Thomas Jefferson Day

The above is a picture of the troops trying to fortify Atlanta from the Yankees

My mom and I have been doing family history lately and it has been a joy. Mom had been feeling strongly that we needed to focus on the Day line. Her mother, my grandmother, was Naomi Arline Day. We didn't have much on them until......we found Thomas Jefferson Day. Mom asked that I post what we know about him on this blog for all the family to see. So here is what I know about my Great Great Great Grandfather Thomas Jefferson Day.

Thomas Jefferson Day was born on October 3, 1823 in Newton Georgia to John Day and Susannah Hammock (after finding Thomas we were able to link into some work done by a distant relative through the Hammock line thus finding John and Susannah too). He was one of 15 children.

Thomas married Mary Elizabeth Phillips and together they had 7 children. On March 4, 1862, Thomas enlisted as a private to fight in the Civil War with

COMPANY " F "

42nd Georgia Infantry Regiment

NEWTON COUNTY, GEORGIA

NEWTON RIFLES

or

NEWTON RANGERS

He died on April 9, 1862 of measles without seeing battle. His brother, Benjamin Franklin Day, also joined on March 4, 1862 and died in August of 1862 of disease. It was very common for there to be much disease and sickness in the camps. We know that his wife remained a widow and it has touched my mother's heart deeply to think of this woman raising her children during the war as well as after when things were so difficult.

Growing up in Georgia I must say that I still have strong feelings about the Civil War and I daresay that if you talk to anyone who was born and raised in the deep South they will tell you the same. Do I feel that slavery was correct? No, I don't. What was done to the negros was wrong on so many levels. That being said I do have a Great Great Great Grandfather on the Langley side that was a plantation owner and had slaves. When the Yankees came through and burned Atlanta they destroyed his home and his cotton crop as well as cotton that he had collected in lieu of payment from many who owed him debts. He committed suicide several days later. I still bristle when I think of it. It is telling that men such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin Day left their families and signed up freely to defend what they felt was their way of life. I do have a sense of pride that they fought for what they believed to be true. I know that posting the above flag will be offensive to some and for that I am sorry. But to me I have a sense of pride in my heritage and this flag represents that for me.

http://www.geocities.com/athens/agora/9743/