2022-2027 Haston Family History Books Project
The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Hiestand/Haston
The 2022-2027 Hiestand/Haston Family History Books Project
The Story That Led to This Project
I began researching my Haston family in the fall of 1999. It started as a simple attempt to satisfy my curiosity, but it soon became a hobby, sometimes an obsessive one. I started to collect and organize pertinent documents. Then, I began ordering and reading books broadly related to the historical trail I was discovering, which gradually became an extensive library.
Having had professional experience as a website developer, it seemed appropriate to put my findings online to share what I discovered with Hastons who were interested. I created a simple website for that purpose, which grew into a vast resource for public access. Later, it was supplemented by a more contemporary blog site.
At some point, I thought, “You ought to write a book to preserve what you have learned for your own children, grandchildren, future descendants, and other relatives.” When I retired in 2017, I began writing, thinking it might result in a book of a few hundred pages.
But after a few years of writing, I realized that I had written about 1,300 pages! A good friend with a lot of experience in publishing told me, “Wayne, nobody is going to purchase a book of 1,300 pages!” He commented further, “You need to condense that down into a smaller book, then flesh the rest of your work out into a series of books.” So, that’s what I’ve done and am doing.
When completed, we should have more than 2,000 pages of recorded and published history of our Haston family. I urge you to collect the complete set and then pass it down to future generations of your family.
Published 2022
The Story of the Daniel (Hiestand) Haston Family
The Condensed Version of the Story
This was a difficult book to write because I was forced to leave out so much valuable historical information about our (Hiestand) Haston family. It’s what I call my “Reader’s Digest” version of the FULL story because it is condensed, containing about 25% of what the following four books combined will contain.
But there is a reason it is a condensed version of our family’s history. It is written and designed to give you a good and fairly succinct overview of our Haston family, from the mountain slopes along the south shore of Lake Zürich to the Rhineland of Southwest Germany, to Pennsylvania in the USA, then down into northern Virginia, and on to Tennessee, and eventually all across the United States to where YOU probably live.
Every Haston and Haston-related family should have this book. It’s an excellent gift for children, grandchildren, cousins, and other relatives.
Published 2024
The Swiss-German Hiestand Roots
Book 1 of the Four-Book Series – The Heritage
The 2022 book was difficult to write because it was a condensation of a much bigger account of the Daniel Haston family story. But this volume was very challenging for another reason–most of it is the European (Switzerland and Germany) part of our story (based on old German language documents)–our European roots that were undiscovered until after 2008. It expands the content of Chapters 1-8 of the 2022 book by four times.
With the assistance of some highly regarded European historians and translators, I was able to craft the story of precisely where our family came from along the shore and mountain south of Lake Zürich, Switzerland – when the family name first appeared – why they were forced to leave Switzerland – where they settled along the Rhine Rivers of Southwest Germany – when our earliest immigrant ancestor (Henrich Hiestand) came to America – where he initially settled and later moved to – how many children he had – and where our ancestor, Daniel Hiestand/Haston fit into the family.
Please note: There is more Swiss and Rhineland Germany historical information about the Hiestand family (and consequently our Haston family) in this book than is in any book, anywhere. It is was a very expensive project and is an extremely valuable resource.
Published 2025
The Life of Daniel Haston
Book 2 of the Four-Book Series – The Life
This book, The Life of Daniel Haston, is Book 2 in the four-part series, The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston.
Daniel Haston was the youngest son of Henry Hiestand, a 1727 immigrant to America. The Hiestand family originated in Canton Zurich, Switzerland. Daniel’s parents and older ancestors were Anabaptists (Mennonites). They were forced out of Switzerland by severe persecution and settled on the Rhineland of Southwest Germany.
The eight chapters in the book cover the life of Daniel Haston, from his (approximately 1750) birth in what is now Page County, VA, to his 1826 death in what is now Van Buren County, TN. Every major step in his transition from the upper Shenandoah Valley of VA to Middle TN is covered in the book, as well as information about his brother, Abraham Hiestand (Hestand), who accompanied him much of the way but settled in South Central KY. It also deals with such family history questions as – was Daniel a Revolutionary War soldier, who was his wife, and who were his children.
Daniel Haston became the progenitor of a massive family that spread all across the USA, including some who changed the family name to Hastin, Hasting, Hastings, Hastain, and other variant spellings of the Haston name that Daniel and the sons who remained in Tennessee with him adopted and preserved.
Projected for 2026 Publication
The Legacy of Daniel Hiestand/Haston, Part 1: David Haston, Montgomery Greenville Haston, Joseph Haston, Lucinda Haston Mitchell, Catherine Haston Austin, Isaac Haston (in Tennessee and Missouri)
Projected for 2027 Publication
The Legacy of Daniel Hiestand/Haston, Part 2: Isaac Haston (in California), Jesse Haston, Jeremiah Haston, Daniel Haston, Jr., Elizabeth Haston Roddy
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
The Big Story of the Hiestand-Haston Family Video Presentation
Video Presentation - Haston History, 600+ Years in 60 Minutes
If you appreciated this presentation, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Our Pre-Daniel Haston European Roots
New Release - Book 1 of a 4-Part Series
The Heritage of Daniel Haston – His Swiss Ancestors and the Experiences that Drove His Father to America
My 2022 book, The Story of the Daniel Haston Family, was a “Reader’s Digest” version of an upcoming much more extensive series of four books on our Haston family’s history. This 2024 book is Book 1 of the 4-part series. The current volume expands chapters 1-8 of the 2022 book by about 300 pages. It focuses on the heritage of Daniel Haston–the heritage that he inherited, including his Swiss ancestors all the way back to 1401.
I developed a working relationship with some highly esteemed Swiss historians, Hiestand/Haston cousins on the German Rhineland, archivists, old German script researchers, translators, and other Europeans in producing this in-depth story of Daniel’s father and the earlier Hiestands from whom we descend.
This is a book that every descendant of Daniel Haston, regardless of how he or she spells the family name, and every Hiestand family, should own and pass down to their kids, grandkids, and the other generations to follow.
Flip through the “First Pages” of Book 1 of the 4-Part Series, The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston
If you appreciated this information, please share it with others who might also appreciate it.
Help Finding Your Place in the Daniel Haston Family
Help Tracing You Back to Daniel Haston
If you are a “Haston” or related to a Haston, chances are you are a member of the Daniel Haston FAMILY, that is scattered in all or most all of the United States. I have to add the “chances are” caveat because there are some American Hastons that descend (apparently) from Scotland or Ulster (Northern) Ireland. But MOST Americans who carry the Haston name, or are related to Hastons, descend from one early American pioneer–Daniel Haston.
Daniel Haston was the youngest son of a Swiss Mennonite, Henrich/Henry Hiestand, who emigrated to Pennsylvania in about 1727 and settled a few years later near what is now Luray, VA. Henry came from a little village (Ibersheim) on the Rhine River near Worms, Germany where he was born. But his family’s original nationality was Swiss. His ancestors (probably grandparents) were driven out of Zürich Switzerland in the mid-1600s because of their Anabaptist (Mennonite) faith.
When Daniel’s father’s will was settled in 1783, Daniel moved his young family from the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to what was formerly western North Carolina, but Tennessee since 1796.
One of Henry’s grandsons stated that his grandfather had 13 children. We have identified nine of those. What happened to the others, we do not know currently but hope that they can be identified at a later time.
Many of you who read this article already know where you fit into the Daniel Haston FAMILY. But we often receive requests wanting to know how someone fits into the family, particularly which branch of the Daniel Haston family is his or her line and specifically how he or she is linked back from generation to generation to Daniel Haston.
No promises, but there is a good chance that some of our researchers can help you with that.
If you would like us to help you determine how you fit into this BIG Daniel Haston FAMILY, contact us. What we will need of you is what you know about your Haston or Haston-related ancestors–parents, grandparents, and more if you know farther back.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Help Support the Daniel Haston Family Association
Donations to the Daniel Haston Family Association
Making a Donation
Contact us if you have trouble making a donation: Info@DanielHaston.blog
Click on the “Donate Now” button.
Choose a donation amount.
Choose to, or not to, “Make this donation every month.”
Click on the “Continue” button.
Fill-in the “Who’s giving today” information.
Choose to, or not to, “Dedicate this Donation” in memory of or in honor of someone. If you choose to do so, you will then be asked for information about that dedication.
Choose to donate with:
Credit card, or…
PayPal, or…
Offline donation
“Donate with Credit Card” instructions:
1st – Fill in “Billing Details” below PayPal button.
2nd – Scroll up and click on the PayPal button.
(yellow background button)
- A “Pay with PayPal” screen appears.
- Scroll below PayPal login to “or” then click on “Pay with Credit or Debit Card.”
- A screen allowing Credit/Debit Card donations appears.
- Add email address and phone number (required).
- Enter Credit Card information and billing address.
- Click on “Continue as Guest” to submit your donation.
“Donate with PayPal” instructions:
1st – Fill in the billing information.
2nd – At bottom of the form, click on the “Donate Now” (blue button).
3rd – Click on the “Next” button.
4th – Click on the “Donate Now” button.
“Donate with Offline Donation” instructions:
1st – Fill in your mailing information.
2nd – Write and mail the check to the person and address you see there.
3rd – Click on the “Donate Now” button.
Please share this giving opportunity with others who might be interested.
Timeline of Our Blog Articles
Timeline of Our Blog Articles
Some of the main topics included in the blog focus on the history of the Daniel Haston family, honoring earlier Haston family researchers and other notable Hastons, announcing events of significance to members of the Daniel Haston Family and related families, and miscellaneous topics.























































































































































































































































































































































If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
This blog began on January 1, 2001. Some of the main topics included in the blog focus on the history of the Daniel Haston family, going all the way back to the Hiestands of Zürich Switzerland, as early as the 15th century, honoring earlier Haston family researchers and other notable Hastons, announcing events of significance to members of the Daniel Haston Family and related families, as well as other related topics.
The Story of the Daniel Haston Family – Book
The Book: The Story of the Daniel Haston Family
Scroll Down to Order a Copy or Copies of the Book
Remember the days of old;
consider the generations long past.
Ask your father and he will tell you,
your elders, and they will explain to you.
Deuteronomy 32:7 (NIV)
In this book, I want to tell a story—a historically true story about our Haston family roots in Europe, beginning near the end of the Middle Ages. The story will continue as I describe some of the dreadful experiences they were forced to endure in Europe because of their evangelical Christian faith and how our immigrant ancestor (earliest-to-America ancestor) got to America. But the most extensive part of the story will focus on how our American forefathers moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia, from Virginia to Tennessee and Kentucky, and from there, all across the United States.
Preview Two Pages per Chapter from the Book
Use the full-screen icon (last icon on the right, above) to get a larger view. Then, use the Escape keyboard key to return to this view.
Before you choose a shipping option, be aware that...
Local Pickup option is only for situations where shipping is not required.
Library Rate is only to be used between libraries, etc., and does NOT include shipping to donate a book to a library.
Media Rate may take up to two weeks, or more, and may be handled more roughly than Priority shipping.
Other Payment Options
- Option 1 – Call and give us your credit card information for the payment. That’s how many archives, historical societies, etc. transact credit card payments. Send your phone number in an email and tell me when it’s convenient to call. WayneH37@aol.com
- Option 2 – Mail a check, but contact me before writing the check so we can calculate shipping costs.
WayneH37@aol.com or 717.648.2383 – Mail check to Wayne Haston, 11979 Old Kentucky Road, Walling, TN 38587
Also, please include your email address with your check.
Purchase Through Amazon.com
Purchase and Pickup a Copy at These Locations
Postage-free copies are available…
- Sparta, TN at the White County Archives
- Sparta, TN at the White County Heritage Museum
- Sparta, TN from the author by (717) 648-2383) or WayneH37@aol.com
- Spencer, TN at the Van Buren County Heritage Museum
- Lancaster, PA at Mennonite Life (formerly Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society)
You can pay by check or cash at any of the above locations.
Or, you can pay at those locations by PayPal or Credit Card as you proceed through the “Purchase Copies of the Book” process (button above) and choose “Local Pickup” instead of adding a shipping option.
Note: The PayPal and Credit Card payments at these locations must be done through the payment process on this website, not through the payment processes of the organizations holding the books on consignment.
The 31 Chapters in the Book
Section One – Our Haston Family Roots in Europe
Chapter 1 – The Pre-DNA Search for Our Family Roots
Chapter 2 – Switzerland, Our Deepest European Roots
Chapter 3 – Anabaptists in Switzerland
Chapter 4 – Anabaptists Flee to Eastern France and the Rhineland of Germany
Chapter 5 – Ibersheim in the Palatinate of Germany
Chapter 6 – Emigration to America
Section Two – Henrich Hiestand in America
Chapter 7 – Henrich Hiestand in Pennsylvania
Chapter 8 – Henrich Hiestand in Virginia
Section Three – Daniel and Abraham Hiestand
Chapter 9 – Daniel Haston in Virginia
Chapter 10 – Daniel Haston, a Revolutionary War Veteran?
Chapter 11 – Daniel Haston’s Early North Carolina Connections
Chapter 12 – Hiestand Families in Upper East Tennessee
Chapter 13 – Hiestand Families in Early Kentucky
Section Four – Daniel Haston Family in Tennessee
Chapter 14 – Daniel Haston Family in Knox County, Tennessee
Chapter 15 – David Haston’s Young Family
Chapter 16 – Daniel Haston’s Family in White County, Tennessee
Section Five – Children of Daniel Haston
Chapter 17 – David Haston in White County, Tennessee
Chapter 18 – David Haston in Van Buren County, Tennessee
Chapter 19 – Grandson, Montgomery Greenville Haston
Chapter 20 – Joseph Haston
Chapter 21 – Jacob and Lucinda Haston Mitchell
Chapter 22 – John and Catherine Haston Austin
Chapter 23 – Isaac Haston in Tennessee
Chapter 24 – Isaac Haston in Missouri
Chapter 25 – Isaac Haston in California
Chapter 26 – Jesse Haston
Chapter 27 – Jeremiah Haston
Chapter 28 – Daniel Haston, Jr.
Chapter 29 – James and Elizabeth Haston Roddy
Chapter 30 – Mary/Polly and Peggy Hastings?
Addendum
Chapter 31 – Big Fork Baptist Church and Cemetery
Please share this information with others who might also appreciate it.
Haston Family History Overview
The Daniel Haston Family: A Historical Overview
The Story of the Daniel Hiestand/Haston Family
From the Mountains of Switzerland to the Rhineland of Germany to all across America
The Story of Daniel Haston’s SWISS Ancestors, His Life, and All of His Known Children in 50+ Segments

