MONROE COUNTY, GA - BIOGRAPHIES R.C. McGough Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Volunteers See E. Robertson's page http://www.rootsweb.com/~gamonroe/biographies.htm Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/crawford.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm 'MEMOIRS OF GEORGIA", Historical and Biographical Sketches, by S. Emmett Lucas, Jr., PUBLISHED IN 1896. Typed by Donna Wall R. C. MCGOUGH, planter, and member of general assembly of Georgia for Monroe County, 1894-1895, son of Bob G. and Sandal (Cabaniss) McGough, was born Sept. 24, 1831. The McGoughs are of Scotch-Irish blood, whose ancestors were colonized in the north of Ireland during the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. About 1760, Matilda Carson McGough, a widow with five or six children, in company with other emigrants, relatives and neighbors, settled in North Carolina. John McGough, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, though still a minor, enlisted in the patriot army under Col. William Washington and participated in the battles of Brandywine, Eutaw Springs and Saratoga, where he saw the proud Burgoyne surrender to Gen. Gates. He was twice wounded, once on the head by a saber in the hands of a British officer, and once by a gunshot. Soon after the revolution he was married to Margaret Mill and settled in Edgefield district, S. C. from which place he moved to White Plains, Greene County, GA. where he died in 1847, at the ripe age of eighty-six. Mr. McGough's maternal grandfather, George Cabaniss, was of a French Huguenot family, which settled in Maryland or Virginia early in the last century. About the beginning of this century he, G. C., came to Georgia, settled for a while in China Grove, in Oglethorpe county, from whence he moved to Jones county, where he farmed, merchandised and traded with the Indians from across the Ocmulgee river. Robert McGough, father of R. C., was born in Edgefield district, S. C. March 28, 1876 and was soon after brought by his father to White Plains, Ga., where he grew to manhood. In early life he settled in Jones county, where in 1810 he was married to Miss Sandal Cabaniss. To them were born ten children, six boys and four girls: John, merchant, Columbus, Ga., accumulated quite a fortune in ante-bellum days, now deceased; Matthew O.., was never married, deceased; Sarah B., married to Jacob A. Clements, Buena Vista, Ga., ; Matilda died unmarried; Elizabeth, wife of Ezekiel Hollis of Brundidge, Ala., deceased; William T., mortally wounded at the battle of New Home Church, died in Atlanta, July 1864; George L., merchant, Columbus, Ga., deceased; Mary A., deceased, married to Robert Minten, Buena Vista, Ga.; Robert C., farmer, Marion county, Ga; C. C., entered First Georgia regiment, 1861, and after his time of enlistment expired joined the Forty-fifth Georgia, was made first lieutenant for gallantry on the field of battle, in 1862, and was killed leading a forlorn hope at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. Robert McGough was a soldier in the war of 1812, and for his services drew a pension. He moved from Jones county, where he was married, to Monroe in 1823, clearing out a road through the primeval forest to his new home on Little Tobesofkee creek, where he opened a good plantation, reared and educated his children, and spent the remainder of his life. He was what is termed a good liver and accumulated a handsome property. Though he never connected himself with any church and did not believe in any creed except that of right conduct, he was always partial to the faith of his mother, who was a devout Presbyterian. He died without recantation, March 10, 1882, aged ninety-six years, lacking eighteen days. R. C. McGough received a preparatory education in the schools of the state in 1852, graduated in 1855, taught school the next year at Brownwood academy, LaGrange, then a flourishing institution under the management of Hooten & Cox, and the next two years at Russellville, Ga. He studied law under the Hon., Cincinnatus Peeples and was admitted to the bar in 1860; but war coming on immediately, he was engaged in the service of the Confederacy either as soldier, enrolling officer, or tax assessor during its whole continuance, and after its close retired to his farm. He served as postmaster under President Cleveland's first administration, but resigned in favor of the present incumbent before the expiration of his term. Mr. McGough was married Jan. 10, 1860, to Maggie Hollis, daughter of one of the most successful farmers and earliest pioneers of Monroe county. His wife died April 9, 1871. To them were born five children: Thomas H., now a merchant at Leavenworth, Wash. ; Maud, Nell and Robert at home,; and May, wife of Dr. F. L. Cato, DeSoto, Ga. Robert was graduated with the degree of A. B. at the Georgia university in 1890. Mr. McGough after the death of his consort, devoted himself to the rearing and education of his children, endeavoring to supply the place of both father and monther. He has a good library and devotes much of his time reading and tries to keep in full accord with the progress of the age. He has an interesting family and kind and appreciative neighbors. He is a rationalist, believing that faith should be subordinate to reason. He is a true democrat, who thinks as long as reason is unfettered, humanity will advance; that all repressive laws that cannot be enforced are mischievous, the parent of crime, and the greatest government is the greatest individual liberty consistent with the rights of others.