Savannah Bartow Pittman...Part I~What's In A Name

Savannah Bartow Pittman was born just after the end of the Antebellum Era's ending date of 1861. 
Born on November 2, 1862 during the American Civil War while her father Rene Marion Pittman was serving in the 7th State Guard Infantry Regiment of Georgia, she was the last of ten children.

Along with her father Rene M. Pittman who enlisted as a Sargent in Company K at the age of 49 years on May 31, 1961, her brothers George Washington Pittman and William Howell, also enlisted in the Confederacy.  While there is not a detailed record of Rene Marion Pittman's battlefield experiences or commanding officers, there is of his son George W. Pittman, and although they served in different companies, both were in the 7th Regiment of Georgia Volunteers.

 

Documentation in George's service to the Confederacy gives an account of the state of the Civil War in Savannahs first years.  It also sheds light on Savannah's first name and her unusal middle name...Bartow.

 

Company B was also called the Atlanta Confederate Volunteers. The 7th Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry served throughout the Civil War and in many of its major battles. The regiment was mostly assigned to the Army of Northern Virginia in McCaws Division and Colonel Tige Anderson's Brigade, but also saw time in the Army of Tennessee in 1863.  The 7th Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry fought at the First and Second Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, the Spotsylvania Campaign and surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse at the end of the War. (US Civil War Records and Profiles...The Texas State Cemetery Confederate Veterans)

 The 7th Georgia was a part of the famous "Old Time" or Bartow's Brigade". Colonel Francis Stebbins Bartow was killed on July 21, 1861, leading his brigade at the Battle of First Manassas or Bull Run. Bartow, the Savannah native and politician, was killed in the field near the Henry House and died in the arms of Colonel Gartrel of the 7th Georgia who said that his last words were, "They have killed me but don't give up the fight."

The 7th Georgia suffered heavy losses in this first major battle of the war. After Bartow's death, the brigade command was given to Colonel 'Tige' Anderson of the 11th Georgia. Anderson became a Brigadier General in November, 1862. Bartow's Brigade was composed of the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 11th, Georgia regiments and fought in many major battles including Bull Run, Antetitam, Appomattox and heavily engaged on day two at Gettysburg in the Devil's Den.

The 7th Georgia Infantry was one of the very first Georgia regiments to see combat in the Civil War and it's outstanding record in so many battles with the famous Bartow's and Tige Anderson's Brigade. The survivors of the 7th Georgia held their First Regimental Reunion in Carrollton, Georgia, July 20, 1889. (excerpts from 'Carroll County Civil War Units 1861-1865) 

From family history records and George Washington Pittman's memorabilia, it is believed that he attended the First Regimental Reunion in Carrollton, Georgia.  He was 46 years old, a farmer in Coxes, Cobb County Georgia and the father of nine children.  His sister Savannah Bartow was 27 years old, single and living at home with her mother Mary Anne Howell Pittman. 

 

Savannah was not the only child of Rene Marion 'Rainey' and Mary Anne Howell Pittman to be named after a prominent public figure and/or historically acclaimed person.  Her brother George Washington Pittman, obviously, was named after the country's first president.   Brother Albert Singleton was possibly named after a local business man who later became a patriot of the Civil War.  This is a subjective conclusion since there were no 'Singleton' names in either parents family histories.  Other brothers, William Howell and Isaac Marion, were named after their prominent citizen grandfather, Isaac Howell.   

 

In the next generation, that of George Washington's children, the historically acclaimed naming continued with his sons Columbus Chappell and Howell Cobb.  Howell Cobb, named after his great grandfather Isaac Howell and uncle William Howell as well as Thomas Willlis Cobb, US Senator, Congressman and Superior Court Judge from Georgia.  Cobb County was named after him and the county seat of Marietta was named after his wife, Mary.

 

 What's in a name?  Everything! 

The power of a name and it's value has long been immortalized in

prose, poetry, religious ceremony, our Country's History and our Family History.

Savannah ~ Grassland without trees.

George ~  Farming man.

Isaac ~ One who brings laughter.

Columbus ~ A dove.

Howell ~ Eminent or distinguished.

Antebellum Son...First Born...William Howell

 William Howell Pittman was the first born of Rene Marion and Mary Ann Howell Pittman of Cobb County Georgia.  He was a Veteran of the Civil War serving as a Lieutenant in the Georgia First Regiment Infantry.  Brothers, William Howell and George Washington were Volunteer Soldiers in the Confederacy, and after the War the Veteran Brothers headed West.  Both found their way to West Texas.  George Washington settled in Ward County where the Sixth Generation of his descendants reside today. 

