Person Page 1,836

Margaret Jane Wilson was born in 1831. George J. Leonard and she were married on 8 August 1854 in Putnam County, Indiana. She died in 1917 at age ~86.

Elizabeth Leonard was born on 8 August 1816 in Rowan County, North Carolina.

Jacob Leonard was born on 23 September 1818 in Rowan County, North Carolina. He died on 13 August 1842 at age 23 in Davidson County, North Carolina.

Absolom Leonard was born on 21 October 1820 in Rowan County, North Carolina. He died in September 1857 at age 36 in Hancock County, Indiana.

Valentine Leonard was born on 10 November 1824 in Rowan County, North Carolina. He and Caroline Rebecka Cox were married. He and Eva Lohr were married after 1870 in Davidson County, North Carolina. He died on 23 July 1894 at age 69 in Davidson County, North Carolina.

Taken from, "Davidson County Heritage-1982":
Valentine Leonard b 10 Nov 1824 on the parental homestead in the Pilgrim community, son of Jacob and Susan Byerly Leonard, as a boy became familiar with all branches of agriculture.
He m Caroline Rebeckah Cox, the granddaughter of James Cox, who was born in Liverpool, England and kidnapped by men at the docks of Liverpool and secretly carried on board an America-bound ship. The last view he had of his father showed him standing at the brink of the water tearing his hair in agony. James Cox soon after landing in America, was apprenticed to a hatmaker near Salisbury. Having learned the hatter's trade, he spent the remainder of his life in Rowan Co. John Cox, the father of Caroline Rebeckah, married Barbara Turner. He was a school teacher, and also served as superintendent of the Davidson County home for several terms.
Valentine Leonard was a strong character, always standing for religion and morality. A devoted churchman like his ancestors, he was an office bearer (holder) for years in "Leonhardt's Church" (Pilgrim Reformed UCC). In his early life he gave considerable attention to vocal music and became an old-fashioned "singing master". He was 37 at the outbreak of the Civil War, The volunteer system as in vogue until the winter of 1862.
He was a member of what was called the "Upper Regiment" which met for muster and regular drill at a point on the old Salem-Salisbury Road, 8 miles above Lexington. The names of all members of the regiment were recorded in a book, called the muster roll. In a hat wre placed slips of paper with the words "go" and "blank". Under the draft law the men marched two-abreast where the officers stood with the register. When a name was called, a slip was drawn from the hat. If the slip read "blank" the man was not drafted. If it read "go" he was drafted.
Since Mt Leonard's name read "blank", he missed the first draft. The conscription act came in 1863, first calling out all men from 18-35. In the winter of the same year the second conscription called out all men 35-40. This included Mr Leonard. He took with him to Raleigh, Jesse Shaw, when he went to appear before the board of examiners. He offered Mr Shaw as a substitute, and the latter was accepted because he was a more robust man than the principal, though past 50 yrs old. The substitute, supplemented by a wood contract for the government, kept Mr Leonard out of the service a year.
In 1864 even those who had substitutes has to enter the service, the officers saying that they were "rich men" and could afford to help out the government by employing substitutes and also by going themselves. Mr Leonard first went to Charleston, though many feared to go there because of yellow fever. His preference was to join the cavalry, but he was assigned to service in connection with the Navy. His first work was the building of an iron-clad boat. The iron was so hot from the sun that the workmen had to sit on boards. When the boat was finished, they ran her out for a trial. They fired a shot at a tree at a great distance and cut it off; but the boat was not strong enough, and it broke apart.
While at Charleston his headquarters were on the boat, "The Indian Chief". From Charleston his boat went to Georgetown and then to Cheraw. The water was so low that often they had to draw the boat with ropes and tackle. From Cheraw he and the others had to march to Charlotte, and they were taken by train to Drury's Bluff. After the fall of Richmond, they had to get out of the latter place and join Johnston's army. They were captured above Petersburg and were taken in May to Point Lookout. Here he remained until the last of June 1865 when he was released to return home.
To Valentine Leonard and his wife, Caroline Rebeckah, were born 5 sons: Pleasant James, George Edward, William Valentine, John Thomas and Jacob Calvin (who became a Reverend). There were also Allison Bennett who died as infant and Frances C, a daughter who died at abt age 3. Caroline died in 1870 of consumption (TB) and he remarried later that year to Eve/Eva Lohr.
Copied from the journal of Dr J C Leonard.

Jesse Leonard was born on 20 November 1826 in Rowan County, North Carolina. He and Eliza Green were married on 15 November 1859 in Davidson County, North Carolina. He died on 26 November 1912 at age 86 in Davidson County, North Carolina.

Some trees give the parents of Robert L Leonard (1852-1889) as Jesse Leonard and Elizabeth Greene. There is a marriage record for Jesse and Elizabeth for 15 Nov 1859. This is 7 years after Robert was born. Also, Elizabeth and Jesse had a son in 1863 that they named Robert. It seems unlikely that Robert L was their son.
Who were his parents?
The only censuses found for a Robert Leonard born in 1853 in Davidson County were for the son of George and Susannah Waggoner Leonard. There is an 1860 census with George, Susannah and children Joseph 16, Lucetta, 12, Jurod, 10, Robert, 7, and John, 6. George died in 1864 and Susannah married Richmond D Thomason in 1868. In 1870 there is a census for Rich and Susan Thomas with Robert, 16, and John, 13, in the household.
There is an 1870 Lexington, Davidson census for Robert Leonard, 11, in the household of David Leonard, 25, Eliza, 25 and Isabella Everheart, 14. Living next to David was Jacob Leonard, 68. This Robert would have been born around 1859.
There is an 1880 Yadkin College, Davidson, census for Rob't Leonard, clearly written 22, wife Mary A Leonard, 25, son, not named Leonard, born in May, step-son Rob't L Leonard, 3, mother-in-law Susan Temple, 70, and servant Valentine Leonard, 19, who was a farm laborer. This is obviously the family of Robert Leonard and Mary Ann Temple. Mary Ann had previously been married to David Koontz and had a son Curtis John Koontz born in 1877. The age of Robert appears to be incorrect. There is a marriage record for Robert and Mary Ann which gives his birth year as 1852 and hers as 1856.
Interestingly, the next entry in 1880 is David Leonard, 45, and wife Eliza, 45. On the 1870 census for Lexington, David, 25, and Eliza, 25, Leonard had in their household, Robert 11. Robert would have been born in 1859, younger than Robert L Leonard was, per his marriage record. Since the ages for David and Eliza differ by 10 years, these may not be the same David and Eliza, unless there was an enumeration error. If there was an error in 1870 and David and Eliza were both 45 in 1880, it's possible that they were Robert's parents. That being the case, Robert's age was incorrect on his marriage record by several years. However, on the 1880 census his age is given as 22, which corresponds to the Robert of the 1870 census living with David and Eliza.
Robert L Leonard was buried at Good Hope Methodist Church Cemetery in Reedy Creek, Davidson, North Carolina. His stone seems to say that died 10 Apr 1890. It's very weathered, however. His birth date is clear, though - 15 May 1852. His age is also on the stone, 45 years 10 months, 25 days. Adding the age to his birth date makes his death date 10 Apr 1898, not 1890. On the death certificates of Mary Ann Temple Leonard's two youngest daughters, Estella, born in 1892, and Fannie Sue, born in 1893, their father is given and William Leonard. No other documentation on William has been found. An 1898 death date for Robert means that Robert was their father. The informants for the deaths of Estella and Fannie Sue must have had incorrect information.
With conflicting data and little documentation, it's difficult to conclude who Robert Leonard's parents were. The indirect evidence is that they were David and Eliza Leonard. Unfortunately not much is known about them.

Christina Leonard was born on 7 May 1830 in Rowan County, North Carolina. She died on 1 December 1855 at age 25 in Davidson County, North Carolina.

William Christopher Bennett Leonard was born on 24 May 1834 in Davidson County, North Carolina. He and Mary Jane ("Mollie") Roberts were married on 6 February 1866 in Davidson County, North Carolina. He died on 20 June 1914 at age 80 in Davidson County, North Carolina.

Susanna A. Leonard was born on 3 November 1837 in Davidson County, North Carolina. She died in December 1880 at age 43.

Melissa J. Leonard was born in 1839 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. She died in 1904 at age ~65.

Susanna Leonard was born in 1841 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana.

Jacob Leonard was born in 1844 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. He died in 1921 at age ~77.

Thomas Jefferson Leonard was born in 1847 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. He died in 1864 at age ~17.

Mary Ann ("Mollie") Leonard was born in 1849 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. She died in 1877 at age ~28.

Jesse Valentine Leonard was born in 1851 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. He died in 1926 at age ~75.

Caroline V. Leonard was born in 1855 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. She died in 1929 at age ~74.

James B. Leonard was born in 1857 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. He died in 1937 at age ~80.

John Leonard was born in 1860 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana.

Susan Belle Leonard was born in 1862 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. She died in 1930 at age ~68.

Lucy Leonard was born in 1864 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. She died in 1940 at age ~76.

Laura E. Leonard was born in 1868 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. She died in 1931 at age ~63.

Anna F. Leonard was born in 1869 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. She died in 1937 at age ~68.

Frederick F. Leonard was born in 1871 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. He died in 1954 at age ~83.

Margaret L. Leonard was born in 1875 in Russell, Putnam County, Indiana. She died in 1945 at age ~70.

Elizabeth Jane Leonard was born about 1810 in North Carolina. Davidson Leonard and she were married on 22 September 1829 in Davidson County, North Carolina. She died BEF MAYBE 1855.