Abraham moved around a lot from his marriage in circa 1817 in Russell County where he was born, and where his first two surviving children were also born; William H., born in 1820 and (George?) Washington in 1823. He moved along the migration route south and west to Hawkin's County, Tennessee, where he was by 1825 for the birth of his third son, Richard H. Campbell. His fourth son, Abraham S., was also born in Tennessee. His fifth son, John Wesley Craig, was born in 1831 in Claiborne County, Tennessee. Sometime after John Wesley Craig's birth, the ever growing Campbell family returned to Russell County in time for the next son, number six, David Patton, who was born on November 29, 1833. The last son, James Charles, was also born in Virginia. A daughter, Nancy Ellen, was born in 1839. According to the 1840 census Abraham and Winney had nine children, so at least one died young. One of the reasons for his moving several times was his job as a Campbellite minister; he qualified to perform the rites of matrimony in 1846 in Russell County and listed his occupation in the 1850 census as a Campbellite minister. In his last will and testament, written on December 4, 1857 and proven on March 5, 1858, he leaves everything to his "beloved wife Winney." He leaves individual tracts of lands and possessions to some of his children, to wit:
"I will and bequeath to my Daughter Ellan a horse saddle and bridle. Horse to be worth $75.00 and one cow, one bead (bed) and furniture one small spinning wheel five heads of sheep and my bureau and 1 sow and pigs provided my said daughter takes proper care of her self"
Other distributions went to the remaining sons. The rest of his land was to be sold at the death of his wife and distributed between his son Richard H. Campbell's children and the children of Washington Campbell. He goes on to state:
My son James C. Campbell I give him nothing of any description whatever"
According to family tradition Abraham and Winney are buried in an unmarked graveyard on Campbell land a few miles south of Lebanon in Russell County. The graveyard is on a low hill and is marked only by upturned stones; two sets of stones in a U shape at what is probably the head of the grave. A third, smaller grave is probably that of an infant. Across the street and still on Campbell land is a larger Campbell Cemetery with at least 24 people in it; among them Abraham's brothers Henry Jr., and William.
Abraham Campbell was married to Winney Alice Sevier who, family tradition says, was related to John Sevier, famous for his participation in the battle of King's Mountain in the Revolutionary War, as well as the first Governor of Tennessee. This relationship has not been proven; none of John Sevier's 18 children were named Winney Alice although his second daughter by his second wife, Catherine, first married a man named Archibald Rhea and then later married a man whose last name was Campbell. Another family tradition says that Winney was a witch. She died in 1885 in Mendota, Washington County, Virginia.
It is Abraham's marriage to Winney which could ultimately lead to his heirs becoming the wealthiest family in the world!
According to an newspaper article from The Daily Free Press of Carbondale, Illinois on October 3rd, 1910:
Pastor Heir to Millions Virginia, Ill., Oct. 1. - Rev. R. Sheeler Campbell, pastor of the Church of Christ in Virginia, is one of the direct heirs to the Sevier millions, which the United States court of claims has recently decided is a just debt. Campbell's great grandfather, John Sevier, of revolutionary fame, who served five terms as governor of Tennessee, loaned the government $8,450,000 in 1790 to pay off the indebtedness occasioned by the war, and the contract read he was to receive $10 for each $1 and 6 per cent interest until paid. Sevier left an only daughter, Winnie, who afterward married Abram Campbell of Kentucky, and the heirs are her surviving son J. C. Campbell of Greenup, Ky., the father of the Virginia pastor; one sister, Mrs. Ellen Alexander of Lebanon, Va., and the children of their three deceased brothers, making a total of 80 heirs, to divide the sum of $300,000,000 now due the estate. A. W. Campbell of Washington, D. C., writes his brother in Virginia that the court has rendered the claim valid and Congressmen Barnett of Kentucky, Painter of Illinois and other prominent men will urge congress at the coming session to make the necessary appropriations. In a recent speech Theodore Roosevelt is quoted as saying this particular claim is one the nation should pay. J. C. Campbell, now 76 years old, will be entitled to $37,000,000 as his share, and means to divide it equally among his 10 children.
The details of the contract are a little fuzzy, but in 2015 the value of the claim is somewhere between 269 billion and 278 quadrillion dollars! I have been unable to track down any resolution to this case, despite the involvement of two congressmen and Teddy Roosevelt. If any Campbell descendants do get the money, remember your 7th cousins!
