Perhaps born October 1811. Despite his age, Pleasant decided to serve in the Union Army in Company F of the 3rd Tennessee Infantry. According to the transcription project for the Adjutant General's report (see sources), he was a private, enlisting 10 February 1862 (mustered the same day) at age 52 and deserted 17 August 1862; Henry Barkstill Jones deserted the same day. These records are often incomplete, and deserters many times returned with little to no penalty.

The desertion date corresponds to the occupation of Cumberland Gap but is a little earlier than when the Union was forced to abandon it; desertion at that time was extremely common. Henry's wife was seven months pregnant at the time with Rufe. In fact, Rufe's birthday, October 20, suggests that Henry did not know his wife was pregnant when he enlisted.

Per the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors system, this unit was:

Organized at Flat Lick, Ky., December, 1861, to February, 1862. Attached to 25th Brigade, 7th Division, Army of the Ohio, to October, 1862. 1st Brigade, District of West Virginia, Dept. of the Ohio, to November, 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division (Centre), 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 14th Army Corps, to April, 1863. District of Central Kentucky, Dept. of the Ohio, to June, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 23rd Army Corps, Army of the Ohio, to August, 1863. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, Reserve Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October. 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to November, 1863. Spear's Brigade, Chattanooga, Tenn., to December, 1863. Spear's Tennessee Brigade, 2nd Division, 23rd Army Corps, to January, 1864. 3rd Brigade, Rousseau's 3rd Division, 12th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to April, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 23rd Army Corps, Army of the Ohio, to February, 1865.

SERVICE.-Duty at Somerset and London, Ky., till January, 1862. Battle of Mill Springs January 19. Duty at London and covering Cumberland Gap till March, 1862. Cumberland Gap Campaign March 28-June 18. Big Creek Gap June 11-12 and 15. Occupation of Cumberland Gap and covering rear at London June 18-September 17. Operations about Cumberland Gap August 16-22. Action at London August 17. Big Hill August 23. (Battle of White's Farm, Richmond, Ky., August 30, Battalion). Expedition to Fine Mountain September 6-10. Big Creek Gap September 7. Evacuation of Cumberland Gap and retreat to Greenupsburg, Ky., September 17-October 3. Near Gallipolis, Ohio, and operations in the Kanawha Valley till November. Ordered to Louisville, thence to Cincinnati, Ohio, and to Nashville, Tenn. Duty at Nashville, Tenn., till April, 1863, and at Carthage, Tenn., till August Ordered to McMinnville August 31. March to Chattanooga September 12-20. Action near Summerton September 23. At Sale Creek till December. Ordered to Kingston. Action at Kingston December 4. Duty near Knoxville and operations in East Tennessee till April, 1864. Love's Hill, near Knoxville, January 24. Panther Springs March 5. Companies "E," "G," "H" and "L," Atlanta (Ga.) Campaign May to September. Demonstrations on Dalton May 5-13. Rocky Ford Ridge May 8-11. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Pursuit to Cassville May 16-19. Near Cassville May 18-19. Etowah River May 20. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 26-June 5. Kingston May 27. Allatoona May 26 and 29. Pine Mountain June 3-7. Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain June 10-July 2. Lost Mountain June 15-17. Muddy Creek June 17. Noyes Creek June 19. Kolb's Farm June 22. Assault on Kenesaw June 27. Nickajack Creek July 2-5. Vining Station July 4. Chattahootchie River July 5-17. Decatur July 19. Howard House July 20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 25. Utoy Creek August 5-7. Flank movement on Jonesboro August 25-31. Battle of Jonesboro August 31-September 1. Lovejoy Station September 2-6. Pursuit of Hood into Alabama October 3-26. Nashville Campaign November and December. Guard fords ot Duck River till November 28. Spring Hill November 29. Battle of Franklin November 30. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. At Clifton, Tenn., till February, 1865. Moved to Nashville and mustered out February 23, 1865.

Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 54 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 168 Enlisted men by disease. Total 225.
==
Melba Jones Bolinger gave a talk on the history of the Jonesville United Methodist Church 4 July 1993 and provided a written version:

JONESVILLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - 100-Year Anniversary

Ideally, when an organization or institution celebrates a 100-year anniversary, it has available chronicled documentation to describe and record its history from its inception. Unfortunately, that is not true in our case. If church records were kept in the early years, they have apparently been lost or misplaced over the passing years. Consequently, we must rely largely on our memories of the stories and historical information that has been passed down to us through our families by word-of-mouth. (In this connection, Mattie Belle Lockett shared freely of information which she had from her Mother , Mrs. Sally Jones Lockett.)

