James Emory Hall and Judah Ann Logsdon
James Emory Hall was born around 1813 to 1815 in TN.[1]
Available evidence suggests that he went by his middle name, Emory.[2]
Nothing is known of his youth or parents. Later census records will show that
he is able to read and write, perhaps indicating that he had gone to school.
Judah Ann Logsdon was born in Butler Co., KY, in about 1816.[3]
Nothing definitive is yet known of her youth or of her parents. Census records
indicate that Judah couldn't read or write.
Family Years
The couple married in
Butler Co., KY on March 25, 1836.[4]
While there, they had their first four children. Joshua Vaughan was born in 1837.[5]
He was followed by John B. in 1839.[6]
Phillip Foster was next in 1842.[7]
The last of the Butler Co. children, James C., was born in 1844.[8]
In 1848, still in Butler Co., J. Emory received the first of two Land Grants.[9]
This one [1]
His birthplace varies between KY and TN on the various records. Those same
records also have differing implied birthdates.
[2]
James Emory is simply called James E. in several documents. In the 1853
Edmonson Co., KY, birth record for his son, Reddin Hall, he is listed as
‘Emory’. In the later death certificate of their son, Joshua, he is listed as
J. Emory. The men in the Hall family seem to have tended to use either both
their first and middle names or at least use both initials.
[3]
Judah Ann Logsdon’s full name is taken from the death certificate of her son,
Joshua Vaughn Hall. Her name appears as Juda, Judah, Julia and Judy in various
records.
[4]
Butler County Marriages, Book A, page 35, James E. Hall to Juda A. Logston,
March 25, 1836.
[5]
Joshua Vaughn was born in KY January 29, 1837 (per his death certificate).
Worked as a farmer. Died January 22, 1911, of pneumonia. He seems to have been
respected in his community of Magan in northern Ohio Co, KY. According to The
Hartford Herald, September 28, 1904, page 3, Joshua was appointed as an
election clerk for the town for the year beginning September 20th.
[6]
John B. was born in KY in about 1839, he married Elizabeth Burgess, August 1,
1866. Enlisting as a Private, he rose to the rank of Sergeant in the 17th Ky
Cavalry (USA). John enlisted September 1, 1864, in Brownsville, KY, mustered in
on December 3, 1864, and discharged on September 20, 1865.
[7]
Phillip Foster was born in Butler Co., KY, in about 1842, married Temperance
Carolyn Crowder on September 3, 1882. Died in about 1882. Served as both a
deacon and clerk for his local church.
[8]
James C. was born in Butler Co., KY, in about 1844, married a Melinda (or
Melvina) on March 17, 1864. He was in the KY 17th Cavalry, Company C (USA). He
enrolled on November 23, 1861, at Hartford for a period of three years. However, he was discharged on December 31,
1861, because of a physical disability. Near the close of the war he again
served, mustering in on December 3, 1864. He was subsequently discharged on June
13, 1865. The Hartford Herald, November 3, 1880, edition, page 2 reported the
departure of one blacksmith, Rueben Wright, from the area and noted that James
C. Hall was “holding forth in his stand”. James died February 25, 1910, in
Hopkinsville, KY. His obituary did not appear in the Hartford Herald until the
August 12, 1910, edition, page 1. At the time of his death, only Joshua V. Hall
and Mary J. Hall Allen were still living (in the town of Magan in Ohio Co., KY
and Owensboro, KY, respectively). James was described as having been a
blacksmith and a prominent businessman who had until shortly before his death
resided in Warren Co., KY.
[9]
KY Land Grants, Jillison. These grants were generally in consideration of money
rather than military service. This was land which had not been previously
titled. Grants in County Court Orders, page 1304, James E. Hall, Butler Co., 50
acres, book 27, page 151, February 24, 1848, Little Reedy Creek. Google images
of Little Reedy Creek where it crosses Highway 70 show it to be small enough to
step across.
Page -2-
was for 50 acres
on Little Reedy Creek, situated on the eastern edge of the county. This was no
doubt a blessing for the growing family.
