Biography

Joseph removes from Randolph County, North Carolina and settles in Tennessee. Family stories tell that he was a rebel and did not like slavery. In his father's will Josiah receives only one dollar along with Virena, Thomas, Nicholas and Robert.

Josiah Chavis is designated at mulatto on the 1860 census. Thus meaning he was most likely of Indian decent on his mothers side. ^[1]

1862 - employed by the Confederacy at the Wilmington Salt Works in New Hanover Co, NC. That was a place for Conscientious Objectors during the Civil War.

1863-64 - migrated to Tennessee from NC probably through the Nolichucky Valley

16 August 1864 - enlisted in Union Army at Bull's Gap, Hawkins Co, TN. ^[2]

Joseph is buried at Drake Cemetery in Bulls Gap, Greene County, Tennessee, USA ^[3]

Military Service

Military record 16 AUG 1864

Pvt Joseph Chavis served in the United States Civil War.
Side: USA
Regiment(s): Company E, 3rd Regiment, North Carolina Mounted Infantry

Sept. 1995: Russell R. Chavis, grandson of Josiah, provided writer with military records from the voluntary enlistment in16 August 1864 by G. W. Rhyne. Josiah mustered in 23 September 1864 at Bulls Gap, Tennessee by Capt. Hargraves. It stated that he was 26 years old, born in Randolph County, NC. His residence was in Ashborough. Josiah joined Company E., 3rd Regiment of the North Carolina MTD [mounted] Infantry as a private,[ Captain W. P. Hargrave, 91 Ind. (?) V ] . He was present at Company Muster Rolls Sept. and Oct. 1864; Oct. - Feb. 1865; March and April 1865; on April 20 1865 Josiah was absent with prisoner guard in Knoxville, Tennessee per order of General Tilson. On 8 August 1865 he was mustered out in Knoxville, TN, with his last pay of $100 received 31 October 1864. Clothing account of $13.65 noted; still due him: $100. "Private from date of enlistment, Present for duty, discharge furnished." Signed by X (his mark). NB in his military papers Josiah's surname was variously spelled CHAVIS, CHAVAS, CHAVES, CHAV_S and CHAVERS. gray; dark hair; dark complexion ^[4]

Apparently he was injured during his military service and a disposition was made to grant his wife his civil war pensions after his death. Based off of the following deposition filed by Robert Ledwell.

28 July 1890 - Feraby LEDWELL made a deposition before the Justice of the Peace in Green County, TN that she was "personally present in the room with Eliza CHAVIS, who was the wife of Joseph CHAVIS, on the 4th day of December 1882, when two of their children which was twins was born. I have lived as a near neighbor to them ever since the birth of said twims children whos name is Redden W. and David F. each of which children is now living. This statment is made from personal knowledge - and I have no interest in this case (!).

her Wit. Elizabeth Walker, Florence Walker

Fereby X Ledwell

mark

[She was providing verification that Eliza, wid. of Joseph, did indeed have these children (among others) to support, and needed a pension. Phereby distanced herself in this deposition, by saying she had "no interest in this case"

Robert's Deposition for Louisa Eliza Ledwell Chavis to examiner

20 February 1890 near Bull's Gap, Hawkins Co, TN, personally appeared before me Robert LEDWELL... "My age is 53 years occupation a laborer and P. O. address as given above. I am a brother-in-law to claimant and knew him from boyhood and was raised in the same neighborhood with him in Randolph Co, NC. "He and I left Randolph Co, NC at the same time and we came together to this State about 1866 or 1867 and worked together at the Emmerville Iron Furnace in Washington Co, for about 5 years thereafter. "We left Washington Co, at the same time and he and I have always lived _____ in the same neighborhood since we came over here about 18 years ago. "Before the war claimant was one of the best men physically whom I ever saw. "I saw him immediately after he came home from the army but was sick myself at that time and do not remember just how he looked at that time. "But I know that he has never had any health since he was in the army and that he has always been complaining of the rheumatism since . "I do not think I worked along with him after the war before we left North Carolina but I was a good deal in his company at that time ...

his

Robert (X) LEDWELL Wit. Wm. HUGHES, examiner, and Rebeckey LEDWELL.

^[5]

"Panthy" IRWIN, Josiah's sister-in-law, resided in the same home in Washington Co, TN in 1867-1868 ff.

20 Feb, 1890 Panthy IRVIN made a deposition on behalf of Josiah CHAVIS, at Bull's Gap, **Hawkins Co, TN. " My age is 46 years. I am the wife of John IRVIN, farmer, and my P.O. address is given above. I am a sister-in-law to the claimant and was raised in the same neighborhood with him, came to this state when he came to it - after the war and was living in the same house with him all the time that he was employed at the Emmersville furname in Washington Co, this state(probably Embreeville, Ex__) "I left Washington Co, this state over 18 years ago and went to South Carolina where I remained for about 7 years and since then __ during the last 16(or 11) years I have lived in this neighborhood and have had knowledge of claimant all the time. "Claimant came to our house in North Carolina on the next day after he came home from the army and he sat up with members of the family who were then sick for 5 nights afterward. "He was complaining of his own health at that time and had lost the healthy coler which he had had before he was in the army and he never had had good health since. "During the time that we remaianed in North Carolina after the war I nver knew him to be laid up on account of his health and never heard him say what the nature of his disability was but after coming to this State and during the 5 years that I lived in the same house with him in Washington Co, he was complaining all the time and never was able to work steady for a whole week at a time. "... my brother, John LEDWELL, lives about 2 miles distant from here but he was but a small boy when we lived in Washington Co and is not more than about 30 years of age at the present time.

