Robert Scott Davis collection

Robert Scott Davis collection

Descriptive Summary

Title: Robert Scott Davis collection
Creator: Davis, Robert Scott, 1954-
Inclusive Dates: 1844-2009
Language(s): English
Extent: 37.2 Linear Feet 19 document boxes, 1 card file box, 30 cartons
Collection Number: ms2549
Repository: Hargrett Library

Collection Description

Historical Note

Robert Scott "Bob" Davis is the director of the Family and Regional History Program, Wallace State Community College, Hanceville, Alabama. His program pioneers genealogy and family history in a college environment. As a professor at Wallace State, he teaches genealogy, geography, and history. He holds a master of education degree in history from North Georgia College and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Currently, Professor Davis is doing more graduate work at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. He is also a graduate of the Institute of Documentary Editing of the National Historical Records Publications Commission. Professor Davis' more than 1,000 publications on records and research include guides to doing research in Alabama and Georgia. He also wrote the chapters on Alabama and Georgia for the current edition of Ancestry's Redbook. His articles have appeared in such periodicals as Ancestry, The American Genealogist, Heritage Quest, The North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal, and The National Genealogical Society Quarterly, as well as in many archival, education, history, library, and other professional journals. As a private citizen, he has worked on many efforts in Alabama and Georgia to encourage the saving of historical records, including as a speaker at hundreds of meetings of genealogical and historical societies. In 2006, the American Association for State and Local History awarded the program that he has built up with its Oustanding Leadership in History Award of Merit." -- "Robert Scott Davis" from http://www3.wallacestate.edu/bobdavis/docs/Biography_Genealogy.pdf (Accessed October 6, 2009)

Scope and Content

The collection consists of mostly photocopied articles from various historical agencies, some original correspondence, maps, photographs, and newspaper articles relating to subjects Mr. Davis has written about. Included are materials about Georgia's participation in the Texas Revolution; Charles Cole Hind and Aetna Insurance; and miscellaneous Georgia material (especially historic Georgia houses). The first deposit relates to Georgia's participation in the Texas Revolution. There is general soldier information, rosters, maps, flags, and photographs, plus specific information on James W. Fannin and William A. Ward. The Charles Cole Hind and Aetna Insurance material concerns Georgia and Alabama. Mrs. Hind, as the insurance representative, made pre-Civil War building insurance surveys in the two states; xeroxes of the surveys are in this collection. There is also a copy of the book of instruction for agents & a bound copy of The 100 Years of Fire Insurance..., the history of Aetna from 1819-1919. Finally, selections from the miscellaneous Georgia material include: information about the Harris-Pearson-Walker House in Augusta, Carter's Quarters (National Register house) in Murray County, gold mining in Georgia, and materials gathered on the history of Clinton and other places in Georgia.

Organization and Arrangement

Partially arranged; a large amount of unprocessed material was added to the collection. Please contact Head of Manuscript to request access.


Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Robert Scott Davis collection, ms2549, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.

Provenance

The first deposit consists of some 1140 items.

1-3-1988 - Two items added to Mackay folder: ALS from Ola Webb, 12/3/87 and copy of TLS from Peter Malphurs to Dr. Edward Cashin, Augusts College, re archeological investigation on Murray Road extension with 2 maps.

October 1988 - Materials received includes the Mark Anthony Cooper materials; the National Register house knows as Carter's Quarters in Murray Co Ga; the Long Swamp Indian village, a Cherokee area in Cherokee Co GA; photos in Carter's Quarters materials & Long Swamp plus a cassette tape tour of Carter's Quarters. A separate folder contains a seal found at the site of the Tate Estate in Tate, Ga.

April 1989 - Additional information on Carter's Quarters & Presidio La Bahia; a soft bound volume on Thomas H. Cosby, Soldier of Fortune, a General Study by Tom Houston; folder of material on Rev. John Newton, Baptist minister; folder of research sources on 2d Manassas from various institutions done by a member of the Park Service, including UGA; correspondence re Thomas Ansley, mostly from Charles Ansley, Red Springs, NC to Davis during 1979-87 period, some incomplete & undated; 2 articles about Edmond Gray, a Quaker of Va., Augusta and Cumberland Island Ga; correspondence, photos re Rock House, McDuffie Co Ga, some from Orkney Museum, Great Britain; Wrightsboro Quaker Community corresp., articles, records; William Manson corresp., records, 2 account books 1775-70. Most of materials are copies & those on deteriorating copy paper have been recopied onto acid-free paper.

721 items

July 1989 - 3 photos: 1. Richard Randolph Cuyler [1796-1865], president of Central of Georgia Railroad by Bogardus of New York City, probably made before the Civil War in wallet size

2. b/w of Richard Matthei Cuyler [1825-1879], son of R. R. from original on marble probably done in Baltimore after the Civil War - he was commander of Macon Arsenal;

3. color of # 2

photos removed to photo file, explanation sheet in 2:13.

December 1991 - Materials on Georgia & French Burr [Buhr] stone, used to made flour grinding stones including history, maps, information on individuals and photos, slides and negatives of various sites plus the final draft of a article written by Mr. Davis - 397 items

Box of stones in artifacts.

June 1992 - ca. 2 linear feet of materials, mostly copies, of materials collected in preparation for writing a history of Montgomery County.

August 1995 -- Gold mining in Georgia - Governor David Brydie Mitchell letter copies; John Laud Logan mine; Blake materials; maps; White Co mines.

March 1997 - Walter Webster Findley; Robert P. Woody, Moonshine War 1876-7; Lansdown Val; Lee Cape, Lindsey Evans, McFarland incident; tapes

1 linear foot

May 1997 - materials collected for writing about the Revolutionary letters of Dr. Thomas Taylor; original correspondence 1972-96, much of it from Great Britain; typescript of A View From The Other Side:The Revolutionary Letter of Dr. Thomas Taylor by Davis; some research on families of Berkley, Bowmaker, Edwards, Frazer, Johnston, Mason, Morrison, Simpson & Wickham.

1 linear foot

Finding Aid Publication

Finding aid prepared on: 2009 June 29.


Related Materials and Subjects

Subject Terms


Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

1. GOLIAD papers

Maps, articles, research notes, correspondence, photos relating to Georgians in the Texas war of independence from Mexico [1835-36] and the celebration of the 150th anniversary of those events in Georgia and Texas. Materials include data on Col. James Walker Fannin [1805-1836] of Columbus, GA., Lcol. William A. Ward [c 1805-1836] of Macon, GA plus Ga volunteers from Macon, Columbus, Milledgeville and elsewhere. Other information includes Joanna Troutman's flag of the Ga Bn, the story of Ga arms carried to Texas and the monuments to Georgians built from the money owed for the arms; Georgians at the Alamo, at San Jacinto and those executed at the Presidio La Bahia, Goliad, TX in 1836. Also included are research notes by R. F. Bankey on Georgians in early Texas, rosters etc.
boxfolder
11 James Walker Fannin
Col. of Regiment of Volunteers in flight for Texas including the Georgia Bn & Red Rovers from Alabama. Fannin born in Ga in 1805 & moved to Texas with his family in 1834.
12 William A. Ward
Major & commander of the Georgia Bn
13 Soldier information
includes written accounts of the Texas Revolution & the Ga connections; Dr. J. H. Barnard's Journal of the Fannin massacre: photo of Hugh McLeod's tomb
14 Texas 150th year celebration
with correspondence, newspaper coverage & Ga material
15 The Alamo
correspondence mentions Eliel Melton, William Wells, William T. Malone & others
16 Bounty lands
correspondence & information regarding lands received by men or families as a result of the Revolution
17 Goliad flag
an actual cloth copy of the flag in red/white
18 San Jacinto
correspondence with lists of participants
19 Monuments
located in Albany, TX with photos; Goliad, Troutman, Callahan, Duval, Fannin plus Winn/Bates in Lawrenceville GA
110 Rosters
various studies, Texas info, pamphlet on TX Forgotten Heroes
111 Flags
Joanna Troutman flag with photos, articles & correspondence
112 Illustrations
b/w 6 x 10 of the Georgia Bn marched to death in 'Fannin & His Men" 7 x 10 photo of drawing by Price of the execution at Goliad, 1836
113 Historical markers of Georgia & Texas
114Maps and plans of Texas sites
Ft. Velasco, battlefield at Coleta; drawing of Ward's route from Refugio to surrender; drawings of Refugio; places associated with Georgia Bn 1835-6 ; Aranxzas Bay; map of some part of TX; May of 1836 Ga at Refugio and La Bahia; photo of map of 1844 Texas; zerox of another part of 1844 map
115 Presidio La Bahia, Goliad
correspondence, newspaper coverage, 4 first edition stamps & envelopes of various battles; photographs of La Bahia & Ft. Defiance
116 Movie 'Going to the Alamo"
boxfolder
21 R. F. Bankey, of Atlanta, correspondence with Davis , 1982-1987
regarding TX issues
22 Bankey
newspapers, historical guide & Clinton Historical Society 1984 publication regarding the town
23 Bankey
notebooks, printed material on Ga & TX
24 Cherokee Boundry papers , 1829
abstracts of depositions and other papers collected by General John Coffee in 1829 regarding border between Cherokee and Creek Indians in Georgia
25Mackay House, Augusta, GA or 'White House"
was the site of a Revolutionary War battle in September 1780 & was identified as the Ezekiel Harris/Walker House. This material supplements and expands upon research done by Ga Dept of Natural Resources concerning the house & unsuccessful attempt to locate a publication by Ebenezer Starnes called "The Death of Grierson" which possibly contains information on the Mackay House.
26 Miscellaneous Texas items
copies of articles from various historical societies on Texas Revolution
27 Charles Cole Hind
descriptions of Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Griffin, Macon, Mobile, Montgomery, Rome and Savannah done by Hind [1825-1897] of Aetna Insurance Company of Hartford, Conn. during his tour of these cities in 1859-60. Folder contains Davis correspondence regarding Hind.
28 Charles Cole Hind
book of instructions for agents with definitions of building types, charges; other AEtna material
29 Hind insurance surveys of Ga towns
210 Hind insurance surveys of Alabama towns
211 Hind photographs
212Hind book - 100 Years of Fire Insurance Being a History of the Aetna Insurance Company Hartford, Conn: 1819-1919
2133 photos
Richard Randolph Cuyler [1796-1865]; b/w Richard Matthei Cuyler [1825-1879] his son and color of the latter. See folder for explanation - photos in photo file
boxfolder
31 Mark Anthony Cooper material
Includes notes, correspondence, research notes on Cooper [1800-1885], Ga lawyer, banker, congressman, soldier and manufacturer; Cooper's memoirs and Daniel S. Allan paper on Cooper's Etowah Iron Works in Bartow County; bibliography of source materials on Cooper.
32Carter's Quarters House, Murray Co Ga
includes research done on National Register House, traditionally believed to be home of Cherokee Judge John Martin but probably was owned by Cherokee Indian George Harlan and later by Ga millionaire Parrish Carter [1780-1861]. Taped tour of house & photographs
33 Wrightsboro, GA
34 Long Swamp Indian Village, Cherokee Co GA
Cherokee Indian village near Ball Ground, Cherokee Co, GA, supposedly where Cherokees won a victory in battle of the Creeks in 1755 and in other accounts, won northwest Ga in a ball game with the Creeks. The village was settled in c 1776, captured by Ga and S. C. militia under Gen. Andrew Pickens in 1781, destroyed 1792 by Tenn. militia under John Sevier. The area was still occupied by Cherokees until the Trail of Tears in 1838. The Treaty of Long Swamp is also covered in these papers.
35 Long Swamp, folder 2
36Seal found at site of Tate Estate, Tate, GA
37 Second Manassas
research notes
38Rev. John Newton, Baptist minister..
Info on diaries of Newton and medical journal of his son, Dr. Moses Newton.
39Thomas H. Cosby, Soldier of Fortune
a general study by Tom Houston
 

2. William Manson-Thomas Ansley

Notes, correspondence, photographs and copies of documents relating to settlements in colonial Georgia that existed in what is now McDuffie Co., GA. Info on Thomas Ansley [ancestor of Jimmy Carter], & his Rock House; Joseph Maddock and the Wrightsborough Quaker settlement; and William Manson, Orkney Island sea captain who founded settlement of indentured servants from Scotland named Friendsborough.
boxfolder
41Correspondence from Charles Ansley to Davis re Thomas Ansley - photos
42Undated correspondence - Ansley, some incomplete
43Edmond Gray articles - Quaker from Virginia, Augusta and Cumberland Island, GA
44William Manson settlement, Friendsborough
45Rock House, McDuffie Co GA correspondence from Charles Ansley, from Orkney Museum & Library, Great Britain; 19 photos of Rock House
46Wirghtsborough Quaker Community - correspondence
47Wrightsborough Quaker Community, articles, records
48William Manson - correspondence
49William Manson - records
410William Manson & Company account book, Friendsborough, 1776-1777 (copied from Orkney Library, 166 pages)
411William Manson - correspondence to/by him from Kirkwall, 1780-1790
412Account book of co-partners William & John Chapeman & William Manson, 1775-1779 (copied from Orkney Library, 45 pages)
boxfolder
51BUHR stone article, correspondence, photographs
52Buhr stone history, geology with correspondence, articles
53Rae's Creek
54Maps
Jefferson Co 1819, 1872 [ copies] and 1985 road map; Dublin 1981 and Louisville area
55Jefferson County burr stones
56German burr stones
57Georgia stones, 1815-1854
58Christopher Fitzsimmons
59Oliver Evans
510Patrick Connelly of Jefferson County
511Photographs, slides, negatives
512Examples of actual stones, both French & Georgian - in artifacts
 

3. Montgomery County, Georgia

boxfolder
61Agriculture
62Agricultural census
63Altamaha River
64Blockhouses
65Boundry changes
66Brewton Parker College
67Census statistics
681850 census
69Charlotteburg
boxfolder
71Churches - deeds
72Civil War Records
73Civil War Records
74Commissions
75Communities and Towns
76Wilson Conner
77Contracts; correspondence
78Creek Indian Wars
79Creek Indian Wars
boxfolder
81Dead River Cemetery
82Deed Records
83DeSoto
84Families
85First Families
86First Florida Spanish Cavalry
87Folsom Papers, Georgia Historical Society
88Geology
89Basil and Jumper Hall
810Roland Harper
811History
812Indians
813JP's
814Ladson Library
815'Lamb In His Bosom'
816Land Grants; Land lottery; laws and acts
817Longpond Cemetery; Longpond Methodist Church, Lotts Creek
818Maps
819Margavate of Azilla; McBride AL; John B. McFarland
boxfolder
91Methodist churches; Old Montgomery County
92Military Records and Districts; Monroe Family, Mortality Schedules
93Mt. Venture and Mary Musgrove
94Mt. Vernon Methodist Church & Presbyterian Churches
95Dwight Newsome
96Newspapers
97Oconee Box and River
98Peterson murder; petitions
99Pine Barren Fraud
910Jack Plane
911Prehistory
912Rafts - 3 photos
913Reconstruction
914-15Records
boxfolder
101Revolutionary War
102John Salter
103School Records
104Scotsmen
105Secession Convention
106Seward; Sheep; Thomas Sikes
107Slave Schedules and enslaved people
108Frankie Snow
109Social Schedules; Swiss, Sopherton
1010Spanish Period
1011Stephen Swain
1012Eugene Talmadge: Tarrytown; Tax Digests; Tax Insolvents; Timber Industry
1013Toombs County - Cemeteries and Schools
1014Treutlan County - Churches & Cemeteries
boxfolder
111Robert Troup & Lachlan McInstosh; Geo M Troup; C. T. Trowell
112Turpentine; Uvalda
113Vidalia; Vidalia First Baptist Church
114Washington County; Wheeler County & Cemeteries
115Julian C. Wilkes; Wolfe Publications; WWI
116Yamassees
117Robert Penn Warren's River Rogue
118Writing the History
 

4. Gold Mining in White County, Georgia

boxfolder
121Georgia Governor David Brydie Mitchell, 1809-1820
copies of letters from Bolling Hall, Charles Tait, John Pray, Wilson Lumpkin, William Wyatt Bibb, George M Troup, William H Crawford, Israel Pickens, Governor John Clark, Rev. Jesse Mercer, mostly dealing with Mitchell's work as Creek Indian agent.
122John Loud, Logan Mine, Loudsville United Methodist Church and Campground photos
123White County Mines article - 'A View of a Golden Era:Drawings of a White County Mining Community in 1869", by Mr. Davis; correspondence, photos
124Logan Turnpike
125George W Boyd letter to Richard Ray Ward, 1832
regarding employees of New Potosi Company NY and Mr. Boyd's buying & selling mining properties
126Mining reports, correspondence
127Daniel Blake papers
128Daniel Blake legal papers
129Daniel Blake mansion photos
1210Maps
 

