Eliza Ann Emmert

Father: John S Emmet (speculative)
Mother: Mary Margaret Elizabeth Crocket or Emaline (Speculative)
Siblings: Jacob C “Jake” Emmert, Margaret Jane Emmert, Mary E Emmert, Eliza L Emmert, James Elbert Emmert, Ellzra Emmert, William Leander Emmert, Barsha Emaille Emmert, John Emmert (Speculative)

Spouse: George Washington Wilson
Children: David Grant Wilson, Nancy Carolin Wilson, Mary Catherine “Kate” Wilson, Martha Ellen Wilson, Louisa Jane Wilson, Ida N Wilson, Una I Wilson

Relation to author: 3rd Great Grandmother

The story goes that Eliza was fully Native American. Cherokee. As far as I’ve found from those that, including myself, have taken DNA tests this cannot be proven. However, other people, places, and circumstances, including photographs still lead me to trust that this is our heritage. DNA samples may just not be sufficient to provide the correlation needed to put it to paper. But if the First Nation doesn’t accept DNA as evidence for admittance, I’m not going to use it to rule out our ancestry.

Family lore says that after Eliza’s mother passed away on the Trail of Tears giving birth. She would be buried ‘along the rail’. At age 7, Eliza hid in mountains with the infant sister, escaping the forced migration; however, Eliza’s sister would not make it and be laid to rest while in hiding.

Eliza would eventually find refuge. The first hard record I find is the 1850 census where Eliza is seen with a James Emmert, a ‘white’ farmer born in Pennsylvania, showing they had married the year before (Dec 12, 1849) when she was 16. This does call into question what her maiden name was. Their marriage certificate indicated her last name was Williams. The 1850 census also declares that Eliza was born in Tennessee, and ‘white’. It’s worth noting, however, that due to racial inequalities of the time it’s very possible that James could have declared that contrary to the truth, so we can’t take this as stand alone confirmation.

The family story says that Eliza later found herself a home with the Hays family, John and Susan. The 1860 census does somwhat support this as it shows an Eliza A Emmert, 27, living with John and Susannah, their children James, Martha, and William. Eliza is listed as their housekeeper.

Not knowing the circumstances why Eliza ended up with the William’s family, the family story says he may have died as a Civil War POW at Camp Sumter, know at the time as the Andersonville Prison.

Records due show a Sgt James C Emmert of the Tennessee 4th Infantry, a Union soldier who enlisted January 12m 1863, died of disease on June 13, 1864 while being held at Fort Sumter. He rests at the Andersonville National Cemetery.

Chasing this thread though, Eliza may have been with the Williams family because James Emmert is on record marrying an Arzilla Brummit on August 8, 1860, so they had divorced prior to start of the Civil War.

The family story continues that once the Hays family moved on to Oregon, Eliza married into the Wilson family on January 27, 1861. The 1870 Johnson County census Shows Eliza with her husband George Washington Wilson, their first son David, and the twins Nancy and Mary. It’s said that the Wilson family disowned George for marrying an ‘Indian’.

The 1880 census had most of the family together; however, George and Eliza would seemingly part ways as by the 1900 census