Elizabeth (Aldridge) Greer (1852 - 1904)

Born Feb 1852 in North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Died Nov 1904 at age 52 in Spear, Avery, North Carolina, United States

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Biography

Elizabeth (Aldridge) Greer was born in North Carolina.

Elizabeth Aldridge was born in Feb 1852. She died in November 1904 in Spear, Avery County, North Carolina. She is the daughter of Harrison Aldridge and Emily Clark. ^[1]

Elizabeth and her husband William Greer are mentioned in the book Jeremiah and Alexander Clark of North Carolina published in 1997. The reference follows with the author's (Robert Bradley Clark) permission.

"Jane “Gincy” Clark was born about 1830 to Jeremiah Clark and Mary Ann McCall. She married Harrison Calloway Aldridge, son of James Aldridge and Betsy Calloway. The Aldridge and Calloway families appear in the chapter on Related Families. Their children were Martha, Elizabeth, James, Tempy, Fannie, Mary, Sam, Harrison, Sarah and Manarvey Aldridge.

Jane and Harrison Aldridge lived in North Carolina in old Burke County. This area was later to become Watauga County. Daughter Martha married Samuel Carson Byrd, son of George Washington “Broke Leg” Byrd and Betsy Jane Phillips, and they lived near Valle Crucis next to her cousin Harrison Clark, son of James Wilburn Clark. Son James married Sarah Gragg. Daughter Fannie married Henry T. Shook. Their son Sam married Malissa Buchanan. Their son Harrison married Ellen Buchanan." ^[2]

Elizabeth's husband, William Greer, became a Deputy United States Marshall and operated in western North Carolina. He was dispatched to serve a warrant to William Honeycutt, a man the newspaper described as an "outlaw" who lived on Iron Mountain along the Tennessee - North Carolina border. As it turns out, Honeycutt owned a house in Tennessee and a store a few yards on the other side of the border in nearby North Carolina.

When Deputy Marshall Greer came to serve the warrant, Honeycutt stepped into Tennessee and claimed the Marshall had no jurisdiction. Deputy Marshall Greer grabbed him by the arm and told him he was under arrest. Honeycutt was holding a Winchester rifle and shot William Greer in the leg then fled the scene. Deputy Marshal Greer fired at Honeycutt and wounded him in the arm as he got away.

Though serciouly wounded, Deputy Marshal Greer rode his horse back to town. His condition continued to worsen and the wound developed gangrene and he died as a result on October 26th, 1899. Deputy Marshal Greer had served with the United States Marshals Service for five months. He was survived by his wife, three sons, and daughter.

William Honeycutt remained at large for several weeks until being apprehend by bounty hunters and returned to North Carolina to face trial. The man was convicted of tax charges and sentenced to four years in prison. It is unclear if he was ever convicted of Deputy Marshal Greer's murder. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Sources

1. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44466421/elizabeth-greer: accessed 05 September 2022), memorial page for Elizabeth Aldridge Greer (Feb 1852–Nov 1904), Find A Grave: Memorial #44466421, citing Pittman Cemetery, Spear, Avery County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Remembrance of Days Past (contributor 49200554) . (Accessed September 5, 2022)
2. ↑ Jeremiah and Alexander Clark of North Carolina. Page 67.
3. ↑ Shooting in Mitchell [County, North Carolina] Wounding of Deputy Marshal Greer By An Outlaw. From the Mitchell Mirror. October 17, 1899. https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/168212282/person/122179289223/media/e396e0e6-0979-437e-a5fe-ab24bf8b4d44?_phsrc=lia2724&usePUBJs=true&galleryindex=5&sort=-created (Accessed September 5, 2022)
4. ↑ Wm Greer dying from gangrene, details shooting. Statesville, North Carolina. October 20, 1899. https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/168212282/person/122179289223/media/a9cd0a21-bf30-47c1-94f1-52f8d830e1a9?_phsrc=lia2724&usePUBJs=true&galleryindex=6&sort=-created (Accessed September 5, 2022)
5. ↑ Officer Down contributors. "Deputy U.S. Marshal William H. Greer." Officer Down Memorial Page. Accessed September 5, 2022.

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• 1860 United States Federal Census. Year: 1860; Census Place: Valle Crucis, Watauga, North Carolina; Roll: M653_917; Page: 357; Family History Library Film: 803917. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7667/images/4237523_00106?pId=41528355 (Accessed September 4, 2022)

• 1870 United States Federal Census. Year: 1870; Census Place: Watauga, Watauga, North Carolina; Roll: M593_1164; Page: 847A. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7163/images/4277659_00778?pId=20105637 (Accessed September 5, 2022)

• 1880 United States Federal Census. Year: 1880; Census Place: Watauga, Watauga, North Carolina; Roll: 986; Page: 410A; Enumeration District: 203. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6742/images/4243420-00397?pId=19938310 (Accessed September 5, 2022)

• 1900 United States Federal Census. Year: 1900; Census Place: Toe River, Mitchell, North Carolina; Roll: 1207; Page: 11; Enumeration District: 0101; FHL microfilm: 1241207. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/images/4117835_00099?pId=50250828 (Accessed September 5, 2022)

• North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1976. North Carolina State Archives; Raleigh, North Carolina; North Carolina Death Certificate 3946. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1121/images/S123_532-3101?pId=751508913 (Accessed September 5, 2022)

• Clark, Robert Bradley. Jeremiah and Alexander Clark of North Carolina. West Des Moines, Iowa: 1997.