JOEL AND CAROLINE
THE WAY IT WAS
AND
THE WAY IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
The summer of 1833 was one of hard work for Joel Church,Sr. After burying his wife,"Margaret" in Tazewell Co. VA. (Later to become Buchanan County) he returned to Lee CO. his home, and family, and began to plant his crop. Animals had to be fed, and so did younguns.
He sent word to Margaret's folks down into the Carolina's about her death. Telling her children, and her folks that she was gone was a very hard thing for him to do. It seemed like saying it out loud somehow made it true, and he didn't want it to be true.
The children was a comfort to him, and helped keep him on track through this difficult time. "William Emanuel" their oldest, had married a young lady named Sarah, and had a family started. "Gabriel" had married "Jane Cooper", and had one child. "Emanuel, lived within shouting distance of Joel's home there in Lee CO.Virginia. " Gabriel", "Jane", and their two children, were still living in the house with Joel.
Joel JR. was almost eighteen years old, and came , and went , quiet a bit. He spent a lot of time in Pike County. He was courting one of the "Layne " girls there.
"Ann" was thirteen years old, and was able to help Gabe's wife "Jane",do the housekeeping , with a little help from her dad, and "Elizabeth", who was nine years old. "Celia" was six.
" Joel", although in his fifties, was in his prime. He stood at six foot two, and weighed around two hundred ten pounds, with brown hair, and eyes, and a beard most of the time. There was a little gray at the tips of his hair,and beard.
He wore homespuns around the house, but when he was in the woods he wore his deerskins. The deerskins would shed water real well, and protect against stings, and bites from the many insects, and bees. He had a huge bearskin coat that he wore over the deerskins when it was cold.
When the crops were in, and the cornfields were standing full of fodder shocks, Joel began to get ready to go trapping. He would go where he'd been winter before last, in Tennessee.
A man named "Pleasant Hobbs" lived just over on the Tennessee side, by a small stream. Two winters before, Joel had trapped in the headwaters of that stream, about five miles from the "Hobb's" house.
The one time that he had broken his vows with Margaret, was on that trapping expedition.
He had found the Hobbs living there in the wilds, where he never expected to find anyone, (unless they were Indians). Pleasant had hacked out a pretty good sized farm there in a little valley. He was very close to Cherokee territory, but Pleasant had nothing to fear from the Cherokee because his wife , although Pleasant called her Sarah, was a full blooded Cherokee, and related to a Chief.
It was just "Pleasant" his wife "Sarah" and Daughter "Caroline." Caroline, although almost thirty years old, had never married. She had been engaged in her nineteenth year, but her young man had died from a hunting accident before their wedding date. She had held on to his memory for a long time.
It was in the Fall of 1831 when Joel first met the wife and daughter of his old friend "Pleasant Hobbs". In years past he and Pleasant had trapped together, and each of them had lived with the Indians for short spells, at diffrent times.
. He had packed his supplies,and gear, back into the headwaters of their stream, and brought the horses back down to Pleasant's pastures, and barn. He had walked back to his camp, and prepaired for the winter of trapping.
He planned to do it the same way this time. He hoped to be well received at the Hobbs, but wasn't sure that he would be. Although he had not been unkind to Caroline, he had handeled her in a way not proper for a married man. If Pleasant took a shot at him, he wouldn't blame him.
That winter, two winters back, just before the first snow, Pleasant's livestock had gotten out of the pasture,(including Joel"s horses), and Pleasant had sent Caroline up to Joel's camp to ask him to come help round them up. They had scattered in the woods, and were not easy to catch.
It was almost dark when Caroline arrived at Joel's makeshift cabin. There was no trail except for the tracks Caroline's horse, and the one she had brought for Joel had made. They were not the best of horses, but were the first ones she could catch.
In daylight you could see to pick your way through the undergrowth, but at night it would not be easy. your horse could step in a hole and break its leg.
"Miss. Hobbs", are you against staying here tonight and starting back in the morning.? We could make it I guess, but it would be better in the morning."
"Mr. Church, It dont look to me like we have much of a choice."
Caroline Took her looks after her mother, with long black hair, big slanted eyes, and youthfull body. She was a beautiful woman in her prime, with a sweet young thing personality, and Joel, although very married, could not help making advances on her.
Caroline, finding herself in the presence of a hansome man who expelled a feeling of strength, power, and yet,gentleness, she, although a lady of very high morals, could not resist him.
When spring came, and Joel was passing by the Hobbs house, saying his goodby's, he felt ashamed for what he had done, but at the same time he want to reach out to Caroline, and hold her. She looked at him in a way that told him that she wanted him to. But Joel had a good woman at home, to whom he had made promices. Who had always been good to him.
"That was then, and this is now," Joel thought to himself. "she's probably married by now."
It was getting late when he rode onto the "Hobbs" farm. There had been a crop raised, but was mostly still in the fields. The corn should have been put up by now. He saw a few shocks of fodder, it looked like someone had started puting it up, or was trying to put it up. The shocks that he saw looked loosly tied, almost falling down. Not done by an experienced farmer such as Pleasant Hobbs. Something was wrong.
