Gibson County, located in West Tennessee, was one of the most populous slaveowning counties in the state before the Civil War. Because its white citizens did not adjust very well to the disappearance of slavery, the county became a postwar battleground between the newly freed slaves and returning Confederates who rapidly became members of the newly formed Klu Klux Klan. The county became such a hotbed of insurrection by 1868 that Governor Brownlow called in martial law to restrain the rioting, beating, lynching and raping of Blacks who found no protection or justice from local law enforcement. It is within this hostile environment that the West Tennessee subdistrict office of the Freedmen Bureau at Trenton was created. According to records found at the National Archives, the Trenton office was one of only three in Tennessee where "Colored Marriages" were being performed (#1). A possible explanation for this anomaly is provided by Elaine C. Everly in her article entitled Marriage Registers of Freedmen (#2), whereby she opines that only in places where Blacks encountered difficulty when attempting to be married by local officials that the Bureau felt obligated to provide this necessary legal and social service. This explanation sits well given the turmoil within Gibson County from 1865 to 1870.
     Beyond mere indexing of names on a Register, these couples were studied to further corroborate and enlarge upon facts found on the Register by comparing that information with the 1870 U.S. Federal Census for Gibson County, Tennessee and its bordering counties of Obion, Weakley, Carroll, Dyer and Crockett. Routinely supplied among the 103 couples named on the Register were their ages, complexion, maiden names(#3) and about one-third noted the number of children they had had while in slavery, either between themselves or in a previous relationship. Research of Tennessee migration patterns reveal that African American families left Gibson County in mass after 1881 for such places as Memphis and Union City, Tennessee, Chicago, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, Gary, Indiana and Kansas City, Kansas. Because of such widespread dispersal from Gibson County, genealogical researchers in the above-stated areas are encouraged, along with Tennessee researchers, to review this Index.

The following are abbreviations of complexion color descriptions as used in the original document: Black = B, Brown = BR, Copper= C, Dark =D, Mulatto = M, Not Indicated=NI, Yellow= Y

Date         Male                   Age/Color        Female          Age/Color  # of Children

"A"

01/17/1866   Abbott, A.(#4)           40/B           A. Abbott           32/B      5(#5)

01/28/1866   Adams, Aaron             37/B           Celia Wade          19/B

12/03/1865   Anderson, Moses          40/Y           Narcissa Sullivan   25/B

12/16/1865   Anderson, W.K.           40/B           Anny King           20/B      

"B"

12/25/1865   Baker, James             35/B           Elvira Garwood      30/B      5

1/12/1866    Ball, David              31/C           Amy Bobett          25/B 

12/06/1865   Biggs, Nathan(#6)        unknown        Mahaly Roberts      unknown

03/15/1866   Blackwood, James         48/B           M.A. McKann         18/B

12/16/1866   Bowman, Ketter           40/B           Amanda Dotson       25/B

12/03/1865   Branch, Thomas           25/B           Jane Sharp          20/B

12/23/1865   Brasfield, Donie         unknown        Launa Buck          unknown

01/18/1866   Bryant, John(#7)         25/B           Mary Jackson        20/B      

01/00/1866   Bryant, Thomas           48/B           Ellen Jones         40/B      3

"C"

12/03/1865   Campbell, Osa(#8)        35/B           Elizabeth Campbell  25/NI

01/03/1866   Casey, Jo                32/B           D.J. Casey          38/Y      7

01/27/1866   Crafton, J.(#9)          unknown        M.J. Harper         unknown

"D"

02/17/1866   Davis, Andy(#10)         46/B           Susan Davis         40/D

01/01/1866   Davis, Moses             35/B           Manda Turner        22/B

12/16/1866   Dennis, Charthern(#11)   20/B           Nancy Dance         16/B

12/16/1866   Dennis, Isaac            25/B           Sally Neil          20/B      1

12/30/1865   Denton, Frank            37/B           Martha Denton       30/M 

12/16/1866   Donaldson, Thomas(#12)   50/B           Mary Dickins        45/B      10

"E"

12/11/1866   Easley, John             27/NI          Ellen Fitzgerald    14/B

02/07/1866   Edmunds, Neil            32/Y           Nancy Edmunds       29/B

12/16/1866   Elder, Wesley            25/B           Bette Moore         20/B      2

12/01/1865   Elum, Peter              30/B           Luana Elum          25/B      4    

"F"

03/19/1866   Farmer, General          20/B           Emily Elder         20/B

04/00/1866   Fitzgerald, Peter(#13)   27/B           Easter Barclay      27/B 

01/15/1866   Flowers, Elijah(#14)     22/D           Lucretta Ball       20/D

01/29/1866   Fly, James(#15)          35/B           Bessie Roberson     23/B      1

12/16/1866   Fredman, George          35/B           Philis Nelson       25/B      3

12/29/1865   Freeman, Daniel(#16)     70/B           Abby Hess           38/B      2

"G"

12/00/1865   Gibson, L.W.             55/B           Mary Williams       45/B

01/14/1866   Golden, B.               40/B           Franky Baker        50/B

01/20/1866   Greer, K.A.              50/B           Sarah Wyatt         20/Y

"H"

12/30/1865   Hale, Brady(#17)         38/B           C.A. Hale           26/B

02/06/1866   Hamilton, Jefferson(#18) 40/Y/Y/NI(#19) Sarah Hamilton      40/Y/NI/NI

01/27/1866   Henry, Orree             23/B           M.E. Kenon          22/Y     10

01/25/1866   Hubbard, C.              60/B           M.E. Hockedy        55/B

04/00/1866   Hubbard, Howard          28/Y           Emily Jones         25/B

01/14/1866   Huston, Alfred           30/B           Eliza Huston        25/B      5

12/09/1866   Hutchins, Ananaias(#20)  21/B           Frances Jackson     22/Y 

"J"

12/03/1865   James, Dennis(#21)       30/B           Elizabeth Graves    25/B

12/16/1866   January, Martin(#22)     30/B           Rilla Elum          18/B

12/16/1866   Jethors, Stephen         45/B           Louisa Nettles      35/B

03/03/1866   Johnson, Bill            37/B           Mary Johnson        26/B

12/11/1866   Jones, Henderson         45/B           Racil Jones         No age/B

12/25/1865   Jordan, C.               60/B           M. Hopson           55/B

"K"

01/03/1866   Kenerley, A.             30/B           Priss Coleman       20/B      1

12/25/1865   King, Warner(#23)        55/B           Amy King            55/B      3

"L" 

03/17/1866   Lock, Johnson            40/Y           Clara Dozier        40/NI/NI/NI

12/06/1865   Long, Ned(#24)           40/B           M.H. White          27/Y      6

"M"

12/16/1866   Mann, Stephen J.         45/B           Louisa Nettle       NI

03/03/1866   Mason, Hebs              27/B           Linda Mann          25/B

12/16/1866   Mays, Arch               35/B           Seney Donaldson     25/B      6

12/11/1866   Mays, Majer              33/B           Harriet Merrett     25/B      2

12/16/1866   McGee, Lewis(#25)        30/B           Cate Neil           25/B

12/20/1865   Micham, John(#26)        35/B           S. Williamson       32/B      4

12/16/1866   Moore, Aaron             45/B           Nelly Neil          30/B      4

12/16/1866   Moore, Andy              21/C           Matilda McGee       14/C

12/16/1866   Moore, Thomas            35/B           Louisa Henderson    25/B

"N"

12/16/1866   Nichelson, Robert        40/B           Mary Dance          30/B      4

"O"

03/04/1866   Odem, Nelson(#27)        35/Y           M.L. Jorden         25/B

12/16/1866   Organ, John(#28)         45/C           Eliza Watt          50/D      8

01/06/1866   Orville, Joseph          unknown        Sucky Crenshaw unknown

"P"

12/16/1866   Parker, Samuel(#29)      45/B           Ellen Moore         35/B      5

02/00/1866   Partee, Chafus           38/Y           Juliann Partee      36/Y      7

03/01/1866   Partee, Jeff             24/B/NI/NI     Pink Partee         23/NI/NI/NI

12/28/1865   Partee, Willis           57/Y           Maria Draper(#30)   25/Y      2

01/13/1866   Payne, G.W.              29/B           M.J. Payne          30/B

12/23/1865   Pearson, Henry           unknown        Lou Brasfield       unknown

12/16/1866   Powell, Israil           20/C           Sarah Chafus        17/C      1

01/14/1866   Pratt, J.W.              21/Y           Harriett Martin     20/B      3

12/16/1866   Price, Henry(#31)        39/B           Phillas Moore       29/C      4    

"Q"

01/28/1866   Quillons, Henry          26/B           Hester Lett         22/B      2

"R"

04/00/1866   Ragan, Thomas(#32)       27/B           Emily Freeman       27/B

01/28/1866   Randle, Hutney           45/Y           Jane Randle         44/Y

01/29/1866   Randle, John             42/B           Lena Shelton        48/C      9

03/03/1866   Ranes, Geree             30/B           Sarah Mann          33/B

01/13/1865   Raney, Fred (Frank)      22/Y           E. Willington       20/Y 

12/26/1865   Raney, Samuel            28/B           Abby Roberson       33/B      3

12/06/1865   Right, James             33/B           J. Hambleton        24/Y      8

12/25/1865   Roberson, Peter          26/B           Jane Bolding        19/B

01/03/1866   Ross, D.                 34/B           Luisa Casey         19/Y

"S"

12/27/1865   Scot,  William L.        21/B           H.E. Garwood        18/B 

12/31/1865   Sellers, R.(#33)         40/B           L. Sellers          40/B      8

12/30/1865   Sharp, B.F.(#34)         unknown        M. Sharp            unknown

12/15/1865   Sharp, Robert(#35)       25/B           Eliza Sharp         20/B

12/16/1865   Sharp, Samuel(#36)       40/B           Phebe Bledsoe       30/B

02/17/1866   Skinner, Henry(#37)      41/B           Martha Lassiter     25/D

02/17/1866   Skinner, Johnson(#38)    45/B           Susan Skinner       27/B

01/14/1866   Smith, Nelson            22/Y           Margarett Galkins   22/B       

"T"

12/16/1866   Tidwell, Whitman         40/B           Adaline Tidwell     35/B      5

10/21/1865   Turner, Samuel(#39)      38/B/B/B       Sarah Brooks        28/Y/BR/Y           

"W"

02/17/1866   Wade, Wesley(#40)        35/B           Augusta Hale        23/B

01/01/1866   Wallick, J.              35/B           P. Gibbons          30/B

03/17/1866   White, Washington(#41)   45/B           Venus White         45/NI/NI/NI

12/16/1866   Wilson, Beny(#42)        28/B           Diecie Moore        35/B

12/11/1866   Wortham, John            27/C           Jane Terry          NI        6

12/27/1865   Wyatt, A.                45/B           Sally Crawford      27/Y      2

12/16/1865   Wyatt, G.W.(#43)         38/B           M.A.E. Hopper       36/B      6

01/29/1866   Wyatt, William           24/B           Margaret Carter     22/B      

"Y"

02/10/1866   Yancy, John              18/B           Jane Turner         NI

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