James Givens FIELDS

                   James G. Fields was a tax collector for Union Co.,Ga.  He was physically handicapped and could not enlist in the Civil War. He was said to have been very patriotic, however, serving his country well at home.
A SHORT SKETCH OF JAMES G. FIELDS
James G. Fields, oldest son of Jesse Fields, was born in Buncombe County , North  Carolina on June 20th 1835. At the age of two years, his father moved to  Union County, Georgia near what is now Blairsville, where his father helped to  hew out the logs to build the first courthouse ever built in Union County.
At that time the Indians were thick all over the country  and his father  helped to round them up for their long trip to the Indian reservation -  then  the Indian territory - now Oklahoma.
He grew to manhood on the farm, acquiring  a good common school education,
At the age of 22 he married Miss Sarah Sparks, age 19. He and his young wife immediately went to work to build and feather  a nest they could call home and by hard work and close living they soon acquired their home.
On September 5th 1858 this home was brightened by the  birth of a son William, familiarly called Billy. The birth of this son  gladdened the hearts and added new energy to this young couple and for nearly  2 years this boy was the light of this household and the bright star in
their  lives.
On April 15, 1860 great joy again came to this young couple by the birth of another boy, Thomas, and on February 10, 1861, another boy was born -  Jesse Bartow. In this year
1861 the great Civil War broke out, but being crippled he did not have to enlist. He contributed great service to his  country in other ways
About this time he took interest in the merchants mill  and the carder that had been installed in the town with the mill. Here he  served the people by grinding their corn, wheat, and carded their wool,  looking after the welfare of them as best as he could.
On one occasion during  the war,he brought to his place some meat. A band of bushwhackers and outlaws  came and demanded the meat and threatened to kill him if he didn't give it up.  He had previous notice they were coming and he had moved to an old still
house up the river, consequently they searched every nook and corner of the  mill and his house, but failed to find him.
While serving as miller for the  public he got his first backset. He had bought the carder and was running it  as his own, and a great rise came in the Nettle River and washed the carder
away. He therefore lost all he had put into the enterprise but he was not to  be  discouraged. After that he placed his savings in a farm not far from  Blairsville and erected him a nice home, put in a nice orchard and that  stands and bears great abundance of fruit today to his memory.
While tending  the mill an incident happened worthy of mention. There being no foot log
or  any other way to cross the river, only by boat, two men, Jack and John Rich,
undertook to cross the mill pond in theirs boat, contrary to the advice of  him, the river being greatly swollen. waters tore the boat to pieces and they  were soon pounded to the bottom of the river. Although he was a cripple he  could not stand by and see these two men drown without making some effort to  save them so he plunged in and soon had them both on dry land. John Rich was  so far gone it was necessary to roll him across a barrel to get the water
out  of him and then he failed to come to life. After long efforts he did finally  revive and in after years when Jim Fields ran for county treasurer those same  men voted against him for the sake of their party, they being Republicans.
On  another occasion when he tried to cross the river himself, the boat got out of control and he drifted to the very edge of the mill dam, thereby giving  him a scare he never forgot.
On April 15th 1864 he had another boy born to  him - Roe - this making four boys and no girls. By this time he could see a great  future for help, but his wife did not see it that way. She had decided help  for her in her household duties were getting slim, she had become gloomy so  to speak but her heart was gladdened when on January 4th, 1866 there was born  to them a girl  - Martha. This added new life and new energy to this young  mother, and she fondly gathered this young babe to her breast and sang sweet  songs the angels loved to hear.
On April 19, 1868 this home was again  gladdened by the birth of another boy  - John. and on December 28, 1869 the fond  dreams of the mother were again rewarded with another girl Mary or Molly  as she was called. Again the tide turned and there was born to them four
boys  in succession, James Harley born January 31, 1871, Robert Lee, November 9th,  1873, Charley, September 27th, 1875 and Sam T., November 9th, 1877 and then  another girl, Emma, was born September 19, 1879.This was a Christian family  and he and his good wife belonged to the Baptist church and all his family  joined the church, and he and his good companion brought their family up in  the way they should go. He joined the Baptist church and was baptized 1875  and still lives in the faith. He is a Mason, joining the Allegheny Lodge at  Blairsville in the year 1885.
He served as a Coroner in Union for 4 years, having 2 cases. One was when Bill Townsen was stabbed to death and another when  John Freeman was killed by lightening. He served as Deputy County Treasurer  for 4 years and was elected to that office and served 12 years. He made an efficient county treasurer and only retired on account of poor health.
He was  a farmer and a mechanic. He ran a cabinet shop for many years and there are
now many pieces of furniture in use that he made.
He and his first wife lived  happily together for 48 years and in 1905 the greatest sorrow of his life came  to him when the death angel visited his home and took from him his dear
companion. As stated above she was a Christian woman and lived to raise all  her family of boys and girls to manhood and womanhood and knew they were all  Christians this being her prayer since the birth of her first child.
After  the death of his wife , his daughter Emma Lewis and her husband kept house  for him till he again married.
In 1903 he sold his home place near Blairsville  and moved to Oglethorpe county, where he and his wife lived till her death.  He then broke up housekeeping and now lives with his children at Arnoldsville  Georgia.
Each year they give him a birthday dinner and all the children and kinfolks are invited to attend. This is a day of rejoicing and happiness to  him, to again meet at one place, all his children and friends.
The writer of  this sketch had the pleasure of being at his last birthday dinner where  about 250 of his kin and friends were in attendance. The day was made a  delightful one
He is now rapidly approaching his 89th year, he can look back  to his boyhood days, where at that time the hills and valleys were dotted with Indian villages. He can see even now the savages roaming ore the hills  hunting deer , turkey and all kinds of game. They appeared peaceful , but were  just waiting to scalp the settlers. He can well remember the horrid
storied  of Indian raids on the settlers. Where once stood the Indian wigwam, now  stands schools and churches. He can well remember the early days of Georgia  where now and then there was a settlement, and the entire population was only  a few. He has lived to see great cities grow form small villages, railroads  where were once ox trails, telephones, where in his boyhood days, the only way  of carrying news was by courier. He has lived to see the advent to the  automobile which has brought good roads all over the country.
In his boyhood  days the only means of going to and from and moving fright was by ox
teams.  In his boyhood days there were only scattered settlements here and there in  the state but he lived to see this the Empire State of the South. He loves  the good old hills of North Georgia, where he lived more than 3 score years, and had the wings of the great eagle and could fly from the topmost peak of  Georgia (mount Enota) ore the snow-capped mountains ore the great valleys  of the growing golden grain and white fields of cotton,
He would say I love  the best, the good old hills of North Georgia
As stated above, he lives with  his children at Arnoldsville where he is well cared for in his old and infirm  days. This speaks well for his children, as no greater duty can any man  perform here, than takes care of, and look after the needs of their parents in their old days
He has living, 2 brothers, one half brother and 2 half sisters. He is the father of 12 children, 10 now living, 7 living close to him  and three in the west. He has 85 grandchildren and 81 great grandchildren.
The writer of this sketch wishes for him many more birthday dinners, many more  happy years and the blessings of God, the giver of all things good.  This the 5th day of January 1924.
Note: The writer of the sketch is unknown but the original sketch is in the possession of and was contributed by the following: Michelle Pits (Mchele1989@cs.com)  and Tonda Thomas (gregthomas@bluebonnet .net)  Some of the spelling has been edited. The grammer has not.