A Collection of Family Records with Biographical Sketchs and other memoranda of various families and individuals bearing the name Dawson
Collection of Family Records with Biographical Sketchs and other memoranda of various families and individuals bearing the name Dawson
Author: Charles C. Dawson
Call Number: R929.1 D272 s
This book contains the history and genealogy of the Dawson family of Boston.
Bibliographic Information: Dawson, Charles C. A Collection of Family Records with Biographical Sketchs and other memoranda of various families and individuals bearing the name Dawson. Joel Munsell. Albany. 1874.
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GEORGIA.
In regard to the family history of the late U. S. Senator, William C. Dawson, of Georgia, there has been much misapprehension. It has been generally supposed by the Maryland Dawsons, and those of Maryland descent, that he was descended from a family originally settled in that state. As will be seen below, his father came from England, and planted in Georgia a distinct and original family. As to the traditional southern offshoot of the Maryland stock, see some curious information accompanying the records of the families of that state.
FAMILY OF GEORGE DAWSON,
OF GREENE CO., GEORGIA, 1784.
Under date of March 3, 1871, the late Dr. Thomas H. Dawson, of Glenville, Ala., nephew of Senator Dawson, wrote as follows:1
"My grandfather's name was GEORGE DAWSON. He came to the United States a British soldier during the war between England and the colonies, and believing England wrong in her course towards our people, he deserted as soon as he came in reach of Washington's lines, and remained a soldier under him to the end of the war. After peace was declared he stopped a year or two in North Carolina,2 and there married a young widow, Mrs. Ruth Skidmore, then the mother of one child,
1 The letter was addressed to A. H. H. Dawson, Esq., of New York city, to whose
kindness the compiler is indebted for the use of it.
2 Peace was not formally "declared" until after the signing of the definitive treaty
of peace in Paris, 3d Sept., 1783; but the war was considered as practically ended
by the surrender of Lord Cornwalls at Yorktown, 19 Oct., 1781. In consequence
of a general persuasion that peace was at hand, large numbers of soldiers were immediately
paroled, went home, and were never recalled. Probably it was while paroled,
pending the conclusion of the treaty, that George Dawson "stopped a year or two in
North Carolina." Otherwise the term of his residence in that state must have been
brief as he was living in Georgia in January, 1784, in which month the eldest child
was born.
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Samuel Skidmore. Shortly after their marriage they moved to Georgia, and settled on the head waters of the Ogeechee river, in Greene county,1 the Indians having but recently left that part of the state to occupy the lands on the west of the river Oconee. Here my father, Gen. THOMAS DAWSON, was born, under a shelter covered with bark, on the 25th of January, 1784. He was the first white child born in the county of Greene. Here he grew to manhood, and filled most of the offices of trust and honor in the gift of the people. He died 26 Feb., 1846, near Greensboro, the county seat. My grandfather had five sons, Thomas, Reuben, John, George and William C. Dawson. The character and services of the latter are doubtless well known to you.
"My father, Thomas Dawson, had six sons, George Ashley, Thomas Henry, John Rogers, James Crosby, Reuben Josiah and William Curran, all of whom are dead, except Reuben, William and myself. Add to these Edgar G. Dawson, the only surviving son of my uncle, William C. Dawson, and you have all the living male representatives of my grandfather, except our sons, of whom there are some eight or ten.
"Our great grandfather's name was JOHN DAWSON, of Sutterby, in the county of Lincoln, England. His arms were granted in 1640. George, our grandfather, was born in Lincoln county, England. This is the best account we have been able to get of the early history of the family. Our grandfather never corresponded with any of his relatives after the Revolutionary war, but a letter received as late as 1866 from Richard Dawson, of Hertfordshire, England, furnishes these statements in regard to John Dawson, from whom, doubtless, we have descended. He states that all the men of the family were tall, with ruddy complexions, and blue or hazel eyes, were great sportsmen, keeping first rate horses of every class, and the best stock of all kinds."2
1 Greene county was laid out in 1786, having previously formed a part of Washington
county, which was established in 1784, and included "all the territory from
the Cherokee corner, north, extending from the Ogeechee to the Oconee, south to
Liberty county."--Historical Collections of Georgia, pp. 476 and 676.
2 The original of the letter of Richard Dawson, Esq., of Hertfordshire, above referred
to, having been forwarded to the compiler by a member of Dr. Dawson's family,
it is copied in full below. The letter alone gives no substantial ground for the statement
that Dr. Dawson's gt. gr. father was the John Dawson, of Sutterby, whose arms
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From the foregoing, and letters of Reuben J. Dawson, Esq., of Greensboro, Ga., Edgar
E. Dawson, Esq., of Baltimore, Md., and others, with the use of sketcbes of Senator
Dawson and family in various published works, the following record has been compiled.
