The location of the original memoir is lost in time, but this transcription still exists for us to read and enjoy.  It has been previously published in:
The Searcher, Vol. VI, No. 2 (So. Calif. Genealogical Society, 1969) and
AFO  Newsletter #15, pg 2, April 1993

The Reverend Reminisces
by: Reverend Brazilla Caswell Allred

(written in 1922)
Lineage:  Brazilla, Claiborne, John, William, William, Solomon born 1680 Lancashire, England

My Great Great Grandfather, William Allred, was born and reared to manhood in Pennsylvania. In early life he came to North Carolina and entered a large tract of land in one and a half miles from the intersection or the confluence with the river. He built his home and settled down where he lived to a good old age and reared his family. The time of his coming to North Carolina was about 1740 or 1750. His house was built within about fifty yards of the creek, near a spring which came from under a large rock, which was about 20 feet high and at least 100 feet long, and 50 feet or 60 feet wide. There was an abundance of fine fish in the creek and river and lots of game in the woods, such as turkey, deer, wolves, and an occasional bear or panther.

My grandfather, John Allred, was born and reared in this same house. In the same home m father, Claiborne Allred, who was the youngest son of John Allred and Sarah Spencer, his wife, and my mother, Orpha Russell, settled when they first married and most of their family of seven children were born.

When the Revolutionary War came close, my grandfather, John Allred, shouldered his flintlock rifle and fought for the freedom of the American colonies to the end of the war. The fact of my grandfather’s fighting against the British aroused the anger of Col. David Fannen, the leader of the Tories or British sympathizers, and he and his band of men went to my great great grandfather’s in search of John, my grandfather, who happened to be at home, saw them coming, snatched up his gun and secreted himself in the attic, and it so happened that they did not go up there to search for him. My great great grandfather also saw them approaching, took up his gun and ran out northwest of the house and lay down behind a large rock. I have seen the rock and played around it many times when I was a boy. He could see Fannen and his men from his hiding place when they went out to his crib, later opened the crib door and let many barrels of corn runt out, did the same at another log crib, then turned their horses loose in the lot to eat and trample the corn into the red mud. When they had eaten all them wanted them to have, they saddled them and started on towards the western part of the country.

My great great grandfather had a sprightly negro by the name of Kiltyre whom Fannen took with him. The first night they spent at the widow Kindley’s near the river, who had a good many slaves. Kiltyre seemed so delighted with his new friends that Fannen told him to go down to the negro cabins and spend the night; but Kiltyre never got to the cabins, and the next morning was at home where he remained until the old Master’s death. In the division of the estate, Kiltyre fell to my grandfather, where he spent the balance of his life. My grandfather and all the children thought a great deal of Kiltyre and built him a little home in the lane, about 200 yards north of his own house and allowed him a great many privileges that he did not allow his other slaves. Kiltyre spent many of his last years in that little log cabin in the lane, and from it his spirit went out into the Great Beyond. I never saw him, for he died several years before I was born, but I heard my father and mother speak of him so often that I feel like I ought to know him.

My grandfather, John Allred, married Sarah Spencer and settled about one and a half miles southeast of his father where he reared a large family and lived to be about 97 years old. He and his wife and several of his children were buried in Trogdon graveyard across Deep River and south of his home. My father was the youngest of 18 children born unto him and his wife. Four sons and eight daughters lived to be grown and most of them to a good old age. One daughter died when nearly grown. The other five died in infancy or early childhood. They all, with Uncle William Allred and Aunt Vicie Dougan, sleep with their father and mother in the Trogdon cemetery.

My father, Claiborne Allred, in early manhood married Orpha S. Russell, daughter of Samuel and Leah Burgess Russell, and settled at his grandfather’s old home on the hill near Bush Creek. There most of his children were born. Later he built about a half mile north of his father’s house. In that house I was born, and in that house my mother and father both died. Also my little sister Elizabeth, who died of measles when a bit over two years old.

Seven children were born to my father and mother as follows: Minerva Adeline, who married Alfred E. Smith, and has been a widow nearly 42 years. William Franklin, who married Mattie Green (Ed. Note: She was Martisha Caroline Green. Their daughter, Ida Martisha Allred married Edward Emerson Mendenhall 1 October 1896 in Randleman, Randolph County, North Carolina, and they were the parents of William Franklin Mendenhall.) and has been a widower about four years. Lovey Jane, who married Oliver P. Hayes She died in less than two years, leaving a little girl, Ellen M., who my mother raised and who married George A. Loughlin, a Methodist-Protestant minister. She lived only ten years after marriage and now sleeps in the Methodist-Protestant cemetery at Cedar Falls. My third sister, Mary Catherine, Married Mountaville Jones and has been a widow many years. Jerome Bonaparte who married Agnes Griffith of Indiana; she lived only a short time, and he then came back to North Carolina, marrying Ann Gibson, who died in Arkansas where he now lives. (Note: the other two children were, of course, B. C. and Elizabeth.)

My mother’s father, Samuel Russell, and her mother, Leah Russell, are buried at Cool Spring Church in Randolph, also Uncle William and Aunty Betsy Russell, mother’s brother and sister, who died young, are buried at old Cool Spring Church, which is about eight miles north of Franklinville. That is the church where mother went to Sunday School and class meeting when she was a girl, as grandfather lived near there.

Samuel Russell, my grandfather, was reared in Stokes County, North Carolina, on Dan River. He moved to Randolph County in early life and married Leah Burgess living the balance of his life near the church where he now rests with his fine son and daughter.

My mother had three brothers and four sisters besides Uncle William and Aunt Betsy: George who married my father’s sister, Rebecca, moved to Madison County, Tennessee, and settled near Jackson. Uncle Howell married and moved to Obion County, Tennessee. Uncle Jerome V. married Martha Waisiger of Fayetteville and settled in Franklinville in old age where they both died and are buried in the Methodist Cemetery.

My father’s brother, John, married Polly York and reared a large family, dying within a few miles of where he was born. Uncle Elisha Allred married Barbara Spoons and first settled on Bush Creek near his father, but several years before his death moved about 15 miles below Franklinville on Deep River and is buried near Moffit’s Mill. He reared twelve children.

Uncle William died in early manhood. My father’s sisters married as follows: Vicie married William Dougan aand lived on Caraway Creek and had a son who died. Jennie married William Carter who lived on Richland Creek in the southern part of the county. Sallie married William Free and moved to Hendrix County, Indiana, settling near Brownsburg. Rebecca married my mother’s brother, George and moved to Tennessee, as stated. Matsy married Solomon Free and they lived and died across the river from Cedar Falls, both succumbing to typhoid fever within a few hours and were buried in the same grave at Giles meetinghouse. Polly married Alexander Gray and they settled about two and a half miles north of Franklinville on the road toward Gray’s Chapel where they are buried. Uncle Alex was 84 and Aunt Polly was in her 97th year. Alib and Lavina near married, but spent all their lives near their place of birth, dying of old age.

Four sons were born to Aunt Polly and Uncle Alex: Robert who died in Thomasville, Sandy, Dr. John and Dr. Claiborne. All of them left large families, except Dr. John. He is buried at Gray’s Chapel.

So ends, rather abruptly, Reverend "B. C.’s" narrative. For over thirty years he was a intinerant Methodist minister, and died in November 1937.

He married, first, Sallie Jane Rives, daughter of Col. J. F. and Elizabeth (Marsh) Rives of Chatham County, North Carolina. She died 3 June 1881. Their children were: Sallie J. who died shortly after birth. Junius B. who died at about 16. Linville H. of Erwin, Tennessee, who married first Myrtle May of Spring Hope, North Carolina, and second Ruth Howard of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Caswell C. who died in early manhood. Jane Claiborne of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and James Claiborne who married Alyse Ellis of Kittrell, North Carolina.