Decatur-Randolph County GaArchives Biographies.....Rich, Elijah A. J. 1840 - living in 1913
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 30, 2004, 10:47 pm

Author: William Harden
p. 1007-1010

   ELIJAH A. J. RICH. The following sketch contains the important facts in the
life and family record of a Georgian, whose name in Decatur county stands for
all that is honest and of good report for successful thrift and business
integrity, and for a position in the community which all must respect. The Rich
family were among the pioneers of southwest Georgia, and made homes out of the
wilderness, and later descendants fought for their homes and the Southland in
the great war between the states. Mr. Rich himself spent his early life in the
pioneer epoch of this region, and none would deny that the comforts and
blessings of good children that now surround himself and wife were merited
rewards to worthy and well spent lives.

   Elijah A. J. Rich was born in Randolph county, Georgia, November 16, 1840, a
son of Thomas J. Rich, who was born in North Carolina, and a grandson of Martin
Rich, who was also born in North Carolina, and came from there to Georgia, as an
early settler in the southern part of the latter state. The grandfather spent
the remaining years of his life in Decatur county. The maiden name of his wife,
the grandmother, was Sarah Overstreet, who survived her husband many years.

   Thomas J. Rich, the father, was a youth when he came to Georgia, and for a
time after his marriage he lived in Randolph county, and then in 1841 moved to
Decatur county, buying a tract of timbered land ten miles northwest of
Bainbridge on the Bainbridge & Blakely road. In the midst of the woods he built
a log house, and after providing pioneer comforts for his family began making a
farm out of the wilderness. In 1858 he sold out and bought a place in Miller
county, but after a year's residence there, sold and returned to Decatur county,
where he bought land five and a half miles northwest of Bainbridge. He was past
military age at the time of the Civil war, but in 1864 enlisted in the Georgia
Reserves, and went with that command to the defense of Atlanta. He was severely
wounded in the battle of Grizzleville Station, and was taken to Macon, where he
died a few weeks later at the age of fifty-five. His remains were brought back
to Miller county and interred in the Fann cemetery. Thomas J. Rich married
Lettie Fann, who was born in North Carolina, a daughter of Elijah Fann, of the
same state. The Fann and Rich family came to Georgia at the same time, in
company with other immigrating families. They made the removal overland, with
teams and wagons and camped along the roadside every night. In their wagons they
brought their household goods. This colony settled in the southern part of
Deeatur county, buying land six miles south of Colquit on Spring creek, where he
resided until his death. After coming to Georgia, he had participated as a
volunteer in the Indian wars. The mother of Mr. Elijah A. Rich died when forty
years of age, and left ten children, namely: Martha J., Sarah, Elijah A. J.,
Susan L., Augustus M., Washington, John T., Charles F., Riley B., and Caroline.
Of these Elijah A. J., Augustus M., Washington and John T., served all through
the Civil war as soldiers, Charles going out as a boy in the last year of the
struggle.

   Elijah A. J. Rich was but one year old when his parents settled in Decatur
county. At that time and for some years later, all southwest Georgia was
sparsely settled, and all kinds of game abounded through this section. There
were no railroads then nor for many years to come, and Bainbridge was the market
for the settlers over a wide radius of country. Though the Rich family was
probably as prosperous as any of their neighbors, they had all the privations
and inconveniences of pioneer existence. The mother was a most diligent
housekeeper and either by her own hands or with the aid of her house slave, spun
and wove all the cloth and dressed all her children in homespun garments. As a
boy, Elijah A. J. attended the pioneer schools, kept up in the neighborhood by
subscriptions of the residents who were able to give their children such
advantages. He had at an early age taken an active part in the farm, and soon
after the breaking out of the Civil war he enlisted in Company A of the
Fifty-ninth Georgia Infantry, with which he went into Virginia, and joined Lee's
army. His regiment was assigned to General Longstreet's corps, and participated
in many of the important battles of the Virginia campaign, including that at
Seven Pines, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, and the numerous struggles around
Richmond and Petersburg. For his excellent service to the South he was elected
first lieutenant in Company A. A short time before the surrender of General Lee,
he was wounded, and was granted a furlough, and before its expiration, peace was
declared, so that he never rejoined his command. He soon bought a piece of land
about five miles from Bainbridge, and went in debt in order to secure this start
in life. There he built a small log house, and it was to that rude shelter that
he took his young bride on their marriage. All the furniture of the
establishment was home-made, and Mr. Rich went to the mill and bought rough
lumber, with which he made with his own hands all the furniture for his home,
doing this of mornings before work, and at noon hour. In April, 1867, Mr. Elijah
A. J. Rich, married Mrs. Hattie Fierce. She was born in Baker county, and at an
early age was left an orphan, and was reared by her aunt, Harriet Bryant. Mrs.
Rich, as a girl, received a very practical training and learned to card, spin
and weave. She spun and wove and cut the cloth and made clothes for all her
family, and sewed it all by hand. She also wove the sacks in which Mr. Rich was
accustomed to carry corn to the local mill, and in which he brought the meal
which furnished the great staple food of corn bread.

