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.

1836 Tax List

This document was found in the Georgia Archives, Crawford County Miscellaneous Documents, Miscellaneous County Offices, Record Group 139, a single file.   The beauty of this list is that it predates the online (Ancestry.com) tax records by 4 years, giving more precision as to when these people arrived in the county.   I have not changed any of the spellings. I will post other district lists later.


List of Persons Liable to Pay Taxes in the 497th Dist G. M. of Crawford County, South of little Echoconnie Creek for the year 1836:

Ellias Wallace                                                 John Phillips
William Hancock Snr                                     Lewis Sawyer
William Hancock Jnr                                      Patrick Sawyer
John Hatcher                                                   Littleberry Boone
Jeremiah Hatcher                                            John H. Monk
Elias Commander                                            James C. Pimburton
James Cloud                                                    Samuel H. Jenkins
Susannah Grant                                               Simon Johnson
Clement Hancock                                            William Johnson
John Jones                                                       Michael Watson
John Newberry                                                Turner Cates
Abel Daniel                                                      Thomas Cates
Gosper Hortman                                              Thomas Caster
Zian Pike                                                          Joseph Wilder
Samuel Commander                                         Nimrod Lewis
Martin Ansley                                                   Theophalus Cotton
Lamon Causey                                                  Jesse Lewis
John Causey                                                      John Hancock
Littleberry L. Causey                                        Stephen Gibbons
Isaac Dennis                                                      William Smith
John Dennis                                                       Shepherd Smith
Thomas Grant

Family Gathering - Warren Hendricks

This photograph will have been taken about 1924, based on the apparent ages of Charlie Garner and Ed Floyd.   Not everyone has been conclusively identified.  The elderly couple in the middle are Warren David Hendricks and his wife Lucinda Jane Gooch Hendricks.  To the left of Warren is his daughter Maude Hendricks Floyd, holding her baby Edward Lee Floyd Jr born in 1924.  Ed Floyd Sr is to her left.  The woman to the right of Jane Hendricks is their daughter Mattie Hendrix Garner,  holding her son Charles Gordon Garner Jr, born in late 1922.  Her husband is probably the photographer.   The other people are more speculative.  The man on the porch, holding the young boy, is probably Arthur Hendrix, based on the fact that he was the only son with boys about the ages of the three there.  If he is Arthur, then the boys are probably William (b 1917), Frank (1918) and Kermit (1922).  The final man is almost certainly one of the other sons.  Joseph had been killed in 1920 which is definitely before this picture was taken.  His son would have been too young for this man.  Luther and his wife were living out west at the time but could have been home for a family visit.  However, he would have had a young daughter, born in 1920, who would have presumably been included in the picture.  Therefore, I think the most likely candidate for this last one is John, with his wife Vinnie next to him.  Their son Roy was grown which would account for him being absent.  Finally, the biggest mystery of the picture is the girl on the right.  She is definitely not one of the daughters (Maude was the youngest).  She might be the foster daughter listed in the 1920 census, Evelyn Anglund, who would have been about 12 when this was taken.

The photo was taken in front of the Warren Hendricks house, in Gaddistown, Union County, Georgia.

Editted to add:  I have since been given photos of John and Vinnie Hendricks and this is clearly not them in the photo.  My next guess would be one of the other daughters and her husband, but I need to look for more photos for comparison. The young girl has been confirmed as Evelyn Anglund by her granddaughter. 

Second edit:  It was recently pointed out to me that I had Paul's birthdate wrong and looking at my records I see that I had reversed his age and that of Kermit.  Therefore the child being held by Arthur would be Kermit.  I have corrected it in the main text above.  

Tombstone Tuesday - Washington Becham's Deceitful Tombstone

This tombstone stands in the Old Bethel Methodist Church cemetery, in Crawford County, Georgia and it is pretty much wrong.  I should note that this is not the original tombstone.  When Wash Becham died, a jug-shaped tombstone was put up for him.  I've seen pictures but don't have any.  That was apparently stolen or taken away at some point and this new one put in.

So, the errors - 1. There is no record that I have been able to find that actually has his first name as George, despite how common George Washington is as a name.  Every census has either W. or Washington.  His Confederate muster rolls, confederate pottery contract, pension application, various legal decisions and his original tombstone all had Washington or Wash.   2. While I hate to insist on any consistency on surnames, particularly in a largely illiterate area, the fact remains that he and his family used "Becham" or occasionally the more standard "Beckham".  Beacham appears on part of his pension application but other parts have Becham.  3. According to his obit, unlikely to have been published 3 years after the fact, he died in 1915 rather than 1912.  

He did serve, however briefly, in the 57th GA Infantry and he was probably born in 1832.