James Hall and Mary 'Polly' Williams
By Michael A. Landwehr
Copyright 2011
Federal census records from 1850 and 1860 indicate that our subject, James Hall, was born in North Carolina about 1786 or 1787. The 1870 Federal census indicates that he was born in Virginia. It appears that the 1870 census was recorded the day after James Hall died, so one could make the argument that the place of birth reported to the census enumerator might be inaccurate, as it was probably provided by James’ second wife, or by his daughter who was living with him, or even by a neighbor. There is one other clue, however, that suggests that James Hall may have come from Virginia. There is an old family legend that was passed along to me by one of James Hall’s descendants. The story relates that “seven Hall brothers left Virginia. One Stopped at Chattanooga, Tennessee, three to Jackson Co, Al. one to Franklin Co., Tn, one to Arkansas and one to Texas. The one in Chattanooga was never heard from. They believed he was killed by Indians.”
After his death, James’ widow (his second wife) would indicate that James was born in Tennessee. While James undoubtedly lived in Tennessee in his youth, I believe that the 1850 and 1860 census records, which indicate that James was born in North Carolina, are probably our most accurate source.
We can speculate about James Hall's first marriage. There is ample evidence that the name of his first bride was Polly Williams. I don’t recall whether I have ever seen evidence that Polly’s given name was Mary, but that name is widely accepted by descendants of James Hall, and I assume it to be accurate. So, we will assume that James Hall’s first wife was Mary ‘Polly’ Williams, and that Polly was James Hall’s wife until her death sometime after 1840 and before 1850. I am not aware of any documents which provide an age, or a place of birth, for Polly. However, we can estimate Polly’s date of birth, based on the 1820, 1830 and 1840 census records. The 1830 and 1840 census records for the James Hall family in Jackson County suggest that Polly was born between 1790 and 1800. If we also factor in the 1820 census record for the James Hall family listed in the 1820 census of Lincoln County, Tennessee, which we believe to be the census of the James and Polly Hall family, we can narrow Polly’s likely date of birth down to sometime between 1790 and 1794.
We believe that the first child born to James and Polly Hall was born in Tennessee about 1810. On that basis alone, we would estimate that James and Polly were married in Tennessee approximately 1808‑1809, when James was about 22 years old. Polly was probably between 14 and 19 years of age when they married.
After their marriage, we are confident that James and Polly continued to reside in Tennessee as their young family expanded. We know that James entered military service in Tennessee in 1814. In 1851, James Hall would apply for a bounty land warrant based on that military service. After his death, James Hall’s second wife would apply for a pension, also based on James Hall’s military service. From the records associated with those two activities, we have a summary of James’ service in the War of 1812.
In February of 1851, in his first application for a bounty land warrant, James stated that he was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Rains, of Warren County, Tennessee, and that afterwards he transferred to Captain William Russell, in the Regiment commanded by Major William Russell. He went on to state that he was drafted at Fayetteville, Tennessee, on or about September 20, 1814, for the term of six months. He also stated that he served about five months, and was honorably discharged at Fort Deposit, Alabama, on or about March 1 of 1815.
Two years later, in February of 1853, the Treasury Department reported back that military records indicated that James did enter the service as a Private on September 20, 1814, and was reported as transferred to Captain Russell’s Company on November 14, 1814. The report went on to indicate that James did not join Captain Russell, but joined Captain John Cowan’s Company, where he served until the expiration of his term of service on March 29, 1815.
In March of 1855, James made application for a second bounty land warrant. In this application, James declared that he was drafted at Fayetteville, Tennessee, in September of 1813 (sic) for the term of six months, and that he served as a Private in the Company commanded by Captain John Cowan. He went on to say that he was transferred from Captain Rains’ Company to Captain Cowan’s Company at Fort Montgomery. He also stated that he served for five months and was honorably discharged at Winchester, Tennessee, on or about March 1, 1814 (sic).
The Captain Rains that James first served under was undoubtedly Captain Asahel Raines, who commanded a company of the Second Regiment, West Tennessee Militia. Captain Rains’ Company was mustered in on September 20, 1814, and served until December 31 of the same year. The regiment was scattered throughout the Creek territory and the vicinity of Mobile, Alabama, to man the various forts in the region: Forts Jackson, Montgomery, Claiborne, and Pierce. Some of the Companies in this Regiment were involved in the Battle of Pensacola. However, at this point, I don’t know whether or not Captain Rains’ Company was among those who went to Pensacola.
What can we deduce from James Hall’s enlistment in the War of 1812? James indicated that he was “drafted” at Fayetteville. If we assume that he was referring to the mustering of his Company, his statement doesn’t tell us anything about his place of residence at that time. Most of the men in the Second Regiment are reported to have come from Davidson, Warren, Humphreys, Lincoln, Maury, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, White, and Williamson Counties. Asahel Raines, the Captain of the Company in which James first served, was a resident of Warren County. It was common practice in the Civil War for a leading citizen in a community to recruit a Company of men living in the same county, or in the same part of a county, and then to be elected as the Captain of that Company of recruits. Captain Rains and the men of his company were mustered into service at Fayetteville, as were about nine other companies in the Second Regiment. Did James Hall enlist in Warren County, Tennessee, in late summer of 1814? James Hall’s name does not appear on the 1812 tax list for Warren County. Fortunately, the muste roll for Captain Raines’ Company survived, and is available. James Hall’s name does not appear on the muster roll. However, the name “James Hale” does appear on a transcribed copy of the muster roll, and I suspect that an inspection of the original document may reveal that “Hall” was misinterpreted as “Hale”. I am currently in the process of comparing the names of all of the men listed on the muster roll of Captain Raines Company with the 1812 tax roll for Warren County, in an attempt to determine whether Captain Rains’ company was raised in Warren County. At this point, my suspicion is that his Company included men from several different counties.
