.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3905: She was married three times. Her first marriage wa s toJohn C. B. Barker and they had seven children: Ida, William, He nry,George, Stella, Eli, and Benjamine Barker.
Rachel and George A. Bayes had four children: John, Gusta, Frank ,and Carl Bayes.
Rachel and Henry Lemaster had no children.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3846: Rachel D. Sparks, daughter of Millington and Mabel (Ruth) Sparks, was born on January 12, 1741, according to the information recorded in the Register of St. Lukes Church at Church Hill in Queen Annes County. We have found no further information about her.

!NOTES:
SQ 3865: Rachel Malinda Sparks was born on August 15, 1861. She w asmarried
to Leander Mauk (son of Henry J. Mauk 953) about 1885. They had at least three
Martha, Nancy and Alice.

SQ 2966-2967:

"Rachel Rebecca Sparks, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Naill)Sparks, was born on February 18, 1823, at Rays Hill, Pennsylvania. In1842, she was confirmed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church at BloodRun, Pennsylvania. She married Isaac Lysinger on June 24, 1847. Hewas born on February 25, 1819, and was a son of Henry and ElizabethLysinger.

"In the fall of 1852, Isaac and Rachel, with their two small children(Susan Elizabeth Lysinger had died just a few days earlier) startedfor Illinois. Notes left in a family Bible indicate that they went byboat across Lake Erie and then by wagon to Chicago. From Chicago theywent by canal southward to the town of Peru where they disembarked anddrove a wagon to the village of Wyante. They settled on a farm aboutfive miles north of the village.

"The family of Isaac and Rachel continued to grow. Their son, Josephenlisted during the Civil War when only sixteen years of age in the146th Regiment Illinois Infantry, but returned home safely. Twochildren, Anson and Virginia, were born, but lived for only a shorttime.

"In December 1893, Isaac and Rachel joined their children at Aurora,Nebraska, where Isaac died on September 19, 1895. He was buried atWyanet, Illinois. Rachel survived him three years, dying on May 7,1898. She was buried beside Isaac at Wyanet. They were the parentsof eight children."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3413: He never married. He served in the merchant marine a nddied in Florida in 1983.

SQ p. 5314:

Ransom Sparks was born about 1824 in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Hewas between 6
and 10 years old when he accompanied his parents in their move toIndiana; he was still living
with them when the 1850 census was taken of Kirkland Township in AdamsCounty, Indiana,
age 26. On September 10, 1851, he purchased a 40-acre lot there fromhis parents for $300.
When the 1860 census was taken he was living there with his mother andsister, Mary Sparks;
he was called "Farmer," age 36. When the 1870 census was taken, he wasstill living in
Kirkland Township--he was now 46, a farmer, with land valued at $600and personal property
at $170. His mother was no longer living, but his sister, Mary, waskeeping house for him. Also
living with him was Catherine Schunk, age 18, a native of Ohio. We donot know who she may
have been.

Our last record of Ransom Sparks is found in a deed dated December1871 by which he sold
to Eli Hummerickhouse for $500 the 40 acres of land that he hadpurchased from his parents
in 1851. He died in Wells County, on December 18, 1876--insolvent andwithout heirs. (File
#960)

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 2622: He married Helen Lindsey of Topeka, Kansas. They ha d nochildren.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1992, Whole No. 160, pg 4036-4040:
Rebecca Sparks, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Ricketts) Sparks,was born on May 16, 17--. L ' ike the birth year of her sister,Elizabeth, that for Rebecca is also now illegible in the parishregister. We believe, however, that her year of birth was about 1733. We have learned nothing further about her.

Paul Sparks suspects on page 4 of an unpublished article madeavailable to James J. Sparks, states "Rebecca Sparks, named as ahalf-sister of James Sparks, Jr., left no records as far as we havebeen able to determine, and she may have been a step-daughter, ratherthan a daughter, of James Sparks, Sr."

.

!NOTES:
SQ 2456: "Rebecca Sparks, daughter of William and Rhoda (Penningto n)Sparks,
was born on October 24, 1815. She died on December 1, 1891. She married Lania
(probably Lanier) Randolph about 1845 and, according to census records, they
had at least six children: James Randolph, Joseph Randolph, C. R. Randolph
(male), Jesse Randolph, Nancy Randolph, and Phoebe Randolph."
See also THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1994, Whole No. 165, p. 4273.

!NOTES:
SQ 3O84: "Rebecca Sparks, daughter of Abel and Sarah (Cochran) Sparks, was
born on December 27, 1825. She married William Andrews. She was still living
in 188O when the estate of her brother Solomon was settled. We hav eno
information regarding her family."

SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1994, Whole No. 165, p. 4276 states: RebeccaSparks, daughter of Jesse and Nancy Sparks, was born about 1831. Shewas married to John Birchfield, and they had five children: Martha,John , James, Mary and George.

SQ p. 3948: They lived at Logan, WV.

SQ pg 2748: "Rebecca E. C. Sparks, daughter of James Hawkins andRebecca (---) Sparks, was born about 1837 in Texas. She was marriedto Richard Michael Deckard (or Decherd) on May 12, 1857. He was bornon May 14 , 1837, at Decherd, Tennessee. He died on October 3, 1893,at Fayetteville, Arkansas. According to the GENEALOGY OF THE DECKARDFAMILY, 1932 by P. E. Decka rd, they had eight children."

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriageinformation from Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822-1865):
Rebecca H. Sparks & John F. Green, October 27, 1859. (Book 3A, p. 31)He born in Cabell County, Virginia, 20 years. old. She born inLawrence County, Kentucky, 17 years old. Married by Enoch Green,Baptist minister.

SQ p. 4645:

"Rebecca H. Sparks, daughter of Garrett and Betsy (Boggs) Sparks, wasborn about 1842 in Lawrence County, Kentucky. It was there that shewas married to John F. Green on October 27, 1859. He had been bornabout 1839 in Cabell County, Virginia (now West Virginia). John andRebecca are said to have moved to Minnesota where they had at leastone child. Nothing further has been heard of this couple."

SQ p. 1341:

"Rebecca Jane Sparks, daughter of Robert Thomas and Mary Ann(Wallingford) Sparks, was born about 1850 in Illinois; she died about1930. She married ----- Walker and lived all of her life in DallasCity, Illinois. A letter which she wrote to a daughter of her brotherEphraim in 1928 has been preserved by Eula Mae Prince and reads asfollows:

" 'Dallas City,
Sept. 27, 1928.

'Dear Niece Edna:

"I received your letter and was glad to hear from you. The last weheard from my Brother (Ephraim) I think he had two children and Ithink one was named Laura. I have one sister living & have two deadones. Mother died when your father and myself was small and none ofour Mother's folks was near here. My folks was all born in Kentucky,all but myself, I was born in Ills. and as our mother died when we wassmall, so we did not hear about her folks & never did see any of them. Our Mother's name was Walingford. Our father's folks came fromKentucky. Our father's brothers came and settled in Missouri and hadfarms there. I went to see them years ago & they were all prosperousfarmers. My father had 4 brothers & one sister there, but most ofthem have passed on. I can't tell you how old your father was when hewent to Texas, he was 18 when he went in the Arny & was gone one yearand I think maybe he was here two years before he went to Texas. Ialways thought we would get to see him, but glad to know he had lotsof friends. He was always thought of as a good, honest boy. I wasglad to see his picture. He looks like our father. Sometime I willsend you some of his pictures taken while he was here. Did he tellyou he was in the army? Did he get a pension? You say your Mother isan invalid., which I am sorry to hear. My sister Sarah has been in ahospital four years. She is not sick but can't walk and her nervesare so bad she shakes so she can hardly write. I have no singlegranddaughter. I have two but not near here. I thank you for writingto me and sending those pictures. Hope to hear from you soon. I willask you how many brothers you have & if they are married. The weatheris very cool here today. This is all for this time. Good by. WithLove to All.
Aunt Jane Walker."

!NOTES:
SQ pg 2923 provides this: "Rebecca Jane Sparks was born on Decembe r1, 1876.
She married Jeremiah Franklin Weicht on July 4, 1893. He was born o nJuly 4,
1871, and was a son of Jeremiah W. and Rose Anne (Bussard) Weicht. Jeremiah F.
Weicht died on August 30, 1935, and Rebecca Jane died on August 13, 1946. They
were the parents of fourteen children: Robert P., Rosa Ellen, Mary Ethel, Roy
E., Zelma Mae, Anna Belle, Grace E., Lloyd E., Richard E., Alice P. ,Benjamin
F., Bertha I., Gladys R., and Alberta L."

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3902: He was married to Elizabeth "Lizzie" Elkins.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 1989, Whole No. 146, pps 3421-22:
"Reese D. Sparks, son of George and Lucinda (Sargent) Sparks, was bornon March 10, 1889, in Elliott County where he grew to manhood . Hewent to upper Wisconsin, probably to join some other Elliott Countianswho had migrated there in the early 1900s to work in the lumberindustry. It was at Antigo, Wisconsin, that he enlisted in July 1917in the 107th Trench Mortar Battery, 32nd Division, United States Army. His unit trained at Waco, Texas, and by March 1918, it was i nFrance. Sparks's company was sent to the front immediately (in theVosges Mountains), and on June 30, 1918, he was killed.

"As told by his aunt, Sarah (Sparks) Gee, his death occurred asfollows: `Reese was wounded the first time he went to the battlefield. He had refused to take his mess-kit with him on that day saying thathe would be the unlucky one. He was struck in the chest by shrapneland lived only three hours. He said goodbye to the boys who werecarrying him to the hospital.' "

"Reese Sparks was interred in a temporary grave in Alsace-Lorraine ,but three years later, his body was returned to the United States, andhe was buried with military rites in the Ashland (Kentucky) Cemeteryon June 5, 1921."

A photograph of him in uniform appears on page 3422 of the QUARTERLY.

SQ p. 4639:

"Regina E. Sparks was born on August 30, 1865. She was married toDennis Lyon in 1888 in Lawrence County. He had been born on July 4,1869, and was a son of Lewis and Mary ["Polly"] (Sparks) Lyon; thus heand his sister, Emily Lyon, were married to a brother and a sister.(See Item A, 3, a, above.) Regina died in 1920 at West Jefferson,Ohio. She and Dennis had five children: Myrtie Lyon, Virgie Lyon,Ovie Lyon, William Lyon, and Elisha Lyon.

See SQ p. 333 for birth information. This entry lists her parents asWesly Sparks and Nancy Kasee.

See SQ p. 4856:

"Rena Sparks, daughter of Wes and Nancy (Kozee) Sparks, was born onAugust 5, 1860. She was married to George W. Sparks on March 19,1880, in Elliott County. He had been born about 1856 in NorthCarolina, probably in Cherokee County, and was a son of Joel and MaryJane (Grew) Sparks. After the killing of George's brother, SolomonSparks, on September 8, 1877, in Elliott County, Joel and Mary Janereturned to Cherokee County, North Carolina, and it is highly probablethat George and Rena followed them. We have no further informationabout this couple. (See page 2271 of the March 1981 issue of theQUARTERLY, Whole No. 113, for further details regarding the aboveincident.)

See SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1967, Whole No. 59, pp 1082-1089:

"DESCENDANTS OF SOLOMON AND SARAH SPARKS, OF MARYLAND AND NORTHCAROLINA
THROUGH THEIR SON, REUBEN SPARKS (ca. 1755-1840)":

[The article begins by including a brief history of the parents ofReuben Sparks for which see the notes under Solomon Sparks, (356)].

REUBEN SPARKS (ca. 1755-1840), SON OF SOLOMON AND SARAH SPARKS

"Reuben Sparks, believed to have been the second son of Solomon andSarah Sparks, was born in Rowan County, North Carolina, about 1755 .He was married about 1783, probably in Wilkes County, North Carolina,to Cassa (or Cassie) Buttery, who was born about 1765 and died in1842. She was probably the daughter of, or closely related to TimothyButtery, whose estate was settled in 1802 in Wilkes County.(According to the Minutes of the Wilkes County Court dated February 1,1802, Reuben Sparks and Richard Allen were securities for the bonds ofMary Buttery and Jesse Allen who were named as administrators ofTimothy Buttery's estate. In a subsequent court record, Mary Butteryis identified as the widow of Timothy. In 1806 she married as hersecond husband Joseph Thomson (Wilkes County Marriage Bonddated Mary4, 1806.)

"Reuben Sparks is mentioned frequently in the land and court recordsof Wilkes County. He frequently served on juries, helped to lay outroads, and he was an active member of the South Fork of Roaring RiverBaptist Church. In 1829, 1830, 1832 and 1834, he served as a delegateto the Baptist Association. Like his father, he owned land in bothWilkes County and in Surry County. In 1792, he purchased 340 acres inSurry County on Hunting Creek from Richard Goode for 50 pounds (BookE, pp. 229-30). In 1797, he sold 170 acres in Surry County "on theNorth Fork of Hunting Creek on the Brushy Mountain" to James Denneyfor 100 pounds (Book G, pp. 365-66). In 1799, he purchased a tract of300 acres in Wilkes County on the Big Elkin from Andrew Crow (Book E,p. 306). In 1800 he sold a tract of 179 acres in Surry County onHunting Creek on the Brushy Mountain to William Jeffrey (Book H, p.318). On March 5, 1835, Reuben Sparks sold a tract of 100 acres onRoaring River in Wilkes County to William R. Sparks, his son, for $300(Book 1841-51, p.44). This land was described as where "the sd.Reuben Sparks now lives." On the same day he sold an adjoining tractof 70 acres to his son Jonas Sparks for $300 (Book 1841-51, p.42).

"According to the records of Old Roaring River Baptist Church inWilkes County, Reuben Sparks died at 2:00 A.M. on July 13, 1840. Hiswife Cassie Sparks, died about 1842. It is believed that Reuben andCassie (Buttery) Sparks were the parents of the following children:[Here are listed eight children. Later information published inMarch, 1988 {see below} repeats and corrects the informationcommencing on page 1084 which will not be included here.]

* * * * * * * * * *

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1975, Whole No. 89, p. 1713 for thefollowing:

SOME DESCENDANTS OF REUBEN AND CASSA (BUTTERY) SPARKS

"In the QUARTERLY of September 1967 (Vol. XV, No. 3, Whole No. 59) wedevoted several pages [JS: See Above] to a record of the family ofReuben Sparks (ca.1755-1840) and his wife, Cassa (or Cassie) (Buttery)Sparks (ca.1765 -1842). Reuben Sparks was a son of Solomon and SarahSparks who moved from Frederick County, Maryland, to Rowan County,North Carolina, in 1753. Reuben was born after the family moved toNorth Carolina; he lived and died in the area of Wilkes and SurryCounties. Reuben and Cassa (Buttery) Sparks had eight children, one ofwhom was Lydia, born about 1804. She married Henry Bauguess. One oftheir descendants, Tim Peterman of 11315 Applewood Dr., Kansas City,Mo. (64134), has supplied us with new information regarding some ofLydia (Sparks) Bauguess' descendants.

