Note:
The following page was written by W. R. Jones, a native of Wayne County.  W. R. move to AR and was a columist, who wrote many articles about Wayne County and its early people.  The beginning of this page was not included because the main interest was the Young families.

**Note:
It is believed by some that Daniel Henry Young was the 2nd son of James Young.  No records can be found of  William Henry being born in Wayne County during that time frame.

Wayne County Press
Thursday, December 27, 1917

The next member of the grand jury I shall discuss is John Young.  He was about 31 years old when he served on this jury.  He was a son of Drewery Young and came along with his old father to Wayne in 1818.

John was married in 1808 to Susan Lock, before he left Kentucky.  I suspect she was related to the early Locks of Leech.

To this union was born Johnson, Ladocia, Malinda, Lorinda, Ewing, Winnie, Ruth, Elizabeth, Sarah Ann, Cephas and Marian.  His second wife was Sarah Reed.  To this union was born Mark, Marie, Jackson and Nancy.

Drewery Young, father to John had the following children that accompanied him to Wayne:  James, William and Elisha; and a daughter who I think married either James Bain or father to James Bain.  I know James Bain had a son named Drewery, that was named for Drewery Young, the pioneer.

Drewery Young’s son, James married Elizabeth Powless and their children were:  Johnson D., William Henry, John, Samuel, Lewis and Jane.

Elisha, son of Drewery, married Polly Denny; their children were Holman, Jonathan, Chester, Ephriam, Jane, Prudence, Margaret, Marie, Jennie, Sarah and Mary.  I remember nothing of William Young’s family.

I think, but am not sure, that Drewery Young, ancestor of all the Youngs that used to live in Big Mound and Lamard, had another daughter, Martha, who was first wife of Peter Staton.  She died in Kentucky.  I know that Peter Staton’s first wife was named Martha Young and that there was some relationship between the Young’s and Statons.

The Youngs, in the early pioneer days, were considered wealthy.  They were also respected.

When a child, my mother used to stop at John Young’s house and I often accompanied her.  At that time he was a very old man, and was living alone in a big hewed log house.  Into these logs he had bored auger holes and put his hoarded gold into the holes, and then driven in on the gold wooden pins on which were hanging saddles, bridles, clothing, etc.  Of course I knew nothing of this gold until after his death.

John Young was born in 1789 the year the constitution of the U.S. was adopted.  He died at the age of 90.  In his dotage he became miserly and lived along with his gold; but he was not always thus.  In his earlier life he was a good and useful man.  He frequently served Wayne County in positions of trust; as he did in his still earlier life, his country in times of danger.  The picture drawn of him by the History of Wayne and Clay counties does his memory and his descendants, a great injustice.

He was a heroic soldier in the war of 1812.  He was a ranger under Captain William Boon, and selected his future home in Wayne County, near the line between what were afterward the precincts of Big Mound and Lamard, while helping Captain Boon chase Indians in 1813.  His kinsman Nathan Young was on of the greatest of Indian Rangers.  Nathan served under Capt. Willis Hargraves, and camped on the present site of Fairfield in 1812 along with John Smith, Rev Charles Slocumb, James Garrison, Robert D. Cates, Seth Hargraves, Lee Maulding, Morris May, Henry Wheeler, John Love, Gillam Harris, Needham Stanley, Alexander Hamilton, David Snodgrass, Philip Fleming, John Morris, George Morris, Simon Cannon, William Wheeler and others.

John Young, Jr. who was one of my pupils at my first school at Bovee, and who afterward became Supt of Public Instruction for Wayne was grandson of John Young, member of the first Wayne County grand jury.

William Frazier another member was one of the first citizens in Jasper.  I think he and his brother George, a bachelor for many years, came with the Enoch Beach Colony in 1817.  He was quite a military man and was very early Major in the Wayne County militia.  I believe his wife was an aunt to Col. P. Hay, a well known veteran of Wayne County, thirty years ago.  After the death of Frazier she married “Old Billy” Cannon, another very early settler of Jasper, and a bachelor of many years.

As to the Clark members of the grand jury, I wish to digress a little,  In my former references to the Clark family, I was under the impression that all the Clarks that came to Wayne prior to 1820, settled in Big Mound, and were all descendants of Revolutionary George Clark, mentioned in the History of Wayne and Clay.  Of the five Clark’s that were on the first grand jury, I am pretty sure four of them lived in Big Mound.  They were the two brothers, Solomon and Alexander, Sr and Andrew son of Alexander, SR., and William, son of Solomon.

I think the Solomon and Alexander, Sr., had another brother known as John, Sr., who also probably lived in Big Mound.  I suspect that John, Sr. ad at least two sons, William and James.  I think this was probably the William that married Peggy Carson of western Barnhill in 1819, and that this was the James that married Sally Bradshaw of Jasper in April 1821.

But I find that none of the above were sons of “Revolutionary George”.  In fact I have found that there was no Revolutionary George in Wayne but that there was a Revolutionary “James” who was not closely related to those just named.  He made up the 5th Clark grandjuror at the September term, 1819 and lived not far from Alexander Campbell’s either in southern Barnhill or southwestern Leech.

He was born in 1744, and served for seven years in South Carolina during the War of the Revolution.  He was one of the most prominent settlers of early Wayne and in 1820 , at the age of 76, was made a Brigadier General in the Illinois militia.

I have a pretty fair record of four of his children, Joseph, Benjamin, James and Elsie.  Joseph was born in South Carolina on Independence day, 1776.  He died in 1823, and his wife, Mary, and Rennah Wells administered on his estate.

Joseph Campbell, who I have found was in fact the son of Alexander Campbell, the pioneer, married Elsie Clark, (not Elsie Campbell, as I mentioned in a former chapter, in mistakenly following the History of Wayne and Clay) on May 10th, 1822.  This couple took to their home the bereaved children of Joseph Clark, James and his sister.  The latter afterward became the first wife of Joseph Campbell’s brother, Moses.

Benjamin A Clark, the second son of Revolutionary James, became quite prominent in the early history of Wayne.  He married the widow Morris of Leech.  Was sheriff of Wayne from 1832 to 1834.  In 1834 was elected to the Illinois Lower House, where he died in 1835, before his term of office expired.  He died while the legislature was in session at Vandalia, that city being the capitol of Illinois at that time.  He left three children, Joseph, I think, Benjamin and Melvina, Joseph the oldest settled in Scott county, Illinois, Benjamin died a few years ago at Girard and Melvina married Elisha Leek and moved to Utah.

James, son of Revolutionary James, married Betsey Trotter and died in Bedford township in 1837.

When Revolutionary James at the age of 90 died in 1834, at the home of his son-in-law, Joseph Campbell, then living in Bedford, his wife Naomi, and his son, Hon. Benjamin A., administered on his estate.  He was perhaps buried in Bedford.  Wonder if the grave of this fine old hero is known to the good people of Bedford today?

When Hon. Benjamin A. Clark died in 1835, his estate was administered on my Capt. James N. Clark, one of the Wayne county captains of the Blackhawk War.  Whose son then was Capt. James N. Clark?  So far as I have been able to ascertain the Big Mound Clark’s know nothing of Capt James N., or of his history.  And Margaret Campbell, grand daughter of Alexander Campbell, the pioneer, and who made her home for many years with Joseph Campbell and his wife, Elsie (Clark) Campbell, can not account for him.  She says he was not the son of Revolutionary James and she does not think he was descended from him.  However, I am almost sure he was.  As he administered on the estate of Hon. Benjamin A. I thought he must have been a son of the latter by perhaps a former wife, if not a brother.  But Miss Campbell does not think that Hon. Benjamin A., ever had any wife, other than the widow Morris and is sure, she says, that James son of Revolutionary James, was not Capt. James N. of the Indian War of 1832.

Who can tell me something of two early Wayne county heros Capt James N Clark, and Capt Benjamin G Wells, both captains from Wayne County in the Blackhawk War?

But back to Solomon Clark and his brother Alexander, Sr., both of Big Mound.  Alexander, Sr was a Ranger in the war of 1812 under Bapt Boone and served in Illinois.  Am pretty sure that Solomon was also a Ranger, but I have not his military record.

Following is a brief history of the descendants of Solomon and Alexander Clark, Sr down to the third generation.

Solomon Clark had a son, Capt. John, who held high positions in the early Wayne county militia.  Capt John’s son, Edward married Cynthia Gaston, and had the following children:  Logan, married Lizzie Bartlett.  Emma, died at 19, unmarried;  Alice, married Samuel Keen of Keenes, no children;  Ida married E.M. Young, they reared a large family;  William married Sarah Hall;  Eber, married Nellie Hall, no children.  Capt John Clark had another son Jack, who married a Manchester, but they had no children.

Solomon’s son, Samuel had two sons;  Joseph, who moved to White County, and Samuel who moved to Wisconsin.  Samuel also had a daughter Mary, that married Peter Hay; afterward know as Col. P. Hay.

Solomon’s son, William married Amelia Hamilton, in 1819 and finally moved to Marion County and I think a number of his descendents afterward settled in Western Wayne.

Solomon’s daughter, Patsey married John Stephens, one of the fine pioneer settlers of Arrington and a soldier in the Blackhawk war.  Their children were Louise, married Rush Porter; Kitsey married Abram Barr;  Betsey married James Monroe;  Peggie, married Hamilton Jones; William married Emeline Miller; then there was  David and Rachel who were partially insane.  In fact Rachel died in the home for the insane.

