JUDGE JAMES CASTLEBERRY

Data furnished by Judge J. V. Castleberry of Lumpkin and Mrs. Meta Castleberry
Cooksey of Omega, Ga.

    Judge Castleberry, youngest child of Jeremiah Castleberry (b. 1765) and his
second wife Mary Vineyard, was born in Putnam Co. Nov. 8, 1824. When he was a
boy his parents moved to the new county of Talbot which was laid out in December
1827 from original Muscogee Co. as surveyed in 1826.

    In this new county there were no educational advantages, so he attended
school for only about three months. But having a desire to learn he studied at
home and secured an education by hard work before the fireside. When about grown
he taught his first school at Tazewell, Marion Co., Ga.

    His son, Judge J. V. Castleberry recalls his father saying that when school
closed on a Friday afternoon, he called on all his patrons the following
Saturday morning, collected all tuition due him and walked back to his home in
Talbot Co. that night.

    Mrs. Cooksey says he taught in Harris Co. and then in Chattahoochee (while
it was yet part of Muscogee) where he met Susan Jane Cobb whom he married
January 11, 1852. Of the four children born to this union, viz: Mary Fredonia,
b. 1852, Laura McLester, b. 1854, Homer b. 1855 and Meta Lillian b. 1859, only
the youngest, Mrs. Meta Cooksey is living. She has often been called one of the
most remarkable women who has ever lived in this county. Her courage, patience
and piety make her a worthy representative of any family. After the death of her
mother when she was ten years of age, the household was under the care of
faithful old Mammy Kitty until her father married second in 1863 Mrs. Addie
Robinson (b. Aug. 16, 1842; d. June 11, 1911) the daughter of R. C. Patterson,
who at the age of fourteen had married Alex Robinson who died a few months after
this marriage.

    When her first trousseau was being made she was busily engaged in playing
with her dolls between fittings. After she became the wife of Judge Castleberry
a friend of the family describes her queenly appearance in any assemblage. One
of her daughters, (she was the mother of twelve children, eight of them living
to maturity—their names in Castleberry genealogy) Mrs. Nicholson, who recalls
the story about her mother's beloved dolls, says she was always regarded as a
queen in her home and that her father required all members of the family to
treat her with the homage due her.

   Judge Castleberry was elected ordinary of Chattahoochee Co. in the fall of
1860 and served until Jan. 1, 1873, having been defeated in the fall of 1872 by
Win. A. Farley, who served until Jan. 1, 1877. The offices of Ordinary and Clerk
of Superior Court having been combined, Judge Castleberry was elected to fill
both in fall of 1876 and remained in office until his death, Dec. 31, 1894, when
his son, J. V. Castleberry finished his unexpired term. In addition to the
duties of this office, he served part of the time as county school
superintendent; also looked after the roads and bridges, there being no county
commissioners in his day.

   As he was Ordinary when the War Between the States began, he did not serve as
a soldier, but had charge of a commissary and served by attending to his civil
duties.

    During the incumbency of Mr. Farley he taught school and, while teaching at
Cusseta before he held political office, it is said he carried a class (one of
them the late Dr. C. N. Howard C. S. Superintendent for about half a century)
higher than any other class was carried outside of a college. He was a hard
student and had the reputation of being the best educated man at that time in
Chattahoochee Co., for he could read Greek, Latin and other foreign languages as
well as a graduate of any college.

    Mrs. H. V. Miller has a letter written by her grandfather, Judge Castleberry
to Mr. James VanHorn, elucidating the fine points in a mathematical problem
which quite a number of educated men were discussing about that time. This
letter displays that same perfect penmanship which added lucidity to the records
copied through a long period of years by him while an official of Chattahoochee
county.

   Judge Castleberry was a deep thinker, a man of a quiet, unassuming
disposition and of sterling qualities of character. He was a loyal member of the
Baptist Church, as have been the majority of his descendants.

    His son, Judge James Vineyard Castleberry of Lumpkin, who has been Ordinary
of Stewart Co. since Jan. 1920 (he has been re-elected, his term to end Jan. 1,
1937) has followed in his father's footsteps in the care with which he
discharges the duties of his office.

    Only one member of this large family, Mrs. Cordie Castleberry Miller, now
resides in this county. Her versatility of gifts and efficiency in managing the
affairs of life are part of her inheritance from this1 talented ancestry.

    This family is said to be of Dutch-Irish descent and that the first emigrant
of the name who came to this country settled in Pennsylvania and bought a tract
of land where the city of Philadelphia now stands. Descendants moved south
through Virginia, and Mrs. Emma Nicholson says the three cornered cupboard which
was in their home in Cusseta, was brought from Virginia, when the family came to
Georgia. In 1830 the census returns show Jeremiah Castleberry and his family
living in Putnam Co., Ga. They moved to Talbot Co., soon afterwards, where he
died in 1837, and from thence came James Castleberry to found this family of
such exceptional merit in Chattahoochee. The numerous descendants scattered
throughout the South display the same fine traits of character worthy of
commendation wherever found.

Source:
HISTORY OF CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY, GEORGIA
By N. K. Rogers

Dedicated to

KASIHITA CHAPTER U. D. C.

and all worthy descendants of the County's first settlers.

Copyright 1933 by N. K. ROGERS

PRINTED   BY COLUMBUS OFFICE SUPPLY CO. COLUMBUS, GA.