If we assume that James was actually “drafted” at Fayetteville, his statement would suggest that James was living in Lincoln County when he entered the service. There was no national draft in the War of 1812. However, each state had its own militia, and many of those militia units fought in the War of 1812. The unit James Hall first served with, the Second Regiment of West Tennessee Militia, was a militia organization. My limited research suggests that the militia were state organizations, intended to serve the security needs of the individual states. The Federal government had no authority, or very limited authority, to use the state militia outside their individual state borders. While some militia units volunteered for service in the War of 1812, others did not, but were required to serve. The names of some of the Tennessee militia regiments which fought in the War of 1812 included the word “Volunteer” or “Drafted” in the regimental name. It seems possible that James Hall was a member of the Lincoln County Militia, and that the Lincoln County Militia was “drafted” to serve in the War of 1812. This needs further research.
We know a little about the service of the men in the Second Regiment of West Tennessee Militia. After mustering in a Fayetteville, Tennessee, the Regiment left for Fort Deposit, a supply depot erected by Andrew Jackson’s men in Marshall County, Alabama, at the southern-most tip of the Tennessee River. From there, the Regiment marched to Fort Strother, on the Coosa River, in Calhoun County, Alabama. From there, the Regiment marched to Fort Jackson, at the fork of the Coosa River and the Tallapoosa River, near Wetumpka, Alabama. About October 30, the Regiment marched to Fort Claiborne, another supply depot established at the current site of Claiborne, Alabama. From there, I believe that the Regiment marched to Fort Montgomery, which was located at the current site of Montgomery, Alabama. From there, the Regiment, or part of the Regiment, proceeded to Pensacola, which they took on November 7. From Pensacola, the troops marched back to Fort Montgomery, which they reached on November 13. James Hall transferred from the Second Regiment of West Tennessee Militia to the Separate Battalion, Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunmen, the following day. Two days later, on November 16, the Second Regiment of West Tennessee Militia, James Hall’s original regiment, departed for Mobile. And, from Mobile, the regiment returned to Fayetteville, Tennessee, their primary place of rendezvous.
Major William Russell was the commander of the Separate Battalion, Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunmen. This is the Battalion to which James Hall transferred after his initial service under Captain Asahel Raines. Most of the men in the companies which comprised Major William Russell’s Separate Battalion were residents of Franklin, Bedford, Blount, Rutherford, Warren and Wilson Counties, in Tennessee, and Madison County, in Alabama. Captain William Russell, who commanded the company that James Hall was supposed to transfer to, was from Franklin County, Tennessee, and was Major William Russell’s son. Captain John Cowan, who commanded the company to which James Hall did transfer, also served under Major Russell, in the same regiment as Captain William Russell. We have no idea why James Hall was transferred to Captain John Cowan’s Company. It is worth noting, however, that Stephen Hall, who we suspect may have been related to James Hall, was a Private in Captain John Cowan’s Company.
Records from the Adjutant General’s Office provide some background on the history of Major William Russell’s Regiment. The Adjutant General’s records provide the names of the seven Companies which comprised William Russell’s regiment, the number of men in those companies, and the dates that the companies were mustered in and mustered out. The Companies were:
1) Capt William Chisum’s Company
83 men
28 Sep 1814 - 27 Mar 1815
2) Capt John Cowan’s Company
116 men
28 Sep 1814 - 27 Mar 1815
3) Capt Fleman Hodges’ Company
70 men
4) Capt George Michie’s Company
16 men + 58 men
mustered in Oct 3, 1814
5) Capt William Russell’s Company
121 or 124 men
mustered in September 29
6) Capt John Trimble’s Company
74 men
5 Oct 1814 - 5 Apr 1815
7) Capt Isaac Williams’ Company
92 men
From Fayetteville, where the battalion was mustered in, the Separate Battalion, Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunmen traveled to Fort Stephens, crossing the Tennessee River at Muscle Shoals. Leaving their horses behind, the battalion marched to Pensacola (via Fort Montgomery) where they participated in the Battle of Pensacola on November 7, 1814. They then returned to Fort Montgomery, where they were put under the command of Major Uriah Blue. It was at Fort Montgomery, just seven days after the Battle of Pensacola, that James Hall transferred from the Second Regiment, West Tennessee Militia, to Captain Cowan’s company in the Separate Battalion, Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunmen.
The Adjutant General’s records provide the following information about Major Russell’s regiment:
“Each non-commissioned officer, musician, artificer and private travelled 35 miles from Winchester, Franklin County, place of residence, to Fayetteville, in Lincoln County, place where mustered into service.
“This organization seems to have been formed of a Field and Staff and seven companies, under Command of Major William Russell, and served September 1814 to March 1815.”
Since James Hall originally joined the company commanded by Captain Asahel Rains, and served in that company until November of 1814, the above references to Winchester and Fayetteville may have little relevance. It is worth noting, however, that both Major Russell and Captain Russell were residents of Franklin County, Tennessee, when they served in the War of 1812. Captain John Cowan, in whose company James Hall served, was also a Franklin County resident. It is reported that Captain Cowan moved his family to Franklin County in 1806 from that part of Greene County, North Carolina, which later became Blount County, Tennessee. Finally, it is interesting to note that Davey Crockett served as a Sergeant in Captain Cowan’s company during the same time period when James Hall served in that company.
The records do provide some information about the service of Major Russell’s battalion. In a letter relative to the settlement of his accounts, Major Russell later wrote:
“The latter service from September 28th 1814 to the 27th of March 1815, I was a Major commanded a battalion and marched with my battalion on the Escumbria route and did not march to New Orleans with General Coffies Brigade, therefore my battalion was mustered in and out of service separately and not attached to any regiment, nor was I commanded by any Colonel.”
James Hall received a bounty land warrant for 80 acres in 1853. He applied for a second warrant in 1855 under a new act of Congress. In an 1855 statement, James Hall swore that he was drafted at Fayetteville, Tennessee about September of 1813, for a period of six months. He went on to say that he served for five months, and was honorably discharged at Winchester, Tennessee about March 1, 1814. He said that he served in Captain John Cowan's Company of the Lincoln County Infantry Regiment commanded by Major Russell. He added that he was transferred from Captain Rainer's Company to Captain Cowan's Company at Fort Montgomery.
