Fifth Generation

462. Lilburn Jackson Coffee was born between 1822 and 1824 in North Carolina?. He owned The SW 1/4 of S15 in TS12S of R24W on 2 April 1850 in Hempstead Co., AR. He appeared in the census on 1 June 1860 in Ozan Twp., Hempstead Co., AR.¹⁷⁵⁷ He served during the Civil War with the Co. A, 20th Arkansas Inf. Regt from enlistment at Washington, Hempstead Co., AR on 1 March 1862 until parole at¹⁷⁵⁸ Vicksburg, Warren Co., MS on 4 July 1863

Lilburn was captured on July 4, 1863 at Vicksburg, and paroled on July 8. He had enlisted on March 1, 1862 at Washington, AR in Co. A, 20th AR Regt. for a period of 12 months. The enlisting officer was Dan W. Jones. He was wounded on Oct. 3, 1862 while fighting with Cabell's Brigade in the battles at Corinth and Hatchie Bridge in Mississippi.

The 20th Arkansas Infantry Regiment location during the Siege of Vicksburg is marked today by an iron tablet located in the military park on Confederate Ave., at the Stockade Redan. This unit was attached to Brig. Gen. Martin E. Green's and Col. Thomas P. Dockery's 2nd Brigade of Maj. Gen. John S. Bowen's Division of Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton's Army of Vicksburg. It was commanded by Dudley W. Jones. See Edwin Bearss' The Vicksburg Campaign, Vol. II, pp316, 645, and 688, and Vol. III, pps 871 and 967.

In addition to Vicksburg, the 20th participated in campaigns at Corinth on Oct 3-4, 1862; Port Gibson on May 1, 1863; Champion Hill on May 16, 1863; Big Black River Bridge on May 17, 1863; The Camden Expedition from Mar. 23 to May 2, 1864 and Marks' Mill on April 25, 1864.

The Camden Expedition was a Southern campaign to prevent Union army forces under the command of Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele at Little Rock and Fort Smith in Arkansas from linking up with the Union navy in an expedition led by Rear Adm. David D. Porter that would have allowed the force to advance up the Red River to Shreveport, LA. The Union planned then to invade Texas. But, the link up with the Navy never happened. In a series of battles lasting nearly three months. Steele's soldiers were defeated with heavy losses by Confederates led by Maj. Gen. Sterling Price and Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith.

In comparison, Mark's Mill was a small battle, but also a victory for the Confederates. The battle occurred on Apr. 25, 1864 near New Edinburgh in Arkansas. The Union forces were again under the command of Gen. Steele. The Confederates, led by Cabell and Shelby attacked Union forces waiting for a supply train that had been sent from Pine Bluff.

Initially, Cabell's forces were overwhelmed on the flanks, but with support from Shelby's calvary, the result was a Confederate victory and possession of the supply train. The Confederates suffered about 300 casualties compared to more than 1500 for the Union.

Champion's Hill was fought on the property of the Champion family near Jackson, MS on May 16, 1863. It was a decisive battle and part of Grant's Vicksburg campaign. Confederate Gen. John Pemberton was campaigning in the area but was not aware that Union forces were advancing on him along the Jackson Road along Pemberton's unprotected left flank (Champion's Hill). If the Union took that area it would mean that Pemberton's forces would be cut off from supplies at Vicksburg.

The Union forces took the day by the number of soldiers available. There were only about 22,000 Confederates defending against more than 32,000 Federals. The Confederates lost more than 3840 while the Union forces suffered only a little over 2440 casualties.

Champion Hill led to the Big Black River where Confederate forces burned the railroad bridge as they retreated to Vicksburg. It was also at Big Black river where David Taylor, Lilburn's brother-in-law was captured and eventually sent to Maryland to die in a Union POW camp at Point Lookout. He appeared in Hempstead Co., AR. civil records in 1868 when he was entered in the voter rolls..¹⁷⁵⁹ Lilburn appeared on the 1871 Hempstead Co., AR. tax rolls.¹⁷⁶⁰ Lilburn sold property in Sec. 15, Twp 12S, R 24W to J. P. Coffee on 1 November 1871.¹⁷⁶¹ Lilburn sold property to C.T. Short on 8 May 1875.¹⁷⁶² Lilburn died circa 1877 at the age of 55 in Hempstead Co., AR and was probably buried at Hanegan-Robinson Cemetery in Hope, Hempstead Co., AR.

