Bedford County, Tennessee: A Definitive List of the Children of Jacob and Mary Powell Wilhoite

I've recently had to present information to multiple people disproving their belief that they descend  from Jacob Wilhoite (II) and Mary Powell of Bedford County, TN. I was not aware there was such a prevalence of incorrect children being attributed to this couple as there is to Jacob's parents, an issue which I have addressed on my blog in the past and will soon update with new information.

As I began to search the internet, I found a multitude of family trees on Ancestry.com and other websites listing children other than the seven known identified children. Census records indicate there were others, but hard documentation proves that Jacob had a total of SEVEN heirs. He did not have children that went back to North Carolina or stayed in North Carolina after that family left for Tennessee.

Other than a handful of random additions, the two women most commonly added to this family erroneously are Edith Wilhoite who married Jacob Lineberry and Penelope Wilhoite who married Edwin Miller. One can find numerous trees with these two daughters added to this family. However, they DO NOT belong to this family. They both married in North Carolina, and there is no indication they ever lived elsewhere. Further, there is no place for either woman in Jacob's households in Census records. Even further, they are NOT listed as his heirs or relatives of his heirs in the numerous records concerning his actual children. Lastly, if they were Jacob's daughters, they would have been entitled to parts of Wiley Wilhoite's estate as all of Wiley's siblings were, but they were not recipients of any of his estate because they were not his sisters

If you have Penelope Wilhoite Miller or Edith Wilhoite Lineberry in your family trees as daughters of Jacob Wilhoite and Mary Powell this is WRONG. They are likely relatives of his, probably cousins of some sort, but they are not his daughters. I am prepared to lay out all the documentation I have found that conclusively shows his children were, and you will not find either of these women associated with him in any way, shape, or form.

Unfortunately, the Census records for Jacob's households in 1810, 1820, and 1830 are spotty and incomplete. The 1810 Census does not enumerate his wife at all, nor show any females in the household. So we have no way of knowing if he had daughters born before 1810. In 1820, he has 3 daughters or women: one age 16-25, and two under age 10. We have no way of knowing if the woman aged 16-25 is a daughter or another woman, but the records I will share leads one to conclude that this woman was either A) not a child of the family, perhaps a niece or servant, or B) she was a daughter who pre-deceased Jacob, and therefore received no portion of his estate, nor any portion of her brother's estate when he died. The two daughters under age 10 are undoubtedly Amelia (sometimes referred to as Millie and even Emily) and Mary.

The 1820 Census also shows four males: one 16-25, and three under 10. The male 16-25 is undoubtedly Pearce Wilhoite. Two of the males under 10 are Wiley and Jacob. It is unknown who the fourth boy is. Like the female discussed above, he was either not a child of Jacob, or he pre-deceased his father and therefore received no portion of his estate.

The 1830 Census makes the family appear even cloudier. It appears likely that the family took in some other relatives, or had servants or others staying with them. It shows a male under 5, who is a complete unknown. He could be a son that pre-deceased Jacob. There is a boy 5-9; though he was 10 when the Census was taken, this is most likely his son Jacob, b. 1819. There is a female who is 5-9, who would be Jane. The female 10-14 is likely Margaret. Then there is a female 15-19 and a female 20-29. The 15-19 year old female could be Amelia or Mary. The 20-29 year old is unknown, though she could be the 16-25 year old from the 1830 Census, who as I said could have been a relative or else a daughter who pre-deceased Jacob. It is odd that Wiley appears to be absent from the household, and one of the two teenage daughters (Amelia or Mary) is also absent; it is unclear where they might have been enumerated. They could have been away at school or with relatives.

So one can keep all the children straight as they go through the records below, I am going to list the information I have for each:

1. Pearce H. Wilhoite, about 1806-Aug 1880. Married Hester "Hattie" Burrow.
2. Wiley Wilhoite, about 1812-between 1836-1838. Unmarried. Also called "Willie".
3. Amelia Wilhoite, about 1814-1871. Also called "Millie" and "Emily". Married first John Brewton, also spelled Bruton. Married second Harris Austin/Auston.
4. Mary "Polly" Wihoite, about 1816-before 1860. Married James M. Jones.
5. Jacob W. Wilhoite, III, 1819-1894. Married Malinda Burrow.
6. Margaret Wilhoite, about 1820-after 1850. Married James Burrow.
7. Jane Wilhoite, about 1821-after 1850. Married William Dwyer.

I am now going to transcribe all the records I have found which tie the seven known children, Pearce, Wiley, Amelia, Mary, Jacob, Margaret and Jane, together and leaves little doubt that they are the heirs of Jacob Wilhoite. One will find there is no room for others to be added.

The following comes from "Chancery Court Records of Bedford County, Tennessee" compiled by Timothy R. and Helen C. Marsh (1988):

Page 370 – James M. Jones & wife vs. John Bruton & others

James M. Jones and wife Polly, formerly Polly Wilhoite, of Bedford County against Jacob Wilhoite, Jane Wilhoite, minors who have [Pearce] Wilhoite for their guardian and Emily [Bruton], formerly Emily Wilhoite, all of Bedford County and John Bruton whose residence is unknown.

