Butler Family..Our American Story

Memorial For Zachariah And Patrick Butler

2012-02-03T11:59:00.001-05:00

The day was beautiful and the Butler's and related families were awe struck by the moving tribute to our colonial grandfathers.What they did over 250 years ago we can not fully comprehend. How they felt to set foot on their land in Elbert County Georgia for the first time, we can only imagine. The spirit of adventure, self determination and downright courage inspires us. The thought provoking struggles they endured to be free and the masters of their own fate leaves me wondering what has become of us? Have we become so self centered and self indulgent that we have lost their endurance? What can we learn from their willingness to risk all for the chance of liberty? In the forefront we learn of their fight and in the background we see the result of their faith. Soon after securing political freedom they went about exercising their religious freedom. Small churches dot the landscape wherever new towns and farms were born in the new country. Have we become rich in material wealth only to become poor in faith? Can we learn anything from the last few years about depending on that wealth for our security, happiness, and well being? How quickly it faded in the wake of the"great recession". What would happen if we all reflected on the source of a better security? The faith of our colonial grandfathers and grandmothers was in God, and family and friends. We as a country would do well to try that for awhile.

Colonial Soldier

The Colors

The SAR Color Guard

2012 And A new Year........

2011-12-27T07:09:00.000-05:00

The legacy of our grandfathers and grandmothers follows us today. If they could jump through time and space and see us now, what would they say is the most important task? Could it be to pass along all the admirable traits from them and drop all the destructive ones?
Did you learn kindness from your grandmother? Pass it on. Did you learn determination from a great uncle? Pass it on.
Did you learn to believe in God from your Papa? Please pass it on.
Now what about the rest? Take, envy, greed, or slothfulness and drop them.
Make your generation the best ever. Leave your grandchildren truth, love,and hope.
You can't do better than that.

Colonial Holidays...........

2011-12-08T10:26:00.001-05:00

The Virginia observation of Christmas tended towards good fellowship and good eating. The Virginia Almanac for 1772 carried these sentiments on a December page:

This Month much Meat will be roasted in rich Mens Kitchens, the Cooks sweating in making of minced Pies and other Christmas Cheer, and whole Rivers of Punch, Toddy, Wine, Beer, and Cider consumed with drinking. Cards and Dice will be greatly used, to drive away the Tediousness of the long cold Nights; and much Money will be lost at Whist Cribbage and All fours.

In England the custom was for an apprentice to visit each of his master's clients to collect tips for his services throughout the year, the custom apparently was followed in Virginia.

Soon after the Revolution, St. George Tucker of Williamsburg wrote "Christmas Verses for the Printer's Devil":

Now the season for mirth and good eating advances,
Plays, oysters and sheldrakes, balls, mince pies and dances;
Fat pullets, fat turkeys, and fat geese to feed on,
Fat mutton and beef; more by half than you've need on;
Fat pigs and fat hogs, fat cooks and fat venison,
Fat aldermen ready the haunch to lay hands on;
Fat wives and fat daughters, fat husbands and sons,
Fat doctors and parsons, fat lawyers and duns;
What a dancing and fiddling, and gobbling and grunting,
As if Nimrod himself had just come in from hunting!
These all are your comforts—while mine are so small,
I may truly be said to have nothing at all.
I'm a Devil you know, and can't live without fire,
From your doors I can see it, but I dare not come nigher;
Now if you refuse me some wood, or some coal,
I must e'en go and warm, in old Beelzebub's hole;
Next, tho' I'm a devil, I drink and I eat,
Therefore stand in need of some rum, wine and meat;
Some clothes too I want—for I'm blacker than soot,
And a hat, and some shoes, for my horns and my foot;
To supply all these wants, pray good people be civil
And give a few pence to a poor printer's devil.

In 1772, the Virginia Gazette published a letter from “An Old Fellow,” who lived in England. He complained about the “Decay of English Customs and Manners.” After describing the old English Christmas when the kitchen was “the Palace of Plenty, Jollity, and good Eating,” he wrote:

Now mark the Picture of the present Time: Instead of that firm Roast Beef, that fragrant Pudding, our Tables groan with the Luxuries of France and India. Here a lean Fricassee rises in the Room of our majestick Ribs, and there a Scoundrel Syllabub occupies the Place of our well-beloved Home-brewed. The solid Meal gives Way to the slight Repast; and, forgetting that good Eating and good Porter are two great Supporters of Magna Charta and the British Constitution, we open our Hearts and our Mouths to new Fashions in Cookery, which will one Day lead us to Ruin."

Being Thankful....

