PULLIAM, Alsey, of NC, TN, IL and MO

Alsey Pulliam was born ca 1775, probably in Granville Co NC, the son of John and Harty (Smith) Pulliam. He was living in 1840 in Missouri and appears to have died before 1850.

About 1803, possibly in Warren Co TN, he married Frances McClendon, who was probably a daughter of Bryan McClendon and sister of Nathan. The unusual names used for some of their children may be a clue to further ancestors, names like Marshall Simpson and Simpson Marshall, Merrick, Haskell, and Taylor. Frances was born about 1790 in NC and died after 1850 in Collin Co TX.

Alsey was alone in the 1800 census of Montgomery Co NC, and by 1803 or earlier was in Tennessee.[1]

By 1820, the family was listed in Apple Creek Twp, Madison Co IL: Alsey Pulliam, 22010/21110. The youngest known child, Louisiana (or Lucy Anna), was born ca 1819 in IL. There were four daughters and four sons.

It appears the family may have gone back to Tennessee by the late 1820s, since Leatha (or Louvina, as she was sometimes called) was married there in 1827 and Nancy’s oldest child was born there in 1829, although Nancy had been in Greene Co IL when she married in 1822.

By 1830, the Pulliams were in Meramec Twp, Franklin Co MO, p 150:  Alsey Pulliam, 00120001…/001101…. The family of daughter Leatha and her husband James Alvis was in Crawford Co MO, the next county south of Franklin County. Nancy’s family was back in Illinois. There were only three sons and two daughters living with the parents. It is not known which son was not living at home.

Son William appears in an 1834 tax list in Greene Co MO, next door to his sister Leatha and her husband, James W Alvis.

In 1838, in Miller Co MO, there was a judgment against Alsey and son William, and they were ordered to pay almost $800.00, an amount that must have been virtually impossible to pay in that day.[2] William was probably a storekeeper there.[3]

Continuing a fairly straight path westward, by 1840 Alsey (A Pulum, 000000001…/00000001…) and son John (same page as his parents, “J L Pulum,” alone, age 30-40) were both listed in Polk Co MO. The last two daughters had married Scott County, Virginia, men, Jephtha Culbertson and Robert Hamilton, who was the son of Jephtha’s oldest sister, and possibly already moved back East. William was already in Collin Co Texas. Neither of the other men was married until years later, and their locations when the 1840 census was taken are unknown.

Alsey apparently died before 1850, when his widow Frances was listed in Collin Co TX, p 6, 75-75, with sons S[impson] and M[arshall]. William H Pulliam was on the same page was his family. Frances reportedly died there about 1855 and is buried near the town of Melissa.

The four Pulliam sons all went to Texas; the daughters married, one moving to Texas, two moving east to Virginia, and Leatha (or Luvina) living in Missouri or Illinois with each of her four or five husbands. Confirmation of the relationship existing between the siblings was found in a 1901 Dallas, Texas, newspaper announcement.

Alsey and Frances had the following children:

1. Nancy B PULLIAM. Born ca 1803 in TN. Nancy probably died in Texas, where she was hunting her son in May 1877.[4] On 10 Jan 1822 when Nancy B was 19, she married Peter BARROW in Greene Co IL. He was born on 3 Jun 1795 in Mercer Co KY. They were in Greene Co IL in 1830, Pulaski Co MO in 1840, and Hunt Co TX in 1850; they had the following children:

i.            Sarah Marada (1829-)

ii.            Simpson (1830-1862), in Fannin Co TX 1860

iii.            Jane (ca1832-)

iv.            Jim (1834-1848)

v.            William (ca1836-)

vi.            Elizabeth (1840-)

vii.            Zephaniah Latham (1842-1896)

viii.           Melissa (1845-)

2. Simpson Marshall PULLIAM. Born 3 Dec 1805 in TN. Simpson Marshall died in Burnett Co TX, on 19 Mar 1893.[5] On 3 Jul 1855, he married Mary COX in Bell Co TX. Born on 8 Apr 1820 in TN, Mary was previously married to Thomas Dykes and #2 William Cox. She died in TX before 1880. Her child with her first husband was James Dykes (1847-1879), who frequently used the name Pulliam. Simpson and Mary had one son together:

i.            Richard John Marshall (1857-1913)