The Community: We know that the Jonesville community was named for Pleasant Ferguson Jones, who immigrated to this area from Virginia in the middle 1840's. He had four daughters:

1. Mary - who never married

2. Catherine (Kit or Kate) - who married John Bruce.

3. Sarah John (Hannah) - who married J. T. Crass and from whom S. S. Crass and Callie Crass Coward are descended. (Ralph Crass and Esther Crass Walker are descended from Mr. J. T. Crass's second marriage.)

4. Eliza - who married George Phillips and from whom the Phillips (Fred Phillips, Lon Phillips, Seff Phillips, Maggie Phillips Coward, Ada Phillips Davis, and Walter Phillips) are all descended.*

* NOTE: In general, descendents are listed ehre only if they have had a connection with the Church or are present here today.

Pleasant Ferguson Jones had one son, Henry Barkstill Jones, who grew up to be a Methodist minister who lived out his life in service to this community and this church, as well as the other churches he served as a circuit-riding preacher. Uncle Henry (as he was called) was quite a prominent and influential man throughout the county as reflected in the newspaper reports of his death. He had nine children by his first wife:

1. George - father of Tollie Jones and grandfather of Barkstill, George, Ernest, Jason, Vernon, T.N. and Ray Jones and Trula Jones Baird and Mossie Jones Taylor.

2. Henry Rufus - father of Jennie Jones Bolinger and grandfather of Melba Bolinger and Betty Bolinger Goins.

3. John.

4. Robert Milton - who was a lawyer and judge.

5. Samuel R.

6. William J. (Uncle Bill) - who was the handsome "Old Bachelor" of the family.

7. D. T. (Doc) - who followed in his father's footsteps to become a Methodist minister.

By his second marriage, Uncle Henry had two children:

1. Sallie - who married R. P. Lockett and from whom Barkstill, Mattie Belle, and George Lockett are descended. Sallie Lockett grew up in this Church and was the church pianist until she married and left the community.

2. Ernest - who married Mae Adams and had one son, Jim Newton Jones.

Uncle Henry died on June 26, 1932, just three days before his 95th birthday. Incidentally, the annual Church Homecoming which we celebrate on the first Sunday in July started as a celebration of Uncle Henry's birthday. After his death, it was reorganized under the Chairmanship of Col. Harvey H. Hannah to become a Memorial Day for all of the people who had an interest in this Church and Community and/or who had loved ones buried in these two cemeteries.

The Church Building: The Jonesville United Methodist Church had its beginning with a small congregation that met in the schoolhouse (just to the east) until the present building was erected in 1893. According to Mrs. Sallie Lockett, her father (Uncle Henry) went out into the community and obtained donations to pay for materials and the present building was built on land donated by Pleasant Ferguson Jones by the men of the community.

It should be pointed out here that during part of its early history, the Jonesville Church was a union church with services conducted alternately by Methodist and Baptist pastors to a mixed congregation.

Originally, the Church building consisted of the space exclusive of the chancel and faced the old County Road on the south. In 1938, the entry was moved from the south side to the north in order that the Church would face the new highway.

In 1940, electricity was added and an elevated chancel was constructed. Sunday School rooms were added in the 1950's. A gas furnace was added in 1970, prior to which time the building had been heated by a coal stove. Also, in the early 1970's the Church was paneled., the floor was carpeted, a new ceiling was installed, new pulpit furniture was purchased, and bathroom and kitchen facilities were added.

The People: When I think of the history of the Church, I think of more than just the facility or building - I think of the many people who have served and worshiped here over the many years. it would not be possible to acknowledge each person individually, but I would like to mention a few of the families who have been a part of the lifeblood of this church over the years.

In the earliest years there were, of course, the Jones families, the Henley families, and the Crass families who were here from the very beginning. Then came (not necessarily in chronological order) the: Cox families, Long families, J. F. Russell family, Julian Barger family, Davis families, Young family, Day families, Phillips families, J. N. Letsinger family, Younger family, Ladd family, Sheets family, Butler family, Bolinger family.

In addition to the older Jones families, it should be mentioned that the Tollie Jones family has been an important part of the Church over the years, and the contributions of the Tom Coward cannot be overemphasized. The Robert A. West family located in the Jonesville community in 1949 and has contributed significantly to the life of the Church since that time.

There is no way of measuring or even knowing what impact this little country Church has made in the hearts and lives of the people who have worshiped in this community and church; others moved away to other locations and larger arenas. I suspect many of them carried a little bit of Jonesville with them in their hearts.

I am thankful that we can meet here today to remember, to pay tribute to, and to acknowledge our continuity with, those who went before us. We must try to be worthy of the trust they left us.
==
1840 Census, Halifax County, Virginia, Southern District, page 76:
Pleasant Jones
1 male under 5 [Henry]
1 male 10 and under 15 [unknown]
1 male 20 and under 30 [Pleasant]
2 females under 5 [Mary, unknown]
1 female 20 and under 30 [Oma]
6 total people, 1 in agriculture; no slave.
Enumerated by John Buchanan. A number of other Jones and Henderson families are nearby.


1850 Census, Roane County, Tennessee, Sub 20, page 422, dwelling 1427, family 1478:
Jones, Pleasant, 35, male, farmer, real estate $200, VA
___, "Omey", 42, female, VA, illiterate
___, Nancy A. S., 15, female, VA, attended school
___, Henry "H.", 13, male, VA, attended school
___, Sally, 7, female, VA
___, Eliza, 5, female, TN
___, "Catherin", 2, female, TN
Enumerated 4 November 1850 by R. L. Wilker; all apparently white, literate, unless noted.

1860 Census, Roane County, Tennessee, CD 14, page 236b, dwelling 2056, family 1888:
Jones, Pleasnt F., 50, male, farmer, real estate $600, personal $600, VA
___, Oney, 52, female, VA, illiterate
___, Mary, 23, female, VA, illiterate
___, Henry, 22, male, farmer, VA, maried within year
___, Sarah J., 16, female, TN, in school
___, Eliza, 14, female, TN, in school
___, Mary A., 24, female, married in year, TN
Welker Mills PO; enumerated 24 August 1860 by N. A. O. Atherson[?]. All white, literate, born in Tennessee, unless noted. Catherine is strangely missing.

1870 Census, Roane County, Tennessee, CD 14, page 488b, dwelling & family 80:
Jones, Pleasant, 60, male, farmer, real easter $600, personal $400, male 21+
___, "Peggy", 55, female
___, Mary, 35, female, illiterate
___, Bill, 14, male, farm laborer, illiterate
Kingston PO; enumerated 11 August 1870 by R. W. Evans, all white, literate, born in Tennessee[!] unless noted. Bill is currently unknown.

1880 Census, Roane County, Tennessee, CD 5, SD 1, ED 227, page 412c, dwelling & family 58:
Jones, P. F., male, 69, married, farmer, VA, VA, VA
___, Ona, female, 70, wife, married, keeping house, VA, VA, VA, illiterate
"Philip", Eliza "M.", female, 33, daughter, widowed, at home, TN, TN[!], VA
___, John H., male, 13, grandson, single, at home, TN, TN, TN, cannot read or write
___, Ona E., female, 11, granddaughter, single, at home, cannot read or write
___, Rachael, female, 9, granddaughter, single, at home
___, Sally, female, 7, granddaughter, at home
Enumerated 5 June 1880 by W. J. Hornsby; both white, literate, born in Tennessee, parents in Tennessee[!].

1890 Veterans Census, CD 5, from transcription:
Henry B. Jones, 2nd Lieutenant, company A, 17th Tennessee Cavalry, post office Elverton
Pleasant F. Jones, private, company H, 3rd Tennessee Infantry, post office Elverton

1900 Census, Roane County, Tennessee, CD 5, SD 2, ED 116, page 62b, dwelling 191, family 194:
Jones, Pleasant F., head, male, born October 1811, 88, widowed, VA, VA, VA, no occupation, owns farm, no mortgage, schedule 115
Davis, John, son in law, male, born June 1869, 30, married 11 years, farmer
___, "Sallie", granddaughter, female, September 1871[?, 28[?], married 11 years, 5 children, 5 living
___, "Gellie"[?], great granddaughter, female, born February 1891, 9, single, not in school
___, Lannie[?], great granddaughter, female, born August 1892, 7, single, not in school
___, Martha F., great granddaughter, female, born February 1894, 6, single
___, William J., great granddaughter, female, born March 1897, 3, single
___, John H., great grandson, born April 1899, 1, single
Enumerated 12 June 1900 by Everett B. Booth; all white, literate, speak English, not unemployed, born in Tennessee, parents in Tennessee, unless noted.

• Married: 15 SEP 1836 in Halifax County, Virginia
• Note: Pleasant Jones to Oney Henderson, 15 September 1836, Halifax County, Virginia, John Henderson, Bondsman

1. Mary A. Jones b: 1834 in (prob) Halifax County, Virginia
2. Henry Barkstill Jones b: 29 JUN 1837 in (prob) Halifax County, Virginia
3. Sarah John Jones b: 7 MAY 1843 in (prob) Halifax County, Virginia
4. Eliza N. Jones b: 26 OCT 1845 in (prob) Roane County, Tennessee
5. Catherine Jones b: 30 MAR 1848 in (prob) Roane County, Tennessee

1. Title: Tombstone Photographs: Earl Wilfred Walker
   Author: Walker, Earl Wilfred
   Note: Photos of various tombstones visited, photographed, and identified by Earl Walker.
   Repository:
   Media: Tombstone
   Text: shared stone: at bottom "Jones"; on left "Oma Jones/1809-1883"; on right "P. F. Jones/1812-1904", Jonesville United Methodist Church Cemetery, photographed 30 March 2005
2. Title: United States Census - 1880
   Note: The 1880 Census was the first to specifically ask for the relationships of each household member to the head of household and also included birthplaces of mother and father as well as other additional information. The likely errors of earlier censuses also applied in 1880. The enumeration date was 1 June 1880.
   Repository:
   Note: National Archives and Records Administration
   Media: Microfilm
   Page: Roane County, Tennessee, CD 5, SD 1, ED 227, page 412c, dwelling & family 58
   Text: age 69, born in Virginia
3. Title: United States Census - 1850
   Note: The 1850 Census is the first to record all members of a household, although family relationships are not explicitly indicated; important other information, such as birthplace is also recorded. Like the earlier enumerations, ages and household composition was supposed to be as of 1 June 1850, and enumerators were much better trained than with earlier censuses. However, actual enumeration occurred many months after that date, and errors do occur. In addition, as with other censuses of the era, the enumerator may have gotten information from neighbors instead of an actual household member. Slave schedules were separate. The entire 1850 Census is essentially extant.
   Repository:
   Note: National Archives and Records Administration
   Media: Microfilm
   Page: Roane County, Tennessee, Sub 20, page 422, dwelling 1427, family 1478
   Text: age 35, born in Virginia
4. Title: United States Census - 1860
   Note: The 1860 Census schedules are similar to those from 1850 and subject to the same issues; the enumeration date was 1 June 1860. The entire 1860 Census is essentially extant.
   Repository:
   Note: National Archives and Records Administration
   Media: Microfilm
   Page: Roane County, Tennessee, CD 14, page 236b, dwelling 2056, family 1888
   Text: age 50, born in Tennessee
5. Title: United States Census - 1870
   Note: The 1870 Census was similar to those in 1850 and 1860 although it is the first to include full information about those who had been in slavery. Some additional personal information was also recorded, and, for the first time, enumerators had written instructions, leading to a much greater degree of accuracy, although, as with all early censuses, errors are possible for numerous reasons. The enumeration date was 1 June 1870, and essentially the entire 1870 Census is extant.
   Repository:
   Note: National Archives and Records Administration
   Media: Microfilm
   Page: Roane County, Tennessee, CD 14, page 488b, dwelling & family 80
   Text: age 60, born in Tennessee[!]
6. Title: United States Census - 1900
   Note: The 1900 Census added a great deal of information, such as the exact month and year of birth, years married, and a number of other elements. The enumeration date was 1 June 1900.
   Repository:
   Note: National Archives and Records Administration
   Media: Microfilm
   Page: Roane County, Tennessee, CD 5, SD 2, ED 116, page 62b, dwelling 191, family 194
   Text: born October 1811, age 88, born in Virginia
7. Title: Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
   Author: National Park Service
   Note: The National Park Service provides a very large searchable database of soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. Transcribed from index cards, various errors are possible.
   Note: Transcribed from index cards; excellent resource but not definitive
   Repository:
   Note: http://www.itd.nps.gov/
   Media: Electronic
   Text: Pleasant F. Jones, in and out as private, Company F, 3rd Tennessee Infantry (Union)