Jesse Shivers, Continental Line Musician

As part of my ongoing series honoring America’s approaching 250th anniversary, I turn next to the life and service of Jesse Shivers, a Pitt County native who served as a musician in the North Carolina Continental Line.

Jesse Shivers was born around 1760, almost certainly in Pitt County, North Carolina, where he lived his entire life along the Tar River and the branches of Mark’s Swamp. He was one of at least eight children of Jonas and Sarah (“Sary”) Shivers: Jesse, Jonas Jr., Shadrach, Amasa, Mary, Elizabeth, Nancy, and Bethia. The Shivers family had settled along the Tar River and Mark’s Swamp by the 1760s, and Jesse grew up among the Briley, Davis, Ewell, and Rodgers families who appear repeatedly in later deeds.

Jesse is connected to my family through my paternal grandfather, Carroll Harvey Lankford Sr. His mother, Alice Beman Lankford, was married to Robert Dawson Callaway. Through that marriage, the line descends as follows: Jesse Shivers Sr. → Jesse Shivers Jr. → Mahala Eliza Ann Shivers → Lemuel Lunceford Callaway → Robert Dawson Callaway → Alice Beman Lankford → Carroll Harvey Lankford.

At about 18 years old, Jesse entered military service during the middle years of the Revolutionary War. On “the last of April or first of May 1778,” he enlisted at Martinborough (now Greenville) for a nine-month term in the North Carolina Continental Line. He served as a musician—an enlisted soldier responsible for carrying commands by fife or drum, not a hired helper—in Captain Francis Child’s company of Colonel James Hogun’s regiment. State records show that he was mustered on July 20, 1778, receiving his enrollment certificate while passing through Petersburg, Virginia. He also appears in The State Records of North Carolina, vol. XVI (1899), listed as “Shivers, Jes., musc.” in Child’s Company, 10th Regiment, confirming his role and regiment in the compiled military abstracts.

 

Jesse as he appears in The State Records of North Carolina, vol. XVI (1899)

Musicians were essential to eighteenth‑century military life. Their fifes and drums carried commands across the noise of camp and battlefield, regulated marching cadence, and structured the daily routine. Jesse’s records do not specify whether he was a fifer or drummer, but his role placed him at the center of regimental communication and discipline.

Jesse later testified that he “served until about the first of May 1779,” when he was discharged at Halifax, North Carolina. He stated that he “was in no battle,” which was true of many who marched north during that year. The Continental Army needed men to hold the line, to keep the regiments intact, and to support the larger movements of Washington’s forces. Jesse did exactly that. His 1819 pension testimony, given more than 40 years later, matches the details of his 1778–1779 service exactly, confirming the reliability of his recollections.

In November 1785, the State of North Carolina issued Jesse a pay voucher for £26.10.0, the standard compensation for a nine‑month Continental soldier. It was a modest sum, but it represented the state’s acknowledgment of his service. 

State of North Carolina pay voucher for Jesse Shivers

After returning home, Jesse resumed farming in the Mark’s Swamp neighborhood, where he quickly began acquiring land. His name appears in county deeds by the late 1780s, already established within the Mark’s Swamp–Tar River community. The name of his wife is unknown; no surviving deed, probate record, or court entry identifies her. Census records, however, show that Jesse had a large family. The 1790 enumeration lists 1 adult male, 1 adult female, 3 sons under 16, and 3 daughters. By 1800, Jesse appears as the sole adult in a household of 12 children, with no adult woman present—evidence that he had become a widower by this time. At least 4 sons can be documented through later deeds: Shadrach, Benjamin, Jesse Jr., and James.

Jesse’s landholdings expanded steadily. In 1787, he purchased more than 300 acres from his father, Jonas Shivers, strengthening his position in the Mark’s Swamp neighborhood. After Jonas Sr.’s death in 1790, Jesse received Tract No. 1 in the estate division—a substantial portion of the original Shivers plantation. Its boundaries, shared with Briley, Davis, and the old Shepherd patent, match the landmarks that appear repeatedly in Jesse’s later deeds. 

Throughout the 1790s, Jesse continued consolidating land. He purchased roughly 200 acres from Robert Flake and Abraham Burly in 1792, sold a 60-acre tract to William Norcott in 1793, and appeared as executor of the Henry Proctor estate in 1797, selling 50 acres on the north side of the Tar River and Mark’s Swamp to Solomon Ewell. That same year, he bought 73 acres from Isaac Briley, and in 1798 he purchased land from his brother-in-law Levi Rodgers, husband of his sister Elizabeth. By the end of the 1790s, Jesse controlled several hundred acres on both sides of Mark’s Swamp, forming the core of the Shivers family holdings for the next generation.

In 1799, the state issued Jesse a 98‑acre land grant on the north side of Mark’s Swamp, followed by a smaller adjoining grant of two acres. These grants anchored him geographically in the same neighborhood where his siblings and children appear in later records.

98‑acre State Land Grant issued to Jesse on March 14, 1799

1798 Survey: Jesse Shivers 98 Acres on Mark’s Swamp,
Pitt County, North Carolina

By 1800, Jesse was living in the Greenville District of Pitt County with a large household of children. In 1802, he sold a 150‑acre tract on Highsmith’s Branch to Richard Harris and purchased a 255‑acre plantation from William Slade on the south side of the Tar River. Both deeds were witnessed by Shadrach Shivers and Rebeckah Shivers (wife of Jonas Jr.), showing the close involvement of his siblings in his affairs.

In 1803, Jesse conveyed 101½ acres to his son Shadrach “for the natural love and affection” he bore him. The deed’s reference to the private path leading from Jesse’s house to the public road places his residence firmly within the long‑standing Shivers neighborhood near Mark’s Swamp.

In 1810, Jesse conveyed another tract to Shadrach—a formal sale of land on the north side of Great Swamp bounded by Wells, the John May patent, Clarke, Vanwright, Cummings, and the main road. Later that year, he purchased 77¾ acres from his sister Sarah and her husband William Harrell, land inherited from their father, Jonas Sr.

In 1811, a 50‑acre tract Jesse had applied for in 1807 was surveyed for him on the north side of the Tar River and south side of Grindal Creek, beginning at a corner of his son Shadrach’s property.

Survey of Jesse Shivers’s 50-acre tract on Grindal Creek,
Pitt County, September 19, 1811

In 1819, at about 59 years old, Jesse applied for a federal pension under the Act of 1818. Fellow soldier Henry Barnhill testified that Jesse had completed his nine‑month term “on the continental establishment,” and neighbor John Anderson confirmed that Jesse was old, poor, and in need of assistance. Jesse was placed on the pension roll at $8 per month beginning June 16, 1819, but was removed in 1820 under the strict provisions of the Act of that year.

Pension Roll of the United States for Revolutionary War Pensioners
(Jesse is on the bottom line)

In the final months of his life, Jesse transferred his remaining landholdings to his sons. On January 24, 1820, he conveyed 49 acres to Shadrach. On August 10, 1820, he sold the 750‑acre home plantation on the north side of the Tar River to his son James for $700. Because the 49‑acre deed was proved in February Term 1821 after Jesse’s death, his death occurred between August 10, 1820 and February 1821.

A U.S. Revolutionary War Burial Index card on Ancestry lists Jesse’s death as May 11, 1820, but this date is not reliable. These cards were created from compiled service and pension summaries, and the “May 1820” date reflects the Act of May 1820, when pensioners were required to re‑qualify—not an actual death record. The card correctly identifies him as a musician and places his burial in a family cemetery in Pitt County, but the details are general. Deed evidence shows Jesse was still alive on August 10, 1820, and had died by February 1821, establishing the true death window. Many researchers repeat the incorrect May 1820 date or link him to a Jesse Shivers from Isle of Wight, Virginia, but the evidence shows that Jesse was born in North Carolina and lived there his entire life.

Jesse Shivers spent his life within a few miles of the Tar River, moving from Revolutionary War musician to one of the principal landholders of the Mark’s Swamp neighborhood. His deeds, surveys, and pension testimony trace the life of a man who served his country, raised a large family, and helped anchor a multigenerational community in Pitt County. Though his wife’s name is lost, his children and their descendants carried the Shivers presence forward long after his death in 1820–1821. His life, documented through his service and land records, reflects the experience of many Revolutionary War veterans who returned home to raise families and rebuild their communities.

References

• Greene County, Alabama, Court Records 1844–1846, images 100–101, FamilySearch.
• James Hogun; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hogun. 
• Jesse Shivers Sr., Revolutionary War Burial Index.
• Jesse Shivers, Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800–ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775–ca. 1900.
• Jesse Shivers, North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers, 1779–1782.
• Jesse Shivers, North Carolina, Secretary of State Land Grant Records, Pitt County, Warrant No. 17, December 1, 1798, North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh.
• Jesse Shivers, Pension Roll of the United States for Revolutionary War Pensioners.
• Jesse Shivers, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S 42010, North Carolina: United States. Military Pension Records 1775–1900, images 1–11, FamilySearch.
• Jesse Shivers, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560–1900.
• Jesse Shivers, U.S., Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1801–1815, 1818–1872.
• Jesse Shivers, U.S., Revolutionary War Service Records, 1775–1783.
• Jesse Shivers, U.S., The Pension Roll of 1835.
• Pitt County, North Carolina, Deeds 1788–1794, 1793–1797, image 386, FamilySearch.
• Pitt County, North Carolina, Deeds 1817–1819, 1819–1822, images 57 and 371, FamilySearch.
• Pitt County, North Carolina, Deeds January 1797–September 1804, images 42, 138, 193 and 480, FamilySearch.
• Pitt County, North Carolina, Land Records 1779–1783, images 723–724, FamilySearch.
• Pitt County, North Carolina, Land Records 1788–1793, images 283–284 and 651, FamilySearch.
• Pitt County, North Carolina, Land Records 1797–1801, images 51–52, 186, 206–207, and 341, FamilySearch.
• Pitt County, North Carolina, Land Records 1805–1807, image 449–450 and 511, FamilySearch.
• Pitt County, North Carolina, Land Records 1813–1817, image 365, FamilySearch.
• Pitt County, North Carolina, Land Warrants 1735–1957, images 44 and 268, FamilySearch.
• The State Records of North Carolina: Published Under the Supervision of the Trustees of the Public Libraries, By Order of the General Assembly,” vol. XVI—1782–’83, collected and edited by Walter Clark, 1899.
• U.S. Federal Census, Greenville District, Pitt County, North Carolina, 1800.
• U.S. Federal Census, Pitt County, North Carolina, 1790. 

