Samuel Haston and Mary Lowry – Lost Son of Daniel?

Samuel Haston - A Lost Son of Daniel Haston?

Daniel Haston’s grandson, William Carroll Haston, said his grandfather had 13 children. Whether or not that was accurate, I do not know. Even if it was accurate, how many of those children lived to become adults–old enough to appear in public records? There are nine children of Daniel Haston that we know of, six boys and three girls. I’m constantly looking to discover other children of Daniel who have been hidden from Haston researchers for 200 years, more or less.

At the same time Daniel Haston’s son Jeremiah Haston was living in Gallatin County, Illinois, a Samuel Hasten (also spelled Haston in an Ancestry.com record) secured a marriage license to marry Mary Lowry in that county on May 30, 1829. According to another Ancestry.com record, the marriage occurred on May 31, 1829. But the couple does not appear on the 1830 census for Gallatin County, IL. Was this another son of our Daniel? If so, where did he go and what happened to him?

The Old Testament name “Samuel” fits the naming pattern of Daniel Haston’s sons–David, Joseph, Jesse, Daniel (Jr.), Isaac, and Jeremiah.
Even though we don’t know this Samuel’s age at the time of his marriage, his probable age could certainly fit a son of Daniel Haston.
The fact that Jeremiah Haston was living in the same county at the time of the Samuel Haston – Mary Lowry marriage is a reason to think a brother of Jeremiah may also have been living there.

Samuel's License to Marry Mary

Source: “Illinois Statewide Marriage Index,” Office of the Illinois Secretary of State, https://www.ilsos.gov/isavital/marriageSearch.do

Gallatin County, Illinois on the Ohio River

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2023 Pacific Northwest Haston Reunion

Our First Daniel Haston Family Association Regional Reunion

Portland, Oregon

Our first Daniel Haston Family Association-sponsored regional (mini) reunion was held in Portland, Oregon on Friday evening, September 29, and all day Saturday, September 30. The Friday evening event was very informal, with snacks, coffee, etc. For nearly four hours, the place was buzzing with cousins meeting cousins, many for the first time.

Saturday began with a light breakfast. Wayne then gave a PowerPoint-illustrated overview of the history of the Daniel Haston family, including our European roots and Daniel’s life and family. After lunch, Wayne gave a presentation covering the life of Isaac Hastings (Daniel’s son) and his family. Following a break, Wayne then presented the history of Jeremiah Haston’s (another son of Daniel) life and family.

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Haston-Hiestand Heritage Tour Book

For $10 You Can Virtually Experience Our European Heritage Tour

Hiestand-Haston 2023 Heritage Tour to Switzerland and Rhineland Germany

This is an illustrated journal from the June 14-26, 2023, Heritage Tour led by Lemar and Lois Ann Mast. Join the group of 29 persons as they walked the streets of their ancestors in Germany and Switzerland. Personalized diary entries from tour participants give you insight into their tour and are accompanied by beautiful color photos that were taken during the trip. (32 pages, full-color illustrations. Masthof Press 2023)

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Jeremiah Haston’s Son-in-Law Escaped Hanging but …

The Civil War Divided the Haston Family in Missouri

The August 10, 1861 Battle of Wilson’s Creek was the first major Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River. It was fought just a few miles southwest of Springfield in Greene County, Missouri. Fortunately for Isaac Haston and most of his family, the battle took place about four years after he moved from the Springfield, Missouri area to California. But his brother, Jeremiah Haston, and all of his children, sons-in-law, and grandchildren were still in the Ozark region of Missouri, living only about 35 to 40 miles northeast of the battle.

Apparently, Jeremiah Haston (son of Daniel Haston) was pro-Union. Citizens of Dallas County, MO, where Jeremiah lived, largely aligned with the Union. But there were many Southern sympathizers in Dallas County and surrounding counties, such as Webster County, where Jeremiah’s son, John W. (and wife, Mary C.) Haston and his daughter Hester Ann (wife of George W. Stever) lived. All three of Jeremiah’s sons served in Federal military units. One of his sons-in-law, Martin Rose (husband of Malinda Haston), enlisted in the Confederate Army, the first Missouri unit to officially enter the Confederate Army.

The Battle of Wilson’s Creek crystallized Civil War loyalties in the Missouri Ozarks and resulted in family divisions.

George Wasington Stever, Jr., Part 1

Hester Ann Elvira Haston, daughter of Jeremiah and Esther Riddles Haston, married George Washington Stever, Jr. (born in Madison, Kentucky) on June 1, 1848. George married Elizabeth Hill in Missouri on October 24, 1844, but she died in 1848. At the time of the 1860 census, the George Stever family was living next door to Hester’s brother, John Wesley and Mary C. Haston. They were in Washington Township of Webster County, Missouri.

Jeremiah Haston’s son-in-law, George W. Stever, was involved with some rebel marauders in Webster County, Missouri in December 1861, as well as late August and early September 1861. He was tried for those activities by a Union Army Commission in Springfield, Missouri.

George Stever was tried under Missouri’s General Order 18, proclaimed on May 29, 1862, which stated that rebel guerilla fighters should be executed on the spot. George pleaded “not guilty.” Had he been found guilty, he would have been hanged or shot.

George Wasington Stever, Jr., Part 2

Although the specific dates of George Stever’s trial are not known to me, the summary of the final verdict was issued on December 24, 1862. George’s trial revolved around two questions: Was his participation with rebel marauders forced or voluntary? Had he been loyal to the United States since December 17, 1861, when his protection expired, according to Missouri Governor Gamble’s amnesty proclamation regarding pre-December 17, 1861 transgressions?

George Stever was found not guilty of the specification that he carried away property of Union men. The Commission concluded that he did consort with rebel enemies but it could not be proven that he was a willing participant. However, the “acts imputed to the prisoner were subject to an amnesty from Gov. Gamble which expired on the 17th of December 1861 as by subsequent General Orders.” George was required to give a $1,000 bond and renew his oath of allegiance.

In the trial, his neighbor and sister-in-law, Mary C. Haston (wife of John Wesley Haston, brother of George’s wife) was not favorable to him on the witness stand—she was his most-condemning witness. She probably knew him very well. If Governor Gamble had not proclaimed a pre-December 17, 1861 amnesty, Mary’s testimony would no doubt have resulted in her brother-in-law being hanged or shot. Here are some of her responses under oath:

Question: Do you know whether the prisoner was in the habit of associating with secessionists?
Answer: He was.
Question: What means have you to know that he associated with rebels?
Answer: He brought them to my house.
Question: How many did he bring to your house?
Answer: There were himself and eight others the first time.
Question: Did he come to your house at any other time with rebels?
Answer: He came to my house about two weeks after his first visit with fourteen rebels besides himself.
Question: What did the prisoner [George Stever] do while at your house the first time?
Answer: He did nothing but remained at the gate while the rebels who were with him searched my house.
Question: What did the prisoner do while at your house the second time?
Answer: The prisoner did nothing but remained at the gate with his gun while the rebels with him searched my house, abused me and made threats of violence unless I procured a light.
Question: About what time or times in the year 1861 was the prisoner at your house?
Answer: He was at my house the first time about two weeks after the Wilson Creek Battle.
Question: What time was he at your house the second time.
Answer: About two weeks after the first.
Question: Did the prisoner ever take and carry away any of your property?
Answer: He did not, but the rebels in company with him took and carried away a pair of bullet molds.
Question: What is the prisoner’s general character in the neighborhood as to his being a rebel and having acted with them.
Answer: He has the reputation of being a very busy rebel, pointing out to rebels the property of Union men and keeping rebels at his house.
Question: (Something about how close he lives to Mary Haston’s house.)
Answer: Less than half a mile. [See the 1860 census record on page ?. The Stevers were adjacent neighbors to John Wesley and Mary Haston.]
Question: (Something like – “Are you the two of you friendly?”)
Answer: No, we are not.
Question: How long have you been unfriendly?
Answer: It has been as long as six years since we have been friends.
Question: (Something about her knowing the men who were with the George at her house.)
Answer: I do not know any of those he was with at my house. They told me that they were Southern men.
Question: (not recorded)
Answer: All his neighbors tell me that he is a rebel. His father-in-law, Mr. Hastings [Jeremiah Haston, Sr.] say so and a great many whose names I cannot recollect.

