Reeves, William B.

Summary

Father: Unknown
Mother: Unknown

Birth: 1824, Ashe County, North Carolina
Birth Source: Place of birth per 1860 census. DOB from 1850 and 1870 census

Death: After 1870, probably Tennessee
Death Source: No record of William Reeves or Malaha after 1870.

Spouse1: Mahala Goss

Narrative

Children of William B. Reeves and Mahala Goss:

1. Mary Ann Reeves, b. 1849, m. George Washington Welch
2. M. S. Reeves, b. 1852, d. bef 1870 ?
3. Andrew Johnson Reeves "Jonce", b. 15 Aug 1856
4. William Shelby Reeves, b. 11 Aug 1859, d. 5 Apr 1899, date of birth varies
5. Julia Ann Reeves, b. 10 Jan 1861, m. Isaac Allen on 27 Nov 1881
6. Rebecca Jane Reeves, b. 29 Jan 1865, m. Gather Riddle on 7 Jan 1882
7. Lucinda H. Reeves, b. 1867, d. 19 Apr 1950, m. William Hunter Hudgens on 1 Apr 1886

Although the first census where the family of William and Mahala Goss Reeves was recorded was in Fulton County, Arkansas, the birthplaces of their children based upon information recorded in census records confirm their migration from Ashe County was initially to Morgan County, Tennessee where daughter Mary Ann was born in 1849, the 1860 census lists the birthplace of daughter M. S. Reeves in 1852 as Henry County, Missouri. By 1855 when Andrew Johnson Reeves was born, they were back in Morgan County, Tennessee. B y 1859 when son William Shelby was born, the family's residence was once again Lee County, Virginia. The 1860 census of Lee County recorded the birthplaces of all of the children as well as their parents.

William E. B. Reeves is recorded as enlisting in Company G of the Confederacy's 25th Cavalry. He was paroled on 28 April 1865.

There is no record of William Reeves or Mahala after the 1870 census of Cumberland County TN. William Reeves is recorded in two entries for land dated 7 Mar 1873. One entry for 400 acres is located on Devil Creek and the other for 650 acres is on Meadow Creek, both are in Cumberland County.

Mahala "Haley" Goss Reeves as "Haley Reeves" was mentioned as deceased in a letter of 26 Jan 1879 written by her cousin A. J. Goss of Cumberland County, Tennessee. No exact date of death was given but this date coincides with research of Cumberland County that points to her death as occurring before 1880.

By the 1880 census, William and Mahala had disappeared from the records and their children Andrew J., Julia, (Rebecca) Jane and Lucinda are found working as servants in Overton and Putnam counties of Tennessee in the 1880 census.

Research Notes

In the 1850 census of Bennetts Bayou of Fulton County, Arkansas, Jessee Reeves with his young family is living in the next residence to William Reeves and was very likely his brother. Oddly, each household contains a minor child with the surname Murphrey which may indicate that Jessee's wife may have been an older sister. Although Jessee's place of birth is indicated as Tennessee, it is possible that he was born in one of the Tennessee counties that border Ashe County NC.

Sources

1850 Census - Bennett Bayou, Fulton, Arkansas
1860 Census - Western District, Lee County, Virginia
1870 Census - Cumberland County, Tennessee
Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917 online database at Family Search. (Children's births)
Alabama, Texas and Virginia, Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958- Civil War Pension Lucinda Hudgens
Find A Grave, DOB and DOD as inscribed on children's gravestones
Tennessee, Marriage Records, 1780-2002 online database at Ancestry.com (children's marriages)
Cumberland County TN Land Entries
Letter of 26 Jan 1879 by A. J. Goss of Cumberland County, Tennessee
Civil War Profiles, online records at Ancestry.com