Artemesia Wheat Carter of GA and AL 1853-1923 #52Ancestors #9

Artemesia Elizabeth Wheat was the third of eight children born to Augustus Walter Wheat and Mary Gray Danforth Wheat. She was born November 22, 1853 in Campbell County, Georgia. She was known as Artie.

Cover Illustration taken from the cover of Harper's Weekly, September 7, 1861 

Artie grew up in a wealthy household in the old south. Her father was a merchant in Atlanta before she was born, and later an attorney and judge in Campbell County. The 1860 census shows

Wheat, Augustus W 39 M W GA
Occupation Atty at Law Property 12000, Personal 7000
Mary G 35 F
Frances M 14 F
Henry C J 13 M
John C 11 M
Artemissa 6 F
Harry W 2 M (Harvey, married Julia Morris)
3 slaves...a 45 year old female and two children, both 7 years old, male and female.

Artie's father died in 1868. I believe she is Olta in the 1870 census. 

Her mother's household:

1870 GA Campbell Co., Campbellton, PO Powder Springs, Roll M593_139, Pg 33, dwell 1101, lines 20-26, July 24th
Wheate, Mary, 56, keeping house, $1000, $200, GA, cannot read or write
Wheate, John, 21, farm labor, can read & write
Wheate, Olta?, 18, female, domestic servant, GA, cannot read or write (possibly Artie)
Wheate, Harvey?, 12, farm labor, GA
Wheate, Gilbert, 11, GA (Augustus Gilbert, actually 8, married Carzolia Lee 'Lela' Richardson)
Wheate, Anna, 8, GA (actually 11, married a Hammond, and then Joe Privett)
Wheate, Alza, 4, female, GA (married William Henry Bice)

Artie married Thomas Kendrell Carter December 19, 1873. The marriage is recorded in Douglas County.

I have not been able to find the family in the 1880 census. Per Familysearch's Pedigree Resource File Thomas died December 21, 1881. I have no idea how Artie and her children survived after Thomas' death. Her youngest child would have been less that three weeks old, and the oldest was six.

Their children were:

Mary Agnes Frances born February 18, 1875. She married Walter Millwood;

Lela Ann born April 19, 1876. She married James Benjamin Blackwell;

Samuel Thomas born July 13, 1877. He married Mary Alice Warnick;

Augustus Felton born November 7, 1878. He married Mary Ella Franklin;

William Jackson "Jack" born December 3, 1881. He married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Salter.

Artie moved her family to Jefferson County Alabama. They are found in the 7th Precinct in 1900, which would later become Hueytown.

CARTER ARTIE E 45 F W GA born November 1855
Widowed, 5 children with 5 living, she, father & mother all born in GA.
In Household:
Samuel T 27 born July, 1878
Lela A, 23 born April 1877
Augustus, 20 born November 1880
William J, 19 born Dec 18__ (shows age 17, which should be 1881)
All children shown born in GA
All males list occupation as coal miner
Birth year seems to be a year off

Based on birthplaces of children they moved to Alabama after Thomas died. I'm not sure what led the family to Alabama other than the coal mines.

Artie was living with her sister's family in Cullman County, Alabama in 1910.
Privitt, Joe, Head, 46, Marriage 1, Married 19 years, born Illinois, parents born unknown, Farmer
Privitt, Annie, wife, 49, Marriage 2, 4 children, 3 living, born GA, Parents GA
Hammond, James A, step-son, 23, single, self and parents GA, Laborer-home farm
Carter, Atie E, Sister-in law, 56, widowed, 5 children, 4 living, self and parents born GA

In 1920 Artie had moved back to Georgia and was living with her daughter's family:
1920 > GEORGIA > FULTON > COOKS DIST (North West Atlanta, about 3 miles west from downtown)

Series: T625 Roll: 253 Page: 169
Hall Street, 143/146

MILLWOOD WALTER S 49 M W GA Occupation: Carpenter, house, Parents born GA
Millwood, Mary F, wife, 44, self and parents GA
Heath, Roberta F, niece, 11, self and parents GA
Heath, Beatrice, niece, 8, self and parents GA
Carter, Artie E, mother in law, 66, widowed, self and parents GA

Artie then moved to Blount County, Alabama, presumably living with her daughter Lela Carter Blackwell until her death January 25, 1923. She is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Blountsville, Blount, Alabama.

