Life History

Other facts

Notes

• George A. McSwain
  Birth 2 April 1825, Death Unknown
  Parents Charles McSwain 1786-1848
  Luraner Washburn  died 1845
  Spouse Martha A. Randle
  --  Schiebler/Cacopardo, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/10227346/person/791341000?ssrc=&ftm=1
  
  George A. McSwain
  Birth Abt 1825 in North Carolina
  Father Charles McSwain b 13 Aug 1786 in North Carolina
  Mother Lewraner Washburn b 5 Dec 1794
  Marriage Martha A Randle b ABT 1829 in North Carolina
  Children:
  Charles J McSwain b ABT 1849 in North Carolina
  John A McSwain b 26 Aug 1852 in North Carolina
  Thomas M McSwain b 10 Mar 1855 in North Carolina
  Edward R McSwain b ABT Oct 1856 in North Carolina
  Sally McSwain b ABT 1859 in North Carolina
  George D McSwain b 1864 in Arkansas
  --  David Holden, http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dwh1951&id=I25038
  
  1850 Federal Census, Stanley County, North Carolina, 4 October, Ross District 8, page 103 (scan 52), Hse #727, Fam #733
  George McSwain 25 M $200 Real Estate b NC
  Martha A McSwain 21 F b NC
  Charles J McSwain 1 M b NC
  
  George and Martha were among the first McSwains to move into Arkansas from North Carolina.  They were there before the Civil War, in Jefferson County.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Jefferson County, Arkansas, 25 September, Talladega Township, p 21, PO Locust Grove, Hse/Fam #146
  George A McSwain 34 M Farmer $560 Real Estate $180 Personal b North Carolina [born abt 1826]
  Martha A McSwain 31 F North Carolina [born abt 1839]
  Charles J McSwain 11 M North Carolina [born abt 1849]
  John A McSwain 9 F North Carolina [born abt 1851]
  Tom M McSwain 7 M North Carolina [born abt 1853]
  Edmond [Edward] R McSwain 3 M North Carolina [born abt 1857]
  Sally A McSwain 10mos F North Carolina [born abt 1859]
  Wm R McSwain 20 M North Carolina [born abt Jan 1840]
  
  I cannot account for the last entry here, William R McSwain, born about 1840.  Sally's full name is probably Sarah, as usual with this nickname.  McSwain researcher David Holden lists her as Sarah Ann.  Edward Randle is entered here as Edmond R.  He appears in various records as Edmond or Edward.
  
  The transcription of this record reports this as being in Cleveland County.  But Cleveland County, Arkansas, did not exist until 1885.  The area had formerly been part of Jefferson County.  It was separated into a new county in 1873 as Dorsey County, and Dorsey County was renamed in 1885 to Cleveland County.
  
  The original document does not mention any county but Jefferson County.  It appears the record has the designation Cleveland County because that is the county in which the land lies today and in whose seat the records are now stored.
  
  A descendant says that the McSwains moved to Arkansas in company with related Kendalls.  Lea Harville Morgan states that she is descneded form both these families:  "Edmond Kendall and Minor M. McSwain were my 2nd great-grandfathers."  She summarizes her understanding of their situation after moving, form family information and records.
  
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  My theory is that George A. McSwain, husband of Martha Randle, joined the 26th Arkansas Infantry, raised in Little Rock, Arkansas.  He is the only George McSwain I could find on the 1860 Arkansas census.  His cousin Lewis Jones McSwain's son, William R. McSwain, apparently came out to Arkansas with the McSwain-Kendall party about 1855.  William R.enlisted in a different Arkansas regiment and saw action in northern Georgia where he lost his left arm.  He returned to Stanly County, North Carolina (his home town of Norwood) after the war.  By the end of the 1860s, George A. McSwain and his wife Martha Randle, have passed away, and their surviving sons are taken in by their Uncle Gabriel McSwain or Uncle Minor McSwain.  John A. McSwain, the eldest son, was out on his own.
  
