Munc(e)y
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[This Muncy family is not related to the other Muncey family mentioned here.]
W. J. Muncy was born in Lee County, Virginia, February 29, 1836. He was the oldest child of the late Rev. Willoughby and Mary C. Muncy, and was related to the well-known Muncy Brother, Publishers of that day and others of Nation prominence. He grew to manhood on a farm and attended the public school until after he was 21 years of age. Hen then entered college at Mossy Creek Jefferson County, Virginia for a term of two years. After this, he returned to Lee County, his old home, and taught school until the Civil War. In the spring of 1862 he joined the Confederate forces and was assigned to duty under General John G. Floyd in North Virginia. At this time, he came down with a severe case of typhoid fever and was in this hospital fourteen weeks. He was then furloughed home until able for service. This left him with a fevered leg which made him a partial cripple for life. He was transferred as a Lieutenant to the 64th Virginia Calvary. He was captured in 8163 as a prisoner and held six months in Camp Chase and six months in Ft. Delaware, from there he was paroled. Though it's not recorded in his obituary, a family member said that Mr. Muncy put a cord around his fevered leg and caused to swell when a northern soldier let him know they were planning on making them fight against their own soldiers. It was then they gave him parole thinking he would not make it home. On reaching home he joined his company again. For a short period while suffering from a wound he saw active service. Returning to his old home he taught school. On the 29th of March 1866 he was married to Miss Emily Jane Ely of Lee County, Virginia. There he farmed and taught school and was for two terms tax collector. In the fall of 1873 they moved to Texas, Collin County, and bought 80 acres of land where he lived until his death. There he followed farming and stock raising with good success and to the 80 acres he added nearly a thousand more acres in this county and nearby counties. W. J. Muncy passed away at his home on Wednesday afternoon, near Corinth Church, four miles east of Celina. He was laid to rest in the Cottage Hill Cemetery. His body was followed to the grave by a great host of friends who joined in sincere sympathy for the family. Mrs. Muncy and son Charley were present when he died and attended the funeral. The funeral was conducted by Rev. Jerry Martin of Prosper, assisted by Eld. Homes of Celina. Burial was under the auspices of the Celina lodge of Masons of which order "Uncle Bill was an honored member. Pall bearers were J. H. L. C. English, Joe Spann, and W. A. Nixon of Roseland and Dr. Clayton, John Perkins and W. A. Nixon of Celina. The home Lodge was assisted by members from Weston, Roseland and Prosper. Uncle Andy Callahan had charge of the procession and no doubt recalled the time, when instead of the emblem's of masonry there gleamed the bayonets and sabre and to the bugles, loud call, Uncle Bill sprang with him to the charge on many a well fought field. All honor to these old veterans we love so well. Uncle Andy Callahan who wrote the obituary for W. J. Munch was himself a pioneer, the father of Mrs. Tom Finley and Mr. Tom Perkins of Celina. Pioneering neighbor's of the Muncy's farm were the Duponts on the north, George and John Darnall on the southeast, "Uncle Dick " (Richard) O'Brien and wife to the west and joining the farm was Dr. Moses Hubbard who was born in in Pittsylvania County, Va. To the south 2 1/2 miles was Capt. Rhea's home place for whom Rhea Mill was named. They had a grist mill and general store. [Some sources list a cemetery for this family on the family farm.] |
Indians Massacred Munc(e)y Family
[This is generally referred to at the" Muncey Massacre" in local history books.The massacre and burial sites have a Texas Historical marker.] [This family is usually listed as Muncey with an "e"] Jeremiah Muncey, with his wife , three sons and a three year old child settled on Rowlett Creek about three miles North of Plano about 1844. He had not completed building his log cabin. They had a kind of camp made partly out of boards, and it was located about fifty yards west of the creek, in the edge of the timber. The trees were large and other trees made a dense woods. The spring where they got water was not located exactly on the creek but a short distance from where they camped. In the fall of 1844, the Indians made a raid and murdered the entire family. Some parties on a hunt found the mutilated bodies of the hopeless family victims -- all were cruelly murdered. Mrs. Muncy was horribly mutilated from evidence of blood and the condition of her clothes which indicated that she had put up a terrific fight. The three year old child was lying by its parents, its head crushed into a pulp, it is believed they held it by its feet and dashed its head against a tree. The massacre took place near the camp where stood a large oak tree. The spring can also be located though it is no longer used as a watering spring. Possibly two hundred years northeast of this oak tree are three large sycamore trees, which it is claimed by those who know, marker the spot where Muncy and his wife and children are buried. Two hundred years southeast of the oak tree, in a bend of the creek, is a pretty good size hole of water- known today as the "Indian Hole." This memorable spot is less than half a mile west of the original Highway 6 and possible a mile east of Highway 6 relocated. [Two Muncey boys were taken by the Indians and never found. One Muncey boy was at the Throckmorton settlement getting supplies. He was the only survivor of the family.] [Note: There is a movement now in 2022 to remove the word "massacre" from the event as being too violent and also remove the fact that Indians were involved on the grounds that there is no proof that it was Indians. Of course, there are no eye witnesses 175 years after the fact. The name "Muncey Incident" is being suggested.] |
