USA > Georgia > Chatham County > Savannah > A history of Savannah and South Georgia, Volume II > Part 60
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Mr. Leaken has acquired note as an author, a series of romances from his facile pen having been published from time to time in the Savannah Morning News, the series including "The Romance of Oglethorpe and His Birth ;" "The Romance of Salzburg and Ebenezer :" "The Romanee of the Shamrock and the Lily," accounting for the presence of Irish regiments as assistants in the American cause at the siege of Savan- nah; and of other interesting stories.
At Savannah, in 1894. Mr. Leaken married Ruth, daughter of Maj .. James T. Stewart. of Savannah. She was and is an accomplished leader of Savannah social set and engaged largely in charitable and literary work in the various organizations of her native city.
DAVID FLEMING CHAPMAN. A resident of Brooks county whose career of usefulness has extended through many years is David Fleming Chap- man, now living in Barwick village. At the beginning of his career he
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was a soldier of the Confederacy, has served more than forty years as a justice of the peace and for shorter periods in other office of honor and trust. and has spent many profitable years in farming or in business.
Mr. Chapman was born in Liberty county. Georgia, April 5. 1840. and represents one of the oldest families of this state. Of the original stocks that settled in Georgia during the colonial period. the Scotch- Irish contributed many fine qualities of industry and civic ability, and it was to this racial stock that the Chapnians belonged. Mr. Chapman's great-grandfather was born in the north of Ireland, where the Scotch- Irish originated, and was one of seven sons. The oldest got the ances- tral estate and all the other six emigrated to America, two settling in New York and the others in the Carolinas and Georgia. The great- grandfather located in MeIntosh county, Georgia, and from there volun- teered his service to the forces fighting for the cause of independence, and lost his life in a battle that occurred two miles from Savannah. He was twice married, having three sons by his first wife, and by his sec- ond had one, named Francis, who was an infant when his father was killed in battle.
Francis Chapman, the grandfather, was born in McIntosh county. and after reaching manhood's estate became one of the pioneer settlers of Liberty county, where he secured a large tract of land and was en- gaged in farming and stock raising until his death which occurred when he was seventy-two years of age. He kept a number of slaves and was one of the prosperous planters of his time. He married Mary Leigh. who was born in Tattnall county and who died in Liberty county aged eighty-six. She had ten children. all of whom grew up, and their names were Keziah, John, Mary, Jemima, Emily. Nancy. James, Nathaniel, Sheldon and Rosina. The descendants of Franeis and Mary (Leigh) Chapman are now scattered through various localities of Georgia and elsewhere. They formerly held occasional reunions.
John Chapman, one of the children of Francis and Mary Chapman. . was born in Liberty county, April 15, 1810, and was reared on the home farm in that county. He possessed a genius for mechanies, and with his own hands fabricated many of the tools used on his farm, and did all his own blacksmithing. He took up state land and also bought large quan- tities until at one time he was the owner of upward of six thousand aeres. With the aid of his slaves he carried on general farming and stock rais- ing on an extensive scale. He was eighty-six years old when he died. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth Delk, who was born in Liberty county and died at the age of seventy-five. Her father. David Delk, a native of Scotland, eame to America and at the age of fourteen enlisted in the continental army as a drummer boy. serving seven years in the struggle for American independence. Among other campaigns he was present at the siege of Quebee. John Chapman and wife reared thirteen of their fifteen children. named as follows: Martha, Francis, John, Samuel N., Thomas J., Mary, Columbus, Elizabeth, Sheldon W., Ferdinand, Ann Eliza. Clifford, Tallah and David F.
Reared and educated in his native county, David F. Chapman be- gan his career by teaching school for three terms. He had barely at- tained his majority when the war broke ont, and on the 14th of August. 1861, he enlisted in Company I of the Twenty-fifth Georgia Infantry. He served in the coast defense of this state until honorably discharged on account of ill health. Returning home he was for some time station agent and express agent and also postmaster at Ludowici station in Liberty county. In 1866. having resigned from these positions, he moved to Brooks county and went into the merchandise business with his father-in-law and later by himself at Okapileo. He held the office
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of postmaster there for the long period of twenty-four years, and during that time was also engaged in farming. His residence at Okapileo con- tinued until 1906, in which year he moved to Barwick, his present home. In 1868 Mr. Chapman was elected a justice of the peace. During a few months' residence in Quitman he had resigned this position. but with that brief exception has served continuously as a justice for the past forty-four years. In 1900 and 1910 he was census enumerator for his distriet, and has taken the census for three decades, having been sub- stitute enumerator in 1890. He is a Democrat in politics and has long been one of the influential citizens of his community. He and his wife are members of the Primitive Baptist church, with which he has been identified for a period of thirty-seven years.
Mr. Chapman married in 1866 Martha Frances Wade. She was born in Dooly county, Georgia, and her parents, Judge Elijah and Elizabeth ( Reddick) Wade, who were natives of Sereven county, moved from Dooly county to what is now Brooks county in 1854, settling on a farm in Dry Lake district, where they spent the rest of their lives. After the death of Mrs. Chapman's mother, her father married for his second wife Mrs. Mary Peacock, widow of Dr. Peacock. Mrs. Chapman's broth- ers and sisters were named as follows: Mary. Luey, Philip, Mitchel, Wesly Beaureguard, and her children named: Cornelia, John W .. Mary J., David S., James E., William Francis, Samuel N., Henry V. and Anna C. All are married with the exeeption of two sons, and all are doing well.
HON. MERCER LAFAYETTE LEDFORD. One of the ablest attorneys and most prominent men in public affairs in Grady county, is the honorable Mercer Lafayette Ledford, who has been a resident of Cairo sinee the organization of Grady county, and who has for many years enjoyed sue- cess as a lawyer and numerous distinctions in political life.
Mercer Lafayette Ledford was born on a farm in Union county, Georgia. September 24, 1865. His father was Silas Ledford, born near Asheville. in Buncombe county, North Carolina, October 22, 1821. The grandfather was Benjamin Ledford, born in the same county of North Carolina, and a son of John Ledford, a native and life-long resident of North Carolina, and said to have been a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Grandfather Benjamin Ledford owned and occupied a farm upon which the town of Candler has since been built. In 1839 he immigrated to Georgia, coming overland with teams and wagons, and bringing his household goods. and his livestock. He located in Union county, buy- ing land on Ivy Log erecek, six miles northwest of Blairsville. There he built a log house in the woods, and at once began the heavy toil cou- nected with creating a homestead of the wilderness. He resided on that estate until his death at the age of ninety-three years. He married a Miss Owensby, who was born in Buncome county, North Carolina, and her father. Porter Owensby, married a Miss Morgan. The grandmother died at the age of sixty-five, and Grandfather Ledford married again when he was sixty-eight years of age. Mrs. Salina ( Chapman) Miller. becoming his second wife. She bore him three children, whose names were Solomon, Mary and Willie. By the first marriage the five children were Silas. Martha, Porter, Amy and Benjamin. The sons all gave ser- vice to the Confederacy during the war.
Silas Ledford, the father, was educated in the rural schools of Bun- combe county. North Carolina, and on beginning his career his father gave him a tract of timbered land near his own home. On that he built a log honse, and that was the home of his family for some years. Silas Ledford served the Confederate army for a time during the last year
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of the war. He finally sold his first homestead and bought a place a mile and a half east of Blairsville, which continued to be his home until his death in 1891. Silas Ledford married Eliza Arminda Bowling. She was born in Union county, Georgia, in February, 1837, and her father, Thomas Bowling, was born near Greenville in South Carolina. Thomas Bowling in 1833 settled in Union county. Georgia, buying land a mile and a half east of Blairsville, and clearing a farm which Mercer L. Ledford now owns. Thomas Bowling took a very active part in the early affairs of Union county. and assisted in clearing the land for the courthouse and in cutting and hewing the logs for the first building. He was also distinguished as one of the first sheriff's of Union county. After the death of his first wife he married the second time and moved to Fulton county, where he spent his last years. The maiden name of the first wife was Mary McDonald. and her children were Lewis, Gabriel, Elmira, Elliott, Jackson, Van Buren, Eliza, Arminda, Evlyn and Martha. The two older sons served in the Mexican war. and both died in service at Vera Cruz. Mrs. Silas Ledford died on January 2, 1897, and her eight children were Andrew J., Jane, John S., Alice, Mereer Lafayette, Ida, Virgil C., and Sarah Isabelle.
Mereer L. Ledford first attended school in Blairsville and subse- quently was a student in the Ivy Log high school, whose principal was at that time Professor M. L. Mauney. When seventeen years of age he was licensed as a teacher, and his first school was at Ebenezer Church, the sehool house being situated on land where his father had first located. He subsequently taught in Gwinett eounty and there took up the study of law with Juhan & McDonald. Mr. Ledford was admitted to the bar in 1892 and praetised for some time in Lawrenceville, moving from there to Blairsville. His first case in Union county was at Ebenezer Church, where he had taught school a number of years ago, and where his father first settled. He was engaged in praetiee at Blairsville until 1905, and then upon the organization of Grady eounty he located at Cairo and has enjoyed a large practice in this new eounty.
In 1897 Mr. Ledford married Florence Iowa Christopher. She was born in Union eounty, a daughter of John A. and Sarah (Martin) Christopher, her parents being natives of North Carolina and South Carolina respectively. Mrs. Ledford received her education at Blairs- ville and in the Baptist school in Hiawassee. She was a well edueated woman and taught school for some time before her marriage. The four children of Mr. and Mrs. Ledford are Sarah, Ina, Curtis and Louisa.
Mr. Ledford's public services have been numerous. He served as a member of the board of education in Union county, and was also a county school commissioner. In 1902 he was elected to the office of state sen- ator from Union county. and served during 1902-3-4. As senator he served on the committee on special and general judiciary, and the com- mittee on finance, chairman on the committee of education, and also was a member of the committee on mines and mining and on public printing. He was influential in the passage of the franchise tax bill. a bill which imposed a tax upon the franchises of publie utility corpora- tions in this state. He was also anthor of the bill regulating the sale of domestie wines. For seven years Mr. Ledford served as county attor- ney of Grady county, and for two and one-half years as president of the county board of education, and was a prominent member of the Demo- eratie party, has been on the congressional distriet executive committee and also the state excentive committee. In 1904 he was a presidental elector from the ninth congressional district. Fraternally Mr. Ledford is past master of Allegheny lodge, A. F. & A. M., at Blairsville, and is now a member of Cairo lodge, No. 299. A. F. & A. M. He is also affili-
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ated with the Cairo lodge of Odd Fellows. the Woodmen of the World and the Knights of Pythias. He and his wife are both members of the Missionary Baptist church and he has served as moderator of the Bap- tist Association.
PHILIP NEWBERN, now serving his second term as mayor of the city of Ocilla, Georgia, is a native of the state. his birth occurring in Brox- ton, Coffee county, on October 2. 1880. IIe is the son of Lawrence and Elizabeth (Donglas) Newbern, both natives of Coffee county. The mother was a daughter of Robert Douglas, and the town of Douglas, in Coffee county. was named for that gentleman. The early education of Philip Newbern was received in the public schools of Broxton, and when he had completed the curriculum of the high school of that place he entered the state normal at Athens in the autumn of 1899. Later he attended the Southern Normal Institute of Donglas and was graduated from that institution in 1902, after which he was engaged as a teacher in the school for a term of two years. In June, 1904, he resigned and became a candidate for election to the office of clerk of the superior court, but was defeated. He then taught school for one season in 1905 and in the autumn of that year entered Mercer Law School at Macon, Georgia, from which school he was gradnated in June, 1906, and im- mediately thereafter admitted to the bar. He located in Broxton where he began the practice of his profession, remaining there until 1907, moving in that year to Ocilla, where he has since continued to live, and where he has conducted an ever growing practice. winning a prominence in his profession and as mayor of the city, holding the esteem of all who come within his influence.
On June 28. 1903, Mr. Newbern was united in marriage with Abbie Meeks, the daughter of Malcolm Meeks. One child was born of their union, a daughter named Ineva, born August 23, 1906. Mr. Newbern married a second time, Mrs. Margaret Brooker becoming his wife, a daughter of T. J. Tanner of McDonald, Coffee county, Georgia. They have one daughter, Varnelle, born on February 7, 1909.
Mr. Newbern is one of a family of ten, all living, as follows: Aleph, wife of H. V. Johnson of Broxton, a printer by trade, now engaged as a traveling salesman. J. Wesley, a minister, located in Washington, D. C. Laura, the wife of J. II. Long of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Bessie, the wife of Henry Parks, Inverness. Florida, where he is engaged as an engineer. J. L., a teacher in the schools of Brooklet, Georgia. D. F., living in Florida, where he is employed at the Phosphate mines. Maybel, Emma and Cloyce, at home with the mother.
In addition to his other interests, Mr. Newbern is occupied to some extent in farming, and is quite a successful man in that as well as in his legal work. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Both he and his wife are of Irish parentage.
