Thomas Cox and Mary Henderson
Thomas B. Cox (1795) and Mary G. Henderson (1795) were the parents of Rebecca (1813), William (1815), Harvey (1817), Sarah (1819), Margaret (1823), Thomas Manley (1826), Isaac (1828), Henry (1831), James (1833), Mary (1835), Jefferson (1837). Thomas fought in the War of 1812 under Captain Barksdale's Garrison. He enlisted November 6, 1814 and was discharged March 12, 1815.1 Mary Cox is identified as his the widow of Thomas Cox on her application.
The War of 1812 was a conflict between the United States and Great Britain. There were several causes of the war. The British restriction of American trade and the impressment (essentially kidnapping and forcing the kidnapped individual into military service) of American citizens by British naval forces were among the grievances. At this time in history, Thomas Jefferson was the president of the United States (another world leader was Napoleon Bonaparte of France). In the early 1800s Jefferson had already tried to control the situation with the Embargo Act. This restriction on trade weakened the American economy. It was repealed by Congress.
Conflicts not only with the British, but also with the Native Americans soon lead the War Hawks, led by Henry Clay, to begin pushing for war. Tensions with Great Britain continued to escalate and combined with the continued conflict with various Native American, war was becoming an issue that seemed unavoidable. This mounting pressure on the next president of the United States, James Monroe, resulted in a declaration of war against Britain. The issue of war was incredibly divisive for not only representatives of the American people, but also for the people themselves. May felt that war should be avoided. Others felt that war was inevitable. Months before Thomas B. Cox joined the war, the Star-Spangled Banner had been written by Francis Scott Key. In December, approximately a month after Cox joined the war, the Treaty of Ghent was signed. The war continued, despite the signing of this document. The last major conflict was the Battle of New Orleans - a victory of the United States. This conflict led to a significant change in American politics. It brought about the birth of a new political party. It continued to complicate the relationship that the United States had with Native Americans. And, it provided a pension for Mary Cox, the wife of Thomas B. Cox, after his death. |
In the pension application filed by Mary Cox, then the widow of Thomas B. Cox, the marriage was affirmed by a relation of hers - one Henry Henderson. Henry confirmed that Mary Cox had married Thomas before February 17, 1815. In fact, they had married in 1810. He also attested to the fact that they had lived together from 1810 until the time Thomas died in 1857.2 The same Henry Henderson claims that the state that the Cox's lived in at the time of their marriage did not keep marriage records and that the magistrate who married them passed away - leaving no legal document or Bible record to attest to their official marriage. Interestingly, a document with Mary's mark indicates that they were actually married September 10, 1812.3
Thomas Cox and Sarah Dacus
Thomas Manley Cox was born in South Carolina. Married Sarah Elydia Dacus (1833). Together, they had eleven children: Mary (1851), Julia (1853), Augustus (1856), Louisa (1859), Henry (1861), James (1864), Eleanor (1866), Ellena (1866), William (1869), Eva (1871), and Marcus (1875). Just as his father before him served in the United States military, so too did Thomas Manly Cox. Thomas M. Cox was a Confederate soldier in the 3rd Regiment, South Carolina Reserves Company B with the rank of private.4
This printed memorial for Sarah Dacus Cox was done by her children upon her death in 1896. It remains, over 120 years later, a lasting tribute of this family's love for their mother.
This memorial is over 2 feet in length. It came into the possession of Doris Cobb White, the great-great-granddaughter of Sarah Dacus Cox. The back of the frame has been secured by an old board, an unknown editorial (which cannot be read because of the board over the back of the memorial), and nails. A horse hair rope and nail were used to once secure the memorial to its place on a wall in a decedent's home. This memorial is now in the possession of another of Sarah's descendants. Her great-great-great-great granddaughter, Heather Wylie. Heather's plans for the memorial include reframing it behind museum quality glass so that it can continue to be enjoyed and Sarah's memory can be remembered for future generations. |
Many of the Cox children came to reside in Alabama. There is evidence that Henry, James, Augustus, William, and Julia all came to reside for a time in Marshall County. William Cox married Rebecca Cobb - the daughter of Robert Richard Cobb (for more information see the Cobb family page). It is interesting to note that both William's descendants and his sister's both married into the Cobb family. James Cox came to the area in 1906 with his family. Augustus and his wife Amanda came to Marshall County in 1882. William and brother Marcus came to Arab with their mother Sarah around 1887. 5
Richard Riddle and Julia Cox
Julia Ann Cox was born on November 20, 1853 in South Carolina. She married Richard Jasper Riddle in 1870. The family relocated to Arab, Marshall, Alabama. She was the mother of seven children: Thomas (1872), Mary (1875), Henry (1876), Cordelia (1879), Carrie (1882), Andrew (1887), and Hattie (1890). She died on February 17, 1913 in Arab, Marshall, Alabama.
The move from South Carolina to Arab, Alabama for Julia and her husband Richard was quite the adventure. They left Greenville, South Carolina by train. They were able to take the train to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Then they traveled by steamboat to Guntersville, Alabama. Richard Riddle had been given a land grant and he homesteaded the property near Braisher's Chapel. Richard and Julia Cox Riddle were both charter members of the Shoal Creek Baptist Church. The church was built by Augustus "Gus" Cox and Marion Cox (Henry Cox). Richard Riddle went on to be the first elected mayor of Arab, Alabama. 6 |
Figures
Fig 1. War of 1812 Pension Application Document. Ancestry.com
Fig 2. War of 1812 Pension Application Document. Fold3.com
Fig 3. Ibid
Fig 4. Ibid
Fig 5. Ibid
Fig 6. Henry Cox. Tintype in possession of Heather Wylie
Fig 7. James Cox. Tintype in possession of Heather Wylie
Fig 8. Eleanor Cox. Tintype in possession of Heather Wylie
Fig 9. Augustus Cox. Tintype in possession of Heather Wylie
Fig 10. - "Julia Ann Cox Riddle" - taken from Joe Cottle's website: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/o/t/Joe-Cottle/index.html
Fig 2. War of 1812 Pension Application Document. Fold3.com
Fig 3. Ibid
Fig 4. Ibid
Fig 5. Ibid
Fig 6. Henry Cox. Tintype in possession of Heather Wylie
Fig 7. James Cox. Tintype in possession of Heather Wylie
Fig 8. Eleanor Cox. Tintype in possession of Heather Wylie
Fig 9. Augustus Cox. Tintype in possession of Heather Wylie
Fig 10. - "Julia Ann Cox Riddle" - taken from Joe Cottle's website: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/o/t/Joe-Cottle/index.html
Sources
1. War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815. Ancestry.com.
2. War of 1812 Pension Application Document. Fold3.com
3. Ibid.
4. Thomas M. Cox Service Record. National Park Service U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865. Ancestry.com
5. "Julia A. Cox", "Trails & Traces, People & Places", Complied by the Arab Historical Society, Ed. Janet Calhoun.
6. Ibid.
Biographical information provided by Heather Wylie
2. War of 1812 Pension Application Document. Fold3.com
3. Ibid.
4. Thomas M. Cox Service Record. National Park Service U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865. Ancestry.com
5. "Julia A. Cox", "Trails & Traces, People & Places", Complied by the Arab Historical Society, Ed. Janet Calhoun.
6. Ibid.
Biographical information provided by Heather Wylie