Zoom – Wayne’s Haston Reunion Presentation
Are You Interested in a Two-Part Series of Zoom Presentations in Which I Would Give the Haston History Presentation I Gave in the Recent Haston

Video Presentation – Daniel Haston Family Tree
Video Presentation – Daniel Haston’s Family Tree Wayne Haston presents the first-generation Daniel Haston Family Tree, with information on each of the nine known children

Timeline of Daniel Haston’s Life
Timeline of Daniel Haston’s Life – c. 1750-1826 The first 30 or so years of Daniel Hiestand’s life were spent in Virginia. The next (approximately)

The Story of the Daniel Haston Family – Book
The Book: The Story of the Daniel Haston Family Scroll Down to Order a Copy or Copies of the Book Remember the days of old; consider

The Centuries-Old Mystery of Daniel Haston’s Mother
Clues to the Identity of Daniel Haston’s Mother A Centuries-Old Mystery The family of Henrich Hiestand has been thoroughly researched for many years, but the

The Big Story of the Hiestand-Haston Family Video Presentation
Video Presentation – Haston History, 600+ Years in 60 Minutes Wayne Haston traces our Hiestand-Haston history from Switzerland, beginning in 1401 when the family name

Hastons – A Family of Early Tennessee Pioneers
The Daniel Haston Family – Pioneer Tennessee Settlers More Than a Decade Before Tennessee Became a State Daniel Haston was truly an American pioneer in

52 – Other Daughters of Daniel Haston?
52 – Daughter of Daniel Haston? One Yes, One Maybe, One No I am confident that Daniel Haston had two or three daughters (and/or maybe

51 – Daniel Haston, Jr. Married into the Famous KY “Skaggs” Longhunters Family
51 – Daniel Haston, Jr. Married into the Famous KY Longhunters Skaggs Family Did you know that descendants of Daniel Haston, through his son Daniel,

50 – Jeremiah Haston – Another Son of Daniel Goes to Missouri
50 – Jeremiah Haston, from Tennessee, to Illinois, to Dallas County, Missouri The three youngest sons of Daniel Haston settled in Missouri. Jesse and Jeremiah

49 – Jeremiah Haston – A “Lost Son” of Daniel Haston Found by DNA
49 – Jeremiah Haston – Lost Son of Daniel Haston Found by DNA Sometimes you may see his name as Jeremiah MC Haston, but there

48 – Jesse Haston – His Family’s Civil War Years and Following
48 – Jesse Haston’s Family in the Civil War Years and After Some Selected Highlights Some of Daniel Haston’s grandsons and great grandsons joined the

47 – Jesse Haston – A Missouri Pioneer with His Three Wives and 21 Children!
47 – Jesse Haston, Missouri Pioneer With 3 Wives & 21 Children Part 1 – Until the Civil War Of Daniel Haston’s sons, Jesse was

46 – Isaac Haston – Across the Plains in an Oxen-Drawn Wagon – Isaac’s California Years
46 – Isaac Haston – Across the Plains in an Oxen-Drawn Wagon The California Years Approximately 2,000 miles – Cave Spring, Missouri to Santa Rosa,

45 – Isaac and Agnes Simpson Haston – Missouri Years
45 – Isaac and Agnes Simpson Haston – Missouri Years Isaac Haston lived the Great American Dream. He left Tennessee landless and broke, moved to

44 – Isaac and Agnes Simpson Haston – Tennessee Years
44 – Isaac Haston – Battle of New Orleans Hero & Much More Part 1 – His Tennessee Years Look at the battle map above.Â

43 – John and Catherine HASTON Austin
42 – John and Catherine HASTON Austin History, especially genealogical history, is sexist!  OK, I’m pretty much a traditional-minded person and don’t use the word

42 – Jacob and Lucinda Haston Mitchell
42 – Jacob and Lucinda Haston Mitchell Lucinda Haston – Daughter of Daniel Haston Jacob Mitchell was the son of Morris and Elizabeth Husong Mitchell

41 – Joseph Haston – Son of Daniel Haston
Joseph Haston – 2nd Son of Daniel Joseph and David were probably the only two sons of Daniel who were born in Virginia. If we

40 – Herbert Clinton Haston – Grandson of Montgomery Greenville Haston
40 – Herbert Clinton Haston, Grandson of Montgomery G. Haston The 1880 census record for D.L. (David Levander) and Virginia Riddles Haston A three-year-old boy,

39 – Montgomery G. Haston – His Civic Service and Civil War Experience
39 – M. G. Haston – His Civic Service and Civil War Experience Montgomery Greenville Haston is one of my most respected early Haston heroes!Â

38 – Mystery of the Father of Montgomery Greenville Haston
38 – Mystery of the Father of Montgomery Greenville Haston Based on the evidence cited previously, I think we can confidently assume Polly Haston was

37 – Mystery of the Mother of Montgomery Greenville Haston
37 – Mystery of the Mother of Montgomery Greenville Haston As far as we can tell, the parents of Montgomery Greenville Haston–and how he fit

36 – David Haston – A Founding Leader in Van Buren County, TN
36 – David Haston – A Founding Leader of Van Buren County, TN David Haston spent much of his time in the final 20 years

35 – David Haston, Popular Civic Leader in Early White County, TN
35 – David Haston – White County, Tennessee Pioneer, Part 2 David Haston, Esq. (Justice of the Peace) How did simple farmers and businessmen –

34 – David Haston (Daniel’s Son) in White County, TN
34 – David Haston, White County, Tennessee Pioneer, Part 1 Isaac T. Haston Family Home – Grandson of Daniel Via. David The “David Haston” Bible

33 – Daniel Haston’s Final Years
33 – Daniel Haston’s Final Years Daniel Haston lived his final years on his 150 acres farm in what we now know as the Cummingsville

32 – Daniel Haston – Petitioner to Create White County, TN
32 – Daniel Haston, A Founding Petitioner for White County, TN The first record we have of Daniel Haston in (what became)Â White County, as well

31 – Daniel Haston and the White County, TN “Big Spring” Settlers
31 – Daniel Haston & Other White County, TN Big Spring Settlers The area south of the Caney Fork River near the mouth of Cane

30 – Daniel Haston Family Moves Across the Cumberland Plateau
30 – Our Hastons Moved West of the Cumberland Mountain Through the Tellico Treaties of October 25 and 27, 1805, Cherokee chiefs ceded to the

29 – Resolving the “McComisky Mystery” in the Daniel Haston Family
29 – Resolving the “McComisky Mystery” in the Haston Family A common piece of erroneous family lore has circulated among Daniel Haston family members for

28 – David and Peggy Haston on Grassy Creek in Knox County, TN
28 – David Haston – Distinguishes Himself as a Young Adult Adjacent to a 2020 $45 Million Development Project At age 25, David Haston became

27 – David Haston Marries 14-Year-Old Girl
27 – David Haston Married 14 Year Old “Peggy” Roddy Yeah, I just created the title for the dramatic effect, but it was true. On May

26 – Daniel Haston’s Many Experiences in the Knox County, TN Courtroom
26 – Daniel Haston’s Many Experiences in the Courtroom While Living in Knox County, TN When Daniel was a young man back in Shenandoah County,

25 – Another Haston Boy in Trouble – Joseph and the Broken-Down Fence
25 – Another of Daniel Haston’s Boys in Trouble Joseph and the Broken-Down Fence Let’s start with a couple of definitions, for those of you

24 – Daniel’s Son David Haston Cut Tails Off a Neighbor’s Cows
24 – David Haston Cut Tails Off a Neighbor’s Horned Cows Some of us Haston boys have been known for mischief. Just ask people who

23 – Daniel Haston Family – South of Holston River, Opposite Knoxville, TN
23 – Daniel Haston Family, South of the “Holston” River Opposite Knoxville, TN Daniel and family lived in the Knoxville, TN area for about 10

22- Two of Daniel Haston’s Siblings in South Central KY
Two of Daniel Haston’s Siblings in South Central, KY The Mill Creek Meeting House Near Tompkinsville, KY. Built in 1804. Abraham Hiestand’s (Hestand’s) Path Ends

21 – Daniel Haston Votes in Favor of the State of Franklin
21 – Daniel Haston Voted in Favor of the State of Franklin So, our Daniel was a “Franklinite” The yellow county – Washington County –

20 – Abraham and Daniel Hiestand in the “Overmountain” Wilderness of NC
20 – Abraham and Daniel in the “Overmountain” of NC For approximately 10 to 15 years, Henry Hiestand’s “boys”–Daniel and his older brother Abraham–lived in

19 – The Hiestand Brothers – Abraham and Daniel – Settle in Western North Carolina
19 – Abraham and Daniel Hiestand Settle in the “Carolinas” Headed for “the Carolinas” When the earliest post-Revolution settlers left their homes in places like

18 – The Mysterious Daniel MG Hastings “Mortality List” Card
18 – The Mysterious Daniel MG. Hastings Mortality List Card The “1830 Revolutionary War Mortality Listing” Card In the early 1970s, Dwight Haston discovered the

17b – Thomas Archer – the Eccentric Man from Guilford County, NC Who Ended Up with Warrant #2344
Thomas Archer – an Eccentric Man from Guilford County, NC Who Ended Up With 640 Acres from Military Bounty Land Warrant #2344 This is #3

17a – The “Guilford County Four” and Rev War Land Grant Proceedings at Fairfield Plantation
17a – The “Guilford County Four” And the Epicenter of 1785 Land Fraud – James Glasgow’s “Fairfield” Plantation This is #2 in a sequence of

17 – The “Daniel Haston” Revolutionary War Land Grant
The “Daniel Haston” Rev War Land Grant Legal or Fraudulent? 640 acres in Houston County, TN (west of Nashville) were granted to Thomas Archer, based

16 – Daniel Haston and the DAR and SAR
16 – Can I Get Into the DAR or SAR through Daniel Haston? The centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1876

15 – Henry Hiestand’s Estate Settled and the Family Splits
15 – Henry Hiestand’s Estate Settled and the Family Parts Ways Daniel’s Mother & Father Die in 1777 and 1779 Peter Hiessandt, Sr.’s, (older brother

14 – Daniel & Christina Nave Haston – Newlyweds in Fort Valley
14 – Daniel and Christina Nave Hiestand/Haston Newlyweds in Fort Valley, VA Daniel and Christina lived on Passage Creek for the first ten years or

13 – Daniel Hiestand Married Christina Nave
13 – Our Daniel Hiestand Married Christina Nave In Shenandoah County, Virginia View Larger Version of this Image I think we can safely say it’s

12 – Hiestand Land in “The Fort” – Powell’s Fort Valley, VA
12 – Hiestand Land in “The Fort” – Fort Valley, Virginia Seven Bends of North Shenandoah River, near Woodstock, VA with Fort Valley in the

11 – The Henry Hiestand Family in Virginia
11 – The Henry Hiestand Family in Virginia When Henry Hiestand and his wife (name unknown) moved their family to Virginia, they probably already had

10 – Indian Troubles in the Shenandoah Valley, VA
10 – Indian Attacks Around Our Hiestands in Pennsylvania and Virginia Memorial for Rev. John Roads – Mennonist & wife and six children massacred here

09 – Our Ancestor Moves to the Shenandoah Valley, VA
Hiestands Move to the Shenandoah Valley in Northern Virginia From a “Hiestand field” on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River Our Daniel Hiestand/Haston was

08 – Henry Hiestand Settles on Penn Family Land
08 – Henry Hiestand Settled on Land Acquired from William Penn’s Sons Outline of the 226 acre tract Henry Hiestand settled on and had surveyed

07 – Our Hiestands Begin Life in America
07 – Henry Hiestand – His Earliest Years in America William Penn’s first visit to his American colony in 1682 paved the way for our

06 – The Journey from Ibersheim to America
06 – The Journey from Ibersheim to America Source: http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/ In early 1727, Henrich Hiestand probably boarded a barge in Worms, much like the one

05a – Our Hiestands (Heystandts) – Refugees on the North Sea
05a – Our Hiestands (Heystandts) – Refugees in Friedrichstadt on the North Sea “Heystandt” was the way the Hollander-Dutch spelled our Hiestand name. The Nine

