[Chiles, Dicy Ann Kennedy] Bedford Free Press
Thursday May 25, 1905 p. 8 Gone to Her Just Reward
Dicy Ann Chiles was born November 2, 1825, in Washington County, East Tennessee, and departed this life at Maryville, Mo., May 12, 1905, aged 79 years, 6 months and 10 days. At the age of 5 years she moved with her parents, William and Elizabeth [Purcell] Kennedy, to Hancock Co., Ind. In 1845 she was married to Dr. [George] Henry Chiles, of Warrington, Ind., where she lived until 1860, when she with her husband and family moved to Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas, where in 1862 her husband died. To this union was born eight children, four boys and four girls, five of whom survive her, and are Mrs. Robert Massie Powell Elizabeth Jane, of Bedford, Iowa, Mr. Geo. W. Chiles and Mrs. J. E. Powell, of Conway; Mrs. James F. Longley [Sarah] of Maryville, Mo.; James Franklin Chiles, of Gravity, Iowa.
At the close of the war she with her children moved to Yates City, Knox County, Ill., where they made their home until 1882, when she came to Taylor County, Iowa, residing much of her time with her son, James F. Chiles, but more recently with her daughter, Mrs. F. L. Longley, where she died. She was converted at the age of 13 and united with the Methodist Episcopal church. She loved her church and was always a faithful, loyal member, and no sacrifice was too great for her to make if thereby she might advance its interests. During the recent revival in the church at this place, she was much in prayer for different friends that they might be saved, and when letters would come telling of the conversion of this one and that one, she would fairly shout for joy.
She was a devoted wife and mother, a kind neighbor, a true friend and a faithful Christian worker. But her work is finished; her record is on high---her reward is sure.
[The same obituary was printed in the Bedford Times-Republican, May 19, 1905, page l.]
Suggested edit: Dicey (Dicy) Chiles was the widow of Dr. Henry Chiles, the first person to be hanged in the Great Hanging at Gainesville. (see previous post on Dr. Henry Chiles) Dicey had just recently given birth to a sweet baby girl when her husband was killed. She named her new daughter, Mary Henryetta, after her husband. Dicey also had six other children: Elizabeth, George, Sarah, Margaret, John and James. Sometime before 1870 she moved her young family to Mercer County, Illinois. Her oldest daughter, Elizabeth, was hired out as a domestic servant. Dicey later moved with her married children to Taylor County, Iowa. She is buried in Taylor County, Iowa next to her daughter.
In 1891, Dicey, her children, sister-in-law and others brought suit against other Chiles family members over the execution of the will of Henry Chiles, Sr.
***IS Henry Chiles, Sr. who wrote the will, the father or uncle of Dr. Henry Chiles, Gainesville hanging victim and husband of Dicey?? (note: Henry was a popular name in the Chiles family. Every generation had several men named Henry.)
The following newspaper notice (below) was placed in the Knoxville Journal in March of 1891.
THE KNOXVILLE JOURNAL March 25, 1891
HEIRS-AT-LAW OF THE SPECIFIC LEGATEES UNDER THE WILL OF HENRY CHILIES, DEC'D.No. 4,263
Whereas a bill has been filed in chancery court at Knoxville, Tenn., by Dicey A. Chiles, widow of Henry Chiles, Jr., dec'd; George W. Chiles, James F. Chiles, Elizabeth J. Powell and Robert M. Powell, her husband, Mary H. Powell and James E. Powell, her husband, Sarah A. Langley and James F. Langley, Mary Shafer (widow), Margaret Chiles (widow), James Chiles, son of Margaret; Martha Fleener and her husband Adam Fleener, and William Chiles,
AGAINST Henry Chiles, a resident of the state of Missouri, Francis M. Chiles, of Warren county, Iowa; William Chiles, jr., of Washington county, Virginia, H.H. Hamilton, of Mendota, Virginia, and the unknown heirs or specific legatees of Henry Chiles, sr., dec’d, and their heirs, all of whom their names and residences are unknown and cannot be ascertained after diligent inquiry except as they are described in the original bill formerly pending in this honorable court of the name and style of C. W. Karns, et at exrs vs. Mary I. Chiles, afterwards Sam’l Shields, admi’r, et al., wherein their names and residences are set forth as follows:
First: Children of Fanny Barker, sister of testator, as follows: Henry Barker, Charles Barker, Sarah who married James Sprowls, and another daughter whose christian name was stated to be unknown, but who married Pesquel White, all of whom resided in Lee county, Virginia; George Barker, Wm. Barker, Elizabeth Barker who resided in Washington county, Virginia; Phoebe, wife of Isaac Miller, whose residences were unknown; Polly, wife of George Clark, residents of Missouri, and Joel Parker who resided in Sullivan county, Tenn.
Second: Children of Katherine Barker, excepting William Code and wife, as follows: Thomas Barker and Joseph Barker of Washington county, Virginia; Charles Barker, of Lee county, Virginia; Henry Barker, Sam’l Barker, Paul Barker, and Polly Dowell, wife of Thomas Dowell, all of Know county, Tennessee.
Third: Children of Nancy Meek, to-wit: Sam’l Meek and four daughters whose christian names were unknown, the first of whom married John Chiles; the second, Henry Sullivan; the third, Elisha Bowers, and fourth, Anderson Thomas, and were residents of Indiana.
Fourth: Children of Polly Russell, to-wit - John Russell and Abraham Russell both of whom resided in Missouri, and the names of other children, if any, were unknown.
Fifth: Children of William Chiles, to-wit - William Chiles, Sally who married Wm. Sprawls, Martha wife of Adam Fleener, John Chiles, Almon Chiles, residents of Virginia; Nancy, wife of George Maloney, Anna wife of Logan Willis; James Chiles, Henry Chiles, William Chiles, Francis Chiles and Ephraim Chiles, who were alleged to be residents of the state of Missouri; and
Sixth: Children of Nolen Chiles, or Rolen Chiles, to-wit - James William, Henry G., John A. and George Chiles and two daughters, one of whom married Abram Smith and the other Sam’l Meek, but whose christen names were unknown, but the residents of the state of Indiana. These and the unknown heirs of all of said specific legatees whether they are all mentioned or not, and their descendants whose names and residences are known after diligent inquiry are made defendants and said bill seeks to sell for partition a tract of land in Knox county, Tennessee, which was purchased at an execution sale on the 8th of February, 1873, by the specific legatees under the will of Henry Chiles, who died in Knox county, Tennessee, many years ago.
Now therefore, it is hereby ordered that all the parties named above as defendants and all the heirs-at-law of the specific legatees under the will of Henry Chiles, to-wit -
“The children of his sister, Fanny,”
“The children of his sister, Katherine Barker, excepting William Code and wife,”
“The children of his sister, Nancy Meek,”
“The children of his sister Polly Russell,”
“The children of his brother Rolen or Nolen Chiles,”
- whose names are not given above and whose names and residences are unknown and cannot be ascertained upon diligent enquiry, come forward and make themselves parties to this suit and make defense to said bill on or before the first Monday of May next or the same will be taken for confessed and set for hearing exparte.