Photo by Kimberly Crawford

Mary Gray Danforth Wheat-A Pair of Mules Back a Wagon Off a Bridge -The Result

I introduced Mary Gray Danforth Wheat in the post Augustus Walter Wheat-The One-eyed Merchant of Marthasville.  This post tells the story of her death.

From The Atlanta Constitution, Oct. 5, 1886 -- page 11 Column 2

MRS. WHEAT KILLED.

A Pair of Mules Back a Wagon Off a Bridge -The Result.

By Late grandfather of JGKlein, inherited by father of JGKlein, used with permission [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

A horrible accident occurred at Pope's bridge on the Chattahoochee river, ten miles from Atlanta, Wednesday morning, in which Mrs. Augusta Wheat lost her life, and her nephew was hurt, and narrowly escaped death too.
Mrs. Wheat lived about fifteen miles from Atlanta, and at the time she was killed was coming to Atlanta. Early Wednesday morning, Mrs. Wheat, accompanied by her nephew, a young man named Danforth, left their home in a two horse wagon, drawn by two mules. The day was a pleasant one, the roads were good, and as the mules trotted over the road, Mrs. Wheat, nor her nephew had no thought of the terrible calamity which awaited them. In reaching Atlanta it was necessary for them to cross the Chattahoochee river. Their most direct route was by the Pope bridge, and at that bridge the accident happened. A portion of the bridge is covered, and on either side of the roofed portion the sides of the bridge are protected by guards. When the team reached the bridge, the mules hesitated in stepping upon it. Young Danforth pushed them with the whip and they finally stepped upon the bridge, but advanced jumping, prancing, and shieing. Finally they came to the covered part of the bridge and stopped. The young man tried to force them on, but they refused to move forward and began backing. The young man sprang out, and grabbing one of the mules by the bridle, attempted to lead them over the bridge. He succeeded in stopping them in their backward moving and started them through the bridge but after they had advanced a short distance they again stopped and again commenced backing. The young man lost all control of the mules, and in a second they pushed the rear end of the wagon against the guard, which gave way. The instant the guard gave way the rear wheels of the wagon dropped over the edge of the bridge, and in another second the wagon was hanging in the air and the mules were on the bridge. The mules made a desperate effort to hold their own, but were quickly drawn over the edge of the bridge, and together Mrs. Wheat, the wagon, mules, and the young man, dropped into the river, a distance of eighteen feet. The water was not deep, and the instant the young man could regain his feet he began a search for his aunt. The search resulted in finding the lady dead. He carried her to the land, and then secured help from some one near by. The body was removed to a residence, and then several persons joined in recovering the mules and wagon. Both mules were badly hurt, and one of them died soon after he was taken from the water. The wagon was almost completely demolished. Mr. Danforth was considerably bruised by the fall.

There is also a handwritten account as follows:
Mrs. Augusta Wheat D 9/29
Res 15 miles from Atlanta beyond the Chattahoochee River was driving to Atlanta with her nephew F.W. Danforth in a two mule wagon. The team started accross Pope's Bridge on the river but balked and started to back up. The wagon was pushed against a guard post. Danforth having lost control of the team the guard post broke and wagon, mules, Mrs. Wheat and Danforth dropped into the river 18 feet below. Mrs. Wheat was instantly killed. One of the mules was fatally hurt and Danforth was uninjured. He is 50 years old and a well to do farmer of Cobb County. Note: was Mrs. Wheat related to Augustus W. Wheat?

The answer to that is yes. She is actually Mrs. Augustus Wheat. How do I know? Her nephew is Mr. Danforth.

I have searched for quite some time for the location of Pope's Bridge. I finally reached out to a facebook page covering Douglas County, GA entitled Every Now and Then I was delighted that +Lisa Cooper put a great effort into checking out the location for me. Jeff Champion of Champs Clocks was contacted. He is considered an expert about the stretch of the river in question. He started out by finding a map with the names of people living in the area:

Note the Pope families near the river

• From +Lisa Cooper : He is guessing that Pope’s Bridge is at the Highway 78 bridge crossing…the Bankhead Highway crossing. Look at the map he provided me. There were two Pope homes just west on Turner Ferry Road which is Bankhead/78. Turners Ferry was the crossing through the Civil War. I’m told the map was drawn in 1895 and represented folks in the area at that time.

The Georgia Genealogy page on Facebook where I had posted a query jumped into action, finding this article from The American Engineer, Vols 19-20 January 29, 1890:

Thank you to Shanna O'wen and Yvonne Mashburn Schmidt for finding this article!

I forwarded the article to Jeff Champion. Here is the reply:

"I attached a new map. The Howell Green ferry became Queen's ferry and joined with old Gordon Road near Charley Brown Airport. Near to where Six Flags is on the river. Proposed bridge would have been maybe where hwy 139 crosses now. That makes it look more like Green and Pope's bridge WAS in fact hwy 78 bridge location."


A few weeks passed, and I got an email from Jeff Champion:
"Pope's Bridge mystery solved, for real this time
Turners ferry is hwy 78, Howells ferry is at I-20 and Green and Pope's Bridge was old Gordon Road altered slightly when Charley Brown airport went in.

See the circa 1887 map. Sorry my estimate was off. OLD GORDON RD is the answer we were looking for."

Starting at the top, Turner's Ferry is the vicinity of the Current Hwy 78 Bridge. Then see Green & Pope's Bridge which is at or near the Old Gordon Road Bridge. Then see Howell's Ferry which would have been just North of current I-20.

Old Gordon Road doesn't go all the way to the river anymore. The roads were changed when the airport was built. The current location would be on 139, the bridge crossing Mableton Parkway SE and Martin Luther King Jr Drive SW.
This makes sense because if the wagon left Mary's home heading to Atlanta, it would have been in the area. Mary is shown as living in District 1273 in the 1880 Census.

For reference, the location of the bridge would be about one mile upriver from Six Flags Over Georgia.

Mary was the daughter of William and unknown. Her stepmother Mary Egerton Danforth. She was born about 1825, probably in Old Campbell County, Georgia. Her siblings were James, Alziria, Albert, John C, and William M. Her burial place is unknown, but probably in Douglas County, Georgia.

Augustus Walter Wheat- the One-eyed Merchant of Marthasville-Atlanta

Augustus Walter Wheat was born about 1821 in Georgia. He was the son of Wesley and Frances Walton Wheat. The oldest record I have found for him would be in the 895th District, 1840 Census for Cobb, Georgia. In 1845 he married Mary Gray Danforth, daughter of William and Mary Egerton Danforth.

Per an article in the Atlanta Constitution Sunday,March 17,1912, Atlanta,Georgia: Wheat street, which was changed to Auburn Avenue (in 1893), was named for Gus Wheat, who was known as the "one-eyed merchant of Marthasville." I haven't found any other references to "one-eye", but still looking. Wheat Street (now Auburn Avenue) is the historic district for Martin Luther King, Jr., and the location of Wheat Street Baptist Church. Atlanta was known as Marthasville until 1845.

Augustus owned a large grocery, warehouse, and livery business in downtown Atlanta/Marthasville. From an advertisement in Atlanta and Environs Vol 1:

December 4, 1847
A. W. Wheat
Grocer, Warehouse and Commission Merchant, Atlanta, Georgia

Has on hand, and is receiving, a large assortment of Groceries, consisting of Bagging, Rope and Twine, Coffe, Sugar, Salt, Molasses, Rice, Iron &c., which he will sell LOW FOR CASH, or exchange for country produce.

His large and commodius WAREHOUSE is ready for the reception of 2000 bales of cotton, at charges 20 per cent less than the usual warehouse rates of Augusta and Macon; he has also plenty of room in his Storehouses for Bacon, Flour &c., on consignment.
Gus is mentioned in the book Pioneer Citizens' History of Atlanta, 1833-1902 (free Google Book):

The first building erected as a house of worship in early times was Wesley Chapel, on what is now North Pryor and the junction of Peachtree street. But previous to that a small log house was built by private subscription, which was used for union services. This was in 1843, A day school was taught there also. Before this event, however, services were occasionally held in the roundhouse of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, situated on Loyd.street, about the southwest corner of the present union passenger depot. Following this services were held in the Wheat warehouse, which was situated on the southeast corner of what is now North Pryor street and Auburn avenue. 
The store address is square in the middle of Underground Atlanta....now there is a Subway and Footlocker  shoe store along with a host of junk tourist shops...my cousin Doug Justice checked with one of the curators of  Underground and they confirmed the original location as underground as the top is now a viaduct overpass. The location of the cotton warehouse would be about where the SunTrust HQ is located, North Pryor and Auburn Avenue.

By Atlantajpegs (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

In the section by John C. Hendrix: My first visit to Atlanta was in 1847. I was a boy twelve years old. My father and brothers had a wagon each, loaded with things from our farm in Lumpkin county. We sold some corn to Jonathan Norcross, at the old Norcross corner, at 50 cents a bushel. We sold some potatoes to a man named Prater, who had a little planked up store on Loyd street near the Southwest corner of Alabama street. There was a branch running across (now) Alabama street, near Pryor. So we could not go that way, owing to the mud and water. Norcross had a big, plain plank store house fronting on Marietta, the street being paved with pine slabs put down the round side up. About where the First Methodist Church now stands (Peachtree and Pryor streets) they were cutting cord wood. A little school house stood about the junction of Peachtree and Houston streets (which were then old country roads).
A man named Gus Wheat, from my old county, (Lumpkin County, Georgia) had a store somewhere, as I remember going there to see him. It did not look to me then that Atlanta would ever be a city. I came here several times each year until 1859, when I moved here.

The Atlanta Masonic Lodge Number 59 was chartered in 1847. A. W. Wheat was listed as an Entered Apprentice.

The first library in Atlanta founded 1848, at the intersection of Peachtree, Pryor, and Houston streets. A W Wheat was among the subscribers.

1850 GA Dekalb Co., Atlanta, Roll M432_67, Pg 215, dwell 261, lines 5-12, Nov 11th
Wheat, Augustus, 35 (1815), Merchant, no value listed, GA
Wheat, Mary, 25, GA
Wheat, Frances M., 4, GA
Wheat, Henry C., 2, GA
Wheat, John C., 1, GA
Crayton, Garack, 40, GA
Danforth, James, 40 (1828), GA (Mary's brother)
Adduholt, Wm., 22, ?? B(aptist) Clergyman, GA (Aderhold, married Mary's sister Alzira)
1 slave a 22 year old female

Disaster struck April 15 1850. From Atlanta and Environs Vol 1:
The City of Atlanta was fortunate in that, until April 15, 1850, it experienced no serious conflagration, and while the fire of that date claimed no human lives, it did cause considerable property loss. It was also the primary reason for the removal from the city of one of it's useful pioneer citizens.
This first fire is what might be called a "planned fire", in that it was of incendiary origin, having been set by one or more robbers for the purpose of diverting attention while they cleaned out the money drawer in the office of the Georgia Railroad freight depot. Victim of the fire was Augustus W. Wheat, who lost his store, warehouse, livery stable, and several horses. These buildings were located on the south side of Alabama Street between Pryor and Loyd (Central Avenue). It is said that Mr. Wheat was insured in the Southern Mutual, at Athens, but for some reason the company refused to pay the loss until compelled by law to do so. At any rate the old familiar store sign
"GOOD AS WHEAT"
was seen in Atlanta no more, for shortly after the fire Gus Wheat moved to Old Campbell county where he devoted the remainder of his life to farming. He died late in the year 1868. His estate was appraised by John Watson, John McClure, Jackson Moates and Belford Luck, all well known citizens of old Campbell."

There was a lot more than farming going on from 1850 to 1868. I guess the insurance from the fire finally paid.

Atlanta Weekly Intelligencer, Nov. 25, 1858 lists A W Wheat, of Campbellton, as a stockholder of one share of the Bank of Fulton, valued at $100.

1860 Series: M653 Roll: 113 Page: 341 CAMPBELL CAMPBELLTON P O
Wheat, Augustus W 39 M W GA
Occupation Atty at Law Property 12000, Personal 7000
Mary G 35 F
Frances M 14 F
Henry C J 13 M
John C 11 M
Artemissa 6 F (Artemesia Elizabeth, known as Artie, married Thomas Kendrell Carter)
Harry W 2 M (Harvey, married Julia Morris)
3 slaves...a 45 year old female and two children, both 7 years old, male and female

June 17 1861, Augustus sold 15 Army tents to the CSA @$15.00 each for a total of $225.00
August 28 1861 Enlisted at Camp Walker, Campbellton by Captain Rhodes. On muster rolls for Company D, 1st Battallion Villepigue's.
February 20 1862 "furnished" 15 tents to Co A 15th GA Regiment @$15.00 each.
Aug 27 1863 sold 10 tents for $150.00.

Augustus served in 1st Confederate Infantry and 36th Regiment GA Infantry (Villepigue's)
Sherman's march to the sea came right through Campbellton in the summer of 1864. On July 27, Union cavalry commanded by General Edward McCook tried to cross the Chattahootchee river at Campbellton, but were pushed back by Confederate forces. Skirmishes broke out along the northern section of Campbellton Road between Confederate and Union cavalry as McCook went southeast to Palmetto to destroy the railroad. Union forces occupied some of the homes in Campbellton. Many of the buildings were destroyed in the fighting. Of the 200 men that formed the Campbellton Blues regiment, only 30 returned from the war.

Ordered by the court of Campbell County, GA to make whiskey for "medicine purposes"

February 7, 1865 Agreed and ordered by the court A. W. Wheat, a citizen of said county, but a refugee in Meriwether Co. Ga, make and distill 300 gallons of good proof whisky in Meriwether County to be distributed in Campbellton for medicinal purposes at $10 per gallon.
Augustus W Wheat took oath as judge of the county court of Campbell County, GA signed June 5, 1866. I've got to wonder if the whiskey had anything to do with that.

Old Campbell Courthouse from Library of Congress

The following I have mixed feelings about...is it a way to get around owning slaves? Are they his former slaves with no other recourse? Did Augustus take them in out of kindness?

For answers to these questions I turned to +Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist. She responded on her blog post The apprentices, Apprenticing freed children .

Campbell Bond Book B p247
2 of 7
State of Georgia
Campbell County

This Indenture made and entered into this the 6th day of November 1866 between Reuben C Beavers Ordinary of said County & Augustus W Wheat of the same place of the other part witnesseth that the said R C Beavers Ordinary as aforesaid binds as apprentices unto the said A W Wheat the following minor orphan Children Freedmen having no parents living that are known & having property. Viz. Thompson Wheat boy twelve years old Mary Wheat a girl seven years old Edwin Wheat a boy five years old and Nancy Wheat – a girl three years old. All of said children to be & remain apprentices to the said A W Wheat according to the Laws of the State of Georgia until they each arrive to the age of twenty one years. And the said A. W. Wheat master as aforesaid binds himself to teach the said apprentices the businesses of house service husbandry and farming shall furnish them with sufficient wholesome food suitable clothing and necessary medicine and medical attention shall teach them habits of industry honesty & morality & shall cause them to be taught to read English & shall govern them with humanity using only the same degree of force to compel obedience as a father may use with his minor children.

Signed Sealed & Delivered
in Presents of
W. P. Strickland
J. H. Alexander J. P.

Augustus W. Wheat J. P.
R. C. Beavers (Seal) Ordy
-----.

and another:

Campbell GA Estate Bond Book B pg 256-257
256
State of Georgia
Campbell County

This Indenture made & Entered into this 15th day of April 1867 between Reuben C. Beavers Ordinary of Said county of the one part and Augustus W. Wheat of the same place of the other part. Witnesseth that the said R. C. Beavers ordinary as aforesaid binds as an apprentice unto the Said A. W. Wheat – Augustus Wheat (colored) having no parents living in the county, or state that are known & having no property (The Said Boy having Chosen and Selected the Said A. W. Wheat for his Master) The boy aged fifteen years & to be & remain apprentice unto the said A. W. Wheat according to the laws of Georgia until he is twenty one years of old. And the Said A. W. Wheat master as aforesaid
257
binds himself to teach the said apprentice the business of farming, Shall furnish him with sufficient wholesome food, suitable clothing, and necessary medicine & medical attention shall teach him habits of industry honesty and morality & shall cause him to be taught to read English & shall govern him with humanity only using the same degree of force to compel obedience as a father may use with his minor children agreeable to an act of the Legislature past March 17th 1866

Signed Sealed & Delivered into the presence of
John N?. Austin
Wm. NM. Bastlett JH

R. C. Beavers as Ord (seal)
A. W. Wheat (seal)
.

Augustus Wheat died sometime between September and December 1868. He would have been about 47.
He requested "to be buried in a common coffin & in my common or every day cloths"
Will probated Campbell Co 1868. Wife Mary Gray Wheat.

Mary still had children to raise. Here is the family in 1870:
1870 GA Campbell Co., Campbellton, PO Powder Springs, Roll M593_139, Pg 33, dwell 1101, lines 20-26, July 24th
Wheate, Mary, 56, keeping house, $1000, $200, GA, cannot read or write
Wheate, John, 21, farm labor, can read & write
Wheate, Olta?, 18, female, domestic servant, GA, cannot read or write (possibly Artie)
Wheate, Harvey?, 12, farm labor, GA
Wheate, Gilbert, 11, GA (Augustus Gilbert, actually 8, married Carzolia Lee 'Lela' Richardson)
Wheate, Anna, 8, GA (actually 11, married a Hammond, and then Joe Privett)
Wheate, Alza, 4, female, GA (married William Henry Bice)

I did find it interesting that after Augustus died, his wife Mary is listed in the 1880 census as having two black children. They appear to be the youngest two of the indentured servants:
1880 GA Douglas Co., District 1273,Roll T9_144; FHF 1254144, Pg 185.1000, ED50, dwell 127, lines 12-16, June ??
Wheate, Mary 56, widow, white, GA, GA, GA, keeping house, can read & write
Wheate, Gilbert, son, 18, white, GA, GA, GA, farm labor, can read & write
Wheate, Alzira, dau., 14, white, GA, GA, GA, at home, can read & write
Wheate, Edward, son,18, black, GA, GA, GA, farm labor, cannot read or write
Wheate, Nancy, dau., 15, black, GA, GA, GA, farm labor, cannot read or write
(The northwestern part of Campbell County became Douglas in 1870.)

I was able to "prove" Augustus Wheat's parents through DNA testing. There is some circumstantial evidence also. Wesley Wheat was in the area and had sons of Augustus' age. Augustus named one of his sons Wesley. He named a daughter Frances (his possible mother's name), and another Artemesia (who is his possible aunt). His wife Mary was in Campbell county in 1830 with her family, as was Wesley's. Wesley was in Hall county in 1820, which was one of the counties Lumpkin county was carved out of.

If you have any info on this family, I would love to hear from you.