contributed by: Emily Woodall Ivey (date not indicated)

The Giddens Family moved to Bradley Co., Tn. just before it was signed , sealed and Delivered as a County, in about 1834-35/ previously they lived in Monroe Co., Tn. . Edward Giddens is a Lawyer for the State of Tennessee in a lawsuit…in 1828., before 1830 he is passed away. He was married to Nancy (????) about 1815/16….they had the following children :

1. Winchester Wiley Giddens M. Elizabeth Erwin , they moved to Talladega Co, Al., prior to 1850, as they are on that census in Al. Winchester was born in 1817 .
2. Rev. Riley Anderson Giddens ( Sr.) b. 2/1818 m. Ella Crownover in Jan. 1836 . ,they had 9 children . Benjamin Crownover Giddens B. Dec. 1836 M. Malinda Jane Selvidge ( who had also resided at one time in Monroe Co., Tn. also) , Ben fought for Tn. 3rd Lilliards Co. G. (CSA) in the War Between the States , he chose to be a Private, so says his letters. After the war he joined his wife, Malinda and children in Dalton, Whitfield Co., Ga. . Next, Wm. Wells Giddens m. Cynthia Carter and they had two daughters , Wm. was a Capt. in Carter’s First Inf. (CSA)., Elizabeth Giddens born , m. Alfred Phillips a Confederate soldier in Dalton , Ga. ,next son was James N. Giddens who was a Capt . (CSA ) 3rd Tn. Lillard’s , Co. F. , James never married and died due to fever in Vicksburg , Ms. and is buried there. Nancy Rhodes Giddens was the second daughter and married Wm. Debartius Swanson in Dalton , Ga., also , they moved to Texas in the early 1870’s and they are buried in Kemp City Cem., Kaufmann Co., Tx. . John Giddens was next , he was too young for the War , he moved to Ark and married there , they had two children. , who died before marrying. John Giddens and wife are last recorded in Ok. . , then there was Sarah Giddens who married also in 1866 in Dalton , Ga. to Wm. Brakebill and they moved to Ark, she died and he remarried. , then Riley Anderson Giddens Jr. , and Clinton Daily Giddens , both of the last two sons married , will give all information, on any of these 9 children .

3. William M. Giddens b. 1820 M. in Bradley Co., prior to 1850 and before 1860 he wife and children are also in Taladega Co., Al. .
4. James Knox Polk Giddens 1823 , was a Capt. in Lillards Tn. Third Co. G., in fact he was one of the Recuiter’s , but it was done in McMinn Co., Tn., James died due to fever in Va., in 1862 and he never married.

5. Only Girl – Clarenda Giddens b. 1825 , married Isaac Rogers of Shelby Co., Al., however, Isaac met Clarenda on a visit with her mother in Al….he married her in
Bradley Co., Tn., they had 2 sons on the 1850 Census.

By about 1851-52, Nancy Giddens the Mother of thes Five Children, was living with Daughter Clarenda when she died . Clarenda and Isaac Rogers and sons , then left Bradley Co., Tn., after a short visit, in Al., with the Roger’s Family, ( who later every single one joined them) they headed to Texas. It is with a Great Deal of Pride, I can tell you that in the Alazan Cemetery in Nacogdoches Co., Texas there is a Tombstone with Rogers on the top…..white granite….it is engraved in Black lettering…but there is a Covered Wagon , being pulled by a Mule, that appears to be going thru some large Gates, under this drawing on the stone, it says ” and they came from Bradley Co., Tennessee to Texas . On the other side of the Tombstone, which is now only 15 years old. , it has all the names of their 7 Children written . A genealogist ….wonderful find. Fifteen years ago, I helped to decate this marker ….as the Officer of the Dgts of the Confederacy, we marked Isaac Rogers grave , with a bronze Gov. CSA Marker, Isaac died due to yellow fever, before the war ended. The day, he died his last child and daughter was born. Anyone wishing to find out about any part of this Giddens Family or connections to it, may email me or visit my site http://www.jas.net/~emilytx

Emily Woodall Ivey
Born in Chattanooga , Hamilton Co., Tn