of the lives of my ancestors for Memorial Day 2025.
The Ross family had 12 children of their own. And they also fostered my grandfather and his little sister, who were also raised by their widowed mother some of the time.
The interesting things are the relationships to my grandfather, George Elmore Rogers.
My grandfather was the son of W. Sam Rogers who was a war hero who died young, suffering from his time in Mexico fighting for Texas.
The history of John A. Elmore is interesting, so I'm just going to copy and paste it here, after reposting the original several years ago.
Gen. John Archer Elmore
A repost from:
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Editor's NOTE: I just (2019) received another comment about Gen. Elmore, and have included all the comments that were posted since my original blog entry in 2013...obviously they are listed on google or somewhere! I think at that time I didn't have this "family tree" blog, so I'm bringing this one over here where it belongs. And thanks to one of the comments, a friend has sent me some photos of a table with Gen. J. A. Elmore's name inscribed on the bottom...so they are included at the end of this post!
Born on 21 Aug 1762 in Prince Edward County, Virginia, this Revolutionary War hero died on 24 Apr 1834 in Wetumpka, Autauga County, Alabama, age 71.
Shall I tell you how I'm related first, or his story?
My father's middle name was Elmore. He never told me (and I did ask) who he was named after. Well, for him he just said he was named after his father, because he was Junior. So how did his father get Elmore for his middle name, when there were no Elmores anywhere in his family ancestry?
Go WAAAAY back, and John Archer Elmore is actually our ancestor through a cousin. (His descendent married the sister of one of my ancestors)
He had 19 children, which means lots of people are his descendants! Thank heavens they had 2 mothers. His first wife's third child, Sophia Saxon Elmore at 15, married George Washington Ross (age 31 and a doctor). They lived in Laurens, South Carolina, and then Mississippi. Their grandson, John Elmore Ross, married Alice Luella Rogers, (see Here for more on Alice Luella Rogers Ross) the daughter of my 3X great grandfather, George Washington Rogers. So we're cousins, several times removed, because the Elmore Ross line went off in another direction...no blood coming my way. (Incidentally, my post about Alice Rogers Ross isn't entirely accurate!)
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| Gen John Archer Elmore 1762-1834 |
Shall I tell you how I'm related first, or his story?
My father's middle name was Elmore. He never told me (and I did ask) who he was named after. Well, for him he just said he was named after his father, because he was Junior. So how did his father get Elmore for his middle name, when there were no Elmores anywhere in his family ancestry?
Go WAAAAY back, and John Archer Elmore is actually our ancestor through a cousin. (His descendent married the sister of one of my ancestors)
He had 19 children, which means lots of people are his descendants! Thank heavens they had 2 mothers. His first wife's third child, Sophia Saxon Elmore at 15, married George Washington Ross (age 31 and a doctor). They lived in Laurens, South Carolina, and then Mississippi. Their grandson, John Elmore Ross, married Alice Luella Rogers, (see Here for more on Alice Luella Rogers Ross) the daughter of my 3X great grandfather, George Washington Rogers. So we're cousins, several times removed, because the Elmore Ross line went off in another direction...no blood coming my way. (Incidentally, my post about Alice Rogers Ross isn't entirely accurate!)
(NOTE from author in 2025 - (Alice) Luella Roger Ross was my great grandaunt. I heard my grandfather, George Elmore Rogers Sr., speak of at least 4 of the Ross cousins as adults, who had correspondences or phone contact with him. They all seemed to use their middle names, so it took a while for me to connect these people with what my grandfather (Poppy) had said about them.)
So why were these people in the Rogers family named after this Revolutionary War hero that was a cousin's ancestor after all? Probably because the matriarchs of the family wanted them to. We have traditionally had strong women in the Rogers family.
And my grandfather's best friends were the Ross's, who lived in the same areas many times, but did not raise my grandfather and his sister as I thought earlier (they probably lived with their mother, a widow some of their childhoods). For all I know some of the Ross children were named after famous Rogers ancestors. I don't think I'll chase that story however.
