THIS Baby Girl

 My niece, part of my heart and soul, was born on 15 May 1981. We spent many hours together, probably more than she can even remember. She was a huge part of my life from the day she was born. I cherish every moment that we were afforded together. Thank you, Lord, for bringing her into my life and I pray that your divine guidance will shine a light on her path forward.

McNair Brothers in the Civil War

 

James Claiborne McNair – refused to take oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, resigned his local offices and took refuge in the mountains. See attached story

John William McNair – private in 2^nd regiment Cherokee Mounted Volunteers from Arkansas

David Howell McNair – private in 1^st Cherokee Mounted Volunteers; killed in action

Nicholas Neely McNair – died fighting for the Confederacy in the Arkansas regiment 20 Sept 1863 at Chickamauga Georgia

Lee Bruce McNair – served 4 years in Confederate Army in many engagements

Josiah McNair – served in the Confederate Army, was captured by the Federals and later joined the northern forces

Testimony of Peter Tyler on the Peace Society

Among other documents found was a court case brought before the Honorable Kelly Featherston Justice of the Peace for Carroll County Arkansas.  The case was titled “The State of Arkansas vs. Knowledge of & Identity with Secret Treasonable Society” with testimony by Peter Tyler and Isaiah Ezell.  It detailed their knowledge of a secret society held together by certain oaths and signs and tokens and pass words. P.A. Tyler claims that he was a member of this society and could receive the punishment of death for revealing his knowledge of said group. He had been initiated 3 weeks prior, swearing that he was not from the north and that now he would be given home protection. He was given the oath by ? Long and D. Jamison. He was also given the signs, tokens and passwords. The first sign was placing the three fingers of the left hand angling across the nose. The answer was carelessly feeling under the chin with one of the hands. The next sign was to place one finger in the shirt collar with the left hand and the answer was to put the right hand on the left breast. The next was to raise the hat with one hand and place it back on the head. The answer was to turn the back to the person moving the hat. One sign was to hang a piece of red ribbon, calico, or flannel on the front door of the house. Another token was if they were separated, they would Hoot like an Owl and wait for a response. The answer was to howl like a wolf. Peter’s testimony included that once he was initiated, he rode his horse around and initiated more men. He gave a list of men and he included the name of James Claiborne McNair and Claiborne Manes.

 P. A. Tyler was Sworn and subscribed to before the J.P. on this 18th day of Decr. 1861

Signed Kelly Featherston J P

Arkansas Peace Society - James Claiborne McNair

 Arkansas Peace Society / Federal Raids on Burrowville Historical Marker

Now..what is interesting is that in Oct 2020, I learned of James Claiborne’s resistance to the civil war, which is mentioned in the last paragraph of the story.  The rest of the story is as follows:

SOURCE: From: Arkansas Historical Quarterly (Spring, 1958) page 83

Arkansas Peace Society

In the mountain counties of North Arkansas in the fall of 1861, secret organizations were formed for self-protection and apparently to resist Confederate authority. Total membership in the organizations was estimated at 1700 and was concentrated in Searcy, Marion, Carroll, Izard, Fulton, and Van Buren counties. In these counties and perhaps in several others, the local units of the Arkansas Peace Society were quickly suppressed by extra-legal citizens committees acting with the county militia units and with justice of the peace courts. Many of the arrested members were forced into Confederate service either by local citizens committees or by the state military board at Little Rock. Some were tried for treason in Confederate circuit and acquitted. Many of those forced into Confederate service deserted and joined the Federal army. Only a part of the records relating to the Peace Society survived, but they are sufficient to show the scope and nature of the organization. Surviving documents contain the names of 240 members and suspected members. Of these, 181 were located in the United States census manuscript schedules, 1860. An analysis of that record revealed that of the 181, 115 were born in Tennessee, 13 in North Carolina, and 11 in Arkansas. The leadership of the movement was also predominantly Southern-born. Six preachers among the leaders seem to have been especially influential. The brotherhood was indigenous, composed of mountaineers who had no intention of going to war on either side and who wanted to be left alone. There could of course be no neutrality, and the members were forced to take sides. (then there was a list of names)

MEMBERS OF THE PEACE SOCIETY 1861

There was a complete listing of names. Among them was the name James Claiborne McNair and Claiborne Manes.

My Notes on the 1894 Story

 Reminiscent History of the Ozark Region

Source: Reminiscent History Of The Ozark Region, pub. Goodspeed Brothers, Publishers, Chicago 1894
Compiled by Nancy Quillin Long
2 April 2016

 
We are blessed in the south with old books that were written after the Civil War to restore the history that was lost.  These authors included family stories that are invaluable in piecing together our family histories.  The McNairs were a large, respected family included in this history book.  Our great-great grandfather, Mack Manilus McNair, would have been 47 years old when this book was published.  We are fortunate because his name was always included which gave me the opportunity to establish Mack's family ties.  Though Mack was not researched, his very much older brother, James Claiborn, was a well-established man in the community and much of their history and family lines were researched and documented.  I have been strongly linked through DNA back to James McNair, Mack's grandfather, through the Manes DNA circle. James Claiborn McNair married Harriet Manes. The following story about James Claiborn not only ties us to the McNair family but also gives information about the Sherertz family putting us back another generation on Mack's mother's family.
 
I have struggled with contradicting information from this book published in 1894, but I believe that this author was relying on information given in interviews with family members.  It is a condensed general history, with a brief descriptive history of each county, and numerous biographical sketches of prominent citizens of those counties. It is a county history book, which is different from a research book of one given family. There are many pronouns with unclear antecedents which can often mislead readers, but the wonderful history of James Claiborn sheds light on our great-great grandfather's generation and their ties to the previous generation.
 
This history gives me clues as to why we may have misleading information about Illinois and Missouri.  During any war, families are displaced and lives are interrupted.  James Claiborn took refuge in Missouri during the Civil War because of his own convictions.  I believe his mother (also our Mack's mother) followed James Claiborn to Arkansas (and possibly for a few years to Missouri) to be near family after John died.  There could be some confusion linking Mary Ann to Pleasant Hill, Missouri, during the time frame of the Civil War, but she is clearly in Arkansas in the 1860 census. As far as their father John (Jack) McNair, moving to Union County, Illinois, where they claim he died in 1852, I have stated my difference of opinion in my history sheet of John (Jack) McNair, our 3rd great grandfather.  

1894 Story of McNair Family

 Mack McNair's oldest brother was James Claiborne McNair 1822 - 1906. Much was recorded about his life.  Here is what I found:

This photo was found on Ancestry.com

His wife was Harriet Manes. My DNA connections with her are strong.

1894 Story of McNair Family

Reminiscent History Of The Ozark Region Published 1894 by Goodspeed Publishers  found on http://www.accessgenealogy.com/arkansas/reminiscent-history-of-the-ozark-region.htm

It was with this story that I had a reliable source for the McNair and Sherertz Families. It highlights the life of James Claiborne McNair, the oldest brother to my great-great grandfather, Mack Manilus McNair.  Through the documentation of James Claiborne’s life story, my life story was revealed as well. Though I know there are some inaccuracies, this is a valuable link to my story.

 “JAMES CLAIBORN McNAIR. The subject of this sketch is an intelligent and enterprising gentleman, who from boyhood has been interested in agricultural pursuits. He is a thorough master of his business, has spent many years of his life in developing the country, and is now in comfortable circumstances. He was born in Knox County, Tennessee, August 24, 1822, a son of Col. Jack and Mary Ann (Sherertz) McNair, who were born in Sullivan County, Tennessee, in July, 1784 and February 5, 1803, respectively, and were married in Knox County, July 12, 1821. They removed to the Cherokee Nation, now Bradley County, Tennessee, and in 1851 to Union County, Illinois (I question this location), where the father died in October, 1852. His widow and children then removed to Pleasant Hill, Missouri, and in this State the mother still resides at the advanced age of ninety-one years, her home being with her son James. The father was a well-to-do farmer, liberal and generous in the use of his means, and was proverbially kind-hearted and liberal in his views. He was captain of a company during the War of 1812 and some of the Indian wars, afterward he was colonel of militia, and during the war with the Creek Indians acted in the perilous capacity of a spy. His father, James McNair, was one of the pioneers of east Tennessee, in which State he died; he was a soldier of the Revolution and was for many years a Mason. His father was an Englishman, and his mother was of Welsh extraction. James McNair became quite a noted Indian fighter and hunter; his wife was also an excellent shot with the rifle. On one occasion, during the absence of her husband, she heard the dogs barking at some little distance from the house and started out to learn the trouble, and soon discovered that they had treed a large bear. She returned to the house for her gun, and very soon the bear fell a victim to her marksmanship. She skinned the animal without assistance and made meat of bruin. Mr. McNair returned home one night, after quite a protracted absence, to find that his horses had been stolen by Indians. Early the next morning he started in pursuit, and after following their trail for three days, he came upon them in camp, the horses grazing some little distance away. He succeeded in catching his bell-mare, muffled the bell and led her a short distance away, then returned for vengeance. He managed to get his rifle in range of two Indians, fired, and brought them both to the ground, and the rest fled, after which he captured the rest of his horses and returned home with them.

