1. Thomas
J. SPENCER (1)(2)
was born on 14 Jul 1813 in TN.(3)
(4) 1850 Cass Co., GA census shows Thomas Spencer, age 36, Farmer,
Real Estate Value $1600, born in Tenn.
1860 Gordon Co., GA census
shows Thomas Spencer, age 45, Farmer, Real Estate Value $1500, Personal
Value of $1800, born in Tenn. He was buried in Nov 1864 in Gordon Co.,
GA - Bethlehem Baptist. He died on 28 Nov 1864 in Gordon Co., GA.
Taken from James A. Smith's Memoirs (grandson): My grandfather Spencer, Mother's father, was foully murdered by the Scalawags. They were a few men that were banded together for a pretense to protect the women and children while the men were away in the army. In reality, they were banded together to defend themselves from the conscript officers. Instead of protecting the women and children, they were terrifying them. They were gifted in evening up old scores that they may have had with honorable people. Three of these came to my grandfather's one day under the pretense of a citizen's meeting to be held at Sonoraville in the afternoon. They wanted dinner. Mother was weaving cloth on an old homemade loom trying to make cloth to help clothe the men in the service. She quit her weaving and cooked dinner for the three men. After dinner grandfather rode away with them for the meeting. About dark that evening his horse came home. Times were so precarious that they did not dare to try to find him that night. The next morning they found him lying in the road dead. He had been shot from his horse. The night after the funeral was a real trying time for the family. There were three boys in the home that were not quite old enough for the Army. As there was very little law to protect the helpless, every one had to be his own protector. As these men were a law unto themselves, so they felt that these three boys might try to be a law unto themselves in trying to defend and protect their home. So after what had happened, the people were afraid to have lights in the home. In a shed not far from the house, a dog was tied to keep and protect itself and the family. As a means to try to coach these three boys out in the dark, someone whipped that dog most all the night. The three boys were forced to go into the Army, though they were under age.
Notes from Presley Smith's
GEDCOM file
!BIRTH: Bethlehem Baptist
Church Cemetery, Gordon county, GA
!DEATH: Bethlehem Baptist
Church Cemetery, Gordon county, GA
!NOTES: Spencer family notes
state David came from England with parents. (I don't know what this note
could have been referring to since David Spencer, his son, was born in
Georgia.)
!NOTES: Masonic emblem on
the tombstone and there are several Lewis families buried close to Thomas.
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/cass/history/136cass.txt lists a Thos. Spencer as a member of the Grand Lodge of Georgia in 1854, (Cassville Lodge No. 136, Cassville, Cass County, GA).
Notes from a file in Cartersville,
Bartow County Genealogical Society, also by Presley Smith:
Thomas Spencer also bought
land in Cass County:
page 29 - Grantor: Morris,
William of Dekalb Co., GA to Grantee: Spencer, Thomas 18 Mar 1845 - lot
317, dist 5, sec 3
page 315 - Grantor: Lewis,
David, Cass Co., GA to Grantee: Spencer, Thomas 05 Oct 1846 - lot
225, dist 5, sec 3.
He was married to Ruth W. LEWIS
on 24 Dec 1839 in Cass Co., GA. Marriage Bonds 1837-1843 Book "B" of Cass
County, GA. which is now Bartow County Ruth W. LEWIS
was born about 1816/17 in SC.(5)
(6) 1850 Cass Co., GA census shows Rachel W. (or M.) Spencer,
age 35, born in SC.
1860 Gordon Co., GA census
shows Ruth W. (or M.) Spencer, age 42, Domestic, born in SC.
1880 Gordon Co., GA census
shows Ruth W. Spencer, age 62, mother-in-law, widowed, Works in House,
born in GA, parents born in SC.
Notes from Presley Smith's
GEDCOM:
!BIRTH: 1860 Census of Gordon
county, GA
!NOTES: Spencer family records
state: Native of Georgia and had a trace of Cherokee Indian Blood. Thomas
J. SPENCER and Ruth W. LEWIS had the following children:
+2
i.Francis Elizabeth "Fannie"
Barilla SPENCER.
+3
ii. Thomas Lowry SPENCER.
+4
iii. Wesley "Wes" or
Western H. SPENCER.
+5
iv. David Warren SPENCER.
+6
v. Mary Jerusha SPENCER.
+7
vi. Nancy Elmyra SPENCER.
+8
vii. Ruth Alice SPENCER.
