What I Now Know

A little more than 10 years ago, my mother gave me three books that she had been given when genealogy was a hobby of hers: "House of Boyer" by Edith Boyer Suggs 1963, A hand typed and bound book simply titled "Melson Book" compiled by Andrew Melson 1973 and "The Patricks And Spadra Creek The Census And Statehood" by Heartsill Patrick King 1976.

I always understood how I was connected to the Boyers and Melsons but I could never find a connection to the Patricks. I knew from research that several of my ancestors lived in and around Spadra Township but that was the best I could come up with -- until this week.

If you've ever done genealogy research, especially if its ever become a hobby, or addiction, you understand how easy it is to jump from one line to the next and before you know it you easily have hundreds of surnames to try to keep up with. The family lines with the most records are usually the ones you spend the most time on so those without much information tend to get shuffled to the back and forgotten. That's how it was with my Lassiter/Lassater/Laster line. I knew from the "House of Boyer" and later from a marriage record that my 5th great grandmother was Nancy R Miysa Lassater and that she married Leander P. Martin on February 18th 1836 in Lawrence County Arkansas. And that was as far as I could get, so I moved on to more fruitful family lines.

On page 18 of "House of Boyer" it says that my 4th great grandmother, Parmelia Boyer married John Leander Martin who was the son of L. A (that's an error, his middle initial was P) and Nancy Laster Martin of Tenn.

The first record I have for John Leander Martin is the 1850 Spadra, Johnson County, AR census. He is 10 years old and in the household of a James H. and Sarah Lasiter, several young children with the name Lasiter and one other young boy with the last name Martin, an Abram who is 12.

This is because John and Abram's parents had already died. His father in 1840 and his mother, Nancy, in 1847.

James H. Lasiter was Nancy's brother. His wife was Sarah PATRICK - hence the mystery third book, "The Patricks And Spadra Creek The Census And Statehood" This book is written about the author's great grandmother Hannah Caroline Patrick King. On page 19 it mentions that in 1841 her older sister Sarah married James H. Laster. While this book is not necessarily about anyone in my blood-line it is a well written and very enjoyable read. This book let me know what life was like in the area where my ancestors lived, the hardships they endured and the mindset of that era. I highly recommend it, if you have ancestors from the Johnson County area during the years of 1830-1870.

I believe that the parents of Nancy and James H. Lassiter were Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith who were married in Gates County, North Carolina in 1802.




At this point in time I don't have any actual records proving that Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith were the parents of Nancy and James, as all of my genealogy research takes place from my computer and there are no records online for Frederick Lassiter in Johnson County available on Family Search or Ancestry other than the 1850 census where there is a Frederick Lasiter, living alone, 70 years old from NC in Horeshead Township, Johnson County, AR, and a Tax list for the year 1838. There is however in 1840 what could be a Frederick but its transcribed as Francis (looks like a cross between the two) living in Johnson County. The oldest male is 60-69 which fits my Frederick.

This line has intrigued me enough that I'm actually planning my first genealogy road trip. It is Spring Break for us and my husband took off work for the week - the timing is perfect.

I would love to find a Will or Probate Records for Frederick Lassiter, and Leander P Martin.

From what others have posted online, it is said that Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith were the parents of:

1. Abraham Laster - b. 1804     d. 1861    m. Nancy Puckett
2. Samuel Harrison Laster - b. 1806    d. 1883    m. Sarah "Sally" Barker
3. Penelope Laster - b. 1810    d. 1863    m. Dotson Belt
4. Nancy R. Laster - b. 1815    d. 1847    m. Leander P. Martin
5. James Hance Laster - b 1820    d. 1865     m. Sarah Ann Patrick
6. John H. Laster - b. 1822    d. 1865    m. Emily S. James
7. Sarah Miranda Laster - b. 1825    d. 1909    m. James Thomas Gillam
8. Elizabeth Jane Laster b. 1827   d. 1904    m.(1) James Calhoun Baskins   m.(2) Thomas M Baskins

It is also said that Frederick, his wife Nancy,  their son Abraham and his wife, and my ancestors Leander Martin and Nancy Lassiter are buried in an old cemetery known as "Old Harmony"  not to be confused with Harmony Cemetery also in Johnson County. (There is also a young Harrison Martin buried there who is believed to be a third child of Leander and Nancy.)

When trying to find out how to locate this cemetery so I could add it to my road trip I found the following:

"It was an adventure in itself finding the small overgrown and hidden cemetery. It is called Old Harmony Cemetery and is on the Harl Coffee farm. The headstones were either too old to read or too hard to get to because of the overgrowth"

That was posted in 2006 - so I'm hoping that is no longer the case.

In the meantime I can glean more information about this family by researching the "children".

Samuel Harrison Laster's Civil War records state that he was 45 in 1864 and that he was born in Gates County, North Carolina. That adds up to the above marriage record for Frederick Lassiter and Nancy Smith. All census records indicate that Samuel was actually born around 1806/7 - I wonder if he wanted to appear younger so that he would be accepted into the US Army.