"Lydia Sparks and Henry Bauguess were married in the early 1820's. Ason, Bryant Bauguess, was born in Wilkes County, North Carolina, onMarch 29, 1823. A daughter, Fanny Bauguess, was born in 1830. Therewere probably other children as well. When the 1850 census was taken,Bryant Bauguess was living in Jefferson Township, Owen County,Indiana. His mother, Lydia (Sparks) Bauguess, was living with himalong with his sister, Fanny, and Eli P. Bauguess; the latter wasprobably a brother. Soon after 1850, Fanny Bauguess moved to CrawfordCounty, Illinois, where, on January 6, 1853, she was married toAlexander Maleom Eagleton, a son of James Eagleton. A month later, onFebruary 17, 1853, James M. Eagleton, brother of Alexander, marriedNancy A. Bauguess. She was doubtless a close relative, perhaps sister,of Fanny. Between 1853 and 1868, Alexander and Fanny (Bauguess)Eagleton moved to Arcadia, Crawford County, Kansas. In 1869, theymoved to Rich Hill, Bates County, Missouri, where they operated theEagleton Hotel. He died about 1900; Fanny died in 1925s at the age of95. They had four children:

1. Lydia Margaret Eagleton, born Jan. 22, 1868, died 1949; she marriedJosef Peterman (died 1953) a Swiss immigrant, son of JakobPeterman. They had eleven children.

2. John Eagleton married Jane ----- and moved to Colorado. They hadfive children.

3. Mable Eagleton married Bert De Bord and had three children.

4. Fannie Eagleton married (lst) - - - - - Mickey; she married (2d) -- - - - Gee. She had four children.

* * * * * * * * * *

In the March 1988 issue of THE SPARKS FAMILY QUARTERLY, Whole No. 141,pages 3175-3206, continued in the Sept 1988 issue, Whole No. 143 pages3262-3285 are articles devoted to the descendants of Reuben and Cassie(Buttery) Sparks for which see their individual sheets.

See also the article included in his brother John's notes entitled"THE GENEALOGY OF JOHN SPARKS" (359 ), " REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSIONEROF WILKES COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA" in which Reuben is mentioned on p.98 as John's brother.

See notes for his father George Sparks and from page 4809-10 of theQUARTERLY:

"George Sparks was shown in Newberry County, South Carolina, stillconsidered part of the "Ninety-Six District," in 1790, as over age 16.In his household was a male under 16, who was doubtless his small son,Reuben Sparks, and one female who was surely his wife, of whom we haveno knowledge. Two other men named Sparks were also shown as headinghouseholds in Newberry County in 1790, John Sparkes and StephenSparks, but we are certain that they were unrelated to George Sparks."

Thus this Reuben Sparks was born between 1774 and 1790.

While there may be no connection, see the pension application for aReuben H. Sparks born in Maryland about 1777 in the Quarterly forJune, 1962, Whole No. 38, pp. 651-653 and mentioned again in theDecember 1985 issue, Whole No. 132, pp 2799-2801. This latter articleprovides information as to his wife and 10 children.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1955, Whole No. 12, p 103:

"Reuben Sparks, son of John and Sarah (Shores) Sparks, was born 26September, 1799, in Wilkes Co., N.C.; he died 9 March 1878, in WilkesCo . N.C.; he married 10 October, 1828, in Wilkes County, PhoebeBlackburn, born 14 October 1807, in Wilkes Co., died 26 November,1892, in Wilkes Co. Reuben and Phoebe Sparks lived at Trap Hill inWilkes County and were honest , hardworking, God-fearing people. Weare very much indebted to Mrs. Annie (Sparks) Wilson of Trap Hill, andher brother, Blaine Sparks, for furnishing us with the pictures ofReuben and Phoebe (their grandparents), and for being of invaluableassistance to us in the compiling of this record of the descendants ofJohn Sparks, Revolutionary War soldier.
Children of Reuben and Phoebe (Blackburn) Sparks:
(a) George Washington Sparks, born 11 October, 1829; married 1855 ,Elizabeth E. Johnson.
(b) Lewis William Sparks, born 23 May 1831; married Martha Spicer.
(c) Sarah Sparks, born 29 November, 1837; died 1862; unmarried.
(d) John Sparks, born 6 August, 1841; unmarried.
(e) William C. Sparks, born 25 May, 1843; married Phoebe McCann."

"George Washington Sparks and his brother, John Sparks (sons of Reubenand Phoebe Sparks), were killed in service in 1863 in the Army of theConfederate States of America. Their brother, William C. Sparks,fought with the Union Army, serving with Company H, 10th Regiment ofCavalry, Tennessee Volunteers. His honorable discharge, dated 1August. 1865, gives his description as follows: "Said William Sparkswas born in Wilks County in the State of North Carolina, is twentyyears of age, Six feet -- inches high, fair complexion, blue eyes,black hair, by occupation, when enrolled , a Farmer."

"Reuben Sparks, son of John and Sarah (Shores) Sparks, was born 26Sept. 1799., in Wilkes Co., N.C.; he died 9 March 1878,in Wilkes Co..,N.C.; he married 10 Oct. 1828, in Wilkes Co., Phoebe Blackburn, born14 Oct. 1807, in Wilkes Co., died 26 Nov. 1892, in Wilkes Co. Reubenand Phoebe Sparks lived at Trap Hill in Wilkes Co. and were honest,hard-working, God-fearing people. We are very much indebted to Mrs.Annie (Sparks) Wilson of Trap Hill, and her brother, Blaine Sparks,for furnishing us with pictures of Reuben and Phoebe (theirgrandparents), and for being of invaluable assistance to us in thecompiling of this record of the descendants of John Sparks,Revolutionary War soldier.

Children of Reuben and Phoebe (Blackburn) Sparks:
(a) George Washington Sparks, born 11 Oct. 1829; married 1855,Elizabeth
E. Johnson
(b) Lewis Williams Sparks., born 23 May 1831; married Martha Spicer.
(c) Sarah Sparks, born 29 Nov. 1837; died 1862; unmarried.
(d) John Sparks, born 6 Aug. 1841; unmarried.
(e) William C. Sparks, born 25 May 1843; married Phoebe McCann.

"The following is taken from a newspaper clipping, dated 1863, fromThe National Tribune, printed in Washington, D.C. Some of the accountis said to have been left out, but here is what remains and, althoughincomplete, it gives an interesting account of how William C. Sparksescaped and avoided capture during the War:

"William Sparks also belonged to the company of stampeders, but beingsick, he was in the house when the excitement occurred in the yard,and he asked Mrs. Bell to conceal him. She immediately raised a plankfrom the kitchen floor, and he crept under the kitchen, where heremained until the rebels had finished their bloody work and returnedto burn the house, which they first commenced by piling up clothes inthe center of the floor, and setting them on fire, just over thecellar where the sick man had been concealed. The clothes not burningfast enough, they procured a straw-bed, and., placing it on the floor,they put a chunk of fire into it; the smoke began to ascend in clouds,when they were compelled to go out into the front yard to obtain freshair. There were two doors to the kitchen, and the wind passingthrough closed the door next to the rebels, which gave Sparks anopportunity to make his escape from the house. He crept out of thecellar through the smoke., and went through the back yard about tensteps from the house and concealed himself under some dry weeds andvines in the garden where he remained until the buildings wereconsumed, suffering intensely from the terrible heat of the fire.

"The rebels now went up the valley among their murdered victims forthe purpose of stripping them of their clothing. Miss ElizabethMorrison, who lived in the neigh- borhood, and was at Bell's houseduring the whole time of the dreadful excitement, procured a lady'sdress, took it to the garden where Sparks was concealed, and told himto put it on, and thereby most admirably disguised his sex. She thentold him to walk along slowly across the fields and go to her father'shouse, telling him when he got to the house her father would conducthim to a place of safety. She said all of her family would at onceknow her bonnet, and that would furnish them sufficient evidence thathe was not a traitor.

"Sparks went on as the kind lady directed him, and was concealed andsaved; but he had been so terribly frightened that he did not recoverhis proper facilities of mind for several days. The horrid scenes hewitnessed on that dreadful day surely can never be erased from hismemory until death shall have closed his earhly existence."

"A photo of Reuben and of Phoebe is on the cover of THE SPARKSQUARTERLY, December 1955, Whole #12, page 93 preceeding the articleabout his father John the "Revolutionary War Pensioner."

See SQ Whole No. 36, p. 606 for the 1850 census of Wilkes County,North Carolina which shows Reubin and Phebe with George, Lewis, Sally,John, and William.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1997, Whole No. 197, p 4876:
"Reuben Sparks, son of Robert and Margaret (Pigg) Sparks, was bornabout 1815 in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Apparently, he went toLawrence County, Kentucky, with his siblings about 1825/30. He was abondsman for his brother, Wesley Sparks, on June 19, 1835, when Wesleyand Nancy Kozee obtained a marriage bond in Lawrence County. ReubenSparks returned to North Carolina and was married there about 1842 toMargaret Pruitt. She had been born about 1821 in North Carolina.
"The first child of Reuben and Margaret (Pruitt) Sparks was born inNorth Carolina about 1845, but shortly thereafter, they moved toLawrence County where their second child was born about 1847. Whenthe 1850 census was taken of Lawrence County, Reuben and Margaretlived a few houses from his brothers, Wesley Sparks and WilliamSparks. They were next-door neighbors to Reuben's uncle, GeorgeSparks. As enumerated on that census, Reuben Sparks was 33, born inNorth Carolina; Margaret Sparks was 28, also born in North Carolina;Mary Ann Sparks was 5, born in North Carolina; Hiram Sparks, 3, andCalvin Sparks, 8 months, both born in Kentucky.

"Shortly after the 1850 census was taken, Reuben and Margaret moved toArkansas where they settled in White River Township in WashingtonCounty. Their post office was Jupiter, apparently no longer inexistence today. It was there that the family was enumerated on the1860 census. As recorded by the census taker, Reuben Sparks was afarmer with real estate valued at $500. He was 46 and Margaret was40; both were natives of North Carolina; their daughter, Ann Sparks,15, had been born, also, in North Carolina; their sons, Hiram, 12, andCalvin, 10, had been born in Kentucky; while Martha, age 7, andNathan, age 3, had been born in Arkansas.

"On March 7, 1955, this compiler received a letter from William ReubenSparks of Columbus, Kansas. According to Mr. Sparks, he had been bornin 1876 in Crawford County, Kansas, and was a son of Calvin Sparks.His grandfather was Reuben Sparks, who had been married in WilkesCounty, North Carolina (wife not named), but who had moved to Kentuckywhere he had raised his family. Other members of the family,according to Mr. Sparks, were Hiram Sparks, born in 1847; Polly AnnSparks, born in 1851 [doubtless an error, census records indicate theyear was about 1845); and William Sparks, born in 1854.

"With this information, a search has been made of the 1870 census ofCrawford County, Kansas. Reuben Sparks and his family were foundtherein, in the township of Sheridan, but with their post office inthe village of Girard in Crawford Township, located in the center ofCrawford County. A farmer, Reuben was shown as owning no land in1870, and his personal property was valued at only $500. His age wasgiven as 57; that of Margaret as 49. (Crawford County, Kansas, bordersBarton County, Missouri, on the east.)

"Reuben and Margaret's oldest child was called "Polly A. Sparks" onthe 1870 census, "Polly" being a common nickname for Mary. She hadbeen called Mary Ann Sparks on the 1850 census and Ann Sparks on the1860 census. Still living with their parents in 1870 were three sons,Hiram (22), Calvin (20), and William (12). The daughter named Martha,born about 1853 according to the 1860 census, was not shown on the1870 census--perhaps she had been married by then or had died inyouth. The son called Nathan in 1860, born about 1857, appears tohave been called William in 1870.

"Reuben Sparks and wife Margaret were still living in SheridanTownship, Crawford County, Kansas, when the 1880 census was taken, onwhich Reuben was shown as 65 years of age and suffering from cancer.Margaret's age was given as 50; the census taker probablymisunderstood whoever it was in the household that suppliedinformation for her. A question asked on the 1880 census was theplace of birth of each individuals parents--these spaces were leftblank for the Reuben Sparks household. Their daughter, Polly A.Sparks, was still living at home when the 1880 census was taken,(shown as "helps keep house"), as was their son, William M. Sparks,age 22 ("works on farm"). Also living in the Reuben Sparks householdin 1880 was 18-year-old William T. Mitchell, a native of Arkansas,who, like William Sparks, "works on farm."

"The relationship of each individual in a household to the head ofthat household was supposed to be provided on the 1880 census, but foryoung Mitchell, this space was left blank."

.

!NOTES:
SQ 3193: Reuben Sparks was born about 1842. He married Martha -- -,
probably about 1862, and, when the 1870 census was taken of Wilkes County,
they were living on a farm adjoining that of his father. With them was
a seven year old girl. We believe that Reuben and Martha also had two
other children who were listed in the household of Reuben's parents when
the census was taken, and there may have been other children born t othis
couple. Their known children were:
(1) Mary J. Sparks was born about 1863.
(2) Cassie Sparks was born about 1864.
(3) Sarah J. Sparks was born about 1866. She was probably the Sar ahJ.
Sparks who married William F. Vannoy about 1890. He was bor n in 1862
and was a son of Daniel and Betty (Edwards) Vannoy. Sarah die d on
October 11, 1911, leaving her husband with several small child ren.
According to LOG CABIN FAMILIES OF STONE MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROL INA,she
and Bill had nine children: George W., Maudie, Daniel, Sarah , Pearl,
Will, Tishy, John, and Robert.

See SQ p. 333 for birth information.

.
!NOTES:
SQ 3271: "Reuben Sparks, son of John Henry and Rebecca (Mitchell)
Sparks, was born on November 13, 1857. He married Margaret Caroline
Linkhous probably about 1880. She was born about 1860 and was a daughter
of William P. and Mary B. (Cecil) Linkhous. According to the ANNAL SOF
TAZEWELL COUNTY, VIRGINIA written in 1925 by John N. Harman, Sr., Reuben
and Margaret had two children, Ernest and Lavisa."

See SQ pg 4858:
"Reuben Sparks, son of Wes and Nancy (Kozee) Sparks, was born in 1867. He lived on Wallowhole Creek in Elliott County. He was married toDova J. Whitt about 1895. She had been born in May 1873 and was adaughter of Bauguess Whitt. According to census records and toinformation furnished by relatives, Reuben and Dova had sevenchildren."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1997, Whole No. 179, pp 4864-5:

"Reuben R. Sparks, son of Bill and Polly (Lyon) Sparks, was born onApril 5, 1837, in Lawrence County, and was very likely named for hisuncle, Reuben Sparks. He was married to mary Jane Wellman on april25, 1858, in Lawrence County. She had been born in June 1838 and wasa daughter of John and Mariah Wellman. she and Reuben lived nearFielden, Kentucky, on a 155-acre farm. When Elliott county was formedin 1869, Reuben was one of the first justices of the peace.

