Thomas Jefferson DeHart (1845 - abt. 1940)

Born 1 Mar 1845 in Patrick County, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Ellen (McAlexander) DeHart — married 17 Sep 1923 in Floyd, Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died about 4 Oct 1940 at about age 95 in Floyd County, Virginia

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Biography

Thomas Jefferson "Jeff" DeHart was born on 1 March 1841 [this date is given on his death certificate, but his earliest census record supports a birth year of 1845] in Patrick County, Virginia. His father was Elijah Jefferson De Hart and his mother was Elizabeth Ann "Eliza" (Taylor) DeHart. Jeff was their firstborn child.^[1]

In the 1850 census, Thomas J. (age 5) was enumerated in his father's household in Patrick County, Virginia, United States. The family was living next door (and probably farming on the land belonging to) Jeff's grandfather, Thomas Dehart, who was shown with real estate valued at $500; Jeff's father was not shown with any real estate of his own, despite being listed as a farmer.^[2]

Jeff's father died just two years after the 1850 census was taken, on 26 March 1852. His paternal grandfather, Thomas Dehart, also died about 1852. Losing both his father and his grandfather when he was only 7 years old must have been difficult for Jeff. In 1857, Jeff's mother, Eliza, remarried. Her second husband was William Bryant Hylton,^[3] and Eliza and her children, including Jeff, were seen in his household in the 1860 census.

In the 1860 census, Thomas J. "Deart" [DeHart] (age 15), was enumerated with his mother, siblings, step-father, and young half-sibling in North Division, Patrick County, Virginia, United States. Jeff's step-father, William, had real estate valued at $70. None of the children in the household were recorded as attending school within the census year.^[4]

Military Service and POW

Jeff fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War and was a Prisoner of War. He enlisted with Capt. Price at the Patrick County Courthouse on 1 May 1863 for the period of the war, and was a private in Company H of the 51st Regiment of the Virginia Infantry. On 2 June 1864, he was admitted to the General Hospital, Howard's Grove, in Richmond, Virginia [it is not stated if Jeff was wounded or ill], and as a result, he was furloughed for 30 days, beginning 16 July 1864. Jeff was in a group of soldiers who were captured at Waynesboro, Virginia, on 2 March 1865, by Maj. Gen. Sheridan, with the prisoners of war who were enlisted men being sent from Harper's Ferry, Virginia, on 9 March 1865, to Point Lookout, Maryland, and the officers sent on the same date from Winchester, Virginia, to Fort Delaware, Delaware. Despite being only a private, Jeff was sent to Fort Delaware with the officers, where he appeared on a roll taken there on 12 March 1865. Jeff gave his Oath of Allegiance and was released on 20 June 1865. He was described on his documentation as being 5 feet 4 inches tall, of fair complexion with light hair, and brown eyes.^[5]

First Marriage

Jeff married first, on 21 August 1866 in Patrick County, Virginia, Malinda (Graham) DeHart; Malinda was the daughter of James Graham and Rebecca (DeHart) Graham and was 16 at the time of her marriage to Jeff, who was 21.^[6] Jeff and Malinda were blessed with several children

Children with Malinda

[This section pending]

Second Marriage

Jeff married second, on 17 September 1923 in Floyd County, Ellen (McAlexander) Moran. Ellen was the daughter of William McAlexander and Susan McAlexander, and the widow of first Jackson Graham, and then Clayborn Moran; she was 60 at the time of her marriage to Jeff, who was 77 years of age.

Ellen was not enumerated in Jeff's household in 1930, and may have already been admitted to the Southwestern Virginia Mental Hospital. Her date of admission is unknown, but she appears to have been in residence at the hospital by 1936. Ellen died at the hospital on 21 September 1937 and was buried in the cemetery on the hospital grounds.^[7][8]

Jeff lived to great age, and died on 4 October 1940.^[1] He is buried at the Jeff DeHart Cemetery in Mabry's Mill, Floyd County, Virginia.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVY2-PHM9 : 16 August 2019), Thomas Jefferson Dehart, 04 Oct 1940; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing , Floyd, Virginia, United States, entry #, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.
2. ↑ 1850 Census: "United States Census, 1850"
   Citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
   FamilySearch Record: M8DJ-1J9 (accessed 23 June 2022)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-6XM7-Y23 Image number 00430
   Momar J Dehart (5) in Patrick, Virginia, United States.
3. ↑ Marriage of Eliza DeHart and William B. Hylton: "Virginia, U.S., Select Marriages, 1785-1940"
   FHL Film Number: 33351
   Ancestry Record 60214 #574596 (accessed 24 June 2022)
   Eliza A Dehan (30) marriage to William B. Hylton on 21 May 1857 in Patrick, Virginia.
4. ↑ 1860 Census: "United States Census, 1860"
   Citing Page: 22; Affiliate Publication Number: M653; Affiliate Film Number: 1369; FHL microfilm: 805369; Record number: 12718;
   FamilySearch Record: M41R-14P (accessed 23 June 2022)
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9BSF-GTF Image number 00330
   Thomas J Deart (15) in North Division, Patrick, Virginia, United States. Born in [Blank].
5. ↑ "Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3W1-GMD : 5 December 2014), Thomas J De Hart, 1863; from "Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Virginia," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing military unit Fifty-first Infantry, NARA microfilm publication M324 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1961), roll 927.
6. ↑ "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XR9P-RVW : 29 January 2020), T. J. Dehart, 1866.
7. ↑ "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVR4-LHGM : 16 August 2019), Ellen Dehart, 21 Sep 1937; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Marion, Smyth, Virginia, United States, entry #, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/213044414/ellen-dehart : accessed 23 June 2022), memorial page for Ellen McAlexander DeHart (8 Jun 1856–21 Sep 1937), Find a Grave Memorial ID 213044414, citing Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Inst. Cemetery, Marion, Smyth County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Terry Trefry (contributor 46797971) Burial Details Unknown.
9. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106198250/thomas-jefferson-dehart : accessed 23 June 2022), memorial page for Thomas Jefferson “Jeff” DeHart (1 Mar 1841–4 Oct 1940), Find a Grave Memorial ID 106198250, citing Jeff DeHart Cemetery, Mabry Mill, Floyd County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Donna Sutphin Armentrout (contributor 47017964) .

• Find A Grave #106198250