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The Descsndants of Joseph Redden

Joseph M. Redden ( William Redden Sr & Fanny Kaylor) Joseph was the ninth child of elevin children born to William Redden Sr. and Fanny Kaylor. we can place his birth date as 1824 - 25. as he was listed by the U.S. Military as dying july 20th in 1864 at age 40. In addition the 1850 Federal Cences Lists Joseph Redden as 26 years old and Sarah as 22. Josephs physical description: According to the US Military Records, tells us that Joseph was approximately 5' 9" tall and of dark hair and dark complexion.

He married Sarah Jane Kidwell on the 28th of August 1845 in Fayett County, Virginia. Sarah Jane Kidwell was the daughter of Joseph Kidwell and Delilah Bradshaw.

It is possible that Sarah Jane was actually the result of her mother's confinement with Indians (Potowatamie) in Illinois - one of abduction. This rumor has not been confirmed. It is fairly certain that Delilah (Bracher) Bradshaw was married to Joseph Kidwell before the alleged abduction took place since it is recorded that Delilah and Joseph Kidwell had a son William born in 1823.(?) Sarah Jane's birth is determined to be 1827 and in Illinois. There is no record of the family living in Illinois.

Their Children Were:

1. Amanda Melzina Redden	2. Martha Redden
3. Nancy Jane Redden	4. Lucretia Redden
5. Sylvinia Redden	6. John William Redden

What was known about Joseph Redden, at least in the last few generations, was that he moved his family north to Ohio from Virginia some time after 1850. Joseph at age 26 , Sarah age 22 and their two daughters, Amanda age 4 and Martha age 2 were listed in the 1850 Raleigh County Census. It listed their home as in District 59 of Raleigh County Virginia. but they don't show up in Virginia in later ceensuses records.

A record was found among those recorded by Aubrey O. Smith, “Smith Rife Collection”, a historian from Beckley West Virginia, stating that Joseph Redden died in prison during the Civil War. Then In the spring of 1999 The Descendants of William Redden Sr.and Fanny Kaylor came in contact with a descendant of Joseph Redden. Sense then four other descendants of Joseph have joined the family organization. They graciously provided the information below.

Little is known of Joseph’s life in Fayette County Virginia as he was growing up, we do know that his father was a farmer and Joseph like his father worked the land. At some point after 1850 he moved to Ohio before the war broke out. His sympathies were with the North and he enlisted in the 1st Virginia Infantry at Wheeling, Virginia in 1861. He is later reported to be with the 9th WV infantry. The 9th WV infantry was also known as "Blazer's Rangers" and was active in the area where Joseph Redden was captured at Boyer's Ferry, WV. There is often mistaken information about the name of this place: Boice, Boyce and other names come up. The armies were active only at Boyer's Ferry on the appropriate capture date: February 1863. According to some reports he was initially taken to Libby Prison but was transferred to Andersonville in Georgia.

There has always been a question about Joseph's capture so close to his home. Speculation has been that he "took leave" to visit relatives and was betrayed by his confederate cousins. None of this can be proved...but the fact remains that most of his family were confederate or confederate sympathizers and probably had divided loyalties.

It is interesting to note that during that time, the question of paroles was a subject of political debate. Southern prisons were overcrowded as were Northern. The politicians of the North decided that paroles were detrimental. Prisoners from both sides languished, fell ill and died. Joseph Redden died July 20, 1864 of dysentery--- which was probably cholera.

Joseph's widow, Sarah, lived with her daughter Amanda and son in law Francis Marion Engle in Ohio after the war. Sarah Jane attested to Francis Marion Engle's war service in his pension record. She signed with an X.

A death date has not been determine for Sarah but it was after 1888. Neither do we know her burial place but it is likely in Ohio. For that matter, we cannot find the burial place (although it is recorded on the death certificates) of Francis Marion Engle and Amanda Melzina Redden.

At first glance it would seem that her father, Joseph Redden and suitor Francis Marion Engle, might be friends from “the war.” This might be so, but no evidence exists to substantiate the theory. They were in different “outfits.” They were of different generations. We do not; in fact have any idea whatsoever how Amanda and Francis met.

Francis returned from the war a broken man. He suffered from heart problems (see pension records). There is no good record of what he did for employment after the war. We know he was active in the GAR (Jacob Davis Post 441) – but little else. We know he and Amanda and Sarah lived in and around Lawrence County, in and around Scioto County and in and around Cincinnati. They were prominent enough to make the newspapers when they died.

Other records pertaining to joseph and Sarah Redden

1. Amanda Melzina Redden (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) Amanda Melzia Redden was born June 15, 1845 in Fayette Co., Virginia. She married - Francis Marion Engle on the 12th of October 1865. Amanda Died April 28, 1901 at the age of 55, of what was listed as a sudden cardiac asthma attack. At the time of her death she was living at 836 Pearl St. We assume that street was in Cincinnati Ohio as the death report was completed by the City of Cincinnati. The report also said that Amanda was buried in Sciotoville Ohio, which is pictured below, from the year 1911.

This brings up the questions, if she was living in Cincinnati when she died, why was she buried in Sciotoville Ohio, some 80 miles Southeast from Cincinnati? Was there family there?

The photograph to the right is of the four Engle daughters: Edna (Engle) Snodgrass is top back, Nancy (Engle) Ellsesser is left center, Sarah (Engle) Fields is right center, Vira Mae (Engle) Willbanks is lower front.

