Memory A. Inman

  General Notes:

The 1850 Federal Census for the Southern District, Pittsylvania, Virginia, page 87A dated September 6, 1850 records Memory Inman (20 - VA) living with his parents Henry Inman (70 - VA), Mary Inman (88 - VA), Sinter Angelou (28 - VA), and Henry Inman (9 - VA). Henry is a farmer with real estate valued at $1,000.
Note: From Virginia Marriages, 1740-1850 at ancestry.com:
Groom Name: Henry Inman
Bride Name: Lydia Anglin
Marriage Date: 20 Jun 1803
County: Pittsylvania
State: Virginia

The 1860 Federal Census for the Southern District, Pittsylvania, Virginia, page 381A dated July 2, 1860 records Memry Inman (24 - VA) as a farm hand living with John W. Guerrant and family.

Memory Inman enlisted as a Private in Company D, 38th Infantry Regiment Virginia on 24 May 1861. He received a disability discharge from Company D, 38th Infantry Regiment Virginia on Nov 11, 1861. He was then drafted into Company D, 38th Infantry Regiment Virginia on Aug 28, 1862.


The 1870 Federal Census for Subdivision North of Dan River, Pittsylvania, Virginia, Chatham P. O., page 146A dated July 12, 1870 records Memry Inman (36 - VA) with his wife Mary A. Inman (22) and daughter Mary L. Inman (1). Memry is a farmer and has no value for real estate but has a personal estate of $100.
From ancestry.com, submitted by Tricia Mann January 30, 2009: Memory Inman is the husband of Mary A. (Fuller) and father of Mary L (Laura). Memory is my great-great grandfather.

The 1880 Federal Census for Tunstall, Pittsylvania Co., VA, District 175, page 360A, dated June 22, 1880 records M. A. Inman (43) with his wife Mary A. (32) and children Mary Laura (9), Martha (7), Solomon (5), and Fletcher H. (3).

  Research Notes:

An account of Memory Inman based on historical records, the family Bible, and word of mouth stories from his grandchildren posted by triciamann11 in August 2009 at tress.ancestry.com
History of Memory Inman
Memory Inman, from what can be deduced by recorded documentation, appears to have been orphaned (at least motherless) from an early, age, probably between the ages of 1 and 5. His given age is different on every historical document where age is listed which would suggest that his birthdate was uncertain in the minds of everyone responsible for him, including himself.

He is first named on the 1850 Pittsylvania County Virginia Census. His age is recorded as 14, 20, or 24. The number is smudged. His occupation is listed as "Labourer." He is living with a much older man with the same last name, Henry Inman, probably his grandfather. The 1840 Pittsylvania County Virginia Census for the household of Henry Inman lists one male between the ages of 1 and 5. This could be Memory at age 4.
According to Memory's marriage license his parents are Cabel (misspelling of Caleb?) and Betsy Inman. Caleb Inman is the son of Henry Inman. There is no record of the 24-year-old Caleb on the 1840 Virginia census. The first record naming Caleb is his marriage license to Cynthia Dabney in 1843 who is 5 years his senior. Caleb and Cynthia are listed on the 1850 Pittsylvania County Virginia census with a family of their own.

The next record of Memory Inman is the 1860 Pittsylvania County Census. Two families have moved into the Inman/Mills neighborhood and Memory is living with one of them, John W. Bryant, a tobacconist, next door to his future wife, Mary Ann Fuller. He is listed as a farm hand, aged 24 or 27.

On April 17,1861 the Virginia General Assembly voted to repeal the ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America. On May 23, 1861, 3198 Pittsylvania County citizens (225 from Whitmell) voted for secession. A Poll was held at Whitmell on Thursday May 23, 1861 to take sense of qualified voters. Memory and five other Inman male relatives are listed.

From p. 104 of Gregory:
Inman, Memory A.: Pvt.' Co. D 5/24/61 Whitmell; absent sick from 6/21/61-10/61; medical discharge 11/11/61 general debility; reenlisted 8/26/62 Danville conscripted. Reassigned 38th Co. D; present until WIA Drewry's Bluff 5/16/64; admitted Howard's Grove 5/17/64, v.s. left breast; returned to duty 10/11/64 present through last roll 2/25/65. Alive 7/21/84.

