John E. Dove

John E. Dove, son of Robert “Henderson” Dove and Cynthia Saylors, was born in Anderson, Anderson County, South Carolina on January 22, 1847. Unlike many families of this time, the Dove family was small with only two children—John E. Dove and William Pinkney Dove. John is my 2nd great grandfather, with our nearest common relative being Cornelia Jane “Janie” Dove, my great grandmother.

On July 2, 1850, the Dove family lived in the Eastern Subdivision of Anderson County. John’s father Henderson worked as a laborer. Both of his parents were enumerated as 23 years old; John was 2, and his brother William four months old. The David Dove family, John’s uncle, lived two houses away and consisted of David, his wife Elizabeth, and sons Abram, John, and James.

On July 6, 1860, the Dove family lived in the Fourth Regiment of Anderson County. In this census record, John’s father was enumerated as 30 years old while his mother as 35 years old. His father worked as a day laborer. On July 20, 1861, shortly after the Civil War began, John’s father enlisted at Camp Pickens with Captain John B. Moore’s Company, Orr’s Infantry Regiment, South Carolina Rifles. Henderson served until the end of the war but was at home on a sick furlough when the May 1865 surrender at Appomattox Court House took place.

John married Eliza “Amanda” Holland, daughter of John Holland and Elizabeth Hutchinson Majors, in Anderson County most likely in the late 1860s. They had six children together—John William Dove, Carrie Ann Dove, Cornelia Jane “Janie” Dove, Elizabeth A. Dove, Sallie M. Dove, and an unknown child.

John was listed on the Militia Enrollments Roll of Citizens for the Martin Township in Anderson County in 1869. 

On July 23, 1870, the Dove family lived next door to John’s parents in the Martin Township of Anderson County. John worked as a farm laborer and had a personal estate valued at $200. Amanda was enumerated as “Manda” with the occupation of “keeping house.” Their son John was 10 months old. John’s 20-year-old brother William lived in the home and worked as a farm laborer. Neither John or William could read or write. John’s farm consisted of 20 acres of improved land, valued at $300. He had 10 pieces of farm implements/machinery. John had one horse, one milch cow, and three pigs, all together valued at $115. His farm produced 20 bushels of wheat in the spring of 1870, 100 bushels of Indian corn, and two bales of cotton, each weighing 150 pounds. His cows produced enough milk to make 50 pounds of butter. The value of animals slaughtered or sold to slaughter was $20 and the estimated value of all farm production including betterments and addition to stock was $422.

I have been unable to find John and Amanda in the 1880 census. I did, however, find their 10-year-old son John William Dove on June 10, 1880 living with his grandparents, Henderson and Cynthia Dove, in the Broadway Township of Anderson County. I have been told John deserted his family and Amanda took the family to Demorest, Georgia where she did laundry work to support her children but I am unable to prove that. If true, perhaps it happened before 1880. I find no record for the unknown child other than the 1900 census record that shows Amanda had six children, five of which were living, so have no idea when it was born or died. The youngest child, Sallie was born in 1877 so the marriage most likely ended between 1877 and 1880. I did find Amanda listed in the 1881 Rays District, Hart County, Georgia property tax digests. I also found John’s father Henderson but unlike the 1870 agricultural schedule, John was not listed next to his father in the record.

John married Sarah “Sallie” A. Fields, daughter of Joseph Fields and Angeline Powell about 1882. I do not know if John and Sallie were married in South Carolina or Georgia. Together they had five children—Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dove, Walter David Dove, Albert Clifford “Cliff” Dove, Joseph “Joe” H. Dove, and one unknown.

At some point, the family moved to the Shelterville District of Milton County, Georgia where I found John enumerated on the 1890 Georgia U.S. Property Tax Digest. The value of John’s household furnishings and his property were $10 each. He paid a $1 tax on polls.

John’s parents moved to Hart County, Georgia about 1895. When his father Henderson submitted an Indigent Pension application in 1895, he stated that he was partly supported by his kin, friends, and himself in 1893 and 1894. He furthered stated that he had no family living with him but did have two sons ages 47 and 45 who have no means to support him except by daily labor. Henderson died at the age of 72 in the town of Bowersville on February 6, 1899. He was buried in an unmarked grave at Redwine United Methodist Church Cemetery in Hart County, Georgia. The date of death is not known for John’s mother Cynthia but her Find A Grave memorial states that it is believed she too is buried in an unmarked grave at Redwine United Methodist Church Cemetery.

On June 4, 1900, John, Sallie, and their children lived in the Old First Militia District in Milton County, Georgia. John was enumerated as 50 years old, born in January 1850. He and Sallie had been married for 18 years. Sallie was enumerated as having have five children, four of which were living. John worked as a farmer and owned his home. Except for Elizabeth, everyone could write but not read. 

When John’s mother submitted a Widow’s Confederate Pension Application in 1901, she stated that she had no family and was supported by the county to help her live.

On May 2, 1910, John, Sallie, and sons John and Clifford (enumerated as Albert) lived on a rented farm in the First District of Milton County. In this record, both John and Sallie were enumerated as being married once (M1), which we know is incorrect for John. Sallie again was enumerated as having had five children, four of which were living. They had been married for 29 years. John worked as a general farmer, while the others in the home worked as a farm laborer on a home farm. This time, the census enumerator noted that no one in the home could write and only Clifford was able to read. 

On January 2, 1920, John, Sallie, son Clifford, daughter Elizabeth (Ingram), and granddaughter Dora Ingram (enumerated as Danah Ingram) lived together on B Street in Anderson. John and Clifford worked as laborers in a cotton mill. No one in the home was able to read or write. Elizabeth was enumerated as Lizzie and a widow; her daughter only nine months old. Elizabeth’s husband died in 1979 so was still living in 1920. It is unknown why Elizabeth was enumerated as widowed in this case. I have been unable to find John Ingram in the 1920 census. John, Sallie, and Clifford were still living together in 1925 but had moved to 124 Quinn Street in Anderson. Clifford, recorded as Clifton in the 1925 Anderson city directory had married and his wife Lena lived in the home. Both John and Clifford worked at Brogon Mills, a textile mill in Anderson. Elizabeth and her husband John had moved to a home on Second Avenue in Anderson.

John’s first wife Amanda died on November 5, 1920 at the Royston, Franklin County, Georgia home of their son John W. Dove and his wife Peg. She was buried in an unmarked grave at Redwine United Methodist Church Cemetery. His sister Carrie (Dove) Starrett died in Cass County, Texas sometime in 1921. She was buried at Turkey Creek Cemetery in Hughes Springs in Cass County. John’s brother William died from endocarditis in Anderson on February 19, 1923. He was buried at Redwine United Methodist Church Cemetery in Hart County, Georgia. 

John died at home in Anderson on October 10, 1926 from cardio-renal disease. His physician had attended him from September 17 – October 9, 1926 with the last date seen being October 9. He was 79 years old at the time and still farming. His death certificate shows that he was married. John was buried on October 11 at the City Cemetery in Anderson, also known as Silver Brook Cemetery, following a service at the McDougald-Bleckley Funeral Home chapel. The informant was J. B. Ingram of Anderson. 

The obituary published by The Greenville News in Greenville, South Carolina stated that he was a “well known resident of this city.” John was survived by his wife, a daughter, and four sons. His wife Sallie, who passed away in 1956, lived to the age of 96. She was survived by three of their children, 28 grandchildren, 76 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. 

Sallie’s obituary states that John was a veteran of the Confederate War but I find no record to prove that, nor does his tombstone reflect that.

References

• Albert Clifford Dove, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007.
• Amanda E. Dove, Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, Hart County, 1881-1887.
• Anderson, South Carolina, City Directory, 1925.
• Cynthia Dove, Georgia, U.S., Confederate Pension Applications, 1879-1960.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52975242/cynthia-dove: accessed 9 July 2023), memorial page for Cynthia Saylors Dove (1827–unknown), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52975242, citing Redwine United Methodist Church Cemetery, Hart County, Georgia, USA; maintained by J_Dove222 (contributor 47120137).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47107114/william-pinkney-dove: accessed 9 July 2023), memorial page for William Pinkney Dove (Mar 1848–19 Feb 1923), Find a Grave Memorial ID 47107114, citing Redwine United Methodist Church Cemetery, Hart County, Georgia, USA; maintained by J_Dove222 (contributor 47120137).
• From WFT Dove Family according to J. B. Dove as told to Donald Dove, 1992.
• Henderson Dove obituary, The Anderson Intelligencer, Anderson Court House, South Carolina, February 15, 1899.
• J. E. Dove, U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1870.
• J. H. Dove, Fulton and Campbell Counties, Georgia, Cemetery Records, 1857-1933.
• John Dove (1926), South Carolina Death Records, 1821-1955.
• John Dove, Anderson, Is Laid to Rest, The Greenville News, Greenville, South Carolina, October 12, 1926.
• John E. Dove, Georgia, U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892.
• John Ingram obituary, Anderson Independent, Anderson, South Carolina, July 8, 1979.
• Joseph Fields, Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828-1978.
• Joseph H. Dove obituary, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, January 14, 1931.
• Mrs. Dove, Anderson, 96, Dies, The Greenville News, Greenville, South Carolina, January 9, 1956.
• Mrs. J. B. Ingram, The Greenville News, Greenville, South Carolina, July 15, 1974.
• Robert H. Dove, U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865.
• U.S. Federal Census, Anderson Ward 6, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Broadway Township, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Eastern Subdivision, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, Martin Township, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 842, Milton County, Georgia, 1900, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, Regiment 4, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1860.
• W. P. Dove, Certificate of Death 1899, State of Carolina, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1923.
• Walter David Dove obituary, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, April 30, 1966.