It’s Family Time~The James Arnold Sellers Families

In 1844, my 2nd Great Grand parents William Eddins Sellers and his wife Elizabeth Parsons decided to relocate from Chesterfield County, South Carolina to Madison County Tennessee. There 10 years later in 1854, family folklore says he fell from the rafter of a church that was being erected and was killed by the fall. The family consisted of two children when leaving Chesterfield and 4 additional children were born in Madison County, Tennessee of which one, the baby, Alonzo, died at age 6 in April 1860. The baby, Alonzo was born in 1854 but since we don’t know it birth nor his father's death date we don’t know whether he saw his 6th child before his death. After William's death in 1854, Elizabeth, his wife, packed the family back to Chesterfield where she remained until her death on 30 May 1899.

I not aware of how long the trip was from Chesterfield, County, SC to Madison County, Tennessee but on line mileage calculator says its a total of 606.5 miles. A fully loaded wagon with one horse can travel on average, between 10-30 miles a day. A lot depends upon the terrain, hot or cold weather and other factors.

I have no proof but it looks as if William’s brother Noah and his wife Timmey Parson were also traveling with them during this trip. Noah’s wife Timmey and William's wife Elizabeth were sisters. As stated above, Elizabeth returned home to Chesterfield, Noah and Timmey stayed in Tennessee until after Noah death in 1894; Timmey moved to Texas to be with her son, William and died there in Ellis County, Texas on Christmas Eve, 1899. 

William and Elizabeth increased their family with the addition of 4 more children while in Tennessee. Their first borne in Tennessee was a son, James Arnold Sellers borne 16 September 1846. After James came two additional daughters and a son, the baby Alonzo who died at age 6 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina.  

Today’s focus is on James Arnold “Buck” Sellers. James had two older brothers. He was mere lad of 7 or 8 when his father was killed in 1854. At age 16 year and 5 months, he enlisted on 20 February 1863 with Company D, 6th Regt. Calvary. Between 11 June  and 1 July, 1864, James Arnold was wounded at Trevilian Station and hospitalized then furloughed.

After the War, James returned home and married Sarah Jane Pittman. Sarah Jane was born 15 December 1845, a daughter of Kenneth Pittman and his wife Nancy Campbell. James was a farmer.

James Arnold Sellers and Sarah Jane Pittman had the following children:

i. William Kenneth Sellers, born 10 Mar 1868, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

ii. Francis Marion Sellers was born on 5 May 1870 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

iii. James Aaron Sellers was born on 14 Jun 1872 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

iv. Annie E. Sellers was born on 31 Jul 1874 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

v. Nellie Sellers was born on 25 Jun 1876 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

vi. Jesse Washington Sellers was born on 7 May 1880 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

vii. Alfred Dudley Sellers was born on 1 Oct 1882 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

viii. Hardy Lee Sellers was born on 1 Feb 1887 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

On 13 February 1896, Sarah Jane (Pittman) Sellers passed away leaving a husband and 8 children surviving; the youngest a lad 9 years of age. 

James Arnold Sellers then married Nancy Jane “Jennie” Johnson. Nancy Jane was a daughter of Stanmore P. Johnson and Sarah J. Dabbs. They were married in 1896 based on the 1900 census entry and had one child in 1900.

James Arnold Sellers and Nancy Jane Johnson had the following children:

i. Stanmore Sellers was born on 1 Jan 1898 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. 

ii. Lizzie Jane Sellers, born 3 Aug 1900, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

iii. Mary Bell Sellers was born on 1 Aug 1903 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

James Arnold Sellers died 14 March 1904. His death left Nancy Jane with three small children. She next married William Henry Moore in 1907. Nancy Jane (Johnson) (Sellers) Moore died on 29 Sep 1956 at the age of 94 in Bennettsville, Marlboro, South Carolina.

James Arnold Sellers is my Great Grand Uncle.

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1. Jim Tipton, Find A Grave, digital image, http://www.findagrave.com; Headstone for James Arnold Sellers; (16 September 1846–14 March 1904); Memorial # 31354711; Record of the Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA; Accessed on 3 March 2007.

2. Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/: accessed 1 October 2012), entry for James Arnold Sellers, Private; 6th Reg't., Calvary; Confederate.

3. Brock Family Bible Family Bible Holy Bible, (N.p.: n.p., n.d.), DEATH DATE - 14 Mar 1904; J. Arnold SELLERS, Obtained from [name withheld.]

4. The ONLY KNOWN SOURCE for James Arnold Sellers death date is a Brock Family Bible owned by my Mother. If anyone knows of a source for his death and birth; please contact me through this blog by posting the information or send me a private e-mail.

5. James C. Pigg, Chesterfield County Cemetery Survey; Chesterfield County Genealogical Services, 1995, page 296. Tombstone of James Arnold SELLERS; 16 September 1846–14 March 1904, Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

6. Find A Grave, http://www.findagrave.com, Accessed on 3 March 2007; Headstone for James Arnold Sellers; Memorial # 31354711.

7. Interview with a Confederate Veteran obituary, The Chesterfield Advertiser, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, 7 April 1932. Sellers, Confederate Veteran (conducted by Nellie Bristow, Florence Morning News, reprinted Chesterfield Advertiser, April 7, 1932).

8. 1850 U S Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 179A; Line 17, Dwelling 1235, Family 1235, Household of Kenneth PITTMAN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http:://www.ancestry.com:Viewed 22 May 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.

9. 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 129, Line 29, Dwelling 507, Family 506, Household of Kenneth PITTMAN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http:://www.ancestry.com:viewed 22 May 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.

10. 1880 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Gulledge, Anson County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) #003, Page 361B, Line 1, Dwelling 9, Family 9, Household of Stanmore JOHNSON; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: viewed 11 April 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm T9, Roll 951.

11. 1900 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 20, Page 3A/75A (stamped), Line 29, Dwelling 44, Family 44, Household of James A. SELLERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com: viewed 4 March 2007); citing National Archives Microfilm T624_1523.

12. 1910 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Mt. Croghan, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 0041, Page 215B; Line 15, Dwelling 267, Family 267, Household of William H. MOORE; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: viewed 1 October 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm T624, Roll 1455.