Dale County AlArchives News.....Local Records-Dale County September 25 1985 ************************************************ 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 April 24, 2004, 3:57 pm Southern Star The History Corner (Southern Star Wed. Sept. 25, 1985-7B) Local Records-Dale County By Creel Richardson Within its life-span of 161 years official life and activities of the people of Dale County-created in 1824 have centered around four sites with court houses in each for the storage of records. The first was at Richmond-1825-30 near present day Grimes- a log structure originally erected by Robert Irvin and Pelatiah Whitehurst for Henry County. The second was Daleville- 1830-43 with a court house of round logs, one door at the east end and one on the north side. This structure was replaced in 1837 with Pouncy's store house. The third site was present day Newton on the hill overlooking the Choctawhat-chee. The creation of Coffee County in 1841 made it necessary to move the county seat to a new location. The official transfer was made in 1843 when court house and jail facilities were completed. Newton remained the official location until 1869 when the court house and all records were destroyed by fire. Newton's first court house was a small two-story frame structure- with the court room on the first floor, and the county offices on the second floor. It was replaced in 1857 when Abel Echols erected a more 'commodious' building with the offices on the ground floor and the court room upstairs. Accompanied by controversy and a court case, Ozark became the fourth and final site for the county seat in 1873. The Masonic Lodge served as the center for official business until a new frame court house was completed in 1872-73. This building remained in service until it and the official records were destroyed by fire in 1884. The three buildings erected since that time have been of brick and mortar. Loss of the official records requires one to search other sources for accurate information about the history of Dale County during its first 60 years. Items on display in front of Dr. Bridges and his staff members- except map (upper right) are copies of documents from Alabama Archives relating to Dale County history. The Map No. 1 (1820) outlines the segment of the Fort Gaines Road from the big Escambia river by way of Fort Crawford to the Choctawhatchee river. This was a military road cut out by a contingent of Andrew Jackson's Army during the War of 1812 from Fort Gaines to Pensacola. Many early settlers traveled this road enroute to their new homes in Southeast Alabama. On August 31, 1861, Capt. W.T. McCall, Company Commander, stationed at Camp Hardee near Pensacola, certified that the Muster Roll (center) listed the 'whole number and true condition' of Company F, Dale Guards, Alabama Volunteers of the Seventh Regiment of the Confederate States; and that the remarks by the name of each officer or soldier were correct. The Dale Guards had left Barnes Cross Roads, Dale County, April 3, 1861 for service in the Pensacola region. Listed on the Muster Roll were 4 commissioned officers 8 non- commissioned and 60 privates. Ten from Butler county, and five from Escambia County, Fla. had joined the Dale Guards. Thirty-eight members of the company were sick, six were on 'Special duty at the Measles Hospital' and one on 'Special duty at the General Hospital'. Cader Carroll and L.M. Holland were on furlough by order of the Commanding General. Green Heath and J.D. Sheffield died in the General Hospital August 19 and 31 respectively. L.C. Bishop died in the Measles Hospital on July 25. Harrison Peacock, age 45, and Abraham Riley, age 55, had been discharged. As of September 6, 1865, Probate Judge Daniel Carmichael certified that (left Muster Roll) and 'sworn in the presence of Almighty God' that they would 'henceforth faithfully support,protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the Union of the States thereunder' and 'in like manner abide by and faithfully support all laws and proclamations which have been made during the existing Rebellion with reference to the emancipation of slaves.' In an election in Dale County August 31, 1865, Ransom Deal and J.C. Matthews were elected as delegates to the Alabama Constitutional Convent- ion- sometimes called the 'Restoration' Convention- which met in Montgomery from Sept. 12 to Sept. 30. One ordinance approved by the Convention required the General Assembly of Alabama to enact legislation providing for a Census of the citizens of the State in 1866. Act No. 99, approved February 21, 1866, to implement this Ordinance, required enumerators to gather a 'true estimate' of the whole 'number of the members belonging' to each family, and to include 'how many were lost in the service during the late war, died of sickness or were killed in battle, or were disabled by wounds.' In its first regular session after the census was taken, representatives to the General Assembly would be 'apportioned among the several counties entitled to such representation, according to their respective number of white inhabitants.' A careful check of the Dale County census of 1866 indicates that a total of 378 died of sickness, 196 were killed in battle, and 26 were disabled during the Civil War- a total of 600 casualties from 508 families. One writer estimates that 1200 men from Dale County entered Confederate Service during the War. From the Newspaper files of Harold Stephens Scanned and Submitted by Christine G. Thacker. Permission to post any Southern Star article or pictures given by Mr Joseph Adams, Owner, April.23, 2004. This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/alfiles/ File size: 6.0 Kb