Note: Click on images to zoom.
First, I want to say that a lot of what I am writing here is pure speculation and imagination. Anyone reading this that has corrections or additional information, please let me know so I can amend this story. I expect I will be adding to this for years as I learn more.
For several years I have been researching the Butlers of Hanover VA. I am deeply indebted to all who have researched and published. Without their research I would know nothing. I had made a previous trip to Hanover and one to Mecklenburg County and after reading up on the family move to GA I knew I wanted to try and retrace some of the route. My intent here is to write down and preserve the accomplishment of some of my distant ancestors. The distance they traveled is huge. This trip, for its time, was equal to the trip made 75 years later when wagon trains went overland to California.
Zachariah Butler farmed first near Hanover, VA and later moved to Mecklenburg County VA. There, he and his sons enlisted in the army and fought in the Revolutionary War. After the war, in 1785, most of the family moved to GA. Some Butlers probably stayed on in VA. Certainly Zachariah left siblings in Hanover VA and from that stock a great many relatives of ours spread out over the United States. Leaving family behind must have been difficult. According to what I have read and with input from Lydia Butler Anderson we think Zachariah, his wife Mary, sons James, Patrick,Nathan, Joel and daughter Nancy made the trek. This could change as new info is uncovered, but it is a good starting place. The trek of about 425 miles would take them on a journey that had to be rugged and it had to be extremely difficult. Most likely, the train they would have formed would have been a grouping of several families. The exact number is not known, but it was commonplace for a train of several families to gather and travel together for obvious reasons. The labor in moving heavy wagons and herding livestock required that the numbers of able bodied men, women and children be of sufficient size that they could handle all the work and also provide security.
When The Trek Took Place :
What we know is very limited. We have no diary so about all we can do is speculate. Zachariah and his wife sold some of their property in Nov of 1784 and that is probably a good way of calculating when they began readying for the trip. It would have taken months to accumulate the needed supplies, wagons, mules and/or oxen. Many man-hours of accumulating the necessary tools, equipment, food, seed, clothing, animals, medicine, housewares, etc would be needed. Someday we may come across some other family’s diary of the same trip and that may shed some light on the journey. We know that Zachariah registered his deed for his land in Georgia in August of 1785. I think he must have registered his deed in Dartmouth or Petersburg, GA. So, somewhere between Nov 1784 and Aug 1785 they actually made the trip. The journey was about 425 miles and it would have taken 2-4 months to make the trip. A lot depends on how loaded the wagons were and what the weather was like. Once they made the decision to go I am sure they would have struck out just as soon as they felt they could safely travel. Knowing they would encounter many river crossings and that rain and wind could drastically impact their health, I doubt they would have left much before late March . James Butler had two very small children ( Zachariah -age 3 and Walk- an infant ) according to the records I have been able to locate. That would be a consideration. Zachariah Butler’s youngest, daughter Nancy, was about 14 on this trip - no doubt she talked about the trip for the rest of her life.
Interesting note about Conestoga wagons that I did not know. Late 1700’s Conestoga wagons did not have a seat on the front of the wagon to sit on and control the animals with reins. The wagon was controlled by a rider on one of the animal’s back or by someone walking with the lead animal in hand. Take a close look at these two old drawings.
One of the reasons I became interested in learning more about this trek is because several years ago I read a book, UNDAUNTED COURAGE , by Stephen Ambrose. It is an account of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1803. Young Meriwether Lewis’s stepfather was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and he too made a trek to Georgia in 1782, right after the war was over. The trek that the Butlers made in 1785 is probably the exact same trek that Meriwether Lewis made in 1782 (+/-) at the age of 8 or 9. Stephen Ambrose wrote in UNDAUNTED COURAGE the following paragraph and I think it is totally applicable to the experience that the Butler ( men ,women and children ) experienced.
“Few details of this trek into the wilderness survive, but it is easy enough to imagine a wide-eyed boy on the march with horses, cattle, oxen, pigs, dogs, wagons, slaves, other children, adults -making camp every night - hunting for deer, turkey, and possum; fishing in the streams running across the route of march, watching and perhaps helping with the cooking; packing up each morning and striking out again; crossing through the Carolinas along the eastern edge of the mountains; getting a sense of the vastness of the country, and growing comfortable with life in the wilderness.”
The trail they would have traveled is probably the Fall Line Road. Without a diary we can only speculate, but odds are they used that trail. It had been in existence for some time and no doubt they had spoken to many travelers who had used it. James and Patrick, through their Revolutionary War experience, had traveled some and were probably familiar with the terrain as far south as Camden, SC where it is said that one or both sons may have fought in the Battle of Camden ( 1780 ) five years earlier. There they would have spoken with many other men who had been to GA. The Fall Line Road came through VA and passed just a little east of Mecklenburg County, their home county. It ran from Richmond VA through Petersburg VA, Warrenton NC, Raleigh NC, Cheraw SC, Camden SC, Columbia SC, ending in Augusta GA. I actually think they left the Fall Line Rd around Camden SC and traveled due west to Ninety Six and Abbeville and then cut southwest to the river crossing of the Savannah River at Petersburg GA. Petersburg GA was at the confluence of the Savannah and Broad River, N33 57' 48 W82 34' 13 . The crossing at Petersburg is also about 9 miles from the land they settled, so I am convinced this is where they crossed, not at Augusta.
Fall Line Road is shown in red on map below.
We visited a museum run by the US Army Corps of Engineers on the Richard Russell Lake and they had a map showing a trail used by colonists going from Camden, SC to Abbeville, SC and then down to Vienna SC and the ferry over to Petersburg, GA.
A map showing the route I think they took.
Initially I had calculated that a trip of 425 miles would take 4-6 weeks assuming about 15 miles per day and 6 draft horses. We will never know the specific details on what their situation was concerning the road worthiness of their wagons or the makeup of their draft animals so 15 miles per day is a very rough preliminary estimate. My wife and I picked up the trail in Apex NC just south of Raleigh NC. Right away I was impressed at how many water crossings we encountered. Rewind 200+ years and imagine doing all the water crossings in wagons and with livestock - that forces you to recalculate how long it would take to make a trip of 425 miles. I assume that Zachariah formed a nucleus for a larger train that moved from Mecklenburg VA to Wilkes County GA in early 1785. The train could only move as fast as the slowest wagon and that is all dependent on who carried the heaviest load or had the weakest team of horses/mules/oxen. Also, livestock herding and taking care of small children would certainly have an impact. And then there is weather. Rain for 2 or 3 days at a time is not uncommon and that could wreak havoc on the roads. Very often, if a road became impassable due to mud there was no other option than to wait because the density of the forest made it impossible to detour.
In some places I can imagine they would have to stop and combine two or more teams of horses/mules/oxen to get a single wagon up the far side of some inclines. After seeing firsthand some of the water crossings, the density of the brush and the steepness coming out of some of the valleys and gullies, I began to rethink the time it would take. I have no way of knowing until I find a firsthand diary, but for now I am thinking they would do well to average 40-50 miles per week. That would then equal 9-11 weeks of travel. Maybe more maybe less. If they departed the first week of April they would arrive in GA about mid June - earlyJuly. Zachariah recorded his deed on Aug 2nd 1785 so that is about right. But, every day on the trail is a DAY NOT FARMING AND GETTING READY FOR THE SPRING of 1786. It had to be on Zachariah’s, James’ and Patrick’s minds that they needed to get where they were going and clear land, build shelters and prepare for winter. A very heavy responsibility.
Driving down Hwy 1 - a road through a wilderness 225 years ago. Zachariah Butler was 49 years old at the time.
Imagine topping a hill and heading down toward an unnamed river and having to do a water crossing. The bridges we take for granted move us in seconds over a river that may have halted the wagons for days. And rain. Just imagine a rutted, muddy road coming up out of a creek bottom and perhaps a heavy rain coming down. In the photo below, consider going up that little hill in a driving 4" rain where the previous wagons had cut ruts three feet deep. It might stop a wagon train for a week.
Ferries were a thriving business in colonial America. They played an important role in moving people and materials over large rivers and bays. Zachariah Butler is said to have spent some part of his enlistment during the Revolutionary War guarding an important ferry crossing on the Roanoke River called Taylor’s Ferry. It was located about: N36 35 34.84 W 78 25 22.77
A pretty good account of the importance of the various ferries can be found in reading about the retreat of Gen Nathanael Greene. ( that is how his first name is spelled )
What is interesting to note is that Gen Greene directed Lt. Col Edward Carrington to survey several rivers and ferries. Lt. Col Carrington was stationed at Taylor’s Ferry - the same place Zachariah Butler was stationed.
If you want to read more, copy and paste the following in your browser. This is excellent reading.
http://www.prizery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=139&Itemid=222
And scroll down to the heading THE FORTUNATE SURVEYING OF THE DAN RIVER. This will take you on a great tour of Gen Greene’s retreat and then on to a subsequent battle at Guilford Courthouse that Patrick Butler is said to have participated in. I don’t know about anyone else, but when I read history now it has a different meaning to me knowing I am related to someone who was in the thick of it.
Back To The Trek:
It is difficult to see in this photo, but in a part of southern NC and northern SC there is deep sand that was once an ancient beach, part of a long ago ocean that left dunes for miles and miles. You have walked along a beach and you know how easy it is to bog down - imagine taking a wagon through 125 miles of sand. Granted, I am sure that previous travelers had done much to make the worst sections more passable, but I am quite sure there were very difficult days on that terrain.
Today it is a nice road with an elevated roadbed. If you look to the left you can see the sand just barely covered with scraggly grass. Right about here I bet our ancestors all had reservations about this trip - but you can’t stop here as the soil is terrible for farming. It is, however, wonderful for golf courses, and near Southern Pines NC there are golf courses galore. Pinehurst is there and it is home to some major PGA golf tournaments. The same soil that is lousy for wagon trains is perfectly suited for a golf course- when it rains the water never puddles on the course. It percolates down quickly and players can continue to play.
Crossing into SC it is more of the same. Sandy, poor soil, low pine trees, and even more rivers to cross. It is unknown how many of the larger rivers had ferries, what they charged, or if the Butlers used them. I am sure there were very few places to resupply. Cheraw SC was certainly in existence in 1785 and no doubt would have been a resupply point. Further west Camden would have been one and west of there a village of Ninety Six would have been a supply point.
We stopped at the US National Park Service National Historic Site of Ninety Six and were well rewarded. It is a very worthwhile stop. There were two Revolutionary War battles at Ninety Six. One in 1775 and one in 1781 - as a result the townspeople moved a few miles to a new location and that would probably be where the Butler train would have passed.
But, the National Historic site is well worth a visit. I highly recommend. There is a place back near the old star fort where you can see the wagon ruts that were churned up by the passing traffic on the Island Ford Rd. It is absolutely stunning. It is like seeing the wagon ruts on the Santa Fe Trail or the Oregon Trail.
click on this photo
Many thanks to Ninety Six Park Ranger Sarah Cunningham for this excellent photo.
This description of the road was copied:
The earliest roads in Ninety Six were Indian trails, used for travel by foot and horse and for hunting. White settlers followed these trails to explore the countryside, trade, and eventually, to settle. As the stream of settlers into the region increased, better roads were required to transport supplies safely and easily. The Island Ford Road, was an important travelers' route from places east and north of Ninety Six. Years of heavy use and erosion caused the road's sunken appearance.
A ferry was established at Island Ford, a shallow crossing of the Saluda River, as early as 1775. Travelers would cross there and take the Island Ford Road about 10 miles southwest directly to Ninety Six. Revolutionary War Loyalist and Patriot troops used this route to transport supplies to Ninety Six.
Imagine how this road would have appeared to colonial inhabitants. Wagons and carts pulled by horses or oxen were piled high with sacks of flour, bolts of cloth, and kegs of gunpowder. They clattered by on the unpaved surface. The uneven road was probably mired in mud or swirling in dust, depending on the season. It was often perilous, as cart wheels could give way or become stuck, causing passengers to fall and valuable loads to spill.
The star fort at Ninety Six is worth seeing and the explanation of how the Americans tried to oust the Redcoats out of the fort is a great history lesson.
Did our Butler train come over the Island Ford Rd on the way west? I don’t know at this time - it is possible. Island Ford Rd ran from a crossing on the Saluda River, which had to be crossed, and down to Ninety Six. And certainly there were roads going west out of the area of Ninety Six, but it will be a lot more research to pin down the exact route of march of the trains. Maybe someone has already looked at this and can help me out.
On the grounds of the park is a colonial cabin built about 1787 called The Logan Cabin. Very impressive amount of wood chopping on display and some sizeable timbers in its frame.
Leaving Ninety Six the next important stop is Abbeville - a very charming small town - one which I would like to go back and visit. They have a public library there with a wall full of genealogy, notes and diaries.
Headed SW from Abbeville on a broad highway crossing a lot of streams. Did not know it at the time, but we were running north of the line the settlers would have been on. But, we managed to cross the Savannah River on Hwy 72 and found a goldmine that I had no idea existed.
intersection of Hwy 72 ( which crosses the Savannah River ) and Bobby Brown State Park Rd.
Go south on BBSPR to get to Petersburg.
 |
| GA State Highway Marker |
Follow The Sign
After seven miles you come to Bobby Brown State Park - ( $3 fee) - enter and drive as far as you can going south. We were there in Feb so the part of the park we needed to get to was gated and I had to walk about a half mile.
And found this:
This is the end of the road in Bobby Brown State Park. On the left are two monuments.
By the way, Bobby Brown was a WW II aviator who fought and died in the South Pacific. Not related to the guy who was married to Whitney Houston.
Site of Petersburg
1 Mile( sorry for the poor quality - I had accidentally changed a camera setting and did not check it )
It reads:
Nearby is a three sided marker:
(I think Dionysus Oliver's name shows up as a witness on a Application for Pension by one of the Butler men. I have to go back and find that.)
To the right of these and through a fence is a path leading south about ½ mile to the old town site of Petersburg.
On this map North is to the top, Savannah River is on the right on the map .
The Broad River is on the left on the map. You are looking at the town as though you are on the southern tip of the peninsula. At the bottom, notice the ferries to the villages of Vienna ( right ) and Lisbon ( left).
Close-up to show ferries
“ROAD TO Lisbon “ROAD TO Vienna
Ferry “ Ferry “
The road from Abbeville SC to Vienna SC would be the approach.
Hike the trail from the markers south to the edge of the water.
The walk down the trail is easy and takes you here.
The second tiny spit of land at center left is part of the site of Petersburg and to the right it goes underwater. The blue water on the left is the Savannah River flowing south. Looking South.
Here is a little history I lifted out of a Georgia file. Notice in the first paragraph how the colonists defrauded the Indians out of their land. It was a scheme and it was backed by the King of England and his bankers working through one of the colonial merchant companies. This same system was used in Canada, India, China and elsewhere.
Petersburg, GA
“ A “ on this map is where Zachariah and Patrick are buried. I am not positive if this is the exact same land they owned and farmed, but for now, it seems reasonable to assume it is. “ B” on this map is where they crossed the Savannah River and where the village of Petersburg GA was. At present Zachariah Butler, b. 1736 is the most distant relative on this branch of the family whose grave can be located. His father, Christopher, is probably buried near Hanover, VA - but we do not know where.
I include it so I can point out the tiny community of Goose Pond.
Also, note the prominent road from Abbeville to Petersburg.
Goose Pond is where Meriwether Lewis’s step-father, Captain Marks, and his mother made their home in GA. I include it because if you look at the next map you see that the Lewises and the Butlers were living in close proximity. Maybe 7 miles apart. Meriwether Lewis lived in this part of GA for about 4 years and his thorough knowledge of how to live in the wilderness was learned in the vicinity of Goose Pond.
 |
| Butler Cemetery, Fortsonia GA |
Graves of Zachariah Butler b.1736 and Patrick Butler b. 1760
I am forever indebted to my cousin Bill Harris for his patient guidance and repeated explanations. I was a mongrel before I met him and now I know volumes about my very rich heritage. Thanks, Bill .
.
.
