Lincoln-Wilkes-Oglethorpe County GaArchives Biographies.....Milner, Sr., John April 16, 1746 - December 16, 1812 ************************************************ 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: Allan Bentley abentley@bellsouth.net April 16, 2005, 3:09 pm Author: Homer C. Cooper From Homer C. Cooper: "John served as a Revolutionary soldier from South Carolina; numerous descendants have based membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution and other patriotic organizations on that service. Jesse H. Campbell, `Georgia Baptist', 1847 edition, page 170, reports that `Old Mr. Milner, who was a staunch whig in the revolution, suffered much from his tory neighbors.' Elizabeth Godwin, wife of John Milner, was born about 1748, perhaps in Nansmond County, Virginia (documentaion, again is lacking). We do not know the names of her parents nor when she died. Campbell, in the source cited above (page 170), describes her as `a most Godly woman' and, reporting on her courage, tells of an occasion during the Revolution -- the Milners were still living in South Carolina -- when Elizabeth was absent from the home and two tories came into John's field. The Tories `took two of his best horses from teh plough, gathered together all his Negroes and drove them off before his face, threatening to shoot him down if he spoke a word. They had not proceeded far when they met Mrs. Milner returning home. The Negroes cried out in great distres, `oh mistress, de tories takin us all off. Oh Mistress, what shall we do?' She answered. ` Why, go back, every one of you. You shall not go off a step. Go right back home.' `Oh mistress, dey'll kill us.' `No, they shan't kill you. Go back.' The tories hung down their heads, while the Negroes turned back with their mistress. After the Revolution, John and Elizabeth left South Carolina to settle in Wilkes County, Georgia, where John was granted 600 acres of `mixed land' on Fishing Creek in 1783 and 400 additional acres on Beaverdam Creek, a branch of Long Creek, in 1784 (Wilkes County Land Grants, Book C. Page 89). John and Elizabeth were very active supporters of the early Baptist church in Georgia. Campbell, cited above, page 140, states that John Milner `was raised up as a preacher in Fishing Creek Church, in Wilkes, having removed from South Carolina immediately after the war. he used to tell his children to contribute to benevolent objects, especially to support the ministry. Said he, ` it will make your ears of corn grow larger and longer, if it does not multiply the number'. ' Campbell also describes (page 192) John as a supporter of efforts of Rev. Sanders Walker (1740-1805) during the founding of Fishing Creek Church in 1783 and as `a most zealous and fervent exhorter, who aferwards became a preacher, and was very sucessful in his efforts to advance the cause of God and Truth amongst his people.' In the same volume (page 170), Campbell cites the following example of John Milner's piety: ` His sons, John and Pitt, once set off to market with a loaded wagon, very early one morning, without having waited for family prayer. They had not gone far before their well trained team stalled, and they had to return home for help. The father used the circumstances to impress their minds with the importance of punctuality to our religious duties, especially family prayer. And he was so sucessful that they seemed never to have forgotten it.' Campbell based his remarks concerning John and Elizabeth on a statement prepared in 1841 by Reverand Joshua Callaway (1789-1854) Since Rev. Callaway was a native of Wilkes County, a member of the Sardis Baptist Church there, and married a granddaughter of John And Elizabeth, he was probably an athoritative source for Campbell. After Leaving the Fishing Creek area, John and Elizabeth were active members of the Sardis Baptist Church which was located on Hutton's Fork just north of what is now Rayle, Georgia. They apparently continued their membership in the Sardis congregation after they moved to Oglethorpe County, but some of their children became members of the Salem Baptist Church near their Oglethorpe County farm. John and Elizabeth apparently moved to Oglethorpe County about 1795, where they settled on land now owned by Ralph W, Bridges in the Bowling Green District (G.M.D. 228) of the county. The stream which runs through Bridges farm is called Milner Brook. We assume (but cannot prove) that John and Elizabeth are buried in one of the unmaked graves in the Milner family cemetery on the wooded knoll above Milner Brook." Chloe Bentley Holmes and her son John, joined the Sardis Baptist Church in Wilkes County, Georgia. Sardis is the Church that John and Elizabeth Milner, Pitt and Apsilla Holmes Milner, and George and Susannah Willis belonged. Additional Comments: JOHN MILNER MOMUMENT DEDICATION Old Milner Plantation and Cemetery (now the Ralph W. Bridges farm) Oglethorpe County, Georgia Saturday, September 24, 1988, 3:00 P.M. Descendants of John Milner ((1746-1812) and wife Elizabeth Godwin are invited to attend the dedication of a monument to the memory of John Milner, a Revolutionary War soldier, in a Daughters of the American Revolution ceremony at the Milner family cemetery on what was once the old Milner plantaion (known today as the Ralph W. Bridges farm) in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. The dedication is scheduled for Saturday, September 24, 1988 at 3:00 P.M. (rain date is September 25, 3:00 P.M.). Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/lincoln/photos/bios/milnersr303bs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/lincoln/bios/milnersr303bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb