Nathaniel Nuckolls

Owned an interest in a gold mine in No. GA, bought a farm in Alabama, taught some of his Negro men to work as a mechanic, studied architecture, planned and built many houses. He was a merchant for a while in Columbus, GA and planned and built a handsome residence for himself where he lived 20 years before his death.

In his will he gives to each of his three sons, farms valued at $6,000 ea and to each of his seven daughters, farms valued at $6K each and all other property equally distributed. States the farm given to Mrs. freeman deeded to her by Martin Hale and A H Mackey, adms.

VIII (8) Nathaniel Nuckolls, b. NOV. 26, 1800, Louisa Co. Va.; farmer and mechanic: " In 1828, a rather peculiar town grew on the high ground between the Etowah and Chestatee rivers in what is now Lumpkin Co., Ga. As the story goes it was 1828 Benjamin Parks, of Dahlonega was deer hunting, absently kicked at a rock on a hillside. The rock was a chunk of quartz gold in pockets or lodes. His find was so rich in gold that it was yellow like yolks of eggs. First settler was a man named Dean. Then an enterprising gentleman named Nathaniel Nuckolls opened a tavern near by. This town was first called Dean's, then Nuckollsville, finally Auraria (Gold), in 1832 the scene of Ga's. first gold rush, was named by John C. Calhoun, owner of a nearby mine. Auraria and Dahlonega were the two real gold towns in the U. S. before 1849. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills, Dahlonega became the site of the first Gold Mint built by the U. S. Gov't (1836). From 1832 to 1861 more than $4o million worth of gold was mined here." " There is still one place in the U. S. where you can redeem a dollar bill for gold: if you pan it yourself. In the mountain streams of Dahlonega in north Ga. for a $i fee, tourists are shown how to pan gold and allowed to keep all they get (usually more than a dollar's worth." The will of Nathaniel Nuckolls recorded in Muscogee Co., Ga., Oct. 5,1868, and copied on the records of Cherokee Co., Ala. (at Centre, Ala.), in 1911 ; gave to each of his 4 sons and to each of his 7 daus., farins valued at six thousand dollars each.

The following records were copied and sent by Miss Bertha Frances Nuckolls, Galax, Virginia from Mrs Elizabeth Day Nuckolls, Mrs James Nuckols, 1540 Stark Avenue, Columbus, Ga, August 29, 1957 Sketch written by Elizabeth Ann Nuckolls- Long- Ware, 1909

My father, Nathaniel Nuckolls, son of Thomas and Anne Nuckolls, was born on the 10th Oct., 1800, in Louisiana County, Virginia, at the old Nuckolls homestead. He was his father's fifth child. Two brothers, Duke and Alexander and two sisters, Lucinda and Mary, older than he was. He was converted and Joined the church when he was eighteen years old. He and his older brothers worked on the farm while they were with their father. In those times unless a person had a good many slaves, the sons of the house worked at farm, or any other work there was going on. The second oldest son, Alexander, had married and moved to Hall county, Georgia. He had a farm, and worked that, besides being an excellent carpenter, worked in any kind of wood work, blacksmith's work, etc. When father was twenty-one, he was told that he was free to go to work for himself. He had very little education but concluded to go to work until he made something for himself, trusting to leisure times to improve himself in learning. His father approved of his determination to go south and Join his brother. so gave him a good horse, a fine saddle and brid1e, and saddle bags, and his loving mother filled those saddle bags with good clothes. His father then gave him one hundred dollars in money and good advice, and bade goodbye to them, and started on his long horseback ride to Georgia. He never saw his parents again. He could hear from them by letter, but felt that he could neither spare the time nor the money to visit them .He had set out to hard work to make a fortune, and felt that he could not indulge in expensive gratification. When he arrived at his brother's and was welcomed by all, he soon set In to work, commenced at the cooper's trade, made tubs, casks, etc. The next work was wagon making, in that work he must have irons to use in strengthening the wagons, so he had to take up blacksmith's work. Finishing his lessons in wagon making, he determined to learn the blacksmith ' s work to the finest that anyone could with hammer and forge. He got on with it so well, that he could do anything he tried to do even to the making a key to fit a lock. The small mechanics mastered, he wanted to go up higher, so set into plain house building. He had sold his horse, so bought himself a fine set of tools. He kept busy at the house building improving so that he tried for better jobs, finally got in with some fine house builders. Then he struck his talent, went right on up, worked steadily, studying every part of the work seeking to make improvements till he got to have self-confidence enough to strike out for himself , got jobs of his own planning, got help, economized, saved up his money, bought a fine negro carpenter, named Edmond, in this way of steady faithful work and saving his money, he was able to buy other negroes to help him. The next bought was a man with a fami1y, "Charles" was an excellent man. Father hired out Charles' wife to good people, so with Edmond and Charles of his own and some cheap men, he worked on. He told me that he built the first fine court-house In Cartersville. I don't remember, but it was a town in upper Georgia. He worked on at his house building for several years, made money. bought negroes and land, kept out all of evil habits, took care of his workmen, saw to it that they kept out of mischief, The land that he bought was in Elbert County. In his building business he had drifted down to Elbert, found plenty of work there,

