ILJOHNSO-L Archives

Archiver > ILJOHNSO > 2005-01 > 1106070777


From:
Subject: Re: [ILJOHNSO] Cherokee Trail of Tears
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 12:52:57 EST


Hello Margaret--In 1837 the Cherokee Indians on the "Trail of Tears" camped
briefly on a field in front of the home of my gt-gt grandfather, Jacob Sivia
{possibly a later mispelling of what was originally Sevy}, outside of Mt.
Pleasant, Illinois, where he gave them water from his well.
A number of years ago, while on a trip to the Union County courthouse, I met
a local, well-known genealogist, who told me of an interesting event that
happened while they were camped in that field. Among them was an Indian woman
named Charity, who had given birth to a baby while on the trail. Her husband,
who had been one of the sub-chiefs, had been killed fighting the soldiers who
came to remove them from their homes in Georgia. A local man named Hugh Swinton
Gurley, whose wife had recently died, leaving him with several small
children, came to the encampment & traded a cow to Charity's father for her. Mr.
Gurley took Charity home with him where he married her & adopted her daughter,
whom he named Elizabeth. He treated Charity with great kindness, & she became a
respected member of the community. Elizabeth grew up & married Benjamin
Franklin Ballard & had several children, at least one of whom married into the
Stokes family.
Charity was born about 1806, or possibly as early as 1800, & her daughter,
Elizabeth, was born on October 18, 1837. Since being told this story, I have
verified it from other sources. I have researched the Stokes & Sivia families,
along with many of the families that married into them, for about 25 years.
I would be interested in knowing of any relation you might have to any of
these families.
Please let me hear from you so that I will know that you have gotten this
message.
Larry Selden

This thread: