May I say that the Eula Mae Harris Bible, although I have not yet sought to > procure a copy, is probably all in one handwriting, given the fact that > there are so many generations given, and all without months and years. The > Bibles that I have seen usually have only two or three generations and are > in one to three different handwritings. It would seem likely that she > obtained information from Mr. Arthur Jolley at one point. > > The late Lamar White of Midvale, Utah, conducted a taped interview with > Arthur Jolley in 1966. It was Lamar’s impression that, while Mr. Jolley did > the best he could, nonetheless much of what he said was not true, although > he interspersed bits here and there which were largely correct. > > The same basic outline of E.M. Harris’ Bible was extracted by Lamar from his > > interview with Mr. Jolley. > > Dwight Ozment of Richmond, Virginia, has interviewed Winifred Johnson of > Mesa, Arizona. Her grandfather began relating his family history to her some > > 70 years ago in Texas. She had contact with Mr. Jolley, too. As a result, > her recollections are tainted by the Jolley narrative to the point where > Dwight had to concede that Winifred, at times, could not separate those > facts obtained by her grandfather from those stories related to her by Mr. > Jolley. There is much of value in her knowledge of the Texas Ozments, which > trace back to John Jasper Ozment (b. ca. 1798-99, NC) and his father Robert > Lafayette of MS (b. ca. 1779). She grew up with Gene Autry and his mother, > Elnora Ozment. Their line has female Morgans and Fraziers, which contain > Indian blood. She told me that her grandfather had told her that Robert L. > Ozment was also a brother of my Alfred Ozment (b. late 1804-1877), and that > Alfred had a diary of family descendancy information, which sadly had never > been rediscovered. > > Arthur Jolley’s narrative is filled with improbabilities. > > One time it states that James H. Ozment, Sr., and Billy Eddings landed in > Charleston, SC, with Lafayette, and apparently in another version states > that they landed in New Orleans. > > James H. Ozment (1793-1861) was in New Orleans, Louisiana, for a couple of > years, around 1844. The book in the Santa Clara, CA, Library on the army of > Gen. Lafayette has a Jean Osmond of Caen, France, among his men. > > At one time, the narrative has Billy Eddings marrying White Fawn or > Elizabeth, the daughter of Chief Keoto. (I think I remember that he married > Rebecca Chandler of Laurens Co., SC.) It has James H., Sr., marrying Martha > Arden, the daughter of Chief Keoto’s brother. After leaving SC, James H., > Sr., and Billy taught at an Indian mission school in Robeson County, NC > (which was still part of Bladen County until 1787), where they married their > > princesses. The Harris Bible has her as Martha Arden (Madison). > > There was a (James) Madison Ozment, a son of Jonathan Ozment. There was, > also, a Martha A. Ozment, the firstborn child / daughter of Robert S. and > Caroline Ozment. > > According to Lamar White’s tape, Mr. Jolley’s son supposedly obtained > information from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which said BIA related to me > that they don’t have records more that 40 years old. All older documents are > > forwarded to the National Archives, which said NARA related to me that they > had no such documents as Mr. Jolley’s son purported, in that they have no > records for dissipated and unamalgamated tribes, especially of that vintage > and in that area. So where did this information originate? > > There were a few dissipating reservations in Dorchester Co., MD, in the > 1780s, when my John Ozment (1763-1842+) would've married, ca. 1785. They > were Nanticoke, Choptank, etc. of the Delaware (Algonquin stock). The > Indians of Robeson Co., NC, would likely have been Catawba. > > I have never seen a James H. Ozment, Sr., from Robeson Co., NC. The paper > trail clearly shows that the Ozments came from Talbot Co., MD, to Caroline > Co., MD, to Guilford Co., NC, and from thence to Wilson Co., TN. > > Robert L. (ca. 1779) was probably born in MD, and he was probably a son of > Thomas Ozment, Jr., (1749, MD - ) who married Rachel (Mrs. Bradbury > Sylvester) in 1778. > > Richard (D.) Ozment, Jr., (1759, MD - 1830+, TN) probably had twin boys in > 1780, Manlove and Howard (both 70 in 1850, NC). > > Robert L. was probably too old to have been a brother of my Alfred (late > 1804, NC - 1877, AR), who had brothers Eli (1786, NC - 1850+, TN), James H. > (1793, NC - 1861, AR), and Richard S. (1800, NC - 1866, IL). Greenbury > Ozment (1805, NC - 1850+, TN) was probably not Alfred’s brother, even though > > they both married in Nashville a year apart. > > Let us just retire this Jolley narrative to family folklore, until such time > > as some hard evidence to the contrary surfaces. > > Apropos of my previous e-mail to you, I thought to append my thoughts on > Richard Osment (1718, MD - 1751+, MD) and his unknown wife. > > Richard Ozment, Sr., (1737, MD - 1817, NC) had a Richard (D.) Ozment, Jr., > (1759, MD - 1830+, TN) Could the initial stand for Davis, and represent the > surname of Richard Osment’s wife? (E.g.: Ozment acquaintances of Hannah > Oldham Davis Edge ... Elizabeth Davis Wise ... etc.) > > The 1733 Talbot Co., MD, tax list had one Osment male of 16 years or older > paying the tax. Therefore, 1733 - 15 = 1718, the birth year of Richard > Osment, who would’ve married at 18, in 1736. > > His son, Richard Ozment, was born in 1737. He was probably 21 by January > 1759 (will witness of Hannah Edge). Therefore, 1758 - 21 = 1737, also. > Richard would’ve married Rachel at age 18 or 19, in 1755 or 1756. > Alternately spelled, Richard Osmond, Jr., appeared on three inventory debt > lists in 1757 (along with his uncle Thomas Osmond), including that of the > late William Alexander. Richard Osment (1718-1751+) appeared as next of kin, > > along with his brother, Thomas Osment, and his nephew, George Gibson (son of > > Elinor Osment Gibson), on the 1751 inventory of his father, John Osment. > > In Sept. 1749, Richard Bennett bequeathed a land tract called “Neglect” to > two of the sons of John Osment, deceased, who were Thomas Osment (ca. > 1725-1758) and John Osment (1728-1822). It would transfer to John, if Thomas > > had no issue. > > But, Thomas had issue: Thomas, Jr., Priscilla (Jr.), and Jonathan. > > In 1793, John Osman (54) gave a deposition to the Land Commissioners. Thus, > he was born in 1739, and most likely was a brother of Richard (1737). > > Thus, the 1790 MD census had Thomas (Jr.), Jonathan, “old” John, and John > (son of 1718 Richard). > > Old John’s son, John Osman (1756, MD - 1822, NY), moved to Montgomery Co., > NY, after the Rev. War (per his pension application), where he died in 1822, > > leaving a son, John Osman. Old John died in 1822 at the age of 94 (will) or > 96 (newspaper). > > John and Cornelia (Morton) Osment had: Elinor Osment Gibson (ca. > 1712-1734+), Richard Osment (1718-1751+), Edward Osmond (ca. 1721-1750s+), > Thomas (ca. 1725-1758), and John (1728-1822). > > John Osman / Osment (ca. 1683-by 9/1749) had been born in Portsmouth, > Hampshire, England in 1783 (christened in 1784). > > Cornelia (ca. 1690-by 1740) had been born in Virginia in about 1690. Her > father, Robert Morton, first bought land in Talbot Co., MD, in 1700, with a > wife of a different name than was in his 1721 will and inventory. He was 30 > in 1683, when he was apprenticed for 4 years in Virginia. He was born in > Caddington, Bedford (1653). >