Tracing the Henry T. Rutherford Family 1830-1880

1830 US Census The Henry T. Rutherford (aka Retherford) family was in Pulaski County, Georgia, with two girls under age 5.

1840 US Census One daughter, age 10-15, and two daughters under five were in the household, Pulaski County, GA. Children's names were not recorded in the 1840 census, but we believe the girls were Frances Amanda, born in 1830, Rachel, born about 1836, and Abigail, born about 1840. As adults in later censuses, all three women reported they were born in Georgia.

1850 Alabama and US Censuses The Rutherford/Retherford family moved to Southeast Alabama about 1844. They were in Dale County in 1850, living near Pate, Dawsey, Boyett, Cobb, Floyd, Fountain and Underwood families, among other families associated with the Rutherford family over the years. Oldest daughter Amanda was enumerated with husband James Monroe Daniel in the Southern District of Dale County. Thursey Ann Pate, the wife of Robert C. Floyd and a daughter of Alexander Pate, was also in the Southern District. At the time, Geneva County had not been formed, so Dale County still extended south to the Florida border and Holmes County. Thursey's father, Alexander Pate, was living in Holmes County, Florida, 3rd Division. He was a neighbor of John L. Leavins.

1856-57 Marriages Abigail Rutherford married John L. Leavins about 1856. Rachel Rutherford married Howell S. Cobb about 1857. John A. Rutherford married Thursey Ann (Pate) Floyd about 1857.

1860 US Census Henry and Alice Rutherford, along with their five youngest children, Sarah, James, Samuel, Cynthia Ann and William Henry, were in Mt. Ida, Pike County, Alabama. James and Amanda (Rutherford) Daniel were in Covington County, AL. John A. and Thursey Ann (Pate) Rutherford were in Dale County, Alabama. Howell S. and Rachel (Rutherford) Cobb were in Covington County, Alabama. John L. and Abigail (Rutherford) Leavins were in Escambia County, Florida.

1861-1865 War Years James Rutherford, Howell S. Cobb and John L. Leavins were war casualties. Henry T. Rutherford died before the 1866 Alabama State Census was conducted.

1866 Alabama State Census Alice Rutherford and her two youngest children, Cynthia Ann and William Henry, were still in Pike County, Alabama. Next door was Rachel (Rutherford) Cobb, also a widow, with her two daughters and one son under 10. James and Amanda (Rutherford) Daniel were in Covington County, Alabama. In 1867, Abigail (Rutherford) Leavins, still living in Escambia County, Florida, was married to her second husband, Smith S. Layport, a US Marine sergeant from Pennsylvania.

1870 US Census Alice Rutherford and son Samuel were enumerated in the household of Albert and Sarah (Rutherford) Gibson, Crenshaw County, Alabama. Youngest daughter Cynthia Ann was married to John B. “Jack” Brunson, also in Crenshaw County. Youngest son William Henry Rutherford was in Pulaski County, Georgia, married to Hannah Dupree. John and Thursey Rutherford remained in Dale County. Abigail (Rutherford) Layport and her six children were in Escambia County, Florida. Rachel (Rutherford) Cobb was enumerated in Abigail's household, but Rachel's three children were not. They may have been living with other relatives at the time. By 1883, one of Rachel's daughters (apparently; not proven) was married to John Ashford Henderson in Escambia County, Alabama, across the state line from Escambia County, Florida. By 1870, James and Amanda Daniel had already migrated to Texas and settled their family in Grimes County.

1880 US Census Alice Rutherford was living with James and Amanda Daniel in Grimes County, Texas. Also in Grimes County were Samuel and Lizzy Rutherford and children, along with Jack and Cynthia Brunson and children. Albert and Sarah Gibson and children were in nearby Jack County. William Henry and Hannah Rutherford were in Dodge County, Georgia. John A. and Thursey Rutherford remained in Dale County, Alabama. Rachel Rutherford Cobb and family were not found in 1880. In 1875, Smith S. Layport had homesteaded 160 acres in Baldwin County, Alabama. Sometime between 1870-1880, Abigail Rutherford (Leavins) Layport had sailed from Pensacola to Cedar Key with all of her children except oldest daughter Sophronia “Sophie” Leavins, who was married to Thomas W. Fell in 1874. The Fell family was living in Baldwin County in 1880. Abigail and her other children were all in Hernando County (now Citrus County).

WW II - 389th Infantry Regiment

My dad's platoon in Hawaii, 1944.
He is standing shirtless, center row, right end.

[Click photo to enlarge]


Signatures on back of photo

Men listed alphabetically (home state in parenthesis)

John W. Belmonte (CN-?)
Fletcher H. Campbell (OH)
Eddie Ciesielski (IL)
Eugene M. "Spud" Dayley (ID)
Arnold Deutsch (NY)
Louis C. George (NY)
Joseph A. Isgro (NY)
Warren H. Lathe (VT)
Austin L. Lincoln (ME)
Albert Montes (NM)
Charles Richard Pitts (?)
Ernest Reich (NY)
George W. Retherford (FL)
Russell W. Smith (NY)
Alphonse Thomas Trask (MA)
Manuel "Primo" Vierra (RI)
Elmer Weaver (OK)

Open "Comments" below for additional notes.

Henry T. Rutherford Family

Genealogical and Historical Room
Washington Memorial Library, Macon, GA

HENRY T. RUTHERFORD and MARY ALLIS (ALICE) DAVIS were married 15 January, 1829 in Pulaski County, Georgia. Henry was born about 1804 in GA, and died about 1865 in Pike County AL. He was the son of Samuel Rutherford and Cynthia Parnell, daughter of an American Indian. Alice was born about 1807 in NC, and died after 1880, probably in Grimes County, TX. She was believed to be the daughter of John Aaron Davis and Priscilla McElroy.

Henry and Alice were farmers. The family remained in Pulaski County until about 1844, when they migrated to the area somewhere along the Florida-Alabama state line (present-day Geneva County, AL and Holmes County, FL). In 1850, they were in Dale County, Alabama, near several associated families including Davis, Pate, Dawsey, Byrd, Cobb, and Underwood families. By 1860, Henry and Alice were living in the Mt. Ida neighborhood of Pike County, AL. The four oldest children were married. Two of them lived in Covington County, AL, one in Dale County and one in Escambia County, FL.

Henry died between 1860-1866, and son James died in the Civil War. In the following years, many family members, including Mother Alice, migrated to Texas (Amanda, Sarah, Cynthia and Samuel), and some later moved on to Oklahoma Territory. Others remained in Alabama and Florida (John, Abigail and Rachel), and one married and lived briefly in Georgia before bringing his family back to Henry County, now Houston County, Alabama (William Henry).


Children of Henry T. Rutherford and Mary Alice Davis

1 - Frances Amanda Rutherford b: Jan 1830 Pulaski County, GA d: 1916 Vinson, Harmon County, OK [11 children]
... + James Monroe Daniel b: Abt. 1825 Gadsden County, FL d: 20 Sep 1875 Roans Prairie, TX m: 18 May 1848 Dale County, AL Father: David Daniel Mother: Mary Rodgers. Military: CSA Alabama 57th Inf. Reg., Co. C; 22nd Inf. Reg., Co FL

2 - John A. Retherford b: 25 Nov 1833 Pulaski County, GA d: 1914 Holmes County, FL [5 children]. Military: CSA Alabama 53rd Reg., Mounted, Partisan Rangers, Co. D
... + Thursey Ann Pate b: 9 Jun 1832 SC or GA d: 30 May 1897, Geneva County, AL m: Abt. 1857 Dale County, AL Father: Alexander Pate Mother: Unknown (First marriage: Robert C. Floyd - 2 children)

3 - Rachel Rutherford b: Abt. 1836 Pulaski County, GA d: unknown [3 known children]
... + Howell S. Cobb b: Abt. 1829 AL d: 22 Jul 1864 in Civil War m: Abt. 1857 Covington County, AL Father: Stephen Cobb Mother: Lizzie. Military: CSA Alabama 57th Inf. Reg., Co. C

4 - Abigail S. "Abbie" Rutherford b: Nov 1840 Pulaski County, GA d: Aft. 1900 Citrus County, FL [7 children]
... + (1) John Lindsey Leavins b: 31 Jan 1831 Holmes County, FL d: 1863 m: Abt. 1856 Father: Richmond Leavins Mother: Nancy Martha Lindsey. Military: CSA Florida 11th Inf. Reg., Co. K; bur: Escambia, FL
... + (2) Smith S. Layport b: Abt. 1837 Pennsylvania d: Aft. 1875 m: 10 Aug 1867 Escambia County, FL Father: Smith S. Layport. Military: U.S. Marine Corps

5 - Sarah J. "Sally" Rutherford b: 26 Jul 1843 Pulaski County, GA d: 31 May 1905 Colbert, Bryan County, Indian Territory, OK [9 children]
... + Albert J. Gibson b: 3 Sep 1845 AL or MS d: 11 Jun 1921 Colbert, Bryan County, Indian Territory, OK m: 30 Dec 1864 Father: Unknown Mother: Sarah Gibson. Military: CSA Local Defense

6 - James Rutherford b: 1845 Alabama d: 1863 Chattanooga, TN.
Military: CSA Alabama 33rd Inf. Reg., Co. F; bur: Confederate Cemetery at Chattanooga

7 - Samuel R. Rutherford b: 18 Dec 1846 Alabama d: 22 Mar 1885 Alvarado, Johnson County, TX. Military: CSA Alabama 33rd Inf. Reg., Co. F [7 children]
... + (1) Susannah May Chester b: Abt. 1840 GA d: Abt. 1867 Pike/Crenshaw County, AL m: 4 Nov 1866 Pike County, AL Father: Asa C. Chester Mother: Lavonn __
... + (2) Mary Elizabeth "Lizzy" Clancy b: 24 Nov 1851 Pike County, AL d: 19 Dec 1942 Houston, TX m: 24 Dec 1873 Grimes County, TX Father: Alfred Joseph "Job" Clancy Mother: Sarah Elizabeth Ganey

8 - Cynthia Ann Rutherford b: 1849 Alabama d: 1889 Navasota, Grimes County, TX [8 children]
... + John B. "Jack" Brunson b: 1845 Alabama d: 1882 Navasota, Grimes County, TX m: 31 Dec 1866 Crenshaw County, AL Father: Albert Brunson Mother: Elizabeth Jenkins. Military: CSA Local Defense

9 - William Henry Rutherford b: 13 Mar 1851 AL d: 14 Feb 1887 Ashford, Henry County, AL (now Houston County) [7 children]
... + Hannah Elizabeth Dupree b: 11 Feb 1852 Pulaski County, GA d: 3 Jan 1935 Ashford, Houston County, AL m: Abt. 1869 Father: Daniel Thomas Dupree Mother: Sarah A. E. Berryhill


Data collected from many sources, but special thanks to Cousin Sandy from Chicago, who has spent many years researching the families named above. If you wish to exchange information with us, please email me.

Henry Rutherford (Retherford) - 1830 Census

Click to enlarge

1830 Census, Pulaski County, GA, Cpt. Bishop District:

Henry Retherford* and wife, age 20-30
Two daughters under age 5

Our research has uncovered no further information on one of the girls. The other daughter was Frances Amanda, born in 1830.

* Rutherford, Retherford and Relerford were sometimes used interchangeably, especially in 19th Century censuses and military records.