A history of Savannah and South Georgia, Volume II, Part 69

Author: Harden, William, 1844-1936
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1208

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Reared on his father's farm, Solomon B. Council remained a res- ident of Cumberland county, North Carolina, until 1842. Then, ac- companied by his wife and children, he made an overland journey to Georgia, bringing with him all of his worldly possessions, camping and cooking by the wayside. Loeating in Sumter county, he bought a traet of heavily timbered land lying three miles northeast of Ameriens, and immediately began the pioneer task of hewing a home from the forest. This part of the state was then in its primeval wildness, deer and other wild game native to this section being plentiful, and roaming at will. Ameriens was a small place, with but three or four stores, and there were no railways in the state. Hawkinsville and Maeon, on the Oemul- gee river, and Columbus, on the Chattahoochee, were the principal trading points, although salt was obtained at the Gulf. For his first habitation in his new home. Solomon B. Council built a rude log-house, with a stiek and earth chimney. In due course of time that was replaced by a more commodious structure, other substantial buildings were erected, and on the farm which he improved he spent the re- mainder of his life, passing away at the advanced age of eighty-four years.

Solomon B. Couneil married Elizabeth Blue, who was born in Cum- berland county, North Carolina, and died on the home farm, in Sumter county, Georgia, when but seven days less than eighty-eight years old. Her father, Malcolm Blue, married Naney Jacobs, a daughter of Henry and Sarah ( Brown) Jacobs, grand-daughter of Neal and Barbara (MeMillin) Brown, and great-granddaughter of Governor Brown, of Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Solomon B. Council reared six children, as. follows: Mary. Margaret, Maria, Sarah, George, and Malcolm B.

A child of four years when he was brought by his parents to Sumter county, Malcolm B. Council was brought up in true pioneer style. at- tending a subscription school, which was kept in a small loghonse, furnished with home-made seats and benches. while he. in common with the members of all the families in the vicinity. wore garments made of homespun, and fashioned by the women of the households, each woman Vol. II-30

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and girl doing her regular daily stint of carding, spinning and weaving. At the outbreak of the war between the states, he enlisted as a private in Cutt's artillery, and was subsequently made adjutant, with rank of lieutenant. He went to Virginia with his company, which was at- tached to Longstreet's corps, and took part in many of the hard-fought battles of the conflict, including the engagements at Centerville, Chan- eellorsville, the seven days' fight around Richmond, the battles at An- tietam. Sharpsburg, the Wilderness, the second engagement at Manas- sas. the battle of Gettysburg. at Spottsylvania Court House, and in the many skirmishes in the vicinity of Richmond and Petersburg, later surrendering at Appomattox.

Returning to Amerieus at the close of the war, Mr. Couneil taught school for awhile, and was afterward employed as clerk in a cotton warehouse. Entering then the employ of Capt. John A. Cobb, who owned five large plantations, and worked more than one hundred and twenty-five negroes, he became overseer of the Cobb property, making his home on the plantation which had the nearest white neighbors, they being three miles distant, and retained the position eight years. Going then to De Soto, Mr. Council carried on general farming there for two years, and on returning to Ameriens at the expiration of that time, embarked in the warehouse business, with which he was prominently and successfully comected for thirty years. In the meantime he was also interested in agricultural pursuits, and now owns and operates several valuable plantations. Among his holdings are the old Council homestead, one of the finest plantations in Georgia; a plantation on the river. fourteen miles southeast of Americus; an estate lying sixteen miles northwest of the city; another situated fifteen miles to the south ; one in Lee county ; and another plantation in Dooly county. Mr. Coun- cil has always been a lover of the chase, keeping a well-trained paek of hounds, and owns a game preserve of five hundred aeres, sixteen miles from Ameriens.

Mr. Council married. February 5, 1867, Martha Maria Harris, who was born in Houston eounty, Georgia, two miles east of Fort Valley, a daughter of Isaac C. Harris. Samuel Harris, her paternal grandfather, a life-long resident of Georgia, died in 1814, at a comparatively early age. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and for his services therein was given a grant of land in Washington county, the grant bearing date of September 30, 1784. Isaae C. Harris was born in War- ren county, Georgia, July 30. 1813. and was brought up on a farm. After attaining manhood he lived for a short time in Jones county, but from 1842 until 1863 was engaged in farming in Houston county, where he owned land. Coming to Sumter county in 1863, he bought a farm lying ten miles south of Americus, and occupied it for a time. Selling out. he purchased land in Lee county, and was there a tiller of the soil until 1877, when he returned to Warren county, where he remained a resident until his death, in 1879. He was a local preacher in the Meth- odist Episcopal church, and reared his family in that faith.

Isaac C. Harris was twice married. He married first Provvie Also- brook, who was born November 19, 1811, in Jones connty, Georgia, a daughter of Amos and Sarah (Jones) Alsobrook, the former of whom spent his entire life in JJones county, while his wife, who survived him. spent her last years at the home of a daughter, in Florida. Mrs. Provvie Alsobrook Harris died September 22. 1862. Mr. Harris subsequently married for his second wife Mary Pullen, who is now living on the old Harris homestead, in Warren county. By his first marriage Mr. Harris reared twelve children. as follows: Mary: Noffleet : Augustus: Samuel ; John; Sarah; Martha Maria, wife of Mr. Conneil; Engenia: Joseph ;

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Robert ; Alonzo: and James. Of his second union, three children were born, Anna, William, and George.

Mr. and Mrs. Council are the parents of six children, namely : Lena Harris; Emma Eugenia; John Malcolm; Elizabeth; Nell Lenoir and Harris Solomon. Lena Harris married Jolm T. Argo, and has six children, Martha Helen, Herschel Council, Christine Elizabeth, Catherine, Malcolmn . Blue, and John Thomas. Emma Engenia, wife of Elton C. Parker, has four children. Leonard . Commeil, Mary Elizabeth. Martha Engenia, and Elton Council. John M. Council married Lnetta Cochran. Elizabeth is the wife of Dr. Stephen HI. McKee. Nell L. married S. E. Statham. Fraternally, Mr. Couneil is a member of M. B. Council Lodge, No. 95. Free and Accepted Masons; of Wells Chapter. No. 42, Royal Arch Masons; and of De Molay Commandery, No. 5, Knights Templar.

CAPT. JOHN PEEL BEATY. For upwards of thirty years. Captain Beaty has served in the responsible office of treasurer of Webster county. Captain Beaty is one of the oldest citizens of Preston, being now in his eighty-eighth year, and with a long and varied career, stretching behind him in retrospect.

Capt. John Peel Beaty was born in Jefferson county. Georgia. August 18, 1825. His grandfather was Henry Beaty, a native of Ireland, who came to America, landing at Savannah, and thence made his way to Jefferson county, where he bought land, but some years later moved to Houston county, and then, in 1836, to what is now Webster county. In Webtser county he spent the rest of his days, and was about one hundred years old at the time of his death. Robert Beaty. the father of Captain Beaty, was born in Jefferson county, Georgia. He was reared and married in that county, and in 1828 moved to Houston county where he remained until 1836, and then came to that portion of Stewart county, which is now included within the limits of Webster county. He bought a large quantity of land near Preston, and cleared it and operated it with the aid of his large retinne of slaves. For a number of years no railroads penetrated this section of Georgia. and the father hauled all his cotton and other produce to Macon or to Colum- bus to market. In transporting the cotton or other goods, six mules were hitched to each wagon. Robert Beaty lived in that vicinity until his death when eighty-four years of age. The maiden name of his wife was Sarah Peel. Her father, John Peel, a native of Ireland, where he married Miss Gamble, eame to America and located in Jefferson county. Georgia ; Mrs. Robert Beaty died at the age of eighty-three, and the five children were named Margaret, Sarah, John P., Naney and Eliza- beth.

John Peel Beaty was reared in a far-off and pioneer epoch of Georgia, and became thoroughly familiar with all the old-time planta- tion life before the war. He attended rural schools and assisted in the work of the home farm. After he was twenty-one. he became associated in managing the estate with his father. In March. 1862, he enlisted in Company F of the Forty-sixth Regiment of Georgia Infantry, and spent the first year at Charleston, South Carolina, and then joined the western army. Ile was in many of the important engagements which took place in the Mississippi valley, beginning with the great battle of Chiekamanga, and in the various engagements leading up to Atlanta. taking part in the defense of that city. After the fall of Atlanta, he was with Hood's regiments, and later was at Wainsborough, Buck county, Georgia, at the final surrender. He then made his way back home as best he could. Ou arriving home he again took up farm life,

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but after several years moved to Preston, which has been his home ever since. Captain Beaty has had one unique experience. Without any moving of residence. he has lived during his lifetime in three different counties of Georgia, first Stewart county, second Kinchafoonte, a county not now in existence under that name, and in Webster county. He has represented the county three different times in the Georgia legislature. For the past thirty years he has been honored with the office of county treasurer, and the people of Webster county feel a matter of pride in this venerable and faithful county official.

Captain Beaty has been twice married. In 1853, he married Eliza R. Prim. and his second marriage was with Mrs. Fannie C. (Snelling) Bell. The six children of the first marriage are named : Martha, Robert, John, Albert. Susie and Katic. Captain Beaty and wife are both mem- bers of the Baptist church.

ADAM JONES CUMBEST. As farmer and miller and a useful citizen of his community. Mr. Cumbest has been identified with south Georgia for many years. He was born in Wilkinson county, this state, August 14, 1846, the Cumbests being an old family of that vicinity. His grand- father was, so far as known, a lifelong resident of Wilkinson county, where he was a farmer.

Mr. Cumbest's father, James Cumbest, was a native of Wilkinson county, and spent all his active career in agricultural pursuits. From Wilkinson he moved to Lee county, thence to Irwin, and finally to Mitchell county, where he bought a farm and resided until his death at the advanced age of eighty-six years. He married Bethany Williams, who was born in Wilkinson county and died in Lee county. She reared six children, named Thomas, Adam J., Frances, Elizabeth, Ellafarr and Angeline.

Spending the early years of his life on the home farm first in Lee and then in Mitehell county. Adam Jones Cumbest was still a boy when the war between the states came on. He enlisted in Company E of the Seventeenth Georgia Infantry and went up into Virginia to join Lee's army. During many of the campaigns and battles he did his soldier's duty, and in 1864 was captured at Port Harrison and held a prisoner at Point Lookout, Maryland, until near the close of the war. Being released on parole, he was not exchanged before the surrender. The life of a soldier he exchanged for that of farmer, and after his marriage in the spring of 1865 he settled on a farm belonging to his wife in Mitchell county. Two years later he moved to Decatur county, buying a farm fifteen miles from Bainbridge; then bonght a farm in Colquitt county, two years later bought one in Mitchell county, where he resided five years, and then came to Thomas county, where he owned and operated a farm three years. He was then made superintendent of the Thomas county infirmary, an institution which he capably managed for a period of twelve years. On retiring from that publie responsibility, he bought his present farm and homestead in the Boston district. Located on this place, near his house, was a grist mill, which he has operated in addition to his general farm enterprises.

In April, 1865. Mr. Cumbest was married to Eliza (Grinner) Hud- son, whose family is one of the oldest in southwest Georgia. She was born in Decatur county, a daughter of JJohn Grinner and granddaughter of John Grinner, both of whom were natives of South Carolina. The grandfather moved from his native state to Georgia about 1822, being. one of the pioneers of what is now Decatur county. He and his family made the migration with horses and wagons and brought all the house- hold goods and implements for their settlement in the wilderness.

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Grandfather Grinner bought timbered land about five miles from the present site of Whigham. That region was still the hunting ground for Indians, who soon viewed the arrival of the increasing mmmber of whites with distrust and hostility. The Grinners and other settlers built a fort for the protection of their families, and at one time the mother of Mrs. Cumbest spent four weeks in that structure. After clearing quite a tract of land, the grandfather moved to Mitehell county, where he bought other timbered land five miles northeast of the present site of -

Camilla, and lived there until his death. He had served in the Indian wars and was in every sense one of the pioneers to whose enterprise and hardihood later generations were indebted for the advantages which they enjoyed. The maiden name of his wife was Susan Mills, also a native of South Carolina, and she died in Mitchell county. The father of Mrs. Cumbest, John Grinner, was about twelve years old when brought to Georgia, and was reared amid pioneer scenes. On beginning his own career he bought land in Deeatur county, but after some years bought another farm five miles from Camilla in Mitchell county. His settlement there oceurred a number of years before railroads had been built, and for a number of years he hauled his products to Albany or to Tallahassee to market. His wife, the mother of Mrs. Cumbest, plied all the domestie arts of that primitive period, ineluding the spinning of cotton and wool, the making of all elcthes from homespun, and cook- ing at the fireplace until the introduction of cookstoves. The father changed farms several times, and spent his last years in Colquitt county, where he died at the age of eighty-seven. He married Lottie Ford. a native of South Carolina, and her father, James Ford, eame from that state and was also a pioneer of Decatur county. The mother of Mrs. Cumbest died at the age of about eighty. and she reared ten children.

