Person Page 1,333

Biography (findagrave.com):

David John Snapp was born in May 1840 in Taney County, Missouri. He was the son of Harrison Galifant Snapp and Emily D. Parry. David's great-grandfather, John Snapp, Sr., and his great-great-grandfather, Lawrence Snapp, served in Virginia during the American Revolution.

David's father, Harrison Galifant Snapp, was born in 1812 in Virginia and died about 1863, possibly in Cooper County, Missouri. His mother, Emily D. Parry, was born about 1814 in Virginia and died 24 September 1855 in Forsyth, Taney County, Missouri. They were married 24 September 1836 in Greene County, Tennessee, and in 1939, they settled in Taney County, Missouri. David's siblings were:

Augusta Rose Snapp (1837-1873

Victoria Emily Snapp (1839-after 1870)

Lafayette Dedrick Snapp (1842-1910

Andrew J. ("Bunk") Snapp (1844-1864

Addie Belle Vedora Snapp (1848-1927)

Robert Grant Snapp (1850-1903)

Samuel Harrison Snapp (1854-1886)

In about 1858, David married Mary Ann _____, probably in Taney County, Missouri. David and Mary Ann had two children:

Emily V. ("Emma") Snapp (1859-after 1870)

Sarah Alice Snapp (1860-1943)

David enlisted in Co. E, 3rd Missouri (Confederate) Cavalry on 10 September 1862 in Oregon County, Missouri. He was 22 years old. The officers of Co. E were Andrew J. Thompson, Captain; Francis M. Fullbright, 1st Lieutenant; Greenville L. Hands, 2nd Lieutenant; and Lafayette D. Snapp, 2nd Lieutenant [David's younger brother]. One other younger brother—Private Andrew J. Snapp—also served in Co. E. According to the compiled military service record for David J. Snapp, he was captured and taken as a prisoner of war on 24 October 1864, at Mound City, Linn County, Kansas—the day before the Battle of Mine Creek. After being incarcerated at prisons in St. Louis, Rock Island, Illinois, and Point Lookout, Maryland, David was paroled at James River, Virginia, on 23 March 1865.

It is not known when David's first wife, Mary Ann, died, but by ca.1868, David had married Virginia C. Bagley (born about 1837 in Arkansas; died ca. 1888 in Tom Bean, Grayson County, Texas). David and Virginia had six children (while making their home in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas):

Lafayette Hampton Snapp (1868-before 1910)

Harrison Lee Snapp (1870-1960)

Ida Elizabeth Snapp (1873- 1941)

Albert Clarence Snapp (1877- 1963)

George David Snapp (1879-1928

Addie Lou ("Lulu") Snapp (1882-1966)

The family moved to Tom Bean, Grayson County, Texas, in 1882. Daughter Addie was born in Tom Bean on 9 September 1882.

On 9 May 1886, tragedy struck the Snapp family back in Taney County, Missouri. David's youngest brother, Sam, was shot and killed in Kirbyville by George Washington ("Wash") Middleton, a member of the notorious vigilante group—the Bald Knobbers. He was only 31 years old. Having been widowed twice, five children were orphaned by his Sam's death.

David John Snapp died on 11 January 1918 in Tom Bean, Grayson County, Texas, at the age of 77. He is buried in an unmarked grave at White Mound Cemetery near Tom Bean. His obituary appeared in the Sherman Daily Democrat, Sherman, Texas, on 12 January 1918:

"J. D. Snapp, 80 years of age, and for many years a citizen of the White Mound community, east of Sherman, died yesterday shortly after noon. Funeral services were held this afternoon at 3 o'clock, after which interment was in the White Mound cemetery. Mr. Snapp is survived by the following children, his wife having died thirty years ago: Lee Snapp, Duke, Okla.; Mrs. Ida Logue, Springfield, Mo. [should be Ill.]; Bert Snapp, Tom Bean; George Snapp, Roby; Mrs. Lou Howell, Tom Bean. Mr. Snapp came to Texas from Missouri in 1882, and has resided at White Mound since that time. He was a Confederate veteran, having served four years on the southern side in the War Between the States."

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David John Snapp is buried in an unmarked grave. Proof of his burial in this cemetery is shown in the associated image of his funeral record with this memorial. His initials are shown reversed [J.D.], and his mother's surname is incorrect -- but the document does prove that he is buried at White Mound Cemetery.

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Histsorical documents related to him (i.e. censuses, Civil War records, death certificate, funeral record, etc.) show conflicting first names. Most documents recorded his name as David J. Snapp, although some records showed him as John Snapp or J.D. Snapp.

The Goodspeed Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas, published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company of Chicago, Nashville & St. Louis, in 1890 has the following on Page 314:

"L.D. Snapp is one of the thoroughly reliable upright business men of Woodruff County (Arkansas) and is said to be one of the largest and most successful real estate owners in the County, he owning 3000 acres with 1900 under cultivation. On this property are 35 tenement houses all occupied, and his own private residence, a very handsome structure, also a large cotton-gin which has a capacity of 25 bales a day. He has done more than any other man in developing the County, and it is, through his influence that a Post Office has been established bearing his name and at this place he has a general mercantile establishment which nets him a fair annual income. He is a man of exceptionally fine character and noted for his exceeding liberality, always being ready to assist the poor and distressed. His birth occurred in Taney County, Missouri, April 22, 1842, and here he received the greater part of his education and rearing. He abandoned farm work at the outbreak of the Rebellion to take up the weapons of war in defense of his country and in 1861 enlisted in Company E, Third Missouri Cavalry, serving until June 27, 1865. He was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant of the Company, meriting it by his bravery, and was in all the engagements of the Trans-Mississippi Department. Two brothers fought within the Army and one was killed at the battle of Glasgow. After the Proclamation of Peace, Mr. Snapp returned to Missouri and in the fall of 1866 came to Woodruff County, Arkansas, where he has since made his home. He was married on March 4, 1869 to Miss Mary H. Luckinbill, by whom he has had a family of ten children, five now living, James C,. Harry, Walter, Myrtle and Pearl. The parents of our subject, Harrison G. and Emily D. (Parry) Snapp were born in East Tennessee* and in 1838 moved to Missouri where they died. Of a large family of children born to them, only four are now living.

Other sources indicate Harrison G. Snapp was born in Rockingham County, Virginia and Emily (Parry) Snapp was born in Missouri.

From: White River Valley Historical Quarterly

Volume 6, Number 2, Winter 1977

Ninety-One Years Ago by Ruth Ryser

It was a cool spring day - May 9, 1888- ninety years ago. Samuel H. Snapp , my great grandfather, put on his coat, saddled his horse and rode from his home near the Oak Grove School into Kirbyville to get supplies for his children. He expected to visit Dr. Elisha Turner Anderson and wife Addie, his sister, before returning home. The Andersons did not have children of their own. They had reared several nieces who had become orphans and they were very fond of Samuel’s children. He depended on his sister for aid for he had been left with three children when his first wife, Sarah Sims, had died from measles in June of 1884. After a few months Samuel had married Susan Haggard and she too had died a few days after the birth of twins in November of 1885.

Samuel’s thoughts on this day may have been of his five little children at home being cared for by the oldest, Nannie, who was nine years old or he may have been thinking of the troubled times in Taney County; the death of Andy Cogburn which he had witnessed just two months before.

Samuel had gone to the Oak Grove School, a short distance from his home, to a church revival. As he sat inside the church he heard a disturbance of the horses tied outside. Being concerned for his horse; he stepped outside and became the only eye witness to the shooting of Andy Cogburn by Capt. Kinney, the Bald Knobb leader. Capt. Kinney had arrived in Taney County in 1883, three years before. Andy Cogburn was a boy nineteen years of age and a warrant had been issued for his arrest on a charge of disturbing the peace. Cogburn was not "a pal" of Samuel’s as has been stated in other stories. They did not go to the church together. Sam was much older than the boy. The families of both were just neighbors and good friends. An inquest had been held after the death of Cogburn. Samuel Snapp the only eye witness had not appeared.

Violence was no stranger to Samuel for he had lived through the violence of the Civil War. He had seen his boyhood home burned, their cattle destroyed. His mother had died when he was only three. His father died when he was nine. He had tried to stay clear of both Bald Knobb and Anti-Bald Knobb associations for he had five children to rear without a mother and they were all under nine years of age.

Two months had passed since that night he had opened the door of the Oak Grove school and witnessed the shooting. Things were quiet again in Taney County and Samuel had no fear and was unarmed this day as he rode his horse up to Kintrea’s Store at Kirbyville, dismounted, stepped upon the porch and became the victim of an assassin’s bullet.

Three shots were fired into Sam’s body making certain he would not live. His body was taken from Kirbyville to Forsyth in a wagon and left overnight at his brother’s home across the road from the Snapp Cemetery. This farm was settled by Harrison G. Snapp , Sam’s father, in 1839 when he brought his wife and two little daughters from Green Co.,Tennessee to Taney County. One hundred years later it became known as the Chaney farm.

Samuel Snapp was buried beside his wife, Sarah Sims Snapp , just west of the little Haworth girl’s grave. Mrs. Maggie Stallcup pointed out the location of the site in 1966. She told of the fear in the children and that every man at the cemetery was armed. She told how the minister asked people to step forward and take Sam’s children and they were divided up there at the cemetery. Judge Haworth built a picket fence around the grave and also built one for his little daughter’s grave. The fence stood for many years. Today all evidence of the exact spot of the grave is gone and only Mrs. Stallcup knew exactly where it was for she attended the funeral that day and it was her father, Judge Haworth, who built the fence.

There were many who had the courage to stand against the vigilante concept of law enforcement; they were not the lawless, yet some paid for their beliefs with their lives. Descendants are planning to mark the grave of Samuel H. Snapp who died ninety-one years ago and became part of the controversial Bald Knobb history in Taney County.

Was killed in his first year as Sheriff of Taney County, MO.

S.C. Turnbo's book Fireside Stories in the Early Days of the Ozarks, Volume 1, Page 107, has the following: "Berry Ellison, was a son of Jimmie Ellison, who was a dealer in horses, and owned a few negro slaves. The (Ellison) family were influential and industrious. Berry Ellison was elected Sheriff of Taney County (Missouri), and soon after he had been qualified, and entered upon his duties, he was killed at Forsyth (Missouri) by Jim Massey, an engineer of the steamboat Mary Patterson in April, 1861."