Rosanna Jane "Rose" Brewer, daughter of Joseph Brewer (1811-1874) and Elizabeth, was born 3 May 1840 (headstone photo ➚) in Talladega County, Alabama (censuses say Alabama).
Her paternal grandparents were Isaac Brewer (1763-1852) (Isaac's pension file - affidavit and letter from Joseph) and his second wife, Sarah (1773-after1854) (Isaac's pension file - letter from Sarah stating she married Isaac before 1800).
Rosanna was raised on a farm with her 9 siblings: James Jasper Brewer, Susan Brewer, Sylvanus Brewer, Sarah “Sallie” Brewer, V. Euphemia Brewer, Elizabeth Brewer, Columbus Brewer, and Durcilla Artamissa Brewer (living together on 1850 census, Joseph was a farmer).
Very little is known about Rosanna’s mother, not even her maiden name, but we do know that she was born in Virginia in about 1809 (1850 census). Rosanna's father was born in Georgia in about 1811 (1850 census) and had lived in Tennessee (Isaac's pension file - states about when family moved from Georgia to Tennessee) before migrating to Talladega County, Alabama in about 1833 (1850 census - all children born in Alabama, the first in about 1833).
Her paternal grandparents were Isaac Brewer (1763-1852) (Isaac's pension file - affidavit and letter from Joseph) and his second wife, Sarah (1773-after1854) (Isaac's pension file - letter from Sarah stating she married Isaac before 1800).
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| 1850 Census Talladega District Talladega County, AL Ancestry.com ➚ |
Very little is known about Rosanna’s mother, not even her maiden name, but we do know that she was born in Virginia in about 1809 (1850 census). Rosanna's father was born in Georgia in about 1811 (1850 census) and had lived in Tennessee (Isaac's pension file - states about when family moved from Georgia to Tennessee) before migrating to Talladega County, Alabama in about 1833 (1850 census - all children born in Alabama, the first in about 1833).
By the time Rosanna was 11 years old, her father had acquired title to a 40 acre homestead (BLM Land Records) about 2 miles from the farm of his father, Isaac Brewer (1763-1852) (BLM Land Records). More specifically, Joseph’s land was located in Talladega County at SW 1/4, NE 1/4, Section 30, Twp 17, Range 7 - just south of Munford in Talladega County, near the junction of Cedars Road and Hopeful Road (determined by using township overlay on Google Earth).
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Present day Dry Creek Road runs through his property and then intersects with Easonville Road about a half mile north. A little ways to the east, this road meets Highway 53, on which you would head north to get to Cropwell. Google Earth shows about a dozen residences within the bounds of those 40 acres, so it has been subdivided into smaller acreages. 1 It appears that Joseph’s eldest son remained on the old place in Talladega County for a while, as he still lived in that area the following census year. 2 It is still a single residence farm, 3/4 of which is fields, with the house and barn site sitting in the southwest corner.
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| 1860 Census Twp 16, 17, 18 St. Clair County, AL Post Office - Coosa Valley Ancestry.com ➚ |
It is also interesting to note that the 1860 census image shows that Rosanna had attended school sometime that year. I find it odd that, at age 20 or 21, she would have done that. However, perhaps she took the opportunity when it presented itself and in Talladega County she’d not been able to attend. I do know, at least, that she did not attend in 1850. Perhaps she had later in the decade.
The 1860s was a rather tumultuous time in both the northern and the southern states. The Civil War broke out in 1861, soon after Rosanna’s 21st birthday, so she undoubtedly carried a detailed memory of the events for the rest of her life.
Her oldest brother, James Jasper Brewer, enlisted 5 Feb 1862 in Cusseta, Alabama, about 90 miles from Cropwell. Her younger brother, Columbus Brewer, joined up 15 May 1862 at the age of 17 (described as 5'10" farmer with a fair complexion, blue eyes and light hair). Rosanna definitely knew what it was like to have loved ones leave the security of home, not knowing if they were ever coming back.
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| Enlistments dates (Confederate) James Jasper & Columbus Brewer Pinckney Lowe Source - Fold3 |
It appears that the Brewer families of Alabama were all Confederates, as was Rosanna’s future husband, Pinckney C Lowe. Military records show that Pinckney had a light complexion, dark brown hair, and blue or hazel eyes. His family lived close neighbors to Rosanna’s, so it is likely that they’d been acquainted for quite some time before the war broke out. He enlisted in Company I (the St. Clair Sharpshooters) which soon aligned with the 58th Alabama Infantry.
Pinckney enlisted at Oxford, Alabama 17 Mar 1862 at the age of 27. He had a rather rough time of it during the war. His Regiment was in a number of bloody battles, including the Battle of Chickamanga 19-20 Sept 1863. The battle came to be known as the most significant Union defeat in the western region, but this engagement also resulted in the 2nd highest number of casualties in the war, second only to the Battle of Gettysburg.
Many of his men were also present at Missionary Ridge, when the regiment lost 250 more to death and capture. It appears that he deserted from the Confederate Army later in 1863. It is hard to keep track of the dates, and some are missing in the military documents, but it might have been during this time that he married Rosanna, since that event took place 15 Nov 1863 in St. Clair County, Alabama (Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950). Perhaps they were engaged before the war began and, after witnessing the bloodshed of war, he wished to find some peace.
Pinckney enlisted at Oxford, Alabama 17 Mar 1862 at the age of 27. He had a rather rough time of it during the war. His Regiment was in a number of bloody battles, including the Battle of Chickamanga 19-20 Sept 1863. The battle came to be known as the most significant Union defeat in the western region, but this engagement also resulted in the 2nd highest number of casualties in the war, second only to the Battle of Gettysburg.
Many of his men were also present at Missionary Ridge, when the regiment lost 250 more to death and capture. It appears that he deserted from the Confederate Army later in 1863. It is hard to keep track of the dates, and some are missing in the military documents, but it might have been during this time that he married Rosanna, since that event took place 15 Nov 1863 in St. Clair County, Alabama (Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950). Perhaps they were engaged before the war began and, after witnessing the bloodshed of war, he wished to find some peace.
I cannot help but wonder how Rosanna and her family felt during all of this. If he did indeed marry her after he’d run off, there must have been rather colorful conversations about his experiences and opinions upon his return, and also for years to come. Union soldiers raided the area several times in 1864 and 1865. During one raid in 1865, some of the troops crossed the Coosa River at Truss’s Ferry (Cropwell), within a few miles of the Brewer farm. They looted considerably in the town of Talladega, about 15 miles southeast of Cropwell.
News of their approach preceded them, and people worked quickly to hide their valuables. In one instance, someone even removed a grave marker and placed items beneath it. Many homes were entered and searched, and remaining valuables taken. Two wagons were also quickly driven to the courthouse in Talladega and men gathered priceless historical records and took them away in a wagon to preserve them in case the building was ransacked.
Troops pillaged the local farms, carrying off or destroying thousands of pounds of food stuffs and livestock to feed their armies. Many head of horses and mules were also taken. 4 One can only wonder what atrocities that Rosanna and her family saw and endured. With Pinckney there, likely hiding out, their fears of him being discovered by the enemy would have escalated their worries even further. Their own lives might also have been in danger should it be discovered that they were harboring him.
News of their approach preceded them, and people worked quickly to hide their valuables. In one instance, someone even removed a grave marker and placed items beneath it. Many homes were entered and searched, and remaining valuables taken. Two wagons were also quickly driven to the courthouse in Talladega and men gathered priceless historical records and took them away in a wagon to preserve them in case the building was ransacked.
Troops pillaged the local farms, carrying off or destroying thousands of pounds of food stuffs and livestock to feed their armies. Many head of horses and mules were also taken. 4 One can only wonder what atrocities that Rosanna and her family saw and endured. With Pinckney there, likely hiding out, their fears of him being discovered by the enemy would have escalated their worries even further. Their own lives might also have been in danger should it be discovered that they were harboring him.
He was captured by Union Soldiers there in St. Clair County in 1864. Rosanna must have been beside herself with worry for her new husband. He became a prisoner of war and was received 31 May 1864. I assume this was when he arrived in the Louisville, Kentucky Union prison, after first being taken to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
I shudder to think what conditions were like in those prison camps. Supplies were very likely low, and this is probably why the Department of the Cumberland offered him his freedom, so long as he swore an Oath of Allegiance to the United States which, to him, was the enemy since he was a part of the Confederacy. As traitorous as this must have felt for him, he did so 27 May 1864 in Chattanooga, Tennessee and again 1 June 1864 in Louisville, Kentucky.
I shudder to think what conditions were like in those prison camps. Supplies were very likely low, and this is probably why the Department of the Cumberland offered him his freedom, so long as he swore an Oath of Allegiance to the United States which, to him, was the enemy since he was a part of the Confederacy. As traitorous as this must have felt for him, he did so 27 May 1864 in Chattanooga, Tennessee and again 1 June 1864 in Louisville, Kentucky.
He was then released that same month, after agreeing to remain north of the Ohio River (in Union territory) until the war was over. I don’t know what he did during that time, as the war did not conclude until the following year. It is very unlikely that he made any attempt to return to a Confederate unit, since he had deserted and would have been punished or shot. I can imagine him, instead, hiding out or trying to live among the enemy without drawing attention to himself, hearing their conversations and guarding his own speech. If it was discovered that he retained any Confederate sympathies, the consequences could be dire.
Judging from what years that his and Rosanna’s children were born, it appears that he did not return to Alabama until peace was declared. Their oldest was not born until 1867, unless one or more died in infancy before the 1870 census. It’s really hard to say how those first few years of their marriage played out.
Judging from what years that his and Rosanna’s children were born, it appears that he did not return to Alabama until peace was declared. Their oldest was not born until 1867, unless one or more died in infancy before the 1870 census. It’s really hard to say how those first few years of their marriage played out.
Times were difficult for quite a few years, as the south fell deep into depression during and after the war. Rosanna’s older brother, James Jasper Brewer, as well as her husband, Pinckney Lowe, eventually returned home, and worked to recover from all that they had seen and experienced. Rosanna’s youngest brother, Columbus, never came home, he having died of disease at the tender age of 19 in Mississippi during his service for the Confederacy. It is likely that others of her acquaintance also suffered a similar lot or were killed in battle and it undoubtedly took some time for the family to get their bearings again after so much bloodshed and terror.
During the reconstruction period following the Civil War, Alabama’s economic depression deepened and many Alabamans migrated to other regions. In fact, during the 1860s and 1870s about 10-15% of the state’s white population left, roughly a third of those moving to Texas. In 1875, Rosanna’s brother, James Jasper Brewer, did the same. 3
During the reconstruction period following the Civil War, Alabama’s economic depression deepened and many Alabamans migrated to other regions. In fact, during the 1860s and 1870s about 10-15% of the state’s white population left, roughly a third of those moving to Texas. In 1875, Rosanna’s brother, James Jasper Brewer, did the same. 3
Many of the southerners ended up pledging allegiance to the Union, since the south had lost and their antics were considered to be traitorous. As for those family members that moved west to Texas in coming years, it is likely that she never saw them again. I would, however, hope that letters allowed her to stay in contact with them.
The post-war years were difficult for another reason. For several weeks there was no organized government, which was a rather precarious situation. Then, Alabama refused to agree to the 14th Amendment, their feelings being quite strong about the matter. Thus, Union troops were stationed throughout the state for quite some time to oversee things, in effect putting them under military rule.
Also, the Negro slaves who had been freed were not yet sure what to do with their freedom. There were disputes to be handled between former slave owners and the freedmen. So much needed to be done before life could resume in a way that would be in everyone’s best interests. Alabama was finally admitted back into the Union in 1868, but the troops remained for nearly 10 more years.
Also, the Negro slaves who had been freed were not yet sure what to do with their freedom. There were disputes to be handled between former slave owners and the freedmen. So much needed to be done before life could resume in a way that would be in everyone’s best interests. Alabama was finally admitted back into the Union in 1868, but the troops remained for nearly 10 more years.
Financially, things were very difficult. Horses and mules were scarce since so many had been stolen or confiscated during the war. Under the temporary military occupation following the war, it was illegal for them to purchase more from the troops. This greatly inhibited farm work and transportation. The larger plantations never did recover their former prosperity.
Their slaves had faithfully maintained the land and buildings while the planters were away from home fighting for the Confederacy. Even when Union troops raided the area and the slaves had a chance at escape from bondage, most remained at their post and held to their commitments. But after they were freed, of course, many refused to work for free any longer.
After a while, some did agree to return to their former residences and work for wages. However, the tables had turned. The land owners required a large labor force to maintain their farms, but they could not afford to pay a sufficient number of men. Many simply sold out and left. The smaller operations suffered as well. Many migrated west or elsewhere, and others worked gradually to rebuild their livelihood.
Their slaves had faithfully maintained the land and buildings while the planters were away from home fighting for the Confederacy. Even when Union troops raided the area and the slaves had a chance at escape from bondage, most remained at their post and held to their commitments. But after they were freed, of course, many refused to work for free any longer.
After a while, some did agree to return to their former residences and work for wages. However, the tables had turned. The land owners required a large labor force to maintain their farms, but they could not afford to pay a sufficient number of men. Many simply sold out and left. The smaller operations suffered as well. Many migrated west or elsewhere, and others worked gradually to rebuild their livelihood.
At any rate, Rosanna and her husband did eventually have some semblance of normalcy in the years to come. They were blessed with at least four children, that I’m sure brought them great joy.
The first, Lovinia “Vinnie” Lowe, was born 27 Feb 1867 in Alabama, likely St. Clair County. She married James Henry Castleberry there 12 Oct 1882. They were close neighbors in 1880, so that is likely how they met. It appears that all of their six children remained in that area. James died in Cropwell, St. Clair County, Alabama 18 Sept 1931 and she died 13 Nov 1949 in nearby Pell City of the same county.
Drusillar Artimiss Lowe, arrived 31 Mar 1871 and married William Edward Levell 3 July 1887. They had 12 children, 10 of whom were born in Alabama before the family moved to Texas. Drussilar died 4 Feb 1961 in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Sallie J (probably Jane) Lowe, was born in December of 1872. She married William Henry Masters 30 Oct 1888. His father was a Confederate soldier and was wounded above his right eye. As part of the remedy a silver dollar was implanted into his forehead, which he sometimes allowed children to feel. Sallie’s children were probably among them. Sallie and William had 12 children and both died in Alabama, Sallie 12 July 1958 in Easonville, St. Clair County.
Mary Elizabeth “Bettie” Lowe, was born 13 May 1875, also in St. Clair County. She married Robert Walter Spruell 1 Apr 1893. His family had come to Alabama from Georgia right around the time of his birth. They had six children before he died in 1899. She then married Christopher “Chris” Parson Norris the following year and they had seven more children before she died at Vernon, Wilbarger, Texas 17 Apr 1956. It is interesting to note that her death certificate states that she suffered from manic depression for the last 25 years of her life.
Anyway, in total, Rosanna had 42 grandchildren, though one or two were born after she passed away, and she likely never saw the ones who were born in Texas. So I would guess that she actually had the pleasure of meeting about 23 of them.
In 1875, Rosanna’s husband was in Mississippi, evidently working in the logging industry. My guess would be that he did as many others at that time, in going where he had to in order to find work, with the economy still recovering after the war. I don’t know for certain whether Rosanna and their young children came with him or not. Sometimes the men of that era went off on their own to find work, and sent money home when they could.
As the sad story goes, on the 4th of March, Pinckney was at a log rolling get together. One can imagine what types of mischief the workers would rouse in order to make the menial tasks more tolerable. It seems that Pinckney was in a lighthearted mood that day, for he took to telling a joke to the other men. The downside to his fun, however, was that the man at whose expense his humor was found, did not find it to be funny at all. In fact, the man was downright livid.
Pinckney did not think much of it, but went on about his business. The following morning, the man confronted him and shot him to death. He passed away 5 Mar 1875 (recorded in his brother's Bible). Knowing that he was amidst a rather precarious situation, the murderer then attempted to swim across the Tombigbee River to escape punishment. However, a posse was quickly formed, which pursued him and killed him before he reached the other side.
Pinckney did not think much of it, but went on about his business. The following morning, the man confronted him and shot him to death. He passed away 5 Mar 1875 (recorded in his brother's Bible). Knowing that he was amidst a rather precarious situation, the murderer then attempted to swim across the Tombigbee River to escape punishment. However, a posse was quickly formed, which pursued him and killed him before he reached the other side.
As I said, I don’t know whether Rosanna and her three oldest children were in Mississippi with him or not. I’ve not heard any indication that she was present when he was killed, but she could have been at their residence somewhere nearby. If she was still in St. Clair County, Alabama it would have taken some time for word to get to her of her husband’s demise. What a shock it must have been to learn of such a sudden tragedy. She was pregnant with their 4th child at the time, and delivered about two months later in Alabama.
She never remarried, but lived out the remainder of her life, some 40 years, among her relations in that area. In 1880, she and her young children ages 6-13 were living near Dunlap, St. Clair County, Alabama. The census record indicates that she was not able, at that time, to put her children through school. I don’t know if this was for financial reasons or something else. Perhaps she could not spare them being gone that many hours each day. She was listed as a farmer by occupation, so they must have been trying hard to maintain the farm by themselves. It is also possible that there was no school in close proximity, as no one else on that census page had attended school that year either.
Though Rosanna could read and write, her two oldest could only read, and her two youngest could do neither. Living two farms down from her was also the Castleberry family, into which her daughter Lovinia would soon marry. Living next door to Rosanna and her children, was a man by the name of Thomas Newton Norris, who was her late husband’s step brother. He was also Rosanna’s daughter’s 2nd husband’s 1st cousin. Another way that Rosanna and Thomas were related is that his wife was Rosanna’s daughter Sallie’s husband’s aunt on his father’s side. Needless to say, he and his wife would have been a great help and support to her as she tried to make due after her husband was killed.
Though Rosanna could read and write, her two oldest could only read, and her two youngest could do neither. Living two farms down from her was also the Castleberry family, into which her daughter Lovinia would soon marry. Living next door to Rosanna and her children, was a man by the name of Thomas Newton Norris, who was her late husband’s step brother. He was also Rosanna’s daughter’s 2nd husband’s 1st cousin. Another way that Rosanna and Thomas were related is that his wife was Rosanna’s daughter Sallie’s husband’s aunt on his father’s side. Needless to say, he and his wife would have been a great help and support to her as she tried to make due after her husband was killed.
There is an interesting story about this Norris side of the family, which I think is worth sharing. Rosanna’s husband, Pinckney, had lost his father, John Obediah Lowe, he having been killed while in his mid twenties in Laurens County, South Carolina over a land dispute. Pinckney was only about 3 years old at the time. His mother married Aziel Norris about four years later, still in South Carolina.
They moved to Talladega County, Alabama between 1845 and 1848, and then to St. Clair County between 1850 and 1852. After having borne a number of Aziel’s children, Mahala learned that he’d been keeping another wife across the river from where they lived! So she turned him in to the authorities. This was during the Civil War and, as a punishment for his transgressions, he was forced to enlist. He served for the Confederacy and died of illness or injury in Richmond, Virginia.
They moved to Talladega County, Alabama between 1845 and 1848, and then to St. Clair County between 1850 and 1852. After having borne a number of Aziel’s children, Mahala learned that he’d been keeping another wife across the river from where they lived! So she turned him in to the authorities. This was during the Civil War and, as a punishment for his transgressions, he was forced to enlist. He served for the Confederacy and died of illness or injury in Richmond, Virginia.
By Mary Andersen (2014)
Sources~
BLM Land Records
1860 US Federal Census
Historic Tales of Talladega, by E Grace Jemison, 1959 – pages 141-147
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