2011-11-24T20:51:00.001-05:00

Make a list of what you are thankful for and you will quickly feel better. First I'm thankful I live in the United States of America. Is our country perfect? Of course not, but I wouldn't live anywhere else.
I'm thankful I live in this time in history. I don't think I would have done very well in the Bronze Age.
I'm thankful I have the choice to worship where I want and the freedom not to.
I choose to worship the creator of our universe and all others (if there are any), the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob,the God of Israel, the Messiah, Jesus the Christ.
He's the only one that makes any sense. He has it all together. (Some of His followers don't, but He does)
Looking back I can see that my life has been a tapestry of starts and stops, and I'm finally starting to see a pattern. When ever I've trusted God, he's never let me down. When I tried to fix things or be in control, things didn't turn out well. I am beginning to understand "The just shall live by Faith"
I am thankful that I am finally learning how to love unconditionally without judgement or criticism. I know my friends and family are very thankful for that.

Time Stood Still....11-12-11

2011-11-15T15:00:00.001-05:00

Time stood still as around 100 descendants of Zachariah Butler stopped to pay respects to him and his son Patrick in a small grove of tall poplars and oaks in Elbert County Georgia Saturday, November 12, 2011. As the Georgia SAR Color Guard marched in slow cadence to face the graves of these two Patriots, I marvelled at the meaning of it all.
Just as if on cue from a Hollywood director, a shower of brown leaves from the water oaks in the small circular cemetery began to twirl down around us.
The horses in the pasture just beyond the graves ran back and forth after the 21 gun musket salute, their graceful running breaking the silence.
This beautiful day, I will remember the rest of my life.

Zachariah Butler's land In Elbert Co Ga....

2011-11-05T08:37:00.000-04:00

Next Saturday I will be standing on the very land that my colonial grandfather received for his service in the American Revolution. I found a copy of the plat. Located in Elbert County Georgia, the boundary is marked by the trees along its border. Hickory, pine, dogwood, and oak trees towered above the Butler family when they reached Georgia in 1785. Along the banks of Wachatchee Creek, a branch of the Broad River, they set up camp that summer and started to erect a shelter before the Fall.
I've tried to think what they ate that first year. Living off the land until the first crops could be harvested, they had fish, deer, raccoon, possum, turkey, rabbit, squirrel,and bear for meat. Acorns, muscadines, blackberries, mulberries, paw paws,wild persimmon,wild blueberries,and many other wild vegetation that I don't even know are edible. If they had some chickens and a cow, they had milk and eggs. I don't think a cow could walk all the way to Georgia from Virginia, so maybe they bought or traded for one when they reached Petersburg, Georgia. Petersburg was a settlement that thrived during the 1700's when people were pouring into the state. This settlement is now covered by Clark Hill Reservoir.

Patrick Butler's Plat

Freedom .........

2011-11-01T08:01:00.000-04:00

Connection between Zachariah Butler, James Butler and Patrick Henry

Our Colonial grandfathers were neighbors of Patrick Henry. Zachariah was the same age and born in the same county (HANOVER) in Va.
I received an e-mail from Rev Thomas Maxwell of Anderson S.C.

His ancestor Rev Thomas Maxwell of Culpepper VA was defended by Patrick Henry after being arrested and thrown in jail for preaching without a license. He then came to Elbert Co Ga. With other Va. settlers. Falling Creek Baptist Church was founded by Rev. Maxwell. Some of the Butler family were members there.

This was the reason the founding fathers included the separation of Church and State in the Constitution. It was to insure the Freedom to worship NOT the Freedom from worship. The State can not tell us which church to belong to. The State can not sponsor a denomination to the exclusion of others. I wonder what Patrick Henry would think about the notion that the State has excluded all worship and discussions of faith from the public square. This seems to me to be an perversion of the original intent of the founding fathers. What if we could freely discuss and learn about all denominations, faiths and religions? Then each citizen could learn and compare and freely choose what they believed. Instead of expanding our freedoms it seems to me that we have lost some.

Dear Lydia,

You are correct, He started a few others, The cases of the preachers that Patrick Henry and James Madison defended were used to establish religious freedom in Va.

One of the daughters did marry into the Henry family. The grave of Rev. Maxwell is about 150 feet from twin line dairy just off old Maxwell farm road. The acts of our elders proved what some men with convictions for God can do.

Prayerfully,

Dr. T

On Mon, Oct 17, 2011 at 6:15 PM, Lydia Anderson, butlerfamilyhist@aol.com> wrote:

Dear Dr.T.,

My son and his family live in Westminster on Lake Hartwell. They are members of Foothills Community Church in Seneca.

Patrick Henry defended other pastors as well as Rev. Maxwell. .my Colonial grandfather Zachariah Butler was born the same year and in the same county as Patrick Henry…they were neighbors.

After the Revolutionary War, Rev Maxwell must have come to Ga. with other Va. Settlers. .and Falling Creek was not the only church he started.

I seem to recall he founded other churches in Ga. and Tenn.

Some of his daughters married men with the last name Henry.. but I don’t know if there is a connection to Patrick Henry or not.. that would be interesting for you.

