CAPTAIN JAMES KNOX
1831-1899
Captain James Knox was born in Wayne
County (portion now Brantley) on October 12,
1831. His parents were Reddick Knox (1790-
1858) and Ruhama Taylor Knox (1791-1880)
who were both born in North Carolina and were
of Welsh and Scottish ancestry. Reddick and
Ruhama and their first three children came to
Wayne County in 1826, stayed two years, and
went back to their old home in North Carolina.
They returned to Wayne County in 1830 and
Captain James was born.
(1) Captain James Knox
A deed of Gift is recorded in Wayne County
from Reddick Knox to his son, James Knox,
dated November 9, 1850, conveying his home
place property containing 656 acres in Wayne
County (near village of Lulaton), also all his
farming tools, plows, etc., all his household fur-
niture, his hogs and 58 head of cattle. Reddick
specified that the remainder of his large herd of
cattle was to belong to his wife until her death.
At the age of 21 (1852) he married Mary
Jane Jones, daughter of James Jones, Jr. and
Sarah Mizell Jones, Mary Jane was born
December 14, 1831 near Big Creek in the
Schlatterville area (G.M.D. #590) of Pierce
(now Brantley) County. After marriage, he con-
tinued to operate his plantation near Lulaton
and was elected Justice of Wayne County Infe-
rior Court and commissioned January 10, 1861.
He resigned his Judgeship at the beginning of
the War of Northern Aggression and stories
handed down through the family say that he
released all his slaves and other Negro workers
before entering military service.
(2) Mrs. Mary Jane Knox
Judge Knox joined the Confederate Army on
July 29, 1861 and was assigned to Company
"C" of the 26th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regi-
ment. Company "C" was being organized by
Captain John C. Nichols of Wayne County men.
Judge Knox was elected 2nd Lieutenant of his
Company at his induction.
The 26th Georgia Regiment was for a time
on the coast under Lawton and accompanied
that officer to Richmond in time to share in the
Seven Days battle. He was promoted to Cap-
tain on Mav 8. 1862 when Captain John Nichols
resigned. The Regiment then served as part of
the "Army of Northern Virginia" under the com-
mand of General "Stonewall" Jackson. During
Captain Knox' service in Virginia, which lasted 3
1/2 years, he was at the front in many engage-
ments of importance, and was only injured once
by enemy fire.
These brave men of the 26th Georgia Regi-
ment took part in the last charge of that iIIus-
tious army and Captain Knox, being the
highest ranking officer surviving in the entire
Regiment, surrendered his command, along
with General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox on
April 9, 1865. Only a handful of the original
100 men in Company "C" survived the war.
After receiving his parole at the close of the
war, Captain Knox walked barefoot back to his
home in Wayne County, a distance of over 500
miles "as the crow flies".
In 1868 Captain Knox was elected a delegate
to the State Constitutional Convention and in
1877 was elected Representative from Wayne
County to the Georgia Legislature.
After returning home from the war, Captain
Knox continued farming until about 1872. Then
he bought a store and became a merchant in the
village of Lulaton on the line of the Brunswick
and Albany Railroad between Waynesville and
Nahunta. The large mercantile business that he
carried on was the only business of its kind in a
large area of Wayne County at the time.
Captain Knox seemed to have prospered well
as a merchant at Lulaton but Waycross was a fast
growing town and offered new and better opportu-
nities for a good businessman. In 1879, he sold
his plantation and store to his brother-in-law, John
Courson, and moved west. Waycross was a town
of about 500 people, some 30 miles west of Lula-
ton and not far from Schlatterville, where his in-
laws lived. His new General Store was only the
second of its kind in town. Captain Knox operated
this store until his death on August 6, 1899.
Captain and Mrs. Knox reared the following
children; (1) Sarah (1854- ), married Rev.
John Strickland, (2) Kate (1855- ), married
John L. Courson, son of Joshua, (3) Mary
(1858-1883), died single at age 25, (4) John
Franklin (4/11/1859-5/28/1920), married Mary
Elizabeth "Mollie" Wainright (5/4/1864-
1/19/1935), daughter of Elias Knight and Easter
(Knox) Wainright. They are both buried in
marked graves in Knox Cemetery south of Lula-
ton. Their children were Frankie, Roy, Isabelle,
Kate, Mary, Bill, Walter, Ira and Maude. (5)
Dorinda S. (1860- ), married Andrew J. Miller,
(6) Belle C. (1864- ), married Dr. Gustavus P.
Folks, (7) William L. (1867- ), married Beulah
Layton O'Hara, (8) Edward W. (1870- ), mar-
ried Rebecca Wilcox, (9) James J. (1872- ),
married Nettie Chastine.
Mrs. Knox, who was a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, survived her hus-
band several years and died at her home in Way-
cross on May 20, 1906. Both are buried in
marked graves in the Lott Cemetery in Waycross,
Georgia.
Submitted by: Gloria Knox Roberson, great-
granddaughter, 126 Momingside, Ivey. Georgia 31031
To view full size photo of Capt. Knox, Just click on his Picture
"The Story of
Brantley County
Georgia"
Volume One
Page 193
by Stephanie Watkins