Appling
County, the 42nd county created in Georgia, was established by an
act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 15, 1818. The original
county consisted of Creek lands ceded in the 1814 Treaty of Fort
Jackson and the 1818 Treaty of the Creek Agency. Appling County
is named for Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Appling, a soldier in the
War of 1812.
Appling was born in Columbia County, Georgia, to John and Rebecca (Carter) Appling. In 1805, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the United States Army with a lieutenancy under General Thomas A. Smith, of Franklin, Missouri. Appling was a recruiting officer for some time, but was then stationed at Fort Hawkins, near Macon, Georgia. He was also stationed at Point Peter on St. Mary’s River in Georgia, where Fort Pickering would be built during the War of 1812, and a command on Amelia Island in Florida. On July 1, 1809, Appling was promoted to 1st lieutenant, and on April 1, 1812 he was promoted to captain.
On June 1, 1816, he resigned from the military. After resigning, he moved to Montgomery County, Alabama. The Georgia Legislature awarded Appling a sword in recognition of the efforts during the War of 1812. Unfortunately, before the sword could be delivered, Appling died on March 5, 1817, at the age of 30. The sword now hangs in the Executive Room in Milledgeville, Georgia. Source: Wikipedia
