Pults Family
These excerpts from the History of Fentress County, Tennessee, published by the Fentress County Historical Society in 1987, were transcribed by Michael Allen in 2000. See notes at the end.
John Pults (z, se, ce)
by Novella Spurlin Cravens
There have been no residents by the name Pults in Fentress County now for a good many years; however, there are plenty of Pults descendants, and a number of tales concerning the John Pults who was listed in the 1820 Overton County Census and was living on Lick Fork of White Oak, July 3, 1624, where he owned two small houses. His residence by that time was Fentress County, of course.
John F. was the son of Frederick Pults who was living in Jefferson County, TN when the 1830 TN Census was taken. Frederick’s brother George Washington Pults was also living in Jefferson County at that time. Tradition says they were both farmers living near the French Broad River.
In 1820 John’s household consisted of himself (b. 1788), 1 female 16-26 yrs. old) and 3 females under 10). Since he married Anna Mullinix (b. 1810) dau. of Eli & Sarah Dykes Mullinix and she was the mother of, it is believed, 10 of his children, but would not have been old enough to have been the wife in the 1820 Census, it is reasonable to assume that Anna was his second wife.
He is listed in the 1850 Census with Ester as his wife. I’ve no proof that she was a Wood other than the fact that my mother told me once that her grandfather Pults married a Wood, but she was her step-grandmother. In any case, Ester would have been his third wife, and sometime between 1854 and 1860, he married for the 4th time. He married Lavina (Boswell) Mullinix, widow of Isham Mullinix and sister-in-law of Anna.
The children which can be identified as belonging to John are: Frederick Commodore Perry Pults (1821-24) TN mar. Susan Woods -lst, Louisa?- 2nd; Susannah (1825) mar. John Frogge and moved to Metcalfe Co., KY; Elizabeth (b. 1827-d. IL 1862-64) mar. Robert Scroggins (son of Samuel Mills Scroggins); Margaret (b. 1828 d. Fentress Co.) mar. John G. Scroggins – Oct. 24, 1846 (John bro. of Robert); Catherine (b. 7/30/1830-d. Wise Co., TX-5/3/1949) mar. George W. Guinn; Eli (b. 1834 – blind); Tennessee (b. 1836); George W. (b. 1838/40); Napoleon Bonaparte (h. 1841) mar. Mary ? – Fentress Co., moved to Jack Co, TX.; Joel (Jode) (b. 1842); Jackson (b. 1844).
The three eldest girls (listed in the 1820 Overton Co. Census) are unknown to me thus far.
John bought and sold several pieces of property in Fentress Co. In 1827, he received Land Grant #5312 of 50 Acres. He last owned property in the Dry Creek area of the county where he ran a grist mill. It was located at the Pults Mill Ford. Here is where during the Civil War, someone of the Confederate side came to try to take his money. He persuaded them to come back the next day, said it was not there, he’d have to get it. In the meantime he sent word to some of Beaty’s Scouts and they, also, were there the next day. In the slirmish that ensued, the Confederate junped his horse down the bank and into the creek, where the horse’s hoof left a very distinct print which can be seen to this day.
Another time, John was being chased by Indians and he picked up what he thought was a rock and threw at them. It turned out to be lead ore. They kept it, and came back for more. Jackie Scroggins got lead for his bullets from that mine for a Long time, but the mine has long since been lost.
John didn’t believe in slavery and when he inherited a young slave boy he gave him his freedom and let him continue to live with him. The boy named “Jimmv” was training a race horse of John’s when lightning struck nearby, scaring the horse and causing him to buck Jimmy off. The fall broke his neck, and he was the first to be buried in the Pults Cemetery at Sinking Springs. (When I was visiting the cemetery a few years ago, the fellow who was giving me a tour told me about a colored boy being buried there — just OUTSIDE THE FENCE.) John is buried in the Pults Cemetery. He died Feb. 13, 1876 at age 88.
Napoleon B. Pults moved to Degree (Jack Co.) TX where he raised cotton. He visited the Fentress County area in around 1925.
Source: https://homepages.rootsweb.com/~bp2000/fentress/mxjohnp.htm
Frederick Commodore Ferry Pults
by Novella S. Cravens
Frederick Commodore Ferry Pults (probably born in Fentress County, TN mound 1823/24 to John Fults and his 1st wife), 1st mar. Susan (Woods? dau. of Spence & Winney Woods?), and later Louisa ?. He moved his family to Texas Co, MO sometime between 1850-1860. He purchased a 80 acres of land about 20 miles southeast of Houston, TX. During the Civil War, a band of marauders, posing as soldiers, took Frederick and two other men away, and they were never heard from again. Louisa apparently died a few days after he was taken away. There were at least 12 children: John, Spencer M., Elizabeth, Armilda, Esther Ann, Eli, Lewis L., Reuben W., Amos R., Rachel, Artamissa M., and Ferry F. Following the deaths of Ferry and wife Louisa, their orphaned children were apparently split up and taken in by various neighbor families. John, Spencer id., Elizabeth, Lewis L., andAmos R. either died young or are, so far, untraceable.
On Dec. 24, 1868, Armilda mar. Richard House. They made their home in southwest Texas County and were the parents of 14 children. Armilda died April 15, 1909 of pneumonia. She and her husband are buried in the Bethel Cemetery at Spring Valley, about 5 miles west of Summe;sville, MO.
Esther Ann mar. in Oregon Co., TX to Joseph Thomas Hall. She died August 2, 1893, and is buried at the Walnut Grove Cemetery, near Elm Store, Ark.
ELi mar. Martha Jane Spiva on Jan. 24, 1875. They were the parents of 7 children. Eli died of pneumonia at the home of one of his sons near Wilburton, OK about 1924, and is buried at Tecumseh, OK.
Reuben W. mar. a girl named Manda Jane ? about 1878. They had one child — Reuben William. The elder Reuben died, and his widow married Andrew Baldridge in 1879/80 and they made their home in Sharp Co., MO. Reuben William later had two children, Rachel and Virgil. Virgil is said to be living in CA, but his exact whereabouts have not yet been determined.
Rachel was living with the Solomon Davis family near Ravenden Springs, Ark when she married William English in Randolph Co., Ark on July 28, 1881. They were the parents of seven children. She died May 26, 1940. She and William are buried in Yadkin Cemetery in Ravendom Springs, Ark.
Artamissa M. mar. Eugene Baxter in Texas Co., MO on Sept. 7, 1879. No later records have been found of her.
Ferry F. seems to have been the youngest of the Pults children, born Jan. 17, 1863, Texan Co., MO. He was Legally bound to Wm. G. Copeland in Oct. of 1866. About, 1901, Ferry moved to Clarion, in Wright Co., Iowa. He died of consumption (pulmonary tuberculosis) on Feb. 7, 1907, and was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion. He was survived by his wife, Emma, a daughter and a son.
(Information source: Michael A. Landwehr — West Des Moines, IA)
Source: https://homepages.rootsweb.com/~bp2000/fentress/fults.htm
Transcriber’s note: Most, but not all, [transcribed] excerpts relate to Beaty families. Don’t forget the first rule of genealogy — everything should be backed by primary documentation — This book was written by the Fentress Co. Historical Society. It’s mainly a collection of personal histories told from memory and family tradition with little documentation, and should be taken as such.
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