SATILLA RIVER:   HISTORIC - ARCHEOLOGICAL TREASURES??

Are there treasures along the Satilla River? Who Knows, unless it’s researched and studied. What about pioneer settlements, ferry’s, bridges, or forts on the Satilla? The Georgia Coastal Management Program announced in Oct. 1997 the availability of Coastal Incentive Grants” to local governments for projects to increase public involvement in natural “water-way” resource protection and historical preservation. Brantley is identified as an inland coastal county whose history has been shaped by forces of the Satilla River. Potential historical and archeological values may be hidden in it’s “water-ways”. Several opinions already exist as to the actual site of ole Fort McIntosh, a revolutionary war fort. Where is it’s true location?

An application for a grant of $25,000 to study the possibility of historical and archeological values of the Satilla River within the Brantely Co. area has been initiated by Magistrate Judge Huey R. Ham, and filed on January 1, 1998. He was assisted by Michael Jacobs of SEGa RDC (Waycross), John R. Morgan (Staff Archaeologist) State Dept. of Natural Resources in Atlanta, and Earl Cleland, Brantley County Historical Society.

The grant application is designed to: (1) perform a background-archival research to find what is known about the county’s prehistoric, historic, and archaeological resources; (2) identify, inventory, and assess archaeological resources that remain; (3) conduct preliminary archaeological testing to evaluate which resources are worthy of preserving. The final step will be, “recommend for planning purposes what to do about resources identified as worthy of preserving.” Grant approvals will be made known in February, 1998.

ROSTER OF CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS - 26TH GEORGIA REGIMENT, Company “D” - Seaboard GUARDS. In the January 1st, 1998 issue of Armadillo Tracks we began publishing a Roster of CSA soldiers assigned to Company “D” of the 26th Georgia Regiment. The following is a continuation of that roster.

Company “B” was made up of men from Camden & Wayne County, Ga.; With the realignment of county boundary lines to form Brantley County, some of the descendants of these soldiers now reside in Brantley County. Can you identify an ancestor?

HIGHSMITH, Aaron H. - Private April 9, 1862. Wounded in right hand and in foot, date and place not given. Surrendered Appomattox, Va. April 9, 1865. Born in Wayne County, Ga. in 1844, and died there November 6, 1913. Believed to be the son of David (1802-1860).

HIGHSMITH, Daniel - Private July 29, 1861. Appointed 3d Corporal July 30, 1863. Wounded and captured at Winchester, Va. September 19, 1864, and admitted to U.S.A Field Hospital there, with compound fracture of femur; died there September 19, 1864. Believed to be the son of David (1802-1860)

HIGHSMITH, Isaac H. - Private July 29, 1861. Appointed Sergeant. Discharged, having been elected to civil office, March 16, 1864. Believed to be the son of David (1802-1860).

HIGHSMITH, James N. - Private July 29, 1861. Died Feb. 2, 1862.

HIGHSMITH, John C. - Private September 29, 1861. Wounded at Spotsylvania, Va. May 12, 1864. Roll For August 31, 1864, last on file, shows him absent, wounded. Pension records show he was discharged, on account of wounds, in 1864. Born in Wayne County, Ga. Dec. 4, 1834.

HIGHSMITH, John E. - Private Apr. 1, 1862. Died at Richmond, Va. July 25, 1862.

HIGHSMITH, John F. - Jr. 2nd Lieutenant July 29, 1861. Resigned Nov. 5, 1863.

HIGHSMITH, Moses S. - Private July 29, 1861. Wounded in left hand at Sharpsburg, Md. Sept. 17, 1862; through left arm and permanently disable at Chancellorsville, Va. May 3, 1863. Roll dated Nov. 4, 1864 shows him absent, wounded. No later record. Born in Georgia October 31, 1842. Believed to be son of David (1802-1860).

HIGHSMITH, Wiley - Private July 29, 1861. Appointed Corporal November 15, 1861. Roll for Feb. 28, 1862, shows him present. No later record.

HOVIS, William F. - 3d Sergeant July 29, 1861. Absent with leave Feb. 28, 1862. No later record.

IVEY, Milton M. - Private July 29, 1861. Appointed Corporal in 1861; 3d Sergeant in 1863; 1st Sergeant June 15, 1864. Captured at Monocacy, Md. July 10, 1864. Exchanged at Point Lookout, Md., October 30, 1864. Received at Venus Point, Savannah River, Ga. Nov. 15, 1864. No later record.

JENKINS, Joel - Private July 29, 1861. Roll for Feb. 28, 1862, shows him present. No later record.

JENKINS, Reuben - Private July 29, 1861. Absent, sick, Feb. 28, 1862. No later record.

