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GENEALOGICAL DATA
Peter and Joshua Coffee
From Harris Family Book, p. 59, 60, 61
Peter and Joshua Coffee, brothers, came from Ireland and settled in Prince Edward Co., VA, in 1750. Peter and Joshua each had a son named John, and both John Coffees became generals in the wars against the Indians and the English in 1812-15. One John Coffee lived in Tennessee, the other in Georgia. The two elder Coffees, Peter and Joshua, entered the Revolutionary War, Joshua being a captain of mounted gunners. John Coffee, son of Joshua, moved to Tennessee, and became a comrade of Andrew Jackson, whose niece, Mary Donelson, he married. He was colonel of Tennessee volunteers, the famous "Hunting Shirt Brigade," and he was with Andrew Jackson in the Creek War, was with him in his incursions into Florida, which led to international trouble, for Florida was then Spanish territory, and was with Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. In order to reach New Orleans in December, 1814, he made with his troops a forced march of seventy miles a day for several consecutive days. It was the sure, steady aim of these trained riflemen in Coffee's brigade that made the greatest factor in the battle of New Orleans, in which Jackson with a loss of eight men killed and thirteen men wounded, caused a loss in killed. wounded and prisoners of 2,600 British regulars, a result unparalleled in warfare for disparity of numbers and made all the more remarkable when it is remembered that Jaclcson's total forces included only 5,000 men, while the British had 8,000.
This John Coffee, the comrade of Jackson, died in Florence, Ala., in 1831, his descendants, some of them, now living there. His son Andrew Jackson Coffee, was breveted lieutenant-colonel for bravery exhibited at the battle of Buena Vista in 1847. He died in 1891. John T. Coffee, of this same family, had moved from Tennessee to Missouri before 1861 but in the Civil War he was colonel of the 6th Missouri Cavalry that fought on the Confederate side. John T. Coffee of 'Missouri died in 1890. Edward O'Neal, of Florence, Ala., nephew of Governor. O'Neal, is a son of the Granddaughter of John Coffee.
The John Coffee who was uncle of Peter Coffee Harris was general of the State troops of Georgia. It was in appreciation of his 'Service against the Creek Indians that a county in Georgia was named for him. He was also in the Legislature and was elected to congress twice-in 1833 and in l835, dying on the day on which he was elected the second time . He was the son of Peter Coffee of Virginia, all of whose children, two sons and seven daughters, moved to Georgia in 1781. They were as follows:
Elizabeth, born December 26, 1775, married (1) C. Daniel, (2) T. Ligon.
Nancy, born August 23, 1778, married (1) Abram Heard (ancestors of Mrs. Foster, of Union Springs, second child of Thos. and Elizabeth Heard), (2) Jas. Kennedy.
Susannah, born August 30, 1780, married T. Randal (parents of Mrs. Mark Cooper.)
John (general in 1812) born December 3, 1782, married Miss Bryan, of Telfair County, member of congress, reelected on day of death
Sarah, born October 21, 1784 married William Harris.
Joshua, born December 27, 1786, bachelor, lived and died at Darien, Ga.
Mary, born March 5, 1789, married H. Gibson.
Cynthia, born February 5, 1791, married Thos. Stocks.
Patsy (Martha), born May 9, 1793, married George Heard (9th child of Thomas and Eliza), born 1785, died 1858).
George Heard and Martha Coffee lived and died at LaGrange, Ga. Their daughter, Martha Falkner, married Col. Beall of Troup Co. They have three children-Martha, Catherine, Julia and Egbert. Peter Abram Heard married Mary Alford, of LaGrange. Thomas H. Heard married P. Alford.
Abram Heard and Nancy Coffee had nine children-Franklin Coffee (Mobile) with seven children; Julia Smith
Saffold (Madison) five children; Thomas Peter (unmaried) ; Abram Augustus (Union Springs) one child, Mrs. Foster; Minerva Ann (Goliad, Texas) four children; John Joseph (Wilkes county) nine children; George Felix (Texas); Joshua, born 1817 (Mississippi), five children.
The following is a copy of statements dictated by Mark A. Cooper to his nephew, Judge Joel Branham:
"The Coffee-family and the Randall family came about the same time the Coopers came from Virginia (about 1780), and settled in Hancock county, Georgia. The Coffee family consisted of two brothers and seven sisters, John and Joshua. John was for many years General of militia in Georia and a prominent member of the legislature for many years. Joshua lived and died a bachelor in Darien. The sisters were Susan. who married Randall and was the mother of Mrs. Mark A. Cooper and Lackington and John S. Randall. John S. Randall married the sister of Judge Lucius Q. C. Lamar and Mirabeau Lamar.
Elizabeth Coffee married Daniel mother of Dr. William C. Daniel.
Mary Coffee married Gibson.
Cynthia married Thomas Stocks of Green county, for many years senator from Green and president of senate from Georgia.
Sallie Coffee married William Farris.
Martha Coffee married George Heard.
Nancy Coffee married Abram Heard.
Susan Coffee died leaving four young children-Lackington, Jno. S., Sophronia and Rosanna Randall. Sophronia had Abram Heard for guardian, who raised her, and she was married to Mark A. Cooper.