Sometime between 1844 and 1848, the family moved a very short distance due east, just across the line to Edmonson Co., KY. Over a couple of decades, the family moved from Butler Co. to Edmondson Co. and then to Ohio Co. The cause for such mobility is not known. The 1850 agricultural census provided a snapshot of the Hall farm.[10] Fifty acres were ‘improved’, while 100 were said to be ‘unimproved’. In spite of its size, the farm was valued at just $400, while its meager holdings of livestock were valued at $300. Emory has farm implements worth $12. His livestock includes 5 horses, 2 milk cows, 2 other cattle, and 20 head of swine. Over the last year, the farm produced 250 bushels of Indian corn, 40 bushels of Irish potatoes, 20 bushels of sweet potatoes, 300 pounds of butter, and 5 pounds of flax. The value of homemade manufactured goods was set at $60, while the value of slaughtered animals was given as $20. A quick review of Edmondson Co. records indicates that the Hall farm was valued somewhat below that of surrounding holdings. It was in Edmondson Co. that at least three of their last four children (and probably all four) were born. Samuel O. P. was the first in 1848.[11] He was followed by the only known daughter, Mary J., in 1850.[12] She was followed by a son, Reddin, in 1853.[13]
In 1856, Emory bought another 384 acres of Edmonson Co. land (for $150) from J. S. and S. G. Phelps.[14] Those neighbors were almost certainly John S. Phelps, and his wife, Sapharina. The couple had been living on an adjacent farm in 1850. Phelps was a clergyman. No record Emory’s disposition of the land has been located. Not long before George was[10] U.S., Census Non-Population schedules, 1850-1880, Edmondson Co., KY, 1850 records. microfilm image 190-191.
11] Samuel O. P. was born in Edmonson Co., KY, in about 1848. He married Lorena (or Laura) Chancellor on December 17, 1870, in Ohio Co, KY. Apparently following a divorce, he subsequently married Mrs. Martha M. Stevens on April 26, 1888. Samuel was a Bugler in the 17th KY Cavalry (USA), Company G. His record is on M386 roll 11. He was mustered into service on February 4, 1865. The unit was mustered out of service on September 20, 1865, with significant skirmishes at Hopkinsville, Bunker Hill and in Lyon Co., KY. His pension record is in the General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. T288, 546 rolls. He sought and was awarded an invalid’s pension in 1883. The May 21, 1890, edition of the Hartford Herald, page 3, stated that Samuel was on the County Criminal Court Docket for May 26th, case number 1710 (he appears in the local papers 27 times as Samuel O. P. Hall or more frequently as S. O. P. Hall over a decade). It is presumed that he survived that scrape, as the Hartford Herald, June 25, 1890, page 2, announced that Samuel was standing as an independent candidate for assessor. In late 1893, Samuel would open a butcher shop in Hartford across from the Hartford House at the corner of Union and Market Streets. His ads appeared frequently in the local papers (Hartford Herald and Hartford Republican) and offered oysters, sardines, sausage, Japanese oils, a variety of groceries, and patent medicines. The papers even reported on some of his shopping trips to Owensboro. The ads began to disappear in early 1894, and by June the business is said to be “locked up and on attachment” resulting from a suit filed by a wholesale grocer in Owensboro. The Hartford Republican, July 13, 1894, page 3, carried a story that ran three-fourths of a column and revealed that his problems were only getting worse. His 13-year-old stepdaughter, Nancy Jane Stevens, filed charges against Samuel, accusing him of rape the previous fall. The article goes on to reveal that domestic arguments in the Hall home were frequent and loud, known to any passerby or neighbor. Hall’s initial defense seems to have been that charges were ‘trumped up’ to get rid of him. The November 30th Hartford Republican, page 3, reported that all testimony had been completed, and that Samuel was acquitted. By December 1894, Samuel and an unnamed brother opened a new butcher shop called “Hall Brothers”. However, by June 14, 1895, the Hartford Republican, page 4, reported that Samuel had departed for parts unknown after swindling locals out of their money and working some kind of mail fraud scheme involving pensions. The outcome of this episode is unknown. He died sometime prior to August of 1898. His pension was sought by both wives; Martha M. Hall (in August 1898) and Lorena Duncan (in November 1911). The index card notes that the widow’s pension was ‘contested’. Such pension records are frequently rich in personal detail given the competing affidavits that were required. These files have not been reviewed.
[12]
Mary J. was born in about 1850, probably in Edmonson Co., KY. She married John
H. Allen on November 16, 1870. The couple moved to Cloverport on the Ohio River, where Allen was said to have been involved in the railroad business. It was in
Cloverport that the Allens would provide refuge to young Lottie Bell Hall when
she fled home to escape her stepfather, Ben Autry.
