Category: Others’ Families

Though I am not related to Robert Haskins Crozier, I decided to write a post about him because I had a person ask for some information and because he wrote the book Fiery Trials, Or a Story of an Infidel’s Family, which is based on events that happened in Marshall County, Mississippi concerning my 4th great-grandfather Peter McQueen and his two oldest daughters. 

When I first looked up Robert Haskins Crozier on Ancestry I noticed that no one had yet found all of the census records for him.  This is due to transcription errors, which is is understandable considering the handwriting.

                photo found at Google Books-click picture to go to source

Robert Haskins Crozier was born January 28, 1836 in Coffeeville, Yalobusha County, Mississippi to parents Hugh Galbraith Crozier (1808-1876) and Nancy (Nannie) Oliver (1818-1884).

In 1840 the family lived in Yalobusha County, Mississippi.  Only Hugh (father) is named on the census since all family member names didn’t appear on the US Census until 1850.  He is listed as Hugh G Crozier.  On this census are:

2 white males under 5 years of age

1 white male between 20 and 29 years of age

1 white male between 30 and 39 years of age

1 white female between 20 and 29 years of age

1 male slave between 10 and 23 years of age

1 female slave between 10 and 23 years of age

1 female slave between 24 and 35 years of age

In 1850 the family had moved and are found on the census enumerated in District 13, Panola County, Mississippi.  Robert is listed as Robert H Crozier, age 14 years and a schoolboy (as he was marked as having been to school within the last year).  Also on the census are: his father Hugh G Crozier (a farmer, born in Tennessee, age 42 years), his mother Nancy K Crozier (born in Tennessee, age 31 years), a younger brother Orlando Crozier (age 10 years) and Hugh V Crozier (age 2 years).

According to Wright American Fiction (Vol. 3, 1876-1900, No. 1312, Reel C-58-citation found in the McAlexander-Marshall County Collection) Robert married Mattie (Martha) Harding in 1859, though I have been unable to find the marriage record itself.

In 1860 Robert is found with his wife living in Post Office Eureka, Panola County, Mississippi with his parents.  He is listed as Robert H Crozier, age 24 years and a teacher of Latin and Greek.  Martha is listed just under him as Martha C Crozier (age 22 years).  The others living in the household are: his father HG Crozier (a farmer, age 52 years), his mother Nancy K Crozier (age 42 years), his brother Orlando M Crozier (occupation listed as “Gentleman”, age 19 years), brother Hugh V Crozier (age 11 years) and sister Dora Crozier (age 9 years).

In 1870 Robert and Mattie are found living in Hickory Plain, Prairie County, Arkansas.  Robert is listed as RH Crozier, age 34 years and a teacher.  His wife is listed as MC Crozier (age 31 years).  She has “ditto” marks under Occupation leading me to believe that she was also a teacher.  By 1870 they had four children.  The children are  listed as: SF Crozier (male, age 9 years), Eva A Crozier (female, age 8 years), EW Crozier (male, age 4 years) and RE Crozier (male, age 1 year).  Also living with the family were: M Short (female, housekeeper, age 17 years) and Perry Hood (female, house servant, age 12 years).

It wasn’t long after the 1870 census was enumerated that Martha (Mattie) passed.  On November 1, 1871 a 35-year-old Robert married an 18-year-old Mary Elizabeth Reinhardt in Prairie County, Arkansas.

By 1880 Robert had moved his family to District 159, Sardis, Panola County, Mississippi.  He is listed as RH Crozier, age 43 years and his occupation is listed as Minister of Gospel.  His wife is listed as ME Crozier, age 27 years and keeping house.  His children are listed as: Eva Crozier (age 17 years), Emmett Crozier (age 13 years), Hattie Crozier (age 7 years), Allie Crozier (5 years), Norman Crozier (age 3 years) and Rosa May (age 6 months).  Also living with the family are his sister Dora Crozier (age 27 years) and his mother NK Crozier (age 63 years).

There is no census for 1890, of course.

In 1900 the family is found living in District 3, Palestine Ward 1, Anderson County, Texas.  Robert is listed as Robert H Crozier, age 64 years and his occupation is Presbyterian Minister.  His wife is listed as Mary E Crozier, age 46 years.  Her birth is given as August of 1853.  The children living with them are: Harriett A Crozier (musical teacher, age 29 years), Aldereare(?) Crozier (musical teacher, age 25 years), Norman R Crozier (school teacher, age 22 years), Rosa May Crozier (age 20 years), Hugh W Crozier (stenographer, age 17 years) and Fredie W Crozier (age 8 years).

The family is found on the 1910 census living in District 0004, Palestine Ward 1, Anderson County, Texas.  Robert is listed as Rev. D.D. (Reverend, Doctor of Divinity) RH Crozier, age 74 years, a preacher-minister.  His wife is listed as Mary E Crozier, age 56 years.  Their children living with them are: Hattie Crozier (music teacher, age 37 years), Allie Crozier (music teacher, age 35 years), Rosa May Crozier (age 30 years), Hugh W Crozier (stenographer for the railroad General Attorney, age 26 years) and Fredericka Crozier (age 18 years).  Interestingly enough his daughter Eva Crozier is listed after Fredricka.  She is age 47 years and a teacher at a private school.  I don’t know why she is listed after the other children.  Robert’s sister Dora Crozier also lived with them.  She is listed as age 58 years, no occupation.  Two other people lived in the house with the family: GW Palmer (a boarder from New York, age 62 years) and Lan Hyter(?) (a cook/servant, widowed, age 52 years).

Reverend Robert Haskins Crozier died on July 16, 1913 in Palestine, Anderson County, Texas.  The cause of death listed on his death certificate was “heart strain the result of arterio sclerosis”.

According to  Wright American Fiction (Vol. 3, 1876-1900, No. 1312, Reel C-58-citation found in the McAlexander-Marshall County Collection) Robert graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1857 with a BA, and two years later received his MA.  He was the Principal of the Eureka Male Academy until the beginning of the Civil War, at which time he joined the Confederate Army (records will be presented in a separate post).  He was Second Lieutenant, promoted to Captain in late 1862.  It was shortly after he resigned from the service in 1865 that he wrote his first novel, The Confederate Spy.  In 1867 Robert became the Principal of the Hickory Plain Male and Female Academy in Hickory Plains, Prairie County, Arkansas.  It was here that he met his second wife Mary, as she was a student at the Academy.  The same year he married Mary he became the President of Lonoke College in Lonoke County, Arkansas.  In 1872 he acquired his license to preach for the Presbyterian Church.  Not only was his wife a Presbyterian, but his grandfather had been an elder at the Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.

Robert wrote several novels between 1867 and 1887.  These include:

The Confederate Spy: a Story of the War of 1861 (1867)

The Bloody Junto: Or, the Escape of John Wilkes Booth: a Story Containing Many Interesting Particulars in Regard to the Trial and Execution of Mrs. Surratt and Other So-Called Conspirators (1869)

Fiery Trials, Or a Story of an Infidel’s Family (1882)

Araphel: Or the Falling Stars of 1833 (1884)

The Cave of Hegobar: Or the Fiend of 1878 (1885)

Deep Waters: Or a Strange Story (1887)

Golden Rule: a Tale of Texas (1900)

The End of the World: a Tale (ca. 1908)

Call of Christi: a Story of Foreign Missions (190?)

In 1877 Robert was the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Sardis, Panola County, Mississippi.  Later that same year he became the pastor at the Presbyterian Church in Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana.  He moved his family to Palestine, Anderson County, Texas in 1888 and became the pastor at the First Presbyterian Church there, where he remained for 21 years.  The Arkansas College at Batesville gave him an honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1889.  Until his death in 1913 he held the title of Pastor Emeritus.  Nearly two thousand sermons were carefully preserved by his children, each one dated when they were written and when they were delivered.  He gave an address on the death of Jefferson Davis, as well as on the assassination of William McKinley.

Robert Haskins Crozier appears to be a much beloved man, both as a member of the communities he lived in and as a pastor.  His sermons and writings were highly sought after, with glowing reviews for all of his novels.