COTTON William Henry

Other Events and Attributes:

• Will: 1842, Sussex County, VA

Notes:

William Henry Cotton 1795 - 1842
William Henry Cotton was the only son of Gary and Nancy Anne (Harrison) Cotton. He was born about 1795 and was but 10 years old when his father died. It seems clear that he inherited the same plantation which his father, Gary, had inherited from his grandfather, Richard. Four of the slaves named in William Henry Cotton's will in 1842 are the same as those named in the inventory of the estate of his father thirty-seven years later.
He married Sarah "Sally" Weathers Parsons on 3/7/1816. They were both about 21 years old. She was the daughter of Henry Parsons (1749-? ) and his second wife Hannah Stacy (1769-1826), whom he married in 1793. Her half brother was Col. William Parsons, who had been a captain in the Continental Cavalry and was a prominent figure in Sussex County. The Parsons were also very early settlers in the Virginia Colony

Will:
William M. Cotton's father died in 1842, when William was 16 years old. His brothers and sister were apparently also underage. In his will he leaves one-third of his estate to his beloved wife, Sally Cotton, and two thirds to his four children, to be divided equally among them. He specifically leaves one negro girl, Mason, to William Madison; another, Harriet Jones, to daughter Caroline; and still another, Viney, to Gary. He then specifies that each of the three negro girls shall be loaned to his beloved wife until each of the children shall arrive to lawful age or marry.
The inventory of William Henry Cotton's estate taken on the 15th of December 1842 indicates that this was a family of some wealth. In addition to four pages of personal possessions, farming implements and stored crops, twenty four slaves are listed by name: Allen, Willis, Jim, Hubbard, Isham, Jacob, Jesse, John, Dick, Henry, Little Harriet, Liza, Dolly, Sarah, Malinda, Lewis, big Harriet and her 3 children Mary Chesman and Samson, Viney, Harriet Jones and Mason. The slaves are valued at $5275, the rest of his possessions at $1877. Land and buildings are not included in the inventory. They must have been substantial to support such a large number of people.

He did leave a will dated 10/4/1842, two months before it was probated. His wife Salty is named executor. The provisions of the will are as follows:
William Madison Cotton - One negro girl named Mason(?). To him and his heirs forever.
Daughter Caroline ~ One negro girl named Harriet Jones to her and her heirs forever.
Cory - One negro girl named Viney to him and his heirs forever.
Item: It is my will and desire that the three negro girls to wit Mason, harriet Jones and Viney disposed of above be loaned to my beloved wife until each one of my children named above shall arrive to lawful age or marry.
Item: I leave to my beloved wife Sally Cotton my watch and at her death to my son Cory. Item: It is my will and desire that the remainder of my estate be equally divided into three parts; one-third part of which I loan to my beloved wife Sally Cotton during her life, the other two-thirds to be equally divided between my son Albert R. Cotton, William M. Cotton, Caroline Cotton and Cory Cotton to them and their heirs forever.
The inventory of the estate included 23 slaves: Lewis, John, Sarah and Dolly, who were inherited from his father, plus Allen, Willis, Jim, Hubbard, Isham, Jacob, Jessee, Dick, Henry, Little Harriet, Liza, Dolly, Malinda, Viney, Harriet Jones, Big Harriet and her three children Mary, Cheeseman and Samson. The total value of the slaves was estimated at S 5275. Livestock, stored crops, farm equipment and supplies were valued at $ 1014. Furniture and personel possessions had a total value estimated at $ 261. Household items of significant value included a sideboard $ 40,dining tables $ 25, three beds at $ 25 each, one bed at $ 15, a trundle bed $ 3, a watch $ 25, a large pine chest $15, buffet $ 8, etc. The plantation was first and foremost a business enterprise. What we do not see is value of land and buildings, slave cabins, etc. Why this is so is not clear to me.
Between the death of William Henry Cotton in 1842 and the Civil War we have no information about the family. We do not know whether the plantation was sold and the proceeds divided among the children. We do not know what education they received. William Madison Cotton is said to have been a teacher, but where and of what we do not know. Gary Cotton became a doctor, and was a surgeon in the Army of the Confederacy. We know nothing of the lives of Albert and Caroline Cotton.
pg. 26

William married PARSONS Sarah (Sally) Weathers on 7 Mar 1816 in Sussex County, VA. Sarah (daughter of PARSONS Henry and STACY Hannah) was born in 1795-1796 in Sussex County, VA; died after 1860. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Teacher
• Lived(s) In: 1860, Cabin Point, Surry County, VA.; Cabin Point
• Military: 1861-1865, Dendron, Surry, Virginia, United States; Civil War Veteran

Notes:

Birth:
William Madison Cotton was bom June 3, 1826, according to the inscription on his tombstone, in Sussex County, Virgina. His parents were William Henry Cotton and Sarah "Sally" Weathers Parsons. The other children in the family were Albert R. Cotton, Caroline Cotton and Gary Cotton.

Occupation:
William Madison Cotton is said to have been a teacher, but where and of what we do not know.

Lived(s) In:
William and Valeria began their life together on the tract which makes up the western half of the Marl Spring Farm, known as the Mill Tract, and later as the Grubbs place. It consisted of nearly 200 acres of woods and fields, most of which had probably become overgrown through years of neglect. It is not clear how they came to own the land. One story is that it had belonged to William's brother, Dr. Gary Cotton, who removed to Texas after the War and left the property to his brother. There were no dwellings remaining on the land, and William and Valeria built a log cabin, which was to serve them as a home for many years.

We know that William Cotton and his young wife Valeria settled on the Mill Tract on the New Design Road as reported earlier. In 1870 the value of their farm is given as a very modest $400 and their personal estate as $100. From the sequence of visitations shown in the report of the Census of 1870, it appears that Eldridge Maddera, his wife Mary, and five children: Mary 18, Eldridge 15, Adelia 13, George 9 and an infant 2 lived next door, perhaps on The Marl Spring Farm. Eldridge's occupation is listed as "lumber dealer". This is confirmed by Valeria's recollection many years later that her father operated a sawmill. No value of land and personal estate is given.

Military:
Sgt. in the Calvary
William Madison Cotton, like Eldridge Maddera, had been a member of Captain Travis W. Taylor's Surry Cavaly company since long before the Civil War. I have a book which belonged to William Cotton, The Army and Navy of America: Containing a View of the Heroic Adventure, Battles, Naval Engagements, Remarkable Incidents, and Glorious Achievements in the Cause of Freedom, from the Period of the French and Indian Wars to the Close of the Florida War; Independant of an Account of Warlike Operations on Land and Sea; Enlivened by a Variety of the Most Interesting Anecdotes; and Splendidly Embellished with Numerous Engravements. By Jacob K. Neff, M.D. Published by J. K Pearsall & Co. 1845. In the front is written,'William M. Cotton, Born Aug.
6(26?), 1826. On the second page is written, Win. M. Cotton's Book.......Price $1.00.......sold by J. D. Thornton who is agent for.................June 1,1847. William Cotton would have been 19 years
old when he bought this book, and there is little reason to doubt that his acquisition of it coincided with his initiation into the prestigious ranks of the Surry Cavalry.
As noted earlier, when the Civil War broke out, William Cotton and Eldridge Maddera had both enlisted as privates in the Surry Cavalry on April 20 1861, only eight days after the beginning of the bombardment of Fort Sumpter. The Surry Cavalry was designated as Company E, 5th Regiment Virginia Cavalry, attached to the 3rd Regiment Virginia Infantry. Together they saw bloody action on many a field of battle. In Sept./Oct. 1862, Company K, 13 Regiment Virginia Cavalry was formed up under Captain Samuel H. Burt and assigned to dashing Gen. J. E. B. Stuart's famed Cavalry Division of the Army of Northern Virginia. William Cotton was appointed 2nd Sergeant of the new Company K and Eldridge Maddera its 2nd Lieutenant. They participated in nearly every major battle in the eastern theater of the War from then until the end of the War. They were at "the greatest cavalry battle of the War, which took place on June 9,1863, at Brandy Station, seven miles north of Culpepper Court House. The battle lasted , without let-up, for twelve hours, as Rebel cavalrymen under Stuart and Union cavalrymen under Pleasanton, slashed at each other with sabers and fired their pistols at point blank range." (Story County at War 1861 -1865; Willis W. Bohannan; p. 41)
Sgt Cotton had his horse shot out from under him in a skirmish with the enemy at Brandy Ford on April 15,1863, and lost all his equipment as well He was reimbursed $300 for his horse and $50 to replace his equipment.
On March 28, 1864 Sgt Cotton was admitted to Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond, VA suffering from 'Rubeola'. On April 22, 1864 he was transferred to the Episcopal Church Hospital at Williamsburg, VA suffering from 'debilitas'. From there he was transferred May 7,1864 to General Hospital in Petersburg still suffering from 'debilitas'. He did not return to duty until September 12,1864, at which time he assumed his old position as Sgt. of Company K for the long struggle to defend Petersburg. On April 2, 1865 Lee finally abandoned Petersburg and began the retreat to Appomattox, where he surrendered to Grant eight days later.
Sgt. Cotton's name appears as a signature to a "Parole of Prisoners of War, given in accordance with the terms of capitulation agreed upon between General Grant and General Lee, on the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, April 9,1865. He was paroled at Southamton, VA on April 30, 1865. Under the terms of surrender, cavalrymen who owned their own horses were permitted to keep them and return home. We have no record, but we have no reason to believe William Cotton did not return home with his horse.

William married MADDERA Valeria Ann on 19 Dec 1866 in Dendron, Surry, Virginia, United States. Valeria (daughter of MADDERA Eldridge Anmstrit, Sr. and SLEDGE Mary Pocahontas) was born on 5 Oct 1848 in Spring Grove, Surry County, Va; died on 25 Jun 1950 in Surry, Surry County, VA; was buried in Dendron, Surry, Virginia, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Gary married CARSLEY Laura R.A.W. on 10 Feb 1859. Laura (daughter of CARSLEY James K. and WILLIAMSON Ann) was born cal 1841; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Age 14 at death

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Aunt Jennie Berryman

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Aunt Annie Grubbs

Notes:

Mill Track Farm
The Census of 1900 shows Valeria King, a widow, as head of a household. Her daughter Cornelia Ann "Annie", age 22, and her husband Morton Algernon Grubbs, 27, from Allegany County, Pennsylvania, lived with her, still on the Mill Tract. The Grubbs built a new two story house and presumably Algy Grubbs ran the farm. From that time on the Mill Tract became known as "the Grubbs Place". Algy and Annie Grubbs both died in the great flu epidemic of 1918.

Family/Spouse: GRUBBS Morton Algernon. Morton died in 1918 in Dendron, Surry, Virginia, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Died at age 19

Notes:

Etta was raised by Edmonia Collier and her husband John Harris, They are buried in Oakwood Cemetey, Surry, VA.

Mary married JOHNSON Sidney Thomas on 28 Jan 1892 in Dendron, Surry, Virginia, United States. Sidney (son of JOHNSON David Peyton and ROGERS Mahala Elizabeth) was born on 20 Jan 1868; died on 4 Sep 1942 in Claremont, Surry County, VA; was buried in Surry, Surry County, VA (Oakwood Cemetary). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Norfolk, VA

Notes:

TENTH GENERATION RUTH OLGA JOHNSON
Ruth was the first child of Sidney Thomas Johnson and Mary Etta Cotton. She was born on February 6, 1893, in a small cabin behind the house which her father was building on Marl Spring Farm. She was a pretty child and had musical ability,latei serving as organist at nearby Union Church. As her mother died very young, she was called upon to run the family at age 16. She was a tall, slender, and attractive young woman and married Earl L. Madison on October 30, 1926. They made their home in Norfolk and had one son, Earl L. Madison, Jr. (1929/ Earl Sr. was a spirited fellow who amused and enter-tained the entire family at frequent reunions. Wher he died in 1966, Ruth moved to Newport News to be closer to her son and his family. A kindly and evei lovely Southern lady, Ruth died in Newport News on November 4, 1969.

Ruth married MADISON Earl L., Sr. on 30 Oct 1926. Earl died in 1966. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

BERTHA MAY JOHNSON
Co-author of "Some Johnsons of Surry County" family history, Bertha's story appears with the Introduction.

