by: Dallas Johnson
Starling T(1). JOHNSON was born in 1819 near Spartanburg, S.C. in a place that was once known as Pinckney, S.C. and believed to be the son of William L. JOHNSON b: Va.. He came to Fayette County, Alabama in the 1830s, and was among the first of many settlers to obtain original land patents of Indian land. In 1842 married Rebecca Ann CROW, daughter of 1812 War veteran (2)Lewis CROW and Catherine "Caly" WRIGHT, in Fayette County, settled on land near Pilgrims Rest, on Beaver Creek.. Many JOHNSON families lived in the area, Lemuel, Samuel, John, Elizabeth, William, Sr. and others. They were Buckskin Pioneers turned farmers, living in log cabins. On June 15, 1864, he enlisted in the Fayette Militia and according to the record was six feet tall, blue eyed, blond hair and light skin.
Starling and Rebecca JOHNSON had seven children, all
born in Fayette County, Alabama, William L. b:1842, d: March 7, 1862 in Va. while serving
in the 26th Alabama Regiment; James M. b: 1844, m: Sarah Ann WRIGHT; John, b:
1846; Mary Catherine, b: 1849, m: William Bannister OWENS on November 4, 1868; Robert B.,
b: 1854, m: Francis MOBLEY on December 8, 1860; Starling b: 1859 and Sevilla
("Villie" and "Dillie"), b: 1861, m: Bloomer GRIFFIN.
In 1861, Rebecca died, leaving Starling with minor
children. He then married the widow of John W. HAMBY, Harriet E. HUGHES. The Civil War
took its toll on the people of Fayette County and like many other families, Starling and
Harriet lost family members. They had two children: Julius Glover, b: January 24, 1864, m:
Alice Lou BLACK in White County, Georgia and Drury Bascom "Doc", b: 1867, m:
Addie ROBINSON, in White County, Georgia.
Many descendants of Starling JOHNSON live today in
Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Utah and other states. Only one great
grandson, that we know of, in Fayette County today. He is the grandson of James M. JOHNSON
and Rebecca Ann WRIGHT, Henry Lloyd JOHNSON of Fayette County.
Harriet E. Hughes was b: 1825 in Anderson, S.C., the
daughter of Elisha Hughes(3) and Margaret "Peggy"
Wilson. She was the grand daughter of Andrew Hughes, b: April 4, 1755, near Lancaster,
Pa., and Rev. War Soldier. She was also the grand daughter of Charles Wilson(4) of Anderson, S.C. and the great grand daughter of Captain
John Wilson(5), Rev. War Soldier, also born in Pa. and life
long friend of Andrew Hughes(6). Both men lived in
Anderson, S.C.
Between 1827 and 1839, Harriet E. HUGHES lived in Habersham County,
Ga.. Elisha and Margaret "Peggy" WILSON HUGHES had seven children, most of whom
settled in or near Fayette County, Al. They were: Obedience "Biddy" b: May 12,
1821 in Anderson, S.C. d: October 9, 1905 in Fayette County, Al., m: Joseph T. Smith, b:
May 9, 1818 in Anderson, S.C. d: May 24, 1889 in Fayette County, Al.; Harriet E. HUGHES,
b: 1825 in Anderson, S.C., m: John W. HAMBY in or about 1843 in Anderson, S.C., m2nd:
Starling T. Johnson in 1862 in Fayette, Al., Clarinda HUGHES, b: abt. 1829 in Habersham
County, Ga. m: George W. L. "Pinkney" JOHNSON on Dec. 26, 1850 in Fayette
County, Al.; James Thompson HUGHES, b: May 5, 1831 in Habersham County, Ga. d: June 19,
1919 in Fayette County, Al. buried Ashcraft Corners Baptist, m: first Epsy
"Callie" CLANTON b: 1840 in Al. d: abt: 1865 in Pickens County, Alabama, m:
second: Mary Jane MITCHELL, b: April 27, 1841 in Pickens County, Al. , d: Dec. 26, 1917 in
Fayette County, daughter of Asa M. MITCHELL and Sarah DORROH.; Hulda HUGHES b: abt. 1833
in Habersham County, Ga. d: Fayette County, Al. m: first: Thomas BRASWELL, second: George
W. THORNTON; Louisa Adeline HUGHES, b: 1835 in Habersham County, Ga. m: James Harvey
WILSON; William M. (McMurray) HUGHES, b: 1839 in Anderson, S.C. d: 1863, Company B. 41st.
Al. Regt.
According to family tradition, Elisha HUGHES died abt:
1839 presumably in the process of the Cherokee Indian Removal. Margaret "Peggy",
while pregnant with William M. Hughes, moved to Anderson, S.C. into the home of her
father, Charles WILSON. When Margaret "Peggy" died abt: 1847, Harriet and
Obedience, by that time, had married. They moved to Pickens County, Al. with their
husbands taking their minor siblings with them..
James Thompson HUGHES and William M. HUGHES, brothers,
were both in Company "B" of the 41st Al. Regt. These two young men
protected each other through some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. William died,
James Thompson lost his wife to measles and was captured by the enemy during the war, he
suffered greatly, physically and emotionally. Harriet, James Thompson's sister's husband
and son Billy were in the same Confederate Military Unit. James Thompson was the
only one to return home.
Starling and Harriet JOHNSON moved to Georgia in 1873, leaving many
relatives in Alabama. They wanted to be near their relatives in Habersham County and other
parts of Georgia. They lived, for a time, in Forsyth County, Georgia, staying with
Harriet's cousin, Methodist Minister and School Teacher, Andrew O. Hughes(7).
By 1879 the family had settled on land they acquired in White County, Ga(8),
approximately nine miles from Clarkesville.
Starling T. JOHNSON died on February 4, 1886, found dead outside his
barn door in a deep snow. Harriet lived on to 1906. Starling JOHNSON's descendants are
many. The JOHNSON name is most common, on a per capita basis, in the great state of
Mississippi and a majority can be traced to the JOHNSON families that settled in Fayette,
Pickens and Lamar counties in Alabama. In Fayette County, beginning before 1830 and on
back into the 1820s with Grief, Hezekiah, James, William H., Frederick, Thomas, George,
William, George T., Blassingame, Matthew, Price M. and Pleasant JOHNSON. They came
originally from Virginia, through S.C., N.C. and Tenn., blazing the trail for others who
came in wagon trains from S.C. through Georgia. From Georgia counties like Jackson,
Habersham and other counties, they came to acquire free land. Many went to Texas, fighting
the Mexicans for Texas Independence.
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1. See document number 34651, Accession number AL2880_.242, Jefferson County, Al. Land Patents, canceled then Land Patents in Fayette County issued in its place:29392, 33271, 33281, 36320.
2. See 1812 War Pension applications by Lewis Crow then Catherine Crow and then Mary Ann Crow, daughter on file at the Fayette County, courthouse.
3. See "Some Georgia Descendants of Revolutionary Veteran, Andrew Hughes" by: Mike Miller, North Georgia Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1, Spring, 1988, pp. 35-42.
4. See Anderson Co., S.C. Office of Probate Judge. Roll 967, estate of Charles Wilson, Jane Wilson and Bryon Burroughs Adm. Widow Jane, children: William Hamby and wife, Robert Wilson, Jane T. Wilson, Sarah Wilson, Martha Wilson, Peggy Hughes, Ephrian Smith, John E. Smith.......July 1843."
5. See John Wilson's Will of 1823-25, Anderson, S.C. it names Charles Wilson as his son. John Wilson is buried in the Anderson Cemetery next to his wife, Nancy Lide.
6. See "Some Georgia Descendants of Revolutionary Veteran, Andrew Hughes" by: Mike Miller, North Georgia Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1, Spring, 1988, pp. 35-42.
7. See "Some Georgia Descendants of Revolutionary Veteran, Andrew Hughes" by: Mike Miller, North Georgia Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1, Spring, 1988, pp. 35-42.
8. White County, Ga. was formed in 1858 from a portion of Habersham County.