OK, you've patiently waited to hear about General Elmore.
Here is the way ancestor searches turn out: backward. We start with where he remains, his tombstone. From Mrs. P. H. Mell in (1904) Transactions, of the Alabama Historical Society, Vol. iv, pp. 541-2.
In his later life:
Continuing backward, here's more on how he came to Alabama...with some different dates given.
Pickett, from Alabama also give this picture of the Justice of the courts:
Another mini-biography gives this family information:
OK, this record is my supplement to what's on Ancestry.com, and perhaps will help me or my descendents find the correct information.
So why were these people in the Rogers family named after this Revolutionary War hero that was a cousin's ancestor after all? Probably because the matriarchs of the family wanted them to. We have traditionally had strong women in the Rogers family.
And my grandfather's best friends were the Ross's, who lived in the same areas many times, but did not raise my grandfather and his sister as I thought earlier (they probably lived with their mother, a widow some of their childhoods). For all I know some of the Ross children were named after famous Rogers ancestors. I don't think I'll chase that story however.
OK, you've patiently waited to hear about General Elmore.
Here is the way ancestor searches turn out: backward. We start with where he remains, his tombstone. From Mrs. P. H. Mell in (1904) Transactions, of the Alabama Historical Society, Vol. iv, pp. 541-2.
Elmore county was named in honor of Gen. Elmore. He was deservedly popular for his "candor, good sense and sociability."
He was buried in the old family burying ground at the old homestead, "Huntington," in Elmore county. The following inscription is upon his tombstone:
In Memory of Gen. John Archer Elmore, who was born in Prince Edward County, Va., August the 21st, 1762, and died in Autauga County, Ala., April 24th, 1834, aged 71 yrs. 8 mos. & 3 days. He was a soldier of the Revolution in the Virginia Line and afterwards a member of the Legislature of So. Ca., and a General in the militia. He was a member of the Legislature of Alabama and filled various other offices of Honor and Trust in both States. He was an affectionate husband, a kind and indulgent father, a humane master, A devoted friend, and a patriotic citizen.
He entered the Revolutionary service, a mere lad, in Greene's command in the Virginia line; was with him in his tour through the Carolinas, and with him at the surrender at Yorktown. This is shown by the archives in Washington; O'Neal's Bench and Bar of South Carolina, vol. ii, pp. 85, 88, and Brewer's Alabama, p. 109. After the Revolution he settled in Laurens district, South Carolina, and resided there many years, during which time he was often a member of the legislature. He moved to Autauga county, Alabama, in 1819 and served one term in the house of representatives from this county.
His first wife was Miss Saxon, by whom he had two sons: Hon. Franklin H. Elmore, of South Carolina, who succeeded Mr. Calhoun in the United States senate, and Benjamin F. Elmore, treasurer of South Carolina. His second wife, Miss Ann Martin, was a member of the famous Martin family of South Carolina, and descended also from the Marshall family of Virginia, and from Lieutenant Nathaniel Terry, of Virginia. By this second marriage there were five sons and several daughters."Mrs. Mell didn't have all his children in her list, see below for more details of them.
In his later life:
C M Stanley article in The Alabama Journal, Sept 13, 1959:
"He removed to Alabama in 1819, the same year the state was admitted to the Union, settling in Autauga County and in 1821 served in the Alabama legislature. When Elmore County was created, largely out of Autauga County, the new county was named for General Elmore as was the town of Elmore in the new county."
Continuing backward, here's more on how he came to Alabama...with some different dates given.
From "Elmore Family -p. 17:
Gen. John A. and Betsy -- "Reuben Jourdan came to Alabama about 1812 to 1814, with his father, sisters and brothers and children, and was followed next year by Gen. John Archer Elmore and family."
Pickett, from Alabama also give this picture of the Justice of the courts:
"The legislature was exceedingly anxious to see the laws enforced; and, for
that purpose, selected magistrates from among the most respectable and
prominent men throughout the State. They discharged the same duties which
the Judges of the County Courts had done previous to the adoption of the
present Probate system, and as was the practice of Virginia. A few of those
now selected must be mentioned merely to show the determination of our then
infant State, to give tone and dignity to the administration of the laws,
even in inferior courts. For the county of Autauga, for instance, John A.
