The Story of Ray Everett

Ray Everett Arrowood was born May 23, 1922 in Gastonia, North Carolina. He was the son of Lewis William “Pat” Arrowood and his first wife, Edith Davis Arrowood.

Edith passed away, when Ray was just shy of being two and half years old. So sad to lose your Mom before you have time to know her. Sadder still , to not be allowed many memories of the lady that gave birth to you, to carry you on, through life.

Ray soon had a younger sister, who was born when he was the age of seven. Hilda Faye Arrowood was born, the daughter of Lewis "Pat" and Maude Hull Arrowood. Then a baby brother was born three years later, Steve. Steve and Ray soon became inseparable. Steve idolized his big brother and wanted to be just like him. In later years, when my Dad would recount his younger days, there would always be a 'far-away look' that come over his eyes, as he remembered his beloved brother, Ray. A smile would come to his face, remembering their special bond.

Ray had an Uncle Bob, Rufus "Bob" Preston Davis, that came to visit him in North Carolina. Bob was a brother to his mother, Edith. Bob was born November 06, 1894, son of James R. (Jack) Davis and Anna Ledbetter Davis, as was Edith and three other siblings.

Reluctantly, William Lewis “Pat” allowed his son, Ray, when he was about 14, to go to Hobbs, New Mexico to spend the summer with his Uncle Bob and Aunt Mae. Once he discovered New Mexico, Ray decided to stay out in Hobbs and live. I am sure it was an exciting place to a young fellow, more of a ‘new frontier” type of environment than North Carolina, I suppose. Oil rigs were plentiful and he soon started working on one.

Ray enlisted in the United States Army on May 16, 1944 .

Years passed and Steve followed Ray out to New Mexico, to work with him on the oil rigs. Steve eventually returned home and had lots of stories to tell.. Rodeo riding, Oil rigs, tumbleweeds, wild escapades , and the like.

Ray’s Uncle Bob passed away when Ray was 21 years old.
Ray worked as a driller on an oil rig.





Ray married his sweetheart, Martha, in 1940, in Seminole, Gaines County, Texas.
They had three beautiful daughters.

Then one day in May, 1963, tragedy struck. The following account is from Ray’s youngest daughter:

“What was being done (on the rig) was very dangerous, and Ray would not even start the drilling back up, until all his men were off the floor. There were two other men with Ray, that were trying to help. There are chains, two of them, on the tongs, one on each side (of the drilling mechanism). One was broken and they were only operating with one chain. The two tool ‘pushers’ for the company he worked for were on the floor with him, one of them said, “We will just do it anyway“ , and then Ray said, “Not with my men on the floor!” Ray instructed them both, that they would have to help him. So he started the pipe spinning to drill down in the hole, the pipe was almost at full speed, the other chain broke and the tongs went in two different directions.”

Ray saw that one of the tongs was going to hit his friend Albert, so he knocked him out of the way and Ray was hit. One hit him on the front of his body and the other on his back. These tongs weigh thousands of pounds. They are bigger than a man, they clamp around the pile and they are supposed to help hold the pile for the drilling. The force of the blow to his body was tremendous, crushing him in an instant.

The man that insisted on Ray going on ahead, without the proper precautions, was never able to let this go, and had a hard time with it. The other man had horrible nightmares for years. Ray's daughter remembers:

“The men that were helping Dad, were both very good friends of our family. All of his workers kept telling my mom, over and over again, that my daddy was so brave, that he cared so much about everyone else. They had all said they would help, but Ray said “No“.”

Ray truly wanted to protect everyone else.

(The following are memories of Ray’s daughter.)

Daddy was always the type of person who would be one of the first to help others, he would do his share and more. He always continued to help our Aunt Mae even after Uncle Bob had died. Aunt Mae was only an aunt by marriage, but that was the kind of person he was, he even helped her mother and sister, just like there were his real true family. Any time a neighbor or a friend needed help he was there. He would even help the less than fortunate, those who could not afford to help themselves. I remember him giving money to those who needed it, he was always worrying about others.




He loved his wife, his children and dreamed of being a grandfather and was a good one for the short time he had to be a grandfather. He would go and pick up his grandson that lived close by. He would take him home and play with him, watch him and would talk about the times he would spend taking him fishing and hunting, which never came about.

When he died he had four grandchildren and was so happy to talk about them. He had big dreams, as any man of his age would have, the sad thing is he never got to fulfill those dreams. He was and still is truly missed by myself and my two sisters. I hate that my children never got to meet him or know the man that I knew and loved.

I have so many fond memories of him, my strongest memory was Christmas. He loved Christmas with a passion, he loved it so much that he could not wait to decorate the house for Christmas. He always enjoyed listing the song by Bing Crosby called, “White Christmas” and to this day I can hear that song and it will bring tears of joy to me. I still have to watch the movie White Christmas each year for no other reason than to remember those wonderful Christmas’s that we had with him.


Ray had gotten the company’s “Safety Award” for two years running, until that week, one other man was hurt on his rig, and then Ray was killed. By all accounts, Ray was a man with genuine caring for others, a man with a huge heart.

He was a kind, brave man that looked out for everyone else‘s well being.

He died one day before his 41st birthday. He is buried at Prairie Haven Cemetery in Hobbs, Lea County, New Mexico.

~ May 23, 1922 b. ~ May 24, 1963 d. ~ Well done, Uncle Ray.




Martha, Ray Everett, Hilda, and Lewis "Pat" William Arrowood

Fall In North Carolina

'Seven Devils' In The Tree

Located centrally, between Boone, Blowing Rock, Sugar Mountain, Banner Elk, and Beech Mountain, there is a town called Seven Devils, North Carolina.

Boasting an elevation of 5,200 feet, the town of Seven Devils was founded in 1775. The lower end of the mountain was used to farm everything from cabbage to tobacco and the upper end was used for raising cattle. Hanging Rock, Four Diamond Ridge and Hawksbill Rock were the highest peaks in the area.

Seven men on horseback braved an old wagon trail and observed these peaks one fortunate day in 1964. The four Reynolds brothers; Buck, Frank, Dan, and Herb, Ray Smith, George Hampton, and Gardner Gidley saw this magnificent mountain as something that should be shared by many. The L.A. Reynolds Industrial District of Winston-Salem, NC formed the Seven Devils Ski Resort in the town, in 1965.

Have you ever heard the story about an old man on the mountain who had seven sons "as mean as the devil"? People were heard commenting, that in the winter, the mountain was "as cold as the devils" or "as windy as the devil".

There is a repeated appearance of the number seven, including the seven predominant rocky peaks surrounding Valley Creek, as well as the many coincidental references to "devils".

Well, naturally these “devils” figure in to our tree…grin.

William Winters, born about 1767, in Ireland, most likely, married Miss Mary Balew on September 30, 1795 in North Carolina.
They had a son named John James Winters , born about 1795 in Burke County, North Carolina.
John James Winters married Nancy Daniels on March 13, 1814 in Burke County, North Carolina.

John James and Nancy Winters had five children.
One of these children was William “Billy” N. Winters.
William “Billy” Winters married Elizabeth "Liza" Shell in 1837.

Boy, did they have some kids.
Seven boys and seven girls.


One of the seven girls was our Sarah Ellen “Ellender” Winters Arrowood, wife of Samuel.

Children of William and Liza Shell Winters:

Mary Jane Winters, Born 1838
Sarah Ellen Winters, Born May 1840
John H. Winters, Born 1843
William "Billy" Winters, Jr., Born 1844
Malinda Winters, Born 1845
Albert Tipton Winters, Born 1847
Martin W. Winters, Born 1854
Carrick W. N. Winters, Born 1855
Elizabeth Harriet Winters, Born February 10, 1855
Charlotte "Lottie" Elizabeth Winters, Born 1856
Martha A. Winters, Born March 1858
Charles Winters, Born 1860
Nathaniel Winters
Daniel Wilbur Winters, Born 1844




The old story went that there were "seven blue eyed boys and seven green eyed girls". Some family members said the girls were dark eyed. I think the eye color of the girls was just a matter of perception.

Note (The eye color of the male grandchildren was said to be as blue as the sky.)

"There were seven devils and seven angels".

It was commonly believed in those days that all of the boys were devils and the girls were all angels.



Dan Winters reviewed the character of the members of the family and reached the decision that two of the boys were of general good character, and two of the girl were "mean as devils", therefore he listed two of the girls as 'devils'. One of the girls changed her ways after the days of her marriage. She was Malinda, married to William Hobson. William was a good man and apparently he had a good effect on Malinda. Elizabeth was tough to the end, she left her first husband and children to marry her second husband. She made his life difficult to the very end.

Dan Winters can remember the old time Winters mentioning that there were two girls named Mary, the Winters family. One girl grew up and married and raised children, the second, which we have assigned the name of "Mary Nancy" to determine her from Mary Jane. Mary Nancy was listed on the 1840 census and was not listed on the 1850 census, she died before the age of 12. She is buried in the same cemetery as her father at his feet and to his left.

Daniel Wilbur Winters was generally a good man, he had one child out of wedlock but beyond this, he was a good man. Albert Winters was generally a good man. He got his reputation because of his ability to fight. In the 'tough man' contest that they held during the summers, Albert won the event 15 years running. He could defeat most or all of the men of his day in a fist fight, thus the misconception that he was one of the "Devils". Understand, he was a tough customer, in those days anyone who lived in this area was tough, and they had to be.

The Devil List ~

John H. Winters. (The Second Meanest of the Group)
Malinda Winters (She became a Reformed Devil, in her later years and turned good.)
Martin Winters (The Meanest of the Group)
William H. Winters (Fair to Middlin’ Mean)
Carrick Nelson Winters (Loved Mischief)
Nathaniel Winters (Middlin’ To Mean)
Elizabeth Harriet Winters (One Tough Customer)


The Angels list ~

Mary Jane Winters (Good Woman)
Mary Nancy Winters (died as a child before 1850)
Sarah Ellen Winters (Good Woman)
Daniel Wilbur Winters (Good man, died young)
Albert Tiption Winters (Good man, lived to a good old age, married the daughter of a Baptist preacher)
Martha Winters (Good Woman)
Charlotte Winters (Good Woman)

John H. Winters is buried in the Ellis Cemetery in Elk Park, North Carolina.
Daniel Wilbur Winters is buried in the Richardson Cemetery on Morgan Branch.
Albert Tiption Winters is buried in the Albert Winters Cemetery at the top of Little Elk Road in Elk Park, North Carolina.
Martin Winters is buried in the Richard Donnely Cemetery on Highway 91 North in Mountain City, Johnson County, Tennessee. (He has no marker for his grave.)
William H. Winters is buried in the Owens Cemetery, on Deer Run road, off Highway 91 North.
Carrick Nelson Winters is buried at his cemetery at the end of the Claude Jones Lane on Little Elk Road in Elk Park, North Carolina.
Nathanial Winters is buried beside John H. Winters in the Ellis Cemetery in Elk Park NC.

Mary Jane Winters Franklin is buried at the Taylor’s Chapel on Buck Mountain, North Carolina.
Mary Nancy Winters is buried at the Richardson Cemetery on Morgan Branch Tennessee, near her father.
Sarah Ellen Winters, Mount Olivet Methodist Church Cemetery, Gastonia, North Carolina.
Malinda Winters Hobson is buried in the Albert Winters Cemetery at the top of Little Elk Road Elk Park, North Carolina.
Martha Winters Caraway is buried at the Caraway Cemetery on Morgan Branch Tennessee, in the Richardson Cemetery.
Charlotte Winters Greer is buried in Idaho, exact location, unknown.
Elizabeth Harriet Winters Nelson is buried in the Blackwell Cemetery on Buck Mountain, Tennessee.



The family of the Seven Devils carried on with a practice that caused the members of the community, to believe that they were, “Devils“.
Every summer, from about 1865 until about 1900, they came to the Doll Flats (the Doll Flats is a mountain meadow at about 4500 ft. above sea level on the North Carolina & Tennessee state line). They would hold a tough man contest (men only), the one stipulation was that each member must be a blood descendant of John Winters. Anyone else would be forcibly removed. They would fight in rounds, until a champion was declared. This process was close to the fighting style of the Vikings, that terrorized Europe, from 700 AD to 1100 AD.

They would start the process with a "Ditty", of which one line went, "Come and join our social group".

Albert Winters won the event for fifteen years running.
It took a week or more for the fighters to recover from the wounds they received in this contest. The rest of the community would see the distorted faces of the men with these wounds and conclude that normal people did not do this type of thing. The men loved a good fight, William the father was a bare knuckle fighter, he was a large man with great strength, he once picked up a grown horse and set it over a fence, (a grown horse could weigh 800 to 1000 pounds).

This family developed their attitudes before and during the “War Between the States” we can only guess at what it was like to live in those times during the unsettled conditions of the war. This family, like so many others, took a long time to return to the concept and execution of ‘living in times of peace‘. The Sheriff was twenty miles away and could not get to the area for a day or two, even if he wanted to. The people of this era and location had to fend for themselves, Mr. Frank Fields stated that men of this era would settle disagreements among themselves, they did not like outside intrusions.

This is the game board that the pieces moved on, the men and women were the pieces and the players, the interplay between the players fills out and embellishes the story of the ‘Seven Devils‘.

One thing of interest is that during the summer tough man contest when darkness came, they would take a break and gather the rails from William Hobson's fence, and build a bonfire (like the Vikings) and then carry on with the contest. I think William Hobson probably split some extra rails and hid them away so he could quickly rebuild his fence each year.

The rails were made from the chestnut trees that covered the land in those days.
These men were his in-laws, so he did not disagree much with them.

The Ship Has Sailed ~ Arrowood’s Head For The Americas

The earliest mention of the family name in America that has been discovered was around 1658, when a William Arwood was among seventy seven people imported to Charles City County, VA, by a planter. The researcher who published abstracts of the court records listed him as "Wm Arwood [sic]," probably indicating that she suspected a misspelling of the name "Harwood."
The next Arwood came to King and Queen County, VA, around 1701, when Isaac Arwood was among four persons transported to a plantation in Pamunkey Neck, on the east side of Pampatike Sw "Pamunkey Neck" is the name of the region between the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Rivers, which merge to form the York River. Later in 1701, this area became King William County. It lies about thirty miles east of modern Richmond.
The name Isaac Arwood has not been discovered again in the next ninety years; then, around 1790, two Isaac Arrowoods were born in North Carolina.
Twenty eight years after Isaac arrived, another English Arwood emigrant was recorded. In October, 1729, one Mary Arwood was sentenced by a court in Middlesex County, England, to be transported to the colonies. In the same month, Mary boarded the ship "Forward", bound for Virginia; she died during the voyage. As the year is not too late, it must be considered that a baby or child might have survived her, although none was mentioned in the record.

Spelling variations include: Arrowood, Arwood, Arewood, Arowood, and others. First found in Lancashire where they were anciently seated at Arrowood.

Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: John, Isaac and Mary. The name was represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands.

This first Arrowood, Immigrant Arrowood had two sons:

* Father (Of Maryland Arrowood , Born before 1720
* Johannah Arrowood, Born before 1720 in in Kent Island,
Queen Anne's County, MD

Father (Of Maryland) Arrowood had two sons.

**John Arrowood, (son of Father (of Maryland) Born before 1745

John Arwood was listed as a resident in the census report 1778 in Town Hundred, Talbot County, MD. He was listed as a resident in the census report 1790 in Queen Anne's County, MD. His name first is known from a tax list of 1768 in Rowan County, NC, when he was called John Arowod. The next appearance is as John Arewood on a census of Talbot County, Maryland, in 1778. In that same year, a John Arrowood Junior was named on a tax list in Rowan County, implying that an older man of that name was known to the recording clerk, but not necessarily indicating his immediate presence in the area.
The 1790 census found a John Arwood in Queen Anne County, Maryland (adjacent to Talbot County). Enumerated were three males over age 16 and five females. No boys under 16 were present.
It is not certain, though it seems likely, that the man in Talbot County in 1778 is the same as the man in adjacent Queen Anne County in 1790.
No other Ar--wood is known in Maryland after the Revolution. The two instances, and the spelling "Arewood" in 1778, argue against him being a dropped-"H" Harwood.
In the 1800 census, he was in Rowan County. He and his wife were both over age 45; there was a young man 16-25 (presumed to be Loyd) and a boy and girl, each 10-15. On the same page is his son John, age 26-45, with a wife 16-25 and children under 10. His son James was in Rutherford County with seven children, including two boys 10-15.
The information from that record supports the supposition that in 1790, John was in Talbot County, MD, with his two sons James and John. His wife and daughter, John's wife, and James's wife and possible daughter could have been the five females recorded there. Only the absence of John's son, age 10-15 in 1800, is unexplained. Perhaps he was born in 1790 after the census - he has not been identified.
Catastrophe, perhaps disease or accident, struck the family sometime before 1810. The aforementioned unidentified son, and John, his wife, and John Junior all disappeared from the records, and it appears that John Junior's widow and children were residing with Loyd in 1820.
John married and had four sons, his bride has yet to be ‘discovered’, as to her identity.

Their four sons were:


* John Arrowood, Jr. Born before 1774

In the 1800 Census, John was listed as a head of household in Rowan County, NC. He was age 26-44, residing with a woman 16-25 and a boy and a girl, both under age 10.


* Isaac (of TN ) Arrowood , Born about 1791

In the 1820 Census, Isaac was listed as a head of household in Lincoln County, NC. Isaac and his wife were age 26-44, with a girl 10-15, and two girls and a boy aged under 10. Isaac was a farmer. The census record is arranged alphabetically, apparently by militia companies. On separated lines within the same company are Eli, Ben, and Zachariah Arrowood.
In the 1830 Census, Isaac was listed as a head of household in Burke County, NC. Isaac and his wife were in their 30s, with two girls 10-14, two boys 5-9, and a boy and a girl each under 5.
In the 1840 Census, Isaac was listed as a head of household in Carter County, TN. Isaac was in his 30s, his wife was 40+. There was a boy 10-14, a girl 5-9, and a girl under age 5.
8/28/1850 census Carter County, TN, P221B L30, 9th Civ Dist:
Isaac Arowood 59 b. NC Collier col.12 col.10=1814; Susannah 60 b. NC col.12; Elijah W. b. TN Collier; Matilda C. 15 b. TN; Elinoir Robinson 20 b. NC col.10=1847; Eliza 1 b. TN. Next to William, near Hiram.
6/4/1860 census Washington County TN, P44B L31, Brush Creek Dist, Jonesboro:
Isaac Arrawood 70 b. NC Coalier PE$25; Elizabeth 70 b. NC; Carolina 27 b. NC Domestic.
8/13/1870 census Washington County, TN, P267B L6, District No. 9, Carter Station:
Arrowood Isaac 80 b. NC Farm laborer col.19; Caroline 40 b. NC Keeping house col.16,17.


* Lloyd Arrowood, Born 1792 in Lincoln County, North Carolina

In the 1810 Census, Loyd was listed as a head of household in Lincoln County, NC. He was recorded as of age 16-25, with two boys 10-15, two boys 0-9; a woman (wife?) 16-25, and two older women 26-44. These are presumed to include the widows and orphans of his father and brother.
In the 1820 Census, Loyd was listed as a head of household in Lincoln County, NC. Loyd was found with his wife, both age 26-44, and four boys and a girl, all under age 10.
In the 1830 Census, Loyd was listed as a head of household in Carter County, TN. Loyd and his wife were in their thirties and had added two boys and a girl age 5-9 and a boy and a girl under 5. Only one of the older boys and the girl, each 15-19, remained at home.
Loyd's name was on a tax roll 1836 in Johnson County, TN. Loyd and Drury Arrowood both appeared on the roll of District No. 7, taxed for one white poll and no land.
In the 1840 Census, Loyd was listed as a head of household in Carter County, TN. Loyd and his wife, now over 40, had added a boy and a girl, each age 5-9. Only the youngest girl from 1830 was no longer in the household. In all, it appears that he had as many as eight sons, of whom only four have been identified.

~ James T. (of Wilkes County NC) Arrowood ~ Born March 1, 1763
This is our James that married Eliza “Lisey” Crowder in 1765 in Rutherford County, North Carolina. * See his story in the posting, "The Arrowood Trail Begins~ James".





**James Arrowood, Born before 1740 in Queens Ann
County, Maryland





James Arrowood, son of Father (Of Maryland) Arrowood:

Sometime between 1732 and 1763, James Arrowood served for thirty days in Capt. Thomas Morris's Company of Maryland Militia. The most likely period would be early in the French and Indian War, or when he came of age during that war. Many of the names of the officers and soldiers on the roster of the militia appear in the land records of Frederick County, some as early as 1749. It appears that the company was organized from residents of Frederick County. James's service may have gained him a grant of land in the county, which he sold in the late 1760s, within five years after the end of the war.
Frederick Co. Circuit Court Records (LDS Film 13,938), Liber H, page 212, Nov. 18, 1762, records a deed from James Arrowood to Daniel Zacharias. On Aug. 31, 1765, James Irwood of Frederick County, signing with X his mark, deeded to John Baumgardner Jr. of Pipe Creek hundred in Frederick County, yeoman, for twenty two pounds and ten shillings, a fifty acre parcel of land called James' Choice lying in Pipe Creek hundred. The deed was witnessed by Wm Blair and Jas White. The indexer of deeds referred to this deed under both Irwood and Arwood.
No further mention of James Arrowood has been found in Maryland. On September 22, 1768, a petition for tax relief, signed with that name and twenty nine other residents of Orange and Rowan Counties in North Carolina, was sent to the Assembly of that colony.
In 1778, James Arrowood's name was mentioned as the original claimant of land claims entered by two others in Rowan County. On November 28 of that year, he entered his own claim of fifty acres in Rowan County on waters of Dutchmans and Pealor's Creeks; the border was a line between John Roberts and "his" father and his own lines. This land included John Roberts' improvements. Dutchmans Creek runs north west off of the north fork of the Yadkin River toward the north west corner of modern Rowan County, where it crosses into modern Surry County.



James (of Maryland) Arrowood, B. 1740 , had the following children:



~James William Arrowood~ Born about 1755, Maryland

James was in the Revolutionary War Battle at Kings Mountain in 1796.
In the 1800 Census, James was listed as a head of household in Rowan County, NC. James and his wife were both age 45+. There were two girls and a boy age 10-15, and two boys and two girls all under age 10. The author believes that this is the correct census entry for James William. The alternatives are James Arrowood in Rutherford County, who was age 26-44, and James Arrowood in the adjacent militia company of Rowan County, who the author believes was James of Maryland, listed adjacent (in the census which is arranged alphabetically by militia companies within the county) to his presumed son, Henry.
James served on a jury in July 1807 in Buncombe County, NC. In the 1810 Census, James was listed as a head of household in Buncombe County, NC. He was age 45+; his wife was 26-44. The household included two girls under age 10, a boy and a girl 10-15, and two young men and a woman each 16-25.
In the 1830 Census, James was listed as a head of household in Buncombe County, NC. James was in his 60s. In the household were a young woman in her 20s, a girl 15-19, a boy 5-9, and a girl under 5. No old woman was listed in any of the nearby households.
In the Census of 1840, James was listed as a head of household in Yancey County, NC. James and his wife were in their 60s, with a young woman in her 20s and a girl and a boy each under age 5.
In the Census of 1850, James was listed as a head of household in Buncombe County, NC. He was 95; Sarah was 91. Susannah, 47, was a resident in the household.
Although three sons have been attributed to him, it seems odd that none has been identified that was named after either grandfather.
In a note about his own family tree, Rev. John H. Ballard, a Free-Will Baptist minister, wrote, "James Arrowood was born in Pennsylvania and died in North Carolina at Paint Fork, Madison County, at age 100. His wife, ----- Bryant, lived to be 102 years old."
James Arrowood served in the Revolutionary War in the Battle of Monmouth and in the Southern regions under General Green and under Francis Marion and at the Battle of King's Mountain.
He owned quite a lot of land on Paint Fork where it joins into Little Ivy. He had a lot of rowdy boys and had to dispose of a lot of his land to get his boys out of trouble; therefore the family had very little before he and his wife died.
Their daughter, Sarah Sallie Arrowood, married Joseph Ballard in Reems Creek Valley, Buncombe County, NC.
James's age may have been exaggerated in his later years. No census between 1800 and 1850 gives any indication that he was born prior to 1760.
James married Sarah Bryan and they had six children.




~ John Hensley Arrowood ~ Born March 1, 1763

In the summer of 1776, in Rowan County, NC, he entered Captain Elijah Lyons' Company and marched with Colonel Locke's Regiment in General Rutherford's expedition against the Cherokee.
In the 1790 Census, John was listed as a head of household in Morgan District, Lincoln County, NC. In his household were two women, presumably wife and daughter, and two boys under 16.
Some time in the mid-1790s he moved from Lincoln County to the adjacent Spartanburg District of South Carolina, just across the state line.
In the 1800 Census, John was listed as a head of household in Spartanburg District, SC. He was age 26-44, with a wife of the same age group, a daughter under 10, and one son in each range 0-9, 10-15, and 16+.
An abstract from Spartanburg District, SC, Deed Book I, p.470-1, August 4, 1800 mentions John Lee's land on waters of Pacolate River and Broad River bordering John Arrowood's land on one side and the North Carolina border on another side.
In the 1810 Census, John was listed as a head of household in Burke County, NC. He and his wife were over age 45, with a young man age 16-25 and two boys under 10. He had left his son James with the land in South Carolina.
In the 1820 Census, John was listed as a head of household in Burke County, NC. He and his wife were residing with a young man of 16-25 and two boys under 10. Probably this was his son John, who evidently lost his wife at an early age.
In 1832, residing in Burke County, he applied for a pension. Supporting testimony was given by his brother, Zacheriah. In 1833 he was granted $25 to be paid twice a year, plus $100 arrears for the prior two years.
John filed pension in Burke County, NC at age 65. In 1935 Newspaper article Daily Times; Fanny Arwood stated her Grandfather, Hensley, had fought in the Revolutionary War.


~ Nathaniel Arrowood ~ Born about 1764

The only known reference to this man by name is as a witness to the will of Peter Hammonds, written in Rowan County on March 1, 1788. He could be the other adult male enumerated with Zacariah in the 1790 census, or he could have gone back to Maryland, and the enumerate was another of Zachariah's brothers. It seems most likely that he was the deceased husband of Ann Arrowood, who was in Rowan County in 1790 with a young boy and two women or girls. If he were son of James of Maryland, it's likely that his first son would be called James.


~Benjamin Arrowood ~ Born about 1765


In the 1790 Census, Benjamin was listed as a head of household in Salisbury Dist, Rowan County, NC. He was living with a woman and no children, in the Salisbury District.
In the 1800 Census, Benjamin was listed as a head of household in Lincoln County, NC. He and his wife, each age 26-44, were living with a boy under age 9 and a girl 10-15.
In the 1810 Census, Benjamin was listed as a head of household in Lincoln County, NC. He was over 45 years of age, his wife was 26-44, and his boy was 10-15.
In the 1820 Census, Benjamin was listed as a head of household in Lincoln County, NC. He and his wife, both over age 45, were living with a young man and woman, both age 16-25, who may be presumed to have been his son Benjamin and wife. The census record is arranged alphabetically, apparently by militia companies. On separated lines within the same company are Eli, Isaac, and Zachariah Arrowood.





~ Zachariah Arrowood ~ Born about 1768

In an affidavit given on May 25, 1833, in support of his brother John's application for a Revolutionary War soldier's pension, Zachariah gave his own age as 65. He recalled that he was old enough before the war ended to be placed on the muster roll. Zacariah remembered seeing his brother march off with Captain Lyons to join General Rutherford's expedition. He said that John later had moved to Lincoln County, where he was reported to have volunteered again, but that he, Zachariah, had not gone to Lincoln County until after the war.
In 1790 in the census Zachariah was listed as residing in Morgan District, Lincoln County, NC. In the early years of the 1800s, Zachariah Arrowood was granted land in the Spartanburgh District of South Carolina, which lay just across the border from Rutherford and Lincoln Counties in North Carolina. This land, on Buck Creek of the Pacolate River, was near other land owned by a John Arrowood, who may be presumed to have been Zachariah's brother. It appears that all of Zachariah's grant in South Carolina had been sold before 1810.
In the 1810 Census, Zachariah was listed as a head of household in Buncombe County, NC. Zachariah was over age 45; his wife was 26-44, born after 1765 and before 1785. There was one boy each of age 16-25 and 10-15, and two boys and two girls all under age 10.
Thirty years after the Revolution, the War of 1812 gave Zachariah his chance to fight the British. On April 21, 1814, he was enlisted at Rutherford for a term of five years by a Lt. Alexander into the 10th U.S. Infantry Regiment, commanded by Col. Wellborn. Two enlistment records survive: one gave his age as 40 and his birthplace as Lincoln County, NC; the other said he was 51, born in Frederick County, Maryland. He was described as six feet one half (or one and one half) inches tall, with black hair and eyes and a dark complexion, occupation: farmer.
He was listed on a roster at Wilkesborough on May 31, 1814. The duty roster of Capt. E.J. Leigh's Company reported him present February. 16, 1815. A medical roster of Capt. James Reed's Company of U.S. Artillery at Fort Washington on April 30, 1815, had him absent sick at Fredericksburg. Another medical report and invalid report of Capt. H.H. Vallard's Detachment at Fort Washington on July 31, 1815 listed him as "present unfit for service."
His enlistment record mentions a discharge dated Inspector's Office, 4th Military Department, Aug. 26, 1815, and records "Book 563, Lt. Alexander's Co. 10th U.S. Infy, Discharged, Aug. 26, 1815, Rheumatism contracted previous to enlistment." Further, it reports a "Roll dated 1815, Capt. Robt G. Hite's Co. U.S. Arty, Discharged, Sept. 8, 1815, by order Col. Mitchell, -10th U.S. Infy made Arty- Discharged from Capt. E.J. Leigh's Co. 10th Infy at Washington, September 13, 1815. Rheumatism." The enlistment record ends with a note, "See Pension Case." However, Zachariah doesn't appear in the published index of War of 1812 pension applicants.
In the 1820 Census, Zachariah was listed as a head of household in Lincoln County, NC. He was over 45; his wife was age 26-44, born after 1775 and before 1795. There was a boy 18-26, a boy 16-17, a girl 10-15, and three girls and a boy all under 10. The census record is arranged alphabetically, apparently by militia companies. On separated lines within the same company are Eli, Isaac, and Ben Arrowood.
In the 1830 Census, Zachariah was listed as a head of household in Burke County, NC. Zachariah was in his 60s, while his wife was in her 40s. In the household there were a girl 15-19, two girls 10-14, a boy and a girl each 5-9, and two boys and a girl all under age 5. The adjacent line of the census listed his son, Zachariah, age 30-39.


~ Henry Arrowood~ Born about 1769

In the 1800 Census, Henry was listed as a head of household in Rowan County, NC. He was age 26-44 and his wife was 16-25. In the household were a girl 10-15, and two girls and a boy all under age 10. He was listed as a neighbor of James Arrowood of Maryland.

~Ann Arrowood~ Born about 1770

Ann applied for a marriage license to wed William James December 2, 1784 in Lincoln County, NC.
Internet correspondent John Coates said that they resided in the old Rowan County, NC area from the 1770s to the 1830s, in the part has since become Wilkes, Burke, and Alexander Counties. Ann is not positively linked to this family, but most believe she belongs.

The Arrowood Trail Begins - James 1763

James Arrowood was born on March 1, 1763 in either Maryland or Wilkes County, North Carolina. Exactly where he was born, remains to be proven. He was born the son of John Arrowood, born sometime before the year 1745.

Conflicting evidence states that James was born before 1765.
Apparently James was married and was widowed prior to the year 1800. It appears that he remarried, to a woman his own age, sometime after 1800. The 1810 census of Wilkes County shows ‘James Arriwood’ and wife, both over age 45, with one of his earlier daughters, now age 10-14, a new girl 5-9, and two more girls under 5. Perhaps these latter three may be his granddaughters.
Some of his children seem to have crossed the border into nearby Washington County, TN, in the mid-1810s, and then returned to Burke County, which lies between there and Wilkes County.

James took out a bond to marry Rachel Davis April 1, 1802 in Rutherford County, NC. James took out a bond to marry Elisa “Lisey” Crowder June 11, 1805 in Rutherford County, NC. They had five children together.

* William (of Burke County NC) Arrowood , Born about
1785 in NC, he married Susan.
* Jesse (of Tennessee) Arrowood , Born about 1793. He
married Elizabeth Yeats.
* James A. (of Rutherford County NC) Arrowood , Born
May 18,1794, he married Nancy Elizabeth “Eliza” Britton.
* Rebecca "Betsey" Arrowood , Born about 1799. She
married William Mitchell Miller).
* John (of Yancey County NC) Arrowood , our ancestor.


Documentation found on James:

In Rutherford County, NC, on August 8, 1795, he bought from Thomas Davis, for sixty pounds, "certain pieces of land lying ... on the Shole branch of Puzzel Creek originally patented by Jacob Davis ... to a stake in Eavis' line ... being one hundred acres more or less ...". The deed was witnessed by Abel Lewis and Bartlett Eavis.

On July 8, 1797, John Arrowood of Spartanburg County, SC sold one hundred acres on the Middle Fork of Sandy Run, in Rutherford County, NC. No connection between John and James has been found.

The 1800 census of Rutherford County found James Arrowood, age 26-44, with no adult woman, two sons in each range 0-9 and 10-15, two daughters 0-9 and one 10-15.

On February 27, 1802, James sold the one hundred acres on Puzzle Creek. Rutherford County Deed Book 24-26, page 98 records an 1807 sale by James Arrowood to Anthony Enloe. The deeds have not yet been examined to see if they match the 1795 purchase. The next sale in Rutherford County by an Arrowood occurred 78 years later, in 1885.



John Arrowood of Yancey County, North Carolina


John Arrowood was born on April 27, 1794 in Rutherford County, North Carolina, the son of James and Lisey Crowder Arrowood. Toward the end of the War of 1812, James enlisted at Jonesboro, Washington County, Tennessee, as a substitute for Jesse Arrowood, his brother, who had been drafted. James was twenty at the time of his enlistment.

He then traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, about 100 miles away, and on September 20, 1814, he was mustered into service as a Private .

In the 1840 Census, John was listed as a head of household in Yancey County, NC. In the Census of 1850, John was listed as a head of household in Yancey County, NC. In the Census of 1860, John was listed as a head of household in Yancey County, NC.


The following is an excerpt from TN Encyclopedia: History and Culture:

Diplomatic relations between the United States and Great Britain deteriorated after 1807, mostly as a result of British efforts to prevent Americans from trading with her enemies. In June of 1812 Congress declared war on Britain, citing as justification British impressments of American sailors and Britain's provocation of Native Americans against American settlers on the frontier.

When the United States declared war, Tennesseans proudly proclaimed their readiness to preserve the honor and dignity of their country. It seemed unlikely that landlocked Tennessee would be concerned about British violations of maritime rights and impressment of American seamen. The thirst for expansion, specifically for British-owned Canada in the North, and the southern desire for Spanish-held Florida drew Tennesseans into the conflict. The acquisition of Florida would open economic possibilities through the Gulf Coast ports via the river systems of Alabama, at this time part of the Mississippi Territory and claimed by the Creek Indians.

For decades, the Creeks had become increasingly intermingled with white culture through marriage and the adoption of commercial agriculture. Just prior to the War of 1812, however, a more traditional faction known as the "Red Sticks" began promoting an anti-white campaign inspired by a visit from the great Shawnee chief, Tecumseh. Indian aggression along the frontier, encouraged by Britain and Spain, alarmed American settlers; then an attack on whites and friendly Indians at Fort Mims (near Mobile, Alabama) on August 30, 1813, stirred the outraged populace into action. The Creek War thereby became intertwined with the War of 1812.

In September 1813 Tennessee Governor Willie Blount issued a call for 3,500 volunteers. Tennesseans' enthusiastic response initiated a tradition that gave the state its nickname of the "Volunteer State." Andrew Jackson, as major general of the Tennessee militia, along with his military colleague, John Coffee, led a force into the heart of the Creek Nation with the intent of completely destroying the Creeks as a fighting force. Beginning in November 1813, a series of encounters with the Red Sticks culminated in the battle of Horseshoe Bend on March 27, 1814. This battle left over 800 Creeks dead and ended the threat of a Creek invasion.




John was discharged the following spring at Fort Williams, Alabama, on April 10, 1815.
He sold his final pay voucher to a man in Western Tennessee, and he then returned to Jonesboro.

John married Frances "Fanny" Fannia Barrett.




Frances "Fanny" was born May 15, 1802 in North Carolina. Together they had thirteen children, possibly more, according to some indications. Still researching on this.

In the Census of 1840, John was listed as head of household in Yancey County, North Carolina.

In the Census of 1850, John was listed as head of household in Yancey County, North Carolina. Value of his real estate then was $50.

John died at Rock Creek, North Carolina on July 24, 1864, at the age of 67. Frances died October 1st, 1872, and was buried in Blount County, Tennessee. When she applied for her husband's War of 1812 pension on June 14, 1872, she was residing in Maryville, in Blount County, Tennessee. She was living in the residence with James K. Whitehead’s family in Greenville, Tennessee in the 1870 census. James was the husband of her daughter Fanny.


One son born to this couple was our Samuel Augustus Arrowood, born about 1836 in Yancey County, North Carolina, according to the census records. Samuel married Sarah Ellen Winters on April 21, 1858 in Yancey County. In the 1850 Yancey County NC census, Samuel is shown living with his family at age 14 years old.
Father, John is shown as age 50 and mother, Frances is shown age 46. Eleven children are in the household. In the 1860 census he is shown as head of household, married to Sarah Ellen Winters Arrowood with son, Welzia. Samuel served in the 4th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry, Union Army. Samuel was a Minister.


The other children born to John and Frances Arrowood :*



William B. Arrowood, Born May 30, 1819. Died January 18, 1865 in Tennessee. On October 8, 1863 he was enrolled at Knoxville, Tennessee as a private in Company E of the 1st Tennessee Light Artillery. He was mustered into the Company commanded by Captain William J. Patterson on October 16, 1863 to serve 3 years, or during the war. He served on the Union side in the Civil War. He died at age 45. On August 2, 1865, his widow, Sarah, applied for a pension based on his service. His remains are interred at City Cemetery, Grave #11439, Nashville, Tennessee.

*James T. Arrowood, Born October 09, 1820. He married Mary and they had two sons and two daughters. His place of burial is as of yet, unknown.

*Thomas Arrowood, Born October 29, 1820. Died February 01, 1900 in Altoona, Polk County, Iowa. He married Clarissa Isobell Parnell. They had nine children. After Clarissa’s death he married
Louisa Stinnet on June 19, 1886, in Greene County, Tennessee. He had nine more children with Louisa. Thomas was inducted into the military (Civil War) in Strawberry Plaines, Jefferson County, Tennessee, June 30, 1864. He died at age 79, 3 months and 3 days.

*John B. Arrowood, Born Abt.1828. John married Rebecca Street on May 21, 1851 in Yancey County, North Carolina. They had ten children.

I have located Rebecca's final resting place:

Old Garland Cemetery, Red Hill Community, Mitchell County, NC

*McHenry B. "Mack Henry"Arrowood, Born Nov. 1828. Mack married Margaret Elizabeth Street, Rebecca’s sister, on October 16, 1851. Mack died 1900 in Buchanan County, Virginia from typhoid fever.

*Sarah Ann Arrowood, Born 1831. Sarah married James W. Austin on July 10, 1859 in Yancey County. They had seven children.

*Nancy A. Arrowood, Born February 22, 1833. Nancy married Jesse Hilton Ross and they had five children. Nancy died on February 01, 1911 in Greeneville, Tennessee. She is buried alongside her husband, Jesse Hilton in Mount Bethel Cemetery, Greene County, Tennessee.



















*Barbara "Barbary" Arrowood, Born 1837.

*Frances "Fannie" Arrowood, Born January 29, 1840. Fanny married James K. Whitehead on January 29, 1860 in Mitchell County, North Carolina. They had six children. Fanny’s mother, Frances was living with them at the time of her death. At the time of her death, Fannie had 83 great grandchildren.

*George Washington Arrowood, Born January 31, 1842. George Washington married Rebecca J. Shanks on April 17, 1866 in Greeneville, Tennessee. They had eight children. He served in the Confederate Army in 1863. He died at age 77 years. George died on July 11, 1919 in Altoona, Iowa. He is buried in the Altoona Cemetery, Altoona, Iowa.

*Wesley Arrowood, Born July 01, 1844. Died April 28, 1864.
Casualty of the Civil War, he was buried in the Soldiers Cemetery, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee. Served in the Union, Co. C, 13th Tenn. Calvary Regiment. He died at age 19.

*Pinkney Arrowood, Born September 08, 1847.