SIXTH GENERATION

60. Thomas Benjamin CAIN ^{(140)(213) (214)} was born between 1820 and 1824 in Overton Co, TN.^{(215) (216)} He served in the military between 9 Dec 1861 and 15 Apr 1864. ^(54)(216) According to the "Cain Connections, Vol 8, Page 15, Branch 15", Thomas served in Co. C, 1st Regiment, Confederate Cavalry, formerly Co. D, 4th (Murray's) Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry. Thomas enlisted in the First Regiment of the Confederate Cavalry on 9 Dec 1861, at Livingston, Overton County, TN. Thomas was taken prisoner by the North and held at Louisville, KY. He was believed to be a deserter until near the end of the war, when he was discharged. Thomas applied for discharge on 7 Apr 1864 and was discharged 15 April 1864 by swearing allegiance to the Union.

Military and Pension records received from the National Archives in Washington D.C. confirm Thomas' service with the Confederacy during the War Between The States. Muster Rolls show Thomas Cain enlisted 9 Dec 1861 at Livingston, Overton County, Tennessee. He was listed in camp, but overage and asking for discharge. Then listed as a deserter 1 April 1864. Captured by the enemy / or reported to, 27 March at Jackson County, Tennessee, and held at Louisville, Kentucky where he took the Oath of Allegiance 15 April 1864. Fair Complexion, Dark Hair, Hazel Eyes, Height 5'8 1/2".

The following information was obtained at the National Archives in Washington D.C. in August 1983 by Betty and Warren Lawrence:

"CAPTAIN'S REPORT OF EVENTS"
"Co D, 4 Murray's Regt Tenn Cav"

"Organized 11 November 1861 as an independant Co. Ordered by Gen'l A.S. Johnson to remain in the border of Tennessee and Kentucky until 15 Jan, then ordered to report to Gen'l Zollicoffer. Started but the fight at Fishing Creek came off before reaching him. Ordered by Gen'l Crittenden to Decatur when the enemy retreated to that place. Ordered back to the border by Gen'l A.S. Johnson in few days to give protection to the citizens against the many problems. Remained on the border doing good service until August, having various skirmishes with the enemy during our stay on the border. We made 2 trips with Morgan thru Kentucky. Was at Cave City first trip. Helped to destroy 2 large train cars. Marched over 300 miles in ? days. (looked like 3 or 5, 3 would have been impossible) The next trip went within 30 miles of Cincinnati. Was in 10 or 12 severe skirmishes with enemy and a severe fight at ________ Kentucky, Lebanon, Tennessee, Kinville and made the trip to about 10 towns and cities in Kentucky and returned in 17 days. The amount of public property destroyed was emense. In Aug we went into Col J.P. Murray's Regt under Gen'l Pruit. Went to Kentucky with Braggs Army. We went by Lebanon, Murfreesboro and Nashville to Glasgow, Kentucky, then to Munfroville, then heavy skirmishes and in fact we were skirmishing almost daily from the time we started from Spoke, Tennessee until the battle of Perryville. Was in that fight with army to Tennessee ________ on the 12th December, lost ______ and helped capture and _____ a great many ______ of the enemy between _________ and Murfreesboro. During all the fights, lost but one killed and few wounded. Had good many horses killed."

He died on 8 Jan 1879 in White Hall, Greene Co, IL. ⁽²¹⁵⁾ The "death certification", provided by the Greene County Clerk & Recorder, Carollton, Illinois, shows that Thomas, and his wife Mary, died within 4 days of each other, in January 1879. They had resided in Illinois for 13 years prior to their death. They must have moved to Illinois in 1864 or 1865. Thomas' cause of death is listed as "Pneumonia".
He was buried in Jones Cem, White Hall, Greene Co, IL. Thomas is said to have been a country doctor, but no supporting evidence.