Following James Hall's death in 1870, his widow filed a claim for a widow's pension. In her claim, James Hall's widow described James as having had black hair, grey eyes, and fair complexion.
James Hall and his family were apparently residents of Lincoln County, Tennessee, in 1820. The 1820 Federal census of Lincoln County includes a James Hall family. The James Hall household consisted on one male aged 26‑44, one female aged 26‑44, five males under ten years of age (probably John, Thomas, Jesse, Elisha and Elijah), and three females under ten years of age (probably Elizabeth, Jerutha and Permelia). Assuming that the ten members of the household were James Hall (1776-1794), his wife (1776-1794), and their eight children, this description matches exactly with our knowledge of the James Hall family. We can't be positive that this was our James Hall family, but it seems very likely that it was.
There is some evidence to suggest that James Hall moved, or attempted to move, to the Jackson County, Alabama area prior to 1820. The name of a “James Hall” appears on the petition filed with the Secretary of War in 1819 by squatters protesting their expulsion from the Cherokee Indian lands. We cannot be sure, however, that the James Hall who signed the petition was our James Hall.
There is one other reference to the early residences of James Hall that is of interest. In a two-page unfinished Hall family chronicle, penned by Willie Hall, a great-grandson of Rev. James hall, Willie wrote that James Hall "once live in Franklin County, Tenn. near Brown's mill". There was a Brown’s Mill in Franklin County, located about two miles northwest of Beans Creek in the southwest part of Franklin County. According to the History of Giles, Lincoln, Franklin & Moore Counties, Tennessee, published by Goodspeed in 1886, this early grist mill was originally built by George Stovall about 1810. The mill remained in the Stovall family until after the Civil War, when it was sold to three partners. The name of the mill was apparently changed to Brown’s Mill in 1885, after it had been rebuilt, or refurbished, by Stephen W. Brown, one of the three men who purchased the mill after the Civil War. The mill was operated by Stephen W. Brown, and later by his son, J. M. A. ‘Joe’ Brown, until 1906. The mill continued to operate until the dam and race were washed out by floods in 1936. It would appear, then, that James Hall did not live near the mill when it was called Brown’s Mill, but may have lived near the site of the old Stovall grist mill which had been renamed Brown’s Mill by the time his grandson, Willie Hall, penned the Hall family chronicle.
In an article written by Ann B. Chambless, and entitled “A Brief Insight Into the Relationship of the Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church and the Other Early Primitive Baptist Churches Which Organized Mud Creek Association of Baptists in 1821”, Ann wrote that “the Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church was organized in November, 1819”. Ann Chambless goes on to say that “church history and tradition point to Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church…being the first Baptist church organized in Jackson County, Alabama, and therefore, the mother church of all Primitive Baptist churches in this area.”
Ms. Chambless continues that “the church membership grew rapidly as the early settlers poured into the newly created County of Jackson. 28 new members were added within the first three months.” Ms. Chambless lists 34 additional new members who joined the Mud Creek Church during the first six months of 1820. Listed among them was “Brother James Hall”. Many researchers assume that the James Hall listed in the early records of the Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church was the same person as the subject of this sketch, but it should be noted that the Mud Creek Church was located at the current site of Hollywood, Alabama, about 14 miles east and 14 miles south of the area where our Rev. James Hall would later purchase land on Larkin’s Fork. We know so little about the residents of Jackson County before 1830, it is impossible to determine how many men named James Hall might have been residents of the county in 1820.
An article written by George T. Harper, and published in the Fall 1993 issue of Ozar'kin, entitled "Antebellum Primitive Baptists in Southwest Missouri", provides some background on the Primitive Baptist Church.
"This group of Baptists have the reputation of being the most strictly orthodox and exclusive of all Baptists. They have been known at times as "Hard Shell", "Regular", "Antimission", "Old School",--but "Primitive" has been widely accepted and used. They are unique in that they have never been organized as a denomination and have no administrative bodies of any kind. They believe that each church should "govern" itself according to the laws of Christ as found in the New Testament, and no minister, association, or convention has any authority over them. They were formed as a protest against "money-based" missions and benevolent societies and against "assessing" the churches to support missions and Sunday Schools. Since there were no missionaries in the days of the apostles, therefore there should be none now. They believed in religious training for children, but not in Sunday Schools. They believed in evangelism, but as an individual responsibility, and at individual expense. Spearheading the protest, the Kehukee Association in North Carolina in 1827, condemned all such societies as contrary to Christ's teachings. Within a decade, several other Baptist associations across the county, made similar statements and withdrew from other Baptist churches. Another historian (Grime) states the protest movement began in Kentucky after 1816. Opposition to missions was born in Virginia, and grew out of prejudice, created by the persecutions of the Baptists at the hands of the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches."
"They hold there are two biblically authorized ordinances: the Lord's supper, and baptism of believers by immersion. No theological training is demanded of minister; while there is no opposition to such education, the position is that the Lord will call an educated man if he wants one, but the lack of education should not bar a man from the ministry. Some Primitive Baptists still practice foot washing, but not all do. Despite their oppositon to money-based missionary societies, they are intensely evangelistic, and thier preachers travel widely and serve without charge, except for what their hearers wish to contribute to their support. Most, if not all, Primitive Baptist churches sing the old hymns a cappella, since organs and pianos have never been used in the services. Membership is granted only after careful examination and vote of the congregation."
A membership list found in the early minutes of the Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church indicates that James Hall was later excluded from the church. The date of his exclusion was not recorded, but apparently occurred no later than 1829.
While we don’t know whether our subject was the early member of the Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church, there can be no doubt about his membership in the Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church. The Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church was formally organized by the eleven founding members on February 1, 1821. The church was located on Larkin’s Fork, in the northwest corner of Jackson County, Alabama. James Hall was not one of the founding members. An early membership list confirms that James was received into the church “by experience” in January of 1824. James was the 17th male to join the congregation after it was organized three years earlier.
