Brothers Named East and West

About 30 years ago I remember my dad taking us to visit my grandpa Patterson's sister, Nellie Patterson Mason in north GA. My grandpa had already died a few years before that in 1975. Aunt Nellie was in her 70's already, but her mind was still sharp.

Being that I was always interested in family stories, and that my name is Wesley, Aunt Nellie was reminded of a pair of brothers she remembered visiting on occasion as a child. They were her 2nd cousins, although at the time she didn't remember exactly how they were related. But what stood out to her, and to me too, was the fact these brothers were called "East" and "West".

I'm sure that conversation was also in the context of her daddy, Elijah Patterson. "Lije" as he was called, had a twin named "Lishe". Lije and Lishe also had four more brothers named Lumpkin, Lewis, Alonzo and Bunyan. Plus, one of their six sisters was called "Jeff".

Over the years many a chuckle escaped my breath when these names were remembered. Being a city boy I was not accustomed to hearing names like this. But as the years went by I became more interested in finding out who these brothers were. East and West. I assumed they were Pattersons, but I couldn't remember. I assumed they were my cousins too, but I wasn't sure. So the fond memory slowly became a mystery that had to be unraveled.

About 8 or 10 years ago, while updating one of my Patterson branches with further details, I tripped across a record that indicated one of my cousins named John E. Patterson, was actually John East Patterson. So I began to dig further. I found another record that indicated his younger brother James, was actually James W. Patterson.

I dug more.

Then I found it. James W. was actually James Wesley Patterson, and he was called "West" Patterson. His older brother John East Patterson was actually called "East". I found them!

East and West Patterson were born in 1861 and 1870 respectively, in Fannin Co GA. They and their other siblings were children of George Washington Patterson and Margaret Ownbey. George was the son of John Patterson Jr and Sallie Hicks.

Aunt Nellie and I descend from John Jr's brother George Patterson, and his son William Harden "Bill" Patterson, and his son Lije Patterson, previously mentioned. So Lije and Lishe were 2nd cousins of East and West. That would make Aunt Nellie 2nd cousins once removed, which in turn would make me 2nd cousins thrice removed.

Mystery solved. But still a chuckle.

WP

Lewis Patterson's Cemetery Located

First of all, I want to thank Vickie Moon from Augusta Co VA for finding the burial record of Lewis O. Patterson for me. I knew that Uncle Lewis lived and died in Cleveland, TN, but never knew where he was buried... until now.

Left to right: Jeff, Lump, Lew, Lishe, Em

Lewis Patterson was the older brother of Lije Patterson, my great-grandpa. Lewis was buried in Fort Hill Cemetery, and the "Findagrave.com" record says "Plot: 12, Plot 494". I'm assuming this means row 12 and plot 494.

It also says his birth date was May 20, 1869 and his death date was March 22, 1959. I knew the years for both, but did not know the exact dates... until now.

Left to right: Elizabeth Akins Patterson (Lew's mother), Lew, other family members

I now know where 11 of the 12 children of Bill and Elizabeth Patterson are buried. The only one I don't know the final resting place is Mollie, wife of George Kelley. One day...

WP

"They came down HERE shooting at us and I was just protecting my homeland!"

Imagine my surprise last night when I received an email from cousin Dave Huskey - which is no surprise in itself - but rather the contents of which contained a quote from my great-great-grandpa, Bill Patterson. Dave's email contained a scanned copy of a letter written by Sue Tucker to Shirley Huskey, the latter of which is Dave's mother. Sue Tucker and Dave's father (the late James A. Huskey) were cousins, and both grandchildren of Callie Patterson Hickey, daughter of Bill Patterson (1832-1883).

In this letter, dated June 24, 2011, Sue writes about memories of growing up and various family members she recalls, such as Aunt Florence being in a nursing home, and at other times visiting Lije and Lishe, the twin sons of Bill. She also mentions Aunt Em, and Uncle Bunyan and his daughter Elaine Patterson Gibby.

Bill Patterson (1832-1883)

But then she gets to the part about Bill Patterson and some details about his personal life that I found very striking. Sue refers to Bill as "Granny's daddy". She writes:

Granny's daddy never had slaves (didn't believe in that, he was a lay minister)! Granny said he went out side to pray alone every morning while they got breakfast. But when asked why he fought for the South he replied that "they came down HERE shooting at us, and I was just protecting my homeland!"