This notice will be published in the Knoxville Journal for four consecutive weeks.
This 9th day of March, 1891.W. L. Trent, C.& M.By W. A. Galbraith, D.C. & M.J.W. Sneed and Cornick & Caldwell, Sols.
Doctor Henry Chiles
First to be hanged in the Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas,
October 1862
Doctor Henry Chiles was born about 1819 in Virginia.
He died on 4 Oct 1862 in Gainesville, Cooke, Texas.
According to Diamond’s account of the hanging, Henry Chiles was "about forty two or three years of age, stout of build though not corpulent; shoulders slightly stooped, brown hair, and blue eyes, he seemed the embodiment of good health…… He came from Missouri to Texas but a few years anterior to the War between the States and was regarded by his neighbors as a man of upright deportment, and possessing a degree of intelligence above the mediocrity."
Doctor Henry Chiles was the first man to be tried and hanged by the Citizens Court. Chiles denied the court had jurisdiction to try him and pled not guilty to all charges. He was found guilty of conspiracy and insurrection against the confederacy and sentenced to be hanged. Diamond described Henry Chiles execution as follows, "The carriage was then driven from beneath the limb, and in a moment more the body of Henry Childs dangled in the air, while the branches of the obstinate and unyielding elm trembled like an aspen under the weight and shuddering motion of the dying man."
Diamond then states that the family and friends of Henry Chiles, took his body and gave it a decent burial. The actual burial site is unknown.
Henry's brother, Ephraim Chiles, was the second person to be hanged.
Henry and his brother, Ephraim Chiles, are descendants of Walter Chiles Family of Jamestown.
Henry Chiles married Dicy A. Kennedy daughter of William Kennedy and Elizabeth Purcell on 20 Sep 1845 in , Hancock, Indiana. Dicy was born on 2 Nov 1825 in Washington County, Tennessee. She died on 12 May 1905 in Maryville, Nodaway, Missouri and was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
An obituary for Dicy Chiles, with references to her husband and the Gainesville hanging, can be found in another post on this blog.
Dicy (sometimes spelled Dicey) had a newborn baby when her husband, Doctor Henry Chiles, was arrested for his pro-union sentiments in confederate Texas and hanged. Dicy was left widowed with a three week old baby daughter, in addition to six other children to care for as well. According to her obituary, Dicy took her young family to Lamar County, Texas soon after the hangings. She probably felt safer in Lamar County than in Cooke County. As soon as the war was over in 1865, Dicy moved her family to Mercer County, Illinois and lived there until sometime in the 1882. Dicy then moved to Taylor County, Iowa with several of her married children. She is buried in the Conway Cemetery in Taylor County, Iowa.
Henry and Dicy had eight children, four daughters and four sons:
1. Elizabeth Jane Chiles was born on 3 Nov 1846 in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa. She died on 25 Oct 1928 in Taylor County, Iowa. She was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
After the death of her father, a lot of the burden to help care for the family, most likely fell upon the shoulders of 15 year old, Elizabeth. Her mother, Dicy had been left a widow with a three week old baby. Sometime before 1870, Elizabeth moved with her mother & siblings to Mercer County, Illinois. In 1870, Elizabeth is found living with the Mathew McGolsey home as a domestic servant. How different Elizabeth's life would have been had her father not been killed in the Hangings!
Elizabeth married Robert Powell on 20 Feb 1873 in Mercer, Illinois. Robert was born on 2 Jun 1836 in , Hampshire, Virginia. He died on 6 Nov 1909 in Taylor, Iowa. He was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
Elizabeth J. Chiles Powell Obituary:
From Newspaper Abstracts, Excerpts and Death/ Obituary Indexes of Taylor County, Iowa (Taylor County, Iowa GenWeb), submitted by: Julia Johnson - [email protected], http://iagenweb.net/taylor/obituaries/
Times-Republican, Thursday November 1, 1928 [p. 1]
Elizabeth Jane Chiles was born in Des Moines, Iowa, November 3, 1846 and departed this life on October 25th, 1928. If she had lived until November 3rd she would have reached the age of 82 years. She was the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Henry Chiles, with whom she moved to east Tennessee in the year 1858, and from there to Texas in 1860. Six years later they moved to Illinois where she lived until her marriage to Robert M. Powell, which occurred on February 20, 1873.
To this union four children were born, Bert E. Powell of Conway, Mrs. P. A. Blake of Bedford, Clinton H. Powell of Conway, and Clifton D. Powell of St. Petersburg, Florida. There are four grandchildren, Earl Powell of Corning, Mrs. Bessie Ford of Canada, Frank Powell of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Lucille Blake of Bedford. There are also eight great grandchildren. Her husband, Robert M. Powell, preceded her in death 19 years ago and sleeps in the Conway cemetery, by whose side Mrs. Powell will be buried.
Mrs. Powell leaves two brothers and two sisters to mourn her going, George W. and James F. Chiles, Mrs. Sarah Longley and Mrs. J. E. Powell, all of San Diego, California. The sisters are here today but it was not possible for the brothers to be in attendance for her funeral.
She was converted and joined with the Methodist Episcopal Church when just a girl and had been a member of the church in Bedford for the past 25 years.
All of her children and her sisters were at her bedside at the time of her death
2. William P. Chiles was born about 1848 in Iowa. He is listed with the family in the 1850 census but does not show up on the 1860 census, so he may have died as a child.
3. George W. Chiles was born about 1850 in Polk, Iowa. George married Anna Beachler on 12 Dec 1878 in Mercer County, Illinois.
4. Sarah A. Chiles was born in Jul 1852 in Polk, Iowa. Sarah married James Longly on 27 Feb 1879 in Mercer County, Illinois. James was born in Dec 1851 in Iowa. Sarah was living in San Diego, CA in 1928.
5. Margaret E. Chiles was born about 1853 in Iowa.
6. John W. Chiles was born about 1855 in Tennessee.
7. James F. Chiles was born in May 1860 in , Lamar, Texas. He died in San Diego, California. James married Rosanna Rachel Goldsberry on 15 Feb 1884 in Clarinda, Page, Iowa. Rosanna was born on 4 Mar 1862 in Iowa. She died on 28 Apr 1959 in San Diego, California.
8. Mary Henryetta Chiles was born on 14 Sep 1862 in Gainesville, Cooke, Texas. She died on 26 Dec 1931 in San Diego, San Diego, California.
Mary was named after her father, who died in the Great Hanging at Gainesville when she was only several weeks old.
Mary married James Edward Powell on 27 Sep 1883 in Bedford, Taylor, Iowa. James was born on 13 Dec 1855 in Moline, Illinois. He died on 24 Feb 1931 in San Diego, California. He was buried in San Diego, California.
