The Gurley/Cagle Connection - A second-hand report (dating back to an unidentified Cagle researcher in 1931) has provided the following item, which seems to relate to the Cagles of Montgomery County:
John Gurley married Mary Cagle in North Carolina. His orphan children came to Morgan Co., Alabama about 1825, with their uncle John Cagle. They were Jessie, 1823-1906, married Elizabeth Lowery of Bulox Creek, York Co., SC; Polly married John Brisco; John, d. Hartselle, Alabama, Tillman, the oldest son, stayed in North Carolina.
Regarding the location of John Cagle and his nephews, the Gurley orphans, the writer has been unable to locate any records on them in early Morgan Co., Alabama, nor do they seem to appear in the 1830 Alabama census. However, looking into later Alabama records, it is noteworthy that the Gurleys seem to be living in Marshall Co. (adjoining Morgan Co.) at the time of the 1850 census; the family seems to consist of three teenagers, each of whom was living in a separate household, as though they were orphans;
- Gurley, Jessee 17, NC, farmer, living in the home of Elias A. Tate, 38, b. NC, p. 263
- Gurley, John 14, NC, living in the home of Daniel Eudy, 60, b. NC, p. 261
- Gurley, Sarah 15, NC, living in the home of John Rutledge, p. 263
Note: the references to Jessee and John Gurley are from the Marshall Co. census; the reference to Sarah Gurley is from the Morgan Co. census.
It is quite possible that Sarah Gurley, above, was identical to the Polly Gurley mentioned in the preceding quotation; the name Polly, in that era was found frequently as a nickname for Sarah, Mary, etc. The census listing above would suggest that Jessee Gurley was actually born ca. 1833, rather than ca. 1823, as given the preceding quotation.
It is noted, from reviewing the census records of Morgan Co., Alabama, that four Cagle families did live near the Gurley orphans at the time of the 1850 census; the heads of household of these four families were as follows:
- Cagle, S.W. or J.W., 38, TN, wheelwright, p. 250
- Cagle, George, 42, AL, farmer, p. 261
- Cagle, Michael, 37, NC, farmer, p. 261
- Cagle, Nancy, 35, NC, p. 261
Note the birthplace of George actually should have been NC.
The birthdates of the children of Michael Cagle, as taken from the same census indicate that the family moved to Alabama sometime between 1841 and 1844. The name of the deceased husband of Nancy is not known, but it is assumed that he was a brother of George and Michael. It is believed that George, Michael and Nancy's husband were the sons of David Cagle (b. 1780s), who had married Betty Stogner in 1806. David, who by 1840 was living in Montgomery Co., NC, was the son of Henry Cagle (b. 1760s), whose last appearance in the census records was in 1830 Montgomery Co., NC. David is known from census records to have had at least four daughters; however, it is not known with certainty whether one of them was Mary Cagle Gurley, the mother of the Gurley orphans. In summary, it seems possible that the Gurley children could have moved to Alabama with the families of George and Michael Cagle, above; if so, however, it would seem that they moved to Alabama sometime in the 1840s, rather than ca. 1825, as indicated in the preceding quotation. One possible drawback to this theory is the fact that no John Cagle appears in the 1850 Alabama census (the Gurleys supposedly went to Alabama with their uncle John Cagle), unless the deceased husband of Nancy was anmed John; there is reason to believe, however, that his name may have been David, instead of John. Thus, the full truth of the story remains unknown for the present.
It might be mentioned also that the Cagles of Montgomery Co., NC had ties to the Gurley family in two other locations as well; Carroll Co., TN and Henry Co., GA. 1) In Carroll Co., TN two Gurley families were found there at the time of the 1830 census:
- Gurly, John 031001-1100001 p. 185
- Gurly, Jesse 12001-00001
John Cagle, 1780-1858, who is believed to have been the son of George Cagle (d. 1825) of Montgomery Co., NC appears in the records of Carroll Co. as early as 1832; then, in the 1840 census of Carroll Co., both John Cagle and John Gurley were enumerated:
- Cagle, John 21100001-00001 p. 61
- Gurley, John (not available), p. 59
By the time of the 1850 census, John Cagle was still in Carroll Co., TN, but the John Gurley family had disappeared from Tennessee records. It might be wondered by way of speculation, whether John Cagle of Carroll Co., TN could have been the "uncle John Cagle" of the Gurley orphans. If so, perhaps Mary Cagle who married John Gurley was his sister, and the John Gurley family, above, wh olived in Carroll Co., TN in 1830 and 1840 was identical to that of John & Mary (Cagle) Gurley of Montgomery Co., NC. And, since the Gurleys disappeared from Carroll Co. during the 1840s, it might be speculated that the parents died, upon which John Cagle accompanied the Gurley orphans to Alabama, leaving them there and himself returning to his home in Carroll Co., TN. If this theory is correct, it would suggest that Mary (Cagle) Gurley was the daughter of George Cagle, d. 1825, of Montgomery Co., NC. This theory, however, has certain drawbacks: First, the Gurley orphans of 1850 Marshall and Morgan Cos., Alabama were all listed as having been born in NC, rather than TN; second the text of the 1931 quotation seems to suggest that John Cagle and the Gurley orphans moved directly from NC to AL. Thus, it might be concluded that if the John Cagle and John Gurley of Carroll Co., TN were not identical to the John Cagle and John Gurley of the 1931 quotation, they must have been closely related and have shared a common origin in Montgomery Co., NC.
2) Mr. Byron H. Gibson of DeLand, Florida, in a letter of August 2, 1979, had provided the following information regarding yet another Gurley/Cagle connection:
I descend from great grandmother Rebecca Cagle, who married William Gurley, presumably in Montgomery Co., NC, ca. 1816, and moved to Walton Co., GA, then to Henry Co., GA, where Wm. died in 1832, then to her son's in Coweta Co., GA, where she was buried in 1864. Rebecca, b. 1793 was dau. of David & Mary (Yow) Cagle.
There is some disagreement among Cagle researchers as to the ancestry of this David Cagle, 1767-1852; however, in the present volume, he has been tentatively identified as the son of George Cagle, d. 1825 of Montgomery Co., NC. At present it is not known what was the exact relation of William Gurley to the other Gurleys who lived near the Cagles in Carroll Co., TN and Morgan Co., AL; doubtless, however, the relationship must have been a close one. It is noteworthy that David Cagle, 1767-1852, was presumably the brother of John Cagle, 1780-1858, of Carroll Co., TN; also Henry Cagle, b. 1760s of Cabarrus/Montgomery Cos., NC, according to many researchers, was a brother of David and John (Henry, it will be remembered was the grandfather of the Cagles who appeared on p. 261 of the 1850 Morgan Co., AL census). Thus, it seems that the Cagles of Henry Co., GA, Carroll Co., TN and Morgan Co., AL shared a common ancestry in Montgomery Co., NC; and, the same can probably be said of the Gurley families who lived in those same counties. It is obvious, however, that much research still needs to be done before the various members of these families can be put into the proper perspective.
It might be mentioned also that Nancy Cagle, p. 261 in the 1850 census of Morgan Co., AL had three children born in Georgia between the years 1837 and 1841; her husband may have been David Kagle, who appeared in the 1840 census of Stewart Co., GA (p. 111; 10001-30101). . . .
Regarding the identity of David Cagle in the 1850 census, it is assumed, though not proven, that he was the son of John. It seems quite probable that John was married twice; very little information however, is available regarding his first marriage. John's second marriage came when he was already in his 50s; he married a woman some twenty-eight years younger than himself, and proceeded to have eleven children between the years 1834 and 1855. Nine of the children were still minors when John died in 1858, at or near the age of 78. One of John's descendants, Mrs. Wanda Young Wright of Phoenix, AZ, gave the following account of John's family in a letter of 1979:
In the old 9th District (now 12th District) at Herndon Cemetery in Benton County, Tennessee, in or near Camden, there is a gravestone with the following inscription:
- Father - John Cagle 1780-1858
- Mother - Zana Cagle 1808-1862
- Daughter - Sarah Cagle 1842-1857 . . .
The David Cagles of Montgomery County (cont'd.).
- 1810 Cabarrus County - two b. 1800-1810
- 1830 Anson County - two b. 1800-10, one 1810-15, two b. 1815-20, two b. 1820-25, one b. 1825-30
- 1840 Montgomery County - two b. 1820-25, one b. 1825-30
It will be noted, from the above, that David's five oldest sons, all born before 1820, had already left David's houshold by the time of the 1840 Montgomery Co. census, leaving only the three youngest boys at home by that year. As mentioned earlier in this chapter, in the section on the Gurley/Cagle connection, at least two of the Cagles who appeared in the 1850 census of Morgan Co., Alabama are believed to have been David's sons: George b. ca. 1808 and Michael b. ca. 1813. Another factor which supports the theory that David moved from Cabarrus to Anson to Montgomery is the knowledge that David's father Henry b. 176065, also had ties to all three counties; He appeared in Cabarrus in the censuses of 1790, 1800 and 1810; had a land transaction in Anson in 1828; and appeared in the 1830 census of Montgomery.
Regarding the older David Cagle, 1767-1852, his children, as nearly as can be determined, can be identified as follows:
- Rebecca b. 6/7/1793, d. 3/18/1863, GA, md. Wm. Gurley
- Mary b. ca. 1795, d. ? md. (--?--) Whitley
- George b. ca. 1797, d. after 1850 AL?, md. Nancy (--?--)
- Sarah b. ca. 1799, d. ? md. Jeremiah Lambert
- Benjamin b. ca. 1804, d. 3/4/1872 GA, md. Margaret Holiday
- David, b. 2/13/1806, d. 12/10/1892 GA md. Eliz. Catchings
- Robert N. b. 3/23/1811, d. 4/9/1873 GA md. Alsey Ford.
David b. 1767 was married to Mary Yow of Montgomery Co., NC; at the time of the 1850 census of Henry Co., GA, David and Mary were both still alive, at the ages of 83 and 80.
Relation of David b. 1767, to David Cagle of Old Rowan Co.
Regarding the ancestry of David Cagle, b. 1767, it has been shown in this chapter that he was probably the oldest son of George and Rebecca Cagle of Montgomery County. However, it must be mentioned also that an alternative to the ancestry of David is preserved in certain traditions among Cagale researchers; this alternative has been expressed as follows by three individuals:
Our story goes that Peter Cagle (perhaps Kagelmacher) came originally to Pennsylvania ca. 1700 from Gellestadt, Germany with 9 sons and 2 daughters. From there they moved to North Carolina on Deep River, but there seem to have been Cagles there earlier. Peter's youngest son David (wife Catherine) had a 1769 land deed in Cumberland County (later Moore). He was also granted land there there in 1764, which he took up in 1767. His son David was born in 1767. There are indications that Peter's sons were: George, John, Leonard, Jacob, Henry, Benjamin, peter, Charles, David - all born before 1755. My David left North Carolina ca. 1820 for Georgia.
Cagle (Kagel-macher), Ford, Yow: Robert N. Cagle, born 1811 in Cabarrus Co., NC; married Ailey (Aley) Ford in 1834, and died 1893 [or 1873] in DeKalb Co., GA. His parents were David Cagle, b. 1767, Cabarrus Co., NC and Mary Yow, b. 1769, somewhere in SC. Where and when did they marry; and other infomration on both? Their other children were David, Benjamin, Mary (married a Mr. Whitely), Rebecca (married a Mr. Gurley), Robert's great-grandfather, came to America from Gellestadt, Germany, ca. 1760, with wife and 9 sons, 2 daughters. One son was David Cagle, Robert's grandfather. Where did they land, and when? The name may have originally been Kagelmacher. If so, when was it changed?
The earliest one of our line is supposed to be Peter Cagle from Gellestadt, Germany, but I haven't been able to find Gellestadt or the source of that information or Peter's immigration. I descend from great grandmother Rebecca Cagle, who married William Gurley, presumably in Montgomery Co., NC ca. 1816, and moved to Walton Co., GA, then to Henry Co., GA, where she was buried in 1864. Rebecca b. 1793 was daughter of David & Mary (Yow) Cagle. David was son of David Sr., youngest son of Peter Cagle. Peter had sons George, Leonard, Benjamin, David, Jacob, John, Henry, Charles another son and two daughters.
The David Cagle b. 1767 mentioned in these accounts, obviously was identical to the David Cagle who appeared in the 1800 and 1810 censuses of Montgomery County, NC, who moved to Georgia ca. 1816 and who in 1826, was the recipient of the Letter from Rebecca Cagle of Montgomery Co., NC. These accounts, as can be plainly seen, suggest that David, b. 1767, was the son of an older David Cagle, rather than of George Cagle, d. 1825. If this suggestion is true, the following question might be raised: If David, b. 1767, was the son of old David, why then was he addressed as my "son" in the 1826 letter from Rebecca Cagle (widow of George, d. 1825)? The answer to this question is not known with certainty; however, at least two possibilities might need to be considered: 1) That David, b. 1767, was actually the son of George, d. 1825, and the grandson of old David; and that the oral traditions, in the course of being passed down over the generations, have somehow lost the memory of George and mistakenly listed David, b. 1767, as the son of old David, when in truth old David was actually his grandfather . . .
Chart of Early Cagle Family Groups of Montgomery / Stanly County
Family of George Cagle, d. 1825Generation 1
George Sr. - 1790-1800-1810-1820 Montgomery County
Generation 2
1. David b. 1767, d. 1825 - 1800-1810 Montgomery Co., 1820 Walton, GA, 1830-1840-1850 Henry GA
2. Benjamin b. 1774, d. 1843 - 1800-1810-1820-1830-1840 Montgomery Co.
3. George b. 1777 - 1810-1820-1830-1840 Montgomery Co., 1850 Stanly Co.
4. John b. 1780 - 1800 Montgomery Co.?, 1810-1820-1830 unknown, 1840-1850 Carroll, TN
5. Robert (?) 1820 in Montgomery Co. by Rebecca Cagle letter
6. Leonard (?) - 1800 Moore Co., 1810 Montgomery Co.?, 1820 Anson Co.?, 1830 Henry, GA?, 1840 unknown
7. Jacob b. 1780 - 1810 Montgomery Co., 1820 unknown,
8. Charles b. 1786 - 1810-1820-1830-1840 Montgomery Co., 1850 Stanly Co.
Generation 3
2a. Judith b. 1803 - 1850 living in Stanly Co.
2b. Lindsey F., d. 1842 - 1830-1840 Montgomery Co.
3a. Harwood b. 1809, 1840-1850 Pope, Arkanas
7a. John? - 1830 Montgomery Co., 1840 unknown
7b. George? - 1840 Montgomery Co., 1850 unknown
8a. George b. 1813 - 1840 Montgomery Co., 1850 Stanly Co.
8b. Charles Jr. b. 1821 - 1850 Stanly Co.
Generation 4
2b. Abigail b. 1809, 1850 in Stanly Co.
Miscellaneous:
Leonard - 1790 Moore Co., 1800 Montgomery Co., 1820 Georgia, 1830 unknown - moved to Montgomery Co. by 1797; to Georgia by 1803, had 10 or more sons, names uncertain
Jacob b. 1755, d. 1845 - 1790-1800 Moore Co.; 1810 Buncombe Co.; 1820-1830-1840 Warren, TN - 1780 landowner in Montgomery Co.
Valentine b. 1755-60 - 1790 Montgomery Co.?, 1800 Buncombe Co., 1810 Warren, TN, 1820 unknown - 1788 landowner in Montgomery Co.
Charles, Sr. d. 1801 - 1790 Mecklenburg Co., 1800 unknown; wife Mary 1800 Montgomery Co., 1810 unknown
Henry b. 1760-65, d. 1830? 1790 Mecklenburg Co., 1800-1810 Cabarrus Co., 1820-1830 Montgomery Co., - believed by some to have been son of George Sr., above
Descendants of George Cagle b. ca. 1745, d. 11/6/1825 & wife Rebecca b. ca. 1750, d. 1830-1840
Generation 2
1. David b. 11/15/1767, d. 1852 Henry Co., GA md. Mary Yow b. 1/5/1769, d. 7/5/1860
2. Henry b. ca. 1768, d. after 1830 (not positively identified as George's son)
3. Benjamin md. 1) ca. 1791 (--?--), 2) ca. 1817 Amy Lowder, 3) ca. 1835 Judith Simpson
4. John b. ca. 1774, probably went to TN
5. Susannah went to Bledsoe Co., TN
6. George b. 7/8/1777, will probated May 1851 Stanly Co., NC
7. Elizabeth b. ca. 1779, md. Jacob Hagler in Georgia by 1826
8. Jacob b. ca. 1784
9. Robert no records available
10. Charles b. 1/25/1786, d. 4/9/1864 Stanly Co., NC, md. Elizabeth Springer b. 1/14/1789, d. 9/11/1861 Stanly Co.
11. Rebecca b. 4/5/1791, d. 6/15/1873 Stanly Co., NC, baptized 12/25/1797 St. John's Lutheran Church, Cabarrus Co., NC, md. George Whitley III
Generation 3
1a. Rebecca b. 6/7/1793, d. 3/18/1863 md. William Gurley
1b. Mary b. ca. 1795 md. Nathaniel Moffett
1c. Sarah b. 1799 md. Jeremiah Lambert
1d. Benjamin b. 1804, d. 3/4/1872 md. Margaret Holliday
1e. David b. 2/12/1806, d. 12/10/1892 md. Elizabeth Catchings
1f. George b. ca. 1808
1g. Robert Nelson b. 1811, d. 1872 md. Alsey Ford
2a. Henry Jr.
2b. Peter
2c. David md. 1806 Betty Stagner
2d. Charles
3a. Elizabeth b. ca. 1795, d. before Nov. 1842 md. Williamson Finch
3b. Mary b. ca. 1799, d. before 11/1842 md. Benjamin Mauldin, b. 5/1795
3c. Nancy b. ca. 1801, d. before Nov. 1842 md. Jeremiah Rowland
3d. James b. 1803, d. before Nov. 1842 md. Abigail Cable
3e. Lindsey F. b. ca. 1806, d. before 1842 md. Abigail Rowland
3f. Catherine b. 3/1/1807, d. 5/22/1860 md. Jacob John Efird (?) b. 3/24/1800, d. 8/19/1872
3g. Susannah b. 1808, md. Phillip Perry b. ca. 1808, d. before 1845
3h. Sarah b. 8/16/1804, d. before 3/1857 never married
3i. Telethe Adaline b. 9/29/1817, d. 12/28/1897 never married
3j. Rebecca must have died young
3k. Martha b. 1835 md. 3/8/1855 John Kendall
3l. David b. 1840, d. 8/22/1861 never married
6a. Mary b. ca. 1799 md. Thomas Long
6b. Elizabeth b. ca. 1800, d. before 1850 md. ca. 1826 Levi K. Huneycutt b. 1795
6c. Harward b. ca. 1804 md. 12/5/1831 Catherine Furr
6d. Catherine, no records available
6e. Sarah b. ca. 1815
10a. George b. ca. 1813, will 11/30/1868 md. Elizabeth Whitley
10b. Susan b. 2/9/1816, d. 3/30/1880
10c. Charles Jr. b. 1820, d. April 1876 md. Sarah Yow
10d. Elizabeth b. 1825, d. 11/3/1922 md. Lewis P. Brown
10e. David M. b. 3/31/1828, d. 4/11/1915 md. Michell Hinson
10f. Evy L. b. 11/21/1830, d. 4/6/1889
Generation 4
2c1. George b. 1808
2c2. Michael
3a1. Lindsey Finch
3a2. Wellington Finch
3b1. Rebecca Mauldin
3b2. Martha Mauldin
3b3. James Ervin Mauldin b. 1827, d. 1905
3c1. John B. Rowland
3c2. Green L. Rowland
3d1. Ithama (female)
3e1. William A.
3e2. James b. 1829
3e3. Benjamin b. 1832
3e4. Rebecca b. 1834
3e5. Henry Ervin b. 1842
3e6. Mary
6b1. Adam Huneycutt b. 1830 md. Mary Stallings
6b2. Eli B. Huneycutt b. 1832
Cagle, John. The Cagle Journal of Historical Inquiry, April 1999 - May 1999, Jan. 2000 - Mar. 2000.
The Cagle Records of Old Cumberland County, NC, 1764-1784
Henry Cagle, it is believed, joined the migration of the Cagles from the State of Pennsylvania to the central part of North Carolina in the mid-1750s, and settled first in old Orange County, NC, in that part which is now Randolph County . . . he appeared in county records as a witness to land tranactions. . . .
Leonard Cagle, who like Henry Cagle and John "Dutchman" Cagle had appeared on the 1767 tax list in Cumberland County, acquired his first property in North Carolina, in December 1768, by land grant from the colonial land office. Unfortunately, most of the documents from Leonard's grant file are missining, including the land entry, the warrant for survey, the survey itself and the actual land grant; the only surviving record seems to be an entry in the land patent book (see below) . . . Leonard Cagle & wife Susanna Richardson lived on this tract for a few years, and then sold it in the mid-1770s, and joined Henry Cagle in the upper Bear Creek region in Northwest Cumberland. Leonard remained in that area for some 20 years and in the mid-1790s sold his holdings and moved westward to the southwest part of old Montgomery County, NC (now part of Stanly). Leonard Cagle it is generally believed, was the brother of John, David, Henry and Charles Cagle of old Cumberland Co., NC and the son of the immigrant Leonhart Kegel (Leonard Cagle Sr.) of Berks Co., PA.
Continued from 1999 - In the sixth deed book of old Cumberland County, NC, covering the years from 1772 through 1778, several familiar names appear, including those of Leonard & Susanna Cagle, who sold a tract of land to Steven Richardson in 1775. Summaries of several of these deeds are given below:
Cumberland Co., NC, Deed Book 6 / F, 1772-1778
pp. 60-62 - Dec. 1, 1772 - William & Elizabeth Richardson to Evan McSwane, a tract on both sides of Richardson's Creek - William & Elizabeth may have been Susanna (Richardson) Cagle's parents.
p. 99 - 1773 - Christopher Yow to Alex'r Johnston. Land on Lick Creek of Deep River.
pp. 261 - Apr. 28, 1774 - Christopher Yow to John McLane. For 35 pounds current money, 100 acres on a branch of Upper Little River.
pp. 289-90 - Jan. 10, 1775 - Leonard Cagle to Stevin Richerton. For 50 pounds Proclamation money, a tract on Little Buffalow Creek, beginning at a turkey oak on the West side of the creek. Wit: Bartholomew Dunn, Malcom / William Garner. Signed Leonard (his x mark) Cagle, Susanna (her X mark) Cagle. Proved in open court at the Jan. 1775 term court of pleas and quarter sessions. . . .
Cover sheet of the folder of Leonard Cagle's original land grant of 200 acres in old Cumberland County, on Little Buffalo Creek, recorded as Grant No. 389 in Land Patent Book No. 20, page 382. This was the same tract of land which Leonard & Susanna Cagle later sold to Steven Richardson on Jan. 10, 1775, as recorded on pp. 289-90 of Cumberland Co. Deed Book 6.
No. 850, Cumberland County, Kagill, Leonard, 200 acres, Grant #389, Issued 22 Dec. 1768, Book 20, p. 382, Location: on Little Buffalow Creek Beginning at a Turkey Oak West of said Creek on the East Side of a small Drain running thence North 25 East 44 Chains and 73 Links then South 65 East 44 Chains and 73 links then South 25 West 44 Chains and 73 Links then North 65 west to the beginning dated 22d December 1758. Wm. Tryon.
The relation of Steven Richardson, to whom Leonard & Susanna Cagle sold the tract in 1775 to Susanna Cagle (a Richardson by birth), is presently unknown . . . Mr. Rassie E. Wicker, on p. 332 of his Miscellaneous Ancient Records of Morre County, NC, mentions Steven Richardson in his biographical sketch of the Richardson families:
Richeson / Richardson - William and Thomas Richardson were living on the south side of Deep River as early as 1747 and are thus the first families known to have lived in Moore County. There is no further record of Thomas, but William apparently came down on McLendon's Creek and lived on the southeast side of that stream, near Bethlehem Church. David Richardson was drawn several times for jury duty, but where he lived is not known. Drury Richardson lived near the heads of McCollum's Fork and Buffalo Creek, in the vicinity of McConnell. He is supposedly the ancestor of later generations of the family in Moore (Rev. Noah, William, Sr. &c.). Stephen Richardson lived on the old Salem road, between Buffalo and Bear Creeks. William Richeson apparently lived in the same area.
The mark by which Leonard Cagle signed his deed to Steven Richrdson on Jan. 10, 1775 has drawn attention by the fact that it seems to be the letter L - presumably for Leonard - lying on its side. The significance of this mark is not entirely clear to the Editor, but it is plainly a stylized mark rather than a simple X. It has been suggested to the Editor that Leonard's mark possibly was a combination of two letters, L and K, with the former lying on its side and the latter standing upright, representing his initials in German, for Leonhart Kegel.
It might be noted also that Leonard's signing by mark did not necessarily indicate that he was illiterate. As a case in point, it is known that his contemporary, Christopher Yow, who appeared in many deeds in Cumberland County, and often signed by mark, also sometimes signed in German as Christoffel Joh and in English as Christopher Yow. . . .
Previously Unpublished Records from the Final Decade of the Life of Roger Cagle, 1760s-1840s - Roger Cagle Sr., generally believed to be the oldest of the sons of Leonard Cagle and Susanna Richardson of old Cumberland (present Moore) Co., NC . . . his dates have generally been given as 1760s to 1830s. However, evidence has since been uncovered which shows that Roger Sr. lived into the 1840s and was alive as late as 1844. . . .
Roger Cagle Sr., after establishing residence in Copiah Co., Mississippi during the mid-1820s, appeared in a number of census, court and tax records in that county during the remainder of the 1820s and into the early 1830s. . . . Roger Cagle Sr., participated in the rush for land which occurred after the opening of central Mississippi to white settlement in the early 1830s and acquired a tract of land lying in the NE corner of present Madison County . . .
On July 20, 1769, David Cagle sold to William Smith the tract of land on Flat Creek which he had bought in 1764. David Kegle & Catharine his wife of Rowan County . . . sold land in Cumberland County. . . .
David's brother, John "Dutchman" Cagle, whose plantation at the forks of Bear and Cabin Creeks was a short distance from David's plantation, did not join the westward migration, but remained on his homeplace until his death in 1799. During that period of time, John added to his landholdings at regular intervals, through land grants in the Bear and Cabin Creek area. The first of these land grants was issued to John in the year 1769 . . . for a tract of 100 acres, situated upstream from his homestead on Bear and Cabin Creeks.
The Cagle Journal, Feb. 2000
North Carolina Families with Cagle Ties: The Germans of Northwest Moore County the Joh/Yow Family - The first records that are to be found is that Hans Yow came to this country from Holland in the year 1711; (however there this a record of some Yows settling in Maryland as early as 1635). . . .
wherever the name Yow is found the English name Yoe or Yeo also exists. These people settled early in Cabarrus, Craven, Moore and Randolph counties. Hans Yow, according to older records had one son Christopher. He and his wife whose name was Christien, settled in Craven County near New Bern in 1741. To this union were born five sons, namely: Andrew, John, Dempsey, George and Henry and one daughter Mary. Dempsey went to Pendleton, SC, where he married to Jane Davis. The others settled on farms in Moore, Chatham and Randolph Counties. John Yow had three sons: George, Manual and Henry. Henry Yow married twice, his first wife being Mary Garner. To this union were born one daughter, Mary Jane, and four sons: Spencer, Hadley, and Bradley who settled in Mississippi and Texas, and Enoch Spinks Yow. The second marriage was to Pheobe Cox. To this union there were three sons: Alfred, Robinson and Hugh. . . .
Enoch Spinks Yow was married to Mary Richardson, daughter of John Richardson, who lived near where Mr. Steve Richardson now resides. To this union were born ten children, the first five dying in infancy . . .
It is also known, from other sources, that Christopher had at least one other son, Christopher Jr., who moved to what is now Moore Co., NC and was the father of Mary Yow, 1769-1860, wh omarried David Cagle, 1767-1852.
The Cagle Journal, April 1999 - The Kegel/Mayer Families of Nehren, Germany, Northampton Co., PA, & Cumberland Co., NC - John & Susannah Mayers of Orange Co., NC sold to Henry Kegle of Cumberland Co., NC a tract of 200 acres on the east side of Little Buffalo Creek in Cumberland, as recorded in Cumberland Co. Deed BOok 3, p. 286. Earlier in that decade, Henry Cagle, prior to his move to Cumberland, had been a resident of Orange Co., and his neighbors in that county included various of the Mayers even prior to their residence in Orange Co., NC had association with the Mayers/Maier families in Northampton Co., Pennsylvania in the 1750s, and in Nehren, Germany, at least back into the 1690s, and perhaps earlier. At the present time it is unclear to the Editor if these Kegel and Mayer families represent a single family line which stretched unbroken from Nehren, Germany to Cumberland Co., NC, or whether two or more different branches might be involved. . . .
The Kegel and Mayer families began to appear at a very early date in the records of Nehren, Germany, a small town in the south-central part of the province of Wűrttemberg, situated between the city of Stuttgart and the border of Switzerland. Nehren, which lies immediately south of the old university of Tűbingen, has a very early Lutheran Church, and its Evangelische Kirchenbuch (Evangelical Churchbook) has records of baptisms dating from 1559, marriages dating from 1594, and deaths dating from 1602. Many Kegel and Mayer references are found in the ancient churchbook but the two families began a common heritage on Feb. 21, 1719, with the marriage of Maria Barbara Kegel, daugther of Sebastian and Ana Maria Kegel, to Johann Jacob Mayer, son of Johannes and Rosina Mayer. As will be seen during the course of this article, it was Maria Barbara Kegel who provided the link to America, for after the death of her husband in 1746, she chose to emigrate from Germany, and arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753, where she settled in Northampton County. There is also reason to believe, although not conclusively proven, that she later married a Peter Brown in Northampton Co., PA in 1755, and migrated to Cumberland Co., NC by the 1760s. . . .
The original Luthern Churchbook of Nehren, Germany covers the period of 1559 through 1737, and records of the Kegel and Mayer familes are consistently found on its pages through this era, indicating that they were permanent residents of the village. . . . the following notations from the Totenbuch (death register), which begins in 1602:
- 13 Dec. 1610 - Basti Kegel - Sebastian "Basti" Kegel
- 6 Dec. 1613 - A---- Kegel - given name unclear; perhaps Abraham
- 8 8bris 1626 - Michael Kegels Kind - Michael Kegel's child, who died 8 8bris, meaning 8 October
Several generations of Sebastian Kegels appear in the Churchbook and later in the same century, the following reference appears in the Heiratan (marriage register):
4 Juny 1678 - Basti Kegel, Basti Kegels Sohn & Anna, Michael Laÿrs tochter - Basti Kegel, son of Basti Kegel was married to Anna, daughter of Michael Laÿr.
The younger Sebastian "Basti" Kegel, ca. 1650 - 1717, and Anna Laÿr, as will be noted . . . were parents of Maria Barbara Kegal, b. 1695 who eventually migrated to Pennsylvania in 1753.
Only a few years after the marriage of Basti Kegel and Anna Laÿr, the Kegel and Laÿr families appear in the Totenbuch, in 1682 and 1683 as follows:
- 11 Marty 1682 - Michael Laÿer, 50 Jahr - died at age of 50
- 11 Juni 1683 - Maria, Sebastian Kegels hausfrau, 81 Jahr
- 21 Juni 1683 - Sebastian Kegel, 78 Jahr
Michael Laÿer or Laÿr, who died in 1682, was the father of Anna Laÿr, who had married young Basti Kegel in 1678. The Laÿer surname is also rendered at times as Lauer, and in later years was found as Lower among the German-Americans of Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Sebastian and Maria Kegel, the aged couple who died only 10 days apart in 1683, apparently were the parents of young Basti Kegel, although, judging from their advanced years, it is also possible that they could have been his grandparents.
Basti Kegel and Anna Laÿer, in the twenty years following their marriage, are known to have had at least five children, recorded as follows in the Taufen (baptism) Register of the Nehren Lutheran Church, (they also could have had other children, whose names might appear in the illegible sections of the record-book).
- 23 9bris 1679 - Sebastian, sohn J. Basti Kegel & Anna - Nov. 23
- 30 Apr. 1687 - Hans Conrad, sohn Bastian & Ana Kegel
- 17 7bris 1690 - Agnes, tochter Bastian & Ana Kegel - Sep. 17
- 8 9bris 1695 - Maria, Barbara. tochter, Bastian & Ana Kegel
- May 1698 - Jacob sohn Baschi & Maria Kegel.
The full names of Basti and wife, apparently, were Johann Sebastian Kegel and Anna Maria Kegel. The godparents, Hans Conrad & Anna Barbara Schneider, were the same of all five of the Kegel children.
Of the five known children of Basti Kegel & Anna Laÿer, nothing further is known of Sebastian b. 1679 and Agnes b. 1690 and it is not known if they survived to adulthood. Hans Conrad b. 1687, married Eva Klein in Nehren on Oct. 6, 1731 and baptismal records show that they had at least five children - Sebastian, Eva Maria, Anna Barbara, Cahterena and Dorothea - born between 1734 and 1748. jacob b. 1698, married Margaretha Sells (spelling of surname uncertain), on May 4, 1728, and baptismal records show that they had at least five children - Sebastian, Martin , Josias, Sebastian, and Anna Margaretha - born b/t 1728 and 1737; the second son Sebastian b. 1735, received the name of the first son Sebastian, b. Nov. 1728, who had died in childhood. Jacob Kegel himself died in Nehren on Sept. 23, 1744, at the age of 46. For the purpose of the present article, however, it is the fourth known child of Basti Kegel and Anna Laÿer - Maria Barbara b. 1695 - who is of primary interest. Maria Barbara grew to adulthood in Nehren, and in 1719 was married in Nehren to Johann Jacob Mayer, son of Johannes Mayer:
- 21 Feb. 1719 - Jacob Majer, Hans Majers sohn to Barbara Kegel, Sebastian Kegels tochter
The spelling Majer is a variation of Mayer and Maier, with the various spellings seeming to be used interchangeably in the recordbook. Johann Jacob Mayer, commonly known as Jacob Mayer, was born March 11, 1693 in Nehren, wife Rosina (Jan. 1665 - Sept. 25, 1739). At least three other children were born to Johannes and Rosina: Catherine b. 1695, Johannes b. 1697, Anna Maria b. 1700. . . .
Johann Jacob Mayer d. 1746 had been married in 1719 to Maria Barbara Kegel in Nehren. Their childre are known to be three daugthers: Anna b. 6/8/1725, Agnes Catharina b. 6/12/1727, and Agnes Maria b. 6/18/1735. The elder daughter, Anna had an illegitimate son, Johannes Mayer b. 3/13/1751, fathered by Hans Mayer of Bodelshausen, a Wagnergeselle (i.e. journeyman cartwright). According to the Ludwigsburg Protocol (newspaper) issues 4/3/1753 Hans Mayer & Anna Mayer with son Johannes & Anna's mother Maria Barbara, went to Pennsylvania. Later the issue of 5/9/1753 speaking of Anna and Hans Mayer, relates that Anna went with im and son to Pennsylvania and in the same issue it is indicated that Maria Barbara went to Pennsylvania, May 9, 1753. . . .
The records from the port of Philadelphia for the year 1753 reveal that a Johannes Myer, age 37 arrived on Sept. 28, 1753 on the ship Halifax, along with Johannes martin Myer, age 18. This passenger list does not give the names of the female passengers or the children, and it might be supposed that Johannes, age 37 was the Johannes Mayer of Bodelshausen, Germany, arriving with Anna Mayer, and son Johannes, b. 1751 and perhaps also with Maria Barbara Mayer and her two younger daughters, Agnes Catharina and Agnes Maria. It might be wondered if the young Johannes Martin Myer, 18 on the same ship, was Johannes's on by an earlier marriage. A Johan Philip Meyer, age unknown, arrived in Philadelphia in 1753 on the ship Neptune, but is not known to have a connection to the other Mayer family. Also arriving in Philadelphia in 1753, on the ship Peggy was Johann Conrad Kegel; however, he was not identical to Hans Conrad Kegel, b. 1687 in Nehren, Germany, the brother of Maria Barbara (Kegel) Mayer, since it is known that Hans Conrad is found in the churchbook of Nehren as late as the year 1763 at the confirmation of his youngest daughter Dorothea.
The Cagle Journal, December 1999 - The 1753 Baptism of John Kaegele, son of Adam & Margaret Kaegele of Pennsylvania.
. . . the following entry is found . . . in the records of the Rev. John Waldschmidt, who served several German Reformed churches in Berks, Lancaster and Lebanon Counties, Pennsylvania in the era of 1752 through 1786:
John Kaegele, son of Adam & Margaret Kaegele - born Jan. 31, 1753, baptized Feb. 11, 1753, sponsors: John Zimmermann, Anna Cath. Brumann. . . . Regarding the identify of Adam Kaegele, the farther of the John Kaegele who was baptized in 1753 (at an unspecified location), it might be wondered if he could have been a son of Leonhart Kegel, the pioneer of the Cagle families of North Carolina. This might serve to explain the appearance of the given name Adam, which begins to appear among the Cagle children of Moore Co., NC in the 1790s. Also it might be noted that Leonhardt Kegel of Pennsylvania settled in Brecknock Townshop, in Berks Co., PA generally in the middle of the region served by the Rev. Waldschmidt. In addition, the name of John Zimmeramnn as one of sponsors at the 1753 baptism might be of significance, since it is known that a John Zimmermann owned a tract of land adjacent to the homeplace of Leonhart Kegel in Brecknock Township in Berks Co., PA
The Cagle Journal, April 2000 - Jacob Cagle, 1755 - 1845, Suspected Tory in Early Days of Revolutionary War 1776
Jacob Cagle, 1755-1845, one of the first Cagle children to be born in the colony of North Carolina after the Cagles' migration from PA to NC, reached adulthood in 1776, the year of American Independence from Great Britain. During the Revolutionary War, Jacob served in the American forces, being drafted while living in old Cumberland County (present Moore). Many decades later, at the age of 79, while a resident of Warren Co., Tennessee, Jacob filed an application in 1834 for a pension as a Revolutionary War veteran. As part of his application, he had to answer several questions about his past life and his military service . . . In his answers below, note that Jacob was born on Deep River (probably in old Orange Co., in what is now Randolph Co.) but was living in McLinburge (Mecklenburg) County when he entered the service; later, he lived in Cumberland Co., NC.
1/ He was born on or near to the headwaters of Deep River in the state of North Carolina; he does not know if he ever knew, recollect the county; in April 1755.
2/ He never had a record of his age; he arrives at it from the information of his parents who had.
3/ He was living in McLinburge County, State of North Carolina, when called into the service the first time, and so continued untill that Touer of service was completed. He then moved to Cumberland County, State of North Carolina, and lived there at the time he was called into the service upon the second Touer of Three Months. After the Revoluton was over, he moved back to McLinburge County, State of north Carolina, lived there for several years. He then moved to Bunkum County in the same state, lived there for several, he thinks eight or ten years. He then moved to Warren County, state of Tennessee, where he now lives and has ever since.
4/ The first Touer he served three months and vollunteered into the service. The second Touer he served three months and was drafted into the service.
5/ Whilst he was in the service in Mclinburge some of the regulars came through there; he thinks it was a Pennsylvania regiment commanded as he now thinks by Col. Washington he saw there. He does not believe that he saw any other regulars, unless Col. Sandburg (?) or General Sumpter came, nor does he believe he ever saw any Continental or malitia regiments other than stated in the body of his declaration, nor can he state any more of the general circumstances of his service, than he has in the body of his declaration.
Jacob Cagle was granted his pension as a result of his 1834 pension application and after his death in 1845 at the age of 90, his 2nd wife and widow Sarah Cagle drew for several more years as a Revolutionary War widow. However, Jacob's 1834 Pension Application fails to mention an incident from his early life; That in 1776, at the age of 21, he had taken the Tory side in the opening stages of the Revolutionary War, and on July 13, 1776, was denounced in a letter by a Patriot legislator, Ransom Southerland, who accused Jacob and another young man, David Jackson, of murdering one Patriot and attempting to murder another. . . .
[excerpt from Ransom Southerland letter to Council of Safety, Wilmington, 7/13/1776]
Another young man who was very active against the Tories when they imbodied last Winter was fired at a little time after, while peaceably at his dayly labour, & narrowly Escaped his life, the ball went thro' his hat within an Inch of his Scull. This Jackson Sir & a certain Jacob Kagle is Suspected to be the authors of this Cruel & Bloody mischief, as they are now living privately in the woods. The young man also writes me that he is obliged to keep himself closely concealed within the walls of a Neighbours house to prevent (if possible) their sliping a Ball thro' his. . . .
Family Chart of the Known & Probable Children of Leonard Cagle, d. 1840
Leonard Cagle ca. 1770-1840 was apparent grandson of the immigrant Leonhart Kegel, d. 1750. His several children may have included William Cagle, 1803-1908 of Fulton Co., GA.
Leonhart Kegel b. 1690, d. 1750 md. Susanna (--?--) immigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania 1730s settled in Berks Co., PA.Generation 2
1. David
2. John
3. Henry
4. Leonard
5. George
6. Charles Sr. b. ca. 1730, d. 1801, md. Mary (--?--) 1790, lived in Cabarrus and Montgomery Counties, NC
7. Mary
8. Nancy
Generation 3
6a. Jacob
6b. Charles
6c. John
6d. George
6e. Leonard b. ca. 1770, d. 1840 md. (--?--) Tucker, lived in Lancaster Co., SC, Moore, Montgomery, Anson Counties NC and in Henry Co., GA
6f. Susanna
6g. Betsey
6h. Molly
6i. Kitty
6j. Glory
6k. Margaret
Generation 4
6e1. unnamed son b. 1790s d. before 1810
6e2. unnamed son b. 1790s, d. before 1810
6e3. unnamed daughter b. 1790s md. (--?--) Gurley (?) - is this our connection to the Cagles?
6e4. Isaac (?) b. 1790s, d. 1830s, md. Milly (--?--)
6e5. Jephtha b. ca. 1805, d. 1870s, lived in Georgia and Alabama
6e6. Eli b. ca. 1807, d. 1860s, lived in Georgia
6e7. Mary (?) b. ca. 1820, d. after 1860 md. James McGaha
6e8. William (?) b. 1803, d. 1908 lived in Georgia
6e9. Henry b. ca. 1820, d. 1870 lived in Georgia
6e10. Tabitha (?) b. ca. 1822, d. 1870s md. Reuben Hill
Dawkins, Ella. Dawkins & Related Families, no imprint
I don't think we are related to these Brooks, but they end up in Indiana and Clay County, Illinois where our Brooks are and this is to keep me from running dead ends. One of the girls in this crew married a Wolf, so we could be related to their kids.
In 1790 there were 55 Brooks families living in North Carolina, alone, and many in other states, doubtlessly. In some one of these families a son was born June 11, 1784, who was named William, and in the same state a girl baby was born October 10, 1788, named Susanna Wyman and as there was but one Wyman family living in North Carolina in 1790, it must have been this family in which the child was born. Henry Wyman lived in Rowan County, Salisbury district and had one grown male, the head of the family, 2 male members, under 16 and 5 females, including the mother. There were three Brooks families living in Rowan County. George, Robert & Humphry Brooks. As the Brooks families were well scattered it is difficult to tell out of which home William came. The Humphry Brooks family in 1790 had no male in the family but 5 females and 15 slaves. The other two Brooks families were supplied with both males and females.
William Brooks & Susanna Wyman married, doubtlessly while they still lived in North Carolina, later they came to Orange County, Indiana.
In 1836, William Brooks and Henry Brooks his eldest son, came to Illinois, probably on horseback and William entered land in section 26 and his son Henry entered land in section 25, just above his son Henry entered land in section 25, just above his father all in Bible Grove township.
They returned to Indiana and in 1838, William Brooks' wife, himself and ten children, some of whom were married came on to Illinois and settled on his newly entered land, about two miles west of Ingraham. It must have been the flowing spring which decided Mr. Brooks on the choice of land he entered. Near this spring Mr. Brooks erected one of, if not the first brick houses built in the county. We were there last summer, drank out of the spring and carried home brick out of that first brick home. (1884).
In 1838 Mr. Brooks also entered land in section 13 Blair township. After he had entered much land in sections 25 and 26 in Bible Grove township in 1840, 1851, 1853 he entered the northeast quarter of section 35 and the northwest quarter of section 36.
Mr. William Brooks' 10 children who reached maturity were Henry, Catherine, Elizabeth, William Jr., Leonard, Margarett, Susan, Dillon, Jonathon & Lucy. William Brooks Sr. died June 12, 1855 aged 71 years and 1 day.
Mrs. Susanna (Wyman) Brooks died December 13, 1869, aged 81 years, 2 months and 3 days. The above dead sleep in the Brooks Cemetery. Mr. & Mrs. Brooks united with the Christian Church in Ingraham in 1842. Henry Brooks the first child married Susan McCoy while in Indiana. After farming many years near Bible Grove he moved into town in 1864 and kept a hotel for 20 years. He and his wife were devout members of the Christian church. They had 6 children, America, William, Lydia, Katie, Henry Jr. & Susie. America married William Hord, lived in Blair Township. Lydia married Lewis Wolf. Henry Jr. md. Caroline Chemeworth. Susie married George Barns, after his death she married Captain C.D. Kendall and lived in Newton, Illinois. Katie never married and now lives in Mississippi.
Catherine Brooks married a Mr. Hampton who enlisted in the Union army and was lost. The family never knew what became of him. She was the second child.
Elizabeth Brooks the third child married Nelson Vickery. Their children: Alexander, William, Joss, Elias & Katie.
William Jr. the fourth child married Maria McCoy and had seven children George, Susan, Will, Jackson, Jonathan, Lydia and Margaret. After her death he married Sara Carter. They had 6 children, James Allen, Alexander, Nancy, Henry D., Ulyses Grant, and John Monroe.
Leonard, the fifth child married and lived near Olney.
Margaret the sixth child married Alexander Vickery (brother of Nelson). They had 12 children, Mary Susan, William V., Suse Ann, Emily Catherine, Elizabeth Caroline, Margaret Ellen, John W., Thomas D., Jesse H., Jonathon A., Laura Genette & Lois Wyman.
Susan the seventh child married Jack Woodfield and moved to California.
Dillon the eighth child married Miss Frankie Maxwell and lived in Hoosier Prairie. They had 7 children: Joseph, Belle, Jessie, Charles, Cora, Pearl & Ed.
Lucy the youngest, married Ed Fields of near Heddyville.
Jonathon in company with Levi Colborn, Tom Bassett & Harrison Ingraham made an overland trip with an ox team to California. They were drawn by the gold excitement. They were gone six years and returned by sea. He was married to Miss Helena Wood. Their children: Vida Jane, Eliza Alice, Susan Frances, Emily, Hattie, Horace Wood, Jonathon Albert, Clarence Barnard, Osco Wyman. Vida married Basil D. Monroe.
Early these prairies were known as the Brooks Prairies. William Brooks Sr. & William Brooks Jr. were both at one time trustees of the Ingraham Church.
2nd Jonathon Brooks married Matilda Rosabelle Harmon. They had 12 children: Ira Alvin, Ethel, Aurora Ray, Lester Delbert, Elsie, Emily, Floyd, Francis, Ina Charity, Cordelia Wiley, Lorena Mae, Mary Elva & Harmon Albert. Two died in infancy.
Jordan, Jerry. Cherokee by Blood, Vol. 5 Applications 10171 to 13260, Baltimore, MD: Heritage Books, Inc., nd
- # 11610. Edna Ear Durall and 2 children, Welch, Okla. Admitted. Niece of No. 9422.
- Roll P56 #10381 FCT Comm. #24254 Edna Earl Durall age 26
- #10382, #24255 Benoni F. (son) age 8
- #10383, #24256 George R. (son) age 6
Wheeler, John. Reminiscences & Memoirs of North Carolina & Eminent North Carolinians, Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1966
McDowell Family of Burke County - There are no families in the state that have rendered more important service to the state than the McDowells.
Although careful research has been made for years in records of the state, and families, --- by extensive correspondence, yet, in the earlier periods of our history, the want of the facilities of the press, and a carelessness in preserving family records, some obscurity rests on the history of the early founders of this family.
In my History of North Carolina, as to this family, it is stated that Charles & Joseph McDowell were brothers, the sons of Joseph, who, with his wife Margaret O'Neal, had emigrated from Ireland, settled in Winchester, Virginia, where Charles and Joseph were born. For authority of these facts, statements were furnished from members of this family and others which were believed. Recent and more thorough examinations make these statements doubtful. A letter from one of the family* to me states:
It is singular how inaccurate has been any knowledge as to this family. An investigation, instituted some time ago, with a view of establishing a descent which would lead to the securing of a large estate through Margaret O'Neal, developed the fact, beyond all question, that her husband (the father of General Charles McDowell, and General Joseph,) was named John instead of Joseph, that they married in Ireland, and lived at Quaker Meadows, in Burke County. [*Dr. G.W. Michal, of Newton, NC to whom I am indebted for much information to the McDowell family.]
Lanman, in his Biographical Annals of Congress, states:
Joseph McDowell was a Representative in Congress from 1793 to 1795; and again from 1797 to 1799.
The family tradition and record is, he died in 1795. The first error does not destroy the truth of history that the family were of Irish origin; and the second arises from there being two of the same name of the same family. Every effort and pains have been taken to make the present sketch correct. If any error occurs, the corrections will be gratefully received. In compiling genealogical tables, or pedigrees, great attention is necessary in clearly stating the number of generations, in any given period, as they form a guide to the probability of persons having sprung from any particular ancestor or individual. A generation is the interval between the birth of a father and the birth of son. Thirty-three years have been allowed to a generation, or three generations for every hundred years. The birth and death dates, as well as the location, should be stated, since "chronology and locality are the eyes of history." The repetition of the same names, without dates or place, creates confusion in our American genealogy, as it has caused in this instance.
John McDowell, called Hunting John, who resided at Pleasant Gardens, was one of the early pioneers of Western Carolina. He was, it is believed, a native of Ireland. He and a man by the name of Henry Widener, (many of whose descendants now live in Catawba County, known by the name of Whitener,) came to this country when it was an unbroken wilderness, for the purpose of hunting and securing homes for their families. John McDowell built his house on the west side of the Catawba River, on land now called the Hany Field, a part of the fine body of land well known as The Pleasant Gardens, which for fertility of soil, healthfulness of climate and splendor of scenery, cannot be excelled.
The date of his birth, or the time of his settling, or the date of his death, from the loss of family records, cannot be given; but from tradition, he lived in this lovely spot with his wife (Mrs. Annie Edmunston) to a good old age.
He was a famous hunter, and delighted in "trapping," and to a late period of his life, he could be seen on his way to the mountains, with four large bear traps tied behind him on his horse, with his trusty rifle on his shoulder. On these excursions he would go alone, and be absent for a month or more, hunting the deer, turkeys and bears, and in silent communion with nature and with nature's God. . . .
He left two daughters and one son: Anna who married William Whitson; Rachel, who married john Carson; and Colonel Joseph McDowell, who was born on 25th February, 1758 at Pleasant Gardens, in Burke County. He was always called Colonel Joe of Pleasant Gardens to distinguish him from General Joe of Quaker Meadows.
He was a soldier and a statesman, and the most distinguished of the name.
He early entered the profession of arms. At the age of 18 he joined General Rutherford in an expedition, in 1776, against the Cherokee Indians, in which he displayed much gallantry and desperate courage. It is known that in a hand-to-hand fight he killed an Indian chief with his sword.
He was active in repressing the Tories, and took part in the battle at Ramsour's Mills, on 20th June, 1789, near Lincolnton, as mentioned by General Graham in in eulogistic terms, for his conduct on that occasion, and materially aided in achieving a complete victory over a superior force.
At Cane Creek, in Rutherford County, with General Charles McDowell, he led the militia, chiefly of Burke County, and had a severe skirmish with a strong detachment of Ferguson's army, then stationed at Gilbert Town, and drove them back.
Immediately afterward he aided in measures which culminated in the glorious victory of King's Mountain.
This was the darkest period of the dubious conflict. Gates was defeated at Camden; Savannah and Charleston surrendered to the British; Sumter, at Fishing Creek (18th August, 1780;) Cornwallis, in "all the pride and circumstance" of a conqueror, held the undisputed possession of Charlotte and its vicinity.
Ferguson, with strong force, was winning the attachment of the people from liberty to loyalty; while the Tories ravaged the whole country with vindictive fury.
There was not a regular soldier south of Virginia, and every organized force was scattered or disbanded. The time had come, and these brave men felt that they must "do or die."
Amid all these disastrous circumstances, the patriotic spirits of Cleaveland, Campbell, Sevier & McDowell did not despair. They determined to attack the forces of Ferguson. They were all of equal rank, and as the troops were in the district of Charles McDowell, he was entitled to the command.
From a manuscript letter of Shelby, in my possession, he says:
Colonel McDowell was the commanding officer of the district we were in, and had commanded the armies of the militia all the summer before, against the same enemy. He was brave and patriotic, but we considered him too far advanced in life and too inactive to command the enterprise.
It was decided to send to headquarters for some general officer to command the expedition.
Colonel McDowell, who had the good of his country more at heart than any title of command, submitted, and stated that he would be the messenger to go to headquarters. He accordingly started immediately, leaving his men under his brother, Major Joseph McDowell.
The next day Shelby urged that time was precious and delays dangerous. The advance was made. Colonel Joseph McDowell, the subject of our present sketch, led the boys of Burke and Rutherford Counties to battle and to victory (7th October 1780) and his command was on the right wing of the attacking forces, and aided greatly in insuring victory Ferguson fell bravely fighting and his army completed routed.
The next important battle in which Colonel Joseph McDowell was engaged was the Cowpens, fought by Morgan and Tarleton on 17th January 1781, in which he led the North Carolina militia, which terminated in a glorious victory of Morgan, whose name is preserved in gratitude for his services by the county town of Burke.
This ended the military career of our patriotic soldier.
His civil services were equally brilliant; from his elevated character, his acknowledged abilities, and popular address, he was always a favorite with the people. His name is preserved by calling a county for him erected in 1842. He was a member of the House of Commons in 1787 and 1788; also a member of the Convention that met at Hillsboro, 1788, to consider the Constitution of the United States, of which he was the decided opponent, and which was rejected by a majority of 100 votes. He was again elected to the Legislature in 1791 and 1792; in 1793 he was elected to represent this district in the Congress of the United States.
Of the influence and the popularity of the McDowells there can be no more ample proof than that in 1787, 1788 and 1792 the Senator and both of the members of the House were of this family.
His presence was tall and commanding, of great dignity of demeanor, and of impressive eloquence. Scrupulous in his statements and faithful in all business transactions.
He married Mary, the daughter of George Moffett or Augusta County, Virginia. He died in April, 1795, leaving two sons, John and James, and one daughter, Annie, who married Captain Charles McDowell, of Quaker Meadows.
