I have no information on Jonas Bedford Byars but it was Bedford B. Byars whom Charles B. Byars wrote about in that letter to his wife and family. Bedford was very probably his nephew, son of Artemesia Byars who is also named as his mother in one of the Civil War Records (see fold3 for B. B. Byars and also one as Bedford B. Byars) and his death date at Petersburg, VA is the same as that in the letter written by Charles. Artemesia is enumerated with her father R. for Robert in 1850 with a female and Bedford age 6 or 8. The writing is terrible and could not be read as Byars or anything even close but I have made a correction to it at Ancestry.com this date. She was also with him and those children in the 1860 Spartanburg Co., SC census with an Elizabeth age 71 who was probably elsewhere in 1850 or just missed. Many people believe that Charles was the son of Joseph Byars and Nancy Blanton and I certainly disagree with that based on also finding Charles in the 1850 census only a few pages from Robert Byars.
1850 SC, Spartanburg, 304/427, #2310 - this is how is was transcribed
C Ruma 26
Silva Ruma 25
Dulcina Ruma 6
William Ruma 4
Elizabeth Ruma 2
Clomia Ruma 0
actually appears to be ...
C. Biers 26
Silvia ...25
Dulcenia...6
William...4
Elizabeth..2.
Clomia ...1/12 female (Don't think that is correct)
corrected to Charles Byars on 17 May 2015 by SHN
Just 3 images away is the family that I feel Charles is connected to ... he states born SC in every record.
1850 SC, Spartanburg, 307/427, #2336 - scribbly and was probably Biers with the dot over i way to the end over the s.
R Bries 72
Artemisse Bries 32 female
S bross Bries 18 female
Bedford Bries 6
This one is almost much worse -- and there was no birth state noted in this record. Only several people had states listed for birth and there is on way up born Ireland so they must have assumed everyone under that man was also born Ireland. Image 307/428 at FS.org
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8QL-PYLR Russ M 72 Ireland
Artemisse Russ F 32 Ireland
S Russ F 18 Ireland
Redford Russ M 6 Ireland
1860 SC, Spartanburg, North Civ., 185-186/214, 1267
Robt Byars 74 SC
Elizabeth Byars 71 NC
Arty Byars 49 SC
Susan A R Byars 21 SC
Bedford B Byars 18 SC
Note that Charles named a son Bedford and it was probably in honor of his deceased nephew. I hope this information is helpful to all researching the family of Charles B. Byars. Please contact me directly at
sherrylucky@yahoo.com.