Individual Details
Frances "Frankie" "Francie" Brown
(November 19, 1810 - December 2, 1905)
"A source that would be of interest to anyone researching in and around Johnson County, Tennessee, Ashe and Watauga Counties, North Carolina is "Early Childhood Memories of Rev. William A. Wilson." He was a grandson of Jesse and Frances Brown Greer, Jr. His parents were Isaac and Caroline Greer Wilson and Isaac was shot in the back by bushwackers while plowing a field 17 June 1864. In his memories he relates not only a fascinating account of Isaac Wilson's death and immediate events which followed, but its impact on the community and what life was like during and after the Civil War.
" ". . . While my grandmother [Frankie Greer] was at Trade, rumors were current that the "rebels" over in Ashe were in for harsh treatment and this led her to decide not to leave mother and her large family of helpless children to their fate. Grandfather [Jesse Greer, Jr.] feared personal injury but, being a woman, Grandmother had no such fears. Her presence in the home at thie time was inestimable. She was a comfort to my mother and the children wondered at her resourcefulness. She kept telling us we were fortunate in having Benny Biggs and his good family take over the farm and made it plain we were not to depend too much on him but that we must work together and produce all the food we needed and clothe ourselves as well as we could. She began her preparations to go to their new home at Elk Cross Roads, but before she could leave one of the most shocking experiences of my life happened. In the early afternoon seven or eight men, all of them carrying guns of different types came down the hill or ridge by a path which at that time was much traveled. All were on foot. They came straight to the house and some of them told my mother they were looking for supplies for the army. They all wore the blue uniform of the Union army. My mother explained she had only barest necessities and that until wheat and rye harvest she would be hard pressed. They said they would search the place and would claim what they needed for their own use. In their search they did not seem to care for the household effects. They found some bacon in the smoke house and appropriated that and took some lard from the kitchen. They even looked into the cupboard and finding half of a cakeshaped piece of maple sugar, of course, took that. They emptied the salt gourd into a handkerchief and appropriated that. Looking about the grounds, they saw many turkeys and chickens. They consulted whether they should carry them off and when one remarked that it was hard to catch chickens, others laughed suggesting he was might at raiding the roost. The spring house was not far from the house and all moved in that direction. When they opened the door, they saw many things they considered portable. A large bowl was heaped up with butter. One of the men instinctively took from his neck a bandana and tied that up so that it might be conveniently carried. A large brown jar was uncovered and found to be filled with fine honey. When one of the gang "wondered" if it were not too heavy to be carried away, Henry Parsons said he would see that it reached Tennessee. Grandmother had followed to see what they would carry off and at that she lost control of her temper. My mother did not utter a word. The children of the family had never seen such a display of temper and stood aghast. As they took off for their return to their beloved State of Tennessee, which they could see two miles away, they took a different trail. This one led up the ridge South West a mile and a half to the farm and passed through the farm of John Wilson. As they were crossing a rail fence a few yards from the spring house, Frankie Greer, more to destroy the butter than to inflict injury, shoved Shang Snider, who was at that time carrying it and he fell but held the butter. She was roundly cursed and threatened if she should follow further. After climbing the hill about one hundred yards, the men found a level spot and sat down to rest. Frankie Greer saw her chance and seized a large stone and with all the strength she could muster hurled it against the jar containing the honey. This was too much for Henry Parsons and he made a fierce bayonet charge. Frankie Greer seized the barrel of his gun and Parsons, jerking the gun from her grasp, pulled the bayonet through her hands cutting one of her little fingers. By this time, all the children were frightened out of their wits and my mother rushed to the scene and forced Frankie Greer back to the house. While her finger was seriously cut, my grandmother made light of the wound. The cut healed quickly enough but an artery, having been severed, it was crooked and stiff. Always in referring to it, she would call it my "Hen Parsons" finger. . . ." " (Picture and information from Clinton Getzinger, CGetzinger@aol.com, via Mary Floy Katzman, 1998.)
This picture shown here was given to Clinton Getzinger by a cousin who had it a long time. He was not sure who the picture was, as there was no writing to even give a clue as to identity, but he thought it was either Mary "Polly" (Morris) Greer, wife of Jesse Greer, Sr. or their daughter-in-law, Frances "Frankie" (Brown) Greer, wife of Jesse Greer, Jr., but both Clinton and Mary Floy feel it is of Frankie Brown Greer. (NOTE FROM RALPH TERRY: In having been a photographer for over 40 years, and studying many old photographs, this type of image and mount is consistant with the mid 1860 to late 1870 time period. It is not of a type that could have been made before 1860, and probably not after the early 1880s. Therefore, assuming the image was made about 1865, Frankie Greer would have been 55 years old at this time. Mary "Polly" Greer would have been 77 years old at this time. This woman appears to me to be about 50 to 60 years old, but not in her late 70's. Therefore, of these two women, it could only have been Frankie Brown Greer.)
