My roots

For several years I served on the board of the East Tennessee Historical Society. I enjoyed my being on the board despite being the only one not from Tennessee or East Tennessee in particular. I love the rich history of the region learning about the contributions of blacks to country music, the mystery of the origins of the Melungeons and in particular the strong alliance to the Union during the Civil War. However, I still felt like an outsider especially when the Society launched its first families of Tennessee initiative which records the descendants of the first white families that came across the mountains from North Carolina to settle in the region. Still it is a fascinating history of strength and perseverance. I recommend highly Drury and Clavin’s Blood and Treasure, a wonderful book about Daniel Boone. The Society also has the Civil War Families of Tennessee which includes the descendants of Civil War soldiers, both North and South. Obviously, being from Georgia, I am excluded from this group but I am, in fact, a direct descendant of a Civil War soldier – no not one of the 100,000 blacks who wore blue, but a confederate sergeant who served in the 6^th Georgia.

My maternal great grandfather Seth Towles was a sergeant in the 6th Georgia. Ironically, he never owned slaves but his sister was married to a Jarrell and lived on the Jarrell Plantation in Jones County, GA where Seth met and had a son Milous Towles with one of the cooks. My mother told me that Seth never disowned his black son and visited every other Sunday for dinner at (Pop) Milous’ home. Mom said that once a month or so, he would load Pop Milous’ children in a wagon and take them to town in Macon to buy them things. All this while having a white family (he married after Milous was born). Certainly Seth’s behavior showed a brave and defiant soul. Thus, I don’t harbor any ill will toward this white forebearer and do not despise his blood running through my veins. I guess I qualify to be a Sons of the Confederate Veterans – but I’ll pass. Seth’s actions after the war elevated him in my mind and knowledge of his existence was actually of benefit. Because it is virtually impossible for blacks to trace one’s roots (with apologies to Alex Haley) because of Seth I was able to trace back to my immigrant ancestor Henry Towles born in Liverpool, England in 1651 who died in Accomack County VA in 1721.