John emigrated to Ruffin, eastern Rockingham County, North Carolina in 1853 or 1854. John was a saddler like his father, and went into partnership with Jackson Jones in 1853 or 1854 for a tannery in eastern Rockingham County NC. This partnership broke up in 1859, according to a 1879 deed. Thereafter he was a farmer. [Source: Linda Van Buren]572

1860 census: Rockingham, North Carolina, Southern Division
John C Sawyers, age 33, born VA, Saddler
Elizabeth, age 22, born NC
Elizabeth F, age 4, born NC
James R, age 4, born NC
William E, age 11/12 born NC572

1860 Slave Schedule: North Carolina, Rockingham County, Southern Division
age 47 Female Black John C Soyars Southern Division, Rockingham, North Carolina
age 10 Male Black John C Soyars Southern Division, Rockingham, North Carolina
age 8 Female Black John C Soyars Southern Division, Rockingham, North Carolina
age 6 Male Black John C Soyars Southern Division, Rockingham, North
Source: Ancestry.com572

John Sawyers served in the Confederate Infantry, 21st Regiment, North Carolina.572

CONFEDERATE NORTH CAROLINA TROOPS
21st Infantry Regiment, formerly the 11th Volunteers, was a twelve company command organized at Danville, Virginia, in June, 1861. Men of this unit were recruited in Davidson, Surry, Forsyth, Stokes, Rockingham, and Guilford counties. It was assigned to General Trimble's, Hoke's, Godwin's, and W G Lewis' Brigade. After taking part in the Battle of First Manassas and Jackson's Valley operations, the 21st participated in many conflicts of the army from the Seven Days' Battles to Bristoe. It was then involved in the engagements at Plymouth, Drewry's Bluff, and Cold Harbor, marched with Early to the Shenandoah Valley, and saw action around Appomattox. The unit sustained 80 casualties at First Winchester, 13 at Cross Keys and Port Republic , 45 during the Seven Days' Battles, 51 at Groveton, 18 at Sharpsburg, and 24 at Fredericksburg. It lost 78 at Chancellorsville, twenty-eight percent of the 436 at Gettysburg, and 52 at Plymouth. In April, 1865, it surrendered with 6 officers and 117 men of which 40 were armed. The field officers were Colonels Saunders Fulton, B Y Graves, James M Leach, Rufus K Pepper, William S Rankin, and William L Scott; and Majors James F Beall, Alex Miller, W J Pfohl, and J M Richardson.
Source: Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System572

1870 census: Rockingham, NC, Oregonville, Post Office: Ruffin
J C Sawyers, age 43, born VA, Farmer
Mary , age 31, born NC
Eliza, age 15, born NC
James R, age 13, born NC
William, age 10, born NC
Thomas, age 8, born NC
Mary, age 4, born NC
Nancy, age 2, born NC
James A Wright, age 8, born NC572

1880 census: Rockingham Co, NC, Oregonville, District 317, Visitation 40/44
John C Soyars, age 54, Farmer, born VA
Mary J, age 42, born VA, Keeps House
Eliza, age 25, born VA, At Home
J Robert, age 24, born VA, Labors on Farm
William E, age 23, born VA, Labors on Farm
Thomas M, age 18, born VA, Labors on Farm
Mary M, age 14, born VA, At Home
Nannie B, age 12, born VA, At Home
Charlie P, age 8, born VA
Louisa V, age 5, born VA572

1900 census: Rockingham, NC, Ruffin, District 83, Visitation 277/280
John C Soyars, age 74, born May 1826 VA, married 46 years
Mary J, age 61, born June 1838 NC, 3 children, 3 living
Thomas M, age 38, son, born Dec 1861 NC
Nannie, age 32, dau, born Mar 1868 NC572

1910 census: Rockingham, NC, Ruffin Pct., District 168
John C Sawyers, age 82, born VA, married 39 years
Mary J, age 72, born NC, 3 children, 3 living
Thomas M, age 48, born NC572

