Isaac Bridgman

My great-great grandfather, Isaac Bridgman, was born 1811, in Wythe County, Virginia.    He was the eldest son of William Bridgman and Mariam Brown.

About 1820, William Bridgman moved his family from Wythe County, Virginia, to Campbell County, Tennessee.     Isaac grew up in Campbell County.

Isaac married my great-great grandmother, Jane Butler, about 1834, in Campbell County.     Jane was born February 26, 1815, in Virginia, the daughter of Taliaferro Butler and Mary "Polly" Miller.

Isaac is mentioned often in the Campbell County, Tennessee, court records.    He served often on the Circuit Court jury.     He also worked from 1838 until early 1841 as overseer of road work in part of Campbell County.     Isaac was also a farmer.

Isaac's father died about July 1840.    Apparently after his father's death, Isaac was required to spend more time farming.     In early 1841, Isaac resigned from his job as road overseer and turned his full attention to farming.

In 1849, Isaac and Jane left Campbell County, Tennessee.     Isaac's brother, Benjamin Franklin Bridgman, had settled in Marion County, Tennessee, just prior to 1840, and was operating a dry goods store there.    (Marion County is located along the Tennessee and Georgia state line.)     We believe that Isaac's family visited for a time with his brother's family before settling a few miles across the Tennessee and Georgia state line in Walker County, Georgia, where Isaac resumed his occupation of farming.     Eight children were born to Isaac and Jane in Campbell County, Tennessee, and four more were born after settling in Walker County.

The 1850 Walker County, Georgia, census shows the family in West Chickamauga Township, near Rock Spring.     The census shows Isaac, age 39, a farmer, born in Virginia; Jane, age 36, born in Virginia; and children William, 14; Mary, 12; Franklin, 11; John, 9; Howard, 7; James, 5; Eliza, 4; and Thomas, 2, all born in Tennessee.     They were living next door to Jane's parents.

Isaac Bridgman died in August 1859, in Walker County.     His death is recorded in The Georgia 1860 Mortality Schedule, compiled by Ronald Vern Jackson.    The book shows: "Isaac Bridgman of Walker Co, GA, age 49 years, male, died August 1859 from overheat; born in VA; occupation: farmer."     Isaac is probably buried in either Barron Cemetery or Chickamauga Cemetery, in Walker County.

Jane appears on the 1860 Walker County, Georgia, census at Rock Spring Post Office.    She is listed as a widow, age 46.     Listed with her on the census are her children Franklin D., age 21; John F., age 19; Howard, age 17; James E., age 15; Annie L., age 14; Thomas W., age 12; Miller C., age 9; Lucinda J., age 7; and Emily H., age 3 years.    Jane's real property is valued at $3500 and her personal property at $6500.     Living near Jane was her oldest child, William, and his family.     Also living near-by was her father, listed as Toliver Butler, and her brother Miller Creed Butler.     Isaac's sister and brother-in-law, Mary B. and Sampson David were also living nearby. 

Isaac and Jane's daughter Mary Catherine Stanfield and her husband Joseph Lafayette Stanfield died in 1861 from Yellow Fever.     Jane took their only child to raise.     Jane died the following year. 

Steve Strickland provided me with the following information: "Jane is supposed to have gone after one of the boys (can't remember if it was John or Howard) who was in the CSA and ill, she brought him home, nursed him, then became ill herself and died."  

We found the following record of her son John Bridgman:  J. Bridgman, Private, Co. E, 39 Regiment Georgia Confederate Infantry appears on Regimental Return of the 39 Regiment Georgia Confederate Infantry for the month of July 1862.     Alterations since last return among the enlisted men: Date: July 3, 1862; Place: Camp Hatton; Remarks: Died.      If the information Steve provided is accurate, it was John that Jane went after, but from this record it seems John died before Jane arrived.     She may have taken his body home for burial.     (John's younger brother Howard Bridgman enlisted in 1863, the year following Jane's death.     Howard died in a POW camp in 1864.)     

Jane died October 27, 1862, at her home at Pond Spring near Chickamauga.     She is probably buried with Isaac in the Barron Cemetery or Chickamauga Cemetery, in Walker County.

After Jane's death her son Franklin David Bridgman and his wife stayed at the home place for a time with the younger children.     The younger children soon married or went to live with other family members.

Children of Isaac Bridgman and Jane Butler

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