In the area of southwestern Virginia where my family is from, the name Campbell is fairly common. In fact, the name is the 34th most common name in America, according to the 1990 census. However, the Campbells of southwestern Virginia are broken down into three distinct groups: Campbells we are directly related to, the "famous" Campbells, and "other" Campbells. The "famous" Campbells include Governor David Campbell, and the cousins Arthur and William Campbell, of King's Mountain and Indian war fame. The "other" Campbells include any Campbell in Russell County that we cannot prove a direct relationship to - most of the Campbells in the area can be traced to two or three pioneers who were probably not related. It is with the last group - Campbells we are related to - that this work is concerned. Our Campbells have been in Russell County for over 200 years; the history of our family is intertwined with the history of that county.

"The area which is now Russell County was included in a vast intertribal Indian hunting preserve until 1745 when it became part of Augusta County. Between the years 1769 and 1785 it was contained in Botetourt, Fincastle, and Washington Counties.
In 1786, Russell County was formed from Washington County. The area which became Russell County embraced around 3000 square miles or 1,920,000 acres. The boundary lines extended northward from Clinch Mountain to Cumberland Gap on the Kentucky border and eastward to a point near present Bluefield, Virginia. In 1790, the population of the county was 3,338 persons which included 190 slaves.
Other counties were formed from Russell. In 1793 Lee County was formed. In 1799 Tazewell County - 1815 Scott County was formed from a portion of Russell and Lee County - 1855 Wise County and in 1858 Buchanan County and in 1880 Dickenson County was formed from Wise and Buchanan.

In 1858 Russell, the Mother County, was reduced to an area of 483 square miles or 309,120 acres. The crest of Clinch Mountain is the southern boundary. Sandy Ridge is the northern. Clinch River meanders down the near center of the county from Mill Creek at the Tazewell County line to St. Paul in Wise County." (The Heritage of Russell County, Virginia. p.7)

A petition to form Russell County was initiated in 1785 and signed by many people who were to become heads of large, prosperous Russell County families. Among them were the names of: Cowan, Bickley, Music, Monk, Fugate, Fraley, Price, Gibson, Campbell, Hayter, Crabtree, Martin, Gilmore, and Vermillion. In addition to these families, famous frontiersman Daniel Boone lived in Russell County for two years, 1773-75.
Due to the large number of hostile Indians in the area, forts were necessary to protect the settlers. Several of these forts were in Russell County - at Elk's Garden, Castlewood, Glade Hollow, New Garden, and Moccasin Creek. The first court for Russell County was held on May 9, 1786.

-abstracted from The Heritage of Russell County, Virginia 1786-1986 Volume I

The patriarch of "our" Russell County Campbells was named Henry Campbell, who first appears on March 15, 1790, on a personal property tax list being taxed for two horses. Recent evidence suggests that this Henry Campbell may have moved into the territory from Pittsylvania County and before that Augusta County, however, this link is built upon weak information and may never be proven. The possibilities for Henry's life before Russell County are few: 1) he migrated to Russell from Augusta and is the Henry Campbell appearing in Pittsylvania tax lists 2) He migrated to Russell from somewhere else or does not appear on any records still extant 3) and least likely, he was born in Russell County or arrived there before the age of 21. These are the only ways he would escape appearing on the personal property tax list for 1787, 1788, or 1789. What we do know is that by 1790 he was in the county and paying taxes. It is possible that he was already married to his wife, Jane, although her first recorded appearance is in 1792 when her name appears on a surveyors deed for land; the personal property tax list only enumerates white males over the age of 21 so there is no way of knowing when the marriage took place, the marriage books for Russell County for the years 1787-1850 have been lost.
The population of Virginia in 1700 was 60,000, and rose to 230,000 by 1750. The population of Russell County in 1790 was 734 white males over the age of 16, 969 white males under the age of 16, and 1440 females of all ages. By 1820 it had risen to just under 5,000 free whites, over 400 slaves, and 21 free blacks. In 1830 the population was broken down to list 3025 free white males, 2977 females and 680 slaves. At that time, in a rural area, one person could plow approximately four or five acres at one time in tobacco and corn, so many children were a necessity on a farm.
Henry is not the only Campbell in the area in 1790. Records reveal several other Campbells, some of whom can be tied to the Royal Oak Campbells and others that are harder to link with any specific Campbell families. What followed is a list of Campbells known to have resided in Russell County, died in Russell County, served in the militia in the area of Russell County, or owned land in Russell County, before 1790:

Anne Campbell - Royal Oak
James Campbell - Royal Oak
James Campbell Jr. - served in the militia
John Campbell - probably Royal Oak
John Campbell - served in the militia
George Campbell - served in the militia
Henry Campbell - served in the militia

By 1820 there were three adult male Campbells in Russell:
Henry Campbell, over age 45
William Campbell, age 26 to 45
Abraham Campbell, age 16 to 26

In 1830 the list is as follows
Henry Campbell, age 70 to 80
William Campbell, age 20 to 30
Richard Campbell, age 20 to 30
Joel Campbell, age 20 to 30
John Campbell, age 60 to 70.

The family to which the first William Campbell belongs to is unknown, as is the family of John Campbell in 1830. The others are all known to be related to our Henry Campbell. One interesting fact about the 1830 census is the presence of one female age 80 to 90 in Henry's household. Henry is listed as 70 to 80 years old; another female, presumably Jane, is listed as 50 to 60 years old. Who, then, is the older woman? The woman may reasonably be either Henry or Jane's mother come to live with them after the death of her husband. The older woman does not appear in any other census in Henry's household. Looking solely at the relative ages of Henry, Jane, and the older woman, she would more likely be Jane's mother.
Henry Campbell first appears on a tax list in 1790, being taxed for two horses. In 1799 he was taxed for 95 acres of land and in 1801 he got a third horse. In the 1815 tax records, Henry is being taxed for one farm of 205 acres. The value of the farm was $500. In the tax lists, Henry's land is described as being thirteen miles east of the courthouse when the courthouse was at Dickensonville, and two or three miles south or south east of the courthouse when the courthouse was at Lebanon. These directions correspond to the land where the Campbell cemeteries are now.
Henry Campbell had at least seven children who survived into adulthood - in those days (and even later) it was not uncommon for two or even three children to die before their 5th birthday. Indeed, in the 1820 census the listing for Henry Campbell shows seven male children and five female children. Scarlet fever, croup, and pneumonia were all potentially deadly diseases in an area with little or no medical knowledge. Most family graveyards in the area include one or two infant graves. It is also not uncommon for subsequent surviving children to bear the same names as departed older siblings. This can make research challenging. Children who did not survive to a census year and that were born after the previous census, generally leave no evidence of their existence.

Henry (ca. 1766-ca. 1844) and Jane (ca. 1770-ca. 1840) Campbell

Abraham (ca. 1795- 1857-8) m. Winney Alice Sevier (1797-1885) ca. 1817
Margaret (1795- ) m. John T. Fields (1792- ) ca. 1822
William (1/1/1803-8/8/1891) m. Anna (Emma) Scott then Rachel Elliott Campbell 10/19/1877
Richard R. (1805- ) m. Priscilla (1811- )__________
Joel B. (1808-1843) m. Rachel Elliott (1810-1884) ca. 1829
Jane (1812- ) m. Wilson Elliott (1811- ) in 1830
Henry Jr. (12/25/1813-8/31/1863) m. Cynthia Elliott (10/6/1813-9/8/1885) ca. 1832

Henry Campbell's eldest child (that we know of) was Abraham, born between 1794 and 1796. This birth date is the only evidence of the early (pre-1820) existence of Henry's wife, Jane (other than the possible appearance on a 1792 land deed). Other than the established birth dates of her children, the earliest record of her is an appearance on the 1820 census, where she is listed as between 40 and 50 years old. Henry and Jane do not appear on the 1830 census, but in the 1840 census Jane is listed as between 60 and 70 years old. Abraham first appears in the 1820 census in Russell County having one male under age 10 along with his wife.
Abraham moved around a lot from his marriage in circa 1817 in Russell County where he was born, and where his first two surviving children were also born; William H., born in 1820 and (George?) Washington in 1823. He moved along the migration route south and west to Hawkin's County, Tennessee, where he was by 1825 for the birth of his third son, Richard H. Campbell. His fourth son, Abraham S., was also born in Tennessee. His fifth son, John Wesley Craig, was born in 1831 in Claiborne County, Tennessee. Sometime after John Wesley Craig's birth, the ever growing Campbell family returned to Russell County in time for the next son, number six, David Patton, who was born on November 29, 1833. The last son, James Charles, was also born in Virginia. A daughter, Nancy Ellen, was born in 1839. According to the 1840 census Abraham and Winney had nine children, so at least one died young. One of the reasons for his moving several times was his job as a Campbellite minister; he qualified to perform the rites of matrimony in 1846 in Russell County and listed his occupation in censuses as a Campbellite minister. In his last will and testament, written on December 4, 1857 and proven on March 5, 1858, he leaves everything to his "beloved wife Winney." He leaves individual tracts of lands and possessions to some of his children, to wit:

"I give and bequeath to my son John W. C. Campbell one hundred and eighteen acres of my land...I also give my son John W. C. my rifle gun, also my watch, my cupboard, and all my farming tools but my said son John W.C. Campbell is not to have possession of the above named property until after the death of my wife provided he lives with and takes care of his mother during her lifetime"

"I will and bequeath to my Daughter Ellan a horse saddle and bridle. Horse to be worth $75.00 and one cow, one bead (bed) and furniture one small spinning wheel five heads of sheep and my bureau and 1 sow and pigs provided my said daughter takes proper care of her self"

The rest of his land was to be sold at the death of his wife and distributed between his son Richard H. Campbell's children and the children of Washington Campbell. He goes on to state:

If my son David P. Campbell shall return to me or to my estate as the case may be a cintow (?) waggon for which he sold a mare of mine for; then his children is to have a equal portion with the children of my sons Richard H. and Washington. If he does not return said waggon within four months from this date I give him my son David P nothing more than I have already given him. My sons William H. Campbell, Abraham S. Campbell I give them nothing more than I have already given them. My son James C. Campbell I give him nothing of any description whatever

Although Abraham was the eldest son of Henry Campbell, he did not receive land from Henry until 1835, probably because he was in Tennessee until that point. In that year Abraham was given 36 acres on the waters of Sword's Mill Creek in Russell County. Unfortunately Sword's Mill Creek is no longer called that and it's exact location is unknown. However, in his will Abraham gives 118 acres of land to John Wesley Craig which he describes as "…commencing on my line east and running south as to make the 118 acres…to the top of the mountain running with the old line and running with the Washington line so for as to include the 118 acres'" The land that the Campbell Cemetery is located is on the valley floor, the Washington County line is at the top of the mountain ridge so it is probable that the historical Campbell land is at the present location of the Maynard Campbell farm and the Campbell Cemetery. Abraham also received or bought land from John H. Fulton and Robert Fugate in 1838 and 1848 respectively. According to family tradition Abraham and Winney are buried in an unmarked graveyard on Campbell land a few miles south of Lebanon in Russell County. The graveyard is on a low hill and is marked only by upturned stones, three stones in a U shape at what is probably the head of the grave. A third, smaller grave is probably that of an infant. Across the street and still on Campbell land is a larger Campbell Cemetery with at least 24 people in it; among them Abraham's brothers Henry Jr., and William.
Abraham Campbell was married to Winney Alice Sevier who, family tradition says, was related to John Sevier, famous for his participation in the battle of King's Mountain in the Revolutionary War, as well as the first Governor of Tennessee. This relationship has not been proven; none of John Sevier's 18 children were named Winney Alice although his second daughter by his second wife, Catherine, first married a man named Archibald Rhea and then later married a man whose last name was Campbell. Another family tradition says that Winney was a witch. She died in 1885 in Mendota, Washington County, Virginia.
Henry and Jane's second child was their first daughter, Margaret. She was born a year or two after Abraham. She married John T. Fields before 1823.

John T. (1792- after 1860) and Margaret (1795-ca. 1855) Campbell Fields

Calvan T. Fields (6/1823-1900) m. Lucinda Ferguson (1824-after 1870)
James J. (9/15/1825-9/18/1872) m. Obedience Jane Campbell (11/11/1832-9/17/1889)
Mary B. (1829-after 1900) m. James Henry Campbell (1832-after 1880)
Mahala (1830- )
Andrew F. (7/1/1832-2/1/1918) m. Permilia Campbell (7/17/1835-3/4/1902)
John A. (1835- ) m. Obedience Ann Campbell (1837- )
Joel ( )

John T. Fields died sometime after 1860; Margaret died between 1850 and 1860.
Henry Campbell's second son and third child, William, was born on January 1st, 1801 and died on August 8, 1891. His first marriage was to Anna (or Emma) Scott, the daughter of James and Mary Scott. No children resulted from this marriage. Later, William married his brother Joel's widow, Rachel Elliott Campbell, who was born in 1810 and died in 1884. They were married in 1877, but were enumerated in the same household in the 1870 census; Anna Scott died between 1860 and 1870. Possibly one child named Joe was born in 1849. Family legend has it that Ira Reynolds Campbell, born in 1849 was the son of William and Rachel; the marriage certificate for Ira and Catherine J. Fields lists his parents as Rachel and John or Joel.
According to the 1860 census William Campbell was living in Russell County with Anna and Catherine J. Fields, age 13, daughter of Hannah Fields, and James J. Monk, age 11. In the 1870 census William is living with Rachel as well as Ira Campbell (age 26) and Catherine (J. Fields, age 22) Campbell, who were married on September 5, 1866 and their twins Mary and Hannah, nine months old. William, Rachel, Anna, Ira, Catherine and two of their children are all buried in the Campbell Cemetery near Lebanon. Anna's gravestone is by far the largest in the cemetery, however, William is buried with Rachel. The gravesite of Joel B. Campbell is unknown.
The third son and fourth child, was Richard R. Campbell, born in 1805 who married Priscilla (last name unknown) born in 1811. No further information is known about these two.
Henry's fourth son and fifth child was named Joel B. Campbell and was born between 1808 and 1810. Joel married Rachel Elliott (1810-1884), the daughter of James Elliott and Obedience Parsley, sometime around 1829. Joel and Rachel had nine or ten children that survived to adulthood:

Joel B. (1808-1843) and Rachel Elliott (1810-1884) Campbell

Elizabeth Jane (1830- )
James Henry (1832- ) m. Mary W. Fields (born circa 1829)
Wilson Elliott (1834- ) m. Leah C. Fletcher
Permelia (7/17/1835- ) m. Andrew Franklin Fields (born 7/1/1832)
Obedience Ann (1837- ) m. John A. Fields (1835- )
Joel Richard (11/19/39-1/8/1912) m. Nancy Fields (11/21/1843-3/4/1903) 9/11/1861
William Francis (1843-8/30/1884) m. Elizabeth
Mahalia (4/29/1845 - 2/14/1941) m. D. K. Cook, died in Harris Co., MO.
Ira Reynolds (1849- ) m. Catharine J. Fields (born 5/7/1837) 9-5-1866 m. Rebecca A. Lockhart 9/11/1883
Margaret birth date unknown

Joel's death date is a matter of some question - there are records mentioning the estate of Joel Campbell as early as 1843 but he is also listed as having two or three children after that date. It is possible that the last three children attributed to Joel and Rachel were actually the children of William and Rachel Campbell. The Fields family was another early Russell County family. The old Fields' homesteads were mostly within a mile or two of the Campbell land. Mary, Andrew, and John - all listed above - were from the same family, children of John T. Fields (1792-aft.1860) and Margaret Campbell (1795-aft.1850). Margaret was a daughter of Henry and Jane Campbell. Nancy Fields was a daughter of Calvin, another son of John T..
The second daughter of Henry and Jane was also named Jane. She was born in 1812 and married Wilson Elliott, brother to Cynthia and Rachel Elliott, in 1830. Wilson Elliott died in late 1894. Wilson Elliott's will, written on September 4, 1894, was proven on December 4, 1894. He leaves everything to J.H. Meade to "be held for the exclusive use and benefit of my son Samuel B. Elliott during his natural life; and at his S.B. Elliotts death to be equally divided among all my other children or their heirs."
Henry and Jane's seventh child was Henry Campbell Jr., who was born on Christmas Day, 1813 and died on August 8, 1863. He was married to Cynthia Elliott, a sister of Rachel, who married Joel Campbell. Henry and Cynthia's children are as follows:

Henry (12/25/1813-8/31/1863) and Cynthia Elliott (10/6/1813-9/8/1885) Campbell

Betty J. (1833- ) m. James J. Fields (9/15/1825-9/18/1872)
James Henry (1837-7/131860) died in a well
Mary A. (1838- )
Joel I. (9/21/1840-8/26/1862) died in the war
Margaret (1843- )
Rachel P. (11/6/1840-7/3/1921) died in Church Hill, TN.
Nancy (1846- )
Emeline (3/1848-9/8/1860) died of scarlet fever
Caroline (1848-2/22/1871) m. John Wesley Martin (1822-3/27/1891)
Thomas F. (1852- ) m. Sabrina
William W. (1857- )
Wilson W. (8/1854-9/20/1918) died of cancer of the tongue.
Eldest daughter Elizabeth Jane married James J. Fields, the son of John T. Fields. Many of her first cousins (children of Joel Campbell) also married children of John T. Fields. The oldest son, James Henry, died after a fall into a well. His death is recorded in the 1860 Mortality Schedule for Russell County. Second son Joel I. died on August 26, 1862 during the Civil War of "fever or wound". Emeline and Caroline were twin sisters; Emeline died of scarlet fever in September of 1860, while Caroline married John Wesley Martin on July 16, 1868. Henry Campbell died in 1863. His wife, Cynthia, lived until 1885. Her will, written on May 28th, 1885, disposes of her possessions as follows:

First: I give and bequeath unto my granddaughter Margaret C. Martin one suckling calf and one counter pin and some feathers for beds.
2nd: I give and bequeath unto my youngest son Wilson W. Campbell one milk cow known as jersey and one big wheel and one counterpin, and one pair of stretchers and one big pot.
3rd: I give and bequeath unto my grandson J.D. Campbell fifteen dollars which I paid on his sorrell mare also ten dollars borrowed money which he owes me and one two year old heifer and one shoot that I got of T.F. Campbell and one log chair and one pair of trace chairs and my double tree and single trees and one cutting knife.
4th: I give and bequeath unto my daughter in law Sabrina Campbell my interest in one bee palace and one swarm which is at her house.
5th: I give and bequeath unto my son J.F. Campbell fifteen dollars it being one half of the borrowed money which he owes me and one pot which he has at his house and one mattock.
6th: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary A. Campbell one side saddle and one milk cow and two shoats and one half interest in one shoat which T.F. Campbell gave me and her, and one kettle, two pots, and one brass kettle and one grubbing hoe and the balance of my household and kitchen furniture and all of my loose plunder not heretofore given to any of my legaters.
7th: I now appoint my son T.F. Campbell Executor of my estate…
8th: I now give and bequeath unto J.D. Campbell my interest in his growing crop of corn and wheat provided I do not live to see it gathered and enjoy it.
9th: I now give unto T.F. Campbell my interest in his crop of corn and wheat and oats provided I do not live to see the crop matured which is growing on my farm.

Henry received 110 acres of land from Henry Sr. in 1843 on the waters of Cedar Creek. This land was probably part of a parcel of 220 acres land Henry Sr. bought from John T. Fields in 1812.
The direct line of our family leads downward through three of Henry's children - Joel, Henry, and Margaret. In the early and mid-1800's in southwestern Virginia, brothers often married sisters and intermarriage between certain families was occassionally extensive. Joel, Henry, and Jane Campbell all married children of James Elliott and Obedience Parsley.

James (12/5/1775-1829) and Obedience Parsley (9/13/1786-1836) Elliott

Rachel Elliott (8/12/1810-1884) m. Joel B. Campbell ca. 1829
Wilson Elliott (1812- ) m. Jane Campbell (1812- ) 1830
Cynthia (1813-1885) m. Henry Campbell Jr. (12/25/1813-8/31/1863) ca. 1833
Sarah

James and Obedience's birth dates, as well as Wilson's marriage date, come from James Elliott's family bible. James Elliott and Obedience Parsley's marriage was recorded in Washington County on January 14, 1802. James and Obedience lived in Elk Garden, five miles east of Lebanon, in Russell County. In 1815 their land was listed as 197 acres and valued at $350. James Elliott's parents are currently unknown. Obedience Parsley was the daughter of Moses and Obedience Parsley who were probably married in the middle 1770's. After their marriage they moved around quite a bit, living in the counties of Henry, Montgomery, Grayson, Washington, and Russell County. Part of this "moving around" may have been due to changing county lines. Moses and Obedience eventually ended up in Russell County with several of their children, including Alexander, Moses Jr, and Samuel. Moses owned land in the western portion of the county on Mill Creek the waters on Moccasin River. Mill Creek is also the location given by Henry Campbell for his (and his families) land. Neither Moses Sr. nor Obedience Parsley's parents are known.
Both Joel and Henry Campbell married daughters of James Elliott. Their sister, Margaret, married John T. Fields sometime before 1823. John T. Fields was probably the son of Richard R. and Frances Fields. One of Henry and Jane Campbell's sons was named Richard R. He was born in 1805.

