Richard Harrison Gentry (1812 - 1871)

Born 15 Oct 1812 in Madison, Kentucky, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Neil (Wyatt) Gentry — married 14 Dec 1843 in Warren, Missouri, United States

Descendants

Died 6 Feb 1871 at age 58 in Columbia, Boone, Missouri, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jeff Gentry [send private message]

Biography

Early Life

Richard was born in Madison County, Kentucky, United States in 1812, the son of Richard V. Gentry and Ann Hawkins Gentry. His father was serving as a Kentucky Volunteer sent to assist General William Henry Harrison near Detroit, Michigan Territory on Lake Erie during the War of 1812.^[1]

In 1816, his family moved from Kentucky to St. Louis, Missouri to join Richard's uncle Reuben who had bought land in what became Boone County, Missouri.^[2] They moved on to Franklin, Boone County, Missouri in 1818 and his father became a land speculator.^[2]

After an incident in which his father shot and killed an acting county Registrar for Lands, the family moved to Smithton, which eventually became part of the center of Columbia, Missouri. Richard's father built a three-room cabin and operated a tavern. His father was indicted for murder, tried, and found not guilty. Smithton was abandoned and the family moved to the new town of Columbia, Missouri in 1821. Richard's father opened a new tavern just off Broadway and purchased land nearby at the corner of 7th Street and Cherry Street for a stable and farm.^[2]

Mercantile Business and War

Richard grew up around the tavern and farm learning to become a merchant^[1] while his father was elected the first mayor of Columbia, Missouri and operated an overland trade business along the Santa Fe Trail that stretched from Franklin, Missouri all the way to Santa Fe, New Mexico.^[3] When he reached adulthood, Richard went into business for himself in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He sold this business and returned to Boone County, Missouri before 1837.

In 1937, he joined the 1st Regiment, Missouri Volunteers, shipped out down the Mississippi and crossed the Gulf of Mexico for the Florida Territory for the Second Seminole War.^[4][5] Richard served as a Sergeant Major and was in the front ranks with his father, Colonel Richard Gentry, and 130 other Missouri volunteers as they advanced as the vanguard of Colonel Zachary Taylor's forces. They approached through the swamp to a hummock with entrenched positions when the Seminoles engaged to begin the Battle of Lake Okeechobee.^[6] Richard's father was struck in the first volley and died shortly after the battle. The same musket ball that killed his father is thought to have struck Richard's wrist, wounding him. 25% of the regiment was lost. Sergeant Major Gentry returned to Missouri with the 1st Regiment, Missouri Volunteer and was honorably discharged in 1938.^[7][5]

Richard entered the hotel business with his mother in Colombia, Boone County, Missouri until 1843.^[1]

Marriage and Family

He bought a farm two miles (3.3km) east of Columbia, Missouri and married Mary Neil Wyatt soon after in Warren County, Missouri in 1843.^[8] The couple had seven children over the next twenty-one years. All the children attended school and most were college graduates.

In 1850, the couple lived on the farm with two children. The farm was assessed at $1,600.^[9] Richard controlled five enslaved persons.^[10]

In 1856, the couple sold the farm outside Columbia and bought land in Wilson Township, Audrain County four miles (6.6km) southwest of where Centralia, Missouri was laid out a year later.^[11] In 1860, the household included the couple, five children, and a 33-year-old Irish hired hand. The property was valued at $6,200. The three oldest children were attending school.^[12] Richard controlled two enslaved persons.^[13]

Civil War and Aftermath

In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, the enslaved people on Richard's lands were emancipated. With no enslaved persons to work the farms, he traded his land for property in Columbia, Boone County, Missouri and moved there with his family and went back into the merchandising business. His seven children grew up there and continued their education.^[1] In 1870, the Columbia household consists of the couple and all seven of their children. The four school age children are attending school. The oldest son is working as a civil engineer. Richard's estate is valued at $6,000. ^[14]

He passed away in Columbia, Boone County, Missouri in 1871 and is buried there in Columbia Cemetery.^[15]

Slaves

In the 1850 census, Richard declared five enslaved persons under his control:^[10]

• An unnamed 37-year-old femaie
• An unnamed 24-year-old femaie
• An unnamed 8-year-old femaie
• An unnamed 5-year-old femaie
• An unnamed 3-year-old femaie

In the 1860 census, Richard declared five enslaved persons under his control:^[13]

• An unnamed 18-year-old femaie
• An unnamed 16-year-old male

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Gentry, Richard. "The Gentry Family in America, 1606 to 1909". The Grafton Press, 1909. (https://archive.org/details/gentryfamilyinam1909gent). Accessed on 31 December 2018.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Hulshof, J. Richard and Ann Hawkins. Historic Missourians - State Historical Society of Missouri. https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/hawkins-gentry
3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. (2022, March 31). Santa Fe Trail. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:17, May 13, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Santa_Fe_Trail&oldid=1080256004
4. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. (2022, April 17). Second Seminole War. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:38, May 13, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Seminole_War&oldid=1083127988
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Mahon, J. K. (1991). Missouri Volunteers at the Battle of Okeechobee: Christmas Day 1837. The Florida Historical Quarterly, 70(2), 166–176. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30140548
6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. (2022, May 1). Battle of Lake Okeechobee on Christmas Day, 1837. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:49, May 13, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Lake_Okeechobee&oldid=1085575362
7. ↑ Seminole War Re-enactors & Living History, 1835-1842. Florida Frontier Guard. https://www.floridafrontierguard.com/id18.html
8. ↑ "Missouri Marriages, 1750-1920", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HQPB-ZWMM : 18 January 2020), Richard W. Gentry, 1843.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDZ3-SD5 : 22 December 2020), Richard W Gentry, Boone, Boone Township, Franklin, Missouri Territory, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850 ", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HRW9-7DMM : 23 February 2021), Richard H Gentry in entry for MM9.1.1/MVZ4-HK1:, 1850.
11. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. (2022, January 5). Centralia, Missouri. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:37, May 13, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Centralia,_Missouri&oldid=1063814710
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHZ6-8M1 : 18 February 2021), R H Gentry, 1860.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WKP6-HF6Z : 16 October 2019), R H Gentry, 1860.
14. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4X4-59Z : 29 May 2021), Harrison Gentry, 1870.
15. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #28718068

Acknowledgements

Richard Gentry - wrote The Gentry Family in America, 1606 to 1909, the seminal genealogy text upon which this profile is built.