Elmore, John Armstrong, Robert Gaston, James Jackson and William R. Pickett
were elected magistrates.
General John A. Elmore, one of these justices, was a native of South
Carolina, of the legislature of which State he had often been a respectable
member. Not long after his removal to Alabama, he represented the county of
Autauga in our legislature which then sat at Cahawba. He was a man of
firmness and much good sense, and always delivered his opinions, even in
common conversation, in a distinct and loud voice, with that candor and
honesty which characterized his conduct through life. He had a commanding
appearance, was large in person, and, altogether, an exceedingly fine
looking man. He delighted in the sports of the chase, being a most
successful and spirited hunter, and an agreeable companion in the many camp-
hunts in which he engaged with his neighbors and friends. Towards the close
of his life, we remember that he presented a dignified and venerable
appearance, and we saw him preside as chairman of several large and
exciting meetings in the town of Montgomery during the days of nullifi-
cation."(1)
(1) Albert James Pickett, History of Alabama and Incidentally of Georgia
and Mississippi, from the Earliest Period, (Birmingham Book and Magazine Co.: Birmingham, AL, 1962), pp. 662-663.
Another mini-biography gives this family information:
Biography of John Archer Elmore - Autauga/Elmore Co.'s, ALSorry, I don't have the war records, which probably tell all about the battles in which Gen. Elmore took part. That will have to be for other historians to research.
John Archer Elmore. An officer of the American Revolution, he was born
August 21, 1762, in Prince Edward County, Virginia, and died April 24, 1834,
in Autauga, now Elmore County. He was the son of Archelas and Susannah
(Morris) Elmore, the former a Quaker. He was a grandson of Thomas and Cicely
(Ellison) Elmore, of New Kent County, Virginia. General Elmore entered the
Continental Army while still a youth, and served under General Greene.
General Elmore settled in Laurens District, South Carolina, after the
Revolution, resided there for many years and served in the legislature. In
1819 he removed to Alabama, settling in Autauga County, and in 1821,
represented the County in the legislature. When Autauga County was
subdivided the new county was named in his honor. The station of that name
being also named for his family.
General Elmore was married to (1) Mary Ann Sarah Saxon, on March 1,
1788. He married (2) on March 14, 1805, to Mary Martin, a descendant of the
noted Martin family of South Carolina, also of the Marshall family of
Virginia, and of Lieutenant Nathaniel Terry, of Virginia.
Children by his first wife were: l. Benjamin F., treasurer of South
Carolina, married Sarah Aurora Brevard. 2. Narcissa. 3. Sophia Saxon,
married George Ross. 4. Charlotte Perry, married Abner Crenshaw. 5. Franklin
Harper, who succeeded Calhoun in the U. S. Senate, married Harriet Chestnut.
By his second wife, General Elmore was the father of: 6. Elizabeth S.,
married Dixon H. Lewis. 7. Sarah Terry, married Benjamin Fitzpatrick.
8. John Archer, married Laura Maria Martin. 9. Morris Martin. 10. William
Augustus, married (1) Mary Ann Morrison, (2) Julia Minor. 11. Luther Alfred.
12. Henry Marshall, married Elizabeth Harris. 13. Laurence Ludlow. 14.
Physick Rush, married Susan T. Nesbitt. 15. Winfield Scott. 16. Infant. 17.
James Scott. 18. Albert Standhope, married Mary Jane Taylor. 19. Ann
Harriet, married Joseph T. Hearn.
[Source: Dictionary of Alabama Biography, Volume III, page 558]
OK, this record is my supplement to what's on Ancestry.com, and perhaps will help me or my descendents find the correct information.
