Organizational Meeting of the United Daughter of the Confederacy

Organizational Meeting of the United Daughters of the Confederacy

Social Circle, Georgia on 10 August 1910 at the Garrett House

 

This document provides a short biographical sketch of the CSA Veterans who were in attendance at the first meeting (in alphabetical order):

J. B. Avery (James Bradley): 

James Bradley Avery was the son of Samuel (1819-1867) and Martha (nee Cook 1828-1876) Avery.  He was born 23 May 1846 In Putnam, Georgia and is listed in the 1850 and 1860 Federal census in that area.  At age 17 he enlisted as a Private in Company A, 17th Georgia Infantry, CSA on 9 September 1863.  His name appears on the “muster-in-roll” of Captain William B. Stubbs’ Company A on 11 September 1863 in Eatonton, Georgia by Lt. B. F. Johnson “for the war.”  He is present on the next record for the period to 29 February 1864; for March and April 1864; for June (sick in camp since 26 June 1864); July and August 1864; September and October 1864 (note has never received any pay); and November and December 1864.  His last entry on his service record is “Honorably Discharged” in Greensborough, NC on 26 April 1865.

Following the war, James married Amanda Elizabeth Myers (1847 – 1916) on 10 December 1867 in Walton County, Georgia.  The couple had three children: Samuel Richard (1868-1948); Pearl (1872-1946); and Alma (1881-1956).  The family is in the Walton County, GA Federal census from 1870 to 1920.  His occupation is listed as a “house carpenter.”  There is an application from him for a Confederate Pension on 31 Oct 1925 in Palmetto, Manatee, FL.  His daughter Pearl was a Charter Member of the UDC Chapter in Social Circle.  She married Webb B Willis.

James Bradley Avery died on 9 Oct 1933 in Palmetto, Manatee, FL.  He and his wife are buried in Section 9 of the Social Circle City Cemetery, Walton County, GA.  On May 21, 2011, there was an “Iron Cross Ceremony” to mark his grave with the CSA monument for his service.  It was attended by two of his great granddaughters.

W. C. Bailey (William Clark): 

William Clark Bailey was born 5 January 1846 and died 20 November 1927. In the book “Wayfarers in Walton,” W. C. Bailey is shown in a list of Confederate Pension Applications from Walton County with his service listed as Company F, 10th Georgia Cavalry, and State Guards.   He married Sarah B. Meriwether in 1864.  The family is shown in the 1900 and 1910 Federal census for the area.  There were four children listed on the census for the marriage: Loulie Meriwether (1871-1939), Jessie (1877-1945), Robert Young (1879-1934), and Lucie Meriwether (1884-1957).  All members of this family are buried in the Social Circle City Cemetery, Walton County, Georgia.

 

J. J. Eckles:

Joshua J. Eckles (1847-1928) was the son of Douglas (1817-1873) and Angeline (nee Ivey 1820-1901), who were married 12 May, 1839.  Joshua enlisted as a Private in Company H, 4th Regiment Infantry of the Georgia State Militia (p.669, “Wayfarers in Walton”).  He married H. Elizabeth “Lizzie” (unknown 1857-1945) in 1875.  In the 1880 Federal census, the family was living in Walton County, Georgia with two children, Homer (1887) and Ella Mae (1880) with his mother; in 1900 there are four children Ella Mae (1880), Robert Dean (1884-1910), Julia Bell ((1888) and Nell ((1892).  Joshua, H. Elizabeth and son Robert Dean Eckles are all buried in the Social Circle City Cemetery, Walton County, Georgia.

James Monroe Gresham: 

James Monroe Gresham was the son of William (b 1809 KY – 1864 GA) and Mary Eleanor (nee Stroud 1820-1850) Gresham.  He was born 24 Dec 1840 in Walton County, Georgia and is listed in the 1850 through 1910 Federal census in that county.  He enlisted on 4 March 1862 as a Junior Lieutenant 2nd in Company H, 42nd Infantry Regiment.  He was promoted to full Lieutenant 2nd Class on 11 November 1862. (See attached description of the Walton County Tigers and prison life Johnson’s Island, Sandusky, Ohio where he was a prisoner.)

After the war, James Monroe Gresham (24 Dec 1940 – 5 Jul 1913) married Martha Catherine (nee Atkinson 15 Jun 1844 – 3 Jul 1903) on 14 November 1865 (she would not marry him until after the war!).  They had nine children: Lena (1867-1952), William Jeptha (1868-1930), James Orion (1870-1943), May (1872-1902), Maude (1875-1967), John Robert (1877-1896), Joseph Johnson (1881-1883), Albert Sidney (1882-1912), Katie Dell (1886-1887).  His daughter Lena was a charter member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy chapter which was named for her father. 

James served two terms in the Georgia legislature (State house of Representatives for Walton County from 1884 to 1887); was a school teacher; and a planter on property in an area known as “Greshamville” and later Whitney near the Alcovy Mountain.  They are both buried with other members in the Gresham Family Cemetery on property which was part of the farm in Walton County, Georgia.

Note:  After the death of his first wife, he married Susan R. Kilgore Cagle (Dec 1850 - 4 Jul 1929) and she was also a Charter Member of the UDC chapter joining under the service of her father, J. H. Kilgore.

 

Elisha M. Herndon:   Elisha M. Herndon was the son of Francis M (1822-1904) and Mary Ann (nee Mayo 1829-1891) Herndon.  He was born 11 August 1847 in Walton County, Georgia and is listed in the 1850 through 1910 Federal census for that area.  He enlisted as a Private in Captain William L Ritter’s Company of the Georgia Light Artillery.  He was taken prisoner of war on 4 May 1865 with the surrender of Lt. General Richard Taylor, commander of 12,000 troops of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana in Cintonelle, Alabama.  Under the terms of the surrender, the officers were able to keep their side arms and horses and Taylor was able to retain control of the railways and river steamers to transport the troops as near as possible to their homes.  He stayed in Meridian until the last man was gone.  Herndon was paroled 11 May, 1865 In Meridian, Mississippi.   No other information about his service is available.

