COUTS
CALIFORNIA’S COUTS COUSINS
VOLUME 1
FEBRUARY - MARCH - APRIL NUMBER 3
A quarterly Newsletter for the descendants of the Couts Family
EDITOR’S NOTE- Help!! I need information from you, so
that this newsletter for the Couts Family will be successful.
Write and tell me about your grandfather, great-grandfather,
dad, mom, grandma, a favorite family story, your theories
about the family. I’ll be happy to type it in, take it over the
phone, etc., but I need input. If you have photos (you
and your family, ancestors, etc.), make a clear copy on
a copy machine. I will scan it into our newsletter.
SHARE YOUR SIDE OF THE FAMILY WITH US!! WE
WOULD LOVE TO GET TO KNOW THEM AND YOU!
TENNESSEE COUSINS - A HISTORY OF TENNESSEE
PEOPLE, by Worth S. Ray Author of “The Lost
Tribes of North Carolina
DAVIDSON COUNTY TENNESSEE was officially first
established by the leg. of Nor. Carolina of October 6,
1783. At that time it had been occupied by settlers
since about 1779, when General James Robertson
and Col. John Donelson’s expeditions had arrived
at the “French Lick," where the present city of
Nashville now stands, on the banks of the Cumberland
River, or, as it was then called the “lower Cumberland."
It originally included about all of the territory East of
the Tennessee River running North to the Ohio, and
the West side of the Cumberland mountains in
Tennessee, Nashville was first called French Lick,
Bluffs, then Nashborough, and finally Nashville.
The establishment of “Tennessee County” 1788
and Sumner County in 1786, reduced the county
of Davidson to something near its present size,
after Rutherford was cut off in 1803.
In the Spring of 1779, Gen. James Robertson paid
his first visit to the present Nashville site. His
men included Gen. James Robertson, George
Freeland, William Neely, Edward Swanson, James
Hanley, Mark Robertson, Zachariah White, and
William Overall, all were from the Watauga Valley
in East Tennessee. Col. Donelson-kept no journal.
Some of his men could have been Martin Hardin.
April 1, 1783, Capt. James McFadden was assigned
duty on certain roads between stations.
SUMNER COUNTY TENNESSEE came into existence
as a County by an Act of the Leg. of No. Carolina,
Nov. 17, 1786. Just as Davidson Co. embraced
practically all of the territory West of the Cumberland
mountains, in what is now Tennessee and was then
possible of settlement, so after 1786, all of said
territory was for a time embraced in Sumner and
Davidson Counties, and was under the jurisdiction
of No. Carolina, until four years later, it became
part of the “Territory of the United States South
of the Ohio” with William Blount the acting
Governor of the territory.
What is now and has been since it was first
organized a part of Sumner Co. Tennessee,
had its first hardy settlers, it is claimed, even
before the Cumberland Settlement” proper,
when Thomas Sharpe Spencer built a rude
cabin in 1777. In 1779, a dozen or more
families come in and formed a settlement
about a half mile away, near Bledsoe’s Lick
about seven miles from Gallatin and now is
called Castilian Springs.
ROBERTSON COUNTY TENNESSEE AND
MONTGOMERY COUNTIES were both
established by an Act of the Leg. of Tenn
on April 9, 1796. These two counties were
given from Tennessee County that existed
from 1788 until 1796. Tenn. County actually
considered itself and actually was part
of North Carolina, in 1790 it was Tenn. County
Territory of the US, South of the Ohio.
Towns near Springfield Tenn: Barren Plains,
north of Springfield some miles, built by
Buckeye Mason in 1825.
In 1779, Thomas Kilgore brought Moses and
Ambrose Maulden, Samuel Mason and Josiah
Hankins or Hawkins out from North Carolina,
all of whom settled at Kilgore’s Station.
Charles and William Miles are said to have
come from So. Carolina. David and Hugh
Henry came from the Watauga Settlement,
or from Washington County, East Tenn.
but which was then part of No. Carolina.
The STARK family of Sumner Co. came from
Stafford Co, VA Jeremiah Stark was born
and raised in Stafford Co. VA and his son
John Stark was born there in 1748 and
died in Sumner Co., Tenn. May 16, 1814.
John Stark married Sarah English, who
was born in King George Co. in 1769.
Both were Capt. in the Revolution.
The Starks married into the Primm,
Cunningham and Judd families.
