Susannah Dalton (daughter of David Dalton Sr) & Garnett Smethers
Does anyone have any info or insights to lend to this? Many family trees claim Garnett died in 1789 in SC, but the following info seems to contradict those claims. However, it is the ONLY information I have found on him. I am running on the assumption that he & Susannah ended up in GA, as other descendants of David Dalton Sr also eventually came to the same general area of GA by the 1830's.
Susanna Dalton b: c1773/1774 Albemarle Co, VA d: unk m: on 17 Feb 1788 in Rutherford Co, NC
+Garnett Smethers b: between 1733-1768 d: unk
Notes:
-Following the marriage record in Rutherford County in 1788, there appears to be no records of Susanna & Garnett & information has been all but impossible to find until I ran across the following information concerning early settlers at Wofford’s Station, a fort in Habersham (now Banks) Co, GA. It would appear Garnett & Susanna were part of the earliest families to settle in Habersham, GA at Wofford’s Station, the first white settlement in that area. Wofford’s Station was a fort built to protect the families from the Indians. Garnett’s name appears on the list of settlers left outside the line, which designated the Indian lands, the day it was said to be finished, which was 01 February 1798. It would appear that Garnett & Susanna left Rutherford County, NC at some point after their marriage in 1788 and before 1798 to depart for Georgia. In March of 1822, a number of residents from Burke & Rutherford Counties in NC departed in wagon trains for the same area.
Susannah’s sister, Sarah “Sally” Dalton & Sally’s husband John Halford Jr had a daughter, Milberry Halford, who married William Sims Dalton (son of Rev John Dalton & Lucy Sims; William was Milberry’s 1st cousin). William & Milberry had a daughter Lucy Dalton (born 1795, married Benjamin F Clark) who ended up in Catoosa Co, GA & whose family settled in Catoosa & Whitfield Counties, also close to Habersham/Banks Co, GA. It appears Benjamin & Lucy were in Murray/Walker Co, GA by 1834, then afterwards in Catoosa.
The children of Susannah’s sister, Frances “Frankie” Dalton & Frankie’s husband, William Searcy, left Rutherford County, NC, likely after their parent’s death & headed west to TN, but also ended up in GA about 1839, where they settled in Gilmer County. Gilmer is near Habersham & Banks County, all in the upper part of the state. It is believed the Searcy family members may have come to Gilmer with Henry Pettit, Jr of Rutherford Co, NC, who purchased a large amount of land in Gilmer. It appears the families had attended Bills Creek Baptist Church together in Rutherford County, then lived close in Gilmer County, attending church together there as well.
Another child of Susannah’s sister, Sarah “Sally” Dalton & John Halford Jr was John Malachi Halford (born 1796, married Nancy Chaffin), who also ended up in Habersham, GA. Calculating from the census, it appears his family likely moved to Habersham Co, GA between 1848-1850.
All of the following information was found on various online sites:
-More on Wofford’s Station;
Wofford's Station was built in 1793 in what is now the Northeast corner of Banks County. Wofford's Station was the very first white settlement in the area. All that is left today is a stone reputed to be the foundation for the gatepost. But if you enjoy history and stories it takes very little imagination to look around and see what might have been. Wofford's Station was built to protect white settlers from the Native Americans. There is not any record that any trouble ever occurred between the Indians and whites at or near Wofford's Station.
The Station did have problems with it's own government however. Until the removal of the Cherokees to Oklahoma all of what is known as North Georgia belonged to the Cherokee. In 1782 they were encouraged to sign a treaty settling the northern boundary of Georgia and Generals Elijah Clark and Andrew Pickens convinced them it was "in their best interest". The Treaty of Long Swamp, confirmed by the State of Georgia in 1783 described the Northern boundary as running from just southwest of present day Toccoa to the Hog Mountain area of Gwinnett County.
The President appointed Andrew Elliott to run and mark this line but according to the papers at the State Archive he appointed his brother Joseph Elliott . For reasons unknown, Joseph Elliott never did the survey. During this time Stockades such as Wofford's were built and usually manned by State Militia. Most settlers lived too far apart and too far away for the Militia to help them . Therefore one person was appointed to build a fort that anyone could take refuge in by the Governor. Improvements to the stockade was paid by the State.
