Chattahoochee-Burke-Muscogee County GaArchives Biographies.....Gilbert, Thomas 1793 - 1881 ************************************************ 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 November 5, 2004, 12:38 pm Author: N. K. Rogers SAPP All members of the Sapp family who first settled in Muscogee, (later Chattahoochee), including Forsyth, Madison, Theophilus and Hardy Council Sapp came from Burke Co., Ga. when moving here. The records in Columbus show that Hardy Council Sapp of Burke Co., bought Lot 208, 6th Dist. Feb. 2, 1832. There are other records of land transfers as follows: Stephen Beck to H. C. Sapp 1. 209 in 3’rd D. July 26, 1833; witnesses Madison Sapp and Jeremiah G. Walker. Madison Sapp to H. C. Sapp. 1. 177 in 6th D. Jan. 16, 1835; witnesses Jas. McLester and J. G. Walker, J. P.; another by a resident of Green Co. to H. C. Sapp Dec. 14, 1836. These deeds had not been recorded evidently, when the courthouse at Columbus was burned in 1838 as all were recorded the same year, 1839. Of the four children of Hardy Council and his wife Elizabeth Bowers Sapp only the oldest, John, was born in Burke Co. the other three were born in Muscogee Co. according to census records. The Sapp family were among the first settlers in the western part of what later became Chattahoochee Co., and that portion of it was called Sapp's District in the 1839 land lottery record. The first reference to H. C. Sapp in Martin's History of Columbus is "J. C. Holland and H. C. Sapp were elected Justices of the Inferior Court in August 1838. Second reference. "After October election (1839) in the county, the State Rights' ticket was beaten for the first time . . • But Columbus have a majority for the State Rights' ticket, which was comprised of Hampton L. Smith for Senator and Messrs. W. H. Mitchell, Wiley Williams. S. W. Flournoy and H. C. Sapp for Representatives." "In 1840, at the October election J. S. Calhoun was elected Senator and Messrs. Flournoy. Chipley, Alexander, and Sapp (Harrison men) were elected Representatives." In 1841 H. C. Sapp was again elected a Justice of the Inferior Court. There are no further references to him in this history of Muscogee and the records of Administrator's returns show that he died in 1846. Theophilus Sapp, his cousin, and his friend G. J. Walker were the administrators. His wife Elizabeth Bowers was born in 1800 in South Carolina and lived to be 83 years old, continuing to live in that home they had built when their son Wm. A. was a small child. His nickname "Sandy" was acquired at that time on account of the color of his hair—for the principal workman had hair of the same color and was known as "Sandy." And Dr. "Sandy" Sapp lived at this place for 80 years, or until it became part of Fort Benning reservation. The house was of excellent material and workmanship—the walls being palstered and wood work of walnut with cherry stairway all cut on land owned by H. C.Sapp. There were eight large rooms, four downstairs and four upstairs and a kitchen and dining-room at back of these. The grandchildren recall the extreme neatness of that house and the methodical care with which everything was kept in order. An unusual feature was a postoffice kept in the home. The Star-route mail carrier emptied the mail pouch upon a square table always in the center of the living room and then Dr. Sapp sorted this mail and placed it in the pigeon holes of a secretary which stood in the hall. A grand-daughter, Mrs. G. W. King, says all the grandchildren learned that they could never touch anything placed upon this table reserved for "Uncle Sam's business." Dr. W. A. Sapp, who represented the county in the legislature in 1890-91 and his brother Prof. Geo. H. Sapp were educated at Old Oglethorpe University at Milledgeville. G. H. Sapp read law and practiced for a short time with E. G. Raiford but preferred teaching for his profession. He was a Justice of the Peace for many years and was able to give sound legal advice whenever the need arose. A former pupil of his likes to recall the fluency of Prof. Sapp's speech. He was also an excellent musician playing both the violin and the flute. While descendants of W. A. and G. H. Sapp have continued to reside in this county, none of the children of G. H. Sapp by his first marriage have lived here for many years. His son, Hardy Council, married the daughter of a well known M. E. preacher, Rev. Jesse Littlejohn, who lived at Cusseta for several years about half a century ago. There is a tradition about the beauty of a daughter Helen Sapp (Mrs. S. H. Black of Arizona). Children of his second marriage are all well known here as his widow, Mrs. Ella Harden Sapp. has lived in Cusseta for many years. A daughter, Mrs. Ella B. Sapp Spivey has the distinction of being the first woman to hold an elective office in Chattahoochee, being the very efficient ordinary at present. She is also registrar of the local U. D. C. Chapter and the national registrar pronounced all papers she had sent to be the most perfect aggregate submitted. In addition to this her birthday occurs February 29. another enviable advantage, since she can remain perenially young with birthdays occurring one fourth as often as those of less favored mortals. Prof. and Dr. Sapp enjoyed the unusual blessing of freedom from bodily pain—never having headaches, until they had reached an advanced age, when the ordinary diseases to which the human body is subject, attacked them. They, with many other Chattahoochee men served in a famous cavalry regiment which was part of Gen. Joe Wheeler's Brigade. Mrs. Ella Sapp enjoys the distinction of being both the daughter and a widow of Confederate veterans, her father, Thos. M. Harden having been in service and his family had his overcoat worn then many years afterward. Prof. and Dr. Sapp were members and high in the council of the local masonic lodge; Prof. Sapp being worshipful master during the last years of his life. All members of this family have been affiliated with the Baptist church; when living in this county with membership either at Good Hope (abolished when land was purchased by the government) or at Harmony (Cusseta). For many years the Sapp and allied families were said to be "the backbone of Good Hope." Members of this family now form vertebrae in the backbone of any community where they reside and help, to support the schools, churches and all worthy institutions created for the advancement of the human race. Additional Comments: From: HISTORY OF CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY, GEORGIA By N. K. Rogers Dedicated to KASIHITA CHAPTER U. D. C. and all worthy descendants of the County's first settlers. Copyright 1933 by N. K. ROGERS PRINTED BY COLUMBUS OFFICE SUPPLY CO. COLUMBUS, GA. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/chattahoochee/bios/gbs573gilbert.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 7.2 Kb