Unexplained Deaths in Early Kansas

 In 2018, I made a post to this blog about the families of two Reeves' brothers who migrated into the Kansas Territory as soon as it was opened for settlement.  Gaston and Terrell Reeves were sons of William Reeves and Anne Terrell originally of the New River area of western North Carolina and southwestern Virginia.  William's father was George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia who settled on the Peach Bottom Tract there in 1767 and served in a Revolutionary War unit from Montgomery County, Virginia. The known history of these Kansas settlers can be found in my initial post Settlers in Kansas Territory

At the time, I was puzzled by the deaths of both couples and most of their children within a decade after their arrival in Kansas.  They settled along the Verdigris River in southeastern Kansas and I wondered whether there had been attacks by Native Americans to the settlement or if some forces of nature such as tornados could have been responsible for so many deaths in these families. I searched most available sources but found nothing that might explain their deaths until several years ago when one of the descendants of Gaston Reeves joined  The Reeves Project and emailed to me all of the information he had been able to locate. 

1860 Census
Greenwood County, Kansas

My distant cousin Joe had finally discovered what appears to be the cause of their deaths when he came across a letter written in 1860 by Dr. Aaron Venard pleading for medical supplies.  When I discovered that the parents of these two families were missing in the 1860 census, I had found Gaston Reeves' children living in the home of Dr. Venard in Greenwood County.  In the letter that Joe found from Dr. Aaron Venard to Thaddeus Hyatt, he details the effects of scurvy on the pioneer settlement.  I have never considered scurvy a factor in anything other than long sea voyages, but apparently drought and the limited availability of adequate food sources to prevent illness had taken a toll on these settlements.

Dr. Venard's letter details the sicknesses of the prior winter and mentions that the primary problem was scurvy. Those who had come the previous year and made it through until Christmas, began to recover when the vegetables became available in January and February.

He explained that when vegetables did not exist, the scurvy was rampant.  He wrote that over the coming winter he expected the scurvy would ravish the settlers again.

Many more died over the coming 10 year period.  By 1873 practically all of the children of Gaston Reeves were deceased as well as the majority of Terrill Reeves' children.  Only Gaston's two youngest daughters are recorded as moving further toward the Pacific coast and lived into the next century.

The ancestors of my cousin Joe Hubbell, Elizabeth Easter Reeves and David F. Carter married in 1872 and migrated to California in 1875.  Many thanks to Joe for sharing all this trove of information about these families.

New Data for Reeves Family of Grayson County

The Library of Virginia's Chancery Case Index continues to add more scanned documents for additional counties.  This week I discovered a 236 page Wythe County chancery case which is based upon probate records of the 1821 suit Benjamin Austin et al vs the Administrators of George Reeves, Sr. of Grayson County, Virginia.  The Wythe County index also includes two other cases pertaining to this Reeves' family, the 1815 "Matthew Dickey vs the Admins of George Reaves" (sic) and the 1833 case "George Reeves ETC vs James Cox ETC".

All three of these cases appear to have initially been a result of slaves inherited by the descendants of Timothy Terrell which were left to him in his father John Terrell's will.  Timothy's daughters Anne and Obedience married William and Jesse Reeves, sons of George Reeves, Sr.  The 1833 case gives a great amount of biographical information on Timothy Terrell which I had never seen documented previously.  He is believed to have been killed by Indians but I had never seen  proof; however, this 1833 case does that.  He had migrated to the area of Nashville, Tennessee during the early settlement of that area where he was killed by Indians in 1779 and this 1833 document provides proof of that information.

After Timothy Terrell's death, his widow returned to North Carolina where in 1783, she married James Cox.  At Elizabeth Terrell Cox's death, Timothy Terrell's property remained in the possession of James Cox which is the source of this legal action. The suit was filed by George Reeves, son of Jesse Reeves and Obedience "Biddy" Terrell Reeves and included as plaintiffs all of the children of Biddy Terrell Reeves as well as William and Anne Terrell Reeves.

Valentine Collins Note

The 1821 suit initially mentioned here is based primarily on the extant documents regarding the estate of George Reeves, Sr.  He died intestate, leaving no will, so this estate file includes the inventory of his estate and records of sales of his property and names all of his heirs in addition to numerous copies of notes to be paid to the estate.  

Included within those notes there is even an early note circa 1807 assigned by George Reeves to Valentine Collins which was witnessed by his nephew Jeremiah Reeves, son of William Reeves of Wake County, North Carolina.  Jeremiah had migrated west of Grayson County into eastern Kentucky by that time along with his father.

These wonderful extant files can contain countless gems of important biographical information.  I have examined each of the 236 pages of the 1821 chancery case but it requires much more scrutiny to know if there are other tidbits of family data in these pages.  One item I have already found is a court document which provided the approximate date of death of Jane Burton Reeves.  There are numerous dates of death entries online but I had never found a valid source.  A Jane Reeves is listed on the Grayson County tax lists through 1816 which I believe could have been George Reeves Sr.'s widow but Jane Osborne Reeves, the widow of deceased George Reeves, Jr. did not remarry until 1818 and those tax lists may have been listing her instead.  Within the 1821 chancery case, a copy of a statement for George Reeves, Sr.'s account contains a court order which details the death of George's widow before 1 April 1813 when the sale of the property she had received as her dower was recorded.  Another document in that file explains that all of Jane Burton Reeves' personal property was given to her daughters to be divided among them.

Court Order with date before which Jane Burton Reeves died.

These three chancery cases may be able to provide much more needed information about the family of George Reeves with the necessary research.  For anyone related to this family, it would be to your advantage to spend some time searching the Library of Virginia's Chancery Case Index.  I've found some great information there.

Some Reeves Origins in Portugal or Spain?

I have spent many years searching for all the details of the life of my earliest known Reeves' ancestor, William Reeves (he, his sons and grandsons spelled it Reves). In 1746 Henry McCulloch conveyed to him 400 acres on the Neuse River which documents his residence in Johnston County, North Carolina by that date. None of those early records provide any clue to his origins. That 1746 deed simply describes him as "of Johnston County" which indicates that he was living in that county when the deed was recorded.

1746 Herman Moll Map of Carolina

This land was in Orange County in the 1750s, then back to Johnston by around 1762 and finally to Wake County at it's inception in 1771. The extant records of Orange, Johnston and Wake counties have provided all I know about my fifth great grandfather, William Reeves or Reves, Sr. I have searched court, deed, tax and probate records. He was fairly prominent in that community and served in various county positions such as tax assessor and collector as well as serving as a Justice of the County Court after the American Revolution. He has been designated by the DAR as a patriot due to his civil service during the Revolution and he also provided provisions for the American forces.

The Reeves DNA Project at FtDNA has identified thirteen individuals whose DNA matches that of descendants of William Reeves, Jr. and George Reeves, Sr. later of Grayson County, Virginia who appear to be his sons. It is possible there may have been one more son since he is listed with 4 white tithes on the 1755 tax list of Orange County. The names of those 3 sons are not included so the 4th tithe is unknown. Being a co-admin of that DNA project, I am always consistently watching for other genetic matches, but thus far have found none in the American colonies. However, as the project expands and more individuals participate, a theory is beginning to form regarding the abundance of matches to these thirteen members whose origins are in Portugal and Spain.

The prospect of his origins having been on the Iberian Peninsula had never occurred to me. My focus has always been on Great Britain. Ireland has been a primary direction of my interest due to the biography of William T. Reeves, born 1855, who migrated to Idaho circa 1885 where he served as a judge. He was a great grandson of William Reeves, Jr. and in that biography stated that his ancestor had come from Northern Ireland. However, a few years ago a new match to Group 6A at FtDNA, Seán, contacted me as he searched for his Reeves' family. His surname was not Reeves but his Y-DNA was a genetic match to the descendants of both William Reeves, Jr. and George Reeves, Sr. After some research, it became apparent that he appeared to be either an adoptee or the result of an NPE (non-paternity event) and was descended from George Reeves, Sr.'s family of Grayson, Virginia. We were unable to identify the exact male from whom Seán descended but were able to rule out the majority of that family especially those who remained in North Carolina.

Spanish Armada of 1588

In the course of Seán's search for his correct ancestor, he made contact with Frankie who was a Y-DNA match but had no known connection to the Reeves' family, instead his origins were in Portugal.  I initially didn't think this connection to a Portuguese match was particularly relevant but since there were no other Y-DNA matches in the entire FtDNA system to the members of our DNA Group 6A, recently I decided to go back through everyone's matches to see if there were any other anomalies. When I did, I found more matches, one at 111 markers, for individuals from Spain or Portugal. Of all the testers who match that group they are the only ones who don't descend from either George Reeves of Grayson, Virginia or his probable brother William Reeves of Wake County, North Carolina.

In the course of making a detailed study of matches to this DNA Group by testers of Portuguese or Spanish lineage, I have found that every member of the group has a match at some level, 111, 67, 37 or even 25 markers.  The estimated time frame per FtDNA software is somewhere around 1000-1800 CE.  

My initial thought was the proximity to the time of the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the British fleet in 1588. That might have produced a connection to someone from Spain or the Iberian Peninsula. Numerous Spanish ships wrecked along the western Irish coast in 1588 when they attempted to make their way to open sea and return to Spain after the armada's defeat. Many lives were lost in Ireland and most were captured and executed but in some areas of Ireland the inhabitants were kinder and helped the Spanish sailors return home and some even are reported as having remained in Ireland. In the course of this research, I have also learned that there was much sea trade between Spanish merchants and the Irish ports which should also be added to the possible connections to Spain and Portugal.

Defeat of the Spanish Armada

At this point, after a decade of searching for Y-DNA matches to the members of DNA Group 6A, it may be a solution to the mystery. Time and much research may be able to prove or disprove the theory.

Post Script:
There has been a family legend that Elizabeth Reeves Phipps, daughter of George Reeves, Sr. of Grayson County, always said she was "Portuguese Indian"! Reeves’ paternal DNA isn't related to native Americans, but these recent Y-DNA matches tend to support the validity of this theory of Portuguese ancestors. A New River neighbor, Mary Hollifield, in 1929 said: ‘The Reeves are said to come from Portugal. They had brown eyes and black hair.

Reeves Origins in Chesterfield, Virginia

The book Pioneer Settlers of Grayson County, Virginia by Benjamin Floyd Nuckolls, pub. 1913 in its mention of the Reeves' family early settlers states that George Reeves and his family came to the New River area from Drewry's Bluff in Chesterfield County, Virginia.  This incorrect history is also included in Foot Prints on the Sands of Time:  A History of Southwestern Virginia and Northwestern North Carolina by Dr. A. B. Cox, pub. 1900 which states that the family came from eastern Virginia.  That misinformation has been perpetually repeated in countless Reeves's pedigrees and history.  A thorough search of the records of Chesterfield County produced no historical records of this family with the only Reeves found there a John Reaves who was a taxpayer in 1757.  Both of these books were published more than 130 years after George Reeves is known to have settled on the Peach Bottom tract of the New River in 1767 and 100 years after his death.

George Reeves' mark registered in Orange County

This Reeves' family actually first appeared in the records of Orange County, North Carolina in the 1750's.  A young George Reeves' registered his mark (cattle brand) in Orange County Court in February 1761.  His apparent brother based upon Y-DNA results, William Reeves, Jr., had likewise registered his mark there in August of 1760.  Over the next five (5) years, George Reeves is recorded in numerous deeds which named Richard Burton and William Reeves in Johnston County in the mid 1760's as either witnesses or adjoining landowners. 

Jane Burton who married George Reeves, was the daughter of Richard and Ann Burton originally of the Henrico County area and finally residents of Augusta County Virginia before their appearance in Cumberland County, North Carolina in November of 1760 when Richard Burton entered 150 acres there on the east side of Drowning Creek which separates the present day counties of Montgomery and Moore.  Ann whose maiden name is unknown, was named in various Virginia deeds and is included in the deeds involving Richard Burton in Cumberland and Johnston counties of North Carolina.

A 1763 Johnston County, North Carolina deed from Richard & Ann Burton of Johnston County to Samuel Peek of Buckingham County, Virginia describes the 314 acre tract on the Neuse River as starting at William Reeves' corner.

1763 Deed for 314 acres in Johnston County

Ann Burton died sometime prior to April 1765 when the widow of James Farmer who had died in Johnston County in January of 1761 was named as Mary Burton when the sale and inventory of the estate of James Farmer was exhibited in Johnston County Court.  This record indicates that Richard Burton had married the widow of James Farmer after Ann's death.

Oral family history connecting the family of George Reeves, Sr. of Grayson County, Virginia to Chesterfield County is undoubtedly based upon Burton family history, not Reeves.  A letter written by George Reeves, Sr.'s grandson George W. Reeves before his death circa 1896 stated the following:

"My grandfather's name was George Reeves whose birthplace I am unable to give, but was principally raised in eastern North Carolina. He was born about the year 1704 or 1705 (sic) and came from Neuse River, N.C., to New River, Grayson County, Virginia, about the year 1725 (sic) bringing his wife with him..."

This letter is a complete treasure even though the dates all appear to have been misread when transcribed.  The letter mentions two cousins,  William Reeves and Jeremiah Reeves, who had come to visit in his remembrance, and gives his grandmother's name as Jane Burton.  The letter disproves recent incorrect theories that George's wife was an Epps from Halifax County, Virginia as well as the Chesterfield County, Virginia origins.  A post with more information on this letter can be found at New Data on George Reeves of Grayson County.

Many thanks to excellent Burton researchers like Bob Burton and Anne Burton Washburn who shared their expertise regarding these families with me many years ago.  See post from the Genealogy Forum of years ago with details for the two Richard Burtons (cousins) who settled in Orange and Johnston counties of the Neuse River basin at https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/burton/7193/.

Reeves or Greer?

George G. Greer
 to Joshua Cox

A few years ago one of our new members at The Reeves Project shared that she believed her ancestor George Greer was somehow associated with the Reeves family. 

George is named in an 1828 deed in Grayson County, Virginia as both George G. "Greer" and George G. "Rieves" in the same document.  The deed styled "George G. Greer to Joshua Cox" had conveyed the 140 tract on Fox Creek that he had purchased from Aquilla Greer the prior year. [[DB5:p377]

Recently I saw a Reeves' name I didn't recognize in the Grayson County tax lists of 1818 and 1819.  The Reeves in that area are part of my extended family so I'm quite knowledgeable about the families and knew there were no "George" Reeves living in that area of the right age to be this person.  The name on both lists was also followed by "son of S Toliver".

S. Toliver was Susanna, a married daughter of George Reeves, Sr. of Grayson County.  Susanna obviously had a son born before her marriage to William Toliver who was previously unknown.  Although there is no birth record naming George Greer as Susanna's son George Reeves, there is much inferential documentation to support that belief.  Sometime after 1820, he began to use Greer as a surname.  The Greer family in Grayson County is recorded owning property along Fox Creek which is the same community where the family of George Reeves, Sr. was located.

1834 Grayson VA Tax List

As George Greer he is listed on the Grayson County tax lists until 1834 which coincides with his departure from Virginia and arrival in Indiana.  George settled in Lawrence County, Indiana and is listed there in the 1840 census.  

It is noteworthy that Susanna Toliver's sons Allen, Andrew and James Madison Toliver also migrated to Indiana around this time.  Allen Toliver also settled in Lawrence County.

It appears that the early tax lists of Grayson County with the notations "George Reeves son of S Toliver" may have finally solved the mystery of George Greer.

1819 Tax List of
Grayson County, Virginia

Heirs of Obedience "Biddie" Terrell Reeves

The children of Jesse Reeves (spelled as Reves by he and his male relatives) and Elizabeth Obedience Terrell of Grayson County, Virginia and later Ashe County, North Carolina have up until now been undocumented. Jesse Reeves names most of his older sons in his 1833 will but only two of his daughters by Biddie Terrell. None of his children with his second wife, Mary Bowers, were named. There has been much misinformation promoted about Jesse's children. The identity of the correct mother of each group of children was also questionable.

Several years ago in the course of transcribing Ashe County NC deeds by various members of the Reeves' family, I came upon an 1833 Power of Attorney by Jesse's son John Reves. In that POA, John requested that his cousin Enoch Reves appear on his behalf at a court in Wythe District, State of Virginia, where a case by he and the rest of the heirs of Biddy Reves was to be presented in court. When I read this POA, I realized that those court records would provide details of the heirs of Jesse Reves born during his marriage to Obedience Terrell Reves. At that point, I began to search for the records of that case.

The Library of Virginia had been diligently adding Chancery Cases to their online site but at the time they had not scanned either Wythe or Grayson county cases and put them online. Over the next few years I checked back periodically and was pleasantly surprised sometime during the last year, when I found they had been added. This case involves a suit filed by Jesse Reves' son George to recover legacies due the heirs of Timothy Terrell from his father John Terrell.

This Chancery Case revealed a previously unknown son of Jesse Reves, William, along with two daughters. There had been much speculation regarding the gravestone for Nancy Reeves in the Jesse Reeves cemetery in Ashe County. A theory had circulated that this was an early wife of Jesse but these documents found her to be Nancy who married Terrell Bledsoe and both are mentioned in numerous family documents and court records. Another daughter Hannah Reeves, speculated as another daughter of Jesse's brother William was revealed to be Jesse's daughter who had married John Burton and eventually migrated to Indiana where other Burton and Reeves' family members had settled.

A record dated 26 May 1829 discovered in Grayson County Court Orders Vol. 2 (1820-1829) on page 596 in a case styled George Reeves, Plts, Against William Terrell, Defts, names Hannah Reeves, wife of John Burton, Betsy Reeves, wife of William Cox and Nancy Reeves, who was deceased after having intermarried with Terel (sic) Bledsoe.

Several years of research of the various extant records of Grayson and Ashe counties have documented that the children of Jesse Reeves and Elizabeth Obedience Terrell were: Nancy who married Terrell Bledsoe, William, George who married Elizabeth Doughton, Hannah who married John M. Burton, Jane who married Robert Baker, Elizabeth who married William Cox, John Reeves who married Cynthia Baker and Eli Reeves.

This 61 page Chancery Case and the supporting records in Grayson County's court orders have been a great bonus to research of this family and served to rectify several incorrect theories that have become prevalent on the internet. The Library of Virginia is doing a great service in making these Chancery Cases available to Virginia researchers.

A complete listing of the currently documented descendants of George Reeves, Sr. of Grayson County, Virginia can be found at The Reeves Project.

New Data on George Reeves of Grayson County

Blue Ridge Vista in Grayson County

After searching for a decade for the source of a very old 1999 post on the Reeves Genealogy.com forum regarding the statements by a Mrs. Helen Trent Hobbs in regard to the origins of George Reeves who settled in Grayson County, Virginia in 1767 I have finally found the answer. An Ancestry post to the page of a distant Reeves' cousin contained a portion of the statement with a clue as to the name of the book and its author. The statements were from a letter written by 86 year old George W. Reeves of Ashe County, son of John Reeves, which were included in a 1951 volume published by LeRoy Reeves, a descendant of Edward Reeves of Bladen County, North Carolina.

The book is entitled Ancestral Sketches - Ancestry of William P. and Peter M. Reeves and contains a wealth of information regarding early Reeves families in North Carolina. It is a great shame that LeRoy Reeves did not have access to the historical records currently available and the added blessing of Y-DNA results. He has done an excellent job in researching these families and attempting to find possible familial relationships. The passage quoted from George W. Reeves' letter contained the following:

In December, 1897* (sic) George W. Reeves of Jefferson, Ashe County, North Carolina, then almost 86 years of age, wrote: "My grandfather's name was George Reeves whose birthplace I am unable to give, but was principally raised in eastern North Carolina. He was born about the year 1704 or 1705 (sic) and came from Neuse River, N.C., to New River, Grayson County, Virginia, about the year 1725 (sic) bringing his wife with him. They had born to them seven daughters and four sons, the youngest of which was John Reeves who was my father. When my grandfather came to Virginia no others of the Reeves family came with him, but my recollection is that he left others of the Reeves family in eastern N. C. whose names I am unable to give. But well remember my father had two cousins, William Reeves and Jeremiah Reeves, who visited my father since my recollection. I also remember that my grandfather's family frequently visited their relatives in eastern N. C, and I am sure that my grandfather left brothers and sisters in that part of the state...My grandmother's maiden name was Jane Burton."

Finding the source of these statements by George W. Reeves has been a complete thrill and further confirms the family connection between William Reeves of Wake County, North Carolina and George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia that was discovered when descendants of both participated in the Reeves Y-DNA Project. It also should put to rest any lingering belief in the debunked theory (see posts in this blog) that the wife of George Reeves of Grayson County was a daughter of Joshua Epps of Halifax County, Virginia since George W. Reeves was obviously knowledgeable of the fact that his grandmother was Jane Burton.

I also found the remembered visit by his father's cousins, William and Jeremiah, of particular interest since two of the younger sons of William Reeves, Jr. of Wake County, North Carolina, by those names had migrated to Madison County, Kentucky with their father which would have been in relative close proximity. Any trip they would have made back to their previous home in Wake County would have taken them through the New River area of Virginia.

LeRoy Reeves speculated in his book on possible connections between George, William and Edward Reeves of Bladen based upon their arrival in the eastern portion of North Carolina at about the same time. He collected a tremendous amount of census and land records for the early Reeves of North Carolina but by not being privy to Y-DNA the majority of his proposed connections have been proven to be unfounded and to have been primarily based solely on proximity. The Reeves Y-DNA Project has no record that any descendants of Edward Reeves of Bladen County have ever participated so we aren't able to confirm any family connections. For the sake of adding more authenticity to Reeves genealogy, we'll have to hope that eventually some of those Bladen County NC Reeves' male descendants decide to participate in the DNA project.

In the meantime, I'll just continue to bask in the joy of finding the published information from George W. Reeves' letter.

---

* Note that the date the letter was written appears to be in error since George W. Reeves died in October of 1896 according to the inscription on his gravestone pictured at Find A Grave. George W. Reeves was born in April of 1812 and he would have been almost 86 in December of 1895, not 1897 which appears to have been a transcription error.

UPDATE:  Since this post was originally published, two descendants of Edward Reeves of Bladen County, North Carolina have now participated in the Reeves' DNA Project.  Neither is a match to other Reeves in North Carolina and they are the first members the new DNA Group Nbr. 22 at FtDNA. 

   

Another Episode of the Epps Wife Fantasy

Over the course of the last few years several sources have been promoting a cockamamie theory that the wife of George Reeves (Reves) of Grayson County, Virginia was not from the Burton family, but instead a daughter of Joshua Epps of Halifax County, Virginia. Without proper research, the fact that there is a 1793 deed involving the heirs of John Epps, father of Joshua, and in that deed a George Reaves of Wilkes County, North Carolina is named among the legatees, the wife of George Reeves of Grayson County is now purported to be this Epps granddaughter. Out of this one lone deed an entire alternate theory of George Reeves of Grayson County's family has been disseminated across the internet.

George Rives (Reaves) Warrant No. 638
Wilkes County, North Carolina

A post to this blog in May of 2014 concerning this family details the research of several Reeves family researchers and lists all of the known facts concerning George Reaves who married Martha "Patty" Epps. Since Family Search has been adding more documents to their online offerings which include Virginia data, new information has recently come to light so it seemed a good time to share them and add to the accurate information regarding George and Martha Epps Reaves.

It was previously known that in October of 1778 George Reaves purchased a 100 acre tract on Court House Branch in Halifax County, Virginia from Luke Williams, but a recently found deed from October of 1779 finds the same 100 acres being sold back to Luke Williams by George Reaves and Martha, his wife. This transaction coincides with the issuance in 1780 of Warrant No. 638 for 200 acres on Little Cub Creek in Wilkes County, North Carolina.

It is noteworthy that the survey below of this 200 acres on Little Cub Creek shows that Moses Epps, son of Joshua Epps and brother of Martha Epps Reeves was listed as a chain carrier.

Hopefully at some point this premise will no longer be promoted as a viable family connection to the Reeves family of Grayson, Virginia and Ashe, North Carolina.

Other posts in this blog on the Epps wife theory:
The rest of the story...( of the Epps wife theory)
Wilkes County's George Reeves Mystery
New Data on George Reeves of Grayson

Mary Reeves Doughton

The family of Mary called Polly, daughter of George Reeves of Grayson, Virginia, who married Joseph Doughton has been a mystery since there are no probate records for Joseph who died in 1832 in Ashe County, North Carolina. Documenting their children has been a futile effort until I recently discovered that Ashe County, North Carolina's Register of Deeds has put scans of their deeds back to 1799 online. In many instances, deeds are about so much more than the sale of land and in this particular instance, these Ashe County deed records are a gold mine of genealogical information.

In Deed Book V there are three deeds by the heirs of Joseph Doughton which provide the names of their nine children who lived to maturity. In each of these three deeds, the heirs were selling a tract of land to another of the heirs - Jesse Doughton, Charles H. Doughton and George Reeves, son-in-law and husband of daughter Elizabeth Doughton.

These deeds not only document the children of Mary Reeves and Joseph Doughton, they give the names of the husbands of those daughters who had married by 1832 when Joseph died. David Cox, John Cox McGimsey, Denny Robinson and George Reves are identified as the husbands of daughters Jane, Charity, Polly and Elizabeth. The deeds provide as much documentation of the family members as a will would have.

Heirs of Joseph Doughton to George Reves
Ashe County NC Deed Book V, page 268

Heirs of Joseph Doughton to George Reves
Ashe County NC Deed Book V, page 269

According to family legend, Joseph Doughton is believed to have been a member of an early surveying team in the New River area. He contracted typhoid fever and was taken in by former Revolutionary soldier Lt. George Reeves who had settled along the New River in 1767. As the story goes, Joseph was nursed back to health by George Reeves' daughter, Mary. During his convalescence, they fell in love and were married.

Joseph Doughton was recorded as a justice of the Ashe County Court by 1806 and in 1817 served as a representative from Ashe County to North Carolina's House of Representatives. Descendants of Joseph and Polly Doughton continued the family's public service - Rufus Doughton would later serve as North Carolina's Lt. Governor and Robert Doughton as a U.S. Representative.

Thanks to these wonderful deeds by Joseph Doughton's heirs, we now have documentation that their children were Irena Jane Doughton Cox, Elizabeth Doughton Reves, George H. Doughton, Grace Doughton Phipps, Charles Horton Doughton, Charity Ann Doughton McGimsey, Jesse Doughton, Polly Doughton Robinson and Rosamond Doughton Lewis. There also appears to have been another child, Joseph Doughton born about 1794, who died before reaching maturity. Although undocumented he is listed in several sources and the 1810 census of Ashe County lists a child that age in Joseph and Mary's household.

More Reeves' Signatures

As I have continued to collect scans of original documents primarily for their signatures, I have numerous signatures for the Reeves (Reves) families of Wake County, North Carolina and Grayson County, Virginia/Ashe County, North Carolina. These families share matching Y-Chromosome DNA but currently no paper trail has been located to explain the connection. Currently proximity is one of the few commonalities, both William Reeves and a George Reeves who appears to be the same individual who settled in the New River area around 1767 were recorded in the deed and court records of Orange and Johnston Counties circa 1760. The other major commonality is that the male members of these families were all literate and consistently signed their names as REVES, not with the double "E" used by later generations.

Included here are various documents signed by William Reeves of Wake County NC and his sons as well as the sons of George Reeves of Grayson County VA.

Signature of William Reves (c1740-1821) of Wake County, North Carolina from his answers to interrogatories in depositions taken in the court case of David Daniel vs. the executors of Woodson Daniel.

The signature above is that of Peter Reves, son of William Reeves (Reves) of Wake County NC. Peter, along with his brother Charles, moved a short distance into Halifax County, Virginia around 1800. This acknowledgement signed by Peter Reves in 1851 is part of an application by Elizabeth Brown Neal for a Revolutionary War pension based upon her husband Thomas Neal's service. Elizabeth Neal's statement was made to Peter who was the Chairman of the Halifax (VA) County Court.

Madison County, Kentucky consent for the marriage of his daughter Elizabeth signed by Jeremiah Reves, one of the younger sons of William Reeves. Elizabeth Reves married a Jefferson Reves whose identity is unknown. Jefferson was likely a cousin of Elizabeth's, possibly the son by that name of her uncle John Reves of Wake County NC who disappeared from the records there around 1837.

Above document is the 1802 Madison County, Kentucky marriage bond for George Reves, the son of William Reeves of Wake County NC, to Elizabeth "Betsy" Wilkerson.

1811 Note to James Cox for $133.00 signed by Jesse Reves of Ashe County, North Carolina, another son of George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia.

1809 Power of Attorney by George Reves, Jr., son of George Reeves of Grayson County VA, to Robert H. Burton to act on his behalf in a court case in the Ashe County Superior Court.

Bond by William Reves, son of George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia, and his son-in-law Allen Burton for John Reves, Jr. and William's wife Ann Reves. This court case, Landreth vs. William Reves, was filed around 1813 and was still active as late as 1822. The John Reves, Jr. named in this bond is most likely the son of William Reves of Ashe who was born circa 1795. It was a common practice in early America to differentiate between individuals of the same name by identifying the younger person as Junior not necessarily because the individual named as Senior was their parent.

Although the above is not a scan of the original document, the signatures as published appear to be taken from scans of the original document. The signature of Wm Reves on this 1761 Orange County, North Carolina deed would undoubtably be that of William Reeves, Sr., the probable father of both William Reeves of Wake County and George Reeves of Grayson.

There are many more documents signed by these individuals and others as well as later generations using the Reves spelling of the surname but eventually most of the family began to use the more common Reeves variation of the name. As yet I have been unable to find other Reeves' families who spelled their name in the same manner. It would be a great help in locating the family's origins if we can eventually find others using the Reves name.

The rest of the story...

Since the previous posting regarding the mysterious George Reaves referred to in a Halifax County deed of September 1793 by the heirs of John Epps, much new information about his identity has been discovered.

Revolutionary war soldier Asher Reaves' pension statement recounts that he was born in Prince William County, Virginia and joined the revolutionary forces from Halifax County, Virginia in 1778. He states that he lived in Halifax County, Virginia prior to the Revolution from where he originally enlisted, then his father relocated to Wilkes County, North Carolina, from there he was recruited for subsequent tours of service. Asher stated that he moved with his father to Wilkes County in the State of North Carolina about 2 miles from Wilkes Court House on the Yadkin River where he lived until the fall of 1789.

Asher's parents have previously been unidentified, however the following appear to be some of the earliest references to Reeves or Reaves in Halifax, Virginia:

On 27 Dec 1771, George Reeves witnessed (signed with his mark) a deed from Luke Williams, carpenter, and Catherine his wife of Halifax County to James Ingram, gentlemen of Accomac County for 500 acres near Sandy Creek. Halifax County Deed Book 8, p. 295.

On 18 Jun 1773, Luke Williams of Halifax County executed a deed of trust to John Lewis, Jr. of Halifax County for 986 acres adjoining William McDaniel, James Henry, Charles Wormack, George Reaves, Joseph Morrosson, George Curry. Halifax County, Virginia Deed Book 9, p. 202

On 15 Oct 1778, Luke Williams of Halifax County deeded 100 acres on Court house branch to George Reaves of same county. Halifax County, Virginia Deed Book 11, p. 128-129.