05 – Where Henrich Hiestand Was Born – Ibersheim, Germany
05 – Ibersheim, Germany German Home-Village of Our Hiestands https://www.akpool.de/ The village of Ibersheim (pronounced, Ibers-heim [“ib” as in “crib”]) is situated on what historically

04 – Swiss Anabaptists Flee to the Germany
04 – Our Swiss Ancestors Flee to Germany (Source: artuk.org) The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) Paves the Way for Swiss Anabaptists to Find New Homes

03 – Our Mennonite Roots
03 – What Do You Know About Our Mennonite Roots? Image from Christianity.com Rev. Samuel Hiestand’s parents, grandparents, and several generations before were all Mennonites.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Dave Hastin – Ex-Bloody Bushwhacker
Daniel Haston > Isaac Haston/Hastin > John Wesley Hastin > Dave J. Hastin
3rd Button Link will Be Activated March 14, 2026
We don’t know much about the war experiences of Isaac’s son, John Wesley Hastin, but we know (1) he was suspected of supplying cattle for the Confederate army and (2) after the war, he fled to Fannin County, TX, “where other Missouri refugees (pro-Confederates) found new homes.” And we know (3) his son, David J. Hastin, was one of the most feared Confederate guerrilla fighters in SouthWest Missouri.
Confederate 1st Lieutenant David J. Hastin
January 11, 1863 – John Wesley and Anna Hastin’s son, David J. (Johnson) Haisten (sic, Hastin), served as a lieutenant in Hunter’s Regiment of Joseph O. Shelby’s Confederate “Iron Brigade.” The brigade participated in 4 major raids into Missouri, earning the reputation as the most formidable brigade in the theater. David Hastin was badly wounded in the January 11, 1863, Battle at Hartville, Missouri, but lived until May 2, 1908.
David Haisten/Hastin’s injuries at Hartville, MO, did not end his service for the Confederacy. Here are just a couple of examples of the kind of guerrilla activity David J. Hastin participated in during the war. One source names him, along with two others, as some of the most dreaded Confederate guerrilla fighters in Southwest Missouri.
February 15, 1863 – A month and four days after his serious wounds in the Battle of Hartville, David Hastin, along with James Miller, and Lafayette (known as “Fate” and as “Pete”) Roberts, were accused of, “with force and arms,” robbing George Fullington in Dade County, Missouri. Among other things, they stole sixty dollars in cash, a double-barreled shotgun, a rifle, and an army jacket. The plaintiff sued to attach their property, which only affected James Miller. The sheriff stated, “The other within-named defendants have no property in my (Dade) county that can be found.”
Source: “George Fullington vs. Miller, Roberts and Hastings,” Dade County, Missouri Circuit Court, c43230_B0059F0012, 1864. Accessed February 22, 2026, https://www.sos.mo.gov/Images/Archives/Judicial2/c43230_B0059F0012.pdf.
Fullington said he believed “the defendants in the foregoing action have absented themselves from their usual place of abode in this state so the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon them.” The incident, apparently, was not presented to the Dade County Circuit Court until August, 1864.
June 14, 1864 – David (D.J.) Hastin participated in a raid of about 150 Confederate guerrillas on the village of Melville* in Dade County, Missouri.
At daybreak on June 14, 1864, Kinch West and Lafayette [Fate] Roberts, at the head of about 150 men, raided the little town of Melville*…robbing the stores and afterward applying the torch to every building in town. All were completely destroyed except three dwelling houses, which were saved by the women, who fought the flames heroically and succeeded in extinguishing them as the bushwhackers withdrew. After the war, the village of Melville was rebuilt and renamed Dadeville, Missouri.
Source: The Springfield (Missouri) Leader and Press, October 24, 1965, 29, 32.
Eyewitness claimed the “guerrillas charged into the town, shooting indiscriminately, killing and wounding a dozen citizens.
Later that year, David and more than twenty other guerrillas, including leader Lafayette Roberts, were sued in the Dade County Circuit Court for the destruction and property losses caused by the fires and theft. “D.J. Hastin” is named in more than a dozen of those lawsuits, such as the one in this image.*
Source: “Francis M. Compton vs. Jeremiah Bigley, et. Al. Dade County, Missouri Circuit Court, c59150_B0061F0003-1.pdf. Accessed February 22, 2026, https://s1.sos.mo.gov/Records/Archives/ArchivesMvc/JudicialRecords/Detail?id=65836.
*Out of the approximately 150 guerrillas, how did the plaintiffs know the names of the ones who were served with lawsuits? As the story goes, a group of Union militia ran upon the guerrilla band in a forest while they were auctioning off the goods they had stolen. The guerrillas fled, leaving behind a list of those who had purchased at the auction.
As with the February 15, 1863, incident, the court documents admit: “The above-named defendants have absented themselves from their usual places of abode in this State so that the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon them.”
I suspect that these examples are just the “tip of the iceberg” about David J. Hastin’s guerrilla war experiences. In the following article, I will share his defense of his reputation. Also, I will tell you about David J. Hastin, the post-war man.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Zoom Meeting – Planning for October 9-10, 2026 FAMILY Gathering in MO
Zoom Meeting, Monday at 7:00 p.m. Central Time – March 9, 2026
Your Invitation Link – Plug This Into Your Web Browser:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89784337004?pwd=UVtg1k6DXQJDlT7el7jZby8C8FvmWF.1
We will talk about the basic plans we have now – the presentations, field trips, meals, etc. But we want to hear from you, what can we do to make this a memorable and educational experience for you?
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Haston Family Books
The Story of the Daniel Haston Family
Our Family’s Journey Through Many Locations and Generations
In this book, I tell a story—a historically true story about our Haston family roots in Europe, beginning near the end of the Middle Ages. The story will continue as I describe some of the dreadful experiences they were forced to endure in Europe because of their evangelical Christian faith and how our immigrant ancestor (earliest-to-America ancestor) got to America. But the most extensive part of the story will focus on how our American forefathers moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia, from Virginia to Tennessee and Kentucky, and from there, all across the United States.
474 Pages – 350+ Maps, Charts, Pictures and Other Visuals – Full Color – Table Book Quality Paper and Binding
31 Chapters
Chapter 1 – Pre-DNA Search for Our Family Roots
Chapter 2 – Switzerland, Our Deepest European Roots
Chapter 3 – Anabaptists in Switzerland
Chapter 4 – Anabaptists Flee to the Rhineland of Germany
Chapter 5 – Ibersheim in the Palatinate of Germany
Chapter 6 – Emigration to America
Chapter 7 – Henrich Hiestand in Pennsylvania
Chapter 8 – Henrich Hiestand in Virginia
Chapter 9 – Daniel Hiestand/Haston in Virginia
Chapter 10 – Daniel Haston, a Revolutionary War Veteran?
Chapter 11 – Daniel Haston’s Early North Carolina Connections
Chapter 12 – Hiestand Families in Upper East Tennessee
Chapter 13 – Hiestand Families in Early Kentucky
Chapter 14 – Daniel Haston Family in Knox County, Tennessee
Chapter 15 – David Haston’s Young Family
Chapter 16 – Daniel Haston, White County, Tennessee Pioneer
Chapter 17 – David Haston in White County, Tennessee
Chapter 18 – David Haston in Van Buren County, Tennessee
Chapter 19 – Montgomery Greenville Haston – Who Was He?
Chapter 20 – Joseph Haston
Chapter 21 – Lucinda Haston Mitchell
Chapter 22 – Catherine Haston Austin
Chapter 23 – Isaac Haston in Tennessee
Chapter 24 – Isaac Haston in Greene County, Missouri
Chapter 25 – Isaac Haston in Sonoma County, California
Chapter 26 – Jesse Haston
Chapter 27 – Jeremiah Haston
Chapter 28 – Daniel Haston, Jr.
Chapter 29 – Elizabeth Haston Roddy
Chapter 30 – Peggy and Polly Hastings of Knox County Tennessee?
Chapter 31 – Big Fork Baptist Church and Cemetery
The following four books greatly expand and deepen the content of the 31 chapters in The Story of Daniel Haston’s Family.
The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston, Book 1
The Swiss-German Heritage of Daniel Hiestand
Expands the Contents of Chapters 1-8 in The Story of the Daniel Haston Family
The early chapters are based on extensive research in Switzerland and Germany. Two eminent Swiss historians assisted with the research and monitored the content of the Swiss chapters for accuracy. The book takes you back to the south shore of Lake Zürich in the 1400s A.D., where our early Swiss Hiestand ancestors farmed. It traces the rise of Swiss Anabaptism and the persecution that forced some of our Hiestands to flee to the German Rhineland, where they gained refuge because of their Godly character and skills as farmers. The final chapters provide extensive coverage of how Henrich Hiestand came to America in 1727 and settled.
Chapter 1 – Pre-DNA Search for Our Family Roots
Chapter 2 – Switzerland, Our Deepest European Roots
Chapter 3 – Anabaptists in Switzerland
Chapter 4 – Anabaptists Flee to the Rhineland of Germany
Chapter 5 – Ibesheim in the Palatinate of Germany
Chapter 6 – Emigration to America
Chapter 7 – Henrich Hiestand in Pennsylvania
Chapter 8 – Henrich Hiestand in Virginia
397 Pages – 350+ Maps, Charts, Pictures and Other Visuals – Full Color – Table Book Quality Paper and Binding – Index
The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston, Book 2
The Life of Daniel Haston
Expands the Contents of Chapters 9-16 in The Story of the Daniel Haston Family
This volume traces the life of Daniel Haston from his c. 1750 birth in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to his journey to and settlement in what became Tennessee, where he died in 1826. It tackles the controversial question regarding whether or not Daniel fought in the Revolutionary War. Two chapters of particular interest are 14 and 15, his ten years in the pioneer village of Knoxville at the time Tennessee was becoming a US state and his 20+ years as a pioneer settler in what became White County, TN, where he was one of the petitioners that led to the creation of the county.
Chapter 9 – Daniel Hiestand/Haston in Virginia
Chapter 10 – Daniel Haston, a Revolutionary War Veteran?
Chapter 11 – Daniel Haston’s Early North Carolina Connections
Chapter 12 – Hiestand Families in Upper East Tennessee
Chapter 13 – Hiestand Families in Early Kentucky
Chapter 14 – Daniel Haston Family in Knox County, Tennessee
Chapter 15 – David Haston’s Young Family
Chapter 16 – Daniel Haston, White County, Tennessee Pioneer
492 Pages – 350+ Maps, Charts, Pictures and Other Visuals – Full Color – Table Book Quality Paper and Binding – Index
The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston, Book 3
The Legacy of Daniel Haston, Part 1
Expands the Contents of Chapters 17-24 in The Story of the Daniel Haston Family
Children are the most important legacy that parents leave behind, and Daniel and his wife or wives had nine of them that we know about. This book is packed full of what is known about five of them, as well as a great-grandson who was a special legacy Haston. The chapters not only inform you about these sons and daughters of Daniel, but also take a deeper generational step and provide a biographical sketch of the lives of their children, Daniel’s grandchildren. Some of their stories have remarkably successful endings, others end sadly, with premature deaths, death by murder or war, and various failures. These are our folks, our ancestral family members–real people who paved the way for us.
Chapter 17 – David Haston in White County, Tennessee
Chapter 18 – David Haston in Van Buren County, Tennessee
Chapter 19 – Montgomery Greenville Haston – Who Was He?
Chapter 20 – Joseph Haston
Chapter 21 – Lucinda Haston Mitchell
Chapter 22 – Catherine Haston Austin
Chapter 23 – Isaac Haston in Tennessee
Chapter 24 – Isaac Haston in Greene County, Missouri
500+ Pages – 350+ Maps, Charts, Pictures and Other Visuals – Full Color – Table Book Quality Paper and Binding – Index
Available Summer 2026
The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston, Book 4
The Legacy of Daniel Haston, Part 2
Expands the Contents of Chapters 25-31 in The Story of the Daniel Haston Family
Daniel Haston’s legacy, if fully told, would fill a library of books. He was a simple man whose legacy is scattered across the United States, and doubtless numerous other countries. This Legacy, Part 2 volume focuses on four of Daniel’s children who could not be squeezed into the previous book. One of them did not stop migrating westward until he reached the Pacific Ocean and could go no farther. One had 21 children, with a total of 3 wives, but was ambushed and killed in the Civil War. Another was unknown to be a child of Daniel, by most Haston researchers, until DNA became available to us. And, oh, the fascinating stories of some of their children and grandchildren! War warriors, some real-life cowboys, a Medal of Honor recipient, and much more.
Chapter 25 – Isaac Haston in Sonoma County, California
Chapter 26 – Jesse Haston
Chapter 27 – Jeremiah Haston
Chapter 28 – Daniel Haston, Jr.
Chapter 29 – Elizabeth Roddy Haston
Chapter 30 – Peggy and Polly Hastings of Knox County, TN
Chapter 31 – Big Fork Baptist Church and Cemetery
300+ Pages – 200+ Maps, Charts, Pictures and Other Visuals – Full Color – Table Book Quality Paper and Binding – Index
Available Early 2027
Please share this with others who might be interested in these Haston Family books.
Is Every Haston a Descendant of Daniel Haston
1852 – James Haston, a Case in Point
When I see the HASTON name, I immediately begin to ask myself, “How did this James Haston fit into the descendancy of Daniel Haston, our c. 1750-1826 ancestor, from whom a massive FAMILY of Hastons (and other H-name variations) spread all across the United States in the 1800s and later?”
Probably at least 90% of the time, I do discover that the person descended from the Daniel Haston who was born in Virginia and later settled in White County, Tennessee, in about 1804. Why? Because Daniel’s Haston’s family is SO EXTENSIVE in the United States! But there are some exceptions.
