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George Washington* Laughter changed his last name to his mother's maiden name, Denton, at a court at Madisonville Tenn. sometime around 1900-1910, or 1907-1910 (1). [* Some records indicate that George's middle name was Wiley but Judy Hodgson Gilley, a g-granddaughter, says that the Death Certificate shows his name as George Washington Denton.]
BUSHWHACKERS Its interesting to note that Denton's (and others) from Monroe county were listed as bushwhackers during the Civil War. Like many eastern Tennessee counties, Monroe citizens were divided over loyalty to the North or South. Bushwhackers took advantage of the fact that many of the men had left to fight for one side or the other. Older men and boys left behind often conducted sneak attacks on the farms of their "disloyal" neighbors, burning, stealing, and sometimes raping the helpless women. (1) The 1900-1910 date range is assumed. The date on the court record isn't clear. Apparently George changed his name after 1907 but before 1910 because he had at least 2 and maybe 4 children born after 1900 (1905, 1907 and two unknown dates). All of his children are listed as Laughter's.
(2) It hasn't been established that Mary A. Denton was related to the bushwhacker Denton's of Monroe county. Mary was was born in Virginia in 1810 and Wyley either went to Monroe county and married Mary or they moved from Rutherford county, N.C., to Monroe county after they married in 1846. They appear together on the Monroe county census in 1860 but Wyley may have died before 1880 because Mary is shown as a resident of George's household (without Wyley) on the 1880 census.
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