BERTHA JOHNSON BARTLETT
Born May 4, 1895, Bertha is the second child of Sidney Thomas Johnson and Mary Etta Cotton. She attended Longwood College and taught school in Surry and Doswell. On October 20, 1920, she was married to Charles Lawrence Bartlett, a shipyard superintendent, and moved to Hilton Village, now in Newport News. In the 1930's they built a lovely white home at 128 James River Drive where they still live, surrounded by their verdant colonial garden. They enjoy visits to Marl Spring Farm, which they now own, and look forward to frequent visits from their sons, Robert (1925) and Richard (1928), and their daughters-in-law and grandchildren, d. 2/27/87

Bertha married BARTLETT Charles Lawrence on 20 Oct 1920. Charles was born on 2 Dec 1888; died on 9 Mar 1983. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

MYRA BELL JOHNSON
Born November 18, 1897, Myra was Sidney and Mary's third child. She was but 11 years old when her mother died and she helped her older sisters rur the family and care for the smaller children. On June 29, 1917, she married Nelson Miles Huber, a Surry County farmer. They had four children; Mary Ruth (1918), Lawrence David (1921), Nelson Miles, (1923), and Edwin (1927). Myra has been admired as a person of high spirit and as an ingenious and creative hard worker. She has been called "spunky and independent." Myra suffered a stroke in 1977 and has recovered remarkably at the John Randolph Nursing Home in Hopewell.

Myra married HUBER Nelson Miles on 29 Jun 1917. Nelson and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSON
Doubtless named for the Civil War hero, Albert was born on December 23, 1899- He stayed on the farm and worked with his father for a while, then came to Newport News and ran a parcel delivery service with his own truck. In 1921, Albert married Carrie Lawson and they had a son named Douglas Lawson (1922), but this marriage did not last. Work with Basic Construction Company in West Virginia led him to court Marjorie Ruth Kincaid who he married on August 11, 1927. They had a son, William Sidney (1934). who lived but three months, and a daughter, Patricia Carrol (1936). For many years, they have lived on Route 10 just east of Surry Court House, and Albert operated a store in front of the house there. Later he closed the store and went back to the construction business. He worked at the Surry Nuclear Plant during its construction and retired in 1975. Albert and Margie still live in their house on Route 10 and enjoy frequent visits from their daughter and her family.

Albert married KINCAID Marjorie on 26 Nov 1926 in Anderson, WV. Marjorie was born on 17 Jun 1909; died on 24 May 2003; was buried in Surry, Surry County, VA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

MYRTLE LEE JOHNSON
Myrtie was born on August 9, 1902. She was always an immaculate, if tiny, little girl and worked hard around the house after her mother died. She had plenty of energy and spirit and eloped at age 17 to marry John Harris Lane, Jr., on June 5, 1920. He was from a good farming family but was young and not yet established. They worked hard and soon had a farm and store at Moorings, between Surry Court House and KLberon. Their children were Irene (1923) and John Harris III (1926). John Harris, Jr., died in 1941 and Myrtie stayed on at Moorings, later moving to Surry Court House where she bought a house and store. She ran this store for many years and became a familiar friend to many in the town of Surry. We remember an especially happy family reunion at Myrtie's house at Easter in 1956. As sweet as she was, Myrtie's life was a hard one and she was sickly in her later years. She died in Suffolk in March of 1971.

Myrtle married LANE John Harris on 5 Jun 1920 (Eloped). John died in 1941. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

HUGH THOMAS JOHNSON
Hugh was the last child of Sidney and Mary Johnson, born on October 16, 1905. He grew up on the farm helping his father and graduated from Dendron High School. He worked on the farm for a while then moved to Newport News and, at age 21, went to work in the shipyard joiner shop. He was always known for being handy and inventive but an unfortunate accident with a lathe took away some of his fingers and prompted him to change careers. He attended Bliss Electrical School in Washington, D. C. with his savings and later went to work with I.B.M. He traveled around then settled in Jacksonville, Florida, where he wed Edith Lorraine Duncan on October 2, 1936. Hugh and Edith had three children; Duncan Thomas (19320, Mary Etta (1939), and Melanie (1945) who was named for the girl in "Gone With The Wind." Hugh had severe arthritis and retired early in Jacksonville. He died there on November 2, 1965.

(Medical):Hugh had severe arthritis

Hugh married DUNCAN Edith Lorraine on 2 Oct 1936 in Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, USA. Edith and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]