Lemuel Lunceford Callaway

Lemuel Lunceford Callaway, son of Rev. Lemuel Callaway and Mahala Eliza Ann Shivers, was born in Greene County, Alabama, on January 17, 1840. He grew up in a large family of at least 10 children—Navia, Milton, Nancy, Malinda, Lemuel, Matilda, Sarah, Shevers (possibly Shivers), Caroline “Carry,” and W. A. Callaway. Lemuel later became the father‑in‑law of my great‑grandmother, Alice Beman Lankford, though we share no blood relationship.

For years, I assumed his middle name was Lawrence, simply because that was how it appeared in online trees and on Find A Grave. But none of the records in my files ever spelled out a middle name—some listed him simply as Lemuel Callaway, while others used only the middle initial “L”. While researching this sketch, I found his Civil War service record listing him as Lemuel Lunceford Callaway. To confirm that “Lunceford” wasn’t a clerical error, I looked for earlier documentation and located an 1859 Baylor University catalog that also recorded him as Lemuel Lunceford Callaway. Lemuel’s maternal uncle was Offa Lunsford Shivers, so it’s possible his middle name “Lunceford” was a variation of “Lunsford.” Because the Baylor catalog was published during the years he attended, it provides strong evidence that Lunceford was his true middle name.

Lemuel was born into a busy household. In 1840, his parents had recently purchased a 160‑acre homestead in Sumter County, Alabama. His father, a mid‑level planter, oversaw 9 family members and 18 enslaved people. The Callaway home was a working plantation with constant activity, many children, and the structured world of the antebellum South.

During the first half of the 1850s, the family was living in the Gaston District of Sumter County. Rev. Callaway, born in Georgia, farmed land valued at $3,800. Several of the children had attended school that year, even though only Milton was formally listed as a student. Lemuel’s sister Navia lived next door with her husband John Harper and their daughter Margaret. That same year, the Callaways sold more than 680 acres—evidence of how much they had built since arriving in Sumter County, and also a sign they were preparing to leave Alabama. Their disappearance from county records after 1851, combined with Lemuel’s presence at Baylor by 1858 and the family’s appearance in Wharton County by 1860, shows they migrated to Texas between 1851 and 1854, joining many Alabama planters moving west.

By the late 1850s, the Callaways were settled in Wharton County, Texas. Lemuel appeared in Baylor University’s Preparatory Department roster in 1858 as an 18‑year‑old student. He attended only one academic year, 1858–1859, in the College of Arts and Sciences.

 

Lemuel’s mother, Mahala, signed her will on October 25, 1858, and a codicil the next year. She died before December 26, 1859, when the will was proven in Wharton County. She was only 48.

In April 1861, Lemuel enlisted locally at Wharton, Texas, as men began organizing for military service. A few months later, in August, he joined the Rough & Ready Mounted Rifles of Wharton County, a short‑term Texas State Troops militia formed for home defense. 

After his brief militia service, Lemuel entered Confederate service in September 1861, mustering at Houston with Captain John T. Holt’s Company H, 8th Texas Cavalry—better known as Terry’s Texas Rangers—for the duration of the war. He traveled roughly 55 miles to rendezvous and brought equipment valued at $25.

Muster rolls show him present for duty through 1863. He was hospitalized twice—first at Nashville in December 1861, and later at Clinton, Alabama, where he was listed as absent sick. He suffered wounds to his right foot and left hip that left him partially disabled. When the regiment surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina, on April 24, 1865, Lemuel was not among those paroled. In his 1902 Georgia pension application, he explained that his officers had given him permission to leave on the morning of surrender. Fellow Ranger E. M. Phelps later testified that Lemuel had served honorably and “proved himself a brave soldier,” confirming his presence with the regiment from its organization in 1861 until the end of the war. His years with the Rangers placed him with the regiment during its major campaigns, matching the period when his muster rolls show him present for duty.

As a member of Terry’s Texas Rangers, Lemuel served in one of the most active cavalry regiments in the Western Theater. The Rangers often fought dismounted, skirmishing under heavy fire and supporting exposed artillery. At Shiloh in April 1862, they were ambushed at close range while crossing a ravine in single file, suffering heavy casualties and losing more than 50 horses. They later fought at Stones River in 1862 and at Farmington in 1863, all during the years when Lemuel was documented as present for duty. The close‑range fighting and rapid movements typical of these campaigns are consistent with the wounds he later described to his right foot and left hip.

During the war, Lemuel married Anna “Josephine” Mullins on December 23, 1863, in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia. She was the daughter of John “Jack” Mullins and Julia Ann Williams and the twin of Georgiana. The Christian Index announced the marriage on January 8, 1864, noting that Lemuel was “of Texas,” while Josephine was living in Penfield at the time. They had six children together: Talula “Lula,” Jack Mullins, Carrie, Robert “Bob” Dawson, Lemuel Kelser, and Earnest Callaway. Three of their children later married into the Lankford family.

Marriage announcement, The Christian Index, January 8, 1864

After the war, Lemuel and Josephine settled into family life in Georgia, where their first children were born during Reconstruction. By 1870, they were living in Greene County near Josephine’s relatives in Penfield. Lemuel worked as a farm laborer, and the census captures them with their young family in its early stages.

On June 18, 1880, Lemuel and Josephine lived in District 146 of Greene County with their six children. Lemuel farmed while Josephine kept house, and three of the children attended school. Josephine’s parents and her brother Benjamin lived two doors away. That same year, Lemuel operated a modest share‑rent farm with 27 acres of tilled land and a small amount of woodland and unimproved ground. His farm was valued at $500, with $10 in equipment and $150 in livestock. He raised corn, wheat, cotton, and potatoes, and kept cows, sheep, and chickens. The family produced butter, eggs, and wood, and the farm’s total production for 1879 was valued at $450. Josephine died on May 7, 1882, at their home near Penfield. Her burial place is unknown, though Penfield or Old Shiloh Cemeteries are likely.

Greene, Herald and Journal, The Oglethorpe Echo,
Crawford, Georgia, May 18, 1882

In March 1883, Lemuel was Sunday school superintendent at Shiloh Church in Penfield. On April 12, 1883, he married Julia Celeste Askew, daughter of Ezekiel “Griffin” Askew and Cornelia Frances “Fanny” Mullins. Lemuel was 30 years older than Julia, and they had eight children together: Sidney Johnson, Arthur Howell, Olivia, Annie C., Eulilla “Lilla” May, Ida “Ruth,” Samuel Ezekiel, and Claude Parkis Callaway.

By June 6, 1900, the family lived in Hutchinson, Greene County, about six or seven miles southwest of Penfield. Lemuel was listed as “Lem.” He farmed, and he and Julia had been married 17 years. All eight of their children were living, and several were in school.

Lemuel applied for an Indigent Pension on January 12, 1903, five days before his 63rd birthday. He stated he had lived in Georgia since December 10, 1869, though this date was almost certainly mistaken, since he married Josephine in Georgia in 1863 and their daughter Lula was born there in 1866. He reported that he had been a farm tenant since 1865 and based his application on age, infirmity, and poverty. Between 1894 and 1901 he owned no property and was supported largely by his wife and children. His annual support cost about $80, of which he contributed roughly $15 by doing light farm work. His household included Julia and six children. They had no homestead, and every member of the family had to contribute.

When he reapplied in 1906, the Pension Office required additional testimony. In 1908, Ranger E. M. Phelps submitted an affidavit describing Lemuel as a brave and reliable soldier and confirming that he had served continuously. Surviving pension papers cover 1903, 1906, 1908, and 1909. An Indigent Soldiers Roll shows Lemuel received $240 in payments—$60 per year—from 1909 until his death.

Extract of the Indigent Soldiers Roll listing Lemuel in Greene County

On April 28, 1910, Lemuel and his family lived on a rented farm on Greensboro and Cary Station Road. At age 78, he was no longer working. Five of his children, ages 12 to 20, still lived at home. His son Arthur lived next door with his wife Reaney and daughter Muzette and may have helped support both households.

Lemuel’s daughter Eulilla died on April 13, 1911, just before her 19th birthday, and was buried at Greensboro City Cemetery.

A little over a year later, on July 22, 1912, Lemuel died in a railroad accident in Greensboro. He was working as a night watchman for the Georgia Railroad when he was struck by a train on the Richland Creek trestle at about 5:30 a.m., roughly three miles west of town. Atlanta newspapers noted that he was deaf and likely did not hear the train approaching. A coroner’s inquest ruled the death accidental.

A later family account added that a red signal light had been turned incorrectly, causing Lemuel to walk onto the trestle to adjust it. This detail does not appear in the newspaper reports but was preserved in family memory.

Lemuel was buried on July 23, 1912, at Greensboro City Cemetery after an 11 a.m. service led by Rev. L. A. Dutton. He rests in plot Q‑24b beside his second wife Julia, who died in 1934, and near their daughter Eulilla. Early photos show his original stone standing alone; later photos show a military stone added on the right and Julia’s stone on the left, with his original marker cleaned.

