James Madison Ellis

By Audrey Horn Barber

James Madison Ellis was a unique individual. His lifetime spans most of the 1800s in rural North Georgia. He spent eight months in the Army during the Indian Removal of 1838 which created a conflict between his friendship with the Cherokees and the way they were treated. As a minister he traveled the circuit. He organized and established different churches in North Georgia near Talking Rock and Ellijay. He re-enlisted in the Army and served during the Civil War.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9781664295353

Audrey Horn Barber

Audrey Horn Barber has enjoyed writing since seventh grade. As a fourth generation descendant from James Madison Ellis, she grew up in Georgia hearing stories from her grandfather about his grandfather (JME). After gathering enough information she was able to write this story about her great-great grandfather, James Madison Ellis.

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Copyright © 2023 Audrey Horn Barber.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-9536-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-9537-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-9535-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023905032

WestBow Press rev. date: 03/15/2023

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

References

To all the descendants of James Madison Ellis

(October 28, 1816–June 26, 1909)

CHAPTER 1

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I t was just an ordinary day, like most others; the sun was shining, a light breeze blowing as they traveled by wagon from North Carolina to northern Georgia, with three children in the back of the wagon. It was late October, and the leaves were changing colors. There were reds, yellows, tan, and still some greens that were fading fast. It was a pleasant time of the year to travel until James decided to make his appearance.

Nancy Ellis, in her best, yet faded, calico dress, went into labor and knew this would be a fast delivery. Jim, we need to stop now.

So, they stopped at the next log cabin they passed; Jim, in his faded work clothes, explained to the older couple that his wife was about to give birth. Sarah, a woman who looked around sixty, wearing a faded cotton dress, said to bring her in. Although these people were strangers, they welcomed Jim and his family inside, and Sarah sent one of their grandchildren to bring Mary, the midwife, to help.

James was the fourth child born to Nancy and James Ezra Ellis. The three older children (Silas, Walter, and Thomas) had been taken to a neighbor’s house to play with their children when the midwife arrived. It was October 28, 1816, in Resaca, Georgia. Jim was pacing back and forth on the planks of the front porch in the October chill when he heard a wail and knew his new baby had arrived. Eventually, the door opened, and the midwife, wielding a huge smile, emerged with the baby swaddled in the blanket Nancy had brought with her.

Well, Mr. Jim, you have another son.

Another boy, huh? Now I have four boys who will eventually help me work the farm as I get older. And look at that red hair and those blue eyes. Just like mine.

They’s not much of it, but dat hair do look red to me, Mr. Jim, she replied, her Southern drawl showing.

Do you think his eyes will be blue like mine? Oh, he is fine with me, but I do think Nancy was hoping for a girl this time. The first three take after Nancy’s side of the family, but this one is just like me. How is Nancy? Is she okay? Can I see her now?

The midwife, Mary, a stout fortyish woman, her blonde hair pulled back from her face, looked at the new baby and then at his pa. Only for a moment. Although the birthing was routine, she still needs to rest. She took the new baby to clean him up before bringing him back to his mama. What you gonna name this one?

Jim studied his newborn son for a few minutes and then proudly announced, James Madison Ellis. And he sure looks like a fine strapping young Irish lad with that flaming red hair.

Most people needed sons to help them work their land. This was true for the Ellis family. They had slaves, but someday, Jim knew in his heart he would free them when the time was right.

Although Nancy might have preferred a girl to nurture and eventually help her in the house, she was pleased to have another healthy boy. When the midwife brought the newborn to her after bathing him, Nancy smiled and cuddled her new son to her breast.

As Jim walked into the house to see Nancy, he noticed how sparsely the home was furnished but made no remark about it. Some people just did not need much. There were a couple of chairs set around a small wooden table just big enough for two. A settee was to one side of the entrance door, and a short stairway on the right side of the room led to a loft, where the children slept on pallets.

Would you like some coffee, young man? the woman asked.

Sarah, is it? Jim asked.

She nodded and poured him a cup of the steaming brew. Jim took it and thanked her. He then took notice that she, too, was wearing a very worn dress that was now too big for her. He sat at the little table across from her, sipped the coffee, and smiled at her as though it was the best he had ever had. It tasted like she was using the same grounds, pouring more water in it each morning, and letting it simmer on her wood-burning stove all day.

I certainly appreciate your hospitality. My wife could not have gone any farther without some sort of comfort. I would like to pay you for your help. Jim laid a couple of coins on the table.

Sarah’s eyes opened wide and smiled, You don’t have to do that, Jim, but I do appreciate it and can definitely use it.

