April 7, 1840
Southern Recorder
  ~ecerpt~ DIED, in Hancock county, on the 24th of March, Mrs. CAROLINE HARRIS, wife of Myles G. Harris Esq. The disease which terminated in the death of Mrs. Harris, was pulmonary Consumption.
A husband and five children are sorely bereaved.

May 4, 1840
Macon Georgia Telegraph
MARRIED. On the 19th April, by John G. Coleman, Esq., Mr. William G. Tyus, to Miss Mary Jackson, daughter of Thomas Jackson, all of Hancock county.

December 8, 1840
The Macon Georgia Telegraph
MARRIED. In Hancock county, on the 19th ult. by Francis S. Colley, Esq. Mr. Simon T. Viele, late of Seneca county, N.Y. to Miss Eliza Mapp, daughter of Robert H. Mapp, Esq. of said county.

The following course of studies will be taught in the Institution:
Senior Class-Chemistry, Logic, Moral and Political Philosophy, French, Latin, Greek, and Mathematics. $20 per term of five months.
Junior Class - Grammar, Geography, History, Arithmetic, and Popular Philosophy, $16 per term.
Primary Class - The Rudiments of the English Language, Spelling, Reading and Writing, &c., $12.50 per term.
Ornamental Branches extra.
Music - Piano Forte, Guitar, Singing and thorough Bass, $25 per term.
A small extra charge will be made for fuel and the use of the Instruments.
   The public will observe that the Trustees have reduced the prices to the lowest rates, to suit the hardness of the times.
   Board can be obtained in the village on reasonable terms, say $10 per month including washing.

WM. H SAYRE,
B. J. WYNN
ELI MANSFIELD
E. M. PENDLETON
JOS. B. GONDER
Trustees
P.S. Payments will be expected at the end of each term.
Sparta, January 5, 1841

February 16, 1841
Macon Telegraph
THE MURDER NEAR SPARTA
Following are the particulars of a most shock murder that was perpetrated in the vicinity of Sparta, Hancock county, within one mile and half of that village. The murder occurred on Thursday last.
  After supper, Mr. Robert Petigrew, the overseer of Maj. R. Mitchell, left home, as he stated, to go to town for some tobacco, at about 8 or 9 o'clock-Next morning Mr. Petigrew was found near the road side dead, evidently to have been murdered. A jury was immediately called, and an inquest held. On the examination of the body, the skull was found to be fractured in two or three places. Suspicion soon rested upon Maj. Mitchell's negroes. - A number of citizens were detached to arrest the negroes, and other citizens to search the negro houses, boxes, trunks, &c. The club used by the murderer was found within 40 or 50 feet of the dead body, with some of the hair of Mr. P. on it. Three of the negroes were soon placed in jail; and about the same time the watch of Mr. P. was found, by the party who had been  directed to search, in the box of the negroes who had been secured. Mr. P. had left home with a watch in his pocket. The watch was shown to the negro into whose box it had been found, and he confessed his guilt, and now awaits his trial which is to take place this day.
 Many stages have been robbed, for some time past, of trunks, &c. in the very vicinity where this murder has been committed. A general search is now being made and progressing. Already many of the articles, known to have belonged to stage passengers who have been robbed, have been found; and it is now hoped that the mystery which has so long hung over the depredations committed in that neigborhood, will soon be developed, and that the villainies no long perpetrated will be exposed, and the perpetrators brought to justice. Augusta Constitutinist, 4th inst.
  The negro man Riker was tried in Sparta on Thursday last, for the murder of Mr. Petigrew, and found guilty. He was sentenced to be hung on Friday the 12th inst. We have been informed that he has made some confessions, implicating a white man in the neighborhood, and divulged plans laid to take the lives of two white men supposed to have money; one of whom in a Kentuckian, and the other a citizen of Sparta. It seems that the Kentuckian had been apprised of the design against his life and money, and was upon his guard. He is yet in Sparta, and states that he had observed signs that satisfied him, that an attack upon him had been mediated, and the the information communicated had been of service to him.
  We are also informed that examination and investigation were still going on in Sparta, and that some more goods have been discovered, known to have belonged to stage passengers. - Ib.

April 13, 1841
The Macon Georgia Telegraph
MARRIED.  At Rock Miills, Hancock county, on the 30th ult, by Rev. D. N. Maddux, William Shivers, Esq. to Mrs. Sarah Ann Beddo, formerly Miss Furman, of New York, but now both of the former place.

April 27, 1841
The Macon Georgia Telegraph
MARRIED.     In Hancock county, on the 13th inst., by Geo. W. Culver, Esq. Mr. Hamlin C. Alford, to Miss Emily A. Howell, all of said county.

April 27, 1841
The Macon Georgia Telegraph
DIED. In Hancock county, on the 14th inst., Mr. All C. Moore, in the 23d year of his age.

May 11, 1841
Macon Weekly Telegraph
MARRIED. On the 22d of April, in Autauga county, Ala., by the Rev. Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Wm. J. Sasnett, of Sparta, Geo., to Miss Sarah H. Hall, youngest daughter of the Hon. Boling Hall, deceased, formerly of Geo.

May 25, 1841
The Macon Georgia Telegraph
MARRIED.    In Augusta, Ga. on the 20th inst. by the Rev. Wm. T. Brantley, Gen. Tully Vinson, of Hancock county, to Mrs. Ann B. Anderson, of Augusta, Ga.

July 19, 1841
Augusta Chronicle
~excerpt
Died in Sparta, on the morning of the 12th inst., Mrs. Louisa C. Sayre, consort of Mr. William H. Sayre.

September 7, 1841
Macon Georgia Telegraph
DIED, In Milledgeville, on the 29th ult, Dr. Charles Eaton Haynes, of Sparta, formerly a Representative in Congress of the United States.

February 26, 1850
The Georgia Telegraph
Fire in Sparta
   We regret to learn from the Augusta papers, that this beautiful village was visited on Wednesday last by a most disastrous fire. It broke out about 3 o'clock, A.M. in the passage near the Law Office of Messrs. Barnes & Lewis. All that square including the tavern, several stores and offices was entirely consumed. The loss is estimated at $30,000. It is thought the fire was the work of an incendiary.

April 9, 1850
Macon Telegraph
   The Savannah Republican of the 2d inst. say, We have with pain to record the sudden death, in this city, yesterday afternoon, of Capt. John L. Swinney. The deceased was a native of Hancock county, in this State, whence came to this city some eight years ago, since which time he has been engaged in the commission business. Capt. Swinney was in Florida with Gen. Scott during the Seminole war, where he commanded the Hancock troop. He was a man of integrity, an upright merchant, and has left many friends to mourn his unexpected death.

July 11, 1850
Savannah Republican
~excerpt
(Correspondene of Savannah Republican)
Sparta, July 6, 1850
  At a meeting of the stockholders of the "Hancock Manufacturing Company" this day, the following gentlemen were elected Directors: James Thomas, Dr. Wm. Terril, Thomas M. Turner, Wm. D. Wynn, Wm. Fraley, B. T. Harris, T. J. Smith; and at a meeting of the Directors, Jas Thomas, Esq. was duly elected President, O. Eldridge, (of the Milledgeville factory,) Superintendent. The other offices are not yet appointed. With a direction of such spirited men and their enterprising President, we may expect soon to see our factory in operation.
  Arrangements are being made to re-build, with handsome brick buildings, the burnt portion of our village, and we hope are long to our beautiful town "itself again."

December 6, 1850
Savannah Republican
HOUSE. &c. FOR SALE. My Place of Residence in the plesant and healthy village of Sparta is offered for sale; the Dwelling House of stone-and-brick is spacious and convenient, well arranged for a large family, several Houses for Servants, ample Stables and Carriage Houses, a larger Garden with variety of fruit and floers; the premises comprise one hundred acres of Land, about one-half of which is covered with timber and fuel, all in good condition. For terms, apply to me at Sparta. WM. H. SAYRE, Sparta, Hancock Co., Nov. 30, 1850.

December 10, 1850
The Georgia Telegraph
MARRIED.    In Sparta, Hancock county, by the Rev. Richard Lane, Mr. Lavoisieus L. Lamar of Macon, to Miss Louisa R. Harris of Hancock county.

June 25, 1851
Southern Recorder
~excerpt~ DIED, On the 31st May, at the residence of his brother near Warren's Ferry in Hancock county, Mr. ROBERT WARREN, in the sixty-ninth year of his age.

July 15, 1851
Macon Telegraph
Four months after date application will be made to the honorable the Inferior court of Dooly county, when sitting for ordinary purposes, for leave to sell all the real estate, including the houses and lots in Sparta, Hancock county, belonging to the estate of Samuel Turner, late of Hancock county, deceased. W. S. Hamill, Ex'or

January 5, 1852
The Georgia Telegraph
~excerpt
Sparta Male and Female Academies
  The Trustees of the Sparta Male and Female Schools, have the pleasure of announcing to the public, that they have secured the services of Messrs. Thomas C. Neel and Richard M. Johnstone, as Principals, in the Male School for the ensuring year. "
   "They would also announce that those who have Daughters to educate, that they have had the good forunte to seure the service of Rev. John A. Moseley, as Principal in the Female School. "
  "S A PARDEE, T M TURNER, B T HARRIS, H ROGERS, J T MARTIN, Trustees
Sparta, Ga., Oct. 29, 1851"
 

May 22, 1852
Augusta Chronicle
~excerpt
DIED In Hancock county, Ga., after a protracted illness, on the 22 of April, Mrs. Cynthia,consort of John A. Evans, Esq.
  Mrs. Evans, at the time of her death, was 57 years, 8 months and 6 days old; she had been a member of the Baptist Church at Horeb nearly 24 years; she died as she lived, meekly trusting in God her savior.
 