 References

• Ann Josephine Mullins, Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Armor, E. H., The Cemeteries of Greene County, Georgia, p. 156, 1987.
• Arthur Howell Callaway and Claudia Parkie Callaway, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007.
• Caught on Trestle and Is Killed by Train, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, July 22, 1912.
• Email from Jack Callaway to Denise Murphy, September 18, 2000.
• Greene County, Georgia, Government Pensions 1861–1864, image 9, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Marriage Licenses 1850–1865, Guardianship Records 1804–1916, Marriage Bonds 1813–1816, images 158 and 160, FamilySearch.
• Greene, Herald and Journal, The Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, May 18, 1882.
• L. L. Callaway Dead, The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, July 24, 1912.
• L. L. Callaway Killed by Passenger Train, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, July 23, 1912.
• Lemn Calloway, Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, Agriculture, 1880.
• Lemuel Callaway, Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Lemuel Callaway, Georgia, U.S., Returns of Qualified Voters and Reconstruction Oath Books, 1867–1869, Oath Book, Warren County, July 1867.
• Lemuel Callaway, U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850–1885.
• Lemuel L. Callaway, Georgia, Confederate Pension Applications, 1879–1960.
• Lemuel L. Callaway, Texas, Baylor University, 1858; U.S., School Catalogs, 1765–1935.
• Lemuel Lunceford Callaway, Texas, Baylor University, 1859; U.S., School Catalogs, 1765–1935.
• Lemuel Lunceford Callaway, U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861–1865.
• Mahala Eliza Ann Callaway, Texas, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1833–1974.
• Marriage record: Wharton County, Texas, Marriage Records 1847–1898, image 144, FamilySearch.
• Married—Lemuel L. Callaway and Ann Josephine Mullins, The Christian Index, Washington, Georgia, January 8, 1864.
• Our Neighboring Counties, Green: Herald and Journal, The Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, March 1, 1883.
• Personal visit to Greensboro City Cemetery, Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia.
• Robert Dawson Callaway, Lemuel Kelser Calaway, Sidney Johnson Callaway, and Claude Parkis Callaway, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918.
• Samuel Caloway, Alabama, County Marriages, 1805–1967.
• Samuel Ezekiel Callaway, U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938–1949.
• Sumter County, Alabama, Deeds 1838–1840, 1837–1838, image 98, FamilySearch.
• Sumter County, Alabama, Deeds 1849, 1852, images 334–335, FamilySearch.
• Texas 8th Cavalry (Confederate), Overview, Fold3.
• The Baylor Bulletin: A Directory of Ex-Students of the College of Arts and Sciences of Baylor University, vol. XXIII, no. 4, August 1920.
• Train Kills Aged Tender of Road’s Switch Lights, Atlanta Georgian, Atlanta, Georgia, July 23, 1912.
• Two Railroad Victims Buried at Greensboro, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, July 25, 1912.
• U.S. Federal Census Gaston, Sumter County, Alabama, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 143, Greene County, Georgia, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 146, Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, Hutchinson, Greene County, Georgia, 1900.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 140, Greene County, Georgia, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, Sumter County, Alabama, 1840.
• U.S. Federal Census, Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, 1950.
• U.S. Federal Census, Walkers, Greene County, Georgia, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Wharton County, Texas, 1860. 

William Ralph Wilson

This blog post is another in a series connecting the dots in my tree to the souls buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.

William Ralph Wilson, son of Thomas Brown Wilson and Martha Williams, was born in Greene County, Georgia on January 10, 1834. He was one of at least eight children: William Ralph, Joseph, James, Jack L., Pleasant, Eliza, Virginia “Ellen,” and Sarah Wilson. Though not a direct ancestor, William’s connection is complex—he is the father-in-law of the sister-in-law of the first cousin of the husband of my great-grandmother, Alice Beman Lankford. My link runs through Alice’s husband, Robert Dawson Callaway, and winds through the Mullins, Stephens, and Wilson families. Robert was not my great-grandfather, so I share no common ancestor with William.

On October 24, 1850, William lived with his family in District 163 of Greene County. His father, Thomas, was a prosperous farmer with real estate valued at $6,000. Of the seven children at home, William was the only one listed as a student, though the enumerator noted that Joseph, James, Pleasant, and Eliza had attended school within the year. The household also included six non-family adults—among them a peddler, mechanic, merchant, teacher, farmer, and clerk—suggesting the Wilson home may have operated as a boarding house.

In 1855, William married Mary Frances Edmondson, daughter of William Edmondson and Matilda (Penn) Rainey, in Putnam County, Georgia. Minister William E. Adams officiated the ceremony on June 14. The couple had five children: Anna “Belle,” Thomas B., James H., Julia Ellen, and William Robert Wilson. 

In January 1858, William was serving as Justice of the Peace in Greene County when he was asked to certify a case record for appeal. That same year, he was sued by Augustus B. Sharp over an unpaid promissory note for $1,400. William denied the debt in court but later admitted partial responsibility and agreed to pay $693 in principal and $36.07 in interest. Also in 1858, John Edmondson—likely William’s brother-in-law—filed a separate debt suit against him over a $206.80 note. William countered with a claim that Edmondson owed him $298.45 for boarding, horse care, nursing, and estate management for Matilda Edmondson, William’s mother-in-law. He also cited an 1836 note for $27.26. Edmondson’s attorney later amended the damages to $2,000. A jury ruled in Edmondson’s favor, but William appealed the decision on September 14, 1858, posting bond with his father. The case continued into the March Term of 1859, when the court reversed the verdict and awarded William $176.20 plus interest.

In April 1858, William sold a 120-acre tract of land to his father for $1,475, pledging to defend the title against future claims. That same year, he submitted a sworn account to the Greene County Court of Ordinary for teaching children from the Brook, Lunsford, Thaxton, and Wilson families. He documented 2,844 days of instruction totaling $219.30, affirming that his rates matched those charged to other patrons. A second invoice dated November 6, 1860 shows he taught children from the Reynolds and Pollard families and was paid $163.60 on January 12, 1861.

By June 9, 1860, William and Mary had moved their young family to Woodville, Greene County. Their children—Anabel, Thomas B., and a newborn enumerated as Babe—were listed in the census, and William was working as a teacher with a personal estate valued at $6,000. Perry McCutchen, a 25-year-old overseer, also lived in the household.

Two weeks after the Civil War began, William enlisted on April 24, 1861, at Penfield, Greene County, as a 2nd Sergeant in Company C of the Third Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment—known locally as the Dawson Grays. He mustered into service at Augusta on May 3 under Capt. R. G. Cole but was discharged in October 1861 after furnishing a substitute.

Partial muster roll of the Dawson Grays

Following his discharge, William remained active in local defense. He next enlisted in Greene County’s 16th Regiment Georgia Militia, appearing on the March 4, 1862 muster roll as an Adjutant. My 2nd great-grandfather, Thomas P. Janes, appears on the same muster roll, as an assistant surgeon.

Partial muster roll of the 16th Regiment, Greene County, State Militia

Between these enlistments, William formed a business partnership with John S. Bowling on December 25, 1861, establishing the Woodville Steam Mills—a sawmill and gristmill operation. William purchased a half interest and was designated the active business and contracting partner, overseeing finances, records, and outdoor operations. Bowling managed the machinery. Both partners agreed to equal contributions and compensation of $2 per day, operating under the name Wilson & Co.

On May 18, 1862, William wrote from Woodville to Henry C. Wayne, formally requesting exemption from the newly passed Confederate Conscription Act. He cited Governor Joseph E. Brown’s proclamation defending Georgia militia officers from federal conscription and outlined his qualifications: six years as Justice of the Peace for the 138th District, elected twice and commissioned by the Inferior Court, and his commission as Adjutant of the 16th Regiment Georgia Militia, dated March 5, 1863.

The Conscription Act, passed in April 1862, was the first draft law in U.S. history. Though it allowed exemptions, it sparked controversy—especially in Georgia, where Governor Brown opposed it, arguing it infringed on states’ rights and sought to shield Georgia militia officers from federal control.

In October 1863, William was appointed 2nd Lieutenant of the “Line Guards,” part of Georgia’s six-month troops raised for local defense under Governor Brown. These units, known as State Guards or “Joe Brown’s Pets,” served only within Georgia, primarily north of the Columbus–Macon–Augusta rail line. William accepted the appointment and signed an oath of office before a Justice of the Peace.

He remained in service until the war’s end, discharged from the state militia in April 1865 at the time of Robert E. Lee’s surrender. William was home on furlough in Macon, Georgia when the war ended.

During the summer of 1866, William spent considerable time in Greene County courts. In one case, he appeared as garnishee in a civil suit: William H. Pritchett vs. Joseph P. Wilson—likely his brother. As garnishee, William was required to disclose any property or financial assets he held on Joseph’s behalf. He submitted a detailed list of promissory notes and debts owed to Joseph, some involving individuals in my family tree, including W. A. Lankford and Minor S. Hobbs. The court ordered him to turn over the notes to the sheriff, placing them under court control.

That same term, William served as a juror in cases targeting newly freed Black citizens under the Black Codes. Charges included stealing, vagrancy, and simple larceny—one man was accused of stealing $4.25. Vagrancy charges often meant being poor, unemployed, and deemed “immoral,” despite being capable of work. These laws criminalized poverty and targeted Black individuals rebuilding their lives after emancipation. As a juror, William helped enforce these laws, and some of the accused were sentenced to chain gangs.

A long-standing case from 1847 was resolved in December 1867. William, his father Thomas, and brother Jack were sued by W. H. Pritchett for failing to pay a promissory note dated December 12, 1840, for $110.55. The note was payable to Thomas P. Janes and James R. Sanders, executors of Absalom Janes’ estate, for the benefit of his minor heirs—Thomas P. and Absalom Janes are my direct ancestors. The court ruled in favor of Pritchett, awarding the principal, interest, and costs.

Postwar economic collapse hit the Wilsons hard. In May 1868, William was appointed assignee in three bankruptcy cases involving his father Thomas and brother Jack, both individually and as partners in Wilson & Son of Bairdstown. As assignee, William managed debts, protected assets, and oversaw their legal distribution. He also handled family property transfers, including a 450-acre tract near Bairdstown sold to his brother Thomas B. Wilson Jr. for $2,600 in 1869—keeping the land in the family.

In 1868–1869, William served as court-appointed commissioner to partition land from the estate of John Armstrong among heirs and guardians. He surveyed and divided the property into three tracts, signed the final report, and submitted it to Superior Court.

In 1869, William lost a debt case to Brightwell & Durham over a $360 note signed in 1867. The court awarded the plaintiffs over $400 in principal, interest, and costs. That same year, he was elected Justice of the Peace for the 137th District of Greene County.

In December 1869, William filed a petition as next friend of Ella Wilson, wife of James Wilson, seeking a homestead exemption under the Georgia Constitution and Homestead Act of 1868. The petition aimed to exempt $283.50 in personal property—specifically 729 railroad ties delivered to the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company—from levy and sale for the benefit of Ella and her child, Shelbie Wilson. The exemption was approved on December 10, 1870. I’ve yet to confirm whether James and Ella were relatives.

In 1870, William purchased Elizabeth Moody’s life estate—a 79-acre tract on Little River—giving him future rights while allowing her continued residence and use during her lifetime.

By June 15, 1870, William had moved his family to Penfield, Greene County, just over four miles from Woodville. His personal estate had plummeted from $6,000 to $880. He had left teaching and turned to farming, likely seeking stability in the postwar economy. He would continue farming until 1900. Mary managed the household, and their son Thomas, age 10, was attending school.

It’s always fascinating to find familiar names when researching someone. Curtis C. Lankford, my 4th great-uncle and brother to my 3rd great-grandfather James Meriweather Lankford, lived just five houses away from William.

William’s property included 150 acres of improved land, 75 acres of woodland, and 75 acres of unimproved land, valued at $1,500. His farm machinery was worth $100, and he had paid $900 in wages, including board. His livestock—valued at $650—included 2 horses, 2 mules, 4 milch cows, 10 other cattle, and 15 swine. The farm produced 50 bushels of winter wheat, 175 bushels of Indian corn, 18 bales of cotton, and 100 pounds of butter. He also sold or slaughtered animals worth $100, with total farm production valued at $2,150.

In February 1873, William was appointed administrator of the estate of Henry H. Durham, who had died intestate in Greene County. The estate was valued at roughly $750 in real and personal property. William completed his duties and applied for Letters of Dismission in May 1875.

Later that year, William’s father, Thomas, passed away on August 18. William petitioned the court on August 26 to be named temporary administrator, citing the urgency of protecting the estate from loss during the delay required to advertise for permanent Letters. Two days later, he requested permanent administration, which was granted. He posted bond with Enoch Cheney, John Armstrong, and James Davison as securities.

On September 5, acting as temporary administrator, William petitioned to sell his father’s interest in Wilson & Co. of Bairdstown and certain perishable goods. The court approved the sale the same day, with public notice required in towns like Greensboro, Penfield, Union Point, Woodville, and Bairdstown. In November, he sought permission to sell the family’s 550-acre homestead, which was also granted.

The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, October 16, 1873

On May 1, 1875, a tornado tore through Oglethorpe and Greene Counties, striking William’s property in Bairdstown. His gin and outhouses were destroyed. He placed his family in the cellar for safety while his eldest daughter, Belle, held the front door against the wind until William helped secure it. Several people were killed, many injured, and six homes destroyed.

That summer, William was selected as a commissioner to help resolve a long-standing boundary dispute between Greene and Oglethorpe Counties. Working with the county surveyor, he helped mark the new line using local landmarks—including his own garden in Bairdstown. The updated boundary helped clear up confusion for families whose homes and farms had been caught between the two counties. 

In February 1876, a 200-acre tract of William’s land was seized by Sheriff J. H. English to satisfy a court judgment. The case, brought by Dozier, Walton & Co., named Baker Daniel as the principal debtor and Wilson & Co. as endorsers, making William liable.

In July, William submitted a detailed inventory of his father’s estate, listing dozens of outstanding debts—some less than a dollar, others over $300. Many were uncollectible, prompting him to request court permission to settle by compromise or sell at auction.

In August 1876, a citizen near Penfield wrote to The Greensboro Herald endorsing William as a candidate for the Georgia Legislature. Though he never sought office, the letter praised his moral character, long service as clerk of Bairds Baptist Church, and ability to connect with all citizens—including the local Black community.

In September, William sold a 50-foot-square parcel in Woodville to W. P. McWhorter for $25. The land had belonged to the estate of John A. Miller and was sold under court order. While no record names William executor, the transaction suggests he may have held that role.

In November, William and his brother Jack were sued by E. J. Dozier, executor of Mary Gibson’s estate, for a debt of approximately $5,500 plus interest and costs—another blow to Wilson & Co.

On July 12, 1877, Anna Belle Wilson married William H. Young in Greene County. That summer, William filed for bankruptcy. In August, Hugh G. Lewis was appointed assignee of his estate.

In January 1878, William became guardian of Annie (Armstrong) Wilson, daughter of the late James Armstrong and wife of his son Thomas. Though married, Annie was under 21 and required a guardian to manage her inheritance. James R. Sanders, her previous guardian, petitioned the court to be relieved due to poor health and recommended William. The court approved, and William posted a $2,500 bond.

In July 1878, the District Court advertised for objections to William’s bankruptcy discharge. In August, he was declared bankrupt. His land was set apart as an exemption under the Bankruptcy Act of 1867. Though discharged from personal liability, the lien on his property remained. He retained ownership and later sold the land—first to R. L. Moss & Co., then to the Hodson Brothers.

The following month, five years after his father’s death, William petitioned for dismission from his role as administrator of the estate. The court found no objections and released him from further responsibility.

In 1879, William purchased one-fifth shares from four of Elizabeth Moody’s children—James A., Little Berry, Mary Ann, and Sarah E.—who had inherited portions of the property he had originally acquired through her life estate in 1870.

In March 1879, William was appointed guardian ad litem for the minor children of Ann A. Whitlow, beneficiaries of a trust estate in Greene County. Their father had fled the state under criminal indictment, and the petition sought to sell a small parcel of land—just over an acre—at private sale to support the children. William confirmed the petition’s facts and accepted the guardianship.

In February 1880, he was named one of five appraisers for the unrepresented estate of James Brook, valued at less than $500. His role was to help assess the estate and ensure it was set aside for Brook’s widow if it fell below the legal threshold.

On March 3, 1881, Jasper Kennebrew sold a four-acre parcel in Bairdstown to Mrs. Irene Landrum, reserving rights for William to erect a depot and wagon roads near the railroad crossing. As a merchant, William likely had strategic interest in the land and needed access to the railroad.

Later that year, in October, William and his brother Jack acted as “next friends” to Charles and Hortense Young in a land transaction, signing a deed to transfer the H. C. Ware Lot to Maria Allen. The land had passed through William Edmondson—likely William’s father-in-law—and Thomas Wilson, William’s father, so it was familiar territory.

In May 1883, William appeared in Greene County court records as a witness to the will of William Callahan. Alongside Thomas Callahan and W. H. Cheney, he attested that Callahan signed freely and was of sound mind. His testimony helped secure Letters Testamentary for Frances C. Callahan, the executrix.

In March 1889, William successfully challenged a sheriff’s attempt to seize his property over an old debt. He argued the seizure was illegal due to his 1878 bankruptcy discharge and homestead exemption. At the time, he was head of household with a wife and five children. The court upheld most of his affidavit, recognizing the assets as protected under federal and state law.

On June 2, 1880, the Wilson family lived in the 138th district—likely Woodville. William and Mary had three children at home: James (19), Julia (17), and William (10), all attending school. Three Black servants also lived in the home: Lucilla (20), a cook; Thomas (13), a laborer; and Michael (11). None could read or write. William worked the farm while Mary managed the household.

The 1880 Agricultural Schedule is difficult to read, but several details emerge. William rented part of his 65 acres of tilled land to tenement farmers—a common post-Reconstruction practice. His property included 30 acres of meadows, pastures, orchards, and vineyards, plus 230 acres of unimproved land, all valued at $4,000. His farm machinery was worth $25, and he spent $30 repairing fences in 1879. No wages were reported that year.

His livestock, valued at $150, included 1 milch cow, 1 other head of cattle, 1 dropped calf, 1 calf sold alive, and 40 swine. Two animals were listed as dead, strayed, or stolen. The farm produced 30 pounds of butter, 80–90 bushels of Indian corn from 16 acres, 1–2 bales of cotton from 22 acres, and 15 bushels of sweet potatoes from 1 acre.

On March 10, 1881, Julia Wilson married George “Howard” Irby in Greene County. The ceremony was performed by H. D. D. Straton, M.G.

William had been appointed guardian of his daughter-in-law Annie (Armstrong) Wilson in 1878. By 1882, he had fulfilled his duties, settled her estate, and applied for Letters of Dismission. The court approved and formally discharged him.

In June 1884, William was appointed as one of three representatives from Greene County to assist in gathering and organizing agricultural and industrial exhibits for the 1884–85 World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition in New Orleans. The exhibits included local crops, preserved fruits, handmade goods, and other products that reflected the region’s economic and cultural vitality. William’s selection underscored his reputation as a respected community leader and his dedication to promoting Greene County’s achievements on a national stage.

That summer, William also resumed a more hands-on business venture. In August 1884, the Oglethorpe Echo reported that he “has put up his still and will commence work this week.” While operating a still was generally illegal without proper licensing, the public nature of the report suggests that William may have obtained the necessary permit—though no documentation has yet been found to confirm this.

