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Thomas Jefferson Shrable

Thomas Jefferson Shrable was born to John and Sarah 'Sally' Wells Schroebel in Rutherford County, North Carolina, in 1823. According to John's will written in April of 1824, he and 'his beloved wife Sally' had only one son, Thomas. However, he alludes to other children which they might have before his decease and to children from his 'former marriages'. And in fact, when we see the widowed Sally ['Sarah Sravel'] on the 1830 Rutherford County, North Carolina, federal census - she has one son 5 to 10 years old and one daughter under 5 years old. I would dearly like to know if John's wording 'former marriages' was a statement in fact or if that was just a common way to exclude anyone else from trying to make an estate claim. I have not located the family on the 1840 census.

T J married first in 1845 in Rutherford County, North Carolina, Seletha Moore.

The children of T J and Saletha were as follows:

T J and family appeared as follows on the 1850 census of High Shoals District, Rutherford County, North Carolina:

Is the Mary Scrable living in their household Thomas's sister who appeared with him and his mother on the 1830 census? I can offer no other logical explanation since this was the only Schroebel/Scrable/Shrable family in that state. Thomas should have been 27 on this entry instead of 37 - did I write it down wrong?

Apparently, sometime between 1850 and 1851, T J and Saletha moved to Alabama - or at least were on their way through Alabama when Leaner was born. Saletha died in child birth and T J moved on to Fulton County, Arkansas, in 1852 with the children.

Not surprisingly, T J did not wait long to find a second Mrs. Shrable to care for his young children. He married Ruth Ann McCarty Barker c1852 (probably in Fulton County, Arkansas, where marriage book 'A' is no longer in existance). Ruth was first married to James 'Jim' Barker though they had divorced. She came to the marriage with T J with many children on her own - George Barker, James Barker, Sarah Barker and Julian/Julius Barker.

The children of T J and Ruth were:

T J and Ruth and their blended family appeared together on the 1860 census of Bennett Bayou Twp, Fulton County, Arkansas:

Their neighbors in 1860 were R E Grisso, Nathan/Mathias Grisso, James Baker (is this 'Barker'?), Jacob Wilson, Alexander Miller, P Bowling, S McKelvy, G W Thompson, R F Rice and Jeremiah Bassett.

