This transcription provided courtesy Martye Jeffords ( [email protected] )

DAVID HARRISON MOBLEY

written by himself

                        I was brought up on the farm on Cornish Creek [in Walton County ,GA - flowed into Newton County – mj], and at about the age of seven or eight years my father put me to plowing.  I was small for one of my age.  There were a number of boys and girls in our community about my age and I had about as good and bad associations as was common in that day.  I had as good common school advantages as was common in that day.  The first school that I entered was taught by Uncle Chapman Mobley, who taught only reading and arithmetic - as far as the single rule of three.  He could not teach grammar.  

            As I grew older I attended the better grades of schools.  My father wanted me to study medicine, but it did not appeal to me, and when I was about grown I chose to teach school and finish my education.  This was the year before the War Between the States broke out.  I enlisted in Dr. W. S. Barrett’s 35th Georgia Regiment, and served throughout the War in Virginia .  I was wounded in the Wilderness Battle on the morning of the 6th of April, 1864.  I was soon after promoted to Commissary Sergeant of the 35th Georgia Regiment on my return to Camp from the hospital at Lynchburg , Virginia .  I was present at the Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, saw General Lee and General Grant meet for the last time at or near the apple tree on the morning of the 9th of April, 1865.  I was among the number who took General Lee by the hand and bade him goodbye.  The last words he said to us were very impressive, and there was not a dry eye among us, as he said with his sweet, sad expression, “Go home boys, and be men”.

             On arriving home, worn out from the long trip, mostly on foot, badly clad, almost barefooted and without a hat, I found my people had been overrun by Sherman ’s Army and had been left almost without food.  The question was - “What shall I do?”  I entered the school at Centerville [re-named Jersey – mj] being taught by J.O. A. Radford, taking lessons and assisting him with a few of his classes.  In the summer of that year I took a three months school at Sardis Church [Sardis Baptist Church in Walton County near Flat Creek – mj], and on the 7th day of December, 1865, I married Miss Fannie E. Blasingame, and settled at Centerville , Georgia , now Jersey .  I began teaching again there and continued to teach for several years.  To us were born there a large family of children.