John Floyd/Fanny Powers NOT son of George Powers
Many years ago an LDS Group sheet was submitted listing all of the Powers on the 1810 census of Russell County VA as being the son of George Powers and Ernestina.In that group sheet John Floyd Powers and Fanny of 1850 McMinn/Meigs, TN is listed as son of George and Ernestina of Russell VA.The reasoning was that George's sons John and George Jr moved to Claiborne TN in 1832 and that Whiteside Powers appeared on the tax roll sometime in Claiborne and they tracked Whiteside to John/Fanny in Monroe in the 1850 census.
The family of John Floyd and Fanny used the name Hollaway quite extensively in their family.None of the other families from Russell County, VA used that name.
If we check the census records of TN more carefully, we find that Hollaway Powers arrived in TN by the 1830 census of McMinn, TN.BOTH Hollaway and Whiteside are listed in the 1840 census of McMinn, TN. In the 1850 census Holloway (born 1772, VA) and Polly had the following children in their family. Kilsy born VA. Daniel age 20 born Alabama, and George 17 born TN.
Whiteside Powers and the elderly John and Fanny are found in the 1850 census in Monroe TN, side by side and later back to McMinn/Meigs.
The John Powers who disappeared from Claiborne TN was voted in as the clerk of Claiborne TN.This meant he had to be literate.John/Fanny of McMinn on the 1850 census stated he could not read or write. These had to be two different men.John Powers of Claiborne disappeared after 1832.Unfortunately he has yet to be found.
Another confusing factor was that Oliver Powers of Russell, VA had also moved to McMinn, TN by 1830.However, if you check the 1850 census, he was born in New Jersey (son of Jonas Powers of Connecticut and Russell, VA.)Oliver also made quite a record of returning anddefending some of his family's property during a Civil War skirmish in Pound Gap Virginia.
It seems to me, with the name Hollaway being used in John Floyd/Fanny's family and the census records that John/Fanny was the son of Hollaway and Polly of McMinn, TN. There is more to connect him to Hollaway/Polly of McMinn than to Russell County, VA.
George and Ernestina's family of Russell, VA was of "Dutch Descent" per the historians of Claiborne, TN and records of Virginia.
Janet Powers Maune