Feb 21 - 52 Ancestors: #8, Shadrach Johns

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story To Small has started a challenge of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.

From her blog, “The challenge: have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor. Not only should this get me blogging more, but also to take a deeper look at some of the people in my family tree.”

Shadrach Johns is my 2nd Great Grandfather on my maternal side of the family.  This side of the family seems to have experience much more sadness in life as compared to other family lines.
Shadrach was born about 1800 in South Carolina. His parents are unknown/unproven. Research points to a connection with the Ephraim Johns family of South Carolina. He married Mary Bone/Boan about 1842.  To this union four (4) children were born. Their children are:

• Alice Catherine “Katie” Johns, b. abt 1844
• Thomas H. Johns, b. 1847
• Joseph Henry Johns, b. Apr. 1849
• Anna W. Johns, b. abt 1854

The family were enumerated in the 1850 Census for Chesterfield County, South Carolina. ¹



By 1860, the family had migrated to Alabama and can be found in the 1860 Census for Seals Station, Russell County, Alabama. ²



Not much is known about the family between 1860 and 1880. We do know that Alice Catherine Johns married Joel S. Toler, on 30 September 1869 in Bullock County, Alabama.³

We also know that Shadrach, at age 61,  served in the Civil War with Co. K, 24th Alabama Infantry. ⁴
We know that between 1861 and 1864 he moved from Russell County, Alabama to Washington County, Florida. In Florida, Shadrach Johns served with the Florida Militia.⁵ We know that as a member of the Florida Militia that Shadrick Johns was captured near Marianna, Florida, 27 September 1864; Sent from Ship Island, Miss to New York on November 5, 1864 by Capt. M. R. Marston; Imprisoned at Elmira, NY; He was released from Elmira on 29 May 1865. ⁶

He returned to Washington County, Florida. On 3 Dec 1866, the family signed a Chesterfield County Land Deed transferring property inherited by Mary Boan Johns to William T. Goodwin. (Chesterfield County Deed Book 5, Pages 598-599 and Deed Book 6, page 177).⁷

At this time Shadrach, Mary and the four children are named within the deed and acknowledged their presence with their signature or marks. 

I have not determined what happened to this family between their presence for the signing of this deed and the 1880 Census. But between that time period, Alice and Joel had two children and Mary, Alice, Joel, Thomas, and Anna W. Johns disappeared and is presumed to have died most likely from some pestilence.  

Shadrach and Joseph Johns are found in the 1880 Census ⁸ with two grandchildren in the household, William Shadrac Toler and Mary Toler. 



We know that Shadrach Johns died after 1880 but no obituary, death certificate or tombstone has been found.  Joseph Henry, the only surviving son, is my great grandfather.  





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[1] 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) No ED, page 109A, Line 11, Dwelling 161, Family/161, Household of Shadrach JOHN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
[2] 1860 U. S. Census, Russell County, Alabama, population schedule, Seals Station, Russell County, Alabama, enumeration district (ED) No ED, page 893, Line 7, dwelling 238, family 227, Household of Shadrick Johns; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_22.
[3] Bullock County, Alabama, marriage (30 September 1869), Joel S. Toler to Catherine Johns; Montgomery, Alabama, USA, State of Alabama Center for Health Statistics, Record Services Division.
[4] Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 23 January 2013), entry for Shadrack JOHN, Private; Co. H, 24th Alabama Infantry; Confederate.
[5] Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 23 January 2013), entry for Shadrick Johns, Private; Capt. Parson's Company; Confederate.
[6] Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 23 January 2013), entry for Shadrick Johns, Private; Florida Home Guard; Confederate.
[7] Land Deed - S. Johns & Others to Alice Goodwin Deed; 3 December 1866; Deed Book #6; Page(s) 177; Register of Deeds; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; 1999.
[8] 1880 U. S. Census, Marlboro County, South Carolina, population schedule, Marlboro County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #108, page 460A, Line 22, Dwelling # 43, Family #43, Household of Shade JOHN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm T9_1235.