Life History

Notes

• 1850 Federal Census, Cocke County, Tennessee, 4 September, p 735 (scan 368), Hse/Fam #343
  John Burke 35 M Farmer No Real Estate Value Rptd b Tenn [b abt 1815]
  Betsy Burke 31 F b Tenn [b abt 1819]
  - page 736 -
  Francis Burke 7 M b Tenn [b abt 1843]
  
  1860 Federal Census, Cocke County, Tennessee, 24 July, P O Taylersburg, District 8, page 146, Hse/Fam #1061
  John Burk [sic] 46 M NO Occup Stated $2000 Real Estate $975 Personal born SC
  Elizabeth Burk 42 F born TN
  Marion Burk 17 M Laborer born TN
  
  U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865
  Francis M. Burke
  Confederate, 60th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry. (Crawford's Regiment. 79 Tenn. Infantry.),
  Alternate Name F.M.Burke
  
  Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865
  Confederate Prisoners Held at Alton, Illinois
  Burke, Francis M Private, Compapny I, 60th Tennessee Infantry
  Captured at Big Black Bridge, May 17, 1863
  Received July 7, 1863
  Released July 27 1863 On Call
  
  After his experiences as a soldier and prisoner in the Civil War, he joined his parents in Tennessee, then shortly after 1870 they moved to Arkansas.  Francis married there in 1873 then went to Texas.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Cocke County, Tennessee, 24 August, Judicial District 8, PO Newport, page 11 (scan 443), Hse/Fam #80
  Burk [sic], John 56 M W Farmer $1500 Real Estate $200 Personal  b Tenn
  Burk, Elizabeth 52 F W Keeping House born Tenn
  Burk, Marion 26 M W Farm Laborer born Tenn
  
  Francis M. Burke
  Bride Quemette D. Gaylor
  Marriage 26 Aug 1873.Arkansas Co., Arkansas
  --  Arkansas, Marriages, 1837-1944, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQG6-P8D
  
  Francis bought land in Van Zandt County, Texas, where they were living at the time of the 1880 census.
  
  -------------------
  Land Purchase in Van Zandt County, Texas
  
  Book U, Pages 212 and 213:
  27 May 1875
  D.W. and Nancy J. Scroggins to F.M. Burke
  Warranty Deed
  
  State of Texas ]
  Van Zandt County ]
  Know all men by these present that I, D.W. Scroggins of the County of Van Zandt and State aforesaid and Nancy J. Scroggins, Wife of the Said D. W. Scroggins, in her own right, in consideration of ($150.00) One Hundred and Fifty Dollars paid by F. M. Burke of Van Zandt County State of Texas, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged do hereby give, grant, bargain, sell and convey unto F.M. Burke, his heirs and assigns forever; a certain Tract or Parcel of Land described as follows, being part of Survey No. 106 in the name of Wm. H. McBee and being part of the Portion allotted and set apart to Nancy J. Scroggins, (as one of the heirs at law) of Wm. H. McBee, Deceased, by Commissioners appointed by the Probate court of Van Zandt County, State of Texas, to Partition and Divide the Estate of the Said Wm. H. McBee, Deceased, among his Heirs.
  ...
  -------------------
  
  Quenette, or Queen as she was called, died in 1908.  She is buried in Elmo, Kaufman County, Texas.  They were apparently divorced after they moved to Texas, since he was married to Nora Wilson and died in Upshur County about three years before Queen died, according to Ed Burke's estimate of Frnacis' death date (see below).
  
  1880 Federal Census, Sebastian County, Arkansas, 9 June, Marion Township, District 179, page 17, Hse/Fam #158
  Burke, F M  W M 37 Head Farmer TN TN TN [b abt 1843]
  Burke, Quenett D  J  W F 36 Wife Keeping House MS TX TX [abt 1844]
  Burke, Bessie  W F 5 Dau Single TX TN MS [b abt 1875]
  
  The 1900 census indicates he married Nora about 1897.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Upshur County, Texas, 27 June, Precinct 7, District 122, page 18B, Hse/Fam #347
  Burke, Francis M Head  W M Feb 1843 57 Married 3 years TN TN TN Farmer Rents
  Burke, Lena Wife W F Dec 1873 26 Married 3 yrs 1 child/1 living AR AR AR
  Burke, Francis M Son W M July 1898  1 Single TX TN AR
  
  Frank's memorial on Find a Grave provides some excellent information on his participation in the battles of the Civil War.
  
