Eighth Generation

340. John M. LESSLY¹¹⁷ was born in 1836 in Missouri.^118,229 He died in 1906 in Grayson County, TX. He was buried in West Hill Cemetery, Sherman, Grayson Co., TX. John was in farmer.²²⁹ John appears as a 13 year old in the household of an older John Lessley in the 1850 Missouri census for Polk County. He is presumably the son of this older John Lessley and of the Mary Lessley also listed in the household. He is listed as having attended school within the last year and as having been born in Missouri.

John appears in the 1870 census for Randolph Co., MO, page 182 A, Prairie Township. His name appears as "John M. Lessly". His age is listed as 29, his occupation as farmer and his place of birth as Missouri. The value of his real estate is listed as $250.00. Also appearing in John's household is a Judith Lessly (his sister?) and a Francis J. Lessly age 9 (his daughter ?). The age stated for John in this census is in conflict with the age stated in the 1850 census and on John's Confederate pension application. John is listed on the same census page as his brother James Elkins Lessly.

John appears in the 1880 census for Hunt Co., TX (Precinct 5, page number 547 C, NA film # T9-1312, FH Library Film # 1255312). His age is listed as 43, his occupation as Farmer and his place of birth as Missouri. His father's birthplace is listed as Virginia and his mother's birthplace is listed as Kentucky. Also appearing in the household are his wife, Adaline, and children James F., Stella M., and Nettie A.

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Information from John's Confederate Pension Application (#7220) is very interesting. He states his age as 63 (the date is Nov 1899) which confirms the age listed for John in the 1850 Polk County, MO census record. He also says that he has resided in Grayson County, TX for 25 years. This would put the time of the Lessly families move from Missouri to Texas at about 1874 or 1875. It also closely corresponds to information provided on the widow's pension application of Mrs. John H. Lessly. She filed the application in 1926 and said that she had been a resident for 50 years of Grayson County, TX. Again this puts the Lessly family move at about 1875. John states in his pension application that he is in feeble condition and not able to support himself thru labor. He also states that causes contributing to his condition were "exposure during the war and a wound received then". John states that the company and regiment he served in were "Company G, Eleventh Missouri Infantry". The stated time of his service is 3 years. This is the exact company and regiment that John H. Lessly's widow stated her husband served in. Further John H. Lessly turns out to be one of 2 witnesses called to testify to John M. Lessly's Confederate service. John H. Lessly's signature appears on the affidavit of witnesses. The other witness is T.B. Jernigan.

The paperwork for John's Confederate Pension Application includes some Company Muster Rolls on which John's name appears. John's name (J. M. Lessley) appears as a private on the Company Muster Roll for Company G, 8 Reg't Missouri Infantry for March & April 1863, April 30 to Aug 31 1863, and Company G, 11 Reg't Missouri Infantry, Jan & Feb 1864. He is stated as having enlisted on Aug 10, 1862 at Camp Cooper, Ark by J.J. Farley. Also a John M. Lessly, Pvt., appears on a Roll of Prisoners of War of Company G, 11th Regiment MO. Vol. Infantry Confederate States Army, commanded by Lt. T.W. Simpson, surrendered at New Orleans, La, by General E.K. Smith, C.S.A., to Maj. Gen. E.R.S. Canby, U.S.A., May 26, 1865, and paroled at Alexandria, La., June 7, 1865.

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Information printed by N.B. Forrest Mc Guire specifically names John M. Lessly as accompaning the James Elkins Lessly family to Grayson County, TX. John shows up near James Elkins and family in the 1850 and 1870 census records as well as the same Confederate unit. Family speculation for years has placed John M. Lessly as a close relative of James Elkins. Research done by Tim Lessley, indicates that John M. was the younger brother of James Elkins. John M. is named as a son in the will of John Lessley as is James Lessly. This would seem to confirm that John M. and James Elkins were brothers.

