Maria Louisa "Lou" Clopton of Georgia

The youngest child of (Dr.) Thomas B. Clopton and his second wife, Harriet B. Claiborne Clopton, Maria Louisa "Lou" Clopton was born November 6, 1846 in Putnam County (Eatonton) Georgia. She married John R. Brake in Americus, Georgia May 12, 1863. This marriage ended tragically when John, who was a policeman in Americus, was murdered December 28, 1880. He is buried in Americus' Oak Grove Cemetery. Lou died April 22, 1922 and is buried in the Union Chapel United Methodist Church cemetery in Putnam County. She is a direct descendant of the first William Clopton, Gentleman, and his wife, Ann (Booth) Dennett Clopton. They had five children: Hattie Brake Reynolds, Lou Forte Brake Eskew, Bradley Thomas Brake, Charlie Brake, and John Warner Brake.

My grandmother was 14 years old when her father married his third wife, Cornelia A. H. Palmer. Dr. Clopton moved to Americus, Georgia with Cornelia, and some of the children just prior to the Civil War. We know from correspondence my grandmother did not move with the family. She was waiting until an addition to the new house could be completed. At some point she did move to Americus because she met my grandfather there while he was home recuperating from wounds received in the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

He served in Company D, 7th Volunteer Georgia Regiment from August 23, 1861 to February 5, 1862, receiving a discharge due to his health. He re-enlisted again on May 6, 1862 in Company O, Phillips Georgia Legion. He was wounded at Fredericksburg in October 1862.

Following their marriage, he returned to his company. He was captured at Saylor's Creek, Virginia on April 6, 1865, only three days prior to the Appomattox surrender. He was carried to Lookout Point, Maryland where he remained a prisoner until June 24, 1865.

On November 13, 1991, my brother John Brake, my sister Virginia Stewart, and I went to Americus and placed a stone in Oak Grove Cemetery where my grandfather was buried in an unmarked grave. We placed it in the plot where Dr. Thomas B. Clopton was buried. After placing the gravestone we were treated to lunch at the old Windsor Hotel by our cousin, Dr. Henry King Stanford and his wife, Ruth. They received us into their home with open arms and helped us so much when we went to Americus to research about my grandfather. He even canceled an appointment with Jimmy Carter and carried us out to eat!

Ida Mae (Brake) Crane

On Tuesday night last John Brake was shot and instantly killed, at his home about 9 miles from Americus by W. R. Stovall. The particulars, as far as we can gather, are as follows: Anderson Pickett, colored, who had been employed by Stovall, went to Brake and hired to him for the year '80 and moved to his place. Stovall asked Brake to let him have the negro man back. Brake consented that Stovall should see Anderson and hire him if he would return to Stovall's farm. Anderson refused to go, stating that Stovall had not treated him right and that Brake would. At this Stovall got very angry, cursed the negro and applied some very opprobrious epithets to Brake. The latter invited him to his house for supper. Stovall replied that he didn't want a thing that Brake had, and called him a d----d cowardly s-n of a b----h. Brake went to his house and after brooding over the words of Stovall and hearing his voice raised in altercation with the negro, took a singletree, went to the negro cabin, and told Stovall he had to retract his words. Stovall did so and Brake then told him to leave his place, and said he would do so, turning to leave. After reaching the porch he turned back and said to Brake, "You must take back what you said to me." "I have said nothing to take back and will not do so," was the reply. Stovall drew his pistol and fired, missing Brake and striking a negro named Charles Baty, who rode in the buggy with Stovall to Brake's. Brake struck at Stovall, who, in stepping back, put his foot into a hole in the floor and fell. On getting up and backing out the door he fell again, Brake following and ordering him to leave. Stovall thrust his pistol close to Brake and fired, the ball striking him in the breast, Brake fell, and a negro John --- said, "There Mr. Stovall, you have killed Mr. Brake." "That is what I wanted to do," said Stovall. "I came here to kill him and I am glad of it." He then got into a buggy with Charles Baty, who drove him to the plantation of A. C. Bell in Webster County, and left him there. Mr. Stovall was employed by Capt. A. C. Bell on his place four or five miles from Americus. We have given the facts as stated to us by one of the men who was at the inquest.

The Sumpter Weekly Republican
January 1881

Following the death of her husband, my grandmother led a very hard life. She returned to Putnam County. Although the family offered her what help they could, the economy was still pretty much in ruin from the Civil War. The government decided to give the widows of the Civil War veterans $50 a year. Now $50 a year wasn't a princely sum even then, but $50 was $50. In order to qualify for this pension, she was required to fill out a lot of paper work every year. I have seen some of those forms. One question asked the widows to state how much money they made that year and how they earned it. It broke my heart to see that one year she made just $25 by taking in sewing.

When I was a little boy, my grandmother lived with my family and I. She became extremely ill, lapsing into a coma. In those days we understood and respected the fact that people got old and died, besides, the nearest hospitals were in Macon and Athens, each some 40 miles from us.

My grandmother's sister, Miss Lizzie, had come to help my mother out. The women were in another part of the house, and I was laying in a bed in the same room with my grandmother, when suddenly, I heard her cry out, "John!" I thought she was calling me. I ran to get my mother and told her grandmother was awake! Everyone rushed into the room. But she was dead. It had been some 45 years since her husband had been murdered. I know in the depth of my soul that as my grandmother passed over, she saw her beloved husband on the other side waiting for her.

John Harper Brake

Links:  www.eg.bucknell.edu/~hyde/brake/

Contributed by :

Suellen Clopton Blanton, bblanton@fast.net,
John Harper Brake,
Ida Mae (Brake) Crane,
Henry King Stanford, Ph.D.