Elizabeth English Ward, Sworn Statements

Elizabeth’s life was unremarkable – except for her Indian heritage and being orphaned by her biological parents.  She was a house wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother at the time of her death.  Even when the family separated after the Civil War, she traveled back and forth between the two groups overseeing their activities. She was at the center of the loving family she created and supported all of her adult life.

It is evident her heritage was poorly documented by the handful of records equipped to collect such information.  On the other hand, her descendants are forever fortunate so many people stepped forward in the mid-1900s and told what they knew or remembered of her story, and that they knew she was “Creek by Blood.”  Many of these individuals were born in the late 1800s, about 20-30 years after the Civil War, and learned to read and write later in life (if at all).  They grew up without electricity, witnessed the first train and automobile as young adults, as well as witnessed WWI and WWII and the changes following each war.  They were the “salt-of-the-earth” kind of folks, growing up in small communities in West Florida and South Alabama where your word was your bond; deals were still handled by handshakes; and everyone was expected to be sitting in their church seats on Sunday morning.  As a general rule, these were God-fearing, honest people.  Their sworn statements should be read in light of who they were using the morals and values of their generation and NOT measured by the morals of today’s society.

Below are people who provided interviews, statements, affidavits, depositions, etc., identifying Elizabeth English Ward as a Creek Indian.  Most were recorded in the 1950s when affidavits were more widely accepted, xerox machines didn’t exist, and typewriters were high-tech office equipment. Some of the statements below were requested by the Tribe and some were created by Elizabeth’s descendants living in other communities.  Some were unknown to the tribe and only recently found attached to genealogy records on the Internet. The following is most certainly an incomplete list as the total number of these documents is unknown.  The complete text for each, unless otherwise noted, can be found in a seven-volume set of books titled Oral Histories, located in the Muscogee Nation of Florida Museum in Bruce, FL.¹ Brief summaries of the original statements are provided below:

1. BOLIN, James Rufus (1875-1956) and his wife, Lizzie Beth Waters (1879-1955), were both residents of Geneva County, AL their entire life.  They are related to the Bolin, Bush, Simmons, Waters, Moss, Tomblin, and Pate families.  James Bolin is not related to the Ward family.²
• January 2, 1955:  sworn in Geneva County, AL, age 81, says he is not related to the Wards and he personally knew Elizabeth English Ward, wife of James B. Ward, was crippled and known to be a Creek Indian. He also knows they had eight children and John Jackson Ward was one of their children.
• January 18, 1956: sworn in Geneva County, AL, age 84, says he knows Mary Jane Ward Davis, daughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward. He also knows all of their children (and lists thems). He knew both families well as they lived 4 miles from his father. Elizabeth English Ward was a full-blooded Creek Indian. He was at Mary Jane Ward Davis' house the day Elizabeth English Ward died. He is not related by blood or marriage to Elizabeth English Ward.*
2. DAVIS, Jasper (1880-1965) was the youngest son of James Monroe Davis (1831-1918) and Mary Jane Ward Davis (1838-1921).  He was born and raised in Geneva County, AL where Elizabeth English lived.  He married Melissa Trice (1887-1933) and the couple resided in Wakulla County, FL.  Jasper Davis was the grandson of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.³
• December 19, 1955:  in Wakulla County, FL, age 75, says under oath he is the son of Mary Ward Davis and James Monroe Davis, and that he is the grandson of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.  He knows of his own personal knowledge that his grandmother, Elizabeth English Ward, was a Creek Indian and died at his mother’s house. Elizabeth was known by all to be a Creek Indian.
3. FAULK, Charles Anderson (1871-1962) married Rebecca White (1882-1976) and they resided in Washington County, FL.  He was related to the Faulk, White, Barwick, Arnold, Sellers, Marlowe, Jiniffo, and Ivy families.  His daughter, Ila Faulk, married J.J. Ward in 1936.⁴
• November 17, 1955:  sworn in Walton County, FL, age 85, says he personally knew Elizabeth English Ward, wife of James B. Ward. Elizabeth English Ward was a Creek Indian. He was personally acquainted with Jesse Joe Ward of Bruce in Walton County, Fl. He also knows Jesse Joe Ward is the grandson of Elizabeth English Ward.  He further says he is acquainted with Elizabeth Rebecca Ward of Freeport, FL, in Walton County and Lyda Apseybeth Ward Hayes of Pensacola, FL, Escambia County. Elizabeth Rebecca Ward and Lyda Apseybeth Ward Hayes are the sisters of Jesse Joe Ward. All of them are grandchildren of Elizabeth English Ward.
