USA > Georgia > Jones County > History of Jones County, Georgia, for one hundred years, specifically 1807-1907 > Part 42
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91
The Carvers of East Bridgewater, Mass., had long been con- nected with Mr. Griswold in the gin business. Mr. Griswold was liberal to his employees, and to a faithful and meritorious one he always clung, and many of these owe their success in after life to his training, advice and help.
When the war came the gin business ceased. Mr. Griswold had been making gins for nearly thirty years. In that time he had commenced from nothing, and by sheer industry and business sense had built a village with shops, foundry, etc., and a business that paid him forty thousand dollars profit in 1860. After this he turned his shop into an armory making arms for the State first, and the Confederacy afterwards. He made several thou- sand pikes for Governor Brown and they were burned by Sher- man's army at Milledgeville in 1864. He made an almost perfect Colt's revolver for the Confederate Government, and with block- ed ports and no resources, except the South's this was a great undertaking. Everything from the most delicate screw, spring and rifle barrel, as well as the tools, files, etc., with which they were made, was made at his shop. Steel was hard to get and most of the supplies were gotten from old vehicle springs in the country around. Kilpatrick's cavalry burned his shops, barn, church, etc., and destroyed more than a quarter of a million dollars worth of property for him. When he saw the destruction and ruin of his life's work, he said, "It is gone, all gone, but they did it mighty well." (Being thoroughgoing himself he could ap- preciate it in others). "But if I could call back ten years, I would soon make it all back, but I am too old and feeble."
511
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
Having lost his only living son, Giles Griswold during the war, with nothing left him but his lands, he decided to sell that and did sell it to A. L. Maxwell. He assisted his son-in-law F. S. Johnson, and Mr. O. W. Massey to establish a gin business at the latter's place near Macon, which was quite a prosperous business until the death of Mr. Massey who had bought out Mr. Johnson's interest.
The following will illustrate Mr. Griswold's good business judgment :
About 1849, he, his son, E. C. Griswold, and Mr. Amos Smith, then superintendent of Pratt shop, leased for three years Prattville, and his son moved to the latter place and took charge. Shortly after this one, Parkhurst gin, which was thought would supplant the saw. Parkhurst brought his gin to Griswoldville to sell his right to Mr. Griswold. After putting it up and testing it, Mr. Parkhurst then carried it to Prattville and offered it to Mr. Pratt who although a very level-headed and practical man, after trying it, decided it a success, and bought the patent at a good round sum in spite of the warning of Mr. Griswold, who wound up by saying : "If you and Pratt have decided to buy the Park- hurst gin, you can do so, but understand that S. Griswold & Co. will have nothing to do with it. I have tried it and it will not do." The gin proved a failure.
Mr. Griswold died in September 1867, and was buried at the cemetery at Clinton, Ga. The tall smokestacks where his gin shop and sawmill stood is all that remains of his once progres- sive business. They are monuments to Sherman's march through Georgia.
THE OLD WAY OF GINNING By S. H. Griswold Jones County News, June 10, 1909
What a change in the methods of ginning and packing cotton under the old slave system! There was a gin house and screw on every plantation. The gin house was built up on large posts some 10 feet from the ground and great logs squared for sills and sleepers had to be used to sustain the weight of the seed cotton stored therein, and to prevent sagging on the running
512
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
gear, which was placed under them, by which the gin was driven. Gins of 35-40-50 and even 60 saws were used.
Harper Ingram, an exceptional planter on Little River in Putnam and Baldwin counties had Sam Griswold to make for him a gin with 105 saws. He having heard that 100 saws was the largest gin in use, wanted one larger. This gin was burned by Sherman's army. By far more 40 saw gins were used then than any other size.
The gin was placed on the floor of the gin house, its flue ran into a room called the lint room situated back of the house and usually a shed room-the floor being nearer the ground, which gave a considerable drop to the lint, which was blown into it by the gin brush. A door was in the rear of this room from which the lint cotton was taken to the screw which stood near it. A seed room was near the lint room in which the planting seed was usually run out into a seed pen, where they went through a heat, destroying their vitality and was used for fertilizing crops. Under the gin house proper, was the running gear which drove the gin. This gearing was usually made of wood: first was let into the ground a large solid block, with a piece of hardened iron sticking out of it for a pivot, the upper end of the king post had an iron pinion driven securely into it and this pinion entered into a large sleeper, a strong iron band was shrunk around the post at each end. This king post was made sometimes round, sometimes hex- agon and from the best post of white oak or heart pine that could be had. Some were 8 to 10 feet long, and 14 to 16 inches in diameter. Large square holes were morticed through it so as to make at least 8 arms (requiring four pieces), these were 4 by 12 and reached out far enough to make a circle of 9 to 10 feet; braces reached from under their ends to a notch in the lower part of the king post, upon these arms was placed solid heart pieces of oak or pine 4 by 12 and doubled so as to break joints, and bolted securely to the arms; two inch square holes were made in these pieces which made the circle of the king wheel, and into these holes was placed wooden cogs, which were made of the best seasoned dogwood, persimmon or hickory. These cogs were well and carefully made and the hole into which they went were laid off with the utmost care and precision. The
513
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
band shaft was made of some hard wood usually about 8 or 10 inches in diameter with a band wheel from 9 to 10 ft in diameter with 8-inch face through and building its rim on to them. On one end of this shaft was a trundle-head, made of hard wood, heads 12 or more inches in diameter, with rounds 2 or 3 inches in diameter, made of dogwood thoroughly seasoned, securely banded and fastened into the heads. This also was a very par- ticular job, as their distance apart had to correspond with that of the cogs on the king wheel. This shaft had pinions in each end, which run in boxes on stirups, made for the purpose, suspended from the sleepers, and was set at right angles to the king wheel so as to bring the trundle head immediately over the cogs in the king wheel. The band wheel extended at least 1-4 of its diameter up into the gin house-the lower part just missing the levers, which were through the post and to which the mules (two at each end) were hitched, with a guide pole which led them around in a circle. Two boys usually ran on these levers and drove the mules. It was great fun to the boys.
The gin was opposite the band wheel and an S. inch belt generally ran them. An elderly negro man usually stood in front of the gin and fed the cotton into the box. This man had charge of the gin house and hands while ginning. A boy or an old negro man filled up baskets with cotton and handed them to the ginner, who spread it on the top of the gin and gradually fed it into the roll boxes. Occasionally the mulos would get lazy and the driver sleepy, and consequently the gin saws ran slow. Then, "Drive up ! drive up!" yelled the ginner, and such a popping of whips and yells of "get up" came from the boy drivers, and the mules would go in a hurry, and make the gin-brush fly and sing. Then there would be a breaking of the roll in the roll box, and thump, thump, would go the breast as it was shaken up and down to again start the roll. The brush whipped the lint from the saws and blew it in great white flakes into the lint room, and as the room filled with it, it became necessary to stop and send the boys into the room to pack it down. Two bales of cotton a day was the usual output from a 40 saw gin. Cotton was usually dry before being fed to the gin. A large platform at the gin-house
514
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
was used to dry all cotton which had been picked with the dew on it, or which had gotten wet.
The lint room held two or more days' ginning, and when full the hands were stopped from the fields early in the morning and the lint cotton was packed out into bales by a large wooden screw. This was a tremendous thing. It was 20 feet long, 12 to 16 feet in diameter with threads 6 inches deep and 6 inches wide cut around it. This pin was made from a post of white oak, or heavy pine, and was a perfect piece of timber, made very round and smooth-being made with the utmost care. It ran on great wooden taps 16 inches square and supported by great posts 12 to 16 feet, which stood on their ends, making an immense frame some 20 feet high, which was held together by braces and a cross-sill at the bottom. On this sill was the bottom with pieces across it leaving a space through which the ropes passed. In this frame was built a cotton box-the lower part of which was doors, both at ends and sides. A follow block was fastened to the lower end of the pin, which was turned to one side, while the box below it was being filled with cotton, two men got into the box and tramped the loose cotton as it was put in. Steps led from the ground to the top of the box, up which the cotton was carried in large baskets. When the box had been tramped full the follow block was turned straight with it, and a piece of bag- ging was put over and under the cotton and the screw was started down. At the top of the screw-pin was an immense cross beam, through the ends of which came two long levers, one on each side, their ends meeting above the beam and securely fas- tened together-the other being near the ground, and looked like an immense pair of compasses. These levers were some 30 or 40 feet long, and stood at the upper end above the pin some distance from the ground. They were from 8 to 10 inches square at the ground the end tapered gradually to 12 inches above the screw. These levers turned the screw pin, and when started down upon a bale of cotton would run within a few rounds of being down by their own weight. Then a mule was hitched to the end of the lever and pulled it around three or four times and made a tight bale of cotton. The doors of the cotton box were then let down and the bagging pulled up at the sides and ends, the latter
515
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
being sewed up with twine. Ropes were put around the bale, drawn tight and tied in knots by means of a lever and a windlass. Five or six ropes were generally put on a bale. The mules were then turned around and started, and up, up, up, went the screw- pin and follow box above the cotton box. As it went around and around on a cold frosty morning you could hear it shriek and groan all over the neighborhood, and we knew when neighbor so and so was packing cotton. As I stated before, these levers came together at the top above the screw some 30 or 40 feet from the ground and spread out through the ends of the cross beam and came almost to the ground when the screw was down on a bale of cotton. When the pin was run up for filling the box these ends were 10 feet or more above the ground. These levers made an immense circle and gave a powerful leverage. Usually a shelter was put up, and a small roof framed above the top of the two levers where they met, and this roof or cap went around with and ascended and descended with the screw.