her

Panthy X Irvin

mark Witnessed by Wm. HUGHES, Rebeckie LEDWELL

^[6]

LEDWELL FAMILY CONNECTION

ii. ELIZABETH LEDWELL, b. 1833; d. Aft. 1860, (did they move to TN with the other Ledwells?).

iii.MARY LEDWELL, b. 1835, Randolph Co, NC; d. Aft. 1860, fl Randolph Co, NC.

iv.MARY JANE LEDWELL, b. 16 January 1836, Randolph Co., NC; d. 1916, McLoud, Pottawatomie Co., Oklahoma.

v. ROBERT LEDWELL, b. 1839, Randolph Co., NC; d. Aft. 1910, Did he die in Wash. Co., TN?.

vi.PANTHEA LEDWELL, b. 1840?1844?, Randolph Co., NC; d. Aft. 1890, fl Hamblen Co., TN.

vii.TROY LEDWELL, b. 1841, Randolph Co., NC; d. fl 1860 Randolph Co,, NC.

viii.LOUISA ELIZA LEDWELL, b. 1843, Randolph Co., NC; d. 22 February 1916, Fillmore, Putnam Co., IN.

ix. JOHN H. LEDWELL, b. January 1844, Randolph Co, NC>Wash., Hamblen>Hawkins Cos, TN; d. Aft. 1900, ?Washington Co., VA.

x. THANEY LEDWELL, b. 1852, Randolph Co., NC38; d. 15 January 1907, Putnam Co., IN39.

note: this Ledwell family lived near and grew up with the Chavis family.

CHildren of Louisa Ledwell and Josiah Chavis

i. CHILD8 CHAVIS, b. Abt. 1870, Washington Co., TN; d. young.

ii. JOHN T. CHAVIS, b. February 1871, Hamblen/Hawkins/Washington/Greene? Co, TN; d. 24 August 1943, Putnam Co., IN.

iii.THANA LOUISA CHAVIS, b. August 1872, Hamblen/Hawkins? Co, TN; d. 24 January 1956, Greencastle, Putnam Co., IN.

iv.GRINSFIELD CHAVIS, b. March 1874, Hamblen/Hawkins? Co, TN102; d. Bet. 1900 - 1910, Putnam Co., IN.

v. ANNA CHAVIS, b. 24 March 1875, Hamblen/Hawkins? Co, TN103; d. Bet. 1880 - 1900104.

vi.JOSEPH ALVIN CHAVIS, b. 06 September 1877, Hamblen Co., TN; d. 08 November 1960, St. Louis Co., MO.

vii.BOYD F. CHAVIS, b. 04 October 1879, Hamblen/Hawkins? Co, TN105; d. Aft. 1920, prob. Putnam Co, IN.

viii.DAVID F. CHAVIS, b. 04 December 1882, Hawkins Co., TN; d. Putnam Co., IN.

ix. REDMON (or Ridden) W. CHAVIS, b. 04 December 1882, ?Hamblen Co, TN; d. Aft. 1950, Terre Haute, Vigo Co., IN.

x. GEORGE E. CHAVIS, b. 11 February 1887, Green Co., TN; d. Aft. 1920, Putnam Co., IN.

1880 Census Records

Name:Joseph Chavis Age:40 Birth Date: Abt 1840 Birthplace: North Carolina Home in 1880: Whitesburg, Hamblen, Tennessee, USA Dwelling Number: 156 Race: White Gender: Male Relation to Head of House: Self (Head) Marital Status: Married Spouse's Name: Louisa Chavis Father's Birthplace: North Carolina Mother's Birthplace: North Carolina Occupation: Farm Laborer Cannot Read: Yes Cannot Write: Yes Household Members: Joseph Chavis 40 Louisa Chavis 36 John T. Chavis 9 Thana L. Chavis 8 Grinsfield Chavis 5 Anna Chavis 4 Joseph Chavis 3 Boyd F. Chavis 7/12 ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD64-H1P : 12 December 2017), Josiah Chavis in entry for Thomas Chavis, 1860.
2. ↑ (Civil War Pension -Invalid File # 515.738 Certificate# 627.383-Widow File # 483.493 Certificate# 298.008)
3. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 29 May 2018), memorial page for Joseph Chavis (1840–5 Apr 1890), Find A Grave Memorial no. 56970607, citing Drake Cemetery, Bulls Gap, Greene County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by Mountain Traveler (contributor 47556948) .
4. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L7BF-2V3
5. ↑ ( Deposition C, in the Case of Joseph CHAVIS, pp. 13-14. Pension File # 5155 738, National Archives, Washington, D. C.)
6. ↑ ( Deposition D, in the Case of Joseph CHAVIS, pp. 15-16. Pension File # 5155 738, National Archives, Washington, D. C.)
7. ↑ Year: 1880; Census Place: Whitesburg, Hamblen, Tennessee; Roll: 1258; Page: 416A; Enumeration District: 074

• "Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVM1-1VN9 : 10 December 2017), Joseph Chavis in entry for George Emery Chavis and Ada Pearl Hayman, 06 Jul 1938; citing Putnam, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 2,414,588.
• The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773 - 2007; Record Group Number: 15; Series Title: U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; Series Number: T288
• The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General; Record Group Number: 92; Series Number: M1845