  George A. McSwain's wife, Martha A Randle is from Stanly County, North Carolina as were the McSwain brothers David K, Minor M, George A and cousin William R. McSwain.  Their friends, Alexander and Edmond Kendall, were also from Norwood, Stanly County, North Carolina, and most likely traveled in a large party to Arkansas with the McSwains.
  
  Our family story is that when the Civil War broke out, that Minor M. McSwain "went to Pine Bluff Arkansas and took the train home to North Carolina where he enlisted in the CSA Army at the train depot in Raleigh."  He enlisted with an Alexander McSwain who may have been the elder brother to William R. McSwain who was living with George A. McSwain's family in 1860 Arkansas.  Minor was wounded twice, got through Gettysburg without a scratch, and was wounded and captured in the fall of 1864 after fighting at Winchester VA, and sent to Point Lookout POW camp in Maryland.
  --  Lea Harville Morgan, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, Apr 09, 2016
  -------------------------
  
  U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907
  George A McSwain
  Issued 1 Jul 1861, Land Office Little Rock
  40 Acres, 5th Prime Meridian, Cleveland [Jefferson] County, Arkansas, Township 8-S, Range 11-W, Section 24
  Authority April 24, 1820: Sale-Cash Entry (3 Stat. 566)
  Document #13918
  
  I find no record for George and Martha after this 1861 land record.  Children are in various other households in 1870, seeming to indicate that George and Martha died before the 1870 census.  A descendant genealogist reports that two brothers took in some of the children after George and Martha died.  This would mean they died before 1870.
  
  "Minor M. McSwain, George A. McSwain's brother, was my 2nd great-grandfather.  I see that Minor took in Thomas M. after George & Martha McSwain died, and that his brother, Gabriel McSwain took in the two youngest boys."
  --  Lea Harville Morgan, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, Apr 06, 2016

Sources

• 1. Ancestry Trees
  • Schiebler/Cacopardo, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/10227346/person/791341000?ssrc=&ftm=1
• 2. 1860 Federal Census, Jefferson County, Arkansas
  • 25 September, Talladega Township, p 21, PO Locust Grove, Hse/Fam #146
• 3. 1850 Federal Census, Stanly County, North Carolina
  • 4 October, Ross District 8, page 103 (scan 52), Hse #727, Fam #733
• 4. Lea Harville Morgan
• 5. 1920 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 5 January, Stonewall Township, District 66, page 2B, Hse #31, Family #34
• 6. 1880 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 11 June, Horsehead Township, District 94, page 17 (scan 363), No Hse #160, Fam #163
• 7. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 8. 1900 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 18 June, Stonewall Township, District 41, page 9B, Hse/Fam #147
• 9. 1910 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 20 April, Stonewall Township, District 61, page 3A,  Smedley Rd, Hse #53, Fam #54
• 10. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 11. 1880 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 11 June, Horsehead Township, District 94, page 17 (scan 363), No Hse #137, Fam #150
• 12. Ancestry Trees
  • Phillips Family, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16486677/person/385036320
• 13. 1900 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 24 June, Ward Township, District 44, page 16B, Hse #272, Fam #280
• 14. Gravestone of Thomas Miner and Mollie Evans McSwain
• 15. 1910 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 2 May, Lee Township, District 61, page 11B,  Grantmore Rd, Hse #214, Fam #217
• 16. 1870 Federal Census, Jefferson County, Arkansas
  • 10 July, Talladega Township, p 4, PO Randall, Hse/Fam #34
• 17. 1910 Federal Census, Nevada County, Arkansas
  • 7 April, Alabama, District 97, page 2A, Rt 1 Buckner, Hse/Fam #8
• 18. 1870 Federal Census, Columbia County, Arkansas
  • 8 July, Alabama Township, p 4, PO Falcon Arkansas, Hse/Fam #32
• 19. 1900 Federal Census, Nevada County, Arkansas
  • 29 June, Alabama Township, District 77, page 9A, Hse/Fam #157
• 20. RootsWeb Trees
• 21. 1880 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 19 June, Horsehead Township, page 25, Hse #224, Fam #227