III

Descendants of James Albert “Jim” Loveless

(ca.1810-1867) of Pickens District, South Carolina,

and Rabun, Cherokee, Pickens, and Cobb Counties,

Georgia, by his two wives, Sarah “Sally” Nicholson

(ca.1817-ca.1861), and Sarah Jane Scott Magbee

(1827-1888)

Incipit

“What in me is dark, illumine; what is low, raise and support:

that to the height of this great argument

I may assert Eternal Providence,

and justify the ways of God

to men.”

--Paradise Lost, Book i, line 22.

(John Milton).

FIRST GENERATION:

James Albert "Jim" Loveless* (SAMUEL LOVELACE7, BARTON

6, BENJAMIN

5, JOHN

4, THOMAS

3,

WILLIAM2, UNKNOWN

1) was born circa 1810 in North Carolina--probably Rutherford County,

and died (apparently) in Knoxville, Tennessee probably in April or May of 1867 (more

on this later). It is most likely that James was born either around December of 1810,

or—and this is intriguing—in February, 1810 as the twin brother of his presumed sister

Mahala, who was apparently born in February of 1810. Indeed, Jack D. Lovelace

(quoted above) thinks it highly probable that they were actually twins.

As is fairly well-known by now, this James Loveless was an orphan boy, ‗farmed out‘

and raised after his father's death by a man named Henry Henson of South Carolina.

There is no indication as yet as to what kind of relationship may have existed between

James Loveless and his adoptive father Henry Henson, though it was evidently a close

one, as seen by the fact that James' oldest son bore Henry's name, and by the fact that

Henry's 1849 will mentions James Loveless as "an orphan boy I have raised, and have

tender affection for." We should all be grateful for this evidently selfless and kind man,

Henry Henson, who took the trouble to provide for and raise our forefather, James A.

Loveless, for without him and his help, not one of his descendants might be here today.

For many years, most of the descendants of James Loveless had no idea who his parents

were. Recent research and new discoveries, however, have closed in on the elusive

quarry (see previous chapter two). James‘ father was Samuel Lovelace, of Spartanburg,

South Carolina, and his mother was apparently Anna Byers Lovelace. James evidently

remained close to his mother, since he and his children seem to have moved and

followed Anna (―Annie‖, or ―Amy‖) Loveless everywhere she went, from early

Pendleton District (later Pickens), right through to Cherokee and Dawson Counties,

Georgia. And recall that Dawson County is also where the Palmour grandparents of

James‘ wife Sarah Nicholson also ended up, before they, too, left this mortal sojourn.

James Loveless was apparently residing in Rabun County, Georgia at the time of 1830

and 1840 censuses, and unless there was somehow another person (and an adult male at

that) named ―James Lovelace‖ in Rabun County, Georgia in the 1820s, then our ancestor

was given a tract of 489.5 acres there on the 8th

of February, 1823, when he would have

been only twelve years old. His name (remarkably) was spelled ―James Lovelace‖ in

this document. The microfilm reel at the Georgia Archives that contains the actual deeds

themselves has unfortunately been missing for a number of years, and (I was told) their

small budget does not allow for re-photographing the deed book nor for purchasing an

additional copy from the LDS Church, which photographed the original deed books

_______________________________________________________________________

(*The LDS Church‘s International Genealogical Index, (or IGI) lists him three times—

twice as ―James Albert Loveless‖ and once as ―James Albert Lovelace‖.)

in the first place. I thus had only the deed index to rely on for researching this deed. The

deed index lists the name of the man who gave James Loveless this land as ―Henry

Mirs‖. I would truly love to be able to view the original deed record in question here,

because I think that this name ―Henry Mirs‖ is probably a misspelling (or incorrect

transcription) of the more familiar (and more believable) name ―Henry Henson‖—James

Loveless‘ loving step-father. At present, however, I have no way to prove this

hypothesis, unless I either make a trip to the Rabun County Courthouse in Clayton,

Georgia (to view the original deed), or feel like paying to have the other microfilm reel

copy sent from Salt Lake City to a local L.D.S. branch genealogical library (and then

waiting).

As I think it is highly unlikely that there was another ―James Lovelace‖ in Rabun County

at this time (there are only four total deed records in this county bearing this name at all,

anyway—and they all seem to be our man and no other), I therefore believe that this is

indeed our ancestor James Albert ―Jim‖ Loveless, and that he was, in fact, deeded 489.5

acres in 1823 at the age of twelve. And I further believe the likelihood is good that the

person who gave him this land was none other than James‘ stepfather, Henry Henson.

Who else would have wanted to do such a thing for a twelve-year-old boy? His

stepfather Henry, who in his 1849 will would describe James with words of affection,

and who would in 1846 sell to James more than a thousand additional acres of his land

holdings, evidently loved his stepson indeed. This 1823 deed transaction appears in

Book ―C‖, page 212, and was not recorded until the 17th

of October, 1845—some

twenty-two years later—by which time James Loveless was already a grown man with

several of his own children. The land in question was Lot 28, of the Third District of

Rabun County, part of the Chattooga River bottomlands, and quite close to Oconee

County, South Carolina. (This Lot 28 is mentioned in one of the quotes [given below]

from the book Sketches of Rabun County History [q.v.].)

James Loveless eventually sold this 489 acre tract in Rabun County, on 26 March, 1847,

to his wife‘s brother-in-law, William Holden. This transaction was recorded also in

Book ―C‖, page 306, on 7 September, 1847.

James Albert Loveless was a circuit-riding Methodist preacher

According to our cousin Dixie Bradbury Thielet, her great-grandfather James Loveless

had been a circuit-riding Methodist preacher (just like his son Evan would later be).

James Loveless had been instrumental in founding what is now the First United

Methodist Church in Jasper, Georgia (where he lived at the time), sometime in the

1850s. And the 1850 census of Cherokee County (later Pickens County) Georgia refers

to his occupation as " D.D." (Doctor of Divinity). I have to wonder, however, if he ever

really had a formal degree. I rather think the use of the term there might just have been a

title of honor, due to his position as a preacher.

I telephoned the offices of the Jasper United Methodist Church (Jasper, Georgia), which

church James Loveless helped organize back in the 1850s (the official history of Pickens

County confirms this), intending to ask where their old church records or minutes might

be stored. The church secretary who answered the phone said she'd been there ten years,

and that she was certain they didn't have any kind of records that went that far back in

time. So it looks like the Pitts Theology Library (mentioned below) is probably the best

place to try to look.

It is, of course, entirely possible that James Loveless actually did attend some kind of

college or university as a divinity student. Just because we haven‘t yet found record of

this doesn‘t mean it never happened. If he did attend such a school, it would most likely

have been somewhere in the more developed South Carolina of his boyhood—perhaps

Columbia or Charleston. And it would have been almost certain that his beloved

stepfather Henry Henson would have paid for such an education. This fascinating

possibility has yet to be explored properly.

Now that we know that James Loveless was a Methodist minister (and a circuit-riding

preacher at that), the question ―what might his life have been like?‖ may be reasonably

asked. The website

http://www.unionsentinel.com/news/2005/1117/Front_Page/007.html

has an interesting article about a fellow-preacher of North Georgia, only a few years

younger than James Loveless. Strangely, this one too came from Spartanburg, South

Carolina. This article is very interesting, and gives us some idea of what James' life must

have been like.

And here's another interesting website:

http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/HisBeauty/pages/circuitriders.html

The General Commission on Archives and History is the agency responsible for

historical and genealogical data relating to the Methodist Church. Then there is the Pitts

Theology Library in Atlanta (connected with Emory University‘s Candler School of

Theology), mentioned above, which houses all the old records of the North Georgia

conference of Methodist churches. There are two websites connected with these

Methodist genealogical materials, and they can be found here:

http://www.gcah.org

and

http://www.pitts.emory.edu/collections/archives_family.cfm

Here's another very interesting article about early Methodism in Georgia, which helps

give still more illustration to the life of the Rev. James Albert Loveless:

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-3159

Since it mentions that a revival, or mini-"Great Awakening" took place in Georgia in

1835, I would say this is very likely when James Loveless was "sprinkled" (he would

have been twenty-five that year).

