Today’s column will feature a continuation of the Teel family of Covington County. In last week’s column, the first three children of John and Anna (Paget) Teel were presented. The next children will be covered at this point, which will conclude this review of the Teels.

The fourth child was a daughter, Elizabeth Teel, born in 1837. She was still in her parents’ home in 1850 and 1860 in Covington County. She met with an untimely death in 1864, during the war, when she was drowned while crossing Boggy Bayou, Fla., on her way to her sister’s wedding. The site was where the current Niceville, Fla., is located. The name of her husband is unknown.

The fifth child was another daughter, Jane Teel, born in 1839. She was also residing in her parents’ home in 1850, but she was married in 1857 to Wilson Bennett Bass, son of Bennett Bridges and Mary Elizabeth (Hogg) Bass. In 1860, the young couple was living in his father’s household in Covington County. In 1862, he enlisted with his father as a private in Company E, 42nd Alabama Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. He was captured and paroled in 1863 during the siege of Vicksburg along with two of his wife’s brothers, John and Henry Teel. Upon returning home, he moved with his father and family to Boggy Bayou, Fla. He was killed in 1864 while resisting being taken back into the Confederate Army by force. His wife, Jane, drowned along with her sister, Elizabeth, on their way to another sister’s wedding.

Jane and Wilson B. Bass had only two young children who were left as orphans upon their parents’ deaths in 1864. Benjamin Wilson Bass was born in 1859 and died in 1935 in Texas where he had married Matilda Hall (1858-1903). William Riley Bass, born in 1862 and died in 1948, was married to Frances Elizabeth Collins, a native of Mississippi (1866-1949). At some point, this couple moved to Utah where they both died.

The sixth child was a son, William Teel, born in 1840 in Alabama. He was enumerated in his father’s household in 1850, but he was in his brother, James’s, household in 1860. He and James had married sisters, Mary Etta and Nancy Bass, daughters of Bennett Bridges Bass. In 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company E., 42nd Alabama Infantry Regiment, known as McCullough’s Avengers. It was also the same one to which his father-in-law and brother-in-law were assigned. He was captured during the siege of Vicksburg in 1863, took the loyalty oath and was paroled. He never made it home with the others since he died soon afterwards. He died having never seen his only child, William Henry Teel, who was born in 1863. William Henry lived until 1938 and was married to Ida D. White (1872-1954). William’s widow, Mary Etta, had remarried by 1864 to John Wilson Ramer, a farmer, by whom she had several more children.

William Teel’s only son, William Henry Teel, grew up in Covington County and remained there. He was married circa 1888 to Ida D. White, daughter of David and Martha White. In 1891, he purchased 161.54 acres of land in the Libertyville Township. He worked as a farmer to support his sizable family. He and Ida reared the following children: Unknown, b. ca 1889, d. before 1900; Mattie Lee, b. 1890; Nora Bell, b. 1894, m. Richard Thomas Davis (1882-1967); Jesse Stallings, b. 1896, d. 1962; James Bennett, b. 1899, d. 1962; Unknown, b. & d. 1900-1910; Ollie B., b. 1902, d. 1944, m. Myrtle ?; and Aaron, b. 1907, d. 1991, m. Bessie H. ? (1912-1986).

The seventh child was another son, Henry V. Teel, born in 1884 in Alabama. In 1862, he enlisted at 18 years of age as a private in Captain Brady’s Company, Alabama Volunteers, which was later named Company E., 42nd Alabama Infantry Regiment. He volunteered along with his brother, William Teel, and was listed on the Muster-In Roll made at Greenville, Ala. on April 5, 1862. Henry was captured during the fall of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, and paroled there on July 10, 1863. He returned home and chose to not rejoin his company, but moved into Florida with other relatives. On January 15, 1864, he enlisted for three years in Company B, 1st Regimental Florida Union Cavalry at Barrancas. He was described as being 20 years old and standing five feet and seven inches tall, light complexion, blue eyes and light hair. He was identified as a farmer.

After the War Between the States, Henry Teel was recognized as the first person (probably of is Teel family) to reappear in Covington County. There in 1869, he met and married Susannah “Susan” or “Susie” A. Hudgins who was born in 1853. His household was enumerated in the following manner in the 1870 federal census: Henry Teel, 24; Susan, 18; Henry Jr., 7 months; Anna, 64 (Henry’s mother); Martha, 22 (sister); Jane, 15 (niece); Richard, 9 (nephew); Bass B., 10 (nephew); William, 8 (nephew); W. Padgett, 21 (farm hand); and B.B. Bass, 21 (farm hand). In 1879, Henry moved the family to Texas and settled at White Oak, which was near Votaw. He later moved to Saratoga, where he built a double-log house. He lived there until 1924 at which time he died and was buried in the Teel Family Cemetery in Hardin County, Tex.

Henry V. and Susan A. (Hudgins) Teel reared the following children: Henry William (or V.?), b. 1869, d. 1932; Mary Elizabeth, b. 1873, d. 1956; Baseless (male), b. 1879, d. before 1900; Fred, b. 1830, d. after 1900; Ollie Mae, b. 1884, d. 1985, m. Leroy Henry Wolcott (1878-1917); Martha Jane, b. 1884, d. 1917, m. James Jackson Jordan (1881-1954); Emma, b. 1886, d. 1969, m. Tom Newman; and Nora, b. 1888, d. 1977, m. Cleveland Wesley Mathis, b. ca 188 in Maryland. The first three children were born in Alabama, and the others were born after the family moved to Texas.

The youngest child of John and Anna (Paget) Teel was a daughter, Martha Ann Teel, born in 1846 in Alabama. She remained single; however, she was not found in available records after the 1870 census when she was living in her brother, Henry’s, household. She died in 1934 and was buried in the Teel Family Cemetery in Hardin County, Tex.

Once again, the source for this writing was the genealogy records of Linda Kaple, a Teel descendant who has been researching this family for many years. Appreciation is expressed to her for sharing her work. She has additional information on the later generations, which she would share with those who are interested.

Anyone who might have any question related to this writing is requested to contact this writer, Curtis Thomasson, at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-222-6467; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.