James Thomas Hudson (1844 - 1868)

Born 1844 in Clarke County, Alabama, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Minerva Ann Christian — married 30 Oct 1866 in Marengo County, Alabama, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Greg Smith [send private message]

Biography

No biography yet.^[1] Can you add information or sources?

--> Here is a short biography generated by Ancestry.com^[2]: When James Thomas ("Tom") Hudson was born on June 16, 1843, in Marengo, Alabama, his father, Allen, was 40 and his mother, Susanah, was 37.^[3] He married Minerva Ann Christian on October 30, 1866, in his hometown^[4]. They had one child during their marriage. He died as a young father in 1868^[5] in Marengo, Alabama.

--> Here is a more lengthy biography which includes this person and several other family members^[5]:

Hudson Brothers

On April 23, 1857, Minerva Ann Christian married Burrell Hudson, son of Allen A. Hudson. Burrell, thirteen years her senior, was an Overseer at Nanafalia. Three children were born to this marriage: Susan, Albert Bruce, and James Allen.

Burrell served as a Private in the 21st Alabama Regiment. According to the Regimental history of Company C, 21st Alabama, posted by Alabama Sate Archives:

“The Twenty-first was mustered into service Oct. 13, 1861, at Mobile, and remained at Hall's Mill and Fort Gaines till ordered to Fort Pillow in March 1862. It remained there a few days, then moved to Corinth, where it was brigaded under Gen. Gladden. The regiment took part in the battle of Shiloh, where it lost six color-bearers in succession, and 200 killed and wounded out of about 650 engaged and was complimented in general orders. On the return to Corinth, the regiment was reorganized, and extended their enlistment from one year to "for the war." The Twenty-first was at Farmington, but its casualties were few. In the summer the regiment was ordered to Mobile, and was on garrison duty at Fort Morgan, and at Oven and Choctaw Bluffs.* It was at Pollard a short time under Gen. Cantey, but was then ordered to the defenses of Mobile. Two companies were stationed at Fort Powell, where, with a loss of one killed, they withstood a bombardment of a fortnight from five gun-boats and six mortar-boats which attempted to force an entrance through Grant's Pass. Six companies of the regiment were captured at Fort Gaines, and two at Fort Morgan; but the two at Fort Powell blew up and evacuated the post. The men captured at Fort Gaines were exchanged, the others were not. The remainder of the regiment were part of the garrison of Spanish Fort, where it lost about 10 killed and 25 wounded. The Twenty-first was surrendered at Cuba, in Sumter, May 6, 1865, about 250 strong.

“*It was while the regiment lay at Mobile that a sub-marine boat was constructed to operate against the blockading squadron. After ten or fifteen men had been lost by the sudden sinking of the vessel, Lieut. George E. Dixon, of Capt. Cothran's company, with several of his men, volunteered to man it. But the current at the entrance of the bay was too strong, and Dixon and his men accompanied it to Charleston. There it went to sea one night, and blew up the Housatonic, of the federal blockading squadron, causing her to sink, with all her crew. The fate of Dixon and his men was not known till after the peace, when his boat was found by the side of the Housatonic, and in its air-tight walls were the skeletons of the brave crew entombed. Dixon was a Kentuckian by birth and an engineer by profession.”

Burrell Hudson was captured at Ft. Gains and sent to Ship Island Prison Camp off the coast of Mississippi. The island was described as a nearly treeless, barren stretch of white sandy hell, filled with alligators, snakes and mosquitoes. Fever and diarrhea was rampant among both Union soldiers and Confederate prisoners. Burrell died December 20, 1864 of dysentery leaving Minerva a young widow with three small children.

When Allen A. Hudson died in 1852, older brothers Gilbert and Burrell served as guardians for their younger sibling James Thomas called “Tom”, who was only nine years old. Their mother, Susan Segars Hudson remarried in 1854 to Hugh Trawick and moved to Clarke County, Alabama. On October 30, 1866, Tom Hudson married Minerva, widow of his deceased brother, Burrell. Unfortunately, he died sometime in late 1868, just a few months shy of the birth of their son, Elmer Lee Hudson, who was born September 11, 1868. Tragically, Minerva died the following year on December 29. Her four orphaned children went to live with her parents, Jim and Bette Christian. Grandson James Allen (*called Allen) later remarked to his children that he and his siblings were raised by their “old Indian grandmother”.

Allen Hudson married Sallie Frances Jones in 1885. They bought land in Clarke County, Alabama which he farmed. Sallie died in 1900 of Consumption (Tuberculosis). After her death, Allen sold his land to his brother, Bruce, and moved with his children by train to LaSalle Parish, Louisiana, near Jena, west of the Ouachita River. Later, he decided the land on the east side of the river was more fertile, so he moved to Caldwell Parish and built a house out of cypress there on Hudson’s Bend.

Brother, Bruce Hudson, married Carrie Jones, sister of Sallie. By 1905, he decided to join Allen in Caldwell Parish. Half-brother, Elmer Lee also made the move with his family; however, he remained in LaSalle Parish with wife Rosa Lee Downey and children Quinten Rupert, Gholda E., Minnie Roberta “Berta”, Effie, Ora Lee and Corbett Larance.

Sources:

• The Hudson boys were all called by their middle names.

Alabama State Archives: http://www.archives.state.al.us/referenc/alamilor/21stinf.html. Civil War Soldiers & Sailors, 14th Regiment, Alabama Infantry.

Information about James "Thomas" Hudson and many descendants from Mrs. Elda Mae Hudson Moore, Longmont, CO and Mrs. Evelyn Hudson Thorn, 710 Rowland Rd., Monroe, LA, 71203, descendants, 1998.

Sources

1. ↑ Hudson-7025 was created by Greg Smith through the import of Greg Smith Family Tree.ged on Dec 20, 2016. This comment and citation should be deleted after a short biography has been added and primary sources have been cited.
2. ↑ Adapted from Ancestry.com. "[1]"
3. ↑ "US Census 1850", Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
4. ↑ Alabama, County Marriage Records, 1805-1967. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Hudson Brothers & Civil War, Alabama State Archives & other sources. "[2]"