NATHAN WRIGHT
1843-1887
NATHAN WRIGHT was born in 1843 in Taney County , Missouri . The site of his birthplace would later become part of Douglas County in 1864 when Douglas was formed from a part of Taney County.
Nathan's father, John Daniel Wright died when Nathan was three years old. His mother, Sarah Rebecca Pierce Wright then married Lazarus Wright, the brother of her late husband, who lived nearby on a farm in Douglas County, Missouri.
He lived with his mother and step-father/uncle until he was age 21, when he and his uncle/step-father, Lazarus went to the town of Ava, Douglas County, Missouri on November 1, 1863 and joined with Captain James H. Sallee in forming Company B, of the 16th Missouri Cavalry Volunteers, U.S. Army. They served until the end of the Civil War and were discharged as a privates at the conclusion of the war, in Springfield , Missouri on July 1, 1865.
Nathan’s enlistment documents describe him as being a farmer, 5’ 6”, and blue eyes with a fair complexion. Lazarus was described as a farmer, 5’10”, blue eyes, fair hair and complexion. Lazarus was age 35 upon enlistment, and indicated he was born in Indiana . Both he and Nathan were mustered into the army in Springfield , Missouri.
Upon enlisting, both of them brought a horse which were appraised by the Army for $95.00. However, the Army did not pay them for his horses until February 28, 1865 , which was very near the close of the war and the end of their enlistments.
He was married three times. His first wife's name was Rhoda Barnes who he married on Sept 4, 1866 in Douglas Co., MO soon after returning from the war.
It is believed she probably died in Kansas in 1870, because I find her in the 1870 Kansas census (I don't know why Nathan & Rhoda relocated from Missouri to Kansas, but they didn't stay there very long), and Nathan married his second wife in 1875 in Missouri. This is still an unproven element of our history, was she prehaps just left when Nathan came back to Missouri?. She was the daughter of John and Susan Barnes.
Nathan and Rhoda's chidren were:
After the death(?) of Nathan's first wife Rhoda, he married Elmina Caroline Stanley in about 1875 in Taney Co., MO. She was b. in North Carolina on Mar 12, 1853 and was the daughter of Enos and Mary Matilda Stanley of Bradleyville, MO. "Caroline" died on Oct 2, 1876 (leaving a six month old baby) in Bradleyville, Taney Co., MO and is buried in Patterson Cemetery, Bradleyville, MO.
Nathan and Caroline's only child was:
After the death of Nathan's second wife Caroline, he married Mary Elizabeth Moseley on Dec 1, 1879. She was the daughter of Easton and Margaret (Scribner) Moseley on Bradleyville, MO. Mary was born in 1858 in Swan Township, Taney Co., MO. She died Nov 2, 1877 (ten days after Nathan) and is believed to be buried alongside Nathan in an unmarked grave in Patterson Cemetery, Bradleyville.
Nathan and Mary's children were:
Nathan died on Oct 23, 1887 at the age of 44, in his home on Beaver Creek, Bradleyville, Taney Co., Missouri, of pneumonia and is buried in Patterson Cemetery , Bradleyville , MO. His wife, Mary Elizabeth, died ten days later on Nov 2, 1887 and is probably buried alongside her husband in an unmarked grave. There is a depression in the ground, but it has been unproven if this is her grave.
Nathan died without a will, and his administration was found in the Taney County, Missouri clerks office. (click here to see the documents)
Upon Nathan & Mary's death, the children of this marriage; Charles and James, were taken into the home of Easton Moseley and his wife Susan Ott. Easton was the father of Mary Elizabeth Wright, and they also lived on Beaver Creek, Bradleyville, MO.
They remained in this home for about a year, but Easton and Susan divorced in December 1888, and it was necessary for their Uncle Elijah "Roland" Moseley (the older brother of Mary Elizabeth) to come by train from Gainesville, Texas to take the boys back home with him to Rosston, (near Gainesville ) Wise Co., Texas. Where he raised them until they were adults.
The following article appeared in the Taney County News on October 4, 1888.
Quite a lively battle was witnessed near the Forsyth Square Wednesday evening in which Easton Moseley & William Morgan was the belligerents. A perfect shower of stones were thrown by both parties but neither was seriously hurt. A woman was said to have been at the bottom of the fracas.
There was a follow-up article in the same newspaper on October 11, 1888.
Easton Moseley got a divorce from Susan Orr, and the late Mrs. Moseley became Mrs. Wm. Morgan forthwith.
It is this writer's assumption, that after the divorce Easton from Susan, he was alone and didn't feel like continuing to raise the two little boys, Charles & James, so he contacted his son, Elijah Roland Moseley in Texas and asked that he assume their care.
After the boys were taken to Texas, there was a law passed, making the orphans, widows and disabled Union veterans eligible for a pension, making Charles and James eligible. (click here see this document for what transpired with this application).