 

 

As they made their way to Texas, William and George's journey took them through the Southern states between Georgia and Texas.  William Howell met and married Louisa Emalissa Walker in Polk, Arkansas on November 10, 1867.  William and Louisa settled in Eastland County where he and Louisa raised Six Daughters.

 

William Howell Pittman

Born - February 2, 1842 in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia

Died - August 30, 1909 in Rising Star, Eastland County, Texas

Buried - Rising Star Cemetery

Find A Grave Memorial

Louisa Emalissa Walker Pittman

Born - September 2, 1851 in Rankin County Arkansas

Died - October 16, 1930 in *Cross Plains, Callahan County, Texas

Buried - Rising Star Cemetery

Find A Grave Memorial

 

 The daughters of William Howell Pittman and Louisa Emalissa Walker Pittman.

Texanna, Sallie, Susanna, Fannie, Ann and Josephine.

 

*The April 1930 Census showed Louisa, age 78, living with daughter Fannie Marshall, seven months before her death.

Daughters of William Howell and Louisa Walker Pittman.

Texannah Pittman Fleming

Born - December 30, 1868 in Mena, Polk County, Arkansas

Died - November 18, 1951 Cross Plains, Callahan, Texas

Buried - Pioneer Cemetery in Eastland County Texas

Find A Grave Memorial

*Pittman/Carroll/Marley Family Tree

Married Samuel Alexander Fleming

September 23, 1894

Children

William Robert Fleming 1895 – 1966

Callie Alexander Fleming 1898 – 1959

Kate Fleming 1901 – 1996

 Samuel Frank Fleming 1903 – 1975

Leonard Ross Fleming 1906 – 1969

Joseph Alton Fleming 1909 – 1993

Mary Josephine Pittman Watkins

Born: October 1, 1872 in Arkansas

Died:  March 31, 1910 in Rising Star, Eastland County, Texas

Buried:  Rising Star Cemetery

Find A Grave Memorial

 

Married Julius Cisero Watkins in 1895

Children:

Henry Pittman Watkins - 1896-

Ralph Cicero Watkins - 1899-1947

Sallie Savannah Pittman Boone

Born:  June 9, 1895 in Arkansas

Died:  January 5, 1943 in San Angelo, Texas

Buried:  Fairmount Cemetery, San Angelo, Texas

Find A Grave Memorial

 

Married Daniel Green Boone in 1893

Children

Howell Crockett Boone  1894 – 1895

 Ethel L Boone  1896 – 1983

Mary J Boone  1900 – 1989

 Daniel S Boone  1905 –

 Margaret Audrey Boone  1909 – 1947

Savannah Jeanette Boone  1912 – 1997

Joseph Keyes Boone  1916 – 2001

Fannie Pittman Marshall

Born:  April 1, 1878   Mena, Polk County, Arkansas

Died:  May 13, 1967  Pioneer, Eastland County, Texas

Buried:  Pioneer Cemetery, Eastland, Texas

Find A Grave Memorial

 

Married Benjamin Ira Marshall  December 27, 1896

Children

Lura Dean Marshall  1898-1922

Lucy J. Marshall  1900-1991

Maud Marshall  1903

Willard Ross Marshall  1904-1986

Mabel Marshall  1908

Howell Marshall  1910-1984

Lessie Bell Marshall  1915-2000

Susanna 'Susie' Pittman Fore

Born:  October 8, 1880 in Ozark, Polk, Arkansas

Died:  October 18, 1961 in Pioneer, Easland County, Texas

Buried:  Pioneer Cemetery, Eastland, Texas

Find A Grave Memorial

 

Married Ambrose Calier Fore 

Children

Ada Estelle Fore  1902

Vera U Fore  1906

William Garland Fore  1909

Ann Charlie Pittman Fore

Born:  January 1882 in Ozark, Polk County, Arkansas

Died:  October 18, 1961 in Pioneer, Eastland County, Texas

(? as is the same date as sister Susannah)

Buried:  unconfirmed as Pioneer Cemetery, Eastland County, Texas

Married Marion Lee Fore  (unconfirmed relative of Susannah's husband Ambrose)

Children

Howell Green Fore

JC Fore

Zack L. Fore

Alva Fore

Alzie Floyd Fore

Antebellum Son...Last of the Era...Isaac Marion

The Marietta Journal
Friday, November 14, 1919
On last Friday evening, Mr. I.M. Pittman died in Wesley memorial Sanitarium in Atlanta, following an operation.  Mr. Pittman was taken very sick at his home here three weeks ago, and everything was done for him that could be done.  Two weeks before he died, he was carried to Atlanta for an operation and treatment, but all efforts to save his life failed, and he died Friday evening October 7th. 

