Civil War Articles by Julian WilliamsRevolutionary Soldiers' Ocmulgee Graves Visited By Daughters
This article was compiled by Julian Williams.
Talk about a fun bunch - the Daughters of the American Revolution in the Commodore Oliver Bowen Chapter, NSDAR. Joyce Nichols, one of their members and an educator friend of mine, asked me if I would go with their group to visit some of the graves of the old soldiers who fought in the American Revolution. The pleasure was mine and I certainly agreed to go on a trip that proved to be enjoyable and informative.
Their group included Catherine Moodie, Jean O'Steen, Dr. Mary Jones, Ann Sheppard, Dona Christopher, Elizabeth Moorman, Helen Bradley, Emily Jones, Joyce Nichols, and Linda Smith.
We left the First Baptist Church in Douglas on Saturday morning, February 19th, 2000, at 8:30 a.m. There were eleven of us and we traveled in three cars. Our first stop was Lumber City, where we visited the grave of the old Revolutionary soldier, Joel Wooten. We would never have made it to his gravesite, back of the egg place and way out in a field (behind a locked gate), had it not been for the kindness and cooperation of a true gentleman, Allen Houston. Allen had previously shown the gravesite to me and agreed to come back for this occasion and allow our entrance so all the ladies of the Oliver Bowen Chapter could visit the site. He was there when we arrived and we went straight to the site. After making it through the now unlocked gate, a small obstacle presented itself in the form of a well-constructed fence around the immediate grave area but besides having a patriotic bent, the ladies of this organization, I found out quickly, had other qualities. As we were wondering how to conquer the fence to get a better look at the graves in the small enclosure, Catherine Moodie went over that fence like a cat squirrel and took pictures with all the cameras handed to her. As the day progressed, I was to see other outstanding qualities possessed by this unusual group.
In looking for someone who knew more than I did about Joel Wooten, I was lucky enough to find two old Broxton School acquaintances, Martha Wooten Solomon and Gerald Solomon. Now a married couple, they are both descendants of Joel Wooten. Martha now has her doctorate in education and Gerald is an engineer. All of which didn't surprise me because they always seemed to be focused people of ability. She was kind enough to share some of her twenty years of research with me concerning her ancestor Joel Wooten. She included the following:
"History of Telfair Co., GA" by Floris Perkins Mann [p. 8-9]: "The Wooten(s) of this section are descended from Joel Wooten (married a Miss Jordan) who emigrated to this section in 1806 from NC. He came first to Bulloch Co., GA, and later to Telfair Co. He and two sons were on the first jury at the first court held in Telfair Co. Joel Wooten reared six sons, who moved out into other sections of the country. Reddin Wooten to Thomas Co., Bryant to Coffee Co., and John to Chattahoochee, FL. Richard, Henry, and Simon Wooten lived and died in Telfair Co., GA. Simon married Jane McArthur. He was for many years Clerk of the Court in Telfair County, GA. He reared five sons all of whom rendered valuable service to the Confederacy. One of them, William H. Wooten went to TX just prior to the War Between the States. He was Captain and Quarter Master of the Indian Division of the Confederate Army."
Martha's research also reveals:
"The 1790 Census of N. Carolina shows Joel Wooten living in Edgecombe Co., Halifax District, with one male over 16; 3 males under 16; and four females
[1790 U.S. Census, Edgecombe Co., North Carolina, page 20 (401). National Archives Microfilm M637, Roll 7]. He was Revolutionary Soldier. (See page 617 of "Roster of N. Carolina Soldiers in the American Revolution".) He was born in NC in 1754, and died in Telfair Co, GA in 1813. His wife was Elizabeth Jordan, born 1760, died____. They removed from North Carolina to Georgia, were living in Montgomery Co. in 1805, and in Telfair Co., GA, in 1809.
From this first grave, we traveled west up the old river road toward Jacksonville to Clements Cemetery. Here, we found the grave of Mary Clements, widow of the old Revolutionary soldier, Captain Gabriel Clements. Gabriel had fought with General Francis (Swamp Fox) Marion in South Carolina and at one time Gabriel had headed up the State Militia for the State of South Carolina (1780-83). He died in Crawford County, GA, but his wife made it to Telfair and raised the children. Mary had an unusually long life, being born in 1770, six years before the Declaration of Independence and dying in 1869, four years after the Civil War.
The next stop was Blockhouse Baptist Church Cemetery, just west of Jacksonville. Here is either the grave or marker of the old patriot, Revolutionary soldier Lt. Joseph Williams, of the NC militia, who moved with his family from Duplin County, NC, to Telfair County, GA, in the early 1820's. General John Coffee helped him get his Revolutionary pension but it was canceled later by a political enemy. Later, it was reinstated because of the efforts of his children and Charles Irby Shelton, a soldier of the War of 1812 who was captured by the British and carried to England but was released and returned to Jacksonville, Georgia. Joseph Williams begat Elizabeth (who married her first cousin John Williams) who begat Joseph Gooden Williams who begat Moses who begat Joseph David (Dave) who begat Julian David (J.D.) who begat me (Julian). That's a lot of begatting but if that's what it took to get me here I'm proud they kept at it. It is said that the Williamses came from Wales, to Isle of Wight County, VA, to Duplin County, NC, to Telfair County, GA. That's also a lot of moving, but I'm also glad they did some of that too.
Our next stop was at Old Concord Cemetery, also on Highway 117, between Jacksonville and Rhine. Two Revolutionary soldiers, William Fletcher and Benjamin Mitchell Griffin, are buried here.
William Fletcher was a long liver. He was born in 1729 and died in 1831. He was known as the Centenarian. He fathered his last children in his 80's. Evidently, he had a strong constitution. He also had four sons to fight in the Revolution. One, John, moved with his family to Gadsden County, FL, around 1825. Old William, and probably his sons, fought in the service of a South Carolina regiment.
It is said that Benjamin Mitchell Griffin also fought in the Revolution. If this is true, he was probably a very young soldier. Many were. John Clark, later Governor of Georgia, who owned a plantation near Blockhouse Church, was a sixteen year-old Captain in the Revolutionary forces of his father, General Elijah Clarke (note that he used an "e" on the end of his name). Ironically, it was Clark's younger brother, Gibson Clark, also an early resident of Jacksonville, Georgia, and the first valedictorian of the University of Georgia, who shot at Benjamin Mitchell Griffin at the Jacksonville Courthouse and missed. Unfortunately, the Creek Indians at the Battle of Breakfast Branch did not miss. At this 1818 battle with the native Americans, Benjamin Mitchell Griffin was killed.
Our tour had ended and the convenience stores along the way furnished soft drinks and restroom privileges. It was a never ending cycle. We contributed to the economy and learned some history. It was a good day.