The first mention of James Hall in the minutes of the church occurred in June of 1824, only five months after James joined the congregation. The minutes confirm that “the Church granted Brother Hall written license to preach wherever the Lord and his providence should call him”. I suspect that James’ rapid acceptance as a minister by the Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church suggests that James Hall had served in a similar capacity elsewhere before joining the Paint Rock congregation.
In its early history, I believe that the Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church was affiliated with the Mud Creek Baptist Association. The early minutes of that Association confirm the authority that James Hall was quickly afforded by the Church after he was received into the Church in January of 1824. Betty Hicks forwarded some material she received from Frances Varnell, which Frances in turn extracted from an unpublished book, written by her husband, J. Nelson Varnell, entitled The First Hundred Years, A History of Baptists in Jackson Co. from 1821 until 1921. Frances Varnell wrote:
"Rev. James Hall appears for the first time in the minutes of the Mud Creek Baptist Association in the year 1824 as being a licensed minister or elder from Paint Rock Church. In 1826 he is listed as an Ordained minister or Elder (they were usually called Elders) again from Paint Rock Church. Together with Elders John Williams and James Dodson, he was appointed to carry the corresponding letter to the Flint River Association. Elder James Hall served as a delegate to the Mud Creek Association also in the following years: (1) from the Paint Rock Church in 1827, 1833, 1835, 1836, 1837; (2) from Larkin Fork Church (Paint Rock Valley) in 1840, 1843, 1846, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852. In 1837 he preached the introductory sermon."
When the first sale of public lands of Jackson County took place in 1830, James purchased 160 acres of land three miles north of the village of Swaim (the Southwest quarter of Section 33 in Township 1 South of Range 4 East). But we are confident that James Hall and his family settled north of Swaim long before public lands were first sold in 1830. The early Minutes of the Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church, which we believe was located on James Hall's land, include records of baptisms of a James Hall in 1824, and a Mary Hall in 1825. I suspect that these records refer to our James Hall and his first wife, Mary 'Polly' (Williams) Hall. The Minutes also include later records of the baptisms of some of James Hall's children.
James Hall was married twice. He and his first wife, Polly Williams, are said to have had 19 children. There is a family tradition that Polly died of typhoid fever, as did some of her children. Polly is said to have been "Black Dutch". Polly died in Jackson County, Alabama. Her death apparently occurred between 1840 and 1848. The Minutes of the Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church include an entry indicating that "Sister Mary Hall" died in November of 1847. This may be a record of Polly's death, but I have some doubts about this. She is said to be buried in the Prince Point Cemetery, near Swain, in Jackson County.
James Hall was married to Letha Moore in neighboring Madison County, Alabama on July 30, 1848. A granddaughter of James and Letha wrote in 1979 that James married Letha a couple of years after his first wife died. Letha was apparently born in either Alabama or North Carolina about 1821‑22, making her about 35 years younger than James. James and Letha had two children.
James and Letha were married by Rev. David Jacks, a Minister of the Gospel. According to an article written by Thomas E. Jacks, and published in the September, 1993, issue of Valley Leaves, David Jacks was born on October 27, 1795, in Surrey County, North Carolina, and was a prominent Primitive Baptist minister. He married Rachel Johnson on June 16, 1821, in Wilkes County, North Carolina, and immigrated with a large group of kinsmen to the Paint Rock Valley of Jackson County, Alabama, sometime around 1823. About 1832, David and his family moved north of New Market, in Madison County, Alabama. Rachel Johnson Jacks died in December of 1859. David Jacks died on August 28, 1882. Both are buried at the Old State Line Cemetery on the old Winchester Road north of New Market. Richard Jacks, David's brother, was a prominent Missionary Baptist minister in North Carolina.
While he undoubtedly farmed for his living, James Hall was also a Minister, or Elder, in the Primitive Baptist Church. I assume that he was the minister of the church that was located on his farm.
The 1860 census of Jackson County, Alabama indicates that James and Lethy were living and James Hall’s farm with James' daughter, Cynthia Ann (Hall) Murphy, Cynthia’s new husband, and a five-year-old daughter of James and Lethy.
James Hall died on August 5, 1870, at approximately 83 years of age. The 1870 Federal census of the James Hall family household was enumerated the day after James died. The census record lists the members of the household as James, his second wife, Letha, their 16-year-old daughter, Rachel, and Rachel’s 28-year-old husband, Thomas Robinson.
At the time of his death, James Hall's land holdings consisted of the Southwest quarter of Section 3 in Township 1 of Range 4 East, except 95 3/4 acres off of the Southwest portion, leaving 65 acres; the West half of the Northwest quarter of Section 33 in Township 1 of Range 4 East (80 acres); and the Southeast quarter of the Northwest quarter and the Southwest quarter of the Northeast quarter and the Northwest quarter of the Southeast quarter of Section 33, except 47 acres off of the Northwest corner, thereby leaving 73 acres. He also had made, but apparently not completed, a 40 or 80‑acre entry adjoining his lands on the east. The total of all these holdings was about 258 acres. His land holdings were described as being situated on the "Waters of Larkins Fork of Paint Rock".
On October 21, 1870, Thomas Hall petitioned the Probate Court for permission to sell the real estate of James Hall, on the basis that it could not be equitably divided among all of James Hall's heirs. But, on December 12, Letha Hall, widow of James Hall, petitioned the Probate Court to give her title to a portion of her late husband's real estate valued at $500, or to grant her dower. The Probate Court scheduled a hearing for her petition for December 22, the same date on which Thomas Hall's petition to sell James Hall's real estate was scheduled to be heard. The court also ordered that the heirs of James Hall who were residents of Jackson County be personally notified of Letha's petition, and the schedule for the hearing.
NOTE TO READERS: This biographical sketch was last revised in October of 2011. If you are interested in updates to this information, have questions about the content, or can add anything to the material provided by this sketch, please contact me at mike@landwehr.net.
