Histories

Anderson Paschal

Imagine it's the early 1800's and you're getting ready to leave your home in North Carolina and travel to an unknown land to make a new home with your family. So many did during this time and so did Silas Paschal and his wife, Winney Mayfield. They loaded up their children and personal possessions in a covered wagon and headed out for the new land. There would be obstacles along the way but their determination would see them through. We are not sure when they arrived in Tennessee, but by the 1820 Smith County Census they were already there. Their son, Anderson, was still a small lad when he made the journey and what and exciting adventure it must have been for him and the other five children.

Silas and Winney were married in North Carolina on August 9, 1800. They were the parents of eight children: John Thomas, Anderson, Samuel H., Bessie, Silas, John, Jennie and Patsy.

Although Anderson Paschal was born in North Carolina, he spent most of his life in Smith County, in the New Middleton area. He owned property there and served as a physician for many years. There were very few doctors in those days which meant covering a large area, and the only means of transportation was a horse and buggy. Anderson went where he was needed, and helped the ones he could. The usual pay was most commonly in the form of crops or animals the farmer had raised, or something his wife had made.

Anderson met and fell in love with Mathilda Neeley, the daughter of William Neeley and Elizabeth Lawson. Legend has it that Matilda was one-quarter Indian. Anderson and Mathilda had six children, two daughters and four sons, one of whom was Nathan Thomas Paschal who, like his father, became a physician.

Nathan married Sarah Carnahan, daughter of Newton Calvin Carnahan. Nathan died at age of thirty two and is buried near his father-in-law in the Curlee Cemetery in Cannon County.

This article is for the most part by Donna P Dennis, a great-great-granddaughter of Anderson Paschal.