"Reuben Sparks served in Company A, 68th Regiment Kentucky Militia ofthe Union Army during the Civil War. (See below for an abstract ofhis pension file also found on page 4883 of the QUARTERLY). He diedon August 16, 1904, at Portsmouth, Ohio, and was buried in the ReubenSparks Cemetery, about three miles from the intersection of StateRoute 409 and the Little Sandy River, but there are no stones nordates. "

Pension file:

REUBEN R. SPARKS, son of William and Mary (Lyon) Sparks, was born onApril 5, 1837, in Lawrence County, Kentucky. He was married to MaryJ. Wellman about 1858. He served in Company A, 68th RegimentKentucky Enrolled Militia. File Designation: Inv. Appl. No.1,073,102.

"On November 18, 1891, Reuben R. Sparks, aged 62, a resident ofLawrence County,
Kentucky, completed a Declaration for an Invalid Pension. He statedthat he had been enrolled on May 21, 1864, in Company A, 68th RegimentKentucky Enrolled Militia, and had served until he had been releasedat Louisa, Kentucky, on June 22, 1864. He was now unable to earn hissupport because of a disease of the right lung and because of ruptureson both sides. He appointed B. H. Harris, Flat Gap, Kentucky, as hisattorney. H. H. Gambill and George Salyer witnessed his signature.

"The War Department confirmed the military service of Reuben R. Sparkson January 11, 1892. He had been enrolled on May 21, 1864, in CompanyA, 68th Regiment Kentucky Enrolled Militia and had been mustered outwith his company on June 22, 1864, at Louisa, Kentucky.

"On January 27, 1892, the Bureau of Pensions rejected the claim ofSparks because he had served less than 90 days; thus, he had noentitlement to a claim under the Pension Act of 1890.

"On December 17, 1892, Reuben Sparks again submitted a Declaration ofan Invalid Pension to the Bureau of Pensions. This time, he named C.D. Pennebaker, Washington, D.C., as his attorney. John H. Curnotteand David T. Curnotte witnessed his signature.

"On the same day, Levi J. Sparks, a practicing physician in LawrenceCounty, Kentucky, testified that he had known Reuben R. Sparks all ofhis life and knew that Sparks was troubled with a chronic lung diseaseand with hernias on both sides of his inguinal region. Theseconditions had left Sparks unable to do any manual labor.

"Also on December 17, 1892, Isaac Lester, aged 56, and James Liming,aged 59, both residents of Lawrence County, Kentucky, made a jointaffidavit that Reuben R. Sparks had been a healthy man prior to hismilitary service, but that he was now
so disabled that he was unable to do any manual work. The affidavitwas sworn to before G. W. Griffith, a natary public.

"On February 9, 1893, Green B. Raum, Commissioner of the Bureau ofPensions, notified Dr. E. P. Gould of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, toexamine Reuben R. Sparks for possible lung disease and ruptures.Accordingly, on April 5, 1893, Sparks appeared before an examiningboard of physicians consisting of J. D. Kincaid, E. P. Gould, and W.F. Bruns. The board found Sparks to be suffering from a 20-year-oldrupture on one side and a 5-year-old rupture on the other side. Hewore a truss which only partially retained the ruptures. In addition,Sparks had pains in his right breast from which he coughed frequentlyand from which he expectorated yellow phlegm streaked with blood. Theboard concluded that he was entitled to a 14/18 rating for thesedisabilities.

"On November 26, 1894, Attorney C. D. Pennebaker was informed by theBureau of Pensions that the claim he had filed for Reuben R. Sparks onDecember 17, 1892, "had been found to be a duplicate & consolidatedwith a rejected claim. That no further action can be taken in thiscase." The case was marked in large letters, "ABANDONED. "

This family is found in the US Census for 1870 in Elliott County, KYat Little Fork:
51 Reuben Sparks 33 KY
Mary J. 32 KY
Elizabeth 11 KY
Malissa 9 KY
Nancy 5 KY
Mary J. 3 KY
They are living near Reuben's brother Isaac in North Fork, and Joelclose by in Little Fork.

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, p. 886 for the following marriageinformation from Lawrence County, Kentucky, Marriage Bonds (1822-1865):
Reuben Sparks & Mary Curnutte, December 18, 1857. (Book II, p. 114) He28 years old; she 21 years old. Married by Enoch Green, Baptistminister. Witnesses: David & Mary Wellrnan.

SQ pp. 4634-35:
"Reuben David Sparks, son of Garrett and Betsy (Boggs) Sparks, wasborn February 8, 1829, along with his twin, Eleanor Sparks. OnDecember 18, 1857, he was married to Mary Curnutte in Lawrence Countyby the Rev. Enoch Green, a Baptist minister. The witnesses were Davidand Mary Wellman. Mary Curnutte had been born in October 1836 and wasa daughter of Reuben ["Bobby"] and Zilpha (Holbrook) Curnutte.

"Reuben Sparks lived quite near his parents on Blaine Creek where hewas a farmer. He and Mary had nine children, eight of whom grew tomaturity. One of the children recalled how his parents instilled thevalue of getting an education in all of their children. Three oftheir sons became physicians, and the other son became a well-knownand successful teacher.

"When the 1900 census was taken of Lawrence County, Reuben and Marywere living in the household of their son, James Cecil Sparks, who hadbeen married to Nora Holbrook the previous year. Reuben died onDecember 28, 1900. Mary died ten years later, on October 3, 1910."

SQ p. 4636:

"Reuben David Sparks, Jr. was born on June 3, 1871, at the forks ofBlaine Creek. He was graduated from the Louisville [Kentucky] Schoolof Medicine in 1894 and began practicing medicine on Elk Fork at themouth of Williams Creek in Morgan County, Kentucky. He later moved toWest Liberty, Kentucky. He practiced medicine continuously for morethan sixty years. His records show that he delivered over 5,000babies during that time. It was at West Liberty that he was marriedto Florence Hutchinson on February 16, 1898. She died on January 15,1948. Reuben died on August 28, 1960. They were buried in the SalyerCemetery at West Liberty. They had two children, Winfred C. Sparksand Walter D. Sparks."

****************************************

The following article appeared in the March, 1962 issue of the SPARKSQUARTERLY, Whole No. 37 at p. 638:

DEATH TAKES DR. REUBEN DAVID SPARKS

Mr. W. C. Sparks, a charter member of The Sparks Family Association,has written of the death of his father, Dr. Reuben David Sparks, whopassed away on August 28, 1960, at the age of eighty-nine.

Reuben David Sparks was born at the Forks of Blame in LawrenceCou.nty, Kentucky, on June 3, 1871, a son of Reuben R. and Mary(Canute) Sparks. This branch of the Sparks family has produced manyphysicians, including two of Reuben's brothers, Dr. J. Cecil Sparks ofAshland, Ky., and Dr. Walter Sparks of West Virginia. After graduatingfrom the Louisville School of Medicine, Reuben D. Sparks came toMorgan County at the age of 23 and began practicing on Elkfort at themouth of Williams Creek. Later he moved to West Liberty, also inMorgan County. In all, Dr. Sparks practiced medicine in Morgan Countyfor sixty-four years. In 1958, he was presented a scroll of honor at aceremony in the public square of West Liberty for his ?long, kind,efficient and unselfish service to the people of Morgan andsurrounding counties.? At that time, Dr. Sparks stated that he hadkept records of the babies he had delivered and that the number was5,010. Among these were 280 sets of twins and 60 sets of triplets.

Dr. Sparks was a true "horse and buggy doctor." He often traveled byhorseback into all parts of Morgan County and adjoining counties and,during epidemics, would sometimes stay in the saddle two or three daysat a time. His fee in those days was two dollars for a trip up to tenmiles, and fifty cents each for patients seen along the way. Heremembered he once had eight typhoid patients in one family at thesame time.

Dr. Sparks was married on Feb. 16, 1898, to Florence (Hutchinson)Sparks; she died on Jan. 15, 1948. Dr. Sparks is survived by two sons,Winfred C. Sparks of South Bend, Indiana, a district executive for theJ. C. Penny Company, and Walter D. Sparks of Mountain Lake, NewJersey, a department head for the Bell Telephone division of theAmerican Telephone and Telegraph Company. Dr. Sparks was buried inSalyers Cemetery at West Liberty, Kentucky.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

SPARKS QUARTERLY, March 1988, Whole No. 141; DESCENDANTS OF REUBE N &CASSIE (BUTTERY) SPARKS, pp 3176-3206 at 3196:
"Reuben J. Sparks, son of John and Elizabeth (Rose) Sparks, was bornJanuary 1, 1819, in Wilkes County, North Carolina. He married NancyMc Grady, probably about 1840. She was born on May 8, 1816, and was adaughter of Isaiah McGrady. Reuben and Nancy settled down tohousekeeping in rugged northern Wilkes County, but quite near BrushCreek in adjacent Ashe County. It was on Brush Creek that Reubenbought a 200-acre farm from his father on March 20, 1841, for $1,000.A son, Calton Sparks, was born to him and Nancy on August 5, 1843.[For an earlier article on this family see SQ 1086 .]

"Reuben and Nancy were listed on the 1850 census as residents ofWilkes County, but sometime during the 1850s, they moved to AsheCounty, probably to be near his aging parents. In 1859, the part ofAshe County in which John and Elizabeth Sparks lived was cut off toform Alleghany County . When the 1860 census of Alleghany County wastaken, Reuben and Nancy Sparks were shown as living very near Reuben'sparents (probably on adjoining farms). Living with Reuben and Nancywas their son, Calton, and a second son, Isiah (named for his maternalgrandfather) who had been born in 1851.

"The Civil War had a tragic impact upon the little family of Reubenand Nancy Sparks. Their eldest son, Calton, now 19 years of age,enlisted on May 3, 1862, as a 3rd sergeant in Company I of the 61stRegiment, North Carolina Infantry, Confederate States Army, on May 3,1862. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on June 9, 1863. Then, atthe siege of Petersburg , Virginia, he was killed on July 30, 1864.

"(continuing on page 3199) After serving as the executor of hisfather's will in the fall of 1868, Reuben Sparks went to RussellCounty, Virgi nia, where he appeared on the 1870 census. His wife,Nancy (McGrady) Sparks, continued to live in Alleghany County, NorthCarolina, and was listed there on the 1870 census. These two censusrecords are as follows, with the name, age, sex, occupation, value ofreal estate owned, and place of birth:
1870 Census of Alleghany County, North Carolina
Page 603. Cherry Lane Township Family # 19
Sparks, Nancy 54 F Keeping house $1,000 North Car olina
" Isaiah 29 M At home " "

1870 Census of Russell County, Virginia
New Garden District (August 18, 1870) Family # 205
Sparks, Reuben 49 M Farmer $300 North Car olina
" Matilda 27 F " "
" Jackson 5 M " "

"Reuben Sparks continued to live in Russell County, Virginia, and hewas listed on the 1880 census there. His age was given as 60 and hisoccupation as farmer. Living in the same household was Matilda C.Sparks, age 37; also Jackson M. Sparks, age 14, and Lucinda Sparks,age 9. We have not learned whether Jackson and Lucinda were childrenof Reuben and Matilda; however, the marriage record of Jackson M.Sparks indicates that he was their son . When he married Albure Dyeon NOvember 29, 1886, his parents were recorded as being Reuben Sparksand Matilda Sparks. It was also in Russell County, Vir ginia, thatReuben Sparks, aged 65, a widower, married Matilda Crowed, a wid ow,aged 50, on August 31, 1891. He was identified in this marriagerecord as being a son of John and Elizabeth Sparks; she was identifiedas a daughter of John and Charlotte Crowed. Perhaps a reader can helpus unravel these relationships.

"Nancy (McGrady) Sparks died in Alleghany County, North Carolina, onMay 26, 1890. According to a document on page 111 of the AlleghanyCount y Will Book A, she was the wife of Reuben Sparks, anon-resident. We have not learned the date of the death of Reuben.He and Nancy had two children.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1991, Whole No. 156, p. 3862:

"Reuben M. Sparks, son of Allen and Elizabeth (Kozee) Sparks, was bornabout 1825 in Kentucky. He was married to Elizabeth Dials (or Diles)on July 6, 1849, in Lawrence County. She had been born about 1831 inVirginia and was a daughter of Richard and Lucy (---) Dials. She andReuben had one child, Lucy, born in 1850. Elizabeth died on January15, 1861 in Johnson County.

"Reuben Sparks was married (2nd) to Jane House on August 21, 1861, inJohnson
County by the Rev. John Hawes, a Methodist minister. She had beenborn about
1831. Shortly after his second marriage, Reuben enlisted on November18, 1862, in Company A, 39th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry toserve for three years. He died of typhoid fever in the RegimentalHospital at Louisa, Kentucky, on May 4, 1863. He and Jane had nochildren.

SQ 3879:

CIVIL WAR PENSION APPLICATION
"Reuben M. Sparks, son of Allen and Elizabeth (Kozee) Sparks, was bornabout 1825 in Lawrence County, Kentucky. He was married (1st) toElizabeth Dials (or Diles) on July 6, 1849, and (2nd) to Jane House onAugust 21, 1861 . He served in Company A, 39th Regiment KentuckyVolunteer Infantry. File Designation: Wid. Cert. No. 95,991.

"On September 21, 1863, Jane Sparks, age 32, a resident of BlaineCreek in Johnson County, Kentucky, appeared before R. L. Vinson, Clerkof Lawrence County, Kentucky, and made application for a widow'spension. She stated that she was the widow of Reuben Sparks who hadserved in Company A, commanded by Capt. John B. Auxier, of the 39thRegiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Col. John Dils.On May 2, 1863, her husband had died from typhoid fever while in themilitary service. She and Sparks had been married on August 21, 1861,by the Rev. John Hawes. Her name before her marriage had been JaneHouse. She had not remarried. She appointed Laban T. Moore as herattorney. Her signature was witnessed by Samuel Sparks and ThomasSegraves, both residents of Lawrence County, and the application wassworn to before Clerk Vinson.

"Prior to making the application, Mrs. Sparks had obtained a statementon June 10, 1863, from the Rev. John Hawes who had performed hermarriage ceremony. The Rev. Hawes stated that he had performed themarriage of Reuben Sparks and Jane House on August 21, 1861, at thehome of E. K. House in Johnson County, Kentucky. He signed thestatement as a minister of the M. E. Church. and it was sworn tobefore Clabourne Hawes, a notary public.

"The Adjutant Generalls Office confirmed the military service ofReuben Sparks. He had entered the service on November 18, 1862, atPeach Orchard, Kentucky, as a private in Company A, 39th RegimentKentucky Volunteers for three years, or during the war. Theregimental return for May 1863 contained the following remark abouthim: "Private Reuben M. Sparks died May 4th at Louisa, Ky." No causeof death was stated.

"On July 29, 1865, the Pension Office asked 2nd Lieut. R. L.Burchett, commanding officer of Company A, 39th Regiment KentuckyVolunteers stationed at Catlettsburg, Kentucky, to complete a deathcertificate of Sparks. Burchett stated that, according to the recordsof the company, and to his own personal knowledge, Sparks had died onMay 4, 1863, in the Regimental Hospital at Louisa, Kentucky, oftyphoid fever contracted while in the service and in the line of duty. Burchett also stated that the man who had been captain of the companyhad resigned and that the lst lieutenant was away from the command.

"On June 11, 1867, the widow of Reuben Sparks appeared before DanielPelphrey, Clerk of Johnson County [Kentucky] Court, to make a furtherdeclaration. She said that on May 18, 1867, she had been remarriedand that her name was now Jane Lyon. She and Reuben Sparks had had nochildren, but he had had one child by a previous marriage, named LucySparks, born on June 22, 1850. Mrs. Lyon said that she made thestatement for the purpose of recovering the pension benefits due toher from the date of her husband's death until the date of herremarriage.

"On the same day, two other records were made. The first was anaffidavit from John B. Auxier who said that he had been in command ofCompany A, 39th Regiment Kentucky Volunteers, on May 2, 1863, when oneof his stout, healthy soldiers, Reuben Sparks, had died at Louisa,Kentucky. The other record came from the Surgeon Generalls Officewhich said that the records of the Regimental Hospital of the 39thRegiment Kentucky Volunteers had been found and showed that Sparks hadbeen admitted on March 30, 1863, with pneumonia and had died on May 4,1863.

"The last record (in chronological order) among the "selected papers"sent to us by the National Archives from this pension file is astatement from the clerk of the Johnson County [Kentucky] Court,Daniel Pelphrey, that on May 18, 1867, a marriage license had beenissued to Ransom Lyon and Jane Sparks.

"Widow's Certificate No. 95,991 was issued to Jane Sparks retroactiveto November 17, 1863, but there is nothing among the "selected papers"sent by the National Archives from her file to indicate the amount northe duration of Jane Sparks's pension."

SQ 1087: Reuben R. Sparks, believed to have been a son of Jonas andMary (Brown) Sparks, was born about 1820. He remained (or perhapsreturned to) Wilkes County, North Carolina, and became a Baptistminister. His wife?s name was Ann; no record of any children.

SQ 3271:
"Reuben R. Sparks, son of Jonas and Mary (Brown) Sparks , was bornabout 1820 in Wilkes County, North Carolina. He married Ann C. - - -- - . Apparently they had no children."

SQ p 3551: Her first marriage was to Sam Blackwell. She was married(2nd) to Walter Waldridge and they had five children.

.
!NOTES:
See Sparks Quarterly, March 1996, Whole No. 173, p. 4594:
"Rhoda Catherine Sparks was born on January 28, 1866; she died o nJuly
12, 1937. She was married to Thomas M. ["Bud"] Gentry, and they had
children named Beecher, Lola Mae, Billy Lewis, Bessie, and J. T."

See SQ p. 232 for birth information which lists her as Rhoda M.

SQ p. 817 lists the marriage in Johnson County, KY, on November 4,1881, of a Margaret Sparks to William Mullins, "in the house of ElishaSparks." It states that Margaret was 20 years old. This Rhoda, adaughter of Elisha, was born in 1861 and was also 20. Are they thesame person?

SQ p. 5129: "Richard Sparks may have been a son of William Sparks,but we have no information other than a family memory of his name."

In the 1850 Census of Honey Creek Township, Vigo County, Indiana,there is a Richard Sparks, age 70, born in Virginia. He is shown withan Elizabeth, 27, born in Kentucky. Note that Richard's older brotherJames was shown in the same census in Carter County, Indiana, about80 miles distant. Richard's identity is pure speculation.

See THE SPARKS FAMILY QUARTERLY, June 1985, Whole No. 130, Pg 2742:

"Richard Sparks, son of William and Mary (Fielder) Sparks, was bornabout 1793 in Franklin County, Georgia, and was about eighteen yearsof age when he accompanied his parents to the Territory of Mississippiwhere they settled in Marion County. It may have been there that hemet and courted
Elizabeth Cooper. They were married on July 7, 1812. She had beenborn about 1796 in North Carolina and was a daughter of WilliamCooper. Richard was well educated for his day and he was a capablesurveyor. He also had a quality of leadership, and civicresponsibilities seem to have come
to him naturally.

"Richard and Elizabeth (Cooper) Sparks were probably unaware on theday of their wedding that just three weeks earlier the Congress of theUnited States had declared war on Great Britain. It was not long,however, before the effects of the declaration began to be felt in theTerritory of Mississippi as the war dragged on and foreign tradetrickled to a stop. On January 19, 1815, Richard Sparks joined hisfather (and others) as a petitioner from Marion and Lawrence Countieswho asked Congress to declare
a moratorium on the payments for government lands because of the war.

"Just a few days earlier, on January 8, 1815, Sparks had been musteredinto military service as an ensign in Capt. Harmon M. Runnel's Companyof the 13th Regiment (Nixon's) of the Mississippi Territory Militia toserve for three months. He was mustered out with his company onFebruary 7, 1815. A story handed down by his descendants relates thathis regiment was within sound of the guns at the Battle of NewOrleans, but that he did not participate in that battle. Since theBattle of New Orleans was fought
on January 8, 1815, which was the same day that Sparks was musteredinto the service, it appears likely that the personnel of his companyrendezvoused near New Orleans.

"On May 14, 1819, Richard Sparks, son of William Sparks, resigned as aconstable of Lawrence County, Mississippi, an office to which he hadbeen appointed about 1814. He and Elizabeth were enumerated on the1820 census of that county. With them were three young males and twoyoung fe-
males, probably their children. On April 19, 1823, he was named as atrustee of the newly-constituted Bethany Baptist Church at Whitesand.A short time later, he moved his family to Copiah County where he paida tax on himself and three slaves. The total tax was $3.00. He didnot stay in Copiah
County very long, however, for when Simpson County was formed in 1824, he was commissioned its first sheriff on May 4, 1824. It was thatsame year that there was a death in his family, probably that of aninfant son or daughter.

"This death in his family may have been the reason that Richard Sparksmade another move, this time to Yazoo County. There he was appointeda justice of the peace in 1825. Two years later, he was elected as arepresentative to the Mississippi State Legislature. He was reelectedin 1828, 1829, and 1831. During this period of time, he bought andsold several pieces of land in and around the thriving village ofFranklin, located a few miles southeast of Lexington, although it isscarcely more than a memory today. He also went security on two notesfor his friend, Jesse Wadlington, who used slaves as his security.

"By the spring of 1832, Richard Sparks had disposed of most of hisland and, in the winter of 1833-1834, he moved his family to Texaswhere he stopped at San Augustine in January 1834. That fall he moveda few miles further west to Nacogdoches.

"Richard Sparks arrived in Texas at a time of great unrest among allwho had settled there earlier. American settlers were no longerwelcome; in fact, Mexico had tried to halt American immigration in1830. Clashes between American farmers and the Mexican troops werefrequent, and a proposal
to organize a new and independant government was gaining support. Bythe fall of 1835, a pitched battle was fought at Gonzales, and thefollowing year, Texas declared her independence.

"Richard Sparks was involved immediately in the conflict. On August15, 1835, he was appointed, along with James Bradshaw, Sam Houston,and Thomas J. Rusk, "to treat with the Indian tribes in Texasaccording to the promises made to them by the Mexican Government."One of the records of the Texas
Indian Papers, 1825-1843, which gives some insight into Sparks'sactivities in carrying out his assignment, is as follows:

A Bill of Goods furnished by Richard Sparks and Smith for theCherokees on their trip to the Prairies. Feb. 24, 1837.

12 blankets $8.00 per blanket $96. 00
21 tin cups 25 cts each 5. 25
1 coffee Biler for Bowles 1. 50
20 flaps of strand, per flap, $1.50 30. 00
14 large Butcher Knives, per knife, $1.00 14. 00
1 pair Brass Spirs for Bowles, 75 cts 25. 00
20 lbs. of Bar lid, 25 cts per pound 5. 00
2 Brass Kitels of a reasonable large size $5.00 10. 00
21 papers of Paint Vermillios, 50 cts each paper 10. 50
$212. 50

I, Bowles, the Command Chief of the party so ask and with agent topercure the above mentioned articles for me if possible for my journeyto the prairies to preceed on the above request mentioned with mytwenty-one men with me.

I, the said Col. Richard Sparks, and Smith, seeing the necessity andbeing present and seeing the above number of Cherokee Indians this faron their march at the Saline, I have furnished the same to beforewarded to the president where unto we have set our hand and sealsthis day and date.

Feb. __th, 1837. Col. Bowl Capt. Egg William Goyens Acting Agent.
(Endorsed) Goyens-Sparks Bill. $198.25 cts, there being an error of$14.25 cents in Charg for Spirs. Recd 24th Feb. 1837. Referred sameday to War Department, Houston.

"In September 1835, Richard Sparks, George Pollitt, and Andrew Hendriewere elected Commissioners from the Municipality of Nacogdoches toorganize the militia. In January 1836, Sparks was elected SecondRegidor of Nacogdoches. Subsequently, the Alcalde (Mayor) ofNacogdoches moved away, and the First Regidor resigned, thus Sparksbecame the Alcalde of Nacogdoches on October 24, 1836.

"To all intents and purposes, the war between Texas and Mexico endedon April 21, 1836, with the surrender of General Santa Ana at theBattle of San Jacinto. With the war ended, Richard Sparks becameinvolved in the practice of surveying. Land was cheap (25 cts peracre) and plentiful, and surveyors usually received a portion of theland they surveyed. It was on one of his surveying expeditions thatRichard Sparks lost his life.

"The manner of the death of Richard Sparks has been told in twodifferent versions. The version which has generally been accepted,however, is that he was killed by hostile Indians while surveying landin what later became Navarro County. Records indicate that in thespring of 1838, he was asked
to survey land on Richland Creek southwest of Corsicana and near thevillage of Dawson. There, his surveying party was surprised by a bandof roving Indians and Sparks was killed.

"Elizabeth Sparks, widow of Richard, and James L. Bryant, a Baptistpreacher were named as the executors of the estate of Richard Sparks.He had left a huge estate consisting of approximately 50,000 acres ofland in various parts of the Republic of Texas. The job ofadministering the estate undoubtedly weighed heavily upon Elizabeth.In addition, she was faced with the task of rearing her youngest children. Her health apparently broke and on December 20, 1847, she madeher will. She died on New Year's Day of 1848, before she could make afinal settlement of her husband's estate.

"An abstract of the will of Elizabeth Sparks, as found on page 17 ofthe Nacogdoches County Will Book A, is as follows:

To sons: A. J. Sparks, Thomas B. Sparks, John M. Sparks, all mypersonal property, my Negroes, stock, household furniture,wagon and team "together with my interest in the Headright of RichardSparks situated on the Trinity River near Cincinnati."
To the children of James M. Sharp: J. H., J. E., E. E., and Mary "allmy remaining interest in the landed estate of the saidRichard Sparks."

Executors: Joseph D. Sharp, James M. Sharp, James H. Sparks, and
Stephen F. Sparks.

Witnesses: Samuel Kirk and J. N. Bradshaw
Filed January 22, 1848.

"The estates of Richard and Elizabeth Sparks were finally settled onJanuary 30, 1851. Named as heirs and appearing in court on the lastMonday in August 1850 (the 26th) were the following:

Stephen F. Sparks; James Sharp, as guardian of the children of Mary A.Sharp: Elizabeth; J., Emeline E., Joseph H., and Mary E. L . JamesHawkins Sparks; Eliza C. Rogers, alias Eliza C. Sparks, represented byher husband and attorney, Samuel Rogers; William F. Sparks ,represented by his attorney, Stephen F. Sparks; Thomas B. Sparks;Andrew Jackson Sparks; John M. Sparks, represented by his guardianappointed by the court, Stephen F. Sparks.

"Richard and Elizabeth May (Cooper) Sparks were probably buried in theOld North Church Cemetery north of Nacogdoches; however, their graveswere not marked. They were the parents of nine children, all of whomwere born in Mississippi. They were:

1. William Fielder Sparks 6. Mary Ann Sparks
2. James Hawkins Sparks 7. Andrew Jackson Sparks
3. Eliza C. Sparks 8. Thomas Benton Sparks
4. Stephen Franklin Sparks 9. John Marion Sparks"
5. Sarah Jane Sparks.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June 2000, Whole No. 190, p. 5375:

"Richard Sparks, son of Matthew and Sarah (Elmore) Sparks, was born inSurry County, North Carolina, on February 16, 1821, according to arecord found in documents pertaining to his wife's family. He seems tohave been the first member of his family to go to Oregon Territory; hewas shown on the 1850 census there, in Yamhill County. He was shown asliving in the house hold of William Dotson, a native of Kentucky; hewas probably a boarder. A land claim record for him in Oregon giveshis year of birth as 1823, while another gives 1816, both apparentlyin error. This latter document also states that he had moved fromNorth Carolina to Tennessee before moving to Oregon in 1850. Hesettled in Lane County, Oregon, after obtaining his land claim there.He was married late in life to a widow named Almira Sherwood onNovember 13, 1870, in Yamhill County, Oregon. She was a daughter ofMark and Susannah Sawyer; her first husband had been Truman R.Sherwood. It is a Sawyer family record that gives Richard's date ofbirth as February 16, 1821, and his date of death as March 3, 1884. Inthe settlement of his father's Estate in 1854/56, Richard Sparks wasappointed by the Probate Court of Polk County to serve as "agent" inthe locating and distribution of the shares of Matthew's estatebelonging to eight of his siblings: William, Atha, Sarah, Matthew,Jr., George, Isaac, Elizabeth, and Hugh."

SQ 3857: "Richard Sparks, son of Joseph and Martha (Edwards) Sparks,was born in April 1825, in North Carolina. He was probably theRichard Sparks who enlisted as a private in Company G, 5th RegimentKentucky Infantry, Confederate States Army on November 10, 1861, inPike County , Kentucky. He was married twice. His first Marriage wasto Mary June Johnson on January 24, 1849, in Pike County. She hadbeen born about 1829 in Virginia. She and Richard had four childrenbefore her death, which apparently occurred about 1862. RichardSparks was married (2nd) to Rebecca Davis on March 15, 1865, in PikeCounty. She had been born about 1841 in Virginia. She and Richardwere living on Lower Johns Creek in Pike County when the 1880 censuswas taken. Rebecca died sometime between 1880 and 1900. Richard diedsometime after 1900. They had eight children." There followsinformation on the twelve children.

