William Abraham Wood Sr. (abt. 1775 - 1865)

Born about 1 Dec 1775 in Wake, North Carolina

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1865 at about age 89 in Marion County, Arkansas

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Biography

William A. "Dancin Bill" Wood was a son of William Obediah "Revolutionary War Bill" Wood and his unknown first wife. William Abraham's first wife is unknown and the couple had a least one child, James A. "Limber Jim" . (Note: Some believe his first wife was Rachel Faucette but they do not provide a source.) Circa 1805 William A. Wood married Hannah Austin (1784 - 1870) and it's believed they had 15 children: Elizabeth "Betsy", George Washington, William Abraham "Squirrel", Nancy Rachel, William J., John W., Burrel Wood, Solomon "Bud", Obediah, Zelia Ann, Charity, Robert Jefferson, Justina Jane, Michael Marion, and Marion O. Wood.

War of 1812

William Abraham Wood (AKA Big Bill Wood) served in the War of 1812 as a Private in Davis' Battalion in the West Tennessee Militia. One family story claims Revolutionary Bill Wood and sons John and Big Bill Wood served together after enlisting in Tennessee to campaign south against the Indians. They were serving with General Jackson and the raw troops were fresh from the country and somewhat insubordinate. The young men were good soldiers, but somewhat reckless. John Wood (18 years old at the time) was on picket duty and left his post: he was court-martialed and condemned to be shot, with a recommendation for mercy. Jackson had reprieved others, but notified the court he would not reprieve any more. Revolutionary Bill Wood and William A Wood stayed with John Wood and cared for him - dressed him for death - and when the file of soldiers marched him off, they went in another direction in great agony, refusing to see him shot. They soon after deserted the army and came to White River and settled at the ford of the river, three miles above Mt. Olive Arkansas. It was believed that Jackson was glad they deserted since there was no effort made to bring them back to the army. Through life Revolutionary War Bill and Big Bill (later "Dancin Bill") took this matter greatly to heart; at the mention of Jackson's name, Big Bill would grow frantic with oaths, and the old man would melt into tears. (from W.R. Jones "Some History of Marion County")

From Tennessee to Arkansas

William A. Wood and his family moved to Arkansas before 1830 ^[1] , based on his children's birth information the westward move was circa 1822. In the 1830s he served as a Judge in both Searcy County and Marion County.

Judge William "Dancin Bill" Wood was said to be the best dancer in Marion County; because of his exuberance of spirits and love for dancing, was sometimes called "Dancing Billy" Wood. It seems to have been a well educated family, with ambitions. They, like most of the early settlers in Marion County, had the Virginia Cavalier idea of life, rather than that of New England Puritan. They were probably (most of them) religiously inclined, but did not believe that religion meant giving up fiddling, dancing, horse racing and other (to them) innocent "thrills" of existence. Judge Wood didn't believe in slavery so when his father (Revolutionary Bill Wood) gave him his slave "Old Chloe" he set her free. Chloe stayed with the Judge and Hannah for the rest of their lives. (excerpts from Bramble Bush)

William A. Wood lived a long life and the difficult times made him face many family tragedies. His son John W. Wood (born in 1814, the year Bill's brother John Wood was executed) was killed by bushwhackers in the Civil War. Two of Bill's grandsons were killed in the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857. At the time of the massacre his grandsons Solomon R. Wood and William Edward Wood were 20 and 26 years old.

Early Land Records of Marion County, Arkansas, show William Wood, Sr., on September 28, 1840, owned property in T18N R16W Section 10, T18N R17W Section 1 and T19N R17W Section 13. ^[2]

Burial Site

Johnnie's Creek Cemetery marked

Johnnie's Creek Cemetery is located on private property at the original mouth of Johnnie Creek and George's Creek about 1200 feet southwest of the Hwy 412 and Hwy 125 intersection, west of Yellville in Marion County Arkansas. Johnnie's Creek Cemetery was first used by pioneers circa 1845 but a few Indians were the first interments there. In the late 1800s there was a church and school building nearby. The White River branch of the Missouri Pacific Railway passes near this cemetery and the initial railway construction in 1901 caused a slight relocation of Johnnie Creek.

