Marion Co TOC

This article was written by a distant, distant cousin, BARBARA JOE (Steeber) MURPHY, who was the great great great grandaughter of JAMES HENDERSON HALL.

In the early 1800's, the CHICKAMAUGA CHEROKEE INDIANS had broken away from the main branch of the Cherokee Indian Nation and had already moved to live at the Chickamauga River. There was still much unrest among the Indians. They knew that the white man was not going to allow them to remain where they were even though they had left the more desirable lands and settled in the hills and ridges of the TENNESSEE countryside.

Into this atmosphere, some time between 1815 and 1825, JAMES HENDERSON HALL was born in BEDFORD County, TENNESSEE. Nothing is known, at this writing, about his father and little about his mother. Federal Census records for 1880, in Missouri, show that she was born about 1800 in NORTH CAROLINA and that her name was REBECCA. (Her family was CHICKAMAUGA CHEROKEE INDIAN).

Records show that the HALL Family, at least REBECCA, J. HENDERSON, his brother LEONARD and a very young female, SABRINA, were in Arkansas for a period of time, as some records, there, show that declarations, as to their ethnic origin, were made in the court records in YELLVILLE, Arkansas. Also the OREGON County, MISSOURI 1850 Census records show that SABRINA, age 5, was born in ARKANSAS, about 1845.

By the late 1840's JAMES HENDERSON HALL, his mother, REBECCA HALL, his brother LEONARD HALL and SABRINA settled near POTTERSVILLE, Missouri. On the 1850 Federal Census record's for OREGON County, Missouri, REBECCA's age was given as 53 (born about 1797), J. HENDERSON's as 25 (born about 1825), LEONARD's as 23 (born about 1827) and SABRINA's as 5 (born about 1845).

According to a family story and an article in the HOWELL County, Missouri GAZETTE for 1904, JAMES HENDERSON HALL (known as HENDERSON), went to work for FREDERICK COLLIER, a well-to-do land owner in the community. HENDERSON, fell in love with Frederick's daughter, SARAH COLLIER (born March 5, 1833). They were forbidden to marry. This did not daunt the young couple. Family tradition has it, that while Frederick Collier took a wagon into town, one day for supplies, young JAMES HENDERSON HALL stole SARAH from her home. They were married on AUGUST 15, 1855. HENDERSON was about 30 years old and SARAH was about 22 years old.

Records read: #237

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE UNDERSIGNED DID SOLEMIZE THE RIGHTS OF MATRIMONY BETWEEN HENDERSON HALL AND SARAH COLLIER. Both of the County of OREGON and the state of MISSOURI on the 15th day of August, 1855. J.W. OWEN J.P. Recorded the 10th day of Sept., 1855. J. W. Griffith Clerk

To this union, eight children were born. WILLIAM PERRY HALL, JOHN THOMAS HALL, JAMES HENDERSON HALL, JR. and DORA MITILDA HALL, were the only ones to reach adulthood. The cemetary at EVERGREEN, outside of POTTERSVILLE, Missouri, contains the early graves of: an infant of J.H and S.D. HALL (no date), Grant, son of J.H. and S.D. HALL (Jan. 10, 1869) and ELIAS, son of J.H. and S.D. HALL (no date, but he was shown to be age 7 on the 1880 MISSOURI Federal Census reports). They also had a daughter NANCY A. HALL, their second child, who was born in July 1859 and died on November 30, 1860.

In 1860, just Five short years after the marriage of JAMES HENDERSON HALL and SARAH (often called SALLY), CIVIL WAR broke out in this country. Unlike many of his neighbors, in the WEST PLAINS-POTTERSVILLE area, HENDERSON HALL was a UNION sympathizer.

Company Muster rolls showed that HENDERSON HALL, was in the UNION ARMY as a PRIVATE, in Company M of the 3rd Regiment of the MISSOURI CALVARY on the 15th day of September 1862, in ROLLA, MISSOURI, for a period of three years. Company M was commanded by JOHN M. GLOVER. He was mustered into service on November 5, 1862, also at ROLLA, MISSOURI, which was in PHELPS COUNTY.

The HALLS, were a UNION family living among people who were more SOUTHERN, than NORTHERN. HENDERSON HALL'S family was removed to ST. CLAIR COUNTY, ILLINOIS, for at least part of the war. In the spring of 1864, the A.P.O. office address was given as FOSTERBURGH, ILLINOIS, and the Muster Rolls show that his family was at that address.

All of the Muster Rolls for 1863, indicated that HENDERSON HALL was present. Several of these also indicated that he was paid for the loss of a horse, which substantiates another family story relayed by his grandson, JESSE, which indicated that the shots had come very close to him during the fighting of the war.

In the latter part of 1863, when at JACKSON POST, ARKANSAS, HENDERSON began to develop health problems (2). that would plague him for the rest of his life. The 1864 Muster Rolls for May-June, show him absent for 30 days sick leave. Again in July-August show him absent and on sick leave, (hospitalized part of the time) in FOSTERBURGH, ILLINOIS. Also, Muster Rolls show that he was present with the Company from September 1864 through April 1865. He was then hospitalized in LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS on April 15, 1865. He remained on the rolls until JUNE 14, 1865. He was mustered out of the service by a telegram sent to LITTLE ROCK in May of 1865, signed by W.O. NICHOLS. A.T. GENL. Soon after the war, the family returned to the POTTERSVILLE area. Federal Census records for 1870 show that JOHN T. HALL was born in 1867 and JAMES H. HALL, JR. in 1869, both in MISSOURI.

Also LEONARD HALL, Henderson's brother, died in 1867 (he was about 40 years old) and was burried in the EVERGREEN CEMETARY (then called LAMONS). HENDERSON (about 42 years old), was appointed executor of LEONARD'S estate. Court records show that LEONARD had requested this. In June of 1870, there are records showing that he had not met all of the requirements in settling LEONARD'S debts. A settlement was to be made the following January or a sale to satisfy debtors would occur. In July of 1870, records showed a statement saying that HENDERSON had discharged all of the debts of LEONARD'S estate.

In 1868 court records show that HENDERSON AND SARAH bought 163 acres of land in the POTTERSVILLE area, at auction, in JACKSON, MISSOURI. The land, costing $250.00, was paid for by JOSEPH HALL. Missouri census records show a Joseph Hall living on the land next to HENDERSON. Joseph Hall was believed to have been a relative to HENDERSON. We have been told that he was a cousin.

No more evidence was found of REBECCA HALL, after 1860 the Missouri census. She lived, at that time, with HENDERSON, SARAH, WILLIAM PERRY and SABRINA. Legend would have it that some time during her life, she married a man whose surname was TURNER. This was never proven. REBECCA'S burial place is unknown.

HENDERSON HALL and his family were farmers. Their farms, apparently, were close together, on a ridge of land, outside of POTTERSVILLE, MISSOURI. Census records show many of the HALL familys were living in consecutive farm numbers. (3).

An 1880 Federal Farm Census for HOWELL County, MISSOURI, showed HENDERSON HALL living on and owning his own land. Under tilled, including fallow and grass rotation (whether pasture or meadow) 65 acres, and under permanent meadows, pastures, orchards and vinyards, 95 acres. He declared the buildings and land to be worth $1,500.00, with implements worth $15.00 and his livestock, worth $300.00. He had made repairs in the previous year to the sum of $790.00 and had sold produce, worth $300.00.

The Farm Census, further, showed that he owned 8 horses and 6 mules. He owned 5 milk cows and 20 other cattle. He had 9 calves dropped in the previous year and had purchased two. It was listed that he sold 12 animals enumerated under meat cattle. Butter that was produced in 1879 amounted to 150 pounds. He had 12 new lambs born in 1879 and had slaughtered 5 sheep. He had shorn 24 sheep, getting 48 pounds of wool. On hand, June 1, 1880, he had 20 swine. On this same date, his poultry numbered 15 and he also listed that his hens had produced 80 dozen eggs, in the year 1879.

His crops consisted of 20 acres in Indian corn that produced 600 bushels, 10 acres in oats with a yeild of 100 bushels, 5 acres in rye that yeilded 10 bushels and 1/2 of an acre in sugar cane that produced 40 gallons of molasses. He also grew a small amount of Irish potatoes and tobacco, with a fairly large crop of apples producing __?__ bushels. It listed the number of cords of wood and the amount that he thought they were worth.

His children all had farms located close to his. Some of them smaller than his but all producing similar or complimentary crops, to those raised on his farm. For instance, WILLIAM PERRY HALL, raised peaches.

In 1881, HENDERSON made petitions for a WAR PENSION, siting chronic diarrhea, lung disease, rupture and an injury to his leg, resulting in varicose veins. Many of his neighbors wrote affidavits attesting to his poor physical health. He drew a pension of $4.00 a month until August 4, 1891, when he received a notice that his pension had been dropped because of an Act of June 27, 1890. He was listed on the SPECIAL SCHEDULE - SURVIVING SOLDIERS, SAILORS, MARINES AND WIDOWS in 1890 from HOWELL County, MISSOURI. He re-petitioned the WAR DEPARTMENT in July of 1890. He received and filled out informational (4) forms in 1898. He apparently collected the pension for a longer period, because after his death, his death was correctly noted in his military files, as PENSION FILE CLOSED.

HENDERSON lost his wife, SARAH D., on July 2, 1888. She was buried in LAMONS Cemetary, later called EVERGREEN. Near her were the graves of her three children that had died previously.

HENDERSON HALL served as a sort of community leader as well as a father to his family, in the community that was called the "HALL SETTLEMENT". Although it has been found that he did not write and I would suppose, he could not read, he used the court system, often and well.

In the late 1880's, rumors that the HALL familys were NEGRO, insued. This was supported by HENDERSON and his grandchildren's dark color. They were enumerated in the Census as MUALTTOS and his grandchildren barred from attending schools. HENDERSON took the school district to court and won, declaring and proving that the children were of PORTUGUESE and INDIAN decent instead of NEGRO. It became such a heated case that there was a change of venue to the MISSOURI TEXAS COUNTY COURT. Information about this case appeared in the January 28, 1904 edition of the HOWELL COUNTY GAZETTE. (article mentioned in the Muskogee OK Times-Democrat)

WILLIAM PERRY HALL, one of HENDERSON'S sons, died on December 22, 1899, as a result of a fire in his home and his wife MARTHA JONES HALL, followed him in his death, a scant 37 days later, on January 28, 1900. HENDERSON, helped in the capasity of guardian to the family, for many of WILLIAM PERRY and MARTHA's children were not yet grown.

JAMES HENDERSON HALL, died in his home on Thursday, January 21, 1904, at 9

A.M. His funeral was held on Friday January 22, 1904 and his remains laid to rest in LAMONS Cemetery. He left three children and many grandchildren.

Not all information is clear, at this point, but it seems that all of William Perry's children did not get along and there was some dispute over what remained of his estate. Several of his children, JESSE HALL, among them, loaded themselves into a wagon and went to OKLAHOMA. Oklahoma, was still, at that time, INDIAN TERRITORY. Most of the children's aunts an uncles remained in the POTTERSVILLE area, at this time.

Today, descendants of HENDERSON HALL live in many (5). of the fifty states, but a loose sort of contact has always been kept. For the last 10 to 15 years, there has been a HALL REUNION. Some of these reunions were held in SAPULPA, Oklahoma and later at the SEQUOYAH STATE PARK at SEQUOYAH BAY near WAGONER, Oklahoma. Now the reunion is always slated for the last Saturday of June.