Transcribed from a photostatic copy taken from The Papers of Thomas Ruffin, ed. J.G. de Roulhac Hamilton (Raleigh: Edwards and Broughton, 1920), Volume II, pp. 250, 251.
Contributed by : Pat Iverson indygrandma@hotmail.com

"… I married the daughter of your kinsman, Majr. James Ruffin of Panola County, Mississippi, …. I married Mary Roane, his 4th daughter on the 5th of September, 1838 who was then in her 18th year and I in my 22nd. We commenced life with fair prospects of happiness which seemed to promise all that our fair hearts could desire. But alas! How illusory, how transitory and how fleeting are all things here. I could as I thought look forward upon the bright pathway which seemed to present itself to my gaze in the future with unsullied delight; possessing the love and confidence of one of so dignified, beautiful, amiable, accomplished and pure, our very existence seemingly being perfectly intertwined and interwoven in each others, and then to crown all at the close of the year we were blessed with a dear, a lovely little girl; (whom I call Lucy Ruffin) amid all those prospects of happiness, how soon my the whole fabric reel, totter, and fall, and is buried in the dust, 'tis to me a bitter cup, but I have been compelled to drink it to the very dregs. My Mary is no more, she died of Consumption on the 31st of March, 1845." p. 250.

"… I will endeavor in compliance with your request to give you a condensed sketch of Majr. R. and his family, he had by his first wife (who was a Miss Dandridge, nine children: seven daughters and two sons).

"Lucy Ann, the eldest, married in 1834, to a Mr. C.W. Hunt who resides at present in Hardeman County in this state [TN], has 6 children, (Mr. H. is making a fortune fast) her health is not very good however, being rather predisposed to consumption.

"James Francis was raised up to the law, married a Miss Wood of Va., in 1836, and was securing a fine practice, his health became delicate in 1841, h e made a trip to the Island of Cuba, by which he had partially regained his usual health, on his return he relapsed and after a long protracted indisposition breathed his last on the 21st of November, 1845. I loved him as a brother, he was an honest man and a more perfect gentleman I have never known, he left four children, his family are in independent circumstances.

"Rosanna married James D., only son of Wm. Ruffin, and of course first cousin. James is doing well and lives a few miles from Majr. J.R., he makes from 150 to 200 Bales cotton per annum.

"Maria Agnes married Mr. Edwin H. Price, of this place [Memphis] - 1836. She has 3 children, all girls. Mr. P. died on the 24th of April, 1845, but left a competency for his family. Mrs. P. resides near her father. I will only say in relation to Mr. Price, that he was my friend in the most liberal acceptation of the term, and died lamented by all. The loss to his family is irreparable.

"Eliza Dandridge was married in April last to Dr. John P. Wallace of Panola County, Miss., with whom you are partially acquainted, he is a gentleman of high standing in the country where he resides, though my acquaintance is not sufficiently extended to say anything from my own knowledge of him, he is considered wealthy.

"William D. Ruffin is now about 20 years of age, and resides with his father and is a young man of some promise.

"Cornelia and Ellen, are about 13 and 11 years of age, will be intellectual and pretty.

"Mary Roane, I have spoken of already. My Lue [Lucy Turnage, Rufus' daughter] is at her grandfathers. She is now just entering her 7th year. I have her at a fine school, she reads well, and is progressing as rapidly as I desire for her age. I shall then place her here at the Institute. My intention is to keep her at school until she is 16. I shall then, if I live, travel with her for 2 years. I have a great desire to make her a very accomplished woman. I think she will be beautiful, though it is difficult to tell at her age. All my hopes and fears are concentrated in her.

"Mrs. Ruffin, Maj. R's first wife died in 1839, he married again in 1840, he has no child by his last marriage. He is doing well land though his health is rather delicate he still retains that buoyancy of spirit which has ever characterized him, and for his family I entertain the very highest regards.

"Mr. William Ruffin resides at Somerville, T. He is doing very well, his family were well when I was last at his house about 10 days since. Mrs. Kenny resides about 20 miles from this place, her health is delicate, and I am of the opinion that she cannot live a great while. Mr. K. is in very independent circumstances.

"I am authorized and requested by your relatives here to present them kindly and affectionately to yourself and family and permit me further to say that they were highly pleased to hear from you. I visit Maj. R.'s about 4 times a year, as part of my Circuit extends down there. I am always happy when the time arrives, for it is only on such occasions that I feel that I am going home (in other words no place now seems like home to me).

"It will afford me great pleasure to hear from you, at any time when you can find Convenience to do so. I hope to be able to visit Raleigh and Hillsbourough this winter if I can spare time on some business, if not I shall do so in the summer and will do myself the pleasure of calling to see you, if I mistake not Hillsboro is the seat of justice for your county." pp. 250, 251.

More About EDWIN PRICE and MARIA RUFFIN:
Marriage: Apr 1836, Hardeman County, TN

More About DAVID SHELTON WHITE:
Burial: Como, MS -- McGehee-White Cemetery
More About DAVID WHITE and MARIA RUFFIN:
Marriage: Aft. 1845

Children of MARIA RUFFIN and EDWIN PRICE are:
2. i. ELIZABETH "BETTIE"9 PRICE.
ii. AGNES D. PRICE, b. 25 Jun 1838; d. 02 May 1884; m. (1) SHELTON MICAJAH MCGEHEE; b. 25 Jan 1838; d. 18 Jun 1892; m. (2) DAVID WHITE.
Notes for AGNES D. PRICE:
Twin sister of Mary Price.
Agnes married David White, nephew of the second husband of Mariah (or Maria) Ruffin.
Agnes' second husband, Shelton Micajah McGehee, was the first husband of her twin sister Mary.
More About AGNES D. PRICE:
Burial: Como, MS -- McGehee-White Cemetery
More About SHELTON MICAJAH MCGEHEE:
Burial: Como, MS -- McGehee-White Cemetery

3. iii. MARY R. PRICE, b. 20 Oct 1833; d. 09 Nov 1863.

Child of MARIA RUFFIN and DAVID WHITE is:
4. iv. DAVID CLARKE9 WHITE, b. 1853; d. 1927.

Generation 2
2. ELIZABETH "BETTIE"9 PRICE
(MARIA AGNES8 RUFFIN, JAMES7, JAMES B.6, ROBERT5, JOHN4, ROBERT3, ROBERT2, WILLIAM1)
She married THOMAS J. DURRET.
Children of ELIZABETH PRICE and THOMAS DURRET are:
i. EMMA10 DURRET.
ii. DOUGLAS DURRET, m. BETTIE HILL.
iii. AGNES DURRET, m. WILL GILCHRIST.
iv. TOM DURRET.

3. MARY R.9 PRICE
(MARIA AGNES8 RUFFIN, JAMES7, JAMES B.6, ROBERT5, JOHN4, ROBERT3, ROBERT2, WILLIAM1)
was born 20 Oct 1833, and died 09 Nov 1863. She married SHELTON MICAJAH MCGEHEE. He was born 25 Jan 1838, and died 18 Jun 1892.

Child of MARY RUFFIN and RUFUS TURNAGE is:
2. i. LUCY9 TURNAGE.

Generation No. 2
2. LUCY9 TURNAGE
(MARY ROANE8 RUFFIN, JAMES7, JAMES B.6, ROBERT5, JOHN4, ROBERT3, ROBERT2, WILLIAM1)
She married (1) HENDERSON TAYLOR, son of WILLIAM TAYLOR and FANNIE HENDERSON.
She married (2) UNKNOWN CONNELL.

Children of LUCY TURNAGE and HENDERSON TAYLOR are:
i. MARY10 TAYLOR, m. DAVID CLARKE WHITE; b. 1853; d. 1927.
Notes for MARY TAYLOR:
D.W. Ruffin in his "History of Tipton County, TN" states that Mary Taylor was the neice of Julius A. Taylor and the great-granddaughter of Chief Justice Leonard Henderson of North Carolina.

ii. ROSA TAYLOR, m. JOHN MCGEHEE.

Children of LUCY TURNAGE and UNKNOWN CONNELL are:
iii. CORINNE10 CONNELL, m. (1) DUDLEY FEATHERSTON; m. (2) BERT LOWERY.
iv. DANDRIDGE CONNELL, m. JULIA UNKNOWN.

More About DR. JOHN PIERCE WALLACE, SR.:
Burial: 1858, Como, Mississippi
More About JOHN WALLACE and ELIZA RUFFIN:
Marriage: 24 Mar 1846, Panola CO, MS

Child of ELIZA RUFFIN and JOHN WALLACE is:
2. i. JOHN PIERCE9 WALLACE, JR., b. 22 Feb 1853, Panola County, MS; d. 07 Jan 1939, Como, Ms.

Generation No. 2
2. JOHN PIERCE9 WALLACE, JR.
(ELIZA DANDRIDGE8 RUFFIN, JAMES7, JAMES B.6, ROBERT5, JOHN4, ROBERT3, ROBERT2, WILLIAM1)
was born 22 Feb 1853 in Panola County, MS, and died 07 Jan 1939 in Como, Ms. He married SALLIE GILCHRIST SLEDGE 29 Apr 1874, daughter of NORFLEET SLEDGE and CATHERINE JONES. She was born 15 Aug 1856 in Sledgeville, MS, and died 11 Apr 1950 in Memphis, TN.
Notes for JOHN PIERCE WALLACE, JR.:
Both of his parents died when he was a child. John Pierce Wallace, Jr. was reared by [his uncle] Colonel [James] Monroe and Cornelia Wallace on the Wallace Home Place in Panola County, Mississippi. "History of Panola County, Mississippi", F429

"In 1920, John and Sallie Gilchrist moved to Como, leaving the plantation home vacant for many years. It burned, and many priceless antiquest were lost. They stayed in their Como home until their deaths. The land on which their home stood is now a parking lot for the Como Baptist Church." "History of Panola County, Mississippi", F429.

More About JOHN PIERCE WALLACE, JR.:
Burial: 1939, Como, Mississippi
Notes for SALLIE GILCHRIST SLEDGE:
Sallie was one of seventeen children born to Norfleet Ruffin and Catherine Sledge.
More About SALLIE GILCHRIST SLEDGE:
Burial: 1950, Como, Mississippi
More About JOHN WALLACE and SALLIE SLEDGE:
Marriage: 29 Apr 1874

Children of JOHN WALLACE and SALLIE SLEDGE are:
i. JAMES MONROE10 WALLACE, b. 24 Oct 1881, Panola County, MS; d. 10 Sep 1971, Sardis, Mississippi; m. GRACE BROWN, 10 Sep 1902, Como, Mississippi; d. 03 Dec 1966, Oxford, Mississippi.
More About JAMES MONROE WALLACE:
Burial: Aft. 10 Sep 1971, Como, Mississippi More About GRACE BROWN:
Burial: Aft. 03 Dec 1966, Como, Mississippi

i. MARGARET9 JOHNSON.
ii. ROBERT JOHNSON, JR..

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