John Smith Medders
Date of birth:	April 6th, 1836
Place of birth:	Baxley, Appling County, Georgia
Death Date:	December 9th, 1900
Place of Death:	Baxley, Appling County, Georgia
Burial:	Big Creek Cemetery, Alma, Bacon County, Georgia
Military Service:	US Civil War 1861 to 1864 Confederate States Army
Marriage (1): Abt 1865	Emily Williams 1839-1866
Marriage (2): November 7th, 1867 in Holmesville, Appling County, Georgia	Mary A Altman 1846-1841
Children:	1 William J Medders 1868* 2 Vinny L Medders 1869* 3 John N Medders 1871* 4 Unity Medders 1872* 5 Mary B Medders 1874* 6 James M Medders 1876* 7 Harriet E Medders 1878* 8 Benj. R Medders 1880* 9 Jesse C Medders 1883* 10 Nancy E Medders 1885* 11 Unknown Medders 1897* 12 Joseph H Medders 1891*
Sources:	1 Ancestry.com GEDCOM   2 Biography by R.M. Medders 11/1/1999   3 US Civil War Rosters 4 US Civil War Pension Records   5 Battle of Jonesboro 6 Baxley Chamber of Commerce 7 1850 US Census, Appling County, Georgia 8 1860 US Census, Holmesville, Appling County, Georgia 9 1870 US Census, Appling County, Georgia 10 1880 US Census, Taylorton, Appling County, Georgia   11 1900 US Census, Appling County, Georgia
Direct Line Paternal Ancestors of John Smith Medders starting with Father;	1 Benj. B Medders 1809 2 William W Medders 1785
Direct Line Maternal Ancestors of John Smith Medders starting with Mother;	1 Nancy C (Tucker) 1811
* Direct ascent to Seth, son of Adam and Eve This page was last updated 02/11/2009
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John Smith "Meadows" Medders, 1836-1900  

¹John Smith MEDDERS, C.S.A was born 6 Apr 1836 in Baxley, Appling County, Georgia and died ⁴9 Dec 1900 in Baxley, Appling County, Georgia. He was the 2^nd of eight children of Benjamin Batchelor "Meadows" MEDDERS and Nancy C LNU (TUCKER). 

Birthplace-Death Place ⁶History-Future

Early life

²John Smith “Meadows” Medders is living in Appling County, Georgia in 1840 (map left) with his father Benjamin and mother Nancy along with his siblings; Martha Patsey, Mary and James Riley.

John’s mother Nancy C (Tucker) Medders died in 1849 and is buried in Patterson Cemetery, Patterson-Stewart Settlement, Bacon County, Georgia. After her death his father Benjamin married his stepdaughter Elizabeth TUCKER (daughter by Nancy’s first marriage) in 1850.

John Smith “Meadows” Medders if living in Appling County, Georgia on the 30^th of August ⁷1850 with his father Benjamin and his stepmother-stepsister  Elizabeth (Tucker) “Meadows” Medders along with his siblings; Martha Patsey, Mary, James Riley, Cinderella, William Washington, Nancy and Margaret. John is recorded on (page #23, line 26, household #152).

John Smith Medders is living in Holmesville, Appling County, Georgia on the 21^st of July ⁸1860 with John Williams and is shown as a farm laborer. However, he is shown as having a net worth of $140.00, $100.00 in real estate and $40.00 in personal assets. It is very likely that he purchased this land (tract unknown) while he was living with and working John Williams. Also, this is the first census that he is referred to as John "Medders" and not Meadows. John is recorded on (page #74, line 18, household #466).

John Williams, was born in 1831 in Georgia and is shown as having a net worth of $2080.00, $500.00 in real estate (tract unknown) and $1580 in personal assets. John was married to Elizabeth b.1826 in Georgia, whose maiden name is unknown at this time. John and Elizabeth had a son Isaac who was born in 1854 in Georgia. It is believed that this is the same Isaac that married Ethalinda Lucinda Rachel Deen. However as of right now there is no documented proof of this.

In 1861 John Smith Medders enlisted into the services of The Confederate States Army and served from 1861 to 1864 (see military service below)

John Smith MEDDERS married Mary Ann ALTMAN*, ⁴7^th November 1867 in Holmesville, Appling County, Georgia and they had (11) eleven children all born in Georgia. Mary Ann (Altman) Medders was the daughter Jesse M ALTMAN, C.S.A (1815-1892) and Nancy Elizabeth CASON (1819-1852). 

John Smith Medders is living in Holmesville, Appling County, Georgia on the 29^th of July ⁹1870 as a farmer with his wife Mary Ann Altman and family. The children living with them at this time are; William Jasper age 1 and Lavinia age 8months. John is shown as having a net worth of $350.00, $150.00 in real estate (tract unknown), $200.00 in personal assets. Johns brother William Washington Medders is living near him along with his first wife Susan and family, William is listed as household #582. John is recorded on (page #92, line 33, household #589).

John Smith “Meadows” Medders is living in Taylorton, Appling County, Georgia on the 24^th of June ¹⁰1880 as a farmer with his wife Mary Ann Altman and family. The children living with them at this time are; William J age 11 – Viny “Lavinia” age 8 – Newton “John” age 7 – Unity age 6 - Mary B age 5 - James M age 3 and Harriet age 2. Also living in his household is his father Benjamin age 65? John is recorded on (page #31, line 29, household #304).

John Smith Medders is living in Appling County, Georgia on the 1^st of June ¹¹1900 as a farmer along with his wife Mary Ann Altman and family. The children living with them at this time are; Benj. R age 19 - Jesse C age 16 - and two (2) "new" children Nancy E age 14 and Joseph H age 8. These last two children were not known about until now (7/11/2005). John is recorded on (page #88, line 59, household #11).

Military Service

^3,4John Smith MEDDERS was a Confederate Civil War Soldier who served along with his brother’s William Washington MEDDERS and James Riley MEDDERS. The following is a description of his service record; ^3,4Medders, John S. - Enlisted as a private in Company A, 1^st Regiment, 1st Brigade, Georgia State Troops November 24, 1861. Mustered out April 1862. Enlisted as a private in Company K, 54th Regiment Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Army of Tennessee, April 18, 1862.  

Military Engagements of War 
⁵Battle of Jonesboro  

Wounded in right arm, necessitating amputation above the elbow, at the Battle Jonesboro, Georgia. August 31, 1864. Discharged, disability, in 1864 (click link above to view battle summary).

Article 7 Georgia State Constitution of 1877 – Disabled Civil War Veterans Act

In December of 1879 John Smith Medders, under Article 7 of the Georgia Constitution of 1877, submitted a Disabled Soldiers Application, and was approved for an annual pension of $60.00 a year from 1879 to 1888. From 1889 to 1900 he received and annual pension of $100.00. After John Smith Medders died in 1900 the pensions stopped until 1912.

It is from these documents that we have obtained certain dates such as, their marriage date and John Smith Medders death date.

Notes: the Medders-Meadows line is a mysterious line. It has not been determined when, where or why the name went from Meadows to Medders. All we know at this time is up through the 1880 census they were all referred to as Meadows in the census, this lasting for at least 70 years from 1810 through 1880. We do know that John Smith “Meadows” Medders. Is recorded in the Georgia State Archives as John Smith Medders when he applied for and received a civil war pension. It could be that they were always Medders and that they were illiterate, and the census takers spelled the name the way they though it should be spelled. Maybe one day we will be able to figure this out.