Family History Written by son of Malinda Ewing Jones

 Dillard Ewing Jones Family history 1800-1922

 
The following is the family history written by John Newton Jones, son of Malinda Ann Ewing Jones and Robert Jones. It apparently was a type written version of the letter and typed by a grandson of Robert Jones. The name at the bottom is J.G.Gubage from Oklahoma City, OK.
 
These are the words of John Newton Jones, Texas Ranger at one time. One can never dismiss the words of a person who lived back in that time…but…this history was gleaned from and acquaintance of John Newton Jones, old man McDay who was 80 years old at the time. This is not my direct line but certainly gives credence to the daughter Malinda Ewing Jones and her husband, Robert Jones. They are the ones that settled our James Ewing, Jr.’s estate many years after his death. I will not edit the typos.
 

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"Well, according to request, I will write what I know of the early hisptory of the Jones Family. I came to Texas in the Fall of 1853 and stayed till the summer of 1857, and while in Texas, in Bastrop Cpounty, I got acquainted with an old man by the name of McDay that was the rise of 80 years old that claimed to be raised by my Grandfahter. He said he was bound to him when he was 8 years old and stayed with him till he was 21. He told me more than I ever heard about the Jones Family, and when I got back to Arkansas Grandmother was alive and she said he had given me a true history of the Family.
 
He said my Great-Grandfather was a Welshman and a military man under the English Governenment and was put over a portion of the Irish that was about to rebel and was so lenient with them there was charges preferred against him, and he deserted and came to America some time before the Revolutionary War. When the War came up my Great-grandfather (John Jones,1st) was living in Charleston, S.C., where my Grandfather (Andrew Jones) was born. Fearing that he would fall into the hands of the English, Great-grandfather went into the mountains of North Carolina and died there. When Daniel Boone moved his family to Kentucky, my Grandfather came with him, and my father (Robert Jones) was born there--somewhere in Kentucky.
 
Grandfather was in several Indain fights with Boone. He lived there a few years--till 1811--then moved to Alabama and settled where the town of Tuscaloosa is now, and cleared out a farm there. There were eight families of them. It was forty miles to the nearest white settlement. He fought the Indians all up and down the Black Warrior River and was Captain of the Militia. He then moved to West Tennessee then to Mississippi (1831), and died there before the Chickasaw Indians left there (1837).
 
Grandfahter and 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls. The boys were Elijah, John A., Robert (my father), Willis, Abraham and Jolly. Uncle John once represented Tippah County, (Mississippi) in the Legislature. He died on the Saline River in Arkansas (near Benton) on a return trip from Mississippi to his home near Alpine, Arkansas. Uncle Willie represented Pike, Polk, and Montgomery counties in the Arkansas Stat Senate. (This seems to be an error as the Report of the Arkansas Secretary of State shows Willis Jones as a Representative from Pike County, but not as Senator- - -J.G.C) He died at Little Rock, Ark. while a Major in the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment.
 
I don't think my father (Robert Jones) ever held any office. He had very little education. He had ten children, 5 boys and 5 girls. The boys were Alfred, Willis C., John N. Joseph and Robert.
 
My grandmother on my father's side was a Box (Rebecca) and several years younger than Grandfather. McDay said he lived with Grandfather several years before he married, and that Grandmother was of a very aristocratic and wealthy family and the family was opposed to Grandfather.
 
My mother was a Ewing. They were English (probably Scotch-Irish)), settled first in Virginia, then went to Middle Tennessee. Her father was a first cousin to Finis Ewing, the founder of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Mother had four half-brothers-John, Reuben, James and William Ewing, and one own brother, Alfred Ewing. They fought through the war of 1812. Reuben once ran for Governor of Illinois, but was beaten. James died at the Alamo, in Texas, with Crockett. Uncle William Ewing died in Arkansas, near Curtis.
 
Alfre Ewing died near Elm, Arkansa. My Mother lived to be very old. She only lacked from 5th of March to the 10th of May of being 96 years old. (Born May 10, 1806). Died March 5, 11902. She was buried at Dallas, Polk County, Arkansas.
 
I will state here that brother Alfred was on of the most moral boys I ever saw in my life. His great aim was to do right and learn all he could. He got every book on history he could and idled no time away. A many a load of pine knots have I helped to carry up for him to study by while the rest of us were romping around fooling off our time. I have often wished I was a sgood a man as he and had the same control over my temper and had that forgiving spirit.
 
I will give a brief sketch of my up ans downs-- and down a heap oftener than up. I ran away from home, came to Texas in 1851, when I was only 16 years old, stayed one year, then went home-Point Cedar, Ark., then came back to Texas, stayed three years. Went into Ranger Service. Went on to the frontier and was in company with the wildest men in the Nation. When mustered out I traveled with Gen. Sam Houston when he ran for Governor of Texas in 1857. While in the United States Senate he had voted against the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. He said this was the best vote he ever cast in his life, for the repeal of it made war inevitable between the states at no distant day, and he would go on and tell us what would be the final issue of the war. The South would be subjugated and the Negroes would be free. I heard him make seven speeches, and as I regaed him as the smartest man I ever had seen, when Secession came up I did evrything I could against it. I tell this to show why I opposed the war.
 
I have been married three times. I first married Miss Jane Box. We had two children. One died in infancy. The girl lived to be grown and married a man by the name of Swanner. They have four boys living, all born in Texas. Two are farming, one in the cattle business in Arizona. Two are unmarried.
 
I next Married Mrs. Mary Dedwiley. No children by her. She only lived seven months--got a fall from a horse that caused her death. She was buried in St. John's Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas.
 
I next married Miss Ann Campnell in Pike County, Arkansas. We had seven children living to be grwon. The oldest is Joseph Wilson Jones, born in Pike County, Arkansas, Dec. 23, 1866. The next a girl born in Pike Copunty, Ark.m Jan. 15, 1868. Malinda was born Oct. 30, 1870 in Texas. Jolly was born in July 1874. Josie was born in Texas, Sept. 9, 1876. Angeline was born in Texas, August 19, 1879. Wilson never married. He lives near Goliad, Texas. Owns a farm. Elida Ledufan married R. M. Parrish. They have nine children, six boys and three girls all grown but one. Oldest boy, 30 years old, is a farmer, owns a good farm. Next, a girl, married a man by the name of Garrett. They own a farm. A girl named Atoka lives in Florida. Chester and Omer are farmers, owns good farms. Otto, Joe and Creed are school boys. The youngest is a girl named Berlin, 12 yrears old. All were born in Texas.
 
Mainda married J.C. Garrett. They have five childre, two boys and three girls. James, 30, and WAl;ter, 28 are farmers in New Mexico. Annie, 33, married a man named Stephens. Maimie married a man named Martem, a farmer. Lila is teaching school, owns land in New Mexico. Jolly has three girls and a boy, Henry Jones. He lives in Calahan County, opwns a farm. The three girls live here -(Cone, Tex._ Angeline had two boys and one girl. James Alonzo Campbell, 25 served with the Military two years. One year in France. He now owns a farm near Carlsbad New Meico. He married Mittie Smith last June. Samuel Augustus Campbell is a bookkeeper in Duncan, Olka. Madccan is attending the Christian University at Enid, Okla.
 
This leaves me in tolerable health. I m expecting to go to Goliad in October. So with best regards, I wil close.
 
(Signed) J. N. Jones
  
P.S.
 
At the proper place I forgot to tell about my Grandfather's (Andrew Jones) brothers. He had two brothers, John & Jolly. John never married. (This is probably the John Jones who died near Smithland, KY. in 1811 (J.G.G.) Jolly went with Grandfather to Alabama and stayed there. He represented his country in the Legislature. He held some office all his life. As for my brothers and sisters, they areknown to you people there better than to me. I wrote a sketch of my life and my war record but have never had it published.
 
With my best compiments to all ,
 I will close,
 
J. N. Jones
 
Comment: It had been supposed that the original John Jones died in KY in 1811. From this letter it would appear this was the son of the first John Jones. Daniel Boon's family came to KY. in 1775 and again in 1780/ Jones probably came on the first trip. J. G. G.
 
NOTE: apparently this was a type written version of the letter and was typed by
 
J. G. Gubage 508 E. Park Place Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (grandson of Robert Jones)

Dillard & Ewing Family Diagram

 There are so many connections between these two families. I began to diagram these connections. I am not positive about all of the Dillards listed above Ladovsey....but research done from others seems to make this very plausible. 

I am also finding the WRIGHT family name mingled in...here and there -- as well as the SPROUL SPROWL FAMILY.

Dillard & Ewing Family connections

 

Sources for Malinda Dillard 1834

 Sources for Malinda Dillard (1834-1880?)

 1850 United States Federal Census. “Malinda Ewing,” Cedar, Clark, Arkansas; Roll: M432_25; Page: 196B; Image: .[Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.]

 1870 United States Federal Census. “Mary Ewing,” Cedar, Clark, Arkansas; Roll: M593_49; Page: 263B. [Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009.]

 Arkansas Marriages to 1850. “Malinda Dillard & James H Ewin,” Marriage Date: 18 Dec 1849, Clark County, Arkansas. [Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1997. Original data - Dodd, Jordan R, et. al.. Early American Marriages: Arkansas to 1850. Bountiful, UT, USA: Precision Indexing Publishers, 19xx.Original data: Dodd, Jordan R, et. al..]

 Chris Kraft World Connect Tree on rootsweb. http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=adgedge&id=I67385    defunct: Ancestry has promised to bring World Connect trees back but it hasn't happened yet.

 https://www.ewingfamilyassociation.org/documents/Sproul/Sproul_Part_2.html

 https://www.ewingfamilyassociation.org/books/EwingInEarlyAmerica/Fife_Ch11.pdf

 

 

Malinda Dillard Pedigree Chart

 PROCEED WITH CAUTION 

 as I am NOT certain about the Dillard line. There were multiple LARGE trees that had my line as listed below. These internet trees/research have been gobbled up by larger entities, i.e. Ancestry and are no longer available which is a true travesty for individual genealogists. I feel that the Ewing Family during the generation of Sarah Sally Ewing and William P Ewing, both during 1808-1860-1880, did not keep, nor know, much family history. This leaves a gaping hole in research when there are no notables that are found in local histories/archives. I even doubt the information given on F.S. Ewing's death certificate.

Malinda Dillard Family Group Sheet

 

Malinda (Dillard) Ewing History Sheet

 MALINDA DILLARD 1834-?1880?

History Sheet

                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                  

 

Malinda was born to Orrin (twin) Dillard and Sarah Sally Ewing in 1834 in Tennessee or Missouri? She was their first born child. Her mother, Sarah Sally Ewing, had been previously married to Owen Dillard, the twin brother to Orrin. Owen died young, at the age of 23, leaving Sarah Sally as a young bride with their young son, Orrin Wayne Dillard. After Sarah married Orrin, they had Malinda followed by 6 more children.

 

Interesting note about Malinda’s mother (Sarah Sally Ewing 1808-1880), is that she was the sister to our William P Ewing 1804-1864.

 

One thing that makes Malinda difficult to trace is that she married young at the age of 16 in the year 1849, so in 1850 (the first year that the census lists ALL people in the household), Malinda was already married and in the census with her husband, James H. Ewing…yes, another Ewing/Dillard connection.

 

Malinda Dillard and James H Ewing were married on 18 Dec 1849 in Cold Bath, Clark County, Arkansas. They are found in the 1850 census in Cedar, Clark County. They do not have any children at that time. Living nearby is Moses Mays and wife Harriet. They are parents to Leanna Mays who eventually married Malinda's brother, John Wesley Ewing (1838-1892). Also living nearby is Malinda (Ewing) Jones who married Robert Jones. Malinda and Robert were the ones who settled James Ewing’s (1758-1810) estate. Malinda Jones is the sister to our Sarah Sally Ewing Dillard and our William P Ewing.

 

[Sarah Sally Ewing ˃ Malinda Dillard ˃ F.S.Ewing]

[William P Ewing ˃ James H Ewing ˃ F.S.Ewing]

 

This is a confusing biography…all the more reason to believe what Laduvsey Dillard said when settling James Ewing’s estate…That “you have some strange family kin.”

 

In 1870, Malinda (Dillard) Ewing and husband James Ewing are living in Clark County, Arkansas with 3 young sons, including our great-grandfather Fed Short Ewing. Strange thing is…She is listed as Mary. So…I may be missing something….maybe one day the answers will be revealed. However, I know that the major researchers of these two lines have her as Malinda.

 

I am including a caution sign because there is much to absorb and many directions from which these two families merge.

 

 

Dillard Family Connection

 The Dillards…well, I found some credible information on the web by a man name Chris Kraft and others. They had built tremendous trees, not so much with sources, but these “world connect” trees have been taken down, I think by Ancestry. Ancestry has promised that these websites will return. It seems we live in a world where something that is good is always gobbled up by the greedy people who want to own it all. But in the meanwhile, it has disrupted my research. The Dillard line involved a marriage by a Ewing lady to the Dillard twins. When one twin died, she married the other. And I believe that there may be some double cousins. Interesting note: as I was putting this information together, I found amid the Ewing pages, some small print about Orrin Dillard. I’m anxious to go back to and review more closely. I also wondered why our William P Ewing was born in Kentucky. The notes mentioned above may show me why/how the Dillards or Ewings had land in Kentucky. I am hopeful with a new DNA connection to Patricia about the Ewing/Dillard connection.

