The Life of Visia Geneva PITTS BYNUM

 If today's post doesn't flow well, please forgive me. I have a terrible migraine and am really struggling.

Today's prompt from Genealogy Girl is #sitting. I immediately thought of the pictures I have of my 4th great grandmother Visia Geneva PITTS BYNUM.  

Just look at the craftsmanship of those beautiful chairs. I'd love to have one like this someday.

I connect to Visia on my maternal side, through her father's mother. 

Visia was the eldest daughter of Levi and Elizabeth MATTHEWS PITTS. She was born 5 August 1838 in Overton County, Tennessee. Her family migrated to Arkansas shortly after the 1840 census. They were enumerated in Overton County that year, but her brother Amos A. PITTS gives his birth state as Arkansas and his birth year as 1841/1842 in the Johnson County, Arkansas census for the years 1850 & 1860. 

In the spring of 1853, she married a man 12 years her senior, William BYNUM (I wrote about him here.) They were specifically wed, 30 March 1853 in Johnson County, AR. And not long after gave birth to her first child, Rachel Elizabeth BYNUM. This family lived in the Spadra community of Johnson County. This was a tumultuous time for our nation. Fifteen days before their 11th wedding anniversary, William enlisted in the Union with the 2nd Arkansas Infantry. They had four young children at home. This was not his first war. Before their marriage, William had fought in the Mexican War in a unit commanded by Lee Graves in the Colonel Coffee Regiment of MB Volunteers, Mexican War, of 1847 and 1848.

While her husband, survived both wars, this current war, however, would leave Visia with many personal losses. She lost two brothers, Amos (died 1863) and Elijah (1864), as well as her father, Levi (1864).

After the war, Visia would go on to deliver at least six more children, John Thomas BYNUM, being my ancestor. When the youngest, James Isaac BYNUM, was only six years old, Visia became a widow on 7 May 1886. My ancestor would've only been 14. Visia was 47.

While these tidbits can give you a little insight into the life of Visia, there are a few stories I've found shared on Ancestry, that really bring her to life.  I wanted to share them here with you. I'll start with one of my favorites. This story is relayed by Annie Marie England, the granddaughter of Visia Geneva Bynum:

Visia rode to the mill one day to grind corn into meal. She had a baby with her on this day. We don't know who the baby belonged to, and we don't know whether or not it was one Visia's grandchildren. On the way back from the mill, a black panther began to chase Visia and the baby. The panther managed to jump up and lacerate the hind quarters of the horse. Visia threw down her bonnet and her apron. The panther stopped momentarily and tore up the bonnet and apron before picking up the chase again. Visia then threw down her sack of meal, and the panther stopped again to tear that up. Visia managed to make it to her house with the baby. She got off the horse and ran inside while yelling for her son, James Isaac. The panther had climbed up in a tree outside of the house, and James Isaac ran outside and shot the panther out of the tree. The horse Visia had been riding had been hurt so badly by the panther that it had to be put down.

Another story:

James Isaac came home late one night and he decided he was going to play a trick on his mother, Visia. The old house was a log structure with a breeze way. James Isaac knocked a few times on one side of the house. His mother came and opened the door and said, "Is that you, Isaac?" Well, Isaac didn't say anything, and Visia went back inside. Then Isaac went around to the other side of the house and started knocking on that side of the house. Visia came to the door again and said, "Is that you, Isaac?" Once again, Isaac said nothing, but ran back to the other side of the house after his mother closed the door. Isaac knocked on the side of the house again, but this time when his mother opened the door, he saw the moonlight reflecting from the nickel plated pistol she kept for protection. Visia asked a third time, "Is that you, Isaac?" This time, Isaac very quickly responded, "It's me Ma!"

And another:

During the Civil War, William was away fighting in the war and Visia was by herself with the children. During those days, there were groups of bad men that roamed the countryside. These men had hung one of William and Visia's neighbor's sons just for the fun of it. Some of these men found out that Visia kept corn stored for her family in the loft of her house. They showed up at William and Visia's farm one day and demanded that Visia hand over the corn to them. Visia refused to hand over the corn, and she locked herself and the children inside the house. The men then tried to smoke them out of the house. Visia kept the children from being overcome by the smoke by running back and forth between the children and keeping wet rags over their faces. The men eventually gave up and left.

These stories make me believe Visia must have been such a courageous woman. She lived to be 78, leaving this world on 5 March 1917. She is buried in Lone Pine Cemetery Clarksville, Johnson County, Arkansas. 

Until next time, 
Becky

P.S. I searched all over for an obituary of some kind, but I came up empty. If anyone ever happens across it, please reach out to me.