Thomas Gray
The Gray family tartan Ancestry.com (WilliamWilson6705/datchison1956) |
Farmer
Notes:
• Married Margaret Johnson (born 1801 in Huntsville, Alabama). - Ancestry.com
• Father of Pleasant Gray (1820 - 1848) & Ephraim Gray (1821 - ). - Ancestry.com
• Sometimes spelled "Grey". There is documented evidence he was in the Madison County area early in our history (1811). - Record
• "While the people of Middle Tennessee and North Alabama took no active part in the war during the year 1812, it was not for lack of interest in the contest or want of military spirit. In the year 1812 the war- and but little was heard about it in our remote section of country. But in the Spring of 1813 there was a prevailing rumor of an invasion of New Orleans, and Andrew Jackson, then a Major General of Tennessee Militia, raised a brigade and marched it to Natches, and two companies, commanded by Captains Gray and Mosely, raised in Madison County, belonged to the expedition. The danger passed and Gen. Jackson was ordered by the War department to disband the troops at Natches and leave them to reach their homes as best they could. Gen. Jackson disregarded the order, pledged his credit for transportation and supplies, marched the troops back to Tennessee and discharged them near their homes. This made him exceedingly popular and enabled him to appeal so effectively in the Creek War. The invasion of Canada was a favorite project with our people and Gen. Jackson offered to raise an army for that purpose, an offer that was not accepted. He was destined to earn his laurels on other and more glorious fields of conflict. The massacre at Fort Mims occurred on the 30th of August, 1813, and Gen. Jackson appealed to the militia of his division to rally to his standard, and met with so ready a response that he soon found a considerable army at his disposal. Among those were the companies of Captains Gray and Mosely that had kept up their organization and two new Companies under Captains Eldridge and Hamilton. Capt. Eldridge raised a company in the settlement of Huntsville and Meridianville, while Capt. Hamilton's company was organized in the settlements of the mountains, on Flint river. In the latter part of September, General Jackson came down to Fayetteville and organized his army; he established a supply depot at Deposit Ferry on Tennessee river and opened the Deposit road from New Market by way of New Hope to Tennessee river, and this route was long known as "Jackson's Trace." The Tennesseans came pouring into the county via of Fayetteville and Winchester, and so great was the enthusiasm that high prices were paid for the privilege of taking the place of men their muskets and marched away with the others, and were placed with some Tennessee companies in a regiment commanded by Jackson's intimate friend, Col. James Carroll. Winter was approaching, roads had to be opened and provision wagon-trains conveyed as they progressed towards the Indian country. A company of picked men were detailed from the whole regiment to act as Scouts, and also to protect the provision trains and watch the movements of the Indians. Capt. Mosely was detailed for this arduous but honorable service, and his mounted men saw much hard service and received the commendations of General Jackson when their term of service expired. It is unfortunate that we have no written account of the part taken by the Madison Companies and have to depend on statements made by the veterans many years ago. A fort had been erected at Talladega and the troops had barely crossed the Sand Mountains when news came that the fort was invested and General Jackson and General Coffee marched from different points to its relief. Jackson's force in the last six hours of their march travelled a distance of thirty-two miles, meeting the Indian outposts some two miles from the fort and driving them step by step almost to the walls of the fort when General Coffee's force and the beleaguered garrison attacked them in the rear and they were defeated with great slaughter. In this battle the Madison Companies suffered but little as other troops led the advance and so steadily drove the Indians before them that our Companies barely succeeded in getting in reach of the foe during the battle. The troops were eager for an advance, but the state of the roads delayed their supplies and it was in December before the campaign was renewed. The army marched in the direction of the famous Creek village of Tehepoka, at the great bend of the Tallapoosa. It was now winter, the time of some of the troops had expired reducing the available force about one thousand men, and keeping open communication with the depot of supply daily becoming more difficult. Anyone who is familiar with the Coosa river country can form some idea of what a winter campaign involved when that country was a wilderness infested with hostile Indians. Yet, General Jackson determined to carry the war into the heart of the Indian country. So, on the morning of the 2nd day December, 1813, about an hour before daylight at a place called Emuckfau, the Indians attacked the troops in Camp, and some of