Alford (Alfred) Southard
Born: 1821; Orange County, North Carolina
Died: 1867; Jasper County, Missouri
Father: Gilliam Tolliver Southard
Mother: Rebecca unknown
Alford was born in Orange County, North Carolina in the year of 1819. When he was approximately five years of age, his family relocated to McMinn County, Tennessee where he would spend the remainder of his youth.
When he was of nineteen years, he married Mary Sparks in White County, Tennessee. Alford met Mary when Alford would travel to White County to visit his Uncle, Maclin. By way of coincidence, one of Maclin's children also met her husband by traveling to McMinn County to visit her uncle, Gilliam.
About 1840, Alford and Mary moved their family from Tennessee to Maries County, Missouri with Alford's father, Gilliam and Alford's siblings. After several years, Alford and Mary moved on to Laclede County to raise their family. They would settle on a farm two miles outside of Russ, Missouri. Unfortunately, this was during the turbulent times prior to the Civil War as Alford and Mary would experience tremendous hardships during these years at the hands of the Bushwhackers and Jayhawkers.
One day, while Alford and his older sons were away, a band of either Bushwhackers or Jayhawkers looted the family home, took what they could find, and then burned the house to the ground as Mary and the children stood and watched. Had Alford and the boys been home, there probably would have been several deaths as any male old enough to carry a gun would have been a target. Upon their arrival, Alford and the boys managed to move the family to safety, taking shelter with relatives. According to "the History of Laclede County", Alford's youngest child, Samantha Southard, states, "[I] remember the terrible journey by wagon to Maries County through territory controlled by Union troops and bushwackers. Alford's life was forfeit should he be caught."
Unfortunately, things only became worse, especially for Alford's oldest son Thomas.
Spouse 1: Mary Sparks
Married: 10/12/1838; White County, Tennessee
Born: Virginia
Died: Jasper County, Missouri
Children:
Gillum Southard
Alfred Southard
James Southard
George Southard
Mary Southard
Rhoda Southard
Samantha Southard