!NOTES: SQ 3857: Richard Sparks, Jr., was born in February 1871 o nJohns
Creek in Pike County. He was married to Mary Stanley about 1900. She had been
born on July 7, 1871, on Road Fork of Pond Creek in Pike County, KY. ,and was a
daughter of John Stanley. Richard and Mary moved to Arkansas about 1906
because of the poor health of Richard. He died at Crosses in Madiso nCounty,
Arkansas, in 1913 and was buried there. Mary returned to Pike Count ywhere she
died on February 4, 1939. She was buried in the Stanley Cemetary o nDix Fork.
She and Richard had six children: Irtley, Cansas, Pricey, Ida, Della ,and
Kelley.

!NOTES:
SQ 3869: Richard Sparks was married twice, but we have not learne dthe name
of his first wife. His second marriage was to Rosie Wallen. He die don
October 27, 1921.

SPARKS QUARTERLY, Whole Number 148. On the cover at page 3483 is aphotograph of Richard M. Sparks, born May 4, 1829 in Surry County,North Carolina, died April 17, 1893, at Medicine Lodge, Kansas. Hewas a son of William D. Sparks and a grandson of Matthew Sparks.

**********

See SQ p. 5386:

"Richard M. Sparks, son of William D. Sparks, according to hisobituary in a Medicine Lodge, Kansas, newspaper in 1893, was born onMay 4, 1829; he died at Medicine Lodge on April 17, 1893. He had beenborn in Surry County, North Carolina. He was married in Cooper County,Missouri, to Mary C Duncan on January 8, 1850. She had been born about1832 and died on January 22, 1891. She was a daughter of Hiram andMatilda (Allen) Duncan.

[Here apppears a photograph of MARY C. (DUNCAN) SPARKS (1832-1911)

"Richard M. Sparks accompanied his brothers, Edmond and Martin, toCalifornia in 1852 during the Gold Rush period, but he later returnedto Missouri. He and his family were in Lafayette County, Missouri,when the 1870 and 1880 censuses were taken. They moved to MedicineLodge in Barber County, Kansas, about 1886, where he died in 1893. Aphotograph of Richard M. Sparks appeared on the cover of the December1989 issue of the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 148.

"Richard M. Sparks died without leaving a will. His eldest son,William H. Sparks, became the administrator of his estate, and in thatrole he prepared a list in 1893 of the eleven living children ofRichard M. and Mary C. (Duncan) Sparks, giving their dates of birthand their locations at that time, as follows:" [For information onthe children of Richard M. and Mary C. (Duncan) Sparks, see theirindividual sheets.]

SQ 2775:

"Richard Newell Sparks was born on August 15, 1879. He was married toKate Fairey on January 20, 1904, and they had one child, Laura Emma.He died on December 20, 1956."

Obituary notice of Richard Newell Sparks, courtesy of Mary (Krig)Stim:

"Taken from the San Antonio Express, December 21, 1956:

"Richard N. Sparks, 77, of 509 Wicks, died at a local hospitalDecember 20. Mr. Sparks had been a resident of San Antonio for 40years and was a member of the Alamo Methodist Church. He had beenwith the Railroad Express company for 48 years before his retirement.Survivors: wife Kate Fairey Sparks, daughter, brother E. B. Sparks,Corpus Christi, Felix Sparks, Miami and AZ, C. L. Sparks in Glendale,AZ., a sister Mrs. Alex Z. Harrison, Poteet, Texas. Funeral SaturdayDecember 22."

SQ 101:

"Richmond Sparks, born about 1815; married about 1835 Sarah Privett." (Should be Pruitt)

See also SQ pg. 3273 listing Richmond (and his wife Sarah) as parentsof John Tyler Sparks who married Elizabeth Sparks, his third cousin, agreat-granddaughter of Reuben and Cassie (Buttery) Sparks.

SQ 607:
Wilkes County, North Carolina -- 1850 Census shows the followingfamily:

(census p. 303)
790-790 Sparkes, Richmond 36 (M) Wilkes County, N.C. Farmer $250
" Sarah 33 (F) " "
Hugh 14 (M) " "
Asey Ann 12 (F) " "
John 8 (M) " "
Joel 6 (M) " "
Susan 4 (F) " "
Abner 1 (M) " "

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, SEPTEMBER 1997, Whole No. 179, p. 4852:

"Richmond Sparks, son of Wes and Nancy (Kozee) Sparks, was born about1840 in Lawrence County. His given name was often copied as Richard.He was married to Polly Ann Oma Stephens on August 7, 1861, in MorganCounty, Kentucky. She had been born about 1845 in Floyd County,Kentucky, and was usually called Oma.

"On December 29, 1861, Richmond Sparks was enrolled in Company G, 5thRegiment Kentucky Infantry, Confederate States Army. He probablyserved until his unit was defeated during the spring of 1862, and hethen returned home. He was enrolled on May 21, 1864, in Company A,68th Regiment Kentucky Militia in Union forces, commanded by DavidSturgell. Several years later, his widow applied for a pension basedon his service. (See page 4879 of this issue of the QUARTERLY for anabstract of his pension file [below].)

"When Richmond Sparks died on January 31, 1878, at Fielden, Kentucky,he was only 37 years of age. His youngest child was bornposthumously. He and Oma had seven children."

"Following is an abstract of the pension file of Richmond Sparks andhis Civil War service found in SQ on pg 4879-80:

RICHMOND/RICHARD SPARKS, son of John Wesley and Nancy (Kozee) Sparkswas born in Lawrence County, Kentucky. He was married to Polly AnnOma Stephens on November 12, 1861, in Morgan County, Kentucky. Heserved in Company A, 68th Regiment Kentucky Militia. FileDesignation: Wid. Appl. No. 555,913.

"On July 9, 1892, Oma Sparks, (as she was called) age 50, a residentof Blaine, Kentucky, applied for a widow's pension. She stated thatshe was the widow of Richmond Sparks, who had enlisted in Company A,commanded by David Sturgell, of the 68th Regiment Enlisted KentuckyMilitia. She and Sparks had been married on November 12, 1861, inMorgan County, Kentucky, by John W. Carter. Her husband had died onJanuary 31, 1878, at Fielden, Kentucky, of a disease contracted in themilitary service of the United States. She and Richmond had had sevenchildren, all under the age of sixteen years when her husband died.

"These seven children of Richmond and Polly Ann Oma (Stephens) Sparkswere:

Martin Sparks, born March 30, 1864
Daniel Sparks, born October 9, 1865
Sarillda Sparks, born January 17, 1868
George W. Sparks, born July 25, 1870
Caney Sparks, born May 19, 1874
William Sparks, born May 16, 1876
John W. Sparks, born October 25, 1878

"Mrs. Sparks appointed C. C. Pennebaker, Washington, D.C., as herattorney. George W. Griffiths and John O'Bryan witnessed her make hermark, and the declaration was sworn to before H. C. Osborn, a notarypublic.

"The War Department confirmed the military service of Richmond Sparkson August 30, 1892. He had been enrolled in Company A, 68th RegimentKentucky Infantry (En. Mil.) on May 21, 1864, and he had served untilhe was mustered out on June 22, 1864.

"On March 18, 1893, Jason Barker, aged 47, and James H. Barker, aged40, both residents of Fielden, Kentucky, testified that they were wellacquainted with Richmond Sparks since childhood and that he was asound, able-bodied man prior to his military service, but after he hadbeen discharged, he had been in a weakly condition, complained ofbreast trouble, and was so disabled that he could not perform manuallabor as a farmer.

"On the same day, Frances Barker, aged 67, a resident of Fielden,Kentucky, testified that she was a midwife and had attended Mrs. OmaSparks when all of her seven children had been born. She then gavethe names and birth dates of the Sparks children just as they weregiven by Mrs. Sparks on her application for a pension. The affidavitwas sworn to before W. J. Crouch, a justice of the peace of ElliottCounty, Kentucky.

"Affidavits concerning the marriage of Richmond Sparks and OmaStephens were made on March 19, 1894, by Susan Barker, Jason Barker,and James H. Barker. They swore that (1) the marriage was the firstand only marriage for both of them; (2) they were never divorced; and(3) Oma Sparks had not remarried since the death of her late husband.The affidavits were witnessed by Henry Griffith and Levi J. Webb atWebbville, Kentucky.

"The last affidavit (in chronological order) sent from this pensionfile by the National Archives was made by John D. Boggs on June 15,1895, at Blaine, Kentucky. He swore that he had served with RichmondSparks in Company A, 68th Regiment Kentucky Infantry and had been withhim when he took sick. Boggs stated: "I took him to the doctor of theIlth Michigan Regiment Cavalry and he pronounced him unable for dutyand sent him home and he was never able to come back as a soldier. Idon't remember the exact days of the month but it was in the spring orsummer of 1865. "

"No pension was authorized for Oma Sparks, probably because of theshort length of service by her husband.

"The family of Richmond Sparks is found in the 1870 US Census ofElliott County, at Little Fork, as follows:
#55. Richmond Sparks, 30, b. KY; Anna, 28; Martin, 6; Daniel, 4;Sarilda, 2; George, 1.

See SQ p4854:
"Richmond ["Rich"] Sparks was born on October 5, 1866. He was marriedto Mary Ellen Hicks about 1888. She had been born in August 1869 andwas a daughter of Henry Hicks. Rich and Mary Ellen lived nearIsonville, Kentucky, where they raised nine children. They were:Mertie M. Sparks, Bertie Fay Sparks, William A. Sparks, Lucy L.Sparks, Viola Sparks, Phoebe Sparks, John Sparks, Henry Sparks, andLonnie Sparks."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, December 1959, Whole No. 28, p. 434:

Robert Leslie James, who copied the above tombstone inscriptions, wasthe author of a book entitled Distinguished Men, Women and Families ofFranklin County, Alabama, published in 1927. In this work thereappears a sketch of the life of Riley Sparks (page 15) and of JimmieRoe Sparks (page 85), which read as follows:

"Riley Sparks was a citizen of Franklin County, Alabama, for a greatmany years. Born October 22, 1811, in Spartanburg District, SouthCarolina, and died at his home near Frankfort, Alabama, December 29,1892. Mr. Sparks was a son of William Sparks, who came to FranklinCounty from Spartanburg District, S.C., in the year 1820, arriving atRussellville on December 20th. He and his family located west ofRussellville toward Frankfort.

"William Sparks father of Riley Sparks, was a planter and a workman.Our father and mother now have a cook table which is said to have beenmade by him. He is said to have possessed a passionate temper, but sofar as we know, he was a good, law-abiding citizen. His brother, EnochSparks, who was also a pioneer settler of Franklin County, was asoldier in the War of 1812 and according to Jimmie Roe Sparks, hisgrandson was in the great battle of New Orleans.

"Riley Sparks, subject of this sketch, owned a large tract of land inthe Tollison Creek section and was a progressive farmer for his day.He was noted for his ecconornical manner of living. The late SenatorW. I. Bullock, who wrote Mr. Sparks?s obituary, said that some thoughthim parsimonious, but stated that he was not. He was a life-longDemocrat, voting first for Jackson in 1832 and last (Presidential) forGrover Cleveland in 1892. In religion he was affiliated with thePresbyterians.

"Mr. Sparks was twice married. His first wife was Miss Nancy Benson,daughter of John Benson, a pioneer settler on Tollison?s Creek.Several children were born to the first marriage. His second wife wasMiss Nancy Malone, daughter of James and Polly (Cook) Malone, who alsoresided on Tollison?s Creek. No children were born to the secondmarriage.

"Among the children of the first marriage were: (1) William, a farmerof Franklin County; (2) Christopher C. ("Kit"), who was tax assessorof Franklin County three terms; (3) Mrs. Carroll McRight; (4) Mrs.Thomas Malone; (5) Jennie; (6) Frank; and (7) Lemuel; also one or twosons who died in the Civil War.

"Lemuel Sparks resides (1927) at Red Bay, Ala., and is the onlysurviving member. He formerly lived on Lost Creek, Franklin County,and was a successful farmer. He is one of Franklin?s highly respectedcitizens.

"Riley Sparks and his two wives are buried in the Sparks Cemeterybetween Duncan and Tollison?s Creeks. A host of descendants live inFranklin County, many who are quite prominent.

SQ 965: "Riley Sparks, son of William and Eunice (Woodruff) Sparks,was born in Spartanburg County, SC, on October 22, 1811, and died nearFrankfort, Alabama, on December 29, 1892. He was married (first) toNancy Benson on December 20, 1832. She was born in White County,Tennessee, on January 15 1815, and was a daughter of John and Rhoda(Tollerson) Benson. (John Benson was born in Bledsoe County, Tenn.,and was a son of Thomas Benson.) Nancy (Benson) Sparks died on January12, 1857, and Riley Sparks married (2nd) Nancy Malone, who was born in1862
and died in 1944. [These dates are incorrect. See note below.] Therewere no children by the second marriage.
"By his first wife, Nancy (Benson) Sparks, Riley Sparks had thefollowing
children:
(a) William Benson Sparks
(b) Mary Jane Sparks
(c) Daniel Ramy Sparks
(d) John Adams Sparks
(e) James Madison Sparks
(f) Martha Ann Sparks
(g) Christopher Columbus Sparks
(h) Riley Franklin Sparks
(i) Benjamin T. Sparks
(j) Lemuel Nelson Sparks
(k) Nancy Virginia Sparks

*********************************************

See SQ p. 1761 correcting birth date of Nancy Malone.

CORRECTION--NANCY (MALONE) SPARKS, SECOND WIFE OF RILEY SPARKS(1811-1892) OF FRANKLIN COUNTY, ALABAMA

Mrs. Dorothy Turner of Marietta, Georgia, has called our attention toan error regarding the birth and death dates of Nancy (Malone) Sparks,second wife of Riley Sparks of Franklin County, Alabama. On page 965of the QUARTERLY (March, 1966, Vol. XIV, No. 1, Whole No. 53) it isstated that Riley Sparks's second wife, Nancy (Malone) Sparks was bornin 1862 and died in 1944. These dates are incorrect and were confusedwith the birth and death dates of Nancy Elizabeth (Vinson) Sparks,wife of Lemuel Nelson Sparks. The latter was a son of Riley Sparks andRiley's first wife, who was also named Nancy (Benson) Sparks. (Thissame error regarding Nancy (Malone) Sparks's dates was made on page910 of the June 1965 QUARTERLY (Vol. XIII, No. 2, Whole No. 50).

Riley Sparks's first wife, Nancy (Benson) Sparks, was born on January15, 1815, and died on January 12, 1857. Riley Sparks married as hissecond wife, Miss Nancy Malone. We have not found the date of thissecond marriage, but it occurred before the 1860 census of FranklinCounty, Alabama, was taken - - the family of Riley Sparks was visitedby the census taker on June 14, 1860. His second wife, Nancy (Malone)Sparks, was listed as 29 years old, thus born about 1831. When the1870 census was taken, her age was given as 36, which, if correct,would indicate she was born about 1834. From these two census records,we may assume that she was born in the early 1830s. [Scanner's Note:The above error has been corrected in both places.]

A descendant of this branch of the family, R. L. James, stated manyyears ago that Nancy Malone was a daughter of James and Polly (Cook)Malone. Prior to her marriage to Riley Sparks (as his second wife),she had had a son (the father was a Malone also, and was a firstcousin to Nancy). This child, who became known as Benjamin T. Sparks,is buried in the Sparks Cemetery several miles west of Russellville,Ala.; according to his tombstone, he was born August 20, 1849, anddied May 10, 1909. He did not marry. Riley Sparks had no children byhis second wife. In his Distingushed Men, Women & Families of FranklinCounty, Alabama, R. L. James stated in 1927 that both wives are buriedin the Sparks Cemetery between Duncan and Tollison's Creeks.

SQ pg 3901: Children by her first marriage were: James, Mahala ,Elizabeth, Henry, Laura, John, Larkin, Allen, Polly, and RobertJackson.

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, June, 1998, Whole No. 182, pps 5005-5010:
OBITUARY OF THE REV. ROBERT SPARKS (ca. 1756-1831)

A member of the Association, Peter G. Thyrre, of 3 Chester Street,Ardsley, New York, 10502, has found, and has shared with us, apublished obituary of his wife's ancestor, the Rev. Robert Sparks, anearly Methodist clergyman of Maryland. Mr. Thyree reports that axerox copy of this obituary was provided to him by the MethodistHistorical Society in the Lovely Lane Museum of Baltimore, Maryland.This obituary had been published in the METHODIST PROTESTANT ofSeptember 9, 1831. Its author was Circuit Court Judge Philemon B.Hopper who, according to Frederick Emory in his QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY,ITS EARLY HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT (Baltimore Maryland HistoricalSociety, 1950, p. 238) "was always a devout and zealous member of thedenomination, and (had been) largely instrumental in building up the(Methodist Protestant) church in Centreville." The text of RobertSparks's obituary follows, with notes regarding him and his ancestry:

For the Methodist Protestant
Rev. Robert Sparks
Dear Sir, --Upon my return from Bedford, and before I had landed fromthe boat at Centreville, I received the melancholy tidings that ourvenerable and highly esteemed brother, the Rev. Robert Sparks, haddied very suddenly a few days since.
For more than half a century, this aged disciple of our Saviour hasmaintained an irreproachble character as a gentleman and christian;for upwards of forty years of this time, he has been a laborious andfaithful minister of the gospel. He was never considered an eloquentor a popular preacher; but his gentlemanly deportment insured him therespect of the irreligious, and his zeal and industry, alwayscommended the affections of his brethren.
He travelled extensively as an itinerant minister; and it is possible,that no Methodist preacher was more successful in exciting andcarrying on revivals; and I have no doubt, but hundreds in the day ofeternity will claim him as their spiritual father.
For several years preceding his decese, he was quite feeble, andappeared to be gradually sinking into the grave from old age, and wasscarcely ever able to preach. A few weeks before his death, heexhorted a little while, and told the congregation, that he wassatisfied that he had but a few days to live, and that he was lookingfor death every day, but he felt happy in God, and resigned to hiswill. He has been frequently heard to say the same thing in classmeeting; and whilst thus expressing himself, he has rejoicedexceedingly, and exhorted his brethren to be holy in life that theymight be triumphant in death. At the secession in Centreville, he wasthe first to give his name as a member of the new church, and told allpresent, that for thirty years past, he had been a reformer.
On the day of his death he walked into his corn field and gatheredsome green corn for dinner. He ate a hearty dinner. Soon afterwhich, he complained of a palpitation of heart, laid down on his bedand expired in a few minutes without a sigh or groan. Thus ended theearthly pilgrimage of the Rev. Robert Sparks, (I think) in theseventy-fifty year of his age. And although he never spoke after hebecame ill, his friends rest assured f rom his devoted life andfrequent expressions of his readiness to meet death, that he now restsin peace.
There was one remarkable trait in the character of this pious man. Hehas often remarked that he did not feel himself at liberty to speak ofthe faults of others; and if any man ever adhered to this good rule, Ithink he was that man. I have always been greatly attached to him, asmy first recollection of Methodism is identified with him. When I wasquite a child, he preached often at my father's house, and as well asI recollect, my first awakenings were under his ministry.
When ill last winter, he expressed a wish, that when he died, I souldpreach his funeral sermon which, if health permit, I expect to do onnext Sabbath in our new church in Centreville. It has pleasedprovidence to remove from this world of suffering three more membersof our church. Two of whom died most triumphantly, and the other wastaken ill and died in a few hours, and from the first attack becmaecomatose and never spoke intelligibly, but from his uniformdeportment, and his repeated assurances in class meetings, I can haveno doubt of his safety.
Very respectfully,

your obedient servant

Clinton Hall, August 29, 1831. P. B. HOPPER

...As was noted on page 1699 of the QUARTERLY of December, 1974,there can be no doubt that the parents of Elijah and Robert Sparkswere Absalom and Elizabeth (Brown) Sparks of Queen Annes County,Maryland. (The town of Centreville mentioned in the above obituary, islocated in Queen Annes County.) Absalom Sparks (whose name wassometimes spelled Absalem or Absolem) had been born, we believe,between 1720 and 1725. He was a son of John and Cornelia (Curtis)Sparks and was a grandson of William Sparks, an immigrant to Marylandfrom Hampshire County, England, in or about 1663.

Absalom Sparks had been married to Elizabeth Brown on November 17,1748, as recorded in the church register of St. Luke's Parish in QueenAnnes County. Elizabeth Brown was a daughter of Edward Brown who diedin 1763. In his will, Edward Brown mentioned his daughter Elizabeth,wife of Absalom Sparks.

In 1748, the same year that he was married, Absalom Sparks purchsedfrom his brothers, Caleb and Millington Sparks, their shares of twotracts of land that they had inherited from their father, John Sparks.Absalom sold this same land, however, the following year. He wasinvolved in other land transactions later, as described on page 1702of the December 1974 QUARTERLY. Sometime in the late 1760s, Elizabeth(Brown) Sparks died. By April 1769, Absalom had been married (second)to Ruth Sparks, widow of Arthur Sparks.

Arthur Sparks, who had been born on February 17, 1743, was a son ofJoseph and Elizabeth (Kelly) Sparks; he was a grandson of George andMary Sparks and a great-grandson of the immigrant, William Sparks, whohad died in 1709. thus, Absalom Sparks and Arthur Sparks were firstcousins, once removed. (See the article by Paul E. Sparks entitled"George Sparks (Born ca. 1678), son of William Sparks who died in1709, Queen Annes County, Maryland," in the QUARTERLY of December,1992, Whole No. 160, pp. 4035-4044.) As noted on pp. 4042-43, ArthurSparks died early in 1764 and his widow, ruth Sparks, whose maidenname we have not discovered, became the administratrix of his smallestate in Queen Annes County. When she made her final accounting ofthe estate on April 6, 1769, she was the wife of Absalom Sparks, whohad become her co-administrator. Ruth and Arthur Sparks had one child,a daughter named Hester who had died in 1766.

In the latter part of 1771, Absalom Sparks died without leaving awill. His second wife, Ruth Sparks, now a widow for the second time,was appointed administratrix of Absalom's estate, and it is throughthese estate papers in Queen Anne County that we are able to identifyAbsalom's children by his first wife, Elizabeth Brown. He and Ruthappear to have had no children.

Before Absalom's estate was settled, his widow Ruth, had been marrieda third time, to William Tippins, and, as was then the law, he becameco-administrator with her of Absalom Sparks's estate. In the finalsettlement, dated August 11, 1774, Absalom's seven children wereidentified. All were shown as under age except the eldest daughter,Eliza Sparks, who had been married to Henry Thompson.

As was the custom, Absalom's second wife, now Ruth Tippins, wasentitled to one-third of Absalom's property; the remaining two-thirdswas divided equally among the seven children. Assuming that they werenamed in the order of their births in this document of August 11,1774, and knowing that Absalom and Elizabeth (Brown) Sparks had beenmarried on November 17, 1748, we can speculate regarding their datesof birth. (Also, P. B. Hooper, according to his obituary of the Rev.Robert Sparks, believed that Robert had been "in the seventy-fifthyear of his age" when he died in August of 1831.) (Here the articlenames the children.)

...In 1776, however, Robert Sparks received land from his stepmotherand William Tippins, which may have been a cause of Elijah's illfeelings. In the same year (1776), Robert disposed of the same landto allen Hollingsworth. (See Queen Annes Deed Book RT-L, pp. 29 and309.) In 1778, Robert signed an "Oath of Fidelity" required by theColony of Maryland, and in the records of a special tax collected thatsame year, he wa shown as living in the Corsica District of QueenAnnes County. In 1788, he was involved in a business deal andreceived a bill of sale from Valentine Honey.

Robert Sparks was ordained as an Elder in the Methodist Church in 1790by Bishop Francis Asbury (1745-1816), who was one of the most famousleaders in his denomination i the United States following the AmericanRevolution. Five years before his ordination, however, Robert Sparkshad been received in the Baltimore Conference in 1785 "on trial" toserve as an itinerant preacher. Men in this role were often called"Circuit Riders," as they carried the Methodist message to scatteredhamlets across the country. A list of the appointments of RobertSparks from 1785 through 1799 has been provided by the MethodistHistorical Society as follows, each being the name of a circuit:
1/1785 W. Jersey 1793 Trenton
5/1786 Trenton 1794 Baltimore
7/1787 Northampton 1795 Prince George
9/1788 Dorset 1796 Calvert
5/1789 Caroline 1797 Lancaster
9/1790 Kent 1798 Located (ie placed on leave)
5/1791 Talbot 1798 Kent
1792 Cecil 1799 Freehold

From a statement appearing in a volume entitled PORTRAIT ANDBIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND, it appears thatRobert Sparks was married sometime in the 1790s. According to thisreference, a Sarah Sparks, who had been born near Centreville, inQueen Annes County, was married about 1814 to a militia captain namedRichard Thomas. Sarah was then identified as a daughter of "Rev.Robert Sparks [who] owned an estate near Centreville" who had been an"early Methodist minister in the area." Assuming that Sarah Sparkswas at the typical age of marriage for young women at the that time,(sixteen to eighteen), we can speculate that it was his marriage, andbecoming a father, that led to his being "located" by the MethodistChurch in 1796. This meant what we might call today as taking a leaveof absence from active ministry. As shown in his list of hisministerial charges, Robert Sparks returned to head a circuit in 1798and in 1799.

Our next record of Robert Sparks is found in Frederick Emory's HISTORYOF QUEEN ANNES COUNTY --- ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT (Baltimore;Maryland Historical Society, 1950. Centreville Circuit was created in1802, and in 1805, Robert Sparks was assigned there, along with ajunior preacher named William Fox. Robert continued in that post in1806, with John Ruth as his assistant.

Between 1808 and 1812, Robert Sparks was a member of the Philadelphia,Pennsylvania Conference of the Methodist Church. He was probably theRobert Sparks listed on the census of 1810 as heading a household inthe North Liberties District in Philadelphia County. His age wasshown as over 45 years, while the adult female living with him, whowas doubtless his first wife, was between 26 and 45. We assume, also,that the three children enumerated in his household belong to Robertand his first wife: a boy and a girl under 10, and another boy between10 and 16.

It appears that in 1812, Robert Sparks again "located," that is, hegave up active preaching and his membership in the PhiladelphiaConference. He returned to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, settling,apparently, in the home that he owned in Centerville. He was probablythe minister named Sparks (or Sparkes) who performed a number ofmarriages in Queen annes County between 1818 and 1828.

It seems quite likely that the wife of Robert Sparks (whose name wehave not learned), died at about the time he returned to Queen AnnesCounty; perhaps it was her death that prompted his return.

In 1812, there was a land transaction in Queen Annes County (Deed BookJB-1, p. 59) in which Ann Wright, widow of James Wright, wasidentified as "now Ann Sparks." Then in 1815, another land record wascreated proving that it had been to the Rev. Robert Sparks that AnnWright had been married. (See Deed Book JB-2, p.523)

Peter G. Thyrre, mentioned at the beginning of this article, haslearned that the widow, Ann Wright, to whom Robert Sparks was marriedin or before 1812, had been Ann Wrench Hackett before her marriage toJames Wright. She was a daughter of William Hackett of Queen AnnesCounty, Maryland, and his wife Alice Clayton Wrench. William Hackettwas a son of John and Mary (Bateman) Hackett. Alice Clayton Wrenchwas a daughter of Henry Wrench and his wife, Mary Ann Wright, thedaughter of Nathaniel Wright who had immigrated to Maryland in 1763.

The Sparks and the Hackett families had had a long neighborlyassociation in Queen Annes County. Robert Sparks's great-grandfather,the immigrant from Hampshire County, England, named William Sparks,had purchased land from Michael and Mary Hackett in 1681. WhenWilliam Sparks died in 1709, a John Hackett, with John Hawkins, Jr.,were appointed by the probate court to prepare the inventory ofWilliam's personal property.

Based on family records, Mr. Thyrre reports that Ann Wright, wife ofRobert Sparks, had two children by her first husband, James Wright;they were James Wright, Jr., and Nathan Wright.

From the wording of the obituary for the Rev. Robert Sparks, we knowtht he was one of the 'reformers" within the Methodist EpiscopalChurch who came to believe that the denomination's form of vogernance,with its executive power vested in a group of bishops, wasinappropriate for a church within a democratically governed nation.The system smacked, they claimed, of the "divine right hierarchy,"with kings and nobility, over which the American Revolution had beenfought. At a Conference held in Baltimore in November 1830, 114delegates voted to separate from the rest of the denomination and toform the Methodist Protestant Church, in which laymen could vote withthe clergy on any question at any meeting, and, in which, there wouldbe no bishops.

The Rev. Robert Sparks, as stated by Judge Hopper in his obituary, was"the first to give his name as a member of the new church" inCentreville.

A further division within Methodism in the U.S. came in 1844 over theslavery question, and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South came intoexistence as a result. It was not until 1939 that these threebranches of U.S. Methodism reunited as The Methodist Church.

The Rev. Robert and Ann Sparks are known to have a daughter namedAlice Ann B. Sparks, born about 1820. Whether there were otherchildren is not known. Alice Ann was married to James Fisher of QueenAnnes County, a planter, and they became the parents of at least twodaughters, Sarah Fisher and Ann Fisher. Sarah and Ann were married tobrothers named Johnson: Sarah to Thomas Jefferson Johnson and Ann toHarrison Clay Johnson. They were sons of Andrew and Ann (Walls)Johnson. Andrew Johnson was sheriff of Queen Anns County in the early1840s.

We have not found Robert Sparks as head of a household on the 1820census, and while we might expect to find him on the 1830 census ofQueen Annes County, that particular census has been lost. We canconjecture that one of the two women named Ann Sparks appearing asheads of families in Centreville in Queen Annes County on the 1840census could have been the widow of Robert Sparks, the enumeration byage category of the members of their households fails, however, topoint to either one as Robert's widow. (See page 2834 of theQUARTERLY for March, 1986, Whole No. 133, for a transcription ofSparks households on this census.)

THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, p 101: "Robert Sparks, probably son of John andSarah (Shores ) Sparks, was born about 1786 in Surry County, NorthCarolina; married Margaret Pigg. This couple did not remain in WilkesCounty, North Carolina, but it is not known where they settled. Thechildren lived in Kentucky. Children: (not all of these have beenproven to be children of Robert & Margaret) (a) Wesley Sparks, bornabout 18O5; married 1835, Nancy Kozee; (b) Nancy Sparks, born about181O; married 182 9, Martin Ison; (c) William Sparks, born about 1812;married about 1834, Mary Lyon; (d) ?Joel Sparks, born ---; marriedMary Grow; (e) Isaac Sparks; (f) Reuben Sparks; (g) Solomon Sparks."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 1997, Whole No. 179, pp 4850-4878:
ROBERT SPARKS (ca.1780-ca.1815) SON OF JOHN AND SARAH (SHORES) SPARKSAND HIS DESCENDANTS OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, KENTUCKY by Paul E. Sparks.
[Editor's note: Between 1820 and 1830, five men named SPARKS andtheir families settled in Lawrence County, Kentucky. Two of thesemen, James Sparks (189) {the third great-grandfather of James J.Sparks} and Thomas Sparks, were brothers, being sons of William (199)and Ann Sparks {and third cousins of Robert Sparks}. Two other men,Levi Sparks and George Sparks, were also brothers, being sons of Johnand Sarah (Shores) Sparks. The fifth man named Sparks to settle inLawrence County was John Wesley Sparks (usually called Wes); he was anephew of Levi and George Sparks, he being a son of their brother,Robert Sparks. Articles about four of these men have been publishedin the QUARTERLY as follows: Thomas Sparks, December 1991, Whole No.156 and March 1992, Whole No. 157; James Sparks, March 1994, Whole No.165; Levi Sparks, June 1996, Whole No. 174; and George Sparks,December 1996, Whole No. 176.

[The article that follows deals with the children of Robert Sparks,brother of Levi Sparks and George Sparks. Although Robert Sparksapparently did not come to Lawrence County, four of his children wereamong its early settlers. We are inclined to believe that these fourwere all of Robert's children. Our information has come to us fromthe records of the late Ira Paulus Ison, and we again express ourindebtedness to Mr. Ison for his help. He died in 1986.

[The Sparkses who came to Lawrence County settled there shortly afterits formation in 1821. At that time, the county embraced a largeterritory, and, as its population grew, other counties were formedfrom portions of it. Carter County was formed in 1838; Johnson Countywas formed in 1843; and Boyd County was formed in 1860. After theCivil War, Elliott County was formed in 1869, and Martin County wasformed in 1870. In the article that follows, references to these sixcounties will not usually be followed by "Kentucky," it beingunderstood that we will refer only to the counties with these namesthat are located in Kentucky.]

"Robert Sparks, son of John and Sarah (Shores) Sparks, was born inWilkes County, North Carolina, about 1780. Only one official recordbearing his name has been found. This is in a survey made of a landgrant to John Sparks, Senior in 1804 in Wilkes County, North Carolina,located on the East Fork of Roaring River. In this, Robert Sparks wasnamed as a chain-bearer in this survey. The rest of the scantyinformation that we have about him has come to us from relatives inWilkes County, North Carolina, or in Lawrence County.

"Robert Sparks was married to Margaret Pigg about 1804, and they werethe parents of four children. She may have been a daughter of WilliamPigg who paid taxes in 1814 on property near that of John Sparks, Sr.In neighboring Surry County, North Carolina, a Nathan Pigg served asbondsman for the marrriage of Waitman Summers and Winney Durham onMarch 8, 1811.

"We have found no record of the death of Robert Sparks nor that of hisspouse, Margaret (Pigg) Sparks. He was not enumerated on the 1810 or1820 censuses of North Carolina; he may have died prior to 1820. Hiswidow was apparently living with her son, Wesley Sparks, when the 1830census was taken of Lawrence County, Kentucky; she was probably thefemale, aged 50-60 years, then living in his household.

"We believe that the children of Robert and Margaret (Pigg) Sparkswere: John Wesley Sparks, Nancy Sparks, William Sparks, and ReubenSparks."

See SQ p. 2572:

"Robert Sparks, son of Nathan Sparks, Jr., was probably born about1795. According to relatives, he married and had two children, AmosSparks and Louisa Sparks. He was a farmer in Queen Annes County andwas killed by being thrown from a horse. After his death, his widowmarried Shadrach Potts. Louisa Sparks, daughter of Robert, is said tohave married a man named Brian (or Bryan)."

For marriage information see SQ p. 4186.

See the 1850 Census for Queen Annes County, Maryland, SQ p. 2844 WholeNo. 133.

207-207 Sparks, Robert 28 (W) (M) Laborer . Maryland
. " Emeline 28 (W) (F) . . "
. " Georganna 4 (W) (F) . . "
. " Daniel 2 (W) (M) . . "

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY for December, 1995, Whole No. 172, p. 4582:
We now believe that the Robert Sparks who was married to EmilineBevans was a son of Robert and Ann Wrench (Hackett) Wright Sparks ,who were married ca.1815. She was a widow of James Wright and adaughter of William and Alice Clayton (Wrench) Hackett.

See SQ p. 4582:

"Robert Sparks was born about 1820-1825. He was incorrectlyidentified on page 2568 as the Robert Sparks who was married toEmiline Bevans in Queen Annes County, Maryland, on August 16, 1844.We now believe that the Robert Sparks who was married to Emiline was ason of Robert and Ann Wrench (Hackett) Wright Sparks, who were marriedabout 1815. She was a widow of James Wright and a daughter of WilliamAnd Alice Clayton (Wrench) Hackett. (See page 2586 of the December1983 issue of the QUARTERLY, Whole No. 124.)

SQ 101: "Robert Sparks, born about 1824; married Susan A. ---"

See the SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1970, Whole No. 71, pgs 1346-49for the following article:

A TRAGIC LETTER WRITTEN BY ROBERT SPARKS (ca.1824-1864)

THREE DAYS BEFORE HIS DEATH

For a number of years we have had on file in the Association a copy ofa Sparks letter which has great historical interest, but which we havehesitated to publish thinking that some of our members might considerit too personal and too tragic to include in the QUARTERLY. The letterwas written by Robert Sparks of Wilkes County, North Carolina, onApril 25, 1864, three days before he was shot for having deserted theConfederate Army. A copy was furnished us by Mrs. Annie Sparks Wilsonof Traphill, North Carolina, in 1951. We understand that this letterwas published many years ago in a North Carolina
newspaper. We do not know who owns the original letter, but we believethat we have a true copy. Your editor has decided to publish thisletter in the belief that our readers will recognize its historicalvalue. He believes also that they will understand the desperatecircumstances which led to Robert Sparks?s decision to desert the Armyin order to provide for his suffering family back home.

Robert Sparks was born in 1824 or 1825 in Wilkes County, NorthCarolina, the son of Joel and Nancy (Blackburn) Sparks and a grandsonof the Revolutionary War soldier, John Sparks (1753-1840), a record ofwhose life and descendants appeared in the QUARTERLY for December 1955(Vol. III, No. 4, Whole No. 12, pp. 94-104). Joel and Nancy(Blackburn) Sparks were married in Wilkes County in 1814 and had thefollowing children: (1) Richmond Sparks, born about 1815; (2) adaughter, name not known, born about 1816; (3) Melinda Sparks, bornabout 1818; (4) Nancy Sparks, born about 1820; (5) Robert Sparks, bornin 1824 or 1825; (6) Joel Sparks, Jr., born about 1826; (7) MittieSparks, born about 1828; and (8) Hugh Sparks, born about 1833.

Robert Sparks was married to Susannah A. in Wilkes County, NorthCarolina, in 1815. Unfortunately, the writing on the marriage bond isimpossible to read today and neither Susannah ?s maiden name nor themonth and day of the marriage can be determined. It will be noted thatthe letter informing her of Robert?s death was addressed to Susan A.Sparks. Her name on the 1860 census also appeared as Susan, but the1870 census gives it as Susannah. She was born about 1830.

Robert Sparks lived in Trap Hill Township, Wilkes County, NorthCarolina. When the 1860 census was taken he was listed as a farmer.His land was valued at $300 and his personal property was valued at$150. Like nearly all of his fellow farmers in Wilkes County, he ownedno slaves.

From census records, it appears that Robert and Susannah A. Sparkswere the parents of the following children:
(1) Martha Sparks, born about 1848.
(2) Sarah Sparks, born about 1851.
(3) Huldah Sparks, born about 1854.
(4) Bynum Sparks, born about 1856.
(5) Thomas Sparks, born about 1861.

In his letter, it will be noted, Robert Sparks referred to "my littlebabies? who had died."

According to the Confederate service record for Robert Sparks filed inthe National Archives, he was enlisted as a private at Camp Holmes onApril 28, 1863, by Col. Mallett. He was listed as a conscript, not avolunteer. His age was given as 38. He was assigned to Company H, 14thNorth Carolina Infantry.

It is not possible, of course, over a century after the event, toguess the full story behind Robert Sparks?s tragedy. We know that hewas a plain farmer whose worldly possessions were few. He had fivesmall children when he was drafted at an age which, in most wars,would have excused him from military service. We also know that thedesertion rate was high in both the Confederate and the Union Army in1864. Note that his letter mentions living on half-rations.Furthermore, these desertions were often not thought of as seriouscrimes, for more often than not the soldier merely wished to return tohis family for a
few weeks to look after the crops and care for his children, with thefull expectation of returning to his regiment after these tasks hadbeen accomplished. Note that in his letter, Robert Sparks stated thathe had been sentenced to death not because of the crime, but as anexample to frighten other soldiers from running away.

Robert Sparks left his regiment on March 18, 1864, nearFredericksburg. As a farmer, he knew that if his crops were notplanted that spring, his wife and children would suffer greathardship. A week later, however, he was captured and returned to hisunit and placed in the Divisional Guard House to await sentence. Hewas executed, apparently along with another soldier, on April 28,1864.

Susannah, or Susan, Sparks, widow of Robert, was still living when the1870 census of Wilkes County was taken. Her age was given as 40 andliving with her were her two sons, Bynum Sparks aged 12, and ThomasSparks, aged 9. This is our last record of any member of this family.

Following is Robert Sparks?s letter:

"Near Orange, Va.
April 25, 1864.

"Dear and beloved wife:

"This will inform you that I am well as to health, though I am ingreat distress of mind, Ever praying that Gods blessings will be withyou as long as you live, I will relate to you my tale of woe.

"I left my Redgiment on the 18th of March and started home andtraveled nearly a week, and was taken up, brought back, courtmartialed, and sentenced to be shot to death with musketry. Thesentence is to be executed on the 28th day of this month between thehours of 12 and 2 oclock.

"Without some reprieve, and I don ?t have much hope of that, for theyhave just now set in shooting men for running away, so I havent muchhope, but, my dear wife, I dont want you to grieve for me, for I hopeI shall be better off if they do shoot me, for my life is but littlesatisfaction to me anyhow, and I hope that I shall go up yonder wherethere is no more parting nor shooting men, where I shall praise my Godfor redemption for ever and ever.

"Oh my dear darling, the last letter that come to the Redgiment, I didnot get, the officers said that they burnt it, and I have not wrote toyou since I was taken up, I thought I would wait until I heard mysentence, and an awful sentence it is too. I am to be shot for anexample to scare others and not for crime.

"Thanks to God that I have not done a crime worthy of death, my dear,dont grieve for me, for they can only kill the body, that is all theycan do, and I shall die quick and easy and not be punished to death asmany hundred that are shot on the battlefield. So my dear dont grievefor me, for sometimes I think it will be only a blessing to me to takeme out of this troublesome world, But Oh my dear, the ties of mutualare so binding that it makes my heart almost sink within me to thinkthat I shall have to die and never see you anymore, but when I thinkhow good God is, and how happy I hope to be and what a troublesomeworld that I am going to leave, I do not dread it as much as you mightthink.

"Oh my dear, I am here in prison among strangers, and no one to tel mytroubles to, and none to help me here in this lonesome valley andshadow of death, but Jesus is my firend. He can comfort me, and I hopeHe will go with me through the lonesome valley of death, and take mehome to live with him forever, and my dear, I hope God will bless youand my poor orphan children.

"May He give you grace to live for Him, who died for sinners, that youall may meet me up yonder where my little babies is gone to praise Godfor redemption for ever and ever, where there will be no more shootingof men for example, nor where we will have to live on half rations.

"Oh my dear, how sweet Heaven will be to me if I can only get there,after suffering so much here, but one moment in Heaven will make upfor all, so I dont want you to grieve about me, but pray for yourselfand little children that we may all meet in Heaven at last.

"But, Oh, my heart, my heart, it almost sinks within me, to think ofleaving you all to the mercies of this merciless world, But God isable to bless you, He is able to provide for you, and to keep you fromall harm, So I will leave you in Gods care. May he bless you and keepyou as long as you live. I want you to send and get my body. I want itput at the corner of the sweet potato patch, about where the stablestood. Tell brother Richmond to come and get if if (sic) he pleases.Tell him that I want him to attend to you and settle my accounts foryou. I would write him but havent the chance. My dear wife, this isthe last letter I
expect to write to you. Farewell, my dear, farwell, My littlechildren, farewell, my aged mother, farewell, Neighbors and friends,farewell, to this world and all its pleasures. Tell my aged motherthat I have not forgotten her, and that I hope to meet her in Heaven.

"If you come after my body, come to Gen Rhodes Provost Guard, Theywill show you where it is. So my darling, may God bless you, may Hegive you strength to bear up under your trials, May He keep you fromall harm,

Farewell, Farewell,

Robert Sparks"

"A few lines to Susan A. Sparks

"I can inform you that I witnesseth the death of your dear husbandthis day, and I never hated anything so bad as I did that, though itwas nothing to me. I will inform you that he told me this morning towrite to you. I went in at breakfast, and he requested I shave them,and help them put on their clothes. I asked them if they thought theyhad made their peace with God, and he said he thought he has. He saidhe felt better satisfied than he had since he was in the dungeon. Hesaid he
would not mind dying if he could see his poor wife and sweet littlechildren one more time. He told me to write to you and for you to stayon the place that you live on as long as you can, and to do the bestyou can, And prepare to meet him in Heaven, for he thought that thisday his soul would be in Paradise, and requested Richmond to come takehis body home,

"This from Gideon Spicer

To Susan Sparks."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

See SQ p4853:
"Robert Sparks, son of Wes and Nancy (Kozee) Sparks, was born about1843. He was a 13-year-old boy when he was shot and killed by hiscousin, 10-yearold George Sparks, a son of William and Mary (Lyon)Sparks. (See Item C, 6, below. )

SQ p. 817: Marriage record of Robert Sparks and Frances MelviniaCarter, August 14, 1865, Johnson County, KY.