the troops giving way disaster and defeat threatened the whole army. Their only piece of artillery was saved by the heroism of Constantine Perkins and Lieut. Armstrong, who was severely wounded. Here our Companies were in the brunt of the battle, and though they suffered severely, yet they stubbornly held their ground until day break when the enemy was driven back. I regret that the names of the killed and wounded in the Madison Companies have not been preserved. I have frequently heard it stated that Capt. Hamilton's Company had six men killed in the fight, and that the reason why they suffered so severely was that they were on the exposed flank of the regiment, and in forming the line of battle from some unexplained reason Capt. Hamilton's Company formed between the Camp fire and the Indians and lost four men at the first onset of the foe. Wm. McCartney was mortally wounded at the Camp fire, and Grant Taylor shot through the lungs in driving back the Indians at daybreak. Their fathers were neighbors near Brownsboro, and on receipt of the news went to Fort Deposit on Coosa river, but Wm. McCartney had died of his wounds and Grant Taylor was brought home and after twenty year's suffering finally died from his wounds. I have not been able to get the names of the others killed and wounded in the battle. The members of Hamilton's Company that I can recollect were John Wright, John Tabor, Bryson Hinds and George Sharp, who were in the battle, and old John Wright once so well known in New Madison, was slightly wounded while carrying Grant Taylor out of reach of the bullets. These companies were also in the fight at Entichopco Creek and at the battle of Tohopeka, on bend of the Tallapoosa. At this last fight they were with Russell's spies in the rear of the fort, and taking no part in the direct assault they suffered no loss. Captains Mosely's and Gray's commands were discharged soon afterwards on expiration of their term of service, but the other two companies before their discharge were at Mobile and at the taking of Pensacola. I have given to the best of my ability this short sketch of the part taken by the county in the war of 1812, the remembrance of which has nearly passed away." - Taylor
• "During the war of 1812 the settlement had furnished its quota of men to defend the country. Two companies, one under the command of Capt. Jack Mosley, and the other with Captain Gray as its commander, went forth from Huntsville; however, both companies were mustered out without having seen service in actual war." - Betts
• Huntsville, Texas: "It was founded in 1835 or 1836 by Pleasant and Ephraim Gray as an Indian trading post and was named for Huntsville, Alabama, former home of the Gray family. The city originally lay within the northeast section of Montgomery County, which was organized in 1837. It was designated the seat of Walker County when the county was organized in 1846. Huntsville acquired a post office on June 9, 1837, with Ephraim Gray as the first postmaster. The Grays' trading post was well situated to trade with the Bidai, Alabama, and Coushatta Indians. Relations between these groups and the early settlers around Huntsville appear to have been peaceful. As trade along the Trinity River grew and as colonists arrived to exploit timber and rich alluvial bottomlands, Huntsville became the center of increasing activity. The 1840s and 1850s saw the arrival of a few relatively well-to-do families from the Carolinas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, along with larger numbers of yeomen." - Huntsville, Texas
• Sergeant, War of 1812
16th Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Charles Burrus') of the Mississippi Militia
The 16th regiment was mustered in Madison County, and it reads like a who's who of early settlers of Northern Madison County. - HMCHS
• There are four or five thick folders on the Gray family in the "Family Files" of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library's Heritage Room. - Editor's Note
• Of the twelve Ancestry.com pages dedicated to Thomas, ten of them have Madison County, Alabama listed as the place of death. Two list "unknown" Texas. But places like Ancesty.com can sometimes be an echo chamber and without a clear documentation, it is difficult to know where he died and where he was buried. - Family Trees
Related Links:
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• Betts
• David Gray
• Eleanor Wardrobe Blackburn Gray
• HMCHS
• Pleasant Gray
• Record
• William Gray
| Born: | 1800, Harrison, Kentucky |
| Died: | Texas |
| Brother of: | David Gray |
| Son of: | Eleanor Wardrobe Blackburn Gray |
| Father of: | Pleasant Gray |
| Son of: | William Gray |
Notes:
• Married Margaret Johnson (born 1801 in Huntsville, Alabama). - Ancestry.com
• Father of Pleasant Gray (1820 - 1848) & Ephraim Gray (1821 - ). - Ancestry.com
• Sometimes spelled "Grey". There is documented evidence he was in the Madison County area early in our history (1811). - Record
• "While the people of Middle Tennessee and North Alabama took no active part in the war during the year 1812, it was not for lack of interest in the contest or want of military spirit. In the year 1812 the war- and but little was heard about it in our remote section of country. But in the Spring of 1813 there was a prevailing rumor of an invasion of New Orleans, and Andrew Jackson, then a Major General of Tennessee Militia, raised a brigade and marched it to Natches, and two companies, commanded by Captains Gray and Mosely, raised in Madison County, belonged to the expedition. The danger passed and Gen. Jackson was ordered by the War department to disband the troops at Natches and leave them to reach their homes as best they could. Gen. Jackson disregarded the order, pledged his credit for transportation and supplies, marched the troops back to Tennessee and discharged them near their homes. This made him exceedingly popular and enabled him to appeal so effectively in the Creek War. The invasion of Canada was a favorite project with our people and Gen. Jackson offered to raise an army for that purpose, an offer that was not accepted. He was destined to earn his laurels on other and more glorious fields of conflict. The massacre at Fort Mims occurred on the 30th of August, 1813, and Gen. Jackson appealed to the militia of his division to rally to his standard, and met with so ready a response that he soon found a considerable army at his disposal. Among those were the companies of Captains Gray and Mosely that had kept up their organization and two new Companies under Captains Eldridge and Hamilton. Capt. Eldridge raised a company in the settlement of Huntsville and Meridianville, while Capt. Hamilton's company was organized in the settlements of the mountains, on Flint river. In the latter part of September, General Jackson came down to Fayetteville and organized his army; he established a supply depot at Deposit Ferry on Tennessee river and opened the Deposit road from New Market by way of New Hope to Tennessee river, and this route was long known as "Jackson's Trace." The Tennesseans came pouring into the county via of Fayetteville and Winchester, and so great was the enthusiasm that high prices were paid for the privilege of taking the place of men their muskets and marched away with the others, and were placed with some Tennessee companies in a regiment commanded by Jackson's intimate friend, Col. James Carroll. Winter was approaching, roads had to be opened and provision wagon-trains conveyed as they progressed towards the Indian country. A company of picked men were detailed from the whole regiment to act as Scouts, and also to protect the provision trains and watch the movements of the Indians. Capt. Mosely was detailed for this arduous but honorable service, and his mounted men saw much hard service and received the commendations of General Jackson when their term of service expired. It is unfortunate that we have no written account of the part taken by the Madison Companies and have to depend on statements made by the veterans many years ago. A fort had been erected at Talladega and the troops had barely crossed the Sand Mountains when news came that the fort was invested and General Jackson and General Coffee marched from different points to its relief. Jackson's force in the last six hours of their march travelled a distance of thirty-two miles, meeting the Indian outposts some two miles from the fort and driving them step by step almost to the walls of the fort when General Coffee's force and the beleaguered garrison attacked them in the rear and they were defeated with great slaughter. In this battle the Madison Companies suffered but little as other troops led the advance and so steadily drove the Indians before them that our Companies barely succeeded in getting in reach of the foe during the battle. The troops were eager for an advance, but the state of the roads delayed their supplies and it was in December before the campaign was renewed. The army marched in the direction of the famous Creek village of Tehepoka, at the great bend of the Tallapoosa. It was now winter, the time of some of the troops had expired reducing the available force about one thousand men, and keeping open communication with the depot of supply daily becoming more difficult. Anyone who is familiar with the Coosa river country can form some idea of what a winter campaign involved when that country was a wilderness infested with hostile Indians. Yet, General Jackson determined to carry the war into the heart of the Indian country. So, on the morning of the 2nd day December, 1813, about an hour before daylight at a place called Emuckfau, the Indians attacked the troops in Camp, and some of the troops giving way disaster and defeat threatened the whole army. Their only piece of artillery was saved by the heroism of Constantine Perkins and Lieut. Armstrong, who was severely wounded. Here our Companies were in the brunt of the battle, and though they suffered severely, yet they stubbornly held their ground until day break when the enemy was driven back. I regret that the names of the killed and wounded in the Madison Companies have not been preserved. I have frequently heard it stated that Capt. Hamilton's Company had six men killed in the fight, and that the reason why they suffered so severely was that they were on the exposed flank of the regiment, and in forming the line of battle from some unexplained reason Capt. Hamilton's Company formed between the Camp fire and the Indians and lost four men at the first onset of the foe. Wm. McCartney was mortally wounded at the Camp fire, and Grant Taylor shot through the lungs in driving back the Indians at daybreak. Their fathers were neighbors near Brownsboro, and on receipt of the news went to Fort Deposit on Coosa river, but Wm. McCartney had died of his wounds and Grant Taylor was brought home and after twenty year's suffering finally died from his wounds. I have not been able to get the names of the others killed and wounded in the battle. The members of Hamilton's Company that I can recollect were John Wright, John Tabor, Bryson Hinds and George Sharp, who were in the battle, and old John Wright once so well known in New Madison, was slightly wounded while carrying Grant Taylor out of reach of the bullets. These companies were also in the fight at Entichopco Creek and at the battle of Tohopeka, on bend of the Tallapoosa. At this last fight they were with Russell's spies in the rear of the fort, and taking no part in the direct assault they suffered no loss. Captains Mosely's and Gray's commands were discharged soon afterwards on expiration of their term of service, but the other two companies before their discharge were at Mobile and at the taking of Pensacola. I have given to the best of my ability this short sketch of the part taken by the county in the war of 1812, the remembrance of which has nearly passed away." - Taylor
• "During the war of 1812 the settlement had furnished its quota of men to defend the country. Two companies, one under the command of Capt. Jack Mosley, and the other with Captain Gray as its commander, went forth from Huntsville; however, both companies were mustered out without having seen service in actual war." - Betts
• Huntsville, Texas: "It was founded in 1835 or 1836 by Pleasant and Ephraim Gray as an Indian trading post and was named for Huntsville, Alabama, former home of the Gray family. The city originally lay within the northeast section of Montgomery County, which was organized in 1837. It was designated the seat of Walker County when the county was organized in 1846. Huntsville acquired a post office on June 9, 1837, with Ephraim Gray as the first postmaster. The Grays' trading post was well situated to trade with the Bidai, Alabama, and Coushatta Indians. Relations between these groups and the early settlers around Huntsville appear to have been peaceful. As trade along the Trinity River grew and as colonists arrived to exploit timber and rich alluvial bottomlands, Huntsville became the center of increasing activity. The 1840s and 1850s saw the arrival of a few relatively well-to-do families from the Carolinas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, along with larger numbers of yeomen." - Huntsville, Texas
• Sergeant, War of 1812
16th Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel Charles Burrus') of the Mississippi Militia
The 16th regiment was mustered in Madison County, and it reads like a who's who of early settlers of Northern Madison County. - HMCHS
• There are four or five thick folders on the Gray family in the "Family Files" of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library's Heritage Room. - Editor's Note
• Of the twelve Ancestry.com pages dedicated to Thomas, ten of them have Madison County, Alabama listed as the place of death. Two list "unknown" Texas. But places like Ancesty.com can sometimes be an echo chamber and without a clear documentation, it is difficult to know where he died and where he was buried. - Family Trees
Related Links:
• Ancestry.com - Page owned by davehurst67 and can be viewed only with an Ancestry.com paid subscription. (Originally found at http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/40777118/person/19906714658.)
• Betts - Early History of Huntsville Alabama, by Edward Chambers Betts, 1916, page 31.
• Family Trees - Links to the various family trees for "Thomas Gray" as viewed through a paid subscription to Ancestry.com. (Originally found at http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/PersonMatch.aspx?tid=40777118&pid=19906714658&src=m&pg=32772&pgpl=pid.)
• HMCHS - A History of Early Settlement: Madison County Before Statehood, 1808-1819, Published by The Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society, 2008, page 148.
• Huntsville, Texas - Connection between the two Huntsvilles.
• Record - A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentially of Alabama and the United States, Volume II, by James Record, 1978, page 524.
• Taylor - A History of Madison County and Incidentally of North Alabama 1732-1940, by Judge Thomas Jones Taylor, Edited with an Introduction by W. Stanley Hoole and Addie S. Hoole, 1976, page 41.
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• Betts
• David Gray
• Eleanor Wardrobe Blackburn Gray
• HMCHS
• Pleasant Gray
• Record
• William Gray