also a good piece of land which he bought and put all necessary buildings on it for farm purposes, put his negroes on it that he did not have at the trade, to work a small farm .He wanted to have a home, to stay at when he was not out at work, so he built a small dwelling house. Soon after that the building business nearby slacked up, and seeing that he could make it pay, he built a small store house, got in a few goods to try his luck on.

Being a very cautious fellow, he didn't intend to take any risk in the dark. After several months' experience he saw that it would be safe to put in a larger stock of goods, and also hearing of building work that would take him some distance from home, he sent for a young brother who wanted to come south, to come and take charge of his store, having put the workmen in the farm, they had got it in good shape so that he could leave all in care of his brother. So, he went to the building work again, got on well with it, was saving up his money, as the farm and store were prospering also. He had been at work for nearly six years, faithfully and cautiously, and feeling that he was in a safe position to marry, begun to look for a nice girl. He felt that he had tried to be such a man as might attract such a girl as he would like to have. Mother and grandmother told me that father was a fine looking man, was tall and straight, fine figure, very fair complexion, but always red cheeks and lips. (I don't remember having ever seen him pale), jet black hair and very blue eyes. He was always neat, even in every day clothes, he kept nice fashionable clothes for "Sunday go to meeting" as the saying of old folk was. He was proud, had self respect, and associated with the best people, was ambitious, too, and in a short time, learned good manners. It was not long before he became known. He looked bout and soon found the girl (Louisianna Thornton) that he liked, fell in love with, made it his business to make himself known to the family, and as there were two grown sons, he pretty soon became acquainted with the whole family, and won the favor of the young lady. They married late in the year of 1826. He remained in Elbert for a dew years. In that time, grandfather had moved to Columbus, when grandmother went to see them she took me, the oldest child home withher, and that was a relief to father, as well as to mother, she being so young she didn't know just how to manage with several little ones, but father was doing his part. He had taken me in hand and trained my habits so that I did not give much trouble but he was really glad for grandmother to have me, she was very firm, but loving me as she did, there was no danger of unkindness to her previous charge, and mother was satisfied.

Father was very fond of music, in his young days, he was a fine singer. He bought a good flute, and learned to perform on it and after he and mother married, he and she had music, she singing and he blowing the flute, and by her singing with his playing he learned a great many beautiful pieces. When I was twelve years old, I was taking music lessons and he was so delighted with the piano that he had me teach him all the first rudiments and he got so he could play a good many simple pieces. After I grew up he would play on his flute accompanying the piano. Of course, I enjoyed it as much as he did. He was strict, but he enjoyed the family.