The maternal grandfather, Coonrod Sherertz, was a German and was one of the early settlers of east Tennessee, where he followed the occupation of farming. He died in Knox County when James was a lad, leaving a large family. The children born to Col. Jack and Mary Ann McNair are as follows: Myra, wife of Alfred Davis, of Bradley County, Tennessee; James Claiborne; Martha M., who died in Searcy County, the wife of William Manes; John W., of Fulton County, was a Mexican soldier and a soldier of the Civil War; Price, who died in boyhood in Tennessee; Hepzebah is the wife of James Carter, of Missouri; Delilah is the widow of George Elam, and resides in Kansas; David H. was a Confederate soldier, and was killed during the war; Harriet died in Boone County, the wife of John Manes; Nicholas N. was a member of an Arkansas regiment of the C. S. A., and was killed in battle at Chickamauga; Lee Bruce served in the Confederate Army four years, and was in many engagements; Josiah, who died in Missouri soon after the war, was first in the Confederate Army, but was captured by the Federals and after-ward joined the Northern forces; Irena, who makes her home with her mother, has been blind for nearly a quarter of a century; and McMinnless resides in Searcy County, Arkansas.

James C. McNair spent his early days in tilling the soil, and received but little schooling. In November, 1847, he joined Company C, Fifth Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, and started for Mexico, going down the Tennessee River on a flat-boat. At Mussel Shoals the boats collided, and the men seeing their danger, jumped into the river for safety, the result being that one man was killed and one man drowned, and nothing more was ever seen of the boats. The men made their way on foot to below Florence, where they took passage on board a boat bound for Vera Cruz, which place they eventually reached. Mr. McNair was in but one engagement, and that was with guerrillas. At the end of about nine months he was discharged at Memphis, Tennessee, after which he returned home.

September 14, 1848, was married to Harriet, daughter of George and Malinda Manes, natives of Tennessee, from which State they came to Searcy County, Arkansas, in 1851, the father dying here about one year later, and the mother in 1864. They were Methodists in their religious views, and the father was a well-to-do tiller of the soil. Mrs. McNair was born in Rhea County, Tennessee, August 24, 1832, and has borne her husband fourteen children: Martha Delilah, wife of B. F. Henley; Polly Ann, wife of Napoleon Rainbolt; Price Marion McDonald died during the war at about the age of thirteen years; Thela is the wife of L. Q. Thomp-son, of California; William Asbury; Jack, who died in Missouri; Harriet Susan, wife of Clinton Pruitt; Sarah Hepzebah, deceased; James C. W., also dead; Ida Jane is the wife of Dr. William Rogers, of Texas; John F.; David Bruce; Clementine, who died in infancy; and one that died unnamed.

March 26, 1866, Mr. McNair came by wagon to Searcy County, Arkansas, the journey thither occupying two months. He located on the farm on which he now resides, at which time a few improvements had been made, and here he has made his home ever since, with the exception of two years during the war, which was spent in Greene County, Missouri. Mr. McNair is one of the leading farmers of Searcy County, and his estate embraces 240 acres of valuable farming land. He also feeds considerable stock each year, and throughout his section he is regarded as authority on agriculture. He was first a Whig in politics, later became a Republican, and has voted for every Republican candidate for president since the time of Henry Clay in 1844. He was a Union man during the war, but took no part in the struggle. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Church. Mr. and Mrs. McNair have fifty grand-children, all living except five; and eleven great-grandchildren living. Mr. McNair’s mother, Mary Ann McNair, died in May, 1894, being ninety-one years, three months and four days old.

Mr. McNair has been active in church work since he was twenty-six years old, and has held some office in his church for a good many years. He has been a school director, justice of the peace, and overseer of roads. When the war broke out, he was ordered to the county seat to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederate States. Instead of obeying the command he resigned his local offices and took refuge in the mountains. In 1864 he went to Missouri, and May 1, 1866, returned home, where he has since lived, and has earned the respect and admiration of all who know him.”

Eula Frances McNair Obituary

 Explains when the family arrived in the area.

Abilene Reporter News 14-A Wed Feb 17, 1954