Introduction to Malinda Dillard 1834-1880?

 Oh yes…and then there is Malinda Dillard, the first Dillard ancestor in my tree. Researchers will always tell you that there is an era of time that is difficult to trace ancestors and that is most likely those people who lived, married, had children, etc., in the early to mid-1800s. The reason being that before the 1850 census, the household only COUNTED members of a household by age. Only the head of household was listed by name. And it doesn’t help when we climb the tree, that ALL 1890 censuses burned. With that said, I will introduce you to Malinda Dillard with a little trepidation.

 I will start by saying that there have been “World Connect” Trees that have disappeared from the internet. These were well organized trees, fleshing out numerous branches. Someone has swallowed them up, most likely ANCESTRY. They have promised to put them back up in 2024, but here we are with no emergence of these trees. I DO know that the ancestors that I have found in these trees have been well researched. The Ewing family has documented many angles and options for this generation. For which I am most grateful…but it still leaves questions. From the information that I have gathered, I’m finding that many of my Dillards are interrelated. I have found proof of how they circled back to brothers, sisters, and cousins…even twins that married the same woman.

 There was a will probated in Tennessee in 1810 that has my Ladovsey Dillard, wife of James Ewing, Jr. 1758-1810, commenting on the strange family connections. I found this information in connection with the Ewing Family Association. It appears in a book titled “Ewing In Early America”. I will quote that below:

 Chapter XI John Ewing (1648-1745) of Carnshanaugh page 82

 1810, 22 September (Smith Co., Tn. Will Book 1, page 82-84 in copied will book but no page on original) It was probated in December 1810, proven by oath of Henry Dickens, Jr & James Sexton, two of the witnesses. Executors were to be John Lancaster and Thomas S. Green. James Ewing names:

“Wife, Ladovesy, sons: John, James, Ruben (a minor), William (a minor, my William), Alfred (a minor) and daughters: Ruthey Cellers (Sellers), Edy Ewing, Sally (a minor), Melinda (a minor) and Nancy (a minor) ... my desire is that my Executors shall rent out my plantation where William Sexton now lives” [See “F” below. Mary his sister had married William Sexton in Botetourt Co., VA. in 1790].

 

“James Ewing's estate was not settled until many years later. In Jan 1829 Robert Jones and Malinda Jones “(ancestors of Bobbie Jones McLane and her Jones family)” of Hardeman Co., TN appointed Orren Dillard, husband of Sarah (Sally) Ewing their Atty. in settling Estate of James Ewing father of said Malinda Jones” (Smith Co., TN Deed Book K pp 414-415). “In 1836 Alfred Ewing filed a bill of complaint against James Raulston appointed Executor on 11 Feb. 1817 upon death of John Lancaster ... Ralston as guardian kept money and entirely neglected his wards.” Descendants reported Ladovesy was a Dillard that Ruben Ewing was her “stepson” wrote from Lawndale, Logan Co., IL 9 Aug 1872 to Melinda Jones, of Clark Co., AR. re himself, wife and children and questions about Albert, your brother and sister Sally ... you have some strange kin here on your father's side you are their aunt on your father's side (Ewing) and on your mother's side (Dillard) you are their cousin. There is two of them here and two in Kansas.”

 

“James Ewing's oldest son, John Ewing, married Elizabeth Dillard. Assuming Ladovesy is her sister, Elizabeth and John's children would be Melinda's cousins and their aunt as John Ewing was her half brother.”

 I feel that I am on the right path, though, when I see that one of the lead researchers Wallace K Ewing has incorporated my information into his tree. Wallace has used my information all the way down to my daddy, Truman B Quillin Sr.. I have trusted the Ewing research for a LONG time and also the research done by Bobbie Jones McLane.  I just makes it difficult when the documentation can’t be found online for myself. Hopefully, these sources will become available.

 With all of this said, I will introduce you to Malinda Dillard, mother of my great grandfather, Frederick Short Ewing.

 NOTE: In my opinion, there are some families that have NOT kept good documentation of their family lines. I feel a great breakdown in my tree starting with F.S. Ewing. Above him on the tree, there is evidence of many interrelated relationships.