Barney Freeman


Written by Liz Elrod
Lizrod25@aol.com


Barney was a quiet man with many virtues and held few positions in life. He was born to Alexander Freeman and Comemcie Elizabeth Manous, Manous being spelled many ways. It was spelled MANOUS on her wedding record. They were married in 1857 in Pickens County, Georgia, and it is presumed that Barn was born there in 1858. Shortly afterwards they move to Winston County, Alabama. They were living there when the Civil War began in 1861. Thinking like most folk, they assumed that things would be much better in their homeland in Georgia so they moved back. Things weren’t much better there either, and in 1864, Alexander died while serving for the south. Elizabeth told that the Union army came into her residence and destroyed everything that she had.

Elizabeth and Barney soon began walking to Alabama. I am not sure how long it took them, but Barney said they walked at night and slept in the daytime to hide from the Union soldiers. He also said they almost starved to death eating only what the forest had to offer. They met up with another family who was walking to Alabama also, and Barney said that it didn’t seem so lonely and boring with someone else to talk too.

Barney grew up in Winston County and married Tempie Welborn who was the daughter of Lockey Welborn and Martha Segars. They had come to Alabama from Walton County, Georgia. Barney and Tempie married in Winston County in 1876 and had several children.

Grandpa Barney told many times how he drove a wagon to Cullman and returned with a load of merchandise for the first store in Addison, Alabama. He said that it took three days to make the trip. He was a man of many occupations. He was a farmer; he bottomed chairs, made shoes, and even experimented with herbs. He lived a long life to almost 90 years old, and when he died in Addison he was buried in the Fairview Cemetery along with his wife and relatives.


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