1
CHILDREN OF CHRISLEY COUTS SR.
AND ALLIED FAMILIES
CHRISLEY COUTS JR. born circa 1780,
in Warren County Kentucky was the
probably the third son of Chrisley
(Christopher?) Couts Sr. born circa
1750 in probably Loudoun County,
Virginia and Sarah Wright Couts Collins.
Chrisley had brothers John, Aaron,
and sisters, Nancy, and Elizabeth.
Chrisley Sr. died about 1790. Sarah
Wright Couts married Captain William
Collins. They moved to La Fayette
County, Missouri, with the Bartons,
Collins, Pearsons, and Wrights.
LAFAYETTE COUNTY MISSOURI - GENERAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONNECTED
FAMILIES OF BARTON, COUTS, COLLINS,
PEARSON, WRIGHT
from “The Prairie Gleaner” Vol. 12, No.
4-Sept. 1981, W. Central Mo. Genealogical
Society Quarterly
Contributed by Mrs. Vivian Francis Williams
Bavister Barton, sometime called Bannister;
of Welsh ancestry; some clear records to 1698;
much is unclear.
Will Pearson records (a grandson) states
Bannister was from Georgia, then TN the
Warren Co. KY. Research finds him in
South Carolina, 1790. Served in the War
of 1812. Believed to have served in Army
before that; Georgia records were destroyed
by the British. His family with William Collins
family and John Randolph Pearson family
settled on plantations in Warren Co. KY.
While in Tennessee, his family knew the
family of Christly Couts, Sr. Many inter
marriages:
Children were:
John Barton married Nancy Couts-1808
Berry Barton married Barbara Graham-1818
Wade Barton married Jane Thomson-1816
Obed. Barton died at 16 years
Leroy Barton married Christine Collins-1827
Bently Barton married Patricia Pearson 1806
Frances (Fanny) Barton married Christly Couts, Jr. 1812 Warren Co.
Bath-Sheba Barton married Nathaniel Pearson 1824
Mary (oldest) Barton married Thomas Putnam
Charity Barton married Willoughby Rose
Betsy (Elizabeth)Barton married Aaron Couts b. 1780
When the Boone Salt Mines opened in Howard Co.,
Missouri, a large number of families went to that
County; boundaries have been changed. We have
a record of a Joseph Collins, John Barton, some
of the Wright family and John Randolph Pearson
older sons in Howard Co. around 1816 or later.
It is evident that the caravans of families crossed
South Missouri over to Barton County which was
named for Senator Barton, a relative of these Bartons
They went north, then east; the river was too hazard’s
to travel with wagons. Around 1824, Joseph Collins,
a bachelor and brother to William Collins, a
Revolutionary soldier, entered Davis township.
He was the first man to enter the area that is
now just south of Hayview. Shortly after, a
caravan of connected families came including
William Collins, who was a descendant of
Scotch and English royalty, with his wife
Sarah Wright Couts Collins, widow of Christly
Couts Sr. The family included her Couts
children and their Collins children, also
Elizabeth Barton, who was a widow,
Bently Barton and his wife, Patricia Pearson.
These people were Baptist, having joined
the Southern Baptist Church movement in the South.
Bently Barton and wife had fourteen sons and
one daughter, Elizabeth. Two became Baptist
preachers, one a lawyer, three served in the
Civil War; all were prominent citizens.
The Collins family traveled south and finally
settled near Fayetteville in Johnson County.
They are buried in the cemetery of Liberty
Baptist Church, which they helped organize.
William Collins grave marked by D.A.R.
Sarah Wright Couts Collins was a sister to
the second wife of John Randolph Pearson
whose name was Rebeccah. Sarah and
Williams Collins had the following 2
Children:
William Collins married Susannah Bremer
Sarah Collins " Larkin Graham
Rosanna Collins " Wheeler O. Harris
Christina Collins " Leroy Barton 8/21/1827
Thomas Collins " Betsy Dyer
then Elizabeth Dowell
Richard Collins " Caty Ennis 1888
Joseph Collins " unknown
After Sarah’s death William Collins married a
widow named Nancy Moore Dyer. They had
two children; Jane who died young and Harriet
Adeline who married Ira Andersonn J
Both Joseph and William Collins died in 1838.
Since a County had no newspaper, the court
proceedings dividing the estate were published
in the Far West newspaper at Libertyn The
Couts children heired their mother’s inheritance
from the wealth of these two men.
