Chattahoochee-Muscogee-Gwinnett County GaArchives Biographies.....Dillard, S. M. unknown - unknown ************************************************ 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, 1:24 pm Author: N. K. Rogers S. M. DILLARD According to family tradition Mr. Dillard's ancestors came from Holland to America. John Dillard, first comer of this name to what is now Chattahoochee Co., married Hiley Watson. Their grandson John Dillard who lives in Cusseta recalls this story: A brother of his grandmother, Hiley Watson Dillard, who lived in north Georgia, saw many signs of bear, so a party was preparing to go bear-hunting—part of the preparations being the cooking of food to last them several days, during which activities Mr. Watson carried a fretting child outside the fort. Indians sprang from ambush, wounded him and killed this child, then attacked the fort. A young man within saddled a horse and went for help during the battle. This family had other encounters with Indians as well as enduring hardships incident to living on the frontier of civilization. John Dillard and his wife Hiley Watson came from Gwinnett Co. to the southern portion of Muscogee (in original survey, part of Lee) in 1834 where their son Starling M. Dillard was born Sept. 27, of that year. In this family were seven sons and one daughter viz.: Starling M., Tapley, Crawford, William, James, Alexander, Jackson, and Elizabeth. The father of the family reached this section of the state at the time the Creek Indians were making their last effort to resist white invasion of their territory. He was in Stewart Co. at the battle of Sheppard's plantation, for with the other men of the community he joined the forces which succeeded in driving the red men from eastern Georgia. John Dillard, a Revolutionary soldier, was a resident of Rabun Co., Ga. in 1827 and drew lots in original Troup and Lee Counties. It is believed he was father of John Dillard who fought the Indians. A quarter of a century later the Indian fighter had a half dozen sons in the Confederate Army. Among them was the subject of this sketch who lived at his father's later home near Slaughter Creek until his marriage to Miss Jincey Tomblin (originally spelled Tomberlin) daughter of Pleasant and _______ Tomberlin, Nov. 22, 1859. Within less than three years he departed from his new home as a private in Co. D, 46th Regt., Ga. Inf. to remain in active service throughout the war except for thirty days when he was recovering from a wound received at Chickamauga, while trying to save one of his comrades. His five brothers were discharged from Lee's army all able to resume their former occupations and S. M. Dillard from the Western Army under Johnston and Hood during whose campaigns he was slightly wounded several times but not disabled for service then nor when he and his wife reared a family of seven sons and three daughters whose excellence of character has often been praised. Mr. Dillard reached his home about the middle of May 1865 and immediately began preparations for making a crop. With one plow he was ready to plant corn June 19th and raised 160 bushels of corn and plenty of peas that year. For a quarter of a century he remained in the same section of the county, a prosperous farmer, whose worth to his community was appreciated by his neighbors. But his brothers had been living in Alabama for many years, so in 1890, he removed to Ozark, Dade County, Ala., but remained there only a year. Upon his return he bought the Matthews place in south eastern part of this county where his son W. F. Dillard now lives. When he reached the age of seventy and was no longer able to be actively engaged in farming he and his wife bought a home in Richland where they spent the remainder of their long and useful lives. After sixty years of wedded life Mrs. Dillard preceded him to the grave by a little less than four years. Only two of their sons J. W. and W. F. Dillard and families now reside in this county, the other children with exception of George who died young, and their families are scattered over the state—the same type of sturdy, industrious, law abiding citizens their forefathers were. Mr. Dillard liked to recall the days when he and Mr. Brewer were neighbors and were ever ready, not only to lend, but to offer the use of any tool and farm implement, or household convenience needed by the other. In fact it was a great source of pride to him that he had always lived in peace and harmony with his friends and neighbors. He and his family were members of Liberty Hill M. E. Church to the support of which they were liberal contributors. But the out-standing characteristics of Mr. Dillard and his wife—good will towards all with whom they were associated, expressed in kindly, neighborly deeds—was pictured in the benevolence of their faces and remembered by those fortunate enough to have known them. Those honorable parents have left to their descendants a heritage fine enough to be treasured and emulated by those who are the present standard bearers of this name. 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/gbs577dillard.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.8 Kb