Family of Thomas Lloyd Foster and Elizabeth Keziah Duke
by Gary D Duke 2006
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Thomas L. Foster was born in South Carolina about 1776. Elizabeth K. Duke was born there about 1779 and they married there about 1804. In South Carolina they had five children before moving west, probably to Madison County, Alabama, about 1819-1820. Three or four years later they moved west again to Marion, then to Fayette Counties, Alabama, right on the border with Mississippi. Meanwhile, they had two more children and all of their previous children moved west with them.
I have written another sketch about the Foster families of Marion and Fayette Counties in Alabama. I have also written a sketch about the lives of Elizabeth & Thomas Foster, including identification of their children, during the time they lived in western Alabama and even farther west into Mississippi.
I will try to avoid repeating the information from those prior reports and the intent of this story is to report on the next generation of Fosters - the children and some of the grandchildren of Thomas L. and Elizabeth K. Duke Foster.
THE CHILDREN
Thomas Lloyd Foster and Elizabeth Keziah Duke had these seven children:
1. Ambrose F. 1807 SC
2. Susannah A. 1809 SC
3. Moses Duke 1812 SC
4. Richard Duke 1814 SC
5. Sarah Jane 1816 SC
6. George Washington 1821 AL
7. Andrew Jackson 1823 AL
1. Ambrose F. Foster was born about 1807 in South Carolina. He moved with his father to western Alabama in the early 1820's and, about 1828 he married Hannah Mixon, she born 1817 in South Carolina. Some say that Hannah was sister to Alexander Mixon who married Susannah Foster (next) but I cannot confirm this and believe she was probably a cousin to Alexander.
After their marriage Ambrose and Hannah were living in Marion County, Alabama, in 1830 with an infant daughter.
On 3-3-1837, Ambrose and his father and brothers all got land grants in Fayette County, just to the south of Marion. Ambrose’ land was 40 acres at NE1/4SE1/4, section 19, township 17s, range 16w. These lands were very near the Alabama border with Mississippi and, on 2-1-1841, Ambrose got another grant of 40 acres which was actually within a mile of his Fayette land but which was inside Lowndes County, MS, at SW1/4SE1/4 of section 23, township 17s, range 17w.
About this time, his father Thomas L. died in Fayette County, and a few years later, he and all of his brothers and other family moved west from the Alabama/Mississippi border, to Chickasaw County, MS, He owned land in Chickasaw at section 16, township 15s, range 3e, which was near the town of Sparta. On 10-5-1850 he lived in Chickasaw:
Ambrose Foster 42m NC
Hannah 33f SC
Thomas L. 18m MS
Moses 16m AL
Gatsy 16f MS
Elizabeth 12f AL
Jackson 5m AL
Jane 2f MS
On 8-31-1860 he lived in Chickasaw with a Houston post office:
Ambrose Foster 53m SC
Hannah 46f SC
Jackson 17m MS
Jane 11f MS
Alexander 6m MS
Ambrose and Hannah were still in Chickasaw in 1870 but Ambrose died there before 1880 and Hannah moved west to Polk County, Arkansas with some of her children before the 1880 census.. I don’t know when Hannah died. Ambrose and Hannah had these children:
1.1 Martha Shannon Foster was born in 1830. She married Notley Gilpin Maddox, had many children and, in later years, they lived in Polk County, Arkansas.
2.1 Thomas L. Foster was born 1832 in MS. In 1850 he lived with his parents. In 1860 he “appears” to be the single man living in Yalobusha County, working as a “slave master”. He married Martha H. Holcomb 2-24-1861 in Yalobusha County, MS.
Both Bartlett S. Duke (see later) with his family and Rufus A. Nichols with his family lived near Montpelier, close to Thomas L. Foster at the time of the 1870 census.
On 11-8-1870 in Chickasaw, Thomas L. Foster and wife Martha H. Foster sold for $900 to Rufus A. Nichols (see “Children of Bartlett Duke” sketch) land at N1/2SW1/4 and an isolated six acres on north side of SW1/2SW1/4 both in section 7, township 16s, range 4e and also 25 acres off east end of N1/2SE1/4 of section 12, township 16s, range 3e, a total of 86 acres.
On 9-7-1871 in Chickasaw, Thomas L. Foster and wife Mattie H. Sold for $900 to Bartlett S. Duke land at N1/2SE1/4 and 58acres off the south side of N1/2SW1/4 both in section 10, township 16s, range 3e.
