Austin Dabney

ca. 1760s - 1830

• Name	Austin Dabney
  Birth	ca. 1760s	Wake County, North Carolina
  Gender	Male
  Death	1830	Zebulon, Pike, Georgia
  Person ID	I161	Georgia Revolutionary War Graves
  Last Modified	16 Feb 2010

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		William Harris Family Descendants at marking of Austin Dabney Grave Dedication.
  		Austin Dabney Grave Dedication - Program Organizers with Bob Galer, Chairman, and Joe Dooley, NSSAR Geneaologist General.
  		Austin Dabney Grave Dedication - Program Participants with Bob Galer, Chairman, and Joe Dooley, NSSAR Genealogist General and main speaker.

  
  

  Headstones

  Dabney, Austin GPS: Latitude: 33.09877, Longitude: -84.35633.

  
  

• Notes

  A black Patriot who enlisted in Georgia militia and became a legendary hero of the AmericanRevolution. Coming to Wilkes County with a master, he was declared a freed slave in order to enlist as a substitute for his master. He served honorably under Lt. Col. Elijah Clarke and Capt. Barber in the Battles at Kettle Creek and Augusta. After being severely wounded, he was succored and nursed back to health by the white family of Lewis and Elizabeth Harris and their 13-year old son, Giles. After recovering, Dabney stayed close to the family and a close bond developed between him and Giles Harris. Such notable Georgia military figures as COL Clarke, COL Wylie Pope and General James Jackson recognized Dabney's service to his country and helped him gain land from the State of Georgia on two occasions, a Georgia State pension later taken over by the Federal government as a Federal obligation. Austin Dabney and Giles Harris appeared to share their fortunes, their business and changes in residence from Wilkes, Elbert, Oglethorpe, Walton, Madison and Pike Counties, the latter with Giles' son, William Harris and Jane Harris. As a recognized figure in post-Revolutionary Georgia, Dabney helped William gain an education, including Franklin College (later the UGA) and supported him in the reading of law with Judge Stephen Upson of Lexington, GA, enabling William to eventually become a lawyer. The bond between Austin Dabney was such that William named a son after his black friend, and the two are buried side by side on Land Lot 13, which they both shared when they moved to Pike County. Dozens of Georgia authors have written about the life of Austin Dabney, including former Governor Georgie Gilmer, Joel Chandler Harris, and other historians and story tellers. Dedication noted on NSSAR website at: http://www.sar.org/event/2010/SAR-Patriot-Grave-Marking-Freed-Slave-and-Georgia-Patriot-Austin-Dabney