Wilkes County, North Carolina

The only older Reeves' individual living in Wilkes County, North Carolina during the Revolution was an Isaac Reeves with wife Margery. Isaac Reeves did not name any of his children in his 1807 will, but they have been identified through tax and deed records of Wilkes County and do not include Asher. Although at times George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia was listed in the records of Wilkes NC, it should be noted that the state line between Virginia and North Carolina was in dispute for approximately 20 years. Areas along that boundary were constantly being shifted back and forth between the two states. The area where George Reeves lived along the New River was along that boundary so the state and county changed repeatedly. From 1767 when he arrived on the Peach Bottom Tract until his death in 1811, George Reeves lived on the north side of the New River. The Peach Bottom Tract on the New River is approximately 40 miles from the Wilkes County Courthouse and the Yadkin River as described by Asher Reaves in his RW pension statement and Little Cub Creek adjacent to the Moravian line mentioned in George Reaves' Wilkes County deed of 1794. (See above map with the New River at the top and the Wilkes Courthouse "CH" much further south.) This George Reaves is the only individual who was both a resident of Halifax County, Virginia and Wilkes, North Carolina who could be the father to which Asher referred.

George Reaves origins are undocumented but the statement of Asher Reaves in his Revolutionary War pension that he was born in Prince William County, Virginia suggests that George came from Virginia's northern neck. In Northumberland County, Virginia, Margaret and William Scurlock administered the estate of a Thomas Reeves who died about 1729. This suggests that Margaret was Reeves's widow and that she married William Scurlock as her second husband. One Margaret Scurlock later married Joseph Morrison in North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia, on 9 December 1739. This Margaret appears to have been the widow of both William Scurlock and Thomas Reeves.

Joseph and Margaret Scurlock Morrison were taxed in Dettingen Parish, Prince William County, Virginia in 1747 with Joseph Scurlock and George Reves as tithables in their household, indicating that they were young men aged 16-21 years (and thus born between 10 June 1726 and 10 June 1731). This appears to suggest that Margaret (MNU) married first Thomas Reeves, second William Scurlock, and third Joseph Morrison, and that George Reves and Joseph Scurlock were her sons.

The following appears in Prince William County, VA, Order Book 1759-1761, 25 March 1760, p. 69: Nathaniel Chapman vs. Joseph Morrison, Fortunatus Legg and George Reeves. In debt. the defendants filed their plea to which the plaintiff demurred generally and time is allowed the defendants untill next Court to consider the same. (Published in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, p. 38.)

Margaret and Joseph Morrison were both still alive on 4 December 1762, when they were dismissed from Broad Run Baptist Church in Fauquier County to join Birch Creek Baptist Church in Halifax County, Virginia. Joshua Scurlock, a proven son of William Scurlock, was dismissed from Broad Run "to Halifax" on 10 June 1763. Joseph Morrison and Joshua Scurlock are found in Halifax County during the 1760s. A 1778 Halifax County deed identifies Joseph Morrison as a neighbor of George Reeves. Additionally, he is recorded in the Halifax tax lists through 1788.

1780 Joshua Scurlock Survey
Wilkes County, North Carolina

Other members of the extended Scurlock/Morrison family also migrated to Wilkes County, North Carolina about the time that George Reaves did. The following excerpt from Michael Scurlock of the Northern Neck and Some of His Descendants refers to Joshua Scurlock who is very likely the half brother of George Reaves:

"Sometime after 1762, like so many Virginians of the era, Joshua (Scurlock) and his family migrated from their home state, going first to Wilkes Co., N.C., where he received a North Carolina land grant of 300 acres on both sides of Moravian Creek on 1 March 1780. On 27 October 1788, Joshua, now, 'of the State of Georgia,' sold this land and the deed was recorded in Wilkes Co., N.C."

George Reaves described as "of Wilkes County, North Carolina" is named in a Halifax deed dated September 6, 1793 as one of the legatees of John Epps, deceased. The deed refers to the heirs of a deceased son Joshua, as being: Nathaniel Epps, Moses Epps, David Powell, Sr., John Comer, Edy Epps, and Temperance Epps of Halifax County, Virginia; Ambrose Gresham of Lunenburg County, Virginia; and George Reaves of Wilkes County, North Carolina. According to Joshua Epps' Will of 1778 (Halifax Co. Will Bk. 1, 1773-83, p 216) his children were: John, Nathaniel, William, Isham, Moses, Mary (m. David Powell, Sr. before 1767), Elizabeth “Betty” (m. Ambrose Gresham on 24 Mar 1787 in Halifax VA), Millison (m. John Clay), Dicy (m. Elisha Lacy), Amey (m. John Comer before 10 Sept. 1775), Temperance (unmarried in 1793), Edy (unmarried in 1793) and Patty (a nickname for Martha) who must then be the daughter who married George Reaves. This is further confirmed by the appearance of a widowed Martha Reaves listed as head of household beginning on the 1816 tax lists and in the 1830 Halifax census after the death of George Reaves around 1815.

Asher Reaves was Surety on a Halifax County, Virginia marriage bond dated 25 November 1785 for the marriage of Joseph Morrison to Margaret Raney establishing another connection between Asher and George Reaves. Joseph Morrison was the probable step-father of George Reaves and therefore step-grandfather of Asher.

George Reaves reappears on the Halifax County, Virginia tax lists in 1796 after selling his property in Wilkes County in 1794:

9 Dec 1794 Deed - George Reeves deed to William Petty, Sr. for 200 acres on Little Lick Creek adjacent to the Moravian line. Wilkes County, North Carolina Deed Book B-1, p. 416

Excerpt from 1796 Halifax County Personal Tax List

At the time George Reaves returned to Halifax County, he was apparently over 65 years of age for he was listed as exempt on the 1796 personal property tax list which coincides with the birth date of George Reeves, probable son of Thomas in the Dettingen Parish tax listing of 1747. George and his sons Elijah and George, Jr. are listed in the tax records of Halifax through 1815 when George appears to have died. The following year, a widowed Martha Reaves is listed as head of household in the place of George on the tax list.

