Brooks-Twiggs-Bulloch County GaArchives Biographies.....Bozeman, John David 1836 - living in 1913
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 19, 2004, 10:05 pm

Author: William Harden
p. 819-821

   JOHN DAVID BOZEMAN. A well known and prosperous agriculturist of Brooks
county, John David Bozeman has for nearly forty years been successfully engaged
in his independent and useful occupation, his estate being situated three miles
north of Quitman, on the Tallokas road, and being considered one of the most
attractive in the vicinity. He was born October 26, 1836, in Jefferson county,
Florida, a son of David Bozeman.

   His paternal grandfather, Luke Bozeman, was born, it is supposed, in
Maryland, where the name was formerly spelled Boseman, a form still retained by
some members of the family. Migrating southward, he settled in Twiggs county,
Georgia, as a pioneer. Georgia was then a frontier state, Indians being far more
numerous than whites. Purchasing a tract of wild land, he reclaimed a homestead
from the forest, and there spent the remainder of his years. He married Sarah
Mann, who was also a native of Maryland, and to them five sons and three
daughters were born as follows: Elizabeth, Dorothy, David, James, Luke, William
and Eldred.

   Born and reared in Twiggs county, Georgia, his birth occurring February 16,
1794, David Bozeman grew to manhood on the home farm, for many years assisting
in its management. About 1830, accompanied by his brother-in-law, Solomon
Mathews, and by Thomas Mathews, and their families, he removed to Florida. They
made the trip with ox teams, taking along their household goods and stock,
cooking and camping by the wayside, each night some of the men standing guard
against the raids of Indians. They all located in Jefferson county, being among
the earliest settlers of that place. For many years thereafter there were no
railways in either Georgia or Florida, the people living in a very primitive
style, with few conveniences of any kind. Their first act almost was to build a
stockade or fort of logs, to which the women and children could flee when the
dusky savages started on a raid. Taking part in the Indian war of 1836, David
Bozeman served as first lieutenant of his company.

   Soon after locating in Jefferson county, David Bozeman purchased from the
government one hundred and sixty acres of land, and on it built of round logs
the house which the family occupied a few years, when a substantial frame house
was erected in its place. The nearest markets and trading points were
Tallahassee and Port Leon, thirty-five miles distant, and all surplus
productions of the land were hauled there by ox teams. He, in common with all of
the pioneers, labored hard, in addition to tilling the land tanning the skins
and making the shoes for the family, for several years using coon skins, while
his wife did her cooking by the fireplace, and in addition to her other domestic
duties used to card, spin and weave the material from which she fashioned all
the garments worn by the family. On the farm which he cleared and improved, he
lived until his death, February 16, 1848.

   David Bozeman was twice married. He married first Sarah Mann, who lost her
life by accident, having been burned to death. He married second, Catherine
Barr, who was born in Florida, where her parents were among the first English
speaking settlers. She died at the age of thirty-five years, while two of her
brothers also lived to a very advanced age, Thomas Barr attaining the age of
ninety-six years, and Rodger Barr living to the age of eighty-seven years. By
his first marriage David Bozeman reared six children, as follows: Blisha Ward;
Caroline and Mary Ann, twins; Luke; Elizabeth Mann; and Celia. By his second
marriage he became the father of two children, John David and Sarah Ann.
When John David Bozeman was six years of age his parents located in the southern
part of Jefferson county, about six miles from Monticello. In those days the
wild beasts of the forest had not fled before the advancing steps of
civilization, but, with the red skins, habited the vast wilderness. He was
twelve years old when his father died, and from that time until nineteen years
of age he lived with his oldest brother, Elisha Ward Bozeman. Beginning the
battle of life then on his own account, he secured a position in a livery
stable, receiving in addition to his board twenty dollars a month wages, the
stable being located in Thomasville. At that time Brooks county had not been
formed, the country roundabout being very thinly settled, and Troupville was
then the county seat of Lowndes county. From 1854 until 1856 Mr. Bozeman drove a
hack from Thomasville to Monticello, Troupville, and other points. In 1856 he
began to learn the cabinet maker's trade, serving an apprenticeship of six
months. Desirous then of learning the carpenter's trade, he entered the employ
of John Wind, of the firm of Bowen Brothers & Wind, and worked on the Thomas
county court house.

   In April, 1859, when Quitman was platted, Mr. Bozeman settled in the new town
as its first carpenter, and built for himself a log house in the southern part
of the place. Early in 1862 he enlisted from Thomas county, in the company known
as the "Seventeenth Patriot's," which was attached to the Twenty-ninth Georgia
Volunteer Infantry, and became a part of the western army. He fought under
General Bragg, Johnston, and Hood. After the battle of Nashville, the regiment
was sent to Virginia, thence to North Carolina, where, on April 26, 1865, at
Greensboro, it surrendered.

   Returning to his home in Quitman, Mr. Bozeman was here engaged in
carpentering until 1873, when he assumed possession of the land which he had
previously purchased, it being located on the Tallokas road, three miles north
of Quitman. By dint of hard work and good management he has here cleared and
improved a valuable farm, having been very successful in his agricultural
operations. His improvements are of an excellent character, including the
erection of a good set of farm buildings, his house being most pleasantly
situated in a grove composed of various kinds of forest trees, and being set
well back from the street.

   In July 1, 1858, Mr. Bozeman was united in marriage with Sarah Blanche Lewis,
who was born in what is now Brooks county, Georgia, October 27,1840. Her father,
Irvin J. Lewis, was born in Bulloch county, Georgia, where his parents were
early settlers. Left an orphan at an early age, he was reared by his uncle,
Abner Groover, a pioneer of that part of Thomas county now included in Brooks
county, it then having been an extreme frontier county. He was brought up on a
farm, and on attaining manhood purchased land lying seven miles northwest of
Quitman, and on the farm which he cleared he spent the remainder of his life.
Mr. Lewis married Susan Thigpin, who was born in Wilkes county, Georgia, a
daughter of Rev. Meles Thigpin, a preacher in the Primitive Baptist church. On
coming from North Carolina, his native state, to Georgia, Mr. Thigpin lived
first in Wilkes county, later becoming one of the original settlers of what is
now Brooks county. Securing four hundred and ten acres of land, ten miles north
of the present site of Quitman, he cleared a large plantation, and was there
engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death. The maiden name of his wife
was Sarah Whaley. Irvin J. and Susan (Thigpin) Lewis reared six children, as
follows: Mary; Sarah Blanche, now Mrs. Bozeman; Caroline; Janie; Valeria; and
Wiley Miles.

   Mr. and Mrs. Bozeman have reared eight children, namely: Irvin Elisha (the
first child born in Quitman); Alice P.; John.D.; Willie L.; Christopher L.;
Susan; James C.; and Lewis I. Irvin E. married Martha Young, and they have three
children, Evelyn, Francis, and Janie C. Willie married Houston A. Young, and
they are the parents of four children, Lucretia, Tinly, Flavious, and Everett.
Christopher married Lillie Oliff. Susan, wife of Frank M. Mathews, has four
children, Joel, John B., Alice and Frank M. Janie, who married W. C. Parker,
died leaving one daughter, Mary Blanche. John David, Jr., who became a
lieutenant in the local militia, died in Jacksonville, Florida, aged
twenty-seven years.

   Politically Mr. Bozeman has always been a Democrat. He east his first vote
for governor in favor of Ben Hill, and gave his first presidential vote to John
C. Breckinridge. Both he and Mrs. Bozeman are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church, South.

   Mr. Bozeman and Mr. Clinton Groover are the only living settlers now among
the pioneers of this county.


Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913

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