Sports Center Saturday - Soapbox Derby

Two sets of cousins are in this picture, getting ready for the Soapbox derby.  Warren Hendrix Garner is driving the car.  Cheering him on are (l-r) Charlie Garner, Bill Floyd, Ed Floyd, Bobby Garner and Jim Garner.  The photo will have been taken about July 1938.  Warren won the regional competition in Athens, GA and competed in the State-level races at the end of that month. 

Tombstone Tuesday - Washington Horne

 

The tombstone in the top photo and the grave in the picture below are about all that is left in the Horne family cemetery.  The tombstone is reportedly not the original one but was put up during an effort to commemorate Confederate veterans.  Unfortunately, a road now goes right through that area and these are practically in the ditch.  There is the sign, the one tombstone, and one grave slab.  I was only able to find it because an elderly relative showed me where it was.  

A New Beginning

As of this month, the University of Georgia system is taking over the Georgia Archives.  This has seemed like a good decision since it was announced, but today they verified it.  As of 31 July, the Archives will be open 4 days per week rather than 2. 

I checked out their new website today as well.  They apologized for broken links but in my brief look at it, I didn't find any.  So far it is pretty well just capturing all the previous links, but hopefully the university system will bring some innovation to it as they get settled in.  I'm optimistic about a bright future for Georgia research. 

The Confusion of Family Connections

Almost every line of my mother's family have been in Crawford County, GA since the 1830s.  This of course means that over the years, different members of the family have interacted with each other in good and bad ways.  One of the challenges for me is to remember that these exchanges are not always anything more than neighbors interacting with each other, and that it is purely coincidental that their great-grandchildren married.  On the other hand, sometimes it really does indicate a connection between the families. It's hard when the names are so familiar to you to sometimes recognize the difference.

For example:  In November 1843 - Thomas S. Estis brought a case against John Perry, Abel Daniel & Thomas Stripling.  The verdict was listed as "debt & confession for plaintiff for $94.46".  The defendant (John Perry) being dissatisfied with the confession, paid all costs and demanded a stay of execution & brought Nimrod Lewis & tendered him as security.   John Perry's great grandson Frank Becham married Lewis's great-great-granddaughter Viola Wade.  Since I spend so much time on both men, I had to remind myself that this 1843 connection was that of neighbors, not family. 

On the other hand, In January 1900, M. T. (Moses Thomas) Wade accused Emanuel Horne of stealing $140 from him.  Horne was arrested and offered to return the money if charges were not pressed.  Wade agreed, but the court did not and ordered that the case proceed anyway.  The newspaper did not give the final verdict.   I had at first put this one down to coincidence, but then remembered that Wade's son Ed Wade was married to Horne's sister Carrie.  While this probably didn't affect the original robbery, it may well have been a factor in Wade's willingness to drop the charges.

Fate Becham and his Sons

The men of the Fate Becham family got together for this photo about 1918.  The photo was taken as part of a Baptist Men's association, so Fate's wife Delia (Sarah Lodelia Mathews Becham) and his daughter Lucile were not included.

Franklin Lafayette "Fate" Becham, 1871-1958, is in the center.  Fate was a potter and farmer in Crawford County, GA.  One of his pots is in the Smithsonian American Art Museum as part of the folk art collection.  None of his sons followed him into the pottery business, but several of them were involved in construction.

On the far left is Edgar, 1908-1936, who died young of cancer.  In 1930, he is listed as a house painter, but not working.    Edgar married Verlin Hutto in April 1936, just prior to his death in September of the same year.  He had no children.

In the middle of the front row is Walker Becham, 1910-1987.  Walker served in the army from 1943-1945.  Prior to that he had been working as an "attendant" in Montgomery, Alabama, where he met and married Gladys Johnson.  Shortly after the war, they returned to Macon, GA where they remained and where he worked as a carpenter.  They had no children.

The man in the sailor uniform is Frank Jones Becham, 1897-1985.  The fact that he is in uniform dates the picture to 1918-1920.  He enlisted at the very tail end of WWI, serving out of Charleston.  After getting out, he married Ola Pauline Bryant, mother of his 5 oldest children.  They lived briefly in Charleston before settling back into Crawford County.  Ola died with the birth of the youngest child in 1929 and in 1932 he married Viola Elizabeth "Vicky" Wade, by whom he had three more children. He worked in construction his entire life.

Back row left:  Washington Perry Becham (1899-1974) never married and lived in the family home his entire life.  When I asked his niece, my mother, once what he did, her response was "as little as possible."   He was named after his two grandfathers, Washington Becham and John Perry.  On his father's death, he inherited all the property with the request (not stipulation) that he look after his mother.  He did in fact do that, living together with her until her death in 1965.   He never married and never had children.

Back Center is Henry Lafayette Becham (1901-1989)  twin brother to the missing Lucile.   He married Edith Williamson and they lived their entire life in Crawford County, raising two children there.  Henry started out as a house painter, but by 1930 and into 1940 was a truck driver for a gasoline company. 

Back row right is James Alfred Becham (1904-1971).  Jim joined the Navy and was sent out to California, where he married Cecelia Laing.  They had one son.   After probably divorcing, Jim returned briefly to Crawford county, but was then called back into the service in WWII.  Afterwards he again came back to Crawford County.

It's interesting that Fate had all these boys, but only had 4 Becham grandsons (Frank's two sons, Jim's son and Henry's son), two great grandsons and so far only has one known great great grandson with the name.

Amanuensis Monday - J.G. Braswell petition

Georgia, Crawford County
To The Honorable J.N. Mathews, Ordinary of said County
     The petition of J.G. Braswell shows that he is the father of Dock Braswell of said county.  That said Dock Braswell is illegally restrained of his liberty by R. C. Aultman and petitioner shows that said imprisonment is illegal because said warrant is in possession of R. C. Aultman that copy of process is not attached.

1st Because the said R. C. Aultman is not an officer legally authorized to arrest

2nd That said Aultman has not given bond as required by the code section 355 which requires that all deputy Sheriffs shall give bond with security before they can be deputized to execute any process

Wherefore petitioner prays that writ of Habies Corpus do issue

[Signed] W. J. Wallace
R. D. Smith
Petitioners Atty

Georgia Crawford County
      Personally appeared J. G. Braswell who on oath says that the facts contained in said petition are true & he fears that the said Dock Braswell will be removed beyond the limits of the County.

                                                                                                           



                                                                                                              his
                                                                                                    J.G.  X Braswell
                                                                                                              mark
                                         Sworn to and subscribed before me this 8th day of April 
                                                                                                 J. N. Mathews, Ordy

Georgia Crawford County
    To R. C. Aultman  you are hereby commanded to produce the body of Dock Braswell alledged to be illegally restrained by you together with the cause of such detention before me at 2 oclock April 8th 1896 to be there delt with as the law directs

[signed] J. N. Mathews, Ordy


Georgia Crawford County
J. G. Braswell }
    vs                }   Habeus Corpus
R. C. Aultman}   Before Hon J.N. Mathews Ordinary
   And now comes petitioner in above stated case & for amendment says

1st That the said Dock Braswell is not Guilty of the Offense charged in the Warrant which the said Dock Braswell has been arrested

     [Signed]         A.J. Danielly
                         W. J. Wallace
                         R. D. Smith
                         Petitioners atty

J. G. Braswell }
    vs                }    Habeus Corpus                           

R. C. Aultman}    Before J.N. Mathews Ordinary

This case coming on for a hearing and the court having heard the evidence and argument of counsel & the same matter having been past on by the court & the [?]-discharged on the 8th day of April it is ordered by the court that the warrant be dismissed & the defendant discharged & the said R.C. Aultman be taxed with the cost of this proceeding this 13th day of April 1896.
        [signed] J. N. Mathews, Ordy

 Recorded this 13th day of April 1896

Sports Center Saturday - The Hendrix sisters and Women's Basketball

North Georgia Agricultural College Women's basketball team (and coach) about 1914.  The two women in front are sisters Mattie Hendrix (later Garner) and Maude Hendrix (later Floyd).  The coach was Maude's future husband, and professor at the college, Ed Floyd.  I particularly love this picture because it validates my grandmother's stories of having played basketball in college and of doing so in bloomers. 

Possible Parents for Feraby Lewis

In my post on Nimrod Lewis, I noted that I believed that his wife Feraby was the daughter of Thomas Cates of Edgefield, SC.  This is far from proven, but here are the early thoughts.  I have not yet come close to meeting the genealogical proof standard since I have definitely not yet completed a reasonably exhaustive search.

1.  The biggest pointer to the connection is that Nimrod Lewis was one of the estate administrators when Thomas Cates died, in 1842 in Crawford County, GA.  The other two administrators were Thomas' wife Nancy and his son Turner.  Since Nimrod was not a lawyer, the primary reason for having him associated with the estate would be because he was related.

2.  Nimrod lived near the Cates in Edgefield and was continuously associated with them in Crawford County.  His son also married Turner Cates' daughter.

3.  Nimrod named one of his sons Thomas.  The 1830 and 1840 censuses show two boys born 1825-1830, but only one survives to the 1850 census.  Considering the age gap between Martha (1824) and Thomas (1828), it is likely that Thomas was the second son.  While there is no law about children's names, it was common in the family for the second son to be named after his maternal grandfather.  In addition, Nimrod's first three daughters were Martha, Feraby (after her mother) and Nancy, possibly named after her maternal grandmother.

4.  I haven't found Thomas in 1820, but in 1810 he does have a daughter the right age to be Feraby.

5.  In 1840, Nimrod's daughter Martha and her husband were living next door to Thomas in Crawford County.
 

Nimrod Lewis, GA to SC and back to GA

Nimrod Lewis always seemed like he should be really easy to find in the records, just because his name is so unusual.  This is in fact true once he gets to Crawford County GA, but his life before that is still piecemeal and his birthplace and parents are unknown.

In every census, Nimrod gives his birthplace as Georgia, as do his children in the censuses after 1880.   Based on the 1850 and 1860 census, he was probably born about 1786.  He could possibly be the Nimrod Lewis who served in Capt Bowling's militia or the 1st GA regiment in the War of 1812.  If that is the case, he was probably living then in the Greene-Hancock County area. 

He is known to have been in SC for a while, since several of his children were born there.  The 1820 Edgefield county census does have a Nimrod Lewis but the ages of the members of the family do not include anyone likely to be my Nimrod.    He has not been found in Georgia in this census.  However, if he wasn't married yet (quite possible with his first known child born in 1824), then he would be unlikely to show up on it anyway.

In 1830, there is a different Nimrod Lewis family in Edgefield County and this one does seem likely to be the correct one, especially since his neighbor is Turner Cates who was later closely associated with him in Crawford County, GA.    In 1835, he moved to Crawford County, GA, with the date established by a tax record where he claimed to have no liability for 1834 taxes, since he had not yet moved to the county.  He remained in Crawford County for the remainder of his life, dying there in 1868.

The 1850 and 1860 censuses establish Nimrod's wife as Feraby/Pheraby, probably born in SC about 1804.  There is no indication that he was previously married.  I believe that Pheraby may be the daughter of Thomas Cates of Edgefield, SC, who was also the father of Turner Cates.

Nimrod seems to have been fairly public minded, although he never ran for any kind of office.
   --He regularly served on Crawford county juries,
   --He was chosen in 1847 as part of 3-man committee to select delegates to the State gubernatorial convention
   --During the war, he helped at least two Crawford County families unrelated to him with the paperwork when their son or husband was killed.

Fortunately for me, Nimrod died intestate.  His children all signed a petition for an administrator to be appointed, giving me a list of all the children, proving that my ancestor Martha Lewis Morris was one of them, and providing the married names for two of the daughters.  

A Tiny Crack in the Wall?