In 1832, father concluded to move to Cherokee, it being a good money making country. There was prospect of gold being found, a small mine was already in operation. Father bought stock in that, also bought a small body of land already in cultivation, put his strongest hands to dig in the mine and the balance on the farm which was joining the mine land, so had everything at work. When the mine gave out, father turned his attention to building, he and Mr Pascal had already built a tavern, as Hotels or Inns were called then, it was a "Stage Stand", a place where passengers of the regular stage coach, could get lodging and meals at passing times. Mother and Mrs Pascal lived in it and took the care of the house. Father built all sorts of houses, dwelling houses, a meeting house for preaching when they could get one, a preacher, built a school house, had already built a woodwork shop and blacksmith's shop. Mother was getting tired of the Tavern business, it was too much publicity for her retiring nature, so father built a dwelling house for himself and a store house in the corner of the front yard, filled it with such merchandise as he knew would be salable in that rather rough country, and as he wanted to be free to do any remunerative work that presented itself, he put a good man in his store whose house was next door to mother. The country was being rapidly settled up. The Indian owned lands could be bought cheaper than land usually sold for. Father traded with them, they liked to come to his store to trade, he treated them justly and they had sense to know it. They had a name for him in Indian dialect, I did know it, but have forgotten. (I expect that these Indians were a part of the tribe that were converted by the missionary Dozier Thornton, our great-grandfather, while preaching in the Cherokee District)

Father was ambitious to have this little village count for something, so had worked hard in the time he had been there, and it really was coming into notice. The country was new, in a way, the land productive, people moving in, so the little village was getting on a town appearance. The people named it Nuckollsville. As far as I know it is called that now, it was eight years ago. It was getting time for grandmother to make a visit to mother. When she went, I, of course went. I was nearly six years old. She did not stay more than three weeks. When she had been gone for two or three weeks, mother felt worse than ever about being so far from her mother and all of them, so began to beg father to go nearer to her people. Father had begun to feel the somewhat ill effects of such a constant rush of work, so concluded to put his whole business interest in selling shape, as he intended buying in Muscogee County, near Columbus. He succeeded in out of Cherokee, then bought in a small farm near or about two miles of grandfather, also bought a store in Columbus. He moved and got us all comfortable in a small house that was on the farm he bought. There were negro houses there and outbuildings, and father told mother that as soon as he could get his business straight, that he would build her a good house. In the meantime, grandmother had ask to have a better house built. So, as father wanted the job, he sent for one of his young brothers a married man, to come and take a co-partnership in the store, got a trusty young man for clerk, put the farm to rights, then he could get to building again. Now for grandmother's house. She let him plan it for her convenience. When it was finished, she was very much pleased and asked to have kitchen and dairy, then a large garden to be nicely paled in, also front yard, but father never thought that a house was finished without a front porch and front yard paled in. The house was a two-story house, four rooms below, two above, wide hall down stairs, front and back stairs, back collonade, inside all the closets she wanted. All of her wants filled, he began to get lumber for his own buildings, worked on till he got ready, then he put up all needful buildings finished except his dwelling house. He did not finish it inside, wanted the house to dry and settle so that the plastering would not crack, got the house comfortable, and moved into it. Shortly after the move, mother's health became bad, so the house was not finished. She did not get entirely well until fall. In that time, the Indians in Alabama had gone west, father bought land in Russell County, this county was on the Chattapoochee, west side, opposite Muscogee on the east side, the Georgia side. The first thing he did after buying land, was to build a saw mill, to saw lumber for temporary houses for all. When these were finished were were moved from Muscogee, and settled in those temporary buildings. I was in my eleventh year, and can remember how everything looked. The family dwelling was built of mill sawed logs, 6 x 10, cracks, what little there was, sealed with weather boarding. It had a nice stick dirt chimney at each end. The kitchen was built of sheeting ( rough edge outside plank, on rough frame) near the dwelling house. It had large wide stick and dirt chimney. I remember that there was a large hole dug and the children, I amongst them, would go out there, and get on the planks put to walk across, and do what we called ride up and down. The frogs had got into that hole and any other holding water and in the late evenings would croak, and we mock them, but they would get ashamed and hush. This hole was where the clay for these chimneys was worked up by putting an ox in and he was made to walk around in the mud, water and sand, to make it smooth so as to have smoothly built chimneys, the fireplace plastered nicely inside and hearths were made of this clay and plaster, and beaten down with a maul to make it firm, then the hearth was kept covered for several days till dry, then all cracks stopped and a slow fire made and in a short time ready for use. There was no brick yard nearer than Columbus, eleven miles. When all this setting was done, then the grist mill was built. (These buildings were just in between the little mill creek and the large creek called Big-Uchee, the creek that ran through father's land, and when summer came, first one then another took malarial fever.) Hot weather came and fever came. Then father hustled to get lumber enough ready to build a house for the family (having put in his men to build log houses for the negroes, also stables and shelters for stock) out on a fine hill place over a mile from the mills. His house was of rough (unplanned) lumber, but roomy and comfortable.