Memory was friend to James and John Booker whose letters are now archived at UVa. He is mentioned three times:
Booker letters.... Camp Near Well Hope Church, September the 30, 1862
All of our conscripts are sick, they was only four sent to our company. John Hundley and Whit and Memory Inman and Bue Pruett. (A conscript is a person drafted into the service.)

Booker Letters ...Camp Near Kinston N. C. December the 22, 1863

I expect there will be a wedding near you in the Christmas. Memory Inman starts home in the morning on furlow to get married. I hope he will have a good time. I expect he is going to take Miss Mary Fuller. I dont no.

Booker letters . Camp Near the New Bridge on Chicahomnie, March 1st 1864

Memory Inman were court martialed and hsi sentence wer to do Poleuse duty for hsi Regt one hour each day for seven days and the court said it were thus lenient on him on account of his good conduct before. He haventh had to Do any of his duty as yet an I dont reckon he will have to Do any of it. I hope Not.

Memory Inman did not get married that Christmas of 1863. The happy occasion took place at the residence of the bride's father, Solomon Fuller, on December 14, 1865. The Certificate To Obtain A Marriage License, the Marriage License and the Minister's Return can be found at the Pittsylvania County Court House in Chatham, Virginia. The certificate was filled out on December 11, 1865. The ceremony was performed by Silvany Gardner, a Baptist minister from Mount Hermon Baptist Church.

Memory A Inman is listed in the Pittsylvania County Deed Book 62, p. 421 on July 20, 1868: Memory Inman to Jeduthan C. Beavers Trust. The 1870 Pittsylvania County Census is the next record of note. Memory's age is listed as 36 and Mary is 22. As usual, neither age matches other records. The only record I have for the years between the 1870 census and the 1880 census is from Memory Inman's family Bible written in his hand. He lists his four children, their birthdates, and his second marriage to Bettie. This Bible was recovered by Roy and Irma Inman Fuller and Solomon and Dean Inman. Someone told Uncle Roy that some items belonging to his wife's grandfather were in a cabin somewhere in Pittsylvania County on a road going toward Halifax County. Uncle Solomon does not remember where this place was, but the four of them went there and recovered a large framed picture of Memory Inman, a Bible, and a chest (perhaps a chest of drawers).
On the 1880 census Memory Inman seems to be a successful farmer as four men are living with him and listed as servants (perhaps farm hands). Memory's age is 43, perhaps the truest record so far. Between the 1880 census and December 20, 1882 Mary Ann Fuller Inman died and Memory Inman married Bettie Lee Myers Mullens. I have not located a marriage license for Memory and Bettie Lee, but the existence Bettie Lee Myers can be found on several historical documents.
On July 13, 1883, Memory Inman claimed the Homestead Exemption - Pittsylvania County Deed Book 82, p. 314. In the deed Memory says he is living with his wife and children. This would be his second wife Bettie Lee and his children by his first wife Mary Ann. It must have been shortly after this that Memory left his four children with his wife's father, Solomon Inman, to raise. Memory's son Solomon Lee recounted later to his own children that his father Memory waved goodbye and they never saw him again (although they all still lived in Pittsylvania County, probably no farther apart than 30 miles).
On July 21, 1884, M. A. Inman made application for Commutation as a wounded soldier. Commutation payments for wounded soldiers were the first kind of pension for confederate veterans in Virginia. Because Memory Inman could read and write he probably understood the system better than most veterans. He applied for each type of pension as they were enacted by state government but never received any. His last application was for the pension Act of 1888. Under the Act of 1888 the veteran had to be disabled. He was approved to receive $15 a month on June 23, 1888.
On July 3, 1886 Memory Inman, Bettie Lee Inman and Polly Myers used land owned by Polly Myers, Bettie's grandmother, as collateral to borrow money and fertilizer to plant crops. This land is probably the same land that Polly Myers leaves to Bettie Lee Inman and her brother George Myers in Mary Ann Myers' Will dated April 2, 1895. (B & S Book 104, p. 388) The property, 50 acres more or less, on the Spring Garden road five miles from Danville is left to George Myers and Bettie Lee Inman during her life and while she remains unmarried (she must now be a widow). This is probably the property where the Bible, picture, and chest were found.

Memory married Mary Ann Fuller circa 14 Dec 1865 in Pittsylvania Co., VA. (Mary Ann Fuller was born circa 1848 in Virginia and died on 20 Aug 1880 in Chatham, Pittsylavania Co., VA..)