Thomas Jefferson Shrable was killed May 5, 1865, in Vidette, Fulton County, Arkansas, by a gang of bushwackers. This fact is documented in Ruth Shrable's pension for civil war benefits and in a story written by J J Sams which goes as follows:
'HISTORY OF THE J. J. SAMS FAMILY' and incidentally A HISTORY OF THE WHITE RIVER VALLEY COUNTRY IN NORTHERN ARKANSAS FROM 1816 to 1896
Chapter 18: The Cochran War
The Jayhawkers continued to pour in here, doing all kinds of devilment, stealing horses and mules, cattle and killing a man now and then, etc., and what I intend writing and will write, I do not intend any harm to the living or the dead, for I hope the past is long since forgotten, and further I write it for the benefit of those living and the rising generation and also, to furnish a connecting link in its place, of my history of the White river valley.
There was a Captain Cochran, who had formerly lived when the late war came up, in Baxter County Arkansas, in 1861 and 62. Some of his family are still living there yet and are good citizens as far as I know. This man Cochran and his neighbors fell out about their politics in general they being hot headed and so was Cochran, and high strung with it. One of the men's name was Reams who was waylaid and shot off his porch in the begining of the late war. But who done the deed I never knew.
Cochran went off in 1863 with the federals, but once and awhile in the same year and also in 1864 he would come back with a posse with him and take our stock and drive them off to Missouri and other markets and sell them for what he could get. The third raid he come in, he took from his old acquaintances and drove out a large number of horses and mules.
In 1864, in April, he came again and went round with his men, black and white, and gathered up the stock again. They took all the horses, mules and cattle they could find, and then took all the little mite of bread stuff and bacon and everything else they could find that they wanted. All the old men and widow women had scarcely anything left to live on or for their children. They just about starved us out and left no stock to make any more with, which left us in a bad fix.
They had run some four or five Southern Jayhawkers in a mile or so of my house and they all got away but one, John McCoy, and Cochran ran him about a mile below Calico Creek on White river, and captured him and made him ride back with him to Bob Wolf's. Wolf had just rode up on his mule, the only one he had. Cochran said, "Wolf I must have that mule saddle and all." Wolf was one of his old acquaintances.
Cochran took the mule, rigging and all. This was two days before the Cochran war. He took his prisoner on with him that evening and slept with him that night. This McCoy told him that night that he was a union man, and the reason he run from them, was, that he thought they were Southern men.
Cochran got all confidence in McCoy and at that time McCoy had a letter from Lige McMahan to his brother John McMahan who was holding fort at Yellville Arkansas at that time. Lige McMahan was a rebel and John McMahan was a federal Colonel.
Cochran lets McCoy pass on to McMahan's headquarters at Yellville and he commenced getting up all the corn and wheat they could find and taking it to Daiels mill on White river and having it ground to get ready to start off to Missouri.
Some of us told those that they had run off that when Cochran got down in a mile and a half of our roosting pole that we would get him out of our range. So we began to get volunteers. We collected up as fast as we could, men who we could depend on, and camped out at a place that hardly any one ever passed. We camped about one mile South East of the Sugar loaf mountain on White river. We let only two men go out at a time to get grub for us for three days before the war came up.
We had two women for spies every day and they would go to Cochran's gang and find out everything they could, and at night two of our men would go to them and they would report to them what they knew. We kept this up till the last night before they started next morning.
There was only twelve of them to contend with. In camp we counted fifteen of our side. We had been in camp four days and nights, and learned that they would start out the next morning. We sent after Lige McMahan and Frank Russell his brother-in-law and told them to recruit all they could. It was about twelve oclock when we sent for them and when they got there it was just daylight, and Lige McMahan had seventeen men with him, and away we went like a gang of boys going to a ball.
We scattered along and got breakfast, and went on taking every boy or man, on our way who could walk or ride, so the enemy could get no news of us coming. As we went on up the river we saw Ben Reynolds and four or five men and boys running to get out of the way of the Cochran gang. They were on the opposite side of the river from us, and we made them come over to us. We told them to come over quick or we would shoot them, and here they come in a hurry. This was about seven miles before we got to the battle ground. By the time we got to the battle ground we had about seventy five recruits and prisoners. When we got to Daiels mill the enemy had been gone from there about one hour, so the lady that was standing in the yard told us, and away we went after them.
Directly we met a man who had just dodged them and he was awfully scared when he saw us right on him. He said he had jumped out of the fat into the fire. He told us that the enemy was about a half a mile ahead of us, travelling slowly, the teams heavilly loaded with meal and bacon etc. that they had taken from old men and widow women.
We now formed, two in a breast and started. It was a very good road until we got within about forty yards of where we overtaken the Jayhawkers. They were crossing a gulley or drain and were so closely engaged with their teams that they did not see us till we were right on them.
Cochran was with the hindmost wagon. There were four wagons well loaded with provisions and other goods that they had taken from the citizens round in the country. We overtaken them one mile above old Jud Adam's on White river just above Ships ferry where they were aiming on fording the river on their way off. They had corralled their horses and other stock on the other side of the river. Tere was three boys and two men there watching the stock.
When ochran saw us he threw up his ands and said, "If you are federls I am not afraid of you". We gave him no answer only commencd shooting at them. Cochran shot at us two fires with his pistol,and then he run up a bluff about forty yards to a ledge of rocks on the side of the bluff and leaned over forwards on the lede and lay there. One of the men saw him and called for a longranger gun. It being handed to him he layed it up by the side o a tree and fired at him, but he did not move. The crowd kiled five more of them right there.
Cochran had four or five men and boys along with his crowd to show them across the river. We turned these back with the wagons and had them take the different articles of provisions etc, back and give them to their proper owners from whom they had been taken.
Some of the crowd went up to Cochran in the Bluff and took all his valuables he had with him and then throwed him off the bluff. In the search a day book was found in which the names of fifty five men purported they had killed since the year 1861 to that time. Some of the name's were of men that we knew. One was Reames and one was Shrable.
There were two young men in Cochrans gang when we come up that were not killed there, but took them along with us to show us the stock they had in the corral on the other side of the river. There was sixty three head of cattle and seventeen head of horses and mules in the corral. The two young men were shot off their horses at the corral, and we drove the stock back across White River and sent word to the owners to come and get it. Some that we knew we took back on the road and delivered to the owners. One was Bob Wolf's mule, and one was old (M)utcherson's old bobtailed sorrel horse, the only horse he had.
There was two negroes out of pocket and one white man that we wanted and we started back after them. Wat McCubans was one of the negroes we wanted. He had told the Cochran Jayhawkers where the widow Duggin's bacon was hid in a cave, and they had taken all of it. Our spies had told us this and that was the reason we had spotted him. We come across him at home and they commenced shooting at him as soon as they got near enough to him until they got him down and then we went on in pursuit of "Gumbo" Charley, the other negro that we wanted. He had that morning went across the river, riding Bob Wolf's mule to get an old womans yoke of oxen, that she had had left by some means. We met him coming with them taking them to the Jayhawkers ranch. He was just rising the point of hill when we met him. When I saw him riding Bob Wolf's mule and driving the oxen before him I said, "There is Gumbo Charley", and then the shooting commenced. After the first shots were fired "Gumbo" Charley jumped off the mule and run down a steep hill into a hollow below and them after him helter skelter, shooting every jump, and him running for life, until finally he falls, dead. I think there must have been fifty shots fired at him before he was killed. It has been said that there was a leadmine in that hollow.
I took Bob Wolf's mule to him. Two nights before this occured "Gumbo" Charley and some of his crowd were at Mrs. Tinnner's shelling the last of her bread corn that they had ground, where she had hid it. Gumbo Charley was a great fiddler, and had been fiddling for them while they shelled the corn. He had become tired and stretching himself back said, "I wish to God de rebels would come I needs a little exercise".
As we went back home the widow women and children we met would ask if Cochran was dead, and when they told them that he was, they rejoiced at it, and said, "we will have peace one time more on earth. This was the end of the war here. We had peace in Izard County from that time on.
McCoy told me that the night he was a prisoner and slept with Cochran, that Cochran told him the next time he come in he inteded to go to Sylamore and clean us all up and starve the women and children out. If you are now too tired I will tell you some more.
In 1869 two men by the name of Cochran come to my house. I was living at Calico Creek selling good. They come to me about dark and ask to stay all night. I let them stay and treated them as politely as I could. I did not know but what there was trick up and I armed myself with eight shots and three hand axes and had their bed on the floor before me, so that if they made any move that I did not like I would be ready. I did not close my eyes that night, but all went on right.

