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In 1862, residents of Washington County, Alabama signed the following
petition to the Confederate States Congress:
The undersigned resident citizens of Washington County respectfully
represent that this county has already furnished three hundred and
forty-five volunteers for the existing war and that there now remain in
the county only one hundred and twenty men subject to military duty and
only a very few old men able to afford any aid in case of difficulty with
the slave population, but yet out of this small number on this 12 th day
of April 1862 fifty-eight volunteered for the three months service and
the balance of the required was (will be) filled by draft. Now we
respectfully suggest to your Excellency that if the requisition is
ordered from the county at once, we are left defenseless, there are not
sufficient men left in the county for parole duty. Again our county is
of large extent and the slave population is scattered along the river a
long line of unprotected country and that there many families who depend
upon those now remaining in the country for a supply of the necessaries
of life.
The company formed this day are willing to perform the service or will
stand ready at a moments warning to proceed to the defense of Mobile or
any part of the coast. under these circumstances we have to request that
the company this day formed be allowed to remain at their homes or
disbanded as may seem in best judgement of your Excellency. The names of
this communication are all old citizen planters who are devoted to the
cause of their country and believe that the requisition is really more
than what is demanded by similar requisitions from other counties of the
state. Other reasons for the order asked, will be given by those who
will call on your Excellency.
Age Age
John Richardson 61 Green Rainwater 46
G. Smith 75 E. Y. Bowling 56
W. A. Bailey 70 R. J. Bowling 57
Cornelius Sullivan 71 Wm. Donaldson 54
John Williams 61 P. Moore 46
Solomon Wheat 61 D. H. Land 49
Peter L. Beach 56 Daniel Rain 61
William Malone 49 C. P. Hase 45
Wesley Rainwater 51 A. Sherwood 46
Green Atchenson 49 E. H. Gordy 46
From: Governor's Papers, John Gill Shorter. Alabama Department of
Archives and History, Civil Records and Newspaper Collection.
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1860 census - Alabama, Washington County
Farmer, $300 in real estate, $300 in personal estate, both Wesley and
Elizabeth could read and write. Both born in Alabama. 10 children.
Rainwater, Wesley 51, born in AL
Elizabeth 37, born in AL
Jessy 10, born in AL
Arra 18, born in AL
Albert 17, born in AL
Margaret 15, born in AL
Achsah 14, born in AL
Mary 12, born in AL
Marinda 10, born in AL
Susan 7, born in AL
Elizabeth 5, born in AL
Almsey 3, born in AL
Census records found in Cincinnati, OH by James M. Jordan, 7/16/94, on
roll 26, page 1001.
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1860 Washington County Deed Book, M-101:
Wesley & Elizabeth Rainwater to John W. Baker
Section 5 & 6, Township 7, Range 1 West, December 4, 1960.
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1870 Washington Co. Census
(I have not copied information on John or Green so can't provide here)
Rainwater, E. 45, born in AL (Elizabeth)
Margaret 24, born in AL
Elizabeth 14, born in AL
A. C. 12, born in AL
T. A. 9, born in AL
Elester 8, born in AL
S. F. 4, born in AL
Wesley Rainwater must have died before 1870.
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1877 Washington County Deed Book, M-101:
John W. Baker to Elizabeth Rainwater
Section 6, Township 6, Range 1 West, December 4, 1877.
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1883 Washington County Deed Book, O-579:
Elizabeth Rainwater to Susan Williams
Section 23, Township 6, Range 2 North, November 27, 1883.
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------------------------------------------------------------- Elizabeth MARTIN and Wesley RAINWATER had the following children:
7 i.
Jessy RAINWATER was born about 1840.
8 ii.
Harriet RAINWATER was born about 1841.
+9 iii.
Arabella RAINWATER was born about 1842.
10 iv.
Albert RAINWATER was born about 1843.
11 v.
Margaret RAINWATER was born on 20 Sep 1845. She died on 24 Sep 1920 in Washington
County, Alabama, Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church, Vinegar Bend.
(4)
12 vi.
Achsah RAINWATER was born about 1846.
+13 vii.
Mary RAINWATER was born about 1848.
+14 viii.
Maranda RAINWATER was born on 28 Jan 1851 in Washington County, Alabama.
She died on 5 Nov 1930 in Washington County, Alabama. Arry
Susan
Betty
5 sisters according to Golda Baxter.
+15 ix.
Susan RAINWATER was born about 1853.
16 x.
Elizabeth RAINWATER was born about 1855.
17 xi.
Hinsey RAINWATER was born about 1857.
18 xii.
A. C. RAINWATER was born about 1858.(2)
19 xiii.
T. A. RAINWATER was born about 1861.(2)
20 xiv.
Elester RAINWATER was born about 1862.(2)
+21 xv.
Sara Frances RAINWATER was born on 10 Aug 1865.
(2) She died on 3 Apr 1955 in Washington County, Alabama, Pilgrims
Rest Baptist Church, Vinegar Bend.(4)
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