Fifth Generation

516. Austin Coffey^2104,2105 was born circa 1818 in Burke Co., NC. Austin died as a prisoner during the Civil War and is probably buried near his old home place. in February 1865 at the age of 47.^2106,2107

The Murder of Austin Coffey

These activities soon brought some of Colonel Avery's battalion on the scene, and a party of Captain James Marlow's company went to McCaleb Coffey's house in the Coffey Gap. There they found Austin Coffey, who was recognized by John B. Boyd, and arrested. Boyd left his prisoner with Marlow's men and went on home in the Globe. That was Sunday, February 26, 1865. Nothing was seen of Austin Coffey after that till his body was discovered a week later in the woods by searchers sent out by his widow.

All sorts of stories have been circulated as to what really happened to Austin, and it was only recently that what is probably the true account was obtained from J. Filmore Coffey, of Foscoe. This gentleman is a son of Austin Coffey, having been born in 1858. When he became a man and had married he stopped one night in 1882 at the house of a man named John Walker, near Shelby. When Walker learned Coffey's name and that he was the youngest son of Austin Coffey, Walker told him that he, Walker, had been a member of Marlow's company when Austin was turned over to them; that they had taken him to a vacant house about half way between 'Shull's Mills and Blowing Rock, known then as the Tom Henley place, where Nelson Coffey now lives, one-half mile west of the Blowing Rock Road. There a fire was kindled and Coffey went to sleep on the floor before it. While he was sleeping this John Walker was detailed to kill Austin Coffey, but refused. It was then that a base-born fellow, named Robert Glass, or Anders, volunteered to do the act, and while the old man slept shot him through the head. The body was taken to a laurel and ivy thicket near by and hidden. One week later a dog was seen with a human hand in his mouth. Search revealed the body. Glass, after suffering much mental torture, died long before 1882 in Rutherford County. J. F. Coffey acquits both John Boyd and Major A. C. Avery of all complicity in his father's death. An extended probate of his estate began on 24 August 1878 in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC and continued for many years.²¹⁰⁸

Keith's [Blaylock] stepfather Austin was rather a Union man, though too old to be drafted into the service. (Nevertheless Austin was a part of the NC Confederate's Senior Reserves). Of course, he sheltered and fed stepson Keith and his comrades whenever he or they came to his home.

Austin Coffey's brothers were not on the same side. McCaleb was rather a Confederate sympathizer, having a son, Jones, in the Confederate army. William and Reuben Coffey were even more pronounced confederate men, actively forcing out-lyers and others subject to recruitment into the ranks of the Confederate army. Meantime, Keith Blalock (Austin's stepson) was taking recruits through the lines into the Union army in Tennessee. Thus, a natural antagonism sprang up between him and William and Reuben Coffey.

Keith Blalock, during his reign of terror (between August, 1864, and February, 1865), hunted out his enemies. His uncle, Reuben Coffey, was first sought, but he was not at home when Keith called. Keith and his aids then went to his uncle William Coffey's field, forced William to go half a mile with them to James Gragg's mill, and to sit astride a rude bench, where he was shot. Blalock turned over the deed of shooting William Coffey to a man named Perkins, because of the fact that William Coffey was the brother of his stepfather Austin Coffey. In 1864 Keith also had what he called a "battle" with Jesse Moore in Carroll Moore's orchard, in which Jesse was wounded in the heel and Keith had an eye shot out. Pat, a son of Daniel Moore, had a thigh broken in same fight. Blalock's men were called 'bushwackers' and consisted of, among others, his cousin Elisha Coffey.

These activities soon brought some of Colonel Avery's battalion on the scene, and a party of Captain James Marlow's company went to McCaleb Coffey's house in the Coffey Gap. There they found Austin Coffey, who was recognized by John B. Boyd, and arrested. Boyd left his prisoner with Marlow's men and went on home. That was Sunday, February 26, 1865. Nothing was seen of Austin Coffey after that till his body was discovered a week later in the woods by searchers sent out by his widow. Many stories have circulated, although the likely account was obtained from J. Filmore Coffey, a son of Austin Coffey, he was 13 at the time: "..When he became a man and had married he stopped one night in 1882 at the house of a man named John Walker, near Shelby. When Walker learned Coffey's name and that he was the youngest son of Austin Coffey,

Walker told him that he, Walker, had been a member of Marlow's company when Austin was turned over to them; that they had taken him to a vacant house about half way between 'Shull's Mills' and Blowing Rock, known then as the Tom Henley place, where Nelson Coffey now lives, one-half mile west of the Blowing Rock Road. There a fire was kindled and Coffey went to sleep on the floor before it. While he was sleeping, this John Walker was detailed to kill Austin Coffey, but refused. It was then that a base-born fellow, named Robert Glass, or Anders, volunteered to do the act, and while the old man slept, Glass shot him through the head. The body was taken to a laurel and ivy thicket nearby and hidden. One week later a dog was seen with a human hand in his mouth. Search revealed the body..."

All now agree that Austin Coffey did not deserve his fate: that he was a big-hearted man, who had fed Confederates as well as Union men at his house. He was a Union man, but not active in arresting Southern sympathizers, and had tried to prevent the raids on houses of Lott Green and Carroll Moore.

Austin's stepson Keith died April 11, 1913. He was killed in a freak accident while pumping a hand car along a local railroad. Rumors circulated that it was no accident but a final payback for all the grief he and Malinda had brought to Watauga County during the war. However, nothing ever came of the rumors. On April 14, 1913, William McKesson (Keith) Blalock was laid to rest beside his beloved Malinda. Ironically, his headstone reads simply "Keith Blalock, Soldier, 26th N.C Inf., CSA". There is no mention of his 'service' to the Union.

Austin Coffey and Mary A. Blalock were married circa 1844. They appeared in the census on 30 July 1850 in Johns River Twp., Caldwell Co., NC.²¹⁰⁹ They²¹⁰⁹ appeared in the census on 21 July 1860 in Johns River Twp., Caldwell Co., NC.²¹¹⁰ Mary A. Blalock was born on 25 March 1818 in North Carolina. She appeared in the census on 1 August 1870 in Johns River Twp., Caldwell Co., NC.²¹¹¹ She lived with Thomas Wright, her son-in-law in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC on 12 June 1880. Mary lived with her son Thomas Avery Coffey in Yadkin Valley, Caldwell Co., NC on 11 June 1900. Mary died on 19 January 1905 at the age of 86 in North Carolina and was buried at White Springs Cemetery in Blowing Rock, Watauga Co., NC.^2112,2113

Mary had two children out of wedlock: Keith, born c1838, and Mary, born c1842. Blaylock was Mary's maiden name.

The following is from a copy of a page titled Blalock Land Grants in Burke, Yancey and Mitchell Counties, North Carolina from 1815 through 1889 (Originals in NC Surveyor's General Office, Raleigh) (Extracted by Mimi Jo Hill Butler) and undated:

John Blalock, Sr.: Revolutionary soldier, born 1762 in Brunswick Co., VA. Married Mary {Polly: Dorman in Orange Co., NC 6 Jan 1796. Moved to Burke Co. (later Yancey Co.), NC. Moved to Carter Co., TN but then returned to Yancey Co., NC where he died 10 Mar 1846. Known sons were: Samuel Gallathan, Tilmon, William B., Jesse, John Calvin, and David. Daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Vance, Frances married Thomas Wilson, Mary married Austin Coffey, Matilda married John Wiseman, and Martha married a Sheffield. These family members did not actually move from Burke to Yancy to Mitchell Counties. As new counties were created, their place of residence was in the newly created counties.

Austin Coffey and Mary A. Blalock had the following children: