Contributed by: Esther Stewart
Richard Stewart is my Great Great Grandfather and was the seventh child born to John Peaterson Stewart and Frances Dungey on January 10, 1800, in Powhatan County, Virginia. He moved to White County, Tennessee in 1810 along with his parents. He married Barbara Creacy who was also born in Powhatan County in 1799. From White County Tennessee, the family migrated to Greenfield in Gallia County, Ohio around 1820. They then moved to Logan County, Ohio. Together, they brought ten children into the world. The children were William A., Littleberry, Frances Ann, John J., James M.R., Sarah Ann, George W., Richard Madison, Barbara Ann, and Joseph Andrew.
Richard moved to Cass County, Michigan around 1858. Earlier, he had made the trip alone on horseback. He wanted to learn the way and estimate the distance for each day’s travel and locate each night’s camping ground. When he reached Cass County Michigan, he purchased a 160 acre farm in Penn Township. Several of his sons had migrated before him. The Stewart descendants have a letter dated October 10, 1939 addressed to Margaret Simpson written by one of Richard's grandchilden, John Hall. The letter documents the trip that was made by wagon train.
The trip from Ohio to Michigan was made in the last part of September and the first of October, 1858. Grandfather Richard Stewart had bought a farm, 160 acres around about 1856. He went from Ohio to Michigan on horseback. He estimated the distance for each day’s drive, located each night’s camping ground and had a way bill made as a memorandum. He made the day’s drive accordingly.
There was no travel on Sunday, there was prayer and singing. The Caravan consisted of three wagons and a nice seat carriage. The carriage belonged to grandfather Richard Stewart. His daughter drove in front, then his wagon. The next wagon was his daughter Sara A. Hall and three children. The third wagon was driven by William Chavous. There were two cows, one belonged to Grandfather and one to William Chavous, both giving milk. In the carriage was Aunt Francis, Aunt Barbara, and Ann Stewart. In the first wagon, Grandfather (Black and Indian heritage), Grandmother Barbara Creacy Stewart (Irish), sons, James M.R. and Francis, and his son, Richard who was an infant at that time. In the second was Sara A. Hall, Richard and Barbara Stewart’s daughter and three children, John M. Hall, Louisa M Hall, and Richard Thomas Hall. In the third wagon was William Chavous, wife Frances, and children James, Nancy, Charles, Jacob, and William. Two uncles, George W. Stewart, and Joseph A Stewart, did the driving of loose stock. Henry Hawks also drove loose stock for Willliam Chavous.
I don’t remember how many days we were on the road but we had, I think, three Sundays, but not three weeks. We drove from early morning until about 10:00 A.M. on the last day when we got to Bristol, Indiana. Stopped for a spell and the women went to the store a bought quite a lot of dishes. We then got to Calvin Center just before sunset. Got to Grandfather’s about 8:00 P.M. It was dark in Penn Township, Cass County, Michigan, about two miles north of Brownsville. This was the end of the drive. Now this was in 1858. There were twenty-one persons all together that left Ohio. At this date, October 1939, there is not more than four of them living now that was of that number.
Richard Stewart was a very successful farmer and upright citizen who was well known in Cass County. Five of his sons served in the Civil War. Two sons, Richard Madison and George W, gave their life for the matter of equality of African Americans. Richard requested of his youngest son, Joseph Andrew, not to enlist in the Civil War, but, help him run the farm. Joseph Andrew complied with his father’s wishes. After all, Richard had 160 acres to maintain and that would have been a lot for one man.
His wife, Barbara, passed away on January 7, 1875. She is buried in the Chain Lake Cemetery. Richard then married Eliza Jenkins and lived until May 6, 1885, where upon he succumbed to gravel. In today’s language, gravelis now called kidney stones. It is without a doubt that Richard Stewart and Barbara Creacy would be very proud of their descendants. Since 1901, Stewart family members have gathered in Cass County, Michigan on the second Saturday of August for the Stewart Reunion. In 2001, the Stewart descendants celebrated their 100th Reunion and it was attended by over 300 people.