Robert Sanford Adams was the son of Joshua MacKendrie Adams of Halifax County, Virginia and Margaret Sexton from North Carolina. His parents moved west into Tennessee and Robert Sanford was born in that state in 1833. After the Alabama Territory opened to settlement around 1835 the family, including Robert, migrated from Tennessee to Pickens County Alabama. On the edge of the Tombigbee River they settled in the town of Carrollton, Alabama, and made a life for themselves farming.
Robert Sanford stopped using his first name and began going by his middle name, Sanford, and middle initial M sometime after 1850 and before the Civil War. In 1861, at the age of 28, Sanford joined the cause and voluntarily enlisted in the Confederate Army. He was assigned to Company K of the 12th Regiment of Alabama Infantry commanded by Col. O'Neill. The regiment was brigaded under Gen. Rodes' Division in the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by General Robert E. Lee.
Sanford fought in almost every one of Gen. Lee's campaigns and remained unscathed in battle, including the victory at Chancellorsville, where his regiment charged three lines of breastworks and was badly mutilated. In the famous battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 Sanford's 12th was on the extreme left of Gen. Lee's forces the first day and his unit was again badly mauled, this time due to poor leadership of Col. O'Neill. Then on the third day of the battle Sanford and the 12th supported the left flank of the Virginians as they advanced toward Union lines in the famous assault lead by Virginia General George Pickett. It was there that Sanford was severely wounded in the left arm by a minie ball and lay where he fell. After his comrades retreated from the failed charge, Sanford was picked up by Union troops and taken to the Union aide station. A doctor from Massachusetts asked Sanford's name and upon learning they were both Adamses, the kind doctor declared they were ‘kin’ and ordered Sanford taken care of right away. Sanford's shattered arm was amputated and the doctor gave him the mangled ball that did the damage as a souvenir. Sanford's life was likely saved due to that Union doctor and the excellent care he received in Union hospitals afterward. He remained a convalescent prisoner until the next spring when he was paroled back to his regiment and retired from the army in July, 1864.
After the war was over for Sanford he returned to the Spring Hill Community in Pickens County, Alabama and took up the house painting trade with his brother Samuel. He met and married Nancy Elizabeth Seymer/Seymour, originally from S. Carolina and they had a family of three sons and two daughters: James Joshua "Josh" 1869, Margaret "Maggie" in 1872, Jenks Seymour in 1873, Lewis Stone in 1875, and Mary Jane in 1878.
The years passed for Sanford and Nancy, but by the early 1890's Sanford's elderly father and his daughters Mary Jane and Margaret had all passed away. Not much was left for Sanford’s sons in Pickens County to better themselves, so his three sons Josh, Jenks, and Lewis moved to Richmond, Texas in 1893 taking Sanford and Nancy and their orphaned nephew Sanford Butler with them.
In Texas Sanford’s sons were businessmen and saloon keepers and Sanford in his early sixties again took up the house painting trade. He passed away suddenly in 1896 at the age of 63 while painting the roof of the Ft. Bend County, Texas Courthouse. He is buried in the historical section of Morton Cemetery, Richmond, Texas, with his wife Nancy and all his sons nearby.
Robert Sanford stopped using his first name and began going by his middle name, Sanford, and middle initial M sometime after 1850 and before the Civil War. In 1861, at the age of 28, Sanford joined the cause and voluntarily enlisted in the Confederate Army. He was assigned to Company K of the 12th Regiment of Alabama Infantry commanded by Col. O'Neill. The regiment was brigaded under Gen. Rodes' Division in the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by General Robert E. Lee.