Mr. Pittman had been a resident of Cobb county all his life, and he lived here for the past ten years.  He was a strict member of the Methodist church; had served as steward most of his life since he moved here ten years ago, and a more faithful man we never knew.

Mr. Pittman was twice married, first to Miss Lela Hooper, of Riverside; to them were born four sons:  Daniel Wayman, who was killed in France in July, 1819:  Alfred, who was killed in a railway accident in October, 1917;  Lex and Edgar, who survive him.

Thirteen years ago he was again married to Mrs. Addie Babb, of this place.  Four children were born unto them; Marion Babb, 12 years old;  Helen, nine years old; Mamie, seven, and little Addie, five.  Their mother died when little Addie was three weeks of age.  Mr. Pittman was a man of noble character.  He had many trials, but never complained, always looking on the bright side of life.  As a neighbor we will miss him greatly, as we never lived by a better one.  His church will miss him, as his seat in church and Sunday School was never vacant.  The funeral was held at Howell cemetery, near Riverside, conducted by Rev. F.E. Jenkins.  A large concourse of sorrowing friends and relatives attended.
Headstone inscription...Our father has gone to a mansion of rest.  To the glorious land by the Deity blest.

Finding Isaac's obituary in the Genealogy Bank Historical News Archives was well worth the time spent scrolling and clicking through any and all Pittman related articles published in both large and small town Newspapers.  The Marietta Journal writer of Isaac's obituary wrote so personally about Isaac that everyone who knew him back in 1919 would be saying, "Amen".  They would be comforted knowing everything was done to save him.  As neighbors and friends, they would be sympathetic and caring to and for Isaac's children.  I know, as Isaac's great great niece, I am comforted and appreciative for all that was written in this extraordinary obituary about an extraordinary ancestor. (notice date of death in obit is different from headstone.  Obit date same as on death certificate...no explanation for discrepancy)

As for his early life at the end of the Antebellum Era and the following years of the Civil War, Isaac would have lived it as did his siblings whose stories have been recounted in previous posts of 'Generation 4'.  Of his family, we learned from the obituary that he had two marriages and nine children.  It was written there of the trials he endured with the death of his wife *Lela, the tragic deaths of his sons **Daniel and ***Albert and the heartbreaking death of wife ****Addie not long after the birth of their daughter 'little Addie'.  And yet, he still was admired for 'looking on the bright side of life'.

We also learned that he was a good and faithful servant to his church and a neighbor and friend who was held in high esteem by all who knew him.  So thank-you, obituary writer and The Marietta Journal for the personal and caring attention to Isaac and his family.  In addition to The Marietta Journal, the Cobb County Times published the obituaries of Isaac's Family members denoted by the *asterix's in front of their names...which follow.

*Lelia - Marietta Journal, August 30, 1990, In Memoriam.  "How peaceful and how powerful is the grave."  We are reminded of the truth of the above by a melancholy event that occurred in Austell, Cobb county, Ga., Aug. 10, 1900.  I refer to the death of Mrs. Leila Hooper Pittman.  Death is sad in the old, but it seems doubly so when the young are called away.  Mrs. Leila Hooper Pittman was born and reared to young womanhood near Mableton, Cobb County, Ga., and was the daughter of Elder and Mrs. T.M. Hooper.  Here in a quiet country home surrounded by fond parents, loving brothers and sisters, she passed most of life, a favorite with all who knew her.  At school, church and social meetings she was a welcome visitor.  In 1887 she joined the Christian church and remained a faithful member as long as she lived.  In 1892 she married Mr. Isaac M. Pittman of Austell.  she left the parental roof to bless the heart and life of the one she had chosen for a companion.  Of this union five children were born, of which four survive..  As a wife she was faithful, as a mother loving and kind, as a Christian true as a neighbor obliging.  Kind friend, farewell!  On the great Resurrection morn may we meet you and other loved ones who have gone on before, in a brighter, happier world above."