Christly Couts , Jr. b. 1780 d. 1838 , married
Frances Barton-had the following children:
William Henry, born in TN; married Nancy
Minton; Charity Couts married Tyral Jennings;
Elizabeth Couts married Joseph Page; Lisle
Couts married Mary Thomson; Sarah Jane
Couts married in 1846 Samuel Durosette;
Basheba Couts married Andrew Page;
Nancy Couts; Authena Couts married Axel
Page; Alzada Couts (daughter of Henrietta
Barnett) married George Minton; Frances
Couts married John David Jennings.
Christly Couts, Jr. , turned the family
home and seven slaves over to his wife,
Fannie, making her the head of the household.
He went to Howard County immediately after
he moved, his wife and first 5 children to
LaFayette Co. The family thought he was
dead for some time. He later returned maintaining
his house and she hers. More children were born.
A law suit involving the inheritance is recorded in
probate court of LaFayette Co. in 1860. His will
included only the first five children. Others were
to inherit from their mother. Court decision
overruled the plan.
(William) Henry Couts the eldest, married Nancy
Minton, sister to George Minton, a famous early
day preacher and evangelist who established a
number of churches in the county`and Johnson
County. Henry had`three daughters`and one son.
They were as follows: Fannie married Hugh Pool;
had 12 children and`lived new Pittsville, Missouri
in Johnson County until going to`Oklahoma. Nancy
married Hiram Ward Moon. Joseph Couts married
Rebeccah Susan Askew and after her death, Ida
Loutta Onstote.
MARY LOU PEACOCK’S LETTER
{William Henry Couts (SON ON CHRISLEY JR.)
married Nancy Minton, April 1843, in Lafayette
Co. Mo. He died April 13, 1882. The two of them
also lived in Erath Co. Texas. Henry made a
lovely corpse according to a letter from his son
Joseph.}
One of William Henry’s first cousins, named
John Bently Pearson, a son of Bath-Sheba
Barton and Nathaniel Pearson came to Lafayette
Co. to visit his Aunt and Uncle Bently and Patricia
Barton and he never returned to Illinois.
NOTE: Chrisley Jr. Couts was somewhat
of a scoundrel. He left Fannie Barton and
the children and returned to Warren County
Kentucky. He was presumed dead by his
family. While in Warren County Kentucky,
he met, courted, romanced (rather flamboyantly)
and married Henrietta “Miss Rittie” Barnett,
daughter of a wealthy family. Miss Rittie was
born in North Carolina (died in Warren County
Kentucky). From this marriage, was born Abzada
(Barnett) Couts. she was born March 7, 1820,
in Warren County. Abzada latter married Rev.
George Minton March 6, 1839, in Warren County,
Kentucky. She died on January 24, 1896 in Homer
Logan County, Kentucky.
Chrisley Jr. returned to Layfayette County, Missouri,
establishing a separate household. He died
somewhere between 1836-1838. At his death,
the wives, who had never met, had to battle out
the will. Miss Rittie lost.
See the attached letter.
LETTER FROM MARY LOU EVANS PEACOCK
Christly Sr. and William Wright of SC lived on
Drakes Creek Warren Co. Ky. When Christly
died, Sarah married William Collins. Sarah
died prior to 1818. William Collins remarried
a Dyr. A group of Collins and Couts came to
LaFayette Co. Mo probably late 1830’s. The
Collins are written about in Bodie’s Distinguished
Southern Families,
3
Christly Jr.-
Christly Jr. seduces in Warren/Logan Co. Ky.
Henrietta, “Miss Rittie” Barnett, the daughter
of a N.C. Baptist Minister, whose sister married
Rev. D.L. Mansfield, prominent Warren Con
Baptist minister.
Christly Jr. takes his wife to Mo. give
her his power of attorney and disappears for
4 or 5 years, to Howard Co. He then returns,
dies and makes provisions for only his legitimate
children thinking the arrangements he had made
with the other’s mother was enough. It wasn’t
and there was a law suit.
Abzada Couts Barnett, daughter of Henrietta
Barnett, married Rev. George Minton March 6,
1839, in Warren Co. KY. She was born March 7,
1820 and died, Jan. 24, 1896 at Homer Logan Co.
