Husband: Wiley B NELSON
Birthdate: August 17, 1841
Birthplace: Muscogee County, Georgia
Death date: September 27, 1916
Place of death: Simpsonville, Upshur County, Texas
Father: Jesse C. NELSON
Mother: Susan WALL

Marriage date: October 14, 1860
Marriage place: Chattahoochee County, Georgia

Wife: Narcessa SCARBROUGH
Birthdate: May 31, 1845
Birthplace: Muscogee County, Georgia
Death date: October 12, 1924
Place of death: Thomas, Upshur County, Texas
Father: Ivey SCARBROUGH
Mother: Sarah BECK

CHILDREN

Child No. 1: Susan Melissa NELSON
Sex: f
Birthdate: July 18, 1861
Birthplace: Georgia
Death date: December 18, 1939
Place of death: Texas
Marriage date: 1898
Marriage place:
Spouses' names: James Edgar Little

Child No. 2: James Wiley (Jimmy) NELSON
Sex: m
Birthdate: October 01, 1863
Birthplace: Georgia
Death date: June 17, 1927
Place of death: Texas
Marriage date: January 05, 1888
Marriage place: January 05, 1888
Spouses' names: Mary Alice LITTLE

Child No. 3: Alice Arrene NELSON
Sex: f
Birthdate: October 14, 1866
Birthplace: Georgia
Death date: October 17, 1926
Place of death: Harris County, Texas
Marriage date: December 09, 1886
Marriage place: Wood County, Texas
Spouses' names: William Daniel (Zeke) Hester

Child No. 4: Ivey Isaiah NELSON
Sex: m
Birthdate: September 28, 1868
Birthplace: Georgia
Death date: October 06, 1936
Place of death: Simpsonville, Upshur County, Texas
Marriage date: January 25, 1891
Marriage place: Texas
Spouses' names: Hattie Odella GAUTNEY

Child No. 5: Rasper Battle Roe NELSON
Sex: m
Birthdate: May 20, 1871
Birthplace: Georgia
Death date: October 12, 1905
Place of death: Texas
Marriage date: January 30, 1897
Marriage place: Texas
Spouses' names: Willie SPARKMAN

Child No. 6: Charles E NELSON
Sex: M
Birthdate: February 14, 1873
Birthplace: Texas
Death date: October 06, 1902
Place of death: Texas
Marriage date:
Marriage place:
Spouses' names:

Child No. 7: Willie Ezekiel Nelson
Sex: m
Birthdate: February 15, 1875
Birthplace: Texas
Death date: September 08, 1877
Place of death: Texas
Marriage date:
Marriage place:
Spouses' names:

Child No. 8: Henry Thomas"Tommie" NELSON
Sex: m
Birthdate: December 10, 1876
Birthplace: Texas
Death date: June 22, 1884
Place of death: Camp County, Texas
Marriage date:
Marriage place:
Spouses' names:

Child No. 9: Infant Nelson
Sex: m
Birthdate: January 26, 1879
Birthplace: Texas
Death date: January 26, 1879
Place of death: Texas
Marriage date:
Marriage place:
Spouses' names:

Child No. 10: Walter Leafitte NELSON
Sex: m
Birthdate: April 24, 1880
Birthplace: Wood County, Texas
Death date: June 06, 1964
Place of death: Tyler, Smith County, Texas
Marriage date: March 09, 1899
Marriage place: Simpsonville, Upshur County, Texas
Spouses' names: Della Mae MULLINIX

Child No. 11: George Andrew Jessie NELSON
Sex: m
Birthdate: September 20, 1882
Birthplace: Texas
Death date: April 19, 1951
Place of death: Texas
Marriage date: abt 1908
Marriage place: Texas
Spouses' names: Annie MORRIS

Child No. 12: Narcisa Sariah (Lucy) NELSON
Sex: f
Birthdate: February 27, 1884
Birthplace: Texas
Death date: October 23, 1958
Place of death: Simpsonville, Upshur County, Texas
Marriage date: abt 1899
Marriage place: Texas
Spouses' names: John S. MULLINIX

Child No. 13: Mary Ellen NELSON
Sex: f
Birthdate: May 27, 1886
Birthplace: Texas
Death date: October 23, 1902
Place of death: Texas
Marriage date:
Marriage place:
Spouses' names:

Child No. 14: Noah Lawson NELSON
Sex: m
Birthdate: April 03, 1888
Birthplace: Texas
Death date: July 22, 1889
Place of death: Camp County, Texs
Marriage date:
Marriage place:
Spouses' names:
 
