Life History

Other facts

Notes

• 1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 14 August, pages 71-72, Hse/Fam #577
  W D McSwain 35 M Farmer $700 Real Estate $1368 Personal born North Carolina [b abt 1825]
  -- page 72 --
  Arelia McSwain 30 M born North Carolina [b abt 1830]
  Issabella McSwain 14 F born North Carolina [b abt 1846]
  Thomas McSwain 12 M born North Carolina [b abt 1848]
  Vina C McSwain 10 F born North Carolina [b abt 1850]
  William H McSwain 8 M born North Carolina [b abt 1852]
  Anonymous McSwain 6 M born North Carolina [b abt 1856]
  Francis McSwain 3 F born North Carolina [b abt 1857]
  Salena McSwain 2 F born North Carolina [b abt 1858]
  
  The Hamrick Data Pages source records this family, but lacks birth dates for most of the children.  Note that the estimated date for almost all is either 1860 or 1861.  The Hamrick compilation has Arelia's name as Arrienia.  The census entry for 1860 would make one thing the proper name was Aurelia, a popular name in that era.  Since William could not read and write, the enumerator probably just did the best he could.  One family genealogy does in fact list her as Aurelia.
  
  Aurelia Leadbetter
  Birth 1829
  Parents Jabez Leadbetter 1788 - 1865, Lucretia Howard 1800 - 1884
  --  Dunbar, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/12060416/person/-343532584?ssrc=&ftm=1
  
  However, another family source reports her name as Arrenia.  It would seem this is her proper given name.
  
  "My father's grandmother was Josina A McSwain Bridges the youngest child of William D and Arrenia McSwain.  My dad has told me stories of talking to William Henry McSwain (Uncle Henry) and aunt Frank (Frances or Frankie McSwain) when he was a boy.  He is now 87 and I have some 1st hand accounts and other info I have found."
  --  David Bridges, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 2 March 2017
  
  The child called Vianna by Hamrick matches the child reported in the census as Vina C.  This name is probably short for Levina, or Lavinia.  Many women with variations of this name were called Vina, Viney or other variations of this nickname.  The Hamrick pages had a list of all the children, but some seem to be first and middle for the same child.  Vianna (Vina in the census) seemd to match Vina C in the census, and there is no Selena in 1860, but Selena could match the middle initial C (Celina?) in the 1860 census.
  
  McSwain, William (*1826 - )
  father McSwain, Thomas (1796 - 1872)
  mother Bridges, Salena W "Frankie" (1793 - 1862)
  spouse Gipson, Malissa (*1830 - )
  spouse Ledbetter, Arrienia (*1829 - )
  ----------child: McSwain, Thomas (*1846 - )
  ----------child: McSwain, William Anonymus (*1853 - )
  ----------child: McSwain, Salena (*1860 - )
  ----------child: McSwain, Vianna (*1860 - )
  ----------child: McSwain, Henry (*1861 - )
  ----------child: McSwain, Frankie (*1861 - )
  ----------child: McSwain, Isabell (*1861 - )
  ----------child: McSwain, Josina (*1861 - )
  
  Note the unlikely approximate dates of birth, two children born in 1860 and four in 1861!  This source does not tell us which children were born to which wives.  But goig by the death date of Frankie, they would all be hers.  None of these six can be the children of Frankie, however, since in 1860, she would have been about 70 years old!  But this is old even for Thomas to father children.
  
  I note additionally that the Hamrick information combines two children reported in the 1860 census, called William H and Anonymous.  This odd name is a given name for several individuals in Cleveland County in the 1800s.  Hamrick combines these two children in William Anonymus.  William Henry lived until 1948, while Anonymous died as a chld before 1870.
  
  Frankie would be Frances (spelled Francis in the census).  Henry might be an additional child, but could also be the H of William H in the census, since Hamrick has combined the name William with Anonymous (Anonymus).  The Hamrick listing adds one child not in the 1860 census, Josina.
  
  A basic military record reports the Confederate Regiment he joined in the Civil War.  Note the middle initial D here.
  
  U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865
  William D McSwain
  Confederate, 28th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry Regiment, Company H, Private
  
  His more complete military record reports that William died ("was mustered out")  This one has the 28th Regiment.  It appears the 28th is correct.
  
  U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865
  William D McSwain
  Residence Cleveland County, North Carolina
  Age at Enlistment 40
  Enlistment 17 Mar 1862 Cleveland County, North Carolina, Private
  Did not survived the War
  Enlisted in Company H, North Carolina 28th Infantry Regiment on 17 Mar 1862; .Mustered out (died) on 30 Oct 1864 at Richmond, VA.
  Birth Date abt 1822
  North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster The Medical and Surgical History of the Civil War
  
  Several genealogies report his name as William D, with the date of death 4 July 1870.  This matches the registry listing for a William McSwain in the Boiling Springs Cemetery.  The date of birth is not given, but age to the day is reported as 48 years, 1 day.  This would make his birth date 30 June 1822.  However William's age in the 1860 census is 35, making birth about 1825, while the Hamrick Genealogy reports him born about 1826, which would be too late.
  
  "McSwain, Wm. 48y,1d July 4, 1870 Boiling Springs Cemetery Cleveland Co., NC "
  --  McSwain -- Old Rutherford County and Cleveland County, NC, Burials, W D Floyd, http://www.rfci.net/wdfloyd/cemm5.html
  
  William's Great Great Grandson says this William D McSwain is not his great grandfather.  He has not been able yet to identify where this William in Boiling Springs Cemetery fits in the tree.
  
  "William D McSwain my Great Great Grandfather.  He is NOT buried in Boiling Springs.  I have not tracked that William down yet to see where he plugs.  My great great was in the 28th NC regiment CSA company H the Cleveland Regulators.  He enlisted in Cleveland county on March 17,1862.  He was wounded on September 1, 1862 at the Battle of OX Hill returned to duty wounded again August 1864 (probably at the battle of Fussils Mill and died of gunshot wound of hand and amputation of arm at general hospital 24 in Richmond VA.  He never came home. ... "Just 2 days ago [1 March 2017] literally I got a call from Oakwood Cemetary in Richmond and he is buried there in section G row I grave 124."
  --  his great great grandson David Bridges, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 3 March 2017

Sources

• 1. McSwain -- Old Rutherford County and Cleveland County, NC, Burials
  • Location: http://www.rfci.net/wdfloyd/cemm5.html;
• 2. David Bridges
• 3. U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865
• 4. 1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 14 August, page 72-73, Hse/Fam #577
• 5. Hamrick Data Pages
• 6. Hamrick Data Pages
  • http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hamrick/wga75.html
• 7. U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865
  • Name: Date: 2007;;
• 8. 1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 14 August, pages 71-72, Hse/Fam #577
• 9. 1900 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 29 June, Shelby, District 55, Page 21B, Hse/Fam #388
• 10. 1920 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 20 January, Shelby, District 60, Page 12A, Hse #207, Fam #210
• 11. North Carolina, Deaths, 1909-1976
• 12. North Carolina, Deaths, 1906-1930
• 13. Find a Grave Memorial Registry