Thomas R. Trammell (c1821 - 1873)

A week or so ago here I had a picture of Margaret Jane Trammell and her husband and sons.

I mentioned her father had moved to Gentry Township, Benton County, Arkansas. I wish I had a picture of him. Picture or not, I came across some interesting text about him:

Thomas Trammell is among the names listed in one company mustered in for Rounding Up of Indians, May 1 1838, at Franklin, NC., and Mustred out July 16, 1838, at Franklin, NC.
-THE HERITGE OF MACON COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA, p5, - Macon County Historical Society.

The following was taken from the manuscript "Trammell, The Ancestors, Families, and Relatives of Thomas Fred Trammell and Gertrude Estella Lavell" by William J. Trammell, Rt. 2 Blountstown, FL 32423, Jan. 1996.

Thomas and wife Rebecca Prewett went to Arkansas about 1848 from Georgia. Their daughter Margaret Jane was born in Georgia. Son Luther K. was born in Arkansas, 1849. They settled on Flint Creek south of what latter became the town of Gentry, Arkansas. (This was near the spring by the Dave Linsey place). They met the requirements for homestead patents. According to deed records of Benton County, Arkansas a bounty Land Warrant was issued in favor of Thomas R. Trammell, Private in Captain Angells Company, N.C. Volunteers, Cherokee War, in District of lands subject to sale at Fayetteville, Arkansas containing 40 acres on June 13,1856 by President Franklin Pierce.
Thomas didn't believe in slavery and was called a "Black Republican". During the Civil War he took his family north into Missouri. When they returned their buildings were destroyed and squatters were on their prior property, so they settled north of what became in 1893, Gentry, Arkansas, in the area to be known as Trammell School District.
The first school in the area was a subscription school held in a log house with split log seats and instead of desk a shelf fastened to the logs on the side of the walls. The log house also used for Church. In 1873 Rufus Brown taught school in another log cabin that later became the home of Bill (William Jahue) and Mary Ellen Trammell. This is where Bill went to 2-3 month term school. Later Bill gave land for the school house that was built and used till the consolidation with Gentry School District. When the consolidation took place Bill was very much disturbed about it and it was said that he wanted to burn the Trammell school. Vinson R. bought the building in the 1950's and tore it down for the lumber.
Thomas R. Trammell died of sunstroke, Gentry, Arkansas, and is thought to be buried at Blagg-Duckworth Cemetery, between Siloam Springs, and Gentry neat Siloam Springs City Lake, With an unmarked native stone marker.

One of the things interesting here is that apparently Thomas was against slavery and the south's succession. I'm not sure that is the same Thomas Trammell who jointed the Confederacy from Macon County,Georgia. There was several cousin-Thomas Trammells in Macon County at the time.

After the killing in Macon County, a couple of Thomas's sisters and his brother Van moved to Gentry County, Arkansas, where their brother lived. The killing in Macon County was over an heated argument about slaver, with Van taking the pro-slavery position and then it appeared he took refuge with his brother who also believed in Anti-slavery, the same as Mr. Lambert, who Van had recently killed because the same beliefs.

I bet they had some lively discussions around the dinner table.