NANCY ANN HOBBS AND LEVI ANNISON ADAMS
INTRODUCTION
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| Levi Annisom Adams |
To Their Descendants --
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| Nancy Ann Hobbs Adams |
A Bit of Speculation --
In studying a life, there is always
a desire to understand the essence of the person, to find clues to their
motivations and character through studying their actions. In seeking the facts in the life of Levi
Annison Adams, I could not avoid forming impressions about this man. In Levi, I see a “protector,” a man, who
from his childhood, took care of others.
As the oldest child, he took care of his younger siblings -- his sisters
and much younger brother. His father’s
death made him the “man” of the
family, taking on even greater responsibilities. He married a much younger woman, an orphan,
with only aging grandparents to care for her.
Further, the photographs of Nancy reveal a petite woman with childlike
features, even in her later years.
Toward the end of her life, Nancy was blind, and she may have had some
lesser visual impairment in her youth. I
think Levi may have fallen in love with Nancy because she seemed in need of a
protector.
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| Privates in 1st Texas |
On
a negative side, I see Levi as placing expectations on those he protected. I suspect he may have been autocratic;
thinking those under his protection should follow his directives. Finally, I think he sometimes walked away
from responsibility, especially if he felt rejected by those he protected. I believe that his failure to accept military
promotions and feuds with his loved ones are consequences of these
characteristics.
By
most measures, Levi can be considered “lucky.” He survived a war in which 1 in 5 of his
comrades died. He prospered by luck or
ability over a period of history marked by extreme poverty. He established a family and lived to see
grown grandchildren and great grandchildren.
He also suffered the loss of many close to him. Levi was a complex man who lived in a turbulent
era.
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| Levi A. and Nancy Hobbs Adams |
I have never felt that I knew or understood Nancy. She was clearly a survivor. I believe she was strong, tough, and resilient or she wouldn't have made it. She suffered many losses, including her Mother when she was only 5. Her father apparently abandoned her, and she lost at least one son and one daughter. In her later years she was blind. I wish I knew stories that might add insight.
EARLY YEARS
LEVI’S BIRTHDATE
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| Levi's Tombstone With Birth and Death Dates |
When he enlisted in the Confederate
infantry in 1862, Levi gave his age as 30, not 34. Again, I suspect that his preference for
being a younger soldier influenced his age.
Most of the early volunteers were unmarried men in their 20’s.
On the 1870 census, we see adjustments in
both Levi and Nancy’s ages. Levi’s age
was reported as 40 rather than 44, while Nancy is said to be 30 instead of 28. I suspect these ages were deemed appropriate
as they decreased the age difference between husband and wife (i.e.10 rather
than 16 years). This age difference is repeated in the 1910 Census in which Levi’s age is given as 80 and Nancy’s is
given as 70. However, seven years later,
at his death, Levi’s birthdate was recorded as 1826, and his age as 90. At her death less than a year later, Nancy’s recorded birthdate makes her 76.
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| Writing on the Back of Photo of Levi and Nancy with Essential Dates |
LEVI’S PARENTS
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| Logan County Kentucky |
Samuel G. B. Adams migrated from
Anson, North Carolina to Russellville, Logan County, Kentucky, where the 1820
census locates him. Five years later,
Samuel is in Lexington, Tennessee, where he marries Rachel. However, Samuel apparently had some ties to
Kentucky, either family or property or both, because he purportedly returned to
Kentucky several times (or maintained a residence there for at least 2
decades).
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| Henderson County Tennessee |
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| Marshall County Mississippi |
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| 1850 Census Record for Rachael Adams' Family in Mississippi |
YOUNG ADULT
We believe Levi Annison was 15 when
his father died and 16 when his fatherless baby brother John Quincy was
born. The 1850 Census gives his age as
21, which is at least two years younger than his birthdate on his tombstone
(1826) which would make him 23 or 24.
Most important for our story, the 1850 Census shows Rachael Cole Adams
and her children as residents of Marshall, Mississippi. It identifies her 21 year-old son Levi as a farmer born in
Tennessee. Four daughters are listed --
Mary age 18. Susan, age 17, Nancy, age 15, and Martha age 12. John
Quincy is shown as age 8. All of the
children are listed as being born in Tennessee. The ages of the children do not match other
records, and suggest errors were recorded.
Not long after the 1850 census,
Rachael and her children moved from Marshall, Mississippi to the Texas frontier
(Texas became a state in 1846), arriving in Nacogdoches, Texas, by 1853. One reference says that Rachael died in Texas
on Oct. 9, 1870, at the age of 72 (but we have not been able to verify this
source or its connection to our Rachel).
I have been unable to find any records for Rachel after 1853 and before 1870
(17 years). I have also failed to find
records for any of the girls. I don’t know who or when or where they married, or what happened to them or their children. Though it is speculation, I believe Rachael
remarried and that her relationship with her grown son, Levi, was ruptured. Levi’s apparent disassociation with his mother
and younger siblings after the mid 1850’s may be related to such an
estrangement. If Rachael died and any of the children survived, I believe Levi would have cared for them. Further, Levi eventually fathered two daughters, neither was named Rachel. I am currently pursuing
the hypothesis that Rachel remarried by searching marriage records in Texas for women with the last
name Adams. I may need to expand this
search to Louisiana. Some of his
siblings or even his Mother could have made their homes in the Natchitoches/Red
River area. Help is appreciated.
MARRIAGE
What we do know is that on June 18,
1856, Levi Adams married Nancy Ann Hobbs in Palestine, Anderson County,
Texas. At the time of their marriage,
the groom was almost 30, and the bride was between 13 and 14 years of age.
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| Anderson County Texas |
NANCY ANN HOBBS
Nancy
Ann was orphaned, having lost her Mother, Carissa Parker Hobbs, in 1847 when
she was only 5 years old. Nancy Ann ‘s
father, Spencer Hobbs was a Texas Ranger, and at the time of Crissie’s death,
Spencer was with the Rangers, engaged in the Mexican-American War. Carissa and
Nancy Ann lived with Crissie’s parents (Parkers). While Spencer owned land in several counties,
there is no evidence that he and Crissie established a home after their
marriage. Rather, he appears to have
been almost continuously involved in “Rangering”
while Crissie stayed in her parents’ home. Indeed there are some suggestions that the
couple was estranged before Crissie’s
death.
Spencer was wounded in the Mexican-American War, and was apparently at
least partially disabled. In his later
years, he was in a Veteran’s medical facility in California receiving care for
his War injuries. He eventually returned
to Texas where he lived in Navarro and died there in 1911. at the age of
90.
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| A Group of Texas Rangers |
There
is an additional factor in the marriage of Spencer and Carissa -- their
ages. According to the marriage records,
Spencer was 20 and Carissa was 21 when they married, but there is good reason
to suspect that Spencer added a few years to his age. When he came to Texas and
he claimed head rights to land. In order
to claim land he had to be at least 18.
When he told the courts he was 18, it is probable that he was only
16. Two years later when he married
Crissie, he was probably only 18.
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| Sissie Parker, Kidnapped by Comanches |
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| Quanah Parker |
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| Marriage License for Levi Adams and Nancy Ann Hobbs |
Nancy
was 16 when her first son, John Henry Adams was born on October 8, 1858, and
almost 17 when her second son, Francis Marion Adams was born just 13 months
later on Nov. 5, 1859. The 1860 census
shows a family of three living on “Beat 6” Anderson, Texas. Nancy Ann was given as 18 but Levi’s age is
given as 36 rather than 34. John Henry
is shown as being two, but Francis Marion (who was supposedly born in 1859) is
not enumerated.
Two
years later, when Nancy was barely 20, Levi would leave her alone to care for
their 4 and 5 year old sons. At every
other point in his life, I find Levi’s actions to be entirely admirable; but at
this juncture I can only feel what Nancy must have felt. Her father left his family to fight for his
Country, and never really returned to his daughter. Now her husband was leaving
her, much as her father left her mother.
We don’t know if her grandparents were still living, or if she had other
relatives to lean on. No matter how
brave she was, she must have had feelings of loss or abandonment.
