Step-grandson Samuel Low Tucker's 67 acre land complaint, Page 4

Step-grandson Samuel Low Tucker's 67 acre land complaint, Page 5

Research has revealed that only Ferdinand Blackburn Tucker and John Hardeman Tucker were the children of Patsy. The others were her step children.

By 1807 both branches of the Tuckers and the Dowdys were selling their land on Deep River in preparation for their move west to Williamson County, Tennessee. In a three year period, by 1810, both the Tucker and Dowdy families were living on Flat Creek. Prior to leaving North Carolina, land in Tennessee would need to be located for the exodus that was to follow. William Tucker may have come first to seek appropriate land. Perhaps it was springtime when William Tucker (born 1787, died 1861) walked from Chatham County, North Carolina, through the mountains to the new land in Tennessee. First he came to what is now Cheatham County, thence to Williamson County. He was then about 23 years of age. Apparently the land appealed to him as he acquitted several hundred acres on Flat Creek about ½ mile from Choctaw, where he had once “lived with the Indians.” Here William Tucker lived out the remainder of his life, and he lies in the old Tucker graveyard. John Tucker, father of William Tucker, may also be buried in the family graveyard at Flat Creek since he was a very early resident of Flat Creek. However, in 1839, John was living in Hickman County, where he filed a petition to be compensated for his Revolutionary War service. His place of burial is, therefore, uncertain. There is no record of Margaret, sister of William, in Williamson County, but his brother may have been a part of the move from North Carolina to the new land in Williamson County. Soon, families from North Carolina and Virginia were arriving to settle in the new land of opportunity. By the time William’s land as “registered” he had married Rachel Dowdy, born ???, died 1833. They were the parents of seven children. (1) Julia Tucker, born June 25, 1816, married Shedrick Weaver. (2) Rebecca Tucker, born March 9, 1818, married James Duncan. (3) Allen C. Tucker, born 1819, married first Elizabeth Jane Bugg and second, Zilphra Boyet. (4) Matilda Tucker, born June 24, 1822, married William Tanner. (5) Emmaline Tucker, married Leander Reed. (6) Tennessee Tucker, married William V. Andrews. (7) George Robert Tucker, born February 4, 1830, died 1895, married first Emmaline Lanier and second, Martha Giles. Rachel left seven young children to be reared by their father. It was a sad day when Rachel was buried in the old family graveyard. As was the usual custom, soon after the death of his first wife, on November 11, 1833, William Tucker married Mrs. Patsy W. Lanier Bugg (born September 26, 1793, died after 1861). She was the daughter of Nicholas Lanier and Patsy Malone, and widow of Ephraim M. Bugg. She brought five children into her new marriage. The marriage of William Tucker to Patsy Lanier Bugg lasted almost thirty years. They had two children: (1) Ferdinand Blackburn Tucker, born October 7, 1834, died September 1, 1907, married Rebecca low, probably daughter of Gabriel Low. (2) John Hardeman Tucker, born 1837, died 1864, killed at the Battle of Stone’s River, Murfreesboro, Ternnessee during the Civil War. For many years the Tuckers were prominent in the Flat Creek community, joining their neighbors in social and church affairs. There were now fourteen children in the Tucker home. On April 18, 1838, Allen C. Tucker married his step-sister Elizabeth Jane Bugg. They continued to live on Flat Creek near their families and in Marshall County. They were the parents of six children:
(1) Newton Guilford Tucker, born March 28, 1839, died January 8, 1899, married Mary Ellen (Mollie) Cochran. (2) George Williamson Tucker, born ???, died after 1923, married Annis Murray. (3) Tennessee Tucker, married Rufe Fisher.(4) Margaret E. Tucker, born ???, died August 8, 1883, married Dr. Mark W. Allison. (5) Oliver Tucker, died at 16 years of age.(6) Amanda Tucker, married James McCurdy. Allen C. Tucker was a farmer and businessman who frequently appears in records serving as administrator of estates, guardian, etc. He lived in Marshall County for a period but moved back to the old farm in Williamson when his son was 16 years of age. In 1847, while living in Marshall County, Allen Tucker received a letter from B. N. Bugg, his brother-in-law, and his wife Annis Tucker Bugg. It is a most interesting document and was invaluable for its content referring to family and family affairs. The original was found by Sam L. Tucker about 1940 in an old wallet belonging to his father, Ferdinand Tucker, son of William Tucker.

Allen and Elizabeth Jane Tucker lived on Flat Creek until death took Elizabeth Jane about 1854. She was laid to rest in the old family graveyard. She was probably buried during the cold, snowey winter as the cause of death was “cold plaque,” our present influenza. She was only thirty-seven years of age and left six children to be cared for by their father. From the records, Allen Tucker appears to have married Zilpha Boyett in Marshall County in 1854. They were married only a short time when Allen died in 1856, predeceasing his father. Again there was a sad, silent procession to the cemetery and the children went home to live with their grandparents. The Tucker home was full again with Allen’s children and William’s sons, Ferdinand, John Hardeman and George Robert. Looming in the distance was war and the Tuckers were modest slave owners. They had many concerns.

Young Newton Guilford Tucker, son of Allen C. Tucker and Elizabeth Jane Bugg, stretched on the floor in front of the fire. He was sixteen and thirsty for an education. Grandpa William believed in work; and while he worked on the farm, Newton collected pine knots to throw on the fire for light. Grandpa felt he had enough education and did not permit “wasting” a lamp for the sake of education! Newton had much studying and reading ahead. in spite of his youthfulness, he was considered educated at age sixteen and was teaching in the public schools of the county. Subsequently he studied medicine as was the custom, under the direction of Drs. Johnson and McClure in Lewisburg, Tennessee in 1859. He graduated from the University of Nashville Medical School on March 1, 1861. He was married to Mary Ellen Cochran on July 18, 1861 in Marshall County. He was recommended as a surgeon in the Confederate Army.

In addition to Newton, his two uncles, George Robert Tucker and John Hardeman Tucker joined the Confederate Army. Newton was ordered by Governor Harris of Tennessee to proceed to Marshall County, where he was to care for the medical needs of the county. George Robert was discharged in 1862 or 1863 as being “unfit” for service because of a stiff leg from White swelling and chronic bronchitis. John Hardeman Tucker was a confederate soldier until his death in 1864 at the Battle of Stone’s River in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. When the family learned of his death, a wagon was promptly sent to Murfreesboro to bring him home. William Tucker was spared the agony experienced by many southern gentlefolk. He died at the beginning of the war, and it was left to the two remaining sons, George and Ferdinand, to manage the farm and care for their mother.