Contributed by Scott James
Nancy J. McKenzie was born January 1832 in South Carolina. She died October 17, 1912 in Roswell, New Mexico and was buried in Acton Cemetery, Hood County, Texas. Nancy married Peter H. James probably about 1854-55 in Tennessee. They had 5 children:
Martha E. James born November 29, 1855 in Tennessee. She married William George Macy.
Mary J. James born April 16, 1860. She married Columbus Bonapart Glenn.
William Henry James born April 22, 1865 in Hood County, Texas. He married Eliza Jane Day.
James Calhoun James born about 1870 in Hood County, Texas.
Myra Donzella Evaline James born April 16, 1872 in Hood County, Texas. She married James Alexander Rogers.
Nancy lived her early childhood in York County, South Carolina. It appears that in the 1840’s the family migrated possibly to Georgia and then to Tennessee where she met Peter James. By 1859 there are records that show Peter and Nancy’s parents are in Johnson County, Texas (now part of Hood County). Nancy, along with Peter and her folks, are listed in the 1860 census for Johnson County. She lived just west of Acton until a few years after the death of her husband on November 22, 1898. Tax records show she was still in Hood County until 1901. Then she moved to New Mexico to live with her youngest daughter, Myra Rogers, until her death in 1912 in New Mexico.
[Source: Scott James, November 2001.]
GRANBURY NEWS – THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1912
DEATH OF AN OLD RESIDENT
Mrs. C.B. Glenn received notice last Thursday of the death of her mother, Mrs. Nancy J. James on 10-17-1912, at the home of her Daughter, Mrs. Myra Rogers in New Mexico. Mrs. James was one of the few surviving old pioneers, coming here with her husband, Peter James from Tennessee in 1859, and had made her home here nearly ever since, having of late spent most of her time with her daughter in New Mexico. She was about 80 years of age and the mother of a large family, several of whom reside in Hood County. Grandma James had a host of friends in the county to join the relatives in mourning her death and in sympathizing with them in their bereavement.
[Source: Newspaper article in the Granbury News, located in the Hood County Library on microfilm, found by Scott James, June 2000.]
Note: Mrs. C.B. Glenn was Mary J. James, daughter of Peter H. and Nancy J. James.
| LETTER TO NANCY FROM HER UNCLE |
The following is part of a letter (there was only one page) to Nancy Jane (McKenzie) James, from her Uncle Arthur Armstrong McKenzie (he was brother to her father, James M. McKenzie) in York County, South Carolina. The original interpretations and transcription of the letter were done by Vicki Johnson (a great-granddaughter via Myra James) and her husband who live in California. The letter had been folded several times and had several spots on it that made the section unreadable. These unreadable sections are the blanks in the letter. Later I did a better scan on the letter, and through enhancements on the computer I was able to interpret some more of the letter. The letter is left as the spelling was originally done, rather than correct the words. I prefer the phonics and intent as originally penned. This letter gives an idea for the feelings of the time in that part of the south after reconstruction. I particularly enjoy the phonics used by Arthur McKenzie. He may not have been able to spell the words exactly as Webster would define, but the intent is understood and at times amusing. This letter gave the definite ties that we had needed to confirm that Nancy and family had ties to the McKenzie family of York County, South Carolina. Although Arthur does not sign the letter, it lists all of his children and ties in with other data concerning the McKenzie family of York County.
[Comments: Scott James, January 2001.]
dau rite —————– (this first note was written upside down as if an afterthought)
all the perktiles if you please
| Zeno, York County, S.C. Jun the 18th 1874 Dear Niece: I received your kind letter last mail which wus a grate surprise ____ had thought that we had lost you ___ur as we had ____ that had ____ ____ you all not having hird from any of you since the war we did not know whether you were all dead or not we have herd from som since I can’t tell now that your father was dead but we are not yet satisfied you have not told us about Martha Michaels wife whether she is stil living or no if dead when ____ ____ and ________ ____ did Michael and her die with and what has become of the boys we have hert that James was dead do let us know all the perticklers about them for we are very ancious to kno them all Calhoon was in here during the war at his grand fathers and sent for me to go and see him but I did not git the word in time I was just leving for the army when I got it thanks to a kind providence what I can say to you that we are all in tolarble health I am not in good health myself I was taken down last September was a year ago with something ____ the gravel I lay all last winter very bad but have got better am able to be about but not able to do much work my urine is blood greate part of the time but I don’t suffer a great deal only when it clotts up and I can’t pass it off but I am stil gaining a little strenth I have good health every other way my apatite is very good (turn over) I have had a great deal of sickness since the close of the war I was taken down on the 15th of July 1867 with my big toe that is it got sore around the nail I did not mind it much at first but it stil got worse ____ until it had to be cut off I cam very close to losing my foot I lay for weeks ____ got out of bead it cost me 2.00 dollars a___ two doctors will I will try and give you som account of the reast of my family Potts was killed in the war in the blow up at Petersburg the girles are all married Cinthy married first to Agustes McColum a son of Peter McCullum she had two children both boys she is now in Texas moved there last December was a year ago she is in Dallas County Exrixcney married a Mr. Sifford from North Carolina they settled on my place between my house and the mill between the two creeks she has three children all boys Liza married a Mr. Little also from NC she had one child a girl but it was dead born they have bin married nearly two years they lived with his father the first year & lived with me last year but have mooved to them selves last week on a place of mine on mill creek that usto belong to Polly Patrick Joe is at hom now he had to leive home like a great many others for the last ____ years to keep ____ of the way of the Yankeys ____ blamed him for being a Ku Klux but they never got him he went through all the war from begin to the end was at Lees surrender was severly wounded at grape vine creek near chattanooga Tenn when Longstreet went round ther I was at Charleston at the time but went & fecht him home from Atlanta to which they had sent him |
[Source: Letter from Arthur Armstrong McKenzie to Nancy (McKenzie) James, in the safety deposit box of Charles James, December 2000; the letter found in the old records of William H. James, son of Peter H. & Nancy Jane (McKenzie) James.]