December 22, 1852
Sandusky Daily Commercial Register
Baltimore, Dec. 22
Ten Bales of Cotton are preparing at Sparta, Ga. for exhibition at the New York World's Fair.

September 13, 1853
Augusta Chronicle
 ~excerpt
Mrs. Ariana A. Hudson was the daughter of Rev. James J. and Mrs. W. E. Harris, of Glenville, Ala. She was born on the 27th of Feb, 1833, was married to Dr. N. L. Hudson April 3d, 1853, and did in Hancock county, Ga., on the 23d of August last.

December 23 1853
Athens (Ohio) Messenger
     A gentleman namedWm. B. Moss, from Hancock county, Ga., committed suicide in Marshall, on the 20th inst., by cutting his throat with a razor. He had property to the amount of $16,000 with him.

June 7, 1856
The Columbus Enquirer, Tri-Weekly
MARRIED.   In Sparta, Ga., at the residence of the bride's mother, on the 4th inst., by Rev. Samuel K. Talmage D.D., Edgar G. Dawson, Esq., of Columbus, Ga., and Miss Lucie, only daughter of the late Hon. Wm. Terrell, M.D.

November 27, 1856
The Columbus Enquirer, Tri-Weekly
~extract. Col. Seymour R. Bonner died at his residence in this city, on Friday night last.  Age 47, leaves widow and six children (five daughters and one son). Born in Hancock county, Ga., one of the earliest settlers of Columbus, moving there in 1826, built first framed house in city. Officer in the Creek war, sheriff of Muscogee county four years, once Representative in the State Legislature.

September 17, 1857
Pittsfield Sun
   The Milledgeville, Georgia, Union learns that John I. Bass was killed in his own house in Hancock county by Mrs. Hudson. Bass came home drunk, maltreated his wife and drove her and her children and Mrs. Hudson and her children out of the house. Mrs. Hudson bursted two caps at him; then she went home, and next morning very early, just as Bass was getting up she entered his room, placed a pistol to his breast and fired, killing him instantly.

Washington County Newspaper Clippings Vol 1 1852-1866, Tad Evans

TRIAL OF MRS HUDSON
(Sparta) The trial of this woman for commitment for the murder of  John Bass of this county came up on Saturday last, before Justices Little, Berry and Turner. Cain appeared for the prosecution and DuBose for the defendant.
  The only evidence of much force, as we understand, was a youth of some twelve years of age, the son of Mr. Bass. He stated that Mrs.Hudson came to his father's on the morning of the second instant and went into the kitchen. Bass followed her, and asked if  wanted to shoot at him again, rubbing his fist in her face. She drew a pistol and Bass retreated behind the door. She following him and shot him in the left breast. He died instantly.
  We suppose other witnesses must have been before the court, favorable to the prisoner, of which we know nothing, as they admitted her to bail in the nominal sum of $800. Her father, Mr. Josiah Collins, who is a planter of respectable means, stood her security.
  Her husband, Mr.Josiah Collins (wrong, this should be Mr. Joseph Hudson,) is now in Milledgeville Jail for shooting a man at the city ferry.  She demeaned herself during the trial as one who had about as much interest in it as any of the bystanders. She appears to be about 25 years of age, is good looking and had nothing in her countenance that indicates the heart of a murderer.
(Note she was sent to prison Oct. 18, 1859.)

December 8, 1857
Macon Weekly Telegraph
DIED. In Vineville on the 2, inst., at an advance aged Mrs. Chloe N. Kelsey, widow of the late Capt. Nash Kelsey, formerly of Powelton, Georgia.

December 8, 1857
The Georgia Telegraph
High Prices for Negroes. - At Sparta, on Tuesday  last, forty-one negroes, belonging to the estate of Thos. L. Wynn, late of Hancock county, were sold, averaging $840 each, including old negroes, children and infants. One boy, twenty-two years old, a common field hand, sold for $1600; one girl, sixteen years old, $1500. The sales were on cash terms.

December 8, 1857
The Columbus Enquirer
A Teacher Caned - The Central Georgia of the 3d inst., says:
   The pupils of the Sparta Male and Female Institute recently concluded to give Mr. D. E. Laird one of their teachers, a caning, on his departure for Virginia. This they did effectually by giving him a gold headed cane valued at $8, not over his head, but in his hand.

December 9, 1857
The Charleston Mercury
Death of a Very Old Negro Man. - The Milledgeville Recorder says that a negro man named Val Bellamy, died at the advanced age of 100 years, in the neighborhood of Island Creek, Hancock county, on the 29th ult. He was a cook for the American troops stationed at Charleston during the Revolutionary war.