HENRY GIRDINE BALCH    MARGARET JANE FAUBION "HARVEY" & "MAGGIE"      LAST UPDATE 5 NOV 1999                                                             HENRY GIRDINE BALCH was born 29 March 1843 in Lincoln Co. North Carolina, son of HENRY BOLCH/BOLICK SARAH HUNSUCKER. As a young boy with his family, left Catawba Co. North Carolina in the early 1850's. They made their trek across the scenic mountains into Cocke Co. Tennessee and settled in the Newport and Parrottsville communities. He was a young lad when he arrived and grew to manhood in Parrottsville. By the time the Civil War had broken out, he would have been 18 years old and a prime candidate for service in the cause. As we all know, brother against brother was not uncommon, and from the documented service records, our family was no exception. On 10 September 1862 at Newport, Tennessee, he and his brother Hartwell T. Balch were conscripted into the Confederate Army, 62nd Mounted Infantry, Company I as Sargent. On the 11 November 1862 they were both present for duty at Sweetwater, Monroe Co. TN. With the federal troops making their move towards Vicksburg in the Spring of 1863, their unit was ordered to proceed down through Mississippi to defend Vicksburg.  Upon their arrival on 17 May 1863 at Big Black River, Mississippi they were again confronted in a battle with Federal Troops. Many lost their lives, some were captured, and the men that were left made their way to Vicksburg. Grandpa was captured and taken as a prisoner of war on 17 May 1863 at Big Black River, Mississippi. He evidently had been wounded as he was taken from the Mound City Hospital and sent to Camp Morton Federal Prison, Indianapolis, Indiana. His brother, Hartwell, escaped capture there and made it to Vicksburg, where he was captured and paroled on 4 July 1863. Grandpa spent the next year and 9 months in captivity under deplorable conditions in prison camp. The fact he even survived is a miracle. He was not released until he signed the Oath of Allegiance on the 17 February 1865, when he was released & it was recommended that he return home.   During the time of his imprisonment, his brother, Hartwell T. joined the Union Army. I would imagine after his return to his home in Parrottsville and learning of his brother siding with the Union, it undoubtedly caused strife in their family. After returning, he fell in love with MARGARETJANE FAUBION and married approximately 1866. No marriage records can be found for them due to the numerous fires at the courthouse. The year is based on the birth of their first child in May 1867. Margaret known as "Maggie" was born 23 January 1851 Parrottsville, Cocke Co. Tenn, daughter of MATHIAS WALL FAUBION & MATILDA C. WELLS. She was the only surviving child to her parents marriage. As the children grew to maturity and married, Grandpa was farming and building coffins with his son in law, ANDY B. HOLT at the Old Mathias Faubion Mill in Salem, near the W.D. Hogan home, who had later purchased the land. JESS JONES and DUNK BALCH had their undertaking business on the top floor of their store. JOHN HOLDEN was the embalmer and HUNLEY SMITH drove the hearse. The HARNED and SMITH STORE was built at Harned's Chapel by JAMES HOMMEL for JOHN ANDREW BALCH, son of JOSEPH BALCH (the brother of Henry Balch, Sr) and MACK HARNED in 1907. (John Andrew was the first cousin of Henry Girdine) DRY FORK or STORY INN was located near Gillespie Hill on what was the CLEO BALCH farm and was still standing in 1915.  Evidently, from the fruits of the combined families labor, these families prospered and were well respected in the community. The Costner and Maloy Funeral Home in Newport is still owned by the Balch family. Sadness struck our family when Maggie died 5 March 1890 in Cocke Co. Tenn. She is buried with her parents in the Faubion Cemetery. Grandpa was left to raise the younger children alone. A year and two months after the death of Grandma Maggie, Grandpa took a new wife about 28 years his junior, SALLIE E. HEDRICK. They were married 14 May 1891 Cocke Co. Tenn. Sallie was the great niece of Grandpa's sister, Minerva Jane Balch Hedrick, through her marriage to John Henry Hedrick. Sallie was the age of Grandpa's older children and most likely a friend with his daughters. There is little doubt this marriage caused more strife in the family. A few years later, along with some of his older children by Grandma Maggie, Grandpa and Sallie left Cocke Co. Tennessee and went to Celina, Collin Co. Texas.                                CHILDREN WITH MAGGIE FAUBION   Click on name below to see their families    WILLIAM M. BALCH    SARAH IDELLA "DELLA" BALCH     Great grandson, Richard Holt Knoxville, TN    BESSIE BELLE BALCH    Great granddaughter, Catherine Rogers Cook       California    DAISY BALCH   Great granddaughter, Carolyn Whitaker   Iowa    H. EARL BALCH    BERTHA M. BALCH "BERTHIE"    RALPH O. BALCH Ralph Balch died a young man, but to date no further information available. It is thought he probably died in the Celina, Collin Co., Texas area.    HENRY G. BALCH AND SALLIE E. HEDRICK        (Click above for their family page)                     Graphics provided by             HOME        BACK                  FORWARD     EMAIL                        CREATED WITH AOL PRESS 18 APRIL 1999 Copyright Carolyn Whitaker ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The information contained in these pages may NOT be reproduced, copied, or published in whole or in part in ANY form for profit or sale without the EXPRESS WRITTEN consent of Carolyn Whitaker You are the visitor