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NC - WILLS - John C Soyars Probate Record
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Probate File No 1062, John C SOYARS deceased
Anything in round brackets ( ) was in the original; things in square brackets [ ] were added by the
transcriber, LVB.
Rockingham Co NC Superior Court
SUMMONS FOR RELIEF
T[homas]. M Soyars, Administrator of J[ohn] C. Soyars, dec.
Against
Eliza Lynn and husband, T [sic- Leander] J Lynn,
J[ames]. R[obert] Soyars and wife Julia A Soyars,
Mattie [sic - Mollie] Cobb and husband John Cobb,
Nannie Roberts [sic - Robertson],
Jennie [Virginia] Ragan and husband Robert Ragan,
C[harles] P[leasant]. Soyars and wife Betty Soyars
and
Lawrence Soyars,
Malonie Soyars and
Otha Soyars,
Bertha Soyars,
J W Soyars.
[These last 5 were children of John C Soyars's deceased son William E Soyars, of whom John W Soyars and Bertha Soyars were of full age and other three were minors.]
The State of North Carolina to the Sheriff of Rockingham -- Greeting.
You are hereby commanded to summon ... Eliza Lynn and husband Elanda [sic -Leander] J Lynn, J R Soyars & wife Julia A Soyars, Mollie Cobb and husband John Cobb, Nannie Robertson, Jennie Ragan and husband Robert Ragan, C P Soyars and wife Bettie Soyars, John W Soyars, Bertha Soyars and
Lawrence Soyars, Malonie Soyars and Otha Soyars, the Defendants above named, if they be found within your County, to appear before the Clerk of the Superior Court for the County of Rockingham, at his office in Wentworth town, on the 2d day of September 1912....
Received Aug 23d 1912, Served Aug 23d 1912, By reading to J C Soyars [sic - not likely - he was the decedent] & by leaving a copy with Lawrence Soyars, Otha Soyars & Malonie Soyars and with Mrs. John Robertson, with whom said infants reside. [Mrs John Robertson was their mother, now
remarried.]
We, the undersigned, hereby accept service of the within Summons.
L J & E F Lynn
J R Soyars & J A Soyars
Nannie Robertson
J W Cobb Mollie Cobb
J R & Jennie Reagan
C P & Bettie Soyars
J W Soyars
*****************************************
T M Soyars, Admr of J C Soyars, dec'd,
Against Eliza Lynn and husband L J Lynn and others.
To the Sheriff of Pittsylvania County Virginia -- Greeting:
You are hereby commanded, to summon Bertha Soyars the Defendant above named, if she be found within your County, to be and appear before the Clerk of our Superior Court, at County of Rockingham, at the Court-house in Wentworth, on the 19th day of September, 1912....
Returnable to the Clerk the Superior Court for Rockingham County, NC.
Received Aug 29th, 1912, Served Aug 30th, 1912, by reading the within & leaving copy of summons & complaint with Bertha Soyars, the defendant therein named.
G W Gammon for W C Harvey,
Sheriff Pittsylvania County, State of Virginia
*****************************************
The plaintiff in the above entitled proceeding respectfully showeth to the court, that Lawrence Soyars, Melonie Soyars and Otha Soyars, infant defendants in the above-entitled proceeding for the sale of real estate to make assets, are minors, and without general or testamentary guardian, and
that the said minors have been duly served with the summons in said proceeding, Wherefore, the said plaintiff hereby makes application to the said court to appoint some suitable person to act as guardian ad litem for said minors and to represent their interest in said proceeding.
This 2 day of Sept. 1912.
...
It is therefore on motion of Ira R Humphreys ordered that Shade Martin be and is hereby appointed guardian ad litem of the infant defendants, Lawrence Soyars, Melonie Soyars and Otha Soyars, in this proceeding.
*****************************************
PETITION TO SELL LANDS FOR ASSETS
The petitioner T M Soyars, administrator of J C Soyars, deceased, respectfully showeth:
1. That he was duly appointed administrator of the estate of said intestate, by the clerk of the superior court of said county, on the 10 day of June 1911, and at once entered upon the administration of the estate.