Complts state that Polly Jones is the sister of Willey Wilhoite, deceased, who died intestate without issue and that she on the ____ day of ______ intermarried with James M. Jones by which he became interested in the real estate belonging to said Polly Wilhoite, deceased. Complt James stated that said Willey Wilhoite was seized as of his own right a tract of land lying on Big Flat Creek in Bedford County, adjoining the lands of Mrs. Polly Wilhoite and others, about 120 acres and that he left some brothers and sisters, his only heirs at law. Jones also stakes that he purchased said interest in said lands of them by the heirs and he obtained deeds therefore, and purchased the share and interest of John [Bruton] and wife Emily and paid for the same, $90.00 and has not yet obtained a deed but a Title Bond. 

[Note: This first document is not dated. It is also confusing in that it states Polly is deceased, although neither she nor her mother who was also Polly were deceased whenever this hearing took place. It appears to be from the late 1830s or early 1840s based on the documents surrounding it. It is likely an error by the original author, or in the transcription. "Jane" is presumably her sister prior to her marriage to William Dwyer. Regardless, this deed conclusively proves that the wife of James Jones was a Wilhoite, a sister to Wiley, and inherently a sister to Amelia, Pearce, and Jane.]

Page 275 – Harrison Austin & wife Emily vs. John Brewton & Pearce Wilhoite – 28 December 1843

Wiley Wilhoite died some eight or ten years ago, that he was the brother of Emily the wife of Harris Austin and that Pearce Wilhoire was appointed the admr of Wiley Wilhoite, deceased. Wiley Wilhoite left a small personal estate when he died and that out of the estate Emily Austin is entitled to $8.00 and interest. Emily, the wife of Harris Austin, about the time of the death of Wiley Wilhoite, was the wife of John Brewton, that he deserted her, and fled to parts unknown, that she afterwards in the year 1841 married Harris Austin, that she has since heard that said John Brewron is still living and that she never obtained any divorce from said Brewton. Court ordered Pearce Wilhoite, admr of Wiley Wilhoite, pay over to said Emily, now wife of Harris Austin $8.00 and interest, as distribute share of the estate of Wiley Wilhoite, that neither said John Brewton nor Harris Austin shall receive any part thereof.  

Page 213 – William G. Cowan vs. William Dwyer and Jane his wife – 27 December 1842. William Dwyer is not a resident of Tennessee. He is indebted to Cowan on several notes. Court says that William Dwyer owns, in his own right, of the undivided 5/6 and in right of his deceased wife, during her natural life, the 1/6 of a tract of land in Bedford County on Big Flat Creek, known and designated in the division of the lands of Jacob Wilhoite, deceased, among his heirs, as Lot No. 3, containing about 121 acres. Also, that he owns in right of his wife, a tract of land in Marshall County, Tennessee containing 106 acres and 36 poles on waters of Wilson Creek and designated as Lot N. 9 in the lands of Jacob Wilhoite, deceased, being the part allotted to his daughter Jane Dwyer. Court orders Dwyer to complt $450.09.

[Note: It is based on this record that I have listed Jane as "deceased by 1842" in my records previously. However, below one will find the deed where William Dwyer and Jane sell land to the same William G. Cowan, and it lists them both as residents of Jackson County, Alabama, and it does not state she is deceased. That deed is in 1846. Further, a Jane Dwyer appears in the same household as William Dwyer in the 1850 Census in Jackson County, Alabama, and her age matches the approximate age Jane is believed to be. Based on the latter two facts, I believe Jane's being listed as deceased in this 1842 record is erroneous.]

Page 220 – Robert Mathews vs. William Dwer & others – Report of Clerk & Master [Note: This record not dated.] Report as to how much money is due complt from deft. William Dwyer is a non-resident of Tennessee, that he has no property in Tennessee, he owes $102.97. That he owns an undivided interest of 5/7 part of a tract of land in Bedford County described as said bill, and that deft Jacob Wilhoite and the wife of Dwyer (whose given name is unknown) are respectively the other 2/7 parts. Land describes, to wit, bordering _____ Burrow’s line, Eve Burrow’s field, William Word’s line and Lot No. 1. Court orders deft to pay complt.

 Page 241 – William G. Cowan vs. William Dwyer and Jane his wife – Report. Court to sell land on waters of Flat Creek on 18 March 1842. William and Mary Dwyer’s land borders the waters of Wilsons Creek devised to Jacob Wilhoite by his father and James Williams.

Page 278 – Robert Mathews vs. William Dwyer and Jane his wife & Jacob Wilhoite – Report. Sale on land on 11 March 1843. William G. Cowan was the best, highest and last bidder and he became the owner of said property or land, and executed notes with Robert Moffat as his security. William Dwyer’s 5/7 parts of land. Land in Bedford County on waters of Big Flat Creek, Lot No. 3 in the division of the lands of Jacob Wilhoite, deceased, and assigned in said division to Willie Wilhoite. Land borders Polly Burrow, Eva Burrow, William Word’s line, and containing about 121 acres.

