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Does anyone have any evidence as to the identity of the Jacob Reese mentioned in the following newspaper article?
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Georgia.
Singular Occurrence – The following is from the Centerville (Ga.) Times: Under the obituary head in to-day’s paper, will be found the death of Mr. Jacob Reese. On the day of his death Mr. Reese was engaged in seeding oats, and towards evening, was startled by a voice, apparently at his elbow saying “You may sow, but shall not reap!” He looked around, and seeing no one, continued his work of seeding, attributing it, as he afterwards stated, to his imagination. At every step, however, the warned was repeated, and at last, unable to bear it, he proceeded home to his wife, was persuaded by her that it was imagination, and finding that he had no fever, and did not complain of any unusual indisposition, she induced him to return to the field. There, however, the same solemn warning voice attended him at every step – “You may sow, but you shall not reap!” and in a state of extreme agitation, he again ceased work and went home. He took an early supper, was shortly after attacked with a swelling of the throat, and before next morning, was a corpse.
From: Texas State Gazette (Austin), 26 August 1854, page 3; also reprinted in The Agitator (a Pennsylvania newspaper), 24 August 1854, page 2.
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It is tempting to identify this Jacob Reese as being the Jacob Reece who appears in the 1850 Gilmer County, Georgia census. The Gilmer County Jacob’s last name appears in various records as “Reece” or “Reese.”
Gilmer County, however, is eight or so counties away from Houston County, where the Centerville newspaper was published.
The Jacob Reece (Reese) of Gilmer County, Georgia was married to Susan Harris in about 1790, probably in Pendleton District, South Carolina.
There is a staggering amount of misinformation posted online about Jacob Reese, and researchers should be very cautious in what they believe about Jacob.
Jacob and Susan had six known children, who were:
1. Mary "Polly" Reese, married Elijah Holden, about 1817-1819
b. 25 Aug.1794, SC b. 16 April 1796, SC
d. after 1880? d. Sept. 1872, Nemaha Co., Kansas
2. Nancy Reese, married Christopher Whitmire in 1814 in Pendleton District, SC
b. about 1796, SC b. about 1790, Pendleton Dist., SC
d. by 25 May 1886, Forsyth Co., GA d. 14 Apr. 1868, GA
3. Margaret Reese, married Ratliff Boone, 20 January 1820
b. 17 June 1799, SC b.17 Feb. 1795, SC
d. 7 June 1866, Dawson Co., GA d. 27 Feb. 1882, GA
4. Absalom Reese, married Elizabeth Robinson, about 1824
b. 1803, SC b. 1806, SC
d. 3 March 1881, d. 1 January 1854?,
Van Zandt. Co., TX Marshall Co., MS
[I am descended from Absalom Reese]
5. Lucinda Reese, married Joshua Holden, Dec. 1825
b. 4 Oct. 1807, SC b. 25 Feb. 1802, SC
d. 2 Sept. 1876, TX d. 10 Oct. 1876, TX
6. Manerva Reese, married Elisha Murphree, about 1828-1829?
b. 11 Feb. 1811, SC b. 2 Nov. 1806, SC
d. 18 Nov. 1885, GA d. 20 Nov. 1887, GA
In the mid 1830s, Jacob and Susan (Harris) Reese apparently separated, and Jacob became associated with a young widow named Permelia Sandlin. Permelia and her two children appear in the same household as Jacob Reece in the 1850 Gilmer County census.
From other evidence, it appears that the Gilmer County Jacob died between 1851 and 1855, and thus a death date of 1854 is plausible.
Jacob would have been about 84 in 1854, and thus perhaps old to have been working in the fields. On the other hand, Jacob was in good health through the 1840s, being called upon to oversee road work, for example, and in the 19th century, there was no such thing as retirement for people who farmed.
On the other hand, there is absolutely nothing in the newspaper article to point specifically to the Jacob Reese of Gilmer County, and if one assumes the article referred to a death that took place outside of Houston County, then it is equally likely that it took place in any Georgia county.
Although I have not seen any other reference to a Jacob Reese in Georgia in the 1850s, I have to add that I have not looked very hard at most areas outside of the region that surrounded Gilmer County.
Obviously, this is a great story, and I would like to include it in my family’s history. But before I do, I want to check with as many people as possible to see if there is any other Jacob Reese that the story might be about.
Thanks in advance for any assistance,
Bill Page
Bryan, Texas
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