Ky. George and she came to Lafayette-Johnson
Co. Mo. ca 1843, and lived several years but
returned to Kentucky. One of their descendent
was so upset when he found the conditions of
her birth that he hid the papers in a drawer for
6 months. Most of these people are very very
strict Baptists.....Nancy and George were born
in Bertie Co. NC and came to Warren Co. Ky.
ca 1818. Their Brother is Thomas Minton.
Elizabeth Couts sister of Chrisley Jr. and John
Couts (see above)1803 Elizabeth Couts married
Joshua Anderson, Security was Ratliff Boone,
brother -in-law. His father was Bailey Anderson
from Pendleton Dist. SC etc. Bailey had entered
land on Drakes Creek next to Wm. Collins.
Joshua Anderson died in Sevier Co. Ark. he had
remarried some time after Elizabeth’s death.
Their descendants were Wyatt Anderson born
1804, who married Jane Billingsley [children:
Joshua 1830, James 1833, William, 1835, Mary
J. 1837, Louisiana 1839, Jackson 1841, Joseph
1845] and Joshua Anderson Jr. born 1808, who
married Eliza, [children: John 1836, Ellen 1837,
George 1839, and i,liam 1850] information thanks
to Kathy Upham.
JAMES S. ARMSTRONG
Through my correspondence with a number of
people, libraries, and letters to editors, I was
lucky enough to come across Mr. Armstrong.
He has been patience, informative, and
extremely knowledgeable about the Couts
Family. He could be considered the family’s
friend. Mr. Armstrong’s family bought the
property where John Sr.’s cabin existed. Mr.
Armstrong grew up playing in the cemetery
and building an interest in the Couts Family
History. The stories that he writes were for
the most part”, told to him by relatives and
in some cases proved by records. Some of
the stories came from people one or two
generations away from the family. Mr. Armstrong
has a knack for making his subjects come alive.
Through the next few issues, with his permission,
we will print his wonderful stories.
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES:
CAVE COUTS By James Armstrong
William Couts married the daughter of the
Honorable Cave Johnson, Postmaster General
under President James K. Polk.
Through the influences of Mr. Johnson, the
second son of William and Nancy was appointed
to attend West Point. he graduated the Point in 1848
and was assigned by the War Department to serve
on the Mexican border. Before the end of 1848,
Lieutenant Couts received orders to move his
company of soldiers to a pot near the Village
of San Diego, California.
While on duty near that village he met the
daughter of Don Juan Bandini, Upsidora (sic -Ysidora).
The Bandini’s trace their ancestry to a line of Spanish
and Florentine Princes.
It was here, at least according to legend that Cave’s
destiny literally fell into his lap. Perched on the roof
of the father’s home, Upsidora leaned over the edge
of the roof to gain a better view of the marching
soldiers, suddenly plummeted earthward. Cave noting her
distress caught the girl just in time to prevent a fatal
injury. After the eventful meeting, Cave spent a great
deal of time in the Bandini home.
April 5, 1851, Cave and the lovely Upsidora were
married in the home of her parents. For a wedding
present the family gave them a 2,200 acre ranch.
Cave continued to serve in the army until his
enlistment expired two years later.
Now free from e duties of the army, he was able
to devote full time ranching and building a new
home. They named the ranch and new home
Rancho Guajoma”. Today, it is owned by San
Diego Count and plans are to restore it to its
original state of beauty.
Their home was often a favorite overnight
stopping place for friendly travelers. U.S.
Grant, a former classmate at West Point,
stationed there before the Civil War, another
notable friend General Lew Wallace, author
of Ben Hur” visited often and it’s reported he
wrote much of his famous novel while a guest.
General Lew Wallace was a Major General in
the Union Army during the Civil War. Before
the war, he practiced law. He was selected by
the army to serve on the court martial that tried
the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.
He also presided over the court that convicted
the superintendent of Anderson Prison for
cruelty to Union soldiers under his care.
Helen Hunt Jackson was a welcome guest
and spent much time horseback riding on
the ranch. It was here she found local
color for her famous novel, Ramona.
Many western movies have been filmed
on this ranch, the most noteworthy was
Duel In the Sun.
Cave Johnson Couts Jr.
The National Geographic Magazine Feb. 1942
Unique link with the Spanish past in San
Diego County is Senor Cave J. Couts. His
West Point father, Lieut. Cave Johnson Couts,
marched here with the 1 st Dragoons in 1848,
mapped the line of march, and married into
the Spanish Bandini family, which had build
the rambling Guajome (Place of the Frogs)
ranch house, best surviving example of a
hacienda home from the days of the dons.
The house was given to his wife as a wedding
present from her father. This Guajome ranch
house plainly tells the story of colonial life.
With its own saddle and blacksmith shops,
shearing shed, private chapel, and outdoor
oven that can bake 100 loaves at once, this
house also has a semitropical patio choked
with fruits and flowers, and musical with
singing fountains.
Built for Indian defense, its thick adobe
walls have high “airholes” instead of windows,
and its ancient tiles were made long, long ago
at near-by mission San Luis Rey.
“In the great drought of 1863,” said Senor
Couts, “we drove both cattle and half-wild
horses into the sea and drowned them-rather
than see them die of thirst....Hunting in my
youth was our best fun.... We rode wild horses
and shot everything from geese to mountain lions...."
“Look at the big scar on my left hand. A lion
did that. When I was hunting, as a boy of ten,
a lion grabbed my dog. I shot the big yellow
cat. As he rolled over, I tried to pull my dying
dog away from him - and he grabbed my hand.
Still in use here is the first iron safe ever seen
in California. Made by hand, and locked with
a giant key, it was brought here from Peru by
Jose Bandini, once Spanish Admiral at Lima.
His son Juan founded the California Bandini
family.
Jackson Couts and Priscillia Draughon 1809-1846
Children:
1. Archer B. Couts 1829-1850
married 1 st cousin’s daughter of William Couts
1847 Martha J. Couts
2. Mary P. Couts 1834-1851 never married
3. Albert W. Couts 1837-1857 never married
4. Sophia A. Couts 1839-1856 married
James S. Dunn (1855)
Archer B. wife, Martha married W.S. Gilbert
after his death. Ella D. Couts was their
only daughter. As stated previously, John
Sr. died in 1828, and in his will left the
farm to Jackson. Before Jackson’s death in
1846, he built a large log and frame house
on the spot where my home is located.
He built a large kitchen and dining room
unattached, but adjacent to the house. The
slaves used this space to prepare, cook and
serve the food for the family. This was an
unusual building. Its walls were 14 inches thick.
It was constructed of creek gravel, burnt lime,
and horse hair, all were used to bond the material.
The floor was constructed of tongue and groove
white oak. The hearth around the large fireplace
was composed of clay bricks laid flat with sand
packed between each brick.
The huge fireplace was six by three feet,
with large limestone lining the cavity. When I
bulldozed the structure in 1950, the kettle
hinges were still embedded in the limestone
wall. Over the huge fireplace was a wide
mantle constructed o unfinished yellow
poplar, that showed stress marks of tie
an us. I wanted to preserve the historic
building but frankly it was too far gone
to repair.
When Jackson’s will was probated
in open court in 1846, it was his request
that his son A.B. have complete control
of the farm when he became of age. He
asked that his slave woman raise and
school his four children. He appointed
his son A.B.’s brother, William and lawyer
friend Joe C. Stark to carry out his requests.
October 3, 1849, the circuit court
ordered the farm be surveyed and placed
on record. The new survey found in Book
6, pg. 183 shows the original tract had grown
from @ 320 acres to 807 acres.
This additional acreage was due to
land added by John Sr. in his latter years.
Jackson’s son A.B.’s name was placed
on the new survey which read, “the field
notes of A.B. Couts and Land Processional
(meaning an act proceeding in an orderly
manner).
The court recognized the new survey
and A.B. as the owner of his dad’s farm.
Being in poor health and suffering from
the same disease (Tuberculosis) that killed
his mother, dad, brother, and sisters, three
times in 1846-1849, A.B. requested funds
held by the court to pay for medicines for
himself and sister; (funds placed there by
the court from income earned on the farm).
By 1850, it became apparent to the
court appointed executor, James Dunn,
that A.B.’s health had deteriorated to the
point that he could no longer remain in
control of the farm and both agreed to sell.
The court appointed a new administrator,
Miles S. Draughon for the estate. On
November 24, 1850, he made the firm
decision to sell the fame to the families
friend, Joe C. Stark, a Springfield lawyer.
The deed was written in Mr. Stark’s
name, but remained under legation of the
court until the youngest child died in 1857.
