“When chill November's surly blast make fields and forest bare.” ~ Robert Burns
Isaac and his wife are now living in their own cabin built of logs from trees they cleared from their land. It has two rooms and a loft. The fireplace in the main room, which serves as living and dining area, is built from fieldstone. Isaac has fashioned a rough-hewn cupboard for his wife to hold her dishes, a stone pitcher and crock, a coffee mill and her prized Delph pitcher. Isaac spent hours fashioning a mantle out of white oak. In anticipation of the coming birth of their first born child he has also bartered his labor to a widowed neighbor for a woven cradle.
The fields lie fallow, the root cellar holds barrels of salted meat, baskets of root crops and dried fruits. Bunches of herbs have been tied and hung from rafters in the loft. The barn made out of logs, like the cabin, is occupied by a milk cow, several sheep and chickens. All is ready for the coming cold months ahead.
Isaac has gone to the barn while the midwife and neighbor women attend to his wife. She has been in labor for hours. He can hear his wife's cries as she struggles to bring their child into the world. He thinks of the many women who have died in childbirth, and he sends a silent prayer up that he will not be digging a grave but celebrating a birth.
Elisha was born on November 16, 1799, just one year after Tennessee became the 16th state to join the union. His mother would go on to have three more children that we know of; Judith, Isaac and another sister. Isaac and his wife died sometime before 1850, the exact location of their graves is not known, but I was told by another researcher that a section of graves at the Alderbranch Cemetery have sunk over the years along with their headstones. Since most of the Roberts' are buried in this cemetery, I assume that Isaac and his wife are also.
The following was found in the Sevier County Courthouse ...
This following Indenture is between Elisha Roberts and W. F. Nichols both of Sevier County, Tennessee.
State of Tennessee
Sevier County
Deed Book
I Elisha Roberts have this day bargained and sold and do hereby transfer and convey to W. F. Nichols and his heirs forever for the consideration of six hundred and seventy five dollars to me in hand paid a tract of land in the State of Tennessee, Sevier County, and District No. 7 containing by estimationThirty Acres be the same more or less and bounded as follows beginning on a stake on the Bank of French Broad River then up the same North 49 East 11 poles to a stake corner to 1st lot then with the same South 62 East 203 poles to a stake South 82 East 50 poles to a white oak on the bank of Millican Creek then with same South 10 West 20 poles to a stake South 301/2 West 20 poles to a stake on the line between lots No. 2 and 3 then South same North 75 West 14 poles to a sweetgum North 59 West 135 poles to a stake North 62 West 110 poles to the beginning. To have and to hold the same to the said W. F. Nichols his heirs and assigns forever I do covenant with the said W.F. Nichols that I am lawfully seized of said land have a good right to convey it and that the same is unincumbered I do further covenant and bind myself my heirs and representatives to warrant and forever defend the title to the said land and every part thereof to the said W.F. Nichols his heirs and assigns against the lawful claims of all persons whatever this 24th day of July 1858.
Elisha Roberts (seal)
Test: G. W. Hill
Thos. Atchley
Note: Was Elisha selling land left to him by his father? The Sevier County Courthouse burned down in the mid 1850's and early records are lost to us forever, except for the few (like this) that survived, we will never know.
Elisha, like his father before him, was a farmer and spent his entire life on the land he was born on. He lived next door to his parents, probably on a piece of land divided off of Isaac's homestead. He married Grace Reed on September 23, 1825 in Sevier County, Tn. and died September 8, 1863, cause of death was dropsy. He was a member of the Alderbranch Baptist Church and he and Grace are both buried in the Alderbranch Cemetery. Grace (Reed) Roberts was born August 30, 1806 in Sevier County the second child of Joseph Reed and Nancy McCarter. She died April 30, 1864 from meningitis. When Elisha died his children equally divided his land and assets. Grace's father died when she was a young girl and the following was published in the Knoxville Gazette.
Wilson's Knoxville Gazette, Monday 6 September 1812 ...."William Mitchell, Sheriff of Sevier County, to sell interests of John Reed, Nancy Reed, Jeremiah Reed, Gracy Reed, heirs of Joseph Reed, deceased, 341/2 acres of land in Poor Valley, adjoining John Williams, Mitchell Reed Sr."
Elisha and Grace had nine children. Grace watched as five or her sons left home to join the Union Army during the War Between the States (Civil War), one of them did not return home. They all served in Co. M of the 2nd Tennessee Cavalry. Her oldest son, Levi, was a member of the Homeguard (our National Guard of today).
Children of Elisha and Grace:
Levi Campbell Roberts, b. December 13, 1827, Sevier Co., Tennessee; d. 1896, Sevier Co., Tennessee/Union Grove Cemetery
John Sevier Roberts, b. June 04, 1830, Sevier County,Tennessee; d. September 24, 1907, Sevier County, Tennessee/Old Gist Creek Cemetary
William Mitchell Roberts, b. December 14, 1833, Sevier Co., Tennessee; d. December 23, 1901, Sevier Co., Tennessee/Providence Cemetery
Nancy Angeline Roberts, b. May 29, 1835, Sevier Co., Tennessee; d. March 27, 1888, Sevier Co., Tennessee
Albert Galloway Roberts, b. June 01, 1837, Sevier Co., Tennessee; d. March 22, 1863, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Notes for Albert G. Roberts:
Albert served in Co. M 2nd Tennessee Cavalry. He died in a field hospital in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
of pneumonia. He enlisted November 8, 1862 and his rank was Private.
