C. R. Beal Family of Chatham Co, NC

1. This is CALEB BEAL, the son of CALEB and MARY BEAL, who was 8 years old in
1850. He is referred to later in life as C.R. and we use that name to distinguish him
from his father.

2. CALEB appears in the 1850 census as noted above.

3.He appears in the 1860 census, age 18, in his father's home, Goldston P.O.

4.In 1870 he is in Bear Creek Township, Grove P.O., as follows

Beal, Calop 28 m    Farmer
           Rebecca J. 21 f
           Joseph 11 m
                  William 3 m
           Mary 1 mo. f

Though his name is spelled differently here, he is CALEB as will appear by a
comparison of the family names with those in 1880.

There must be an error in Joseph's age. Rebecca surely did not give birth at age 10.

5. The family is in Bear Creek Township in 1880 and appear as follows

Beal, Caleb m 37    Farmer
           Rebecca   f 34 Keeping house
           Joseph m 13 Works on farm
           Willaim J. m 12 Works on farm
           Mary E. f 9 At home
           James R. m 8 At home
           Leonidas m 6 At home
             Sarah B.   f 4 At home
           Charles m 1 At home

6. C. R. was administrator of his father CALEB'S estate in 1870. There is a document
itemizing the goods sold at public auction and signed " C.R.BEAL, Administrator,
August 29th 1870 for cash "

   After a long list of items auctioned C.R. writes " C.R. BEAL makes oath that the
   foregoing is a full and correct return of the sales of the personal property belonging to
   the estate of CALEB BEAL, deceased, that have come into my hands.

C.R. BEAL, Adm.

Sworn and subscribed before me this the 27th day of November 1872

S. J. PETTY C.S.C.

7. CALEB R. BEAL was a Private in Co. E of the 41st NC regiment during the Civil
    War. The book " Roster of Confederate Veterans from Chatham County, North
    Carolina" compiled by Colonel John Randolph Lane Camp, Sons of Confederate
    Veterans, Siler City, North Carolina gives his birth and death years as 1841 and
    1924.

8. On 20 July 1914 C.R. BEAL, age 73, a resident at Bear Creek P.O. applied for a
    pension under the provision of an act entitled " An act for the relief of certain
   Confederate soldiers, sailors and widows ". He stated that he enlisted in Co. E, 41st
   Regular NC State Troops on 8 March 1862.

A physician examined him and made this statement " I find the applicant disabled from
age and infirmities to the extent of three-fourths for manual labor ".

   A note on the application says " Disallow- property ". These words were then crossed
   out and the words " OK. Put him on the roll. Property listed by him belongs to his son "
   were added.

The following handwritten letter is included in the pension papers

Bear Creek, N.C.
October 22,1914

Mr. R.H. Hayes

Dear Sir

I put in an application for a pention. I was talking to B.A. Phillips and Mr. Griffin. Also
Sheriff Lane. Mr. Phillips told me that you said you would help me out in it. I wanted to
tell you this. I sold my Borough place to one of my suns. He don't stay in this country. It
has never him changed. I give it in and pay the tax on it. That is not mine. Mr. B.A.
Phillips knows this is true. He run the land and wrote the Deed. The Deed is also
registered there in Pittsboro. I think that ought to come off of what I give in. I under-
stand that the application was turned down on the account of what I give in. If you can
help me out in it you will please do so. I always hope you ever chance I got and will
continue to do so. Sheriff Lane and those men I spoke about will help me out if they can.
I think I ought to have it. I am not able to work. Please look after it in time. This is from

Your Friend
C. R. Beal

This letter is followed by one on the letterhead " Law Offices of R.H. Hayes, Pittsboro,
N.C. ". It is dated October 24, 1914

Hon. W.P. Wood, State Auditor
RALEIGH, N.C.

My Dear Sir:--

   I am herewith enclosing you a letter from our old friend, C.R. BEAL. I have looked up
   the tax list since I got your letter and it is entirely unsatisfactory as to what the old man
   owns. I don't think he owns much. He is old and feeble and what land he has I don't
   think is paying him much income.

   I am enclosing a letter I got from him which I think shows the situation. He and his boys,
   I understand, have come around to be good Democrats, in fact; he has been all his life
   so far as I know, and I truly hope that you can put his name on the pension roll.

What you do, do quickly, and let me know.

      Yours Very Truly
   RHH/F          ( signed )       R.H. Hayes
   Enclosure

The words " Put this man on the list " are handwritten across the top of this letter.

9. On 9 July 1925, one year after C.R. died, his widow Mrs. SARAH F. BEAL, age 61,
    a resident of Bear Creek P.O. made a Widow's Application for Pension. She states
    that she married C.R. in 1882 and that he was once enlisted in Co. E of the 41st NC
    regiment. She signed her full name SARAH FRANCIS BEAL. The Chatham County
    Marriage Index shows that C.R., age 35, and SARAH F. SMITH, age 18, were
    married on January 23, 1882.

   On 10 July 1937 SARAH was advanced from a Class B to a Class A pensioner. She
   was said to be " Totally disabled due to Arterio Sclerosis, Bright's Disease and Organic
   Heart Disease ". She was disabled and confined to her home. She was 73 years old
   and gave her marriage date as January 23, 1882.

10. The Chatham County Cemeteries Gravestone List shows that CALEB R. BEAL was
born on 22 June 1841 and died on 26 October 1924 and that he was the husband of
Sarah F. Smith Beal. He is buried in the Fall Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.

11. The same list shows that SARAH F. SMITH BEAL was born on 2 October 1864
and died on 12 August 1945. She too is buried in the Fall Creek Baptist Church
Cemetery.

12.Page 1668 of the IGI ( an LDS document ) shows the birth of JOSEPH JOHN BEAL
     on 4 August 1866. Listed with this name are the names CALEB ROBERT BEAL and
     REBECCA JANE SMITH. One imagines that CALEB and REBECCA are the parents
     of JOSEPH.

13. A second entry on the same page shows the birth of JOSEPH JOHN BEAL on 28
February 1891. CALEB ROBERT BEAL and SARAH FRANCES SMITH are also
given. Again, we imagine them to be the parents of JOSEPH.

14. A third entry on the same page shows the birth of LONNIE CALEB BEAL on 9 March
1873. CALEB ROBERT BEAL and REBECCA JANE SMITH are also mentioned.
Are they the parents of LONNIE ?

The events of items 12, 13 and 14 all took place in Chatham County.

15. The 1870 and 1880 censuses show that CALEB, age 37 in 1880, was married to
      REBECCA J. ( in 1870 ) and REBECCA ( in 1880 ). They had a son Joseph, age 13
      in 1880, and a son whose name I read to be Leonidas, age 6 in 1880. Accepting these
      ages at face value we find JOSEPH and LONNIE ( if he is LEONIDAS ) to have been
      born in 1867 and 1874, respectively. These dates agree within one year with those in
      items 12 and 14 above.

16. REBECCA JANE SMITH was CALEB's first wife. She died shortly after the 1880
      census, for SARAH FRANCES SMITH married CALEB in 1882, see item 9 above.
      She was 61 in 1925, see item 9, and was therefore 27 in 1891 when she gave birth to
      her JOSEPH JOHN BEAL.

17. Why was the name JOSEPH JOHN so important to CALEB that he used it for two
children ? The 1850 census shows that CALEB had a brother JOSEPH, age 15. Did
he die ? Presumably CALEB'S first JOSEPH did die.

18. Were REBECCA and FRANCIS sisters ?

19. From The Chatham Record, Thursday, October 11, 1883 C.R.Beale was a newly
elected school committee member in Bear Creek Township.

20. From The Chatham Record, Thursday, June 6, 1893, page 3, col. 2, FEDERAL
COURT " As was expected, Messr's Allen Phillips and C.R.Beal were acquitted of the
charge of counterfeiting, which was regarded as a malicious prosecution.

21. From the Chatham Record, Thursday, March 10, 1887, C.R. Beal is included in a list
of jurors.

Donald H. Rielly 11/19/00
dhrielly@aol.com