Sarah Jane (Franklin) Grooms (1829 - 1895)

Born 1829 in Haywood, North Carolina, United States

Wife of George Wiley Grooms Jr — married 15 Oct 1848 in Haywood County, North Carolina

Descendants

Died 4 Nov 1895 at about age 66 in Madison, North Carolina, United States

Biography

Sarah "Sallie" Franklin was born in Haywood county, North Carolina^[1] in 1829. ^{[2] [3]} She was the daughter of Bentley Franklin and Lavina Yardborough.

Sarah married George Grooms, ^[1][4] probably about 1850 in Haywood county, North Carolina, and the couple had the following known children: ^{[5] [6]}

1. William Anderson Grooms, born about 1850 in North Carolina. ^{[5] [5]}
2. Amanda "Mandy" Matilda Grooms about 1854 in North Carolina. ^[4]
3. Emilia "Milley" Grooms about 1856 in North Carolina. ^[5]
4. Lavina "Viney" Grooms about 1858 in North Carolina. ^{[5] [6]}
5. John Jeffereson Grooms about 1860 in North Carolina. ^{[5] [6] [1]}
6. James Wiley Franklin about 1862 in North Carolina. ^{[5] [6]}

Sarah and George lived in an area in North Carolina that was divided in loyalties between the Union and the Confederacy. In April 1864, George Wiley Grooms and his brother Henry Grooms, along with Henry’s brother-in-law, Mitchell Caldwell, were captured while out working a field. They were marched across Mt. Sterling, on the Cataloochie side. As the family story goes, either Henry or George was forced to play the fiddle before being executed. George was a private in the 11th Tennessee Cavalry (US Union Army). All three are buried in a common grave in the Sutton Cemetery. ^{[7] [8]}

In 1890 a widowed Sarah was living in Little Pine Creek, Madison County, North Carolina and stated her husband George was killed in the Civil War.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Death certificate lists his name as "J F Grooms" J. F. Grooms was born in Madison County, North Carolina about 1861 and died 03 Feb 1923 in Canton, Haywood County, North Carolina. See "North Carolina Deaths, 1906-1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F34V-THP : 10 February 2018), Sallie Franklin in entry for J. F. Grooms, 03 Feb 1923; citing Canton, Haywood, North Carolina, reference fn 752 cn 379, State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 1,893,127.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4BC-VKB : 12 April 2016), Sarah Grooms in household of Bentley Franklin, Haywood county, Haywood, North Carolina, United States; citing family 919, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ In 1850, Sarah appears on the census living with her father Bentley Franklin.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZ1K-BGS : 22 December 2016), Sarah Jane Groons in entry for Christopher Columbus Barns and Manda Matild Grooms, 20 Oct 1871; citing , Haywood, North Carolina, United States, p. , Office of Archives and History, Division of Archives and Records. State Archive of North Carolina and various county Register of Deeds; FHL microfilm 463,141.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6} "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW8S-1JF : 12 April 2016), Sarah Grooms, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 4, family 23, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,641.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCX4-8LC : 20 August 2017), Sarah Groomes, Warm Springs, Madison, North Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district ED 129, sheet 105C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0971; FHL microfilm 1,254,971.
7. ↑ From the article "Bloody Madison", http://michaelchardy.blogspot.com/2010/03/bloody-madison.html. Based on the book "Kirk's Civil War Raids Along the Blue Ridge" by Michael C Hardy.
8. ↑ Additional details about the deaths of George and Henry Grooms are found in their pension records in the National Archives. Descendants claim that there is an affidavit filed by George's daughter, Amanda. She found their bodies and described how her father's fiddle was laying next to his side. Also Henry's wife Louisa Caldwell Leatherwood filed an affidavit regarding the killings. The pages pertaining to Sarah and George Grooms is attached: Deposition of Louisa E. Leatherwood regarding death of George Grooms, page 1 and Deposition of Louisa E. Leatherwood regarding death of George Grooms, page 2.
9. ↑ "United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K83J-7RK : 11 March 2018), Sarah Grooms in entry for George Grooms, 1890; citing NARA microfilm publication M123 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 338,217.