General Notes

[basham.ged]
J. B. Prestridge went to the Army in the "War Between the States" on Oct
ob er 15, 1861.  He was in Company E, 40th Infantry and was transferr
ed to Co mpany F, Alabama on December 14, 1861.  He was
promoted to Sergeant on January 1, 1864.
The "Union Prisoner of War" records show he was captured at Big Shant
y, Ge orgia on June 15,  1864 and that he was  received  March 23, 18
65 at Boulw are's at Cox's Warf, Virginia, for exchange.
This record came from Lutz Wall, Brigadier General,
Acting the Adjutant General
War Department
Joe B. went through the war without a scratch, came home, fell o
ff a lo ad of hay and broke his shoulder; and afterward cound never rea
ch his h at to tip it.  Rachel has heard Grandma Sallie tell that so ma
ny times. J oe & Sallie Prestridge left Choctaw County, Alabama October 1
2, 1866, o ne year after their marriage, and arrived in Johnson County, Te
xas on Dece mber 8, 1866.  Their first child, Joseph Russell was only s
ix weeks of a ge when they left Alabama. They traveled in a covered wago
n, which was pul led by an ox team.
Joe & Sallie Prestridge bought their first home in Texas, in a partner
sh ip with Uncle Alex Bryant and Aunt Tip, who was Grandpa's sister.  T
he la nd (57 acres) was south of Alvarado in the fork of the Turkey and Ch
ambe rs Creeks.  At some point, Joe and Sallie bought the Bryants sha
re of t he place, living there several years then moving in to Alvarado. T
hey  bou ght the farm two miles east of Alvarado in 1884.
One of the Rayburne boys said that he had moved the log cabin into Fo
rt Wo rthsome years ago (prior to 1997), but did not know if  it beca
me pa rt of the Log Cabin Village.
The oldest daughter, Imogene, died 29 Feb 1884, aged 12 years, 5 mon
th s, and 20 days  of measles and pneumonia.  Ila Dell, the younge
st of t he 7 children was born 22 March, 1884 and died 10 Sept,1884, almo
st 6 mont hs of age, of diarrhea and dehydration compliations.
Joseph Russell, the oldest child, born 30 Aug 1866, died 29 Oct 188
5, ag ed 19 years 2 months, of Typhoid Fever.  He was serving with the Tex
as Nat ional Guard.
Grandpa Joe born, 15 Jan, 1842, died 13 Nov 1885, aged 43 years, 9 mon
th s;  from injuries received when the "team" of horses ran-a-way . He w
as ha uling a bale of cotton to the gin.  At that time, the cotton was tra
nsport ed, still in the bags into which it was picked, with the bags pil
ed on t he wagon,  and strapped down.
This was a very sad time for Grandma Sallie and her remaining childre
n. Th ey had seen one baby sister born, and had buried that child along wi
th ano ther sister, a brother, and Grandpa Joe in a period of 20
months.
Grandma Sallie lived with Papa Will for a number of years before he mar
ri ed Grandbum (Dora Senter).As Grandma's children married, they were giv
en t heir part of the farm. Uncle Jim & Aunt Kate lived East of
the house; Uncle John & Aunt Maud lived South of the house on the hil
l, a nd that house was moved to the "home" place with Papa was 18 years ol
d, re placing the two story house that existed when Granpa Joe bought t
he proper ty.  Papa said he and George Fenley learned to walk a tight wi
re up in t he attic of the old two-story house.  George was Grandma's neph
ew, and ne ar the same age as Papa; and he spent a great amount of time wi
th the fami ly.   Aunt Ruthie & Uncle John had the South side of the pla
ce and they bu ilt a new house over on the hill and lived there for sever
al years.  As o ne each decided to move away, Papa Will bought each parce
l, until he own ed all of the place, where he lived for 77 years .  His da
ughter, Lleta Li ghtfoot and Granddaughter, Benja Lightfoot Allen now o
wn all of the "Prest ridge Home Place" as it is known., the land having be
en in the family sin ce 1884.
The story goes that Grandma could not talk for some ten years, for so
me re ason, she had lost her voice.  Rachel remembers when she began to ta
lk, a