Sarah Pinson Duty Parker was my 4th Great Grandmother.

Sarah (Sally) Pinson married first to Richard Duty in 1790. She & Richard Duty had 14 children. One of thier daughters, Lucinda Duty, married Silas Mercer Parker & they were the parents of the famed Cynthia Ann Parker. After Richard died she married the widower, Elder John Parker, March 21, 1825 in Knox Co, Illinois.
This beautiful marker at Ft Parker Cemetery near Grosebeck, TX commemorates those who suffered & died at the Ft Parker massacre in 1836.∼Sarah "Sally" Pinson first married Richard Duty in Laurens, S.C. The marriage record did not show date.
She was the daughter of John Pinson and wife, Ann Pinson.
She was born in S.C.
She and Richard were in Laurens, S.C. in 1800 per census. But in 1820, they were in Widner, Knox county, Indiana.
Richard died in 1822.
By then, they had numerous children;
1. Thomas M. b. unk
2. John d. b. unk
3. Nancy M. b. unk
4. Amy b. 1792 S.C.
5. Mary "Polly" b. unk. m. unk Baldwin
6. Martha "Patsey" b. 1797 m. James W. Parker
7. Rachel b. 1817, Knox co, Ind. m. Asa McCord
8. Sarah "Sallie" b. 1801 m. William Stewart (Steward)
9. Elizabeth m. unk Kellogg (Taken captive at Fort Parker Massacre), was ransomed in a few months and returned home.
10. William M. m. Nancy Austin
11. Lucinda "Lucy" b. 1811 S.C. m. 1824 Silas Mercer Parker
Clark Co, Ill. (Lost husband Silas at Fort Parker Massacre, while daughter Cynthia Ann Parker and son John Richard Parker were captured by the Indians during the massacre and taken)
12. Catherine b. 1810 or 1813. M. Elisha Anglin.
13. Richard, Jr. d. 1847, Anderson Co, Texas.
14. Susannah.
According to other family histories these were the children of Richard and Sarah Pinson Duty.

After the death of Richard Duty in 1822, and the death of Sarah "Sallie" White Parker in 1824, Elder John Parker married widow Sarah Pinson Duty on 21 March, 1825 in Knox Co, Vincennes, Indiana.
They in turn came with their families and relatives and a few friends to this wilderness of a new land for religious freedom. They wanted to start another religion in the state of Coahuilla y Tejas. Only Catholic. Texas as we know was not a state and was ruled by the Mexican government, although Stephen F. Austin had brought new settlers into the area.
The Parker's came with there wagons and settled in Robertson County or Colony into East Texas until they moved further into Texas to Houston County, and later Limestone County.

Elder John and his wife Sarah moved on to Limestone County, with most of his sons and families and other kinfolk and friends. They had been given land to settle and raise crops. Due to Indian attacks in they area they decided to built a stockade for the families in time of trouble.
They built Fort Parker. Some still lived outside of the fort and worked their land.
On May 19, 1836 trouble was in the air. The men had left early to tend their crops. There were not many left in the fort except mostly women and children. Elder John Parker and wife Sarah "Granny" Parker were there. Silas and his family were there. Benjamin was there.
The Indians came up and to the fort. They said they wanted food. Silas went to greet them. They killed him and attacked the fort.
People were killed, children and two adult women were taken.
Sarah "Granny" Parker's daughter Elizabeth Duty Kellogg was taken captive.
Rachel Parker Plummer daughter of James W. and Patsey Duty Parker was taken with her son and unborn baby. Granddaughter of both Sarah Pinson Duty Parker and Elder John Parker, from both of their children.
Cynthia Ann and John Richard Parker children of Silas Parker and Lucy Duty Parker were taken captive. Grandchildren of both Sarah Pinson Duty Parker and Elder John Parker from both of their children.
Elder John was scalped and killed.
People who could escaped to get to the men of the fort who were working in the fields, to let them know what tragedy had occurred.
The men arrived and did what they could and gathered the survivors to try to get to Fort Houston, in Anderson Co.
Some of the men went back to the fort that night.
Abraham (Abram) Anglin thought he saw a ghost. It was a white form in a long white dress and white flowing hair. It really scared him. The ghost beckoned them to come. He got close and realized it was Old Granny Parker. She had walked and crawled to another house away from the fort. She was speared, abused and left for dead. Abraham (Abram) took some bedding and took her some distance away from the house and left her to return to the fort. He came back and got her and took her to the other party that was going toward Fort Houston.

They did arrive at Fort Houston some days later and gathered men to go to the fort and bury their dead.
I have never heard if Fort Parker was used after that.

Elizabeth Kellogg, Rachel Plummer, her son, James Pratt Plummer, (her baby when born was killed by the Indians)and Cynthia Ann Parker were eventually returned to their families.
John Richard Parker never returned. He did survive though and moved into Mexico and lived out his life there.

Sarah "Granny" Pinson Duty Parker died soon after arriving in Fort Houston.

Daughter; Lucinda "Lucy" Duty Parker. What has not been reported about Lucy is she married a man named Usry, after Silas Parker's death. Had a son, Benjamin Milam Usry, divorced Mr. Usry. Married last W.W. Roberts.


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JOHN PINSON was born before 1747 on Aaron's Creek in Lunenburg Co., Va. John 1st married ANN HURST. Ann was born Nov 1, 1744 in Albemarle Parish, Surry, Va. She was christened Dec 30, 1744 in Albemarle Parish. Her parents were HOWARD HURST & OLIVE VASSER. John & Ann's children were:

1. John b Halifax Co., Va.; D Laurens Co., S.C.; M Susannah Puckett
2. Sarah "Sally" b abt 1767; D 1836 Anderson Co., Tx.; M #1 Richard Duty #2 John Parker (see Duty family line)
3. Thomas D abt 1813 Laurens Co., S.C.; M Lucy Puckett
Howard
4. Aaron
5. Elizabeth M Cornelius Puckett
6. Lucy D Laurens Co., S.C.
dau. lived near Memphis, Tn.; M #1 George Whitmore #2 Wm. Strain

John's will was written June 26, 1811 and probated July 11, 1811 in Laurens. Co., S.C.