Copyright 2011
Federal census records from 1850 and 1860 indicate that our subject, James Hall, was born in North Carolina about 1786 or 1787. The 1870 Federal census indicates that he was born in Virginia. It appears that the 1870 census was recorded the day after James Hall died, so one could make the argument that the place of birth reported to the census enumerator might be inaccurate, as it was probably provided by James’ second wife, or by his daughter who was living with him, or even by a neighbor. There is one other clue, however, that suggests that James Hall may have come from Virginia. There is an old family legend that was passed along to me by one of James Hall’s descendants. The story relates that “seven Hall brothers left Virginia. One Stopped at Chattanooga, Tennessee, three to Jackson Co, Al. one to Franklin Co., Tn, one to Arkansas and one to Texas. The one in Chattanooga was never heard from. They believed he was killed by Indians.”
After his death, James’ widow (his second wife) would indicate that James was born in Tennessee. While James undoubtedly lived in Tennessee in his youth, I believe that the 1850 and 1860 census records, which indicate that James was born in North Carolina, are probably our most accurate source.
We can speculate about James Hall's first marriage. There is ample evidence that the name of his first bride was Polly Williams. I don’t recall whether I have ever seen evidence that Polly’s given name was Mary, but that name is widely accepted by descendants of James Hall, and I assume it to be accurate. So, we will assume that James Hall’s first wife was Mary ‘Polly’ Williams, and that Polly was James Hall’s wife until her death sometime after 1840 and before 1850. I am not aware of any documents which provide an age, or a place of birth, for Polly. However, we can estimate Polly’s date of birth, based on the 1820, 1830 and 1840 census records. The 1830 and 1840 census records for the James Hall family in Jackson County suggest that Polly was born between 1790 and 1800. If we also factor in the 1820 census record for the James Hall family listed in the 1820 census of Lincoln County, Tennessee, which we believe to be the census of the James and Polly Hall family, we can narrow Polly’s likely date of birth down to sometime between 1790 and 1794.
We believe that the first child born to James and Polly Hall was born in Tennessee about 1810. On that basis alone, we would estimate that James and Polly were married in Tennessee approximately 1808‑1809, when James was about 22 years old. Polly was probably between 14 and 19 years of age when they married.
After their marriage, we are confident that James and Polly continued to reside in Tennessee as their young family expanded. We know that James entered military service in Tennessee in 1814. In 1851, James Hall would apply for a bounty land warrant based on that military service. After his death, James Hall’s second wife would apply for a pension, also based on James Hall’s military service. From the records associated with those two activities, we have a summary of James’ service in the War of 1812.
In February of 1851, in his first application for a bounty land warrant, James stated that he was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Rains, of Warren County, Tennessee, and that afterwards he transferred to Captain William Russell, in the Regiment commanded by Major William Russell. He went on to state that he was drafted at Fayetteville, Tennessee, on or about September 20, 1814, for the term of six months. He also stated that he served about five months, and was honorably discharged at Fort Deposit, Alabama, on or about March 1 of 1815.
Two years later, in February of 1853, the Treasury Department reported back that military records indicated that James did enter the service as a Private on September 20, 1814, and was reported as transferred to Captain Russell’s Company on November 14, 1814. The report went on to indicate that James did not join Captain Russell, but joined Captain John Cowan’s Company, where he served until the expiration of his term of service on March 29, 1815.
In March of 1855, James made application for a second bounty land warrant. In this application, James declared that he was drafted at Fayetteville, Tennessee, in September of 1813 (sic) for the term of six months, and that he served as a Private in the Company commanded by Captain John Cowan. He went on to say that he was transferred from Captain Rains’ Company to Captain Cowan’s Company at Fort Montgomery. He also stated that he served for five months and was honorably discharged at Winchester, Tennessee, on or about March 1, 1814 (sic).
The Captain Rains that James first served under was undoubtedly Captain Asahel Raines, who commanded a company of the Second Regiment, West Tennessee Militia. Captain Rains’ Company was mustered in on September 20, 1814, and served until December 31 of the same year. The regiment was scattered throughout the Creek territory and the vicinity of Mobile, Alabama, to man the various forts in the region: Forts Jackson, Montgomery, Claiborne, and Pierce. Some of the Companies in this Regiment were involved in the Battle of Pensacola. However, at this point, I don’t know whether or not Captain Rains’ Company was among those who went to Pensacola.
What can we deduce from James Hall’s enlistment in the War of 1812? James indicated that he was “drafted” at Fayetteville. If we assume that he was referring to the mustering of his Company, his statement doesn’t tell us anything about his place of residence at that time. Most of the men in the Second Regiment are reported to have come from Davidson, Warren, Humphreys, Lincoln, Maury, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, White, and Williamson Counties. Asahel Raines, the Captain of the Company in which James first served, was a resident of Warren County. It was common practice in the Civil War for a leading citizen in a community to recruit a Company of men living in the same county, or in the same part of a county, and then to be elected as the Captain of that Company of recruits. Captain Rains and the men of his company were mustered into service at Fayetteville, as were about nine other companies in the Second Regiment. Did James Hall enlist in Warren County, Tennessee, in late summer of 1814? James Hall’s name does not appear on the 1812 tax list for Warren County. Fortunately, the muste roll for Captain Raines’ Company survived, and is available. James Hall’s name does not appear on the muster roll. However, the name “James Hale” does appear on a transcribed copy of the muster roll, and I suspect that an inspection of the original document may reveal that “Hall” was misinterpreted as “Hale”. I am currently in the process of comparing the names of all of the men listed on the muster roll of Captain Raines Company with the 1812 tax roll for Warren County, in an attempt to determine whether Captain Rains’ company was raised in Warren County. At this point, my suspicion is that his Company included men from several different counties.
If we assume that James was actually “drafted” at Fayetteville, his statement would suggest that James was living in Lincoln County when he entered the service. There was no national draft in the War of 1812. However, each state had its own militia, and many of those militia units fought in the War of 1812. The unit James Hall first served with, the Second Regiment of West Tennessee Militia, was a militia organization. My limited research suggests that the militia were state organizations, intended to serve the security needs of the individual states. The Federal government had no authority, or very limited authority, to use the state militia outside their individual state borders. While some militia units volunteered for service in the War of 1812, others did not, but were required to serve. The names of some of the Tennessee militia regiments which fought in the War of 1812 included the word “Volunteer” or “Drafted” in the regimental name. It seems possible that James Hall was a member of the Lincoln County Militia, and that the Lincoln County Militia was “drafted” to serve in the War of 1812. This needs further research.
We know a little about the service of the men in the Second Regiment of West Tennessee Militia. After mustering in a Fayetteville, Tennessee, the Regiment left for Fort Deposit, a supply depot erected by Andrew Jackson’s men in Marshall County, Alabama, at the southern-most tip of the Tennessee River. From there, the Regiment marched to Fort Strother, on the Coosa River, in Calhoun County, Alabama. From there, the Regiment marched to Fort Jackson, at the fork of the Coosa River and the Tallapoosa River, near Wetumpka, Alabama. About October 30, the Regiment marched to Fort Claiborne, another supply depot established at the current site of Claiborne, Alabama. From there, I believe that the Regiment marched to Fort Montgomery, which was located at the current site of Montgomery, Alabama. From there, the Regiment, or part of the Regiment, proceeded to Pensacola, which they took on November 7. From Pensacola, the troops marched back to Fort Montgomery, which they reached on November 13. James Hall transferred from the Second Regiment of West Tennessee Militia to the Separate Battalion, Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunmen, the following day. Two days later, on November 16, the Second Regiment of West Tennessee Militia, James Hall’s original regiment, departed for Mobile. And, from Mobile, the regiment returned to Fayetteville, Tennessee, their primary place of rendezvous.
Major William Russell was the commander of the Separate Battalion, Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunmen. This is the Battalion to which James Hall transferred after his initial service under Captain Asahel Raines. Most of the men in the companies which comprised Major William Russell’s Separate Battalion were residents of Franklin, Bedford, Blount, Rutherford, Warren and Wilson Counties, in Tennessee, and Madison County, in Alabama. Captain William Russell, who commanded the company that James Hall was supposed to transfer to, was from Franklin County, Tennessee, and was Major William Russell’s son. Captain John Cowan, who commanded the company to which James Hall did transfer, also served under Major Russell, in the same regiment as Captain William Russell. We have no idea why James Hall was transferred to Captain John Cowan’s Company. It is worth noting, however, that Stephen Hall, who we suspect may have been related to James Hall, was a Private in Captain John Cowan’s Company.
Records from the Adjutant General’s Office provide some background on the history of Major William Russell’s Regiment. The Adjutant General’s records provide the names of the seven Companies which comprised William Russell’s regiment, the number of men in those companies, and the dates that the companies were mustered in and mustered out. The Companies were:
1) Capt William Chisum’s Company
83 men
28 Sep 1814 - 27 Mar 1815
2) Capt John Cowan’s Company
116 men
28 Sep 1814 - 27 Mar 1815
3) Capt Fleman Hodges’ Company
70 men
4) Capt George Michie’s Company
16 men + 58 men
mustered in Oct 3, 1814
5) Capt William Russell’s Company
121 or 124 men
mustered in September 29
6) Capt John Trimble’s Company
74 men
5 Oct 1814 - 5 Apr 1815
7) Capt Isaac Williams’ Company
92 men
From Fayetteville, where the battalion was mustered in, the Separate Battalion, Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunmen traveled to Fort Stephens, crossing the Tennessee River at Muscle Shoals. Leaving their horses behind, the battalion marched to Pensacola (via Fort Montgomery) where they participated in the Battle of Pensacola on November 7, 1814. They then returned to Fort Montgomery, where they were put under the command of Major Uriah Blue. It was at Fort Montgomery, just seven days after the Battle of Pensacola, that James Hall transferred from the Second Regiment, West Tennessee Militia, to Captain Cowan’s company in the Separate Battalion, Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunmen.
The Adjutant General’s records provide the following information about Major Russell’s regiment:
“Each non-commissioned officer, musician, artificer and private travelled 35 miles from Winchester, Franklin County, place of residence, to Fayetteville, in Lincoln County, place where mustered into service.
“This organization seems to have been formed of a Field and Staff and seven companies, under Command of Major William Russell, and served September 1814 to March 1815.”
Since James Hall originally joined the company commanded by Captain Asahel Rains, and served in that company until November of 1814, the above references to Winchester and Fayetteville may have little relevance. It is worth noting, however, that both Major Russell and Captain Russell were residents of Franklin County, Tennessee, when they served in the War of 1812. Captain John Cowan, in whose company James Hall served, was also a Franklin County resident. It is reported that Captain Cowan moved his family to Franklin County in 1806 from that part of Greene County, North Carolina, which later became Blount County, Tennessee. Finally, it is interesting to note that Davey Crockett served as a Sergeant in Captain Cowan’s company during the same time period when James Hall served in that company.
The records do provide some information about the service of Major Russell’s battalion. In a letter relative to the settlement of his accounts, Major Russell later wrote:
“The latter service from September 28th 1814 to the 27th of March 1815, I was a Major commanded a battalion and marched with my battalion on the Escumbria route and did not march to New Orleans with General Coffies Brigade, therefore my battalion was mustered in and out of service separately and not attached to any regiment, nor was I commanded by any Colonel.”
James Hall received a bounty land warrant for 80 acres in 1853. He applied for a second warrant in 1855 under a new act of Congress. In an 1855 statement, James Hall swore that he was drafted at Fayetteville, Tennessee about September of 1813, for a period of six months. He went on to say that he served for five months, and was honorably discharged at Winchester, Tennessee about March 1, 1814. He said that he served in Captain John Cowan's Company of the Lincoln County Infantry Regiment commanded by Major Russell. He added that he was transferred from Captain Rainer's Company to Captain Cowan's Company at Fort Montgomery.
Following James Hall's death in 1870, his widow filed a claim for a widow's pension. In her claim, James Hall's widow described James as having had black hair, grey eyes, and fair complexion.
James Hall and his family were apparently residents of Lincoln County, Tennessee, in 1820. The 1820 Federal census of Lincoln County includes a James Hall family. The James Hall household consisted on one male aged 26‑44, one female aged 26‑44, five males under ten years of age (probably John, Thomas, Jesse, Elisha and Elijah), and three females under ten years of age (probably Elizabeth, Jerutha and Permelia). Assuming that the ten members of the household were James Hall (1776-1794), his wife (1776-1794), and their eight children, this description matches exactly with our knowledge of the James Hall family. We can't be positive that this was our James Hall family, but it seems very likely that it was.
There is some evidence to suggest that James Hall moved, or attempted to move, to the Jackson County, Alabama area prior to 1820. The name of a “James Hall” appears on the petition filed with the Secretary of War in 1819 by squatters protesting their expulsion from the Cherokee Indian lands. We cannot be sure, however, that the James Hall who signed the petition was our James Hall.
There is one other reference to the early residences of James Hall that is of interest. In a two-page unfinished Hall family chronicle, penned by Willie Hall, a great-grandson of Rev. James hall, Willie wrote that James Hall "once live in Franklin County, Tenn. near Brown's mill". There was a Brown’s Mill in Franklin County, located about two miles northwest of Beans Creek in the southwest part of Franklin County. According to the History of Giles, Lincoln, Franklin & Moore Counties, Tennessee, published by Goodspeed in 1886, this early grist mill was originally built by George Stovall about 1810. The mill remained in the Stovall family until after the Civil War, when it was sold to three partners. The name of the mill was apparently changed to Brown’s Mill in 1885, after it had been rebuilt, or refurbished, by Stephen W. Brown, one of the three men who purchased the mill after the Civil War. The mill was operated by Stephen W. Brown, and later by his son, J. M. A. ‘Joe’ Brown, until 1906. The mill continued to operate until the dam and race were washed out by floods in 1936. It would appear, then, that James Hall did not live near the mill when it was called Brown’s Mill, but may have lived near the site of the old Stovall grist mill which had been renamed Brown’s Mill by the time his grandson, Willie Hall, penned the Hall family chronicle.
In an article written by Ann B. Chambless, and entitled “A Brief Insight Into the Relationship of the Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church and the Other Early Primitive Baptist Churches Which Organized Mud Creek Association of Baptists in 1821”, Ann wrote that “the Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church was organized in November, 1819”. Ann Chambless goes on to say that “church history and tradition point to Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church…being the first Baptist church organized in Jackson County, Alabama, and therefore, the mother church of all Primitive Baptist churches in this area.”
Ms. Chambless continues that “the church membership grew rapidly as the early settlers poured into the newly created County of Jackson. 28 new members were added within the first three months.” Ms. Chambless lists 34 additional new members who joined the Mud Creek Church during the first six months of 1820. Listed among them was “Brother James Hall”. Many researchers assume that the James Hall listed in the early records of the Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church was the same person as the subject of this sketch, but it should be noted that the Mud Creek Church was located at the current site of Hollywood, Alabama, about 14 miles east and 14 miles south of the area where our Rev. James Hall would later purchase land on Larkin’s Fork. We know so little about the residents of Jackson County before 1830, it is impossible to determine how many men named James Hall might have been residents of the county in 1820.
An article written by George T. Harper, and published in the Fall 1993 issue of Ozar'kin, entitled "Antebellum Primitive Baptists in Southwest Missouri", provides some background on the Primitive Baptist Church.
"This group of Baptists have the reputation of being the most strictly orthodox and exclusive of all Baptists. They have been known at times as "Hard Shell", "Regular", "Antimission", "Old School",--but "Primitive" has been widely accepted and used. They are unique in that they have never been organized as a denomination and have no administrative bodies of any kind. They believe that each church should "govern" itself according to the laws of Christ as found in the New Testament, and no minister, association, or convention has any authority over them. They were formed as a protest against "money-based" missions and benevolent societies and against "assessing" the churches to support missions and Sunday Schools. Since there were no missionaries in the days of the apostles, therefore there should be none now. They believed in religious training for children, but not in Sunday Schools. They believed in evangelism, but as an individual responsibility, and at individual expense. Spearheading the protest, the Kehukee Association in North Carolina in 1827, condemned all such societies as contrary to Christ's teachings. Within a decade, several other Baptist associations across the county, made similar statements and withdrew from other Baptist churches. Another historian (Grime) states the protest movement began in Kentucky after 1816. Opposition to missions was born in Virginia, and grew out of prejudice, created by the persecutions of the Baptists at the hands of the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches."
"They hold there are two biblically authorized ordinances: the Lord's supper, and baptism of believers by immersion. No theological training is demanded of minister; while there is no opposition to such education, the position is that the Lord will call an educated man if he wants one, but the lack of education should not bar a man from the ministry. Some Primitive Baptists still practice foot washing, but not all do. Despite their oppositon to money-based missionary societies, they are intensely evangelistic, and thier preachers travel widely and serve without charge, except for what their hearers wish to contribute to their support. Most, if not all, Primitive Baptist churches sing the old hymns a cappella, since organs and pianos have never been used in the services. Membership is granted only after careful examination and vote of the congregation."
A membership list found in the early minutes of the Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church indicates that James Hall was later excluded from the church. The date of his exclusion was not recorded, but apparently occurred no later than 1829.
While we don’t know whether our subject was the early member of the Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church, there can be no doubt about his membership in the Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church. The Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church was formally organized by the eleven founding members on February 1, 1821. The church was located on Larkin’s Fork, in the northwest corner of Jackson County, Alabama. James Hall was not one of the founding members. An early membership list confirms that James was received into the church “by experience” in January of 1824. James was the 17th male to join the congregation after it was organized three years earlier.
The first mention of James Hall in the minutes of the church occurred in June of 1824, only five months after James joined the congregation. The minutes confirm that “the Church granted Brother Hall written license to preach wherever the Lord and his providence should call him”. I suspect that James’ rapid acceptance as a minister by the Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church suggests that James Hall had served in a similar capacity elsewhere before joining the Paint Rock congregation.
In its early history, I believe that the Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church was affiliated with the Mud Creek Baptist Association. The early minutes of that Association confirm the authority that James Hall was quickly afforded by the Church after he was received into the Church in January of 1824. Betty Hicks forwarded some material she received from Frances Varnell, which Frances in turn extracted from an unpublished book, written by her husband, J. Nelson Varnell, entitled The First Hundred Years, A History of Baptists in Jackson Co. from 1821 until 1921. Frances Varnell wrote:
"Rev. James Hall appears for the first time in the minutes of the Mud Creek Baptist Association in the year 1824 as being a licensed minister or elder from Paint Rock Church. In 1826 he is listed as an Ordained minister or Elder (they were usually called Elders) again from Paint Rock Church. Together with Elders John Williams and James Dodson, he was appointed to carry the corresponding letter to the Flint River Association. Elder James Hall served as a delegate to the Mud Creek Association also in the following years: (1) from the Paint Rock Church in 1827, 1833, 1835, 1836, 1837; (2) from Larkin Fork Church (Paint Rock Valley) in 1840, 1843, 1846, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852. In 1837 he preached the introductory sermon."
When the first sale of public lands of Jackson County took place in 1830, James purchased 160 acres of land three miles north of the village of Swaim (the Southwest quarter of Section 33 in Township 1 South of Range 4 East). But we are confident that James Hall and his family settled north of Swaim long before public lands were first sold in 1830. The early Minutes of the Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church, which we believe was located on James Hall's land, include records of baptisms of a James Hall in 1824, and a Mary Hall in 1825. I suspect that these records refer to our James Hall and his first wife, Mary 'Polly' (Williams) Hall. The Minutes also include later records of the baptisms of some of James Hall's children.
James Hall was married twice. He and his first wife, Polly Williams, are said to have had 19 children. There is a family tradition that Polly died of typhoid fever, as did some of her children. Polly is said to have been "Black Dutch". Polly died in Jackson County, Alabama. Her death apparently occurred between 1840 and 1848. The Minutes of the Paint Rock Primitive Baptist Church include an entry indicating that "Sister Mary Hall" died in November of 1847. This may be a record of Polly's death, but I have some doubts about this. She is said to be buried in the Prince Point Cemetery, near Swain, in Jackson County.
James Hall was married to Letha Moore in neighboring Madison County, Alabama on July 30, 1848. A granddaughter of James and Letha wrote in 1979 that James married Letha a couple of years after his first wife died. Letha was apparently born in either Alabama or North Carolina about 1821‑22, making her about 35 years younger than James. James and Letha had two children.
James and Letha were married by Rev. David Jacks, a Minister of the Gospel. According to an article written by Thomas E. Jacks, and published in the September, 1993, issue of Valley Leaves, David Jacks was born on October 27, 1795, in Surrey County, North Carolina, and was a prominent Primitive Baptist minister. He married Rachel Johnson on June 16, 1821, in Wilkes County, North Carolina, and immigrated with a large group of kinsmen to the Paint Rock Valley of Jackson County, Alabama, sometime around 1823. About 1832, David and his family moved north of New Market, in Madison County, Alabama. Rachel Johnson Jacks died in December of 1859. David Jacks died on August 28, 1882. Both are buried at the Old State Line Cemetery on the old Winchester Road north of New Market. Richard Jacks, David's brother, was a prominent Missionary Baptist minister in North Carolina.
While he undoubtedly farmed for his living, James Hall was also a Minister, or Elder, in the Primitive Baptist Church. I assume that he was the minister of the church that was located on his farm.
The 1860 census of Jackson County, Alabama indicates that James and Lethy were living and James Hall’s farm with James' daughter, Cynthia Ann (Hall) Murphy, Cynthia’s new husband, and a five-year-old daughter of James and Lethy.
James Hall died on August 5, 1870, at approximately 83 years of age. The 1870 Federal census of the James Hall family household was enumerated the day after James died. The census record lists the members of the household as James, his second wife, Letha, their 16-year-old daughter, Rachel, and Rachel’s 28-year-old husband, Thomas Robinson.
At the time of his death, James Hall's land holdings consisted of the Southwest quarter of Section 3 in Township 1 of Range 4 East, except 95 3/4 acres off of the Southwest portion, leaving 65 acres; the West half of the Northwest quarter of Section 33 in Township 1 of Range 4 East (80 acres); and the Southeast quarter of the Northwest quarter and the Southwest quarter of the Northeast quarter and the Northwest quarter of the Southeast quarter of Section 33, except 47 acres off of the Northwest corner, thereby leaving 73 acres. He also had made, but apparently not completed, a 40 or 80‑acre entry adjoining his lands on the east. The total of all these holdings was about 258 acres. His land holdings were described as being situated on the "Waters of Larkins Fork of Paint Rock".
On October 21, 1870, Thomas Hall petitioned the Probate Court for permission to sell the real estate of James Hall, on the basis that it could not be equitably divided among all of James Hall's heirs. But, on December 12, Letha Hall, widow of James Hall, petitioned the Probate Court to give her title to a portion of her late husband's real estate valued at $500, or to grant her dower. The Probate Court scheduled a hearing for her petition for December 22, the same date on which Thomas Hall's petition to sell James Hall's real estate was scheduled to be heard. The court also ordered that the heirs of James Hall who were residents of Jackson County be personally notified of Letha's petition, and the schedule for the hearing.
NOTE TO READERS: This biographical sketch was last revised in October of 2011. If you are interested in updates to this information, have questions about the content, or can add anything to the material provided by this sketch, please contact me at mike@landwehr.net.