Primus Young was born to George Blount (Blunt) a free man of color and a slave woman named Fanny Hollowell, in about 1828 in Elizabeth City, Pasquotank County, North Carolina and had a brother whom he never met named Davis Hollowell born in 1841. Primus also had siblings from his fathers union with another woman named Nancy Cartwright (who also was a slave). Primus learned to read and write (likely) from his father who was educated. When Primus was between nine and fifteen he was sold to a family in Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee (His last name Young came from his slave owner Evan Young). In about 1844 Primus met and began a courtship with a mulatto slave named Matilda Young. Together they had four children, George (b. April 1st 1845) Zack (b. 1850) Fanny (b. 1855) and Charity (b. 1856) in Columbia, Tennessee.

As a slave Primus worked as a skilled carpenter, same as his father George. When he was not practicing carpentry he did farm work. When Primus heard the Union was recruiting colored soldiers, he was quick to join. He was mustered in the th U.S. Colored Infantry, Company A (along with his friend also a slave of Evan Young, named Nero Young) in Columbia, Tennessee after escaping slavery with his commrade Nero (who was also from North Carolina). In the army Primus worked as a regimental carpenter, as his carpentry skills were very handy SEE ANCESTRY.COM MILITARY PAGE FOR INTRESTING LETTER ON HIS REGIMENT Prior to Primus running away with his family to fight in the war, his son George ran away a few months prior and enlisted in the 13th USCT company "C" where he ranked as a musician.

Primus was mustered out on April 7th, 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee. After Primus' military term was up, he married his long time companion Matilda on April 14, 1866, Exactly one week after he left the army in Nashville. A few years later, he and his family moved to Pecan Point, Arkansas to find work. He worked on the Edward McGavock plantation until he was able to work for himself. While on the plantation Primus be-friended a Warren Williams. Warren's step-daughter Nancy Jane Allen married Primus' son Zack (whom I descend through) and had four children named Mary b. 1871, Primus b. 1873, Loular b. 1875, and Charity b. 1878.

Primus' daughter Charity married a Thomas Stevenson, and then a man by the last name Clay. Zack died in about 1879, shortly after the birth of his daughter Charity of Tuuberculosis, which Charity herself would later succumb to. Primus' daughter Fanny, however went on to do quite well for herself. She married her first husband Archy Reams in 1870 (he was a war buddy of Primus) that union produced one child. They divorced in 1879 and she then went on to marry a Squire Tunstall with whom she had nine children, and only four survived to adulthood. She left Arkansas in the late 1880s and moved to Memphis, Tennessee where she bought a house and worked as a real estate agent, and then flourist (in retirement).

George died on the 15th of July 1866. His death was caused by Tuberculosis. According to pension files George arrived home sick from the war. He had a terrible couch, so bad that he would spit up phlim and blood "all over the painted walls" according to Matilda. She purchased him cough remedies from his brothers store, but to no avail. Matilda would find herself sitting up with him night and day, rubbing him, as a way to ease his pain. He would be up for hours moaning in pain, throwing up, and his "bowls were something terrible." Within two days George was dead. His death was caused by Tuberculosis, although some believed it was from "the Chlora." After George's death someone opened a pension application for George's military service, a few months after his death. Primus was notified of it, and investigated it. He was then told by the pension office to claim George's pension and "make case." He did and found out that one John "Johnny" Young claimed to be George's only heir, and entitled to his pension. Primus told the pension office "He is just an illegitmate child, who don't know who his father is, and claims mine (George Young his son)…He is not recognized in this family as amember." Then out of the blue a woman named Caroline Wingfield claimed George was her long lost brother. Not only did Primus have to prove he was George's father, but prove John and Caroline were frauds. John had a solid case, as Matilda admitted as well as others, that it was possible John was George's son, but very unlikely. AfterMANY dispositions, John lost his claim.

With Caroline Wingfield, she told lie after lie. She was married to one of George's war commarde's and knew many of them. Also she was a slave of Evan Young. The only true thing she told was that she had a brother she was separeted from. She would ask her husband question's about George as well as his commrades. For instance, because George was "light skinned" and she was "dark skinned" she said that on her mothers death bed, she revieled that George's father was white. However, George was light, because his mother was mixed race, and near-white complected herself. All of George's siblings, were described as "yellow." She then said that George died during the Battle of Nashville, then she said he was murdered after he arrived home. Yet she claimed to have been reuniuted with him also. Her claims were all over the place, and refered to Primus and Matilda as frauder's. Caroline was then denied the pension, as an investigation was opened up against her for fraudulant claims. Key elements in Primus and Matilda winning their pension battle for George was the testimonies of Evan Young's children, who backed Primus and Matilda's claims, and got other relatives to give the pension office information on Primus and Matilda's behalf. (TO BE CONTINUED…)

Primus passed away on Febaury 7th1892 in District18, Memphis, Tennessee. After Primus' death his wife Matilda moved in with her daughter in memphis and worked as a midwife (her occupation since she was a slave) till her death in 1901. Primus is honored in the U.S. Colored Troops Memorial in Washington D.C.

TO BE UPDATED VIA INFO FROM PENSION FILES (THERE'S A LOT)…