Thomas Jefferson Shelton Jr.

My Great Great Grandfather

     Thomas was confusing for me until I began exchanging email with Meridith Gibson (d. 5 March 2002). Meridith was able to provide me an interesting history for Thomas Jr. She sent me bible records that began upon his marriage to Caroline Goodloe Gruelle, pictures, letters to Jesse Sigler and another still unknown individual (I had previously thought that it was a Laffeyette Sigler, but I was unable to locate this person anywhere).

Thomas was born on June 13th, 1849 in Boxville Kentucky. I found him enumerated in the 1850 census in Missouri with his father and mother. Thomas Sr. was enumerated as a school teacher.

The next time we find Thomas, he enlisted in the Union Army on March 9th, 1865 in Eagle Illinois. Thomas was sixteen at the time, although he lied about his age to join. He was assigned to Company L, 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry. He was mustered out on November 5th, 1865 in Selma Alabama. During this time frame, the 6th Regiment was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 5th Division Cavalry Corps, Military Division Mississippi to July, 1865, and then to the Department of Alabama to November of 1965.

Exactly when Thomas Jr. returns to Kentucky is unknown. It is also unknown if his mother Christina was still alive when he returned. I do know that he married Elizabeth Ellen Melton in May of 1867. Francis Jett Sigler was appointed his guardian during this time. Francis was Thomas Jr.'s aunt Lucy V. Shelton's husband.

Now we can really personalize Thomas Jr. These letters were written from 1866-1868, detailing his departure from Union County Kentucky.  Apparently, after the Civil War, Thomas returned home, met, married, and left Elizabeth Ellen Melton.  Whatever else he did there remains unknown, but he apparently did not make any new friends (my theory is that after returning from the war he was not welcome due to his affiliations in the war). The disaccord that followed drove Thomas Jr. to Rolla, Missouri, where he says he discovered a cousin and a brother-in-law.  From there he says he would be attending school in Illinois (my interpretation of the letter left me with Rosemond Co (city or county I do not know).  After some schooling he says he was going across the plains to head out west, stating that a brother-in-law knew the way.  A later abstract from a letter states that he is on the move, injured, and very dissatisfied with his decisions and heading to Mexico to look for gold (he even left a mailing address for the Embassy in Mexico).

     Apparently none of this worked out, since he returned to somewhere near Arcola, Illinois and met Caroline and married on 02 June 1872. 

• Luella Shelton, born 04 May 1873 in Arcola Illinois. Luella died at the age of 14 months when she fell off the steamer Bolivar H. Cooke near Golconda, Illinois, on the Ohio River and drowned.
• Next was Edna Fowler Shelton, born 21 July 1874. Edna later married Frank Douglas Martin on 14 February 1894. She died in Little Rock in 1949.
• Thomas Jefferson Shelton III was born 17 March 1876 in Arcola and died in February of 1877 from fever.
• Christina Shelton was born 23 October 1877 in Milton Illinois and died in January of 1884 from Diptheria.
• Blackwell Clark was born 10 July 1879 in Milton and died 14 November 1883 in Wichita Kansas also from Diptheria.
• My Great Grandfather Lynn Shelton was born on 6 June 1882 in Wichita Kansas. Lynn married Mary Ruth Hicks on 26 December 1904. On the 1920 Census Lynn was listed as a City Clerk in Little Rock. My father tells me that in the early 1920’s Lynn and Mary Ruth Divorced and Mary Ruth brought all the children down to Florida, originally living at Amelia Island. Lynn died 21 July 1945 in Little Rock. Mary Ruth died in February of 1964 in Pinellas County Florida.
• Jay Shelton was born 1 February 1884, later married a Elanor Marion Thomas and died 14 July 1959.
• Mary Brack Shelton was born 18 August 1886 in Little Rock, later married Jesse Hunter Parker. She died 28 November 1971 in Colorado.
• Neal Shelton was born 22 October 1888 and died 5 October 1893 of Diptheria.

They lived life on the move for a few years. They lived for awhile in various parts of Illinois, Wichita Kansas, and eventually Little Rock Arkansas.

     In Little Rock, Thomas Jr. worked for awhile as a Motorman and lived on Chester at various addresses. Around 1895 he apparently had a calling to something better in life and became a Reverend. It was in this capacity that he met the church secretary Blanche Rutherford. Apparently they hit it off real well, because he divorced Caroline in 1900 and left with Blanche to Denver.

With Blanche Thomas Jr. fathered two children, Blanche and Beverly Shelton.

From the best of my knowledge (only verbal history), Thomas Jr. was with the Christian Science Church during this time frame.  He applied for some Land Patents near Aspen Colorado around 1904. Not much is known of his life after this beyond the fact that he in the 1920 Census he listed himself as a Magazine Publisher. His Obituary listing in the Denver Post in 1929 also showed him as a Publisher. Thomas Jr. died in 1929, and was apparently cremated and the services were at Riverside Cemetery in Denver.

Rosemond, Ill’s
Aug 4th 1867

Mr Jesse Sigler Esq


Dear Friend I take the present opportunity of writing you a few lines to inform you that I am tolerable well and hope this may find yourself and family enjoying the same blessing. I arrived here on the 28th July and found all well here. I found one of my Brother’s in-law here. Him and I are going to start across the plains in the Spring. I am going to Missouri in three or four weeks. I am going to Rollo, Missouri and go to School this winter. I have an Uncle Living there and it won’t cost me anything to go to School for six or eight months and then I will start across the plains. My brother-in-law has been across the Plains once and knows exactly how to go. You can tell any person that inquires after me that they need never expect to see me in Kentucky again. I never expect to return to Kentucky in my life time if I do it will be many a year from today.

I Like the people very well but I am satisfied they never will respect me anymore only a few expcepted. I have some friends left on ?????. I believe at least there is some that I always considered friends whether they were or not. I can’t say I want you to write me all the news you can hear and let me know what the news carriers have to say about me give my respects to all of the connections Emiliu & Jolina especially tell them to write to me if they please give all my friends my best wishes an tell my enemies to kiss my foot.
I will close my short letter and write more
give my love to yourself and Wife and family.

Your Kinsmen,
T. J. Shelton

Address Rosemond Christian Co. Ill’s

Rosemond Ill
Sep 14th 1867

Dear Friend

I seat myself this pleasant Monday to write you a few lines after so long silence. I ought to have wrote before now but I rely ??? do forgive me for my carelessness. I am in tolerable good health at present and I hope these few lines will find you and yours enjoying the best of health and happiness.

I am attending a very fine Schol here and trying to Educate myself. I am going to the “college” frome here next Spring. I have plenty of kind and warm Friends and connections here and one thing I am blessed with is that they won’t tell tales an carry news about one another and I consider that a great blessing.

I would like to see you and your children very much. I would like to see all my friends and connections and be with them again but it will be a long time before I can see you. I never expect to put my foot on Kentucky soil until I have my pockets fill of money and a good education. But tell my enemies that Tom Shelton never seen the day nor never will that he was afraid to come back to that county. I have heard that my life has been threatend and I had been afraid (?) but it was only by some cowardly vagabond that was afraid to speak to my face and I hope that I may see them some day and have a settlement with them.
Tell old ????? that all the way I fear him is that he might steal something from me. Well Anley (?) I want you to prove yourself a friend to me write to me and let me know everything that has passed since I left. I heard that Ellen caught a beau the next Sunday after I left and that she discarded my name at Sunday School. I can’t claim her any longer tell her to park (?) With foolsome other poor devil well. I will close this letter and write more the next. Don’t let any person see this letter except yourself write soon give me all the news.


Your Friend T. J. Shelton
(no date or location)

A few weeks ago and I will try to reply this leaves me in tolerable good health and I hope may find you enjoying the same blessing.
Well Lafeyette you must excuse this bad writing as this is bert bad paper and bad pen. Although it is the best I have at present and my thumbnail has been mashed for two months so I can hardly hold the pen. But I will try to face (?) This letter nice if I can’t write it well.
My three month School will be out in twenty days and then I am going to Mexico. I am entirely out of heart about ever coming back know. When I get to Mexico I will be many thousands miles away from you but Lafeyette I want you to remember that Tom Shelton is your friend.
I expect this will be the last time you will ever hear from me and I never expect to see your face again but remember me. If you can tell Ellen that the best thing she can do is to marry some good man that will love her and stay with her for I never can.
There is ??????????? Of us going to ride to Mexico they have discovered in Mexico gold mine.
???????????????????????? can get two dollars woth in gold ???????????????????????????

Rolla, MO.
March 6th 1868


Dear Lafeyette,


This is your friend Tom Jefferson Shelton of quarrel (?) We are well and mounted on Mustang ponies and armed with revolvers, Bowie Knives and short rifles. We aim to cross the plains until we come to the Rio Grand River and cross over into Mexico.

So long well this is the last letter that I ever expect to send to Ky
??? address and believe that I remain

Your true friend
And kinsmen
Tom Shelton

Mr. L. Sigler
when you receive this I will be mane miles from here on my way to this ???????????
When this you will remember me

My address will be
Matamoros ????? Mexico
In care of the United States Consulate

(Note from Meridith: Portions of this letter were to crumbled to print)
Notes:
Apparently his cousins kept the letters and offered them in court for Ellen's benefit when suing for divorce.
T.J. got his uncle Francis Jett Sigler to be appointed his guardian as he was only 18 and wanted to marry (Ellen). After three months of marriage he picked up and left.
Upon studying the letters, there are still a few questions in my mind (besides the awful handwriting).

• Who was the Brother-in-law that he met at Rosemond? On the surface this doesn't seem to difficult, but my guess is Nancy Jane's husband who had the last name of Ramsey. At the time, that was the only Brother-in-Law that he had. I highly doubt that any of Elizabeth Ellen Melton's brothers would have anything to do with him.
• Who is the Uncle in Rolla Missouri? The most logical would be his Uncle William Lynn Shelton. William and his wife Elizabeth Herrin had moved to Missouri, but I do not know when. Another possibilty is William Riggs who married Mary Jane Shelton. It could possibly be George Randolph, he married Elizabeth Shelton. Or even Isaac Holeman, Gideon James Holeman or even James Arthur Holeman, his mothers brothers. My guess is William Lynn Shelton.

Thomas Jefferson Shelton Jr. and his second wife (my Great Great Grandmother) Caroline Goodloe Gruelle. (an interesting side note is that one of Caroline's nephews is Johnny Gruelle, author of the Raggedy Ann stories)

This photo is of T.J. Jr.'s family. Three generations. This was taken in Little Rock Arkansas, Nov 1906.
Top row, left to right:
Frank D. Martin, Mary Ruth Hicks, Jay Shelton, Lynn Shelton, Jesse H. Parker.
2nd Row, Women, left to right:
Edna F. Shelton, Caroline Goodloe Gruelle, Mary B. Shelton Parker
Children Left to right:
Maurine Martin, Marcile Meridith Martin, Carolyn Shelton, Lora Parker

At about the same time, T.J. Jr is in Denver with Blanche Rutherford.

Created and researched by Todd Shelton
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