ADONIA K. SMITH: A Revolutionary War legacy lives on in Polk County

On Sunday, Oct. 25, I attended a special ceremony at the Hubbard-Brooks Family Cemetery, tucked away in the woods on private property about five miles southwest of Rockmart. It is the final resting place of Private Micajah Brooks, the only known Revolutionary War veteran buried in Polk County. Brooks was born on Christmas Day in 1761 and died on June 15, 1862, at age 100. His long life stretched from the colonial era through the Revolutionary War and into the Civil War. A new marker, placed on the back of his gravestone, recognizes his military service in Georgia and South Carolina. kAm%96 z6??6D2H |@F?E2:? r92AE6C @7 E96 }2E:@?2= $@4:6EJ s2F89E6CD @7 E96 p>6C:42? #6G@=FE:@? DA@?D@C65 E96 46C6>@?J[ 2DD:DE65 3J E96 #@>6 r92AE6C @7 E96 $@?D @7 E96 p>6C:42? #6G@=FE:@?] s6D46?52?ED[ G6E6C2?D[ 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ >6>36CD 82E96C65 7@C E96 565:42E:@?] %96 6G6?E H2D @C:8:?2==J A=2??65 7@C ~4E] `_[ 3FE A@DEA@?65 F?E:= ~4E] ad 3642FD6 @7 :?4=6>6?E H62E96C]k^Am kAmr92AE6C #686?E sC] q6EDJ (2>A=6C H6=4@>65 2EE6?566D] %96 #6G] y] !2C #@4<>2CE’D %C@@A `f[ =65 3J pDD:DE2?E $4@FE>2DE6C y2D@? u2C>6C[ AC6D6?E65 E96 4@=@CD[ 2?5 yF=:2 |2=@?6J =65 E96 !=6586 @7 p==68:2?46] %@86E96C[ E96D6 @A6?:?8 >@>6?ED D6E 2 C6DA64E7F= 2?5 A2EC:@E:4 E@?6 7@C E96 46C6>@?J]k^Am kAm#@>6 $p# r92AE6C !C6D:56?E y677 z6==J H2D AC6D6?E[ 5C6DD65 :? #6G@=FE:@?2CJ (2C 2EE:C6 E92E 25565 2 G:G:5 9:DE@C:42= E@F49[ C642==:?8 E96 6C2 :? H9:49 qC@@256 E96 @442D:@? 6DA64:2==J >62?:?87F=]k^Am kAmpD 2 s627 A6CD@?[ x C6=:65 @? 2 42AE:@?:?8 2AA E@ 7@==@H E96 AC@8C2>[ 2=E9@F89 :E 5:5 ?@E 42AEFC6 6G6CJ H@C5] tG6? D@[ x 2AAC64:2E65 E96 D:8?:7:42?46 @7 E96 @442D:@?] (C:EE6? >2E6C:2=D 2?5 @?=:?6 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 27E6CH2C5 96=A65 7:== :? E96 82AD 2?5 566A6? >J F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 E96 9:DE@CJ 2?5 72>:=J 4@??64E:@?D C6AC6D6?E65 E96C6]k^Am kAm(2>A=6C =65 E96 F?G6:=:?8 2?5 AC6D6?E2E:@? @7 HC62E9D] %C@@A `f C6E:C65 E96 4@=@CD[ 7@==@H65 3J 2 C:7=6 D2=FE6 2?5 E96 D@F?5:?8 @7 “%2AD” 3J p>6C:42? {68:@? qC@H?\(C:89E !@DE `a] t5 qFC?=6J[ h_[ =65 E96 9@?