Britts Family Research

Samuel Frantz Britz

Samuel Britts--could be Britz or Britts prior to 1900--was a deacon in the Christian Church. He was an election officer and elected election commissioner of the Congederate States of America. In the Civil War, he served in the 28th Virginia Regiment Volunteer Company B, CSA.

After having five children, his first wife Elizabeth Elmore, died of tuberculosis. Samuel was 38 with five minor children, so he married soon after her death a young woman, aged 15, named Mary Campbell. She gave him two children, one of whom was John William Britts. This was my grandmother's father.

During the war, son George by the first marriage, was too young to fight, so he enlisted as a drummer boy. He was with Company A 60th Virginia Infantry. He was wounded and came home to heal from those wounds. While he was there, the rains came and muddied up the territory. 3000 Yankees, led by Brigadier General Averell, were trying to march through the area in the flash floods, and had already lost four men. The general decided they should camp out until the rain stopped, and the roads cleared. So they spread out over Samuel's farm and the neighbors' fields and woods. They took whatever supplies they needed from several of the farms. {info from journal of Gen. Averell}

Mary Campbell had recieved the warnings of their coming, so she set out to save young George, fearing he would be arrested by the Yankees. There was inside the house a drying loft where they dried apples, vegetables, and berries. She got him up into the loft and concealed him, thinking it would be over in a few hours. Since it turned into days, the teenage boy became hungry. For days George kept the family on pins and needles as he whispered down through the cracks between the boards, "I'm hungry." There must have been a few Yankees inside the house. They finally left, and George was safe.

In 1864 Samuel was elected magistrate of New Castle.

In his final will, he left his real estate and livestock to Mary, "his beloved wife", to be held until her death, then passed to her two children. To the 5 children of his first wife, he left a sum of money, about $100 each, including sons-in-law not daughters-in-law, and one slave to each one. The remaining 7 slaves went to Mary and her children. This is from the probate record at the courthouse, one year after his death, in 1899. There is no striking out of the slaves, which is odd, since slavery was illegal more than 30 years before his death. The courthouse certainly wouldn't have allowed the transfer of slaves.

I know that Mary's parents were named Henry and Catherine Campbell.

Some details
.Samuel Frantz Britts (mother's maiden name is Frantz)
born about 1820
died 1898 Craig County, Virginia USA
marrried Elizabeth Elmore, 1818-1856
married Mary CAmpbell, 1831-?

father Henry Britts 1781-1845 Botetourt County, VA USA
mother Mary Catherine Frantz, 1782-1870, born PA, died Craig Co, VA
father in law Michael Zug Frantz, 1753-1843 (had cousin named Michael Frantz, they cause confusion)
mother in law Elizabeth Sollenberger Frantz,1753-?, born in Switzerland, died PA
Grandfather Johan Adam Britz (Johan is like Mr. or Sir) born Germany
Grandmother Margaret Stover (her father and brother are ancestors of Pres. Eisenhower)
Great grandfather George Ulrich Britz
Great gramdmother Catherine Werner Britz

Needing info on Campbells, Sollenbergers, Wermers, and stories on any of the above.
Other direct forebears of Samuel Britts included: Shaeffer (Sweedish), Ostenberger, Bauer, ?Kuppinger,
?Stengel, ?Gscheidl.

Also, I have a photo including among others:Allie CARPER and Ella Britts. Under Ella's name is written "90 years old, Oct. 1961). There are two Brickey's from Craig Co in VA, but I know of them. If you know of Ella Britts, please contact me. I believe Ms Carper is a relative of the Brickey's. The photo is stamped Dec 1961.

I have another article on John Britts and the Britts of the 20th century.