Louisville Market House & the Sale of Slaves, to wit: Winn, Tartar, Cato, Frank, Maria, Chaney, Bryson, Savannah, and Vienna

Market House at Louisville, Georgia
Photo © 2013 S. Lincecum

1772 Bell

Augusta Chronicle (Georgia)
12 July 1823, pg. 2

Augusta Chronicle (Georgia)
3 December 1845, pg. 4

Fort Augusta

Overlooking the Savannah River, from the rear of St. Paul's Church, stands a cross of Celtic design which marks the birth-place of the present city of Augusta. It was on this spot, at the head of navigation, that the great founder of the Colony caused a fort to be erected in 1736... (Lucian Lamar Knight, 1914)

"Fort Augusta dischar[g]ed the very highest functions for which military armaments are intended. It kept the peace throughout the whole Colonial time, up to the breaking out of the Revolution and, indeed, until 1781. It fulfilled its first purpose -- a mission of peace..." (Dr. C. C. Williams, quoted by L. L. Knight, 1914)

Photos © 2013 S. Lincecum.
Source of text: Ancestry.com. Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials and Legends [images on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
Original data: Knight, Lucian Lamar. Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials and Legends. Atlanta, Ga.: Printed for the author by the Byrd Print. Co., state printers, 1913-1914.

Greensboro's Spooky Old "Gaol" (1807-1895)

It sits ominously behind the Greene County courthouse... [Cue Twilight Zone music.]

I'm referring to Greensboro's Old Gaol (that's pronounced "jail"). It was built in 1807, "patterned after the bastilles where prisoners were housed and punished...Built of granite about two feet thick, it is two stories in height and has a trap door in the floor of the upper story where condemned prisoners were hanged. An iron bar supported the trap door. When the signal was given, the hangman pulled the lever that controlled the bar and the culprit was launched into eternity...It was used as a jail until about 1895." [from historical marker]

While I felt no uneasiness around the structure, I still would describe it as one spooky sight. Here's an article from the 4 November 1873 Macon Telegraph (Georgia) describing a (botched?) hanging:

"THE last Greensboro Herald has a long account of the hanging of George Copelan, negro, last Friday, for the murder of Miss S. A. Richards in May, 1871, from which we quote as follows:

[a description of the crime was given by the condemned man]...At precisely 12 o'clock, the sheriff cut the cord that held the trap-door; the rope broke and he fell with a crash down the stairway, caught in a sitting posture, and remained silent and motionless; not a tremor shook his frame; his countenance was placid, and indicated no pain whatever. He seemed in a perfect sleep. At fifteen minutes past twelve, he was again drawn up, making a gutteral sound and struggling considerably. In four minutes he ceased to struggle, at the expiration of the fifth minute a slight tremor struck him and he drew one breath. In fifteen minutes his pulse ceased, but his heart still beat feebly. At thirty minutes it was doubtful whether there was any pulsation, at thirty-five minutes Mr. Walker again detected pulsation at the heart, at ten minutes past one life was pronounced extinct. No blame attaches to the sheriff for the accident to the rope. It was large and deemed strong enough by all who saw it."

I don't want to stir the pot, so to speak, but has anyone ever heard of this place being haunted? I have no evidence to support this, but it just seems like if there ever was such a place to ascribe the adjective...

...this place would be it. Maybe "haunting" is a better way to state it.

(Photos © 2013 S. Lincecum.)

William C. Dawson: Grand Master of Masons in Georgia

[Originally posted at the Southern Graves blog.]

William Crosby Dawson
via Wikipedia

I headed out before the sun came up one morning several days ago to visit a few cities with roots in early Georgia history. My first stop was Greensboro, the seat of Greene County. It was first chartered in 1786, and later incorporated in 1803. I parked in front of the courthouse with every intention of walking around the back to take a peek at the old jail. Even though it was raining, I was sidetracked by a marker in front of the courthouse detailing the life of William C. Dawson. After reading it, I snapped a picture and moved on. Little did I know, I would visit Mr. Dawson again a bit later...in the cemetery, of course!

William C. Dawson marker in front of
Greene County's 1849 courthouse.

Marker reads: William C. Dawson (1798-1856), Statesman -- Soldier -- Jurist -- Freemason: "A native of Greene County, then on Georgia's Indian frontier, he was educated in the law and admitted to the bar in 1818. The remainder of his exemplary life was spent in the public service as Legislator, Captain of Volunteers in the Indian War of 1836 in Florida, Judge of the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit, Congressman, and U.S. Senator from Georgia from 1849 to 1855.

A member and officer of historic San Marino Lodge No. 34, F & A. M. Greensboro, GA, first chartered in 1821 and which lodge has had its quarters atop the Greene County courthouse here since 1849, Brother Dawson served as Grand Master of Masons in Georgia from 1843 until his death in Greensboro on 6 May 1856. Two cities and one county in Georgia are named for him. Also named in his honor are two Masonic lodges: Dawson No. 68, F & A. M. Social Circle, GA, and Dawson No. 16, F. A. A. M. at Washington, D.C.

One of the most beloved, respected and distinguished grand masters in Georgia's long Masonic history his honored remains lie in the city cemetery near this spot. His entire life was a testimonial to his devotion to his fellowman, his country and to the sublime precepts of Freemasonry. His name will always be revered by the Freemasons of Georgia."

A short time later I was in Greensboro City cemetery, and even though I wasn't purposefully looking for it, visiting the grave of William Crosby Dawson.

WILLIAM C. DAWSON
was born on the 4th day of January, 1798,
and died on the 6th day of May, 1856.
Bred to the Bar, he entered upon his profession in
1818, and prosecuted it successfully until his death.

HE WAS AN ABLE JURIST,
an eloquent Advocate, and an upright Judge.  Cautious, practical
and independent, as a Statesman; he commanded confidence by the
frankness of his manners, the purity of his motives, and the wisdom
of his counsels.

THE STATE OF GEORGIA HONORS HIS MEMORY,
for his fidelity to her numerous trusts.
HIS NEIGHBORS CHERISH
it because he was kind and liberal to them,
AND HIS FAMILY REVERE
it because as Husband, Parent and Master, he was
affectionate, considerate, gentle and true.

Upon his death, obituaries appeared in newspapers all over the country. I read several from up and down the east coast, including Maryland and New York. The following is an example of the opening paragraph found in many. This one from South Carolina's Charleston Courier (8 May 1856, pg. 2):

"We are called on to announce the decease of one of Georgia's most honored citizens of public station and renown, and one who had worn fitly and faithfully the highest honors of the State. The Hon. William Crosby Dawson expired at an early hour on Tuesday, the 6th inst., at his residence in Greensboro, Ga., of an attack of bilious cholic."

All photos, sans the one credited to Wikipedia, are © 2013 S. Lincecum.

Review: Georgia Courthouse Disasters by Paul Graham

It's an indispensable book. It really is.

I first caught wind of Paul K. Graham's Georgia Courthouse Disasters via an article at the Legal Genealogist blog. She was quite persuasive, so I bought it. Turns out she was pretty accurate in her assessment, too. ;-)

Georgia Courthouse Disasters provides a listing of the more than 100 "events" that resulted in some sort of damage to courthouses and had an impact on the 159 counties in Georgia. There is an alphabetical list as well as a chronological list. From the Introduction:

Previously, cursory lists only gave a hint of destructive events and potential loss of records. None were complete, and many included dates of planned demolitions or "fires" that never happened. Through careful research, each event has now been documented using contemporary evidence. If a courthouse disaster does not appear in this book, no evidence was found during the research process.

Then each county with a disaster has a separate mention with a description of the disastrous event and source citations.

Not every courthouse had a disaster, mind you. But, as you well know, county boundaries changed over time. Parts of some counties were used to create other counties. Some counties were consolidated. Not to mention, Georgia has the second most number of counties behind only Texas. [per Wikipedia] So Mr. Graham does something that I think ranks this resource above any other attempted past listing -- he provides maps! A modern county map is used with a shaded boundary showing the maximum impact of loss, as well as another bold outline of limited impact. For example, let's take the county of Washington. The map shows the maximum impact being said county, as expected, but take a look at the number of (modern day) counties with limited impact: Oglethorpe, Greene, Taliaferro, Hancock, Baldwin, Jefferson, Johnson, Laurens, Treutlen, Emanuel, Jenkins, Montgomery, Toombs, Candler, and Tattnall. Fifteen! I have ancestors in some of those counties, and never looked at Washington's issue quite that way.

I told you it was indispensable.

At only $5.39 per paperback (at Amazon), the value totally surpasses (IMHO) the modest price.

But it gets better (also, IMHO).

I have been going through a self-imposed season of downsizing and minimizing. And though I usually purchase my reference books in their "old-fashioned" bound form, I thought this one might be an easy one to try on my Kindle. And I'm thrilled with the result. It takes up no space on my physical bookshelf, and is available to me anywhere (online and off). With all of the Kindle reading apps, the book is literally at my fingertips -- on my desktop PC, on my laptop, on my netbook, on both of my Kindles, and on my iTouch. Furthermore, with a linked table of contents and just a couple of clicks or taps, I can be at the county of interest in mere seconds. The price of this wealth of knowledge and convenience? $2.99 -- I say get 'em while their hot!

Parrish Brothers of Berrien County, Georgia

I would be thrilled to find a description of one of my ancestors in a history book, let alone a set of seven! The following is from Lucian Lamar Knight's Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials and Legends (pg. 303, pub. 1914).

The Parrish family of Berrien holds a somewhat unique record. Seven sons of the Rev. Ansel Parriash, an itinerant Methodist minister, represent an aggregate weight of 1,568 pounds, or an average weight of 224 pounds each. They recently held a family reunion at the home of Mr. J. A. J. Parrish, of Adel, at which time the scales were brought into use, showing the weight of the brothers to be as follows: J. W. Parrish, of Adel, 308 pounds; E. C. Parrish, of Adel, 229 pounds; A. B. Parrish of Savannah, 221 pounds; J. A. Parrish, of Adel, 218 pounds; J. W. Parrish, of Lois, 209 pounds; H. W. Parrish, of Sparks 202 pounds; and J. A. B. Parrish of Valdosta, 181 pounds...not a single member of the family has ever known a serious illness. With ages ranging at present from 42 to 63 years, they are vigorous, energetic, industrious men, showing no signs of corpulent or surplus flesh, engaged in widely different occupations, well-esteemed, prosperous, intelligent and high-minded men. It is a custom of the brothers to hold a family reunion each year in the month of February; and no matter how far from home this season of the year finds them or on what business intent, they always return for these festive gatherings.

---

Image Credit: VintageKin.com

Do You Know the Ryman Auditorium was Built for a Georgia Preacher?

[I certainly did not until recently! The following was originally posted at the Southern Graves blog.]

Sam P. Jones

Mentally heroic, magnetic to a degree which drew all men to him, physically and morally a man militant and unafraid, Sam P. Jones was known to thousands in all parts of this country. [1906]

But I had never heard of Rev. Jones before arriving at his draped obelisk at Oak Hill Cemetery in Cartersville, GA the spring of 2011. And still didn't think much of him until learning he was the reason Nashville's famed Ryman Auditorium was built. Yes, the home of the Grand Ol' Opry. That Ryman Auditorium. A little factoid such as that will make this fan of country music dig a little deeper.

Photo © 2011-2013 S. Lincecum

The story goes that Samuel Porter Jones, born 16 October 1847, was quite the whiskey drinker. It ruined his law career and strained familial relationships. He even described himself as "the wickedest young man in Georgia," and further stated: "I was going to hell a mile a minute when I stopped and went the other way." That turnabout came on the deathbed of his father in 1872. Sam P. Jones never looked back, becoming one of the most well-known evangelists and revival preachers in the United States.

One of the things Rev. Jones was known for was his epigrams. Here are a few:

"The devil can run a mile while the church is putting on its boots."

"Deathbed repentance is the retreat of a coward and an insult to God."

"I hate theology and botany; I love religion and flowers."

"The tune of America is pitched to the dollar."

Ryman Auditorium
from Wikimedia Commons

Reason for the Ryman
On 10 May 1885 Thomas Ryman, owner of several saloons, hears Rev. Samuel P. Jones speak: "According to legend, Thomas Ryman was fed up with Sam Jones' preaching against drinking and gambling, so he and a few friends went to Jones' tent revival to raise a ruckus. But something in Jones' speech affected Ryman so deeply that he repented his sins and vowed to build Jones a great tabernacle so that he would never again have to preach under a tent again in Nashville. Ryman became wholly focused on the construction of the Union Gospel Tabernacle which would later be renamed the Ryman Auditorium in his honor." [Ryman.com]

Rev. Sam P. Jones died 15 October 1906, the day before his 59th birthday, near Little Rock, Arkansas. He had just completed a preaching stint at a revival in Oklahoma, and was on a train bound for his home in Cartersville, preparing to celebrate his birthday with a family reunion.