Mr. Fred Dukes, who was well known in Jasper and Jones Counties, was an expert builder of these presses, and he super- intended every part of it, selecting the timber, drying it and every detail to its finish. He did most of the work himself. While it took him nearly a year to make one, they were well made and lasted for years. What an undertaking it was to build a set of gear, screw and house, everything being done by hand without machinery !
MORE WAR HISTORY By S. H. Griswold-Jones Co. News-June 24, 1909
Early in 1862 the Confederate Government made a call on the State of Georgia for soldiers, and Gov. Brown called on Jones County for her quota, and a draft was ordered to take place in case a sufficient number failed to qualify. Some of the leading men of the county went to work when this call came, and organized a company of volunteers. A meeting was called in the courthouse in Clinton, which was well attended and a suffi- cient number of men volunteered but for some reason dissatis- faction arose amng them and they adjourned without organiz- ing. Some wanted R. W. Bonner for Captain and some wanted
516
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
a man from the country sections, Giles Griswold was put for- ward for their choice. Another day was set to meet for the organization to be completed. When they met again, Giles Gris- wold refused to run against Bonner, such pressure was put on him to stay at home and look after his large interests in the county and the large number of slaves, so he reluctantly took his name from the volunteers roll. At this meeting such enthusiasm was aroused, speeches were made from the judge's stand, as each man's name was called he came up and signed his name to the roll. Owens was the last name added to the roll as the first 125 volunteers from Jones County were registered. Immediately William Whidby mounted his horse, "Stonewall," and went in a gallop to Round Oak to notify the militia there for that dis- trict, as did others go to other districts.
The Company organized by electing R. W. Bonner, Capt .; Harrison Barron, 1st Lieut. ; James Woodall, 2nd Lieut. ; Jesse Hunt, Orderly, Sergeant. Frank Johnson, though well liked, was beaten for .2nd Lieut. place by James Woodall. This Company was named the Gray Infantry in honor of James Madison Gray, and he furnished its equipment. I joined the Company and with Randolph Childs, Ara Cochran, John Moore and one or two others were the youngest members of the company, we were 17 years old. We were all eager to go and afraid the war would end before we could get there. We were weighed, measured, etc. and Capt. Bonner said he wanted men who could shoot well. We were all mustered in by a state officer and took the regulation oath. All this was done at the old Day's Schoolhouse, in front of the Methodist church in Clinton. Our uniforms were dark red or brown jeans, frock coats and brass buttons, as a sufficient quality of grey jeans could not be found in time and we had to use such as we could get. Old Taylor took our measurements and the ladies of Clinton sewed and made the clothes. In March we were ordered to Camp Stevens near Griffin, where we were with nine other companies, Baldwin, Butts, Bibb, Monroe, Crawford, Houston, Dooly and Taylor. We were put into a Regiment known as the 45th Georgia Regiment, Volunteers, Jones County was Co. F. Under State officers an election was held for its field officers, Thomas Hardeman of Bibb was elected Colonel, Thom-
517
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
as J. Simmons of Crawford, Lt. Col., and Warren Grice of Taylor, Major.
