Tilford M. Reed was born 13 Jul 1837 in Illinois and died 3 Jun 1916
in Kent, Choctaw Co., OK and is buried the Sugar Creek Cemetery, Soper, Choctaw Co., OK.
He first married Clemente B. Ingram (born in 1842) on 11 Aug 1859 in Lamar Co., TX. She
must have died because he married a second time to Elizabeth J. Childs on 11 Jan 1865 in Lamar
Co., TX (Vol. 3, p. 337). His third wife was Lucy Ann Maddox. Lucy was born 14 Jun 1847 in
MO, married T. M. Reed on 13 Nov 1866 (Vernon Co., MO. Marriage Records Vol. A, p. 97),
she died 17 Oct 1917 in Kent, Choctaw Co., OK and she is buried in the Sugar Creek Cemetery,
Soper, Choctaw Co., OK.
The location of Tilford Reed in the various census years are as follows.
1850 Lamar Co., TX.; Family #396, Roll 912.
1860 UNKNOWN
1870 UNKNOWN
1880 Lamar Co., TX.; Prec. #1, ED#73, SD#2, p. 4-27, 29 Jun 1880, Family #480-500.
1900 Lamar Co., TX.; Prec. #1, Family #551-555.
1910 Choctaw Co., OK.; Oakes Twp, Nelson, SD#4, ED#66, Sheet 3B, p. 80, 21 Apr 1910, Line
75, Family #28-28.
He was the son of William and Jane Duff Reed. Tilford was the grandson of Gardner and
Rebecca Morrow Reed. Gardner Reed was born about 1790, and died 1843 in Lamar Co., TX.
Gardner married Rebecca Morrow 26 Feb 1810 in Sumner Co., TN. To tell the story of Tilford
one must go back to his grandfather Gardner Reed.
In 1841, Gardner Reed moved his children and grandchildren from Greene County, Illinois to
Lamar County, Texas. It is believed he traveled with the Duff and Castelberry families. Upon
arriving Gardner Reed, Harmon Reed, Dennis Duff, and John Castleberry all took out 3rd Class
Texas Land Certificates around the area of what is now Charleston, Delta County Texas. At the
time, this region between the north and south Sulphur Rivers was part of Lamar County.
Children of Gardner Reed and Rebecca Morrow were:
When Gardner Reed died sometime in 1843 the family mysteriously moved into what is now the
Amhearst/Givens communities northeast of Paris, Lamar County, Texas. There his sons, William,
Matthew and Harmon, along with their sons began acquiring land from the outskirts of present
day Paris to the Pine Creek several miles north and northeast of Paris. Eventually these thousands
of acres became known as Reed's Prairie.
William W. Reed (son of Gardner) was born 03 Oct 1814 in TN, and died 17 Dec 1879 in Paris,
Lamar Co., TX. He married Jane Duff 19 Feb 1835 in Jacksonville, Morgan Co., IL. William
and his sons did the majority of the land acquisition. Harmon moved to Crawford Co., Arkansas (and was never heard of again) and Matthew became a well-to-do cotton buyer/merchant in Paris.
Children of William Reed and Jane Duff were:
William and his sons, Tilford, Jacob, John and Lewis bought, sold and traded many acres of land
northeast of Paris for many years. William Reed is known to have owned a few slaves (probably
no more than 5-10) and it is conjecture that many of the present day black families named Reed
who call Reed's Prairie home, may have come from the former slaves of this William Reed.
William was a farmer all his life and Jacob more than the rest of his brothers, took up the plow
also. Tilford was more of a townsman and merchant. John was a smaller farmer and Lewis
disappeared and has never been heard of.
Of the all the sons of William Reed, Tilford seemed to have joined the earliest for the coming fight
between the states of the Union. His military records follow.
T. M. Reed, Private, Captain Sam Bell Maxey commanding officer, Lamar Rifles, Light Infantry
& Rifleman, 9th Brigade Texas State Troopers. Enlisted May 25, 1861 at Paris, Texas. Disbanded
Jan 26, 1862. Remarks "R&F 70; Company organized under Act F. 15-58; election certified with
roll; 1 Muster roll dated, July 6, 1861.
An account of this Company is found in The History of Lamar County, A.W. Neville, N. Texas
Publishing Co., 1937, page 116-117:
"Sam Bell Maxey had organized a company which is recorded under date of May 25,1861. The
roll showed...(list of men) T. M. Reed.... I went to several camps where companies were
organized. One afternoon I heard a drum beating over in the north and I ran across the old
brick yard and through the trees saw a company of infantry. All I had seen before were cavalry.
Sam Bell Maxey was in command and rode at the head on a beautiful sorrel horse that some
friends had presented him. These troops marched in column of two along the road and into the
Jake Long field where they camped about a week until sickness broke out and some died before
they were moved. Many of my older schoolmates were in this command, and I was proud of
them and recall how in company formation they marched through the public square and out the
main street south. Schools were disrupted and all the men but the older ones were gone."
Lamar County Deed Record Book L, pages 348-349, records the list of men who volunteered for
the Lamar Rifles, T. M. Reid (sic) being the 26th volunteer of the group commanded by Sam Bell
Maxey.
Telford (sic) M. Reed, Private. Commanding Officer Captain N. W. Townes. Organization;
Mounted Rifleman, Lamar County, 9th Regiment, Texas Cavalry; Colonel W.B. Sims,
commanding Texas State Troop transferred to Confederate States Army. Enlisted August 31,
1861 in Lamar City, for 12 months; transferred to CSA 0.14-1861. Age 24 years. Remarks "R&F
91; enrolled 7 mustered. officer Wm. C. Batte; Appraisers, W. J. Chance, James B. Sparks; Value
of Horse $175; HE $30; Arms-Rifle $50, Pistol $50 (Holsters); 80 miles to place of rendevous;
Company stationed at Camp Reeves, Grayson Co., 04-1861; 1 Muster roll dated August 31,
1861.
T. M. Reed appears on the microfilm of the Service Records of the 9th Texas Cavalry,
Confederate States Army, M323-59.
So it appears that Tilford never saw service after March 27, 1862. Unfortunately no stories were
handed down in the Reed family that recall the service of her sons in the Confederate Army and
we are left to wonder if Tilford returned to his regiment or simply became part of the many men
who never returned because of disgust over the handling of the war.
An old family tale, told to me by my great Aunt, Etta Mae Maddox Bramlett, recalled that Tilford
was in New Orleans, LA and met the indigent refugee family of Martha Jane Maddox, her son
Ben Stuart Maddox and a sister-in-law, Lucy Ann Maddox. The family had come from Vernon
County, Missouri where Jayhawkers had killed the head of the family, John Stuart Maddox,
burned the farm and run the rest of the family out of the area.
The story goes that Tilford brought the family to Lamar County where they must have stayed for
a while. Strangely, for some unknown reason, Tilford is married to Lucy Ann Maddox back up in
Vernon County in 1866. So for some reason the refugee family returned to Vernon County,
perhaps to reclaim the lands they had been removed from. Nevertheless Tilford decides to
purchase property in the nearest town there.
Vernon County, MO, Deed Book G, p. 242, dated October 14, 1867, shows that Tif purchased
"Lots No. 10, 11, 12, in Block 6" of the town of Montevallo, Missouri from Thomas M. Addis
for $250.00. Obviously, the war had not left the Lamar county Reed family of Texas poverty
stricken. By the early 1880s he sells the property and returns to Lamar County, Texas where
interestingly enough he has established himself in the town of Paris and sells additional acreage to
the old City Cemetery Asssociation.
Lamar County Deed Book S-2, pp. 296-297:
"The State of Texas, County of Lamar, Know all men by these presents that we T. M. Reed and
wife L. A. Reed of the county of Lamar and State of Texas for and in consideration of $150 to us
in hand paid by the old Cemetery Association and a note for $50 payable 12 months, after
bearing 10% interest from date executed by said old Cemetery Association, and bearing even
date herewith to asure the pay with of which a lien is hereby retained in the land herewith after
described, have granted sold and conveyed and by these presents do grant bargain sell and
convey unto the said old Cemetery of the City of Paris and to their heirs and assigns a certain
tract of land situated in the county of Lamar, and the State of Texas and described as follows to
wit: within the city of Paris and county and part of the Larkin Rattan survey and bounded as
follows, beginning at the SE corner of a lot sold E. D. Scales to T. M. Reed, the same being the
SE corner of a lot issued by John Martin, thence West 8 poles with the south boundary line of the
old graveyard lot a stake, thence East 8 poles a stake, thence North 81 feet to the beginning. To
have and to hold the above described premises together with all and singular the rights
members? improvements her____mensts? and appurtenances there to us anywise belonging unto
the said old Cemetery their heirs or assigns forever in fee simple, and we do hereby bind
ourselves our heirs executors and administrators to forever warrant and defend the rights and
title to the said premises unto the said old cemetery their heirs and assigns against every person
whomsoever lawful by claiming or to claim the same or any part thereof. Witness our hands this
12th day of Dec 1884. Signed T. M. Reed and L. A. Reed."
On 7 Mar 1885 Tilford records a deed in Lamar County which has become as precious as gold for
in it proves the existence of what are now unmarked graves of many of the early family members,
forgotten and unknown until this discovery in the early 1990s. Lamar county Deed Book 25,
page 217:
"Know all men by these presents that I, C. R. Pride of the County of Lamar and State of Texas
for an in consideration of sum of Ten dollars to me in hand paid by T. M. reed the receipt of
which is hereby acknowledged have granted, sold and convey and by these presents, do grant,
bargain sell and convey unto the said T. M. Reed and to his heirs and assigns a sertain tract of
land situated in the county of Lamar and State of Texas and described as follows to wit, about
three miles East of Paris and known as the Old Leach Graveyard in the Pride Cemetery and Lots
No. (15 and 16) Fifteen and Sixteen so much of said cemetery as contains the remains of the late
Gardner Reed and family, Dennis Duff and family, Wm. Reed and family, the same being a part
of the Joseph Leach headright survey. The same to be held sacred to a burying ground forever...
Witness my hand this 7th day of March A.D. 1885. C. R. Pride."
Sadly, it is reported that many tombstones were removed by developers of housing and teenager
pranks in the 1950s and 60s. This graveyard continues to be ignored and taken in by residents
that surround it within the city of Paris. Without the detailed accounting sought by Tilford, the
graves of the Reed forefathers in Lamar County would have been forever unknown and lost.
On 27 Apr 1885 Tilford sells another lot next to the Old City cemetery to his step-nephew Ben
Stuart Maddox who by now has become of age and brought his family of wife and child and
returned to Lamar County. (Ben Maddox is my great grandfather.) Ironically, Ben would bury
his wife Nancy S. Ambler, son Jessie Stuart Maddox and an unnamed child in the very cemetery
they live next to before 1891.
Tilford applied for a Confederate Pension #7862 on Oct. 15, 1900. At the time he states his age
to be 63 and that he had been in Lamar County since 1844. He further stated that he served in
Company H, 9th Texas Cavalry about one year. He owned a wagon and team worth $150, one
colt $30, two cows $50. He stated that he was indigent due to age, bad health and a broken leg.
Dr. Wm. Hodges attached an affidavit that Tif had a "intra capsular fraction of hip, loss use of
leg". The application was approved on 20 Mar 1901.
Sometime in the early 1900s several of the Reed family clan moved to Oklahoma for reason
unknown to us today. Tilford and Lucy moved to the Soper area where it is reported they
operated a small store for a few years near Antlers. My grandmother Martha Jane Maddox
Brothers recalled making several trips there by wagon where the family would spend a few nights
with them. She also recalled playing there with Lena and Maggie Duff who were cousins.
The burial site of Tif and Lucy Reed was forgotten by the family as years passed by. Through
research I found them again and in the strangest of circumstances. Acting on a hunch I visited a
cemetery near Soper and found their graves in very well kept state, as a matter of fact, kept better
than any other graves in the cemetery. This led me to believe that they had descendants nearby.
Upon finding the name of the grounds keepers of the cemetery I visited them at their home in
Soper and inquired who and why the Reed graves were kept so immaculately clean. The keeper
said she kept them that way, not because she was related, but because the grave stones were the
"prettiest stones in the cemetery." It was obvious the lady had spent several dollars per year in
keeping the white rock gravel that covered the lot free of weeds and the stone so clean.
Tilford and Lucy Reed never had children and thus there family limb ends with them.
©Ron Brothers, All Rights Reserved, 1999.
14 Feb 1999.
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