A
cousin has recently told me that in their branch of the Adams Family, they were
told that Levi volunteered for military service because of marital
difficulties. It doesn’t seem farfetched
to me to believe that a teenage bride who has had two babies in less than 2
years, might not always be sweet and attentive to her husband’s needs. This might be especially true if the bride
was an only child raised by doting grandparents. Further, I have a hard time imagining that a
thoroughly happy and contented 36-year-old father of two would rush off across
the country with a bunch of mostly 20 year olds, to fight in faraway battles. Whatever the circumstances of his departure
for the War, the four-year separation did not destroy Levi and Nancy’s
marriage. Perhaps all that they
experienced during the War years helped them develop more mature perspectives,
priorities and values.
THE WAR YEARS
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| Recruitment Poster |
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| The Flags of Hood's Texas Brigade with Portrait of Gen. Hood |
1862 --
From Palestine to Fredericksburg
(Pages 1-7 of Levi’s military Records)
Levi
Adams joined the Confederate Army on April 11, 1862, in Palestine Texas. The others
enlisting that day were friends
and neighbors from Anderson County. He volunteered
as part of the 1st Texas
Regiment and was assigned to Company
G (the Reagan Guards) composed of men from Anderson County. Company
H, also composed of men from Anderson County was called the Anderson Guards. Levi enlisted for the duration of the
War. Interestingly, Levi’s military
papers list his age as 30 even though he was 36 when he volunteered. Levi was older than most of the other
volunteers. (Pages 1-3 of Levi’s military Records)
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| Flag of the 1st Texas Infantry |
Of
the men who left East Texas to fight in Hoods Brigade, 17% would die in battle while
9% would die of sickness for a total mortality rate of 28%. 36% were wounded, and 9% were listed as
captured or missing at the end of the War.
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| Winter Quarters 1862 Before Levi Joined the 1st Texas |
In the following
portion of this report, information from the 1st Texas Regimental Diary
are taken from: http://texas-brigade.org/1st_tex/1texrostercog.htm, and are set
apart from the rest of the text.
Hopefully these sidelights help us understand more about what is
happening to Levi and his comrades from Anderson County.
August
23, 1862 -- From the regimental diary 1st
Texas
The
regiment was involved in the incident of the "Roasting Ears Fight". A number of the brigade entered the
cornfield to secure breakfast. Unknown to the Texans, a large Federal scouting
party had camped on the northern edge of the same cornfield. The inevitable
encounter between the opposing forces in the middle of the cornfield resulted
in fist fighting, wrestling, and volleys of roasting ears. Outnumbered, the
Federals soon withdrew, leaving the Texans in sole possession of the
field. Gen. Lee ordered Texas Brigade
Quartermaster J. H. Littlefield to purchase the entire 100-acre cornfield.
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| Page 1 |
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| Page 2 |
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| Page 5 |
Page
5 of Levi’s military records, cover July-Aug, 1862 and
indicate that Levi was with the 1st Texas at the Second Battle of Manassas (Also called Bull Run) on Aug. 28-30. The brigade overran two Union regiments and
nearly annihilated the 5th New York Zouaves.
August
31, 1862 – From the regimental diary 1st Texas
Camped
at the Manasas battle field. Tended to the dead and wounded. Bivouacs near
Henery House Hill Relieved the dead Federal soldiers of their socks, shoes and
clothing.
September
12, 1862 – From the regimental diary 1st Texas
Marched
through Turner's Gap in South Mountain to Boonsboro. The brigade has become quite ragged. No
clothing or shoes have been furnished since Richmond. Many are barefoot. Lack
of provisions have forced men to subsist on green apples and corn. But the men
are in high spirits ready for battle.
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| Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg |
Levi’s introduction to War constituted the 83-day period that Col. Harold Simpson has called the, “The 83 Bloody Days.” Between June 27 and Sept. 17, in the summer of 1862, the Texas Brigade fought in 3 major battles and suffered over 1,780 casualties. In terms of numbers, the Brigade would never recover from these losses.
After
Antietam, Lee wrote the following about the Texas Brigade:
“They have fought grandly and nobly and we
must have more of them. With a few more regiments such as Hood has now, as an
example of daring and bravery, I would feel more confident of the coming
campaigns. “
September
27, 1862 – From the regimental diary 1st Texas
Moved
to a location five miles northeast of Winchester. The brigade rested,
recuperated, and reorganized for the remainder of the month for occasional
drill and new uniforms and equipment. Pvt. McGee paroled from the
Federals Still short of shoes. Food was ample.. Received mail for the first
time since leaving Richmond.
November
5, 1862 – From the regimental diary 1st Texas
The
brigade moved to a new camp. At this
time, the shortage of shoes in the Confederacy's quartermaster depots had
become critical. Shoes smuggled through the Union blockade from England were
shoddily made and soon wore out. General Longstreet attempted to remedy the
situation by ordering that green hides be used, hairy side in, for moccasin-type
footwear. These ``Longstreet Moccasins'' were found to be impractical in the
mud and slush of the Virginia roads.
November
7, 1862
The
Inspector General of the Army of Northern Virginia, Col. Edwin J. Harvie, inspected
the Texas Brigade. Harvie noted that all
five regiments of the Texas Brigade were badly clothed and shod, and 440 men
(roughly one-third of the brigade at the time) were barefooted. The First Texas
was the worst clothed.
Historian Col. Harold B. Simpson retold this anecdote: “While reviewing his army in the presence of Col. Wolseley, an observer from the British Anny, who chanced to remark how r'agged were seats of the pants of the Texas Brigade, Lee quickly retorted, ‘Never mind their raggedness, Colonel, the enemy never sees the backs of my Texans.’ "
December
1, 1862 -- From the regimental diary 1st
Texas
Spent
the early part of December drilling, picketing the Rappahannock, and building
breastworks along its position near Fredericksburg. The weather was cold, and
picket duty -- without adequate clothing and footwear -- was miserable.
Page 7 of Levi’s records covers Nov.-Dec. of 1862, and includes the Battle of Fredericksburg, Dec. 11-15, 1862.
December
14, 1862 -- From the regimental diary 1st Texas
Shortly
after the Federal withdrawal from Fredericksburg, the Confederates reoccupied
the pillaged and desolate town. The fields and streets were filled with dead
and wounded Federals. Burial parties hastily interred the Federal dead after
taking from them those items no longer needed. As the dead were being buried,
the citizens of Fredericksburg slowly returned to their ruined town. Many were
destitute, and the soldiers of Lee's army generously contributed what food,
clothing, and money they could spare to alleviate the civilians' suffering. The
Texas Brigade alone contributed $5945 in return for the kindnesses the people
of Virginia had bestowed upon them.
1863 -- Gettysburg,
Chickamauga, and the Tennessee Sieges
March
10, 1863 -- From the regimental diary 1st
Texas
The
Ladies Aid Society of Austin donated their $925.30 profit from a recent
tableaux to the brigade. With the inflated prices of goods in the Richmond
area, that sum hardly bought a cup of coffee per man.
April 30-May 6, 1863, Levi was engaged in the Battle of Chancellorsville, where Stonewall
The most dramatic and courageous action seen by the 1st Texas Infantry (and our Levi) took place on July 2, 1863, and began around 9:00 a.m. when they took their position on Seminary Ridge. On that day they achieved their main objectives in taking the Devil’s Den and Houck’s Ridge. Photographers Alexander Gardner and Timothy O’Sullivan , who called it the “Valley of Death”, immortalized the legendary battle in the Devil’s Den through their moving photographs. Levi descended into the Valley of Death, the Devil’s very Den and lived to return.
July
14, 1863 -- From the regimental diary 1st
Texas
At
dawn on the 14th the brigade crossed the Potomac under the eye of
General Lee. Each soldier bared his head. There was no salute, no cheer and no
word was spoken as the men marched silently by General Lee.
September
- November, 1863 -- From the regimental diary 1st Texas
Assigned
Texas Brigade, Hoods Division, Longstreet's Corps, Army of Tennessee
After Gettysburg, John Bell Hood and his Texans were temporally detached from the Army of Virginia and participated in the Battle of Chickamauga in southeastern Tennessee on Sept. 18-20, 1863 (covered in Page 12 of his military records). There were 18,454 Confederate casualties, including 2,312 killed. These were the highest of any battle in the Western Theatre and second only to Gettysburg in the entire War. Gen. John Bell Hood, commander of the Texas Brigade, who had already lost the use of his left arm at Gettysburg, suffered a bullet wound in his leg that required amputation. While the Confederates won, their losses were more than they could afford.
October
15, 1863 -- From the regimental diary 1st Texas
Entrenched
a mile and a half of the Northern side of Lookout Mountain. Short of food. The
men are receiving an unvarying diet of musty corn, blue beef, and contaminated
water, which left many of the men sick with diarrhea.
After the
Battle of Chickamauga, the 1st Texas was part of two major sieges – Chattanooga
(September-November 1863), and Knoxville (November-December 1863).
November
15, 1863 -- From the regimental diary 1st Texas
Sharp
skirmishes were fought at Lenoir's Station. Captured sixty wagons at Lenior and
large quantities of ammunition and medical stores. Along with 500 to 600 winter
cabins better furnished than homes in Texas.
December
10, 1863 -- From the regimental diary 1st Texas
The
regiment bivouacked at Bean's Station for 10 days. Gen. Robertson wrote to Gen.
Hood that the brigade carried on its rolls only 784 men ``present for duty,''
of which ``many'' were ``not fit to march.'' Thus, the brigade now has the
effective strength of an undersized regiment. Gen. Robertson proposed to Hood
that the Texas Brigade be sent back to Texas for the winter to recuperate and
recruit, and then rejoin Longstreet west of the Mississippi on or about April
1, 1864.
The
Brigade’s reputation as fighters was surpassed only by their reputation as
foragers.
When asked about the unit’s
fighting capabilities, General Longstreet replied, “The Texas boys are great fighters – non better. But they are purely hell on chickens and
shoats.” When confronted with
complaints of his men’s “moonlight requisitioning,” Gen. Hood protested their
innocence, but Lee responded, “Ah, General
Hood, when your Texans come about the chickens have to roost might high.”
1864 -- The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor,
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| Cleaning the Battlefield at Cold Harbor |
In
the Spring of 1864, the 1st
Texas was back with Lee as Grant began his invasion of the South. The Battle
of the Wilderness was fought May 5-7, 1864, near Spotsylvania in central
Virginia. As documented on Page 17 of his military record, Levi
was wounded in the thigh. He had little
opportunity to rest or recover in the following days.
May
5 - 6, 1864 -- From the regimental diary 1st Texas
The
Battle of the Wilderness. Lieut Col Harding Commanding?
May
7, 1864
The
regiment buried their dead, and that night moved towards Spotsylvania Court
House.
May
8 - 21, 1864
The
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May
21 - 22, 1864
Moved
towards the North Anna River
May
23 - 26, 1864
The
Battle of North Anna
May
27, 1864
Moved
south towards Ashland Station
May
29, 1864
The
regiment entrenched in vicinity of Gaines' Mill and New Cold Harbor.
June
1 - 3, 1864
The
Battle of Cold Harbor
 |
Battle of the Wilderness |
 |
| Surrender at Appomattox |
1865 – Petersburg, Five
Forks, and Appomattox
The
Texas Brigade was with Lee during
the fall of 1864 and into the winter of 1865.
In March and April they fought at Petersburg
and Five Forks before the April
8- 9th
Battle of Appomattox Court House.
The low point of the War for the 1st Texas Infantry came on
April 8th, when 1st Lt. Morton A. Read of the 8th New York Calvary
captured their battle flag. Read was
awarded the Medal of Honor for this deed.
 |
| Pg. 18 |
Page 18 of Levi’s military records documents his
presence among the Prisoners of War of the Army
of Northern Virginia, as surrendered by General Lee. Of the estimated 5,353 men who enlisted in the three Texas and one Arkansas
regiments of the Texas Brigade, only 617
remained to surrender. Levi was among
these. Of the 1st Texas Infantry Regiment, only 149 men remained to
surrender their Enfields. One company of
the 1sthad no survivors.
While
many songs were written and sung in praise of Hoods Texas Brigade, this verse
summarizes best the spirit of the unit:
We led the charge on many a field,
Were first in many a fray,
And turned the bloody battle tide,
On many a gloomy day.
And turned the bloody battle tide,
On many a gloomy day.
On
April 12, three days after his surrender, Levi was paroled by the United
States, and released to return home. His
entire War service is summarized by the historians of Company G of the 1st
Texas Infantry as follows: ADAMS, LEVI
A. - Recruited in Tex., Apr.11, 1862, Age 30: W., Wilderness (May 6, 1864):
Paroled, Appomattox (Apr.12, 1865).
April
12, 1865 -- From the regimental diary 1st Texas
The
troops surrendered their weapons and received their paroles.
April
14, 1865
Sergeant
Thomas Macon Mullens of Co. E is last man in the regiment to surrender.
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| Hoods Brigade Monument at Texas Capitol |
In the aftermath of the Civil War, Hoods Texas Brigade became one of the
most celebrated units. Hoods Texas Brigade Association was
formed in Houston on May 24, 1872, only 10 years after Levi’s enlistment.
Sixty-five veterans were present. The
Association held annual reunions for 62 years (1872-1933) excepting the war
years of 1899 and 1918. They published histories and erected monuments. The Association literally died out, in 1934,
with death of the last surviving veteran.
I only wish we knew whether Levi ever participated in the Association,
contributed to its causes, or attended any of the reunions or events.
 |
| Monument to Hoods Brigade at Gettysburg |
In 1967, Hoods Texas Brigade Association
was re-activated by descendants and admirers.
This group and the Sons of Confederate Veterans’, especially those Camps
dedicated to the Brigade, promote reenactments, research, and
publications. They maintain a prominent
presence on the Internet.
The greatest scholars of the Civil War,
including Bruce Catton, Ben Williams and Southall Freeman, have written about
the men and exploits of Hoods Texas Brigade. Catton called them, “The Grenadier
Guard of the Confederacy;” Williams said they were the “hardest fighters in the
Confederate Army;” while Freeman said,” they were, man for man, perhaps the
best combat troops in the Army.” (as cited by Col. Harold Simpson).
In discussing the reasons for the high
esteem rendered the Brigade, one Col. Simpson concluded: ”Hood's Texas Brigade compiled a fantastic war record -- successes that
were accomplished under the most adverse conditions -- so, to the Texans back
home, every man in this Brigade was a hero.”AFTER THE WAR – BUILDING A LIFE AND A FAMILY
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| Confederate Soldiers Walking Home |
I believe Levi’s long walk led him through
central Louisiana. This was almost certainly his third trip through this area. First, he followed this route in 1852 with his Mother, sisters and brother when they moved from Mississippi to Texas. Then, with the other Anderson County volunteers. he passed through this area headed for New Orleans in 1862.
He must have been shocked at the devastation wrought by two years war and enemy occupation. In an area known for game, livestock, and agriculture, people were starving. I have wondered whether Levi tarried awhile in the Natchitoches-Red River area, maybe staying a day or two with a Louisiana soldier that he met on the long walk home. Did he have friends or family there that we don't know about; or did he simply like the area and see its potential? We will probably never know what motivated him to eventually settle in this particular location.
 |
| Natchitoches Parish, LA |
He must have been shocked at the devastation wrought by two years war and enemy occupation. In an area known for game, livestock, and agriculture, people were starving. I have wondered whether Levi tarried awhile in the Natchitoches-Red River area, maybe staying a day or two with a Louisiana soldier that he met on the long walk home. Did he have friends or family there that we don't know about; or did he simply like the area and see its potential? We will probably never know what motivated him to eventually settle in this particular location.
Arriving home in Anderson County,
Levi found that his neighbors were not suffering the shortages he had seen
across the rest of the South. There were
excesses of many crops and livestock, especially hogs. It was missing men that left Anderson County
devastated. One newspaper account suggested that of those who left Anderson
County, less than 1 in 4 returned at War’s end.
 |
| Idolized Portrait of Returning Confederate Soldier |
Likewise we can imagine Levi’s mixed
emotions. His joy at being home was
damped by the grief of the widows, orphans and aged parents of his dead
comrades. It could not have been an easy homecoming. Levi must have tired quickly of answering
questions and reliving the deaths of his friends.
 |
| Logan's Ferry and Bridge on Sabine River at Logansport |
Shortly
after his homecoming, Levi gathered up a herd of Anderson county hogs, and
drove these across East Texas to sell in hungry central Louisiana. When we first moved to Logansport, my Father,
Levi’s great grandson, told me that his great grandfather Levi crossed the
Sabine River at Logansport driving a herd of hogs to Natchitoches. I recently heard a tradition among others of
Levi’s descendants that the hogs were scattered while crossing of the Red
River. If the hogs scattered, I am
pretty sure that Levi managed to gather and sell many of them, because he was
able to purchase land in the Red Cross Community on the border of Natchitoches
and Red River Parishes.
 |
| Field Raised Hogs |
After
selling the hogs, Levi returned to Texas and moved Nancy and his two sons John
Henry and Francis Marion to Red Cross, outside the town of Coushatta. While Coushatta is in Red River Parish, the
Adams home was located in Ward 3 of Natchitoches Parish. In so many ways, Levi and Nancy were starting
not just a new home, but a new life together.
It was in this new home that the couple’s third son, Thomas Edmund was
born on March 2, 1868. At this time,
Levi was 42 and Nancy was 26.
If Levi and Nancy had marital problems these must have been resolved because their family continued to grow. Their first daughter, Laura Bell was born on Sept 22, 1872; and a second daughter, Louise (Louiza) joined her on July 2, 1876. Their fourth son, Walter Augustus was born Nov. 26, 1876.
The
1880 census shows the family with the four sons (Henry, 21; Frank, 19; Edward
11; Walter 3) and two daughters (Laura 10 and Liga 1) living in Ward 3 of
Natchitoches Parish. This census is
difficult to impossible to read. We
assume that the final entry should have been for Louiza, age 4, and that both name
and age were not legible.
Three years after this census, on Nov. 11, 1883, Levi and Nancy’s last child, Robert L. Adams was born. It is not clear when Nancy began losing her sight, but she apparently was blind by 1890.
The 1910 census is difficult to read, and someone has copied Levi’s name as “Lissa.” Levi gives his age as 80 and Nancy’s age as 70. Robert still lives with his parents, and is listed as age 26. Robert’s wife Ola is given as age 21, and their daughter Shelby is listed as being one year old.
 |
| Levi Annison Adams and Nancy Ann Hobbs Adams in their Last Years |
On Oct. 27, 1914, Levi’s younger brother John Quincy Adams died at the age of 71 in Oklahoma City, OK. There is no evidence that Levi and his brother were still communicating. In 1911, Spencer Hobbs, the father Nancy never really knew, died in Navarro, Texas, at the age of 90.
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| Levi A. Annison in his 80's |
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| Tombstone of Levi Anison nAdams |
As the clouds of War gathered across the globe, Levi A. Adams, died on Feb. 2, 1917. He was 90 years old. He was laid to rest in the Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery in what is now Red River Parish, Louisiana. Nancy survived her husband by less than a year, living long enough to see her grandsons leave to fight in WWI. She died on Jan. 12, 1918, at the age of 76. She is buried beside Levi.
 |
| Entrance to Bethany Cemetery |
 |
| Plaque Dedicated by the Sons of Confederate Veterans |
LINKS FOR LEVI ANNISON ADAMS
LINKS FOR 1ST TEXAS INFANTRY
FACEBOOK PAGE FOR 1ST TEXAS INFANTRY
https://www.facebook.com/hoodstexasbrigade/
This report by Polley is the "Classic" memoir on Hood's Brigade. It is available in a number of formats. It can be downloaded as an 3-book for 99 cents of free.
Written by Col. Harold B. Simpson in 1970, this is a cadillac version, selling for $75. 00 and considered rare.
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LINKS FOR HOODS TEXAS BRIGADE
BOOKS ON HOODS TEXAS BRIGADE
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