Ezekiel Dunagan 1814 Spy

This story is taken from an article written by Sybill McRay on Hall County History, The Times newspaper on November 30, 1969. The title of the article was “Where is site of old Fort built in Hall County!”

In all probability one or more forts were located in the section of Hall County that was cut off from Jackson County territory. Forts were usually erected on the untamed frontier for the protection of the pioneer settlers and Hall County – which was created in 1818 – was the untamed frontier in the late 1700’s and 1800’s.

When the white man first came to the Jackson County area of Georgia around 1785, he found the land inhabited by the Creek and Cherokee Indians. The dividing line between the two tribes was in the vicinity – the Creeks living mostly to the south and the Cherokees to the north. There seems to have been peaceful co-existence with each tribe having separate hunting grounds; however, the early pioneer lived in constant danger either from a few renegade Indians or from wild animals.

An old map published in “Historical Notes on Jackson County” by Frary Elrod, shows that a fort was once located on the North Fork of the Oconee River. Some records of this old fort still exist, but the exact location is unknown. This possibly the Fort Early from which invoices were filed by Sgt. Anthony Storey in 1814. A notation on one of the documents indicates that Fort Early was “near the Oconee” which apparently refers to the North Fork of the Oconee River.

One invoice of interest: “Georgia, Jackson County. I, Anthony Story Sergeant and Commander of Fort Early…..do certify that two spies were stationed at the above fort, by order of Major Patton, for the term of 39 days, viz, from 8^th of Jan. 1814 to the 15^th of Feb. 1814. Given under my hand this 16^th day of Feb. 1814. Anthony Storey, Sergt. Commandent.”

A muster roll certified by Capt. Joseph Whorton listing the soldiers stationed on the frontier of Jackson County gives the names of “Benjamin Whorton, Spie, F. Early and Ezekiel Dunegin, Spie, F. Early.” (Ezekiel Dunegin (Dunagan) is my 4^th great grandfather. The term Spie or Spy is reference to soldiers who were territory scouts or did ground reconnaissance duty.) The muster roll also identifies several forts in the area: Fort Yargo, Fort Harrison, Fort Daniel, and Fort Flawyd (Floyd). The site of most of the fortifications is now lost to the passing of time. However, the exact location of two forts is known. Fort Yargo, built about the year 1793 and still standing, is now a Georgia State Park in Barrow County; a historical plaque marks the site of Fort Daniel near Hog Mountain. All the forts were similar in construction. There were built of logs and were surrounded by a stockade which was erected by standing logs upright in the ground.

The first white settlement in what is now Hall County was Gillsville. It was first named “Stonethrow”. Whether this name was used by the Indians on their travels to and from Augusta, GA. And Nacoochee and Tallulah territory is not known. Several Indian villages were located not far from the village of “Stonethrow” and evidently something was a stone’s throw from something else. Stonethrow, or Gillsville, was very near the important Lacoda Trail which the Indians traveled for trading purposes and this suggests that since the settlement was very near at least one fort which was built on this frontier which was the furthermost white settlement. When Jackson County was created in 1796 there were already 43 people living at Stonethrow (now Gillsville).

Joseph Dunegan

I came across this website that has a partial roster for Colonel David S. Booth's 4th Regiment of Georgia Militia that were called to service in the Creek War, as part of the War of 1812. There is a Joseph Dunegan listed as a member of Captain Mercer's company in November 1814, while the regiment was posted at Fort Hawkins, Georgia.

http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/military/warof1812/boon.txt

Fort Hawkins was built in 1806 near Macon, Georgia, along the Ocmulgee River to serve as a defensive military post in response to attacks by the Creek Indians in the area. When the Creek Indian war broke out in 1813 at the instigation of the British, Georgia called forth approximately 3600 militia troops to Fort Hawkins to protect the southern boundary of settlement from attack by Creek Indians and to provide support and reinforcements for General Andrew Jackson who was en route to Mobile in response to hostile Creek and Seminole Indian, as well as British, activity in the West Florida territory. Apparently Colonel Booth's regiment, which had a large contingent of men from the Jackson/Franklin county area of Georgia, under the leadership of Major General John McIntosh proceeded west to Fort Mitchell on the Chattahoochee river in present day Alabama. From there the Georgia militia units under General McIntosh's command engaged the Creeks in several small battles or skirmishes. Some of these men later accompanied General Jackson further west and fought at the Battle of New Orleans in January of 1815. I wonder if this Joseph Dunegan listed in Colonel Booth's regiment might be Joseph Ellis Dunagan. He would have been about 20 or 21 years old at the time and might very well have served in the local militia when it was called up for action. Below are links to sites that contain information about the Georgia Militia's role in the Creek War, including a portion of a book on Google books. I'm still researching this for more details, but I thought I would share what I found tonight.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gataylor/regim.htm

http://books.google.com/books?id=37Dnvmkm1wsC&pg=PA46&dq=booth+4th+georgia+militia+fort+hawkins&hl=en&ei=Oa9hTZuoHsP58AaSisXfCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=fort%20mitchell&f=false

Justin Lawhon

Joseph Ellis Dunagan

The Sarah Sands

Joseph Ellis Dunagan (1793-1861) is my 3rd great grandfather and the oldest child of Ezekiel and Lydia Ann Dunagan. He married Lucinda “Lucy” Beall 15 Feb 1820 in Gainesville, Hall County, GA.They had the following children:

• Fredrick Dunagan born 2 Nov 1824 in Hall County, GA, married Lanesa Kirbow, 22 Oct 1846.
• Lydia Dunagan born 17 Feb 1826 in Hall County, GA, died 7 Apr 1891, married James Miller.
• Ezekiel Dunagan born 15 Jan 1829 in Hall County, GA, died Feb 1906 in Hall County, GA, married Delilah Trotter, 26 Feb 1850/2nd wife was Sarah Bryant, sister to Francis Samanthra Bryant Dunagan(John Franklin Dunagan's wife)
• Martha Dunagan born 12 Dec 1830 in Hall County, GA, married John Highfield.
• John Franklin Dunagan born 15 Oct 1832 in Hall County, GA, died 13 Aug 1890 in Hall County, GA/married Francis Samanthra Bryant.
• Alpheus Benton Dunagan born 17 Feb 1835 in Hall County, GA,/d. 1892 in Harris County, GA/ married Nancy Beall on 29 Oct 1876. Known as A. B. Dunagan, CSA veteran (served with 3rd GA Cavalry) and was a physician.

Joseph Ellis Dunagan lived life in a large way. He served in the Georgia State Senate for 23 consecutive years representing Hall County, Georgia. Many of the local people and fellow legislators referred to Joseph Dunagan as "Ole Constitution Joe" because of his ability and willingness to recite the U. S. and State Constitution from memory at the asking. But Joseph Dunagan was a self taught man, an adventurer, a pioneer and a risk taker. In the 1850 Federal census, which reported that Joseph Dunagan was a wealthy farmer with liquid assets of over $7000 dollars, owning a 1000 acre farm along the Chattahoochee River near Gainesville, GA. He built a large colonial home which is now covered by the waters of Lake Lanier in the area known as Holly Park near Gainesville.

In 1850, Joseph Ellis Dunagan decided he would go to California and prospect for gold. I found his name on a ship manifest, called the Sarah Sand, an ironclad steamship that left from Panama and ended up in San Francisco, CA. The ship manifest listed below shows Joseph Dunagan with servant:

20 December 1850 — PASSENGERS MANIFEST – San Francisco, CA

PASSENGERS

Per Steamship Sarah Sands, from Panama — Edward Hartman, Mrs Edward Hartman, Mr and Mrs Holdworth, Geo Levy, J L Janes, Win Antony, H W Nolting, Mr Guy, landed at Acapulco, Madame Planel, Dr Gautier, Manuel Cosco, landed at Acapulco, Chas E Bowers, S L Coye, Jas Bowman, Mr David, Mr Devefsier, J H Adler, Mr Hierch, Jno Price, Hubert King, James Davis, Joseph Colinridge, Joseph Mitchell, Robert Burns, John Eddy, James Gillespie, Madame Antoine Rebard, Antoine Rebard and child, Wm Hill, Wm Hetly, John Cradduck, Daniel Munay, Patrick Hennedy, Jas Mitchell, Wm Clinsai, John Williams, Geo Phillips, Alex McCracken, Richard Brown, L Levy, Lorenzo Dow, H W Schrobell, B Schrobell, Mr Rocher, Mr Bigot, Mr Permit, Joseph Dunagan and servant, Nath'l P Harden, Stephen B Hutchings, Wm Pierce, Green Russell, Jas Sutton, Andrew Brown, Wm W Baker, Reuben C Conner, P L Pit- Tier 1 , Isaac Morris, Jas Schoemaker, R B Mc- Cutchen, W J Duboy, J J Burt, Benj Barton, Jas Barker and servant, John Barker, H B Gibbs, Cornelius Hoyt, Dau'l Wearer, Mrs Dedros, Louis Raper. Per Steamer Gold Hunter, from Oregon — H Q Adams, O J Backus, G A Barnes," Wm S Emoiy, G L Stark, Abel Avery,A M Starr, Ed Burroughs, H G Pembertou, Jno Harris, Capt Hall, Wm Buckliu jr, Dr Stewart, Jos Eiy, David Ery, John Ery, C F Woln, Wm Curtis, A A Horn, Conrad Meyer. John Sullivan, Capt Knighton, Mr Dennison, Lieut Maynard, Capt Simmons.

Accompanying Joseph was his good friend from Hall County, GA, Lorenzo Dow Woods(1805-1889), who was the father-in-law of Joseph's brother Stephen Reid Dunagan. From what I can tell they made it to Panama by land or sea, I'm not sure, and paid for the passage to San Francisco, CA, a full month journey. From there we do not know were the group went to, however, we do know that Joseph Ellis Dunagan brought back gold nuggets from his prospecting expedition in California. Joseph was also known as a religious man, a devout Methodist, and it is told that he held prayer and revival meetings among the other prospectors while in California.

We believe he came back with Lorenzo Dow Woodes and his man servant over land through St. Louis, MO, but we have no documentation to verify this return trip. We do know that he returned with refined and minted gold which he buried on his farm in Georgia.

The second trip to the gold fields out west was in 1859 or 1860, and all we know is that Joseph traveled by land this time. When the Civil War broke out, the group from Gainesville, Hall County, GA, that Joseph had traveled with begin the journey home to Georiga. Joseph took sick and was taken in by a family in Illinois and cared for until he died in 1861 and was buried near St. Claire, Illinois. I have never located his grave so if any of you researchers out there have located Joseph Ellis Dunagan's grave in St. Claire, IL, please communicate with me. What I found most interesting is that Joseph Ellis Dunagan turned 65 years old on his second trip to prospect for gold at Pike's Peak in Colorado. Obviously, he was not a person afraid of a challenge

Below is more evidence that this was Joseph Ellis Dunagan accompanied by one man servant. This is the 1850 Federal Census showing slave owners in Hall County and at the bottom of the left column, Joseph Dunagan is listed as owning 1 male, age 50, black.