Carson Johnson - The Petermans

Genealogical History of Some Carsons, Johnsons, and Related Families

contents

Carsons
Johnsons
Guidrys
Fosters
Appendicies
References

search

home

Chapter 23 - The Petermans

Well now, here’s something a little different. So far, most of “our” ancestors immigrated to America from Ireland, Scotland, or England. (Many of their ancestors came from other places.) However, the Petermans came to this country directly from Germany. The Petermans are related to us through Lizzie Savannah Peterman, who married Ayls Berry Kirksey.

Born in Bavaria

George Peyterrmann was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1712. About 1734 he married Catherine Breita , who was born in Bavaria about 1717. They sailed to America aboard the Samuel in 1751, and landed at Dover, Delaware.

Children of George Peyterrmann and Catherine Breita were:

Maria Peterman , born about 1735 in Germany
Jacob Peterman , born about 1742
Benjamin Peterman
George Washington Peterman .

Benjamin Peterman, son of George Peyterrmann and Catherine Breita, was born about 1757. He enlinsted in the Continental Army on August 18, 1778, and served with men from Christiana Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware, in Captain William Robeson’s company. On March 26, 1817, he purchased land in Wilkes County, Georgia, and by 1857, he was in Henry County, Alabama.

They Gave him a Middle Name

George Peterman was born about 1740 in Bavaria, Germany, and sailed to America with his parents in 1751. At the time, middle names were common, so he was given the middle name Washington or Wylie when he arrived in America.

He Fought in the Continental Army and the Indian Wars

George Washington Peterman went first to Delaware. He served in the Revolutionary War as private in the New Castle County Militia of Colonel Thomas Duff . By 1794, he was paying taxes on 325 acres of land on Fishing Creek in Wilkes County, Georgia. (His wife, Sarah Springer, inherited the land from her father in 1798.) By 1806, he was in Overton County, Tennessee. He fought with Andrew Jackson in the Indian Wars in Florida and Georgia in 1811 and 1812.

Four Wives and Sixteen Children

He married four women named Sarah, first Sarah Springer (See Chapter 24) in Delaware or Pennsylvania about 1779. Sarah Springer died about 1800, so he married second Sarah Jones (a Chicksaw Indian) in Georgia about 1800. Sarah Jones died about 1811, so he married third Sarah Lincoln in Kentucky or Overton County, Tennessee in 1818. Sarah Lincoln died about 1825, so he married fourth Sarah Elizabeth Doss in Overton County. He offered Sarah Elizabeth Doss land so she would marry him. Altogether George Washington Peterman had sixteen children by his four wives. The fourth child of George Washington Peterman and Sarah Springer was Benjamin F. Peterman . George Washington Peterman was ninety years old the day his youngest child was born.

He built a large two-story house of poplar logs in the Mill Creek area of Overton County in 1806, which was torn down in 1936 during the construction of Standing Stone State Park. George Washington Peterman died in Wilkes County, Georgia, in the 1850’s (estimated). Some say he died in Timothy, TN, in 1836.

Distantly Connected to Abraham Lincoln

Now, pay attention. This paragraph is a little complicated, but it contains information you won’t find gathered together like this anywhere else. Sarah Lincoln , above, was the daughter of Hanniah Linclon and Sarah Jeffries . Hanniah Lincoln was the son of Thomas Lincoln and Elizabeth Davis . Thomas Lincoln was the son of Mordecai “The Gent” Lincoln and Hannah Salter . Mordecai “The Gent” Lincoln and Hannah Salter had another son, “Virginia John” Lincoln, who married Rebecca Flowers Morris , and they had a son named Abraham Lincoln . Abraham Lincoln married Bethsheba Herring , and Thomas Lincoln was their son. Thomas Lincoln married Nancy Hanks , and their son was President Abraham Lincoln . Therefore, Sarah Lincoln was distantly related to President Lincoln.