When Joel rode into the yard, Caroline was coming from the barn with two buckets of milk. Even in a floursack dress, she looked good to Joel, . She saw him and seemed to tremble as she sat the buckets of milk on the ground. "Speak of the Devil" she said through a startled smile.
"Hello Carolina Hobbs"
" Hello yourself, get down off that horse afore I half to climb up there".
Joel stepped down , and she ran into his arms.
It turned out that Pleasant had taken sick about a month back, and was laid up in bed. Sarah had said just this morning that it would be nice if that old man Joel Church would drop by again, she bet that he would help get the crops in.
Caroline expressed sorrow at the news of Margarets death, and introduced Joel to his son Thomas, who was almost two years old.
Joel helped the women get the crops in, and he doctor'ed Mr. Hobbs until he was able to get around. He had a bad batch of liquor that he had made himself. He would have gotten well by himself if he had just stoped drinking it for a few days, but he didnt think the whisky was what was doing it to him.
Joel stayed with the Hobbs this time, he put his traps in pretty much the same place as last time, it just took longer to run them, it was about an hours travel each way to the makeshift cabin he had built when he was there before.
He managed to get a little trapping done, and when he left in the spring he took Caroline with him. They were married at the first place they came to that had a preacher.
Joel gave his home in Lee County to Gabriel, and although Caroline wanted the children to come live with her and Joel, they chose to stay right where they were, at least for a while longer. They loved their dad, buy they also loved the rest of the familey that they would be leaving. As it turned out, these children never lived with Joel after that.
Joel found a deserted house not far from the Contrary road, on the Levisa side, only a few miles from Dismal, in Tazewell County Virginia. (Later became Buchanan CO.) It wasn't where he wanted to live, but would do untill he could build over on the Dismal side. He filed for the land he wanted.
When the census taker came by in 1850, he found Joel living on the Contrary side of the Dismal river at Pilgrims knob, within seeing distance of Margarets grave.
Caroline gave Joel a daughter "Nancy" in 1835. a daughter "Milly" in 1840. A son "George" in 1844, and a daughter Margaret in 1846. and then a son "James" who only lived a short time.
These children had a good time growing up. They farmed good soil, and ate very well. Caroline was a hard worker, and knew how to prompt Joel into better things, Their farm there by the Dismal prospered.
The valley was beginning to be populated, and there were other children to play with, and later court, and marry.
A swimming hole just above the ford at Pilgrims Knob was a busy place on the hot summer days. The "Ward" children. was close by. The "Mullins's would come out of Spruce Pine, "Comptons off of the mountain, and the"Horns" from Bear Wallow. They had a fine ole time.
The war began in sixty one, Joel JR had moved from Pike County,to the Grundy area by then. He had married Nancy Jane Layne, and they had a family, Abbagail, Jacob, William, and Sarah. William and Jacob went to war for the South.
Nancy had married "Mose Mullins", Milly had married "Henry(Son)Horn". and Thomas was married to " Margaret Mullins" .
Thomas, and George Church, Henry Horn, and Mose Mullins went to war for the South.
Old Joel got word that the Yanks were robbing familys of their food, livestock, clothes, and just about everything. and anyone living along the roads were sure to loose what little they had to these thieves. Joel knew that if any of his familey was going to survive this frakus twix the States, he was going to have to think of something, that would at least make it hard for the Yanks to find them. Their home there by the Dismal was right on the beaten path.
The young men seemed somewhat eager to go to war, Joel didnt want Thomas, and George to go, but knew that they had to. Joel had a talk with them when he saw that they were making up their mind to go.
He talked to them at the dinner table, that is where he always did his talking to the familey.
"I dont like this war," he said. " But weve got it, they are not leaving it up to us.
I dont care much about this dispute about the slaves. There have always been slaves, even in bible times. Im not saying that it is right. My father has some, and some of my brothers do too. I guess that if you get down to the right and wrong of it, nobody had ort to be a slave. Somebody told me that Mr. Linclon made a statement that he (would not be a slave, therefore he will not be a master) It makes sence to me. I dont care about whether the southern states belong to the federal union, or not. I would not load my gun for either of these reasons, but we are going to have trouble here. We will be invaded by the Yankee soldiers. They will be trying to kill us, burn us out, take what we have, and mistreat our womem and girls. Because of this, I will fight."
Caroline pushed back her plate, "Joel you crazy old man!! I was thinking you was about to say something like that. You aint got no business trying to get into this fight. You are not a young man anymore."
" I'll be standing when the smoke clears."
"Honey, let these boys fight if they have to. but please dont go yourself, we need you here, how will me and the girls make it by ourselves?
" I am a man, and I am able to fight. What would people think if I stayed home while people were shooting at my boys."
" Nobody will expect a man of your age to fight, you are eighty years old."
Joel took a bite of his food, said some things in some Indian language, shook his head a few times, looked a little biy angry, then replied.
" Well I might stay out of it untill I see which way its going, but I can still fight".
Thomas and George Joined the 34 Battalion , Virginia Calvalry Vincent Witcher's Virginia Mtd, Rifels.
When the war first began, Witcher built himself a band of guerrilla's. Witcher wanted a commission , he wanted to be reconised as a soldier, and a leader of soldiers, but so far he had been refused . .
General John B floyd got word of what was going on with Witcher, and he was angry.
he didn't like unauthorized soldiers fighting and killing on their own say so, without orders, and without anyone keeping check on them. On Dec. 1st. 1861 he ordered lieutenant Everett of The Border Rangers, to go down to Sandy and arrest Witcher and his command and bring them to his headquarters.
Witcher was arrested by The Rangers, but General Humphrey Marshall ordered his release. Captain Witcher and his men were mustered into the Confederate Army at that time.
Thomas and George found themselves rather close to home, and decited to go see how the home folks were fareing. There had been no action for several days now, and they were bored sitting around camp. They went A.W.O.L. as did several of their comrads.
Witcher ordered Gorden Riffe to go find these men, and arrest them. He wanted them returned. This is when they came and got Thomas, and George, at their homes, and took the away in a small wagon. Thomas was never to return.
Insted of Gorden taking these men back to Witcher, who might have them shot for going A.W.O.L. He contacted Henery S. Bowen, and Bowen began getting a new Company together. Thomas, George, and the others who was also arrested , was taking into this new Company, which was The 22nd. Virginia Cavalry.
I believe this because George, and Thomas was not on Witchers Roster during the time period involved here, and they were listed as being in the 22 Virginia Calvary, But they , or at least George was with Witcher even afterward.
Thomas, and George were both captured by the Yankees at a later date. I have not found out yet where they were captured. I don't know if they were captured together , or seperate. I will update this journal if I find out more. If anybody who reads this knows where they were captured, please contact me. pappynine@yahoo.com
Thomas died in a prison hospital in Baltimore Maryland in 1863.
It was a strange war that existed around the Virginia, West Virginia border. In some cases brothers were against brothers, cousins against cousins. It was not uncommen to see a camp at night with confederate and Yankee soldiers in it enjoying a drap of moonshine.
The war also covered up a lot of crimes. It was a good time to settle old debts where shooting was required.
The Rebel yell was used to summon help from comrads, and to create fear in the hearts of the enemy. Even after the war, when some rebel got into a bar fight and needed help. he would cry out with that yell and his friends who heard him rushed to his side.
There was a language created by these rebs, they would use it to talk amoung themselves when secrecy was needed. If some of the were captured and needed to comunicate with each other while the enemy were present, they would use this.
This language was carried down from father to son , for a few generations at least. It was taught to me by my father.
Old Joel Church lived not far off of the road that is now called Bill Youngs Branch, souldiers would come by taking whatever was available, Yankees sometimes, and sometimes Rebs. It was hard to feed the Family on what would be left after these visitors were gone, Joel and the women folk drove the livestock up into Spruce Pine, to where Mose Mullins had built, near his dad. Then he moved Caroline, Milly, and Peggy into the house with Nancy. It would be less likely that the Soldiers would find them up there off of the beaten path.
In the year 1862, not long after Thomas was taken, Caroline came down with Measles and died. Joel always kept sections of hollow logs sawed out to use for bee hives. He sawed off a section the right lenth, split off one side to make a lid, nailed a board over each end, and used it for a coffin for Caroline.
With a horse, and sled, they took her to the top of the mountain, and buried her. It was a sad time in Spruce Pine because she was dearly loved by all.
Later a story would be told about a woman who died during the Civil War , who had been burried by the women, in a hollow log. Her name was a long time forgotten.
In the year 1876 Joel was to be buried beside Caroline. and soon after a hickory sprout grew between the graves. It grew, and grew, untill it was a large tree. The tree used the nutreants left by the decomposition of the bodies, Squirrels ate the nuts from the tree, and birds nested in the branches. In this manner Joel and Caroline went back to nature, continuing to live in the many things that fed of of them. They would have wanted it this way.
Some of their children, and grandchildren are buried close by now,and lesser kin. The cemetery is now called The Kelly Cemetery.
Familey cemeteries evolve like everything else. I suppose that the first person burried in the Kelly Cementery was a Mullins. It was Mullins's who first lived near where it is located. The first Church's were burried there because the Church's had married into the Mullins's, and because they lived nearby.
It just continued down through the generations. The Kelly's are related to many of those who were burried there before . They had married into a familey who already had people there. I thank them for their kindness, and for keeping the cemetery up so well.
My Wife and I have worked very hard to get these names, and dates right. I believe that they are very close to being right. I have reached out somewhat to make the story more interesting. I believe that it is all very close to the truth.
This Story was written by Raymond Church