By Staff
The Travis and Stallworth families have an interesting history in our area.
Mark Butler Travis (2 Feb. 1783-4 Sept. 1836) was born in Edgefield County, S.C. and he married on 1 Jan. 1808 to Jemima Stallworth (6 Sept. 1783-abt 1855). They moved to Conecuh/Escambia County and both died and are buried here. Jemima Stallworth was the daughter of William Stallworth and Jemima Tripp.
Their children were: William Barett Travis (9 Aug. 1809), Nicholas Stallworth Travis (10 Sept. 1810), Sarah Ann Jemima Travis (12 Sept. 1812), Emily Katherine Travis (26 Mar. 1814), Andrew Jackson Travis (1 Mar. 1816), Margaret A. Travis (7 Jan. 1818), Nancy Ann Adeline Travis (9 Feb. 1820), Prior Smallwood Travis (11 Feb. 1822), Alexander Randelson Travis (31 July 1824), Mark Butler Travis Jr. (18 May 1827), and James Calloway Travis (5 Aug. 1829-25 May 1918).
There is additional information about Mark Butler Travis Jr.
There is a book, “Three Roads to the Alamo” by William C. Davis, which says “Mark Travis and his family lived with Alexander Travis (brother) for a time until May 19, 1819, when the Sparta Land Office opened for business, and Mark stepped forward to purchase it's very first certificate. For $1.25 an acre, he bought title to eighty-two and a half acres near his brother, and there built his house about five miles from the future county seat, Evergreen.”
James Calloway Travis remembered, “Mark Butler Travis was a volunteer in the Mexican War. He belonged to the South Carolina Palmetto Regiment under Col. Pierce M. Butler, was shot on the battlefield at Churubusco, Mexico. He was picked up for dead and was shot in the head and survived until Confederate War. He married Lou Brantley at Monroe County, a very excellent woman and borne to them three children, a boy and two girls.” According to a note from his neice, they were evidently of the Green Brantley line-see Mr. J. Vernon Brantley's book on that family.
Barbara King, who lives in Evergreen, provided the information that Mark B. Travis Jr. was a second lieutenant, honorably discharged April 1, 1861; died at Sparta during the war (influenza?) He fought at Bull Run, Va. With the Conecuh Guards, the first company that left the county. He served as clerk of the circuit court for four consecutive terms.
B.F. Riley has this to say about Mark Butler Travis Jr. in his book “History of Conecuh County.” When Mark was only 17, he left home to attend medical lectures in a distant state as he had a remarkable aptness in the course of medicine under the supervision of Dr. John Watkins.
But while en route to college, he met the famous Palmetto Regiment of South Carolina on their way to join General Scott in Mexico. He enlisted with them and went to Mexico. During this he received a head wound and wasn't with them when they entered the Mexican capital. But he recovered and served throughout the remainder of the struggle.” He apparently died in 1863 of disease during the Civil War. Burial place is unknown.
James Calloway Travis (5 Aug. 1829-25 May 1918) was on the list of Confederate soldiers residing in Alabama in 1907.
He gave his name and present address as Evergreen. He was born Aug. 5th, 1829. He entered the service as a private on Oct. 1, 1861 at Drusfrurs (blurred), Va. In the 4th Alabama Infantry Co. E and continued until last Oct 1861 and was discharged on account of being a cripple, his right hip being three inches shorter than his left hip, he went as a recruit (it appears that he enlisted, been accepted and then discharged soon afterward when it was known about his being crippled).
Other information says that was a second Lieutenant in Home Guard at Sulligent, Ala., under Captain Nathan Wright from April 1, 1861 to Oct. 1, 1861 and was conscripted in surrender 1862, held at Camp Watts 60 days, examined and discharged as not able to serve.
Next week I will get to Alexander D. Travis, his family and more on those other Travis families that lived nearby.