1. GEORGE DAWSON, said to have been a native of Lincoln county, England, came to America a British soldier during the revolutionary war, and deserted the British service to espouse the American cause. He m. in North Carolina, widow Ruth Skidmore, and with her removed to Greene county, Georgia, where they, in common with others, encountered the hardships and perils incident to all early settlements in our western and south western states. The Indians had not yet been removed from their neighborhood, and privations, self-denial, self reliance
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are said to have been granted in 1640. Perhaps Dr. Dawson may have followed up
the clue given in the letter, and obtained satisfactory evidence as to the ancestry of
his grandfatber, George Dawson, founder of the family in Georgia. If an ancestor,
John Dawson of Sutterby, 1640, must have been some generations removed from the
Georgia settler of 1784. The letter is as follows:
"Albury Hall, Ware, Hertfordshire, May 7, 1866.
"Sir,
Your letter has been forwarded to me from Withcall, where my father resided,
and after his death I remained there ten years, when I bought my present property.
I will tell you what I can of my family. If you belong to us you are descended from
my ancestor, Jno. Dawson, Esq., of Sutterby, in the county of Lincoln, whose arms
were granted in 1640.(*) The Dawson family were all tall, fine men, ruddy complexions,
with blue or hazel eyes, have always been great sportsmen, keeping first rate
horses of every class, and the best stock of all kinds. It strikes me very forcibly that
I have heard my father mention that one of the family belonging either to his uncle
or great uncle was lost. The whole of my father's family are dead. Several of the
names you state are our family names, John, Thomas, William and Sarah. I recollect
a cousin of my father's, William, who had only one child, a son, George, who
married the only child of Captain Stephens. They both died without issue, so that
branch is extinct. I am the only son of Richard Dawson, and have two sisters; am
married, and have one child; am a magistrate for the county of Hertford. I will
seal this with our arms. We have few relations.
"If Jno. Wood, whom you mention, be the son of Wm. Wood, the cattle dealer,
I have bought beasts of him, and fancy he and his brother, who were partners, were
Yorkshire men. They were large jobbers. I have not seen either of them for 16
or 18 years.
"Several of our family are buried in St. Botolph's, Lincoln, and the monuments of
the earlier branches are in the church at Sutterby, near Spilsby. It strikes me very
forcibly that your grandfather was the brother of Wm. Dawson, who would now be
about 110 years old, were he living. William had only one brother, and he himself
standing about six feet high, a fine man, he is buried in St. Botolph's.
"Sincerely yours,
"RICHARD DAWSON."
"Mr. Reuben J. Dawson."
(*) According to Burke, the arms of the Dawsons of Sutterby were granted to James Dawson in
1664.--See p. 5 of this work.
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and courage, were among their virtues aud their experiences. They had nine children, all b. in Greene county:1
2-1. Thomas, b. Jan. 25, 1784, d. in Greene county, Feb. 26, 1846; m.
2-2. Mary, b. May 17, 1785. MCINTOSH.
2-3. Sarah, b. July 4, 1786. FURLOW.
2-4. Elizabeth, b. March 25, 1789. MULKEY.
2-5. John, b. May 10, 1792, known as Major John Dawson, served in
war of 1812-14, m. Elizabeth Cessna; no male descendants
living, 1871.2
2-6. Reuben, b. Dec. 10, 1793; m.
2-7. George, b. March 28, 1795; m.
2-8. William Crosby, b. Jan. 4, 1798, d. in Greensboro, Ga., May 6,
1856; m.
2-9. Rutha C., b. May 15, 1803, m. FURNIFOLD H. GREENB, of North
Carolina, a relative of Gen. Nathaniel Greene, for whom Greene
county was named.
2-1. THOMAS DAWSON, b. in Greene county, Ga., Jan. 25, 1784, remained all his life a resident of that county, which he represented frequently in the state legislature, and of which he was also sheriff. He served as captain of a volunteer company in the war with England (1812-14) and as major under Gen. Adams in the war with the Creek Indians. At the time of his death, which occurred near Greensboro, Feb. 26, 1846, he was engaged in business as a commission merchant and factor at Augusta, Ga. He m. Dec. 1, 1803, Susanna H. Rogers, who d. Oct. 1, 1864, dau. of John Rogers, of North Carolina. She was a woman of cultivated mind and exemplary Christian character. They had eight children, all b. in Greene county:
3-1. Leonore Boykin, b. Oct. 7, 1805, m. Dec. 1, 1824, JOHN D.
TURNER, of Va., and d. near Madison, Ga., Sept. 23, 1825;
one child.
1 "I may be prolix and prosaic, but I love to remember the mothers of fifty years
ago, those who gave birth to Lucius Q. C. and Mirabeau B. Lamar, to WILLIAM C.
DAWSON, Bishop George Pierce, Alexander Stuart and Joseph Lumpkin. I knew
them all, and, with affectionate delight, remember their virtues, and recall the social
hours we have enjoyed together, when they were matrons, and I the companion of
their sons. And now, when all are gone, and time is crowding me to the grave, the
nobleness of their characters, the simplicity of their bearing in the discharge of their
household duties, and the ingenuousness of their manners in social intercourse, is a
cherished, venerated memory. ..... They were sensible, modest and moral
women, and their virtues live after them in the exalted character of their illustrious
sons."--Sparks' The Memories of Fifty Years, p. 100.
2 John Dawson is mentioned as among the early settlers of Cass county, Ga.--Historical
Collections of Georgia, p. 298.
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3-2. George Ashley, b. Aug. 12, 1807, admitted to the Bar, 1828, m.
June 27, 1828, Martha K. Butt,1 and d. at Warrenton, Ga.,
Sept. 12, 1829, without issue.
3-3. Thomas Henry, b. April 8, 1809, d. in Glenville, Ala., June 19,
1873; m.
3-4. John Rogers, b. Dec. 20, 1810, d. in Columbus, Ga., Oct. 29,
1852; m.
3-5. James Crosby, b. Oct. 27, 1812, many years in importing dry
goods trade, d. May, 1866.
3-6. Ann Winefried, b. April 19, 1814, m. April 21, 1831, THOMAS
P. F. THREEWITS: res. 1873, Columbus, Ga.; 5 children.
3-7. Reuben Josiah, b. April 21, 1816, res. 1873, Greensboro, Ga.; m.
3-8. William Curran, b. Sept. 17, 1818, res. 1873, Glenville, Ala.; m.
2-2. Mary Dawson, b. in Greene county, Ga., May 17, 1785, m. in Greene county, Col. DAVID MCINTOSH. Two children:
3-9. Crosby.
3-10. Parazade.
2-3. Sarah Dawson, b. in Greene county, Ga., July 4, 1786, m. DAVID FURLOW. They had seven children:
3-11. Osborn, m. Sarah Ann Bunkley, of Greene county.
3-12. Rutha.
3-13. James Thomas, m. Sarah Ann Hutchinson, of Greene county.
3-14. Mary.
3-15. Ann.
3-16. George, m. Lucy Dickens, of Clarke county, Ga.
3-17. Albert, m. Jane Shuptrine, of Upson county, Ga.
2-4. Elizabeth Dawson, b. in Greene county, Ga., March 25, 1789, m. Dr. (???) MULKEY. They had one son:
3-18. George.
2-6. REUBEN DAWSON, b. in Greene Co., Ga., Dec. 10, 1793, m. Sept. 13, 1814, Hannah Walton Mathews.2 They had six children:
3-19. Malvina, m. Gen. CHARLES NELSON.
3-20. Sarah, m. BENJAMIN GOODE.
3-21. Antoinette, m. EDWIN J. MAPP.
3-22. Upzier, m. Dr. E. H. METCALP, of Texas.
3-23. Carrie, m. GEORGE DOWNING.
3-24. Richard, went west, d.
1 She m. 2d, Dr. RICHARD BANKS, of Elbert county, and res. a wid. at Gainesville,
Ga. (1873).
2 Reuben Dawson was a member of the first grand jury of Campbell county,
Georgia.--See Historical Collections of Georgia, p. 293.
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2-7. Col. GEORGE DAWSON, b. in Greene county, Ga., March 28, 1795, m. June 17, 1818, Sarah Branch, of North Carolina; was many years sheriff of Greene county; d. leaving one son:
3-25. George Malcomb, d.
2-8. Hon. WILLIAM CROSBY DAWSON was b. in Greene county, Ga., Jan. 4, 1798. After an academic course, taken under the direction, first, of the Rev. Dr. Cumming, a Scotch-Irish divine of great learning and piety, and afterwards at the county academy in Greensboro, he entered the Franklin College, of Athens, at an early age, and was graduated from that Institution in 1816. He devoted the following year to the study of the law in the office of the Hon. Thomas W. Cobb, at Lexington, and then entered the famous law school of Judges Reeve and Gould, at Litchfield, Conn., where he took a full course of lectures. On his return to Greensboro, in 1818, he was admitted to the bar, and at once entered upon the labors of his profession in his native county. He had a buoyant temperament, a vigorous constitution, and studious, industrious habits, and he soon acquired a large practice, which was also a lucrative one for those times. Although in the course of his life often in public service, he was, up to the time of his death, except when on the bench, a laborious practitioner, and even when a member of the United States Senate the recesses of Congress were occupied with professional labors.
In 1821 he was elected clerk of the House of Representatives of the state legislature, which office he continued to fill through frequent changes of party supremacy, for ten or twelve consecutive years. In 1828 he compiled and published, by legislative appointment, the statutes of Georgia, and in 1834-5, he represented his native county in the state senate. He was captain of a volunteer company in the Creek and Seminole war of 1836, and was entrusted by General Scott with a separate command, and detailed for a special service, in the performance of which he distinguished himself for his gallantry and courage. From that year until 1841 he was a representative in the National Congress. In 1840 he was nominated by the Whig party for governor, but was defeated. His defeat was attributed to a vote he had given in Congress in favor of including tea and
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coffee in the tariff for revenue; and construing his defeat into a disapproval of his congressional course, he resigned his office of representative, and gave himself up to his profession. He was a very effective advocate, and where important interests had to be litigated he was generally retained as leading counsel.
In 1845 he was appointed, by Governor Crawford, a judge of the Supreme Court of the Ocmulgee district, to fill a vacancy. He accepted the office until an election could be had by the legislature, but declined being a candidate for the bench, although assured of an election had he been willing to continue in the office.1 Two years later he was elected to the senate of the United States, in which body he held an honored place and commanded a wide influence until the expiration of his term of office in 1855. His failure of a reelection was no doubt a serious disappointment to him, but he declared that he should leave the senate without any personal regrets. Probably no one of the many offices of trust and honor which he held through the partiality of his fellow citizens was more esteemed by him than that of grand master of the Grand Lodge (masonic) of Georgia, which high position he held from 1843 until his death.2 This event occurred suddenly, with only a few hours' warning, at his home in Greensboro, May 6, 1856. The announcement took the country by surprise, and the press everywhere noticed it in terms of the highest respect for his character, and sorrow for his death.
In the performance of his public duties he was remarkable for his patience, urbanity and frankness, and his habits were always
1 "Although the most affable of men, open to the approaches of every honest class
of the people at appropriate times, relishing keenly the flash of forensic wit and the
play of popular humor, and despising the false dignity which so often covers shallow
minds and cold hearts, yet few of our judges maintained with better effect the grave
earnestness, the quiet order, and the solemn authority so necessary to the administration
of justice. With steady hand he balanced the scales; and the best commentary
upon his brief administration is found in the uncomplaining acquiescence of bar and
people in the soundness, independence and impartiality of his judgments."--Hon.
E. A. Nesbit, in Miller's Bench and Bar of Georgia, vol. 1, p. 310.
2 His portrait was published, in a handsome lithograph, by the proprietors of the
Masonic Signet and Journal, at Atlanta, about the time of his death; and masonic
bodies throughout the country testified by resolutions and otherwise their deep sense
of his loss. The following is a list of masonic lodges supposed to have been named
in his honor: Dawson Lodge, No. 16, Washington, D. C.; ditto, 183, Winchester,
Wayne Co., Miss.; ditto, 129, Scottville, Claiborne Parish, La.; ditto, 69, Crawfordsville,
Taliaferro Co., Ga.; ditto, 68, Social Circle, Walton Co., Ga.; ditto, 244,
Oakey Street, Butler Co., Ala.--Universal Masonic Record and Directory, 1860.
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those of a vigilant, industrious man of business. He was characterized by good sense and a manly independence. In Congress his capacity for affairs secured for him the chairmanship of two important committees, one of which, that on claims, is considered one of the most laborious and useful positions appertaining to the national legislature. He spoke rarely, and when he did take the floor it was upon a question requiring action. His constituents were served with the utmost fidelity, and, if not a great statesman, he was a conscientious, intelligent, liberal minded legislator, whose public acts were never influenced by a corrupt or unworthy motive.1
The testimony of those who knew him well is that he was ever, in his private life, one of the purest and most blameless of men. He delighted in the sports of the turf and the field, always keeping a fine pack of fox-hounds, the fleetest in the country, which he spared no expense in procuring.2 Though highly refined and courtly in his manners, he was eminently social in his nature and habits. He had a keen wit, was skillful in repartee,
1 "Will you, who yet live, and were children when I was a child, turn back with
me in memory to those days, and to those who were your school fellows and playmates
then? Do you remember who were the brave and generous, kind and truthful
among them? and do you recall their after lives? Answer me; were not these the
true men in that day? Do you remember William C. Dawson, Joseph H. Lumpkin,
Lucius Q. C. Lamar, and his brother Mirabeau B. Lamar, Eugenius Nesbit, Walter
T. Colquitt and Eli S. Shorter? How varied in temperament, in character, in
talents, and yet how like in the great leading features of the soul! Love for their
country, love for their kind, love for the good was common to them all; unselfish
beyond what was necessary to the wants of their families, generous in the outpourings
of the soul, philanthropic and full of charity. They hoarded no wealth, nor sought
it as a means of power or promotion. Intent upon the general good, and content
with an approving conscience and the general approbation, their lives were correct
and their services useful, and they live in the memory of a grateful people as public
benefactors."--Sparks' The Memories of Fifty Years, p. 168, see also pp. 174, 180,
485.
2 "His hounds and blooded steeds were his subordinate pets. He loved the echo
of the mellow horn, the dashing ride, the incoming at the death, and the festive
glee that crowned the chase. Upon such occasions the dignity of the senator gave
place to the harmless abandon of the boy."--Judge Nesbit, in Bench and Bar of
Georgia. The ollowing is from a letter to the author of that work from Edgar G.
Dawson, Esq., son of the senator: "My father ..... was the best horseman I ever
saw, and surpassed all his companions in his exploits upon the field with his horse
and hounds. I have frequently seen him from daybreak until nightfall in the chase
(of the red fox, the fleetest and most enduring of the species), and then return home
and work until twelve or one o'clock in his office. I think he was one of the most
industrious men I ever knew, and at the same time the most social. He made companions
of his children, ..... upon the circuit, at Washington, in his travels, upon
the plantation,--and seemed delighted, in the chase, to see his sons well mounted,
contesting with him the palm of horsemanship in leaping fences and ditches, and in
keeping nearest the hounds in full pursuit through woods and fields."
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and for harmless fun and innocent frolic he had a peculiar relish. The recollection of his anecdotes, his pleasantries, and his practical jokes, is still fondly cherished by his former associates.1
"In the courts and in tavern-halls, on the wayside and in grave assemblies, his sympathies with the people found means of expression. Without effort on his part, he was always the centre of a listening crowd, eager to know his opinions, and to catch the playful humor of his conversation. He knew more men personally than any man of his day; and those he did not know he seemed to know. A cordial grasp of the hand, a word of recognition, a bow, a pleasant inquiry, or a bantering salutation, as well as good offices, were the price which he was wont to pay for golden opinions. But let it not be understood that for selfish ends he thus bought the favor of the people. That a man of his sagacity should not know that such means would result in available popularity is not a possible conclusion; yet those who knew him well are convinced that, irrespective of availability to such an end, his mode of intercourse would have been the same. As a proof of his attractiveness as a man, and in memory of the kindliness of his nature, let it be recorded that many of his clients, whilst opposed to him in opinion, sustained him as a politician. Rarely, indeed, do party ties yield to the claims of private friendship. The former are usually stronger than even those of nature. The personal qualities referred to, with his firm mind, and strong, pure character, made him for many years the most popular man in Georgia.
"His knowledge of men was very remarkable, as well as his tact in their management. If required to name the quality of mind which, more than any other, contributed to a career as a lawyer and statesman which cannot be designated otherwise than as brilliant, I should point to his power of insight into character. No man knew better how to control the conduct of others by touching those springs of action which are hid from the ordinary observer. This faculty was native; yet it derived efficiency from a large experience. He studied men as some people study books, and made a better use of them than philosophers often make of the facts of science. In the extracting of testimony from an unwilling witness, in its elucidation before the jury, in
1 See Historical Collections of Georgia, pp. 260 -- 317.
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the selection of jurymen, in fencing and foining with an adversary, in detecting the idiosyncrasies of the judge, and more especially in exposing fraud lurking in the details of complicated transactions, it availed him as an instrument of tremendous power. Shrewd and quick of eye, he was prompt to seize a vantageground, to recover from a false move, or to discover and storm the weak points in a cause. He knew when to beat a retreat, or how to capitulate with the honors of war, to break the force of an argument by a timely jest, or to overwhelm his antagonist with the clear, outstanding equity of his case. And if, perchance, there was anything ludicrous in the claims or conduct of the adverse litigant, he was wont to ignore gravity, and 'laugh the case out of court.' Without disparaging his learning, it must be conceded that he was most powerful in the management of a cause and as an advocate.
"In legal decisions he relied more upon elementary principles than adjudicated cases, and was greatly indebted to the native suggestions of a vigorous mind. His was not the error of crushing a case under accumulated authority, or the folly of stifling it in a cloud of remote analogies. It was not his habit (like his great contemporary, John Macpherson Berrien) to reduce an argument to mathematical exactness whilst he clothed it in the drapery of the most exquisite rhetoric, yet it was his good fortune to see the strong points of a cause, and to present them with a sturdy logic.
"Judge Dawson was noted among his brethren for his skill in settling cases out of court, more especially such as he foresaw would scarcely be settled favorably in the court-house. He knew the value of compromising. Nor is it otherwise than true that his out-door settlements were characterized by liberality and forbearance. At all events, the loser not unfrequently came out of his hands believing that he was, after all, the favored party.
"It was his thorough knowledge of human nature that enabled him to adapt himself with such peculiar facility to the company he might chance to be in. He was not a learned man, yet he was at home more than most men in a circle of savans. And he was equally at his ease on the streets of Greensboro and at the dinings of Count Bodisco at Washington. He was all
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things to all men, not in the sense of hypocritical adaptation, but of amiable accommodation.
"The person is to be considered in acquiring correct views of a man. Especially is it an element of strength or of weakness in oratory. In this regard he was favored. He was above medium height, but well knit, combining strength with activity. His face would attract the observation of a stranger, not because of its intellectuality, but through its benevolent and various expression. His voice was strong, his walk elastic, and his attitude erect. And pleasant, indeed, it was to observe the movements of his small, quick, vigilant and hilarous gray eyes. He was a free and ready speaker, rather vehement in manner, handling facts with adroitness and arguments with force. He owed little to the schools or the classics. He was not wanting in sensibility (the soul of true eloquence) nor in a just appreciation of great themes or great occasions. Hence his most successful efforts were made when some great question of popular right had stirred the masses, or the life or estate of a client hung upon the verdict of a jury. At such times he was eloquent. Sensible himself to every generous or noble or compassionate emotion, and detesting every form of meanness, I have seen the listening jury melt beneath his appeals or glow beneath the fire of his denunciations."1
Mr. Dawson m. 1st, in 1819, Henrietta M. Wingfield, dau. of Dr. Thomas and Sidney Wingfield, of Greensboro. Her father was an eminent physician, whose family had emigrated to Georgia from the state of Virginia. She was b. 1802, and d. in Washington city, D. C., April 7, 1850. To use her husband's own language, she was "the chief source of his happiness and success;" and in the language of another, "She was a lady of great beauty, of refined tastes, easy yet dignified manners, remarkable for good sense, and distinguished for her intense yet unostentatious piety. She possessed in a remarkable degree the almost indescribable quality which is indicated by the word 'sensible,' a word which, in its application to women, means an almost intuitive perception of what is proper under all circumstances. Without bringing down upon herself the unpleasant observation of the world, or violating the delicacies
