THE HALL-SMITH FAMILY OF BLAKELY, GA

Much of this information was gathered by Montine Martin. She printed her research in 1961. When I discovered the very interesting information she had gathered, I was fascinated and wanted to continue her work. I began with the oldest members - John Alexander and James Miller. John Alexander was born in 1703 and James Miller in 1723. We have some very interesting people and events in our family tree. For example, one of John Alexander's sons, Samuel, was known as a very skillful Indian fighter prior to and during the American Revolution.
The following information was taken from "We Have This Heritage" "The History of Wilkes County Beginnings to 1860" by Robert Marion Willingham, Jr.:
"...another skirmish took place nearby, with the white settlers outnumbered - twenty-five against one hundred and fifty warriors. Grant, Weatherford, Hammond, and Ayres were killed outright and another man died the next day of wounds he had received. Lieutenant Samuel Alexander, a colorful soldier and skillful Indian fighter, led a small group of militia men in pursuit of a bank of Creeks separate from the main force. He vigorously overcame them and killed two of their number. Colonel Rae, one of the agents for Indian affairs, was provoked by the rashness of Alexander's actions, but was soon convinced of the necessity for them."

"Stephen Heard, the influential man of politics, suffered greatly during the war, not only from governmental pressures, but also from deep personal tragedy. His wife, formerly Miss Germany, and their infant child were driven from the Heard cabin by the Tories and into the sparsely settled countryside. Unable to subsist from the land in the bitterest part of winter, both mother and child perished in the snow-covered hills. If this were not enough, Stephen Heard's father was captured by the British and, along with other old men, including the father of James and Samuel Alexander, was taken to Augusta where he was impounded in a form of concentration camp. Aftger the capture of Augusta by the Americans, these elderly gentlement were released to their families."

My Family History

• Surname List


• Index of Individuals


• InterneTree