So, this is the historical perspective of T J's murder, by the hands of a gang of Federalist Jayhawkers who were terrorizing everyone in the Fulton County area. However, there are two versions of the events surrounding T Js death which are told my family members. In the locally told version, T J was plowing his field along the Bennett River while on leave from the civil war when a group of bushwackers rode up and shot him for no apparent reason. This version is the story of the Shrable descendants who stayed in the Fulton County area. Version two was told by Julian/Julius Barker who was one of the oldest of the children living at home in 1865. His version was that he had been living with his father, Jim, but because of his father's activities with the local gang that was harrassing and killing locals - he moved back home with his mother and T J Shrable. His father came looking for him and confronted T J about 'stealing his son away from him' and in the process, T J was killed.

T J is not listed in 'Index to Arkansas Confederate Soldiers' {Vol III P-Z) which is compiled service records held at NARA. The only entry was:

Is this T J's son? When I asked at the Arkansas History Commission why T J might not be listed as having served from Arkansas in the Confederate records (NARA has returned all of my requests with 'not found'), they said that the simple answer was that he didn't serve. I said, 'But, his wife received a Widow's Pension' which gave the information and which was signed by two local residents. To which the reply was 'Anyone who needed some additional money could surely get some close friends to swear someone had been a soldier when they really hadn't been.' I keep hoping that one day I will find definate proof of his military service.

These next two listings are a result of the pension records filed by Ruth in the 1890s and 1900s.

