Maj. Amos McLemore

1827 - 1863  (36 years)

• Name	Amos McLemore  [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Prefix	Maj.
  Birth	23 Aug 1827	Mississippi   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Death	5 Oct 1863	Ellisville, Jones County, Mississippi   [3, 5]
  Burial	McLemore Cemetery, Forrest County, Mississippi   [3]
  Notes	Henry Lee writes that the Leaf River Baptist Minutes show that Amos McLemore was baptised on June 20, 1830. Minutes show he became a leader in the church, a close affiliated of the Providence Baptist Church now in Forrest County, Mississippi. The following Biographical information was excerpted from Everett Roy Hammond's complilation titled MAJOR AMOS McLEMORE, Published by the Jones Co. Genealogical & Historical Organization, Laurel, MS, 2002. "Amos moved with his family to Perry County, Mississippi [around 1836] when they settled on the old homeplace out from Estabuchie. At the time of his marriage to his cousin, Rosa Lavinia McLemore, Amos was a Methodist-Episcopal minister in the Leaf River Circuit encompassing Jones and Perry counties. He was also working as a school teach in Ellisville where he and Rosa lived. How long Major McLemore worked as a teacher and minister is not known. The 1860 census gives his occupation as "merchant." He was engaged in the merchantile business with Dr. John McCormick Bayliss near the old Bayliss home, on the west side of the Leaf River and west of Eastabutchie, MS. John Bayliss was a son of wealthy slaveholder and Methodist minister, George Bayliss. This is the same John Bayliss who was a secessionist candidate in the Jones County election held Dec. 20, 1861. His opponent was John H. Powell, Jr. a Unionist candidate. It is known that Amos was involved in land speculation during this period and had increased both his wealth and status. Thus at the beginning of the War Between the States, Amos and Rosa were quite prosperous. They owned at least 700 acres of land and a half interest in the mercantile business. However, like the majority of most Southerners, Amos's wife apparently lost almost everything during the War except the land, site of the old homeplace, which Amos's mother, Anna Maria, had inherited from her husband John when he died in 1854. Confederate law provided for receipt of organized units as well as individual recruits into military service. Amos McLemore wrote the Confederate States President, Jefferson Davis, requesting permission to raise a company on May 27, 1861. Permission was granted, and on August 10, 1861, the company raised by McLemore was enlisted in Ellisville, Jones County, Mississippi. McLemore called his company the Rosinheels (sometimes written as Rosin Heels) and that is the name that appears on the first muster roll of the company. It was eventually replaced by the official designation, Company B, 27th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. The original 99 officers and men were drawn primarily from Jones and Perry counties. They marched from Ellisville to Marion Station, Lauderdale County where they were mustered into service on September 10, 1861 and Amos was commissioned as Captain. The Rosinheels were first sent to Pensacola, Florida and assigned to the defense of Fort McRee. In 1862, they were sent by train to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Some six weeks after their arrival they, along with the rest of Bragg's command, embarked to Perryville, Kentucky and on Oct. 8, 1862 some 16,000 Confederate troops engaged and defeated a Yankee army of 60,000 men. The battle of Perryville is remember for its intensity and fury and lasted only about six hours. At the end of the day, some 7,5000 men on both sides were dead, wounded or missing. Half of the Rosinheels were either killed or wounded, with Capt. McLemore himself seriously wounded. In late December, barely recovered from their last battle, the 27th Mississippi Regiment was ordered to form a line of battle before Murfreesboro, flanking to the right of Walthall's Brigade in an open field swept both by freezing rain and intense Union artillery and rifle fire. Virtually two-thirds of the Confederate's effective foreces were destroyed on a piece of ground less than an acre in size. In spite of this, they swept the Union troops back 1200 yards, caputuring six artillery pieces and an entire company of Union Sharpshooters. Many men were sent to the rear suffering form exhaustion and exposure, but Capt. McLemore remained in command of the Rosin Heels throughout the engagement. After the battle, their duty consisted mainly of working on fortification and patrolling roads facing the enemy. On March 26, 1863, Amos McLemore was promoted to the rank of Major and third in command of the 27th Regiment. In July, 1863, his regiment, along with the rest of Walthall's Brigade, was sent to Atlanta to protect the supply depots and ordinance shops there from the Union Army. Maj. Amos McLemore's temporary and final assignment for the confederacy was not on the battlefield. Gettysburg and Vicksburg had been lost with an appalling number of casualities.The Confederate forces were in desparate need of men to replace those they had already lost. In mid-August, 1863, McLemore was sent by General Bragg to return to the area in which his original regiment had been raised in order to both encourage new enlistment and to return stragglers to the ranks of their regiment. He was to persuade if possible, and compel if necessary, the return to service of the large number of deserters and stragglers in the area. With the help of an Amnesty offer from General Bragg, Major McLemore had had considerable success, and was known to have returned some 119 soldiers to battlefield. However, on October 5, 1863 his mission and his life was cut short by fatal shots reported to be fired by Newt Knight. Maj. McLemore died in the home of State Representative Amos Deason's home in Ellisville, Mississippi, surrounded by his officers and good friends. Newt Knight was said to have have confessed his complicity in the crime to his son, Thomas Jefferson Knight. In a much later interview with Meigs Frost, he stated that "We stayed out in the woods minding our own business until the Confederate Army began sending raiders after us like bloodhounds...then we saw we had to fight." No individual, however, was ever charged with McLemore's murder, and no one was prosecuted, no official justice ever rendered. Newt Knight died as an old man of ninety-two years of age in 1922. His Tombstone reads: "Major Amos McLemore, 27th Regt. Miss. Volunteers, C.S.A. Born Aug. 23, 1823, Assassinated while in the discharge of his duties as a Soldier, Sept 14, 1863. He was a bright Mason, a devoted Confederate Soldier, and a M.E. Minister." An inscription on the base of the marker reads "By Leaf River Lodge No. 19, A.F. and A. Mason." A government issue flat confederate marker is also located at the foot of his grave. The date of death on the tombstone contradicts the one found in his official military records, and is therefore assumed to be incorrect. The date of birth also is about four years earlier than census records would indicate. It appears he may have actually been born in August 1827. (Research): Census Information: 1850 Census Mississippi, Jones County Enumerated 20 August 1850 by G. B. Harvey 62-62 Amos McLemore 23 M School Teacher Miss Rosie McLemore 21 F Miss 1860 Census Mississippi, Jones County, Page 21 P.O. Ellisville Amos McLemore 34 M Miss Merchant R.V. McLemore 25 F Miss S.R. McLemore 9 F Miss John C.C. McLemore 7 M Miss Jane McLemore 4 F Miss R. McLemore 3 F Miss Bud McLemore 6/12 M Miss (Transcription courtesy of Everett Hammond)
  Person ID	I25598	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	27 Sep 2014

  
  

  Father	John McLemore,   b. 2 Sep 1793, South Carolina d. Abt 1854, Perry County, Mississippi (Age 60 years)
  Mother	Anna Maria Yates,   b. Abt 1804, North Carolina d. Abt 1875, Perry County, Mississippi (Age ~ 71 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1820	Giles County, Tennessee   [5]
  Family ID	F8507	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Rosa Lavinia McLemore,   b. Abt 1831, Jones County, Mississippi d. Abt 1900, Perry County, Mississippi (Age ~ 69 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1850  [5]
  Children	1. Sebelle Rosetta McLemore,   b. 17 May 1852, Jones County, Mississippi d. Aft 1920 (Age 68 years)   2. John C. McLemore,   b. 19 Jul 1854, Jones County, Mississippi d. 3 Apr 1888 (Age 33 years)   3. Anna Jane McLemore,   b. Abt 1856, Jones County, Mississippi d. Yes, date unknown   4. Rosa V. McLemore,   b. Abt 1857, Jones County, Mississippi d. 11 Mar 1922 (Age ~ 65 years)   5. Walter Scott "Bud" McLemore,   b. 10 Jan 1863, Mississippi d. 16 Feb 1927, Petal, Forrest County, Mississippi (Age 64 years)
  Family ID	F8512	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	9 Dec 2006

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 23 Aug 1827 - Mississippi Death - 5 Oct 1863 - Ellisville, Jones County, Mississippi Burial - - McLemore Cemetery, Forrest County, Mississippi  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S514] Hammond, Everett Roy "Major Amos McLemore" (Jones Co. Genealogical & Historical Organization, Laurel, MS 39422; 2002). [S98] 1860 United States Federal Census [Ancestry.com database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004., (Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860. M653, 1,438 rolls. This database is an index to individuals enumerated in the 1860 United States Federal Census, the Eighth Census of the United States. Census takers recorded many details including each person's name, age as of the census day, sex, color; birthplace, occupation of males over age fifteen, and more. No relationships were shown between members of a household. Additionally, the names of those listed on the population schedule are linked to actual images of the 1860 Federal Census.), Mississippi, Jones County, Page 21 P.O. Ellisville (Reliability: 3). [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.), # 33069585 (Reliability: 3). [S144] 1850 United States Federal Census [Ancestry.com database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005, (Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Seventh Census of the United States, 1850. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1850. M432, 1,009 rolls. This database is an index to individuals enumerated in the 1850 United States Federal Census, the Seventh Census of the United States. Census takers recorded many details including each person's name, age as of the census day, sex, color; birthplace, occupation of males over age fifteen, and more. No relationships were shown between members of a household. Additionally, the names of those listed on the population schedule are linked to actual images of the 1850 Federal Census.), Mississippi, Jones County Enumerated 20 August 1850 by G. B. Harvey 62-62 (Reliability: 3). [S511] Makerney, April (amakerney@yahoo.com) "Ancestors of April (Wharton) Makerney and Connected Families" Ver. 2009-07-12 ; http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=amakerney.