Thursday May 25, 1905 p. 8 Gone to Her Just Reward
Dicy Ann Chiles was born November 2, 1825, in Washington County, East Tennessee, and departed this life at Maryville, Mo., May 12, 1905, aged 79 years, 6 months and 10 days. At the age of 5 years she moved with her parents, William and Elizabeth [Purcell] Kennedy, to Hancock Co., Ind. In 1845 she was married to Dr. [George] Henry Chiles, of Warrington, Ind., where she lived until 1860, when she with her husband and family moved to Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas, where in 1862 her husband died. To this union was born eight children, four boys and four girls, five of whom survive her, and are Mrs. Robert Massie Powell Elizabeth Jane, of Bedford, Iowa, Mr. Geo. W. Chiles and Mrs. J. E. Powell, of Conway; Mrs. James F. Longley [Sarah] of Maryville, Mo.; James Franklin Chiles, of Gravity, Iowa.
At the close of the war she with her children moved to Yates City, Knox County, Ill., where they made their home until 1882, when she came to Taylor County, Iowa, residing much of her time with her son, James F. Chiles, but more recently with her daughter, Mrs. F. L. Longley, where she died. She was converted at the age of 13 and united with the Methodist Episcopal church. She loved her church and was always a faithful, loyal member, and no sacrifice was too great for her to make if thereby she might advance its interests. During the recent revival in the church at this place, she was much in prayer for different friends that they might be saved, and when letters would come telling of the conversion of this one and that one, she would fairly shout for joy.
She was a devoted wife and mother, a kind neighbor, a true friend and a faithful Christian worker. But her work is finished; her record is on high---her reward is sure.
[The same obituary was printed in the Bedford Times-Republican, May 19, 1905, page l.]
Suggested edit: Dicey (Dicy) Chiles was the widow of Dr. Henry Chiles, the first person to be hanged in the Great Hanging at Gainesville. (see previous post on Dr. Henry Chiles) Dicey had just recently given birth to a sweet baby girl when her husband was killed. She named her new daughter, Mary Henryetta, after her husband. Dicey also had six other children: Elizabeth, George, Sarah, Margaret, John and James. Sometime before 1870 she moved her young family to Mercer County, Illinois. Her oldest daughter, Elizabeth, was hired out as a domestic servant. Dicey later moved with her married children to Taylor County, Iowa. She is buried in Taylor County, Iowa next to her daughter.
In 1891, Dicey, her children, sister-in-law and others brought suit against other Chiles family members over the execution of the will of Henry Chiles, Sr.
***IS Henry Chiles, Sr. who wrote the will, the father or uncle of Dr. Henry Chiles, Gainesville hanging victim and husband of Dicey?? (note: Henry was a popular name in the Chiles family. Every generation had several men named Henry.)
The following newspaper notice (below) was placed in the Knoxville Journal in March of 1891.
THE KNOXVILLE JOURNAL March 25, 1891
HEIRS-AT-LAW OF THE SPECIFIC LEGATEES UNDER THE WILL OF HENRY CHILIES, DEC'D.No. 4,263
Whereas a bill has been filed in chancery court at Knoxville, Tenn., by Dicey A. Chiles, widow of Henry Chiles, Jr., dec'd; George W. Chiles, James F. Chiles, Elizabeth J. Powell and Robert M. Powell, her husband, Mary H. Powell and James E. Powell, her husband, Sarah A. Langley and James F. Langley, Mary Shafer (widow), Margaret Chiles (widow), James Chiles, son of Margaret; Martha Fleener and her husband Adam Fleener, and William Chiles,
AGAINST Henry Chiles, a resident of the state of Missouri, Francis M. Chiles, of Warren county, Iowa; William Chiles, jr., of Washington county, Virginia, H.H. Hamilton, of Mendota, Virginia, and the unknown heirs or specific legatees of Henry Chiles, sr., dec’d, and their heirs, all of whom their names and residences are unknown and cannot be ascertained after diligent inquiry except as they are described in the original bill formerly pending in this honorable court of the name and style of C. W. Karns, et at exrs vs. Mary I. Chiles, afterwards Sam’l Shields, admi’r, et al., wherein their names and residences are set forth as follows:
First: Children of Fanny Barker, sister of testator, as follows: Henry Barker, Charles Barker, Sarah who married James Sprowls, and another daughter whose christian name was stated to be unknown, but who married Pesquel White, all of whom resided in Lee county, Virginia; George Barker, Wm. Barker, Elizabeth Barker who resided in Washington county, Virginia; Phoebe, wife of Isaac Miller, whose residences were unknown; Polly, wife of George Clark, residents of Missouri, and Joel Parker who resided in Sullivan county, Tenn.
Second: Children of Katherine Barker, excepting William Code and wife, as follows: Thomas Barker and Joseph Barker of Washington county, Virginia; Charles Barker, of Lee county, Virginia; Henry Barker, Sam’l Barker, Paul Barker, and Polly Dowell, wife of Thomas Dowell, all of Know county, Tennessee.
Third: Children of Nancy Meek, to-wit: Sam’l Meek and four daughters whose christian names were unknown, the first of whom married John Chiles; the second, Henry Sullivan; the third, Elisha Bowers, and fourth, Anderson Thomas, and were residents of Indiana.
Fourth: Children of Polly Russell, to-wit - John Russell and Abraham Russell both of whom resided in Missouri, and the names of other children, if any, were unknown.
Fifth: Children of William Chiles, to-wit - William Chiles, Sally who married Wm. Sprawls, Martha wife of Adam Fleener, John Chiles, Almon Chiles, residents of Virginia; Nancy, wife of George Maloney, Anna wife of Logan Willis; James Chiles, Henry Chiles, William Chiles, Francis Chiles and Ephraim Chiles, who were alleged to be residents of the state of Missouri; and
Sixth: Children of Nolen Chiles, or Rolen Chiles, to-wit - James William, Henry G., John A. and George Chiles and two daughters, one of whom married Abram Smith and the other Sam’l Meek, but whose christen names were unknown, but the residents of the state of Indiana. These and the unknown heirs of all of said specific legatees whether they are all mentioned or not, and their descendants whose names and residences are known after diligent inquiry are made defendants and said bill seeks to sell for partition a tract of land in Knox county, Tennessee, which was purchased at an execution sale on the 8th of February, 1873, by the specific legatees under the will of Henry Chiles, who died in Knox county, Tennessee, many years ago.
Now therefore, it is hereby ordered that all the parties named above as defendants and all the heirs-at-law of the specific legatees under the will of Henry Chiles, to-wit -
“The children of his sister, Fanny,”
“The children of his sister, Katherine Barker, excepting William Code and wife,”
“The children of his sister, Nancy Meek,”
“The children of his sister Polly Russell,”
“The children of his brother Rolen or Nolen Chiles,”
- whose names are not given above and whose names and residences are unknown and cannot be ascertained upon diligent enquiry, come forward and make themselves parties to this suit and make defense to said bill on or before the first Monday of May next or the same will be taken for confessed and set for hearing exparte.