Mrs. Cumbest was first married at the age of fourteen to Levi Butler. who was a native of Mitchell county and enlisted in the first company that went from that county to the war. He died in the service while at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1862. After his death Mrs. Butler married David Hudson, a native of middle Georgia. In 1864, he also enlisted and five months later sacrificed his life to the southern cause at Macon. Mrs. Cumbest was one of the martyrs to the tragedies of the great war. After losing two husbands she married a third who had recently re- turned from a northern prison, and she and Mr. Cumbest have had a happy wedded life of upwards of a half century.

By her first marriage Mrs. Cumbest had three children: William. John and Louisa Butler. She and Mr. Cumbest reared six children : Elias, Seaburn, Mary Anna, James. George and Mittie. Elias married Marzilla Shiver and has one son, Elias. Seaburn married Ophelia Ilol- land and has four children: Lonnie, Eunice, John and Ellis. Mary Anna married JJeff Busby, and has eight children: Gordon, Henry. Ira, Annie, Frank, Ola. Charles and Ruby. James married Arrilla Holland and has one son, Lee. George married Annie Purvett and has two children : Mittie and Viver. Mittie, the youngest child of Mr. and Mrs. Cumbest, died at the age of two years. William Butler, the first of Mrs. Cumbest's children. married Ida Douglas and have the follow- ing children : Andrey. Mamie. Louis, and William. John Butler mar- ried Ida Smith, and their seven children are: Levi. Nonie, William. Calvin, Mamie, Lois and Jewell. Lonisa Butler married George Wil- liams and has six children: Lonie. Betey. George, Trndie, Eliza and Ola. Mrs. Cumbest has seven great-grandchildren.

FLETCHER W. GRIFFIN. Ranking high among the live, enterprising and successful business men of Sumter county is Fletcher W. Griffin,

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of Americus, a well-known cotton dealer, and an extensive land owner. He was born in 1857, on a farm lying eight miles east of Americus, a son of Thomas Griffin, and comes of substantial pioneer stock.

Mr. Griffin's grandfather, Dempsey Griffin, was born near Raleigh, North Carolina, of Welsh ancestry. JJoining the little bands of immi- grants that were steadily pushing their way westward, he left his native state in 1849, accompanied by his family. With wife and children he made his way through the almost pathless woods with teams, bringing his household goods, and driving his stock, to Georgia. After a tedious journey of several weeks, he arrived in Sumter county, and on Line creek, east of Americus, bought a tract of forest-covered land. Clearing an opening in the woods, he built a loghouse, which, with its stick and clay chimney, and large fireplace, was the first home of the Griffin family in Georgia. He lived in the typical pioneer style, his wife doing all of her cooking by the open fireplace, and dressing her family in homespun material, which she wove herself, having first carded and spun the wool. Clearing quite a patch of the land, he lived there with his family until after the close of the war between the states. when he sold out, and moved to the south part of the county, where he purchased land, and was a resident until his death, at the advanced age of eighty- seven years. ITis wife, whose maiden name was MeCurkadle, died when but sixty-five years old, leaving seven children, as follows: Bryan, Caleb, Thomas. John, Nancy, Hannah, and Catherine.

Thomas Griffin, the third son in succession of birth of the parental household, was born near Raleigh, North Carolina. in 1837, and at the age of twelve years came with the family to Sumter county, where he assisted in the pioneer labor of reclaiming a farm from the wilderness. At the time of his marriage he began farming on his own account on a part of his father's homestead, continuing thus engaged until 1862. Early in that year he enlisted in the Confederate army, and went with his command to Virginia, where, in June of that same year, he died. his death occurring at Orange court house, in the twenty-fifth year of his age. His wife, whose maiden name was Eliza Gammage, was born in Macon county, Georgia, a daughter of Alsey Gammage, a native of South Carolina, and a pioneer of Macon connty, where he resided several years, although he later bought land in Sumter county, three and one-half miles from Ameriens, where he spent the remainder of his life of sixty-eight years. Mrs. Thomas Griffin subsequently married for her second husband Jesse Chembliss. who died while yet in the prime of life, before she did, her death occurring when she was but forty-three years of age. By her first marriage she was the mother of two children, namely: Fletcher W. Griffin, the special subjeet of this sketch; and Thomas W. Griffin. By her second marriage she had one child, Jesse Lee Chembliss.