Note: It appears that she may have said or started to say that Mrs. George Stever [Hester Ann Elvira Haston] also said her husband was a rebel (or something to that effect), but she was stopped and it was marked out of the record.

George Washington Stever, Jr., Part 3

Source: https://crhailey.tripod.com/steverhist/gwstjr.html

George’s homestead was about 1/2 mile north of the Stever Cemetery [GPS Coordinates: 37.4646988, -93.0397034], where he was living at the time of his death. He homesteaded 120 acres in 1857, with the grant maturing in 1877. The grant was authorized by Rutherford B. Hayes, President of the United States. In 1852, George purchased forty acres from Emsley Wharton. Sarah Stever Miller, George’s granddaughter tells us that she has the original papers.

On May 28, 1863, George was plowing the farm of his mother south of the cemetery when he was shot and killed by “bushwhackers.” Bushwhackers were people who sided with either the Union or Confederacy but were not in either army. They were a despicable lot to the local residents and known to take advantage of the war to further their own interests. The family thought the shooting was due to the fact that George had hauled some supplies for the Confederate Army for hire.

Left with a large family, the widow, Hester Ann, continued to operate the farm and care for her family. After George’s death, the Union soldiers took all the meat that Hester had for the family table.

The family has passed to the younger generation the names of those suspected of shooting George. When Peter [Stever] and James Madison [Stever] returned to Missouri, after the war, two of the “suspects” left the community. We will not list the names here.

Peter Stever and James Madison Stever were brothers of George Washington Sever, Jr. (all sons of George Washington Sever, Sr.). Our uncle, James Benton Stever, told us of the incident. He could remember it well. He was at that time living with grandmother, Sarah Payton Stever. Someone heard the shot from the gun. Then, shortly the horse came to the house dragging the plow. Some of the family, probably James Madison, went looking for George. When the report of his having been shot was brought to his mother, Sarah, James Benton told of his remembering how she wept and mourned.

The Civil War was a most trying time for the Stever family, as it was for many persons in that area. We find among the old letters this brief note, which gives some insight into the times.

“Jefferson Nimo and a Mr. Franklin was killed at the widow Wolf’s last friday nite. The court house in Marshfield is burnt. The feds done it their selves. Everything in it was burnt except the safe. Hell is aflote here and the devil is stering oar. J.T. have received your letter. Rite now. March 2, 1864.”

George’s son by his first wife, Franklin Stever, served in the Union Army during the Civil War, Co. M., 16th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry, Volunteers. This was the same regiment in which his first cousin, Jeremiah M.C. Haston, served. Franklin was mustered in Nov. 1, 1863 and mustered out, July 1, 1865. Both actions were at Springfield, Missouri.

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1 – David Haston – What We Know of His Pre-Marriage Life

230-Plus Events in the Life of David Haston, Phase 1

David Haston - His Early (Pre-Married) Years
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1777 May 6	Birth Date: David Haston, Daniel Haston's firstborn son, was born during the Revolutionary War. The 1850 census of Van Buren County, TN gives his birth state as Virginia. Dunmore (Shenandoah) County land records indicate the Daniel Haston family, into which David was born, was living near the head of Passage Creek in Powell's Fort Valley (in the Massanutten Mountain between New Market and Luray, VA) during this time. Passage Creek in Powell's Fort Valley Near Where Daniel Haston's Family Lived in 1777 David Haston was probably born somewhere in or near the area of this circle. Google Map Location Read More About Powell's Fort Valley David Haston Bible Recordï»¿
1785 September 28	Margaret Roddy Born: The David Haston Bible record says the future wife of David ("Margrete Roddy") was "Borne [sic] September 28, 1785." The 1850 census record indicates she was born in North Carolina. Her family (Philip and Mary Roddy) was living in Randolph County, NC according to the 1790 census.
1798 April 12	David Convicted for Cutting Cows' Tails: David and Joseph were tried for cutting the tails off of two horned cows belonging to Nathaniel Hays, whose fence was apparently insufficient to contain the cows. David Hasting, Daniel Hasting, and John Miller put up a total of $100 in bond money for David and Joseph. Moses Roddy, Mary Ann Roddy, Eleanor Roddy, Wm. Haslet, Sr., Wm. Haslet, Jr., and Richard Cahell (spelling ?) were called to witness for the State and against David. Daniel, David's father, made some kind of plea to the court. David was found guilty and fined $5.00. Joseph was acquitted. Source: State vs David Haston & Joseph Haston; Knox Co, TN County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions; Docket # 796/65 (1798). More About the "Cow Tails" Incident and Court Case
Although there is no known documentation concerning David Haston's education, there is later evidence that he did receive a decent English language education somewhere and sometime in his growing up years. Also, he may have made some significant contacts with early Tennessee politicians and businessmen while living in the little pioneer village of Knoxville, first while it was the capital of the United States Southwest Territory and later after became the capital of the state of Tennessee.

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2 – David Haston – Early Marriage Life

