Family of John Wesley Jarrett I and Mary Jane NICHOLS

Husband: John Wesley Jarrett I

Wife: Mary Jane NICHOLS

	Mary Jane NICHOLS

Note on Marriage

Jarrett Family History

With the Civil War being over and slaves being freed people came from all over the South to settle in Kansas. Among them was the Jarrett family from Yadkin County, North Carolina. They had been slaves on a farm owned by Isaac Jarrett. Those who came to Kansas were Robert - 21, Jerrie - 18, Wesley - 12, and Laura -10. The other members of the family stayed in North Carolina.

The First Baptist Church served as their social and spiritual center. It was a meeting place for those from the outlying communities (Basehor, Reno, High Prairie, Hoag Station, Neeley and Sranger Township). This is where John Wesley Jarrett and Mary Jane Nichols met and after a courtship of sometime, they married.

The newlyweds moved in with Joseph and Hannah Nichols on Sixth Street in Tonganoxie, Kansas. John Wesley immediately began building a house on the lots next door and east. The Jarrett family began to grow faster than the house he was building, so they decided the Nichols could take the new house and the Jarretts would keep the old one. Twelve children were born (two died in infancy) in this house: Effa (1888-1985), Josephine (1890-1939), Estella (1894-1966), Madge (1895-1983), Robert (1897-1978), Charles (1899-1994), John Wesley (1901-1989), Jean Mary (1908-1991), William D. (1906-1980), and Ann Elizabeth (1909-),

Ann still lives in our ancestral home. Jackson "Jackie" Jarrett lives in the house next door and east (the one originally built for Mary and John Wesley).

In 1999 our family decided we should have a family reunion. After discussing the reunion with other family members, I talked to Janie Ichord (Aunt Marie's and Aunt Gladys' sister), who had the idea of renaming Sixth Street to Jarrett Street in honor of the Jarrett family having lived in the same houses for over 100 years (126 years as of 1999). Janie shared this idea with the Tonganoxie City Council and on August 27, 1999, during the week of our family reunion "Sixth Street" was renamed "Jarrett Street".

Isaac Jarret

Our story begins with the August 22, 1860 Slave Inhabitants, Schedule 2 census of Faubush Township, Yadkin County, North Carolina, Huntsville Post Office. There you will find "Isaac Jarrat" listed under the heading of "Names of Slaveowners." At this time, he owned 27 slaves, under the heading of "Description" you will find only the age, sex, and color are listed. John Wesley Jarrett was not born yet.

After the Civil War in the August 30, 1870 Yadkin County census of North Carolina, when Blacks were first counted, you will find that "Isaac Jarret" is now 75 years old, a farmer with a real estate value of $5,000 and a personal estate value of $1,000. Listed below is an excerpt from the data.

The Name of Every Person Whose Place of Abode on the First Day of June, 1870 was in this Family," Age at Last Birthday Sex - Male (M) Female (F) Color -

White (W), Black (B), Mulatto (M), Chinese (C), Indian (I) Profession, Occupation, or Trade of Each Person, Male or Female

Jarret, Issac 75 M W Farmer

Augustijon 25 M W Laborer

Ellen F W Keepinghous

Richard 6/12 mos. M W At home

Michel L.E. 50 M W No occupation

Cash Frank 40 M W Physician

Robert 18 M B Laborer

Jerrie 15 M B Laborer

Samuel 19 M B Laborer

Wesley 9 M B At home

Warren 16 M B Laborer

Columbus 18 M B Laborer

This is where we first find John Wesley Jarrett.

Levi Jarrett

Levi Jarrett, we believe, is a family member because Grandfather or Uncle Robert Levi Nichols Jarrett, was named after him. We believe that is where Levi comes in. Now whether Levi Jarrett was John Wesley's father or uncle, we are not sure but we believe there is a connection. Levi is not or was not a common name.

I found an entry for a Levi Jarrett with the U. S. Colored Troops Web Site http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/usct.html. There is an African American Civil War Memorial and you will find Levi Jarrett's name listed there. His name is listed on Plaque: C-55. If you have access to the World Wide Web check it out.

In 1864, there is an entry for Levi Jarrett with the Civil War Union Army. His Unit was the 40 U.S. Colored Infantry. He ranked in as a Private and ranked out as a Sergeant with I Company. This is what I was able to find on the Internet.

United States Colored Troops, 40th Regiment Infantry. "Organized at Nashville, Tennessee, February 29, 1864. Attached to Defences of Louisville Camp; Nashville Railroad, Dept. of the Cumberland, to June, 1865. Defenses Nashville Camp; Northwestern Railroad, Dept. of the Cumberland, to December 1864. Defences of Louisville & Nashville Railroad, Dept. of the Cumberland, to April 1865. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, District of East Tennesse, Depart. of Cumberland, to July 1865. 1st Brigade, 4th Division, Dist. East Tennessee, to August 1865, Dept of Tennessee to April 1866.

Service - Railroad guard duty entire term on Nashville & Louisville Railroad and Nashville Camp; Northwestern Railroad, and in District of East Tennessee. Action at South Tunnel, Tennessee, October 10, 1964. Mustered out April 25, 1866. "

I also found a listing for a John Jarrett, although Levi and John were both in Tennessee at the same time, they did not serve in the same units. Could this be John Wesley's father. It's quite possible. Notice the word "African Descent."

John Jarrett

This is the information taken directly from this Web site.

UNITED STATES COLORED TROOPS

59th REGIMENT INFANTRY.

Organized March 11, 1864, from 1st Tennessee Infantry (African Descent). Attached to 1st Colored Brigade, District of Memphis, Tenn., Dept. of Tennessee, to June, 1864. 3rd Brigade, Infantry Division, Sturgis' Expedition, to June, 1864. 1st Colored Brigade, District of Memphis, District of West Tennessee; to February, 1865. Fort Pickering, Defences of Memphis, Tenn., District of West Tennessee, to July, 1865. 2nd Brigade, District of West Tennessee, to September, 1865. Dept. of Tennessee to January, 1866.

SERVICE - Post and garrison duty at Memphis, Tenn., till June, 1864. Sturgis' Expedition from Memphis into Mississippi June 1-13. Battle of Brice's Cross Roads, Guntown, June 10. Ripley June 11. Davis Mill June 12. Smith's Expedition to Tupelo, Miss., July 5-21. Near Ripley July 7. Pontotoc July 11-12. Camargo's Cross Roads, Harrisburg, July 13. Tupelo July 14-15. Old Town Creek July 15. Post and garrison duty at Memphis, Tenn., and in District of West Tennessee till January, 1866. Repulse of Forest's attack on Memphis August 21, 1864. Mustered out January 31, 1866.