The daughter of Amanda Cain Bartlett, said that the children of Thomas and Mary are supposedly 1st cousins of Stonewall Jackson and Wade Hampton. (Evidence of the Stonewall Jackson and Wade Hampton relationship can be traced through the Masters and Davies family. That would be the in-laws of George Washington Cain, his wife, Deborah Delong Master's family.)

Located on the 1850 census for Overland Co, TN. Thomas was 29 years old, and owned real estate valued at $250 ($3,914 in 1990 dollars). That would put his birth year as 1821. His "death certification" listed Thomas as 59 years old. That would put his birth year as between 1820 and 1821.

The 1870 census shows Thomas as 46 years old, with a personal estate of $400 ($4,120 in 1990 dollars), farming. His age puts his birth date between 1820 and 1824.

Thomas Cain enlisted in the Confederate Calvary on 9 Dec 1861, for a term 1 year. As the war dragged on and Thomas was over 40, and his requests for discharge being denied, the family faced many hardships. Amanda (Thomas's daughter) related how she, and her mother and sisters, cooked all day for the armies, as the tide of battle turned, first the Confederate then the Union, feeding whoever was at hand. Another story, from the son of Lucinda Cain Taffner, related how there was no food in the house and it was the dead of winter, with the creek partially frozen. A deer ran across the ice, the ice broke and the deer was floundering. Mary Cain took a knife and killed the deer, and they had food to eat. Amanda told of her small brother standing at the gate, booing the Union army as it passed, and of burying their valuables in quilts to keep them from being taken by the enemy soldiers, and finally of fleeing Tennessee in a wagon pulled by one horse and one cow. By 1864, conditions with the army wer bad - lack of food, clothing and ammunition. It was in April of that year that Thomas Cain is listed as a deserter to the Confederacy and was captured by the Union Army and held at Louisville, Kentucky as a prisoner of war. On 15 April 1864, he signed the Glasgow Amnesty Oath, or Oath of Allegance, to the U.S. and was released to go home. Amanda told of how it was no longer safe for them to remain in Overton County. She told of Confederate soldiers giving the fleeing family apples and whatever they had, as the soldiers remembered being fed by the Cains.

Members of the Bartlett family were already in Illinois, in the area where many from Overton County settled after the war. Amanda, who thought the "South would rise again" until her dying day in 1945, married Francis Marion Bartlett, a very strong Union man. Strange world! But many families were divided.

The following is a transcription of a letter written by Thomas Cain, to his wife, during the civil war. The spelling and puctuation is as in the original. :

15 March 1862

My much respected wife. I have mist another chance to drop you a few lines. I am in tolerable good health at this time and I do hope that these lines may find you and children well. I have not had but little word from you since I left home about how you were getting along. I saw Agnes(?) Maxwell at Shelbyville. She gave me some satisfaction about you and I thought a long time ago that I would get to come home and stay but looks like that all most impossible to get anything done. Our company has not got back ______ ______ and courage to ______ ______ yet. I regret that I cannot send you money by John ______ you cannot do with somethin ______ ______ draw my pay. The Regiments got back ______. I know you are needing ______ ______ ______ badly. I would furnish you with just as soon as we get it from the Government. We have been ______ treated about our money. I cannot tell what time I can come home now as ______ away ______ ______ regiment ______ ______ possibly get to. I would have come home before now if I had back pad money. I want you to do all you can do to get along untill I can do something for you which I have all confidence you will do. If I fail to get home in time to make a crop you had better try to get a small piece of good ground and try to put the girls to plowing sow you will be sure to have something to make bread if I should fail to get home. This is one of the times of trouble such as the world has seldom witnessed, but we all think that the time will soon come when all the soldiers will get to come home, the husband to his wife and to enjoy the smiles of domestic life and the young man to his sisters he loves. All to enjoy a freedom bought by the price of blood. I will have to close again. I hope the next I will be permitted to bring myself. I want to come home worse than ny man in the world. Owing to your condition when I left home without money or health or anything else but I hope you have got along some how. I hope these will find you well as they leave me at this time. Farewell, Thomas Cain
He was married to Mary A. LAWSON before 1841 in Overton Co, TN.

