Mary and William~Tragedy Before and During The War

In early 1851, Mary A. Brock, the 22 year old daughter of Squire H. Brock and his wife Rachel married William Alfred Rivers, age 23, son of William and Elizabeth “Betsy” Rivers. Approximately a year later, in March 1852 their first child Squire James Rivers was born on Saturday, 13 March.  Something went terribly wrong in the delivery of Squire James; he survived but his Mother did not survive.^{1 2}

William Alfred Rivers after a marriage of just a year or a little more is a Widow with a baby son needing his care. Being a farmer, this was not a good situation.  It’s obvious from Census that Squire Brock grandparent’s spent many hours caring for the young lad. So much so that from time to time Squire James Rivers was known as Squire James Brock. But, the aged grandparents were not able to care for Squire James full time. William Alfred needed a new wife to care for his child. ³

In 1853, William Alfred Rivers married Eliza Ann Turnage, age 23, daughter of William Turnage and Lavina Thompson. From the time of their marriage till early 1861 they enjoyed a good life with William Alfred caring for the farm and Eliza taking care of the house and children. To this union were born 5 children, four daughters and one son. ⁴

The children of William Alfred and Eliza Ann  are: ⁵
i.    Emily Levinia Rivers, born 12 Apr 1854, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Caleb Coker, 1872; died 25 Nov 1936, Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
ii.    Annie Elizabeth Rivers, born 21 May 1856, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Thomas James McDonald, abt 1876; died 26 Aug 1889, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
iii.        Nancy J. "Amanda" Rivers, born abt 1858, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married John P. Smith, abt 1875.
iv.    William Turnage "Billie" Rivers, born 15 Feb 1860, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Henrietta O. Hammond, 5 Oct 1898, Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 23 Oct 1933, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
v.    Sarah Frances Rivers, born 4 Nov 1862, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married George Washington Carnes Sr., abt 1886, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 26 Dec 1931, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

On 12 April 1861, the life of this normal family was again interrupted.  Shots were fired on Fort Sumter, South Carolina thus setting off the start of the War for Southern Independence, aka Civil War. William Alfred signed up with all the other young men in Chesterfield County, leaving their wives, children and farm and marching off to war. ⁶

William Alfred Rivers lost his life on 17 August 1863 at Petersburg, Virginia. No record of his service was found on Fold3.com; but, the South Carolina Roll of The Dead and Randolph Kirkland’s book “Broken Fortunes “ reports his death with this death date. Mr. Kirkland cites the ROH (Roll of Honor) as his source. ⁷

Thus on 17 August 1863, Eliza Ann Turnage Rivers became a war widow. She was left with her five children and the child of her husband and his first wife Mary A. Brock.  William Alfred death left six children ranging in age from 10 months to eleven years of age eleven without a Father.

Somehow Eliza Ann managed to raise these six children without  a husband through reconstruction and into the 1900. ^{8 9 10}

She never remarried and all six children lived to adulthood to raise families of their own.
Eliza Ann Rivers died 5 July 1910 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. She was living with her son, William Turnage Rivers and his wife Henrietta  “Hattie” O. Hammond. ¹¹

Eliza Ann Turnage Rivers is buried in the Mt. Olivet Methodist Church Cemetery. It is not known where Mary A. Brock Rivers and William Alfred Rivers are buried.












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1. 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield District, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield District, South Carolina, Page 179B, Line 16, family 1242, dwelling 1242, Household of William Rivers; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2010); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
2. 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, page 100, Line 9, dwelling 82, family 82, Household of William A. RIVERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 27 July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.
3. 1880 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #5, Page 311, Line 37, Dwelling 26, Family 26, Household of Eliza RIVERS; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 4 August 2011); citing National Archive Microfilm T9, Roll 1225.
4. 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, page 100, Line 9, dwelling 82, family 82, Household of William A. RIVERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 27 July 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.
5. 1880 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #5, Page 311, Line 37, Dwelling 26, Family 26, Household of Eliza RIVERS; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 4 August 2011); citing National Archive Microfilm T9, Roll 1225.
6. Randolph W. Kirkland Jr., Broken Fortunes: South Carolina Soldiers, Sailors and Citizens Who Died in the Service of Their Country and State in the War for Southern Independence, 1861-1865 (Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina, 1997), page 298.
7. Kirkland, Broken Fortunes, Page 298.
8. "South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964," Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/ : viewed 3 August 2011), Estate Folder #241,, "Wm. A. RIVERS, Probate Case #241," Images 342-353.
9. 1900 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, ED #21, Page 01B, Line 94, Dwelling 138, Family 142;, Household of William T. Rivers.
10. 1910 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #0037, Page: 149B (stamped), Line 65, Dwelling 405, Family 405, Household of William T. Rivers; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 4 August 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm T624_1455.
11. James C. Pigg, Chesterfield County Cemetery Survey; Self-Published, 1995, Page 695. Tombstone of Eliza Ann Rivers; 17 February 1830–5 July 1910, Mt. Olivet Methodist Church Cemetery, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.