Captain Henry DIXON, better known as Captain Hal, was born in Caswell County, NC, in the year 1777, during the Revolutionary troubles. His grandfather, Henry DIXON, was a distinguished Colonel in the Revolutionary War, and was killed at the battle of Eutaw Springs. He was also highly complimented for gallantry at the battle of Camden. Captain DIXON was a brother of Wynn DIXON, father of Governor Archibald DIXON. He immigrated to Kentucky in 1808 and settled upon the land now owned by Joshua STAPLES. Subsequent to that he purchased the farm now owned by Thomas BUCKMAN, lying on the Madisonville road, and built the house that is yet used as a residence by Mr. BUCKMAN. In 1853 he sold his farm and removed to Union County, settling at the Sulphur Springs. In November 1858, he died. Captain DIXON was a remarkable man, large, muscular and weighing ordinarily from two hundred and twenty-five to two hundred and fifty pounds. He was a man of indomitable will and absolutely fearless. He was an industrious worker, ever active in attending to business matters. He was never much of a politician, yet he possessed unbounded influence and was a power when he chose to exercise it. He was an unflinching Jackson Democrat and took and active interest in his race again Henry CLAY. He was elected and served one term in the Kentucky Legislature, and in this connection several good stories are told. It is said that when the Captain approached the polls to cast his vote and the usual question, “How do you vote?” had been asked him, he good humoredly, yet positively, replied, “I like Captain Dixon better than I do the other feller, so put me down for DIXON.” It is a traditionary statement that up to that time the vote between the Captain and his opponent was a tie, and that the Captain voting for himself decided the election. Again another good story is told of him while a member of the Legislature. It is said that he was no speaker, and for a man of his courage and good sense was remarkably timid upon such occasions, even though he knew every man in the house.

The Legislature was in session, and the Captain in his seat. He desired to introduce a bill and to preface it by a few remarks. When he arose, he imagined that one or two of the members offered him an indignity and bringing himself to the full extent of his majestic proportions and forgetting what he had arisen for, he addressed the speaker in the following laconic language: “Mr. Speaker, I am no speaker, but sir, I can whip any infernal scoundrel in this house who dare insult me.” This raised a breeze and the Captain took his seat, never again to be intentionally or humorously joked.

Captain DIXON was twice married. His first wife was Miss Mary JOHNSTON, of Virginia; his second wife, Mrs. John TALBOT, of Henderson County. Twelve children resulted from his first marriage: Roger, Martha, Henry, Mary, Eliza, John, Robert, Niel, Susan, George, Judith and Francis.

ROGER married Miss Elizabeth BROWN, who after his death married Thomas P. LAMBERT. They had one child.

MARTHA married John GREEN, father of Hon. Grant GREEN, and had four children, Henry, Grant, John and Mary Ann. Henry married Miss LAMBERT of Arkansas and died leaving children; Grant married Miss Katie S. OVERTON of Virginia and has quite a large family of bright promissing children; John married Miss RANDOLPH of Henderson and has several children; Mary Ann married Theodore HALL, she died leaving three children.

HENRY married Miss Ann Mariah ASHBY and had two children, John E. and Mary; John married Miss Mary SUGG and they have children; Mary married George W. McCLURE and they have three children.

MARY married Gabriel Grant GREEN, by whom she had three children, Henry Dixon, Gabriel and Ann. Subsequent to Mr. GREEN’S death, she married Dr. A. H. BAILEY, by whom she had three children. Cornelius, John and Eliza who married Hon. C. C. BALL, Mayor of the City of Henderson.

ELIZA married William POSEY, by whom she had thirteen children, Reuben, Mary, Thomas, Lucy, Henry, John, Eliza, William, George, Robert, Addison, Sallie and one other whose name is unknown.

