I have spent so much time attempting to find where Elizabeth Freeland (McQueen, Perry) lived in 1870 that I nearly gave up. I had been searching for her under the name Elizabeth Perry, and I had been searching for her husband as Claiborne/Claiborn/Clayborn/Clayburn Perry. I just kept coming up empty-handed. I assumed that after the Civil War they both must have died prior to the 1870 census. Well, I was wrong. They didn’t both die. I will do a short (haha, yeah right) recap here of previous records and posts as a reminder/new information for old and new readers alike. I won’t go into way too much info, especially since I have written extensively on Elizabeth’s first marriage (which you can find under the Freeland and McQueen family tabs in the left hand column). So, just to sum it all up and bring it all back around to today’s information:
Elizabeth Freeland was born about 1804, location still unknown but narrowed down. In 1820 she married Peter McQueen in Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. By 1827 the family had moved to Lauderdale County, Mississippi. Peter had sold off all of their belongings, then took two slaves and skipped town. In 1837 he shows back, kidnaps the two oldest daughters and disappears again. Elizabeth was granted a divorce in 1839 in Lauderdale County, Mississippi. In 1840 she married Claiborne Perry (from here on out in this post he will be referred to as CP since I have no idea how his name is actually spelled) in Lauderdale County. By early 1846 Elizabeth and CP moved to Crittenden County, Arkansas.
Elizabeth’s children with Peter McQueen:
Louisa and Melissa McQueen were the two daughters that were kidnapped. Louisa lived until 1903, however Melissa died in 1851 in Marshall County, Mississippi.
Caroline McQueen married Edmund Richards in 1846 in Crittenden County, Arkansas and she died sometime between 1856 and 1860, though I am not certain if she died in Arkansas or Texas.
Elizabeth’s children with CP:
CP, Jr joined the Confederate Army in September 1861 and died in a Fredericksburg, Virginia hospital in February 1862.
Nathaniel Perry joined the Union Army with his father in November 1863 and died in the hospital at De Vall’s Bluff, Arkansas in January 1865.
Ok, this is where it gets a little hairy. There is about to be some interesting information that I can’t quite wrap my mind around.
In 1850 the Perry family was living in Jasper, Crittenden County, Arkansas. The family members listed are:
Charles Perry, age 36 years, born in Arkansas (this is CP)
Elizabeth Perry, age 37 years, born in Alabama (this age is off by about 10 years)
Claiborne Perry, age 8 years, born in Alabama
Nathaniel Perry, age 5 years, born in Arkansas
Mary McQueen (1), age 37 years, born in Louisiana, also the only one listed as over the age of 20 who cannot read or write (remember this name and age; age may be off, also, as will be explained later)
In 1850 daughter Caroline and her family were living in Tyrongee, Crittenden County, Arkansas. The family members are listed as:
Edward Richards, age 25 years, born in Arkansas (this is Edmund)
Catharina Richards, age 22 years, born in Mississippi (this is Caroline)
George Richards, age 3 years, born in Mississippi (his obit says he was born in Crittenden County, Arkansas, though)
Lucy Richards, age 2 years, born in Arkansas
Mary Edwards (4), age 14 years, born in Tennessee (remember this name)
Mary McQueen (2), age 18 years, born in Mississippi (remember this name)
In 1860 the Perry family was living in Union, Hot Spring County, Arkansas. The family members are listed:
Claghurn Perry, age 46 years, born in Alabama (this is CP)
Elisabeth Perry, age 56 years, born in Louisiana
Sarah McQueen (3), age 25 years, born in Alabama (who is this? she is listed in the order to assume she is Elizabeth’s daughter)
Claborn Perry, age 18 years, born in Mississippi
Nathan Perry, age 13 years, born in Arkansas
So, we are back to the mystery people:
1. Mary McQueen, born about 1813 (or 1823, as will be explained later) in Louisiana
2. Mary McQueen, born about 1832-34 in Mississippi
3. Sarah McQueen, born about 1835 in Alabama
4. Mary Edwards, born about 1836 in Tennessee
Let’s break it down where these people went (I promise, there is a reason for this concerning the Perry death).