The founder of Wofford's Station was Nathaniel Wofford. He was born in Maryland in 1728 and moved to Georgia in 1782. Three weeks after Wofford bought the land in what was then Franklin County the first Adjuntant C.G. Etholm, came and inspected the fort. He described the fort as," four rifles, 3 muskats, and two fusies and situated on the Middle Fork of Broad River near the Curahee Mountain.". After giving instructions for improvements the Adjunct General certified Wofford's Station as being worth 14 pounds or about $36.00.
In 1798 Col Benjamin Hawkins finally surveyed the line and the folks in the Wofford Station settlement found themselves outside Georgia in Cherokee land! That line is marked by what is known as The Line Baptist Church . On Sep 13, 1798, the residents of Wofford's Settlement sent a petition to Gov. Jackson asking him to allow them to continue living on their land. The petition was signed by 35 residents. Gen. Wofford, at more than 70 years old , rode on horseback to Washington to deliver the petition to President Jefferson. The settlers held that the fault was not theirs but it was the fault of the State of Georgia for selling the land to them.
Finally in 1804 the Treaty of Tellico was signed by the whites and the Cherokees. This treaty gave the State a strip of land 23 miles long and four miles wide, known as the four-four mile purchase. Woffords settlement was finally a part of Georgia.
Residents of Wofford' Settlement:
William Wofford , Benjamin Wofford , Nathaniel Wofford , William Alred , Jesse Austin , Mathew Alexander , Thomas Bernard , John Bland , Amos Bowling , Augustine Brown , Robert Brown , William Bright , Richard Burks , David Clarke , John Collins , Charles Crawford , Jesse Dean , William Hartgrove , Moses Holcom , George Hopper , Thomas Hopper , Richard Lay , Lucas LeCroy , Garlaand Lane , Robert Little , Jacob Loughridge , Robert Mahan , Equila Macracken , James Macracken , Samuel Reid , Samuel Ross , GARNET SMETHERS , John Strawn , William Taylor , William Weatherspoon , Charles Wells.
Settlers and Intruders on Cherokee Indian Lands 1801 - 1816
Abstracted from the Records of the Cherokee Agency in Tennessee:
Correspondence and Miscellaneous Records. National Archives Microcopy M-208, Rolls 1-7, 13.
Transcribed by Janelle Swearingen 1989
From 1801 to 1823 Col. Return Jonathan Meigs of Middletown, Connecticut was the agent to the Cherokees. The Agency was first located at Southwest Point, then moved to Hiwassee Garrison near Dayton, TN. Following a dispute over the title to the Garrison land, it was moved to Calhoun, Tennessee. During the time Meigs was the agent, settlers passing through the Cherokee land had to have a pass issued by the agent. In addition, some settlers who had special skills, such as blacksmiths, were invited onto the land by the tribe. But there were also many intruders who attempted to settle illegally and had to be removed by the agent.
A list of settlers on the Indian lands on the Frontier of Georgia 1804
Names of the settlers left outside the line (which designated the Indian lands), the day it was said to be finished, which was the 1st February 1798:
1. William Wofford
2. Lucas LeCroy
3. Benjamin Wofford
4. Thomas Barnard
5. Moses Halcom
6. William Bright
7. Nathaniel Wofford
8. George Hopper
9. Thomas Hopper
10. Richard Lay
11. William Weatherspoons
12. Amy Bowling
13. Samuel Reid
14. Charles Wells
15. Richard Burkas
16. Equila McCracken
17. James McCracken
18. John Collins
19. Jesse Austin
20. Augustine Brown
21. John Shawn
22. GARNET SMETHERS
1. William Wofford *
2. Benjamin Wofford *
3. Nathaniel Wofford *
4. James McCracken *
5. Richard Burkaes *
6. William Weatherspoons*
7. Robert Brown
8. William Brown +
9. William Alred
10. Robert Little
11. William Hartgrave
12. Hugh Hartgrave +
13. Samuel Bright
14. Jesse Austin *
15. Lucas LeCroy *
16. William LeCroy +
17. Robert Mahan +
18. Jesse Dean
19. William Taylor
20. Garland Lean
21. Charles Crawford
22. Moses Halcom*
23. David Clarke
24.Mathew Alexander
25. Jacob Southridge
26. John Bland+
27. George Hopper*
28. William Taylor
In my settlement there were 22 living the day the line was finished; settlers the day that the orders for removal &c. there was but 28;which makes but 6 of an increase. Circumstances in the interim. All those marked thus * in the second column are the old settlers. All those marked + are small families increased by intermarriages with the old settlers’ children; and consequently have but small families, which are five in number.