Solomon’s daughter, Sallie married Thomas Hughes.  Their children were Solomon Hughes; and Bessie who married William Reed.

Solomon’s daughter, Ellen married Thomas Gaston, Sr.  They had but one son, Jarret, who married Rebecca Warren.

Pollie Lamb, perhaps the oldest daughter of Solomon Clark, remained in Kentucky.

Alexander, Sr., brother to Solomon, had four sons, Alexander, Jr., James, Andrew and Jackey and three daughters;  Fannie, Peggy and Easter.

Alexander, Jr married Fannie Robinson, they had the following children:  Jefferson, who never married; James, Jr., who married Rebecca Downen and had the following children that married:  Alex moved to MO;  William married Lib Beard;  George B., married Mary Cox;  Lizzie married George Clark;  Mary, who married and moved to Indiana;  Rebecca, married Edward Dykes;  Emma married John Holt; Jack, married Evelyn Zimmerman.

Alexander, Jr. had a son, Alex, that married Easter Gaston, a daughter, Betsey, that married Charles Sturdefant; Peggie, who married William Book; Jane who married John Jones;  Nancy who married Jack Lloyd.

But back to Alexander Clark, Sr., His second son was James.  He married Nancy Book and had the following children;  Sarah, married William Kimball, No Children;  Thomas married Mariah Hall;  Mike, married Letha Hall; Alec married David Cox. (Their daughter, Eliza, married Cad Trousdale.)

James Clark had another daughter Catharine that married Thomas Shorb of Frog Island.  I think this was the James Clark that was sheriff of Wayne County from 1862 to 1856 but am not sure.  It may have been Capt. James N.

Andrew son of Alexander, Sr. married Betsey Clark.  I think of Kentucky; they had no children.

Jackey the next son of Alexander, Sr., was the greatest deer hunter Big Mound ever produced.  Of his children:  William, married Sarah Skinner;  George, married Lizzie Clark;  Jeff, married an Alexander;  Nancy married Bathus Jones ( who I think was a brother to John Jones above mentioned); Easter, married Simon Koontz.

Peggie, daughter to Alexander Clark, Sr., married James Cyrus Gaston a grandson of Revolutionary James on June 19, 1821 and their children were as follows:  Easter, married John Clark; Lizzie married Peter Book;  Nerva, married William Warren, and becamd grandmother to Lloyd Warren and Sarah Robertson and great grandmother to my first wife, Idelia Robertson.   James Cyrus Gaston and Peggy Clark also had a daughter, Margaret, that married Robert Downen; Also Catherine, that married when an old maid. Jacob Logan; also I think that William Gaston, at whose home Lloyd Warren was killed was a son; and I think Polly Tate was also a daughter of James Cyrus Gaston and Peggy Clark; but am not sure of the last two.

Robert Gaston, another member of the first grand jury was son of Revolutionary James Gaston, one of the pioneer settlers of Big Mound and who in 1824, erected the first “band” mill in Wayne County—a wonder for those days.

The census of 1820 gives the names of three Gastons as heads of families; James, Robert and Robert R. I think that the James, mentioned as the head of a family in that report, was the son of Revolutionary James.  For the report shows one male between 26 and 45 and one male older than 45.  Also one female between 26 and 45, and one more than 45.  I therefore conclude that Revolutionary James and his old wife were living with their son son James, who was the census man regarded as the head of the family.

As Robert was son of  Revolutionary James, I conclude that Robert R. was son of the James with whom the old folks lived.  The census of 1820 shows that the younger James also still had one son between 16 and 26.  I conclude that this son was the James Cyrus that married Peggy Clark in 1821 but am not sure of this.

I think, besides Robert and James, Revolutionary James had three other sons that came to Wayne just after the census was taken.  They were John and Cyrus and William.  Also possibly Thomas.  Cyrus finally moved away from Wayne.  It is possible that he was the father of James Cyrus that married Peggy Clark.

Also Revolutionary James had a grandson.  Thomas, that married SallyConner on Feb 1st, 1821.  I don’t know whose son he was.

Revolutionary James became large and fat in his very old age.  On his way to Fairfield he was thrown from his horse and so badly hurt he died a few hours afterward.  He was on his way to get his annual revolutionary pension.

But back to his son, Roberrt, the grand juryman.  He served in the Illinois war that extended from 1811 to 1815.  He fought, with one of my father’s uncles Robt. Anderson under Capt. Jacob Short, Robert Gaston was also first sergeant under Capt. William Boon.  His brother, William Gaston, and Alexander Clark, Sr served with him during this campaign.  Then in the very last company that was sent out after the Indians in Wayne and surrounding territory,