1812 - William Benjamin Sammons born on the frontiers of Tennessee
       1814 - Arrena Nobles born in North Carolina 
10 Apr 1832 - William and Arrena marry in Gibson Co TN 
08 Apr 1833 - Nancy, first of 16 children born 
22 Sep 1834 - John Daniel Sammons, first of the fighting sons, born in Gibson Co TN. 
01 Mar 1842 - Shad Allen Sammons born in Gibson Co TN
       1844 - Robert Sammons born in Gibson Co TN 
       1847 - Andrew Jackson Sammons born in Gibson Co TN 
  1832-1847 - William farms and grows prosperous in Gibson Co. 
18 Oct 1847 - He and in-laws (John Nobles family) are founding members of Salem Baptist Church. 
About  1848 - With 8 children, including a new-born, William and Arrena sell their land, leave 
              their church, and migrate to AR. 
18 Jul 1861 - John, Shad, Robert and two of their Nobles cousins join Co. F of Col Borland's 
              First Regiment, Arkansas Mounted Volunteers, later to be known as the Third 
              Arkansas Cavalry

"They came out of the wilds of Arkansas and Texas and were the roughest lot of humanity I 
ever saw. They rode like they were part of the horse and feared nothing on this earth, either 
human or animal. When not fighting the Yankees, they were fighting each other. They swore most 
fearfully and drank like demons. Despite their roughness of character with their six-shooters
in close combat, they were a formidable Instrument of War."   ---From a Tennessee Cavalryman

   Sep 1861 - John Daniel receives wound from "accidental discharge of a firearm" 
            * During the summer months of 1861, while in bivouac in Northern Arkansas, the 3rd 
              lost three men killed as the results of "personal encounter", or "died as a result 
              of personal disagreement". 
              Could this explain John’s "accident". 
18 Jul 1862 - John Daniel released from service because of failure of wound to heal. 
            * Later John is a blacksmith with VanDorn's armies. 
16 Dec 1862 - A portion of the 3rd AR raids Holly Springs with Bedford Forrest in "the greatest 
              cavalry raid in the Civil War". Only a Brigade size of the 3rd went, those with 
              horses in good enough shape. Co. F itself is not on raid, but some men were 
              selected from it. No names. 
19 Sep 1863 - At Chicamauga under General Forrest. 3rd AR Cav in the van of Forrest's pursuit. 
09 Dec 1863 - William Washington Sammons joins Co G, 1st AR Cav, one month short of his 15th 
              birthday. 
27 Dec 1863 - Shad and 5 others are wounded at Mossy Creek Station and left on the field as the 
              Third retreats. 
05 Jan 1864 - Shad Captured and sent to Nashville. Enrolled in Camp Chase stockade 10 Jan 1864.  
              Forwarded to Louisville 17 January 1864 "for exchange". Shipped to Rock Isle POW 
              camp 23 Jan 1864. 
   Mar 1864 - Most records of 3rd AR Cav lost from this point forward.
            * What happened to Robert and William Washington? Neither are on the parole lists 
25 Feb 1865 - Shad arrives at Ft. Columbus, New York, for exchange.
04 Mar 1865 - Andrew Jackson Sammons joins Co E, 7th IL Cav (Union), at Alton IL
05 Mar 1865 - Shad Allen Sammons exchanged to the South. 
07 Mar 1865 - Shad at General Hospital, Camp Winder, VA
25 Sep 1865 - Andrew is discharged from service for health reasons.

After the War

* John became a blacksmith and hardware store magnate in Hot Spring and Little Rock, AR. Shad 
went into real estate around Hot Springs. Became an upstanding citizen with his brother. Robert 
migrated to Fairview,TX, with his father, then on to the panhandle where he became a horse rancher.
* The remaining family of William Benjamin moved to Fairview, Williamson County, Texas in 1872. 
Became quite prominent. William Benjamin was a hog farmer.
* Andrew married (1) Mary E Henderson, and (2) Mrs Susan F (Patterson) McBroom, He had three 
children by his second wife and settled near Ovalo, Taylor County, Texas. 
* Arenna lived to be 78, saw all her sons survive the war, and lived long enough to see over 60 
grand children and great grand children. William Benjamin died in 1902 at the age of 90. By the 
time of his death, his progeny numbered over 100.
Salem Baptist Church records quoted in letter from Mary Nell Fairless, Rte 4 Trenton TN 38382 to 
MaryLou Sammons Martin 28 Apr 1985. 
ibid., Request for letter of Dismission in Salem Baptist Church Records.
Calvin L. Collier, Maj., USAF (Ret), The War Child’s Children - A Story of the Third Arkansas 
Cavalry, Pioneer Press, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1965, pg 1. 
Collier, op. cit., pg 4. 
Military record for W W Sammons 
Collier, op. cit., pg 89. 
Military and POW records for S A Sammons. This footnote for rest of Shade’s experiences. 
Certificate of Voluntary Enlistment for Andrew Jackson Sammons, 4 March 1865.
Application for invalid pension for Andrew J Sammons, 23 Sep 1865 
Declaration for Widow’s Pension and Declaration for Children under 16.

Charlotte Curlee Ramsey
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cramsey/index.html