Henry was the 8th son of Alexander Goodby Middleton and his wife Mary (Polly) Townsend Middleton. He was born in the house that Alex built in 1819 in what is today Long County Ga. The house is still standing and is located on Hwy 57 midway between Townsend and Ludowici Ga. At the time of Henry's birth the area was part of McIntosh County.

Henry H. Middleton enlisted in Capt. O. C. Hopkins Company of the 1st Battalion Georgia Cavalry in Sep 1862. He transferred to Company K, 5th Georgia Cavalry Regiment, on 20 Jan 1863. On 24 Jan 1863, he was discharged by order of General Beauregard for a unnamed disability. (This discharge action was done with Henry's brother-in-law Barney Murray on the same date).

According to records I found in the Long County Courthouse, Charles Lawson Middleton Jr. (his nephew) was appointed administrator of his estate. I have long pondered why someone, other than one of his many living children, was appointed to such a role. The answer may be found in the prevalence of illiteracy among his children as evidenced by a census report that showed nearly none of them could read or write.

THE SPOUSES OF HENRY H. MIDDLETON

Family geneologist Beth Bland Engel says that Henry married Martha Highsmith first and Amarintha Deal second. She gives no date for either marriage. Geneologist Folks Huxford echos the order of the wives, but he adds the fact that Henry married Elizabeth M. Highsmith on Jan 12, 1861.

Neither woman's grave has been located.


THE MISSING CHILDREN OF HENRY H MIDDLETON

Henry had four other children (by Amarintha Deal) whose graves I cannot conclusively locate. It is probable they inhabit the four unmarked graves that are next to Henry on his right side. They were:

Johanna Villila Middleton, born about 1866.
Charles F. Middleton, born about 1868.
Lucinda Hibby Middleton, b. 1869 - d. 1924
Dora Middleton, born about 1874

All these children were living at the time of the 1880 census, but (with the exception of Lucinda) that is the last point where any of them appear in any records.

UPDATE:

The 1870 census of Wayne County GA lists a previously unknown Middleton child in the household of Martha's sister Gatesy Highsmith Ammons. She is 8 year-old Ellen Middleton. There is also 6 year-old Middleton Cope. Ellen appears again as the 19 year-old granddaughter in the household of Indiana Highsmith. In 1882 a Wayne County Marriage license shows M. Ellen Middleton marrying James B Lyons. I believe Ellen is the only child Henry had with Martha E Highsmith. All the remainder of his children were born by Amarintha Elizabeth Deal. The Cope boy appears in the 1880 census as Benjamin Cope.

UPDATE 2:
The discovery of a death certificate for Lucinda P Rozier that confirms her parentage and place of burial ends the search for her fate. It is still a mystery which of the four "rock marked" graves is hers, or if her grave is completely unmarked. See the link for her FAG page below.