Melvina ("Melly") Clayton lived near Staunton in Augusta County, Virginia. Melly never married. According to family legend, she was about to marry when her sister, Mary Ann Summers, died in 1862. Melly dedicated her life to raising her children. After the war, Melly lived with her brothers James A. and John W. Clayton and her sister's children, but she was not listed in the census for the household. This information has been provided by Clayton McClure Brooks, a descendant of Melly. |
the most likely matches in the Valley of the Shadow databases: |
Clayton Household: 1860 Census | 1860 Slaveowner Census | 1870 Census
Ten-year-old Melly Clayton writes her Aunt and relates how she and her family are doing, discusses the upcoming 1840 presidential election (declaring herself to be a Whig), and alludes to a possible religious "Camp meeting in Sept."
Return to the Eve of War Personal Papers