My Genealogy Home Page:Information about Aaron Claine Butler
Aaron Claine Butler (b. May 26, 1826, d. March 06, 1903)
Notes for Aaron Claine Butler:
Aaron Butler, son of Moses and Elizabeth (Reece) Butler, was born 6 May 1826 (3) in Pendleton/Pickens District of South Carolina. (Pickens was formed from Pendleton the same year Aaron was born.)
The first federal census on which Aaron appeared was the 1830. On this census, only the heads of household were actually listed, along with statistics giving the ages and sexes of their families. In Pickens District, Moses Butler was listed, with one male 30-40 (Moses), one female 20-30 (Elizabeth), two females and one male 5-10, and two males and one female under 5. Aaron, of course, was about 4 years old.
It is likely that about 1830, Aaron's family moved to Macon County in the state of North Carolina. The date of the move is only a conjecture, yet a probable one, since extended families often made a move into new territory together. It is known that Aaron's grandfather, Aron, died in 1831 and that his will was filed in Macon County at that time. The 1840 and 1850 censuses showed Moses Butler's family in Macon County.
Aaron was still single at age 23, working as a blacksmith, and living at home for the 1850 census, the first census to list each family member's name. But probably in 1852, for some reason unknown to his researchers, he decided to make a move back into South Carolina, into Abbeville, a district southeast of Pickens. Perhaps there were relatives living there, or there may have not been enough work for him in Macon County. The guess as to the date was because in May of 1852, there was a flurry of land transfers among the Butler family. Moses Butler (probably the father, since Moses, the son, was then only 18) sold for $9, 100 acres of lot 563(?) to William Chandeler. This transfer was registered 17 May 1852. Five days later, son Levi Butler deeded 100 acres of land in lot 426 to Moses Butler for $9. The same day, Aaron Butler deeded 100 acres in lot 425 to Levi Butler for $9.
It was in Abbeville, so the story goes as told by Aaron's granddaughter, Utile Ashcraft, that Aaron married a girl named Martha Selby. Martha had been born 3 December 1835. For the 1850 Abbeville census, Martha was living with her mother, also named Martha, and was then 14 years old. Her father, Owen Selby, had died in 1842. Aaron and Martha had a little daughter named Elizabeth, but Martha died on 24 October 1858, leaving the child with Aaron. Near the Selby property was the land of Jacob Rykard, a farmer of German descent, who had 9 children. One daughter, Nancy Jane, was 26 years old. Aaron wanted to marry her, but Jacob, being a man of firm beliefs, said no - not unless Aaron gave up his daughter. Jacob must not have believed that his daughter should raise another's woman's child. As strange as it may seem, the story is that Aaron agreed, and the two were married. It is unknown what became of the daughter, Elizabeth.
Aaron and Nancy Jane Rykard were married 5 January 1860. They appeared for the first time together on the 1860 census of Abbeville County. Living with them was Samuel L. Butler, Aaron's 17-year-old brother, and their house was next door to Nancy Jane's parents. That must have been an interesting arrangement!
It was about that time that the Civil War broke out. There is a family story about Aaron's entry into the war. To escape being drafted, when they saw soldiers approaching, Aaron would hide under a trap door in their house. Nancy Jane would put a rocking chair over it and would be rocking one of the children when the soldiers entered. However, soldiers from the North finally caught up with him and he fought on the side of the North.
That story, interesting though it was, caused a delay in finding out the truth of Aaron's Civil War service. As a matter of fact, he fought for the South. In the Compiled Confederate Records, 20th South Carolina Infantry, there are two different cards for Aaron. Both are from Captain Partlow's Company K. and both show Aaron as enlisting in December of 1861. One records him as a Sergeant, the other as a Private. Both cards give the enlisting officer as J. M. Partlow himself. The Sergeant card records the place of enlistment as just "North Carolina"; the Private card details "Jackson" (the assumption is Jackson County, the new name of the county in which the Moses Butlers resided, formerly Macon). The Sergeant card shows that he appeared on the muster role 3 January 1862 as "absent with leave" (on the back of the card it reads "Name appears in column of names Persont[?] canceled"). The Private card has him appearing on the muster role March and April 1862 (remarks say "Discharged March 18 1862"). One might question whether this is the correct Aaron Butler until he realizes that brother Levi also enlisted 17 December 1861 in the 20th South Carolina Infantry. Levi's official place of residence was listed as Jackson County, North Carolina.At the time of his enlistment, Aaron’s family was living in Abbeville, South Carolina. The enlistment records showed Aaron was doing bookwork before the enlistment.
Just before hear death, granddaughter Utile Ashcraft Butler told a slight different version of that story. After Aaron was discharged, one of his brothers deserted the military. Soldiers continued to bother Aaron's family trying to find the deserted soldier. They were making threats to Aaron if he didn't tell them where he was. If Aaron saw the soldiers coming he would hild in a hidden room under the house through a trap door. Nanc would put a rocking chair on the trap door and would be rocking a baby when they came. Somehow they finally caught up with him. The soldiers put Aaron on a horse and threatened to hand him for a tree if he didn't tell where his brother was. At this time Aaron's oung son Joseph ran from the house screaming, "Don't hurt my Poppa!" The soldiers were most likely only trying to scare him and then let him go.At the time Abbeville was a big cotton-shipping center because of being near the Savannah River, which ran down through Augusta and Savannah, Georgia, to the coast. It was one of the shipping centers the Union Army wanted to control. When Aaron returned home, he went back to his skill of blacksmithing. However, some of the townspeople grew unhappy with Aaron for shoeing the horses of Union soldier and began calling him a turncoat. Confederate money had become almost worthless and Aaron saw a chance to be paid in U. S. currency. About 1866 when the was was over, Aaron moved his family to Transylvania County, North Carolina, near the area where some of his family members were living. Some people in the western pat of North Carolina and the eastern part of Tennessee were more sympathetic to the Union cause. This area in North Carolina was first in Macon County, and as they broke up the larger counties it became Jackson County, and finally in 1861, Transylvania County. It is not known if Aaron worked as a blacksmith in Transylvania County, or just raised sheep, but he stayed for ten years.
Aaron and Nancy Jane appeared on the 1870 federal census as once more living in North Carolina. In 1870, the couple had 5 children. The place of birth of all the children was North Carolina, which, if true, meant that they had returned to live there by 1861. Another researcher of the Butlers - Paul Butler of Tryon, North Carolina - reported that he found that Aaron was a Justice of the Peace, performing marriage ceremonies in Transylvania County in 1870.
Evidently, Aaron and Nancy Jane decided that the state of Texas held the answer to their future. One of their descendants who had heard stories of the move from son Joe (Joseph Fletcher), recorded it on paper in 1961 so that it could be passed down. Frank Richardson of Fort Worth, Texas, should be credited with discovering the record and sending this version.
The Butlers were to leave the Carolinas in January of 1876. Aaron sold the farm and most of his stock for a pretty good sum, but kept enough stock to make the trip. On the last day before they left, kinfolk and friends came by for a farewell. The women all cried because they knew they wouldn't see each other again. After the family had turned in for the night, someone fired a shot at the house. They were being robbed! A voice shouted, "Come out and bring the money, or you'll be killed." Aaron quickly jumped up and grabbed his rifle, but noticed that the caps had been lifted off the rifles. He told his 16-year-old son, Joe, to get the caps and keep the guns loaded. He called out, "A robber's ball was never meant to hit me!" The shooting lasted for quite some time. When Aaron saw a gun fire in the blackness, he would return fire to the same place. Eventually, the robbers gave up and left. The family themselves pulled out at daybreak. Before they went, they discovered blood on the ground; it appeared Aaron had, even in the darkness, hit one of the attackers.
They started on the trip with bare necessities, two wagons of their own. The story is that a black man made the trip with the family to drive one of the wagons as well. Another family traveled with them. It was a very tiring trip for the kids who were used to playing and running around. One day, they were hit by a blizzard. They were up into the night looking for shelter where, perhaps, they could escape the storm. Finally, they saw a light ahead and made it to a house. The people asked them in and fed their horses. Usually, the youngsters were a noisy bunch, but, this night, they were all very quiet. They were not able to leave until the next evening.
As they neared what they knew was close to the border of Texas, the kids began arguing about who would be first to put their feet on Texas soil. But, since the border was not marked, they never were able to say who was really first.
One time during the long trip, as they rested for a whole day to fish and hunt, the children gathered firewood and Nancy Jane cooked the fish. Tommy, who was 9, began throwing rocks at something moving. Big brother Joe went to see what he had found. It was a rattlesnake! Joe got the gun and killed it. It had 10 rattles and a button. This scared the family, so they decided to move on, fearing there would be more snakes.
The trip lasted about 3 months. They had much bad weather, which slowed them down. Often, the wagon bogged down in the mud, and the horses were unable for a time to pull them out. When they had left North Carolina, there were actually two families who intended to travel together. However, because Aaron would not travel on Sundays, the other family went on ahead. Granddaughter Utile Ashcraft was told that, even then, the Butlers reached their destination two days before the other family did.
The Butlers settled first in McKinney, in Colin County, Texas. There, they ran a feed store for about 2 years. Aaron decided again to chase the frontier. The first train entered Fort Worth, TX, in July 1876 and by 1879 it had moved farther west and was nearing Palo Pinto County. Aaron decided to find a place ahead of the railroad to set up shop. The long-range path of the railroad was kept quiet. The people in the town of Palo Pinto were hopeful it was doming their way, as did the people of Gordon. The small town of Gordon was already established. It also had a blacksmith, corral, and feed store. Aaron gambled by joining others two miles north of Gordon at a place called Hampton. Besides running a feed store there, they kept a blacksmith shop. But when the railroad went through Gordon, the Hampton community slowly became a ghost town. The people and businesses all eventually within the next few years moved to Gordon. Aaron was also farming and raising cattle on land he bought about two miles north on what is now FM 919, then a mile west on a road named Butler Lane. A small community there, Fox Mountain had a church and cemetery. Joseph, Aaron’s oldest son and wife, Louisa, are buried there. The old Butler place was about a quarter mile past Fox Mountain on the south side of the road. When the 1880 federal census was made, the Butlers were in Palo Pinto with their seven children. Aaron was listed as a blacksmith.
In 1900, the census showed that all the children except J. Tom were gone from the family home. J. Tom had his wife and three children living with his parents.
The Oklahoma Land rush of 1899 must had had an effect on Aaron. In 1902, it was said that Hereford cattle could gain from 2-5 pounds a day on almost nothing and did well in Oklahoma. In early 1903, Aaron, 76 years old, and Nancy, age 70, decided to strike out for Oklahoma with a herd of cattle. He and Nancy Jane, with granddaughter Alice (Joe's oldest daughter) and her husband Frank Brown and their infant daughter Bessie, started out in two covered wagons with 5 horses and 16 cattle. They had much bad luck traveling. There were muddy roads, and axles and wheels broke. They did make it to Coalgate, Oklahoma. However, within four months, on May 26, 1903, Aaron died of dropsy (heart ailment). He is buried in Coalgate, although Paul and May E. (Betty) Clepper Rexroat (granddaughter of Joseph Fletcher Butler) erected a tombstone for him and for Nancy Jane in the cemetery in Gordon, Texas.
Some of Nancy Jane's children made the trip to bring her back to Texas. She spent her remaining life living with one or another of her daughters.
More About Aaron Claine Butler:
Burial: Unknown, Coal Co, OK, but a marker is in the Gordon, TX cemetary.
Census 1: 1860, Moved back to Abbevile Co., SC..2
Census 2: 1870, Had moved back to Transylvania Co., NC.3
Census 3: 1880, Had moved to Palo Pinto Co., TX,3-Pct,1880 census Series T9, Roll 1322, Page 160.4
Census 4: 1900, Lived in Palo Pinto Co., until he set out on his trip to OK in 1903..
Occupation: Blacksmith, listed occupation first time on 1850 Census, in Transylvania Co., NC.
More About Aaron Claine Butler and Nancy Jane Rykard:
Death of one spouse: March 06, 1903, Coalgate, Coal, OK.5
Marriage: January 05, 1860, Abbeville CO, SC.6
Children of Aaron Claine Butler and Nancy Jane Rykard are:
- +Joseph Fletcher Butler, b. November 10, 1860, Abbeville Co., SC?, d. October 28, 1935, Gordon, Palo Pinto Co. Tx.