Gray Ghosts of the Confederacy by Richard S. Brownlee

If Alexander was born in 1814, then he was just 16 when his parents left. We know that John Arthur, Alva and James were born in the late 1830's in KY and that Penelope was a neighbor girl.

'It is interesting because it doesn't appear that Alexander went to Missouri with his parents, but John Perry did. Nicholson who married Sarah Louisa Samuel. Note her brother and a son of James Courtney Nicholson was William A. Richard Lindsey Cole - son of Louisa Maret (Alvah Maret's daughter) and Jesse Richard Cole (Zerelda Cole James Samuel's brother). His son, James Courtney Nicholson (he was killed during the Civil War in a shoot-out in Clay County, MO) I've looked and looked and I haven't found the preacher.' -Rene DeSmetĪrthur named after Penelope's brother Arthur I believe. We asked her why they did that and she said 'he must have said something they didn't like'. She said they tied a preacher up to the railroad tracks. The only other story I haven't resolved is one that Nellie used to tell about the wild cousin (Arthur, Alva Merit and James) during the war. Castle, Jack Rupe, Silas King, James and Alfred Corum, Bud Story, Perry Smith, Jack Williams, James and Arthur Devers, Press Webb, John Norfolk, James Cummings, William Gregg and his wife, Dick Maddox and his wife, James Hendrick and his wife, and others to the number of twenty-six, started south from Jackson County to Texas, November 13, 1864.' George Shepherd, taking with him Jesse James, Matt Wayman, John Maupin, Theo. I only find one other document about Merit, a land patent in Gentry county in 1848.ĪFTER, the death of Todd, near Independence, and the retreat of General Price from Missouri, the guerrilla band was broken up. Alex was married to Penelope Nicholson and they had a number of other children Elizabeth, William, Archie, Sarah, Robert, Mary and possibly others. A considerable amount of research has been performed on this family by other cousins who would likely share additional data if there is some relationship. Alex patented land in Gentry county in 1850. This James was 'captured' near Crab Orchard, KY circa 1867-8. Devers was hung by a lynch mob in Richmond, MO for his participation in the Hughes Wasson bank robbery.

and Alex Jr., were all likely involved with guerrillas specifically George Todd, and later Oliver Sheperd. Two of his sons, John Arthur and Alva Merit, were also in 1st MO Confederate Brigade. Alexander spent the entire Civil War in the 1st MO Confederate Brigade. Lived in Missouri 1840 Clay county, 1850-1870 Gentry county. I have a few hundred pages on the Devers family.Īlexander Devers, born near Crab Orchard, KY in 1814, probably Madison co., KY. I don't know what you have so some of this is likely what you already know.

Gray Ghosts of the Confederacy by Richard S. Brownlee