Casey Family Association

Looking Back

Anthony Casey
1826 - 1910

Anthony CASEY was the great-great-great grandson of Abner and Harriet CASEY, the immigrants. He comes through the Jesse CASEY (1726), Aaron (1742) and Mary Polly (Wayne) (1752) CASEY, Jesse CASEY (1770), Jesse E. (1797) and Patsy (Coe) CASEY line. Anthony was born in 1826 in Morgan County, Tennessee, the sixth child of Jesse E. and Patsy (Coe) CASEY.

Anthony's eleven siblings were (1) Polly CASEY who married John FARMER; (2) Steven CASEY who married Sarah WILKINS; (3) Tempa CASEY who married Thomas FARMER; (4) Elijah CASEY who married Nancy (?); (5) Elizabeth CASEY who married Zachariah BECKHAM; (6) Levi Newton CASEY who married Dedemiah DANIELS; (7) Ambler CASEY who married Martha (?); (8) Martha CASEY who married Lewis DANIEL; (9) Jesse Clinton CASEY who married Sarah SNOW; (10) Barbara CASEY who married Hijah SNOW; and Wesley CASEY who married Salutie WOODWARD.

When Anthony CASEY was seven years old his grandfather Jesse CASEY and parents Jesse E. and Patsy CASEY decided to move west leaving Roane County, Tennessee. Jesse CASEY and his brother Abner CASEY (Anthony's great uncle) led a wagon train of friends and relatives from Morgan County, Tennessee, across the Mississippi River where they then split into two trains. Jesse CASEY and his son Jesse E. CASEY, father of Anthony, went northwest to settle in Franklin County, Missouri. The others led by Abner CASEY continued on to settle on the Big Mulberry River, now Johnson County, Arkansas. Anthony CASEY's great grandmother, Mary 'Polly' (Wayne) CASEY (Aaron CASEY's wife) was traveling with the Jesse wagon train. After her son Jesse's death, Polly CASEY made her home with her grandson Jesse E. CASEY. She lived to be 93 years of age and is buried in the Buffalo Cemetery, Newton County, AR, near Parthenon, AR.

Anthony was eight years old when he moved from Missouri with his family to Johnson County, Arkansas, where they lived for five years, until 1841. Jesse E. and Patsy CASEY then moved their family to Newton County, AR, and settled near the head of the Hudson River.

Anthony's mother, Patsy (Coe) CASEY died in 1846 at the age of 49 years and is buried in the Buffalo Cemetery. In 1847 his father Jesse E. married a second time to a 47 year old widow, Elizabeth McPHERSON. They had no children; she had three children and he had six children at home when they married. Jesse E. lived to the age of 66 years. He and Elizabeth are buried in the Buffalo Cemetery.
Anthony CASEY married a twenty year old Sealy SELF from Illinois in 1847. They became the parents of seven children; Martha E., Uriah, Levi Newton, Jesse J., Mary Jane, Sarah A. and Sealy who died in infancy.

Anthony and Sealy CASEY left Newton County in 1858 and lived in Taney County, Missouri, until 1862. They returned to Newton County, Arkansas, during the Civil War where he purchased 200 acres located eight and one half miles above Jasper, near Parthenon, Arkansas. Anthony and his brother, Jesse Clinton CASEY, joined the Union Army, September 2, 1863. They were in Co. 'E', 2^nd Infantry and served under Captain A. R. McPHERSON. Anthony was honorably discharged at Clarksville, AR. He had pneumonia and later smallpox while he was enlisted. His government pension was $20.00 per year. Sealy, Anthony's wife, died January 8, 1890, and is buried in the Buffalo Cemetery.

Anthony married again after Sealy's death and his second wife, named Louisa, was also from Illinois. Anthony CASEY lived until September 6, 1910. He is buried near both his wives in the Buffalo Cemetery.
It has been said that Anthony CASEY owned a young black slave who had helped with the farm work. When Anthony returned to Newton County after the War he freed the young man but the former slave had no place to go and begged to stay, so Anthony and Sealy allowed him to stay on with the CASEY family. The negro boy lived with them until he died of pneumonia. He is buried in the Buffalo Cemetery near the CASEY family.

Note: Information obtained from the Marshall, AR, Public Library. It had been submitted to the library by Pauline Brown, CFA member; descendant of Anthony Casey.

Mary Lea Burlison

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