SHORT Family of Georgia & Missouri


Martha A. (Short) Warren is my great grandmother. She lived such a short life and I thought it would be nice to honor her and her family on this website. Thankfully I have this wonderful photo of her with her long hair and it is one of my favorite family photos. 

I am not sure where Martha was born. Several trees on Ancestry show Greene County, Illinois, but there is no proof of that. However, her birthplace is listed as Missouri on the 1880 census — the ONLY census that she ever appeared on. So I am assuming (until I find proof otherwise) that she was born in Missouri. Her father, James Jefferson Short was on the census of 1850 in Georgia, and by 1860 he was in St. Francois County, Missouri. He served in the Civil War in the 33rd Regiment Missouri Infantry.

Martha is only on one census — the 1880 census of Pendleton, St. Francois Co., MO with her sister, Leticia “Tishie” E. Short living in the household of her stepbrother, William J. Crawford. (Martha’s mother Purlizea Murray married William E. Crawford first and after William died in 1863, Martha married James Jefferson Short.)

Name  Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father’s Birthplace Mother’s Birthplace

Wm. J. CRAWFORD   Self   S   Male   W   18   MO   Farmer   MO   MO

Jno. S. SHORT   SBro   S   Male   W   13   MO      GA   MO

Francis A. SHORT   SBro   S   Male   W   11   MO      GA   MO

Sarah J. SHORT   SSister   S   Female   W   10   MO      GA   MO

Luticia E. SHORT   SSister   S   Female   W   8   MO      GA   MO (Leticia)

Martha A. SHORT   SSister   S   Female   W   5   MO      GA   MO

Joseph J. SHORT   SBro   S   Male   W   3   MO      GA   MO

Elizabeth CRAWFORD   GMother   Widow   Female   W   64   IN   At Home  IN   IN

Source Information:

Census Place Pendleton, St. Francois, Missouri

Family History Library Film   1254715

NA Film Number   T9-0715

Page Number   518D

Notice it says the head of household (William Isom Crawford) was only 18 years old, a farmer. In his household were his step-siblings, aged 3 – 13, along with his grandmother Elizabeth Crawford. I’m sure that Elizabeth was really the head of that household, as she was a 64 year-old grandmother.

Martha Short’s aunt (her mother’s sister) is Leticia Berry, wife of Tom Berry, who was a Christian Preacher. I often heard my dad and grandma talk about them. 

My grandmother Catherine (Warren) Hatfield Rieker (I called her “Gram”) told me that her mother Martha (Short) Warren died when Gram was only four years old. Martha died a little over a month after the birth of her 3rd child, Samuel Everett Warren. She could have died from complications of childbirth; however, that is not certain since there is no death certificate to validate that. So after Martha died, Alex took his three young children and moved in with his parents (Samuel Francis Warren and Evaline Hobdy) so that his mother could help raise his young children. His mother, Evaline Warren raised my grandma and her brothers and my grandmother lived with her father and grandparents until she married Ora Hatfield in 1917.

James Jefferson Short

Martha’s father was James Jefferson Short. He was born in St. Francois County, Missouri in 1844.

I have found many Civil War muster documents for James J. Short. He was a Private in Company C, 33rd Regiment, Missouri Infantry. He joined Company C on Dec. 19, 1862 at Rolla, Missouri when he was 18 years old.

From Aug. 30 to Oct. 31, 1862 he was in the Rolla (Missouri) Hospital for wounds received. He had been sent there by Major Atkinson from Camp Fisk. 

James was later wounded and the Casualty Sheet of the Wounded (above) states that he was wounded as a volunteer at the Battle of Nashville Dec. 15 & 16, 1864. 

The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lieutenant General John Bell Hood and Federal forces under Major GeneralGeorge H. Thomas. In one of the largest victories achieved by the Union Armyduring the war, Thomas attacked and routed Hood’s army, largely destroying it as an effective fighting force.

James mustered out at Briton Barracks in Missouri and his last clothing account was settled on Oct. 31, 1864.

After the war James returned to St. Francois, Missouri where he married Purliza Catherine (Murray) Crawford on March 11, 1866.

Marriage of Purliza Murray and William E. Crawford
Marriage of Purliza Murray Crawford to James J Short

She was the widow of William E. Crawford, who was in the Civil War. He died during the war. Purliza and William had one son named William Isom Crawford. After Purliza and James were married James became the legal guardian for William I. Crawford, his step-son. 

James and Purliza “Purly” had seven children between 1869 and 1877: John S., Francis A.; Dorah J.; Sarah J.; Laticia Elizabeth; Martha A.; and Joseph Gilbert. 

1870 Census
Name: James J Short
Age in 1870: 26
Birth Year: abt 1844
Birthplace: Georgia
Home in 1870: Pendleton, St Francois, Missouri
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: Farmington
Household Members: Name Age
James J Short 26
Purliza C Short 26
William Short 8
John S Short 3
Francis M Short 1
Sarah J Short 4/12
John Hanks 21

1870 Census

James died sometime by May of 1878 because his probate was recorded on May 13, 1878 leaving a widow and seven children under the age of 11. 

Letters of Administration James J. Short
Probate, James J. Short

Below is an outline descendant report for John Short, the father of James Jefferson Short.

Outline Descendant Report for John Short

1 John Short b: Abt. 1812 in Cass County, Georgia; d: Sep 1859 in Springfield, Henry, Missouri

  • Nancy Taylor b: 1818 in South Carolina, United States, m: Abt. 1835 in Georgia, d: Aft. 25 Jul 1860 in Liberty, St Francois County, Missouri

.2 Dencilla Short b: 1841 in Georgia

.2 James Jefferson Short b: 1844 in Doe Run, St Francois, Missouri; d: Bet. 1877–1880

  • Purlizea Catherine Murray b: 1835 in St Francois County, Missouri, USA, m: 11 Mar 1866 in St. Clair., St. Francois Co, MO; Marriage of Purley C. Crawford & James J. Short, d: Abt. 1943

..3 John S. Short b: 1867 in Missouri

..3 Francis W. Short b: 1869 in Missouri

..3 Dorah J. Short b: Abt. 1870, d: Bet. 1871–1880

..3 Sarah J. Short b: Feb 1870 in Farmington, St Francis Co. Missouri, d: 11 Apr 1939 in Kane, Greene Co., IL + C. C. Roady

..3 Laticia Short b: 1872 in Missouri

..3 Martha A. Short b: 20 Feb 1874 in Missouri, d: 04 Feb 1899 in Warren’s Mill, Butler Co., Kentucky

Martha A. (Short) Warren
  • Alexander Arthur Warren b: 16 Apr 1868 in Butler Co., KY, m: 02 Jan 1894 in Greene Co., IL, d: 15 Nov 1947 in Jacksonville, Morgan Co., IL

…4 Catherine Evelyn Warren b: 12 Jan 1895 in Kane, Greene Co., IL, d: 07 Oct 1983 in St. Louis City, MO

  • Ora Ezrah Hatfield b: 08 Dec 1897 in Elsberry, Lincoln Co., Missouri, m: 10 Apr 1917 in Alton, Madison County, IL, d: 14 Mar 1944 in San Francisco, California; Name at time of death: Edward Melvin Hatfield

….5 Twin Hatfield b: 21 Jan 1918, d: 22 Jan 1918

….5 Twin Hatfield b: 21 Jan 1918, d: 22 Jan 1918

….5 Edsel Arthur Hatfield b: 02 Jan 1919 in East Alton, Madison Co., IL, d: 05 Jul 2007 in St Louis City, Missouri

  • Jessie Louise Whitelaw b: 19 Apr 1921 in St. Louis City, MO, m: 10 Oct 1942 in Camp Robinson, Pulaski County, Arkansas, d: 26 Feb 1991 in St. Louis County, MO
  • Louis Gustave Rieker b: 25 Aug 1890 in St. Louis, MO, m: 27 Dec 1926 in St. Louis, MO, d: 09 Sep 1954 in St. Louis Missouri

…4 Clifford Earless Warren b: 16 Jul 1897 in Warren’s Mill, Kentucky, d: 14 Oct 1971 in Sacramento, Sacramento Co., CA

  • Constance “Sadie” Shields b: 11 Jan 1902 in Ohio Co., KY, m: 25 Oct 1923 in Cromwell, Butler Co., Kentucky, d: Alton, Illinois

….5 Daughter Warren b: 1927 in California, d: 1927 in California

…4 Samuel Everett Warren b: 30 Dec 1898 in Warren’s Mill, Kentucky, d: 06 Feb 1953 in Kane, Greene Co., Illinois

+ Elsie Christina Perkins b: 20 Mar 1901, d: 26 Jul 1986 in Alton, Illinois 62002

….5 Martha Irene Warren b: 07 Jun 1920, d: 10 Dec 1989 + Harry Edmon Ferguson d: 2005

….5 Bertha Mae Warren b: 16 Dec 1921 in SE Missouri, d: 08 Apr 2008

  • Pearl Junior Oliver
  • Charles Allen

….5 Earless Arthur Warren b: 02 Apr 1923, d: 24 Nov 1946 in Milwaukee

  • Georgia Rosetta Elmore b: 07 Dec 1923, d: 02 Nov 1983 in Kane, Greene Co., IL

….5 William Raymond Warren b: 07 Mar 1925, d: 05 Feb 1989 in Wood River, Illinois

  • Ann Loretta Reynolds

..3 Joseph Gilbert Short b: 10 Jun 1877 in Missouri + Susie Weller

.2 Martha Ann Short b: 1846 in Georgia, d: Jun 1888 in Doe Run, St Francois, Missouri, United States; Age: 41

  • Alfred A Scaggs b: 28 Feb 1843 in Springfield, Greene, Missouri; m: 04 Jan 1866 in St Francois, St Francois, Missouri; d: 26 Aug 1928 in Doe Run, St Francois, Missouri

..3 Nancy E. Scaggs b: Abt. 1866 in Missouri, d: 15 Mar 1897

..3 Emma Drucilla Scaggs b: 26 Jan 1869 in Springfield, Greene, Missouri; d: 15 Mar 1897 in Missouri

..3 William Richard Scaggs b: 15 Jul 1871 in Missouri; d: 25 Apr 1953 in Sussex, Waukesha, Wisconsin; Age: 81

..3 James Alfred Bud Scaggs b: Abt. 1873 in Missouri, d: 1896

..3 Mary J. Scaggs b: Abt. 1876 in Missouri, d: 27 Feb 1917 in Doe Run, St Francois, Missouri

..3 Martha A. Scaggs b: Abt. 1879 in Missouri

..3 Rosaline Scaggs b: 18 Apr 1881, d: 26 Apr 1907

..3 Nellie Lee Scaggs b: 1883, d: 1908

.2 Allen A. Short b: 1849 in Georgia

.2 Joseph S. Short b: 1851 in Georgia

.2 Henry Short b: 1835

.2 Mary Short b: 1837

.2 Elizabeth Short b: 1839

.2 Ruth Priscilla Short b: 1841

If you are related to this SHORT family or have any information to share or corrections to make, please contact me, Elaine Powell, at [email protected].

You can find my whole tree on Ancestry.com, called the Hatfield-Whitelaw/Powell-Knight tree.