Page 204 – No. 9 – John Wilhoite vs. Madison Jones & others. Bill filed 16 April 1864. John Wilhoite of Bedford County states that Madison Jones, a citizen of Arkansas is indebted to your orator for sum of $150.00, the value of a horse which Jones took from your orator’s stable in Spring of 1863 without your orators knowledge or consent. Jones left the State and took the horse. Orator states that Jones had an undivided interest in a tract of land in Bedford County in District No. 22, on water of Flat Creek, known as the Polly Wilhoite Dower or tract, who was the grandmother of said Jones, and inherited the same through his mother Polly Jones. Bother mother and grandmother now being dead. After their death, the land has been sold by Bedford County Court. The land was bid off by Jacob Wilhoite but has since transferred his big to Isaiah Parker.

The following comes from "Land Deed Genealogy of Bedford County, Tennessee 1807-1852" compiled by Helen C. and Timothy R. Marsh (1988):

Page 441 – 21 Jul 1841. H. Austin and A. Bruton to A. W. Reagor. Deed 11 acres. Harris Austin and Amelia Bruton one part and A. W. Reagor other part, all of Bedford Co., TN, sold land in Bedford Co., on waters of Big Flat Creek, being part of the lands which Bruton inherited of her father’s estate, John Bruton interest in same having been sold for debt, Austin purchaser. Land borders Reagor’s land, Peter Raney, William Boone, Henry Hart’s corner. Wit: William Boones and James Wilson. Reg: 6 Aug 1841.

Page 13 – 25 Oct 1840. James Burrow and Margaret Burrow to James M. Jones. James Burrow and Margaret Burrow his wife one part and James M. Jones other part, all of Bedford Co., TN, on waters of Big Flat Creek, in the division of he lands of Jacob Wilhoite, deceased, amongst his heirs, fell to Willis Wilhoite, deceased, it being one seventh of the land of Willie, deceased. Wit: G. H. Phillips and Philip Phillips. Reg: 25 Aug 1841.

Page 14 – 25 Sep 1840. James M. Jones and wife to William Dwyer. 170 acres, 1/5 of. James and Mary Jones his wife to William Dwyer, all of Bedford Co. TN, land in Bedford Co., on waters of Big Flat Creek, it being the lot which fell to Willie Wilhoite, deceased, in the division of lands of Jacob Wilhite, deceased. Wit: William Bateman and Samuel Morris. Reg: 25 Aug 1841. 

Page 417 – 1 Jul 1846. William and Jane Dwyer to William G. Cowan. Deed, interest in land, 121 acres. William Dwyer and his wife Jan Dwyer of Jackson Co., Alabama, sold to William G. Cowan of Bedford Co., TN, land in Bedford Co., on waters of Little Flat Creek. Bounded by the lands of the Widow Burrow, John Lacy, Widow Wilhoite, Pearce Wilhoite and others. The land being that which Willie Wilhoite, deceased, brother of Jane Dwyer, inherited of the state of his father Jacob Wilhoite. Reg: 21 Aug 1846,

 Page 213 – 19 Dec 1835. James Burrow and Margaret his wife to Thomas C. H. Miller, all of Bedford Co., TN, land in Bedford Co., on waters of Wilson Creek. Borders Adam Miller on land where he now lives and James Williams. 80 acres. Wit: Pearce Wilhoit and James Jones. Reg: 10 Mar 1836.

Page 141 – 6 Jun 1837. Pearce Wilhoite and Mary Wilhoite to James Jones. Mary Wilhoite and Pearce Wilhoite one part and James Jones, all of Bedford Co., TN, other part. Land in Bedford Co., on waters of Big Flat Creek, which in the division of the lands of Jacob Wilhoite, deceased, amongst his heirs fell to Willie Wilhoite since deceased, it being two sevenths of the land of Willie Wilhoite, deceased. Wit: John F. Norman and Samuel Hawkins. Reg: 20 Aug 1838.

Page 144 – 6 Jun 1837. James M. and Polly Jones to Pearce Wilhoite.105 acres. James M. Jones and Polly his wife sold to Pearce Wilhoite, all of Bedford Co., TN, land in Bedford Co., on waters of Big Flat Creek. Borders William Boone, Thomas Dean, Hurst’s tract. The land being the same which fell to James and wife as heirs to the estate of Jacob Wilhoite, dec’d. Wit: John F. Norman and Samuel Hawkins. Reg: 23 Aug 1838.

Page 352 – 31 May 1842. Jacob Wilhoite to Pearce Wilhoite. Deed, 121 acres. Jacob Wilhoite sold to Pearce Wilhoite, both of Bedford Co., TN, all his undivided interest in a tract of land, being in Bedford Co., on waters of Big Flat, it being the lot allotted to Willis Wilhoite in the division of the lands of Jacob Wilhoite, Sr., deceased, and known as Lot No. 3. It being my interest, being one seventh. Reg: 1 Jun 1842.

