John O’QUIN 

 The following bio was taken from page 331-332 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Gloria Riley

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

 John O’Quinn, a Revolutionary War veteran, was born June 13, 1743 in Halifax County, North Carolina.  He later moved to Sampson County, North Carolina, and was living there when he went to war.  Following the war, he made his home in North Carolina for ten or twelve years and then moved to South Carolina.  It was in Kershaw District, South Carolina on October 7, 1790 that he married Rhoda Horton.  They moved to Washington County, Georgia before 1820.  John died January 8, 1836.  Rhoda was born April 3, 1767 in North Carolina, and died March 3, 1852.  Both are buried at Cemetery 40, Fort Benning, Georgia, where in 1976 the army held a special ceremony marking his grave as a Bicentennial gesture.  John and Rhoda were parents of nine children. 

One son of John and Rhoda was John O’Quin, Jr. born March 21, 1795 in Kershaw District, South Carolina.  He served in the War of 1812 from South Carolina, and later came to Washington County, Georgia with his parents.  In Georgia, he served in the Creek Indian Wars.  He was married to Candace Leaptrot (Liptrat), daughter of Aquilla and Milbrey Leaptrot.  John and Candace were parents of a large family.  They came to Rusk County about 1853, where John was a farmer and sawmill operator in the Pleasant Hill area.  John and Candace later moved to Polk and Angelina Counties, but four of their children remained in Rusk County.  Candace died in 1867 and John in 1870.  Both are buried in Walker Cemetery, just north of Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas. 

The four children of John and Candace O’Quin who remained in Rusk County were:  Daniel (1825-1884); Henrietta (1839-1917); Julia Ann, called “Annie” and Camilla.  Henrietta was married twice, first to George Cooper and second to James Monroe York.  Camilla married Doctor Franklin Giles, and he died in the Civil War.  Julia Ann or “Annie” also married twice, first to Hardy B. Thompson and second, to John McWilliams.

 Daniel O’Quin, son of John and Candace, was born January 2, 1825 in Washington County, Georgia.  He married Lacy Giles, daughter of Alexander and Rachel Anderson Giles in Washington County, Georgia, December 19, 1846.  Lacy was born February 10, 1830 in Washington County, Georgia.  Lacy was a sister to Camilla’s husband.  Daniel O’Quin was a schoolteacher both in Washington County, Georgia and in Rusk County, Texas.  He was also a farmer.

 Daniel and Lacy were the parents of the following children:  Thomas Jefferson O’Quinn (1848-1931) who married Mary Elizur Thompson and moved to Marlow, Oklahoma;  Mary Ann Elizabeth O’Quin (1850-1880) who married Andrew J. Leopard; John Irwin O’Quinn, who died young; Martha Elefair O’Quinn (183-1933) who married Joseph or (Josiah) Murphy Hunt; Daniel Webster O’Quinn (1855-1928) who married Martha Seiber.  Daniel served in the Civil War from Rusk County, along with his brother-in-law, Dr. Franklin Giles.  They served in Company D, 13th Regiment, Texas Cavalry.  Daniel O’Quinn died September 23, 1884 and his wife, Lacy, died March 7, 1895.  Both are buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

 Written by Mary Frank Dunn