4. HARE, Martin (1865-1962) was born to parents John P. Hare (1840-1923) and Margaret Morgan Hare (1846-1920) in Bruce, FL.  He lived many of his younger years in Geneva County, AL, and returned to Bruce to marry and raise a family.  He married Sarah Ward Mixon (1879-1933), the daughter of James Madison Ward and Mary Jane Purvis and ex-wife of Matthew William Mixon.  Martin’s wife, Sarah, was the granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.  Martin Hare was related to the Hare, Dixon, Morgan, Watson, and Davis families by birth and the Ward family through marriage.⁵
• January 15, 1956:  sworn and signed with his X in Walton County, FL, age 90, says he knew John Jackson Ward and his wife Susan Ward of Geneva County, AL.  He also knew their children and lists 7 of them by name.  He also knew Silvan Silcox who marred Rebecca Ward (their daughter) and names 7 of their children.  He further says he knew Elizabeth English Ward, a widow, who lived with her son William J. Ward for 3 years, to be a full blood Creek Indian.  He is not related to Elizabeth English or her son, John Jackson Ward.
5. HAYES, Absey Lydia Ward (1873-1964), was the daughter of Diamond Joe Ward (1830-1924) and Mary Abseybeth Purvis (1830-1913).  Her first marriage was to Levi Nathaniel Miller (1868-1929) and second marriage to Marvin Hayes (1896-1935).  She was the granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.
• January 12, 1956:  sworn and signed with her X in Escambia County, FL, age 83, says she is a resident of Pensacola and the sister of J.J. Ward of Bruce, FL and daughter of William Joe Ward and Abseybeth Ward.  Her grandparents were James B. and Elizabeth English Ward, who was a Creek Indian.  She went with her parents to Alabama to visit her grandmother, Elizabeth, who returned with them and lived in Bruce for about 3 years.  She signs by making her mark.
6. HENDRIX, Sarah Emma Ward (1868-1965) was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson Ward (1825-1919) and Holland Purvis (1825-1888).  She married Mathew Hendrix (1861-1951) and they resided in Washington and Bay County, FL.  She is the granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.⁶
• November 12, 1955:  sworn in Bay County, FL, age 87, says she personally knew Elizabeth English Ward, wife of James B. Ward. Elizbeth English Ward was a Creek Indian. She also knew Jesse Joe Ward of Bruce in Walton County, FL., and knew Jesse was the grandson of Elizabeth English Ward.  She was acquainted with Elizabeth Rebecca Ward of Freeport, FL and Lyda Apseybeth Ward Hayes of Pensacola, FL and knew them to be sisters of Jesse Joe Ward of Bruce, FL.  All were grandchildren of Elizabeth English Ward.
7. HUNDLEY, Edward Alonzo (1864-1961) was married to Sara Odessa Brooks (1865-1930) and the couple lived in Enterprise, Coffee County, AL and Slocomb, Geneva County, AL.  They were related to the Hundley, Brooks, Hourigan, Dismukes, Cox, Cockram, Goyne, and Daniel families.⁷
• December 28, 1955:  sworn in Geneva, AL, age 92, says he was personally acquainted with James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward (now deceased). He knows Elizabeth English Ward [page wrinkled and text missing from copy] Creek Indian. All that knew her, knew her to be a Creek Indian. He also says that he is 92 years old and not related to James B. Ward or his wife Elizabeth.
