The family lived in Burnt Corn, in Monroe Co., AL, a town rich in the history of the early Alabama Territory. Closeby passed the famous Federal Road, a former Indian horse path, which crossed the state into Georgia. For nearly a century whites and Creeks had lived in peace with good trade relations, intermarriage, and reliable treaties. There was almost full assimilation. But this was soon to change. In the fall of 1811, the great Shawnee leader Tecumseh came into the area to incite the Creeks against the whites. He gave a speech at Tuckabatchee, challenging the Creeks to regain their former glory. In Florida, the Spanish were encouraging discord among the Creeks; it was to their advantage, both politically and monetarily. Thus arose the struggles of the whites against the Creeks to claim the land. And here in Monroe Co. whites staged a surprise attack on the Red Sticks in the first battle of the Creek War of 1813-1814-- the Battle of Burnt Corn.
The hostile Creeks were called Red Sticks because of the red-painted clubs that they carried; the name was a proud name for them. They sought however more sophisticated arms and journeyed to Pensacola to purchase guns and gunpowder from the Spanish. On 7/27/1813, 80 Creeks under Peter McQueen and High Head Jim were returning from Florida to the Upper Creeks. They camped for the night at on the banks of Burnt Corn Creek.
The whites had heard about the gun purchase and were afraid of the consequences of such action, relations with the Creeks had so seriously deteriorated. About 180 white militia under Col. James Caller organized an attack to halt this threatening flow of supplies to the Indians.
As the Creeks relaxed before the evening meal, the horde of militia crept over the hill above and swooped down into the midst of the camp. A complete surprise! Horses scattered as did the Red Sticks. A war whoop went up! At first, the whites had the advantage. The startled Creeks stood their ground but soon began to run for cover in the swamps. The exultant militia began plundering, gathering horses and guns and whatever they could find. In their zeal for booty, they forgot their mission. Seeing this from their hiding places in the cane brake, the Creeks went on a furious attack. Panic ensued and the whites began to flee! Some, like the wounded hero Captain Sam Dale, fought on bravely but in vain. The whites' numbers were now greatly reduced. The situation was hopeless. Now it was the whites who retreated in humiliation with the Creeks in swift pursuit. The tragic Creek War was begun but for now the Red Sticks had won the day!
For more about the great Sam Dale, go to this site
Before the Creek War and after, whites and mixed bloods lived n the town of Burnt Corn. Among the mixed blood families were these names: Weatherford, Tait, Durant, McGilbray (McGillivray). Those were families of high descent among the noble Wind Clan of the Creeks; they were of the elite of the great Creeks. They seem for now not to be related by blood to our Hightowers, but there are Tarvin connections.
For some facts about the mix of folks living in Monroe Co., AL see The Creek-Cherokee Connection and an expanded version in Some Creeks & Families & Friends
And the Hightower story goes on. Dick Hightower, known as 'Handsome Dick", born in Burnt Corn, AL, met Kate MacKinnon Tervin, daughter of Sarah Douglass MacKinnon and George Franklin Tervin. They fell in love and married. Dick and his bride lived in Walton Co., FL near Kate's family. Read their story on Dick's page below and then read of their son, Clarence--my grandfather.
James A. HIGHTOWER, Sr. and Nancy A. HUMPHREY / UMPHREY
James A. HIGHTOWER, Jr. and Mary Jane HOUSE
Mary E. HIGHTOWER and John Andrew WILLIAMS
W. Richard HIGHTOWER and Kate McKinnon TERVIN
Richard Clarence (born HIGHTOWER) Smith and Addie Troy LANIER
With thanks to Janet Ricke and to Doug Bell!
Marriages listed here in detail from Monroe and Conecuh County, Alabama Marriages 1822-1880, by Dr. Lucy Wiggins Colson and Dr. Robert Ellis Colson. (Book available form Boyd Publishing Company). Many thanks to Steve Travis for the information on James A. Hightower, Jr. and Mary E. Hightower.
Husband: (?) Help!!
LifeNotes: His son James A. Hightower was born in Burnt Corn, AL in Monroe Co. , AL in 1814 during the time of the Creek War. I am seeking to find out how the Creek War figured in the lives of this family.
