James A. H. Brownlow (1824-1900)

James A. H. Brownlow, son of John A. and Susan Wimpy Brownlow, was born April 22, 1824 in Pendleton District, South Carolina. James moved along with his parents to Franklin County, Georgia, in the fall of 1828 and then to Forsyth County, Georgia, in about 1842. On January 27, 1846 James married Jane Ann Austin, the daughter of John Gideon and Elizabeth Jones Austin, in Forsyth County, Georgia. She was born June 10, 1827 in Hall County, Georgia. By 1850 James and Jane had set up housekeeping and were farming 40 acres in Forsyth County. On January 3, 1852, he was elected constable of his militia district in Forsyth County. In the late 1850's they moved to Van Wert in Polk County, Georgia, where they were members of Van Wert Church. He owned a shoe shop that was located on the present Atlanta Highway in Van Wert. His leather working needle is now in the possession of one of his descendants.

With the out break of the War Between the States James joined Co. K of Floyds Legion (State Guards) . He was mustered in Cedartown, Polk County, Georgia. Co. K was cavalry but they had to bring their own horses and in mid 1863 his horse died. He was then placed into Co. H which was foot Infantry. The story is told that during Chickamauga Floyds Legion was guarding Rome. Their supply lines were cut and they began to starve. At this point their Colonel, Yieser, told them to get home the best way they could. He was then transferred to Wofford's Brigade in the Army of north Georgia. He was captured and paroled in May of 1865 near Kingston Georgia. While he was away his wife, Jane, was riding to town, about one mile, to get the mail. While she was there a group of Yankee cavalrymen came through harassing people. She had ridden in the buggy and all she had to defend herself was a whip. When the Yankee's tried to look in her buggy she whipped them and rode off as quick as she could. Shortly the Yankee's gave up the chase and returned to Van Wert to pillage. In about 1867 he moved his family to Bartow County, Georgia. By the 1880 census they had moved across the county line into Cherokee County, Georgia. They moved back over into Bartow County before 1894. They lived in the Linwood community near Adairsville until their deaths.

He received a Confederate Pension in 1894 based on age and infirmity. In 1898 his daughter in law, Emily, died and his son, Jack, moved his family in with James A. H. That made the total people in the house 6. Then in 1899 his son in law, Elisha Dyer, passed away and his daughter, Lus, moved her family in. That brought the total up 10. He is said to have made all the grandchildren feel welcome and was a very kind man. He died June 8, 1900 in Bartow County, Georgia, and is buried at Connesena Church in Adairsville. His tombstone reads "United with the Baptist Church 1846". On the 1900 census Jane was the head of household with her daughter and grandchildren living there. Jane continued to receive a Confederate pension until her death on June 21, 1909 at the home of her youngest daughter in Floyd County, Georgia. Jane is buried next to her husband. In December of 2001 a descendant cleaned up the family plot and placed gray bricks around the graves and covered them with white marble chips. The photo at left was made before the work was done. They were the parents of Susan Elizabeth (Sis), John Wimpy (Wimp), James Madison (Bud), Harriet Octavia (Tavey), Jenny DeLusky (Lus), Henry Jackson (Jack), and Julia Emma (Emmer) Brownlow