___________________________________________

These records speak for themselves. Wiley/Willie is established as a son of Jacob. When Wiley died, his estate was divided seven ways: between his six siblings and his mother. His mother and six siblings eventually sold all of their portions of this land, and some would sell their other portions of the Jacob Wilhoite estate as well. There is at least one record above that conclusively ties Wiley, Pearce, Jacob, Margaret, Mary, Amelia, and Jane as the children and heirs of Jacob Wilhoite. If the two North Caroline women, Edith and Penelope, had been among them, then they too would have been referenced in these records. But they are not because they are not members of this family.

I hope this information will be useful to future researchers of the Wilhoite family, and will prevent them from erroneously applying these two women or any other children to this family.

From Orange to Bedford: An Examination of the Probable Children of Jacob Wilhoite and Amelia Holt

Updated 27 Oct 2019 to add supplemental documentation proving or indicating relationships between Jacob Wilhoite Sr. and Milly Whitesell, Frances Barrett, and Margaret Holt, and various other additional data. 

The book The Ancestors & Descendants of Jacob Wilhoite, 1751-1821, Vol. 1 by Jacob William Wilhoite and Della Faye Wilhoite [1991 – Beaver Press, Inc. – Manchester, TN] (and Vol. 2 as well) attaches a total of 14 children to Jacob and Amelia Holt Wilhoite. This list is duplicated all over the internet, plus or minus various children here and there. Unfortunately, since Jacob died without leaving a will, many researchers over decades have had to try and piece together a list of heirs using primarily circumstantial evidence. That sadly will be the case here as there is little formal documentation tying Jacob to any of his children other than John and William.

I am setting out today to try and make as complete a list as possible, while weeding out those who do not belong as children of Jacob and Amelia. I will go in order of how they are listed in the book, giving the name and details of each person, followed by stating why or why not I believe them to be children of Jacob and Amelia. Hopefully this list will be of assistance to those thrown off by the mismatched, assumed, and incorrect lists found all over the internet, as well as in published materials.

1. Jacob Wilhoite – Often listed as “Jr.”, this Jacob was born about 1781 in Orange County, NC and died about 1833 in Bedford County, TN. He married Mary “Polly” Powell on 2 Dec 1803 in Orange County. Jacob is found in the 1810 Census in Orange County listed as a “Jr.”. He is living right next door to Jacob Wilhoite “Sr.”. While a Jr.-Sr. relationship does not always mean a father-son relationship, when they live next door to each other and then proceed to move to the same county in Tennessee together, it makes a pretty strong case. Also, Jacob’s wife Mary’s brother, Thomas Powell, married Mary Wilhoite, and the two of them also made the journey to Bedford County. Though this evidence is circumstantial, I am confident in attaching Jacob Jr. to Jacob Sr.

2. Amelia (Milly) Wilhoite – Born 20 Nov 1782 in Orange County, NC and died 22 Mar 1865 in Bedford County, TN. She married John Whitesell on 12 Oct 1803 in Orange County, NC. Fortunately, Amelia is pretty easy to attach to her parents. Not only did she make the trek from Orange County to Bedford County with the rest of this clan (though it should be noted that that in and of itself does not guarantee they are the same family, as Jacob Sr.’s 1^st cousin, Young Wilhoite, also took the same journey from Orange to Bedford, and there have been several times when the children of Young and the children of Jacob have been confused, as will be discussed further in this essay), but she is buried on the former property of Jacob Wilhoite in what is now referred to as the Whitesell-Wilhoite Cemetery.

Amelia and her husband John are buried there along with a son, John Jr., and an Eveline Whitesell, who was either an unmarried daughter or a daughter-in-law. Also buried there are Jacob and Amelia Holt Wilhoite, their proven sons John and William, several grandchildren, and a few others. Further, Bedford County land deeds show that on 3 Nov 1848, there was a deed of gift from Milly Whitesell to Jeremiah Whitesell, her son. "For love and affection for Jeremiah Whitesell", Milly conveyed to him her land in Bedford County, TN in District No. 20. It is adjacent to the land of Fanny Barrett. It was a tract left to Milly Whitesell by her father, Jacob Wilhoite. Therefore, I am certain that Milly was a daughter of Jacob Wilhoite.

3. Lewis Wilhoite – Born about 1786 in Orange County, NC and died after 1860 in Bedford County, TN. (Many trees have his date of death listed as 20 Feb 1863, but I have not seen any documentation proving this date.) He married Frances “Fanny” Christmas on 19 Dec 1813 in Orange County, NC. Obviously, Lewis also made the trek from Orange to Bedford. He is residing only a few households away from Jacob Jr. in the 1820 Census. His household for the 1840 Census has thrown many researchers off; he is listed as Willis instead of Lewis. It is most certainly the same person, as from 1830 to 1840 both households have very similar neighboring households. In 1840, he is only a few households from his nephew, Pearce Wilhoite, son of Jacob Jr. This Census has led many researchers to name him “Lewis Willis Wilhoite”. However, I am of the belief that this was simply an error by the census-taker.

I have looked over many records and documents concerning Lewis, and not one indicates he had the middle initial “W”, or any middle initial at all. I think this was simply an unfortunate error which has led many researchers to give him an incorrect name. Lewis is listed as the bondsman for Catherine Wilhoite’s 1810 marriage to Flower Swift in Orange County. Additionally, Lewis’s close associations with Jacob Jr. and his son on the Census as well as John and William Wilhoite in Chancery Court records (they appear on nearly a dozen records together) lead me to believe he is indeed their brother, so I feel confident attaching him as a son of Jacob Sr.

