George W. Polston was born on May  3, 1844 in South Carolina. The exact place is unknown. While his middle name was never listed, it is likely to have been Washington.

His parents are known to be Solomon P. Polston and Polly Polston.

Solomon was born in 1818 in South Carolina and was said to have died on 24 Nov. 1876. His place of death is unknown. Polly was born in 1822 in S.C.

The earliest census records for the family shows that in 1850 they were living in Burksville, Cumberland County, Kentucky.

The head of the household was listed as Sarah Polston, 74, who was born in Virginia.  G.W's mother Polly is listed as age 37, along with Peggy Polston, 34, who's name was Margaret and was called Aunt Peggy. She was likely Solomon's sister.

There was no listing for Solomon in the 1850 census.

The children listed in the 1850 census were: W. Polston, 13, John, 14, Sally, 12 and G.W., 5.

Next door to the Polston's lived the Scott family, headed by Ann Scott, age 26 who was born in Kentucky. Here children were listed as Nancy, 10, Jim, 6, and Kizziah, 3.

G.W. Polston and Kizziah went on to marry in 1874 in Cumberland County.

Kizziah or 'Kizzie's' parents were James Scott, born 1821, and Luanna Polston, born 6 May 1825 in Kentucky. Along with Kizziah, their children were Nancy, Thomas V. and James.

Luanna or Ann Polston died on 11 May 1989 in Burksville. Her maiden name was Polston.

Early spellings in the census also list the family,s name as Poulston. Later in the early 20th century some family members changed the name to Poston.

A census after the civil war showed the family still living together in Burkesville. The census includes a listing for G.W., Sarah, Margaret and a child, George, 15. The next door neighbors were still Ann Scott and her daughter listed as Kizzie, 15. 

THE CIVIL WAR:

G.W. Polston volunteered for the Union Army on 15th Feb. 1864 and reported for duty in Carthage, Tenn. He was given the rank of private in Company D, commanded by Capt. Rufus Dowdy, in the First Regiment of the Tennessee Mounted Infantry.

G.W. Polston was formerly discharged on  25th April, 1865 in Nashville, TN because of injuries he had received in the war.

On the 29 Nov. 1864 G.W. was wounded by a Confederate soldier while on a march near Spring Creek Bridge near Carthage. The musket ball passed through his right thigh and nicked the large bone in his leg. He was treated at the Masonic Hall in Carthage from Dec. 4 to Feb. 27th, 1865. While in the hospital he contracted measles which caused him to lose his hearing in his right ear.

After the war he returned to  Cumberland County, Ky. and the family farm on Lewis Creek near Burksville. It was 15 miles southwest of Burksville on the Hillham Road.

His signature was listed on his application for a disabled veteran's pension.

G.W. married Kizzie Scott on 28 May 1874 in Burksville.

A doctors record  on Sept 4, 1875 in a pension applications said that G.W. Polston was 6-2, 150 lb, with dark hair and fair skin. 

TEXAS:

G.W. and Kizzie and their family moved to Texas in about 1893 and settled in Rhea Mills in Collin County. Later they moved to McKinney

While in McKinney the family had a carpentry shop and made furniture and caskets.

A pension application dated 1898 said they had four children: Mary Ellen b. July 6, 1875, John Henry, b. Apr. 21, 1877, Fannie J.,
b. Sep 28, 1881 and Charles Henderson, b Feb. 2,  1887.

G.W. Polston died on January 5, 1905 and was buried in the Dripping Springs cemetery southeast of Denison in Grayson County. His son John had a farm near there according to old maps of the area.

On Mar. 4, 1905 Kizzie Polston applied for a widow's pension. The application was witness by her brother Thomas V. Scott who was listed as living in nearby Denton County, Texas.

Kizzie signed her name with an X in the application.

Kizzie died on April 24, 1906. She was living in Grayson County with her son John. She is presumed buried with her husband in Dripping Springs Cemetery. 

In the 1950s Mary Ellen, daughter Leonie Steele Christman, had a veterans memorial stone erected at G.W. Polston's grave in Dripping Spring. But the information on the stone is the service record for another G.W. Polston that fought in the 13th Kentucky Calvary. The stone remains in the center of the cemetery and has not been changed.

Several Polston descendants are buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Denison, including G.W.'s sons, Charles and John. Some of the Polston family changed their name to Poston in later years. 


POLSTON FAMILY TREE

Solomon Polston, b. 1818, South Carolina. d. 24 Nov., 1876; married Polly Polston, b. 1820, South Carolina.
Their children were:

•  John Polston, b. 1836, S.C.
•  W. Polston, b. 1837, S.C.
•  Sally Polston, b. 1838, S.C.

George W. Polston, b. May 8, 1844, South Carolina; d. Jan. 5,1905, Grayson County, Tex. He married Sarah Kizzah Scott, b. Dec. 1, 1847, Cumblerand County, Kentucky. d. Apr. 25, 1906, Grayson County, Tex. Presumed buried with husband.
Their children were:

• Mary Ellen Polston,  b. 7/6/1875, Kentucky. d. 2/18/1949, Grayson Co., Tx.  Buried Oakwood Cemetery, Denison, TX.
• Fannie Jamima Polston, b. Sept. 28, 1882 d. Jun. 26, 1929.
• Charles Henderson Polston/Poston b. Feb. 2, 1887 d. Sept. 21, 1967. Married Mary Ann Creek, Mar. 6, 1930, Joplin, Mo. Buried Oakwood Cemetery,  Denison, Tx.
• John H. Polston, b. Apr. 21, 1887 d. 1950. Buried Oakwood Cemetery, Denison, TX.