Ellen and her first husband, Robert Gillian, lived in a cabin near Walnut Creek, Arkansas, with their children; William, George, David, and Eliza (ages 8 - 2), when he was murdered. It is said that he fought for the North, and two of his brothers, Israel and Pinckney, fought for the South. In 1864, he was wounded in battle and was home recuperating when 40 bushwhackers showed up at their home, and killed him. Some of Robert and Ellen’s descendants believe her brother, Andrew “Drew” Woodward, was responsible, either as a member of the gang, or the one who told them where he was. One of his descendants still has the blood stained shirt he was wearing at the time of his death.
In 1865, Elmira married a widower, Martin Van Buren Vance, who had lost his wife, Jane Ellen. His oldest sons, Will and Cal, stayed with Martin and Elmira. Jesse, his four year old son, stayed with Martin’s parents, and his daughter, Cynthia stayed with her mother's parents.
Martin and Ellen were faced with the untimely deaths of their spouses and were determined to make a home for their children. The two oldest Gillian boys, William and George, were about the same ages as Will and Cal, and they got along well together.
Ellen gave birth to their first child, Andrew, in 1866, and to Julia in 1868. In the following census Ellen was listed as Mira, an abbreviated form of her first name, Elmira.
Federal Census of Union Township, Newton Co, AR, Aug. 24, 1870, Jasper Post office, #27-27; Martin, age 34, farmer, personal estate $300, AR; Mira, age 27, keeps house, MO; William H., age 15, farm laborer, AR; James C., age 13, farm laborer, AR; Andrew J., age 5, at home, AR; Julia A., age 2, at home, AR; Hiram T., age 1 mo., at home, AR; William F. Gillian, age 15, farm laborer, AR; George W. Gillian, age 12, farm laborer, AR; David Gillian, age 9, at home, AR; Eliza Gillian, age 8, at home, AR.
Martin and Ellen moved a few miles south, near Fort Douglas, Johnson, Arkansas, to a farm near Big Piney Creek. He farmed and worked as the local blacksmith, making and repairing tools and implements and shoeing horses for his neighbors. They had four more children: Hiram Thomas, May 10, 1871; Minda Elizabeth, August 10, 1873; Edmon, August 15, 1875; and Laura, February 27, 1878.
In 1878 James Calvin “Cal” was 21, when he went to Texas to seek his fortune. William “Will” Henry was married in Johnson County, Arkansas, on May 29, 1879.
Martin died January 6, 1880, less than one year after Will was married. A document, filed on January 22, 1880, lists the value of some items in his estate at $241. The appraisal includes some livestock, 1700 lbs. of planted cottonseed, and the remnant of his blacksmith tools.
In 1865, Elmira married a widower, Martin Van Buren Vance, who had lost his wife, Jane Ellen. His oldest sons, Will and Cal, stayed with Martin and Elmira. Jesse, his four year old son, stayed with Martin’s parents, and his daughter, Cynthia stayed with her mother's parents.
Martin and Ellen were faced with the untimely deaths of their spouses and were determined to make a home for their children. The two oldest Gillian boys, William and George, were about the same ages as Will and Cal, and they got along well together.
Ellen gave birth to their first child, Andrew, in 1866, and to Julia in 1868. In the following census Ellen was listed as Mira, an abbreviated form of her first name, Elmira.
Federal Census of Union Township, Newton Co, AR, Aug. 24, 1870, Jasper Post office, #27-27; Martin, age 34, farmer, personal estate $300, AR; Mira, age 27, keeps house, MO; William H., age 15, farm laborer, AR; James C., age 13, farm laborer, AR; Andrew J., age 5, at home, AR; Julia A., age 2, at home, AR; Hiram T., age 1 mo., at home, AR; William F. Gillian, age 15, farm laborer, AR; George W. Gillian, age 12, farm laborer, AR; David Gillian, age 9, at home, AR; Eliza Gillian, age 8, at home, AR.
Martin and Ellen moved a few miles south, near Fort Douglas, Johnson, Arkansas, to a farm near Big Piney Creek. He farmed and worked as the local blacksmith, making and repairing tools and implements and shoeing horses for his neighbors. They had four more children: Hiram Thomas, May 10, 1871; Minda Elizabeth, August 10, 1873; Edmon, August 15, 1875; and Laura, February 27, 1878.
In 1878 James Calvin “Cal” was 21, when he went to Texas to seek his fortune. William “Will” Henry was married in Johnson County, Arkansas, on May 29, 1879.
Martin died January 6, 1880, less than one year after Will was married. A document, filed on January 22, 1880, lists the value of some items in his estate at $241. The appraisal includes some livestock, 1700 lbs. of planted cottonseed, and the remnant of his blacksmith tools.
Ellen and her first husband, Robert Gillian, lived in a cabin near Walnut Creek, Arkansas, with their children; William, George, David, and Eliza (ages 8 - 2), when he was murdered. It is said that he fought for the North, and two of his brothers, Israel and Pinckney, fought for the South. In 1864, he was wounded in battle and was home recuperating when 40 bushwhackers showed up at their home, and killed him. Some of Robert and Ellen’s descendants believe her brother, Andrew “Drew” Woodward, was responsible, either as a member of the gang, or the one who told them where he was. One of his descendants still has the blood stained shirt he was wearing at the time of his death.
In 1865, Elmira married a widower, Martin Van Buren Vance, who had lost his wife, Jane Ellen. His oldest sons, Will and Cal, stayed with Martin and Elmira. Jesse, his four year old son, stayed with Martin’s parents, and his daughter, Cynthia stayed with her mother's parents.
Martin and Ellen were faced with the untimely deaths of their spouses and were determined to make a home for their children. The two oldest Gillian boys, William and George, were about the same ages as Will and Cal, and they got along well together.
Ellen gave birth to their first child, Andrew, in 1866, and to Julia in 1868. In the following census Ellen was listed as Mira, an abbreviated form of her first name, Elmira.
Federal Census of Union Township, Newton Co, AR, Aug. 24, 1870, Jasper Post office, #27-27; Martin, age 34, farmer, personal estate $300, AR; Mira, age 27, keeps house, MO; William H., age 15, farm laborer, AR; James C., age 13, farm laborer, AR; Andrew J., age 5, at home, AR; Julia A., age 2, at home, AR; Hiram T., age 1 mo., at home, AR; William F. Gillian, age 15, farm laborer, AR; George W. Gillian, age 12, farm laborer, AR; David Gillian, age 9, at home, AR; Eliza Gillian, age 8, at home, AR.
Martin and Ellen moved a few miles south, near Fort Douglas, Johnson, Arkansas, to a farm near Big Piney Creek. He farmed and worked as the local blacksmith, making and repairing tools and implements and shoeing horses for his neighbors. They had four more children: Hiram Thomas, May 10, 1871; Minda Elizabeth, August 10, 1873; Edmon, August 15, 1875; and Laura, February 27, 1878.
In 1878 James Calvin “Cal” was 21, when he went to Texas to seek his fortune. William “Will” Henry was married in Johnson County, Arkansas, on May 29, 1879.
Martin died January 6, 1880, less than one year after Will was married. A document, filed on January 22, 1880, lists the value of some items in his estate at $241. The appraisal includes some livestock, 1700 lbs. of planted cottonseed, and the remnant of his blacksmith tools.
In 1865, Elmira married a widower, Martin Van Buren Vance, who had lost his wife, Jane Ellen. His oldest sons, Will and Cal, stayed with Martin and Elmira. Jesse, his four year old son, stayed with Martin’s parents, and his daughter, Cynthia stayed with her mother's parents.
Martin and Ellen were faced with the untimely deaths of their spouses and were determined to make a home for their children. The two oldest Gillian boys, William and George, were about the same ages as Will and Cal, and they got along well together.
Ellen gave birth to their first child, Andrew, in 1866, and to Julia in 1868. In the following census Ellen was listed as Mira, an abbreviated form of her first name, Elmira.
Federal Census of Union Township, Newton Co, AR, Aug. 24, 1870, Jasper Post office, #27-27; Martin, age 34, farmer, personal estate $300, AR; Mira, age 27, keeps house, MO; William H., age 15, farm laborer, AR; James C., age 13, farm laborer, AR; Andrew J., age 5, at home, AR; Julia A., age 2, at home, AR; Hiram T., age 1 mo., at home, AR; William F. Gillian, age 15, farm laborer, AR; George W. Gillian, age 12, farm laborer, AR; David Gillian, age 9, at home, AR; Eliza Gillian, age 8, at home, AR.
Martin and Ellen moved a few miles south, near Fort Douglas, Johnson, Arkansas, to a farm near Big Piney Creek. He farmed and worked as the local blacksmith, making and repairing tools and implements and shoeing horses for his neighbors. They had four more children: Hiram Thomas, May 10, 1871; Minda Elizabeth, August 10, 1873; Edmon, August 15, 1875; and Laura, February 27, 1878.
In 1878 James Calvin “Cal” was 21, when he went to Texas to seek his fortune. William “Will” Henry was married in Johnson County, Arkansas, on May 29, 1879.
Martin died January 6, 1880, less than one year after Will was married. A document, filed on January 22, 1880, lists the value of some items in his estate at $241. The appraisal includes some livestock, 1700 lbs. of planted cottonseed, and the remnant of his blacksmith tools.
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