George C. Clark, Jr., moved his family to Covington County before the 1840 Federal Census was taken. He was the son of George C. Clark, Sr. and wife, Sarah. George Sr. was born in 1754 in Antrim County, Ireland, and died circa 1841 in Marion County, South Carolina. He and Sarah had the following children: George C. Jr., Meedy, Nancy, Burgess, Delilah, Kenion and Mary.

George Jr. was born in 1790 in South Carolina and was married there to Frances. They had arrived in the State of Alabama by the time the fourth child was born in 1828. When the family moved to Covington County circa 1840, there were at least six children. After locating here, four additional children were born into the family.

George Jr. and Frances reared the following children: John, b. 1822, m. Elzada Rogers; Delilah, b. 1824, d. 1889, m. Daniel L.M. Dauphin; Media, b. 1826, m. Miles Gaines; David, b. 1828, d. 1864, m. Telitha; George, b. 1833; Eliza, b. 1835; Phillip, b. 1837, m. Calthia Rogers; Elizabeth, b. 1841; William, b. 1845; and John, b. 1846.

George Jr. purchased land from the government during the early 1850s -- 40 acres in 1853, 40 acres in 1854, and 120 acres in 1856. All the acreage was located in the Dozier/Rose Hill area. He farmed and lived in this community until his death in 1869. (In the 1870 census, his widow, Frances, was enumerated in the household of Alexander and Mary McBeth.

It was most likely George Jr.'s brother, Burgess, who acquired 40 acres of government land in the Panther Creek area in1840 and 80 acres in the Dozier/Rose Hill community in 1853. (It is puzzling that Burgess is not listed in the 1850 Federal Census for Covington County.)

There were four Clark households enumerated during the 1850 census: George Jr., David, John, and Charles C. David and John are the older sons of George Jr., but no relationship is known for Charles who was born in Georgia.

John was George Jr.'s oldest son who was married to Elzada Rogers. They lived next door to his father and farmed also. John and Elzada had the following children: Francis M., b. 1851; George L., b. 1852; John K., b. 1855; Richard A., b. 1857; Rebecah, b. 1858; David, b. 1860; Lanorah, b. 1863; and Lee, b. 1868.

George Jr.'s oldest daughter, Delilah, and her husband, Daniel L.M. Dauphin, had at least the following children: Caroline, b. 1848; Andrew J., b. 1850; George W., b. 1852; Franklin, b. 1854; James, b. 1857; David L., b. 1859; and Mary A., b. 1861.

Daniel was a leader in the early Good Hope Primitive Baptist Church around 1841. He later served in the Confederate Army as a private in Co. C, 37th Ala. Inf. Reg't. During the war he was injured, which resulted in his death. Delilah is listed as a widow at 48 years of age in the 1870 census.

George Jr.'s son, David, was also a farmer who lived near his father and brother, John. David and his wife, Telitha, were living in the Leon community with an infant son, Robert Warren, when the 1850 census was taken. During 1856, David purchased a 40-acre tract and an 80-acre tract of land from the government in the Merrill community. In 1860, his real estate was valued at $1,100 and his personal property, at $2,455.

When the 1860 census was taken, David and Telitha had five children. Two more were born before David's death during the war. David enlisted in the Confederate Army at Leon on March 24, 1862. (Telitha was expecting their seventh child, Mary Jane, who was born on November 1, 1862.) There is also a record of David being at Greenville on the same date he enlisted. He was assigned to Capt. Kendrick's Company of Alabama Volunteers. He fought at Iuka and Corinth, Mississippi. He was assigned to Company C, 37th Ala. Inf. Reg't and was engaged in battle at Yazoo Pass and the Vicksburg Campaign. He was captured at Vicksburg and held as a prisoner of war until he was paroled from the city hospital on July 13, 1863. He was listed as sick and absent without leave for 50 days after August. He returned to his regiment in November and fought at Chattanooga and the Atlanta Campaign at the following battles: Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, New Hope Church, Ezra Church, and Atlanta. He died in battle on August 8, 1864, but the site of his burial is unknown. The 1866 Alabama Census listed his widow, Telitha, as head of a household with all of her children and an older lady, 70-80 years of age, residing with her.

David's brother, William, at 19 years of age served in the Company of Covington County Militia (Second Class), which was organized August 27, 1864.

David and Telitha reared the following children: Robert Warren, b. 1850, m. Rebecca Jane ?; James Matison, b. 1851, d. 1901, m. (1) 1876 Zulena Clifton Davilla Ward (2) 1890 Mollie M. Sherfield; George Miles, b. 1854, d. 1930, m. (1) 1877 Ella Sapp (2) Mrs. Vera Smith; Martha Ann, b. 1855, d. 1917, m. 1873, James Washington Ward; Josiah, b. 1858; John Daniel, b. 1860; and Mary Jane, b. 1862.

In 1872 when George Jr.'s will was finally settled, the only heirs of David named were James Matison, George, Martha and Mary, who were all residing in Texas. Since Telitha and their sons, Robert, Josiah and John Daniel, were not named and have not been found in Texas records, it is not known if they had died or where they were living.

David's son, James Matison and his first wife, Zulena, had two sons, John, b. 1878; and James Lee, b. 1887, d. 1977, m. 1915 Claudia Fay Spradlin.

James Matison's son, James Lee, and his wife, Claudia, had the following children: James Lee Jr. "J.L.," Jessie Mae, Ruby Clifton, John Carroll, Floyd and Lloyd "Pete"--twins, Lois Estelle, James Madison "Jim," Birt, Helen Fay, and Julia Elizabeth "Lizzie."

Among the children of Lloyd "Pete" and his wife, Elizabeth Ann Airheart, was a daughter, Wanda Gail, who married Steven Jay Odd. Wanda is credited with providing her family records for today's column. Other resources were census records and Wyley Ward's "Original Land Sales and Grants in Covington County, Alabama" and "Early History of Covington County, Alabama. 1821-1871."

Anyone who might have corrections to the above or additional information on the Clark family is requested to contact Curtis Thomasson at Route 9, Box 97, Andalusia, AL 36420 or Email: chthom@alaweb.com

FAMILY REUNION:

Descendants of Isaac Wilson Odom, Lucy Blocker, and Martha English are having a reunion at the Rose Hill Community Center on Saturday, May 25, beginning at 10 a.m. Come and bring a covered-dish dinner.

CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL SERVICES:

On Saturday, May 25, two memorial services will be conducted by the Covington Rifles Camp of the SCV to dedicate grave markers in honor of two Confederate Veterans. At 2 p.m. in the Mt. Gilead Baptist Church Cemetery near Rose Hill, Henry Urquhart will be remembered. At 3:30 p.m. in the Rose Hill Cemetery, Elisha Flournoy will be remembered. Guests are cordially invited to attend.-