This notice will be published in the Knoxville Journal for four consecutive weeks.
This 9th day of March, 1891.W. L. Trent, C.& M.By W. A. Galbraith, D.C. & M.J.W. Sneed and Cornick & Caldwell, Sols.
Doctor Henry Chiles
First to be hanged in the Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas,
October 1862
Doctor Henry Chiles was born about 1819 in Virginia.
He died on 4 Oct 1862 in Gainesville, Cooke, Texas.
According to Diamond’s account of the hanging, Henry Chiles was "about forty two or three years of age, stout of build though not corpulent; shoulders slightly stooped, brown hair, and blue eyes, he seemed the embodiment of good health…… He came from Missouri to Texas but a few years anterior to the War between the States and was regarded by his neighbors as a man of upright deportment, and possessing a degree of intelligence above the mediocrity."
Doctor Henry Chiles was the first man to be tried and hanged by the Citizens Court. Chiles denied the court had jurisdiction to try him and pled not guilty to all charges. He was found guilty of conspiracy and insurrection against the confederacy and sentenced to be hanged. Diamond described Henry Chiles execution as follows, "The carriage was then driven from beneath the limb, and in a moment more the body of Henry Childs dangled in the air, while the branches of the obstinate and unyielding elm trembled like an aspen under the weight and shuddering motion of the dying man."
Diamond then states that the family and friends of Henry Chiles, took his body and gave it a decent burial. The actual burial site is unknown.
Henry's brother, Ephraim Chiles, was the second person to be hanged.
Henry and his brother, Ephraim Chiles, are descendants of Walter Chiles Family of Jamestown.
Henry Chiles married Dicy A. Kennedy daughter of William Kennedy and Elizabeth Purcell on 20 Sep 1845 in , Hancock, Indiana. Dicy was born on 2 Nov 1825 in Washington County, Tennessee. She died on 12 May 1905 in Maryville, Nodaway, Missouri and was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
An obituary for Dicy Chiles, with references to her husband and the Gainesville hanging, can be found in another post on this blog.
Dicy (sometimes spelled Dicey) had a newborn baby when her husband, Doctor Henry Chiles, was arrested for his pro-union sentiments in confederate Texas and hanged. Dicy was left widowed with a three week old baby daughter, in addition to six other children to care for as well. According to her obituary, Dicy took her young family to Lamar County, Texas soon after the hangings. She probably felt safer in Lamar County than in Cooke County. As soon as the war was over in 1865, Dicy moved her family to Mercer County, Illinois and lived there until sometime in the 1882. Dicy then moved to Taylor County, Iowa with several of her married children. She is buried in the Conway Cemetery in Taylor County, Iowa.
Henry and Dicy had eight children, four daughters and four sons:
1. Elizabeth Jane Chiles was born on 3 Nov 1846 in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa. She died on 25 Oct 1928 in Taylor County, Iowa. She was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
After the death of her father, a lot of the burden to help care for the family, most likely fell upon the shoulders of 15 year old, Elizabeth. Her mother, Dicy had been left a widow with a three week old baby. Sometime before 1870, Elizabeth moved with her mother & siblings to Mercer County, Illinois. In 1870, Elizabeth is found living with the Mathew McGolsey home as a domestic servant. How different Elizabeth's life would have been had her father not been killed in the Hangings!
Elizabeth married Robert Powell on 20 Feb 1873 in Mercer, Illinois. Robert was born on 2 Jun 1836 in , Hampshire, Virginia. He died on 6 Nov 1909 in Taylor, Iowa. He was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
Elizabeth J. Chiles Powell Obituary:
From Newspaper Abstracts, Excerpts and Death/ Obituary Indexes of Taylor County, Iowa (Taylor County, Iowa GenWeb), submitted by: Julia Johnson - [email protected], http://iagenweb.net/taylor/obituaries/
Times-Republican, Thursday November 1, 1928 [p. 1]
Elizabeth Jane Chiles was born in Des Moines, Iowa, November 3, 1846 and departed this life on October 25th, 1928. If she had lived until November 3rd she would have reached the age of 82 years. She was the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Henry Chiles, with whom she moved to east Tennessee in the year 1858, and from there to Texas in 1860. Six years later they moved to Illinois where she lived until her marriage to Robert M. Powell, which occurred on February 20, 1873.
To this union four children were born, Bert E. Powell of Conway, Mrs. P. A. Blake of Bedford, Clinton H. Powell of Conway, and Clifton D. Powell of St. Petersburg, Florida. There are four grandchildren, Earl Powell of Corning, Mrs. Bessie Ford of Canada, Frank Powell of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Lucille Blake of Bedford. There are also eight great grandchildren. Her husband, Robert M. Powell, preceded her in death 19 years ago and sleeps in the Conway cemetery, by whose side Mrs. Powell will be buried.
Mrs. Powell leaves two brothers and two sisters to mourn her going, George W. and James F. Chiles, Mrs. Sarah Longley and Mrs. J. E. Powell, all of San Diego, California. The sisters are here today but it was not possible for the brothers to be in attendance for her funeral.
She was converted and joined with the Methodist Episcopal Church when just a girl and had been a member of the church in Bedford for the past 25 years.
All of her children and her sisters were at her bedside at the time of her death
2. William P. Chiles was born about 1848 in Iowa. He is listed with the family in the 1850 census but does not show up on the 1860 census, so he may have died as a child.
3. George W. Chiles was born about 1850 in Polk, Iowa. George married Anna Beachler on 12 Dec 1878 in Mercer County, Illinois.
4. Sarah A. Chiles was born in Jul 1852 in Polk, Iowa. Sarah married James Longly on 27 Feb 1879 in Mercer County, Illinois. James was born in Dec 1851 in Iowa. Sarah was living in San Diego, CA in 1928.
5. Margaret E. Chiles was born about 1853 in Iowa.
6. John W. Chiles was born about 1855 in Tennessee.
7. James F. Chiles was born in May 1860 in , Lamar, Texas. He died in San Diego, California. James married Rosanna Rachel Goldsberry on 15 Feb 1884 in Clarinda, Page, Iowa. Rosanna was born on 4 Mar 1862 in Iowa. She died on 28 Apr 1959 in San Diego, California.
8. Mary Henryetta Chiles was born on 14 Sep 1862 in Gainesville, Cooke, Texas. She died on 26 Dec 1931 in San Diego, San Diego, California.
Mary was named after her father, who died in the Great Hanging at Gainesville when she was only several weeks old.
Mary married James Edward Powell on 27 Sep 1883 in Bedford, Taylor, Iowa. James was born on 13 Dec 1855 in Moline, Illinois. He died on 24 Feb 1931 in San Diego, California. He was buried in San Diego, California.