• December 28, 1955: sworn in Geneva County, AL, age 84, says he personally knew John J. Ward (also known as John Jackson Ward) and his family. Lists the names of his children. He and his wife had 15 children. John J. Ward was the oldest son of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward, who he personally knew to be a full-blooded Creek Indian*
• January 11, 1957:  sworn in Geneva, AL, age 93, the attached questions/answer interview is correct.  He says he visited Elizabeth English often as a child and knew her story. She was a Creek Indian who was found beside a river bank by James English when she was 4-5 years old. James English raised her. He says she was fond of fishing and he frequently went fishing with her.⁸
8. INFINGER, Mary Alice Stanley (1874-1967) and her husband, James M. Infinger (1873-1959) were residents of Walton and Bay Counties in FL.  Her mother was Lydia Elizabeth Ward (1852-1936), who was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson Ward and Holland Purvis.  Her husband was reported to be a descendant of Cynthia Sizemore, Elijah Padgett, and Mary Polly Bailey.  Mary was the great granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.⁹
• July 10, 1956:  sworn in Bay County, FL, age 82, says under oath she knows the children of James B. Ward, and Elizabeth English Ward, both Creek Indians.  They were 18 and 16 years old in 1814.  She lists their children as John Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, William Josiah, Mary, Elizabeth, and Monroe.  The typed statement has a penciled correction to include Benjamin Franklin Ward.
9. JACKSON, Elizabeth Jane Ward (1867-1957) lived most of her life in Geneva & Henry County, AL. She was the daughter of James Monroe Ward (1845-1907) and Mary Elizabeth “Polly” Russell (1844-1912).  James Monroe Ward was the youngest son of Elizabeth and James Ward.  She is the granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.¹⁰
• December 15, 1955:  sworn and signed with her X in Henry County, AL, age 88, says under oath that she is the daughter of Monroe Ward and Polly Ward, she is a granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward, and she knows of her own personal knowledge Elizabeth English Ward, her grandmother, was a Creek Indian who was known by all who knew her as a Creek Indian.
• August 9, 1956:  sworn and signed with her X in Henry County, AL, age 90,¹¹ says she lives in Haleburg, AL, and knows of her own personal knowledge that James B. Ward, born in South Carolina in 1796, and his wife Elizabeth (English) Ward born in Georgia in 1798, were both Creek Indians and were both living in 1814.  Their children were John Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, William Josiah, Benjamin Franklin, Mary, Elizabeth, and Monroe.
• January 1957:   A four-page, typed document titled “Reminiscences of my Grandmother Elizabeth English Ward.” Mrs. Jackson died four months after signing this document. An earlier draft is on file at the Muscogee Nation of Florida showing penciled corrections which were added to the signed copy.  Mrs. Jackson says she is 90 years old and the daughter of Monroe Ward, the youngest son of James and Elizabeth English Ward.  She was 16 years old when her grandmother died and loved her very much. Her grandmother told her about James English and that he did considerable trading with the Creek Indians along the Ocmulgee River during the early 1800.  Just before dark in the shad-catching season, he came up on a little girl sitting all alone beside the road.  He first spoke to her in English (no reply) and then in Muskogee. He put her in his wagon and waited several hours before taking her with him.  He later tried to find her parents and concluded they either drowned or abandoned her intentionally. She goes on to talk about Elizabeth English’s deformed hand caused by a hound dog running in to her when she was in her 50s.  Also says James & Elizabeth Ward decided after they were married to claim “white” as it afforded them more benefits. The Creek Indians would come to their house to trade honey for powder and bullets.  She notes there are only two adults still living who were there when Elizabeth English Ward died – Susan Davis Martin and herself.  Elizabeth English got her feet tangled in the bed coverings while getting out of bed, breaking her hip.  She died about a week later, in December 1883.  She never knew James B. Ward because he died in the early part of the Civil War & before she was born.  Elizabeth English lived with James English until she married James B. Ward.  She only had one husband.
10. MARTIN, Susan Davis (1873-1973) was the daughter of James Monroe Davis (1831-1918) and Mary Jane Ward (1838-1921).  Mary Jane Ward Davis was the daughter of Elizabeth and James Ward.  Susan lived her entire life in Geneva County, AL.  Susan Martin is the granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.¹²
• December 16, 1955:  age 83, says she is the granddaughter of Elizabeth English Ward and lived with her until her death.  Elizabeth was known to be a Creek Indian by all who knew her.
• February 29, 1956:  age 84, says the attached photograph¹³ (two shown at the top of the page) are true pictures of herself, Susan Davis Ward, when she was about 20 years old.