Name: A. G. Roberts (Alias Albert G. Roberts)
Rank: Private
State Served: Tennessee
Unit: 2nd Cavalry Regiment
Company: M
Date of Death: 22 MAR 1863
Cemetery: Stones River National Cemetery
Location: Rutherford County, TN
Section: D
Grave Number: 1233
Eli Harrison Roberts, b. December 25, 1840, Sevier Co., Tennessee; d. August 21, 1916, Sevier Co., Tennessee/Alderbranch Cemetery
Elijah Houston Roberts, b. November 25, 1843, Sevier Co., Tennessee; d. February 03, 1907, Knox Co., Tennessee
Sarah Jane Roberts, b. May 14, 1846, Sevier Co., Tennessee
Joseph Birdwell Roberts, b. April 03, 1850, Sevier Co., Tennessee; d. March 18, 1929, Sevier Co., Tennessee/Union Grove Cemetery.
Elisha died intestate, the following was found in the Sevier County Courthouse:
Appearing to the Court that Elisha Roberts a Citizen of Sevier County had died intestate having whilst living and at the time of his death goods and chattels rights and credits and thereupon the Court appointed Eli H. Roberts Administrator of the estate of the said Elisha Roberts deceased who appeared in open court and gave bond in the sum of fifteen hundred dollars with L. C. Roberts and John Roberts as his securities who was thereupon duly qualified as Administrator of the Estate of the said Elisha Roberts decd., and thereupon letters of Administration issued to said Eli H. Roberts which is in the words and figures following to wit: To Eli H. Roberts Greeting, Whereas is has been represented unto us in our County Court held for the County of Sevier at the Courthouse in Sevierville on the 10th day of April, 1866 that Elisha Roberts late of said county had died intestate having whilst living and at the time of his death goods and chattels rights and credits the ordering and granting administration whereof doth appertain to us and we being desirous that said goods and chattels rights and credits well and truly and faithfully administered to grant unto the said Eli H. Roberts full power by these present well and truly to collect and take into their possession all and singular the goods and chattels rights and credits which were of the estate of the Elisha Roberts at the time of his death wheresoever the same may be found requiring you to make or cause to be made and returned into our said court at the next term a true and perfect account of said administration when thereto required.
Witness: H.H. Duggan, Clerk of said county at office in Sevierville this 10th day of April, 1866. Estate Book/Sevier County Courthouse Page 347-348
The following inventory of Elisha's estate gives us a window into how he and Grace lived at the time of his death, which was not much different than his father before him.
Inventory & list of sales of the property belonging to the estate of Elisha Roberts sold the 9th day of June 1866.
Wm M. Roberts - one milk cow $10.10
Eli H. Roberts - one log chain 1.00
Eli H. Roberts - one set timber wheels 5.00
Houston E. Roberts - one cast plow 1.00
Wm. Jones - one pair stretchers .65
Houston E. Roberts - one matlock .25
Eli H. Roberts - one axe .10
Houston E. Roberts - five head of sheep 3.50
G.W.Hill - five head of sheep 2.50
Eli H. Roberts - the remainder of the lot 2.50
Wm. M. Roberts - sundry tools 1.75
Wm. Jones - one set of breeching rings .10
Houston E. Roberts - one deep oven 1.60
Houston E. Roberts - one biscuit oven 1.25
Houston E. Roberts - one dinner pot .60
Houston E. Roberts - one wash pot 2.25
Eli H. Roberts - one iron wedge .20
Sarah J. Roberts - one wievers loom & two reeds .50
Eli H. Roberts - one dining table 1.75
Samuel F. Sarrett - one frying pan .25
Sarah J. Roberts - one stone pitcher & crock .20
Sarah J. Roberts - one smoothing iron .05
Sarah Ann Flinn - one coffee mill .10
Sarah J. Roberts - one delph pitcher .05
Eli H. Roberts - one cupboard & dishes 1.00
Houston E. Roberts - one meal tub tray & seive .10
Wm. Jones - one molasses barrel 1.00
Houston E. Roberts - one lard can .10
Sarah J. Roberts - one check reel .25
Sarah J. Roberts - one churn & wate pail .05
G.W. Hill - one lot nine chairs 2.50
Sarah J. Roberts - one side saddle .65
Wm. M. Roberts - one chest .25
Sarah J. Roberts - one small table .05
Eli H. Roberts - one clock .50
Houston E. Roberts - one bedstead .50
Joseph B. Roberts - 2 small bedsteads .10
Wm. M. Roberts - one feather bed & 3 pillows .50
Eli H. Roberts - one feather bed & 3 pillows .30
Joseph B. Roberts - one feather & straw tick six sheets .25
Sarah J. Roberts - one counterpane & quilt .50
Joseph B. Roberts - one straw tick & quilt .25
Eli H. Roberts - two straw ticks blanket,quilt & sheet .75
Wm. M. Roberts - one straw tick & blanket .25
G.W. Hill - one flax wheel .40
Joseph B. Roberts - four geese .35
Saml H. Sarrett - 1 scythe blade & cutting knife .15
L.C. Roberts - 1 scythe blade .25
Houston E. Roberts - one wash tub .25
Houston E. Roberts - one set fire dogs .50
Houston E. Roberts - one fire shovel .25
______
TOTAL $49.15
Eli H. Roberts, Administrator
Sworn to before me this 19th July 1866
W.M. Burnett, D.C.
Levi Roberts, eldest son of Elisha and Gracy, is my greatgrandfather.
To be continued ...
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