My Family Tree

William Thomas was born on the home farm, situated on the north side of Stanton River. He was about 12 years old when his parents, Barnett and Elizabeth and their children sold their last peice of Virginia land in Botetourt County, which Elizabeth had inherited from her mother, Rachel Caffery Martin. They moved to middle Tennessee, White County, and later settled in Bagdad, on Wartrace Creek in Jackson County. William and Rhoda owned land on Wartrace Creek, where their home was located and where all their children were born.The place was on a high ridge between Highland and Haydenburg, called "Hog Camp Ridge, as hogs used to eat the fallen acorns." The water was brought up to the house from a creek at the back of the place by rope pulley.

Info from Ruckard and Grandbury Richardson-sons of Riley Shaffer Richardson:

"Our father (Riley) said his father (William Thomas) told him he was 12 years old when the family left Virginia. They came through the Cumberland Gap, down the Daniel Boone Trail, then down the Walton Trail to where Cookeville is now, with oxen cattle pulling the wagons. They finally settled in "old Bagdad" on Wartrace Creek, Jackson County, Tennessee.

Jackson County Census Visitation, 9 November 1850, District #3-#991D shows the following information on William:

William Richardson, age 47, farmer, born in Virginia
Rachel Richardson, age 40, born in Virginia
Children at home:
Haywood-age 20
Green-age 19
Elizabeth-age 17
Shaver-age 14
Eliza-age 12
Luveny-age 10
Matilda-age 8
Addison-age 6
Layton-age 4

NOTE: Layton "Tate", Riley "Shaver" and Addison were close pals and did many things together. They joined the newly established 8th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry, Union Army of the North. They all grew up together and lived near each other's farms on Wartrace Creek.