69     WILLIAM OATMAN

 

 

69        WILLIAM5     (Daniel4, George3, John2, Johannes1), son of Daniel and Mary (Spencer) Oatman, was born at Arlington, Bennington County, Vermont, 14 November 1780.  He died at Pownal, Vermont, 19 October 1864.

 

He married in 1803 to Elizabeth Cantrell, born 1783 and died 11 August 1868.  Both William and Elizabeth are buried in the Village Cemetery in Bennington, Vermont.  Elizabeth is believed to be one of the Southern Cantrell family, although no definite proof has been found.  Two sons, Leman and Stephen, returned to the South and served in the Southern Armies.

 

The family settled in Pownal, Vermont, where William conducted a black smithing business.

 

Children of William and Elizabeth (Cantrell) Oatman, b. Pownal, Bennington Co., VT:

 

216      Leman, b. 24 Nov 1805; bur. Zion Cem., Maury Co., TN; m. Martha Adaline Fleming, 8 Apr 1840, by James M. Arnell, pastor of Zion Church, Maury Co., TN; Children, surname Oatman:

 

                        A         Margaret Elizabeth, m. 1) James Johnson, Maury Co., TN, no children; m. 2) Joseph Herdon Dew, Maury Co., TN; children, surname Dew:

 

                                      I         May

 

                                     II        Adaline

 

                                    III        Rebecca

 

                                     IV       Margaret Oatman

 

                                      V       Mattie

 

                                     VI       Hattie Bishop

 

                        B         Adaline, b. 12 Sep 1843, d. 28 Oct 1914, Flemington, GA; m. William Augustus Fleming of Flemington, GA (he b. 24 Apr 1830, d. 26 Mar 1904); children, surname Fleming:

 

                                      I         Margaret Oatman, b. 15 Jan 1868, Flemington, GA; d. Jan 1937, Columbia, TN; m. Horace Rainey

 

                                     II        William Augustus, Jr.

 

                                    III        Oatman Winn

 

                                     IV       Matilda Adaline

 

                                      V       Florence Barnard

 

217      William, Jr., b. 5 Apr 1808; d. 2 Jun 1883; m. Esther Bates, 8 Jun 1842

 

218      Sophia B., b. 24 Jul 1813; d. 3 Jan 1843; m. D. W. Spencer, 23 Sep 1841; she bur. Village Cemetery, Bennington, VT.

 

219      Stephen, b. 3 Sep 1815; d. 1909 in Soldiers' Home in Atlanta, GA; unmarried.  Stephen removed to Atlanta, GA, prior to 1860, and served in the Confederate Army.  According to The War of the Rebellion, A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies,

 

"They captured one deserter by the name of Benjamin Davis, belonging to Company I, Fourth Arkansas Cavalry.  They also secured the same night Stephen Oatman, who gave himself up voluntarily."

 

According to the Georgia Archives and History, an S. B. Oatman was on the Soldiers Home Register who served in the Fire Department Battalion.

 

220      Abraham Bronson, b. 1 Jan 1820; d. 7 Apr 1870; m. 1) Electa W. Fenton; 2) Esther M. Pratt

 

221      Jane E., b. 6 Dec 1825; d. 25 Jun 1849; m. T. W. Wood, 6 May 1847, Arlington, VT; she bur. Village Cemetery, Bennington, VT

 

 

 

 

Sources:           Oatman Family records

Cemetery records

"The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the

Union and Confederate Armies", Series I, Vol. XLI, Part 1, Reports, p. 817

1830 census, Arlington, Bennington Co., VT

1850, 1860 census, Bennington, Bennington Co., VT

Old letters and records

Letter from Soldiers Home, Atlanta, GA

 

 

 

Gravestones in Lower Cemetery at Bennington, Vermont

 

                        WILLIAM OATMAN                                                           JANE OATMAN

               Died October 19, 1864                                    Wife of T. Wood

                         Age 83 Years                                       Died June 25, 1849

                ELIZABETH his wife

               Died August 11, 1868                                                   ELECTA FENTON

                         Age 85 years                                      Wife of A. B. Oatman

                                                                                                 Died November 9, 1858

                         A. B. OATMAN                                                        Age 25 years

                Died April 7, 1870

                         Age 50 years                                          ESTHER M. PRATT

                                                                                                  Wife of A. B. Oatman

                 SOPHIA B. OATMAN                                            Died June 8, 1905

               Wife of D. W. Spencer                                            Age 79 years

               Died January 3, 1843

                         Age 29 years

GEORGE F. OATMAN

Son of

A. B. and E. M. Fenton

Died June 22, 1885

Age 29 years

 

 

 

 

SOME OLD LETTERS

 

                        An invitation and the beginning of a romance:

 

S. B. Oatman compliments to Miss Esther Bates soliciting her company Friday at 4 o'clock P.M. at William Oatman's to attend a party.

 

 

                                                                        Yours etc.

 

                                                                                    Sophia B. Oatman

 

                        Pownal, April 11, 1840                       Endorsed:  Miss Esther Bates present.

 

 

TAXES IN 1862

 

 

A letter from A. B. Oatman to his brother William in Michigan:

 

                                                                        Bennington, Vermont, January 28, 1862

                                                                                                           

Dear Brother:

 

            Father received a letter from you a few days ago and was glad to hear from you and your family.

 

            We are all well at home and have just had one of the worst blows I ever saw.  Railroads are all blocked up and chimneys blown down.

 

            Steve we do not hear from; I expect he must be in the Army somewhere, I think in South Carolina.  I have sent him several letters care of General Wood, Fortress Monroe, directed to Atlanta, Georgia, but do not hear anything from him.  He was in Atlanta, Ga and belonged to the Home Guards, and if alive, was called to Charleston to help defend it against our troops on arriving at Port Royal.

 

            Leman, I do not hear anything from him, only know that he is a rank rebel and is one of the convention that voted to carry the State out of the Union.

 

            This war is an awful thing, but the South have got to be whipped, but it will take some time to do it, and will saddle an enormous debt on these United States.

 

            My tax this winter was $16.00, common tax is usually $5.60, so there is the difference and 1863 we will have a tax that will use us all up.

 

            I do not know of any news that will interest you; we have fine sleighing and a very rough winter.  Give my love to Esther and the children.

 

            I send you my Autophotograph at the top of this letter.

 

                                                                                    Yours,

 

                                                                                    A. B. Oatman

 

 

Back to Index

Back to Oatman Home Page

 

(v2008)d/l