John McDowell, Ireland-Lawrence Co., AL

The following is taken from "Valley Leaves" genealogy journal, March 1976, pg. 145, entitled, "John McDowell, Revolutionary Soldier."This article was contributed to Valley Leaves by Delene McDowell Woodham (Mrs. William J. Woodham, Jr.), great granddaughter of John McDowell's son Miles McKinnis McDowell.Her address was listed as 611 W. Avery Street, Pensacola, FL 32501.She also sent xerox copies of the originals of all material used. See other references below.

John McDowel/McDowell was born in Ireland, 10 Aug 1758.(Name of parents unknown to writer of article.) He married by publication to Sarah Thomas, born 15 June 1772, daughter of Philemon Thomas, in Marlboro District, S.C. (actually Cheraws, until 1798), on 27 May 1790.John died near Oakville, (Lawrence County), Alabama, 1 Jan 1841.The writer has been told in interviews with senior citizens of that area that livestock have broken the tombstones down in the Oakville cemeteries until the exact location of the grave has not been determined.John Knox states that: John McDowell, a Scotch-Irish hatter, a fighting Gael, came from North Ireland in 1774, and apparently had hit shore with his fists already doubled, eager for a chance to scrap with the British.He had joined up as a private in the Maryland Continental Line, and had fought through to the war's end, and had then come to Alabama - by way of Maryland, North Carolina, and Georgia. (Note: John Knox, "Mr. Jack is Still a Mountain Man." The Decatur Daily Newspaper, Decatur, AL, Wed., Jul 22, 1964, pg. B-6")

In his pension paper, the veteran states that he enlisted in 1775, and served three months as Private in Capt. William Woodal's Co., Col. Guest's Maryland Regiment. He then enlisted and served as Private in Capt. James Fair's North Carolina Company.He was in the Battle of Germantown, the Battle on Drowning Creek, Beatie's Bridge, a branch of Peedee River in NC, where he was taken prisoner and carried to Wilmington, NC, and about two months later, he was taken to Charleston, SC.About six months later, he was "discharged on parole." (Note: Military record of John McDowel found in Jones & Gandrud, Alabama Records, Morgan Co., Vol. 49, pg. 23; also in Pension & Bounty Land Record from the GSA, National Archives, File Designation, BHT 38502-160-55, W 7423 Rev.

Certificate of Pension issued the 8th day of April 1835, and sent to MacKenzie, Clerk, Somerville, Morgan Co., Alabama.Arrears to the 4th of Mar 1833 $73.32; Semi Annual Allowance ending 4 Sep $18.33; total $91.65.Recorded in Book E, Vol 8, pg. 48, John McDowel (W7423).

Sarah McDowell, widow of John McDowell who served in the Rev War as a Pvt., was inscribed on the Roll at the rate of $36.66 per annum, to commence on the 4th day of Mar 1848.Her certificate of pension was issued on 15 Jan 1850 (B.L. Wt. 38502-160-55). In Mar 1855, Sarah (Thomas) McDowell was drawing a pension, age 83, and living in Lawrence Co., AL.She died in Lawrence Co., AL, 13 Aug 1856.

As stated in John McDowell's military record, disposition paper, and folder from GSA, Nat'l Archives, we know that he lived in MD, Richmond Co., NC; Marlboro Dist., SC; GA (census record shows that his son Miles McKinnis was born in GA in 1804, but county is not known at this time.)

In his pension papers, it states that John McDowell had resided in Lawrence Co., AL, six years prior to his death in 1841, and had previously lived in Madison and Morgan counties, AL - and, before that, in the counties of Logan and Warren, KY.Sarah (Thomas) McDowell is listed as a charter member in Hopewell Baptist Church, Morgan County, AL, in 1824 (Church Minutes, Special Collections, Samford Univ., Birmingham, AL; also John Knox, "A History of Morgan Co., AL," pg. 160.)

John McDowell was a hatter by trade.In his book, Col. James Saunders wrote: "About 1828, three settlers lived on the south side of Warrior Mountain (or Sand Mountain) in Lawrence Co., AL, near Moulton: Hansford Fears, John McDowell, and Gilbert C.K. Mitchell...he (John McDowell) was a hatter by trade...Indeed for the first ten years of the settlement, he made most of the hats, and carried on an extensive trade with the Negroes and boys of North Alabama for raccoon skins." (Col. James E. Saunders, "Early Settlers of AL, Part I, pg. 57)

John and Sarah (Thomas) McDowell had the following children:

(1) Elizabeth McDowell, b. 7 Jan 1791
(2) Wm. Thomas McDowell, b. 26 Apr 1792 - d. 11 Apr 1814
(3) Nancy McDowell, b. 13 Jan 1794
(4) Tristram McDowell, b. 1 Feb 1796; m. Elizabeth __
(5) Mary McDowell, b. 12 Mar 1798; m. 1817 in Bowling Green, KY., to Wiley Gallaway, b. 9 Sep 1792 in Oglethorpe, GA.He died in Lone Oak (or Waxahatchie), TX, in 1864.Mary died 11 May 1855, Lawrence Co., AL.Their son, Matthew, won much recognition as a journalist.He owned the "Memphis Avalanche" and was imprisoned during Reconstruction Days because of his editorials denouncing the rule of carpetbaggers, etc.
(6)Alexander Thomas McDowell, b. 12 Feb 1800.
(7)Clarissa McDowell, b. 23 Jun 1802; m. Judge Charles Gibson.Clarissa died 5 Jun 1864, Lawrence Co., AL.
(8)Miles McKinnis McDowell, b. 26 Jun 1804 in GA, m. (1) Ann Aycock in 1825, (2) Eleanor Inland or Inman in 1835; d. about 1836 in Lawrence Co., AL.
(9)Harriet McDowell, b. 25 Nov 1806, probably in Logan or Warren Co., KY; m. Willis A. Reeves, 15 Nov 1826, in Morgan Co., AL.
(10)John Washington McDowell, b. 12 Feb 1808.
(11)Charlotte McDowell, b. 1 May 1810; d. 29 Mar 1831.
(12)James Pressley McDowell, b. 12 May 1812.

Information on the family members was found in Jones and Gandrud, "Alabama Records, Vol. 49, Morgan Co., pp. 23-29; see also, "Revolutionary Soldiers in AL," 1911, p. 79.Children were listed in GSA records, and Wiley Gallaway, County Clerk, Lawrence Co., AL (1835-50) stated that he copied the family data (for pension purposes) from family Bible.See "Valley Leaves", Vol 9, pg. 197.

The Sep 1974 issue of "Valley Leaves" contains detailed information on the family of John McDowell's daughter Clarissa, who married Judge Charles Gibson.The article written by Delene McDowell Woodham lists family members buried in the Tolbert Prewitt Cemetery which is located near Speake, off Hwy. 36, between Judge Johnson's place and the Alexander farm in Lawrence Co., AL (Twp 7S, R6W, Sec 28).

I have submitted the above in hopes of finding out more about Nancy McDowell, one of the daughters of John McDowell.I would like to know if this is the Nancy McDowell who married John Sanders in Madison Co., AL, on 18 Apr 1818.And are they the John and Nancy Sanders who were living in Troup Co., GA, in 1850.If so, did they have a daughter, Cimantha Sanders, who married William Waller, a lawyer, in Troup Co., GA, on 9 Jun 1841?William and Samantha Waller were on the 1850 census in Heard Co., GA, and the 1870 census of Chambers Co., AL.Their daughter Lena J. Waller, married Dr. Hiram Fairfield Coleman and they are my great grandparents.