Signal was the son of the Revolutionary War soldier Elisha Wilkinson who settled in Franklin County, Georgia. Signal was likely born in Virginia in 1810. He was a veteran of the Florida Indian Wars (probably the Seminole Indians). In 1893, his widow (Neaty/Neattie Harrison [1]) filed for pension for his service. Note that I am not sure of the father of Neattie. Her mother was probably Mary Harrison the daughter of Thomas Harrison Jr. and Nancy (lnu). Her father may have been a Harrison cousin.
The unusual name of Signal likely comes from his grandfather, Signal Abernathy - his mother's father.
Signal was in Franklin County GA in the 1830s and 40s living along the Tugalo River. He owned land adjoining his mother (Lucy).
He was living in Gordon County Georgia (near Calhoun) when he was murdered in July 1851 at the age of 40-41.
The Federal Union, August 5, 1851 (Georgia Digital Newspapers)
As far as I can tell, the murder took place near the present day communities of Redbud and Ranger which are about 2-3 miles due west of present day Calhoun, GA.
So far, I have found no further records such as a trial or any estate records for Elisha Boucher. I did find the following list of Grand Jurors for Gordon County for the year 1852 which includes the name N.W. Wanslee (Wansley). This is Nathan Whitten Wansley, my maternal 1st cousin. His name can be found on several legal documents which ruled against Elisha G. Boucher for various infractions.
Nathan W. Wansley moved to Arizona where his great grandson, Rex Cooper Ellsworth*, went on to become a famous race horse trainer. The Kentucky Derby winner "Swaps" was trained by Rex.
*If you are following this, Rex Cooper Ellsworth is the author's 4th cousin. The Wansley's were in Georgia shortly after the Revolutionary War. They settled in the Ruckersville community in Elbert County near the Savannah River; Descendants of the Rev. War soldier John Wansley of Louisa County, VA.
One of the sons of Signal and Neattie is Thomas P. Wilkinson (1840-1920). I did find a Confederate service record for a Thomas P. Wilkinson that served as a 1st Lieutenant with the 4th Regiment, Georgia Reserves. He enlisted in Atlanta in 1864. This unit was a prison guards unit and one of the prisons may have been the infamous Andersonville POW prison. I cannot confirm that this is the same Thomas P. Wilkinson or if he even spent time at Andersonville; However, Fold3.com has a document where this Thomas requisitioned stationary for a Captain M. A. Adams and the location appears to be Andersonville. Our Thomas P. Wilkinson married Georgia A. Murray and they lived in Lincoln County, GA where they are buried. They are shown on the 1870-1920 censuses for Lincoln County.
I also found a record for an S H Wilkinson that served with the same Confederate unit (Corporal) as Thomas P. Wilkinson - this could be Shadrick/Shadrach H. Wilkinson, the brother of Thomas. Shadrick would have been 17 years old at the time of enlistment - if it was the same man. But, as we know, they often lied about their age when they enlisted and could easily get away with it if they were physically big and especially if his brother was a Lieutenant in the same unit.
Another son of Signal and Neattie is Benjamin Franklin Wilkinson (1850-1930) and he and his wife (Martha Acree) had several noteworthy descendants. [2]
- 1st Lieutenant John Terrell Wilkinson who was killed in action during the Vietnam War (1968 - Binh Dinh Province) as a Field Unit Artillery Commander. His name is on the Vietnam Memorial (Wall) in Washington, DC.
3rd great-grandson of Sgt. Elisha Wilkinson
- 1st Lt. John Terrell Wilkinson's aunt is Susan Wilkinson (1923-2007) who married US Marine Corp. Lt. Col. John Stith (1921-2007). John Stith was a highly decorated Marine Corp fighter pilot during WWII and the Korean War. He was "shot down" in the Pacific during WWII but was rescued. In the 1940s, he was the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corp air station at Beaufort, SC - this air station is still active.
(2nd cousin of the author)
- Georgia State Senator John Wilkinson descends from Knox Wilkinson, the uncle of Susan Wilkinson Stith (grand uncle of Lt. John Wilkinson) . John is also the current President of North Georgia Technical College.
GA State Senator John Wilkinson4th great-grandson of Sgt. Elisha Wilkinson
(4th cousin of the author)(Internet photo; unknown author)
Knox Wilkinson and his wife Louvenia MartinGreat-grandson of Sgt. Elisha Wilkinson
(Photo from Find A Grave)
(1st cousin of the author)
Obituary of Knox Wilkinson
Most of the present day Wilkinsons living in Habersham, Banks, Stephens and Franklin Counties of Georgia descend from Signal and his wife Neattie Harrison. Quite a few of their descendants are buried in the small rural Tates Creek Baptist Church cemetery in Stephens County, GA. This church appears to still be controlled by the Wilkinson family.
Note that the sister of my grandfather (Reppard Blair) and her uncle (A.J. Blair) are also buried in this church's cemetery. This church is located very close to several landmarks which are relevant to my maternal family history: Leatherwood Creek, Captain Moses Guest's land, Prospect Methodist Church, Sunshine Methodist Church and the Mize Community. My ancestors lived in this general area from the late 1700s up until the 1980s. The professional golfer Larry Mize (Masters Tournament winner) is said to have ancestors from the area.
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[1] Neattie, Netty, Nettie - not sure of the correct spelling.
[2] My great-grandfather, Harrison Franklin Blair, was living with Ben Wilkinson and his family per the 1880 census. Harrison's father was a Confederate soldier that died during the Civil War and Harrison was raised in part by his uncle Ben Wilkinson. Ben's sister Susan Wilkinson was the widow of William Clark Blair the Confederate soldier. For more on this history, CLICK HERE.
[3] The Terrell name may actually have come from the Harrison side of the family. Thomas Harrison Sr. (1740-1810) had a grandson named Terrell. This Terrell's mother was Elizabeth Cleveland, the daughter of Rev. John Cleveland and thus the niece of Col. Benjaim Cleveland.
(This page was updated on 6/27/2023)