Wiley Tibias Jones

 Wiley Tibias Jones, a son of Russell and Celia West Jones, was born about 1787 in South Carolina. He married Sarah Morgan, a daughter of George and Nancy Morgan, in 1815 in Clark County, Alabama. Sarah was born in 1794, possibly in Moore County, North Carolina. Wiley and Sarah’s children, George M. Jones, Andrew Jackson Jones, James Russell Jones, and Martha Jones were born in Alabama before they left for Coahuila y Texas, Mexico. About 1833, the Wiley and Sarah Jones family settled at Deweese Crossing on the Colorado River. There on 21 July 1833, their last child, Elbert Jones, was born. Sarah Jones’ father received a Mexican land grant in the Robertson Colony along the Brazos River on 9 September 1835. If Wiley applied for a land grant, he did not receive it before his death in 1836. The exact date and cause of Wiley’s death is not known.

Following the Battle of the Alamo, the Jones family was in the direct path of not only Sam Houston’s retreating army but also the advancing Mexican troops under Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. The Jones, Morgan, and hundreds of families had to flee eastward in what is known as “The Runaway Scrape”. They returned to what remained of their homesteads after the 21 April 1836 Battle of San Jacinto. Being a widow with young children and no remaining provisions, Sarah made her home near her parents and her married siblings and their families. On Sunday night, 1 January 1839, Indians attacked the home of George and Nancy Morgan where two of Sarah’s sons, Andrew Jackson Jones and Elbert Jones were spending the night with their grandparents, along with several members of the Martin family. George and Nancy Morgan their grandson Andrew Jackson Jones and several others were tomahawked scalped and killed. Stacy Ann Morgan was severely injured and left for dear  but survived. Isaac and Mary Marlin and Elbert Jones were playing in the yard, undetected by the Indians. Hearing the war whoops, they hid in the brush and were not harmed. Sarah Jones’ son George M. Jones died on 20 February 1839, cause unknown. By 1840,Sarah had lost her husband, her parents, two sons, and a sister-in-law.

The heirs of Wiley Jones, on 31 July 1845, patented a 1st class land grant for a league (4428.4 acres) and a labor (177.1 acres) filed in the land records of Milan County, Texas where it was destroyed in the Milam County Court House fire in the early 1870s. On 25 September 1850, Sarah Jones was living in Burleson County, Texas with her 16 year old son Elbert Jones. Her 30 year old son James Russell Jones with his wife Margaret were living in the next homestead. Sarah had filed a claim to her husband’ hear right land and filed for her dead sons Andrew Jackson Jones and George M. Jones’ land grants. She also, belated, filed a claim that her family furnished Sam Houston’s army 50 head of beef cattle, 150 pork hogs, 1500 pounds of bacon, 25 bushels of peas, 100 bushels of corn, one impressed rifle, and for all that was destroyed by the Mexican Army. On 21 July 1860, Sarah was living with her son Elbert Jones and his family in Coryell Co., Texas. She  was living Coryell Co., Texas when she sold land in Bell Co., Texas in 1867. Mrs. Sarah Morgan Jones died before the 1870 Census, probably in Coryell Co., Texas. Wiley and Sarah Morgan Jones’ known children are; Andrew Jackson Jones, George M. Jones, James Russell Jones, Martha Jones, and Elbert Jones.

Andrew Jackson Jones was born about 1787 in South Carolina, came to Texas with his parents, and was murdered by the Indians on 1 January 1839, in Falls County, Texas.

George M. Jones was born about 1818 in Alabama, came to Texas with his parents, and died on 20 February 1839, in Falls Co., Texas.

James Russell Jones was born about 1820 in Alabama, a son of Wiley and Sarah Morgan Jones. He came to Texas with his parents. He applied for a land grant as a single male who had arrived before Texas Declaration of Independence. In 1837 he received a 3rd class Headright Grant for 320 acres in Washington County, Republic of Texas. Burleson County, Texas was organized in 1846 from Milam and Washington Counties. James married Margaret Wilman 8 December 1849, in Burleson Co., Texas. On 25 September 1850, James with Margaret and their seven month old daughter Sarah were in Burleson County next to his mother Sarah Jones and his uncle Russell Jones and family were on the other side of his dwelling. On 30 July 1860, James, Margaret, and children were living in Bell County, Texas. James R. Jones is on the Bell County Confederate Service Muster Rolls as a Private in Captain Milton Damron’s Company, 18th Texas Calvary Brigade in August 1861. In 1862 the unit was  reorganized into the 27th Texas Cavalry, Whitfield’s Legion, CSA and served until the end of the war. On 18 June 1880, James R. Jones and six of their children were living in Hamilton County, Texas. James R. and Margaret W. Jones are thought to have died about 1884. Their known children are; Sarah Ann Jones, Celia Ann Jones, James Elbert Jones, Allen Wise Jones, Wise Solomon Jones, Narcissa Jones, Andrew Jackson Jones, Margaret Ann Jones, James Wiley Jones. Emma D. Jones, George M. Jones, and Penny Jones.

Martha Jones, the daughter of Wiley and Sarah Morgan Jones, was born about 1832 in Alabama. She was brought to Texas by her parents about 1833. Martha married Benjamin Franklin Swoap about 1846, probably in Milam County, Republic of Texas. B. F. Swoap fought at San Jacinto on 21 April 1836. He received at least three land grants In the 1850 Census of Burleson County, Texas, in dwelling # 114 was: Franklin Swoap, age 32, born in Tennessee, his wife Marthey, age 18, born in Alabama; and their children William Swoap, age 3 and Wiley Swoap, age 1, both born in Texas. Martha Jones Swope is thought to have died about 1853, probably in child birth. On 14 February 1856, Benjamin married Mrs. Viney Troublefield in Burleson County In the 14 August 1860 Census of Burleson County, Texas in dwelling # 442 was: B.F. Swoap age 45, born in Tennessee; V. Swoap age 43, a female born in Tennessee; William Swoap, age 12, born in Texas; Wiley Swoap age 10, born in Texas;  Polly Swoap age 3, born in Texas; James Swoap age 1, born in Texas; and R. Troublefield, a 13 year old male born in Texas.

Elbert Jones, the only child of Wiley and Sarah Morgan Jones born in Coahuila y Texas, Mexico, was born 21 July 1833. He escaped injury and capture in the Morgan Massac re on 1 January !839, in Falls County, Republic of Texas. On 29 December 1853, in Bell County, Texas, Elbert married Nancy Luella Williamson. Nancy, a daughter of Stephen and Sarah Williamson, was born 4 June 1837, in Arkansas and died 7 January 1873, in Coryell County with burial in the Pearl Cemetery in Coryell Co., TX. Elbert was living with his daughter Adeline Jones Finney in Baylor Co., TX when he died on 30 April 1900. Elbert and Nancy Jones’ known children are; Martha Cyrena Jones (1854-1891), James Dulton Jones (1856-1873), Melinda “Linnie” Jones (born 26 February 1858), Sophronia Jones Cabler (1860-1949), Rachel Luann Jones Nichols (1862-1941), Lavina “Vina” Jones Bailes (1865-1943), Adeline “Addie” Jones Finney (!867-1936), Susan Ellen Jones Terry (1870-1911), and  Nancy Ann Jones (1872-1873.

Last Update Wednesday, 18-Sep-2024 17:51:39 MDT