Sanford fought in almost every one of Gen. Lee's campaigns and remained unscathed in battle, including the victory at Chancellorsville, where his regiment charged three lines of breastworks and was badly mutilated. In the famous battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 Sanford's 12th was on the extreme left of Gen. Lee's forces the first day and his unit was again badly mauled, this time due to poor leadership of Col. O'Neill. Then on the third day of the battle Sanford and the 12th supported the left flank of the Virginians as they advanced toward Union lines in the famous assault lead by Virginia General George Pickett. It was there that Sanford was severely wounded in the left arm by a minie ball and lay where he fell. After his comrades retreated from the failed charge, Sanford was picked up by Union troops and taken to the Union aide station. A doctor from Massachusetts asked Sanford's name and upon learning they were both Adamses, the kind doctor declared they were ‘kin’ and ordered Sanford taken care of right away. Sanford's shattered arm was amputated and the doctor gave him the mangled ball that did the damage as a souvenir. Sanford's life was likely saved due to that Union doctor and the excellent care he received in Union hospitals afterward. He remained a convalescent prisoner until the next spring when he was paroled back to his regiment and retired from the army in July, 1864.
After the war was over for Sanford he returned to the Spring Hill Community in Pickens County, Alabama and took up the house painting trade with his brother Samuel. He met and married Nancy Elizabeth Seymer/Seymour, originally from S. Carolina and they had a family of three sons and two daughters: James Joshua "Josh" 1869, Margaret "Maggie" in 1872, Jenks Seymour in 1873, Lewis Stone in 1875, and Mary Jane in 1878.
The years passed for Sanford and Nancy, but by the early 1890's Sanford's elderly father and his daughters Mary Jane and Margaret had all passed away. Not much was left for Sanford’s sons in Pickens County to better themselves, so his three sons Josh, Jenks, and Lewis moved to Richmond, Texas in 1893 taking Sanford and Nancy and their orphaned nephew Sanford Butler with them.
In Texas Sanford’s sons were businessmen and saloon keepers and Sanford in his early sixties again took up the house painting trade. He passed away suddenly in 1896 at the age of 63 while painting the roof of the Ft. Bend County, Texas Courthouse. He is buried in the historical section of Morton Cemetery, Richmond, Texas, with his wife Nancy and all his sons nearby.
Robert Sanford Adams was the son of Joshua MacKendrie Adams of Halifax County, Virginia and Margaret Sexton from North Carolina. His parents moved west into Tennessee and Robert Sanford was born in that state in 1833. After the Alabama Territory opened to settlement around 1835 the family, including Robert, migrated from Tennessee to Pickens County Alabama. On the edge of the Tombigbee River they settled in the town of Carrollton, Alabama, and made a life for themselves farming.
Robert Sanford stopped using his first name and began going by his middle name, Sanford, and middle initial M sometime after 1850 and before the Civil War. In 1861, at the age of 28, Sanford joined the cause and voluntarily enlisted in the Confederate Army. He was assigned to Company K of the 12th Regiment of Alabama Infantry commanded by Col. O'Neill. The regiment was brigaded under Gen. Rodes' Division in the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by General Robert E. Lee.
Sanford fought in almost every one of Gen. Lee's campaigns and remained unscathed in battle, including the victory at Chancellorsville, where his regiment charged three lines of breastworks and was badly mutilated. In the famous battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 Sanford's 12th was on the extreme left of Gen. Lee's forces the first day and his unit was again badly mauled, this time due to poor leadership of Col. O'Neill. Then on the third day of the battle Sanford and the 12th supported the left flank of the Virginians as they advanced toward Union lines in the famous assault lead by Virginia General George Pickett. It was there that Sanford was severely wounded in the left arm by a minie ball and lay where he fell. After his comrades retreated from the failed charge, Sanford was picked up by Union troops and taken to the Union aide station. A doctor from Massachusetts asked Sanford's name and upon learning they were both Adamses, the kind doctor declared they were ‘kin’ and ordered Sanford taken care of right away. Sanford's shattered arm was amputated and the doctor gave him the mangled ball that did the damage as a souvenir. Sanford's life was likely saved due to that Union doctor and the excellent care he received in Union hospitals afterward. He remained a convalescent prisoner until the next spring when he was paroled back to his regiment and retired from the army in July, 1864.
