Individual Details

1840 Census. Jackson Co TN
Elijah H. Lawson. 1m -5, 1m 20-30; 1f 20-30

From JOHN D. & JANE BROWNING LAWSON, COVERED WAGON PIONEERS, Mary Kay Lawson, 1985. Elijah and his wife Rutha, probably Rutha Chaffin, sister to Joshua's wife Mary, were living next door to Joshua & Mary Lawson in Macon Co MO in the 1850 census. Both Elijah and Joshua were Christian Church [Campbellite] ministers.

WorldConnect file.
Elijah married Ruth Chaffin, 22 May 1839, in Jackson Co TN. Elijah was a minister. The family moved to Missouri about 1860 where Elijah died 25 Mar 1905, in Linn Co.

The family was in Missouri before 1850.
Macon Co MO, District 52, Hh 416 [next to brother Joshua]
Harvey Lawson, age 31, Minister-Camp, b. TN. Rutha, age 30.
Martin 10, Mary 8, Eliza J. 6, William J. 4, all born in Tennessee
Luenna C., age 2, born in Missouri.

I found that E. H. Lawson was in Chariton, Macon Co MO for the 1860 census.
Hh 702: E. H. Lawson, age 41, b. TN. Rutha, age 41. Children were all born in Tennessee. Martin L. 20, Eliza 16, William 13, Lucinda 11, Elizabeth 8, Jas. D. L. age 4.

Elijah is said to have served as chaplain in the 42nd Missouri Regt during the Civil War from Aug 1864 to May 1865. This was a Union Regiment. Here's their story:
42nd REGIMENT MO INFANTRY.
Organized at Macon, Mo., September, 1864. Attached to District of Northern Missouri, Dept. of Missouri, to December, 1864. Tullahoma, Tenn., Dept. of the Cumberland, to February, 1865. Unattached, 4th Division, 20th Army Corps, Dept. of the Cumberland, to March, 1865. 2nd Brigade, Defences Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, Dept. Cumberland, to April, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Sub-District, District of Middle Tennessee, to June, 1865.
SERVICE.-Companies "A," "C" and "H" moved to Sturgeon, Mo., September 23, 1864. Garrison duty there and at Columbia till November. RegIment assigned to guard duty on line of the Northern Missouri and Hannibal & St. Joseph Rallroad, till November 10. Moved to St, Louis, Mo., November 12-13, thence to Paducah, Ky., November 29-December 2. To Clarksville and Fort Donelson, Tenn., December 3-6, and duty there till December 30. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., December 30-31, thence to Tullahoma, Tenn., January 2-3, 1865, and duty there till March, operatIng against guerrillas in Southern Tennessee and Northern Alabama. Action at Corn's Farm, Franklin County, Tenn., February 6. Garrison duty at Shelbyville, Tenn., till June 23. Moved to Nashville, Tena., June 23. Mustered out Companies "H," "I" and "K" March 22, 1865; Regiment June 28, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 6 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 124 Enlisted men by disease. Total 134.
Source of Data: "A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, V.III" by Frederick H. Dyer, c1908, p.1337


1870 Census. Yellow Creek Twp, Linn Co MO, Hh 116
Henry Lawson, age 51, Minister, b. TN. Ruth, 50, b. TN
Elizabeth 16, b. MO. James 13, b. MO. Joshua 9, b. MO
Mary Chaffin, age 76, b. NC.
The household just before Henry is
Martin Lawson, age 30, Teacher, b. TN. Laura, 20, b. MO. Bartholemew, age 1.

1880 Census. Bucklin, Linn Co MO, Hh 118
Elijah Lawsen, age 61, Farmer, b. TN, parents b. VA. Ruth, age 61, b. TN, parents b. NC [cripple]
Joshua, age 17, works on farm, b. MO.

1900 Census. Bucklin City, Linn Co MO, Hh 149
Elijah H. Lawson, b. Mar 1818, age 82, married for 60 years, b. TN, parents b. VA
Ruth Lawson, b. Jan 1819, age 81, had 8 children, all are still living, b. TN, father b. VA, mother b. TN

Elijah's obituarary appeared in the Bucklin Herald printed in Bucklin, Linn Co MO on Friday 31 Mar 1905. He had died at the age of 87. His funeral was at the Union Church in Bucklin. He was married in 1839 to Ruth Chaffin, who died 4 Dec 1904. In 1848 they moved from Tennessee to Linn Co, but in 1850 they went to Macon Co until 1865. Elder Lawson was chaplain of the 14nd Missouri. He begin his ministry at the age of 24 and was "father" of the Christian Church in many counties of Missouri and Iowa. He raised 4 sons and 4 daughters. Sons are Martin V., living in Arkansas; J. C. of Bucklin; James and Jordan, farming in Nebraska. Daughters Eliza Summers and Lizzie Snider of Bucklin; Louenna Carter of Marceline, and Mary Summers of Eddyville, Nebraska.

Martin VanBuren Lawson was born 14 Feb 1840 in Jackson Co TN - he was the 4th child. He married Laura Curtis Williams, 28 Feb 1866 in Louisiana, Pike Co, MO. They had six children. Martin served in the Civil War and applied for his pension 20 Jan 1888 in Illinois. He apparently deserted his family and moved to Arkansas where he got a Civil War Vereran's land grant. He was there in Polk Co in 1900 and listed his wife, Laura and the two youngest daughters - but they never lived with him there and, in fact, did not know where he was. He was apparently the third husband of Mary Adeline Robertson who applied for his widow's pension as Mary A. Lawson - they had married in Grannis, Polk Co, AR on 16 Feb 1902. Martin died in 1924; Mary went to live with her daughter in Oklahoma and died there in 1927.
Note: The obituary of Ruth, his mother, in 1904, stated that he was in Arkansas, so obviously the family did know where he was - there's more to this story.

Birth	22 Mar 1818	Jackson County, Tennessee
Marriage	22 May 1839	Jackson County, Tennessee - Ruth Chaffin
Death	25 Mar 1905	Bucklin, Linn County, Missouri

Spouse

Ruth Chaffin (1819 - 1904)

Father	ROBERT Lawson Jr (1776 - 1850)
Mother	MARGARET Hicks (1780 - 1840)
Sibling	Joshua Lawson (1804 - 1862)
Sibling	Jane Ann Lawson (1807 - 1847)
Sibling	ELIZABETH LAWSON (1809 - 1891)
Sibling	Margaret Lawson (1817 - 1883)
Sibling	James Lawson (1820 - 1870)