Prior to his funeral in Cartersville, Jones' body lay in state at the capitol rotunda in Atlanta. The day and atmosphere surrounding his funeral was described in the Biloxi Daily Herald (Mississippi), 20 October 1906:

"Living, the Rev. Sam P. Jones was loved with a tenderness that one sees but once in a life time. Wrapped in the cold arms of death, this love was given an expression which was confined to no class or condition, no age, color or sex.

Cartersville, where Sam Jones was best known, by reason of the fact that it was his home, seemed paralyzed by paroxysms of grief which followed one another in quick succession whenever the name of the dead evangelist was mentioned or when some familiar object reminiscent of his was seen.

Even nature was in accord with the grief of the city. The sky was overcast with banks of dull, threatening clouds, which seemed at any moment ready to turn loose the full flood of their sorrow. Cartersville had the silence of the sepulchre during the entire day...Religions for the once were as one...Knots of people congregated at each corner, and Caucasian and negro freely fraternized, their common grief being a bond which brought all together and for the time obliterated all barriers."

This is a long winded post, I know. But I must note that Rev. Sam P. Jones of course had his detractors. And the following article from the 17 October 1906 Jonesboro Evening Sun (Arkansas) seemed to sum "things" up nicely:

Rev. Sam P. Jones
Born Oct 16, 1847
Died Oct 15, 1906
"They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the
stars for ever and ever." -- Daniel 12, 3.

"SAM JONES.
The only Sam Jones is dead, and with his death one of the most unique characters in the later times passes from the stage of action. It is not difficult to estimate a character like Sam Jones. His work was so individual, and stands out in such well defined proportion that it may be viewed with definite entirety.

No sooner does a great man die than the world hastily takes account of its loss -- that perhaps, being the world's selfish way of showing its appreciation -- and in the death of Sam Jones the loss is large. The first thought of those who regret the material loss of his work might be that it is fortunate he lived so long.

There are those who did not admire Sam Jones and his methods. They were not exactly canonical. And the host of imitators who succeeded only in impressing the fact that they were imitators, is one of the results of Sam Jones' not edifying but for which he could not be held to account. But good resulted from his work and in generous proportion. His galling satire reached many a hardened sinner, who repented because he admired the manner in which he was called to account."

Centuries Have Not Dimmed the Glory

..."Surmounting a pedestal of granite, the figure of Sergeant Jasper, heroic in size and wrought of bronze, is portrayed in the act of seizing the colors of his regiment. It reproduces the heroic scene of his martyrdom, on the Spring Hill redoubt, during the siege of Savannah. With the flag in one hand, he raises his gallant sword with the other, to defend the emblem of his country's liberties." ¹

The monument to Sgt. William Jasper, unveiled in 1888, stands in Savannah, Georgia's Madison Square. It is inscribed:

To The Heroic Memory Of
Sergeant William Jasper
Who Though Mortally Wounded
Rescued The Colors Of His Regiment
In The Assault
On The British Lines About This City
October 9th, 1779
A Century Has Not Dimmed The Glory
Of The Irish American Soldier
Whose Last Tribute To Civil Liberty
Was His Noble Life
1779 - 1879

All photos © 2010-2013 S. Lincecum.

More about William Jasper from Wikipedia.

---

Footnote:

1. Ancestry.com. Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials and Legends [images on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
Original data: Knight, Lucian Lamar. Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials and Legends. Atlanta, Ga.: Printed for the author by the Byrd Print. Co., state printers, 1913-1914.

About Andrew Bryan, Noted Negro Preacher (A Friend of Friends Friday)

From Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials, and Legends by Lucian Lamar Knight, page 95:

Caesar, one of the numerous slaves owned by Jonathan Bryan, lived to be a centenarian. But long before his death he was made a free man by the voluntary act of his master. Andrew, a son of the old ex-slave, became a noted negro preacher of Savannah during the early ante-bellum period. The following brief items, copied from the records, tell a story of some interest. First, the death notice of Jonathan Bryan's faithful servant Caesar. This reads as follows: "Nov. 27th, 1798. Savannah, Ga. Died at the plantation of Col. Wylly [son-in-law of the late Hon. Jonathan Bryan] aged 103 years, negro Caesar, father of the celebrated Parson Andrew. Caesar was a faithful servant of the late Jonathan Bryan, Esq., for forty-two years, when he gave him his freedom." -- In Book B. Chatham County Records, pp, 213, 214, dated May 4th, 1789, will be found an entry showing where William Bryan, planter, son of Jonathan Bryan, sets free Andrew, a former slave on the estate of Jonathan Bryan and by division of estate, William Bryan's slave. -- In Book N. Chatham County Records, p. 117, dated Sept. 4th, 1773, there is an entry showing where a plot of ground at Yamacraw in what was then called the village of St. Gall was deeded to William Bryan and James Whitefield, in trust for a black man, named Andrew Bryan, a preacher of the gospel. The consideration involved was thirty pounds sterling. On this plot of ground was built the negro church of which Andrew Bryan was the pastor until his death. As an item of interest for the future historian, this fragment illustrative of life under the old feudal regime at the South is worthy of preservation.

The Mother Church of Georgia & Washington's Southern Tour

Photo © 2010-2013 S. Lincecum

"On the original spot where the Colonists established a house of worship stands today the beautiful and classic proportions of Christ Church. Here Wesley preached and Whitefield exhorted -- the most gifted and erratic characters in the early settlement of Georgia." ¹

The edifice from 1838 stated the church building, founded in 1743, was destroyed by fire in 1796. After rebuilding, it was partially destroyed by a hurricane in 1804. It was later added that the church was again partially destroyed by fire, and the current structure was a rebuilding and improvement dating to 1897. The historical marker in Savannah's Johnson Square details this as the "current and third structure" designed by James Hamilton Couper.

Early and noteworthy members of the parish include William Scarborough, who built the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean; Dr. Theodosius Bartow, father of Col. Francis S. Bartow; Dr. George Jones, a U.S. senator; and R. R. Cuyler, a famous railroad pioneer.

George Washington attended services in the original Christ Church 15 May 1791.

---

Footnote:

1. Pleasant A. Stovall, as quoted by Lucian Lamar Knight in Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials and Legends (pub. 1914).

Oglethorpe Monument in Savannah's Chippewa Square

Pride and gratitude have always mingled in the emotions with which Georgia has contemplated the career and cherished the name of Oglethorpe; but almost two centuries elapsed before an adequate monument to the great humanitarian was reared in the city which he founded. At last, under bright skies, on November 23, 1910, in the city of Savannah, a superb bronze statue surmounting a pedestal of granite, was unveiled in Chippewa Square.¹

...the Great Soldier, Eminent Statesman, and Famous
Philanthropist, General James Edward Oglethorpe, who, in
this city, on the 12th day of February, A.D., 1733, founded
and established the Colony of Georgia. 

