Hood County Texas Genealogical Society
JUSTUS F. TRACY
1824 - 1904
In 1860 Justus F. Tracey [Tracy], born on May
30, 1824 in South Carolina, was living in Christian Township, South Carolina, with
his wife Ann (the former Anna Elizabeth Vaughan), son Sterling, and Nancy Tracy
(born in 1797 in South Carolina) who was probably his mother. Nancy died on
November 21, 1861, and listed as her heirs N.P. Tracy, J.F. Tracy; Nancy Jane
Granby Tracy, and Harriett Kinman, all of Independence County, South Carolina;
G.R.M. Tracy, Mary Bagwell, W.F. Tracy, Cynthia Bagwell and John Tracy of
Georgia, and J.W. Tracy of South Carolina (Independence County Loose Probate
Papers, Box 58). None of the heirs except Harriett are listed in Independence
County in 1860. Harriett was in Christian Township with her husband, Andrew J.
Kinman, a native of Tennessee, and their five children. N.P. Tracy was listed
in county marriage records. He married Ann Deaton on December 25, 1866.
Justus F. Tracy was in Hood County, Texas, at
least by 1877, when he was listed in the tax records. According to a Tracy
descendent, J.F. and Anna Tracy had additional children: Nancy Oretha, Julia
Ella, Mary Jo Anna, William Nathaniel, Thomas Gilbert, Augustus Justus, and
Henry Greenberry, all born in Texas. J.F. Tracy died in Hood County, Texas, on
May 9, 1904. His wife Anna Eliza died in Hood County on May 14, 1918.
August 2009 Update provided by Brebda Sury:
brenda wrote:
First let me complement you on your site - if every county posted this much info, genealogy research would be much easier! In the interest of accuracy, I have some corrections to your bio of Justus F Tracy ( in case you ever revise it). Before moving to Hood County in late 1860s, he lived in Christian Township of Independence Co, Arkansas (rather than S.C.) In 1853 he & his mother Nancy (Reynolds) Tracy, his sister Harriet (Tracy) Kinman & husband Andrew Kinman, sister Nancy (Tracy) Jones & husband Henry H Jones, brother Greenberry Tracy & wife Phebe (Jones) Tracy, and several first cousins all migrated from Cass Co, Ga to a place in Goody Creek Valley near the White River in Independence Co Ark. They homesteaded 140 acres together, & Justus Tracy received his patent to this land in July, 1859 . The 1860 Census will confirm their presence there. Justus mustered a large group of neighbors into the Confed Army in 1861, & he was listed as their Captain when they reported to Camp Price in Jacksonport, Ark in Sept.1861. A statue in Batesville, Ark honoring the local Confed Army Captains lists him as Captain of Company E ( later reorganized into New Co C of 8th Ark. infantry). His career was cut short a few months later when he "wasn't chosen at reorganization", but his men went on to fight under Gen. Hardee in many significant battles in Tn & Ga. Justus Tracys mother Nancy died in Nov 1861 while he was away, & he seems to have spent the next several years trying to settle her estate, which became complicated by the fact that a neighbor was chosen as executor in her sons absense, & the executor also died before probate court resumed after the War. When the estate was finally settled, Justus Tracy moved his family to Hood County Tx. I feel confident in the accuracy of this info because I've researched this family extensively, & my info is all firsthand, not heresay. I've tried in vain to locate a living descendent of Justus Tracy to try & compare any photos of him that may exist to a collection of photos I have that belonged to his sister-in-law, Phebe (Jones) Tracy Hays.By the time the Tracys moved to Hood County, Phebe was widowed & remarried in Arkansas, but I feel sure that some of her 100 photos (1860-1910) could be of the Tracys. Do you know of any photos of them? I didn't see any posted on your site, but perhaps you could lead me to a photo index of some published photos of pioneers where I might locate a Tracy? Also, the bio of Bird Tracy sounds like he could be a son of Justus & Anna Tracy since he was described as being born & raised in Hood County, & they're the only Tracys listed in tax rolls etc in that timeframe. The nickname "Bird" appears everywhere in the Tracy family; usually to someone named Gilbert, & I see that Justus & Anna had a son named Thomas Gilbert Tracy. Do you know if he is indeed their son? If so, maybe there's a photo of him since he was such a notorious character!. Hope this is of interest to you, & that you'll email me if you have any info to help me. I need to visit Granbury & your records someday!
Thanks, Brenda Sory
|
ACTON CEMETERY – HOOD COUNTY, TEXAS William Tracy b.
1867 d. 1949 Mrs. E.P. Tracy
b. 03/12/1877 d. 08/03/1930 Infant sons of
J.F. & A.E. Tracy 10/08/1875 Mary Jo Russell
b. 01/06/1861 d. 10/08/1875 Daughter of J.F. & A.E. Tracy |
~ Web Page by Virginia Hale
~
2003 HOOD COUNTY TEXAS GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY