HOLIDAY INFO GIFT
Elisha CAPPS is listed as Family #9 below! He left Burke County NC for
Nacoochee Valley, GA- then later moved to CALIFORNIA!
Merry Christmas to all! Let us all share our resources in this season of
giving...
Nancy J Capps
Fayetteville, Cumberland County, NC
A History of the Early Settlers of Nacoochee Valley
March 10, 1822
This history was furnished by Mrs. J. E. Wikle, Clarkesville, Georgia. Mr.
Richard T. Thorpe originally made it public. It is said that a Vic Bristol was
the original compiler. It is undated but from reference made in it, it was
probably compiled around fifty years ago [1922]. Herbert B. Kimzey published it in
1972.
The following are the names of the different families who came to Nacoochee
Valley, then Habersham County Georgia, on March 10, 1822. They left Burke
county, North Carolina, on March 1st, 1822, arriving at Nacoochee on the 10th,
purchasing land from the Indians, who later, April 1837, were carried to Indian
Territory.
There were sixty-one different families that came in two parties, one just
one day behind the other, using the same camp fires, one party from Burke
County: North Carolina, and one from Rutherford County, North Carolina. The first
party led by Daniel Brown and Edward Williams left Burke County March 1st, and
the second led by Rev. Jesse Richardson, Abraham Littlejohn and Adam Pitner
left Rutherford County about the same time. Travel was made more difficult by
reason of the fact that there were no roads a good part of the way and they had
to cut their way through forests; also, they brought their cattle, sheep, hogs,
goats, and chickens with them. They brought roses, some of which are still
living. I have roses of four different bushes that were brought in that party.
They also brought the Virginia and Johnson grass, etc. Most of the people came
in on wagons, some on horse-back or driving horses and mules and bringing
their slaves with them. They were the first white people in this county and bought
the land from the Indians at one cent an acre.
[1] Daniel Brown, father-in-law of Edward Williams brought many acres of this
land, what is now known as the Hardman place was his home site, 2000 acres
for which he paid $200. He lived there until his death in 1852 and is buried in
Nacoochee.
[2] In his will he mentions having given a "home and certain lands" to his
son, Harwell Brown. He was quite a rich man for his times in both lands and
slaves. One of the old slaves, Aunt Phyllis, lived to be about 100 years old and
died at the Starr place, as Edward Williams' place came to be known later. Just
how much land Edward Williams bought is not known, but he probably bought
some and then his father-in-law gave him a large amount, so that he owned all
from the Brown place to the lower part of Nacoochee Valley, and at his death it
was divided among his children.
[3] The third family in this party was Daniel Brown's daughter and her
husband, Henry Conley, and their four children and slaves. They settled where Helen
Station now stands and their old home was built in 1830 and was standing in
1913 when it was torn away to make room for the Marshall Hotel. All of the land
where the Town of Helen and the mill now stand was given to them by Daniel
Brown.
[4] The fourth family was John Trammel and his wife, six children and slaves.
He settled where Robertstown now stands and bought land from the Indians.
[5] Fifth, was the family of William Westmoreland, who had a big family and
has many descendants in the county. He settled near Tray Mountain, near the
head of the Chattahoochee River.
[6] Sixth, was Thomas Abernathy; who settled with his family near the foot of
the mountain also,
[7] Seventh, was David Huston who was a very old man and who lived on the
land of Daniel Brown. He had been a rich man in his younger days.
[8] The eighth family was that of Benjamin Cleveland who was a General in the
war of 1812, and whose father was a Colonel in the Revolution. He settled
where the Conley house now is and owned quite a lot of land, but sold it and left
very suddenly in the night and no one knew where he had gone or why He
afterwards was heard of in Texas where he died. The town of Cleveland was named for
him.
[9] The ninth family was Elisha Capps. He never did drink any water. Later it
was told of him that he left and went to California in 1852, where he married
and lived until his death. His place is still known as the Capps place on the
river.
[10] The tenth party was William Bell, wife and children. He settled on what
is now known as Bell Branch of Buckhorn Mountain. It was named for him. He
died there and was buried on what is known as Capps place or England Graveyard.
He was the grandfather of Congressman Tom Bell of the Ninth Georgia District.
[11] The eleventh party was of William England, wife, and family, who settled
on what is today known as the Dean Place, where Colonel Herbert Dean was born.
[12] The twelfth family was that of William Alley who settled first on what
is known today as Eltwell's Blacksmith Shop, and he went three miles above
Clarkesville on the Soque river in 1828 and bought lands and built a home, where
he lived and died.
[13] The thirteenth party was Captain Wilber Lenard and family. They first
settled across the river near what is known as the Robertston Mine place, but
they later moved and serried on what is known as the Dover Mill place, where he
built a mill today known as the Stovall mill.
[14] The fourteenth family was Jesse Holcomb and his wife Peggy, who settled
on what is known as the "Peggy Holcomb Land," or near the north of Mauldin's
Creek and the Chattahoochee on what is known as William's Pasture .
[15] The fifteenth was Thomas Mauldin who settled at what is known today as
the Billy Hicks' Place, or George Hicks. He built the house which is one of the
oldest in the county. Mauldin's Creek, the dividing line between Habersham
and White Counties was named for him.
[16] The sixteenth family was Jesse Lovelady and family who settled near the
Mauldins.
[17] The seventeenth family was old Aunt Mary Foster. She died in 1827, 80
years of age, ten years younger than George Washington. She was buried in the
old Baptist Meeting Ground and has a tombstone. She was the mother of Robbie
Foster.
[18] The eighteenth party was the Rev. William Crumley and family grandfather
of Rev. Howard Crumley. He settled up near the foot of Chimney Mountain and
the land is still owned by his descendants.
[19] The nineteenth party was Adam Vandiver, wife and children, who settled
near the foot of the mountain.
[20] The twentieth party was John Gibbs, whose daughter Mrs. John Evans lived
to be 107 years old and died in 1917, the last one of the original party. She
had a good memory and was not sick but a few days.
[21] The twenty-first parry was Wash Evans and family who settled near the
foot of the mountain.
[22] The twenty-second family was James Foster and Family and Bob and Ben
Foster, who settled near the foot of the mountain.
[23] The twenty-third family was Moses Hawshaw who, tradition says, was the
meanest man in the county to his slaves.
[24] The twenty-fourth family was Job Sosebee and Abraham Sosebee and their
mother, Aunt Patsy Sosebee, who had seven boys and four girls, who came with
the party They were the ancestors of the Sosebee families in this county.
[25] The twenty-fifth family was John Coker and family. They said his wife
was a witch. They settled on what is known as the Coker Field today on Lynch
Mountain.
[26] The twenty-sixth family was John Carroll and his wife They settled on
Daniel Brown's land.
[27] The twenty-seventh family was the widow Bennett and children, who
settled on Sautee Creek on what is now known as the Harry Williams' place.
[28] The twenty-eighth family was not listed.
[29] The twenty-ninth family was John Stovall and wife and Isaac Baker, who
settled in the Blue Creek District.
[30] The thirtieth was William Sumner, wife, and family; who settled on what
is known today as the Houston Place. He was a cabinet maker.
[31] The thirty-first family was John Kelly, who settled near Yonah Mountain.
[32] The thirty-second family was Tom Edwards, who settled near the foot of
Sal mountain.
[33] The thirty-third family was William Merritt, who settled near Yonah.
[34] The thirty-fourth family was John Carter, who serried near Yonah.
[35] The thirty-fifth family was Wesley Henderson, who settled near Yonah.
[36] The thirty-sixth family was John Fuller, who settled down near Cool
Springs Church.
[37] The thirty-seventh was John Martin who settled near Cool Springs Church.
He killed his brother-in-law, Z. Fuller, and was sent: to prison but was
pardoned on condition that he leave the State and never come hack.
[38] The thirty-eighth was John T, [?] who settled near the foot of the
mountain.
[39] The thirty-ninth was Theron Wheeler and family, who settled on the
Daniel Brown property.
[40] The fortieth was Jim Black and family who settled on the Littlejohn
property.
[41] The forty-first was Major Frank Logan and family who settled near
Cleveland.
[42] The forty-second family was Benjamin Allison and family who settled near
Loudesville.
[43] The forty-third was Rev. Jesse Richardson and family, who settled near
Duke's creek. He had three sons, Tom, Joseph, and John L., and one daughter,
who married Abraham Littlejohn. He was a Methodist preacher and it took him a
year to make his circuit. He preached fifty-seven years and died in 1837. John
L. Richardson settled near Duke's creek and built his house which is still
standing. Near this house the first gold was found that was discovered in Georgia
in 1828.
[44] The forty-fourth family was that of Abraham Littlejohn, who settled near
Rev. Jesse Richardson. He rater gave a large sum to the ,Methodist Church. He
is the grandfather of Judge Littlejohn, of Americus Georgia.
[45] The forty-fifth family was John [?]. They settled near Yonah.
[46] The forty-sixth family was that of John Edwards, who settled near Yonah.
[47] The forty-seventh family was Jim Shelnot, who settled near Blue Creek.
[48] The forty-eighth was Jim [?] who settled on Edward Williams' lands.
[49] The forty-ninth was Andy Jones who settled in the Mountains.
[50] The fiftieth was John Adams, who settled near the foot of the Mountain.
[51] The fifty-first was Alien Edwards, who settled near the foot of Lynch
Mountain.
[52] The fifty-second family was Benjamin West and Family and Frank West and
Family.
[53] The fifty-third was John Wilson, who settled near the foot of the
mountain.
[54] The fifty-fourth was Robert Trammell and John Adamson.
[55] The fifty-fifth was Adam Pitner, who settled on what is known today as
the Pitner or Capps place.
[56] The fifty-sixth family was John Shellnut, and they settled on what is
known as the Monroe place.
[57] The fifty-seventh family was Jim Monroe, and they settled on what is
known as the Monroe place.
[58] The fifty-eighth was William York who settled at the foot of the
mountain.
[59] The fifty-ninth was John Cantrell, who had 17 children, 12 boys and 5
girls.
[60] The sixtieth was Virgil [?] who settled near the foot of the mountain.
[61] The sixty-first was Peter Loggins. He was a shoemaker and lived to be 91
years old.
[62] The sixty-second was Jim [?]. He settled near the foot of the mountain