Bryan Ward
is said to have came to the United States from Ireland, with the British army in 1740's, he was a widower and left behind his son, John. Bryan fought in the French-Indian War 1753-1759, and started trading with the Cherokee people. This is probably when he received the name "the old trader". His travels spanned 8 states. In 1755 he witnessed the Battle of Talliwa where he must have met his next wife, the beautiful Na-ni (Nancy), a full blood Cherokee of the Wolf Clan. Her husband, Fivekiller, was killed in the Battle of Talliwa; and she picked up his rifle and showed great heroism. She was bestowed with the great honor of being " Ghigua". Throughout her life she showed much bravery and saved many lives.
Bryan and Nancy were married Sept. 18, 1756 and had one daughter, Elizabeth. They were not together long, they separated. He settled at Tugaloo River, Georgia and she ran an inn at Womankiller ford on Ocowee River, Tennesse. It is said that they visited each other and remained "friendly". Bryan is thought to have died in 1815 in Franklin County, Georgia. Nancy died, in 1824 in Tennesse.
John Ward
arrived in the U.S.A. in 1764, records place him at Spring Hill Mission, Georgia. It recorded that he came from Ireland, looking for his father, Bryan. I don't know when he caught up with Bryan, but must have sometime. There are accounts of John fighting in the American Revolution (1776-1783) and he was mentioned in the Kings Mountain Battle. I have a record where he sold beaver skins in Wisconsin, Virginia to the army during the war. John met and married Catherine McDaniel, daughter of a Scotsman named McDaniel and a full blood Cherokee named "Granny Hopper" (relative of the Cherokee Chief "Old Hop") John and Catherine's 8 children were the start of the numerous Ward ancestry in the Cherokee history. John died in Cherokee Nation East, N.C. in 1817.
Samuel Ward
Third son of John and Catherine, married Easter Davis, and they had one son-Samuel Jr. After his first wife died, he married Sallie Earwood, and they had 2 sons, George Howard and Martin Cicero.
George Howard Ward
married Mary Carroll and they had 10 children.
Louisa Jane Ward
was George and Mary's second daughter, born in Cherokee Nation East,N.C. 1832. She met and married Samuel C. Trout, in Union Co. GA., Nov.1, 1847. They had 4 sons, George Washington, William A., Andrew M., and Samuel Trout. After the Trail of Tears- they moved to Cherokee Nation, Delaware Co. in Oklahoma (1859) Sam was thought to have died on the trip, and is buried at Flint Creek Cemetery, OK. Louisa Jane, later remarried and moved to Webber Falls, OK., where she died 1880.
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