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Alexander and Alias (Carter) Mills

Alexander Mills was born in about 1701 in either England or Augusta County, Virginia. In the 1740’s – reportedly in Caroline County, Virginia – Alexander married Alias (Alice) Carter who was the widow of Charles Gent. Alexander died after September 26, 1777 (the date he signed his will). Alias survived him.

Although his father remained in Virginia, Alexander moved south going through Abbeville District, South Carolina, then Wilkes, Washington and Pike County, Georgia. He was in Georgia by 1/1/1760. Wilkes County, Georgia Court Records Issuance of Ceded Lands 1773-1775 Book 975.817D282 Vol. 1 says: "Alexander Mills of South carolina with a wife, 5 sons and 2 daughters aged 16-4 years old ceded 150 acres on Pistol Creek 2.5 miles above the mouth dated 1773-1775."
Alexander is listed in Colonial Soldiers of the South, 1732-1774 as a private for the term 1/1/1760 to 4/1/1760 in the Second Troop of Georgia Rangers, under Captain James Edward Powell. Also 10/1/1760 to atleast 7/1/1763. Our Forebearers has Allace Mills deeding 100 acres of land in Wilkes county in 1798 to James and he sold it in 1818
Notes on Ancestry.com state “Alexander Mills and his family lived for a short time in Abbeville,South Carolinia before receiving 150 acres of Creek Indian ceded land in 1773 what now Lisbon,Ga. Alexander Mills and his family were some of the first white people to settle in the back country of Georgia. On the 26th of August 1774., Alexander Mills and other leading delegates of the back country of Georgia meet in Savannah,Ga. to discuss Georgia's future.” Georgia was the last of the thirteen colonies to join the American Revolution. So reluctant was Georgia that they didn’t send a representative to the First Continental Congress in September of 1774. However, they did have delegates for the Second Continental Congress to meet in May of 1775. So, I feel it wouldn’t be an odd thing to find loyalists in Georgia. It seems pretty evident that the Mills were loyalists – at least the era leading up to the war - to the King during the conflict. It’s said that his children left Wilkes County, Georgia which had been their home for some time, after the revolution, perhaps due to prejudice on this issue. Alexander’s nephew Col. Ambrose Mills was hung after the battle of Kings Mountain. The following handbill also gives evident of support for the King, I believe. (see red text).

From the Georgia Gazette, 12 October 1774, p.2 c. 1 GEORGIA Parish of St. Paul

We the Inhabitants of the Kyoka and Broad River Settlements do in this publick manner think proper to declare our dissent and disapprobation to a certain paper or hand-bill, published and dispersed through the province, entitled and called, "Resolutions entered into at Savannah, on Wednesday the tenth Day of August, 1774, at a General Meeting (as therein set forth) of the Inhabitants of the Province, assembled to consider the State of the Colonies in America," for the following reasons, viz.

Because we look upon the said paper as a very improper treatment of the inhabitants of the province, and of this parish in particular, for that we have been well informed that the said meeting was not a publick one, as before advertised, it being held at the house of Mr. Tondee in Savannah, and that many respectable persons were refused admittance. Secondly, That the meeting was by no means a numerous one, for where a question of the most serious concern was put there were only twenty-six persons that gave their voices. Thirdly, Because we from the beginning entirely disapproved of the said meeting, and, in consequence of our disapprobation, we sent to Savannah a protest and reasons at large, which would have been produced at said meeting on Wednesday the 10 inst. had not a number of Gentlemen been refused admittance, and it is denied by a number of Gentlemen of honour and probity in Savannah that there were any Deputies for the parish of Christ Church legally appointed. Fourthly, Because [we]had no voice at the said meeting, and because we think the said paper carries with it unnecessary and unjust reflections on the honour and justice of King, Lords, and Commons.

For these and other reasons we do solemnly protest against the proceedings had on the 10th inst. and do entirely dissent from them.

Aug. 26, 1774

James McFarland, J.P. Sanders Walker, Daniel Marshal, John Griffin, Micajah Andrews, Andrew Poull, Aaron Sinquefield, Edward Seed, William Lamar, Charles Jordan, William Love, James Cox, James Young, Charles Hurd, James Hill, John Hill, John Holton, Joshua Hill, Solomon Barfield, John Kely, Giles Tulet (Tillet?), John Bouchanan, William Dorster, Edward Black, John Truman, Moses Powell, William Wilden, John Fouracus, Henry Bruster, Solomon Vickers, William Few, Neil Jackson, George Cowin, Daniel Walker, John Buchanan, David Sidwell, Thomas Mills, Charles Lin (Lea?), John Ratton, John Brady, John Matthas, Dionysious Wright, Robert Story, Henry Golden, John Tarin, Francis Settle, Yohn Howard, John Anderson, John Johnson, Nicholas Mercer, William Standley (Handley?), Frederick Stump, William Wright, Daniel McCanty, Samuel Blair, Jedidiah Smith, James Glaspell, Samuel Smith, Thomas Jackson, Ebenezer Smith, Samuel Morton, William Holliday, Thomas Holliday, John Sruib (Smith?), Thomas Cowing, William Barnard, Fredrick Ashmore, John Loyd, Jacob Jones, Jacob Winfred, Thomas Cussengs, Richard Belaman, George Bagby jun., Nathan Barnett, Frederick Runnals, Mark Jones, John Mitchell, John Fuller sen., John Fuller jun., John Moukly, Rhesa Howard, Benjamin Howard, Thomas Howard, William Satterwoise, George Brown, Thomas Wallace, Zechariah Lamar sen., Micjah Gustans (Custino?), Ralph Cilgore, Robert Mannoran, James Aycock, George Neals sen., George Neals jun., Moses Purkins, Aventon Purkins, Christen Peterson, Jeremiah Cloud, Noah Cloud, Daniel Lulany, Thomas Hooper, Thomas Waters, Thomas Shannon, Richard Aycock, George Simson, Elijah Clark, Andrew Brown, Lewis Clark, William Dicks, Mark Whitaker, James Goolsby, William Thomas, Samuel Whiteaker, Dempsey Hinton, Daniel Safold, Alexander Mills, Archibald Mahon, Richard Woods, Robert Patton, Jacob Colson, Benjamin Brown.

References:
Ancestry.com
Columbus Mills, the father of Polk County, North Carolina: Volumes 1-2
The Georgians: genealogies of pioneer settlers By Jeannette Holland Austin
Georgia Gazette
Colonial Soldiers of the South, 1732-1774
Wilkes County, Georgia Court Records Issuance of Ceded Lands 1773-1775 Book 975.817D282 Vol. 1
Our Forebearers by Margaret and Mills Cox

Alexander Mills Will