*****IMPORTANT NOTE: The photo placed on this page by someone else is NOT a photo of Napoleon. It is a photo of Elmadorous N. Sprinkle, a cousin.*****

Napoleon was the son of Jacob Sprinkle & Mary ("Polly") Sheltman. His years of birth and death are estimated.

Napoleon married (1) Cynthia Fry on 9 Sep 1830 in Wythe Co., VA. The marriage record shows her surname was Surat; however, there is some debate as to her maiden name. Several of her children's death certificates show her maiden name as Fry, so we have used that. We have been told that DNA test results of descendants of Cynthia show a connection to the Surat family. We do not know what type of DNA test was done, so it could mean that Cynthia was indeed a Surat by birth - or it could mean she had a first husband who was a Surat.

Napoleon & Cynthia divorced or separated after 1850, and Napoleon married (2) Dollie Jane Greenlee of Claiborne Co., TN. No record of their marriage has been found.

Napoleon & Cynthia's children included: Daniel; Jane; William, Elizabeth (Johnson), Andrew, Sarah, Margaret Anne (Cadle); Martha (Percival); & Julia Ann (McNamara). They were all born in VA. Daniel may be Napoleon's stepson rather than his biological son.

Napoleon & Dollie's children included: George Washington; Lydia Catherine (Shears, Shetterly); Frank; Amanda (Elliott); Ellen; Louisa (Simmons); Orleana (Smith); Sallie N. (Ingle); & D. Thomas. They all appear to have been born in KY.

Napoleon has only been found on two census records: 1840, Lee Co., VA and 1850, when he was enumerated in jail in Henrico Co., VA. After his death, Dollie appears on the 1880 census.

Napoleon clearly managed to keep away from the census enumerator. But he couldn't keep away from the tax collector, so it's been mostly through tax records and some birth records for his children that we have traced him through the years. The last tax record on which he has been found was in 1875, when he was taxed in Lincoln Co., KY. He was taxed on 100 acres near Crab Orchard. Additionally, when daughter Lydia married in Jan 1875, the marriage record shows that the marriage took place at Napoleon Sprinkles' home.

There are death records for 1876-1878 in Lincoln Co. and he is not included. There aren't any extant records for 1879, so since we know he's gone by 1880, we have speculated that he died in 1879 (but he could have died 1875-1878 and his death not been reported).

Note that his surname is typically spelled Sprinkle in VA records and Sprinkles in KY records.

Napoleon's place of burial is most likely the family farm.