@C 8F2C5’D A@CE:@? @7 E96 46C6>@?J] %FC?6C @776C65 E96 36?65:4E:@?[ 2?5 (2>A=6C 82G6 4=@D:?8 C6>2C@?J[ x G:D:E65 H:E9 >J 7C:6?5D z:>36C=J #:46 2?5 $92??@? |4v66] z:>36C=J :D 2 7:7E9\8C62E\8C2?552F89E6C @7 |:42;29 qC@@6 E92E D96 2?5 96C >@E96C 3@E9 42CCJ E96 >:55=6 ?2>6 qC@@<6 :? 9@?@C @7 E96:C 72>:=J’D qC@@2C<6C]k^Am kAmx H2D 2=D@ 8=25 E@ D66 vH6? w:?5>@? %2?E[ H9@ C646?E=J 2EE6?565 >J p${ 4=2DD 2E r2>A p?E:@49] $96 2EE6?565 H:E9 96C 2F?E[ #:E2 |2CE:?[ 2?5 96C 4@FD:?[ p??[ H9@ A2CE:4:A2E65 H:E9 %C@@A `f]k^Am kAmp 72>:=J 7C:6?5[ #@??:6 s:?8=6C[ 2=D@ 2EE6?565 3642FD6 9:D H:76[ '2?6DD2[ :D 2 56D46?52?E @7 |:42;29 qC@@6 E92E H96? D96 H2D c J62CD @=5[ D96 EC2G6=65 H:E9 96C >@E96C 7C@> pE=2?E2 E@ qF492?2? E@ G:D:E 96C 8C62E\8C2?572E96C[ t=:2D p=@?K@ (:=D@?] qJ E96?[ 2 DEC@<6 925 =67E 9:> 4@?7:?65 E@ 365 2?5 F?23=6 E@ DA62<] %9@F89 E96 G:D:E H2D 3C:67[ E96 >6>@CJ DE2J65 H:E9 96C[ @776C:?8 2 A6CD@?2= 4@??64E:@? E@ 2 72>:=J DE@CJ E92E 92D 366? A2DD65 5@H? E9C@F89 E96 86?6C2E:@?D]k^Am kAmx 2=D@ H2?E65 E@ >6?E:@? E92E +2?6 (] !F==:2>[ H9@ 4@>>6?E65 @? @?6 @7 >J u2463@@< A@DED 23@FE E96 qC@@:=J 9:DE@CJ[ D92C65 2 72>:=J 244@F?E] w6 D2:5 E92E |:42;29 2?5 9:D D@?\:?\=2H[ (@@5D@? wF332C5[ 3F:=E 2 9@FD6 7@C (@@5D@? 2?5 |:42;29’D 52F89E6C[ }2?4J[ E@ =:G6 :?] %96 244@F?E @776C65 2 8=:>AD6 @7 |:42;29’D =:76 36J@?5 >:=:E2CJ D6CG:46 2?5 :?E@ 9:D 6G6CJ52J C@=6 2D 2 72E96C 56G@E65 E@ 9:D 72>:=J]k^Am kAm(2=<:?8 2>@?8 E96 46>6E6CJ’D 8C2G6D[ x E9@F89E @7 E96 G@=F?E66CD 2?5 @C82?:K2E:@?D H9@D6 677@CED 96=A AC6D6CG6 !@=< r@F?EJ’D 9:DE@C:4 3FC:2= 8C@F?5D] %96:C H@C< 56D6CG6D C64@8?:E:@? 7@C AC@E64E:?8 E96D6 DA64:2= A=246D[ H96C6 72>:=:6D 42? 5:D4@G6C E96:C C@@ED 2?5 7FEFC6 86?6C2E:@?D 42? =62C? 23@FE E9@D6 H9@ 42>6 367@C6 E96>]k^Am kAmx =67E E96 46>6E6CJ 8C2E67F= 7@C E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ DE2?5 36D:56 |:42;29 qC@@2C<6C 9@?@CD 9:D #6G@=FE:@?2CJ (2C D6CG:46[ H9:=6 72>:=J >6>@C:6D 3C:?8 A6CD@?2= >62?:?8 E@ E96 ?2>6 6?8C2G65 @? E96 DE@?6] pD p>6C:42 >2C6E6CJ C6>:?5D FD E92E 9:D =6824J 2?5 @FC ?2E:@?’D 9:DE@CJ =:G6 ?@E @?=J :? 3@@@?F>6?ED[ 3FE 2=D@ :? =@42= A=246D[ 72>:=J DE@C:6D[ 2?5 E96 >6>@C:6D A2DD65 7C@> @?6 86?6C2E:@? E@ E96 ?6IE]k^Am