[13]
Reddin was born on July 18, 1853, in Edmonson Co., KY. Reddin, a son, does not
appear again following the recording of his birth in county records.
[14]
Edmonson Co., KY Deed Book G, page 382, J. E. Hall from J. S. Phelps, 1856. The
deed reads as follows: For and in consideration of the sum of one hundred and
fifty dollars to be paid in two yearly payments. The first due May ??, 1857.
The undersigned have this day sold to James E. Hall the following boundary of
land and hereby always by deed of general warranty. Beginning at two hickories
and a dogwood, thence S7 E51 poles to two black gums and a white oak, N83 E120
poles to a hickory, white oak and a chestnut oak, N7 west 51 poles to a white
oak and a chestnut oak, S83 W 120 poles to the beginning containing 384 acres.
Given under our hands this 8th Nov 1856. J.S. Phelps and S. G. Phelps.
Page -3-
born, J. Emory received the
second Land Grant.[15]
This was for 77 acres on Big Reedy Creek. The couple’s last known child, George
W., was born in 1858.[16]
Sometime
before 1860, the Halls moved to the northern part of Ohio Co., KY. The reason for
the sudden move is unknown. Emory was still engaged in farming. The 1860 census
records show that all school-age boys were enrolled, but 10 yr old Mary J. was
not in school.[17]
The 1860 agricultural census provided a snapshot of the family’s new Ohio Co.
farm. James E. Hall is listed in the Caney District, Briggs Mill Post Office.
No acreage is given. He has farm implements worth $10. His livestock includes 1
horse, 2 milk cows, and 2 other cattle. The livestock are valued at $160. Over
the last year, the farm produced 400 bushels of Indian corn, 16 bushels of
Irish potatoes, 30 bushels of sweet potatoes, 100 pounds of butter, 14 tons of
hay, and 200 pounds of honey. The value of homemade manufactured goods was set
at $50, while the value of slaughtered animals was given as $200. A quick
review of Ohio Co. records indicates that the Hall farm was valued well below
that of surrounding holdings.[18]
Since no real estate value was given in either census, it is assumed that the
family was renting land. Recorded as being in the Hartford district (northern
end of the county), the family lived next to Philip and Elizabeth Spinks and
their large family. The Spinks’ 14-year-old daughter, Cynthia, would become the
wife of 17-year-old Philip Foster Hall by the end of the year.
The
Halls remained in Ohio Co. throughout the Civil War. It is known that sons John
B. (25 yrs.), James C. (20 yrs.) served for a while early in the war, with John
rising to the rank of Sergeant. John and James C. re-enlisted in 1864 in the 17th
KY Cavalry (USA) for the period of one year. In this they were joined by Samuel
O. P. (only 16 yrs. at the time). The unit performed guard duty in southern KY,
with emphasis on protecting the Louisville and Nashville Railroad from
Confederate troops and sympathizers. All three enlisted as Privates, with
Samuel serving as a Bugler. All survived the war.
By
1870, the Halls appear in the Fordsville district of the population census (a
town north and east of Hartford). The value of his personal property has
dropped from $290 to $150 since the 1860 census. The 1870 agricultural census
provided more detail of the farm operations. Just as with the population
census, they are listed in the Fordsville District. His farm consists of 30
acres of improved land. He has farm implements worth $25. His livestock
included 1 horse, 1 milk cow and 10 swine. The livestock are valued at $100.
Over the last year, the farm produced 300 bushels of Indian corn and 50 bushels
of oats, 3 bushels of peas and beans, 10 bushels of Irish potatoes, 25 bushels
of sweet potatoes, and 50 pounds of butter. The value of slaughtered animals
was given as $60. The estimated value of all farm production was $475. A quick
review of Ohio Co. records indicates that the Hall farm was valued well below
that of surrounding holdings.[19]
Though both reviews were conducted during July, the population census reports
no real estate holdings while the non-population census notes that James had 30
‘improved’ acres. The discrepancy cannot be explained. Samuel, 22, has returned
home and is helping with the farm and Mary J., 20, is helping run the
household. George W., who would have been about 12 in 1870, is absent. It is
assumed that the boy did not survive childhood.
[15]
KY Land Grants, Jillison. Grants in County Court Orders, page 1305, James E.
