MyKindred.com Families

(my file: CLOUDS in GEORGIA.doc)

From: Betty Sue White <bettysue - at - erols.com>
To: manac - at - planttel.net <manac - at - planttel.net>; webmaster - at - mykindred.com
Date: Friday, April 17, 1998 3:31 AM
Subject: Clouds in Georgia

 Since the book, The Barber Family (my mother's side), is down, I have a typed copy of some of it.   Chapter 1 is about one of my ancestor's Captain Georgia Barber of Georgia.  I'll quote some interesting parts of pages 2 and 3.   There is mention of Jeremiah CLOUD and his sons, Ezekial and Noah CLOUD.  Please note that Ezekial makes mention of "my father and two brothers" but the third brother is not named".  Here goes:

(This letter was written during the Revolution, after Cornwallis had surrended at Yorktown, and before Savannah was re-captured by the colonials.)

"Dear Sir:
     I have received yours of the 23rd and 27th and am much obliged to you for the Army Intelligence.  Every precaution in my power shall be taken to prevent the British hirelings from Executing their Cruel and Bloody Designs on the good Citizens of the State.  Since my last to you there came in a party of Indians, attached a block house on the Twenty third.  After keeping up a fire for some time they went on killing six head of cattle and every valuable horse.  They were pursued by Capt. Barber to the South Fork of the Oaconey which must be nere Whare McIntosh is to Rendezvous but his horse failing he was obliged to Return and on the Twenty fifth another party of about fifteen Indians appeared neare a Station in the Fork of the Brod River & Savannah whare they shot and kiled a Mrs. Rose which they scalpd and appeared as if they ment to storm but by the spireted exertions of four men only that was at the Station saling out put the Invaidors to such a Surprise they went off in grate presapitation--Major Dooly having a Party of collected on the first occasion mounted Before Day to whare the murder was done to ppersue two Days but for want of horses sufficient to follow on he was forced to return--the Indians not striking Camp the hole way the Major went through Captain Barber on his Return Fell in with Them had a scammage, Drove the Indians took all their Budgets and provisions. 

Retook the Scalp, they maid their Excape by taking to large Cain Swamp.  The last mischife done only five miles from whare I live, I send orders for Cols. Martin and Lee to met me at the Place of Rendevous if I can have a few Days to Collect the Militian and McIntosh meets as the Peechtree if we can fall in with his part I hope we shall be able to give a good Account of Them---.  Pleased to inform General Wyan the Reasons of my not going Down to camp by the first oppertunity--by the Conduct of the British Ammissaries & Savages they appide as if they Intended to Desappoint us in our planting Business and prevent us from Securing our small grain as they have maid frequent inroad on our Settlements in a short time---.
 
     I am with grate respect and Esteem-----
                        E. Clark"

From the Revolutionary Pension application of David H. Thurmond, (S32010 Rev) is the following statement:
 
"About the ___ dau of February 1782 Col. Elijah Clark gave us orders to go on a Scout against the Indians, they having committed some murders in the County of Wilkes, Georgia.  And, some time in July 1782, Col. Barber and this declarant (David H. Thurmond) being our spying, found signs of Indians, and went in to the settlements and gave notice, collected a party, crossed the Oconee at the Big Shoala, and a few miles from there we had a skirmish, killed one Indian, and took two Torie prisoners--carried the latter to the Big Shoals where they were hanged--.  That the Militia to which he was attached was called Minute Men, and were expected to be ready to march at a minutes warning----."

"From the Revolutionary pension application of Ezekiel CLOUD is the following statement:"

        "That in the year Seventeen hundred and eighty two about the last of April or first of May this deponent (Ezekial CLOUD) resided in the County of Wilkes State aforesaid in a Fort Called Hintons Fort on Chickesaw Creek--that deponent's father Jeremiah CLOUD had a block house about four miles distant from the Forest which he had built as a place of refuge for his family at the time (as this deponent had been informed by his brother Noah Cloud who as at the block house aforesaid).  One evening about sunset the horse belonging to this deponent's father and brother aforesaid came running up to the block house and appeared very much frightened.  They then suspected an attack from the Indians and tied the horses in the yard and they then enclosed themselves in the block house and in a few minutes the Indians commenced firing at the block house and continued for about four hours during which time they killed the horse belonging to deponent's brother Noah CLOUD and wounded a mare belonging to deponent's father.  The Indians then left the block house and went to a cowpen about two hundred and fifty yards off and killed five milch cows which were enclosed in it and they took nearly fore-quarter of each cow.  My father and two brothers kept the block house until morning and Noah CLOUD then came to the fort and brought news of the circumstances above related.  In consequence of which attack from the Indians, George Barber who was a Lieutenant in Capt. Gunnel's company raised a volunteer Company (of which deponent was one) of twenty men besides himself in order to persue them.  The Company then preceeded to the Block house where deponent saw the horses and cows which the Indians had killed--they then induced the Company to believe that they were the Creek Indians and followed them nearly three days but could not overtake them.  We then left the trail (one of our Company shot at a deer to get provisions about this time) and went a north course to see if we could find any Indian camps late in the evening on the day we left the trail.  We came to a fresh trail which led towards the White Settlements which we followed till nearly dark and crossing a large creek we left a guard until dark, went about a mile and hobbled our horses out to graze (having nothering to feed them with) and then encamped for the night.  That night the Indians stole this deponent's horse and seven other horses besides belonging to the Company and as deponent is now on oath he has no scruples in saying his horse at that time was worth one hundred dollars.  The next morning part of the Company tracked the Horses back to the large Creek toward the Creek Nation.  The Company generally believed that the Indians were in persuit or heard the gun of one of our Company fired at a deer and persued on after us until night and stole our horses and then returned to the Creek Nation."
        "We then kept the same trail toward the White Settlements but had not preceeded far before we met a Company of Indians whereupon a fight immediately ensued.  The Indians kept up a firing and retreating for about half a mile, when they hid themselves in a swamp.  We took from the battle ground twelve packs which belonged to the Indians and found among them the scalp of a white woman that was killed on the frontier of Wilkes County and deponent was informed some time afterwards that this was a company of Creek Indians and that one of them was wounded in the Skirmish and to the best of deponent's knowledge and belief his horse was taken by the Creek Indians."
 
(Hope someone may be able to identify this Jeremiah and sons.  I've often wondered about them.)