REUBEN*** studied law, practiced his profession for a number of years in Louisiana, and for many years last passed has held the office of Circuit Judge in one of the parishes of that State. He has been twice married, first to Miss KAVANAUGH and second to Miss RUSSELL of Texas; he has children. Mary married John N. LYLE and removed to Louisiana, they have several children; Thomas married Miss Augusta ALVES, died a few years afterwards, leaving two or three children; Lucy married William J. MARSHALL and has a large family of children; Henry married Miss Emma BUTLER and has several children; John married Miss Sarah TAYLOR and has several children’ Eliza married Cornelius BAILEY and has children; William married Miss Addie ALVES and has children; Addison is a leading physician in San Francisco; he recently married a lady of that State. Sallie, married twice, first to Dr. ROSS and secondly to Dr. DOYLE of Madisonville. Thomas, Sallie, George and Robert are dead.

JOHN married Miss Sarah E. POWELL of Henderson County, by whom he had eleven children, Charles, Henry, Thomas, John, George, Mary, Joseph, Simmeon, Robert, Roger and Thomas. Of this number, Charles, Thomas, George, Robert and Roger are dead; Henry married Miss Mary Ellen GRAYSON, John married Miss Amanda WATSON, George married Miss Julia TAYLOR, Mary married twice, first Weston ANDERSON, second William E. POWELL; Joseph maried Miss Blanch PENNELL, Simmeon married Miss Harriet ARVIN. They all have children.

ROBERT married Miss Mary Ann CLAY, a distant relative of Henry CLAY, by whom he had seven children, Ann Eliza, Henry, Mary, Amelia, Robert, Georgiana and Sallie; Ann Eliza married Hon. S. B. VANCE of Evansville and has several children; Amelia married William PAYNE and died a few years afterwards without issue; Mary married Andrew CLARK and has one daughter, Mrs. T. W. BUCKNER; Robert married Miss Alice YOUNG and has quite a family of children; Georgiana married Thomas POSEY and has three children; Sallie is yet unmaried; Henry died when young.

CORNELIUS married Miss Isabella CLAY and had eleven children, Roger, Betty, Henrietta, Charles, Susan, Henry, Robert, Wynn, Belle, Clay and Mary. Bettie, Charles and Belle are dead; Roger has been married three times, first to Miss Todd BUTLER of Henderson; second to Miss Mary SINGER of Evansville; third to Miss Carrie DIKE of Posey County, IN. First two wives died soon after marriage. He has several children by his last wife. Henrietta married Caleb F. RUGGLES and has children; Susan married Rich POSEY and has children; Henry a practicing physician in Evansville married Miss Amelia WILSON of Louisville; Robert married Miss Rosa GREEN of Henderson and has two children; Wynn married Miss Mattie RANDOLPH of Henderson and has two children; Clay married Miss Mattie WILSON of Louisville, no children; Mary married John J. TOWLES, no children.

SUSAN married Col. William P. GRAYSON and had five children, Mary Ellen, Sophy, Susan, Hebe and Roger; Mary Ellen married Captain Hal DIXON and has children; Sophy married J. Monroe WATSON and has children; Susan married William T. NORMENT and has children; Hebe was married three times, first to Col. DeMILLER, secondly to William BUTLER and thirdly to Col. GRIMES of Arkansas; Roger married Miss GRIMES.

GEORGE married Miss Sallie HARDIN, who died several years afterwards. He then married Miss Helm, a near relative of Gov. HELM. Mr. DIXON was a lawyer of distinction, and was at one time Judge of the Memphis Tennessee Circuit. He died several years ago, leaving children.

JUDITH married Thomas Towles, Jr., the brightest mind ever born in Kentucky and a lawyer of signal ability. She had five children, Mary, Ann, Martha, Bettie and Thomas. Mary married Phelps SASSEEN, an expert accountant and most excellent gentleman; they have several children. Ann died soon after arriving at her twenty-first birthday; Martha married John T. MOORE and several years afterwards died; leaving children; Bettie married William ARVIN and has children; Thomas is unmarried. Many years after the death of Thomas TOWLES, his widow married Dr. James BEATTY and raised one daughter, Fanny, who married Ira BALL, of Corydon. She has children.

FRANCES married Dr. James B. ALLEN of Shelby County, Kentucky, and moved to Union County. She had six children: Mary, Drucilla, Georgiana, Fanny, Henry and Sallie; Drucilla married Dr. JONES and died some year afterwards; Joseph married a Miss MATTINGLY; Sallie married in Virginia; Fanny married Dr. NEAL of Evansville; Georgiana married Dr. STONE of Union County and died; Henry D. married Miss Mattie HUGHES, daughter of Hon. D. H. HUGHES of Morganfield, and has children. This completes the long line of Captain DIXON’S progeny.

Starling’s History of Henderson County, Kentucky, 1887.

Also See:

CAPTAIN HAL DIXON REFERENCES

MARRIAGES OF HENDERSON COUNTY, 1806 – 1858

Eliza Dixon – William Posey, 10 May 1829, Book 001, Page 37

Eliza T. Dixon – Thomas Lambert, 25 Jan 1832, Book 001, Page 43

John R. Dixon – Sarah E. G. Powell, 20 Nov 1833, Book 001, Page 46

Charles C. Dixon – Phebe I. Clay, 1835, Book 001, Page 59

Robert Dixon – Mary Ann Clay, 1835, Book 001, Page 59

Frances Dixon – James B. Allen, 14 Nov 1839, Book 001, Page 70

Henry Dixon, Sr. – Rhoda Talbott, 19 Dec 1843, Book 001, Page 81

Susan B. Dixon – Cuthbert Powell, 16 Dec 1857, Book 003, Page 435

Henry Dixon age 73, Page 80, House No. 128; Rhoda age 46; Marion H. age 5; Emma age 3; James Beckham age 30.

Thomas Lambert age 45, Page 142, House No. 680; Eliza T. (Dixon) age 39; Eliza age 14; Mary L. age 16; Harriet age 3; Polly age 1; Martha B. Dixon age 22.

Henry Dixon, Jr. age 44, Page 147, House No. 712; Anna age 42; John E. age 19; Mary A. age 11.

John R. Dixon age 39, Page 80, House No. 127; Sarah age 37; Charles age 15; Henry age 14; John R. age 11; George age 9; Mary age 7; Joseph age 3; Simeon age 1.

Robert Dixon age 37, Page 137, House No. 641; Mary A, age 36; Nancy age 14; Amelia age 13; Mary age 11; Robert age 7; Georgeanna age 3.

Charles Dixon age 36, Page 143, House No. 682; Isabella age 30; Roger age 14; Henrietta age 10; Isabella age 6; Charles age 4; Susan age 2; Henry age 1; Permelia Clay age 62.

1860 CENSUS OF HENDERSON COUNTY

Henry Dixon age 54, Page 67, House No. 262; Ann age 52; John age 30; Mary C. age 25, Henry age 1.

James R. Dixon age 49, Page 55, House No. 148; Sarah E. age 47; John age 21; George age 19; Joseph age 13; Simeon age 11; Robert age 8; Emma age 13.

C.C. Dixon age 46, Page 62, House No. 216; Isabela age 44; Roger age 24; Bettie age 15; Charles age 14; Susan age 12; Henry age 10; Robert age 7; William age 35; Clay age 3; Amelia Clay age 73.

Robert Dixon age 45, Page 63, House No. 225; Mary A. age 45; Robert age 17; GeorgeAnn age 13; Sallie age 7; William Payne age 29; Amelia Payne age 23.

1870 CENSUS OF HENDERSON COUNTY

John E. Dixon age 38, Page 63, House 109; Mary C. age 35; Henry age 10; Nannie age 5; Kitty age 5; Wiley L. age 2; Henry age 64; Ann M. age 62.

Robert Dixon age 57, Page 193, House No. 44; Mary A. age 56; Georgia age 21; Sallie age 16.

Neal Dixon age 55, Page 66, House No. 135; Isabella age 50; Henry age 20; Robert age 18; Wynn age 15; Clay age 13; Mary age 9; Sue age 22; Belle age 23; T. (J) Adkins age 35.