The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Arthur, Alva and James Devers

Hi Sheri,

I and some others I know can help you. I don't know what you have so some of this is likely what you already know. I have a few hundred pages on the Devers family.

Alexander Devers, born near Crab Orchard, KY in 1814, probably Madison co., KY. Lived in Missouri; 1840 Clay county, 1850-1870 Gentry county. Alexander spent the entire Civil War in the 1st MO Confederate Brigade. Two of his sons, John Arthur and Alva Merit, were also in 1st MO Confederate Brigade. These brothers plus two more, James M. and Alex Jr., were all likely involved with guerrillas; specifically George Todd, and later Oliver Sheperd. James M. Devers was hung by a lynch mob in Richmond, MO for his participation in the Hughes Wasson bank robbery. This James was "captured" near Crab Orchard, KY circa 1867-8. Alex patented land in Gentry county in 1850. A considerable amount of research has been performed on this family by other cousins who would likely share additional data if there is some relationship. Alex was married to Penelope Nicholson and they had a number of other children; Elizabeth, William, Archie, Sarah, Robert, Mary and possibly others.

Merit Devers, must have died young. I only find one other document about Merit, a land patent in Gentry county in 1848.

"From, My Father, Jesse James.

AFTER, the death of Todd, near Independence, and the retreat of General Price from Missouri, the guerrilla band was broken up. Lieut. George Shepherd, taking with him Jesse James, Matt Wayman, John Maupin, Theo. Castle, Jack Rupe [sic: Roupe], Silas King, James and Alfred Corum, Bud Story, Perry Smith, Jack Williams, James and Arthur Devers, Press Webb, John Norfolk, James Cummings, William Gregg and his wife, Dick Maddox and his wife, James Hendrick and his wife, and others to the number of twenty-six, started south from Jackson County to Texas, November 13, 1864."

"I thought you'd find this interesting. The only other story I haven't resolved is one that Nellie used to tell about the wild cousin (Arthur, Alva Merit and James) during the war. She said they tied a preacher up to the railroad tracks. We asked her why they did that and she said "he must have said something they didn't like". I've looked and looked and I haven't found the preacher." -Rene DeSmet

Arthur named after Penelope's brother Arthur I believe.
Arthur Nicholson (brother of Penelope)
his son, James Courtney Nicholson (he was killed during the Civil War in a shoot-out in Clay County, MO)
his daughter, Lucy Ann Nicholson (m. Richard Lindsey Cole - son of Louisa Maret (Alvah Maret's daughter) and Jesse Richard Cole (Zerelda Cole James Samuel's brother). Note her brother and a son of James Courtney Nicholson was William A. Nicholson who married Sarah Louisa Samuel.
Lucy's son, Jesse Richard Cole II
Jesse Richard Cole II's son, Glen Cole
Glen Cole's son, Gene Cole
Gene Cole's son, Scott Cole

"It is interesting because it doesn't appear that Alexander went to Missouri with his parents, but John Perry did. We know that John Arthur, Alva and James were born in the late 1830's in KY and that Penelope was a neighbor girl. If Alexander was born in 1814, then he was just 16 when his parents left. He was only ten years younger than his uncle Alvah Maret and I surmise that he named his son Alva Merit Devers, after his uncle. Alexander Devers was on the 1840 census for Clay Co.-Rene Desmet

BTW, my direct relative is John Perry Devers, a brother to Alexander Devers. Their father was John Devers who died in Clinton co., MO.

"--Richard S. Brownlee, "Gray Ghosts of the Confederacy," Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 1958, p. 255 (Brownlee got his information for his famous list of guerrillas in the back of his book from Hoog, and others, but the years of death given are not correct for many on the list.).
All this boils down to this:
--All three Devers evidently rode with George Todd at least during 1864. Some of them may have served earlier under Quantrill, but I'm foggy on that. Todd was killed 21 October 1864 outside Independence engaging Union troops during Price's great Missouri raid, and his guerrillas then served under other leaders. Alexander and Arthur Devers were serving under Oliver Shepherd with a few others formerly of Todd's band and at Mrs. Fox's in north Clay County 30 March 1865 were killed by citizen militia. (Sources for this include the 1901 "Liberty Tribune" article and the 1885 history of Clay County, page 257.) James M. Devers survived his service under Todd and others during the war, but was lynched along with fellow former guerrilla Andy McGuire by a mob at Richmond, Ray County, on 17 March 1868 for his alleged part in the Richmond bank robbery earlier. (One source for this is the 27 March 1868 Liberty newspaper.) "

Okay, this is a start. Is this your line?
Birth Noria Agnes Gethens [Githens], 1/26/1887 Daviess co., MO mother Sarah Martha Devers m’d Jason Gethens [Githens] [Sarah Martha dau of Alva Merrit Devers]

I show a marriage of Jackson Douthet Githens to this Sarah Martha Devers. Probably same person.

I also show John Arthur Devers married Juliana Githens.

I will let you digest this much.

Don Knight
Peculiar MO
847-507-3160
donaldknight1@att.net

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Arthur, Alva and James Devers
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Re: Arthur, Alva and James Devers
Thanks for the response *NM*
Re: Arthur, Alva and James Devers
Re: Arthur, Alva and James Devers
Re: Arthur, Alva and James Devers
Re: Arthur, Alva and James Devers
Re: Arthur, Alva and James Devers
Re: Arthur, Alva and James Devers
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Re: Arthur, Alva and James Devers
Re: Arthur, Alva and James Devers