   Mr. Elijah A. J. Rich was elected to the Georgia legislature in 1886 on the
Democratic ticket from Decatur county, defeating his opponent with an
overwhelming majority.

   One among the many things Mr. Rich did for the good of his state and county,
was to support the bill, leasing the Georgia railroad running from Atlanta to
Chattanooga. Tennessee. He served two years with credit to himself and state,
and was offered a second nomination but refused. Thrift indoors and without,
brought its reward, and in a few years Mr. and Mrs. Rich were on the high road
to prosperity. After paying for the first tract of land, he secured other
tracts, and improved these and sold them out for a profit.

   In 1875 Mr. and Mrs. Rich founded a school, known at this date, 1913, as the
Bethel high school. This school is a living monument to Mr. and Mrs. Rich. When
Mr. and Mrs. Rich first started up this school it was for the benefits of their
own children, but later others joined them. This big-hearted man and woman not
only desired a good education for their own children but that other children not
so fortunate should have the same advantage. Mr. and Mrs. Rich maintained this
school with their own funds, letting the poorer children go without any cost to
their parents. One very poor boy, William H. Griffin, came to Mr. Rich and asked
that he be admitted to this school, saying that he was a poor one-armed boy and
wished to get an education so he would be able to make his own living. Mr. Rich
seeing that the boy was very desirous of learning, allowed him to attend school.
This man is now a professor of one of our southern colleges.

   In 1895 Mr. Rich bought the land where he now resides in lot 391, in Bethel
district. There he has built a most comfortable frame house, and various farm
buildings for the shelter of his stock. Mrs. Rich is a very careful and tasteful
housekeeper and their home is furnished nicely, and is a place showing the
refinement and thrift and good cheer of the entire family. Mr. and Mrs. Rich
have eight children, whose names are: Euzema, Minnie, Emory G., Arthur J., Dola,
Hunnewell, Perry D., and Thomas E.

   Euzema married Menla Powell, and their nine children are named, Leroy,
Jewell, Lloyd, Ross, Jennings, Emory G., Gladys, Lois, and James Clay.
   Minnie, now deceased, married Willie Powell, and has six children, named
Lamar, Ellis, Dewey, Mable, Adonis and Willie G.

   Emory G., married Cornelia Powell, both of whom are now deceased, leaving
three children, named Kate, Lucile, and Clyde. Mr. and Mrs. Rich, in addition to
raising their own large family, have raised these three grandchildren, taken
when the youngest was four years old.

Kate married W. F. Wynn, and they have one child named Irene. Lucille has
completed school and is now teaching. Clyde, the youngest, is now in college.
Mr. and Mrs. Rich have been able to give these children more advantages than
their own children received.

   Arthur J. married Florence Powell, and their one son is named Charles.

   Dola, married William J. Bush, and their two children are Myrtle and Hoke.

   Hunnewell, married J. T. Powell, and their four children are Curtis, Jesse
T., Louise, and Minnie.

   Perry D., married for his first wife Julia Bush, and their four children are,
Hattie Sue, Ruth, Forest, and Julia. By his second marriage to Huron Powell, he
has one child, Maxie.

   Thomas E., married Rosa Arline, and their three children are, Thomas E.,
Pauline, Alee Frank.

   Mr. and Mrs. Rich are both members of the Missionary Baptist church, as are
all their children. Mr. Rich and his sons are affiliated with the Masonic
fraternity, he and three sons being Knight Templars.

   That while we have done these things, we feel like it's not of ourselves but
of the Holy Spirit has guided and directed us through this life.



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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