Joel Heard Babb was born in Greene County, GA, (some records say in Putnam County), the third child born to William Babb, Jr. and Susannah Heard. He was one of the pioneers to move to what is now Whitfield County, GA, settling in the Mill Creek area.
Inscription from Historical Marker at the site of Joel's original homestead:
BABB'S SETTLMENT Ante-bellum domain of Joel Babb (1809-1882) on Mill Creek, foot of Rocky Face at Dug Gap. May 8, 1864, 1 A.M. Col. W.C.P. Breckinridge's 9th KY, Grigsby's Brigade, Wheeler's Cav. descended from Dug Gap and patrolled the roads N and W to ascertain if any Federals were there. By 1:30 P.M. Breckinridge found Dogwood Valley swarming with Federals, a brigade of which in support of Kilpatrick's Cav. was enroute to Villanow. Later the 9th KY confronted by 2 brigades, Geary's Div., 20th A.C., moving E. was forced to retreat to Dug Gap. Geary reaching this vicinity at 3 P.M., deployed his 2 brigades for the storming of Dug Gap.
Joel's first wife was Rachel Goodwin, who was 12 years older than he, as she was born in Virginia in 1797. Joel and Rachel had 8 children:
Susan Caroline Babb
Arrena Babb
John Newton Babb
Selena Lary Jane Babb
William Jefferson Babb
Joel Goodwin Babb
Georgiana Alice Babb
Francis Marion Babb
After Rachel's death in October 1859, Joel married again only a month later, 22 Nov 1859, to a much younger woman, Mary Achord McDonald, born in 1829 in Bradley County, TN.(Some records say he married Mary on 1 Dec 1859.) Joel and Mary had three daughters:
Marietta E. Babb
Martha Lucinda Babb
Sarah Louise Babb
Joel died at Mill Creek on 22 Feb 1882 and is buried in the Mill Creek Cemetery. He was killed when the tree he was chopping down (at age 72!) fell on him.
Joel Heard Babb was born in Greene County, GA, (some records say in Putnam County), the third child born to William Babb, Jr. and Susannah Heard. He was one of the pioneers to move to what is now Whitfield County, GA, settling in the Mill Creek area.
Inscription from Historical Marker at the site of Joel's original homestead:
BABB'S SETTLMENT Ante-bellum domain of Joel Babb (1809-1882) on Mill Creek, foot of Rocky Face at Dug Gap. May 8, 1864, 1 A.M. Col. W.C.P. Breckinridge's 9th KY, Grigsby's Brigade, Wheeler's Cav. descended from Dug Gap and patrolled the roads N and W to ascertain if any Federals were there. By 1:30 P.M. Breckinridge found Dogwood Valley swarming with Federals, a brigade of which in support of Kilpatrick's Cav. was enroute to Villanow. Later the 9th KY confronted by 2 brigades, Geary's Div., 20th A.C., moving E. was forced to retreat to Dug Gap. Geary reaching this vicinity at 3 P.M., deployed his 2 brigades for the storming of Dug Gap.
Joel's first wife was Rachel Goodwin, who was 12 years older than he, as she was born in Virginia in 1797. Joel and Rachel had 8 children:
Susan Caroline Babb
Arrena Babb
John Newton Babb
Selena Lary Jane Babb
William Jefferson Babb
Joel Goodwin Babb
Georgiana Alice Babb
Francis Marion Babb
After Rachel's death in October 1859, Joel married again only a month later, 22 Nov 1859, to a much younger woman, Mary Achord McDonald, born in 1829 in Bradley County, TN.(Some records say he married Mary on 1 Dec 1859.) Joel and Mary had three daughters:
Marietta E. Babb
Martha Lucinda Babb
Sarah Louise Babb
Joel died at Mill Creek on 22 Feb 1882 and is buried in the Mill Creek Cemetery. He was killed when the tree he was chopping down (at age 72!) fell on him.
