Woolfolk Book - Pioneers, Patriots, and Planters

Press Kit: Pioneers, Patriots, and Planters

Press Release #1:     Elizabeth Carrow-Woolfolk, Ph.D.
Press Release #2:     Ground-breaking family genealogy focuses on early Georgia history.
Press Release #3:     Houston author begins second career with publication of ground-breaking family genealogy

Overview: Pioneers, Patriots, and Planters
Book Excerpt #1:     The Georgia-Texas Connection
Book Excerpt #2:     Dueling in the 1800s
Book Excerpt #3:     The Civil War Reaches the Plantations
Book Excerpt #4:     The Life of a Planter Family on the Frontier
Book Excerpt #5:     The Value of Land in Early America
Book Excerpt #6:     The Woolfolk Family Ties to Early American Leaders
Book Excerpt #7:     Early Pioneers and the Baptist Church
Book Excerpt #8:     Indian Raids Threaten Early Settlers
Book Excerpt #9:     Family Letters Illustrate Daily Life of Settlers
Book Excerpt #10: The Woolfolk Murders

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Press Release #1:
Elizabeth Carrow-Woolfolk, Ph.D.

A lifetime of study and research in language theory and disorders has led Elizabeth Carrow-Woolfolk, a native of Houston, Texas, to be known internationally for her pioneering work in language theory and disorders in children, particularly in the area of diagnosis and assessment. Over a career spanning 50 years, Dr. Woolfolk has been an elementary school teacher, a speech pathologist, a university faculty member and departmental chairman, a university vice president and administrator, a San Antonio civic leader, a teacher of the deaf, and a founder of several early speech and hearing clinics in Texas.

Woolfolk founded the Harry Jersig Speech and Hearing Center in San Antonio and later chaired a committee to endow the Houston School for Deaf Children. She also raised endowment funds for the Communication Disorder Program at the University of Texas at Austin and Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. She has received numerous awards for her academic excellence and has been honored with an academic chair named for her. In 2001, she received national honors for lifetime achievement in the field of speech pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Dr. Woolfolk, known for her ability to bridge language disorder practice with theory, has authored two university-level books: An Integrative Approach to Language Disorders in Children (with Dr. Joan Lynch) and Theory, Assessment and Intervention in Language Disorders: An Integrative Approach. She created several widely used assessment instruments for oral and written language and has written a number of peer-reviewed articles on reading and language, multilingualism, and the multicultural speech and language issues of Spanish/English speakers. Her book, Learning to Read, helps parents to prepare children for early reading in school.

A student at St. Agnes High School in Houston, Dr. Woolfolk received her bachelor's degree from Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio. She began her career as a classroom teacher in San Antonio. Interested in the causes of learning disorders in children, she earned a master's degree in educational psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and a doctorate in speech pathology and psychology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Woolfolk became vice president of Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, was active with Model Cities, and engineered the college's Salute to Mexico program, bringing a high level of Hispanic arts talent to the campus. In the late 1960s, Dr. Woolfolk decided to return to Houston where she was on the faculty of the department of otolaryngology at Baylor College of Medicine and started the speech pathology clinics at Methodist and Texas Children's Hospitals. She was chief of the speech pathology service at three Houston institutions-St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and The Methodist Hospital. In 1973 she left the medical setting to head the speech pathology program at the University of Texas at Austin.

In the early 1970s she took on family responsibilities with her marriage to widowed Houston chemical engineer Robert M. Woolfolk, Jr., and adopted his young daughter, Robin. Dr. Woolfolk then began developing test instruments for assessing the oral language developing of students between the ages of 3.0 and 18.0 years. These are used throughout the English-speaking world. In recent years, she has devoted most of her time to genealogy research and writing a new book, Pioneers, Patriots, and Planters, a genealogy of the Woolfolk family in the South.

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Wynnton Publishing
6524 San Felipe, No. 94
Houston, TX 77057
713-465-2505

Press Release #2
Ground-breaking family genealogy focuses on early Georgia history.

Elizabeth Carrow Woolfolk, already known internationally for her ground-breaking work in the field of speech pathology, has turned her attention to writing a family genealogy that sets a new standard in that field as well. A large portion of the book focuses on the life and family of John Woolfolk, the owner of Georgia cotton plantations and a major founder and developer of Columbus, Georgia.

Woolfolk's new book, Pioneers, Patriots, and Planters, follows the Woolfolk family from its beginnings in Colonial Virginia, to its spread throughout the wilderness territories of the south and west. More than the usual family history, however, Woolfolk's book describes the early history of America and the development of the South.

Her research into the Woolfolk family happened through a chance remark overheard at a party. Asked why Woolfolk began researching her husband's family rather than her own, she replied, "At a party early in my marriage, I overheard my husband telling someone that he was a descendant of the George Washington family. As a researcher, I was curious, so I set out to find the truth. Not only did I find he was correct, but I got caught up in the genealogy obsession."

Woolfolk is not the only one caught up by an obsession with genealogy. Genealogy is now the second most popular hobby in the U.S., after gardening. Woolfolk started her research with all the Woolfolks in Virginia. "My husband said he thought his family was originally from Virginia," Woolfolk said, "so I started there. At first, I had no idea whether any of those Woolfolks were related."

Through her years of research, visits through the southern states to land grants and historic homes, and hundreds of documents-maps, land grants, letters, newspaper articles, military records, court and church proceedings, and family photographs and papers contributed by other family members-Woolfolk traces the development of America and documents the development of the South in its first 200 years of history.

Originally, Woolfolk did not intend to write a book. "I was interested only in gathering information for some type of family tree," she said. "Instead, I got hooked!" Over about 20 years, Woolfolk compiled and classified her notes until they took on the appearance of a book. While most family histories are solely a compilation of family descendants, Woolfolk's lively narrative chronicles daily life throughout the first 200 years of America.

Maps trace the established routes of migration from Virginia into the untamed land of the south and west. Family documents, letters, and Woolfolk's colorful descriptions illustrate the hardships and dangers of life in the wilderness territories. Family anecdotes and excerpts from family diaries show the difficulties endured by families during the Civil War. Woolfolk's book addresses all aspects economic, social, and family life in early America.

Among the many discoveries about early American life that surprised Woolfolk, she discovered that many of the first migrants from the early Virginia colonies traveled together as families to settle the wilderness, often intermarrying. Among the early leaders of the colonies, the reader encounters George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Zachary Taylor, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, Meriwether Lewis, and Robert E. Lee.

Pioneers, Patriots, and Planters, released this fall by Wynnton Publishing, can be ordered from Wynnton Publishing in Houston, Texas, at 713-465-2505 or on the internet at www.woolfolkbook.com.

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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Wynnton Publishing
6524 San Felipe, No. 94
Houston, TX 77057
713-465-2505

Press Release #3
Houston author begins second career with publication of ground-breaking family genealogy

Elizabeth Carrow Woolfolk, a native Houstonian already known internationally for her ground-breaking work in the field of speech pathology, has turned her attention to writing a family genealogy that sets a new standard in that field as well. Woolfolk's new book, Pioneers, Patriots, and Planters, follows the Woolfolk family from its beginnings in Colonial Virginia, to its spread throughout the wilderness territories of the south and west. More than the usual family history, however, Woolfolk's book describes the early history of America and the development of the South.

Pioneers, Patriots, and Planters, released this fall by Wynnton Publishing, can be ordered from Wynnton Publishing in Houston, Texas, at 713-465-2505 or on the internet at www.woolfolkbook.com.

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Wynnton Publishing
6524 San Felipe, No. 94
Houston, TX 77057
713-465-2505

Excerpts from Pioneers, Patriots, and Planters by Elizabeth Carrow Woolfolk

In her new book, a historic narrative covering 200 years in early America, Elizabeth Carrow Woolfolk follows members of the Woolfolk family who came to the New World as early settlers in the Virginia Colony. From there the family spread west and south into western Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. A portion of the book explores the life and family of John Woolfolk of Columbus, Georgia.

Although the book covers the period from American colonization through the aftermath of the Civil War, Woolfolk brings the family to a personal conclusion with her husband's family in Louisiana and Texas. The author records her history using a variety of documents-maps, newspaper articles, land deeds, wills, court and church proceedings, military records, letters, and other family documents.

For anyone descended from early American settlers, the book offers valuable insights into life in the early years of American history. The author addresses the economic, social, and family life of early America, including:

o Conditions in Britain that influenced the immigration of colonists
o British influence on colonists' lives
o The antecedents of slavery
o The rise and fall of a plantation society
o Land lotteries in the early settlement of the country
o Indian lands and the Indian exile to new territories
o Daily life on the frontier and the building of America
o The effects of the American Revolution and the Civil War on the South

The following excerpts from Pioneers, Patriots, and Planters offer brief samples of the extensive scope of Woolfolk's book.

The Georgia-Texas Connection

Dr. Woolfolk's research found a strong connection between Georgia and Texas. In the book, she discusses early adventurers from Georgia who joined the fight for Texas independence:

"Although some settlers began to put down roots, others remained restless. The newspapers did not help; they constantly advertised the advantages of leaving and going to less developed territories. Texas was a favorite destination for the footloose. . . the founder and editor of The Columbus Enquirer, Mirabeau B. Lamar, left Columbus for Texas in 1835; he participated in the Texas Revolution and eventually became the President of the Republic of Texas. James Fannin, another Columbus resident, took his family to Texas in 1834; during the Revolution, he achieved the martyr's role of immortality in the brutal Goliad massacre. . . . The Columbus Enquirer cautioned: 'Tell the people of Georgia who have a mania for Texas, for God's sake to keep out of it this season.'"

Dueling in the 1800s

In the early 1800s, dueling was a popular way to resolve personal conflicts. Woolfolk's book describes a duel between Brigadier General Sowell Woolfolk and Major Joseph T. Camp that killed Sowell Woolfolk, leaving behind his widowed young wife and baby:

"Both men were from Columbus, and both had served the city in administrative capacities . . . [and] Sowell had just completed his second term in the Georgia Senate. The Augusta Chronicle gives the following account:
They had fired one shot each. . . . After Major C. received the wound, he shot Gen. Woolfolk. His ball passed through W. above the heart. W. walked seven steps toward the crowd and spectators and said, 'He has killed me.' The blood gushed out of his mouth; he viewed it attentively, laid himself upon the ground and expired immediately, without having again spoken."

The Civil War Reaches the Plantations

Woolfolk writes of the effects on daily life on Southern plantations when Civil War soldiers ransack the plantation of Jourdan Woolfolk:

"It is said that when the 'Federals' ransacked the house, Jourdan, stripped of clothing, had to appear at the breakfast table in his wife's sacque. He tried to appear normal because he had hidden his wine on the roof of the house. A servant tipped off the soldiers, however, and the red liquid flowed freely down Yankee throats. One ransacker strung around his horse's neck the fine china cups that tinkled as he carried them off."

The Life of a Planter Family on the Frontier

The book offers glimpses, through newspaper articles and family research, of life at the edge of the wilderness:

"In Columbus, the [John Woolfolk] family, though genteel, had to face the rigors of life on the borders of the wilderness. . . . Advertisements in the weekly newspaper, The Columbus Enquirer, appealed to the refined tastes of the wealthy: cordials of every description, Spanish 'cegars,' gold jewelry of all types, fabrics of satin, 'cassmere' and velvet, and French, English and American dry goods. . . . For his wife and children, Columbus must have represented the end of civilization. In spite of the attempts of the citizens to establish a refined society, the presence of unfriendly Indians and problems with disease and disorder during the first decade of the town's existence made this difficult to accomplish."

The Value of Land in Early America

Early American life was based on the acquisition of land. The book describes the migration of early Americans from the English colony of Virginia to the south and west, the government's land lotteries, and the value of land to early settlers:

"The subsistence economies of the frontier were increasingly drawn into the national and international market economies. . . . Georgia was one of the eight southern states in which ninety-five percent of the nation's cotton was produced, and John Woolfolk was one of the major producers of cotton in his region of Georgia. If cotton was the source of wealth, land was its basis. . . . In attempting to follow the code of 'old Virginia,' the planters looked upon commerce, or mere money-making, as un-Southern. All of John Woolfolk's forbears had placed their confidence in land, and had owned and cultivated large tracts of it as they moved, in each generation, with the westward and southern expansion of the United States."

The Woolfolk Family Ties to Early American Leaders

In the book, using family papers, Woolfolk describes a close-knit group of original settlers who became early leaders of the colonies, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Zachary Taylor, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, Meriwether Lewis, and Robert E. Lee. She relates the Woolfolk relationship to the George Washington family:

"Lucy Margaret Woolfolk Hitt, a third daughter of Joseph and Lucinda Woolfolk received her share of compliments . . . one of [her] descendants describes her as follows:

Lucy had sparkling black eyes, heavy brows, bold aquiline features and red hair as a girl and was always attractive, and grew handsomer as she grew older and her hair turned white. . . . When Moultrie [Lucy's son] moved to Washington, he took her to a celebration or gathering of the Washington family and she was shown immediately up to the platform without question as to her card of invitation. The usher exclaimed that the resemblance to Washington was too striking to need further passport."

