Presley Seay had the rare distinction of being one of the extremely few Confederate soldiers who died in battle within Murray County. In fact, he died while fighting with Murray's most widely heralded local hero, Tom Polk Edmondson.

Records in the Murray County courthouse state that Seay first enlisted in Company C, 3rd Confederate, which was reorganized into Company F. This was part of the Whorton Brigade, Army of Tennessee. At the time of his death, Seay was serving in Company C, 11th Infantry Regiment, under the command of Major Edmondson. The same records state that he was killed at Pullen's Ferry, April 3, 1865. Pullen's Ferry operated in the southwest part of Murray, fairly near Calhoun. Edmondson and Seay died in the same battle. Sadly that was a mere three weeks prior to the Confederate surrender and the end of the war.

When the 1850 Census was taken, Presley's family included: Thomas Seay, age 49; Jemima, age 45; Abraham, age 22; Elizabeth, age 19; Susanna, age 13; John, age 12; Thomas, age 10; Presley, age 6; and Sophira, age 3. That Census indicated that every family member had been born in South Carolina, meaning that they had moved to Murray within the preceding three years. The value of their farm was given as $10,000 which was an impressive sum at that time.

The 1860 Census listed fewer family members because some of the older children had married and moved into homes of their own. Remaining were: Thomas, age 59; Jenny, age 55; John, age 22; Thomas, age 19; Presly (that's the way the Census taker spelled it), age 15; and Sophia, age 13. They used the post office at Spring Place.

Confederate Army records also listed two of Presley's brothers, John and Thomas Seay, who had served and returned safely when the conflict ended.

Murray County Families