SIXTH GENERATION

60. Matthias Sweazea ^{(242) (243)} was born in 1823 in Wayne, MO. ^(244)(245) He died in 1865 in Shelby, Texas. He has reference number 60. Confederate Military records in the Civil War show that Matthias Sweazea did sign up as a Private with the S 3rd Clavary at Camp Wigfall in 1862, but was discharged by 3 June by the conscription act. He was 39 years old in 1862 and considered too old.

From a history of the Sweazea Family, by J. E. Sweazea, 1986.

Matthias Sweazea was born in Missouri, 1823. He migrated to Shelby Co., Texas, from Wayne County, Mo., 1846, bringing with him a son ( Alex), by a previous marriage, and his wife (Hannah McFadden), who had two daughters by a previous marriage. Nancy J. and Artemissa.
The Sweazeas were known for their fine bred Steel Dust Quarter horses. Some of their fine stock was brought to Texas from Missouri. The horses were mostly coal black, some with white stocking feet, some had snip noses and some were bald faced. Some had stars in their face and others cropped out, at times.
When Thomas was 15, and James was 13, they watched their unarmed father (Matthias), being gunned down from behind, by a neighbor named Sapp. There seems to of been some disagreement concerning the school and/or its operation. The killing took place in the front yard of the Sweazea home, while Thomas and James were in the corral, training horses and also unarmed. At the same time, Sapp threatened the boys as to what could and might happen to them. The killing seemed, later, to be all for naught, information passed down through the years, indicated that Matthias was a very sick man, at age 42, and had not much longer to live. At any rate, there was a trial, "mock" though it might have been, at which Sapp claimed "self defense", and was acquitted. Records show that Matthias was killed in 1865.
At some time after the death of Matthias, Alex expressed a wish to return to Missouri to see his mother. Hannah gave him his father's most prized horse for the trek back to Missouri. Alex promised to write, when he reached his destination, but was never heard from. He apparently didn't get very far from home, for some time later, the horse was found and identified by one of the Sons [Thomas or James]. It was suspected that Alex met with foul play at the hands of the Sapp clan.
Thomas and James, at some later date, laid a plan to avenge their father's death. Some researchers believe it may have been 1868, and some believe it may have been as late as 1873/74. At any rate, the plan worked when Sapp was trapped and shot. Some say that Sapp was executed, but he did not die of this shot, for recent discovery shows that Sapp did not die until 1880, cause of death unknown.
Sapp must have been a very powerful man in the community, with a lot of support from the "clan", for when Thomas and James reported their act to Hannah, she immediately feared for their lives, possibly the entire family. The family loaded their possessions in wagons, gathered their livestock, and in the middle of the night, left their Shelby County home and "headed" west.

Mathias Sweazea served in the Civil War as a Pvt. in Co. E, 3rd Reg't Texas Calvary at Camp Wigfall, TX. [Confederate] He was killed after the war by a neighbor, DeKalb Sapp, over a school issue. [from civil war records] He was married to Hannah Lucinda Stephenson on 3 Jun 1847 in Panola county, Texas. ⁽²⁴⁶⁾

61. Hannah Lucinda Stephenson ⁽²⁴⁷⁾ was born on 13 Dec 1824 in Wayne county, Missouri.^{(248) (249)} She died on 19 Jan 1914 in Clay county, Texas. She has reference number 61. Had a previous husband. McFadden? Children were:

i. Mary Ann Sweazea was born in 1845 in Robertson Co., Texas. ⁽²⁵⁰⁾ She died in Robertson, Texas.
ii. Thomas Flinn Sweazea was born on 15 Jun 1848 in Shelby, Texas. ⁽²⁵¹⁾ He died on 29 May 1928 in Bellevue, Clay, Texas. He was buried in Clay, Texas.
30 iii. James Franklin Sweazea.
iv. Elizabeth Sweazea was born on 2 Dec 1851 in Shelby, Texas. She died on 26 Oct 1919 in Perry, OK. She was buried in Perry, OK. She is buried at Grace Hill Cemetery , Perry, OK.
v. Amanda Melvina J. Sweazea was born on 23 Feb 1853 in Beuna Vista, Shelby, Texas. ⁽²⁵²⁾ She died on 27 Jul 1941 in Blair, OK.⁽²⁵³⁾
vi. Hillard Sweazea was born in 1856.
vii. Aaron M. Sweazea was born in 1858 in Shelby, Texas.
viii. Matthias T. Sweazea was born on 8 Jan 1860 in Shelby, Texas. He died on 11 Sep 1889 in Union City, OK.⁽²⁵⁴⁾ He was buried in OK. His first wife L. A. Martin died in childbirth. His second wife was L. A. Gardner married her on 19 APR 1883.

Matthias died of pneumnoia and is buried on a farm in Oklahoma.
ix. Lite Sweazea was born in 1863 in Shelby, Texas. I am not sure of the sex of this person I assumed it was male.
x. Laura B. Sweazea was born on 18 Jun 1865 in Shelby, Texas. Month & Day from email at cnj20@juno.com Feb 2, 2007 She died on 30 Nov 1946 in California. Death information from email at cnj20@juno.com Feb 2, 2007