McCauley, Hankins, Hopkins & Taylor Families

John R. Petty was born about 1836 in Tennessee. He married Margaret Thomas
20 Sep 1857 in Whitfield County, Georgia. Census records show John & Margaret
in McMinn County, Tennessee in 1860 and Logan County, Kentucky in 1870.
Based on birth places listed in census records for their children they moved from
Tennessee to Georgia after the 1860 census was taken and before April, 1861
when their daughter,Samantha, was born in Dalton (Whitfield County), Georgia.
Two other children were born in Georgia in 1865 & 1867. Between 1867 and 1870,
they moved to Kentucky and their 3 youngest children were born there between
1871 - 1874.

John has not been located in the 1880 Census. Margaret died in Hopkins County,
Kentucky on 28 Jul 1876. Most of their children were living in Forsyth County,
Georgia in 1880 with Margaret's sister, Mary Echols. There is a record in Whitfield
County for a marriage on 25 Apr 1878 for John R. Petty & M. C. Bohanan. It is
unclear if this is same John R. Petty but it could be.

There were Petty's in Bradley County, Tennessee that could have been our John's
family. In 1860, there is a family headed by a John Petty (51) living with Martha
(21), Rash (19), James (16), Joseph (14), Angeline (12) & Mary (9). (In 1860,
our John & Margaret were living in McMinn County which adjoins Bradley.) Our
John was 24 in 1860 making his age in line for him to be a sibling in this family.

Based on a newspaper clipping about Samantha Petty Hankins, we know that her
father served in the Confederate Army and that they lived in Dalton, Georgia
during the war.

The Tennessee 43rd Infantry, Company I (Confederate Army) had a Sgt. John R.
Petty as well as Pvts. James, Joseph and R. P. Petty. This company was formed
in Bradley County, Tennessee. Our John R. was probably living in Whitfield
County, Georgia at the time he joined the Confederacy but Whitfield is adjacent to
the south of Bradley County so it’s possible that he would have joined from there
(especially if these other 3 Petty’s were his brothers). It seems very likely that
James, Joseph & R. P are the 3 brothers listed in 1860 in Bradley County. (Later
census records list Rash as Rash P. & R. P.)

In 1870, John & Margaret were living in Logan County, Kentucky and there was a
Joseph Petty living near them. Joseph was the right age to be the Joseph from
Bradley County and since he was living near John, this seems to further indicate a
relationship. Three of John & Margaret's children had names found in the Bradley
County Petty family. While Mary & Joseph are very common, Angeline (which was
their daughter Samantha's middle name) is less so.

Please e-mail me if you have information about these Bradley County, TN Petty's
or our John R. Petty.

Who were the parents of John R. Petty?

Last Updated: 30 Jun 2009

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John R. Petty