An American Family History

Nancy Ann Cross Smith Massengil was born December 7, 1820 in Piney Flats, Sullivan County, Tennessee. Her parents were John Smith and Catharine Humphreys.

She was named for the wife of Jesse Cross (father of "Black" Will and Jacob Cross), who was a prominent man in Sullivan County. He represented the county in the legislature.

Nancy married John Masengill, Sr. about 1840. John was born in September 1816 in Sullivan County. His parents were Henry (Hal) Massengil and Elizabeth Emmert. He had been married before to Mary Scott who died a few months after their marriage.

John and Nancy lived in Piney Flats, Tennessee where John farmed and was frequently a deputy sheriff.

Nancy and John's children were James F. (Felty) Massengill (1841), George Massengill (1842), Elizabeth Massengill (1843), Dr. John David Massengill (1844, married Josephine Evans).

According to Dr. Samuel Massengill, Nancy died in 1849 when she was just 35 yeas old. She was buried at Smith-Cross Cemetery.

After she died, her children were placed among the relatives. John was raised by his Grandmother, Catherine Smith and Aunt, Elizabeth Deck. Elizabeth was sent to Deborah Masengill Banner in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Elizabeth died in 1861 when she was 18. George died when he was 16 of diphtheria.

According to Samuel Massengill, M.D., during the civil war, Felty was in Gammon's Company 19th Tennessee Infantry. He died of fever in camp at Iuka, Tishomingo, County, Mississippi before the battle of Shiloh. John David was a private in Company B of the 4th Tennessee Cavalry. Massengil recounted:

His brother John D. Masengill, who was a member of the 4th Tennessee Cavalry, C.S.A., was also in that section and heard of the serious illness of his brother. On account of the impending battle he could not get leave of absence but for sufficient time to be with him but an hour or two. He thought that he recognized him. Felty died a short while afterward and left no issue.

After the battle John D. again procured a pass to visit Felty, but found that he had died, and had been buried at Iuka with many other Confederate soldiers.

John Massengill married for a third time after the Civil War. He married Mary Jane Calbough. Mary was born in 1825 in Piney Flats.

Mary Jane died June 20, 1909 and was buried in the Massengil Cemetery.

John D. Massengill died on January 8, 1919 and is buried in the Blountville cemetery.

Dr. John D. Masengil died at his home two miles east of Blountville yesterday morning at 7 o'clock. Dr. Masengill had been ill for over a year. He suffered intense pain for nine months, but always bore his pain with patience and fortitude, never complaining.

Dr. Masengill was born in Sullivan County, May 11, 1844. He served the entire four years of the Civil War as a Confederate soldier, having volunteered at the age of 16 and was a private in Company B, 4th Tennessee cavalry regiment. The first two years of the war he served under General Forrest and the last two under General Wheeler. During this time he participated in nearly all the important battles in which the western army engaged including Perryville, Shhiloh, Missionary Ridge, and Chickamauga.

After leaving the army he attended school at the old Jefferson Academy at Blountville and later took up the study of medicine, having graduated at the Baltimore College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1874, and since that time has practiced medicine and farmed.

During his long life he was one of the leading physicians of the country and did a great deal of charity practice.

He joined the Methodist church, South in 1866 and has been a consistent member since.

Married in 1866
On October 22, 1868 he married Miss Josephine Evans, daughter of Major Sam Evans and Frances (Braden) Evans. Surviving him are his wife and the following children: N. H. Masengill and Dr. S.E. Masengil of Bristol, Mrs. H. Smith and Miss Kate Masengill of Blountville.

Dr. Masengill was a lover of the chase and a great admirer of fine horses, and did more than any other man in the country toward improving this industry, having brought the first standard-bred horse to upper East Tennessee.

The funeral services will be held at the family home at 2 o'clock this afternoon and internment will be in the cemetery at Blountville at 3 p.m.

The following will act as pallbearers: Drs. Sam McDowell and Meigs Dulaney of Blountville, J. C. Statzer and Kensinger of Bluff City, Will St. John and M. M. Pearson of Bristol.

The flowerbearers will be the following: Will Cox, George Humphreys, Robert Rutter, R. F. Smith, Charlie Earhart and Moscoe Lindamood.

The Massengills, Massengales and Variants, 1472-1931 by Samuel Evans Massengill, M.D. The King Printing Company, Bristol, Tennessee, 1931.