**Daniel - Cobb County Times August 15, 1918 Memorial Service Held for Daniel W. Pittman
Many Attend Services at Macland on Sunday in Honor of First Cobb County Boy To Die in France.  Last Sunday morning at eleven o'clock, hundreds of Cobb county citizens gathered at the Methodist church at Macland to attend the memorial services I honor of Daniel Weyman Pittman, the first Cobb county boy to be killed in action in France.
    The little church was filled to overflowing when Rev. Frank Jenkins, the pastor, began his memorial address, which pulsated the sympathy for the bereaved and loyal friends to our government in this crisis.  Mr. Watson of Dallas, rendered some special music for the occasion.  Daniel Weyman Pittman was the son of Isaac M. Pittman, one of the best known citizens of that community.  Young Pittman was a graduate of the Seventh District A and M College of Macland, and had many friends throughout that section of the county.

*** Alfred - Cobb County Times  November 1, 1917  Alfred Pittman.  Last Tuesday, October 16th, 1917, we all gathered together at Howell's Family Cemetery to pay a last sad tribute to our relative, friend and school-mate Alf Pittman.  Alf was an employee of the Southern Railroad but his old home places is at Riverside.  Friday night he went to his work as usual, bright and cheerful and sometime during the night he was thrown under the train and both legs cut off.  He was sent to the Atlanta Hospital where he received good attention but to no avail.  It was not God's will that Alf should get well for He needed him for a higher and better world.  He was a member of the Methodist Church from his childhood and was just entering into manhood.  He was liked by all who met him.  He leave a father, five brothers, two sisters and a number of other relatives.  so dear friends, let's give him up, for Alf is walking the golden streets of Paradise with his mother, who has gone on several years before, where there is no sad parting or pain.

****Addie - Marietta Journal  October 23, 1914  Mrs. I.M. Pittman Dies At MacLand Sunday Night.  Mrs. I.M. Pittman died at her home in MacLand  Sunday night in her 29th year and was buried Monday afternoon which was the birthday of both of her parents.  Rev. F.S. Hudson assisted her pastor, Rev.T.L. Rutland, in conducting the funeral service.  She was Addie Babb before her marriage and beside her husband she leaves four step children and four little ones of her own, one an infant about a month old who will be called Addie.  There were many relatives and friends from Atlanta and other places as well as neighbors attending the funeral.  She was a niece of Mr. S.C. McEachern, of Marietta and of Mr. John McEachern of Atlanta, and a cousin of Hon. Walter McEachern of Atlanta.  She was in every respect an exemplary woman and was a greatly beloved by many friends.  The pall bearers were her step sons, Weyman, Alfred and Les Pittman, and her cousins, Willis Babb Jr. and William and Sam McEachern.  Many beautiful flowers covered the spot where she was laid to rest.

Find a Grave Memorial Links
Isaac Marion Pittman
Lela Hooper Pittman
Addie Oliver Babb Pittman
Alfred Pittman
Daniel Wayman Pittman

Antebellum Daughters and Devoted Sisters...Emma and Elizabeth

Emma and Elizabeth share one of the most symbolic and beautiful headstones in the Howell Family Cemetery.  The year of it's placement was probably when Elizabeth died in July 1921 at the age of 64.

It is thought that Emma's name and dates were included as a memorial to her...possibly due to the fact that at the time of death in January 1879 at age 24, her grave was left unmarked.

The documentation of her short life during the time after the Civil War and through the turmoil of the Reconstruction Era is sadly lacking in anything more than the Census.

Emma was two years and nine months older than Elizabeth, and as young girls growing up in the midst of the Civil War, one can only imagine the kind of childhood they must have had.  Perhaps their headstone portrays the essence of their spirituality here on earth as their family so hoped it would also be in heaven.

Their shared headstone speaks volumes about Emma and Elizabeth as they were regarded by their families knowledge of the symbolism behind the kneeling Angel at the Cross.

 For Emma, the Angel symbolizes their grief at her untimely death. For both sisters the Calvary Cross signifies belief in faith, hope and love...they were surely loved by all who knew them.

Elizabeth was 21 years of age when Emma died.  Her father's death six years earlier, left the family farm in Cobb County, Georgia, for his wife and children to continue.  There she resided through the 1890's.  In 1900 Elizabeth joined the household of her youngest sister Savannah and her family of husband Hiram Brown and three sons.  Elizabeth spent many years living with her sister and brothers who remained in Georgia.  In the years before her death, she and her aging older brother lived with their youngest sister Savannah. 

She was obviously a devoted sister and was thought of as an

 Angel here on earth as well as in Heaven.

