John Thomas Gresham was the son of James Dillard Ward Gresham and Mary Polly Ellington of Taliaferro County, GA (will proved 11 Jan 1830). John T.'s father died when he was almost 13 and he went to AL to live with his older cousin, Thomas Gresham and wife, Melinda Calloway. The large plantation that he lived on was in close proximity to the widow Elizabeth's plantation. Wharton's biographical sketches and known family history states that he went to AL in his youth and learned the Blacksmith trade. Thomas Gresham and Melinda Calloway moved to Grimes County and John Thomas and his ready made family of an Irish wife and 5 boys, moved to Centerville in 1848.
John Thomas purchased several large tracts of land in 1848 in the Robertson district that later became Leon County. His first wife, Eliz. Caulfield Johnston died and he remarried at age 42 to Elizabeth Render Truitt from GA, widow of Capt. John Stell who had 3 children of her own. In 1863, he would have had a new wife, her first three children, 3 new toddlers of theirs, and a plantation to take care of. He was also older. Maybe that's why he just joined the TST?
The John T. Grisham in Nacodogches is not my ancestor and if he is white, then he is related as the spelling of Gresham varied and supposedly purposely changed for a period of time to signify a strong identification with the Whig party.
It says that the distance of travel from his home to enlist at Camp Keelough was 45 miles. Where was Camp Keelough from Centerville? Wouldn't the Nacodoches guy be farther than that? It also says something to me that John Thomas would muster up to R.B. Nance from Centerville? How does a record from Tennessee tie in to the data from the State Archives?
The other thing is that ages 48, then 49 for my ancestor would be much closer to his actual age than the Grisham from Nacodoches wouldn't it?
I really appreciate all the help on this. Darn these spellings!!