JERNIGAN, Henry - Private Jan. 11, 1862. Wounded in left hip at Spotsylvania, Va. May 12, 1864. Surrendered, Appomattox, Va. Apr. 9, 1865. Resident of Georgia since October 15, 1844.

JERNIGAN, John L. - Private Jan. 12, 1862. Captured at Fisher’s Hill, Va. September 22, 1864. Exchanged. Paroled, Thomasville, Ga. May 22,1865.

JOHNS, James - Private July 29, 1861. Absent, sick, Feb. 28, 1862. No later record.

JOHNS, John A. - Private July 29, 1861. Roll for Feb. 28, 1862, shows him present No later record.

JOHNSTON, Benjamin - Private Aug. 23, 1861. Wounded in 1864. Absent, wounded, Nov. 4, 1864. No later record.

JONES, Benjamin P. - Private Oct. 27, 1861. Roll for Feb. 28, 1862, shows him present. No later record..

JONES, Harley - 1st Lieutenant July 29, 1861. Retired May 8, 1862. Died of disease August 18, 1862.

JONES, James B. - 4th Sergeant July 29, 1861. Discharged, disability, Sept. 15, 1861. Enlisted as a private in Co. E, 4th Regt. Ga. Cavalry (Clinch’s), Nov. 22, 1862. Transferred to Co. F, Jan. 2, 1863. Surrendered, Thomasville, Ga. May 23, 1865. (Born in Georgia in 1842).

JONES, Jethro J. - Private July 29, 1861. Wounded in 1864. Surrendered, Appomattox, Va. April. 9, 1865.

JOYCE, William C. - Private Apr. 23, 1862. Roll dated Nov. 4, 1864, shows him present. No later record. Born in Clinch County, Ga.(TO BE CONTINUED IN APRIL 1ST, 1998 EDITION)

TESTIMONY PRESENTED BEFORE SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE R. EVE

PRELUDE: On June 22, 1923 while Judge W.M. Roberson, Ordinary Judge of Brantley County was consolidating the vote count from the 2nd County Site Election. West County Attorney S.F. Memory delivered a “Mandamus” from Judge J.I. Summerall to the Ordinary’s office directing the electing team to curtail consolidation efforts. Judge Roberson chose to ignore the Mandamus and was cited for contempt. The following is a testimony in his defense.

P. H. DILLASHAW TESTIFIED FOR DEFENDANTS: I am one of the respondents in the proceeding. I live in Brantley County, Nahunta. I was one of the managers of the county site election held on June 22, 1923. I think I was present in the court house assisting in the consolidation of the results. There might be some question as to where the court house is at Hoboken. I was present in the Ordinary's Office at the county site at the preparation of the consolidation. In signing that certificate after the figures were added I had no idea in my mind to hold the court in contempt or to disregard the court's order. I thought we had a right to have the papers served on us and I did not know that it had been filed in the Clerk's office.

Mr. Memory come in and read a paper. I did not hear it all. I went out before he got through reading it; I stepped out onto the porch and when he got through reading it I went back into the room and I was about one foot behind him and he said if we signed it, he did not say it boastingly, but if we signed it he would see that we all went to jail.

Mr. Parker made the statement about disqualifying Judge Summerall right after Mr. Memory made that statement. I heard Mr. Parker make the statement that it was his opinion that it came too late, but I think that was probably previous to the time when Col. Memory said he would send us all to jail. It was after Mr. Memory got there. That naturally influenced my conduct in signing the paper; he was an attorney. I am a telegraph operator at Nahunta with the Atlantic Coast Line.

CROSS EXAMINATION (P. H. DILLASHAW) When I signed this paper I knew that it was a declaration of the result of that election. It was probably five or ten minutes after the order was read my Mr. Memory before I signed this. I went right on and signed it. We had already added it up before he got there on one sheet. The totals had been added up and Judge Roberson read them out, and when he read that one over he filled out another one so we could all sign it. Neither sheet had been signed when Mr. Memory came in at that time. The total had been added up before Col. Memory came in. Judge Roberson had made up the consolidation list for all of the precincts and then called out the votes cast for and against in each one all the way through, and then he added up the results, but it had not then been signed. He had the original sheet filled out before Mr. Memory got there and was filling in the duplicate sheet when he come in. Neither one of them had been signed up to that time by the managers of the election. We were delayed about two hours o account of the returns from the Schlatterville district; they did not get in until two minutes to twelve.

NOTE: THE NEXT TESTIMONY WILL BE THAT OF M. H. ROBINSON, THE BRANTLEY COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR (APRIL 1ST, 1998 EDITION)