Thomas Conn story

This is a very interesting biography, but I've just discovered that the Conn family which I'm related to does not include John Thomas Conn.  But I have had them part of my Ancestry tree for so long, I'm feeling some grief at saying goodbye to Molly and the Conns who I've researched all these years.  So I'm including this as my final post about this branch of the family.  I've made a few notes in italics where I thought it would help...BR

• Biography of John Thomas Conn by Velma Fogle

John Thomas Conn was born in Elks Creek, Shelby Co., Ky. 9 April, 1790. (Elks Creek was formerly Plum Creek. Shelby Co. was formerly Jefferson Co., then Bullitt Co., now Spencer Co., Ky).

He was the first born of ten children of Thomas [1762-1835] and Mildred Ann Conley Conn [1770-1845].

John T. Conn fought in the War of 1812. Which side he fought on is a matter of dispute. According to some Conn family records, he fought on the side of the British and went to Canada with Proctor & Elliott. He was in the Battle of Thames where the Indian Chief Tecumseh was killed. He has descendants who believe he fought with the Kentuckians on the side of the United States. More than one John Conn fought with the Kentuckians, one of whom is listed as a surgeon. This researcher does not have any documentation of his service in the War of 1812 for either of the adversaries.

John T. Conn's father Thomas Conn and his [John's] brothers Francis Conn [1793-1849] and Hugh Lee Conn IV [1797- 1814 or 1833], fought in the War of 1812 with the Kentuckians. According to the Ralls County, Mo. History, Hugh Lee Conn IV was wounded and died of his wounds in 1814. Some Conn descendants record him as dying in 1833. He was born 14 July 1797. He was only 15 when he fought in the War of 1812. Young lads fought in the wars of that era so his age is not unusual. There is a pension application filed by the widow of Thomas Conn, documenting his participation in the War of 1812.

Thomas Conn was born 15 Nov. 1762 in Loudon Co., Va.  He was the seventh child of eight children born to Hugh Lee II and Mary Trammell Conn. He married Mildred Ann Conley 10 March 1787 in Taylorsville, Jefferson Co., Ky (same locale as Bullitt and Shelby Counties, Ky.) According to my grandmother Mary Drucilla Conn Fogle , Thomas Conn fought in the American Revolution and was at Valley Forge. This has not been documented. *

Thomas Conn and family moved to Missouri circia 1830/1832 where they settled in Ralls Co., Mo. According to the book Ralls Co., Mo. History, Thomas and Mildred Conn were charter members of the Salem Baptist Church as were their son and dau-in-law Francis and Nancy Conn and daughter Elizabeth Ann Conn McGrew. The first burial in the Salem Cemetery was Sarah McGrew, age three, daughter of Elizabeth Conn and Joseph McGrew. She was scalded to death in a wash pot accident. The Conns were neighbors to Green DeWitt, the first Sheriff of Ralls Co., Mo. and noted empressario for the Province of Texas. 

Many descendants of Thomas and Mildred Ann Conley Conn are living in Ralls Co., Mo. today, in this the year of our Lord 2000. Thomas Conn died 29 Dec 1835 in St. Charles Co., Mo. according to the pension application for the War of 1812 filed by his widow. Some Texas descendants believe he died in Ralls Co., Mo. and is buried in the Salem Cemetery. Mildred Ann Conley Conn died 18 July in Ralls Co. Mo. and is buried in the Salem Cemetery.

John T. Conn married Mary Margaret "Polly" Norman 15 Sept 1813 in Shelby Co., Ky.  Polly Norman was born 23 March 1792 in Culpeper, Culpeper Co., Va. She was the daughter of Isaac and Hannah C. Gage Norman. She was one of eight children.** She died in St. Charles, St. Charles Co., Mo. on 13 Dec 1833 and is buried in the St. Charles Cemetery.

John T. Conn married [second] Mary Ellen "Nancy" Taylor 8 July 1836 in Ralls Co., Mo. He, his bride and seven of his eight children emigrated to Mina, Republic of Texas, arriving there in Dec., 1836. His son Hugh Lee Conn V remained in Ralls Co., Mo. until after his marriage the following year to Katherine Ann Boyd on 11 April 1837. They joined the rest of his family in Mina, Republic of Texas, arriving there in Oct. 1837.

John T. Conn served on the first Grand Jury for Bastrop County, Republic of Texas. This Grand Jury convened on Oct. 29, 1838 by Judge F. M. Williamson. (Minutes of the Bastrop Co. District Court, Vol. A-page 5). John T. Conn and his son Napoleon Norman are listed in the First Settlers of Bastrop and Travis Counties of Texas by Gifford White as arriving in Bastrop/ Mina Dec 1836. John T Conn is listed as receiving a Class 2 Certificate for 1280 acres, issued May 16, 1839. Napoleon Norman Conn was issued a Class 2 Certificate April 13, 1839 for 640 acres. Napoleon Norman is shown as single and there is no status listed for John T. Conn, probably because he was a widower when he applied for his emigration papers. John T. Conn and his son Hugh Lee Conn V are listed on the 1838 Tax Roll for Bastrop Co., Texas.

