Finding Your Folks: Stewart, McDearmond to be honored in Tyrone

We're going to temporarily suspend our study of the Cole families in Coweta and Meriwether to announce an upcoming event in Fayette some of you may wish to attend.

At 2 p.m. on April 12 at the old Hopewell UMC Cemetery in Tyrone, memorial grave markers will be dedicated for Henry Drayton Stewart, a veteran of the War of 1812, and Andrew David McDearmond, a veteran of the Civil War. Marie Hignett of Ohio and Barbara Sherwood Crow of Texas have worked with the local Sons of Confederate Veterans to make this event happen.

Although Hopewell church has since moved to Jenkins Road, the cemetery is still on Senoia Road, across the street from Tyrone Elementary School and next to the old church building which is the present-day Tyrone Town Hall.

Marie and Barbara, along with Judy Stewart Kroker, have contributed information for short stories on these soldiers who will be recognized next week. Barbara was the sole contributor for the information on Andrew David McDearmond. They appear in chronological order.

Henry Drayton Stewart, one of the soldiers to be honored, was born in 1791 in Chester, S.C., the son of James Stewart and his first wife, Elizabeth Bates Stewart. Although Henry is said to have had several siblings, the names of only two are known, James Bates Stewart and Elizabeth Stewart. Henry and his brother left home about 1804 after their mother died and their father remarried. They were young teenage boys and headed for Savannah.

Henry returned to South Carolina, fought in the War of 1812, and later drew a pension for his service.

On 31 May 1821 in Jones County, Ga., Henry married Sara Rachel Tyner, daughter of Jackson and Rachel Youngblood Tyner, and granddaughter of Revolutionary Soldier Dempsey Tyner of South Carolina. They had the following children, all born in Georgia:

(1) Matilda Elizabeth Stewart b. 2 March 1822, d. aft. 1858 in Ala., m. Moses Fincher in 1839 and had eight children;

(2) Nancy Washington Stewart, b. 30 April 1824 in Putnam County, d. Dec. 1890 in Tyrone, Fayette County, m. Andrew David McDearmond 14 July 1842 in Jones County and had six children. (See David's story below.)

(3) James Jefferson Stewart b. 2 Aug. 1825, m. Mrs. Sara Jane Tyner Carlile 20 Dec. 1858 who had three children by her first husband. She and James had two children of their own and lived in Alabama and Mississippi.

(4) John Dempsey Stewart b. 29 Sept. 1829, m. Emily Unknown and had seven children.

(5) David Bates Stewart b. 10 April 1832, m, Malissa unknown abt. 1856.

(6) Andrew Jackson Stewart b. 8 Aug. 1834, m. Martha Landrum 2 June 1872 in Fayette Co. and had five children. Andrew died in 1883 in Alabama.

(7) Martha Ann Virginia Stewart b. 27 Oct. 1839.

Henry Drayton Stewart was a surveyor and a farmer. He and Sara Rachel lived their last 35 years in Campbell and Fayette counties and were members of Hopewell Methodist Church. Henry died 22 June 1880 and Sarah Rachel died in December of 1890. Both are buried in Hopewell Cemetery.

Andrew David McDearmond, the other soldier to be honored, was born 30 Sept. 1816 in Georgia, the son of Maj. William Pearre Dearmond and the grandson of Capt. William and Ann Pearre Dearmond of Richmond County, Ga.

Not a lot is known of David's early days in Georgia as he does not appear with his family in early censuses. It is thought that his mother died, his father remarried, and David was farmed out to learn a trade.

David married Nancy Washington Stewart, daughter of Henry and Sara Rachel Tyner Stewart, 14 July 1842 in Jones County and they moved to Fayette. They had the following children, all born in Georgia:

(1) James Washington McDearmond, born 8 May 1843 (joined and served with his father in the Civil War), m. Nancy Harrison July 28 1865 and died 15 Feb. 1897 at the hands of his son-in-law, Buster Doogan, in St. Clair, Ala. Buster was an outlaw who later met his death at the hands of a posse. James and Nancy had three children.

(2) Elizabeth Ann McDearmond (great-grandmother of Barbara Sherwood Crow), born 30 Oct. 1845 in Houston County, m. Micajah Jackson (Jack) Carlile, son of Allen and Sarah Jane Tyner Carlile, and moved to Texas in 1883. Elizabeth died 9 July 1903 and is buried in Rast, Texas. Micajah died in 1895 in Wood County, Texas. They had eight children.

(3) Marcus David Lafayette McDearmond, born 6 Aug 1848, died 8 Feb. 1855.

(4) Obedience Virginia (Biddy) McDearmond, born 2 Feb 1851 (named for her great-grandmother, Obedience Sevier Tyner, wife of Dempsey Tyner), m. (1) William Woodard in 1865, (2) James Addams about 1868, and (3) Jack Martin, lived in Fayette almost all her life and had three known children.

(5) Marietta (Etta) Della McDearmond, born 29 July 1855 in Bibb County, m. Franklin W. Norton 12 Aug. 1870, son of Lafayette and Mary E. Bradford Norton. They met at Hopewell Methodist Church where all their families attended. Etta and Franklin had 11 children. Marietta died 29 July 1904 and Franklin died 29 Aug 1920. Both are buried at Fayetteville City Cemetery. Some of their descendants still live in the Fayette area. Marie Dicy Hignett is the great-great-granddaughter of Marietta Della McDearmond Norton.

(6) William Henry McDearmond, born 2 May 1859 in Bibb County. It has been said that he joined the Navy and went to South America.

David McDearmond joined the Civil War at Griffin on 8 July 1861 and served in Co. I 13th Regiment. He was killed in action 17 Sept 1862 at Sharpsburg, Md. while bravely serving his country. Nancy remained in the area, died 8 May 1906 and is buried at Hopewell.

Stories about your southside ancestors are always welcome. Email is preferred. Send them to jkilgore@thecitizen.com or JodieK444@aol.com. Any letters I receive may be used in the column.