• February 29, 1956:  age 84, says the attached TWO photographs¹⁴ (but three are shown at the top of the page) are true pictures of her mother Mary Ward Davis, the daughter of Elizabeth English Ward the Creek Indian and James B. Ward.  “I have had these pictures in my possession since the death of my mother Mary Ward Davis and I know of my own knowledge that they are true pictures of her.”
• March 22, 1956: sworn in Geneva County, AL, age 84, says the attached picture is of herself when she was about 20 years old and that it has been only in her possession. She is the daughter of Mary Ward Davis who was the daughter of Elizabeth English Ward, the Creek Indian, and James B. Ward. (Xeroxed copy of photo at bottom.)*
• January 5, 1957:  age 84, provides a question/answer format Deposition which is witnessed by R.S. Ward, Judge of Geneva County Probate Court.  She says Elizabeth English Ward smoked a pipe and had a crippled hand.  Elizabeth died after getting her feet caught in the bed covering when trying to get out of bed. She broke her hip which eventually caused her death right before Christmas 1883. Mrs. Elizabeth Jane Ward Jackson, James B. Bolin, her mother and father, several younger brothers and sisters and Susan were witnesses to Elizabeth’s death.  Elizabeth was born about 1800 and was 4 or 5 when she was lost and then found by James English just before dark. She said they left her on the east side of the Ocmulgee river for safety while they went shad-fishing, that the swift currents were dangerous. Said Elizabeth was born in what was then known as Houston County, Georgia, between the Flint and Ocmulgee Rivers.
• May 5, 1957:  Unable to locate copy.  CITED in article by Lucius F. Ellsworth and Jane E. Dysart, West Florida’s Forgotten People, as being in a collection of papers held in “Ward Family Papers” which were in possession of Malzie Pate.  This may be the January 5, 1957 statement and the date was incorrectly recorded as May 5th instead of January 5th.
11. McCOOK, Lura Irene Ward (1897-1992) was the daughter of Rev. Thomas Franklin Ward (1854-1939) and Wealthy Adeline Silcox (1858-1944).  Her father was the son of William Josiah “Diamond Joe” Ward and Lydia Abseybeth Purvis Ward. She lived in Bruce, Walton County, FL.  Lura was the great-granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.¹⁵
• January 8, 1980:  in an interview at age 83, says she knew and often visited Susan Davis Martin. Susan’s grandmother, Elizabeth English Ward, traded gun powder to Indians.  Elizabeth kept goods on a scaffold in the woods to prevent bears from getting it.  She also kept the home fires burning while James B. Ward was gone and the Indians protected her while he was away.  She was told by Susan Martin that Elizabeth English Ward was darked skinned with black hair and dark brown eyes and a Creek Indian, born in Georgia on the west side of the Okmulgee River. Elizabeth also smoked a pipe. Diamond Joe Ward moved to FL and built own school house for the children because they could not go to school in Alabama.  He would also hide in cypress logs in water and used to hide in stick & mud chimney.  She also talks about Ed Pate and Grover Burnham.  Burnham was part Indian through his mother’s father.  Ed Pate’s grandfather came from Black, AL.  He killed a man, moved to FL, and settled first at Bonifay and later moved to Bruce area for isolation.  She also talks about the tokens J.J. Ward used for money in his store.  They were made of aluminum and brass and were made by J.D. Russ Company on Black Creek.  The Wards, Bishops, and Infingers had their own homesteads.  Laura’s mother was Indian, but not Creek Indian.  Every Sunday 25-30 Indians gathered at her parent’s house.  Her daddy preached for 50 years.  Supplies came in by boat from Pensacola.  As a child she had to sweep the yard clean, cook huge dinners (25 pies, 9 cakes, and other things).¹⁶
12. PEEL, Thomas Henry (1871-1960) married Mary Elizabeth Pate (1868-1944) and resided in Geneva County, AL.   They were related to the Peel, Pate, Phillips, Walker, Moore, and Corbitt families.  They have no known relationship to Elizabeth English Ward.  Thomas was from South Carolina while Elizabeth and her family were established residents of Geneva County, AL.¹⁷
• December 28, 1956:  sworn in Geneva, AL, age 86, sworn, says he knew Elizabeth English Ward, widow of James B. Ward, and her two sons, John Jackson and Monroe Ward and her daughter, Mary Ward, who married James W. Davis.  Elizabeth English Ward lived with her daughter, Mary Ward Davis in her later years and died there.  He knew Elizabeth English Ward for several years and she was known by all to be a full-blooded Creek Indian.  James W. Davis was his nearest neighbor, lived only two miles away.  Thomas Henry Peel says he is not related by blood or marriage to Elizabeth English Ward or any of her descendants. Nor is he related by blood or marriage to any of the Davis family.