After the war, he returned to Walton County, Georgia and married Sarah Angeline “Sallie” Ivey on 28 January, 1868.  There were four children of that marriage:  son (20 April to 1 May 1869); Horace Hilyer (1872-1923); Emory Speer (1874-1960) and Leola (1877-1878).  Elisha died on 19 October, 1914 and is buried in the Social Circle City Cemetery, Walton County, Georgia along with other members of his family including his wife (20 Nov 1842 – 19 Mar 1914).  Other members of the Herndon family are buried in the Annie Mary Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery which is also known as the “Herndon Cemetery.”

J. D. McDowell:

Joseph D McDowell was the son of Joseph and Mary Margaret (nee Queen) McDowell.  He was born in December 1841 and appears in the 1850 Federal census in Habersham, Georgia.  His parents are shown as from North Carolina.  He married Jeanette R. Williams on 14 December 1876. In her pension application he is shown as enlisting on 4 Mar 1862 in Company H of the 42nd Georgia Regiment; his date of death is shown as 13 Aug 1915 in Social Circle, Ga.    In the Federal census records he is shown as a house carpenter.  There is one son on the 1910 Federal census, Clarence McDowell who is shown as a locomotive engineer.

D. H. Mobley:  David Harrison Mobley was the son of Thomas M (1813-1885) and Harriett (nee Coleman 1822-1895) Mobley and was born in Walton County, GA on 16 June 1840.  He enlisted 16 September 1861 as a Corporal Company G, 35th Georgia Regiment Brig, Gen. Edward Thomas’ Brigade (Walton Sharpshooters), Maj. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox’s Division, Third Army Corps under command of Lieut. Gen. A. P. Hill.  He was promoted to full Fifth Sergeant; and then Full Comm. Sergeant.  He was wounded at the “Battle of the Wilderness” as per an account on file at the Georgia Achieves as part of a collection of Civil War histories and memories collected from Georgia Veterans.  Evans Camp where the account was recorded was the Civil War Veteran’s unit in Decatur, GA where Mobley lived before his death.  He received a paroled 9 April 1865 at the Appomattox Court House, Virginia.

On 7 December 1865 he married Frances E. Blasingame (23 July 1843- 6 March 1887).  There were twelve children of this marriage: Cora Lee (1866-1943); Junius Berry (1868-1953); Osgood Horatio (1870-1871); Maggie (1876-1964); Elizabeth Lida Ann Amanda  (1871-1944); Charles Jeffrice (1873-1956); Harriett L (1874-1960); Michael Camilla (1877-1948); Laura S (1879-1942); Mehetabel Vashti (1883-1968); Thomas Powell (1885-1975); and Mattie Eudora (Mar 1887).  Frances Mobley died on 6 March 1887 probably from complications of the birth of her last child.  She is buried in the Mobley Family Cemetery in Walton County, Georgia.

After the death of his first wife, David Mobley married Sarah Tyre “Dolly” Hayes (21 February 1857 – 13 July 1933) in Newton, GA on 20 Jan 1887.  There were three children of that marriage:  Marvin (1890-1973); Benjamin Harvey (1895-1957); and Winnie D (1899-1989).  David (16 Jun 1840 – 17 Jul 1929, date of interment) and his wife Sarah are buried in the old Decatur Cemetery in DeKalb County, Georgia.

W. H. Stanton (William “Billy” Henry):

William H. Stanton (12 August 1848 – 29 June 1935) was the son of John (1814) and Louisa (1820) Stanton.  He is first listed on the 1850 and then through 1880 Federal census records for Newton County, Georgia.  In the 1900 Federal census he is shown living in Social Circle, Walton County with his wife, Lilla G. (nee unknown 16 Nov 1864 – 10 Nov 1919) with three children: William Chester (1884-1938); Mellie Clyde (1886-1960); and Lena G. (1890-1988; De La Perriere).   His occupation is shown as “landlord.”   The year of marriage is shown as 1884.  There is another child listed in the 1910 Federal census: Lilla May (1902-1989; Walthour); it also indicated that there were five children of the marriage with only four living.  William H. Stanton and members of his family are buried in the Social Circle City, Walton County, GA.  He filed for a pension 16 Dec 1926 in Walton County, and listed that he served with Company B, 10th Georgia Cavalry.  His pension was denied as they could not find a record of his service.  He is listed in the cemetery as having a CSA marker.

John William Whatley:

John William Whatley (20 July 1840 – 18 January 1918) was the son of Judson Paschal and America (nee Marble) Whatley.  He was born in Oconee County, GA.  He married Martha Elena Herndon in 1864 in Walton County, GA. There were four children born to this couple:  Infant daughter (14 Feb 1868); Sarah (1867-1919); Mary Elena (1869-1942); and James F. (1870-1947).  In the 1900 Federal census his occupation is listed as “Landlord.”  He enlisted in Company K, 3rd Regiment Georgia Volunteers (in pension list) Wright’s brigade, Anderson’s Division, A. D. Hill’s Corp. Army of Northern Virginia.  He lost his left arm at the battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse on 14 May 1864.  This information is taken from “Walton County Cemeteries (West) published in 2002.  He and his wife and the infant that died at birth are buried in the Annie Mary Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Walton County, Georgia, also known as the Herndon Cemetery.

 

 

   

This document was prepared 14 November 2012 by Annette M. Wade, ( [email protected] )Historian, James Monroe Gresham Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Social Circle, Walton County, Ga., his great granddaughter.