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Where: 33.09877 -84.35633 Austin Dabney grave

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• 33.09877 -84.35633 Austin Dabney grave
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Sources:

• Harris Cemetery (FindaGrave): N 33.09877, W -84.35633. Basis for location.

• Britton, E.H., ed., , The Southern Quarterly Review From "Making of America".
  "Domestic Histories of the South", Volume 5, Issue 10, Columbia, S.C. April 1852. Look for the story of Austin Dabney, free black incorrectly reported as wounded at Kettle Creek. Also, found here.

• Robert Scott Davis, article: "The Kettle Creek Battlefield", SCAR n/l V3N2, p.36:

  Former Georgia governor George Rockingham Gilmer started this trend with his published parable, in 1851, of how slave Austin Dabney had been awarded a pension, land, and his freedom for having been disabled by a wound in the Battle of Kettle Creek. Records recently discovered in the National Archives show, however, that Dabney actually received his wound in Augusta in May 1782.

• Biography (FindaGrave). Repeats erroneous account of having been wounded at Kettle Creek.

• American Revolution Association:
  • Austin Dabney SAR Black Patriot Grave Marking Ceremony Zebulon, Pike County, GA. - January 30, 2010
  • "Comments by Professor Robert Scott Davis on Austin Dabney"

    Austin Dabney was a true product of these times although that fact has only been fully appreciated in modern scholarship. As a mulatto belonging to Richard Aycock, he was wounded and permanently disabled fighting for the American cause in Augusta on 25 May 1782 under a Captain Barber and Col. Elijah Clarke. With Clarke’s support, the state of Georgia purchased Dabney and emancipated him in 1786. The state also, uniquely for an African-American, bestowed upon him land grants in 1784 and 1821, as well as a state pension. The United States government later took over the disability pension. ... Austin Dabney supported himself as a small farmer, slave owner, race horse owner, and businessman before his death, by September 1830 in Pike County.

• Austin Dabney record. Georgia SAR. Coordinates for headstone are incorrectly shown as near Roanoake AL. Should be 33.09877, -84.35633 (map), consistent with directions provided:

  Three quarter mile from Zebulon courthouse on Hwy 18W. Turn left on Pope St. for one-half mile. Pope St. turns right on crushed grave l road through locked gate for three-quarter miles to grave site located on West side of a Georgia Power line fire break. Cemetery is on private property owned by Giles Harris/Samuel Mitchell descendants.

• Image purportedly of Austin Dabney

• Image of 1821 land grant to Austin Dabney. Also, here.

• 3 images of documents relating to Austin Dabney from Georgia's Virtual Vault.
  • Act Emancipating Austin Dabney, 14 August 1786 (good image)
  • Act for the Relief of Austin Dabney, 14 May 1821 (poor image)
  • Dabney, Austin, Petition for Land Grant, 1784 (good image)

• From Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia Passed at Milledgeville at a Special Session in April and May, 1821. . Printed by Grantland & Orme, 1821. p.20-21.

  AN ACT

  For the relief of Austin, otherwise called Austin Dabney, a Freeman of colour.

  WHEREAS, by an act of the General 'Assembly of the state of Georgia, passed on the fourteenth day of August, 1786, it is stated that the said Austin, during the revolution, instead of advantaging himself of the times to withdraw himself from the American lines and enter with the majority of his color and fellow-slaves in the service of his Britannic Majesty, and his officers and vassals, did voluntarily enrol himself in some one of the corps under the command of Col. Elijah Clark, and in several actions and engagements behaved against the common enemy with a bravery and fortitude which would have honored a freeman; 'and in one of which engagements he was severely wounded and rendered incapable of hard servitude; and policy as well as gratitude,- demand a return for such services and behavior from the Commonwealth; and it was further stated in said act, that, said Austin "should be entitled to the annuity allowed by this state, to wounded and disabled soldiers." And the said Austin having petitioned the Legislature for some aid in his declining years, and this body considering him an object entitled to the attention and gratitude of the state he has defended, and in whose service he has been disabled;
  Sec. 1. BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the same,
  That the lot or fraction of land situate, lying and being in the county of Walton, in the first district, and known and distinguished by number two hundred and eighty four, containing one hundred and twelve acres, be the same more or less, be and the same hereby is conveyed and transferred to the said Austin during the period of the natural life of him the said Austin Dabney.
  Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Austin Dabney be, and he is hereby entitled to a plat for the same.
  Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the lot and number above named is, and shall be exempted from the contemplated sale of Fractions in said county, authorized by an act at the annual session, of the Legislature, in the year 1820.
  

  DAVID WITT,
  Speaker of the House of Representatives,
  MATTHEW TALBOT,
  President of the Senate

  Assented to, 16th May, 1821.

  JOHN CLARK, Governor.

• The above is from the officially printed version. It differed in minor respects from the original handwritten version, linked above, and is transcribed more accurately here by Will Graves at Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters

• [Partial version of the immediately preceding]
  Act for the Relief of Austin Dabney, 14 May 1821
  Poor images retrievable above from "Georgia's Virtual Vault".
  Preamble as transcribed in White, George, Statistics of the State of Georgia, Published 1849 W. Thorne Williams, p.407-408.
  

  Whereas, by an act. of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia, passed on the fourteenth day of August, 1786, it is stated that the said Austin Dabney during the Revolution, instead of advantaging himself of the, terms to withdraw himself from the American lines and enter with the majority of his colour and fellow-slaves in the service of his Britannic Majesty and his officers and vassals, did voluntarily enrol himself in some one of corps under the command of Colonel Elijah Clarke, and in several actions and engagements behaved against the enemy with a bravery and fortitude which would have honoured a freeman, and in one of which, engagements he was severely wounded, and rendered incapable of hard servitude; and policy and gratitude demand a return for such service and behaviour, from the Commonwealth; and it was further stated in said act that said Austin should be entitled to the annuity allowed by this State to wounded and disabled soldiers; and the said Austin having petitioned the Legislature for some aid in his declining years; and this body considering him an object entitled to the attention and gratitude of the State.

• Another quote from White's book, p.408, immediately following the above

  At the election for members of the Legislature the year after; the county of Madison was distracted by the animosity and strife of an Austin Dabney and an Anti-Austin Dabney party. Many of the people were highly incensed that a mulatto negro should receive a gift of the land which belonged to the freemen of Georgia.

• White, George, Statistics of the State of Georgia, Published 1849 W. Thorne Williams. Suggested by article by Robert Scott Davis, "General John Twiggs of Georgia", in SCAR newsletter Vol.3 No.12, December 2006.

• Report from the Secretary of War..., pensions, 1935.
  

• Elliott, Dan, ed. Stirring up a Hornet's Nest. Pages 84-85, 163.

• Scott, Carole E., "One of Georgia's Black Revolutionary War Patriots"

Related locations:
Kettle Creek, 14 Feb 1779,   Augusta GA

Confidence level:: 5