| Name |
Samuel Scott Riffle |
| Birth |
18 Mar 1855 |
Guntown, Itawamba, Mississippi, United States  [1, 2, 3] |
- Calculating birth date from death certificate:Info provided by his son-in-law Homer Price, age at death 81 years, 7 months, 12 days. This would give birth date 20-Jun-1859. Birth date printed on death certificate is 18 Jun 1869, that's very wrong.
|
| Gender |
Male |
| Anecdote |
Jun 1864 |
Mississippi, United States |
| The Civil War came to his doorstep. |
- Samuel Scott rode a horse to tell the neighbors that Sherman was coming (probably in Mississippi). Katie remembers her Daddy telling that he had a favorite horse and when he heard Sherman was coming he took the bridle off her and gave her a swat on the rump with the bridle. He said if Sherman was going to take her, he didn't intend to see it.
[memo written by Deborah Price, as part of her research in the 1970s]
During the war, there was a battle near Guntown, related to Sherman's Meridian campaign. It seems likely that this anecdote related to preparations for the Battle of Brice's Crossroads.
The Battle of Brice's Crossroads, also known as the Battle of Tishomingo Creek and the Battle of Guntown, was fought on Friday, June 10, 1864, near Baldwyn, Mississippi, then part of the Confederate States of America. A Federal expedition from Memphis, Tennessee, of 4,800 infantry and 3,300 cavalry, under the command of Brigadier-General Samuel D. Sturgis, was defeated by a Confederate force of 3,500 cavalry under the command of Major-General Nathan Bedford Forrest.[2] The battle was a victory for the Confederates.
|
| Anecdote |
1869 |
| On his own by the age of 14 |
- Eunice remembered that Samuel Scott's mother Amanda's second husband, Mr. Murphy, died and she sent S.S. by horseback with a sack of grain across the river to be ground. (probably the Miss. River) When he was ready to return the river was up so he couldn't cross. When he finally did get home, his mother was dead and already buried. One of Amanda's sisters took Josephine and raised her. S.S. was on his own from then on. He was about 14 yrs. old.
[memo written by Deborah Price, as part of her research in the 1970s]
Piecing things together...
Josephine Murphy (SS's half sister) was born in Winn Parish Louisiana, near the Red River. His mother Amanda got pregnant with a second child by Mr. Murphy. Mr. Murphy died before the baby was born, so it was probably a newly widowed, pregnant Amanda, with toddler Josephine, sending SS out to provide for the family. Clearly he was gone for quite some time, during which his mother died and Josephine was taken to live with an aunt.
|
| Occupation |
1880 |
Shelby, Tennessee, United States [4, 5] |
| farmer |
- Per the 1880 Census : S.S. Riffle (age 24) lived in Shelby Co., TN on a farm. This farm was co-owned by Mr. Riffle, C.S. Gandy (age 21) and W.M. Gandy (age 24). All three men were originally from Mississippi. - How did they know one another?
|
| Census |
1 Jun 1880 |
Shelby, Tennessee, United States [5] |
- Partner in a farm with C.S. and W.M. Gandy.
Witness Role: head of household: Name: C. S. Gandy
Witness Role: 21 year old single male, farmer
Witness Role: brother: Name: W. M. Gandy
Witness Role: 24 year old single male
Witness Role: partner: [I216] Samuel Scott RIFFLE
|
| Occupation |
1887 |
Earl Fort's Cotton Plantation, Ellis, Texas, United States [6] |
| overseer |
- S. S. was an over-seer of a cotton plantation in Ellis County Texas, owned by Earl Fort. Moved there probably because the Faucetts were already there - going from Tennessee.
[memo written by Deborah Price, as part of her research in the 1970s]
|
| Anecdote |
22 Jun 1897 [7] |
| Civil War Veterans Reunion in Nashville TN |
- Mr. Riffle found his half-sister (Josephine Murphy) through a Confederate soldier's reunion in Nashville. He went with Andy Newt Faucett, his father-in-law.
Josephine's husband Bat Roach was asking around for S.S. Riffle's whereabouts and happened to ask Andy Newt Faucett!
Josephine was not there as she was pregnant with Clarine, Mary Embry was pregnant with Katie. Once Josephine was recovered from having Clarine, the Roach family headed for Forreston,TX to see them. Josephine, Bat, and their children Clarine, Chick, and Josie had quite a time as they had really never been in the country.
[above note written by Mack Price]
Samuel Scott located his half-sister through a Confederate soldier's reunion in Nashville Tenn. S. S. 1st wife, Sarah Josephine Faucett's father, Andy Newt, was a Confederate veteran and attended this reunion in the 1880s. Bartholmew Roach, by this time married to Josephine Murphy, attended hoping to find someone who knew Samuel Scott Riffle's whereabouts and ran into A.N. Faucett, SS's father in law! They were in touch from then on. The Roach's lived in Meridian, Mississippi during the time they had the 12 children. They homesteaded in the Oklahoma strip prior to S.S. bringing his family in Dec 04. The Roach's left and went to Ada, Okla, and went into mercantile business.
[above note written by Debbie Price]
Note: Conflict between dates and facts.
Andy Newt Faucett was SS' first father in law, there was a Confederate Reunion in Nashville in 1897. Clarine Roach and Mary Josephine Riffle were both born in 1897 (I think). So it would have been Sarah Josephine Faucett pregnant with Mary Josephine that SS left at home, not Mary Elizabeth Embry pregnant with Katie.
Witness Role: Witness: [I448] Andrew Newton FAUSETT
Witness Role: Witness: [I215] Bartholomew ROACH
|
| Census |
1 Jun 1900 |
Ellis, Texas, United States [8] |
- SS Riffle moved to Ellis, Texas to become an overseer of a plantation. His wife had died, He brought his 4 eldest children with him, leaving the baby, Mary, in the care of other relatives. He would soon marry Mary Embry, have a daughter, Katie, and bring his young daughter Mary to live with the blended familiy.
Witness Role: head of household: [I216] Samuel Scott RIFFLE
Witness Role: daughter: [I221] Annie Beatrice RIFFLE
Witness Role: daughter: [I223] Allie May RIFFLE
Witness Role: son: [I225] Luther Tyrell RIFFLE
Witness Role: daughter: [I227] Eunice Ida RIFFLE
|
| Occupation |
Abt 1903 |
Ivanhoe, Beaver, Oklahoma, United States [9] |
| farmer |
- Left Ellis County to homestead in Oklahoma strip. Bought a relinquishment. Proved it & lived 3 yrs. there - then moved across the line back into Texas.
[memo written by Deborah Price, as part of her research in the 1970s]
|
| Residence |
Abt 1906 |
Follett, Lipscomb, Texas, United States [10] |
- Moved with his family across the TX-OK state line back to Texas (near Follett). In later years he and his wife lived with his youngest daughter, Katie and her husband Homer Price. Legend says that every year on his birthday (reunion-like events) he went out into the field with a pitchfork and returned with a rattlesnake, even when he was an "old" man. Some remember that he once jumped out the hayloft with his grandson Mackey - he would have been quite old at the time, and Mackey doesn't recall it, but...
|
| Census |
15 Apr 1910 |
Lipscomb, Texas, United States [11] |
- Witness Role: head of household: [I216] Samuel Scott RIFFLE
Witness Role: wife: [I232] Mary Elizabeth EMBRY
Witness Role: son: [I225] Luther Tyrell RIFFLE
Witness Role: daughter: [I227] Eunice Ida RIFFLE
Witness Role: daughter: [I230] Mary Josephine RIFFLE
Witness Role: daughter: [I191] Katie Alma RIFFLE
|
| Census |
1 Jan 1920 |
Lipscomb, Texas, United States [12] |
- Witness Role: head of household: [I216] Samuel Scott RIFFLE
Witness Role: wife: [I232] Mary Elizabeth EMBRY
Witness Role: daughter: [I191] Katie Alma RIFFLE
Witness Role:
Witness Role: laborer: [I507] Samuel Robert WILLIAMSON
|
| Census |
1 Apr 1930 |
Lipscomb, Texas, United States [13] |
- Witness Role: head of household: [I216] Samuel Scott RIFFLE
Witness Role: wife: [I232] Mary Elizabeth EMBRY
|
| Census |
1 Apr 1940 |
Lipscomb, Texas, United States [14] |
- Witness Role: head of household: [I216] Samuel Scott RIFFLE
Witness Role: wife: [I232] Mary Elizabeth EMBRY
Witness Role: daughter: [I219] Mattie Iola RIFFLE
Witness Role: sister: [I214] Josephine MURPHY
|
| Death |
1 Feb 1941 |
Follett, Lipscomb, Texas, United States [2, 3, 15] |
| Cause: Arterosclerosis |
| Burial |
Aft 1 Feb 1941 |
Fairmont Cemetery, Follett, Lipscomb, Texas, United States [2] |
 |
gravestones\RIFFLE Samuel Scott d1941
|
| Anecdote |
1976 [16] |
- History of S.S. Riffle written by his daughter Katie Price, published in the book, History of Lipscomb County.
