1836 Cavalry

In 1836 Butts County Had Troop of Cavalry To Be Used Against Indians
Little Known Incident is Brought to Light in Paper Prepared For Butts County History Society

How many citizens of the county know that Butts county once had a troop of cavalry? In view of the present call to service this fact, brought out in a paper prepared by Mrs. J. T. Warthen and read at the meeting of the Butts County Historical Society a few months ago, will be of more than usual interest.
It was in the unsettled period of 1836 that a troop of cavalry flourished in Butts county, and the troops were used as protection against the Indians. The sketch of the troop as contained in, Mrs. Warthen's paper is as follows:
In his "Story of Georgia and Georgia People," White remarks that in 1835 the Indian population had been reduced to around five thousand. These consisted mainly of the Cherokees in northwest Georgia and wandering bands of Creeks and Seminoles in southwest Georgia. Many of the latter, who were supposed to reside in Alabama and Florida, made raids on the cattle and possessions of the settlers and caused much apprehension and, as Governor Wilson Lumpkin often remarked, "many perplexities." In 1836 there was trouble with the Creeks in South Alabama. This is sometimes called the Creek War.
To be ready for trouble that might come, companies of infantry and cavalry were formed in many Georgia counties. On May 27, 1836, the company from Culloden, Monroe county, was ordered by Governor Schley to march to Columbus. At this time Henry county had a company of infantry, and Butts county a company of cavalry. Muster rolls of these two companies are in the Miscellaneous files of the two counties at Rhodes Memorial, Atlanta. There are no records of orders to march. With the muster roll of the Butts Count Cavalry is a militia census of the county, which, while it is undated, is presumably of the same date.
The roll of the Butts County Cavalry is as follows:
Butts County Cavalry, attached to 59th Regiment, February 12, 1836. Command: Thomas Wilson, captain; David J. Bailey, 1st Lieut.; Wiley W. Gaither, 2nd Lieut.; Robert Lawson, cornet.
Robert C. Mays, quartermaster; Benjamin S. Roan, bugleman; Hampton T. Dicken, 1st sergeant; John T. Davis, 2nd sergeant; Masten D. Hendrick, 3rd sergeant;. J. W. Morris, 4th sergeant.
Stephen Bailey, surgeon; John W. Randal, 1st corporal; James W. Williams, 2nd corporal; John A. Mehair, 3rd corporal; William Mercer, 4th corporal.
Privates: William Davis, Benjamin S. Moore, William J. Bryson, William L. Wilson, Green B. Morris, J. M. Fergerson, James W. Davis, William Carmichael, Thomas Folds, Archibald Tanner, Austin Clayton, William H. Roberts, William Bledsoe.
David Smith, John W. Roan, William Simpson, Solomon Ray, William G. Preston, John Phillips Jr., James W. Gunn, Peyton T. Payne, James D. Gray, Jonathan G. Davis, William. E. Jones, John Higgins, Robert Mayhair, Jefferson Bankston, Patton Wise, Bluford Blessett, Charles Wright, Charles D. Moore, James N. MctRae, William Smith; Obediah Byers, John Smith, Thomas R. Gresham, Robert D. Cannon, Robert Going, Jonathan Davis.
Summary of military census of Butts county, undated, but filed with muster roll of Butts County Cavalry and presumably of the same date.
Between 16 and 17 years, 25; between 17 and 18, 22; between 18 and 45, 77; between 45 and 50, 45; between 50 and 60, 63. Militia proper, 146; reserve, 88. Total 234.
Occupations: Farmer 137; overseer 4; miller 3; physician 5; merchant 4; teacher 3; mechanic 7; student 39; harness maker 1; lawyer 2;. minister 5; hotel keeper 2; bookkeeper 1; factory employee 12; blacksmith 1; tailor 1; postmaster 1; none, 6.
Nationalities, etc.: Georgia 171; South Carolina 26; North Carolina 16; Virginia 10; Alabama 1; Louisiana 2; Scotland 1; United States 3; none, 4.
Horses for cavalry, 54; saddles for cavalry, 50; bridles for cavalry, 50; shotguns, good condition, 50; rifles, good condition, 15.
The cavalry is said to have been stationed for awhile at Hawkinsville, Ga.

(Jackson Progress-Argus - Nov 21, 1940)

Submitted by V. S. Harrison

This page was last updated Sunday, 17-Nov-2013 07:11:02 MST


   If you have information that would benefit other researchers,
please email to and it will be published on this website.

The information contained on this website is not intended for commercial use.
It may be used for personal genealogical research, but it can not be used in any compilation, publication,
collection, or other reproduction for profit without written permission from both the submitter and the webmaster.

  

 

Copyright © 2003 - 2014