Tombstone Tuesday–George R. Boatwright

George R. Boatwright

b. 19 January 1819

d. 9 April 1894

bu. Hurst Family Cemetery, Chesterfield County, SC

Photo by Julious Burr

George R. Boatwright was born 19 January 1819[1], a son of Lewis Boatwright and Elizabeth Rebecca Davis.

He married Lauretta Hurst about 1852 in Chesterfield, SC. She was born about 1831, a daughter of Isaac Hurst and Henrietta “Ritta” Rivers. George and Lauretta had 6 children; 2 sons and 4 daughters.

During the Civil War, George enlisted and served in Company K, 6th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Aiken's Partisan Rangers) (1st Partisan Rangers).[2] Lauretta Boatwright died on 8 August 1863.[3] I think George R. Boatwright knew his wife’s health was failing and requested that he be discharge from the Army.

His Civil war Military Records shows that George was discharged on June 6, 1863 by General P. T. Beauregard.[4] This would indicate that George was at home when Lauretta passed away. Her death left George with 6 children ranging in age from 10 to just barely one year old for the youngest daughter – Sarah Catherine Boatwright.

No record has been found that would indicate that George re-married after the death of his wife, Lauretta Hurst Boatwright. He left a WILL and his estate[5] was probated in Chesterfield County SC in 1894.

•  Military Monday – George R. Boatwright

---

[1] Jim Tipton, Find A Grave, digital image, http://www.findagrave.com; Headstone for George R. Boatwright; (19 January 1819–9 April 1894); Memorial # 43479004; Record of the Hurst Family Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA; Accessed on 3 June 2012.
[2] National Park Service, "Soldiers" database, Civil War Soldiers & Sailor System (http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm : accessed 3 June 2012), entry for George Boatwright, Private; 6th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Aiken's Partisan Rangers) (1st Partisan Rangers); Confederates.
[3] Jim Tipton, Find A Grave, digital image, http://www.findagrave.com; Headstone for Lauretta Hurst Boatwright; (about 1831–8 August 1863); Memorial # 43479036; Record of the Hurst Family Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA; Accessed on 3 June 2012.
[4] National Park Service, "Soldiers" database, Civil War Soldiers & Sailor System (http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm : accessed 3 June 2012), entry for George Boatwright, Private; 6th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Aiken's Partisan Rangers) (1st Partisan Rangers); Confederates.
[5] Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Probate Files & Loose papers, George R. BOATWRIGHT; digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org: viewed 18 February 2013); Folder #781, Images 742-760.

Military Monday – George R. Boatwright

George R. Boatwright was born 19 January 1819 to Lewis Boatwright and Elizabeth Rebecca Davis.

When the Civil War broke out in 1861 George was married to Lauretta Hurst and they had 4 living children ranging in age from 1 to 8 years of age. A son had died in 1857. A sixth child, a girl, was born 10 August 1862.

George enlisted into Company K, 6^th South Carolina Calvary, also known as Aiken's Reg't Partisan Rangers and later the 1^st S C Partisan Rangers.[1]  He was enlisted by Capt. M. J. Hough as a Private on 1 November 1862. His baby daughter was just barely 2 ½ months old. He was 42 years old.

He appeared on the Adam Run Muster Roll for 1 November 1862. His horse was valued at $200.00 and his equipment valued at $20.10.

Next he appeared on the January-February Muster Roll and was listed as present.

The March-April 1863 Muster Roll showed that George was absent sick on furlough since March 28, 1863. It showed that he was last paid by Capt. Ward the Quartermaster on 28 February 1863.

The last Muster Roll in his file was dated May-June 1863. That card showed that he was last paid on 30 April 1863. It also showed that he was discharged by order of General Beauregard on June 6, 1863. 

I can only think of one reason why George was discharged before the War ended.

On August 8, 1863, George's wife Lauretta Hurst Boatwright died.[2] He must have had information from Medical Doctors back home in Chesterfield that his wife was seriously ill to receive a discharge from military service.   

 George R. Boatwright died 9 April 1894 in Chesterfield South Carolina. He is buried in the Hurst Family Cemetery.[3] There is no indication that George ever remarried.  In his Will, he named 3 living daughters, a son and one grandson.

---

[1] National Park Service, "Soldiers" database, Civil War Soldiers & Sailor System (http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm : accessed 3 June 2012), entry for George Boatwright, Private; 6th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Aiken's Partisan Rangers) (1st Partisan Rangers); Confederates.

