Anderson Lumpkin


ANDERSON LUMPKIN (1812-1899), was born May 2, 1812 in Knox County, Tennessee. He was the youngest of eleven children of Robert Lumpkin (1756-1842), and Elizabeth Forrest (1766-1848). His father Robert Lumpkin (born 25 Nov 1756 & died 12 Nov 1842 according to Anderson Lumpkin's family bible) served in the Revolutionary War.

Robert was formerly thought to be a son of George & Mary Cody Lumpkin, but this has been proven incorrect. A different Robert Lumpkin (probably a first cousin) was the son of George & Mary. The other Robert (son of George) was born 1751 or earlier -- proven by the fact that he was on the tax list for Pittsylvania Co, VA in 1767. The older Robert Lumpkin married Drusellar (Druscilla) Hendricks about 1773 in Halifax or Pittsylvania Co, VA, then moved his family to Georgia in the late 1790's along with most of George & Mary Cody's descendants. He and Druscilla had at least 9 children, and lived in Georgia for the remainder of their lives.

Our Robert Lumpkin (who was NOT the son of George) was born 25 Nov 1756 in Virginia and married only once, to Elizabeth Forrest, on 15 Apr 1784 in Halifax Co, VA (Halifax Co. marriage book). Fifteen years later, about 1799, Robert & Elizabeth moved with their family and slaves to Knox Co, TN, and resided there for the next 30 years. Then, about 1831, the Lumpkins sold their land & slaves and moved north, to Randolph Co, Indiana. The reason for this move is not clear, however, many of Robert & Elizabeth's children had married into families with Quaker connections. The Quakers had become strongly opposed to slavery, and many members of that faith began moving out of Tennessee, to Randolph & Wayne Counties, Indiana, during that same time period; therefore it would not be unreasonable to suppose that our Lumpkin family had anti-slavery leanings also.

The 1840 Randolph Co, IN census lists Robert as a Revolutionary War veteran -- "Robert Lumpkin, age 84, served 5 months, draws no pension." (6 months or more of service was required in order to qualify for a pension). Family lore says that Robert served as a wagoner in the state of Virginia. Robert died in Randolph Co, Indiana on 12 Nov 1842 and is buried in the Nettle Creek Baptist cemetery one mile south of Losantville, Randolph Co, Indiana (grave marked by DAR).

Robert's wife Elizabeth Forrest was the daughter of Richard Forrest (1740- ?) and Elizabeth Oliver, (1743- ?). Richard Forrest was the son of Abraham Forrest (1700-1758) and his wife Judith. (Nathan B. Forrest, dashing Confederate Cavalry leader came from this family.) Elizabeth Oliver was the daughter of James Oliver, who was an extensive land holder in Virginia. The Forrests and Olivers lived in Gloucester County, Virginia.

The first six children of Robert & Elizabeth Forrest Lumpkin were born in Halifax County. They were: 

         JOHN R. LUMPKINS, b. 1786, md. Mary "Polly" ---,
	   later moved to McNairy Co, Tenn.;
         MARY LUMPKIN, b. 1788,
	   md (1) Mr. PECK,
	      (2) Thomas HOWARD (HAYWORTH),
	      (3) James W. MASSEY
         JAMES L. LUMPKIN, b. 1791,
	   md (1) Elizabeth BOOKOUT and
	      (2) Sarah E. THORNBURG;
         ROBERT LUMPKIN, Jr., b. 1793,
	   md (1) Edy BOOKOUT and
	      (2) Sarah ----;
         SARAH LUMPKIN, b. 1796, md Joseph BOOKOUT;
         RICHARD LUMPKIN, b. 1798, md Rebecca JUSTICE.

Sometime between 1798 and 1800 Robert and Elizabeth Forrest Lumpkin moved their family to Knox County, Tennessee, and five more children were born there: 

         WILLIAM MOORE LUMPKIN, b. 1800, md Delilah BOOKOUT;
         ELIZABETH LUMPKIN, b. 1803; md Robert WEAVER;
         WASHINGTON LUMPKIN, b. 1806; md unknown;
         NANCY LUMPKIN, b. 1809, md Thomas BOOKOUT;
         ANDERSON LUMPKIN, born in 1812 in Knoxville, TN.