61. Mary A. LAWSON ^{(217)(218) (219)} was born between 1818 and 1821 in Overton Co, TN. She died on 12 Jan 1879 in White Hall, Greene Co, IL.⁽²¹⁵⁾ According to the "death certification", provided by the Greene County Clerk & Recorder, Carollton, Illinois, Mary, and her husband, Thomas, died within 4 days of each other, in January 1879. They had resided in Illinois for 13 years prior to their death. Thomas and Mary must have moved to Illinois in 1864 or 1865. Mary's cause of death is listed as "Plueropneumonia".
She was buried in Jones Cem, White Hall, Greene Co, IL. According to the 1850 census for Overton Co, TN, Mary was 29 years old. That would put her birth year at about 1821. Her "death certification" listed her as 60 years old, putting her birth year between 1818 and 1821.

The 1870 census for Greene Co, IL lists Mary as 42 years old, placing her birth date at circa 1818 - 1828. Children were:

i. Martha CAIN⁽²¹⁷⁾ was born in 1841 in Overton Co, TN.
30 ii. John H. CAIN.
iii. Nancy CAIN^{(220) (217)} was born about 1847 in Overton Co, TN. She was buried in Jones Cem, White Hall, Greene Co, IL.
iv. Amanda Catherine CAIN^{(140) (221)(216)} was born on 17 Jul 1850 in Overton Co, TN. She died on 20 May 1945 in Barton Co, MO. She was buried in Sheldon Cem, Sheldon, Vernon Co, MO.
The 1870 census for Greene Co, IL shows Amanda as 19 years old, living with her husband, one child, and her brother, John H Cain and his new wife, Mary Ann Thaxton Cain. Mary is listed as Ann on the census.

Research conducted by Carolyn Jones, a distant cousin of Ann Louise Howell, found an article written by an Honorable Fred J. Gray, about five living generations of Amanda's. He writes: "She comes from a fine old southern family. She was born in Overton County, Tennessee, near Livingston, Tennessee. Her father, Thomas Cain, was first cousin to Stonewall Jackson and Wade Hampton. (We have not verified this fact.) She married Francis Marion Bartlett and moved to Green County, Illinois, where their children were born. Amanda lived to see five great great grandchildren." A copy of this letter is in the files of James Charles Mayhall. This story is included because the relatives of Amanda, and the early facts about her, are the same about her brother, John H. (Jack) Cain.

She, and her husband, lived in Irwin, MO.
v. George Washington CAIN^{(140) (222)} was born on 21 Jun 1853 in Overton Co, TN. He died on 17 Nov 1940 in Nilwood, Macoupin Co, IL. He was buried in Girard Cem, Girard, Macoupin Co, IL. George and his brother, James, married sisters - Mary Jane & Isabella Carrigan.

George and James lived in Nilwood, Illinois and are buried at Girard, Illinois. Their families still live in that area.

Shown on the 1870 census for Greene Co, Illinois as 16 years old.
vi. Ann CAIN⁽²²³⁾ was born in 1854 in Overton Co, TN. The 1870 census shows Ann, and her brother John, living with their sister, Amanda (Cain) Bartlett, and her husband, Marion. They were living next to their parents, in Greene Co, Illinois.
vii. James H. CAIN⁽²²⁴⁾ was born in 1856 in Overton Co, TN. He died in 1939 in Nilwood, Macoupin Co, IL. He was buried in Girard Cem, Girard, Macoupin Co, IL.
Shown on the 1870 census for Greene Co, IL as 14 years old.
viii. Margaret Lucinda CAIN⁽²¹⁶⁾ was born on 11 Jul 1859 in Overton Co, TN.⁽²²⁵⁾ She died on 23 Nov 1916 in Missouri. She was buried in Oakton Cem, Barton Co, MO. She was also known as Sis. Shown on 1870 census for Greene Co, Illinois as 9 years old.

Margaret and her husband, John Taffner, moved to Irwin, MO, near her sister Ananda.