The Adams Family

Alice Adams

Birth: 12 April 1848

Father: George Forbes Adams

Mother: Matilda (Moore) Adams

Sources:

Charlie Moore Adams

Birth: 3 May 1884, in Allensville, Kentucky, United States

Father: William Henry Adams

Mother: Carrie Marshall (Jenkins) Adams

Married: Corinne McGraw on 27 December 1916

Death: 18 March 1936, in Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Buried: Belmont Cemetery, Allensville, Kentucky, United States

Sources:

Eliza Adams

Birth: 1838, in Ireland

Father: George Forbes Adams

Mother: Matilda (Moore) Adams

Notes: On 1 November 1863, Eliza's brother William wrote a letter to her from his POW prison in Camp Douglas, Illinois. The letter, transcribed in full at Wartime Letters of William Henry Adams, reads in part:
"Elisa Adams Dearest Sister,
   Your most welcome letter of the 20th and maws of the 24th have come to hand. I recieved the socks and gave two pair away. The net caps were very acceptible. Mon Merritt says if you have another you must send it to him."

Sources:

Ethel (Adams) Long

Birth: 6 October 1874, in Kentucky, United States

Father: John Adams

Mother: Mattie B. (Hughes) Adams

Married: Leonard Long

Children:
Census:
1880: Allensville, Todd county, Kentucky

Sources:

Fannie A. Adams

Birth: 10 June 1854, in Logan county, Kentucky, United States

Father: George Forbes Adams

Mother: Matilda (Moore) Adams

Census:
1880: District 5, Montgomery county, Tennessee

Sources:

Frank Moore Adams

Birth: 1842, in Ireland

Father: George Forbes Adams

Mother: Matilda (Moore) Adams

Death: 1863, a prisoner of war in Camp Morton, Indiana, United States
Camp Morton
Camp Morton

Buried: Greenwood Cemetery, 984 Greenwood Avenue, Clarksville, Montgomery county, Tennessee, United States

Notes:
In June 1861, Frank Adams enlisted in the Confederate Army with three of his brothers George, John and William, in the 1st Kentucky Infantry (Company K). The brothers served well under Captain Jim Childress and when their company disbanded, they all re-enlisted, this time in Morgans 3rd Kentucky Cavalry (Company G). Along with his brothers George and William, Frank was captured on 19 July 1863 while crossing the Ohio River at the Battle of Buffington Island, with Col. Basil Duke in command. The three brothers were imprisoned at Camp Morton, Indiana, where that Frank became very ill and died. 

In a letter home from Camp Morton dated August 13 1863, Frank's brother William wrote of Frank's illness. The complete letter is transcribed at Wartime Letters of William Henry Adams.
"Father,
I seat myself for the purpose of letting you know how we are getting along. George and myself are both well but Frank is tolerable sick, he has got the flux. I think that you had better come to see him and get im out of prison. "


Within a month, Frank was dead. His remains were sent back to Clarksville, Tennessee for burial.

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George Forbes Adams

Birth: 27 June 1802, in Newtownbutler, county Fermanagh, Ireland

Father: John Adams

Mother: Eliza

Married: Matilda Moore on 23 November 1836, in Urney parish, Cavan, Ireland

Children:
Death: 7 March 1894, in Cedar Hill, Robertson county, Tennessee, United States, aged 92

Buried: 8 March 1894 in Greenwood Cemetery, 984 Greenwood Avenue, Clarksville, Montgomery county, Tennessee, United States

Notes: George, Matilda, their children and George's father, John, emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1844. John died shortly before the ship's arrival in New Orleans, Louisiana, and he was buried there on arrival. An elder brother of George's had previously traveled to the United States and purchased property for the family in Tennessee and Kentucky. The Adams family travelled to Kentucky where they purchased a farm (later known as the Joe Gill farm) near Keysburg where they lived until 1857 when they moved to Port Royal, Tennessee. George bought a 636 acre farm in Port Royal from Felix Northington, paying $20 an acre. In addition to farming and merchant activities, George was appointed US Postmaster in Port Royal on 2 June 1876, and served until 8 December 1879.

Census:
1880: District 5, Montgomery county, Tennessee

Sources:

George Forbes Adams

Birth: 4 December 1838, in Ireland

Father: George Forbes Adams

Mother: Matilda (Moore) Adams

Death: 1864, a prisoner of war in Camp Douglas, Illinois, United States
Camp Douglas
Camp Douglas

Buried: near the hospital, Camp Douglas, Illinois, United States

Notes:
George was a twin brother of John Adams. In June 1861, George Adams enlisted in the Confederate Army with three of his brothers John, William and Frank, in the 1st Kentucky Infantry (Company K). The brothers served well under Captain Jim Childress and when their company disbanded, they all re-enlisted, this time in Morgans 3rd Kentucky Cavalry (Company G). Along with his brothers William and Frank, George was captured on 19 July 1863 while crossing the Ohio River at the Battle of Buffington Island, with Col. Basil Duke in command. William, George and Frank were first sent to Camp Morton, Indiana. It was here that Frank became very ill and died. George and William were later transferred to Camp Douglas, Illinois, where George fell seriously ill. He was nursed at the camp hospital by his brother, William, who wrote of George's deteriorating condition in a series of letters home transcribed at Wartime Letters of William Henry Adams.

The transcriptions include a letter from George himself, dated 7 April 1864, about three months before his death. He writes about his admission to the camp hospital:
"My health has not been so good lately owing to the cold I caught during the past winter in the delicate state of my health so I reluctunlly obtained my consent to come to the Hospital one week ago where I have been much pleased with my change...Think I've improved wonderfully; beyond my most sanquine expectations. My bowels are checked, my digestion improving rapidly, sufer no pain, only (principal) complain is debility; feel my strength increasing everyday in fact I've never been so week as to be confined to my bed. Hope I will not be long ere I recover my former vigor & health."

George's brother was less sanguine in a letter home dated 19 June 1864:
"he is sinking slowly.  he dont seem to suffer mutch but is very weak. It seems very hard for such a boy as George to be compelled to suffer so long."

George Forbes Adams died about July 1864. He was buried near the hospital at Camp Douglas.

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George F. Adams

Birth: 1877/8, in Tennessee, United States

Father: Joseph Watkins Adams

Mother: Mattie C. (Patrick) Adams

Census:
1880: District 6, Robertson county, Tennessee

Sources:

Henderson Adams

Birth: October 1879, in Tennessee, United States

Father: Joseph Watkins Adams

Mother: Mattie C. (Patrick) Adams

Census:
1880: District 6, Robertson county, Tennessee

Sources:

Ida S. (Adams) Rosson

Birth: 3 February 1856, in Kentucky, United States

Father: George Forbes Adams

Mother: Matilda (Moore) Adams

Married: Willis Bobo Rosson in 1875

Children:
Death: 26 August 1925
Notes: The WorldConnect entry on Willis Rosson simply has him married to an Ida S. Adams born about 1857 in Kentucky. However, in Heritage in Quilts (Daughters of the American Revolution Tennessee Society p.37), mention is made of a  coverlet owned by Sadie Mimms Rosson "passed down from the owner's father's family, Matilda Moore and George Adams who emigrated to America from Ireland".

Census:
1880: District 1, Montgomery county, Tennessee

Sources:

John Adams

John Adams
John Adams
Birth: 4 December 1838, in Ireland

Father: George Forbes Adams

Mother: Matilda (Moore) Adams

Married: Mattie B. Hughes on 27 November 1872. Mattie was born on 22 June 1850, in Kentucky, the daughter of W.B. and Mary Browder Hughes.

Children:
Occupation: Merchant. John started working as a clerk in his father's store in June 1854. In 1857 he moved to a wholesale house in Nashville and the next year to Clarksville where he joined R.D. Dunning & Co. After the Civil War, John returned to Port Royal and worked in George F. Adams & son until 1870 when he moved to Allensville, Kentucky. In 1886 John moved back to Clarksville and organized the tobacco firm Adams, Gill & Co.
The 1895 Clarksville City Directory lists:
ADAMS, John; partner at Adams & Neblett Grocers; resides 903 Franklin St.; wife, Mattie

Death: August 1923, aged 84

Notes:
John was a twin brother of George Forbes Adams. John Adams enlisted in the Confederate Army on 15 April 1861 with three of his brothers George, William and Frank, in Col. Tom Taylor's 1st Kentucky Infantry (Company K). The brothers served well under Captain Jim Childress and when their company disbanded, they all re-enlisted, this time in Morgan's 3rd Kentucky Cavalry (Company G). John was promoted to Brevet Second Lieutenant. All three of his brothers were captured on 19 July 1863 at the Battle of Buffington Island. John was captured in July 1864 at the Battle of Cynthiana and imprisoned at Johnsons Island POW camp on Lake Erie. He was released in June 1865.

Census:
1880: Allensville, Todd county, Kentucky

Sources:

Joseph Watkins Adams

Birth: 10 January 1844, in Ireland
Montgomery County, TN claims that Joseph was born at sea on the emigration voyage, but this seems to have some issues with timing - the voyage was only six weeks and we know that they Adams family arrived in Clarksville on June 20 1844 (Wartime Letters of William Henry Adams) so there would have had to have a long layover in New Orleans for this timing to work. The 1880 census shows Joseph's birthplace as Ireland. The Montgomery County, TN entry also shows the birthdate as 10 January 1843, but the gravestone in Greenwood Cemetery is marked with a birthdate of 10 January 1844.

Father: George Forbes Adams

Mother: Matilda (Moore) Adams

Married: Mattie C. Patrick. Mattie was born on 11 February 1853, in Tennessee, the daughter of James Henderson Patrick and Angeline McCauley. Mattie died 20 October 1936, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Children:
Occupation: Farmer

Death: 12 July 1928

Buried: in Greenwood Cemetery, 984 Greenwood Avenue, Clarksville, Montgomery county, Tennessee, United States

Census:
1880: District 6, Robertson county, Tennessee

Sources:

Mary Jane Adams

Birth: 4 December 1846, in the United States

Father: George Forbes Adams

Mother: Matilda (Moore) Adams

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Ruth Weldon (Adams) Potter

Birth: 5 April 1887, in Allensville, Kentucky, United States

Father: William Henry Adams

Mother: Carrie Marshall (Jenkins) Adams

Married: George M. Potter on 7 November 1911

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Susan Adams

Birth: 21 March 1850, in Kentucky, United States

Father: George Forbes Adams

Mother: Matilda (Moore) Adams

Census:
1880: District 5, Montgomery county, Tennessee

Sources:

William Henry Adams

William Henry Adams
William Henry Adams
photo taken at Camp Douglas prison Wartime Letters of William Henry Adams
Birth: 19 June 1841, in Enniskillen, county Fermanagh, Ireland

Father: George Forbes Adams

Mother: Matilda (Moore) Adams

Married: Carrie Marshall Jenkins on 10 May 1882. Carrie was born on 25 May 1862, in Hardin county, Kentucky.

Children:
Notes: William Adams enlisted in the Confederate Army on 17 June 1861 with three of his brothers George, John and Frank, in the 1st Kentucky Infantry (Company K). The brothers served well under Captain Jim Childress and when their company disbanded, they all re-enlisted, this time in Morgan's 3rd Kentucky Cavalry (Company G). Wiliam was promoted to the rank of Corporal. Along with his brothers George and Frank, William was captured on 19 July 1863 while crossing the Ohio River at the Battle of Buffington Island, with Col. Basil Duke in command. William, George and Frank were first sent to Camp Morton, Indiana. It was here that Frank became very ill and died. George and William were later transferred to Camp Douglas, Illinois, where George fell ill and died. William wrote a series of letters home from Camp Morton and Camp Douglas that have been transcribed at Wartime Letters of William Henry Adams. He was released in 1865.

Death: 21 April 1921, in Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Buried: Belmont cemetery, Allensville, Kentucky, United States

Sources:
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