Antebellum Daughter and Sister...Fannie Margaret

In my fathers house there are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you. John 14.2
This inscription occupies the bottom half of Fannie Margaret's headstone.  The stone lay broken for many years with a crack through the first line of John 14.2.  The stone has been repaired thanks to a Howell Family cousin and a Find A Grave contributor who added the photo in February 2013...151 years after Fannie Margaret Pittman's death.

The inscription in all likelihood, held a special significance to Fannie's family, but one that may have been lost on those of us who read it all these years later.  The verse has often been chiseled on grave markers for those who died young...as did Fannie.  She was a few months away from her 30th birthday, and for all of those nearly 30 years she was devoted to her parents and siblings.  From birth to death, records indicate this to be so.

Fannie Margaret Pittman was born ten years before the end of the Antebellum Era and died twenty years after the end of the Civil War.  Thirty years of unrest, turmoil, and uncertainty.  Is it any wonder her family would think of The Fathers house of many mansions as a place of peace and tranquility. 

She was the second daughter and sixth of ten children, born two years after Eugenia and two years before Emma.  So, she was almost a middle child with older siblings who watched out for her and also a big sister to Emma, Elizabeth, Isaac and Savannah.  Is it any wonder 'for I go to prepare a place for you' were words of comfort for those who mourned her.  Fannie's earthly body lies beneath a cracked stone, but her spiritually whole soul lives in peace and tranquility in one of the many mansions in The Fathers House.  I am comforted.

Antebellum Era in Texas

The historic sites I visit with my camera often yield photos for future posts of unknown origin with no idea of when or how they will be used. That was the case today as I perused posts about the Antebellum era.  It led to a Photo File of pictures taken in 2011 at Fort Davis National Historic Site.

I remember using many of the photos when posting about our trip in September that year.  You can see some of the photos and read about Fort Davis Historic Fort in these posts:
Fort Davis Photo Tour...The History
West Texas Frontier Life...Enlisted Men
Frontier Wife's Kitchen
That period in Texas history has always been my favorite, so it is no wonder that the same era in Georgia's history has captured my interest, imagination and heart.

Like Georgia, Texas is in certain respects, historically distinctive.  Both as Southern frontier states settled by pioneers who migrated from northern and eastern parts of Colonial America.  In Tracks of My Georgia Ancestors, those migration tracks are documented in the lives of the First Generation Colonial Pittmans  through the Third Generation of Georgia Settlers.  Each generation has been a historically significant journey in their lives as they struggled to survive in a new colony...in a new state...in a new America.

The Antebellum Era 1800-1860 is known as the period of time occurring before the Civil War.  This is the time of my Great Grandfather George Washington Pittman who was born in 1843 in Cobb County, Georgia. 

He was the great grandson of a Revolutionary War Soldier.  He was the grandson of a prominent Georgia Planter and Statesman, and the son of a farmer, a soldier, and a man who was caught up in the conflicts over slavery, land fraud, the gold rush, and political discontent that lead to the ultimate Antebellum definition of the Civil War.

Through the stories and profiles of my Great Grandfather George and his nine siblings, Tracks of My Georgia Ancestors begins it's first steps on the road to Texas.  But first, they must take their first steps in their birth place of Cobb County Georgia, overcome the burdens of the Antebellum Era and most significantly for their line of descendants...survive the Civil War.

Antebellum Daughter Mary Eugenia

Mary Eugenia Pittman and James Hampton Howell were united in marriage in 1885, when Mary was 35 years old and James was 41.  The circumstances of their late in life marriage, according to research, seems to revolve around the Antebellum Era, the Civil War and Family Ties.

Mary was ten years old in 1860 when the Civil War broke out.  James was 16 when he enlisted in Company A of the Georgia 13th Infantry Regiment of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia.  He enlisted in July 1861, a few months after his cousins William and George Pittman, brothers of Mary Eugenia.

James, William and George served from the beginning to the end of the Civil War and lived to come home to the aftermath and desolation the war left on their homes and families.  Three years after returning home George married James' sister Emma June.  Mary was eighteen and James was twenty-four. 

Eighteen years passed before Mary and James were married.  Census records, marriage certificates, tax records, Last Will and Testaments and other factual documents unfortunately are lacking in information regarding personal relationships.  Therefore, one can only speculate about the circumstances of marriages that already have close family ties.

By the 1900 Census James and Mary were listed in Cobb County, Howell District of Georgia, a rural farming district.  James was fifty-six, Mary fifty and daughters Ruby and Gussie were ten and seven.  Although James had listed his occupation in earlier census and documents as farmer, his occupation in the 1900 Census was left blank.  The reason possibly was stated in his Obituary in the Marietta Journal newspaper, June 17, 1909.
Hon. James H. Howell Claimed by Death...Hon James Hampton Howell, a prominent citizen of Cobb county, died at his home, in Austell, Thursday night a 12 o'clock, of heart failure.  Mr. Howell had been a resident of Cobb county all his life.  On account of ill health, he moved from his farm on the Chattahoochee river about six months ago to Austell, Ga., but his health grew worse until the final end came.

After James' death, Mary Eugenia and daughters continued to live in the home she owned on Church Street in Austell. 1909 had been a hard year for Mary with the death of James and the death of her brother William who had migrated to Texas in the late 1890's.  In 1910 Mary's sister Lizzie Elizabeth age fifty-two resided with her, Ruby and Gussie.  Ruby married in 1911 and Gussie in 1925.

By 1920, Mary was 71 years old and resided with daughter Ruby and her husband in Austell.  Ruby was working as a stenographer for a furniture company and her husband Claude was a traveling salesman.  The next year, 1921, Mary lost two more of her siblings, Lizzy and Albert.  Another brother James Allison died in 1928.  In the 1930 Census Mary was still  living with her daughter Ruby and husband Claude.  Also listed was her daughter Gussie, now a widow after a short five years of marriage.  Gussie was employed as a bank clerk.

Mary Eugenia Pittman Howell died April 19, 1934 at 84 years of age.   As the fifth child and first daughter of Rene Marion and Mary Anne Howell Pittman, Mary outlived all but one of her siblings...George Washington Pittman, her seven years older brother.  George and William were the only two of the ten children who migrated to Texas.  All the others remained close to their 'Roots' and 'Family Ties' in Cobb County, Georgia.

Mary Eugenia and James are buried in the Howell Family cemetery in Mapleton, Cobb County, Georgia. Many of their family members, both Howell and Pittman are buried there. 

Isaac Howell, grandfather of Mary and James was the first person buried there on November 9,1860. 

The story of his death was perhaps an omen to the end of the Antebellum Era and the beginning of the Civil War and Reconstruction Era of the South. 

It is told/written in the family history thusly.....

....Isaac, upon hearing the November 6, 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln,

went into a rant, cursed and dropped dead. 

 

Photo Disclaimer...Photo from the Vintage Photo Collection of CollectInTexas Gal.  Used here as a representative of the period.  Not intended to depict persons named in this post.  Howell Cemetery Photo from Find A Grave.

Antebellum Daughters

Toward the end of the Antebellum Era which is generally considered when the Civil War began in 1860, a married woman's right to own and control property they brought to a marriage gained support in the enacting of homestead laws.  Mid-Western and Eastern States began adding homestead law provisions to their constitutions in the 1840's.  These laws were a way of sheltering wives' assets from the creditors of husbands who had bankrupted themselves, thus giving families a crude safety net.

By the time 'Rainey' Pittman and wife Mary Anne Howell had their first daughter in 1850, Women's Rights Movements in the South had not reached the fervor and support initiated in the Northern states.  However, the homestead laws, reforms in Education, Mental Health and the much debated Abolitionism Movements would impact their daughters who would both benefit and suffer from the social and economic reforms of the Antebellum Era.

Mary Eugenia Pittman was born into a family who had a prominent history as early settlers in Georgia.  A family who at one time were wealthy land owners, educated statesmen, and patriots dating back to the American Revolution.  She was the great granddaughter of one of Georgia's Patriarch Baptist Ministers and founder of Georgia's first Baptist Church.  However, by the time she was born on March 31, 1850, her family was already beginning to suffer from the pre-Civil War infractions of higher taxes and the pressures brought about by the Anti-Slavery Movement.

On August 1, 1952, when Eugenia was two years and 5 months old, a sister Fannie Margaret was born.  The Pittman children now numbered four boys and two girls with oldest son William Howell 10 years,  George Washington 9, Albert Singleton 7, and James Allison 5.

The Pittman family resided in Cobb County, Georgia, on land that had been in the family for several generations.  Also in Cobb County were Mary Anne's extended family of parents Isaac and Margaret Howell, brother Michael Sylvester Howell and  seven other brothers and a sister.

The two families, brought together by the marriage of Rainey and Mary Anne would stand together and support each other throughout the difficult years through the Civil War and beyond. Rainey and Mary Anne would have two more daughters and one more son before the onslaught of the Civil War.  Emma was born on August 14, 1854, Elizabeth on May 27, 1857, and Isaac Marion  on May 4, 1959. 

And so ended the Antebellum Era. 

 Life as they knew it for generations would be changed forever.

 

Photo Disclaimer:  Photos from the vintage photo collection of CollectInTexas Gal.  Used here as a representative of the period.  Not intended to represent persons named in this post.

America's In My Family Tree

What's in a name? Everything! The power of a name and its value has long been immortalized in prose, poetry, and religious ceremony. Everyone recognizes himself or herself by name.
What's in the name America?
~The first name of America gives one an eagerness for knowledge and an intense desire to do something worthwhile in life.
~A person named America longs for freedom from restrictions and for outlets from restlessness, and does not tolerate drudgery and monotony.
~America, it isn't easy for you to take advice, therefore, you tend to work independently.
~You suffer inner turmoil especially when you feel misunderstood, and being sensitive, you are easily hurt and offended.
~Many people do not realize that you have a depth to your nature resulting from having thought a lot about life in many facets.

America's in my Georgia Family Tree



America Taylor Pittman

Nov. 16, 1805 - Aug. 24, 1872

daughter of

James Greene and Martha Patsy Taylor Pittman

wife of

Benjamin Woods Cash

mother of

Marion Linton, Ethelred Green, Julianne, Noah Bee and Martha America Cash

America Harden Pittman

1820 ~ 1870

daughter of

Jefferson and Rachel Harden Pittman

wife of

Jackson Boyd Sloan

mother of

 Florence, Robert, Mary Jane, Jackson Boyd,  and Jabez Henry Sloan

Martha America Pittman

Feb. 22, 1836 ~ March 19, 1898

daughter of

Pleasant Owen and Susannah Benton Pittman

wife of

Cephus W. Matthews

mother of

Effie, Charles, Noah, Mary Lou, Milton, and Edith Matthews

Martha America Cash

April 16, 1839 ~ July 1904

daughter of

Benjamin Woods and America Taylor Pittman Cash

As was the custom and tradition in the early 1800's, children were named after close relatives.  Such was the case with three of these America's.  America Taylor was the first to bear a name that reflected her father's service in the Revolutionary War, his love of country and dedication as a Georgia statesman.  America Harden and Martha America Pittman were named after their Aunt America Taylor, and Martha America Cash after her mother, the first America.

 

As most 'Trend/Fad' names do, the name 'America' in the Pittman Family Tree ended with Martha America Cash...so far in the research. However, the pride and patriotism of our early ancestors in 'America' has not waivered.

 Our love of Country and Flag is still a tradition as seen in the 'Sleeping Baby on Stars and Stripes' photo.

That sleeping baby, a descendant of the first America, is today a Pittman American Beauty from Texas.


"The dons, the bashaws, the grandees, the patricians, the sachems, the nabobs, call them by what names you please, sigh and groan and fret, and sometimes stamp and foam and curse, but all in vain.

The decree is gone forth, and it cannot be recalled, that a more equal liberty than has prevailed in other parts of the earth must be established in America."  John Adams

Letter to Patrick Henry, June 3, 1776

Daniel Wayman Pittman...World War I Soldier

Daniel Wayman Pittman

Born: January 10,1893 in Mapleton, Cobb County, Georgia

Died:  July 13, 1918 in Belleau, Aisne, Picardie, France

Son of  Isaac Marion and Leila A Hooper Pittman

World War I

Private First Class United States Army

23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division

Battle of Belleau Wood from Wikipedia

Daniel Wayman Pittman registered for the US Draft on June 5, 1917.

One year, one month and eight days later he was one of the

1,811 American Soldiers who died from wounds suffered at the

Battle of Belleau Wood near Paris, France.

Buried in the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery

Daniel Wayman Pittman Memorial

Find A Grave Website

  Your Family and Country are forever grateful for your sacrifice for our Freedom.

You are remembered in the Pittman Family Tree my 1st cousin 2x removed.

 

**Daniel - Cobb County Times August 15, 1918 Memorial Service Held for Daniel W. Pittman
Many Attend Services at Macland on Sunday in Honor of First Cobb County Boy To Die in France.  Last Sunday morning at eleven o'clock, hundreds of Cobb county citizens gathered at the Methodist church at Macland to attend the memorial services I honor of Daniel Weyman Pittman, the first Cobb county boy to be killed in action in France.
    The little church was filled to overflowing when Rev. Frank Jenkins, the pastor, began his memorial address, which pulsated the sympathy for the bereaved and loyal friends to our government in this crisis.  Mr. Watson of Dallas, rendered some special music for the occasion.  Daniel Weyman Pittman was the son of Isaac M. Pittman, one of the best known citizens of that community.  Young Pittman was a graduate of the Seventh District A and M College of Macland, and had many friends throughout that section of the county.

January Ancestor Line...Accidental, Coincidental or Astrological?

Frances Jackson Stone was born in Fluvanna County, Virginia, when the flowering dogwood tree was dormant and the Northern Cardinal flourished in the snow covered thickets long before either had been declared state symbols. 

She was named after her grandmother Frances Taylor Stone...which was the naming trend of the time. Elder Frances and baby Frances had another birth connection...they were both born in January...20 days and 68 years apart.

On January 6, 1783, Mary Julia Napier Stone gave birth to her fifth child and third daughter, Frances.  Julia would have two more sons after Frances.  One of which would make a life changing decision that made Frances my 3x great grandmother.  Before that reveal, let's tell Frances' story based on ancestry.com facts, some historical era events and my 'Creative Writers License'...which I believe is no accidental birth right.

Although there is some question as to the date of her parents marriage, Frances was indeed the fifth child of Mary Julia Napier.  Her father, Marvel Stone, may have had a wife and children prior to having married Mary Julia. 

Marvel, Mary Julia and their children lived in one of the Colonies fighting for independence during the American Revolutionary War.  Frances was 9 months old when the Treaty of Paris was signed.

When she was two years old her brother Washington Ware was born.  As a strong willed and unusually mature toddler, Frances was possessive and protective of her baby brother.  They developed a strong sibling bond that would see them through many difficult times including the death of a brother, separation of their parents and estrangement from their father. 

In March 1804, Frances (age 21) and Washington (age 19) left Fluvanna County for Oglethrope, Georgia, to settle the estate of their brother William after his untimely death at age 32.  Their mother Mary Julia had only months earlier given birth to her last child, Walter, without the support of husband Marvel, and could not make the journey.   William and his lifelong friend Ichabod Byrd Pittman from neighboring Amelia County, Virginia, had set out some eight years earlier in search of adventure and the settlement of the Pittman's claim to Land Grants for their service as Sons of Liberty in the Revolutionary War.

At the reading of brother William's Last Will and Testament, Frances and Washington were named as heirs to their brothers homestead, land and all his earthly possessions.  The homestead and land bordered Ichabod Byrd Pittman's land which had been deeded to both young men for their labors in settling and farming the Pittman's granted lands.  Frances Jackson and Washington Ware never returned to Virginia. 

Three years later on October 13, 1807, Washington Ware, as head of family and in the absence of a father, signed the Marriage Bond that united Frances Jackson Stone and Ichabod Byrd Pittman.  The 'Condition of Obligation' Certificate, which states what is assumed as her dowry of $875.14, would well and truly make and bind the couple together...if no lawful cause to obstruct the same occurred to cause the 'Obligation' to be void.  Otherwise the contract would remain full force and virtue. 

No doubt, Frances as a January Capricorn, was a willing partner in the marriage contract. Her no nonsense attitude and propensity for financial security along with being the woman behind a successful man made the union feasible in her mind.  Ichabod certainly must have learned and accepted early on in the marriage of Frances' devotion to her brother, mother and other family members as they all eventually became Georgia residents.

Obviously, the Marriage Bond held and remained in full force and virtue.  As a mother to their four children, Frances' innate Capricorn characteristics instilled both thrift and a respect for quality in her children.  To her it was a matter of "Eat it up, wear it out, make it do or do without", and economy did not mean it had to be cheap.  After all, she was the wife, and they the children of a prominent Georgia Pioneer Family.  Her four children were expected to be polite to relatives and elders, and display excellent manners.  Had she lived in the time of Dr. Spock and his book on child psychology, she most likely would have used the book as a paddle...and perhaps read it later.

The question of my January Lineage being Accidental, Coincidental or Astrological has yet another chapter to ponder with the birth of  Byrd and Frances' third child, Rene Marion, my 2x great grandfather.  Born on January 28, 1812 under the Zodiac sign of Aquarius. 

As a believer in Kismet...it was meant to be...Rene 'Rainey' Pittman was the only name I had to begin research on my Georgia ancestors. 

And just over the Aquarius Rainbow...another January Grandmother, Mary Ann Howell Pittman born January 28, 1822.  Wife of Rene Marion, mother of George Washington, grandmother of Chappell Columbus, great grandmother of Willard Carroll, and great great grandmother of January born 'Me'.

What do you think?

Accidental, Coincidental or Astrological.