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- From Charles Culver 30, Dec. 2001: Albert M. Culver, the son of Ichabod and Malinda McNeely Culver, was born 14 January 1849, Marshall County, Alabama; died 24 November 1913 in Prentiss County, Mississippi, married Narsissy Evalin Carpenter November 4, 1869, by H. G. Shannon, Minister of the Gospel4, at the home of his uncle George Culver who gave permission for them to marry. Narcissy was 14 when she married Albert. Census records show that Albert reported his date of birth as 1849; his parents reported it as 1847. In addition, Beatrice Carpenter's bible shows 1845 for Albert and 1847 for Narcissy. The birth dates used in this record were obtained from the death certificates of each. A photocopy of a letter written by A. M. Culver to his father on February 18, 1878 was obtained. This letter shows that Albert and Narcissy were living in Maryin (Marion) Co., AL, Harsel Station. The letter went as follows (Spelling is as it appears in the letter. Periods were added to indicate end of sentences.): "State of Ala, Maryin County, my post office Harsel Station also. Feb. the 18 1878. Dear father mother and brother and sister, seet myself down to drop you a few lines to let you know that we are all well at present. hoping when this comes to your hand it may find you all well and doing well. we have nothing strange to write you. times are hard here. money is scarce. we made $34.95 1/2 cotten last year and not quite corn anouth though we would be glad to see you one time more. we received your kind letter some time ago and was glad to heare frome you one we heard you was gon to texes (Texas) and am glad its mistake. pap you and Joseph said you was coming a christmas and you did not come. I want you to come pap. I went you to move back here close to us. you can bye 80 acres of land for 160 dollars 50 cash and the balence on time. we have 4 children the babe name Saly. Be we (?) have wrote 2 letters and got no answer. Dovy says she will send grandma a peeice of her dres. pleas write to us where Jasper Watts and family is George Carpenter and family is so I will close by askin you to write soon and often. A.M. and N.E. Culver" The 1890 Itawamba County, Mississippi Tax List shows A. M. Culver on page 19 of the Jericho Election Precinct. According to the 1900 census record, Albert and Narcissy would have married in 1875, but the marriage license shows this is incorrect. This is not the only error in this record. Sallie is listed with the middle initial of D when it is actually B. It also shows Sallie as the wife and Evalin as the daughter with their birth information reversed. It was also incorrect when it reported that both of Albert's and Narcissy's parents were born in AL. This record also listed Sallie's birth as 1879, and that was the year William T. was born. Sallie was actually born in 1876. In this record Narcissy said she was the mother of 9 children with 8 of them still living. It is possible that a child was born between William T. and Jessie R., since it was unusual for that much time to lapse between children. Also, it is possible that a child was born and then died between census records, and it is for that reason that no name could be found. According to stories that have been passed down through the family: Albert supposedly a Cherokee Indian was a trapper. (Based upon the description of older brother Jesse taken from his war records perhaps there was Indian blood in their veins, but this has not been proven. Albert's Indian name was possibly Culverhouse before it was changed to Culver.) Albert was reputed to have shot and killed a man who was at one of his beaver slides. He then left Alabama and went to Mantachie, Mississippi in Itawamba County, Mississippi, and his family followed shortly thereafter in a covered wagon. At least one part of that story is true and can be verified: According to "The Marion Herald" published at Hamilton, Alabama in Marion County on Dec. 6, 1888 the following article appeared: (Typed as it was printed.) DEATHS: "On Monday morning last, Jerry Davis was shot and killed by Mr. Culver on Bull Mountain Creek. Davis was trapping for beaver and was down under the bank attending to his traps and Mr. Culver took him to be a beaver and shot him through the head, killing him instantly." If family stories are correct, and Albert left Alabama after this incident, and the family followed shortly thereafter, it would be safe to assume that Albert left Alabama around the first week in Dec. 1888. The 1890 Tax List shows that he was in MS. The following can be proven relating to the life of Albert Culver: He was born in Marshall Co., Alabama on Jan. 14, 1849. He lived with his parents in Marshall Co. until sometime after 1860. He married Narcissy on November 4, 1869 in Blount Co., AL. By 1870 they were living in Morgan County, Alabama. In 1875 they were living in Franklin County, Alabama in the town of Russellville, because that was where Mary Dovie was born. In 1880 they were living in Marion County, Alabama near the town of Hamilton. The first of December 1888 Albert killed a man, and the family left Alabama. In 1890 they were in Itawamba County, Mississippi. (Itawamba County, Mississippi court records show that on March 2, 1897, Albert Culver was in court, docket #2841 and he was fined $100 for failing to appear before the Grand Jury at a previous court term. The reason for the court appearance was not given. The disposition shows that the court set aside the fine.) In 1900 and 1910 they were living in Lee County, Mississippi. The Tippah County, Mississippi court records were checked and the following entries were found regarding the Culver family: September term 1885: N. L. Marmon v. H. H. Culver and W. W. Culver (unknown what the case was about) State v. Sam Culver, Charges: Threats and profanity. Fined $1.00. Date: Aug. 15, 1885. (The Sam Culver mentioned above is believed to be Samuel G. Culver, brother of Albert M. Culver.) Albert was bedridden with consumption at the time of his death. When he died; he was 66 years, 10 months, and 10 days old. His cause of death was listed as Tuberculosis. He is buried at Kirkville. (Albert's date of birth was figured by using his date of death.) Some family stories say that this couple ran off to Texas to get married. We now know that this is not true. But, because of this information several counties in Texas were checked for the years 1860-1870. Several Culver families were located, but no Albert was found. (These were later found to be the Culver families who came from Georgia. Jim Culver of Austin, Texas and other Culver researchers are convinced that the branch from Georgia is related to our branch by way of brothers George and Nathaniel Culver of Somerset Maryland. This has not been proven even though our own John Culver spent the summer of 1786 visiting Nathaniel Culver of Somerset Maryland.ccc) Another family story says that Narcissy was a full blood Cherokee, and she was living on an Indian reservation until she was a small girl (about 7 or 8 years old) when a family by the name of Carpenter supposedly adopted her and raised her. (This has not been documented but research is continuing.) She is believed to be the natural daughter of either Braxton B. and Sarah Phillips Carpenter or of his son James R. Carpenter and his wife Rebecca Edwards Carpenter. Sufficient facts exist to prove that Braxton and Sarah are the family that raised her. Because of the history of the Indian and the white man, it is not logical that an Indian child was raised by a white family. Narsissy E. Carpenter the wife of Albert M. Culver, nicknamed "Cicero", was born 19 July 1855 in Blount County, Alabama and died 29 August 1920 in Prentiss County, Mississippi. Narcissy went blind sometime before her death. The cause is unknown. She is buried at Kirkville. The death certificate listed her name as Adeline. She was 65 yrs. 1 month and 10 days old at the time of her death. It further showed that her father's name was John Carpenter, research is continuing to prove or disprove this information. Information for the death certificate was provided by Joe Stephens, husband of Josie Culver, the daughter of Narcissy. (The undertaker had her name listed incorrectly, therefore, it is highly possible he had the name of her father wrong as well. He also listed her date of birth as 7-19-1835. By using her age at the time of her death her date of birth can be figured out.) At the time of her death she was living in Marietta, Mississippi with her son William Taylor Culver. The following information tends to indicate that she was the natural daughter of Braxton B. Carpenter and his wife Sarah Phillips Carpenter. (Sarah was the daughter of John Phillips. A court record dated December 18, 1849 was located in Lincoln Co., TN. It shows that Seray (Sarah) Carpenter sold her interest of a tract of land - containing 72 acres - located in Lincoln Co., TN, Dist. 17, on the banks of Kelly's Creek. The land was left to her by James Phillips at his death. This document shows that "Seray" was "not of age". Braxton Carpenter signed this paper along with Sarah. It is possible that the Sarah the document is referring to was Braxton's daughter and it was for that reason that he had to sign.) In the 1870 census, the ages for Braxton and Sarah are considerably off from the 1860 census. The female E. Carpenter would have been born in 1867, 12 years after Evalin was born. Braxton and Sarah Carpenter were living in Blount Co. in 1870. Albert and Narcissy married in 1869 in Blount Co. There was no female living with Braxton in 1880, other than his wife, and Narcissy appeared on the census record with Albert in 1880.
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1847 - 1913 (66 years)