...
4. That at the time of his death the said intestate was seized in fee-simple of the following valued at $800.00 and bounded as follows: On the east by the lands of J P Flintoff; on the north by the lands of W H Warriner; on the west and south by the lands of Robert Harris, containing 100 acres more or less.
5. That the said decedent left him surviving the following heirs at law: Eliza Lynn and husband L J Lynn, J R Soyars and wife Julia A Soyars, Mattie [sic - Mollie] Cobb and husband John Cobb, Nannie Robertson, T M Soyars, C P Soyars and wife Betty Soyars and Lawrence Soyars, Malonie
Soyars and Otha Soyars, J W Soyars and Bertha Soyars, Jennie Ragan wife of Robt Ragan, who reside in Rockingham County, North Carolina except Jennie Ragan and husband who live in Danville in the state of Virginia.
This ..... day of ..... 19...
T M Soyars [X his mark]
*****************************************
To James T Smith, C S C, Rockingham County:
Pursuant to an order of the superior court of Rockingham County, made in the above-entitled proceeding, I exposed to sale to the highest bidder, at the court-house door of Rockingham County in Wentworth, NC, on the 7th day of October 1912, at ___ [left blank in the original] o'clock _m,
after due advertisement, the lands mentioned and described in the petition in this cause, when C P Soyars became the last and highest bidder, at $1365.00 (Thirteen hundred & Sixty five Dollars) cash, and the said purchaser stands ready to pay the purchase-money for the said land. I consider the price bid a fair and reasonable one and, therefore, recommend that the sale be confirmed and a deed be made to the purchaser upon payment of the purchase-money.
This 7 day of Oct. 1912.
T M Soyars, Commissioner
By Ira R Humphreys, Atty
Filed Oct 7, 1912, Jas T Smith, C S C
************************************
This proceeding again coming on to be heard, and it appearing that the said T M Soyars, commissioner, appointed by the court to sell the lands described in the petition of the plaintiff, on the 7th day of October 1912, sold at public auction to C P Soyars the land described in the petition,
at the price of $1365.00 cash, and it appearing to the court that the said sale was in all respects duly and properly conducted and made, and that the price offered as aforesaid was and is just and reasonable, and C P Soyars having assigned and transferred his said bid to J R Ragan, as appears
from written assignment filled herein, and requested deed be executed to the said J R Ragan....
This 28th day of October 1912.
Jas T Smith, Clerk Superior Court.
**************************************
FINAL SETTLEMENT
I, Scott Fillman Notary Public, do hereby certify that T M Soyars personally appeared before me this day and being by me duly sworn says:
That the foregoing final account is true and correct. Sworn to and subscribed, this the 6th day of September, 1913.
DISBURSEMENTS July 30, 1913
To J R Sawyers, his dist share 83.95
To T M Sawyers, his dist share 83.95
To Jennie Regan, wife of J R Regan 83.95
To Eliza J Lynn, wife of L J Lynn 83.95
To Mollie Cobb, wife of John Cobb 83.95
To Nannie Robertson 83.95
To C P Sawyers 83.95
To J W Sawyers 16.79
To Bertha Sawyers 16.79
To Jas T Smith CSC for Malony Sawyers 16.79
To Jas T Smith CSC for Lawrence Sawyers 16.79
To Jas T Smith CSC for Otha Sawyers 16.79
[The five last-named shared the one-eighth share of the estate that would have gone to their late father, William E Soyars, had he been still living. Within the year, both James Robert Soyars and Thomas M Soyars also died, the former on 2 Nov 1913, and the latter on 18 Dec 1913.]

North Carolina Marriage Collection, 1741-2000 Record about John C Sawyers
Name: John C Sawyers
Gender: Male
Estimated Birth Year: 1853
Spouse: Elizabeth Berry
Spouse Gender: Female
Spouse Estimated Birth Year : 1853
Marriage Date: 22 Oct 1853
Marriage County: Rockingham
Marriage State: North Carolina
Source Vendor: North Carolina State Archives572