Rev. Moses Allen - This gentleman was born in Northampton, Mass., Sept. 14, 1748. About 1777 he was established at Medway. At the reduction of Savannah by the British troops, Mr. Allen was taken prisoner. The Continental officers were sent to Sunbury on parole, but Mr. Allen, who was Chaplain to the Georgia Brigade was denied this privilege. He was sent on board a prison-ship, and in attempting to recover his liberty by swimming to land, he was drowned. His body was washed on an island, and was found by some of his friends. They requested of the captain of the British vessel boards to make a coffin, but were refused.

Benjamin Baker, at the age of twenty-three, attended General Oglethorpe in his expedition against St. Augustine. During the Revolution he suffered many hardships. In 1776, “he was engaged for almost a week in studying and writing for the public, comparing several constitutions of government, and endeavouring from these to compile one suitable for the Province of Georgia.” For more than twenty-seven years he was clerk of the Medway Church. At his death, he left several volumes of manuscripts.

Colonels William and John Baker were active soldiers in the Revolution, and distinguished themselves upon many occasions.

Hon. John Elliott died in this county, and served in the Senate of the United States from 1819 to 1825.

General Daniel Stewart - The chronicle of Georgia's great names would be incomplete without that of this distinguished citizen. He was frequently in battle under Sumter and Marion, and rendered important services to the State by the judicious measures he adopted to defend its frontiers against the attack of the Indians. He died in the sixty-ninth year of his age.

Mr. Audley Maxwell was a member of the first General Assembly in Georgia, which met in Savannah on the 15th day of January, 1751.

Major John Jones removed from Charleston, S.C., of which city he was a native, to St. John's Parish, now Liberty County, Ga., prior to the Revolution. In 1774 he was a large importing merchant residing with his family in the then flourishing town of Sunbury, cultivating at the same time his plantation, still known as Rice Hope. At the earliest call of his country, we find him enlisting in her cause. The Atlantic wave, which had heretofore borne from our mother England only the peaceful sails of commerce, was now, from the same source, wafting with every breeze the invader to our shores. On his part, there was no hesitation from motives of selfish interest. His soul was pledged to freedom, and so was his fortune. From this period the affluent merchant was merged into the partisan soldier. Our first notice of his gallant bearing is derived from the personal recollections of General Daniel Stewart. He was attached to the corps of cavalry raised for the defence of the parish under the command of Colonel Baker. They were hastily summoned to resist the invasion of General Prevost, from the South, and the members joined the corps on its march as early as it could be done by them. Major Jones was summoned to join the body at the intersection of the road from Savannah with the Sunbury and Darien road. With all possible speed he rode from Sunbury, and on arriving at the appointed place of meeting, and finding the roads vacant, he concluded the cavalry had passed. They had done so not two hours, and finding that General Prevost, anticipating an attack at Bull Town Swamp, had hastened forward and crossed it, they made good their retreat, with the infantry, towards Riceborough and Medway. Major Jones passed on, and when near Bull Town Swamp, saw what he supposed to be his corps in the distance, and in the eagerness of his advance, never discovered his mistake until within poin-blank shot of the enemy. Reining in, he stood firm, in so perilous a situation and drawing his pistol, discharged it in the face of the foe; to use his own words, “he was determined not to retreat until he had first given the red coats a shot.” Wheeling, he put spurs to his horse, and escaped unharmed amidst volleys of balls discharged at him. “When he overtook his company,” says General Stewart, “as he rode up flushed with the excitement of the occasion, he narrated the circumstances, and remarked that as he retreated a hundred bullets whizzed within an inch of his nose, which was the prominent feature of his face.”

A disagreement arising between Colonel Baker and himself, he challenged him to a settlement by single combat. They were to fight in uniform, on horseback, and with their broadswords. The morning came, and the appointed hour found them on the ground, when General Screven unexpectedly presented himself before them. He well knew their courage and settled determination. Approaching them he said: “My friends and companions in arms! Can it be, when your country is bleeding at every pore, and needs the support of her sons in her defence, that you are about to sacrifice your lives to feelings of personal hostility and revenge? If you cannot extend to each other the hand of confidence and friendship, for your country's sake, do not destroy each other's lives.” The appeal was heard. The drawn swords were returned to their scabbards. The spirit of patriotism sealed the fountain of injured honour, and triumphed over the desire of private revenge. To live for their country was more noble than to die for themselves.

Major Jones suffered severe losses in common with his fellow citizens. On the surrender of Sunbury to the British, his dwelling, store and warehouse were rifled and destroyed. His plantation also in the country was broken up, and many of his servants taken off and he removed his family to Jacksonborough, in South Carolina, for safety. In the progress of the war, he was appointed aid to General McIntosh, with whom he continued until his death.

In this county there lived, during the Revolution, a man by the name of Robert Sallette, distinguished for his opposition to the Tories. It is not known with certainty to what particular command he was attached. He appears to have been a sort of roving character, doing things his own way. The Tories stood very much in dread of him, and well they might , for never had they a more formidable foe. On one occasion, a Tory, who possessed considerable property, offered a reward of one hundred guineas to any person who would bring him Sallette's head. This was made known to our hero, who provided himself with a bag, in which he placed a pumpkin, and proceeded to the house of the Tory, and told him that, having understood he had offered one hundred guineas for Sallette's head, he had it with him in the bag, (at the same time pointing to the bag,) and that he was ready to deliver it, provided the money was first counted out for him. The Tory, believing that the bag contained Sallette's head, laid down the money, upon which Sallette pulled off his hat, and placing his hand upon his head, said “Here is Sallette's head.” This answer so frightened the Tory that he immediately took to his heels, but a well-directed shot from Sallette brought him to the ground.

On one occasion, Sallette and Mr. Andrew Walthour, who, with some others, were the advanced guard of the American army, met the advance of the British, when a smart skirmish took place, and the British guard was driven back. In the skirmish, a very large man of the British was killed. Noticing a pair of boots on the feet of the dead man, Bob resolved to possess them, and was pulling them off, while his comrades were hallooing to him to leave, for he would be killed; but he answered, “I must have the boots, for I want them for little John Way.”

He has been known to leave the American army during battle, get into the rear of the enemy, and kill many of them before he was discovered.

On a certain day he dressed himself in British uniform, dined with a party of the enemy, and whilst the toasting and drinking were going on, suddenly drew his sword, killed his right and left hand man, sprung upon his horse, without having time to throw the bridle over his neck, and rode off amidst the fire of his pursuers. His motto was, never to forgive a Tory; and if one was liberated, he would follow, and if possible, take his life.

Doctors Dunwoody and Axon were distinguished practitioners of medicine.

Source
White, George, Rev., Historical Collections of Georgia, Pudney & Russell, New York, 1854, pp. 532-538

Submitted by Bob Franks