230-Plus Events in the Life of David Haston, Phase 2

David Haston - Married Life in Knox County, Tennessee
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1800 May 5	Marriage to Peggy (Margaret) Roddy: This marriage took place in Knox County, TN, and Isham (Isam/Isom) Bradley was the bondsman. Isham Bradley married Susana Matkocks (Maddox?) on May 13, 1798, in Blount County, TN, and David Haston was his bondsman. Isham Bradley (of no known kinship to the Hastons) moved his family to White County with the Daniel Haston family, where he lived near them and interacted closely with them for several years before moving to Missouri. David and Peggy named one of their sons, Isham Bradley Haston, after him. Both David's and Isham's names are clearly signed on the marriage certificate. David's bride is named "Peggy Roddy" on the document. The David Haston family Bible record indicates that Peggy ("Margute") was born on September 28, 1785, thus she wasn't quite 15 years old when she married David. The 1850 Federal Census says she was born in North Carolina and was 64 years old at the time of the census. A 1790 census record tells us her (Philip Roddy) family was living in Randolph County, NC at that time. For many years, the family identity of Peggy (Margaret) Roddy was one of the perplexing mysteries of early Haston research. However, we now know that her parents were Philip and Mary McComiskey Roddy. Her maternal grandparents were Daniel and Rebecca McComesky (McComiskey, et. al. spellings) who lived in Baltimore County Maryland. The Philip and Mary Roddy family lived near the Daniel Haston family in Knox County, TN. Source: Knox County, TN Marriage Bonds for 1800 David's Marriage to 14-Year-Old Peggy Roddy More About the McComisky Family
1800 August 16	David Put Up Bond Money For Joseph, His Brother: In the Samuel Cowan vs Joseph Haston ("timothy lot") case, David, Joseph, and Daniel vouched for $2,000 in bond money to assure that Joseph would appear in court as ordered. David and Joseph signed the bond in their own handwriting, but Daniel signed by making his mark. David's signature here was nearly identical to his signature on his marriage certificate of three months earlier. Joseph was acquitted. The case was settled on April 15, 1801. Source: Samuel Cowan vs Joseph Haston; Knox Co, TN Court Case File: Docket # 138511235, April 1800. Bond Money for Josephï»¿
1801 September 1	First Child (Malinda) Born: Malinda married Arthur Mitchell in 1818. She is thought to have died in Warren County, TN but her date of death is unknown. Arthur Mitchell, son of Spencer (Sr.) & Rachel Roberts Mitchell, was born on October 20, 1799, in Person County, NC. He died on April 19, 1874, in Warren County, TN. Arthur & Malinda were parents of nine children. Source: David Haston's Bible Record & Cynthia Butler Mitchell
1802 October 28ï»¿	David Purchased Land in Knox County, TN: David purchased 111 acres from John Armstrong for $300 on this date. The tract of land was located on the east fork of Grassy Creek, northwest of Knoxville, between Beaver Ridge and Black Oak Ridge. Source: Knox County, TN Real Estate Purchase, pages 300 & 301 of Volume C, Volume in the original books; Volume C, Volume 2 of the transcribed version. David's 111 Acres in Knox County, TN
1803	1803 Knox County Tax List: A David Hasston appeared on this list. He owned 111 acres on Grassy (says "Grassey") Creek and his household had one "white poll." He was in Captain Childs (probably should be "Chiles") Company. The list was put together in 1804 Source: Knox County, TN Tax List for 1803
1803 January 11	Knox County, TN Jury Duty: David Hasting served on a jury for these cases: Thomas Humes vs James Watson and Stephen Haynes vs Joseph Ravenhill. Source: Pages 100 & 103 of Records of Knox County, TN Record Book No. 4, 1802-1805 (WPA transcriptions). Original pages 103 & 106.
1804 January 22ï»¿	Second Child (Mary ["Polly"]) Born: Mary (Polly) married William "Black Bill" Lewis (son of William Lewis, Jr.) in 1827. This William Lewis was born about 1805 in Pendleton District SC. They named their first son "David" (b. 1828) and their second daughter "Margaret" (b. 1833). Margaret, the daughter, married William Newel Crain (who was a minister as per the 1880 census) on August 23, 1849, in Van Buren County. Mary is thought to have died before 1862. Sources: David Haston's Bible records (source of Mary's birth date). Descendants of William Lewis" by Mickey Dodson (White County, TN - 1994). Pages 167, 168, & 170 of Pioneer Lewis Families, Volume III, by Michael L. Cook (Cook Publications, 1981). ----- Notes: (1) Mary/Polly was involved in a bastardy case at age 20. See the October 15, 1824 entry in the third section of this timeline series. (2) Remember that "Mary" was the name of Philip Roddy's wife. She (Mary Roddy) was the daughter of Daniel McComiskey, Sr. of Baltimore, MD. We don't know why David and Peggy Haston named their first daughter "Malinda."
1805 February 4	Knox Co, TN Road Work Oversight: It was "Ordered that David Haston be overseer of the public road from the top of the Black Oak Ridge to Low Station, and that hands that formerly wrought under Josiah Armstrong do work thereon." One year later, that position was assigned to John Chiles (see January 20, 1806 entry). Source: Page 53 of Knox County, TN Road Order Book, 1792-1891 (available on microfilm from Knox County, TN Archives in Knoxville).
1806ï»¿	1806 Knox County, TN Tax List: David Haston appeared on this 1806 list as an owner of 111 acres in the Chiles Company. His household was categorized as having 1 "free poll." Source: Page 8 from the 1806-1812 volume of the Knox County, TN Tax List.
1806 January 20ï»¿	Previous Knox County, TN Road Work Assignment: It was "Ordered that John Chiles be overseer of the public road from the top of the Black Oak ridge to Reed's Bridge and that the hands who formerly wrought under David Haston do work thereon." Source: Page 69 of Knox County, TN Road Order Book, 1792-1891 (available on microfilm from Knox County, TN Archives in Knoxville).
1806 June 11	Third Child (Willie B.) Born: This oldest son of David and Peggy married (1) Tamsey Austin before 1825 and (2) Mary Durham on July 13, 1845, in Van Buren County, TN. Some Haston researchers have confused this "Willie B." (David's son) with a grandson of Joseph Haston, who had the same name and died at the October 8, 1862 Battle of Perryville, KY. However, this (David's son) Willie B. Haston's family appears on the 1860 Sebastian County, Arkansas census. He (W.B. Haston) was listed as being 54 years old, a farmer, and born in TN. Mary, also from TN, was 35 years old. Eight children (ages 1 month to 24 years) dependent on Willie B. and Mary were included in the census. It is interesting that two of Willie B.'s and Mary's children were named Margaret (age 7) and David (age 4). Also, "William Haston" (age 35 years old) seems to have lived in the same house, along with his wife Nancy (age 30) and two young sons (ages 7 & 3). According to this census, of the 14 total people living in this house, only 4-year-old David was born in Arkansas. The rest, including the children of William and Nancy, were born in TN. So, Willie B. & Mary would have been in Arkansas (at this time) for at least 4 years and less than 7 years. However, some family records have the four children (of Willie B. and Mary) born between 1851-1860 as having been born in Arkansas. Was his middle name "Blount?" See the notes on this possibility from the 1828 White County militia list and the 1851 Van Buren County court minutes. Note: As per Leslie Liddiard, "William" was William Dillard Haston, the oldest son of Willie B. and Tamsey Austin Haston. He married Nancy Adaline Riddles on January 8, 1852, in Van Buren Co, TN. Source (of Willie B.'s birth date):* David Haston's Bible records; Arkansas information from the 1860 Sebastian Co, AR census. Note: According to a May 7, 1860, Van Buren County court minutes entry, W.B. Cummings became the "guardian of Nancy Haston daughter of W.B. Haston and his former wife Tamsey Haston deceased." Isaac T. Haston (younger brother of this W.B. Haston) served as a bondsman for this transaction. If W.B. Haston and his second wife, Mary Durham Haston, had moved to Sebastian County, Arkansas (as per the 1860 census), why did Nancy remain behind? Why did this transaction not take place prior to the time that W.B. & Mary moved to Arkansas? This was probably the "Nancy" who appeared in the W.B. Hastion [sic] family on the 1850 census (Van Buren County, TN) and who was 10 years old at that time. Thus, she would have been 20 years old at the time that W.B. Cummings became her guardian. It is possible/likely that she chose to remain behind in Tennessee and was allowed to do so due to her age. Source: Pages 398-399 of Van Buren, TN county court minutes for May 7, 1860 (June 1855-December 1860 book). TSLA Microfilm #14 for Van Buren County, TN. Question: What did the "B" in Willie B. Haston's name stand for? Did it stand for "Blount?" Willie Blount (1768-1835), Governor of TN from 1809-1815, was the half-brother of William Blount, who had been the territorial Governor of the Territory South of the Ohio River prior to Tennessee's statehood and was one of Tennessee's earliest senators. In Knox County, the Hastons lived just across the river from Governor William Blount. It's very possible that David Haston and Willie Blount were friends in their Knox County years. See Howard H. Hasting, Sr.'s material for more information on this son of David and Margaret Haston. David Haston Research Report as per Howard H. Hasting, Sr.
1806 July 22	David's Name Not On the Petition to Create White County, TN: David (as later evidence indicates) was the most civic-minded member of Daniel's family, but his name does not appear on the July 22, 1806, petition for the formation of White County, TN. He did not move to middle Tennessee at the same time Daniel and Joseph moved there. As the September 11 entry (below) indicates, David did not sell his Knox Co property until after the date on which the White County, TN petition was signed. Source: Petition for the Formation of White Co, TN, available through the Tennessee State Library and Archives as Legislative Petition # 5-1-1806.
1806 September 11ï»¿	David Sold the Land on Grassy Creek: David sold 111 acres to Ezekiel Baldwin for $490. The deed was witnessed by Isaac Pruett and Isaac Johnson. Presumably, David sold this land in preparation for his move to White County, TN. Source: Knox County, TN Real Estate Sale, page 280 of Volume MV2; deed date, September 11, 1806; filed on December 12, 1807. David's 111 Acres in Knox County, TN
1806 November 11	Jacob Neff (Nave) Estate Settlement: David Haston was paid $1.00 for a role in the estate settlement of Jacob Neff / Knave in Knox County, TN. The WPA transcription says "for crying vendue" but the original document is unclear. According to the 1828 Webster's Dictionary, a vendue was an "auction, a public sale of anything by outcry [emphasis added], to the highest bidder." Thus, David was probably the auctioneer for this estate auction or the person who proclaimed notices about the upcoming auction. David's friend, Isaac Prewet, also was paid for some role. Source: Original page 224 of Knox County, TN Estate Book, Volume 1 (1792-1811). David Haston most likely was related to the deceased Jacob Neff, in some way. Was this Jacob Neff related to Christina Nave who married Daniel Hiestend in Shenandoah County, VA in 1773? Or was he related to Jacob Neff's widow? Abraham Hiestand, son of Daniel Haston's oldest brother Jacob Hiestand, married the widow of Jacob Strickler's Magdalena Moomaw Stricker, who was the mother of Mary Strickler who married Jacob Neff.* Even though David Haston left Virginia when he was a six-year-old boy, doubtless he would have known that he was related to Jacob Neff one way and/or the other through Mary if not through the Neff family.