4. John Wilhoite – John was born about 1810 in Orange County, NC and died before 1850 in Bedford County, TN. He married a Huldah B. Warner. Huldah is buried in the Whitesell-Wilhoite Cemetery, her original headstone still standing. The date of death on her headstone, 21 Mar 1844, matches the date of birth on the death certificate of her daughter, Huldah. John is also supposedly buried in the same cemetery, though his original headstone has not been located (there are many field stones and unmarked graves in the cemetery). John can be confirmed as a son of Jacob Sr. by an 1821 deed that is found in Bedford County Deed Book 0 on page 55 that has Jacob Wilhoite, Sr. deeding 200 acres to John “for love and affection for his son”. (Source: http://genealogytrails.com/tenn/bedford/deed.html)

It should be noted that John is listed as “John M. Wilhoite” in most family trees and on pages concerning the Whitesell-Wilhoite Cemetery. However, none of the several Chancery Court or County Court records apply a middle initial to John. In fact, I have not seen him given a middle initial in any formal documentation anywhere, leading me to list him simply as “John” as there seems to be no proof that his middle initial was “M”. Also noteworthy that John was the estate administrator for his brother William, and the two partners in owning a set of mills; after John's death, Jordan C. Holt was named administrator, as well as guardian of William's children. (Source: Bedford County Chancery Records - Page 72, A. A. Robinson vs. Jordan C. Holt, A. A. Robinson being the remarried widow of William Wilhoite)

5. William Wilhoite – Born 1 Mar 1804 in Orange County, NC and died 12 Jun 1839 in Bedford County, TN. He married Anna Adeline Warner and had 3 sons and a daughter, with two of those sons surviving to adulthood and one of them perishing in the Civil War. One of William’s granddaughters married Henry H. Horton, a governor of Tennessee. William is easily attached to Jacob Sr. per a deed identical to the aforementioned deed from Jacob Sr. to John. The transaction took place on the same day (page 57) for the same amount of land “for love and affection for his son”. (Source: http://genealogytrails.com/tenn/bedford/deed.html)

6. Catherine Wilhoite – Catherine was born about 1791 in Orange County, NC and died after 1860 in Bedford County, TN. Many trees have her date of birth as 16 Oct 1791 and date of death as Aug 1864, but offer no proof for either of those assertions. She married Flower Swift on 28 Jul 1810 in Orange County, NC with Lewis Wilhoite acting as bondsman. She has both a son (Thomas W.) and a granddaughter (Kezira K.) buried in the Whitesell-Wilhoite Cemetery on Jacob Sr.’s former property, with both of their original headstones still intact. The Swifts are living two households from the households of John and William Wilhoite in 1830. Catherine’s association with Lewis, proximity to John and William, and her descendants being buried in the Whitesell-Wilhoite Cemetery lead me to confidently attach her as a child of Jacob Sr.

7. Sarah Wilhoite – Sarah was born 18 Dec 1784 in Orange County, NC and died 18 Dec 1841 in Marshall County, TN; these dates come from the Thomas Powell Family Bible, presently owned by Milton Thomas Powell, Jr. of Chapel Hill, TN. She married Thomas Powell on 5 Apr 1803 in Orange County. (It should be noted that the bible gives their date of marriage as 25 May 1803.) Thomas was the brother of Mary Powell who married Jacob Wilhoite Jr. The Powell’s reside next door to Thomas and Mary Wilhoite Murdock in both 1830 in Bedford County and 1840 in Marshall County. Sarah’s association with Jacob Jr. (marrying his wife’s brother) and Mary Wilhoite Murdock, as well as the fact that she made the trek from Orange to Bedford County presents enough circumstantial evidence to attach her as the daughter of Jacob Wilhoite Sr.

8. Mary “Polly” Wilhoite – Born 31 Mar 1779 in Orange County, NC and died 18 Aug 1838 in Marshall County, TN. These dates come from the Murdock Family Bible, now in possession of a Jane Murdock. She married Thomas Murdock on 27 Jan 1804 in Orange County, NC. Other than the trek from Orange to Bedford, the only close tie to the Jacob Sr. family appears to be the Murdock’s close association with the aforementioned family of Thomas and Sarah Wilhoite Powell, next to whom the family resides in 1830 and 1840. While this circumstantial evidence is decidedly weaker than many of the previous cases, since I am confident of Sarah’s tie to Jacob Sr. I am also fairly confident attaching Mary to Jacob Sr. Also note that this Mary is listed as “Cynthia (Polly)” in the Wilhoite book. However, her marriage record and other documents identify her as Mary or Polly; where the name “Cynthia” came from I haven’t the slightest clue.