This extensive additional information regarding George Reaves of Halifax County, Virginia and Wilkes County, North Carolina was located as part of an effort to learn more about the Reeve(s) families of Virginia's northern neck. The collaboration of several Reeves' researchers, especially Dan Knight, has helped to link George and Asher Reaves to each other as well as their roots in northern Virginia. Hopefully more information will be found and possibly a descendant will someday participate in the Reeves DNA Project adding further to our knowledge of George Reaves.

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Other posts in this blog on the Epps wife theory:
Wilkes County's George Reeves Mystery
New Data on George Reeves of Grayson
Another Episode of the Epps Wife Fantasy

Wilkes County's George Reeves Mystery

There has recently been much speculation on the web regarding the identity of the "George Reeves of Wilkes County, North Carolina" who is named as a legatee in the probate records of John Epps in Halifax County, Virginia. There is a conveyance dated 6 Sep 1793 (Recorded 24 Feb 1794) in Halifax County wherein Nathaniel Epps, Moses Epps, David Powell, Sr. (m. Mary Epps), John Comer (m. Amey Epps), Edy Epps, Temperance Epps, of Halifax County; Ambrose Gresham (m. Elizabeth “Bettie” Epps) of Lunenburg County; and George Reaves of Wilkes County in North Carolina, legatees of John Epps, sell to William Epps of Halifax a 40 acre tract of land on the south side of Banister River in Halifax County. These were the grandchildren of John Epps, children of his son Joshua who predeceased him, dying in 1778. One of the three remaining daughters, Patty, Millison or Dicey, named in Joshua Epps' will had apparently married George Reeves.

Grayson County Overlook

It has been theorized that this George Reeves must then be George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia who is listed on several occasions in the tax and deed records of Wilkes County, North Carolina. In George Reeves deposition for ''Beavins (Blevins) vs. Newell'', 27th September, 1805, he stated that he was present in the New River area as early as 1767. George Reeves' home was located on Peach Bottom Creek just north of the New River and there is no record that he made his home at any time on any of the other properties he was granted or purchased. This New River area was for approximately 20 years claimed by both Virginia and North Carolina with the state line repeatedly moving as many as 20 miles either side of the present state line. The land that George Reeves owned in Wilkes County and ultimately sold to his son William became part of Ashe County when it was formed from Wilkes in 1799.

The following deed recently found in the Wilkes County records may help to identify the correct George Reeves or at least put to rest any lingering speculation that the Epps' legatee must be George Reeves of Grayson. This George Reeves is located much further south than the Peach Bottom tract and is in the area where Isaac Reeves had settled in the early 1780's. Isaac Reeves had previously been located in the area of Lunenburg and Mecklenburg counties of Virginia as was the Epps family.

Wilkes County, North Carolina
Deed Book B-1, p. 416
9 Dec 1794

THIS INDENTURE made this ninth day of December one thousand seven hundred and ninety four Between George Reeves of Wilkes County and State of North Carolina of the one part and William Petty Senior of the same state and county of the other part, Witnesseth that for and in consideration of the sum of one hundred pounds Current money to him in hand paid by the said William Petty before the Sealing and Delivery hereof the receipt whereof the said George Reeves doth hereby acknowledge and himself therewith to be fully satisfied and paid and for which Sum he hath granted Bargained sold conveyed and confirmed by these presents doth fully clearly freely and absolutely sell convey and confirm to the said William Petty his heirs and assigns for ever a tract or parcel of Land containing two hundred Acres of Land lying and being in our county of Wilkes lying on little Cub Creek BEGINNING on a pine in Thomas Rogers line adjacent to the Moravian line and running South two hundred and four poles to a maple near a branch in John Greers line thence East with said line one hundred and twenty four poles to the corner thence North twenty Degrees East seventy two poles to a pine thence North Sixty East seventy six poles to a red oak sapling in William Gilreaths line being conditional line between James Chaney and said Reeves Thence North with said Gilreaths line forty two poles to the corner Thence North seventy Eight Degrees West two hundred and sixty poles to the first Station &c - Together with all woods waters mines Minerals Hereditaments and appurtenances to the said Land Belonging or appertaining and all the whole right title and Intrust of him the said George Reeves to the said Bargained premises to have and to hold to the said William Petty his heirs and assigns for ever And the Intent and meaning of these presents are that the said William Petty his heirs and assigns may at all times forever hereafter lawfully and peaceable possess hold and enjoy the said Bargained premises with all the rights and privileges thereunto belonging free and clear of all Incumbrances and the said George Reeves doth covenant and agree well and truly to warrant and defend the same In witness whereof the said George Reeves hath hereunto set his hand and seal the day and date above written ~
James Hardgraves  }
Joshua Greer             }                          George Reeves (Seal)

(Wrote on the Back)
S. N. Carolina       }      May Term 1795 -
Wilkes County     }     The within Deed was duly
proven in open court by the oath of Joshua Greer and
ordered to be Registered.
                   Test
                        C. Gordon C.C.

The 1788 and 1789 tax lists of Wilkes County record a George Reeves along with William Petty, John Greer, Joshua Greer and the adjoining property owners listed in the above deed, Hardgraves, William Gilreath and James Chaney, in Capt. Tribbles District. Also, James and John Reeves, sons of Isaac Reeves, Sr. and Alexander Holton whose daughter married James Reeves had been listed in Tribbles' district in 1787. These individuals all lived just south of Wilkesboro in an area joining the Moravian settlement along the Yadkin River.

The George Reeves of the Wilkesboro area is no longer found in Wilkes County after the recording of this deed and may have returned to Halifax County in Virginia where he appears to be the individual listed on the tax lists there in 1798. It should be noted that Asher Reaves had also returned to Halifax, Virginia after the Revolution. A George Reaves is listed repeatedly in the tax lists there until before 1830. The 1830 census records a widowed Martha Reeves around 80 years old as head of a Halifax County household. Since Patty is a nickname for Martha, this may likely be Patty Epps, granddaughter of John.

Hopefully someday descendants of Asher and George Reeves/Reaves of Halifax will participate in the Reeves DNA Project. And with the popular new autosomal DNA projects by Ancestry and Family Finder, there may be hope of one day unraveling this mystery.

