USA > Georgia > Greene County > History of Greene County, Georgia, 1786-1886 > Part 12
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Mr. Vincent Sanford, so well and kindly remembered by many of our people, rests here. He was born April 17, 1777, and died May 27, 1859. He was Clerk of our Superior Court for twenty years before his death. No flaw was ever seen in his character, which was noted for its Christian virtues. Upon his monument, by his request, is written the words "A sinner saved
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by grace." (Near this grave is that of Jeremiah Sanford on whose monument is inscribed, "JEREMIAH SANFORD, Born in Virginia, Nov. 4, 1739. Died, August 11, 1825. He was a soldier of the Revolution, a friend of Washington, and an hon- est man.") He was the ancestor of all the Georgia Sanfords. Near by his grave rests the remains of his son-in-law, Robert E. Martin, the inimitable wit and humorist. He was born Aug. 30, 1798, and died Dec. 13, 1859. Many years ago he was Clerk of the Superior Court here; and for several years he was Clerk of the Supreme Court of this State.
In this galaxy of prominent men and citizens of a former age among the dead in our midst, the name of Hon. Thomas Stocks deserves mention here. He was one of the last representa- tives of past generations-was born Feb. 1, 1786, and died October 6, 1876.
While giving this brief notice of Greene county's promi- nent citizens who have been buried in our midst, we would not overlook entirely the noble women who sleep upon the same hill with them. The mothers of some we have mentioned are sleep- ing with their children; the wives of others are resting with their husbands. We can not now call special attention to but two graves of the other sex.
We found here the tomb of Mrs. Elizabeth Julia Foster, mother of Dr. James F. Foster, and grandmother of Bishop Pierce. She was born in Virginia in September, 1767, and died in 1836. We believe her husband, Mr. George W. Foster, was buried in Columbus, Ga. Mrs. Ann Leonora, wife of Bishop Andrew, is also buried here. She was born July 26, 1801, and died at Oxford, Ga., June 10, 1954. Her maiden name was Mounger. She was a widow Greenwood when she married the Bishop.
The above facts we gleaned here and there-many of them furnished us by some of the older citizens of our town. Of course in a newspaper article we could give only a brief notice of each individual mentioned; nor can we mention in one article the names of all who have taken prominent stands in this old county. Some of historic fame who were residents of this county and who
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have spent their brightest days here, are buried elsewhere. Judge Nisbit, we believe it was, while a member of Congress from this State, made use of this remark in a speech before the House of Representatives : "Georgia can to-day boast of what no State in the Union can say : one of her counties furnishes all of her repre- sentatives on this floor." The county referred to was Greene. It is proper to say, however, that Greene county was then much larger than it is now.
But we have cited enough instances to verify the truth of our proposition; and to throw around the old cemetery in our midst is a distinction that few can share.
We wish were better acquainted with the memories of our dead. But we know of but one man who could probably come near doing justice to this subject: that is, Col. William H. Sparks of Atlanta, a native of this county; a man noted for his remarkable recollection of men and events, as shown in his re- cent letters to the Atlanta Constitution, and in his "Memories of Fifty Years." Our people would like very much to have the benefit of his recollection in regard to Greene county's distin- guished sons; many of whom he doubtless knew initimately."
Note: The author of the above sketch-Judge Henry T. Lewis, also left his "footprints upon the sands of time" and rests among the distinguished dead in the old Greensboro Cemetery. He was an im- minent lawyer, able jurist; and a member of the Supreme Court of Georgia at the time of his death. He nominated William Jennings Bryan for the presidency of the United States and rendered a Valuable service to his county and state. Judge Lewis was born Oct. 21, 1847. and died Dec. 10, 1903.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
INSCRIPTIONS COPIED FROM TOMBS IN THE OLIVER PORTER CEMETERY, IN GREENE COUNTY, GEORGIA By T. B. Rice
In memory of our father
OLIVER PORTER
Born October 14, 1763, Died Aug. 20, 1838, age 74 years 10 months 15 days.
JAMES M. PORTER
Died May 24, 1849, in the 40th year of his age. (Son of Oliver Porter)
Sacred to the memory of
JAMES K. DANIEL, JR.
Who departed this life on
the 28th day of March 1851.
VIOLET DANIEL Born the 5th day of Sept. 1785, Died January 27th, 1844.
(James K. Daniel married Violet Bell in Prince Edward Co. Va., in 1805)
MARGARET PORTER
Born April 20, 1764,
Died March 30th, 1837.
Aged 72 years 11 mo. 15 days.
WILLIAM R. DANIEL
Born April 11, 1821,
Died May 3rd, 1843.
THOMAS STOCKS DANIEL
Born May 8th, 1825,
Died November 1846.
Greensboro, Ga. May 7, 1936
A scrap of paper containing the following information was found in my files, and while it is not signed, it appears to be the handwriting of Mrs. T. B. Rice. It reads as follows :
The Cemetery Committee has had the following tombstones repaired;
Died
Died
Rev. Francis Cummins, D.D. 1832;
Hon. Thomas Cobb 1830;
and wife Sarah Cummins 1833;
Sterling Grimes
1810;
Frances Cummins Mckinley
1851;
Robert Edward Musgrove 1818:
Mary Clifford Simonton 1846;
Mary Irving
1828:
John West
1832;
Mrs. Adeline Gresham
1826;
Mrs. Lucy Willis
1843;
Four others without name
Mrs. Sarah Willis
1856;
Edward S. Willis
1842;
Gen. Thomas Dawson
1815:
William Willis
1833;
Mrs. Maria Marvin Grimes 1822:
Henry Van Volkenburg
1852;
Anne Irving
1816:
James Ralls
1847 :
Mary Baker Fauche
1854;
John Coleman
1841;
Mrs. Mary Wells
1819;
Mrs. Mary Broughton
1808;
Mrs. William Mitchell
1812;
Mary Broughton
1820;
Louden Willis 1843;
in same enclosure;
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
This seems to be a report of the Treasurer of the Ceme- tery Committee. And, had this committee not shown enough interest in the past-many of these markers would have disap- peared long ago.
Note: Mrs. Rice says she was Sec'y-Treasurer of this committee about 1900, and that a number of patriotic women paid to have the markers re-set.
T. B. Rice, Historian for Greene County
Churchyard Bethesda Baptist Church Greene County
This church was constituted 1785 and the church built 1818-near the steps is a Government marker to the Revolu- tionary Soldier, Samuel Whatley, Private Georgia Troops, Rev- olutionary war -- Died 1820.
A stone erected to the memory of Jesse Mercer's children was removed from their burial place and is in this churchyard :
"Miriam Mercer-
The first died in Virginia Sept. 21, aged 9 months and 21 days.
The 2nd lies here-died Dec. 15, 1814, aged 9 years, 8 months, 2 days.
Old graves in this cemetery
Thomas Redmon Thornton, died Dec. 2, 1867, aged 39 years, 24 days.
Martha A., wife of Thomas R. Thornton, born Jan. 23, 1829; died Aug. 10, 1887.
Phoeriba, wife of Rev. V. R. Thornton, born June 20, 1808; died Feb. 17, 1881.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
Vincent Redmon Thornton, born July 17, 1805 ; died April 4, 1850.
TOMB OF ARTHUR FOSTER; The inscription reads as follows:
ARTHUR FOSTER Born in Halifax County, Virginia, January 15, 1757. Died in Greene County, Georgia, July 25, 1846.
He served his country in her Rev- olutionary struggle and died in the service of his God in full hope of Heaven.
The reverse side of shaft reads: HANNAH FOSTER
Born in Union District, S. C. November 25, 1775. Died in Greene County, Ga., January 20, 1856.
The name of Hannah Foster is recorded as being one of the charter members of New Hope Baptist Church, organized on January 15, 1800.
The name of Arthur Foster does not appear on the New Hope church roll, but his son, Moses F. Foster does appear. He was a deacon and Church Clerk in the year 1846-69.
The Church minutes of Jan. 19, 1856, read as follows : "Sister Hannah Foster died at three quarter past ten o'clock on Sunday night, January the 20, 1856."
(This minutes was signed by M. F. Foster, C. Clerk) .
Col. Albert Foster, son of Arthur and Hannah Foster, moved to Madison, Morgan County, Ga., at an early date. He was the father of the late Judge Fred Foster who was the father of Col. Albert Foster who still resides in Madison. Moses F. Foster was a brother of Colonel Albert Foster, Revolutionary soldier.
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The handsome marble shaft that marks the graves of Arthur and Hannah Foster, is within a tumbled down rock wall. There are evidences of other graves within the wall, but they are not marked. Around the walled enclosure there are other graves-several rudely marked, and the name Stanley can be read.
This old cemetery is one and one-half miles north of Greshamville, on the left-hand side of the road leading to Wrayswood, and some one hundred yards from the old Foster home.
LANDMARKS AND LEGENDS
Medora Fields Perkarson's history of St. Phillips Cathed- ral that appeared in the Magazine section of the Atlanta Journ- al of October 30th, 1932, brought to mind an old grave in the Greensboro cemetery. There are two inscriptions on the marble slab that covers this old walled up grave, that reads as follows :
"In memory of Lewis Preston Thompson, M.D. Originally from Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Who died in Greensboro, Georgia, March 8, 1840. In the 35th year of his age."
The other inscription reads-
"In memory of James Rondleston Benney of Philadelphia. A Jr. Member of the Engineering Corps of the Georgia Railroad & Banking Company. Who died October 27, 1838, in the 18th year of his age.
The Journal's story concerning the origin of St. Phillips says : "Several cultured gentlemen, who were engaged in survey- ing the Georgia Railroad, and who were accustomed to the beautiful services of the church, wished to establish a place of worship while away from their home. Prominent among them was J. Edgar Thompson of Philadelphia." That was in 1847.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
Greensboro was the terminus of the Georgia Railroad for some years before it reached Atlanta. And the Engineering crew made Greensboro their headquarters for a number of years. It is said that, J. Edgar Thompson referred to above, was a brother of Dr. Lewis Preston Thompson who died in Greens- boro in 1840. And that both of them were connected with the building of the Georgia Railroad. Tradition says: "The young engineer Benney refugeed from Augusta on account of Yellow fever, and the dreaded disease developed after he reached here and that Dr. Thompson treated him. It is also said, that the Georgia Railroad & Banking Company had the slab placed over the graves of these faithful employees.
Speaking of old graves; there is another grave in the Greensboro cemetery that has caused a lot of speculation on ac- count of a snake that is carved on the slab that covers the grave. Tradition says that, the lady who was buried beneath the slab, died from the bite of a snake. In fact, this story has been told so often and so long, that I dislike to refute the legend. The inscription reads as follows :
"In Memory of Mrs. Mary Irving. Born in 1750. Died in 1828. Aged 78 Years.
She was a "Mother in Israel."
A crooked line is chiseled the full length of the slab, and is supposed to represent a path leading to a spring. Beside the path, is carved a snake partly coiled and ready to strike. The story is, that the lady was bitten by the snake while on her way to the spring, and that she died before reaching home.
ANCIENT LANDMARKS AND GRAVES By T. B. Rice
Back in the days when Greene County "Blossomed like a Rose" and every plantation had a "Big House" and all that it implied, cities and towns meant little or nothing to them, ex- cept a place to buy what they did not produce on their
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
own farms; and when a member of the family died they were buried in the family cemetery, and in most instances, the graves were marked either with simple or handsome tombstones.
As times and conditions changed, and the lure of the towns gripped the rising generations, the old home was either sold or abandoned and the graves of ancestors became neglected.
In many instances the new owners cared nothing for these sacred spots, and as a rule, the family cemeteries occupied very choice spots of ground; and, in some instances, the new owners cut down the handsome trees and shrubbery, cast the gravestones in a nearby gully, covered them with rubbish, and planted the old graveyard in cotton or other crops.
Fortunately, such procedure is against the law, and in a few instances, such vandalism has been punished by terms in the chaingang. However, such desecrations have been less frequent in Greene than in some other counties-but they have been all too numerous in Greene.
There are more people who are now interested in locating the graves of their ancestors than at any other period of the history of our cemetery; and more than one hundred people have searched for the graves of their ancestors, in Greene Coun- ty, within the past year, and some have been successful while many others have been disappointed, and in some instances, the disappointment was due to vandalism.
A Case of Vandalism in Greensboro :
In the long, long ago, there was a beautiful girl whom M. H. Sparks, referred to as "Sweet Adeline" in his "Memories of Fifty Years," and whose grave he visited when he visited the "City of the Dead" in the Greensboro cemetery after an ab- sence of more than fifty years. Adeline had been his sweetheart when they were schoolmates; Sparks went west to make his fortune while Adeline remained at home and became the reign- ing belle of Greensboro society. She became the wife of a bril- liant young lawyer by the name of Albert Gresham. She was the daughter of Thomas W. and Charity Grimes.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
No one now living, knew any of the people who were con- nected with this narrative ; but the tradition that has been handed down is well authenticated, and has to do with the grave of this young wife who was born in Greensboro, Ga., in the year 1806.
In the center of the old part of the Greensboro cemetery, there is an old fashioned bricked up grave on top of which rests a marble slab some six feet in length, and bears the following inscription :
Sacred To the memory of Lucy Adeline Gresham, Wife of Albert Gresham, Died April 16, 1826, in the 20th year of her age.
Back in those days, Greensboro boasted of a Bakery and Candy Factory, the name of the owner is immaterial; but the bakery was in the cellar, under the store now owned and opera- ted by Mr. Lawrence Boswell. A stairway led from the sidewalk to the basement, and the oven was under the sidewalk; an eight inch cast iron flue that carried off the smoke stood at the edge of the sidewalk up to a few years ago.
This underground bakery had a sales room for customers, but few people had access to the workroom therefore the secret process of baking and candy-making was carefully guarded by the owner.
Shortly after the death of Lucy Adeline Grimes-Gresham, Mrs. Grimes ordered a marble slab to mark the grave of her beloved daughter. Sometime after the slab had been placed over the grave, it mysteriously disappeared and no trace of it could be found. If any knew where it was, they were as dumb as a clam. However, the old saying that "murder will out" proved true in this instance.
In some way, Mrs. Grimes learned that there was a susp- picious looking marble slab in the underground bakery, and which was being used in making candy. She immediately paid the bakery a visit and demanded that she be shown the slab.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
Whether willingly or unwillingly, the baker led the way to the secret chamber where the slab lay upside-down upon a table. The surface revealed nothing more than a smoothly polished marble slab. She demanded that she be shown the under-side, and Alas ! it revealed the name of her beloved daughter. . .
"They say" Aunt Charity engaged in some conversation that her name did not imply; and that the baker did not mis- understand her meaning, and that her untimatum was, that if the slab was not thoroughly cleaned and placed where it belong- ed by daybreak the next morning, the aforesaid baker would find himself in the old Rock Jail that stands just behind the courthouse .... The slab was immediately put where it had been stolen from.
CHAPTER VI
GROWTH
Jeremiah Sanford in 1784 dictated this epitaph for his tombstone "He was a soldier of the Revolution, a friend of Washington and an honest man". Most of these early settlers of Greene County were settlers with their families seeking to earn a living, honestly.
Some of the settlers were sons and daughters of planta- tion owners in Virginia and North Carolina, many had fought in the Revolution and received headright offers of 28712 acres of land with 50 acres added for each child and each slave. Many others came in on horseback with only a long flintrock rifle to kill such game as needed to supply his wants and to protect himself from outlaws. He found a desirable spot to build his one room log cabin near a spring of water and a trail. He could hobble his horse to feed on the wild oats and grasses while he cleared the forests to plant his patch- es of corn, beans, potatoes and tobacco. As soon as he could, he split the rails that fenced in his crops.
Of course there were the adventurers, speculators and squatters who preferred to live as far as possible from their old haunts, for reasons best known to themselves.
Some men drew land lots and later when they came in to settle they found squatters living on and claiming their land. The real owner, on showing his title would force them to leave. Some speculators would build a cabin, clear some land and sell out for a good profit and move on to newer counties where land could be bought cheaply.
The real settlers who stayed, found deer, turkey, squirrels, rabbits and other game. The clear cool streams furnished plenty of fish, and soon he had vegetables for the table. For clothing, his flocks of sheep and his cotton patches furnished his wife with materials for the spinning wheel, the loom and knitting needles.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY 141
The tobacco and indigo were marketed in Augusta. "To- bacco Road", was the route to Augusta over which the wooden hogsheads which were six feet high and eight or ten feet long, traveled. The cash received for their crops afforded them cof- fee, iron tools, medicine, needles and buttons, guns and am- munition. A few families bought books for their children.
By 1788 there were twelve land owners with over 1,000 acres each. John Swepson, William Daniel, Jesse Battle, James Adams and Robert Middleton. Some others owning large tracts were Oliver Porter, Silas Mercer, William Burford, William Glenn and Walter Harris.
Some of these settlers had brought slaves with them. James Showest had 32, William Lawson and John Thomas had 19 each, John Mitchell and Charles Abercrombie had 20 each. The number of slaves increased rapidly so that by 1800 about half the families owned some slaves. Those men owning most slaves were; Joel Early, Thomas Grimes, William Green, Redmond Thornton, James Park, John Crutchfield, George W. Foster, Absalom Lawrence and George Dawson.
The year 1810 found 12,000 people, with half of them slaves. The first will to be recorded in Greene County was that of Joseph Smith, a surveyor, with 300 acres, 17 cows, 4 horses, 3 Bibles but he had no slaves.
