Paddling the Oconee River

               On Saturday we went on a wonderful kayak trip on the Oconee river with Oconee Joe. If you enjoy what I describe you should look him up www.oconeejoe.com .  It was a bluebird, chamber of commerce day.  The slight overcast gave away to blue skies and a light, but increasing breeze.  Our group was small and the goal was to experience the river.  This leisurely pace enabled us to experience the current, the blooms, and the history of the stretch.

               The trip began on the Middle Oconee River near Macon Highway.  A sandy, but steep bank made for a good entry to the river and ample time to brief about the plan for our trip.  The green buds of spring were in various stages depending on the species of flora and we saw the tracks left by the recent visit of beavers and deer.  The launch was near the original Paper Mill and Princeton Factory site.  The old bridge was the site of the only significant civil war action in Athens where Union Cavalry engaged the local militia, but were unable to force a crossing of the Oconee River.

               In July of 1864, General Sherman ordered an operation to cut Atlanta’s railroad supply lines.  Maj. Gen George Stoneman, with three cavalry brigades (2112 men and 2 guns) was given the task.  He successfully destroyed the railroad in Gordon, McIntyre and Toomsboro burning trains, supplies, and the railroad bridge over the Oconee River.  At Macon, he was repulsed and began a retreat.  On July 31st Stoneman was outmaneuvered by Confederate forces at the Battle of Sunshine Church.  As a result, Stoneman allowed himself to be captured along with 600 of his men to effect the escape of Adams’ and Capron’s brigades.  Capron and Adams moved north and developed a plan to attack Athens since it hosted an armory.  Adams attempted to cross the bridge over the Middle Oconee, but was unsuccessful account the preparations that Confederate forces had made to defend Athens.  Adams turned his brigade North and reach Marietta to rejoin Union Forces.  Capron was in Watkinsville holding in reserve for the attack on Athens.  He attempted to follow Adams route back to Union lines, but instead too the Hog Mountain road which was further west.  Although he was being pursued by the “Orphan Brigade”, Capron allowed his troops to rest for a few hours at the Mulberry River crossing.  This crossing is about ½ mile South of Bethabara Church.  As the troops rested, the Confederates attacked and routed Capron’s men who fled across the Mulberry Bridge along with a group of fleeing slaves.  The Bridge collapsed and most of the Union cavalrymen became prisoners.  Capron and 6 of his men made to union lines four days later on foot.

               Leaving the site of the battle we paddled south down the river.  Our next land mark would be McNutt’s creek.  The creek has a strong flow and joins the river at the Botanical Gardens.  We saw a group from the Audubon Society counting birds and we received a warm hello from the group.  Cardinals and Kingfishers darted around the banks as we made our way through this area.  The strength of McNutt’s creek gave endorsement to the record of Mills in this water shed.  Aside from the Paper Mill which was near the spot, Princeton Factory was also on the Middle Oconee and not far overland on the north branch, the Georgia Factory was present thanks to good waterflow.  The difference in the control of water is evident when comparing the photos from our trip to the 1919 photo of the Oconee.  Trees are overhanging a little more in 1919, and the bank is not as eroded.  Although cotton production did cause erosion in years past, the impervious surface creation in recent decades has caused a much greater rate of change of river levels resulting in growth being unable to establish itself on the banks of the river.  The 1938 USDA aerial photographs show a good amount of timber growth in the watershed interspersed with terraced farming.

               After passing by the botanical gardens we took a nice break on a sand bank.  It was a chance to take in the scenery and review one of the coolest things we saw, a rookery.  We were able to see a wonderfully tall and spreading tree with at least eight Blue Heron nests.  They were grand.  Built high in the air and constructed of large sticks the sight was marvelous.  The long legged herons were humorously graceful as they walked and jumped among the branches.  Herons pair up for the nesting season and partner to protect the nest.  The cackling and ticking sounds they made were a unique symphony all their own.

               Our movement on the river let us paddle by the old foundations for Simonton Bridge.  The stacked stones are only a few yards north of the present day Simonton Bridge Road/ Whitehall Road bridge.  Calls creek enters the Middle Oconee on the stretch.  The USDA Photographs show the bridge and the approach roads.  We continued to row downstream to my favorite infrastructure of the day, the railroad bridge.  The wrought iron structure is a living example of 19th to 20th century bridge construction.  In the 1880s the Macon and Covington Railroad acquired the property from John White and SP Reeves and bridged the Middle Oconee River to get access to Athens.  The current bridge was not the first structure the railroad built.  Buried in the banks is riveted boilerplate cylinders.  There were used as footer foundations for the original timber bridge.  Bents from the old timber bridge approach are visible on the East side of the river, there are also bolts associated with timber structures in the soil surrounding the structure.  Around 1922, the east side approach was filled in with dirt and the new concrete piers were added to serve as supports for the current bridge.  The rail that carried trains over the bridge was rolled in 1907 in Maryland.  A more modern steel beam structure now carries the tracks from the end of the fill to the current bridge piers.  Two centuries of engineering are well worth the few minutes of stoppage.

               Leaving the rail bridge, we traveled a quarter mile downstream and took a break on the sandbar at the confluence of the Middle and North Oconee.  Aside from the river junction, the John White power station is a great highlight of this spot.  We were able to walk and explore the site.  John or James White constructed the dam in the early 1900s to produce hydroelectricity.  The Dam spanned the Middle Oconee just above the confluence of the Middle and the North branches.  The water intake was on the east shore and the power house was designed as a turbine mine.  The turbine was submerged in the basement of the building with a shaft extending to the first floor.  On the first floor of the powerhouse, the turbine shaft extended to a junction by gear with a horizontal shaft.  Connected to that shaft was a pulley with a series of V belts.  The v belts connected the pulley to another pulley on the 2nd floor.  That shaft connected to a Westinghouse Generator and thus power was created.   In 1910, the Athens Railway and Electric Company Leased the site for a term of 99 years.   After falling out of use the site was left unattended until July of 2018 when the central part of the dam was removed allowing the Middle Oconee to free flow again.

               The pause at the sandbar gave us time to talk about the river’s story and enjoy the beauty of the dozens of Tiger Swallowtail butterflies.  I found a small piece of clay there that was part of some sort of rounded feature.  The sand that has silted from the middle and north rivers forms up nicely and the current filters away quickly at the edges exposing heavier objects.  The smoked Gouda cheese we enjoyed was outstanding and it paired nicely with the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I packed from home.

               The river from here to our takeout point grew wider at each turn.  We passed several nice rock features that would be great for climbing or pondering.  The surroundings provided plenty of natural sounds as the industrial noise of the city drifted away.  I took the leisure of being the last boat in line and the last to exit the water.  We took out above Barnett Shoals.  Had I been at this spot in 1795 it would have been safer in the river, or at Fort Matthews.  The Fort would have been nearby, but we are not sure exactly.  It was a nice day.  As always it left me longing for more.  I can’t wait to see what the next trip brings.

August 3rd from the Southern Watchman in Athens describing the Union Cavalry near Athens, note the reference to the Paper Mill.

Information from the National Railway Guide mentioning James White’s Power Company in 1910.

Covington and Macon Railroad bridge over the Middle Oconee. In this drawing North is at the bottom of the picture.

In this 1868 map of Clarke County you can see the location of Paper Mill and just below it the confluence of the Middle and North Oconee Rivers.

A Map date circa 1930, the location of Simonton’s Bridge and the Railroad Bridge are visible.

This 1890 USGS map shows the community of Algernon which is where the Battle of King’s Tanyard occurred after Capron’s Cavalry left Athens on August 2, 1864.

Deed for John White’s land to the Railroad crossing on the Oconee.

Westinghouse Generator on the 2nd Floor of the White Powerhouse. Probably 1904 vintage.

A Blue Heron Rookery.

Just After setting out, near the site of the Cavalry skirmish.

White Powerhouse.

Bridge Piers from the old Simonton Road Bridge.

Railroad Bridge looking West from the Clarke Bank towards Oconee County.

Riveted Boilerplate from the 1890s railroad bridge.

Closer view of the bridge structure

White Dam and powerhouse with center of Dam removed.

Old Rails, Aliceville, AL

While travelling between two locations at work today I saw the signs of an old railroad track paralleling my path. It had been raining for sometime and the water was high in the creeks. As I passed over one creek I saw the timbers of an old trestle. I paused to take a picture and did a little research and turns out I was beside the Alabama, Tennessee, and Northern Railroad. It was build in the late 1890s and early 1900s. It went from the Gulf Coast to Aliceville, Al. It was eventually bought by the Saint Louis and San Francisco Railway commonly called the FRISCO. The Frisco allowed it to run as it’s own independent company for many years. The line was abandoned in 1971, but as late as 1984 it still appeared on USGS TOPO maps labeled under the Frisco’s new owner, Burlington Northern. Today all that remains is a visible path, some gravel and the former bent piers of the Trestle supports.

Tracing the old Boundary of North Georgia

After the 1790 Treaty of New York, a series of blockhouses and Forts were built in North Georgia along the Cherokee and Creek lines. The Wofford or 4 mile purchase was a result of two of these forts and their settlements being constructed on the wrong side of the line. After the Red Stick Creek defeat, one of the concessions made by the Creeks was done at Fort Strother (now in Alabama) on January 22nd 1816. Of note to me the the location of the High Falls of the Apalachee river, the “Shallowford” on the Chattahoochee, the Hightower trail, and the most interesting a dotted line from Oghechee River to the Tugaloo river.  There is a historical marker on the Georgia side of the Tugaloo river that marks this line’s terminus.

#georgiahistory #georgiarivers #creek #Cherokee

1816 Map of Creek Lands

Old Tugaloo Town Marker outside Toccoa, GA

1804 Survey document marking the 1790 Treaty of New York as it applied in North Georgia

A New Family Discovery

A few month back I was reviewing the Georgia Militia records and Creek Indian letters at the state archives. I started looking up the pension files for the militia men who were listed as serving at the frontier forts. In that Searching I discovered the pension/Bounty Land Claim for John Epperson. What was of interest of me was the endorsement letters. Me 5x Great-Grandfather Robert Young gave a deposition in the case. What made it better was that it gave me some more insight on Robert Young who ran a tavern on the Hog Mountain Road, which was near the Atlanta Falcons training facility near Flowery Branch. This letter gives some insight as to when and who he served under. Below is a transcript of the letter.

State of Georgia

Hall County

                On this third day of March AD 1854 Personally appeared before me, a justice of the peace, in and for the county and state aforesaid, Daniel Maddox aged 83 years a resident of Gwinnett County and Robert Young aged 82 years a resident of Hall County both in the state aforesaid who being duly sworn according to the law deposeth and saith an oath, that they was both present at or near Hog Mountain in the State of Georgia on or about the 15th day of September AD 1813 at which time and place Capt Reed’s Company of Georgia Militia (and John Epperson as a private in said company) was mustered into the military service of the United States for the term of Twelve months in the war against Great Britain and the Creek and Seminole Indians and continued in actual service in said war for the term of Twelve months and was honorably discharged at Hog Mountain in the state of Georgia on or about the 15th day of September AD 1814.  Deposneths resided near Hog Mountain and was present when the said John Epperson was discharged and paid for said service but cannot say positively weather he was paid by the United States or by the State of Georgia, but know they called it receiving pay from Uncle Sam.  Deponesth both saw the said John Epperson several times during the term of service when he would return home on furlough and know he rendered the service as above stated, that deposeth have been acquainted with the said John Epperson ever since he returned from said was he resided in Hall County State of Georgia until within a few years past when he removed to Cherokee County State of Georgia where he now resides.  They both know him to be the identical man who served as aforesaid and who is now making application for Bounty Land.

                That deposeth Daniel Maddox served in Captain Lamar’s Company Georgia Militia, Wayne’s War and received in consequence of said service Land Warrant numbered 25081 dated 7th Day of October 1853 for 160 acres under the act of 28th September 1850 and that Robert Young served as a private in Capt Easley, Wootens and Bowens’s Companies Wayne’s War and services and received in consequence of said services Land Warrants number 34387 dated 6th April 1850 and that deposeths no either of them have any interest in this claim and they or either of them engaged in its pre(unintelligible)

                                                                                                His Mark

                                                                                Daniel X Maddox

                                                                                                His Mark

                                                                                Robert X Young

Elisha Winn Fair

I had a great time this past weekend at the Elisha WInn Fair. Gwinnett County started at the Elisha Winn House in 1818. The best part of the weekend to me is that I have the opportunity to share history with others. Its not about dates and answers on a test. Its about knowing how people came and lived here, how they integrated, and learning how your ancestors were involved.

War of 1812 Command Structure on the Georgia Frontier

                The military structure of the United States during the War of 1812 is to say the least confusing.  One must consider the recent past of the United States to fully understand why.  The 2nd and 3rd Amendments of the constitution speak to American concerns about a large standing army in the midst.  The Revolution was still a memory to many citizens in 1812 and the remembrance of a standing army causes some concern among the general public.  As a result of those concerns and the policies of recent president Thomas Jefferson, the US Army is a small force as the War of 1812 began.  One place in Georgia that did have a large military presence was St. Mary’s, GA in Camden County.  Fort Peter (or Petre) was the home to the 3rd largest collection of gunboats in the US fleet.  This was a result of S. Mary’s being the last American town before Spanish Florida or the Creek Nation.  This fleet existed to enforce the perennial High School favorite, the Non-Intercourse acts.  Also stationed at the Fort was a company of the 1st US Rifle Regiment which carried the Harper’s Ferry Rifle shipped from the banks of the Shenandoah.

                Keeping to the tradition of the revolution, the state of Georgia was divided into militia regiments.  The areas of Franklin and Jackson Counties was part of the 25th and 26th Militia Regiments.  Although the actual diving lines of the regiments are somewhat blurred, these were the organizations that staffed the American Army in North Georgia during the War of 1812.  As the War progressed, the differences within each state resulted in poor troop organization and inability to properly organize military operations.  President Madison recognized these issues and prompted his allies in Congress to push through a bill that would reorganize the State Militias for Federal service.  In that 1814 bill, the troop sizes were normalized and the reporting structure was standardized.  Each regiment was to have 10 companies with 80-120 men in each company.  Of those companies, one was to be a light company of skirmishers and one was to be a company of riflemen.  Jackson and Franklin Counties were part of the 4th Regiment of Georgia’s allotment, Jackson was assigned to be the rifle company.  The 4th regiment was commanded by Booth, he reported to Major Tandy Key, then Colonel Buell, then, General Daniel who commanded the 4th Division. 

                The challenge at Fort Daniel is that the reorganization occurred while the Fort was under construction.  We know from past discovered documents that the Fort was ordered to be constructed via State Authority.  To fulfill that order, the regimental commanders created a “detached” portion of militia to build and staff the Forts.  This meant that some troops could elect to serve 60 days in building and staffing the Forts in lieu of serving the required six months in the regiments of the line.  An example of the conflict can be found in Jacob Braselton’s letter to Governor Troup dated January 14th, 1827.  Braselton wanted to apply for a pension, but he only served sixty days at “the fort at Hog Mountain” instead of the standard six months as usually required.  Situations like this forced Congress to reduce the requirement of service to 60 days to be eligible for a War of 1812 pension.  In letters to the Governor during 1814, the need for all the forts were questioned.  Fort Daniel was needed as the start of the military road to Fort Peachtree, but the others were not as necessary for protection, and they drew away needed soldiers.

                Another option for male citizens at the time was to join the regular US Army.  Recruits joined the army from as close as Jefferson in Jackson County during the War.  General Pickney was in charge of the US 6th and 7th districts as the War began and he commanded those territories from Charleston, SC and Fort Hawkins.  The 43rd US Army regiment was the closest regular Army unit to Fort Daniel.  In each regiment a number of “recruiting” officers were commissioned.  Their role was not field command, but they travelled the countryside soliciting men to enlist.  Once they enlisted, men were sent to a central depot for consolidation in companies.  The initial depot for the 43rd was Washington, GA in Wilkes County.  The Colonel of the regiment, Nicholas Long lived in Washington, Georgia and thus its initial headquarters.  The majority of the unit’s men were sent to Salisbury, NC, Charleston, SC, and around the Cape Fear River in North Carolina.   A small unit of 20 privates, 2 non-commissioned officers, and a Lieutenant names George Gilmer were tasked to the Chattahoochee.  This group was ordered to build a fort at Standing Peachtree to anchor a road that started at Fort Daniel.  This was a Federal army unit.  It belonged to the company commanded by Captain Edward Tattnall.  These men probably saw Fort Daniel as they travelled.  The arms for the militia at Fort Daniel were stored at Major Tandy Key’s House.  According to his report to the governor, the smoothbore 1795 pattern muskets were not in good order and only 70 of the 150 had been cleaned.  For soldiers who had not brought their own rifles to the fort, it was a bad spot to be in.

                As Gilmer led his men by Fort Daniel he was passing a state fortification.  Following the Peachtree road, he was on Federal orders to build Fort Peachtree.  The men at Fort Daniel reported to Captain Wharton, who reported to Key, who reported to Booth, who reported to General Daniel, who reported to the General of the Georgia Militia, either Floyd or McIntosh.  Gilmer would report to Captain Tattnall, to Colonel Nicholas Long, then General Pickney.  Two parallel reporting structures existed side by side.

                After the Red Stick Creeks were defeated the need for frontier forts were greatly reduced.  Meanwhile at Point Peter, the British were planning an invasion.  Colonel Jack of the 8th US Army regiment was planning a defense.  Prior to accepting that role, he was the general in charge of the 4th Division of Georgia Militia, the position now held by General Allen Daniel.  Colonel Jack requested that Gilmer and his men reinforce Point Peter with his garrison.  Aside from local militia, Jack had only a few regular line infantry and some of the US Army rifles to defend the point.  The point fell in January to a British assault.

                As the War of 1812 played out in Georgia, the Militia was reorganized into standard military sizes to meet Madison’s demands.  Some small detachments were sent to man outlying forts.  The US Army was an option for many men, but required a longer enlistment and the probability of exposure to real fighting.  The militia and the regular army reporting through two separate and parallel lines that met at General Pickney as the commander of the military district.

The Curious Mr. Kidd Part 2

The Curious Mr. Kidd-Part Two

                As mentioned in the first part of the Kidd story, James has lived an interesting life.  He was born in Virginia, fought in several key Revolutionary War battles, and managed to evade imprisonment as a tax debtor.  Leveraging his service in the Revolutionary War, Kidd returned to Oglethorpe and Gwinnett counties in 1831 through 1833 to file for a pension for service.  In these trips to his old haunts he enlists Elisha Winn.

Elisha Winn’s house would have hosted the first sheriff’s sale in Gwinnett County (in which Kidd was on the debtors end), but he also plays a greater role in Kidd’s story.  Among the requirements to obtain a revolutionary war pension was to validate the identity of the claimant with two sworn witness who knew the applicant, one of whom was to be a clergyman.  In Kidd’s application for pension a clergyman does not appear, but rather two persons who sworn to have known him for some time Benjamin Ivie and Elisha Winn.  To fully understand this we look at the sworn documents for information.  There is an asterisk at the end of the statement that explain that Mr. Kidd now lives in DeKalb County and that a clergyman could not be produced without great inconvenience and expense to the court.  So although living in DeKalb County, Kidd had returned to Gwinnett County to obtain the necessary witnesses.  Knowing the location of Elisha Winn’s house and that he made an oath in court to knowing James Kidd for some time we can further draw that Mr. Kidd’s store was probably close to the Fort Daniel location.  Another two facts worth mentioning are that travelling between Fort Daniel and Elisha Winn’s house could be done without crossing any streams.  This would be of importance for anyone who travelled with the purpose of purchasing good to be transported home.  The second clue to consider is that Winn’s daughter Philadelphia married Maltbie who operated a store at Hog Mountain.  In 1820 Maltbie and Winn were listed as neighbors on the census role.  It could be a possibility that Maltbie took over Kidd’s store or at least filled the business vacuum Kidd created when he departed for DeKalb County.

                Benjamin Ivie was the second person listed as a witness to Kidd’s identity.  Benjamin, his brother, and son were listed in the 1832 gold lottery as receiving land in the area.  Benjamin also appears in the Bogan District in the 1830 census.  Perhaps the best evidence of Benjamin Ivie’s connection come from an interview with the Reverend William Ivie published in the Gwinnett Weekly Herald on February 3, 1875.  Reverend Ivie stated in his interview that his father Benjamin,

“…settled on Beaver Ruin creek in 1817. His family and his brother John's were the only white families then living west of the Apalachee.  The location of their cabins is not certainly known now, but it is believed they were near the road that runs by Daniel J. Liddell's, and on his land.  Faint evidences of old house places, I am informed, may be seen near the creek, and these probably are where the cabins of Benjamin and John Ivie were built fifty-eight years ago.  Upon the organization of Lawrenceville, a few years after, the father and son moved to the new town…”[1]

Given this information and using the location descriptions it can be surmised that Benjamin Ivie lived on the trading path that became Peachtree Road near present day Norcross.  This would further endorse Mr. Kidd’s store location at being near the Fort Daniel site as it would have been the closest trading post for the Ivies to do business.  Given that Peachtree Road crossed no streams between the Ivie residence and Fort Daniel, and that a waterless trail also existed between Elisha Winn’s home and Fort Daniel, a solid case can be made that Kidd’s Store was somewhere near the fort at the current crossroads of Georgia Highways 124 and 324.

Also mentioned in Kidd’s Pension papers is his brother, William Kidd.  As noted in part one, William Kidd moved to Georgia in 1799 almost 15 years after James Kidd arrived in the state.  By all evidences William put down roots in the Lexington area.  His Revolutionary War pension states that he has resided for almost all his time in Georgia in the area of Lexington.  He established a life for himself and even served in the militia in the War of 1812 and indicated by his wife’s application for a widow’s pension in 1871.  Although the connection has not been determined, both of the Kidd’s brothers had some connection to the Hurricane Shoals in Jackson County.  Some newspaper evidence puts both in that area with business interest and William’s War of 1812 Pension lists Hurricane Shoals as an address.  James Kidd had his Revolutionary War pension sent to Hurricane Shoals for collection.  This would have been a long distance for him to travel and collect coming from DeKalb in the 1830s, but given his history of tax debt perhaps he had found a haven where the money would come to him safely.  This part still has yet to be uncovered.

After the Revolutionary War filings for pensions, James Kidd’s trail goes dark.  The last evidence discovered this far is the government paying his final pension check in the year 1840 which usually indicated death.  What we can say for sure is that in 1812, with heightened tensions on the frontier and the nation at war, Hog Mountain was a place where frontier settlers had a reason to be nervous about their lives everyday as evidenced by the incidents at Mr. Kidd’s Store.  Non-native settlements were expanding rapidly through the Hog Mountain area in route to points west.  The allocations of land and pensions to war veterans were driving people in this westward direction and as a result the research is a wild paper chase of people, times, and locations.  There is more to the story, more to be discovered, more to be answered, but this comes with time.

[1] “Rev. William Ivie Interview” Gwinnett Herald, February 3, 1875, 3.

The Curious Mr. Kidd Part 1

The Curious Mr. Kidd-Part One

In recent research dealing with the militia in and around the Fort Daniel area I came across the newspaper story of Mr. Kidd.  Various newspapers from Washington, GA to Savannah, and even others along the seaboard, ran the text of a letter received from the Western Frontier.  As we know, the frontier would be along the Hawkins Line.  It seems that Mr. Kidd’s Store was attacked by Creek Indians and now I’ll let the printed text tell the tale…

                “The papers by last Western mail inform us, that the Indians have recently become very troublesome to the inhabitants of Jackson County, in the upper part of this state.  On the night of the 10th [August 10th, 1812] instant, four Indians made an attempt to rob the store of a Mr. Kidd, at Hog-Mountain but he repulsed them bravely having killed two and wounded a third and the fourth escaped unhurt.  Between three and four hundred Creek Indians are said to have crossed the Apalachie (sic), with a view, it was thought, of revenging the death of their comrades.  Colonel Harris had mustered upwards of one hundred men and was ready to receive them, should they make their appearance.  Jackson County is represented to be in great confusion.  Several families had left their homes and repaired to places of more security”[1]

                Given the basics of the letter the general area of the store would be known.  It would lie somewhere along Hog Mountain and East of the Apalachee.  These locations are confirmed within the story as well with the descriptions of “Upper” and “Western” being used in reference to the paper’s publication location in Milledgeville.  The exact location cannot be determined from this item alone, but the presence of Creek’s in the area confirms it was probably somewhere near Fort Daniel.