UPDATE - For the latest developments in the research of George Reaves of Halifax County, Virginia and Wilkes County, North Carolina see the following posts:
The rest of the story...
Another Episode of the Epps Wife Fantasy
New Data on George Reeves of Grayson County

The Wayfarer - William Reeves of Ashe County

William, the son of George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia, and most of his children left Ashe County, North Carolina shortly after 1820. Based upon estimates of his age from census, he would have been around 55 years old at the time. He was a justice of the Ashe County court and appears to have been prominent in the community, but for whatever reason, he left North Carolina and ventured to the new state of Indiana. By 1822, William was listed on the Lawrence County, Indiana poll tax list. Once William left North Carolina and began to migrate westward, he seems never to have stopped moving.

1829 Indiana Land Grant
to William Reves

In the years preceding William's departure from the New River area of Virginia & North Carolina, his father had died in 1811 as well as his brother George Reeves, Jr. George Reeves, Jr. was killed by his brother-in-law William Tolliver, husband of sister Susanna Reeves. The trial was held in Wilkes County and there are various theories but the actual cause of the incident still remains unknown. Beginning around 1813, there was another court case, Landreth vs. Reves, which continued over a lengthy period with documents in the court records as late as 1822 in regard to it. There are numerous documents in the Ashe County Civil Action Court files regarding this case although there is no clear explanation of the events that precipitated the court case. From various documents, John Landreth states that he had been accused of perjury by William Reves although there is no exact explanation of the nature of the accusation. It would appear from these documents that the entire extended Reeves' family, even William's wife Anne Terrell Reeves, became involved in a fracas which resulted in the issuance of a summons. Oddly, members of both the Tolliver and Landreth families also migrated to the same area of Indiana in the 1820's.

1816 Bond by William Reves and
Allen Burton for John and Ann Reves

Whether the unpleasantness of the death of his father, the murder of his brother or the Landreth court case played a role in William Reeves' decision to leave Ashe County is unknown, but following these events, the family began the first of their migrations. They settled in the area of Greene & Lawrence Counties where they remained until sometime before 1840 when they are found in the census of Carroll County, Arkansas.

From: History of Greene County, Indiana, pub. 1870 by J. Ward, Worthington, Indiana - As taken from the official records, and compiled from authentic recollections by pioneer settlers. Chapter XV - Beech Creek Township: Among other pioneers whose name deserves a place in the history of the township, may be mentioned...William and Noah Reeves...Pg 47 - William Reeves and his boys first settled the farm now owned by Edward Walker.

Between Indiana and Arkansas, the Reeves' family must have spent some time in Missouri probably in the area of Washington County. William's son Albert married there in 1837. Lenoir (Noah) Reeves was also living in Missouri briefly for several of his children were born there before he ventured briefly to Arkansas, Iowa and Nebraska then eventually to Oregon, dying there in 1888. Both Albert and Timothy settled in the area of Iron and Butler Counties in Missouri.

Missouri Reeves Emmons
daughter of Timothy Reeves

By the Census of 1840 for Carroll County, Arkansas, William along with his sons John, Terrel and Gaston Reeves are listed. The 1840 tax list for Carroll County lists Lenoir, William, Terrel and John Reeves. They, along with Gaston, are also listed in the 1841 tax lists for Carroll County. Located near the headwaters of the Buffalo River in Van Buren Township in Carroll County there is a Reeves' Creek which is said to have been named for this Reeves' family.

The 1841 tax list appears to be the last historical record of William Reeves. Several family trees list a date of death of 1854 in Missouri but no documentation can be found in support of that theory. It is likely that William, and his wife Anne as well, died in Carroll County between 1840 and 1850 when most of his sons are found in the census of Independence County, Arkansas.

Descendants of William Reeves' brothers Jesse and John have participated in the Reeves DNA Project and been placed in Group 6. A descendant of George Reeves, Jr.'s son Enoch, also a participant in the Reeves DNA Project, has been placed in Group 14 with a descendant of George Reeves whose paternity is currently unknown but may be the son of Jesse. Whether these are NPEs (non paternity events) is unknown and more extensive research is needed to resolve this mystery. Hopefully at some future time, descendants of William Reeves will participate in DNA studies, either Y Chromosome DNA or the new autosomal DNA projects that are now available and help to clarify this lineage.

Other posts in this blog pertaining to the family of George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia:

George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia
Who really are the descendants of Henry Reeves?
Col. Timothy Reeves, CSA
The Reeves' Gang
Episode 2 - More of the Reeves Gang
Pewter John Reeves Stamper

Col. Timothy Reeves, CSA

Col. Timothy Reeves (he signed his name as Reves), was the youngest son of William Reeves (Reves) and Anne Terrill of Ashe County, North Carolina. William's father was George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia, a soldier of the Revolution.

The internet has numerous sites with various references to Col. Timothy Reeves, commander of the 15th Missouri Cavalry of the confederacy. He is referred to as both a devil and a saintly hero depending on each individual's point of reference - he was a baptist minister and a ruthless military commander. The determining factors seem to be based upon Civil War sympathies.

He was present and had preached at the gathering held on 25 December 1863 at Pulliam's Farm in Ripley County that is recalled as "The Wilson Massacre". Union forces under Major James F. Wilson made a surprise attack during a Christmas dinner gathering killing 35 confederate soldiers along with 60 civilians including women and children, families of the confederate soldiers and neighbors. Col. Timothy Reeves is said to have commanded the Confederate forces who began immediate reprisals against the union forces which culminated in the execution of Major Wilson.

After 150 years the validity of this story and whether the massacre did indeed take place is still hotly debated on countless websites. The complete truth of the incident will probably never be known, but there is much evidence to support the belief that the event did take place. There are even references to it carved on some confederate tombstones in the Ripley County area.

His brother, William, also a baptist minister as well as his adjutant in the 15th Missouri Cavalry, may have died during the war for there is no historical record of him afterward.

In May of 1865 Confederate General M. Jeff Thompson surrendered 10,000 men at Jacksonport, Arkansas. Out of those 10,000 men, only one was not paroled - Confederate Colonel, Timothy Reeves, Commander of the 15th Missouri Cavalry, CSA. Thompson wrote that:

"In a few days we finished all the paroles, except that of Timothy C. Reeves, whom Col. Davis would not agree to parole, considering him outlawed for the shooting of Major Williams (Major Wilson, this was a misprint) and five men on the Price Raid; but I must state for Col. Reeves, that he was as good a man and soldier as any in the command, and his shooting of that party was entirely justifiable.."

From all accounts Timothy Reeves lived the remainder of his life in peace, preferring to be known only as a minister. When he died on March 10, 1885 three wives and most of his children had predeceased him.