3. Leatha/Luvina Merrick PULLIAM. Born in 1808 in TN. Leatha/Luvina Merrick died after 1880. Her census record matches the marriage records located for her and illustrates some of the difficulty of understanding her given name: 1830 census: Crawford Co MO, Crawford District, p 180: James Alvis, 00001/100010. 1850 census: Lethy Dial, Jefferson Co IL, District No. 10, dwelling 500, family 500. 1860 census: Luthy King, Macoupin Co IL, Miles Station, page 236, dwelling 1693, family 1682. 1870 census: Lavinia Cavender, Macoupin Co IL, town of Clyde, page 27, household 80, line 6. 1880 census: Leathia Pullman, Parke Co IN, ed 178, sheet 28, 291-292. On 17 Feb 1827 when Leatha/Luvina, she first married James Woodson ALVIS, son of Shadrach ALVIS & Nancy HAIL, in Lawrence Co TN. Born in 1808 in TN. James Woodson died in MO/IL between 1844 and 1850. They had the following children:

i.            Jane E (1828-1895)

ii.            William Henry Harrison (1832-1874)

iii.            Mary Melissa (1836-1934)

iv.            Louisiana/Lucy Annie (1839-1923)

v.            Sarah Lavina (1844-1930)

On 4 Jun 1850, Leatha married her second husband, Martin DIAL, son of Isaac DIAL, in Jefferson Co IL. Born ca 1786 in NC, Martin died in Jefferson Co IL, after 1870; he was 84. It is assumed they were divorced ca 1852. On 17 Mar 1853, Leatha thirdly married Edward KING in Jefferson Co IL. Born ca 1776 in NC, Edward was living in 1860, but not with Leatha. On 18 Sep 1864, she fourth married Charles CAVENDER in Macoupin Co IL. Born in 1799 in NH, Charles died in Gillespie Twp, Macoupin Co IL, on 30 Oct 1877. Leatha possibly was married for the fifth time to someone with her maiden name PULLIAM, or she just went back to using that name.

4. John L (or possibly Taylor) PULLIAM. Born in 1810 in TN. Soldier in the Mexican war. Probably died unmarried.[6]

5. William Haskell PULLIAM. Born on 1 May 1812 in TN, William Haskell died in Uvalde TX, on 18 Jan 1899.  On 5 Mar 1840, he married Matilda WHITE, daughter of Benjamin WHITE and Anna NEEDHAM, in McKinney, Collin Co TX. Born on 21 Jan 1823 in Shelby Co TN, Matilda died in Uvalde Co TX, on 27 May 1916. They had the following children:

i.            Benjamin Ashley (1841-1873)[7]

ii.            Almira Malinda (1843-)

iii.            Mary Frances (1845-)

iv.            John Taylor (1846-1872)

v.            William Marshall (1849-1940)

vi.            Monroe Bell (1851-1937)

vii.            Xury White (1853-)

viii.            Amy Tennassee (1855-1939)

ix.            Needham Bowles (1857-1941)[8]

x.            James Buckhannon (1859-1923)

xi.            Sterling Price (1862-1894)

xii.            Lee Edward (1866-)

6. Elmira/Ella Minnie PULLIAM. Born in 1814 in TN, Elmira died in Scott Co VA, in 1865. She married Jephtha CULBERTSON. Born on 30 May 1813 in Russell Co VA, Jephtha died in Scott Co VA, on 30 May 1876. They had the following children:

i.            James Morgan (1840-)

ii.            William J (1842-)

iii.            Elizabeth (1844-)

iv.            Robert (1846-)

v.            Lucinda A (1848-1834)

vi.            George Washington (1850-)

vii.            Cassandra (1853-)

viii.            Cordelia (1855-)

ix.            Naomi (Died as Child) (1858-)

x.            Louisa (1861-)

7. Marshall Simpson PULLIAM. Born on 9 Aug 1818 in TN, Marshall Simpson died in Collin Co TX, on 14 Oct 1899. He was a soldier in the Mexican War.[9] On 19 Nov 1861, he married Anna S EVANS in Fannin Co TX. Born on 9 Aug 1837. Anna S died in Collin Co TX, on 2 Feb 1904. They apparently had one child:

i.            Madison B (Died as Infant) (1862-1863)