God Bless,

Lydia Butler Anderson

Why Search Into the past?

2011-10-21T13:36:00.001-04:00

Why did I start my long investigation into my Butler family tree? It started with a simple question to my father.."What were Papa Butler's grandparents names?" My dad didn't know, and I thought to myself then "I want to find out". Trips to the Atlanta Archives started and many hours of looking at microfilm records. This was before the Internet and just finding a census record was time consuming. The records were hard to find and even harder to read. One good thing about that time was that original records were used to verify information. When you find "facts" on your family tree, make sure there is an original document to back it up. The oldest member of your family is the place to begin. Asking these older family members about your family tree can give you great information that can be lost after they are gone.

After finding everything you can from an older relative you may want to start with census records. The census records give evidence of where families lived and how they migrated. Look for different spellings of both first and last names. I found that census takers sometimes spelled phonetically, so spelling can vary greatly from one census to the next.
Just these two sources will give you a lot of insight into your famly and yourself. Get started and have fun along the way.

Time Change......

2011-10-15T20:00:00.001-04:00

The memorial ceremony for Zachariah Butler and his son Patrick Butler is now scheduled for 11:00 am November 12, 2011.

Make plans to attend.

From Elberton GA - on the SE side of Elberton, Go SE on Hwy 72/17 : ......... Hwy 72 and Hwy 17 fork - take the right fork down Hwy 17 and go 7.0 miles from the fork. Just past a large Baptist Church on the left is Dr. George Ward Rd. There is also a CITGO gas station at the intersection. Go left ( East ) on George Ward Rd and drive 2.1 miles and make a left on Bakers Ferry Rd. Go about 200 yards and park.

Off to the West ( 150 yards ) is a large clump of trees in an open field. The Butler graves are in that group of trees.

GPS coordinates are N 34.02630 W 82.75385

More Information On Zachariah Butler.....

2011-10-02T10:03:00.000-04:00

On the Thomas Partridge Store records in Hanover Co Va in 1756 Christopher Butler is named as settling the account of son Zachariah, b.1736. Zachariah is well documented, but Christopher Butler had other children of all ages by these store accounts. While many records from Hanover are missing, Christopher is listed in deed records in 1734-35. While some have tried to say that this Christopher is a son of Joshua Butler and Grace Page the DNA of this group is no where close to the DNA of Zachariah's descendants.
Because of DNA matching we may suspect that James Butler, c1740 who married Winifred Brooks of Hanover and Mecklenburg, may be a brother of Zachariah. James went to Edgefield County SC before the Revolutionary War. The father of Christopher may have been James who immigrated from Ireland in 1703. James came over on the same ship with the same merchant as Edmund Butler in 1706. Edmund's family is well documented and the DNA of Christopher's descendants is a near match for Edmund's, suggesting they may have been brothers or cousins.
The mystery continues and gets better with time.....

Some Faces of Our Past..........

2011-09-08T14:13:00.010-04:00

If you have some pictures that you would like posted on this Blog site please e-mail me at Butlerfamilyhist@aol.com.

I will post them and any other information about them that you would like to add.

I have thought and wondered many times what I would say to my gggrandparents if I could go back in time and speak to them. Every time I find a picture from the past I try to see some of myself.

Frances Hogue Butler 1815-1900

Nathan Butler 1815-1875

Parents of James Marion Butler1838-1896 and Napoleon B. Butler. James fought for the Confederates, Nathan and Napoleon with the Union.
They all survived the war. Nathan's father Daniel b1794-1878 was my gggrandfather Patrick's brother. Patrick b1799-1880 lost two sons in the war..one of them was my ggrandfather William. b1827-1861

James Marion Butler named one of his sons after his father and grandfather.

                              Nathan Daniel Butler b1872-1960
                              Kate Beard Butler b1873-1953
                              Daughters- Matie, Meryl, Mamie

Wedding Day

Nathan & Kate with Grandson Jewel Franks

November 12 2011 -----SAR Morning Ceremony

2011-08-25T09:17:00.002-04:00

If you are a descendant of Zachariah Butler or his son Patrick Butler..veterans of the American Revolution, make plans to attend a memorial ceremony by the Samuel Elbert Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

The memorial will be at the Butler Cemetery at the grave site, November 12, 2011 in the morning at 11:00 am.

Off to the West ( 150 yards ) is a large clump of trees in an open field. The Butler graves are in that group of trees.

GPS coordinates are N 34.02630 W 82.75385

Peter Patrick Butler & Hannah Snellings

2011-08-09T17:14:00.000-04:00

Patrick Butler and Elizabeth Fannin Butler's son, Peter Patrick Butler was born March 3, 1789 in Elbert Co Ga. With his father and two grandfathers Revolutionary War Veterans, Peter Patrick no doubt grew up hearing about their experiences in the conflict.
Zachariah Butler and Laughlin Fannin were both residents of Mecklenburg Co. Va. Oct 12, 1778 Laughlin Fannin took his oath to become a militia officer in the Va. Milita. In 1780 Ensign Laughlin Fannin was present when Joseph Butler enlisted.
Patrick married Laughlin's daughter Elizabeth and both families relocated to Elbert Co Ga after the war to settle their land awarded for their service. Peter Patrick Butler married Hannah Snellings B1788.
George Snellings Butler, son of Peter Patrick was born in 1803 in Elbert Co Ga. He married Catherine Booth Feb 17,1830. their children were William Sanford b 1831, Harriet A. b 1834, Samuel b 1836, and GeorgeW. b 1839.

George Snellings Butler

After Catherine's death in 1850, George Snellings Butler married Mary Ann Richards Dec. 15,1856. They had 12 children. David Ned b 1857, Elizabeth Jane b 1858, Patrick Henry b 1859, Ellen Augusta(Gussie) b 1861, James Thomas b 1862, Simon Clayton b 1863, Joseph Warren b 1866, Martha Ann b 1867, Benjamin F. b 1868, Susan F. (Susie) b 1870, Willis Jackson b 1871, Charles Walton b1875.

Images Of That Great War........

2011-07-20T20:09:00.000-04:00

This July is the 150 anniversary of my gggrandfather William H. Butler leaving his home in Walton Co Ga and heading to Virginia to join thousand of others at the start of the Civil War. Their train was delayed so the Walton Volunteer Home Guard missed the First Battle of Manassas. The July sun and heat made dead on the battlefield fill the air with death.This confederate victory gave everyone pause and realize that this would not be a quick victory or a bloodless one. Drinking water was soon contaminated and sickness went through the ranks. William was soon sick with typhoid fever and was sent to a hospital in Richmond where he was discharged disabled August 10, 1861. His discharge papers were signed by General J. H. Winder. Across the top of the discharge is written, "Transportation Furnished". The train ride home was long and with a fever I don't know how he made it. Just the thought of making it home was probably what kept him going. And thankfully he did make it home. He died in his own bed September 18.

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-02T20:48:00.000-04:00

Our Butler Colonial grandfathers gave us the gift of Freedom in 1776. Zachariah Butler, and his sons Patrick, and James were part of a revolution that changed the course of history.
Do we take it for granted today..sometimes I think we do.

The courage to come to America and the courage to rebel against England is in our DNA.

Fathers Are Forever......

2011-06-19T07:27:00.000-04:00

Our fathers play a very important part in all of our lives. They have an influence that lasts forever even to future generations. From our Colonial grandfather Zachariah Butler to our fathers that raised us we carry them in our hearts and minds.
I know my branch of the Butler family is influenced by the death of William H. Butler in the Civil War. Orphaned at age 9, Nathan Patrick Butler my great grandfather, the oldest of William's four children, had to grow up very fast and be responsible for too much too soon.
To all the Butler fathers out there....take the good you have received from your fathers and pass it down.
Happy Fathers Day.

Some Butler fathers.......

We Remember...Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-30T08:38:00.000-04:00

From the American Revolution to the War On Terror our Butler Family has contributed to the cause of Liberty. Patrick Henry who was a neighbor of our Colonial Grandfather Zachariah Butler said ---

"Should I keep back my opinions at such a time,through fear of giving offence, I should consider myself as guilty of treason toward my country ,and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings."

We remember you all---

Memorial For Our Colonial Grandfather........

2011-05-24T14:43:00.001-04:00

On November 12, 2011 the Samuel Elbert Chapter of The Sons of The American Revolution will have a memorial service for Zachariah Butler and Patrick Butler at the Butler Cemetery in Fortsonia Ga.

All descendants of these two patriots are cordially invited to attend. If you are are a descendant I hope you will make plans to be there. The SAR has agreed to clean up the grave site and they will help us remember the bravery, and hope our grandfathers had in America. They had enough hope to be a part of the revolution that forged our nation.

A Life Well Lived.....

2011-04-23T20:32:00.005-04:00

We are not promised a certain number of days. Our lives are gifts, where we find our purpose and grow into who the Creator meant for us to be. If we live our lives well we are remembered fondly by those left behind. A few years ago my cousin Gary and I began to e-mail each other about our mutual interest in the Butler family tree. He was retired and wanted to spend some time researching our family history, and I was happy to share what I had discovered. He and his wife Judy made a trip to Ireland and sent me some interesting information about our history and also pictures of places where the name Butler was well known.
Later he participated in the Butler DNA project. For that, our branch of the family is truly grateful to him.
In February 2011 Judy passed away and yesterday I got a call that Gary had died. Both were wonderful, thoughtful, and kind people. I always thought of Gary as a shy, quiet, intellectual. Judy was the picture of a beautiful, friendly, wife and mother. Being first cousins in our family meant a connection that though not as deep as cousins were in past generations..was still a tie that was treasured. The fact that our dads were brothers meant a lot of shared memories.
An example of a life well lived is the blessing given to Gary and Judy's daughters, Kim and Beth. We will all miss them.

