Issue IV

THE CARSWELL CHRONICLE THE OFFICIAL GENEALOGICAL/HISTORICAL PUBLICATION OF THE CARSWELL FAMILY ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL Founded in 1970- Founder, Past-President and "Editor Emeritus" Judge Elba Wilson Carswell Volume XIV September 1997 Issue #1 See Volumes XIII Issues 1&2 The HOME Place

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DAVID CARSWELL, JR

THE CARSWELL CHRONICLE THE CARSWELL CHRONICLE is the official family newsletter of the CARSWELL FAMILY ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL – the descendants of Alexander and Isabella Carswell. This group exists as a cooperative NON-PROFIT family association dedicated to gathering, preserving and disseminating GENEALOGICAL and HISTORICAL data on all branches of the Carswell Family. A $10 yearly membership fee is charged to belong to the family association.

THE CARSWELL FAMILY ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL invites lineal and collateral family members to join our association if you are willing to freely share genealogical and historical data. This newsletter is published twice a year, in March and September. The information and opinions of the various writers reflect the personal research and views of the individuals contributing the material.

Guardian-Editor Robert M. Carswell III "Camp Creek" 1635 Sunnydale Road Greeneville, Tennessee 37743 Tel: (423) 639-6046 E-Mail: carswell@greene.xtn.net carswell@greene.xtn.net Director, Book Publishing & Distribution William Hamilton Carswell 2520 Jerry Jones Drive Valdosta, Georgia 31602 Tel: (912) 242-5087 E-Mail: bcarswell@mail.datasys.net bcarswell@mail.datasys.net Web Master Vic Campbell GRADE-A Productions Xander Creek Communications 270 Sparta Avenue - Suite 104-234 Sparta, New Jersey 07871 Tel: (201) 729-5369 Fax: (201) 729-1586 E-Mail:video@grade-a.com video@grade-a.com Web Site: http://www.grade-a.com

THE OVERMOUNTAIN MEN AND THE BATTLE OF KING’S MOUNTAIN WITH ADDITIONAL CARSWELL HISTORY We have all heard stories of Alexander and his son, John Carswell, and their participation in the Revolutionary War. Few in our family realize that they also participated in the Battle of King’s Mountain. A very interesting book entitled "The Overmountain Men – Battle of King’s Mountain, Cumberland Decade, State of Franklin, Southwest Territory" by Pat Alderman cites Alexander and John Carswell’s participation in the Battle of King’s Mountain. The Overmountain Press of Johnson City, Tennessee City publishes this book. Alexander and John Carswell are listed in a roster of King’s Mountain soldiers along with the other Revolutionary War soldiers from Georgia who stepped forward to combat the British Empire. Alderman’s book does not define the various units of the soldiers except in the most general sense. The Battle of King’s Mountain forced the British to surrender their stronghold on 7 October 1780. By the time this battle took place, both Alexander and John were combat veterans of the Continental Army. We know from other research that Alexander Carswell served in the 3rd Company, Georgia Battalion under Colonel John Twiggs. We also know that his son John served in the 4th Company, Georgia Battalion, and won a commission as Ensign or Lieutenant in that company. Also, John Carswell was taken prisoner at Hickory Hill, a plantation in Liberty County, Georgia, on June 28, 1779. His captivity was brief, for the Georgians under Colonel Twiggs ambushed and completely routed the British force sent to attack Hickory Hill. Alderman’s book is well written and contains diagrams of the siege of King’s Mountain and details the difficulties that our ancestors encountered in their service to God and Country. These ordinary citizens did not see themselves as professional soldiers but rather as citizens determined to destroy an invading army that would otherwise destroy their families, homes, and independence. Mr. Alderman’s book is one of many that impresses upon me that our Carswell ancestors have struggled against the tyranny of governments ever since Alexander and Isabella made the decision to flee Ireland in 1772. Photographs of landmarks, diagrams and descriptions of weapons, uniforms and long marches, with few luxuries other than hurriedly prepared meals, describe Alexander and John’s ordeal during their transit to the battle site, which runs from Blacksburg, South Carolina, to King’s Mountain, North Carolina. A detailed battle map from beginning to end show where Alexander and John may have fought during this epic struggle for America’s freedom. This is a book that will enhance the library of any Carswell household and the price of $17.95 is very affordable. While Pat Alderman’s book is limited to only a roster of soldiers that includes Alexander and John we have other sources that give us in-depth knowledge of our ancestors - the Bond’s book, for one. In the Bond’s book we learn that by March 1779, the British had defeated an American army led by General Ashe and took control of all of Screven County. By January 1780, the British controlled all the province of Georgia except Wilkes County and the upper part of Richmond County. From the research of Mildred and Dr. George Bond we also learn that it is likely that Alexander and Isabella’s other sons who were old enough to serve saw service in the war. It is reasonable to assume that Isabella had to flee their home in lower Richmond County and seek protection as the British and Tories did their best to destroy those who believed in America’s Independence. The problem is that records of the Georgia militia units are scarce, incomplete or no longer in existence. We know that essentially it was the militia and irregulars of Georgia volunteers who drove the British forces out of Georgia. Following the war, Alexander Carswell was certified, by General John Twiggs, to be entitled to 250 acres with tax exemption for ten years, or 287 ½ acres without the exemption. This single document that contains Alexander Carswell’s name is on file with the Georgia Surveyor General Department Office of Secretary of State in Atlanta. The actual grant of 287 ½ acres was made on 16 February 1785. Also, on file are five other grants made to Alexander Carswell for a total of 739 acres. In addition, there are four other separate grants made to Alexander for a total of 1,676 ½ acres of sovereign Georgia land excluding the original grant made by King George of an unknown number of acres, but thought to be around 300 acres. Alexander Carswell died 11 February 1808 at his plantation. In 1900, the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, mainly through the efforts of Alexander’s descendant, Harriet Carswell, erected a grave marker to Alexander Carswell that simply states: ALEX. CARSWELL 3D CO. GA. BATT’N REV. WAR Alexander’s son, John Carswell, was only 16 when he received his officer’s commission. John received a total of 2,936 acres for his service to God and Country. John Carswell became a respected member of Burke County following the Revolutionary War. He served as Justice of the Peace, Georgia Militia District 65, Burke County, from 1799 until 1812. John Carswell died 12 March 1817. John Carswell is buried in the same little cemetery on the "Carswell or Hopeful Plantation" along with: Alexander Carswell; Isabella Brown Carswell lies besides Alexander; John … and Alexander Carswell IV, son of John; Mary Carswell, wife of Alexander IV; Mary Adaline Carswell, daughter of John Wright Carswell who was the son of John; Matthew Carswell II, son of John; an infant, daughter of Enoch H. Carswell and granddaughter of Alexander IV; an infant, son of Enoch H. Carswell who lived only 7 hours; and Eliza A. Stubblefield (relation to Carswell family unknown). There are also several other unmarked graves. To honor Isabella, the Carswell Family Association, at the suggestion of Mrs. Kathleen J. Carswell, of Jeffersonville, Georgia, one of our family historians, erected in 1974 a monument over Isabella’s grave with the following inscription: "Lady Isabella Browne Carswell, Wife of Alexander Carswell, Of Ancient Scottish Lineage, Came with Her Husband and their Six Children in 1772, To Settle Here and Help Found a Nation" The following map depicts the location of our Carswell Family Cemetery, which is no longer accessible by vehicle (if you would like a readable map write to Guardian-Editor):

PUBLISHER’S UPDATE We are still accepting updates for our re-print of "Alexander Carswell and Isabella Brown – Their Ancestors and Descendants" by Mildred and Dr. George Bond. If you intend to submit updates or corrections to our re-print it is requested that you do so at this time. A FAMILY GROUP SHEET is provided for your use. If this work sheet is not to your liking please feel free to submit your corrections in any manner (in writing that we can read) that will identify the source page of the original Bond’s book. If you are not listed in the Bond’s book, you must properly identify your line so that we can add you to the proper source page. We must have a good telephone number or mailing address for confirmation prior to making the corrections/updates. You may forward your updates or corrections to either the Guardian-Editor or Director of Book Publishing. We cannot update your family without your input. If you have not reserved your copy of this limited edition, you are asked to do so at once as this re-print will not be attempted again. To reserve your copy forward your check for $50 to our Director of Book Publishing & Distribution, William Hamilton Carswell in Valdosta, Georgia. You will find Bill’s address on page 1 of this publication. ONLINE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH Zabel Environmental Technology has some excellent links to Southern genealogy, culture, and history and appears to specialize in North Georgia history and genealogy. Check out their home page and then send Harry L. Nurse Jr. an e-mail letting him know that The Carswell Chronicle recommended his home page. http://www.zabel.com http://www.zabel.com Council of Scottish Clans and Associations (COSCA) has a web site. Their "Gathering of the Clans" can be found at http://www.tartans.com

CARNASSARIE CASTLE Our last issue of The Carswell Chronicle gave an URL for locating pictures and history of Carnassarie Castle on the World Wide Web. Several net surfers notified us that the URL, as given, was not accessible by their server. When I tried to access the URL… I, too, was denied access. The URL in question came from the Clan Campbell Society. Every site has a back door; the Chatelaine Domain is the key to entry. To access Carnassarie Castle use your locator and type in: http://www.kht.org.uk/kilmartin/sites/castle1.html

CARSWELLS GATHER IN NASHVILLE The 101st Annual Reunion of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the 60th Annual Reunion of the Military Order of Stars & Bars was held in Nashville, Tennessee, July 30 to August 2, 1997. Carswells and related kin gathered during the 3-day reunion to fellowship and celebrate our heritage and honor our ancestors. Your Guardian-Editor represented East Tennessee as a delegate from the Sons of Confederate Veterans Bradford/Rose Camp #1638 during this national convention. Robert and the lovely Mrs. Susie Carswell attended the Grand Confederate Ball in period dress, where once again music for the Virginia Reel was provided by the 8th Tennessee Band, CSA. This convention was held at Nashville’s Airport Marriott Hotel. Robert M. Carswell III was inducted into the Society of the Order of the Southern Cross – an honorary society of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Accompanying Robert during the ceremony was Mrs. Susie M. Richardson Carswell of Camp Creek, Tennessee, and Deryl Carswell Weaver, Deryl’s daughter Cary (the Weavers are newly of Chattanooga, Tennessee) and cousins Lewis and Shirlee Rickerson of Dalton, Georgia, (cousins Lewis Rickerson and Susie Richardson Carswell are distant kin). Melonee Anne Carswell McDonald and her three daughters joined the reunion the following day. While small, this gathering was in honor of all our ancestors who served God, Country and our South.

NEED FOR ACCURATE ADDRESSES During this past six months we have upgraded our computer system to a Micron 200MHZ Pentium with 64 Megs of RAM. In this upgrading process our e-mail address has changed as well. Our domain remains the same. Please note our new e-mail address below. Also, during this past six months your Guardian-Editor has received several e-mail requests with either incorrect return e-mail addresses or the e-mail domain had changed prior to a reply. If you have changed your domain address, or if you have not heard from the Guardian-Editor within the past two months, please contact us at carswell@greene.xtn.net so that our address book can be updated …we don’t want to lose you!

WHO IS PRATHEN L? From the files of missing data – The Carswell Chronicle August 1973: Prathen L. Carswell, age 35, enlisted in the Confederate Army January 2, 1862, at Henderson, Texas, "for 12 months from February 15, 1862, unless sooner discharged." He was assigned to Company D, 1st Regiment, commanded by Col. M. T. Johnson. Company Commander was Capt. John. L. Camp – from the card file index of Confederate soldiers from Texas. (His age corresponds to that of the eldest son of Edward, Jr. and Mahala Knight Carswell. The Chronicle has no record of that son’s name, but there’s a legend that Robert Knight Carswell, second son of Edward, Jr. and Mahala, had a brother or two, and perhaps other relatives who went to Texas, by the time or before Robert Knight moved his family to Alabama - about 1858). No further records are available at the moment to The Carswell Chronicle to further identify or indicate the fate of Prathen L. Carswell, Confederate soldier. The Chronicle would like to fill in this missing data regarding the brother of Robert Knight Carswell and Prathen L. Carswell. We would love to hear from our Texas kin. Does anyone have such information?

COUNSELOR WILL PRACTICE IN COLUMBUS, GEORGIA Carswell Chronicle Counselor Teresa Carswell, daughter of Bill and Ann Carswell of Valdosta, Georgia, graduated from Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson, Mississippi on May 10, 1997. While in law school, she was President of Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity. She took the Georgia Bar Exam on July 29 and 30. She will be practicing in Columbus, Georgia, with the firm of Orson Woodall & Associates. We know that Bill and Ann are very proud of Teresa’s accomplishment and we celebrate with them. Congratulations, Counselor.

CONTEST!!! Our book, "Alexander Carswell and Isabella Brown – Their Ancestors and Descendants" by Mildred and Dr. George Bond is to be reprinted with updates and corrections. Also, Cousin Vic Campbell of GRADE-A Productions has made available a copy of "Death Becomes The Ghost" in 2 Volumes: The Glory & The Shame. Cousin Vic has donated a copy of his production to The Carswell Chronicle – a $50 value. This video is to be awarded in a contest. The Bond’s book, as published in 1977, contains several hundred empty spaces, indicated by lines, that represent missing data. Over the years much of that missing data has been filled in. However, some data is still missing. This GRADE-A video production will be awarded to the first individual who forwards to The Carswell Chronicle the most missing data. The "most" will be determined by information that fills in those lines representing missing data, as the book was first published in 1977, regardless if we have already obtained that information or not. Each line will represent "one" missing element of data. The time period for this contest begins with the distribution of our September 1997 issue and will end on 1 March 1998. Our winner will be announced in our March 1998 issue of The Carswell Chronicle and on the Carswell Home Page of the World Wide Web. The award will be made on 15 September 1998 and The Carswell Chronicle will forward the two-volume video "Death Becomes The Ghost" on that date to the winner. We thank-you:

For making this contest possible! Write, call or e-mail and simply give me "page numbers, line numbers and the data." No need to supply lengthy written genealogies, unless you chose to do so. It is as easy as that!

CONGRATULATIONS James Jeffrey "Jeff" Carswell and Christy Lynn Manley on the birth of their beautiful daughter Hannah Lynn Carswell, born on January 21, 1997, at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. This is Jeff and Christy’s first child and the first grandchild of James Warren "Jim" Carswell of Woodstock, Georgia. Jeff, Christy and Hannah will be living in Sandy Springs, Georgia. James Jeffrey "Jeff" Carswell is the son of James Warren "Jim" Carswell and Martha Faye Hitchcock. ......... AND ALSO CONGRATULATIONS TO… Jessica Marie Carroll and Chad Godfrey on the birth of their beautiful son Landon Chad Godfrey, born on July 18, 1997, in Macon, Georgia. Jessica Carroll is the youngest daughter of June Carswell and Ralph Carroll. All are living in Lizella, Crawford County, Georgia. Jessica Marie is the daughter of Carol June Carswell and Ralph Jerome Carroll.

MEMORIES FROM CHILDHOOD DAYS BACK IN THE EIGHTIES By Washington Kilpatrick Carswell October 20, 1945 My brother Davis lives on the farm, the old plantation where we were born, back in the eighties. How well I remember with childish glee the things back there that used to be. I almost envy him: The place at which he now resides, the plantation itself and all besides; the water from that crystal spring, with memories of most everything; the nearness to old Hopeful Church where our foreparents worshipped much. How well I remember: The big cedars in the old front yard within whose shade we played so hard in our early childhood days with joy complete in so may ways; back in the eighties. How well I remember: The spacious barn, its corn and fodder much, which one time housed good Hopeful Church; the buggy house which had such doors it sometimes took two boys to close; the old smoke house, the big catawba; the row of bee gums, the large grape arbor; at our home back in the eighties. How well I remember: The old backyard so near to God; the kitchen house and where it stood, there Rachel stayed and cooked our food; old Blos, the dog; his block of wood. Would I forget them if I could? How well I remember: The old gin lot, its mulberry trees, with their fine shade and fruit and breeze; the old gin house, so big and high, which reached almost up to the sky; the old screw press with arms so long, extending welcome to all the throng; at our home, back in the eighties. How well I remember: The big front porch to that good home, on which we sat and longed to roam to other realms beyond that lane up which we gazed and sought to gain some glimpse of folks who came or went, perhaps on hurried errands sent. How well I remember: Old Nellie mule, and gentle Dove, the mule and horse we all did love; how Nell could pull and Dove could trot, and play together out in the lot; the cows and yearlings, the pigs and sheep; and when night came they all would sleep. How well I remember: That in our home back in the eighties, that due respect was shown the ladies; folks did not seem to be in haste, neither had they time to waste; but there was time to ear and drink, and even sit awhile and think; our family worship twice each day; to sing a song, to read and pray; at our home, back in the eighties. How well I remember: That before we ate our morning meal, God’s word was read and all would kneel; while papa or mama a prayer would make; a word of thanks, a blessing to ask for Jesus’ sake; again at night before we slept, we all another worship kept, in our home, back in the eighties.

PASSING OF KIN Elwin Dow Carswell of Buford, Georgia passed away unexpectedly on 1 July 1997. He is buried in the Broadlawn Memorial Garden Cemetery in Buford, Georgia. Elwin Dow Carswell is survived by his widow, of 51 years, Mrs. Virginia C. Carswell. Two daughters, Susan Lee Carswell and Debra Ann Carswell also survive Mr. Carswell. Mr. Carswell was born 22 January 1923 in Manchester, New Hampshire. He was the son of Ralph Carswell and Esther Dow. Esther Dow was the daughter of William Dow and Isabella Brown. Elwin Dow Carswell was the grandson of Walter Carswell and Annie Lampry. We are indebted to Cousin James Warren Carswell of Woodstock, Georgia for keeping us informed of births and passings. Jim informs us that Mr. & Mrs. Elwin D. Carswell also have a nephew in New Hampshire who has completed a great deal of research on Carswells in the New England area

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