Choctaw County Connections and Hance McCain

There are several co-lateral lines of McCains that settled in the late 1830s Choctaw County, Mississippi.  Most have been thoroughly researched. This post is about one that, as fate had it, was one of the last McCain lines in the county to be researched.  Several events happened to allow me to piece together their story; the fact that this line participated in the McCain Family DNA project being the most important factor, but then also, I was emailed data by researchers that allowed me to proceed with the knowledge from the DNA testing that I was correct with the fundamentals.  That is very important in genealogy and family history.

I am going to present this is 'story' form rather than a genealogical format, as the dryness of the later is something I avoid.  I will present a resonable history of the descendants of Hance Hamilton McCain, born 1763, in the Marsh Creek Settlement, Pennsylvania Colony.  It was his children and grandchildren poured into Choctaw County when the unfortunate Choctaws were ushered out by a harsh, but perhaps wise in many ways, Andrew Jackson.  The world is a mysterious place and it is wise many times not to judge others. 

The sons, grandsons, and in-laws of Hance Hamilton McCain moved to Choctaw County Mississippi in the mid to late 1830s.  Hance had three children that lived into adulthood that we know of; they are Sarah Lishman née McCain,  and William Hance McCain, John McCain.  

Sarah McCain was born 1801 and married James Lishman who was born in Stirling Scotland.  James lived next door to the Hance McCain and several of his sons in Fayette County Alabama.  They must have moved as a group as they also lived next to each other in Choctaw County Mississippi.  They were living with their son Elijah in the 1850s census near Lodi in Choctaw County.

William Hance McCain is well documented as he tends to show up in the US census.  William was born circa 1800-1801.  He married Mary Taylor on 22 January 1824.   When he moved to Choctaw County, Mississippi, he lived beside his sister Sarah Lishman née McCain. 

Children of William Hance McCain and Mary Taylor.

1. George McCain 1820-22

2. Charles McCain born circa 1825 in Alabama married Sarah (lived in Choctaw County 1850)

3. John W McCain born circa 1826 (lived in Choctaw County)

4. William Henry McCain born circa 1830 in Alabama) married Dorothy Cassells

5. Sarah McCain (probably born 1831, she shows up in her brother Charles house in the 1850 census).

6. Nancy Belle McCain 1835

7. Eliza McCain 1840

 John McCain was born in Alabama circa 1802 to 1805 and he died in Alabama prior to 1838.  His wife was forenamed Mahala and she remarried a Frenchman named George Brooks after John's passing. 
 Children of John and Mahala McCain:
John McCain
Pleasant McCain
Mary McCain
Nancy McCain
Amanda McCain

John's remarried widow settled in the Greensboro area of Choctaw County and had two of John McCain's sons living with them; John and Pleasant.  Both men served in Standford's Battery in the 1st Mississippi Light Artillery during the War.  John McCain's daughters were Mary, Nancy, and Amanda, and all three lived in the Brooks home.  They can be found in the US census 1850 through 1870.

The older son John was born circa 1831 and married Mary Turnbow on 14 October 1852.  Several members of the Turnbow family are buried in their McCain cemetery near Tomnolen, Mississippi.  John McCain and Mary lived in the Greensboro area of Choctaw County next to to his cousins and brothers.  John and Pleasant McCain's War records are stunning.  They were in the big battles of the western theatre to the bitter end and fought well.  Their first engagement was Shiloh. Many of John's McCains are still in that part of Mississippi.  As for Pleasant McCain I have not found any of them yet, but many, many, McCains and their in-laws migrated to Texas just after the war to escape the harsh oppressive rule of Reconstruction, which was particularly brutal in Mississippi. 

Now with all family history there are mysterious and things that can be deduced.  Many of the McCains above served in the 1st Mississippi Cavalry Reserve, in Company K.  Now there is a C W McCain (Charles), a William McCain (William Henry), a John McCain (John W McCain)... all can be linked to the family of William Hance McCain, his sons that is, but there is also a Levi McCain with them, who was age 41 years old and born circa 1823/24.   Levi is not a common Choctaw McCain forename, but it does show up in one line of them.  Charles had a son named Levi born in 1849, so I take the name was in his mind, I speculate that Levi is close relation, either another son of William Hance McCain or a son of his brother John.  I would bet a considerable sum on it.   My guess would be it was the oldest son of William Hance McCain and that is why Charles names his son Levi.  

Next update I will post some data on the two of the sons of William Hance McCain, i.e. John W McCain and William Henry McCain.