Sons of The American Revolution

2011-04-15T13:18:00.000-04:00

The Samuel Elbert Chapter of the Sons of The American Revolution are an organization that keeps our colonial grandfather's memory alive. They will be scheduling a cleanup of the grave site of Zachariah Butler and his son Patrick Butler located in Elbert County Ga.

Hopefully a memorial ceremony can be held this Fall. All descendants are invited. Details will follow as soon as the exact date is known. Make plans to travel to Georgia to see where the Butler family settled after coming from Virginia almost 250 years ago.

Butler Cemetery- Fortsonia Ga

2011-03-28T20:33:00.000-04:00

The Journey of Zachariah Butler..and sons James, Patrick, Nathan, Joel...

2011-03-07T14:45:00.001-05:00

The Butler Trek to Georgia - 1785 By Randy Wilson

First, I want to say that a lot of what I am writing here is pure speculation and imagination. Anyone reading this that has corrections or additional information, please let me know so I can amend this story. I expect I will be adding to this for years as I learn more.
For several years I have been researching the Butlers of Hanover VA. I had made a previous trip to Hanover and one to Mecklenburg County and after reading up on the family move to GA I knew I wanted to try and retrace some of the route. My intent here is to write down and preserve the accomplishment of some of my distant ancestors. The distance they traveled is huge. This trip, for its time, was equal to the trip made 75 years later when trains went overland to California.
Zachariah Butler farmed first near Hanover, VA and later moved to Mecklenburg County VA. There, he and his sons enlisted in the army and fought in the Revolutionary War. After the war, in 1785, he and ( at least ) two sons, Patrick and James, moved to GA. That trek of about 425 miles would take them on a journey that had to be rugged and it had to be extremely difficult. Most likely, the train they would have formed would have been a grouping of several families. The exact number is not known, but it was commonplace for a train of several families to gather and travel together for obvious reasons. The labor in moving heavy wagons and herding livestock required that the numbers of able bodied men be of sufficient size that they could handle all the work and also provide security.
When the trek took place: What we know is very limited. We have no diary so about all we can do is speculate. Zachariah and his wife sold some of their property in Nov of 1784 and that is probably a good way of calculating when they began readying for the trip. It would have taken months to accumulate the needed supplies, wagons, and mules or oxen. Many man-hours of accumulating the necessary tools, equipment, food, seed, clothing, animals, medicine, house wares, etc would be needed. Someday we may come across some other family’s diary of the same trip and that may shed some light on the journey. We know that Zachariah registered his deed for his land in Georgia in August of 1785. I think he must have registered his deed in Dartmouth or Petersburg, GA. So, somewhere in between they actually made the trip. The journey was about 425 miles and it would have taken 2-4 months to make the trip. A lot depends on how loaded the wagons were and what the weather was like. Once they made the decision to go I am sure they would have struck out just as soon as they felt they could safely travel. Knowing they would encounter many river crossings and that rain and wind could drastically impact their health, I doubt they would have left much before late March . James Butler had two very small children ( Zachariah -age 3 and Walk- an infant ) according to the records I have been able to locate. That would be a consideration. Zachariah Butler’s youngest daughter was about 14 on this trip - no doubt she talked about the trip for the rest of her life.

Interesting note about Conestoga wagons that I did not know. Late 1700’s Conestoga wagons did not have a seat on the front of the wagon to ride on and control the animals with reins. Wagon was controlled by a rider on one of the animal’s back or by someone walking with the lead animal in hand. Take a close look at the above old drawing.

One of the reasons I became interested in learning more about this trek is because several years ago I read a book, UNDAUNTED COURAGE , by Stephen Ambrose. It is an account of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1803. Young Meriwether Lewis’s stepfather was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and he too made a trek to Georgia in 1782, right after the war was over. The trek that the Butlers made in 1785 is probably the exact same trek that Meriwether Lewis made in 1782 (+/-) at the age of 8 or 9. Stephen Ambrose wrote in UNDAUNTED COURAGE the following paragraph and I think it is totally applicable to the experience that the Butler ( men ,women and children ) experienced.

“Few details of this trek into the wilderness survive, but it is easy enough to imagine a wide-eyed boy on the march with horses, cattle, oxen, pigs, dogs, wagons, slaves, other children, adults -making camp every night - hunting for deer, turkey, and possum; fishing in the streams running across the route of march, watching and perhaps helping with the cooking; packing up each morning and striking out again; crossing through the Carolinas along the eastern edge of the mountains; getting a sense of the vastness of the country, and growing comfortable with life in the wilderness.”

The trail they would have traveled is probably the Fall Line Road. Without a diary we can only speculate, but odds are they used that trail. It had been in existence for some time and no doubt they had spoken to many travelers who had used it. James and Patrick, through their Revolutionary War experience, had traveled some and were probably familiar with the terrain as far south as Camden, SC where it is said that one or both sons may have fought in the Battle of Camden ( 1780 ) five years earlier. There they would have spoken with many other men who had been to GA. The Fall Line Road came through VA and passed just a little east of Mecklenburg County. It ran from Richmond VA through Petersburg VA, Warrenton NC, Raleigh NC, Cheraw SC, Camden SC, Columbia SC, ending in Augusta GA. I actually think they left the Fall Line Rd around Camden SC and traveled due west to Ninety Six and Abbeville and then cut southwest to the river crossing of the Savannah River at Petersburg GA. Petersburg GA was at the confluence of the Savannah and Broad River, N33 57' 48 W82 34' 13 . The crossing at Petersburg is also about 9 miles from the land they settled, so I am convinced this is where they crossed, not at Augusta.

We visited a museum run by the US Army Corps of Engineers on the Richard Russell Lake and they had a map showing a trail used by colonists going from Camden, SC to Abbeville, SC and then down to Petersburg, GA.

A map showing the route I think they took.

Initially I had calculated that a trip of 425 miles would take 4-6weeks assuming about 15 miles per day.

My wife and I picked up the trail in Apex NC just south of Raleigh NC. Right away I was impressed at how many water crossings we encountered. Rewind 200+ years and imagine doing all the water crossings in wagons and with livestock - that forces you to recalculate how long it would take to make a trip of 425 miles. I assume that Zachariah, James and Patrick formed a nucleus for a larger train that moved from Mecklenburg VA to Wilkes County GA in early 1785. The train could only move as fast as the slowest wagon and that is all dependent on who carried the heaviest load or had the weakest team of mules/oxen. Also, livestock herding and taking care of small children would certainly have an impact. In many places I can imagine where they would have to stop and combine two or more teams of mules/oxen to get a single wagon up the far side of some inclines. After seeing firsthand some of the water crossings, the density of the brush and the steepness coming out of some of the valleys and gullies, I began to rethink the time it would take. I have no way of knowing until I find a firsthand diary, but for now I am thinking they would do well to average 40-50 miles per week. That would then equal 9-11 weeks of travel. Maybe more maybe less. If they departed the first week of April they would arrive in GA about mid June - early July. Zachariah recorded his deed on Aug 2nd 1785 so that is about right. But, every day on the trail is a DAY NOT FARMING AND GETTING READY FOR SPRING of 1786. It had to be on Zachariah’s, James’ and Patrick’s minds that they needed to get where they were going and clear land, build shelters and prepare for winter. Very heavy responsibility.

Driving down Hwy 1 - a road through a wilderness 225 years ago. Zachariah Butler was 49 years old at the time.

Imagine topping a hill and heading down toward an unnamed river and having to do a water crossing. The bridges we take for granted move us over a river in seconds that may have halted the wagons for days.

DEEP WATER ! ! !

Side trip:

There was a thriving business in colonial America known a “Ferries.” And they played an important role in moving people and materials over large rivers and bays. Zachariah Butler is said to have spent the better part of his enlistment during the Revolutionary War guarding an important ferry crossing on the Roanoke River called Taylor’s Ferry and I still have some research to do on it. If I am not mistaken it was located about: N36 35 34.84 W 78 25 22.77

A pretty good account of the importance of the various ferries can be found in reading about the retreat of Gen Nathanael Greene. ( yes, that is how his first name is spelled )

The British lost the race as well as any hope to control the Southern Theater. Cornwallis had been outgeneraled in being attracted too far in an unsuccessful pursuit. Luring the British troops far from their supply base in Charleston SC, the Colonists raced with Cornwallis in hot pursuit to the Dan River. Greene's troops crossed in pre-positioned ferries and boats only hours ahead of the British light calvary. Without boats, the stranded and frustrated British retreated to Hillsborough NC. Greene used the next few days in Hallifax County Va to gather new troops, needed supplies and horses in preparation for a planned, direct encounter with the redcoats.

"This American retreat, which extended across the breadth of NC is considered one of the masterful military achievements of all time." Dennis M. Conrad Project Director & Editor, The Papers of General Nathanael Greene
( The Dan River and ferry was just upstream from Taylor’s Ferry )

What is interesting to note is that Gen Greene directed Lt. Col Edward Carrington to survey several rivers and ferries. Lt. Col Carrington was stationed at Taylor’s Ferry - same place Zachariah Butler was stationed.

If you want to read more, copy and paste the following in your browser. This is excellent reading.

ttp://www.prizery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=139&Itemid=222

And scroll down to the heading THE FORTUNATE SURVEYING OF THE DAN RIVER
This will take you on a thrilling tour of Gen Greene’s retreat and then on to a subsequent battle at Guilford Courthouse that Patrick Butler is said to have participated in. I don’t know about anyone else, but when I read history now it has a different meaning to me now that I am related to someone who was in the thick of it.

Back to the Butler Trek:

It is difficult to see in this photo, but in a part of southern NC and northern SC there is deep sand that was once an ancient beach, part of a long ago ocean that left dunes for miles and miles. You have walked along a beach and you know how easy it is to bog down - imagine taking a wagon through 125 miles of sand. Granted, I am sure that previous travelers had done much to make the worst sections more passable, but I am quite sure there were very difficult days on that terrain.

Today it is a nice road with an elevated roadbed. If you look to the left you can see the sand just barely covered with scraggly grass. Right about here I bet our ancestors all had reservations about this trip - but you can’t stop here as the soil is terrible for farming. It is, however, wonderful for golf courses, and near Southern Pines NC there are golf courses galore. Pinehurst is there and it is home to some major PGA golf tournaments. The same soil that is lousy for wagon trains is perfectly suited for a golf course- when it rains the water never puddles on the course. It percolates down quickly and players can continue to play

SC: Cheraw to Abbeville

Crossing into SC it is more of the same. Sandy, poor soil, low pine trees, and even more rivers to cross. It is unknown how many of the larger rivers had ferries, what they charged, or if the Butlers used them. I am sure there were very few places to resupply. Cheraw SC was certainly in existence in 1785 and no doubt would have been a resupply point. Further west Camden would have been one and west of there a village of Ninety Six would have been a supply point.

We stopped at the US National Park Service National Historic Site of Ninety Six and were well rewarded. It is a very worthwhile stop. There were two Revolutionary War battles at Ninety Six. One in 1775 and one in 1781 - as a result the townspeople moved a few miles to a new location and that would probably be where the Butler train would have passed.
But, the National Historic site is well worth a visit. I highly recommend. There is a place back near the old star fort where you can see the wagon ruts that were churned up by the passing traffic on the Island Ford Rd. It is absolutely stunning. It is like seeing the wagon ruts on the Santa Fe Trail or the Oregon Trail.

This description of the road was copied:
"The earliest roads in Ninety Six were Indian trails, used for travel by foot and horse and for hunting. White settlers followed these trails to explore the countryside, trade, and eventually, to settle. As the stream of settlers into the region increased, better roads were required to transport supplies safely and easily. The Island Ford Road, was an important travelers' route from places east and north of Ninety Six. Years of heavy use and erosion caused the road's sunken appearance. "

A ferry was established at Island Ford, a shallow crossing of the Saluda River, as early as 1775. Travelers would cross there and take the Island Ford Road about 10 miles southwest directly to Ninety Six. Revolutionary War Loyalist and Patriot troops used this route to transport supplies to Ninety Six.

Imagine how this road would have appeared to colonial inhabitants. Wagons and carts pulled by horses or oxen were piled high with sacks of flour, bolts of cloth, and kegs of gunpowder. They clattered by on the unpaved surface. The uneven road was probably mired in mud or swirling in dust, depending on the season. It was often perilous, as cart wheels could give way or become stuck, causing passengers to fall and valuable loads to sp
The star fort is worth seeing and the explanation of how the Americans tried to oust the Redcoats out of the fort is a great history lesson. Did our Butler train come over the Island Ford Rd on the way west? I don’t know at this time - it is possible. Island Ford Rd ran from a crossing on the Saluda River, which had to be crossed, and down to Ninety Six. And certainly there were roads going west out of the area of Ninety Six, but it will be a lot more research to pin down the exact route of march of the trains. Maybe someone has already looked at this and can help me out.

And, on the grounds of the park is a colonial cabin built about 1787 called The Logan Cabin. Very impressive amount of wood chopping on display and some sizeable timbers in its frame.

Leaving Ninety Six the next important stop is Abbeville - a very charming small town - one which I would like to go back and visit. They have a public library there with a wall full of genealogy, notes and diaries.

Headed SW from Abbeville on a broad highway crossing a lot of streams. Did not know it at the time, but we were running north of the line the settlers would have been on. But, we managed to cross the Savannah River on Hwy 72 and found a goldmine that I had no idea existed.

Just after we crossed into GA we found this marker: Intersection of Hwy 72 ( E-W ) which crosses the Savannah River and Bobby Brown State Park Rd ( N-S). Go south on BBSPR to get to Petersburg.

After seven miles you come to Bobby Brown State Park - ( $3 fee) - enter and drive as far as you can going south. We were there in Feb so the part of the park we needed to get to was gated and I had to walk about a half mile.
And found this:

It reads: in 1784 General George Mattews brought a number of Virginians and Carolinians, large tobacco planters to settle this section. Dionysuis Oliver laid out the town of Petersburg o the site of the earlier settlement of Dartmouth, at the union of the Broad and Savannah Rivers and built a large tobacco warehouse. Among the early settlers were Governor William Wyatt Bibb, and Judge Charles Tait, who served together in the US Senate (1813-17), the Shacklefords, and other prominent Huguenot families. Both Petersbrug and the old road to Augusta are now under water.

Information I found about Native American lands and how they were taken by the British. This method was used in China, India, and other countries as well.

This is the end of the road in Bobby Brown State Park.

Nearby is a three sided marker:

Hike to the water.

To the right of these and through a fence is a path leading south about ½ mile to the old town site of Petersburg.

Petersburg, GA

“ A “ on this map is where Zachariah and Patrick are buried. I am not positive if this is the exact same land they owned and farmed, but for now, it seems reasonable to assume it is. “ B” on this map is where they crossed the Savannah River and where the village of Petersburg GA was. At present Zachariah Butler, b. 1736 is the most distant relative on this branch of the family whose grave can be located. His father, Christopher, I assume, is buried near Hanover, VA - but we do not know where.

The map is old, circa 1839

I include it so I can point out the tiny community of Goose Pond.

It is just on the south side of the Broad River and close to Hwy 17

Goose Pond is where Meriwether Lewis’s step-father, Captain Marks, and his mother made their home in GA. I include it because if you look at the next map you see that the Lewis and the Butler families were living in close proximity. Maybe 7 miles apart. Meriwether Lewis lived in this part of GA for about 4 years and his thorough knowledge of how to live in the wilderness was learned in the vicinity of Goose Pond

Not that I am trying to ride the coattails of a famous person, but all the Butler children and grandchildren had the same opportunity. And they did learn. Children of James and Patrick moved on west to establish farms and families in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas and beyond. Today there are thousands of descendents whose very roots go right back to this spot in GA.

Thanks so much for this contribution Randy! ( Randy Wilson is a descendant of James Butler, oldest son of Zachariah Butler)

The 11th Ga and Gettysburg..150 Years later......

2011-02-20T15:47:00.000-05:00

The soil of Pennsylvania at Gettysburg contains the blood of America's finest. Young men poured out their lifeblood, forever making it sacred ground. Six months before he died at Gettysburg Lieutenant Matthew Talbot Nunnally wrote his family in and recounted the movements of the sons of Walton County.

After sickness and recovery and a short trip home, he returned to duty and died at Gettysburg with thousands of others. He was 25 years old. Henry McDaniel recounted how Matts bravery and attention to duty was reflected in everything he did. His life was cut short by the "conflict to end all conflicts". A marble statue in the Monroe Cemetery, was commissioned by his sister in his memory. It stands high above the others, his young handsome face staring forward with his sword at his side and in full uniform.

Many others died that day and were wounded from the 11th. Their lives were cut short, dreams were unfulfilled, and to the families of the fallen their memory kept forever young. As wives and parents grew old, the faces of the fallen were frozen at the moment of death.

This year marks an anniversary. Remember all those who sacrificed. Take some time to reflect, and pray that we learned something.

Directions to Zachariah Butler and Patrick Butler's Graves.....

2011-02-06T20:48:00.001-05:00

Making the trip to visit the final resting place of an ancestor can be frustrating and even disappointing. I have below some details of the directions to the graves of our Colonial Grandfathers Zachariah and Patrick Butler.

The pictures of their markers on this site are several years old and I have been told that the markers may be now laying flat on the ground and not easily seen.

The graves are located in Fortsonia Ga. below Elberton. From Hwy 17, get on George Ward Road. Located on the Dye homeplace off the road behind a house about 80 yards in a field.
I hope this helps any of you who want to make the journey to Elbert Co Ga. When you get there say a prayer of thanks for these two brave souls whose blood runs through thousands of us today.

If anyone has better directions please leave a comment for others who may want to try and find the location of these graves.

If you go out to the site and find them please let me know also.

150 Years......

2011-01-27T06:25:00.001-05:00

One hundred fifty years ago this year the tearing apart started. Before it ended in 1865, over 600,000 would fall. This is more than any other conflict in United States history. What makes us think that war is glorious? There's nothing glorious in it or about it. " Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword" Jesus Christ

In researching our family history, I found that the generation that was born and came of age in the second half of the 1800's paid a terrible price for living by the sword. That sword cut a gaping hole in almost every family including ours. Brothers fought against brothers, children became orphans, and mothers wept.

What did we learn? Was it worth it all? People were freed, the union was preserved, the living rebuilt their lives.

Now we remember the fallen and contemplate the consequences of war. We can look back and learn. There must be a little glory in that.