Thomas-Talbot County GaArchives Biographies.....Hight, Thomas J.

THOMAS J. HIGHT. Among Thomas county citizens few have, been more popularly
known than Thomas J. Hight, who for a number of years rendered the county
efficient service in the office of sheriff and has been a resident of the county
for many years, now living retired at Boston.

Mr. Hight was born on a farm in Barbour county, Alabama, August 29, 1852. His
father, Felix Franklin Hight, was born in Talbot county, Georgia, in 1817. The
grandfather was Howell Hight, a native of Scotland, where the name was spelled
McHight. At an early age Howell Hight, being left an orphan, made his way to
America with a family named Cole, who settled in Georgia, and after his arrival
here he simplified his name to its present form. He was reared to habits of
industry, and after growing to manhood commenced a successful career as farmer
in Talbot county, this state, where he acquired a large farm, having a number of
slaves to operate it, and where he resided until his death. He reared a large
family of children.

Felix Franklin Hight, the father, when a young man moved to Alabama, where he
was an overseer on the plantation of Reuben E. Brown in Tallapoosa county. Later
he bought land in Barbour county and conducted it with the aid of slave labor.
In 1862 he joined the cavalry forces under General Joe Wheeler, and under that
gallant leader participated in many of the hard-fought battles of the war. At
its close he resumed farming and the raising of cattle, horses and hogs. He sold
his farm in Barbour county in 1868 and bought a farm near Troy, in Pike county,
where he lived until 1874, in which year he sold out and moved to Texas, where
he bought a large tract of land and was engaged in farming and stock raising
until his death in 1887. He was three times married. His first wife was Jane
Padget, who died leaving two children, Robert Howell and Martha J. He married,
second, Delilah Stuart, who was born in Barbour county, a daughter of Thomas and
Jane (Lee) Stuart, and she died in 1862, leaving eight children, namely: Thomas
J., Lorana Jane, Elizabeth, Josephine, John Alexander, Louise, Felix Franklin
and Nathaniel W. His third wife was Elizabeth Stuart, a twin sister of his
second wife. At her death in 1885 she left one daughter, named Roberta May.
Robert Howell, the oldest son, enlisted at the first call for troops in Alabama
in the First Alabama Regiment, and after serving the term of twelve months and
being discharged, immediately re-enlisted in Company I of the Third Alabama
Infantry. The regiment was in the Army of the Tennessee, under Generals Bragg,
Johnston and Hood, in the battles of the Atlanta campaign, was with Hood about
Nashville, and finally went to North Carolina. After the surrender at Greensboro
he returned home.

Thomas J. Hight was reared and educated in his native state and remained on
the farm until the age of twenty, when he became clerk in a store in Coffee
county, Alabama, continuing at that one year. Then for two years he was employed
at sawmilling in that state, and after a year spent in farming in Pike county
came to Georgia and was a farmer in Boston district seven years. His next
experience was as baggage master on what is now the Coast Line Railway, his run
being from Waycross to Chattahoochee, Florida. Ill health compelled him to give
up this occupation after a year, and he located at Boston. For fourteen years he
served as the town marshal, after which for two years he was in railroad
construction work. Mr. Hight was then chosen by the voters of Thomas county to
the important office of sheriff, and he discharged the functions of that
position eight years. Since leaving office he has lived retired in Boston.

At the age of twenty Mr. Hight was married to Mrs. Laura (Rembert) Dekel. She
was a daughter of Caleb Rembert, Jr., and granddaughter of Caleb Rembert, Sr.,
the latter having been an extensive planter with an estate about twenty-five
miles from Charleston, South Carolina. Mrs. Right's first husband was Mathew
Dekel. Mr. and Mrs. Hight have reared four children, Beulah, Sarah Elizabeth,
Margaret L. and Thomas W. Beulah, who married Sterling Kingsley, died leaving
two children, George Thomas and Georgie Louise, who now live with their
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Hight. Sarah Elizabeth married J. B. Daniel, and has
five children, named Emmett W., Annie L., Sarah, Hight and Emily. Margaret L. is
the wife of R. Jones and has two children, William W. and Margaret C. Thomas W.
married Minnie Jones and they are the parents of one son, Thomas W., Jr. Mr.
Hight and wife are members of the Methodist church, South; he is a Democrat in
politics and is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World.

Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913

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