 
Documentation:
* Narcessa was living with Susan Nelson, future mother in law, in Chattahoochee County August 10, 1860 and the marriage of Narcessa and Wiley occurred in October of 1860. Wiley was working in Stewart County in June 1860. The timing fits nicely, if you wish to believe that he was working to support the household because his father had died in 1855 and there were no other men in the household.
* 1860 GA Steward County Lumpkin P. O. p. 83 online Page 362 Enumerated 28th day of June 1860 House # 16
Benjamin Davis 20 M overseer AL $8000 $14000 ( I have to tell you that if Benjamin had had 20 slaves he would have been called a planter. It seems he needed one more slave.)
James M. 16 M AL
Button ? maybe Britain 14 M AL
Wiley Nelson 19 M Laborer GA
* 1870 GA Polk County Post Office: Cedartown - all from Georgia p321 p 152 online/188
Wiley B Nelson 28 farmer
Narcissa 25 keeping house
Susan M 9
James W 5
Alice A 4
Isaiah I- 1
Scarbrough, Mary E 22 domestic servant, (sister of Narcessa, dtr of Sarah Beck and Ivey Scarbrough)
" Jesse 12 farm laborer (Jesse Homer, son of Nancy P Nelson and Ivey Scarbrough)
" Jason J. 11 farm laborer (Jason Jerry Miah, son of Nancy P Nelson and Ivey Scarbrough)
* 1880 Texas Wood County Census Found ED 127 precinct 4 pages 26-27
Wiley as 37 from GA VA GA
Narcessa was 35 GA GA GA.
Susan was 18 GA
James 15, GA
Alice 14, GA
Isaiah 12 GA
Resper 10, GA
Charley (had a disability, which is unreadable on census) 7
Thomas 3 TX
Walter 2 months TX
* 1900 Texas Wood County pct 4 p. 20 of 47 online ED 145 p. 10B
Wiley B Nelson Aug 1841 58 GA GA GA
Narsis, wife May 45, 55 GA GA GA
Andrew, son Sept 1882 17 TX GA GA
Ellen, dtr May 1886 14 TX GA GA
* 1910 Upshur County Census, ED 97 listed the following present:
Wiley, age 65 GA SC SC
Nassie N. Nelson, 64 GA NC NC
Alice Hester, dtr, 42, GA
Kate Hester, grdtr, 17
Vallie, grdtr, 14
Ezekiel, grdson, 12
Artis Tillery, grdson, 2
* Marriage information: Nelson, Wiley and Scarbrough, Narcissa Oct 14, 1860 James C. Coleman, JP (Coleman worked with Methodist and Baptist churches in the area. He "kept a tavern at the Mill House" where travellers liked to stay. (p.91) He also gave land to the Methodist Episcopal Church to build after the old church located in Ft.Benning required them to move ... p.92. N K Rogers: A History of Chattahoochee County.)
* After Wiley married Narcessa, he went to Covington County, Alabama. He may have been a part of the 100 families who decided to move from the Cusetta area to Covington, Alabama looking for cheap land. In 1854 the land prices in Covington dropped. The good tracts had already been acquired and what was left, though not the best, was available at good prices. This account of land purchasing can be found in "Early History of Covington County, Alabama" by Wiley Donald Ward at the Mobile Genealogy Library. Wiley had to have been in Covington County by 1862 based on the muster roll. Co. I. 40th Alabama Infantry Regiment, formally, was formed from Capt. Gantt's Co., 4th Regiment. Ala. Volunteer Militia. The company's name was Covington County Farmers and the Muster Rolls, that we were able to find were 05/15/1862 (Gantt's Co.) and 10/31/1862 (Co. I). The company was organized under the acquisition of the Major General of the 11th Division, Alabama Militia calling for one hundred troops from the 60th Regiment (Covington County) Militia. The men were all volunteers, and they originally enlisted at Randal's on April 2, 1862 in the service of the State of Alabama for ninety days. Elections were held for company officers and the company selected as its name, Covington County Farmers. By April 15, 1862, the company had moved to Mobile and were awaiting orders. On May 10, 1862, fifty-five of the 106 members re-enlisted in Co. I, 40th Alabama Infantry Regiment for the duration of the war. The remaining 51 members, which included many of the influential young men in the county, returned home. Many of these were later forced into service, but some never served in the regular Confederate Army." One of the 55 members who joined the 40th Alabama included Wiley Nelson, Pvt. Co. I 4th Regiment Alabama (Senior) Reserves Muster roll, October 20, 1864 included men between 45 and 50 who were mobilized after the Confederate Congress passed an act to increase the numbers needed to fight the war. Wiley's name is listed on this muster roll in Alabama archives and many of the regular army lists. When the unit became the 40th Alabama, his name is on the roster.
* As for the role of the 40th Alabama, we checked the Alabama State Archives, the National Park Service and the Regimental Histories for the Georgia gen/web site and summarized the following:
  This regiment was organized in May 1862 at Mobile, and remained there till December with men from the following Alabama counties: Choctaw, Colbert, Covington, Mobile, Morgan, Pickens, and Sumter. It went to Vicksburg by way of Columbus, Mississippi.
  At Vicksburg, it took part in the operations on Deer Creek. (Featherstone was in command at the Steel'e bayou expedition). While in that region, it was brigaded with the 37th Alabama, and 42nd Alabama, and 2nd Texas Cavalry, under Gen. S C. Moore. Four companies were placed in Fort Pemberton, and were from there transferred to Gen. Bragg's Army of Tennessee March 16-22, 1863. It appears to have served in a detachment as sharpshooters.
  The other companies of the 40th Alabama were part of the garrison of Vicksburg, suffered severely, and were captured. After being paroled, it joined its command in Tennessee in time to take part in the battle of Chickamauga, September 19th and 20th, where it lost heavily. On November 24th the 40th was at Look-out Mountain, but with few losses. The regiment was united near Missionary Ridge on November 25th, and took part in that battle. General Alphaeus Baker became its brigadier, and it wintered at Dalton, where Gen. Baker took command of the brigade. May 9th and 10th, 1864 the 40th was at Rocky Face. There was fighting at Resaca on May 14 and 15th and at New Hope Church on May 25th, and fought well. In midsummer, 1864, the brigade was transferred to Mobile, and , under General Maury, took part in the defense of Mobile for some months. But Hood, needed the help of the 40th and in January, 1865, they were sent back to the Army of Tennessee. And after skirmishing and fighting, last of all, at Bentonville, March 18th, the regiment (after severe loss), consolidated with the 19th and 46th, and surrendered at Yadking River Bridge in North Carolina on 26 April 1865.
  The 40th Alabama Field and staff officers: Colonel. Augustus A. Coleman (Sumter; resigned); John H. Higley (Mobile; captured, Vicksburg); Lt. Colonels. John H. Higley (promoted); Thomas Stone (Pickens; died in service); Ezekiel S. Gully (Sumter); Majors Thomas Stone (promoted); Ezekiel S. Gully (promoted); Elbert D. Willett (Pickens).; and Adjutant Clarence H. Ellerbee (KIA, Bentonville).
  (Source:http://www.archives.state.al.us/reference/alamilor/mil_org.html The Fortieth Alabama Infantry Regiment from Military Organizations Raised in Alabama)- and sources from a Civil War Center at Tarleton State and notes from Confederate Military History by Lt Gen. Joseph Wheeler. Wilmington NC, 1987 and excerpts from The War of Rebellion) Some things we know for sure and some we can only speculate about: Prior to the siege at Vicksburg, Wiley's company I and companies D and A were ordered north of the siege to the Sunflower River area to stop Sherman's advance. They did not return to Vicksburg, but skirted around to fight in another area. The mystery of all this is why Wiley was in the siege and his company was elsewhere. Was he sick, injured, assigned to scouting or in the quartermaster's unit? The quartermaster supplied the entire 40th and was in the siege. It is very likely Wiley was left behind because of illness or had been wounded . Many of the soldiers were ill with measles, pneumonia, dysentery, or wounds. The less ill took care of those in more serious condition. He may have stayed behind to help the quartermaster. Those who fought at Vicksburg were paroled and/or involved in a prisoner exchange. The men gave up their weapons and walked away to a holding area. There are stories that the Union soldiers cheered for them as they walked out of the trenches, honoring them for their fierce fighting.
  After the paroles were issued, Captain Pembroke, a Confederate officer, ordered his officers to muster their soldiers including the 40th Alabama at Demopolis. Thus they rejoined the war effort. Those who arrived late were not given full "salaries", because they had been told they when and where to report before they left Vicksburg. Some men went home. We don't know whether Wiley did. It would have been a long journey back to Alabama.
* The Parole List from National Park Service in Vicksburg shows a NELSON B M PVT 40TH AL INFANTRY CO. I
* As a side note: We asked the NPS in Vicksburg to correct their records from BM Nelson to W B Nelson. We were assured that it was probably an error in transcription. There was a BW Nelson in Dallas County, Texas whose records were confused with our Wiley B's in the Texas State Archives. The man from Dallas enlisted in Dallas and fought at Vicksburg. His papers and pension records had been placed in Wiley's file by mistake. We located the census records for BWN in 1860 and also found that he was in the Texas Cavalry. We notified the pension office in Austin about the records and those belonging to BW Nelson were placed in the correct file.
