John enlisted in the Confederate Army when the Civil War broke out and served throughout the duration according to documents filed by Sarah with the state of Texas in 1911 when she applied for his pension benefits. Due to the common name, the war department was unable to find his service record and the claim was held up until 1917 when Sarah submitted statements from fellow soldiers saying that they had served with John Lee and knew him to be a loyal soldier. He was wounded by a musket ball at one point but returned to active duty as soon as he was able. According to Sarah he carried many scars from his experience and often told stories about how he got them.

John & Sarah married on August 7, 1872 in Camp County, Texas at their home in Holly Springs. They had 11 children.

More About John Lee:
Church: Holly Springs Babtist Church in Camp County, Texas.
Interesting note: Was wounded in the war with a miny ball in the calf of the leg.
Military: Confederate Army - Civil War age 17. Missisippi & Louisiana.
Place Buried: Cemetery by the Baptist Church at Ebenezer, near Pittsburg.
Resided in: Camp County, Texas

Notes for Sarah Ann Thompson:
This record was sent to my mother from her fathers cousin (Betty Ruth Lee Bass) on April 9, 1996. It is taken from an account written by Aunt Ethel who was my great grandmother Ella Lee's sister.

Grandma Lee's family as Aunt Ethel remembers.

"Her mother was Sally Ann Thompson Hancock - died and was buried at Hico, Texas. Grandma Lee had a sister age 7 and 2 brothers - George and William that died within a week of each other. With congestived chills. George was 17 years old and William was 19 years old. She had a sister named Lizzie and Harriet. Two other brothers Boyd and Bud Thompson. Harriet's daughter Annie married Tom Trice. That is how the Trices are related to us. Annie's children were - Dessie, Audis, Horace, Tinnie. Eight children in Grandma Lee's family as told to me."

More About Sarah Ann Thompson:
Cause of Death: January 19, 1939, Intestinal Influenza & Pytitis
Church: Babtist
Military: March 01, 1917, Started to receive a Texas Confederate Soldier's widows pension. Pension # 33761
Place Buried: January 20, 1939, Clark Cemetary
Resided in: 1862, Moved to Texas at age 8. Lived in Daingerfield, Morris County since 1900.

Marriage Notes for John Lee and Sarah Thompson:
In a record obtained from my mothers Aunt Dolly (Emily Coffman) this is written:

"John Lee and Sarah Ann Lee Were united by me in Holy Matrimony at home on the 7th day of August in the Year of our Lord 1872. In the presence of many friends."

Signed: Rev. Bailey

Children of John Lee and Sarah Thompson are:

1. i. Hattie Lee, born August 12, 1873 in Camp County, Texas; died August 06, 1878 in Camp County, Texas.

   More About Hattie Lee:
   Place Buried: Cemetery by the Baptist Church at Ebenezer, near Pittsburg.5

2. ii. Ella Lee, born July 03, 1876 in Louisiana; died January 27, 1944 in Pittsburg, Texas; married James Reuben Coffman March 22, 1893 in Camp County, Texas.

   Notes for Ella Lee:
   This note was sent to my mother (Melba Coffman Quick) from her fathers cousin (Betty Ruth Lee Bass). It was written by my great grandmother Ella Lee Coffman as a speech for the ladies in her church and is in her own words. I have transcribed it word for word including the spelling errors. The date of this writing was 1905.

   "I thought I would come long enough to tell your sisters who have lost loved ones how much I could sympathize with you. On last Oct. 18th I had to part with my dear father and a sister. Both departed this life the same day. Father had been sick for some time and came to my house the day before to be near the doctor who was treating him. He went to the table that day, ate a hearty meal and left saying, "Thank the Lord, he had come to the table one more time." Then he lay down to take a nap and left this world to awake in another world to come and to sleep a peaceful sleep in Jesus. Sister was seemingly well the last time I heard from her, and in about two hours after father's death the news came that she was dead. Oh, how shocking it was, and oh, how sad to hive up father and sister, both at once. It seemed more than I could bear. All I could do was to take it to the Lord in prayer. In a short while I went home to see mother and the rest of the family, and when I arrived there found only Mother and one little brother. How lonesome it was.

   I will ask for the song. A part of the words are, "Boys, just risk your old father a while longer: don't be in a hurry to go."

   Ella Coffman, Lafayette, Texas, R. R. 2.

   From other records obtained, I found that her sister had died during child birth.

3. iii. Johnnie Lee, born April 04, 1878 in Camp County, Texas; died April 14, 1880 in Camp County, Texas.

   More About Johnnie Lee:
   Place Buried: Cemetery by the Baptist Church at Ebenezer, near Pittsburg.10

4. iv. Katie Pearl Lee, born November 17, 1880 in Camp County, Texas11; died August 14, 195712; married Puckett January 1899.

   More About Katie Pearl Lee:
   Place Buried: Cemetery by the Baptist Church at Ebenezer, near Pittsburg.

5. v. Lillie Lee, born December 04, 1882 in Camp County, Texas; died August 05, 1885 in Camp County, Texas.

   More About Lillie Lee:
   Place Buried: Cemetery by the Baptist Church at Ebenezer, near Pittsburg.

6. vi. Mattie May Lee, born September 04, 1885 in Camp County, Texas; died October 18, 1904 in Camp County, Texas; married Unknown August 07, 1902 in Camp County, Texas.

   More About Mattie May Lee:
   Cause of Death: Died during childbirth the same day as her father.
   Place Buried: Cemetary by the Baptist Church at Ebenezer, near Pittsburg.

7. vii. Annie Belle Lee, born January 13, 1888 in Camp County, Texas; died March 24, 1908 in Camp County, Texas; married Unknown March 10, 1907 in Camp County, Texas.

   More About Annie Belle Lee:
   Cause of Death: Died During childbirth.
   Place Buried: Cemetary by the Baptist Church at Ebenezer, near Pittsburg.

8. viii. Rosa Etta Lee, born March 27, 1890 in Camp County, Texas; died July 19, 1916; married Lewis October 01, 1914 in Camp County, Texas.

   More About Rosa Etta Lee:
   Cause of Death: Died during childbirth.
   Place Buried: Jenkins, near Daingerffield, Texas.

9. ix. Thomas Nugent Lee, born August 22, 1892 in Camp County, Texas; died April 01, 1982; married Lois Hughes November 01, 192517.

10. x. James Augustus Lee, born November 26, 1894 in Camp County, Texas; died January 28, 1962; married Unknown October 29, 1916.

    More About James Augustus Lee:
    Place Buried: Jenkins, near Daingerffield, Texas.

11. xi. Ethel Viola Lee, born January 10, 1898 in Upshur County, Texas; died June 01, 1990 in Jenkins, Texas19; married Alfred Harris Fowler February 21, 1915 in Texas20.

    Resources

    1. Betty Lee Bass, "Interview with Aunt Ethel" [Cassette Tape], 1972.

    2. Pension for Confederate Soldiers. Reproduced from the holdings of the Texas State Archives. "Widow's Application For A Pension" (Certificate of Death 1939), pg. 15.

    3. US Census 1920. Camp Co., Texas., (FHL), ED No. 28, 11B.

    4. Coffman Family History written by Newt Coffman in 1962.

    5. Dorthy Lorene Coffman Edwards biography written in 1974 and 1976.