His parents are John and Elizabeth Wright Ledbetter. His grandparents are James and Mahalah Ledbetter. His great grandparents are Arthur and Francis Brooks Ledbetter.   His family migrated to Illinois from Virginia by way of Tennessee.  He grew up in the area of his birth, Gallatin County, Illinois, in the home of his parents along with his SIBLINGS.

  On December 3, 1855, Robert Henry Ledbetter married Manervia Boyd according to Manervia's Family Bible Records.

  Robert Henry and Manervia started their life in Southern Illinois with the same high hopes and dreams of most young people. They had two children, John and James W. F.   John, the first son, was born in 1856.  The second son James was born December 25, 1858 and only a short time later was gone on Feb. 14, 1859.  John, the first born, died on February 5, 1862 only nine days before his mother.  Manervia Boyd Ledbetter, at the young age of twenty-four, joined her sons in death on February 14, 1862, the third anniversary of her of her younger son's death.

Headstones

James W.F. Ledbetter  December 25, 1858.  Feb. 14, 1859.

Manervia "Boyd" Ledbetter  Manervia Boyd born, April 1838:  February 14, 1862.

John Ledbetter  John Born 1856;  February 05, 1862

Within one month following the death of his wife, Manervia and son John; Robert Henry was in the Jefferson Barracks hospital in Saint Louis, Missouri. 

Robert Henry was to leave his family for duty in the U.S. Military service. July 29th 1861, he was mustered into, Company A of the Illinois 29th Infantry. He served his country in this branch of the service until he was transferred from IL 29th to become one of the first to enroll into the, Mississippi Marine Brag. He served his country and was discharged from the MMB at Vicksburg on January 19th 1865. 
His Military - Civil War - records can be seen HERE

The Mississippi Marine Brag, was a part of the military, little is talked about. It was so named because the duty was on the Mississippi river; and the other rivers which flowed into the Mississippi, large enough to accommodate the type of vessel they used. There [will be] is another document available reflecting on his military duties. Therefore, I will not elaborate on them here. 

 Following his discharge he applied for a disability pension Which he received after a lot of petitioning and affidavits concerning his health. Ironically, when Sally Ramsey found his headstone, he was buried near the doctor who had signed one of these petitions. 

Following the Civil War, Robert Henry returned home to start building a new life. Both to recover from the effects of the military duty and his loss of his family. 

March 25, 1865, he met and married Rebecca Jane TUCKER . 
They had several children of which one was my grandfather, Robert Luke Ledbetter. 
The Children of, ROBERT HENRY LEDBETTER and REBECCA JANE TUCKER are: 

• Henry Ledbetter; born, February 12, 1866, Hardin County Illinois; 

died, December 16, 1866, Hardin County Illinois. 
• Mary Jane Ledbetter; born, March 25, 1867; died, Pope Co. Illinois.

married, MOORE, William C. Apr 7 1888 
residence Crittendon Co., KY; 
• Olive or (Ollie) F. Ledbetter, born July 25 , 1871, Pope Co. Illinois. 

Ollie was blind at the age of 3. Following her fathers death she was denied a pension from her fathers military service due to her handicap. 
[NOTE] I have documents from Robert Henry, stating his "daughter". 
But, the U.S. Government returned a denial of the pension to a Mister Ollie F. Ledbetter. 
Correct person, but wrong sex. Mistake in addressing the issue. 
• Robert Luke Ledbetter; born February 06, 1873, Hardin Co. Illinois;

died June 13, 1962, Qulin Missouri 
October 17th, 1897 he married Mary Catherine Thaxton. [my grandparents] 
At the time they were married, both are a resident of Eichorn, Hardin County, Illinois. 
I found the following information in two places, in the family bible of Robert Henry. 
It states Robert Luke, has a name of; William Robert Luke Ledbetter. 
Also a, Richard M. Ledbetter, born February 6, 1873 according to the Bible in the possession of another granddaughter of Robert Luke's, Agatha Sedrick, Lewis. This would have made our grandfather a twin. 
• Alexander Ledbetter, born August 16, 1874. 
• Stephen Allen Ledbetter, born, August 28 1877, Pope Co. Illinois;

married, Della Frailey on this date, June 13 1901. 
Della Frailey a resident of Lusk, Pope Co., Illinois 
Della, was his step-sister, a daughter of Joseph R. FRAILEY and Nancy OXFORD - 
Who later became the fourth Mrs. Robert Henry Ledbetter. 
• Ann Elizabeth Ledbetter, born, July 1878, Pope Co. Illinois.

married, December 1, 1889 to William Anderson LYNN, 
a resident of Lamb, Battery Rock Precinct., Hardin Co., Illinois 
• George A. Ledbetter, born March 1879 
• Florence Ledbetter, b. February 22, 1882.

He married a Mary Smith, and they had a daughter Hattie. ( have photo of Hattie.) Hattie was born April 17 1889. What happened to the marriage with Mary we have not yet learned. We do know she did not die at the time of their separation. Contact between Hattie and my grandfather, Hattie's brother, was maintained throughout their lifetime.

[NOTE: at this date August 16, 1998; Wanda, George and Goldie are the only surviving children of Hattie Ledbetter, Joiner and George Joiner.]

In the December 13 of 1889 age of 55, we find Robert Henry getting married to Nancy Oxford, Frailey. Nancy also, left this world before Robert Henry and we have found no trace of any children from this union. 
Our last look at Robert Henry's family before he departed this world in 1910. On this date, July 02, 1908 - at the age of 74, a resident of Lusk, Pope County Illinois he was getting married to a lady named Mary Rawlins. There are records of them having lived in Ky. Again there was no children born to this union, probably due by now to age. 
Mary and Henry appear to have been living in Ky, at the time of his death, but he is buried next to my grandmother Rebecca Jane Tucker, Ledbetter. Photo of Headstone for Robert Henry and Rebecca Jane Ledbetter This grave is close to Manervia Boyd, Ledbetter and their two son's James and John. We never have all the answers, only the best we can do. Notes of interest I found in doing this document. 
Henry did acquire a disability pension from the government, for his military duty afflictions. Again this will be reflected in his Civil War records. 
Twins were born to my father and his granddaughter also to my aunt Mary Bells daughter two times. Do they run in the family. 

Notes of interest we share though e-mail contact. from new found second cousin Sally, The Hardin County work camp called me two days ago and said that the prisoners will clean off Robert Henry / Manervia Ledbetter Cemetery for us. All they need is for me to provide the tools (which I can get from school). They said they will have 10 men on it for 2 days. So.. the cemetery will be at least weeded and trees cut. I can then maybe keep up with it with a little help from some friends. Cemetery Conditions which Sally Ramsey found our great grandfather's grave site. 

 [NOTES] From Sally Ramsey 
I found the Marriage Certificate of Mary Ledbetter (Smith) and Richard Williams.  This was her 3rd marriage.  I'm not sure who she married 1st. Must have been someone from Ky.  (me)  This shows the Mary Smith in question did remarry using the name Ledbetter when she married again. 
Williams, Richard (age 67) from Crittenden Co. Ky. Son of John Williams and Mary Lee  Married:  Ledbetter, Mary (Smith)  (age 29) Daughter of John T. Smith and Louisa Colier.  They were married on 6th May 1890. **Note {from Sally} the date 1890.. my grandmother Hattie was born in april of 1889. (me) Both Robert Henry and Mary Smith remarried within months after the birth of Hattie. 

The credits for this work go to, 

• Sally Ramsey, Illinois Sally 
• Kenneth Byrd, Indiana 
• Gloria DeGeare, California Gloria 
• Agatha Sedrick, Lewis 
• Junental J. DeGeare, Missouri June 
• Patricia Walton Skaggs, Missouri Patsy
• Myself, Mary Agnes Ledbetter, Hudson, Missouri Mary 

RETURN TO MARY'S HOME PAGE

This document created by Mary Agnes Ledbetter, Hudson on this day August 15, 1998. For the sole purpose of sharing with any family member who stops here long enough to read this. Any person so desiring can link to this document. Please if you copy this document, give the hard working people the credit for their work. Thank You, Mary Agnes Ledbetter, Hudson.
This document was written with the assistance of; Ladye Jane Hunter my co-host, for the Van Buren County, Tennessee home page we maintain.