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Land Scandal Compiled by Scott B. Thompson, Sr.
The Gem City Company, Dublin, GA, 1997

The lands lying between the Oconee and Ocmulgee Rivers and generally south of Interstate Highway 16 was the focal point of the largest
land title litigation in the history of Georgia. Most of the land was filled with virgin long leaf and yellow pines. The lands were
granted through a lottery system in the Land Lottery of 1807. Grants were made in lots of 202.5 acres with some fractional land lots
running along the rivers or land district boundaries. Many of the lots were extremely isolated from the populated areas around Dublin,
Hawkinsville, and Jacksonsville. The residents, mainly farmers, put little or no value to the trees. Peter J. Williams of Milledgeville
sought out and purchased many of the lots from dissatisfied owners. Many other lots to which the grants had lapsed were purchased by
Williams from the State of Georgia.  In the 1830s a group of New England land speculators became
interested in the land. Williams sold the land, about the size of the state of Delaware, to Stephen Chase of Maine, Abram Colby of New
Hampshire, and Samuel Crocker of Maine on February 28, 1834. The Georgia Lumber Company was created by an act of the Georgia
Legislature on December 17, 1834. Three weeks later the three men sold the land, measuring 296,055 acres, to the Georgia Lumber
Company on January 5, 1835 for the sum of $5.00. The property was sold to the State of Indiana for a quarter of a million dollars in
settlement of lawsuit over the dissolution of the company. At the time of that sale in September, 1842, Elisha B. Strong was the
president of the company. During the 1840s and early 1850s some of the land was sold by local sheriffs to satisfy property tax liens.

These lots were purchased by local people who immediately moved onto the land and improved it. On December 1, 1849 Gov.

Paris C. Duning of Indiana quitclaimed the lands to Martin Green of Indiana in settlement of a $240,000.00 note involving the state,

the lumber company, and the Bank of Western New York. Green then sold a 7/16 share for 9,187 dollars to Amos Davis of New York on

June 12, 1850. Green then sold another 7/16 share to Samuel Brooks of New York for the same amount two years later. Green sold the

remaining share to William Chauncey of New York on the same day. Davis then divided his interest selling to William Chauncey, Charles

Illins of New York City, Edmund Munroe of Boston, and Charles Peabody of New York City. Samuel Brooks divided his interest selling

to Randolph Martin of New York City, Joseph M. Sanderson of New York, and Joseph Bolesier of New York. During the height of

reconstruction William Pitt Eastman of New York City began buying all of the shares of the lands. Eastman sold the property to Anson

G. Phelps Dodge on June 8, 1870. Dodge then transferred the lands to a new company, the Georgia Land and Lumber
Company. On February 6, 1877 George E. Dodge purchased the property from the company and appointed Anson G. Phelps Dodge

as his attorney in fact to manage the affairs of the business in Georgia. The Dodge family, especially the Rev. Anson Dodge, Jr., were central
characters in Eugenia Prices's "Beloved Invader." By the mid 1880s much of the land lying along the Macon and
Brunswick Railroad had been stripped of timber. In 1884 a federal government study revealed that there was a billion board feet of
virgin pine timber still standing in southern Laurens County alone. That is enough lumber to build a 4 inch by inch plank all the way to
the moon and back or to build a seven foot wall around the circumference of the Earth. George E. Dodge sold the land to Norman
W. Dodge in June of 1888. As more and more railroads were cut through the area, more and more timber was cut. The choice heart
pine timber was shipped all over the world. Timbers from the area were used in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.
For the most part the timber lands had been kept intact by the owners for nearly a half century. Norman W. Dodge immediately began
selling off tracts on which the timber had been cut. As the area became more attractive to settlers many squatters and bona fide
settlers claimed land belonging to Dodge. The area was subjected to a small war in which nearly three dozen people were assassinated.
After nearly all of the good timber was gone Norman W. Dodge filed a suit in the Federal court to quiet title to the lands.
The suit was tried in a Georgia Federal Court and a decision was rendered giving Dodge title to some of lands outright and to others
upon the payment of money. Other lots were decreed to be the property of the defendants outright or upon the payment of money to
Dodge. Norman Dodge died shortly after Judge Emory Speer rendered his opinion on December 2, 1902. Eventually all of Dodge's lands
were sold by his heirs ending one of the most bitter and most fascinating times in the history of northern Wiregrass Georgia.
The lands covered in this lawsuit lie in current day Laurens, Dodge, Wheeler, Telfair, Pulaski, and Bleckley Counties.

The following is a list of the defendants in the Case of Norman W. Dodge vs. L.L. Williams, et al filed on June 25, 1894 in the Circuit
Court of the United States for the Western Division of the Southern District of Georgia. The courts final decree is filed in Deed Book
22, pages 214, et seq., Laurens County Records.
* Defendants who died during the pendency of the litigation: Abbott, Jordan; Anderson, Robert H.; Baggett, John R.; Barber, J.F.;
Barron, J.W.; Bass, Joe; Bedingfield, John W. *; Berryhill, J.T.L.; Bowen, A.J. or A.M., adm.; Branch, Dave; Braswell, K.; Brown, Jesse;
Browning, Sarah; Burch, B.T.; Burch, Ben; Burch, D.W.; Burch, Rebecca E.; Burney, Calvin; Busby, Oliver; Bussey, W.K.;
Cameron, John by W.T. Yawn, Adm.; Carter, William; Clark, Elizabeth Ann; Clark, Harlow; Clark, J.A.; Clark, J.M.; Clark, Jerry;
Clark, R.N.; Clark, Tom; Clements, J.C.; Cobb, Mary L.; Coleman, A.T.; Coleman, Sam; Coleman, W.R.; Collins, W.C.; Conley, Green
Conley, William; Couey, Eliza now Saturday; Couey, William; Cravey, John A.; Cravey, W.H.; Curry, J.T.; Curry, Rebecca, now Ryals;