I know that to have been the case for the majority of Confederate soldiers, but there are always exceptions to every rule and scenario. It is very striking to me to find that this was, in fact, his feeling as well.

It's also touching and inspiring that he would spend time praying every morning. I can imagine he would need to go outside for privacy, when you have 12 children. A meal time would be the one time they'd all be together, and you could go SOMEWHERE ELSE for some privacy.

The more I learn about "Billy" Patterson (as his step mother Sophia always called him), the more I am impressed with him. Family, Country, and God. I guess this quote confirms his mindset was like most others in those days... your state was your country. Georgia was Bill's "homeland".

(William Harden "Bill" Patterson lived his entire life in Union County, Georgia, near Blairsville, in the communities of Ivy Log and Lower Young Cane)

~ Wes Patterson

New Picture of "Lije" Patterson

I missed this picture last night when I posted seven others to the Bill Patterson Family Gallery. This is of my great-grandad, Joseph Elijah "Lije" Patterson (1871-1957).

Lije Patterson ("Grandad")
(courtesy Kenneth Patterson)

Pictures of Older Family Members Keep Coming In

More and more pictures of older family members continue to pour in. The last 5 or 6 weeks have been quite exciting for me. So far I have only posted pictures related to the William Harden "Bill" Patterson (1832-1883) family, but many others have been sent to me from other generations and family branches as well.

Tonight I have added seven more pictures to the Bill Patterson Family Photo Gallery. They include pictures of 1) Aunt Callie (Patterson) and her husband Dutch Hickey, 2) another picture of Uncle Bunyan Patterson and his wife Arvy, 3) Uncle Lump Patterson, 4) Aunt Emma Patterson Queen, 5) Lewis G. Queen, husband of Emma Patterson, 6) Aunt Jeff (Patterson) and her husband Uncle Roe Owenby, and 7) my great-grandpa "Lije" Patterson, and his son Clint (my grandpa), and my dad Francis and all his siblings, taken in the summer of 1948 on a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I also talked to my distant cousin, Dwight Mason, today. He says that the pictures his mother, my late great-aunt Nellie Patterson Mason, had are now in the possession of his brother, Dwayne Mason. I'll be contacting him soon as I know Aunt Nellie had a different picture of William Harden Patterson that I want to copy and post. Aunt Nellie was a daughter of Lije Patterson.

Wes

Seeking Help

I am seeking anyone who can help me locate the following items.

1. A Picture of Sarah Florence Patterson (1857-1937). Florence married Lafayette Harrison, and both are buried at Pleasant Grove Church Cemetery in Union Co GA. If anyone has a picture of Florence Harrison, I would appreciate the opportunity to see it and take a picture of it.

2. A picture of Lula Patterson (1878-1939). Lula married James Gray and both are buried at Bethlehem Church Cemetery in Union Co GA. If anyone has a picture of Lula Gray, I would appreciate the opportunity to see it and take a picture of it. *** UPDATE *** One of Lula's grandsons, Sam Nichols, has informed me has at least one picture of Lula and her husband. Next time I go to Blairsville, GA, I'll plan to meet Sam and get a copy of that picture then. (22 July 2011)

3. The burial location of Lewis O. Patterson (1869-1959). Lewis was born in Union Co GA, but lived most of his life and died in Cleveland, TN. I assume he is buried there, but do not know where. If anyone can help me locate the grave of Lewis Patterson, I would appreciate it. *** UPDATE *** I would like to thank Vickie Moon for finding this post and sending me the answer to this question. Lewis is buried at Fort Hill Cemetery in Cleveland, TN. Plot 12 and 494. Born May 20, 1869 and Died March 22, 1959. (22 July 2011)

4. The burial location of Mollie Patterson (1867-1932). Mollie was born in Union Co GA, but lived most of her life in and around SE TN and North GA. Mollie married George Kelley. If anyone can help me locate the grave of Mollie Patterson Kelley, I would appreciate it.

The four people mentioned above were all siblings, and children of William Harden "Bill" Patterson and Elizabeth "Betty" Akins Patterson.

Thank you.
Wes Patterson

Hard times during Civil War Georgia

My great-great-grandpa was Billy Patterson - aka William Harden Patterson. He was a private during the Civil War as a member of the "horse company", initially serving in the Cavalry Battalion of Smith's Legion. His company was later merged into the newly formed 6th Regiment Ga Cavalry.

Billy's mother died when he was about 12 or 13 years old. When he was 18, his father George remarried, to a much younger woman named Sophia Dunagan. Sophia was only a few years older than Billy. During the late 1850's and early 1860's, Sophia wrote at least five letters to her parents - letters which have been preserved to this day. I am grateful that James Neal has shared these letters with me as they have given me greater insight into the daily goings-on within this Patterson clan in Union Co Ga during those dark days.

But more details exist than what's in the letters. The following story was shared initially by a man named Ewel Dunagan of Cullman, Alabama. The story highlights the tragedies many individuals and families faced during the Civil War - not just in war, but at home. Sophia's parents were Ira and Elizabeth Dunagan, and her brothers were Abner and Benjamin Dunagan. Again, thanks are in order for James Neal for sharing this link with me.

Wes Patterson

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(full story obtained from: http://dunaganfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2009/02/home-guard-of-pickens-county.html)

In 1850 Ira and his family lived on the Fairmount Road leading out of Jasper in Pickens County [GA]. May 15, 1854, Ira served on the Superior Court Grand Jury, which was held under a huge oak tree before Jasper was a town. Ira was a farmer and a miller and people came from many miles around to his mill to get their corn ground into meal. Ira and Elizabeth had two sons and three daughters. Their sons Abner and Benjamin joined the Army of the CSA soon after the Civil War began. Abner was a farmer and was married to Lucinda Swofford of Union County. They had one son whose name was Andrew Jackson Dunagan who was about six years old when his father went to war. Benjamin was single and ran a grocery store when he had to enlist.

During the Civil War in the south there were men in every community assigned as "Home Guards." One night seven of these Home Guards went to Ira's house. They thought Ira had some money and wanted it. He had over three hundred dollars in gold and silver which he had placed in a gourd and hid in a hollow stump. He covered the stump with rocks like many people did in those days when there were a lot of rocks in their fields. They would pile these rocks in a pile and plow around it. Ira would not admit to the men that he had any money. They were sure he had some money and they planned to make him tell them where it was hidden. He was close to sixty years old.

They tied his feet with a rope and threw the end of the rope over the ceiling joist and had him swinging back and forth with his head down near the floor. Each man would knock Ira from one side of the room to the other, while two other men were pulling Elizabeth by her hair trying to get her to tell them where the money was hidden. Andrew Jackson Dunagan, Abner's son, was staying with his grandparents. He had gone to bed and was asleep when he was suddenly awaken[ed] by the noise. He ran into the room and was knocked over into a corner and told if he moved or said a word they would kill him. He was about eight years old.

The war had been going on for over two years when Abner decided he needed to go home to check on his family. He had been stationed in Memphis, TN, and was able to get a leave of absence for fifteen days. When Abner arrived home his parents told him about the incident and who the men were, because they knew each one of them by name. Abner stayed around for a few days, but abruptly left one day never to return taking his fathers only horse. Both Abner and his brother Benjamin were killed in the war.

After the war was over one of Ira's neighbors who had served in the same Confederate unit with Abner, told Abner's parents what had happened that eventful day when Abner had left so suddenly. He had killed all seven of the "Home Guard" who had violated his parents and son that fateful night. When Abner had left that day he had gone to the home of the last man he was to kill and asked the wife where he was and called for him by name. She said he was in the corn crib shucking corn. This is where Abner killed the man. After Abner returned to his unit it was later told that he had become very bitter and extremely hardened. He killed many men before he met with his own death.

Soon after the war came to an end, Ira and his family including Lucinda, Abner's widow and son Andrew Jackson Dunagan, moved to Winston County, Alabama. This is where Ira lived when he and Elizabeth died. They are buried in the Liberty Church Cemetery, in Winston County.

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William Harden "Bill" Patterson Family Photos

The William Harden "Bill" Patterson Family Photo Gallery
Last updated: 3 January 2020

Bill Patterson was born in April 1832 in the Indian Territory of what later became Union Co, GA. His parents were George Patterson and Rebecca Chastain. The Patterson clan settled in the part of Union Co that became known as Lower Young Cane, and also in nearby Ivy Log.

Click any picture to see a larger version (in most cases).

William Harden "Bill" Patterson
(courtesy Kenneth Patterson)

William Harden "Bill" Patterson
(taken from a slide that Frank Patterson made
of a framed photo in the possession of
Nellie Patterson Mason during the 1980's)

Bill married Elizabeth Akins, and together they had 12 children. The six sons were:

1. James Alonzo Patterson - Alonzo (1855-1940)
2. John Henry Lumpkin Patterson - Lump (1859-1953)
3. Lewis O. Patterson - Lew (1869-1959)
4. Joseph Elijah Patterson - Lije (1871-1957)
5. William Elisha Patterson - Lishe (1871-1963)
6. George Bunyan Patterson - Bunyan (1881-1969)

The six daughters were:

1. Sarah Florence Patterson - Florence (1857-1937)
2. Martha Elizabeth Patterson - Jeff (for Jefferson Davis) (1862-1957)
3. Rebecca Emeline Patterson - Emma (1865-1948)
4. Mary N. Patterson - Mollie (1867-1932)
5. Venetia Caledonia Patterson - Callie (1873-1967)
6. Lula L. J. Patterson - Lular (1878-1939)

Bill Patterson died in 1883. Some said he died of some sort of blood poisoning, others a tick bite. His widow Betty died in 1914.

More pictures of this family are coming to my attention, so I will begin posting all of these pictures here. Perhaps one day we can obtain a picture for each child, and also Bill's wife, Elizabeth. I would like to thank Phyllis Patterson Shook, Dave Huskey, Elaine Patterson Gibby (and her son Timothy Gibby), and June Walker Brown for many of the following pictures. As of 2015, we have pictures of Bill and Elizabeth, as well as all 6 of their sons and 4 of their 6 daughters. I am still hoping to find pictures of the other two daughters some day... Lula and Florence.

Callie Patterson line - dau of Wm H Patterson

This morning I was pleasantly surprised with an email from a distant cousin who had found my web site last night. Dave Huskey is a great-great-grandson of William Harden "Bill" Patterson (b 1832), just as I am. Our ancestor, Bill Patterson, was born in the Indian Lands of north Ga in April of 1832, eight months before that section became Union Co (as it is today).

I descend from Bill's son Elijah (b 1871), one of Bill's 12 children - and a twin to Elisha Patterson. Elijah or "Lige" as he was called, remained in north Ga for most of his life, although he did live for a year or two in SE Tennessee in a town called Copperhill. That is where my grandpa Clint was born in 1904.

Dave, my newly found cousin, descends from Bill's daughter, Venetia Caledonia "Callie" Patterson. Callie later married James Park Hickey and they settled in the Rossville / Chattanooga part of TN, and thus I never had much information beyond their names. Dave graciously filled in a lot of details in his email and even sent a couple pictures of Callie and James, and promises to send more info if I'm interested. Let's see... okay, yes, I'm interested!!!

Here is Dave's email:

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Wes:

Stumbled across your website tonight and what a delight to find a distant relative and more info on William H Patterson (b 1832).

You have certainly done some great research.

My name is James Davis Huskey... (some info removed for sake of privacy).

My great great grandfather is the same William Harden Patterson. His daughter, Venetia Caledonia Patterson was my great grandmother (whom I met as a child). She died in 1967.

I have a few photos of Venetia, her husband, James P. Hickey and their children if you would care to have them sent to you electronically. Plus a little family history of that line.

I will attach a few photos now of Venetia Caledonia 'Callie' Patterson Hickey and her husband, James Park Hickey. They lived in Bradley County, TN and had eight children - seven living until old age in and around Rossville/Chattanooga. I met all of them as a child. Their daughter, Eula Mae Hickey HUSKEY (b 1902 - d 1987) was my grandmother.

Thank you for sharing your research by placing online - to me, it is like finding treasure.

By the way - I have a handful of old unidentified photos - perhaps sometime soon I could share those with you. I know they came from my grandmothers house but we have no idea who any of them are - one is quite old.

Also curious is you know if a photo of Elizabeth Akins exists.

Sincerely,

Dave Huskey