JOHN T. CRENSHAW
 

From St. Clair County Democrat June 6, 1940:

JOHN T. CRENSHAW

John Thomas Crenshaw, son of Garland Carr Crenshaw and Susannah Shelton,Crenshaw, was born near
Hartford,Tennessee in 1819 and died in Vicksburg,Mississippi July 1, 1863.

He came to this section before 1840 and was admitted to the practice of law in St. Clair County in 1843.

In 1846, he enlisted in the army for the war with Mexico. He was enrolled June 6th at Fort Leavenworth,
then Missouri territory, in company A (Capt. David Waldo) of the First Regiment of Missouri Mounted
Volunteers under Colonel Alexander Doniphan and served as first Sergeant of his company.

John T. Crenshaw came home and was married in St. Clair County, August 5, 1847, to Sara Virginia Nash
(1826-1850),youngest daughter of Dr. Gabriel Nash.  Their only child, William Nash Crenshaw was born July
8, 1848.

In the fall of that year John T. Crenshaw was elected to represent St. Clair County in the General Assembly
of Missouri and served one term.

Mrs. Crenshaw died April 17. 1850 and it is possible that Mr. Crenshaw was in the St. Clair County group
that emigrated to California shortly after that.

He was in St. Clair county in May 1861 and signed the appeal to the people to remain calm and preserve the
peace, but Jim Lane’s two raids on Osceola determined him to join the Southern Forces.

He left his small son provided with household goods and negro slaves in the care of Mr. and Mrs. Zachariah
Lilley and volunteered.


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From Missouri Soldiers database

He was commissioned Captain of Company A, 1stBattalion, 2nd Regiment of Cavalry, under Col. James
McCown.

Co. F. 6th Mo. Regt. Infantry Volunteers -Capt. Weidemeyer
Promoted 1st Lt. December 26, 1862
Battles: Carthage, Wilson’s Creek, Iuka, Port Gibson, Frand Gulf, Bakers Creek, BigBlack, Vicksburg - where
buried alive under one of the forts, July 1, 1863.

Name: Crenshaw, John T. Rank: Sr. 2nd Lt.
Conflict: Civil War Side: Confederate
Type of Unit: Infantry Organization:
Name of Unit: 6th Missouri Regiment Infantry Volunteers
Alternate Unit Name: Company: F
Period of Service:
Commander: Captain Weidemeyer Note: Record Group:
Office of Adjuntant General Series Title: Index of service records, Confederate, 1861-1865


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From St. Clair County Democrat June 6, 1940:

1st Lieutenant John T. Crenshaw was killed that first day of July 1863 when the federals exploded a mine
under the parapet on which he was stationed at Vicksburg and he was buried there by the crumbled
earthworks, for his body was never recovered. Three days later, Vicksburg surrendered.

After the war, Lt. Crenshaw’s son, William Nash Crenshaw went to visit his fathers brother Dr. William
B. Crenshaw in Louisiana and David Crenshaw in Tennessee.. Then, as a youth went to Fayetteville,
Arkansas where is grandmother, Mrs. P. M. Cox and Dr. Cox were living

He made his home with them and set about learning a trade for there was nothing left of his fathers
estate. He and his wife are buried in Fayetteville, Arkansas.


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Osceola Cemetery Records:

CRENSHAW, Sarah Virginia - 12 January 1826 - 05 April 1850