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KINCHEN ELLIS NICHOLS 1815 - 1877
Kinchen Ellis Nichols, last child of Conrad Nichols, was born in Greenwood County, South Carolina, September 21, 1815. His parents died before his first birthday leaving him orphaned and placed in the care of a widowed cousin by the name of Mrs. Timmons. Shortly after his adoption, he was moved to Alabama, to an area then called the "Dander Community". This community was located in what is now Pike County. Pike became a county in 1821, being formed from Montgomery and Henry County. It is not known if they moved prior to this time. Kinchen's brother William, as well as several relatives, moved through Pike County in the first half of the nineteenth century.. Kinchen spent most of his life in this area, being raised totally uneducated.
Kinchen married January 05, 1840 in Pike County to Hannah S. Carr , the daughter of Issac Carr. When or where Hannah was born is unknown. Eleven children were born from this union.
When the Civil War began in 1861, Kinchen was forty-five and not considered eligible for military service. However, the situation had changed for the South by 1862 and the eligibility and age requirement had changed. Kinchen enlisted in the Confederate Army August 18, 1862 in Troy, Alabama. His first duty assignment was with the 1st Regiment of the Alabama Calvary, Company E. What action he may have seen with the 1st Alabama Calvary is unknown. On April 30, 1863, he was reassigned to the 2nd Battalion of the Georgia Sharpshooters, Company D. Serving with this unit; Kinchen was involved with many engagements with Union Forces, being wounded at "Pickett's Mill" in Dallas, Georgia during the Battle of Atlanta May 27, 1864. After medical release September 29, 1864, he was transferred to the "Invalid Corps" of the Confederate Provisional Army in Montgomery, Alabama. On the 17th of June 1865, he was pardoned by The United States Government and released to return home.
The following is taken from the research of Joe Russell Nichols in the 1930s and tells the story of Kinchen when he was wounded.
The two sides were camped near to each other and he was on picket duty. He saw a Yankee step from behind a tree and aim deliberately at him. Nichols at once raised his gun and was in the act of "drawing a bead" when the Yankee fired. The Yankee's bullet hit the end of grandfather's gun barrel and thus saved his head from getting the full effect of the deadly "Mini Ball". The bullet divided and lost it's force, some of it striking his forehead and portions of hot lead passing under the gun and striking his hands. His left hand was permanently injured, having the two middle fingers drawn to the palm while the little finger stood out strait, leaving him the use of only the thumb and forefinger on the left had. When grandfather was shot he dropped his gun and a companion said to their sergeant, "Shoot that man that shot Nichols!" The sergeant replied, "Shoot him yourself, dam it, you have a gun there."
It is not mentioned in this story what fate fell on the Union soldier. Hopefully he too survived.
Disaster, always a close companion with Kinchen, never gave up its chase. Three days after his release from service, his wife, Hannah, died. What the cause of death was is unknown. It can be noted, however; that there was an epidemic of Small Pox in this area after the war, brought home by the returning troops of the South. This is merely speculation and not a proven fact. Where Hannah is buried is unknown but I believe that she may be buried at the Good hope Cemetery in Pike County. After her death a very close bond was forged between Kinchen and his surviving children.
In December 1866, Kinchen married Martha Margaret - Reeves, a widow with five children. They were Cisero, Jim, Anna, Sam, and Nettie. Her former husband, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Reeves, saw in action during the war at the "Battle of Port Houston". He is listed in the 1866 Pike County Populatioh Schedule as death by sickness. Sam Reeves, one of her sons, left home and went to Texas after she married Kinchen and did not return until after his death. The rest remained with her and Kinchen. Six children were born to the union of Kinchen and Martha.
Though Kinchen owned his own farm in the "Jaquin Community" northeast of Luverne, Alabama, he worked with Thomas Meadows, a son-in-law at "The Murphree Plantation" near Luverne as an Overseer. It is my believe that Margaret must have managed his farm and her children must have worked it. During this early period of "Reconstruction", life must have been very difficult, with every possible avenue of work being sought.
Disaster finally caught up with Kinchen on Sunday, July 01, 1877. The following story, taken from a Troy, Alabama newspaper paints a sad picture of Kinchen's last day.
A SAD AFFAIR
A Father and his Son go to a Watery Death in Conecuh
A very sad occurrence took place about five miles from town on Sunday morning last. Mr. Ellis Nichols and an old respected citizen of this county, who lives on the plantation of Mr. Joel D. Murpree, on the conecuh river, accompanied by his son-in-law, Mr. Thomas Meadows and three of his sons went to the river to bathe after a week's work in the dusty farm. The place selected was a shallow sand bar adjoining a whole of some ten feet in depth/ Neither Mr. Nichols or Meadows were expert swimmers, and the boys could not swim at all. He instructed them to stay where the water was shallow while he and his son-in-law ventured where it was deeper. By the force of the current or other means one of the little boys, Oscar Nichols, got beyond his depth and was drowning when discovered by his father. Mr. Meadows immediately came to the rescue and was clinched by the drowning boy in such a manner as to be unable to swim out. At this crises, Mr. Nichols swam up to assist and was grasped by his son who released Mr. Meadows who in turn made his way to shallow water in a thoroughly exhausted condition Upon reaching a foot hold he turned to see the old man and his child, clasped in a deaths embrace, rise for the last time. He procured a pole and hurried out a log near where they sank with the vain hope that they might rise again, but they were gone forever. Neighbors were notified and after an hour or more the bodies were recovered and carried home to the heartbroken family who saw them go away a few hours before in perfect health. On Monday they were buried at Good Hope where Mr. Nichols had held membership.
After Kinchen's death Martha sold their farm and moved to the "Hephzibah Community" near Troy, Alabama where she bought another farm. Sam, her son from her marriage to Carrol Reeves, returned home to help her with the daily farm chores. What became of Martha is unknown but I believe that she too may be buried at the Good Hope Church Cemetery. This cemetery is located somewhere southwest of Troy, Alabama, in Pike County.
Note: The 1st AL CAL was formed at Montgomery, Alabama 12 November 1861 with companies recruited from Autauga, Butler, Calhoun, Dale, Mobile, Montgomery, Monroe, Morgan, Pike, and Tallapoosa counties. The Nichols who were mustered into service at that time were; Arthur, Benjamin (a cousin to Kinchen), Jasper, Alfred, David, Edward, General Morgan, Issac (Kinchen's son), Jacob, James, Larry, and Stephen Nichols. This muster was in 1861; Kinchen didn't enlist until 1862.
Crenshaw County, a reconstruction county, was formed in 1866 from parts of Pike and Butler County. Kinchen was a resident of both though he never actually moved.

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