1833 - On the 29th of March in 1833 when Ruthie was about 4, Arthur was around 3 yrs and 5 mths, and Elmirah may have only been a baby, there was a land transaction between the three children with Conrad and Elizabeth Ball Brown. There is no indication from the deed on how much land was transferred, but it did say that there was $30 exchanged for the land. This deed is rather interesting for several reasons. Arthur J. Smith-McGinnis married a Harriette M. Brown. Also, Conrad Brown was an uncle to Leland Salts who married Mary Jane McGinnis -sister to the three children named in the deed. Also, Elizabeth Ball Brown, wife of Conrad, was an aunt to Leland Saults (his mother was Rebecca, a sister of Elizabeth's). Although there is no indication of a further connection between the McGinnis-Smith children, it is interesting to see that they were all living on adjoining farms. And two other family names that have had possible connections to this McGinnis-Smith family were also identified in this document, living next to the land mentioned. They were William Thompson and Abraham Brown. William Thompson may be the father of David A. Thompson who married Amanda McGinnis / Smith - yet another daughter of Hannah's. And Abraham Brown was a brother to Conrad. From information gathered from this document, the land mentioned that the three children purchased was surrounded by relatives or possible relatives.948

She is listed with her husband on the 1860 Washington Co., TN census (under Barns). They are listed with Allace who is age 1.

On July 24, 1999, I wrote a letter to a Douglas D. Barnes, then living in Los Alamitos, CA. In our letters, we exchanged information regarding Elmirah. He stated that Elmirah was listed on the 1880 census of Polk Co., MO. as head of the household -and, that she was living next to her husband's gr grandfather, Benjamin Barnes. There was also a Benjamin who was an older brother to William (Elmirah’s husband).

On the 1880 census (continuing with D. D. Barnes’ findings), Elmirah was 46 and born in Tennessee (indicating that she was born abt 1834). This is a different date from the 1850 census, where she is listed as being born in and abt 1832. He also said that William Barnes had died in the Civil War, and that Elmira had applied for a widow’s pension.

On the 7th of July in 1890, Elmirah applied for a Civil War pension from Polk County, Missouri. In this document she said that she married under the name of Elmira V. Smith in Washington County, TN. Although this is what she said on her application, in the county marriage records of Washington County, she is actually listed as Elmira V. McGinnis. Her brother-in-law also stated in his sworn statement for her application, that Elmirah was married under the surname of Smith. Elmirah's pension was accepted and continued to her death. It started on July 14, 1890 and the rate was $8 per month. Her payments were sent to Bolivar, Polk Co., MO.1072

Douglas Barnes has done a great deal of research over the years on Elmirah, but has never been able to find her burial site.

William enlisted in Company L. First Regt TN Calv on the 1st of April in 1863. He was discharged at Nashville, TN on the 18th of June in 1865. However, his wife's widow's pension application papers also state that he was a private in company E, 1st Reg't TN Calv -again being discharged from Nashville, TN on the 19th of June in 1865.1072