After the war was over for Sanford he returned to the Spring Hill Community in Pickens County, Alabama and took up the house painting trade with his brother Samuel. He met and married Nancy Elizabeth Seymer/Seymour, originally from S. Carolina and they had a family of three sons and two daughters: James Joshua "Josh" 1869, Margaret "Maggie" in 1872, Jenks Seymour in 1873, Lewis Stone in 1875, and Mary Jane in 1878.
The years passed for Sanford and Nancy, but by the early 1890's Sanford's elderly father and his daughters Mary Jane and Margaret had all passed away. Not much was left for Sanford’s sons in Pickens County to better themselves, so his three sons Josh, Jenks, and Lewis moved to Richmond, Texas in 1893 taking Sanford and Nancy and their orphaned nephew Sanford Butler with them.
In Texas Sanford’s sons were businessmen and saloon keepers and Sanford in his early sixties again took up the house painting trade. He passed away suddenly in 1896 at the age of 63 while painting the roof of the Ft. Bend County, Texas Courthouse. He is buried in the historical section of Morton Cemetery, Richmond, Texas, with his wife Nancy and all his sons nearby.
Robert Sanford stopped using his first name and began going by his middle name, Sanford, and middle initial M sometime after 1850 and before the Civil War. In 1861, at the age of 28, Sanford joined the cause and voluntarily enlisted in the Confederate Army. He was assigned to Company K of the 12th Regiment of Alabama Infantry commanded by Col. O'Neill. The regiment was brigaded under Gen. Rodes' Division in the Army of Northern Virginia commanded by General Robert E. Lee.
Sanford fought in almost every one of Gen. Lee's campaigns and remained unscathed in battle, including the victory at Chancellorsville, where his regiment charged three lines of breastworks and was badly mutilated. In the famous battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 Sanford's 12th was on the extreme left of Gen. Lee's forces the first day and his unit was again badly mauled, this time due to poor leadership of Col. O'Neill. Then on the third day of the battle Sanford and the 12th supported the left flank of the Virginians as they advanced toward Union lines in the famous assault lead by Virginia General George Pickett. It was there that Sanford was severely wounded in the left arm by a minie ball and lay where he fell. After his comrades retreated from the failed charge, Sanford was picked up by Union troops and taken to the Union aide station. A doctor from Massachusetts asked Sanford's name and upon learning they were both Adamses, the kind doctor declared they were ‘kin’ and ordered Sanford taken care of right away. Sanford's shattered arm was amputated and the doctor gave him the mangled ball that did the damage as a souvenir. Sanford's life was likely saved due to that Union doctor and the excellent care he received in Union hospitals afterward. He remained a convalescent prisoner until the next spring when he was paroled back to his regiment and retired from the army in July, 1864.
After the war was over for Sanford he returned to the Spring Hill Community in Pickens County, Alabama and took up the house painting trade with his brother Samuel. He met and married Nancy Elizabeth Seymer/Seymour, originally from S. Carolina and they had a family of three sons and two daughters: James Joshua "Josh" 1869, Margaret "Maggie" in 1872, Jenks Seymour in 1873, Lewis Stone in 1875, and Mary Jane in 1878.
The years passed for Sanford and Nancy, but by the early 1890's Sanford's elderly father and his daughters Mary Jane and Margaret had all passed away. Not much was left for Sanford’s sons in Pickens County to better themselves, so his three sons Josh, Jenks, and Lewis moved to Richmond, Texas in 1893 taking Sanford and Nancy and their orphaned nephew Sanford Butler with them.
In Texas Sanford’s sons were businessmen and saloon keepers and Sanford in his early sixties again took up the house painting trade. He passed away suddenly in 1896 at the age of 63 while painting the roof of the Ft. Bend County, Texas Courthouse. He is buried in the historical section of Morton Cemetery, Richmond, Texas, with his wife Nancy and all his sons nearby.
Bio by: L Adams
Inscription
"At Rest - On that bright immortal shore we shall meet to part no more"
Gravesite Details
In good condition with engraving faint, but visible