My first blog post, back all those years ago, was about my ancestor Stephens Morris.  I had speculated that Sarah Morris might be his mother as well as the mother of several Sessions children.  Since that post, I have learned that the book with the marriage information about Sarah Sessions had her mother's name wrong.  The original record says that Nancy Morris gave permission for Sarah Sessions to marry - a good reminder on why the original record should always be checked.   Recently, a descendent of one of the Sessions children contacted me (the joys of an online tree).  They had the family info that their progenitor Ann Sessions had indeed married a Morris.  Even more delightful was the information that Ann's first husband was Walter Sessions and that prior to being in Alabama, they lived in Williamsburg County, SC, where Ann Sessions appears as head of household in 1810.  So I finally have someplace in South Carolina to start looking for my Morris family. 

They also had the family tradition that Ann Sessions Morris had moved to Georgia where she eventually died.  This might help explain one of the biggest mysteries about my Stephen, which is how he came to be in Crawford County, Georgia, where he married as a young man, probably 19 or 20.

There's still a lot of work to be done but I feel like there might in fact be a tiny crack in the wall, that I might find Stephens' ancestry after all. 

Amanuensis Monday - Petition on the Slavery Issue

Continuing on local politics in Crawford County, the following petition was submitted in 1850 on the slavery issue.  The question was whether the petitioners supported the Missouri Compromise or the 1850 Compromise.  The Clay-Foote Compromise failed in Congress, but the individual provisions were submitted separately soon after and all passed.

The original document is located in the Georgia State Archives, Crawford County Misc. Original Documents, RG 139.

Text:
Those who favor the settlement of the slavery question upon the basis of the Missouri Compromise line, in opposition to the so-called Clay & Foote adjustment Bill - do hereunto sign their names for the call of a public meeting on Wednesday of the Superior Court of Knoxville August 1850.

R.L. Weaver                  H
Hardy Hardison             Cicero Hatcher
George W. Thomas        James Spillars
David Avera                   John Becham Jr
Clabourn Bateman
J. ?F? Hartley
L. Dennis
Hira ?Busby?
Jacob Weaver
M. F. Perry
Edward Lusby
Henry Wilder
[Name unreadable, possibly Youngblood]
Elijah Beckam
J. Whitington
D. M. Roberts
Adam Bundrick
J. L. Strother

John Moore, From Ireland to Georgia

John Moore is one of my brick walls.  I know that he was born in Ireland in 1812 (census) and that he married Peggy Powers  in Crawford County, Georgia in 1844.  I have not been able to find out anything about him between those two dates.  I don't know if he was brought over as an infant or was fresh off the boat when he got married.  He isn’t in the 1840 census, but of course as an unmarried man, he could have been a hired hand on someone else’s record. He lived in Fort Valley, which was then Houston County and is now Peach, near the border with Crawford County.  In 1850, there were a total of 17 people in Houston and Crawford combined who were born in Ireland. None of them were Moores, none of them lived near John, and only two of them were women (looking for sisters) and have been eliminated. He of course died just before the 1900 census when he would have been asked what year he immigrated, and  at least 19 years before Georgia had death certificates. When he signed the loyalty oath after the civil war, where the official was supposed to write how many years the person had been in the county, he put “more than a year” for everyone. I know John naturalized so now I’m looking for that record. Unfortunately, at the time he naturalized you could do it in any court of record. He is within fairly easy reach of 3 different county seats, with all the relevant courts that they have.

So what do I know -

  - He was born in Ireland in 1812 (Multiple census)
  - He married Margaret "Peggy" Powers in Crawford County, GA on12 April 1844.
  - He and Peggy appear in the 1850 Houston county census, District 9, dwelling 274, family 274, pg 324.  Also in the household were their children Charles (4), William (2) and Sarah (1), as well as Asa Powers and John English, both listed as farmers.  John Moore was listed as a farmer with real estate worth $200.  He was born in Ireland, Peggy in South Carolina and everyone else in Georgia.  This stays the same throughout the censuses.
   - In the 1860 census (Houston County, District 9, dwelling 69, pg 957) John is a well-digger with real estate worth $50.  Three more children have been added - Mary, and two listed in this census as Drewsena and Drewsilla.
   - In 1867, he took the loyalty oath to the Union. 
   - In 1870 (Houston County, no district given, dwelling 942, family 1042, page 110) John is again a farmer, now showing $200 of personal value, $200 real value.  Children William (farm laborer), Mary, and Francis were still at home.  Francis is the child shown as Drewsena in 1860.
  - In the 1880 census (Houston County, Fort Valley, dwelling 329, family 329, pg 65), William is the head of household with John and Margaret living with him.  William is a farmer and John is again a well-digger.   Mary is still living at home.