In September, William sold a small parcel of land—just over a third of an acre—near the Bairdstown Depot to the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company. The sale included a provision allowing him to construct on the property, provided any development did not interfere with railroad operations. 

On November 20, 1884, William’s son James married Love Armstrong in a ceremony held at her parents’ home near Bairdstown. Following the 6 p.m. wedding, William hosted a dinner reception for the bridal party and guests at his own residence.

In June 1886, William had his Bairdstown home painted.

In February 1888, he was appointed temporary guardian of five-year-old Carrie M. McCall—not to raise her, but to protect her property. Carrie was entitled to receive over $250 from an insurance company, and her parents, George and June McCall, were unable to manage the funds. William petitioned the Greene County Court, was granted guardianship, posted a $500 bond, and swore to manage the estate faithfully.

By 1891, William used land previously exempted through bankruptcy to secure a new debt with R. L. Moss & Co. The property was eventually sold to Hodson Brothers, but William continued living there as a tenant of W. P. McWhorter. Ownership confusion followed. Because the deed to Hodson Brothers wasn’t recorded until 1899, the lien remained enforceable, and William’s possession wasn’t deemed “open and notorious” enough to defeat it.

In February 1894, William lost a lawsuit to Moss over a promissory note. Though he claimed partial repayment with 16 bales of cotton worth $724.09, the court awarded Moss $1,267.20 in principal, $123.56 in interest, and $139.07 in attorney’s fees. Another suit brought by Hodson Brothers resulted in a $1,500 judgment plus interest and fees. William’s financial credibility continued to erode.

By 1895, he was fighting to protect his family’s homestead from creditors. The land, tied to his father and family legacy, was claimed exempt under Georgia’s homestead laws. William, caring for his 59-year-old wife, argued he was too poor to post bond and that the land had already been exempted by federal court. Acting as trustee for his wife, he insisted creditors had no claim and asked the court to dissolve the injunction. He pointed out that his wife—the true beneficiary—hadn’t even been named in the case. The court disagreed, ruling the property remained subject to the original judgment.

Eventually, William and Mary left Greene County, relocating to District 119 in Richmond County. On June 12, 1900, they were living with their daughter Belle, her husband William, sons Joe and Tom, and daughter Annie. Also in the household were Steve Irby, Anna Belle (Wilson) Irby’s son, and three Black servants: Frank Lang (21), Honey Reed (16), and Jude Calwell (10). At age 66, William had apparently retired. His son-in-law worked as a railroad engineer, and grandson Joe was a farm laborer. 

Tragedy struck in August 1900. William’s son James died on the 21st from heart failure, complicated by alcoholism, and was buried at Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens. Ten days later, on August 31, Mary passed away and was laid to rest at Bairdstown Cemetery. After her death, William continued to live with Belle, now in Warren County.

In August 1906, aged 72, William applied for an Indigent Pension. Unemployed and suffering from kidney trouble, he declared no property or income since at least 1894. His daughter had supported him in 1897 and 1898 at $75 per year. E. A. Brinkley, a friend of 50 years, attested to his character and military service. Two Warren County physicians confirmed his condition, noting swelling in his lower limbs that prevented him from working. His application was approved for 1907.

On April 26, 1910, William—widowed and retired—was living with Belle, her husband William, and grandson Robert in Stag Hall, Warren County. Robert, who rented the home, supported the family as a train engineer. Belle had given birth to five children, with three living. Everyone in the household could read and write.

William passed away in Georgia on July 16, 1911. He was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery, the same place his wife had been laid to rest.

It’s fascinating that despite William’s deep entanglement with the court system—serving as administrator, guardian, juror, commissioner, and litigant—no will has been found. By the time he died, he had lost his home, declared himself indigent, and had nothing left to distribute. Perhaps, in the end, there was simply no need.

 

References

• Assignee’s Notice, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, September 6, 1877.
• Assignee’s Notice, The National Republican, Augusta, Georgia, May 13, 1868.
• Bairdstown, Georgia Home Journal, Greensboro, Georgia, June 25, 1886.
• Bairdstown, The Oglethorpe Echo, Crawford, Georgia, August 15, 1884.
• Confederate Conscription Act, April 1862, National Archives, Background on Governor Brown’s opposition: Georgia Encyclopedia.
• Election for Justice Peace, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, April 8, 1869.
• Estate Records: Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 687, FamilySearch.
• Facing History and Ourselves, History of Slave Patrols, Black Codes, and Vagrancy Laws, Facing History; www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/history-slave-patrols-black-codes-vagrancy-laws. Accessed August 11, 2025.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75575771/james_h-wilson: accessed August 7, 2025), memorial page for James H. Wilson (4 Jun 1860–21 Aug 1900), Find a Grave Memorial ID 75575771, citing Oconee Hill Cemetery, Athens, Clarke County, Georgia, USA; maintained by: Find a Grave.
• First Families of Henry County, Georgia, compiled by the Genealogical Society of Henry and Clayton Counties, edited by Joseph Henry Hightower Moore, 1993.
• Greene County Sheriff’s Sale, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, February 10, 1876.
• Greene County, Georgia Special Proceedings Records 1856–1858, images 322–323, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Court Minutes 1856–1868, image 158, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Court Minutes 1866–1871, images 37–41, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Court Minutes 1874–1879, image 301, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Court Records 1886–1892, image 247, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Court Records 1892–1897, images 117–118, 204, and 233–235, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Court Records 1897–1907, images 188–194, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Deed Books 1852–1857, 1857–1862, images 355, and 540–541, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Deeds 1862–1871, images 216–217 and 333, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Deeds 1871–1876, 1876–1882, images 59, 498, 646, and 662, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Deeds 1882–1885, image 275, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Homestead Records 1888–1935, 1868–1899, image 100, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Miscellaneous Records 1866–1871, 1870–1873, image 162, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Probate Records 1852–1879, images 364, 432, and 459, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Probate Records 1879–1893, images 43, 145, 196, and 441, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Real Estate Records 1869–1874, images 181, 209, 212, 217, and 223, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, School Records 1790–1943, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, image 871, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Special Proceedings Records 1856–1858, image 323, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Special Proceedings Records 1856–1860, images 94 and 224–225, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Special Proceedings Records 1860–1866, 1866–1870, images 569 and 608, FamilySearch.
• Increase in Clarke County, The Savannah Morning News, Savannah, Georgia, August 22, 1900.
• Marriages, Georgia Home Journal, Greensboro, Georgia, November 21, 1884.
• Old County Line, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, June 17, 1875.
• Personal visit to Bairdstown Cemetery, Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.
• The Evolution of U.S. Bankruptcy Law: a time line, United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Rhode Island, Federal Judicial Center; https://www.rib.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/FJC%20Bankruptcy%20Timeline.pdf. 
• The Great Cyclone: Devastation, Ruin and Woe, The Daily Constitutionalist, Augusta, Georgia, May 4, 1875.
• The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, July 4, 1878, March 11, 1875, April 18, 1878, and April 20, 1882.
• The Legislature, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, September 1, 1876.
• Tombstones, William R. Wilson and Mary Frances Wilson, Bairdstown Cemetery, Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 138, Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 163, Greene County, Georgia, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, Division 66, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, Harrisonville, Richmond County, Georgia, 1900.
• U.S. Federal Census, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Stag Hall, Warren County, Georgia, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, 1860.
• U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850–1880 (June 1870, June 1880).
• W. R. Wilson, Georgia, U.S., Civil War Correspondence, 1861–1865.
• William R. Wilson Georgia, U.S., Civil War Muster Rolls, 1860–1864.
• William R. Wilson, Georgia, U.S., Confederate Pension Applications, 1879–1960.
• William R. Wilson, Matilda Penn, Matilda Rainey, James H. Wilson, and Anna B. Wilson, Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• William R. Wilson, U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861–1865.
• World’s Exposition: Preparations for Farm Exhibits, Georgia Home Journal, Greensboro, Georgia, June 20, 1884.

Emily Eliza Fish

Emily Eliza Fish was born in Georgia in 1824 to William Washington “Vines” Fish and Sarah Harvard. She was one of at least 11 children, alongside siblings Sarah Margean (or Morgiana) Fish, John Dawson Fish, James Fish, William Troup Fish, George Washington Fish, Thomas Jefferson Fish, David Augustus Fish, Miriam Frances Fish, Mary Ann Fish, and Horace Virgil Fish.

I have been unable to determine with certainty whether she was known as Emily or Eliza. While all legal documents record her name as ‘Eliza E. Janes,’ her tombstone bears the inscription ‘Emily Eliza Fish,’ with Emily listed first. Given this, I have chosen to use Emily in this sketch, as I believe the name engraved on her tombstone best reflects how she was known within her family.

She is my 2nd great-grandmother, with our closest shared ancestor being her son, Thomas Palemon Janes, my great-grandfather. While I have not found a definitive paper trail—and there may not be one—linking me directly to Emily, a DNA test has confirmed our familial connection.

At the age of 18, Emily married Thomas Pike Janes on December 20, 1842, in Baldwin County, Georgia. Thomas was the son of Absalom Madison Janes and Martha Cordelia Callaway, a distinguished family with deep roots in the region. Absalom, one of Georgia’s earliest millionaires, was a co-founder and trustee of Mercer University, where Thomas received part of his education. He continued his studies at what was regarded as the finest schools in the county.

Emily and Thomas’ marriage license

On December 27, 1842, The Federal Union, a newspaper based in Milledgeville, Baldwin County, Georgia, published the following announcement:

Married, in Midway, on Tuesday evening, the 20th instant, by the Rev. S. G. Hillyer, Mr. Thomas P. Jones [sic], of Penfield, Ga., to Miss Emily E. Fish, of the former place.

