Biography of Johannas Jorg (George) Feazel (c1765 - c1834), early settler of what is now Union Parish Louisiana Submitted by: John N. Feazell Date of Submission: April 2008 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ ================================================================================== ================================================================================= Biography of Johannas Jorg (George) Feazel (c1765 - c1834), early settler of what is now Union Parish Louisiana Researched and written by John N. Feazell ================================================================================== ================================================================================== Note by John N. Feazell: I have researched my branch of the Feazell family from their arrival through the Shenandoah Valley to Tennessee back to Virginia and then on to Union Parish, La. To my knowledge all the Union Parish families decended for the first family there, George Feazell. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== During his adult life Johannas Jorg Feazel went by the name George Feazel. All documents that have been discovered bear this name. George Feazel was too young to have served in the American Revolution, but seems to have remained home to furnish beef for the Continental Army while his father and two brothers served in various units. George was a farmer and surveyor. The first documented notice is his marriage in 1790. He must have lived in Virginia for about three or four years and then traveled down the Shenandoah Valley to the "Wilderness Trail" that had been opened by Daniel Boone a few years earlier. The trail was laid out through the Cumberland Gap during the years 1769-1770. He then went across the trail to the west side of Clinch Mountain in Hawkins County, Tennessee. He bought 250 acres of land from Elisha Wallen for the sum of ten dollars. This land was described as being on the waters of Mulberry. This deed is on file in the County Library of Hawkins County, Tennessee and can be found in the microfilm of old deeds. Elisha Wallen must have been a very large landowner and rather prominent person in this area of Tennessee. A book entitled "The Long Hunter" is in the above library and consists of more than five hundred pages about the adventures of Elisha. The above deed was dated 12 June 1794. This would indicate that the first two or three children of George and Margaret were born in Virginia prior to the move to Tennessee. At least three children were born during the five year stay in Tennessee. On 10 June 1799, the above 250 acres was sold to the same Elisha Wallen for the sum of ten dollars. This deed is also on file in the Hawkins County Library. At this time George and family retraced their route and returned to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. This must have been quite a trip by oxcart. The homeplace in Tennessee was near the farm of Joseph Crockett, the father of Davey Crockett (1786-1836) and George and his family must have known Davey as a child. The reason for the return to Virginia could have been the death of Michael Feazel, Sr., the father of George. Michael, Sr. died in September or early October of 1797. George is mentioned as one of the heirs of Michael, Sr. in a document dividing the estate of Michael, Jr., his brother. George sold his rights to his father's estate to his brother, Jacob Feazel, in a document yet unfound but mentioned in a deed dated 13 July 1807. In a deed recorded 7 September 1807, John George and his wife, Margaret Pear, daughter of Phillip, sold her share of her father's estate to one, Thomas Swainey, Jacob Feazel, Attorney-In-Fact. These land transactions can be found in "Shenandoah County Virginia Deed Books O, P, Q, (1804-1807)". No further information can be found about George in Virginia. In the year 1810 or 1811, George gathered up his family and retraced their route down the Shenandoah Valley to the "Wilderness Trail" and across the trail passing close by their old homestead in Tennessee to Kentucky. They followed the trail to the Kentucky River and built flatboats. On the flatboats, they traveled down the Kentucky River to the Ohio River and thence to the Mississippi. They went down the Mississippi to the Quachita and up the Quachita to a landing above Old Trenton called Turkey Point. This was in Quachita Parish now union Parish. This trip from Virginia to Louisiana is mentioned in a letter from Allie Feazell Upchurch (1882-1985) and is in the history of Farmersville, Louisiana. It is also mentioned in the "History of Lincoln Parish" and the "History of Jackson Parish". It is possible that George was in Louisiana, then the Territory of Orleans, prior to the trip by the family. Family tradition indicates that he took part in the original survey of the Territory of Orleans prior to Louisiana becoming a state in 1812. No evidence has been found on this matter, but it is possible since George cannot be documented as being in Virginia from about 1807 to 1812. Evidence exists placing George in the state of Louisiana in the year 1812. James Wellington Feazell said that his great-greatgrandfather fought in the "Battle of New Orleans" on January 8, 1814, but no evidence can be found to substantiate this statement. George was in the state at this time. Those who knew "Uncle Jim" (James Wellington Feazell) would all agree that his statements should be taken with 'several grains of salt'. In the "History of Lincoln Parish", by Fletcher and Ropp, the following statement is found: "The Feazel family, came to the eastern part of this Parish at an early day, so early that one of the women of the family was killed by the Indians. They came from Kentucky on flat-boats, which they floated down the Kentucky River into the Mississippi, and after many adventures they found their way into the Quachita River and either landed on Old Trenton or came up the D'Arbonne Bayou. They settled in what was then Quachita Parish, near Downsville". George and his family are mentioned as being the first white family to settle in what is now Union Parish. No land records exist for George in Louisiana since land grants or patents did not start until the administration of Martin Van Buren. Geore is mentioned in early Louisiana history as 'Old Man Feazel and his household of girls'. This statement can be found in "The Histry of Farmerville" and a sketch depicting a trapper, John Honeycutt, picking out a bride from the group of girls in front of the Feazel cabin, is in this history. This rather strange marriage will be covered under the name Mary Mae Feazel. The last documentation relating to George can be found in the files of Stephen F. Austin, located in the library of the University of Texas. It is a letter of introduction signed by two judges of Quachita Parish, Louisiana dated 10 July 1822. This letter is as follows: "Mr. George Feazle the bearer has been an inhabitant of this parish for about eight years and has conducted himself as an honest industrious citizen. Mr. Feazle being about to visit the Province of Texas for the purpose of making arrangements to move his family. I therefore recommend Mr. Feazle as a good industrious farmer and deserving the patronage of the government of this said province". This letter was signed by Oliver Morgan, Parish Judge of Quachita Parish of the State of Louisiana and W. H. Overton, Judge of the 5th District of the State of Louisiana. The name of Wm. Wood is also on the letter. George must have visited San Felipe which was where Moses and Stephen F. Austin started their colony. If not the letter would not have been in the Austin files. The journey across the Sabine River to Texas, although not to far in distance, was quite dangerous during this time. The area around the Sabine was claimed by both the U. S. and Spain and was not settled by common agreement. It was infested by outlaws and rogues of all types. George returned to Louisiana and died sometime after 1830 and probably before 1834. He is said to have been buried in the old family cemetery near Downsville, Louisiana. George Feazel married Mary Margaret Pear (Pierce) 13 Jan 1790 in Shenandoah County Virginia. They had the following children: Rachel Mary Mae "Ann" Phillip John O. (Hiram) George L. Michael Sara Elizabeth "Sally" Solomon Nancy Margaret. George was born about 1765 and died about 1834. ###########################################################