[2] Find A Grave, http://www.findagrave.com, Accessed on 3 June 2012; Headstone for Lauretta Hurst Boatwright; Memorial # 43479036

[3] Jim Tipton, Find A Grave, digital image, http://www.findagrave.com; Headstone for George R. Boatwright; (19 January 1819–9 April 1894); Memorial # 43479004; Record of the Hurst Family Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA; Accessed on 3 June 2012.

The Wife of Lewis Boatwright

The seventh child of my 4^th great grandparents, Thomas Davis and Nancy Rivers Davis, was a daughter named Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Davis was born about 1800 or 1801; no document has been found that provides her birth date. Census record for Chesterfield County shows her as age 50 in the 1850 Census.  She married Lewis Boatwright about 1818. This date is based on the birth of their firstborn George R. Boatwright, born 19 Jan 1819.

In the three censuses where she is enumerated, by name, she is listed as Elizabeth Boatwright.  In 1929 a book entitled "The Davis Family of Wales and America: the Genealogy of Morgan David" was published by Harry Alexander Davis.  Mr. Davis in his book has Elizabeth listed as Margaret Elizabeth Davis:

VII  Margaret Elizabeth: b. 1801-2, m. 1818 Lewis Boatwright, b. S.C. 1798; he  d. 1861-9; she  d. after 1870; res. Chesterfield Dist. They had:[1]

So Elizabeth Davis full given named is Margaret Elizabeth Davis according to Mr. Davis ; but, Is It? A search for sustaining documents turned up three additional documents that named Elizabeth Boatwright.

The first document was  a  "Bill for Partition" found in the Chesterfield District Court of Common Pleas, Equity Side, 1823-1869,[2]

Smith, E.B. Adm. & others vs. Elizabeth Boatwright & others - Bill for partition & c 1864

Lewis Boatwright died intestate 7 March 1863, leaving his widow, Elizabeth Boatwright and children: George R. Boatwright; Louisa Ann intermarried with Duncan Teal; Lucinda Boatwright; and grandchildren: William B. Davis, Elizabeth J. Davis and George R. Davis, the children of a deceased daughter, Elizabeth, intermarried with C. Washington Davis; Catherine J. Davis, Lewis Davis, Margaret Davis and Mary E. Davis, children of a deceased daughter, Mary the 2nd wife of C. Washington Davis; and William Boatwright, Calvin Boatwright, Isaac Boatwright, Nancy Boatwright, and Lucinda Boatwright, the children of a deceased son Samuel Boatwright.

Again, Elizabeth is only listed as Elizabeth Boatwright so is no help to determine if her full given name is Margaret Elizabeth Davis Boatwright as documented by Harry Alexander Davis in his book.

No newspapers exist for this time period. Next we turned our attention to Land Deeds. While almost no deeds exist prior to the Civil War, a large portion of their life existed after the Civil War.

In Deed Book 1, we found two land deeds, one dated 15 April 1854[3] and the other dated 6 July 1868[4] that states that Lewis Boatwright wife was Elizabeth R. Boatwright. Later Elizabeth Rebecca Boatwright relinquishes her rights of dower.  In the second deed Elizabeth R. Boatwright is transferring land formerly belonging to her husband Lewis Boatwright.

These two land deed, with Elizabeth's presence at the time occurrence, is enough to convince me that her given name was Elizabeth Rebecca Davis instead of Margaret Elizabeth Davis. Until additional documents surface, I will list her as Elizabeth Rebecca Davis. I have no faith in a name written down in an unsourced book 56 years after her death.

---

[1] [1] Harry Alexander Davis, The Davis family (Davies and David) in Wales and America :: genealogy of Morgan David of Pennsylvania (Washington, D.C.: Lancaster Press Inc, 1927; reprint, Lancaster, PA: n.p., n.d.), page 55.

[2] James C. Pigg, Index and Genealogical Abstracts of the Chesterfield District Court of Common Pleas: Equity Side, 1823-1869 (Tega Cay, South Carolina: Self-published, 1995), page 130.

[3] Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Deed Book #1: pages 47-48, Lewis Boatwright to Samuel Boatwright dated 15 April 1854; Register of Deeds, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

[4] Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Deed Book #1: page 280, James T. Talton to Elizabeth Boatwright dated 6 July 1868; Register of Deeds, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.