1. As of right now, Mary McQueen (1813/23) does not exist outside of the 1850 census.
2. Mary McQueen, aged 23 years (1833-1834), married 1) John Lewis, aged 44 years, on January 5, 1857 in Crittenden County, Arkansas. They had at least two children: John Lewis (abt 1857) and Alice Lewis (1870); Mary McQueen (Lewis), aged 36 years (1832-1834), married 2) Galutice (or Galucia) Spencer Chapin, aged 54 years, on September 7, 1870 in Hot Spring County, Arkansas. As of now I am unable to locate any further whereabouts after the 1870 census. See #3 for possible relationship to Elizabeth.
3. I cannot even guess what may have happened to Sarah (1835). I am making a total guess that she is a child of Elizabeth, and if so then she had to be either a) Peter’s child IF he returned prior to the kidnapping (which goes against the divorce papers), OR b) Elizabeth has a “thing” going on with another man. Then there is c) she is not a child of Elizabeth, in which case: who is she and why is she listed in the order as a child?
4. Lastly, Mary Edwards (1836). She, too, is difficult. She has a pretty common name. I don’t know how she is related to the family, if at all.
note (mainly to myself): Mary could also be Polly, Marie, Molly, etc. Sarah could also be Sallie, Sarie, etc.
Ok, so back to the death. While searching on FamilySearch for Elizabeth and CP I came across an interesting marriage record. It is terribly transcribed and I really want to see the original because I know it is for whom I am searching, I’m just not sure of the spouse’s actual name.
Clabourn Perry married Man A Mcgabba on January 20, 1865 in Pulaski County, Arkansas. And I can’t find a copy of the original online. It’s driving me insane because if…not if, when I order it I will have to wait about two more weeks until I can see the actual record. And that’s only if they can still find the record (you’d think it would be easy, but remember when I ordered the marriage certificate of Leah/Sarah DeMumbrie and Henry Hodges and Tunica County, Mississippi couldn’t find what happened to the book after it had been scanned for FamilySearch?).
Well, a quick search of the Civil War pension index led me to another card filed (I had posted an incomplete one here).
This one has that his widow’s name is Mary A Perry. The “Mcgabba” is throwing me off. I can only guess it is McQueen, based on previous information. Sigh.
However, this does tell me some information I have been searching for: Elizabeth died sometime between the enumeration of the 1860 census and January 20, 1865. Saying how she died would only be a guess, considering disease and war, or even old age (for that time). I’d like to think that she didn’t have to see all of her children die. Of the children I know were definitely hers, the only two that did not pass before her were Louisa and Nathaniel (Nathaniel based on his death date between January 3rd and 17th, burial on the 18th, CP’s marriage on the 20th). Seeing that she did not have an easy life at all, this does comfort me a little.
Looking around a little more I found CP on the 1870 census with his wife in Union, Hot Spring County, Arkansas. The family members were listed:
Clayton Perry, age 58 years, born in Alabama (this is CP)
Mary A Perry, age 47 years, born in Tennessee (this puts her birth in about 1823…so it is possible that she is the 1850 Mary McQueen with the Perry family and that census had her birth off by about 10 years, the same as Elizabeth…also, you have to take into account that rarely were the same birthplaces listed per census).
Interestingly, living next door to the Perry family in 1870 was the household of:
Galucia Chapin, age 54 years, born in Ohio
Mary Lewis, age 35, born in Mississippi (they had not yet married)
John Lewis, age 12 years, born in Arkansas
Alice Lewis, age I month, born in Arkansas
Scott Wyatt, age 20 years, born in Arkansas (most likely just a boarder)
I am unable to locate CP and Mary A Perry after this census, with the exception of the pension card. I will have to order that file from NARA. If I am reading it correctly then it is telling me that CP applied for invalid pension on July 8, 1885 in Arkansas. His wife then applied for widow’s pension on July 11, 1892 in Indian Territory. So exactly when and where he died, I’m just not sure yet. I’m sure the actual file will tell me, though.
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