Amanda Melzina Redden's & Francis Marion Engle's

Their Children Were:

1. John Sherman Engle	2. William Amos Engle
3. Charles Fletcher Engle	4. Sarah Engle
5. Vira Mae Engle	6. Nancy Engle
7. Edith Engle	8. Unknown Child
9. Unknown Child	10. Unknown Child

1. John Sherman Engle (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) ((Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

2. William Amos Engle (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

3. Charles Fletcher Engle (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) Charles Fletcher Engle was born April 14th, 1880. Charles died. December 5th 1962.

4. Sarah Engle (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

5. Vira Mae Engle (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

6. Nancy Engle (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) Nancy was born in 1870 - died 1920 at age 50. She married Lewis Ellsesser, Lewis was born in 1866, he died in1927 at the age 61. Both Nancy and Lewis are buried at Athens, Ohio.

The picture to the right is of Nancy's and Lewis's daughters, Oma Ellsesser, Lenna Mae Ellsesser, and one of the girl in the photograph is unidentified

Their Children Were:

1.Oma Ellsesser 2. Lenna Mae Ellsesser

7 Edith Engle (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

1. Oma Ellsesser (Nancy Engle) (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) Oma Ellsesser was born October 14th, 1889. She died March 27th, 1964 at age 74. Oma married Lon Neimeister, December 16th, 1909 in Columbus, Ohio. Lon Neimeister was born September 21st, 1878. He died April 26th, 1962 at age 83.

Their Children Were:

1. Lewis Frederick Neimeister	2. Lonnie Winfield Neimeister
3. Amos Herbert Neimeister	4. Donald Bailey Neimeister
5. Homer Charles Neimeister	6. Sarah Maxine Neimeister

1. Lewis Frederick Neimeister, (Oma Ellsesser) (Nancy Engle)(Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) Lewis Frederick Neimeister was born October 6th, 1910. He died January 15th, 1997 at age 86. Lewis married Emma C. Erman.

2. Lonnie Winfield Neimeister, (Oma Ellsesser) (Nancy Engle) (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) ((Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)Lonnie Winfield Neimeister was born March 18th, 1912. He married Sarah Lanter, who was born August 24th, 1912. She died February 16th, 1970 at age 57.

3. Amos Herbert Neimeister, (Oma Ellsesser) (Nancy Engle) (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) Amos Herbert Neimeister was born November 15th, 1913. He died October 20th 1919 at age 5. He is buried at Athens, Ohio.

4. Donald Bailey Neimeister, (Oma Ellsesser) ) (Nancy Engle) (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) Donald Bailey Neimeister was born January 22nd, 1916. He died February 1st 1982 at age 66. He is buried at Marion Ohio.

5. Homer Charles Neimeister, (Oma Ellsesser) ) (Nancy Engle) (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) Homer Charles Neimeister was born December 20 1918 Married- Violet Engel, born July 25, 1923 – died February 22, 1985 at age 61.

6. Sarah Maxine Neimeister (Oma Ellsesser) ) (Nancy Engle) (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

2. Lenna Mae Ellsesser (Nancy Engle) (Amanda Redden & Francis Marion Engle) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) Lenna Mae Ellsesser was born in 1891. She died in 1918 at age 27. She was the youngest daughter of Nancy and Lewis Ellsesser. Lenna married Elias Thompson, who was born in 1880. He died in 1918. Both Lenna and Elias are buried at Athens, Ohio.

Note: In the fall of 1918 on a Monday, Elias died. The next Monday Lenna gave birth to a baby, which was stillborn. It was buried with its father. The third Monday Lenna died. Both Lenna and Elias died from the flu.

2. Martha Redden (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

3. Nancy Jane Redden (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

4. Lucretia Redden (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

5. Sylvinia Redden (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

6. John William Redden (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) John William Redden was born on the 15th of August 1860 in Ohio. John married Sarah Ann LeMasters on the 4th of March 1891 at Brown, Ohio. Sarah LeMasters was born in November of 1874 at Franklin, Kentucky. She died on the 8th of April 1954. John William Redden died on the 26th of May 1911 in Portsmouth, Soioto, Ohio

Their Children Were:

1. William Arthur Redden	2. Annie Gertrude Redden
3. Jesse Redden	4. Sanford Carlos Redden
5. John Franklin Redden	6. Garfield James Redden

1. William Arthur Redden ( John William Redden & Sarah Ann LeMasters ) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) William Arthur Redden was born

2. Annie Gertrude Redden ( John William Redden & Sarah Ann LeMasters ) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

3. Jesse Redden ( John William Redden & Sarah Ann LeMasters ) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

4. Sanford Carlos "Bud" Redden ( John William Redden & Sarah Ann LeMasters ) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell) Sanford C. Redden was born on the 19th of September 1899 in Sciotoville, Sioto, Ohio. Carlos married Henrietta D. Kuenzier. He died on the 6th of October 1975 in Cincinnati Ohio.

Their Children Were:

5. John Franklin Redden ( John William Redden & Sarah Ann LeMasters ) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

6. Garfield James Redden ( John William Redden & Sarah Ann LeMasters ) (Joseph M. Redden & Sarah Kidwell)

We wish to thank the descendants who have contributed to the creation of this web page. Without them this site would not exist. If you are a descendant of Joseph Redden and can fill in some of the blanks or can add photographs or other family history information, please help. If there are mistakes that you are aware of, please let us know, Thank you.

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