Gabriel Blackburn (1769 - 1848)

Born 1769 in Sampson County, Province of North Carolina

Husband of Frances (Tyner) Blackburn — married [date unknown] in Georgetown District, South Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died 1848 at about age 79 in Sabine County, Texas, USA

Biography

Gabriel Blackburn served in the War of 1812
Service started:
Unit(s): Capt Griffith's Co., Mounted Rifleman, Louisiana Volunteers
Service ended:

Gabriel was born in 1769. Gabriel Blackburn ... He passed away in 1848. ^[1]

Family Frances Tyner, b. Abt 1768, South Carolina d. 15 Jul 1853, DeWitt County, Texas

Married Bef 1790 Georgetown District, South Carolina

Children : ^[2]

1. Elizabeth Blackburn, b. Between 1794 and 1796, Feliciana Parish, Louisiana d. Aft 1860, Perry County, Mississippi ^[3]
2. Alexander S. Blackburn, b. Abt 1797, Tennessee d. 2 Feb 1863, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
3. Harriett Blackburn, b. Abt 1798, Feliciana Parish, Louisiana , d. Yes, date unknown
4. Armstrong Irvine "Joel" Blackburn, b. 11 Oct 1801, Feliciana Parish, Louisiana d. 19 Sep 1867, Marion County, Mississippi
5. Feliciana Blackburn, b. 5 Sep 1803, Feliciana Parish, Louisiana d. 15 Jul 1876, Lawrence County, Mississippi
6. Ferdinand Boon Blackburn, b. Abt 1806, Feliciana Parish, Louisiana d. Aft 1883, Covington County, Mississippi
7. Frances Amelia Blackburn, b. 10 Apr 1812, Marion County, Mississippi d. 14 Jul 1875, Meansville, San Patricio County, Texas.

Research Notes

◦The following was copied from the notes of Mary Frances SMITH Fisher of Jackson, Mississippi:

New Orleans Christian Advocate October 12, 1859

The following obituary was written by Rev. William Winans, an early Mississippi circuit riding preacher, from information told him by Gabriel Blackburn. "G. Blackburn was born in Samson (sic) County, North Carolina, in the year 1769; was carried thence by his parents, at two years old, to Caroline County, S.C. (?). Two other removes brought him near to Georgetown, in the same State, where he married at the age of twenty-one years. In 1793 he removed to the State of Tennessee; in 1797, to the neighborhood of Natchez, in the then Mississippi Territory. His next remove was into West Florida-then a Spanish Province-near where the town of Jackson now stands. Finally, he removed to the neighborhood of Monticello, in the State of Mississippi, where he died several years ago, "rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God."

Notes: Sampson County, NC was formed in 1784 from Duplin, Johnston, & New Hanover counties. Several early Blackburns were in this area, but no proof has been located on who his parents were. The 1790 South Carolina Census verifies his location in that area as he is listed as living in Georgetown District, Prince Fredericks Parish. He was married on the census. No records of Tennessee have been discovered. Rev. Winans apparently lost contact with Gabriel Blackburn as he was not correct where Gabriel died.

THE NATCHEZ COURT RECORDS 1767-1805, ABSTRACTS OF EARLY RECORDS by May Wilson McBee

This book verifies his presence in Natchez. On page 391, (a record of Book B, Land Claims) claim #452, page 345, Gabriel Blackburn and William Dunbar were the witnesses on May 9, 1798 to a deed where John Wylie, of Natchez, sold to David Ferguson 100 square acres for $150

SPANISH WEST FLORIDA INDEX, YEAR 1806

Reference 1209, Film Roll 89 Gabriel Blackburn sold 400 arpents in "New Feliciana" to John Rhea for 400 pesos cash on 9 September 1806. This is the same property listed on page 43 of the above referenced American State Papers. It was a Spanish Grant, and the document was written in Spanish and transcribed for the West Feliciana Parish records. From the transcription: "I, Don Carlos de Grand-Pre', Colonial of the Royal Armies, Military and Civil Governor of the Post and District of Baton Rogue, certify that I know the grantors who signed with Samuel Fulton and Thomas Estevan."

Witnesses: Carlos de Grand-Pre', Samuel Fulton, Thomas Estevan, GABRIEL BLACKBURN, John Scott

AMERICAN STATE PAPERS Vol 3, page 43

Register of Claims to land in the district west of Pearl River, in Louisiana, founded on complete grants derived from either the French, British, or Spanish Governments, which in the opinion of the undersigned commissioners are valid, agreeable to the laws, usages, or customs of such Governments. Item #194. By whom claimed: Gabriel Blackburn, Original claimant: G. Blackburn, Nature of claim: Spanish Patent, Date of claim: 18 Sept 1809 Quantity Claimed: 400 arpents, Where situated: Feliciana, By whom issued: J. Morales, When surveyed: 27 July 1799, By whom surveyed: V. Pintado, Cultivation and Inhabitation: 1805-1814

AMERICAN STATE PAPERS Vol 3, page 65, Item #15

Claimed by: Gabriel Blackburn, Qty: 800, Where: Feliciana, General remarks: Papers carried to Pensacola by V.S. Pintado

AMERICAN STATE PAPERS Vol 3, Page 468, Item #50

Present Claimant: David Thomas, Original Claimant: Gabriel Blackburn, Nature of Claim: Plat and Certification, Quantity: 817, Where: Feliciana, By whom issued: Carondelet, When surveyed: 21 August 1805, By whom surveyed: V. Pintado, Inhabitation and Cultivation: 1806-1820

In the NOTORIAL BOOK E, PAGE 130-131, EAST FELICIANA PARISH, CLINTON, LOUISIANA, in a document dated 12 March 1817, it appears that Gabriel Blackburn of Feliciana sold to David Thomas of Mississippi the above referenced tract of land (pg. 65 and pg. 468) for $2,500

NOTORIAL BOOK B, PAGE 13, WEST FELICIANA PARISH, ST. FRANCISVILLE, LOUISIANA shows Gabriel Blackburn as "Constable for the Parish of Feliciana, Territory of Orleans." This document refers to the date "24 July 1812" and was recorded on 10 December 1818. He would have been constable prior to 30 April 1812, when Louisiana became a state, but after Feliciana Parish was formed.

LOUSIANA SOLDIERS IN THE WAR OF 1812 compiled by Marion John Bennett Pierson

P. 12 Gabriel Blackburn, Alexander S. Blackburn (his eldest son) Gabriel Blackburn-1 Sgt.-Pvt.-Capt. Griffith's Co. Mounted Riflemen, La. Vols. Alexander S. Blackburn-Pvt.-Capt. Griffith's Co. Mounted Riflemen, La. Vols. I. Blackburn-Pvt.-First Regiment (de jan's) La. Militia (relationship unknown)

(All Louisiana information was supplied to Mrs. Fisher by Jean Loflin of Baton Rouge, a fellow Stringer researcher)

Land Patents from the Department of Interior and National Archives St. Stephens Land Office Patent #1505 Patent dated Dec. 1, 1830 Recorded in Vol. 24, Page 309 (Washington) Date of Sales 29 Jan 1816 Original Purchaser, William McGREW Amount 160.12 acres Location Twp 4 North, Range 17 West, SE 1/4 of Section One To whom Patented Gabriel Blackburn Date of Final Certificate 23 Jun 1829 Signed by President Andrew Jackson

The reverse side of the receipt #546 reads as follows: "I, William McGrew do transfer all wright, title, and interest to the within Certificate over to Gabriel Blackburn this third day of February 1817." Acknowledged before the day and year just written, Wm. Lott, Q. M. (Justice of the Quorum)

BOUNTY REQUEST from the National Archives 1855- Rejected File #184522 War of 1812, re-examined 9 January 1857 "Gabriel Blackburn Sgt. served in Captain Llewellyn Griffith's Co, LA Militia from 29 Oct until 22 Jan 1815, when he was reduced in ranks and served as private till 24 Mar 1815." (After the Battle of New Orleans, while he was in service in that area, so it is probable he took part in that battle). This bounty request was filed from Milam, Sabine County, Texas on June 23, 1855 by Gabriel's daughter, Elizabeth Blackburn McGrew, widow of Alexander McGrew.

It reads:

"STATE OF TEXAS, COUNTY OF SABINE

On this 18th day of June AD 1855 personally appeared before me the undersigned authority, authorized to administer oaths for general purposes within and for the said county, ELIZABETH MCGREW aged 59 years, a resident of said county and State who being by me duly sworn according to the law on oath declares that, affidavit: Alexander S. Blackburn, Harriet Freeland, Armstrong J. Blackburn, Feliciana Cole, Ferdinand Blackburn, and Frances A. Means are the sole surviving heirs of Gabriel Blackburn, deceased, being (the) deceaseds own children, that the said Gabriel Blackburn died in the year 1848, that said Gabriel Blackburn is the identical person who voluntered a Private in the company commanded by Captain Griffith, name of Col. and no of regiment not recollected, in the war with Great Britian declared by the United States on the 18th day of June 1812, that he voluntered 1813 for and during the war and continued in active service in said war for something near one year and was honorably discharged, thinks at New Orleans. She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining Bounty Land, for self and co-heirs, which they may be entitled to under the acts of Congress, heretofore passed, Granting Bounty Lands to certain officers, soldiers who have been engaged in the military services of the United States" she further states that "she has not received a warrant for Bounty Land under the act of Congress nor made any other application therefor is this Behalf." Signed Elizabeth McGrew Witnessed by Gideon A. Norford and James M. Weathered, residents of Sabine County. who declared that they were well acquantied with Gabriel Blackburn, and that he died in Sabine in 1848.

Note: The clerks lined out the names of: Harriet Freeland, Armstrong J. Blackburn, Feliciana Cole, and Ferdinand Blackburn, presumably because they had never been to Texas and were not personally known to the clerks.

In a letter from Mary Fisher to Esther McGrew Hardin of San Antonio, she asks "Do you have the reference that states "Gabriel Blackburn had the reputation for making the best corn whiskey in the Mississippi Territory?" Someone told me about this but they could not locate it and they could not remember where they found it. I would love to have a copy...I did locate one statement in "Mississippi as a Providence, Territory and State" by Gov. C.C. Claiborne that might be what they were thinking about. 'The Creek Indians stole a large lot of whiskey belonging to Parson Blackburn.' This was in the chapter "Natchez in the Olden Times", page 528. It went on to say he was an eminent "Presbyterian" clergymand, so I am not sure if it was Gabriel or not. Do you have the New Orleans Christian Advocate article? It is the most fascinating thing that I have found. It tells how Gabriel plotted to kill a man before he became a Christian. Let me know if you need it."

In her reply, Esther McGrew Hardin cited the book "Annals of Tennessee" by Ramsey, in which there is a story of Gideon Blackburn, who established with Samuel Doak a Presbyterian college, and became a noted Presbyterian preacher. Esther stated that this must be the Pastor Blackburn who had the stash of whiskey stolen by the Indians. She noted other references to Gideon Blackburn in the Mississippi History by Claiborne and in "Tennessee Cousins" by Worth S. Ray. Esther believes it possible that Gideon and Gabriel were related, and this might be why Gabriel went to Tennessee.

According to Blanche Finley Toole of Sabine County, Texas, Gabriel Blackburn's home was just west of the Old Milam cemetery and his Gristmill was located on Borreagus Creek. This property later (much later) became the property of the John W. Allen family. Allen descendants still live there and know where the old lost cemetery is. Gabriel may have been buried in the Old Milam cemetery, or his body may have been returned to Columbia, Mississipi to be interred on his old homeplace on Highway 13, on property owned in 1963 by a Mr. Polk.

According to an article in the August 26, 1965 SABINE COUNTY REPORTER entitled "Mrs. Etta Nichols Speaks on History of Low's Chapel.. "Long leaf virgin timber grew prolifically in the vicinity at the Allen Saw Mill on Palo Guacho Creek." ◦(Research):

Census Information:

1840 Census Mississippi, Marion County Stamped 116

Gabriel Blackburn

Free White Males 70 thru 79-1

Free White Females 70 thru 79-1

Slaves

Males 36 thru 54-2 Females 36 thru 54-2

Total All Persons 6 Person employed in agriculture:: 3

Ancestry also shows a Gabriel Blackburn on the 1841 Marion County, Mississippi State Census and on the 1845 Marion County, Mississippi State Census. Additonally, there is a Gabriel Blackburn in Lawrence County, Mississippi in 1841.

They also show Gabriel Blackburn of Sabine County on the Republic of Texas Poll List for 1846, as well as being on the Texas Tax list for 1846.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Paula Sullivan, May 31, 2012
2. ↑ http://strongfamilytree.org/getperson.php?personID=I1711&tree=STR06
3. ↑ "Mississippi Marriages, 1800-1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V28R-BRD : 6 December 2014), Gabriel Blackburn in entry for Alexander Mc Graw and Elisabeth Blackburn, 16 Oct 1808; citing Wilkinson,Mississippi; FHL microfilm 877,597. Name: Alexander Mc Graw Spouse's Name: Elisabeth Blackburn Event Date: 16 Oct 1808 Event Place: Wilkinson,Mississippi Spouse's Father's Name: Gabriel Blackburn Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M52042-3 System Origin: Mississippi-ODM GS
4. ↑ http://strongfamilytree.org/getperson.php?personID=I1711&tree=STR06

Acknowledgement

• Paula Sullivan, firsthand knowledge.