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Meeting of Haston Cousins in the Pacific Northwest

Meeting Our Cousins in & from the Pacific Northwest

As Well as Others from Around the USA

Contact Carol Haston for information and to register: CarolHaston@gmail.com

Descendants of Daniel Haston spread all throughout the United States. Many of them moved into the Pacific Northwest. As the Family dispersed, unfortunately, branches of Daniel Haston’s Family became disconnected. The Daniel Haston Family Association hopes to reconnect these branches and twigs.

Our original name, going back to at least 1401 in Switzerland, was Hiestand. Daniel’s immediate family adopted “Haston” while they were living in East Tennessee around 1800. But as his offspring moved west, some branches spelled their family names “Hasting,” “Hastings,” “Hastin,” “Hastain,” and etc. Two of Daniel’s sons who settled in Missouri, Jeremiah and Jesse, kept the “Haston” spelling as did David and Joseph back in White County, TN, and Daniel Haston, Jr. in South Central Kentucky.

In recent years, research has uncovered a lot of historical information about the Daniel Haston FAMILY. We now know:

Our European ancestors were from Zürich, Switzerland. They became Anabaptists (Mennonites) and were forced to flee Switzerland and settle on the Rhineland of southwest Germany.
Our immigrant ancestor, Henrich Hiestand, came to America in about 1727. He settled in Lancaster County, PA for about 15 years and then moved to and permanently settled in what is now Page County, VA in about 1743.
Soon after Henrich Hiestand died, Daniel (his youngest son and our ancestor) moved to what is now East Tennessee, formerly the western wilderness of North Carolina.
A couple of years before the Cherokee Indians sold the rights (to the United States) to their portion of Middle Tennessee, Daniel moved his family onto Cherokee land in about 1804–they were squatters (preemptors).
Daniel purchased 150 acres on the Big Spring Branch in what became White County, TN (now Van Buren County, TN) where he lived the remainder of his life. He was one of the petitioners to create White County in 1806.
Daniel died in 1826 and is buried in the Big Fork Cemetery, about a mile from his house.
There were nine now-known and documented children of Daniel Haston: David, Joseph, Daniel, Jr., Isaac, Jesse, Jeremiah, Loucinda (Mitchell), Elizabeth (Roddy), and Catherine (Austin). There were probably a few others that we do not know about.
Only the two oldest sons, David and Joseph, and their sister Catherine remained in Middle Tennessee.

The Formal Program, In Between Times of Getting Acquainted and Some Fun Activities

Presentation 1: An overview of the history of the Daniel Haston Family, from the southeast shore of Lake Zürich in Switzerland to Rhineland Germany, and on to Pennsylvania, Virginia, Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, and eventually, White County, Tennessee…then spreading out all over western USA.

Presentation 2: The story of Isaac Haston and his family, including his War of 1812 service, his life and family in two areas of Tennessee, Greene County, Missouri, and the 1857 ox wagon journey to and remaining life in Sonoma County, California

Presentation 3: The story of how we connected Jeremiah Haston to the Daniel Haston family, as well as his move to and life in Dallas County, Missouri by way of Gallatin County, Illinois, including information on all of his children.

Q & A sessions to discuss any of your questions about Daniel Haston, his family or any of its various branches.

The Story of the Daniel Haston Family book will be available for purchase. $50

The mission of the Daniel Haston Family Association is to reconnect the various branches and twigs of the Daniel Haston Family TREE and to...

Rescue from oblivion the history and stories of our early Hastons and related ancestors.

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Hiestand Kids Discover Marengo Cave

Daniel Haston's GG Grand Niece and Nephew Make Amazing Discovery

Indiana's Most Visited Natural Attraction!

Marengo Cave text from www.marengocave.com/

Marengo, Indiana

The two kids were Hiestands, from the very same family as Daniel Hiestand/Haston–his great-great-grandniece and nephew!

For more of the story about Blanche and Orris’s story of the discovery of the cave, see 1883 on the timeline found in the Marengo Cave website (link below).

12:23 Minutes Video

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Maggie Chandler’s Stories

Maggie Chandler's Stories

Two sets of hearings and trials were planned, one set in the juvenile court for Ida’s daughter Thelma and another hearing and trial in the circuit court for Mrs. Ida Haston. But accusations and defense testimonies were a major part of Thelma’s juvenile case.

Maggie Chandler's Witness Stand Stories

This case started with a story told by Maggie Chandler, as a response to being caught in a lie about having a job with the telephone company. As the case continued, Maggie became the focus of much of the witness stand activity in the trial.

09-24-1917 – hearing over and trial of (four) girls started; 12 men on the jury; one girl [Maggie Chandler], “That statement is true–every word of it” but she later repudiated it and said she had spoken falsely about the entire matter; said the girls had later agreed to say they had lied – because Thelma chose to keep her mother out of prison; names of jurymen; Dan Nee, Warren L. White, and Val Mason = prosecutors; first case is that of Thelma Haston;

09-25-1917 – Maggie Chandler boldly and w/o trace of shame admitted the improper conduct at the Haston home every day for a month before she was caught – testifying against Thelma; admitted that one man with black hair and gold teeth came to see her about every other day but she did not know his name (but Judge and next witness thought she knew the man’s name); the girls joked about the case in the witness room–about being sent to the Girls’ Industrial Home in Chillicothe; Maggie was on the witness stand for about five hours and looked straight into the eyes of the people in the courtroom; said she did not remember crying and asking her to forgive her for lying when she met Ida in the corridors of the courthouse; Attorney Neville who represented Thelma tried to prove that Maggie confess to Judge Johnson that she made the false confession because her parents had accused her of improper conduct and she wanted to throw the blame on someone else; she said her original confessional statement was true even though she later repudiated it; Judge Johnson (as a witness) said he didn’t know that Ida had three other children at the time she was arrested, said he was under the impression that as many as 15 men per day were visiting the girls in the Haston home; Johnson didn’t know that the parents of the Chandler girl had charged he with delinquency before she was questioned and made her confession implicating Mrs. Haston; Johnson said Maggie told him that one woman at the Haston house displayed a large razor;

09-28-1917 – the trial settled into a contest of veracity of the girls implicated; three of the girls have denied Maggie Chandler’s story but Maggie insists it is true, even though she later repudiated it; a boy accused by Maggie was on the witness stand, and said he knew the girl who was on the witness stand but she denied every word of his testimony; he told a story of taking this girl and Maggie home one night after a picture show, which the girl denied, even denied of ever seeing him; Maggie’s mother took the stand and told how Maggie had falsified about working for the phone company and said Maggie was never a bad girl and she had never been whipped by her parents; mother admitted that Maggie had been nervous from the time she started working for phone company; Maggie’s sister (who began the investigation) took the stand after her mother and said that Mrs. Haston had come to her to tell her that Maggie had been coming to her house to eat dinner on the porch; the sister said that Maggie was very nervous and seemed to be carrying a mental burden; Mrs. Chandler said that Thelma had spent one night at their house and seemed like a good girl; three implicated boys were called to the stand and all denied visiting the Haston home;

How does Maggie Chandler's stories affect your opinion of this case and the possible outcome?

