Daniel Jackson Cotney (1816 - 1862)

Born 1816 in Edgefield, South Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Jane (Dean) Cotney — married 18 Jan 1838 in Chambers, Alabama

Descendants

Died 20 Jun 1862 at about age 46 in Richmond, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Cotney Family History By: David Michael Story A great-great-great-grandson of Daniel Jackson Cotney As published in the magazine, "Lake Martin Living" February 2005

It has been said that in the land of Cotney, old times there are not forgotten, and indeed that may be true, but Daniel Jackson Cotney was not born in Alabama's heart of Dixie on one frosty mornin'. In fact, Daniel Jackson Cotney, along with his brother William Sampson Cotney, was born in the Edgefield District of South Carolina, the grandsons of Lieutenant Daniel Cotney, a Loyalist, who fought and died for the British Crown in 1781.

The Revolutionary War in (1775-1783) was, as with the American Civil War, Vietnam, and in today's conflict in Iraq, a time of much divisiveness. The war began on April 19, 1775, and by January 8, 1782, the British were in firm control of Charlestown, which they had captured in May of 1780. That same day the General Assembly of South Carolina's Revolutionary government convened in its capital of Jacksonboro.

The new General Assembly soon passed several Confiscation Acts that included the lists of names of Loyalists, who were then identified in the March 20, 1782 issue of Charlestown's Royal Gazette. It was perhaps fortuitous for the family of the first Daniel Cotney that he was killed in battle, as the patriots did not confiscate Daniel's holdings. Instead, his legacy remained in possession of his widow Keziah. She and Daniel had married in 1773, producing four sons before his death: Daniel, William, John, and James, and a daughter Jennie.

The family originally lived on Rocky Creek, a tributary of the Catawba River between Camden and Rock Hill, in Craven County, North Carolina. In 1787, after Daniel's death, Keziah requested a land grant that was in Saluda County, the boundaries of which included Beaver Dam Creek and Clouds Creek in the Edgefield-Newberry-Prosperity area of South Carolina. Eventually Keziah accumulated 1,200 acres of land. The homestead is still owned today by the descendents of William S.'s brother Daniel, Jr., much of which is presently covered with water (due to the creation of Saluda Dam), as is much of the farmland from the last century here at Kawliga, due to the Lake Martin Dam.

The Loyalist Daniel Cotney's son William S. was born about 1773 and later married Margaret Frances Golden (born 1784), the daughter of William and Ellender Golden. On March 23, 1798, William S.'s mother Keziah had deeded tracts of land to William S. and his brothers John and Daniel. This land was part of a grant awarded to Keziah on November 16, 1791, by the Honorable Charles Pinkney, governor of South Carolina.

William's oldest son, William Sampson, was born on November 19, 1812 in the Edgefield District and died on November 20, 1887, in Tallapoosa County. His wife, Melkie Eveline Funderburk, was born on October 8, 1816, in South Carolina and died here on July 27, 1898.

Melkie was the daughter of Peter Elijah and Frances Funderburke and the granddaughter of Anthony and Rebecca McCarty Funderburg. She was the great-granddaughter of Paul von der Burg and the great-greatgranddaughter of Adolf von de Burg. William Sampson and Melkie are both buried in the Cotney family cemetery on Cotney Road in Daviston.

The widowed Margaret Frances had come to Tallapoosa County in the 1830s, more than a decade after a move from Edgefield District to Walton County, Georgia, with her six children and two brothers-in-law, including John Pike, who had married Jennie Cotney. On May 5, 1819, in Saluda County John Pike had witnessed William S.'s signature on a deed of sale to Thomas Hardy. William S. died soon after.

At the time of the Cotney family's move to former Indian grounds in Tallapoosa County in 1836, they traveled here on the Chapman Road, constructed to run from West Point in Harris County, Georgia, to Fort Williams. Margaret Frances died in Tallapoosa County in 1875.

Her son Daniel Jackson, born in South Carolina in 1817, joined the Confederacy on February 21, 1861 at Camp Johnson in Militown in Chambers County. Daniel Jackson was in Company D of Yancy's Grays of the 14th Alabama Infantry Regiment under Captain Broome. Enlisting with him were two sons, James W. and William J., who was killed at Huntsville on October 17, 1861.

Two others sons, John T. and Isaac C., also served. John T. enlisted on May 3, 1862, and was assigned to Captain Hanley's Company G of the 46th Alabama Infantry. Wounded in the Battle of Vicksburg on July 8, 1863, he died four days later. Isaac, the youngest of the Cotney rebels, traveled to Orange County, Virginia, when he turned eighteen to join company D, arriving in November of 1863. Honorably discharged on April 9, 1865, he returned home to his widowed mother Jane Dean, (whom Daniel Jackson had married in Chambers County in 1837). The only other surviving son, James W., soon joined them.

Their father Daniel Jackson had died at Winder Hospital in Richmond on June 20, 1862. Records show that "During the last two months said soldier has been unfit for duty." A combination of measles and war fatigue is described on his medical certificate as resulting in incapacity due to extreme disability and old age. Back pay of $40.33 plus a bounty of $50 were paid to his widow Jane's attorney, Thomas B. Fergusson.

By comparison, at the time of the death of the first Daniel Cotney during the Revolutionary War, he was a First Lieutenant in Colonel James Cary's Regiment of the Camden Militia in South Carolina. As fate would decree, the two Daniels were not the only Cotney men to meet an untimely end.

The youngest son of Daniel Jackson, Sanford Cotney, had several brothers, including Seymore, who was born in 1852. Seymore married Ida Elizabeth Oliver, the daughter of William H. and Marietta E. Oliver and the granddaughter of Simeon Oliver and Louise Elizabeth Allen.

One of the first family stories that any Cotney or Story child remembers hearing is the tale of how Seymore's little brother "Sant" Cotney was killed on the porch of his New Site home by a blow to the head, presumably with his own walking stick. At the time of his death, Sanford (whose first wife had died in 1914) had been married to Maggie Austin for less than a year. The couple had wed on December 20, 1923, and was expecting a child. Neighbor W. D. Eason had put up the bond for the wedding.

In the Wednesday, October 29, 1924, edition of the Alexander City Outlook, it was noted "There were several this community that attended the burial of Mr. Sant Cotney last Saturday afternoon at Bethlehem." This references his October 25 funeral at Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church, where he was buried in unmarked graves, next to his first wife Christianna Stephens.

Family legend has spawned many variations on the scenario that led to this unsolved homicide. According to one version, Sanford was slain by a jealous lover, who was the real father of Maggie's unborn child. A twist on this theory is that the lover feared being identified as the baby's real father. Yet another spin is that Sanford was killed by the proprietor of an alleged near-by liquor still to avoid the pursuit of revenuers.

And, an even more convoluted story proposes that the killer was both the child's biological father and the proprietor of the alleged illegal liquor still. However, all of these narratives are undoubtedly the musings of Cotney children and kin. In reality, the crime was never solved, and it is likely that Sanford's descendants and relatives will never really know the truth about his murder.

This pattern of untimely demise began when the first Daniel Cotney died in support of the Crown for what was considered at the time by most Americans as a treacherous choice. With hindsight, academics point out it was the belief of these Loyalists that preserving British sovereignty was synonymous with preserving the Colonies, just as many Civil War soldiers of the North fought, first and foremost, to preserve the Union. Daniel Jackson, a staunch Confederate, fought for popular southern ideals of the day (which are no longer held in favor), such as slavery and the supremacy of states' rights.

Sanford died for reasons unknown, though aficionados of the family history can only surmise that if his killing did involve intrigue, infidelity, and Prohibition-era liquor, then these certainly represented values that have traditionally been at odds with rural southern conservatism. One thing each of these men had in common, whether in love or war, is that each followed the path dictated by his own conscience. In the final analysis, it may well be true that, for good or bad, for better or worse, in the land of Cotney, "old times there are not forgotten."

A special thanks to Daniel Z. Cotney for access to his research on the early Cotney family rgarypea49 rgarypea49 originally shared this to Peacock Family Tree 22 Jul 2012

Daniel Jackson "Jack" Cotney Daniel Jackson Cotney entered service as a private on 21 Feb. 1861 at Camp Johnson, Milltown, Chambers County, Alabama. He was 44 years old and showed his residence as Randolph County, Albama. He was in Company "D" Yancey's Grays, the 14th Alabama Regiment, shown to be Captain Broome's Company. Daniel died in Winder Hospital in Richmond, Virginia on the 20th of June of 1862 o War Wounds and/or Disease. Records states that during the last two month "that said solider had been unfit for duty". The same Certificate of Disability, dated the 18 of June 1862 stated that he was 5 feet, 6 inch tall and had grey eyes and hair.The Certificate Certifies that Daniel had been examined and fount to be" incapable of performing the duties of a soldier be cause of extreme disability and old Age, his case is urgent". The Certificate is signed by A. C. Sane, Surgeon. His finial pay for 3 momths and 20 days was at $11.00 ($40.33) per month Plus $50.00 bonus was payable to Thomas B. Fergusson, Attorney for his Widow, Jane Dean Cotney. dandenelson dandenelson originally shared this to Cotney Family Tree 27 Jan 2012

Georgia's Southern Depository Pvt. Daniel Jackson Cotney

Co D, 14th Alabama Infantry Regt., CSA

Enlisted 21 February 1861

Died 20 June 1862 at Winder Hospital, Richmond, Virginia, of wounds

Brother of William Sampson Cotney deniselsherman deniselsherman originally shared this 05 Jun 2011

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