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Subject: [DUKE-FAMILY] MCR- 788, testimony by Felix W. Sparks
Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2002 16:07:28 EST
Abstracts from Portions of MCR- 788, testimony by Felix W. Sparks,
in the matter of the application of Joseph L. Mixon.
Abstracted by Candy Hickman
6th Feb 1902
Name: Felix W. Sparks
Age: 76, the 18th of this month, born Perry County, Alabama
Address: Beasley, Clay County, Mississippi,
the last forty years before it became Clay County.
Before that: Fayette County, Alabama, then a new county called
Lamar.
Born in Perry County, Alabama
Occupation: Farming
Wife: Elizabeth "Bettie"- 2nd wife, 1st wife name not reflected
Nor their two children names.
Children: Thomas Ira, Roena C. married a Hughes,
William A. Sparks, Laura D. married a Howell.
By Commission: What do you want to prove by this witness?
By J. E. Arnold:
"I want to show by this witness that he is acquainted
with Elizabeth Foster and Moses Duke, and that they
were half breed Choctaw Indians; that he is also
acquainted with their children and descendants,
these applicants. Of course, he don't know anything
about their complying with the 14th article of the
treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek."
By Commission
Q: "Were you ever acquainted with a man
by the name of Moses Duke?"
A: "Yes, sir, been to his house many times."
Felix W. Sparks continues to testifies that he
might have been ten, twelve or thirteen years old
when he first knew him. Moses Duke was living
in Marion, Mississippi. What is now Lowndes County,
Mississippi.
Q. " Did he have any Choctaw blood?"
A. " Well, his sister said he had; that was Elizabeth Foster"
Speaks Choctaw: don't know
Felix W. Sparks thinks Moses came from South Carolina, but he
Is not certain. He was to small he stayed with the family 7 or 8
Years, Felix states he was raised a poor boy.
Choctaw Blood Moses had: he was called half.
Moses sibling: Elizabeth Foster- half Choctaw,
married Thomas L. Foster.
Q. " Did she or Moses speak Choctaw language?"
A. "She did some."
Q. "Are you willing to swear to that positively?"
A. " I done swore positively to all I said, to be the
truth and nothing but the truth; she spoke some
words of it that I didn't know anything about,
talking to her grandchildren; she claimed here
grandchildren were quarter-oons, and told them
they had Choctaw blood in them, and I was raised
with their grandchildren, and that's how I was raised."
Moses and Elizabeth Duke parents: don't know
Moses wife: Nancy or Patsy
.
Moses children:
1.Sarah- married Elisha Boucher, had Moses, moved to
Texas, Billy wife Bettie and they had Sallie.
Lockey married a Perry- lived in Calhoun County,MS, then
Moved to the Territory.
2.Betsey
3.Bartlett - married Sarah Foster, his 1st cousin
and daughter of Elizabeth Foster. Bartlett lived in
Mississippi a long time, then lived in Arkansas where he died.
Sarah the sister of Richard Duke Foster.
Bartlett S. Duke and Sarah Foster Children:
(A). Elizabeth - married Nichols, he died, moved to Oregon.
(B.) Ann - md 1st Perry Smith, Perry died before Ann went to AR. They had
Joel Lee, Elizabeth, William. Md 2nd Welden Allen in Arkansas. Commission
questioned if this was Sarah Ann, he doesn't know, only knew by Ann.
(C.) Becky- md Alpin, moved to California, don't know about children.
(D). Kizziah- md Dock Luther lived in Arkansas or IT
(E).Thomas - oldest, preacher, married a Stone, moved to California, Texas
and the western country preaching.
(F)Austin - can't remember wife name, she died in Mississippi, he move to
AR.,
last saw Austin 25 years ago, believes Austin is dead now and Austin had a
second marriage.
(G) Jim - Jim Hampton married a Ella Willis not certain of last name, moved
to AR.,
last seen 25 years ago. Wife name Charnella?- wasn't acquainted with
her
but a little, don't know.
[Alpha Ayers, mother to Charnella "Ella" (Hightower) Duke, 1st marriage
was to Charnel Hightower. After his death Alpha married a John
Willis.]
(H) Jackson "Jack" - never seen Jack's wife, moved to AR and married there.
(I) Barlett S. Duke [JR]- not that, if they did never called him that. Also
don't
know if a son of Bartlett and Sarah had a son who married a Paralee.
Felix W. Sparks claims he visited many times and lived with Sarah Foster
and Bartlett S. Duke for several years.
4. Austin- went to Texas, married, don't know about children.
5. Burgie- might have been Burrell B., 1st wife Sarah Tunnell,
2nd wife Becky Jones. Felix W. Sparks was present at Burgie and Sarah the
wedding in Lowndes County,MS, married by a minister approx. 12-14 miles from
Columbus. Burgie died in Atlanta, Mississippi he came from Lowndes to
Chickasaw, Mississippi.
Burgie and Sarah children:
(A)Hayes married Mary Jones,
(B)Moses not married- incompentent,
(C) Stephen I. Died during the war.
6.Richard
7.No child named Crawford that he knew of.
Felix W. Sparks doesn't know: Henderson or Frank
Elizabeth: died in Feast Point, Clay County,
Mississippi- buried a mile from Felix W. Sparks place
Elizabeth and Thomas L. Foster Children:
1.Ambrose - dead, married Hannah,
They had:
(A) Thomas- living in AR,
(B) Moses - dead, Arkansas or IT
(C) Jack- living in AR
(D) Alex- living in AR
(E)Martha- living in AR, widow married a Mattox
(F) Gatty- living in AR, outlived 3 men and ready to marry another one. Gatty
1st
husband was a Mixon. Gatty children names were Britton, Sampson and a
little
boy he can't recall the name.
(G)Bettie/ Elizabeth married Felix W. Sparks
(H) Jane - living in AR married an Akins, he died and she married a second
time
.
2. Susan - dead, married Alexander Mixon, no kin, died Chickasaw County, MS.
Susan Foster and Alexander Mixon Children:
A..Ikie Bud- children: Susan, Ella, Joe Thomas, Charley, Bob
B. Bijie - man, moved to Texas before the war and married there.
C. Joe - living, married Mollie Brown, they had :
C1.Susan living married Wattie Foster, 2nd cousin, son of
Thomas Foster and Grandson of Moses.
C2.Beulah - married Henry Rick is also known as Simeon.
C3.Eliza - married a Perry, lives close to Sparter, Chickasaw
County, Mississippi- Questioned if it was James E. Perry,
Felix didn't know.
C4.Arter / Atter- married George Perry
C5.Emmet - single, lives with his father
C6.Eugene - married, wife name unknown.
3.Sarah- dead, married Bartlett S. Duke, 1st cousin.
4. Moses - dead ,married Nancy Tunnell- Moses died in MS.
Children:
A..Billy - married "_at"[looks like Mat] lived in Texas had Dora,
Nannie, Ella, Fletcher and another one he couldn't recall the name.
B.Thomas - minister, living with his 3rd wife, children Wattie-
male, Jimmy
and two girls, don't recollect their names.
C.Washington - dead
D. Jackson- minister
E. John- lives in Houston, MS
F. Elizabeth- married a Lewis, lived in Chickasaw County, MS
children: Thomas a minister, Nannie married a Minister Whitson,
Dixie and another one, but don't recollect his name.
G. Nancy- married a Ownes, dead lives close to Elizabeth.
Children: Belle, Ella, boy's name don't recollect.
H. Sarah Jane - died at the age of 7 or 8.
5. Richard - dead, Richard Duke Foster- brother to Moses, married 1st Sarah
and married 2nd Mollie. Richard moved to Louisiana.
6. George Washington - dead, lived and died in Texas , married Mandy Spruel
also dead, They had Simmie, John liveds in MS, Elizabeth who married a
Glasson- dead. Elizabeth had a daughter named Ella.
7. Andrew Jackson - lives in Texas, married 1st Mary Williams
near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, married 2nd Mary Kilgers in Mississippi.
Descendants lived in Texas except for one in Mississippi. Children : Eamed
Pennie married a Lewis, Jane married a Loftin, Ben and John.
Elizabeth Mixon, sister of Joseph Mixon, married John Jones- no children.
Sarah married Moses Foster, her first cousin, one of Ambrose Foster sons.
Joseph Mixon, sister Ellen, married Clark Smith and lives in the Territory.
Children Willie, Henry, Tom, Rufus, Bettie and Callie.
Felix W. Sparks states that Joseph Mixon- never had a sister named Rebecca,
and that he doesn't know Lyourgus C. Duke or Sarah White.
By J. E. Arnold:
Q: "Are you acquainted with Burgis Duke?" A: "Old man?"
Q: "No, young Burge Duke?" A: "That's Hayes son."
Q: " Are you acquainted with Ruth Duke a young lady?" A: "yes"
Q: " Do you know where they live?" A: "Yes, them Dukes live in the
Territory."
Q: " Do you know were abouts in the Territory?"
A: "About three or four miles west of Ardmore is the way he wrote to me;
I think somewhere's in there."
Q: " Do you know how Hayes Duke signs his name?"
A: " No , sir, I expect I could show he signs it; I don't recollect how he
signs it. I have an envelope here from him which bears the return card "M.
H. Duke."
This witness is a white man of average intelligence.
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