Early History of Polk County, Georgia

Multi Part Series From the 1875 and 1876 Cedartown Standard Newspaper

June 12, 1876

Transcribed by Frances Shiflett Hicks.
We owe her a big thanks for her efforts.

THE RECORD

CEDARTOWN, GA., June 12, 1876

Early History of Polk County

THE RECORD

JUNE 12, 1876

PG. 2

uses intergrity and honor and Christian piety, owned several slaves, land and other property.  A good citizen and an old line Democrat.  He had several sons--Henry, John, Daniel and L???---all hardy, robust fellows, and made all the other boys in the neighborhood "jump" around when they got mad, but good, honest, clever boys to their friends.

    John McBride was also a person of note in the valley.  He was extremely clever and accommodating to the Slicks, and equally so to the Pony Club.  They would occasionally stop with him over night, and always had some news from Cleantown, advising certain parties in the valley not to go to Cleantown--that it would be certain death.  He was a good, clever man, but opposed to whipping regu?? for stealing.  He was also a good judge of corn whisky, and used it freely.  He owned several likely negroes and other property.  He was elected to the legislature in 1833, and left this country in 1834 or 1835--was an old line Whig, to the Troup school.

     Jorkin Powell, James Smith, Mr. Vanghan, Alexander Carrell, John Killian and several other families I can't now recollect, were plain, honest good citizens, living in the valley in 1832, and Ballenger Gravely is perhaps the first settler, and one among the best citizens.  It was good Ballenger 41 years ago, and he still hold his own, and if he lives a thousand years longer, it will continue to be "good-old Ballenger."

     Truman Walthall occupied rather a prominent position at that time.  Was a one-horse lawyer, had no opposition, and done a good practice,  He was a candidate for the senate in 1833, but was defeated: was elected to the senate in 1834, and again in 1835 and in 1836; he returned to Butts county in 1838, and died in '56.  He was a Clark Democrat.

     L.H. Walthall was then a big "g?????" boy, too big to play with children and too little to be noticed by the men. Had but little practical re???? and less experience; was never 50 miles from home til he came to the valley.  He very soon attached himself to a Slick company, with A.J. Witcher, who we now call "uncle Jack."  He was a rare bird ????, never faling to do his whole duty.. They were soon called into active service by the Alabama Slicks and made a dash to Cleantown,  They caught ???????? and brought him over to Cedartown, and placed a guard over him ?????????????.  He was a jolly, lively fellow, ????????, taking a few drinks of corn whisky, he sang all the Pony Club and Murrel songs he knew.  He told all the horses and cows that had been stolen for years, and said it was perfectly right to steal everthing the Cherokee Indians had; that they had no right here--that they should have gone to Arkansas long ago, and they already had pay for their lands.  He said he didn't think he should be abused for doing when he concieved to be right.  Next day was very cold an sleety.  He was taken over to Floyd county on Cedar creek, near where H??????'s mill now stands.  His shirt was taken off and sixty lashes laid on his back, on and over some old gashes where he had been whipped before, in East Tennessee, he said, by a drunken crowd, while he was very drunk himself, for no offence.  He followed the crowd back to Cedartown and remained until his back got better.  I learned he left the country soon afterwards.  He claimed to be a Jackson man.

      Woodson Hubbard and John Brooks, two good, honest, and respectable citizens, lived near the head of Euharley valley.  Hubbard was somewhat of a politician, of the old Whig school, and a very popular man, was elected Judge of the Interior Court in March, 1833, and to the senate in the fall of the same year, and several times thereafter-in fact he held some important office up to the time of his death.

(TO BE CONTINUED}

Faithfully transcribed as printed on Sept 18, 2005 . Frances Shiflett Hicks

This page was last modified: Sunday, 18-Sept-2005

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