The Easley Family of Eagle Rock
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Green Berry (or Greenberry) Easley was born September 30, 1805 in Kentucky, and was a son of William and Sarah Graham Easley. William's full name may have been William Franklin and he was born in South Carolina between 1770 and 1774. William Easley was listed in the 1800 census for Greenville District S.C. Sarah Graham family had come from North Carolina. Green Berry Easley lived in South Carolina but by 1804 had moved to Warren Co., Kentucky. In 1815 Allen Co., KY was formed from parts of Warren and Barren Counties and in the 1820 census the family is in Allen Co., KY. In 1830 and 1840 the family is in the census of Boone Co., MO. William and Sarah Easley and their children were the first branch of the Easley family in American to pioneer in Missouri. On page 47 of The First 150 Years In Cassville, Missouri, by Senator Emory Melton: "The earliest settlers in Barry County came either one of two routes to arrive here. Three principal roads served virtually all of the extreme southwest part of Missouri. The roads converged on what would shortly be the town of Springfield. They were the Sarcoxie road which ran west to Sarcoxie; the Bull Creek road running south into Taney County; and the Ozark Trail which ran from Springfield in a southwesterly direction through Cassville to Fort Smith, Arkansas. The first settlers here using the road characterized it as little more than an Indian trail. It remained so for a decade. One of the first duties of the newly form county in 1835 was to develop a transportation system. It is a safe assumption they either came by way of the Ozarks Trail (later to be known as the "wire road") or they came by way of the White River. Later arrivals seemed to prefer the "wire road", but a sizeable number of families came to the Mississippi River, boarded a boat down to where the Arkansas River empties into the Mississippi, up the Arkansas to White River and then up the White River to Barry County." This description of the country in the area where Green Berry Easley homesteaded came from James Tucker when interviewed in his later days. "When I came here it was a wild country, and very thinly settled. There were about ten houses on Roaring River and none on the side borders nearer than Butler Creek and Rock Creek and Washburn and Cassville, were our only trading points in the county. There was one weekly horse mail from Cassville to Carrollton, Ark and no post office between Cassville and Berryville, Ark.at the time. There was one voting place on White River at what is known as the GREEN EASLEY place. We had a little Baptist Church here held under a shed. We had plenty of game of all kinds - bear, deer, turkey and all sorts of small game. There was one little pole school house in the township just high enough to walk in and not reach too high, and every man paid for all his own scholars as we had no school money and we did not have much school." (How conditions were in the spring of 1849.) Green Berry Easley married Apr 23, 1837, Boone Co., MO Evaline Johnson. Evaline was born Feb 15, 1818 in Tennessee and died January 31, 1864 in Barry Co., MO. They were married by Nelson A. Davis. Green Berry and Evaline Easley became significant landowners in Barry Co near the White River. It is told that their home was near where Roaring River joined White River. Part of their land is now covered by the Table Rock Lake. Green Berry and Evaline were recorded in the 1840 census for Barry Co., MO. According to the probate of his estate, Green Berry Easley, when he died left 667 acres of real estate, almost $600 worth of person property and almost $1000 worth of notes due to him. Green Berry Easley was a Union sympathizer during the Civil War. This is from an account found in the History of Barry Co., MO published by the Goodspeed Publishing Co. of Chicago in 1888: On Oct 14, 1862, the Seventh Missouri Cavalry was at Cassville (Federal Troops) where several skirmishes took place. The operations about Cassville and Keetsville (Washburn) Nov 17 and 18, 1862, were reported Nov 20 to Lieut-Col C. W. March, A. A. G., Frontier Army. It appears that on the 17th a loyal woman advised him that a small Confederate force was encamped on Roaring River. Lieut Gibson and 10 men were sent out, going as far as EASLEY's Ford on White River. Lieut. Gibson and his men ran four men out of Easley's house, killing one and capturing one, and at their camp close by, two tents, three saddles, three horses and two mules were captured. William McMurty, the captured man, belonged to Dixon's Company of "Provos," whose business it was to confiscate the property of Union men. It appears they were there robbing Green Berry Easley when the Federal troops arrived. During the summer of 1863, Green Berry Easley was visited by "bushwhackers". During the Civil War these bushwhackers roamed the countryside robbing and killing. Most of the young men were at war and the bushwhackers found the old people, widows and children easy prey. These bushwhackers had heard rumors of Green Berry's gold, so they rode up to his home one day to try to force the information of where the gold was hidden from him. There are several versions of this incident. In the newspaper Eureka Springs Times-Echo there appeared at the time of the death of Robert Easley, Green Berry's youngest son, an article in which the reporter told Robert's version of this incident. "When the Civil War broke out the family lived on a homestead near White River, which was a borderland between the North and the South. The country was infested with a band of terrorists called Bushwhackers who pillaged and confiscated for their own use, everything belonging to the settlers, which could be used. "Uncle Bob" was eight years old at this time. His father was robbed by the invaders and in trying to escape with his life his side was pierced by a rail, causing his death. Cassville Democrat - August 5, 1911 - Historical Boat - Ned (Edward Easley) (One of Green Berry Easley's sons) of near Eagle Rock has portion of barge used during Civil War. A portion of the old Ferry Boat used during the Civil War to carry Federal Soldiers across White River at Easley Ford and which is now being used as a sidewalk in a barn lot in time of wet weather. This is what one will see on visiting the home of Edward Easley an old and respected citizen of near Eagle Rock on Roaring River, if a request is only made to do so. The historical timbers were taken from White River by Mr. Easley two years ago after a few days of very high water which brought the old timbers up from their resting place on the bottom of the river at the old historical ford. The boat is said to have been used by Federals in crossing the river during the time of General Sterling Price's Raid. The old story of the boat is that two or three boats were constructed for the soldiers to ferry the river and when an army had safely reached the other side, holes were bored in the bottom of the boats which was weighted and sent to the bottom of the river as a final resting place until they might be brought up by high water or human hands. (End of article) According to a story told by Edward Everett Easley, (Boone Co., Edward Easley, the name "Green Berry" came into the Easley family in the following manner. "Long ago in Kentucky a man named Greene or Green Berry went hunting with another man and they shot a bear. Thinking it dead, Mr. Green Berry went up to it and started to skin it. However, it was only wounded and mauled him severely, breaking his leg. He managed to crawl back to the camp and his partner fixed him up as well as he could. He then, thinking that Mr. Green Berry would die soon, left the camp and when he reached the settlement said that Mr. Green Berry had been killed by a bear. But Mr. Green Berry lived. It was winter, and the two men had hung a deer up on the edge of the camp to let the meat freeze. Mr. Green Berry lived through the winter on this. He once broke his jaw trying to chew the frozen meat. When spring came he was well enough to travel and went back to the settlement, where he was welcomed by all the relatives. It was then that he expressed a desire that the name be kept in the family in memory of his experience. Note from Virginia DeMarce: Attempts to verify this story by consulting old histories of Kentucky have not proved successful. A "Greenberry Manson Easley" has been located in Tenn., and a "Greenberry Easley" in Texas by family genealogists. It is not known if or how they were related to this branch of Easley family. Other early Kentucky families also used "Greenbury or Granberry". E. E. Easley also recalled that this Green Berry Easley who moved to Barry Co., MO, had been subject to epilepsy. His grandfather recalled that it came upon him as a point of light which he perceived coming through the air directly at his forehead. If he was able to "duck" the point of light, he would escape having a seizure. If it hit him, however, a seizure would follow. A copy of Green B. Easley's signature (his own writing) is on page 78 of Virginia DeMarce's book. Evaline Johnson born February 15, 1818 in Tennessee and her parents were ______Johnson and Mary Johnson. After Mr. Johnson's death about 1837, Mary Johnson married a Mahon or Mahan. See file for Evaline's brothers and sisters. Green B. Easley and Evaline Johnson Easley are buried in the "Old Easley Cemetery". Addah Longley Matthews states in her book, History - Early Barry Co. that the oldest cemetery of which any record is known is the Easley Cemetery which was established in 1852. Some say Green Berry established this cemetery. Others say it was called the Hickam Prairie Cemetery. Jacob Hickam married Green Berry's sister Elizabeth. According to the Barry Co., MO 1840 Census they were in Barry Co., MO Jacob Hickam died in 1854 in Cole Co., MO. The cemetery is located on a hilltop overlooking the lake near Golden, Missouri. There were several graves outlined with rock but had no markers. In one place there were two graves with a small rock wall built completely around them. Others were covered with large slabs of stone. There were many that were marked with only a field stone to show where the graves were. There were many people buried here. One stone that could be easily read was for Green Berry and Evaline's oldest son Christopher Columbus "Lum" Easley born Mar 18, 1838 died Feb 2, 1886. They say there was a blizzard the night Lum died. The snow was so deep they couldn't get the wagon up the hill to the cemetery. The men had to carry the coffin for quite a distance. The estate papers show it cost $9 for burial. So they must have still been using the cemetery in the late 1880's. As can be seen by the death dates of both Green Barry Easley and Evaline Johnson Easley, they both died before the Civil War was over. They left Hulda who was 12 and two small children, Robert and Mary who were still at home. They were cared for by a Mammy until she was stolen by bushwhackers then they had to care for themselves. The story is told that they nearly starved to death before their brothers returned from the war and took care of them. Their oldest brother Christopher Easley was guardian of Mary and Robert. Green Berry and Evaline Johnson Easley's children: Christopher Columubs "Lum" Easley was born March 5, 1838, died Feb 2, 1886 burial in Old Easley Cemetery. William Easley born Sep 4, 1839 died Sept 25, 1853 burial in Old Easley Cemetery. Edward "Ned" Easley b Dec 28, 1840 d. Dec 20, 1932 burial in Newer Easley Cemetery. Martin Vanburn Easley born Sep 19, 1842 and died Jan 30, 1864 burial probably in the Old Easley Cemetery. Sarah Jane Easley born Feb 5, 1844 and Died Feb 25, 1864 burial probably in the Old Easley Cemetery. John Easley born Feb 6, 1846 died May 10, 1922 burial in Newer Easley Cemetery. Green Berry "Tip" Easley born Nov 24, 1849 died Jul 29, 1932 burial in Roach Cemetery. Hulda Jane Easley born May 3, 1851 died Dec 18, 1926 burial in the country near Fulbright, Texas. Mary Elizabeth Easley born Dec 13, 1853 died Mar 1929 burial in the newer Easley Cemetery. Robert Easley born Feb 6, 1855 died Aug 10, 1948 burial in the Roach Cemetery. References: Our Easleys, by Faye Maloney Ball and Darla Ball Marbut Volume 1. The Family and Connections of Edward Everett Easley, page 79, by Virginia Easley DeMarce, 5635 North 25th Road, Arlington, VA 22207 A Reprint of Goodspeed's 1888 History of Barry County, printed by Litho Printers, 904 West, Cassville, MO 65625, Fax (417) 847-4523, Phone: 847-3155, soft cover, 195 pages, a few pictures. $6.95. The First 150 Years In Cassville, Missouri, by Senator Emory Melton $17.95, 265 pages with pictures. Can be ordered from the Litho address above. NOTICE Please do not publish this writing without the consent of the writer: Darla Ball Marbut Submitted in 2001 by Darla Ball Marbut |