Brooks-Liberty County GaArchives Biographies.....Chapman, David Fleming 1840 - living in 1913 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 23, 2004, 10:46 pm Author: William Harden p. 933-935 DAVID FLEMING CHAPMAN. A resident of Brooks county whose career of usefulness has extended through many years is David Fleming Chapman, now living in Barwick village. At the beginning of his career he was a soldier of the Confederacy, has served more than forty years as a justice of the peace and for shorter periods in other office of honor and trust, and has spent many profitable years in farming or in business. Mr. Chapman was horn in Liberty county, Georgia, April 5, 1840, and represents one of the oldest families of this state. Of the original stocks that settled in Georgia during the colonial period, the Scotch-Irish contributed many fine qualities of industry and civic ability, and it was to this racial stock that the Chapmans belonged. Mr. Chapman's great-grandfather was born in the north of Ireland, where the Scotch-Irish originated, and was one of seven sons. The oldest got the ancestral estate and all the other six emigrated to America, two settling in New York and the others in the Carolinas and Georgia. The greatgrandfather located in McIntosh county, Georgia, and from there volunteered his service to the forces fighting for the cause of independence, and lost his life in a battle that occurred two miles from Savannah. He was twice married, having three sons by his first wife, and by his second had one, named Francis, who was an infant when his father was killed in battle. Francis Chapman, the grandfather, was born in McIntosh county, and after reaching manhood's estate became one of the pioneer settlers of Liberty county, where he secured a large tract of land and was engaged in farming and stock raising until his death which occurred when he was seventy-two years of age. He kept a number of slaves and was one of the prosperous planters of his time. He married Mary Leigh, who was born in Tattnall county and who died in Liberty county aged eighty-six. She had ten children, all of whom grew up, and their names were Keziah, John, Mary, Jemima, Emily, Nancy, James, Nathaniel, Sheldon and Rosina. The descendants of Francis and Mary (Leigh) Chapman are now scattered through various localities of Georgia and elsewhere. They formerly held occasional reunions. John Chapman, one of the children of Francis and Mary Chapman, was born in Liberty county, April 15, 1810, and was reared on the home farm in that county. He possessed a genius for mechanics, and with his own hands fabricated many of the tools used on his farm, and did all his own blacksmithing. He took up state land and also bought large quantities until at one time he was the owner of upward of six thousand acres. With the aid of his slaves he carried on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale. He was eighty-six years old when he died. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth Delk, who was born in Liberty county and died at the age of seventy-five. Her father, David Delk, a native of Scotland, came to America and at the age of fourteen enlisted in the continental army as a drummer boy, serving seven years in the struggle for American independence. Among other campaigns he was present at the siege of Quebec. John Chapman and wife reared thirteen of their fifteen children, named as follows: Martha, Francis, John, Samuel N., Thomas J., Mary, Columbus, Elizabeth, Sheldon W., Ferdinand, Ann Eliza, Clifford, Talulah and David F. Reared and educated in his native county, David F. Chapman began his career by teaching school for three terms. He had barely attained his majority when the war broke out, and on the 14th of August, 1861, he enlisted in Company I of the Twenty-fifth Georgia Infantry. He served in the coast defense of this state until honorably discharged on account of ill health. Returning home he was for some time station agent and express agent and also postmaster at Ludowici station in Liberty county. In 1866, having resigned from these positions, he moved to Brooks county and went into the merchandise business with his father-in-law and later by himself at Okapilco. He held the office of postmaster there for the long period of twenty-four years, and during that time was also engaged in farming. His residence at Okapilco con-tinned until 1906, in which year lie moved to Barwick, his present home. In 1868 Mr. Chapman was elected a justice of the peace. During a few months' residence in Quitman he had resigned this position, but with that brief exception has served continuously as a justice for the past forty-four years. In 1900 and 1910 he was census enumerator for his district, and has taken the census for three decades, having been substitute enumerator in 1890. He is a Democrat in politics and has long been one of the influential citizens of his community. He and his wife are members of the Primitive Baptist church, with which he has been identified for a period of thirty-seven years. Mr. Chapman married in 1866 Martha Frances Wade. She was born in Dooly county, Georgia, and her parents, Judge Elijah and Elizabeth (Reddick) Wade, who were natives of Screven county, moved from Dooly county to what is now Brooks county in 1854, settling on a farm in Dry Lake district, where they spent the rest of their lives. After the death of Mrs. Chapman's mother, her father married for his second wife Mrs. Mary Peacock, widow of Dr. Peacock. Mrs. Chapman's brothers and sisters were named as follows: Mary, Lucy, Philip, Mitchel, Wesly Beaureguard, and her children named: Cornelia, John W., Mary J., David S., James E., William Francis, Samuel N., Henry V. and Anna C. All are married with the exception of two sons, and all are doing well. 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 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/brooks/bios/gbs425chapman.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 6.4 Kb