13. PITTS, Nancy Ward (1873-1963) was the daughter of Monroe Ward (1845-1907) and Mary Elizabeth “Polly” Russell Ward (1844-1912).  She was born and raised in Geneva County, AL, where Elizabeth English lived. She was John Gilbert Pitts (1837-1919) third wife and the couple eventually settled in Calhoun County, FL. She was the granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward:¹⁸
• December 19, 1955:  sworn and signed with her X, age 82, says she is the daughter of Monroe Ward and Polly Davis Ward and the granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.  She knows of her own personal knowledge that her grandmother, Elizabeth English Ward was a Creek Indian and was considered by all who knew her as a Creek Indian.
• Date Unknown.  Unable to locate copy.  References on the internet cite it as “Nancy Ward Pitts, daughter of Monroe remembers her grandmother braiding bright colored ribbons and palmetto fronds into her hair, and calling her, 'my little Creek Indian girl.'”¹⁹
14. ROSSELL, Mazie Beulah Ward (1903-2001), of Bruce, FL, was the daughter of J.J. Ward (1870-1960) and Susan Florence Burke (1878-1948).  Both her mother and father were descendants of Elizabeth English.  Her father through Elizabeth’s son William Josiah “Diamond Joe” Ward and her mother through another son, Thomas Jefferson Ward.  Mazie is the great granddaughter and great-great granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.²⁰
• July 6, 2000:  at age 96, describes the old ceremonial ground and its location, the fact everyone knew they were Indians, and the tribe being spiritually guided to settle along the Choctawhatchee River.  The Tribe moved to Florida because their children couldn’t go to school in Alabama.  Once in Florida, they set up their own school and the elders worked together to raise their children. One of the 4-5 brothers who settled in Bruce was killed when a tree fell on him.  Diamond Joe was a medicine person, had a near-perfect memory, often helped with ailments, and took care of the people including giving money to widows and those in need.  Diamond Joe’s son, Jessie J. (J.J.) Ward was trained to become the next leader.  J.J. studied law, passed the bar, and would handle the legal cases for the community.  He also provided transportation to hospitals and external doctors.  The family operated an old country store.  The first store burned (possibly by the turpentine people who lived in the community) and they built another, much bigger store, with a post office in the back. Florida’s 22nd Governor, Sidney Johnston Catts (1917-1921), of Defuniak Springs, visited the community and knew it was an Indian Town.  She also talks about placing shells on the graves.
15. SILCOX, Charles Oliver  (1866-1957) was the son of John Silcox (1826-1896) and Martha Wright (1825-1910).  He married Lydia Burke (1873-1934) and the couple resided in Bruce, Walton County, FL for many years. His brother, Warren S. Silcox (1852-1912), and sister, Wealthy Silcox (1858-1944), also marry members of the Ward family. Lydia Burke, his first wife, is the great-granddaughter of Elizabeth and James Ward through their son, Thomas Jefferson Ward.  At the time Mr. Silcox signed these statements, his wife, Lydia, had been dead for 20+ years.²¹
• November 12, 1955:  in Walton County, FL, at age 89, sworn, says he personally knew Elizabeth English Ward, wife of James B. Ward, and she was a Creek Indian.  He was also personally acquainted with Jesse Joe Ward of Bruce, FL and Elizabeth Rebecca Ward of Freeport, FL, Lyda Apseybeth Ward Hayes of Pensacola, FL.  Elizabeth and Lyda are sisters of Jesse Joe and all are grandchildren of Elizabeth English Ward.  He is not related to the Wards.
