Chatham County NC

Slave Narrative of Tempie Herndon Durham

Interviewer: Travis Jordan Person Interviewed: Tempie Herndon Durham Location: 1312 Pine St., Durham, North Carolina Age: 103 I was thirty-one years ole when de surrender come. Dat makes me sho nuff ole. Near ’bout a hundred an’ three years done passed over dis here white head of mine. I’se been here, I mean I’se been here. ‘Spects I’se de olest nigger in Durham. I’se been here so long dat I done forgot near ’bout as much as dese here new generation niggers knows or ever gwine know. My white fo’ks lived in Chatham County. Dey was Marse George an’ Mis’ … Read more

John G. Herndon

Corpl., Co. F, 18th Div., 35th Inf.; of Chatham County; son of Mr. and Mrs. T. W. Herndon, and husband of Lena May Herndon. Entered service May, 1917, at Durham, N.C. Sent to Fort Thomas. Transferred to Arizona, then to San Antonio, Texas. Served on Mexican border 16 months. Was in one battle on Mexican border the 27th day of August, 1918. Mustered out at Camp Sevier Feb. 18, 1919.

Clyde C. Headen

Corpl., Artly., Truck Co. No. 6, 1st Corps Artly. Park. Born in Chatham County, N.C., May 24, 1891; son of I. B. and Sallie Perry Headen. Entered the service at Siler City, N.C., March 27, 1918. Sent to Camp Jackson, S. C., and then transferred to Camp Merritt. Sailed for France May 22, 1918. Promoted to Corpl. Aug. 1, 1918. Fought at Meuse-Argonne, Chateau-Thierry, Verdun, Aisne Marne, Oise Aisne and Champagne Defensive. Mustered out of the service at Camp Lee, Va., June 6, 1919.

Victor E. Harris

Private, Co. C, 119th Inf., 30th Div. Born in Chatham County; the son of Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Harris. Entered the service at Durham, N.C., April 1, 1918, was sent to Camp Jackson, S. C., and from there to Camp Sevier, S. C. Transferred to Camp Merritt, N. J., and sailed for France May 11, 1918. Fought at Ypres and wounded by shrapnel at Ypres July 18, 1918. Was sent to Hospital No. 19 at Vechy and to Walter Reid Hospital, Washington, D. C. Returned to USA Sept. 11, 1918. Mustered out at Camp Wadsworth, S. C., Feb. 8, … Read more

Chatham County, North Carolina Cemetery Transcriptions

North Carolina Cemetery records are listed by county then name of cemetery within the North Carolina county. Most of these are complete indices at the time of transcription, however, in some cases we list the listing when it is only a partial listing. Following Cemeteries (hosted at Chatham County, North Carolina Tombstone Transcription Project) Antioch Christian Church Cemetery Barber Family Cemetery Council-Beckwith Family Cemetery Dowdy Family Cemetery Ebenezer United Methodist Church Cemetery Fearrinton Village Cemetery Haywood Cemetery Hickory Mountain Baptist Church Cemetery Mays Chapel Cemetery Merry Oaks Cemetery New Elam Christian Church Cemetery Old McMath-Perry Grove Cemetery Beckwith Cemetery (hosted … Read more

Walter J. Kanoy

Private, Inf., Co. D, 167th Reg., 42nd Div. Born in Chatham County, N.C., Oct. 12, 1895; son of C. E. and Jane Kanoy and husband of Allie McCauley Kanoy. Entered the service at Troy, N.C., Aug. 9, 1918, and sent to Camp Wadsworth, S. C., and transferred to Camp Stuart, Va. Sailed for France Sept. 23, 1918. Mustered out of the service at Camp Lee, Va., May 3, 1919.

James Norwood Eubanks

Private, M. G. Btn., 2nd Co. Born in Chatham County Sept. 29, 1895; the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Eubanks. Entered the service May 28, 1918. Was sent to Camp Jackson, S. C., then to Camp Hancock, Ga. Mustered out at Camp Hancock, Ga., December, 1918.

Slave Narrative of Kitty Hill

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Kitty Hill Location: 329 West South Street, Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 76-77 I tole you yisterday dat my age wus 76 years old, but my daughter come home, an’ I axed her’ bout it an’ she say I is 77 years old. I don’t know exactly the date but I wus born in April. I wus a little girl ’bout five years ole when de surrender come, but I don’t’ member anything much’ bout de Yankees. I wus born in Virginia, near Petersburg, an’ mother said de Yankees had been hanging’ round dere so … Read more

Biography of Gen. Wm. B. Stokes

Gen. Wm. B. Stokes, one of the leading attorneys and best-known citizens of Alexandria, was born in 1814 in Chatham County, N. C. He is the second and only surviving one of their children of Sylvanus and Mary (Christian) Stokes. The father was of English descent, born in Chatham County, N. C., in 1783, a son of Thos. Stokes who was a native of Virginia and a cousin of ex-Gov. Munford Stokes, of North Carolina. Sylvanus was married in North Carolina about 1810, and in 1818 started for Tennessee, where his father owned large tracts of land. While en route … Read more