From Delaware to Georgia

Benjamin Franklin Peterman, son of George Washington Peterman and Sarah Springer, was born September 22, 1785, in New Castle or Queen Ann County, Delaware (now Maryland). On January 23, 1812, he married Malinda (often misspelled “Matilda”) Dowdy in Oglethorpe County, GA. Malinda Dowdy was born in Oglethorpe County, GA, January 4, 1797, the daughter of John Martin Dowdy (born in 1760 in England, died after 1845 in Oglethorpe County, GA) and Mary Temple . Malinda Dowdy joined Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church near Lexington, GA, on June 6, 1829, and Benjamin Franklin Peterman was Baptized there on September 1, 1830. On April 2, 1836, he was chosen as a deacon of the church. Benjamin Franklin Peterman was a farmer and blacksmith, and made buggies and wheels. Malinda Dowdy died sometime between 1850 and 1857, and Benjamin Franklin Peterman moved his church membership to Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church in Henry County, Alabama, on March 6, 1858, along with two of his children. He died sometime after 1870 in Shorterville, Henry County, AL, and was burried in Oglethorpe County, GA.

Among the eleven children of Benjamin Franklin Peterman and Malinda Dowdy was Columbus James Peterman , born in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, October 23, 1818. On June 18, 1839, Columbus James Peterman married Martha Jane (Liz) Patman (See Chapter 25) who was born in Oglethorpe County in 1823. At one time Columbus James Peterman was a wealthy man; in 1840 he owned twenty-one slaves. He bought land in Oglethorpe County, GA, from John M. Dowdy , Henry G. Peterman , Eli Banks , and Thomas J. Latimer . Columbus James Peterman and Martha Jane Patman moved to Taylor County in the late 1850’s, and Columbus Janes Peterman served as Taylor County Coroner from 1862 until 1864. Martha Jane Patman died in Taylor County, GA, in 1873.

After the death of Martha Jane Patman , Columbus James Peterman married a widow, Mrs. Catherine Amanda Cox Hobbs, on October 22, 1874. She was the widow of Lloyd Hobbs who died as a Confederate soldier in camp at Drewry’s Bluff, VA, on January 30, 1863. Mrs. Hobbs was born in Taylor County, GA, in 1833, the daughter of Simon Cox and Lucy Adams . She and Mr. Peterman lived on Whitewater Creek, and had no children. Columbus James Peterman was a farmer, and also made and sold bread trays. Columbus James Peterman died in Butler, GA, September 16, 1890 and is buried at Bethel Baptist Church near Butler, Georgia. Catherine Amanda Cox Hobbs died in Taylor County, GA, in 1921.

A bread tray, mentioned above, was a shallow bowl carved from a piece of wood. Typically, bread trays were about nine inches wide, fifteen inches long, and two inches deep, and were used for mixing dough. After mixing, the dough was usually allowed to rise in the bread tray before it was placed into a metal pan for baking.

Children of Columbus James Peterman and Martha Jane Patman were

James Thomas “Tom” Peterman (born Houston County, GA, 1841)
Henry David Peterman (born February, 1842)
William Franklin Peterman
John Benjamin Peterman (born September 20, 1845)
Susan Catherine Peterman (born November 30, 1849)
Joseph Columbus Peterman (born March 25, 1852)
Sarah Malinda “Sally” Peterman (born ca. 1854)
Kate Peterman (born ca 1855)
Martha S. “Polly” “Amanda” Peterman (born ca. 1857)
Lucy Alice Peterman (June 8, 1861 – May 25, 1929, married John Willis Cox)
James Perry Peterman (born ca 1865)
Newton Peterman (born ca 1869, died as an infant)

A Confederate Soldier

Henry David Peterman, son of Columbus James Peterman and Martha Jane Patman , was a soldier in Co. G, 6^th Georgia Infantry. He married 1^st Elarkie (?) Cox on September 6, 1866, and 2^nd Emily Jane Culverhouse (July 30, 1855-April 24, 1931) on December 5, 1895.

Joseph Columbus Peterman , son of Columbus James Peterman and Martha Jane Patman , was born March 25, 1852 in Rome, GA. He married Sadie Ann Susan Simpson , and he died January 25, 1903, at Moultrie, GA.

James Perry Peterman married Laura Maxwell. He operated a livery stable at Doerun, GA.