Daniels, B.; Daniels, M.; Darsey, Mrs. M.; Dent, J.D.; Dowdy, Carrie; Dowdy, John J.; Dowdy, Tom F.; Dowdy, W.H., agt for wife;
Early, Harriet; Evans, Doc; Evans, J.R.; Evans, Lat; Evans, N.; Fielder, J.F.; Floyd, Archie O.; Floyd, Mary E.; Fordham, J.M.; Fountain, W.C.;
Fussell, Jacob agt for wife; Garrison, W.M.; Gay, Clem; Gay, J.B.; Gay, Joseph V.; Gay, N.F. *; Gilder, Freeman; Gilder, W.M. and his wife;
Gillis, Hugh, Sr.; Gillis, John N.; Graham, A.A.; Graham, Nancy A.; Green, Frank; Guest, B.J.; Hall, Mary J.; Hall, W.; Hamilton, Joe (colored);
Hardeman, N.H. or Hardin; Harrell, Charles; Harrelson, Elizabeth; Harrelson, R.R.; Harrelson, W.O.; Hart, John; Hobbs, Jordan; Hobbs, T.J.;
Holliday, W.F.; Horton, James N.; Hughlett, A.J.; Hulett, F.E. agt for wife; Hulett, Lou; Johns, Mrs. M.J.; Johnson, Ed; Joiner, Warren;
Jones, Robert; Kelly, James A.; Kinchen, J.T.; Kinchen, Mrs. E.E.; Knight, W.T.; Knowles, Reuben; Lancaster, George; Law, A.J.; Livingston, B.C.;
Lock, J.R. *; Lowery, B.L.; Lowery, Isiah; Lowery, Mrs. Mathias; Lowery, W.A.J.Adams, Charles D.; Andrews, W.H.; Ballew, A.;
Barber, Jane F. *; Bass, James; Bedingfield, B.J.; Bedingfield, W.A.; Boney, A.J.; Bowen, M.E.; Branch, Thomas; Brewer, H.D.;
Brown, W.; Bryant, Allen; Burch, B.W.; Burch, C.O. *; Burch, R.F.; Burch, W.G.; Burney, Green; Bussey, P.W.; Byron, John; Carpenter, Jane;
Cates, J.H.; Clark, H.M.; Clark, Henry S.; Clark, J.C.; Clark, J.T.; Clark, Newton; Clark, T.A.; Clark, W.A., Agent; Clements, Wesley T.;
Coffee, John B.; Coleman, Amy B.; Coleman, W.A.; Coleman, William; Comer, Henry; Conley, James R.; Corder, Newton *;
Couey, P.D.; Cravey, D.C., agt. for wife; Cravey, L.M.; Curry, D.M.; Curry, John F.; Daniel, A.B.; Daniels, J.W.; Darsey, Ann;
Davis, Tom; Donaldson, Cynthia A.; Dowdy, Elizabeth; Dowdy, T.I.; Dowdy, W. Henry; Dumas, Mrs. W.T.; Edge, William;
Evans, Elisha; Evans, Joseph; Evans, N.; Fausett, R.N.; Floyd, Dempsey; Floyd, Martha; Floyd, Mary E.; Fordham, S.W.;
Frizzells, B.M.; Garrison, E.C.; Gay, A.M., admr. N.F. Gay; Gay, Frank; Gay, Joe; Gay, Maggie L., wid/o R.A. Rountree;
Giddings, Bunk, or William B.; Gilder, John; Gillis, Hugh G.; Gillis, John *; Gillis, N.; Graham, D.B.; Green, D.I. or D.J.;
Grimes, Jackson; Hall, Joe & agt. for wife; Hall, Morgan; Hall, W.T.; Hand, H.A.; Hardin, N.H. or Hardeman; Harrell, W.A.;
Harrelson, H.H.; Harrelson, Sam; Harrison, D.R. & agt. for wife; Hill, Roland; Hobbs, Lem; Holliday, Fred; Horne, Lee;
Hughlett, A.D.; Hughlett, D.J.; Hulett, J.J.; Hulett, Mary; Johnson, E.; Joiner, J.W.; Jones, J.G.; Kelly, D.O.; Kinchen, J.E.
Kinchen, James; Knight, R.G.B.;Knowles, David; Lamb, Doctor; Lancaster, Miles A.; Lewis, Sam; Livingston, W.W.;
Lott, Henry; Lowery, Cullen; Lowery, J.H.; Lowery, S.L.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laurens County Headright Grants 1784-1903

Grants from 1784-1793 were all located in Washington County, Grants from 1793-1811 were in Washington and Montgomery

Counties.  Grants from 1811-1903 were in Laurens County.  Some of the granted lands were given to Johnson County in 1857.

Georgia Bounty Land Grant Information

The bounties were awarded as follows:
Private in Georgia Line 230
Lieutenant in Militia 460
Major in Georgia Line  920
Private in Minute Battalions 287 ½
Lieutenant in Minute Battalions 460
Refugee Captain in Militia 977 ½
Private in Militia  287 ½
Lieutenant in Georgia Line 460
Lt. Colonel in Georgia Line 1035
Refugee Private in Militia 287 ½
Refugee Private in Militia (also Citizen) 575
Lt. Colonel in Militia 1035
Seaman in Galleys 287 ½

Captain in Militia 575
Lt. Colonel in Minute Battalions 1035
Citizen 287 ½
Captain in Minute Battalions 575
Colonel in Militia 1150
Deserter from British 287 ½
Refugee Sergeant in Militia (also Citizen) 632 ½
Colonel in Georgia Line 1150
Sergeant in Minute Battalions 345
Captain in Georgia Line  690
Refugee Major in Militia 1207 ½
Sergeant in Militia 345
Refugee Lieutenant in Militia 747 ½
Brigadier General in Militia 1955
Sergeant in Georgia Line 345
Major in Militia 920
Refugee Sergeant in Militia 345
Major in Minute Battalions 920

The land set aside for the veterans of the Georgia Line or Continental Line, as it was previously called, was a tremendous tract known as the Bounty Reserve

or simply the Reserve, located in the south end of old Franklin County and the north end of old Washington County. The same territory is today part

of Oconee, Oglethorpe and Greene Counties, lying between the Oconee and Appalachee rivers.