In a much earlier column the Noah Carroll was featured. Noah arrived early in Covington County during the 1820s and settled in the Wiggins community located east of Andalusia.

Noah became a community leader and even served as a Justice of the Peace for Beat Number Three as early as 1834.

During these early years, there was another Carroll family in the County. Its head, James W. Carroll, was several years older than Noah, and their relationship is unknown to this writer.

There was a third family, James C. Carroll, who showed up in Covington County at a later date.

This James was born in 1765 probably in one of the Carolinas.

He was of age and served in the American Revolutionary War.

Then in 1892 he was married to Rhoda Stevenson (1778-1861), daughter of Oloma N. and Anna (Johnson) Stephenson, in North Carolina or possibly after he moved to Dale County, Ala.

Rhoda was born in Johnston county, N.C., and died in Ozark, Ala. James C. died in 1834 in North Carolina and was buried there.

James and Rhoda Carroll reared the following children: Margaret “Peggy,” b. 1793, d. 1836; John Wilson, b. 1794, d. 1862, m. Patsy Lassiter; Mary, b. 1796, d. 1836; David, b. 1800, d. 1864, m. (1) Mary Matthews (2) Mary M. Matthews (3) Margarete Johnson; Reuben, b. 1803, d. 1863, m. Margaret Matthews (1807-1872); James, b. 1805, d. 1878, m. Penelope “Pennie” Kennedy; Obedience, b. 1812, d. 1836; Sarah “Sallie,” b. 1816, d. 1880, m. Levi Stephens; Rhoda, b. 1818, d. 1896, m. Joseph Matthews (1809-1886); and Rebecca, b. 1822, d. 1888, m. Daniel Johnson.

Most of the above Carroll children married and eventually moved to and settled in Dale County, Ala. Even their mother, Rhoda (Stevenson) Carroll, moved there with them and was buried in the Carroll Family Cemetery.

They appear to have migrated to this area circa 1850.

Three of the children were married to three Matthews siblings, children of Lazarus and Delia (Howard) Matthews.

A note of interest is that Rhoda married Joseph Matthews, and they were converted to the Mormon religion.

They moved first to Noxubee County, Miss., and later migrated to the Mormon settlement in Nauvoo, Ill.

Even later they moved west to the Salt Lake Valley area of Utah.

Even though Joseph had two other wives, he and Rhoda reared 14 children.

Today’s writing will focus on the third son, Reuben Carroll, who eventually settled in and around Covington County, Ala.

He came first to Dale County with his relatives and then moved into Covington County.

In 1851, he and his family were one of only two families residing in the Babbie community east of Andalusia.

He built his home at the point where the current T Grocery Store is in Babbie. In 1854, he acquired two tracts of land, 160.18 acres and 80.09 acres in the Wiggins Township.

In 1864, he added 329.48 acres to this, which he bought in the same area from the State.

He and his family did most of the farm work, but he is listed as having one slave in 1860.

Reuben Carroll was married to Margaret Matthews (1807-1872), daughter of Lazarus and Delia (Howard) Matthews.

They reared the following children: Thomas, b. 1828, d. 1872, m. Sarah J. Garner; Daniel, b. 1830, d. 1862 during W.B.T.S.; Caroline, b. 1833, m. Jeremiah Woodall; James, b. 1836, m. Martha Banks; Dililia, b. 1838, m. (1) Davis (2) William Patrick Crawford; Almedia, b. 1841, m. William James ?; Reuben, b. 1844, d. during W.B.T.S.; and Simeon, b. 1849, m. Elizabeth Mancill.

The oldest son, Thomas Carroll, acquired large land holdings.

In 1854, he purchased 160.60 acres in the Wiggins Township, and he may have been the Thomas who acquired 40.13 acres in the Red Level area. He purchased several tracts during 1855: 80.30 and 79.85 acres in the Wiggins area, and 119.95 and 79.85 acres in the Buck Creek Township. He and his wife, Sarah J. Garner, reared the following children: Cassell or Caswell, b. 1852, m. Martha Driggers; Marion, b. 1854; Isaac, b. 1857; Mary Martha Magdeline, b. 1860, m. John Henry Robbins; James Thomas, b. 1862, m. Mary J. Kelly; Media, b. 1867, m. David Driggers; and Kizzie, b. 1875, single.

There may have been other children as well.

The second son, Daniel Carroll, was a farmer but his life was interrupted in July 1861 when he enlisted in the Confederate Army. He was assigned to Company B, 18th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

He died the next year of pneumonia in Mississippi. It is not known if he was married or if he had children before entering military service.

The third son, James Carroll, was named for his paternal grandfather.

He was also a farmer and enlisted in the same Confederate unit as his brother, Daniel.

After the war James returned home and was elected in March 1866 to serve as a Justice of the Peace for Beat Number Eight.

He was re-elected in 1868.

He was listed as a registered voter in Covington County in 1867.

The fourth son, Reuben Carroll II, also enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1862 at Corinth, Miss. to serve in the same company with his brothers, which was Company B, 18th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

He died only six weeks later in June 1862 at the age of 18.

The youngest son, Simon Carroll, enlisted for service a year later as a private in the same company as his brothers.

At least he was fortunate to survive the war and was paroled in May, 1865, at Vicksburg, Miss.

In 1871, he was elected as Constable for Covington County, Beat Number Eight.

He was a farmer, and in 1897 homesteaded 161.24 acres in the Horn Hill Township.

He was married to Elizabeth Mancill, but this writer did not find the names of any children for them.

Thomas Carroll’s oldest son, Caswell Carroll, built a house in the Opp area where Dr. J. Dudley Terrell’s house had stood.

He homesteaded 82.92 acres of reserved railroad land in the Red Oak Township.

He was married to Martha Driggers, and they reared the following children: Dioma, b. 1878, m. David Atkins; Roe Bertus, b. 1879, m. Mary Ellen “Mollie” Kirkland; Effie Mesiouri, b. 1884, m. Kyrd Kirkland; Harlesss, b. 1888, m. Minnie Knowles; Ellafare, b. 1891, m. Ralph Kirkland; James Edward, b. 1893, m. Lois Galloway; and Thomas Preston, b. 1897, m. Beula L. Hobbs.

Obviously, members of the Carroll family have been influential in their communities of residence.

Although considerable research has been done on this Carroll line, additional information would be appreciated.

The primary source for this narrative was a family story written for The Heritage of Covington County, Alabama by Claudia (Carroll) Adams, who is a descendant.

Other sources included Ancestry.com, Wyley Ward’s books on Covington County history and the county history by Gus and Ruby Bryan.

Anyone who discovers an error in the above is requested to contact Curtis Thomasson at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-804-1442; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.