Jim & Mary Vaughn

James (Jim) Vaughn 1804-1857   And   Mary Carnop Vaughn  1814-1891

James (Jim) Vaughan was born September 21, 1804 in Wilson county, Tennessee. He Married Maria Martin May 10, 1828. Maria died the following year in childbirth. Jim and his brother William (Billy) migrated to Picken's county, Alabama sometime before 1833. About the same time Fredric Mires and Rebecca Carnop came into the county. They had three daughters Mary, Ann, and Permelia. Jim met Mary and they were married on the night of November 12, 1833. Mary Carnop was born December 26, 1814 in South Carolina.

Depiction of James Vaughn

Jim was described as being a physically strong, short and stocky, black-headed,  brown-eyed man with a mustache who did not drink or smoke and carried a musket rifle. His Wife, Mary Carnop Vaughn had fiery red hair down to her waist and a ready smile.

Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty Monument

In 1832 the Choctaw Indians had been moved from their territory in Mississippi through the Treaty Of Dancing Rabbit Creek signed on Sept. 27, 1830.   

This new Choctaw Indian land was opened in 1833 for settlers. Jim and Bill Vaughn had plans to move to this new territory with their families. Bill Vaughn settled in Chickasaw county, Mississippi.

 Jim and Mary Vaughn left Speeds mill Community on November 13, 1833. They went southward and crossed the Sipsey river at Redge and then the Tombigbee river at Gainsville. 

They camped on the west side of the river and it was this night that history records the falling of the stars. (Stars Fell On Alabama History;  The 1833 event terrified people across America, says an article in "The Alabama Guide," published this year by the state Department of Archives and History. The Huntsville Democrat newspaper, as cited in the guide, reported on "this most awful and sublime appearance" and wrote, "For several hours, thousands and even millions of these meteors appeared in every direction to be in constant motion." Some people believed Judgment Day was at hand, said an article that ran in Alabama Heritage magazine in 2000. The article quoted a newspaper from a town in Georgia that said many profane people "were frightened to their knees," that dust-covered Bibles were opened and that dice and cards were thrown to the flames).  Jim and Mary witnessed this event in their journey to their new home in the Choctaw lands of the Mississippi Territory.   The next morning they continued their journey and by nightfall they found an abandoned Indian Hut with an  Indian burial ground nearby.  This location is today the family's Twin Cemetery where our ancestors rest along with the ancient Indian warriors who lived in this same land for thousands of years before the settlers moved into the territory.

About a year passed and they moved eight miles away and they built their cabin in a place now known as the Stonewall Community. It was located about a mile from where the Old Antioch church was built off the old Macon Dekalb road.

Jack Vaughn's book "Hewers Of The Wilderness" is about Jim & Mary Vaughn's first year in the new Mississippi Territory from 1833-1834 where their first home was in an Choctaw Indian hut abandoned by the Indians moving out of the Choctaw lands ceded in the Treaty Of Dancing Rabbit Creek.




Jim and Mary had at least nine children that we know of. . Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary “Mollie”, Lisanna, William “Bill” Marsh, John Albert, George Washington “Dick”, James “CAP” Monroe, and Joseph Warren. Following are the known pictures of Jim & Mary's children that have thus far been located.

Mary “Mollie” Vaughn
and husband John Taylor

John Albert Vaughn
click the link for John A. Vaughn's bio story

Joseph Warren Vaughn with wife Le Vicy Jane Taylor
Note* Le Vicy Jane Taylor recounted many of the stories recorded and published by Jack Vaughn in "Hewers Of The Wilderness."   Le Vicy Taylor is credited with remembering and keeping the family legacy of her father-in-law and mother-in-law (Jim & Mary Vaughn) alive for us today. Without her stories to Jack Vaughn,  "Hewers Of The Wilderness" would not exist today.
Note: The inter-weaving of the Vaughn and Taylor family in these marriage photos.

Sarah Vaughan
Circa 1903 Little Rock, Arkansas

front row) Sarah Vaughan (Jim & Mary Vaughn's daughter), her son Robert Wayment Vaughan, his wife Minnie Lee Morgan Vaughan, and Robert's and Minnie's daughter Mittie Ethel Vaughan Fackrell.  The back row is their other two children, William Scott Vaughan (my grandfather) and Lillian Myrtle Vaughan Callahan.  

Picture of Sarah Vaughan courtesy of Michael Vaughan,
West Jordan,  Utah










Lisanna Vaughn (Lisanna Brownlow)  and the Confederados.

Lisanna was the daughter of Jim & Mary Vaughn. Born 1842  in Kemper County, Mississippi (near Wahalak).  Lisanna married John Brownlow about 1860. John was half brother to Emily Floyed (George Washington's Vaughn's wife).  John and Lisanna migrated to Brazil around 1865 possibly out of Mobile with the Confederados.  Historical Note: Over the next several years, as many as 20,000 Southerners left for Brazil. Several organized themselves loosely into colonies, and for reasons of both security and economy, they chose to travel in groups. Their agents chartered the ships and scheduled their departure from New York, New Orleans, Mobile, Galveston and Baltimore. The first destination for most was Brazil's capital, Rio de Janeiro. While some passengers chose to rebuild their lives in this large and sophisticated city, the rest continued farther down the coast or into the interior, where they attempted to plant their roots anew.  These Confederate immigrates to South America  sailed in vessels ranging from small packets to large ships, such as Marmion, which carried 350 future colonists. It was a long and—at least, for some—uneventful trip. Marmion left New Orleans on April 16, 1867, and completed the 5,600-mile voyage to Rio a month later, without incident. For other vessels, the voyage was arduous—and sometimes fatal. Neptune sank in a storm off the coast of Cuba, taking with it all but 17 passengers. And an outbreak of smallpox on Margaret claimed the lives of nearly everyone aboard. Perhaps the most bizarre voyage was Derby's. Only 15 days out of Galveston with a complement of 150 Texans and Louisianans, the small steamer struck a rock in a squall off Cuba and pitched on its side.  There was some correspondence from Lisanna back home to the Vaughn family for a while with letters. Based on information available, Lizanna and John Brownlow stayed in Brazil and are thought to have have lived somewhere around Americana, Brazil.  It is also said that other family members joined them in Brazil during the years after the American Civil War......the supposed names include Vaughns, Brownlows and Dunns.  And there may have been others who journeyed to live near Lisanna and John Brownlow in Brazil during this period. Today Americana is a city of 120,000 people with Confederados' descendants making up about one tenth of the population. But the ties to the old South live on. Fiesta Confederada is a celebration that takes place every year in Americana. The festival has Confederate flags, Confederate uniforms, food typical of the pre-war South and dances reminiscent of scenes from "Gone With the Wind."   Read more about Americana, Brazil at these links;   The Confederados of South America ;   Americana, Brazil.

The Confederate South Still Lives In Brazil

If any descendants of John and Lisanna read this please contact us through the website. We would be so exited to hear about your family.

In 1857 Jim Passed away and was laid to rest in Old Antioch cemetery .Mary was left to raise their young children at a very difficult time in our country’s history, the years just prior to the cival war. Mary took her young son Joseph and went to Chickasaw county during the war years and stayed with her brother-in-law, William. The other boys all served in the civil war as soldiers for the Confederacy. The girls were all married and had their own homes by that time. All of Mary's belongings were packed up and stored at the Wahalak depot. When the union soldiers come through they burned the depot and she lost everything she owned. After the war was over Joseph and Mary returned to Kemper county. Mary lived with Joseph until her death in 1891. She was seventy six years, three months, and twenty four days old. She was laid to rest in the family's Twin Cemetery. On her grave marker is found this inscription:

Mary Vaughn

Born: December 26, 1814

Died : April 20, 1891

(Farewell, dear mother, sweet thy rest)

Their Final Resting Place

Twin Cemetery
Wahalak, MS.

  

On November 24, 1957 one hundred years after Jim’s death, a grandson, great-grandson, and great-great 

grandson, met at Old Antioch cemetery after obtaining permission from the Mississippi State Board of Health to move their grandfather’s grave. They took what could be found of Jim’s remains and buried them by the side of his wife, Mary on the same spot where the little Indian hut stood near the Indian burial ground. It was on November 14, 1957, one hundred and twenty four years to the day from the time Jim and Mary settled there.  Updated Note*  The death date on Jim Vaughn's tombstone (July, 1856) is incorrect and we don't know how that came about. The correct date in June 5, 1857 which is supported by multiple documents including an Antioch Church record that has Jim Vaughn alive in Nov. 1856 at an elders meeting,  a family Bible record showing a death date of 1857, Lillie May Vaughn's family tree record with the actual date of  death on June 5, 1857.  

     " Jim and Mary were married Nov. 12, 1833 in the New Bethany-Speeds Mill, AL area. Jim was 29 years old and Mary was 19. Their belongings consisted of a cap and ball rifle, a dog named Spot, seven head of cattle (the leading cow was Grandmother) a red pony and some furniture. they hired Mary's uncle, Buster Barnes, to move Jim and Mary to the new land obtained from the Choctaws in the Dancing Rabbit Creek treaty.  Buster owned a yoke of oxen and a wagon.  The Vaughns left Speeds Mill trading post on the moring of Nov. 13, 1833 headed for a new home".  This above excerpt is from  Hewers Of The Wilderness by Jack Vaughn. This very rare book is now available in the 2Nd Edition  by Jack Vaughn and Ray Vaughn and contains the complete original work of Jack Vaughn with many  editorial additions and picture illustrations.  To purchase this work visit Ray Vaughn publications link at the top of this page and scroll down to "Hewers Of The Wilderness."

Information Resources for this website include; 
"The Conner Family" by W. E. Conner published 1975
"Crusade in Education" chapter 1 titled My Heritage - Published 1971 by John Earle Vaughn
Hewers Of The Wilderness-1st Edition by Jack Vaughn - Published 1958

Family History Genealogy Research by Lynn Till
Family Bibles

Post by Ray Vaughn

Vaughn Family History Webmaster