                In Flanigan’s “History of Gwinnett County” his description of Hog Mountain includes a store and we also know that Elisha Winn’s Daughter Philadelphia, married the store keeper in Hog Mountain.  These things being said, it can be known that there probably was some type of store close to Fort Daniel at the time of it’s construction and that the Fort’s location was influenced by the presence of Creek Indians nearby.  The questions remain of who was Mr. Kidd, where was his store, and why has no evidence been discovered of a force of three hundred or more Creeks mustering to revenge the incident. 

               Newspapers appeared to have truncated the original story based on rumor.  On August 29th, 1812, the Washington (GA) Monitor published a letter from Mr. Kidd.  Apparently Kidd had heard of great excitement with the incident and felt the need to tell the whole story.  The existence of the paper, and Mr. Kidd’s response confirms Creek Indian activity in the area.  It also demonstrates the fact that although on the frontier, the area was receiving not only basic mail service, but service with some regularity and speed that included access to regular printed sources.  The incident was apparently the result of more than one altercation.  The writing from Mr. Kidd is worth review now before we slice more facts from it.

                “On the night of Monday the 3rd instant, there came to the store of Messrs Kidd & Co. at the Hog Mountain, Jackson County, four Indians of the Creek nation; no person being present but a young man (Mr. Heard) the Indians told him they wanted goods; Mr. Heard inquired of them what they had to give for the goods.  One of them presented his gun and one his knife and got the goods they wanted, though but a small quantity.

                On the 10th, about sunset, came the same four Indians, at which time myself and son and Heard were at home, they asked for entrance, which was refused-they appeared angry-observed at the time, that if I would let them in, they would pay for what goods they had taken from us a few days past.  I let them in, proceeded to weigh and county their pelts which amounted to 23 dollars, and paid for the goods previously taken, and received the amount of the balance. Then about eight o’clock at night one of them, by the name of Charlie, picked up a gun of ours, and presented it at my son.  He seized the gun, a struggle ensued; one of the other Indians, by the name of Archy, drew his knife and jumped over the counter; Mr. Heard closed with him, the third laid hold of me.  We at length  got them pacified and agreed to be at peace.  Before they left the inside of the counter, Charley and Archy took a piece of cloth and some lead; the one that had hold of me then proceeded to supply himself but was moderate.

                They went out, packed up what they had got and were about to go away; they asked for salt and whiskey-I denied having any, although I had both.  Two of them went to a hogshead, saw the salt, and filled two small bags.  In order to get them back the next morning so that I could secure them, I told them that [they] should have whiskey the next morning, and it was likely to rain and they would get wet, they had better leave the salt and come in the morning.  They agreed to do so provided I would let them take it then.  I told them they should have it.  They then went away.  In the mean while I sent to request of my neighbors to attend and secure them on their return.  Mr. Williams and Mr. Gresham came about with me, they took three guns which the Indians had brought, and the fourth gun an Indian got and endeavored to shoot me with, but one of our company [unintelligible] it from the Indian and knocked him down with it.  Two Indians, Archy and his son Charley, closed with me, Archy endeavored to draw his knife to stab me, I prevented him, drew his knife myself and stabbed him and turned the knife and stabbed Charley, also twice, Charley ran away, but but died a few days afterwards.  Archy and the two remaining Indians we tied up and sent to Jackson goal.  We learnt from a considerable chief in the Creek nation, that there were 27 indians in this body who have heretofore committed murder and robbery.  The Indians have been fine since.  The report of 3 or 400 Indians being about to attack out frontier is a mistake.  I do not think much danger is to be apprenhended from any other than a party who have been in the habit of it.  A variety of incorrect reports having been circulated relative to the above affair, I feel bound to publish the account as it really occurred.

