A Georgia man searching for his ancestors has found a treasure in Cleburne County. With the help of a cousin, Johnny Meeks, and a local resident, Mrs. Grace Smith, Marty Meeks has located what he believes to be the gravesite of his great-great-grandfather, Sidney Martin Meeks, in Ranburne at the Corinth Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. According to military records, Sidney was a private in Company B of the 13th Georgia Infantry Regiment during the War Between the States. The Meeks family is planning a dedication ceremony to recognize and commemorate their ancestor. A granite marker provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs in Washington has been received and will be placed on October 25 at 2:00 p.m. EST, 1 p.m. CST. Confederate re-enactors from Camp 107 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans organization from Griffin, Ga, will provide a color guard and rifle salute in period dress. Cleburne County itself was named for Patrick Cleburne, an Irishman that attained the rank of major general in the Confederate States Army. He was recognized as a skilled combat officer and distinguished himself in many battles. Sidney M. Meeks was born October 27, 1837, in Meriwether County, Ga and married Elizabeth Ivy there on October 28, 1858. Together they had nine children: Louisa, Sidney, Britton, Joe Henry, Walter A., James Franklin, Lenora, Andrew Jackson and Jack C. The families of Walter, Franklin, Andrew and Jack settled in the mid-eastern Alabama and mid-western Georgia area. Anyone having ties to this family is welcome to attend the dedication as well as others who may be interested. Sidney left his wife and year-old daughter to be mustered into the Confederate States Army at Griffin, Ga on July 8, 1861, and served in what is now West Virginia and on the Georgia coast. In 1862 the 13th Georgia was reorganized and transported by train to the Army of Northern Virginia. There the men from the “Meriwether Volunteers” served under General “Stonewall” Jackson and saw action at Cold Harbor, Manassas and Antietam. The 13th was placed under the command of General Jubal Early in 1863 and participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Sidney was wounded in August of 1863 and spent at least two months in Chimborazo and Jackson Hospitals in Richmond, Va. On July 9, 1864, he was again wounded during the battle of Monocacy, Maryland in the Confederate approach on Washington, D.C. He was sent home on wounded furlough and was unable to return to his unit in Virginia as General William T. Sherman and his army was marching across Georgia to the sea. Sidney is listed as a farmer and as being in the grocery business later in life. He is last shown in the 1910 Federal Census living with his youngest son, Jack, in Coweta County, Ga. He died on April 10, 1918, at nearby Newell in Randolph County. “Genealogy is a great hobby and pastime,” says Marty, “computers and the information available on the Internet really help.” He adds, “I’ve also had the privilege to meet quite a few new cousins and make many new friends.” Meeks said a great source of information is the regional branch of the National Archives located in East Point, Ga, a suburb of Atlanta. There is no charge to view the records kept there and the volunteer staff is very helpful. A Federal Census has been taken every 10 years since 1790 and the lists for every state are kept there. Military records are available and order forms can be downloaded from government sites on the Internet. State archives are a good source of regional records and what is available varies from state to state. Local courthouses and vital records departments provide land records along with birth, marriage and death records. Alabama began requiring death certificates in 1909 while Georgia didn’t record them uniformly statewide until 1919. A properly filled out death certificate gives a great deal of information such as birth date and place, parents names including mother’s maiden name and sometimes the length of stay at their residence at time of death. Betty Jones, former director at the Lucile Morgan Public Library in Heflin was instrumental in helping Marty locate the gravesite of his great-grandfather, James Franklin, or, as he was known locally, “Preacher” Meeks. Joyce Dryden, present director of the library, maintains a very helpful genealogy section that includes books, microfilm and old newspapers. “The easiest place to find information might just be the best place to start looking for your family. The memories of our senior citizens are irreplaceable and the recollections of our parents and grandparents are truly a treasure to be preserved,” adds Meeks.
