George Alexander Snowden

• Residence: Covington county, Covington, Alabama, United States - 1850
• Residence: Covington, Alabama, United States - 1860
• Residence: Covington, Alabama, United States - 1870
  • Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Mar 26 2020, 7:13:45 UTC

GEORGE A. SNOWDEN

George A. Snowden devoted more time to public service than any other political leader in Covington County's history. He served the county as Justice of the Peace for twenty-two years, as Colonel over the county militia for over twenty years, as county commissioner for a number of terms, as State Representative for five years, as County Court Judge for six months, and as Probate Judge for twelve years. In addition to these public offices, George Snowden served on numerous commissions and for many years he served as church clerk for the Conecuh River and Andalusia Missionary Baptist churches.

George Snowden was born in Georgia on February 23, 1800. His father, Aaron Snowden, was born in the state of Virginia, on the Roanoke River probably in the present county of Botetourt, in the year 1767. While he was still young, Aaron Snowden's family moved to the Cheraw District of South Carolina, and in May 1781 he volunteered for service in the Continental Amy as a private in Capt. Thomas Evans' Company, which was attached to Col. Lemuel Benton's Regiment in Gen. Marion's Brigade. He remained in service for thirteen months and was discharged near Charleston in June 1782.(1) After his discharge, Aaron Snowden apparently remained in South Carolina, and in the 1790 U. S. Census of the Cheraw District he was listed as the head of household, consisting of five members; these were possibly his mother and younger brothers and sisters.

In February 1797 Aaron Snowden married Esther Webster in Rockingham County, North Carolina; she was a native of Maryland (born in 1778) and was probably the daughter of Soloman and Henie Webster. Soon after his marriage Aaron Snowden moved his family to Georgia, but they remained there for only a short time before moving to South Carolina. Around 1810 the Snowden's returned to Georgia (probably Baldwin County) and resided there until 1819 when they moved to Conecuh County in the Alabama Territory. In 1821 Aaron Snowden moved his family to Escambia County in the Florida Territory. He remained in Florida and lived in the present counties of Walton and Santa Rosa; he died in Santa Rosa County in April 1847. After her husband's death Esther Snowden lived with her sons, George, Thomas, and Marshall, until her death in the late 1850's.

Aaron and Esther Snowden reared a family of at least five sons and two daughters; those that are known are George A., Thomas J., bl8O3 in S. C.; John L., b1806 in S. C.; Charles W., bO4/10/1810 in Ga.; and Marshall N., b1815 in Ga.; Although Aaron Snowden remained in Florida, all of his sons except Thomas J. returned to live in south Alabama. Nothing is known of Aaron Snowden's daughters except that a Harriett Snowden (who was probably his daughter) married William Pellam in Escambia County, Florida on March 24, 1832.

Thomas J. Snowden married in the late 1820's, and he and his wife. Tabitha, reared a large family in Walton County, Florida. John L. Snowden married Levinia Padgett around 1830; they lived in the Conecuh River Community of Covington County and reared a family of four children, viz.; Analiza, b1834; Wiley, bl836; Martha, b1837; and Marshall, b1837. Charles W. Snowden married Rebecca Johnston, the daughter of Caleb Johnston around 1836. He established a large plantation about three miles southeast of Brooklyn in Conecuh County, Alabama. Here he reared a family of. ten children, viz.; Charles W., Jr., b08/07/1838; William Harrison, b02/05/1841; Henry Clay, b11/11/1843; Caleb Johnston, b10/05/1845; Selyers Amanda, b06/11/1847; Eliza Nancy, b11/15/1849; George Alexander, b11/10/ 1852; Frances bl854 (died young); Emma b08/18/1855 (died young); and Mary Florence: bl861 (m Edwin H. Robinson). Aaron Snowden's youngest son, Marshall, purchased land and lived near his brothers in the Conecuh River Community during the 1800's. He married around 1845 and moved to Milton, Florida where he established himself as a merchant and trader. Marshall Snowden's wife, Mary, died' in the early 1850's leaving three children viz.; Henry A., b1847; William C., b1849; and Martha H., b1853 (m Thomas Williams).

George Snowden apparently married soon after moving to Alabama, and he was listed as a head of household in the 1820 U. S. Census of Conecuh County. In the Winter of 1821 George Snowden probably moved with his father to Escambia County in the Florida Territory, but he remained there for only a short time before returning to Conecuh County, Alabama. Around 1827 he moved to the Conecuh River settlement in Covington County and on January 2, 1830 he purchased 80 acres of land (E1/2 of NW1/4, S27-T3- R14) which was located about one mile south of the Conecuh River on what is now known as Eden Creek. He resided at this location until he moved to Andalusia in 1854.

Throughout his early life, while in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida George Snowden lived on the Indian frontier, thus he and his brothers became active in the local militia organizations. At the age of 21 he was elected Lieutenant (on September 1, 1821) in the 28th Regiment of militia in Conecuh County. Three years later on August 31, 1824 he was elected Captain in the same regiment, and he retained this position until September 15, 1826. Soon after moving to Covington County, George Snowden was elected Captain (on September 15, 1828) over the company of militia in Beat No. 2. In 1832 he was elected Colonel as commander of the newly organized 60th Regiment of militia in Covington County, and he apparently retained this position until the mid 1850,s.(2)

George Snowden was elected to his first public office in Covington County on November 29, 1828 when he was elected Justice of the Peace in Beat No. 2. He was elected to this office for eight, three-year terms, between 1828 and 1851, serving a total of 22 years. On August 2, 1830 he was elected as one of the four Commissioners of Revenue and Roads in Covington County and he served in this office for many years prior to 1850.(3) On June 19, 1840 George Snowden was given an interim appointment as Judge of the County Court for Covington County in place of Stephen Cobb who had resigned to run for Sheriff. At the next (1840) regular session of the Alabama General Assembly an election was held (on November 21, 1840) to fill the office and George Snowden was defeated by Stephen Ganey in a close vote.(4) This was one of the few times that he was ever defeated for a political office and this defeat was by the state legislature and not by the people.

In 1843 George Snowden ran for and was elected to a one-year term as State Representative for Covington County. He was well trained for this position and one of his first bills to be enacted into law established Andalusia as the permanent County Seat of Covington County; this legislation concluded a five-year effort which had been headed by his friend and predecessor, Josiah Jones. George Snowden was elected to two more, one-year terms (1844 & 1845), and to one, two-year term (1851), as State Representative . While serving in the legislature he was successful in getting a number of bills passed to reorganize and reduce the cost of county government. He was one of the state's first conservationists and was successful in getting laws enacted to stop fire and camp hunting in Covington County, this type hunting was destroying timber and depleting the wildlife.

Throughout the period from 1827 through 1853, George Snowden lived in the Conecuh River Community in Beat No. 2, where he farmed and probably operated a saw mill or grise mill on Eden Creek near his home. His first wife died around 1840 and he was left with a large family of as many as seven sons and six daughters. He remarried around 1845 and reared a second family of two sons and six daughters. Very little is known about his first family except that four of the younger children, viz.; Clarrida, b1835; Amanda, b1835; Willis, b1836; and Jasper, b1838 were still living with him in 1850, but nothing more is known about them or any of the older children; they had apparently married or moved from the county before 1850.

In the year 1854 George Snowden moved his family to Andalusia and in the Winter of 1854/55 he purchased 160 acres of land near the town (see map on page 153). Here he established a farm on which he resided for the remainder of his life. On November 29, 1854 he was appointed by the Governor to serve as Probate Judge of Covington County until the next judicial election. On May 7, 1855 he was elected to a six-year term as Probate Judge and again on May 6. 1861 he was reelected to a second six- year term. At the end of the Civil War, George Snowden resigned as Probate Judge and retired from politics.

George Snowden began life in poverty but in his youth he attended boarding school in Georgia and he received a relatively good education. Over the years he established a reputation for honesty and through his labors he gradually accumulated considerable wealth. He had increased his slave holdings from two in 1840, to five in 1850, and to nine in 1860, and at the outbreak of the Civil War his net worth probably exceeded $50,000. George Snowden was a stong supporter of the Confederacy and he gave freely of his time and resources to help its cause, but after the War he accepted the fate and retired from public life.

George Snowden died on August 19, 1877; he was survived by his second wife and six of their eight children, viz.; Josiah H., bl846; Charles W., bl851; Rosinah Lora, bl853 (m James Foster); Burna Vista, bl855 (m James Ward); Joicey Cornellia, b1859 (m Marvin V. Hare), and Florance B., b 1863 (m John W. Prestwood); apparently their other two children, i.e., Georgian, b1849 and Calodinia, b1857 had died in their youth. George Snowden's second wife, Thirse Ann M., who was born in South Carolina on January 30, 1818, died on February 17, 1904 and she was buried beside her husband in the Magnolia Cemetery in Andalusia. Unlike many of the other early leaders in Covington County, George Snowden has not been forgotten. Many of his descendants still reside in the county and a street in Andalusia is named in his honor. In terms of honesty, integrity, and service to its people, Covington County has not, and may never have another resident that is the equal of George A. Snowden.

by Wyley Donald Ward

REFERENCES

1. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Records of Aaron and Esther Snowden. W9665, BLW-53750-160-St, Military Records Division, National Archives.

2. Alabama Militia Records. Military Division, Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, Alabama,

3. Secretary of State's Papers. Civil Division, Alabama Department of Archives and History, Montgomery, Alabama. 4. 1840-41 Alabama House Journal, p. 83.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Sep 15 2020, 11:25:31 UTC