Ancestor Page W

PHOTO: ASHLEY POLLETTE

Eli Wesley WILSON was born in Effingham County, Georgia on 5th October 1833. He was the seventh child of Elihu WILSON and Catherine TULLOS, and the grandson of "Captain" James WILSON (abt 1740 - 1825) (RS) of Effingham. Eli’s siblings were; Caroline WILSON (1816-1893), Henry James WILSON (1818-1861), Elihu, Jr. WILSON (1821-unk), John Berrian WILSON (1823-abt 1845), Ann Elizabeth WILSON (1825-aft 1847), Stephen Alfred WILSON (1829-1897), Andrew James WILSON(1838-1886), Laura WILSON (abt 1839- aft 1850). 

On October 21, 1854 Eli Wesley married Sarah Jane DAVIS, daughter of Richard DAVIS and Elizabeth PORTER, in Effingham County, Georgia. According to family tradition Sarah Jane was from "the Black Swamp District" of South Carolina. Sarah's brother Benjamin James DAVIS would marry Eli Wesley’s oldest sister, Caroline WILSON, and her sister, Laura S. DAVIS, would marry Eli’s brother Captain Stephen Alfred WILSON.

Eli Wesley and Sarah settled near the rest of his family in Effingham County. Their first child, Caroline Elizabeth WILSON, was born there on 7th December 1855. Daughters Laura Ann WILSON, 20 Dec 1857, Isabella "Belle" Drucilla WILSON, 28 Nov 1858, and Emma Jane WILSON, 31 Oct 1860, were to join the family Effingham in the years leading up to the Civil War. Emma Jane died at four months of age on 28 Feb 1861. 

At the start of the Civil War Eli Wesley, Sarah Jane and their three daughters, were living in Effingham County. Eli was enlisted, in what would eventually become Company I, 5th Georgia Cavalry, by Captain J. Read, on 7th September 1861, in Savannah. He served though the duration of the War, being promoted to 1st Sergeant, and then busted to Private on 6th July 1864. During the War of the Rebellion, Eli Wesley and Sarah Jane increased their family with the addition of their first son. Benjamin Sterling WILSON was born on 6 Jan 1862, in Effingham Co.  

Sometime after the end of the Civil War, Eli Wesley, Sarah Jane and their children, would move to Washington County, Georgia. While the exact year of this move is unknown, the family was in Washington Co. by the Federal Census of 1870. The family continued to grow with Minnesota Arizona WILSON (9 Nov 1865- 29 Jan 1889), Julia Ellen WILSON (26 Nov 1867 - 18 Oct 1895), Marietta Talulah WILSON (29 Sep 1869- unk), James Osgood Andrew WILSON (14 Dec 1871- 1946), John Eli WILSON (8 Dec 1874- 6 Feb 1955), Ada Leona WILSON (23 Nov 1876 - 30 Dec 1961), Patrick Henry WILSON (28 Mar 1879 - 10 May 1949), Robert Elliot WILSON (23 Dec 1880 - 28 Dec 1880, and Alexander Hamilton WILSON (11 Mar 1883 - 9 Jun 1887). 

Eli Wesley farmed in Washington County. He and Sarah Jane were members of the Pleasant Springs United Methodist Church. Eli Wesley donated the land for the Church Cemetery. Eli Wesley, Sarah Jane and many of their children are buried in this cemetery. Sarah Jane (DAVIS) WILSON died in Washington Co., GA on 13 Apr 1904.  

Eli Wesley continued to live on the family farm with his children and their families. In early October 1913 the family group was readying a celebration for his 80th birthday. The day before the party Eli Wesley decided to clean the roof of his house. Eli slipped and fell, breaking his neck and died instantly (4 Oct 1913). The families gathered for a wake instead of a birthday.  [FAMILY RECORD FROM Jean Ann GILIBERTO]