In the 1870 census they lived in Chickasaw:
Thomas L. Foster 39m SC farmer
Martha 28f AL
Belle 3f MS
About 1875 they moved to Polk County, Arkansas, and were listed in 1880:
Thomas L. Foster 48m SC SC SC farmer
Martha 38f TN
Pauline B. 13f MS
Betty T. 7f MS
I believe both Thomas and Martha died in Polk before 1900. They only had two daughters: Pauline B who married T. J. Walker in 1883 and Betty T. who married J. M. Walker in 1885 and both their families were at Big Spring in Polk County in 1900.
3.1 Gatsy Ann Foster is reported to have married on 9-10-1856 to William Mixon. He was a son of Britton Mixon, brother to Alexander Mixon who married Susannah Foster (next)
4.1 Moses Duke Foster was born in 1834 in Alabama. He married Sarah J. Mixon, born 1844 in Alabama, who was a daughter of Alexander and Susannah Mixon. As Susannah Foster Mixon was sister to his father Ambrose, Sarah was first cousin to Moses. In 1873 they moved to Polk County, Arkansas, and lived in Freedom Township. Moses and Sarah both died after 1880, probably in Polk County. They had these children:
1.4.1 Martha 1867 MS
2.4.1 Morgan L. 1870 MS m Mary E. Long
3.4.1 Andrew J. 1872 MS m Nannie Williams
4.4.1 Dometry (f) 1874 AR m S. M. McCrary
5.4.1 Texarkana 1879 AR m D. H. Crow
All the marriages of the children of Moses & Sarah are on record in Polk County.
5.1 Elizabeth Foster was born in 1842 in Alabama. She married Felix Wolf Sparks
and lived her life in Chickasaw and Clay Counties, Mississippi.
6.1 Andrew Jackson Foster was born 1845 in Alabama. He first married Nancy E. Stringfellow and she was the mother of all his children. Nancy E. Stringfellow, born 6-6-1842 in Alabama, was a daughter of Robert Stringfellow and Sarah Shipp. Nancy E. first married Francis Marion Mixon (son of Susannah Foster - see later). F. M. Mixon died in 1864 and she then married Andrew Jackson Foster. In 1870 they lived in Chickasaw County:
Andrew J. Foster 22m AL
Nancy 28f AL
Fannie 7f MS
Ida 2f MS
Fannie, born in 1863, is not Andrew’s child. She is confirmed as the daughter of Francis Marion Mixon in the 1873 Will of her grandfather Alexander Mixon, so her name is actually Fannie Mixon.
In 1875 Andrew moved his family to Polk County, Arkansas and, in the 1880 census they were:
Andrew J. Foster 37m AL
Nancy E. 38f MS
Ida 11f MS
Leda 9f MS
Moses W. 7m TX
Susan 5f AR
Lolla W. 3m AR
On 4-27-1898 Nancy E. Foster died in Polk. Andrew then married secondly - late in life - on 3-17-1900 in Polk County, when he was 56 years old, to 20 year old Ophelia Williams! All of his children were older than her. The children of Andrew J. and Nancy E. Foster were: 1.6.1 Ida 1869 MS
2.6.1 Leda 1871 MS m Andrew Barber
3.6.1 Moses W. 1873 TX
4.6.1 Susan 1875 AR m William P. Jones
5.6.1 Lolla W. 1877 AR
7.1 Jane Foster was born in 1848 in Chickasaw, MS. I know nothing else about her.
8.1 Alexander L. Foster was born in 1855 in MS. About 1880 he married in Polk County to Mary A. McCulloch who was born in Texas in 1859. In the 1880 census they lived with her parents, J. M. McCulloch and Mary A. McCulloch in Polk County. In 1900 they were in Freedom township, Polk, and had seven children.
2. Susannah Foster was born 5-24-1809 in Union County, South Carolina. She married Alexander Mixon who was born 7-20-1805 in Kershaw, South Carolina. His parents were Ichabod Mixon and Gatsy Belk Alexander’s father Ichabod Mixon was born in Darlington, South Carolina 1779 and had 16 siblings. His father was Samuel Mixon, born ca 1750 who had 3 wives and 17 children. And Samuel also had five brothers who lived in South Carolina and each of them had several children so there were a lot of Mixon’s in SC. I believe Alex and Susannah were not married until after both their families had moved to Marion County, Alabama in the mid-1820's. Their first child was born in Alabama in 1829.
On 9-25-1835 Alexander registered a land grant in Lowndes County, Mississippi, for 40 acres at NE1/4SW1/4 of section 29, township 17s, range 17w. On 3-3-1837 he registered two more grants totaling 120 acres at E1/2NE1/4 and NE1/4SE1/4, both in section 29, township 16s, range 16w. Both of these grants were just across the state line into Fayette County, Alabama.