His widow became the second wife of Colonel John Carson, whose first wife was Rachel, daughter of Hunting John, of Pleasant Gardens, a sketch of whom we shall present when the McDowells are finished.
John McDowell, son of Colonel Joseph and of Mary Moffett, above, was esteemed a man of superior intellect, and of a retiring and modest disposition, of exemplary purity of life and character. he was averse to public life; yet without any effort on his part, and indeed against his wishes, he was elected a member of the Legislature from Rutherford County in 1820 and 1821.
He married Mary Mansfield Lewis, of Augusta County, Virginia, and lived on Broad River, 14 miles above Rutherfordton, until they moved to the village for the purpose of educating their children.
Their children were Dr. Joseph McDowell; Mary, who married the Rev. W.A. Gamewell; Dr. James McDowell (Texas;) Nancy; Martha, who married Dr. G.W. Michael, (Newton;) Mira, who married Col. J.M.C. Davis, who fell in the civil war; Sally; John, who was colonel of a regiment in the civil war. His sister Annie, only daughter of Colonel Joseph and Mary Moffett McDowell, married Captain Charles McDowell, son of General Charles, of Quaker Meadows, from which union there were five daughters and one son, namely; Eliza, married Nicholas W. Woodfin; Mary, married, first, General John G. Bynum, and second, Judge R.M. Pearson; Mira, married, first, John Woodfin, second; John Burnett; Margaret, married William McKesson; James married Julia Manly, killed in battle at Fredericksburg, Virginia, on Marye's Heights; colonel of 5-- Regiment in civil war.
James McDowell, the second son of Colonel Joseph McDowell that lived to manhood, possessed the esteem of all who knew him.
He was a member of the Senate in the Legislature, from Burke County, in 1832, and filled other offices of trust. Like each one of Colonel Joseph McDowell's children, he was remarkable for his modesty, for his integrity, and his open-handed charity.
He owned Pleasant Gardens, where he lived until advanced in life. He then moved to Yancey County, where he died. He married Margaret Erwin, and left five children, namely: Dr. Joseph McDowell, Dr. John McDowell of Burke County; William McDowell, of Asheville; Kate, who married Montraville Patton; Margaret, who married Marcus Erwin.
These are the descendants of the branch of which Hunting John was the ancestor.
John McDowell of Quaker Meadows, was the cousin of Hunting John, (Dr. W.A. Michal). He was one of the pioneers of this region of country and settled at Quaker Meadows, on the Catawba River, about a mile from Morganton. He was a native of Ireland and married Margaret O'Neal, (the widow of Mr. Greenlee,) by whom he had three sons; Hugh McDowell, General Charles McDowell, Major John McDowell.
Hugh McDowell, son of John and Margaret O'Neal of Quaker Meadows, left three daughters: Mrs. McGintry, Mrs. McKinsey; Margaret, who married John Murphy, who married Margaret Avery, and left three daughters and one son; Margaret, who married Thomas G. Walton; Sarah, who married Alexander F. Gaston, son of Judge Gaton; Harriet, who married William M. Walton; John H. McDowell, who married Clara Patton.
General Charles McDowell, (son of John & Margaret O'Neal, of Quaker Meadows,) born in 1743, died 1815, was probably a native of Ireland. On the commencement of our Revolutionary troubles, he was the commander of an extensive district in his section of the country, and was a brave and daring officer.
It was not until the year 1780 that western North Carolina became the field of military operations in the Revolutionary war. After subduing the states of Georgia and South Carolina, the British forces advanced to this state and commenced making demonstrations. McDowell was active in counteracting their movements.
In June, 1780, having been joined by Shelby, Sevier & Clarke, of Georgia, near Cherokee Ford on Broad River, McDowell determined to attack the British at a strongly fortified post on the Pascolet River, under command of Patrick Moore, which he gallantly performed and compelled him to surrender.
He also attacked the Tories at Musgrove Mill on the Enoree River and routed them.
Many other brilliant affairs in this section marked his energy and efficiency as a soldier. We have recorded the facts of his missing a participation in the battle of King's Mountain.
As the several officers held equal rank, by a council of officers McDowell was dispatched to headquarters, then near Salisbury, to have General Sumner or General Davidson, who had been appointed brigadier general in place of General Rutherford, taken prisoner at Gates' defeat.
This closed his military career. The people of his county were not ungrateful to him for his long and successful military service. He was the Senator from Burke from 1782 to 1788, and he had been also in 1778, and member of the House 1809-10-11. He died 31st March 1815. He married Grace Greenlee, who was distinguished among "the women of the Revolution." She was a woman of remarkable energy and firmness. Mrs. Ellet has recorded her extraordinary character, and relates that on one occasion some bummers, int he absence of her husband, plundered her house. With some few friends she pursued the marauders and compelled them, at the muzzle of a musket, to give up her property. While her husband was secretly making powder in a cave, she aided him, and burnt the charcoal herself. This very powder did good service in the battle of King's Mountain. Previoius to her marriage with Charles McDowell, she was the wife of Captain Bowman, who fell in the Battle of Ramsour's Mill. She was the daughter of Margaret O'Neal, by Mr. Greenlee, anterior to the union with the father of General Charles McDowell. She had a daughter by this marriage with Captain Bowman, named Mary, who married Colonel William Tate, and who was the mother of Junius Tate, and Louisa, who was the mother of the first Mrs. Z.B. Vance.
She had by General Charles McDowell, three sons and four daughters: Captain Charles McDowell, Athan A.; James R.; Sarah; Eliza Grace; Margaret; Sallie; in whom and in whose descendants, the blood of Grace Greenlee courses. It is curious as well as interesting, to observe the effect of blood. Dr. Rush declared that "the blood of one intelligent woman would redeem three generations of fools." . . .
Of these Captain Charles McDowell, who was always called Captain Charles, owned the homestead of The Quaker Meadows. He was a member of the Legislature from Burke County in 1809-10-11. He was much respected; an ardent politician. . . .
Athan A. McDowell served in the Creek War. He was sheriff of Burke County, Senator in the Legislature, 1815. He removed to Henderson County. He married Ann Goodson, the stepdaughter of Colonel William Davenport, of Caldwell County, and left one son, Charles, and one daughter, Louisa, who married Hon. Jmaes C. Harper, whose daughter married Hon. Judge Cilly.
James R. McDowell lived a bachelor, and died at the old homestead. He was a very great favorite with all who knew him. He often contended with Hon. Samuel P. Carson in the political field, with alternate success. He was a member of the House in 1817-18 and '19, and of the Senate, in 1823-25.
Sarah married colonel William Paxton, brother of Judge Paxton; had several children; one of whom married Rev. Brank Merrimon, father of Hon. A.S. Merrimon, United States Senator; Eliza Grace married Stanhope Erwin; Margaret married Colonel William dickson, whose son was in the Legislature 1842-44; Sallie; Mrs. Christian.
Major John McDowell, thrid son of John & Margaret (O'Neal) McDowell of Quaker Meadows, and brother of General Charles McDowell, lived on Silver Creek, in Burke County, about nine miles from Morganton.
He was a member of the Legislature in 1792-94.
He had the sad mishap to lose his sons (three) and a nephew, at the same time, by the burning of his house.
He left two daughters: Margaret, who married Robert McElrath; and Hannah, married John McElrath.
General Joseph McDowell was the son of John & Margaret of Quaker Meadows, had the reputation of a brave officer of the Revolution, a soldier and a statesman. We regret that so little is known of his character and services. The aged men of Burke that knew him describe him as being genial in his temper and benevolent. In appearance he was tall and commanding.
He was a great favorite with the people. He was for eight years successively elected to the House of Commons, 1750 to 1758, and Senator in 1791 to 1795. He was elected a member of Congress in 179799. He married Margaret Moffett, sister of the wife of Colonel Joseph McDowell. He lived on the east side of John's River about seven miles from Morganton.
One of his sons, Hugh Harvey, resides in Missouri and is the father of Mrs. Governor Parsons.
Another son, Joseph J., is a citizen of Ohio and was elected a member of Congress from Ohio in 1843-47.
One of his daughters married (--?--) Christman and after his death married Judge Wake, of Kentucky.
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