Chatham County, North Carolina – Wills 1784-1799

A. 1784 ASHFORD, WILLIAM, John and Sarah. 1786 ALLEN, WILLIAM, Mary (wife), John and Betsy. 1789 ALSTON, WILLIAM, John J., William C., Oroondates, Mary Ann and Ann. 1795 ANDERSON, JAMES, Martha, Jane, Susanna and Mary, Lewis, Lucy; Holcomb and Henrietta, (sisters). B. 1784 BRASWELL, HENRY, Sarah (wife), Cynthia and William. 1784 BROWDER, ABNER, Wife (not named), Lucy, John, Nancy, Sally and Polly. 1784 BROWDER, EDMOND, wife (not named); John, Darius, Lois, Molly Emma, Silvia and, De borah. 1785 BANKS, DAVID, Elizabeth (wife), Mary, James, Sarah and Drewry. 1790 BRAY, HENRY, Mary (wife), Edward and Henry. 1792 BREWER, OLIVER, Rebecca (wife), … Read more

John M. Edwards

Private, 1st Class., Inf., Co. L, 31st Div., 124th Regt.; of Chatham County; son of Jno. and Sally Edwards. Entered service July 10, 1917, at Bear Creek. Sent to Camp Wheeler. Mustered out at Camp Wheeler. Dec. 8, 1918.

J. G. Goldston

Sergt., Batry, 316, Q. M., 27th Div.; son of Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Goldston; of Chatham County. Entered service April 1, 1918, at Greensboro, N.C. Sent to Ft. Thomas, Ky. Transferred to Johnson, Fla., then to Camp Stuart, Va. Overseas to France June 29, 1918. Served six months with the Army of Occupation. Returned to United States Sept. 20, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Dix, N. J., Sept. 25, 1919.

Gordon L. Siler

Mechanic, Aviator, Div. 883, Aero Squadron. Born in Chatham County, July 3, 1894; son of A. R. and Nannie Siler. Entered service April 7, 1918, at Siler City, N.C. Sent to St. Paul, Minn. Transferred to Camp Ossie, Minn., from there to Montgomery, Ala., Aviator Depot No. 3. Mustered out at Montgomery, Ala., March 29, 1919.

Slave Narrative of Ora M. Flagg

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Ora M. Flagg Location: 811 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, North Carolina Place of Birth: Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Birth: October 16, 1860 My name is Ora M. Flagg. I wus born in Raleigh near the Professional Building, in the year 1860, October 16. My mother wus named Jane Busbee. Her marster wus Quent Busbee, a lawyer. Her missus wus Julia Busbee. She wus a Taylor before she married Mr. Busbee. Now I tell you, I can’t tell you exactly, but the old heads died. The old heads were the Scurlocks who lived in Chatham County. … Read more

Biography of William H. Branson

Very few American families can trace their ancestry beyond three or four generations. This is due to the lack of a historical spirit among the early settlers of a country. They make no records, and only vague traditions carry their histories down to other generations. When the Branson family came to America cannot be accurately determined. It is, however, certain that early in the eighteenth century Thomas Branson came from England and settled in Chatham County, N. C. This makes the Branson family one of the old families of North Carolina, and identifies them with all the periods of the … Read more

J. Fletcher Brewer

1st class Private, Inf., Co. E, 6th Div., 54th Inf.; of Chatham County; son of T. L. and Mrs. Ada Brewer. Entered service May 10, 1917, at Pittsboro, N.C. Sent to Ft. Scrivens, Ga. Transferred to Camp Wadsworth. Sailed for France July 17, 1918. Fought at Alsace–Lorraine, Meuse-Argonne. Landed in USA Sept. 8, 1919, at New York. Was with Army of Occupation; was sent back on same boat with Genl. Pershing. Mustered out at Camp Lee, Va., Sept. 26, 1919.

Charles C. Davis

Private, Inf., Co. K, 81st Div., 322nd Regt.; son of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Davis; of Chatham County. Entered service Sept. 18, 1917, at Pittsboro, N.C. Sent to Camp Jackson. Transferred to Camp Sevier, Greenville, S. C., then to Camp Upton. Sailed for France July 31, 1918. Fought at Meuse-Argonne. Returned to USA June 18, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Lee, Va., June 25, 1919.

John Enoch Crain

Sergt., Inf., Co. D, 417th Btn., N. S. Guards. Born in Chatham County, N.C., Feb. 17, 1888; son of N. W. and M. R. Crain. Entered the service at Carthage, N.C., Aug. 19, 1918, and sent to Camp Greene, N.C. Mustered out of the service at Camp Greene, N.C., Dec. 24, 1918.

Slave Narrative of Dorcas Griffeth

Interviewer: T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed: Dorcas Griffeth Location: 602 E. South Street, North Carolina Age: 80 You know me every time you sees me don’t you? Who tole you I wus Dorcas Griffith? I seed you up town de other day. Yes, yes, I is old. I is 80 years old. I remember all about dem Yankees. The first biscuit I ever et dey give it to me. I wus big enough to nus de babies when de Yankees came through. Dey carried biscuits on dere horses, I wus jist thinkin’ of my young missus de other day. I … Read more