|
 |
texas-lipscomb-history-p526
|
 |
texas-lipscomb-history-p527
|
| Anecdote |
13 Oct 2012 |
| Story transferred from Leslie's old website |
- When God Winks at You: How God Speaks Directly to You Through the Power of Coincidence by Squire Rushnell is a book I haven't read, but would like to. The idea of coincidence being a little wink from God is one of those concepts I find exceedingly comforting. At any rate - there's a great story of coincidence in our very own family.
Samuel Scott Riffle, known to most (even his wife) as Mr. Riffle, had the kind of tough upbringing that was sadly quite common in the South after the Civil War.
To recap:
His father died in the war before he was 7 years old. His mom remarried, had a daughter, we're hoping that life was good for them all at this point, though they were in Mississippi and the war and reconstruction were really tough on folks in this area. His mom got pregnant again, Mr. Riffle was in his early teens at this point.
His stepfather (Mr. Murphy) died in an accident coming home from town, leaving Amanda, his pregnant widow, Josephine, his 5 year old daughter, and SS Riffle, his 13 year old stepson, to fend for themselves.
Mr. Riffle had either already gone off to work somewhere, or he did so after his stepfather died, we don't know. All we do know is that he was, at the young age of 13 or 14 not at home with his mother when she had the baby. The baby, a boy, was either stillborn or died shortly thereafter. Amanda apparently lived for a short time, a week, a few months, we don't know, but then she died as well.
Mr. Riffle couldn't get across the Mississippi river to get home immediately(flooding season apparently), and by the time he did get home, his mom was buried, and his sister Josephine was gone to live with other family. We aren't sure if he even knew where she was. He was completely on his own, it was 1870 and he was only 15.
He survived, thrived actually. Became a successful farmer, a father many times over, and eventually ended up in the great state of Texas.
But there must have been, always at the back of his mind, a desire to find his sister. To know if she had turned out ok, to find his own connections to his past.
Flash forward to 1901.
Mr. Riffle's first wife, Sarah Josephine Faucett, had died leaving him with 6 children. He remarried (Mary Elizabeth Embry) and had one more child (my grandmother, Katie Alma Riffle).
While Miss Mary was pregnant with Katie, Mr. Riffle and his (former) father-in-law Andy Newt Faucett decided to go to a Civil War Veterans reunion, to see if there was any way for Mr. Riffle to find his family.
Another gentleman, Bartholomew Roach, had gone to this reunion on behalf of his wife, Josephine Murphy, to find her brother. Bat Roach asked a nearby gentleman if he knew Samuel Scott Riffle. The gentleman he asked was Andy Newt Faucett. God winked.
After that, the Roach and Riffle families stayed in touch. There was even a time that the Riffles stayed with the Roaches while their house was being built. Must have been a bit crowded - 7 Riffle children, 12 Roach children, 4 adults, and all the assorted farm animals.
Over the years we've lost touch with the Roach side of the family, perhaps we can reunite again someday. The facts remain however -
Terrible tragedy, extreme hardship, loss of family - survival and success in spite of it. As a descendant of this great man, I hope I can live up to his example.
Personally, I find so much inspiration in the story of Samuel Scott Riffle, he's definitely one of the "dead ancestors" I'd love to meet.
Please share your stories!
|
| Family Search ID |
LW8F-TS8 |
| Misc |
- 1. Was overseer of a cotton plantation in Ellis County, Texas owned by Earl Fort. Probably moved there because the Faucetts were already there - Sam came from Tennessee with his wife.
2. Left Ellis County to homestead in OK panhandle (near Ivanhoe OK). Sam bought a 'relinquishment', proved it, and lived there for 3 years. Then moved with his family across the line back to Texas (near Follett).
3. Early days : while living in Mississippi, Sam heard that Sherman was coming. He got on his horse and rode to warn the neighbors. Sam had a favorite horse at the time, he took her bridle off and gave her a swat on the rump - if Sherman was going to take his horse, he didn't want to see it!
4. Sam found his half-sister through a Confederate soldier's reunion in Nashville (about 1880). He went with Andy Newt Faucett, his father-in-law. Josephine's husband was asking around for Sam's whereabouts and happened to ask Andy Newt Faucett!
5. Per 1880 Census : Sam (age 24) lived in Shelby Co., TN on a farm. This farm was co-owned by Sam, C.S. Gandy (age 21) and W.M. Gandy (age 20). All three men were originally from Mississippi. - How did they know one another?
6. In later years, Sam and 2nd wife Mary lived with youngest daughter Katie and her family. Legend has it that every year on his birthday (reunion-like events) he went out into the field with a pitchfork and returned with a rattlesnake, even when he was an 'old' man.
7. Some remember that he once jumped out the hayloft with his grandson Mackey - he would have been quite old at the time, and Mackey doesn't recall it, but...
|
| Photos |
Go to Photo Gallery for Samuel Scott Riffle |
| _UID |
159361C3D9D1400F8346CA97ADEFEB4FC5A7 |
| Person ID |
I216 |
My Genealogy |
| Last Modified |
18 Sep 2023 |
| Wife 1 |
Sarah Josephine Faucett, b. 4 Dec 1859, Collierville, Shelby, Tennessee, United States d. 25 Aug 1897, Forreston, Ellis, Texas, United States (Age 37 years) |
| Marriage |
25 Dec 1881 |
Collierville, Shelby, Tennessee, United States [21] |
![marriage_records\riffle_ss_to_faucett_sj-marriage_certificate_[modern_copy]](img/documents_thumb.png "marriage_records\riffle_ss_to_faucett_sj-marriage_certificate_[modern_copy]") |
marriage_records\riffle_ss_to_faucett_sj-marriage_certificate_[modern_copy]
|
| Children |
| | 1. Twin Girl 1 Riffle, b. 1882, Collierville, Shelby, Tennessee, United States d. 1882, Collierville, Shelby, Tennessee, United States (Age 0 years) |
| | 2. Twin Girl 2 Riffle, b. 1882, Collierville, Shelby, Tennessee, United States d. 1882, Collierville, Shelby, Tennessee, United States (Age 0 years) |
| + | 3. Mattie Iola Riffle, b. 28 Jul 1883, Collierville, Shelby, Tennessee, United States d. 15 Jan 1968, Mooreland, Woodward, Oklahoma, United States (Age 84 years) |
| + | 4. Annie Beatrice Riffle, b. 10 Jan 1886 d. 29 Sep 1902, Forreston, Ellis, Texas, United States (Age 16 years) |
| + | 5. Allie May Riffle, b. 14 Jan 1888, Italy, Ellis, Texas, United States d. 31 Oct 1985, Phelan, San Bernardino, California, United States (Age 97 years) |
| + | 6. Luther Tyrell Riffle, b. 14 Jun 1890, Italy, Ellis, Texas, United States d. 13 Aug 1928, Grand Junction, Mesa, Colorado, United States (Age 38 years) |
| + | 7. Eunice Ida Riffle, b. 6 Mar 1893, Italy, Ellis, Texas, United States d. 9 May 1975, Mooreland, Woodward, Oklahoma, United States (Age 82 years) |
| | 8. Bessie Verea Riffle, b. 10 Oct 1895, Italy, Ellis, Texas, United States d. 5 Nov 1899, Italy, Ellis, Texas, United States (Age 4 years) |
| + | 9. Mary Josephine Riffle, b. 18 Jul 1897, Italy, Ellis, Texas, United States d. 28 May 1967, Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States (Age 69 years) |
|
| Family ID |
F58 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
31 May 2023 |
1855 - 1941 (85 years)
