Richard Blanton (1799 - abt. 1861)

Born 21 Jul 1799 in Spotsylvania, Spotsylvania, Virginia, USA [uncertain]

Ancestors

Died about 1861 at about age 61 in Sulphur Township South Part, Miller County, Arkansas, USA

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Biography

Richard was born July 21, 1799 in Virginia. He was the son of William Blanton and Elizabeth Ware.

The 1800 U.S, census has a William Blanton family was in Fairfield County South Carolina. I have put the names of the children who would fit the age groups. William was between 25 and 44(he would have been about 32), The female from 16 to 25 would be Elizabeth. There were two sons under ten years old who would be Richard who was born 1799 and one that I have not identified. This would possibly be a new child who did not survive or I have an incorrect birthdate for one of the other sons. [1]

The 1810 U.S. Census has a William Blanton family in Kershaw County, South Carolina. William was still under 44 years old (about 42) and Elizabeth was 26 to 44 years old. Their sons under ten were Thomas (age 5) and William (1or under) and one was ten to fifteen would be Richard (age 11). There were two daughters under ten: Sarah (age 7) and Susan (age 3). [2]

Richard's father died about May 31, 1820. When the U. S. Census was taken on August 7, 1820 in Kershaw, South Carolina, Elizabeth Blanton was the head of the family. The family included four males under ten years old ([John, Ransom, Wyatt, Asbury), two maes between ten and under fifteen (Thomas and, Unidentified), One male between sixteen and twenty-five (Richard), two females under ten (Elizabeth and Martha), two females 16 through 25 (Susan, Sarah Ann). It indicates two persons were engaged in agriculture (Richard and Thomas)

Richard must have gotten married about 1827. I have seen his wife's name given as Mary Young, but have not found documentation. In the 1830 census for Kershaw, South Carolina shows his family including Richard (about 30), Mary? age 20 to 29 and two daughters under five ( Unknown about three and Elizabeth under one). They had two slaves. [4]

The family must have left South Carolina soon after the 1830 census was taken because a son was born in Lowndes County, Alabama. James D. Blanton was born on October 28, 1832. [9]

In the U. S. Census of 1840 the family was in Lafayette County, Arkansas. [5] There were three males under fifteen and two between fifteen and thirty that I am not sure were children of Richard. There were two daughters. There were twelve slaves.

This is an article that appeared both Philadelphia and Boston newspapers regarding the capture of Richard's sister Sarah Blanton Tidwell and her three children. There are family stories that Ransom Gwynn was responsible for the rescue. Maybe they were both involved in the rescue.

CAPTIVE RESCUED - Mr. Richard Blanton, in a letter dated Conway, Lafayette County, Arkansas, says he has just returned from among the Chickasaw Indians, having ransomed his sister, Mrs. Tidwell and her two children, who were taken captive by a part of eighteen Kichie Indians, on the 24 July last from the Stroud settlement, on the Brassos river in Texas. Her husband, Mr. Milton Tidwell, was murdered and scalped in her presence, and, after robbing the house of all its contents, they took her and her three small children, one an infant, only five weeks old, and compelled them to travel day and night, until they were out of the reach of the Texans. After seven days of hard travelling, they arrived at the Kichie town, somewhere, she thinks, on the Trinity River. She was then separated from her children and not allowed to be with them anymore. While in this awful state of distress, her infant sickened and perished in her arms. She was then taken out to be put to death, when a Delaware trader saw her and bought her, and brought her to the Chickasaw Nation, where she found an opportunity of writing to him and he was with her in a few days after; and by furnishing the same Delaware trader with goods suitable for that trade he was able to get her two surviving children out safe; but at a heavy expense. While she was among the Kichies she saw a white boy, about 8 or 10 years old. He could not speak a word of English, and she could not find where they had taken him from. He is a good looking boy with blue eyes and light hair. There is also a boy by the name of Thomas Pierce, about seven or eight years old, in the neighborhood of the Chickasaw Nation. He was bought from the Caldoes, by a Chickasaw by the name of Is-ti u-Catubby, who will give him up to his relations by refunding what he cost him. He is evidently a son of the unfortunate Pierce who, with the balance of his family, was murdered on the Trammel trace, two or three years ago, as he gives a pretty correct account where his parents were murdered and where they were from. He is a smart boy, and if he had any relations they would do well to get him away immediately. There are also a great many runaway slaves on the frontier of the Chickasaw Nation.[Western Paper] [6] [7]

On May 1, 1845 Richard purchased 105 acres in Miller, Lafayette County, Arkansas south of the Red River. [8]

On October 15, 1850 the family lived in Roane Township, Lafayette County Arkansas. [9] Richard was a forty-nine years old farmer. The real estate value was $2400. Mary was forty-four yeas old. The children at home included James D. Blanton age 17, Margaret D. Blanton was nine years old, John C. Blanton was four years old. All of the children were attending school. Also living with the family was Sarah Tidwell's family who had been rescued from the Indians. Sarah Tidswell was forty-eight years old. Her sons were both attending school and both were born in Georgia. John C. Tidwell was fifteen and Asberry J. Tidwell was ten years old.