Born: about 1770; Married; Died; Parents:
Wife: (-?) Help!!
Born: about 1770; Married; Died; Parents:
Their children were:
Additions, corrections, comments, email to Carol Middleton
James A. HIGHTOWER, Sr. and Nancy A. HUMPHREY
Husband: James Alexander Hightower
LifeNotes: we have been searching for him for over 100 years. Appears in the 1860 Monroe Co., AL census as age 46 with wife Nancy and 10 children. He was a mason / plasterer. Neighbors in Monroe Co., were Marshall, Carter, Orman, Thompson, Sigler, Daniel, Loften, Lambert. He was sheriff of Monroe Co. from 9/27/1854 to 9/12/1855.
Born: 1814, Monroe Co., AL
Married: 6/14/1838, Monroe Co., AL Witness, E. L. Moore. Married
by J. H. Schroebel.
Died: 1872, Escambia Co., FL, per death record from Wm. Williford.
He is shown as security for the marriage of his son James A. Hightower,
Jr. in 1866.
Parents: we want to know
Wife: Nancy A. Humphrey
LifeNotes: She may have had a sister named Isabella Umphrey, who married Samuel Bussy 8/15/1844, with C. H. Foster as security,
Born: 1817, Monroe Co., AL or GA (she is shown in the 1860
census as born in GA and as age 43). Clue may be Putnam Co., GA.
Married: 6/14/1838, Monroe Co., AL. Witness, E. L. Moore.
Married by J. H. Schroebel.
Died:
Parents: maybe Joseph Humphrey and Elizabeth ?
Their children were:
James A. HIGHTOWER,
Jr. and Mary Jane HOUSE
Not of my direct line but of interest to others
Husband: James Alexander Hightower, Jr., Married James A. Hightower, Jr. died 9/8/1898.
LifeNotes:Appears in 1860 census. Mason apprentice. On the muster roll for Company A, 42nd Alabama Infantry during the Civil War.
Born:1842, Burnt Corn, Monroe Co., AL.
Married: on 9/12/1866, with his father James A. Hightower, Sr. as
security, and married by B. A. Sigler.
Died:
Parents: James A. Hightower, Sr. and Nancy Humphrey
Wife: Mary Jane House
LifeNotes: Application of Mary Jane House / Houss Application #3358
Born: in Claiborne, Monroe Co. AL
Married: on 9/12/1866, with James' father James A. Hightower,
Sr. as security, and married by B. A. Sigler.
Died:
Parents: Gilbert House or Houss and Levitia Moniac / Hollinger.
Levitia Moniac / Hollinger was the daughter of William R. Hollinger
and Hettie Levitia Moniac, Creek Indians of Monroe
County, AL. Gilbert House was born in Binghampton, New York.
(Eastern Creek Applications research in progress: Earnest E. Hightower
Application # 18538)
Their children were:
Mary E. HIGHTOWER
and John Andrew WILLIAMS
Not of my direct line but of interest to others
Wife: Mary E. Hightower
LifeNotes: Appears in 1860 census as age 8. She was my Richard Hightower's sister.
Born: 1852, Burnt Corn, Monroe Co., AL
Married:
Died:
Parents: James A. Hightower, Sr. and Nancy Humphrey / Umphrey
Husband: John Andrew / Anderson Williams
LifeNotes:
Born:
Married:
Died:
Parents: James M. Williams, Sr. and Margaret E. Miles / Myles.
Margaret was daughter of James Miles / Myles and Nellie Franklin.
Nellie was daughter of Thomas Jefferson Franklin and Elizabeth
"Betsy" Sizemore; James Miles was son of James E.
Miles.
Their child:
W. Richard HIGHTOWER and Kate McKinnon TERVIN
Husband: W. Richard Hightower
LifeNotes: He was from a Monroe Co., AL (Burnt Corn) family and married into a DeFuniak Springs (Walton Co., FL) family. He and his wife Kate Tervin Hightower had several children; the family lived in Freeport, FL Dick Hightower worked at Southern States Land & Timber Company's mills, Millview, FL. His sister Queen Hightower lived in DeFuniak Springs; she was married to John Mott Ackerman. Sadly, a month after the birth of Kate, their baby, Kate Hightower was taken ill with yellow fever, and she died. The younger children and the new baby were sent to relatives in Talladega until their father make better arrangements.
On July 3. 1892, Dick took his 11-year-old son Jamie and some other children for a sailing excursion in Perdido Bay. Far from shore, things went terribly wrong-- Jamie fell overboard. Dick went into the water to save his dear boy. The children left in the boat did not know how to handle the boat and it drifted away from Dick and Jamie. According to reports, Dick made a valiant struggle to pull his child to shore but his strength gave out and both drowned. See the write-up of the accident.
So were left orphaned three very small children, Clarence, Katherine and baby Kate Hightower. Kate was taken in by the Tervin family and friends but Clarence and Katharine were put in Talladega Orphanage where they were adopted by Miss Lucy Smith of Columbiana, AL.
The happy ending here is that those children grew up to be wonderful productive people; they were very close to each other all their lives.
Born: 10/1855, Burnt Corn, Monroe Co., AL. Appears in 1860
census as age 5.
Married:
Died: 7/3/1892 in Perdido Bay, FL Buried at Euchee Valley Presbyterian
Church, Walton Co., FL.
Parents: James A. Hightower, Sr. and Nancy Humphrey
Wife: Kate McKinnon Tervin
LifeNotes: See her Tervin page.
Born: 5/5/1854 in Walton Co., FL
Married:
Died: 12/28/1891, Freeport, FL. Buried at Euchee Valley Presbyterian
Church, Walton Co., FL. See
the note she wrote to her sister Emma Tervin McLean shortly before
she died.
Parents: Sarah Douglass McKinnon and George Franklin Tervin. See
her McKinnon page.
Their children were:
Her obituary: Died-- At DeFuniak Springs. June 26th, 1886, Sallie E. Hightower, infant child, the bereaved parents who mourn the loss of their precious little Jewel, have our heart felt sympathy, in this sad hour to them. Dear parents, grieve not for her who was so briefly lent to gladden your hearts and home, but remember the words of an all wise ruler when He said 'Suffer little children to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."
Additions, corrections, comments, email to Carol Middleton
Richard Clarence (born HIGHTOWER) Smith and Addie Troy LANIER
Husband: Richard Clarence (born Hightower) Smith
LifeNotes: After the deaths of his parents, he and his sister Katherine were adopted by Miss Lucy Smith of Columbiana, AL. Clarence became a school teacher at age 17. Worked in Wilsonville, AL for the Pope family. Became a pharmacist and worked at Dewberry Drugs in downtown Birmingham, AL for many years until he retired. He was extremely well-read. Clarence had a wonderful sense of humor. He lovingly cared for his invalid wife until her death in 1947. His second wife was Lucy Creel.
Clarence died in Birmingham, AL and is buried beside Troy at Laniers, AL cemetery in Talladega Co. He was dearly loved by all and is dearly missed.
Born: 2/10/1883 in Freeport, FL
Married: 1st-10/12/1912 in Laniers, Talladega Co., AL.
See thir wedding writeup.
Died: 6/30/1965 in Birmingham, AL; buried in Laniers, AL
Parents: W. Richard and Kate McKinnon Tervin Hightower
1st-Wife: Addie Troy Lanier
LifeNotes: She was born to a well-to-do family. She was also an artist. Sadly, her father James Crawford Lanier died while she and Clarence were on their honeymoon.
Born: 9/22/1888 in Lincoln, Talladega Co., AL
Married: 10/12/1912 in Laniers, Talladega Co., AL See thir wedding writeup.
Died: 6/4/1947 in Birmingham, AL; buried in Laniers, AL
Parents: James Crawford and Mary Elizabeth Sproull Lanier
Their children were:
2nd-Wife: Lucy Creel
LifeNotes: She was a delightful lady and a wonderful grandmother to all of Clarence's grandchildren. Lucy's Sunday dinners are still talked about-- fried chicken, rice and gravy, THE BEST green beans (LucyBeans, we call them, and all of us still try to duplicate them) and THE BEST lemon icebox pie.
Additions, corrections, comments, email to Carol Middleton