As soon as we got settled in every way father sent and got a lady teacher Miss Hester Mills. He had built a nice little framed schoolhouse about a quarter of a mile, hardly so much. She set to teaching, five of us and as many as five of neighbor children. Two of the five were Indians, twin girls, "Aridne and Arian Carr." Their father, Paddie Carr, was a half-breed (half white). He was a clever man, the white folks were friendly towards him, treated him civilly. The girls behaved as well as we did. One was quite bright, learned right along, the other was rather dull. Miss Mills stayed with us a year and a half. Then she told mother that a gentleman from South Carolina (from Charleston) to whom she was engaged, was coming in December, and they would marry then. I was twelve years and two months old. Miss Mills said that I was to be her attendant (girl), the boy, was Dr Frierson's brother, Tom. (Frierson was the name of the man she married). He was seventeen. Everyone of the company said that were were two of the handsomest children they had ever seen, but I am borrowing from another story. Father stayed on at that place as much as three years. He had been thinking that the hill that he was living on was level, or, rather was not quite as large a level as he needed for a settlement, then than the Big Uchee Creek was between him and his mills, and was subject to overflow, so, as he had such prettier place and he could have all the room he wanted to spread out all buildings, patches, pens, etc. Plans were drawn, ideas concluded, then to work to get all the lumber ready, had a workshop at the mill and there he prepared most of the lumber for his dwelling house, then went to work and put up framed negro houses, stables, barns, carriage house, then to work to build his own dwelling, got it habitable and moved in, to finish at his leisure, and not be away from home so much. He moved his workshop to the house near enough to work in the house and see to the preparation of any lumber needed. The weather was warm, so he put down temporary floors, till he could kiln dry his good flooring. He had a great deal of the timber of various kinds on his land. From what I can recollect of the large body of land which he bought, it was nearly every acre in its natural state, not cut down or cleared up, so he had the forest from which to choose his timber for any use he wanted it. He not only got out and prepared all the lumber he had use for to finish his house, but was eager to get to make a lot of substantial furniture from black walnut, maple beech, poplar and very large cedars, any of which would work into furniture of different kinds. Before he finished his house, he put up a turning lathe in the room that was to be the parlor, as we could spare that the longest, and he and pat, his finest workman, did a lot of finishing work for the house while he had some of its furniture wooddrying. He got his floors down in the other rooms, finished doors and windows, put in sash. Now for the staircase banisters, they must be as he concluded, of cedar, turned on that lathe. I think the same banisters are there now. My brother, J T Nuckolls, owns the house now. That stairway is just the same as when built over sixty-seven years ago. That turning lathe was fine fun for me (it was vacation) so did brother Tom, the oldest boy, enjoy turning the lathe. High post bedsteads were in style, the larger the post, the finer the bed, and the head and foot boards were of fancy pattern. Father turned the posts for four high post beds. These beds when made up with thick mattress and full feather beds, a white curtain put around the bottom from the railing to the floor, and at top about same width, a white cloth stretched tight over the top of bed and fastened to a frame made and it fastened to top of post. (These bottom and top curtains were called valance, foot valance or top valance). Sometimes long white curtains were put up instead of the short ones at the top. Beds those days when they were nice, were the particular ornament of a room I have seen these high beds curtained with fine damash, silk spreads on bed. We had beds that he made a good while before, but having so much fine wood, he wanted to make some that were wider and that were fastened together at corners with large bolts, with taps let into screws, instead of the whole thing being held together with hemp cords, run each way, passing through holes made in the side places. Now the explanation is for the benefit of anyone who have never seen the roped kind of bed. (Of course, improvements are still going on). Father had made nearly every piece of furniture that was in the house. There was a large black walnut sideboard that he had made in his early married life, and clothes presses, "chiffoniers" they are called now. Mother wanted a new larger folding table, the one we had he made soon after marriage. The one he made now had leaves that nearly touched the floor when let down. This table could easily seat eight people and so wide that would could sit at the end. He made several small tables some round for the parlor. He made three wardrobes, one was especially for himself, didn't want to go into a wardrobe to get his nice clothes, and have to take down a whole lot of women's dresses before he could find what he wanted. Isn't that reasonable? He made a bookcase, the shelves for books, the bottom part had doors, in this part, he kept his medicines, and anything needed for such purposes. He finished every piece of furniture nicely with varnish or oil. The parlor furniture was, except these round table, mahogany, hard cloth covered, that was the style then. Of course, there was a piano for me, and the others when they were large enough. Everything that was needed in a dining room, a large safe, wired doors and sides, side tables, etc. All finished inside, then the front yard was paled in, and as it was getting cool weather, only large shrubbery was set out.

It was getting time for schools. Father had built a schoolhouse a mile or more away and engaged a teacher who had been recommended and all of his children except myself and oldest brother were started.

Father had built in the corner of his large front yard, a large good room. This room was called the office. The teacher if he boarded at father's, my brother, his two oldest boys and the overseer slept in that house. The teacher was at times invited to sit in the dining room as it was the sitting room, but father only sat with him, never mother or myself. The overseer ate at the table, but went out to his house when through. He had a white woman who acted as a help to mother in the housekeeping, and once she expressed herself as feeling that she was slighted, thought she ought to have young men company. So, my father spoke to the overseer, asking him if he would like to get acquainted with Miss Jane. He said he didn't care about it but would if father wanted him to. So, the next Sunday afternoon, he came in and seated himself on the front veranda. Ma, as I called mother, told Jane to go out and talk with Mr "Heartsfield." She did and the old goosie fell in love with the fellow, and he a mean thing encouraged her till she told us that they were to marry. Father knew better and told her so, and demeaned Heartsfield for fooling the poor ugly creature, and he laughed about it. But she was not invited to talk with an overseer again. She stayed with us till she was forty years old, then went to live with a widow lady mother had spoken to about Jane.

These gentlemen, the teaching sometimes were very nice men, so father was fond of talking with them, thinking to improve his own conversational powers. He had a good desk in this office and kept writing material in it and if he had any business with any white or his own negroes, he always went to the office to attend to it, NEVER, under any circumstances transacted business in the presence of mother or the girls.

My father was a wise and strict disciplinarian. Everybody about the house, and everything had to go right or he had to know the reason why, and he generally found some remedy. He did all that he could to make home comfortable, safe and interesting to his wife and children. He was determined to train his children to be obedient and reverence to parents, to honesty, virtue, to have self-respect, to be above doing anything they would be ashamed to have others to know, that we must try to control our tempers, we must be kind to one another. If any of his children ever, even in babyhood, showed the disposition to fight, if father was about, he took a hand in that fight, so that they soon learned that to fight was punishable. I never saw my brothers fight one another nor other boys as I did not go to school with them, but if their fights had ever accounted to much, father would have known of it, and warned them to mind what they were about. Of course, we girls (seven girls raised) were taught by both mother and father that it would be shameful for girls to quarrel or to show bad temper. Father was so very strict in his teaching his girls to be prudent and cautious, and that we were to be modest and reserved in all company, especially of men, taught us men were not always to be trusted. This last he especially warned us about, telling us that our mother was the most modest, prudent and lady-like woman he ever saw, told us to heed her teachings and try to follow her, that she would be good company for us. He taught us that we must do our best to make use of the chance that we had to get an education, telling us that he had had no chance to go to school, more than to learn to read and write, but that we must and should learn. He urged it upon mother, that as soon as any of us, the girls, were old enough that we were to be put to do little jobs, that we were not to be idle all the time, that we should learn to work. He managed to find something for the boys to do. If nothing else could be found for the girls to do, they were to get their books and get a lesson, not as pastime, but to be recited either to father or mother, and we had to know that lesson. I am now, at the date of this copy, nearly eighty-two years old, have been acquainted with many families, and can truly say that I have not known one who was so attentive to his childrens welfare both physically and morally, nor more earnest in his endeavors to make things pleasant and agreeable for his wife than he was. He studied medicine with my uncle, Dr H A Thornton, so as to be able to give medical attention to his own family and to his negroes, and was a judicious and  tender nurse for our mother in her frequent and sometimes serious ailings. He learned to treat bruises , sprains and simple breaks. When I was a widow the first time, I was staying at his plantation, one of his negroes cut another very badly. Father had a few surgical instruments. He called me to help him, I did and I was a great help to him, besides I showed that I had talent and nerve for such work. Father lived on at his country place till the next oldest daughter had finished her education at Columbus and married, his oldest sons at college and the  other children needed better schools than could be got in the country. He rented a house in Columbus, bought a lot and commenced to build a  house. Before he finished it, it was bought from him. He then bought a large lot on the high hills out from the city. He moved into some small buildings that were on the place. he planned and commenced to build a large house. It was to be two-storied high, six rooms below and six rooms above with a large "attic" which was to be finished up for a store away or any use needed and for a fire escape. It was to have a collonade front and two sides and partially in back. Besides the twelve rooms in the main body of the house, there was a wide gang-way which led to the dining room, two 18ft square rooms, then kitchen and all the closets, dairies, etc, one wanted. The top of the house was finished around with a parapet, a space wide enough to walk around at the bottom. The windows (those windows we arranged for fire escapes) of the attic opened on to that space. One could look over the parapet and see over the city, and even across the river on the Alabama side, and the scenery was beautiful. I went out and walked around once and it made me wish I was an artist, to paint those landscapes. The city was a wide valley surrounded with hills in the distance. Then there were the factories on the river, the churches, all could be plainly seen. This large house was beautifully finished both outside and in. The large fluted columns in front and sides of the veranda had Grecian caps. These caps of the columns were bought in New York, as were the furnishings of the  house. The two large bedrooms downstairs were for father and mother, and  her room was beautifully furnished in rosewood, as was father's, except that his bedroom anrwered(sic) for library and sitting room. The wide hall had hat racks, settees, tables, etc, wide staircase finely furnished, two large parlors set out with rosewood furniture, not a place lacking, windows down to floor, curtained with silk brocatelle curtains, lace ones over, white marble mantles, large chandeliers, grand piano, carpets, etc. This house and all of its furnishings, all necessary conveniences and outside adornments for mother's and his own comfort for the balance of their lives, as well as for their grownup sons and daughters. When all was finished and all in their appointed places no one need doubt about the good times these young folks and old ones, too, had when father and mother felt ready for it, a large entertainment was given. Of course, we two married daughters and families, relatives and friends from a distance besides the town folks invited, enjoyed the company as well as the luxurious supper prepared by Aunt Dilsy, one of the city's best caterers.

