I am trying to find information on a man that I can find few references
for - W. B. or W. R. Champion - born about 1832 in NC.
My GG Grandmother was a Rose Ann (Maiden Unk) born in KY. Her first
marriage was to a Mr. Champion. They had a son named John Champion born
about 1855 in TX (based on the 1880 RR Co. Census). I just recently found
the census below and believe it may be the same family. Except, the son was
only shown to be 2 and not 5 as I would have expected if the 1880 Census was
correct.
1860 Titus Co. TX Census, Precinct 11, Snow Hill, 1 Aug, Page 237,
HH#339/334,
W. B. Champion, 28 Ostler NC
Rosanna 22 KY
John C. 2 TX
(Note: Champion is indexed on Ancestry as W. B. but it also looks like a W.
R.)
http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7667&ii...
473&fn=W+B&ln=Champion&st=d&ssrc=&pid=35508851
There is a W. B. Champion listed on Ancestry in the Civil War service
records (
http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?ti=0&indiv=try&db=cvwr...
) as a Farrier in Co. A, 11th (Spaight's) Batt'n Texas Vols. I do not know
where this group was located.
Also, there is a W. R. Champion listed with the 3rd Co. Red River county
volunteers, organized 29 June 1861, the "William B. Stout Co." This group is
from the county just to the north of Titus Co.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~txredriv/stout.html
Since I do not know if the initials are actually a W. B. or a W. R. I can
see the two military leads that fit for different reasons. If Mr. Champion
was listed as an Ostler for his occupation on the census, then the Farrier
listing would seem to fit. However, I do not know where this battalion was
from other than the fact that I know it was fighting along the TX/LA border
nearer the coast (a long way from home). That would lead me to lead toward
the W. R. Champion military listing that would be closer to home. This is
all assuming that my Mr. Champion entered the service during the Civil War,
he was of the correct age, or that either of these was him.
Hopefully someone out there in listserve land will recognize this Mr.
Champion that left NC, met a woman from KY, and ended up in North Texas
prior to the 1860 census. He was apparently dead before 1866 when Rose Ann
remarried.
Thanks for any lead,
Paula