Nancy Ann Cross Smith m. John Masengill. She was named for the wife of Jesse Cross (father of "Black" Will and Jacob Cross), who was a prominent man in Sullivan County. He represented the county in the legislature.

p. 889 Nancy (Smith) Masengill, the wife of John Masengill, Sr., died and left a young family, and the children were placed among the relatives. Father, age 5 years was taken by his grandmother, Catherine [Humphreys] Smith, and his aunt Elizebeth (Smith) Deck, and a new home was established with Simon Deck, who was of Dutch descent and an excellent man of high character.

As would naturally occur under the circumstances, Dr. John D. Masengill, who accomplished more than the average man, was a great favorite in this family, and their pride in his advancement was evident. When his enlistment as a Confederate soldier expired, by the collapse of the Confederate government, he began to prepare for the profession of medicine.

His grandmother drew a small pension on account of the military service of her husband, John Smith and her generosity in helping him during those days of Reconstruction was timely. She always held a warm place in his heart. He named one of his children, Nancy Catherine, for his mother and grandmother. In the delirium of his last illness he often referred affectionately to her.

p. 269 Hal Massengill became a large land owner, as the grants and deeds of Washington County show, and was a wealthy man. He owned a number of slaves. He has been described by those who knew him as a small man of positive character, black eyes, heavy eye-brows, high tempered, but generous and just. He usually wore short breeches (knickerbockers) with the accompanying house, slippers and buckles that was usual for the gentry of that day. He was evidently a man of pride, for one time when his arm was disabled and he had to make his mark to a deed he required that a written explanation be made of the reason.

He was married three times. First to Penelope Cobb, daughter of William Cobb; second to Mary McCorkle, from whom he was soon divorced, and from which union there were no children; and third to Elizabeth Emmert. . .

"Four Emmert brothers came from Maryland to the Holston country at an early period. Their father came from Germany...Jacob (father-in-law of Hal Massengill), who settled near the present town of Piney Flats in Sulllivan County, on what was known later as the Jack Hall Farm." from Massengills...

Died-Elizabeth [Emmert] Masengill on Tuesday, the 18th of Sept., 1875. The subject of this obituary was born in Sullivan County, where A. J. Hall now lives, on the 5th of August, 1890. She therefore, livd to be 85 years, 1 month and 10 days old. She was the daughter of jacob Emmert, deceased and the mother of three children, viz., F. D. Masengill, John Masengill and Joseph Masengill. She was the second wife and widow of Henry Masengil, who was of Revolutionary fame, who died 23rd Sept., 1837. She remained a widow and a U. S. pensioner till she died. She made the house of her son, F. D. Masengill her home after her husband died, and for the remainder of her days was carefully and tenderly cared for.

She joined the M. E. Church, South in the year 1843, and lived a faithful and consistent member, and died in the full triumphs of the Christian's faith. The immediate cause of her death was a fall, which fractured her thigh within the capsule. She bore her sufferings with an unusual degree of Christian patience and resignation, and was entirely willing to die. She often expressed herself as being anxious that her Savior would come and take her home to join the objects of her eartly affection in the land of eternal light and glory. She left a bright example for her children and the blessed assurance that she now sweetly rests in the arms of the Redeemer of the world.

Dr. A. C. Emmert was her attending physican and did all he could to relive her suffering, but human skill was unavailing, and the veil was drawn aside and she crossed over the dark river and doubless, "Now sleeps that blessed sleep, From which none ever wake to weep."

p. 324 The earliest Calbough we ever heard of in this section was our grandfather, John Calbough, who we think married a Mottern. We do not know the order of the births of his children, but the following are the names:
a. The oldest, Henry, located in Meigs County, Tenn. and was living about 1929.
b.Susan married a Cross. Think his name was Sam. She was the mother of Rev. Reece Corss of Sullivan County, and two daughters, Eliza and Leucretia.
c. Lucinda married William McCorkle. . .
d. Sina married John M. Smith. Their only son, Ruthedge Smith, was wounded when serving in the Confederate Army and was badly crippled for life. Three daughters--Mary, who married John Arrants, who was also wounded while in the Confederate Army; Eliza who married Christopher Baker, and A. B. who married William Anderson.
e. Patsy married Dennis Nolan, an Irishman; one child Hyla Jane who married George Malone.
f. William married Betty Smith. One child, George Calbough, Elizabethton, Tenn.
g. William married Bettie Cox. Two children Lizzie, who died unmarried, and William who was killed in the Confederate Army at Richmond, Va. All communications were destroyed and his father walked from his home to Richmond in an unsuccessful attempt to recover the body.
h. George located in Meigs County and later removed farther west.
i. Samuel, who lived at Piney Flats married Maria Carr...
j. Mary Jane, next to the youngest, who was the third wife of John Massengill, son of Hal Massengill.
k. The youngest child, Matilda, was accidently shot and killed when about 16 years old.