Sarah JOHNSON

Other Events:

• _UID: 7FDE486BB5724566AA71CBB8079BB0E5B7EE
• Alt. Birth: 1766; Alt. Birth

Notes:

Birth & death listed in the Matthews Bacon Family Bible - copies on file.
Sarah is listed on the 1850 Newton County census, age 83, living with her
daughter Sarah V. and husband Nicholas Hobson Bason.

Sarah married Jeremiah MATTHEWS about 1782 in Johnston County, North Carolina. Jeremiah was born on 22 Dec 1756 in Virginia; died on 5 Aug 1842 in Newton County, Georgia; was buried in Georgia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Burrel\Burwell MATTHEWS was born on 29 Jun 1784 in Wilkes County, Georgia; and died.
2. William MATTHEWS was born on 24 Feb 1787 in Wilkes County, Georgia; died on 24 Jan 1858 in Clarke County, Georgia.
3. Mary "Polly" MATTHEWS was born on 7 Oct 1789 in Clarke County, Georgia; died between 1860 and 1870 in Fayette County, Alabama.
4. Elbert MATTHEWS was born on 7 Mar 1792 in Georgia; and died.
5. Jeremiah MATTHEWS, Jr. was born on 26 Jan 1793 in Georgia; and died.
6. Catherine "Cady" MATTHEWS was born on 23 Dec 1797 in Georgia; and died.
7. Cary Jesse MATTHEWS was born on 22 Oct 1800 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia; died on 16 Feb 1879 in Paulding County, Georgia; was buried in Dallas City Cemetery, Dallas.
8. Sarah V. MATTHEWS was born on 4 Apr 1803 in Georgia; died before 22 Jun 1880 in Decatur County, Georgia.
9. Lewis M. MATTHEWS was born about 1809 in Newton County, Georgia; died on 28 Aug 1863 in Civil War.
10. Elijah Weldon MATTHEWS, Sr. was born about 1810 in Georgia; and died.

Other Events:

• _UID: 2454582050E04863A0A5BB4E0EE75C67D1BE

Notes:

Reuben and his son-in-law Jeremiah had warrants issued aganist them in 1782 in Cumberland County, NC for pilfering from the loyalists. They were to have appeared in court in April of 1782. However they fled to Georgia, which had no extradition, to escape being tried on these charges. Ref: Cumberland County, NC Court abstracts. Copy of will from Oglethorpe County, Georgia signed 1-18-1823 and probated 5-5-1824

Reuben Johnson was a charter member of Cloud's Creek Baptist Church (chartered 1788) in the part of Wilkes that became Oglethorpe. Below is the inscription of a marker that was erected in 1999 at the church.

CLOUD'S CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH

In 1785, following the Revolutionary War, pioneers from North Carolina -- including the Hendons, Hartsfields, Standifers, Johnsons, Lawrences, and Olives -- settled near Big Cloud's Creek on the Georgia frontier near the Creek and Cherokee nations. Olive's Fort was soon constructed and Cloud's Creek Baptist Church was constituted within its walls in 1788. The church was later moved 2 1/2 miles south to its present location on land deeded by Thomas Hendon in 1798. The second and current sanctuary on the new site was constructed in 1909 and continues in use today.

Erected by The Georgia Historical Society, Cloud's Creek Baptist Church, Descendants of Robinson and Elizabeth Hartsfield Hendon, and Historic Oglethorpe County.

Cloud's Creek Baptist Church constituted September 20, 1788

Charter Members

Robinson Hendon * Elizabeth Hartsfield Hendon * William Hendon * Elizabeth Standifer Hendon * Thomas Hendon * Cassander Standifer Hendon * Kerenhappuch "Happy" Hendon Olive * Benjamin Standiford/Standifer * Rachel Forrest Standiford/Standifer * Thomas Johnson * Penelope Sanders Johnson * Reuben Johnson * Lydia Johnson * William Lawrence * Rhoda Lawrence * Joseph Embry * Rachel Embry * Timothy Carrington * Abel Gower * Isaiah Haile * Adam Simmons * Jimmy Sims * Benjamin Tribble * Mary Bradford Bridges * Tabitha Simillion

Erected by Descendants. Dedicated September 19, 1999.

A Brief History of Cloud's Creek Baptist Church

compiled and written by Alice Hughes

After the Revolutionary War, land grants for military service were given in Georgia. Certain pioneers arriving in the northern portion of Wilkes County (later to become Oglethorpe County) were a close-knit group of families from Wake County, North Carolina. Interconnected by blood and marriage, they included Hendons, Olives, Johnsons and Hartsfields. Beginning in 1785, they formed a community near Big Cloud's Creek.

The Cherokee and Creek Nations overlapped in this area, and tensions between the two tribes erupted -- fully directed against the settlers. For protection, Anthony Olive built a two-storied blockhouse and stockade known as Olive's Fort. His wife, Kerenhappuch, was a younger sister to three Hendon brothers: Robinson, William, and Thomas, who along with their families used the fort for refuge.

Olive's Fort became the community's spiritual center on Saturday, September 20, 1788 when Cloud's Creek Baptist Church was constituted within its walls. The congregation joined the Georgia Association (Baptist) the following month.

In less than a decade, the church site was moved two and a half miles south to its present location. Legend states timbers from the old fort were used in the construction of the first church building. Thomas Hendon deeded the land and the existing structure to the church on May 12, 1798. Cloud's Creek united with the Sarepta Association of Baptists in 1800. William Hendon was ordained on July 11, 1807, and served as minister for more than four years thereafter. During these early years, Robinson Hendon acted as mediator for the congregation.

In a thicket beside Cloud's Creek Church are burial plots of early church members. Marked only with field stones, time has obscured the identities of specific graves.

The second sanctuary on this site was completed and dedicated on October 31, 1909, though the congregation had been meeting in the unfinished building as early as 1907. This structure continues to function as the place of worship.

Reuben married Lydia "Liddie" in North Carolina. Lydia was born in in North Carolina; died about 1811 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia; was buried in Clouds Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Liddie
• _UID: 5682F714D43745FE92875264EB33DE2F2BC2

Notes:

Lydia "Liddy" is listed in the Clouds Creek Church minutes 1805 - 1835 as
being a charter member and having died in 1811.