He presumably died between 1880 and 1900, when he disappears from the census.  At one time, a genweb posting stated that he was buried at Oaklawn cemetery, dying in 1898, but this is no longer on line and there is no tombstone for him there.  There are two unknown adults buried in the same plot as his daughter. 


This search is complicated by the fact that there were two John Moore families in Houston county, probably unrelated.  The other Moore families in the county were all from Georgia and North Carolina.

After John and Peggy married, they settled down near Fort Valley and lived there for the remainder of their lives, raising a number of children.  For the first 14 years of their married life, Peggy's mother Sarah Turner Powers reportedly lived with them.  They also lived next door to Peggy's sister Sarah Ann Powers Holly.   John's occupations varies between "farmer" and "well-digger".  He did own land but did not seem to have developed it much.

Their children were:
   1.  Charles L. Moore, born April 1846, married Mary Ellen Dize (Dies) on 28 Apr 1868.  Died in 1907 in Houston (now Peach) county, GA.  Served in the Confederate army.
   2.  William C. Moore, born 1848 in Houston County.
   3.  Sarah A. Moore, born abt 1849, probably married Charles J. House
   4.  Mary Moore, born abt 1852, so far no marriage found.
   5.  Drusilla Frances "Fanny" Moore, born 25 Dec 1853, married John Dies (brother to Mary Ellen), died 11 June 1926 in Macon, Bibb County, GA.
   6.  Drusena Arena or Irene Moore, born 1 Sep 1955, married Moses Thomas Wade, died 25 Sep 1941 in Macon. 

    

1839 Fourth of July Celebration

A document found among the Crawford County papers in the Georgia Archives describes the 4th of July celebration held by the Union party in the county, in 1839.  The George R. Gilmore mentioned would have been George Gilmer, the governor of Georgia. 

Fourth of July Celebration

According to previous arrangements, a large and respectable portion of the Union party of Crawford County assembled at Wright's hotel in Knoxville and at eleven o'clock  a procession was formed by Joseph J. Bradford Marshall of the day, and marched to the Courthouse where and [sic] address to the throne of grace was offered up by the Rev - - - - [dashes in the original].  The declaration of independence was read by James J. Ray and an oration delivered by G.R. Hunter esq.  The company then returned to Wright's tavern where a sumptuous dinner had been prepared. After the cloth had been removed the following toasts were drunk -

Volunteer Toasts

By L. Capt Carr - The Union Congressional Ticket -  Bright Sentinel on the watch tower of Southren rights - may the commands of Georgia on the first Monday in October next plant them station them in the capitol at Washington to Defend their rights

By B. H. Carr - The present crisis - the people are determined to elevate no man to office who is in favour of protecting speculators and dealers in bank stock, in prefference to the agricultural and labouring classes - the farmers support the government and deserve its protection

G Culverhouse - May the memory of 76 animate every American to the exercise execution of those duties to which he is so firmly bound.

By Zachariah P. [last name unclear] - Andrew Jackson - the stern and unwavering patriot - may his latter days be as happy as his former achievements and pure principles have been beneficial to the Union and the People.  

By Capt ?Lawsle? of Bibb - The Declaration of Independence the best Book of human rights.

By W. H. Brooks - May the lovers of the fair sex never lack means to support or spirit to defend them

By James E. Price - May the Ballot Box, on the first Monday in October 1839 - speak to George R. Gilmore in language that cannot be misunderstood - that it wrong to give the poor soldier a stone when he asks bread

By Samuel B. Burnett - Our liberties civil and religious - may they be preserved by an all-ruling providence.

