Ellis Campbell

The Ellis Campbell and Elizabeth (Young) Campbell Family

Since I have given a copy of the 1850 census record of Shannon county, Missouri, for the Ellis Campbell family it is easy to see that only a partial list of the children are listed up to that time. We who are a part of this family know that other children were born to this couple after this date given in the census of 1850.

We were surprised to find in this census three children that we had not heard of before getting this report. They are Matthew, 17 years of age, Ambrose 14 years of age, and Derias, 10 years of age. This shows that Matthew was the oldest child. We always thought James Mehlander was the oldest, but as we do not know any thing at all about Matthew he may have died shortly after this census reading. We notice Ambrose being older than Uncle Fount, and Derias being younger. Since we know about Fount and had never heard the names of these other three it is possible they could have died at an early age. Diseases were so severe back in those days and doctors so scarce and far away, it was so hard to even think back upon these sorrows, much less to talk about them. Papa says he can remember his father, James Mehlander saying he lost two little girls who got so sick before they died and fever so high their little eyes popped out of their sockets. Now with all our late drugs and our competent doctors, we never stop to think of the hard times our forefathers had, and all the hard work they did helping to clear and build up the nice and beautiful communities we now have to enjoy. These two little girls I have just mentioned were Ellis Campbell’s grand daughters. After Ellis and his family moved to Shannon County Missouri, from Jackson, AL, several girls were borne to him. There was Elizabeth, Malinda, Dorcas, Dicey, and Susie Bell. I am giving an account of each of these children later, but just now a brief account of the few statements given me by my father about his grandfather Ellis Campbell. Ellis was Scotch Irish and spoke with a Scotch Irish accent. When speaking to his horse, instead of saying “Get-up”, he would say “Be gone, Sir, be gone Sir!” Ellis was born in Virginia, married Elizabeth Young who was born in Tennessee and lived in Jackson Alabama when his three oldest children were born. I do not know if he bought land when moving to Missouri, or if he got a land grant from the government. I wrote Washington D. C. concerning this matter and they did not find any entry concerning Ellis Campbell but they did find where James M. Campbell, his son, bought land with a Jackson note, and this land was situated at the place which we found in Shannon county with the family cemetery on it, and several members of the family were interred…. I have a copy of this land record in this book. We were told that Ellis Campbell’s place was just across the Current River from James’ place. We only found some chimney stones on the place as assurance of the spot where the home stood near a spring, which was still producing an ample supply of water. We did not cross Current River to find Ellis’ place but we could see across to where it was.

After Ellis moved to Iron County, Missouri, he and his girls united with the Pilgrim Rest United Baptist Church of Roselle. This was December 17, 1876. They were received by letter from Pleasant Exchange Church in Reynolds County, Missouri. Campbell farms were near the line dividing Reynolds and Shannon Counties.

Information for Ellis was taken from the following site(s):

http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/person.aspx?tid=49121&pid=-2137549782