Sarah (Sally) Elizabeth Persinger

Possibly duplicate of Sarah (Sally) Elizabeth Persinger and/or Sarah (Sally) Elizabeth Persinger

Story was given to Billie Keaffaber:

Sarah and Sparrowhawk children were listed as white, black, and mulatto. Sarah had twin boys, Eli and Gabriel. She lost a lot of blood during childbirth, and the boys were sent to different Persinger family homes until she recovered. The family who had Gabriel told the authorities that his father was Native American, so the state labeled him as black. They family that had Eli didn't tell the state that Sparrowhawk was his father, so he was labeled white.

The journals refer to Sarah's children being taken from her by the local government, possibly at the encouragement of some of her Persinger family members. At least the three eldest and possibly others were raised by other Persinger family members. Phebe appears to have stayed with their mother; this is supported by both the journals and census records. Mary did as well, until, as tradition claims, she was taken by her mother's Indian mate out west. Per Mary Margaret's journals, Mary was the darkest of all the children.
There is a Sarah Persinger on the 1830 census with two daughters.[12]. We believe these to be Mary and Phebe.

Early Life
When Sarah was about 14, she was raped by a hired hand; she immediately attacked and killed him with a pitch fork and her family buried the body. Subsequently, she became withdrawn from the family and spent most of her time in the woods and mountains near her family's home. She refused to marry the white man that they had intended for her.

Journal Extractions

The following is extracted from the early 20th century journals of the great-granddaughter of Sarah and her Indian husband:[citation needed]

"Granddaddy [Gabriel] Persinger’s daddy say that ... The first time he met up with her he was out in them woods. He say she come up on him and starts talking like she done knowed him all her days. He was cooking him up something over a small fire and she come over and help herself. He didn’t take to her right off but when he leaves she follows him. He was thinking that she was some crazy white woman. After bout the third day he ask her where she be going and she say we is going back so you can meet up with my people. She tell him if we is going to have us a family I wants them to meet up with you first. After that he say no man let a woman like her be getting away. He knowed a woman like her give him strong sons. Granddaddy ask why he just not take off in those woods and never be looking back but he say she was faster in those woods then he was. Sweet Jesus he was right. All them boys she give him was like wild animals in those woods. Granddaddy was the fastest runner of the bunch but say his brother Eli was the best climber and tracker. His daddy called him squirrel cause he go straight up one them trees and never look down. When they had them some fruit to be picking say the folks always say let squirrel get up in the tree after it. Say when they run them a coon up a tree he go right up and shake it down. His brother George was the best of the bunch at hunting and knife throwing but I don’t recollect what they called him. I seen him put a knife in the middle of a ribbon at fifty feet and he was strong as any of them up there in Ritch Patch. Jesus knows that I miss me those folks. "
...
"Granddaddy [Gabriel Persinger] was like his brothers and be hiding cause they was ascared cause what they done seen them. His brother George the best of them at not letting it fret him. He say that Mister Persinger that raised him up treated him as good as his own and that made it easy on him. They was all family so he got to see Miss Sara all he was wanting to and Miss Sara never pay no never mind to who her kids calling momma and daddy cause they was hers even if she was not doing the raising. Like that with me and sis cause we call daddy’s wife momma and she not our blood but she was our momma and so is our real momma. Course sis not always be seeing it that way. Granddaddy never could stomach him having to call her Miss Sara round some them folks but that just be what the Bible call pride talking cause a name don’t mean nothing. His sister Phoebe never had her that problem cause the law never take her away. Course then she marry up with a man that never let her be round her family as she like to. Sis say that her fault and no need to be putting it all on her man."
...
"Miss. Sara was like any man you ever meet and stronger than most. After her man done gone out west granddaddy say when she got with Mister Hood she was the boss and he was more like her man servant cause she say bring me this and do that and he up doing it."
...
"Sis done told me something I never knowed bout Miss Sara. Miss. Fridley
say that fore granddaddy Persinger was born and Miss. Sara little more than fourteen her daddy had her out cleaning the barn. They had them this hired white man that helped round their place. He weren’t from round those parts but he was willing to work for a place to bed down and some food so they take him on. Say he seemed like a good enough person but that he keep to himself and not say much bout nothing. Miss. Sara was with her back to him when he came in the barn. He knocked her down . Fore that man did his business he beat her in the face real bad. When he crawled off her she grabbed up the pitchfork and put it in his back. He falls to the ground and when he starts to get himself up all hollering bout how he going to kill her and such she hit him over and over til one of the men pulled her off him. Say by that time most his face and chest was gone and she done bout broke that fork in pieces. The women all say he earned him that pitchfork and it was a family matter cause he had him no people anywhere close by. Them Persinger men come over and they were saying how the law might not see it how they did. The men all say they take the body out in the woods and burn it fore they put him in the ground. They don’t even mark where they put him cause the women say the devil be able to find him just fine without no markings. After that Miss Sara keep to herself and ran through those mountains like a wild animal. The women all say for the men folk to leave her be cause they the ones that done hired that devil man to beat down her soul. When a little time passed and she not with no baby cause what he done to her the family say that was a sign that god not mad cause they done what they done. Miss Sara say that had he put a baby in her she have cut it out herself. She tell them all that aint no man ever going to take from her like she some she dog again and any man try get himself killed just as dead as that one. That be why she had her an Indian man cause no one else could handle her and Miss Fridley say he let her be wild and when the two of them was in their way it was her doings and not his. "

...
"Granddaddy [Gabriel] Persinger say Miss Sara could do her some good cooking but never had her a mind to very often. She rather throw something on the fire and when it looked done pull it out and eat it. She never had her a longing for church and say the few times he ever knowed her to go she go in hunting clothes more often than not. Course everybody knowed how she was and never a word spoken bout how she look excepting one time when Miss Fridley talk her into wearing a new dress that she made up for her and say every mouth in the place dropped open when she come in. When she fixed herself up she was a beautiful woman but that was not her way. Folks say that she was as wild as any animal be in them woods and the only thing slowed her down and keep her close to the house was when the years started talking to her. Granddaddy say she never got over not going west with his daddy and sister but I reckon the picture of those mountains to strong in her head for her ever to leave them. Sweet Jesus knows I understands how hard it be leaving the person you love behind and it just as hard on the one left behind as it is on the one going. Least ways she died and resting in those mountains but I wonders if her bones at peace or still looking back over those hills waiting for him to come back. Granddaddy say when she was passing she keep saying his daddy’s name in Indian and calling for him."

Daughter Findagrave story.
Phoebe Persinger married Jacob Craft on Dec. 18, 1850 in Botetourt County, Va.

Phoebe's mother was Sarah Persinger, whose family was one of the first white settlers in the Alleghany County mountains. According to family history, all the Persinger women were strong-willed and brave, held their own against men and protected each other. Sarah was physically and mentally strong, an excellent hunter, brave, loved the outdoors, was self-reliant, lived off the land, and was very independent. She married the love of her life, a Cherokee Indian named Sparrowhawk. Virginia law did not recognize the union between whites and Indians at the time, so she kept her maiden name Persinger on court records. They had five children: twin boys named Gabriel and Eli, Mary, Jane, and the youngest was Phoebe. Sarah was a gifted psychic, and did readings for many people who lived in the area. All attested to the accuracy of her psychic abilities. Sarah's grandmother had been psychic as well. Her husband Sparrowhawk was forced to moved west by the government, after which she never saw him again. She then moved to Botetourt County, where she later met and lived with Edward Hood. Her daughter Phoebe met Jacob Craft, whose family disapproved of her mother living with a man. So Sarah relunctantly married Edward Hood for her daughter's sake. Six months later, Phoebe Persinger married Jacob Craft. Her mother Sarah gave her a Bible as a gift.

https://www.facebook.com/Persinger-Craft-Tucker-family-history-1937...

https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/craft/2970/

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Persinger-125

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/vitals/KNH7-5SD

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/681380618591874973/