor Alva Burk knew the first names of Burk or Tucker listed on the headstone . They also did not know the exact date of the death of Burk or Tucker . What are the facts about the two men buried in the same grave " by their women." Since John A. Tucker is my great-grandfather I decided to seek more information about this mystery. First let me review some of the stories, traditions and differing interpretations that have been circulating about what happened . Burk (age 49) and Tucker (age 55) were too old to keep up with the military company to which they were attached and were riding two colts which had been abandoned by enemy troops . They were straggling behind foot soldiers and apparently Confederate Bush ' Whackers shot them not very far fron home. Since all of the men had left the area, it took seven women and one young boy to get them on an oxcart to take them to the cemetery . That is why they are buried together as there were only women avaliable to dig the grave. (Source: Sibyl Carter, Huntsville, Ar.) What are the facts on which there can be a general agreement regarding the death and burial of Burk and Tucker? They were neighbors. in the 1860 census of Madison County, Ar. Kings River Township, the Tucker residence is number 746 and the Burke residence is number 753. When the Widow of Joseph Burk filed for a widow's pension the following affadavit was made on February 8 , 1883. Susan L. Tucker and Salinda Casey testified that they saw the soldier ( Joseph Burk's body) after he was killed. He was killed by a company or squad of rebels on Kings River, Arkansas , Sept 06, 1864 ,were not present at killing but heard the report of the guns . Said soldier at the time of death was with a squad of said Captain Bivens Company . Susan L. Tucker , P. O. Kingston Madison County , Arkansas and Salinda Casey in Aurora , Madison County , Arkansas." (Salinda L Tucker is the wife of John A. Tucker's son Robert S . Tucker ) In the 1870 census of Madison County , Ar. ( Sarah Felkins Burk ) pension application , Burk was a member of Captain Bivens Independent Company, Ar Calvary . The National Archives has no record of federal military service for Joseph Burk. Captain Bivens Company was probably an informal organization which some referred to as " home guards ". Joseph Burk's widow application for a federal pension was denied . In the 1870 Census of Madison County , Ar., Sarah Felkins Burk was the head of the household of seven children living at home. The same census shows Lucinda Tucker ( John A. Tuckers widow ) as head of the household with five children living with her . This indicates that both Burk and Tucker died between 1860 and 1870. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- This is another version not from the Madison County Musings. WILLIAM JOSEPH LAFAYETTE BURKE HISTORY William Joseph Lafayette Burke was born in 1815, the son of John Allen Burke .William Joseph Lafayette Burke married Sarah Ann Felkins on December 28 , 1844. William Joseph went by the name of " Joe ". William Joseph Lafayette Burke was shot by bushwhackers on September 06 , 1864 in a field where Felkins and Kings River runs together on a farm presently owned by John Russell . The following is an account of his murder told by Sam Steele, son of Mary Burkes . " my moms dad, William Joseph Lafayette Burke was killed by bushwhackers , him and another feller, Joe Burkes and John Taylor . They shot em off of their horses up there on the Kings River. They had been to Kingston, them and their boys and had started home . And them boys wanted to go to some house over there and rob some bee hives somebody had . The men told them they wasn't going to have nothing to do with it they'd just go home , so they got over on Kings River and the bushwhackers was laying and waiting for em and shot them both off of their horses. The boys, I don't know whether they robbed the bees or not , but they went on home; and the women, they had to go and build a rail fence around em ( The Mens Bodies ) that night to keep the hogs off of them. So they had to go bury em, the women did. The boys was afraid to get around close , afraid the'd ( The Bushwhackers ) get them , you know . They took a yoke of oxen and hauled em up there to the Bollinger settlement. There's a little cemetery there and they dug a grave and buried them in the same grave. They just put em up there . Nobody never put im up a head rock, till me and my sister and one of my cousins Howie Burks from Springdale , bought one. But we didn't know no dates , and so we set it up over there and put on it " Killed By Bushwhackers, and Burried By Their Women.........( End of Story as told by Sam Steele.) ANOTHER VERSION Another version of the murder of Joe Burke is that the men were the ones that wanted to rob the beehives , and that the boys had started home. They heard the shots and ran home and told the women, who came back and found the bodies of Joe Burke and John Tucker . The boys had to kept hid out since at this time , because the bushwhackers would shoot them. According to the dates of births of Joe Burke's children , the boys would have been: Andy, Age 13 William, age 18 ( This son might have been away fighting in the war at this time. Samuel, Age 12 James Henry, Age 16 Doc, Age 7 It is unknown which of the boys were with the men at he time of their murder. At the time of the murder of Joe Burke , there were at least 8 or 9 of their children still at home , so the widow Asrah , had a big job of keeping the family going. The 1850, 1860, and 1870 Census of Madison County , as well as other records show the name to be spelled " Burke " . Shortly before the death of " Shorty " Burke in the late 1980's he related to some people that the family merely dropped the " e " from the end of Burke and used the spelling " Burke " and " Burk" because it was easier to spell. According to Shorty, most of the "Burke " and " Burk " familys originated from the same ancestors . The following Burke Families are found in the 1850 Madison County Census and are probably relatives of Joe Burke. John Burks, born 1820 in Tennessee Married Sarah born 1832 in Alabama Isam Burks, born 1820 in Alabama Married Mary born 1829 in Missouri 1 Child: Pinkney, Born in 1849 in Alabama Washington Burks, born 1835 in Alabama Married Betsy J. Born in Illinois 2 children: Sarah Born 1866 in Arkansas Charles Born 1869 in Arkansas