James Bates b about 1823 Perry Co KY d 11 Apr 1864; 40 years of age in the Civil War; buried Bates Cemetery, Kona, Letcher Co KY; s/o John Wallis Bates and Sarah Walthrop. James Bates m. 26 Feb 1843 Letcher Co KY to Elizabeth Bessie Adams b about 1824 Perry Co KY d Jul 1880; age 56; buried Bates Cemetery, Kona, Letcher Co KY; d/o Benjamin Adams and Nancy Holbrook. (1850 Letcher Co KY Census and 1860 Letcher Co KY Census). James Bates was tortured and murdered by Union soldiers in the Civil War and when his brother, Martin Van Buren Bates, the Kentucky Giant, found out about it, Martin took vengeance upon the killers in return for what they did to his brother. Children of James Bates and Elizabeth Bessie Adams;

1. Henry C Bates b about 1844; m. 13 Mar 1868 to Rachel Lee b about 1840 Russell Co VA.

2. Sarah Bates b about 1846; m. 13 Aug 1868 to David F Lee. Both buried Caney, Knott Co KY.

3. Nancy Bates b 28 Oct 1848 d 10 Sept 1927 Beefhide, Letcher Co KY; m. 9 Dec 1870 to Andrew J Wright b 14 Nov 1847 Beefhide, Letcher Co KY d 28 Jan 1919 Beefhide, Letcher Co KY; ; s/o Samuel Wright and Elizabeth Adams.

4. Letitia Letty Bates b 14 Nov 1851 Letcher Co KY d 12 May 1934 Thornton, Letcher Co KY; buried 13 May 1934 Thornton Cemetery, Thornton, Letcher Co KY; m. 12 Apr 1872 to William S Bill Wright Luntz; s/o William Luntz and Sidney Wright (Sidney Wright; d/o Margaret Wright and Unknown, Margaret Wright; d/o Joel Martin Wright and Susannah Unknown)

5. John W Ringer Bates b 23 Nov 1852 Letcher Co KY d 24 Nov 1932; age 80; m. about 1882 to (1) Mary Polly Pigman b 1857; John W Ringer Bates m. 27 Jul 1901 Letcher Co KY to (2) Elizabeth Gibson.

6. Martha Bates b 19 Jan 1855 Letcher Co KY never married Unknown; Children of Martha Bates and Unknown;

i. Amanda Jane Bates b 18 Oct 1882 d 8 Nov 1954; m. John Wesley Honeycutt b 1 Nov 1878 Knott Co KY d 22 Dec 1944 Knott Co KY; s/o Alfred Honeycutt and Elizabeth Reynolds.

ii. Herman Bates b 15 Jan 1885 d 12 Nov 1947; m. Ida Draugh (Draughn?)

iii. John Bates b 1887

iv. Caldonia Elizabeth Donie Bates b 10 Jun 1892 d 13 Sept 1971; m. 1913 to John D Johnson

Martha Bates m. 27 Apr 1895 to Jesse Amburgey. Child of Jesse Amburgey and Martha Bates;

i. Catherina Amburgey b 1897

7. Jenny Letha Jane Bates b 1858 d 21 Oct 1919 Letcher Co KY; age 61; buried Bowling Hall Cemetery, Letcher Co KY; m. 2 Oct 1878 Letcher Co KY to Ephraim Epperson Hall b 28 Oct 1855 Letcher Co KY; s/o John William Wash Hall and Margaret Peggy Keene.

8. Margaret Bates b about 1860 d 1874 Letcher Co KY age 14.

9. James Bates Jr b about 1863 Letcher Co KY.