In the 'Arkansas Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications' we find:
Vet # (blank) SHRABEL, Thomas Wid # 137 SHRABEL, Ruth Co A RG 39 AR Div C Date 1864-1865 killed in service V. Appl (blank) W Appl 07/01/92 Cty Fulton V. Dec 05/05/1865

Listed in 'Arkansas Confederate Pension Applications from Fulton, Independence, Izard, Lawrence, Randolph and Sharp Counties' by Desmond Walls Allen pg 18 Shrabel, Thomas; Widow: Ruth; Co. A 39 Ark. Cav.; she applied: 1892; he died 5/5/1865

Ruth continued to live in Fulton County, Arkansas, (I need to pull her from 1870 census. MCP) and appeared as follows on the 1880 Bennett's Bayou, Fulton County, Arkansas, census:

This family was enumerated #201 near #202 L Smith and #203 D Bryant.

When laws came into effect which provided for pensions for civil war Confederate veterans and their widows, Ruth applied as follows:

Application for Pension
To the honorable county court of 'Fulton' County,
Sitting as a pension board:
The undersigned, as the widow of an ex-Confederate soldier, hereby applies for a pension under the provision of an act of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, entitled 'An Act for the Relief of Certain Soldiers of the late War between the states," approved April 1, 1891, upon the following grounds: That she is a bona fide resident of the State of Arkansas, and has been for more than twelve months next before the filing of this application; That she is the widow of 'Thomas Shrabel' who enlisted as a soldier in the State of 'Arkansas' during the war between the States in Company 'A' of the '39th' Regiment of 'Cavalry' and continued in the service of the State of Arkansas or the Confederate States of America until 'May 1865'.
That she has remained a widow since the death of her said husband, is now indigent and incapacitated for manual labor by reason of 'Old age'.
That she is not receiving any aid from this State or from the United States on said account, under any other statute, and therefore makes application for relief under the act aforesaid.
'Rutha Shrabel'
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 'the 3d' day of 'July' 189'1'
'James P Barker J.P.' (Could this be her son, James? MCP)

State of Arkansas,
County of 'Fulton'
Personally came before me, 'J. P. Barker J. P., E. Brown' and 'J M Pickren' two credible witnesses, who make oath and say that they verily believe the applicant to be the identical person named in the application, and that the facts stated in the application are true.

Subscribed and sworn to before me, this '3' day of 'July' 189'1'
Witnesses: 'E Brown'
'James P Barker, J.P.'
'J M Pickren'

By 1900, Ruth appeared as follows on the Bennett Bayou Township, Fulton County, Arkansas, census:

Ruth and her grandson were enumerated #98/103. Others living nearby included #90 William & Rossa Patterson, #91 Stephen & Mary Brown, #92 Harry & Jennie Collins, #93 Edward & Margaret Brown, #94 Ben and Mary Brown, #95 Claude & Fredda Alexander, #96 John & Effie Houchiss, #97 John & Clara Byrd, #99 Thomas & Annie Shrabel (Ruth's grandson), #100 Loranzo & Martha Bryant (Ruth's daughter). Ruth's date of birth does not agree with family research provided to me.

The following documents were also found on microfilm at the Arkansas History Commission related to Confederate pensions (these are mostly standard documents, I have indicated answers with a single quotation mark):

Widow's Application for Pension.
State of Arkansas
County of 'Fulton'
I, 'Ruth Shrable' do solemnly swear that I am the widow of 'Thomas Shrable' who served as a soldier in the army of the Confederate States, being a member of 'Co A Fristoe' Regiment of 'cavalry' from the State of 'Ark' from such service on or about the 'he was killed by the enemy on the 5 day of May, 1865' and did not desert the same; that I am now, and for the past twelve months have been, a bona fide resident of this State; that I do not own property, real or personal, or both, or money or choses in action in excess of the value of $400.00 (exclusive of household goods and wearing apparel), nor have I conveyed title to any property to enable me to draw a pension, and that I am not in receipt of any income, annuity, pension or wages for any services, the emoluments of an office, in excess of $150.00 per year; that my said husband died 'He was killed by the Enemy may 5 day 1865' and that I have not since re-married, so help me God.
(Signature) 'Ruth Shrable'
'attest L.P. Barker'
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this '2d' day of 'June' 19'01'
'J W Hawkins J. P.'

