ELIJAH DANIEL McPHERSON

Elijah Daniel McPherson was born in Rhea County, Tennessee July 13, 1789, The son of Irish immigrants Daniel McPherson and Susannah Kincheloe. He married Sarah Small on October 15th 1826. He died on December 9, 1875. Both are buried at Old Concord Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery on Spence Rd. 5 miles N. of Carrollton.

Elijah and Sarah had twelve children. John Howell, Emily, William Barton, Amanda, William Nelson, Louise, Mary Ann, Charles Lafette, Elijah Houston, Charles Lewin, Henry Livingston, and Delphia.

When Elijah was about ten years old, he ran away from home then on or near the French Broad River, Roan Co. Tennessee. He traveled by riverboat along the Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. He worked around the ports at New Orleans and Mobile and served as a sailor on ocean-going sail boats from 1806-1810. He then returned to his parents home in Tennessee and attended some college. He was naturally gifted with mechanical and instrumental music skills.

When the war of 1812 broke out, he volunteered in Kingston for three months service in Capt. White's Co. Cocke's Div. For service in the war with the Creek Indians. Another record shows him serving in Gen. Glascock's command, then transferred to Col. Samuel Birch's Regt., and in Capt William White's Military Regt. of Mounted Riflemen's Co., then discharged December 29, 1813 for which he received two bounty land grants of forty acres each and a pension which he received until his death Dec 9, 1875. His widow, Sarah, continued receiving his pension until her death April 23, 1897.

After the war of 1812 he returned to New Orleans and worked constructing levees and field surveys of land of the La. Purchase. Around 1826 he returned to the family farm in Roane Co. Tennessee.

Soon after, he was attracted by reports of new country being opened in the state of Georgia including Carroll County. By December 11, 1826 settlers were pouring in, among them came Elijah Daniel McPherson. He found these new lands infested by mounted bands of organized thieves who came to be known as "Pony Clubs" , principally for their horse stealing. Elijah and friends recruited from East Tennessee banded together with other pioneer citizens to establish a vigilante organization which became known as the "Slicks". War to the hilt broke out between the "Slicks" and the "Pony Clubs". After several years the "Slicks" rid the county of the "Pony Clubs" and established law and order.

Elijah soon had a good farm, including two grain mills and a lumber mill, all water-powered. His saw mill was among the first in Carroll Co. operating as early as 1840. When past age 72 he traveled some 500 miles by ox wagon from his Carroll Co. home to the Confederate battlefields in NC or VA to visit and carry clothing to his sons, Elijah Houston and Charles Lewing serving in 7th GA Confederate Regt.

  Elijah Daniel McPherson