And here's yet another interesting article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodist_Episcopal_Church,_South

This was probably the denomination to which James belonged. Remember that he

owned seven slaves in 1860. (And he was a preacher).

From the 1860 census, we learn that James Loveless was also a blacksmith by trade—

what would have been rough, dirty, hot and sweaty manual labour. Additionally, James

Loveless managed his several properties or ―plantations‖ over the years. I do not know

for a fact whether or not he had sufficient means to hire an overseer to run his

plantations for him, but I imagine he probably did—after all, he came from an elite

background, among the upper-crust of society in Pendleton (later Pickens) District,

South Carolina, and seems to have been well provided-for, prior to his ―entrance‖ into

the world of business affairs. Additionally, it is known (according to the statement of

Jeanette Newton Peebles in 1986—his great-granddaughter) that James was prosperous

enough (at one point) to provide a ―personal slave‖ named Cindy for at least one of his

daughters (Genetta). If that was the case, we may presume the other daughters probably

had slaves assigned to them as well. This would seem to indicate an extraordinary degree

of personal wealth. And this hypothesis tallies well with all the other evidence we

possess regarding James Loveless‘ financial situation (prior to the Civil War).

1834 map of Habersham, Rabun, and Hall Counties (etc.)

Also shown is the close proximity to Pickens County, South Carolina.

1864 map of Rabun County, Georgia, and vicinity

James Loveless’ lands were along the Chattooga River.

A few years prior to the sale of the 489 acres he (evidently) received from his step-

father, and probably whilst still living in Rabun County, James Loveless had sold two

other tracts of land—two tracts which we have no record of James ever purchasing.

Perhaps he inherited these tracts from his late father-in-law, Ira Nicholson, in 1840. Ira

did, in fact, bequeath to James and his wife Sarah ―one lot of land‖ (see below), but we

are not told where in Rabun County this land lay. These two other land sales were as

follows: James Loveless sold to Evan Nicholson (either his wife‘s brother or uncle—

both of whom bore that name) a tract of 400 acres, being part of Lots 26, 27, and 46, in

the 3rd

District of Rabun County, on 3 September, 1842. This deed was recorded in

Book ―C‖, page 139, on 2 September, 1843.

The other land transaction in Rabun County involving our James Loveless took place on

the 26th

of December, 1844, wherein James Loveless sold the other part of Lot 46

[acreage not recorded in the index] to a man named Daniel Carrol [sic]. This deed was

recorded in Book ―C‖, page 190.

After James purchased the thousand-plus acre tract in Pickens County, South Carolina in

1846, from his stepfather Henry Henson (see below), he appears to have left Rabun

County for good. When he finally returned to Georgia around 1849—perhaps due to the

death in 1848 of his presumed eldest brother Barton, it would not be to Rabun County

that he would go, but rather to the Cherokee County (later Pickens) where Barton had

lived and died, and where his widow Isabella (Johnson) Loveless now had to raise her

children alone. Perhaps (as Lou Ann Murphy has suggested recently) James, as the new

―head of the family‖ had moved back to Georgia precisely to help his brother Barton‘s

widow and his nephews and nieces.

First Marriage of James Albert “Jim” Lovelace

James Loveless married around 1835 to a lady named Sarah ―Sally‖ Nicholson. This

marriage record is not found in Rabun County, which does have marriage records from

that period; therefore, she and James were probably married in South Carolina.

However, I have not thus far found record of this marriage in South Carolina either.

Sarah Nicholson was born circa 1817, probably in Pendleton District, South Carolina,

and last appeared in the historical record in the 1860 census of Pickens County, Georgia.

As she was not alive in 1870, and since her husband‘s last child (by his second wife) was

born in 1868, Sarah Nicholson Loveless had to have died sometime between 1860 and

1868. She was one of the twelve children of a wealthy and influential man of Pendleton

District, South Carolina and Rabun County, Georgia, named Ira Richardson Nicholson.

Ira's middle name is from his mother's family. The same Sketches of Rabun County

History has the following to say about Ira R. Nicholson (at pages 119 through 121):

It is interesting to note that on December 7, 1830, Ira Nicholson of Pickensville

district in South Carolina purchased from Evan Nicholson [his brother] ... the

same part of lot number 47 that [Evan] had purchased from John Palmour seven

years earlier. ... At this time Ira Nicholson was still living on the South Carolina

side [of the Chattooga River]. The tradition is that South Carolina levied a tax on

slaves which was so heavy (and he had so many of them) that he was forced to

move over to the Georgia side for two years. He then moved back to the South

Carolina side when the tax was repealed. Such is the tradition. Whether that is

true or not, it is certain that between 1830 and 1839, [Evan] and [Ira] made other

land purchases on the Georgia side, and [Ira] established on that side a large

estate on which either he or some of his family lived. Ira Nicholson died in 1840

[24 January]. As is shown by the division of his estate, he had eight children who

were married or were of age, and four minor children who shared in the division

of his property. He owned several lots of land on the two sides of the river and a

number of negro slaves. ... According to the report of the commissioners

appointed to make the division of his property among his heirs, Ira Nicholson

had more livestock and a larger equipment of household furnishings than is

shown by the inventory of any other estate in this early period. No other

appraisement shows so many head of hogs, cattle and horses. There were no

fewer than half a dozen featherbeds priced at from $20 to $30 each. ...

To his son-in-law James Loveless "in right of his wife, Sarah" Ira bequeathed "one lot of

land and one negro girl, Synthia [sic]," together worth $1,200.00 (in 1840 dollars). The

total value of Ira Nicholson's Georgia estate (and this is not counting the value of his

holdings in South Carolina!) was $7,475.00, which would have been an extraordinary

sum of money back then. In terms of today's dollar value, we would have to say that he

was probably a millionaire, several times over.

1895 map of Pickens County, South Carolina

As mentioned above, on 27 March, 1846, James‘ stepfather Henry Henson sold to him a

tract of 1,234 acres ―on Henson's old line‖, in Pickens District, South Carolina, and

apparently James Loveless moved his family back across the Chattooga River from

Rabun County to this very extensive South Carolina plantation for a few years, as his

daughter Jane Nett ("Genetta") is said to have been born there on 30 March, 1846—only

three days after her father acquired that South Carolina property.

James Loveless and his wife Sarah (Nicholson), along with several of her other siblings,

were apparently parties in a law suit concerning the division of her late father‘s very

extensive estate in 1851 (no big surprise)—a suit that was instigated by her sister Jane,

and her husband Isaac Holden: The Keowee Courier newspaper (Pickens County, South

Carolina), in the issue of Saturday, 22 March, 1851, said the following concerning this

suit:

South Carolina, Pickens District. In [the Court of] Equity. –Bill for Partition and

Sale of Real Estate. Isaac Holden and wife Jane vs. Jane Nicholson, widow*,

Evan Nicholson, James Loveless and wife Sarah, William Holden and wife

Martha, William Nicholson, Mordecai Cox and wife Malinda, parties [and?]

Defendants to the said Bill of complaint.

(*Does this newspaper article prove that Ira Nicholson‘s widow Jane was alive in 1851?

It would certainly appear so. Previously, Jane (Palmour) Nicholson was said to have

died in 1843.)

Land lot map of the former Cherokee Territory in North Georgia

James Loveless moves back to Georgia

On 2 July, 1850, James Loveless purchased lots 82, 83, and the south half of lot number

63 in the 13th district, 2nd section, of Cherokee County, for $800.00, from Abner

P(owell) Loveless, Administrator of the Estate of Barton Loveless, deceased (James‘

presumed brother). This transaction was recorded in Book L, page 435, of the Cherokee

County deeds. James Loveless was the highest bidder for these properties at the estate

sale, a public auction on the courthouse steps in Canton, Georgia. In 1853, these

properties passed into the newly-created Pickens County, Georgia, named—perhaps—

after the Pickens County, South Carolina where these Loveless men were originally

from. As mentioned above, most researchers of this family now believe this Barton

Loveless (ca.1798-1848) was probably James' eldest brother—and named after their

(presumed) common grandfather, old Barton Lovelace of colonial Maryland.

The younger Barton Loveless (of Cherokee County) had been a charter member (along

with his wife Isabel) of Liberty Baptist Church in Dawson County, Georgia, in August,

1833, and a charter member and a deacon of Cool Springs Baptist Church, which was

founded in what is now the town of Tate, Georgia (Pickens County, formerly Cherokee

County) on 28 March, 1840.

His earliest (and indeed, only) appearance in the deed records of Cherokee County is in a

deed of 5 February, 1839, wherein he purchased 160 acres of Lot 59, in the 13th

district

of the 2nd

section of that county. ―Bartin‖ Loveless (as it is spelled on his gravestone)

lies buried in the Old Tate Cemetery there. Tate, Georgia, and vicinity, is evidently near

where James Loveless lived for a number of years, as at least two of his sons (Henry and

Evan) enlisted with Company E, 23rd Regiment Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Army of

Tennessee, C.S.A. in Pickens County, Georgia. This unit was also known as the "Tate

Guards", named, undoubtedly, after the town of Tate where so many of the enlistees

were from.

According to his descendant Betty Loveless Murray (daughter of Elbert Lee Loveless,

and granddaughter of Cortez Pate Loveless), James Loveless ―helped organize a

Methodist Church at Jasper, Georgia‖. This would have been in Pickens County. This

oral family tradition was accurately handed down, for the aforementioned book History

of Pickens County, does indeed confirm this (at pages 282 and 283):

Not long after the church at Hinton was started [the 1850s], another Methodist

church was organized in Pickens County at Jasper, under the leadership of

Charles M. McClure, James Lovelace, and James Simmons; and a building was

begun here in 1860. Rev. J.B.M. Morris was the first pastor. …[Emphasis

supplied; note the spelling of James‘ surname.]

This church is now known as the First United Methodist Church of Jasper.

The 1832 Georgia (or Dahlonega) Gold Rush,

and a “falling out” between brothers.

One very big, and still-unanswered question is: to what extent did the famous 1832

Dahlonega (or North Georgia) Gold Rush play (or not play) a role in making these

various Loveless men and women (presumed to be siblings) decide to leave their South

Carolina (or Rabun County, Georgia) homes and head into the area which was even in

the early 1830s still being called the ―Cherokee Territory‖? It is a known fact that

James‘ son Evan Jackson Loveless left Cobb and Dawson Counties, Georgia (around

1875) and moved to Cleburne County, Alabama, precisely to take part in the

Arbacoochee gold rush then going on there. Could a similar motive have led the

Loveless clan to settle in Cherokee County in the 1830s?

We have seen (above) how the earliest known Loveless sibling to enter the Cherokee

area was Barton Loveless (c.1798-1848), who with his wife Isabella, first appears there

(in Dawson County, which was very close to the gold fields) by August, 1833, which

was only one year after the area had been ‗appropriated‘ from the Cherokee Indians, and

Cherokee County had been formed. According to Lou Ann Murphy, her ancestor Barton

Loveless had indeed resided briefly in Lumpkin County, Georgia (county seat,

Dahlonega), prior to 1833. This was the exact, precise area where the main focus of the

gold rush occurred, and Barton‘s presence there prior to 1833 places him in the thick of

things.

We also notice how, by 1840, Barton and family had left the immediate area of the gold

fields, and had moved a little farther west, into what would later become Pickens

County. Had he perhaps tried his luck at prospecting for gold, and found his luck

wanting? Had he perhaps decided to return to the more reliable means of making a

living back then—farming? Recall that Barton‘s presumed brother William was in

Cherokee County, Georgia in 1832 and 1834, but then disappeared (and apparently

returned to Spartanburg, South Carolina).

Perhaps the “falling out” among brothers (mentioned above), actually revolved

around the search for gold--or perhaps the possession of gold, if any had indeed been

found by these Loveless brothers. Such a scenario would be easy to imagine, unproven

suggestion though it is. And while I‘m on the topic, please remember that all of this is

only speculation, so please don‘t take it as ―gospel truth‖.

Regardless of what brought him to the region, though, it is certain that by the time of his

death in 1848, Barton Loveless had been joined in either Pickens County or Dawson

County (adjacent to Pickens) by several other (presumed) family members—siblings,

and even his widowed mother, Anna—with the notable exception of both William and

Seaborn.

And no more than two years after his death, his family were joined by yet another pre-

1863 map of Dawson County, Georgia

(Pickens County is on the left; Hall on the right)

sumed brother, James. Recall also that two presumed siblings (Sarah and Seaborn) both

married in 1833 in Hall County (just east of the Lumpkin gold fields)—the same year

Barton‘s Hall County homestead became part of the newly-created Dawson County

(Barton was enumerated in the 1830 Hall County census).

Life in Dahlonega (and Lumpkin County) in the heady days of the early gold rush was

fast and furious—and quite loose and immoral. One web site

(http://www.goldrushgallery.com/dahlmint/c_history_1.html) describes life at that time

quite colorfully:

[Benjamin] Parks [who is reputed to have been the first white man to discover gold in

the region, in 1828] may have best decribed the chaotic scene, “The news got abroad,

and such excitement you never saw. It seemed within a few days as if the whole world

must have heard of it, for men came from every state I had ever heard of. They came

afoot, on horseback and in wagons, acting more like crazy men than anything else. All

the way from where Dahlonega now stands to Nuckollsville [now called Auraria] there

were men panning out of the branches and making holes in the hillsides ." Dahlonega

was aptly named, being derived from the Cherokee language, meaning "yellow money."

In her earlier days known as "Licklog," Dahlonega soon became a boomtown,

supporting a surrounding population of about 15,000 miners at the height of the gold

rush. Symptomatic of its rapid ascension, shortages of common necessities were

widespread. As might be expected in such a "rough and ready" gold mining town, there

were stores, hotels, brothels, saloons, and gambling houses. One contemporary account

related, “I can hardly conceive of a more unmoral [sic] community than exists around

these mines; drunkenness, gambling, fighting, lewdness, and every other vice exist here

to an awful extent.” “Sprawls Hotel,” a tanyard in town, was an “establishment” where

drunken miners were allowed to “ooze” until they were sober enough to “check out.”

[…]

And this was in Georgia! Where did all this reckless, wild, lawless behaviour go after

leaving 1830s and 1840s Georgia? Why, to the ―Wild, Wild West,‖ of course—which

did not become called that for no reason. The California Gold Rush of 1849 drew away

much of this insane, immoral behaviour from Georgia (to California‘s detriment).

Life in Cherokee (later Pickens) County

By July, 1850, then—and probably as early as 1849—despite his involvement in the

lawsuit in South Carolina in 1851, James Loveless had evidently moved back to Georgia

to one or more of the above-mentioned properties he purchased from the estate of Barton

Loveless, deceased, since he (James) was enumerated in the 1850 census there, and the

language of the deed record of July 2, 1850 describes him as already residing in

Cherokee County. But note that the Barton Loveless properties he purchased were in the

13th district of said county, whereas James was said to be residing in the 15th district

when pinned down by the 1850 census taker. Obviously, he must have purchased an

additional property at some point—a purchase which I have not yet been able to locate in

the deed records of either Cherokee or Pickens Counties. Unless, that is, I either misread

the original census entry all those years ago when I first copied it down, or simply that

the census-taker wrote it down incorrectly himself.

The book History of Pickens County, by Luke E. Tate (first printed in 1935), at page 57,

mentions James Loveless as being among the early settlers of Pickens County:

From Jasper out the Fairmount road were the homes of Jimmy Lovelace, Clark

McClain, John Burgess, Ira Dunegan, John Lambert (who was a preacher),

Andrew Jones, Zeke Forester, Bill Thompson, Lewis Thompson, Elisha Bennett,

Joe Neal, Lewis Larmon, and Hiram Mills. [emphasis supplied]

These names (says author Luke E. Tate) were compiled ―from the information of older

citizens [living in 1935]‖. (From page 55.)

1864 map of Pickens County, Georgia, and vicinity

(Note the Yellow Creek section of Dawson County,

where several Loveless family members would reside in the 1870s.)

James Loveless‘ 1850 census data (such as it may be) is as follows (this is on pages 531-

532.):

15th District of Cherokee County, Georgia. James Loveless, age forty, male. His listed

occupation was ―D.D.‖ (This abbreviation, of course, stands for ―Doctor of Divinity‖).

His real estate value was $1800. He was born in North Carolina. His wife Sarah was

age thirty-two, and born in North Carolina [this had to have been incorrect]. His

children, Henry, age fourteen, male, and Mary, age twelve, female, were shown as

having been born in North Carolina also [This also is probably incorrect], while his

children Evans [sic] age eleven, male, Malinda, age nine, female, Samuel, age six, male,

Jeanetta [sic], age four, female, and Martha, age one, female, were all shown as having

been born in Georgia. [―Jeanetta‖ and Martha are now believed to have been born in

South Carolina.] There was also apparently a boarder, a young man named Henry

Snider [sic], age twenty-two, male, who also came from South Carolina.

(Below) Portions of the 1850 Cherokee census pages showing the James Loveless

family:

On 28 July, 1854, James Loveless disposed of two of those three land lots he had

acquired from the estate of (his late brother?) Barton Loveless in July of 1850; by this

time, they were in the newly-created Pickens County: He sold 160 acres from Lot 83 to

James K. McCutchen for $1,000.00 on that date (McCutchen immediately turned around

and sold—on the same day--20 acres from that purchase to Horatio Talley—James

Loveless‘ probable brother-in-law). Meanwhile, James Loveless himself directly sold—

again on the same day—Lot 82, one of the other Barton Loveless lots, to Horatio Talley.

This Lot 82 also comprised 160 acres. This time James Loveless asked for and received

only $700.00. These transactions were recorded in Book ―A‖, pages 102 and 103.

One month later, on 15 August, 1854, James Loveless took some of those profits from

his recent land sales and purchased a 160 acre lot, Lot 269 of the 13th

district, 2nd

section

of Pickens County (originally Cherokee), from a man named John L. Thweatt of

Spalding County, Georgia. He (James) spent $400.00 to accomplish this. This deed was

also recorded in Book ―A‖, this time on page 51.

James Loveless kept this property (Lot 269) for only two more years, selling it on 18

November, 1856, to a John A. Berry ―of Lumpkin County, Georgia‖ for $1,200.00. Also

included in this sale was the north half of Lot 268, containing 80 acres more or less.

Strangely, though, these two lots are described as lying and being in the 12th

district of

Pickens County (as opposed to the 13th

), an area we have no record of James Loveless

having ever resided in, or having ever purchased property in. Nor have I yet been able to

find any record of James Loveless having ever purchased that ―north half of Lot 268‖.

So where and how did he acquire it?

Also in 1856, James Loveless inherited one slave boy, "Bob" from the estate of his late

stepfather Henry Henson, with strict instructions from Henry to keep ―Bob‖ in the

Loveless family for the rest of his natural life. (Henry‘s kindness and consideration even

extended to slaves—remarkable for that time and place.)

One further reference I have for James Loveless‘ adoptive father Henry Henson I just

happened to pick up in passing: the book, Sketches of Rabun County History, page 125,

mentions him as follows:

On September 1, 1858, Jackson Holden purchased from Henry Henson of South

Carolina part of lot 25, containing 321 acres at the price of $1,000. This land lies

south of lot 28 and is also on the Chattooga River [in Georgia].

This reference is intriguing, not least for the fact that the Henry Henson who was

stepfather to our James Loveless died in 1856, two years before this Henry Henson sold

this land to Jackson Holden. So who was this apparently other man named Henry

Henson? Perhaps the Henry Henson who had settled in the Cherokee Territory of North

Georgia in the years prior to 1858? Or perhaps this Jackson Holden only purchased this

property from the Estate of the then-deceased Henry Henson?

To continue with the story of James Loveless, though:

On 13 September, 1857, James Loveless purchased from a Simeon Webb, for $450.00,

sixty acres from Lot 116, of the same 13th

district, 2nd

section of Pickens County, This

transaction was recorded in Book ―B‖, page 163. And then one month later, on 28

October, 1857, this same Simeon Webb sold to James Loveless two acres out of a 25

acre lot, being part of Lot Number 135, of the same district, section, and county. This

asking price was (interestingly) only $5.00.

James Loveless turned around and sold both of these last-named properties only five

months later, on 20 February, 1858, to Henry W. Kuhtmann and Robert Mure, both ―of

the State of South Carolina‖, for $450.00. The reference for this transaction is Book

―B‖, page 178. He took a five-dollar loss on the deal.

James Loveless continued to reside in Pickens County on one or more of his other

(unsold) properties, as he was enumerated in the 1860 census there:

In the 1860 census of Pickens County, Georgia, he appeared as James Loveless,

Blacksmith, adjacent to Mary (Loveless) Talley, his probable sister. There were eight

children in the home (all born in Georgia). James was born in NC, his wife Sarah in SC

circa 1817, and the children as follows: Evans [sic], age nineteen, Malinda, age eighteen,

Samuel, age fifteen, "Genetta" [sic], age thirteen, Martha, age eleven, James, age nine,

Sarah E. age five, and Adline, age three. There were also two black female slaves, five

black male slaves, no mulattoes, and one slave house. His real estate was valued at 5,000

dollars. (My thanks to Lou Ann Murphy for providing this information.)

(Below) The original 1860 Pickens census entry for James Loveless and family:

The minutes of the Superior Court and the Inferior Court (Court of Ordinary) for both

Cherokee and Pickens Counties of this early time period are unfortunately not indexed,

or I would have been glad to search them for whatever additional facts or biographical

detail they might have afforded, and which might have been relevant here. Finding

something like a sworn affidavit, in which James Loveless stated his place and date of

birth, would be a ‗gold mine‘ indeed! (And such things do exist for this period.)

James Loveless and his family (including his by now adult sons Henry and Evan) were

evidently still residing in Pickens County at the outbreak of the Civil War, since both he

and those two last-named sons enlisted in the ―Tate Guards‖ of the Confederate States

Army there (see later).

Second marriage of James Albert Loveless

James Albert Loveless remarried a widow-woman, sometime around 1863, give or take

a few years. She was born as Sarah Jane Scott (1827-1888), and was the widow of a Dr.

James M. Magbee, of Chambers County, Alabama. Dr. Magbee's parents, however, still

lived in Cobb County, Georgia, in the 1860s.

We are descended from James A. Loveless and his first wife, Sarah "Sally" Nicholson,

whereas our cousin Mrs. Dixie Thielet is descended from the second wife, Sarah Scott

Magbee, through Sarah‘s daughter Lillie Barton Loveless (1868-1943). This Lillie

Loveless (apparently born after her father's death in 1867) married a man named Paul

Henry Bradbury, and lived all her life in Atlanta.

The Dr. James M. Magbee who married Sarah Jane Scott (Rev. James Loveless‘ second

wife) lived from 1819 to 1858. Since he died in 1858, and since James Loveless was

serving in the Civil War from August 1861 to April 1863, I'm assuming that James

Loveless probably remarried about 1863.

I tried to find record of James' marriage to the widow Magbee, but with no success. I

looked in the marriages of Pickens County (where James Loveless lived at the time he

would have married Sarah Scott Magbee), and nothing was there, except the 1857

marriage of his son Henry H. Loveless. So it appears likely that James and Sarah Scott

Magbee married in Cobb County. There is a good reason why this seems a reasonable

supposition:

Strangely enough, even though Dr. James Magbee had been living in Chambers County,

Alabama prior to his death in 1858, his father's family lived in Cobb County, Georgia.

This was also probably one of the reasons why James and Sarah Loveless moved there

after the Civil War--when they had (presumably) suddenly become dirt-poor due to the

economic collapse after the war, and needed to rely on other family members to survive.

The marriage records for Cobb County don't start until 1865 (there was a courthouse fire

in 1864, thanks to General Sherman). And no James Loveless (of any spelling), nor any

Sarah Scott or Sarah Magbee, etc., are listed there. So, they probably married prior to

1865 (probably in Cobb County).

Sarah Magbee Loveless continued to live in Cobb County long after James' death in

1867, but most of James' children by his first wife moved elsewhere--Henry to Gordon

County, and most of the other siblings to Dawson County (from whence son Evan

departed for Alabama about 1875, and daughter Mary departed for Texas in the 1880s).

Daughter Martha stayed in Cobb County, but only because she had married into another

Cobb County family (the Alexanders). Daughter Genetta Loveless Keheley moved to

Atlanta.

Here's what I envision happening:

The 1860 census for Pickens County, Georgia has James with what must have been his

first wife Sarah Nicholson Loveless, since she was age 43 that year (thus born in 1817),

as opposed to the known birthdate of 1827 for James' second wife Sarah Jane Scott

Magbee. So James Loveless' first wife apparently survived up until at least the 1860

census. [At least one online source claims that this Sarah Nicholson Loveless died on 25

July 1862, in Dawsonville (Dawson County), Georgia. While this would make enormous

sense, a birth date of 26 January 1800 is also given, and this date does not comport with

the known census data. Ditto for the statement that this particular Sarah Nicholson‘s

husbands included a Lewis Barker (whom she is said to have married in 1821, and by

whom she bore no fewer than six children!), and also a Ransom Barnes, whom she is

said to have married on 1 July 1849. It is thus clear that we may be dealing with a

separate Sarah Nicholson here.]

The number one killer of women at that time (and for many centuries prior, according to

Wikipedia) was "childbed" or "puerperal" fever.

I would say the possibility is good that James' first wife Sarah could have borne a

stillborn child around the years 1860 or 1861 (or a child that died in infancy), then dying

herself from "childbed fever" (as her daughter Martha and granddaughter India both later

would also), leaving her husband James in need of a new wife to help feed all his little

mouths back home (his youngest by his first wife, Amy, was born in 1857). Certainly, if

James married the widow Magbee in Cobb County (as appears probable), then it had to

have happened before 1865, when the marriage records began being kept again. In

addition, James‘ first wife may have been dead by August 31st, 1861, because it was on

that date that her husband enlisted in the Confederate Army with his sons. I think it

highly improbable that a middle-aged man would have left a living wife to do that,

whereas a recently-bereaved widower would have had every reason to do so. And isn‘t it

reasonable to suppose that few women would have tolerated their middle-aged husbands

gallivanting off to fight in a war with their sons?

Onset of the Civil War

The Civil War, and the social upheaval caused both by it and the emancipation of the

slaves resulting directly from it, evidently caused much trouble for James Loveless. He

did, after all, own several slaves at the outbreak of the war—seven total, according to the

1860 census, and several rather extensive properties, (at one time, at least) both in

Georgia and South Carolina.

The political situation in Pickens County in 1860 would have caused further trouble: not

only were there several units of Confederate soldiers raised in Pickens County (and

vicinity), but there were also a substantial number of UNION adherents in Pickens

County (as elsewhere in Georgia), and at least one battalion of Union soldiers was also

raised in Pickens County. In addition to this, bands of Union-sympathizing guerillas

took to roaming the countryside, harassing known Confederates, occasionally destroying

their property, and causing general mayhem. Union sentiment was so strong in Pickens

County in 1860 and 1861 that the Union flag continued to fly over the Pickens

courthouse (under heavy armed guard) for over a full month after Georgia had

―officially‖ seceded from the Union. The Confederates eventually won the day,

however, and dealt swiftly and mercilessly with Union sympathizers who were unlucky

enough to get caught.

James Loveless‘ abolitionist nephew Abner Powell Loveless (son of Barton, mentioned

above) was part of one of these bands of Union guerillas; an associate of his was caught

and hanged, and Abner himself narrowly escaped the same fate.

This American Civil War truly did divide families: father and sons against each other,

and brothers fighting against brothers. This Loveless family was a prime example. We

see that James Loveless was a slave-holder (albeit a good Methodist). And we have seen

how his nephew Abner P. was an abolitionist and a member of a Union guerilla band.

Abner‘s brother Alfred W. Loveless (another nephew of James), had enlisted as a

Confederate private in the same company and regiment as his uncle James, and his

cousins Henry H. and Evan Jackson Loveless, on 16 September, 1861, though (for some

unknown reason) he had deserted by 8 August, 1863. Perhaps the strain and pressure of

opposing his own brother proved too much for him. Very likely, however, we will never

know what the real causes were.

According to James‘ descendant Betty Loveless Murray (mentioned above), James

Loveless himself enlisted and served in the Civil War with his sons, but was eventually

discharged “due to age.” This additional oral tradition also appears to be based in fact,

for a James Loveless had indeed enlisted on the same day as brothers Henry and Evan

Loveless in Company E, 23rd Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry (31 August, 1861).

James Loveless, originally also a private, had been elected as Captain of his company on

23 December, 1861. This would have been a tremendous honor for him and his entire

family. Captain James Loveless last appears in the records of his unit on 2 April, 1863,

the day he tendered his resignation because of old age and ―rheumatism‖. He would

thus have served for one year, seven months, and two days. By doing so, however (and

at his advanced age, especially), he left no doubt about where his sympathies lay. His

letter of resignation (reproduced below) also states his age in early April, 1863—fifty-

three years, thus showing that he was born in the year 1810—probably sometime

between January first and late March. This greatly increases the likelihood that he was

indeed a twin brother of his (presumed) sister Mahala, who was born (according to one

source) in February of 1810.

In the next several succeeding pages, I will reproduce several of the documents relating

to James Loveless‘ service with the Confederate States Army. They are on microfilm at

the Federal Archives in Morrow, Georgia (Atlanta):

(Above) A rare original autograph signature of James Loveless as captain of

Company E, 23rd

Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry (C.S.A.). From one of his pay

vouchers, dated 31 January, 1862. [enlarged to show detail]. From this and the other

documents to follow, we can easily see that, unlike most men of his day and age, James

Loveless could both read and write.

Original hand-signed letter of resignation from Capt. James Loveless (and the

accompanying Surgeon’s Certificate), dated 2 April, 1863, at Fredericksburg, VA.

This document (as photographed) is very difficult to decipher. On the next page I will

attempt a transcription thereof. When in doubt about a reading, I will insert a question

mark.

[Transcription of the preceding document. Note: here, as elsewhere, I spell the now-

obsolete ―long-s‖ as an ―f‖. It is, in fact, an ―s‖, not an ―f‖.]

Camp [?] 23d Ga Regt near

Fredricksburg Va April 2d/63

Genl S.Cooper

A & J Genl [?] CSA

Sir I have the honor to tender you

my resignation as Capt of Co “E” 23d Ga Regt by

reason of disability as will appear from the annex

=ed Surgeon’s Certificate

Very Respectfully your

Obt Sevt

James Lovelefs capt

Company E 23 ga vols

I certify that I have carefully examined Capt

James Lovelefs Co “E” 23d Ga Regt and find him

unable to discharge the duties of an officer

by reason of chronic Articular Rheumatism

which together with his age (53 years) renders

marching almost impossible His joints become

very sore and painful with some [?] tumefaction [?]

upon the least exposure to the inclimincies

of the wether And do not believe that he

will be dependable for active Service during

enlistment He was recommended that

his resignation be accepted

near Fredricksburg Va T.J. Young Surgeon

April 2nd

1863 P. & C.S.

[This resignation (as shown on the reverse side) was approved by several higher

commanding officers, among whom was Alfred H. Colquitt, Brigadier General.]

Reverse side of the letter of resignation by Captain James Loveless.

(General Colquitt‘s signature can be seen in the center top.)

Rare, original handwritten and hand-signed “Power of Attorney” document by James

Loveless, as captain of his unit, dated 14 June, 1862, at or near Richmond, Virginia.

[Transcription of preceding document:]

State of Va } Know all men by these

County of Henrico} presents that I James

Lovelefs Captain of Company E 23rd

Ga Regt do hereby constitute and

approve Lt. P.F. Ferguson of the above

Company and Regiment my true

and Lawful attorney to receive

money [for myself] and [for] my company for the

Months of Jany and Feby 1862

they having made a power of atty to

to me authorizing me to receive

for them and receipt in any

manner required. By virtue

whereof I hereby empower the

said Lieut. Ferguson to act in

my name receive receipt

for and sign up my name

in any manner whatsoever

required

In testimony whereof I have

hereunto set my hand this June

14th

1862 James Lovelefs

Capt Co E

Test T.P. Forrester 2nd Lt.

Co E 23rd

Ga Regt

Index card for James Loveless’ service records (as a private and as a captain).

Two out of the many Muster Roll cards for James Loveless. The one on the right

shows that he was elected as captain of his unit on 23 December, 1861 [to replace

Captain Samuel Tate, who had resigned].

Two additional Muster Roll cards for James Loveless.

Two more Muster Roll cards for James Loveless.

Two more Muster Roll cards for James Loveless.

Two additional Muster Roll cards for James Loveless.

Requisition form (for fuel) signed by Capt. James Loveless and dated 14 January,

1862.

Requisition form (for straw) signed by Capt. James Loveless and dated 1 February,

1862.

Pay voucher signed by Capt. James Loveless and dated 31 January, 1862. This is the

document from which I showed an enlarged view of James’ signature (see above).

Civil War diary

which belonged to Evan Loveless (son of James);

he had purloined it from a “dead Yankee”.

(Photo courtesy of Bill and Agnes Jones.)

The pages of the diary shown here date from Tuesday, January 28th

, 1862, to Sunday,

February 2nd

, 1862. This diary was written by Evan Loveless (a son of James. The scan

was sent to me by my cousin Bill Jones and his wife Agnes. I had asked them for copies

of anything having to do with James Loveless and/or his family. The diary is in their

possession. (Bill is a descendant of Amy Loveless Miles, the youngest child of James

Loveless by his first wife, Sarah Nicholson.)

I am guessing that this diary probably came to them via James‘ eldest son Henry, who

was close to his sister (their ancestor) Amy Loveless Miles (they are buried in the same

cemetery). The entries in the diary itself (the few that we presently possess) offer scant

clues to the original owner‘s identity. The anonymous writer or writers mentions rain

and picket duty in muddy, frozen fields, and also two men named Ralston and Carter (or

Porter) who visited the encampment, and the fact that the writer loaned 20 dollars to

Ralston ―to take home‖. The writer also mentions a visit to ―Black‘s regt‖ [regiment],

and—curiously— refers to (what looks like) ―Tren Loveles his book got a taken from

the Yankees‖ (the entry for Saturday, February 1st). It seems almost impossible to make

any sense of that entry. (Though surely the garbled name is actually ―Evan‖ Loveless.) I

still have some hopes that in the near future Bill and Agnes may yet offer more

information concerning this diary. I am grateful to them for sending me this image, and

the information to go with it.

Whereas his sons Henry, Evan and Samuel continued to serve with their unit--and went

through literal hell in the process (see later), James himself slowly made his way back

home to Pickens County, where he apparently began preparations to relocate his family

back to South Carolina:

According to his great-granddaughter, the late Jeanette (Newton) Peebles (formerly of

Atlanta, Georgia), James Loveless temporarily moved back to South Carolina to avoid

Sherman's advance toward North Georgia and Atlanta in the Summer of 1864. Perhaps

this was a last-ditch attempt on James‘ part to protect his investment in his slaves, not to

mention protecting his family from the oncoming, maurauding Union troops, who would

so soon devastate most of Georgia. Perhaps James Loveless moved back to South

Carolina to escape the social and political headaches in Pickens County, Georgia.

Regardless of the causes, though, I think that James Loveless was wise to flee the war.

But, aside from the obvious protection it would have afforded himself and his family, it

ultimately did him little good.

After the devastating ending of the war, with the slaves (and the money investment they

represented) ―gone with the wind‖ (so to speak, and please pardon my terrible pun), and

the entire Southern economy in complete ruins, with no employment or wages to be had

by anyone, and with what currency there was floating around now completely worthless,

those who were once large land-holders had to watch in silent anguish as their once-

extensive and once-thriving properties went one by one under the auctioneers‘ hammer

due to non-payment of property taxes. This tragic waste of a war made paupers out of

many a formerly wealthy man in the South. James Loveless in Pickens County, Georgia

was surely no exception in this respect.

The James Loveless family moves to Cobb County

At some point, probably around the time of the war‘s end, and probably not long before

or after his son Evan‘s marriage there in October 1865, James Loveless moved himself

and his family some thirty-five miles south from where he had lived in Pickens County,

into Cobb County, Georgia. The reason for this move is not now known for certain, but

it was probably due at least in part to economic reasons stemming from the War.

Perhaps his Pickens County properties had fallen under the auctioneer‘s hammer for

non-payment of taxes. Jobs were almost non-existent then (as during the later ―Great

Depression‖) and what currency there was floating around (mostly paper) was now

completely worthless. I have not yet been able to find any record of a land purchase by

James Loveless in Cobb County. This may be due—in part, at least—to the fact that the

Cobb County courthouse was burned in the Summer of 1864 by Sherman‘s troops, and

records there do not resume until 1865.

1864 map of Cobb County, Georgia, and vicinity

As mentioned above, James Loveless had been a slave-holder in Pickens County (and

earlier, in South Carolina), prior to the war, and prior to his move to Cobb County, circa

1865. Pickens County had been sharply divided in 1861 concerning the issue of slavery,

the population of the county being almost evenly divided on the question. With the

victory of the North, and the freeing of the slaves, the abolitionists of Pickens County

would have gained the upper hand politically, giving the former slave-holders ample

reason to wish to move elsewhere. There had been harsh reprisals against the

abolitionists of Pickens County in 1861, at the start of the war; surely, with the loss of

the South in 1865, there would have been ample cause for the abolitionists to engage in

similar reverse reprisals (though I do not know whether this actually happened or not).

The Loveless family in Pickens County (as mentioned above) had been similarly divided

over the issue of slavery: James Loveless' presumed nephew Abner Powell Loveless

(son of the younger Barton) had been a prominent abolitionist both before and after the

war (even serving one term in the "Reconstruction" Georgia legislature in the 1870s).

In any case, James' sons Evan and Henry returned home after serving in the Confederate

Army, having been discharged upon the formal surrender of troops at Appomattox in

April of 1865. Son Evan, upon his arrival in Atlanta (according to the family tradition)

was treated in a local hospital for illnesses he had acquired during his military service.

The doctor who treated him was Furman Runyan (wife Mary Rippy, from a family

closely connected with the Watson, Roe, and Talley families in North Carolina). Dr.

Runyan then lived in Cobb County, Georgia. He shows up there in the 1870 census (after

the war) right next door to James' widow Sarah Scott Magbee Loveless! That was surely

no coincidence--for you see, it was Dr. Runyan's daughter Louise whom Evan Loveless

married in Cobb County, on 19 October, 1865.

That right there would have been more than sufficient reason for James Loveless to

relocate to Cobb County (circa 1865): he (presumably) had already married a widow-

woman, whose first husband's parents and family still resided in Cobb County; and his

son Evan had just married the daughter of a doctor in the same vicinity.

But then there‘s a still more important reason why James probably would have moved to

Cobb County, Georgia: I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier--I've known some

of these facts almost all my life. I just didn't make the "connection".

I now think that James Albert Loveless moved to Smyrna in Cobb County, Georgia

primarily because he was a preacher, and because Smyrna was for many decades in the

Nineteenth Century the site of a well-known Methodist "campground". In fact, at the

time of the Civil War, the place wasn't even a proper town yet--it was just called

"Smyrna Campground". This place figured prominently in Sherman's infamous 'March'

through Georgia (on his way to Atlanta). (And I'm willing to bet that the good Rev.

Loveless even preached at that campground.)

Certainly, he appears to have been a member of the old Smyrna Methodist Episcopal

Church (now First United Methodist)--his widow Sarah Jane Scott Magbee Loveless

(and a few other indirect family relations) lie buried in what was the old church cemetery

(until the church deeded it to the city in 1959). I have not yet been able to look at such

membership records as may still exist (although I am pursuing this), but it appears likely

he did indeed hold his last membership there.

Death, and Estate Administration

James Loveless died intestate (without leaving a will). According to his great-

granddaughter Dixie Thielet, he is said to have been shot or stabbed, while trying to

break up a fight that included one of his friends, during a visit in Knoxville,

Tennessee. James Loveless supposedly died as a result of this injury. No indication is

given regarding whether James Loveless died in Knoxville itself, or whether he actually

made it back home to Cobb County, Georgia before dying. (James‘ brother William

lived in Knoxville; perhaps this is the origin of the rumor of the ―falling out between

brothers‖ that involved one of the brothers getting shot … )

It can thus be seen that James Loveless died only a year or two after his relocation to

Cobb County, Georgia, and at the rather early age of fifty-six. His death must have

occurred suddenly and unexpectedly, since he left no will. His two eldest sons Henry H.

and Evan J., recently returned from the war, weakened by illness and fatigue, and having

witnessed all of the war‘s horrors and atrocities, were named by the court as

administrators of James‘ estate, and were now presented with the sad task of laying their

father to rest.

I have tried to look into the circumstances of James‘ death, which (according to Mrs.

Dixie Thielet) took place in Knoxville, Tennessee. I found this website, which has all

existing Knoxville newspapers on file with the Tennessee Archives:

http://www.knoxcotn.org/library/microfilmnews.html .

It looks like the newspaper called "Brownlow's Knoxville Whig", is the one for us to be

looking into. The Tennessee Archives has this paper on file from Feb 28, 1866 to Jan

27, 1869--exactly the window in time through which we need to be looking. I need to be

able to physically make it to the Tennessee Archives to search the microfilm records of

this old newspaper, because it may well contain mention of our ancestor James

Loveless‘ accidental murder.

As to why James Loveless was in Knoxville--well, that's a very good question--and one

for which I have no answer whatsoever. He would not have been there as part of his

preaching duties--those were confined to the State of Georgia. (The Georgia Conference-

-in which he would have been licensed to preach--had boundaries which stopped at the

state lines.) He may have gone there for some other church-related reason, but then

again, it could have been something else entirely. Until we get further evidence one way

or the other, all we can do is wonder "why"?

I am wondering if perhaps the Rev. James Albert Loveless didn't perhaps have some

small measure of local fame (at the time) as an itinerant preacher--after all, just because

we haven't yet seen evidence in favor of it (due to the vicissitudes of time), doesn't

automatically mean it wasn't the case. How many of us (for example) has yet read any

newspapers from that time--or church records? I'm sure you see my point. Time has

indeed obscured for us much of what actually may have happened. And in some cases,

we will probably never know.

James Albert Loveless must have been a decent, Christian human being, given the

caliber of the children he raised, and the caliber of the grandchildren which they raised.

James Loveless, too, left some minor orphan children—and three stepsons as well (and

this, too, would have been evidence of his excellent character). (See later.)

Following are transcripts of some of the documents connected with the administration of

his estate—bare, dry, legal documents which give not one small hint of the quality of the

man whose erstwhile earthly possessions they document.

(Note: I have written the now-obsolete 'long-s' as an "f"; it is, in fact, an "s"):

From "Widow's Support" Book "A", page 9, Cobb County, Georgia:

Return of Appraisers appointed to set apart maintenance and support of Sarah Lovelefs,

widow of James Lovelefs dec. and her two daughters. List of household furnture: 1 Bed

Stead (red), 1 Cotton Mattrefs, 2 Pillows. Bolster. 2 Quilts, 1 Coverlet, 1 Counterpane, 1

Sheet, 1 Oven, 1 Pot, 1 Kettle, 1 Sifter, 1 Tray & Water Bucket, 1 Skillet & lid, 1 Table,

8 Chairs, also 100 dollars support. The following allotted for 12 mos. support: 140

dollars, cash. Jas. N. Russell, John H. Alexander, H.H. White, W.R.M. McIntire,

Appraisers. Dated 20 July, 1867.

From "Minute" Book "A", page 117, Cobb County, Georgia:

It appearing to the court that an Inventory and Appraisement has been made of the goods

and chattels, rights and credits of James Lovelefs deceased: And it further appearing that

the deceased has left considerable personal property subject to waste or lofs [loss], and

that it will be to the interest and advantage of the heirs and creditors of said deceased

that all the personal property of said dec. should be sold at the shortest legal notice. It is

therefore ordered by the Court that H.H. Lovelefs Administrator upon the estate of

James Lovelefs dec. be, and is hereby authorized & empowered to sell all the personal

property belonging to the Estate of said deceased, after giving at least Ten days public

notice of the sale thereof at 3 or more appropriate public places in said county. August

5th, 1867, Jno. G. Campbell, Ord.

And the following is from the "Sale" Book "I", page 33, Cobb County, Georgia:

Sale Bill of Personal Property of Estate of James Loveless decd.

1 Wagon Harness [sold to] H. White $22.25

1 Black Sow and 2 Pigs " J.P.Bowie $12.00

1 Cross Cut Saw " J.M.Reed $6.35

1 Black & White Cow " J.M.Kirk $18.00

1 Heifer Yearling " W.R.McIntire $14.25

1 Wagon " " " " $13.00

3 Plow Stocks, Heel Bolts " H. Daniel $11.10

[word illegible] & plows

1 Grey Mare Mule " J.E.White $100.00

1 " " " " W.R.McIntire $127.00

1 Black Cow & Yearling " S.Loveless $32.00

1 Table, 1 Key, 2 Blankets " " $1.00

1 Mattrass [sic] " " $3.00

__________

Sworn & Subscribed before Ordinary by $349.95

H.H.Loveless, Nov.20,1867

Recorded Dec.12th, 1867,

Jno.G.Campbell, Ordinary.

No real estate of any size, shape, or description whatsoever was recorded as belonging to

James Lovelace at the time of his death. His widow Sarah later resided on a small parcel

of land (only twenty-eight acres—barely enough on which to grow a vegetable garden)

now near the present-day intersection of Magbee Drive SE and South Cobb Drive. This

area is near present-day Tolleson Park. The ―Magbee Drive‖ in question apparently

received its name because of James Loveless‘ step-son Laban S. Magbee, who

purchased the property from his mother Sarah Magbee Loveless in 1884, and evidently

lived there for a time after Sarah‘s death in 1888.

In passing, I cannot help but comment on the poignancy of the spectacle of the aged

widow Sarah Loveless, being forced by straightened economic circumstances and the

laws of her day and time to buy back with the small amount of money she was allotted

from her deceased husband's estate some few small items of what she no doubt had

considered her belongings. From the relative paucity of James Loveless‘ estate at the

time of his death, compared with what he had possessed previously, I can only come to

the conclusion (as mentioned above) that the Civil War, and the economic collapse of

the southern economy immediately after the war, evidently hit him hard.

Where might James Albert Loveless be buried?

I now think I know where James Albert Loveless lies buried. I cannot prove this, but I

believe he lies buried in an unmarked grave, beside his second wife and widow, Sarah

Jane Scott Magbee Loveless, in the Old Smyrna (City) Cemetery (also called Smyrna

Memorial Cemetery), in Cobb County, Georgia. This is where he lived at the time of his

death in 1867.

The reasons I believe James Loveless lies buried in Smyrna Memorial Cemetery are as

follows:

(1) There is an unmarked (adult?) grave adjacent to Sarah Scott Magbee Loveless.

(2) Sarah Magbee Loveless' first husband had died in 1858 (a decade earlier) in

Chambers County, Alabama, and was very likely buried there (notwithstanding that his

family continued to reside in Cobb County).

(3) Sarah Magbee Loveless' first husband is not known to be buried in Smyrna

Memorial.

(4) James A. Loveless, Sarah Scott Magbee's second husband, is known to have been a

circuit-riding Methodist preacher in North Georgia. Very probably he preached at the old

Smyrna Campground, and was familiar with the Smyrna area.

(5) James Loveless evidently lived in the Smyrna area in the years prior to his death. His

widow continued to reside there until her death in 1888, and James Loveless' estate was

probated in Cobb County, beginning in June, 1867. Several of James Loveless' children

also married in Cobb County, in the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s. (James Loveless' last

known residence was apparently in the area along South Cobb Drive where Magbee

Drive is now located. This is where his widow's property was when she died in 1888.)

You might also find this interesting--it's a survey of the cemetery in Smyrna Georgia

where Sarah Magbee Loveless lies buried.

www.smyrnahistory.org/docs/smc_listing.pdf

Now this is important--Note that this cemetery was originally the church burial ground

for the Smyrna Methodist Episcopal Church! I strongly suspect that James Albert

Loveless was probably involved in the Smyrna Methodist Episcopal Church (now First

United Methodist) before he died. This may have been the very church where James

Loveless last held his membership.

Also buried in this cemetery are the members of the Stanback family--it was James

Albert Stanback (note his given names) who was the first husband of James Albert

Loveless' youngest daughter Lillie Barton Loveless. I feel certain that this had to have

been the church James Albert Loveless attended before he died.

Sarah Magbee Loveless, widow of James

James Loveless‘ widow Sarah appeared in the 1870 census as follows: ―Lovelace, Sarah

J., W[hite], F[emale], [age] 50,‖ together with one daughter, Lillie, (age 3), and three

sons, James (age 18), (Laban) Samuel (age 16), and Johnie (age 13). Those sons

(although their surnames were not recorded in this census) were by her first husband, Dr.

Magbee. Sarah Magbee Loveless and children were enumerated in the 34th

Enumeration

District of the 1st Supervisor‘s District of Georgia, comprising Smyrna and Lemon‘s

Districts. Her name was recorded in the census as ―Lovelace‖—exactly as I have shown

it here.

Sarah Magbee Loveless also died intestate in Cobb County, on 13 February, 1888. Her

son Laban S. Magbee, listed as her "next-of-kin", posted bond to administer Sarah's

pitifully small estate on 10 February, 1889. These transactions were recorded in Minutes

book C, page 81, Bonds book B, page 18, Letters book B, page 23, and Inventory book

A, page 437.

Some five years previous, however, Sarah had sold her remaining real estate to her son

L[aban] S. Magbee, for the sum of $350.00. This transaction took place on 7 January,

1884, and the property in question was twenty-eight acres cut off from the east side of

Land Lot Number 454, in the 17th

District, 2nd

Section of Cobb County, Georgia (see

map, above). The reference for this deed is Book ―Z‖, page 49. It was only a very small

plot of land, with only one small house thereon. Curiously, though, this deed between

the widowed Sarah Magbee Loveless and her son Laban S. Magbee was not filed in

court until 24 January, 1900—sixteen years later! What was going on here?

Since the administration papers for the estate of her late husband James Loveless do not

specifically list any of his real estate or locations of the same, this one small reference is

apparently the only one we possess which shows where James Loveless very likely lived

at the time of his death in 1867. Now, at last, we can see what probably had happened

to James Loveless at the end of the war: this man who once bought and sold thousands

of acres of land, apparently left only one small twenty-eight acre lot to his widow and

heirs.

The 1872 ―Phillips‖ map of the Atlanta campaign, in addition to laying out troop

movements in and around Atlanta during the summer of 1864, also (amazingly) shows

landholders—and even vacant houses--for most of the area of Atlanta and suburbs in that

same fateful year. Shown in the area of what is now Paper Mill Road and Atlanta

Country Club Drive (our ancestor had good taste in real estate…) was the ―Loveless‖

homestead. This area, very close to both Rottenwood and Sope Creeks, is due east of

Marietta and somewhat northeast of Smyrna, and is only a few miles down the

Chattahoochee River from Roswell.

_________________________________________

The children of James Albert ―Jim‖ Loveless and his first wife Sarah ―Sally‖ Nicholson

were:

1) Henry Henson Loveless (1836-1902),

2) Mary Lovelace (ca.1839-unknown),

3) Evan Jackson Loveless (1840-1920),

4) Malinda Lovelace (ca.1841-unknown),

5) Samuel L. Loveless (ca.1845-ca.1864?),

6) Jane Nett Lovelace (1846-1935),

7) Martha Lovelace (1848-1886),

8) James Loveless (ca.1851-unknown),

9) Sarah E. Lovelace (ca.1855-unknown),

10) Amy Adline Loveless (1857-1897),

The child of James Albert ―Jim‖ Loveless and his second wife Sarah Jane Scott (widow

of Dr. James M. Magbee) was:

1) Lillie Barton Loveless (1868-1943)

Laban S. Magbee, son of Sarah Magbee Loveless, and stepson of James Loveless

Laban Samuel Magbee was born on 23 February, 1854, in Chambers County, Alabama,

and died in Smyrna, Cobb County, Georgia, on 24 August, 1918 (See Magbee Excursus,

Chapter Six, below). His father was Dr. James M. Magbee, who died in Chambers

County, Alabama, in 1858. Laban‘s wife was a Margaret Elizabeth Prather, and they

were the parents of at least four children: Thomas Guy Magbee (born 16 December

1890), Laura Camilla Magbee (born 13 December, 1895), Maude Magbee (born ca.

1897), and Laban Sidney Magbee (born ca. 1899), almost certainly the same man who

would wed Sarah Magbee Loveless‘ granddaughter Marie Bradbury in 1921.

In 1986, Jeanette Peebles, a great-granddaughter of Sarah (Nicholson) Loveless, said

that her great-aunt Lillie Loveless had been a ―half-sister or step-sister‖ to her

grandmother Jane Nett Lovelace Keheley. (This Lillie Loveless was the same daughter

of James who later married Paul Henry Bradbury, and produced the daughter Marie who

would become the wife of Laban Sidney Magbee in 1921)