9. Frances “Fannie” Wilhoite – Born 18 Jun 1796 and died 9 Oct 1846 in Bedford County, TN. She married a John Barrett. No marriage record has been found. As no marriage record has been found, there is no formal documentation in existence that gives Fannie, wife of John Barrett, the maiden name “Wilhoite”. She is listed as Jacob’s child in the Wilhoite book, and many online trees and databases apply “Wilhoite” as her maiden name, but there is no proof of that. I have not found any definitive documents tying she or her husband to any of the Wilhoite’s or even the Holt’s. The closest documentation I can find at this point is proof that Fanny Barrett lived adjacent to the land Milly Whitesell inherited from Jacob Wilhoite Sr. and gifted to her son Jeremiah, as referenced above. Additionally, two transactions are recorded in Bedford County deed books on 2 Jul 1823 indicating a probable relationship between Fanny and John Whitesell. 

On that date, on page 279 of Bedford County deed books, Jordan C. Holt and his wife Margaret deeded 60 acres of land bordering Sinking Creek to John Whitesell, husband of Milly, it apparently being apart of the original Jacob Wilhoite lot. It appears John and Milly were attempting to add to the lot they themselves had inherited in Jacob Wilhoite's estate. Immediately after the Holt-Whitesell transaction, a second transaction is recorded where John Barrett and his wife Fanny sold 51.5 acres on Sinking Creek to John Whitesell. This indicates that Frances too was an heir of Jacob and therefore sold her portion of his original lot to her apparent sister Milly and her husband, John Whitesell. So while I previously did not believe there was sufficient documentation, and this is still circumstantial evidence, I do feel Fannie should be listed as a child of Jacob Wilhoite Sr.

10. Susan Wilhoite – No information is listed in the Wilhoite book on her other than she was born in born in Orange County, NC and she married a ______ Craig. I looked at all of the Craig households in Bedford County, TN for 1820, 1830, and 1840 and none of them were in proximity to any of the aforementioned Wilhoite households. I cannot even find record of any of the Craig men in Bedford County having a wife named Susan or of a Susan Craig residing in Bedford County. The closest thing I can find is a granddaughter of Lewis Wilhoite whose name was Susan Craig Vess. She was the daughter of Lewis's daughter Susan Wilhoite and her husband Peter Vess. I can find no other Susan Craig who could possibly be connected to this family in any way.

There is not sufficient information that this Susan Wilhoite even existed, much less any information that would tie her to Jacob Wilhoite Sr. Therefore, I do not feel she should be attached as his child.

11. Mary Wilhoite – No information listed other than she was born in 1784 and married a _______ Kimmons. Several online trees have a Mary Eleanor Wilhoite marrying an Edward Kimmons. Edward Kimmons did reside in Bedford County. In 1830 he is in close proximity to Willis W. Wilhoite, son of Young Wilhoite Sr., and in 1840 he is in close proximity to Young Wilhoite Sr. himself. No marriage record has been found for this supposed union. There is no evidence that the wife of Edward Kimmons was a Wilhoite, much less the daughter of Jacob. If she is indeed a Wilhoite, she is more likely connected to the Young Wilhoite clan.

I do find the name Kimmons referenced in occasional records involving Wilhoite family members, but nothing that directly indicates a familial relationship of any sort. Additionally, Mary Wilhoite, wife of Thomas Murdock, is almost certainly Jacob’s daughter, and it is not likely he would have two daughters named Mary. I do not believe there is sufficient evidence to attach this Mary as a child of Jacob Wilhoite Sr.

12. Hannah Wilhoite – The only information presented for Hannah in the Wilhoite book is that she married a _______ Moore. In scouring Bedford County, TN records and indexes, I did not find the Wilhoite clan closely associated with any Moore families of the county. I can find no evidence that this person even existed, much less that she was Jacob’s daughter; she should not be attached as a daughter of Jacob Wilhoite Sr.

13. Jennie Wilhoite – The only information presented for Jennie in the Wilhoite book is that she married a ________ Holt. This information is incredibly vague as there were a number of Holt families in Bedford County, TN who were all relatives of Amelia Holt, wife of Jacob Wilhoite Sr. Many of the Holt families were closely associated with the Wilhoite’s, which makes sense given their relation, but I found no record of any of them having a wife name Jennie. There was a Jennie Holt who married an E. T. Bomar in Bedford County on 16 Aug 1861, but that was most likely Virginia Holt, daughter of Henry Holt (born 1785 in North Carolina). I have found no evidence that this Jennie Wilhoite existed, much less that she was Jacob’s daughter, and therefore she should not be attached as a daughter of Jacob Wilhoite Sr.

14. Margaret Wilhoite – Volume 1 of the Wilhoite book only states that she was born Nov 1797 and married Jordan Cain Holt. In Volume 2, it became clear the books were referring to Jordan Cain Holt, Sr., son of Joshua Holt who was a son of Michael Holt. While this would make Jordan related to a daughter of Jacob Wilhoite Sr. he is actually more closely related to Mary “Polly Powell, wife of Jacob Wilhoite Jr., who would be his 1^st cousin. Now Jordan Cain Holt was married to a Margaret. She is buried next to him in Center Cemetery in Shelbyville with the dates 30 Nov 1797 to 31 Jul 1853 on her headstone. Unfortunately, there has been no marriage record for Jordan and Margaret discovered.

