The Wild Wild South

Rev John Henry Lance

I told you about my g-g-g-grandfather John Hunter moving to Union County, Georgia, to avoid paying taxes for his whiskey distillery business.

John and his wife had eight children.

One of his children was Rebecca (1812-1898).  Rebecca Hunter married Samuel Riley Lance (1814-1895).  They had twelve children.

Samuel Riley Lance was a good marksman.  In those times if you found yourself obigated to duel someone, it was perfectly legal to have someone stand in for you. 

A friend of Samuel had him stand in for him.    Samuel lived in Hayesville, North Carolina.  He went to Union County for the duel.  It was not a long trip, probably less than 40 miles.

After the duel and Samuel killed the man he looked around and liked what he saw and told some he would like to live there.  He moved his family to Union County.



One of his and Rebecca's sons, John Henry Lance (c1834 - 1890) married  Sarah Caroline Turner (1842-1916) in Union County, 27 August 1857.  They had thirteen children.

John Henry Lance lived a wild life in his youth of drinking, fighting, gambling, and whatever else.

Then he was born again, studied and became a preacher.  He preached against the evils of the kind of life he previously led, especially drinking spirits.  He developed a reputation of condeming drinking he became an enemy of his old friends.

One Sunday morning he when he was walking to church he came upon a creek and his old cronies were drinking.  They had words which became physical.  The bottom line was Rev John Henry Lance was decapitated during the fight.

It doesn't stop there.  His brothers and sons set out for revenge.  There is an excellent book about this by Charles Hill BLOOD MOUNTAIN COVENANT,A SON'S REVENGE.