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

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Witnesses Come to the Defense of Mrs. Ida Haston

Witnesses Come to the Defense of Mrs. Ida Haston

Two sets of hearings and trials were planned, one set in the juvenile court for Ida’s daughter Thelma and another hearing and trial in the circuit court for Mrs. Ida Haston. But accusations against Ida and defense testimonies in her favor were a major part of Thelma’s juvenile case.

Ida's Neighbors and Others Testify of Her Good Character and Deny the Allegations

09-18-1917 – Neighbors defend Ida, none saw or heard anything like she was accused of and paid high tribute to her character and believed she was a victim of a great wrong, said it would have been impossible without their knowledge; Irvin and Ida and family lived on the NW corner of Broad and Orchard Avenues; “Mr. Haston was very particular about how his children conducted themselves”; one neighbor who witnessed on behalf of Ida had lived there three years, which was “much longer than the Haston family had resided in this neighborhood”; Ida – “Without anger or indignation she denied the charges…”

09-22-1917 – Mrs. Haston’s (Preliminary) Hearing is Set for Wednesday; before Judge Thomas R. Gibson, justice of the peace; Attorney J.T. Neville represented Ida; [Acting] Judge Guy D. Kirby tried the cases of the girls in the juvenile court

09-26-1917 – 3rd day of testimony; 24 witnesses attempted to prove the good character of Ida; Maude Gibbons (15-year-old high school freshman) made and signed a statement of confession (“last Friday”); said she, Maggie Chandler, Lula Wresche, and Thelma Haston had repudiated their confessions to protect Thelma’s mother from prison; Maude made the statement in the court house one day and went back the next day to repudiate it; Miss Retha Goodman presented an alibi for Maude that she had not missed a day at work in two weeks; Maude said conversations were always moral and no men other than Thelma’s father were ever in the house; said she lied to avoid being sent to Detention Home or reform school; said she didn’t know why she made the last statement (about fear of reform school?); 24 character witnessed from Orchard Avenue neighborhood, all testified of her good character; Myrtle Needham said her mother told her to stay away from the Haston home and Thelma but had never heard anything bad about Thelma; Policewoman Margaret Hull took girls to doctor for physical examination and that the girls had told her their statements were lies; the State tried to impeach character of witnesses; Miss Hull testified about a previous complaint about Maude’s conduct;

09-25-1917 – Preliminary Hearing of Mrs. Haston Tomorrow; would be held in the criminal courtroom instead of Justice Thomas R. Gibson’s courtroom because of crowds;

09-26-1917 Springfield News-Leader, p. 1 – seven or eight neighbors testify they say nothing wrong at the Haston house; a 14-year-old girl told of frequent visits to play with Thelma and other girls [including Maude Gibbons and Maggie Chandler] at the home (“she won the courtroom by her innocence”) – said she “saw nothing improper, nor did men visit the home while she was here”; said she never saw the black-haired woman whom others mentioned; one of the accused girls said this little girl was a companion with them in their misconduct; she told “what appeared to be a straight-forward story of her visits to the Haston home and denied that her playmates ever hinted that their conduct was not proper; a department store manager of a local store said that one of the accused girls worked for her every day during the week until school started and could not have been at the Hason home during the day; Mrs. Haston took the stand and denied anything improper went on in her house and said the girls’ stories were false from beginning to end; Ida’s husband, R.I. (says “L” but it’s “I” for Irvin) testified that Ida had spent some time in an asylum in Texas and that her mind was affected when she worried; courtroom was crowded and a number were high school students; “Indications are that the Haston girl will be convicted of delinquency for the parents admitted yesterday that she went on a fishing trip against their will. It was said that a married man went with her but they did not know that this was true, they said.”

09-27-1917 – Thelma (age 15) on the stand, says the State threatened to send her to reform school – she denied her previous confession; said Ida refused to let her (with Maggie) go riding with two men in a car; boys who were accused were called to witness stand – they denied the truth of the accusations; Thelma went to the river fishing on Sunday morning; Maude said she fainted four times while talking to officials but later said she lied about fainting; Lula Wresche admitted that during the trials “threats” to get Maggie Chandler had been made in the hall on the 2nd floor of the courthouse;

09-27-1917 – postponement of the preliminary hearing of Ida Haston until next Wednesday morning due to the fact that the preliminary hearing of the girls was not completed.

09-28-1917 – (5th day of trial) Judge Johnson said nothing was done to frighten the girls to make confessions; Nellie Ackridge testified that Ida had remarked about her body and clothes and asked her to come to see her; Nellie had a piece of paper with Mrs. Haston’s name and address on it, written by Ida’s hand; Mrs. Grace Meyers lived in the same house as the (Nellie) Ackridge girl; Mrs. Meyers and John, her husband, were known to have “fits” but Nellie said she didn’t think they were real; Mrs. Meyers was charged with the same alleged offense as Ida; Nellie was a ward of the juvenile court; defense said that the name and address paper was about trying to get work at Armour’s, same place Nellie had worked; Nellie testified that she never knew anything wrong about Ida and thought she was a good woman;

If you were sitting in this courtroom now, what would your thoughts about the case be at this point?

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

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Verdicts in Thelma and Her Mother’s Cases

Verdicts in Thelma and Mrs. Ida Haston Cases

Two sets of hearings and trials were planned, one set in the juvenile court for Ida’s daughter Thelma and another hearing and trial in the circuit court for Mrs. Ida Haston. But accusations against Ida and defense testimonies in her favor were a major part of Thelma’s juvenile case.

The hearing and trial for Mrs. Ida Haston NEVER HAPPENED because the Judge heard enough in Thelma’s trial to realize that Maggie Chandler had created and spread the entire story as a lie. The judge even decided to not send the case to the jury and to spare Ida Haston from having to go through a hearing and trial for what was obviously just a huge lie by Maggie Chandler!

Thelma's Trial Comes to an Unusual Ending

09-29-1917 Springfield Leader and Press pages 1 and 5 – Mrs. Haston Freed of Accusations by Trial of Daughter, Girl Thelma, Acquitted; defense attorney (Judge Neville) trapped Maggie Chandler in false identification of the black-haired man with the golden teeth she claimed to have had improper relations with; “then came the realization that Mrs. Haston was not guilty as charged and that her daughter was not delinquent as was charged”; the attorneys met with Judge Guy Kirby in a brief recess and told him to the take the case in his hands and do as he thought best;

Judge Guy Kirby concluded: “This is one of those cases where judgment ought not to take place. The court won’t permit the jury to brand this little girl a delinquent. Furthermore, I want to say that some of the girls who were connected with this case are as innocent of any wrongdoing as Caesar’s wife”; “A conviction of the Haston girl would put a stigma on her character that she perhaps could never live down”; toward the end of the trial John Meyers was brought into court from jail to tell of a fishing trip he and his wife and Thelma and another man had taken, but John Meyers admitted of going to the front door but never was inside the Haston house; his wife was mentioned in the case as the “woman in black.”; Maggie Chandler never said she was frightened into making her confession;

The judge stated, “It is “far better to let 99 guilty persons go free than to convict one innocent one.” Judge said he was “not passing innocence or guilt on Thelma and Mrs. Haston but was going to dismiss the case.”

Blackstone’s ratio = “It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.” (a maxim in early English law)

“Congratulations from many persons in the courtroom, for Thelma and Mrs. Haston and her husband followed. Crowds shook hands with them and wished them success.”