Proof of Service (By Comrade if Possible)
State of Arkansas
County of 'Fulton'
On this day personally came before me the undersigned, a 'Justice of the Peace' within and for the County of 'Fulton' and State of 'Arkansas T S Talburt & James Herron' citizens of 'Baxter & Fulton' whom I certify to be creditable persons and worthy of confidence, who being duly sworn, state that they are each, personally, well acquaited with applicant 'Ruth Shrable' and have known 'her 50' years, respectively.
That 'she is the widow' of a Confederate soldier. Belonging to Company 'A' Regiment of 'Fristoe'.
That as such soldier he served from '1864' to 'May 5, 1865'. That 'he was killed May 5 1865' from such services, and did not desert the same. That she is now and has been for the past twelve months a bona fide resident of Arkansas. That 'she' is incapacitated for manual labor by reason of 'old age Being 75 years old' and that such incapacity (or disability) is not the result of his own vicious habits still persisted in. That to the best of our knowledge, all property now owned by her, together, is not worth exceeding $400 (exclusive of household goods and wearing apparel). That neither 'her' is in receipt of any income, annuity, pension or wages for any services, or the emoluments of an office, in excess of $150 per year. That we have no interest in this claim.
'attest J. W. Hawkins'
'T. S. Talburt'
'James Herron'
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 'the 29' day of 'June' 190'1'
'J. W. Hawkins J.P.'

Receipt No. 2183 for $68.00 from the Auditor's Office State of Arkansas September 1906 to 'Ruth Shrable' was 'cancelled' / 'Dead' / '?-2-07'

So, the pension record shows Ruth's death as before ? 2nd, 1907. Her death was actually in 1905 according to her headstone inscription and her estate file. Her estate was probated in Fulton County, Arkansas, with the bond reading as follows:

Administrator's Bond.
State of Arkansas / County of 'Fulton'
Know all Men by These Presents:
That we, 'L. D. Bryant' as principal and 'H. A. Northcutt & Dunk Brown' as sureties, are held and firmly bound unto the state of Arkansas in the just and penal sum of '100.00 One Hundred' Dollars, for the payment of whereof well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators, firmly by these presents.
The condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bounden 'L. D. Bryant' Administrator or all and singular the goods and chattels, rights and credits of 'Ruth Shrable' deceased, shall make, or cause to be made, a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the goods and chattels, rights and credits of the deceased, which have or may come to the hands, possessions or knowledge of 'him' the said 'L. D. Bryant' or into the hands or possession of any other person for 'him'; and the same so made shall return and exhibit in the office of the Clerk of the Court of Probate for the County of 'Fulton' within sixty days from the date of the above obligation; and all and singular the goods and chattels, rights and credits of the deceased, which shall come to the hands, possession or knowledge of 'him' the said 'L. D. Bryant' shall well and truly administer, according to law, and pay the debts of the deceased as far as the assets will extend and the law direct; and further, make and cause to be made just and true accounts of 'his' administration, and make due and proper settlements thereof from time to time, according to law, or the lawful order, sentence or decree of any Court having competent jurisdiction, and shall, moreover, well and truly do and perform all other matters and things touching said adminstration, that are or may be prescribed by law, or enjoined on such administration by the lawful order, sentence or decree of any Court having competent jurisdiction - then the above obligation to be void and of no effect, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue. In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this '20th' day of 'Nov 1905' Signed, Sealed and Delivered in Presence of:
L. D. Bryant
H. A. Northcutt
Dunk Brown

Headstone inscriptions from the Shrable Cemetery, Vidette, Fulton County, Arkansas, for T J and Ruth are as follows:

THOMAS J. SHRABLE
1823 .. 1866
BUSHWACKED AFTER THE CIVIL WAR
FIRST GRAVE IN CEMETERY

Note the incorrect year of death. This white granite headstone is not as old as the grave and must have been erected in more recent years. It has a lighter color stone in the inscription area and has no other decoration. It is between Ruth Shrable's grave on the left and Richard Shrable's on the right. [Photo taken by MCP July 5, 2003.]

RUTH McCARTY
SHRABLE
1826 .. 1905

This white granite stone is the same shape and size as T J Shrable's headstone and is styled the same indicating that it may have been purchased at the same time. It is between Mary Shrable Bryant's on the left and Thomas's on the right. [Photo taken by MCP July 5, 2003.]

Sources:

Updated Sep 2003

Email: mcpgene@excite.com