COPY RIGHTED Dec.10/1999 By Zella and Carl Coffman AND AWAY WENT THE RABBIT Greetings, This is a story that has mystery, A war between the peoples of two Missouri Counties and Bullies, that took the Missouri State Army to bring under control, A man on the run-and maybe his wife and children also-for their lives, (or was it from his first wife?) It was one or the other. About a Baptist Church in Aldrich,Mo. being took over by thugs and threatened. About the Military Highway that runs south out of Kansas City between the state lines of Kansas and Missouri and so on into Texas and Louisiana, and some very hot saddles on the way to Texas and Shreveport,LA. A man still on the run, in Texas, and was Killed, we sure wish we could tell you how, Was it Indians raiding along the Red River, or did the bad guys catch him in the end. I call him the Rabbit but the name he was born with was Andrew D. Coffman,b.1824 in Grainger Tennessee. My Daug, Zella Coffman and my self , Carl Coffman in Wichita, are a co-team, after and chasing as fast as we can on a very long lost rabbit, that we found Court Doc. on in Fannin Co.last week . We were there in person, and everybody was super and nice and very helpful. I loved the way the clerk ladies talked, they were charming. We had a lot of success in the records at court house. and went to view Great-Grandfather and our Great-Grandmothers land 4 miles north on farm road # 898. When I say land I mean the general area. There was no cemetery index at Brown's cemetery but we sure did look just the same as it would be just west of the part section of the farm. Lot of un-marked graves. Let me jump to a new para. and tell the list a story of this Rabbit who had 4 wives. Two married other In Harrison County and ended up in Fannin. A girl friend in Grayson. Our records show he died in Cooke 11/3/1873 Married in Polk Co. Missouri,#1, next #2 (our Anc. In Harrison) #3 In Harrison, Co. Tx Also. # 4 in Fannin 1870 to Laura F. Brown (she is all over Fannin Census, kept the Brown Name after Andrew Died. Well the stage is set for over a 50 year chase after his Info and that of his children's. Got to admit, The Red River Valley was a nice place to stop running. This story started in Tenn. in the year of Andrew David Coffman and twin brother John H.B. Coffman birth,1824 . There was 9-11 children born to David,b.1787-1838 and wife Susanna Bunch. David Father was in the American Rev and lived in Lancaster Penn. and left Penn with a brother about1780 to Tenn.. Let see we have Andrew's father and grandfather listed and that far enough for now. How?? it was easy as they never were lost like this Rabbit,Andrew D,a/k/a Dedrick /Deadrich Coffman,a/k/a, Haufman/Kaufmann/ kauffman. Lost my place here, just to many names for one person; oh yes Andrew was born in 1824 in Tenn. His father David was a Baptist Preacher and had a calling to go the wilds of Missouri to start a church/school in abt. 1835. children, friends, and members Build it and I've been there in Aldrish, Mo. near the Truman Dam, Walked the farm on canes and said a few words over David and Susanna Graves on their own old homestead. I felt very sad that he only lived about three years after coming to missouri. Susanna raised all her children. There was a private war broke out in Polk and Benton Counties of mountain men. It was called the slickers war and it was run by a bully and his 4 sons and bar room buddies, If this bunch didn't like you they would steal your land, Tie you to a tree, tear off your shirt,take a small limb, tear off all bark, and beat your back until you were bleeding, and what ever and untied you and told to leave the county or die. Those against the Slickers were called Anti-Slickers. There was many killings for a period of 4-5 years and there wasn't enough law to control them.. The slickers were at a Baptist church meeting at Aldrich about 4 years after David the preacher died, and thought the words the preacher was speaking on was directed at them. They got up in front and told all the members if they didn't, stop they would be run out of the county also. Andrew and his Family had to be in attendance that night. Many were killed, run out of the county, and it took the Missouri Army to stop the mayhem in these two counties.The book is for sale about the Slickers War at, Polk County, Mo.Historical Socy., Bolivar.Mo. Andrew 1st. Married was in 1849 to a very nice Tenn.lady and I never could find out any info on her, nor if she had any children with Andrew. Her name was Elizabeth S. Sanders. I did find them as a couple in the 1850 Polk Co, Census and never again together. found Andrew Again in Caddo,La./ Harrison,Tx.I did Find a Elizabeth Sanders marring again in 1854 at Jefferson County Mo. That is just west of St. Lewis and Two Boys named Sanders in next county west of Polk, Dade Co.with a family of a different name. The story was they were being raised there because they couldn't't get along with one of their parents. I will always will wonder,as the boys could of had mother's maiden name and if Andrew, Elizabeth, and those two boys were on the run for their lives and all went in different directions, because of fall-out from the Slickers War. Some of the Slicker and Anti-slickers must of hated until they died. We call that the Show-Me-State. Any way the family is all gone and couldn't be found except Andrew under A different name, was shown marring Magdaline S. Sheltman In Caddo Parish.LA.in March of 1866. The marriage did take then but not in Caddo Parish. I found #2 marriage in the marriage book in Harrison Co.Tx. as Dedrick Haufman. We know it is's Andrew as when we looked at land sales in Fannin after Magdaline died, he signed Andrew D. Coffman. Magdaline had "twins" in 1867, a son named Hugh in 1869. Magdaline died 3 months later and Hugh 3 months after that. That left Andrew with Magdaline's 4 and two baby's age 2-3 years old. "What To Do, Oh What To Do" the Rabbit says. We think we can tell you a close story of what happen. We could probably prove most of it if we wanted to go on a records search in Harrison County, but out tree doesn't need it. Magdaline S. Sheltman and Thomas Harrison were Married in Harrison, Co.Tx. On The 1850 Harrison Census the Harrison and Sheltman were very near one another. I have saw some places that Magdaline may of been 11 when she got married? We think Andrew got a baby setter for the twins, Took the 4 children to the farms of the Sheltmans and Harrison. Found a wife probably really quick in Harrison, Co. by the name of Virginia, of which he filed divorce in Fannin in early 1770 against her. We know that was where she was from because the sheriff tried to serve papers on her in Harrison Co. from looking at the sheriff's return. (note to Harrison Co. list readers, Would someone do a marriages look-up at Court Clerk office in Harrison Co. on Virginia______ and Andrew/Dedrick Coffman/kaufman/Kauffman/Haufman and Magdaline S. Sheltman for year 1869 or 1870 and This one I want to buy Or have the Original certified re-turned copy, that they were to pick-up after 60 days. My father Otto Coffman age 92 and my self,age 67 are next of kin. I will pay a small fee for your help. Will the rabbit Is slowing down. I don't think he is looking over his shoulder as much as he is usually is. He married Laura F. Brown From Bonham,Fannin County,in March 19/1871 under Andrew D. and sold 3 plots of land that had been i Magdaline in name as andrew D. See what 4 wives and on the run will do to you, and a girl friend in Sherman, Grayson County. What you want to hear about the girl friend? And you want to know how this case of mis-direction was solved? To Be continued, Zella And Daddy Carl in Wichita Regards: Carl and Zella (daughter) Coffman 1448 S. Handley St. Wichita, KS 67213 ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com