By now there were also substantial houses built by Benja- min Weaver, Joel Early, Jonas Fauche, Nicholas Lewis and Redman Thornton.
The children were first taught in the homes by tutors, and many poor children went without schooling. In 1786 there was a one teacher school. Culture crept in as the people had more time for leisure. By 1803 Greensboro was having a weekly mail service. A letter could be mailed for ten to fifteen cents for one page and the mail route included Columbia court- house, Louisville, Washington, Savannah, Sparta, Warrenton, Georgetown and Augusta.
Greene County felt proud of her son, Peter Early, son of Joel, who became Governor of Georgia in 1812 and showed
1
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
his ability by greatly aiding the war at that time, by making available to the young nation, state funds and men. When he was criticized for this, he replied, "Georgia would survive or go down with the other colonies".
The first newspaper in Greene County in 1807 was call- ed, "The Observator".
A road had been laid out across the Indian country by Sam Dale from Greensboro to Walnut Hill (Vicksburg) on the Mississippi River called the Three-Chopt Road. The road was marked by three chops with an ax on trees for hundreds of miles through virgin forests.
Greene County boasted a gold mine with Yelverton P. King as custodian and Templeton Reid coining ten dollar gold pieces.
Zachariah Sims established at Scull Shoals the first paper mill with a loan of $3,000 from the Legislature. (1810)
William Ellison had sued William Veazy for a saw gin delivered before 1800 and records show that it was not the kind Eli Whitney had made. This gin was probably in opera- tion before Whitney's gin came out.
There was "Ye Eagle Tavern", where accomodations were available for stagecoach travelers, with the best of foods and liquors.
Court records show that grand juries condemned pro- fane swearing, drinking, fiddling, gambling and card playing. Parading stud horses on Main Street and riding them to church was forbidden. Little attention was paid to most of these re- commendations by the grand jury.
Cotton now covered the land with its snowy balls and the new gins speeded slavery and cotton culture and increased the demand for an outlet to the sea. Wagon trains had carried cotton to Augusta but now in 1811 the Oconee Navigation Company was chartered and some of the stockholders were: Thomas Stocks, James Troup, Peter Early, James Park, and Zachariah Sims. Soon obstructions were cleared from the river
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
and boats loaded with cotton made their way down the river to Darian. After the War of 1812 there was a great demand for cotton to be exported to Europe. More high priced slaves were brought in, land values rose, more tradesmen came in to make their homes and do business. There was a great demand for educated men and their opportunities for advancement were unlimited. There was a great demand for overseers, military leaders, lawyers, doctors, teachers, political leaders and mer- chants.
The rapid-fire creation of new counties throughout Geor- gia brought with it the necessity for new officers, and the man with the ability for leadership, who arrived first could almost count on a political career.
Due to the spirit of unrest and craving for greener pas- tures and the urge to seek new lands we find many early fami- lies completely disappearing from the records here, only to re- appear in some new section of western Georgia or the new state of Alabama.
Although the post war boom brought tremendous changes in the economic life of the county the spiritual life did not keep pace with it and the preachers from over the county were com- menting on the "low state of religion and the abounding ini- quity." (History of Ga. Baptists ) .
The dozen sturdy forts built on the Oconee by the set- tlers for protection against the Indians were falling down and were no longer needed and the last of the lands in the County were taken up. The last lottery was in 1826. In 1813 we find many pioneer customs still in use. Some wagon trains still went to Baltimore, a hard trip of 600 miles, to take cotton and bring back supplies. A white woman accused of being a scold and gossip was ducked in Richland Creek. (See Picture) There was still much frontier rowdiness such as shooting off a cannon in the center of Greensboro causing considerable damage and frightening the citizens. One man was branded on the thumb with an M for being a murderer and served time in the jail.
By 1820 great blocks of land were being bought up by the aristocrats to make larger plantations, and cotton was king.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
Their plantations were self sustaining, they grew all of the food, the shelter and the clothes they needed. The family drove to church in a fine carriage. The poorer people frowned on such a display of worldiness, yet longed for the same things. They began to feel the pinch of the large land owners and some sold out and moved on while others worked their own lands, were thrifty and had no slaves.
The early settlers named the creeks, English names, while the rivers were named by the Indians. The creeks were: Rich- land, Beaver Dam, Towns, Fishing, Greenbriar and others. The rivers were the Oconee, Apalachee and Ogeechee.
From 1820 on, the county entered a new era of growth and prosperity, peace, politics and plenty, and until 1861 when the black curtain of the Civil War descended, this was the golden era.
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