1 Judge Nesbit, in Bench and Bar of Georgia, vol. 1, pp. 311, 312.
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peculiar to her sex and station, she, with consummate address, became his strongest auxiliary in every honorable aspiration of his life. With him she ascended gracefully to the highest level of social life at Washington. She adapted herself to his circumstances, gave to practical things the aid of her sound judgment, to the hospitalities of his house the elegancies of a cultivated taste, to her children the unwearied assiduities of a mother, to the poor profuse charity, and to God the devotion of a meek and quiet spirit. Judge Dawson appreciated the character of his wife, and repaid her love with the most marked respect and most unremitting tenderness."1 They had eight children:
3-26. William Reid, d. 1838, while a student in the University of Ga.;
unm.
3-27. Henry Mounger, d. aged 3 years.
3-28. George Oscar, a lawyer, several times a representative in the
Georgia legislature from Greene county; captain Co. I, 8th
Georgia Confederate Regiment, d. June, 1865.2
3-29. Henrietta Wingfield, res. 1873, Columbus, Ga. HILL.
3-30. Edgar Gilmer, lawyer, res. 1873, Baltimore, Md.; m.
3-31. Emma Caledonia, res. 1873, South Carolina. SEABROOK.
3-32. Lucien Wingfield, Passed Midshipman, U. S. N., d. 1865; m.
3-33. Thomas Wingfield, M. D., m. Anna Cody, of Columbus, Ga.; d.
1859, without issue.
In November, 1854, Senator Dawson m. 2d, Mrs. Eliza M. Williams, an accomplished lady of Tenn. She survived him, and res. 1873, in Memphis.
3-3. Dr. THOMAS HENRY DAWSON was b. in Greensboro, Greene county, Georgia, April 8, 1809. After the usual academic course, he studied medicine, and practiced extensively, becoming eminent in his profession. He united, while very young, with the Methodist Episcopal church, and was remarkable from his earliest years for the purity and probity of his life. He lived in various places in Georgia and Alabama, and every where, by the force of his character, the light of his virtues, and the power of his intellect, he was prominent, influential and useful. He was, for some time, a representative and senator in the state legislature, and was tendered, but declined, a nomination to Congress. In later years he became noted in his part
1 Judge Nesbit, in Bench and Bar of Georgia, vol. 1, p. 317.
2 Capt. Dawson commanded the 8th Regt., in the battle of Garrett's Landing, July
28, 1862. See his report of that battle, in Rebellion Record, vol. 9, p. 519.
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of the state as a preacher, having been licensed in 1833. He always remained, however, what is known in the peculiar economy of the Methodist church as a "local" preacher, not devoting himself exclusively to the ministerial work, but combining with it the labors of a doctor, planter and legislator, thus "serving the church and his fellow men in the use of all his gifts." He was ordained a deacon in 1837, and an elder in 1843. He is described by Bishop Pierce, of Alabama, as having possessed "a striking presence, a glowing countenance, a soft, ringing voice, a quick, fertile, ready intellect, a heart of tender sensibility and powerful enthusiasm, all sanctified by simple, fervent piety." As a minister he was popular, able and effective, and the common opinion of those best fitted to judge of his qualifications for the ministry, his endowments of heart and intellect, is, that if he had given himself entirely to this work he would have ranked foremost among preachers. A great part of his life was spent in labor among the poor and obscure in works of simple, unostentatious charity, wherein, as minister and physician, and as freely in one character as the other, he devoted himself to the humblest of the numerous very poor of his neighborhood. He had in a rare degree the faculty of adapting himself to any company in which he might be thrown, and hence was a great favorite in social life. Families vied with each other in their efforts to secure his company, and cherished the recollection of his visits as among the most pleasant episodes of their home life. He was truthful, candid, unbiassed, a safe counsellor, and a frequent arbitrator in cases of difficulty between neighbors. Before the outbreak of the civil war Dr. Dawson had become a man of large wealth. The war cost him the loss of the greater part of his estate, and financial misfortunes followed which for a time embarrassed and depressed him. But he speedily rallied, and at the time of his decease had, to a considerable extent, repaired his wasted fortunes. At all times his house was the home of his friends, and it was rarely without a visitor. He d. at Glenville, Ala., from apoplexy, June 19, 1873. On the previous day he had, in apparent health, been about his usual avocations, visiting among others an indigent patient whom he had attended gratuitously for more than a year, and while informing her that she must shortly die, so directing her thoughts
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and his own that both passed a very happy hour together. That evening he led a prayer meeting, and so closed an exemplary and eminently useful life, for his death occurred suddenly in the night a few hours after, and almost at the same moment, it is said, his patient died also. The language of a resolution passed by the Eufaula District Conference, July 30, 1873, "That in the death of Dr. Thomas H. Dawson the church has lost one of her ablest and most beloved ministers, the state a wise and true Christian patriot, his companion and children an affectionate husband and father, and the community in which he lived its most useful citizen," expresses sentiments which were repeated in substance in numerous newspaper notices of his decease, and by the various societies and associations with which he was connected.1
Dr. Dawson m. 1st, in Columbia Co., Ga., Feb. 23, 1830, Ann Blair, who was b. June 11, 1811, and d. June 23, 1842, leaving two children:
4-1. Mary E., b. in Columbia Co., Ga., Sept. 8, 1831, res. 1873, Glenville,
Ala. MCGOUGH.
