Chapter III

Chapter III

Lewis Scalf

Lewis Scalf was born August 21, 1745 in Pasquotank County, North Carolina. His birth was recorded by his parents, James and Sarah. The birth record appears on page 42 of a volume entitled Pasquotank Births, Marriages, Deaths, Brands And Flesh Marks 1691-1797 His name actually is spelled as Lewis Scarlf in the records. Lewis Scalf was the first Scalf to consistently use the spelling S-C-A-L-F. There is evidence, however, that occasionally his name was also spelled Calf.

In 1779 Lewis Scalf appeared on the tax list of Cumberland County, North Carolina. In the State Census of North Carolina 1784-1787 is listed the name Liewas Calf in Johnston County. The family of Lewis Scalf mentioned in the Johnston County Census was made up of 11 members. His family at this time included one male 21-60, 6 males either under 21 or over 21 and 4 females. The year 1790 finds Lewis Calf (Scalf) living in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Lewis and his family were living in the Fishing Creek area north of Tarboro. There were 9 members in the family in 1790. At the age of 53 Lewis was in Surry County, North Carolina. His name appears there on a tax list in 1798. John Scalf, his son, was living on an adjoining farm. In 1799 Lewis Scalf again was listed on a tax list for Surry County.

The Federal Census of 1800 lists Lewis and his son, John Scalf, and indicates that both were still living in Surry County, North Carolina.

Shortly after 1800, however, Lewis moved to Wilkes County, North Carolina where he appears on a tax list in 1805. Lewis was farming 150 acres at this time and with him was his wife, Elizabeth, and his daughter, Sarah. Another tax list for 1810 shows Lewis was still residing in Wilkes County at the age of 65.

It was shortly after 1810 that Lewis migrated south to Greenville, South Carolina where he is listed in the 1820 Census. Lewis was 75 by now and his son, William Scalf, had moved with him to South Carolina. Another son, Joshua, went to, Greenville, South Carolina later on.

Lewis Scalf bought and sold land most everywhere he went. After he moved from North Carolina about 1814 he went to Greenville, South Carolina and bought land there. He later bought and sold land in Habersham County, Georgia. There was a great deal of movement from Wilkes County, North Carolina to Greenville, South Carolina to, Habersham County, Georgia during this period in history. Not only was the land lottery opening up the Georgia mountains but also gold was being mined there. Fortunes were being 6xtracted from both the forests and the earth.

While Lewis was in Surry County, North Carolina at least four of his sons were in the same area also. One son, John, left around 1806. He had been charged just prior to this with stealing a "light blue hog." John's brother, William, went on his bond for $40 but John saw fit to leave the county before the trial came up. William remained, went to, court and straightened everything out.

Two other brothers, David and Benjamin, were in the area also. They both left about the year 1812 and went to Iredell County, North Carolina for a short stay. From Iredell County they soon moved with David going first to Greenville, South Carolina and later on over into, Tennessee. Benjamin, it appears, went directly to Tennessee and later migrated to Indiana where he lived to quite an advanced age.

Lewis Scalf lived to be almost a hundred years old. It is believed that Lewis probably died in Habersham County, Georgia about 1840.

The wife of Lewis Scalf was Elizabeth Blackburn, daughter of John Blackburn of Halifax County, North Carolina. John Blackburn left a will in 1777 which was probated at the November Court in Halifax County in 1778. Among the persons mentioned in his will is Elizabeth Scalf. The marriage of Lewis Scalf to Elizabeth Blackburn on February 28, 1777 must have been a second marriage for Lewis since his son, John. was bom about 1761. A sister of Elizabeth Blackburn, Amy, married a Matthews also on February 28, 1777.

Lewis had four daughters, however, only one of them, Sarah Scalf, has been identified in the records by name. In the Surry County Superior Court Minutes of March, 1812 there is an entry indicating that Lewis and Elizabeth Scalf were paid to act as witnesses in the trial of Sarah Scalf for the murder of her infant son. Sarah used an alias, Caps, according to the record. Lewis and his wife had to appear in court to give evidence on behalf of the state as did his son, Benjamin, and Benjamin's wife, Ceeley. They were all paid expenses for showing in court according to the records. The final result of the trial has never been learned. In the State Docket book the records indicate that Lewis had been placed under a $200 appearance bond for himself and his wife to assure their being in court to give testimony in this case. This author, in reviewing census film, found it interesting that in the 1810 Iredell Co., North Carolina Census a James Caps was living only six houses from where Benjamin Scalf lived.

Probably the youngest son of Lewis Scalf was William Scalf who accompanied his father when Lewis migrated south to South Carolina and later to Georgia. Lewis and his son, William, are found together in several Census reports after 1810. William, it seems, owned a considerable amount of property and the Habersham County, Georgia records show that his son, Martin Scalf, sold to his father, William, for $500: one Negro girl (slave) about 15 years old named Margarett, one roan mare, one bay filly, two horse wagons, 2 cows and calves, 10 head of stock hogs and some kitchen furniture. This transaction took place on November 10, 1846. It is known from the records that Martin Scalf was blind so the sale of this property may have included a verbal agreement that William would take care of his son, Martin.

It is not known for certain why Lewis Scalf and his son, William, moved to South Carolina and later to Georgia, however, two possibilities may help to explain. John Scalf, the oldest son of Lewis, had been involved prior to 1810 in several altercations and the records illustrate John's problems did not end in l8l0. Perhaps it was the incident in Surry County in 1805 when John Scalf was indicted for stealing a " light blue hog" that prompted son and father to have a "parting of their ways." There is no evidence known to the author that Lewis Scalf ever saw his son, John, after the year 1806.

Another reason Lewis may have chosen to migrate south after 1810 was the fact that much good land was opening up for settlement in Georgia about that time. People began moving into Habersham County, Georgia when the Indians were expelled from Northeast Georgia between 1784-1818. The Broad River area was especially favored by the new settlers and it is a matter of record that the Scalfs lived there too. Like the Scalf families most of these new settlers along the Broad River had come from the Carolinas and Virginia. Some stayed awhile before itching feet caused them to move northwest into Tennessee. Others moved further north into Kentucky while still others moved south and west into Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana generally following the Tennessee River which was a highway for travelers at that time.

Lewis Scalf purchased land in Habersham County Georgia in 1825 only eight years after that county had been taken from the Indians. The records show that he had sold this land off by 1836. On a deed which is dated in 1827, William Scalf acted as a witness so it is evident that William had accompanied Lewis when both left North Carolina about 1814.

By examining the 1850 Habersham County Census we find that William Scalf is still living there, at the age of 70. His wife, Susan, was 60 at this time. Both were born in North Carolina according to this census report. Living with William Scalf in 1850 in Habersham County was Martin Scalf, age 45 born in South Carolina who was of course William's blind son. This Martin Scalf, it is the opinion of the author, is the same Martin Scalf who, at the age of 7 4, appeared with his wife, Mildred, in the 1870 census of Lee County, Virginia.

Several Scalf marriages took place in early Georgia and it seems most likely that there were marriages of the children of William Scalf and Martin Scalf. Martin, himself, married another Elizabeth Blackburn on September 1, 1839. Coincidentally and strange as it may seem, Martin's wife had the same identical name as his grandmother, Elizabeth Blackburn Scalf. Of course, the already mentioned census of 1870 in Lee County, Virginia named Martin's wife as Mildred. This would naturally mean that Martin Scalf married at least two times.

Other early Habersham County, Georgia marriages included David Highfield to Sarah Scalf May 25, 1828; Asa Jones to Polly (Mary) Scalf January 3, 1833; Charity Scalf to Silas Robinson June 10, 1833; Elizabeth Scalf to Charles Warren November 10, 1830 and Sidney Scalf to Charles Warren February 24, 1833.

Sarah Scalf and her husband, David Highfield, are listed in the 1830 Habersham County Census, however, by 1840 they had moved to Jackson County, Georgia. Jackson County and Franklin County were both adjacent to Habersham County, Georgia. The last record pertaining to Lewis Scalf that is known to the author is a deed indicating that Lewis bought a parcel of land in 1837 in Franklin County, Georgia. Lewis would have been 92 years old in 1837. It is quite possible that Lewis Scalf may have died in Franklin County, Georgia or even Jackson County, Georgia instead of Habersham County as many people have believed for years to be the case.

Lewis was not the only Scalf who owned land in Franklin County. At the county courthouse in Carnesville, Georgia there is a record showing that Martin Scalf purchased a parcel of land there in 1834. Martin Scalf, like his father, William, and grandfather, Lewis, bought and sold land on several occasions. When Martin sold a piece of property in 1846 to his father, he indicated on the deed that it was bis homeplace on the Broad River and the place, " where I now live. Another record on file at the Gilmer County, Georgia Courthouse in Ellijay, Georgia shows that Martin sold land Lot No. 62 in the eleventh District and Second Section of Gilmer County to B.L. Goodman on December 11, 1833. It is interesting to note how Martin Scalf came into possession of this piece of property.

About 20,000 persons were fortunate drawers in the 1832 Land Lottery for 160-acre grants in the original Cherokee County in Georgia. Two of these fortunate drawers were Martin Scalf and Joseph Scalf. Martin was of course the son of William Scalf and the grandson of Lewis Scalf while Joseph was the son of John Scarfe (Scalf) and the same Joseph Scalf who served as a private in a South Carolina Regiment in the Revolutionary War. Joseph Scalf was a first cousin to Lewis Scalf.

When Martin received Lot 62 in Gilmer County by virtue of his good fortune in the 1832 Land Lottery, he was living in Habersham County at the time. Joseph Scalf was also living in Habersham County when he was the lucky recipient of Lot 319 located in Walker County, Georgia.

Martin Scalf had at least four children known to the author and these four children were in all probability children by his first wife. Two sons were, Absolem Scalf and Blackburn Scalf. They were both born in North Carolina possibly in Rockingham County. Martin had a daughter, Miriah Louisa Scalf who married Hiram Forrester in Habersham County, Georgia in 1845. This family later moved to Fulton County, Arkansas.

There is very little available information concerning the wife of Lewis Scalf. It is known, however, that her father was John Blackburn of Halifax County North Carolina and that she was a member of the Camp Creek Baptist Church in Habersham County, Georgia.

Children of Lewis Scalf
    John Scalf married Edeah Carlisle
    William Scalf married Susan _______
    Sarah Scalf
    David Scalf married Nancy _______
    Benjamin Scalf married Ceeley Hoziah
    Joshua Scalf

There were in addition to the children listed here at least three other daughters.