  -----------------
  Francis Marion "F. M." Burke, Sr
  Birth 1843 Cocke County, Tennessee
  Death 1905 Big Sandy, Upshur County, Texas
  
  F.M. and brothers Willam Newton and Pleasant Joseph joined the confederacy in Newport, Cocke County TN in October of 1862. Immediately after being mustered into Confederate service they were ordered to Mississippi.
  
  Their first action of any consequence was at the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou and Chickaaw Bluffs, outside Vicksburg, December 6-29, 1862. Vaughn's Brigade held the abattis on the left wing of the defenses. Reports state that the Union attack was met with firmness by be East Tennesseans. The regiment suffered only four casualties. In this battle the Federals suffered heavy losses.
  
  The next engagement was at Big Black River, May 17, 1863. Their unit was holding a hastily thrown-up line of earthworks on the left of the brigade, when it was attacked in overwhelming strength by General Osterhaus's Division of the Federal Army. The regimental colors were seized and of about 400 men who responded for duty on the morning of the 17th, only 112 were marched back to Vicksburg that evening.
  
  For the next 48 days and nights "without shelter, and with less than half rations of poor quality, the men literally ate, slept and fought in the trenches. The mortality from exposure and insufficient food was great-in fact, much greater than the casualties in battle." Along with the rest of the brigade, the regiment was surrendered on July 4, 1863. Although almost immediately paroled, the men captured at Vicksburg were not declared exchanged until June 27, 1864, and some of those captured at Big Black were not released until the spring of 1865. F.M. was held as a prisoner in Alton Illinois. W.N. and P.J. were held at Fort Delaware.
  
  Afer the Civil War F.M. moved briefly to Arkansas to be near family and then settled in Van Zandt County Texas. He was married twice. First, in Arkansas, to Diannah Quenette Gailer of Mississippi and secondly to Nora Wilson in Big Sandy TX. His death date is an estimate.
  
  Parents:
  John Burke (1813 - 1894)
  Julia Elizabeth Lloyd Burke (1819 - 1888)
  
  Children:
  Francis Marion Burke (1898 - 1984)
  Helen M. Burke Huffman (1900 - 1951)
  William Allen Burke (1903 - 1984)
  Martha Zane McClary (1904 - 1995)
  
  Siblings:
  Pleasant Joseph Burke (1837 - 1885)
  William Newton Burke (1839 - 1906)
  Susan Burke West (1856 - 1925)
  Green W Burke (1856 - 1900)
  
  Burial Body lost or destroyed
  Created by Ed Burke Sep 06, 2012
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #96637170, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=96637170
  ---------------

Sources

• 1. 1870 Federal Census, Cocke County, Tennessee
  • 24 August, Judicial District 8, PO Newport, page 11 (scan 443), Hse/Fam #80
• 2. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 3. 1850 Federal Census, Cocke County, Tennessee
  • 4 September, page 736, Hse/Fam #343
• 4. 1860 Federal Census, Cocke County, Tennessee
  • 24 July, P O Taylersburg, District 8, page 146, Hse/Fam #1061
• 5. 1900 Federal Census, Upshur County, Texas
  • 27 June, Precinct 7, District 122, page 18B, Hse/Fam #347
• 6. 1880 Federal Census, Sebastian County, Arkansas
  • 9 June, Marion Township, District 179, page 17, Hse/Fam #158
• 7. Land Purchase
  • in Van Zandt County, Texas
• 8. 1850 Federal Census, Cocke County, Tennessee
  • 4 September, p 735 (scan 368), Hse/Fam #343
• 9. Arkansas, Marriages, 1837-1944
• 10. U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865
  • Name: Date: 2007;;
• 11. Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865
  • Confederate Prisoners Held at Alton, Illinois