09-29-1917 Springfield News-Leader pages 1 and 2 – Haston Girl is Held Innocent, Charge Against Mother Will Also Be Dismissed and Two Held in Jail Released; Maggie Chandler story discredited; Judge Kirby would not permit the case to go to the jury and “the entire investigation of the alleged ‘house of depravity’ went up in smoke’”; charge against Ida will be dismissed and John Meyer and his wife will be turned out of the county jail; Other three girls will be tried for delinquency and Maggie’s admission of guilt will be used against her; courtroom was filled with high nervous tension; Maggie was called into courtroom and identified a boy as the man with the gold teeth but he came to the stand and he said, “I was taken before her during the investigation and in the presence of Mr. Nee she positively denied that I was the man.”; Thelma’s attorney looked at the jury and smiled and rubbed his hands; Sheriff Webb was called to the stand and testified that he heard Maggie tell John Wren, her brother in law that this boy was not the one who visited her at the Haston home;

The biggest mystery is why Maggie Chandler would tell such a horrible story about herself, repudiate it, and then go back to her original statement on the witness stand.

Now, honestly, after reading Part 1 of the story, what did you think about Mrs. Ida Haston?

How do you think about her now that you've heard both sides of the story?

What can we learn from this case?

The Whole Story - Good, Bad, and Ugly

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Tragic Death of William Carroll Haston, Jr.

Tragedy at the Tennessee State Capitol Building

A shudder passed through the convention hall last night when the announcement was made that a man had fallen from the second story of the Capitol and killed. The Chairman of the White County delegation was called for, as the victim was one of his men, and a crowd immediately hurried to the scene. The man was lying on the northern esplanade just in front of the door. He was unconscious, and a broad puddle of blood surrounded him. In spite of the entreaties of his friends, the curious mob crowed close around him, and many turned sick at the ghastly sight. One man fainted dead away. -Nashville Tennessean

William Carroll Haston, Jr. was a great-grandson of Daniel Haston. His father was William Carroll Haston, Sr. –
the youngest son of David Haston, Daniel’s oldest son.

Correct name: William Carroll Haston, Jr. – Age: 33 – Born February 8, 1857 — Died July 17, 1890

William Carroll Haston, Jr. is buried in the Old Union Cemetery in White County, Tennessee.

The Story of William Carroll Haston, Jr.'s Tragic Death

The Tennessean (Nashville, TN)
18 Jul 1890, Fri · Page 1

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Ida Haston’s “House of Depravity”?

Mrs. Ida Haston Charged With Prostituting Teenage Girls

Who Was Mrs. Ida Haston?

Mrs. Ida [Gattis] Haston was the wife of Richmond Irvin Haston, apparently often known by his middle name as Irvin Haston. Richmond Irvin Haston was born on June 13, 1874 in Tennessee. According to the 1880 census for District 7 of Van Buren County, TN, he was six years old and a son of Richmond [T., not J.] and Regina (sic, Rejorney) Riddles Haston. The senior Richmond (born 1838) was adopted (officially or unofficially) into the David and Peggy Roddy Haston family. His birth name was Richmond Jones, but he took on the Haston surname. So, by formal or informal adoption Richmond Irvin Haston was a Great Grandson of the then-deceased Daniel Haston.

Irvin and Ida were married on December 30, 1900 (license issued December 28) in Franklin County, TN, about 60 miles southwest from where he was born in Van Buren County. In 1910, they were living in Cleburne, Texas, where they were living in 1903 when their oldest daughter Thelma was born. In 1920, they were living in Kansas City, Missouri. From information provided by a Greene County (Springfield), Missouri archivist it appears that these Hastons only lived (as renters) for a brief time in Springfield, MO.

Ida Haston Arrested in Springfield, MO on September 13, 1917

On a Charge of Operating a "House of Depravity" With Young Girls

Two sets of hearings and trials were planned, one set in the juvenile court for Ida’s daughter Thelma and another hearing and trial in the circuit court for Mrs. Ida Haston. But accusations against Ida and defense testimonies in her favor were a major part of Thelma’s juvenile case.

Seven girls had made confessions of a revolting nature to the juvenile authorities. Mrs. Haston was charged with running a “house of depravity,” essentially prostitution orgies, in her house. It was called “the most revolting condition of vice and depravity in the history of Springfield, MO.” The investigation began on Wednesday, September 12, 1917. Ten to fifteen girls, all under age had allegedly been involved. Mrs. (Ida) Haston was accused of enticing girls to her home through her daughter Thelma, for at least six weeks (later, it was estimated to be at least three months). Ida was being held under a $2,000 bond in the Greene County, MO jail. Warrants had been issued for six men, with at least five more to be issued.

The investigation started when 15-year-old girl (later we learn it was Maggie Chandler) told her family a story about working at a telephone office, but her suspicious brother-in-law followed her and learned that she was going to the home of the Hastons.

Thelma Haston, Ida's Daughter Informs ("Confesses") Against Her Mother

Thelma, Ida’s 15-year-old* daughter “broke down and confessed everything,” including a signed confession. She said she had been “familiar” with men in boys in the house while her mother looked on. She told of participating in orgies with her own mother laughing and talking in the room. Previously, she had denied that anything wrong had occurred in the house and that the girls just came to play. Additional confessions were made by other girls who have been visitors in the house.

*Says “13-year-old” but she was born April 22, 1902.

In her cell, Mrs. Haston (age 45) denied the entire story, except saying that the girls came to her house to play with Thelma. “Lies, all lies,” Mrs. Haston responded.

One 15-year-old girl (Maggie Chandler?) said that “Thelma persuaded me.” The girl said that many she was intimate with many men in the Haston house and gave the names of other little girls. She said that no men gave her any money but she guessed they paid Mrs. Haston. She stated that “Every day, or every other day, for six weeks, men visited” her at the house and Mrs. Haston paid her $1.00 every two weeks, but the men gave Mrs. Haston $5.00 every two weeks.

Another girl said that she was sent to a bedroom where there were three little girls and four men. One man grabbed her and started her on a shameful life. She spoke of the brutality of Mrs. Haston.

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

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Schedule Your Personal Haston Heritage Tour

A Haston Heritage Tour Based On Your Family Line Back to Daniel Haston

Now that we are living back in the Haston Homeland...

We would love to guide you on a tour of sites that were important to the early Daniel Haston Family.

Let me know about your family line back to Daniel and I’ll customize a tour based upon your Haston ancestors who lived in White and Van Buren County, TN. And, if you don’t know your Haston ancestral line, some of our Daniel Haston Family Association members will help you discover it if you contact us early enough.

Some of the more common sites of interest to descendants of Daniel Haston are…

The Big Fork Cemetery and site of the Big Fork Primitive Baptist Church
The original home site of Daniel Haston that remained in the Haston family for more than 150 years
The Isaac T. Haston family cemetery
The William Carroll Haston family cemetery
The Old Union Cumberland Presbyterian Church building and cemetery
The Haston Big Spring
The Gamble-Haston Century Farm
The Montgomery Greenville Haston Century Farm, now in the Haston family for more than 150 years
Burritt College in Spencer, Tennessee
The Spencer Church of Christ, continuing in ministry for more than 150 years (on a lot purchased from David Haston)
The Spencer Town Cemetery
The historic Van Buren County, TN Courthouse and Van Buren County Historical and Heritage Museum
The Haston Block Building and other Haston-significant buildings in Spencer, TN

And there may be other local historical sites of interest to your specific family! I’ll help you visit those sites as well, if possible.

And the tour is free. A contribution to the Daniel Haston Family Association would be appreciated, but that would be totally up to you.

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We Are Moving Home

Back to the Soil of Our Haston Family Roots

We are now officially homeless people.

As I write this, it’s Friday, July 14, 2023. We closed on selling our house in Pennsylvania today. And we close on the purchase of a house in White County (Tennessee) on July 31, so temporarily we are homeless people, living for almost two weeks in a house that is no longer ours. Signing those papers today was a bittersweet experience. It’s a house we have loved and put a lot of time and money into, but it’s not in Tennessee–where we want to be for the remainder of our lives. We are looking forward to being much closer to lots of old friends and relatives. And, frankly, I look forward to living where people recognize the name “Haston.”

Our home in Pennsylvania for 27 years.

Sharon and have been busy packing for several weeks. We can’t believe how much stuff we have accumulated while living here. We still have much more to do before the truck is loaded on Wednesday, July 26. And we hope to be unloading at 11979 Old Kentucky Road–a just-finished new house–in White County on Saturday, the 29th of this month (July).

We are looking forward to beginning this new chapter of our lives. For me, it’s home. It has always been “home” even though I haven’t lived there since 1966. I grew up in Sparta and White County and graduated from White County High School in the class of 1965, a tight-knit group. Sharon has spent lots of time there too, since we married in 1970, especially when my parents were still alive and living there. And she enjoys the warm reception that she knows awaits her there.

I’m looking forward to settling down and getting back to work on my Daniel Haston Family research and writing. I’ll be closer to some of important research facilities, such as those in the local area as well as the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville.

And as many of you know, it’s the roots-soil of the Daniel Haston Family.

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Devil’s Bridge – Einsiedeln, Canton Schwyz

Devil's Bridge - Canton Schwyz, Switzerland

The world our early Swiss Hiestand lived in was filled with legends of witchcraft and devilish interactions with humans. Located a few miles from where our Hiestand ancestors lived was a bridge that they surely would have known about–the Devil’s Bridge. Our June 2023 Hiestand-Haston tour group visited this bridge. Here’s the story of this old bridge, supposedly built by the Devil himself.

Text from pages 21-25 of Legends Overlooked, by J. Ross Baughman. Images from Wikimedia Commons.

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Pacific Northwest Daniel Haston Families Reunion

First Ever - Pacific Northwest Reunion of Our Family

Meeting at the Wichita Avenue Evangelical Church

Friday evening, September 29 (5:00-9:00 p.m.) and Saturday, September 30 (9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)

The Agenda

Thursday & Friday – September 28-29 (or earlier) – Optional, come early and visit some of the local tourist sites. Organize your own touring adventures.
Friday, 5:00-9:00 p.m. September 29 – Desserts, coffee, tea (etc.), and meet and greet.
Everyone bring a dessert to share, homemade or purchased. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided.
Saturday, September 30, 9:00 a.m. – Noon

- Presentation by Wayne on the overall story of the Daniel Hiestand/Haston family
- Break
- Presentation by Wayne on Isaac Haston/Hastings/Hastin and his family
Noon to 1:00 p.m. – Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Presentation by Wayne on Jeremiah Haston and his family
- Follow-up activities, discussions, and Q&A
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Cleanup

Wayne Haston, Family Historian

Registration

“The Daniel Haston PacNW reunion will not be available on Eventbrite as previously stated. Instead you may mail checks to:

Carol Haston
8720 James Raul Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89143

Pay cash at the door.

Adults $27.00
Children 4-12 $12.00

Call or email Carol with questions or concerns.

760-696-5434
carolhaston@gmail.com”

Contact Carol Haston (carolhaston@gmail.com) if you have questions about the event or the registration process.

Come Earlier in the Week and Enjoy Some Spectacular Scenes from God's Creation

All Three of the Most Popular Tourist Sights in the Pacific Northwest

Mount Saint Hellens – Multnomah Falls – NW Pacific Coast

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A Hidden Yankee Sword Found on a Confederate Haston Farm

The Mystery of the Civil War Yankee Officer's Sword

I wish there was more I could say about this sword, but pretty much all that is known in the Haston family is that at some point after the Civil War, a Federal officer’s story was found in a hollow tree on the farm where Confederate soldier, Montgomery G. Haston, lived during and shortly after the Civil War.

The sword has been kept in the family, but the stories of who found it, when it was found, specifically where on the farm it was found, and how it got there have been lost over time. However, I will offer one theory:

Perhaps M.G. Haston Took It Home as a Souvenir

Just a Theory, Not a Proven Fact

Montgomery Greenville (M.G.) Haston was a grandson of Daniel Haston, through an illegitimate birth by Polly Haston, daughter of David Haston. He became a prominent citizen and civic leader in Van Buren County, TN. On June 4, 1861, twenty-seven days before Tennessee was admitted to the Confederacy, M.G. was appointed to be Captain of the Home Guard for his district of Van Buren County. According to the following 1862, a Confederate camp (probably a training ground) was established on the M.G. Haston farm.

In April 1863, M.G. resigned his office of Justice of Peace for his 4th District, as well as his position as Tax Collector for Van Buren County. He joined Company C of the 35th Regiment of Tennessee’s Confederate Infantry, as a private, on June 16, 1863. Later that month, he was fighting in the strategic Tullahoma (TN) Campaign, only about 60 miles SW of his home.

In the spring of 1863, M.G. Haston and other citizens of surrounding counties knew they were facing the possibility of a Federal Army occupation. And they knew what occupation by enemy troops would mean. Pro-southern guerilla fighters–some of whom were nothing more than thieves, robbers, and murderers–were dangerous enough. But a massive occupation by Federal troops would be devastating to farms and their families.

The only thing preventing that occupation was the Army of Tennessee under the leadership of General Braxton Bragg. But Bragg’s army had fought to a draw in Murfreesboro’s Battle of Stone’s River and retreated to take a stand at Tullahoma. Bragg, and all of western Middle Tennessee, were facing the realities of (1) a win at Tullahoma and a forced retreat of the Union Army, or (2) a surrender of south-central Tennessee to a swarming army of enemy soldiers.

After a few days of positioning and fighting in miserable rain, General Bragg chose to retreat to Chattanooga. Much to the disappointment of many of his troops, especially those recruited from southcentral Tennessee, Bragg left businesses, farms, and families (especially pro-Southern families) wholly unprotected.

Immediately, many of the Confederate volunteers from that local area began to desert, to go home to protect their wives, children, and property. The defensive mode became personal to many of them, the dike had burst and the flood of enemy raiders was at hand.

M.G. Haston remained with Bragg and the Army of Tennessee in the retreat to “Tanner’s Station” (Tyner), east of Chattanooga. He reported for the July 17, 1863 muster there. But deserted on July 31.

If you study the life of M.G. Haston, you will know he was not a coward. He, no doubt, deserted because he knew the “dam had burst” at Tullahoma and his home area was now flooded with Federal soldiers. His farm, his wife, and his children, most of whom were very young, were vulnerable to abuse by swarms of Yankee soldiers, some/many of whom had no qualms about raiding, robbing, raping, and destroying–especially anything or anyone belonging to a Confederate soldier. And M.G.’s farm and family were no doubt high priority targets. And M.G.’s farm was sitting in a major crossroad that would have been heavily traversed by Yankee predators, as well as unscrupulous Rebel guerrillas.

So, perhaps M.G. took possession of the sword somewhere in his battle experiences and brought the sword home with him. If so, maybe he hid it in a hollow tree, knowing that if he had been discovered with it (during or even after the war) he would have been hanged or shot. He died a few years after the war (December 20, 1869). Maybe the hiding place of the sword was unknown to anyone else, thus it remained hidden for years following his death.

Other Possible Theories

Perhaps a Federal officer stuck his sword in the hollow tree and forgot it? Not likely. Perhaps someone other than M.G. Haston hid the sword in the tree and forgot it? Maybe, but it’s doubtful. Perhaps someone stole the sword from a Federal officer and hit it in the tree so the officer couldn’t find it? Again, not likely. Any other ideas – Leave a Reply (below).

