Meshack Teal: Hanged for Murder
Sometimes, when I'm researching my family I come across some really interesting things. Sometimes, those interesting things send me down rabbit holes and I learn way more than expected.
While researching my paternal grand-mother's line, I happened upon a fourth great-grandfather who got himself into a bit of trouble that, despite his efforts, he couldn't get himself out of.
Meshack Teal, Jr., born around 1820 in North Carolina, was the sone of Meshack Teal, Sr., and a woman whose name has yet to reveal itself.
He married Naomi Hattaway (the last name McGafford is also listed for her - perhaps Meshack was her second husband?) in 1845, when we was 25 years old.
According to documents I've come across, Meshack and a man named Robert Northcutt got into a confrontation.
According to witnesses, on July 30, 1855 at Northcutt's home in Campbell County, Georgia (never heard of Campbell County? It doesn't exists anymore - more on that in a minute) Meshack approached the yard with a rifle that he had borrowed from Northcutt.
Robert and his wife, Mary, along with some of their children, were sitting just inside the door of the house when Meshack said "Bob, come our here, I want to talk to you." According to testimony given by Mary (Robert's wife), Meshack spoke "loud and appeared to be angry".
Robert responded by said "Shack Teal I want you to go away from here". "Oh, no, I want you to come out here," was the reply.
Mary said that Robert put down the child he was holding and began walking toward Meshack. Half way to where Meshack was standing, Robert turn around, went back inside the house, and retrieved a gun.
Robert once again told Meshack to leave. Mary, who was still inside (putting a baby to bed) heard a gunshot. When she got outside Meshack was not to be seen and when she asked Robert what he was going he replied "he killed me". I'm assuming at this point Robert had been shot but was still alert since he spoke to his wife. Mary asked Robert if he could get inside without her assistance. Seems odd to me, but okay.... Mary says that then she ran to Mr. Cook's house (who lived about half a mile away). She says that she passed Meshack on her way and when she told him that he killed Mr. Northcutt he replied that he expected that he had, that he had shot him, and he expected that he had killed him.
The below image is a a copy of part of the testimony of Robert's son, Joseph. I was only able to find on page of it so, the ending is missing but it at least gives us an idea about how this fiasco started.
During those 11 years, they had five children: Nancy Ann Elizabeth, Malissa, Keturah Frances (my third great-grandmother), John, and James Russell. The youngest, James, was only two (possibly three) when Meshack was executed.
Now, let's talk about Campbell County. I've lived in Georgia all my life and had never heard of Campbell County. So, on to Google I went.
Here's what I found: Campbell County was a county in Georgia from 1828 until 1931. It was created from land taken from Fayette, Coweta, Carroll, and DeKalb counties. The Cherokee Land Lottery of 1832 also added to the county.
The county was named for Duncan G. Campbell, one of the US Commissioners responsible for the Treaty of Indian Springs.
Originally, the county seat was Campbellton but, when the Atlanta & West Point Railroad began to plan its route, town residents said "no" due to noise concerns. Tracks were laid through Fairburn instead. Fairburn flourished while Campbellton died out; Fairburn became the new county seat in 1870.
Soon after, the northwestern half of Campbell County became Douglas County. The remainder of Campbell County was ceded to Fulton Count at the end 1931, after Campbell County went bankrupt.
Ivey - Teal
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