John Benjamin Peterman , son of Columbus James Peterman and Martha Jane Patman , was born in Oglethorpe County, GA, September 20, 1845. On October 10, 1867, he married Martha Pricilla Suddeth , sister of Margia Savannah Suddeth . John Benjamin Peterman served in the War between the States. He died March 19, 1918, in Milledgeville, GA, and is buried at Midway Baptist Church in Taylor County, GA.

William Franklin “Doc” Peterman , son of Columbus James Peterman and Martha Jane Patman , was born in Oglethorpe County, GA, November 5, 1843. He came to Taylor County, GA, from Oglethorpe County in 1859.

Wounded in the Forearm

He enlisted in the Confederate Army May 2, 1861, to serve three years. When he enlisted, he was 5 feet 10 inches tall, with fair complexion, hazel eyes, and dark hair. He served as a member of the Butler Van Guards, Company G, 6^th Georgia Regiment. He was wounded in the right forearm in a battle at Point Lookout, MD, so that his right hand was immobile, and he wore a leather brace on his arm for the rest of his life. He was discharged from the Confederate Army at Gate City Hospital in Atlanta, GA, July 17, 1863. The Butler Van Guards were one of four companies from Taylor County who served in the Georgia Volunteer Infantry under Colonel Alfred

Colquitt.

William Franklin Peterman married Margia (or Marjorie) Savannah Suddeth , born July 18, 1848, on November 25 (or September 2), 1866, in Butler, GA. [Milton Peterman says they were married by John Hamilton at her family home in Madison County, FL, September 2, 1865.] She was the daughter of Sandy Alexander Suddeth (April 16, 1776 – May 12, 1853) and Sarah Hill . Sandy Alexander Suddeth lies buried at Union Campground Cemetery in Taylor County, Georgia.

Grandma Peterman

William Franklin Peterman joined Midway Baptist Church in 1881. He died in Butler, Georgia, May 28, 1912. His widow, Margia Savannah Suddeth , received a Confederate widow’s pension until her death on August 13, 1936 in Dooling, Georgia. After the death of William Franklin Peterman, Margia Savannah Suddeth lived at the home of each of her children a few months at a time, taking along a few of her special belongings such as her bed and her favorite rocking chair. In her later years, she was known as Grandma Peterman, and at her death, she had sixty-two grandchildren, fifty-one great grandchildren, and three great, great grandchildren. Both William Franklin Peterman and Margia Savannah Suddeth are buried at Midway Cemetery in Taylor County, Georgia.

Margia Savannah Suddeth was a good seamstress, and she supplemented the farm income making beautiful clothes with beautiful finishing touches. She was small in stature and had red hair, often pulled back in a bun. She never knew what day of the month she was born. Hermother died before she was six, and her aunt remembered only that she was born in July.

William Franklin Peterman and Margia Savannah Suddeth had thirteen children, one of whomdid not survive. The other twelve were:

Leonard Peterman , born Nov. 5, 1867, died January 25, 1944
William Columbus “Lum” Peterman , born in Monticello, Florida on May 7, 1871, died in Dooling, Georgia, July 9, 1937
Alvin Peterman , born February 23, 1874, died September 25, 1942
Martha Lula Peterman , born April 12, 1876, died April 12, 1878
Mary Catherine Peterman , born in 1878, died February 25, 1952
Newton E. Peterman , born June 20, 1880, died February 6, 1945
John Franklin Peterman , born June 10, 1882, died May 26, 1960
Mittie Lee Peterman , born April 12, 1884, died August 28, 1890
Sallie Gordon Peterman , born September 8, 1886, died December 13, 1958
Alice Chloe Peterman , born October 7, 1888, died January 3, 1967
Tignal Lee Peterman , born October 31, 1891, died April 28, 1931(?)
Lizzie Savannah Peterman

Lizzie Savannah Peterman, daughter of William Franklin Peterman and Margia Savannah Suddeth , was born March 4, 1894 in Taylor County, GA. She married Alys Berry Kirksey (See Chapter 22) on July 28, 1914 at Butler, Georgia. Lizzie Savannah Peterman died October 23, 1971, at The Oaks Nursing Home in Marshallville, GA, and is buried at Mount Pisgah Church Cemetery near Butler, GA.

References: 27, 37, 92, 138, 352, 435