" ". . . While my grandmother [Frankie Greer] was at Trade, rumors were current that the "rebels" over in Ashe were in for harsh treatment and this led her to decide not to leave mother and her large family of helpless children to their fate. Grandfather [Jesse Greer, Jr.] feared personal injury but, being a woman, Grandmother had no such fears. Her presence in the home at thie time was inestimable. She was a comfort to my mother and the children wondered at her resourcefulness. She kept telling us we were fortunate in having Benny Biggs and his good family take over the farm and made it plain we were not to depend too much on him but that we must work together and produce all the food we needed and clothe ourselves as well as we could. She began her preparations to go to their new home at Elk Cross Roads, but before she could leave one of the most shocking experiences of my life happened. In the early afternoon seven or eight men, all of them carrying guns of different types came down the hill or ridge by a path which at that time was much traveled. All were on foot. They came straight to the house and some of them told my mother they were looking for supplies for the army. They all wore the blue uniform of the Union army. My mother explained she had only barest necessities and that until wheat and rye harvest she would be hard pressed. They said they would search the place and would claim what they needed for their own use. In their search they did not seem to care for the household effects. They found some bacon in the smoke house and appropriated that and took some lard from the kitchen. They even looked into the cupboard and finding half of a cakeshaped piece of maple sugar, of course, took that. They emptied the salt gourd into a handkerchief and appropriated that. Looking about the grounds, they saw many turkeys and chickens. They consulted whether they should carry them off and when one remarked that it was hard to catch chickens, others laughed suggesting he was might at raiding the roost. The spring house was not far from the house and all moved in that direction. When they opened the door, they saw many things they considered portable. A large bowl was heaped up with butter. One of the men instinctively took from his neck a bandana and tied that up so that it might be conveniently carried. A large brown jar was uncovered and found to be filled with fine honey. When one of the gang "wondered" if it were not too heavy to be carried away, Henry Parsons said he would see that it reached Tennessee. Grandmother had followed to see what they would carry off and at that she lost control of her temper. My mother did not utter a word. The children of the family had never seen such a display of temper and stood aghast. As they took off for their return to their beloved State of Tennessee, which they could see two miles away, they took a different trail. This one led up the ridge South West a mile and a half to the farm and passed through the farm of John Wilson. As they were crossing a rail fence a few yards from the spring house, Frankie Greer, more to destroy the butter than to inflict injury, shoved Shang Snider, who was at that time carrying it and he fell but held the butter. She was roundly cursed and threatened if she should follow further. After climbing the hill about one hundred yards, the men found a level spot and sat down to rest. Frankie Greer saw her chance and seized a large stone and with all the strength she could muster hurled it against the jar containing the honey. This was too much for Henry Parsons and he made a fierce bayonet charge. Frankie Greer seized the barrel of his gun and Parsons, jerking the gun from her grasp, pulled the bayonet through her hands cutting one of her little fingers. By this time, all the children were frightened out of their wits and my mother rushed to the scene and forced Frankie Greer back to the house. While her finger was seriously cut, my grandmother made light of the wound. The cut healed quickly enough but an artery, having been severed, it was crooked and stiff. Always in referring to it, she would call it my "Hen Parsons" finger. . . ." " (Picture and information from Clinton Getzinger, CGetzinger@aol.com, via Mary Floy Katzman, 1998.)
This picture shown here was given to Clinton Getzinger by a cousin who had it a long time. He was not sure who the picture was, as there was no writing to even give a clue as to identity, but he thought it was either Mary "Polly" (Morris) Greer, wife of Jesse Greer, Sr. or their daughter-in-law, Frances "Frankie" (Brown) Greer, wife of Jesse Greer, Jr., but both Clinton and Mary Floy feel it is of Frankie Brown Greer. (NOTE FROM RALPH TERRY: In having been a photographer for over 40 years, and studying many old photographs, this type of image and mount is consistant with the mid 1860 to late 1870 time period. It is not of a type that could have been made before 1860, and probably not after the early 1880s. Therefore, assuming the image was made about 1865, Frankie Greer would have been 55 years old at this time. Mary "Polly" Greer would have been 77 years old at this time. This woman appears to me to be about 50 to 60 years old, but not in her late 70's. Therefore, of these two women, it could only have been Frankie Brown Greer.)
Events
| Birth | November 19, 1810 | North Carolina | |||
| Marriage | November 16, 1826 | Jesse Greer Jr. | |||
| Death | December 2, 1905 | Watauga County, North Carolina | |||
| Burial | Banner Elk Cemetery, Avery County, North Carolina |
Families
| Spouse | Jesse Greer Jr. (1806 - 1888) |
| Child | Emeline Greer (1827 - 1859) |
| Child | Caroline Greer (1828 - 1911) |
| Child | Wilburn H. Greer (1833 - 1925) |
| Child | Mahala Greer (1834 - ) |
| Child | Mary "Polly" Greer (1837 - 1889) |
| Child | Margaret A. Greer (1842 - ) |
| Father | Franklin "Francis" Brown (1780 - ) |
| Mother | Mary "Polly" (1791 - 1838) |
| Sibling | Hubbard Brown (1807 - ) |
| Sibling | Nancy Brown (1818 - ) |