After their marriage, Emily and Thomas settled in Penfield, where they built a life together and raised a large family of at least 13 children: Emma Cordelia Janes, Mary Frances “Fannie” Janes, Thomas “Palemon” Janes, Lillian “Lelia” H. Janes, William “Willie” Felix Janes, Charles P. Janes, Edward “Eddie” H. Janes, Sarah Margie Janes, Lilla Janes, David “Arthur” Janes, James “Jim” Madison Janes, Walter Lee Janes, and John Henry Janes.

For some time, I believed they also had a 14th child named Absalom E. Janes, based on information shared by other researchers. However, upon conducting further research for this sketch, I was unable to find any records to confirm the existence of a child by that name.

Within days of her marriage, Emily endured the devastating loss of her father, William Fish, who passed away at his home in Washington County, Georgia on January 3, 1843, following an illness. His death was announced in The Southern Recorder, published in Milledgeville, on January 10, 1843:

Departed this life at his residence in Washington county, on Sunday evening the 1st inst. Mr. William Fish, in the 43d year of his age. Mr. Fish was a highly worthy and enterprizing [sic] citizen, an affectionate husband, a kind father, and a sincere and devoted friend. In this truly melancholly [sic] dispensation, his afflicted family, as well as the community at large, have indeed experienced a severe loss. 

William was laid to rest in Memory Hill Cemetery, the city cemetery in Milledgeville. The Fish Family Vault, which serves as the final resting place for several members of the family, was restored in 2008, accompanied by a commemoration service. Links to more information about the restoration and history of the Fish Family Vault are provided below:

• The restoration of the Fish Vault in Memory Hill Cemetery, Stephen Hammack, Susan J. Harrington, Matthew Williamson, and Hugh T. Harrington, The Society for Georgia Archeology
• Restoration of the William Fish Vault, Memory Hill Cemetery, Friends of Baldwin County Cemeteries, Inc.
• Fish Vault Commemoration, Friends of Baldwin County Cemeteries, Inc.
• Angling for Mythical Fish, Catching a Legendary Fisk Iron Mummy Casket, Stephen Hammock, Middle Georgia Preservation Alliance, October 20, 2023

As part of her inheritance, Emily was bequeathed $2,500 from her father’s estate.

Emily’s brother, Horace, died of typhus on November 21, 1845. He was laid to rest alongside their father in Memory Hill Cemetery. His death was reported in the December 30, 1845, edition of The Federal Union, published in Milledgeville.

Died—At Midway, on Friday evening, the 21st November, after a short illness, Horace Virgil, youngest son of Mrs. Sarah Fish, aged about 5 years.

Thus was suddenly snatched from the family circle, the one whose promise of length of days seemed fairest and brightest of all Insatiate Archer! Truly didst thou mark for they victim the most youthful and lovely. How inscruitable oh God! Are the ways of thy providence. May the bereaved mother and stricken band of brothers and sisters ever be consoled by the Christian reflection, that little Horace has been translated from earth to dwell forever, a bright Seraph, in the celestial courts of Heaven.

“Yes beloved one, though has left us.
Here they loss we deeply feel,
But ‘tis God that hath bereft us—He can all our sorrows heal.”
“Yet again we hope to meet thee,
When this dream of life is fled—

During the early years of their marriage, Emily remained in Georgia, likely managing the household and caring for the family. From 1846 to 1847, Thomas attended the University of the City of New York, where he earned a degree in medicine. He continued his education from 1848 to 1849 at the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University. During this time, on September 25, 1847, Emily’s father-in-law, Absalom Janes, passed away in Penfield. He was laid to rest alongside his wife and children in the Absalom Janes Family Cemetery in Greene County.

By October 22, 1850, Emily and her family were residing in Penfield, District 163, of Greene County, Georgia. At 26 years old, Thomas had become a practicing physician. The couple had three children at the time: Emma (age 3), Fannie (age 2), and Palemon (6 months old). The agricultural schedule of the census recorded that the Janes family owned 1,200 acres of land—600 improved and 600 unimproved—valued at $8,400. Their farming tools and machinery were valued at $500, and their livestock, which included horses, mules, cattle, sheep, and pigs, was collectively worth $1,660.

The Janes plantation, known as Redcliffe Farm, was productive, yielding crops such as wheat, rye, oats, and rice. Notable outputs included 1,250 bushels of oats and 400 pounds of rice. The census slave schedule also recorded that Emily and Thomas owned 36 enslaved individuals—18 males and 18 females. Around 1855, Thomas shifted his focus from medicine to full-time farming.

On June 26, 1852, Thomas attended a meeting, referred to as a “conference,” at Penfield Baptist Church. During this gathering, he shared his personal spiritual experiences and expressed his desire to reestablish his membership and connection with the church. However, since he had previously been a member of Bethesda Baptist Church, Penfield Baptist Church formed a committee to formally request Bethesda to reinstate him into their fellowship.

Penfield Baptist Church followed up with Bethesda regarding Thomas’ request. Bethesda responded with a letter Thomas had written in the past, in which he had requested to withdraw from their membership. In this letter, Thomas explained that he believed he had not truly experienced a spiritual rebirth (“born again”). Along with this letter, Bethesda included a resolution granting Penfield the authority to make a decision about Thomas’ case. They expressed confidence in Penfield’s judgment and agreed to abide by their decision.

After reviewing Bethesda’s response and Thomas’ letter, and reflecting on the discussions from the June 26 conference, Penfield Baptist Church unanimously decided to welcome Thomas into their fellowship on August 7. Although church minutes do not mention Emily, it is likely that she attended the same church as her husband, as was customary at the time.

However, their membership at Penfield Baptist Church appears to have been short-lived. On August 11, 1852, following the regular prayer meeting, the church granted Emily and Thomas a letter of dismission. This letter formally released them from Penfield’s membership, allowing them to transfer their membership to another congregation.

Emily’s daughter, Lillian, tragically passed away on June 16, 1853, at just 21 months of age. She was laid to rest in the Thomas Janes Family Cemetery near Penfield. According to The Cemeteries of Greene County, Georgia by E. H. Armor, her tombstone reads:

Lillian H. Janes, daughter of T. P. and E. E. Janes, born Sept. 11, 1851, died June 16, 1853. God in His wisdom has recalled the precious born He has given, and though the casket moulders here, the gem is sparkling now in Heaven.

Emily’s sister, Sarah, married James Palmer Graves from Waterford, Ireland, on May 7, 1856, at Midway near Milledgeville. After their marriage, the couple moved to Ireland, where they had at least four children. Sarah remained in Ireland for the rest of her life.

Emily’s mother, also named Sarah, passed away at the age of 52 on September 6, 1856, at Gordon Springs in Washington County, Georgia. She was laid to rest in the Fish Family Vault at Memory Hill Cemetery in Milledgeville, her remains placed in a Fisk Iron Mummy Casket. 

On January 11, 1859, Emily and her husband, Thomas, purchased seven enslaved individuals from her father’s estate for a total of $4,189:

• Violet, along with her children Peggy and Anthony, for $400 each ($1,200)
• Penly and her children, Delia and Georgia, for $428 each ($1,284)
• Ben, a carpenter, for $1,705

The Penfield Baptist Church minutes from October 30, 1859, do not confirm whether Emily and Thomas had rejoined the congregation. However, the records do note that their servant, Elizabeth, was a member and was received into the church through baptism.

By the time of the 1860 census, the Janes family’s wealth had grown substantially. On July 24, 1860, Emily and her family were residing in Penfield, where her husband, Thomas, worked as a farmer. His personal estate was valued at an impressive $67,800. The couple’s family had also expanded and now included eight children: Emma (13), Fannie (11), Thomas Jr. (10), Willie (listed as Felix, 7), Charlie (6), Eddie (4), Margie (2), and Lilla (just 2 months old). This is the only record found for Lilla, suggesting she likely did not survive infancy. While many researchers claim that Lilla was born and died on May 3, 1860, this seems inaccurate given that she was documented as two months old during the July census. I did locate a record of an “Infant Janes” who died in March 1860 at the age of one month, but this individual was recorded as Black and enslaved.

The Janes family owned a considerable estate, including 1,000 acres of improved land and 650 acres of unimproved land, with the farm valued at $22,000. Their farming tools and machinery were valued at $1,000. The plantation supported an extensive inventory of livestock, consisting of 17 horses, 18 asses and mules, 20 milk cows, 2 working oxen, 18 other cattle, 60 sheep, and 200 swine, collectively valued at $1,825.

Their agricultural production was substantial. The plantation yielded 800 bushels of wheat, 60 bushels of rye, 4,000 bushels of Indian corn, 2 bushels of oats, 160 pounds of wool, and 140 bales of cotton, each weighing 400 pounds. The plantation’s operations were heavily dependent on the labor of 80 enslaved individuals.

When the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Thomas remained at Redcliffe Farm in Penfield while many men from Greene County joined the fight. He proposed raising a cavalry regiment for Georgia and focused on studying cavalry tactics. In February 1862, after receiving approval from the Confederate War Department, he sought consent from the Georgia Governor to organize a regiment, requesting a list of available cavalry companies. Although the Secretary of War granted him permission on February 22, Thomas delayed action while awaiting the Governor’s response.

In July 1862, Thomas joined the 16th Regiment of the Georgia Militia as an assistant surgeon but resigned in June 1863. There are two conflicting accounts regarding his resignation—one suggests his role was eliminated, while another attributes it to physical disability. 

Emily’s brother, Thomas, served with Company I of the 4th Regiment, Georgia Infantry during the war. He was wounded during the Battle of Chancellorsville and tragically passed away in Richmond, Virginia, on May 23, 1863. According to his Find A Grave memorial, Thomas was initially buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. On June 1, 1863, his family had his remains exhumed and brought back to Georgia for reburial.

