William Fillingame, c.1789-1836, NC>GA>MS

William Fillingame, my maternal 4th great-grandfather, was born c. 1789 in Craven County, North Carolina.  William drew for land in the 1807 GA land lottery with the other orphans of John Fillingim, Jr.  But it was only William who sold that land in 1812. ( this sale provides the link from William to his Father, John, Jr.)  William served in War of 1812. From the 9th of August until the 13th of September, 1813, William Fullingame served as a private in a detachment of militia ordered to the fromtier of Twiggs Co., GA by Brig. Gen. Blackshear for the protection of the inhabitants and for the erection of a fort called Telfair.  William and his brother Robert, were on the 1818 Greene County, Mississippi tax lists, and their sister Nancy married in 1817 in Greene County. It is estimated they arrived in Mississippi before 1818.

William married Frances Grantham, sources say the couple married 1810 in South Carolina.  It is unknown who her parents were. 


Family tradition states that five of William and Frances' sons were in the Confederate Army and fought in the Civil War.  Two of them were killed in action- Ransom and Austin.  Another died from measles- Moses.  Two sons returned home from the war- James and William.

Children of William Fillingame and Frances Grantham:
i.    Elizabeth Fillingame, born about 1811 in Georgia, married Samuel Dennis
ii.   Sarah Adeline Fillingame, born about 1814 in Georgia, married Rev. Richard Reuben Breland
iii.  Olive Fillingame, born about 1815 in Georgia, married Samuel Asa Hartfield
iv.  Moses Fillingame, born about 1816 in Georgia, married Elizabeth Anderson
v.   James Fillingame
vi.  Harriet Fillingame, born about 1818 in Greene County, Mississippi, married Lyman Carley
vii. William C. Fillingame, born about 1822 in Mississippi, married Margaret (last name unknown)
viii. John Fillingame, born 14 February 1823 in Mississippi, married Jane Grubbs
ix.  Nancy Anne Fillingame, born about 1825 in Mississippi, married William Armistead Terrell
x.   Ransom Fillingame, born about 1828 in Mississippi, married Caroline Whiddon
xi.  Austin Fillingame, born about 1829 in Mississippi, married Mary Jane Anderson
xii. Mary Louisa Fillingame, born about 1829-30 in Mississippi, married James Aaron Anderson

Military Monday: Part V- The Battle of New Orleans

Two weeks after the War of 1812 officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, U.S. General Andrew Jackson achieves the greatest American victory of the war at the Battle of New Orleans.

In September 1814, an impressive American naval victory on Lake Champlain forced invading British forces back into Canada and led to the conclusion of peace negotiations in Ghent, Belgium. Although the peace agreement was signed on December 24, word did not reach the British forces assailing the Gulf coast in time to halt a major attack.

On January 8, 1815, the British marched against New Orleans, hoping that by capturing the city they could separate Louisiana from the rest of the United States. Pirate Jean Lafitte, however, had warned the Americans of the attack, and the arriving British found militiamen under General Andrew Jackson strongly entrenched at the Rodriquez Canal. In two separate assaults, the 7,500 British soldiers under Sir Edward Pakenham were unable to penetrate the U.S. defenses, and Jackson's 4,500 troops, many of them expert marksmen from Kentucky and Tennessee, decimated the British lines. In half an hour, the British had retreated, General Pakenham was dead, and nearly 2,000 of his men were killed, wounded, or missing. U.S. forces suffered only eight killed and 13 wounded.

Although the battle had no bearing on the outcome of the war, Jackson's overwhelming victory elevated national pride, which had suffered a number of setbacks during the War of 1812. The Battle of New Orleans was also the last armed engagement between the United States and Britain.

Source: 

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-battle-of-new-orleans

Other sites featuring the Battle of New Orleans:

http://battleofneworleans.org/

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/jackson/aa_jackson_icon_1.html

Military Monday: War of 1812, Part IV- The British Burn Washington

On August 14, 1814, a fleet of British warships departed from the naval base at Bermuda. Its ultimate objective was the city of Baltimore, which was then the third largest city in the US. Baltimore was also the home port of many privateers, armed American ships which raided British shipping. The British referred to Baltimore as a "nest of pirates." One British commander, Rear Admiral George Cockburn also had another target in mind, the city of Washington.

