AUGUSTUS D. SPRADLEY

    Augustus "Gus" D. Spradley was born September 26, 1861 in Collirene Co.,
Alabama and died January 21, 1954 in Turnersville, Coryell Co., Texas.  
Augustus was a son of Bryant Eugene Spradley.
    In the fall of 1872 it seems that Bryant Eugene and his immediate 
family, and many of his wife's sisters and brothers (and several others 
of the family) decided to migrate to Texas.  Augustus Spradley was 11 
years old at the time. They left by wagon for Selma, AL, then down the 
Alabama River to Mobile, thence to New Orleans, thence to Galveston on 
the ship "The Mary Susan", of the Morgan line, arriving on Christmas Eve, 
1872.  The number of people in this migration has been said to be 28. 
They then traveled by by ox wagon to meet up with some others of the 
family that had migrated to Milam Co., TX a few years earlier and had 
convinced the rest of the family to follow.
   "Gus" moved to Coryell County, Texas and married Hannah Minerva 
Maxwell in 1884. They had five children - Alice, Floyd, Edna, Claude and 
Myrtle.  Hannah died in 1895 and Gus married Martha Rutherford on December 
15, 1897.  Gus and Martha had twelve children....Edwin, Fieldon, Luster, 
Nora, Adella, Cordie, Lois, Ernest "Tom", Thelma, Anna Mae, Earline and 
Louise.  The family moved away from Coryell County and eventually returned. 
Some children were born in Coryell County and others were born in other 
Texas counties.
    Augustus D. Spradley died in Turnersville, Coryell County, Tx in 1954.  
Martha Rutherford Spradley died in Turnersville in 1972, after living for 
several years in Gatesville.  Both are buried in Turnersville.
    This family comes from strong stock.  Bryant Spradley, born 1737, is 
the known ancestor of this Coryell family.  
    Printed in the CAMDEN (South Carolina) GAZETTE - Oct. 13, 1817 - 
"Departed this life on Wednesday last, Mr. Bryant Spradley, Senr. in the 
eightieth year of his age. Mr. Spradley was born and always lived this 
town or its neighborhood, and during his life never took a dose of medicine 
or lost a drop of blood by the lancet.  He never was confined a day by 
sickness until a week before his death".
    A son of Bryant Spradley was James Spradley.  James was killed in a 
hunting accident in Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina.  The accident 
happened when several men went hunting and during the course of the hunting 
trip the dogs got into a fight and a young man swung his shotgun at the dogs 
and the gun went off and killed James on August 13, 1808.  Reported in local 
newspaper.
    James Spradley's son was Bryant Spradley, named after his grandfather.  
He served in the military during War of 1812 as Briant Spradley in Capt. 
Chapman Levy's Company, 2nd regiment (McWillies) from 10/6/1814 - 3/5/1815.  
Resided 1820-30 Kershaw Dist. SC, In 1850 he was in Montgomery AL, 1860 in 
Butler Co, AL and in 1870 Lowndes Co., AL.
    Bryant (Briant) Spradley had a son named Bryant Eugene Spradley, and 
he was the father of the subject of this biography, Augustus D. Spradley. 
Bryant Eugene Spradley served bravely and honorably in the Civil War.  
Records show him in the 58th regiment 2nd batallion, 13th brigade, 11th 
division, Alabama Militia.  A letter from Department of the Army, Office 
of the Adjutant General, Washington, D.C. 29 Oct. 1952 confirmed that the 
records show that Bryant E. Spradley, a private of Company A 4th Battalion, 
Hilliard's Alabama Artillery, enlisted 11 May 1862 at Greenville, Alabama.  
He was elected 2nd Lieutenant on Feb. 19, 1864.
    Union Prisoner of War Records show that he was captured April 3, 1865 
at Amelia Court House, VA and was held prisoner at Maryland, Old Capitol 
Prison, Washinbgton, D.C. and Johnson's Island, Ohio where he was released 
June 20, 1865.  
    He told his children about this capture, and the prisons that he was 
in, and how it snowed in the Johnson's Island, Ohio prison in June prior 
to his release. Bryant Eugene was wounded and received the Iron Cross Honor 
for bravery under fire. He told his children the following story.  He was 
hit with a muzzle load miniball bullet and no one believed that the ball 
was still in his head.  He received first aid the first time he went to the 
hospital, and was sent back to camp.  He later went AWOL so that he could 
go back to the hospital.  The hospital authorities refused him at first but 
he told them to take him or they could haul him off because he wasn't going 
anywhere else.  After convincing a doctor to probe for a bullet, one half of 
a mini ball was found and the doctor was amazed.  Bryant Eugene Spradley 
died March 11, 1908 in Burnett County, Texas and is buried in Milam County, 
Texas.

By Berry Spradley

 







copyrighted by Berry Spradley andBobbie Ross Sept.2000