W. L. PIERCE CLOWER. Prominent among the energetic, wide-awake young men who are so ably conducting the agricultural interests of Brooks county is W. L. Pierce Clower, who resides with his widowed mother in the Morven district. He was born at Rays Mill, in Berrien county, Georgia, on January 22, 1880. and is a descendant in the fourth generation from Daniel Clower, who was born in Germany, July IS. 1762, immigrated to America as a youth, and fought with the colonists in their struggle for independence.
Daniel P. Clower, the next in line of descent, was born on May 13. 1805, and died on his farm in Gwinnett county. Georgia, while vet in manhood's prime. He married Parthene Brandon. a daughter of Wil-
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,
liam Brandon. She too died in early life, leaving four children as follows: John Thomas, father of the subject of this review; William P .; Mary Elizabeth ; and Nancy J. Very young when their parents died, all of these children spent their early youth with an unele, Joseph Brandon.
John Thomas Clower, M. D .. the eldest child of the household. was born in Gwinnett county, in Georgia, May 13, 1830. He availed himn- self of every opportunity afforded him for the acquiring of.an education while young. and subsequently went to Bartow county, Georgia, as an overseer on the plantation of his uncle, Thomas Brandon. Then, after working at the carpenter trade for a short time, he entered the Atlanta Medical College. from which he was graduated just as the war between the states was declared. Immediately enlisting as a soldier. he was made second lieutenant of his company, which was attached to Major Laden's Battalion, in the Ninth Georgia Regiment, and with his eom- mand joined the Western army. Later Dr. Clower was appointed surgeon, and was with the army in its many compaigns and battles until the last of the conflict.
Locating in Gwinnett county when he returned to Georgia, Dr. Clower was there engaged in the practice of medicine until 1870. The next seventeen years he practiced at Rays Mills, Berrien county, Georgia, from there eoming to Brooks county in 1887. Buying a plantation in the Morven district, he earried on farming in connection with his pro- fessional work. becoming noted both as an agriculturist, and as a physician of skill and ability, and continuing thus until his death, March 12, 1893.
Dr. Clower married in January, 1869, Delusky Ann Brogdon, who was born in Gwinnett county, Georgia, on March 7. 1849. a daughter of Hope J. Brogdon. IIer grandfather, George Brogdon, was born, it is supposed, in one of the Carolinas. Coming to Georgia at an early period of its settlement, he loeated first in Jackson county, from there going to Gwinnett county, where he took up land and from the virgin wilderness hewed a farm. Both he and his wife possessed the true pioneer grit and courage, and thrift indoors and out brought suecess to them. They started their wedded life without means. and by dint of persevering labor acquired sufficient property to be called rieh in those times. Both he and his wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Jaekson, lived long and happy lives. George Brogdon reared eight children as follows: Wiley, George, William. Noah, Charity, Faith, Hope J. and Sarah. He gave each of his children a traet of land.
Locating on the land presented to him by his father, Hope J. Brogdon erected a typical pioneer log cabin for his first home, and immediately began clearing a farm. There being no railways in those early days, he marketed his produce at Augusta, one hundred miles away, on the homeward trip bringing the needed supplies, including salt, molasses and iron for use in the making of farm implements. His wife, who for many years after her marriage cooked by the fireplace, became the proud possessor of one of the first stoves carried into Gwinnett county. Well versed in the domestic arts, she used to card, spin and weave cloth for the garments in which she clothed her family. He died on the farm he had improved, at the age of sixty-nine years, being survived by his wife, who reached the age of abont seventy years. The maiden name of the wife of Hope Brogdon was Emily Bogan. Her father. Shadrach Bogan. removed from Augusta, Georgia, to Gwinnett county, becoming a pioneer of Lawrenceville, where he was wont to trade with the Indians. Hle built the first grist mill in that county, and also the first gin. Prominent in public affairs, he served for one or more terms as counsellor
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general of the state. Late in life he moved to AAlabama, and his last days were spent at Cedar Bluff. Mr. Bogan married Ann Fec. Her father, Captain Fee, a native of England, sailed the seas as captain of a vessel. He brought his family to Georgia, locating in Augusta, and soon after started on an ocean voyage, but neither he nor his ship nor his crew were ever heard from again. Mrs. Hope J. Brogdon lived a few years after the death of her husband. She was the mother of thirteen chil- dren, as follows: Caroline. Frances, Mary, Elizabeth. George. Daniel. Noah. William. Wiley, Delusky Ann, Jackson, Emery and John.
Dr. Clower was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church South, to which Mrs. Clower also belongs, and for a mmmber of years served as a member of the county school board. Mrs. Clower has never forgotten the art of spinning and weaving which she learned as a girl. but occasionally gets ont her wheel and spins the yarn which she later knits into stockings. The doctor and Mrs. Clower reared three sons, namely: John P., R. Jackson and W. L. Pierce Clower.
John P. Clower, of Moultrie, Georgia, is employed as a book-keeper by one of the leading firms of that place. He has been twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name was Fannie Lou Edmondson. died in early womanhood, leaving two children. Bamma and Warren Candler. IIe married for his second wife Mamie Pruitt, and to them two children have been born, Young and Lovic.
R. Jackson Clower, M. D., a practicing physician in Mowen, married Willie Brice and they are the parents of three children, named Mary Thomas, Emily Jackson and Tim Briee.
W. L. Pierce Clower. the immediate subject of this biographical sketch, resides with his mother on the old homestead, where he is carry- ing on general farming with excellent results.
CHARLES SCRIVEN JONES. Showing marked ability and enterprise in the management of his agricultural interests, Charles Seriven Jones occupies a noteworthy position among the leading farmers of Brooks county, his large estate, which is located in the Dixie district, being well improved, and furnished with an excellent group of farm buildings, and all of the latest approved kinds of machinery for carrying on his work successfully. A son of Andrew Jackson Jones, he was born, March 13. 1866, in Brooks county.
His great-grandfather. Abraham Jones, was born and reared in Wales. Crossing the Atlantic in his search for fortune, he lived for a few years in Virginia. Coming from there to Georgia, he purchased wild land in Putnam county. and on the farm which he cleared and improved both he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives.
James A. Jones, grandfather of Charles Seriven Jones, was a natural mechanic, and as a young man learned carpentering and cabinet making. becoming well skilled in each. For many years he followed these trades successfully, his home being in Putnam county, about seven miles north of Eatonton, where his death occurred while yet in the prime of life. His wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Banks. spent her entire eighty- three years of life in Putnam county, living with her children during her later days. In her girlhood she became well versed in the domestie arts and sciences, learning to card, spin and weave, and to cook by the open fireplace. After her marriage she did her full share of the pioneer labor devolving upon the mistress of a household, clothing her family in garments fashioned by her own hand from the homespun material which she bad herself manufactured with the wheel and the loom. It is needless to say that she must have had very few leisure minutes while cooking and caring for her husband and eight children.
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Born in Putnam county, Georgia, December 27. 1836, Andrew Jack- son Jones was reared amid pioneer seenes, when people lived in a very primitive manner, with few modern conveniences. Travelling was mostly performed on horseback. by private conveyance, or by stage. railways being nowhere in evidence, while wild beasts and game of all kinds was abundant. But ten years old when his father died, he spent the next eight years at the home of a relative. where he was well drilled in the various branches of agriculture. Coming from there to Brooks county, he was plantation overseer until the breaking out of the Civil war, when he enlisted in the ". Brooks Rifles," a company which was sent to Virginia to join the army of North Virginia. He continued with his command, taking part in its various marches, campaigns and battles, serving under Generals Joseph M. Johnston, Magruder and Longstreet. When the end came he was with other of his comrades on detached duty, striving to keep the cattle away from the Federals. Finding that he and his associates were nearly surrounded, with no chance of further saving the cattle, and not wanting to surrender, he started on foot for Georgia, and was fortunate to secure a ride a part of the way. At Maeon, he and his companions met an officer of the Confederate army who told them that it was useless to continue their flight, and advised them to surrender, advice which they heeded. Returning to his old hoine, Andrew J. Jones resumed farming on rented land. A short time later he bought a tract of land in Dixie precinct, and was there success- fully employed as a tiller of the soil for many years. He is now living retired from active pursuits, making his home with his son Charles. At the age of twenty-one years he married Catherine Norwood, who was born in Houston county, a daughter of Theodore and Hannah ( Hicks) Norwood, who settled in that county in pioneer days, but later removed to Brooks county, where they spent their later years. She passed to the higher life in June, 1909, leaving five children. as follows: Mary Frances, James Jackson, Charles Scriven, Theodosia C., and Ada Virginia. Both parents united with the Missionary Baptist church when young, and were most faithful and valued members.
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