5. Walter Webster Findly, North Georgia bounty hunter

Findly [20 May 1841 - 9 June 1910] bounty hunter of Pickens, Gilmer, and Fannin counties, brought to justice such killers as Ayers Jones, Sanford Pirkle and Kate Southern. Material also includes Findly's career outside the law including his legendary gun battle with Robert B. Woody [1838-1901].
boxfolder
131Article - 'The Great Gunfight at Doublehead Gap' by Davis
132Findly Family History
133 Walter Webster [Webb] Findly
134Walter Webster [Webb] Findly - Gilmer County Case
135Walter Webster [Webb] Findly Federal County Case
136Walter Webster [Webb] Findly pardon papers
137Newspaper accounts
138 Robert P. Woody
 

6. Moonshine War, North Georgia

federal troops were used unsuccessfully in Gilmer County to suppress moonshining in 1876-77. Among persons mentioned are Augustine McIntyre, Charles B. Blacker, John Emory, and Ayers Jones.
boxfolder
139Moonshine War 1876-77 Folder 9 - MISSING
1310Moonshine War Folder 10 - MISSING
1311Article regarding origin of Lansdown Valley
 

7. Materials relating to the career and murder of Pickens County, GA lawman W. Lee Cape

boxfolder
141Article ' Lee Cape's Last Raid: The Story that Won't Rest'
142 Cape Family
143 W. Lee Cape
144 Levi Cape
145 Lindsey Evans
146 Evans Court transcript
147 Newspaper stories
148 McFarland Incident / Seal Smith
149Tapes - Tom Evans and Ripley Long/Cape murder
 

8. Materials relating to the article about the Revolutionary War letter of Dr. Thomas Taylor

boxfolder
151A View From The Other Side: The Revolutionary War Letters of Dr. Thomas Taylor by Davis typescript
152A View... photocopy, labels for photographs [no photographs]
153Taylor research correspondence, 1972-84
154Taylor research correspondence, 1985-1996
155Taylor research - photocopies
156Taylor research - newspapers
157Research note cards
158Taylor research - IGI, typed materials
159Berkley / Bowmaker / Edwards materials
1510Frazer materials
1511Johnston materials
1512Mason / Morrison materials
1513Simpson / Wickham materials
1514Miscellaneous materials
 

9. Unprocessed materials

carton
1Carton 1: Honest Man's Friend and Protector, Kate Southern, Amicaloba EMC and Cassettes
carton
2Carton 2: Atlanta Farmer's Market and North Georgia in the Civil War (A-B)
carton
3Carton 3: North Georgia in the Civil War (A-C, MISC)
carton
4Carton 4: North Georgia in the Civil War (E-J)
carton
5Carton 5: North Georgia in the Civil War (L-T)
carton
6Carton 6: Civil War Atlanta (Box 1)
carton
7Carton 7: Civil War Atlanta (Box 2)
carton
8Carton 8: Civil War Atlanta (Box 3)
carton
9Carton 9: Confederate Gold
carton
10Carton 10: Macon Arsenal (Box 1)
carton
11Carton 11: Macon Arsenal (Box 2)
carton
12Carton 12: Geneology A-B
carton
13Carton 13: Geneology C
carton
14Carton 14: Geneology D-F
carton
15Carton 15: Geneology F-H
carton
16Carton 16: Geneology H-L
carton
17Carton 17: Geneology L-M
carton
18Carton 18: Geneology Mo-P
carton
19Carton 19: Geneology Q-S
carton
20Carton 20: Geneology S-V
carton
21Carton 21: Geneology W-Z
carton
22Carton 22: Andersonville Prison (A-C)
carton
23Carton 23: Andersonville Prison (D-F)
carton
24Carton 24: Andersonville Prison (G-J)
carton
25Carton 25: Andersonville Prison (K-M)
carton
26Carton 26: Andersonville Prison (N-S)
carton
27Carton 27: Andersonville Prison (Spies-Z)
carton
28Carton 28: Ambrose C. Spencer
carton
29Carton 29: Orrin Smith Baker
carton
30



Artifact: 12 Burr stones - mostly Georgia and French

box
16Box 16: Mercer and Related Families
box
17Box 17: Miscellaneous unsorted genealogy material
box
18Box 18: Notecards filed by topic
box
19Wilson family correspondence

Special Collections Libraries
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-1641