Early Pioneers and the Baptist Church

The book describes the rule of the church and religion over the colonists, from both the Anglican Church and the Baptist Church:

"On the eve of the Revolution, two leading members of the [Baptist] congregation were obliged to confess to the sin of traveling on the Sabbath. In 1774, having been accused of the sin of tippling, Richard [Woolfolk] was excommunicated from the church. The church minutes read as follows:

Sarah Whelor accuses Richard Woodfork [Woolfolk] with the sin of drunkenness. He denies the charge and pleads he did not offend God in what he did. The Church not then being able to determine they referred til the end of said month. . . . The circumstances of drunkenness appearing very dark . . . and the telling an untruth to be manifest . . . and seeing no appearance of repentence (or even conviction) but to the contrary a spirit of ambition seemed to appear. Whereupon the church proceeded to excommunication. . . ."

Indian Raids Threaten Early Settlers

Early Kentucky settlers, in their move westward, were threatened by Indian raids:

"The plea for help against Indian raids illustrates how close the Kentucky frontier was to Indian territory and the dangers the new settlers faced. The panic of the frontier settlers is almost audible:

". . . were it not in defence of the lives of ourselves and our wives and helpless infants, who, without your friendly interposition we would most probably fall a prey to Savage Barbarity. . . . We have hitherto deferred making this supplication, hoping that our own strength would be sufficient . . . but since we find that inadequate, being encompassed with danger and every day plundered of our property, we have no recourse. . . ."

The appeal reminded its readers that should be 'daily' incursions of the 'Savage Tribes' continue, the inhabitants would be forced to abandon their settlements and then the central Kentucky settlements would become 'the Frontier.' The appeal was signed by fifty-four 'original settlers'; one of them being Richard Woolfolk, originally of Caroline County, Virginia. . . ."

Family Letters Illustrate Daily Life of Settlers

Woolfolk uses letters and other documents of early America to draw a picture of daily life in the American settlements, such as these examples in letters by Frances Woolfolk to her sister (both sisters married Woolfolk brothers):

"The letters illustrate, among other things, the sufferings endured by settlers on the frontier. They also provide a glimpse into the plight of the farmers who stayed behind in Caroline County, Virginia, whose land was not sufficient to feed and clothe the many children in the large families they had. . . .

[original spelling and punctuation] Dear Sister
[1806] I received yours by Richard Woolfolk and am glad to hear you ware all well which Blessing I thank God we enjoy at this time. You rote me you had lost the greater part of your children) be thankful to you my dearest sister that he has taken them from the evil of this wicked world . . .

[1808] I take this opportunity by brother to rite you to let you know I have not entirely forgotten you and to tel how much I was disappointed in not receiving a letter by him from you. . . . I often wish I was settled in that country near you and more espesily latterly as my family is growing larger and land poorer but I have reason to bless and praise the Lord that amidst the many difycultys I have past through his gracious mercy hath supported me. . . .

[1818] . . . tel nancy [a slave] her father and mother is alive and well and belonging to phil Samuel Siller desires you will let her know by the first oppertunity if cate ester betsy or sylve is aliveing We heard that little jenny was dead some time ago. . . ." Excerpt, Pioneers, Patriots, and Planters

The Woolfolk Murders

Woolfolk writes of a sensational Georgia case of murder involving the Woolfolk family in 1887:

"Captain Richard F. Woolfolk . . . his wife Mattie, their six children, and a 84-year-old aunt of Mrs. Woolfolk, were slain by being smashed in the head with an ax at their home in Bibb County twelve miles outside of Macon. . . the murders shocked the entire state [of Georgia].

The murders were ostensibly committed by the sole family member to survive the massacre, Thomas G. Woolfolk. Thomas G. (named for his pioneer grandfather) was a son of Richard F. Woolfolk who, together with his father, Richard, had fought in the Civil War. Young Tom Woolfolk had been restless and troubled growing up; his conduct seldom reached a socially acceptable level. . . . Because of these and other behaviors, the townspeople quickly decided that Tom had committed the crime. . . . Tom was convicted despite [his lawyers'] efforts, and was hanged in Perry, Georgia.

Because of the Woolfolks' prominence and popularity, the murders created an almost obsessive mass hysteria and were recounted in the news and in song, drama and conversation for years after they occurred. . . . DeLoach describes [in The Woolfolk Tragedy, published in 1966] some scrawlings found in a notebook on the body of a certain Simon Cooper after he was lynched in Summerville, South Carolina, in 1898. After the Civil War, Cooper's parents became sharecroppers near the Woolfolk home place and were still in the vicinity at the time of the murders. In Cooper's notebook was found the following: 'Tom Woolfolk was mighty slick, but I fixed him. I would have killed him with the rest of the d-m family but he was not at home.'"

Wynnton Publishing
6524 San Felipe No. 94,
Houston, TX 77057