Then we drilled, stood guard, cleaned up camp and enjoyed ourselves. Capt. Rodgers of Ailey was a candidate for Lt. against Simmons and Neal Gibson who had just moved from Clinton to Crawford County, urged Jones Countains to vote for Simmons, we did, and elected him. Out of the 125 men from Jones I believe 90 of them could play the fiddle and after supper, we would gath- er together, and play such tunes as "Caney Creek," "Rocky Road to Milledgeville," "Billy in the Low Grounds," and others while men danced. Partners were taken for the cotillion, some tied a handkerchief on their arms for ladies and they bowed and danced as if real ladies were their partners. These "girls" acted the part of flirting, being demure, cunning and attractive, and much fun gave way to hilarity as the time passed. A fiddler from Monroe County, lean long and lanky used to sing "Cotton-Eyed Joe," and being a natural comedian, kept the crowd laughing. Burrell Winans went with us from Clinton, he was the worst home-sick man I ever saw, although he was an old bachelor. He was Company commissary. One night he got drunk and called for water and his tent mate Ran Childs told him it was the duty of the Sergeant to bring him water. He waked the Captain yell- ing "Water, water," and Sgt. Jess Hunt who wouldn't budge. While he was gone, Ran Childs hid the bottle and Winnans never forgave him. After card playing, telling stories, playing jokes on one another, the day came to depart. We packed tents, guns and clothes and boarded twenty freight cars, sitting on planks put across kegs, we left Griffin for Macon in the after- noon, on down the Central to Millen and Augusta, where we changed cars with all the baggage to the South Carolina railroad -went by Branchville up to Kingsville, here we had to lay over and transfer to the Wilmington road.
We passed through Sumpter, Marion, Florence and other towns until we got to Wilmington, N. C. as soon as we got out, we were so stiff with cold we made a fire, it seemed the ground was burning and we discovered that tar, turpentine and rosins had been made there for years. Here we transferred our bag- gage on a steam ferry boat and reloaded it on the Wilmington
518
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
and Weldon road which carried us to Goldsboro about 70 miles away. All along the route from Griffin to Goldsboro we were greeted by crowds of men, women and children, with cheers. We replied with yells, cheers, and witticisms. At Sumter, S. C. the ladies had a fine dinner, hot and good waiting for us. They fed all of the passing troops without money or price. Green Tye was a tall strong man from Clinton, had a fine voice and led the singing, his favorite song being, "Go Long Liza Jane." Despite the old freight cars and lack of comforts the boys had a good time going to war. Arriving at Goldsboro we received our equipment and new Enfield rifles which had lately run the blockade to Wilmington. Here we had a seige of measles, our first casualty was Hutchings. George Cox shot himself acci- dentally. After constant drilling for two weeks, cooking with the help of several Negro cooks, we were ready for action.
REMINISCENES OF COMPANY F, 45TH GEORGIA REGIMENT By S. H. Griswold-July 8, 1909 (in part)
Just before we left Goldsboro after training for two weeks the 2nd Ga. Battalion was sent there to be mustered out of service, their twelve months having expired. They had been at Norfolk, Va. and had drilled each day and were the best drilled troops in the state at this time. Col. Hardeman had been the Major commanding this battalion and he gave an exhibition drill before us, the public, Col. Holmes and his staff. We now had orders to go to Virginia. We marched to Goldsboro and were loaded on a train of flat cars. Co. A occupied the first car and ours the second one. As the train pulled out we gave a mighty shout.
Mr. Clark belonged to Co. A but could not go with us be- cause of an accident to his hand. We were cheered at every station by people and the waving of flags, we got to Weldon in the night after crossing the Roanoke river, on to Petersburg and Richmond where we wearily unloaded and walked to Camp Winder, next day going to Guinneas 12 miles from Fredericks- burg, where we pitched camp. I was in a tent with Jack Brooks and Burrill Winnans. We got wheat straw about a mile away
519
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
and made a bed in the corner of the tent. Next day we got a sheep from a farmer, Candler, and roasted it in a pit, and it was good.