In the log book of a general store/trading post in Bastrop, John Conn is a regular customer and habitually treats his friends to drinks. Pages of this log book for the months of January and February of 1839 are found in the front of Probate Book A in the Hays County Courthouse in San Marcos, Texas. There are famous names of other Founders written in this log book--Hamilton White, Samuel Highsmith, D.C. Gilmore and G. Fisk are a few. How these pages of this log book came to be in the Hays County Courthouse is unknown.

In 1840, John T. Conn & family with Hugh Lee and his family moved to Gonzales Co., Texas. John T., Napoleon and Hugh Lee Conn are shown on the 1840 Tax List for Gonzales Co--originally DeWitt Colony after Founder Green DeWitt. John T. Conn was issued a land grant on Jan 29, 1844--Napoleon was issued a land grant on Jan. 29, 1846 and Hugh Lee was issued a land grant on Jan 11, 1848.

Two of John T. Conn's sons, Isaac Thomas and Napoleon Norman, habitually fought in battles for the defense of Texas. They fought Indians and later Mexicans as Mexico tried to regain Texas after her defeat at San Jacinto. Napoleon and his brother-in-law Winslow Turner III fought with Edward Burleson on March 28, 1839 at Mill Creek near Seguin against Col. Cordova and his Indian allies.

Napoleon Norman and Isaac Thomas Conn both fought in the Mexican War of 1846. Isaac Thomas was a Teamster in the Quartermaster Dept. (Index to Mexican War Pension Files). Napoleon served under Capt. Ben McCullough in the Texas Mtd. Spies commanded by Col. Jack Hays. John Thomas Conn , Jr., born in Mina in 1837, son of John T. and Mary Elizabeth Taylor Conn, fought in the Civil War as a Confederate and was with Singleton Norman Conn, son of Hugh Lee and Katherine Boyd Conn, when he was killed at Donaldsonville, La. on June 28, 1863 in a battle at Carrion-Crow Bayou. It was John T. Jr., who notified the family of Singleton's death. John T. Jr. and Singleton Norman were in Ben McCullough's Cavalry. Singleton Norman Conn was buried in a mass grave.

John T. Conn, Jr. had a land grant of 995 acres in Blanco Co. and a land grant of 285 acres in Burnet Co. In March 1888 while running for Sheriff of Gonzales Co., he accidently shot himself and died in April of 1888. He is buried with his mother and other family members in the Masonic Cemetery in Gonzales.

The daughters of John T. Conn were also illustrious pioneers of the Republic of Texas. Elizabeth Ann married Francis Marion Clary after the death of her husband Isaac Pitts. F. M. Clary was the son of an early pioneer family who arrived in the Province of Texas in 1830. Rebecca married Larkin West whose father, Clairborne West, was the twentieth patriot to sign the Declaration Independence. His signature is very distinct. [

Hannah Leak married the warrior Winslow Turner III after the death of his first wife Sarah Carpenter Sowell. He and his family arrived in the Province of Texas in 1826 from Ralls Co., Mo. when he was fifteen years old, also under the sponsorship of Green DeWitt. He is buried the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. Some of his exploits are listed on his grave marker. Sarah Ellen and her husband Thomas Ingram Gilmore were early day teachers in Gonzales and Live Oak Counties.

John Thomas Conn died in November, 1844 in Gonzales Co., Texas. His gravesite is unknown. He was a friendly, generous man who took pleasure in treating his friends as shown by the log book of the general store in Bastrop in 1839. His wife Mary Elizabeth Taylor Conn--known also as "Ellen" and "Nancy"--died 22 Nov. 1880 in Gonzales. She is buried in the Masonic Cemetery there. These Founders were exceptional pioneers in every way and we will probably not see their likes again.

This history researched by:

Velma Fogle

Great great-grand-daughter of John T. Conn

Great-grand daughter of Hugh Lee Conn V

Grand daughter of Mary Drucilla Conn Fogle

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* Muster role Kentucky volunteers, 1793. Halls Regiment, Calvary,  Rank Cornet, US Compiled service records Post Revolutionary War Volunteer Soldiers, 1784-1811, Role 12A

** I've got 10 children in all, including one who died in the first year.

*** Hannah Leak Conn may not have been the Hannah who married Turner, as it's likely her name was Coon, as it's on the marriage license.

My final note is that I'm actively pursuing an alternate Hannah Conn Booth tree, and I'm now leaving off the middle name Leak.  As soon as I learn about my new grands, I'll post about them here!