On July 8, 1860 the family lived in Sulphur Springs, Lafayette County, Arkansas. [10] Richard was sixty years old and still farming. He had a real estate value of $36,000 and a personal estate value of $33,3357. A large part of this personal estate was likely the value of the 35 slaves he owned. [11]

Mary was fifty four years old. John C. was fifteen years old and attending school. Other members of the household included:

• G. B. Rushing Male Age 16, Attending School and Occupation Farming - Unknown relationship
• Mary Larey Female Age 7 who I believe was their grand-daughter / the daughter of Elizabeth Lenora
• Elizabeth Lewis Female Age 7 Condition Pauper - Unknown relationship
• T. F. Johnson Male Age 32 Occupation Carpenter - Unknown relationship

James D. and William R. Blanton were both farming nearby.

He passed away in 1861 according to his memorial on Find a Grave and was buried at Sulphur Fork Cemetery, Miller County, Arkansas. [12] I have also seen the date December 27, 1863 but do not have documentation or know where it came from.

CHILDREN OF RICHARD AND MARY BLANTON

1. Daughter born about 1828

2. Elizabeth Blanton b. March 12, 1830 in Kershaw County, SC m. Evans L. Larey (b. March 12, 1830, d. October 23, 1866), d. 1856 Arkansas. Parents of one daughter, Mary

3. James D. Blanton b. October 28, 1832 in Lowndes County, AL; m Rebecca Knox; d. 27 October 27, 1902 buried Sulphur Fork Cemetery, Miller County, Arkansas

4. Richard Blanton b. 1834 in Arkansas, d. 1848

5. William Ransom Blanton b. 1 July 1, 1837 in Arkansas

6. Margaret D. Blanton b. 19 April 19, 1840 Lafayette County, Arkansas; m. Robert S. Pitts

7. Thomas Blanton b. 1848 d. 1848

8. John Caffery Blanton b. March 15, 1846 Arkansas; d. December 25, 1872

Sources

[1] Ancestry.com. "1800 United States Federal Census" [1]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Fairfield, South Carolina; Series: M32; Roll: 47; Page: 214; Image: 414; Family History Library Film: 181422, RICHARD BLANTON

[2] Ancestry.com. "1810 United States Federal Census" [2]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Kershaw, South Carolina; Roll: 62; Page: 447; Image: 00180; Family History Library Film: 0181421 WILLIAM BLANTON FAMILY

[3] Ancestry.com. "1820 United States Federal Census" [3]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.Kershaw, South Carolina; Page: 146; NARA Roll: M33_119; Image: 299 ELIZABETH BLANTON FAMILY

[4] Ancestry.com. "1830 United States Federal Census" [4]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Kershaw, South Carolina; Series: M19; Roll: 171; Page: 6; Family History Library Film: 0022505 RICH'D BLANTON

[5] Ancestry.com. "1840 United States Federal Census" [5]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Lafayette, Arkansas; Roll: 19; Page: 2; Image: 546; Family History Library Film: 0002474, RICHARD BLANTON FAMILY

[6] Genealogy.com, Weekly Messenger, Dec. 16, 1840, [6], American Antiquarian Society and NewsBank, inc., 2014, Boston, Massachusetts. P4, Col 3

[7] Genealogybank.com, "Captives Rescued", Paper: Albany Argus, December 1, 1840, [7] NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society. 2004. Albany, New York, Vol: XXVII, Issue: 2907, P: 3

[8] Ancestry.com. U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 [8]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. BLM, Miller, Lafayette County, Arkansas, 1 May 1845, 105.36 acres.

[9] Ancestry.com. "1850 United States Federal Census" [9]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Roane, Lafayette, Arkansas; Roll: M432_27; Page: 167B; Image: 339, Dwelling 8, Family 8, RICHARD BLANTON FAMILY

[10] Ancestry.com. "1860 United States Federal Census" [10]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Sulphur Fork, Lafayette, Arkansas; Roll: M653_45; Page: 51; Image: 51; Family History Library Film: 803045, RICH'D BLANTON FAMILY

[11] Ancestry.com. 1860 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules [11]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Sulphur Springs, Lafayette County, Arkansas p33, RICHARD BLANTON 9 July 1860

[12] Findagrave.com; Robins, William E. "Bill"; Nov 10, 2011, Miller County, Arkansas, [12] Find A Grave Memorial# 80210868