The enemy was about ten miles away, 30,000 under McLow- ell. We took up picket duty at a crossroads two miles up, Rube Jackson and I, while other men were posted on other roads, John Pitts was on duty with us. We didn't have too much to do, until the Seven days fight around Richmond, at Hanover Junc- tion we were joined by Branches Brigade of North Carolina, we encountered McClellan's army under John Potter. We did not see any action that day, then we were at old Slash Church where Henry Clay worshipped as a boy. I was left at the old church as others went on and had an encounter with Branche's Brigade making a good fight, while we, with our wagons were going toward Asheland. Capt. George Turpin was a quartermaster in charge, R. N. Hardeman was his Sergeant, J. T. Brown was with us, as we plodded the muddy roads up hills and down, hearing the shots over us, seeing the wounded being carried by, saying that Branche's Regiment was cut up and the 45th Ga. was being killed and captured, in a few weeks the 2nd Ga. Reg. joined us. Bob Turpin, Hardeman and I had charge of getting the provisions through, but one day the going was so rough and the enemy so close we, took out the mules and left the wagons stuck in the mud, and went on galloping toward Ashland knee deep in mud, a motley crowd, hungry, cold and tired.
Dr. C. H. Hall our Co. surgeon came in and told us that our 45th Ga. Reg. was not captured, and we were so relieved, they came in at dawn, cold, wet, tired and hungry. We made great fires to dry them, and cooked what he had, but they were disappointed that we had lost their clothes and bedding, and supplies. The next morning we went back but someone had taken off everything we left. The next day we marched across the Chickahominy river and inside of Lee's lines on the day of the battle of Seven Pines. If Branch had not made such a de- termined stand we would have all been killed but the enemy thought there were more men than we had, so we did not get cut off from Richmond.
520
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
HOW WE DID AT HOME DURING THE WAR By S. H. Griswold
"I have meat enough for this year, fattening hogs enough for next year and shoats enough for the year after that, and the Lord knows what I will do then," this was told on Mr. James Finney during war times, when it was necessary that all food- stuffs, breads and meats had to be raised at home. James Finney was an excellent farmer, citizen and always grew plenty food for his own people as well as to help feed the soldiers. He had enough wool and cotton to spin and weave for his own, as well as other uses. His good wife, Mrs. Julia Finney was a superior manager and always had the wool and cotton carded and spin- ning going on. They, as others had to use the old hand loom to weave the cloth, and everything was made by hand at home.
The hides from the beef and mutton were carried to Mor- gan's tan yard in Clinton and tanned into leather, from which they made shoes for the whites and negroes, as well as harness and leggins and many other things.
Life was a busy affair from day dawn until dark. There were no oil or candles to be had so they used the tallow from the beef, poured into tin molds. Sometimes a long wick made of rags was waxed and wound around a bottle, and used as a sub- stitute for a candle. From the looms came the nicest, smoothest jeans for men's clothes and the best checked or striped homespun dress cloth. The colors were obtained from native plants.
The Finneys had smart daughters, I am calling this family by name to illustrate how the rest of the county did and lived in war times. The girls had homemade hats and shoes and home- spun dresses, but they were just as fresh and pretty as they could be. They made hairpin trimming for the collars and cuffs.
Instead of bemoaning their fate when the Federal embargo cut off the silks, laces, feathers and furs, brocades and elegant clothes, they went to work cheerfully and made the best of it all.
These girls were as busy as their mothers, whenever they sat for a minute their fingers were flying with the knitting needles for the soldiers, ____ , socks and gloves.
There was no coffee, tea, sugar, or salt. Sorghum syrup was the only sweet, and parched wheat or corn was the coffee. Salt
521
HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
water was hauled from the coast and evaporated. They managed to patch up old wagons with scrap to keep them going. One- tenth of everything they grew went to the government as a tax to feed the armies. We had enough to eat even then, until Sher- man's armies came through.
The women had hard tasks during the war. They had to do the clothes, blankets and all domestic garments for their homes as well as the negroes on their plantations and then help their soldiers and those in distress.
There was a sewing club in Clinton, where soldiers bandages, shirts and trousers and many other articles were made. A Mrs. Polly Stewart, (M.D.), mother of Jeff Stewart and others, Jab, Mrs. Park and Mrs. Greaves was the President and with other ladies of like ability they did a great job for home, and country. How the Confederacy lasted four years against the whole United States Government with plenty of supplies, and money, I will never understand. They worked their hearts out as their men also suffered hardships of all kinds.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.