Bill's 70th Birthday: A Week of Celebration Part C. Visit to the Monument of Captain James Outlaw (1744-1826)
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General Introduction. One's 70th birthday is a major milestone. When the opportunity arose to visit with family and old friends and extend the celebration to one week, the planning began. The activities are divided into four parts: A. Family Activities, B. Duplin Winery, C. Monument of Captain James Outlaw (this post), and D. The Faculty Distinguished Lecture at Meredith College. |
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My interest in family and local history provided the impetus for our second detour off I-95 as we continued toward Raleigh. Thus, we headed toward Outlaw's Bridge (Duplin County, NC) and soon we saw a marker (above, left) indicating we had almost reached our destination. On the edge of the highway, the marker was on church grounds (sign: above, right). To provide personal perspective before continuing, my 6x greatgrandfather Edward Outlaw (1685-1739) was my most recent shared ancestor with Captain James Outlaw (1744-1826), our present interest. (This information is widely available, but for the preceding, the "Bradley Family Latest " tree on Ancestry was the primary source.) "All" Outlaws in the U.S. descend from the immigrant Edward Outlaw (b. ~1651 in England, d. 1714 in Norfolk, VA), who came with his mariner brother, Captain John Outlaw. In the words of Benjamin C. Holtzclaw (Historical Southern Families. Vol. 16 (ed. Mrs. John Bennett Boddie), 1971, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore), Captain John was "a somewhat turbulent character" and he disappeared from records, at least local ones, in 1672, about four years after his arrival in the New World. Sons of the immigrant Edward removed to North Carolina, and subsequent generations fanned out across several southern states. Our immediate family's route was circuitous--to South Carolina, then to Georgia, then to Alabama, and back to Georgia. As an aside, the very common use of a limited number of Christian names (viz. Edward, Alexander, William, James) requires meticulous attention and has resulted in misinterpretation. Edit 2016-03-28. The main question arising from this post concerned our direct ancestors' role, if any, in the American Revolution. Before documenting the affirmative answer, I will briefly outline the paternal descent, thus: Edward Outlaw (the immigrant, above)→Edward Outlaw (1685-1739)→George Outlaw (1716-1778)→Benjamin Outlaw (1740-1796)→James Outlaw (1775-1866)→Alexander C. Outlaw (1804-1891)→W.H.H. Outlaw (1840-1910)→Lucious Galveston Outlaw (1873-1918)→W.H. Outlaw (1912-1986)→W.H. Outlaw Jr. Holtzclaw (op. cit.) lists three sources that document Benjamin's service on the side of the rebels. 1. He indicates that Gregg's History of the Old Cheraws. . . . states that Benjamin Outlaw was a private in Capt Hugh Giles's Regiment. 2. He cites two claims made by Benjamin to South Carolina with two sources. Independently, as far as I can tell, Tew also cites revolutionary service (though he has the birth and death dates at variance, the Benjamin he references is explicitly stated to be the son of George Outlaw). At some convenient time, I will add more. |
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After enjoying the beauty and serenity of this country church (above, left), we drove the short distance to the cemetery (sign: above, right). |
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Paydirt: Though not initially in this exact location, the monument (above left) was erected in memory of Captain James Outlaw (DAR Record). The memorial-service speaker was Albert Timothy Outlaw, local historian and Outlaw genealogist. This link provides the text for the service and provides additional information about Captain James and others of the Outlaw family. (We do not have an original source for the text--it was loose in my mother's estate.) |
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An outsider at a small rural crossing in the South arouses the curiosity of locals. I mean this in a good way. Mr. Leland Smith (above), a 5x greatgrandson of Captain James, approached me. His knowledge of Outlaw genealogy was encyclopedic, and he spoke forcefully and articulately, but had no patience with dissent. Genealogy is like that; everyone gets his own set of facts. Incidentally, Mr. Smith is standing by his "wood truck," and indeed the back was loaded with Stihl chain saws. I regretted not having more time with him, though spicy interjections indicated that we weren't well matched politically. We plan to follow up on Leland's suggestion to visit Moore's Creek Bridge, conveniently located 17 miles north of Wilmington (where Elizabeth lives). Captain James Outlaw and his brother Colonel Alexander Outlaw, commanding, both were there in this brief decisive and extraordinary victory for the rebels. The only patriot to die was a John Grady (possibly Captain James' brother-in-law). |
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Overhearing our conversation , Robert Outlaw (left) approached. Robert was very proud to be an Outlaw and pulled out his driver's license to prove it for good measure. Robert said that he descended from James Outlaw Forty. James Outlaw Forty? "Yes, in the book." I pretended to understand. Back in Tallahassee, it became clear. On pg 25 of Outlaw Genealogy (AT Outlaw, 1930, P.D. Gold Publishing, Wilson, NC), an entry begins "40. Captain James Outlaw" and it goes on with a brief biography. The previous entry is "39. Colonel Alexander Outlaw," James' older brother, &c. Surprising that two random strangers would know so much about their origins. Outlaw Genealogy is out of print, and we are disappointed that my parent's copy was apparently misplaced. Fortunately, this brief book is in the public domain and has been digitized.
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Outlaw's Bridge was such a wonderful little adventure. |
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