Money from the sale was placed in the
hands of the court administrator, Mr.
Draughon who used the funds to sustain
the family members and after their deaths
the money was used to place headstones
on each of their graves.
During James Dunn’s term as
manager of the affairs of the Couts family,
love blossomed between he and his ward,
Sophia Couts. They were united in marriage
February 7, 1855. Their happiness was short
lived, as she too succumbed to the family
disease one year later.
After Mr. Joe C. Stark became owner
of the Couts farm, he leased it for one year
but was dissatisfied with this type of arrange
ment and began to seek and search for a
manager or partner. During 1855, he was
impressed with Mr. B.G. Hilliard, a farm boy
raised near Columbia, TN and was an assist
ant manager of the “Old Nashville Inn." Mr.
Hilliard wanted to come back to the life of a
farmer and with his apparent business training
was just what Mr. Stark was seeking. There was
only one catch, Mr. Hilliard had very little money
to make a down payment. No problem, Mr. Stark
sold him with no money down, 1/2 undivided
interest in 807 acres.
From 1855 through 1883, the partnership
existed, a little shaky at times because Mr. Stark
could never force a payment from Mr. Hilliard.
Finally, in 1883, Mr. Stark sued Mr. Hilliard
through circuit court and the farm was sold
from the steps of the Robertson County Court
House. William McMurry purchased 407
acres of the 807 acres. The total price
paid for the entire acreage was $12,800.00.
August 1898, my dad’s sister and
husband Mr. & Mrs. Henry Orand purchased
the 407 acres for $12,500.00. In 1928, they
sold 110 acres to my day. I now own that
110 acres with the Couts Cemetery and house.
WILLIAM COUTS---SON OF JOHN SR.
1795--1848
William was in his late teens when he heard
the call for volunteers to defend America from
the British planning to invade New Orleansn
General Jackson, already in the area, sent
word to his two good friends, Generals Coffee
and Carroll to enlist an army of volunteers
from Tennessee and Kentucky and met him
near New Orleans.
`General Coffee enrolled a body of eager
recruits from middle Tennessee, while General
Carroll gathered an army of volunteers from
Kentucky. Both Generals agreed that move
ment to New Orleans would be much faster
if they traveled by water. Flat boats were
secured from the Nashville area and the
newly recruited soldiers of the 7th and the
49th U.S. Infantry packed supplies and war
materials aboard. After so fan fare and
good-byes, they left friends far behind
and they rode the current to the Ohio and
down the Mississippi to a time and place
never to be forgotten in the annuals of
American’s History.
General Jackson was very delighted
and happy to see many friends from back home.
The volunteers didn’t have to wait very long
before they were placed in the defense line,
because the British were beginning to unload
troops from the ships anchored in the Bay of
Mexico. It would be just a matter of hours
before these young recruits were to be
tested by the finest professional soldiers
England could muster. These crack regiments
were under the command of the able General
Pakenham from the staff of General Wellington.
It was reported at the time when the British
troops came into view the country boys of Ten
nessee and Kentucky were greatly impressed by
the long straight columns of red coated soldiers
marching in time to a Scottish tune. On they
came with their bright colored banners and flags
waving and fluttering in the light sea breeze.
Never before had these green recruits seen
anything like their eyes were beholding, it was
unbelievable that they were to be the intended
victims of the British Infantry men advancing
toward them with their bayonets lowered for a charge.
When the order came to fire, word was passed
to each man, aim at the breast plate of the enemy and
fire as rapidly as possible. These squirrel shooters
of Tennessee and Kentucky thinned the lose quartered
columns of charging the English soldiers causing them
to hesitate in the face of the deadly aim of these young
back-woodsmen.
All along the defense line the story was the same
with the other units, too much fire power coming from
men fortified behind barricades of bales of cotton and
in trenches causing the brave English troops to retreat
beyond the range of the squirrel rifles.
During the battle, William received a slight leg
wound, but remained at his post until the last charge
had been repulsed.
The Tennessee Volunteers remained in the New
Orleans area several weeks. When the order was given
to return, William was well and ready to travel home.
William married the daughter of the Honorable
Cave Johnson, Postmaster General under President
James K. Polk. The story of his son Cave Johnson
Couts is well known in the history of San Diego, California.
