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Note: Notes for SAMUEL E SWILLEY: Samuel E. Swilley, first representative from Appling County (in 1820), was born in 1793 in Washington County (territory later cut into Tattnall County), a son of Samuel Swilley, R. S. He grew up in Tattnall and Liberty Counties and was married in Tattnall County, February 27, 1817 to Mary Carter, daughter of George Carter. She was a sister of Capt. Jesse Carter (Vol. 1). To them were born a large family of children of whom only five lived to be grown and married. Mr. Swilley was among the first settlers of Appling County when it was first opened to settlers, and moved there from Tattnall County. He was elected the first representative from the new county in 1820 and served in the 1820 and 1821 sessions. He was then elected State Senator from Appling County and served 1823, 1824, 1825. In 1825 he was elected on the Inferior Court bench of Appling for a four-year term, but resigned in 1827, moved to Lowndes County, and settled on Hammock Lake. He served as Justice of Peace, 662nd district of Lowndes 1830-1833. In the Indian War in 1838, he was a private in Capt. David R. Bryan's company of Lowndes County militia and served other enlistments also. Mr. Swilley seems to have prospered owning several plantations in addition to his home place plantation which was a very large one. Extant records of Lowndes County show that he owned lots of land 29, 32, 62, 74, 75, 76, 96, 111, 112, and 229 in the 16th district and Lot 316, 10th district, all in Lowndes County, several hundred head of cattle and twenty-seven slaves, and other property. His son-in-law, R. H. Wisenbaker, and son Wiley T. Swilley, applied for administration on his estate January 12, 1847 and were appointed, but the son was taken sick and died within a few days. On March 24, 1847, the son-in-law, Mr. Bevill, applied and was appointed administrator in lieu of the deceased son. Mr. Swilley and his wife and most of their children were victims of a malignant fever in the fall and winter of 1846, and a fever that the physicians were unable to cope with. For lack of a better name, it was referred to for many years as "the Swilley fever" by residents of this section. (*) Extract from article "Old Times in Lowndes," written by George W. Prine and republished in The Valdosta Times November 28, 1885: "About 40 or 50 years ago my father, Robert Prine, lived on Hammock Lake in Lowndes County. He and Capt. Samuel E. Swilley owned the lake . . . Capt. Swilley was a jovial, good-natured man, one who delighted in teasing little boys. . . He with most of his family passed off with that malignant disease known as the Swilley fever."
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