A Patriot Of The War Of 1812

Elijah Aspinwall was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, April 29, 1790. At age twenty two, he found himself caught up in the war of 1812. Elijah probably served as a crew member of a Privateer,
though some scholars propose that he served in the U.S. Navy. As fate would have it, and to his great advantage. It was the practice of the time to divide bounty from a captured ship, among the crew of the victorious vessel. Seaman Aspinwall's ship captured a British vessel which was carrying a large shipment of gold, and to his good fortune, his share amounted to about ten thousand dollars. When his ship put into port at Savannah, Georgia, for repairs; Elijah selected a spot, and buried his gold in a Copper container along the banks of the Savannah River before returning to sea duty.

Aspinwall was later captured by the British and apparently served some time as a prisoner of war. After the war, he was released at Charleston, South Carolina. He returned to Savannah, reclaimed his gold, and according to his descendant Mershon Aspinwall, was "Loafing on the streets of Savannah, when he met a Mr. Dickson from Bulloch County who had come to town to buy supplies". Allen Dickson hired Elijah Aspinwall to work on the family farm, and the two set out on the journey home.

"In the course of time, he courted one of the Dickson daughters named Barbary, won her heart, and after he let Mr. Dickson know that he had the gold, he won her hand in marriage", Says great, great, grandson Mershon.Aspinwall Barbary and Elijah were married on October 17,1820, by Enoc Fagin, a Justice of the Peace. Elijah was thirty and Barbary had just passed thirteen years of age, a union not at all uncommon in the early nineteenth century. Their marriage license was issued October 15, 1820.

The Aspinwalls were the parents of at least seven children. The Aspinwall Story A Genealogy, by Willie Mae Aspinwall Youmans, lists seven living children for the Aspinwalls, and four more who apparently died as unnamed newborns. It appears that all were born in Bulloch County, Georgia, but no attempt has been made by this author to verify that contention.

Mershon Aspinwall, Author of, The Aspinwall family of Pierce County , which appeared in the 1959, The Blackshear Times Article, states that relatives believe the Aspinwalls came to Ware County, (later Pierce County) between 1824 and 1830. It is certain, however, that the household of Elijah Aspinwall, with his wife and four children were counted in the census of Bulloch County, Georgia, in 1850.

Further, Barbary's father, Allen Dickson lived until 1845. There appears to be a pattern of "breaking with the homeland", among the Dickson family, shortly after the death of the patriarch, Allen Sr. For instance, Barbary's brother William and his family were listed in the 1850 census of Ware County, Georgia. Likewise, her sister Piety Dickson Brown, and husband William, were also in Ware. From this information alone, it would appear that, by 1850, the Dickson migration to Pierce county had begun, but the Aspinwalls had not yet made the journey.

The known children of Elijah and Barbary Dickson Aspinwall were as follows:

James Aspinwall born 1822? Died in young manhood
Allen Aspinwall born Sep 22, 1823, Married Elizabeth O. Hodges
John Aspinwall born Feb 25, 1825, Married Julia Sweat
Susan Aspinwall born 1830, Married Martin Sweat
Jackson Aspinwall born 1832, Married Catherine Kimbrell
Eliza Aspinwall born May 2, 1834, Married John Donaldson
Matthew Aspinwall born Sep 15, 1836, Married Martha Strickland

From the 1864, salt ration list of Pierce County, Georgia, Catherine, the wife of Jackson Aspinwall, appears as "the wife of a soldier". Likewise, Martha, the wife of Matthew, appears on the same list. According to The Aspinwall Family of Pierce County , by Mershon Aspinwall, John also served in the Atlantic and Gulf Guards. He also confirms the service of brothers Jackson, and Matthew, in the same Civil War unit.

Both Barbary and Elijah Aspinwall are buried in unmarked graves in the cemetery of Shiloh Church near Blackshear, Georgia. Elijah Aspinwall found a home among the Dicksons of South Georgia. It is best stated by descendant Willie Mae Aspinwall Youmans who said, "He never went back to Massachusetts."

For further information on the family of Barbary and Elijah Aspinwall, it is recommended that the reader see History of Pierce County Georgia , by Dean Broome, which contains the Mershon Aspinwall article. Mr. Broome also lists, The Recollections of Ms. Nellie Stewart 1857 to 1913-14. Ms. Stewart lists the Aspinwalls among the early settlers of Pierce County.

Further recommended reading is, The Aspinwall Story A Genealogy , by Willie Mae Aspinwall Youmans. One may also wish to consult Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia , by Folks Huxford.