A Soldiers Letter: Joseph Honeycutt

I was scrolling through The Monroe Journal, when I found this article concerning a Civil War Soldier from Stanly County. He had been caught attempting to go home to see his family and was sentenced to death, apparently by his own side. Its a melancholy goodbye to a wife and children he would never get to see again, and it was his love for them that was the catalyst of the actions that led to his execution.



Joseph Honeycutt (or Huneycutt) was the brother of R. H. G. Huneycutt, who had been mentioned in this blog before, and will be mentioned again, as he plays a part in some other lives I've been researching.

Below is the 1850 census, showing his twin daughters Mary and Martha, whom he mentioned in his letter, and probably the children he wanted sermons preached for.

Name:	Joseph Honeycutt
Age:	27
Birth Year:	abt 1823
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1850:	Almonds, Stanly, North Carolina
Gender:	Male
Family Number:	434
Household Members:	Name Age Joseph Honeycutt 27 Nancy Honeycutt 28 Martha Honeycutt 5 Mary Honeycutt 5 Julius Honeycutt 3 Ephraim Honeycutt 1

By 1860, the twins had passed away, perhaps falling ill to the same ailment as twins are close. Another little girl, Adelaide, had joined the family. As she was not mentioned in her father's letter, she probably passed away as an infant, and probably before her father was executed.

Name:	Joseph Honeycut
Age in 1860:	39
Birth Year:	abt 1821
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1860:	Stanly, North Carolina
Gender:	Male
Post Office:	Albemarle
Value of real estate:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age Joseph Honeycut 39 Nancy Honeycut 39 Julius Honeycut 12 Ephraim Honeycut 10 Hazelton Honeycut 8 Joel Honeycut 4 Adelaid Honeycut 9/12

The 1870 census shows the widowed Nancy Allman Honeycutt with her 4 surviving children living next to Daniel Lefler and his family, whom Joseph mentioned in his letter. She may have been a tenant on his property and he appears to have perhaps helped to take care of the family, although he had a large one of his own.

Below, Daniel and Jane Lefler family, friends of the Burlesons and deliverer of the letter, in 1860

Name:	Daniel Lefler
Age in 1860:	49
Birth Year:	abt 1811
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1860:	Stanly, North Carolina
Gender:	Male
Post Office:	Albemarle
Value of real estate:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age Daniel Lefler 49 Jane Lefler 36 Colemon Lefler 22 Elizabeth Lefler 19 Susan Lefler 17 Monroe Lefler 14 John Lefler 9 Green Lefler 7 Julia A Lefler 6 Rufus Lefler 4

And then the Daniel Lefler familly in 1870. The family is listed in a strange order and Jack Rowland, no doubt a relative of Margaret Jane Rowland Lefler.

Name:	Daniel Lefler
Age in 1870:	59
Birth Year:	abt 1811
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1870:	Ridenhour, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Post Office:	Albemarle
Value of real estate:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age Daniel Lefler 59 Coleman Lefler 35 John Lefler 20 Gaeen Lefler 19 Rufus Lefler 16 James Lefler 10 Frank Lefler 5 Jefferson Lefler 1 Jane Lefler 44 Susan Lefler 26 Julia Lefler 17 Jack Rowland 25

By 1880, widow Nancy Allman Honeycutt, had moved across the border into Cabarrus County with son Julius, whom his father worried "had no chance". 

Name:	Nancy Honeycutt
Age:	59
Birth Year:	abt 1821
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1880:	Reed Misenheimers, Cabarrus, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Mother
Marital Status:	Single
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Neighbors:	View others on page
Cannot read/write: Blind: Deaf and Dumb: Otherwise disabled: Idiotic or insane:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age Julius C. Honeycutt 32 Louisa F. Honeycutt 24 William A. Honeycutt 5 Joseph P. Honeycutt 2 Nancy Honeycutt 59

But Julius fared as well as any in the area, working as a farmer and shoemaker, raising a family and living a long life, passing away at the age of 82 in 1929.

In 1900, Nancy was still alive, now living with daughter Rebecca Hazeltine Honeycutt Sides and family. She passed away about 1908, in Cabarrus County. This census shows her as the mother of 8 children, 4 living, so there was another child besides Mary, Martha and Adelaide who had passed away, that did not make a census. Perhaps it was a son, and had all passed away prior to their fathers' demise as he refers to them as "children" and not just girls or daughters.

Name: Nancy Honeycutt Age: 79 Birth Date: abt 1821 Birthplace: North Carolina Home in 1900: Johns River, Cabarrus, North Carolina Race: White Gender: Female Relation to Head of House: Mother in Law [Mother-in-law]  Marital Status: Widowed Father's Birthplace: North Carolina Mother's Birthplace: North Carolina Mother: number of living children: 4 Mother: How many children: 8 Occupation: View on Image Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age J Wesley Sides 50 Rebecka Sides 49 Mathew Sides 25 Marshal Sides 21 Howard B Sides 15 Florence Sides 12 Charlie B Sides 9 Chist Eury 24 Derk Slough 25 William Murr 21 John Shive 23 Gramper Major 21 Lawson Brown 30 Nancy Honeycutt 79 Daniel Pool 22

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