8. Louisiana/Lucy Ann PULLIAM. Born on 12 Feb 1819 probably in Madison Co IL. Louisiana/Lucy Ann died in Scott Co VA and was buried in the Culbertson Cemetery, Scott Co VA. She married Robert HAMILTON. Born ca 1814 in VA, Robert died in Scott Co VA, before 1860. They had the following children:

i.            Sarah Catherine (ca 1841-)

ii.            David M (1843-)

iii.            Caroline (1845-)

iv.            Stephen K (1848-)

v.            Nancy A (twin) (1850-)

vi.            Mary F (twin) (1850-)

vii.            John (ca 1853-)

This page is dedicated to the memory of Wanda Myrl Pulliam Forste (1927-2012).[10]

© 2012 Kathy Alvis Patterson

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[1]His oldest children all stated in censuses that their birthplace was TN.  Land survey record: “At the request of Alsey Pulliam I have surveyed for him three hundred acres of land which is situated in the County of Warren and on both sides of the north fork of Barren Fork on the Cumberland River … this 26th day of May one thousand eight hundred and eight.”

[2] I do not have the source of this statement but would appreciate it if a reader can help me locate it.

[3] A Directory of Towns, Villages, and Hamlets, 
Past and Present
 of Miller County, Missouri, by Arthur Paul Moser, http://thelibrary.org/lochist/moser/millerco.html. “It was near 1838 that W. Pulliam had a store about the site of Iberia.”

[4] She was mentioned in the Dallas Weekly Herald, 26 May 1877, when “an aged lady by the name of Mrs. Nancy Barrow came to this country [Lampasas TX] hoping to find her son Zepheniah Barrow, whose whereabouts is unknown…. She is in very needy circumstances, having no one related to her to see to her wants.” GenealogyBank.com.

[5] Dates are from gravestone, Smith Cemetery, Kempner, Lampasas Co TX.

[6] ‪History of Dallas County, Texas: from 1837 to 1887‬, 1887, page 22, constable of precinct 4, also he was a surety for Sheriff John Huitt; page 47: a private during the Mexican War; page 87, Wm. H Pulliam and family came in 1845, Marshall S Pulliam, single, came in 1845, and John L Pulliam, single, came in 1845–solider in Mexico.

[7] From Genforum: Benjamin Pulliam was the son of William Haskel Pulliam and Martha White. He was born in 1841 in Collin County, Texas and was killed by Indians in about 1877. His grave is at the old cemetary in Uvalde, Texas where his father had a ranch. Does anyone know the story of how he died and his wife’s name. He had been wounded by Indians prior to this incident during a fight. He is listed in The Texas Ranger Archives as a Ranger for a time.

[8] See A Twentieth Century History of Southwest Texas, Vol. 2, pages 281 ff., for many details about this man’s life. I don’t put much credence in this statement: “his paternal ancestry can be traced back to seven brothers, who came from Wales and settled in different parts of the country.”

[9] “Some of the other men of Capt. Stapp’s company who appeared with Edward Bradley to apply for bounty land on March 18, 1848, were… Marshall S. Pulliam…” Capt. Stapp’s Company of Texas Mounted Volunteers were called the Texas Rangers during the Mexican War.

The same cemetery records where his burial is recorded list his wife, A S Pulliam (9 Aug 1837-2 Feb 1904) and a presumed son Madison B Pulliam (16 Oct 1862-Mar 1863), Collin Co TX Cemetery Records.

[10] Wanda Forste, 84, died July 25, 2012, in W. Columbia, SC. She was born in Bellview, NM, on August 14, 1927, to Henry H. and Maymie Ridley Pulliam.
She married Charles B. Forste in Los Angeles, CA, on August 24, 1943, and had three children. Wanda loved sewing, arts and crafts, and she and Chuck were avid bowlers, but her passion was genealogy.
After Chuck’s retirement in 1982, she volunteered at the Family History Center of Church of Jesus Christ of LDS in Clovis. For over 15 years she helped visitors with research and became life-long friends with many of them. In 2010, she moved to South Carolina to be with her daughter.
Wanda was preceded in death by her brother; parents; husband; daughter, Kayanna Staley; son, Charles Forste.
She is survived by step-mother, Elizabeth Pulliam of CA; daughter, Sheryl (Terry) Jenkins of SC; son-in-law, Robert Staley of CA; daughter-in-law, Susan Forste of AZ; 8 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2800 Lore, Clovis, NM, at 10:00 am Monday, September 24, 2012, with Bishop Heath officiating. Burial will follow at Grady Cemetery.

Published in the Clovis News Journal and Portales News-Tribune on September 16, 2012.

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