A descendant of John M. Lessly is L.D. Lessly - address 1030 W. Gandy St. #3
Denison, TX 75020-3390 903-465-5544

Is listed in the 1880 Texas census Hunt County page 547, twp E.D. 70
He may be listed in the 1860 Missouri census Polk County - page 48, Marion Township, ID# MO06068215

a John M. Lessly is listed in a database at Ancestry.com - Company G, Unit 11th Missouri Infantry, Rank at Induction - Private, Rank at Discharge - Private, notes Lssley John M., Box # 000380, EXCT # 0009, Record # 00001638

Notes from Freddy Lessly
John M. Lessly, my great-grandfather, is buried in the small confederate section of Westhill Cemetary in Sherman, Texas. I have tried really hard to find out what the M. stands for, but it is always listed as John M. and never anything else. If you meant 13 years instead of 13 months for the 1850 census, then, yes, the age is exactly right for the John M. to have been my great grandfather. I would almost bet the farm on it (that farm we inherited in Missouri along with those Negros) that he was the John M. which was the son of John and Mary. It sounds like he may have been the oldest. He got married to Margaret Elizabeth Marsh on January 26, 1860. She was age 19 in 1860. She was the daughter of John F. and Alcana D. Wisdom Marsh. Margerat E. was born in Missouri on November 17, 1843. John M.'s age on the 1860 census was 23. His post office was in Boliver of the Marion Township. He showed his home state as Tennessee. She showed her home state as Missouri. One child was born to the union, Fannie, who was born in 1860. Margaret Elizabeth died before John M. could get home from the civil war. John M. went to Texas after the civil war and left his daughter Fannie for the Marsh family to raise. On March 19, 1874, he married Adaline C. McPherson in Grayson County Texas. Adaline was born in Texas in 1852. Her parents were William W. and Elizabeth McPherson. Adaline Mcpherson died early in her life, possibly between 1875 and 1885. I have never been able to find her grave. (She was my great-grandmother). John M. and Adaline had three children, Fred James Lessly (my grandfather) born December 12, 1874 and the two daughters Stella and Nettie. This is about where I am at on all of this. Again, John Harris Lessly was a witness for my great grandfathers pension and it seems that he must have came to Grayson County Texas with James Elkins and his bunch. He once listed his home as Pottsboro Texas the same as James Elkins and his children. He later lived in Denison, Texas (about 7 miles from Pottsboro) where he died at the home of my grandfather Fred J. Lessly. He died poor, and in broken health according to records. His occupation was always listed as a farmer. (I don't know what happened to those slaves after the war). He died in 1906 and his son Fred died in 1918, so as you can see, they were gone a long time before I came along in 1945. Any information that we can share will be greatly appreciated and enjoyed.

Hope to hear from you soon:

Freddy!

John M. LESSLY and Margaret Elizabeth MARSH were married on 26 January 1860. Margaret Elizabeth MARSH¹¹⁷ was born on 17 November 1843 in Missouri. She died before 1866.

John M. LESSLY and Margaret Elizabeth MARSH had the following children:

588
i.
Fannie J. LESSLY¹¹⁷ was born in 1860 in Missouri. Fannie appears in the 1870 census for Randolph Co., MO as a member of her father's household. Her age is listed as 9 and her place of birth is listed as Missouri.

John M. LESSLY and Adaline C. MACPHERSON were married on 19 March 1874 in Grayson Co., TX. Adaline C. MACPHERSON¹¹⁷ was born in 1852 in Texas. She died between 1880 and 1885. Adaline appears in the 1880 census for Hunt Co., TX as a member of her husband's household. Her age is listed as 27, her occupation as "housekeeper" and her place of birth as Texas. Both parents are listed as having been born in Missouri.

John M. LESSLY and Adaline C. MACPHERSON had the following children:

+589
i.
Fred James LESSLY.
590
ii.
Stella M. LESSLY¹¹⁷ was born about 1877 in Texas. Stella appears in the 1880 census for Hunt Co., TX as a member of her father's household. Her name is listed as "Stella M." in the census. Her age is listed as 3 and her place of birth as Texas. Her father's birthplace is listed as Missouri and her mother's birthplace is listed as Texas.
+591
iii.
Nettie A. LESSLY.