The British landed at Benedict, Maryland, and began marching toward Washington. On August 24, 1814, at Bladensburg, on the outskirts of Washington, British regulars, many of whom had fought in the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, fought poorly equipped American troops. The fighting at Bladensburg was intense at times, but the Americans could not hold. The federal troops retreated, along with observers from the government including President James Madison.

While some Americans tried desperately to battle the British, the city of Washington was in chaos. Federal workers tried to rent, buy, and even steal wagons to cart off important documents. In the executive mansion (not yet known as the White House), the president's wife, Dolley Madison, directed servants to pack up valuable items. Among the items taken into hiding was a famous Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington. Dolley Madison instructed that it had to be taken off the walls and either hidden or destroyed before the British could seize it as a trophy. It was cut out of its frame and hidden in a farmhouse for several weeks. It hangs today in the East Room of the White House.

Reaching Washington on the evening of August 24, the British found a city largely deserted, with the only resistance being ineffective sniper fire from one house. The first order of business for the British was to attack the navy yard, which they burned.

The British troops worked diligently to set fires inside the Capitol, destroying years of work by artisans brought from Europe. With the burning Capitol lighting the sky, troops also marched to burn an armory.

The British troops next turned their attention to the adjacent Treasury Department building, which was also set on fire. 

The fires burned so brightly that observers many miles away recalled seeing a glow in the night sky.

Before leaving the Washington area, British troops also raided Alexandria, Virginia. Supplies were carried off, and a Philadelphia printer later produced this poster mocking the perceived cowardice of the merchants of Alexandria.

With the government buildings in ruins, the British raiding party returned to its ships, which rejoined the main battle fleet. Though the attack on Washington was a grave humiliation to the young American nation, the British still intended to attack what they considered the real target, Baltimore. 

Three weeks later, the British bombardment of Fort McHenry inspired an eyewitness, attorney Francis Scott Key, to write a poem he called "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Sources:
www.eyewitnesshistory.com
www.historycentral.com

Military Monday: War of 1812, Part III- Battle of Horseshoe Bend

The Battle of Horseshoe Bend took place on March 27, 1814 on approximately 100 acres in what is now the state of Alabama.   The Tallapoosa River quietly winds its way through east-central Alabama, its banks edged by the remnants of the forest that once covered the Southeast. About halfway down its 270-mile run to the southwest, the river curls back on itself to form a peninsula, thus giving the area the name Horseshoe Bend.

Highlights of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend:

• 1,000 Creek warriors were assembled behind a barricade that crossed the neck of the peninsula. In the toe of the peninsula, in Tohopeka Village, were another 500 women and children
• The Red Sticks hoped for a decisive victory over Andrew Jackson’s force of 2,600 European American soldiers, 500 Cherokee, and 100 Lower Creek
• At 12:30 p.m. a roll of the drums signaled the beginning of the attack. The fighting was ferocious, with great bravery displayed by both sides. Jackson reported that the action was maintained "muzzle to muzzle through the port holes, in which many of the enemy’s balls were welded to the bayonets of our musquets...."
• In the end, 557 Creek warriors died on the battlefield and an estimated 250 to 300 more drowned or were shot trying to cross the river. Only 49 Tennessee militia men died that day, and another 154 were wounded, many mortally. Fewer than a dozen "friendly" Creek also died.

Treaty of Fort Jackson:

In August Jackson went against orders from Washington and single­handedly negotiated the Treaty of Fort Jackson, which forced the Creek to cede almost 20 million acres—nearly half their territory—to the U.S. Although most of the land the U.S. government took had been held by Red Sticks, the territory also included many villages and a great deal of hunting land held by friendly Creek. (In the 1960s the Creek won a judicial decision that provided compensation to the heirs of those whose land was taken unfairly.)

In 1829 Jackson became president, in part because of the popularity he had acquired from his victories over American Indians. He decided to adopt the Indian policy favored by most Southerners who wanted more land: move the remaining tribes west of the Mississippi to "Indian Territory," what today is Oklahoma. The Cherokee, the Chickasaw, the Choctaw, the Creek and the Seminole—the "Five Civilized Tribes"—each had treaties signed by the U.S. giving them control of their lands, and in 1831 the Supreme Court upheld the Cherokee land titles. But the Jackson Administration ignored these facts and forced the five tribes to move.

After Horseshoe Bend, the European American population of Georgia and Alabama continued to skyrocket. In the latter state, for example, the non-­Indian population rose from 9,000 in 1810 to 310,000 in 1830.

Sources:

National Parks Service, The Battle of Horseshoe Bend, Determining the Facts

www.history.com/topics/war-of-1812.html

Military Monday: War of 1812, Part II- The Early Battles

This week I am continuing my discussion of the War of 1812.  Click here to view Part I- The Causes.

For two and a half years, Americans fought Against the British, Canadian colonists, and native nations.  In the years to come, the War of 1812 would be celebrated in some places and essentially forgotten in others.  But it is a war worth remembering—a struggle that threatened the existence of Canada, then divided the United States so deeply that the nation almost broke apart.  Some of its battles and heroes became legendary, yet its blunders and cowards were just as prominent.  (pbs.org)

The year was 1812.  The United States of America was under pressure from several directions- the British who were seizing American ships and forcing soldiers into the British Navy, France and Britain who were in battle with each other and made efforts to impede the U.S. from trading with the other, and Indian tribes led by Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa who were trying to protect their lands by attempting to block U.S. expansionism.

Under increasing pressure, the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, issued a war proclamation against Britain in 1812. However, America was not ready for a war. Congress had not properly funded or prepared an army, and a number of the states did not support what was referred to as "Mr. Madison's War" and would not allow their militias to join the campaign. Despite these setbacks, American forces attempted to fight off and attack British forces. The U.S. met defeat much of the time both on land and at sea, but its well-built ships proved to be formidable foes.  (history.com)

There is so much information available online about the individual battles of the War of 1812.  I am just hitting on some of the "highlights" here as time will not allow me to expound upon each of them.  A brief summary of the early battles in the War of 1812:  

August 16, 1812:  British capture Fort Mackinac- Michigan, U.S. lost fort as British invade American territory.

Fort Mackinac was founded during the American Revolution. Believing Fort Michilimackinac at what is now Mackinaw City was too vulnerable to American attack, the British moved the fort to Mackinac Island in 1780. Americans took control in 1796. In July 1812, in the first land engagement of the War of 1812 in the United States , the British captured the fort. In a bloody battle in 1814 the Americans attempted but failed to retake the fort. It was returned to the United States after the war. The fort remained active until 1895. During these years Mackinac Island was transformed from a center of the fur trade into a major summer resort.  (mackinacparks.com/history)

1812:  Invasion attempts of Canada- U.S.-Canadian border, 3 attempts of U.S. to invade Canada all fail

January 1813:  Battle of Frenchtown- Michigan, Kentucky troops repelled by British and Indians in bloody fighting. American survivors killed in Raisin River Massacre.

The Battle of Frenchtown (Battle of the River Raisin in Monroe Michigan) was the largest battle fought on Michigan soil. This battle was a major defeat for the Americans and was one of the bloodiest engagements during the War of 1812. The massacre of some wounded soldiers the following day shocked and enraged Americans throughout the Old Northwest Territory. This incident soon became know as “The River Raisin Massacre” and the rallying cry was “Remember the Raisin”. (riverraisinbattlefield.org/thebattles)

April 1813:  Battle of York-Toronto, Canada;  U.S. troops took control of Great Lakes, burn York. This action later returned by British burning of Washington, D.C.

The British lost 150 killed and wounded and 290 captured. American casualties numbered 320, most of these due to the explosion of the grand magazine. Despite this, the victory was worth the trouble for the United States. The British burned one ship at the docks and another was seized by the Americans. Large quantities of their naval store were destroyed. All this allowed the American Navy to strengthen its control of Lake Ontario, and impede British operations on Lake Erie, whose supply suddenly diminished. (library.thinkquest.org/22916/york.html)

September 1813:  Battle of Lake Erie, Put-in-Bay; British naval attack repulsed by Capt. Perry

On September 10, the British under Commodore Robert Heriot Barclay and the Americans under Perry met in battle near Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Perry's flagship Lawrence engaged her counterpart, while Niagara, for unknown reasons, did not close the enemy. Nevertheless, the Lawrence held fast and continued a heavy bombardment. After she was completely disabled, with most of her crew wounded or killed, Perry transferred by boat to the undamaged Niagara, sailed her into close action, broke the British battle line, and forced Barclay to surrender. In the aftermath, Commodore Perry wrote his famous report to General William Henry Harrison: " We have met the enemy and they are ours: two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop. (eriemaritimemuseum.org)

October 1813:  Battle of Thames, Ontario, Canada; Tecumseh killed in U.S. victory.  NW Indians weakened by battle.

The British commander General Proctor knew that that the Americans controlled Lake Erie his position was untenable. Proctor led his British and several Indian troops out of the area in retreat. 50 miles to the east of Detroit, Proctor decided to make a stand. When American scouts reported that the British lines were extremely thin, Harrison decided on a daring strategy: a cavalry assault by the Kentucky troops directly on the British lines. The British were not prepared for this type of assault and when the first wave of horseman quickly rode through the British lines, and then turned on the British from the rear, British troops quickly surrendered. The American forces then went on to defeat the Indians allies, killing most of them including Tecumseh.  (historycentral.com/1812/thames.html)

To be continued...

Silas Simmons, c.1794-1856, SC>MS

Silas Simmons

My maternal 3rd Great-Grandfather, Silas Simmons, was the eldest son of James Simmons, Sr. and Ellenor Lee. He was born circa 1794 in South Carolina, possibly the Pendleton District. He married Janet "Jenny" Freeman (last name speculative) abt. 1818. She was born c. 1795 in SC. Little is known of Janet or "Jenny" at this time but family tradition states that she was a Choctaw Indian and she was possibly raised by a family with the surname Brown. 

Silas enlisted for service in the War of 1812 on December 25, 1814 at Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. He fought in the Battle of New Orleans under Capt. Thomas Neasom, 10th and 20th Consolidated Regiment. He was honorably discharged on March 22, 1815 when peace was declared.

Mr. Howard Simmons (now deceased) of Columbia, Mississippi was a descendant of Silas Simmons and had done research on the Simmons family since the late 1940's. He stated that he had met and interviewed Mr. George Simmons on several occasions about Silas and his children. George was a grandson of Silas and Jenny and reportedly remembered them both well. George informed Howard Simmons that "Silas was a cabinetmaker by trade and a farmer on the side". Cabinetmaker in those days is what we now know as a furniture builder. Silas also owned considerable range cattle and sheep at his Perry County farm on the Leaf River. 

Silas Simmons applied for bounty land with the federal government on November 06, 1851. In his application, Silas appeared before the Justice of Peace in Perry County asking that his application be notarized and also stated that he had lost his discharge papers and had not yet received any bounty lands under any prior act. Apparently he had not yet received approval of bounty lands in 1855 because he made another application for the same request. In his research notes, Howard Simmons had written, "The getting of bounty lands must have been quite a task, for there are further photostat copies dated 1856 indicating he was still in the process of getting a clear title to the bounty land. In one copy, the Chancery Clerk of Perry County swore that 'The applicant Silas Simmons is an old soldier, a good honest citizen of our country who is able to be relied upon'. This was dated August 31, 1856". 

Silas Simmons- Application for Bounty Lands

Silas and Janet Simmons settled in Perry County, Mississippi as indicated by the census records from 1820 through 1850. The had 9 known children. Silas died abt. 1856 in Perry County. The date of Jenny's death is unknown. Silas and Janet are both buried in the Old Enon Baptist Church Cemetery in New Augusta, Mississippi (now part of Forrest County). A new grave marker was made for their grave site by some of the Simmons descendants. A dedication ceremony was held at the Old Enon Baptist Church on May 23, 1999 to honor their memory. Many of their descendants attended the ceremony and exchanged information about family lines and histories. Some of the descendants had met for the first time that day.

Children:  Sons- William, Abner, James C. "Jim", John J., Benjamin Franklin and Thomas; Daughters- Mary Angarone, Malinda Elizabeth and Matilda Elizabeth "Lizzie" (there is some confusion regarding Malinda and Matilda- were they the same person?)

Military Service:  War of 1812, Private, Enlisted in Feliciana Parish, Louisiana

Residence:  1820, Perry County, Mississippi, Federal Census
Residence:  1830, Perry County, Mississippi, Federal Census
Residence:  1840, Perry County, Mississippi, Federal Census
Residence:  1850, Perry County, Mississippi, Federal Census

See also:

Blog Post- Simmons Dedication Ceremony
Blog Post- Simmons Dedication Ceremony, Newspaper Article
Blog Post- Simmons Dedication Ceremony, Perry County GenWeb

Blog Post- Simmons Dedication Ceremony: Gathering of Newfound Cousins