Anderson Lumpkin resided in Knoxville until 1830, when he moved with his parents to Randolph County, Indiana (he was eighteen years old at this time). It is not known how many of his older brothers and sisters accompanied the family on the move to Indiana; most or all of them had already married by this time, so some stayed in Tennessee or migrated elsewhere. The Lumpkin family in America seems to have become widely scattered as they helped settle different areas of the frontier. Many of them seemed to be on the leading edge of exploration and settlement (gold rushes, homesteading, etc.) as new areas opened up. On Jan. 4, 1837, at age 24, Anderson Lumpkin married Susannah Williams in Randolph County, Indiana. She was born September 29, 1816 in Ohio, for this is written in the Lumpkin family Bible, but we have been unable to trace her ancestry as yet.

To Anderson and Susannah Williams Lumpkin were born nine children: 

        **WILSON LUMPKIN, Sept. 22, 1838
	    (named for his father's relative Wilson Lumpkin, who
            became Governor of Georgia).
          MARY LUMPKIN, Feb. 1, 1840 (died at age 2);
          MARTHA LUMPKIN, Dec. 30, 1841,
	    married CHRISTIAN N. JORGENSEN;
          EMILY JANE ("Emma") LUMPKIN, Dec. 24, 1843,
	    married CHARLES LONG;
          JOHN LUMPKIN, Sept. 17, 1845 (died at age 1);
          TILMON A. LUMPKIN, Aug. 7, 1847;
          SILAS J. LUMPKIN, Sept. 1, 1849;
          THOMAS LUMPKIN (or LUMPKINS), March 28, 1851;
          HENRY LUMPKIN, Jan. 19, 1853.

All of the children were born in Randolph County, Indiana. The family were members of the Nettle Creek Baptist Church; church records say that the grandparents Elizabeth and Robert Lumpkin were received into the church in 1833. We also have a record that Anderson's wife Susannah Lumpkin was dropped from the Nettle Creek Baptist Church in June 1847, for joining another denomination.

After the death of Anderson's parents Robert Lumpkin (d. 12 Nov. 1842 in Randolph County, Indiana at age 85) and Elizabeth Forrest Lumpkin (d. 3 Aug 1848 in Randolph County at age 81), he decided to move his family elsewhere. They moved from Indiana to Iowa by covered wagon pulled by oxen in 1853. Anderson's wife Susannah died during the journey, on Nov. 1, 1854, at Centerville, Appanoose County, at only 38 years of age, leaving seven children: 

       Wilson, the oldest at 16,
       Martha (12),
       Emily (10),
       Tilmon (7),
       Silas (5),
       Thomas (3), and
       Henry, one and a half.

The family continued on to Webster County where they took up a homestead. Anderson soon remarried to a woman named Eliza, who was listed with Anderson and his children in the 1860 census. It is unknown what became of Eliza, but on 4 Mar 1863 Anderson married Mrs. Rhoda Barber (widow of James Barber) as his third wife. They now had a very large family, including her children from a previous marriage.

"Some time after locating in Webster County (near Fort Dodge), the Army Scouts notified the Lumpkin family that the Indians were restless and they feared an uprising. The scouts suggested that the family go with the rest of the settlers to the Fort until things settled down. Had Anderson not been so obstinate, contrary and self-sufficient, this might have been the end of the story. Anderson said, "We will protect ourselves. I have four boys, one to protect each side of the house. We will stay." They put the women and girls in the rafters under the roof. All the boys and Anderson stood guard. No Indians came.

"All the other settlers went to the fort. So did the Indians. They came acting friendly and peaceful. They moved into the fort under the pretext of needing and wanting to buy supplies. When the whites were thoroughly off guard and their suspicions settled, the Indians turned on the settlers, killing most of them. A few were taken as hostages. A few of these survived. Among those who did was Abbie (Gardner) Sharp, a neighbor and close friend of Emily Lumpkin. In later years Abbie wrote THE SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE. This book describes, in detail, the whole episode, which happened in the dead of winter. It was over two weeks before the Army could capture the responsible Indians and return those few white hostages who had not died."

(Note: This story may not be completely accurate. I (Karen) sent for and read this book several years ago, and it seems that this massacre, March 8th and 9th, 1857, which killed 34 settlers, happened in a different part of the state than where the Lumpkins lived. After the massacre happened, the alarm went out, and the white settlers were called to come into forts all over the state. It seems that this is when the above incident occurred with the Lumpkin family. Although it is true that all the settlers were called to go to the fort, and Anderson Lumpkin refused to go, as the anecdote relates, no Indians actually came to the fort that was near where they lived at that time; the massacre was at a different fort. The woman who was taken hostage, who wrote the book, must have been a friend of Emily Lumpkin later in her life, not in her childhood. They did not live near each other when the Spirit Lake massacre took place, and Emily was only 13 years old in 1857. The woman who was taken captive was 18 or 19. Wilson Lumpkin was 18 in 1857, but he might have already left home for California. The next son, Tilmon, was 9; Silas, 7; Thomas, 6; and Henry, 4; quite young if these were the boys who were guarding the house with rifles, but apparently he had some stepsons also. There were other Indian uprisings in the plains states throughout the 1860's, so perhaps the incident cited happened in connection with one of these.)

After Rhoda's death on 5 May 1873, Anderson married again (for the 4th time) on 5 Nov 1874 to Miss Annie Springer of Fort Dodge. He was 62 years of age and Annie was only 19. In 1888 they moved to Adams County, Iowa, and then about 1896 they again moved, this time to Corning, the county seat of Adams County, Iowa, where Anderson Lumpkin died March 28, 1899, aged 86 years, 10 months, and 26 days. He is buried at the Corning cemetery. He is the father of 15 children, nine of his first wife and six of the fourth. (His "second family" was much younger than the first, with a gap of at least twenty years in between). Eleven of his children were still living at the time of his death.

From the Des Moines Register, April 4, 1899:

DEATH OF AN IOWA PIONEER
- Anderson Lumpkin Passes Away After a Long and Eventful Career -
Des Moines, April 3 -- The death of Anderson Lumpkin last Tuesday, at Corning, Iowa, removed another pioneer. He was born in Knoxville, Tenn. May 2, 1812, and was 86 years, 10 months, and 26 days old at the time of his death. When he was 18 years of age, his parents moved to Randolph County, Indiana, and at 21 years of age, he was married to Susannah Williams.

In the year 1854, he in company with some other families, started for Iowa by team overland. On reaching Centerville, his wife was taken sick and died, after which they moved on north to Knoxville, Marion County, where they went into winter quarters.

Early in the spring of 1855, they again started on for their final destination -- Fort Dodge, in Webster County -- and setttled on and bought government land (a homestead). They built log houses, made rails from timber growing along North Lizard creek, fenced and began to cultivate the soil, coming to Des Moines for all supplies and to mill.

The Indian troubles soon broke out and nearly all left their homes temporarily on account of the danger. But all this time, Mr. Lumpkin, like a brave pioneer, never flinched, but guarded his home by barring doors and keeping constant vigil with his trusted rifles and plenty of ammunition. The Indians never disturbed them in their home, and as the excitement died away, the people returned again to their homes, and peacefully took up the arduous work of making all kinds of improvements.

When the rebellion broke out, his oldest son, Wilson, came to Des Moines and enlisted in Company B, Fifteenth Iowa regiment, serving out his full three years, reenlisted and remained with his old comrades to the close of the war, and was in the final muster out at Washington, D.C. in 1865. Many of his old comrades will recognize his (Wilson Lumpkin's) name when reading this.

He (Wilson) is the oldest one of seven children surviving their mother (Anderson's first wife, Susannah), of whom five are still living, two of whom attended the last sad rites: Mrs. C.N. Jorgensen (Martha), of Hastings, Neb., and T.A. (Tilmon) Lumpkin, of Des Moines, being the only ones in reach at the time of his death.

In 1874, he married Miss Annie Springer, of Fort Dodge, to whom six children were born and survive him. In 1888 he moved to Adams County. Retiring from active life about three years ago, he moved into Corning, where he spent his last days until the final summons came, March 28, 1899, when the work of a long, active Christian life was ended.

He was interred in Corning cemetery Friday morning, March 31, after a very impressive funeral service followed by a long concourse of friends to his final resting place.



Typed transcript of Anderson Lumpkin's family bible: 


  Robert Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord, 1756 November the 25
  Elizabeth Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord 1766 November the 25

NOW COMES THE NAME OF THEIR CHILDREN IN 1786
  John Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord 1786 December the 3
  Mary Lumpkin was in the year of our lord 1788 March the 17
  James Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord 1791 September the 8
  Robert Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord 1793 November the 5
  Sarah Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord 1796. January the 12
  Richard Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord 1798. October the 12
  William Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord. 1800. November the 12
  Elizabeth Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord, 1803. August the 10
  Washington Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord 1806 June the 15
  Nancy Lumpkin was born in the year of or lord 1809 January the 27
  Anderson Lumpkin was born in the yer of our lord 1812 May the 2

  Susanah Lumpkin (Anderson's wife) was born in the year of our lord 1816
      Sept the 29

NOW CMES THE NAMES OF THEIR CHILDREN, IN 1838,
  Wilson Lumpkin was born in the yer of our lord, 1838 September the 22
  Mary Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord 1840 Febuary the 1
  Marthey Lumpkin was born in the yer of our lord 1841 December the 30
  Emly Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord, 1843 December. the. 24
  John Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord September, the 14. 1845
  Tilmon Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord, 1847. August the 7
  Silas Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord. 1849. September the 1
  Thomas Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord. 1851 March the 28
  Henry Lumpkin was born in the year of our lord. 1853. January the 19

DEATHS
  Susannah Lumpkin wife of Anderson Lumpkin deceiced November - the 1st
      A.D. 1854.
      Aged 37 years and 2 months
  Anderson Lumpkin deceased March 28 (1899) at 9-30 P.M.
      Aged 86 yrs. 10 mo and 16 days
  Robert Lumpkin Departede this life November the 12, 1842,
      Eaged. 85 years and 11 months 13 days
  Elizabeth Lumpkin Departed this life August the 3. 1848.
      Edg 81 years and 8 months and 9 Ddays

THE DEATHS OF ANDERSON AND SUSANNAH LUMPKIN CHILDREN
  Mary Lumpkin departd this life May the. 24. 1842
  John Lumpkin deprted this life May the 25. 1847
  Thomas Lumpkin departed this life May the 1 1877
      Aged 26 years and 1 months and 4 days

All of the births were apparently recorded by the same person, most of them at the same time. As the bible was published in the year 1847 and the birth dates go back to the year 1756, they were apparently copied from an earlier source or written from the memory of Anderson Lumpkin. The births of the children from Anderson's later marriages are not recorded in this bible.

Thomas Lumpkin, whose death was the last recorded in the family bible, had an interesting story -- According to THE ROBERT LUMPKIN FAMILY,

"Thomas Lumpkin went to Texas, where he owned and operated a trading post. After making considerable money in the venture he decided to sell out and return to Iowa. He was told that he could not leave Texas with any money. He thought he could outwit the natives. He arranged a party, inviting all the people to his former place of business and served all the liquor any and all wished to drink. When he thought all those present were thoroughly drunk, he stepped outside to make his getaway on his horse, which was waiting nearby. He did not make it. A letter from the local sheriff to the family in Iowa told what happened. The sheriff ended his letter by saying, 'I advise that you carry the investigation of the death of Thomas Lumpkin no further.'"

A slightly different version of this story, probably more accurate, can be found in the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FRONTIER BIOGRAPHY (3 vols.). It says that "Tom Lumpkins was a West Texas buffalo hunter. He refused to join others in an impromptu campaign against the Comanches, made slighting remarks about those who had undertaken it, was reprimanded in a saloon at Rath City, Texas, shot and wounded one man and was shot and killed by Limpy Jim Smith, second in command of the expedition. Marked by a buffalo skull, Lumpkins' grave was the first in Rath City's boot hill cemetery. He died Apr. 27, 1877." (May 1, 1877 according to the Lumpkin family bible).

Reference in the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FRONTIER BIOGRAPHY is to a book by John R. Cook entitled THE BORDER AND THE BUFFALO (Chicago, Lakeside Ed., 1938) and also THE GREAT BUFFALO HUNT by Wayne Gard (Lincoln, Univ. of Nebraska Press, 1968). This book gives the additional information that a fellow buffalo hunter had been killed by Comanches who were angry about the slaughter of their buffalo herds, so a group of men were gathering in Rath City, determined to go after the Comanches for revenge. Tom Lumpkins drew sharp words on himself by saying "I haven't lost any Indians, and I don't intend to hunt for any." An expedition of 46 men went out after the Indians and were in a battle at Yellow Horse Draw. After they returned, Lumpkins made slighting remarks, and a gunbattle followed in the saloon. Limpy Jim Smith had missed when he fired at Lumpkins, so he followed him out into the street as he was trying to leave, and shot him in the back.

The trading post called Rath City, Texas, was established in January 1877 by an expedition of men under the leadership of Charles Rath [Thomas Lumpkin(s) among them, but he did not "own" the trading post]. (Rath City was an outpost in the buffalo country of Texas, giving competition to Fort Griffin (to the north) as a center for the hunters and a market for hides. The site of this trading post was on the south side of the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River, in Stonewall County. It was twelve miles northwest of the future site of Hamlin, and about 50 miles northwest of Abilene, Texas.

Information Compiled
by Karen Bray Keeley

INTERNET Adaptation
by Sandra Shuler Bray