4-2. George William, b. in Columbia Co., Nov. 12, 1835, res. 1873,
Bullock Co., Ala.; m.
Dr. Dawson m. 2d, July 26, 1843, M. Hardwick, who was b. Sept. 11, 1821, and d. Dec. 20, 1847, leaving one child:
4-3. Henry H., b. in Columbia Co., Ga., April 27, 1844, res. 1873,
Glenville, Ala.; m.
Dr. Dawson m. 3d, Sept. 26, 1849, Annie Snider, who was b. Sept. 18, 1827, dau. of Hon. Benj. and Margaret T. Snider, of Savannah. She res. 1873, at Glenville. Two children:
4-4. Annie Tommie, b. in Ala., July 21, 1850, res. 1873, Glenville.
MITCHELL.
4-5. Susie Snider, b. in Ala., April 28, 1852, res. 1873, Glenville.
MITCHELL.
3-4. JOHN ROGERS DAWSON, b. in Greensboro, Ga., Dec. 20, 1810, became a prominent merchant of Columbus, and one
1 "In all the social relations of life, Dr. Dawson was a model gentleman. So
kind, considerate and tender, so patient, forbearing and magnanimous, a peace maker
in society, an active leader in the church. In his family his presence was sunshine.
His household worship morning and evening incense. His piety grew with his years,
ripened, mellowed. The last day of his life was bright, beautiful and blest. Diligent
in his business, fervent in spirit, happy in the love of God and the hope of heaven,
he ministered to the sick and dying, led a prayer meeting, returned home, lay down
to rest and sleep, and woke in heaven."--Bishop Pierce.
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ofits most wealthy and influential citizens. He m. in Columbus, March 24, 1836, Jane Amoret Towns, and d. in same place, Oct. 29, 1852. They had five children:
4-6. Henry Rogers, b. July 26, 1837, m. Jan. 7, 1867, Mary Ellen
Cowan, res. 1873, Union Springs, Ala.
4-7. D. Towns, b. July 14, 1839.
4-8. Mary Ella, b. July 8, 1841, m. June 15, 1867, J. C. CLAPP, d.
Nov. 22, 1871, leaving two children.
4-9. John Fountaine, b. July 22, 1843, m. Nov. 13, 1866, Maldenetta
Cowan, res. 1873, Union Springs, Ala.
4-10. Amoret Towns, b. April 15, 1849, m. June 21, 1870, WM. C.
GRAY.
3-7. REUBEN JOSIAH DAWSON, b. in Greene Co., Ga., April 21, 1816, became early a student of law, but abandoned the profession on account of ill health. He was a soldier in the Creek war of 1836, and has been somewhat prominent in political life in his locality, having held various minor public offices. Prior to the late war he was engaged in business as a cotton commission merchant at Augusta, Ga., and as a planter both in Alabama and Georgia. By the war he lost the principal part of his estate. He res. 1873, at Greensboro, in his native county. He m. Feb. 18, 1841, Mrs. Elizabeth Janes who was b. in Wilkes county, Ga., 1815, dau. of John H. and Mary Gresham. They have had seven children:
4-11. John Thomas, b. in Taliaferro Co., Ga., Dec. 10, 1841, res.
1873, Greensboro; m.
4-12. Susan Lurena, b. in Greene Co., Ga., Nov. 23, 1843, d. in
Greensboro, Feb. 13, 1861.
4-13. Emma Hazeltine, b. in Greene Co., June 11, 1845, d. at Glenvillc,
Ala., 1870. HENDERSON.
4-14. James Henry Threewits, b. in Greene Co., Oct. 22, 1848, res.
1873, Atlanta, Ga.
4-15. Henrietta Wingfield, b. in Greene Co., Nov. 30, 1850, d. Oct.
16, 1851.
4-16. William Crosby, b. in Greensboro, May 6, 1855, res. 1873,
Atlanta.
4-17. Elizabeth Gresham, b. in Greensboro, March 21, 1857, res.
Atlanta.
3-8. WILLIAM CURRAN DAWSON, b. in Greene county, Ga., Sept. 17, 1818, served in the Creek war of 1836, represented Russell county in the Alabama state legislature, 1855, merchant and planter, at Glenville, Ala., 1873, m. Martha M.
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Colbert, dau. of Capt. John Colbert, of Morgan Co., and has four children:
4-18. Anna, m. JOHN TYLER HOWARD, of Ala.
4-19. Susan, m. CRAWFORD GRIFFITHS, of Ala.
4-20. Florence.
4-21. Colbert.
3-29. Henrietta Wingfield Dawson (dau. of Hon. Wm. C., 2-8), m. 1849, JOSEPH B. HILL, and res. 1873, Columbus, Ga. Four children living:
4-22. William Dawson.
4-23. Joseph B.
4-24. Emma S.
4-25. Lucy T.
3-30. EDGAR GILMER DAWSON (son of Hon. Wm. C., 2-8), lawyer, served as major of the Terrell Light Artillery, Confederate army, m. 1856, Lucy F. Terrell, only dau. of Dr. William Terrell, of Sparta, Ga.1 They res. 1873, in Baltimore, Md., and have had four children:
4-26. William Terrell.
4-27. Louise.
4-28. Joseph Hill.
4-29. Edgar Rhodes.
3-31. Emma Caledonia Dawson (dau. of Hon. Wm. C., 2-8), m. 1854, EDWARD W. SEABROOK, of .S C., nephew of Gov. Seabrook, of that state. Res. 1873, in South Carolina. Four children:
4-30. Henrietta Hill.
4-31. Edgar Dawson.
4-32. Marion.
4-33. Henry.
3-32. LUCIEN WINGFIELD DAWSON (son of Hon. Wm. C., 2-8), Passed Midshipman U. S. N., m. 1856, Eliza Carey Dent, dau. of George Dent, Esq., of Athens, Ga. He d. 1865, leaving two daughters:
4-34. Frances Henrietta.
4-35. Emma.
4-1. Mary E. Dawson, b. in Columbia Co., Ga., Sept. 8, 1831 (dau. of Dr. Thomas H., 3-3), m. July 27, 1852, JOHN
1 A distinguished agricultural writer, and formerly member of the U. S. Congress.
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MCGOUGH, who was b. in Monroe Co., Ga., Sept. 15, 1812, son of Robert and S. C. McGough. They res. 1873, in Glenville, Ala. Eight children:
5-1. Annie Blair, b. in Columbus, Ga., Dec. 19, 1854, m. May 8,
1873, WM. C. HART, b. Feb. 23, 1850, son of John and E.
Hart. Res. Eufaula, Ala.
5-2. Robert, b. in Columbus, Jan. 10, 1857.
5-3. Thomas Dawson, b. in Columbus, July 1, 1859.
5-4. Hugh Blair, b. in Columbus, Sept. 8, 1861.
5-5. George Lafayette, twin with Hugh Blair.
5-6. John L., b. in Barbour Co., Ala., Jan. 21, 1864.
5-7. Mamie Elizabeth, b. in Barbour Co., Aug. 16, 1866.
5-8. Susie Snider, b. in Glenville, Ala., July 20, 1869.
4-2. GEORGE WILLIAM DAWSON, b. in Columbia Co., Ga., Nov. 12, 1835, m. in Columbus, Jan. 13, 1858, Annie Sankey, who was b. in Montgomery county, Ala., Nov. 19, 1835, dau. of John T. and Margaret Sankey. They res. 1873, at Perote P. O., Bullock Co., Ala. Five children:
5-9. Elvie A., b. in Columbus, Ga., Jan. 27, 1856.
5-10. Amoret, b. in Columbus, Nov. 9, 1858.
5-11. George William, b. in Columbus, June 20, 1861.
5-12. Annie Sankey, b. in Bullock Co., Ala., Feb. 14, 1864.
5-13. Mattie Holt, b. in Bullock Co., Dec. 14, 1870.
4-3. HENRY H. DAWSON, b. in Columbia Co., Ga., April 27, 1844, m. Dec. 6, 1867, Miss Montieg Griffith. Res. 1873, Glenville, Ala.
4-4. Annie Tommie Dawson, b. in Ala., July 21, 1850 (dau. of Dr. Thomas H., 3-3), m. April 28, 1868, Dr. WILLIAM A. MITCHELL, who was b. in Glenville, Ala., April 4, 1848, son of Col. A. C. and Mary E. Mitchell. They res. 1873, at Glenville. One child:
5-14. Willie Annie, b. in Glenville, March 4, 1869.
4-5. Susie Snider Dawson, b. in Alabama, April 28, 1852 (dau of Dr. Thomas H., 3-3), m. Oct 23, 1873, A. C. MITCHELL jun., youngest son of Col. A. C. and Mary E. Mitchell. Res. Glenville, Ala.
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4-11. JOHN THOMAS DAWSON, b. in Taliaferro Co., Ga., Dec. 10, 1841, m. Sept. 20, 1865, Bessie Park, and res. 1873, Greensboro, Ga. Two children:
5-15. John Park.
5-16. Nannie Louise.
4-13. Emma Hazeltine Dawson, b. in Greene Co., Ga., June 11, 1845 (dau. of Reuben J., 3-7), m. JOSEPH HENDERSON, and d. at Glenville, Ala., 1870, leaving one child:
5-17. Annie.
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