However, Jordan C. Holt appears to have been involved in at least 3 sets of Chancery Court Records with John and William Wilhoite, and several sets of County Court cases with John (one of those including William). These cases include proof that Jordan C. Holt became the administrator of William Wilhoite's estate and guardian of his children upon the demise of John Wilhoite, the previous administrator and guardian. Further, as noted above in the Frances Wilhoite section, Jordan and Margaret Holt sold 60 acres to John Whitesell in 1823 that appears to have been land Margaret inherited from Jacob Wilhoite. Therefore, based on this circumstantial evidence, I do believe Margaret should be listed as a child of Jacob Wilhoite Sr.

So in conclusion, unless proof can be brought to light that can viably attach Susan, Mary wife of Edward Kimmons, Hannah, or Jennie as children of Jacob and Amelia Holt Wilhoite. Their list of children should, in order, look like this:

1. Mary “Polly” Wilhoite, born 31 Jan 1779

2. Jacob Wilhoite Jr., born about 1781

3. Amelia “Milly” Wilhoite, born 20 Nov 1782

4. Sarah Wilhoite, born 18 Dec 1784

5. Lewis Wilhoite, born about 1786

6. Catherine Wilhoite, born about 1791
7. Frances Wilhoite, born 18 Jun 1796
8. Margaret Wilhoite, born 20 Nov 1797

9. William Wilhoite, born 1 Mar 1804

10. John Wilhoite, born about 1810

As previously stated, all but John, Amelia, and William are based on circumstantial evidence, which should be noted in any genealogical file concerning the family. However, I hope that by having all the evidence in front of you , you can see why each child is attached to this family.

It is also worth noting that Census records do in fact indicate the potential existence of at least two additional daughters and even two additional sons of Jacob Wilhoite Sr. Tying the above list to Jacob's household enumerations from 1800-1820, we find the following:

1800:
2 Males 10-15 (Lewis & Unknown)
2 Males 16-25 (Jacob Jr. & Unknown)
4 Females under 10 (Fannie, Catherine, Margaret, and Unknown)
1 Female 10-15 (Unknown)
3 Females 16-25 (Mary, Amelia, Sarah)
2 Females 26-44 (wife Amelia is 38, other is Unknown)

1810:
2 Males Under 10 (William & John)
1 Male 16-25 (Lewis)
2 Females 10-15 (Fannie & Margaret)
2 Females 16-25 (Catherine & Unknown, Sarah already married)

1820:
1 Male 16-18 (John--must be older than estimated, closer to 1804)
1 Male 16-25 (William--possibly older than believed, closer to 1802)
2 Males 26-44 (2nd is Unknown--Jacob and Lewis are married w/ children)
0 young Females

This indicates the possibility that Jacob's children included an additional son born between 1785-1790, a son born between 1775-1784, a daughter born between 1790-1800, and a daughter born between 1785-1790. Either of those two last daughters could be the unknown 16-25 year old female in 1810. I doubt the older female in 1800 and older male in 1820 are children of Jacob Jr., though it is theoretically possible. He was 11 years old than Amelia, so if he was married previously, he could have had a daughter between 1769-1774 that could be the additional 26-44 year old female in his 1800 household.

Anyone with comments or additional information is welcome to contact me.

Dispelling the myths of Jacob R. Wilhoite's Civil War service

There are many myths online and in published materials concerning the Civil War service of Jacob R. Wilhoite, son of William Wilhoite and Anna Adeline Warner. There have even been myths about his brother, John Benton Wilhoite, as well but those seem to have dissolved over time for the most part.

Here is a summary of Jacob R. Wilhoite's service in the Civil War according to family myths and legends:

Jacob was a Colonel under General Nathan Bedford Forrest in the 4th/8th (Baxter Smith's) Tennessee Cavalry. He was killed at the Battle of Chattanooga near Missionary Ridge on 24 Oct 1863. His mother and a house-slave went to the battlefield, recovered his body, and brought it back home through enemy lines to be buried in the family cemetery.

Now the last half of this story could easily be true; in fact, if Jacob's body actually is interred in the Wilhoite Cemetery in Chapel Hill, then it most likely is true. The other parts of the myth are what need to be dispelled:

1. That Jacob R. Wilhoite was a Colonel. (Not true)

2. That Jacob served in the 4th/8th Tennessee Cavalry under Baxter Smith (Not true)

3. That Jacob served under Nathan Bedford Forrest (Not true)

4. That he was killed at the Battle of Chattanooga (Almost true, but not quite)

There are no service records for any men with the last name of Wilhoite (or any of the alternative spellings) in the records of the 4th Tennessee Cavalry or the 8th Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's). To be fair, Company A of the 8th Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) was made up of men from Marshall County, Tennessee, which is where Jacob is found in the 1860 Census. However, there are no records indicating Wilhoite served among the 4th or the 8th in either the regiments' records or regimental histories. If Jacob were a Colonel, he most certainly would have had a service record and/or some sort of mention among the regiments' records at some point in time (whether it was when he was elected an officer, appointed a colonel, and/or killed in action). In fact, if you Google-search "Colonel Wilhoite", "Colonel Jacob R. Wilhoite", "Colonel J. R. Wilhoite" or any variations of the sort, what few results you do find are posts by descendants of this family further perpetuating this myth. The book "The Ancestors & Descendants of Jacob Wilhoite, 1751-1821" is often cited as a source for this information, but unfortunately, the information is just wrong. Jacob did not serve in the 4th or the 8th Cavalry units and he was not a Colonel.

It is not that Jacob did not serve; he did, just not with the units people stated. Company F of the 17th Tennessee Infantry was made up of men from Bedford and Marshall Counties. (See TN GenWeb page for the 17th, or Steve Arnold's page on the 17th http://www.tngenweb.org/franklin/fran17th.htm). Among their ranks was a Private J. R. Wilhoite. After thoroughly scouring the few Wilhoite men named James, John, Joseph, Jeremiah, or any other J name from Bedford, Marshall, and their surrounding counties, I concluded that none of those "J. Wilhoite" men had the middle initial of R. It is listed in some trees that John Wilhoite, son of John M. Wilhoite and Huldah Warner, born about 1842 in Bedford County, bore the middle initial of "R", but he is not listed with any middle initial in any County, Chancery, or Circuit court books. While his brother Richard is consistently listed with his middle initial (these are primarily in guardianship hearings after their father had passed away), John never is; he is simply listed as "John". Further, this John does not appear in any Bedford County or surrounding county records after these guardianship proceedings, and he does not appear in the 1860 Census. So not only is their no proof of his middle name being "R", but there is no proof he even lived to see the Civil War.

Based on the conclusion that there are no other "J. R. Wilhoite"'s anywhere in that region of the state, it was reasonably decided that this J. R. Wilhoite is indeed Jacob R. Wilhoite, and despite his service record being relatively small, it appears to give a significant detail further proving J. R. to be Jacob. O  May 15, 1862, about a year into his service, Col. Hawthorne assigned Wilhoite to a special detail as a courier for the regiment's surgeon. The very last service record for J. R. Wilhoite for the 17th Tennessee Infantry is dated 2 Sep 1863 in Charleston (meaning Charleston, TN in Bradley County, as the 17th would be engaged in the Battle of Chickamauga on September 19-20. It says the last Wilhoite was heard from was 30 Aug 1863. Jacob R. Wilhoite's headstone bears his date of death as 24 Oct 1863, and the family stories are that his body was recovered near Missionary Ridge, which is near Chattanooga. The 17th fought at Chattanooga (These personal notes from various members of the 17th bear that out: http://www.petersburgbreakthrough.org/17thTNnotes.html), and I don't think it is just a coincidence that J. R. Wilhoite's last service record is dated 2 Sep 1863 and then Jacob R. Wilhoite dies on 24 Oct 1863, just over a month later, and both just happened to be from Marshall County. Based on this information, I have concluded that Jacob R. Wilhoite died serving in the 17th Tennessee Infantry, rather than the 4th or 8th Cavalry, which also means he did not serve under General Forrest, as Forrest was in charge of cavalry units at Chattanooga.

Lastly, according to this website's timeline for the Chattanooga campaign: http://blueandgraytrail.com/event/Battles_for_Chattanooga, on 24 Oct 1863, no official engagement appeared to occur. The Battle of Brown's Ferry occurred a few days later, and The Battle of Missionary Ridge did not occur until a full month later. This could mean a couple of things. If Jacob's headstone is correct and he died in 24 Oct, then he likely was killed in a skirmish of some sort, or else was shot while acting as a courier. It is possible though that the date was off by a few days or even a few weeks, depending on when Jacob's headstone was actually erected. If the detail in the family's bible mentioning that Jacob was found near "Myssionary Ridge" is true, then perhaps is date of death was actually 24 Nov 1864, plus or minus a couple of days. If Jacob's body was recovered from the battlefield as the story goes, then it would have been several days after he was killed that the news of his demise would have reached his mother and she would have been able to reach that battlefield, so it is possible she knew not exactly what day her son was killed and was simply estimating. Now according to Steve Arnold's page, J. R. Wilhoite "died in camp" (http://home.comcast.net/~sandkarnold/17thCoF.htm). While his service record did not mention this, it is possible this information was gleamed from another source of the 17th. I have reached out to Mr. Arnold for more information, and should he provide it, I will add it to this essay.

All in all, I think the documentation speaks for itself. It's a nice story to pass on through the generations that one's long-lost-uncle was a Colonel in the Civil War and fought with a famous general and died heroically. While he certainly could have died heroically, the rest of the information in the old family story of Jacob R. Wilhoite was purely a myth. Who knows where the legend began, but I think it's time that the facts were laid out for all to see so that only the true information of Jacob's story is perpetuated further. It is certainly not a tarnish to one's legacy to have been a Private in the Infantry rather than a Colonel in the Cavalry, though some may see it that way. I think it is more harmful to Jacob's legacy to have completely false information about his life spreading throughout the family, so I hope this information will help other researchers of the Wilhoite Family in and around Bedford County, Tennessee with having their information as accurate as possible.