Ricky,
I have a letter which might interest you.
It does not name names (other than surnames).
Stacy Collins SR lived in Covington and Jones CO MS in the 1820-1850's.
He was the father of Jasper Collins and Warren Jacob Collins. I think
that Warren was the big Jayhawker leader in the Big Thickett...I would
have to look at my records. I always confuse him with Jasper.
Anyway, their brother Simeon Collins was my ancestor.
All the Collins were Union Sympathizers (apparently) even though most
were conscripted into the Confederate Army. Warren went to Texas about
7-8 years before the war ever started. Several of his siblings went
later.
Of the ones who were in MS during the war, Simeon was conscripted in to
the army at age 45. His brother Riley James was also conscripted, but he
deserted and joined the Union side. There was another brother named
Newton, one named Stacy JR and one named Vinson Alen. Youngest brother
Edwin was in the CSA and died of Typhoid in TX.
Anyway, the Jones Co COllins were almost to a man members of Newt
Knight's band. Simeon's sons Thomas Jefferson, James Madison (my
ancestor) and Morgan COlumbus were CSA but also were part of Newt's
band. Simeon was wounded and put in prison camp and then
exchanged...shortly after he returned he was with Newt Knight and later
died we believe as a result of his war injury in about 1866.
Anyway, although he was CSa, my ancestor James Madison Collins
participated with Newt Knight and later went to Hardin Co TX where most
of his uncles and siblings had already gone. He lived to the age of 80.
His 2nd wife applied for his CSA pension when he died in 1923, but she
did not know he had served from MS. She thought he served from TX. He
was in 7th Battalion Co F from MS...she put him as same CO from TX.
They of course could not locate his service, but in trying to do so
wrote a letter to the former commander of that TX unit. The reply he
wrote was in cludedin the pension file i got from the TX Archives in
Austin. It pretty much said that all the Collins, Cains and Knights were
lowdown dirty deserters (I think he said Bushwackers or something to
that effect) who hid out in the woods and if they knew the whereabouts
of any of them they should bring them to justice.
It later did be revealed that James M had served from MS not TX and the
pension was granted. But the letter was interesting none the less
because of the great negative sentiment expressed toward these very
surnames as late as the 1920's!
I am certain that there was a connection between these families from MS
to TX, and that they were also connected to the ones in Baker Co GA.
Stacy COllins was not everin Baker Co but he came to MS from Twiggs CO
GA.The Richardsons (who did not join with the Collins til after they
were all in TX) were not ever in MS but appear to have gone directly
from SC to Baker Co GA. They were not a factor in the war thing at all.
Regina