Farmer Family

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Farmer Family

1-Leroy Farmer b: 1799, SC, d: 1874, Collin Co, TX

sp: Nancy Wharton Voss b: 1802, SC, m: 26 Nov 1818, Lawrence Co, TN

2-Caleb Farmer b: 1822, Lawrence Co, TN

sp: Mary b: 1830, TN

2-Joshua B. Farmer b: 1825, McNairy Co, TN, d: 29 Mar 1904, Bosque Co, TX

sp: Harriet R. ? b: 1829, TN, m: 3 Mar 1847, McNairy Co, TN

3-Elizabeth Farmer b: 1850, McNairy Co, TN

3-Sarah Farmer b: 1853, Collin Co, TX

3-Eliza Farmer b: 1855, Collin Co, TX

3-Mary Farmer b: 1859, Collin Co, TX

3-Joshua Lindsey Farmer b: 1865, Collin Co, TX

sp: Mary Chase b: 1870, TN

4-Ruby Farmer b: 1891, Hill Co, TX

4-Pearl Farmer b: 1894, Hill Co, TX

4-Edith Farmer b: 4 Nov 1896, Hill Co, TX, d: 20 May 1992, Hill Co, TX

4-Jessie Farmer b: 1901, Hill Co, TX

3-John Farmer b: 1866, Collin Co, TX

2-Elizabeth Eveline Farmer b: 1830, McNairy Co, TN, d: , Collin Co, TX

sp: Mark L. Morris , m: 1848, Lauderdale Co, TN

2-Nancy Ann Farmer b: 3 Mar 1835, TN, d: 8 Mar 1906, Collin Co, TX

sp: William W. Burns b: 19 Feb 1836, AL, d: 17 Oct 1877, Burns City, Cooke Co, TX, m: 24 Sep 1857, McKinney, TX

2-Martha Ann Farmer b: 1835, TN, d: 15 Jan 1916, Walters, Cotton Co, OK

sp: M. L. Burns

2-Lucinda Ann Farmer b: 1838, TN

sp: Jepthar Kelley Taylor b: 1834, MS, m: 1854, Collin Co, TX

The Story of Leroy and Joshua B. Farmer

I believe the Farmers came to Lawrence County, Tennessee, from Spartanburg, South Carolina around 1817. Several months before, the Chickasaw Indians had ceded their land to the United States. That land was opened for settlement in 1817, and brought many families including the famous Davey Crockett. Among their neighbors were families that would be associated with the Farmers for many years to come: Wharton, Burns, Lindsay, and Voss. Exaclty who the head of our Farmer clan is unclear, but I suspect it was a man named Ezekial. Whoever he was, he had at least three sons: Ezekial, born 1791; John, born 1794; and Leroy, born, 1799. The three brothers are all found on a list of eligible voters for Lawrence County in 1818. In that same year, Leroy Farmer married Nancy Wharton on November 26, 1818.

Sometime between 1823 and 1825 at least Leroy and John move their families to McNairy County. In 1825, Leroy and Nancy had Joshua B. Farmer. Joshua grew up in McNairy County. In the mid to late 1830's the family is found living in what became Tishomingo County, Mississippi. This was probably very near the Tennessee border with McNairy County and could have been a boundary change rather than a move. He married a girl named Harriet in March of 1847. Sometime before that Leroy and his brother Ezekial moved to Lauderdale County, Tennessee. John stayed in McNairy. Leroy's oldest daughter, Elizabeth Eveline, married Mark L. Morris in 1848. In the 1850 Census, Leroy's wife is listed as "Nancy Voss." I believe this was an attempt by the census taker to list Nancy's maiden name. However, it is in conflict with the Lawrence County records which listed Nancy as a Wharton. There's no doubt that the Voss family was closely related to the Farmers. William Voss, John Voss, and James Voss had been Leroy's neighbors for years. In fact, one of Ezekial's Farmer's daughters married a man named Ezekial Voss in Lauderdale County. You will notice that in the family lineage I listed Nancy as "Nancy Wharton Voss." This is because I cannot prove who Nancy really was. But I really believe Nancy Wharton and Nancy Voss may have been two different women. I believe Nancy Wharton was certainly Joshua's mother. She may have died, and Leroy remarried Nancy Voss, who would have been a widow herself.

Sometime around 1852 the Farmers, Leroy and J. B., and the Burns families moved in a wagon train to Collin County, Texas. Leroy bought 300 acres near Wylie, Texas. There, Lucinda married Jepthar Taylor in 1854; Martha married Matthew L. Burns; and Nancy (a petite brunette) married William W. Burns in 1857. Martha and Nancy Farmer were twins. Matthew and William Burns were brothers.

When the Civil War began, many of the young men in Collin County joined the 16th Texas Cavalry. The 16th Texas Cavalry was organized in Dallas, Texas, early in 1862. Eveline's husband, Mark Morris was 2nd Seargent of Company H. William Burns was 1st Corporal. His brother Matthew, and Joshua B. Farmer were privates. Many of these men served their original enlistment of 1 year and returned home. Times were hard on their families living on the frontier, exposed to Indians, and without their menfolk for protection.

Joshua Farmer re-enlisted in Company D of the 2nd Texas Partisan Rangers, which was organized by Colonel B. W. Stone of Dallas, in March of 1863. The 2nd spent the remainder of '63 in Louisiana, participating in the battles of Donaldsonville on June 28th, and Bayou Bourbeau on November 3rd. The unit was then transfered back to the Texas coast near Galveston Island. In the spring of '64 the 2nd--now under the command of Lt. Col. Isham Chisum--was sent back to Louisiana to help Confederate General Richard Taylor repell the Red River Campaign of Union General Nathaniel P. Banks. On April 8th the unit participated in the Battle of Sabine Crossroads (or Mansfield) where the Federals suffered 2,200 casualties, and the Confederates suffered 1,000 casualties. Taylor pursued the Yankees and attacked them again the next day at Pleasant Hill, Louisiana. This time Banks' men put a whupin' on the Rebels. Nevertheless, the Federals were wore out, and unable to continue their invasion of Louisiana. The 2nd followed Banks back down the Red River until the danger was over. In September they were ordered to Arkansas, where they skirmished with Union forces at Hurricane Creek, near Benton on October 23rd. In 1865 the unit transfered back to Texas. In January it escorted prisoners of war from Tyler, Texas, to Shreveport. When the war was over, the unit was disbanded near Houston in May of 1865.

Joshua B. returned to his home near Wylie after the war. His first son, Joshua Lindsey Farmer, was born in 1865. Sometime between 1870 and 1874 Leroy died. After that, Joshua B. moved his family to Peoria in Hill County, Texas. He filed for a pension there in 1899. He was 75, and hemorrhaging from his lungs according to his doctor, H. F. Fry. Two years later he and Harriet moved to Iradell, Texas, in Bosque County. Joshua B. died on March 29th, 1904. Harriet filed, and was granted her own pension in that same year.