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By Carol Copeland Bloodworth 
459 River North Blvd.
Macon, GA 31211
William Dillard Bloodworth was born 02 March 1831 in Randolph Co., GA (parents & siblings unknown, but possibly his father was Arnold E. Bloodworth , a surveyor of recently acquired Indian lands, whose spouse died ca. 1836). William grew up in Henry Co., AL. , and appears on the 1850 Federal Census of Henry Co., AL as a 21 year old unmarried male living in the household of Everette McVey. We next find him in the 1860 Federal Census of Taylor Co., GA, age 27, farm employee, in the household of Thomas Jeff Amerson.
William was apparently taught to read and write at an early age, because all documents, deeds, and papers signed by him, were done so with his full signature and not an "X". Family stories say his mother was an Indian. His father may have been Arnold E. Bloodworth (who was a surveyor in Randolph Co., GA at the time of William's birth, and also lived in Henry Co., AL until his death shortly after 1850. On those census', he would have had one older brother and one younger sister. The spouse in Arnold's family disappeared by the 1840 census. In the history of Taylor Co., GA, there is listed a Sebie Ann Bloodworth (of the right age to have been William's sister) living in the home of John Whatley, and it is noted that "she was given away at a young age, and raised by John Whatley". Sebie Ann eventually married a John Amerson.
Now this is the far-fetched theory that Sebie Ann's descendants and I have come up with:
William and Sebie Ann's mother was an Indian (either Creek or Cherokee), that Arnold "married" while surveying the recently acquired Indian lands in GA. During the Indian Removal of 1836 (Trail of Tears), she was either killed or forced to leave her family. In those days, "half-breed" children would have been very unwelcome in the white community. When Arnold Bloodworth remarried in 1840, his new wife would probably have nothing to do with those children. So, they were "farmed out" to neighbors, or relatives. William to the McVey family in AL, and Sebie Ann to the Whatley's in GA. (The Whatley's were related to the Bloodworths). As soon as William was old enough to leave AL on his own, he went to GA where Sebie Ann was and went to work on the farm of a neighbor. He also met his future wife there, the neice of Thomas Amerson. There he became friends with the Moulton's, and for some strange reason went to Texas with them, and enlisted in the Confederate Army.
On 5 Oct. 1861, he enlisted in Co. D, 9th Texas Infantry at Dangerfield, Titus Co., TX. (It should be noted at this point that several other Georgia born members of Co D., 9th Texas were living in Taylor Co., and neighboring Macon Co., GA in 1850 and 1860). His muster roll cards show him present until shown as captured near the Chattahoochee on 4 July 1864. He was transferred to Nashville, TN, then to Louisville, KY, then to Camp Morton, IN. where he remained until 15 March 1865 when he was sent to Point Lookout, MD for exchange.
He then returned to Georgia, and married Nancy Amerson on 31 Jan 1867 in Macon Co., GA. He next appears on the 1870 Federal Census of Taylor Co., GA , age 37, head of household with his wife Nancy, and daughter Carry, living next door to his father-in-law Jesse Amerson. The family continued to live in Taylor Co., GA, and all of their 15 children were born in Taylor Co., GA (only 6 of those children lived to maturity).
Caroline Lee Bloodworth b. 20 Jan 1869
Ida Alice Bloodworth b. 18 Jan, 1873
Florence Emma Bloodworth b. 20 Jan 1874
John Morgan Bloodworth b. 12 June 1875 (my husband's grandfather)
Augustus Edward Bloodworth b. 30 June 1878
Pearl Mae Bloodworth b. 15 May 1884
There is an interesting Application for Homestead he made in 1888 in Taylor Co., GA that lists his wife, 10 living minor children by names and ages, inventory of personal property to be set apart, surveyor's plat of homestead of 96 acres, showing net worth of not more that $400. Obviously, he was not prosperous, just a poor hardworking farmer. Both he and his wife were members of the Primitive Baptist Church.
By 1895, he had moved to Bibb Co., GA where his sons had jobs with the Southern Railway Co. William had a small farm, but all that land was put into his wife's and childrens' names by the time William applied for a pension based on his CSA service .
Indigent Pension Application #1979, Bibb Co., GA, dated 09 April 1895. In the Questions for Applicant, William states his date and place of birth, that he enlisted in 1861 in Titus Co., TX in Co. D, 9th Texas Regiment, and served until captured in 1864. His basis for "indigent" pension was that he couldn't work due to rheumatism and old age. His witness for service was A. J. Moulton whose affidavit is dated 16 August 1895, Titus Co. TX. (The Moulton family had lived in Macon Co. and Taylor Co., GA prior to moving to Texas in 1860).
William D. Bloodworth died 08 July 1915 at his daughter's home in the city of Macon, Bibb Co., GA , at the age of 84. Nancy, his wife died in 1904. He is buried in Cedar Ridge Cemetery in Macon, Bibb Co., GA next to his wife and 2 young children. There are no headstones to mark their graves, but the family plot has been located.
©Ron Brothers and Carol Copeland Bloodworth, 1999, All Rights Reserved.
May 25, 1999
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