Alexander Mixon and Susannah Foster had these children:
1.2 Ichabod J. 1829 AL
2.2 Thomas L. 1831 AL
3.2 Abijah B. 1832 AL
4.2 Joseph L. 1834 AL
5.2 Francis Marion 1836 AL
6.2 Richard 1838 AL
7.2 Elizabeth 1842 AL
8.2 Sarah J. 1844 AL
9.2 Gatsy 1846 AL
10.2 Rebecca Ellen 1849 MS
On October 2, 1850 they lived in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, where all of their relatives had moved in early 1849. All of their children still lived at home.
They lived in the western division of Chickasaw and that portion of the 1860 census was lost so they are not found in 1860.
Susannah Foster died in Chickasaw on 11-3-1867 and Alexander married again in January 1870 to Laura Ellen Willingham. They never had children because of their ages. In the 1870 census they were:
Alexander Mixon 65m SC
Laura E. 54f SC
Gatsy Mixon 24f AL
Alexander died in Chickasaw on 2-19-1875, having left a Will dated 8-14-1873 in which he names his wife Laura, his “five sons or their representatives still living” and “each of my four daughters”. Son Richard is not mentioned so he had died without heirs before that time.
1.2 Ichabod J. Mixon was married and still lived in Clay Co, MS, in 1880.
2.2 Thomas L. Mixon married his cousin Mary D. Mixon, daughter of Britton Mixon who was brother to Alexander, and had moved to Cherokee Co, TX, in 1880. He moved to Polk Co, AR, and lived there several years, then moved to Ardmore, Indian Territory on 8-17-1900.
3.2 Abijah B. Mixon married Cynthia ____ and lived in Cherokee Co, TX, in 1880.
4.2 Joseph L. Mixon married Mollie Brown and lived in Clay, MS, in 1880 but later moved to Polk, AR.
5.2 Francis Marion Mixon married Nancy E. Stringfellow but he died in 1864. They had one daughter, Fannie, born 1863 in Mississippi.
6.2 Richard Mixon died before 1873 without heirs
7.2 Elizabeth Mixon married John S. Jones and lived in Clay, MS in 1880.
8.2 Sarah J. Mixon married Moses Duke Foster (son of Ambrose - see above) and they moved to Polk, AR, before 1880.
9.2 Gatsy Mixon was still unmarried and living with her sister Elizabeth in Clay, MS, in 1880.
10.2 Rebecca Ellen Mixon married Clark Smith and lived in Chickasaw Co, MS, in 1880.
3. Moses Duke Foster was born in Nov 1811 in South Carolina. He moved with his parents to Madison, Alabama, and then to Marion County, Alabama about 1823. About 1833 he married Nancy F. Tunnell who lived in nearby Lowndes County, Mississippi. She was born 1811. Her parents were Stephen Tunnell and Sarah Hamilton.
Moses D. got his first land in Lowndes on 9-28-1835, 40 acres at NE1/4SW1/4, section 22, township 17s, range 17w. His first child was born in Lowndes but all of his family lived a few miles to the east in Alabama, and, in 1837, his father and two of his brothers all obtained land in Fayette County so he joined them. He registered land grants on 4-1-1837 in Fayette at W1/2SE1/4 of section 19, township 17s, range 16w and another on 9-2-1839 at E1/2SW1/4 of section 2, township 17s, range 16w.
In the 1840 census he was living in Fayette county and already had his son and two young daughters. In the following year, 1841, his mother’s brother, Moses Duke, died in Fayette and, a few years later, Moses’ wife, Nancy, who was also living in Fayette, became mentally ill, requiring a guardian. For some reason - perhaps he volunteered - Moses D. Foster was appointed by the Fayette Court to be the guardian for Nancy Duke.
In early 1849, as did all of his relatives, Moses sold out his Alabama lands and moved west to Chickasaw County, Mississippi. Nancy Duke went along to Chickasaw but we don’t know if she was living with Moses or with one of her sons, Bartlett or Burrell Duke, both of whom lived on farms adjacent to Moses Foster. Nancy Duke died in Chickasaw in August of 1849. On October 10, 1850, the census showed Moses was living in Chickasaw:
Moses D. Foster 38m SC farmer
Nancy 39f KY
Thomas L. 16m MS
Elizabeth 11f AL
Sarah J. 11f AL
Ambrose F. 8m AL
William M. 5m AL
Washington O. 3m AL
Andrew J. 1m AL
Paton G. Tunnell 22m AL brother-in-law
As he was the guardian for Nancy Duke, and responsible for her assets, Moses had to travel back to the Fayette Court in 1851 and present a final accounting of his guardianship as she was then deceased. His accounting was approved.
In 1860 Moses still lived in Chickasaw. He had two more children born after 1850.
He died intestate on 9-14-1861 in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, in the part which was later cut off to become Clay County, and he is buried in the Palestine Church cemetery just east of Montpelier. This is a complete list of his children:
1.3 Thomas Lloyd 1834 MS m two or three times
2.3 Stephen 1836 MS died young
3.3 Elizabeth 1839 AL m James A. Lewis
4.3. Sarah J. 1840 AL died before 1860
5.3 Ambrose Fletcher 1842 AL ...... killed in Civil War 1863
6.3 William Murrah 1845 AL m Martha R. Curtis
7.3 Washington O. 1847 AL m Francis M. ___
8.3 Andrew Jackson 1-17-1849 AL Methodist Minister
9.3 Mary V. 8-18-1851 MS m Henry Owens
10.3 John L. 1853 MS m America _____
On 1-10-1870 in Chickasaw County, MS, the “Legatees to the Estate of Moses D. Foster” personally appeared in Court to attest to the sale of lands from that estate which were being sold to James A. Lewis. The lands were described as being SE1/4NW1/4 and NE1/4SW1/4 and NW1/4NE1/4 all in Section 28, township 15s, ranges 2e. (The record notes that George Washington Foster, brother to Moses D. Foster, owned land adjoining this latter description) The legatees were Nancy Foster (widow), Thomas L. Foster, Elizabeth Lewis (wife of James A.), J. A. Lewis, W. M. Foster, W. O. Foster, A. J. Foster, M. V. Owen (wife of Henry Owens), H. H. Owens and John L. Foster
Nancy F. Tunnell Foster died in Chickasaw County on 12-18-1886.
1.3 Thomas Lloyd Foster was born Sep 23, 1833 in Mississippi. He first married unknown. There is a marriage record in Lowndes County, Mississippi which says that Thomas L. Foster married Caroline Bray on 8-22-1854. In another place her name is given as Caroline Gray. Another record says that Caroline Bray married in Lowndes to John D. Griffin on 2-11-1858. William A. Bray and his wife Mary were close associates of the Duke and Foster families in Lowndes and were related in some fashion. They had a daughter Caroline born in 1834 and she would be a prime candidate to marry into the Foster family. However, in the 1860 census, Mary Bray, widow of William Bray, was living in Itawamba County, MS, in the household of J. D. Griffin and his wife, Caroline. It seems clear that the marriage record for Thomas L. Foster marrying Caroline Bray is incorrect. I am unable to locate another Caroline “Bray”and the nearest Caroline Grey is many counties away. I do note that Thomas’ first child, William M., was born in 1855, which would be consistent with an 1854 marriage.
I am unable to locate Thomas L. Foster anywhere in the 1860 census and suspect he may have been living in western Chickasaw County where many of his relatives lived, and that portion of the census has been lost. A respected researcher says that he was in Chickasaw County in 1856 and that he was then licensed to preach.
Thomas L. Foster was a Methodist Minister in Mississippi and in 1868 he was sent to be the Presiding Elder of the Carbondale District, Illinois Conference, of the United Methodist Church. In the 1870 census he was in Gallatin County, Illinois. The census record for his first name is difficult to read - it appears to be “James” but this is definitely Thomas L.
....... (?) L. Foster 36m Ms Minister
William M. 16m MS
James M. 13m MS
Richard 11m MS
Mary 9f LA
Virginia 6f MS
Nancy C. 3/12f IL
Not long after this census he married again in Illinois to Rufina Randolph Truesdale Garcy (she had previously married Samuel Garcy in Gallatin County in 1856) Rufina was born in 1832 in Illinois. They had one daughter before they moved back to Chickasaw County, MS, before 1880.
Thomas L. Foster died 7-3-1906 in Oktibbeha County, Ms. His grave in the Methodist Double Springs Cemetery says “Rev. T. L. Foster 9-23-1833 - 7-3-1906". It is a single grave - no wife. It was reported by a relative that he had been married three times but, unless the first one was Caroline Gray/Bray, the first two will remain unknown. This is a complete list of his children:
1.2.1 William M. 1855 MS m Martha .........
2.2.1 James H. 1857 MS m Mattie ..........
3.2.1 Richard W. 1859 MS m Mary S. Mixon
4.2.1 Mary 1861 LA
5.2.1 Virginia Bell 1864 MS m Harmon Kelly
6.2.1 Nancy C. 1869 IL
With Rufina Randolph Trousdale
7.2.1 Lula H. 9-1872 IL m John D. Easter
2.3 Stephen Foster is reported by others to have been the second child, born in 1836, and “died young”. It is logical as their first child was named for Moses’ father Thomas, that the second should be named “Stephen” after Nancy’s father. I report this information although I have not confirmed it.
3.3 Elizabeth Foster was born in 1839 in Fayette, Alabama. She moved to Chickasaw when 10 years old and was in her father’s family in 1850. They are not found in the 1860 census. She married James Asbury Lewis after the Civil War.
After Elizabeth’s father Moses died intestate in 1861, his undivided properties were held jointly by his wife Nancy and their several children. On 1-10-1871, James and Elizabeth Lewis paid $550 to the others for a portion of Moses’ land (see above).
In 1870 they were living near Atlanta, in western Chickasaw County along with a bunch of relatives
J. A. Lewis 34m AL
Elizabeth 32f Al
Thomas W. 10m MS
Nancy C. 7f MS
William N. 5m MS
Edward S. 2m MS
This census report was in August, 1870, and, at that time, the area around Atlanta was strongly populated with relatives. Elizabeth’s brothers Washington & William, both married with families, lived on adjoining property. William A. Glasson & his wife Martha Elizabeth (Foster - a cousin) were near. Brother Andrew J was close by. Mother Nancy and uncle George W. Foster, uncle Burrell B Duke, and cousins Sim and James Foster, were all very close.
On 6-3-1880 they still lived in Chickasaw, having had twin sons William & John in 1873 and Dixie, born in 1877 who is shown to be a male. Nancy Foster, then 64, was living with them. There were still eight other families of relatives living adjacent to them or very nearby.
James and Elizabeth remained in Chickasaw for the rest of their lives. Elizabeth died there in 1913. I don’t know when James died.
4.3 Sarah J. Foster was born in 1840 and was listed as 11 years old in the 1850 census, the same age as her sister Elizabeth so they were, possibly, twins. The family was missed in the 1850 census and she apparently died sometime before the 1860 census.
5.3 Ambrose Fletcher Foster was born in 1842. He was killed in the Civil War in 1863. (See below)
6.3 William Murrah Foster was born in Fayette, Alabama in 1845. He grew up in Chickasaw, and married there to Martha R. Curtis about 1866. They lived near Atlanta and had two children by 1870. They were still there in 1880:
William M. Foster 36m AL
Martha 34f GA
Candera 12f MS
Fletcher 11m MS
Nancy 8f MS
Edward 6m MS
Ella C. 3f MS
William 3/12 m MS
7.3 Washington O. Foster was born in 1847. On 8-29-1870 he was one of the many family members who lived in Chickasaw County near Atlanta. I am unable to locate them after that time.
Wash O. Foster 24m AL
Francis M. 23f MS
8.3 Andrew Jackson Foster was born 1-17-1849 in Fayette, Alabama. He was moved to Chickasaw, Mississippi only a few months later and grew up there. His father died in 1861 and, in the 1870 census, he was 22 years old, still single, and living with his mother in Chickasaw. He married Mary Jane Naugle on 12-13-1881 in Chickasaw, Mississippi. She was born in 1849 in Mississippi. Andrew had been licensed as a Methodist Minister when only 21 years old.
In 1900, he was living in the town of Jonesborough in Tippah County, MS, which is located on the northern boundary with Tennessee.
Andrew J. Foster 1-1849 AL SC KY minister
Mary J. 3-1848 MS NC SC
Tunnell 6-1889 MS AL AL son
Andrew J. Foster died 9-24-1902, reportedly in the small town of “Ethel” in Attala County, Mississippi. Is is also stated by others that he was survived only by his wife and one son..
9.3 Mary V. Foster was born in August, 1851 and married on 11-7-1867 to Henry H. Owen who was born 1844 in Georgia. They personally appeared in Chickasaw Court on 1-10-1870 when the legatees to the estate of Moses Duke Foster sold a portion of his estate to James Lewis.
On June 3, 1880 they lived in Chickasaw among their many relatives, already had five children and Mary’s brother, John L. Foster, lived with them.
Henry and Mary continued to live in Chickasaw after 1880 and had five more children, the last born in November, 1893. Henry died between 1893 and 1900 but Mary continued living in Chickasaw until after 1920. They had these children:
1.9.3 Robert 1869m MS
2.9.3 Carrie B. 07-1871f MS
3.9.3 John W. 11-1873m MS
4.9.3 Richard M. 04-1876m MS
5.9.3 Daisy 08-1881f MS
6.9.3 Nannie M. 12-1883f MS
7.9.3 M. E. 06-1886f MS
8.9.3 B. F. 03-1889m MS
9.9.3 Willie M. 03-1891m MS
10.9.3 Betty L. 11-1893f MS
10.3 John L. Foster was born in 1853. In 1880 he was still single and lived with his sister Mary Owen but he married about 1884 - possibly a shotgun wedding - to 14 year old America ____ and their first child was born in May 1885. In 1900 they lived in Chickasaw near Houston. I don’t know when John died.
4. Richard Duke Foster was born 1815 in SC. While a small child he was moved to Marion County, Alabama, and grew up there and in adjoining Fayette County. On 4-1-1837 he registered a land grant in Fayette County, Alabama, of 160 acres at NW1/4 of section 17, township 17s, range 16w. This land adjoined grants registered on that same day by his father and brothers.
About 1845 he married Sarah Woodham and, from the birthdates of their children, they were living in Mississippi until late 1849 or early 1850. It appears that, right about the time all of his brothers and sisters were moving into Chickasaw County, Mississippi, that he left that area and moved west to DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. He and Sarah were living in DeSoto in the 1850 census:
Richard D. Foster 35m SC
Sarah 24f GA
John G. 4m MS
Richard E. 3m MS
Harriett A. 1f MS
Richard and Sarah had another son, Jeff, in Louisiana in 1852 but Sarah died not long after that and Richard married again in DeSoto on 1-13-1858 to Mary E Hobgood. The marriage record lists her name as “Hobgood” but I think it is really “Hopgood”. She was listed with her parents in DeSoto on 10-28-1850, William D. and Amanda Hopgood. Mary was born in Louisiana in August, 1835, so she was 20 years younger than Richard.
In the 1860 census for DeSoto Parish, Richard is listed with his new wife:
R. D. Foster 45m SC farmer
Mary E. 23f LA $12,800 r.e. $23,270p.a.
John G. 14m MS
Richard E. 12m MS
Harriet A. 10f MS
Jeff 8m LA
Thomas D. 1m LA
The real estate and personal asset amounts are listed after Mary’s name rather than after Richard’s. This may only be a listing error or maybe she brought assets into the marriage. The amounts are both rather large for that time. I find that the 1850 census slave schedule says that R. D. Foster of the western district of DeSoto Parish owned nine slaves. W. L. Hopgood (this may, or may not, be Mary’s father) of the western district owned seven slaves in 1850. But, in 1860 there is no Foster in DeSoto shown as owning any slaves.
In the 1870 census, they still lived in DeSoto Parish:
R. D. Foster 56m SC $3,000 r.e. $2,000 p.a.
M. E. 34f LA
T. D. 11m LA
A. J. 7m LA
(The Civil War seems to have greatly reduced their assets !)
Daughter Harriet Foster had married Thomas Walter Scott earlier in 1870 and they had moved back to Lowndes County, Mississippi, where they lived in West Point and Thomas was a Methodist Minister.
Richard Duke Foster died in DeSoto on 7-28-1878 but Mary was still there in the 1880 census:
Mary E. Foster 35f LA
Thomas Drew 21m LA
A. J. 18m LA
In 1880 Harriet and Thomas Scott were back in DeSoto Parish, now with two children. John G. Foster was 35 years old, still single, and lived in DeSoto.
By 1900 they all had moved away, mostly into Texas. Richard E. Foster had married Annie and they had lived in Ft Worth, TX, before his death in 1885. They had three children. Andrew J. Foster married Myrtle Jackson and they were living in Blanco, TX, by 1893. Thomas D. Foster was still single at age 42 and lived in Hays Co, TX, and his mother, Mary Elizabeth, lived with him. John G. Foster had married Jemimah Creech about 1875 and they moved back to Chickasaw County, Mississippi where they had a son, Richard, in 1878 and a daughter, Sarah, in 1883 but Jemimah died not long after that and John was a widower in 1900.
In 1902, Annie E. Foster, widow of Richard E. Foster, and Andrew J. Foster, both testified before the Indian Commission in Indian Territory, concerning claims made by several family members that they were part-Choctaw Indian.
5. Sarah Jane Foster was born 9-10-1816 in SC. Her parents moved into Alabama and were in Marion County by the time she was eight years old. She married Bartlett Smith Duke in Fayette, AL, on 4-10-1834.