Part of this story is from “Tennessee History” Robertson
Couts
The youngest son of John Sr. and Leah was
born 1811 and died 1830. We were told he died with
consumption. In his father’s will he was given $1,200.00
and Elbert, a young slave boy. Robertson continued to
live with his mother until his and her death the same year.
When Robertson property was sold at public auction,
Elbert was sold for $290.00.
A.W. COUTS - 1837-1857
A child of Jackson and Priscilla Draughon requested in his
will that $150.00 be given to his good family friend, Joe C.
Stark to purchase a fine double barrel shot gun “as a present
to him and a token of my respect and regard for him as a
friend and an honest man.
KIZZIE COUTS
This is a story that is taken from legal records and
legend. Words about a slave woman, told and retold by
former slaves who remembered her long after death. Her
name and reputation lived beyond that of any slave owned
by the Couts family.
She was born of a father, we was a Couts field
hand and a mother who was a cook in John Sr.’s home.
It has been difficult to place the time of her birth but it
believed to be around 1820.
She was given a Christian and English name,
Elizabeth Couts. Some called her Ezzie for short, while
others said Kizzey. Whatever the abbreviated name
was it was written in legal briefs as Kizzey.
The members of the Couts family recognized her
intelligence and rare gift for caring for children and the
sick. Mrs. Leah Couts suffered from the rigors of frontier
life that undermined her health and she was forced to
spend her latter days in bed. It has been suggested
by later generations of children, that she died with
tuberculous, (this grandmother could have been a
carrier of the disease).
At Mr. John’s death Kizzey passed to the
household of Jackson. In Jackson’s Will of 1845,
he asked that Kizzey and husband Alford not be
sold with the other slaves, but retained as the
property of his oldest son, Albert W. he also
stated that she was to remain on the farm and
raise his children Albert W., Archer B. Sofia,
and Mary. Once they were grown the law could
decide what to do with her. It was Jackson’s
wish that she help keep the children in school.
This meant that Kizzey would assume a mothers
role to keep the children in school. Besides
being faithful to the Couts family, she and
husband, Alford raised seven children of their
own.
The oldest child was named George.
He was given while quite young to as a companion.
Albert was weak and sickly from birth and died
at age 21.
The school mentioned in Jackson’s Will
was about quarter of a mile away, but still on
Couts land. The log structure was located down
the hill form the new Hilliard Grove School that
replaced it in 1902. This original one room
log building was later used as a tenant home.
It remained this until destroyed by fire in 1993.
On January 17, 1857, the Chancery Court
in Spring field ordered that Kizzey’s children
be divided and sold but she was to remain
the property of the living members of the Couts’
family. she lived only a few months after the
breakup of her family. She is now buried in the
Couts’ family cemetery along with Jackson, his
wife Patricia and their four children.
7
LATEST RESEARCH
The family has long contended that the father of
John Sr. and Chrisley Sr. was a John Couts of Virginia.
So far, research has not been found to establish this
fact. In Goodspeed’s, John Couts Sr. was listed with
the Starks, as having a brother Christopher and father
Dietrick. Listing in a book does not make it true. It
only gives us a clue to continue researching. So, we
started with the brothers. Information on their pasts
are shadowy, no specifics, no listings with major
early land association and no facts specifically listing
our family before 1788. Direct search took the family
back to Warren County Kentucky with Chrisley Couts,
and his brothers John, Henry, and William. We know
Chrisley was John’s brother, because on Chrisley’s
tombstone, it states “Chrisley brother of John”. John
stated that he was born in Loudoun County VA. John’s
occupation, besides being a farmer, was appraising
estates and buying foreclosures.
We know that Chrisley had a brother, Henry,
who lived in Hardin County, Kentucky. Chrisley son,
Chrisley Jr. was left an inheritance in Henry’s will,
to his brother’s son Chrisley Jr.” We have yet to
prove a direct connection of William, but he sold
land in the same deed area, time, with our ancestors,
and descendants carry his name (neither he nor
Henry has surviving heirs).
Working back in history from Robertson
County Tennessee. Our connection to Dietrich
comes in a passage from Goodspeed’s History
of Tennessee, Sumner County, 1784, “William
and James Stark and John Couts also settled
in that vicinity at about the same time settled
in the vicinity of Carr Creek. John Couts, husband
of Leah (Stark) is said to have a brother, Christopher,
father Dietrick.” Our research of Dietrich has him
located in Lincoln County with 200 acres on Rolling
Fork Creek (various spellings) for a number of years.