In 1810 Gates County, NC listed under the household for Frederick Lassiter are the following individuals:

2 males under 10 (Abraham and Samuel)
1 male 26-44  (Frederick Lassiter)
1 female 10-15 (unknown)
1 female 26-44 (Nancy Smith)
1 female over 45 (unknown)

More information that groups these "children" with Frederick Lassiter is the census and marriage records of Wilson County, TN

In 1820 Lebanon, Wilson, TN under the household for Frederick Lasater are the following individuals:

1 male under 10 (James Hance Laster)
1 male 10-15 (Samuel Harrison Laster)
1 male 16-18 (Abraham Laster)
1 male 26-44 (Frederick Lassiter)
1 female under 10 (Nancy R. Lassater)
2 females 10-15 (Penelope and unknown - possibly Elizabeth who married Alexander Smith)
1 female 26-44 (Nancy Smith)

In 1824 there is a marriage record for Abram Lasseter to Nancy Puckett




In 1828 there is a marriage record for Samuel H. Lasater to Sally Barker



Other marriages taking place between 1820-1830 for individuals with the last name Lassiter are:

Rebecca m. William Crook in 1824
Mary m. Alfred Hite/Hill in 1825
William m. Polly Hill in 1828
Stanford m. Leah Fonch in 1830 (Stays in Wilson County. Born 1812 NC)
Elizabeth m. Alexander Smith in 1830 (This family ends up in Lawrence County, AR) making her a possible child of Frederick as well. She was born about 1808 in NC. But it is doubtful as I have just discovered an 8th child of Frederick and Nancy Smith Lassiter named Elizabeth Jane who married Baskins brothers, James Coulhoun and then Thomas Middleton (my 6th great grandfather).



In the 1830 Wilson, TN census under the household of Frederick Lasiter are the following individuals:

2 males 5-9 (John H and unknown)
1 male 10-14 (James Hance Lassiter)
1 male 50-59 (Frederick Lassiter)
1 female under 5 (unknown)
1 female 5-9 (Sarah Miranda Lassiter)
1 female 15-19 (Nancy R. Lassiter)
1 female 20-29 (Penelope Lassiter)
1 female 40-49 (Nancy Smith)

There is a separate household in Wilson, TN for both Abraham and Samuel that same census year.

At this point in time the strongest piece of evidence I have for Frederick being the father of my Nancy R. Lassiter is a Tax List for the years 1833, 1835 and 1836 that places him in Strawberry Township, Lawrence County, AR, where Nancy and Leander Martin were married in 1836.




He is the only Lassiter that shows in Lawrence County during that time period.

As I mentioned before in 1840, Johnson County, AR there is a possible record for Frederick Lassiter.

The ages for the individuals are:

2 males 15-19 (James Hance and John H)
1 male 60-69 (Frederick)
1 female 5-9 (unknown)
1 female 10-14 (unknown)
1 female 15-19 (Sarah Miranda)
1 female 50-59 (Nancy Smith)

Below is a screenshot - so you can decide for yourself.

The one I believe to be Frederick is right above Dotson Belt - who is his son-in-law. You can also see Abraham Laseter.

By 1850 Frederick is living alone, his wife Nancy having died two years earlier. He would live for two more years before joining her. As said before, the two are supposed to be buried in Old Harmony Cemetery.

One more piece of information before I bring this post to a close is the speculation** that this Frederick Lassiter fought in the War of 1812.

**It is no longer speculation. In the Bureau of Land Managment Land Grant files you can find the PDF image of Frederick's Military Warrant that states he fought he was a private in Captain Martin's Company Tennessee Volunteer Militia (Brice Martin)

A widowed Frederick also married the widow Delilah (Payne) Basham and there's a land record for her and his land as well that mentions his military service.

 FamilySearch provides the service cards for a Frederick Lassiter (spelled a variety of ways) that served in the War of 1812 in both Bradley's Reg't of Ten Vols and Hall's Reg't of Ten Vols. They are BOTH him.

The Tennessee Secretary of State has a website that explains the Regimental Histories of Tennessee Units During the War of 1812. The one that pertains to Frederick is as follows:

COLONEL EDWARD BRADLEY

DESIGNATION: 1st Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Infantry

DATES: September 1813 - December 1813
MEN MOSTLY FROM: Sumner, Giles, Lincoln, Montgomery, Overton, Rutherford, Smith, and Wilson Counties

CAPTAINS: Abraham Bledsoe, Harry Douglass, James Hambleton, John Kennedy, William Lauderdale, Brice Martin, John Moore, Travis Nash, Thomas Haynie, John Wallace

BRIEF HISTORY:
This unit was originally under the command of Colonel William Hall during Jackson's excursion to Natchez. Bradley took over the regiment when Hall was promoted to brigadier general. Bradley's regiment then became part of Hall's brigade, along with Colonel William Pillow's Second Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Infantry. This brigade participated in Jackson's first campaign into the Creek Nation. Bradley's regiment fought at the Battle of Talladega (9 November 1813) and muster rolls show many casualties from that battle, especially in the companies of Captains Abraham Bledsoe and Brice Smith.
The line of march for this first campaign followed the route from Fayetteville to Huntsville, then to Fort Deposit and Fort Strother. The troops were dismissed in December 1813. The number of men in each captain's company varied from twenty-nine to seventy-two soldiers.

If I make it to Johnson County this week -- I'll be sure to post what I find.

Until next time,
Becky