Lt. Col. Francis St. Clair Tennille, Jr.

Source: http://files.usgwarchives.org/ga/chatham/bios/gbs232tennille.txt

Lieut. Francis Tennille, was the son of a French Huguenot, who emigrated from France after the Edict of Nantes, settling in Virginia. He was born in Virginia, in Prince William county, and came from there to Georgia in colonial days, locating in Washington county as a pioneer. During the Revolutionary war he enlisted for service in the Georgia Brigade of the Continental army, being mustered in as lieutenant of the second battalion, afterwards being promoted first to the rank of captain, later being commissioned lieutenant colonel. He had the distinction of being one of the charter members of the Society of the Cincinnati in Georgia. He married Mary Bacon Dixon, a daughter of Robert and Ann (Bacon) Dixon, and granddaughter of Gen. Nathaniel Bacon, of Virginia, who was a lineal descendant of the famous English family of that name.

Source: http://dixclemens.com/tennille/f_tennille_1747.html

Francis Tennille (1747-1812)

Spouses: Miss Pollard; Mary Bacon Dixon (1774-1848)

Francis was a Lieutenant Colonel. He was a resident of Virginia and Georgia and founder of the Georgia family. He was a member of the Georgia Society of the Cincinnati. He was granted lands for services in the Revolution.

With his first wife, Miss Pollard of Virginia, Francis had the following children:

1. Malinda (1790-1xxx)

2. William Augustus (1792-1864) - married Priscilla Jordan

3. Winifred Haynie (1793-1xxx)

4. Elizabeth St. Clair (1795-1xxx)

5. John Pollard (1796-1xxx)

Francis's second wife, Mary Bacon Dixon, was born in Virginia and died in Georgia. With her, Francis had the following children:

1. Francis Tillman (1799-1877) - became a colonel; married Ann Bell Jordan (1815-1848)

2. Robert (1801-1xxx)

3. Mary (1804-1xxx)

4. Algernon Sidney (1806-1xxx)

5. Augusta Caroline (1809-1819)

6. Alexander St. Clair (1812-1xxx) - he became a doctor

Lieut. Col. Francis Tennille (1747-1812) as the first settler of that name in Washington County, Georgia, moving there from Virginia before the Revolutionary War. He was a surveyor for the State and his brother Benjamin was his Deputy and one or both of these names appear on nearly all the old land grants from before 1790 to 1800 and after. He erected and lived in the first frame house ever erected in the county. The lumber was sawed out with a "whip saw" that is, the logs were raised on blocks and one man below and one above operated the saw. The house was still standing about 1900 five miles northwest of Sandersville and at that time was the homestead of Cullen Murphy.

He was a lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, Georgia Brigade of the Continental Line. In several histories it is stated that General Howe, while at Cherokee Hill, South Carolina, after his retreat from Georgia, dispatched Lieut. Tennille with orders to Major Joseph Lane commanding at Sunbury and to Lieut. Aaron Smith of the 3rd Regt. of S.C. who was in command at Ogeechee Ferry "to evacuate their posts, retreat across the country and rejoin the main army." It is recorded as a matter of some importance that Lieut. Tennille successfully accomplished his mission & that "the order was received in ample time"[.] It is also a matter of record that Captain Francis Tennille and a number of other officers of the Continental Army were voted by the Georgia House of Assembly certain grants of land in recognition of their services to the State in that they "voluntarily did duty in common with privates of the militia under Col. Elija Clark"[.] It may be interesting to mention here the names of the officers who with Capt. Tennille received land grants "proportional to the rank of each" agreeable to the above mentioned ranks in the Continental Army. The list is from the Journal of the House of Assembly as published in the Georgia Gazette, Thursday June 9th 1785 and is as follows: Lieut. Col. John McIntosh, Maj. John Milton, Capt. Lackland McIntosh, Capt. Francis Tennille, Capt. John Morrison, Capt. Cornelius Collins, Lieut. Nathaniel Pearre, Lieut. John Mitchell, Lieut. John Maxwell, Lieut. Robert Howe, Lieut. Harry Allison, Lieut. John Peter Wagnon, and Lieut. Christopher Hillary. After the close of the War, Lieut. Tennille received from the General government a commission as captain by brevet, in recognition of his services in the Continental army. This commission was in possession of his son Col. Francis Tillman Tennille until after the civil war when a member of the family hoping to establish a claim sent it with a number of other commissions of Col. Francis T. to Washington where it was lost. William Alexander Tennille his grandson said he had often handled this commission and remembered it well. It was signed by General Miflin, Adjutant General of the Army. The title Lieut. Col., which he held, is supposed to indicate his rank in the militia. He was an original or charter member of the Society of the Cincinnati, as is shown by the records of the society. He was also a member of the Masonic Fraternity as we know from a demit [sp.?] from the Warrenton Lodge found among his papers. Major Joel Crawford who was Lt. Col. Tennille's attorney and who was with his son William A. in the battle with the Indians at Autossee, Ala. (Pickets History of Alabama) lived to a great age. He told one of the Colonel's grandsons that he "knew the old officer well and he was a splendid specimen of a survivor of the old Revolution and had a stately military manner"[.] Col. Tennille was twice married first it is believed to a Miss Pollard of Virginia; his second wife was Mary Bacon Dixon who was born in Virginia in 1773 and died in Washington County, Ga, at the home of his son Francis Tillman in the year 1848 - 36 years after the death of her husband. A copy of her will is on page 93 of this book and is a very interesting document.

Note: Benjamin Tennille was the brother of Francis Tennille (1747-1812). He had a son Benjamin who was with the army in Texas, which defeated and captured Santa Ana. His bowie knife is owned by Mrs. W.E. Dix.

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Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia, Volume 1 by Howard H. McCall

http://books.google.com/books?id=VuXEmBJOP7gC

https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=tennille&GSb...

LTC Francis S Tennille

Birth: 1747 Prince William County Virginia, USA Death: May 21, 1819 Warthen Washington County Georgia, USA

Born in Virginia, moved to Georgia before the war broke out in 1775. Joined the 2nd Georgia of the Continental Line and on June 20, 1777 became Lieutenant Colonel and served to the close of war. After the war, Lieutenant Tennille received from the general government a commission as Captain by brevet, in recognition of his services in the Continental Army. He was an original or charter member of the Society of the Cincinnati, as is shown by their records. The Society of the Cincinnati is a historical, hereditary lineage organization with branches in the United States and France, founded in 1783 to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the officers of the Continental Army who served in the American Revolutionary War. Now in its third century, the Society promotes public interest in the American Revolution through its library and museum collections, exhibitions, programs, publications, and other activities. It is the oldest lineage society in North America. Tennille was the first settler of that name in Washington County, Georgia, moving there from Virginia before the Revolutionary War. He was a surveyor for the State and his brother Benjamin was his Deputy. One or both of these names appear on nearly all the old land grants from before 1790 to 1800. He erected and lived in the first frame house ever built in the county. The lumber was sawed out with a "whip saw"; whereby the logs were raised on blocks and one man below and one above operated the saw. The house was still standing in 1900, five miles northwest of Sandersville.

Col. Tennille was twice married. His first wife was Miss Pollard of Virginia and his second was Mary Bacon Dixon who was born in Virginia in 1773 and died in Washington County, Georgia, in 1848. she was the granddaughter of General Nathaniel Bacon, of Virginia, who was a lineal descendant of the famous English family of that name. It has been documented that Francis Tennille owned over 6000 acres and 57 slaves. The city of Tennille, Georgia in Washington County, Georgia, was named in his honor.

Family links:

Children:

 Francis T. Tennille (1799 - 1877)*

 Algernon Sidney Tennille (1806 - 1890)*

*Calculated relationship

Burial: Murphy Cemetery Washington County Georgia, USA

Created by: Angela Hansen Record added: Oct 06, 2017 Find A Grave Memorial# 184046106