Some History of Banks County, Georgia:
Most of us researching our families give little thought to the hard work, pain, heartbreak, and frustration our ancestors felt as they first forged a home for themselves and their families. As our ancestors traveled into North Georgia no roads or homes awaited them. The move to the new land was tiring and sometimes deadly.
On the Northern boundary of what now is Banks County the first settlers were Native Americans. The Upper Creeks and the Cherokees had many skirmishes over land and access to lands. One such battle, called Taliwa, was fought about 1755 when Kingfisher of the Deer Clan was killed in battle. His wife, Nany"hi (we have simplified to Nancy) picked up his weapons and fought tirelessly in his place until the decisive battle was won by the Cherokee. This battle drove the Creeks out of North Georgia. Because of her bravery she was rewarded with eternal protection of her village named Nancytown. She was made into a "Holy Woman". This gave her the power to determine life or death to her captives.
Nancy was a friend always to the Pioneers of North Georgia. She warned her white friends about raids. Often herding them into her village to protect them. She also supplied food and help to the Revolutionist in 1780.
Nancy Town Creek rises east of Baldwin and is joined by Wofford Creek and finally spills into the Middle Fork of the Broad River.
The next session of land in 1783 covers all the land now known as Banks County. The earliest white settlement was known as Woffords Settlement. When the Hawkins line was being surveyed after the Cherokee Session in 1783 it is said the Cherokee Chiefs proposed the deviation of 4 miles by 23 miles along the straight line from the Curahee Mountain (Stephens County) to the head waters to the South Oconee River . This was done so that the line would include the Wofford Settlement. This was finished in 1798. This is the origin of "The Line" . Line Baptist Church was so named for this reason.
Forts were built to protect early settlers that lived in this area. They were fortress type buildings surrounded by high fences usually located about a spring to provide water for people and animals. These Forts were on Rivers in now Banks County.
Hudson River
Col. Jones Fort
Black's Fort
Wilkins Fort
Nealls(Nails) Creek
Trimbles Fort
Bush's Fort
Norris Fort
Middle Fork of Broad River above Leatherwood Creek
Hollingsworth Fort
Woffords Fort
Tugalo River
Walton's Fort
Ward's Fort
Choggee Creek and Tugalo River
Col Benjamin Cleveland's Fort
The 35 families listed in the Wofford Settlement were:
William Wofford, Benjamin Wofford, Nathaniel Wofford, William Allred, Jessie Austin, Mathew Alexander, Thomas Barnard, John Bland, Amos Bowling, Augustine Brown, Robert Brown, William Brown, William Bright, Richard Burks, David Clarke, John Collins, Charles Crawford, Jesse Dean, William Hartgrove, Moses Holcom, George Hopper, Thomas Hopper, Richard Lay, Lucus Lecroy, Garland Lane, Robert Littel, Jacob Loughridge, Robert MaHan, Equilaq McCracken, Samuel Reid, Samuel Ross, GARNET SMETHERS, John Strawn, William Taylor, William Weatherspoon, Charles Wells.
Habersham County, Georgia History, Early History and First Settlers
A History of the Early Settlers of Nacoochce Valley March 10, 1822
The first treaty affecting any part of what is now Habersham County was in 1804 and concerned a tract of land "four miles in width from the top of Currahee Mountain to the north ford of the Oconee River." The area is now in Banks County near Wofford Shoals.
Families came to Nacoochee Valley, then Habersham County, Georgia, on March 10, 1822. They left Burke County, North Carolina on March 1st, 1822, arriving at Nacoochce on the 10th, purchasing land from the Indians, who later in 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 catde, 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.
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Re: Susannah Dalton (daughter of David Dalton Sr) & Garnett Smethers
Brenda Craig 1/20/12