[Chiles, Dicy Ann Kennedy] Bedford Free Press
Thursday May 25, 1905 p. 8 Gone to Her Just Reward
Dicy Ann Chiles was born November 2, 1825, in Washington County, East Tennessee, and departed this life at Maryville, Mo., May 12, 1905, aged 79 years, 6 months and 10 days. At the age of 5 years she moved with her parents, William and Elizabeth [Purcell] Kennedy, to Hancock Co., Ind. In 1845 she was married to Dr. [George] Henry Chiles, of Warrington, Ind., where she lived until 1860, when she with her husband and family moved to Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas, where in 1862 her husband died. To this union was born eight children, four boys and four girls, five of whom survive her, and are Mrs. Robert Massie Powell Elizabeth Jane, of Bedford, Iowa, Mr. Geo. W. Chiles and Mrs. J. E. Powell, of Conway; Mrs. James F. Longley [Sarah] of Maryville, Mo.; James Franklin Chiles, of Gravity, Iowa.
At the close of the war she with her children moved to Yates City, Knox County, Ill., where they made their home until 1882, when she came to Taylor County, Iowa, residing much of her time with her son, James F. Chiles, but more recently with her daughter, Mrs. F. L. Longley, where she died. She was converted at the age of 13 and united with the Methodist Episcopal church. She loved her church and was always a faithful, loyal member, and no sacrifice was too great for her to make if thereby she might advance its interests. During the recent revival in the church at this place, she was much in prayer for different friends that they might be saved, and when letters would come telling of the conversion of this one and that one, she would fairly shout for joy.
She was a devoted wife and mother, a kind neighbor, a true friend and a faithful Christian worker. But her work is finished; her record is on high---her reward is sure.
[The same obituary was printed in the Bedford Times-Republican, May 19, 1905, page l.]
Suggested edit: Dicey (Dicy) Chiles was the widow of Dr. Henry Chiles, the first person to be hanged in the Great Hanging at Gainesville. (see previous post on Dr. Henry Chiles) Dicey had just recently given birth to a sweet baby girl when her husband was killed. She named her new daughter, Mary Henryetta, after her husband. Dicey also had six other children: Elizabeth, George, Sarah, Margaret, John and James. Sometime before 1870 she moved her young family to Mercer County, Illinois. Her oldest daughter, Elizabeth, was hired out as a domestic servant. Dicey later moved with her married children to Taylor County, Iowa. She is buried in Taylor County, Iowa next to her daughter.
In 1891, Dicey, her children, sister-in-law and others brought suit against other Chiles family members over the execution of the will of Henry Chiles, Sr.
***IS Henry Chiles, Sr. who wrote the will, the father or uncle of Dr. Henry Chiles, Gainesville hanging victim and husband of Dicey?? (note: Henry was a popular name in the Chiles family. Every generation had several men named Henry.)
The following newspaper notice (below) was placed in the Knoxville Journal in March of 1891.
THE KNOXVILLE JOURNAL March 25, 1891
HEIRS-AT-LAW OF THE SPECIFIC LEGATEES UNDER THE WILL OF HENRY CHILIES, DEC'D.No. 4,263
Whereas a bill has been filed in chancery court at Knoxville, Tenn., by Dicey A. Chiles, widow of Henry Chiles, Jr., dec'd; George W. Chiles, James F. Chiles, Elizabeth J. Powell and Robert M. Powell, her husband, Mary H. Powell and James E. Powell, her husband, Sarah A. Langley and James F. Langley, Mary Shafer (widow), Margaret Chiles (widow), James Chiles, son of Margaret; Martha Fleener and her husband Adam Fleener, and William Chiles,
AGAINST Henry Chiles, a resident of the state of Missouri, Francis M. Chiles, of Warren county, Iowa; William Chiles, jr., of Washington county, Virginia, H.H. Hamilton, of Mendota, Virginia, and the unknown heirs or specific legatees of Henry Chiles, sr., dec’d, and their heirs, all of whom their names and residences are unknown and cannot be ascertained after diligent inquiry except as they are described in the original bill formerly pending in this honorable court of the name and style of C. W. Karns, et at exrs vs. Mary I. Chiles, afterwards Sam’l Shields, admi’r, et al., wherein their names and residences are set forth as follows:
First: Children of Fanny Barker, sister of testator, as follows: Henry Barker, Charles Barker, Sarah who married James Sprowls, and another daughter whose christian name was stated to be unknown, but who married Pesquel White, all of whom resided in Lee county, Virginia; George Barker, Wm. Barker, Elizabeth Barker who resided in Washington county, Virginia; Phoebe, wife of Isaac Miller, whose residences were unknown; Polly, wife of George Clark, residents of Missouri, and Joel Parker who resided in Sullivan county, Tenn.
Second: Children of Katherine Barker, excepting William Code and wife, as follows: Thomas Barker and Joseph Barker of Washington county, Virginia; Charles Barker, of Lee county, Virginia; Henry Barker, Sam’l Barker, Paul Barker, and Polly Dowell, wife of Thomas Dowell, all of Know county, Tennessee.
Third: Children of Nancy Meek, to-wit: Sam’l Meek and four daughters whose christian names were unknown, the first of whom married John Chiles; the second, Henry Sullivan; the third, Elisha Bowers, and fourth, Anderson Thomas, and were residents of Indiana.
Fourth: Children of Polly Russell, to-wit - John Russell and Abraham Russell both of whom resided in Missouri, and the names of other children, if any, were unknown.
Fifth: Children of William Chiles, to-wit - William Chiles, Sally who married Wm. Sprawls, Martha wife of Adam Fleener, John Chiles, Almon Chiles, residents of Virginia; Nancy, wife of George Maloney, Anna wife of Logan Willis; James Chiles, Henry Chiles, William Chiles, Francis Chiles and Ephraim Chiles, who were alleged to be residents of the state of Missouri; and
Sixth: Children of Nolen Chiles, or Rolen Chiles, to-wit - James William, Henry G., John A. and George Chiles and two daughters, one of whom married Abram Smith and the other Sam’l Meek, but whose christen names were unknown, but the residents of the state of Indiana. These and the unknown heirs of all of said specific legatees whether they are all mentioned or not, and their descendants whose names and residences are known after diligent inquiry are made defendants and said bill seeks to sell for partition a tract of land in Knox county, Tennessee, which was purchased at an execution sale on the 8th of February, 1873, by the specific legatees under the will of Henry Chiles, who died in Knox county, Tennessee, many years ago.
Now therefore, it is hereby ordered that all the parties named above as defendants and all the heirs-at-law of the specific legatees under the will of Henry Chiles, to-wit -
“The children of his sister, Fanny,”
“The children of his sister, Katherine Barker, excepting William Code and wife,”
“The children of his sister, Nancy Meek,”
“The children of his sister Polly Russell,”
“The children of his brother Rolen or Nolen Chiles,”
- whose names are not given above and whose names and residences are unknown and cannot be ascertained upon diligent enquiry, come forward and make themselves parties to this suit and make defense to said bill on or before the first Monday of May next or the same will be taken for confessed and set for hearing exparte.