Like many Southern plantation owners, the Janes family faced significant challenges following the Civil War. The abolition of slavery, which had been the primary source of labor for their farms, made it increasingly difficult to sustain their agricultural operations. Thomas persisted in planting cotton as he had before the war, but this approach proved unsustainable and ultimately led to financial difficulties.

After nearly 11 years away from Penfield Baptist Church, Emily, Thomas, and their daughters, Emma and Fannie, were welcomed back into the congregation on May 13, 1863. Their membership was reinstated through a letter of transfer from Bairds Baptist Church in Bairdstown.

Minutes from Penfield Baptist Church

Bairds Baptist Church, Bairdstown, Georgia

In June 1869, the Janes plantation was described as spanning an impressive 5,000 acres near Mercer University. It featured flourishing fields of red clover, bluegrass, and timothy grass, all growing without the use of fertilizers. Thomas employed sustainable farming techniques, such as grazing livestock on clover fields to reduce feed costs. The plantation also produced wheat, corn, and cotton, and included wooded areas with oak and hickory trees.

By July 20, 1870, Emily and her family were still residing in Penfield. Over the decade since the 1860 census, the value of their real estate had doubled to $45,000, while Thomas’ personal estate was appraised at $5,000. Emily managed the household, while Thomas continued to oversee farming operations. Among their 11 children at home, three had reached adulthood: Emma (23), Fannie (21), and Palemon (20), who worked as a farm laborer. The household also included three teenagers: Willie (17 and still in school), Charlie (16 and also a farm laborer), and Eddie (14, working on the farm). Additionally, five younger children completed the family: Margie (12), Arthur (9), James (7), Walter (6), and John (3). Living next door was William Fish, age 39, likely Emily’s brother.

The family’s plantation, while maintaining a smaller inventory of livestock compared to 1860, saw its value increase to $3,500. They owned 10 horses, 6 asses and mules, 11 milk cows, 2 working oxen, 40 other cattle, 20 sheep, and 20 swine. Their plantation’s agricultural production included 350 bushels of spring wheat, 750 bushels of rye, 40 bales of cotton, 80 pounds of wool, 15 bushels of peas and beans, 50 bushels of Irish potatoes, 200 bushels of sweet potatoes, and 25 tons of hay. They also produced 500 pounds of butter and ventured into beekeeping, yielding 50 pounds of honey. Thomas slaughtered or sold livestock worth $500. The total estimated value of the plantation’s production, including livestock and additions to stock, was $6,650.

Tragedy struck the family on February 28, 1871, when Emily’s brother, George, a respected judge in the 13th Senatorial District, was assassinated in Oglethorpe, Macon County, Georgia. While returning from Macon, he was ambushed near the courthouse and fatally shot below the left ear by an unknown assailant. George was laid to rest at Oglethorpe Memorial Gardens in Oglethorpe.

Later that same year, on December 7, 1871, Emily’s daughter, Fannie, married John Hamilton Carswell in Richmond County, Georgia.

On June 7, 1873, Emily, Thomas, and their daughters, Emma and Fannie, were formally granted letters of dismission from Penfield Baptist Church. This allowed them to transfer their membership to another congregation.

Minutes from Penfield Baptist Church

Emily’s daughter, Emma, married Simon W. Overton in Greene County, Georgia, on January 20, 1874. It will be interesting to see whether Simon connects to my known Overton lines.

On August 26, 1874, Thomas was appointed by the Governor as Georgia’s first Commissioner of Agriculture. His service in this role began that same year. This new position likely required Thomas to spend significant time away from home, whether in Atlanta or traveling to farms across the state. During his absences, Emily was often left to manage the household. It is likely that the plantation operations were overseen by a hired manager.

At the start of 1875, Thomas hired four Black farmhands under a formal labor contract approved by the county court. However, the farmhands soon violated the terms of the agreement, refusing to work and seeking employment elsewhere. With Thomas away in Atlanta, Emily took the matter to court. The court enforced the contract, leading to the farmhands’ arrest for contempt and their imprisonment.

The following day, Thomas returned home, resolved the situation, and secured the release of the farmhands. In retaliation, the farmhands filed warrants accusing Charles, Edward, and Palemon Janes—Emily and Thomas’ sons—along with the county bailiff, of “interfering with a contract.” The Janes sons and the bailiff were subsequently arrested and taken to Atlanta. During a partial hearing, the charges against the Janes family members were dismissed, and the bailiff was released on his own recognizance.

After completing his first term as Georgia’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Thomas was reappointed by the Governor for a second term, beginning in September 1878. However, by mid-September 1879, rumors began circulating about a possible resignation, stemming from an investigation into alleged mismanagement within his office. Before the end of the month, Thomas officially resigned and returned to his home in Greene County.

Just under four years after her marriage, Emily’s daughter, Emma Overton, passed away in Penfield at the age of 30 on December 15, 1877. At the time, Thomas was in Atlanta attending to his duties as Commissioner of Agriculture and was likely summoned home by Emily. Tragically, he did not make it back before Emma’s death. Her burial location is unknown.

Following Thomas’ resignation and the loss of their daughter, life likely returned to its routine for the Janes family. Emily continued managing the household, with help from her daughter Maggie, while Thomas resumed his farming operations. By June 26, 1880, the census enumerator recorded the family living in Skull Shoals, Greene County, Georgia. Their sons, Eddie and Arthur, worked as farmers, while Jim, Walter, and John served as laborers, most likely assisting their father on the family farm.

The household also included five Black servants listed as laborers: George Barron (40), Perry (35), Emerline (30), Lizzie Williams (20), and Elis Tucker (50). Additionally, a 15-year-old Black male, John Tucker, also worked as a farmer and resided with the family. Both Elis and John were described in the census using the term “idiots,” a term historically used for intellectual disabilities. Among the Black members of the household, only John was noted as literate.

The Janes plantation covered 275 acres of improved land, comprising 200 acres of tilled farmland and 75 acres dedicated to permanent meadows, pastures, orchards, or vineyards. An additional 1,000 acres of wooded land brought the total estate value to $15,000. Their tools and machinery were valued at $150, while their livestock was worth $800. In 1879, plantation expenses included $100 for building or repairing fences, $200 for fertilizers, and $700 for farm labor. That year, the total value of farm production was estimated at $2,280.

The plantation’s livestock inventory, though reduced from 1860, remained significant. It included 5 horses, 2 mules or asses, 4 working oxen, 8 milch cows, 6 other cattle, and 50 sheep. In 1879, the farm produced 6 calves and 22 lambs, sold 1 cow, slaughtered 2, and lost 5 cattle due to death, straying, or theft. The plantation yielded 500 pounds of butter, while 34 sheep produced 80 pounds of fleece, despite 3 sheep succumbing to disease. Additionally, the farm kept 30 swine and 30 chickens, which produced 200 dozen eggs.

Crop production for the year was substantial. The plantation harvested 150 bushels of barley, 250 bushels of Indian corn from 50 acres, 600 bushels of oats from 50 acres, and 100 bushels of wheat from 10 acres. Other yields included 100 gallons of molasses from 2 acres, 50 bushels of potatoes, 100 bushels of apples, and 300 bushels of peaches from 200 trees spread across 2 acres. Four acres of mown grasslands produced 4 tons of hay. With its year-round productivity, the plantation demonstrated a diverse and thriving operation.

Willie, Emily’s son, passed away tragically at the age of 29 on September 9, 1882, in Richmond County, Georgia. He left behind his wife and four young children: Thomas, Annie, Essie, and William Jr. The Greensboro Herald of Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia, published an announcement on September 14, 1882:

—The friends of Dr. Thos. P. Janes deeply sympathise [sic] with him and his family in the death of his son Willie, a prominent business young man of Augusta.

Heartbreak struck the family again in 1883 with two devastating losses. One was William Jr., Willie’s infant son, and the other was Emily’s sister, Mary, who passed away on June 6, 1883. Willie and his son were both laid to rest in Magnolia Cemetery, Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia. Mary was laid to rest at Laurel Grove Cemetery North in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia.

On March 8, 1885, sensing the approach of his death, Emily’s husband, Thomas, summoned the family members present at his home to witness his verbal will. He expressed that, if his health allowed, he would put his wishes in writing. However, recognizing that his time was short and fearing he might not have the opportunity to formalize his intentions, he declared his wishes aloud to serve as his final will and testament. Thomas stated:

After all my first debts are paid, I desire and will that my wife (Mrs. Eliza E. Janes) shall at my death have all of my property of every description and that she shall take the same with the power of dispensing of it as she sees proper.

Thomas, who had been working to reclaim his position as State Commissioner of Agriculture, tragically passed away just two days later, on March 10, 1885. He was found unconscious in a field, and despite attempts to save him, he died before medical assistance could arrive. Thomas was laid to rest in the Janes Family Cemetery on Redcliffe Farm, near Penfield. It was widely reported that he succumbed to a morphine overdose, potentially taken to ease his nerves amid financial distress. However, those close to him contested this explanation, maintaining that he had no reason to take such an action.

On March 23, 1885, Thomas’ children—Arthur, Edward, James, Charles, and Margie—testified that they had been present at their father’s home on March 8 when he declared his verbal will. They attested that he passed away from the illness he was suffering at the time of his declaration and affirmed that his verbal will should be honored and executed in full.

The court was petitioned to appoint guardians for Emily’s 18-year-old son, John, as well as the three minor children of her late son Willie (Thomas, Annie, and Essie). The court reviewed and approved the requests, appointing Emily as the guardian for John, and Willie’s wife, Katie L. Janes, as the guardian for her three children.

On June 1, 1885, Emily applied to the Greene County Court of Ordinary to become the administratrix of Thomas’ estate. She declared that the estate was valued at approximately $10,000 and required administration to settle debts and distribute the remaining assets among the heirs. The court ordered that a citation be issued and published in accordance with the law. Listed in court records as “Eliza,” Emily was officially appointed as the administrator of the estate on July 6, 1885. She fulfilled the legal requirements, including paying the mandated bond and swearing an oath to carry out her duties faithfully.