More About Montgomery Greenville (M.G.) Haston

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Your Ancestors Wanted to Be Remembered

Your Ancestors Wanted to Be Remembered

"Will I be remembered?"

Our daughter, Carissa, passed away on March 22, 2023. She had suffered for 29-nine years with a paralyzed digestive tract, a medical condition known as gastroparesis. She was a remarkable girl-young lady-45-year-old woman in the way she fought through pain and multiple surgeries, including a five-organ transplant–stomach, small bowel, liver, pancreas, and duodenum–in order to live a normal-as-possible life and leave a positive impact on the many lives she touched.

Carissa was a very committed Christian. As a young girl she put her faith in Jesus Christ to be her Savior. In spite of many challenges in life, she lived for Jesus. After her transplant, she committed her life to Jesus more deeply than ever. She was well aware of her mortality and was determined to live her life to the fullest for God’s glory.

Carissa was very bold with her faith. Her physical conditions limited her social interactions somewhat, but wherever she went she had friends and strangers she met immediately were attracted to her friendly smile and quickly learned to admire her. But she never shied away from letting them know she was a Christian, a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ.

What We Learned Soon After Carissa Passed

On the night after Carissa’s Celebration of Life service in her hometown of New Cumberland, PA, her mother, sisters, and one very special friend (who had been an aide to Carissa for several years) went to Carissa’s apartment to begin the process of sorting out her personal belongings. Her friend discovered a little notebook that none of us had ever known about. It contained several pages of thoughts that she had jotted down about her life. In one section she made a list of fears. One of those fears really made me think. And I believe it’s a fear that almost every person has when he/she thinks about death. “Will I be remembered?” That’s why some people give millions of dollars to have a building or other public structure named for them.

I hope that, from heaven, Carissa was able to look in on the two Celebrations of Life that were held for her, one in PA and the other in TN, at a church near where she was buried. The crowds were large and many spoke about her impact on their lives. “Yes, Carissa you were and will be remembered for many years to come!”

"Will I be Remembered" - A Common Human Fear

I fear being forgotten too. Death is a weird thing, and I know sometimes it may seem selfish that all I am most worried about is being forgotten. Someone close to me passed a couple years ago and on most days I feel anger and resentment to all those who have forgotten her.

Anonymous Statement from an Online Site

Fear of being forgotten is common. Some people fear it to an extreme–an irrational and debilitating phobia known as athazagoraphobia. But the common fear of being forgotten is something almost everyone experiences. I certainly don’t want to be forgotten, do you?

Your Ancestors Also Feared Being Forgotten

I can’t say that I feel anger and resentment when a deceased friend or loved one is forgotten, but I DO feel sad and disappointed. I love it when someone shares a pleasant memory about my father and mother–or Carissa. Don’t you hope fond memories about you will be shared after you pass–even into future generations. Don’t you hope someone will care enough about you to keep your memory alive?

I must say it disappoints me when I hear that people have forgotten their grandparents, great-grandparents, and earlier ancestors. These are people who made it possible for you to have a life. And doubtless, they feared that they would be forgotten.

Genealogy and family history are all about preserving memories of those who preceded us, even in spite of their flaws in some cases. That’s what the Daniel Haston Family Association is committed to do–keep our family heritage and history alive for this and future generations to celebrate.

Samuel Haston - A Lost Son of Daniel Haston?

Samuel's License to Marry Mary

Source: “Illinois Statewide Marriage Index,” Office of the Illinois Secretary of State, https://www.ilsos.gov/isavital/marriageSearch.do

Gallatin County, Illinois on the Ohio River

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Our First Daniel Haston Family Association Regional Reunion

Portland, Oregon

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For $10 You Can Virtually Experience Our European Heritage Tour

Hiestand-Haston 2023 Heritage Tour to Switzerland and Rhineland Germany

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The Civil War Divided the Haston Family in Missouri

George Wasington Stever, Jr., Part 1

George Wasington Stever, Jr., Part 2

George Washington Stever, Jr., Part 3

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230-Plus Events in the Life of David Haston, Phase 1

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230-Plus Events in the Life of David Haston, Phase 2

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Meeting Our Cousins in & from the Pacific Northwest

As Well as Others from Around the USA

The Formal Program, In Between Times of Getting Acquainted and Some Fun Activities

The mission of the Daniel Haston Family Association is to reconnect the various branches and twigs of the Daniel Haston Family TREE and to...

Rescue from oblivion the history and stories of our early Hastons and related ancestors.

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Daniel Haston's GG Grand Niece and Nephew Make Amazing Discovery

Indiana's Most Visited Natural Attraction!

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Maggie Chandler's Stories

Maggie Chandler's Witness Stand Stories

How does Maggie Chandler's stories affect your opinion of this case and the possible outcome?

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

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Witnesses Come to the Defense of Mrs. Ida Haston

Ida's Neighbors and Others Testify of Her Good Character and Deny the Allegations

If you were sitting in this courtroom now, what would your thoughts about the case be at this point?

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

Verdicts in Thelma and Mrs. Ida Haston Cases

Thelma's Trial Comes to an Unusual Ending

Now, honestly, after reading Part 1 of the story, what did you think about Mrs. Ida Haston?

How do you think about her now that you've heard both sides of the story?

What can we learn from this case?

The Whole Story - Good, Bad, and Ugly

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Tragedy at the Tennessee State Capitol Building

The Story of William Carroll Haston, Jr.'s Tragic Death

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Mrs. Ida Haston Charged With Prostituting Teenage Girls

Who Was Mrs. Ida Haston?

Ida Haston Arrested in Springfield, MO on September 13, 1917

On a Charge of Operating a "House of Depravity" With Young Girls

The investigation started when 15-year-old girl (later we learn it was Maggie Chandler) told her family a story about working at a telephone office, but her suspicious brother-in-law followed her and learned that she was going to the home of the Hastons.

Thelma Haston, Ida's Daughter Informs ("Confesses") Against Her Mother

In her cell, Mrs. Haston (age 45) denied the entire story, except saying that the girls came to her house to play with Thelma. “Lies, all lies,” Mrs. Haston responded.

Another girl said that she was sent to a bedroom where there were three little girls and four men. One man grabbed her and started her on a shameful life. She spoke of the brutality of Mrs. Haston.

The Case Against Mrs. Ida Haston - Guilty or Not Guilty?

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A Haston Heritage Tour Based On Your Family Line Back to Daniel Haston

Now that we are living back in the Haston Homeland...

We would love to guide you on a tour of sites that were important to the early Daniel Haston Family.

Some of the more common sites of interest to descendants of Daniel Haston are…

And there may be other local historical sites of interest to your specific family! I’ll help you visit those sites as well, if possible.

And the tour is free. A contribution to the Daniel Haston Family Association would be appreciated, but that would be totally up to you.

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Back to the Soil of Our Haston Family Roots

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Devil's Bridge - Canton Schwyz, Switzerland

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First Ever - Pacific Northwest Reunion of Our Family

Meeting at the Wichita Avenue Evangelical Church

Friday evening, September 29 (5:00-9:00 p.m.) and Saturday, September 30 (9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)

The Agenda

Thursday & Friday – September 28-29 (or earlier) – Optional, come early and visit some of the local tourist sites. Organize your own touring adventures.

Friday, 5:00-9:00 p.m. September 29 – Desserts, coffee, tea (etc.), and meet and greet.Everyone bring a dessert to share, homemade or purchased. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided.

Break

Presentation by Wayne on Isaac Haston/Hastings/Hastin and his family

Noon to 1:00 p.m. – Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Presentation by Wayne on Jeremiah Haston and his family

Friday, 5:00-9:00 p.m. September 29 – Desserts, coffee, tea (etc.), and meet and greet.
Everyone bring a dessert to share, homemade or purchased. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided.