Individual Details

James Echols married Elizabeth Milner in Halifax County 16 February (bond) 1769. She was a widow who was previously married to John Palmer. As Elizabeth Palmer, a daughter of Luke Milner of Brunswick County, she gave a power of attorney to John Milner 1 May 1767 to sell land on Waqua Creek she inherited from her father.
James provided a rifle to the Army during the Revolution, for which he was later reimbursed.
James Echols, who “had one black eye & one blue eye,” was head of a household of eight whites and five blacks in Halifax County in 1782, and nine whites in 1785.
James and Elizabeth deeded about 100 acres on Elk Horn Creek in Halifax County to John Neal 15 September 1785. James and Elizabeth had five sons and three daughters.
James sold his land in Halifax and followed a brother-in-law to Wilkes County, Georgia. A British mercantile claim of July 1800 described him as solvent and a resident of Georgia. A wagon maker, he died in 1825 in Clarke County, Georgia.
Through their son Milner Echols, James and Elizabeth were the grandparents of Gen. Robert Milner Echols who was born in Wilkes County, Georgia. He moved to Walton County while still a youth and lived there the rest of his life. Robert married Mary Melton whose brother Eliel Melton was killed at the Battle of the Alamo. They were the parents of nine children. Echols represented Walton County, Georgia, in the Georgia state legislature for twenty-four years and was president of the Georgia senate for about six years. Robert died 3 December 1847 after a horse threw him during a dress parade at the National Bridge in Mexico during the Mexican War. He was buried in Mexico but they later returned his body to Walton County where they re-buried him with full military honors. In 1858 the Georgia state legislature named a newly organized county on the border with Florida, Echols County, in honor of General Echols. Men of Mark in Georgia numbers Echols among other prominent Georgians.

Birth	1739	Halifax County, Virginia
Death	9 Apr 1823	Clarke County, Georgia

Father	Richard Echols (1706 - 1786)
Mother	Catherine Evans ( - )
Sibling	Drucilla Echols (1736 - )
Sibling	John Echols (1737 - 1826)
Sibling	Moses Echols (1740 - )
Sibling	Mary Echols ( - )
Sibling	Sarah Echols ( - )
Sibling	Benjamin Echols (1751 - 1828)
Sibling	Obediah Echols (1755 - 1799)
Sibling	Joseph Echols (1757 - 1814)
Sibling	Anna Echols (1764 - 1806)
Sibling	Elizabeth Echols (1766 - )