This notice will be published in the Knoxville Journal for four consecutive weeks.
This 9th day of March, 1891.W. L. Trent, C.& M.By W. A. Galbraith, D.C. & M.J.W. Sneed and Cornick & Caldwell, Sols.
Doctor Henry Chiles
First to be hanged in the Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas,
October 1862
Doctor Henry Chiles was born about 1819 in Virginia.
He died on 4 Oct 1862 in Gainesville, Cooke, Texas.
According to Diamond’s account of the hanging, Henry Chiles was "about forty two or three years of age, stout of build though not corpulent; shoulders slightly stooped, brown hair, and blue eyes, he seemed the embodiment of good health…… He came from Missouri to Texas but a few years anterior to the War between the States and was regarded by his neighbors as a man of upright deportment, and possessing a degree of intelligence above the mediocrity."
Doctor Henry Chiles was the first man to be tried and hanged by the Citizens Court. Chiles denied the court had jurisdiction to try him and pled not guilty to all charges. He was found guilty of conspiracy and insurrection against the confederacy and sentenced to be hanged. Diamond described Henry Chiles execution as follows, "The carriage was then driven from beneath the limb, and in a moment more the body of Henry Childs dangled in the air, while the branches of the obstinate and unyielding elm trembled like an aspen under the weight and shuddering motion of the dying man."
Diamond then states that the family and friends of Henry Chiles, took his body and gave it a decent burial. The actual burial site is unknown.
Henry's brother, Ephraim Chiles, was the second person to be hanged.
Henry and his brother, Ephraim Chiles, are descendants of Walter Chiles Family of Jamestown.
Henry Chiles married Dicy A. Kennedy daughter of William Kennedy and Elizabeth Purcell on 20 Sep 1845 in , Hancock, Indiana. Dicy was born on 2 Nov 1825 in Washington County, Tennessee. She died on 12 May 1905 in Maryville, Nodaway, Missouri and was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
An obituary for Dicy Chiles, with references to her husband and the Gainesville hanging, can be found in another post on this blog.
Dicy (sometimes spelled Dicey) had a newborn baby when her husband, Doctor Henry Chiles, was arrested for his pro-union sentiments in confederate Texas and hanged. Dicy was left widowed with a three week old baby daughter, in addition to six other children to care for as well. According to her obituary, Dicy took her young family to Lamar County, Texas soon after the hangings. She probably felt safer in Lamar County than in Cooke County. As soon as the war was over in 1865, Dicy moved her family to Mercer County, Illinois and lived there until sometime in the 1882. Dicy then moved to Taylor County, Iowa with several of her married children. She is buried in the Conway Cemetery in Taylor County, Iowa.
Henry and Dicy had eight children, four daughters and four sons:
1. Elizabeth Jane Chiles was born on 3 Nov 1846 in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa. She died on 25 Oct 1928 in Taylor County, Iowa. She was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
After the death of her father, a lot of the burden to help care for the family, most likely fell upon the shoulders of 15 year old, Elizabeth. Her mother, Dicy had been left a widow with a three week old baby. Sometime before 1870, Elizabeth moved with her mother & siblings to Mercer County, Illinois. In 1870, Elizabeth is found living with the Mathew McGolsey home as a domestic servant. How different Elizabeth's life would have been had her father not been killed in the Hangings!
Elizabeth married Robert Powell on 20 Feb 1873 in Mercer, Illinois. Robert was born on 2 Jun 1836 in , Hampshire, Virginia. He died on 6 Nov 1909 in Taylor, Iowa. He was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
Elizabeth J. Chiles Powell Obituary:
From Newspaper Abstracts, Excerpts and Death/ Obituary Indexes of Taylor County, Iowa (Taylor County, Iowa GenWeb), submitted by: Julia Johnson - [email protected], http://iagenweb.net/taylor/obituaries/
Times-Republican, Thursday November 1, 1928 [p. 1]
Elizabeth Jane Chiles was born in Des Moines, Iowa, November 3, 1846 and departed this life on October 25th, 1928. If she had lived until November 3rd she would have reached the age of 82 years. She was the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Henry Chiles, with whom she moved to east Tennessee in the year 1858, and from there to Texas in 1860. Six years later they moved to Illinois where she lived until her marriage to Robert M. Powell, which occurred on February 20, 1873.
To this union four children were born, Bert E. Powell of Conway, Mrs. P. A. Blake of Bedford, Clinton H. Powell of Conway, and Clifton D. Powell of St. Petersburg, Florida. There are four grandchildren, Earl Powell of Corning, Mrs. Bessie Ford of Canada, Frank Powell of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Lucille Blake of Bedford. There are also eight great grandchildren. Her husband, Robert M. Powell, preceded her in death 19 years ago and sleeps in the Conway cemetery, by whose side Mrs. Powell will be buried.
Mrs. Powell leaves two brothers and two sisters to mourn her going, George W. and James F. Chiles, Mrs. Sarah Longley and Mrs. J. E. Powell, all of San Diego, California. The sisters are here today but it was not possible for the brothers to be in attendance for her funeral.
She was converted and joined with the Methodist Episcopal Church when just a girl and had been a member of the church in Bedford for the past 25 years.
All of her children and her sisters were at her bedside at the time of her death
2. William P. Chiles was born about 1848 in Iowa. He is listed with the family in the 1850 census but does not show up on the 1860 census, so he may have died as a child.
3. George W. Chiles was born about 1850 in Polk, Iowa. George married Anna Beachler on 12 Dec 1878 in Mercer County, Illinois.
4. Sarah A. Chiles was born in Jul 1852 in Polk, Iowa. Sarah married James Longly on 27 Feb 1879 in Mercer County, Illinois. James was born in Dec 1851 in Iowa. Sarah was living in San Diego, CA in 1928.
5. Margaret E. Chiles was born about 1853 in Iowa.
6. John W. Chiles was born about 1855 in Tennessee.
7. James F. Chiles was born in May 1860 in , Lamar, Texas. He died in San Diego, California. James married Rosanna Rachel Goldsberry on 15 Feb 1884 in Clarinda, Page, Iowa. Rosanna was born on 4 Mar 1862 in Iowa. She died on 28 Apr 1959 in San Diego, California.
8. Mary Henryetta Chiles was born on 14 Sep 1862 in Gainesville, Cooke, Texas. She died on 26 Dec 1931 in San Diego, San Diego, California.
Mary was named after her father, who died in the Great Hanging at Gainesville when she was only several weeks old.
Mary married James Edward Powell on 27 Sep 1883 in Bedford, Taylor, Iowa. James was born on 13 Dec 1855 in Moline, Illinois. He died on 24 Feb 1931 in San Diego, California. He was buried in San Diego, California.
