TROUP COUNTY, GA - BIOS John T. White Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Typed by Carla Miles Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/troup.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm Memoirs of Georgia, Vol. II, Atlanta, Ga., pages 932-933 Published by The Southern Historical Association in 1895 TROUP COUNTY John T. White, farmer, O’Neal’s Mills, Troup Co., Ga., son of W.M. and Louisa S. (Owens) White, was born in Jasper county, Ga., in 1826. His grandfather, Samuel White, was born in Ireland, and came to the United States in 1795 and settled in the woods in Georgia, where he cleared the ground for a farm. He was six months crossing the ocean. Mr. White’s father was born in what is now Jasper county, in 1806, and his mother was born in what is now Putnam county in 1805. His maternal grandfather, John N. Owens, was born in Virginia, where he married a Miss Childs, and then came to Georgia and settled in what is now Putnam county, where he lived until 1829, when he removed to Meriwether county. He was a volunteer soldier in the Creek Indian war of 1836. Mr. White was reared on the farm, schooled in the old-time “old field” dirt-floor log schoolhouse of that period. He followed farming until 1861, when he enlisted in the Fannin guards, afterward Company B., Sixtieth Georgia regiment. With his command he was in many hard-fought battles, served through the entire war and surrendered at Appomattox. Although he did arduous service and experienced the dangerous exposures and hardships incident to war, he escaped being wounded or captured. Of seven other brothers who entered the service only four returned. He returned from the war without a dollar, but went to work at blacksmithing and worked at it for thirty years, and farmed in connection with working at his trade. His industry, economy and good management have worked out for him a good competency. He is now the owner of nearly 850 acres of good land, enough of it cleared to give him a splendid farm, whose good condition and substantial improvements will favorably compare with the best in the county. He is considered one of the best blacksmiths, a careful and successful farmer and as a citizen held in high esteem and worthy of the fullest confidence in all respects. Mr. White was married in 1863 to Miss Nannie Smith, daughter of J.A. and Mary (Thompson) Smith. Her father was born in Ireland, emigrated to this country and settled in what is now Putnam county, Ga. When he married he went to housekeeping on a dirt-floor log cabin. His first bedstead was made by driving a forked stick in the ground. On this rested one end of the foot and side-rails, the other end of each inserted in holes bored in the logs of which the cabin was built. Boards were then laid on the rails and the bedstead was complete. Mr. Smith moved to Troup county in about 1832, and Mr. White’s wife was born within a mile of where she now lives. To Mr. and Mrs. White four children have been born: Elizabeth, Mary L., John W. and Virgil A. He has been a member of the masonic fraternity forty-five years and his wife is a member of the Primitive Baptist church.