On August 1, 1885, Emily petitioned the Greene County Court of Ordinary for 12 months of financial support for herself and her minor son, John. She requested that appraisers be appointed to assess the necessary amount for their maintenance, which could be provided in either money or property, as determined by the appraisers. Additionally, she asked for household furniture to be set aside for their use.

The court appointed five appraisers—John M. Colclough, Daniel Colclough, Robert L. Burgess, John S. Callaway, and William A. Overton—to address her petition. On August 5, the appraisers concluded that $1,000 was required for financial support. They designated specific items for Emily and John’s use, including 2 mules, 2 horses, 2 mares, 16 hogs, 2 cows with calves, 2 yoke oxen, 12 head of cattle, farming tools, 1 wagon, syrup kettles, seed separators, anvil bellows, 1 cotton press, 50 bushels of wheat, 68 bushels of oats, 5 bushels of rye, and 5,000 feet of lumber, valued at $645 in total. An additional $355 was allocated in farm products and cash.

The household furniture set aside for their use consisted of 12 rocking chairs, 24 chairs, 1 sideboard, 2 bookcases, 1 safe, 1 wardrobe, 1 dining table, 2 small tables, 2 sofas, 1 center table, 1 mirror, 1 hat rack, 1 carpet and rug, 1 pair of andirons (metal supports for holding logs in a fireplace), and kitchen furniture.

On August 10, 1885, the court approved 12 months of support for Emily and her son, John, officially granting the appraisers’ recommendations.

The court reviewed and approved Emily’s application requesting a lawful distribution of the estate to its rightful heirs. To oversee this process, the court appointed five appraisers—Charles M. Sanders, Joseph O. Boswell, John R. Bryant, Charles S. Ellington, and Robert L. Burgess—all respected freeholders of Greene County.

The estate’s heirs totaled 11 individuals: Emily; her surviving children—Frances, Palemon, Edward, Margie, James, Walter, John (a minor), Charles, and Arthur; and Catherine, the widow of Willie (deceased) and guardian of his three minor children—Thomas, Annie, and Essie.

On October 12, 1885, the appraisers divided the estate into 11 equal lots, comprising a total of 2,758 acres. Each lot was assessed individually, with values ranging from $6 to $11 per acre. The total worth of each lot was calculated based on these valuations, ensuring a fair distribution among the heirs.

On November 7, 1887, Emily petitioned the court to release her from her administrative responsibilities, asserting that she had fully settled all debts and distributed her late husband’s estate among his rightful heirs. After conducting a thorough review, the court deemed her administration satisfactory, granted her discharge, and issued letters of dismission as formal confirmation.

Tragically, both Emily and her youngest son, John, passed away in Greene County in 1894. While the exact date of Emily’s death remains unknown, John’s death occurred on October 4. Both were laid to rest in the Janes family cemetery near Penfield, where they joined other members of their family in eternal rest.

References

• A Visit to Dr. Janes’ Farm, Southern Recorder, Milledgeville, Georgia, June 29, 1869. 
• Arrested, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, May 27, 1875.
• Bryant, Jonathan M., How Curious a Land: Conflict and Change in Greene County, Georgia, 1850–1885, 1996.
• Chatham County, Georgia, Special Proceedings Records 1869–1870, 1870–1871, image 245, FamilySearch.
• Commissioner Thomas P. Janes, 1874 – 1879, Georgia Department of Agriculture; https://agr.georgia.gov/thomas-p-janes. 
• Communicated, The Federal Union, Milledgeville, Georgia, January 10, 1843.
• Daily Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, December 14, 1877.
• Died, The Federal Union, Milledgeville, Georgia, September 16, 1856.
• Dr. Thomas P. Janes Dead: He Dies Suddenly at His Home in Greene County—A Good Man Gone, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 11, 1885.
• Edgar Noel Graves, Ireland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1620–1911.
• Emily E. Fish, Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Emily Eliza (Fish) Janes photo (from History of the Janes-Peek Family: From Grandma’s Little Trunk, Dr. Reba Neighbors Collins, Edmond, Oklahoma, p. 73, 1975).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31342375/william_felix-janes: accessed March 9, 2025), memorial page for William Felix Janes Jr. (1882–1883), Find a Grave Memorial ID 31342375, citing Magnolia Cemetery, Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Richard Cutler (contributor 46778847).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54214115/george_washington-fish: accessed March 9, 2025), memorial page for Col George Washington Fish (1820–28 Feb 1871), Find a Grave Memorial ID 54214115, citing Oglethorpe Memorial Gardens, Oglethorpe, Macon County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Rhonda Bruce (contributor 47578333).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31342313/william_felix-janes: accessed March 9, 2025), memorial page for William Felix “Willie” Janes (1852–9 Sep 1882), Find a Grave Memorial ID 31342313, citing Magnolia Cemetery, Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Richard Cutler (contributor 46778847).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7970119/thomas_jefferson-fish: accessed March 9, 2025), memorial page for SGT Thomas Jefferson Fish (1837–23 May 1863), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7970119, citing Memory Hill Cemetery, Milledgeville, Baldwin County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Evening Blues (contributor 46587085).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52863196/mary_a-graybill: accessed March 9, 2025), memorial page for Mary A. Fish Graybill (Sep 1840–6 Jun 1883), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52863196, citing Laurel Grove Cemetery North, Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Raymond B. (contributor 47259819).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52902278/john_henry-janes: accessed March 7, 2025), memorial page for John Henry Janes (4 Jun 1867–4 Oct 1894), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52902278, citing Janes Cemetery, Greene County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Samuel Taylor Geer (contributor 46925792).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195433832/emma_cordelia-overton: accessed March 7, 2025), memorial page for Emma Cordelia Janes Overton (2 Jan 1847–15 Dec 1877), Find a Grave Memorial ID 195433832; Burial Details Unknown; maintained by Deryl Weaver (contributor 49379113).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52902269/lillian_h-janes: accessed March 7, 2025), memorial page for Lillian H. Janes (11 Sep 1851–16 Jun 1853), Find a Grave Memorial ID 52902269, citing Janes Cemetery, Greene County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Samuel Taylor Geer (contributor 46925792).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122563343/horace_virgil-fish: accessed February 28, 2025), memorial page for Horace Virgil Fish (1840–1845), Find a Grave Memorial ID 122563343, citing Memory Hill Cemetery, Milledgeville, Baldwin County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Rhonda Bruce (contributor 47578333).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122563207/william_washington-fish: accessed March 3, 2025), memorial page for William Washington Fish (1800–1 Jan 1843), Find a Grave Memorial ID 122563207, citing Memory Hill Cemetery, Milledgeville, Baldwin County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Rhonda Bruce (contributor 47578333).
• Fish Vault Commemoration, Friends of Baldwin County Cemeteries, Inc., http://www.friendsofcems.org/Baldwin/FishVault/FishVaultProgram.pdf. 
• Geer Ancestry (online family tree), Samuel Taylor Geer.
• Greene County, Georgia, Official Bonds 1877–1911, image 55, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Probate Estate Case Files 1790–1943, images 1091–1113, 1116–1118, 1121, 1123–1124, FamilySearch.
• Greene County, Georgia, Probate Records 1879–1893, images 303, 428, and 299–302, FamilySearch.
• Hammock, Stephen, Angling for Mythical Fish, Catching a Legendary Fisk Iron Mummy Casket, Middle Georgia Preservation Alliance, October 20, 2023; https://mgpaorg.wixsite.com/mgpa/post/angling-for-mythical-fish-catching-a-legendary-fisk-iron-mummy-casket. 
• Janes, Rev. Frederick, The Janes Family, a Genealogy and Brief History of the Descendants of William Janes, the Emigrant Ancestor of 1637, pp. 373–374, 1868.
• Letters to Georgia Gov. Joseph E. Brown, October 20, 1861, February 15, 1862, and February 27, 1862; Ancestry.com, Georgia, Civil War Correspondence, 1847–1865.
• Married, Southern Recorder, Milledgeville, Georgia, May 13, 1856.
• Mary F. Janes, Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Murder of Hon. George W. Fish, The Daily Constitutionalist, Augusta, Georgia, March 2, 1871.
• Obituary, The Federal Union, Milledgeville, Georgia, December 30, 1845.
• Penfield Baptist Church Minutes: 1839–1885.
• Personal visit to Thomas P. Janes family cemetery, Greene County, Georgia.
• Restoration of the William Fish Vault, Memory Hill Cemetery, Friends of Baldwin County Cemeteries, Inc., http://www.friendsofcems.org/MemoryHill/FishVault.php. 
• Southern Recorder, Milledgeville, Georgia, January 10, 1843.
• The Federal Union, Milledgeville, Georgia, December 27, 1842.
• The Restoration of the Fish Vault in Memory Hill Cemetery, Stephen Hammack, Susan J. Harrington, Matthew Williamson, and Hugh T. Harrington, The Society for Georgia Archeology; https://thesga.org/archive/2009/03/the-restoration-of-the-fish-vault-in-memory-hill-cemetery/. 
• Thomas J. Fish, US, Civil War Service Records (CMSR) - Confederate - Georgia, 1861–1865.
• U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedule, District 147, Greene County, Georgia, Agriculture, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedule, Greene County, Georgia, Agriculture, 1860, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedule, Greene County, Georgia, Slave, 1860.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 163, Greene County, Georgia, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, Exclusive of Milledgeville, Baldwin County, Georgia, 1850.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 149, Greene County, Georgia, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, 1860.
• U.S. Federal Census, Skull Shoals, Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• Union Point Locals, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, September 14, 1882.
• Washington County, Georgia, Probate Records 1852–1903, images 87–88, FamilySearch.
• Washington County, Georgia, Probate Records 1856–1866, images 512, 519, FamilySearch.
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