Will - Person Sheet
Will - Person Sheet
NameREED, William 
Birth Date23 Dec 1818
Birth PlaceLancaster County, South Carolina
Death Date10 Oct 1895 Age: 76
Death PlaceItawamba County, Mississippi
FatherREED, John (~1790-~1874)
MotherCOFFEE, Jincey (~1799-~1874)
Misc. Notes
William Reed oldest son of John and Jincy Reed. He was born in Lancaster Co. SC, Dec 23, 1818. When he was 3 weeks old his parents moved to Lamar Co. AL. When he was 15 years old the family moved across the state line to what is now Itawamba Co. MS. They were among the earliest white settlers in this region. Oct. 9, 1843 he was married to Elizabeth Moore Wilson.
The first home of the couple was seven miles sough of Fulton, and one mole east of the Tombigbee river. They lived there until their first child was born, in the spring of 1845. The moved to Arkansas for a few months, but returned to Itawamba County that fall.
In 1846 Wm. Reed and his father John Reed purchased 320 acres of land with a mill on it, from a man named Smallwood, who was the first white settler to own and occupy it.
The house a log structure was on the south side of the creek. The mill was run by water situated on what was thereafter known as Reed's Creek. Wm. Reed's brother Andrew purchased his father's interest in the mill, five years later, Andrew died and Wm. Reed purchased his interest and became sole owner. Wm. bought additional land and on it was a deserted Indian village. Very little land had been cleared for cultivation.
Wm. Reed operated the mill as his chief occupation. It consisted of a saw mill, cotton gin, grist mill, and flour mill. The saw mill was the old sash saw type that preceded the circular saw. The cotton gin was the same principle as used today; fed by hand. The grist mill was used to grind corn into meal. Wheat soon proved to be an unsatisfactory crop, so the flour mill was soon discontinued.
Wm. Reed was 42 years old when war between the states began. He enlisted but saw little front line service. He was slightly wounded when a splinter from a tree hit by shell struck him i the face causing slight wound which bled profusely.
Soon after her enlisted he was detailed to make boots and shoes for the army. He was stationed at Granada, MS, near enough home to permit occasional visits to his family. Three of his sons enlisted.
When the war was over everything was in a demoralized condition. Confederate money was worthless, trade was at a stand still, but Wm. and Elizabeth Reed rejoiced that no immediate member of their family had been killed.
Before the war the South was Prosperous, by the time the war was over the Reed's wealth had dwindled until they had practically nothing left but their land, the old log house they lived in, and the Mill. They could neither buy nor sell anything, they were again forced to use the old discarded looms to weave cloth to make clothes and to tan hides to make the shoes they wore. Of course, everything they ate, they raised at home. Conditions gradually grew better but when Wm. Reed died, his landed estate had dwindled until only 160 acres of land remained in the homestead.
After the carpet baggers were driven from the South, Wm. Reed began to try to recoup the losses he had sustained. He made trips down the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers with flat boats of staves he hired hands to cut. Would sell staves and boats and return on the train. However his principal work was running the mill and overseeing the farm. Most of the work was don by his sons. He never owned any slaves.
In 1871 he began work building his house that still stands on the home place. The original roof was made of heart cypress and lasted for many years. There were six rooms to this two story Colonial type house, five fireplaces, large brick chimney with 4 flues was in the center and fireplace in the kitchen for cooking the meals and heating the room. covered porches ran full length of the house, both upstairs and down.
Wm. Reed was a quiet unassuming man who spent much of his leisure time reading. He subscribe to many newspapers, the Louisville Journal, Atlanta Constitution, Gospel Advocate, and the Christian Monitor.
The Reed's were members of the Chritian Church, Elizabeth Reed was the first person to be baptized into this church in Itawamba Co. The few members used to meet at the Reed home on Sunday. Itinerant evangelists would sometime preach there on Sunday, a church building was erected later. Wm. Reed died Oct. 10, 1895. Elizabeth Reed his wife, died on her birthday Sept. 13, 1893. Both are buried in the Reed Cemetery on top a hill near the Reed home.
All the children of Wm and Elizabeth Reed except the oldest child were born in the old log house, the original dwelling erected by Smallwood on the Old Reed place.
The children names were William Washington, Andrew Marion, James Henderson, John Lamar, Robert Argyle, Madison Lafayette, Cordelia Victoria, Benjamin Franklin, Mary Isabella, Infant daughter not named, Elizabeth Lucinda, Alice Josephine, Samuel Edward , and Charles Nathaniel Reed.
The first home of the couple was seven miles sough of Fulton, and one mole east of the Tombigbee river. They lived there until their first child was born, in the spring of 1845. The moved to Arkansas for a few months, but returned to Itawamba County that fall.
In 1846 Wm. Reed and his father John Reed purchased 320 acres of land with a mill on it, from a man named Smallwood, who was the first white settler to own and occupy it.
The house a log structure was on the south side of the creek. The mill was run by water situated on what was thereafter known as Reed's Creek. Wm. Reed's brother Andrew purchased his father's interest in the mill, five years later, Andrew died and Wm. Reed purchased his interest and became sole owner. Wm. bought additional land and on it was a deserted Indian village. Very little land had been cleared for cultivation.
Wm. Reed operated the mill as his chief occupation. It consisted of a saw mill, cotton gin, grist mill, and flour mill. The saw mill was the old sash saw type that preceded the circular saw. The cotton gin was the same principle as used today; fed by hand. The grist mill was used to grind corn into meal. Wheat soon proved to be an unsatisfactory crop, so the flour mill was soon discontinued.
Wm. Reed was 42 years old when war between the states began. He enlisted but saw little front line service. He was slightly wounded when a splinter from a tree hit by shell struck him i the face causing slight wound which bled profusely.
Soon after her enlisted he was detailed to make boots and shoes for the army. He was stationed at Granada, MS, near enough home to permit occasional visits to his family. Three of his sons enlisted.
When the war was over everything was in a demoralized condition. Confederate money was worthless, trade was at a stand still, but Wm. and Elizabeth Reed rejoiced that no immediate member of their family had been killed.
Before the war the South was Prosperous, by the time the war was over the Reed's wealth had dwindled until they had practically nothing left but their land, the old log house they lived in, and the Mill. They could neither buy nor sell anything, they were again forced to use the old discarded looms to weave cloth to make clothes and to tan hides to make the shoes they wore. Of course, everything they ate, they raised at home. Conditions gradually grew better but when Wm. Reed died, his landed estate had dwindled until only 160 acres of land remained in the homestead.
After the carpet baggers were driven from the South, Wm. Reed began to try to recoup the losses he had sustained. He made trips down the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers with flat boats of staves he hired hands to cut. Would sell staves and boats and return on the train. However his principal work was running the mill and overseeing the farm. Most of the work was don by his sons. He never owned any slaves.
In 1871 he began work building his house that still stands on the home place. The original roof was made of heart cypress and lasted for many years. There were six rooms to this two story Colonial type house, five fireplaces, large brick chimney with 4 flues was in the center and fireplace in the kitchen for cooking the meals and heating the room. covered porches ran full length of the house, both upstairs and down.
Wm. Reed was a quiet unassuming man who spent much of his leisure time reading. He subscribe to many newspapers, the Louisville Journal, Atlanta Constitution, Gospel Advocate, and the Christian Monitor.
The Reed's were members of the Chritian Church, Elizabeth Reed was the first person to be baptized into this church in Itawamba Co. The few members used to meet at the Reed home on Sunday. Itinerant evangelists would sometime preach there on Sunday, a church building was erected later. Wm. Reed died Oct. 10, 1895. Elizabeth Reed his wife, died on her birthday Sept. 13, 1893. Both are buried in the Reed Cemetery on top a hill near the Reed home.
All the children of Wm and Elizabeth Reed except the oldest child were born in the old log house, the original dwelling erected by Smallwood on the Old Reed place.
The children names were William Washington, Andrew Marion, James Henderson, John Lamar, Robert Argyle, Madison Lafayette, Cordelia Victoria, Benjamin Franklin, Mary Isabella, Infant daughter not named, Elizabeth Lucinda, Alice Josephine, Samuel Edward , and Charles Nathaniel Reed.
Spouses
Birth Date13 Sep 1825
Birth PlaceMoulton, Lauderdale County, Alabama
Death Date13 Sep 1893 Age: 68
Death PlaceItawamba County, Mississippi
FatherWILSON, Robert L. (~1796->1860)
MotherHARGROVE, Ann (~1804-~1845)
Misc. Notes
Died at her home near Reedsville, Mississippi. Sept. 13, 1893, our dearly beloved mother, Elizabeth W. Reed, wife of Wm. Reed, age 68 years.
She was the daughter of Robert and Annie Wilson, was born in Moulton, Lawrence County, AL, Sept. 13, 1825 - and moved with her parents to Mississippi in 1840 - where she gave her hand in matrimony to Wm. Reed. She obeyed Christ at the early age of 19. she lived a devoted Christian life up to the day of her death. When I say Christian I don't mean she had her name enrolled on the church book and just attended church on Sundays like so many people do, for that was not her way of being a Christian. Her way was the right way, for after attending every service in her church that was possible for her to attend, she spent her time in serving her Master, both in her work and in her conversatio0ns, thus doing every thing she could to the glory of God. She was never contented on the Lords Day if she was not permitted to go to the Lord's house to worship, and her seat was never vacant unless from sickness, and even then it was unwillingness of the Spirit.
The Christian Church ant Sardis had indeed sustained a great loss by her death. I don't think any one on earth has more friends than this dear mother for she always had a kind and consoling word for every one she came in contact with. She was the mother of fifteen children, and the grandmother of forty two, and the great grandmother of five. She leaves nine sons and daughters and a host of relatives and friends to mourn her loss.
She was the daughter of Robert and Annie Wilson, was born in Moulton, Lawrence County, AL, Sept. 13, 1825 - and moved with her parents to Mississippi in 1840 - where she gave her hand in matrimony to Wm. Reed. She obeyed Christ at the early age of 19. she lived a devoted Christian life up to the day of her death. When I say Christian I don't mean she had her name enrolled on the church book and just attended church on Sundays like so many people do, for that was not her way of being a Christian. Her way was the right way, for after attending every service in her church that was possible for her to attend, she spent her time in serving her Master, both in her work and in her conversatio0ns, thus doing every thing she could to the glory of God. She was never contented on the Lords Day if she was not permitted to go to the Lord's house to worship, and her seat was never vacant unless from sickness, and even then it was unwillingness of the Spirit.
The Christian Church ant Sardis had indeed sustained a great loss by her death. I don't think any one on earth has more friends than this dear mother for she always had a kind and consoling word for every one she came in contact with. She was the mother of fifteen children, and the grandmother of forty two, and the great grandmother of five. She leaves nine sons and daughters and a host of relatives and friends to mourn her loss.
Marr Date9 Oct 1843
Marr PlaceMississippi