Sinai and William Neal’s son James Preston Neal had told a story of he and his brother (my 3rd Great Grandfather William Thomas Neal) as boys having had the opportunity to meet Samuel Houston and welcomed him over to their parents home. When Samuel Houston inquired of his mother (Sinai) and her family names, “… she told him that she was raised on Gasper River, Warren County, Kentucky; that her father was Robbert Herrald; that her mother was an Edmiston; and that she was related to the Marshalls, Cannons, and Loves; and that her first husband was William Neal, a son of Uncle Tom and Mary Neal….” [Washington County Historical Society Flashback (Vol. 5, No. 6 - Dec 1955)] Samuel Houston, in turn, said that they must be related, as they had similar family names.

The clue from this story, put me onto Sinai’s connection with the Harreld family, where I was helped along with the history of Captain Robbert Harreld. The following is a rough compiling of my notes on the life of Robbert. I’m afraid they all run together and may not be sourced completely, so I present them as I have them. Hopefully I’ll be able to organize them better at a future date.

Robert had grown up in the Southwestern part of Virginia and was old enough to take part in the last years of the Revolutionary War. He received land in Kentucky and moved there as early as 1782; settled in that part of Lincoln County that afterwards became Logan and then, Warren County. (Source: Harrison) Robert served as a horse master in the building of the road through Cumberland Gap during the Revolution in 1780 and received a 300 acre land grant on the Green River in Lincoln (now Warren) Co, KY, on July 10, 1786. – 1810 Warren Co, KY Census with a family of 9 and 8 slaves Robert appears in the 1820 Warren County, KY Census (34-3) Died 1824 Warren Co, KY Robert had Indian troubles in Southwest VA. He came with Daniel Boone to Logan’s Station, and took his first land in 1782. 1827 Tax Lists, show his son only. March, 1782, his heirs appeared in court action. He was in the Revolution. He married Margaret Edmiston in 1780. She was first married to a Dr. (Captain) John Montgomery, who was slain by Indians. She was carried away captive by the Indians with other women from the camp. Her little black servant was left behind, but only after she had been scalped. She remained bald the rest of her life and she lived to be quite old. Margaret might have also had an infant child. Captain Robert Harreld, with others, under the command of General Ben Logan, rescued her. Robert and Margaret became parents of twelve children. Margaret’s father was Rev War Colonel, William Edmiston. See “My Forsythe Saga” by Phillip Wheeler, p 36. Lived in Washington Co, VA, then Lincoln Co, KY which became Logan Co, and then Warren Co, KY. His estate was settled 1851. Records in Bowling Green, Ky.

Robert Harreld Story: By Lewis P Summers– (By Kristin Hawkins – May 2, 2000, copied from her “Harreld, MyFamily.com” file)
“I presently live about three miles from where Robert Harreld grew up here in Washington County, VA, and pass the old farm several times each week.. Benjamin Logan lived about three miles from where I live and about six miles from Robert Harreld… In 1775, Blacks Fort was built at Wolf Hills (later Abingdon, VA) because the Indians were causing a lot of trouble in the area.. Many times people would have to go to the fort and stay several days for protection. Once, when they thought it safe to go back to their farms, people were leaving the fort and Rev Charles Cummings and his party were about halfway between the fort and his farm, the Indians attacked them and killed one of his servant men. The same morning, some girls came out of the fort and the Indians tried to capture them. One of the girls was a younger sister of William Casey, a friend of Robert Harreld. Robert was nearby when William Casey learned that his sister was in danger and by firing their rifles alternately, the two young men were able to hold the Indians at bay until the girls made it back into the fort. So, Robert Harreld had faced the Indians before he went to Ky.”
Note: This story is told in the History of Southwest Va. by Lewis P Summers of Abingdon, VA.

Most of Robert and Margaret’s children eventually wound up in central Mississippi, at least for a time. Robert Harreld had grown up in the Southwestern part of Virginia and was old enough to take part in the last years of the Revolutionary War. He received land in Kentucky and moved there as early as 1782; settled in that part of Lincoln County that afterwards became Logan and then, Warren County. The Harreld family home was outside of what is now Bowling Green, Kentucky. All of their children were born in that location. Their son, (1) Edmiston, purchased land in the western-central part of Madison County as early as 1829. He never married and spent a good deal of time in Louisiana on business ventures. Edmiston was instrumental, with the Mosby Family, in enticing his brother, Dr (2) William Edmiston Harreld to move to Madison County and set up his practice. Dr Harreld completed his medical studiews in Lexington, Kentucky in the late 1820′s and settled for a time in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1835, Dr Harreld gathered together a group of men in Madison Co, M., and joined the ranks of the Confederate Army only to return to practice when the citizens petitioned his company. (3) James Harreld came to Madison County in the early 1830′s following his brother, Edmiston. He later returned to Illinois and died in Alto Pass, Illinois. He was married twice, was considerable well-to-do and an early member of the Legislature. (4) Margaret Montgomery (Harreld) Davis, after the death of husband, moved to the area of Nashville, Tennessee, where some of her children married. She then appeared in the census in Ralls County, Missouri, and in Hannibal, Missouri in the house of Hiram and Nancy Edmiston where she died. In the 1850′s she escorted two of her grandchildren from Missouri to Madison County to visit Dr Harreld. Mrs Davis returned, but Anna Edmiston and Virginia Graham stayed in Mississippi and married. (5) Dorcus L Harreld, came to Madison Co, Mississippi, after the death of Mr Parson and lived with Edmiston and Dr Harreld. (6) Margaret Edmiston Montgomery Harreld also lived the last years of her life in the home with Dorcus, close to her son, Dr Harreld. Her remains were left under a section of Fulton Street in Canton, MS, when the city extended the street through the north side of the old Canton Cemetery. Her monument, which was moved by the Parson’s Family to the new Canton Cemetery, is located flat on the ground to the left of the entrance gate that comes off of Academy Street. It reads as follows: Margaret Edmiston Consort of Robert Harreld was born in Virginia Feb 22, 1762 and departed this life in Miss March 2, 1848 aged 81 years She’s gone from our sight like a gladning ray of light the earth but hath past away all pure to its source in heaven.
Notes from James W Rhodes of Oklahoma, great grandson of John William Harreld (author of the following).
Page 1 — John Edmiston died in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He had four boys and one daughter. The daughter married a Mr Steele. The boys were William, Samuel, Andrew, and Robert. All lived in Washington County, Virginia. Andrew and Robert were killed in the battle of Kings Mountain. Maj or William Edmiston (sometimes spelled Edmonson) was born in 1734 in Cecil County, Maryland. Records of Washington County, Virginia. His will probated August 20, 1822. Will Book No 5 , Page 57. In 1782, came with Daniel Boone to Logan’s Station, Kentucky, and took his first land. He was twice married — First, to Margaret Montgomery by whom he had 8 children. Margaret Edmiston, who first married Jon Montgomery and then Robert Harreld, is the oldest child. Margaret Edmiston-Montgomery-Harreld was born Feb 16, 1762. Her first husband, John Montgomery, was killed by the Indians along with hers and his only child. She was scalped (above shows another way the story went) and then rescued by Capt Robert Harreld, whom she later married. Her brother-in-law, Capt Robert Montgomery was killed at River Raisin in 1813. She is believed to have married Capt Robert Harreld about 1780 in Virginia. Capt Robert Harreld died about 1825 as tax lists of 1827 shows his sons as taxpayers. His heirs are named in deeds settling the estate in 1851 as a record in Bowling Green, Ky, shows. He took up land in Kentucky as early as 1782 in Lincoln County which later became Logan County , and later Warren County. After Logan County was formed in 1792, he still owned land in Lincoln Co. Capt Robert Harreld lived in Southwest Virginia, now Washington County. See…Summers History of Southwest Virginia and State of Va. Library-Report of Revolutionary Soldiers-Year of 1912.

Other records of Capt Robert Harreld. Summers History of Southwest Va – 1746, Washington County – 1777 – Book 17. Also, Drapers ‘Kings Mountain”. All from Linda Carol Strahan’s family tree– Robert and Margaret Harrald of Warren Co, KY, on May 17, 1820, by agent and attorney John Harrald, sold their claim to the land transferred by Wm Edmiston, Senr. of Washington Co., VA, by deed April 28, 1809 (except one undivided third of property and undivided 13th part, Gen William Campbell Edmiston 12th part, Vance Greer (Hetty Esther’s son-in-law) 12th part, James Gillespie & wife Patsey Gillespie, and John Beatty and wife Sally Beatie. Witnesses were William E Kennedy and Thomas Buchanan (Lincoln Co Deeds 101-B-1, p 103). Also, she has listed an Infant Harreld, b January 30, 1799.

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.

Andrew Alexander Crawford would have been the husband of my 3rd Great Grandmother’s older sister Rachel.

Andrew Alexander Crawford was born November 11, 1812 in Lincoln County, Tennessee. He was the son of John Crawford and his first wife, Margaret Buchanan. See decendants of Alexander and Mary McPheeters Crawford by Forbes and Sammis and Decendants of the Buchanan Families of Washington County by Allan S. Humphries. Both his grandfathers were Revolutionary War patriots. His paternal grandfather William Crawford served as Private and patriot manufacturing and supplying arms to the Continental Army, Augusta County, Virginia. His maternal grandfather, Andrew Buchanan, also from Augusta County, Virginia served in the Continental Army and attained the rank of Captain.

Andrew first married Minerva Buchanan. It’s thought she was the daughter of Moses Buchanan. They had one child, Robert who later became a lawyer in Spearfish, South Dakota. Minerva was murdered by a negro slave named Caroline. Robert was just a small child. See an account of this murder and trial written by Mrs. Maurice Cruse in Flashback, Vol VII, #4 Jul 1957.

Andrew then married Rachel Tinnin, the daughter of Hugh and Betsy (Rutherford) Tinnin. In April of 1849, Andrew, in the company of 85 men from Washington and surrounding counties left for the gold fields of California. Lewis Evans was captain of this group of “Fourty Niners”. Andrew suffered from scurvy on the trip. Some men were never heard from, but Andrew made the trip home safely. He managed to bring each child a gold nuggett. In the year of 1859, he was serving as Justice of the Peace in Washington County, performing marriages, etc. Then in the first part of the Civil War, he was serving as County Judge. He then enlisted in the Confederate Army and fought in the battle of Pea Ridge and other western battles. He died at Rienzi, near Corinth, Mississippi from heat exposure during the Battle of Shiloh, May 23, 1862.

In the memoirs of Col., J.P. Neal, who was married to Lucy Tinnin, Rachel’s sister, Col. Neal mentions a house raising in the Prairie Grove valley in 1839. The house was on the east side of Cane Hill and belonged to Andy Crawford. He also mentions that the morning after the battle of Prairie Grove he was climbing a hill and met 200 Federal prisoners under guard on Andy Crawford’s farm. It was later the Mike Nail place. We don’t know how Rachel managed after the war, but she had lost her husband and oldest son, Hugh when it was over. She may have been homeless after it’s destruction. It was with the aid of the Catholic Sisters that she was given a milk cow to help provide for her children. Later in the 1870 Federal Census, she was living with her children in the home of William D. Crawford, Andrew’s brother and his family.

The only child of Andrew and Minerva was Robert, born about 1838. Rachel Tinnin was born in Mississippi January 15, 1826 and died 1903 or 1904 according to her widow’s pension records. The children of Andrew and Rachel were: Hugh, born about 1845 and died unmarried in the Civil War. Margaret, born about 1847 and married John “Lum” Henson. Susan “Sug” born about 1853 and married first: Isham House and second: H. Covey. Martha Halbert (Mattie) Crawford, born Feburary 11, 1854 – died January 16, 1899 in Floyd County, Texas, married John Washington Smith November 11, 1877 in Washington County, Arkansas (See J.W. Smith Family). Andrew Neal Crawford, born March 13, 1856 – died in Florida, married Laura Baird, children: Mrs. C.M. Garrett, Mrs. P.W. Wybrecht, Mrs. S.K. Booth and Alvin A. Crawford from his obituary. Lucy Crawford, born August 30, 1856 – died December 10, 1938, married Alexander Cruse, January 13, 1878 see To Kimberly, with Love by Lillian Cruse Woods and Buell Beverly Woods. Emily (Emma) Crawford, married first: George McKinzie on September 9, 1880, second: Huff, this family moved to Belton, in Bell County, Texas. Alice Crawford married Frank Parkhurst on January 25, 1880, she died leaving at least one daughter.

Source: Ruth Lee, History of Washington County Arkansas, Shiloh Museum, Springdale, Arkansas, 1989 – Family History Library – US/CAN 976.714 D3n

If you’re related to this family or have more information about them including stories, pictures and dates and family member names, I’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or email me directly from the About Us page.