MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER, ELIZABETH (JEFFRIES) DOSTER AND HER 
DESCENDENTS


By Robert Jeffries   rjffres@charter.net   

  Elizabeth "Mitt" Jeffries and John W. Doster





My great grandmother, Elizabeth Jeffries, daughter of Burkett and Elizabeth (Reeves) Jeffries, was born in Jasper County in 1848. She was listed in Burkett's household for the 1850 census as four years old and in his widow, Elizabeth's, 1860 household as sixteen years old. She and her oldest two sons, were living in her 
sister, Eliza Tuggle's household for the 1870 Jasper County Census. The father of these two Jeffries sons is unknown and will never be discovered. The three best possible guesses are as follows: (1) The Yankee soldiers were passing through and occupying the area around the years of the boy's conception. They could have easily seen, desired, and raped a beautiful Jeffries 19 year old female. (2) About this time a neighbor John W. Doster was having trouble with his wife, which finally 
ended in a divorce in 1878, but I have never discovered the reason for the divorce. He and his first wife had three children, who remained with their mother. He then married 
Elizabeth, but he never changed the boy's last names to Doster. He could have been the boy's father and that could have been part of the problem he was having with his wife. It is known he and his wife were not divorced, but they were not living together for the 1870 Jasper County Census. The 1900 Jasper County Census record says that John W. and Elizabeth (Jeffries) Doster had been married for 24 years, but this doesn't match the marriage record date as recorded in the Jasper County Courthouse. (3) Elizabeth and her two sons were living in the household of her sister. Eliza Tuggle, for the 1870 census. Although Eliza had been married to Leroy Tuggle 
and they had two children before he was killed in the War Between the States, records show she had two other children after his death. Also if Lucra and Meliam Jeffries was the same female, she was also a sister of Elizabeth. Census records show she had children before, if she ever did, she got married also. Elizabeth and her sisters may have all been very friendly to any returning Confederate veteran. Elizabeth was always very frightened of the possibility of bad weather. It is believed part of the reason 
for this extreme fear took place on February 2, 1866 and was reported in the Georgia Enterprise. It said as follows: "About six o'clock on Wednesday evening January 24, 1866 (at this time Elizabeth was expecting her first child, my grandfather) a dark cloud was seen. It was accompanied with much thunder and lightning was seen approaching from a southwesterly direction with a violent wind. Within a moment an awful crash was heard. It passed through Mansfield scattering houses, barns, fences, trees, and anything that could be moved. In its path four persons were killed instantly and 10-12 others were injured. The town of Sandtown was completely destroyed and 
when it was rebuilt it was called Newborn. (To go in this direction it would have gone directly over the area where Burkett Jeffries farm was located.)
John W. Doster had married Sarah Ann Ellis around 1857 and they had a three-year-old daughter in the 1860 census. This daughter, Beatrice Ann Doster, later moved and 
lived in Birmingham, Alabama. John and Sarah also had twin sons, Ellis and Henry Doster, who were born in 1866. Henry Doster later became a doctor and married Blanche Etta Wallace on December 7, 1892. Ellis died at the age of 52 unmarried. In April 1876 Sarah A. Doster divorced John W. Doster, without 
there being a court fight, or any reason shown for it in the court records. The 1900 Jasper County Census showed Sarah A. Doster living in the household of her son-in-law, Tilman Nibblett. 

The grandparents of John W. Doster were James Doster, who was born near Greenville, South Carolina on February 11, 1780 and Sarah (Hollis) Doster, who was born 
about 1773.It is believed they married in Wilkes County, Georgia around 1798. In 1801 James Doster paid one poll tax in Wilkes County
On January 26, 1811 a James Doster and his wife, Polly, were received by letter into the Crooked Creek Baptist Church of Putnam County. In the 1830 Jasper County Census James Doster was listed as 50-60 years old. James Doster died in Alabama on August 1, 1845 and Sarah died in Alabama on March 11, 1855. 
They had nine daughters and two sons. All their children except James W. Doster moved to Alabama at the time their parents moved there. James W. Doster, John's father, had been born in Jasper County in 1811 and married John's mother, Ellander Waggoner in Jasper County in 1829. Church records for 
the church, which later became Carmel Baptist Church of Mansfield, shows that James Doster gave $18.25 to the church in 1825. 

