Compiled by Tom Stevens 868 Beach Road, Poplarville MS 39470 [email protected] THE MIGRATION TO TENNESSEE According to family tradition (recollections of tales told by Nancy Catherine Selman Stephens) Josiah Stephens traveled through Northern Georgia from Greenville District South Carolina shortly after 1810 on his way Westward in a party of settlers (which must have included several members of the South Carolina Stephens Family) using a covered wagon pulled by a team of four oxen which was typical of migration during this time period. Eastern Alabama at that time was occupied by the Creek Nation of Indians so in order to enter Tennessee, one had to travel Northward. It is known that Josiah Stephens and Party camped for a prolonged period of time that Winter at Fort Oglethrope. Georgia which was then a part of old Cass (County. (named after Andrew Jackson's Secretary of War). Only forty years earlier this area was occupied by a band of rebellious Cherokee Indians various outcasts. half breeds and white Tories who waged a relentless war upon parties of white settlers descending i! nto Tennessee. It had been a short time ago that an expedition had been sent against the Indians, driving them into the gorges of the Cumberland Mountains. Now more peaceful Cherokees succeeded them; the Brainard Mission had been established consisting of a church, school trading post and mill, but as yet the United States Calvary Post had not been established. By 1812 Josiah Stephens was living near Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife. Nancy Van Stephens, and family. It was from here that Josiah Stephens was mustered into the service of the United States in the War of 1812 on the 10th December 1812, being honorably discharged 9th February 1813. He served in the grade of Private in Captain George Caperton's Company of the Tennessee. Josiah Stephens, Jr., son of Josiah Stephens, Sr. and Nancy Stephens was born in Tennessee in 1816. By 1824 his father was living in Franklin County Tennessee, and entered claim for 50 acres of land on the South side of Elk River. Edward Stephens. page 8 THE STEPHENS FAMILIES OF ITAWAMBA COUNTY MISSISSIPPI On October 22. 1832, the Treaty of Pontotoc, concluded between the Chickasaw Indians and the United States Government, wiped out the remaining Chickasaw titles east of the Mississippi. Much of the ceded land became various present day North Mississippi Counties. Itawamba was one such county, It was between 1835-37 that Northern Mississippi experienced the greatest land boom in its history. Nearly half of the land area in the State of Mississippi was offered at Public Sales in the years 1837-38. According to the 1830 Federal Census of Alabama, Zachariah Stephens had arrived in Blount County. Apparently he lived there for the next several years and then migrated by 1840 to what is now Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Mr. Elmer Stephens, a descendent, stated that Zachariah, son of John Stephens, and his five sons lived about three miles from the present day city of Tuscaloosa at the forks of the Warrior River. Apparently Zachariah and his sons enjoyed hunting very much, because as more and more settlers encroached upon their hunting lands in Tuscaloosa County, this family migrated around 1844 to newly formed Itawamba County where game and land were abundant. (In Misssissippi)Zachariah Stephens homesteaded several hundred acres of land lying between present day Fulton and 20-Mile Bottom on the old Fulton-Jacinto Road. According to numerous personal interviews with elderly descendants of this family in Itawamba County, Zachariah was accompanied by his wife, Tabitha, born in South Carolina in 1799 and his five sons, Abel, Green Sheldon, James Milton, John R. and Redden Byrd. The settlement around which they settled became known as Stephens Town and is still known by this name by many of the Stephens descendants of that area. Zachariah Stephens was born February 8, 1787 in South Carolina according to the 1880 and 1860 Federal Census of Itawamba County. He died October 2. 1881, in Itawamba County and is buried there in the Stephens Cemetery, which he founded. by the side of his wife, Tabitha. Abel, John R., and James M. Stephens also are buried in the Stephens Cemetery. Zackariah Stephens had one known sister (according to Mr. Kirksey, descendent of Tupelo), who was Elizabeth Stephens born in South Carolina in 1780. Elizabeth was living in 1880 in the home of Abel Stephens. In the later years of Old Zachariah's life, he lived with his son, John R. Stephens. a veteran of the Civil War having fought in Company one 12th Mississippi Cavalry in the grade of Lt. By 1830 Josiah Stephens, Sr. had migrated from Franklin County, Tennessee to Maynard's Cove in Jackson County, Alabama. It was here that Josiah Stephens, Jr. grew up and before 1840 had married Nancy Midlock Mitchell who was born in Alabama in 1820. Apparently young Josiah Stephens, Jr. had heard of the newly opened land in Northern Mississippi and between 1840-43, according to his descendants still living in Itawamba County, migrated with his wife by covered wagon through the Moulton Valley in North Alabama to Marion County, Alabama settling in Itawamba. Analysis of consecutive census records of Old Pendleton and Greenville Districts and correlation of these analyses with the Bible Records possessed by Mr. Elmer Stephens of Fulton, Mississippi and correlation of this data with personal interviews with elderly descendants of John and Josiah Stephens (now living in Itawamba County Mississippi) would allow one to reason that Samuel had at least two sons, Josiah and John Stephens. Probably Daniel was a third son, Apparently these two sons left Virginia around the time of the America Revolution, and by 1790 both were living in South Carolina as proven by examination of South Carolina Federal Census Records for this time period. John and Daniel Stephens lived in Pendleton District and Josiah Stephens lived in the adjacent District of Greenville. Source: "Various Decendents of Josiah Stephens and Other Heterogeneous Groups" by Bryant Compiled by Tom Stevens 868 Beach Road, Poplarville MS 39470 (601) 795 6773 Source: History of Wilkinson Co. Georga John Stephens of N.C. mar. Elizabeth (Matthews) John Stephens was Veteran Revelutionary War in the North Carolina Militia and also a veteran of the War of 1812. He is burried 2 mi. S. of Toomsburo Ga. (? Stephens Family Cemetary) Children James Stephens b 2/27/1817 Spouse = Jerusha (Barnes) [Confed. Vet in home service] Gracy Stephens mar. John Israel Garrett more children Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Miss. Lownds Co. MS came horseback in 1830 Stevens, Hardy d1889 was a carpenter and home builder b1803___ Raleigh NC married Elizabeth (Myatt) d1882 and their children were Mrs. Taylor of Kentucky, more J.H. Stephens of Columbus MS b1838 ( Co. K, Old Columbus Riflemen and the 35Ms. Reg. Co. H in CSA) , m 1869 Ophelia (Wallace) Mrs. Palmer of Columbus MS, John A. of West Point, J.A. & Mrs. J.B.Cobb of Texas. Rev. George P. Stevens ([Scotch Irish] Methodist Episcopal) of Georgia married Susan P. Richards [ English Descent] of NC. son Capt. John P. Stevens b11/30/1835 Caswell Co. NC. reared in Christian Co. Ky. came to Jackson in 1858 until 1861 serving in Co. A 6th Ms. Reg. mar in 1868 Miss Sidney E. Green of Baltimore Md. ( Jackson Grocery Co.) Children Sue Stuart & John Price Stevens Thomas Stevens d1658 Stamford Conn. Benjamin Stevens 6th child, b Lee, Mass.( Surveyor of Hwys.) b1795 d 1832 Benjamin Stevens b1830 Lucedale Ms. Chauncy Bigelow Stevens mar Elizabeth Jackson (aunt of Stonewall Jackson) Boloxi, Ms. 2nd wife Lucy Ferril (Irish descent) moved to Augusta, Ms. Hattiesburg Stevens son William Forrest Stevens son H. Stewart Stevens son Benjamin was Capt. in Gen. Forrests Cavalry mar Lorena Annette (Breland) Benjamin's son John Morgan Stevens (judge) mar Ethel Featherstun 1880s a Dear Stephens/ Stevens 1/3/1994 (as published in the People Helper by Tom Stevens=Stevetho) I am hoping to gather information on most of the early Stevens before 1920 ( current info is OK, but volume may be too much. for my own personal information and a computer data bank for others who may be interested. ( I seem to be in a hurry, though it probably won't do me much good.) My family legend : Va. N.C. and S.C. (maybe Georgia) I know my great-grandfather Hardy Stephens born 1802 in N.C. bought 161 acres in Franklin County Alabama in 1839 almost in Tishomingo County Miss. His Father name was Theophilus Stephens. Later, they either moved to Tishomingo County or maybe a new survey put them in Mississippi. Hardy Stephens first marriage to Anne _________? in 1825, with children, Eliza Jane born in 1827, Annie Miria, James Albert, Rhoda Margaret, Elizabeth Emoline, William Calvin and John Rhodes who died in 1881. He was in the 1850 census in Tishomingo County married to (Lulu) Leathy Parrish born in 1818, children were Joel Marion (My Grandfather) ,Hardy Richardson, George Dallas, Joseph Frank, Narcissis, Thomas Jasper, Abagie and Harrett Helon. Some of these descendants are around. [ Update: found cousin's in Booneville, Ms. John Rhodes Stephens line 9-1-94] I found 2 or three of Grandfather's brothers in 26 Ms. Reg. captured at the fall of Fort Donelson. They were exchanged and Hardy Richardson was captured again died in a Yankee prison in Md. Joseph Frank raised a family in Printiss County Ms. In the 1900 census Joseph 54 years old, has a wife Sarah, a son Pracida?, born in 1891, Willie J. B. born in 1894, and Joseph E. born in 1897. A Joseph Stevens is living next door 26 years old married to Mary J., Children: Walter, Mattie L., and Burlie. ***{11-8-96 found Burlie Stevens toomstone near Booneville MS. , guess the family still around -I taped it more, info later -stevetho} My Grandfather, (Joseph) Joel Marion Stephens, Born in 1842 and died in 1923. His first wife was Mary Ann McMillan, Children: Another Marrage__________________? 3rd. Marriage Sally Ann "Dillard" Stevens Lived in Wheeler, Ms. married in 1901. My father Joseph Frank Stevens born in 1908. (my Grandmother Sally Ann and my Father Joseph Frank Stevens - stevetho) ( Old info -I thought in 1994 Stevetho=Tom Stevens)The probability of a relationship to Early Zachariah Stevens Clan of Etawamba, County and the Josiah Stevens Clan, comming from Virgina. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------