The (born 1852) James Haston is an example of an exception. There were many of Daniel Haston’s family members who moved from Tennessee to Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, etc. So it is easy to assume that Kansan James Haston must have been one of them.
But when you read more about this prominent Kansan farmer, you learn that his grandfather came to America at age 13 from Scotland, and later fought for the Patriot cause in the Revolutionary War. He remained in Virginia after the war, and his descendants spread to other states.
The Scottish Hastons
The “Haston” surname is known to be native to Scotland, leading some descendants of Daniel Haston to assume that we are Scots or Scots-Irish (also known as Ulster Scots).
For example, the late Dougal Haston, of climbing fame in the Alps and on Mount Everest, was born in Scotland. And to this day, the Haston name is still common in that country.
So, if you come across a Haston in the United States or Canada who is not a descendant of Daniel Haston, the chances are very high that they have roots in the United Kingdom, eventually traced back to Scotland.
However, I have learned that most of the Hastons who are now in the United States descend from Daniel Haston, who was originally Daniel Hiestand, from a Mennonite family that originated in Switzerland.
In addition to the many people who carry the HASTON name, there are many others who descend from Daniel Haston, whose family names are spelled HASTIN, HASTINGS, HASTING, HASTAIN, and probably other similar H-names.
How Can I Know If I Descend from Daniel Haston?
DNA can settle the question, but it is essential to know which DNA company to use and how to understand the results. You can not determine your family’s country of origin by DNA results that report what % (percent) of your DNA is from various parts of the world.
But we are willing to help.
If you can tell us your family line back a few generations, we can probably help you answer that question.
And if, it turns out that you descend from Daniel Haston, we can probably tell you exactly how you fit into the family.
In addition to the many people who carry the HASTON name, there are many others who descend from Daniel Haston, whose family names are spelled HASTIN, HASTINGS, HASTING, HASTAIN, and probably other similar H-names.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Lucas Haston – Sparta TN
The Y’s Fitness Director, Nina Weston, has seen Lucas through this journey and could not be prouder. She shared part of Lucas’s story, as he got comfortable teaching the others in Special Olympics, and how the two of them worked hard to get him certified.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Civil War – Haston Cousin Against Haston Cousin
3rd Button Link will Be Activated March 14, 2026
Sometimes, Haston family genealogists have confused these two men, but one was the son of (Daniel Haston’s son) Isaac Haston, and the other was the son of (Daniel Haston’s son) Jeremiah Haston. The “boys” were about 4 1/2 years apart in age and probably were close friends and playmates growing up. But issues that led to the Civil War drove a wedge between them.
Jeremiah’s John Wesley Haston enrolled in the Missouri Home Guard in Dallas County, MO. I know that Isaac’s John Wesley Haston (in Cedar County, MO) was a Confederate sympathizer and very likely an active soldier, one way or another.
Isaac’s grandson (son of John Wesley Hastin), David Haston (Haisten), was a Confederate soldier who was severely wounded in the Battle of Hartville, MO, and was known to be a “bloody bushwhacker.” More about him in another article.
Date | Isaac’s John Wesley Haston | Jeremiah’s John Wesley Haston |
October 12 1818 | Born (probably) in White County, TN | |
January 27 1823 | Born (probably) in White County, TN | |
August 5 1841 | Married Anna Brown in Greene Co, MO | |
January 15, 1846 | Married Mary Caroline Forrester in Greene Co, MO | |
January 1, 1849 | 40 acres: T32, R27, S23, NE¼NE¼ in Dade Co, MO 40 acres: T32, R27, S23, SW¼NE¼ in Dade Co, MO | |
January 1, 1850 | 40 acres: T33N, R19W,S32, NE¼NE¼ in Dallas Co, MO | |
1850 Census | “Wesley Haston” (age 27) and wife Anny (age 27), both born in TN, and son David, age eight. $400, real estate in District 25 of Dade Co, MO Year: 1850; Census Place: District 25, Dade, Missouri; Roll: 398; Page: 284a. | “John H. [sic, W.] Hastings [sic, Haston] (age 30 or 36?) and wife Mary C. (age 24), both born in TN, and daughter Hester, age one. $50, real estate, in District 26 of Dallas Co, MO Year: 1850; Census Place: District 26, Dallas, Missouri; Roll 398; Page: 339a. |
October 1, 1852 | 40 acres: T33N, R27W, S17, NW¼SW¼ in Cedar Co, MO | |
April 15, 1853 | 80 acres: T32N,19W,S20, E½NW¼ in Webster Co, MO | |
December 1, 1856 | 80 acres: T33N, R27W, S17, S½NW¼ in Cedar Co, MO | |
May 15, 1857 | 40 acres: T33N, R27W, S17, SE¼SW¼ in Cedar Co, MO 40 acres: T33N, R27W, S18, NE¼SE¼ in Cedar Co, MO | 40 acres: T32M,R19W,S20, NE¼SW¼ in Webster Co, MO |
1857 | “J.W. Haston” on a militia list in Sonoma (Santa Rosa Co), CA | |
How could J.W. Haston (Isaac’s son) have been in Cedar County, MO, in 1852, 1856, May 1857, and 1862, but in Sonoma County, CA, in 1857? Maybe he went there for gold, returned to Cedar County, MO (when others returned), and later left MO for TX. Or, perhaps this was not Isaac’s son. | ||
June 1, 1859 | His brother, Samuel D. – 40 acres: T33N, R26W, S21, NE¼NW¼ in Cedar Co, MO | 40 acres: T32N-19W,S20, SW¼NW¼ in Webster Co, MO |
1860 Census | J.W. Haston (age 38) and family in Linn of Cedar Co, MO Year: 1860; Census Place: Linn, Cedar, Missouri; 95. | John W. Hasten (age 41) and family in Washington of Webster Co, MO Year: 1860; Census Place: Washington, Webster, Missouri; 710. |
June 24, 1861 | Enlisted, Dallas Co, MO, Federal Home Guard | |
Pre-September 25, 1862 | In Cedar Co, MO, paid to have three cows driven to and sold at market. Suspicious to be Confederate sympathizer. | |
November 20, 1862 | Discharged from the army, over age; Dallas Co, MO. | |
July 1, 1863 | J.W. Hasten, on a Class II list of men in Lynn of Dade Co, MO, subject to Federal military service | |
1865 | J.W. Haisten was on the Fannin County, TX tax list, beginning this year. "Fannin, Texas, United States Records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-W6YW-1: September 20, 2021), image 1 of 1238; Texas State Library. Archives Division (Austin, Texas). | |
October 1868 | Samuel D. Hasting was on the 1868 voter list for Linn Township in Cedar Co, MO, but John W. Haston was not. To be qualified to vote, a man had to take an oath of loyalty to the USA. Southwest Tribune (Cedar County, Missouri), October 9, 1868. | |
August 23, 1870 | Assumed to be “residing in the State of Texas,” according to his father’s will | |
June 6, 1874 or… July 6, 1876 | Daughter A.M. (Matilda Agnes) Haisten married T.E. Lovelace in Fannin County, Texas, on July 6, 1876, or June 6, 1874. Matilda Agnes Hasting was his 2nd wife; Elizabeth Tabitha Genette Gaither died in 1876. Texas State Library and Archives Commission; Austin, Texas; Confederate Pension Applications, 1899-1975; Collection #: CPA16526; Roll #: 209; Roll Description: Pension File Nos. 04877 to 45350, Application Years 1916 to 1929. “Thomas Elam Lovelace,” FamilySearch.org, accessed January 29, 2026, https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/KGST-FJS. | |
November 6, 1879 | J.W. Haisten married Emma Strange in Sherman, Grayson County, TX. | |
June 1, 1880 Census | J.W. Haiston (age 56) and wife, E.J. Haiston, were living in Precinct 3 of Fannin County, TX. Year: 1880; Census Place: Precinct 3, Fannin, Texas; Roll: 1302; Page: 382B; Enumeration District: 025. | |
1885 | Twenty years after J.W. Haiston’s first appearance on a Fannin County, TX tax list (although the “Location” column says, “Grayson Co.,”), he was still living there. "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-W2B7-9, May 2014), Fannin County> 1885 > image 593 of 613; State Archives, Austin. | |
April 26, 1898 | John W. (Wesley) Haiston (Haston) died on this date in Benton County, Arkansas, and is buried in the Centerton Cemetery. He was 75 years old. "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29T-3R2C: 9 July 2020), John W Haisten, 1898; Burial, citing record ID, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com. | |
May 2, 1898 | John Wesley Haston died and was buried in Dallas Co, MO | |
These same-name first cousins died less than one week apart - six days | ||
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Date
Isaac’s
John Wesley Haston
Isaac’s
John Wesley Haston
October 12, 1818
Born (probably) in White County, TN
January 27, 1823
Born (probably) in White County, TN
Born (probably) in White County, TN
Date
text
text
Catherine Haston Austin’s Sons
See also:
Daniel Haston’s daughter, Catherine, married John Austin in about 1819. John’s first wife, Rachel, had recently died. Catherine inherited seven of Rachel’s children, immediately becoming a busy step-mother.
Over the next 23 years, Catherine gave birth to six children of her own–three girls and three boys. Even though they have generally been overlooked or forgotten, we need to realize and remember these children were grandchildren of Daniel Haston.
In another article, I introduced you to the daughters of Catherine Haston Austin. Now, I want you to get to know Catherine’s three sons, grandsons of Daniel Haston.
Pleasant Richard Austin - 1820-1900
The following information about Catherine Haston Austin’s firstborn son was published in 1886 in one of the “vanity biography” books of that era.
Pleasant Austin, a prosperous agriculturist of the Second [Hickory Valley] District, was born September 8, 1820, on the farm upon which he now resides. His parents were John and Catherine (Haston) Austin. The father was born on January 6, 1779, in Virginia, of English descent. He immigrated to Tennessee at an early date and died there on February 28, 1858. The mother is thought to have been of Dutch [German-speaking] descent. She was a native of Tennessee, and her entire life was passed in the State. Our subject was brought up on the farm and educated in the school in the vicinity. After attaining his majority, he purchased land in the county and farmed for about six years. At his father’s death, he bought the homestead and moved to it, where he has since resided. He is a substantial, honorable, and worthy citizen. He is interested in the advancement of education and all beneficial enterprises. He is a Democrat. On September 14, 1852, he was united in marriage to Mary E., daughter of Bluford and Sarah (Yates) Warren. The father was raised in Halifax, NC, and the mother in Halifax, VA. The grandfather Yates lived to the unusual age of one hundred and twelve years. Mrs. Austin was born October 15, 1825, in Tennessee, and is the mother of John W., William Bluford, Robert S., Sarah Alice (wife of Norman Gist, who resides near Sparta), Flora C. (wife of Lewis Akins), James Mc., and Frank P.
Tennessee History and Biographies: White County, TN (Goodspeed Publisher, 1886), page 7.
Robert (Robin) S. Austin - 1826 - After 1910
Robert (“Robin” in Civil War records) enlisted in (initially, Mounce L. Gore’s) Company D of the Confederate 13th Regiment of the Tennessee Cavalry on September 1, 1862, in Sparta, TN, where the unit was organized. A month later, the unit joined Brigadier General Nathan B. Forrest’s Brigade and reorganized as the 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry, commonly known as Dibrell’s 8th Cavalry.
As partisan rangers, they acted independently of the rest of the army. They fought fiercely in many battles and skirmishes across the South, from Chickamauga (GA) to Saltville (VA) and elsewhere, and served as Confederate President Jefferson Davis’s escort at the end of the war, until they were captured and forced to surrender in Washington, Georgia, in May 1865. Amazingly, Robert was never seriously wounded, according to his pension application.
Robert was mustered out on May 11, 1865. He ranked in and out as a private. On February 9, 1900, he filed an application for a pension based on complications from rheumatism and hemorrhoids resulting from his service in the war. The application was rejected because he had “not proved” he was incapacitated by the stated health issues. At the time of the application, he was living in Lost Creek, where the post office was Greentree.
By occupation, Robert was a farmer and blacksmith. He never married and, according to census records, lived with family members most of the time. In 1900, Robert (age 73) was living with the family of his nephew, Frank Austin. His brother, Pleasant Austin (age 79), was also living there.
He (Robin Austin) was still alive at age 84 in 1910 and living in the 4th District of Bledsoe County, TN, with the family of his niece, Flora*—Mrs. Lewis P. (Pollard) Akin(s). I have no record of when or where Robert/Robin died or was buried, but those events may have occurred in Bledsoe County (Pikeville), Tennessee.
*Flora Elizabeth Austin Akins was the daughter of Pleasant and Mary E. Austin.
William Edward Austin - 1833-1890
William Edward Austin, the last child of Catherine and John Austin, was born on this date. At the time of William Edward’s birth, John would have been about 54 years old, and Catherine in her 40s.
Catherine’s son, William, was the second son of John, named William. John and his first wife, Rachel, named their first son William. But Rachel’s William died on April 7, 1833, and was buried in the Austin Cemetery. According to family stories, on September 28, 1833, William was named in honor of his older half-brother, whom he would never meet. Catherine was pregnant with this William Edward when the older half-brother William died.
William E. Austin married Mary Lou Frazier on January 24, 1859. According to her tombstone, Mary was born on October 6, 1824. If so, she was about nine years older than her bridegroom. The following year, the couple was residing in Precinct 4 of Dallas, Texas, where their daughter Maggie was born. Later census records confirm Dallas as Maggie’s place of birth. But Maggie’s parents did not linger long in Texas.
The Confederate 28th Tennessee Infantry, also known as the 2nd Tennessee Mountain Volunteers, was organized during September 1861 at Camp Zollicoffer in Overton County, Tennessee. Men for this unit were recruited from White County and other counties of upper middle Tennessee. As a private, William E. Austin enlisted in this Confederate infantry.
During the war, the 28th (Consolidated) Tennessee Infantry was active in several major battles, including Shiloh, Murfreesboro, Fishing Creek, Chickamauga, Port Hudson, and Atlanta.
On June 15, 1870, William Edward and Mary L., with children ages 3, 7, and 9, were living in the 1st Civil District in White County. He was a farmer. An 87-year-old “unable to work” female, Claricy Frasier, was living with them. This may have been Mary Lou’s mother.
On June 23, 1880, the William E. Austin family was still living in Civil District 1 of White County. The census record indicates that Mary and her parents were born in North Carolina. And their 19-year-old daughter, Maggie, was born in Texas, which is consistent with the 1860 and 1870 censuses. William’s brother Robert, a blacksmith, was living with them.
William Edward died in 1890, and Mary Lou also died that year, on October 18, 1890. They are both buried in the Bethlehem Cemetery in White County, near Doyle, TN. There is a tombstone for Mary, but none for her husband.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Catherine Haston Austin’s Daughters
See also:
Daniel Haston’s daughter, Catherine, married John Austin in about 1819. John’s first wife, Rachel, had recently died. Catherine inherited seven of Rachel’s children, immediately becoming a busy step-mother.
Over the next 23 years, Catherine gave birth to six children of her own–three girls and three boys. Even though they have generally been overlooked or forgotten, we need to realize and remember these children were grandchildren of Daniel Haston.
In the next article, I will introduce you to Daniel’s three Austin grandsons. But, ladies first. I want to introduce you to Daniel’s three Austin granddaughters.
Emmeline Austin (Doyle)
November 15, 1822 – Emmeline Austin, daughter of John and Catherine, was born in White County, TN, on November 15, 1822. On January 31, 1844, Emmeline married Downs B. (Brewster) Doyle, a planter (farmer). Downs was born in White County, TN, on September 10, 1817. Apparently, the newlywed couple moved to Bossier, Louisiana, very soon after their marriage, where they joined members of Downs’s family.
White County, TN residents, Simon Rogers Doyle (son of Simon Doyle) and Nancy White (daughter of John White, Sr. of White County, TN) moved to Bossier, LA, from White County sometime in the 1840s, but all of their children were born in Tennessee. Simon R. Doyle, Esq. was the coroner for White County, but resigned this position on July 5, 1841. I assume this was a step in the process of moving his family to Louisiana. Simon Rogers Doyle and Downs Brewster Doyle were first cousins; their fathers were brothers.
Downs and Emmeline were living in Bossier Parish at the time of the 1850 census, and their oldest child, age six, was born in Louisiana. Dossier Parish was one of the best cotton divisions of Louisiana.
The 1850 census indicates Emmeline was born in Georgia, which is inaccurate. And her recorded age of 22 is also inaccurate, but future censuses correct both. Notice that Emmeline named her second daughter Susan, perhaps a continuation of that name in Catherine Haston Austin’s family.
Downs became a prominent citizen in his parish. In 1847, he acquired 320 acres from the Bureau of Land Management (159.97 and 159.55). By 1872, he was a “police juror” for his district. In Louisiana, a police juror was an elected official who served as a member of the parish’s governing body, like a county commissioner in other states. Even the town where they lived was named “Doyline” for the Doyle families!
In 1880, Emmeline was living with her husband and their family (five daughters and three sons) in the 3rd Ward of Webster Parish, Louisiana. Webster Parish, east of and adjacent to Bossier Parish, was formed in 1871 out of Bossier and a couple of other parishes.
Emmeline had 13 children during their marriage. She died on February 13, 1902, and is buried in Doyline Cemetery in Webster Parish, LA.
Susan Austin (Duncan)
February 13, 1829 – Susan Austin, daughter of John and Catherine, was born on this date. She married John J. Duncan on November 1, 1855. Rev. William Jared, who performed their wedding ceremony, was a popular Methodist circuit-riding and camp meeting preacher in White County and the surrounding area.
In 1860, John J. and Susan Austin Duncan were living in District 12 of White County, John J.’s home district. His occupation was “County Officer.”* Even though they had been married for about five years, they had no children.
A Civil War Confederate document states he was a Clerk of the Circuit Court in White County when he enlisted.
In mid-1860, Susan’s husband was sued by George W. Gibbs* of Sparta, TN, for a breach of contract. The case was tried in the Tennessee 5th Circuit Court at Sparta, TN (where John J. Duncan was the court clerk), but was appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court.
*George W. Gibbs was a prominent lawyer in Sparta. He served as a State senator and General in the War of 1812, as well as the first president of the Union Bank of Tennessee at Nashville, and the founder of Union City, TN. The locally famous Confederate General George Gibbs Dibrell of White County was a nephew and namesake of George W. Gibbs.
On September 21, 1857, John J. Duncan agreed to purchase 1,175 acres on the top of Cumberland Mountain in White County, for one dollar per acre. Gibbs accused Duncan of failing to pay for the purchase. But Duncan claimed the deal was void due to fraud because Gibbs had not provided a sufficient description of the land. The State Supreme Court sided with Duncan. But the $1-per-acre mountain land was probably part of Gibb’s Cumberland Mountain land, which later became a major coal producer.
On December 9, 1861, John J. Duncan enlisted for 12 months in Company D of the Tennessee 1st Infantry Battalion (Colms’) at Sparta, TN. Captain David Snodgrass was his enlistment agent.
There are 12 pages in his Confederate files, detailing his medical history during the war, eventually leading to his dismissal for health reasons. Here is some of the information from his records.
In January of 1862, he was “sent home on sick furlough from Camp Weekly [near Nashville].” He “had a cough and was spitting up blood.”
May and June, 1863: “Absent at home on sick furlough from [Confederate hospital at] Lauderdale Springs, Miss.”
In 1870, he was a farmer on a 90-acre farm,[i] which must have been difficult given his hemoptysis, which was triggered by the slightest fatigue. Susan and John, apparently, were still childless.
John J. Duncan died on September 2, 1873, and Susan Austin Duncan died six years later, on June 6, 1879, as a result of convulsions. They are buried side-by-side in the Old Bon Air Cemetery in the Bon Air community of White County, Tennessee.
Bird Austin
February 18, 1831 – Bird Austin, a daughter of John and Catherine, only lived two and a half years. She died on July 17, 1833, and is buried next to Catherine in the Austin Cemetery.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
October 2026 – FAMILY Gathering in MO
It’s set – Mid-America Gathering for all descendants of Daniel Haston!
October 9 & 10, 2026 at the Ebenezer, MO Historical Society near Springfield, Missouri
It’s centrally located to numerous sites where Daniel Haston’s children and grandchildren settled in the 1800s. And we will visit some of them! Plus, historical presentations about some of these ancestors, and more.
Directions to Ebenezer, Missouri
Click on the map to expand the map.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
E.C. Haston – WCHS Principal
E.C. Haston - Principal of White County (TN) High School
Van Buren County, TN – Born and Grew Up
Edwin Cummings Haston was born on November 9, 1913, in Cummingsville, TN (3rd District in Van Buren County, TN).
Middle Tennessee State Teacher College – Murfreesboro, TN
1938
Cassville in Bartow County, Georgia
White County High School, Sparta, TN – 1951-1958
Death
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
1896 – Hastons in the News
1896 - Interesting Facts and Stories About Our Earlier Cousins
Thanks to the “now” online availability of historical newspapers, we can learn interesting facts and stories about some of our Haston relatives, especially the ones who lived in communities where there were newspapers that have been digitized and become accessible through the Internet.
I focus only on the Hastons known or suspected to be members of the Daniel Haston FAMILY. That includes the Hastains, who changed the spelling of the family name in Missouri and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, I am unable to include those who adopted the English Hasting and Hastings spellings, because only a tiny percentage of the people with those spellings are Daniel’s descendants.
1896, March 15
Mayor P.D. Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: Pleasant Dawson (P.D.) Hastain, great-grandson of Daniel Haston, was a controversial mayor in Sedalia, MO — Daniel > David > Daniel McComisky Haston/Hastain > Pleasant Dawson Hastain. In the Republican municipal primary, incumbent Mayor Hastain bested his opponent by 911 to 721 votes. Frequently, there was some controversy or fracas anytime Mayor Hastain was involved in an event, but this election went amazingly peacefully.
1896, March 20
J.M. Haston
Joel Montgomery Haston (son of Montgomery Greeneville Haston) was a vice postmaster at Cummingsville in Van Buren County, TN. In two papers on the same day–one says he had deceased, the other said he had resigned. Well, I know he was not deceased until 1925.
1896, April 16
W.C. Haston
Cedar County Republican and Stockton Journal: Attorney W.C. (William Carroll) Hastin, grandson of Isaac Haston (Daniel Haston’s son) was a Democrat. His cousin, P.D. Hastain, of Sedalia, MO was a staunch Republican.
1896, May 2
Mayor P.D. Hastain
The International. The African American (negro) population in Missouri were not shy about letting it be know that Mayor P.D. Hastain was their friend.
International Order of Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor
It was founded as the International Order of Twelve in 1846 as an antislavery society. The Order was re-organized in 1872 as a fraternal organization in Independence, Missouri. The new leader of the group was Moses Dickson, a clergyman of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In the 1890s the group claimed to have 100,000 members in thirty US states, the West Indies, England and Africa. Men’s lodges were called “Temples” and women’s lodges were “Tabernacles”. There were also juvenile lodges of the order called “Tents”. Male and female junior members were known as Pages of Honor and Maid, respectively.
1896, May 4
Jesse Haston (Jr)
The Independent Record (Helena, Montana): Jesse Haston, Jr., grandson of Daniel Haston and son of Jesse Haston from Howard County, MO was the ultimate cowboy. He dealt in thousands of cattle at a time.
1896, May 7
Haston Cemetery – Dallas County, MO
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: This is the Haston Cemetery in the county where Jeremiah Haston and his family lived. But no one in that area seems to know where the cemetery was/is located. I suspect it was on Jeremiah’s land, or perhaps the property of one of his children. It’s just seems to make sense to me. – Wayne Haston
1896, May 14
Wm Haston – Emma Melvina Banks
The Carthage (MO) Press: I don’t know how this William Haston fits into Daniel Haston family line, but since he’s from an area where several of our Hastons settled, he probably fits in somewhere. It’s a “sweet” story of young lovers madly in love.
1896, May 15
Mayor P.D. Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: Republican mayor of Sedalia, MO reminded the negros in Missouri that he “had always been the friend of the negro, in public and in private.” He told them that he wanted to see them prosper and fit themselves for the same positions among their own people that white men occupy among theirs.
1896, May 21
Mrs. W.C. Hastin & “Dow” Hastin
Stockton (MO) Journal: Attorney William Carroll Hastin was the son of Samuel Douthard (“Dow”) Hastin, whose father was Isaac Haston (son of Daniel Haston). They were in Cedar County, MO.
1896, June 3
Jesse B. (Bascom) Haston
St. Louis (MO) Globe-Democrat: Jesse B. Haston, son of William Asbury Haston and grandson of Jesse Haston, Sr., received an “A.M.” degree (now called a Master of Arts, M.A. degree) from the Add-Ran Christian University, now Texas Christian University. It was named Add-Ran for two brothers, Addison and Randolph Clark, who were ministers and teachers in the Fort Worth, TX area, who had a vision for a Christian university. The school was affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
1896, June 16
Mayor P.D. Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: Mayor P.D. Hastain never shied away from a fight and sometimes instigated them. In a session to select national committeeman, Mayor Hastain made a remark that sparked an opposing delegate to stand up and make a sharp personal attack on the mayor. Hastain pulled a knife from his pocket in response. Fortunately, friends stepped in to separate the two men.
Two days later, the same (Democrat) newspaper that made the report about the knife, published a different story, saying Mayor Hastain did not have a knife – that it was only a shining match case.
1886, July 17
Mrs. Jane Haston
Marceline (MO) Journal Mirror: I am not sure how Jane Haston fits into our Haston family, but the fact that the wedding was held at Chillicothe, MO is a clue that she was probably from the extended Jesse Haston family. But, I don’t know what she was doing living in Massachusetts. But, what a touching love story!
1896, July 19
Mina Haston
The (Nashville) Tennessean: Mina Haston (probably Minnie Lavina Haston, daughter of James Woodville Haston, Sr. and Celia Jane Womack) was an officer in Alma Rebekah Lodge, No. 25, at Onward Seminary in White County, TN. Onward was a community a mile or so east of the town of Doyle, TN. She married John Andrew Johnson Savage on February 26, 1899.
The Daughters of Rebekah, founded in 1851, began as the female auxiliary of The Independent Order of Odd Fellows. As a single woman at the time of this story, Mina’s father would have had to be a member of the Odd Fellows.
1896, July 21
