They were part of the contingent of Dixie Saints that joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and formed small branches in Mississippi and Alabama. In 1846 many of these left their extended family and followed prophet Brigham Young (1801-1877) and the church to Salt Lake Valley. See Mississippi Saints 1846 Pioneer Company for more info.
This is an informal census based on currently available genealogical information to help their descendants to better understand and appreciate their ancestral roots.
Branch History[]
The Chickasaw Branch is not listed on the BYU Mormon Places Cartography Project of known church branches, so was not an official branch of the church:
1844 Mission of James Richey[]
Mission of James Richey (1821-1890) to his relatives in Itawamba County, Mississippi and then further north to Chickasaw County, Mississippi.
The Richey / Adair / Mangum / Brown Families were part of the contingent of Dixie Saints that joined the church in branches in Mississippi and Alabama. The Noxubee group traveled directly to Pueblo Co in 1846 and almost could have beaten Brigham Young to Salt Lake Valley. Major autobiography with lots of references to Mangums, Richeys, and Adairs and their history by James Richey [see notes of James Richey for a couple of varying versions of his story] mentions his grandmother: [Appears she was probably baptized in 1844.]. The typographical errors are per the original:
After staying with my friends a few days Itawamba County I went to Chickasaw Co. to where my Uncle Thomas Adair lived and preached to them the Gospel in that vicinity. I then returned home to my father's house in Noxubee 1845 LDS BranchNoseuher County. After resting a while I started out in company with elder Daniel Thomas on preaching tour. We went into the northwestern part of the state of Alabama on the Butteharhe River. From there we went to Itawamba in the state of Mississippi and preached to the people in the neighborhood of Where my relatives lived. A number of them believed and was afterwards baptized into the church. We then went to Chickasaw County in the state of Mississippe and preached into the church. The names of those that were baptized are as follows Thomas Adair and wife, John Mangum and wife, my grandmother, Seli Rebecca Adair and John Wesley Adair. After this I returned home and gave my attention to work of preparing to remove with my fathers friends to the city of Nauvoo in the State of Illinois to which place we removed in the year of 1845. After we arrived in the City we had much sickness in the family. While I was gone up the river to help to bring down a raft for firewood. My oldest sister Rebecca was taken sick and died in my absence, which was a heavy blow to me as well as the rest of the family. In the course of the year my brother Robert and sister Martha Ann also died with malaria. In the course of the summer I returned to the State of alabama for my grandmother Rebecca Richey but her son kept her money from her so I failed in that part of my mission."
Later (Mar/Apr 1844) we have a record from missionary John Brown (1820-1896) visiting this and other several small branches in Northeastern Mississippi (whom he attributes Benjamin Clapp for helping to organize. Here he tells of chasing down some fake missionaries who had duped the local saints of some donations made to help the poor.
1845 LDS Census[]
Ages estimated at time of living in 1845.
Thomas Adair Family[]
- Thomas Jefferson Adair (1814-1895) (31) - Son of Thomas Adair (1774-1858) in Itawamba 1845 LDS Branch. This Family followed the Adair/Richey/Mangum clan to Iowa and Washington County, Utah.
- Frances Rogers (1818-1847) (27) - Died at LDS Refugee Camp in Mt Pisgah, Iowa
- Mary Ann Adair (1836-1861) (9) - Married her cousin Valentine Carson (1831-1898) living in the Moscow 1845 LDS Branch
- James Wesley Adair (1841-1865) (4) - Born in Itawamba
- Samuel Adair (1843-1844) - Baby born in Chickasaw Co
- Emma Smith Adair (1845-1876) (0) - Born in Chickasaw Co.
John Mangum Family[]
This couple were apart of the Itawamba 1845 LDS Branch until about 1844/45. John Mangum (1817-1881), son of John Mangum (1763-1843) (Itawamba) and Mary Ann Adair (1822-1892), daughter of Thomas Adair (1774-1858) (Itawamba) are members of the Richey/Adair/Mangum clan. They married in Pickens County, Alabama in 1841. Their first children were born in Itawamba County, Mississippi (see also Itawamba 1845 LDS Branch) and their third child was born in Chickasaw County, Mississippi. Then they moved followed the migration of their extended family to Iowa, Utah, Southern Utah, and finally settled in Apache County, Arizona.
- John Mangum (1817-1881) (28)
- Mary Ann Adair (1822-1892) (23)
- William Perry Mangum (1841-1929) (4)
- Rebecca Frances Mangum (1843-1928) (2) - m. uncle James Mitchell Mangum (1820-1888)
Rebecca Richey Family[]
- Rebecca Belton (1768-1850) - Grandmother to James Richey