• January 14, 1956:  in Geneva County, AL, almost 90 years old, says he knew John J. Ward who is known as John Jackson Ward and he knew his wife, Susan Ward. He also knows that they lived together for many years in Geneva County, Alabama as husband and wife and they had fifteen children who lived to be of age and their names are as follows:  Mary J. Ward, James J. Ward, Susan E. Ward, Nancy E. Ward, William J. Ward, Tiercy E. Ward, Louisa F. Ward, Franklin J. Ward, Thomas J. Ward, Rebecca A. Ward, Sarah M. Ward, Rody Ward, Sterling Ward and Annette Ward, and John J. Ward. He knows that John J. Ward was known as the oldest son of James B. Ward and his wife Elizabeth English Ward and that Elizabeth English Ward was a full-blooded Creek Indian. He knows John J. Ward or John Jackson Ward was a half Indian and the son of the Full-blooded Indian and was recognized by all of the people of the Community as being that. Of his own personal knowledge, he knows Elizabeth English Ward as a full-blooded Creek Indian. He also says he will be ninety years of age the following month and he is not related by blood or marriage to James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.
16. TEW, Ellen (1870-1956) was the daughter of John M. Whitaker (1850-1900) and Roxanna Watford Whitaker (1847-1920).  She lived in Geneva County, AL all of her life and married James Franklin Moody Tew (1872-1952).  She died in September 1956, three months after giving her last sworn statement. She has no known biological relationship to Elizabeth English Ward.²²
• January 2, 1956: sworn in Geneva County, AL, age 84, says under oath she is not related to the Wards, she personally knew Elizabeth English Ward, wife of James B. Ward, and that Elizabeth was crippled and a Creek Indian. She also knew James B. and Elizabeth had eight children. John Jackson [Ward] was one of their children.
• June 26, 1956:  sworn in Geneva County, AL, age 84, says under oath she knew James B. Ward, Elizabeth English Ward and all of their children.  She names all eight children.  She also knew the family of James M. Davis and his wife Mary Ward Davis and their 13 children.  She names all 13 children and says the Davis family lived 6 miles from her father.  Elizabeth English Ward was a full-blood Creek Indian and lived with her daughter, Mary Ward Davis.  She is not related by blood or marriage to Elizabeth Ward or her children.
  
17. THOMLEY, Alice Thomas (1867-1961) was the wife of William Samuel Thomley (1867-1943) and the couple resided in Houston County, AL.  They were related to the Thomley, Thomas, Releford, Savage, Gilley, and Lee families.  There is no known biological relationship between Alice and Elizabeth English Ward.²³
• December 10, 1955:  sworn and signed with her X, age, 98, says she knew John Jackson Ward to the be the son of James B. (Jim Bear) Ward and Elizabeth (English) Ward. She knew the family of John Jackson Ward and his wife, Susan Wynn Ward. She knows their children were Elizabeth (Purvis), Katherin (Kate Byrd), Nettie (Skipper), Sallie (Wright), Rebecca, Ellen (Singletary), Liza (Bonds), Teresy (Horn), Mary Jane (Skipper), John, Joe, Jeff, Jasper, Franklin Jackson (Frank), and Sterling.
• December 28, 1955:  sworn and signed with her X, age 98, says she knew John J. Ward (also known as John Jackson Ward) and she knew his wife, Susan Ward. They lived together for many years in Geneva County, AL. As husband and wife, they had fifteen children who lived to be of age. Their names were: Mary J. Ward, James J. Ward, Susan E. Ward, Nancy E. Ward, William J. Ward, Tiercy E. Ward, Louisa F. Ward, Franklin J. Ward, Thomas J. Ward, Rebecca A. Ward, Sarah H. Ward, Rody Ward, Sterling Ward, Annette Ward and John J. Ward.  She knew John J. Ward was the oldest son of James B. Ward and his wife Elizabeth English Ward and that Elizabeth English was a full-blooded Creek Indian. She knew John J. Ward (or John Jackson Ward) was half-Indian and the son of the full-blooded Indian and was recognized by all in the community to be that. She further says she is not related to Elizabeth English or any of her descendants.