Thursday May 25, 1905 p. 8 Gone to Her Just Reward
Dicy Ann Chiles was born November 2, 1825, in Washington County, East Tennessee, and departed this life at Maryville, Mo., May 12, 1905, aged 79 years, 6 months and 10 days. At the age of 5 years she moved with her parents, William and Elizabeth [Purcell] Kennedy, to Hancock Co., Ind. In 1845 she was married to Dr. [George] Henry Chiles, of Warrington, Ind., where she lived until 1860, when she with her husband and family moved to Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas, where in 1862 her husband died. To this union was born eight children, four boys and four girls, five of whom survive her, and are Mrs. Robert Massie Powell Elizabeth Jane, of Bedford, Iowa, Mr. Geo. W. Chiles and Mrs. J. E. Powell, of Conway; Mrs. James F. Longley [Sarah] of Maryville, Mo.; James Franklin Chiles, of Gravity, Iowa.
At the close of the war she with her children moved to Yates City, Knox County, Ill., where they made their home until 1882, when she came to Taylor County, Iowa, residing much of her time with her son, James F. Chiles, but more recently with her daughter, Mrs. F. L. Longley, where she died. She was converted at the age of 13 and united with the Methodist Episcopal church. She loved her church and was always a faithful, loyal member, and no sacrifice was too great for her to make if thereby she might advance its interests. During the recent revival in the church at this place, she was much in prayer for different friends that they might be saved, and when letters would come telling of the conversion of this one and that one, she would fairly shout for joy.
She was a devoted wife and mother, a kind neighbor, a true friend and a faithful Christian worker. But her work is finished; her record is on high---her reward is sure.
[The same obituary was printed in the Bedford Times-Republican, May 19, 1905, page l.]
Suggested edit: Dicey (Dicy) Chiles was the widow of Dr. Henry Chiles, the first person to be hanged in the Great Hanging at Gainesville. (see previous post on Dr. Henry Chiles) Dicey had just recently given birth to a sweet baby girl when her husband was killed. She named her new daughter, Mary Henryetta, after her husband. Dicey also had six other children: Elizabeth, George, Sarah, Margaret, John and James. Sometime before 1870 she moved her young family to Mercer County, Illinois. Her oldest daughter, Elizabeth, was hired out as a domestic servant. Dicey later moved with her married children to Taylor County, Iowa. She is buried in Taylor County, Iowa next to her daughter.
In 1891, Dicey, her children, sister-in-law and others brought suit against other Chiles family members over the execution of the will of Henry Chiles, Sr.
***IS Henry Chiles, Sr. who wrote the will, the father or uncle of Dr. Henry Chiles, Gainesville hanging victim and husband of Dicey?? (note: Henry was a popular name in the Chiles family. Every generation had several men named Henry.)
The following newspaper notice (below) was placed in the Knoxville Journal in March of 1891.
THE KNOXVILLE JOURNAL March 25, 1891
HEIRS-AT-LAW OF THE SPECIFIC LEGATEES UNDER THE WILL OF HENRY CHILIES, DEC'D.No. 4,263
Whereas a bill has been filed in chancery court at Knoxville, Tenn., by Dicey A. Chiles, widow of Henry Chiles, Jr., dec'd; George W. Chiles, James F. Chiles, Elizabeth J. Powell and Robert M. Powell, her husband, Mary H. Powell and James E. Powell, her husband, Sarah A. Langley and James F. Langley, Mary Shafer (widow), Margaret Chiles (widow), James Chiles, son of Margaret; Martha Fleener and her husband Adam Fleener, and William Chiles,
AGAINST Henry Chiles, a resident of the state of Missouri, Francis M. Chiles, of Warren county, Iowa; William Chiles, jr., of Washington county, Virginia, H.H. Hamilton, of Mendota, Virginia, and the unknown heirs or specific legatees of Henry Chiles, sr., dec’d, and their heirs, all of whom their names and residences are unknown and cannot be ascertained after diligent inquiry except as they are described in the original bill formerly pending in this honorable court of the name and style of C. W. Karns, et at exrs vs. Mary I. Chiles, afterwards Sam’l Shields, admi’r, et al., wherein their names and residences are set forth as follows:
First: Children of Fanny Barker, sister of testator, as follows: Henry Barker, Charles Barker, Sarah who married James Sprowls, and another daughter whose christian name was stated to be unknown, but who married Pesquel White, all of whom resided in Lee county, Virginia; George Barker, Wm. Barker, Elizabeth Barker who resided in Washington county, Virginia; Phoebe, wife of Isaac Miller, whose residences were unknown; Polly, wife of George Clark, residents of Missouri, and Joel Parker who resided in Sullivan county, Tenn.
Second: Children of Katherine Barker, excepting William Code and wife, as follows: Thomas Barker and Joseph Barker of Washington county, Virginia; Charles Barker, of Lee county, Virginia; Henry Barker, Sam’l Barker, Paul Barker, and Polly Dowell, wife of Thomas Dowell, all of Know county, Tennessee.
Third: Children of Nancy Meek, to-wit: Sam’l Meek and four daughters whose christian names were unknown, the first of whom married John Chiles; the second, Henry Sullivan; the third, Elisha Bowers, and fourth, Anderson Thomas, and were residents of Indiana.
Fourth: Children of Polly Russell, to-wit - John Russell and Abraham Russell both of whom resided in Missouri, and the names of other children, if any, were unknown.
Fifth: Children of William Chiles, to-wit - William Chiles, Sally who married Wm. Sprawls, Martha wife of Adam Fleener, John Chiles, Almon Chiles, residents of Virginia; Nancy, wife of George Maloney, Anna wife of Logan Willis; James Chiles, Henry Chiles, William Chiles, Francis Chiles and Ephraim Chiles, who were alleged to be residents of the state of Missouri; and
Sixth: Children of Nolen Chiles, or Rolen Chiles, to-wit - James William, Henry G., John A. and George Chiles and two daughters, one of whom married Abram Smith and the other Sam’l Meek, but whose christen names were unknown, but the residents of the state of Indiana. These and the unknown heirs of all of said specific legatees whether they are all mentioned or not, and their descendants whose names and residences are known after diligent inquiry are made defendants and said bill seeks to sell for partition a tract of land in Knox county, Tennessee, which was purchased at an execution sale on the 8th of February, 1873, by the specific legatees under the will of Henry Chiles, who died in Knox county, Tennessee, many years ago.
Now therefore, it is hereby ordered that all the parties named above as defendants and all the heirs-at-law of the specific legatees under the will of Henry Chiles, to-wit -
“The children of his sister, Fanny,”
“The children of his sister, Katherine Barker, excepting William Code and wife,”
“The children of his sister, Nancy Meek,”
“The children of his sister Polly Russell,”
“The children of his brother Rolen or Nolen Chiles,”
- whose names are not given above and whose names and residences are unknown and cannot be ascertained upon diligent enquiry, come forward and make themselves parties to this suit and make defense to said bill on or before the first Monday of May next or the same will be taken for confessed and set for hearing exparte.
This notice will be published in the Knoxville Journal for four consecutive weeks.
This 9th day of March, 1891.W. L. Trent, C.& M.By W. A. Galbraith, D.C. & M.J.W. Sneed and Cornick & Caldwell, Sols.
Doctor Henry Chiles
First to be hanged in the Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas,
October 1862
Doctor Henry Chiles was born about 1819 in Virginia.
He died on 4 Oct 1862 in Gainesville, Cooke, Texas.
According to Diamond’s account of the hanging, Henry Chiles was "about forty two or three years of age, stout of build though not corpulent; shoulders slightly stooped, brown hair, and blue eyes, he seemed the embodiment of good health…… He came from Missouri to Texas but a few years anterior to the War between the States and was regarded by his neighbors as a man of upright deportment, and possessing a degree of intelligence above the mediocrity."
Doctor Henry Chiles was the first man to be tried and hanged by the Citizens Court. Chiles denied the court had jurisdiction to try him and pled not guilty to all charges. He was found guilty of conspiracy and insurrection against the confederacy and sentenced to be hanged. Diamond described Henry Chiles execution as follows, "The carriage was then driven from beneath the limb, and in a moment more the body of Henry Childs dangled in the air, while the branches of the obstinate and unyielding elm trembled like an aspen under the weight and shuddering motion of the dying man."
Diamond then states that the family and friends of Henry Chiles, took his body and gave it a decent burial. The actual burial site is unknown.
Henry's brother, Ephraim Chiles, was the second person to be hanged.
Henry and his brother, Ephraim Chiles, are descendants of Walter Chiles Family of Jamestown.
Henry Chiles married Dicy A. Kennedy daughter of William Kennedy and Elizabeth Purcell on 20 Sep 1845 in , Hancock, Indiana. Dicy was born on 2 Nov 1825 in Washington County, Tennessee. She died on 12 May 1905 in Maryville, Nodaway, Missouri and was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
An obituary for Dicy Chiles, with references to her husband and the Gainesville hanging, can be found in another post on this blog.
Dicy (sometimes spelled Dicey) had a newborn baby when her husband, Doctor Henry Chiles, was arrested for his pro-union sentiments in confederate Texas and hanged. Dicy was left widowed with a three week old baby daughter, in addition to six other children to care for as well. According to her obituary, Dicy took her young family to Lamar County, Texas soon after the hangings. She probably felt safer in Lamar County than in Cooke County. As soon as the war was over in 1865, Dicy moved her family to Mercer County, Illinois and lived there until sometime in the 1882. Dicy then moved to Taylor County, Iowa with several of her married children. She is buried in the Conway Cemetery in Taylor County, Iowa.
Henry and Dicy had eight children, four daughters and four sons:
1. Elizabeth Jane Chiles was born on 3 Nov 1846 in Des Moines, Polk, Iowa. She died on 25 Oct 1928 in Taylor County, Iowa. She was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
After the death of her father, a lot of the burden to help care for the family, most likely fell upon the shoulders of 15 year old, Elizabeth. Her mother, Dicy had been left a widow with a three week old baby. Sometime before 1870, Elizabeth moved with her mother & siblings to Mercer County, Illinois. In 1870, Elizabeth is found living with the Mathew McGolsey home as a domestic servant. How different Elizabeth's life would have been had her father not been killed in the Hangings!
Elizabeth married Robert Powell on 20 Feb 1873 in Mercer, Illinois. Robert was born on 2 Jun 1836 in , Hampshire, Virginia. He died on 6 Nov 1909 in Taylor, Iowa. He was buried in Conway Cemetery, Taylor, Iowa.
Elizabeth J. Chiles Powell Obituary:
From Newspaper Abstracts, Excerpts and Death/ Obituary Indexes of Taylor County, Iowa (Taylor County, Iowa GenWeb), submitted by: Julia Johnson - [email protected], http://iagenweb.net/taylor/obituaries/
Times-Republican, Thursday November 1, 1928 [p. 1]
Elizabeth Jane Chiles was born in Des Moines, Iowa, November 3, 1846 and departed this life on October 25th, 1928. If she had lived until November 3rd she would have reached the age of 82 years. She was the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Henry Chiles, with whom she moved to east Tennessee in the year 1858, and from there to Texas in 1860. Six years later they moved to Illinois where she lived until her marriage to Robert M. Powell, which occurred on February 20, 1873.
To this union four children were born, Bert E. Powell of Conway, Mrs. P. A. Blake of Bedford, Clinton H. Powell of Conway, and Clifton D. Powell of St. Petersburg, Florida. There are four grandchildren, Earl Powell of Corning, Mrs. Bessie Ford of Canada, Frank Powell of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Lucille Blake of Bedford. There are also eight great grandchildren. Her husband, Robert M. Powell, preceded her in death 19 years ago and sleeps in the Conway cemetery, by whose side Mrs. Powell will be buried.
Mrs. Powell leaves two brothers and two sisters to mourn her going, George W. and James F. Chiles, Mrs. Sarah Longley and Mrs. J. E. Powell, all of San Diego, California. The sisters are here today but it was not possible for the brothers to be in attendance for her funeral.
She was converted and joined with the Methodist Episcopal Church when just a girl and had been a member of the church in Bedford for the past 25 years.
All of her children and her sisters were at her bedside at the time of her death
2. William P. Chiles was born about 1848 in Iowa. He is listed with the family in the 1850 census but does not show up on the 1860 census, so he may have died as a child.
3. George W. Chiles was born about 1850 in Polk, Iowa. George married Anna Beachler on 12 Dec 1878 in Mercer County, Illinois.
4. Sarah A. Chiles was born in Jul 1852 in Polk, Iowa. Sarah married James Longly on 27 Feb 1879 in Mercer County, Illinois. James was born in Dec 1851 in Iowa. Sarah was living in San Diego, CA in 1928.
5. Margaret E. Chiles was born about 1853 in Iowa.
6. John W. Chiles was born about 1855 in Tennessee.
7. James F. Chiles was born in May 1860 in , Lamar, Texas. He died in San Diego, California. James married Rosanna Rachel Goldsberry on 15 Feb 1884 in Clarinda, Page, Iowa. Rosanna was born on 4 Mar 1862 in Iowa. She died on 28 Apr 1959 in San Diego, California.
8. Mary Henryetta Chiles was born on 14 Sep 1862 in Gainesville, Cooke, Texas. She died on 26 Dec 1931 in San Diego, San Diego, California.
Mary was named after her father, who died in the Great Hanging at Gainesville when she was only several weeks old.
Mary married James Edward Powell on 27 Sep 1883 in Bedford, Taylor, Iowa. James was born on 13 Dec 1855 in Moline, Illinois. He died on 24 Feb 1931 in San Diego, California. He was buried in San Diego, California.
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