It was not a great while before the civil war was on. Two of my brothers, one a young fellow just from college, "William" the other the oldest son "Tom" enlisted. My married brother , Nat, sent a substitute. His wife had consumption and was expected to die. After about a year, my young brother, William, died of pneumonia. When he was taken sick, father went to Virginia where he was, took him to Chancellorsville, by invitation, and nursed him till he died. A pathetic incident of the taking of this sick brother, William, to Chancellorsville, in an ambulance as told by father, when he got back with the body. Will said, "Father, I want to go back home and lie down in my little bed.", meaning an eight by ten shanty on the battlegrounds with a fireplace, and bed for him and one for Tom. Father had the body embalmed and brought it home. It was in good condition, looked as perfect as life. Those beautiful black eyes were open and looked so natural. This was the first year of the war, and bodies of men who died that year were brought or sent home. The next year there was a hospital stationed in Columbus, and brother Tom who had a stiff arm which disabled him from active service, was appointed as one of the officers in the hospital. He had found out that a number of his friends and several cousins were among the wounded and sick. Father took three of the nephews of his and my mothers to his house and nursed them. It was not very long before the hospital was crowded, and it have a good chance for the people around to show their patriotism. Soon, father took several wounded officers to his house. Of course, my brother recommended who were decent men, as his mother and several sisters must be considered. So, the big house soon looked quite like a hospital on a small scale. Just as soon as any of these soldiers were reported well, they were ordered to the front. This kind of thing went on. Mother and Father and a great many others who were financially able, did a great deal for these soldiers. Father, as well as others, did a great deal for the soldiers' families, some of whom sat right down and quarreled if folks didn't support them. Others did all that they could to help themselves, still others needed no help but did all they could for their soldiers. Father and mother and Mr Ware, and a greater part of the citizens, all who had any folks in the army, belonged to the Aid Society, did everything that we could to help the soldiers and their families. We sent blankets, some wove woolen  coverlids to send. We bought goods, both cotton and woolen, and made up great bales of clothing and sent.

Father had a machine workshop at his mills called. "Variety Works", where he made looms, spinning wheels, tubs, churns, bread trays or any other household implement, water buckets, and canteens to send to the army. My mother and sisters had small looms, on which they wove the  strappings for the canteens and knapsacks, and for bridle reins, and saddle girths, all the strapping was woven of the very best double and  twisted cotton thread, indeed we were making a business of making everything that we could, women, men too old for soldiers, boys too young, all did what they could. At first, provisions were sent till after our armies were cut off so that nothing could be sent with safety.

Father had put his youngest son, J T Nuckolls, and my oldest son, Thomas J Long, in this machine shop, doing what was called  government work. He got orders from the war commissary department at Columbus for army supplies of such as these things mentioned. Father and everyone who knew these young boys, thought their being employed at this government work, they would be exempt from active service, even if they came of age for conscription before the end. But no! some sneak, staying out by hiring substitutes, complaining of disability (Yes! we knew him, a dissipated good for nothing son of a rich widow) he stayed at home, but reported our boys, and they were conscripted. Ah! Money! You did a mean thing that time. My son was just eighteen, went out, was in two battles, was taken prisoner, taken to Camp Douglas, Illinois, and was there till within a few days before the surrender, and died of pneumonia. He was out only three months when the end came. My brother got home, when these boys, good, industrious, ingenious, Christians, were called out, we, all of us, father and many others, lost their anxiety to work for the country. Father had not approved of the war at first, but seeing that it was inevitable, he determined to do his part. Yes, mine and many another mother's young boy was dragged out to near the last, to be slaughtered by the hated, envious enemy. And I am thinking that this animosity will never end, but be handed down from generation to generation. Well, it came to an end, the saying, "After or when this cruel war is over.". My father set about arranging his business, so as to have no serious stoppage of the already planned out work of the year, crops prepared fro, some planting done. He hired all of the old laborers that wanted to stay with him, not more than two left, one of those was a mulatto that father bought two years before, he was half-brother to my house servant, but she didn't like him. He had been very troublesome, and every white and black disliked him. All of father's old tired carpenters, five or more, stayed with him, gave him no trouble, kept on with his contracts whenever he had any. Father said that he had a plenty to live on, and for his children, that he could quit and sit down, but he didn't want to sit down and do nothing, his health was poor, but he was better off getting about directing his men to their work. It was better off getting about directing his men in their work. It was his greatest pleasure to have a big job on hand. He kept a good horse and  buggy and a trusty lad (negro) to drive and wait on him. He always carried a pillow, a fine buggy blanket and all the medicines other necessary things for accidents, blankets for his boy in a bag strapped on back of buggy. Thus equipped, and his work planned, he was the best off. His workmen had their box of tools; blankets and provisions were sent to the place in a wagon, father boarding at some good place nearby. He usually ordered what he wanted to eat. He usually carried sugar, coffee, a little nice meal, a frying pan and coffee pot, bought eggs and butter, then he and Ed, the boy, cooked their picnic dinners. Father was  thoughtful and never went without what he might need. Whenever a bridge, a mill-gin house or dwelling wanted to be built the person wanting it went to "Mr Nuckolls" first, because he always did the best work. Long after father died, his carpenters, the "Nuckolls' Carpenters", they were called, could get all the work they wanted. Pat, Old Charles' (who was dead) son was the best, was boss. Father and mother lived to see eleven children to be grown men and women (including the son that died in the army) and they and all of their children belonged to the Baptist Church in Columbus. Father was deacon of that church for a long time. He was the architect in the building of that church before grandmother and grandfather died. He built a Baptist meeting house on his land, not a great way from his plantation house. After I married my second husband, Mr Ware, he and I belonged to it, and years afterward, my youngest Long child, a boy 15 years old (Davis Long), and his oldest child, Mollie Ware, were converted under the preaching of that great, good man, Marshall J Welborn, and baptized by him in a pool by a spring not far from the church that father made there. It was a large deep box, the water to fill it conducted to it by a trough, from the spring. A good many of father's slaves and mine also were regular members of that church. Father and mother used sometimes to come out to the plantation and be at our meetings. Father made a fortune and educated his children and gave them property for a good start.

Father and mother both died in one year. Mother died June 1868, 53 years old of heart trouble. Father had gone off for his health, was called home to her funeral. He died in October 1868, was sixty-eight years old. Dr J H Devoite was pastor in the Baptist church at Columbus. He preached the funeral of them both. I was sick, did not attend mothers' funeral. I was present when father's funeral was preached. When Dr Devotie started in with the sermon at father's funeral, he said first, "Brother Nuckolls was a grand old man." And so all who knew him best  thought.

Several years before, when brother William died, father had bought a large lot in the city cemetery, had it nicely fenced in. William and Col Alfred Truett, sister Cornelia's first husband, were buried there. When mother died, father had a white marble slab put over her and and eight foot high, white marble shaft was put to one side - he directed that he was to be laid by her side and another white slab over him, and the shaft was to be placed in the center between the two slabs, in the center. He directed just what he wanted out on the  shaft in way of inscription, just that, and nothing more. When he died three months after mother, all was done as he directed.

James Thornton Nuckolls, II (great grandson of Nathaniel Nuckolls) owns the plantation home at Nuckolls Crossing - James Nuckolls and his wife Elizabeth Day reside there; this house was built before the "Mansion."

The "Nuckolls Mansion" passed out of the hands of the family over 80 years ago, and was demolished about three years ago in 1954 - to make was for a play ground.


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