Middleton Conly
by James A. Strain © 2004
Middleton Mellet Conly, the seventh child of George and Elizabeth Conly, was born about 1824 in AL, and died in 1878 in Carroll Co., MS. I believe he was a victim of the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1878, as there is a Maj. M. Conly listed in one newspaper death notice of victims, published in Holly Springs, MS. Middleton married Ellen C. Palmer on 9 July 1851 in Carroll Co., MS. Ellen Palmer was born about 1834 in LA, and I do not know her parents, death date, or burial location.
Middleton Conly (age 36, b. AL) appears as a "Merchant" in the 1850 Census in Yalobusha Co., where he is a resident of a hotel, along with his brother George W. Conly. They were apparently in business together, but what type is not known for certain. One deed, dated 15 Jan 1850, shows he and his brother George W. Conly leasing two lots (101 and part of 102) in Grenada to build a warehouse. In addition, on 25 Mar 1852, H. J. Nipper and wife, Salina, deed the W1/2 SW1/4 of 34/22/4E to he and his brother George W. Conly. [This could be a deed of trust, though, not an actual sale. Also, see the entry on George W. Conly regarding one known name of a business in Grenada.] He is enumerated as M. Connally in the 1860 Census for Yalobusha Co., and appears in the 1870 Census in Carroll Co., MS with his correct spelling.
Middleton had a prestigious contribution to the Confederate War effort, serving as a Captain and Acting Commissary of Subsistence (ACS) for the Confederate forces (29th Infantry Regiment, Co. G, and General Staff Officers, CSA). General E. C. Walthall personally recommended him for the position as shown by a letter in Walthall’s handwriting, with signature, in Middleton’s Compiled Military Service Record. Walthall appointed Middleton Conly as ACS on 11 Apr 1862, the very day that Walthall assumed command of the 29th Regt. At this time, Walthall was a Lt. Colonel. As ACS, Middleton’s job was to secure provisions for the army, such as food, horses, cattle, etc., and there are several receipts in his CMSR showing his purchase of items for the troops, as well as reports to the War Department for monies spent in acquiring provisions.
Middleton is the administrator for the estate of his brother, Richard H. Conly, and as such provides important information when Richard’s land is sold, naming all collateral heirs, with locations, in 1853. In addition, Middleton serves as the administrator to his father’s estate after George W. Conly dies, and is apparently responsible for the plantation’s land being sold due to debt.
After Middleton’s death, Ellen C. Conly apparently removes to TN, where she is found in the 1880 census for Jackson, Madison Co., TN. Her household appears as follows:
Ellen C. CONLY Self W Female W 46 LA Keeping House VA LA
Nellie CONLY Dau S Female W 17 MS At School AL LA
Landon CONLY Son S Male W 12 MS At School AL LA
Mary E. WILLSHIRE Dau W Female W 24 MS AL LA
Mary WILLSHIRE GDau S Female W 5 MS OH MS
Atwood WILLSHIRE GSon S Male W 4 TN OH MS
Harriet CHESTER Other S Female B 27 TN Do Servant TN TN
From this entry, we are able to ascertain that her daughter, Mary E. Conly, was married to a Willshire, and had two children. I have not been able to locate any probate record for the death of Middleton Conly in Carroll, Grenada, or Yalobusha Counties to date. It is possible that Ellen Conly probated his estate in TN, as she moved there within two years’ time.
Middleton and Ellen Conly are one of the few families heavily documented in the "Haynsworth-Furman and Allied Families" book, which provides several generations. The children of Middleton Mellet Conly and Ellen C. Palmer are:
