The October 3, 2026 Daughters of 1812 Chapter Meeting

1812 (NSD1812) in recognition of her leadership in replacing the National Marker at the Deep Water Point Encampment Site, which the hurricane destroyed.  Mrs. Gwen Causey, NC Society Parliamentarian and Honorary Vice President National, and treasured friend to so many of us.  Gwen presented a program entitled “Unearthing Brunswick County Cemeteries,” which details her near lifetime of experience locating and recording ancestors’ graves.

Gwendolyn Clemmons Causey can trace her lineage on both sides of her family back to before Brunswick County, North Carolina, originated in 1764.  Gwen’s historical research began in the 1980s when she and her parents marked 300 abandoned cemeteries in the county by pen and paper, laying the groundwork for the county’s current system, which now recognizes more than 400 abandoned cemeteries.  Gwen has said, “I see it as an obligation that I have for the future and future generations… to see that this is preserved for them and to teach them respect for people and for property.”

In 2024, she received the Spirit of 1812 Award from the National Society, Daughters of Florence.  The original marker was erected in 2012 to commemorate the large encampment of volunteers from the Cape Fear in recognition of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.  Gwen continues to serve as Secretary-Treasurer of the Snap Dragon Chapter of NSD1812.

Below is the summary of Gwen's speech: So happy there is no limit to what you can post on our blog. Plus, now you have all the information from Gwen's speech to refer to. 

Looking For Old Grave Sites

Me, My Mother, and the Abandoned Cemetery Survey

It all began in 1978. That year, the North Carolina General Assembly established a committee to study abandoned cemeteries in North Carolina. A coordinator in the Department of Archives and History would guide the volunteer program. The survey would be conducted to determine the number, location, and condition of abandoned cemeteries. A final report was to be presented to the 1981 General Assembly summarizing the results and suggesting recommendations for new legislation that would preserve and protect these abandoned cemeteries. However, the deadline was not met in Brunswick County. It turned out to be a time-consuming project. Our survey was completed in 1983. 

What took us so long? Reasons include: 

• My fulltime job as a school teacher

• Only had the weekend to visit cemeteries

• Young children

• Recorded all cemeteries we visited

• Size of the county

• Lack of other volunteers

We visited our first cemetery on March 17, 1980. Over the next three years we met lots of interesting people, had some lively conversations, and found our way through dense forests and along farm roads. We met little resistance from neighbors of cemeteries. Once we told them the reason for the survey many would often accompany us to the cemetery and then overwhelm us with stories about the people buried there. 

My father took a map of the county and began to make the location of cemeteries that he saw as he traveled the county in his position with the Health Department.

 We divided the county into sections and would “be on the road every weekend.” We would stop at every country store and ask if anyone knew of a nearby cemetery. If someone at the next store repeated a location we had already heard about we treated the information as new. We wanted everyone to feel that they had been part of the survey. 

Brunswick County is covered in cemeteries from the Horry County border (Tharpe) to Leland (Leland Baptist Church Cemetery) and from the Waccamaw River (Wright Cemetery) to Southport (Old Smithville Burying Grounds). 

The closest cemetery is in our own backyard. And the farthest away is located on the banks of the Cape Fear River in Northwest, NC.

We found church graveyards such as Zion United Methodist Church, Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Johnson Chapel AME Zion, New Hope Presbyterian Church.

We found community cemeteries such as Prospect, Galloway West, Forest Lawn.

We found family cemeteries such as Mintz, Coleman, Elvington, and Hankins.

We found cemeteries owned by funeral homes such as Brunswick Memorial Gardens and Cape Fear Cemetery.

We found new family cemeteries such as Law, Clemmons, Russ.

We found cemeteries along the banks of rivers such as Coy Formyduval (Waccamaw), Green Banks (Northwest), Mouth of the Juniper (Waccamaw).

We found cemeteries encroached by farming (Stanaland, Mt. Pisgah).

We found cemeteries with Civil War soldiers (Hezekiah Milliken, Nathan Edwards, Daniel Vereen, Anthony Clemmons, Christopher C. Little and a marker for Captain Oliver E. Mercer who was killed at Gettysburg and whose body is still there.)

We found cemeteries with Revolutionary soldiers such as Simpronius Russ in the Old Burying Grounds in Southport.

We found cemeteries with War of 1812 soldiers such as Samuel Tharpe in the Bethel Cemetery in Southport.

We found cemeteries that had been relocated such as the Drew Cemetery which was moved in March, 1954 from the Sunny Point Army Terminal to a site near Orton Pond.

We found the Skipper Cemetery in Maco where Isaac William Skipper, the assassinated sheriff is buried.

We found cemeteries destroyed by developers (yes, back in the 1980’s this was happening) such as the Phelps on Stone Chimney Road in Supply, NC.

We found, perhaps the most written about cemetery in the county. On Hale Swamp Road is the Gause Family Tomb. Today the family has restored the site and recently PBS Television made a video for a program.

We found cemeteries of historical significance such as Orton, Lilliput and Rice’s Creek.

We found cemeteries known by 2 names such as Lehew/Chapel Hill, Galloway/Swain, Brooks/Parker. 

We found cemeteries located on land belonging to timber companies such as Johnson, Gilbert, Potter, Woodside. The forest service personnel were very helpful with locating these cemeteries. Every time a new one was located they would call us immediately. 

We found cemeteries that had been encroached upon by neighbors. One family, when informed, reclaimed the cemetery, cleaned it up and made it visible to the public.

We found the County’s Potter’s Field, those moved to the widening of Highway 17, the Catholic Church and the site of Joe Baldwin and the Maco light, graveyards where churches once stood, a row of 24 markers for people moved from a family cemetery to a church graveyard, and graves covered with bricks and seashells.

We found cemeteries of historical significance and abandoned cemeteries where families had come together to reclaim and restore (Beaverdam).

We photographed unusual grave sites and tombstones. Soon, we realized we were going to uncover some pieces of history that had been forgotten. And we were told about some we could never find, such as Ludlum (Ash) Swain on Midway Road.

The cemetery I get the most calls about is the Williams Cemetery near the Lockwood Folly Bridge on Highway 211 headed from Supply to Southport. From the highway it is difficult to see the entire cemetery and it looks like it’s being encroached upon. 

The grave markers also reveal the history of an area in a number of ways. Graves have been found in small family plots dating back to the 1700s long before the establishment of area churches and community cemeteries. Several small wooden markers might be for those who died from influenza. In Prospect Community Cemetery there is a row of 9 graves for one family. Located in the Smithville Burying Grounds is a marker erected by the citizens of Southport remembering lost pilots—five were lost on the MARY K. SPRUNT and five were Cape Fear pilots who drowned on December 11, 1872.

My 2 favorite cemeteries are located on the edge of the Green Swamp near the border with Columbus County.

One of the most interesting stories is about the David Spivey Cemetery on Myrtlehead Road going from Exum toward  the Waccamaw River. He told his family that when he died he wanted to be buried so far back in the woods that only the deer and the bears could walk across his grave. They fulfilled his wishes and today his gravesite is accessible only by a long narrow dirt, timber company road. Two of his family have now been buried beside him. 

Anson Nichols (1901-1936)  is buried in Camp Branch Baptist Church Graveyard. On his tombstone is the following epithet: 

 “When you are passing around my grave, stop and see as you are now I have been.

  As I am now you will be, prepare for death and follow me.”

As a result of the information-gathering program the state’s criminal and civil statutes pertaining to burial sites have been strengthened. They protect abandon public cemeteries from the threats by urban development, agricultural activities, lumbering operations, vandalism, and neglect. 

The idea behind the survey is protection and preservation of abandoned cemeteries. As an outgrowth of this survey more and more communities are undertaking the upkeep of the old cemeteries as a community project. 

One aspect of the survey was to record vital statistics from the cemetery. That is, to list the name, latitude and longitude, all dates and any interesting epithets on every tombstone in the cemetery. Also, account for wooden markers and unknown gravesites. This proved to be an insurmountable task for us. It was time consuming and arduous. In fact, we were unable to complete this part of the survey. In the smaller cemeteries, we were able to do this.time-consuming And, some of the well know cemeteries had been catalogued by researchers and we took advantage of the survey conducted by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s and 1940s.

The Abandoned Cemetery Survey has permanently preserved historical, genealogical, sociological, demographic, and cultural data contained in abandoned or otherwise not-cared for cemeteries.

Today, the US Genweb website and the Brunswick County Genweb website have a list of the cemeteries and their online transcriptions. The GIS also has a listing of the locations of cemeteries.

The goal was to map each and every cemetery in the county, and at the beginning we had no idea how many there would be. In August 1983, we had compiled 302 survey forms. Today, the number of identified and reported cemeteries is closer to 400, as more abandoned gravesites are located and we hear of more new cemeteries being formed. 

The survey was fun and exciting. My 2 young boys and 2 nephews were excited to go along with us on our numerous trips. Besides riding in the back of the pickup truck, they were explorers and delighted in finding a cemetery long forgotten and covered with bushes and small trees. 

Data compiled in the North Carolina Cemetery Survey is available in the Search Room of the North Carolina State Archives.

Just recently, a copy of one of the cemeteries we recorded was sent to me to use in a case involving a sand mine permit the community was objecting to. Guess what? It was one of the surveys we did many years ago.

The phrase "Follow the North Star: Honoring Our Military" represents a commemorative theme and challenge coin initiative used by state societies of the National Society United States Daughters of 1812 (N.S.U.S.D. 1812).

President Palmer presented guest speaker Gwen Causey with this coin as a thank you from our chapter.

Thank you Suzanne Palmer and guest speaker Gwen Causey for the information provided in this blog post.

Caron Myer's 1812 Patriot William Smith Sr.

 

William Smith Sr., who was born on March 16, 1765, in Liberty County, Georgia, was my  4th Great-grandfather on my mother’s mother’s father’s side. But he was also related to my father. In reality, my parents were third cousins, something they never knew when they were alive. So, when doing my genealogy, things do get a little complicated at times. 

So, who was William Smith? William was a Private in the American Revolution and in the War of 1812. He was granted 287 ½ acres of land in Washington County, GA for his Revolutionary War service in 1786. Washington County became Ware County. William was also a Justice of Interior Court of Ware County, GA. 

He moved to Appling County, which in time became Clinch County in 1822 and settled on Red Bluff Creek, where he brought his large stock of cattle and began farming. Clinch County was named in honor of General Duncan L. Clinch, a brave soldier in the War of 1812 and the Florida Indian Wars of 1836-1838. 

During the War of 1812, William served in the 1st Regiment of the Georgia Militia , which played a significant role during the War of 1812 as they defended American interests against British forces and their Native American allies. I also found that he played a fife for his regiment. I find that interesting, since I, too, play the flute.

However,  William’s real occupation was that of pioneer minister in the Primitive Baptist Church. He along with several of my other relatives, like the Tomlinsons, the Parishes, the Howells, the Hardemans, the Lees, the Lightseys, the Morgans, the Monks, the Zeiglers and others moved from South Carolina, or North Carolina.  Many of this group came from Barnwell, SC and migrated en masse. The Hardemens came from far away Virginia. After the Revolution they migrated to Georgia, where they had been given land or received land through a lottery system. 

These people were not rich, although if you trace their lineage back a few generations, and find came from families that were fairly well off. But in Georgia they had one room log houses with hewn floors and wooden shutters for windows. There were blazing pine knots in the fireplace that served both for light and heat. And even in the summer when Georgia is hot and muggy with lots of flies, they still had hot fires in the fireplaces to get rid of mosquitoes. According to historian Judge Folks Huxford, these people were honest and hospitable and had, “the kindliest disposition to each other.” 

At the time, many of the counties in Georgia were large and as time went on, they were split apart to form other counties. Lowndes County, which is home to Valdosta, was a much larger county. But, eventually several surrounding counties were cut from it like Clinch, Echols,  Irwin, Ware, Coffee and Appling. 

William Smith married twice. The first wife was Miss Mary Platt. They had four children. After the death of his first wife, he married Neter Stephens, whereby they had eight children, including a son, Manning Smith, who grew up to be an Inferior Court judge in Valdosta. He married Elizabeth Tomlinson and they had several children, including my great, great grandmother, Sarah or Sallie Smith Howell, who died in Dunedin, Florida, where I was born.  After Eliabeth had died, Manning moved to Florida where he is buried in the Mount Zion cemetery in Hernando County in what was previously called Fort Dade.

I’ve spent a lot of time going to all of the cemeteries in South Georgia. Depending on the time of year, you have to wear snake bite boots and carry a machete because the Eastern Diamondback Rattlers and the Cottonmouths are prolific. This area is also very close to the famous Okefenokee Swamp, one of the most extensive areas of submerged land on the North American Continent. 

In doing my family research, I found it interesting how much the county lines of Georgia moved over time. And even the state lines moved. Some years, I find these family members in the Georgia archives. Other years, they were in the Florida archives. And while they never moved from their homeplace, they managed to live in five different counties and in two different states. Talk about hard work for a genealogist! 

At the time William Smith and family moved to South Georgia there were forests of giant trees everywhere and wild game was in abundance. No such wood is found there today. The timber industry is one of the largest employers of that area. One particular family Howell gravesite was purchased by a large timber company. My third cousin told me he remembered the day they came there with large machines, turning all the graves and headstones under. Eventually saplings were planted there. Today, it’s a pine forest. 

There were also Indians. Creek or the Seminoles lived in the area before the white settlers arrived. In 1836, many small towns had stockades built around  and inside the fort, small homes were built. 

Of course, between the intentional burning of the Cinch County courthouse in 1856 by a resident who wanted to win his court case and the American Civil War where General Sherman destroyed everything in his path, records in Georgia are difficult to find. After the Civil War, the area was desolate. Rebuilding was slow. A good reference point is this: In 1860, the tax value of the land in Clinch County was $1.3 million. By 1868, just eight years later, the value of all the land was $445,000. It took until 1915, 50 years after the war, for the tax value to be just over $2 million dollars.  

I will say this. If it were not for the valiant work of Judge Folks Huxford who interviewed everyone he could to protect the area’s history, shy of a few family Bibles, there would be no history of South Georgia. He published many books in the early 1900s, like this 10-set edition of the Pioneers of the Wiregrass and several county books. Today, for those searching for South Georgia records,  the old school in Homerville is now the Huxford library. It houses family records and all that Judge Huxford collected, including all of his hand-written notes. 

Information provided by Caron Myers.

Book Summary - The Burning of the White House

The Burning of the White House 

Book Summary — Jane Hampton Cook 

Summary 

In The Burning of the White House: James and Dolley Madison and the War of 1812, historian Jane Hampton Cook recounts the British invasion of Washington, D.C., in August 1814. Using firsthand accounts and multiple viewpoints, she explains the military and political missteps that left the young capital vulnerable, the defeat of American forces at Bladensburg, and the British march into Washington. During the occupation, British troops burned major public buildings, including the Capitol and the President’s House, forcing President James Madison, First Lady Dolley Madison, and other officials to flee. 

Cook presents the crisis through the experiences of American and British leaders, soldiers, civilians, and the presidential family. Dolley Madison emerges as an important figure for preserving national symbols before escaping the city, while James Madison struggles with the responsibilities of wartime leadership. The destruction humiliates the United States, yet it does not end the war or break the country’s resolve. Instead, the disaster becomes a test of national endurance, followed by rebuilding and renewed determination. 

Key Events and Figures 

James Madison: The president faces military setbacks, political pressure, and displacement during the attack. 

Dolly Madison: The first lady helps protect important national objects before leaving the President’s House. 

Battle of Bladensburg: The American defeat opens the route to Washington. 

Burning of Washington: British forces occupy the capital for about twenty-six hours and destroy key government buildings. 

: Americans confront their vulnerability, rebuild the capital, and continue resisting Britain. 

Major Themes 

The book emphasizes leadership under pressure, the consequences of poor preparation, the human cost of war, and the power of national symbols. Its central message is that the burning of Washington was both a grave failure and a defining trial: the capital was devastated, but the country’s institutions and spirit survived. 

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT DOLLY 

Dolly was called the Queen of Hearts because she was so loved. She had tea parties on Wednesdays, and anybody could attend; the President would stop by and chat with the attendees. 

Dolly had a pet parrot known for attacking guests. Neighborhood children from poor families often watched it through a window at the Octagon House. Their circumstances inspired Dolley to establish an orphanage, now known as the Hillcrest Children’s Family Center. She was the first president’s wife to found a charity. 

OTHER FUN FACTS 

The Navy tried to fire a torpedo, but it failed. 

A woman with long hair pulled up to the president's house and threatened to cut off her hair and hang the president with it. (The first crazy woman.) 

The book summary was provided by Librarian Joan Hall at our Saturday, October 3, 2026 - 1812 meeting.