18. WARD, Jane Dellora Crews (1868-1962) was the daughter of George Washington Crews (1828-1904) and Adrianna Margaret Davis (1844-1917).  She married Thomas Jefferson Ward, Jr. (1861-1901).  They resided in Walton and Holmes counties in FL. Her husband was the grandson of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward and son of Thomas Jefferson Ward.²⁴
• November 16, 1955:  sworn in Holmes County, FL, age 87, says she personally knew Elizabeth English Ward, wife of James B. Ward, and knew she was a Creek Indian.  She also knows Jesse Joe Ward of Bruce, FL is the grandson of Elizabeth English Ward.  She also knows Elizabeth Rebecca Ward of Freeport, Lydia Apseybeth Ward Hays of Pensacola are sisters of Jesse Joe Ward and granddaughters of Elizabeth English Ward.
19. WARD, Elizabeth Rebecca (1864-1966) married her first cousin, James William Ward (1862-1948) and the couple lived in Bruce, Walton County, FL.  She was the daughter of William Josiah (Diamond Joe) Ward & Abseybeth Purvis Ward.  Her husband was the son of Benjamin Franklin Ward and Martha Edna Gilley Ward.  She and her husband were a  grandchild of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.²⁵
• January 9, 1956:  sworn in Freeport, FL, at age 92, signs three sworn statements.  In the first she says she and her husband are grandchildren of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.  She gives the names of her children as Nicey Ward Berry (deceased), Absey Ward Burke (deceased), Annie Ward (deceased), Vera Valdez Ward Alford, Graham Ward, Victor Ward, Dewey Ward, and Lamar Ward.  In the second statement she says she and her husband were first cousins.  She was the daughter of Wm. J. Ward and he was the son of Benjamin F. Ward who were brothers.  She remembers her grandmother, Elizabeth English Ward.  Everyone called her grandma Betsy.  She lists the names of her five living children:  Ervin Graham Ward, Leamon Victor Ward, Admiral Dewey Ward, Vera Valdez Ward Alford, and James Lamar Ward.  All but one, their daughter, lives in Freeport, FL.  In the third statement she says her grandmother, Elizabeth Betsy English Ward, was a full blood Indian of the Creek Tribe and was known as such by all who knew her.  She remembers her family traveling by oxcart to Alabama, bringing her grandmother to Walton County for a long visit.  Then Uncle Monroe took her home.  She suffered a bent wrist from a fall by a dog and the wrist was never straight again.
20. WARD, Jesse Joseph “J.J.” (1870-1960), of Bruce, FL, was the son of William Josiah “Diamond Joe” Ward (1830-1924) and Mary Abseybeth Purvis (1830-1913).  Diamond Joe was the son of Elizabeth and James Ward. J.J., as he was called, resided in Bruce, FL. He was the grandson of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.²⁶
• December 21, 1955:  age 85, says he is one of six sons of William Joe and Apsebeth Ward.  He knows of his on personal knowledge that his grandmother, Elizabeth English Ward, was a Creek Indian.  After his grandfather, James B. Ward, died, he traveled with his family in a covered wagon pulled by a yoke of red oxen to Dale County, AL and brought Elizabeth English back to their home.  All of Elizabeth’s sons had moved to FL because they were one-half Creek Indian and the people in AL did not like to associate with them, even after the Wards had fought with the whites against the Indians in a battle near their home.  In this battle three of the Wards were killed.  His grandmother brought her bed, sheets, and pillows and stayed with them for several years.  His grandmother took fishing trips and he caught minnows for her to use as bait.  She died in Alabama around 1890 when he was 20 years old.
• December 31, 1955:  age 85, says he is a grandson of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward, the Creek Indian, and that their sons were John Jackson Ward, Thomas Jefferson Ward, James Madison Ward, Benjamin Franklin Ward, William Joe Ward and Monroe Ward. 
21. WARD, Jessie Marvin (1878-1960) was the son of James Monroe Ward (1845-1907) and Mary T. (Polly) Russell Ward (1844-1912).  He was born in Freeport, FL, raised in Geneva County, AL, moved with the logging industry, and eventually settled in Taylor County, Florida later in his life.  Jessie was the grandson of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.²⁷
• January 20, 1956:  age 77, says he is the son of Monroe Ward and Mary Russell Ward.  He is the grandson of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward.  He knows of his own personal knowledge that Elizabeth English Ward was a Creek Indian and was known by all as a Creek Indian.
• August 4, 1956:  age 78, says he knows of his own personal knowledge that James B. Ward, born in South Carolina in 1796, and his wife Elizabeth English Ward born in GA in 1798, were both Creek Indians living in 1814.  Their children were John Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, William Josiah, Benjamin Franklin, Mary, Elizabeth, and Monroe.
• date unknown:  Unable to locate copy.  Reference says “Affidavit by Jesse Marvin Ward, about his grandmother, Elizabeth, that she had very long black hair, was dark complected with brown eyes and high cheek bones. He also referred to her fall and her clay pipe with a long reed stem."²⁸
22. WARD, John Grady (1874-1961) was resident of Bruce, Walton County, FL all of his life.  He was the son of John Green Ward (1851-1923) and Emma Lou Horn (1853-1903).  His father, John Green Ward, was the son of William Josiah (Diamond Joe) and Abseybeth Purvis Ward.  John Grady Ward was the great-grandson of James B. and Elizabeth English Ward.²⁹
• November 12, 1955:  age 82, says he personally knew Elizabeth English Ward, wife of James B. Ward, was a Creek Indian.  He personally knows Jesse Joe Ward of Bruce, FL is the grandson of Elizabeth English Ward.  He also knows Elizabeth Rebecca Ward of Freeport and Lyda Apseybeth Ward Hayes of Pensacola, who are sisters of Jesse Joe, and all of them are grandchildren of Elizabeth English Ward.
• February 2, 1957:  age 83, says he is a resident of Walton County for 83 years.  He is the uncle of Curtis R. Miller and brother to Laura Rebecca Ward.  Laura is the mother of Curtis R. Miller and the daughter of John G. Ward of Walton County, FL.
23. WARD, Sarah Emma (1868-1965) was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson Ward (1825-1919) and Holland Purvis (1825-1888).  She married Matthew Hendrix (1861-1951) and resided in Walton, Washington, and Bay counties in the Florida Panhandle. When she was a child, her family lived in Geneva County, AL.  See Sarah Hendrix, listed as #6 above. She is the granddaughter of James B. and Elizabeth English Ward.³⁰
• Date unknown. Unable to locate copy. Reference found on Internet says: “Sarah Emma Ward, daughter of Thomas Jefferson Ward, wrote about Elizabeth, 'My grandmother had long, very black hair, swarthy dark skin, high cheekbones and large nose' and also referred to her broken arm, going away from the table to eat.”³¹
24. WEATHERS, Margie Sarah Silcox (1905-1996) was the daughter of Oscar Sterling Silcox (1886-1957) and Effie Jane Pate Silcox (1888-1973).  She was raised in Bruce, FL and married Harvey Eugene Weathers (1928-1998).  She is the great-great granddaughter of James B. Ward and Elizabeth English Ward through their eldest child, John Jackson Ward.³²
• Date Unknown:  In an un-dated, hand-written letter, of sorts, tells the story of her quest to learn her Indian heritage.  She starts with the government paying Indians for their land and goes on to say she was not reared as an Indian. However, she and her husband were busy in the mid-1950s trying to prove her Ward family line was Indian. She learned through elders her grandfather, James B. Ward, lived and worked among the Indians. An un-named cousin in Geneva County, AL kept all the old family papers.  The cousin tells her Jesse Ward, the son of Monroe Ward, had a letter proving her heritage.  They found Jesse and he gave them the letter (now known as “The Monroe Letter”) which they took to the Geneva County Courthouse and had it recorded. She also tells the story of how James English was traveling in an ox cart to the coast to extract salt when he found Elizabeth English. She was with other Indian children, who ran off, leaving one small child, Elizabeth English. The men waited a short time, then took the child. The next year, when they repeated the trip, they learned a child had been killed by a bear the year before. She also shares the story of James B.’s family on cattle drives and getting a roof on their house. Also, the Indians traded with Elizabeth – she gave them powder and shot and they brought her turkey & deer.

Most of these people were in their 80s or 90s when they made their statements.  Some were probably “helped” by their adult children who, unknowingly, introduced “facts” which would later be questioned or even proven false.  But when viewed as a body of evidence, it becomes clear Elizabeth English Ward was a Creek Indian – or, all of the elders listed above broke the law and swore to false statements.

Notes: