John Conly, the youngest child of George and Elizabeth Conly, was born about 1825 in AL, and migrated with the family through TN to Yalobusha Co., MS. John married Henrietta L. Dye, of Kershaw Co., SC, probably in MS.

Henrietta L. Dye (b. 20 May 1830, d. 21 Aug 1859) apparently died just a few days after giving birth to an infant who died 19 Aug 1859. Both Henrietta L. Conly and her infant are buried at the Conly family cemetery. Henrietta’s estate consisted "wholly of negros & worth about four thousand & five hundred dollars." At the appraisal of her estate on 26 Dec 1859, by R. B. Willis, J. C. James, and J. R. Cooley, are named Sam age 29 ($1600), Martha age 19 and her child, Nealey age 2 ($1400), Easter 40 years and her child, Caroline 6 months ($900), Emie age 6 years ($600), Sarah age 3 years ($350).

At Henrietta’s death, she left a surviving heir named Nancy D. Perry. A neighbor of the Conly’s, Oliver H. Perry, was appointed guardian of this heir. In addition, John and Henrietta Conly had a minor daughter named Lula S. Conly. Both Lula and Nancy D. Perry were sent (or taken) to the Dye family in SC after Henrietta died, while John Conly remained in MS. This was just before the outbreak of the Civil War, and a letter during the war from a nephew (Pleasant B. Clark) of John’s sister, Mary E. Clark, to a cousin in SC mentions that George W. Conly has to perhaps make a trip to SC to see after his brother "Jack’s" girl. This is certainly Lula, so one can surmise that John (Jonathan) Conly’s family name was "Jack."

As Henrietta had property of her own, separate from her husband, John Conly, who served as the administrator to her estate after her death, this indicates a prior marriage, or inheritance before her marriage to John. I believe she was married prior to a Perry, and gave birth to a daughter, Nancy, and when this husband died, she acquired his property. On record at familysearch.com is the marriage of Henrietta Louisa Dye to Thomas Duren Perry (b. 21 NOV 1824, Lancaster, South Carolina, d. 18 MAR 1853) on 20 JAN 1846, Kershaw, South Carolina. In addition, both Thomas Duren Perry and Oliver Hazard Perry appear at familysearch.com as sons of Zadock Perry and Dorcas Clance Duren. I feel certain this is the correct first marriage of Henrietta L. Dye, and that she moved with her brother-in-law, Oliver H. Perry or Thomas Duren Perry, Jr, from SC to MS. There is a land patent near the Conlys in Yalobusha Co., MS in 1851 for Thomas Duren Perry, and one in 1860 for Oliver H. Perry. I don’t know at this time if these are brothers, or if T. D. Perry is the father, or even if the 1860 patent is O. H. Perry, Jr.

Lula S. Conly (age 22, b. SC) appears as a niece of Charles Dye (age 29, b. SC) in the 1880 Census for Flat Rock, Kershaw, SC. Also in the household is an uncle to Charles Dye, Jas. R. Dye (age 75, b. SC). This should make Charles a brother to Henrietta, and Jas. R. Dye a brother to their father, although the 20-year age difference in Charles and Henrietta as siblings should be noted. In the 1860 Census in Kershaw, SC, both N. D. Perry (M, age 11 b. SC) and L. S. Conly (F, age 2, b. SC) are listed in the household of C. L. Dye (age 60). Also in this household is a C. L. Dye (M, age 21), E Perry (F, 68), and E. E. Perry (F, age 30). A few households away is a J. R. Dye (age 52). I believe the census is in error on the sex of N. D. Perry. Also at familysearch.com is a record for the birth of Nancy Dorcas Perry, daughter of Thomas Duren Perry and Henrietta Louisa Dye, on 6 July 1849, in Kershaw, SC. Louisa S. Conly (age 12, b. SC) appears in the 1870 Census for Flat Rock, Kershaw, Co. SC, as does Nancy D. Perry (age 21, b. SC).

John Conly (age 25, b. Ala) appears as a member of the Conly household in the 1850 Census in Yalobusha Co., MS. He appears as John Conaly (age 32, b. Tenn) in the 1860 Census in Yalobusha Co. Only his nephew, Samuel Hankins (age 17, b. Tenn), enumerated as "slave master" is also in his household. He has a personal estate value of $14,980. On the 1860 slave schedule John owns 14 slaves (6 adults and 8 children).

John Conly was a 2nd Lt. under the command of Capt. John F. Taylor, Co. G, 29th Miss Infantry "Walthall Rebels," and was killed during a skirmish near Corinth, MS, by a bullet to the head on May 17 1862. He enlisted at Graysport, MS on 14 Feb, 1862, was 37 years old at that time, and appears on muster rolls for the months of April, May & June 1862, with his death notated on the last muster roll.

After John’s death, his brother, George W. Conly, administered his estate, which included a substantial plantation. After the Civil War, the devaluation of Confederate currency and Mississippi Bank notes greatly reduced the value of this estate, and the emancipation of the slaves resulted in no labor to farm the estate’s plantation. Prior to his death, he had rented out some slaves to others. The death of George W. Conly, in about 1868, resulted in the appointment of Benjamin F. Johnson as his administrator. Prior to this death, George W. Conly had sold the property to J. C. James due to it being in the best interest of John Conly’s sole heir, his daughter Lula S. Conly. George W. Conly had declared the estate debts more than its ability to earn income, esp. due to the devaluation of Confederate currency.

George W. Conly published the initial Administrator’s Notice to all debtors for John Conly in the "Memphis Daily Appeal," a "newspaper printed and published in the town of Grenada, in the county of Yalobusha," in seven issues from 14 July 1862 to 26 Aug 1862. W. H. Russell was the foreman for the paper. It reads as follows:

Whereas letters of administration on the estate of John Conly deceased were granted to the undersigned at the July term A. D. 1862 of the Probate Court of Yalobusha county, State of Mississippi, this the 7^th of said month this notice is therefore hereby given requesting all persons having claims against the estate of said deceased, to exhibit the same and have them registered in the manner and within the time prescribed by law, or they will be forever barred.

GEO. W. CONLY, Administrator

List of Debts for John Conly.

Sale Bill of John Conly’s personal and perishable estate in 1863.

Notice is served to Lula S. Conly as an out of state resident to appear regarding the sale of her father’s land in the "Mississippi Gazette" in 5 issues from 24 March 1866 to 24 April 1866. This notice reads as follows:

The State of Mississippi }

Yalobusha County }

To Lula S. Conly a non-resident minor heir at law of John Conly, deceased.

You are hereby cited to appear before the Probate Court of said county of Yalobusha, on the first Monday of May next, 1866, to show cause why the petition of George W. Conly, administrator of the estate of said John Conly, deceased, for sale of lands for payment of debts of said deceased, (Personal estate having been shown to be insufficient.)

Said lands described in said petition as follows, to-wit: East half of sw qr and w hf of se qr of section 22, and ne qr and east half of nw qr section 27, all in township 22, range 7 east, containing 400 acres, more or less, should not be granted. By order of court, the 6^th day of March, 1866.

T. WARD, Clerk.

The newspaper ad for the sale of the land, published in "The Southern Family Visitor" in Grenada, MS, weekly from 15 Dec 1866 to 11 Jan 1867, reads as follows:

ADMINISTRATOR’S SALE

By virtue and in pursuance of a decree of the Court of Probates of Yalobusha county, made at the August term thereof, the undersigned administrator of John Conley dec’d will on Saturday the 12^th day of January between the hours prescribed by law, proceed to sell on the premises and at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, all that certain tract of land lying and being in the South eastern part of said county containing by estimation four hundred acres more of less, which said land was cultivated by said decedent in his lifetime as a cotton plantation and whereon he resided at the time of his death having thereon a good substantial and commodious dwelling house, stable and other appertainances and more particularly described as East hf of South west qr (E ½ of S w ¼) and West hf of South east qr (W ½ of S e ¼) of section 22 and North East qr (N E ¼) and East hf of north West township 22 range 7 East. The purchaser will be required to pay cash at the time of sale.

GEO. W. CONLY, Admr

There are annual tax records extant for the estate of John Conly in the amounts of $35.10 ($6.69 property, $21.10 personal and poll, and $7.31 Military Tax) for 1860; $66.57 ($44.67 property, $20.40 personal and poll, plus $1.50 Ad’t tax) for 1862; $41.50 ($20.25 property and $21.25 personal) for 1863; $14.32 for Capital ___ Cultural tax for the year ending 31 Dec 1863; $34.63 ($16.00 property and $18.63 personal) for 1864; and an illegible amount ($10.07?) for poll and personal tax in 1866. In addition there is a receipt dated 9 May 1862 in the amount of $25.00 for "Confederate Tax."