The Callans and McClarys, by John Edward Callan - Callanworld

The Callans and McClarys
Chapter 16
James Robert McClary
and Cynthia Ann Marrs
James James Robert Robert McClary McClary is
the most distant known McClary
ancestor of Nancy McClary. The
location and date of his birth are
not known, although oral family
history indicates he was born in
Ireland or Virginia, and came to
Cooper County from Virginia.
He and his family lived southeast
of Pilot Grove in the 1850s. He
married Cynthia Ann Marrs and
they had three children: John
Robert, James Brooklyn (Jim) and
George Washington. Cynthia also
had an older son Joshua M. Stone.
James was a farmer and was
characterized as a short, fiery
tempered Irishman. During the
Civil War the “bushwhackers”
were very active in west central
Missouri and several murders of
Cooper County citizens are
attributed to them. James was
opposed to their activities, and
occasionally had to hide from
them, and his son John would take
him clothes and food.
On one occasion in about
September 1862, the bushwhackers
took his horses and cattle while
he was gone, except for one old
mare, which no one but James or
Cynthia could catch. He went to
get them back. He probably went
with his gun and unfortunately was
killed. An article in the Boonville
Boonville
Weekly Weekly Monitor Monitor on March 19,
1864 states:
Mr. Mr. J. J. Hildebridal, Hildebridal, of
of
Pilot Pilot Grove Grove township, township, who
who
has has been been confined confined in in in the the
the
Cooper Cooper county county jail jail about about 18
18
months,months, charged charged with with “mur“mur-
der der in in the the the first first degree,” degree,” of of
of
one one one McCleary, McCleary, of of the the same
same
neighborhood, neighborhood, had had a a a trial trial trial a a
a
thethe present present term term of of our our our CirCirCir- cuit cuit cuit Court, Court, and and and the the jury,
jury,
soon soon after after retiring retiring from from from the the
the
courtcourt room, room, returned returned a a ververdictdict
of of “not “not guilty.The guilty.The killkillinging
of of McCleary McCleary by by HildeHilde-
bridal, bridal, bridal, from from the the evidence,
evidence,
appears appears to to have have been been an an act
act
of of of self-defence self-defence self-defence on on his his his own own
own
premises.
premises.
~ 68 ~
When the bushwhackers
took property from citizens they
sometimes provided Confederate
notes in payment, but
Cynthia burned the notes,
believing they were worthless.
Cynthia Cynthia Ann Ann Marrs
Marrs
McClary McClary was born in Virginia
and had a son Joshua Stone who
was born in Virginia. She could
not read or write, but did own
about $800 worth of property in
1870. She was alive in 1874
when John was married, but by
1880 Joshua, George and Jim
had moved to Grundy County in
northwest Missouri near other
members of the Marrs family,
and Cynthia is no longer listed in
the census records.
Oral family history indicates
Cynthia was “half Indian,”
and history of the Marrs family
in Grundy County also indicates
that “some were dark-skinned
with dark hair and some were
light-skinned with blond hair.”
The Marrs family moved to
Grundy County from Tazewell
County in the mountains of
western Virginia. Oral history
from Marrs descendants in
Tazewell County states that some
were indentured servants when
they came to the United States,
and some “ran off to the mountains
and married with the
Indians.” Those who remain in
the town of Tazewell do not
associate with those who live in
the mountains. A detailed
genealogy of the Marrs family in
Tazewell County was destroyed
by a family member who was a
fundamentlist preacher and was
embarrassed that such a history,
including interracial marriage,
had been recorded.