The Fields family has extensive interconnections with the Campbell family. The Fields also have a long history of living in Russell County. The patriarch of the Russell County Fields was named John T. Fields. He was born in 1792 and around 1820 he married Margaret Campbell, the daughter of the patriarch of the Campbell family. Their children have already been listed. John T. Fields parents may have been Richard R. Fields (died in 1827) and Frances (1756- ).
John T. and Margaret's oldest son, Calvin T., was born in June of 1823 and married Lucinda Ferguson in approximately 1842. Lucinda was born in 1824 and died sometime after 1870. Their children were:
Calvan T. (6/1823) and Lucinda Ferguson (1824-aft. 1870) Fields

Nancy Fields (11/21/1843-3/4/1903) m. Joel R. Campbell 9/11/1861
James C. (1848- before 1900)
Hugh D. (1858- )
Edmundson W. (1860- )
Edmund (1861- )
Garland B.
John A.
David C.
Andrew
Martha
Ellen
Fanny
Margaret

Calvan T. Fields died in early 1900. His will was written on January 19, 1900. In it he mentions his land as being on "…the Mountain Road and Wagon Way pass-way or road way…" The majority of his land and possessions went to Garland B, and Edmundson W. Fields, his sons.

James G. (1793- ) and Margaret (Price) (1791-1870) Martin

John Wesley (1822-3/27/1891) m. Caroline Campbell 7/16/1868
Harvey W. (1828- ) m. Melissa Fogleman 2/19/1878
Jane (1832- )

Henry Campbell Jr's daughter, Caroline, married John Wesley Martin on July 16, 1868. Caroline was a twin sister of Emeline who died of scarlet fever in 1859. John Wesley Martin was the son of James G. Martin (1793- ) and Margaret (Price?) (1791-1870).
James G. Martin was a veteran who served in the Virginia Militia in 1812. He served in the company of Captain Thomas Price, another prominent Russell County native, in the 1st Battalion, the 72nd regiment. He owned land on Dar Ridge, nine miles east of Lebanon.
John Wesley's brother Harvey served during the Civil War, as a member of the 29th Virginia Infantry, recruited in Russell County. A letter from him during the War is below. The Martins were a family of letter writers, often doing the writing for others who could not. Several letters to and from the Martins exist, this first one is from a family friend:

Abingdon Va. Dec 14, 1856

Mr. John Wesley Martin
Dear
Friend

I write
to let you know how I am getting a long [...]I have my health better than I did in Russell. I like the people here fine for the acquaintance all though they are not as sociable as they are in your Co. the ladies are quite hansom but there is one in your Co. that I think is the finest and prettyest lady that I ever saw any where. Times are very hard in the way of money the hog drovers who have returned from market say that they made no money some say that they lost. We are selling goods fast my employers appear well pleased with my business habits. The RailRoad has improved this place very much the Bank of East Tenn is failed. It is thought that it will be good again shortly. I would like to see you all very much give my respects to your Father & Mother & all the family.

Your [...]
Wm. [...]

Letter number two is from Harvey in the War:

Line of BreastWorks Near Howlitt's House

Nov 8th 1864

John W. Martin

Dear Brother,
I suppose you have almost come the conclusion that I have forgotten how to write, or ... I would have written to you long ere this. But you must excuse my negligence for not writing sooner, I have been sick with the Chills & Fevers the larger portion of the time. I have had three attacks of them, I am now just getting over the last attack, my legs & ankles last night when I took off my shoes & socks were swollen as tight as the skin would allow. There are a great many cases of Chills & Fevers in the company at this time. A.W. Martin is at the Hospital at this time & several of the other boys of our company. Times are about as ... as it ... other matter. We have had no fighting as for a long time it appears that the Yankees have no inclination of charging our lines, but make the right & left their scene of action, it is reported that when they get their Canal done that they are going to make a general attack along the whole line. There is a great many detailed men assigned to duty in the field. I have seen but one from Old Russell to wit Oliver Astrap he is assigned to Capt. Dickenson's Co. for the time being. Capt. Dickenson has some 12 or 14 attached to his Co. we have none, one of our boys ran off night before last name of Hopkins Belcher. Col. Smith is just in from a visit to Richmond he informs me that he saw several of the Russell detailed men at Camp Lee especially those salt-works fellows, to wit, A.B. Smith, Charles Smith, Jesse Browning, John Browning & one of his younger brothers. They are assigned to duty on the north side of the James, on the Mecanicksville Road. I will now tell you how we are fixed out here on this line. Well most of us have built us pretty neat and comfortable little cabins to stay in with chimneys. Peery Browning, Jacob Fuller & I stay together. We have the most comfortable house of any of the Boys. I know we have the best chimney we get along admirably. Peery is in bed now with the chillish fever but ... he will soon be up and doing something in the [pipes] for he has got in a great way of making [pipes?], he will have a chill then as soon as it is off the fever subsides he is at work again. Charles Johnson is well and is engaged in the pipe trade.
I will close for the moment, you must write soon for I have not received a letter from you in a long time not since Andrew Martin came from home. Give my love to Mother, [Jane?] & Sally & also to all my relatives and friends.

Your Brother,
Harvey W. Martin

Harvey survived the war.

Levi (ca. 1809-6/6/60) and Catherine Wallace (ca. 1814- 10/16/86) Sykes

Newbern (1832- )
William (1835- )
Martha (1838- )
Mary (1839- )
Elizabeth (1841- )
Nancy Jane (1844-3/21/1921) m. Francis Marion Steele (1831-1924)
Mathilda (1846- )
Major (1848- )
Eliza (1850- )

The Russell County patriarch of the Sykes family was John Sykes, who was born in 1750 in Prince George County. He lived in Sussex and Surrey Counties as well. All are in the Tidewater area of Virginia. John Sykes enlisted in the 7th Regiment of the Continental Army in 1778 and was discharged in 1783. He served in the battles of Gwynn's (Quinn's) Island, and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. In 1815, John Sykes owned 18 acres on the waters of Clinch River, a few miles north of Lebanon; several Sykes graveyards are still in the area. His will was written on January 1, 1841 and probated July 8, 1851. His son James Sykes married Nancy Jones on February 2, 1805 in Sussex County. Their only son Levi, married Catherine Wallace, a daughter to John Wallace IV, the fourth in a long line of Baptist ministers. James Sykes died on February 10, 1855 of dropsy.
There is an interesting story concerning the death of Levi Sykes - it is said that "…grandfather Sykes was killed with a bayonet at old Honaker when Abraham Lincoln was elected president..." It is possible that this quote was from Mary Catherine Steele Campbell, Levi's granddaughter, who lived until 1957.

This is from the Richmond daily dispatch., June 06, 1859

MURDER. In a drunken row at an election precinct in Russel county, Va., on the 26th of May, Cobb Wallis struck Levi Pikes, a blow with his fist that caused his death.

Francis Marion (1831-1924) and Nancy Jane Sykes (1844-3/21/1821) Steele

Alexander Columbus (4/29/1872-1951) m. Josephine Gent ( )
Levi A. (8/18/1874-11/30/1940)
Isaac Bostic (6/4/1876-1953) m. Nan Williams ( )
Mary Catherine (8/18/1878-2/29/1957) m. James Vincent Campbell (10/22/1867-7/13/1944) 4/4/1895
Charley Ramon (9/10/1880-1948) m. Nell Lynch ( )
Anna Eliza (6/2/1882-1952) m. Charles William ( )
Mathilda Bertha (4/4/1885-1939) m. Joe Fields ( )

Francis Marion was the son of George and Elizabeth Steele who both died before 1840. Francis Marion was living with his grandparents, Richard and Eleanor (Marlow) Steele, until 1840 when they both died. At the time of his grandparents death Francis Marion and his brother Calvin, as well as their two sisters Elizabeth and Ann Eliza were all underage and chose various uncles as their official guardians. Francis Marion and Calvin chose their eldest uncle, Harvey, to live with. Later on, Francis Marion's first marriage was to Harvey's daughter Mary Jane. His second wife was Sarah M. Griffin, who bore him one child. Francis Marion's third wife was Nancy Jane Sykes. By this time, circa 1870, Francis had removed to Russell County.
Francis Marion was active during the Civil War serving in the 29th Virginia Infantry, a unit made up of Russell and Tazewell County men. He enlisted April 4, 1862 in Tazewell. He was present for several months and also home sick for several months, he remained enlisted through 1864. The 29th Virginia Infantry, unlike another Russell County unit, the 16th Cavalry, saw little actual fighting although it did participate in the second battle at Drewry's Bluff in 1864. Drewry's Bluff was a coastal fort on the west side of the James River, a few miles below Richmond. It was used by the Confederate Army as a training location for Marines.
Francis Marion died on February 17, 1925, several pictures from his funeral still survive. Many of his children were in attendance, from two of his three wives. He was buried on a hillside near his home, adjacent to two, older, unidentified graves. Later their son, Levi, was buried with them. The inscriptions on Francis and Nancy Jane's gravestone read as follows:

Francis M Steele Nancy J Steele
Sept 15, 1821 Mar 25, 1847
February 17, 1925 Mar 21, 1921
The pains of death are past Mother thou art now at home
Labors & sorrows cease Many angels fair above
and life's long warfare But get below thy child roam
closed at last til summon'd by his love
His soul is found in peace

The death date on the tombstone for Nancy Steele is incorrect, she actually died 3/21/1920 (per Russell County Death Register.)

