John J. Stacks was born in Georgia on October 24, 1829.
On October 16, 1850, John lived in the home of Sarah A. Burke (age 38) in the 29th District of Fayette County, Georgia. He was a 20-year-old farmer. An 18-year-old male named Thomas Murphy also lived in the home. He too worked as a farmer.
About early 1855, John married Sarah C. Phillips and together they had five children—James William Stacks (October 1855), Mary Frances Stacks (1858), Martha Stacks (1860), Andrew J. Stacks (1862), and Enoch Stacks (1867).
On July 9, 1860, John and his family lived in Fayetteville, Fayette County, Georgia. John worked as a timber cutter. His wife Sarah was enumerated as a domestic. Sarah’s mother, Mary A. Phillips, 50 years old and born in Ireland, lived in the home.
On March 1, 1863, at the age of 35, John enlisted and was mustered into service as a private with Company E of the 64th Regiment Georgia Volunteers, Wright’s Brigade. He was eventually promoted to the rank of 1st Sergeant. On July 30, 1864 during the Battle of the Crater near Petersburg, Virginia, John was lying down after a charge and hit by a cannonball shell after it struck the ground two or three times. It dislocated his right hip, then struck him in the groin mashing his right testicle. He was knocked over about 10 feet from the blow, suffering a dislocated right shoulder. On August 16, 1864, John was taken prisoner at Deep Bottom, Virginia. He was sent to Point Lookout Prisoner of War Camp in Maryland, exchanged on November 1, and paroled on November 15 to be sent home.
John’s wife Sarah died during childbirth at the age of 33 on May 10, 1867. Their infant son, Enoch Stacks, died two months later on July 23, 1867. Both were buried at Shadnor First Baptist Church Cemetery in Union City, Fulton County, Georgia.
On August 2, 1870, John and his remaining four children—James, Mary, Martha, and Andrew—still lived in Fayetteville. John had the help of a 36-year-old female named Nancy Ewing, who lived and worked as a domestic servant in the home. John, a farmer, had real estate valued at $500 and a personal estate at $175. His son James worked as a farm laborer. The children ranged in age from 15 to 8.
John took a second wife, a widow named Sarah Elizabeth “McEachen” Cook, on November 9, 1873 in Fayette County. She had previously been married to Mr. H. T. Cook who had died in 1862 while in the Confederate service. Sarah and Mr. Cook had one child who died shortly after his father. I will note here that Sarah’s name shows up in the paper trail as both Sarah and Elizabeth so I’ll list her as “Sarah Elizabeth” going forward.
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John Stacks and Sarah Elizabeth McEachen marriage certificate |
Sarah Elizabeth gave birth to an infant daughter, born and died on August 16, 1874. She was buried in the Stacks family plot at Shadnor First Baptist Church Cemetery
On June 1, 1880, John and his family lived in Red Oak, Campbell County, Georgia. By this time, only Andrew (age 17) was living at home. John worked as a farmer with 35 acres of tilled land and 15 acres of woodland. His farm was valued at $1,000 and farming implements and machinery at $200. John had livestock valued at $200 which he had spent $50 building fences for. He purchased $190 worth of fertilizer and paid $100 for farm labor wages that year. John was probably assisted on the farm by a 17-year-old male named Steward Henderson who was enumerated as mulatto with the occupation of labor. Andrew’s birthplace was enumerated as Alabama instead of Georgia in this census record. At this point in my research, I haven’t found a paper trail connecting John to Alabama so perhaps the enumerator mislabeled the birthplace for Andrew and Steward. I can’t confirm that though. Andrew, only 20 years old, died on March 24, 1883. He was buried in the Stacks family plot at Shadnor First Baptist Church Cemetery. John suffered from the effects of the injuries he received during the war which had rendered him unable to perform ordinary manual labor the rest of his life. He applied for a confederate pension in Campbell County on May 31, 1889 and was allowed a yearly pension of $50 from 1889 until his death in 1913.
On July 3, 1900, John and Sarah Elizabeth still lived in Red Oak. They had been married for 36 years. John was still farming and owned their home, classified as a farm, free and clear. Sarah Elizabeth was enumerated as having had one child who was not living. Both John and Sarah Elizabeth were able to read and write.
On May 4, 1910, John and Sarah Elizabeth still lived in Red Oak, along the Atlanta and West Point Rail Road. John’s son James and his family, including 10 children, lived next door. At age 81, John worked as a farmer on a general farm. Like the 1900 census record, they were enumerated as having been married for 36 years.
John died in Campbell County, Georgia on May 31, 1913. He was buried with his first wife and children at Shadnor First Baptist Church Cemetery in Union City.
Sarah Elizabeth applied for a widow’s pension after his death.
The application included an affidavit where she swore she was left with no land, livestock, money, income, or savings when John died. An annual return filed by his son James with the Campbell County Court of Ordinary in 1914, however, showed John had assets worth $2,008.55 at the time of his death:
Cash in Fairburn Banking Co. - $1664.00
Cash on hand at death of John J. Stacks (after paying for Coffin, Tombstone, Burial expenses for said John J. Stacks) - $170.00
Received from sale of 1 cow (private sale) - $30.00
Received from sale of Brace & bits (private sale) - $1.25
Received from sale of Grindstone (private sale) - $1.00
Received from sale of Cotton seed (private sale) - $21.16
Received from sale of Buggy (private sale) - $10.00
Received from sale of rent from H. C. Willims [sic] - $30.00
Received from sale of wood from H C. Willims - $5.25
Received from sale of wagon from H. C. Willims - $21.00
Received from rent from H. C. Williams - $30.00
Received from estate from unknown source - $24.89
Total - $2008.55
After paying out an inheritance to his wife Sarah Elizabeth and children, along with his debts, there was a balance of $75.15. Sarah Elizabeth received $1023.06 cash, one cow and calf worth $40, household and kitchen furniture, and 10 acres of land in the southwest corner of lot No. 127. His children Mary, Martha, and James each received $250. James received $25 for executor fees, $29.85 for probate expenses, $3.70 to publish notices in the Campbell News, and $23.18 from King Hardware. A total of $14.83 was paid to the Campbell County tax collector for John’s property.
Since the cemetery is less than a half hour from Randy’s home, we took the opportunity to visit his gravesite today, one veteran to another—John a veteran of the Civil War, and Randy, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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Stacks family plot  |
References
- Atlanta and West Point Railroad; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_and_West_Point_Railroad.
- Jno. J. Stacks and Elizabeth McEachern marriage certificate, State of Georgia, Fayette County, November 1873.
- John J. Stacks, Campbell County Court of Ordinary-Annual Returns: Fulton County, Georgia.
- John J. Stacks, Georgia, U.S., Confederate Pension Applications, 1879-1960.
- John J. Stacks, U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles.
- John J. Stacks, U.S., Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865.
- U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, District 499, Campbell, Georgia, 1880.
- U.S. Federal Census, District 499, Campbell County, Georgia, 1880.
- U.S. Federal Census, Fayette County, Georgia, 1850.
- U.S. Federal Census, Fayetteville, Fayette County, Georgia, 1860, 1870.
- U.S. Federal Census, Red Oak, Campbell County, Georgia, 1900, 1910.
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