Dale County AlArchives News.....Some Early History of Al. ( Cox Family & Others) August 23 1904 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Christine Thacker http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00033.html#0008100 May 18, 2004, 4:32 pm Ozark Tribune OZARK TRIBUNE, AUG. 23, 1904 BY REQUEST, I REPRODUCE SOME EARLY HISTORY OF ALABAMA Mr. Editor: I have been ruminating over the days when I was a boy, and the things that happened then. I will first commence my own generation and their happenings. My great grandfathers came over from Ireland at an early day. They were of Scotch and Irish blood, and settled in North Carolina about 1750, their sir names both being Cox. My grandfather, Edward Cox, married Nancy Cox and they moved to Georgia where they lived a while and then moved to Alabama, on Pea River. As they came through the Indian nation one night while asleep the Indians killed one of their oxen, took the hide off one quarter, built a fire and jerked it in the road. My grandfather had three brothers, they followed Daniel Boon's track west. My grandmother had two brothers who moved to Alabama. Charles Cox settled in Russell county, and Manuel Cox in Barbour county in about 1816 or 17. When the Indians put on the war paint in 1836, the white settlers had to build forts or block houses for the protection. A fort was build at Fort Gaines, Ga., out of logs set on end stockade fashion. It was for the women and children while the men scouted the woods for Indians. Finally peace was restored and they went to their homes. The settlements were far apart and no roads except Indian trails leading up the Choctawhatchee river on the east side of Eufaula, then called Erwinton, an old Indian trading post, and another out to Pea river. A man by the name of Cooly living near Columbia, Ala., went to the upper settlement of Barbour county and swapped for an Indian pony and brought it home. Soon after this the Indian pony left him. He mounted his cropeard pony with hunter's wallet and rations across his saddle and hatchet in hand to blaze the trail. They traveled through the woods for this was a desert then, no one living near. The pony took a northwest course, heading the Big Mercy, and then struck Choctawhatchee near the old black house that Jackson' s army built for the protection of women and children from the Indians. The horse crossed the river there, then crossed Hurricane creek where Thomas Andrews afterwards built a mill. The horse then took the ridge as the Newton and Honeytown now runs and made a turn at China Grove camp ground taking route now known as the Daleville and Louisville road. Mr. Cooley blazed he trail as he went and returned the same route. My father settled on Clay Bank creek about the year 1829. There being but few living near and the Indians roving the country over. One day while at work he heard a gun fire and the cows came running home. He knew there was trouble at hand as frontier men were always on the alert. He gathered his neighbors, Henry Stokes, Noel Dowling, Samuel Hallford, Gordon Hallford and others and went on trail of the course. They soon found father's bell ox shot down and the bell gone, they went on a little farther and found the Indians. Noel Dowling being the first to see the Indians fired, missed his man. The Indian fell down, rolled over and over like a log to his wigwam, and sixteen warriors came up with guns in hand, they denied having the bell. The way the posse had of getting away from the Indians was by yelling, "come on boy, we have got 'em," the Indians took fright and left. This happened in the flat where S. M. Blackman now lives. Now for some of the trials of the early settlers and their ups and downs with wild beast of the forest. A man by the name of King built a mill where Jordon Brook's mill now stands, and a man by the name of Allen Carter was the miller, and one day while he was down in the pit at the meal chest he saw something jump in at the door, he thought it was a yellow dog, the next thing he knew a panther jumped on him. The floor being made of boards and not nailed down, the panther got his foot into a crack and Carter held him down until some men at work near by could come and kill the beast with their grubbing hoes. A man by the name of Hampton Parish, who lived where Jason Fain now lives went out to look after his cows on Favorite branch right over back of where Charlie Stokes' field now is, he heard a long squeal and went to see what was the matter, a bear had a hog, Mr. Parish hollowed at the bear, when the bear discovered him and ran Mr. Parker up a saplin, having a woodman's hunting knife he struck the bear in the eye and he left him. A man by the name of Jack Matthews lived near Coffee Springs, in Coffee county, a wild cat went to his house one day and jumped on him. One day while Mr. Jack Sasser who lived at what we know as the Billie Blackman place near McSwain's mill, was at work in his field one attacked him. It was nothing uncommon to hear the scream of wild beasts. Over near Sylvan Grove late one evening while a negro woman was gone to the spring for water she heard her baby scream, she hurried back and found a raccoon trying to drag her child the door. W.F. Cox Some other names in the Ozark Tribune, Aug. 23, 1904 Lewis School House---- Mrs. Phillips is visiting her son, Mr. J. S. Phillips in this community. Mr. H. H. Hales has been sick, getting better. Mr. Irving Lewis is very unwell. ******************************* Mrs. Lillie Parker returned from a visit to Enterprise. Dan McNair visiting relatives in Troy. Mr. D.L. Walker of Oateston, Barbour county visited relatives in the city. Mrs. Carrie Watford of Hilliardville, Henry co, sister of Mrs. J. M.Oppert is visiting in Ozark. Jim Thomas of near Skipperville visited relatives in Ozark. Mrs. H. O. Dowling is visiting in Montgomery. Pearce Cousins has arrived in the city. Mr. Jesse Adams of Montgomery visiting relatives. Miss Willie Parker after visiting relatives in Enterprise is now home. Thelma McNair home after a visit to Dothan. Mrs. W. H. Simmons visiting her father Judge J. M. Carmichael in Montgomery. Mrs. J. W. Hilliard visiting friends and relatives in Montgomery and Troy. Mr. T. B. Wallace of Tallassee is visiting his sons, C. N. and J. M. Wallace Additional Comments: Later Cathy wrote that Ft. Gaines was built 1816 not 1836?? This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 6.8 Kb