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- Ebenezer Titus was born 11 April 1782 in Augusta County, Virginia, and died 1 June 1878 in Clay County, Missouri. He married 9 September 1802, in Madison County, Kentucky, Dorothy LEE (or "Dolly"), who was born 11 August 1783, and died 24 January 1869, in Ray County, Missouri.
In a book published in 1870, [Hodges, Nadine, Old Men of Clay County, 1870.] we find the following:
"After the Civil War, those men who had aided the Confederate cause, or were suspected of even being sympathetic to the South, were not allowed to vote or register. The editor of the Liberty Tribune of Liberty, Missouri asked each citizen past 60 to send his name, etc.
"Ebenezer Titus - I was born in Augusta County, Virginia on the 11th of April, 1782. My forefathers were a stiff necked, and rebellious people when their rights and liberties were invaded. They fought against Great Britain seven years for their independence, in which my Uncle, George Mathews, was conspicuous. He was in office during the war, taken prisoner but in what battle I know not. After the war was over, he emigrated to the State of Georgia, was there elected Governor and held that office when that State ratified the Constitution of the United States and signed his name to it. My father emigrated to Kentucky in 1782. He built the first water mill that was ever built in Madison County. About this time he joined the Separate Baptists - continued with them until 1800, when the union took place between the regular and separate Baptists, which took place at the big meeting house in Madison County, Kentucky. I was present and heard the terms of union agreed upon. Shortly after the union took place, about 700 of the separate Baptists withdrew from the union. A great many of them embraced the doctrine of Arius and Seocinious. My father continued in the union and from the time he first embraced religion, his time was partly spent in beseeching and praying the people where God in his providence cast his lot, to be reconciled to God, and to seek the Lord while he might be found, and to call upon him while he was near. He died in Howard County, Missouri on the 23 April, 1838. I joined the United Baptists in 1818; have been both Clerk and Deacon until the infirmity of old age forbid. In 1824 I emigrated to Missouri, lived in Howard County 18 years; then moved to Ray County in 1842 - lived there until 1869, when I lost My beloved and ever affectionately remembered companion. I then divided my household and kitchen furniture and part of my land between my children. I now live with my son-in-law, John McCorkle and my daughter, Elizabeth. If the illustrious dead participate with the concerns of the world, I invoke the shade of my venerable departed father and uncle to look down with scrutiny on the conduct of their disenfranchised son and nephew, and see if ever he has departed from the rectitude which was their good pleasure to instill into his youthful mind, or if he ever hesItated to support, defend and protect the Government which they fought seven years to establish. I was an old line Whig but shall henceforth vote with the Democrats if permitted. Signed, Ebenezer Titus."
An abbreviated version of the above account appears in Volume 45, of the DAR Magazine, page 244, under the heading, "Autobiographical Sketches of Citizens of Clay County, Missouri." Ebenezer Titus and his wife had eight children.
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