"Bramble Bush", the Quarterly Newsletter of the Marion County Historic Genealogical Society states: “John and Agnes Hudson were the first white people buried here. John Hudson settled the creek bottom just below the mouth of Georges Creek and cleared the first land there in 1833.” Also believed to be buried in Johnnie's Creek Cemetery is John Overcan, Sheriff Billy Brown, and William A. "Dancin Bill" Wood, who were very early settlers of the area. George's Creek and Johnnie Creek are believed to be named after William A."Dancin Bill" Wood's sons George and John. George Washington Wood owned land in the area before his father moved there.

In the mid 1900's locals reported there were as many as 50-60 field stones marking graves. In the 1980's the field stones were disturbed and became buried due to farming by the new land owner.

The school is not there any longer but the same church is still open today. The church first opened in 1850 and the same church is attended today by many of the original families' descendants.

Some have referred to this cemetery as “Old George’s Creek” Cemetery and “Old Indian Burial Ground.” ^[3]

An article written in 1929 called "Bit's of History" by S.C. Turnbo (published in the Bramble Bush the week of July 18, 1929) is misleading about the burial location of William Abraham Wood. See attached map for more details.

Find a Grave, database and images, Find A Grave: Memorial #141542397 for William Abraham “Dancin Bill” Wood (1 Dec 1775–1865), Find a Grave Memorial no. 141542397, citing Johnnie's Creek Cemetery, Yellville, Marion County, Arkansas, USA ; Maintained by Peggy Mac (contributor 48410239) .

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPX-DMK : 24 August 2017), William Wood, Izard, Arkansas Territory, United States; citing 110, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 5; FHL microfilm 2,473. (Note: Marion County was carved from Izard County in 1836)
2. ↑ BRAMBLE BUSH THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF MARION COUNTY ARKANSAS Vol. 2, No. 4, October 1997 Yellville, Arkansas https://www.argenweb.net/marion/bramblebush/1997_04.html
3. ↑ Janice Duffy, life long resident and historian in the area

• "Bits of History" By S. C. Turnbo page 66, at the Arkansas History Commission Call # MS.00249 (provides burial location). See attached map.

• The Turnbo Manuscripts by Silas Claiborne Turnbo, 1844-1925, which are housed in the Library at Little Rock, Arkansas. https://thelibrary.org/lochist/turnbo/toc.html

• "Some history of Marion County" by W.R. Jones, published July 25, 1929 published in the Mountain Echo Newspaper, Marion County Arkansas

• "Bramble Bush" The Quarterly Newsletter of the Historic Genealogical Society of Marion County Arkansas Volume 3 Number 2 [1]

• Genealogies of Families of Marion County 1811-1900. Vicki Roberts & Mysty McPherson. 1997

• Mountain Meadows Massacre document by Wordpress.com (Link is no longer available.) This document has minor errors.

• Find a Grave, database and images, Find A Grave: Memorial #141542397 for William Abraham “Dancin Bill” Wood (1 Dec 1775–1865), Find a Grave Memorial no. 141542397, citing Johnnie's Creek Cemetery, Yellville, Marion County, Arkansas, USA ; Maintained by Peggy Mac (contributor 48410239) .

• Living in his father's household: "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKB-B17 : accessed 11 June 2020), Obediah Wood, Wake, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 270, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 7; FHL microfilm 568,147.

• "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPX-DMK : 24 August 2017), William Wood, Izard, Arkansas Territory, United States; citing 110, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 5; FHL microfilm 2,473. (Note: Marion County was carved from Izard County in 1836)

• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBX-FZB : 19 May 2020), William Wood, Union, Madison, New York, United States (TRANSCRIPTION ERROR: LOCATION IS MARION COUNTY, ARKANSAS) ; citing p. 47, NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm . (Believed to be living with his father.)

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M678-WF1 : 12 April 2016), William Woods, Marion county, Marion, Arkansas, United States; citing family 5, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVHJ-LWS : 29 July 2017), William Wood, Marion county, Marion, Arkansas, United States; citing line number 5, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 442,878.

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M87Y-K9M : 13 December 2017), William Wood, 1860. Union Township, Marion County, Arkansas