Mayor P.D. Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: In debates about moving the MO capital from Jefferson City to Sedalia, MO, Jefferson City mayor was not match for Sedalia’s Mayor P.D. Hastain. This was certainly true at the 15th anniversary of the discovery of the El Dorado springs in Cedar County, MO.
1896, August 14
C.T. and Van and Dick Haston
The Sparta (TN) Expositor: Three Hickory Valley (southern White County, TN) Hastons were on the committee to organized a reunion of Civil War veterans.
C.T. [Charles Thomas] Haston (son of William Carroll Haston and grandson of David Haston and great-grandson of Daniel Haston) was my great grandfather on my dad’s paternal side. J.C. [John Calvin] Wallace was my great-grandfather on my dad’s mother’s side. He was a Confederate Civil War veteran and was a POW, but escaped. Van [David Lavander] Haston was a brother of C.T. Haston. -Wayne Haston
Jesse Haston, in Miles City, MT, died of a broken heart, 15 months after the death of his wife. They left behind three orphaned children. He was only 55 years old.
1896, October 22
D.L. Haston
The (Nashville) Tennessean: It appears that D.L. Haston was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $100 in a Federal Court in Nashville, TN. There were three D.L. Hastons in White and Van Buren Counties at that time. We are not told what the crime was and we can not be sure which D.L. Haston this was, but other sources indicate that D.L. Haston, the son of Isaac T. Haston, conducted business in Nashville, which was approximately 80 miles west of where he lived. He was known to distribute illegal whiskey.
1896, October 23
Mayor P.D. Hastain
Sedalia (MO) Weekly Democrat: Pleasant Dawson Hastain’s most significant political maneuver as Major of Sedalia, MO was an attempt to move the capital of Missouri from Jefferson City to his down, Sedalia, MO.
1896, December 9
George Hastain
George was the son of Woodson Asbury Hastain. He was born on October 27, 1881, so he would have been 15 years old at the time his coat was stolen.
1896, December 5
W.A. Hastain
The Clinton (MO) Eye: Woodson Asbury Haston was a son of Daniel McComisky and Anna Greene Hastain. His mother, Martha J. Wade Hastain, was the second wife of his father. So, he was a half-brother of Pleasant Dawson Hastain, mayor of Sedalia, MO.
1896, December 20
Mayor P.D. Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: Mayor Hastain came with an idea of providing work for the deserving poor, to help them provide for their families.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Who is Buried in the Christina Nave Grave
When he was approximately 23 years old, our ancestor Daniel Haston (originally Hiestand) married Christina Nave on September 28, 1773, in Dunmore/Shenandoah County, VA. I think we can say with confidence that she was the mother of Daniel’s first four or five children, at least.
And we can be sure that for the first few years of their marriage, including the birth of the first four or five of their children, they were living along Passage Creek in Fort Valley on top of the Massanutten Mountain between New Market, VA, and Strasburg, VA.
But…there are reasons to believe Christina died in VA, or maybe somewhere on the way to TN.
I do not believe Christina Nave is buried in the “Christina Grave” in the Big Fork Cemetery,
next to Daniel’s grave. But, I think his post-Christina wife is buried there!
Who was she?
John Sevier, the first governor of the State of Tennessee, knew, and he gave us the answer!
John Sevier, the first governor of Tennessee, came to Tennessee from the same area of Virginia that Daniel Haston came from. When he was governor, Knoxville was the state capital. Sevier owned a farm southeast of Knoxville, where he spent much of his time when he was not doing “governor stuff” in Knoxville.
To get to his farm, he took a ferry across the Holston (now Tennessee) River and took the road toward what is now Sevierville, TN. In doing so, he passed by the lot where Daniel Haston’s family lived.
According to his journal (see below), in 1796 he purchased garden products from Mrs. Haiston. Her name was Suza. Mrs. Haston’s name, at that time, was not Christina.
OK, I’ve known this much for several years, and it has made me suspect that Daniel’s second wife was someone named Suza, with her more formal birth name being Susan. But, is there supporting evidence to confirm this suspicion?
I was recently working on chapter 21 for Book 3 in the four-part series, The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston. Chapter 21 covers the life of Daniel’s daughter, Lucinda Haston, and her husband, Jacob Mitchell. I noticed something that I had not seen before:
- Lucinda named her first daughter Susan!
- Lucinda’s first son (Lorenzo Dow) named his first daughter Susan.
- Lucinda’s second daughter (Rhoda Jane) named her second daughter Susan.
- And given the infant mortality of that era, it’s possible there were other girls who were given the name Susan in Lucinda’s family.
These multiple appearances of “Susan” in the family were certainly not coincidental–there was a reason behind it. And Susan was not a common name in the Daniel Haston family, nor the Mitchell family of Lucinda’s husband. And it’s common knowledge in genealogy that children were often named after their parents or grandparents.
I now believe that Daniel’s post-Christina wife was someone named Susan. And I think she probably was the mother of Lucinda and the later batch of Daniel Haston’s children. Lucinda was probably born in the 1790s, along with Isaac, Jesse, Jeremiah, and probably Catherine. Maybe others!
At the time of the 1820 White County, TN census, a female “of 45 years old and upward” (column 11) was living with Daniel. That means this woman was born sometime before 1775. Unfortunately, the census does not tell us the “upward limit” beyond age 45, so we don’t know how young she was. If that was Mrs. Suza Haston who sold garden produce to Governor John Sevier in the mid-1790s, she could have been the right age to be Lucinda’s mother and the mother of several of Lucinda’s siblings.
So, if I had to guess who is buried in “Christina Nave’s grave,” I would guess that her given name was Suza, a nickname version of Susan. But, I still haven’t a clue what her maiden family name was.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Hastons in Early Van Buren County, TN Court Minutes – 1860-1866
Hastons in Court - The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Year of 1860
| Page | Name | Description |
| 361 | Wm. C. Haston | Mentioned here as a constable. |
| Ritchmand (Richmond) Haston | State vs. Richmond Haston (small offenses court) – cost or fine of $2.00. Note: This was probably Richmond T. Jones, who lived in the David Haston household and may have been adopted by David and Polly Haston. | |
| 362 | M.G. Haston | State vs. M.G. Haston – cost or fine of $3.00. |
| W.C. Haston | 2 cases – State vs. Joseph Simmons, Execution in W.C. Haston …? | |
| 367 | James A. Haston’s place Emely Haston | 2nd class road from the crossroads near W.B. Cumming’s to the two-mile post on the mountain near James A. Haston’s. On the road crew were hands on W.B. Cumming’s place, except for where Emely Haston lived. Who was Emely Haston? |
| 373 | W.C. Haston | Mentioned here as a constable. |
| 376 | M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (April term) |
| M.G. Haston | Produced his commission as a Justice of the Peace. | |
| 383 | M.G. Haston | Voted in the affirmative on court action regarding some bills of cost. |
| 384 | M.G. Haston | Voted “yea” on court action regarding a court expenditure. |
| M.G. Haston | Voted “yea” on court action regarding a court expenditure. | |
| 388 | William C. Haston M.G. Haston | William C. Haston produced his certificate for re-election as 3rd District Constable. M.G. Haston was security for him. Also, see below and on the next two pages. |
| 389 | William C. Haston M.G. Haston | Continuation of the re-installation of William C. Haston as constable. |
| 390 | William C. Haston M.G. Haston | Continuation of the re-installation of William C. Haston as constable. |
| M.G. Haston | J.P. – count court (adjournment of the Monday session of the April term). This appears to be the personal signature of M.G. Haston. | |
| M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (Tuesday session of April term) | |
| 398 | Nancy Haston W.B. Haston | W.B. Cummings was appointed guardian for Nancy Haston, daughter of W.B. Haston and his wife, Tansy Haston, deceased. Isaac T. Haston was a security for this arrangement. This transaction calls Tamsy Haston the “former wife” of W.B. Haston and indicates that she was deceased. Note: Some records indicate that W.B. Haston married Mary Dunham (second wife) on July 13, 1845, in VB County. A man by the name of W.B. Haston (54 years old, farmer, born in TN) and Mary (35 years old, born in TN) appear on the 1860 Sebastian County, Arkansas census. If this is accurate, why would W.B.’s daughter (born to Tamsey Austin Haston…his first wife) be put into the care of a guardian in Tennessee? Census records indicate that she would have been about 20 years old at the time, which would have still been a minor. Perhaps she chose to stay in Tennessee when her father and stepmother moved to Arkansas. |
| 399 | David Haston – now deceased | David Haston had died. Isaac T. Haston was appointed as the administrator of his estate. Wm. Sparkman and Ichabod Mitchell were his securities. No mention is made of W.C. Haston or M.G. Haston, or other Hastons. |
| 412 | James A. Haston | Ordered to take oversight of the road from Spencer to the 2-mile post near the top of the mountain on the Spencer and Sparta road. |
| 413 | Montgomery G. Haston | Appointed to serve on the December 1860 circuit court. He lived in the 4th district. |
| 421 | James R. Haston | James R. Haston had been overcharged for one pole (poll) at the rate of 70 cents. |
| 422 | M.G. Haston | M.G. Haston was a judge in the 4th district for the 1860 presidential election. Note: This was the election in which Abraham Lincoln was elected and which ultimately precipitated the Civil War. |
| 426 | M.G. Haston | M.G. Haston was a bondsman for this legal arrangement regarding J.W. Mitchell’s appointed role as guardian of minor orphans. |
| 432 | M.G. Haston Wm. C. Haston | Both were appointed to lay off and set apart to Nancy Jane Myers, widow of Dillard P. Myers, deceased, one year’s support. |
| 434 | M.G. Haston | Apparently, Hester Seamans (formerly Hester Mitchell) had been put under the guardianship of James W. Mitchell, but is now married to James Seamans. M.G. Haston had been a bondsman for the guardianship arrangement. |
Year of 1861
Year of 1862
| Page | Name | Description |
| 90 | Montgomery G. Haston | J.P. – county court (January term) |
| William C. Haston | Was one of the poor house commissioners for 1862. | |
| 91 | Isaac T. Haston | |
| J.A. Haston | J.A. Haston appointed for April 1862 circuit court jury duty from the 7th district. Was this James A. (Alfred) Haston? If so, how could that be since he was attached to the 3rd district in the previous year? | |
| James M. Haston | State vs. James M. Haston – $6.75 fine or court cost. | |
| M.G. Haston | Voted to certify the court costs presented to the court (including the James Haston case) | |
| 93 | M.G. Haston | Voted for payment of last year’s services by quorum court members – paid $1.00 per day of service. |
| M.G. Haston | Voted to pay the Superintendent of the Poor House $352.95, possibly for a year’s service. | |
| Wm. C. Haston | Appointed as one of the 1862 poor house commissioners. | |
| 94 | M.G. Haston | Voted to pay A.L. Parker, court clerk, for a records book he had purchased, probably the very one that he was using at this time. |
| 95 | M.G. Haston | Voted to pay G.B. Johnson $23.92 for something. |
| M.G. Haston | Voted to pay the revenue commissioners $5.00. | |
| 98 | M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (adjournment of Monday session in January term) This appears to be the personal signature of M.G. Haston. |
| M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (Tuesday session in January term) | |
| 99 | M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (adjournment of January term) This appears to be the personal signature of M.G. Haston. |
| Wm. C. Haston M.G. Haston | Wm. C. Haston and M.G. Haston appeared in court as securities for John J. Walker as a guardian of the heirs of David A. Walker decd. | |
| 101 | Wm. C. Haston | State vs. Wm. C. Haston – It appears that Wm. C. Haston owed $2.00 in court costs from an 1861 case. |
| Wm. C. Haston | Referred to as Sheriff. | |
| 102 | M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (Tuesday session in April term) |
| 107 | Montgomery G. Haston | Mongumery [sic] G. Haston was security for John M. Billingsley, who had been elected as county trustee. |
| 108 | M.G. Haston | Another bond for John M. Billingsley, with M.G. Haston’s signature. |
| William C. Haston Isaac T. Haston Montgomery Haston | William C. Hastin elected as Sheriff, as of March 1, 1862. Isaac T. Hastin, Mongumry G. Hastin, and John J. Walker were his securities. | |
| 109 | W.C. Haston M.G. Haston Isaac T. Haston | Signatures for the election of W.C. Haston as county Sheriff. |
| W.C. Haston M.G. Haston Isaac T. Haston | Another bond for Wm. C. Haston as the elected Sheriff. | |
| 110 | William C. Haston | Took his oath for the office of Sheriff. |
| W.C. Haston | Was appointed to make sure that the able bodied men in the 3rd district from 18-55 years old reported for military duty immediately. Note: Wm. C. Haston was in this age range too. | |
| M.G. Haston | Was appointed to make sure that the able bodied men in the 4th district from 18-55 years old reported for military duty immediately. Note: M.G. Haston was in this age range too. | |
| 113 | Montgomery G. Haston Wm. C. Haston | Elected to be the revenue collector of county and state taxes for two years. Wm. C. Haston was one of his securities. |
| 114 | Montgomery G. Haston | Another bond for M.G. Haston’s election as tax collector. |
| 115 | M.G. Haston W.C. Haston | Signatures for M.G. Haston’s appointment to the office of tax collector. |
| M.G. Haston | Took office for his new role as tax collector. | |
| Isaac T. Haston | Security for John H. Jones, who had been elected as constable of the 3rd district. | |
| 116 | Isaac T. Haston | His name on another bond for John H. Jones, 3rd district constable. |
| M.G. Haston | Voted to pay the previous Sheriff for his services. | |
