Chapter 9: Southern Blaine

From Colonist Blain to Confederate Blaine

Michael Blain was proably born around 1740 in Virginia. He married Helena Owens, the daughter of John Owens and Barbara Stewart. He was a Revolutionary War soldier. They had seven children: Barbara, William (1769), Helen, Daniel, 2 sons, 1 daughter. Michael Blain moved from Virginia to South Carolina around 1773. Michael died between 1794 and 1800. and is buried in the Greenville Presbyterian Church, Donalds, South Carolina.

William Blain was born in 1769, probably in Virginia. He married Mary Seawright, who had been born on August 15, 1775 to James Seawright and Elizabeth McCullogh. They lived in Abbeville District, South Carolina. William and Mary had eight children: Elizabeth, Mary, James Wesley (1800), John, Daniel N. (1808), Martha, William Yancey, Mahala. William died on March 23, 1829 and is buried in the Greenville Presbyterian Church, Donalds, South Carolina. Mary died on May 17, 1857 and is buried with William.

We don't know much about Elizabeth, Mary, John, Matha, William Yancey or Mahala. However we do know some of the details about the two brothers James Wesley and Daniel N.

James Wesley Blain, the third child and oldest son of William and Mary, was born on December 15, 1800 in Abbeville District, South Carolina. James was married twice. We don't know the name of his first wife, but his second wife was Elizabeth A. Pinson, born October 31, 1839 to Reverend Marmaduke Pinson and Elizabeth Sullivan. They lived in Abbeville District, South Carolina. James and Elizabeth had three children--James William (1865), an infant, and John Augustus. James Wesley Blain died on August 5, 1871 and he is buried in the Greenville Presbyterian Church, Donalds, South Carolina. We don't know when Elizabeth died.

Daniel N. Blain, the younger brother of James Wesley, was born on February 2, 1808 in Abbeville District, South Carolina. He married Mahulda Norris, born on December 27, 1811 in South Carolina to Eli Norris and Olive "Olly". They had eight children: William Eli (1831), James Wesley (1832), Samuel Wilson (1834), Daniel Michael (1836), George Washington (1838), Willis Watkins (1840), Benjamin Martin (1845), Elizabeth Frances (1847). The family moved to Choctaw County, Mississippi in November of 1845. The 1850 census shows them in Winston; the 1880 census shows them in Choctaw. We don't know the exact date but Daniel and Mahulda both died sometime after 1880.

William Eli Blain, Daniel's oldest son, was born on September 18, 1831 in South Carolina. He died of measles in a camp of the Confederate States of America.

James Wesley Blain, the second son of Daniel who was given the same name as his uncle, was born on December 31, 1832 in Abbeville District. He married Nancy Ann Montgomery, born on May 5, 1831 to W.M. Montgomery and Martha Ann, on December 5, 1854 in Choctaw County, Mississippi. Their children were Daniel W. (died in infancy, 1855), Daily Ann (1857), William Montgomery (1858), George Washington (1861) and James Wesley Jr. (1861). James Wesley Blain died on July 22, 1864 at the Battle of Peachtree Creek. The battle of Peachtree Creek on July 20, 1864 was an attempt by the Army of Tennessee, a division of the Confederate Army, to stop one of General Sherman's three Union forces bearing down on Atlanta. It was a victory for the Union Army in large part because Jefferson Davis had replaced the general in charge of the Army of Tennessee with a more aggressive general just three days before the battle. James Wesley was one of 4,796 Confederate soldiers who died during the battle. His wife, Nancy Ann, died on March 18, 1882 and is buried in the South Union Methodist Church Cemetery in Ackerman, Mississippi.

Samuel Wilson Blain was born in September 22, 1834 in South Carolina. It is not clear when, but Samuel Wilson added an "e" to the end of his surname to make it "Blaine". It appears he was the only offspring of Daniel and Mahulda to do so. He married Mary C. White, born in 1837 in South Carolina (her parents were also from South Carolina). They lived in Choctaw County, Mississippi and had three children--Ophelia (1859), James White (1861) and Amanda J. (1863). Samuel died on May 15, 1864 of wounds received and he is buried in Calhoun, Georgia. Mary died sometime after 1880.

The 1880 census for Choctaw County, Mississippi (Beat 4) shows Mary C. Blain (43) who is a farmer and widow with three children, Ophelia (21), James (19), and Amanda J. (17). James is listed as a laborer. It also shows that Mary, her parents, and her husband were born in South Carolina while all three children were born in Mississippi.

Daniel Michael Blain was born on March 12, 1836 in South Carolina. He married Amanda Montgomery, sister of Nancy Ann Montgomery.

George Washington Blain was born on January 23, 1838 in South Carolina. He married Frances Simpson who was born in 1840. George died on February 25, 1883 and is buried in the Edgefield Cemetery, Attala County. Frances died in 1915 and is also buried in Edgefield.

Willis Watkins Blain was born on July 20, 1840 in South Carolina. He lived in Choctaw County and married Arrie Hunt who was born in 1842 in Mississippi. They had at least one child, Ida, in 1859 in Mississippi. Willis died in February 25, 1883 and Arrie died sometime after 1880.

Benjamin Martin Blain was born in March 1, 1845 in South Carolina. He married Dorothy "Dolly" E. Duke who was born on December 6, 1854 in Mississippi. They lived in Choctaw County and had five children. Their children were Lizzie (1870), Ella (1972), Alice (1874), William M. (1877) and Henry Walter (1879). Benjamin died on September 1, 1927. Dolly died later that year on December 18, 1927. They are both buried in the South Union Methodist Church Cemetery.

Elizabeth Frances "Fannie" Blain, the youngest child of Daniel and Muhulda, was born on August 16, 1847 in Mississippi. All I know about her was that she married Thomas Ingram.

All I know about Ophelia Blaine, the oldest child of Samuel and Mary, was that she was born in Mississippi in 1859.

Their next child, James White Blaine, was born on September 1, 1861 (or 1859) in either Choctaw County or Winston County, Mississippi. He married Nancy Jane Passons and they had nine children. We'll look at Nancy Jane's ancestors and their children in the next sections.

Amanda J. Blaine was their youngest child. She born in 1863 in Mississippi and died sometime after 1880.

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