BRYAN COUNTY, GA - Bios William Henry Van Brackle Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: SHERRILL NAPIER VAN BRACKLE, WILLIAM HENRY (1802-1877) Bryan Co., Georgia William Henry Van Brackle (W.H.) was born 1802 in GA, s/o John Van Brackle, (1852, N.J.-Jan 5, 1831, Bryan Co.) RS from Monmouth Co., NJ, who came to GA after the Revolution. WH received bounty land in Lee Co.,GA in the 1827 GA Land Lottery. He resided in Bryan Co. all of his life, serving as sheriff in 1828 and 1829. He granted land to the Methodist Episcopal Church on Aug. 12, 1853, and was a trustee for Bethany Church which later became Ellabel Methodist. The 1830 census of Bryan Co. shows him married and living in John's household of 17 slaves. His first wife was Eliza Mathis (1813-Nov. 7, 1856). They had the following 10 known children: 1. Israel E. b. 2/1833, m. Fannie R. Harville, 1/27/1869 d. 1/20/1880 Bulloch Co. bur. Waters Cem. Lt., Co. K, 7th Reg., Ga Cavalry, CSA 2. Elizabeth "Lizzie" b. 8/26/1835 m. Albert Glenn Smith, 5/26/1858, d. 1/6/1914 b. 3/26/1827, d. 9/28/1886 s/o Joshua & Isabell Bird Smith Their home, Bird's Glen Echo, adjacent to Smith-Bird Cemetery, Bryan Co., where both are buried, was considered for National Register of Historic Places. 3. Henry Dawson b. 5/ 4 /1838 m. 1) Sarah J. d. 1/22/1938 2) Frances L. F. Smith,7/19,1871, Both bur. Smith-Bird Bryan Co., b. 12 /29/1852, 4th Sgt., Co. K, 7th d. 4/1/1927, d/o Doc. Smith Reg., GA Cav. CSA. They raised his brother Frank. 4. Alonzo O. b. 3/17/1840 m. Eliza Anne Hayman, 8/14/1862, d. 5/1/1914 Chatham Co., b. 12/1/1841, d. Both bur. Smith- 6/16/1922, d/o Wm. Henry Bird Cem. & Mary Ann Clanton Hayman With amputated leg, he drove CSA supply wagon. Was Bryan Co. Treasurer for 52 years. 5. Eliza "Josephine" b. c1843 m. Joseph Thaddeus Ulmer, d. 1907 7/5/1871, Bryan Co. b. c1849, d. 1907 They lived at Canebreak now Bamboo Farm, W. Chatham Co. 6. Emily M. b. 9/25/1844 m. Thomas Fulton Alexander d.11/10/1869 b. 3/6/1821, d. 3/6/1871 Both bur. Liberty Chapel Cem. 2nd Lt. CSA 7. Georgia Rebecca b. 3/28/1845 m. Richard H. Shuman, d. 12/14/1928 9/25/1867, Bryan Co., Both bur. Smith-Bird b. 8/16/1844, d. 9/3/1926 s/o James & Letitia Harvey Shuman; Co. K 7th GA Cav., CSA 8. Frances J. "Fannie" b. 1847 m. Walter Smith 9. John A. b. c1849 d. young 10. William Alexander "Alex" b. 3/13/1851 m. Susan A. Lightsey, 12/3/1867, d. 2/11/1929 Bryan Co., b.10/13/1842, Both bur. Smith-Bird d. 8/30/1925, d/o Jacob J. Lightsey of Chatham Co They raised Raymond, who was his brother and her nephew. As a widower, W.H. married 2nd Elizabeth R. Murrow (1827, S. C.-Dec. 7, 1861, Liberty Chapel Cemetery, Bryan Co.). They had one known child: 11. Joseph L. b. 1859 d. 12/1/1860 The 1860 Census shows his real estate valued at $5000 and personal property at $15,000. In 1861 when the state capital was in Milledgeville, he was elected to the State Legislature as Representative from Bryan Co., serving until 1863. After the War ended, he married 3rd on Nov 22, 1866, Bryan Co. neighboring widow, Sarah Ann Shuman Lightsey (Feb. 12, 1834-July 12 1879, Bryan Co.), d/o James Shuman and Sealy (?Celia) Anna Futch of Bryan Co. and widow of William J. Lightsey of Bryan Co, s/o Jacob J. Lightsey of Chatham Co., with whom she had two sons: 1. George (1857-1932, Crossroads Cemetery, Cook Co.) and 2. William. Their father, William J. Lightsey, Sgt. Co. I, 25th Rgt., GA Cav., CSA, 1861-1863, died as POW at Rock Is., IIlinois, Federal Prison in 1864 after being wounded at Chicamauga. Sarah and W. H. had the following known children, the last raised by older siblings after Sarah died: 13. John W. b. c1868 d. infancy 14. Emma b. c1869 d. infancy 15. Ida Lee b. 2/ 2/ 1870 m. Jacob Alonzo Rimes d. 6/28/1838 b. 3/1/1871, d. 7/6/1920 Hillcrest Cemetery, Chatham Co. 16. Lineas "Frank" b. 1871 m. Zama Wise 17. Raymond Harris b. 9/27/1872, m. Ada Frances Hayman, 9/20/1899, Bryan Co. Bryan Co., d/o Geo.Francis Hayman d. 12/3/1948, & Rebecca Adaline Cannon of Bryan Co. Cook Co. b. 6/4/1879, Bryan Co. Cross Roads d. 10/24/1970 Cemetery William Henry died 7/4/1877 and was buried beside his first wife in the old private Jet Wise now Waters Cemetery on Fort Stewart Military Base. His 3rd wife was buried beside him when she died. During World War II, all of his land, along with land of his neighbors, was purchased by the U.S. to establish Fort Stewart which maintains the grave sites including Waters and Liberty Chapel Cemeteries. One of his grandsons, Ray H. Van Brackle of Cook Co. was stationed at Fort Stewart during WWII. References: Bryan Co., GA Census: 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870; Bryan Co.,GA Marriage Records, Bk. A, 1865-1888; State of GA Official & Statistical Register; Roster of Confederate Soldiers by Henderson; Early GA Newspapers, 1793-1877 in Savannah; The 1827 Land Lottery of GA; The History of Bryan Co., 1793-1985; The History of Ellabelle United Methodist Church, 1986; The Lightsey Family, The Shuman Family Genealogy & Allied Families; N.J. . . . Cemetery Records Submitted by S. Napier, his great granddaughter. Sent to the Huxford Genealogy Society for publication.