One of four lions holding shields at base of monument.
This shield bears the Georgia State Seal.

All photos © 2010-2013 S. Lincecum

Footnote:

1. Ancestry.com. Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials and Legends [images on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
Original data: Knight, Lucian Lamar. Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials and Legends. Atlanta, Ga.: Printed for the author by the Byrd Print. Co., state printers, 1913-1914.

The Capture of Jefferson Davis

Two miles to the west of Irwinville, in what is today a dense thicket of pines, there occurred at the the close of the Civil War an incident concerning which a host of writers have produced for commercial purposes an endless amount of fiction.

...That is how Lucian Lamar Knight began his chapter on the capture of Jefferson Davis in his 1913 publication of Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials and Legends. The thicket is not quite as dense today, but you can still get a feel of how things were. And some might recall the gossip surrounding the incident, as it most certainly has continued to be passed down over the last 148 years, one of the most common bits being that Davis was captured while wearing women's clothing.

Mr. Knight refutes this in his writing by way of Mr. James H. Parker, a Federal soldier who witnessed the arrest, who stated:

"I am no admirer of Jeff Davis. I am a Yankee, full of Yankee prejudice; but I think it wicked to lie about him or even about the devil. He did not have on at the time he was taken any such garment as is worn by women. He did have over his shoulders a waterproof article of clothing, something like a Havelock. It was not in the least concealed. He wore a hat and did not carry a pail of water on his head."

Mr. Knight also cited T. H. Peabody, one of the captors of Mr. Davis, as saying that the "hoop-skirt story was purely a fabrication of newspaper reporters."

Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site
338 Jeff Davis Park Rd
Fitzgerald, GA

Photos © 2010-2013 S. Lincecum

An Important Piece of the Story?

I saw this little news item and thought it might be an important piece to someone's family history, so here it is:

The Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia)
3 February 1910
(Digital image viewed online at Ancestry.)

CHILDREN WEEP BITTERLY WHEN AWARDED TO FATHER
Savannah, Ga., February 2. -- (Special.) -- Judge Davis Freeman today awarded four of five children to John M. Lubeck, but gave the fifth to Miss Lillie Dotson, their aunt, because the mother of the children before her death had expressed a desire that the eldest child should go to her sister.

Judge Freeman, however, required her to promise that no whisky or gin should be given the boy, as had been done in the past.

After this disposition was made of a case that has run for three days in the city court, two of the smaller children wept bitterly when they learned their father had won them from their aunt, and one little boy ran to a cab that was waiting for them, grasped the whip and announced he would fight before his father should have him. He was pacified.

An Instance of Wifely Devotion Unprecedented in the History of Georgia

The Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia)
2 October 1892

TOGETHER STILL

Are Man and Wife, Though the Husband is Dead.

A SENSATIONAL STORY FROM CORDELE

Which Involves One of the Leading and Best Known Families.

A GLASS COFFIN IN A PARLOR

Is the Mausoleum of Dr. Marvin, the Late Mayor -- He Once Lived in Atlanta and was Well Known Here

A ghastly, thrilling story comes from Cordele, that progressive, thriving town down in Dooly.

So ghastly and blood-curdling is the story that many who hear are not inclined to believe it, while those who do believe it shudder when they hear it hinted.

The central figures in the story are well known in Atlanta, where they resided until a few years ago.

And both will be readily recalled by Atlantians -- those especially who were accustomed to traversing Whitehall street.

Whitehall Street, Atlanta
J. L. Schaub, Photographer [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Three years ago Dr. George W. Marvin was one of Atlanta's best known citizens. On the streets he was a well-known character, and when once seen never forgotten. For years he and his wife had lived on Whitehall street near Smith street, and there was hardly an afternoon when the weather was pleasant that they could not be seen promenading the sidewalk, sitting upon their spacious veranda or lounging around in the beautiful flower garden in front of the pleasant, happy home.

Down town the doctor was well known and by those with whom he came in contact he was liked. He was a gentleman of scrupulous neatness and apparently gave much time to his toilet. His clothing was always of the latest style and more than ordinary taste was displayed in his selections. He was not above the average size, but the immense side whiskers and heavy, drooping mustache he wore gave him something of a distinguished look. He seemed to pride himself on his personal appearance and would shun a speck of flying dust as quickly as he would dodge a mud-bedaubed buggy wheel casting off its load.

Dr. Marvin was not only partial to neat clothing, but he was especially fond of handsome jewelry. He wore a magnificent cluster of diamonds on his short front while an extra inlet was made in the linen to accommodate the fourth large diamond stud. His fingers were bedecked with the same shining stones and it was the boast of the doctor that he wore a limited fortune around with him -- a fortune any pawnbroker would gladly gather.

Dr. Marvin was abundantly able to enjoy the luxury of the diamond display. His tax returns were not at all small and his check, annually given the city, was quite a sum. On Whitehall street he owned several residences, while Smith street owes many of its pretty cottage homes to the doctor's spirit of improvement. On Marietta street he owns two or three stores, while other business houses in other parts of the city were charged to him on the assessor's books.

A few years ago, Cordele, in Dooly county, sprang up and Dr. Marvin's judgement caused him to go there and invest. He quickly became a prominent citizen and besides being elected president of the Cordele Bank was made mayor of the thriving city. There he carried with him a large gold-headed cane which all of his Atlanta friends knew.

A few months ago Atlantians were astonished to hear that Dr. Marvin was dead, but in a short time he was forgotten. A day or two ago a well-known Cordelean came to Atlanta and in talking with one of Dr. Marvin's old friends remarked:

"It's funny that he was never buried."

"Never buried!" said the Atlantian in surprise, "what do you mean?"

The Cordelean thought the Atlantian knew it all, but when he found that he did not, said:

"Well, Dr. Marvin's body is in a glass coffin in his wife's parlor. Through that coffin you can see him just as you used to see him here on the streets. He is dressed in that same faultless style, and has on all those brilliant diamonds. In his hand is that same gold-headed cane."

"When the doctor died Mrs. Marvin was going to bury him just as he is now; but some one told her that the grave would be too big a temptation and the jewelry would be stolen by grave robbers. Then she sent to New Orleans for an undertaker and had the body thoroughly embalmed, placed in a glass coffin and it is now in her parlor. That New Orleans undertaker contracted blood poison and had to have part of his hand amputated."

The Constitution's correspondent at Cordele was asked about the story, so unusual it was, last night, and here is his reply:

The Story From Cordele

Cordele, GA, October 1 -- Special -- Cordele furnishes an instance of wifely devotion unprecedented in the history of Georgia and unsurpassed by the fabled goddess.

This is a broad assertion but the story of Mrs. George W. Marvin, wife of the late mayor of Cordele, will bear me out fully in making it.

On the 10th day of July of this year Dr. Marvin saw the last of this world surrounded by his wife and friend who attended him through a long illness and his crushed and heart-broken wife. Those who witnessed the scene say they have never seen anything more thrilling and touching. Mrs. Marvin lost complete control of her nerves and raved furiously. She refused to be comforted by her friends, and as she had no belief in a hereafter she could gain no relief from the grace of him who giveth all things and taketh all things away.

She made the startling announcement then and there, that she had made a solemn compact with her husband before his death, agreeing that they would both enter oblivion at as near the same time as could be easily arranged by means of suicide. Those who were with Mrs. Marvin at the time thought of course that when the excitement caused by Dr. Marvin's death wore off, she would forget her threats of self-inflicted death and take up the weary cares of life again with peaceful resignation.

It seems now, however, that the assertion that she intended to kill herself, was the announcement of a fixed determination, and she still contemplates taking her own life as soon as she has made some arrangements for the permanent interment of her husband's remains, for the reader must understand that at this moment all that is mortal of Dr. George W. Marvin occupies a place in the late residence of that gentleman and the present residence of his widow.

An embalmer from Macon was telegraphed for immediately, upon the death of Dr. Marvin and his body was prepared for burial.

The funeral and procession was nearly a mile long, and all the business houses in Cordele were closed, showing universal respect for the man who had added so much to the city's prosperity.

But the sensational features of the situation were only begun.

For four days the body lay in the ground and the people were beginning to forget the excitement attending his death and burial.

In the darkness of a quiet night there was another funeral procession, but no carriages followed the hearse and no one on foot accompanied the dead except those who helped to dig the earth from above the coffin and bear the corpse back to the place from which the first procession had started.

In the dead of the night a few trusted friends, whom Mrs. Marvin had requested to act, went to the cemetery and brought back the body.

Next morning Mr. W. D. Alverson, a young embalmer, arrived from New Orleans, and at once began the process of embalming the body so that it could be preserved indefinitely. At the same time an Italian sculptor, who now resides in Augusta, arrived and began preparing plans for an immense mausoleum to be erected in Cordele in memory of Dr. Marvin.

The artist submitted a plan of a monument which would be a pride to any city and if the original idea had been carried out this city would have had the most magnificent tomb in Georgia. The design was of a monument to consist of a room as a base with at each corner a second set of columns of the tomb and capped with a shaft, the whole to tower in the sir sixty-six feet.

It would have cost when completed $32,000.

Mrs. Marvin intended placing Dr. Marvin's body in this tomb and then killing herself, leaving the whole of her wealth, which is estimated at over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, as an endowment to sustain a park around the monument.

But she has given up the idea of building this tomb and substituted the building of a college as a living monument to her husband's memory.

In the meantime, the body is kept in her house on Ninth avenue.

It lies in a handsome metallic casket and on a beautiful silver plate on the lid is inscribed:

"Dr. George W. Marvin, Cordele, Ga. Died July 10, 1892."

The room is darkened and the key is entrusted to Mr. Goodrich, a gentleman who has proven himself as one of Mrs. Marvin's best friends in her hours of trouble.

She now is living with her Miss Mamie Tramnell, a cousin from Meriwether county.

Mrs. Marvin proposes to erect a magnificent college of music and endow it with her total estate. She expresses her full determination to kill herself as soon as these arrangements have been made. It is a most remarkable case in the history of Dooly county and the people from the country never ceased to worry Mrs. Marvin to see the doctor's corpse, which she, of course, refuses indignantly.

Did Girl Admit Killing Peavy to Shield Two Guilty Friends? (C. C. Peavy Killing, Pt 2)

Yesterday I posted a transcription of a newspaper article about the lurid killing of Charles C. Peavy in 1911 Bibb County, Georgia. (You can read the particulars here.) Though an inquest was conducted, and it was determined no charges would be filed, the story did not end there...

The Atlanta Constitution (Georgia)
1 August 1911

DID GIRL ADMIT KILLING PEAVY TO SHIELD TWO GUILTY FRIENDS

Macon, Ga., July 31 -- (Special) -- Following an investigation of sensational rumors, the police department today began an investigation into the death of Charles C. Peavy, who was killed here Saturday, and for whose death a young woman named Eva Goodwin admitted the responsibility, claiming that she stabbed him after he had severely beaten her.

The police are working on the theory that the woman did not kill Peavy at all, but that he met his death in a fight in the girl's room with two other men, and that the story as to the girl's part was concocted long before the officers were apprised of the occurrence.

Peavy's friends have furnished the police with certain evidence that involve two men, and it is upon these clues that the investigation is being made.

Eva Goodwin is now in Atlanta, but it is likely that an officer will be sent for her.

The ultimate resolution would come several days later...

Macon Telegraph (Georgia)
5 August 1911, Pg. 12

NO PROSECUTIONS WILL FOLLOW PEAVY'S DEATH

Brother Here From Cordele Says He Is Satisfied Girl Told Truth.

That no prosecution will follow the killing of Charles C. Peavy, who died at the Macon Hospital several days ago, following a fight with Eva Goodwin, in arow [sic] at 454 Plum street, is assured by Buford C. Peavy, brother of Charles Peavy, who came to Macon yesterday with the express purpose of obtaining the real facts regarding the death of his brother.

Policemen Kirby and Griffin and others who were present at the home of Georgia Raymond shortly after Peavy was stabbed, were consulted by the brother of the deceased and it is said Mr. Peavy returned to his home at Cordele yesterday morning, thoroughly convinced that there was no other parties concerned in the fight except the woman, Eva Goodwin, and C. C. Peavy himself.

Rumors to the effect that two men, who were said to have been in the house, were implicated, led Buford Peavy to come to this city to make a thorough investigation of the affair, with the result that Peavy's relatives are going to take no action whatever, the brother being perfectly satisfied that the circumstances as first brought out were correct.

The statement made to Mr. Peavy yesterday by Policemen Kirby and Griffin was the same as that given by the officers at the coroner's inquest the morning that Charles Peavy died. This was to the effect that Eva Goodwin rushed from the house and informed them that she had cut Charles Peavy because he beat and abused her.

Eva Goodwin is still in the city, not having gone to Atlanta, as reported.

...but was it the right one?

