Lives Between the Dimensions

Josiah Wilson (1787-1851) and Sarah McBride (1801-Bef. 1851) / Early Wayne County Missouri Pioneers Family Origins and Legacies Based on early descriptions of homesteads in this era, we can suppose the first of Josiah Wilson and Sarah McBride in Wayne County, Missouri did not look too different from this modern-day reproduction.  Josiah Wilson was born  in the year 1787   on Craig's Creek, located today within the borders of Botetourt County, Virginia.  Situated in the mountainous portion of the state, Botetourt County is bordered by two major ranges, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains.  Botetourt County was created in 1770 from part of Augusta County and was named for Norborne Berkeley, known as Lord Botetourt. It originally comprised a vast area, which included the southern portion of present-day West Virginia and all of Kentucky. Portions were set off to form new counties beginning in 1772, until the current borders were established in 1851. All re

THE MURDER OF ALEXANDER CRAIG TARLTON BY SOUTHERN BUSHWHACKERS by KEITH WAYNE RAGAN · Our Tarlton Story--Part Six Foreword In documents first rescued from Grandma Bessie Wilson’s “burning party” many years ago, Clarence Madison Wilson, JR., my uncle, saved a considerable number of “papers” mostly pertaining to Daniel Moore’s estate and passed them down to son Ronnie Lynn Wilson . Ronnie entrusted them to my care sometime back when I was in the throes of ten years research on the least known of our immediate ancestry--the Tarltons. And, as I went through each piece of paper I came upon the original enrollment records for Alexander. They are important in that the Missouri Data Base for Civil War Soldiers does not include my Great-Great Grandfather Alexander Tarlton. The state’s copies were probably among those stolen in 1866. And these records show that on September 29, 1862, Alexander C. Tarlton was enrolled in the service of the state and that he was assigned to Co.

ALEXANDER CRAIG TARLTON by KEITH WAYNE RAGAN · In this 1920 map of Wayne County, the yellow spray indicates the area of the original Tarlton estate and where Alexander was born  and had agricultural interests for most of his adult life.  He purchased property either a part of the original estate or adjoining in just prior to his death.  The purple spray indicates the location of his properties and home at the time of his murder.  His demise was likely here.  The red spray indicates the location of the old Moore and Rucker communities. Our Tarlton Story--Part Five It is stated that Alexander C. Tarlton was born about 1828 in the vicinity of Ojibway, Missouri in Wayne County in the book “Back Home” written by Nelson Morgan about the communities of Rucker, Cool Springs, and Taskee. In the “History Of Southeast Missouri” by Douglas it is stated that “Alexander C. Tarlton was born in 1828 at the old Tarlton home in Wayne County, Missouri, about four miles northeast of Wappa

GEORGE WASHINGTON TARLTON by KEITH WAYNE RAGAN · OUR TARLTON STORY--PART FOUR The middle son of General Azion Tarlton was George Washington Tarlton, the third great grandfather for reference for all the children of Ann, Bessie, and Ted Moore , born in South Carolina in 1804. And, of the three sons remaining in the county after Azion’s death , George Tarlton I am certain was the father of the Tarlton that we know best. The 1830 and 1840 censuses confirm a son of the right age for George to be the father of our Alexander C. Tarlton, my second great grandfather. Alexander is remembered by most family as the victim of a ruthless assassination in 1864 as the great Civil War drew to a conclusion. Of the other two sons of Azion, John SR does not have a son of correct birth age to be Alexander, and James has a son of the right age, but is living on land in 1840 that that is not centrally located next to the remaining Tarlton families. James and Ann, his wife, are fo