Fifth Generation

602. Thomas Coffey was born circa 1807 in Tennessee. He appeared in the census on 15 October 1850 in Grainger Co., TN.²⁵⁵⁶ He appeared in the census on 10 June 1880 in Grainger Co., TN.²⁵⁵⁷

Thomas Coffey and Mary S. "Polly" Hipshire were married. Mary S. "Polly" Hipshire, daughter of Henry Hipshire and Delphia Delamar (?), was born in 1802 in Tennessee. Mary died circa 1848.

According to the research of Bennie Coffey Loftin, Mary “Polly” Hipsher had a child before marriage to Thomas Coffey. He was George Washington "Boss" Hipsher, born about 1829, died June 1894 in Grainger Co., TN; he married Nancy M. Dalton 20 May 1853.

Thomas Coffey and Mary S. "Polly" Hipshire had the following children:

+2379	i.	William Ira Coffey.
+2380	ii.	Wyatt Coffey.
+2381	iii.	Gilbert Coffey.
2382	iv.	Simeon Coffey was born in 1841 in Tennessee. He lived with his brother William Ira Coffey in Grainger Co., TN on 14 August 1860. Simeon enlisted in the in Co. D., 26th TN Inf, CSA in 1861 at . 26th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (3rd East Tennessee Volunteers) 26th Infantry Regiment completed its organization in September, 1861, at Camp Lillard, near Knoxville, Tennessee. The men were recruited in the counties of Washington, Cocke, Grainger, Rhea, Hamilton, Knox, Roane, and Sullivan. It moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, then Fort Donelson where on February 16, 1862, most of the men were captured. After the exchange it was assigned to G.J. Pillow's, J.C. Brown's, Brown's and Reynolds' Consolidated, and Palmer's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. In April, 1863, the unit was reduced to eight companies and in October consolidated with the 18th Regiment. It participated in the difficult campaigns of the army from Murfreesboro to Atlanta, returned to Tennessee with Hood, but was not engaged at Franklin and Nashville. Later the regiment was involved in the North Carolina operations. At Fort Donelson it reported 96 casualties of the 400 engaged before being captured. The 26th had 110 men disabled at Murfreesboro and of the 229 engaged at Chickamauga, forty-three percent were killed, wounded, or missing. During December, 1863, the 18th/26th totalled 423 men and 290 arms. Only a remnant surrendered in April, 1865. The field officers were Colonels John M Lillard and Richard M. Saffell; Lieutenant Colonels Abijah F. Boggess, James L. Bottles, and James J. Odell; and Major Thomas M. McConnell. Simeon died of wounds suffered during the Civil War in 1861 at the age of 20 and was buried at Goodman Cemetery in Whiteway Community, Gibson Co., TN.^2558,2559 There is a memorial headstone here for Simeon. His actual burial site is yet unknown.
+2383	v.	Arena "Reana" Coffey.
+2384	vi.	Martha Luvenia Coffey.

Thomas Coffey and Mahala "Hailey" Parkerson were married on 18 January 1870 in Rutledge, Grainger Co., TN.²⁵⁶⁰ They^²⁵⁶⁰ appeared in the census on 25 August 1870 in Thorn Hill, Grainger Co., TN.²⁵⁶¹ Mahala "Hailey" Parkerson was born circa 1844 in Tennessee. Mahala probably died before 1880 in Grainger Co., TN.

Mahala likely died at the birth of Cornelia. She is not present in the June 1880 census, and Cornelia was then aged 5 months, having been born in December, 1879.

Thomas Coffey and Mahala "Hailey" Parkerson had the following children:

+2385	i.	Dewey Coffey.
+2386	ii.	Harriet Coffey.
2387	iii.	Nettie Coffey was born circa 1876 in Tennessee. She lived with her father in Grainger Co., TN on 20 June 1880.
2388	iv.	Cornelia Coffey was born in December 1879 in Tennessee.