Hall, Edmonson Co., 77 acres, book 51, page 176, February 16, 1857, Big Reedy
Creek. Google images show Big Reedy creek to be much more substantial stream
where it crosses highway 70.
[16]
George W. was born in about 1858, probably in Edmonson Co., KY.
[17]
The 1870 census does indicate that Mary J. can read and write.
[18]
U.S., Census Non-Population schedules, 1850-1880, Ohio Co., KY, 1860 data.
microfilm image 17-18.
[19]
U.S., Census Non-Population schedules, 1850-1880, Ohio Co., KY, 1870 data.
microfilm image 521-522.
Page -4-
Decline and Death
His
decline must have been obvious because on January 7, 1880, the Court ordered
that Emory be excused from paying the County levy along with 20 others it
described as ‘old, infirmed and crippled’.[20]
By
late June 1880, Emory and Judah were living with their recently widowed son, Phillip
Foster, in the Sulphur Springs district (a small community near the town of Olaton
in Ohio Co., southwest of Fordsville). Philip had five children at home between
ages 2 and 15. Both Emory and Judah are simply listed as being “at home”.
Perhaps they were helping with the grandchildren and the growing household, but it
is likely also indicative of their declining health.
No
mention has yet been found of Emory or Judah in the public record after the
1880 census. Given their implied health at that time and their absence in the
1900 census, it is assumed that they died during the intervening years.
Notes
and References
- The 1840 Butler
Co., KY census, page 400, records only the data shown below. It was the
last simple census. Only the head of household was identified.
·
two
males less than 5 yrs old
·
one
male 20-30 yrs, occupation farmer
·
one
female 20-30 yrs
·
one
of the persons over 20 yrs was unable to read or write (based on the 1850
census, this was Judah)
- 1850 Edmonson Co.,
KY census, page 27. James Emory lists his real estate as worth $400. James
lists his place of birth as KY, elsewhere it is given as TN.
|
Name |
Age |
Occupation |
Other |
|
James E. Hall |
35 |
Farmer |
born KY |
|
Judy A. |
34 |
|
born KY, can't read or write |
|
Joshua |
13 |
|
born KY, in school |
|
Philip F. |
12 |
|
born KY, in school |
|
John B. |
9 |
|
born KY, in school |
|
James C. |
7 |
|
born KY, in school |
|
Samuel P. |
3 |
|
born KY |
|
Mary J. |
3 months |
|
born KY |
3. 1860 Ohio Co., KY census, page 140. His personal property is valued at $290; no real estate is listed. There is a John B. Hall, age 48, from SC who lives next door. Could be a coincidence or could be a brother. If the John B. from SC is a brother, this would suggest that the family departed
SC for TN between 1812 and 1815. Note that the birth order of James’ sons, John and Philip, are switched in this census compared to 1850.
|
Name |
Age |
Occupation |
Other |
|
James E. Hall |
45 |
Farmer |
born TN |
|
Judy A. |
44 |
|
born KY, can't read or write |
|
John B. |
21 |
Farmer |
|
|
Philip F. |
19 |
Farmer |
born KY |
|
James C. |
16 |
|
in school |
|
Samuel O. P. |
12 |
|
in school |
|
Mary J. |
10 |
|
|
|
George W. |
2 |
|
|
4. 1870 Ohio Co., KY census, page 460, Fordsville; Page 460A; Image 295.
|
Name |
Age |
Occupation |
Other |
|
James
E. Hall |
55 |
Farmer |
born
KY, personal property $150, real estate $0 |
|
Judah
A. |
54 |
Keeping
house |
born
KY, cannot read or write |
|
Samuel
O. P. |
22 |
Farmer |
born
KY |
|
Mary
J. |
20 |
At
home |
born
KY |
5. 1880 Ohio Co., KY census, page 621, Sulphur Springs community.
|
Name |
Age |
Birth/Dad/Mom |
Other |
|
Phillip F. |
39 |
KY/TN/KY |
Hod carrier, widowed |
|
William A. |
15 |
KY/KY/KY |
in school |
|
George O. |
12 |
KY/KY/KY |
in school |
|
Mary A. |
9 |
KY/KY/KY |
in school |
|
Enie A. |
4 |
KY/KY/KY |
can't read or write |
|
Elvirna |
2 |
KY/KY/KY |
can't read or write |
|
James E. |
64 |
TN/TN/TN |
At home |
|
Judah A. |
63 |
KY/KY/KY |
At home |
