Mellen and Mason of Co. C 12th Mississippi
The Rutgers University Special Collections and Archives in New Brunswick NJ has multiple volumes from the Daughters of the American Revolution, including a volume on the war that has the memoirs of Mary Peyton Mason. Her mother, Mary Peyton Mellen, was born 22 September 1845 in Natchez - she had two brothers, William Francis Mellen, who served as a Captain in Gen. Early's command and later was dean of law at Tulane. Another brother, Grenville Mellen, was a member of the "Natchez Fencibles," who was killed at Seven Pines and buried in Richmond. Grenville tented with Samuel A. Mason, who married Mary Peyton Mellen in 1868; it was the second marriage for both. Samuel's first wife and child had died while he was a soldier. Mary's first husband was Austin Fleetwood Alexander, who died just after the war. Austin's plantation was located 14 miles from Greenville, Miss., and he was exempt from military service because of a broken and bent finger which prevented him from firing a musket.