JOHN AND MARTHA (MOUNTS) STEELE
Generation V
From Original research of Dodie (Smith) Browning
Copyright- All Rights Reserved
John Steele was the second son and second child of Ralph and Levisa (Ferrell) Steele of Logan County WV. He was born 25 March 1825 in Tazewell County Virginia. (Information from family Bible of George and Rosannah (Fannin) Steele in possession of this author). He moved with his parents to Logan County about 1840.
The family “tradition” of John Steele, is most interesting, and probably has some truth like all “family traditions”, but may not be completely accurate. Tradition dictates that John Steele served in the Confederate Army, which is accurate. He enlisted in Co. I, 1st Virginia State Line (date unknown) and Co. B., 45th Battalion, Va. Infantry May 1, 1863.
Allegedly, John Steele told his family that if the South won the war, he would return, but if the North won, no one would ever see him again. This John Steele never appeared on any census nor public record after the war. Still further, “tradition” dictates that he was not killed during the war, but when others from his company were boarding a boat to return to their homes, John told them “Just a minute, I forgot something,” and was never heard from again. John Steele never appeared on Public records in the area where his family and relatives lived, so he probably never did return. If he did tell his family that if the south lost the war he would never return, it was certainly an ominous prediction.
When the original sketch was written in 1987, I had not searched Civil War records except through correspondence with the National Archives for War records of my direct ancestors and my husband’s ancestors. Since that time I have compiled a list of Steeles in southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and what is present day West Virginia, who were in the Confederate Army, and there is a bit of interesting but sad information on John Steele.
There was a John Steele who was captured at Winchester, Virginia on 19 September 1864. He remained in prison at Point Lookout Maryland (as did my husband’s great grand father, David Hale from Logan County) until the war ended. On 18 February 1865, John Steele along with others was transferred to Richmond, Virginia in a prisoner of war exchange. He died of pneumonia at the Receiving & Wayside Hospital in Richmond four days later.
This is more than likely the same John Steele. The John Steele who was a prisoner at Point Lookout, Md. was shown as age 35. There is a five-year age difference in this John and the John who was son of Ralph and Levisa (Ferrell) Steele, but more than likely that was a clerical error in the prison records. It is quite possible that he did in fact leave his companions, probably because he was ill. It is also very possible that his family never knew what happened to him. Thus, John Steele’s statement to his family that if the North won the war, that he would never return was accurate, because he never did return. Some of John Steele’s descendants believed that he survived the war and had another wife and family, but I found nothing to indicate this was even remotely factual.
Whoever the John Steele was who died of pneumonia, died without his loved ones being present, as did thousands of other soldiers from both the North and the South. It is the belief of this writer, that the man who died of pneumonia was in fact the grandson of George and Rosannah (Fannin) Steele and the son of Ralph and Levisa (Ferrell) Steele.
We do know for certain that John Steele’s family remained in that part of Logan County, West Virginia that later became Mingo County, West Virginia. The family moved back and forth across the Tug River into Pike County, Kentucky and what is present day Mingo County, WV. John and Martha’s children were closely associated with the Hatfield clan which is revealed in marriage records of the children.
The children of John and Patsy (Mounts) Steele:
1. Ralphael Steele, b. ca.1845-1846.
2. Margaret Steele, b. ca. 1847.
3. Nancy Steele, b. ca. 1848, married Asa Hensley, 4 September 1873, in Pike County, Kentucky.
4. Harrison “Harry” Steele b. 14 May, 1852.
5. Rebecca Steele, b. 31 July 1854, married Franklin Hunt 14 Feb. 1875.
6. David Paul Steele, b. 18 May 1855.
7. Pricy Steele, b. ca. 1858.
8. Eliza Jane Steele, b. 6 November, 1859, (one record shows her born 1860) married Joseph Murphy, 11 Jan., 1883 -They were living in Mingo County WV on 1900 Census.
9. Perry A. (Paris?) Steele b.1857, died 1931, married Emma Varney. Emma Varney was d/o J.H. Varney and Martha Hatfield, (sister of Devil Anse).
10. Charlotte Steele, b. ca. 1862, married A. J. Simpkins, 28 Oct. 1882.
11. Rutha Steele, born 27 March 1864; married Lewis Evermont Staten, son U. McCoy and Nancy Staten (from Rutha and Lewis Evermont’s marriage record). Rutha died 24 April 1954. Rutha and Lewis Evermont had nine children:
11a. Nora Staten b. 11/2/1888, married Sidney Sipple on 12/3/1913. She died on 11/3/1967.
11b. Roland T. Staten b. 3/1/1893. He was married twice: Bertha maiden name unknown at present, and m2 was to Bessie Ferrell.
11c. Bryan Staten b. 12/28/1897. He married Holly Cisco on 2/27/1917.
11d. Ralph Staten b. 12/29/1908.
11e. Lona Staten married Elias Simpkins on 2/25/1913. She died on 12/25/1971.
11f. Lottie Staten b. 3/29/1896. She married Wayne Simpkins on 1/10/1917.
11g. Georgia Staten b. 1/15/1903 – she married Rush Cisco on 5/16/1925.
11h. E.M. “Marshall” Staten b. 1/20/1895. He married Allie Chafin on 3/14/1916.
11i. Nancy Staten b. 12/1899. She married Dee Simpkins on 3/27/1917.
Perry A. and Emma (Varney) Steele
Front-L-R: Ali Steele, P.A. (Perry) Steele, Emma (Varney) Steele, Stella Steele, Meldie Steele, & Lon Steele
Back: Iager Steele
(Note from Wilma (Charles) Steele who provided the above pictures: “ Over the years, someone “pasted” a picture of Iager Steele and Lon Steele into the original photo- the reason for the oversized heads in the picture.)
The information on Perry’s family was provided by Wilma (Charles) Steele, wife of Terry Steele.
According to the 1900 Mingo County Census where Martha “Patsy” Steele was living at the time, she had 12 Children and nine of them were still living in 1900. There was a S(mith) Epson, b. circa 1868 that some say is the son of Patsy. I believe he is the one who married Jenny Stafford on 10 May 1894. This may have been a grandson, because if John never returned from the Civil War, he could not have been the father of this Smith Epson if this was the right age for him. Harrison had a son named Smith Epson, but he was born ca. 1876.
As can be seen from the above marriages, these are some of the predominant surnames that were connected with the “feudists” as the participants of the Hatfield – McCoy feud.
Aunt Dodie,
Haven’t seen in a coon’s age. Do you still live in Port Richey? I have a picture of Grandma, Paul and me at the Peach Creek residence. Perhaps you gave it to me. I know where you get the time to do this history work of families I just don’t know where you get the energy. Mom was always a good worker especially around that kitchen but the Austin’s energy level was low. Hope to hear from you again. It’s been so long.
Wayne