Francis Marion Willingham

Francis Marion Willingham, son of Archibald C. and Eleanor Belcher Willingham was born l Mar 1813 in Columbia Co., Georgia. He moved with his family to Jasper Co., Georgia shortly before 1820. By 1823 the family was in Monroe Co., Georgia and by Feb. 1827 was in Newton Co., Georgia. The family is on the 1830 Harris Co., GA census and continued to live in Kings Gap, Harris Co., GA until about 1837 when they headed to The Republic of Texas through Montgomery, Alabama. [Family records, tax records, land records, federal census]

Letters that Francis Marion received were written to Mr. F.M. Willingham at Montgomery, AL on 19 Dec 1837 and 29 Jan 1838; the first letter was from Wm. Switzer? at Hamilton, Harris Co., GA and the other was from Aaron Goodman of Meriwether Co., GA and postmarked at Hamilton, Harris Co., GA. [Original letters still held by the family in 2004 in the keeping of Dr. Douglas Barton Willingham of Salado, Texas.]

Archibald Willingham, father of Francis Marion, was granted a Conditional Headright Certificate in Sabine Co., The Republic of TX in Dec 1839. The family quickly moved on to Independence, Washington Co., TX where they resided until Archibald sold his land there in 1850 and moved to now Salado, TX in that part of Milam Co. to become Bell Co. in time to be included on the 1850 Milam Co. census taken 26 Oct 1850. Archibald,
Eleanor, and their sons Marion , Alfred, Wilson, and Sterling S. are listed on that census. [Texas Land Office, Washington Co., TX land records,
tax records, federal census]

Recent researchers of the family thought that Francis Marion Willingham never married, but I have a marriage from the GA marriage records that I think is he.  Marion Willingham m. 16 Sept 1838 in Harris Co., GA to Mary Ann Milner.

I have recently received a Bell Co., TX court records dated 22 July 1942 which is a testimony of two of the grown grandchildren of Archibald
Willingham, Marion¹s father, that says, ³Marion Willingham, who was one time married in Alabama, and who lived in Texas;...died more than 75 years ago, and left surviving him one daughter who lived in Alabama, but we do not now recall her named. She was living last time we heard from her, but that has been 60 years ago.²

Marion served in the U.S. Army and as a Texas Ranger. He died 26 Mar 1852 at Waco, McLennan Co., TX and is buried there. [Family records, original letters]

The following show locations in Texas and activities of Francis Marion Willingham that were determined from letters that were written to him and
that he received. These letters were saved by him, his mother, and then his sister-in-law and her descendant. The originals are now in 2000 in the
keeping of Dr. Douglas Barton Willingham of Salado, Texas.

3 Dec 1845 (Letter of introduction of Mr. Willingham to Capt. G.H. Grossman, A.Q. Mstr., U.S. Army, written by H.G. Catlett of Corpus Christi,
TX.) 23 Dec 1845 (Response from G.H. Grossman to H.G. Catlett informing him that he had a place for Mr. Willingham as wagon worker and that Mr. Willingham wishes the appointment.)

13 May 1846 Mexican War declared by President Polk. [Online Encyclopedia]

F.M. (Francis Marion) Willingham in Washington Co. is on the 1846 Republic of Texas Poll Lists, as is his father, Archibald, and his brother, Alfred.

Independence, TX 24 Aug 1846 (Letter of introduction of Mr. F.M. Willingham of Independence to J.M. Westerwell written by E.W. Taylor of Independence.)

18 Oct 1846. F.M. Willingham ,Pvt., age 34, and his brothers, Alfred Willingham ,Pvt., age 22, and Eli Willingham Pvt., age 20 were mustered
into federal service on October 18, 1846 into the Company of Captain Shaply P. Ross, age 35. Most of this company was composed of personnel recruited primarily at Bushy Creek, Texas. [TEXAS VETERANS IN THE MEXICAN WAR, MUSTER ROLLS OF TEXAS MILITARY UNITS compiled by Charles D. Spurlin, Victoria College, from the Compiled Service records of Volunteer Soldiers who Served During the Mexican War in Organizations from the State of Texas, National Archives Microcopy No. 278.]

Waco Village, TX
24 Sept 1847 (Waco Village on the Brazos--letter from F.M. to his father A. Willingham of Independence, TX.)

17 Oct 1847 F.M. Willingham and his brother, Alfred Willingham (brother Eli Willingham died January 20, 1847 at Independence, Texas) mustered out of federal service under Capt. Shaply P. Ross on October 17, 1847. [TEXAS VETERANS IN THE MEXICAN WAR, MUSTER ROLLS OF TEXAS MILITARY UNITS compiled by Charles D. Spurlin]

18 Nov 1847. Francis M. Willingham, First Lieutenant, age 35, and his brother Alfred Willingham, Pvt., age 23 mustered into federal service in
the Company of Capt Shaply P. Ross. This company was composed of personnel recruited primarily at Milam and Robertson Counties. [TEXAS VETERANS IN THE MEXICAN WAR, MUSTER ROLLS OF TEXAS MILITARY UNITS compiled by Charles D. Spurlin]

Waco Village, TX
1 Dec 1847 (Orders to Lieut. F.M. Willingham to take up the line of March with the company under his command for the station at or near the Waco Village from S.P. Ross, Capt. Conners Co., F.M. Vols., Austin, TX. These orders being given to Ross by Col. T.H. Bell.)
15 Dec 1847 (Receipt to F.M. Willingham A.A.Q.M. for ordinance signed by S.P. Ross, Capt. Com. of Co., F.)
21 Dec 1847 (Letter to Lieut. M.F. (sic) Willingham, RANGING SERVICE from John B. Root of Independence, TX.

2 Feb 1848 Mexican War ended. [Online Encyclopedia]

Leon Station
30 Mar 1848 (Receipt to John McLennan from Maurice Moore, Lt. Com. of Detachment, for the use of detachment of Capt. S.P. Ross¹s Company at this place.)

Waco Village
22 Feb 1848 (Letter to M. Willingham, Capt. Company TEXAS RANGERS, Waco Village from C. Covington of Independence.)
10 Jun 1848 (Receipt:...to Lieut. F.M. Willingham A.A.C.S. of Capt. S.P. Ross¹s Company of MOUNTED RANGERS on the Frontier of Texas.
16 June 1848 (Receipt to Lieut. F.M. Willingham A.A.C.S. from S.P. Ross, Capt. Commanding Station of Bosque Station Texas)
25 June 1848 (Testament of S.P. Ross, Captn, Conners Station, Bosque Station that animals in charge of Lt. F.M. Willingham A.A.Q.M. died of
disease.)

Capt. Ross¹s Station
31 Aug 1848 (Letter to Lieut. F.M. Willingham, Capt. Ross¹s Station concerning rations from Chas. B. Fletcher, Capt. ACS USA of Conner¹s
Station.

18 Nov 1848. First Lt. Francis M. Willingham and his brother Pvt. Alfred Willingham mustered out of federal service in the Company of Capt. Shaply P. Ross on November 18, 1848. [TEXAS VETERANS IN THE MEXICAN WAR, MUSTER ROLLS OF TEXAS MILITARY UNITS compiled by Charles D. Spurlin]

Bosque Station
6 Oct 1848 (Letter to Marion Willingham, Lieut. Commanding, Bosque Station concerning illness of James Wilkinson of ³your Command² from
(unidentifiable signature) of Caldwell.)
26 Oct 1848 (Letter to Bosque Station, Lt. F.M. Willingham concerning supplies from H.G. Catlett of Conner¹s Station.)
16 Nov 1848 (Letter to Lt. F.M. Willingham, Bosque Station stating that Capt. Erath is leaving to ³muster you out² and informing him that he has
written to Capt. Ross concerning the stores, etc. to be turned over to Sutton as his agent, from H.G. Catlett at Austin.

Austin
2 Dec 1848 (Document conveying land on the Salado in Milam County at the crossing of the Catlett Road running from the City of Austin to Ross¹s Station on the Bosque to F.M. Willingham from E. Sterling C. Robertson.)

Cameron
1 Sept 1849 (Letter from F.M. to his father at Independence urging his father to decide whether he was going to move to the Salado land.) NOTE:
The father, Archibald Willingham, did indeed move onto the Salado land and is given credit for being the first Anglo-American settler there in 1851. [Texas Historical Marker, Salado, Texas] 7 Oct 1849 (Letter to F.M. Willingham, Esq., Cameron, Milam Co., TX with personal news and news of different companies that are stationed ³in this section of the country² from F.M. Harris of Corpus Christi.)

Waco Village
26 Dec 1851 (Personal letter to Mr. F.M. Willingham, Waco Village, Lt. in Capt. S.P. Ross Co. from James Price of Washington County, TX.)
25 Mar 1852 (Letter from H. Barnard of Waco Village to Mr. (Archibald) Willingham, Nolansville, TX informing him of his son Marion¹s illness.)
30 Mar 1852 (Letter to Mr. A. Willingham, Salado, Belton P. Office from H.G. Catlett of Waco informing Archibald of his son Marion¹s death---³died Friday night last...buried...in the most respectable manner that the country would admit of.²) NOTE: Since this burial was a military one, the family of F.M. Willingham expects that there are military records of the burial, but none have been found.

Compiled by Dr. Katherine Willingham Woerner
Pontotoc, Texas
September 2000