Levi Steele was a well known carpenter in Russell County; many examples of his work are still in the family. Levi is buried at the feet of his parents. The Steele graveyard was started on a barren hillside, probably long before Nancy Jane's death in 1921. The other two graves at the site appear to be much older, there is no indication of a headstone or marker of any type, only two low, shallow indentations to show where the bodies are buried.

Margaret Ann (1853-3/7/1933) m. Elihu Todd (1846- ) 5/29/1876
Joel Richard (1854-1937) m. Nancy Ellen Dickenson (1853- ) 1/8/1878
Wilson Elliott (1856-9/1936) m. Sarah Addison (1863- ) 2/16/1881
Rachel P. (1858- ) m. Charles Tignor (1852- ) 12/24/1874
Catherine (1861- ) m. Thomas P. Gilmer (1851- ) 12/19/1883
William Harvey (1864-8/7/1933) m. Lucinda Garrett (1862- ) 5/3/1884
James Vincent (10/22/1867-7/13/1944) m. Mary Catherine Steele (8/18/1878-2/29/1957) 4/4/1895

Mary Catherine Steele was called Mollie. She was the daughter of Francis Marion Steele who was born in Tazewell County in 1831. She married James Vincent Campbell on April 4, 1885. Her grandchildren remember her as "Ma Mollie".

Ethel Mae (3/28/1897-5/13/1974) m. William Bertram Campbell (5/2/1894-11/29/1962)
Mabel Jessie (7/17/1899- )
James Arthur (5/13/1910- )
Maynard Hazel ( )

James Vincent's cousin, William Elbert, was the son of Joel Richard and Nancy (Fields) Campbell. Their children:

Joel Richard (11/19/1839-11/8/1912) and Nancy Fields (11/21/1843-3/4/1903) Campbell

Robert Calvin (1863- )
William Elbert (7/5/1864-1/8/1934) m. Margaret Cynthia Elliott Martin (11/19/1870-1/21/1929) 4/11/1888
Wilson (1864- )
George Washington (1866-1955) m. Nannie Lynch (1879-1934) 12/18/1895
Marcellus (1871- )
David (1872- )
Hugh (1880- )

Joel R. Campbell was also a Civil War veteran, serving in the 16th Virginia Cavalry, a unit described in The Cavalry at Gettysburg by Edward Longacre in the following manner:

A third body of Virginia horsemen would be detached from the western part of the state and given to Lee…Stuart received the news warily…[the] soldiers, most of them residents of the hill country of western Virginia, were of doubtful value in the role of a conventional cavalry force…

Despite this poor description, the 16th nevertheless, took an active part in the Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania which culminated in the climactic battle of Gettysburg on July 1-3, 1863. The 16th, under the overall command of Jeb Stuart, arrived on the battlfield on the third day and fought a battle with Union cavalry a few miles from the main action.
Joel enlisted in the 16th on August 8, 1862 and was listed as "absent on horse detail 11/30/1864". He attained a final rank of Sergeant.
Joel Richard and Nancy are buried in Campbell Cemetery number two, one mile east of the first Campbell Cemetery. Also in this cemetery are George Washington and Nannie Campbell, Robert Campbell and several Campbell infants.
William Elbert married Margaret Cynthia Elliott Martin, the daughter of John Wesley and Caroline (Campbell) Martin. Her brother, James H.P., married Florence Woodward in 1890.

William Elbert (7/5/1864-1/8/1934) and Margaret Martin (11/19/1870-1/21/1929) Campbell

Auda Veneer (10/27/1892- )
William Bertram (5/2/1894-11/29/1962) m. Ethel Mae Campbell (3/28/1897-5/13/1974)
Gleaver Joel Bentley (12/8/1902) m. Katherine Ferguson ( )

William Bertram Campbell married his distant cousin Ethel Mae Campbell in 1920.
They had nine children, of whom six survived to adulthood. William Bertram was a veteran of World War One and later operated several successful businesses in the Lebanon area.