Will Machen Rises from the Dead

    While we were at the public library in Scottsboro, Alabama, Jim came across a newspaper article entitled "Will Machen Reported Drowned in River."  The name immediately caught Jim's attention.  Will Machen and his family were neighbors with his grandparents in Hollywood. His daughter, Allie Mae Machen Nolan Kirk, planted the seed of doubt in the family with her claim that Will Machen was Jim's mother's father.
      In the short article Will's brother reported while crossing the Tennessee River in a small row boat, Will fell out of the boat. The article went on to state Will was in an intoxicated state when he attempted to cross the river. In addition, Will Machen was ordered a four year sentence in the penitentiary for grand larceny and his case was pending in the Supreme Court.
     In the following edition of the local newspaper "Will Machen Turns Up" safely.  The article recalled last week's drowning and went to report Machen suddenly turned up last week.
The Progressive Age
November 6 & 20, 1919.

Two Obituaries and a Death Certificate Later

    The focal point of the last post was Carter Goins, Jim's gg grandfather. In trying to gleam a little more information about the family and possibly more about his son, Marlin, I decided to research Carter's second wife, Sippie Ann Goins.

    Thanks to my "go to girl" I received two obituaries and a death certificate from the state archives this week.  The death certificate and the obituary for Sippie Ann Brown did not confirm anything, but did provide a few details. On the death certificate H C Goins signed as the informant and was most likely a relative, but not sure which one.  None of her sons had those initials. Tommie Brown was listed as her husband. We had already determined she remarried after Carter's death. Her father was listed as unknown and her mother's name was very faint, but looked like Clinia   _elton.

      In the obituary Sippie died "at residence on Brown's Ferry Road."  Several members of the Goins family lived on Brown's Ferry Road, and the Boylston cemetery is located off Brown's Ferry Road. Her address legal residence on the death certificate was St. Elmo. 

     The other obituary was for Charlie Miller Goins.  He was buried next to Sippie Ann in the Boylston Cemetery.  We felt certain Charlie was the last child of Carter and Sippie Ann.  Of course the obituary did not mention his parents, but it did list two of his sisters, Carrie Phillips and Eva May Foster.  Both of the women were sisters of Marlin, so therefore, Charlie's parents were Sippie and Carter.

      When Carter died, Sippie was in her early forties and still a mother of young children. If we counted correctly, Sippie and Carter had at least eight children.  Marlin was the oldest. Other children included Ada, Harrison, Lee, Carrie, Ethel, Eva and Charlie.

Melungeon, Mulatto or Indian?

     Carter J. Goins was one very interesting, well documented character who most likely was Jim's great, great grandfather. We traveled over the long weekend to northern Alabama  in search of Carter's grave site. On a side road off Highway 72, we located Carter's headstone in the Price Cemetery.  No dates, only his name and military history were inscribed on his stone.  The sign outside the cemetery listed Hollywood as the location, but we were a good distance from the Hollywood community.

     When we first investigated  the Goins family, a county historian in Franklin County told us the Goins surname was associated with the Melungeons. We had never heard of the Melungeons and didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. Even after more research, we were still unsure of the true history of this racially mixed group known as Melungeons. One thing was certain the topic is highly controversial and shrouded in mystery.
 
    On the 1850 census Carter along with his first wife and children were listed as mulatto. Mulatto? Mulatto referred to a person of mixed white and black ancestry.  Was Carter Melungeon or mulatto?  Most likely, Carter's family skin tone did not meet the criteria for white or black, leaving the only other option, mulatto.

    Carter served in the last year of the War between the States.  He served on the side of the Union Army as a private in Company F of the 6th Tennessee Mounted Infantry.  On his service papers, Carter was listed as 5' 6"  with gray eyes, fair hair and a dark complexion. 

     An online search revealed Carter filed an Eastern Cherokee application in 1906 claiming  Indian ancestry. The application stated both of his parents were one-fourth Indian. Unfortunately, his application was denied in 1909, but it does shed light on the family's ancestry.

    Apparently Carter and his family had enough Indian ancestry reflected in their skin tone not to pass as white for  the 1850 census. Even the notation of a dark complexion on his company muster-in and descriptive roll supports a mixed race ancestry. Most likely, my Jim has Indian blood running through his veins whether it's through the Cherokees or the Melungeons, who knows!