| M.G. Haston | Voted to use the money from the jail tax to be applied to pay off the _____. | |
| 121 | W.C. Haston | Mentioned as the Sheriff. |
| W.C. Haston | Mentioned as the Sheriff. | |
| 123 | W.C. Haston | Mentioned as the Sheriff. |
| 124 | M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (July term) |
| 125 | M.G. Haston | Appointed for jury in December 1862 circuit court, representing the 4th district. |
| Wm. C. Haston | Mentioned as the Sheriff. | |
| 127 | M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (adjournment of August term) This appears to be the personal signature of M.G. Haston. |
| 129 | M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (October term) |
| M.G. Haston | He and William Worthington approved quorum for the unexpired term of the present year. | |
| 131 | J.P. – county court (adjournment of October term) This appears to be the personal signature of M.G. Haston. | |
| 132 | M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (November term) |
| Wm. C. Haston | Appointed as an assessor (?) for the 3rd district. | |
| M.G. Haston | Appointed as an assessor (?) for the 4th district. | |
| 133 | Abijah Crane’s death | Death of Abijah Crane. |
| 134 | Wm. C. Haston | Security in estate settlement of M.D. Walker. |
| 135 | M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (Wednesday session of November term) |
| 136 | Wm. C. Haston | He and others appointed to lay off one year’s support for widow of M.D. Walker decd. |
| Isaac T. Haston | Isaac T. Haston, as administrator of David Haston’s estate, was in court. Apparently the estate was settled and recorded. | |
| William C. Haston Isaac T. Haston | Securities for G.W. Sparkman who was elected to the county court. | |
| 137 | William C. Haston Isaac T. Haston | Signatures as securities for G.W. Sparkman’s election to the court. |
| M.G. Haston | J.P. – county court (adjournment of Monday session in November term) This appears to be the personal signature of M.G. Haston. | |
| 138 | Wm. C. Haston | Report to the court (by him and others) regarding the assignment in the previous term to lay off one year’s support for widow of M.D. Walker decd. |
Year of 1863 January – August Only
| Page | Name | Description |
| 141 | W.C. Haston | Appointed as a commissioner for the poor house for this year. |
| 142 | James R. Haston | On the tax collector’s list: James R. Haston for the amount of 80 cents. |
| William C. Haston | As the Sheriff he was to be allowed $23.20 for various reasons. | |
| 150 | M.G. Haston | Resigned as the enrolling officer for the 4th district. |
| 151 | Robert Gamble died | He died in 1862. |
| 152 | Robert Gamble (Sr.) estate settlement information | Robert Gamble, Sr. estate settlement information. His property was in the 4th district. It is interesting that not much (if anything) was said about him in recent years, previous to his death. |
| 153 | W.C. Haston | W.C. Haston was one of several people to divide Robert Gamble, Sr.’s land for estate settlement purposes. |
| 156 | M.G. Haston | April 6, 1863 – M.G. Haston (4th district) resigned his office as Justice of the Peace. He also resigned his office of tax collector on the same day. On March 2 of this same year, he had resigned his office as enrolling officer. Note: As per his C.S.A. records, he enlisted in military service on July 17, 1863 and deserted on July 31, 1863. He enlisted for a term of “three years or war.” |
| 160 | W.C. Haston | Reference to him as one of the men who divided estate lands of Robert Gamble, Sr. deceased. |
| 161 | Wm. C. Haston | Owned 100 acres, for which it appears that he owed some taxes. |
| 162 | M.G. Haston | As tax collector he turned in a list of land owners and taxes, which had been paid or were due. |
| 166 | Isaac T. Haston | Elected as justice of the peace for the 3rd district. |
| 167 | I.T. Haston | J.P. – county court (adjournment of July term) This appears to be the personal signature of I.T. Haston. |
The court minutes (recorded in this book) end here, | ||
Year of 1864
There are no (known existing) Van Buren County, TN court minutes for the year 1864.
It appears that there was no active Van Buren County Court for two years during the Civil War. After Confederate General Braxton Bragg retreated from Tullahoma to Chattanooga, Federal troops roamed freely throughout the county.
Year of 1865 August – December Only
The Civil War ended on April 9, 1865. | ||
| Page | Name | Description |
| 168 | [Wm. C. Haston] | James Hunter was commissioned as Sheriff. The last time county court minutes were available, Wm. C. Haston was Sheriff. Apparently, he was not or chose not to be re-elected at some time during the Civil War. |
| 173 | Isaac T. Haston | Appointed to jury duty for the August 1865 circuit court, to represent the 3rd district. |
| 176 | Isaac T. Haston | Produced a commission in court for the office of Trustee of Van Buren County. |
| 177 | Isaac T. Haston | J.P. – county court (July term) |
| Isaac T. Haston | A 2nd bond for Isaac T. Haston’s installation as trustee. W.A. Myers, Wm. L. Steakly and A.L. Parker were his securities. | |
| 185 | Haston’s place – top of the mountain | 2nd class road from W.B. Cummings’ stoar [sic] house to the top of the mountain of Haston’s… |
| John Shepard Dock Shepard Miles N. Haston | John Shepard was appointed overseer of the 2nd-class road from W.B. Cummings’ stone house to the ford of the Caney Fork at the mouth of Cane Creek. Dock Shepard and Miles N. Haston were on that crew. Note: Miles N. Haston was probably the son of Isaac N. Haston, son of Joseph Haston (Daniel’s son). He married Mary A. Shepard. For information on John and Dock Shepard, see the material on the Daniel Haston family prepared by Howard H. Hastings, Sr. | |
| 186 | James R. Haston M.G. Haston | Both were on a road crew – 3rd third-class road from the lower end of James Myer’s farm at the forks of the road to the top of the mountain near Aaron Seitz’s. Note: This is the first court minutes mention of M.G. Haston after the Civil War. |
| 187 | James Haston | On a road crew – from the county line at Lynn Mitchell’s farm to the foot of the mountain at the Crain farm. This may have been from the White County – Van Buren County line to the foot of what became Yates Mountain (now, Lemont) Road…up the mountain by Spring Branch. The previous road (just mentioned) was probably the mountain road extension of this current road. |
| M.G. Haston’s place | 3rd class road between the end of the lane at M.G. Haston’s and the end of the lane near Joseph Walker’s. | |
| W.C. Haston’s shop William Haston Wm. C. Haston Isaac Haston, Jr. Isaac T. Haston | 3rd class road from Wm. C. Haston’s Shop to the forks of the road at Crain’s farm – William Haston, Wm. C. Haston, Isaac Haston, Jr. were on that crew. Isaac T. Haston was the road overseer. | |
| 194 | William C. Haston | Appointed to jury duty for the December 1865 circuit court, representing the 3rd district. |
| 198 | M.G. Haston | On a jury to view and change the road…leaving the road at the forks between Jesse Brock and the top of the mountain. |
| 199 | Samuel Haston John Haston | 2nd class road from Spencer to two two-mile post at the top of the mountain…Samuel Haston and John Haston on that crew. |
| W.C. Haston’s place Miles N. Haston | Road from W.C. Haston be extended to Wm. Moore’s. Miles N. Haston was appointed to the overseer. | |
| 201 | James A. Haston | “Proved” a wild cat scalp in court. |
| 220 | M.G. Haston | He was security in the estate settlement of Daniel Mooneyham. |
| 222 | Wm. C. Haston | Was security for the estate settlement of Ste___? Hollingsworth, deceased. |
| 239 | Isaac T. Haston David Haston, decd. | More on Isaac T. Haston’s settlement of the David Haston estate. |
| 241 | Richmon Haston M.G. Haston’s fields | Richmon (probably “Richmond”) Haston on a jury with a view to laying off and marking a change in the road from the north east corner of M.G. Haston’s fields to the old road at the north east corner of Drake’s field. |
| 242 | M.G. Haston | Appeared in open court with John J. Walker, who was the guardian of the minor heirs of David Walker. M.G. Haston was a security for this arrangement. |
Year of 1866 January – June
| Page | Name | Description |
| Note: The last page for the minutes of the December 1865 term was page 242. The first page for the minutes of the January 1866 term was page 259. | ||
| 264 | Release from tax obligations | Van Buren County people were released from the obligation of 1862, 1863, & 1864 taxes. |
| 265 | Some changes in civil districts | Some changes in the civil districts, especially district 1. Districts 2 & 3 remained unchanged. |
| 267 | I.T. Haston | I.T. Haston was appointed to serve as a judge for official business, representing the 3rd district. |
| 271 | W.C. Haston lands | Plumlee lands (about 800 acres) were adjacent to land owned by W.C. Haston on the east, in the 3rd district. |
| 277 | Mirah Haston | Appointed as administratrix of the estate of James (M.) Haston, deceased. James Sparkman and John A. Head were securities for this estate settlement. |
| 279 | Mira / Myra Haston | Administratrix of James M. Haston, deceased. She signed with her mark. |
| Note: Page numbers 281 – 300 & 303 – 318 & 323 – 338 are missing. It appears, however, that no court minutes were skipped. | ||
| 321 | Dock Shepard Miles Haston | 2nd class road from mouth of Cane Creek to Cummings’ stone house – Dock Sheapard (Shepard) and Miles Haston were on that crew. |
| 340 | Arthur Mitchell’s farm | Road passing near Hodges Ferry changed…until it strikes the line between Arthur Mitchell and Wm. Hodges farms. |
| 345 | W.C. Haston | Introduction to W.L. Mainard’s election to the office of constable (see next page). |
| 346 | W.C. Haston | W.C. Haston was a bondsman for W.L. Mainard, elected to the office of constable for the 2nd district. |
| 347 | W.C. Haston | Bondsman’s signature for the W.L. Mainard election to the office of constable. |
| 351 | M.N. Haston W.C. Haston | M.N. Haston produced in court a certificate of his election to the office of 3rd district constable. Who was he? Was W.C. Haston a security for him? |
| M.N. Haston W.C. Haston | Their signatures for M.N. Haston’s election to the office of 3rd district constable. | |
| M.N. Haston | He took the oath for the office of constable. | |
| 352 | M.N. Haston | The post-Civil War climate is seen here as M.N. Haston is required to pledge his loyalty to the United States of America in a very explicit way. |
| M.N. Haston | M.N. Haston officially assumed the office of constable of the 3rd district. | |
| 353 | W.C. Haston | Security for William A. Myers for his election to the office of Trustee of Van Buren County. |
| W.C. Haston | His signature is related to the William A. Myers election as a trustee. | |
| 354 | W.C. Haston | 2nd bond for William A. Myers |
| W.C. Haston | Mentioned again in the William A. Myers installation as a trustee. | |
| 360 | I.T. Haston | Security in estate settlement for F.E. Plumlee, decd. |
| 361 | I.T. Haston | He signed as a bondsman for the F.E. Plumlee estate settlement. |
| Isaac T. Haston | Appointed to jury duty for the August 1866 circuit court. | |
| M.N. Haston | Appointed to serve as the constable for the August 1866 circuit court. | |
| James A. Haston Isaac T. Haston | Appointed to be judges in the 3rd district for the election of attorney general. | |
| 362 | Isaac T. Haston | Was security for the estate settlement of Hesekiah (Hezekiah) Mooneyham. |
| Isaac T. Haston | Signed as a bondsman for the Hezekiah Mooneyham estate settlement. | |
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Murder of Sheriff Montgomery G. Haston – 3
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Book 2 – The Life of Daniel Haston
It will be about December 10 before large quantities will be available for shipping.
Scroll Down to Order a Copy or Copies of the Book
Before you choose a shipping option, be aware that...
Local Pickup option is only for situations where shipping is not required.
Library Rate is only to be used between libraries.
Media Rate may take up to two weeks, or more, and may be handled more roughly than Priority shipping.
Other Payment Options
- Option 1 – Call and give us your credit card information for the payment. That’s how many archives, historical societies, etc. transact credit card payments. Send your phone number in an email and tell me when it’s convenient to call. WayneH37@aol.com
- Option 2 – Mail a check, but contact me before writing the check so we can calculate shipping costs.
WayneH37@aol.com or 717.648.2383 – Mail check to Wayne Haston, 11979 Old Kentucky Road, Walling, TN 38587
Also, please include your email address with your check.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Murder of Sheriff Montgomery G. Haston – 2
Links will be activated when the stories are posted.
I’ve been taught, and have taught others, that the stories we tell ourselves create emotions, and it is those emotions that sometimes drive us to reactions that we often later regret. Here is a classic example.
Here are some clippings from the many newspaper accounts of the June 13, 1936 murder of Van Buren County, Tennessee’s Sheriff, Montgomery Greenville Haston. Each article tells a little bit about that sad event.
M.G had apparently just paid for something in the garage (probably gasoline), and had just walked out of the garage. According to my mother (who attended the murder trial), he had some loose change in his hand when he was shot. He was standing on the north side of the street - right in front of the garage (which faced south). Raleigh Hutchinson's restaurant, which was across the street and slightly southwest, can be seen in the 1939 aerial photograph. The big building just east of the gas pump was Morgan Lewis' store.
Hoyte Cook
You will see contradictions (and untruths) within these newspaper reports, but that’s the way it is with newspaper reports.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Murder of Sheriff Montgomery G. Haston
Links will be activated when the stories are posted.
Who would have thought that this innocent-looking little boy would become the Sheriff of Van Buren County, TN, and be gunned down in such a horrific way?
Montgomery Greenville Haston, born June 9, 1898, was the son of Isham (Isom) B. and Mary Emma Lewis Haston. His grandparents were Montgomery Greenville and Rachel Wheeler Haston. He was the namesake grandson of Montgomery Greenville Haston, the prominent Van Buren Countian who died in 1869. He was a great–great-great-grandson of Daniel Haston, but Daniel may have held him in his arms as a baby or a toddler.
