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 8th of Jan. 1814 to the 15th of Feb. 1814. Given under my hand this 16th 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 4th 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).
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