Atlanta Constitution (Georgia)
6 August 1911

Peavy Case Hushed

Macon, Ga., August 5 -- (Special) -- No prosecutions will follow the death of Charles Peavy, who was killed in a disreputable house last week. The brother of the deceased, Buford C. Peavy, of Cordele, Ga., came to Macon today and investigated his brother's death. He afterwards stated that while there were suspicious circumstances and some things he could not understand, he was satisfied that Eva Goodwin, the 19-year-old girl, wielded the knife which killed Peavy. The officers accepted his theory and the investigation has been dropped.

Stabs Are Fatal To Chas. C. Peavy

Macon Telegraph (Georgia)
30 July 1911, Pg. 10
(Viewed online at GenealogyBank.)

STABS ARE FATAL TO CHAS. C. PEAVY

Eva Goodwin, Young Woman Who Wielded Knife, Is Held Blameless.

ACTED IN SELF-DEFENSE

Intoxicated, Peavy Went to Goodwin Woman's Abode, Starting Trouble.

Threatened with death at the hands of Charles C. Peavy, a bartender, Eva Goodwin, a young woman not over 20 years, wrested a knife from Peavy's hand at o'clock Saturday morning and inflicted two ugly wounds on his body, one in the chest and the other in the head, Peavy's death resulting just five minutes after his arrival at the hospital. The fight occurred in a disorderly house at 154 Plum street, conducted by Georgia Raymond.

The Goodwin woman was arrested by Policemen Kirby and Griffin, but at the coroner's inquest Saturday morning she was released from custody, the evidence establishing the fact that she acted in self-defense and did not cut Peavy until after he had beaten her and struck her in the face with a water pitcher, followed by the drawing of a knife with the evident intention of inflicting further harm upon the woman.

Fights between Peavy and the Goodwin woman are said to have been of frequent occurrence. Saturday morning Peavy came to the house in an intoxicated condition. He had heard that the Goodwin woman was going to leave Macon Saturday afternoon to go to her home in Tampa, and the face evidently riled him. He is said to have declared that she should not leave Macon alive. A quarrel followed and after a while Peavy is said to have struck the woman a blow in the face and followed that up with the water pitcher.

The first the other inmates of the house knew of Peavy's injuries was when the girl ran screaming from the house, being stopped at Fourth street by Policemen Kirby and Griffin, who accompanied her back to the house. They found the body of Peavy on the floor where he had fallen when stabbed. An ambulance was quickly summoned and the wounded man was taken to the hospital, where his death came before he could be placed on the operating table.

Dr. Howard, who examined Peavy's body shortly after he died, stated that the wounds inflicted were not in themselves sufficient to cause death and that death probably resulted from an overdose of alcohol or some other poison and several hemorrhages, probably caused from a clouting of blood on the brain.

According to the statement of Eva Goodwin, Peavy went to the house, which he had frequented on previous occasions, about 2 o'clock yesterday morning in an intoxicated condition. She claimed that she told him she had received a letter from her sister informing her that her father, who lives in Tampa, was going blind and that she was going home the following afternoon, and that Peavy threatened to cut her throat and commenced to beat her in the face with his fist. She also claimed that he drew a knife from his pocket, which she wrested from his hand and that when he attempted to take it away from her she stabbed him.

Gertrude Harris, a negro maid, and the only eye-witness to the fight, swore at the coroner's inquest yesterday that when she rushed into the room where the fight was in progress, she saw him throw a pitcher at the Goodwin woman, striking her in the face, and that then Miss Goodwin stabbed and cut him.

The body of Peavy was prepared for burial at Hart's undertaking establishment and was sent to Cordele, the former home of the deceased, accompanied by his father, yesterday afternoon at 4:30 o'clock. The funeral and interment will be held in Cordele today.

Peavy was 28 years old and moved to Macon about two years ago from Cordele, where he was born and raised. He was a bartenedr [sic] at the Office saloon on Cotton avenue.

The coroner's jury which freed the woman was composed of August Meyers, John A. Davis, J. T. Avent, M. C. Dorsett, E. L. Berkerstaff and A. C. Godfrey.

Hon. Wm D. Murray, a Biographical Sketch

Source: Georgia and Florida Biographies [database on-line].
Original Data from Biographical Souvenir of the States of Georgia and Florida,
Containing Biographical Sketches of the Representative Public, and many
Early Settled Families in These States. F. A. Battey & Company, 1889.
Transcribed by S. Lincecum about 2005.

Hon. Wm. D. Murray, merchant of Ellaville, Schley County, Ga, was born in Houston County, Ga, June 20, 1844. His father, John S. Murray, was born in Burke County, Ga, in 1799, but when a young man moved to Houston County, where he resided until 1846, at which time he removed to Taylor County, Ga, where he died in 1868. He was a farmer by occupation and was always looked upon as a leader among farmers. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years before his death and a christian gentleman in every respect. His wife, Julia A. (Royal) Murray, was born in Burke County also; she bore him eight children, viz: Catherine C., Anthony R., Asa, Mary E., Dora A., Wm. D., Joanna J. and Arthur C.

William D. Murray was brought up on the farm in Taylor County and educated in the common schools. During the late war he served a short time in the Confederate service in the commissary department at Milledgeville, Ga. At the close of the conflict he turned his attention to schoolteaching and followed the same (giving some little attention to agricultural pursuits) until 1882, when he engaged in the cotton commission and mercantile business at Ellaville, Ga, in which he has become very successful. He started in life a poor boy, but by his great energy and close application to business has accumulated considerable property and is now regarded as one of the most substantial men financially in Schley County. In 1882-83 he represented Schley County in the legislature; in 1884-85 he represented Schley, Sumter and Macon counties in the State senate, and was one among the prominent members of both these bodies. December 20, 1871, he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine E. Howe, daughter of John F. and Emaline (Raines) Howe, of Schley County. Mr. Murray is a member of the F. and A. M. fraternity and of the M. E. Church.

William R. Cox, a Biographical Sketch

From Memoirs of Georgia, Volume II by The Southern Historical Association, 1895.
Transcribed by S. Lincecum about 2006.

William R. Cox, senior member of the large wholesale grocery firm of Cox & Chappell, Macon, Ga, is a native of the county in which he now resides. He is a son of D. M. Cox, who soon after his birth, April 4, 1843, removed to Houston county. Here William R. came to years of maturity, receiving such education as could be had in the ordinary schools of that period. The war between the states was the first great event of his life, and though but a youth, he did battle bravely for the undying principles of the Confederacy. Mr. Cox enlisted in the First Georgia, in April of 1861, and passed the twelve months of that enlistment in Pensacola, Fla., and in Virginia. Returning to Macon when his enlistment had expired, the company of which he was a member a month later was mustered into the artillery service and joined Ge. Bragg, who was operating in the department of Tennessee. As a corporal of this company Mr. Cox followed it with varying fortune through a large number of important campaigns and it is but just to add that they were looked upon as one of the most efficient and skilled batteries in the western army. Mr. Cox received a slight wound at Perryville, Ky, but otherwise returned from the war unharmed. Perry, Houston Co., was the point at which Mr. Cox made his first business venture, but disposing of his interests there in 1868 he came to Macon, where he began at the bottom round, clerking for several years. He afterward became junior member of the firm of Jacques, Johnson & Cox, wholesale dealers in liquors and cigars. He subsequently established in company with Mr. Corbin the firm of Cox & Corbin, and now handles groceries and provisions exclusively. The domestic life of Mr. Cox has been most felicitous, his home having been presided over since November of 1873 by Lizzie, the accomplished daughter of Col. J. E. Jones, a former president of the Central Georgia bank, and for long years a leading spirit in the business circles of Macon. After his death Mr. Cox purchased the old Jones homestead, one of the mose beautiful residence properties in the city, where he now resides. William R. Cox is a wide-awake business man, and is interested in various business enterprises. He is vice-president of the Central Georgia bank, and a director of the Southwestern railroad. In politics he votes the democratic ticket, is a Methodist in religion, and is an ex-alderman of the city of Macon, and president of the Alexander free school board of that city.

William A. Davis, a Biographical Sketch

From Memoirs of Georgia, Volume II by The Southern Historical Association, 1895.
Transcribed by S. Lincecum about 2006.

William A. Davis, one of the most prominent business men in Bibb county, was born on a farm eight miles east of Macon, Ga, April 4, 1847, living there until he was thirty years of age. He studied at Jeffersonville, Twiggs Co., Ga, in the years 1861-2-3. In 1863, though but sixteen years old, he entered the Confederate service, enlisting in Company B, Second Georgia battalion of cavalry, as a private, and later was made orderly sergeant, serving as such until the surrender. He fought in the battles of Chickamauga and Griswoldville, participated in many skirmishes, and left the service with an enviable record. After the cessation of hostilities he resumed his studies at the academy of Allentown, Twiggs Co., of which James E. Croslin, an educator of reputation, was principal, and then returned to his home in Bibb county, being called there by the death of his father. He managed the homestead from 1866 to 1877, during which period he was elected to represent Twiggs county on the general assembly, and during the session served with distinction on the committees on agriculture, public institutions and other matters before the legislature. A majority of his fellow-members not favoring the permanent institution of the college at Dahlonega, a bill to that end was defeated, but Mr. Davis secured a reconsideration and succeeded to having the bill passed, to which fact the agricultural college at that point now owes its existence, and for which service he received unstinted praise. Entering municipal as well as state politics Mr. Davis has been elected alderman from three different wards of the city of Macon -- serving six years in all in the city council -- and for four years of that time he acted as mayor pro tem. He has also been road commissioner from his district for several years. In 1880 he came to Macon and five years later, in company with M. C. Balcomb, engaged in the business of handling cotton, the style of the firm being Davis & Balcomb. The firm existed until 1890, when it was re-arranged under the title of W. A. Davis & Co., and now continues as such. For years Mr. Davis was a director of the Merchants' National bank of Macon, which went into voluntary liquidation in 1893. He is now vice-president and director of the Guarantee company of Macon, and has interests in various other business enterprises. He is a thirty-second degree Mason and a Mystic Shriner. He has held all the principal offices in the subordinate lodges, to-wit, past master of Macon lodge, No. 5, F. & A. M.; past high priest of Constantine chapter, Royal Arch Masons; past eminent commander of the St. Omar commandery, Knights Templars, and he is at this time grand senior warden of the grand lodge of the state. He is also a member of the I. O. O. F. and the Encampment, having held all the chairs and being at present district deputy grand master. He is past noble grand of the United Brother's lodge, I. O. O. F., and past chief patriarch of the Encampment. He is, as well, a Knight of Pythias. He affiliates with Baptist church, and, while living on his farm, was for many years a deacon of the local church. In 1868 Mr. Davis married Mary R., daughter of J. W. and Susan (Barlow) Summers; they have four children, Hattie B., Edwin, Mabel C. and Gussie M. Edwin is a graduate of Mercer university, Macon. Mr. Davis' father was Elisha Davis, a native of Burke county, Ga, who was several times elected to the general assembly. He was a jurist and served on the bench of the inferior court of Bibb county for many years. He died in 1866 at the age of sixty-one. Two of his sons, in addition to William A., served in the late war. John N. was in the Bibb county cavalry and with the western army almost all the time that army was in the field. Gilbert M. enlisted in Hampton's brigade as a private, saw service during the entire war period, and was mustered out when in command of his company. Elisha Davis' father was John Davis, a Virginian by birth and the son of John Davis, a Welshman, who emigrated from Wales to Virginia and was killed in the revolution at the battle of Brandywine. William A. Davis has won his way in life by force of individuality and honest determination to succeed, using his great natural abilities to the best advantage; and as a public-spirited citizen has won a host of friends in social, business and political circles.

Letters of Recommendation for Sgt. Edward J. Granniss

(A day late for "Amanuensis Monday!")

From Maj. Alex M. Speer, of the 46th Georgia Regiment. Dated 26 March 1862, recommending appointment of Sergeant E. J. Granniss:

Via Fold3.

Macon, Geo. 26 March 62
Hon R. P. Trippe

Dear Sir -
As you are aware, probably the 2d Georgia Battalion (Majr Hardeman) will soon go out of service, and I deem it not inappropriate, as I enter the service again to speak of some of those with whom I have been associated for the past eleven months.

I learn there are some vacancies here among the commissioned officers of the 1st Geo. Regulars, and it may be there are other positions to which those worthy & competent might be assigned by our Govt, to the advantage of the service.

In view of this, I most earnestly recommend for a commission Sergeant Edward J. Granniss of Company D, of the 2d Georgia Batt. Sergeant Granniss has now been in the service nearly 12 months, and has proved himself a meritorious and highly efficient officer and I have no question that is he could receive the appointment, that he would render valuable service.

He is well drilled, prompt, faithful and of fine habits and it would be a great gratification to his many friends in Macon if he were promoted.

It is true you are not our immediate Representative, but I feel that recommending & urging such an application you would not limit your exertions [3 words?] in Favor of those of your own District, especially as with to many of our citizens you are better known than our immediate representative, and many of them would apply to you with more confidence of success than to others. I feel anxious to see those who went at first call receive the reward of their promptness and fidelity and I know of no one to upon whom such a favor could be more worthily bestowed than the gentleman I refer to. If you could aid him it will be greatly appreciated by one who appeals to you in his behalf, and who would look to you for aid as confidently as any one in our Delegation.

I am Very Truly
Alex M. Speer
Majr 46 Geo Regt

From Col Robt A. Smith of the 44th Georgia Regiment. Dated 24 March 1862, recommending appointment of Sgt. E. J. Granniss:

Via Fold3.

Macon, Geo. March 24th 1862

I take pleasure in earnestly recommending Sergeant Edward J. Granniss of Company "D," 2nd Georgia Battalion, as highly qualified and competent to fill a commissioned office, and recommend that he be appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the "1st Georgia Regulars" or any other Regiment in the Confederate States Service.

Sergeant Granniss is well drilled in the School of the Soldier & School of the Company and is an excellent Instructor in both. He has some knowledge of the Battalion drill and during the last eleven months I found Sergeant Grannis to be one of the best instructed and most intelligent non-commissioned office in that Battalion.

He has sustained a moral character for many years and will fill a commissioned office with credit to the country.

Very Respectfully
Robt A. Smith
Col commdg
44th Ga Regiment

Edward J. Granniss received his commissioned office and climbed to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. He was killed little more than a year later, at the age of 22, at the Battle of Gettysburg. He rests in Rose Hill Cemetery at Macon, Bibb County, Georgia.

Office of Dr. Moultrie Warren (1880-1915)

This shop was originally constructed for Dr. Moultrie Alfred Warren
(1880-1915) as a doctor's office and drug store. Later, it became Vinson's
Pharmacy, and then, finally, the Robertson's Pharmacy. It now houses the
Byron, Georgia Welcome Center.

Photo taken about 2004 by S. Lincecum

Thomas J. Saunders, a Biographical Sketch

Source: Georgia and Florida Biographies [database on-line].
Original Data from Biographical Souvenir of the States of Georgia and Florida, Containing Biographical Sketches of the Representative Public, and many Early Settled Families in These States. F. A. Battey & Company, 1889.
Transcribed by S. Lincecum about 2005.

Thomas J. Saunders was born in Houston County, Ga, December 15, 1837. His parents were Warren E. and Sarah R. (Harvin) Saunders, natives of South Carolina. The father was born January 6, 1796, and died April 13, 1873; the mother died June 13, 1874, aged sixty-six. Both parents were members of the Missionary Baptist Church. Warren E. Saunders was married twice and had two children born to him by his first marriage. His second marriage was as above and the fruit of said marriage was thirteen children, namely: Laura, John (deceased), Sarah (deceased), Amanda (deceased), Elizabeth, Thomas J., Benjamin R., Wm. W., Martha (deceased), Mary, Francis M. (deceased), Richard H. (deceased), and Horace B.

Thomas J. Saunders began for himself by farming, which he continued until 1873. He had a stroke pf paralysis in 1857, and for eight years was partly disabled. That stroke partly exempted him from army service, but he served, however, eight months at one time, three at another, and four and three at other times. He began work on the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad in January, 1873, and has been in the employ of the road ever since, and has made quite a success of his business.

He was married December 27, 1860, to Josephine, daughter of Isaac C. and Ann (Whitehurst) West, and the children born to this union are five in number.

Mr. Saunders is a member of the K. of H. and the Baptist Church. Our subject's father was the only son of the family that lived to manhood, and of the fourteen children in all, two daughers only survive, namely: Rebecca, living in Pike County, Ala, the wife of Smith Owens; Emma, the youngest daughter, living in Stewart County, the wife of John Cain.

Mr. Saunders is an old citizen of McVille, extensively known and well respected as an honest, hard worker.

Simeon Taylor, a Biographical Sketch

Source: Georgia and Florida Biographies [database on-line].
Original Data from Biographical Souvenir of the States of Georgia and Florida,
Containing Biographical Sketches of the Representative Public, and many
Early Settled Families in These States. F. A. Battey & Company, 1889.
Transcribed by S. Lincecum about 2006.

Simeon W. Taylor, doctor and druggist, Hawkinsville, Ga, was born in Houston County, Ga, June 3, 1835. His parents were Drury and Elizabeth (Shepherd) Taylor, both natives of Georgia. Drury Taylor was a farmer, and served as sheriff of his native county for many years, served in the legislature one term, and served as sheriff of Pulaski County for six years after moving there. He died in 1882, aged seventy-four. Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor is still living at the age of seventy-four. These parents had five children: Simeon W., Henry S., William H., John R. and Eugenia. Henry S. is in business in Hawkinsville. William H. died at Petersburg, of brain fever, at the age of twenty-two. He was in the Third Georgia infantry, having enlisted in the fall of 1861; he was married to Harriet Lock. John R. is a tailor, living in Hawkinsville, and married to Martha J. Poole. Eugenia, consort of J. L. Barron, is living in Hawkinsville.

Our subject was educated in the Houston County schools. He began for himself as an overseer at the age of twenty-one, and continued as such for five months, when he began to read medicine. He then went to the University of Nashville, and graduated therefrom in 1859. He began practice at once at Hawkinsville, continuing until he enlisted in May, 1861, regiment Eighth (Barton's old regiment), company G, of which he was commissioned second lieutenant. He served in the war three years, and took part in some of the prominent battles, among others both battles of Manassas, seven days' fight around Richmond, besides numerous skirmishes. He resigned and returned home on account of ill health. On returning he opened out a practice, and continued until 1869, when he went to Florida. He remained there in practice until 1882, after which time he was in Hawkinsville in practice until October, 1887, when he opened a drug store and now carries on that business in connection with his practice. During the sixties he served as county treasurer two terms. The doctor is a good business man, a prominent merchant and one of the worthy citizens of Hawkinsville.

He was first married in May, 1867, to Miss Sarah Whitfield, daughter of Col. Whitfield, late of Pulaski County. Two daughters, Stella and Aurora, blessed this union. Mrs. Sarah Taylor died in 1872, at the age of twenty-five years. She was a member of the Baptist Church. His second marriage occurred in October, 1874, to Miss M. E. Beall, daughter of Dr. B. B. Beall, of Alabama. The children by this marriage are Marion Ryland and Minnie B. The doctor is a member of the Masonic order, also of the Baptist Church. Mrs. Taylor is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject's father's father, Simeon Taylor, was from North Carolina. He moved to Houston County, Ga, and was one of its earliest settlers. His wife's name was Millie Williams. She died in 1875, aged seventy-five years. Our subject's maternal grandfather was Henry Shepherd. He died near Henderson, Ga, many years since.