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Gen. J.A.Elmore table in the home of Larry Carlson
7 comments:
Patricia ElmoreApril 14, 2014 at 1:01 AMI am the great, great, great granddaughter of John Archer Elmore. I found your account of how his name entered into your family quite interesting. My lineage to JA Elmore is this: John Archer Elmore -> Henry Marshall Elmore -> William Augustus Elmore -> John Rugely Elmore -> William Augustus Elmore -> Patricia Elmore (me). Thanks for posting this.- Hi Patricia: So glad to know we're cousins, of whatever number removed! Thanks for commenting on a post that was a long time ago. I had to go read it again (at my age I don't remember all these details). And reading it again reminded me how many ancestors I still have to research and add for the benefit of my own descendents!
- Hi, I hope you're doing well. I wanted to let you know that I discovered that John Archer Elmore married the niece of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, Nancy Martin. Together they had many children, if won I'm descended from Henry Marshall Elmore. We are also related to Thomas Jefferson through the Randolphs sisters. Thomas J and John M were cousins.
Thanks so much for your comment on my post. I continue to look into my ancestors, and update my blog as new information comes available. I'm so sorry not to have answered your comment all this time, as blogger never sent it to me (as it used to do once) so I could moderate it and post it to the blog. I'll be looking into your questions in the near future. Barb Rogers- Greetings, cousins! Excellent page you've made here, Mrs. Rogers.
I am John Rugeley Elmore, son of Thomas R, son of John R, son of John R, son of William A, son of Henry M., son of Gen John A, himself.
Always thought that was the coolest middle name, "Archer", just sounds cool, but maybe that's the little boy in me creeping out, lol.
I'm so glad to see people taking an interest in the family and our place in history.
I am trying to get my nieces and nephews interested in our ancestors so they can understand their place historically, and ideally, derive some honor or self esteem from the achievements and esteem earned by those who came before us.
An ex-member of my family has been slandering the good name of my late father to his grandchildren. So I am on quest to reinvigorate the pride (or at least, interest) in and of the Elmore clan that comes from honorable, upstanding citizenship, service to God and country, and charity and good nature of our ancestors significant enough to be mentioned virtually anytime any of them are mentioned during or after their lifetime by official, respected historians.
Cousin (Aunt?) Patricia, I remember your dad. I was just a kid when I was around him so I don't remember much, but Thank You for the bit you wrote bout T. Jefferson. I had no idea we were related to him as well.
Mrs. Rogers, you could possibly find some new visitors to your page, as I am going to send links to my nieces and nephews. And, thank you again for taking the time to, not only keep the documentation of our family fresh, but also for bringing it alive!
Peace, joy and love, family. May Grace shine down upon you, brighter than the sun, today and each tomorrow and for all the days to come!
PS: I never check my gmail so my usable email address is Landman0081@yahoo.com. Please, feel free to write, anytime, about anything. - Greetings Elmore Clan
I wanted to reach out to you all and let you know we are honored to have a family heirloom...namely, a round table that used to belong to Gen J A Elmore. His name is literally scribed in the underside of the table - and it's leaf. It's a truly amazing piece from the Empire Era - and means a lot to us. I was researching his name today and as I learned more and more about General Elmore, I was more and more honored to have such a piece of history in my own home. In fact, it was this research that led us into this Blog. What a pleasant surprise. We are not related to him but I wanted you to know how much it means to have such a historic piece from a true Revolutionary War Era Hero. We reside near Louisville, Ky. Knowing the General was laid to rest in Alabama, I thought it would be of some interest knowing how far his table traveled.
I just opened a blooger account - hopefully you all can see this message. If you are interested in contacting me for pics or more info, please feel free to do so at lecjr55@gmail.com (primary email acct). I wish there was a way I could attach a picture for you to see (probably is but well beyond my limited knowledge of blogger).
I wish you all the very best and tip my hat to the entire clan. To come from such a lineage is truly a blessing.- HI there "Old School Man" and welcome to this blog which still is out there generating comments. You have a piece of history in that table. I'm glad that you've read about John Elmore, and hope you enjoy reading about all my other ancestors! I find it so interesting to write what I can find, then change it as new information is found that was buried somewhere for a long time and just came to light.
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