Jamed H. Kidd

August 24, 1812

”[2]

                Given Kidd’s recollection of events we can see that the attack was more akin to a robbery than an Indian uprising.  The story does confirm the general area of the store as he reports sending the captives to Jackson Courthouse, present day Jefferson, Georgia.  Also the article give us some new leads, a Mr. Williams and a Mr. Gresham.  Both appear in various documents in the following years, but the best source for locating the store site is in the 1820 census.  In that record, Mr. Williams and Mr. Gresham are listed as living only 1 residence apart in the Bogan District of Gwinnett County place them in the same area as Fort Daniel just 8 years after the incident at Kidd’s Store.  In the 1820 census, Mr. James Kidd appears to have moved further down the Peachtree road because he is listed in a different portion of the census.

                One of the neighbors that James Kidd asks to come and assist on the evening of the 10th is Mr. Gresham.  This is most likely George Gresham.  In 1816 William Hamilton purchased a 240 acre tract of land from George Gresham with the notable feature of the “Hawkins Line” as one of the borders.  The land on which the Hog Mountain House stood was apparently included in this purchase thus making it extremely close to the Fort Daniel site.  Assuming that Mr. Gresham lived on his tract of land, and knowing that he lived within walking distance of Kidd’s Store (as he responded to Kidd on the 10th) we can surmise that Kidd’s store was close to the location of Fort Daniel.[3] 

                Another lead in the evidence of Mr. Kidd is that Flanigan lists him as a revolutionary war veteran.[4]  Next we turn to Mr. Kidd’s service for clues.  From the pension service records filed in 1831-1833, we learn that he was born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia in 1764 and served three different times in the war.  First for a 6 month period in 1779 when he participated in the Battle of Stono Ferry outside Charleston, South Carolina.  The next year he enlisted for two months in January but apparently extended his enlistment as he was in the Battle at Ramsour’s Mill near modern day Lincolnton, North Carolina.  In 1781 he did his final stint with the army and did a 3 month tour and participated in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse near Greensboro, North Carolina.  The dates and engagements were verified not only on James Kidd’s sworn pension papers, but also verified with his brother William Kidd’s service pension since the two had served together.

                One of the requirements of a pension application was to list places of residence since the war.  Of this, James Kidd stated he came to Georgia in 1784, his brother William did not move to Georgia until 1799.  To cross check this data the Georgia Archives proved valuable.  In 1785 and 1787 James H. Kidd was given headright grants in Wilkes County.  The second grant in 1787 was on Beaver Dam Creek near modern day Lexington, GA.  This would show a progression up the road toward Athens and along the Hog Mountain road.  In 1793 he was granted a position as a tobacco inspector in Richmond County.[5]  This would mean he was travelling with some knowledge around the area of Augusta, Georgia which is probably where he entered the state in 1784.  The questions that now arise surround his change of station from a solid job around Augusta to a store operator on the edge of the frontier.

                Newspapers prove to be a wealth of knowledge in tracking down Mr. Kidd and giving some insight into his personal and moral choices.  Beginning in 1807 and lasting through 1824 Mr. Kidd appears in a plethora of legal advertisements in the state’s newspapers.  In 1807 his property is listed at the sheriff’s sale for being a tax debtor.  In 1809, Kidd himself advertises his home and lot in Lexington for sale by personal appointment with him in Lexington or via his agent in Augusta.[6]  He then appears in Richmond, Oglethorpe, Jackson, Wilkes, and Gwinnett counties as being a tax debtor, loan defaulter, and even as a land sale fraud.  These cases overlap time and location so it appears that as one location became saturated with his business tactics he would progress to another community and start anew.  Kidd also hold the dubious honor of being in the first sheriff’s sale in Gwinnett County where one of his slaves is sold to satisfy a tax debt to the county.

                Next month we will dig a little deeper into the connections of Mr. Kidd to the early founders of Gwinnett County.  Not only is he an Indian trader who fought in the revolution, he also has a connection to Elisha Winn and his Son in law, William Maltbie.

[1] “Indians” Washington Monitor (Georgia) August 26, 1812.

[2] Kidd, James H. letter to the editor, Washington Monitor (Georgia) August 29, 1812.

[3] D’Angelo, Dr.  James, History of Fort Daniel, unpublished work.

[4] Flanigan, James C., History of Gwinnett County, Georgia 2nd Edition (Moreno Press, Buford, GA), 66.

[5] Georgia Archives, File Names II, loose papers, James Kidd.

[6] “Advertisement” Augusta Chronicle (Georgia) September 2, 1809, 3.