  A paper from the War Department, The Adjutant General's Office from Washington, Dated March 17, 1909 and addressed to The Comptroller, State of Texas, Austin, stated that the records of this office showed :
  *that Wiley B. Nelson, private, Company I, 40th Alabama Infantry, Confederate States Army, was enrolled May 14, 1862;
  *that he was captured at Vicksburg, Mississippi, July 4, 1863,
  *and that he was paroled at the same place July 9, 1863.
  *No later record of him has been found.
  *Mr. Nelson makes affidavit that he served until the close of the war
  *and also a witness, J. M. Scarbrough (Jason Jerry Miah Scarbrough, brother of Narcessa) swears he served until the end of the war in 1865.
  Wiley was given a parole along with many others. The Union didn't want to assume responsibility for all of their prisoners at that time meals, clothes, etc. Grant decided that if he granted paroles, that most of the men would go home and stay there and not return to battle. He misjudged apparently. (Source: www.vleddy@usa.net/and www.geocities.com/SoHo/9787.military) Also, on Wiley's pension application he states and has a witness, Narcessa's brother, swear that he was in the war until the end. That means he fought at some of the worst battles in the war. The 40th had a reputation for fighting aggressively. This was evident in 1865 when 120 soldiers of the 40th had survived out of approximately 1000. One other comment about the parole process: General Grant had about 100,000 soldiers by the end of the siege, some men and their units reporting in each day. However outnumbered by the union army they fought well and held out as long as they could. Speaking of the Confederates: "The parole lists indicated 29,491 men in the Vicksburg lines, of whom 23,233 were privates. Of these 3,084 were paroled in the hospital. The men were marched out after being provisioned, and it was at once apparent by their painful and tedious progress that they could not have escaped from the siege. They were taken to Demopolis and there went into camp as paroled prisoners under charge of their own provost marshals." Source: Confederate Military History, Vol, 7 Chapter IX.
  The Alabama Archives had a few original copies of pay vouchers and some original letters and muster rolls for most of the companies of the 40th Alabama, but none for Company I. There was one Quartermaster's list of equipment. Two of the most engaging finds were the diaries of E.D. Willett (History of Company B, Colonial Press) and J.H. Curry (The Alabama Historical Quarterly, Vol.17,1955). Each gave a realistic account of the conditions at Vicksburg.
  We don't know exactly when and where or how Wiley was injured. He was using crutches in a family photo when he was in Texas and his pension application states that he was wounded and never really recovered from the effects of the wound. Wiley made a powder horn and carved his initials into it along with some "x's". Family tradition is that Wiley made the marks during the time he was recuperating from his wounds. According to Walter Nelson, the food Wiley had at Vicksburg was pea soup and bread and dirty water. He and others had difficulty getting water because of leaving a trench in the direct line of fire. It was interesting to hear the same information from the National Park Service historian. There is an account in "History of Company B, 40th Alabama" by John Curry of a meal:" Four men cooked their rations together in the rear of the lines: 1/4 pound bacon, peas enough, one small corn cake, a few ounces of rice and sugar every fifth day. The men can barely live and are daily losing strength." Oh, I forgot, they also received a plug of tobacco every fourth day. When rations were reduced to 4 ounces, that was just enough to make one biscuit. A few times, especially when the regiment moved through South Carolina, the men were well fed.
  As to the location, during the siege at Vicksburg, of the companies of the 40th Alabama, it was near the redoubt, a fortress-like area, on the north side of the railroad approach from the east and Jackson, Mississippi. There was evidence of infantry lines and several artillery batteries. We walked the area and paused to think about how close the battle lines were and how miserable the soldiers must have been. The NPS has placed an iron tablet labeled: "40th Alabama Infantry" on Confederate Avenue, south of the Mississippi Memorial. On the tablet is written: "This unit was attached to Brig. Gen. John C. Moore's 2nd Brigade of Maj. Gen. John H. Forney's Division, Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton's Army of Vicksburg and was commanded by Col. John H. Higley".