Soon afterward, when Nancy was able to travel, Jim and Nancy took their four boys back home to North Carolina. In their travels, Jim and Nancy noticed the temperature had dropped; many of the trees had already lost their leaves, and small branches were blowing across the barren yard. What a dreadful winter they came upon, with a young baby on their hands again. They had just a small cabin made of rough-cut pine with mud sealing the cracks and sod covering the roof. It worked fine until there was a hard driving rain. Then it had to be patched again. There was a fireplace for cooking and heat.

When they reached home, Jim noticed there was a pine roof on their house. Would you look, Ma, he exclaimed as he helped his wife and newborn son inside. My brothers put a wooden roof on our house while we were gone.

He hurried his young boys inside. He noticed the wind had gotten stronger. It was also colder. Colder than usual. And more snow was coming.

Silas had to check the wood box each day. It was his daily chore, and he did it with no fussing. He brought in more wood while Pa took the horses and wagon to the barn. He unhitched the horses from the wagon, removed the harnesses, and gave them some hay and water.

The mountains there in North Carolina were strangely cold that winter. The snow was heavy; the wind blew about forty-five miles per hour, with gusts about sixty, and continued to increase. Snowdrifts reached to the rooftop, yet the snow fell harder, and the wind blew stronger. It had been snowing for several hours, and the snowdrifts were building. They had not seen snow like that but had heard his parents talk about the winters in Ireland. That was a deciding factor in moving to this young country called America and sailing straight to Georgia. It was too hot, and Jim’s grandparents had heard about a land lottery in North Carolina. The weather there was more suitable for them. Bad winters and loss of their potato crop were part of what drove them from Ireland. Their new land was at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

They had always been prepared for snow but were not so sure about this one. Oh, how the wind howled. The gusting winds were scaring the children. The parents were also frightened but tried not to show it. To calm the children, Nancy and Jim took turns telling them stories of how their grandparents came to this country from far across the ocean and picked North Carolina to live.

Boys, you know that my ma and pa, your grandparents, lived in a far-off place called Ireland, where the winters were very cold. They heard about a ship leaving for the New World, America. After discussing it for a while, they decided to leave Ireland. The ship docked in Georgia, so they started looking for a place to live. Since it was so hot in Georgia in the summer, they decided to move farther north. Then one day, they came across a place in North Carolina in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was so pretty. So that is where I was raised and why you boys were born in America. Pa smiled as his three boys reflected in his words.

Nancy and Jim also told many other stories that were made up to appease a young child’s mind and to pass the time. They also made up games to play. They played hide-and-seek and stretched a blanket over a couple of chairs to make a tent. The children giggled and thought it was such fun.

Can we sleep here in the tent, Ma? five-year-old Silas asked.

As they listened to the howling wind and to their parents telling them stories, Silas popped up and asked, Ma, would you tell us about the little boy that had so many brothers and that pretty coat? You know the one, Ma; it’s my favorite.

Nancy smiled; her brown eyes twinkled as she looked at Silas. Still gently rocking James, she began, It is one of my favorites, too. Lay down on the blanket.

With her brown hair wind-blown and falling loose from its bun, still wearing the same faded calico dress she had worn for several months, she commenced to talk about Joseph and his coat of many colors from the Bible she had read so many times to her children. It was a story they loved to hear. As she spoke, one by one, Silas, Walter, and Thomas gently slipped into dreamland. She stood and placed James in the middle of the bed.

The children had good parents, both stern and hard-working. They taught all their children that a body could not get anywhere in this world without working from dawn until dusk. You awakened before daylight, ate a big breakfast when you had it, then worked in the field until dusk. When finished for the day, you came in to eat before going to bed. Each child had his own chore, and as the children grew, so did their responsibilities. When each of the boys turned four years old, they would tote water to Pa and any helper he might have. They would end up working in the field with their pa. While too young to handle the mule and plow, they would help plant the crops. The girls, when they had them, would stay inside and learn to keep house, wash and hang clothes, and wash dishes, and when they were about eight years old, they would be helping Ma in the kitchen, beginning with drying dishes and soon learning to cook. They also learned to mend clothes and knit.

The boys never doubted what their parents said, even if they did not like it. That is, until James Madison Ellis began coming up through the years. He was the rebel. He was the one who did not fit into their family scene, no matter how hard his parents or he tried. He usually did as he was told, even though he did not like it. As a young teenager, he always got criticism from his older brothers if he fussed about his chores, especially taking care of the younger ones. The bossy trio was what he called them. Even a few tussles broke out between them.

I am younger than you three and should not have to do the same chores. It is just not fair.

By this time, Silas, the oldest, was planning to get married and had his own homestead to tend to. Walter and Thomas were courting and contemplating marriage. Then all the chores fell on James and his pa, while the slaves worked the larger fields.

Thomas replied, "You are just a crybaby. We did the same