By D. R. Ray - May Abolitionists and their kind soon sink into oblivion and those who falsely charge Southren men by residence and interest (if not birth) with being friendly to abolitionists, soon share the same faith

By a person unknown - the patriotic ladies who have animated us by their presence - cheered us by their smiles - and aided us by their exertions in the present occasion

By L. L. - the Union of the States.  May they be preserved in that purity and harmony in which they were formed. 

By A. Davis - General Washington, the father of American liberty - may his farewell address make a lasting impression on the American People

W. H. Lowe, Esq - The United States Bank.  The people will never consent to have a master in the shape of a national bank - we go for the Constitution as it is - not as the bank party would have it

By ?I? B. Drew - America - If she ever fall, will fall like the strong man, she will embrace the pillars of the united States and pull the Constitution down with her

By James J. Ray - The president and vice-president of the United States, their unsullied integrity, their tried worth and capacity, and their fidelity to the great principles of civil liberty entitle them to the confidence and support of a generous and republican people. 

By M. Hancock -  The Star spangled Banner.  Long May it Wave - over the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

By L. Snow - May the abolitionists and their allies be wound into a ball of yarn elastic striped in Aqua Fortis and raised in a whirlwind of ?whipsaws? and thrown into the deserts of Africa. 

By Capt Walker - The Union party to succeed must act - there [word illegible] are on the alert and use every means to deceive

By G. R. Hunter esq - the temporary divorce of the government from the banks produced by the suspension of spring payments. The federal party are anxious to reunite the two - but the people say no - stand firm Mr. Van Buren on the pedestal of the Constitution until the democracy shall have time to rally, and send members to Washington who will decree a perpetual divorce.

By A. M. Swift - The union of States, independent of fear, affection or favour.

By Jeremiah Dennis - Our unions federal and matrimonial - may the former contnue as in the age of Jefferson and the latter as in the days of Noah still marrying and giving in marriage

By H. Crowde jr of Ala - The union democratic-republican party of Georgia ever firm and true to their principles - may they prove themselves so on the first Monday in October next.

By J. L. Bradford - The day we celebrate - may it ever remain fresh in the memory of every true democratic republican. 

By J. J. Fulsom - We will cling to the pillars of our liberties and if the union fall we will fall amidst the ruins

Military Monday - Vicksburg, Gettysburg and others

150 years ago today, the battle of Gettysburg began and the siege of Vicksburg was in progress.  This seemed like a good time to document my ancestral connections to those and other Civil War battles.

Vicksburg - Pvt Washington W. B. Horne, 57th GA Infantry was wounded during the siege of Vicksburg, losing an arm, and was part of the army that surrendered there on 4 July 1863.  He was paroled and returned to his home in Crawford County, GA.  His brother-in-law James W. Morris served in the same unit and was killed in 1862.  His uncles Thomas and Jeremiah Lewis served in the 45th GA infantry and were killed in 1862 and 1863 respectively. 

Gettysburg - Pvt Moses Thomas Wade served in the 12th NC Infantry at Gettysburg, where he was wounded.  As the army retreated back toward Virginia, he and many others of the wounded were left behind and captured at Williamsport, MD on 14 July 1863.  After a year at the Point Lookout prison camp, he spent the remainder of the war at the Elmyra prison camp in New York. 


Petersburg - Pvt George Washington Hendricks, served in the 64th GA Infantry, company A.  He was listed as absent without leave a few months after the battle.  This was presumably not out of lack of enthusiasm for the cause, since he later named his youngest son John Robert E. Lee Hendricks.

Petersburg - James Gooch, 64th GA Infantry, Company K.  He was captured in July 1864, listed as "a deserter from the enemy."  As such, he took the loyalty oath (to the Union) and was sent to Philadelphia.  A James M. Gooch enlisted in the 11th GA Cavalry in the fall of that year, but it has not been determined if it was the same man or not.  Some family records indicate that he had returned to GA and rejoined the army but this is not verified.

Petersburg and Chancellorsville - Cpl Thomas Franklin Mathews served in the 6th GA Infantry.  He was captured in NC on 8 March 1865 and sent to Pt Lookout MD, where he was released on 29 June 1865.