Notes |
- assumed sibling relationship to James and Rudolphus
Colonel Thomas M. Green, he of Revolutionary fame, lived in James City County, Virginia, where he was born and married, until in or about 1766, when he removed to North Carolina, and Georgia, remaining there until hostilities broke out between Great Britain and the Colonies; that he then went back to Virginia for service in the war, and there enlisted and served in the war as soldier, with the rank of colonel, and later returned, after the Revolutionary war was over, to the Georgia section, and thereafter for a time, before permanently becoming established, may have lived or had his headquarters in Natchez, Mississippi; that about 1783, he became involved in the altercation to be mentioned with the Spanish authorities, was arrested and taken to New Orleans, Louisiana, but was released, and that in or before 1785, he became finally settled on his vast estate, the homestead of which was known as "Gayosa," in what is now Jefferson County, Mississippi. These conclusions are supported by cogent circumstances. The result of a close investigation which we procured to be made in the Congressional Library, Washington, District of Columbia, is that the arrest and incarceration in New Orleans must have taken place between 1783 and 1785. The grant for the estate, including "Gayosa," is understood to have been in 1785, at any rate preceding a will made that year, now held as an heirloom, whereby he devised "Gayosa," to his youngest son Everard, and made therein no mention of his wife, Martha Wills, which indicates that she had already died, and that hence the perilous journey to New Orleans on the occasion of his arrest, which cost her life, had previously occurred. "Gayosa" was named for the Spanish Governor before whom he was taken when arrested.
'The Cabells and Their Kin, p. 306.(147)
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148 Tjie Ewing Genealogy with Cognate Branches
Couple these circumstances with the certain evidence that
he, Colonel Green, did remove from Virginia before the
War of the Revolution, which as is known was being waged
between 1776 and 1781, and that he was a soldier, holding
the rank of Colonel, in that war, and the probable evidence,
that his soldier service was under enlistment in Virginia,
we are drawn almost irresistibly to the deductions
announced.
Since writing the above, we have been favored with an
apparently very ancient sketch of the Green genealogy,
dated August 28, 1867, by W. Holmes, a descendant of
J, Remsen Holmes, who married Augusta, daughter of Thomas M. Green, the Congressman (vide, supra). It tends to confirm the views we have expressed concerning the abodes of Colonel Thomas Green, the officer in the Continental Army, before and after the Revolution; for it is there stated that Colonel Green's children whose nativity was after 1765 and before 1774, namely, Henry Marston, Elias and Filmer Wills were born in North Carolina, and that the previous births of his children were in James City County, Virginia, and the subsequent ones, that is, of Abraham, September 28, 1774, and of Everard, April 15, 1776, were in Georgia (Sketch, p. 2).
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In Force's "American Archives," 5th Series, page 595,
proceedings of July, 1776, referring as we understand to
Thomas Marston Green, husband of Martha Wills, it is
said:
"Colonel Green, representing that only fifty (50) of his
Flying Camp Company are now in this town, armed, accoutred and ready to march, and that a number of the drafts of some of the companies of his Battalion have not yet joined them, requests the sentiments of this Committee whether those who are (ready) shall march for the camp under his command, and what method shall be taken to oblige the other drafts to follow."
The social eminence and political prominence and influence of the Green family are well attested by the historical excerpts to follow.
In Lowry and McCardle's "History of Mississippi,"
Chapter VI, page 155, it is said:
"The Committee elected was Colonel Thomas M. Green*
Daniel Burnett, Justus King, Dr. John Shaw, Anthony
*He was a son of Col. Thomas Marston Green, senior,
the Revolutionary ancestor.
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The Ewing Genealogy with Cognate Branches 149
Hoggett, James Stewart, Chester Ashley, and Abner
Green* and these were all representative men, gentlemen
of character and education, who founded large families,
made fortunes, and their descendants to-day may be found
in large numbers in Mississippi and Louisiana."
In chapter VIII, page i86, it is stated:
"In December, 1802, the Legislature was again in session. It enacted a number of laws, established Jefferson College, and elected Colonel Thomas Marston Green a delegate in Congress in place of Honorable N. Hunter, who died at the Capital during the session."
Mrs. Clifton R. (Katherine Charlotte Green) Breckenridge. National Number 146, and Mrs. John Cox (Evie Green) Inge, National Number 66217, were accepted as members of the National Society of the Daughters of the American
Revolution, by descent from their great great grandfather, Thomas Marston Green (husband of Martha Wills), as a soldier with the rank of colonel in the War of the Revolution; and in the former's application, in stating his Revolutionary services, the applicant quotes as follows from J. F. H. Claiborne's "Mississippi as a Province, Territory and State," Vol. i, pp. 96, 228:
"Thomas Marston Green, an accomplished gentleman and most useful citizen, was the son of Colonel Thomas Green, the head of a numerous family and influential connection. He (Colonel Thomas Green) was a Virginian and an officer of the Continental Army. Removed to Georgia and was associated with General George Rodgers Clarke and General Elisha Clarke of Georgia, in their schemes of attacks on the Spaniards. Colonel Green, with a large party of friends, went to the Holston River, built boats and descended the Tennessee to its mouth, expecting there to find General George Rodgers Clarke, and his party, but not finding them and being unable to ascend the Ohio with their boats, they continued on to Natchez. Colonel Thomas Green (the father of the delegate) had an interview with the Spanish Governor, as agent for the State of Georgia, and claimed the entire district for that State. He was a bold, determined and persistent man. The Spanish authorities, finding that he was likely to excite a tumult, had him arrested and sent to New Orleans. His devoted wife soon followed and from exposure and anxiety died shortly after her arrival. This touched the heart of the
*He was also a son of Col. Thomas Marston Green, senior, tlif,' Revolutionary ancestor.
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150 The Ewing Genealogy with Cogxate Branches
Spanish Governor and Colonel Green was released. The
family settled on the waters of Cole's Creek, in Jefferson
County.
"Colonel Cato West and General Thomas Hinds were his sons-in-law, and by intermarriages it constituted one of the largest connections in the district. Colonel Thomas Green was a man of indomitable resolution. He made the overland journey to Georgia, and was mainly instrumental in getting the Legislature to pass the act asserting the jurisdiction of Georgia over the Natchez district, and organizing it into a county named Bourbon, in 1785.
"His son, Thomas M. Green, was the second delegate to Congress. His son, Abner Green, married a daughter of
Colonel Hutchins.
"Thomas Marston Green (the son just mentioned) was
a warm friend of General Jackson's. It was to his house
General Jackson sent his future wife (Mrs. Robards)
while her divorce was being obtained, and she remained
there fifteen months, and was married to Jackson in his
house."
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Green, Col. Thomas: At the time George Rogers Clark was extending the domain of Virginia to the Mississippi river along the Ohio, during the Revolution, Thomas Green and his two sons, and son-in-law, Cato West, Virginians, who had lived for several years in Georgia, set out with the Harrisons and other families, to join the Kentucky settlements. They followed the usual route, over the mountains to the Holston river, where they built boats, and went down the Tennessee to the Ohio. Being able to ascend that river, it is said by Clairborne (p 96) they changed their plans. The Georgia-Virginians came down the river and secured grants of land from the Spanish government in what is now Jefferson county, then under the jurisdiction of the commandant at Natchez. Green was granted a hundred acres near Natchez Sept 1 1782. He appears to have been given authority as commissioner of Georgia to demand of the governor of Louisiana the surrender of the region north of the 31st parallel. He made such a demand upon the govenor and upon the first plausible pretext, says Wailes, he was arrested and imprisoned at New Orleans. His land, slaves and property were confiscated (Amer State Pp. I 559). His wife followed him to New Orelans and died there, and after that Col. Green was released.
June 6, 1784 he executed before Gov Philip Trevino a power of attorney to care for his property, to "his loving sons," Thomas Marston Green, Cato West, and Abner Green, affixing his private seal. He returned to Geeorgia through the Creek country, and secured the passage of an act of the legislature of that Sate, early in 1785, creating the county of Bourbon in Natchez district.
The land office records show that in 1785 he sold 2,000 acres of land on Bayou Sara to John Ellis. In 1785 he was granted 800 arpents on Bayou Sarah, which he sold to John Ellis.
After the arrival of Ellicott he proposed to organize a force to drive out the Spanish, and for that reason the governor made an attempt to arrest him, which caused much excitement. He was a member of the Hutchins committee of safety. Ellicott, in the cource of his criticisms on those associated with Hutchins, says that he always found Green, though a captain in the militia under the Spanish Government, a republican and a friend of the United States. Governor Sargeant tendered him an appointment in the organization of the territory, but he refused it. In 1802 he was appointed by Gov Claiborne treasurer of Jefferon County. From the beginning of the territory he contested with the United States the ownership of the property known as Villa Grayoso, north of Natchez, and finally the property was awarded to the family. Col. Green's sister married the father of Gen. Green Clay, and became the grandmother of the famous Cassius M. Clay.
As has been noted, Cato West was one of the sons-in-law of Col. Green. Abner Green married a daughter of Anthony Hutchins. Thus a power connection was formed, that "at one period, largely controlled the territory." Col. Green died in 1805.
source: Mississippi history: comprising sketches of...Vo. 1 edited by Dunbar Rowlan
http://books.google.com/books?id=TCUVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA797&lpg=PA797&dq=col+thomas+green&source=bl&ots=XBUbr-14ao&sig=5MkNKhZYua06yzdBmp3hGPxlAR4&hl=en&ei=Kh8STdqNJ4K88gao3M2TDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CGEQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=col%20thomas%20green&f=false
____
The Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805 by May Wilson McBee
p 433
p.3 June 6 1784, Thomas Green, of District, appoints my loving sons Thoma Marston Green, Cato West, and Abner Green, my true and lawful attorneys to ask, demand and recover, etc., all debts due me in this country. ... as I might or could do were I personally present, etc. Signed, Wit: Eldergill, Joseph Stanley, John Smith.
6 May 1790 Thos. Green of the Dist. do make a free gift and donation to Henry Green, Filmer Wells Green, Abraham Green and Everard Green, my four sons, of 17 slaves (named) with 50 cows, little and great, 6 oxen, 30 horses and mares, small and great, about 100 hogs and 100 arpents of land on Cole's Creek, b. by lands of John Smith and Bingaman, which said land I give to my son Everard solely,and other property to be divided between my four sons as by dded of gift hereto annexed 13 Jany, 1785.
Signed Thos. Green. // Deed attached: State of Georgia. Thos. Green, now of this State to my beloved sons, Henry Green, Filmer Wells Green, Abraham Green, and Everard Green, the following slaves and all the rest of my property now at the Natchez on the River Mississippi, (names slaves), equally divided into lots, giving preference to the eldest according to the ages. Savannah, Ga, 13 Feb 1785. Wit:
N. Long, Wm. Call. Thos. Green.
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(probably this Thomas Green, taking his brother's children into his guardianship. In the will William basically cut off Amey as soon as she remarried - which she did almost immediately.
At a court in July 1748, a Thomas Green Jr. (likely the son of Elizabeth Marston Green by process of elimination) petitioned to become the guardian of the MINOR children - and was still their guardian even as late as October 1749 - although some had married by this time.
(posted on Green-L - by Robert T. Green)
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