Bartlett and Sarah had these children:
1. Moses born 2-1835 but died before 1840
2. Thomas Lloyd 12-10-1836 AL
3. Austin Peay 05-12-1839 AL
4. Elizabeth Foster 03-08-1841 AL
5. Susannah 03-03-1843 AL
6. Bartlett Smith 07-05-1845 AL
7. Rebecca Jones 07-29-1847 AL
8. Nancy Keziah 11-17-1849 MS
9. James Hampton 01-15-1852 MS
10. Andrew Jackson 10-06-1855 MS
Bartlett & Sarah first lived in Fayette County, AL, then moved to Chickasaw Co, MS, in early 1849 at the same time as all of their relatives. In late 1873, they moved again to Baxter County, Arkansas, where Bartlett died in 1885. About 10 years later, most of the family moved away from Baxter County, to southern Indian Territory, and Sarah Jane Foster Duke died there in LeFlore County in 1896. (LeFlore County is in Oklahoma but is adjacent to Polk County, Arkansas, separated only by the state border. There were many relatives living in Polk at that time)
See sketches “Bartlett Smith Duke and Sarah Jane Foster”, “Baxter County Dukes”, and “Children of Bartlett S. Duke and Sarah J. Foster” for more information about their lives and children.
6. George Washington Foster was born 1821 in South Carolina or Alabama. He married Amanda Spruill about 1844 in Fayette, Alabama. She was born 6-28-1821 in Pickens Co, Alabama. Her parents were James Spruill born 1794 SC and Martha Barmore born 1801 SC. His first two children were born in Fayette but about 1849 when all the rest of his family moved west to Chickasaw County, Mississippi, he moved with them.
On 10-5-1850 he lived in Chickasaw County
George W. Foster 26m SC farmer
Mandy 26f AL
James 5m AL
Elizabeth 2f AL
Mandy’s brother James M Spruill, 23m AL, lived nearby.
I’m sure he continued to live in Chickasaw in 1860 but is not found in the census. A goodly portion of western Chickasaw is missing and he may have been in there.
In 1870 he still lived in Chickasaw.
George W. Foster 52m AL
Manda 49f AL
Simeon M. 18m MS
John 15m MS
Henry 12m MS
Robert 8m MS
Victoria Spruel 13f AL
On 6-16-1880, George and Milly had moved to Sumner County, MS. Their married son James W. lived next door to them. It has been report by others that George W. had a second wife but this is incorrect, unless he married again in his later 60's. They had these children:
1.6 James W. 1845 AL
2.6 Martha Elizabeth 9-17-1847 MS
3.6 Simeon M 1852 MS (Called “Sim”)
4.6 John W. 1855 MS
5.6 Henry C. 1858 MS
6.6 Robert A. 1862 MS
Mandy Spruill Foster’s brother James M Spruill also moved to Sumner County and again lived near George and Mandy. James M. Spruill moved his family to Navarro County, Texas, in 1885.
I find no record of George W. Foster or Amanda “Milly” Foster after 1880. I don’t know when or where they died. (In 1900 Angelina County, Texas, there is a George Foster whose name & age is very difficult to read but it appears to say he was 78 years old, born Texas - unlikely since there was no Texas then - wife’s name may be Amanda but she born 1849 AL & a son William A who was born 1878 in Texas. I do not believe this is the subject George Foster)
Their son James W. Foster had married in Chickasaw on 10-30-1866 to Missouri E. Henley, had several kids there and moved about 1896 to Comanche County, Texas, where he was living in 1900.
Their daughter Martha Elizabeth married William A. Glasson in 1847. They had seven children and later moved to Coleman County, Texas, where she died in 1934.
Their son Simeon had married in MS about 1875 to Sallie _____ and still lived in Chickasaw in 1880.
Their son John W. had married about 1878 in MS to Elizabeth J. _____ and they moved to Bell County, TX, about 1895 and were living there in 1900.
Their son Henry C. had married about 1883 in MS to Millie Glenn and he moved to Bell Co, TX, where he lived in 1900.
Their son Robert A. married Flora A. _____ about 1888 in MS and he also had moved to Bell Co, TX, by 1895 and still lived there in 1900.
7. Andrew Jackson Foster was born February 1823 in Alabama. He was a Methodist Minister. He married Mary T. Williams on 3-10-1846 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She was born 1826 in Tennessee. They had these children:
1.7 Jane E. 1848 AL m George Dallas Lofton
2.7 Louisa 1850 MS
3.7 John 1852 MS
4.7 Fanny 1854 MS
5.7 Henry 1856 MS
6.7 Benjamin R. 1866 MS
On 10-5-1850 they lived in Chickasaw County, Mississippi:
Andrew J. Foster 27m SC farmer
Mary 24f TN
Jane 2f AL
Elizabeth Foster 72f NC (Andrew’s mother)
At this time Ambrose and George W. Foster with their families, both brothers to Andrew J., lived next to him and his family.
On 8-31-1860 they lived in Chickasaw:
A. J. Foster 32m AL farmer
Mary 30f AL
Jane 12f AL
Louis 10f MS
John 8m MS
Fanny 6f MS
Henry 4m MS
And Andrew’s mother, Elizabeth Foster, then 80 years old, lived alone in her own house but next door to Andrew.
In the 1870 census they lived in Lowndes County, MS;
A. J. Foster 45m MS minister
Mary 32f SC
Louisa 18f MS
John 16m MS
Fannie 13f MS
Emily 11f MS
Benjamin 4m MS
On 1-28-1871 in Chickasaw, Elizabeth Duke Foster (widow of Thomas L. Foster) and other heirs to the estate of Thomas L. Foster, sold 146 acres to Andrew J and Mary Foster located in section 6, township 16w, range 4e. I don’t know when Thomas L. Foster had purchased this land nor do I have the exact description for the 146 acres. I presume Thomas and Mary moved on to this land for a while before moving on to Sumner County.
In the 1880 census they lived in Sumner County, MS:
Andrew J. Foster 57m SC SC SC
Mary 53f MS AL SC
Benjamin R. 14m MS son
Andrew and Mary left Mississippi with some of their children about 1898 and moved to Henderson County, Texas. On 6-15-1900 they were in Henderson:
Andrew J. Foster 02-1823 MS SC GA
Mary T. 11-1826 SC SC SC
Benjamin R. 03-1866 MS
Julia (Ben’s wife) 09-1872 MS
Clyde 10-1890 MS
Mississippi 01-1892 MS
Wallis 07-1896 MS
Thomas B. 04-1899 TX
and next door to them lived:
George D. Lofton 11-1844 AL
Elizabeth J. 12-1847 AL
And they had five children all born in Mississippi
By 1920 their children had moved to Comanche County, TX, but it appears both Andrew and Mary had died before that time.
CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS FROM THESE FOSTER FAMILIES
Because there were many similar - even identical - names among these Foster families, it is difficult to identify exactly to which person the Civil War roster refers. I am listing herein my “opinion” as to identity.
The 24th Regimental Infantry was organized in the fall of 1861 at Meridian, Mississippi, with recruits taken from Lowndes, Chickasaw, Choctaw & Monroe counties. (Clay County was not created until 1871 with land taken from Chickasaw).
Ambrose F. Foster ........ 24th Inf, company C........this is probably the son of Moses D. Foster who was 20 years old in 1861. He is also listed in the rolls as Fletcher Foster which was his middle name.
Moses Duke Foster ...... 24th Inf, company C ....... this is NOT Moses D. who was born in 1812, this man would be Moses Duke Foster, son of Ambrose, who was 27 years old in 1861. He is also listed as Moses B. Foster in the rolls.
A. J. Foster ..................... 5th Cav & 8th Cav ...... company F......this is probably
Andrew, son of T.L. and Elizabeth, because his role was that of Chaplain
and we know Andrew was a Minister.
Alexander C. ................. 48th Inf, company C ......... unknown, the son of
Ambrose named Alexander was only 6 years old in 1861.
Andrew J. Foster ............ 31st Inf, company H ........unknown, might have been
Grandson of Ambrose & son of Thomas L. Foster. This Andrew was
a private soldier, not the same man as A. J. Foster who was a Chaplain.
George W. Foster ........... 26th Inf, Company C .......this was probably the son of
T. L. and Elizabeth as he would have only been 40 years old and this man
was a sargent.
Joel Foster ........................ 8th Inf, company I ......... unknown, not from the
subject families...... see “Fosters of Marion, Alabama” sketch
Moses Foster .................... 42nd Inf, company F ........ not the same man as in 24th
Inf.
T. L. Foster ....................... 44th Inf, company F ...... unsure, could be either the 28
year old son of Ambrose or the 27 year old son of Moses D. I tend to
believe it was the son of Moses D.
Thomas L. Foster .............. 29th Inf, company F ..... probably the “other” one,
either the son of Ambrose or Moses D.
William M. Foster ................31st Inf, company H........probably the son of Moses
D. Foster. This William M. would have been 16 when the War started.
Felix T. Foster ..................... 36th Inf, company G. ....... unknown
And Susannah Foster & Alexander Mixon had six sons who were all of prime fighting age and I find War records for at least five of them.
Ichabod J. Mixon ....................24th Inf, company H..........pvt
Thomas L. Mixon....................24th Inf, company H..........cpl
Francis Marion Mixon.............24th Inf, company H..........pvt
Joseph Mixon...........................24th Inf, company H..........pvt
A. B. Mixon ............................18th Texas Inf, co G ....... this is Abijah B. Mixon.
There is no record for Richard Mixon. He was with the family in 1850, no record in 1860, and dead before 1873. I assume he had died before the Civil War as all five of his brothers were in the War and he would have been 23 when it began.