The 1850 Agricultural Schedule shows James W. Doster owned 100 acres of land valued at $2,000 and livestock valued at $115. The 1866 tax records of Jasper County show that John W. Doster owned 155 acres of land valued at $1,197. The 1868 tax records showed John owned 150 acres of land valued at $100. 
The 1879 Jasper County tax records showed John owned 74 acres of land valued at $222, a homestead valued at $20, and a horse valued at $15. 

The Christian Index for Thursday, December 12, 1880 has the following obituary: The Shiloh Baptist Church appointed the undersigned committee to draft suitable 
resolutions as a tribute to the memory of our deceased brother, James W. Doster.John W. Doster joined Company B of the 44th Regiment of the Georgia Volunteers in Riley's Brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia, of the Confederate States Army on May 10, 1862 as a private. On June 26, 1862, one month after 
he joined, he was wounded in the Seven Days Battle of Mavern Hill, Virginia., in the Battle at Ellison's Mill. This wound was made by a minnie ball, which hit his left arm two inches below his shoulder and took the arm off. He was discharged because his arm had to be amputated on November 22, 1862. General Henry J. Hunt had rimmed a large slope with 100 big guns, and placed 150 more guns half way down a ravine. When the Confederate forces advanced upon their position, General 
Hunt's gunners opened fire with everything they had. Afterwards General Lee counted 5,300 Confederate and 3,200 Union soldiers dead. So many bodies were scattered across the fields that it was impossible for burial details to go get them all. Many others, including John W. Doster, were wounded. It is not known what type of disposition John had before the war, but it was not very good afterwards. 

The war had stopped slavery, taken his arm, and completely changed his life style. He may also have suffered pain and bad headaches, but it is known that he suffered from bronchitis and had many sleepless nights afterwards. All this may have been part of the reason for his divorce. He received a pension, for his service and missing arm, during the years 1889, 1890, 1891, 1894, 1897, 1898, 1901, and 1902 for certain, and probably other years I did not find a record for. Some of these pensions were for $60 per year, but the later pensions were for $100 per year. 

Doctors William D. Haddeus and J.G. Elder signed the 1889 pension application. It said that the arm was substantially and essentially useless. It was said by one of John W. 
Doster's relatives that he walked about ten miles to Monticello to get his picture taken, but when he arrived and discovered a Yankee soldier was taking the pictures he turned around and walked all the way back without having it taken. John's Pension Application shows that he enlisted on April 22, 1861 into the Confederate States Army as a private in Company B of the 44th Regiment of the Georgia Volunteers of Repley Dob's Brigade and that while engaged in such military service in the state of Virginia on the 26th day of June in 1862 he was wounded as follows: Left arm shot off and amputated above the elbow, about 2 inches from the shoulder joint. The said arm was shot off on the 7th day of July at before Richmond near Mechanicsville. This took place in the Battle of Mechanicsville, on the opening of the 7 day 
fight before Richmond. The deponent makes application for the pension to which he is entitled for the year ending October 20, 1902 on the 17th day of January 1902. The application was one of many he had received earlier. It was signed by Adese S. Florence, the Ordinary of said county and he certified that 
he was well acquainted with John Doster, the applicant.

 Elizabeth "Mitt" Jeffries married John W. Doster, in Jasper County, following his divorce from his first wife, before 1877, but the marriage was not recorded in the courthouse until December 29, 1881. They had one son, Plez Doster, who was born on February 17, 1879, and another son, Lon Doster, who was born in March 1877. .The 1900 Jasper County Census also showed the following: John W. Doster was born in April 1833, Elizabeth ?Mitt? (Jeffries) Doster born in January 1844, Lonnie Doster born in March 1877, and Plez Doster born in February 1879.

John W. Doster died in 1904 and was buried in the Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery. The Monticello News, of Jasper County, on February 26, 1904 said this about the death of John in a section for Farrar Community: ?Mr. John Doster died at his home near here Saturday night and was buried at Shiloh church on Monday afternoon. The burial service was conducted by the masons. Mr. Doster had been sick for some time, and his death was not unexpected I received some helpful information on John W. Doster from Mrs. Dean C. Barnum, who at that time lived in Fullerton, California, but later moved to North Carolina. Elizabeth's death certificate shows she had diabetes for six months before her death on June 14, 1927 at the age of 82 years in Porterdale of Newton County, Georgia. The services were held in the Porterdale Baptist Church. 

