John H. WADE did not leave behind much to go on about his life. He was the only son of Edmund WADE and his first wife, whose name is unknown, but believed to have been Martha McCABE.
John was born in 1842 in Perry County, Arkansas, and died in April 1881 in Bastrop County, Texas, near the community of Jeddo. He is buried in a presently unmarked grave i the Jeddo Cemetery, along with at least one son, James "Jimmie" WADE.
John was in Arkansas when the Civil War broke out, and in 1863, he enlisted in the 3rd Arkansas(Union) Cavalry (dismounted.) He is listed as deserting twice, in 1864 and in early 1865. It is believed that he deserted in 1864, when his wife, whose name is not known for sure, died in childbirth, the child, a daughter named Martha lived. John does not show a discharge record, but was mustered out in 1865.
We know that John married in late 1860, or sometime in 1861, as his oldest daughter was born in 1862, or 1863. He name was Sarah Lou. There was a younger daughter named Martha born in 1864. It has been said that his first wife was Sallie WILLIAMS, a sister of John WILLIAMS who marrried Julia(NEELY) WADE after John died.
John was in Texas by 1866, as he appears on the 1867 voters registration records of Brazos County, Texas,saying he had lived there for one year. This is also where it shows that his middle initial was H. This is the only document found to date bearing a middle initial or name for John. The signature for this registration clearly shows J. H. WADE.
In 1880, John purchased the Eastern half of 113 (57) acres in Bastrop County, Texas. He died in April of 1880, and in May of 1881, the "heirs of John Wade, deceased" applied for the patent on this land.
Now, the way that land patents work, is the patents are filed off of the ORIGINAL grants. So even though when the WADEs patented the land in 1881 for the 57 acres John had purchased, the Patent(Title) recieved in 1884 was for the full 113 acres that had been the original grant. The Wade's never actually owned the Western half of this land, as reflected of the sale of this land on the same day that John Wade bought the Eastern Half, Mary CONWAY bought the Western half.
