William S. Kidd Family

William S. Kidd Family
Courtesy of: Mrs. Seth Leeds, Compiler & Judy Heffren/Wickert. <cw1@sbcglobal.net>

William S. Kidd was a full-blood Cherokee Indian, born in Scotland County, North Carolina, about 1814/1817, but living in Kentucky with his wife, Frances, "Fanny" (Green) Kidd and family. One of their daughters, Mary Jane was born January 18, 1836 in Green County, Kentucky. The Cherokees were one of the most advanced tribes of the native Americans. Their great Chief, Sequoyah, had given them an alphabet of their own, they practiced democratic self-government, and owned vast plantations. The Cherokees and other Indian tribes were in the way of the westward advance of the energetic American Republic. Then, the rumors of gold in the Indian land gave President Andrew Jackson an excuse for his version of a solution to the Indian problem-rounding up the entire nation and then sending them West, under the supervision of the United States Army. Often this was at the point of a bayonet. This cruel, forced march from Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky, in the middle of winter, was called by the Indians "The Trail Where They Cried", but today it is called "The Trail Of Tears". Almost one third of them died on that cruel march. They were taken to what became known as Indian Territory. In 1907 this became part of the state of Oklahoma. William S. Kidd and his family hid out in the hills from the soldiers, and made their way north, settling in Waterford Township, Fulton County, Illinois. They travelled mostly at night. This was in 1839, when Mary Jane was three years old. On February 11, 1860, Mary Jane was married to William Jasper Cozadd, who was born December 27, 1840 in Fulton County. He was of French-Huguenot blood. One of their daughters was Martha Myrtle Cozadd, born October 11, 1881, and died July 03, 1907. On February 14, 1900, Martha Myrtle was married to Perry Irvin Shawgo, born Jul y 31, 1877 and died July 24, 1957. One of their two daughters was Martha Viola, born March 01, 1905 and died March 13, 1980 in Tucson Arizona. On September 14, 1924, Martha Viola was married to Seth W. Leeds. The children of William and Mary Jane (Kidd) Cozadd were , David Jonathan, born December 27, 1860, Joseph R., born October 20, 1863, Sarah A., born September 11, 1867, Jason Jasper, born July 27, 1869, Lewis Harvey, born March 13, 1872, Joshua William, born,1873, Phoebe Julia, born, August 11, 1878, Martha Myrtle, born October 11, 1881, and Charles Henry, born March 02, 1884. Article #F438, Reference Book #Fulton County, Heritage, Reg. # 977.348, Parlin Ingersol Library, Canton, Illinois.