SQ p. 964:

"Robert Sparks, son of John and Sarah (Bowlen) Sparks, sered with theConfederate Army and was killed at Shiloh.

!NOTES:
SQ 3857: Robert Sparks was born in December 1865. He was marrie d toNancy J. (---) Scott about 1894. She had been born in Februar y 1858and was a widow with five children by a first marriage. Rober t andNancy had three children of their own when the 1900 census wa s takenof Pike County, KY. They were Robert, Sarah B., and Ivory.

SQ 3865: Robert Bruce Sparks was born on April 3, 1857. He wasmarried to Hanna Kelly on June 22, 1883. She had been born in January1867. She and Bruce (as he was called) had nine children: Henry,Martha, Julia, Sallie, Robert, William, John, Elijah, and Anna.

SQ 743 for marriage information.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3727. His family information appears on page 3727 and a photograph taken about 1914 appears on page 3728.

.
!NOTES:
SQ pg 3727: They have five children: Jerry, Jacquita, Dale, Keit hand Stanley Sparks.

See SQ p4854"
"Robert L. Sparks was born on August 28, 1868. He was married toMollie Gambill in 1890 in Lawrence County. She had been born in April1871 and was a daughter of Chine Gambill. Robert Sparks died about1940 and was buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Boyd County,Kentucky. He and Mollie had two children: Harrison Sparks and LonnieSparks."

He was called Robin in the 1870 census.

SQ p. 4731:

"Robert Lawrence Sparks was born on April 8, 1883, at Peach Orchard,Kentucky. He was a miner. Lawrence (as he was called) was marriedtwice. His first marriage was to Verna Mayfield by whom he had threechildren. His second marriage was to Sue Higgenbotham. They had nochildren. Lawrence died on June 5, 1956, at his home at Williamsburg,Kentucky. His children were: Geneva Sparks, George Earl Sparks, andRobert Sparks. (See p. 185 of the December 1956 issue of THE SPARKSQUARTERLY, Whole No. 16, for the obituary of Lawrence Sparks.) [Seenext]

"DEATH TAKES ROBERT LAWRENCE SPARKS

"Again we must report the death of a member of the Association. OnJune 5, 1956,, a heart attack proted fatal to Robert Lawrence Sparksof Williamsburg, Kentucky. Mr. Sparks was 73 years of age when hedied.

"A native of Lawrence County, Kentucky, Robert Lawrence Sparks wasborn April 8, 1882, in the neighborhood of Peach Orchard on Nat'sCreek. He was a son of George Graham and Elizabeth (Painter) Sparks;his grandparents were Hugh S. and Nancy (Curnutte) Sparks (see theDecember, 1955, issue of the QUARTERLY, page 102.)

"Funeral services were conducted for Robert Lawrence Sparks on June 7,1956, at the First Baptist Church in Williamsburg and burial was inthe Highland Cemetery. Members of Williamsburg Lodge No. 490, F. & A.M. were in charge of services at the grave.

"Mr. Sparke's widow, Susie (Higginbotham) Sparks, survives him as doeshis two sons, Earl Sparks of Corbin, Kentucky, and Robert LawrenceSparks, Jr., of Lexington. Three brothers and four sisters survive:Lester Sparks of Chicago; George E. Sparks of Indianapolis; EarlSparks of Cincinnati; Mrs. Cecil Crowell, Mrs. Ethel Bowden, and.Mrs.Hazel Donaldson, all of Hurst, Illinois; and Miss Elizabeth Sparks ofCincinnati."

Robert Sparks's family is found in the QUARTERLY in the September 1997issue, Whole No. 179, specifically on pg 4872. The family of hiswife, Lousina Alice Lyon, daughter of Lewis and Polly (Sparks) Lyon,is found in the QUARTERLY in the June 1996 issue, Whole No. 174,specifically on page 4653.

.

!NOTES:
SQ 3277: "Robert McHenry Sparks, son of Jonas J. and Polly (Hanki ns)
Sparks, was born on May 21, 1858, at Baptist Valley, Virginia. He married
Martha Hester Maxwell on October 3, 1878. She was born in June 186 2and
was a daughter of Frank and Evelyn Maxwell. She and Robert had 7 children:
(1) Silas Toby Sparks b. Jan 13, 1880; m. Lula Pruett Sep 9, 1903.
(2) Eva Sparks b. ca. 1882; it is likely that she died in infancy.
(3) Harriet A. Sparks b. Mar 24, 1885, at Baptist Valley, VA. Sh e m.
Walker Ringstaff on May 30, 1906.
(4) Ida May Sparks was b. Dec 1887.
(5) Margaret M. Sparks b. May 28, 1890. She was m. twice. Her fir stm.
was to C. H. Griffith on July 6, 1906, and her second m. was to
Raymond Ellis on Sep. 19, 1934.
(6) William Reece Sparks b. May 1895.
(7) Norman Sparks b. ca. 1904."

SQ p. 1399:

"Robert T. Sparks, born July 12, 1882, in Brady, Texas; he marriedEdna Stowe on April 9, 1912; she was born on April 25, 1892, and diedAugust 9, 1946. They had two children: Raymond T. Sparks, bornJanuary 9, 1913, was killed in World War II on July 14, 1945; and JoeBob Sparks, born August 19, 1918."

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September, 1970, Whole No. 71, p. 1337:

A fine photograph of Robert Thomas Sparks appears on the cover ofWhole No. 71 i.e. pg 1351.

"Robert Thomas Sparks, son of Caleb and Rebecca (Wilson) Sparks, wasborn in 1808 in Kentucky; he died on March 19., 1889., in HancockCounty, Illinois. In a number of records he was called Thomas Sparks. According to a granddaughter, Eula May Prince., who did research onthe family in 1956, Robert Thomas Sparks married in the late 1820'sand had a daughter who married a man named Riggs and lived inLampasas, Texas. This first wife of Robert Thomas Sparks died and onApril 22, 1830, he was married to Mary Ann Wallingford in LewisCounty, Kentucky. She was a daughter of John Wallingford and was bornabout 1819 in Kentucky; she died on September 9. 1860, in HancockCounty, Illinois.

"In 1848, Robert Thomas Sparks and his family moved from Lewis County,Kentucky, to Illinois; he was listed on the 1850 census of HendersonCounty, Illinois, but by 1851 he was living with his family in DallasCity, Hancock County, Illinois, where he spent the remainder of hislife. According to Mrs. Prince, "He was an ardent Republican and wasone of the few pioneers who voted for both of the Harrisons. He wasnever so happy as when arguing politics."

Robert Thomas and Mary Ann (Wallingford) Sparks were the parents offive children."

**********

See THE SPARKS QUARTERLY, September 2000, Whole No. 195, pp.5554-5559:

ROBERT THOMAS AND MARY ANN (WALLINGFORD) SPARKS

FURTHER NOTES ON SOME OF THEIR DESCENDANTS

"In the QUARTERLY of September 1970, Whole No. 71, we published anarticle, beginning on page 1336,
entitled "Caleb Sparks of Lewis and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky."From a record found a number of years after this article appeared, welearned that Caleb Sparks had been born on December 3, 1786, inBourbon County, Kentucky, and that he was a son of a William Sparkswho had died in Fleming County, Kentucky, prior to February 10, 1800.It was on this date that Caleb and his brother, Joseph Sparks (bornMarch 1, 1791), were apprenticed as orphans of William Sparks toWilliam McCormack, a tanner by occupation, "to learn the business oftanning and currying." (Fleming County, where William Sparks had died,had been created from Mason County in 1798; Mason County had beencreated from Bourbon County in 1789.)

Caleb Sparks had been 14 years old when his father died and had beenapprenticed to McCormack, while his brother, Joseph Sparks, had been 8years old. As was then customary, each boy was to end hisapprenticeship on his 21st birthday . (See the QUARTERLY of September1980, Whole No.111, pp. 2240-41, for the Fleming County Court recordspertaining to these two apprenticeships, as well as an explanation ofthe law then in effect in Kentucky regarding orphans andapprenticeships.)

In the QUARTERLY of March 1999, Whole No.185, beginning on page 5116,appears an article entitled "Where Did the Sparkses of Early LewisCounty, Kentucky, Come From?" This article presented evidence that thegrandfather of Caleb and Joseph Sparks, who was also named WilliamSparks, had been a son of Joseph and Mary Sparks, and that he(William) had been born in Queen Annes County, Maryland, on April 27,1738. This William Sparks (born April 27, 1738) was a grandson of theEnglish immigrant, William Sparks, born in or about 1646 in, webelieve, Hampshire County, England, who died in Queen Annes County,Maryland, in 1709. (See the QUARTERLY of December 1992, Whole No. 160,for an article devoted to William Sparks, the immigrant, pp.4025-34.)

Caleb Sparks was married in Bourbon County, Kentucky, on October 19,1805, to Rebecca Wilson, a daughter of Ephraim Wilson . They were theparents of as many as twelve children. Their second son was namedRobert Thomas Sparks. As an adult, he was often called by his middlename, Thomas, but here we will refer to him by his full name except inquotations where he has been called Thomas Sparks .

A great-granddaughter of Robert Thomas Sparks, Eula May (Watters)Prince, born on September 27, 1908, who had done research on thisbranch of the Sparks family, was our principal source for theinformation on the family of Robert Thomas Sparks appearing in theQUARTERLY of September 1970.

According to Mrs. Prince, Robert Thomas Sparks was married, first, inthe 1820s, to a woman (name unknown) who died not long after bearing adaughter. This daughter (name unknown) was believed to have beenmarried to a man named Riggs and had lived in Lampasas, Texas. OnApril 22, 1830, Robert Thomas Sparks was married, second, to Mary AnnWallingford in Lewis County, Kentucky.

On page 934 of the QUARTERLY for September 1965, Whole No. 51, wereported a number of marriage
bonds for persons named Sparks in Lewis County, Kentucky, that hadbeen copied and placed In the library of the Filson Club inLouisviile, Kentucky. Included in this record is the bond for RobertThomas Sparks and Mary Ann Wallingford with the date January 8, 1830.This date had been copied incorrecfly, however, as is shown on thephotographic copy obtained by Barbara H. Smith, a descendant of thiscouple, and reproduced on the following page . As seen, this provesthat the marriage bond was actuaily dated April 19, 1830, three daysbefore the marriage.

This record in Lewis County reads as follows: "1830, April the 19th.No.637. Thomas Sparks to Mary Ann Wallingford. John Wallingford,Fee paid . Thomas Sparks over the age of 21 years as proved byhis own oath. And personal Consent of John Wallingford, Father of MaryAnn, given before me Att. Jos. Robb Clerk. I do hereby Certifythat Thomas Sparks & Mary Ann Wallingford were joined together in holy marriage on the 22nd day of April 1830.
[Date recorded] April 27th 1830. [signed] Thomas Warring."

Some time late in the 1840s, Robert Thomas moved to Illinois, and whenthe 1850 census was taken, he was shown as heading his household inHenderson County, adjoining the Mississippi River. His name appearedas Thomas Sparks on this census, as it had in the record of hismarriage to Mary Ann Wallingford . His age In 1850 was recorded as 40and he was called a laborer. His wife was listed as Mary A. Sparks,age 30, but this was surely an error. She died on September 9, 1860,and on her gravestone her age appears as 45. She must have been atleast 35 years old (not 30) when the 1850 census was taken.

Four children had been born to Robert Thomas and Mary Ann Sparks whenthe 1850 census was taken, as follows, all shown as having been bornin Kentucky:

Catherine S. Sparks, age 18
Lucretia Sparks, age 16
Sarah A. Sparks, age 7
Ephraim Sparks, age 3

Although census takers were directed in 1850 to report the names onlyof those persons living in each household as of June 1, 1850, otherrecords prove that for the household of Robert Thomas and Mary AnnSparks, the census taker recorded the names and ages of all four oftheir childrn, even though the two oldest daughters, Catherine andLucretia, had been married prior to 1850 and were living with theirhusbands when that census was taken: Catherine in Hancock County,Illinois, and Lucretia in Monroe County, Missouri . A fifth child,named Rebecca Jane Sparks, was born to Robert Thomas and Mary Ann in1851.

According to the obituary of Catherine Sparks (she died in 1897), shehad been born on November 9, 1831. It was In Adams County, Illinois,that she had been married; the record reads: "Kitty Ann Sparks andNoel Datin were married on Nov. 9, 1848." ("Datin" was normallyspelled Dayton.) For the full text of her obituary, see pp. 1337-38 ofthe September 1970 issue of the QUARTERLY. It is interesting to notethat Mary Elizabeth Dayton, the eldest daughter of Noel Dayton, wasmarried on May 18, 1844, in Monroe County, Missouri, to Samuel Riggs,a brother of Stephen Riggs . Stephen Riggs, as shown below, wasmarried to Lucretia Sparks, sister of Catherine.......

Although Robert Thomas and Mary Ann (Wallingford) Sparks were livingwith their younger children in Henderson County, Illinois, when an1850 census taker came to their home on September 30, they soonthereafter moved to adjoining Hancock County, and it was there thattheir last daughter, Rebecca Jane Sparks, was born. It was there,also, that Mary Ann died on September 9, 1860, at Dallas City. RobertThomas Sparks continued to live In Hancock County for the remainder ofhis life . When the 1880 census was taken, he was shown there in thehousehold of his daughter, Sarah Ann, and her husband, Henry Gilbreth.He was called Thomas Sparks by the census taker in 1880 as in 1850.When he died in 1889, his obituary was published in a Dallas Citynewspaper, a clipping of which was copied for us by Eula May Princemany years ago:

ROBERT THOMAS SPARKS was born in 1808, died March 19, 1889, age 81yrs. He was married to Miss Mary Ann Wallingford, in his nativecounty, April 22, 1830. To them six children were born, fivedaughters and one son, four of whom survive him . These are: Catharine[sic] (Kittie) Ann Dayton, Nauvoo, Ill.; Sarah Gilbert, Dallas City,Ill.; Ephraim Sparks, Brady, Texas; and Rebecca Jane Walker of Carman,Ill. His wife died Sept. 9, 1860. He came to Illinois about the year1848, and has lived continually in Dallas City since 1851. He was anardent Republican and was one of the few pioneers who voted for boththe Harrisons. He was never so happy as when arguing politics. When hewas 12 yrs. old he was afflicted with white swelling, which settledinto chronic rheumatism when he was about 20 years old. From that timeon he was a constant sufferer of the disease until some fifteen yearsago. The funeral was preached from the residence, by Rev . Herzier, at3 o'clock Wed. afternoon. The remains were laid to rest beside hiswife in the East Cemetery. The family desire no flowers. Dallas City,Ill....."

(JS Note: Parts of this article are found under the notes for thedaughter of Robert Sparks, Lucretia.)

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