DESCENDENTS OF JOHN W. AND ELIZABETH "MITT" (JEFFRIES) 
DOSTER--PART B

1. LONNIE DOSTER- Lonnie was born in March 1878 in Jasper County. Lonnie had a bad habit of always smoking too much, and was in bad health most of his life. He was a handyman and died in his sleep in 1951. His tombstone, in the Doster Plot of Porterdale City Cemetery reads: Lon P. Doster 1878-1951 "Gone 
but not forgotten." Lonnie never married.

2. PLEAZ DOSTER- Plez Doster was born on February 19, 1879 and married Sadi King before the 1910 census.He began his work experiences by driving a wagon 
from Porterdale to Covington, before home refrigerators, buying large blocks of ice covering it with sawdust to keep it from melting too fast. He then brought the ice back to 
Porterdale, where he sold it in his icehouse. He was doing so much business that the Atlantic Ice Company bought him out of business. They then hired him to operate the business for them. Sadi worked in the Porterdale Mill, where Plez had worked earlier and they met there. Plez and his son, J.B. Doster, would often write and 
sometimes drive down to visit Plez?s half brother and my grandfather on his Telfair County farm in Temperance Community. This was about 200 miles away and the roads 
everywhere in Georgia in the late 1920?s and early 1930?s were in very poor condition. They would stay a few days visiting and helping pick the cotton. 
Plez's worse habit was a drinking problem. As he would drive around delivering the ice, many of his friends and customers would want him to take a drink with them and he did not turn them down. Sadi (King) Doster was born on December 7, 1880 and died on October 24, 1963. She is buried in the Doster Cemetery 
Plot in the city cemetery of Porterdale. Sadi and Plez had the following children: (1) Effie Elizabeth Doster, who was born on March 15, 1919, died on July 
23, 1919. She was buried in the Doster Cemetery Plot in the City Cemetery of Porterdale. (2) Ollie L. Doster, who was born 
in 1907 and married first Agnes Hardin. After her death Ollie married Tea Stanley. (3) John Buchanan ?J.B.? Doster, who was born on August 22, 1914 and married first Inez Stone. Inez had been born on February 13, 1912 and died on December 3, 1956. On July 13, 1963 J.B. married Inez?s sister, 
Francis Stone. Francis had worked in the Fulton County courthouse for 32 years. Francis died on April 24, 1992 and is buried near her sister in the Townswood Memorial Park Cemetery of Covington. A plot for J.B. is reserved between his two wives the Stone sisters. J.B. was the one who built the Doster Cemetery Plot in the 
City Cemetery of Porterdale and saw to its upkeep. Plez W. Doster died of a heart condition on April 25, 1949 and is buried in the Doster Family Plot in the 
Porterdale City Cemetery. His death certificate says he died of arterculosis and age. It says he was born in Jasper County and died in rural Covington area.
The death certificate of Sadie King Doster, wife of Plez Doster, says she died on October 24, 1963. It said she had been born on December 7, 1880 in Greene County, 
Georgia. J.B. Doster, in 1993, lives in Porterdale and owns and operates the Doster Grocery Store there. (I drove over from La Grange and spent a nice day visiting and talking to J.B. He took me to Tabneracle Cemetery and to the Doster Plot in Porterdale.) He retired in early 1969, after working 36 ½ years in the Porterdale Mill. (Almost all the information I have on the Doster descendents of Elizabeth (Jeffries) and John W. Doster, since 1910, was given to me by Mr J.B.Doster.) 


DESCENDENTS OF ELIZABETH JEFFRIES AND (?)

JOHN HARRIS JEFFRIES- John Harris Jeffries, son of Elizabeth Jeffries before she married John W. Doster, and the brother of 
my grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Jeffries, was born on April 3 1869. Up until he was about ten years old he and Thomas lived with their mother with no adult male supervision in the home John H. Jeffries, of Shady Dale, on February 8, 1896 promised to pay the Hodges Merchantile Company for $10 in value he received with 8% interest and 10% attorney fees on a note. He put up in the mortgage one light dune colored cow, with horns and about five years old named Pink, and one light colored bull calf without horns and about three months old, and also the homestead and exemption rights. 

Around 1898 John Harris Jeffries married Lillie Maude Harper, in Jasper County. She had been born on December 18, 1879On November 19, 1909 John Harris Jeffries bought a 128 acre farm in Godfrey of Morgan County from Wood Arnold He would often take a bus and ride down to visit his brother, my grandfather, on his farm in Telfair County. Often he would make the trip alone. His wife, Maude, died on January 25, 1940.. She, John Harris Jeffries, and many of their children are buried in Forest Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.Maude (Harper) and John Harris Jeffries had the following children: (A) Claude H. Jeffries was born on February 12, 1909 and married Lunnette Yancey. During World War II he served four years in India. After the war he was employed at the Conley Army Depot in Forest Park. Claude and Lunnetta had one child, Betty Jeffries, who married (?) Foster. Claude died in 1979 and he and Lunnette are buried in the Forest Grove Baptist Church Cemetery. (B) Annie Jeffries was born on September 9, 1903 and married Martin Wells. They had two children: Martin Wells, Jr. and Edna Wells. Edna married twice and her second husband was (?) Bartlett. They lived in Forest Park. (C ) Alma Jeffries was born on March 2, 1906 and married Elmer Thomas Hardigree. They lived on a farm near Bishop, Georgia, not far from Athens. They had two children: Elmer Harris "Henry" Hardigree and Elaine (Hardigree) Crawford. Elmer Thomas Hardigree was a veteran of World War II.(D) Harold W.Jeffries was born on November 6, 1912 and married Georgia Phillips on June 25, 1937. During World War II Harold served in the Panama Canal Zone. Georgia Phillips was born on November 23, 1914. Following Harold's discharge from the military he worked in a filling station, a store, and farmed near Barnesville, Georgia. He and Georgia 
(Phillips) Jeffries had no children. (E) Helen Jeffries was born in 1818. While she was employed as an Eastern Airlines Stewardess, she attended the World's Fair in Chicago. There she met her husband, Hilliard Wright. Hilliard was an accountant for the A & P Foodstore Chain and they lived in many states before they bought their home and settled down in Leesburg, South Carolina, near Columbia. They had one child, Bert Wright. (F) Charles Jeffries who was born in 1922 and 
married Catherine (?) Charles served in the Georgia Technical 5th U.S. Army during World War II. Catherine and Charles had two children: Leslie Jeffries, an Atlanta lawyer, and Camelia Jeffries. Charles died in 1968 and was buried in the Forest Grove Baptist Church Cemetery. John Harris Jeffries died on February 5, 1952 in 
Forest Park of Clayton County, Georgia.

(a-2) THOMAS JEFFERSON JEFFRIES (He will be written about in a 
later section)

DESCENDENTS OF ELIZABETH (JEFFRIES) DOSTER IN CENSUS RECORDS

Some census records of Elizabeth (Jeffries) Doster 
and her descendents:
1870 Jasper County 1900 Jasper County 
1900 DeKalb County
Eliza Tuggle 22 John W. Doster 
69 (Children's Orphanage)
Crayton Tuggle 12 Elizabeth "Mitt" Doster 56 
Elizabeth Jeffries 9
Elizabeth Tuggle 7 Lonnie Doster 
23 Joe Bell Jeffries 7
Anna Tuggle 3 Pleaz Doster 
21 Bernice Jeffries 6
Elizabeth Jeffries 24 (sister)
Thomas Jefferson Jeffries 4 (my grandfather) 
1910 Telfair County
John Harris Jeffries 2 
Thomas Jefferson Jeffries 43

Mollie (Yawn) Jeffries 
32 1910 Morgan County 1920 Telfair 
County Johnny Jeffries 6
John Harris Jeffries 36 Thomas Jefferson 
Jeffries 57 Lemma Jeffries 5
Maude L. Jeffries 28 Mollie 
Jeffries 45 Pleaz Jeffries 2
Claude Jeffries 8 Joe Bell 
Jeffies 26 Jimmy McCrimmon 13 (stepson) 
Annie Jeffries 6 
John Jeffries 15 
Alma Jeffries 3 Lemma 
Jeffries 13 1920 Morgan County

Pleaz Jeffries 11 John H. Jeffries 
46
1920 Newton County T. D. 
Jeffries 8 Maude Jeffries 38
Pleaz Doster 41 James McCrimmon 24 
(stepson) Claude Jeffries 18
Sallie Doster 38 
Annie Jeffries 
16
Ollie Doster 13 
Alma Jeffries 13
J. B. Doster 5 
Harold Jeffries 
8
Elizabeth Doster 73 (mother) 
Helen Jeffries (?)
Lonnie P. Doster 42 (brother)