Taylor-Macon-Houston County GaArchives Biographies.....Shirah, Laurana Medlin 1810 - August 19, 1880 ************************************************ 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: Charles Shirah cshirah@charter.net August 20, 2007, 11:33 pm Author: Charles S. Shirah Laurana Shirah (a.k.a. Lurany Shirey) was born in Marion County, SC in 1810. She married Charles Shirah of Richland County about 1826. Her children Jacob C., Isaac, John, Sarah and James were born in Richland County between 1827 and 1832. They moved to Houston County Georgia after 1832. Children Mary and Nicholas were born in Houston County in 1836 and 1838 respectively. They are not in an 1840 census, the year daughter Luvina was born. Charles Jr. and Elizabeth were born in Macon County. Laurana and Charles bought a farm in Macon County where Charles died of unknown causes July 15, 1849. She and her children remained in Macon County until the death of Jacob Shirah, believed to be the brother of her husband Charles, in 1859. She then sold her property to Zachariah Washington Hall, husband of Jacob Shirah's daughter Rebecca. The family then moved to Taylor County. Laurana's sons John, James, Christopher and Charles joined 27th Georgia Infantry, Company F (Taylor Guards) in 1861. All four were killed or died by 1864. John was killed at Seven Pines, Virginia on May 31, 1862; Charles Jr. died of disease in Richmond on June 3, 1862; Christopher was killed in the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862 and 1st Lieutenant James Shirah died or was killed Aug 11, 1864. The 27th Georgia Regiment was at Petersburg, VA at that time. The information is available in Taylor County Salt Lists as well as other Confederate records. Her son Nicholas Shirah enlisted in Columbus and was assigned to the 64th Georgia Infantry, Co. I. He survived the war as did two other brothers, Jacob and Isaac, who were in the 4th South Carolina Cavalry. Laurana and her family were members of Bethel Primitive Baptist Church in Taylor County. In 1868 she left Georgia and returned to Richland County, SC where she died of consumption in 1880 while living with her son Jacob and his family. Laurania Shirah was the daughter of Turner Medlin (abt 1774-1845) of Richland County, SC. She was descended from Richard Medlin who was born in Cornwall, England in 1647, and his wife Rachel Franck. They migrated to Oyster Point, SC, which later became known as Charles Town and later Charleston. In 1699 they abandoned their land grant due to frequent problems with Spanish raiders from Florida. They moved to New Kent County, Virginia in 1699 and were members of St. Peter's Anglican Church. The church is still active is located near Interstate 64 between Williamsburg and Richmond. Later generations moved to North Carolina in the 1700's. Laurania's father, Turner Medlin, was born in Cumberland County, NC abt 1774. He moved to Marion County, SC before 1810 and later to Richland County. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/taylor/bios/shirah930gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.3 Kb