Rennie Belew and sons in the 2nd Spartan Regiment: A family at war.

Rennie Belue (also spelled Reney, Renny, Renney, etc.,
and Blue, Belue, Belieu, Ballow, etc.) was Kizzie Comer
Littrell’s great-great-grandfather.

Rennie Belue, was a Lieutenant in the Spartan Regiment and later the 2nd Spartan Regiment.

The county of Spartanburg, South Carolina has more Revolutionary War engagement sites than practically any other locale in the United States. Thus the early formation of the Spartan Regiment, made up of fiercely independent upstate settlers, in the late summer of 1775.

"...The BELUE (or BELEW) family supported the cause of the patriots during the American Revolution, both by serving in the military and by furnishing supplies to the American troops... Renney BELUE, Sr, as well as his three oldest sons, fought for the Americans. "Reney BELIEU" served as a lieutenant under Col. John THOMAS in 1776. He must have faced…”

As you can see from the map, the battles fought by the 2nd Spartan Regiment during the service of Rennie Belew and his sons are too numerous to present here. Seventeen of the mapped engagements are described in: “Military Role Call: The Littrell Family of Mississippi County, Missouri”

Private. Zachariah Belew (Belue)
Kizzie's great-grandfather, Zachariah Belew (Belue), was a Pvt., in Col. Brandon’s Regiment of the South Carolina Militia.30 He received several wounds while serving in the Revolutionary War.

1779: Rennie and Zachariah Belue in the 2nd Spartan Regiment.
Rennie Belue (Belieu) would also serve in Brandon's regiment, the 2nd Spartan Regiment. Records indicate that this period was 1979-1981 (inclusive). Col. Thomas Brandon was a captain in the 1776 Spartan Regiment. Brandon was a neighbor of Rennie's after the war and possibly before.
Rennie's son, Zachariah Belew, also served in the militia joining his father under Col. Brandon and it is our assumption that it was during this same period of enlistment, 1779-1781.

1781: Rennie Belue and his three sons in the 2nd Spartan Regiment. Renney Belew (Jr.) and Rueben would join their father and oldest brother in 1781.

• Following the war Rennie Belew would prosper in Union County, South Carolina., were he would pass away in December of 1797.
• Zachariah, with some of his children, nephew and nieces, and their families would migrate to Lawrence Co., Tennessee about 1827. With Zachariah was his widowed daughter Susannah Belew Comer and her son Jesse Comer. County legend says the young Jesse would make the entire trip from Union County, South Carolina to Pebble Hill, near Loretto (in Laurence County, Tn.) riding horseback behind his mother, Susannah.
• Renney Belew (Jr.) would die young in Union County, South Carolina. Some of his and Keziah (his widow) children may have migrated with Zachariah as they show-up in Lauderdale County, Alabama within miles of the state line and border with Lawrence Co., Tennessee.
• Ruebin Belew would remain in Union County, South Carolina and pass about 1806.

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excerpted from:

“Military Roll Call: The Littrell Family
of Mississippi County, Missouri”
Chapter 1. The Revolution. (click here)
also:  Littrell Family Veterans Video

reposted from 2016:   115 / 289

We need more information: W. Reed Olive & Jeff Van Pelt.

Wilburn Reed Olive: US Army                           Jeff Van Pelt: US Marine Corp

Reed is the son-in-law of Viola ‘Sis’ Littrell Johnston, daughter of John & Kizzie (Comer) Littrell.

Jeff is the son-in-law of Dolan Littrell, grandson of John & Kizzie (Comer) Littrell.

As is our annual tradition we will be posting dedications honoring our family's veterans by recognizing their service. From of October to Veterans Day, November 11 we will post at least one article a day commemorating a family member who served in the military whether in war or times of peace.
These commemorations will be based on, but not limited to, the 35 family Veterans commemorated in the book “The Littrell Family Journals Volume III: Military Roll Call”.
If you have information on a family Veteran who is not mentioned in the book, or additional information please provide that information (pictures, stories, newspaper clipping, memorials, etc.,) to me at the reunion, or via the email or postal address below
Please, the commemorations we are talking about are NOT just for blood-line descendants... they can include spouses too.
GlennDL

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Any descendant of John and Kizzie (including spouses and step-children) who served in the military is eligible to be included in the Military Roll Call (MRC) book and website page, but I need you to provide that information. The book has already been published but it will be updated and reprinted every few years and the website is constantly updated.

Pictures (especially in uniform), dd214, letters, duty stations, training, stories, post cards, accommodations & awards, dates of service, etc., What you can when you can, don’t hesitate.

We need more information on these individual. Please send us any information so that we can update entries for this person on the website and the next edition of this book.

Send to: INDIANAGLENN@GMAIL.COM
or:
Glenn Littrell
PO BOX 20794
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
46220-0794

reposted from 2015:    43

Eugene Miller Nolen: Korea, US Army

Eugene is the son-in-law of Jesse Daniel Littrell.

---

Any descendant of John and Kizzie (including spouses and step-children) who served in the military is eligible to be included in the Military Roll Call (MRC) book and website page, but I need you to provide that information. The book has already been published but it will be updated and reprinted every few years and the website is constantly updated.

We need more information on this individual. Please send us any information so that we can update entries for this person on the website and the next edition of this book.

Send to: INDIANAGLENN@GMAIL.COM 
or:
Glenn Littrell
PO BOX 20794
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
46220-0794

reposted from 2016:   52/91

James Edward “Bud” Simbeck: Ret. US Navy

(James, 'Bud', was the grandson of John & Kizzie Littrell.)

  In January and February of 1951 the SS Hank (Bud’s ship) supported the 8th Army (two cousins, JD and Ruben Littrell were serving in the 8th Army in Korea) as it moved to recapture and consolidate Seoul and Inchon. Screening, blockade patrol, and shore bombardment constituted the destroyer's duties along the Korean coast until she sailed for the United States, reaching Norfolk on 9 June via San Diego, the Panama Canal, and Guantanamo.

---

Bud was honorably discharged from active duty in December 15, 1967 and officially retired

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The above information is from: Military Role Call: The Littrell Family of Mississippi County, Missouri, The Littrell Family Journals Volume IV. (click here)
also:  Littrell Family Veterans Video

reposted from 11-9-2016:   148 / 180 / 183

Thomas Luttrell: Ft. Boonesborough, Ky.

Pioneer, Indian Fighter, Boonesborough Militia.

Thomas is not a direct ancestor of ours, but he was a first cousin of once removed of Robert Luttrell and therefore the 2nd cousin (thrice removed) of our John Daniel Littrell).
Thomas is the half brother of Col. John Luttrell, we don't know if Thomas, arrived with his brother John and Judge Henderson, or set out with the Boone party. We don't find mention of him in Henderson's diary along with the many times his brother John was mentioned, so we assume that he was with the Boone (Wilderness) Party. We have little information on Thomas other than land claims and probate papers for him¹ and his brother John (and later John's widow and her nefarious second husband). We believe he remained at Ft. Boonesborough after his brother returned to North Carolina.

Thomas does not appear to have established himself as well as the Colonel so his holdings at Ft. Boonesborough maintained his attention to a greater degree than John, who had affairs and estates in North Carolina, as well as a pregnant wife there.
We believe that Thomas Luttrell died in Kentucky and may have left descendants there.

After the Colonel's departure the history of the fort is filled with conflicts and events that we can only speculate that Thomas Luttrell may have been witness to. We do know that he did meet his settlement requirements for a land claim by '...raising a field of corn” during the first year of Fort Boonseborough's existence. He may have been dead by the end of the war. Failing to find any record of Thomas ever leaving Kentucky and the indications that he was alive at or near the end of the revolution we can then summarize that he was probably involved in at least one of three major events at Fort Boonesborough during the revolution:

1. Capture of Daniel Boone: With the food supply at Boonesborough running low, Daniel Boone led a party of thirty men to the salt springs on the Licking River. Boone's party was greatly outnumbered and captured by Chief Blackfish. Boone and his men were taken as prisoners to Blackfish's town of Chillicothe. Per Shawnee custom, Boone and some of the prisoners were adopted into the tribe to replace fallen warriors. The remainder were taken to Detroit, where Indians received a bounty for each prisoner (or scalp) taken. Boone eventually escaped. Boone eluded his captors and raced home, covering the 160 miles (260 km) to Boonesborough in five days. If Thomas was in the original Daniel Boone party that was captured then he probably spent the rest of the war in captivity in Detroit.
2. The Raid on Paint Lick Town: Upon his return, Boone lead a preemptive raid against the Shawnee village of Paint Lick Town on the other side of the Ohio River. This accomplished little.
3. The Siege of Fort Boonseborough: On September 7, 1778, Blackfish's force arrived outside Boonesborough. Boone counted 444 Native Americans and 12 white men. The former were mostly Shawnees, with a number of Cherokees, Wyandots, Miami’s, Delawares, and Mingos. The latter were French-Canadian militiamen from Detroit, now fighting on behalf of the British Crown. Although this was the largest force yet sent against the Kentucky settlements, taking a fortified position like Boonesborough would still be difficult without artillery to reduce the stronghold. After days of negotiations Blackfish demanded to know "by what right had the white people taken possession of this country." Boone replied that they had bought the land from the Cherokees at Sycamore Shoals (The Treaty of Watuaga). A Cherokee chief confirmed that this was true. Blackfish accepted this answer.What happened next is unclear, but a scuffle broke out, and marksmen from both sides opened fire. All but one of the Americans managed to scramble back into the fort-the last one had to take cover next to a tree stump by the main gate. Negotiations were over; the formal siege had begun. Gunfire was exchanged over the next several days. The Shawnees launched their final assault on September 17, again trying to set fire to the fort. They were beaten back, and a heavy rain helped to put out the fires. The Shawnees lost more men killed in this attack than on all previous days. The next day, they gradually broke off the siege.

¹we know his heir was another John Luttrell (probably Thomas's own son) who inherited as much as 1400 acres of land.

see also

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The above information is from: Military Role Call: The Littrell Family of Mississippi County, Missouri, The Littrell Family Journals Volume IV. (click here)
also:  Littrell Family Veterans Video

reposted from 10-18-2015:   35 

Lindsay “Bordie” Thurman: US Army

Any descendant of John and Kizzie (including spouses and step-children) who served in the military is eligible to be included in the Military Roll Call book and website page, but I need you to provide that information. The book has already been published but it will be updated and reprinted every few years and the website is constantly updated.

---

The above information is from: Military Role Call: The Littrell Family of Mississippi County, Missouri, The Littrell Family Journals Volume IV. (click here)
also:  Littrell Family Veterans Video

reposted from 11-11-2016:  36 / 75

Military Roll Call: James Littrell

from FaceBook:

James Littrell is the son of Presley Littrell and nephew of John, Suzie, James, and Mozela.

reposted from 11-12-2012:   109

Oliver James 'OJ' Littrell: US Army

OJ was a son of John & Kizzie (Comer) Littrell

OJ was a Sergeant in the Medical Corps during World War II. He served in the South Pacific from August of 1945 to October of 1946 as a medic.

Shortly after the end of the war OJ was shipped stateside in October, reporting to Letterman General Hospital, at the Presidio in San Francisco, California. Where he was Honorably discharged, 4 days before his 20th birthday, on December 22.

Upon discharge OJ received the The Honorable Service Lapel Button sometimes called the Honorable Service Lapel Pin:

“...awarded to United States military service members who were discharged under honorable conditions during World War II. The award was sometimes 'slangily' called the Ruptured duck.

The award served several purposes. It served as proof that the wearer was an honorable discharged veteran returning from duty. Unofficially, it was also used as an identifier to railroad, bus, and other transportation companies who offered free or subsidized transportation to returning veterans.

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The above information is from: Military Role Call: The Littrell Family of Mississippi County, Missouri, The Littrell Family Journals Volume IV. (click here)
also:  Littrell Family Veterans Video

reposted from 2017:  105 / 153

Eli Literal: Confederate States Army, 9th Tennessee Cavalry Battalion

John Daniel Littrell's grandfather, Eli F. Literal, was
a member of the 9th Tennessee Cavalry (CSA) during
the Civil War and died in service somewhere near
Tunnel Hill, Georgia in 1864.

Because Eli’s widow resided in Mississippi during the Civil War some had concluded that Eli died there [as a civilian], but Mary’s presence in Mississippi was probably a result of having kinfolk in that area when Eli enlisted in Company A of the 9th Tennessee Calvary Battalion on the side of the Confederacy in September of 1862.

Eli's enlistment at age 36 was unusual as he was past the conscription age and head of a household. The speculation is that with the approach of winter, the ownership of a horse and hard economic times Eli saw enlistment as a way to subsidies his family. We have no information on Eli's position towards the 'cause' and there could be many reasons for him enlisting so late.

The Tennessee 9th Cavalry Battalion was formed at Camp Maury (December 23, 1861 ) and thereafter mustered into Confederate service under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Gantt. Made up of six companies from Maury,Wayne and Hickman Counties. Both Wayne and Maury Counties border Eli's home county of Lawrence. Earlier in the year the 9th had been in the siege of Fort Donaldson and had surrendered on February 16, 1862. The officers were imprisoned at Ft. Warren in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts and the enlisted men at Camp Morton in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In September of 1862 the men of the 9th were exchanged in a prisoner swap at Vicksburg, which was still under Confederate control. "The 9th Cavalry Battalion and the 1st Mississippi Infantry Regiment were temporally consolidated (until the 9th could be remounted) and ordered to report to Major General Van Dorn in Northern Mississippi.

Col. Gantt,U with a detail from the several companies, was ordered to Middle Tennessee to get recruits for the battalion and secure horses upon which to remount his men. In October a seventh company was formed in Hickman County, TN. This recruitment was probably from Col. Gantt's detail and may have included Eli, however, Eli is listed on Battalion rolls as being in Co. A which is made up of earlier Maury county recruits.

On General Van Dorn's retreat from Corinth the 9th was ordered south to Port Hudson, reporting to Gen. Villepigue, where they aided in the construction of the fortifications. The battalion was joined by Col. Gantt and the recruits he brought from Tennessee.

As you can see from the map the map the 9thTennessee was engaged in many battles and skirmishes across the south following Eli’s enlistment.

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excerpted from:

“Military Roll Call: The Littrell Family
of Mississippi County, Missouri”
Chapter 1. The Revolution. (click here)
also:  Littrell Family Veterans Video

and

"Walking Among The Stones: The Littrell Family of
Lawrence County, Tennessee & Mississippi County, Missouri
Chapter 3: Memorial Dedication for: Pvt. Eli F.C. Literal.

reposted from 2016:  81 / 135

Captain Rodhom Literal (Luttrell): Cornstalk Militia

Robert Luttrell’s son and great-grandfather of John Daniel Littrell

Rodhom is listed as a Captain in the Kentucky Cornstalk Militia in 1800.
Rodhom Literal would migrate from Fauquier County, Virginia, upon coming of age, to Patrick Co., Virginia and then to south-central Kentucky.

While Rodhom was amongst the earliest settlers to both Tennessee (before 1820) and Kentucky (about 1796) he was preceded into Kentucky by cousins, Thomas and Lt. Col. John Luttrell (of North Carolina), 21 years earlier.

Traveling with a group of cousins and the allied families of Shelton, Rutherfords and Duncans. Rodhom would settle in the Lincoln County, Kentucky area between 1796 to about 1806.

SOMETIME BETWEEN 1806 and 1816 Rodhom would leave a grown son in Kentucky and along with some of the same cousins and allied families would migrate to the Indian Territory of south-central Tennessee, eventually settling in an area that would become Lawrence Co, Tennessee.

Rodham remained in Lawrence County, Tennessee the rest of his life, acquiring and selling land until the mid 1800s.

Often Rodham is confused with 3-4 other Rodhams (various spellings) prior to his settling in Tennessee. While Rodham did serve in the Kentucky Cornstalk Militia in 1800 he never filed any pension or Military Land Grant applications leading us to assume that the Cornstalk Militia saw no formal action.

For this reason we also do not believe that he was the Rodhom Luttrell mentioned in the rolls of Captain Ball’s company of the Fauquier County Virginia Militia during the Revolution (when he would have been from 8 to 14 years old). His travels with his cousins and the allied families that traveled together, the paper trail of land purchases and sales, and the numerous Military Land Grants applications filed by his traveling companions lead us to further conclude that he would have a knowledge of any potential claims he could make if he had qualified via service in the Revolution. Exhaustive document searches has produced no Military Land Grant applications for our Rodhom.

In the mid 1990s a search for the gravesite of Rodhom began was begun by descendants of Rodhom’s grandchildren:

“…At the 1996 Timmons Literal Reunion in Loretto, after the Reunion dinner, my first cousin J. Fred Johnston of Lawrenceburg, my daughter Kelly, and myself loaded up and took to the back-roads of Lawrence County. We bothered people, got bug bites, drove from here to there, sloshed through damp meadows, drove through creeks, over hill and dale. Saw some beautiful country, met some fine people, got lost [I do that at least once every trip, but I'm proud to report I have never been found], and last but not least even found a hidden cemetery in a clump of trees, near a creek, in a field. Unfortunately, it was not the one we were looking for. What we found was the equally old Appleton Cemetery located within about a hundred yards of the immaculately kept Dobbins Cemetery…”

For the next three years the various cousins would work together and locate the Lost Littrell Cemetery Cemetery. A journal of this endeavor can be found in Chapter 2 of the book mentioned below.

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excerpted from:

“Military Roll Call: The Littrell Family
of Mississippi County, Missouri”
Chapter 1. The Revolution. (click here)
also:  Littrell Family Veterans Video

and

"Walking Among The Stones: The Littrell Family of
Lawrence County, Tennessee & Mississippi County, Missouri
Chapter 2. The Lost Littrell Cemetery.

reposted from 2016:  54 / 111

Robert Luttrell: Virginia Militia

Robert Luttrell is the great-great-grandfather of John Daniel Littrell.

Robert Luttrell, was listed as a member of Captain John Ball's Company of Fauquier County, Virginia Militia. ^{1 i}

In the same source as for Robert above there is also a Rodhom Luttrell (spelling may vary). This is not the son of Robert as he would have been just 8 years old in 1775. ⁱⁱ We believe that he is an unidentified cousin or uncle of Robert, probably the namesake relative of Robert's son, Rodhom, our ancestor. ²

So far there is nothing to indicate that during Robert’s activation the company did more than local activities of muster.

1 We have little information on Robert and Capt. Ball's Company.

2 Since some have identified Robert as the step-father of the younger Rodhom, not his biological father, it is also possible that this is the younger Rodhom's real father.

i John P. Alcock, #32 Fauquier County: 1759-1799, We have little information on Robert and Capt. Ball's Company.

ii Some youths did travel with and serve in some position as drummers or horse groomers, but there is little reason to suggest that here. In addition, in spite of traveling with cousins who were veterans claiming Veteran Land Grants we never find record of our Rodhom, Robert's son, doing so.

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The above information is from: Military Role Call: The Littrell Family of Mississippi County, Missouri, The Littrell Family Journals Volume IV. (click here)
also:  Littrell Family Veterans Video

reposted from 2016:  32

Harbert H. Ezell: Union Army

Kizzie’s maternal grandfather, Harbert Ezell,
served in the Union Army during the Civil War.

Born in 1820 we have three sources for the service of Harbert H. Ezell, his tombstone, family stories and the published recollections of Robert Ezell.

Family history, passed down by the descendants of Robert Ezell, tells of 4 brothers serving on opposite sides during the Civil War.

“Hobart (Harb), Lem, and Will fought in the Civil War on the Union side, Robert fought on the southern or Confederate side(CSA). During the Battle of Chickamauga, Harb, Lem, and Will had jobs loading the rifles for the Union Army. When they realized that Robert’s unit was facing them on the battlefield they refused to load rifles”

This account is flawed in that the 4 were not all brothers and Lem may not have actually been with William and Hobart at Chickamauga. Lem was either a brother or cousin of Robert and William, who were brothers. Hobart was an uncle of Robert and William and probably Lem. Lem had originally enlisted in the CSA before either deserting or being captured by Union Forces. After serving as a POW he enlisted in the Union Army and finished the war at Ft. Riley, Kansas.

It is not unusual for family stories that are handed down for generations to change as the telling becomes subject to failed memories or convenience. It is not hard to envision an uncle, a cousin and two brothers becoming and uncle and three brothers and then just four brothers.

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The above information is from: Military Role Call: The Littrell Family of Mississippi County, Missouri, The Littrell Family Journals Volume IV. (click here)
also:  Littrell Family Veterans Video

reposted from 2016: 37 / 80

Family Members Serving In the War Of 1812:

The John Lantroop described here is the
great-great-grand-Uncle of our grandpa John.

“Beginning in 1813, Virginians suffered from a British naval blockade of the Chesapeake Bay and from British troops plundering the countryside by the Bay and along the James, Rappahannock, and Potomac rivers. The Virginia militia deflected a British attempt to take Norfolk in 1813, and engaged British forces throughout the war.” http://www.historicalmarkerproject.com/markers/HM1HB6_the-war-of-1812-winfield-scott_Dinwiddie-VA.html

Records show that John Lanthrop (Lantrip, Landtroop) of Dinwiddie County, Virginia served during the War of 1812:

• John Landtroop, Pvt. 83 Regiment (Scott’s) Virginia Militia, Roll Box 121, Microfilm M602   (The 83rd was a State Militia unit out of Dinwiddie County, Virginia)
• John Landtroop, Pvt., 6 Regiment Virginia Militia, Roll Box 121, Microfilm M602   (The 6th was a Federal Militia ???)

It appears that the two above may be two separate persons serving in two separate units, or perhaps the same person serving in two separate units. The limited information we have at the moment gives us no dates of service or discharge, but our John Lantrhop did come from Dinwiddie County, Virginia.

According to the Society of the War of 1812 in Virginia a company of the 83rd Regiment was attached to the 6th Virginia Regiment once the 83rd reached the Norfolk, Virginia area. For this reason many of the 83rd appeared on the muster/pay rolls of both units. They were on the state militia payroll for their duty with the 83rd and were on the Federal payroll when attached to the 6th.

note: see Battle of Norfolk:

Since John appears on the roles of both the 6th Regiment and the 83rd Regiment we can assume that he was at the formation of the 83rd in Dinwiddie County, marched with the unit to Norfolk, Virginia, where the commander of American forces was preparing for the siege/battle of Norfolk. In April 1813 the commander combined and divided all forces gathered there into 3 new regiments, one of which was the 6th Regiment. From this we know he was at the Battle of Norfolk. We do not know if the 6th Regiment was engaged in hostilities on Craney Island or the taking of Hampton,  or entrenched in the defense of Norfolk.

John had a son also named John, but he died in 1810.

From “Soldiers of the War of 1812 (Research Notes Number 19)” Library of Virginia:

“In his reminiscences, Captain Henry Brush described with precision what newly enlisted recruits wore during the War of 1812. Soldiers were outfitted for service in unbleached, tow-linen hunting shirts and trousers. On their heads they wore low-crown hats, on the left side of which were black cockades about two inches in diameter. A small silver eagle (about the size of a quarter) was fastened in the center of each cockade. Each soldier strapped a leather girdle around his waist, where he carried a tomahawk, a knife, a cartridge box, a bayonet, and a quart-sized tin canteen. He was armed with a musket and shouldered a linen knapsack with a blanket lashed to the top. Both were covered with oilcloth to protect them from wet weather. A soldier’s arms and pack together weighed about thirty-five pounds, and troops traveled an average of twenty-five miles a day on foot. Writing home to his wife, one soldier confessed:  “My limbs were so stiff and sore at the end of each day’s march that I could hardly walk… ”

A cockade is a knot of ribbons, or other circular- or oval-shaped
symbol of distinctive colors which is usually worn on a hat.

Stationed at Fort Norfolk 1812 to 1815

The Virginia Militia line infantry were issued smooth bore flint lock muskets. The uniform for the line infantry was a blue hunting frock with red trim, and blue pants with red trim. The hat was a round hat with a cockade and a red and black plum. The men were required to provide their own uniform.

The Virginia Militia was the beginning of the Virginia National Guard. They were farmers, shop workers, and the average men of Virginia. Every male citizen of Virginia between the ages of 18 and 45 years old was required by law to be a member of the militia They would be assigned to a militia company within their county and would drill with this unit about once a month to learn how to be a militia soldier. The companies would be called up by the company captain's name and county. Everyone in that company would report for active duty. Each company would have about 100 men in the company.

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Note
Part of index to: Pay Rolls of Militia Entitled to Land Bounty Under the Act of Congress of Sept. 28, 1850 (Richmond, 1851) and: Muster Rolls of the Virginia Militia in the War of 1812 (Richmond, 1852) which supplements Pay Rolls. This collection is also available on microfilm.
War of 1812 pay rolls and muster rolls.

Muster Rolls, p.679
Pay Rolls, p.156
Muster Rolls, p.210

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The above is new information for the Littrell Family “Military Roll Call”. Once research is completed John will be added to MRC.

reposted from 2016: 57

Richard Luttrell, Jr.:Virginia Militia

Richard is not a direct ancestor of ours. He is the brother of
Grandpa John’s great-great-grandfather, Robert Luttrell.

Pvt. Luttrell served under Major George Rogers Clark in the successful campaign northwest of the Ohio in 1778-79 (The old Northwest Territory) during the American Revolution. His service earned him two land grants following the war.

In July 1778, Col. Clark's militia including Richard Luttrell and about 175 men crossed the Ohio River at Fort Massac and marched to Kaskaskia, taking it on the night of July 4. Cahokia, Vincennes, and several other villages and forts in British territory were subsequently captured without firing a shot, because most of the French-speaking and American Indian inhabitants were unwilling to take up arms on behalf of the British. To counter the militia advance, Henry Hamilton reoccupied Vincennes with a small force. In February 1779, Clark's militia returned to Vincennes in a surprise winter expedition and retook the town, capturing Hamilton in the process.

In 1980 Richard would be appointed Ensign in the Fauquier Militia by Thomas Jefferson.

The above information is from: Military Role Call: The Littrell Family of Mississippi County, Missouri, The Littrell Family Journals Volume IV. (click here)
also:  Littrell Family Veterans Video

reposted from 2016: 41

The Boys of Anniston, MO.

John and Kizzie lived most of the 40s in and around the little town of Anniston, Missouri. By the time they moved from Anniston into East Prairie all their children were grown and had moved out.  Bertha was the last Littrell (Thurman) to move from Anniston, taking her family to Charleston, Missouri. Several of John’s sons would list Anniston on their enlistment papers as their residence when enlisting for World War II and/or Korea.

reposted from 03/12/06

This spring I was in southeast Missouri doing some research for a family history on the family’s of my grandfather, John Daniel Littrell, and his brother James Carroll Littrell. The particular information I was looking for was the military service of their sons.  While visiting the libraries of Mississippi and New Madrid Counties I was amazed at the number of enlistees from the two counties during World War II and the Korean conflict.  During WW II virtually every issue of the area newspapers listed 50, 75, 100 local boys reporting for service.  The numbers were staggering when one considers that this was not a densely populated area. While contributing more than its fair share of young men to the war effort these numbers could not have been achieved without many families sending more than one son off to war.  In John Littrell’s family alone five sons and two son-in-laws served between 1941 and 1952.

The last stop on this particular trip was a visit to the cemetery located in Anniston, Missouri to obtain a photograph of Lindsie Prior “Bordie” Thurman’s headstone.  Bordie was an Army Air Corps Veteran of World War II and the husband of Bertha Ann Littrell, John Littrell’s third daughter.

While growing up I had spent several summer vacations with my grandparents John and Kizzie (Comer) Littrell in East Prairie, Missouri and lived for a short time in Marston, but was only vaguely familiar with those areas.  I had heard of Anniston and knew that my grandparents had lived there prior to settling in East Prairie but had never actually been there.  Upon arriving in Anniston it was obvious that the little town had seen more robust times, I probably had unrealistic expectations based on family stories from my youth.  Gone were the theater, school, and café that were prominent in those recollections.  

Upon finding the cemetery I began looking for Uncle Bordie’s headstone.  As I searched I became aware of two oddities concerning the little cemetery.   

The first oddity was that the population of the graveyard appeared to be close to or greater than the population of the town (288).  This by itself is not unique; I have visited hundreds of cemeteries in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri over the last ten years, and have seen many towns where the dead outnumbered the living.  What was different about Anniston though was that neither the town nor the cemetery appeared to be as old as the other towns that had this same situation.

The second oddity however was very unique.  As I wandered among the headstone it struck me that a large portion of the headstones had ‘Veteran Plaques’, eventually this realization was overwhelming so I started counting the headstones that were those of veterans.  By the time I found Bordie’s headstone it was apparent that anywhere from a fourth to a third of the occupants of Anniston Cemetery were veterans of WWII and Korea.  I have never seen such a large percentage of veterans in any post civil war cemetery.  If you figure that half of the occupants of the cemetery are females then that means more than half of the male population in the quaint little cemetery served their country.  Even if the population of Anniston during this time was twice as large as it is now the contribution of this little town was a significant portion of the male population when you consider that the cemetery only represents residents and former servicemen who chose to be buried there.  I myself know of at least 5 former residents (brothers) and veterans of this period who were not buried here: Les, Red, Rubin, OJ and JD Littrell.   

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  As Veterans Day approaches and our thoughts are focused on veterans past and present the people of southeast Missouri should be proud of the contributions of the many families in the area during this century.  While John and Kizzie Littrell had five sons and two son-in-laws serve their country and at least 11 grandchildren do the same, it should be recognized that the service of their descendants and of communities such as Anniston is more representative of what patriotism is than the chest thumping and rabble rousing that all to often passes as patriotism.

Let us pray for our troops and pray against the conflicts that put them in harms way

Glenn Littrell   03/12/06

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The above information is from: Military Role Call: The Littrell Family of Mississippi County, Missouri, The Littrell Family Journals Volume IV. (click here)
also:  Littrell Family Veterans Video

Anniston Cemetery  

reposted from 2013: 216 / 244

New Madrid Veterans Memorial:

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Cpl. Raymond Savat
176th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
Kumhwa, Korea

Raymond is 4th from the bottom on his panel.

Information and pictures from this Memorial will be added to the next printing of the Military Roll Call book.    GlennDL

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Littrell Family Reunions: 1949-2012

www.littrellfamily.net

John & Kizzie Comer Littrell Reunion
At Fred's Place near Grandin, Missouri
October 20, 21 &22
www.littrellfamily.net