>From National Archives Publication M1407, Barred and Disallowed Case Files of the Southern Claims Commission, 1871 -1880, fiche # 2245 William M. Beaty, Steels Station, St. Clair County, Alabama--Disallowed Claim This is quite a long file and I did not have time to copy all of it. There is quite a lot of testimony contained in the file. I will summarize what I did copy and if anyone is interested I will go back and copy the rest of the file. I believe that this is William's family in the 1850 Census, Chattooga County, Georgia, Broomtown Valley, page 351 (stamped #): Thomas Baty, 50 m, born SC farmer Elizabeth D. Baty 48, f, born SC William Baty 21, m, GA teacher Amanda C. Baty 15, f, GA (live close to several Gilbreath families--see testimony) [For 1860 see insert in testimony, I could not find 1870] and in 1880: Court House, Tuscaloosa Alabama, page 681C William Beaty m, w, 50, GA Teamster SC SC Carrie f, w, 50, GA, GA, GA Eula f,w,23,GA teacher GA, GA Collumbus m, w, 21, GA Sawyer GA, GA Loa f, w, 18, GA Lee m, w, 15, GA Teamster Samuel m, w, 13, GA at school When the claim was accrued William M. Beaty was residing in Sommerville, Chattooga County, Georgia. He states that his property was taken at (or near) "Sommerville, Rome, & Carrollton in the county of Chattooga, Floyd and Carroll County, Georgia" by troops belonging to the Army of the Cumberland. The witnesses he will rely on to prove loyalty are: Jacob R. Brooks, William Brooks, James Clarkston all of Lafayette, Walker County, Georgia Witnesses relied on to prove other facts are: A. G. Petree & R. S. Norton of Rome, Georgia; William Beaty & Levi Beaty of Ringgold Georgia; David Blaylock, Leasville, Walker County, Georgia; William H. Gilbreath, Dirt Town Chattooga Co. Georgia; Lewis Dodson, Lafayette, Walker's Co., Georgia. >From an index card: "Wm. M. Beatty--Family resided 4 miles from Summerville, Chattooga Co., Geo. up to Dec. '64 --then moved to Carroll Co. Geo. --It seems a suspicious case, both as to loyalty and property....Examine it L. W. Brooks a farmer of Walker Co., Georgia; David Blaylock of Chatooga Co. Geo (his brother in law) Wm. Beaty (a colored man who resides at Ringgold, Geo & seemed to be quite intelligent) are his witnesses His wandering about what was it for.---" Excerpts: "Wm M. Beatty lived in Chattooga Co., Ga till 1864 -- from that time till end of war, family in Carroll Co., Ga. --from April '61 to fall '63 "I was wandering" in Arkansas, Missouri & Indian country. From '63 till end of war, was passing from Chattooga Co. to Sommerville Ga" as circumstances permitted" to avoid being put in Army --living on rented land -- had but little occupation, except to trade a little now & then..." [From Examiner] "David Blalock, the other witness to loyalty is his brother-in-law --Catoosa Co, 53.25 miles from Claimant during war (Have read all test'y & think he was a rebel spy & trader)" More from examiner "Early on the morning of the 12th instant I started on an excellent horse across the Whiteoak and Pidgeon mountains to investigate this claim. The evidence was scattered through four counties two of which were remote from any railroad....From many persons both union men and rebels and from claimants own kindred and neighbors I have ascertained the following facts. That claimant Wm. M. Beaty and one E. L. Rosser had, as partners been merchandising at Sommerville Chatooga Co., Ga. for several years previous to 1859, that they became embarrassed and that in 1859 the claimant signed his father-in-law Samuel Dodson's name without his permision or authority to six or eight hundred dollars worth of promissary notes. Dodson refused to pay and plead Now est factum (?) and claimant in 1859 left family and business and went west also leaving a large amount of indebtedness that has not been paid. Beatys wife and children had to go back to her father and lived with him from 1859 to about the beginning of 1864." 1860 Chattooga County, Chatooga Valley, Georgia, Page 582 Samuel Dodson 70, m, farmer, $4000, $16,500, GA Rebecca 65, f, GA Sarah 33, f, GA Caroline Beaty 31, f, GA Joseph L. Dodson 23, m, Teacher Co School, GA Yula Beaty 5, f, GA Columbus 3, m, GA Lola 8/12 f, GA "When Beaty came back and bought the Chas. F. Beavers Crop, and rented the farm for 1864. Dodson the father in law is now dead, and so is Wm Beaty the Colored witness. The first time I could hear of claimant after the War began was from Capt. John Cleghorn of Sommerville Ga. who was Quarter Master of the 39th Georgia Regiment. He stated that he had known the claimant from his boyhood and occasionally loaned him money before he got into trouble and left the county in 1859. That the first time he met the claimant was during Gen'l Braggs campaign into Kentucky in the fall of 1862. Claimant did not seem to belong to the rebel army but seemed to be accompaning it into Kentucky. He had plenty of Confederate money at that time to pay an old debt that he owed Capt. Cleghorn. After leaving Kentucky Cleghorn saw Beaty no more till the winter of 1863-4 when he was camped at Dalton Ga. under General Joseph E. Johnson. Beaty came to his tent and spent a night or two with him and told him he had beem inside the Yankee lines and pretended had been or was then in the secret service. Cleghorn soon lost sight of Beaty and did not see him again till October 1864, when a part of Gen'l J. B. Hoods army was retreating through Summerville, Beaty had some whiskey -- gave Cleghorn a drink and had a talk with him, then saw him no more till after the war. Thought him a bad man, that was playing on both sides, a gambler in a small way -- that he cared nothing for either side but was as good a rebel as a union man. Cleghorn is a merchant of Summerville and is a man of standing and veracity. [I am going to skip the next two witnesses that don't add much new information] John Taylor of Summerville a brother in law did not see Beaty from the time he left in the Spring of 1859 till he came back in the fall of 1863 and only recollects seeing him two or three times during the war, knew all about his getting in debt and leaving the county. Taylor did not like him, had tried, as a lawyer to collect some of the Beaty and Rosser debts and had not been able to get the money. Knew something about Beatys buying out the Beaver's crop or part of his crop for 1863 and renting the farm for 1864. Also knew something about a Federal Regiment of Cavalry camping on him about Feb. 1864 and heard that they took corn, fodder, oats and a horse from him -- but knows nothing of these things from his own knowledge. Heard that Beaty got into difficulty with Confederate Scouts -- who suspicioned him of being a Federal spy. Had heard of Gatewoods men threatening Beaty and that they came near catching him at a brother in law's house named Gilbreath. That in the winter of 1864 -65 Beaty took his family about 80 or 100 miles further South into Carrol Co., Ga and remained there as Taylor thinks till the war was over. He heard of his having grinded flour at ? in the winter of of 1863 -64 but did not know what he did with the flour but thinks he hauled it to Rome. Inclines to think he was a union man but not very positive about it. [This is all that I copied; the file is much longer.] More Census: 1860, Chattooga Valley, Chattooga County, Georgia, page 585 Thomas Beaty 59, m, mechanic, SC Elizabeth 58, f, SC live next to D. Blalock 37, m, farmer NC Caroline 34, f, GA (lots of children) 1870, Frick's Gap, Walker Co, GA p272 David Blaylock 55 m, w Sarah C. 43 f, w (many children) also in household: Elizabeth Beaty 67, f, w, SC Laurel Baty, L252