–
Montgomery was completing his first term as Sheriff and was planning to run for another term, but that may not have been a factor in what happened about two months before the election.
–
On June 13, 1936, Sheriff Montgomery G. Haston was murdered by an angry citizen of Van Buren County, TN. The Sheriff pulled in front of a business across the street from the county courthouse in Spencer, TN. Charles M. Clark pulled up, opened the door of his vehicle, confronted Sheriff Haston with a shotgun, and shot him point-blank. Montgomery’s death certificate[i] says he was “shot down on the street; death was instantaneous.” “Shot [twice] with a shotgun, 70 [# 8] buckshot in the abdomen.”
–
There are different versions of the story. Mr. Clark’s granddaughter candidly shared with me the most likely real story. As that story goes, Montgomery and his brother, Ray Haston, had an earlier disagreement with Charlie Clark over some wood that Charlie had cut on the Hastons’ property, a relatively minor matter.
–
Charlie Clark accused the Hastons of lying about him, which was the incident that sparked Clark’s volatile temper. Clark was convicted of first-degree murder and spent several years in prison.
–
[i] “Montgomery G. Haston,” Tennessee, U.S., Death Records, 1908-1965 (Year 1936, Roll Number 6). Nashville, TN: Tennessee State Library and Archives.
That’s the basic story, but there is more to the story.
The story of Sheriff Haston’s death was covered by newspapers all across the USA. Some of the stories provide additional details, and sometimes the stories contradict each other. In the next episode, I will share some of those nuanced newspaper stories. In the third episode, I will present the aftermath of the murder of Sheriff Haston, what happened in the months and years to follow his death.
Links will be activated when the stories are posted.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
David Montgomery Haston – Trouble Getting His Confederate Pension
65 Years After the War - Confederate Pension Denied
Jane Haston Ritter’s Memory of the Family Story About Her Great-Grandfather, David Montgomery Haston
The only thing I remember my mother saying was that he never ate biscuits after the war because of worms or bugs, something was in them. He always ate and enjoyed cornbread.
Jane Haston Ritter
David Montgomery Haston was born and grew up in Van Buren County, TN, but in 1930 he was living in Stephens County, Oklahoma.
Oklahoma’s Confederate Pension Act of 1915 provided pensions for disabled or indigent Confederate veterans and their widows who were residents of the state. Applications were handled by the state’s Board of Pension Commissioners, and records can be found through the Oklahoma Historical Society or its digital archives, which preserve the index cards for these pensions. It’s important to note that this was a state-level program, as the federal government did not issue pensions for Confederate veterans.
https://digitalprairie.ok.gov/digital/collection/pensions
In 1915, the Oklahoma Legislature approved the Confederate Soldiers’ Pension Bill. The Board of Pension Commissioners received applications and allowed, or refused, pensions based on established criteria, including the applicant’s residence in Oklahoma for 12 months prior to the passage and approval of the Act. -Oklahoma Department of Libraries
At the age of 84 and living in Marlow, OK, David Montgomery Haston file an application for a pension, 65 years after the war ended and he was discharged.
It’s so sad!
After serving for three full years, fighting in such an active outfit for a cause so dear to him, 84-year-old David Montgomery Haston’s petition for a pension was rejected. Why? Because all of his known soldier friends had died, and no one remained to vouch for him. He lived three years and died in 1933.
Why Could the Pension Commissioner Not Find a Confederate Record for Him?
Many Confederate soldier records are missing due to poor record-keeping, the destruction of Confederate archives after the war, and a lack of a centralized personnel system. Additionally, many records were lost, misplaced, or never created in the first place.
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
1895 – Hastons in the News
1895 - Interesting Facts and Stories About Our Earlier Cousins
Thanks to the “now” online availability of many historical newspapers, we can learn interesting facts and stories about some of our Haston relatives, especially the ones who lived in communities where there were newspapers that have been digitized and become accessible through the Internet.
I focus only on the Hastons known or suspected to be members of the Daniel Haston FAMILY. That includes the Hastains, who changed the spelling of the family name in Missouri and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, I am unable to include those who adopted the English Hasting and Hastings spellings, because only a tiny percentage of the people with those spellings are Daniel’s descendants.
J.P. (James Preston) Hastain, the son of Daniel McComisky Haston/Hastain, and his business partner, ran this newspaper ad throughout the year 1895. Appleton, MO was in St. Clair County.
When James Preston Hastain was born in 1831, in Tennessee, United States, his father, Daniel McComisky Hastain, was 23 and his mother, Anna N. Greene, was 16. He married Octavia Hinckle on 21 March 1867, in Henry, Missouri, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 4 daughters. He lived in Monegaw Springs, St. Clair, Missouri, United States in 1880 and Appleton City, St. Clair, Missouri, United States in 1900. He died in 1913, in Missouri, United States, at the age of 82, and was buried in Appleton City, St. Clair, Missouri, United States. FamilySearch.org
1895, January 26
Dave Hastin
The Clinton (MO) Eye: Dave Hastin, who was once a “bloody bushwhacker” in Cedar County, MO returned to his home county after being away for 20 years. He was a Confederate soldier in the Civil War and moved to Texas, then Arkansas, after the war, probably to escape revenge from some of his Union neighbors. He was a grandson of Isaac Haston, who moved to California before the war. Apparently, his war activities were remembered 20 years later.
1895, January 31
Miss Anna A. Hastain
The Clinton (MO) Daily Democrat: The marriage of Anna A. Hastain, daughter of W.A. Hastain, to Bendix Holst was announced. W.A. Hastain was the son of Daniel McComisky Haston/Hastain.
1895, February 4
Mayor P.D. Hastain
St. Louis Globe-Democrat: In the previous months, Cheyenne County, Kansas, had suffered because of a drought and grasshopper invasion. Mayor Pleasant Dawson Hastain, led in a relief effort to provide assistance to the county.
Mayor Hastain also organized efforts to assist other counties that had suffered from the same fate.
1895, February 7
George Haston
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: This was probably George W. Haston (born 1866), son of Jeremiah McKinley Haston II and Nancy E.N. Cooper (Haston). According to family records, he married Martha Priscilla White on January 13, 1889.
Box (or pie) suppers used to be money-raising events, where girls made pies and cakes, etc., and boys bid on them, which came with the opportunity to eat with the girl. Sometimes the pie, cake, or whatever was hidden inside a box, thus the term “box” supper. I’ve been there, done that! George Haston was voted the “Ugliest Man,” which doesn’t mean he was actually the ugliest. It was good entertainment, especially in the years before TV and internet.
1895, February 18
Bertha Hastain
The Clinton (MO) Daily Democrat: Bertha May Hastain (born 1875) was the daughter of Woodson Asbury Hastain and Sarah Jane Walker Hastain, and granddaughter of Daniel McComisky Hastain and Anna N. Greene Hastain. She married Joseph Shelby McCuan in 1895. She apparently was a leader in the Epworh League, a Methodist young adult association fo rpeople aged 1835.
1895, February 21
Mrs. J.W.B. Haston, Sr.
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: The wife of John W. Brownlow Haston was honored with a birthday dinner. According to family records, she was Mary Adeline Holmes (Haston), born December 5, 1867. If she were born on December 5th, why would she have a birthday dinner in mid-February? John W. Brownlow was the son of John Wesley Haston and Mary Caroline Forester Haston. Was he given the Brownlow part of his name because of “Parson” (William Gannaway) Brownlow the prominent Tennessee politician and Methodist minister who remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War, later to become Governor of Tennessee (1865-1869)? Brownlow became Tennessee’s governor the year J.W.B. Haston was born.
1895, February 22
Mayor P.D. Hastain
Rocheport (MO) Commercial: Mayor P.D. Hastain led an effort to move the capital of Missouri to Sedalia from Jefferson City. Mayor Hastain and his associates were mocked for this attempt, which failed by a margin of 65% to 35%. Jefferson City was established as the state capital in 1821, but Sedalia experienced rapid growth after the Civil War due to its railroad connections and the surrounding area developing as an agricultural region.
In March of 1895, Mayor P.D. Hastain entertained members of Missouri’s General Assembly. “Not less than 10,000 persons turned out to welcome the General Assembly, officials, and clerks of the House and Senate.” Major Hastain and the town of Sedalia were trying to showcase the town in an effort to win the 1896 vote to make Sedalia the capital of Missouri.
1895, March 29
Mayor Hastain
The Standard Herald: Apparently, Mayor P.D. Hastain of Sedalia, MO wanted a local paper that was supportive of his Republican agenda, especially at the time he was working to move the Missouri capital from Jefferson City, MO to Sedalia, where he was the mayor.
1895, April 12
John Haston
Chariton (MO) Courier: The county seat of Buchanan County, MO, was St. Joseph, MO. At this time, I do not know who this John Haston was.
1895, April 24
Mr. (P.D.) Mayor Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: Mayor P.D. Hastain was a controversial man, especially as a politician and mayor. Apparently, you either hated him or respected him. I doubt that many loved or liked him as a person. It appears that he made decisions that drew the ire of people in Sedalia, MO.
1895, May 23
ED Hastain
The Butler (MO) Weekly Times: Ed Hastain, the stenographer of the Circuit Court of Butler, MO, was married to Miss Mary Crawford in Appleton City, MO. Edwin Hastain was the son of James Preston Hastain and Octavia Hinckle Hastain of Henry County, MO. The Wedding
1895, May 23
Haston Cemetery in Dallas County, MO
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: As happened in May 1891, the Haston Cemetery was mentioned and Sanford Creek was appointed to clean and decorate it. This annual event indicates that there was at least one Civil War veteran buried in the cemetery. As of now (8-4-2025), the location of Haston Cemetery is unknown to the Dallas County Historical Society. I have evidence that suggests it was on the property of Jeremiah Haston or one of his children, north of Charity, MO in the Jackson Township.
1895, June 21
T.J. Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: Mayor P.D. Hastain’s brother, Thomas Jefferson Hastain, said that his brother (the mayor) is the stray sheep (politically) of the family.
1895, July 12
Mrs. Jesse Haston, Jr.
After only barely five years of marriage, the wife (Ida McMelan) of Jesse Haston, Jr. (grandson of Daniel Haston), passed away. She left behind three daughters and a baby boy.
1895, July 18
Mayor P.D. Hastin
The Milan (MO) Republican: Mayor P.D. Hastin and some of the Sedalia, MO councilmen were arrested for violating a Judge’s restraining order.
1895, August 1
J.H. Hastin
The Springfield News-Leader: J.H. Hastin and Son was a firm doing business at Cave Springs in Greene County, MO (the community where Isaac settled in the late 1830s. Apparently, they were in debt and their deeds were collateral for the debt.
1895, August 30
Peggy Hestand
The Paducah Sun: This lady’s husband would have been a descendant of Abraham Hiestand/Hestand, Daniel Haston’s older brother. The family lived in Monroe County, KY, south-central KY. What would she have done to have caused someone to poison her entire family?
1895, September 29
Mayor Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: Even the local Democrat newspaper seemed to agree that Republican Mayor P.D. Hastain was the handsomest mayor of Missouri’s 30 largest cities.
1895, October 17
Bertha Mae Hastain
The Clinton (MO) Daily Democrat: Bertha Mae Hastain, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Hastain, was married on this date. This article gives a very detailed description of the wedding. It was a big event!
1895, October 17
W.R. Haston
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: William Riley Haston and a friend were arrested for burglary in December of 1893. Nearly two years later, W.R. was declared “not guilty.”
1895, October 31
Jerry (Jeremiah III) Haston
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: Jerry Haston, apparently, was moving away from Dallas County, MO, to Christian County, which was south of Greene County, MO. Here is his lineage back to Daniel Haston: Daniel>Jeremiah, Sr.>Jeremiah MC (McKinley; “Mac”)>Jeremiah III (“Jerry”)
1895, November 22
Haston Broaddus
Chariton (MO) Courier: The daughter of Jesse Haston, Sr., Elizabeth (Bettie) V. Haston, married John A. Broaddus (Sr.) in Glasgow, MO on September 22, 1859. John died in 1897, and Elizabeth went to southeastern Montana to live on a ranch with her son John, Jr. Haston Broaddus was one of John and Bettie’s sons. There were twelve children in all. The oldest son was Oscar. The town of Broaddus, MT was named for her sons.
1895, December 20
Son of Rev. & Mrs. J.B. Haston
Weekly Graphic (Kirksville, MO): Rev. Jesse Bascom Haston and his wife, Coramantha Baldwin Haston, experienced the death of their (approximately) one-year-old daughter, Helen Washington Haston, in April of 1893. Now, they had a baby boy!
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
Scalding Death of Isaac T. Haston Jr.
The Horrible Death of "Shack" (Isaac T. Haston, Jr.)
The Chattanooga (TN) Commercial, January 1, 1887
If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it.
