GEDDIE PHOTO ALBUM 4

Thomas was in Captain William's Company of Light Infantry in March, 1779. In July 1779, the Light Infantry companies of the 1st and 2nd NC Regiments were an important part of the assault on the British fort at Stoney Point, NY. The NC Light Infantry companies were commanded by Major Hardee Murfee of the 2nd NC Regiment. They were to make a diversionary frontal attack on the fort while the main columns, using only bayonet, attacked the fort from the flanks. In less than half an hour the fort was taken. The British lost 63 killed, 70 wounded, and 543 taken prisoner. American losses were light with only 15 killed and 83 wounded.

After Stoney Point, the NC Regiments were stationed on Constitution Island in the Hudson River at West Point. As it became clear the British would make the southern colonies their next objective, the NC Brigade was ordered south in November 1779. Marching in bitter winter, with snow at times three feet deep, the NC Brigade reached Charleston, SC on March 3, 1780. The British army laid siege to the city. After two months, and with no hope of relief, General Lincoln surrendered the city to the British. Over 5000 men of the colonies southern army were taken prisoner by the British. This included all the NC Continental Line Regiments then in the field.

NB- It isn't known if this Thomas Geddy is the brother of James Daniel Geddie, who was also in Wilmington NC during the 1770's and also fought in the Revolution. It is a strong possibility, as variants of surname spellings were common in this period.

The Rev. Daniel Clark Geddie was b.10/4/1859 in Cumberland Co., NC and d.1/30/1913 in Raleigh, NC. He was a Methodist Circuit Preacher. Daniel was married on January 25, 1888, to Leanna Melissa Maxwell, b.June 21, 1868 in Sampson, NC and d.11/13/1966 in NC.

Following are excerpts from an 1854 letter sent by Mary Margaret
McPhail, wife of James Alexander (Tar Heel Jim) Geddie, to her
sister in North Carolina. Mary Margaret and James were one of
the first Geddie families to settle in Van Zandt County, Texas. Their
farm was in Owlet Green near Van.

July 14, 1854

I expect you would like to know something about our getting land. Brother Thomas (McPhail) bought a claim of 320 acres and gave $150 for it. There were two cabins on it, and some rails split. Daniel (McPhail) lives one mile from his father and has 160 acres of land. James (Alexander Geddie) and brother Archibald (McPhail) have 521 acres run off . Archibald (McPhail) is living with us. Brother Thomas is the only one in moderate health. He has trouble with a pain In his head and with weakness. The rest of the family are well. James Allen (son) is working with a man in Smith County, 15 miles from here and gets $15 a month. He commenced with him the eighth day of March and expects to work with him for four months. We have 12 or 14 acres of land broken up and were ready for planting the first of May and then the rain set in and has continued so long that it is too late to make a crop... This settlement ls improving since we came up here from Cherokee County... We have organized a church by having Mr. King over from Smith County and also we have a Sabbath School... Our horse died last Spring that we bought in Mississippi and T.R. McPhail's mare died that he bought from us. There are splendid crops in Cherokee where we lived last year. Last winter we sold corn for 50 cents per bushel, and now we are paying $1 per bushel for it. We give five cents per pound of pork... Archibald sold Webster, a slave, for a yoke of steers. William, if you were here you could have the chance of killing deer... Your Uncle Archibald has killed eight deer in Texas. Your Uncle Thomas and James McMillan killed two deer in one night and your Uncle Thomas killed two more the same week...

As printed in the GeddieGram, May 1999
A News Letter for the Geddie Clan, Editor: P. A. Geddie
(The full letter is found in Henry L. (Jack) Geddie's THE FAMILIES GEDDIE-MCPHAIL)
Additional citation courtesy MARY MARGARET MCPHAIL & JOHN GEDDIE, Feb. 2008

The first Geddie's to settle in Van Zandt County, Texas, James Alexander and his wife Mary Margaret McPhail (1806-1874) traveled by covered wagon in 1850 from Cumberland County, NC, making stops in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi along the way. He and Mary Margaret rest in the Geddie Cemetery of Owlet Green.

Parents of Lawrence Ray, Gary Don, and Debra Ann Geddie. Floyd Ray Geddie was born on October 7th, 1923 in Owlet Green (Van Zandt County) Texas, died February 22nd, 1996 in Tyler, Texas. He was the grandson of "Tar Heel" Jim Geddie and the son of Tommie Dougald and Pearl Ann Hale Geddie. He married Bernice Lee Stroud in Dallas, Texas on June 11, 1942. She was the youngest child of Matthew and Leonie Mollie Reynolds Stroud of Colfax, Texas. Bernice was born on June 26, 1926 in Colfax and died December 11, 1991 in Tyler, Texas. Ray and Bernice are the grandparents of Bryan Ray, Laura Christine and Hannah Lee Geddie and Deanna Elaine Geddie Adams.

W. H. (Andy) Anderson, grandfather of Bryan Ray and Laura Christine Geddie, paints the creator of BATMAN, Bob Kane. Portrait Artist Wilho Harold (Ehrolla) Anderson b. Helsinki, Finland, 1909-d. Statesboro, Georgia 1998.