As a boy and youth, Fletcher W. Griffin attended the rural schools of his district. and assisted in the various labors incidental to life on a farm, remaining with his mother until attaining hs majority. He then began his career as an independent agriculturist, renting land on shares until he acenmmilated a sufficient sum to warrant him in buying. Mr. Griffin's first purchase of land consisted of a one hundred and forty acre tract ten miles east of Ameriens. Going to Plains, Sumter county, in 1887, he there carried on a successful business as a merchant until 1903, when he located in Ameriens, where he has since been profitably engaged in the cotton business. Mr. Griffin has always been extensively interested in agriculture, and having an abiding faith in the future of Sumter county, has invested largely in land, being now the owner of upwards of one thousand aeres.

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Mr. Griffin married, in 1885, Nancy Lelia Merritt, who was born in Marion county, Georgia, a daughter of Wade HI. Merritt. Into their home four children have made their advent, namely: Leon C., Mazie M., Inman W., and Fletcher. Leon C. married Mamie Brooks, and they have one child, Edith. Mazie M., wife of James Walker, has two chil- dren, Griffin and William J. Mr. Griffin is a director of the Commercial City Bank. Religiously both Mr. and Mrs. Griffin are members of the Methodist Episcopal church South.

WILEY M. LEWIS. Industriously engaged in the prosecution of one of the most useful callings to which a man can devote his time and energies, Wiley M. Lewis holds a noteworthy position among the more active and progressive agriculturists of Brooks county. He was born June 18. 1847. in that part of Lowndes county now included within the boundaries of Brooks county, of pioneer ancestry.

His father. Irvin James Lewis, was born in Bulloch eounty, Georgia, and, when a small child, lost both of his parents. He subsequently made his home for many years with his uncle, Abner Groover,- one of the very first settlers of what is now Brooks county. As a youth he became familiar with the various branches of agriculture, and on at- taining manhood bought a tract of land lying seven miles northwest of Quitman, and was there engaged in general farming until his death, which was the result of a snake bite, his death occurring while he was yet in the prime of a vigorous manhood.

The maiden name of the wife of Irvin James Lewis was Susan Thig- pin. She was born in Wilkes county, Georgia, where her father, Rev. Meles Thigpin, first settled on coming from one of the Carolinas to Georgia. Ile was a preacher in the primitive Baptist church, and an active worker in the Master's vineyard. From Wilkes county Rev. Mr. Thigpin removed to what is now Brooks county in pioneer days, the tedious journey through the woods being made with ox teams. All of south Georgia was then a howling wilderness, through which bear, deer, panthers, and wild game of many kinds roamed at will, while the Indians far outnumbered the whites, who were forced to build log forts in which the women and children would take refuge whenever the savages started out on the war path. Securing four hundred and ninety acres of land ten miles northwest of the present site of Quitman, Mr. Thigpin there spent his remaining years, as did his wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Whaley. Mrs. Susan ( Thigpin) Lewis survived her husband many years. She was his helpmeet in every sense of the term. perform- ing her full share of the pioneer labor, carding. spinning and weaving all of the homespun in which she clothed her family, in the early days of her marriage. doing all of her cooking by the open fireplace. She was the mother of six children, as follows: Mary, Sarah Blanche, Caroline, Janie. Valeria and Wiley M.

But two years old when his father died, Wiley M. Lewis was by his mother reared to habits of industry, honesty and thrift, and with her remained for several years after attaining his majority. He was after- wards engaged in tilling the soil on and near the old homestead until 1898. In that year Mr. Lewis formed a partnership with his nephew. T. E. Bozeman, and having purchased eleven hundred acres of timbered land on the Tallokas road. seven miles from Quitman, he erected a saw- mill, and was there extensively engaged in the manufacture of lumber until the timber supply was exhausted. He and his partner have since put large tracts of the land which they cleared under cultivation, and he is there now engaged in general farming, in his operations being exceedingly prosperous.

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Mr. Lewis married, in 1885, Ophelia Folsom, who was born in Jef- ferson county. Florida, where her parents, Isaac and Pamelia ( Woods) Folsom, were pioneers. Eleven children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, namely: Wiley, James, Susie May, Pamelia Gertrude, Blanche S., Irvin Lee, Rosebnd Folsom. Ernest W., Carlos, Clara Belle, and Wallace. Fraternally Mr. Lewis is a member of Shalto lodge, No. 237, Free and Accepted Masons, with which he united at the age of twenty-one years. Ile is also a member of the Farmer's Alliance, and of the Farmer's Union, No. 1406.

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A history of Savannah and South Georgia, Volume II, Part 69

Author: Harden, William, 1844-1936 Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1208

Author: Harden, William, 1844-1936
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1208