It is in this year that his real property was sold for back taxes. Not proven to be buried at this cemetery but other family members are buried here.

Census, marriage and other records that give an age for Lilburn indicates that he was likely born closer to 1820 than to 1824.

There are two places where the middle initial "C" has been found. One is in Book 1, Original Purchasers of Land in Southwest Arkansas from 1826. Lilburn purchase of land in TS12, Range 24, p186, cancelled.

Death records for a son from second marriage names Lilburn Jackson Coffey [sic] as the father and Lucy Sutton as the mother.

The other is in Book 6, page 170, Index to Deeds where L.C. Coffee and Lucindy, his wife, sold property in the SWNW, Sec. 15, TS12S, R24W and S/2 of NESW (except 20 acres) in the NWSW, Sec. 15, T12S, R24W to C.T. Short, May 8, 1875

It has been discovered through DNA testing of two male descendants of Lilburn, that the family surname was Mills, not Coffee. Lilburn belongs to the William Mills-Sarah Ellis line, but exactly where he fits has not yet been determined.

Lilburn Jackson Coffee and Sarah Hannah Taylor were married circa 1840. They appeared in the census on 25 October 1850 in Ozan Twp., Hempstead Co., AR.¹⁷⁶³ Sarah Hannah Taylor was born circa 1823 in Tennessee. She appeared in the census in 1850 in Hempstead Co., AR.. Sarah died in March 1860 at the age of 37 in Hope, Hempstead Co., AR and was probably buried at Hanegan-Robinson Cemetery in Hope, Hempstead Co., AR in March 1860 .¹⁷⁶⁴

Lilburn Jackson Coffee and Sarah Hannah Taylor had the following children:

Lilburn Jackson Coffee and Lucinda Jane "Lucy" Sutton were married on 26 May 1861 in Hempstead Co., AR.¹⁷⁶⁵ They¹⁷⁶⁵ appeared in the census on 7 July 1870 in Ozan Twp., Hempstead Co., AR.¹⁷⁶⁶ Lucinda Jane "Lucy" Sutton was born in October 1829 in Tennessee. Lucinda resided with her parents in Hempstead Co., AR on 1 June 1860. She appeared in the census on 12 June 1900 in Texarkana, Bowie Co., TX.¹⁷⁶⁷

The 1850 Bradley Co., TN census, page 139, shows Lucinda, age 24 with her husband, Benny C. Tipton, age 20-something, and 5-year old female child. This census entry is written very poorly and the child's name is not easily decipherable. It appears to be Ailreyre. In the same household, and with an equally unreadable surname, is a 50-something year old male named John and a 6-months old male child. The last name of both appears to be Beniebury. Lucinda's parents and other siblings are found on page 141, dwelling 45 of this same census.

The 1860 census of Ozan Township, Washington Post Office at dwelling 244, family 244, lists Lucinda in the household with William Sutton, 60, a farmer from Georgia. Included in the family were Laurena Sutton, 56; Elizabeth Sutton, 27; James Sutton, 23; and William J. Sutton, 18. There was also another Elizabeth Sutton, age 21 with child, William Nelson, age 2. Included with Lucinda were children R. C. Tipton, 12; William A. Tipton, 11; and Lucretia M. Tipton, 7.

Lucinda is not found on the 1880 census. The only Coffee in Hempstead County for that year was the family of John Fielding Coffee.

Mrs. Lucinda Coffee appeared on a list of people in De Roan Township assessed a tax on personal property. In 1883 Lucinda petitioned the Hempstead County Court to declare William Sutton, then in her care, a pauper and to pay him an allowance of $10 per month.

Jonathan K. Polk Sutton, second husband of Sarah Ellen Coffee, and Lucinda were first cousins.

The petition [copy in my possession] reads:

Washington, Ark. 1:15 1883

To the Hon County Court of Hempstead County Arkansas at its Jany Term 1883

Your Petitioner Lucinda Coffee would respectfully represent that William Sutton an aged and infirm citizen of this county, was declared a pauper by this Court during the year 1882 and was living in the family of J. W. Clay during that year, for which this amt made him an allowance of ten dollars per month. That said pauper is now in the family of this petitioner, and she respectfully asks that the same allowance be made her for keeping him during the year 1883, she being poor herself and unable to provide for him without remuneration: Respectfully submitted Lucinda Coffee

Lilburn Jackson Coffee and Lucinda Jane "Lucy" Sutton had the following children: