John and his family have been thoroughly researched over the years so the author will only present additional information and highlights here. Please see the book by Marshall Styles HERE for a more in-depth study.
The author is a descendant of John W. Colley via his son Spain Colley and Spain's son Francis Goolsby Colley (Confederate Soldier). Francis G. Colley married Sarah Elizabeth Staples and their daughter (Frances "Fanny" Esther Colley) became the 2nd wife of the Confederate Soldier William Barnett Jackson. Interestingly, both Francis G. Colley and William B. Jackson were both POWs at the Point Lookout prison in Maryland (now a state park). William B. Jackson and Frances Colley are the author's paternal great-grandparents.
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The following document was provided at the 2017 grave marker dedication and is reproduced here with the permission of its author, Marshall Styles.
(Author photo)
Grave Marking of Sgt. John W. Colley, Wilkes County, GA
The Georgia Archives has the original will and estate records for John W. Colley and his wife Sarah. Most of the records in that file can be found online via the Georgia Archives' Virtual Vault. His estate was administered by his oldest son Henry Francis Colley and the appraisers included Isaac, Job and Joseph Callaway. His estate included at least 18 slaves that were sold to family members that included Welcome Fanning and (Henry) Francis and Spain Colley. His son Gabriel Colley later contested the will claiming that his father was not of sound mind when it was written. Other names found in this estate file that are of interest to the author's allied families of Wilkes county include Parker Callaway, Thomas R. Eidson and Enoch Combs. Parker Callaway was the son of Rev. Jacob Callaway and Parker started construction of the brick Greek Revival mansion that still exists on the Callaway Plantation. The land was owned by Jacob where he had constructed a log cabin in the 1700s.
According the Marshall Styles, in 2008 the family bible of John Colley was still in existence and held by a family descendant.
Besides John W. Colley being a Revolutionary War soldier and a soldier at the Kettle Creek battle, the author would like to point out a few interesting observations about these families as they relate to the author's allied families of Wilkes County and how they are part of our nation's history:
- John W. Colley's son Henry Francis Colley, was one of the appraisers of the estate of Thomas Eidson in 1830. Two of the other appraisers were James Burdett and Thomas Talbot. Philip Combs and James Sherman/Sharman were the two executors.
- This Thomas Talbot was probably the Thomas that married Elizabeth Creswell, daughter of Rev. James Creswell. Thomas Talbot was also a Revolutionary War soldier who also was present at the Battle of Kettle Creek and he was a neighbor to the Combs, Eidson and Pinkston families. He was also the guardian for at least two of Shadrach Pinkston's children. Shadrach Pinkston was the Revolutionary War soldier that was in General George Washington's elite Life Guards unit.
- Philip Combs was the son of the Revolutionary soldier by the same name. Philip, Jr. is said to have married Elizabeth Eidson which likely makes Thomas Eidson his father-in-law. James Sherman/Sharman may have married another daughter of Thomas Eidson.
- The Burdett family still owns the home of John Williston Talbot.
- Elizabeth Creswell is descended from the Conway/Ball family of the upper neck of Virginia and she was related to General/President George Washington on her mother's side.
- Elizabeth Creswell's brother was Col. David Creswell who married Phoebe Talbot the daughter of John Williston Talbot. David may have served under General Nathaniel Greene, one of General George Washington's finest generals. David and Phoebe are the ancestors of the Civil War Major General William Henry Talbot Walker who was killed during the Battle of Atlanta.
- Confederate Brigadier General Edward Porter Alexander was the subject of a book entitled "Fighting For The Confederacy" and the Colley family is noted as being very close to the General during his boyhood in Wilkes County, GA.