There we find Henry and Teter Couts living very
close together and being listed in the same Deed
book one page apart. Later, possibly living on the
same farm (Early Kentucky Householders 1787-1811)
Still later, Henry owns the same piece of land.
Then, we have no proof of movement. In a name
dictionary, we found that Deterich was Theodrick
or Frederick in German, and that the nicknames were
Terick or Teter, hence the tie in to Teter and Tetrarch.
Couts is another story. We sat and used German
sounds to find a German counterpart to Couts and
came up with Kautz. We knew through the years
that Dad had always said, “People may mispronounce
your name, but remember, it is pronounced K-OUTS.
In “Chalkley’s Vol II Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish
Settlement inVA / extraction from original court records
of Augusta Co. 1745-1800 lists several incidences of
Teter Couts with John Couts, wife Elizabeth Hendrick
Armentrout. This first listing starting at Dec. 1753 and
ending at 1768. (Augusta County later becoming Frederick
and Rockingham Counties). During this period, Va
Colonial Milita Henning Statues at Large, Crozier had
a militia listing 1758 for Tetrarch Couch. Our very
first listing is Dietrich Kautz, taking the Oath of Allegiance
on the Edinbaugh, Philadelphia, Pa, August 13, 1750.
The ship traveled from Rotterdam by way of Cowles,
England. Egle: Name of Foreigners Who Took the
Oath of Allegiance Source # 4565 and at the Philadelphia
courthouse, August, 15, 1750 in the Pennsylvania
German Pioneers, from either the Royal Union or the
Edinbaugh.
Over the past three months, we have been
researching Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina,
and South Carolina trying to find links to the Couts.
It was decided that, we would work on every variation
of the Couts spelling that we could find, including (K)
and (C). We did not distinguish between English or
German names. What we have found is, that in
most English Spelling, the original document or
family was German and their names were Anglicized.
We found early names in Pennsylvania. Next to no
names were found in North and South Carolina.
In Virginia, a cache of German names similar to
ours, crisscrossed in the correct timeframe.
Therefore, Virginia seemed the most logical place.
We started with each of the Johns.
We found one COUTTS. They were English.
The name was pronounced KOOTS. They were
located in Richmond Virginia. They ran a ferry.
Their complete line had been completed. It did not
match ours. So, we switched to German. Johns
were very plentiful. It seems every son is officially
named Johann (John), but he uses his middle name
around family and friends. When his father passes
away the Johann is dropped and official goes by
his middle name. (i.e. Johannes Jacob).
During this time, I placed a query in the Everston
Genealogical Helper and ON-LINE (with the families
of various spellings). Research has been fruitful, but
no absolute proof. There are distinctive families of
KOONTZ, KUTZ, KUNTZ, and KAUTZ. We tried for a
process of elimination.
Our first clues came from the KOONTZ lines.
Several on-line researchers gave us information from
the Nassau-Seigen Immigrants of Germany, who ended
up in the Shanendoah Valley of Virgina. It connected
one family line that ended up as Counts and Coonce.
John Counts turned out to be John KOONTZ, who
lived in Rockingham County (Luray) and moved to
Russell Co. in Southwestern Virgina. His complete
line was found in the Some Descendants of John
Counts of Glade Hollow . They hold reunions annually.
The names and timeframes did not match to ours.
In the Nassau-Seigen Immigrants , there were
a few families described later in the book as basically
miscellaneous variations of the spelling of KOONTZ.
Most were John, but there was several Jacobs, a Peter,
Teter, Deterick, and others. That’s where the
concentration began. The above spellings turned
out not to be ours. All lived in the same area of Virginia,
but many of their lines had been completed. The
Christian names were different and the times did not
coincide with ours. Except one, a Couts (and various
spellings) which was originally a KAUTZ - pronounced
the same as ours. The two brothers were John and
Dietrick Kautz. They turn out to be the John and Dietrich
Couts in Chalkley’s Vol II Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish
Settlement inVA / extraction from original court records
of Augusta Co. 1745-1800. Still, we have no proof that
they are ours, but the Christian names are the same,
the times are right, and the locations are perfect. WE
HAVE GREAT CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE. John had
no heir. It is unknown about Dietrick. Recently, we
have received ancestral information on these two men,
taking the family line back to at least 1580. Now, we
have to find proof. More later...
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